C545 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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As Rick stood at the entrance of the tent, his gun drawn, the scene before him unfolded like a twisted revelation. Shane and Lori, caught in the act of betrayal, jumped apart in shock.
“R-Rick?!” She exclaimed in shock.
Lori hastily covered herself with a blanket, her face flushing with embarrassment and guilt. Both Shane and Lori believed Rick to be either dead or still trapped inside the hospital with the military, so his unexpected appearance was a jolt to their senses.
Lori, who had convinced herself that Rick was lost, stood frozen, at a loss for words. Shane, realizing the gravity of the situation, attempted to explain, “Woah! Put the gun down, Rick. It’s not what you think, I swear!” He thought could talk Rick down before the situation escalated.
However, Rick remained unyielding, the gun steady in his hand, his eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. “It’s not what I think? Really, Shane? I know what I saw. You and my wife were just tearing each other clothes off and…” he froze for a moment, unable to continue that sentence. “We both know that this isn’t some misunderstanding, so don’t you dare lie to me!”
"R-Rick, it's really not what you think. Just put down the gun and give me a minute to explain, please." Shane stammered, attempting to rationalize his actions. But Rick, fueled by a mix of anger, betrayal, and heartbreak, wasn't ready to lower the weapon or believe a single word from his former best friend.
Meanwhile, the unfolding drama didn't go unnoticed. The survivors, drawn by the commotion, surrounded the area, shocked to see the new arrival, Rick, holding a gun on Shane and Lori.
But what shocked them even more was the revelation that Lori was Rick's wife. As the adults of the camp began to piece together the patterns of Shane and Lori's disappearances, realization dawned… they were secret lovers, hiding their illicit relationship from the rest of the group.
Amidst the tense atmosphere, Shane began to beg for his life, admiring to everything, “Look, you’re right, okay? We were doing exactly what you think. Just please put the gun down, alright? Killing me or Lori wont solve anything. You’ll only regret killing your best friend and the mother of your child…”
Seeing Rick hesitate for a moment, Lori joined him, pleading with her husband not to kill Shane. “Rick, put the gun down, please…”
However, rather than appease Rick, this plea only intensified his disgust. He had hoped for some semblance of remorse or an explanation that painted Shane as the true villain, but Lori's actions shattered those expectations.
"I trusted you," Rick muttered, his voice laced with betrayal. And just as he was about to lower his gun, unable to kill his best friend, Shane suddenly moved, reaching for something under a nearby blanket.
“!” Seeing this, Rick didn’t hesitate anymore and pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing through the camp. The bullet found its mark, hitting Shane square in the forehead. Blood sprayed out, coating the inside of the tent as Lori screamed in horror at the brutal sight.
The onlooking crowd stood in stunned silence. Some among them, particularly the men, saw Shane's demise as fitting punishment for his transgressions. After all, in a world where trust was a rare commodity, betrayal had severe consequences.
With Shane's lifeless body now crumpled in the tent, Rick turned his gaze toward his distraught wife. For a moment, it seemed as if Lori would be the next target. The crowd held its breath, anticipating the unfolding tragedy. However, to their surprise, Rick lowered his gun and tucked it away into his holster.
Turning away from Lori, Rick addressed her with a mixture of betrayal and disgust. “I’m not going to shoot you. I won’t take Carl's mother away from him.” He declared, looking his wife in the eyes. “But you and me? We’re done. I want a divorce.”
Lori, sprawled amidst the remnants of her shattered life, felt nothing but guilt. The weight of her actions, the betrayal of her vows, and the consequences of her choices sank in, leaving her to grapple with the consequences of her infidelity.
Moments after Rick lowered his gun, a group from the surrounding crowd ran forward and snatched it from his hand. He didn’t resist, his mind far to preoccupied with everything that’s happened. Neither did he resist as they pulled him away, leaving behind the lifeless body of his best friend, and a very distraught ex-wife.
————
In the midst of the unfolding tragedy at the Quarry camp, Peter and MJ navigated their way to the CDC just outside Atlanta, blissfully unaware of the chaos that had erupted nearby.
Soon enough, the CDC building stood before Peter and MJ, sealed tightly with thick metal shutters that covered every entrance and window.
As they approached, remnants of a military presence were evident. Abandoned cars, weaponry, barricades, and even the eerie sight of soldiers turned into zombies. Hundreds of undead soldiers wandered aimlessly in their military uniforms, a haunting testament to the catastrophic events that had unfolded just outside the safety of the sealed buildings walls.
Without the need for strategy or intricate plans, the duo parked their car nearby. Stepping out into the eerie silence, they were greeted by the shuffling footsteps of the zombified soldiers, their hungry gaze fixed on the newcomers.
Armed with Michonne's katana, Peter took a defensive stance, while MJ wielded a metal baseball bat with a confident smirk.
Finally joining Peter in the front lines of zombie-killing, MJ was determined to have some fun. After all, she had been left behind to watch over the group during every other battle, and now it was her turn to take part in the action.
As the undead soldiers broke into a sprint, Peter and MJ sprang into action. “Least kills makes dinner for the rest of the week!” Peter declared, a smirk on his face.
With a swift kick off the ground, they closed the distance between themselves and the approaching zombies. The fight ensued, a harmonious blend of Peter's expert swordplay and MJ's precise strikes with the baseball bat. Each swing and slash were executed with fluid precision, not a single drop of blood touching their impeccable attire.
The duo moved in tandem, weaving through the undead with a choreographed dance of death. Peter sliced through the decayed flesh, while MJ swung her bat, smashing in zombie skulls with a satisfying thud. The once-dangerous soldiers, now reduced to mindless threats, fell before them in a synchronized display of combat prowess.
Their movements were efficient, a testament to the experience they had gained across the multiverse. The duo fought not out of necessity but as a form of catharsis, a release of pent-up energy from spending so long in the car.
As MJ took care of the last few zombies, their bodies crumpling to the ground, Peter looked toward the entrance and noticed multiple cameras that were following their every movement.
With a casual wave, his katana still dripping blood, Peter spoke up at the camera. “Yo.”
————
Inside the CDC, the sterile environment of a laboratory stood in stark contrast to the chaos outside. Edwin Jenner, a man in a lab coat with an intense focus in his eyes, worked diligently while his wife, Candace Jenner, lay strapped to a table. The deadly fungal infection had spread across her arm, leaving her in a dire state.
“Edwin, we both know that yon won’t be able to-” She spoke, trying to break the news of her inevitable death to her husband, but the man wouldn’t listen.
“No!” He shouted, unwilling to even entertain the idea of her dying. “I’ll do all that I can to delay the spread while we figure out a way to kill the spores. Don’t you dare give up on me!”
As Edwin ran another test, desperately trying to slow the progression of the fungus in his wife, a series of monitors displayed various camera feeds from the outside. The cameras were scattered throughout the CDC, capturing every angle of the compound's exterior.
Edwin and Candace observed the unfolding events with a mixture of awe and shock. The virologists, dedicated to studying the fungus that had ravaged the world, were witnessing something extraordinary. The duo outside, Peter and MJ, moved with a precision and agility that defied the capabilities of a normal human body.
The screens displayed the duo's combat prowess, their synchronized movements a testament to a level of skill that seemed almost otherworldly. Edwin couldn't help but marvel at their abilities, realizing that what he was witnessing transcended the boundaries of ordinary human capabilities.
As the last zombie met its demise, crushed by MJ's baseball bat, Peter, with his katana still dripping blood, looked directly at one of the cameras. With a casual wave, he addressed the unseen observers inside the CDC.
"Yo, do you mind if we come inside?" He asked causally.
Edwin and Candace exchanged a glance, both captivated and perplexed by what they had just witnessed.
Candace, strapped to the table, managed a weak smile. "Edwin, did you see that? I've never seen anything like it. I’m not hallucinating, am I?" She asked. After all, Edwin has been pumping her full of all sorts of medicinal concoctions, hoping to further slow the spread of the infection.
Edwin, though impressed, decided to ignore the odd visitors. "Forget about that, we need to focus on you. We can't be distracted by—"
His words were cut off as the monitors continued to display Peter and MJ, the duo who seemed to defy the very laws of nature. They moved toward the thick and heavy metal shutters at the front entrance.
“What are they doing?” Edwin muttered as he watched Peter bend down and grip the bottom of the shutter. “He can’t really think that he’ll be able to lift that, can he? I mean, it has to weigh at least a few tons-”
Surprisingly, before the couples bewildered eyes, Peter managed to pull the metal shutter open with ease, lifting it just high enough for them to step inside. ““?!””
A/N: 1669 words :)