Spider-Man 0X

Ch: 182 [Ezekiel Sims]

The heroes spread out across the city, each taking a different sector to search for any remnants of Miles' machinations. Peter also wanted to make sure everything was alright. He swung from building to building, his eyes scanning the streets below for anything out of place.

He landed on top of a skyscraper and surveyed the surrounding area. The streets were quiet and empty, tonight due to the evacuation drill. All civilians were either hiding in their homes or waiting in the designated shelters. There wasn't much activity. Peter took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing his senses. He spread out his chi and magic all around, enhancing his senses to the maximum. Nothing. No traces of cyborgs, nor any sign of danger. Everything was calm.

"Good," Peter muttered softly and opened his eyes. "Huh?!" His senses detected a life signature a few blocks away from his location, on a rooftop, but he couldn't get a read on it. Something was interfering with his chi, blocking his senses. He leaped off the building and swung towards the source of the energy reading, curiosity getting the better of him.

He arrived at the rooftop where the unknown energy signature was coming from. As he got nearer, the figure stepped into the light—a tall, elderly man with a lean build, dressed in simple clothing. There was nothing particularly menacing about him, yet Peter couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this man than met the eye.

"Hey there, old-timer," Peter called out, trying to keep his tone light. "It's not safe to be up here. You should head back inside."

The man looked up at Peter, his expression calm and unreadable. "I'm just out for a walk," he replied, his voice steady and deep. "But I should be the one telling you that, young man. The city is dangerous tonight."

Before Peter could respond, the man turned and leaped from the rooftop, landing on the side of a building with ease.

Peter's eyes widened as the man began to run, not on the ground, but along the vertical surface of the building. He moved with a speed and agility that rivaled Peter's own, his footsteps light and precise. Without a second thought, Peter launched himself after the man, his webs shooting out to pull him along. "Hey! Wait up!" he called out, but the man didn't slow down. If anything, he sped up, darting around corners and leaping from one building to the next with an ease that defied logic.

Peter pushed himself to keep up, his mind racing with questions.

'Who was this man? How was he able to move like that? How is he crawling and walking on the wall like him?'

The chase led them through the labyrinth of New York's skyline, the two figures darting through the air like shadows in the night. Peter could feel his frustration growing. No matter how fast he went, the man always seemed to be one step ahead, effortlessly evading every web and every attempt to cut him off.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the man stopped on a rooftop overlooking Central Park. As soon as Spidey landed on the rooftop, he made sure to surround the entire area with magic traps. The old man turned toward Peter.

"Who are you?" Peter demanded, his voice laced with suspicion. "And where did you get that spider power?"

"You are going to die soon," The old man replied, ignoring Peter's questions. "I've been watching you. You're strong, but not strong enough to defeat what's coming." He flipped over toward Peter and landed on his feet, then he extended his hand toward him. "Nice to meet you Spider-Man. Or should I say, Peter Parker?"

Peter stared at the man in shock, his eyes wide behind his mask. He threw a punch, aiming to blast the old man's face, but the old man dodged it with ease. "How do you know my name?!" He growled. "You better come clean, oldie. Or else-"

"Or else what?" The man asked, his voice calm and unwavering. "Will you kill me? Beat me to death? No, Peter. I know your power and your weakness and I'm far more superior than you. It would take more than brute strength to beat me. Besides, I've been crawling around long before your birth. So, show some respect, boy."

Peter shook his head with a sigh, "Superior you say, huh?!" He pointed his finger at the place where the old man was standing. Multiple chains shot out from under the old man's feet, ensnaring his body in their tight grip. "You see... Things have been too dangerous lately. First wizards from the Dark Dimension, then these freaking cyborgs, and now you pop up out of nowhere. And since you know my weakness, I think I'll just kill you. Problem solved. Right? So, wanna talk?"

The old man chuckled, "I'm about to yank your chain like nobody else ever has before, and nobody ever will again. So listen carefully. Ever wondered how you got your power? How many spider abilities do you have? How many you have yet to unlock? Why did you get that many abilities? Why did the Great Weaver want to save you? How did those useless chumps manage to steal those spiders from a highly secured facility with their pea-sized brains? Did the radiation enable the spider to give you those powers? Or was the spider trying to give you those powers before the radiation killed it? Which came first? The radiation? Or the power? The chicken or the egg or the power?"

Peter remained silent for a few minutes, processing everything that he just heard. Finally, he spoke up, "So... I'm guessing you had a hand in this? Me getting bitten by multiple spiders and gaining my spider powers?"

The old man nodded. "It was a necessary precaution to throw off that bloodsucker."

"Ok. Stop right there. What's your name? You know mine, so... Care to share yours?"

"My name is Ezekiel Sims. And I'm here to give you a chance to save your own life," Ezekiel replied, his tone serious. "You have a lot to learn, Peter Parker. There are forces beyond your comprehension at work here."

'Ah! Sims, huh?! I know all about you..." Peter smirked under his mask as he remembered Ezekiel Sims from comics that he read in his real world before these rebirth shits.

Ezekiel Sims, a recipient of Spider-Totem powers through a mysterious ritual, sought fortune following his newfound abilities similar to Spider-Man's. Recognizing his totemic nature and the threat from higher-order beings, Ezekiel took measures to protect future Spider-Totems from entities like Morlun. He joined the Spider Society, aiding in the formation of WebCorps as a front. He mentored Cindy Moon, another bitten by a Radioactive Spider, training her until realizing Morlun was tracking her. To safeguard her, Ezekiel secluded Cindy in a special room.

Monitoring Peter Parker's development as Spider-Man, Ezekiel warned him of Morlun's pursuit. Despite urging Peter to hide, he faced Morlun himself to prevent casualties.

In a confrontation with Morlun, Ezekiel saved Spider-Man's life but disappeared after a subsequent fight. He later aided Spider-Man against Shathra, guiding him to a sacred temple in Ghana and warning him of imminent threats beyond Morlun. As the Gatekeeper targeted Ezekiel for his accidental acquisition of powers, their conflict escalated. Ezekiel, deemed unworthy by the Gatekeeper, plotted against Spider-Man, ultimately sacrificing himself to save Peter, realizing his life pursuit of wealth was misguided.

"Where is Cindy Moon?" Peter asked. His question seemed to have taken Ezekiel by surprise as he saw the old man stiffened. "I know about you. You trapped Cindy Moon in a special chamber for years to protect her from Morlun. Now, you want me to go inside a similar room like that and hide in there? Nah! I'll take my chances."

Ezekiel regained his composure and sighed, "Did the Ancient One tell you?"

"Doesn't matter. But now that I think of those questions... You tried to do something new, huh?! You tried to give me multiple totem powers to throw off Morlun and use me against him as a weapon he would never expect, didn't you? If that was the case... You aren't from this reality, right? You can dimension travel like Morlun and you collected all those totem spiders and created a scenario where Flash would stumble upon them and the rest you already know..." Peter said as he summoned another batch of restraining chains, wrapping Ezekiel tightly as he began to increase the pressure.

He continued...

"That 0X-Serum. It just happened to be there, right in front of my eyes when I needed it the most. You knew what Osborn was experimenting on, didn't you? So, in fear that I might die due to those multiple spider bites, you made sure I got that serum that has insane healing properties and much more. That brings me to my next two questions- How did you know I'd take that particular serum? 0X-Serum... Your voice... It's so familiar. It's like I've heard your voice for years. You were there... in the lab..." Peter grabbed his throat and pulled him up in the air.

"Sacrifices have to be made to keep our world safe," Ezekiel gasped as he felt the air leaving his lungs. "I chose you because you have the potential to surpass Morlun and defeat him."

"You know who I am and my second mutation that I'm still trying to figure out. You knew about it. Is it soul transfer or rebirth like Phoenix Force? You fucking piece of shit!" Peter punched his stomach.

Ezekiel coughed up blood but kept his mouth shut.

"All this time... It was you. I thought I killed everyone related to that matter. But who would have thought... You escaped. All those years of pain and suffering. Even now, I can feel it... Pain... Suffering... Anger... Hatred... Desperation... Loneliness..." Peter laughed hysterically. "The endless experiments and toxins... Hahahahaha! You... I'll rip your skin and flesh off your bones... And you're going to suffer and scream to your heart's content. I'm gonna make you feel the same pain... No, pain isn't enough. I'm gonna make you experience hell!"

Peter increased the pressure of the chains, slowly crushing Ezekiel's body. Blood dripped from the old man's mouth as he struggled to breathe, his face contorted in agony.

"But before that, you'll tell me the secret behind your powers and the coordinates of my reality..."

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