Maximum Carnage
Issue 3

by Justin Anderson


 
10:38 PM, Dr. Kafka's office

 Dr. Ashley Kafka sat at her desk, the small lamp the only source of light.
She was trying to get some paperwork done before it had to be in tomorrow
morning. Medication forms, transfer forms.... the usual stuff. And she
still had psychotherapy reports to look over on incoming inmates. Things
had been complicated when Ravencroft shut down. They got even worse when they
had to move again recently. Most inmates had to be kept under tight security,
and moving them around like baggage didn't help. 

 But one thing concerned her....the transfer of one recent prisoner. Carnage.
Men from a facility in Washington wanted him for research. She objected
from the start....not only due to the complications of moving him, but she
also held some compassion for the man. She saw hope in curing him. She also
didn't want him cut up like a dead frog. But it was out of her hands. The
authorization on the forms outranked any say she had. She had to sit back
and let it happen. She not only hoped he'd be all right....but that these
people could keep him from getting loose.

 A knock at the window behind her broke her concentration. Odd there'd be a 
knock on the 7th story window. She wasn't surprised to see Spider-Man outside.
She got up from the plush office chair and opened the window for him.

"Spider-Man....what brings you here?"

The wall-crawler made his way in.

"Doc....we have some bad news"

"We?"

Venom crawled in and planted himself firmly on the ceiling.

"Take a look at these pictures I took earlier"

 She took the pictures from his hand. It only took a few seconds for her
to recognize the man in the pictures.

"I knew it....I knew something wasn't right"

Both heroes looked at each other in confusion. Hadn't she known about any 
of this? She grabbed the papers from her desk. Both men took copies.

"I knew something was going on! Doc....these are possibly phony. And
I know who forged them"

"This is worse than we thought! Spider-Man, wait outside a minute"

"I can't do that, Venom"

Eddie pulled in his own suit.

"Spider-Man....trust me"

Parker had to give the man SOME degree of credit. He didn't like it, but
he went out the window, making sure to stay nearby in case Venom went crazy.

"Doctor Kafka, you didn't want them to take him, did you?"

"No. Buy I had no say. I checked them out. The authority seemed in order"

Venom jumped down to the floor.

"There's no point in placing blame now. It's done. We'll just have to
undo it!"

Venom changed into his alien half and jumped through the window. All
doc Kafka could do was close the window and wait for news. She had faith
they could pull this off. But she had a feeling something big was happening...
something beyond Carnage's involvement.



11:24 PM, Jacobs Research Labs, top floor

 Jacobs sat in a large chair, staring at a few security tapes from the
day. Nothing unusual, just the basic signs of the outer parking lot and
inner walls, plus a few shots from inside. He was almost becoming tired
of this, but he didn't like taking any chances. This was just one measure.
However, a bit of footage caught his attention. Visible on an outside
wall, appeared to be Spider-Man. At least, the mask was. He recognized
the rest of the suit. It was the reporter from earlier that had hassled him.

"Tell me....what office was monitoring this camera?"

One of the guards checked a sheet of paper.

"Johnson....12th floor. Normal security"

"And where was he while this was being recorded?

"I don't know sir....I'll bring him up here"

 Minutes later, a few more of the top-level guards stepped in carrying a man
in a blue shirt and black pants.

"Tell me....Johnson, why weren't you monitoring your post?"

"Well...I know it's a bad excuse, but I needed to use the restroom. I'll
be sure to stick with it better next time"

 Jacobs looked him in the face.

"NEXT TIME? Thanks to your negligence, someone saw what really happens here.
You're fired"

"But sir, I-"

He was cut short as a bullet split the back of his skull. The body fell over,
one of the room's guards behind him holding a gun behind the space where the
man's head was. 

"Tell me...what was this reporter's name?

"I'm not exactly sure, but I believe it was Parker. I know he was from the
Daily Bugle newspaper"

"Good enough"


11:39 PM, Parker's home

 Both men had come back here to make sure they had enough supplies. Venom
waited outside. He didn't want Mary Jane to know he was here. Besides,
seeing him might be a tip off that this was going to be very dangerous.
Parker finished shoving a few more web capsules into his belt. He knew
he could use all he could carry. A camera might help too, if it meant more
pictures to prove what was happening. He just hoped there were still hostages
to rescue.

 He was too busy to hear the rattling of the front door. It slowly creaked
open, two men in armored uniforms entering. If not for the light sliver that 
went across the room and into the crack in the bedroom, he might not have 
noticed someone had just entered. But it was too late. The bedroom door was 
kicked open. Parker couldn't move- these men had rifles pointed at him and
Mary Jane, who was woken by the noises. Parker tried to thin of something,
but he knew he has seconds. Even if he saved one of them, the other would
surely die. Mary Jane was screaming. Parker closed his eyes hoping the end
would be quick.

Nothing.

Parker opened his eyes to see Venom holding both men by their heads.

"Well, well...two of Carnage's buddies found something out. Too bad it
won't do you any good!"

He carried both men out through the nearest window. The next thing anone
heard was a loud crash of metal and glass. Parker looked out the window.
Venom had planted both men through the windshield of the large truck they
had driven up in.

"Peter....what's going on?"

"I'll explain later, Mary Jane...."

Parker was in no mood to argue. Not with Mary Jane about going out this
late, not with Venom about killing these two. Either way, he knew what
Venom would say. And with Venom stepping back in, he was about to hear it.

"CARELESS! They saw you, they found out who you were!"

 Parker had thought no one had seen him. No guards, no cameras- no, he didn't
check thoroughly for cameras. None visible, but me must have been taped. And
it was stupid of him to put on his mask!

'You've reeealy done it this time, Parker, old boy'

But he knew no amount of sell guilt would change things. They still had to
stop Carnage....but Mary Jane wasn't safe. Venom seemed to read his mind.

"Go on. I'll stay and watch her. Don't argue, just GO!"

 Parker knew he would lose that argument, and he didn't have the time anyway.
Going it alone would be next to impossible, but he had no choice right now.


11:51 PM, Jacobs Research Labs, holding cells

 Jack woke up from his coma. He was laying on a small bed in a small
square room, with a large clear window in one side, facing out to a 
hallway. Everything was a clean shade of white. Except for his clothes,
which were black. He had just noticed his clothes. They were new, presumably
put on him by his captors. A new black t-shirt and black pants, with a
pair of black socks. He wondered....yes, he had new underwear, he found when
he checked. He assumed they were white. He also felt his head and felt
less hair. He'd been given a haircut. 

 He was your average young man. Six foot tall, average build. His brown hair
and eyes matched. Just by looking at him now, you'd think he was from a rich
family. Normally, he looked like your average slacker. Which he was. He had
no actual life, but didn't want to kill himself. He figured it would happen
anyway, so no need to rush it.

 He was thinking about the recent events. Especially the man who had died trying
to save hi....no, them. A man died so that he may hopefully live. He picked
up the pitcher of water and cup that were sitting on the floor. At least,
he guessed it to be water. He poured some out.

"To you...the mutant who tried to get us out of here. Though you failed...
you risked your own life so that we may live on. You are a better man than
I..."

With that, he drank.


Upstairs

 Carnage sat in a chair in the main lab. The place was empty, aside from him
and Jacobs, who was doing some checking on the current progress.

"So....explain this stuff to me"

Jacobs looked up from one of the microscopes.

"It's not terribly complex, really. I discovered it five years ago while
working on the immunity drug. Basically, aging is controlled by a programmed
sequence in the genetic chain. If you can stop the sequence, then you can
stop aging completely"

"Still doesn't explain your promises for regeneration"

"Simple. By examining mutant DNA, specifically, mutants with the 'healing
factor', I was able to determine the alteration which makes it possible.
Same as in some animals as well. Starfish, certain lizards..... complete
tissue regeneration based on the genetic program"

"Just how does this all come together, anyway?"

Jacobs wasn't thrilled about these questions, but if he wanted to keep
up this guy's trust, he had to answer.

"Simple, Carnage. You filter the alteration gene for both into one atrificial
gene, which attached itself to the existing genes. You basically lock the
body in one state- the state it was in when the drug was injected. Old scars,
marks, and other signs of imperfection remain, but new ones will be erased"

He resumed looking over the sample on the slide.

"Carnage.... go get one of the test subjects now....time for a test run"


Jack's cell

"Hey"

 Jack looked around.

"Over here. Next room"

 It was one of the others. Jack moved to the wall so he could hear better.

"You were on the bus, right?"

Jack felt it was safe to answer.

"Yeah.....what's going on? I've been out of it"

"Three more of the men we came in with were found to be mutants. One had
cancer. They were killed"

Jack felt even worse. He and two others.....wonderful.

"Where's the third?"

"Next to me. Looks like you're the last one...."

"Call me Jack"

"You're last, Jack. If you can get out of here....you have the best
chance, if they don't use us all at once"

 He had a feeling that was the order. Maybe....when a guard opened his
cell....maybe...



11:59 PM, outside

 Parker had climbed inside the main wall. Without Venom helping, he could
forget a rescue attempt. Going in the front door would be suicide. His
best chance was to get a few pictures, and possibly take out Carnage. At
least cripple the operation here. He was behind the small inner wall which
sat behind the small grassy area. The front may have been beautiful, but
behind the wall sat several drums of waste. At least the offered cover.

 Only a few guards outside. But hidden cameras....he's have to move fast.
The darkness would have to act as a cover. The lights were off over almost
the entire building, meaning he shouldn't have too much trouble. One of the
guards was close by. He was walking in Parker's direction, too. He couldn't
risk being seen, or waiting for this guy to clear out. He moved fast. Popping 
up, he shot a web over the guard's mouth and over his torso. Stepping out
into the open, he carried the incapacitated guard behind the barrels and
used more of his web line to hold him down. For good measure, he removed the
guard's gun and snapped the barrel off. The remains were thrown into one of 
the barrels.

 He climbed up the side wall at a fast pace. Making his way to the back, he
saw a light on at the top floor. Seeing no guards below, he made his way up,
making sure to stick to the thin layers between the windows, in case anyone 
happened to be inside.

 Within a few minutes, he had reached the top floor. Climbing to the roof, 
he hung over the side to get a better look. Inside, he saw Carnage standing
with a few men- Jacobs, a few guards, and a man in his thirties, the guns
trained on him. Grabbing his camera, he snapped a few pictures as the man
on the table was injected with something. Parker couldn't tell what he
was being injected with, but it was good enough for him. Good enough to prove
human experimentation was going on here. 

 Too bad he was so focused on the events inside, because he didn't have time to
react to his tingling senses. Before he knew what was going on, he was pulled
up by his ankles. Something was smashed across his face. 

 Parker woke up inside. He was strapped down to a table. 

"Welcome, Spider-Man. So, you figured out what goes on here. Too bad you
won't be telling anybody!"

Jacobs stood above him, a syringe in his hand.

"Now, now...you aren't going to die. Too risky. You going missing could
bring unwanted attention, especially if you told anyone where you were
headed. But you can't be stupid enough not to try a rescue attempt without
some help. Meaning....you didn't blab. I had higher expectations for you.
This camera.....evidence hunting. Well, you aren't going to bring an army
of heroes to my front door!"

With that, Jacobs flung the camera to the ground, smashing it into
several pieces.

"Now...I sent a few men to deal with you not that long ago....but you're no
murderer. And I doubt you would have turned them in...."

"Sir....about that....the truck and the bodies were found. Central Park"

"Well, that answers that. They didn't get there. I'll deal with that issue
later. Meanwhile....."

Jacobs walked over to the table and stuck the needle in Parker's arm.

"My dear hero.... this drug will mess with your head. You're going to forget
the events of the past 48 hours. I know it's a bit too long, but I need to 
make sure you forget this place. Now then.....guards, as soon as he passes
out, take him somewhere and pour whiskey all over him. Give him a good excuse
to tell his family"

Parker tried to mutter something, but he was too weak. He passed out within
minutes.


Thursday, February 8. 1:32 AM

 Parker woke up in an alley. He couldn't remember why he was here, or why
he was holding a bottle of alcohol. Stumbling up from the pile of garbage,
he was greeted by Venom, who had stepped out of the shadows.

"You're awake"

"Uhh.....Venom? What...."

"Find out anything?"

Parker was highly confused.

"Find out what? Where was I?"

Venom shook his head.

"I have a real bad feeling about this. We'd better get you home. I'll
fill you in later"


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.