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***
Unknown location.
Unknown date.
Peter Parker.
Feeling my measured breathing. The dream state is interrupted. After a few minutes, I manage to open my eyes. I blink, look up and see the grey stone ceiling above my head.
I move my hand and try to wipe my eyes, but the result makes me drop the drowsy stupor much faster.
Three hands touch my cheek, temple and eyes at the same time.
- What the hell!" I jump up and look around frantically.
A hand. A second. A third. Four. Fifth and Sixth.
- NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!! - I can't believe it.
So the compound didn't work...but Maria's serum?! I need her serum now!
And then I realise I'm definitely not in my flat. I'm also confused by a costume I didn't notice the first time I looked round. I'm wearing a red and blue spandex spider suit, except it's got embroidered sleeves for extra arms.
- That's not normal.
I try to lift my left arm, but it ends up twitching my lower right arm.
- Okay, all right, Parker, calm down, inhale, exhale.
Meditative breathing, trying to get my thoughts in order.
It might also help to stop talking to myself. I'm too used to people talking to me.
I sit in a yoga pose and try to focus on my new limbs.
- Yeah, it's a circus," I raise my middle arms and clench my palms into fists.
It's unclear how long I've been sitting like this, trying to absorb the moments of control over my hands.
And yet, the granite gets chewed up, and after a while I confidently snap the fingers on one hand, simultaneously clapping my lower pair and playing rock-paper-scissors-paper with the other three.
I'm horribly confused.
As I look at my palms, a completely ridiculous thought comes to mind.
- I think, on a certain plane, the girls would appreciate that I have four more hands.
Yeah, it's about time.
After digesting the information about my new set of limbs both mentally and physically, I survey my surroundings.
It turns out to be a rather large stone cave, obviously hollowed out in the rock. It's not clear if it's artificial or a natural crevice.
The place is absolutely wild, only stones and fragments of branches, that's why my eye is sharply caught by an element that doesn't fit the atmosphere - a round small metal ball, illuminated by several multi-coloured lights. Technology.
I step closer and pick up the sphere. In my hands the object lights up and text appears on the holographic screen.
So some sort of repeater, very serious technology.
The message was as follows:
"The cure is on the island. Gather information. Survive."
Brief and to the point.
However, the barbed thought is only interrupted by a realisation.
- An island?
I tuck the orb into my pocket and look for the exit. The cave is terribly dark, but it feels like my vision has become much sharper. Could it be that I'm seeing in a different spectrum?
However, I am distracted from thinking by the discovered space from which the sunlight is breaking through. I go to it.
I step out of the cave, and the brightness of the light blinds me for a second. When my vision clears, I still can't believe my eyes.
Just a couple of hours ago I was in the native stone jungle of New York City, and now I'm looking at an ocean of green, trees, vines, moss-covered rocks. Oh, and there's a clearly active volcano smoking far to the east.
- Where the fuck am I?!?
All right, let's say. I've mutated, I'm in some jungle and I'm wearing a weird suit, who doesn't, right?
I hope it's all just a delusion going on in my head after taking the serum.
Checking the gloves on my upper extremities. No web shooters.
Also, my veins itch terribly, and my instincts tell me to fold my palm in a familiar gesture.
- It's not going to get any crazier," I say tiredly.
I folded my right hand in a "twist" gesture, pressing my middle and ring fingers into the centre of my palm. I feel how a channel in my hand, which I had not felt before, tenses up.
A thread of transparent grey silk shoots out from my right forearm, at the junction with my wrist.
Super, now there's a biological web as well. Under other circumstances, I'd be glad.
But what if?
I decide to take my research a lot further and do the same thing with the rest of my limbs. A spider web shoots out of each one.
- So it's definitely a mutation.
Any other surprises? Fangs with paralysing venom?
I sigh and shoot out two strands, catching on a steep cliff. I swing around and jump higher in the process, pulling myself up with four shots of webbing. Giving myself even more acceleration, spinning out in a corkscrew.
My instincts are fierce, never with an artificial web have I felt so light. It's like I'm an acrobat who learnt to fly and forgot there was a safety net below.
I can't hold back and I scream in exhilaration, bouncing off a large tree and continuing my flight.
This is so cool. Especially now that I've stopped feeling even the echoes of pain in my underbelly.
I land in the tree and notice the wild sight below. Dinosaurs.
A whole herd of ancient extinct lizards is slowly wandering along the ground, I can identify them as triceratops.
- It's not something you see every day.
While I was getting away from the shocking circumstances down below, nature began to show itself in all its glory: from behind a thicket of trees came a wild roar that dispersed the pteradactyls (they are here apparently for the local birds) and a minute later a Tyrannosaurus fucking Rex stepped out onto the field! Except he wasn't an ordinary one, but covered in a bright white slime mass.
A real dino showdown ensued.
I didn't even know what to do, so I just watched. After all, can I at least enjoy a prehistoric lizard fight in my hallucinations?
The Rex led by virtue of its huge toothy mouth, and the Triceratops by sheer numbers and horns. And so, after about five minutes, Mr Shortlegs did get mauled.
Shame, I'll be sure to toast you with a bottle, Rexy.
But what happened next made me concentrate at once: a white substance began to separate from the corpse of tyrannosaurus, rapidly moving towards the surviving triceratops, and these movements caused obvious associations.
Symbiote!
What was a symbiote doing here? Although, maybe I don't belong in this place.
I shoot out a web and begin to carefully descend to the white slurry. Just in time for the alien to grab a panicked, roaring dinosaur.
- Um, hello? - I call out the result of the symbiosis.
The triceratops that roared a short while ago, covered in a blanket, calmly turns its head towards me.
- So, are you intelligent? Can you speak?
In response, only a wild roar is heard and the symbiotic dinosaur comes at me.
Of course it does.
I jump up and grab onto a tree, climbing up.
- Listen, I myself am not local, maybe you, of course, so it is customary, but in my area strangers do not try to kill! Well.... not everywhere.
Symbioratops (no, why?) has now started banging on the tree.
- Okay, let's try something!
After the mutation, I was left with purely naked scientific interest, and maybe a little youthful excitement: what am I capable of now?
I shoot out a web from six hands simultaneously and, grabbing a multi-ton triceratops carcass, try to throw it away. It comes out practically without tension, the pendulum effect throws the unwound dinosaur into a thick tree, of which there are plenty in this jungle.
I think I heard a crunch.
To my surprise, the symbiote flies off the lizard I killed after all. Too bad about the slingshot.
Strange, why didn't the symbiote heal the host?
The white slurry rushing towards me provided the answer.
- Sorry, mate, but I already have a neighbour, I don't need another one.
Time for experiment number two.
I'm starting to concentrate the energy of the Bite. I don't know if it was the number of hands or something else, but the power of my bioelectricity increased dramatically and spread to all six palms.
The symbiote was preparing to jump and was about to swallow me, but I put my hands out to the sides, literally grabbing the shapeless mass.
The power from the threefold Bite literally melts the symbiote in my palms.
I stare in amazement at the withered Klyntarz in my hands, which at first bubbled and then simply dissolved.
I had just killed a symbiote.
- I hope it wasn't a close relative of the Raj," I remark sardonically.
I approach the dead triceratops.
- Sorry, mate, you were an innocent victim.
Ah, I've loved dinosaurs since I was a kid. Except for a couple of species.
I grab my head sharply at the force of the ringing of my suddenly triggered Spidey Sense.
Click.
I fly through the jungle and spot a settlement. People, rather wild in appearance. Then a fire breaks out. They are being attacked.
The vision stops.
- Well, at least now I know where to go. Roughly.
I shoot a web and get caught in a tree.
***
In the meantime.
Sauron's castle.
The reptilian mutant sat on his throne of dinosaur bones and watched the flasks of rampaging slimy monsters. When the self-proclaimed king of Wild Earth discovered that his kingdom had been moved from where it had been located before to a new, completely unfamiliar space, it made the dinosaur seriously wary. The king without subjects independently went to check what was going on, and what he found amazed him: his kingdom had lost at least half of its territory! And the remainder is now shrouded in an incomprehensible invisible barrier in the form of a dome, which is impossible to penetrate, and that is what Sauron himself and the rebel tribesmen commanded by Ka-Zar tried to do.
A smile crept onto the pteranodon's face at the thought of his old enemy.
But nothing, after discovering the barrier, the King of the Wildlands flew round all the nooks and crannies and then discovered him - a savage, violent, small red monster. It was unstoppable and wanted to devour Sauron, but thanks to the ancient technology that made the Pteranodon king, he stunned the monster and captured it, and then discovered that this thing was capable of reproducing, as similar creatures began to appear all over the Wildlands. And some were far more dangerous than this creature.
It was time to snuff out the last pockets of resistance to Sauron's power and let the monsters off the leash.
***
A few hours later.
Peter Spider Parker.
I was once again moving through the jungle like Tarzan and discovering new facets of my enhanced abilities: strength, speed, agility, reaction, sense of balance, all multiplied. It was as if I had reached a new level, literally grown above myself. My hearing improved, and right now I could hear the sounds of people literally kilometres away from me. It was deafening at first, but I quickly learnt to "tune in".
It didn't seem like I was in a cave, and I really began to see in the dark, for it got dark in this jungle pretty damn fast, but it was like noon to me.
As I travelled I also came across herds of dinosaurs and even attacked one group. Firstly, for the purpose of finally ascertaining my grown up abilities, and secondly, they were velociraptors (although this is a common misconception and the species is called deichonichs). Also. I hate velociraptors.
It would have been too easy to bind them with a biological web of literally six "spider webs" that my hands had become, but to do battle with nine nasty dino-predators on my fists. Six fists of my own, that's a sight worthy of a film adaptation.
I wish someone would write it.
I hit confidently, and the creatures are thrown away from the blows, for some of my attacks are fatal. Some idiot in my head even demands that I let one of the creatures bite me to see what the regeneration is like. Or maybe it's my schizo? I still can't believe this isn't a hallucination. Happening too...too much.
The velociraptor is left alone and gently backs away from me, occasionally blubbering, but I can directly feel that it's scared. Literally the last survivor of his pack.
- Okay, Charlie, let's check something out," I roll up the sleeves on both of my right arms. I'm gonna get rid of them anyway. Fass, beaver!
The dinosaur doesn't need an extra invitation, so he runs up and digs into my folded arms.
Okay, it still hurts.
Three left fists hit the lizard in the head and the skull is practically flattened.
- Good night, endangered.
I lift my injured hands and look at the bites. Literally before my eyes the bleeding stops, though the wounds still look fresh and horrifying. What else did I want, a dinosaur bite after all.
And yet, the regeneration has also increased.
In the midst of all this, I didn't even immediately remember that I'd stopped hearing from Raj, and I hadn't heard from the Klyntarian in a while.
The sudden realisation of this news caused me to crash into a tree branch, breaking it with my body. In the process of falling, I snag on the bark and cling to the tree.
I guess the discovered settlement can wait.
I climb to the top as a safer point and close my eyes, going to immerse myself in my inner world.
Next thing I know, I'm in my head. I raise my arms to check. Two.
So it's not a hallucination after all and what's happening in there is real.
I hope I find my partner so I don't have to deal with this schizophrenia alone.
I concentrate and transport myself to the "command centre," which is usually where the symbiote hangs out.
- Raj," I called out to the alien, finding myself in a familiar dark space, "Raj!
I walk further and, as soon as my eyes catch on an unexplainable object, I am amazed.
A few metres above the "floor" hovered an anthracite-black substance, very similar in its movements to that white symbiote. So this is what it usually looks like?
- Raj!
I'm getting closer.
- You all right, mate?
But the symbiote is completely unresponsive.
I put my palm on the Klyntaran and shards of his emotions and memories whirl through me. The most recent, the pain of the sonic boom and the thought that it takes time to recover.
- You really covered my arse back there, didn't you, partner? - I pat the stasis symbiote on one of its outgrowths. - Rest, brother.
I'm coming out of the inner world.
I'm getting up from where I'm sitting. I hope Raj comes round quickly.
I shoot out a web and resume my journey to the settlement. From the sounds of it, I'm close enough.
***
A village of the people of the Wildlands.
Ka-Zar.
The leader of his tribe was resting in his own tent. His name had once been Kevin Plunder and he was the eldest son, heir to a noble family. However, bad luck had struck. His father was a research scientist looking for a cure for a genetic disease that was killing his wife. Then Professor Robert Plunder discovered a hidden area in the heart of Antarctica, which turned out to be Wild Earth. He managed to discover an amazing metal that could help in the development of a cure, but the journey was too long and Ka-Zar's mother died.
His father was grief-stricken and never left their estate. However, the discovery attracted too much attention and agents were sent for a sample of the metal his father had obtained. They killed the servants and prepared to take the lives of all the Planders, but he and his father managed to escape and Lord Robert decided to flee to the Wild Earth.
The blond was distracted from his thoughts by a huge saber-toothed tiger rubbing against his arm.
Zabu.
How much had happened since then?
Kevin was a child then. His father died and Zabu saved him. At that very moment that beast had become Ka-Zar's only family, a man now, but only a lost boy then, determined to forget his past and move on. He renounced his name and became Ka-Zar.
Admittedly, the wild lad had nothing to complain about. He grew up in a harsh natural environment, in a place where every plant is out to kill you. It hardened him, made him better, stronger. For a long time Ka-Zar improved, and rumours spread through the jungle, and he became a legend - the God of the Hidden Jungle.
As time passed, he grew older, the tribes began to respect him, and eventually the chief of one of the most numerous tribes decided to honour him and marry his daughter, the princess of the clan, to him. However, Ka-Zar had to prove himself worthy and fight for her hand. The blond man agreed.
When the wild lad arrived at the ceremony, he was stunned when he saw the princess.
She was beautiful. Luxurious blonde hair fell silky fountain on her shoulders, with flowers braided into her hair. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with anticipation. And there was no need to talk about the warlike, but at the same time terribly arousing outfit for his manhood. It was indeed very hot in the jungle.
What was Ka-Zar's surprise when the chief announced that the wild fellow would fight with his possible future spouse. But he did not choose to go against their traditions and agreed.
Their battle was like a dance, through the battle the man and the woman got to know each other, becoming closer, that fight, if it could be called such, lasted for several hours until they both, exhausted but satisfied with smiles, declared a draw.
He may not have defeated the princess as tradition dictated, but Shanna had declared herself to be his wife.
Shanna. Her name still gives a herd of goosebumps.
The chieftain was distracted from his pleasant memories by the roar of his tiger.
- Zabu, what's wrong?
The wild beast, however, flew out of the hut.
Ka-Zar hurried after him and on his way out saw several guards running from their posts.
- My chief, we are under attack! - announced a stocky brown man.
- Who?
The men turned round at the horrible howling sound.
- Monsters.
Dozens of horrible creatures, never before seen in the Wildlands, began to attack from the northern approach to the village.
- Warriors to attack! - announced the God of the Hidden Jungle, pulling out his anti-metal dagger from behind his belt. - Defend the settlement!
With a wild roar, the tribe's warriors rushed to the attack, following their leader, whose back was covered by a sabre-toothed tiger.
A terrible battle erupted. Each of the tribe's warriors fought with a different opponent, and sometimes with two or even three. And the slimy monsters didn't even seem to be getting smaller. Weapons did not help against them.
After slashing one of the red monsters with his dagger, Ka-Zar was horrified to find that the slimy creature had flown off one of the Waho tribesmen and onto one of the warriors fighting near the chief.
- What sorcery! - shouted the warrior fighting off his recent ally, who had turned into a vicious, unstoppable creature.
Drums began to sound in the air, announcing the attack and urging civilians to hide for the duration of the battle.
Ka-Zar noticed that the creature stirred after the signals sounded. This gave him time to push the creature away from him.
- Vathek! - shouted the blond man, eager to find his chieftain and right hand.
- My chief! - The old friend was nearby, as always. - What are those things?! - The bald fighter said, shielding himself from one of the monsters.
- I don't know," Ka-Zar also pushed one of the enemies away, "but I noticed that the monster I was fighting became uncomfortable while signalling. Perhaps loud sound is a weakness of these creatures.
Growing up in the Wild Earth has taught me to notice small details and navigate quickly under any circumstances. There was no other way to survive.
Ka-Zar placed a hand on his loyal companion's shoulder.
- Gather a detachment and send them to the signal drums and let them pound them with such force as they have never pounded into the woman they love during passionate nights!
- It will be done, my chief," the voivode grinned at his commander's simple joke, intended to bring some amusement to the nightmare at hand.
As soon as Vatek was gone, Ka-Zar decided to go deep into the settlement as well. Even though the man was loath to leave his men on the battlefield, he had a duty to find out what had happened to his wife and son.
On his way to the huts where the newborn children were being watched over, the God of the Hidden Jungle also tried to fight off the red creatures.
Finally he reached his goal and saw his wife fighting off the monsters with a spear and a torch.
- Shanna! - Ka-Zar jumped over another red creature and landed next to his wife.
- I was wondering when you'd show up, dear," the young woman smiled, attacking the monster with her torch and then piercing it with her spear, "their weakness is fire.
- I see," the man nodded, taking his wife's words to heart. - Where is Matthew?
- With the nannies, safe?
The blond knew he would regret the question, but he couldn't help but reproach his wife.
- Why aren't you with him?
- Because I am a warrior of our tribe and I will not hide as long as there is a threat to our home! - As Ka-Zar expected, his wife glared angrily at him.
- You are beautiful," was the only way the tribal leader reacted to his wife's ardent reply.
- Did you provoke me on purpose? - Shanna asked with a smile, realising what her husband wanted.
- We have always been partners, both in marriage and on the battlefield, - the blond man said, fighting off the creature, - did you really think that I would seriously call you to hide like a mere girl?
- Oh, that's so sweet, darling," the blonde replied, "you know, if it weren't for the circumstances, I'd ride you right here.
- Save that for a quieter time, love.
The duo of Wildland defenders, as they were nicknamed by their subjects, continued the battle.
***
Ibid.
Peter Parker.
As I began to approach the village, a different tune joined the sound of the usual peaceful routine: the music of battle.
I sped up and reached the place within ten minutes.
It turned out to be a rather large settlement, enclosed by large wooden walls on three sides, and on the fourth side the village was covered by natural terrain: a huge rock.
And now this entire space was engulfed in battle. From everywhere came the sounds of metal clashing with flesh, but as soon as the attackers caught my eye, I just froze.
This was a creature I wouldn't mistake for anything.
Carnage. A symbiote descendant of the Raj. But how?!
However, the next picture makes me even more confused: there are dozens of blood-red symbiotes! And they keep attacking this place.
I don't care how, as long as they threaten these people and must be stopped!
One of the symbiotes was about to rip the head off a strange man in a loincloth, but I shot a web at the monster and pulled it towards me.
- Hey, toothy," I hit Red Death with three fists at once.
As I landed, I tossed the symbiote aside.
- What's going on here? - I turn to the shocked man.
- A multi-armed demon! - screams this guy and lunges at me with his sword.
Nice. It's not gonna be easy around here.
- Really, a sword? - I'm dodging a punch. - Are you doing a Conan cosplay?
I shoot a web and bind my attacker from foot to shoulder.
- Now tell me what's going on.
- Demons are attacking and you must be their leader! A monster! Multi-armed brat!
And a whole host of other insults.
I see.
- If I was with them, I wouldn't be out there right now to rescue your people!
I leave the boy tied up and head into the thick of the battle.
There's more and more blood.
I break into another wave of massacre-loving symbiotes and shoot webbing at them.
- Unfortunately for you guys, my recent evolution has made me stronger and more resistant to the laser show," I store up Bite energy, "get ready!
I release the charge and a wave of bio-electrical energy spreads throughout the symbiote cluster.
The carnages scream and begin to drain from the captured carriers. Some bubble up and spread out.
- Oh, I'm warming up! - I shout cheerfully. - Let's keep going!
I jump to another symbiotic group. And repeat my actions.
After a good dozen minutes, while I fought my way from one symbiotic cell to another, covering people as much as possible, the thunder of bells began to ring out.
Of course, the symbiotes react horribly to the loud echo echoing from the metal and begin to scatter.
But they're clearly not going to leave empty-handed. Right before my eyes, the monsters start dragging people away. I shoot out webbing and try to save as many as I can, but there are too many creatures.
In a last desperate attempt, I jump on a Bloody trying to pick up a little boy and girl.
- Are you okay? - I ask the children, nailing Karnage to the ground with three limbs.
Six arms is cool after all.
In response, the kids just nod fearfully, looking me over.
- NO, SHANNA!
I turn around at the loud scream.
A long-haired blond man was furiously fighting his way through a horde of symbiots, towards a blond woman desperately reaching out to him.
However, this group of symbiotes, as well as many others with their prey, quickly fled.
The man dropped to his knees and began screaming furiously into the sky.
I, on the other hand, let the children go and wonder what to do next as I am abruptly surrounded by a dozen savages and pointing spears at me.
- Halt, monster! Don't move! - ordered in a rather frightened tone of a young boy.
- I'm standing," I fold all six hands on my chest, "don't move.
A bald man steps forward in front of me, menacingly searing me with his grey eyes.
- Who the hell are you? - he asks furiously.
- Wow. You're not a handsome man yourself, you know, so don't throw insults at others.
Mr Severity doesn't seem to appreciate the humour-joke and points his sword in my direction.
- I don't know who you are, but I think I need to cut your long tongue.
- Vatek, stop!
Everyone turns round at the loud command, including me.
The blond guy came towards us.
- What's going on? - He addressed the bald man in a stern and furious tone.
- My chief," Vatek bowed his head in a slight bow, "this monster has appeared with the creatures, and I suspect they are connected.
- I would ask," I raise one hand, drawing attention to the spears approaching threateningly in my direction, "if I were with them, I wouldn't have rescued the people they were kidnapping," I say, pushing one of the stone tips away from my face.
- Chief, Ka-Zar, the stranger isn't lying, I saw him snatch the children from the clutches of one of the creatures," another freckled boy spoke up.
- I see," the blond nods glumly. - Who are you, stranger?
- My name is Spider-Man," I answer, not distracted by the memory of who Ka-Zar is.
- Human? - He raised an eyebrow incredulously, eyeing my hands with a hint of suspicion.
Well, naturally. But...
I take off my mask, revealing my face.
- Yes, human. And this," I raise my hands, "is a long story.
It seems that demonstration of quite normal human face had a favourable effect on savages, and a sabre-toothed tiger stood next to the leader of these guys.
- Well, stranger, tell your story," the native George of the jungle pointed invitingly towards the fire.