Anything in Italic means the character is thinking.

Anything in Bold is symbiote-speech, or inner-voice if also in Italic.

Plans

While Spider-man was seemingly swinging as he always does, under his mask he was ecstatic. It had been a long time since he felt like this, the symbiote amplifying his joyful mood without him knowing. The cheers from the pedestrians who saw him adding to it.

Parker luck worked for once. It seems like an eternity since I felt wanted.

Even if he knew that it would have to end soon, he was glad he got the chance to feel it, even temporarily. Though his small fears remained.

"We feel you are still doubtful about us…"

"Well you can't really blame me, last time we were together I almost killed people…"

"We didn't know better…we will be better."

"Well good, gotta admit that without you there, that Goblin thing might have ended badly…I was not feeling so good back there."

The symbiote didn't have a response to that but Peter could feel some kind of pride in his mind.

At least the communicator is still intact, last time it destroyed my suit…

It's only after several minutes of swinging that he remembered what a thug said to him, some guy named "Two-Face" wanted him out of the street and was holed up in the sewer.

Time to burst his bubble, still gonna ask about him though.

He felt the symbiote shifting to press the small communicator in his ear, leaving his hands free, and waited a few moments before he heard the familiar voice.

"Yes ?"

"Oh Alfred, huh…Well since you're more than well-informed and all, can you tell me about a guy named Two-Face?"

"Mr. Dent's story is a rather tragic one I'm afraid. He was once a great prosecutor in Gotham, a hero in the eye of the law and even called the "white knight" of Gotham for a while. He was also a good friend of Master Bruce." Alfred answered in a sad voice.

"For a while? What happened to the guy?"

"Mr. Dent had a personality disorder that was mostly under control, a twisted and corrupted version of himself, but after being horribly disfigured in an accident this "other side" took over and he became one of Gotham's crime lord. Master Bruce still tries to recover him to this day…"

"Well, since he's Bruce's friend, I won't rough him up too much."

"What?"

"Yeah, this Two-Face guy sent a bunch of henchmen to take me out. One of them was nice enough to tell me where was one of his hideouts."

"Sir, I ask that you wait for Master Bruce's assistance on this."

Peter didn't understand why he had to wait, no criminal he saw here was even near the Goblin's threat potential.

"Why? The guy relies on thugs, he can't be that strong."

"That is not the issue Spider-man." A strong voice replacing Alfred.

His focus was thrown off by the sudden change but he didn't miss a web this time.

"Why is there an issue?" He didn't know why, but he had a feeling something was going to go wrong in this conversation.

"I would need you back to the cave when you have the time, there is something we must discuss."

Why am I always the one people vent their emotions on?

"Because you never talk back maybe?"

"I do NOT need sarcasm right now dude." He didn't even realize he talked aloud before he was addressed again.

"Peter? Who are you talking to?"

"Oh! Huh…Well you know the black suit? It's alive and sentient so he kinda talks to me in my head, I'm still getting used to not talking out loud when no one hears the other guy."

"Right…"

"So why would we not discuss this over the phone?"

It took a few seconds for Bruce to answer, it seemed like a whole minute to Peter.

"I need to make sure of something." With that he ended the communication.

"What a charmer, we do not trust him…" Peter was taken aback by the alien's declaration.

"Why? The guy's opposed to the idea of fun but he's not a bad guy…"

"Did you not notice how he made sure to help only at the last possible second? He is human, he is afraid of what we could do, we think he wants to get rid of us."

"Don't you think you're going a little far? It's not like he could even if he wanted to." Spider-man didn't notice his own choice of words.

"In any case, I'm taking my time, that cave can wait for a while."

With those words, Spider-man kept swinging around the city, basking in his newfound strength.

Bruce's POV

After cutting the connection, Bruce returned to his computer and thought about the possible consequences of this alien being. On one hand, it's better to have it augment Spider-man than a criminal, he almost shuddered at the idea of the Joker or Bane with this creature. On the other hand, he noticed that not only did Peter almost kill his opponent with his own bomb, he had not heard of the Goblin being arrested or even seen afterwards. He would have to speak to the Webslinger at some point.

"Master Bruce, you may want to catch up with a little rest, may I remind you that the chestplate on your suit is damaged and that you could do without being shot at for at least 24 hours?" Alfred knew that it was near-useless to try, but he'll never stop trying.

"I thank you for your concern but I do not intend to go back out just yet, Peter will come back eventually and I need to clarify some things."

"Such as?"

"If that creature is truly sentient and capable of communication, then it is possible it might influence Peter. After all, no parasite likes to be separated from its host."

"If the influence of that creature is what you are worried of, may I suggest making Miss Gordon a more…constant presence? They seem to harbor feelings for each other, sadly."

Bruce knew that in the long run, those feelings will only bring grief. But he had no desire to deny Barbara whatever happiness she garnered from this. He trusted her enough to not let her heart blind her, after all, she was not Batgirl for nothing.

"You're right. It wouldn't be the first time we had to use emotional connections to fight some kind of mind control." With that, he went to the bat-computer and started typing, calling for the one person he knew could help. He vaguely registered Alfred leaving the Batcave to return to the manor before the screen was filled with Lucius's face.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Have you completed the device?"

"Straight to the point I see. It is almost completed in fact. I would also like to inform you that I have almost finished the upgrades to the Batsuit we talked about.

"Thanks. If you see Spider-man, do tell him to come back here."

"Will do ." The connection was shut down.

Bruce turned around and went to his lab. If the alien suit ever fell into the wrong hands, Spider-man would need something better than glorified spandex. He set to work on some schematics while waiting for Peter's return.

Peter's POV

After a few hours, once he realized the sun was going down, Peter started to swing back to the cave, taking his time to check for trouble just in case. The number of thieves was baffling, the worst parts of New York were nothing in comparison.

"Over there"

Peter turned and saw two men trying to force open the side door of a store.

"Well we can't have that, can we?"

He let himself fall behind the two would-be thieves and whistled loudly, almost snickering when they were startled.

"It's the Spider!"

"Is it really him? His suit ain't b- "

He didn't have the time to finish has a strand of webbing stuck to his mouth and pulled him towards the hero's extended arm, knocking him unconscious instantly.

The other thief fell against the wall, crime forgotten as the black-suited hero advanced on him, grabbing him by the shoulder and raising him in the air.

"Please please don't hurt me I'll talk!"

Peter tilted his head a little, that was unexpected, the guy didn't look special and was probably not that dangerous if his reaction was any indication. Though even the most fearful didn't use the 'I'm gonna talk' card so soon, especially when he didn't even ask anything.

"I'm listening…"

"The boss told all of us to try and steal all we could, we ain't hurting anybody!"

"The 'boss'?"

How many crime bosses can one city have? I've been here for a matter of days and I've heard about three so far…How can one city be so disgustingly corrupt?

"Yeah man he wanted to see what you could do."

Those words made Peter freeze for a moment. If someone was monitoring him, then they knew about Barbara, and whoever could hire dozens upon dozens of men just to steal stuff must have connections.

I must tell Bruce…

He pulled the man close to his face, the 'eyes' of his mask narrowing.

"Return to your boss and tell him that if he wants to see what I can do, he can do it himself." With those words he dropped the goon and swung away, hearing the man running away and abandoning his unconscious accomplice. It almost made him smirk.

When he arrived in the cave (after making sure that nothing was following him or watching him) he heard Bruce typing away on the giant computer (seriously, why did he get a screen from a theater?). He walked calmly and felt his suit tighten a little.

We do not trust him; he doesn't trust you.

Peter thought about that and he had to admit Bruce seemed a bit colder since the Goblin incident. He was pulled from his thought by his deep voice.

"You took your time."

"Well, I learned some weird things, and I think you should listen."

A few moments passed, Bruce finally stopping to turn toward him.

"Well?"

"Seems some guy is curious about what I can do, he told his men to start a looting spree. It's worse than Black Friday in the Bronx."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Some guy I stopped told me, he talked before I could do or ask anything. He told me that his boss wanted to see what I can do. Strangest thing is, he ordered them to steal, not to kill."

Peter could see the cogs turning in Bruce's head before he turned towards the computer and started typing, making the screen show a rather detailed map of the city. After a few moments lines and spots started to link themselves on-screen, he only then realized that the computer showed his movements.

He stalks us!

"I think it's time I paid a visit to the Two-Face guy. He's a crime boss so he should have some insight at least." He immediately knew saying that was a mistake because Bruce turned sharply towards him.

"What happened to the Goblin? He wasn't seen after the fight."

Oh, should've seen that coming

"Well, the person that brought me here came and dragged him back from where I'm from. She had to drag me to her dimension so I could give him back."

A few moments passed before Spider-man started talking again.

"Before you ask, she can't do much herself because she can't leave her dimension for long, she would die quickly. I guess it's the price she paid to have that power, she can't do much out of her floating chair-thing."

"It is better this way at any rate, the GCPD is not equipped to contain meta-humans for long periods of time."

"Oh, I thought you were gonna be angry…"

"Why?"

"You seemed a bit angry on the phone earlier."

"I am wary of the unknown, I don't know enough about this creature yet."

"Uh…"

"But it did save you and you told me of its weaknesses, and so far, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Tell me, did you mean to throw the bomb at the Goblin?"

"I'm not gonna lie, I have an entire rogue gallery of super-villains who have tried dozens of times to kill me and I don't really hate them, most of them are either insane or have some other goal in mind. They rarely went out of their way to seek me out and most of them are not really evil anyway. With Norman, it was more personal, he deliberately went after my close ones and…you already know all that. My point is, I can't deny I wanted to hurt him but the bomb thing was a reaction. I guess I knew he would survive, that armor of his and the serum made him a lot tougher."

For a few seconds Peter could almost feel the glare. Then Bruce seemed to accept it and turned towards the computer.

"Whoever is trying to 'study' you most likely has a way to watch you, I would advise Spider-man to stay away from Barbara until we know more, she has been targeted enough." At those words Peter narrowed his eyes, unknowingly making his mask's 'eyes' do the same.

"Maybe Two-Face could know? The guy already sent some guys after me so he's our prime suspect no?"

"I don't think so, Harvey doesn't really care about analyzing his opponent before fighting them, he barely does so himself anyway. Whoever is doing this wants to learn first. If what you tell me is anything to go by, ordering underlings to steal without killing is the mark of someone who doesn't want unnecessary attention."

"So…"

"I have a few suspects in mind, nothing conclusive yet." Bruce finished.

"Well, in any case, what do we do now?" Peter inquired, not wanting to be kept out of the loop.

A few seconds passed, Bruce looking in thoughts while Peter just waited.

"Rest up, tomorrow night we will start to search for who is watching you."

"What? I can still-" Peter tried.

"I said rest, when I have enough evidence, we will be able to search effectively. As of now my suit is damaged and the computer is still running analysis on the serum used on the titan. I will, hopefully, be able to develop an effective counteragent soon. What I gave Gordon was something to give us time." Bruce declared, his tone final.

The Webslinger didn't have the heart to argue, and he did want to relax a bit, the Goblin being gone helping with that.

"Fine, I'll go use the apartment-size room you got me." He strolled away towards the passage to the manor, the symbiote shifting around him.

A black-suited Spider-man left the cave, a young man wearing a black T-shirt and black jeans along with black running shoes entered the manor, almost colliding with a surprised Alfred carrying a tray.

"Oh Mr. Parker! I did not know you had clothes of your own with you except the ones you were wearing when you arrived…" Alfred said in slight confusion

"Sorry for the almost-impact, but these clothes are actually the black suit, neat right?"

"…Indeed, well, have a good night Mr. Parker. At least one of you will sleep tonight." Responded Alfred with slight amusement before going down in the cave.

Peter shrugged and went to his room, fully intent on being on top of his game the next day.

In the cave…

Bruce typed away, waiting for the hidden door/clock to close before doing what he wanted to. He pressed a few keys and, after a few seconds, a familiar voice answered.

"Bruce? It's been a while."

"Indeed Clark, but it is not a social call."

"Of course, it isn't. What is the problem?"

"Was there any energy surge or dimensional issues recently?"

The question made Clark pause for a few seconds. Despite not seeing him, Bruce could tell that his inquiry caught him off-guard.

"I would ask how could word travel so fast but I know better. Something happened, we don't know what exactly but thanks to the Phantom Zone we were able to learn something important."

"What is it?" If the Phantom Zone was involved, it couldn't be good.

"A few inmates almost escaped, luckily we were able to neutralize and send them back before anything serious can happen. But we learned that in a different dimension, something released so much energy that it damaged the borders between different worlds, the Zone being one of them. It is not unlikely we will see some strange occurrences in the near-future."

"I think we need to meet, there is a lot to talk about. Come here as soon as you can, I have something to show you."

During the night…

In an abandoned subway, two men were arguing, their voices making their henchmen cower.

"You mean to tell me you don't have the spine to fight this kid!?"

At this, the other man narrowed his eyes, not even the mask he wore could mask his disdain. His answer was cold but hid his anger.

"Do not speak to me of spine, this child will share the fate I granted the Bat long ago."

"Then why are you not outside already?"

"I was given the understanding that we are waiting for one of my former associates." When the man said this, he looked down upon the other, his form towering over everyone in the room.

"Listen here you bas-"

"Shut up, both of you." A cold voice said, prompting the two men to turn.

"Aah, I never would have believed you would consider alliances after the last time." The large man said upon seeing the orange and black armored man walking towards them.

"Unlike you, Two-Face, I have been watching him, studying him. I assume you have as well?" He said while turning to the towering man.

"Indeed. I believe that hiring all those lowlifes must have cost a small fortune."

"Those goons were even happier to be paid for not killing. They were nothing but a mere test. They didn't even know who hired them."

"A test for what!?" Two-Face exclaimed, frustrated at being kept out of the loop.

"Dent, listen and stop screaming."

After a small silence, he started again.

"He is but a kid, with all I have seen it's obvious he doesn't have nearly as much experience as Batman, his fighting style seems to rely heavily on his powers. Strength can be redirected, speed can be anticipated, mobility can be limited. The contract I received unfortunately required a little assistance, if it makes you interested, it seems like some of your goons told him about you and one of your hideouts."

The disfigured man gritted his teeth but stayed silent in contemplation. The armored man continued.

"He knows about you, but as far as I know, he has no idea about us. Which gives us a unique opportunity. The green maniac is apparently gone now which makes this even easier as we don't have to deal with an unstable variable."

"So what is the plan? I presume you have one."

"Dent's goons will lure him where we want and soften him up. He may be a meta-human but he is not without limit; anyone can get tired eventually. You and I will finish the job, I don't expect regular criminals to bring him down, not after he and the Bat took down that titan."

"Mmm…As much as I would like to break him myself, your plan seems sound. He might prove to be a worthy opponent despite being a mere child."

"Any questions Two-Face?"

"With his current influence and the fact that he made some of my men talk, I have no objections. One goody-two-shoe is more than enough. I will gather my men, send us a signal when all of us are ready"

The armored man lightly nodded before starting to leave, he was stopped by the large man's voice.

"What do you plan on doing in the meantime, Deathstroke?"

"…Learn, until the moment is right, I will learn. No one is without weakness."

OMG it's been so long...I often though about it (a lot) but I never got around to finishing the chapter in one go (for various reasons). As you can see I am not quite dead and so this story goes on. As a response to certain questions/complaints, criticism is fine (and useful if it is constructive) but could it be kept at a reasonable size please?

See you all next time in the next chapter!