Ultimate Spiders and Magic: Episode VII "Sting of the Scorpion"

Chapter One "Sunny Disposition”

“Stop him!” a voice yelled out as explosions rang out through the vicinity.

An armored being garbed in a violet and emerald color scheme burst through a panel of glass, diving several floors into a free fall. The floor shattered under his weight at the point of impact, sending shards of concrete and marble flying about, while a small crater spread. The large prehensile tail protruding from his back coiled upward, as if taking a defensive stance, and the individual’s appearance resembled that of a bipedal scorpion. He soon stepped free from the crater, shifting his widened gaze about wildly while surveying the room.

Gargan reached out in an attempt to scratch at his forehead. “Shut up! S-SHUT UP!” he exclaimed, releasing a frustrated growl, as his fingers could only tap madly against the steel shielding his cranium. Inhaling deeply, the man roared at the top of his lungs in angst, while several armored men quickly surrounded his position, each equipped with a firearm of sorts. Just as they took aim, Gargan’s breathing grew erratic, before he pointed in their direction. “N-NO! You can’t take me back!”

The first guard fired a blue laser from his weapon, forcing Gargan to raise his arms and lower his shoulders, until he took a defensive posture. The entire squadron followed suit, each unleashing a barrage of laser fire onto the Scorpion, but each beam either canceled into nothingness at the point of impact or deflected off from the man’s metallic structure. Smoke steadily spread from the center of the firing range, covering Gargan’s entire frame. Suddenly, the tail burst from the cloud in a lashing motion, striking at least three members of the patrol.

Their bodies violently snapped back, spinning into the air until each bounced off the nearest wall and column with a crack. Scorpion’s silhouette vanished in a blur, causing the remaining guards to momentarily cease fire, but one could only yelp as he was snatched into darkness. A visceral snap echoed throughout the room, before a violet blur blitzed into the remaining guard, sending him careening flatly through the window behind his position. He screamed into his descent, bouncing with a thud from the waiting ground. Gargan soon followed the newly opened path, landing next to a large grate on the wall.

He pried his fingers into the wall, ripping the barrier from its foundation, before sprinting into the hallway. “Freedom!” he exclaimed, his image blending into the surrounding darkness. “FREEDOM!”

Amidst the carnage, Cinch walked into the scene with a stern glare fixated on the hole Gargan escaped into, before shifting her sight to the electronic device in her grasp. “The subject is heading to the sewer system. At his pace, he’ll reach the surface by morning.” The woman paused, arching a brow as Norman Osborn approached with a firm and knowing expression. Cinch straightened her glasses, while tracing her finger over the pad’s wall of text and numbers. “The surgery was a success. The microchip is planted in the subject’s frontal lobe. Unfortunately, he overpowered the sedative, and I fear that his mental capacity is beyond repair.”

“That’s fine. Gargan is just meant to help us proceed further with Project Oz. We can accept the loss, so long as he fulfills his purpose,” Osborn coldly declared, folding his arms, before sharing a glance with the woman. “Amplify the suggestions within Scorpion and have Smythe unleash the first wave of Spider Slayers. With any luck, Gargan will lead them right to Spider-Man, and we can acquire a DNA sampling, as well as erase some loose ends.”

Cinch simply nodded, continuing to peck away at the device, before arching a brow. “Understood, but what of Jameson? Surely, if it comes to the public, he will attempt to sway everyone in his favor.”

The corner of Osborn’s lips curled into a wicked grin. “We have contingencies for that as well.”

“You’ve got to be @%*&ing kidding me,” Aria bluntly stated, staring at Sunset with a bewildered yet exasperated expression.

The assembled group of social outcasts sat together during the school’s lunch period, at the corner of the courtyard. Ditzy obliviously ate a muffin, chewing feverishly, and Trixie mildly bit at the corner of a cracker, arching a brow at the redhead. Aria sat with her arms crossed, pausing to rub away at the wrinkles etched onto her forehead. Meanwhile, Peter could only fall into a slump face down onto the table and grumble haplessly, never lifting his gaze, as a dark cloud figuratively hovered over him.

Sunset grinned, straightening her posture as she sat on the top of the corner of the table. She rubbed her fingers over the pendant placed around her neck. “I’m not. We all have developed magical powers, thanks to these geodes infused with energies spread from Camp Everfree.”

Aria’s brow lowered until she held a bemused glare. “All because some girl wanted to protect the campgrounds and attacked you with magic?”

“Gloriosa Daisy, yes. She didn’t have bad intentions. It’s just that she was overwhelmed by the power and lost her way,” Sunset affirmed, nodding before shifting her warm gaze to the clear skies overhead.

Rolling her eyes, Aria scoffed and shook her head. “Where have I heard that before?”

Trixie tilted her head to the side after a duration, holding a hand to the side. “But didn’t you already have magical powers? I mean, I do recall you and your friends rainbow-blasting Aria and her sisters during the Battle of the Bands.” She trailed off, clearing her throat once the siren glared in her direction. Waving a hand dismissively, Trixie raised a finger. “Oh, and there were the Friendship Games as well. Trixie recalls the lot of you sprouting wings and whatnot.”

Sunset was slow to reply, as if considering her response, but the girl soon nodded, after pulling her knees to her chest. “Both of those were more due to Twilight and, um… Twilight bringing magic into our area. From what happened in Camp Everfree, we originally were only able to use those powers inside the site, but thanks to the pendants Twilight gave us, we all have our own unique abilities, thanks to the latent magic within us.”

“So, you guys have superpowers now? That’s so cool!” Ditzy innocently cheered, losing some of the food in her mouth, before she resumed chewing.

“Trixie missed out on the chance to become even more Great and Powerful-er?” Trixie questioned, causing Peter to finally lift his head and frown.

“We may be having a spat, but that’s still no excuse for you butchering the English language,” the boy moaned, wincing before plopping his head and face back down onto the table.

Trixie scowled, folding her arms and letting out a low huff. “As if Trixie cares about your opinion anymore.” The entire group paused at the girl’s venom, alternating their gazes between the two, but Trixie waved a hand dismissively, forcing a laugh. “Pay it no mind. I just wish I went instead of staying behind. Just another decision I’ve come to regret. Thanks a lot, Parker.”

Just as Sunset leaned forth, opening her mouth to ask a question, Aria instinctively coughed and arched a brow at the redhead. “Superpowers, huh? We saw a little bit of it yesterday, but what can you all do now?”

Sunset’s eyes widened before she hummed under her breath, tapping a finger against her chin. “Oh! Um… Let’s see… Rarity can create diamonds out of thin air. Pinkie Pie can create explosives out of sprinkles. Applejack has super strength, and Fluttershy can talk with animals. Twilight has telekinesis, and Rainbow Dash has super speed.”

Peter rolled his head to the side, holding a distressed expression while his complexion paled. “That sounds… incredibly dangerous and oddly specific,” Managing a smile, Peter hid his face momentarily with a forearm, “Though, it does fit Fluttershy.”

Finally, swallowing the portion of food in her mouth, Ditzy inhaled deeply, as if catching her breath. Her shoulders lifted, perking. “What about you, Sunset? What’s your superpower?”

Smirking, Sunset leaned back before pursing her lips. “Well, I’m still figuring out my limits, but through touch, I can read and feel someone’s thoughts, memories, and feelings.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at the comment, each clamoring with excitement. However, Peter shot up from his seat, immediately glancing at the girl, before eyeing the distance between them. Out of instinct, the boy took a step from his spot at the table, while the others with the exception of Aria leaned closer to Sunset. Fortunately, no one had noticed his change in demeanor, due to Ditzy’s enthusiastic bouncing in place.

“Really? Oh wow! Do me! Do me!” the blonde cheered, extending her hand to the redhead.

Shaking her head, Sunset smirked before inhaling deeply. “Okay. Just sit still,” she whispered, after letting out a low sigh. Touching the back of Ditzy’s hand, a flow of images rushed into Sunset’s mind, and light illuminated from her eyes, leaving her irises to dissipate from sight. A savory scent spread across her senses, while an overwhelming warmth cleansed any doubts. Removing her hand, the color in Sunset’s eyes returned, and she shook the cobwebs from her head, blinking until her vision cleared. Lifting a finger, the redhead grinned, before sighing. “Well, Ditzy is very happy and thinking about muffins.”

Nodding feverishly, Ditzy cupped her cheeks with her palms and squealed. “She’s right! That’s amazing!”

Blinking, Aria groaned. “The sky is blue, and the grass is green. I mean, it doesn’t take a telepath to figure that one out.”

The smile on Sunset’s face remained intact, before she could only place a hand over her chest. “It’s not just that. I feel her emotions, and Ditzy’s just… happy. It’s like the sun’s always shining, and there’s not a single cloud to block it,” Arching a brow, Sunset slowly reached out until her hand hovered over Aria’s, “Okay. How about I test it on–?”

Faster than anyone could react, Aria pulled her hand back and whipped a finger out mere inches from Sunset’s face. “Touch me and you die.”

Sunset swiftly retracted her hand and chuckled nervously. “Okay. Maybe later.” She glanced to the side, pausing upon sharing eye contact with Trixie. Sunset gently offered her hand to the girl. “Want to give it a try?”

“Um… I mean,” Trixie stammered, her gaze falling to the side. However, she accidentally shared a glance with Peter, and all hesitation seemingly flew out of the window, while her brow lowered into a glare. Exhaling, Trixie aggressively brushed a hand through her silver-blue hair, before practically snatching a hold of Sunset’s hand. “Trixie has nothing to hide! Here!”

Both girls took hands, sending a wave of images rushing throughout Sunset’s mind. As her irises faded behind a blinding light, the girl inhaled sharply, as her chest tightened. Suddenly, Peter came into view with a warm smile, before dissipating from existence. A man slowly stepped into the light, before taking a grandiose pose.

That same moment, metallic bars descended from the sky and embedded into the concrete around him. His shoulders soon lowered shamefully, while a woman took form, holding a scowl. Everything soon faded, leaving a lone violet, star-patterned hat to float innocently in the breeze, until it landed amidst a small light. Sunset staggered back, blinking until the color in her irises returned. Yet, the memories remained and left a desolate feeling coursing across the center of her chest.

A low silence filled the area as her eyes softened, and Sunset placed a hand over Trixie’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry Trixie. We heard rumors about your father while we were at the camp, but I didn’t think they were actually true.” Shaking her head, Sunset pursed her lips once Trixie’s usually firm demeanor lessened, as she avoided her gaze. “We can talk about it, if you’d like?”

Choking back a sob, Trixie cleared her throat and forced a chuckle. “It’s quite fine! Trixie has already moved on. She’d rather not talk about it right now.” Brushing a hand over her forearm, the girl dismissed the thought and huffed pompously. Clarity managed to arise in the form of a small smile. “I do appreciate your thoughts though. I just need time, for now.”

Nodding, Sunset managed a smile, before her eyes widened at a thought. “Oh! Peter! What about you? Want me to read your–?” she trailed off, stammering upon noticing the boy was nowhere to be seen. She alternated her gaze about with a furrowed brow, pausing to brush a hand through her crimson locks. “Why would he run off like that?”

Trixie scoffed under her breath. “Typical. You could at least pretend to care a little.” Before any attention could come her way, Trixie waved a hand dismissively and turned to the side, before grabbing the blonde by the back of her shirt. “Trixie has to go to class. We’ll continue this later! Come along, Ditzy!”

As the girl dragged the other off, with the latter obliviously waving farewell to their friends, Aria could only scoff, while glaring at Sunset. “What did you think would happen? You started reading everyone’s thoughts out of the blue. I’m with him. I wouldn’t want you poking around in my head either. Learn to read the room before you decide to read their mind.” Brushing off the girl, Aria departed from the vicinity with a shrug. “Smell you later, Pony Girl.”

Sunset watched the siren leave with a puzzled expression, arching a brow afterward. “She could have worded that a little better, but I do understand where she’s coming from.” Sighing, the girl shifted her gaze skyward. “Hopefully, I can talk with Peter a little and clear things up.”

Suddenly, a blur raced onto the scene and skidded to a halt mere inches away from Sunset. Just as she turned, the image cleared and revealed an all-too familiar colorful individual. “Sunset! What are you doing over here? I kept trying to call you earlier, but you were ignoring me!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, folding her arms as an exasperated glare formed on her face. She paused, shifting her gaze over the girl’s figure, while her brow lowered. “Did you change clothes all of a sudden?”

“Wait. What? I’ve been here the whole time, talking with my friends,” Sunset blurted out, shaking her head before raising her hands defensively. “Maybe you should slow it down? You’ve been moving non-stop ever since we left Camp Everfree.”

Humming, Rainbow held a hand over her mouth and narrowed her eyes on Sunset for what seemed like an eternity. “It’s so weird. I could have sworn that was…” She trailed off and scoffed at the thought, as if accepting her friend’s statement. “Whatever! You’re right. Sorry. We need to talk! A lot’s happened while we were gone. The girls wanted to talk about it after school at Applejack’s.”

Slow to respond, Sunset rubbed at her chin with an arched brow. “Must be serious. Sure, we’ll talk then. What’s it about?”

Rainbow glanced to the side, ensuring nobody was within hearing range. Once certain, she leaned closer, with a hand hovering over her mouth. “It’s about Spider-Man.”

Scoffing, Sunset took a step back and glared at the girl. “Again, Rainbow? Even after what happened the last time? If it wasn’t for Fluttershy, there’s no telling what would have happened to us.”

Raising her hands defensively, Rainbow shook her head. “Look, I’m sorry about that. Really. But I wouldn’t be bringing it up if it wasn’t an issue. Apparently, things got worse while we were gone.” Once Sunset’s demeanor softened, Rainbow retrieved her phone from her pocket and pecked away at its screen. “The police have doubled down on their efforts to bring the guy in, and he went on a crime spree while we were at Camp Everfree. It’s so bad that Diamond Tiara’s uncle’s offering a bounty for anyone that can bring Spider-Man in!”

“What makes you think that’s a good idea? Especially after last time?” Sunset questioned, placing her hands over her hips.

Tapping a foot against the floor impatiently, Rainbow stood firmly in place. “Because we can make a difference this time. We have superpowers, and we know what to expect this time! Plus, we can use that bounty to help save Camp Everfree! I know we raised a decent amount through the fundraiser, but with the bounty, the campsite would be set for years to come!”

Skeptical, Sunset murmured under her breath, while glancing to the side. “I’m still not entirely sure, Rainbow,” Exhaling, the girl let out a small sigh, “Let’s talk it over with everyone before we make a decision.”

Along the outskirts of Canterlot High, Peter steadily walked along the sidewalk, with his gaze fixated on the ground and hands in his pockets. “Mind reader? Oh, that’s just swell. And she activates it by touch? Guess that means we won’t be holding hands anytime soon without my secret getting out. There are enough folks who know my identity as is. I just hope Aria can cover for me. That conversation could have been awkward, if I didn’t bail. Lord knows I can’t shut up when I’m nervous: verbally and mentally,” Peter paused, exhaling at the top of his lungs once he trailed along the outer reaches of the city dump, “Just for once, can I have a normal day without it turning to crap because of magic?!”

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from within the vicinity. Peter glanced to the side, inhaling sharply as a pair of dismantled cars violently pinwheeled across the ground behind the fence shielding the dump. A visceral and manic scream bellowed from the area. Rays of energy began to fly into the sky, piercing through the top of a pile of cars. The force of the impact caused some of the vehicles to topple from their great height and crash to the earth.

“A normal day? When am I going to learn to keep my big mouth shut?” Peter grumbled, removing his backpack from his shoulders. Sprinting into the dump, the boy avoided any prying eyes, before diving behind a totalled vehicle. He changed into his heroic attire within a matter of seconds and dove onto the scene where the commotion had started, landing at the top of a lightpost. However, a man clad in armor dashed through the yard, before skidding to a halt. Spider-Man’s masked lenses narrowed at the sight, centering on the long extensive tail attached to his back. “Can someone tell me who or what that is? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that guy looks like a giant scorpion. I guess arachnid themed costumes are all the rage nowadays.”

Leaping high into the air, Spider-Man managed to land a few feet away from the armored being. However, the man towered over his frame, until the entirety of his shadow alone dwarfed that of Spider-Man. Yet, before anyone could respond, something burst from the shadows and landed next to Peter. A metallic spider with smooth violet surface stood at waist length, releasing a creaking screech upon settling its crimson gaze on Spider-Man. That following moment, several dozen more of the spiders emerged from the surrounding wreckage, each crawling towards both Scorpion and Spider-Man.

“Spiders! S-Spiders everywhere!” Gargan exclaimed, panting wildly as he threw his hands over both sides of his head. “I know who sent them! I KNOW! Mega corporations are taking over! WE CAN’T WIN!”

Spider-Man watched the man with a blank expression, ducking underneath one of the metallic arachnids as it lunged at him. “I have no idea what’s going on, pal, but I know you need help.” His cranium erupted with a blaring buzz, causing Spider-Man to wince. As if on cue, the spiders soon dashed towards both him and the Scorpion. Holding a hand over his pulsating noggin, Spider-Man groaned, while struggling to gather his bearings. “And so do I.”

To be continued…