[OK! Hello! I lied about Spider-Man returning in April! He's back! But also, this chapter takes place after Aviacc98 chapter where Taeko goes to! But! He hasn't done it yet, (he said soon) so, this one is kinda, maybe, is spoilers]
The three heroes continued their journey through Connecticut, still utilizing their boat to avoid strafe conflict. Taeko reinforced the sail with extra padding of webs, able to withstand the winds that guided them towards the land. The glimmering water, albeit slightly dirty, looked so serene and beautiful underneath them. Taeko had rarely traveled in his life, which was something he wished heavily to change.
"Land ahead Spider and Husband!" Jeannine called out, pointing at the shore of Connecticut they approached. Takeda fixed his glove and grabbed one of the paddles, offering to help steer them carefully. The boat they traveled the lakes across was found near a lake house, unattended and holding the keys inside. The engine was partially damaged, most likely from the raging villains in the city.
Taeko looked down after hearing Jeannine, humming with acknowledgment. He held himself upside down by bending his knees over a small bark of wood. He needed to keep his head calm, clear of any creeping thoughts about the decaying world. After his reunion with Aeon and the other heroes, he finally felt that absent piece of his life slowly returning. Their hug, albeit short, reminded him of the family he was once a part of.
Endless memories he once locked away behind a shatterproof lock had flooded back. Smiles he and Aeon once shared brought new ones, alongside the promise to find each other after the conflict had ended. Taeko wished greatly to join the other heroes on their upcoming attack, however, his priorities were sent elsewhere. He wanted to find Kaina Tsutsumi, hopefully without getting shot again.
"Still thinking about her?" Venom asked, having peered into Taeko's private thoughts without permission. The latter sighed, still not completely sure about his new pairing with the upgraded Nomu. He felt stronger, but his mind and memories were now shared with a creature that once tried to kill him.
"Yes," Taeko answered, giving a short response, trying not to continue the conversation. For reasons he wasn't completely sure of, he felt more aggressive than normal. One belief was that symbiote that bonded to him, feeding off his emotions and manipulating them. "She's still out there somewhere."
"You don't resent her? She hurt us."
"I'm...upset... but, I can't just leave her behind," Taeko whispered, feeling a lump tug against his throat. What slowly broke him most was what he told Kaina the night he awoke inside the Moonlight Tower prison. Taeko could picture her eyes staring back at him, clear as glass and as if he was looking at her in person. Her dark Lilac pupils shook as he spouted words of abandonment, each one stabbed deeper into her psyche.
So Quickly he turned his back against her, despite all that she claimed to have done. Taeko was reminded of their friendship, the nights they spent planning on tackling their problems together. How one unfortunate night ended everything, pressures, and stress that Kaina was forced to handle alone, all because he never asked. No matter how many lives Spider-Man had saved, she was the one that he never could.
Taeko dropped down onto the bottom deck of the ship, pulling his mask over his face. His identity was still a secret and he couldn't expose that to anyone they might encounter shortly. The spider hero made his way towards the front deck, where Takeda and Jeannine stood. The couple stood near the railing, overlooking the ocean as waves of blue light moved over horizons unmeasured.
"Spider-sense isn't going off, we should be good," Taeko said, making his way towards them. He stood just a few inches away, not wanting to invade their personal space. In truth, he was slightly nervous around them, seeing how skillful they were with their Quirks in battle.
By now, he wasn't too concerned about the dangers that lay ahead. Taeko became increasingly more adapted to rebelling against the hostile takeover by the World Federation. The mere sight of Aeon's team of heroes gave him hope, that very kind he lost when seeing Kaina again. No longer did he feel outnumbered, the strength of his cousin was a beacon of glimmering inspiration he called upon.
"I hope you're right, otherwise it's three against an entire city of villains... I don't like those odds." Takeda replied, subconsciously pulling his gloves back towards his wrists. A common fear of his was losing his gloves, as they helped contain his powers from accidentally activating.
Takeda's Quirk was called Wither-Surge, a power that allowed him to make any non-sentient object implode by his touch. Taeko was quickly understood how his ability worked after the battle. As a kid, he lost control over his power many times. The results yield injury and fatal wounds for those around him, including his parents. His lethal touch at such a young age caused him to isolate himself, shutting his presence off from the world. That was until he had met Jeannine Guillaume one fateful day.
"absurdité my love, we can overcome a simple challenge." Jeannine grinned, cracking every knuckle in both her hands. She seemed to greatly contrast from Takeda in outlooks on situations, as she found ways to bring courage despite the rough odds.
"I wish it were that easy, back home our villains can literally atomize buildings," Taeko replied, remembering one villain faced during the first few hours of the Beautification. The difference between enemies in Japan compared to the U.S was very noticeable. Although, many of the villains here had shifted their priorities to building new empires, rather than senseless destruction. "I remember fighting a villain this vampire guy, honestly a really creepy looking guy."
"You seem to have a lot of villains, is that why we're staying in Connecticut?" Takeda commented. They weren't entirely knowledgeable about Taeko's reasoning for staying.
Taeko nodded, still gazing out at the approaching land. During his reunion with Aeon, one of the heroes had pulled him aside to inform him about the numerous sightings of his rogues' gallery. Taeko was beyond anxious at the thought of his enemies chasing him to another country.
He could still feel the rain colliding against his blood-soaked suit from the Tartarus breakout. If they were still here, Taeko needed to find them before anyone else got hurt. He needed to find them to satiate that feeling that beckoned for another fight. Something inside Taeko convinced him to beat them down, enduring they'd never hurt him again.
"Can't have these five villains out in the public, trust me," Taeko warned, looking back on various individuals duels he had with each member. During his imprisonment, Kaina informed him how she executed Miu Hase. Taeko wasn't particularly fond of the Vulture, he was a villain who assassinated dozens of people. However, he would have never killed him. That stuck in the back of his mind, eating away at his perception of Kaina. Their core differences led to conflict, but, Taeko wouldn't give up on trying to save her.
As the boat steadily drifted closer to the lakeshore, Takeda lifted the paddle back inside. Before the front bow of the boat could collide into the elevated grass, Taeko stopped it by thwipping padding of webs in the middle. The three slightly rocked once the boat came to a complete halt, having completed their small journey across the water.
Taeko was the first to jump off the boat and step foot on the grassy shore. He felt stable upon the Ryegrass surface, feeling the gleaming of the sun even through his new symbiote suit. He looked back and watched as Jeannine carefully helped Takeda off the ship by carrying him on her back. The latter rested his chin on her head, and the two synchronized in a pleasant hum.
"I like to carry him." Jeannine smiled, clearly more than capable of holding him up with ease. Takeda didn't seem opposed to this and simply shrugged at Taeko.
"I like to be carried." Takeda agreed. The trio began walking across the shore, taking note of their surroundings. Bodies were scattered across the grass, forcing Taeko to look away every time. The few bodies they spotted were dressed in costumes, signaling they were either hero attempting to flee or villains who got too confident.
As the three walked through the share, making way towards the incoming surrounding buildings from the city, Taeko glanced at the two. Their strong connection reminded him of the past. He was once again thrust into an agonizing recollection from his youth. Taeko thought back upon the days when he swung around the city, with Kaina holding onto his back. "Envious? Your memories seem painful for you." Venom asked quietly, not particularly aware of most human emotions.
Taeko ignored the question from the creature and continued walking forward. The gate that blocked off the shore had been torn open, leading them to step through dozens of bent metal beams. Instantly, they were all hit with the malodorous stench in the city, presumably from the deceased that painted the streets.
"So much death..." Taeko whispered, spotting the body of a fallen hero slumped against a wall. Their head leaned downwards, stained with small patches of blood that dripped onto the pavement. Neither husband nor wife said anything to Taeko, as they weren't sure what would help ease his mind.
The two came from a mutually bloody past, and death was a common occurrence for them. "You can honor these people once this is over, but we should keep moving it's not good to be out in the open," Takeda said, trying to both comforts and urge Taeko to keep going.
"Right, ok," Taeko replied, pulling out his cracked phone from his back pocket. He scrolled to a clear image taken of the villains, which showcased them eating at a restaurant. "So the "we hate Spider-Man fan club" had a group tea session... before leaving? Apparently, they were heading towards the outskirts of the town."
"That's a start then, it shouldn't be too long from here. We'll take the streets and you can swing!" Jeannine continued, turning towards the empty street and breaking for a mad dash. Taeko was almost perplexed at how fast she was, nothing special but much faster than a normal person could run.
Taeko decided not to think about it any further, before shooting a web onto the wall of a nearby building. He pulled himself with his usual strength, which seemed to overshoot his lift. Spider-Man was lifted high into the air from a single bound. "Still getting used to this new strength, it usually takes me two swings to scale a building," Taeko commented, thwipping another web line and pulling himself across the city. "Gotta admit it's nice to do this again."
As Taeko swung across the city, performing various flips and twirls, two pairs of eyes watched him from the distance. One figure waiting inside a building located a few blocks in front of the trio. The other stood at the very top of a hospital nearby, fascinated by the sight of Spider-Man. The man stalking him pulled out a small monocular, granting him a closer look at the hero. "There you are... such agility... such grace, truly a prey worthy of Sergei Kravenoff."
Kraven lowered the monocular, flashing a toothy grin, all while his eyes followed Taeko's every move. A large crossbow was strapped to his back alongside an even lengthier spear, and its tip was coated with a green substance. The hunter sprinted towards the edge of the building and leaped onto the other. Despite the height difference, Kraven felt no injury when landing. He kept to the shadows and obstructed formations of the rooftops, ensuring he wouldn't be spotted. Kraven held the same grin as he followed Taeko, containing his readiness to begin his hunt.
Taeko kept swinging passed buildings, periodically glancing down at the two to make sure they were safe. "Jeez I feel like a teenager again, why am I so scared to see Kaina again? Swinging thirty floors up never made me this dizzy. " He sighed, taking a quick break to land near a billboard and overlook the city.
"You alright up there?" Takeda asked, noticing that Taeko stopped swinging. Jeannine ceased her running, shifting her boots to slightly drift across the asphalt. Kraven rolled onto another building, now holding a bow and arrow in hand. Taeko's back was turned to him, still unaware of the hunt he was placed in.
The hunter pulled back the bowstring, closing his left eye to get a clear aim at Taeko. Kraven's arm didn't shake as he held the arrow back, nor did his fingers slip against the material. Kraven's grip finally loosened from the arrow, sending it soaring across the air.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just admiring the" Taeko started, before his senses buzzed at him to move. The spider hero quickly shifted his upper body backward, narrowly avoiding the arrow. He was immediately sent on alert, scanning his eyes around the many rooftops for the shooter.
Three more arrows flew towards him, forcing Taeko to evade each one. "Over there." Venom said, directly Taeko's eyes onto the building on the left-most side of the district, where he could spot Kraven waiting. The former dived off the building and swung towards Kraven, keeping himself below to avoid getting hit.
Kraven tossed aside his bow and arrow once he noticed Taeko heading towards him. The latter jumped onto the same building, landing in a perched crouch on top of a large water cooler. Every second he watched Taeko come closer, the endorphins of rush and anticipation filled his brain.
"Whoa, where'd you come from?" Taeko asked, leaning forward a bit to get a closer look. The two stood a sizeable distance apart from each other, granting a full look at their attires. Spider-Man was confused at what Kraven wore, only seeing a large lion fur coat and pants.
"Mother Russia, by way of mother Africa!" Kraven clamored, raising his voice due to his excitement. He pulled out two twin-seraph silver blades from his belt, both of which beamed red with an ignited gleam. The weapons twirled around his fingers, showing off his precision in an attempt to intimate the hero.
"Wow two moms and still so ill-behaved?" Taeko asked, tilting his head. However, instead of his expecting reaction, Kraven laughed out loud. Taeko was momentarily surprised since his jokes had always upset the villains.
Kraven wasted no more time, jumping at Taeko with a single bound. He sliced down one blade, missing Taeko, before repeating the same process with his other blade. The former continued with his relentless attacks, forcing Taeko on the defensive by dodging each knife.
"Maybe we got off on the wrong foot here, hi my name is Spider-Man, including the hyphen." Taeko greeted, while still avoiding Kraven's attacks. While this wasn't too challenging for him, there were split seconds where Kraven changed his course with an unexpected strike.
He noticed Kraven's left arm move towards him and prepared for them. However, he fainted Taeko with misdirection. Kraven pulled his arm back and slashed Taeko with his other. The symbiote did its best to protect him, but the heated blades barely cut his shoulder. Taeko was pushed to the end of the building, where he stopped himself from falling with his feet. His attacker raised both arms and intended to lancinate him right there.
In a quick move, Taeko aimed both wrists at the blades, shooting two lines of silk onto them. He yanked them out of Kraven's hands, which only left him open to being tackled by the hunter. The two fell off the building and plummeted towards the ground. Taeko attempted to swing away, but he was stopped after Kraven wrapped onto his back.
Somehow his strength rivaled Taeko's and prevented him from leaving. "What's the game here?" Taeko asked, unable to free himself from Kraven's grip.
"Haha, the big game!" Kraven Bellowed, tightly locking both arms around Taeko's head. Jeannine and Takeda watched from the streets, unable to assist while they fell. "Now be still. The noblest prey ends the hunt in silent dignity." Kraven began to twist against Taeko's head, attempting to snap it then and there.
"Pray? Silent? Dignity? Pal, you don't know me at all." Taeko gasped, feeling his neck close in and restrict his breathing. He held out both arms and aimed them at a glass window, shooting two lines and successfully attaching them. He swung both of them towards the building and shifted to where Kraven's back was shielding him.
The latter rough collided against the sturdy glass exterior, cracking some of them both continued to fall. Kraven's grip didn't loosen or relent, but it allowed Taeko to pause him from killing him. "Ha! You cannot shake Sergei Kravinoff so easily!" Kraven leered.
"Hey, Spidey doesn't do anything easy." Taeko hissed back, now growing annoyed at this new adversary of his. He thwipped one more web and swung them towards the same building, only this time he shifted upside down. The speed they swung at didn't allow Kraven to protect himself and caused him to bang his head against another window.
This finally broke his grip and sent him falling while Taeko held himself upside down. The latter acted quickly and saved him by wrapping a thin net of silk around him, saving him just before hitting the pavement. "I'd say that was fun, but I'm getting tired of middle-aged men trying to choke me to death." Taeko quipped, slowly descending towards Kraven.
"Amazing, no other beast has ever broken the grip of Kravenoff," Kraven spoke, struggling to move around inside the web-net.
"Ooh ok, I see the confusion," Taeko said, tapping his index finger against his chin. "Not a beast. A Spider, MAN... get it?"
"Spider-Man are you alright? What the hell happened?" Takeda asked, rushing over with Jeannine towards the other two.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine, the usual villain of the week situation over here," Taeko replied nonchalantly, pointing his thumb at Kraven, who silently watched them. Jeannine quickly gasped once she looked at Kraven, immediately recognizing him.
"This is Kraven the hunter! I have heard stories of you." Jeannine spoke while starting to walk closer to him before Takeda stopped her. The former heard all about the greatest hunter in the world, and she one day hoped to best him.
"Alright spill it lion jeans, who paid you to try and kill me? Was it Hammerhead? He tends to do that." Taeko said, preparing to hear the name of one of his many villains. Instead, all he received was an amused chuckle, which gradually grew into boisterous laughter.
Another warning from his spider senses alerted Taeko of a threat behind them. Taeko swung out his arm in front of Jeannine, and something pushed his hand slightly near her face. A small stream of blood started to trickle down his palm as he eased his grip and opened his hand, revealing that he caught a small bullet before it could hit Jeannine.
Taeko didn't dare look at the small bullet he held. His body started to tremble as realization flooded his mind, matching the cold sensation of his own blood running down his hand. Kraven's laughter grew louder as Taeko slowly forced himself to look behind him.
Kaina stood on the building across from them, mirroring the night from Tartarus. This time, she looked visibly distressed, although no one could clearly see it. Two purple smudges of ink were dried underneath her eyes as if makeup had been ruined from tears. Taeko and Kaina stared at each other, arms trembling from their actions. Both felt the heavy droplets of rain, their minds laid clouded and empty of coherent thoughts.
"Lady Nagant too?! This got much more exciting! Jeannine grinned, clearly oblivious to the feelings that Taeko held about the situation. She immediately took off on another sprint, heading directly for the building that Kaina stood on. The gun-wielding assassin took a few steps back and disappeared inside. Kraven startled Takeda as he heard various strands of silk tear apart, as the former started to free himself from his binding.
Takeda watched as his wife ran away and looked back at Taeko, placing one hand on his shoulder. "Handle this, I promise I'll make sure Jeannine doesn't hurt her." He spoke, before rushing off to follow Jeannine. He didn't understand why they shouldn't attack Kaina, given how she was equally as violent as they were. But, Takeda did know the pain of almost losing an old friend, as Jeannine nearly died from his hand many years ago.
"He is correct, we must stay on guard and ready."
Taeko snapped out of his daydreaming and refocused on the enemy behind him. By now, Kraven managed to free himself with a spare knife he carried. The hunter dropped onto the floor, landing on the hood of a car and crushing it easily. He stepped onto the pile of broken glass and cracked his neck in a sound that matched the crackling shards.
"Those webs aren't cheap you know, takes a lot of calories to make those," Taeko said, forcing out a joke to try and calm himself down. His mind could only focus on Kaina, which slowly started to affect him.
"Always temper my skills, gives quarry a chance..." Kraven started to say, retrieving the spear from his back. He and Taeko slowly moved around similar to a boxer's stances, both preparing for the other to strike first. "But at last, Kravenoff can be Kravenoff and thrill to a true challenge!"
Without warning, Kraven swung his spear towards Taeko, once again missing him when he bent downwards. Kraven attempted to catch him off guard with a leg sweep, but Taeko caught onto that. He swung his fist against Kraven's cheek, creating a loud crack. Much to his surprise, Kraven seemed unphased and returned a punch of his own.
"What type of Quirk do you even have?" Taeko questioned, blocking another strike with both hands. His opponent rammed his head against Taeko's nose, before kicking him against the chest.
"Stop thinking about her, or we will lose!"
"No Quirk is needed for Sergei Kravenoff, where is the hunt in that?" Questioned Kraven, attempting to land another kick against Taeko. Taeko jumped to the side, just out range from the spear, and shot a straight web. Kraven's hand was wrapped in silk, but all that did was bring him to grin. With one powerful tug, Taeko has pulled off his footing and into a clean jab from Kraven. The punch shook his jaw and sent him sliding across the ground.
"Ouch, that was rough."
"Yeah I know, I felt it." Taeko spat, rubbing his jaw as he stood up. He glared back at Kraven, desperate to finish this fight and help Jeannine and Takeda. Kraven followed his relentless assault by rushing towards Taeko. The latter began shooting out small bursts of webs, in hopes of slowing the hunter down.
Unfortunately, Kraven cut down the first three webs, before punching above the rest. Taeko continued to fire at him, but he too missed due to his opponent's agility. Kraven then tossed the spear at Taeko, holding it as if he were trying to vault across a short distance. The weapon nearly missed Taeko, but only managed to cut a small piece of the symbiote.
Taeko looked down at the small cut in his leg, alongside the reveal of white underwear with hearts on them. Kraven grinned when noticed the cut in his leg, which Taeko assumed was directed at something else. "Ok, the thermals with the hearts were half-price and do not reflect my very high macho quotient." Taeko defended, placing his hands against his hips.
"Something... is wrong... weaker..." Venom sounded hazier and quiet as if something started to put it to sleep.
Immediately Taeko started to feel nauseous, and everything around him started to spin while his head grew dizzy. He glanced at the cut, spotting the faint outline of a green liquid. Taeko started to stumble around, unable to properly standstill. Objects around him started to split in two, now creating two separate Kravens.
"Do you feel it?" Kraven asked, sounding echoed and distorted in Taeko's ears. Through his failing senses, Taeko sloppily dropped down to avoid getting hit by a pellet. The former now carried a large silver shotgun, which he kept stowed away in his arrow quiver. "There is no fighting it, that is death calling, will you answer?"
"Buddy... I've been... leaving death on v-voicemail... since... since..." Taeko mumbled, struggling to keep his eyes open. Kraven slowly approached him, clearly unafraid of his prey's weakened state. The former attempted to throw a punch, but it was easily caught by Kraven. He twisted Taeko's wrist around and roughly pushed him away, sending him to faceplant onto the floor.
Taeko strained his numbing muscles to push himself up, he struggled to do so for a few moments while Kraven watched with amusement. Once Taeko looked up, his heart nearly stopped at the sight in front of him.
Rekka Tokage stood in distance, blankly staring into Taeko's eyes. He was bloody and beaten, matching exactly to his state that night Taeko killed him. The latter could feel the grating feeling of his fists cracking the villain's bones. Taeko was speechless and disoriented. "R-Rekka?" He asked out loud, feeling his mouth start to swell.
"Ahh, hallucinations. It is to be expected when hit with the toxin." Kraven chuckled, reveling in his mental clarity compared to Taeko's. He scrunched his nose when he repeated the name Taeko spoke, trying to remember where he heard it from. "This was a fun hunt, thank you Spider. It reminds me of a woman with powers like yours."
"W-What?" Taeko gasped, still seeing Rekka's lifeless body stand upright. He attempted to stand up but was pushed back into the ground by Kraven's boot stepping harshly on his back. The former was helpless to fight against Kraven, as he was turned forward to face the hunter. standing beside the hunter were false figures Taeko recognized, the clearest one was a man he hadn't seen in nearly fifteen years. "Dad?" Taeko whispered, before being silenced by a kick to the chin from Kraven.
"Quiet. Let the hunt end, you fought well. But I... I am the ultimate hunter." Kraven spoke, holding respect for Taeko's perseverance. For years Kraven was subjected to easy hunts, none of which had ever truly challenged him. "Yesterday, I gave widened my consciousness with herbs and roots. I ate from the blood of spiders on all continents. Today, I have immersed myself with your being."
Kraven knelt down and pointed the end of the barrel at Taeko's chest. Only a small second of clarity gave Taeko the ability to see it. Time came to a sudden halt for Taeko, as every moment in life replayed with a few short seconds. Taeko could see Aeon and Nozomi standing in the distance, staring down with no emotion or signs of life on their faces. The white eyes of his mask widened before two bullets pierced into his chest.
[Next Chapter: Kraven's Last Hunt]