Running

[Punisher]

[[OOC - this is a continuation of the Punisher Vs the Sidekicks]]

Frank ran past house, tree, suburban life, running hard and fast away, fleeing, fleeing from the crime scene. Shield, Runaways running away, Young Avengers, fleeing.

Frank jumped a fence, running, threw an alleyway, running, across a road, running, dodging traffic.

'You've got nothing, you can't get me. Im nothing compared...compared to them' Franks speach was broken and weak, breathless and frantic. He was scared, he ran, ran when others should be running.

[Spider-Man]

Spidey ground his teeth together, his eyes settling determinedly on the Punisher. He was darting through the streets, an air of desperation mingled with pure fear emanating from him. He was running...but Spidey knew it was not from SHIELD, and not from the meta kids. He was running from himself.

"Castle!" Spidey barked, extending the three mechanical legs from his back and launching himself free from the webline as he reached the end of his arc. He descended the space between his body and the pavement in an aesthetically pleasing manner, slipping through the air and landing in a perfect crouch before the Punisher, his three 'spider-walkers' splayed out behind him. "Come on, snap out of it! I don't wanna have to beat you senseless again..."

And in truth, he didn't want to. The webslinger would rather end the dispute peacefully than have to use his fists. Perhaps there was some sort of compromise in the situation...

[Punisher]

Frank tripped, falling, hitting the pavement. Hard. Scrambling to his feet, he looked back seeing Spider man, seeing him chasing Frank.

Frank started to run again, his leg now killing Frank, the arrow had obviously caused more pain than Frank had bargained for. The pain was blinding, Frank was being forced to stop, forced to fight...

...Spider man shouted at Frank, something about compromise more like giving up. But Frank had no option, it felt like his leg was dropping off, and with every step it was getting worse...Frank had to stop

[Spider-Man]

Great! He's stopped! Spidey thought, and knelt beside the fallen man. He was scraped and bruised, and Spidey couldn't help but think that he looked like he'd been scraped through a brutal and bloody war. A very, very lonely war.

"C'mon, Castle," Spidey murmured. "Don't die on me. The SHIELD guys are comin' up, and I wanna know what's going on with you, and what this was all about, before they take you in. Believe it or not, I don't wanna see you in a cell. So why don't you just calm down and explain what's going on?"

[Punisher]

'There's too many Spider freak, not just SHIELD but 'heroes'. People wearing masks and parading around like they have the right to deal out justice. I can't stop them, i can't deal with them, those who fill the streets and sewers, once i could, not any more.'

Frank paused, contemplating his fate...

'End it, Spiderman, leave me and end it...kill me if you must but it can't go on'

Frank paused it again

'End it or join me...'

[Spider-Man]

Kill him?

Frank Catsle, in Spidey's eyes, had always been a brutal man bordering on insanity. Both crimefighters were driven by the detah of a loved ones, but Castle's loss had been more severe. The happiness that he had earned was ripped away from him by happenstance. The fuel making him do what he did, Spidey had deduced, was the guilt that plagued him - he had survived, and his family hadn't. He had tried to avenge them by resorting to the same tactics as their killers, replacing his priest's dog-collar with a skull. Has he finally snapped?

"Frank, what are you going on about?" Spidey pressed, gripping the man's shoulder. "Is this about the Registration Act? What has happened to you?"

[Punisher]

It had all gone right for Frank, the Spiderfreak had leaned in close...it was the time for attack.

Frank carfully and descreatly pulled out a desert eagle and placed it on Spidermans chest...Frank pulled the trigger

'I think the question is whats happening to you...!'

[Spider-Man]

As Castle squeezed the trigger, Spidey had already closed his hand around the barrel. The bullet ricocheted inside and would havesheared through the black-clad vigilante's limb if the web-slinger hadn't tossed it aside. Spidey drew his fist back and pressed it forward into his opponent's face.

"Here I was, thinking we were just gonna go back to your house for a couple o' beers," he quipped, "and you have to go popping bullets at me form your pea-shooter!"

[Punisher]

'Once a fighter, always a fighter Spider man'

Frank was pinned to the ground by the hero, the situation was fimiliar...reminisant of the Stark tower incident.

'Why haven't you killed me yet...you got some kind of purpose for me?

[Spider-Man]

"We're not all psycho freaks like you!" Spidey growled, and jammed his fist into Castle's stomach. Inhaling deeply, the spider-themed vigilante took a step back and readied himself to trigger his web cartridges. "Now gimme one good reason why I shouldn't web that mouth of yours closed."

[Punisher]

Frank hated begging and pleading...especially in terms of his life. Frank knew that in this situation there would be no easy way of getting out...getting away.

'I'm a hunter...a hero hunter, i can get Captain America...he is not invincible...'

Frank let his words hang in the air, they could well be desicive...they could very well decide his future

'..He can be killed!'

[Spider-Man]

Spidey's frown deepened behind his mask, although he didn't let his indecision show. A strange feeling overcame him. He had been present when Castle had attacked Cap with the SHIELD officers and blown the face off the Daily Bugle, but he hadn't realised the sheer hatred that he had felt...nor the malice tainting his voice now. This was no longer a small skirmish. He had half-realised it when Captain America had gone into hiding, but Castle's babbling had confirmed it.

This was a war.

"Nobody's getting killed on my watch," he spat. "Now explain why you wanna kill Cap so bad, or you'll lose several teeth."

[Punisher]

'Lets just say we have history kid, he's not the man everybody thinks he is...his a cold blooded murderer, just like the guy in-front of you. The only difference is he's endorsed by the U.S government...i'm not'

'I can honestly say all the people i kill deserve it...i have no regrets. Can he say the same thing, can you? Me and you are the same, two people...torn between indecisions and unfortunately they lead to deaths. Family, friends...wives. I've already lost, how about you?'

'We work together...we'll keep it quite and it could be greatly beneficial to both of us.'

He raised his hand infront of him, in hope...for once in honesty

[Spider-Man]

"Are you...offering me a partnership? To help kill Cap?!" Spidey spat the words savagely from his mouth, disgusted at the mere thought. "You're the only cold-blooded murdering freak involved here! Cap's not a killer!" He buried his fist in Castle's palm.

[Punisher]

'Your friendship with Cap is unwise...especially with your loyalty to Stark and his pro-reg forces. I'm offering you a third side...when you realise that both are as bad as each other.'

'The war is coming home to you Spiderman...do you have an army?'