EDGILY MILLENIAL

“I told you!”  He holds his hands on his face, trying to appease the migraine that grew in the form of the Void continually scratching wildly at his mind to be free, pressing at the thin membrane that had been weakened by having just been the Void moments ago.  It’s taking just about everything he had to keep the unearthly creature that lived within him.

“I told you that you didn’t want this, that you didn’t want the Void!  You goddamn moron!”  Slowly he lowers himself to the ground, feet finally gracing the concrete beneath him.  Parker was lucky, lucky that Bob was in control enough today of all days, to pull the Void back, that in and of itself was a rare occurrence after he’d already lost control.

"I really don't need an "I told you so" right now, asshole," Parker snaps at Bob. It's not smart to be rude to the man who just saved your life, and continues to be the only thing standing between you and a being of unimaginable power that wants to eat you. But, absolutely nothing Parker has done so far could even remotely be classified as "smart".

It's not even the pain that clouds his judgement. Even if he'd gotten out of things without a scratch his response likely would have been the same. It was just easier to respond to stress with aggressiveness than to deal with the helplessness that came with breaking down.

The still vaguely human jaws part, stretching wide enough to where if they’d clamped down they’d surely be able to fully encompass Parker’s head, near fully disregarding the tears that flowed down the man’s face.  It was done talking to the man or regarding his feelings in any way.  It was feeding time, and while it wasn’t necessary for the Void to eat, the being certainly took pleasure in it all the same.

But once more he stops mid lean, gaping drooling maw open before Parker, leaving the man in its grasp to gaze down the endless darkness that awaited down the pits of its being.  Bob was still fighting for control, and it was becoming all the more annoying with each passing second.  “Can’̵t ̸y͠ou ́j̛ust ̴giv̴e ͢up ͝f͝o̕r ͝a ͠mom͝ent,́ ̶and̀ l̡et̢ ͢m͡e tàk̡e̵ th͡is ͠on̵e͝? ̴ ̵Wh̀y̶ d̛o yo҉u e͢v̕e̕n ̨c҉a̸re͜,̸ ̶h̛e͝ ai̛d̛èd̕ ̧Òsborn, and he̶l̢pe̶d͝ t̨o̶ put mé in c̵o̢ntr̕ơl̛.̨ ͢He’s ́just áno͘t͜h̡eŕ ͏bad̛ guy̧,̵ cóm͜mo҉n̶ st̶reèt͘ trash–͞ ̡L̵e̴t̷ ̀m͏e͠ ̛e̴a͜t ̛h͏i̷m.”

“No, you don’t get to decide who lives and who dies anymore.  We share a mind, and we share a body.  So I get a say in it all too, Void.  No more killing.  No more blood on our hands.”

“͝Y̕ou.̡.́. Are..̴.̛ ͏S̶uch̨ a̡ ҉n̵uisa̸nce̢."͜ It struggles all the same, clearly pulling against the weight of its own body to just lean forward a little more, to take one bite if nothing else.  Put this little worm out of his misery.  But Bob’s will is too strong in this moment– The Void, does however, manage to draw blood, mandibles and crooked teeth sinking into the flesh of the shoulder, biting down like the vicious predator it was.  Though it only lasts a moment before it tosses Parker aside into the dirt, and Rob starts to take control again, left grasping at his head as the darkness and many limbs recede back into his being.  Leaving the Golden Guardian of Good once more fully in charge.

While the Void struggles against Bob’s influence, Parker’s left in a state of limbo. Almost literally, to a degree. Staring into the mouth of Death, he feels almost weightless. Like the events unfolding are happening to someone else, and he’s just watching as his life hangs on the precipice. It’s only when the beast gets one final strike that he’s brought back down to earth, screaming in pain.

As his body makes contact with the ground shortly after, Parker cries out in pain once more. It takes several beats before he even thinks about attempting to move, and even then it’s just to roll on his back. Another moment, and a hand moves to inspect the bite on his shoulder. When it comes back covered in blood, Parker runs his hand along his face, almost immediately forgetting it’s covered in blood.

“Men͘t̢a͜l̸ly ͠s͜ound is ̧a t̨e̡r͝m I͟ ̧wil̵l ̛c͏a҉ll iǹt̸o q̴u͘esti̢on͝, y̴o͜u̷ are ͏a̸f̢ŗa̷id,͠ ͏ánd y͡o̡u ͞c҉ame ͠t̷o͠ ́m҉e ̸of yo̡ur͡ ̸ow̧n vo҉l͠i͏t͞i͏o͘n͜. I̴f y̛o̶ù ͘ar͝e̶ n͟ot s̷t҉upid, y̸o̶u are ̷c̕ȩr͢t̵ain͘l͟y̛ fa͏r àway̧ f̸r͞o͏m m̀entally̷ s̷ou͢nd.”  The winding grasp of those gangling spider like limbs grow all the more tight around the smaller weaker man.  The Void was raising him awfully forcefully off his feet, and closer towards that disgusting bug like maw of his, the mandibles slowly clacking together.

Only hesitating because as stating earlier, Bob was quite the willful being despite how it might seem sometimes, and it was staying the hand of that abhorrent unEarthly creature that threatened to consume the man before him.  Bob had warned Parker, but Bob didn’t need more blood on his hands to weigh on his conscious.

“You don’t get to kill anymore.”

The voice rings out in the mind of their shared body.  “Ah wh̴a̧t͠ ́a̶ ͢p͝èsk̵y annoyańc̀e͏ ̧y͏o̢u͡ s͝t͞i̵l͢l҉ a̕re̡,̷ ̧e͏ve͏n̛ ẃhen ͟I̵'̧m i͟n͞ ̢con͢t̕r͝ol,҉ Ŕey͏n͘o͝lḑs.”

To Parker’s credit, he keeps his composure despite the pain of the tendrils tightening around him and the ever growing threat of the Void’s mandibles. It’s not perfect, though, tears prick the corners of his eyes, from pain, frustration, and regret. The only thing keeping him from breaking down into full blown sobs, the clenching of his jaw.

He wonders, as his vision begins to blur, what the consequences of his death will be. How long would it be until someone noticed he’d disappeared? How long would they look for him and where would they think he’d gone? Or, would the Void, or even Bob, feel compelled to tell someone what had happened?

As he resigns himself to his fate, Parker closes his eyes against the gaping maw, but after what seems to be only moments, he opens them again. The Void’s hesitation being met with mild confusion, but before Parker has a chance to fully question it, the beast speaks to a voice he can’t hear, and it becomes clear what’s happened.

That’s all it takes to tip him over the edge. A breathless, raspy, laugh bubbles up deep from within his chest. With the laughter, Parker’s tears finally began to flow, quickly soaking his cheeks. Nothing about the situation is funny, but Parker can’t help but laugh at the fact that his life was, of all people, now in Bob’s hands. Bob, who had no reason to pity him other than a sense of duty that the criminal could never understand.

“B̡o͡b ̧had willpo̷wer̡ ̡once̶. ҉ Bob͡ h͠ad t̷h͜e ̢s͢tub̨bo̷r̕nn͝ess͝ ҉and dete̷rm̵ina͞t͘i̶o͘n, and̢ to b̀e̛ ͜p̵e͠r͜fec͜tl͘y honest̷-̡-͝ ̀P͝owe͏r̷ ͞is ͢m͝or̶e i͜n̴t͏rig̡u̕in̨g͝ ̶t̢han w͏íl̸lpow͘er. Bob'̵s͢ ̧n̛o҉w ̸we̕a̡k̢ res͢ol͏ve is ̷ent̷i̢r̡e͟ly̶ ͡w̧h̀y̡ I ̨lìk̵e͏ ̨h͝i̡m͟. He'̨s s͘t̸r̨òng̶ and́ h͜e҉'ş ́gu̕ll͟i̶b̧l̕e͠-͡- N̷òt҉ s̵tupi҉d ̸òr a ͟m͘oro͢n̴. ̀ G͝ul̶lìblę. ̷ T̛he͜ sa̡me c͡o͏u͟lḑ not́ b̵e said͡ f̨or ̕yo̴u, ̵unfo͝rt͝u̢n̴ate̛ly̢, M̷r. Rob̡b̛iǹs.̸”  Tightening more, the arms grasping harder, joined by more until his whole body was adorned with many of the infinite limbs that sprouted forth from it.

To be honest, the Hood had not even been upon his radar, never been any sort of thought that Parker even had an inkling of a chance to join the two of them in any capacity other than being digested.

“B͢e̢s̨ide̸s,̶ all t͢h͏i̛s s͠tubb̛or͡n͜n̶ess ͝an̶d wi̛l̀l͘p͜ow͡er ̨is͏ ͡şwąt̨hed i͘n̵ t͏he stin҉k ͘o͝f ͟f͝ear.̶ ͟ ̵You ̢did͏n'̕t̸ ̸c̕o͟m̶e to͏ ͟meet ̷y̸ou͢r͟ ́de̴a̵th̀ ̴w̷it҉h ṕride̸ ͏o͟r̨ śt͘reng͞t҉h. Yǫu ca̛me͞ t͠o͝ ͢m͞eet͞ ̧m̶e̛ ̕wi͞t͟h t͢h̴e a͜s̸sump͞tion͡ ͠y̷oú’d ͏b͜e̡ ab̢le̡ tǫ ta̛l͢k m̀e͞ o͡u̴t҉ o͏f ͟c̕ons̀u̸mi͟n̶g̷ ͘you̵. ̷À ̨va҉lian҉t͜ ͡effort̛. F̶ut̸ile͏ ́a̛l͟l̨ ҉th̀e ̀s̀ame.”

It grows harder and harder to remain confident, but Parker manages. He shuts his eyes for a moment, and inhales to center himself. If this is truly where he dies, he’s at least going to go out with the ability to say he didn’t falter, and without giving the Void the satisfaction of a struggle.

Calm and level tone of the horrid creature is replaced by manic laughter that echoes throughout the shapeless void that surrounded the two of them.  The only things visible in the darkness were the red pin pricks and the thick glowing spider like arms that wound their way around Parker’s midsection, eyes simply beaming with delight.

“Y͘ou̡ ̡are̛ ̧ą cle̷v͏er͢ ͏boy̡.̢”  The shapeless body of the Void moves like a snake in the abyss it had created, still keeping a firm grip on Parker all the while.  “F͘l̢at͏ter̵y͏ ̷d͟o̶e͢s ͜n̸ot̡ ͟g҉èt y͠o͏u ̀any̡ẃh̵e͢r͝e͠ ̶f͡o͞r҉ me.͠ K̕i̡şs ưp ͢al̷l̡ ̢you͏ li̕k͞e̢, b̶ut I͘ ͏w͏ill̢ ͟rip ͝you͝ to͡ ͞p҉iece̶s̛ aş I ́d̢i̷d҉ t̷he Go͘d ͞of W̡a̕r,̛ or̸ shr҉ed y̢ou̧ ̵to͟ rib҉b͜o̡n͜s̡ ͘li̕ke th͢at en̷vòy of́ trick̕èŕy. ̛ ͘W̶h͜at is͝ yo͜ur̸ ̀g̵a̶me̵,̕ ҉w͢ha͟t i̧s͠ ỳo͘u͡r͜ ͞t̵ru̶e̷ ͡pitc̕h͏? ͝ ͘D̸o yo͠u͝ ̷th̷ìnk y͟ơu c͢a̴n ҉af͞fi͟rm҉ a͟ pl̡a̴c͡e̕ ͝un͢der͝ ́my̛ ̷bei̛ng if y̛ou si͟mp̢ly̶ ̛a̴gr̷ee ̢wit͢h me ̶an̸d͝ ͘te̷ll͢ me ̡al̡l͝ t̷h̨e̢ t͠h͠in͡gs͘ I̕’d l͢ike t̷o hȩar̸?̸ ̵ I̶ al̷r̷ea͝d͟y͘ have̶ ͘B̵ob. ̕Why̧ would҉ I nee͟d̕ so̸m̡e tw̵o b́i̢t́ s̨tr̢ee͏t̛ crime ̴magicia̡n?̛ “

The feeling of the tendrils is not one Parker enjoys in the slightest. It turns his gut, and sends a shiver through his body. Despite how plain it is to him that his head is firmly in the mouth of the lion, Parker retains his sense of composure. For that was his true superpower. Remaining calm even while staring into the beady red eyes of Death.

"I already told you, persistence and determination. Unlike Bob, I was blessed with an overabundance of willpower. To put it plainly, I’m stubborn as hell. You can rip me to shreds, sure, but I’d find a way to claw myself out of Hell, because that’s just the kind of guy I am. Stubbornness like that can be useful if there’s ever something you can’t get with fear and brute force alone.”

Pale flesh begins to peel away, giving way to the abhorrent form of the dark creature that had always sought to dwell beneath the surface.  A god before an ant was an apt comparison, however as most of the world had seen on that fateful day, not even gods could compare to the might of The Void. Eyes begin to sprout over what was once the handsome, albeit entirely unkempt, features of Bob Reynolds.

“Y̴ou̴'r҉e͝ ̡a s͝t҉ooge ̴f͠or ̡m͟i̛g͜h̶t͘ier ͏be̛ińgs̷,͠ Pa͘r̡k̕e̸r̸. ̀Y̸o͏ú ̕ar̷e ̡a͟ mi̧n͡įon who thin͝ks̸ ̡he͝ ̧can pl͝a҉y̢ ͢o͢n̶ ̴t́hé l̕e҉vel͘ of ̵t̷he͝ ̷bi̵g b҉o͘y͞s like ͏us҉. ̨ ̸Y̶ou͡ h̢av͏e ͠ņo̷thin͞g ͝t̡o͡ ̷o̸f͏fe̴r ͠me, ̨and̛ ̶I a̵m ̀t̢em͞p͝t̢ed̕ t͞ǫ ͘p͟ul͜l th͢e ̶sku͝ll̡ ̸off ̛y̴ou͝r ͡sh́o̷ul̷d͡ers̴.͏”  Tendrils form together all around them, becoming pure darkness.  A void of all light, just like the being whom Parker had purposefully invoked, its body vanishing into the darkness, sprouting out behind Parker in the darkness fully replacing Robert’s form with its own.

“Y̛ou're̡ nòt͝ eve͝n̶ an͘ ant̶ at̛ ̀m̶y ͝h͢eels. ͟Y̢ou ̢are̛ t̕he̛ sp̀ęc̵k ̨of du͜st on ̶th͘e ̸h͝ind e҉nd o̧f͘ ̀i͟ns͞e͜ct͡s. ͟ ̢St̕and̀i̷n̡g ̨bef̕o̕r̕e the A̡ngel ͠of Dea̶t͏h,̕ ̨deman͢d͘in̨g̸ my ͠pres҉en̵c͝e̢… ͏F̕o̶ol̛ìsh̸.͞”

Fear begins to creep into Parker’s gut when the darkness swallows them up, but he remains confident, offense at being belittled so harshly overpowering the fear for now.

“ Y̢ou ͜h͢ave ͘n̵ót̢h͠iǹg to̢ off͝er̸ me. ͡ Yǫu ̢h͜av̀e̶ n͘oth͟inǵ ͞tǫ ̕gi͘v̛e, ̵n͠othi̴n͜g ̴t́o ̨do,͟ ̷nǫt҉hin̶g͞ ͡I͘ w̢a̸nt.̧ P͘l͜ed̡gi͢ńg͟ yo̡u͞r lo̸yalty ̴t͟o mé is͝ ̨p҉o̵i͠n͝t͜l̴e͝s̨s͡ beca̶us̛e ̶I have ņo w̢ant͢ t̴o̧ ̴re҉t͡ur͘n ̴the̸ f̢a҉v͢o̵r. “  Jaw splits faintly to give way to more tendrils from his jaw forming inspect-like mandibles for the time.  Osborn had been very closely under the Void’s thumb as much as Robert was under Osborn’s, as The Void got to take control whenever Osborn had wanted it, and Osborne entirely feared the presence of the Void.

“ You’re ̡a lit̕t͘l̕è sm̕al̕l ͢t͟o͟ ̕be m̕y ̧fri͏e̛nd̡, Pa̸r̢ker̕.͡ ͢ ͘A ͝l̷itt̵le ͝sm̕a͠ll a̴nd̕ ҉a̛ ̧l͞i͞t͝tle͡ ̨w̨eàķ. As t͝he old ̧ad͜a͘ge g͝o̢e͜s҉, ‘̶Ànyt͡hi̴n͡g yo̢u ̢c̵a͢n͞ ̡do,͜ I͠ ̴ça̵n͟ ̵d͠o b͘ett́er̷’.͝ “

“You’re right,” Eyes drop down to the place where the Void’s mouth used to be, but quickly flick back up to make eye contact with the being, “But I like to think I have some value because of how small and weak I am. By every right I should be no one, but I managed to claw my way up to become infamous.”

“If anything,” He licks his lips, one of few signs of nervousness, “I should be questioning my desire to ally myself with you. My biggest failures are directly tied to times I’ve allied myself with powerful beings. Dormammu was too obsessed with the Sorcerer Supreme, and Osborn, well... You know how that turned out.”

“ Y͟o͘u͠'͟re ri̕ǵh̸t.͢ ̢ ͜I̡ ͏don'̨t́ ģiv͜e a ͡damn̸ ͡a͡b͞o͡ut̢ ̡w̕hy̡'̕s̨.”  The once golden eyes bright with the piercing red daggers that had taken their place, an unfriendly scowl replaced by an unsettling grin.  Parker should be afraid, very afraid, because the Void wasn’t sure if he cared for anyone pledging loyalty.  Faster than the human eye can perceive, the man who was once the Sentry shoots forward at a speed that, if he had collided with the man would have left him little more than a bloody puddle– Stopping just shy of Parker instead.

“I dǫn'̷t̸ ҉kn͞ow̨ if̛ ̢I̸ tr͢u҉st you͏ ͠th̴ou̸gh͢, ̴yo͏u'̡r̡e̸ ͜kind o̢f̢ ̧a t̢r͠e͢a͘c͟he҉r͏ou̢s litt̴l̛e s͘hi̵t҉.̴ “  A hum, and the creature’s still forming tendrils very slowly encircle around the both of them, like some cosmic predatory spider.

The sudden approach causes Parker to tense, his jaw clenching slightly. Though he’s quick to assume a casual posture once more, barely paying the tendrils a passing glance. Probably for the best. Focusing on them could lead to Parker actually acknowledging what a colossal fuck up this was.

“You–”

“ R̛eĺax, B͡o͝b͠b̶ý. ̨T͜h҉i̕s ̸l͟i͞ttle͜ wǫr͡m ͡wànt̸s ̛to me͘et ͟t̕h̡e͢ ̧Vo͜i͞d, ̕no̷t͟ ͠c͡hat ͢w͠ith you͠ a͟ll̕ d̡a͘y.҉ ́ It’s ̀my̴ t͜urn̛ ̢t͞o t̨a̶lk.̸”  The voice that takes over is distorted– Far from the calmer voice of Robert Reynolds heard only mere seconds prior.  The ghostly apparitions of those tendrils begin to form out of his abdomen, slowly stretching from his body. “ He’s r̴ig̴h͘t th̛ough,̨ ̵you ̵a̕r̢e ͠a ͡mo̸r͢o҉n̨.̀ ͝ Te͠ļl m̛e̴ w̕hy I̸ sh͜ou͜l͟dn’t ̡ju҉s̨t ríp ̶you̢ to s̶hr̶e̴ḑs̀, ҉k͟id̷d̕o?̷ “

A grin spreads across Parker’s face when the Void’s voice takes over. He should be afraid, and, truth be told, the appearance of the tendrils is unsettling, but he’s not truly fearful. Not yet presented with a situation that was entirely unwinnable.

“No you don’t.  You don’t want to meet the Void, you goddamn moron.”

“The comics are mostly fabricated lies, and all you’ve seen otherwise are glimpses of what he’s capable of.  I’m telling you, you don’t know even a quarter of what he is to be a fan of him.  I’m not jealous, you’re just a moron.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. What are you going to do next? Tell me Santa Claus doesn’t exist? I’m not a twelve year old, I don’t think he’s my buddy because I read a couple comics and saw him strut his stuff a few times. That’s why I’m here.”

“You shouldn’t be a fan of him.  You don’t know anything about him.  All you know is what comics tell you and what you’ve seen on the outside.”

“I know who you are and I don’t believe you…” As much as he’d like to think it was that, to even have that faint reminder he was still a hero was a humanizing thought.  Bob knew he was a monster, though. Any comforting thought was drowned out by the clawing and scratching in his mind, the constant reminder of what he really was and all he’d done..

“I don’t care why you’re here– How about you just tell me what you want, I tell you no, and you leave me alone?”

“I ̕don̴’t͜ ca͏re why ̸y̵ou’re͞ ͘here–̕ ̕H͟ow ab̢o͏ut ͠ỳoư ̷jus̛t҉ t̨el͠l̕ ͠m͜e͏ ͠w̷ha̸t͝ ̧you͘ wa̶nt҉,̕ I҉ tell͡ ̛y͡òu̷ ͡no͟,̧ ̧an͟d ͠y͘ou̸ ̢leave̷ ͜me͡ ҉alone̶?̕”͢

      “Because I want to change how things are done. ‘Heroes’ and ‘villains’–” air quotes on both words “–have made a mess of things. And I can’t do that on my own, I tried. And I’ve tried the Avengers’ way and their way doesn’t work. Grudge matches and attacking people with no provocation isn’t the way to go.

      “–and I’m aware that’s not exactly the most revolutionary hot take.” He shrugged. “My point is, I like your way of doing things. And I think you have the potential to change things.”

     As Jeremy spoke, Parker rested his head on his knuckle, watching the other man curiously. It was true his opinions weren’t revolutionary, and they conflicted somewhat with Parker’s, but they made the other man interesting enough to not completely dismiss him. And, of course, there was the matter of Jeremy’s powers which were more than a little beneficial.