C61 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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After following the helicopter to the outskirts of the city, Peter was planning to finally take it down, as it was safe to do so now. Just as he was about to act, the helicopter began to descend toward a very old but well-kept stone temple.
“This is ominous looking...” Peter muttered as he saw the dark torch-lit temple.
It didn’t help that the sun had completely set by now, adding a much more spooky feel to the place.
As the helicopter landed, the passengers hopped out and rushed up the long stone steps, disappearing into the ornate entrance.
The helicopter blades didn’t have a chance to slow to a stop by the time Peter landed and saw the cowardly backsides of those entering the temple.
“Hmm...” Peter thought as he stopped in his tracks and observed the area. “This is definitely a trap...”
Shaking his head at how obvious these millennia-old ninjas were being, Peter ascended the stone stairway, following the trail of his escaped prey.
While walking up and into the dark and spooky temple, Peter wracked his brain for anything that he could remember from the Daredevil TV series.
Sadly, all he could remember from the hand was their use of dragon bone elixir and that they were ninjas. He didn’t have any other recollection that could explain the odd almost supernatural feeling he was receiving from this temple.
Walking inside, Peter found nobody as he went from room to room, each one was in pristine condition and lit by torches, which were hanging on almost every wall.
After searching all of the upper floors of the temple, Peter found no one and decided to descend downward. Though he hated the thought of it.
The only staircase leading down looked like it was straight out of some horror film. It was dark and disheveled, nothing like the pristine quality of the rest of the temple.
“God, I hate scary movies...” Peter muttered as he descended with only slight reluctance.
Put him up against villains such as Thanos or Dormammu, but the second things start looking like the ring, then Peter may have some confidence issues.
Thankfully, Peter has superhuman senses, so he knew that no one was hiding in the shadows below. Unless of course, there was a ghost, but through his study in Kamar Taj, Peter learned that he would still be able to see and hear a ghost.
After watching some scary movies with MJ, Peter was curious whether ghosts actually existed, so he spoke to a master about them and learned a bit of useful information.
Though that can be saved for another time.
‘Why must they lead me here?’ Peter thought as he made it to the bottom of the stairs and walked down a long stone hallway. “Why not a well-lit warehouse or something? Anything but this...”
Thankfully, the hall was only dark for a short time as halfway through Peter could see a light at the end of the tunnel, quite literally.
Following the tunnel-like hallway, Peter made it to the end without a single trap or attack, which only made him more vigilant about whatever they were planning. It had to be coming soon after all.
Stepping out of the hall, Peter's eyes adjusted to the light and he saw something that he didn’t expect.
Under the temple was a huge stone throne room, which was being held up by large chiseled pillars. Hand ninjas were posted around the room alongside normal-looking servants.
Peter could even see Alexandra Reid, who had just run from him, standing beside the large throne alongside the other fingers of the Hand. All of them were here, besides Murakami, who was still trapped in the mirror dimension.
Peter stealthily checks on him and Nobu every morning, seeing if he thinks they're ready to speak yet, but sadly neither of them were weak-willed men. It would take some more time to break them into talking.
Though maybe he wouldn’t need them anymore after this.
Sitting on the throne at the back of the room was what truly shocked Peter upon his arrival.
“What’s a demon doing here?” Peter wondered out loud.
Peter has read a few books on demons and has even had a bit of instruction from The Ancient One on how to handle such beings that make it into their world.
Either by their own power or through the help of someone on the planet, usually through some sort of ritual, low-level dimensional beings like this can slip by unnoticed.
It’s not that they're so strong that they can get in, but that they're so weak that the alarms set in place by the Masters of Kamar Taj don’t register their breach into the world.
Although Peter is most definitely a novice when it comes to fighting demons, he’s up for the challenge and happy that it wasn’t a ghost.
The only question now was how and when did a demon team up with the Hand. Was this a recent thing or are they merely acting together to get rid of him?
“Oh, the spider has arrived!” The fat dark demon heard him and spoke from its throne.
The grin that spread along the demon's face as it eyed Peter up and down was about as creepy as he expected.
“It’s Spider-Man actually.” Peter corrects as he takes out his phone and sends a quick text to the Ancient One with his location and predicament, just in case anything goes wrong.
He has never fought a demon before after all.
“Hehe, such an odd name you’ve chosen for yourself...” The overweight demon laughs gleefully as it drinks from a big chalice.
“Eh, I like it. What’s your name demon guy?” Peter says, buying time as he prepares an important spell.
“The Japanese call me Kaiju-sama, but you may call me the Beast.” The Beast introduces itself, still looking at Peter's body with an unhealthy amount of interest.
“So, what’s this whole plan about? I mean, you lured me here, right? Now what?” Peter asks as he knows that big villains like to reveal their master plan at the last moment.
Peter always thought it was dumb to do, but they always seem to get a kick out of it. Even some of the criminals he stops would now and then go on tangents about their plan, only to get captured soon after.
“Kaiju-sama is interested in using your body as a vessel.” Alexandra Reid reveals as she and the other fingers of the hand watch between Peter and the demon with Interest.
“We would also like to know where Murakami is?” Madam Gao spoke next. “We’ve searched the entire county by this point and still haven’t found a single sign of him.”
“Oh forget about that waste for now!” The Beast speaks forcefully. “Once I have his body, I’ll know whatever the spider knows. We can find him then.”
“Yeah, no thanks.” Peter says as he brings his hand forward, summoning dozens of golden sparks in front of him. “I like my body very much, so I think that I’ll keep it.”
Spinning his arms, the sparks draw themselves into individual intricate spell circles.
As everyone in the room watches in surprise, only one of them knows what’s happening and it frightens them beyond belief. The great Beast that has been pulling the strings behind the Hand for millennia began shaking in its throne.
“S-Sorcerer?!” The Demon spoke with a voice laced with fear and anxiety.
After thousands of years spent on earth, the Beast knew one thing for certain. Never mess with the sorcerers of earth, as they are far stronger than anyone would expect.
Throughout its entire time spent on earth, it was able to avoid these sorcerers by hiding behind the Hand, yet it seems that has backfired now.
The Beasts shield has brought danger to its front door.
Once the spell circles were formed, each of them spread out to every corner of the room, branding its markings on every inch of the throne room.
“That should keep you from escaping.” Peter muttered as the Beast's body turned into a shadow-like figure, which dashed for one of the side exits. “I wouldn’t do that If I were you...”
*Bang! Tzzzzz!*
As the shadow approached the doorway, a golden forcefield appeared and blocked the way. The Beast slammed into the almost invisible wall, but that wasn’t all that happened. Lighting courses through the forcefield soon after, electrocuting the poor helpless demon.
“I told you not to do that...” Peter commented as he watched the whole thing with an amused look.
The Ancient One taught him that demons are crafty and good escape artists, so she invented this very spell in order to keep them from constantly running away from her.
Back at the side of the throne, the founders of the hand were shocked. Never before have they seen anyone capable of something like this. Let alone being able to somehow get one over on the Beast.
‘Maybe we should have stayed away from Spider-Man?’ Each of them had a similar thought as they watched the Beast being electrified.
A/N: 1542 words. See u guys tomorrow. Ps- if you ever can’t find a chapter, it’s because the tag system on patreon tends to bug out sometimes. Just let me know in the most recent chapters comments and I’ll fix it. I had to fix chapter 59 earlier today.