1So I wrote this on a mutual challenge with a friend on a Discord server. It was always going to be sad given the subject matter and troubled relationships involved, but I never intended it to be as religious as it turned out to be either. I'm kind of worried this doesn't feel much like a Spider-Man story given how grounded I'm setting it and the fact a lot of details are going to be left in the background.
It was a cold rainy day, it seemed normal enough, well whatever could pass for normal in New York City these days even more than usual. In a cemetery near St Nicholas Church A man, with short black hair stood near a simple headstone near a recent grave. It had read Sergei Kravinoff 1978-2023. The man could not believe he waited three days after his brother's death as was custom, or that this crisis was over that soon.
"You got your last hunt, Seryozha. I know about Dima, I almost thought you didn't have a sense of humor." The man laughed, but it was bitter and felt empty. "I could almost imagine you glaring at me, you never did like that name or Sergiyko either. But if I were to open that coffin there wouldn't even be a skull to place eyes on. Is that what you wanted? To end up with your head bitten off by some, some, thing from another world." [1]
The man tried not to shudder at the memory of those creatures, hearing their screams or the people they took away. At least more than one time he was outside he found himself helping a group of people get to safety they shared life stories, well not *his* life story but one of the many faces he wore. He did not know what his brother did, but those things came after his death.
"I'll never understand why that damned hunt was so important to you Sergei. Yes, it got us through the bad times, but how could your Mother expect us to continue the 'traditions' as things got worse as the years went on?"
The figure stopped to wipe a tear from his eyes.
"I remember our last hunt together, in Khazakstan, it was a brown bear. Before I left, you said I was a disgrace for becoming a small-time hitman and criminal. What did it matter that I killed for others, we were both killers even if I killed for money. It was better than living poor, but it did not matter. You were always a Kravinov, you had to honor the memory of the cossack Samuil Kravin, and Me? I am a Smerdyakov, a son of the reeking one. As if life were a Doestovesky novel, as if being denied brotherhood was just some grand story, as if you believed as well have come mildew from an old bath house, and not your brother." [2]
The figure took a deep breath and looked up at the overcast sky before he looked back down at the grave.
"You said I was scum, someone who worked for monsters, and you held yourself to a higher calling as hunter as if it were a mission from God." The man's fists tightened. "You killed some old comrades of mine, you know. Did you even know what Toombs was going through and how he was just like you? Herman, that poor bastard deserved better. If it makes you feel better I won't lose sleep over knowing Gargin is dead.
There was another emotionless laugh, but the figure's fists were still tight.
"Yet you would kill your own brother no sooner than Cain would have killed Abel." His voice almost cracked. "And your kids, my nieces and nephews, they either hunted each other or you hunted them and, what happened with poor Sasha, I know what happened to her. Were you all like a bunch of animals save for her? A few tears rolled down the stranger's face.
"No. Animals would not destroy each other like that, some glorious lineage the Kravinovs were. We hunted animals to become worse than animals." The figure's anger was replaced with a sigh. "Is death all you leave with you, Sergei? Yes, I am not much better, but was this the 'greatness' you aspired to? The greatness that you said I could never achieve, to be a killer? Yet I am a killer just like you." [3]
Out of the man's pocket came a prayer book "Would you even find amusement in what I am about to do? I even waited three days, like we did with your mother."
The figure got on his knees taking his right hand he pressed his index and middle finger together with his thumb. He put his right hand to his head, his body, then his right and left shoulders making the sign of a cross. Opening the book to the proper section he began to read.
"O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Pardon every transgression which they have committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth.
For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen."
The prayer ended with just the wind blowing, as the man had stood back up.
'Should I expect that you would pray for me, wherever you might be Sergiyko?' It was a stupid thought how could God exist in a world like this?
Footsteps could be heard heading toward him, but he did not quite care at the moment.
"Goodbye Sergei, I shall do what you could not, and bring down the Spider-Men."
Another person was heading his way they looked like an older teen, he had a familiar-looking face, but his skin was dark brown and his hair was curly. He wore a leather jacket with jeans. They walked past each other, only for one pair of footsteps to stop.
"Why were you at my father's grave? You don't look like you are from that crazed cult that followed him." The voice's English was slightly accented, but his words were clear enough to shake the man.
"I am estranged, I did not know he had yet another son."
"The name's Alexei. I would say Kravinoff, but what is the point of it? The name might as well be worthless." [4]
A fire welled in up the mysterious man's heart, and he almost wondered why.
"I wanted that name more than anything else!" His voice was louder than it had been for a while. "It has expectations, legacy, a dedication to the traditions of the hunt, and comradery of your fellow hunters!" The speaker stopped himself, trying to not be any more emotional, realizing what he had done, he allowed himself a smirk. "If only your father were here, he'd agree before he would kill us both probably."
"You are estranged family too." The man only nodded at Alexei's question. Did my father leave a habit of holding family in disgrace?"
"Only his 'dear' younger brother."
"Tonton?" Alexei said on instinct to the other man's confusion. "Sorry. You are my Uncle?"
"Yes, the name is Dimitri, we should catch up sometime." Dimitri's offer was met with weariness.
"Perhaps, I'd like a taste of home, do you know if La Caye is any good?" It was an unusual question, La Caye served Haitian food to Dimtiri's knowledge. [5]
"It might be I never ate there, I'll see you around then, Alyosha. A white light enveloped Dimitri and he disappeared. "You'll know me when you see me." Dimitri left his newfound nephew alone, at least for now.
A figure appeared out of thin air leaving the cemetery grounds. "Perhaps, you left more than you realized brother, I will see he does not come to harm. Perhaps our traditions will not die with me alone."
[1] Seryozha is the Russian diminutive form of Sergei, and Sergiyko is the Ukrainian form. Kravin has at least two Slavic patronyms or names you get from your father, Nikolaivich and Symostivych. Nikolaevich is Russian for son of Nikolai, however, Symostivych is unclear where that name came from although it has been making the rounds. It could just be Russian-sounding gibberish, but there is a Greek name Symos, and vych is a Ukrainian patronym yet this is me looking too much into things, but I will have Kraven down as having Ukrainian ancestry.
Dima the name of Kraven's tiger and coincidentally or perhaps purposefully is the diminutive form of Dimitri, the same name as his brother Dimitri.
[2] I'm honestly not sure how much of this is purposeful considering Kraven's Last Hunt which greatly influenced the character, was written by John Marc DeMatteis who is a fan of Russian Novelist Fyodor Doestovesky. Smerdyakov is also the last name of a deceptive, shunned character who also happens to be a (possible) half-brother from the novel The Brothers Karamazov.
As for the Kravinoffs being descended from Cossacks, I'm just going by some of the implications in the photos of Spider-Man 2 you can find in Kraven's headquarters.
[3] Again this might be unintentional but you can make something sensible out of Kravinoff. For starters Off in Kravinoff is a French transliteration of ov, or Kravinov. That itself means pertaining to the name Kravin, Kravin itself might be an Argentine Jewish surname, but there are close Russian Jewish names like Khavin, Kravets, or Kravitsky.
[4] Alexei 'Alyosha' Kravinoff is one of Kraven's four children and is the only one not accounted for in the Insomniac Spiderman Games. He was the son of Kraven who was seen as something of a shame for being a mutant Especially since Kraven's family tree has two names crossed out on it.
[5] Alexei Kravinoff was born in Africa, but I'm making him the son of Kraven and the Hatian supervillainess Calypso, but perhaps as an alternate version of the Mariah Crawford version of her from Spiderman TAS, if I ever do anything else with this.