Chapter 673: Arise! & Symbiotes?
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After days turned into weeks, and the hum of machinery faded into the background, Peter found himself at a rare moment of peace. His grand scheme to bridge the multiverse with a network of gates had transitioned from fervent labor to delegated responsibility.
The Watchmen, a dedicated group forged from trust and necessity, were now dispersing these marvels of science and magic for him, a specially built factory pumping out a steady supply so that they never ran out.
Peter, the creator of it all, took this time to breathe, to live. As someone who's almost constantly busy, he enjoyed this moment of peace more than anything.
In these quieter times, Peter reconnected with the essence of life outside his heroic duties. Family moments with his wife, children, and mother figures became a regular occurrence. Laughter, shared stories, and the warmth of home refueled his spirit, reminding him that the world—his world—was more than just a battleground for cosmic stakes.
Yet, the gears of curiosity and responsibility never truly halted for Peter. One evening, as dusk painted the sky with hues of fading light, Peter called upon Knull, the shadowy enigma bound to serve him. From the darkness of Peter's own silhouette, Knull emerged, a form both mesmerizing and menacing.
"Knull, we need to chat about your subjects," Peter began, his tone mixing the casual with the serious. "The Symbiotes, or the Klyntar, whatever you call them, do you still have a connection to them? Or was it severed when you died?"
Knull, a figure of deathly allegiance, nodded. His voice, a chilling whisper, carried the weight of untold secrets. "The Symbiotes, as you call them, are bound to me, as I am their king. What do you wish of them, Master?""I'd like to recruit them," Peter revealed, explaining his vision. "If each member of the Watchmen could bond with a Symbiote, it would enhance our strength by a large margin… Can you gather them for me?"
The request sparked a rare flicker of intrigue in Knull's void-like eyes. "Yes, they will heed my call. But I'll need a way to reach them, across the vastness of the multiverse."
Without hesitation, Peter handed over one of the Multiverse hopping watches, which all members of the Watchmen wore, a tool as precious as it was powerful. "Take this and go. But don't be gone long, or else I'll have to come looking for you..."
"Yes, Master," Knull accepted the watch, and with a twist of its dials, a portal tore through the fabric of reality—a pitch-black doorway. Stepping through, he vanished, leaving Peter alone in his thoughts.
…
With Knull gone for the moment, Peter decided it was time to test something, while simultaneously adding another powerhouse to his side, or at least he hoped he could. It would all depend on whether or not he succeeded.
In a moment of silent anticipation, Peter waved his hand, summoning what remained of the Silver Surfer's corpse. The legs, all that was left after their cataclysmic encounter, materialized before him.
His previous attempt to resurrect the Surfer as an undead servant had failed due to the body's incomplete state. However, emboldened by the significant power boost from his new, pitch-black spider suit, Peter felt a surge of confidence. It was time to try again.
With a focused gaze, Peter conjured a green flame in the palm of his hand. The flame, vibrant and otherworldly, danced with life. He paused, silently wishing himself luck before, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the flame toward the Silver Surfer's remains.
The moment the green fire made contact, it ignited a spectacle. It consumed the remains completely, devouring them with a hunger that left nothing but ash in its wake.
Peter watched, a mix of anticipation and uncertainty in his eyes. Then, from the ashes, a form began to take shape—a shadow that mirrored the Silver Surfer in contour but was entirely different in essence.
This new being, pitch black with glowing green accents tracing its form, rose from the ashes. Its eyes shone with an eerie, brilliant light, illuminating the space with their glow. The moment it fully materialized, it knelt before Peter, an unspoken acknowledgment of allegiance and servitude.
Peter, standing before this shadowy new servant, felt a mix of triumph and excitement. The Surfer, now reborn as a creature of shadow and green fire, recognized Peter as its master without a word being spoken.
As Peter gazed at his new shadowy servant, a thought crossed his mind, 'I truly pity the next unfortunate soul who crosses my path...' After all, with a mere thought, he had the power to call forth three beings of immense strength from his shadow: Tiamut the Communicator, the Silver Surfer, and Knull, the God of the Abyss. 'They don't stand a chance, do they?'
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The next day…
The morning sun cast its first rays over the island base of the Watchmen, signaling the start of a new day. Peter, standing in an open expanse, watched the horizon with a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty.
It wasn't long before a familiar figure emerged from a portal, a trail of unending black goo flowing behind him like a river of tar. Knull had returned, and he was not alone.
As the sea of black goo continued to spill into the open space, Peter's curiosity got the better of him. "Knull, just how many are there?" he asked, unable to hide his astonishment at the sheer volume of Symbiotes pouring through.
Knull paused, his gaze following the stream of Symbiotes. "A few million, perhaps?" he speculated with a nonchalant shrug, as if the number was a mere afterthought.
Peter felt a wave of regret wash over him. What was he supposed to do with millions of Symbiotes? The very thought was overwhelming, a logistical nightmare that he hadn't fully considered. "Okay, that's… a lot. Let's maybe not invite everyone to the party just yet," Peter half-joked, trying to mask his concern.
After a moment's hesitation, he instructed Knull to close the portal. The idea of housing millions of Symbiotes was untenable; their numbers alone could disrupt the planet's ecosystem.
So, with a heavy heart and a pragmatic mind, Peter settled for about a thousand Symbiotes for now. "We'll take more later, once we've figured out how to properly accommodate them," he reasoned, already plotting solutions to this unexpected challenge.
But for now, Peter set his focus on the Symbiotes in front of him, knowing that having a thousand of them at his disposal came with its own set of risks as well.
Quickly, he decided to vet each one using his telepathy, hoping to sift through their shared minds. Due to their hive-like connectivity, Peter was able to scan through their consciousness almost simultaneously, a task that was daunting yet fascinating.
What he discovered was unsettling. The Klyntar were inherently vicious and dangerous, their minds a tangled web of aggression and hunger. But amidst the darkness, a glimmer of hope shone through; their unwavering devotion to Knull was evident. They saw him as a deity, a figure of absolute authority.
Peter let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's reassuring," he murmured to himself. "At least I know they'll follow orders, with Knull leading them." This realization offered a semblance of control over the situation, a way to harness their strength without succumbing to chaos.
'But maybe I should wipe their minds just to be safe?' Peter thought, and with a heavy strike of telepathic force, he wiped their shared minds completely, leaving them blank sleight of clay, ready to be molded.
"?" Knull seemed to notice Peter's actions, and he didn't seem to care either.
As Knull and Peter surveyed the sea of black goo now calming before them, a plan began to form. These Symbiotes, once malicious and downright evil, could become a powerful ally under the right guidance.
"Knull, I leave their re-education to you. Let's make sure they understand their place here," Peter stated, his voice firm and commanding.
Knull nodded in agreement, the shadows around him swirling in silent acceptance. The task ahead would not be easy, but with careful management and a clear vision, the Symbiotes could indeed become a formidable addition to the Watchmen's ranks.
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Across the Multiverse…
In the heart of a coliseum, in a plane of existence that seemed to transcend time and space, a gathering of unprecedented scale took place.
Thousands of Kangs, each a conqueror in their own right, filled the ancient stands, their eyes fixed on the center where Rama-Tut and Immortus stood. The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that precedes the storm, as silence enveloped them.
Rama-Tut, his voice echoing majestically throughout the coliseum, broke the silence. "Brethren, we stand at the precipice of war," he began, his tone commanding attention. "Our council has been challenged, our supremacy questioned by an unforeseen adversary. Peter Parker, known as Spider-Man, has dared to defy us, eliminating not only the Exiled One but also our esteemed Centurion."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The news of Centurion's death, delivered with such solemnity, was a shock to the gathered Kangs. Each one had faced countless Spider-Man in their time, seeing them as mere nuisances to be quelled. But the idea that one had risen to challenge the Council of Kangs directly, and succeeded in killing one of their leaders, was both astounding and alarming.
Immortus stepped forward, his presence commanding and stern. "This is not merely a loss but a declaration of war," he proclaimed, his voice laced with a mix of fury and resolve. "Peter Parker poses a threat not just to our individual dominions but to the fabric of the multiverse itself. His actions cannot go unanswered."
The crowd, now murmuring amongst themselves, felt a growing fervor. The notion of war, especially against a foe who had proven capable of such feats, ignited a spark within them. They were Kangs, conquerors of time and space, unaccustomed to bowing before any challenge.
"We must strike swiftly and decisively," Rama-Tut continued, his gaze sweeping over the sea of faces before him. "Let us bring the full might of the Council of Kangs upon his universe. Let us show this Spider-Man that the consequences of defiance are dire."
The coliseum erupted in cheers, a chorus of voices united in their thirst for retribution. The prospect of war, particularly against an enemy who had bested one of their own, was a call to arms they could not ignore. They were ready, thousands of Kangs strong, each one deadlier than the last, each one eager to prove their supremacy.
As the cheers faded, a sense of unity and purpose filled the air. The Kangs, under the leadership of Rama-Tut and Immortus, were not just a collection of individuals but a formidable force of nature, a tidal wave poised to crash upon Peter's universe.
A/N: 1838 words :)
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