Spider-Man: Marvel Knight

Chapter 17-Stronger Together

   Lizard swatted Otto off of the roof. Using his mechanical arms, he stopped himself from hitting the street. He yanked off his goggles and yelled up at the roof. "Don't just stand there you idiots!!! KILL HIM!!!!" he shouted.
   Rhino, Vulture, Scorpion, Kraven, and Electeo prepared to fight the hulking creature in front of them. Kurt was strong in his Lizard form, but there was no way that he could stop all of them by himself. Spidey and the others looked at what was about to happen.
   "Let me guess:" Harry started, "'killjoy' was a signal word."
   Peter nodded and activated his web shooters. "In the case that Kurt ever became Lizard again, I gave him a word to let me know if he was in control of its body. He was working on a new and improved version of x and I thought he was crazy in doing it. He figured it out."
   Felicia smirked. "Well that's helpful."
   "Well," Gwen said, "five on six does certainly even the odds more doesn't it?"
   Peter chuckled. "Of course not...it makes it bad for them." He shot a web to the building and grabbed it tightly. "Let's end this."
   Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen swung to the building, and Harry and Felicia dashed over there on his glider. Aiming carefully, Spidey shot a web into Rhino's face, blinding him for just enough time to land a kick to his face. Gwen shot a web to Scorpion's weaponized tail and wrapped him up in it to land a few body blows. Harry threw a couple of combustion orbs at Adrian's wings to stop him from flying everywhere. Felicia dropkicked Kraven and got ready to pounce again. Electro stood there not knowing what to do. For the first time in his life he was lost.
   The fight was long and hard. The group of friends were trying desperately to work as a team as these criminals attacked from every direction. Spidey punched Scorpion out of the way and looked up at Lizard picking up Rhino and slamming him down on the roof.
   Pete smirked. "How's it feel to be in control?" He kicked Vulture from coming in with a wing stab.
   Kurt chuckled. "Ssssstrange...but I mussssst admit....thisssss isssss a little fffun....." He swatted Scorpion from landing on him.
   Gwen was fighting Kraven as hard as she could. Her spider sense was amazing; it was like time was being slowed down as her adrenaline built up, and she could dodge every hit that Kraven threw at her. Suddenly, she began to feel the building shake a little. She kicked Kraven away and turned slightly to see Otto crawling up the building with his arms.
   She expected him to go for Kurt, but no...He had his eyes set on Peter. He gritted his teeth together in anger. "PARKER!!!"
   "Peter, watch out!" she called out, but it was all for naught. Peter turned to defend himself too slowly and Otto slammed him through the roof and into the building.
   "Pete!!!" Harry called out as he saw his best friend get hit hard. Rhino raised his hand up to do the same for him, but Harry threw an orb up and it exploded, dazing him for enough time to ram the glider into him and off of the roof.
   Peter dizzily shook his head. Otto hit hard...He wasn't playing around anymore. These hits were for the kill. Peter stumbled his way back to his feet as Otto steadily approached him.
   "Foolish Peter...." Otto said while shaking his head. Peter went to web one of his arm's claws shut, but Otto grabbed his wrist with it before he could do anything. He shouted in pain as he began losing circulation in his hand. He ripped off Peter's mask and threw it down. "I gave you a chance to stand down; a chance to leave all of this alone and let me do my work...but no." He squeezed Peter's wrist tighter. Pete was on the verge of tears from the pain. "You had to avenge your girlfriend, whom of which I avenged for you!!!" Peter began trying to pry the claws off of him, but they were too strong. "Do you know what, Peter? I'm glad Dillon killed Miss Watson now...it shows me that when those who you care about die in your presence, you're weak as any other person." Tears rolled down Peter's face as he listened to the words being said to him and as he began to punch the arm that was holding him to try to pry it open. "I was right all along...you're too weak to do the things necessary when it comes to being a hero. When we're done with you and your friends, I'll show the city what a true hero is, Peter. I'll show them what's stronger than compassion: fear."
   Peter cried as the arm's claws got tighter and tighter around his wrist.
"MJ....is...alive..." Peter struggled to get out. "You....and your....goons failed...."
   Otto pushed Peter more and more into the floor. "It doesn't matter anymore. Your death is all I want. Goodbye, Peter," he said while raising a mechanical arm up, it's claws ready to land the kill. "Ironic that you should die in the same place you were born."
   Peter shouted at Otto before he could do anything. "NO!!!" he yelled. Otto held back for a second. "You're wrong, Dr. Octavius. This wasn't where Spider-Man was born, and it's certainly not where I'll die. This isn't you, doc! You're a great man! You knew me when I was little. You were there for my family when Ben died!  Don't end it like this!"
   Otto shook his head. "It's too late. Goodbye." Suddenly, a huge surge of electricity hit Otto in the head. He fell down unconscious with a loud thud. Showers of sparks rained everywhere and the entire warehouse glowed blue from the bolts. Otto shouted in pain one last time, and he was thrown back by the bolts, and was knocked out as he slammed against the wall. Peter looked and saw Electro standing there.
   "Sorry, doc," he said. "Evening the odds." Max reached down and grabbed Peter's hand to help him up.
   "Electro?" Peter asked confusedly.
   "I know, I know, what a douchebag thing to do," Max responded. "I've done too much bad stuff in my life, Parker and I'm done with it. I'm changing sides."
   Spider-Man smiled and touched Max's shoulder. "Well, that's a relief." He looked down at Otto's unconscious body. "Thanks for the save," he said.
   "When this is over," Max said, "just send me back to prison. I'm done with this shit."
   Peter then heard something crash through the wall of the warehouse. It was Rhino chasing HobGoblin. In his hand, he held the Lizard's unconscious body. With one slap, he knocked Harry off of his glider and onto the ground. After that, he tossed the Lizard near Peter and laughed. "Friends not so tough after all, little Spider..." he said.
   Gwen and Felicia fell down through the hole in the roof and landed hard on their sides. Gwen, having powers began to shake herself off, but Felecia was hurting bad; her leg was broken.
   Scorpion, Vulture, and Kraven joined Rhino's side as they entered the warehouse through the roof. "Nowhere left to run," Vulture said with a chuckle. "Time to die, cabrone..." Scorpion said with his eerie cackle. Kraven remained silent and was just ready to end this fight.
   There they were: three best friends and a criminal that didn't want to be there anymore. Peter's wrist was nearly broken, Harry was pretty much weaponless with the exception of a few combustion orbs, and Gwen was badly hurt from her fall. Felicia had passed out from her injuries and Kurt was still unconscious. Max wanted this to be over. They were all alone.
   Gwen grabbed Peter's hand and took off her mask. "If we die, we don't die alone," she said with a tear rolling down her cheek.
   Harry nodded with a cautious smirk. "This ends either way..."
   Peter nodded. "Together." They stepped in front of Kurt's and Felicia's bodies and were ready to fight, even if it meant it would be their last.
   "Together," Max repeated.
   Rhino stepped forward and raised his hand to crush them...
   ...but something stopped him. They all looked up to see a mechanical arm holding his arm back. Peter smiled as he looked over to the wall of the warehouse.
   Otto looked at Rhino and the others with anger in his eyes.
   "Don't...you dare...touch them..."