Maximum Carnage
Issue 2

by Justin Anderson


 
 The bus continued on. They were now outside the city limits. Kasady pulled
the bus to a dead stop. He picked up the radio microphone.

"All right, I'm here"

"Excellent. Now, I can only use white males for my experiments. Dump
those who aren't. Kill those you dump. I want no one talking"

"You got it. HA HA hee hee hee...."

Kasady opened the bus doors.

"Now....white men, to the back!"

 Jack had an idea about that was happening. It involved a white supremacist
movement. Except for one piece of the puzzle....one piece didn't fit. From
what he'd heard, Carnage killed all people. Why would he play favorites now?
Thinking about it kept him from having to watch Carnage slaughter everyone
else on board. A woman and her child, an old man, everyone who wasn't a white
male. Still, he figured he was safe....for a while. Safe enough for a
nasty insult. 

"What is this.... the mighty Carnage, playing favorites for the Klan? I
thought you had no rules!"

He wished he had kept his trap shut. Carnage walked up to him, in his blood
red glory. His face right in Jack's, large white eyes staring the young man
down. A mouth of teeth that could swallow the boy's head in one bite.

"......if my boss didn't need you, I'd chew on you for dessert...."

Carnage walked back to the front. Body dumping....something Jack didn't
want to picture....except he was watching the REAL THING! He only hoped
he could keep his sandwich down. None of the other seven men in the back 
with him were looking around either. They were all shaking in terror.

'I don't seem to share their fear of dying. Just their disgust over this.
Maybe I'm becoming too apathetic...'

His thoughts kept him together. If he could keep a straight head in all of
this, he might just survive. 

 Carnage stepped back on the bus and closed the doors. The bus drove off
again. To where, Jack could only guess.


12:03 PM, Jacobs Research Labs, first floor

 Several reporters and cameramen had gathered in the lobby of the research
building. Jacobs himself was holding a press conference. Among the
reporters was a man named Peter Parker, reporter for the Daily Bugle. He
didn't exactly care for the story, but with the dry spell on hard stories
lately, he had no choice. There were the missing persons reports, but
while Spider-Man would normally jump on the chance, there was nothing to
go on. So he saw no need to waste the time just yet. Not until something
came up that would warrant some investigation.

 The crowd came to a hush. Jacobs himself, with two of his guards in business
uniforms, stood at the podium. Jacobs stood at an even 6'6", his short black
hair gleaming in the artificial ceiling lights. The blue floor matched his
eyes. A look that could bring any crowd to a standstill.

"Greetings, men and women of the press. I have called you here today so that
you may pass on word of a new discovery. A discovery that has taken years to
achieve. But one that will change the way the world works. The years were
long, but well worth it"

He held up a test tube full of a green liquid.

"I give to you, experimental drug FG-90640. Test name 'Immunozide'. It will
bring new hope to the sick and dying, and to common man. It has the capability
to boost the immmune system greatly. No longer will you suffer from the cold, 
the flu, or worry about cancer. It cannot cure all diseases, or prevent them.
But it gives you a better change against most"

The crowd erupted in a loud roar.

"Now, now....one at a time. Yes, you, the man in the front"

Peter Parker just happened to be the man in the front.

"I have a question which I believe needs answering. Several people have
disappeared over the past few months in the area. Would you have any
idea what is happening?"

Jacobs's goons started towards Parker. He knew he could get into big
trouble for asking, but it was a risk he had to take. Before the guards
could take two steps, however, Jacobs stopped them.

"Regardless of what anyone may think, I believe it's a fair question. And yes,
it deserves a reply. I am aware of the reported disappearances, however, I
can assure you, I am not involved in any way. We do use human test subjects
in our research, but they are all hired as such. They volunteer, and if they
agree to any potential risks, then they do so as they see fit. They are well
compensated, and we have never had any mishaps during these tests. I do not
blame you for asking. If I were you, I would have asked the same question. You
should be commended for not holding back. Now, any others?"

 The questions proceeded over the next half hour. Routine stuff, mainly. People
wanting to know more about this 'miracle drug'. Parker wasn't paying much
attention. Somehow, the answer didn't settle the issue for him. But something
did catch his attention. Through one of the large front windows, a public
transportation bus could be seen pulling up into the large parking lot. Parker
thought it odd the bus continued on past the front of the building via the
side road. 

 Volunteers he could understand, but not coming in by a bus like that! Even
if the bus had been placed on a special route, Parker's senses were tingling
like mad. It never lied. It would only go off if something was happening.
Seeing that most, if not all, of the room's occupants weren't looking, Parker
snuck to the back and crept out of the front doors. With no one around, he
leapt into the air and stuck to the wall. He pulled his mask out of his
pocket and put it on in case anyone were to see him. He crept around the building
until he could see what was going on.

 The bus doors opened. Out stepped the driver. Parker recognized the man.

'......CARNAGE?!'

Parker knew something terrible was going down. But he also knew he was helpless
to fight. He'd be killed. He wasn't worried about Carnage; he'd taken out Kasady
on his own before. What worried him was Jacobs. If Kasady was working for him,
he'd be facing down hundreds of armed guards. Not here, of course- he'd be knocked
out and taken prisoner. Jacobs would try to keep it quiet. But why Carnage?

 His answer would have to wait. All he could do was take a few pictures as
the bus was unloaded and the passengers forced along. 

"Just hope no one sees me...."

 After snapping a few shots, he climbed down and behind a bush. Security
guards were nearby. The last thing he wanted was an announcement as to
where he was! With the guards looking the other way, he snuck along the
side of the building. Parker appreciated how slim the building was, despite
being tall. Near the front corner, he pulled off his mask. At least here,
he could say he was waiting outside. But what to do? He could show the
pictures to Jameson..... but even if Jameson bought them, he wouldn't run
them. Too risky. The paper could get into trouble for slander, or worse.

 Parker took a look around. It wasn't a bad setup; inside the 20 foot tall
wall surrounding the facility, you had a few parking spaces, a front sidewalk,
and an area on the opposite side with grass and some other plant life. Maybe
a small pool of water, he couldn't tell from this distance. And the large 
steel gate which served to keep the world out. The main visitor's parking was
outside the wall, of course. Aside from 2 visible vehicles, the inner lot
was empty.

"Hey, buddy"

Parker almost jumped out of his skin. It was a security guard.

"Too crowded in there, huh?"

"Uhh....yeah, actually. I wanted some fresh air"

The guard had no suspicions. At least, nothing apparent.

"Listen, if you want to leave, I'll open the gate for you"

Parker took up on the offer. Walking over, the guard slid his key card
in the panel and entered a few numbers. The large door slowly swung open.



Inside

 One of the goons received a message over a small earphone. Whispering
into Jacobs's ear, he took the microphone and announced the end of the
press conference. As the crowd dispersed, the goons helped Jacobs to the
front of the building and into the long side hall and into one of the 
elevators.

"I take it our new helper succeeded?"

"He did, sir"

"Excellent!"

 The elevator stopped at the 16th floor. Stepping off, another one of his
men handed him the long black coat he often wore. Not too far away, Carnage
stood with the men he'd captured.

"Okay....good enough, I guess. Prepare them"

 Jacobs walked off, with Kasady right behind him. The guards took the eight
men off, Jack in the middle. They were taken into a large room. Before anyone
could say anything, water sprayed out from the floor, ceiling, and walls. A
fairly hard blast which soaked each one. After a few minutes of this, the water
shut itself off. This was so the vents could blow warm air into the room, drying
each man off. 

"Cleaning us up....why"

Jack turned to one of the other men. He had hardly noticed the man on the
bus; mid-forties, he guessed. Long red hair. Not very tall. Jack at least
felt he could reply- after all, he didn't want to spend his last days in 
silence.

"Sir....I have no idea. I don't get any of this. I thought maybe it was
some white supremacist thing at first....but now..."

"Well, don't worry about it, boy. Just wait for me to make my move. We'll
all get out of this soon!"

The others had heard. Fear slowly turned to hope. But no one was sure
what would happen. Still, they'd hoped it was something good. The door opened
and a few guards poured in. They motioned for the captives to move out. Right
now, a unanimous decision to follow was agreed on in silence. 'Play along' they
thought. They were going to break out soon enough.

 Several steps onward, the red haired man in front made his move. His eyes
lit up, ad beams shot out, striking one of the guards. The others in front were 
hit in the same manner.

"A mutant!"

Jack could hardly believe it. They had a weapon. The man turned and hit the guards 
in the back of the line. 

"Yeah. Don't worry, they'll live"

Jack knew what he had to do. He and a few others grabbed the dropped guns.
They started towards the elevator, knowing if they reached that, they may get
out alive. As they reached the turn in the hall, the mutant was stopped cold.
A blade pierced through his chin and out the back of his head. Carnage had
caught them.

"....no escape now..."

Jack dropped the rifle....and he dropped to the floor from the sight of a
man, whom he saw as a savior, slaughtered unexpectedly. As he slipped into
blackness, he heard one final message.

"Take the rest and test them. I want none of those genetic freaks ruining
my experiments!"......


9:56 PM, Central Park

 A man sat on one of the benches. He was a fairly good sized man, with short
blond hair. He once lived in this city. Once, before he became host to
an alien being. His name was Eddie Brock- Venom. He had returned since life
on the west coast was getting too regular for him. His symbiotic heroic half
liked this town. Lots of super villains to keep him busy. Oh, he didn't care
much for the surroundings or company, but it kept him occupied. The Daily
Bugle building did little to ease him; he worked their once before Peter
Parker....no, just before he lost his job there. He didn't like to think about
it. Too bad for Eddie. Parker walked up to him and sat down.

"I heard you were back in town"

"What is it, Parker? I'm not in the mood"

Eddie was one of the few who knew Parker's secret. His symbiote was once
bonded with Spider-Man, and that fact carried over. Just because symbiotes
had no bones or organs didn't mean they were dumb.

"No time for pleasantries. Take a look"

Parker handed the photos over. Eddie looked at them. The images slapped him
in the face.

"You sure?"

"Yes, Eddie. I saw it today. Something big is happening, and that maniac is
a part of it"

Eddie Brock hated Parker, to a slight degree. But Carnage....his symbiotic
spawn and former cellmate....that brought his hatred to the top. Carnage
had killed so many, because he had a piece of the Venom costume.

"Where?"

"Jacobs Research Labs. I couldn't do anything today. Too many people, too many
guns"

"All right....it can't wait. You know that, Parker"

"I do. I told Mary Jane not to wait up.....but..."

"No need to explain"

Eddie knew what Parker was going to say. He didn't show Mary Jane the photos.
No need to worry her. She worried enough when he faced down some common
super-powered maniac like Electro or Mysterio. Carnage could bring panic to
a heartless robot.

"Get your suit and equipment together. We hit this place at midnight!"


THE END..... for now



Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my
own continuity for this series, and generally focus on the main characters.
Appearances by Marvel's universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with
characters/titles from other companies will be treated as "single universe",
not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will also try to ignore major
Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel characters
are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either
my creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-
Marvel licensed characters. Characters used without permission/not for
profit. These are strictly fan stories. Permission to reprint extends to
placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may not be altered,
and especially NOT TO BE SOLD, unless Marvel wishes to license this series
from me.