Remember in the last chapter when Doc Ock attacked an A.I.M. truck to steal their tech, which he used to blow up a city block? Well, I thought it is high time that A.I.M. actually gets some focus instead of being just minor plot devices. Enjoy.

Leave a review after reading, please. Give me your full, honest opinion. I would really, really appreciated it.

I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: Vanitas50 or Shadow25, Heinkelboy05, rex1297, I.D.'s Fantasy, josephguy217, Guest, Bismarck Alexander

To Vanitas50 or Shadow25: Well, the Sam Raimi Goblin design fits with my story, but the Goblin suit here is more technologically advanced. Imagine the Raimi Goblin suit but made of shiny metal.

To Knox: I like both Far From Home suits, but I really love the Upgraded Suit (the red and black one).

To CG: I know you don't have an official account, but these conversations through reviews is pretty irksome. Honestly, I'd rather save my crazy excitement and predictions for when the first SM3 trailer drops. Although, can we leave Mephisto out of this? I didn't read the comic (then again, I don't have time, money, and interest for comics), but I know that it's very hated because of the whole deal-with-the-devil thing.

To I.D.'s Fantasy: Well, that's JJJ for you. Even after Jefferson Davis' death, he still finds a way to talk trash against Spider-Man (he didn't blame him for the bombing yet, but he did say, "we can no longer tolerate the lawlessness that Spider-Man and his ilk represent"). Oh, and thanks for mentioning the numbering of the generic enemies. It gets repetitive, but it makes things a whole lot easier when identifying who gets kicked in the face and who gets webbed to a wall. As for F.R.I.D.A.Y., you may wanna read the beginning of Chapter 32 again. It's a sad story, but it's an explanation as to why Tony gave F.R.I.D.A.Y. to Peter.

Peter and MJ are at home working on their latest story. Mayor Sarkissian's pre-Christmas charity event for those suffering from The Raft escapees. Peter took pictures and MJ managed to get one interview with the mayor. Sarkissian answered MJ's questions like any politician would, putting focus on the people and being as straightforward as they can. She's definitely an Oscar-level actress, MJ thought throughout the interview. MJ couldn't stop replaying the video of the interview. She couldn't believe how despicably convincing Sarkissian can be.

"For a HYDRA flunky, she sure is sophisticated," Peter commented.

"Well, don't worry. Sable is holding on to Spider-Woman's suit for the meantime. We're getting closer," said MJ.

"Jessica Drew is Spider-Man. I should've seen it myself," said Peter. "But hey, it's nice to know that you, Felicia, and Sable are working together."

"Doesn't it make you feel awkward?" MJ teased.

"That my girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, and the girl who kissed me in front of the whole world are getting along? Kinda, but it's great. Really," said Peter. "The four of us, including Miles, could really do so much if we work together as one."

"You really think Felicia is capable of helping people other than herself?" MJ questioned. "She's only working with me and Sable because Sarkissian is threatening her."

"I know, but maybe working with us will unlock the hero that I know is inside of her," said Peter.

"So, your hopes for her are 50-50?" asked MJ.

"What about you? 90-10 in favor of no?" Peter replied.

"Sarkissian first. Black Cat later," said MJ.

"Hey, look," Peter said, pointing at the TV. "Isn't that A.I.M.'s CEO?"

News footage of the head of A.I.M., Monica Rappaccini, exiting her car and walking towards City Hall. Mid-30s, born in Italy, expert biochemist, and became the CEO of one of the world's most technologically advanced companies. One that can rival Oscorp, especially now.

"Octavius attacked an A.I.M. transport truck before he blew up a city block. No coincidence that A.I.M. was hoarding something powerful and dangerous," said Peter.

"Didn't A.I.M. also steal some of Hank Pym's shrinking particles?" asked MJ.

"Yeah, I have made zero progress on that little favor for Scott," said Peter. "But right now, I just need to know what A.I.M. was hiding, to know what that blue glowing device was."

"Rappaccini is too high-profile. You can't exactly just walk up to her and ask her for any favors," said MJ. "Especially if A.I.M. is as corrupt as they are shady."

"I'm just gonna tail her," said Peter. "I'll use the Stealth Suit."

"Just don't fry your batteries, okay?" MJ said. "Spider-Man is under enough fire from The Raft breakout as it is."

Peter lets out an annoyed sigh and says, "If only we have proof that Fisk helped Li cause the breakout."

"Fisk is behind bars for life, and no amount of money is gonna help him," said MJ. "Just focus on A.I.M. for now."

Peter puts on his Advanced Suit and swings towards the new Stark Tower to get his Stealth Suit. Unfortunately, someone saw him exit MJ's apartment window in his suit. Stationing herself at a balcony far enough with a pair of binoculars that allow her to spy on the spider-themed superhero, Yuri had just gotten confirmation of her suspicions. Not too long ago, Mister Negative called Spider-Man, "Peter," and it didn't take long for Yuri to get an idea on which Peter in Manhattan could be the man under the mask. Remembering when she met a certain Peter at F.E.A.S.T., she remembered that she thought his voice and sense of humor reminded her of someone else.

Also, MJ is dating Spider-Man, a fact that she couldn't hide from the former police commissioner because of, well, blushing. Yuri saw Peter Parker in MJ's apartment and saw him leave in a red, blue, and white suit.

"Gotcha, Peter Parker," Yuri said.

In the mayor's office, Monica Rappaccini is having a not-so-civil conversation with Mayor Ophelia Sarkissian. Good thing they were alone in the room with no one eavesdropping by the door. The reason for this extreme privacy? Monica knows something about Ophelia that the city doesn't and Ophelia wanted to be sure that Monica knows her place.

"I don't have it, Monica," said Ophelia. "And did you really just come here to accuse me?"

"Maybe you don't have it, but I suspect you already knew," said Monica.

"You better watch your tongue, Scientist Supreme. You prove nothing with your words," said Ophelia.

"The Red Skull is long dead, Sarkissian. Yet you and your lackeys foolishly continue to carry his vision," said Monica.

"When I became mayor, I agreed to leave A.I.M. alone, unless they cross us first," said Ophelia.

"No, you became mayor just to have the power over A.I.M.," Monica accused. "Octavius has something of ours and I want you to leave him to us."

"What will you do? Even before I ran this office, A.I.M. has already been suspected of unlawful acts, such as illegal weapons and unethical chemical experimentations," Ophelia reminded. "If you and your beekeepers start shooting guns out in the open just to find Octavius, then you can kiss your company goodbye. I won't even be shutting you down to better my intentions. I will do it because the people want it."

"You play with fire, Sarkissian," Monica said threateningly. "If I so much as find out that you got your hands on even one shard, one screw, or one bolt of my creations, I will not hesitate to put out your fire."

Ophelia presses the button on her desk that summons security.

"You're out of time, Ms. Rappacinni," Ophelia said. "Please, leave my office. It was nice to talk to you again."

"This is not over," Monica warned.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ SPIDER-MAN ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Monica gets back into her car and heads back to A.I.M.'s laboratory, which is outside Manhattan. Cars filled with bodyguards and A.I.M. scientists surround her vehicle in order to keep her safe just in case. Monica knows who Ophelia is and she does not want to take any chances with her, like coming to see her alone without any security.

Monica's only half-wrong. She is being stalked, but not by the mayor. It was Spider-Man, zipping from building to building while in his Stealth Suit, rendering him invisible to the naked eye. Unfortunately, he can't web-swing in this suit or else the camouflage systems will fail and he will be exposed. The best he can do is crawl, wall-run, and slingshot himself from one building to the next. Monica and her fellow scientists are not going too fast, so he could still keep up at this slower rate.

"The Stealth Suit working for you?" asked MJ.

"Working better than before," Spider-Man whispered. "So far, nothing, at least nothing that I could hear or see."

"What are you planning?" asked MJ.

"Use Miles' hacking app to get access the Scientist Supreme's data," said Spider-Man.

"Can you believe that the media calls her that?" MJ questioned. "Then again, she is one of the brightest scientists in the world. One science magazine put her on the World's Top 10 Scientists or something."

"Biochemistry. Biotechnology. Nanotechnology. Physics. Owner of Oscorp's biggest business rival company. I guess I can't deny that she is something," Spider-Man admitted. "Too bad she's just another corrupt scientist, using Pym Particles for who-knows-what and probably using some blue-glowing power source for a WMD."

"Just make sure to hack fast and get out fast," said MJ. "I gotta submit our story to Robbie. I'll just tell him that you had to go back to the lab. Later, Tiger."

A second after the call ended, Spider-Man's Spider Sense tingled. Unfortunately, he already got hit. It was a tiny disk that attached itself to his suit, shocked him, short-circuited the suit's stealth system, and made him lose grip on the wall.

Spider-Man falls down in an alleyway as he rips the small electric disk off of him. Before he could react, someone kicks him in the face. She looked like Spider-Woman, but she was only wearing a black spandex and a domino mask that resembled her real look. The custom-made web shooters that fired Electric Webs, however, prove that it really is her.

"You again?" Spider-Man complained.

"You stole my suit. You should've seen this coming," said Spider-Woman.

"I don't have your suit, but I know who it really belongs to," said Spider-Man. "Hasn't this city had enough messed-up police commissioners?"

Spider-Man quickly fires a web line, sticking Spider-Woman's right hand to the ground.

"So, you know everything?" Spider-Woman assumed.

"Well, not everything," said Spider-Man. "But I know enough to know that I can't let you get away. You and the mayor, this is not what this city needs. It needs a mayor who puts the people's needs about their own. It needs a police commissioner who focuses on the safety of everyone. You and Sarkissian, you two are just adding more problems to this city."

"The Raft breakout. That was not our fault," said Spider-Woman. "That was all Li."

"And we would be able to end all this sooner if you weren't so focus on serving some evil organization," said Spider-Man.

Spider-Man webs Spider-Woman's other hand to the ground.

"No more misery. No more suffering. Unless you change your mind and help me, like what all heroes in this city who wear a spider on their chest should with each other, I'm gonna have to turn you in," said Spider-Man.

"Then I guess that's my cue," said Spider-Woman.

Spider-Woman, despite her hands being webbed to the ground, flip-kicks the web-slinger in the face. She frees her hands from the webs and kicks Spider-Man three more times. Spider-Man dodges her fourth kick and counters with a tornado kick to the head. Spider-Man blocks her punches before webbing her hand and attaching the other end of the web line to a wall. Spider-Woman gets dragged and her face hits the wall. Spider-Man fires Impact Web to glue her to the wall.

"You have no idea what you're doing," Spider-Woman said ominously.

"Stopping a supervillain slash Spidey wannabe from causing more trouble," Spider-Man said nonchalantly.

"I know you're following Rappaccini. I know you think A.I.M. has something to do with the bombs that Octavius used to blow up the Oscorp power plant and a whole city block," said Spider-Woman. "Well, you don't have to spy on her."

Spider-Woman drops what appears to be a flash drive. Spider-Man picks it up.

"You'll find everything you need in it," said Spider-Woman.

"Why are you giving this to me?" asked Spider-Man. "I doubt the mayor would like it if you're helping me."

"Let's just say the mayor has no love for A.I.M.," said Spider-Woman.

"This doesn't change anything. You're still gonna have to reveal your true identity to the force," said Spider-Man.

"Whether you have my suit or not, it doesn't matter. I'll find it and then I'm coming for you," said Spider-Woman. "And you can't prove anything. Remember, I am still the law in this city."

Spider-Woman vanishes via a smoke grenade. Spider-Man coughs as the smoke disappears, along with his opponent.

"Man, I hate those things," Spider-Man complained. "Maybe I should get some of my own."

Miles Morales is back in town and back in his Kid Arachnid suit... and breaking into Oscorp in the middle of the night. Right now, he's crawling through the air ducts, trying to stay hidden. They are still people in the building, including Norman, and being seen is the last thing on his to-do list on his visit here. He crawls slowly and quietly as he tries to ignore every argument he hears along the way.

"This is so not how I wanted to spend my evening," Kid Arachnid complained out loud but quietly.

"Would you prefer lamenting over Ms. Connolly, Mr. Morales?" His contact questioned, via comm-link.

"You can me Miles, Sable," said Kid Arachnid.

"Just trying to be nice," Silver said stoically. "We'd get nowhere disagreeing."

"Why am I the one breaking into Oscorp for you?" Kid Arachnid whined. "I mean, I know you love giving out orders, being a princess... queen... but I thought you love getting your hands dirty. You'd have a better chance breaking into this place than I do. You can actually just walk into the front door.""

"My reputation in this city is fragile. I cannot risk too much illegal activity," said Silver.

"Well, besides vigilantism, what other illegal thing can you be doing?" Kid Arachnid questioned. "How's the search for the thief, by the way?"

"Focus on the mission at hand, Morales," said Silver.

"It's Miles... ack, forget it," said Kid Arachnid. "Okay, Norman's not in his office. I'm going in."

Kid Arachnid exits the air vents and drops into Norman's empty office. He unnecessarily sneaks towards his computer and starts hacking. He was hurrying up because Norman or someone can walk in at any second.

"Remind me what I'm looking for again," Kid Arachnid asked.

"Ms. Hardy informed me that Norman intends to make his personal copies of Project Olympus," said Silver. "I cannot let him continue that project. But first, I need intel."

"Man, you really hate it when people steal or duplicate your stuff," said Kid Arachnid. "Hey, while I work, we really need to talk about you know my secret identity... and Peter's secret identity."

"As long as you do not give me a reason to expose you, I won't," said Silver.

"Do you have to make that sound like a threat? Unless it is a threat?" asked Kid Arachnid.

"Spider-Man has more than earned my respect. I have no reason to turn on him, not anymore," said Silver. "You have nothing to worry about, child."

"Are you sure?" asked Kid Arachnid.

"You don't trust me," Silver knew.

"I... uh... well... maybe not 100%," Kid Arachnid admitted. "You did almost blow up the Financial District, I mean."

"I do not mind. Just another reminder that I am not a welcome sight in this city," said Silver. "But I know I can count on your mentor."

"So, you don't mind asking others for help anymore, huh?" Kid Arachnid asked.

"I never needed help. I could only rely on myself and, sometimes, my men," said Silver. "But ever since Devil's Breath, I have been thinking too much about who I am, who I want to be, and what legacy I want to leave behind."

"Legacy? You, uh, planning on getting married one day?" Kid Arachnid joked.

"Point is, I would not be asking for your assistance if not for Spider-Man. I have too much to thank him for, but never enough time," said Silver.

"I think I'm starting to like you more," said Kid Arachnid. "Just to be clear. You're not at all bothered that he's committed to MJ, like, forever?"

Silver did not respond to that.

"Oo-kay. Sorry to ask," Kid Arachnid said awkwardly. "Okay, I'm in. I found the file. He calls it Project Olympus Remastered. What is this? A video game?"

"Just download the entire file and get out of there!" Silver said impatiently.

"Okay. Yikes! And I thought mood swings don't come before the bun is in the oven," Kid Arachnid commented.

Kid Arachnid has no idea how close his statement was to the truth. Silver stayed silent as she once again thought about her big secret.

At the A.I.M. laboratory at Staten Island, Monica heads to the lowest floor underground to check on her super secret project. A project she would not let the mayor or anyone else know about. A.I.M. is a technological company with grand ambitions. Those ambitions can only be fulfilled through further advancements in technology. People have accused them of being corrupt, but they just brush these "theories" aside. A.I.M. hopes that their latest big project will propel them to the top of the world in technology.

That latest big project comes in the form of a blue glowing cube that is being contained in a small glass sphere. The glass sphere is connected to a device that scans the cube.

"Update?" Monica asked for a report.

"The cube's energy continues to fluctuate unpredictably," said Dr. Getz. "But it's still pretty much stable."

"Well, we need to move up our schedule," said Monica. "Octavius stole samples of the cube's power from the transport last week."

"Are we still planning on selling this cube to HYDRA?" asked Dr. Getz.

"We're not selling the cube. We're selling weapons imbued with its power," said Monica. "Sarkissian knows we have it, but she can't have it. She's lucky that we're willing to part with some of its power. But as we already know, while the cube's power may or may not be infinite, it constantly recharges itself after we extract part of its energy."

"What about us? Aren't we gonna use its energy as well?" asked Dr. Getz.

"We don't want a war with HYDRA. We're not animals, Dr. Getz. Our goal is to be the most successful scientific corporation on the planet. We achieve that through innovation, not violence, unless necessary," said Monica. "But we will be prepared for it. Make sure that our weapons room is loaded with weapons powered by the cube."

"I'm on it," Dr. Getz obeyed.

"And how is the progress with my new suit?" asked Monica.

"It's nearly ready," Dr. Getz answered. "Bulletproof. Fireproof. Radiation-proof. We still have to finish weaponizing it."

"I'll see to that myself," said Monica.

Suddenly, the alarms went off. Reports of an intruder boom through the PA system from all over the place. A.I.M. Scientists (all who are wearing "beekeeper" suits) grab their weapons to prepare for this intruder.

"Intruder coming in from the front... AAAAAGGHH!"

"We need backup! We need... AGH-AAAAGGHH!"

"It's Octavius! It's... BRBRBRBRBR-AAAAGGH!"

"I may need that suit finished now, Dr. Getz," said Monica.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ SPIDER-MAN ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Doctor Octopus is shredding through A.I.M. scientists like they're nothing. Smacking them aside with his tentacles, tossing them around with his tentacles, and blocking the blasts from their energy guns with his tentacles, he was having little to no trouble. But then an army of two dozen start coming at his direction. That's when he uses the exact same explosive device he used last week.

The bomb with the mysterious blue glow.

He throws it an the incoming army and vaporizes all two dozen of the armed scientists.

"What a waste," said Doctor Octopus. "Good thing I'm about to get a lot more."

"More what? Pain!"

That was none other than the wisecracking web head himself, swinging in and kicking Doctor Octopus in the face, knocking him down on his back. Good thing the mad scientist's tentacles do the standing up for him. He sees that the web head has come wearing his Vibranium Suit.

"I assume you followed me," Doctor Octopus guessed.

"Actually, I was just passing by until I saw an eight-legged Raft escapee who needs a serious beating and a serious talking to," said Spider-Man.

"Always using your fists, huh, Parker? Primitive," Doctor Octopus insulted.

"You're wrong, Doc. I always use my head. And my head tells me that words won't work with you. So, punching you in the face seems like the next best thing," said Spider-Man. "Too bad I didn't pack my Anti-Ock suit or this fight'll be over in two seconds."

Doctor Octopus smacks Spider-Man aside with a swing of a tentacle. Before Spider-Man can get up, Doctor Octopus grabs him with two tentacles and slams him to the ground twice before throwing him again. Despite a hard crash to a metal wall, Spider-Man gets up like he was only pushed down. The Vibranium, it helps with protection.

"I expect you to be more confident with what you're wearing. Vibranium, Peter, it's a rare and valuable gift," said Doctor Octopus.

Doctor Octopus sends one tentacle charging at Spider-Man, who grabs it with his two hands to prevents himself from getting skewered. Using his super strength, Spider-Man tightens his grip on the tentacle and throws it (and Doc Ock) across the corridor. Doctor Octopus saves himself from a spine-to-wall collision by having his tentacles cling onto said wall before his back makes impact with the flat metal stuff. Doctor Octopus approaches Spider-Man as fast as he can and slams his tentacle on top of him, pinning the hero to the ground. Doc Ock closes the tentacle's claws around Spider-Man and throws him to a wall as hard as he can.

After getting up, Spider-Man starts punching the ground multiple times.

"Like I said. Primitive," Doctor Octopus insulted.

"Vibranium. Doesn't. Just. Absorb. Vibrations," Spider-Man said in between punches.

The linings between Spider-Man's suit start to glow purple. The purple glow shines brighter and brighter with each punch. After about nineteen punches, Spider-Man gets back up and charges at his former boss.

Doctor Octopus charges as well with two tentacles up and ready for grabbing or stabbing. Spider-Man jumps with his right fist up. The web-slinger lands with a strong punch to the floor. The punch releases a purple energy shockwave that sends Doctor Octopus flying back. This time, his back (along with his head, arms, and legs) hit the wall.

"I learned that from my buddy Black Panther," said Spider-Man. "Well, I like to think of us as buddies, at least."

Spider-Man's Spider Sense tingles. He turns around and sees a figure dashing through the shadows.

"Later, Ock," said Spider-Man.

Spider-Man webs Doctor Octopus' body and tentacles to the wall and floor, trying to make sure he stays put until he comes back.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ SPIDER-MAN ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Two A.I.M. scientists guard the door to the room where the cube is, armed with guns powered by the cube itself. And they'll get the chance to test them out. Someone in the shadows approaches them with unfriendly intent. They start firing, but their blasts hit nothing as the intruder was too fast.

The intruder disarms A.I.M. Scientist #1 and stabs him through the heart with a shiny dagger. She then uses the dead scientist's corpse as a human shield for A.I.M. Scientist #2's blaster fire. The first blast vaporizes the dead scientist. The intruder zooms towards the other scientist, kicks his blaster off his hands, and then digs her "claws" into his neck. The scientist starts to feel weaker as his innards burn and twist his veins, as if he was being poisoned. As he slowly dies, he gets a good look at the intruder.

The intruder is female, has greenish streaks on her hair, wears a dark green skin-tight body suit, and conceals the lower half of her face with a mask.

"Too easy," she said in a low and sadistic voice.

The intruder proceeds to the lab, where the cube is being held. No one is there.

"No way this could be easy," said the intruder.

"No kidding!"

The intruder turns around, only to get hit with an Impact Web shot. She falls, rolls, and tumbles on the ground as she struggles to escape the web coating restricting her movement. Her attack, Spider-Man, stands over her with crossed arms.

"So, it's not just Doc Ock who wants a piece of the Cosmic Cube," said Spider-Man.

"So, you know of what it is?" asked the intruder.

"That it holds cosmic energy of unknown origin. Yup, pretty much. I also know that this cube is the reason five dozen people died last week," said Spider-Man.

"So, you came to steal from A.I.M.?" The intruder assumed.

"Actually, I was just doing recon. But then I saw Dr. Octavius and I thought I'd drop by for a visit as well," said Spider-Man.

The intruder escapes from her binds and trip-kicks Spider-Man. She was about to scratch him with her claws, but he scurries backwards to dodge the sharp nails. He back-flips back on his feet and lands two swift kicks on the intruder. The intruder counters with three quick punches to the face before knocking him down with a jumping spin kick to the torso. She then digs her poisoned claws into his chest.

"You like nicknames, Spider-Man? Call me Viper," said the intruder.

She kicks the poisoned Spider-Man down, leaving him to succumb to the poison so she can grab the cube. Spider-Man tries to fight the poison, but it's weakening him faster than Scorpion's neurotoxin.

"I know you want the cube, Spider-Man. The hero in you will not let people like A.I.M. keep it," said Viper.

"People... like... A.I.M... and you," Spider-Man grunted. "Agh! Spider-Sense tingling! What..."

A green energy blast comes out of nowhere and blasts Viper away from the cube.

This third party comes in wearing a helmet that emits a green glow, which makes her skin look green. She looks like an alien, Spider-Man thought. The third party also wears armor of the colors gold and black. It is equipped with a bunch of technology, such as repulsor blast knockoffs that fire green energy.

"Ms. Scientist Supreme, I presume," said Viper, recognizing the third party's face.

"I guess the facial concealment needs work," said Scientist Supreme.

"Uh, hello, Ms. Rappaccini," Spider-Man greeted awkwardly. "First of all, big fan of your work. Second, do you have any treatment for pois... agh!"

Spider-Man lies down as he continues to fight the poison in him. While he's down, Viper and

"So, Ophelia sends an assassin to do her dirty work?" Scientist Supreme questioned judgmentally. "She has all this talent and technology at her disposal. Why didn't she just do it herself?"

Viper chuckles and says, "Well, let me show why she chose me."

Viper runs towards Monica as fast she can, dodging her energy blasts, before giving the A.I.M. CEO a kick to the helmet. The helmet didn't crack, but she did get knocked back. Viper decides to forget about the helmet and aims lower. A kick to the stomach, a spin-kick to the back, and a roundhouse kick to the chest. Viper starts scratching her armor with her claws, but they can't reach her skin. All she's doing is leaving scratch marks on Monica's armor.

"They don't call me one of the smartest women in the world for nothing," Scientist Supreme bragged.

Monica finally hits Viper with an energy blast, a big and powerful one at that. She grabs one of her hand-sized grenades and throws it at Viper. Viper jumps out of the way, but gets blown away by the grenade's green blast. Monica punches Viper six times in the face with her steel-covered fists. Unfortunately, Viper recovers quickly and jumps right over her. She grabs her helmet between her feet and slams it to the ground upon landing. The helmet is finally cracked.

"Are you finally done? 'Cause I could really use a cure," Spider-Man said casually, in spite of the pain.

"Impressive. Normal men would be dead already from the poison," Viper said, astonished.

"Yeah, well, I'm impressed at myself as well," Spider-Man joked.

"On the brink of death and you crack jokes? Who made you the savior of this city?" Viper criticized.

"Savior? That's too much," Spider-Man said as he slowly got up. "I like to think of myself as your Friendly... Neighborhood... Spider-M..."

Viper interrupts him by kicking him in the face. Clearly, the poison has affected his reflexes. He may be able to stand and move right now, but the poison is slowly weakening him even more.

"Maybe you need a second dose," Viper said, showing her claws.

"Are those organic or self-made?" Spider-Man joked.

Just as Viper was about to give Spider-Man another dose of poison, a blue energy blast shows up and hits the ceiling. All the pipes, wires, and metal boxes that make up the ceiling start falling down on Spider-Man, Viper, and Scientist Supreme. Spider-Man pushes Viper away from the falling rubble and webs Scientist Supreme to safety. Unfortunately, he himself gets hit and pinned to the ground by a heavy pipe. Viper and Scientist Supreme get hit by some metal, causing them to collapse to unconsciousness.

When the dust from the collapse cleared, Spider-Man is pinned under rubble, as were Viper and Scientist Supreme. As for the one who brought the ceiling down on them, it was none other than Doctor Octopus, armed with a blaster powered by the cube's energy. He tosses it aside as he was going for the cube itself.

"Otto! Don't!" Spider-Man begged.

"Why should I, Peter? This right here, it's a scientific marvel that is being wasted down here with these morons," said Doctor Octopus. "Unlike them, I will put it to good use. Norman will never see it coming."

"Why waste... your life... tormenting him?" Spider-Man grunted, too hurt.

"As I said, Peter, he has to lose everything. Everything!" Doctor Octopus reminded. "His wealth. His empire. His legacy. All of it, burned to ash. Norman will not be able to recover from the upcoming destruction."

"You don't know what that thing is capable of," said Spider-Man. "And neither do I."

"You're right. I don't. But in time, I will," said Doctor Octopus. "What matters is that this cube has the power I need to ensure no one stands in my way. Nor you, Osborn, or even Martin Li will stand a chance."

Doctor Octopus rips the glass sphere holding the cube out of the stabilizing device with his tentacles and carries it out of the lab. Spider-Man uses all of his strength, in spite of the poison, to push the rubble off of him. He feels as if his muscles could give out at any second, but he keeps pushing. Fighting the poison weakening him, he exerts all of his strength to push the literal heavy metal off his body.

Spider-Man then web-pulls the rubble off Viper and Scientist Supreme, and then webs them to the floor to keep them from escaping.

"Hang tight, ladies. I got an octopus to throw back into the ocean," said Spider-Man.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ SPIDER-MAN ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Spider-Man swings pass the trail of destruction and dead A.I.M. scientists on his way to lab's exit. Just seeing the bloody mess makes Spider-Man sick to his stomach. This is the Otto Octavius who wanted to use his knowledge in prosthetics to help others, as well as his own physical condition, all for the sake of good. But Spider-Man keeps telling himself that this has always been who he is. Neural interface or no neural interface, there has always been a monster deep inside Doctor Octavius. A monster created by Norman Osborn.

"I wanna help you, Doc, but you are not making this easy for me," said Spider-Man.

Suddenly, Spider-Man's vision starts to blur, causing him to swing face-first to the wall above the lab's exit. After landing on his face, he attempts to crawl out of A.I.M.'s facility. He tries to stand up, but he knows he can't fight the poison any longer.

"MJ... call Sable... and Miles," he said weakly. "A.I.M. research center... Staten Island... hu-hurry..."

He couldn't say more as he passes out.

Spider-Man opens his eyes and sees a beige-colored ceiling. He looks at his hand, which was covered in shining metallic red, and realizes that he's wearing his Iron Spider suit. When did I change, he wondered. As his vision clears, he sees MJ sitting right next to him, smiling at him. She holds his hand and caresses his cheek, trying to comfort him as he wakes up from a painful nap.

"Easy, Tiger," said MJ. "You're still recovering."

"Thank you," said Spider-Man. "But, uh, what happened? How long?"

"Not too long. Sable pulled you out before that mess at A.I.M. drew more attention," said MJ. "Miles was able to synthesize an antidote for the poison. Just in time, too."

"It was a lackey of Sarkissian's. She calls herself Viper. I can see why," said Spider-Man. He still felt groggy. "Ugh, where am I?"

"At F.E.A.S.T., so you may wanna keep that mask on," said MJ.

"The suit's insta-formation via nanobots. That way, you can put it on me in a second without risking my identity. Smart," said Spider-Man. "I'm really glad to see you, MJ."

"I'm here, too."

Spider-Man looks to his left and sees Felicia just leaning against the wall. Spider-Man just awkwardly waved at her and she waved back. MJ definitely feels awkward being in the same room as these two ex-lovers.

"Hey, man!" Kid Arachnid greeted as he ran into the room. "Glad to see you're back up on your feet."

"As am I," said the Symkarian princess, who also walked in upon seeing the web-slinger wake up.

Silver closes and locks the door so the five of them can talk alone. It really made Spider-Man happy to see all of his girlfriend and his closest friends and allies in the same room. One person was missing, though.

"If only Yuri was here with us," Spider-Man said sadly.

"You really miss her, don't you?" asked Felicia.

"One day, Felicia, she'll come to her senses," said Spider-Man. "Whether or not The Wraith is who she is, I know that the noble and killjoy Yuri Watanabe is in there somewhere."

"Naive, but... dare I say it... adorable," Felicia admitted.

"Spider-Man, we read the data in your suit about A.I.M.'s weapon," said MJ.

"The Cosmic Cube. An object of unknown cosmic origin," Silver stated. "And I would assume that Octavius now has it."

"Which means what he did to that Oscorp power plant and that one city block will be nothing compared to what he might do with it," Spider-Man feared.

"And that's why we're all here," said Kid Arachnid. "We're all in the same team, right? Us against, well, all the bad guys."

"Li is gearing up for the Second Manhattan War. Yuri is gunning for Li. Otto has a weapon of mass destruction beyond our understanding. Norman Osborn has the Green Goblin doing who-knows-what. Spider-Woman is panicking over the theft of her suit. Sarkissian has a venomous vixen for an assassin doing errands for her. Monica Rappaccini has herself a battle armor. Scorpion, Electro, Shocker, Vulture, they're still on the loose," Spider-Man enumerated with worry. "It's gonna be an all-out war, and New York is caught in the middle."

"Makes you wonder. What will be left when it's all over?" MJ wondered fearfully.

"That's why we have to stop this fast," said Spider-Man. "One threat at a time. Divide and conquer and all that. We need to approach this from all sides."

"But our enemies are really good at hiding. Some of them are protected by the law," said Felicia. "We can't touch them for many reasons."

"And that's why we have to stick together," said Spider-Man. "The five of us - six, if we can bring Yuri to our side - we can save this city. Protect it. As heroes - yes, that includes you, too, Felicia - we have a responsibility to the people, no matter who or where."

"We're with you, Spider-Man," MJ smiled.

"I have no reason to walk out now," said Silver. "This is bigger than my reason for staying."

"I guess it would be nice to play the hero again, for now," said Felicia.

"This is so awesome," Kid Arachnid geeked.

"We will fight until the great city of New York is peaceful again," Spider-Man said determinedly. "But first..."

Spider-Man falls back and lies down again.

"A little rest," Spider-Man finished, exhausted.

"And listen to Jameson's latest episode," MJ said.

Everyone takes out their phones and tunes in to Just the Facts to listen to everyone's favorite rambling newsman.

"Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus have been spotted at Staten Island, breaking into A.I.M.'s research facility, causing a bunch of death and destruction before walking out," said Jameson. "Reports say that Silver Sable picked up an unconscious Spider-Man, which should be of no surprise considering their PDA months ago. But before that, Otto Octavius walked out of that facility, stealing an unidentified weapon that is very familiar to the one he used to blow up both Oscorp's power plant and five buildings at once last week. Big question is... what is A.I.M. hiding from us? Are they really developing illegal weapons like they've been rumored to be doing? How did Dr. Octavius know about them? Thees are important questions, people! As important as the question, When will Spider-Man finally bite the dust... er... I mean, when will be finally brought to justice? Thanks to his failure to prevent the breakout at the Raft and its destruction, we have way too much to fear. The Sinister Six! A.I.M.! Morbid vigilantism! The list goes on and on and on. Thank you, Spider-Man. My blood pressure is going off the roof because of you!"

"Someone give that guy a chill pill," Kid Arachnid commented.

"Or a 70-year frozen nap," Spider-Man added.

At one of HYDRA's secret underground labs, Viper returns to lament on her failure to procure the Cosmic Cube. She takes off her mask and looks at herself in the mirror. Some of her green locks cover the right side of her face as she stares at her claws, which appear to be organic, not artificial. It still astonishes her that Spider-Man could fight her venom for so long. In all likelihood, he's still breathing, especially since Silver has been reported to have picked him up from Staten Island.

"Mother," someone called.

Viper turns around and sees Jessica, removing her domino mask as she looks at her mother with awe. Mother. As in Viper's true identity is Ophelia Sarkissian. Ever imagined her with green hair? Well, the brunette look was a fake, assisted with a very convincing wig.

"You told Spider-Man about the Cosmic Cube, didn't you?" Ophelia knew.

"I thought he'd be the perfect scapegoat," said Jessica.

"And your plan failed," said Ophelia. "I can't believe you would do this behind my back."

"Well, you didn't tell me that you were getting rid of the wig and putting on a mask tonight," Jessica spat. "I gotta say. I know green is your actual hair color, but I've gotten so use to you in the wig."

"Thank HYDRA for this," Ophelia said, stroking her own green hair.

"Octavius has the cube, doesn't he?" asked Jessica.

"Thanks in partial to you, my child," said Ophelia. "Don't ever do anything rash without consulting me first. Manhattan is about to be the groundwork for a bloody war between the heroes, escapees, A.I.M., and us. HYDRA can't afford to fall behind."

"I'm sorry, mother," Jessica apologized.

"Do not apologize to me, young lady," said Ophelia.

"I look pretty much the same age as you," Jessica pointed out.

"No jokes, Jessica," Ophelia scolded. "I had such high hopes for you, but you have failed me multiple times. I gave you power, and you still do more wrong than right."

"I'm your daughter. Have a little more faith in me," said Jessica.

"I raised you to be the perfect soldier. That is what I and Strucker expect of you," said Ophelia.

"I will not disappoint you next time," Jessica promised. "But I have to get my suit back."

"Find your suit if you must, but do not use Spider-Man again," said Ophelia. "I would hate to have to punish you, Jessica. As you said, you are my daughter. I expect more of you and I only wish that you make me proud."

"And I will," Jessica promised. "Hail HYDRA."

"Hail HYDRA," Ophelia replied with a smirk.

As I mentioned before, for the sake of my sanity, the Raft breakout storyline is ending a bit sooner than you'd expect. I'm nearing an all-out war in New York and I am personally scared on how I will write it. I know I've stressed this before, but I am really under so much pressure with all this. Instead of Deadpool, Gwen Stacy, Spider-Verse, or Venom, I decided to go for something a lot bigger. Maybe this is not what some people were asking for, but again... all this pressure and requests led me to this point. I'm gonna keep stressing all this pressure because, again, just look at how far this story has gone from where it started. We went from Sable kissing Spidey in public to a deadly war.

So, what do you think of this chapter? What are your thoughts on what I've done with Jessica Drew? Any thoughts on the revelation of the Cosmic Cube? If you leave a review, please tell me your thoughts on this chapter.

Note:

- Have any of you played Marvel Strike Force? If you need a clear picture of what the Scientist Supreme looks like, use that game as a reference. Great design, I admit.