As I faced off against Kraven, his newfound strength from the injected substance made him a formidable opponent. Evading his lightning-fast attacks, I managed to land a blow to his left side, but he countered with a swift knife lunge, narrowly missing me as I backflipped away. Quickly, I used my webbing to ensnare his legs, causing him to stumble momentarily before regaining his footing.
"Fucking bitch!" Kraven spat blood, his frustration evident as he launched himself at me once more.
With his enhanced speed and strength, I could feel the urgency mounting. I knew I couldn't afford to let this fight drag on, especially with concerns about Peter and the possibility of Doctor Octopus possessing a similar enhancement.
Summoning my berserker power, a reserve I typically saved for dire situations, I knew it was time to bring this confrontation to an end.
With my berserker power coursing through me, I locked eyes with Kraven, determination blazing in my gaze. "Time to end this," I declared, my voice laced with resolve.
Kraven scoffed, seemingly unfazed by my declaration. "What do you mean, are you bluffing, Spider-Man?" he taunted.
I responded with a smirk, my confidence bolstered by the surge of power within me. Without hesitation, I launched into a lightning-fast assault, delivering a powerful punch to Kraven's gut.
As Kraven grunted in pain from the impact of my blow, I watched in disbelief as he somehow managed to endure it. Despite the overwhelming strength provided by my berserker power, Kraven's resilience stood as a testament to his own prowess and endurance. In that moment, I came to a sobering realization: this battle would be anything but easy, even with my berserker power.
Kraven shouted, "Don't underestimate my 25 years of experience!"
As he lunged at me again, I evaded his knife. He quickly threw a smoke bomb in front of me, filling the area with thick smoke.
"Shit," I muttered, scanning the area with my chi sense. I saw him running in the distance, trying to escape. Suddenly, he pulled something from his body. It looked like a spear. How the hell could he fit a spear in his body?
He quickly threw the spear at me through the smoke. I dodged it just in time. As the smoke dissipated, we lunged at each other. He came at me with a knife, while I relied on my fists, throwing punches. The old-school method made me chuckle to myself.
...
[Meanwhile Peter side]
Panting, I faced Doctor Octavius, who now had an alarming increase in strength thanks to that syringe. He lunged at me with his tentacles, and I barely evaded the attack. Another tentacle shot toward my chest, but I backflipped to avoid it. Suddenly, a faster one struck me in the stomach, sending me flying.
"Aurg!!!" I cried through gritted teeth as I hit the ground hard.
"Give up, Spider-Man Red," Doctor Octavius sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Don't worry, if you give up, I'll kill you less painfully."
Struggling to my feet, I met his gaze with unwavering determination. "That's why I won't give up—because I'm not ready to die."
"Suit yourself, Spider-Man!" he spat, lunging at me with blinding speed.
I quickly shot my web at his tentacles, causing him to slip. "Aurg!!!" he yelled, momentarily losing his balance. But he recovered quickly, sending his tentacles at me again.
I sidestepped to the left, narrowly avoiding the flurry of attacks. As I continued to evade, an idea began to form in my mind. What if I could trap all his tentacles by wrapping them around each other?
With renewed focus, I started to execute my plan. Timing my movements, I began dodging and weaving in a way that encouraged his tentacles to cross paths. As he lashed out at me, I maneuvered to make his tentacles collide and wrap around each other.
I leaped to the right, making one of his tentacles strike towards where I had been, only for it to crash into another tentacle coming from the opposite direction. The two tentacles tangled for a moment before he forcefully pulled them apart.
"Keep moving," I thought to myself, dodging another tentacle aimed at my legs. This time, I jumped high, flipping over another tentacle. As I landed, I ducked under a third one, making it swing wide and wrap around the first two.
Doctor Octavius roared in frustration, yanking at his appendages to untangle them. Seeing an opportunity, I shot a web at his face to momentarily blind him. He swung wildly in response, and I sidestepped, causing two more tentacles to wrap around each other as they tried to strike me.
He growled, trying to free himself, but the more he struggled, the more entangled his tentacles became. He swung his remaining free tentacles in a desperate attempt to hit me, but I continued to maneuver around him, making sure each move led to further entanglement.
Finally, with three of his tentacles knotted together and the fourth one struggling to untangle them, Doctor Octavius found himself immobilized. His furious eyes met mine, filled with a mix of anger and disbelief.
As Doctor Octavius struggled against the tangled mess of his own tentacles, his fury boiled over. "You motherfucker!" he spat, his voice thick with rage. "Release me this instant!"
I regarded him with a mixture of sympathy and determination. "Doc, I can't," I said firmly. "You need help, perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D could—"
"I don't need help, you fool!" Doctor Octavius interrupted, his tone venomous.
"Don't worry, Doc," I replied, trying to reassure him. "I'll make sure you get the help you need."
"I said I don't need help!" he roared in frustration, his anger palpable.
Ignoring his protests, I approached him cautiously, intending to offer assistance. But before I could reach him, a thick cloud of smoke enveloped us, obscuring my vision.
Confused, I called out, "What is this?"
A voice cut through the haze, dripping with menace. "Tsk, Chameleon will have to pay me so much money for this," it said, dripping with malice. "If he doesn't, I'll kill that sly man."
As the smoke began to dissipate, a figure emerged, clad in a mask and exuding an aura of danger. I narrowed my eyes, instinctively going on guard. "Who are you?" I demanded.
The figure grinned menacingly. "Oh, me? I am Taskmaster."
I demanded, "What Taskmaster?"
But Taskmaster waved off my question with a dismissive gesture. "I'm not here to fight. I'm just here to pick up this guy over here," he replied, pointing at Doctor Octavius.
I bristled at his nonchalant attitude. "Do you think I'll let you go?" I retorted, readying myself for a confrontation.
With a smirk, Taskmaster responded, "That's why I have this," and in one swift motion, he hurled a device towards me.
My Spider-Sense screamed a warning, and I dodged, but not quickly enough. The device grazed my back, sending a surge of electricity coursing through my body.
"Aurg!" I cried out in pain as the shock momentarily paralyzed me, leaving me helpless.
As the device struck my back, a surge of electricity surged through my nervous system. The sudden influx of electrical energy overwhelmed my body, disrupting the normal signals that allow me to move and react. Essentially, the shock caused a temporary paralysis as my muscles involuntarily tensed up, rendering me unable to move or respond to the situation effectively. The intense pain and disorientation further added to the paralysis, leaving me momentarily incapacitated and vulnerable to Taskmaster's actions.
Taskmaster chuckled darkly at my plight. "That electricity is designed for people like you, someone stronger," he explained, taunting me further. "Bye-bye, Red Spider-Man," he added casually as he scooped up Doctor Octavius.
Struggling against the residual effects of the shock, I watched helplessly as Taskmaster effortlessly lifted Doctor Octavius and prepared to make his escape. Despite my best efforts, I was powerless to stop him.
"Nono, Doc {aurg}" I muttered under my breath, With every fiber of my being, I tried to muster the strength to move, to intervene, to prevent Taskmaster from taking Doctor Octavius. Despite my desperate cries and the urgency of the situation, the electrical shock coursing through my body held me in its grip, rendering me immobile and helpless. It was a frustrating and agonizing moment, knowing that I couldn't protect someone in need because of my own physical limitations. All I could do was watch helplessly as Taskmaster made off with Doctor Octavius, leaving me grappling with both the physical pain and the weight of my failure.
....
[Michael Wilson side]
As I continued to fight against Kraven, his panting breaths and furious demeanor indicated that he was nearing his limit. I seized the opportunity to press him for answers, hoping to uncover who had orchestrated this confrontation.
"Who told you about us?" I demanded, as i gaze him in the distance.
Kraven, still catching his breath, sneered defiantly. "I am not a snitch," he retorted, his words dripping with disdain.
I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Is that so?"
Then Without warning, something flew towards us, resembling a grenade but with a menacing vibe. My spider sense buzzed urgently, but before I could react, it hit me like a bolt of lightning. "Aurgh!!" I cried out, the searing pain shooting through me.
I cursed my own carelessness. "Damn it, I let my guard down," I muttered through clenched teeth, determined not to make the same mistake again
As I laid eyes on the figure resembling Taskmaster from the comics, my initial shock quickly gave way to indignation. "You!!!" I exclaimed, recognizing him instantly.
Taskmaster acknowledged my accusation with a casual nod, confirming his identity and his intentions. "I am Taskmaster. Hero I admire you since I was a kid, but today I am your enemy. Sorry, I got paid," he explained showing a little bit of remorse
Then Taskmaster flashed a sly grin at Kraven and exclaimed, "Let's go!" with a wink at me.
Despite the searing pain coursing through my body from the electric shock, I refused to let them escape unchallenged. Gritting my teeth against the discomfort, I pushed forward, my determination unwavering. "Not on my watch," I muttered defiantly, my resolve unyielding despite the adversity.
Taskmaster's astonishment was palpable as he witnessed my resilience. "How did you manage to walk when that electricity is 50 times stronger than an elephant's Cattle prods?" he exclaimed, clearly taken aback by my defiance.
Ignoring his words, I pressed on, my gaze flickering between Taskmaster and Kraven as they made their escape. I knew I couldn't let them slip away without a fight.
"Stop!!!" I called out, mustering all my strength to pursue them, even as the electricity continued to course through my nervous system. Drawing upon my Frozen Resilience, honed by years of enduring harsh conditions, I pushed through the pain, refusing to be deterred by the odds stacked against me.
But as I moved to intercept them, I realized with frustration that they were already slipping away, their figures receding into the distance. Despite my best efforts, I was powerless to stop them, left to grapple with the realization that they had eluded me once again.
....
[Before they leave Taskmaster side]
Taskmaster urgently turned to Kraven, his eyes darting between him and the fallen Legendary Spider-Man. ""Let's go before he breaks free from this," he pressed, a clear urgency in his voice.
Kraven hesitated, feeling torn between his urge to confront Legendary Spider-Man and the urgent instructions from Taskmaster. "I don't want to leave. Why are you even here?" he asked, his voice betraying his uncertainty.
Taskmaster quickly explained that he was acting on orders from Kraven's brother. "Your brother sent me. We need to leave before Spider-Man breaks free," he said urgently. His words left no room for hesitation.
Though reluctant, Kraven seemed to relent at the mention of his brother's involvement, recognizing the gravity of the situation. "Okay, I will go," he conceded, his decision made. With a final glance in Legendary Spider-Man's direction, he followed Taskmaster, disappearing into the shadows as they made their escape.
...
Why would Taskmaster save Doctor Octavius and Kraven? The motives behind this unexpected act are still a puzzle. Are you curious to find out more? Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the story and uncover the truth together!
[ Dark age lyrics:]
Policemen swear to God, love seeping from their guns
I know my friends and I would probably turn and run
If you get out of bed, come find us heading for the bridge
Bring a stone, all the rage, my little dark age
To be continued