THE LOYAL HENCHMEN gathered their weapons from the crates, varying from the melee variety to firearms. The men and women, sporting their usual raggedy Arsenic Candy attire, clamored through their base as they readied to enact their plan.

Their leader, Typhoid Mary, paced around the room and watched as her people gathered their things. She rested her hands on her waist and looked on with a content expression.

Soon, her lead henchman, Vandal, a tall and burly man with a mask, approached her.

"We have the locations and are ready to move in when you are." He told her.

"Are all the targets there now?" She replied.

"They should be. But we have to move quickly. These things can be unpredictable."

She nodded. Moments later, another henchman ran over with a cell phone. She handed it to Mary.

"The Undertaker is on the line."

She nodded. Mary brought the phone to her ear and spoke.

"What is it?"

A man's voice came through.

"I'm here at the meet."

"Are the targets there?"

"A few of them. I'm still waiting on one more."

"How long? We need to move in. All of this needs to go according to plan, or we risk this entire thing,"

"I'm sure he'll be here soon. He's gotta be."

She could hear the grumble in his voice. Mary scoffed.

"I get why you want him so bad...but he's just one thread in the tapestry of chaos we plan on weaving. We shouldn't let it dictate our oncoming actions. This risk will cause this to all unravel."

"Trust me. He'll be here."

Mary nodded. She let out an exhale through her nose.

"Get ready. We're moving in soon."

"I'm looking forward to it, Mary. Once those in power see the consequences of their unrepentant sins, they won't have the will to fight back."

"And this city will be ours for the taking."

"Our influence will be unwavering and stay that way."

Mary smirked.

"We will do what our father could not."

Y/N TYPED ON his laptop. He was working on a lab report with the help of a guest professor that day, one that Y/N has gotten to know personally in the last few weeks, thanks to May's connections.

"I gotta say, Mr. L/N..." Dr. Carolyn Trainer said as she went up to him. "I rarely see young men like you so integrated into this scientific field."

He smiled.

"I guess I'm not your usual young man." Y/N chuckled. "I enjoy this sort of thing. Ever since I was a kid."

"I commend it. The new generation needs to understand the relevance of it all. How it connects to everything we do in the everyday world. It is an essential part of how we live our daily lives. People don't often understand that."

"But we do." He replied.

She smiled back. "We do."

Carolyn went back to her computer at the desk. She put her glasses back on and resumed her work, still speaking to Y/N.

"My brother and I grew up really deep into the sciences. It all started with sci-fi movies, believe it or not. The Terminator, Blade Runner, and Star Wars. It got us very interested in the potential advancement of our world and what it can be. We wanted to be a part of it. But not the SkyNet part, obviously."

Y/N chuckled. He knew of Trainer's work in the fields of bioengineering, chemistry, genetics, and prosthetics. She was a well-respected figure in the world of science, wanting to use her knowledge to benefit the world and help everyone. He was inspired by her and was lucky to be working closely with her.

"And your brother?" Y/N asked. "How is he?"

There was a beat before Trainer responded. "He passed away several years ago."

"Oh. I—I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"It's okay, L/N." She replied with a reassuring grin. "That's just part of life. You get sick...and sometimes aren't lucky enough to get through it. It is what it is."

The young man nodded. He empathized with her since he had also lost people close to him. But even with the loss, Carolyn preserved and moved on, sticking to her path of hard work so she could keep helping others. That was another part of the scientist that Y/N found inspiring.

Carolyn sighed as he looked up from her computer and scanned the room. It was quiet, and the only sounds came from the clacking keys on Y/N's laptop.

"It's a shame...what happened to Curt." She said.

Y/N glanced at her. He nodded.

"Yeah..."

"This school's going to miss him. He had a bright mind, but he was obsessed, and that obsession led him to do what he did on himself." Carolyn shook her head. "I hope he gets well."

Y/N agreed. As of now, all he knew was that Curt was cured and admitted to a facility. He wasn't sure if he would be charged with any of the crimes he committed as the Lizard. Everything on that end went quiet immediately after Black Tarantula and Spider-Man took him down. Y/N just hoped he was all right and could recover from the event.

After some time, Carolyn decided to let Y/N go. The young man welcomed it as he needed to attend the tennis meet and watch MJ. The match would start in half an hour, and he wouldn't miss it this time.

"In a rush, L/N?" Trainer asked upon seeing him packing up rather quickly.

He chuckled. "I have to go to the tennis meet on campus. A friend of mine is playing."

"Ah. A girl?"

"Uh, yes."

"Then I see why you're in a rush." She smirked and went back to her work. "Go on. Don't be late."

Y/N smiled. He grabbed his bag and soon left the lab.

The game continued. Both players rallied and weren't stopping until the other made a mistake. The continuous hits continued until the young woman hit the incoming ball with a slicing motion, sending it toward the far left side of her opponent.

He missed it, and she got the point. MJ cheered and shouted as the announcer informed the spectators that she now had the advantage.

All she needed was to win the next serve, and she'd win the game.

Y/N sat with Randy and Harry in the stands. Randy had a bag of trail mix he bought from the pop-up concession stand and was enjoying it. Y/N even got some, too. Harry, on the other hand, wasn't a fan of it.

"Ugh, couldn't you have gotten some popcorn or something?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Big Bucks can't get up and buy it himself?" Randy replied.

"And miss this next set?" Harry chuckled and ended up getting some trial mix. "Give me some then."

MJ and her opponent were ready to continue, with the latter about to serve. On the side, the ESU tennis players, including Paul, applauded and cheered her on.

"You got this, Michelle!" He exclaimed.

The ball was served, and MJ hit it back. It soon turned into a rally, and the audience watched. The cheering stopped so that they could focus.

Y/N looked over at Paul, who had a smile on his face and clapped occasionally as he watched. The man was undoubtedly enjoying the show.

He didn't really know much about Paul, and he still hadn't been acquainted with him since their first meeting weeks ago. He seemed like an okay guy based on what his friends said. Maybe after the tennis meet, they could all finally hang out, and Y/N could see how cool he was.

Moments later, MJ lost the serve, and the score returned to being tied. MJ shook her head and huffed as she called for the ball to begin her serve.

"It's all right, MJ!" Harry called out and clapped. "Get 'em here!"

MJ served the ball, and the rally began. She grunted with each hit, and her opponent soon matched her energy and exerted a sound every time he hit the ball.

As Y/N watched, he suddenly felt his spider-sense go off. He squinted his eyes and looked to his right, where he saw a security guard by the tennis court entrance. Seconds later, a masked woman came in and hit him across the face with a crowbar, knocking him down.

More Arsenic Candy members stormed on, and everyone looked on when they saw them clamoring inside. Many of them held melee weapons, including handguns and rifles.

One of the lead gang members shot his handgun in the air, startling the attendees and players. The match stopped, and the attention was now on the intruders.

"Nobody moves!" He shouted. "Nobody does anything that they will regret!"

The gang worked fast. One gunman went up to a section of the stands and aimed at a group of people. He demanded a couple of them down, and they were forced to oblige.

"Listen! Or else...these will be your last moments on earth!" The lead member yelled again.

Two gunmen came over to where Y/N was. One man forced two more people down from the stands at gunpoint. The other then approached Y/N and his friends, aiming specifically at them.

"Down! Now!"

"Wha—?" Harry reacted.

"You three! Down or I shoot!"

They put their hands up and obliged. Y/N stayed calm, assessing the situation and trying to figure out how he could get out of this and fight back.

Meanwhile, MJ looked on and saw her friends being taken away. She called out and jogged on over.

"Hey! Stop!"

Immediately, an Arsenic Candy member got in her way and knocked her down with a shove. The masked woman loomed over her with her bat.

"I would stay down if I were you, honey."

Y/N grit his teeth after seeing MJ get attacked that way. But he wasn't the only one angry...

"Stop!" Paul shouted and vaulted over the railing, running at the woman.

One henchman got in his way, but Paul dodged his strike and spun around, elbowing him in the face.

He kept running to help MJ, but a shot ran out, and Paul fell to the floor, holding his shoulder. People reacted in horror, along with MJ.

"Paul!"

He groaned on the floor. The lead henchman held the smoking gun and went over to him, crouching and holding his collar.

"I said not to do anything you'll regret."

Paul didn't say a word and just looked at him. After a moment, the henchman stared back and seemed to recognize him. He smirked and let out a chuckle.

"Ah." He got up and gestured to another henchman. "Take him too."

Paul was soon picked up forcefully and taken to another group of people held hostage.

Moments later, another shot rang out, and one henchman was killed. The gang looked over and saw the security guard from before on the ground with his handgun. Before he can fire again, he was immediately shot and killed.

His heroic attempt wouldn't be in vain, though, as a few more campus security arrived to help. They got into cover and soon brought in a gunfight with the armed Arsenic Candy gang members. Many attendees either hunkered down and stayed where they were or ran out of the area.

"Take the hostages!" The lead henchman shouted. "Get them out of here!"

They obeyed his order and left the tennis court while separated. A gunman ended up taking Y/N, a teenage boy, and one of the opposing tennis players with him.

The four made it to the lot, where a van awaited them. Two more Arsenic Candy members came out and motioned them over.

"Hurry! Come on!"

Y/N could hear the firefight still going on on the court nearby. He feared for the safety of the people and the safety of MJ. He also has to help Randy, Harry, and the rest of the hostages before they can be taken away.

The young man stopped suddenly, which angered the gunman behind the trio. He grit his teeth and scolded Y/N.

"The hell you stopping for?! Move—"

Upon grabbing Y/N's shoulder, he spun around and socked him in the face. He followed with a punch to his stomach, where the henchman doubled over and allowed Y/N to somersault over him a kick to his back. He fell on his face.

The scuffle made the teenager and tennis player move aside, looking on in shock. Soon, the tennis player ran off, leaving the teenager there. The two henchmen outside the van ran at Y/N, holding their melee weapons.

One swung his crowbar, which Y/N narrowly avoided. The other swiped his machete, which also missed because of the young man's agile prowess. They both immediately attacked Y/N simultaneously, which he countered by dodging in a corkscrew motion and kicking one of them back.

The standing henchman swiped at Y/N again, cutting open his shirt but avoiding his skin. He then thrusted his machete, but Y/N weaved away and quickly his arm in a lock. He flipped him over his shoulder and brought him to the floor hard, knocking him out.

The man he had kicked back had gotten up and engaged Y/N again. He tried to land a punch, but the young man evaded his hit, uppercutting him and then following it with a knee to his abdomen. He then grabbed the henchman by the back of the neck where he slammed his face into the window of the nearby car.

Y/N then tripped him, and the henchman fell to the floor and was soon rendered unconscious. The young man let out a breath, looking down at the defeated gang members.

Y/N turned to the teenager on the floor, who just looked up at him in awe. He wasn't looking at his face...but his chest.

He looked down and saw his ripped shirt, which exposed the Spider-Man suit underneath. The boy was stunned as he started to realize the young man before him, the one who had just saved him, was the web-slinger.

"Spider-Man?"

Y/N was not shocked or anything. He didn't mind that the boy saw his suit and figured it out. All that was on his mind was to go back and help the hostages.

"Get out of here. Get as far away from this place as possible." Y/N told him, pacing backward and removing his torn shirt. "Go!"

The boy nodded and ran off. Y/N turned around and removed the rest of his clothes, which now had his Spider-Man costume. He put his mask back on last and kept sprinting.

Meanwhile, the campus security guards were still fighting off the Arsenic Candy members on the court. Some civilians, including MJ, were still hunkered down and behind cover.

Suddenly, one henchman saw the young woman and ran over to her. He picked her up and held his weapon by her neck, threatening to hurt her so the guards could let him go.

"I'm walking out of here! Or else the bitch gets it!"

Immediately afterward, the man's face was webbed. He stumbled back and muffled, which allowed Spider-Man to dive in and kick him down. Y/N then knelt over him and slammed the back of his head into the floor, knocking him out.

As MJ ran to cover again, Spider-Man engaged the Arsenic Candy henchmen on the premises. He zipped to one who had a firearm and kicked him into the wall, where he webbed the rifle he had just dropped and flung it into the face of another henchman.

With their attention now on Spider-Man, this allowed some of the campus security to take down a couple more gunmen with two quick shots. Only three remained, and Spider-Man chose to deal with them himself.

Y/N somersaulted over one of the henchmen and kicked the one behind him down. He then quickly swept the legs of the man he vaulted over and brought him down, where he immediately webbed him to the floor.

One henchman bellowed as he swung his crowbar at Spider-Man frantically, but the hero could weave away from the attacks. He then grabbed the crowbar and disarmed him before bringing an elbow to his face, disorienting him. Y/N then swung the crowbar at his feet and tripped him.

The last goon grunted as he got up. He looked up and was ready to engage Spider-Man but was immediately met with a crowbar flung at his face. It hit him, and he dropped to the floor, defeated.

After dealing with them, he heard tires screeching outside of the court. He swung upwards and perched on a lamppost, seeing four vans driving out onto the street.

They likely contained the hostages from before, but each vehicle went a different direction. Y/N cursed at himself as he had to choose one to go after.

"Damn it!"

Y/N leaped off the lamppost and followed one of the vans. He swung through the city as the vehicle frantically swerved and avoided the other cars in front of him, passing by red lights as well.

The hero ran alongside a building and leaped off, using his momentum to web-zip toward the speeding van. He successfully landed on top of it, which the henchman inside noticed.

"Kill this asshole!"

One grabbed his handgun and stuck his head out of the window, but he was punched before he could shoot. Spider-Man webbed him up and connected him to a passing streetlight, where he was pulled out and now hung from it.

One henchman shot out the front windshield and tried to hit Spider-Man. The hero immediately webbed both him and the driver, incapacitating them. Y/N quickly flipped over the van, where he pulled the back tires off it with his webs and then webbed the back of it, dragging his feet on the asphalt to slow the vehicle further.

Ultimately, he stopped the van. Y/N let go of the webs and pulled the doors open, where he saw four people inside.

"Everything's all right," Spider-Man reassured them. "Come on out."

The hostages came out of the vehicle. One woman frantically thanked Spider-Man as she shook his hand.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Spider-Man!"

Y/N nodded back. He looked into the empty van, thinking about Harry and Randy. They were likely in one of the other vehicles, and Y/N didn't know where they went.

Spider-Man ended up swinging back to campus. He made it outside the tennis court, where people stood, and security guards were apprehending the defeated henchmen.

He caught sight of MJ. The hero approached her, and MJ was also relieved to see him.

"MJ."

"Spider-Man." She replied, knowing to refer to him by that since people were around.

"Are you all right?" Y/N asked.

"Y—Yeah. What about Harry? Randy?"

He shook his head. "They took them. I don't know where."

MJ exhaled and closed her eyes.

"They took a lot of people. Harry...Randy...Paul...hell, even that damn scorekeeper!" MJ shook her head. "They tried to take you too. Why?"

Y/N wasn't sure why. MJ heard her phone chime, and she took it out, checking the notification that popped up. Her eyes widened, and the hero took notice.

"What is it?"

"Holy shit..."

Y/N looked over at her phone. He saw the breaking news, with various outlets reporting kidnappings throughout multiple locations in the city. It explained why there wasn't any police presence at ESU currently and why it was just the campus security, the authorities were presently preoccupied handling the crimes everywhere else. They were purposely being spread thin.

"What's happening here, Y/N?" She whispered, looking at him.

Spider-Man looked at her momentarily before turning, staring at the people in the lot being treated for their injuries and the Arsenic Candy members being tied up. The young hero let out a sigh.

"I don't know...but it seems like Typhoid Mary and her gang are planning something big."

• • •

IT WAS LATER revealed that the Arsenic Candy kidnappings had a motive and that they didn't take just random people. They actually kidnapped the children of influential people in the city, from politicians to high-ranking officers to celebrities. This caused the people in power and the elite to enter a frenzy.

Arsenic Candy reasoned that the people they kidnapped were children of the rich and powerful who had achieved their status by unethical means, whether by corruption, bribery, and so on. Taking their offspring and threatening their lives was a form of making their parents pay for their crimes...their sins.

The criminals demanded a ransom for their safety, which was a total of half a billion dollars. Even if they were to come up with the requested sum, there was still fear that Arsenic Candy would go against their word and still kill the people they had taken hostage.

The people needed reassurance. The incumbent mayor of New York City, Norman Osborn, took it upon himself to offer that. On live television, he spoke to the masses.

"Our children are the next generation. They will soon become the backbone of our society. We work day and night, through our blood, sweat, and tears, so that they give them a better life, and so they can carry on and work hard for their own children. We will not let them go through this pain any longer, and we will do whatever we can to bring them to safety. I will make it my mission to ensure they are back with us. And the people responsible will be punished to the fullest extent of the law! I will see it through myself!"

So Norman Osborn had every policeman, person of authority, and enforcer on the case to track down the hostages. And although he didn't ask for them personally or say it out loud, he welcomed the help of the city's costumed folk...people like Spider-Man.

And he didn't need to be asked. He would do whatever he could to ensure everyone who Arsenic Candy took was saved and brought back to their families.

But...he wasn't the only one with the same goal. Those from different affiliations had their own mission to ensure Typhoid Mary and Arsenic Candy were taken down.

The henchmen were at a hideout watching over a group of hostages that were being held there before they could be transported to Typhoid Mary's base.

In the dimly lit foyer of the abandoned theater, they stood guard with the firearms. One stood by the door to the next room where they had the hostages.

One henchman passed by the one by the door and kept walking. Upon him looking away, the henchman was suddenly wrapped with a wire by his neck and pulled up, dropping his rifle. The one at the door turned around and saw no sign of the man.

He stepped away, taking out his radio and communicating with a colleague.

"Don? Report to Sector B."

There was no response, just static. He communicated again but got no response.

He suddenly heard a quick shout, then a grunt from the floor below. The henchman looked over the railing and saw one of the men on the floor, unconscious. His eyes widened, and he backed away, gripping his rifle.

"Rich?" His radio sounded. "I got a body in Sector A. It's Don."

"Get over here! We got trouble."

"What's going—?"

A sudden thump was heard on the other end, and the henchman could be heard groaning. The line soon went quiet, and it was just Rich.

"Jesus Christ..."

He clipped his radio back into his belt and backed away, aiming his gun around frantically. Moments later, someone dropped from the ceiling and was exposed to the single light by the doorway.

It was Daredevil.

The henchman aimed his gun at him but didn't fire. He was still trembling and simply threatened the vigilante.

"S—Stay back, f—freak! I'll shoot you dead!"

He didn't respond and just tilted his head. Suddenly, a feminine Russian voice spoke from behind the gunman.

"Freak's not a nice term."

He turned around and, for a split second, saw the masked figure with glowing green night vision goggles. The man's neck was soon jabbed with a Widow's bite and electrocuted, where he soon fell to the floor.

With the people in the hideout defeated, the female took off her goggles and mask, letting out a breath and fixing her blonde hair. Daredevil walked up to her, facing the unconscious body of the man she'd just taken down.

"Nice scare tactic." He remarked.

"You like? I popped out of the dark like the Batman." She replied. "You think I could've body slammed him like in those movies?"

Yelena Belova was back in New York and assisting on taking down Arsenic Candy because one of her friends, a former Widow, had their child kidnapped. She requested Yelena's help, and the blonde was happy to oblige.

She had contacted Daredevil, someone she had run into and helped many times before, and they tracked down the first hideout.

Daredevil smirked at her previous remark. There was a beat as the man kept gazing down at the henchman.

"What?" She lightly slapped his face. "You feeling down? It is because he called you freak?"

"I've been called worse."

"I know." She shrugged and gestured toward the double doors. "Come Horny Man."

She tapped his devil horns as she walked away. Matt shook his head and chuckled. He followed the blonde.

"Speaking of worse..."

In another borough, Arsenic Candy was having a firefight with an intruder. They battled the man outside the warehouse in the lot and were losing people quickly.

"How many of them are there?!" One henchman shouted behind the cover.

"I—I don't know! It's like an entire army!"

Suddenly, a grenade bounced by their feet and rolled across the ground. They stared at it for a second before one of the gunmen grabbed it to throw it back.

The other man immediately dove out of cover, which was the right choice...since the grenade had been cooked before, and it blew up while in the henchman's hand. The explosion sent the man flying, and he landed on the floor, dazed and hurt.

All the man could hear was muffled gunfire and more explosions through the white noise between his ears. He saw his gun nearby and tried crawling toward it.

Suddenly, the rifle was kicked away before he could reach it. He was then forced into his back, where he looked up and faced the barrel of a gun. His vision became more apparent, and he could make out the white skull on the man's vest.

It was The Punisher.

He had found the warehouse and took out the Arsenic Candy members present, leaving one alive. Frank had an angry look on his face as he stared down at the henchman.

"You're going to tell me where you're keeping the hostages...or you join the rest of your friends here in this graveyard."

A whip wrapped around the gang member's hand and pulled him off the catwalk, where he landed on a crate. The henchmen aimed their guns at their assailant: The Black Cat.

Felicia vaulted away and avoided the gunfire. They kept shooting at her, but their guns were quickly webbed out of their hands. Spider-Man came by and kicked two of them down and another off the catwalk onto a pile of debris.

Three more were on the ground floor, and two came out of the room and onto the catwalks. The trio below engaged Black Cat with their melee weapons, which she could handle. Spider-Man stuck to the wall and eyed the two on the upper floor, who had handguns and were looking for the web-slinger.

The young man acted and zipped toward them, kicking one off the railing where he quickly stuck him with a web before he could fall onto the hard pavement below, forcing him to dangle from the catwalk. The other henchman was about to shoot him, but Y/N kicked the firearm out of his grasp and followed with a roundhouse kick, then knocked him down.

Below, Felicia was just done taking out two of the three Arsenic Candy goons. She pinned one of them to the floor and landed a hard punch to her face, knocking her out. Unbeknownst to Felicia, the third henchman ran over to pick up the rifle of a downed colleague and turned back around to shoot her.

The attempt was fruitless as Spider-Man came down on top of him and knocked him out. Y/N stood up and took a breath, looking over at Black Cat. He got off the goon she pummeled and looked back at him.

"Saved my ass." She remarked.

"It's an ass worse saving." Y/N quipped.

She smirked. Nearby, the henchman that was dangling from the catwalk was grunting and trying to get out of the webbing. The two costumed fighters went over to him. Felicia rested her hand on her hip, and Y/N crossed his arms as they looked at the struggling goon.

"Having trouble there, buddy?" Y/N asked.

"Argh!"

"Argh, at you too." He mocked. "Look, if I get you down from there...I'm gonna need you to answer some questions."

The man didn't respond, only nodding. Felicia climbed onto the catwalk and held the web line, where she cut it, and the man hit the floor with a groan.

"All right." Y/N crouched down to his level. "Where are you keeping the hostages?"

"I don't know none of that."

"Eh, that's a double negative. So you do know?"

"We ain't been told nothing here."

"Another double negative. You really should've stayed in school."

"Screw you! We were just told to keep this hideout secure. We don't have a clue where Mary is keeping the hostages. We are just here to keep y'all busy."

Y/N let out a huff. Felicia dropped down and grabbed the man by the collar, looking into his eyes.

"One last time...where is your boss?"

He grinned. "I don't know nothing."

She kept looking into his eyes for a moment before knocking him out with a punch. She stood up and let out a breath as she rubbed her face. Y/N was still crouched and tapped his knee.

"Another double negative." He remarked rather quietly.

"Enough with that," Felicia replied and started pacing.

Y/N watched Felicia as she walked back and forth, seemingly thinking. He understood why she was so on edge. He stood up and walked up to her.

"Hey, we're gonna find them. Harry, Randy, all of them. We'll stumble upon a lead."

Felicia let out a sigh and looked back at him. Out of everyone, she was most worried about Randy. She thought back at how Puma almost killed him, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Felicia figured she could do something now and keep him from getting hurt again.

"I hope so." She replied. "It's been 7 hours since Typhoid Mary asked for the ransom."

"Yeah. 7 of 120." Y/N replied. "She was kind enough to give them a few days."

"Five days of misery as parents wonder what hell their kids are going through." Felicia replied. "And time flies. We gotta work fast...or they might all die."

Y/N nodded. He rested his hands on his waist and thought for a moment.

"We should talk with Daredevil. He said he would track down a hideout of theirs with a friend of his. Maybe they got something."

With that, Spider-Man and Black Cat left the warehouse, but not before alerting the authorities of their takedown.

Meanwhile, a unit of the NYPD had gotten a lead on a potential base of operations for Arsenic Candy. Among the reporting officers were Lieutenant Yuri Watanabe and Detective Jefferson Davis.

They stormed the abandoned car garage in the Bronx. Officers and SWAT team members exited their vehicles and advanced toward the building. Before they could infiltrate, two Arsenic Candy henchmen came out with guns drawn.

"Light 'em up!" One SWAT officer shouted.

The henchmen were soon shot down, and they advanced into the garage. Several more henchmen were there and prepared to fight, with a couple grabbing their weapons.

Those men were soon fired upon and killed as well. The remaining Arsenic Candy members surrendered upon the officers yelling at them.

"On the ground! Now!" Yuri shouted as she neared a goon with her pistol drawn.

Jefferson grabbed the henchman and put his hands behind his back, cuffing him. He tried to struggle, but the fit and strong cop kept him down on his knees.

"Try me."

He picked him up and gave him to another officer. Jefferson looked over at Yuri, who was by a closed door with two other SWAT officers. He drew his weapon and joined them there.

They soon infiltrated the room, seeing a lone man sitting at a table. They noticed his size, being six feet tall and large in body mass.

It was Vandal, Typhoid Mary's lead henchman.

"On the ground! Hands behind your head!" Yuri shouted. "Now!"

Surprisingly, Vandal obliged. He did as told, and Jefferson went over to arrest him. As he did, the criminal spoke.

"This won't last long. He'll come for me. And y'all are gonna be toast."

Jefferson scoffed and brought the heavy man up to his feet with a grunt.

"Shut up."

They soon escorted Vandal and the rest of the apprehended henchmen out of the garage. Yuri and Jefferson stood by the doors and watched as they were loaded into the police cruisers.

"He'll come for me," Yuri repeated what Vandal said. "What did he mean by that?"

Jefferson shrugged. "Their leader?"

"Typhoid Mary? The chick?"

"Maybe he got his pronouns confused. Either way, it might've been all talk. You know how these psychos are."

Jefferson walked off. Yuri sighed, looking back at the garage before following her partner to the car.

On a rooftop in Two Bridges, Y/N and Felicia awaited the arrival of Daredevil. Y/N paced around the ledge with his hands on his waist as the young woman laid down on a roof vent with her legs crossed.

Black Cat looked over at Spider-Man, where she could tell he was in deep thought. How his eye lenses tightened, and his brow furrowed gave her everything she needed to know.

"Oooh..." She spoke. "You look sooooo sexy when you're brooding."

Y/N chuckled and shook his head. Before he can say anything back, he heard the sound of a wire connecting to the billboard above. Daredevil appeared seconds later, landing on the rooftop with them. He wasn't alone as a masked feminine figure dropped from the billboard moments later.

"Spider-Man. Cat." Matt greeted.

"What's up?" Y/N replied, then looked at the woman beside him. "Who's...?"

Immediately, she took off her mask, and Y/N saw who it was. He quickly remembered who it was, and memories of the events three years ago on Christmas came over him like a wave.

"What the—?" He pointed. "Yelena Belova? Wha—?"

"Black Widow." Yelena cut in. "Nice to see you again, Spider."

Black Cat flipped backward off the vent to her feet. She went up to the group.

"Hey! That's my name for him. You can't take that!"

"Ah." Yelena pointed. "The Cat! I heard about you! You're very sneaky. So sneaky. Stealing from the rich and everything. Very cool."

Daredevil spoke. "Yelena is helping us. One of her friend's boys was taken by Typhoid Mary."

"Well..." Y/N faced her. "I appreciate the help, and I welcome you to the fold...despite how we first met."

"Oh, don't get so butthurt. It was just business. Besides, I decided not to kill Barton or Bishop, and I zapped Davis before he could beam you. All is good!"

There was a beat, and no one spoke after Yelena's statement. Daredevil finally spoke shortly afterward.

"We still got one more person coming."

Felicia arched a brow. "Who?"

As if he was summoned, the doors to the roof escape opened. They looked over and saw the newcomer sporting his trench coat, scuffed pants, and painted bulletproof vest.

It was Frank Castle.

"Uh..." Y/N pointed his thumb toward him. "What's the Punisher doing here?"

He walked up to them. Y/N still had his thumb pointed at him and questioned Daredevil again.

"He's who—?"

"Get that thumb out my face, web-head." Frank scolded. "Before I stick it where the sun doesn't shine."

Y/N put up his hands and brought them back down in defeat. Castle looked at Black Cat and Black Widow and scoffed before turning to Daredevil.

"You just love hanging with costumed folk, huh, Red?"

Daredevil ignored his remark. "What do you got for us, Frank?"

There was a beat before Castle replied.

"I found out about a hideout of theirs in Yorkville. About sixteen of them held up there. Ten armed with six weirdly deciding not to be. I ambushed it."

"By yourself?" Felicia asked, to which he nodded.

"Did you kill all of them?" Matt asked Frank.

"No, I preached the gospel and took them to Sunday brunch. What the hell do you think, Red?"

Matt groaned. Yelena chuckled and was impressed.

"Oh, I like this one!" She said.

"What's your angle on this?" Y/N finally asked him, wondering why he was helping them with Arsenic Candy.

"A neighbor of mine had their two daughters taken. They're good kids, and they're good people." He replied, and his expression got a bit softer. "I'm just...paying it forward."

Y/N nodded, commending the act. Frank continued.

"I left one alive back there. He didn't tell me the location of their base...but he left me with a nugget."

"A nugget?" Y/N replied. "Don't make me hungry."

Frank rolled his eyes and spoke to Matt. "What is he? Twelve?"

"Flipped, actually. I'm twenty-one." Y/N cut in.

"What did he say?" Daredevil asked, wanting to get to the point already.

"He said they got some HVT in their clutches. Someone that they value over everyone they kidnapped."

"Who?" Felicia asked. "Could it be Harry? Mayor Osborn's son?"

"No," Frank replied. "He said this one was a kid. No more than seven. He said he was the key to whatever they were planning. The son of wrath."

Y/N's brow raised upon hearing the last few words.

"What was that?" He asked.

"The son of wrath," Frank repeated. "I didn't know what he meant by that. Thought he was messing with me...so I shot him in the leg."

Y/N recalled hearing about wrath recently. He kept thinking, and the rest noticed that his mind was racing.

"What is it?" Felicia asked.

After a moment of pondering, Y/N finally figured it out. His eyes widened.

"Fabian." He said.

"What?" Yelena asked.

Y/N turned around, facing the four of them.

"Fabian LaMuerto. Carlos's kid. Remember that Carlos—"

"Is wrath." Daredevil finished his statement.

"LaMuerto? That masked Tarantula freak?" Frank asked. "You saying they took his son? Why?"

"Your guess is as good as ours." Matt replied.

Y/N looked out onto the skyline. He let out a breath.

"After what happened to Captain DeWolff, we've seen what Carlos has become...what he can do." He spoke. "Imagine if something were to happen to Fabian..."

Daredevil could not fathom the thought. Black Tarantula was powerful, deadly, and unpredictable. If anything were to happen to his only son, he'd become even more dangerous and pose a greater threat to not only the heroes but others who may attempt to stop him.

"We have to find Fabian and the hostages...and fast."

Black Tarantula was on his own quest to find his kidnapped son. He had beat and killed many Arsenic Candy members while on his mission until one finally admitted to the location where they had Fabian.

Carlos traveled to a dock in Fort Hamilton, where he stormed the building. To his surprise, it was empty. The brooding anti-hero's eyes glowed red, and he bellowed.

"WHERE IS MY SON?!"

He looked around the dimly lit room. Suddenly, he heard a noise to his left and quickly shot an optic blast in that direction. He hit nothing but the wall, and he looked on with clenched teeth.

"The wrath of man."

Carlos heard the female voice echo through the room. He darted his eyes around, trying to look for her.

"The wrath of a widow. The wrath of a father."

Carlos shouted. "Come out! Now! You tell me where he is...and maybe I won't kill you!"

"When a child loses a parent, they're an orphan. When someone loses their spouse...they're a widow. But what do they call a parent who loses their child?"

Carlos grit his teeth and clenched his teeth. The voice continued.

"Another question would be...what do they call a man who loses both?"

"REVEAL YOURSELF!" Carlos bellowed. "NOW!"

Soon, several Arsenic Candy members came out of hiding. They charged at Black Tarantula, who obliterated one with his optic blast.

They kept coming at him but were no match for the wrathful anti-hero. He dodged their attacks and struck back quickly, breaking their necks and caving in their chests with hard kicks. One man fell to the ground, and Carlos stomped down and crushed their skull.

Carlos heard someone behind him and turned around to attack, but his wrist was grabbed. His gaze met a young red-haired woman, half her face painted white. She just stared into his eyes, and the strong man suddenly felt weak.

"The wrath of man." She said, her voice still echoing. "Where else can you channel it?"

Carlos LaMuerto opened his eyes. He looked around and noticed his hazy surroundings. It soon cleared up... and he saw two familiar faces with him at the table.

"You like the food, honey?" Jean asked, coming into the dining room.

Carlos arched a brow. He looked down and saw his favorite meal: puerco en salsa verde. He turned to her and smiled.

"I—I haven't tried it yet. Smells really good, though."

To his left was Fabian, eating his macaroni and cheese plate. He smiled at his father with his mouth still full of food, which garnered a chuckle from Carlos.

Everything felt right. It felt perfect. But suddenly...the feeling of joy started to dim. He began to feel dejected, as if a dark cloud came over him.

He looked toward the door...where he saw another familiar face: Sin-Eater. The serial killer held his shotgun and pumped it.

"NO!" Carlos shouted.

In an instant, the bodies of Jean and Fabian were now before him. He hyperventilated and was in tears as he looked on at their bleeding bodies.

By the doorway, Sin-Eater took off his mask...showing the burnt cavity in his forehead made from Carlos's optic blast.

"This is it, LaMuerto," Stanley spoke. "Your wrath is what the world needs to be without sin."

The scene he was in suddenly got hazy again, and his mind seemed to be warped. He opened his eyes again, and Carlos realized he was alone in a dark abyss. He stood there for some time in his solemn thoughts before what seemed like a screen appeared before him.

"What...?"

A video of Fabian started to play. It showed him with Carlos and Jean during a trip to South America. He shook his head and was confused.

"What is this?"

Another screen appeared, and a different video was played. It was of Fabian during his sixth birthday. They were all with family, and the boy was beaming as everyone sang Happy Birthday. Jean came over and kissed his cheek before Carlos smeared some icing on his son's nose.

"What is this?!" Carlos shouted. "What are you doing?!"

More screens appeared, each displaying a different memory of Fabian from his birth to the present. Fabian looked upon all of them, feeling mixed emotions of sadness, worry, and guilt. Typhoid Mary's voice echoed through the darkness.

"You've always wanted to be there for your son. More often than not...you feel as if you aren't."

"I..." Carlos sighed. "I..."

"Just like you've been thinking if you've been there for Jean. With her gone, you're starting to wonder if you did enough. If you've done enough as a hero...and as a husband."

Carlos closed his eyes. Still, he could hear all of the memories of Fabian being played simultaneously. He could not block them out if he tried. But the question was...did he really want to?

"And now...you fear for your son's life. You're regretting the times you weren't there. You question if you really were there for him. You're doubting if you were even a good father to him. If he were to perish...you'll get your answer..."

Carlos fell to his knees and held both sides of his head. Mary's voice still broke through.

"...that you were not."

"NO!" Carlos shouted. "I am! I was! I did everything for him! For Jean! For my family!"

He knelt there in anguish, still hearing the overlapping chatter of the memories being played around him. Mary spoke again.

"Do you want to make up for your mistakes?"

"Wha...What?"

"Do you want to make things right?"

He seemed to answer absentmindedly. "Y—Yes."

"Do you want to save your son? Like how you should have saved Jean?"

"Yes."

"You'd do anything for Fabian, right?"

Carlos put his hands down, still kneeling and facing the floor with his eyes closed. He answered a bit firmer.

"Yes."

"You'd rid those deserving to ensure his safety? You'd enact your wrath to preserve a better world for him?"

"Yes."

"A world without sin, Carlos?"

Finally, Carlos opened his eyes. He looked ahead into the abyss with a stern gaze.

"...yes."

Seconds later, the space they were in dissipated. Carlos was still on his knees with the same firm expression. Behind him, Typhoid Mary ran her hands along his shoulders. She leaned in and spoke into his ear.

"Then rise, Black Tarantula. Bestow your wrath upon those deserving...those who come in between you and Fabian."

The man stood up, his gaze firm, and now he was standing upright. The redhead grinned as she looked at Black Tarantula. She had succeeded...

Carlos LaMuerto was now in Typhoid Mary's control.

Jefferson Davis was at his desk looking through case files. He decided to discover more about Typhoid Mary and determine where Arsenic Candy could have the hostages.

Moments later, Yuri walked over to where he was. She had a tablet in hand.

"Jeff."

"Yeah?"

"Look at this."

The man was handed the tablet. He scrolled through the contents.

"These are the potential locations connected to the Undertaker." He said. "From me and Stan's investigation."

"Yes. And look..." She pointed. "Four of these locations have already been accounted for. Just tonight. Daredevil's takedown in Harlem. Castle's ambush in Yorkville, Spider-Man and Black Cat in Hunter's Point, us in the Bronx."

Jeff gazed at the tablet again and arched a brow. He looked back at her.

"They're connected." He said.

"So we just look at what you came up with, and we can pinpoint their potential base of operations."

"Damn right, we can."

Yuri smirked. "Looking into the Undertaker wasn't fruitless after all."

Suddenly, the lights to the police stations sparked and blew out. It startled the officers inside and left them perplexed.

One officer stood by the door and looked up, oblivious to the door opening behind him. A dark blur came inside quickly, grabbing the cop and snapping his neck. His body fell to the floor, and the officers inside turned to see the intruder.

Another cop came from behind, but Carlos spun around and landed a hard haymaker, sending him to the wall. While he was on the floor, Carlos finished him off with a stomp to his cranium.

Black Tarantula ran at the group of officers in the middle of the room. One took out his shotgun and was about to shoot LaMuerto, but the anti-hero vaulted over the desk and disarmed him, forcing him to shoot his colleague nearby,

A female cop came over with her gun drawn, but Carlos disarmed her too, kneeing her stomach and flipping her onto her back, where he broke her neck with a stomp. Another officer shot at him, but Black Tarantula avoided the bullets with his speed and got close to the man, where he broke his arm and used the bone protruding from his elbow to stab him in the throat.

He moved on to a detective who was about to shoot him next. Carlos quickly bear-hugged him and spun him around. Knowing that another cop was about to shoot at him, Carlos used the man he was hugging as a human shield. The cop emptied his clip into his colleague's back.

Carlos dropped the man's body and quickly grabbed a letter opener a cop had on the desk nearby. He used it to stab the cop in front of him in the throat, then kicked his body over the desk. A female cop came by and shot at him, but Carlos evaded the gunfire again and stabbed the woman in the chest.

The remaining cops, including Yuri and Jefferson, shot at Black Tarantula. The murderous anti-hero evaded them with bullets and dashed behind various forms of cover, from the desks to the pillars in the room.

Jeff went behind the cover as well. Black Tarantula engaged a few cops who got close and easily handled them. Yuri soon joined him behind the desk.

"What's LaMuerto doing?!" She exclaimed.

It seemed to pop immediately into his head. The memory of being told he'll come for me. Jeff turned to his partner.

"He's here for Vandal."

Yuri's eyes widened. She reloaded her gun and let out a breath.

"You go to the holding cells. Get Vandal out of here. Keep your gun on that big son of a bitch, and make sure he does what you say."

Jeff took the orders and ran out of the room, with Yuri giving covering the fire. Soon, Carlos had dealt with most of the officers, leaving only Yuri and one male officer, Sergeant Drake.

Drake aimed his gun at Carlos, who reacted by leaping at him and grabbing his arm, where he broke it. The cop yelled out in pain. Yuri quickly ran over and shot Carlos three times in the back.

"Argh!" Carlos groaned.

"Take that, you son of a bitch!" Yuri exclaimed.

Carlos kicked the sergeant away and turned Yuri. He swung at her with the blade he still had, and the woman was able to weave away from his strike. She dropped her gun and picked up a piece from a broken chair, swinging it at Carlos. The man evaded the attack and countered by slashing her abdomen.

"Argh!"

Yuri fell to the floor but had luckily landed near the shotgun a cop had dropped. She grabbed it and aimed it at Carlos, who quickly dove over a desk as she fired.

The Lieutenant got up and kept shooting. Black Tarantula dashed from cover to cover until he ultimately dashed out of another door. Yuri let out a pained breath, looking down at her wound.

"Oh...my God." She groaned, then reached over for her radio on the desk.

"This...this is Lieutenant Yuri Watanabe. Requesting backup at the Manhattan precinct. Shots fired...officers down."

Yuri took a breath as she held her radio, gazing upon the many bodies in the rooms. She could not fathom the carnage that was just done...from a city-sanctioned hero, no less. She let out a shuddered breath and dropped her radio.

Yuri could also hear Sergeant Drake groaning on the floor. A part of her felt relieved, knowing that someone aside from Jeff was still alive. She threw aside the empty shotgun and went over to help him.

"Come on, Drake." Yuri helped him up. "Let's....Let's get out of here."

Jefferson made it to the holding cells, where Vandal and several of the apprehended Arsenic Candy members were. He held his gun at them and stepped up to the cell, all while Vandal had a grin on his face.

"Out. Now." Jefferson ordered Vandal as he unlocked the door. "Come on."

"What is it, detective?" He asked. "Why so jittery? Has he arrived?"

"I said out."

All Vandal did was grin, but he didn't move. His gaze seemed to be on something behind him, and Jeff immediately turned around.

Ahead was Black Tarantula, his eyes glowing red. Jeff stood there, contemplating what to do next. He decided to raise his firearm, but Vandal immediately came over and hit him over the head, knocking him out. He, along with the rest of the arrested henchman, walked out of the cell.

"Go on, boys," Vandal commanded the henchmen. "The armory is just in the next room. Get strapped up before we leave."

They all left the room. Carlos stood there, silent and unmoving. Vandal knew he was under Typhoid Mary's control.

"Great work, LaMuerto. Soon...you will see your son again."

The two stepped out into the hallway. The henchmen came out of the armory with their weapons, ready to face the backup they expected to arrive. They were about to leave but heard someone call out at the end of the hall.

"Stop!"

They turned around, where they saw Daredevil amidst the flickering lights. Vandal grinned.

"The Devil of Hell's Kitchen." He spoke. "Is it just you, or did you bring the rest of the circus?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Suddenly, LaMuerto raised his head as if he sensed something. He looked up toward the ceiling, and Vandal had an inkling of what it could be.

"Go. Take care of them."

Black Tarantula dashed into another room to escape the station through the window. Vandal looked back at the armed henchmen.

"Go downstairs and handle the incoming boys in blue. I'll take care of this guy."

They followed orders and left the hallway, leaving just Vandal and Daredevil. The vigilante got in a stance and was prepared to fight.

"I've always dreamed of a dance with the devil." Vandal remarked.

Matt clenched his fists. "This dream's going to become a nightmare."

Immediately, the two ran at each other and engaged in battle.

Downstairs, the armed henchmen jogged through the open lobby toward the door. Suddenly, the shutters came down and blocked their path, leaving them all confused.

Moments later, smoke canisters rolled to their feet. It soon disoriented them, and they coughed amidst the cloud.

"What? What the hell is this?"

One henchman was soon shot down. They turned to where the shots came from, where they could see the lights from infrared goggles. They fired at it, but the figure had disappeared.

The group spread out, but that was a bad idea. One was soon grabbed from behind, where a garrote wire choked them. The flexible and quick assailant dragged him out of the smoke cloud, leaving his colleagues confused upon seeing he was gone.

One henchman was about to call out, but a red node stuck to his neck and electrocuted him. The rest panicked and ran out of the smoke cloud toward the hallway. They looked back into the smoke and could faintly see the assassin within.

"Wanna dance?!" The henchman shouted. "Then let's dance, bitch!"

Suddenly, they heard a shout behind them.

"HEY!"

They stopped and turned around, seeing a towering figure emerge from the shadowy hallway. They quickly realized it was the Punisher, sporting his trench coat and painted body armor. He spoke to them.

"I'll dance with you."

Immediately, he drew two automatic weapons in both hands and fired upon the Arsenic Candy members, letting out a bellow.

Daredevil continued his fight with Vandal. The man was tall, large, and packed with muscle. It felt like he was battling Wilson Fisk all over again.

They had moved into another room, giving them more space than the narrow hallway.

Daredevil landed a kick on his leg, but Vandal didn't react. He followed with several punches, but Vandal dodged them. The henchman countered with a blow to Matt's side.

Matt countered with a backhand to Vandal's face, but the man took it well and countered with a punch to Matt's head. Daredevil quickly landed a spinning backkick that moved Vandal back a couple of feet.

The two exchanged more blows before Vandal grabbed him by the throat and headbutted him. He pinned Matt to the wall and kneed him in the stomach and face before tripping him. Matt landed on his back with a grunt.

Vandal punched down at his head, but Matt quickly rolled out of the way and landed a roundhouse kick on his face. He got back up, and the two circled each other once more.

Matt tried landing hits and kicks, all of which either didn't phase Vandal or were dodged. Daredevil jumped up and tried to kick his face, but Vandal dodged. Daredevil landed and tried to sweep his legs, but the man avoided it.

Vandal parried his next kick, following with three heavy punches to Matt's face. He added a brutal uppercut, causing Daredevil to hit the back of his head against the wall and fall forward.

The henchman laughed and was content with the small victory. He paced around the room as Daredevil slowly got up, dazed.

"Come on, Devil Man! Is that all you got? How have you lasted this long? That private eye dame from your hood can probably put up a better fight. What was her name again?"

Daredevil got to his feet and faced Vandal. He grit his teeth and he immediately engaged the large man.

He parried Matt's kicks, but the next kick came out of nowhere and connected to Vandal's jaw. He stumbled back, allowing Matt to jump up and kick to his chest and face again.

Vandal hit the wall and leaned against it, letting out an angry grunt. He punched the wall and faced Daredevil again, snarling.

He charged at Matt, who stepped away and avoided his attack. He tried to knee Matt, but he blocked it and countered it with a right hook across Vandal's head. The large man swung his leg, but Daredevil ducked and got on the other side of him. Upon Vandal turning around, Matt connected in three quick jabs to his unguarded face.

"Argh!" Vandal bellowed.

He tried to land a straight kick and a right hook, but Daredevil was able to weave away from them. Matt quickly connected in a punch to his rib and then his face. Vandal swung his arm again to hit him, but Daredevil dodged and then jumped up afterward, landing a spinning back kick to his chest.

Vandal stumbled back again, allowing Matt to land a hard right hook at his face and kick him in the stomach. He added a jab to his abdomen and then an uppercut, causing blood to spill out of Vandal's mouth.

As he was dazed, Daredevil stepped back, leaped at weakened Vandal, and landed a flip kick that connected to his chest.

It sent the man flying back, hitting the shelves hard, and all the heavy contents fell on top of him. Vandal was down for the count and now lay amongst the debris.

Daredevil got back up, looking upon the criminal he just defeated. He let out a breath, spitting out the blood from his mouth.

"Her name's Jessica Jones."

Meanwhile, Black Tarantula made it to the rooftop to check up on what his senses picked up. He looked around the rooftop momentarily, then suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

"Carlos!"

He turned around, seeing not only Spider-Man but Black Cat as well. The man didn't say a word and just glared at them through his mask.

"What are you doing?" Y/N asked. "Why this? What does this achieve?"

Black Tarantula paced in front of them. Spider-Man had Black Cat balled their fists and readied themselves in case he were to engage.

After a beat, Carlos finally spoke.

"Absolution."

Black Tarantula ran at the heroes. He tried to land a flying dragon kick at Spider-Man but moved out of the way and avoided it. Black Cat kicked him, but Carlos weaved away and tried to sweep her legs, but she jumped up and dodged it.

Both Spider-Man and Black Cat simultaneously threw kicks at Black Tarantula, but the man was able to parry them with ease.

Felicia tried to land an axe kick at his head, but he blocked it with his wrist. At the same time, Spider-Man came in and tried to kick Carlos, but he let go of Felicia's leg and forced her to get in the way, causing Y/N to kick Felicia down inadvertently.

Carlos immediately engaged Spider-Man. They exchanged kicks and punches that were deftly parried by both. Finally, Black Cat was able to recover and she ran into assist.

Again, they both tried to land a hit on Black Tarantula, but he once again proved he was the superior fighter.

Carlos dodged Y/N's kick and then quickly punched Felicia's side. He then landed kicks to each of them in quick succession before bringing Felicia to the floor with a kick to the face and then connecting on a roundhouse kick to Y/N's head.

Y/N laid on the floor, recovering from the hard kick. Carlos looked over at him for a moment but then brought his attention to Felicia, who was starting to get up.

He went over to her and ended up kicking her down before she could recover. While she was down, Carlos kept landing kicks, each blow getting more brutal than the last. Felicia let out pained grunts through the beating.

Y/N could hear the noises. He looked over, seeing the out-of-control and enraged Carlos beating the downed woman. He grit his teeth...seeing the onslaught on his close friend happening.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar laugh—a cackle. As Carlos kept beating Black Cat, the laugh grew louder. Memories of Hobgoblin guffawing with glee as Y/N held the body of Indira filled the young man's head, along with what he had said before.

"We are who we choose to be..."

And soon...he saw red.

"Now...it's time for you to choose again."

Y/N bellowed and got up, running at Carlos. He dove and tackled him, and the two rolled across the rooftop. They separated and faced one another, both with rageful expressions.

"Argh!" Carlos grunted and ran at Y/N.

Y/N dodged and kicked him in the stomach, where he followed with a flurry of punches. Carlos dodged a few of them and grabbed Y/N's arm, bending it. He let out a grunt but quickly headbutted Carlos.

While dazed, Carlos was hit with a quick left hook, followed by a swing to his ribcage. He landed a knee on the other side of his torso, but Carlos quickly dodged his next hit and swung at his face, which Spider-Man had weaved away from.

Y/N tried to land a hit, too, but it was dodged. Carlos did the same, but Y/N dodged quickly. They seemed equally matched, both in speed and strength...and emotionally. Both were fighting angrily, and it appeared that Spider-Man wasn't holding back this time.

And Carlos would soon experience the wrath of a bitter, rageful Spider-Man.

Spider-Man landed a couple of hard hits to Black Tarantula's ribcage, which actually hurt Carlos and surely broke a few ribs. He countered with a right hook to Y/N's face, but it didn't phase him. Spider-Man immediately grabbed the back of Carlos's head and brought his face to his knee, breaking his nose and knocking the man back.

Amidst his dazed state, Carlos grit his teeth and charged up his optic blast. He fired at Y/N, but the hero was quick enough to evade and get close to Black Tarantula, where he held his head and forcing the beam to hit the nearby roof vent, causing it to explode.

Y/N then grabbed Carlos and put him in a fireman's carry, where he quickly threw him into the burning debris of the roof vent. Carlos let out a pained groan as he rolled in it.

"Aaah! Argh!"

Carlos crawled out of it with his enhanced healing factor quickly alleviated his burns. Amidst his pain, he looked up and saw Spider-Man walking up to him.

The hero kicked him in the face and forced him onto his back, where he got on top of him. Y/N ripped off his mask and saw his sweaty and reddened face. The young man landed a hard punch, which caused blood to drop out of Carlos's nose.

"Argh!"

Y/N grunted as he landed another hit.

"Argh!"

And another.

"Argh!"

Another.

"Argh!"

Y/N stared down at him in anger, seeing the battered face of LaMuerto. He gazed back at the young man, his eyes still filled with hate and anger. It reflected in Y/N's eyes, which displayed the same emotions at that very moment.

"It's over, LaMuerto!" Y/N exclaimed. "You stop this now! Or...I'll—I'll—"

Carlos spat out blood. His stern gaze was fixated on Spider-Man.

"Or what? You'll kill me?"

Y/N didn't say a word back. Carlos huffed.

"Then do it."

A part of Y/N wanted to end it now. He's seen the chaos Carlos just committed. The atrocities. The innocent cops whose lives were taken moments ago. This was just a taste of what Black Tarantula was capable of...and Y/N wanted to put an end to it before it could get any worse.

Spider-Man raised his hand and was ready to deliver one last punch, one strong enough to cave in the man's face. Y/N held his fist up by his head, his arm trembling as he stared at the battered LaMuerto...

BANG!

The hero was suddenly shot in the side, forcing him off of Carlos. He fell to the floor, holding his wound and groaning on the floor.

Spider-Man was in pain. He squinted his eyes and could faintly see a figure walking up to LaMuerto and him.

He wore an all-white suit and had purple gloves. Y/N could make out something red...and soon realized he had a rose pinned to the lapel of his suit.

The man stood over them, saying something to Carlos that Y/N couldn't make out amidst the pain. Black Tarantula got up with a groan and stepped to the side.

The man finally looked down at Spider-Man. Y/N's vision got clearer, and he saw the blonde man's face... he was in shock upon seeing who it was.

"P—Paul...?" He muttered.

In reality, his name wasn't Paul. He was a completely different person entirely. The whole time...he was just under the guise of an ESU student and tennis player.

His real name was Richard Fisk, half-sister of Typhoid Mary...and son of Wilson Fisk. And he also went by another name: the Undertaker.

Finally, the man spoke to the maimed hero beneath him.

"Can't have you damaging the goods any further," Richard said, cocking his pistol. "I send my regards."

With that, Richard aimed the pistol at Spider-Man and pulled the trigger.

BANG!