Alrighty, let's do this!
Enjoy!
---
The two spiders arrive at the tower bridge within seconds, and what a sight there was:
A massive, behemoth of a monster was tearing through the bridge, fire and water clashed together as the mixing elements of the titan worked against each other. Peter and Gwen ducked under a bus as it sailed over their heads. The bridge was in chaos. Hundreds of people scrambled out of their cars as they tried to escape the carnage, the screams of hundreds more from within the dark cloud confirmed that most were unsuccessful.
Mysterio wanted damage, he wanted casualties, and that was what he was going to get.
Peter and Gwen immediately swung toward the bridge, "Gwen!" Peter yelled, "We're sure this is fake right?"
Gwen gulped, "Yeah..."
"Then we need to get in it! Take out the drones from the inside!" Peter yelled, struggling to speak over the volume of the destruction around them.
Gwen gave a barely perceptible nod, and the two launched their separate ways, Gwen shot a web at a partially destroyed concrete pillar, and then launched another at a tanker truck careening past her; using the heavy truck to stretch the web and launch herself towards the elemental behemoth. Peter swung up and over the bridge, sailing up into the sky. He overshot and had to take a second to correct his trajectory before diving straight into the head of the holographic beast.
They were both met with a glowing blue film, that gave way to a massive dark expanse of area, filled with drones flying about, projecting sections of monster, shooting fire, and shredding through anything in their way.
At the top of the monster, Peter shakily landed on a drone, "Alright Gwen, " He said into his headset, "ready to break stuff?"
Gwen, crawled out from the bottom of a drone, ripping off a panel's cover, "Oh yeah I am." Peter gave a chuckle, and pushed a few buttons on his web-shooter, then, shooting a web onto the drone he was on, he then slid off, falling to the next closest drone, shooting a web on it and looping around to find another.
Gwen was pulling wires out of the drone she had landed on, it began to shake and make alarmed chirping noises. It began to spin rapidly, almost throwing Gwen off. "Damn, stop you stupid drone!" Gwen grabbed another handful of wires and pulled them all out, and the drone stopped--
--And began to plummet towards the ground.
Back up at the top, Peter was still swinging drone to drone, roping some together, barely sticking a web to others. By now he was panting, his wounds were aching, and he was feeling feverish. Looking down he saw Gwen's drone drop.
"Umm, Gwen? You good"
Gwen growled, "Am I good? Of course, I'm good. Stupid drone." She flicked some switches and grabbed at a significant lever of sorts, pulling it the drone instantly stopped its descent, "Why wouldn't I be good? I have a turret!"
She swiveled the drone and pushed a button on the panel, the drone let out a massive burst of red hot lead, diminishing all the drones in front of her into falling pieces of flaming scrap. Quickly she swiveled the drone once again, causing the rapid destruction of even more drones.
"How about that?! What have you got to offer here Pete? Looks like I can make these all by myself" Gwen yelled smugly.
"Oh, I can do better than that." Peter laughed, jumping off the drone he was just standing on. Tapping a button on his web-shooters began a red flashing throughout all the webs he had just shot through the swarm, and only a second later, a massive series of explosions rocked the world.
The webs Peter had placed down were exploding one after another, shredding through any drone unluckily close by. By the end of the explosion, half of the entire hologram was gone.
Gwen crossed her arms as her drone continued to fire on other drones, "Well that's not fair, I didn't use any gadgets."
Peter failed his landing on a drone, flopping on his face, "Well," He answered in a pained voice, "If you say so."
---
Mysterio stood on his observation platform, watching the carnage around him, things were turning out beautifully.
"Sir, " A voice blared from a speaker somewhere in his suit. Mysterio ignored the voice, he had to focus on his performance.
"Sir, we're having problems getting a signal from drone 14-S. Should I do a malware scan?"
"Don't bother, one drone isn't going to affect the hologram at all."
He sat back, watching the chaos unfold before him when just a few moments later the same voice came back again.
"Sir we've lost contact with drone squadrons 5, 7, and 8. Something seems to be going on inside the hologram."
Mysterio sighed, "Alright, pull up a feed from a drone, what are we dealing with here?" A video feed appeared on his bubble helmet, and Mysterio was not pleased.
"Uhh, the two spider kids seem to be in the hologram."
"Bob. I can see that." Mysterio growled, "What are you going to do about it?!"
"Uhh, well I can't activate too many security protocols without jeopardizing the hologram, but maybe I can--"
The video feed suddenly cut out.
"Bob, what happened? Where're my eyes in there?"
"I-I don't know, sir, it's gone!"
"What do you mean gone?!"
"Sir squads 70 through 155 are not responding. The entire upper half of the illusion is down."
Looking out the window reaffirmed the statement, massive plumes of smoke were now emanating from the now missing top half of the illusion. The Mysterio sprite that had been fighting the beast was now just a bubble head flying around in the air, tiny boots floating close by.
"Bob, you're fired, Amanda, activates complete security protocols."
"Yes sir,"
"Raul, I need you to try and salvage this, add explosions, make people think this was intentional."
"Got it, boss,"
"And Susan, keep working on the cape,"
"You got it."
"Boss what are you going to do?"
"I'm taking manual control of some of the drones. It seems I have some unfinished business."
---
Peter and Gwen watched above them as the illusion began to disintegrate, drone debris began to rain down from above, smashing into more drones below. Their brief moment of rest was interrupted by their senses flaring. Up until now the drones hadn't seemed to notice their presence, their lights were flashing blue, and they hastily continued trying to keep the failing projection going, but suddenly, they all stopped. Blue lights began shining a deep red, and the drones turned towards them. Machine guns whirring.
"Oh dear," Peter whispered.
The two immediately jumped down further into the illusion, Peter made a wide swing, trying to launch himself out of the swarm of drones. As he flew through the air, he was smacked into by a drone, the hunk of metal throwing him forwards, before he could react, another drone sailed towards him, grabbing him with some sort of arm.
"Well, well," A voice echoed from the drone, "Look what crawled out from the cracks?" Peter's eyes widened, the drone's lights weren't blue, nor were they red. The lights were a cold, foreboding green.
---
Gwen plunged towards the water, dodging hundreds of drones as they careened towards her, bullets flying and blades whirring. As she fell, a drone smashed into her leg, its saw blades tearing gashes into her calf; crying out she kicked it away just as she plunged into the filthy water.
Gwen's senses were immediately overwhelmed, she involuntarily inhaled, bringing in a lungful of river water, her eyesight was extremely blurry; the river bed around her was just a grey blur all around her. Her calf was screaming in pain, as well as the rest of her body from smashing into the water. Debris was crashing all around her, deadly hazards if she were to get pinned down. Shaking her head, Gwen tried to collect herself, she swiveled around, trying to find an exit in the murky water. It was either find a way out from here or face death up there.
Her eye caught a small piece of debris suddenly being pushed away from a wall, blinking a few times revealed that that wall was actually a drainage pipe. Swimming over, she planted both legs on either side of the pipe, grabbing hold of the bars, she pulled with a massive burst of strength. The grate came right off, of course, these things weren't difficult if one had superstrength after all.
Removing the restricting grate cover caused all the withheld water to all rush out at once, shooting Gwen back a few meters from the pipe, fighting against this new current, Gwen pulled herself into the nasty pipe, swimming upstream. Things were getting hard now, Gwen's vision was beginning to go black, and her head felt like a balloon about to pop; she needed to get out of the water. Giving the last of her effort, she kicked further up the pipe, flinging herself out and onto the maintenance platforms of the sewers. Immediately she pulled up her mask and vomited out what felt like a gallon of water. Collapsing down onto the floor, Gwen sat panting.
"Oh god. Okay, it's good, Gwen you're good." Gwen said, assuring herself.
Gwen looked around, looking expectantly at the rippling water, thinking a red-clad boyfriend would surface in just a moment.
No such figure came.
Instead, a red light appeared below the water, slowly a Stark drone rose menacingly from the depths, its gun already spinning. With a crack, the drone let out a burst of rounds from its minigun shredding through the concrete behind her. Gwen pulled herself off the ground and began sprinting down the sewer. Another burst went off. Missing her just barely, sailing past her into the water. Gwen kept running, she could hear the buzz of the drone as it followed quickly behind her. She heard two beeps and a popping sound. A metal clicking noise sounded in front of here. On instinct, Gwen looked down. A tiny black canister rolled on the ground at her feet, and Gwen heard a click.
The canister exploded in a blinding flare, hot pieces of metal dug into the foot that had been next to the flashbang. Gwen crumpled to the ground, her hands clawing at her eyes. Gwen heard the now familiar whir of the drone's gun.
Gwen stopped moving and breathed. Time seemed to slow down, her head telling her exactly where the danger was coming from, exactly where to move. Lighting fast, she sprung into a backhand spring, propelling herself behind the drone, the drone turned around, firing its gun in tandem. Jumping forward, Gwen grabbed the barrel of the gun, crumpling it between her fingers. Then with a follow-up punch, she punched her hand straight through the blinking red light of the drone.
It immediately collapsed to the floor, any blips or chirps signaling its activity grinding to a halt. Gwen pulled her hand out of the sparking hole now implanted in the front of the drone. Her hand was shredded, the jagged pieces of metal from the drone having torn through her suit and digging into her hand.
'Today sucks," Gwen thought as she began to limp down the sewer, she needed to get out of there, she was no help to anyone down here.
---
Peter had tried to fight off the drones, but each one her crushed brought two more. Soon enough he was encased in a ball of guns, blades, and lasers, and Peter had learned from experience, that it's a very bad idea to try and punch a buzzsaw. The drones had quickly pulled him out of the decaying illusion, throwing him through a wall into a close-by building.
Peter dropped to his knees, hacking and coughing as his still very sore ribs took the brunt of his weight. He felt like his chest was encased in a box of spikes, an act as simple as breathing caused horrible stabbing pain.
"Well Peter, you look terrible."
A figure walked out from another room, it was Mysterio, dressed in full super-regalia. He stooped down in front of Peter, grabbing him by the back of the head and forcing his head up to meet his.
"Long time no see."
He slammed Peter's head into the ground and got back up.
"You know, Pete? I would have thought that getting hit with a bullet train would have done the job, see? But oh no, no, no! You are a stubborn conniving little-" Mysterio sighed, seemingly collecting himself, "Look, I'm going to cut to the chase here, you've done your best, you've fought the good fight. Now you've and I am going to shoot you in the head."
Peter heard the sound of a gun cocking from behind him. And suddenly Mysterio wasn't there anymore.
"See? You still don't even know how to comprehend reality. How could you possibly still think you could beat me when you don't even know what's real?"
Peter looked around, he was at the top of the Empire State building, suddenly it changed, he was in a field, no, suddenly he was in an inferno. Mysterio waded through the flames, a pistol visibly in his hand.
"You've made me angry Pete, and when someone makes me angry, it gets personal. So take me at my word when I say that I am going to enjoy this."
Peter looked up, finally meeting Mysterio's stupid bubbly face. Peter's lenses were set in a hard glare.
"You're wrong Beck, I've never seen things so clearly"
"Oh? Still, have some fight? How precious."
Peter sprung up, his fist sailing right into Mysterio's fishbowl helmet, it shattered, and with that, the illusion crumbled around him.
---
Mysterio from the safety of his bridge observation deck jumped back. That had been unexpected.
---
Peter now once again stood in the room he was thrown into, his fist having just smashed a drone. A whirring behind him told him he wasn't alone, and pivoting quickly he landed a devastating kick into another drone behind him, sending it flying through the wall and falling into unknown space below.
"Gwen?" He said into his headset, "Gwen you read me?"
'I have no signal from Gwen, her suit is either offline, or she is in an area that cannot be reached by your communications line' Chase said from his suit HUD.
Peter sighed, "I'm sure she's fine, I hope at least."
Peter looked through the wall he had been thrown through, Mysterio must be nearby, he never would miss an opportunity to watch his 'show' first hand.
Peter mumbled to himself, "It would be close to the action, but far enough away as to be easy to realistically avoid. Whilst also having a good view of the bridge."
Peter scanned the buildings around the bride, before finding a large glass walkway on one of the bridges connecting the upper sections. It was damaged, but unlike the rest of the area, it was still very much intact.
"Bingo," Peter rasped, hunching over and coughing again. Picking himself back up, Peter readied himself for one last fight.
"This stops today."
---
A manhole cover flew high up into the air, Ghost-Spider leaping up right after it. Immediately breaking into a swing, Gwen flung herself back towards the bridge.
"Pete!" Gwen said into her headset, "Pete are you good?"
"Gwen! Gwen, where were you?"
"I fell into the river, had to make my way through the sewers. Where were you? I thought you were right behind me!"
"I got thrown through a building by some angry robots."
"Yikes."
"Yeah. I'm headed towards the bridge, I think I've found where Beck is hiding. Meet me there, we have to put a stop to this."
"Loud and clear," Gwen said, landing atop a large red bus.
When she got within sight of the bridge it was a much different sight than how she left it. The hologram was now of half of the monster, screaming in agony as a Mysterio who could now turn himself invisible at will pummeled into him.
"He twists the scene once more." She heard Peter say from behind her.
She turned around, meeting his eyes. "What's our plan?"
"Do we have any other? We wing it."
"I like it. Pretty standard, nothin' fancy. How about we add just a little more coordination here?"
"What were you thinking?"
"You crash in from the bottom, I go from the top?"
"I don't think I have anything left in me to get through the bottom of that thing. We both go from the sides?"
"Sounds like an almost-plan to me."
Gwen lept back into the air, taking a large swing to gain momentum, before smashing straight through the side of the observation platform. Mysterio collapsed to the ground as he was showered in shards of glass. Just a second later Peter crashed through the opposite side, landing right in front of him.
"It's over Beck, hand over the glasses."
Mysterio chuckled, "Not quite, EDITH activate all personal security protocols"
"At once, Mr. Beck."
Their senses screamed in their heads, turning around they saw drone after drone smashing through the sides of the platform. Peter looked back at Mysterio, but he was gone. The room suddenly went pitch black, a green mist beginning to seep onto the nonexistent floor.
"Pete, what's happening?"
"Mysterio somehow can make really close-up illusions. They're crazy."
"Indeed they are Parker, although I would describe them as more... sinister."
Gwen watched as Peter suddenly doubled over as if he was punched in the gut, he fell to his knees. But instead of just collapsing he just fell through the floor, as if a bottomless pit had swallowed him whole.
"Peter!" Gwen jumped at the hole, but she slammed head first into a floor she couldn't see.
"As expected, you, my dear are just as incompetent at observing reality as your friend here was." Gwen looked up and saw Peter kneeling on the floor, his head down. He looked so broken.
"Gwen. It's over. We lost."
Mysterio walked up from behind Peter, the click of a gun could be heard from behind him.
"Peter! Move, go!" Gwen screamed desperately.
"Gwen--"
Peter was interrupted by the blast of a gunshot, he collapsed, a crimson stain forming in the middle of his chest.
Gwen was suddenly engulfed in darkness.
"NO! No, Peter!" Gwen collapsed to the ground, slamming the floor, "Not again! PETER!"
"Ah? Hit a sore spot did I?" Mysterio's voice echoed around her.
"Well, I'm sure I can hit it again."
Peter appeared before her again, he was bloody and beaten, dragging himself across the floor with one arm.
"Gwen..." He whispered weakly, a red stain on his mask dripped blood onto the floor, "You left me... You left me to die, alone."
"No, no I didn't! No, we had to split up, it was your idea! This isn't real!" Gwen tried to cover her ears, tears were streaming down her face.
"You blame me? I'm a dead man, and it's your fault! You weren't there to save me, Gwen! YOU FAILED."
Gwen looked at this broken version of Peter, "I did fail... but not you. I failed him, and he is gone."
Suddenly Peter's face was slammed into the floor, and it lay there unmoving. The illusion began to fade, in its place stood a panting Spider-Man, his foot planted on a crushed drone.
Peter took a step forward and fell to his knees in front of Gwen.
"Gwen? Gwen, it's not real." He stopped and started having a coughing fit, collecting himself he pulled up his mask and looked her in the eyes, "Gwen, I'm here. Mysterio's good, but we're better. We know we're still here, we're still together."
"B-but it's not you Pete... I failed him. Peter. From my world, he's gone. It is my fault!"
Peter grabbed her and held her close, "I know for a fact he wouldn't have blamed you, he would tell you it was time to get up, brush yourself off, and go crush a fishbowl head's massive ego."
Gwen gave a sad laugh, "How'd you do it, Pete? Beat the illusions?"
Peter shook his head, "I listen... I think. I remember what I've gone through to get here, and what I know is real, and then I decide that what I'm seeing isn't. I never know for sure, never at all really. It's all about slowing down, I guess."
"How sweet," Gwen and Peter turned to look at Beck, it was him, in his strange CGI suit and bubble control helmet, "But you both seem to be forgetting that I still have the glasses. I can make you both go through as many of these mind games as I want you to!"
Mysterio gave a crazed chuckle, "I merely have to give the word and I can drive you both insane! Imagine that? Both of you curled up in a corner, mumbling gibberish, all due to the great power of Mysterio!"
Peter stumbled up to his feet, Gwen right behind him, "Well fishhead, it looks like you did a bit too much self-testing on that feature."
"You joke now, but how funny will you be when you watch all your friends die agonizing deaths for years on end?"
Peter and Gwen began to run down the hallway towards the man, but he merely laughed.
"Oh? Is this talk over? EDITH start illusion protocols 007."
'I am detecting two Avengers members' signals within the danger zone, do you still wish to execute the program?'
Mysterio groaned, "Yes! Do it!"
More drones filled the hallway, and the scene once again was pushed into darkness.
Peter and Gwen paid it no mind, they both closed their eyes. Mysterio could change what they saw, he could change what they heard and what they felt, but he couldn't change the space around them.
They were still in the observation room. Still surrounded by drones. And Mysterio was still right in front of them.
Peter shot out a web, hitting right onto Mysterio's helmet, pulling it back he slammed the man into the wall next to him, Gwen came up from behind and smashed into a drone, throwing it back into another one. Peter charged towards where he threw Mysterio, crushing a drone that flew in front of him, stepping up to the downed man, he smashed his foot into the helmet, shattering Beck's display. All signals from EDITH were temporarily delayed.
'Transition outlet destroyed, rerouting connection through previous servers.'
The entire illusion broke down, the glasses blinking blue from under Mysterio's collar. Peter grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, snatching the glasses away from him and passing them to Gwen.
Gwen practically slammed them onto her face, "EDITH, stop all illusions!"
'Biometrics scan complete, welcome Ghost-Spider. Would you like to terminate all projecting programs?'
"Yes! Stop them all. Shut it down now!"
'Right away.'
The surviving drones around them all suddenly switched back to blue light, all around them thousands of drones lit up blue and began to fly off up into the sky.
Mysterio chuckled as he dangled by his collar, "So close! I was so close to finally getting what I wanted!"
"You're done, It's over" Peter sighed, dropping him in a heap on the ground, barely containing the strength to hold himself up, let alone another human being. Peter and Gwen walked a few feet away and fell with their backs against the wall.
Mysterio slumped against the wall, he was truly in agony. He had just been slammed into a concrete wall by a person with superhuman strength. The human body wasn't meant to take a hit like that very easily. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
"Oh this isn't over, you just wait and see, I'll get what I want soon enough." And with that Quintin Beck faded into unconsciousness.
---
Done for now!
How was it?
We are now entering the section which I titled the "Grown-Up Phase" in my planner; In which Spidey and Ghost-Spider kinda fully become their own heroes and such. It's also where my own plot comes in, not just alterations of movie plots... so yeah I'm very excited. Thank you to all of you who have read this far. And I will see you all next chapter.
-RambunctiousCat