Mac Gargan was irate. He'd been in a foul mood for hours now. None of this was supposed to be happening to him. He was above this kind of treatment. He was the Scorpion for God's sake. He'd been granted a powerful gift, a gift that had molded him into something stronger. He was better than the guards who were making little jokes at his expense as they carted him through the halls of the holding facility in restraints, better than the hired thug he'd met in a warehouse not ten hours ago to discuss what the Kingpin had chosen for him to do, even better that that meddling Spider-Man who'd beaten him yet again forcing him into this situation.

It was a situation Mac Gargan knew all too well, however. These kinds of things always seemed to happen to him. As the guards rounded the corner and Gargan set eyes on the cage they planned to throw him into he looked away, looked away and thought back. He remembered the first time he'd fought Spider-Man. He'd been nothing more than a thug then but Spider-Man hadn't seemed like he was more than just a little punk. The Scorpion had beat on Spider-Man that day, beaten him to within an inch of his life. He'd left that wisecracking punk lying broken and bleeding in a pile of bricks and it felt so good. It felt right.

Then he'd made his first mistake, he'd turned his back on Spider-Man and the punk came back. In the end it had been the Scorpion who'd been defeated that day. He'd been carted away and thrown in jail and all because of that one mistake. When he really thought about it, he'd been making nothing but mistakes ever since. That first one had simply been the catalyst. All these years and Spider-Man wasn't just some punk anymore. He'd gotten better and the Scorpion had just stayed the same. He was still just the same old thug.

"Here we are Gargan, home sweet home. You'll be staying with us until the Vault can send some Guardsmen to come get you." The Scorpion was snapped from his reverie by the guard's mocking tone. He wasn't irate anymore. He was cool, calm, and collected. He finally understood what needed to be done and it made him smile. He could see that the smile was making the guard who'd spoken uneasy. The guard looked like he was ready to mess his pants. The Scorpion liked that. It almost made him laugh. Maybe he'd let this guy live for that. Maybe.

"What the hell are you smiling about, freak?" The other guard wasn't spooked so easy. The Scorpion never took his eyes from the shaky guard though. His fear was what the Scorpion needed. It empowered him. Spider-Man could break out of these restraints. The Scorpion knew that the web-head could do it, and if he could do it, so could the Scorpion.

The little baby trembling in front of him knew it too. He saw the realization in the Scorpion's eyes, and as he drew his hand hesitantly towards his sidearm the Scorpion made his move.

The restraints began to buckle as Mac Gargan, the Scorpion, flexed his muscles. The cocky guard's swift intake of breath and silent curse was all the motivation the Scorpion needed to finish the job. In seconds, even swifter than the guards could pull their weapons, the Scorpion was free.

Twenty minutes later, a stretcher carted away what was left of the cocky guard. The silent guard, the one that had made the Scorpion laugh was in need of a stretcher too. He wasn't dead, the Scorpion had rewarded him for helping him to realize his destiny, rewarded him with two broken legs, a broken collarbone and a sprained wrist.

Detective Monroe approached the guard as he was ushered into the ambulance. A man had died tonight at the hands of the Scorpion and he meant to track down the monster and bring him to justice, but as he tried to question the guard, get some sort of information or lead on which direction the Scorpion might have headed, all he got in reply was the same eerily whispered sentence.

"He was smiling. He was smiling. Smiling the whole time. He was smiling." Detective Monroe clenched his fists tightly, lowered his head, and waved the paramedics to take him. James Polansky, father of two, was dead. Donovan Thames, his partner on the night shift wasn't going to be any help. Monroe stared off into the distance and cursed vehemently under his breath. He hoped this was the end of it, that the Scorpion was planning to lay low after his escape, but he felt that somehow, this was just the beginning.

Peter held up the recently developed picture and studied it intently. Beautifully captured in colorful glory was a shot of Spider-Man standing over a webbed up Scorpion. Scorpy had never looked better but it wasn't the triumph of the evening that interested Peter Parker, it was the man captured standing not ten feet from the Scorpion's unconscious form. Hellings.

Peter had a bad feeling about the guy. Hellings obviously wasn't supposed to be on the pointy end of Scorpion's tail for no reason. Maybe the Scorpion had seen Hellings bring a large payroll or something of equal value into the backseat of his luxury car but Peter couldn't help but think it was more than that. Something bigger was going on. It was the way Hellings had acted. He'd been too cool, too calm when he'd gotten out of the car. A regular guy on the street accosted by the Scorpion would be lucky to come away with his pants unsoiled, if he even lived through the encounter. Spidey could attest to that himself. The first time he met the Scorpion it hadn't been too different.

But Hellings had seemed just fine, maybe a little ruffled when the cops showed up but if you're more ruffled by the police than you are by the Scorpion then something is definitely up. Maybe the cops had found something that Peter hadn't had time to look for. Maybe even now the cops were holding the Scorpion and Hellings in jail and both of them were going away for a long time. These were New York's finest after all. Yeah, maybe the whole situation had been resolved. And maybe Martians looking like super-models were waiting on the roof of Peter's apartment building with armfuls of gold. Not too likely.

Peter finished removing the photos and hung them to dry. As he stepped out of the darkroom and into his living room he thought he'd switch on the television. The news would be on by now and maybe all his dreams would come true and both of those thugs would be out of Spider-Man's hair for a while.

The news was on, and as Peter listened to the report his mood began to sour. The pictures were developed and he knew they'd fetch a good price from Jameson and he knew his wife would be home soon and all these thoughts had lifted his spirits. The Scorpion caused them all to come crashing back down.

One man was in the hospital and another was in the morgue. Just a few brief hours ago Spider-Man had wrapped the Scorpion up nice and neat and now he was back, and he had killed a man. Peter felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. He felt responsible for the guard's death. Peter's mind had gone blank. He didn't even hear the door open and shut, or the light footsteps on the carpet approaching him.

"Guess who?" Mary Jane said as she covered Peter's eyes with her hands from behind him. Peter immediately tensed and jumped up from the couch. Startled, Mary Jane stepped back from the couch and eyed her husband warily.

"You want to wrestle or something Tiger?" She asked playfully even though she could read the look of shame on her husband's face. Peter tried a smile that felt weak on his face and voiced a reply that sounded even weaker.

"Sorry MJ, I've had a busy day and Jonah was really riding me earlier at the Bugle." But Mary Jane wasn't listening. She knew that Peter was trying to hide what was really bothering him and she peered around him at the news program on television. She heard about the guards and the battle Spider-Man had been in with the perpetrator of the murder. Understanding dawned across her lovely face and she looked back up at Peter and spoke.

"You're upset about what happened." Mary Jane knew her husband well, knew that his sense of responsibility caused him to lay blame upon himself for anything he felt he could have prevented. The look in Peter's eyes told Mary Jane all she needed to know. "But Peter it didn't have anything to do with you. You put the Scorpion away. He killed those men when he escaped. There's nothing you could have done for them."

Peter heard his wife's words and he registered them. He understood that he couldn't have known that the Scorpion would escape and he understood that he couldn't have known that he would kill a man but it just didn't seem to matter. He had to find the Scorpion, he had to bring him to justice, and he had to do it now.

"Mary Jane, I love you and you know I'd never do anything to hurt you but I've got to go. I've got to go." Peter jumped over the couch easily and stooped to pick up his discarded costume, but Mary Jane caught his hand and held it with a fierce grip.

"Peter, no. I know how you feel and I know you've got to bring the Scorpion to justice, but leaving and searching in the middle of the night won't solve anything." Mary Jane pulled Peter to her and embraced him tightly. Peter's body stiffened and he wanted to pull away but Mary Jane wouldn't let go. "He'll lay low Peter. He killed a man and the police will be searching for him. I know you can find him but wait until tomorrow. Don't leave me tonight."

Peter looked into Mary Jane's eyes and the desperation in her eyes and in her voice made him want to relent to her. He hesitantly surrounded her with his arms and returned her affection.

"I know I'm being selfish but..." Peter stopped Mary Jane's words with a kiss. Together they made their way to their bed where they slept, together.

Hellings wasn't sure what was going on but he was pissed. Sounds of gunfire and death were all around him and he felt vastly unprepared for what was coming as he stood in his silk pajamas with his two most trusted guards at his sides.

The two women who'd shared his bed earlier in the night were long gone. When Pedro, the most trusted member of his crew, had woken him not five minutes ago and told him there was something going down he could hardly believe it. Pedro had escorted the girls, by their hair, out of Hellings' bedroom to fend for themselves and when he'd returned he'd brought Sanders and a pair of semi-automatic weapons with him.

He'd drilled Pedro as he took the weapons from him but both he and Sanders were equally in the dark. Nobody knew what the hell was going on. All Pedro knew was that half of Hellings' estate and more than half of his crew were either burning, dead, or worse. Hellings' anger rose to a crescendo as he thought of the effort it had taken to decorate and furnish his home.

Hellings' hands were sweating and it was tough to keep a solid grip on the firearms he had shakily pointed at his solid oak doors. This was the Kingpin's doing, it had to be. Hellings never thought the fat man would admit to being the one to send the Scorpion to kill him and he sure as hell didn't think Kingpin would be making another attempt within eight hours of the first.

It didn't matter. Maybe Hellings had been caught by surprise when the Scorpion had attacked him earlier, but Hellings had learned from that little misstep. The guard around his house had been doubled and unless the Kingpin sent a small army there was no way anybody was getting to Hellings tonight. Any minute now one of his men would be knocking on the door to inform him of the failed attempt. Yeah, any minute now.

Lucian Iago felt cold. A strong winter wind was blowing and rattling the leaves of the trees surrounding Frederick Hellings' estate and it seemed to slice right through Iago. He hated this kind of crap but the Kingpin's orders had been specific. All Iago had to do was keep an eye on the guy. The Kingpin knew that Hellings would switch up his routine and maybe even call for a meeting after the failed attempt on his life. Iago's job was simply to watch, wait, and record everything that went on in Frederick Hellings' life. Another opportunity would arise for Hellings to catch a swift demise, and until the Kingpin saw that opportunity it was all up to Iago to make regular reports.

He'd already scribbled all the info about the increase in Hellings' protection at the house when he heard the first sound of tearing metal. Ducking lower into the shrubs where he was hidden, Lucian squinted in the faint light and when he saw the cause of the noise, his eyes popped open and nearly out of his head.

It was the Scorpion. The Scorpion was loose. Iago had watched the news report talking about the Scorpion's capture as he stood in front of a frowning Kingpin. He never dreamed that the Scorpion would escape, or that he would still be trying to fulfill the contract. Lucian smiled to himself as he took a small camera from his inner pocket and snapped a few pictures of the Scorpion easily dealing with the first three guards that tried to stop him. Perhaps this was his lucky day, perhaps he wouldn't have to tail Hellings much longer after all, and perhaps he'd finally get a chance to see his wife and kids before Christmas.

One hour after he'd escaped from the holding facility and just four hours before he made his decision to make a late night visit to Frederick Hellings, Mac Gargan arrived at a rundown safe house, one of many he had scattered throughout the city. He finally got it. All these years wasted working for one guy or the other. Doing whatever they asked of him. First it was Jameson all those years ago and now it was the Kingpin. Nothing had changed.

In the real world, you had to change. Changing was the only way to survive. The old Scorpion wouldn't have been able to break through those restraints that had held him but this was a new day. A whole new world was dawning right before his eyes. He was strong enough to do anything. Strong enough to make any man tremble, strong enough to make any cop think twice about pulling his gun, and powerful enough to make any cop that did regret it.

"I'm even stronger than Spider-Man." He whispered to himself as he opened a storage compartment containing one of his Scorpion suits. Sliding into it didn't feel like it had before though. It was like greeting a new friend. The power had always been there but that first loss to Spider-Man had made him weak. No more weakness, no more mistakes, from now on Mac Gargan was a new man, and a new Scorpion too. As the thought came to him of how to prove it he began to smile. The smile never left his face until he burst through Hellings' bedroom door.

"Please God, don't kill me." Hellings pleaded. He was on his knees in front of a madman with his protection either unconscious, dead, or who really gave a damn, on either side of him. He hadn't heard anything about the Scorpion escaping from the custody of the police. Carelessness was to blame. His men were sloppy. They hadn't informed him of the Scorpion's daring exodus from New York's finest and they hadn't been prepared for this. The Scorpion must have waded through three-dozen men to get here though. Hellings couldn't believe it. The Scorpion didn't even look winded.

Sanders and Pedro hadn't been much help. Hellings had heard heavy footsteps outside his door and he'd relaxed, lowering his guns to his sides. No assassin in their right mind would clomp their way to the threshold of the man they'd come to kill. When the door shattered into splinters, momentarily blinding all three men, Hellings had to shield his eyes for only a split second. When he raised his head, both Pedro and Sanders were down and the guns that Hellings had been holding dropped to the floor as he realized he was a dead man.

"I'll double whatever the Kingpin is paying you, triple it!" Hellings felt short of breath and his voice was little more than a wheezing gasp. The Scorpion looked down on him as though he were nothing more than a piece of garbage. "I have the money in a safe, a safe in the house. You can have it all, just please don't kill me."

The Scorpion towered over Hellings and as he leaned down, bringing himself face to face with his prey, he had to resist the urge to laugh at the pathetic piece of waste in front of him.

"I'm not here to kill you Mr. Hellings. I am no longer employed by the Kingpin of Crime, all ties are cut, all deals are off, I work only for myself now, and I have need of you." The Scorpion loved the look of confusion that mingled with the terror already etched on Hellings' face. As he snaked his tail behind Hellings, intending to pierce him with the barb on the end and flood Hellings' body with a specially designed, sleep inducing drug, he thought ahead to the ultimate goal and how easily phase one of his plan had been completed. The second and final phase would be more difficult but the Scorpion wasn't worried, he was a new man after all, he could handle it.

The last thing the Scorpion expected as he made his way through what was left of Hellings' property was for someone to approach him through the smoke-filled night air, calling his name. He immediately recognized the man. It was the greasy-haired punk he'd talked to that morning, the Kingpin's errand boy.

"What the hell are you doing Scorpion?" The man yelled and again the Scorpion had to resist the urge to laugh at this moron who had the nerve to yell at him after he'd just single-handedly wiped out a platoon of armed hitmen. "The Kingpin specifically stated in your contract for you to remove Hellings with a minimum of damage done to his assets. The Kingpin doesn't like to be crossed and you're going to have a lot to answer for. Contract fulfilled or not."

The Scorpion, with a very much alive Frederick Hellings draped over his shoulder, regarded Lucian Iago with annoyance. He could kill the man. The Scorpion had things to do and a specific person to see and his patience was running really thin, but he didn't want to get on the Kingpin's bad side anymore than he figured he already was. The grease ball probably wouldn't be missed too much by the Kingpin but added onto the fact that the Scorpion had laid waste to plenty of good men and resources that the Kingpin was obviously eager to acquire once Hellings was out of the picture made the Scorpion think that walking away and just ignoring the greasy idiot was probably his best bet. Maybe he'd kill Hellings after all and the Kingpin would just forget about it, but either way, the Scorpion had his own path to take now and he didn't want anything interfering with it.

"Move out of my way you greasy-haired punk or I'll murder you right here on the cold, hard ground and mail your insides to the Kingpin in a little box," the Scorpion said as he kept walking towards the guy. He remembered how tough words and the flicking of his tail had frozen this guy before. He was confident that Mr. Greasy would back down and let him by.

Lucian Iago's jaw dropped as the Scorpion's words registered. His fear was reawakened and he had no idea what he'd been thinking of when he confronted this killer. He numbly let the Scorpion pass and watched as he strolled, casually, out of sight with Hellings on his shoulder. When Iago finally came back to his senses he took the pad he'd been writing on and scribbled a few more notes for his report to the Kingpin. The Scorpion couldn't be working for the Kingpin any longer but he had no idea why the monster had come here. Hellings was probably a dead man but the Kingpin had to know everything that had happened this night so he could make his own decisions on the matter. Lucian Iago was a man who did his job well. He rushed back to his car and sped off towards downtown New York. The Kingpin never seemed to be asleep and this was something that needed to be relayed immediately.

Peter awoke with a start. The remnants of whatever nightmare he'd been having still clung to his mind and sent shivers down his spine. The sheets were plastered to his sweat-covered body. His nerves were frazzled as if he'd been in a room with his most hated enemies, all poised to strike, and his spider sense had been blaring non-stop for hours.

Mary Jane was asleep beside him, curled into the fetal position. Peter's sudden awakening hadn't disturbed her and she seemed so peaceful lying there. He hopped out of bed and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was pretty late into the morning and Peter was surprised he'd been able to sleep so long. He felt wired, ready for action. Truthfully he was anxious to track down the Scorpion. He needed some sort of line on him and the place to head for that sort of info was the Bugle.

His Spider-Man suit was lying crumpled on the floor of the living room and Peter frowned. There was no way he was putting that on again without a good washing. He grabbed it and balled it up, throwing it into the hamper. He opened the hall closet and grabbed his spare suit. After dressing into his alter ego, Peter grabbed some clothes from his bedroom as quietly as possible and, after webbing them into a web-pack, he climbed through the skylight and flung himself from the roof of his building, making his way to the Bugle.

When Frederick Hellings regained consciousness he had a hard time figuring out why he was face down on a cold concrete floor. As the murky fog of sleep lifted from his mind, it revealed the truth to him in the form of memory. The Scorpion had done this to him. He had no idea why he was still alive but that green maniac must have brought him here for a reason. Hellings' muscles were stiff and cramped and he groaned as he tried to move.

"Finally awake I see." Hellings froze stiff as he heard the familiar voice echo through the room. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed his body to rise into a sitting position. When he opened them, he saw the Scorpion regarding him with a bemused expression. Hellings' fear melted away, it was obvious that whatever this super powered loon had planned for him was going to happen one way or the other. His men would never find him in time, if they were even trying. Hellings refused to give the Scorpion the satisfaction of being frightened.

"What do you want with me Scorpion?" Hellings barked in a voice filled with nothing but animosity. The Scorpion actually seemed to take a step back and his eyes, for just a moment took on a shocked expression that made Hellings feel proud. The Scorpion's eyes didn't stay wide for long and soon they narrowed and his tone became one of a man who knew he was in total control.

"Demanding to know what I have planned for you, Hellings? I didn't think you had it in you. As cowardly as you were when I burst into your door and took you from the sanctity of your little fortress, I assumed you'd be begging for your life as soon as you woke from your nap." The Scorpion's tone was mocking and it grated on Hellings until he could hardly stand it. Still, this was a man that could snap his neck as effortlessly as a twig and there was no way Hellings was going to goad him.

"I suppose it fair for you to wonder what part you're going to play in my little comeback. You see I've been beaten one too many times in my life Hellings. The list of guys I've taken my lumps from is, or, should I say, was, probably as long as the line of tramps you had waiting to kiss your feet." Hellings winced visibly at that and the Scorpion smiled. He enjoyed keeping Hellings on his toes. As long as the guy stayed afraid of the Scorpion, there was no way he'd try anything.

"Yeah, you could say I'm your typical hard luck type of guy. Even guys who were nowhere near my power level have beaten me. Captain America. The Falcon. Cardiac. Even the Black Cat has got some pretty good licks in." The Scorpion's face twisted into a mask of hate and rage as he counted off his list of shame. Hellings realized then, as he looked in his eyes, that the Scorpion was crazy, and it made what he said after all the more frightening.

"But nobody, and I mean nobody has rattled my cage more than Spider-Man. That web-headed freak has crossed me more times than I can count and dropped me in one jailcell or another more times than I ever want to remember." Hellings watched as the Scorpion's powerful hands clenched and unclenched in fury. Slowly all the bravado he'd felt leaked back out of him and he had to consciously keep his hands from trembling.

"But it all changes today. Today is the day that Spider-Man finally learns what kind of man, what kind of enemy the Scorpion can be. You see I finally figured it out. Figured out the reason why I've been getting my head handed to me all these years." The Scorpion's steely-eyed look riveted Hellings to the spot and made him want to weep.

"I was soft. Working for this guy or the other. Doing whatever was asked of me. Never using my own head. Never searching inside myself for what I really wanted. But I'm doing it now. I'm finally ready to ask myself what I really want, what I need. And you know what?" The Scorpion began to walk across the room towards Hellings and Hellings found himself scrabbling backwards, trying anything he could to get himself as far away from this lunatic as he could.

"The answer is easy. After that first loss to Spider-Man, when he left me beaten and bloody and all trussed up for the cops, I lost the edge. I had it when I beat the web-slinger down and left him in a pile of his own waste, but I lost it after that next showdown and I haven't been able to get it back since. So the answer is simple really, I want the edge back, and you're the key to getting it, you're the bait." And as The Scorpion put his hands on Hellings and hoisted him up over his shoulders, Hellings began to scream. Scream in revulsion and fear at having someone this deranged put his hands on him, and as he screamed he felt something pierce his back and then everything went dark, all over again.

Spider-Man arrived at the Daily Bugle building and quickly made the change to Peter Parker. He leaped agilely down the numerous flights of stairs until he came to the door leading to the Daily Bugle's pressroom where he knew he'd find Ben Urich. Urich was the Bugle's most competent reporter in Peter's opinion and anytime Peter needed some info he found his best bet was with Ben.

He made his way through the numerous desks with hunched men and women busily typing away or yelling into phones. Urich was occupied at the moment in a discussion with Joe "Robbie" Robertson. Robbie seemed upset with something and his pipe was clenched tightly between his teeth. Peter caught only the tail end of the conversation as he approached Ben's desk and Robbie stormed off. Ben didn't look too happy but Peter really needed to find out about the Scorpion so he cleared his throat and tried to speak in his cheeriest voice.

"Hey Ben, how goes it?" Peter asked and Ben shot his head up and fixed Peter with an icy glare. Peter felt a lump in his throat keep him from continuing and Ben was obviously annoyed as he tapped his pencil violently against his desk.

"What is it Parker? I don't have all day and I'm not in the best of moods. If you need something spit it out so I can get back to work." Peter was a little surprised but not offended by Ben's tone. He knew the man was the number one guy as far as investigative reporting for the Bugle went and he looked to be under some major stress at the moment. On another day Peter might have tried to smooth things out and probe into what was bothering Ben, but he really needed to get out there and find the Scorpion.

"Sorry to bother you Ben but I need a small favor." At the sound of the word favor Ben's eyes scrunched up even more and the tapping of his pencil against his desk became even more violent and faster-paced. Peter was surprised it didn't just snap right in half. "I know you're really busy but I heard the Scorpion escaped last night and I was just wondering if you'd heard anything about his whereabouts so I could maybe get some pics."

Ben looked at Peter as if he was a big elephant who'd spoken instead of just plain old Peter Parker. He seemed genuinely surprised that Peter had even asked him a question about the Scorpion, although Peter had no idea why.

"Pete, don't you watch the news in the morning? The Scorpion attacked the home of Frederick Hellings last night and took out practically every guy on his payroll." Peter wanted to kick himself. He knew there'd been something fishy about Hellings. The guy was a mob boss. The Scorpion had probably been after him as some sort of designed hit. Peter curbed his thoughts as Ben continued.

"He swiped Hellings and put at least twenty guys into the hospital. He laid low for a while but about an hour ago he was spotted on top of the Brooklyn Bridge with Hellings in tow and a message to boot. Jonah already sent Joy Mercado and that young photographer, Kim I think her name is, to the scene so I doubt there'd be much use in you getting any pictures." Ben turned away from Peter and began scribbling notes but Peter had one more thing he had to ask him.

"Ben, what was the message, the message you said the Scorpion had?" Ben was obviously engaged deeply in thought on other matters but he glanced back over his shoulder momentarily and answered Peter.

"Hmmmmm? Oh, the message. The message was for Spider-Man. He told the only police helicopter that could get close enough to him that he wanted Spider-Man to come and face him or he'd drop Hellings off the bridge. So far Spidey hasn't showed, maybe he's got more important things to do than help out mobsters. What do you think Peter? Pete?" But as Ben turned to get Peter's response, Peter was already on the other side of the room entering the stairwell. Ben shrugged and turned back to his work. Kids these days had no patience for anything anymore.

Peter didn't think that even the Human Torch could have gotten to the Brooklyn Bridge before he did. Spider-Man literally flew on his web-lines as he made his way through the city. As he arrived he noted that the police had sealed off both ends of the bridge and he silently thanked them in his head. The fewer innocent bystanders involved in this, the better.

Police choppers were circling lazily around one particular section of the bridge and as Spidey came closer he discerned two figures standing alone atop it. There the Scorpion stood, with Hellings a few feet from him. The Scorpion was facing in Spider-Man's direction and Spidey knew he must have spotted him by now but the Scorpion made no move other than to step closer to his hostage.

Spider-Man landed on the section of bridge with the Scorpion and crouched into a defensive posture. The Scorpion had wrapped his tail around Hellings and had his tail barb pointed directly at Hellings' neck. The implied threat was obvious to Spidey and he stood his ground without moving, waiting for the Scorpion's play.

"You took your sweet time in getting here web-slinger. It's cold up here and it was making our guest uncomfortable." The Scorpion's voice was harsh, bitter and as cold as the wind buffeting Spider-Man's body. Something was very wrong here. The Scorpion was a pushover. Good for nothing more than a quick and easy fight, but something seemed different. There was no attempt at weaseling out of the fight or using Hellings as a shield or bartering tool. The only reason Spidey didn't attack was because he was afraid Hellings might be thrown from the bridge accidentally, but the Scorpion had him fairly out of the line of fire.

"I wasn't sure if you'd come unless I brought this moron along. I've been sharing secrets with him Spider-Man, secrets about me. Taking out his little army and showing myself that you putting me in jail couldn't stop me from doing what I want to do was just the beginning." The Scorpion raised Hellings up by his neck until Hellings' feet were raised up off of the ground.

"But, as much fun as it's been terrorizing this idiot, he's served his purpose. You're here now and that's all I really wanted." The Scorpion took his eyes off of Spider-Man and looked towards Hellings. The sheer look of terror on Hellings' face exhilarated the Scorpion.

"Time to say goodbye." The Scorpion growled and whipped Hellings into the air and off the section of bridge Spider-Man and the Scorpion were standing on.

"Scorpion! No!" Spider-Man yelled and quickly fired a line of webbing that caught Hellings' foot before he fell out of sight. Hellings swung down and collided violently with the side of the bridge but he was alive. "Are you insane Scorpy? You could have killed him!"

"Whether he lives or dies means less than nothing to me Spider-Man, and as far as me being insane. The answer is no. I'm thinking more clearly than I ever have in my life and all my thoughts are focused on one thing, killing you." Spider-Man quickly attached the web-line holding Hellings to the bridge and then wheeled around to face the Scorpion once more as the villain continued to speak.

"You remember the first time we fought Spider-Man? I beat you that day. I won and left you for dead and if it hadn't been for you coming back I'd still be a winner. You're the reason I'm a loser and you're the reason I've been holding back all these years. I'm stronger than you. I'm faster than you. And once you're dead, I'll finally be able to make the name for myself I always should have. The Scorpion is finally back." And with that the Scorpion rushed towards Spider-Man, with foam shining on his bared teeth and with more savagery than Spider-Man had ever seen before. Spider-Man tensed his muscles and clenched his teeth. This was a different Scorpion and Spidey knew he was in for the fight of his life.

TO BE CONTINUED

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