Araña: Heart of the Spider

#9 - Homicidal Part 2

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK - SEWER SYSTEM

For an unknown reason we find Mettle, member of the Young Allies, as he walked through the sewers underneath Manhattan. He looked around as if he were searching for someone. All he could find was a river of filthy water and some rodents running around.

"This is so uncool," he sighed. "Why'd that guy have to run down here? Some superhero I turned out to be. I can't believe I let that crook get away."

As Mettle decided to end his search, something caught him off guard. There was an explosion but it wasn't down in the sewers. I came from above. Something was happening out on the street. He began to run through the murky waters of the sewer toward the direction he believed the explosion came from.

OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The clone of Spider-Man, known as Spidercide, stood surrounded by an army of his own dupes. His right hand was smoking. When he opened his fist, a kunai dropped to the ground—one of Avispa's explosive ones. The twisted villain gave a devious grin as he looked on at his opponent.

"You're gonna have to try harder, little boy," he laughed. "That exploding dagger seems like a good weapon, but against me it only tickled."

"You're annoying," replied Avispa. "The fact that there's more than one of you makes it worse. You must really be a clone of Spider-Man. He doesn't know when to quit with the jokes."

"Why don't you try not being so serious all the time?" Spidercide continued to laugh. "You need to lighten up. You should enjoy the little bit of time you have left in this world."

This Spidercide swiped his razor-sharp fingers at Avispa, who jumped away. As another Spidercide sneaked up from behind, he flipped back. He landed on the back of the dupe that was sneaking and pinned him to the ground. He bounced back again and grabbed one of the Spidercide dupes and threw him at his attacker. From one of the pouches on his belt, Avispa pulled out a thin chain that he threw and wrapped around a dupe's neck. He pulled on the other end of the chain sending the dupe crashing into another.

"All right, freak, let's see what else you got!" exclaimed Avispa as he popped the button to one of the thinner pouches on his belt.

A small metal stick dropped from the bottom of his pouch. With a light squeeze, the ends extended to form a staff. The ends of the staff lit on fire and he spun it over his head. The first dupe to come near him got nailed across the face. This Spidercide grabbed his face and staggered back as more dupes came into attack. It looked as if Avispa had the upper hand, knocking dupes left and right, but one managed to get a hit in, slashing Avispa across the chest. Four wounds were sliced open making him grab his chest to hold off the bleeding.

"Lucas!" Araña yelled for her boyfriend.

Araña pounded on the invisible barrier in front of her. Earlier, one of the androids she fought with Armory told her that a fight was going to take place outside the museum. When the Spider Society duo arrived, they found Avispa locked within a barrier with a man claiming to be the clone of Spider-Man. Well, actually a clone of a clone. Spidercide used his powers to multiply himself. None of the heroes knew where the barrier came from but it was erected by a man on the outside calling himself Misterioso.

"The little wasp is putting on quite the show," said Misterioso to the man sitting next to him. "Are you sure you want to get mixed up with this again? You already cut your ties with those people."

"This nonsense involving these people," said the man. "It's all truly idiotic. But if I wish to control everything the world has to offer, then I must have something that's in my favor. Soon they will answer to me, just like the rest of the criminal underworld will."