C636 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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Holding the green necromancy flame in his hand, Peter focused his telekinesis to delicately connect Knull's severed head and body. “Here goes nothing…” With a precise toss, the green flame danced through the void, landing on Knull's lifeless carcass.
Surprisingly, the flames didn't devour and burn the remains as one might expect. Instead, they behaved differently, almost nourishing the corpse. The green flames of energy seeped into Knull's deceased body, healing wounds, and even seamlessly mending his severed head back onto his neck and shoulders.
Though the flames did eat away at one portion of Knulls body. And that was the laughing skull tattoo on his right hand, which didn’t seem to survive the resurrection process, burned away by the green flames, removing him from the position of successor candidate.
‘Did it work…?’ Peter wondered as he noticed the tattoo burning away. ‘That’s a good sign… I think…’
As the last traces of the green flames merged with Knull's body, his eyes suddenly snapped open, radiating a bright green light, which accurately matched the color of the flames that had disappeared from his body.
Seconds later, the space around them quivered and distorted, echoing with the resurgence of the evil god Knulls power.
Peter, watching from a safe distance, couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry. ‘If this fails somehow, then dealing with him a second time might just be more troublesome…’ He questioned whether Hela's necromancy would be sufficient enough to control an undead god like Knull or if he would be forced to face the once-again living, undead adversary.
However, as Peter was thinking this, Knull's power seemed to plateau at a noticeably lower level than when he was alive. ‘Did redirecting him make him a bit weaker?’ Peter sensed his power, realizing that even if Knull resisted his necromantic control, the fight wouldn't be as challenging since Knull was noticeably weaker.
Peter speculated that Knull's return to life came at a cost, evident in the slight power drop. It seemed that the revival through Hela's necromancy had its limitations, and Knull paid the price in diminished strength.
As Knull regained control over his body and floated his himself upright, Peter braced himself for a potential conflict. He wasn't certain if he could command his newly resurrected servant or if Knull would resist his authority and go berserk.
Amidst his apprehension, Knull turned in Peter's direction and gracefully kneeled, his body suspended in the cosmic void. A voice echoed in Peter's mind, a word that both surprised and intrigued him.
"Master…"
The single utterance from Knull brought a relieved smiled to his new masters face. Peter observed Knull, his fiery green eyes, expressionless face, and even paler skin than before. This was his first member of his undead army and it was a being with god-like power.
Observing Knull, his new undead servant, with a sense of curiosity, Peter decided to test his loyalty. With a commanding tone, Peter ordered Knull to demean and even harm himself in various ways, testing the limits of his control over the once-proud evil god.
"Stand up," Peter commanded, watching as Knull gracefully followed suit. "Now, stick your hand in your chest and grasp your heart." He ordered, telepathically delving into his new servants mind to look for any signs of disloyalty.
Without hesitation, Knull complied, stabbing his hand into his chest without a second of thought. With his hand securely dug into his chest, Peter watched with his X-Ray vision as he wrapped his fingers around his beating heart.
‘Huh? I didn’t think his heart would still beat…’ Peter thought curiously.
Through this whole process, the undead god displayed a stoic expression, his actions guided solely by Peter's orders. He didn’t even blink or twitch as he enacted his master’s orders with a swift and precise efficiency.
Knulls mind matched his blank expression as well. It was like he was reborn as a much simpler creature, who was made to follow orders and even loved doing so.
Even something as painful and cruel as digging into his chest and feeling his still-beating heart seemed to bring Knull immense joy, if only because Peter, his new master, was the one giving the orders.
“?” Peter watched in interest, only slightly disgusted by what he was feeling from his new undead servant. ‘It’s like he’s a masochist…’
But he wasn’t done with just this. No, Peter had to make sure that Knull wasn’t feigning subservience and was actually his servant now.
So… the process continued, with Peter pushing the limits to see if there was any hint of resistance in Knull's actions.
…
..
.
After thorough testing, Peter couldn't help but smirk. His undead servant had proven unwaveringly loyal, following orders without a shred of defiance. This assured Peter that Knull was now under his complete control.
Satisfied with the outcome, Peter turned his attention to the remnants of Knull's blood and other bits, scattered in the cosmic void from their previous battle. Swiftly, he collected it all, especially the blood, mindful of the potential it held.
Peter had two primary reasons for gathering Knulls remains. Firstly, he considered using it to further evolve himself, tapping into the god-like powers that Knull once possessed. Secondly, he adhered to a principle of not leaving behind powerful remnants, especially ones that could be exploited by others.
The collected blood was secured in his storage necklace, ready for whatever purpose Peter deemed fit. Meanwhile, any other remains were quickly burned into ashes by his Phoenix flames, as Peter had no use for them.
“Alright, we’re done here…” With his preparations complete, Peter waved his hand, opening a portal back to the spider-society. “Let’s go see how things are going between Miguel and Uncle Ben…”
Knull, now an obedient follower, loyally trailed behind as they traversed the golden gateway. “…”
…
The transition through the portal brought the newly minted master and servant to the heart of the spider-society, where Peter had left Miguel and Uncle Ben to fight alongside the rest of the Spider-Gang who stood in attendance, including Jessica Drew who originally tagged along as their guide to find Miguel.
As Peter and Knull stepped into the spider-society. The cosmic tension that lingered in the air seemed to intensify as they arrived. The Spider-Gang, with their diverse members, including Miles, Gwen, Ben, Noir, Spider-Pig, Peni, Tobey, Andrew, Spider-Punk, and Jessica, sat around waiting for Peter to return. And as he did, they all hopped straight to their feet and turned his way, relieved and happy to see him return in one piece.
True to Peter's expectations, he found Uncle Ben and Miguel both unconscious, wrapped in web cocoons. The Spider-Gang must have intervened, preventing the fatal confrontation, which Peter had allowed. Uncle Ben lay with injuries covering his body, his chance at vengeance thwarted.
‘I’ll give you another chance soon…’ Peter thought.
Miguel, though still armless, had received treatment for his wounds, and the bleeding had ceased. The unconscious combatants were immobilized, ensuring their safety and preventing any sudden hostilities upon awakening.
As Peter observed the scene, he sensed the Spider-Gang's collective relief at his arrival. “Peter! You’re back! I’m so-“ Gwen exclaimed, though she suddenly stopped talking.
In a split second after his arrival, their relief took a sudden turn when Knull, the resurrected god, emerged from the portal behind Peter. Panic spread among the group as they witnessed the ominous figure stepping out behind Peter, his eyes radiating a bright green fiery light.
"Peter!" Miles called out, sensing the imminent danger, reacted swiftly, warning, "Behind you!"
In response, Miles and a few others rushed forward, ready to defend Peter. Yet, much to their surprise, Peter casually waved them off, leaning against Knull with his elbow as if he were a mere armrest.
The Spider-Gang stared in disbelief, and Gwen voiced their collective thoughts, "How? Did you guys make a deal or something? And were his eyes always green like that?"
With a smirk, Peter addressed their concerns, "No deal. Just a change in management." He gestured towards Knull, emphasizing the newfound allegiance between them. The once fearsome god now stood obediently, a symbol of Peter's control over him.
The Spider-Gang remained stunned, trying to comprehend the unexpected turn of events. “B-But how? I mean, I doubt he just decided to listen to you out of nowhere…” Ben asked, clearly still frightened by Knulls presence.
With a nonchalant shrug, Peter responded to their disbelief. "We had a nice long talk," he declared simply, avoiding any mention of necromancy, as he didn’t know how they’d react.
Skepticism filled the air, but the circumstances of their current situation left them with little choice but to accept Peter's words. After all, they couldn’t just force the information out of Peter even if they wanted to.
Ignoring their questioning glances, Peter turned to Knull, issuing a command. "Gather all the Spider-People on this planet outside. I want them all here within an hour, but no killing. I need them alive, awake, and in one piece."
With a nod, Knull vanished in a burst of speed, leaving the Spider-Gang in awe, except for Peter, who had grown accustomed to his servant's extraordinary abilities throughout their fight.
Miles voiced the collective confusion, "Why are we gathering everyone?"
Peter's reply was cryptic yet loaded with purpose, "Because it's time to clean this place up, but first, I think we need to learn some truths..."
As Peter spoke, he reached into his storage necklace and retrieved a hard drive… the very same hard drive that housed LYLA, the AI who was most likely the answer to all of their questions, questions that lingered in the minds of everyone present.
“Now, let’s see what she has to say…” Peter muttered as he walked over to Miguel’s computer.
A/N: 1650 words :)