SPIDER-MAN: Ravencroft Origins

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(AN: So having played the awesome 'Batman: Arkham Origins' by Warner, the prequel game to the numerous Arkham Games by Rocksteady (which is soon to be getting a sequel in Arkham Knight), I have been imagining what such a story might be like if it were a Spider-Man tale, incorporating some elements of the wider Marvel Universe. It's going to be in such the same vein as my Avengeance series – a take on the Injustice Game if it was an Avengers story and which will be restarting shortly – and after a lot of planning and deciding which characters go where, I am very excited to finally upload the first chapter! It's going to be quite an epic piece – I have approximately 52 chapters planned and mapped out - with an array of Spider-Man themed allies and villains, and as well as inspiration from the original Arkham Origins I have also been inspired by the following storylines for this fanfic – The Death of Gwen Stacy, Kraven's Last Hunt, the Ultimate Spider-Man storyline 'Legacy' and the New Avengers story-arc 'Breakout', as well as elements of the classic, ultimate and movie takes on the web-head. As with Arkham Origins this is all about a younger Peter who is still learning the in and outs of being a hero, aged about eighteen years old. I have elected to take some creative liberties to that of the original Arkham story than simply straight adaption, since whilst developing this story on paper I realised some interesting ways the story could go as a result. I'd like to thank my fellow writer Reborn Dark Phoenix for some helpful feedback and suggestions during this process and being a big Spidey fan. I'd also like to thank those who voted on my poll for the role of a mentor figure for this story, which has ended up being Curt Connors and Mary Jane Watson together. So happy reading and I hope you enjoy Ravencroft Origins!)

Chapter One: Preparation

"Police and emergency services are urging all New York Citizens to stay off the roads and within their homes tonight in light of the severe weather warnings..."

"Almost two years on and still relatively little public sightings of the reclusive billionaire Norman Osborn, who was set to speak and switch on the lights at this Christmas Eve's Public Gala before a curt cancelation from his public office, owning to 'family commitments', though Osborn is believed to be widowed and has a single son..."

"Police are said to be still ongoing investigations into the twinned disappearances of esteemed scientists Doctor Otto Octavius and Doctor Michael Morbius .Both men were said to been working on a secure project under the direction of esteemed industrialist Justin Hammer, who is presently in the final running for the Man of the City Award in one week's time. In related police investigations the infamous 'Black Cat' has struck yet another high-stakes robbery, the unidentified female making off with a quarter of a million in diamonds yesterday evening..."

"...unconfirmed reports over a third possible victim of the mysterious sewer attacks which started last October, the bodies of which have been found with extensive scaring and signs of extensive tissue consumption..."

"This is Betty Brant reporting for the Daily Bugle. We will be going live in just a moment for the Mayor's televised address on Ryker's Island..."

Mary Jane Watson was all at once aware of something large, hissing and scaly just behind where she was waiting.

Of course a quick twirl about instantly put her at ease - it was just Iggy, Curt Connors' harmless, if rather creepy, Iguana in the confines of his raised cage, and he'd only hissed threateningly when she lightly backed into the set of empty containers beneath. Nor was Iggy the only specimen Doctor Connors had housed up in this makeshift lab of his – several rodents and lizards of course, plus a selection of exotic spiders she didn't entirely recognise, which MJ suspected Peter had also had a hand in overseeing.

Even so, MJ was in part wishing that for Christmas Eve she wasn't cooped up in Connors' Lab, having agreed to assist Curt and Peter Parker - her other best friend and, though she hadn't thought of the best ways to come out and say it out loud for the fact she knew that Gwen and one or two of the other girls in their classes felt the same about him... guy she secretly had the hots for. Though granted, she did have the advantage of knowing that Peter happened to be New York's most equally loved and loathed super hero – depending whether or not you read the Daily Bugle – the Amazing Spider-Man. Getting on two years ago she, Gwen and Peter had attended a science demonstration of radioactivity as part of a school project, including its properties on certain animals including of course, spiders. Ergo Pete gets bitten and wouldn't you know, Spider Powers. Of course she'd only learnt the truth a year after that, partly due to getting threatened by a giant man made from sand. Science is weird sometimes, I swear. But that had led to bedroom confessions – nothing quite so dirty – and MJ being in the unique position of a handful of people who knew Spider-Man's secret.

Heck, not even his Aunt knew. MJ's heartstrings pulled once more for the elder but very out spoken lady whose impromptu pre-Christmas holiday with her Aunt Anna – she'd been the one responsible for introducing Peter and her in the first place amid a lack of a date for the Freshman date and a fine usage of her womanly wiles with a 'Face it Tiger, you just hit the Jackpot' when she'd shown up at his front door – had left her stranded due to severe weather problems over the city. With little to no desire to cosy up to her own estranged family after recent events with the drunken would be novelist which was her father, and keen to keep Pete's spirits up for Christmas without his Aunt, MJ had elected to help out at Doctor Connor's lab, keeping his specimens comfortable amid the snowfall.

She gave another glance bout the lab, with dimed lights so as to keep the animals calmed and collected. It makes the whole mad scientist lab come together nicely, she thought with a smile. Though that was probably a bit harsh a thought. Truth be told, she liked Doctor Connors. Her best friend Gwen Stacy worked as his lab assistant as part of her final year work programme, and she'd said to MJ that she always considered the older scientist as inspired and gifted in the field of bio-chemistry and research, especially since he'd left the cold calculating grip of OSCORP. It was only lately that Peter and Gwen had confessed to her that the good doctor had his own secrets, chiefly that he was on occasion not a polite dorky scientist with a missing arm, but an aggressive reptilian with a split personality and a strong urge to want to see humanity eradicated. Such were the missteps of science. Anyway, the accident which he had first turned into the Lizard had been for the best of intentions, an effort to regain the arm he'd lost as part of his previous military medical posting. Peter had needed to thwart the plans a dozen times over of the crazed creature who was himself an entirely different person, if one could call a lizard man that. And he'd deftly told her amid some mild questioning that his reptile alter ego had only reared up in times of extreme stress.

MJ lightly bit the bottom of her lip at wondering how the heck his family coped with the possible risk of change – she knew Curt had a wife and a cute six year old kid called Billy at home. Like May, they'd apparently been away and returning home before the encroaching snow made that all but impossible, and Connors had fielded a rather moving phone call from them at some hotel upstate. It seemed like the three of them were all liable to have a rather sucky Christmas, unless she could convince the Stacys for her and Peter to join them for dinner tomorrow. Gwen would be here to help out too, and maybe that brash but resourceful police assistant Carlie Cooper she hung out with, if for the fact the pair were tonight stationed with Gwen's dad as part of tonight's... proceedings... at Ryker's. And Harry… well, Osborn Junior was a strange guy. Perfectly sociable and friendly when he wanted to be but mention his exceptionally wealthy and seldom seen parent and… nothing.

He'd actually been pretty quiet in the last couple of days, the red head realised, and for a moment her hands went to her cell phone to see if she could send him a text to see what might be eating him to render such silence. But with a grunt of irritation she saw the signal was cut off by the severe weather. When the heck would it end, she thought?

At that moment Mary Jane was startled out from her thoughts at the sound of the lift descending from one of the higher floors, which had many of the rats and lizards in something of frenzied hissing and squeaking at the sound of the hydraulics. With a final clang of the lift two figures emerged – the youthful Peter in somewhat scruffy work overalls and Doctor Connors in an equally dusty lab coat, one sleeve buttoned up by his missing arm. Despite this lack of limb the good scientist still had a medium sized container in his remaining hand with a handle bar, a slightly foreboding rodent of some large size peeking from within. MJ tried not to shudder at the latest additions, instead flashing a beaming smile at Peter, who was bearing more welcoming gifts of a plate of sandwiches and a hot flask.

"Subsistence for the red head who has gifted us with her fair presence and assistance this Yuletide night!" Peter gave her a cheeky smile which had her roll her eyes before grinning herself.

"And about time Tiger, I was beginning to think you boys were thinking of moving up there for good. No serious change in the animals down here, Doctor Connors." The older scientist gave her a more reserved smile as he put the cage down and straightened his glasses.

"Well I doubt I would have managed to get everything secured in here for when I would come back on the 27th, though now that my unfortunate wife and child are cut adrift I think my plans would have to change. Still, I think you both for your volunteering. I know that there might have been some costumed do-badder you could have thwarted rather than helping a poor fellow like me..."

Peter gave him a sympathetic stare as he placed the sandwiches and flask by the old style television which had in part kept MJ sane enough for the couple of hours that Connors and Peter had been ensuring the upstairs animals which the scientist was in the process of using for humane studies, thankfully having learnt not to be so all guns blazing as his work had once been. "Don't worry about it, Doctor Connors. You've helped me in more than one tight spot since we first met, the least I can do is help you in your time of need. Anyway, what with the weather I doubt most of those do-badders are likely to be active, and if they are I'm sure someone like Daredevil or Luke Cage can take care of it for one evening." He glanced across at the television screen and frowned. "Though I guess Jameson is going to have my hide for missing out on snaps for the press conference. Who'd have thought that windbag would manage to get his little tashe into the Mayor's Office, huh?"

Mayor Jonah Jameson had easily been one of the most annoying things to vex the web-head lately. He'd been bad enough as the owner of the Daily Bugle when he first come forwards with the initial snaps of himself, a means to getting some much required cash to support his Aunt May. But in the last six months a sudden opportunity in joining the Mayoral Elections allowed Jonah with his hard-line views and stances on super costumed types, himself especially, to finally get into office. One of his first actions was to turn the Bugle Newspaper into a special news segment on public broadcast, putting chief Robbie Robertson and reporters Phil Urich and Betty Brant – all thankfully people Peter got on with perfectly – on the firing line, with himself remaining of primary photographer for the now enhanced newspaper line and the occasional news shot. Peter was only eighteen years old and ready to move onto more educational minded aspects for his life, but he had to admit that outside Jolly Jonah he'd miss the Bugle gang when he finally departed their company.

Sandwiches in hand, the three of them stationed themselves close to the television to view the broadcast. Normally Peter wouldn't especially care what Jonah had to say – no doubt several references to how amazing he was and some inevitable Spider-Man dig – but tonight's Christmas Eve coverage was important to him. The station was showing views of Ryker's Island, the high security prison stationed off the mainland and filled with an increasingly dangerous crowd of super criminals, some in his field of expense. Sand Man, Molten Man – Pete made a mental check to catch up with Liz over how her half brother was doing – Swarm, the Vulture and the Beatle... not to mention an array of villains folks like the Avengers and Fantastic Four were used to. The station was piling up, and Peter knew they'd have to be an update in security some day. Not least because of the latest addition to Ryker's.

He turned his mind back to what Mayor Jameson was saying.

"...knowing that tonight, the citizens of this fine city can rest easy from one of our most heinous and relentless killers – Mister Cletus Kasady."

Peter suppressed a creeping shiver at the name. He'd gotten so used to ordinary criminals and costumed bank robbers that it had been a genuinely disturbing experience to finally meet someone who was utterly and completely insane, in that 'I've murdered two dozen people because it was fun' sort of crazy. No true motive for his crimes, just a deranged pleasure at feeling most alive when taking other's lives. He'd ended up having to work with a fellow costumed hero, the aerobatic Daredevil to locate and capture Cletus, who'd been in the process of dangling a pair of terrified women into a water vat he'd tossed a live wire into. And when the pair of them had punched the freak's lights out, he'd still had that twitching grin on his features.

And now, given the sheer number of people the serial killer had murdered it had been little surprise that the Mayor had advocated his execution by gassing. Peter did not believe in taking anyone's life, but a man like Cletus certainly tested that resolve.

The press conference continued with questioning from the various newspapers, though it was only the non Bugle press who were asking the more testing queries. "Mayor Jameson, Eddie Brock from the Daily Globe, any truth to the rumours that it wasn't actually the cops who were responsible for the ultimate arrest of Mr Cassidy?"

With Doctor Connors engaged in checking several of the specimens Peter and MJ gave slightly bemused expressions to each other at seeing the Mayor's face flush in irritation. Rather than him answer the question the mike was quickly taken by a familiar face, Gwen Stacy's father and one of the main heads of the NYPD, Captain George Stacy. Seated next to police officers Jean DeWolff and Vin Gorzales, none of the three men and women in blue were particularly praising of Spider-Man's interference in their roles as enforcers. Peter had even heard indications from Gwen that Vin at least was on the payroll from several high-ranking criminals like the Kingpin and Hammerhead. The department certainly had its array of corruption. Thankfully Captain Stacy was above that sort of thing, much to Gwen's happiness. If only he could be friendlier to Spider-Man's actions these past couple of years, but clearly he agreed with the Mayor's stance on the web-head.

"The costumed menace known as Spider-Man is not a friend of this police department and it was only through the exceptional work of the NYPD that has resulted in his capture. I tell you frank and plain that I am agreement with the Mayor as to the danger of these thrill seeking so-called heroes, and I'll be the first person to enjoy seeing his mask yanked off and exposed for the danger he is. Thank you."

"Captain Stacy! Captain Stacy! Mayor Jameson!"

"No further questions, no further questions!" With some minor indication from Captain Stacy and his fellow officer, the rather red faced and irritated looking Mayor re-entered the Ryker complex as the cameras panned back to the crowd and the surrounding island before switching back to the studio. Peter switched off the television and sighed. "Should have figured that Eddie Brock guy would be the sort to get the Mayor all riled up." Peter explained to Mary Jane. "We've met a couple times over some big stories and I always know he wants to be at the centre of the action. And the Daily Globe staff are pretty angry after what happened to get the Bugle so public, they'll do anything to knock Jolly Jonah off his column." Even though they had similar dislike of Jonah however, Peter wouldn't trust the older blonde haired reporter for anything, he was clearly the type to resort to a lot of underhand tactics to get the job done.

Had the night gone a little differently, Peter and Mary Jane would have happily assisted Connors in finishing up his securing of the animals, locking up and when the weather picked up a little, the two students would have made the trip to his Aunt's place and kept as warm and jolly as possible. Not the most appealing Christmas Eve Peter could remember – memories of happier times with his Aunt and Uncle by the Christmas Tree would always top that – but he wouldn't exactly complain at the chance of spending a night with the beautiful Mary Jane Watson, as fun and cool a girl to hang out with as she was exceptionally attractive. And hey, Gwen had offered them to spend the day tomorrow at her parents place – the Stacys were a large family but the Police Captain was, for all his anti-Spidey stance, quite a kind hearted kind of guy. And hey, Aunt May would get back soon enough and they could have some belated present opening or something. He might even get a chance to talk to Harry, for all the security he knew getting to see him at his OSCORP penthouse meant enduring.

Peter would later have really wished the evening could have gone that way. Before the chaos and mayhem and madness of one, terrible Christmas night.

When he was battered and bruised, mask torn at one side, feeling the weariness of an array of battles and as, amid the flames, something large and utterly insane was looming over him… he would have wished it so much.

"Attention all units, attention all units! We have a Code Ten at Ryker's Island, communications are down, we have a possible 2-11!"

"Roger from Unit 5-16, confirm code ten, is this a breakout?"

"Unconfirmed. Getting reports of multiple shots fired. Guards are being attacked by super powered inmates, identified as Wizard and Hydro Man. Assistance is required ASAP!"

"Roger that, copy as to whether we have we a 127 on the Captain? I repeat, is Captain Stacy secure?

"Confirmed… chief suspect identified as Mr Negative, repeat that code ten suspect is Mr Negative, known Triad connections and criminal boss, highly dangerous! We have… yes, we have confirmation. Confirm that Mayor Jameson is being held captive, repeat, Mayor Jameson is 701!"

(AN: Hope you guys enjoyed this opening chapter, I was planning to have a little more with Curt and MJ at the end but I'm going to work that into a flashback in the next chapter when Spidey pays a trip to Ryker's and faces a dangerous enemy! I picked relatively modern Spider-Man villain Mr Negative to be in the Black Mask role, he's one of my favourite recent bad guys in Marvel and really should appear in more fan-fiction. I have a poll on my home page at the moment relating to how I should handle the side stories in this series – I felt it would be interesting not only to adapt the main story of Arkham Origins to Spider-Man but also its excellent side missions, and I would like to know whether you think it better to have them in a separate fic or not and whether I should complete the main story first or tackle both at once. So if you can vote please do so! Thanks for reading, reviews are always a nice touch, and till next time!)