Spider-Man The New Legacy

19.Vindication

Ben swung as quickly as he could following the trail of black webs. Ben was bleeding and his costume was ripped. Ben jumped off his web as the trail of black webs stopped. Ben landed on the side of a building and thought to himself.
"Who would he go after next?" Ben looked around and then webbed up some of his cuts,it then dawned on him.
"We know everyone you love..." Ben's eyes widened.
"EMMA!" He yelled out. Ben shot a web and started swinging towards Emma's house.

Ben made it to Emma's house and saw no one in the house. He crawled down from the roof and onto Emma's window. Just as Ben opened the window his spider sense went off. Ben saw an outline of a person and he shot a web at them,sticking their arm onto the light switch. The lights turned out and Emma was stuck on the wall. Ben entered her room and immediately started ripping off the webbing.
"Why are you here?" Said Emma in a stern tone. Ben looked at her and took off his mask.
"You need to get out somewhere safe,now" said Ben urgently.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought Venom would come after you first,I don't have time to explain."

Ben put on his mask and walked towards the window but felt Emma grab his arm. He turned around and they both looked at each other. An awkward silence was the only thing they shared.
"I'm sorry,I broke my promise. I said I would be there for you but I didn't listen to you." Ben turned around and got onto the edge of the window. He turned his head to look at Emma and then swung away. Emma watched him as he swung away and said to herself quietly "Go get em tiger" and closed her window.

As Ben swung away he saw a black web in the distance. He immediately swung quickly to it. Ben leaped over houses and from streetlight to streetlight. Ben made it to the black web and saw a hole in Grace's house.
"No!" Yelled Ben as he punched the streetlight in anger. Ben crawled inside the hole and saw a note in blood that read "Meet us at the place that started it all,come alone or we kill Grace." Ben crushed the note and let it fall to the floor. He then thought to himself.
"The apartment complex,he wants to finish it where it all started. It would be poetic if it was just us. He made a big mistake bringing Grace into this. Wait...We know the ones you love? Is this why he went after her first?" Ben questioned himself as he swung to the apartment complex.

Ben had made it to the apartment complex. It was empty and there was construction equipment.
"They must be planning to destroy the buildings" thought Ben to himself. He heard Grace cry out for help,her voice echoed. Ben made a fist and broke through the glass window of the apartment. The light from the moon was the only light in the room. It was big and empty,all the rooms were demolished and it was just one big flat layer ontop of flat layer. Ben called out to Grace.
"Grace! Grace!" He yelled.
He walked around and heard Venom talk to him.
"We know all your secrets,even the ones you would like to keep hidden from others. It's okay you can take off your mask. After all there are no secrets you can hide from us,even your true feelings for those you love." Venom's monstrous voice echoed. Ben looked around as he heard claws tapping metal.
"Leave her out of this! It's me you want,not her!"

"You haven't suffered loss like we have! You will see those you love perish as they see you for who you truly are! A monster!"

Venom grabbed Ben by the neck and slammed him into the roof over and over again. Venom threw him onto the floor and webbed his hands and feet to the floor. Ben tried to break free but Venom crawled above him,all Ben could see were the white eyes and teeth of Venom. Venom dropped down ontop of Ben's chest and slashed across his chest and diagonally from his shoulder. Ben yelled out in pain as Venom's claws dug deep. Venom laughed evily and then started chocking Ben. Ben tried to fight back but couldn't as his arms and legs were webbed to the floor. Ben gasped for air as Venom chocked him out. The light from the moon shined on the roof and Ben saw a metal beam.

Ben shot a web line at the metal beam and pulled on it. Venom laughed and grabbed the web and tied it around Ben's neck. The beam broke in half and sent Ben up into the ceiling. Venom grabbed the metal beam and broke it in half. Ben fell to the floor and gasped for air. Venom tried to slam it over Ben's head but Ben jumped off his hands and backflipped onto his hands and feet. Venom lunged at Ben and Ben hit Venom with a piece of plywood over the head,breaking the plywood. Ben heard a helicopter and Venom looked Ben.
"You brought company? Now she dies!"

"Over...My dead...Body!"

"As you wish"

Ben and Venom ran at each other full speed. Ben slid under Venom and webbed his feet together. Ben shot two webs across the room and pulled himself into Venom,kicking him into metal poles that made a loud crash. Venom screeched and the suit vibrated violently. Ben took notice and grabbed two metal poles and started smashing them on the ground,creating loud sounds. Venom tackled Ben through the floor into the next layer lower. Ben punched Venom and jumped off his chest and landed on the wall. Venom landed on his feet. Venom roared and lunged at Ben once again. Ben saw the light from the helicopter shine on a stick of dynamite. Ben jumped over Venom and web pulled the dynamite into his hands.
"Where is she!"

"You'll never save her!"

Ben grabbed lit the dynamite by scrapping the fuse on the floor. Ben threw it at Venom and it exploded. The entire building caught on fire and the floor broke in half. Venom laughed and looked at Ben.
"You just put her in more danger than before." Ben heard Grace scream and saw her dangling from the very top of the burning building. Venom web pulled Ben into his hands and chocked him. Ben kicked Venom into an exposed sharp metal pole. Venom was impaled in the right side of his ribs.
"Ethan! This isn't you! Look at what's going on! You kidnapped Grace and kept her hostage!" Ben yelled as he didn't want to hurt his former best friend.

"Shut...up!" Yelled Venom as he lunged at Ben. Ben ducked and saw Venom fall down towards a pit of flames. Ben shot a web that attached to Venom. He held onto it tightly as he tried pulling Venom up.
"Ethan! Please!"
Ben took off his mask and looked at Venom straight in the eyes as he pleaded. Venom's face began to retract  and now Ben and Ethan were face to face,no masks between them. Ethan looked at Ben's eyes and saw his genuine care.
"I never meant to hurt you Ethan! I never wanted you to become this! I know life has been rough but you can fight through it! You are more than an addiction! You are more than an alcoholic! You are more than this thing! You're my friend!"

"Best...Friend" said Ethan.

"I forgive what you've done Ethan,just please! Leave the suit behind! This isn't you!"

Ethan looked around at the fire and at Grace dangling above the fire. He looked at Ben and shed a tear.
"I...I let my hate for you corrupt me. I let it take over me. It made me hurt your mother,join the black dragons,and now this. I forgive you Ben." He looked at the fire below him and then back at Ben.
"But I can't forgive myself..."

"No,Ethan please don't!" Ben began to tear up.

"I can't live with myself,with all that I've done. I know you mean good. And I forgive you." Ethan and Ben heard the wood holding Grace's web start to break.
"Before I go Ben,This suit shared with me something you've wanted for the longest time. Your father's name was Peter Parker." Ethan took one last glance at Ben and said
"Go get her bud,I'm sorry for all of this. Goodbye" Ethan let go of the web and fell to the fire. Ben put on his mask and rushed to get Grace. He dodged falling flaming debris and parts of the floor. Ben caught Grace and swung her out of the flaming building. She held on tightly as they both swung away. Ben looked back and all Ben and Grace could see was the burning building. Grace put her head on Ben's shoulder and closed her eyes as they swung away. The burning building the last thing she saw before closing her eyes.