The Death of Scarlet Web

Days had passed since the events of Omega's uprise. A battle in which two spiders were thwarted without effort, as if washed out by the rain in their attempt to climb up the water spout, had concluded with a burst of flames. While the public remained oblivious as to what exactly had gone on within the confines of an abandoned factory, its destruction had nevertheless made the news many times over.

The spiders had claimed victory due to timely actions taken on part of Tom. In destroying a hefty piece of machinery, not only had he succeeded in saving Scarlet Web's life, but in doing so, he had also taken both Omega and Akahoshi's. Or so it was assumed. Only, assumed.

In reality, Omega had managed to rescue his father in the same way Tom had saved Scarlet Web. This was no easy feat, seeing as though the both of them were at the very apex of the explosion; while Omega had escaped virtually unharmed, Akahoshi, on the other hand, had lost an arm. The two ninja had maintained a low profile for the days following the disaster; they were now residing in an abandoned warehouse on the opposite side of the city from where their lab had once existed.

"Blast it!" Akahoshi screamed aloud in sheer anger, smashing his one remaining fist into the mattress of the bed upon which he currently lay. He was still recovering from the effects of the explosion. His skin had been left badly burned; his flesh was an inky black, scarring seen all over his body. "Years of blood, sweat, and tears all gone up in flame because of one lousy, rotten kid!"

Present in the room alongside his raging father was Omega. Clad in his attire as if it were his own flesh and skin, the ninja spider stood with his arms folded across his chest, entirely silent. There wasn't much that could have been said anyway. Ever since the destruction of his lab, Akahoshi had been venting day and night like this.

"I'll show him…! I'll show him! Does he think he's won? Does he think he's outsmarted me?! I'll show that kid! I'll show him and that mother of yours both!" Akahoshi clenched his fist tightly. "I'll create yet another ninja spider! One of your exact power and magnitude! I'll create an entire army of them! Forget this city, the whole country will be in the palm of our hands, then!"

Omega's eyes narrowed. Another one of him…? No. He was special. He was unique. There was no one better than him, and moreover, there couldn't be anyone better than him! He wouldn't allow that!

"More of me?" Omega drew upon his weakened father slowly.

"But of course! Just one of you is this powerful. Imagine an entire army!"

Omega tried to reason. He tried to picture an army of himself. But he couldn't see beyond being a single drop in the ocean. He'd have no identity; he already didn't know who he was. There being so many of him… no. He couldn't let this happen.

Never had he gone against his dad's wishes. He had done what Akahoshi had instructed of him since his birth, but this… this was something he wasn't willing to overlook. His hand clutched his father's throat. And it remained there as Akahoshi's eyes widened; it remained there as his face turned red; as his arm flailed about; as his legs kicked up; as his body jerked around; and long after the ninja had breathed his last breath.

It was over. There no longer existed a man who had the ability to create more of him. Omega was free. Free to be himself, free to do as he pleased. So now what was next? Where did he go from here?

***

Sitting on her bed in her new apartment, Victoria covered her face with one hand, while the other held a digital meter reading "positive" firmly in its grasp. She had felt off for days, but in her time spent recovering from her fight with Omega, she hadn't entirely noticed all the changes as easily. But it didn't matter anymore. Not when the hard evidence was right in front of her eyes.

She had tested positive. Victoria was pregnant.

Classes. There were always more classes. It seemed that way, at least. Tom sighed as he trudged through the snow towards the science building of NYU. It had snowed another inch the night before and his sneakers were getting soaked to the soles. He grumbled as he thought about his upcoming physics exam.

He was not looking forward to this.

Mr Bercham was infamous in the department for his apocalyptic exams. He needed to focus for this or he'd never make it.

His phone buzzed. He took it out and saw that it was Scarlet. Ever since the Omega thing he'd been worried about her. He could tell it sorta shook her up. All evidence pointed to them both being killed in the explosion, but it still gave her the willies.

He sighed. He wanted to help, but he couldn't miss this test. She'd just have to be strong by herself for an hour or so. He rejected the call with a message. "Sorry. In class now. Call you later."

With that, he steeled himself against the cold wind and the exam to come.

Scarlet Web had come face to face with Omega. Their last meeting hadn't gone so well for her; in fact, she couldn't remember so much as landing a single one of her attacks on him. And that was with Tom in tow. Now here she was confronting him by her lonesome.

The two stood along the side of a skyscraper, making use of their capabilities to perfectly balance themselves in order to keep from falling. For them it was as comfortable as walking on the ground itself.

"Where's Akahoshi?" Scarlet Web asked at once, breaking the silence. She had anticipated he too to be present at the time being. After all, he was the man responsible for having created Omega in the first place.

"Father is no longer with us, I'm afraid." Omega's voice was calm, sincere. As if in some regard he had done Akahoshi a favor by erasing him from existence.

"No longer with us?" Scarlet Web was shocked, to say the least. Akahoshi was an enemy whom she had fought equally for years. He was in every sense a perfect match for her; in most situations, their battles had ended in draws. There was no telling just how strong Omega was if he had been able to dispose of him so easily. There was no telling how well she could hold up against him herself, if that were truly the case. "You… killed him?"

"Killed? No. I saved his life. It was you, Mother, who left him in an insuperable state. I simply put him out of his misery. Just as I'm about to do to you, now." Yes, Omega had killed his own father. And for the reason that he planned to make an entire army of spider ninjas. Scarlet Web being the source of all that, if she were to bite the dust here and now, then no one could create more clones of him. Yes, he was the original! The strongest of their kind! Not her. No, most certainly not her!

Scarlet Web readied herself. It was going to take everything she had and more to just keep up with her "child". But even so, how did she want to play this? Should she try to stall out long enough for reinforcements to arrive? Perhaps she could hold her own until Tom had finished doing whatever he was doing; perhaps she could hope that someway somehow Hooded Spider would happen along the scene; or perhaps she could try and make amends with Flick and have him back her up like old times.

But she didn't have time to worry about all of that. Not as Omega charged forward, garnering his illusive flash step to vanish and instantly appear in front of her eyes. Her body acted of its own accord; she stepped to the side, however Omega had somehow managed to anticipate this as well. She put up her arms across her face, shielding herself from his elbow. But she was still shoved back, unable to recover.

"Father told you once before, did he not?" Omega vanished again, appearing behind Scarlet Web this time. She managed to duck in time to evade his kick, which swung quickly over her head. "I can see all of your movements even before you make them. I can see the future."

A punch. A kick. A jab. A trip. She was keeping up with him, somehow. She didn't exactly know how, but she was doing it. They exchanged blows for a brief moment until Omega yet again gained the upperhand. From his body, refined prickles of hair much like needles of some kind shot out in all directions, leaving Scarlet Web with nowhere to run to. Several of them dug into her flesh, tearing up her costume in the process.

He appeared behind her yet again. A kick to her back sent her flying forwards. Aiming her wrist at another building, she launched a string of web, hoping to swing away from him and create a bit of distance to think things over. But he shot his own webbing out at the same time, connecting it to the end of her own. And pulling on it hard, he reeled her in close and launched a heavy assault of repeated punches onto her.

She grunted aloud, blood piling up beneath her costume. As a strong fist connected with her gut, she felt something kick inside of her stomach. The world had begun to grow dark. Omega let her fall. He let her fall for a short brief seconds, to the point where it looked as though he was allowing her to fall onto the many cars below so that she could lose her life to such a predicament. But at the last second, his arm stretched out from his shoulder, spanning several feet, and wrapped around her throat, dragging her back up until she was eye level with him.

"You cannot compete with me, mother. Not you or anyone else. I don't care to rule this city or any other land across this earth. All I care is that I be the only one of my domain; all I care is that those who bring shame to the name of my father be eliminated without mercy." He tightened his hold over her neck. Her hands instinctively clutched his arm, desperately trying to pry her free. But to no avail. Her breath was drawing low. It was truly going to end like this.

Just as she neared the very brink of death, he unwrapped his arm and instead held her in his arms. He lifted her high above his head, holding her up to the skies as a means of sacrifice. "Death would be much too simple for the sort of sins you have committed. I will break your very soul and leave you in agony in your own waste instead. Be an example of my prey, mother! See to it that none are foolish enough to challenge all that I am ever again!"

With all his might, Omega forced her down against his knee, slamming her spine with such vigorous might that the sound of several bones snapping inside of her body became audible. She cried out in excruciating pain, not being able to so much as move a single one of her fingers. Blood from inside of her costume spilled through the tearing and leaked down onto the city below.

"It is over for you, mother. You shall no longer persist as a hero any longer. Your days as a webslinger have been forever tarnished. The Scarlet Web is no more!"