One Universe: Season IV IC Thread

[Eddie Brock]

"Hey, CK, you hear the news?"

"...no?"

"Your missing professor? He just returned."

***

I make my way immediately to Dr. Milton Fine's office, for the first time without breaking in. When I knock on the door, a pleasant voice invites me to come inside. I step into the office and see a man in a corduroy jacket with his back to me. "Dr. Fine? My name is Clark Kent. I'm from the Daily Planet," I announce.

The man turns and smiles. He's somewhat unassuming, though clearly a scholar. His eyes widen with sudden recognition, and he replies, "Kal-El."

"..."

"Forgive me. I know this must be quite surprising. You may hide behind glasses and a soft-spoken demeanor, but you look just like Jor-El did at your age," Dr. Fine explains. He shakes his head. "I'm sorry. So sorry. I know this is confusing. If you'll give me a moment to explain..."

"How do you know those names?"

"Right. Right, that's what I mean. You see, I'm something of a collector of interstellar artifacts." He motions to the many peculiar objects placed around his office. "I stumbled across a Kryptonian artifact a few weeks ago - though I certainly didn't know what it was at the time." Dr. Fine pauses and frowns. "Perhaps I should explain this differently. Do you know of the Brain Interactive Construct?"

I nod, still hesitant about this whole situation. Who is this man, and how does he know so much of Krypton? "It was a Kryptonian supercomputer."

Dr. Fine gives an uneasy laugh. "That and so much more, I'm afraid. I believe what I discovered was a portion of the BrainIAC. When I came into contact with it, it somehow...downloaded into my brain."

I shake my head. "That's not possible. BrainIAC was destroyed with Krypton."

Dr. Fine turns ghastly white. "No, Kal-El. BrainIAC survived. You see, he detected Krypton's imminent destruction long before anyone on the planet - even your brilliant father. Rather than warn the Science Council of the impending danger, he began collecting as much information as possible from the archives."

"You're saying BrainIAC knew what was going to happen and didn't tell anyone?"

"Precisely." Dr. Fine clears his throat before continuing. "Moments after Galactus's herald arrived, BrainIAC jettisoned himself into space - disabling Krypton's computer systems and leaving them all but defenseless against Galactus." He gives me a moment to process this revelation. "You see, BrainIAC lives to collect data. And the planets he's studied all share one common theme: they've all been destroyed."

"I don't understand."

"BrainIAC wishes to become the sole information authority in the universe. By destroying civilizations after studying them, he assures that he is the last surviving expert on their society. And I fear that he's already here on Earth." Dr. Fine stares coldly. "In fact, I fear he's been here for quite some time, examining us."

"How do you know this?"

"It all became clear to me after I discovered that artifact," Dr. Fine explains. "At first, it was just a collection of strange symbols and images. I left to go sort things out, and I see I made a lot of people worried for my safety." He pauses. "Sorry about that, by the way. But I had to understand what these images were, why they were burned into my brain! And I know now. What I discovered was a piece of BrainIAC, which means he's here. Maybe even that he meant for someone to find it."

I frown. If everything Dr. Fine has said is true, then BrainIAC is here on Earth, and he's up to something. "How can we find him?"

Dr. Fine shakes his head. "I don't know, Kal-El. We might be able to glean something from the information in my brain, but it would take a computer nearly equal to BrainIAC just to be able to track him."

"I think I know where we can find one."
​

 

[wiegeabo]

It started with a call to 911.

She was pleading in quiet terror with the operator. A man had broken into her apartment and shot her husband. She was cowering in the closet with her daughter, unable to speak up for fear of being found.

And then they were.

I arrived long before the the police, and was therefore greeted only by a warm body. The husband in the living room, close range shotgun wound to the chest, but no defensive wounds.

It had happened that fast.

I quickly secured each room until I was finally left with the bedroom and presented with the second victim, laying half in the closet, close range shotgun wound to her back. Likely protecting her child.

But where was the child?

Back in the living room, I find a fiber on the floor. Yellow carpet. It matches nothing in the apartment. Tracked in by the killer? Possibly. In the kitchen I see a laundry chute. Open. Too small for an adult.

The child could still be down there.

I rush out of the apartment and leap over the stairwell, using my cape to slow my decent to the bottom. I kick open the door to the laundry, but find nothing. Not even the end of the chute. But there are scratches on the floor. Fresh. Someone just moved this dryer. I slide it away from the wall.

And find the other end of the chute.

The child would have been trapped. Probably crying out for help. Until the killer found her. Except this is all supposition with no hard evidence. I unsnap a container from my belt and open it up. Taking out the brush, I rub it into the dust, then gently swipe it across the chute. I just need one print.

And I get it.

It's not clean, but it should be enough. I pull out my comm and snap a hi-res picture of the print. "Computer: Analyze and report."

"Checking....checking...Match found. 86.78% probability."

I read the information faster than the computer speaks it. And I'm moving before it's finished talking. The print belongs to a known felon. A convicted sex offender. But not a registered sex offender. And his address is this building. An apartment one floor higher than the victims, and on the other side of the courtyard.

I run across the lobby to the other staircase, firing a line up to the floor. It's dark, but there are people looking out their doors. All but two close the second they see me.

"Did you see anything?" I ask an older man.

He shakes head. "Just heard the shots."

"How many?"

"Two."

I nod and continue to the other door where two kids are looking at me with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"Do you know the man who lives in that apartment?" I ask, pointing.

"Yeah."

"He's weird."

I nod again. "Get inside." Their door closes behind me. It takes me six seconds to pick his lock. I could do it faster, but not quieter. I slowly push the door open, ready for anything.

The first thing I see is garish yellow carpet.

The next thing I see is the victim's apartment out the window, the police on scene.

In the next room is a prescription bottle, mostly full, but a month old. He's off his meds-

CREEEEEK

I hit the ground an instant before the shotgun blast takes my head off. Instead, my cape takes the worst of it. I spin around instantly, batarang in hand, but freeze on the spot.

"Don't move! I'll kill her!" He holds the daughter by the neck, the barrel of his gun pressed against her head.

"Why?"

"It's her fault!" He shoves the girl forward slightly. "I was getting better. I wasn't having the feelings anymore. And then they moved in. And she...she was so young. And she flaunted it. Always walking around where I could see her. Brushing her hair in front of the window...I-I couldn't help myself anymore!"

Under my belt, I reach for the dial pad, thinking back to the information I just scanned through. Specifically, a telephone number. "It's not her fault-"

"She was playing games with me! Wait...you're...you're trying to stall. You're playing games too!"

His phone rings. He glances at it, the barrel of the gun wavering. He doesn't even see the batarang when it hits his head. But his grip on the girl remains tight. And they fall through the window.

They always fall.

I'm out the window with them, two lines in my hands, the ends of which I latch onto the safety bars as I leap out into the air. I'm only a second behind them, forcing my body to become aerodynamic. As I catch up to him, and snag one line around his ankle, he stops instantly, screaming out in pain. I probably broke his ankle and dislocated his leg.

It's going to hurt. A lot.

But I can't worry about that. I put all my focus on the girl. I stretch out with my hand towards hers. She just falls, too in shock to do anything but be a limp sack. Which is probably what's going to save her from injury as I grab her wrist and pull the second line tight around my belt.

Our downward momentum suddenly shifts sideways as we swing towards a window. I use my body to shield hers and we crash inside. My back and head slam against the wall. Hard. She goes rolling out onto the floor.

"Are you ok?"

She stares for a moment, and then the tears start. "I...I want my mommy."

***

IC: Sarah Essen

It's getting worse and worse out here.

Jim's been out of a job for a few weeks now. Grogan and Flass have done a horrible job of running the GCPD, as expected. The MCU has been dismantled and we've all been sent to different positions. Bullock and Allen got the best deal, heading back to Homicide.

I got a promotion and now command one of the cities sleepiest districts, the Southeastern District. Filled with blue collar workers and more conventional familes, were mostly deal with domestic abuse instead of a 1-8-7 in some dark alley. It's a great post for someone in the twilight of their career who likes working 9-5 and playing golf....but that's not me. I need to be out there pounding the pavement, working cases and putting people behind bars. This...this isn't me.

As bad as I have it, Jim is worse. He came back from Europe changed. He told me the story about his search for Gilda and how it ended. He's been in a funk for weeks now. First he was fired, then there was the mess with Doctor Quinzel. The trip to Europe and its results seemed to be icing on the cake. We've talked for days about what to do with the information the probe into Two-Face recovered, he says to let sleeping dogs lie but I can't do that. A good man like Jim deserves better in this world than what he got from the mayor.

That's why I'm here on the docks, far away from the police buildings. Grogan had the bat-signal removed from Gotham Central, but you'd be how surprised it is to make something so simple.

All you need is a can of spray paint and a really big light.

I look down from the top of a stack of crates with equal parts curiosity, annoyance, and anger.

"This had better be good."

 

[Byrd Man]

I look down from the top of a stack of crates with equal parts curiosity, annoyance, and anger.

"This had better be good."

"It might be worth your time."

I pull out a manilla folder and hold it out for Batman.

"Inside this folder is proof that the mayor was taking campaign contributions from Two-Face. We were able to trace nearly five thousand dollars of those marked bills back to him. He didn't like Jim getting too close and was able to make up some half-assed reason to get him fired and dismantle the MCU. He succeded. Jim is too noble to leak this to the media now that he's unemployed. But I have to admit, the papers getting wind that the mayor was taking money from a known Gotham kingpin would make for some good headlines. We both know Hill is part of the problem when it comes to corruption in this town. This can get him out of office and Jim back in the commissioner's seat. Want to kill two birds with one stone?"

 

[Eddie Brock]

"I call it the Fortress of Solitude."

Dr. Milton Fine stares wide-eyed at the structure looming before us. The corner of his mouth curls into a smile, and he gives a little laugh. "Crystal generation technology. Your father, Jor-El, helped pioneer this kind of thing. Massive structures built in an instant, engineered to suit any specific need. Groundbreaking stuff."

I walk in front of the professor as we enter the Fortress. Very few people have seen inside of it. I'm admittedly a little nervous about inviting a stranger in, but he identified me as Kryptonian right away. And if what he says is true, if he has memories of Krypton stored in his brain, well...I have to know. I have to see for myself.

"Sorry about the cold," I apologize, my voice echoing throughout the cavernous structure. "I had to build it somewhere it wouldn't be found."

Dr. Fine stays back a little ways, stopping to examine the Fortress walls. He runs his hand along the icy crystals, smiling to himself. "Absolutely fascinating. The crystals adopt the characteristics of their surroundings. Entirely self-sustaining. Your father was truly a genius."

I stop and turn. "The main computer is over that way, up ahead of us. How do you plan to use this to find BrainIAC?"

"Well, our first move is to download this data from my brain. That way, we can both get a better look at it," Dr. Fine explains. "From there, we might be able to gather some clues as to BrainIAC's whereabouts, or maybe what he's been up to."

I nod. This all sounds like something Batman would be better suited for, but I have to trust that Dr. Fine knows what he's talking about.

"Now, where did you say the computer was?"

I lead Dr. Fine to the computer. I gently pull the central crystal from the console, and the pillars before us light up like a giant computer screen. Kryptonian symbols swirl around like driftwood, and Dr. Fine stares in amazement.

"An honest-to-God Kryptonian supercomputer," he remarks. "Right here on Earth."

"Jor-El downloaded the entirety of the Kryptonian archives into this computer. So far as I know, it houses the single largest collection of interplanetary data on the Earth."

Dr. Fine floats past me towards the computer. He never once takes his astonished eyes off the control console. When he finally does reach out and touch one of the crystals, he exhales deeply and closes his eyes. "I'm afraid that's not true, Kal-El."

Dr. Fine looks over his shoulder at me.

"I am the greatest authority on the universe on this planet."

Dr. Fine begins rearranging the crystals, and the Fortress seems to dim.

"I must thank you, though. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown me the Fortress."

As Dr. Fine slides the last crystal into place, I feel a familiar burning sensation start in my blood. The control console begins to glow an ominous green, and I feel my strength slip away from me. As the feeling gets stronger, I drop to one knee and begin gasping for air.

"These crystals your father developed are fascinating," Dr. Fine remarks, his voice taking on an unsettling tone. "They can generate every known element, allowing you to create any substance. For instance: sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide or, as your scientists call it, kryptonite."

My muscles begin to contract uncontrollably as my skin is pulled tight. The back of my eyes and throat feel like they are burning. I can barely move, much less process what Dr. Fine is saying.

"...w-why?"

"Isn't it obvious, Kal-El?" Dr. Fine removes one of the crystals, tucking it away in his pocket. He stands above me, his face emotionless. "I am Brainiac."

"...B-Brainiac..."

"Your presence on this planet was quite unexpected, and it caused a great delay in my plans. I knew that the radiation from the yellow sun made you all but unstoppable, so I had to devise a way to remove you from the equation."

He finally smiles.

"Luckily, you were more than willing to lead me to this place, where I knew I could destroy you once and for all. The last son of Krypton dying at the hands of his father's own creation. I believe the humans would call that poetic."

"I...won't...l-let you..."

"The pain is agonizing, I'm sure. Do not be afraid, Kal-El. You will dead within five minutes time. I, on the other hand, have important matters to tend to."

I reach feebly for Brainiac's leg, ready to try anything to stop him. He kicks my hand away effortlessly.

"Goodbye, Kal-El. Be with the rest of your kind."
​

 

[Carnage27]

Nightcrawler

As Scott and I put the Blackbird down in an abandoned train yard outside of Mutant Town and engage the stealth capabilities of the plane as we leave. As I head down the ramp, I can hear the multitude of sirens around the section of New York City, as well as see the red and blue flashing lights as they light up the night sky.

"Well," Wolverine says as he looks down at me and puts his hand on my shoulder, "what are you waiting for, bub?"

I look back at Scott and Jean, "Good luck. Call us if you need us."

I grab a hold of Pete and-

BAMF

Instantly, we're deep in the confusion of Mutant Town. The inhabitants have spilled into the streets, some are looting, but most are running. To where, I'm not sure. As we flew over the area, we noticed the military and police had blocked off the entire area, almost as if they wanted to keep the people in.

"Vell...vhere zhe heck do ve start?" I say looking up at Logan.

"Probably where the goons are guarding the building," he responds. I look up and see two mutants leaning against the walls next to an otherwise inconspicuous door.

"Teleport in, Nightcrawler," we'll deal with them, Pete says as he becomes covered by metal.

I nod, and do as he says.
​

 

[Catman_prb]

There was a flash of smoke at the X-Men teleported themselves into the building, followed by gunfire as the Brotherhood mutants opened up with their machine guns. Longshot smirked slightly as he heard the noises from his main room of operations. Xorn was tied to a chair, heavily sedated, his head lolling. From the large sheet window, the mercenary could see the various security services pulling into Mutant Town, backed up by a large number of American servicemen. He flicked a cigar out of the pouch on his shoulder and put it in his mouth, lighting it casually. He had no fear about the X-Men. Everything was going according to plan.

 

[Eddie Brock]

CYCLOPS

Mutant Town is worse than I expected. Granted, the area isn't particularly known for being stable. Most of the mutants here are unemployed, and the ones who can work are reduced to menial labor and limited pay. The neighborhood is riddled with poverty. Gangs and criminal organizations represent the only semblance of authority. The town council, led by this Xorn character, tries its best to keep the neighborhood afloat while keeping mutants and humans separated.

Now, with the Brotherhood's threat, the town has gone into a frenzy. I only hope Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Wolverine are able to successfully navigate this madness. I keep my hand primed at the edge of my visor at all times, just to be safe.

A red-skinned mutant tosses a Molotov cocktail from a second-floor fire escape. It twirls through the air, threatening to shatter against the windshield of a parked car, until Jean reaches out with her mind and stops it in mid-air. While the bottle continues to float, Jean slowly lifts the burning rag from the bottleneck. She releases the bottle, and it shatters with a harmless splash.

I fire a quick blast in the direction of the fire escape, more for show than anything else. The red-skinned mutant scurries, and I turn back to Jean. "How long do we have?"

"The Brotherhood made their announcement about an hour ago," Jean answers. She trips a would-be looter with her telekinesis, causing him to drop the flatscreen TV that he was cradling under his arm. Jean catches the TV before it hits the ground, setting it down gently. "So if they keep their word, we still have three hours."

"Yeah, well, we can't exactly trust them, can we?" I ask rhetorically. Honestly, with President Luthor dispatching the military to respond to the threat, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Brotherhood speed up their deadline. It's clear the President isn't going to step down, and four hours is enough time for the bombs to be defused. I have a bad feeling that they're up to something.

~Scott, Jean. How are things on the ground?~

~Chaotic, Professor. We're going to do what we can, but perhaps we better leave most of the crowd control to the army?~

~Do what you can. I'm still trying to discover where the Brotherhood is holding Xorn, but they seem to be blocking Cerebro somehow.~

No doubt the work of Magneto when he was still allied with them, I muse. I'm sure the Professor heard me, but he makes no remark about it.
​

 

[Carnage27]

I swing down and land on a building near mutant town, and realize that me dropping in over there would be a huge mistake, just as I had guessed. I can see rioting and fires in the streets, not to mention the army spread out around the entire section of the city. I nod and hope that someone with a brain handles what's going on in there and not someone like Luthor.

"Or there's going to be more bad news for us," I mutter to myself.

Slinging a web and heading back into the city proper, hoping to calm the situation down in there. I can see what cops are left patrolling the streets, but they obviously don't have enough. And that's why I'm here.

A scream draws my attention from an alleyway as I head back towards Times Square, and I quickly divert my path that way. As I drop into the alley, however, I find something I wasn't expecting, "Evening, webhead."

There, standing in front of me is Mac Gargan. Of course I can't tell if it's actually him or not, as his suit covers his entire body, but that greasy, used car salesman voice gives him away instantly. But his suit...it's like a Swiss army knife of doom staring back at me. The long tail swings back and forth, almost ready to strike, his hands and feet are clawed, and there seem to be some sort of projectile shooters on each hand.

"Wow...they really went overboard with the whole 'scorpion' thing didn't they. Oh, and did the feminine scream come from you? What happened? You see a rat?" I chuckle before diving out of the way of Gargan's tail as it lashes out at me without warning. I barely get out of the way in time as the lightening fast strike hits the wall of the alley, taking a giant chunk out of it. "Wait, you're a cop. How come you get to do property damage? They always yell at me for that!"

"Laugh it up, spider," he snarls. "But I'm gonna take you in no matter what. And I'm gonna rough you up for what you've done to me."

"Done to you-WHOA!" as I begin to question him, he rushes me, claws scraping and tail flailing. I barely get out of the way as I scurry up the closest wall. "Seriously, dude. Last time I checked I didn't do anything to you."

"LIAR!" he yells driving the tail at me yet again. I realize that I have to get out of here. He's a cop, and I'd rather not hurt him and get in even more trouble. I shoot some webbing at his feet and the tail, affixing them to the ground and a wall respectively.

As I swing off into the night, I yell back, "Sorry, Gargan! I've got more important things to do tonight than play with you!"

**********

As the Spider-man swings off, Gargan aims his wrists at the webbing on his feet and gives his wrists a flick. Instantly two squirts of acid are released, and they instantly melt away the adhesive holding me in place.

He can't help but watch the so called hero leave him there like a joke. Just like he had left her to die. The rage inside Gargan builds, and he almost feels something inside himself snap, "Fine, spider. You want to play dirty? I have no problem with that."

He turns back towards the darkened alley, and back towards his home, "No problem at all."
​

 

[Eddie Brock]

So this is how I'll die. Lying on the floor of the Fortress, burned out from the inside by kryptonite exposure. God knows what Brainiac's planning to do with me out of the picture. I only wish I could alert the Justice League, so that they might be able to get to him before he does anything. And Kara...she'll be the last of our kind now. What a heavy burden to bear. I think of all the people I'll be letting down.

"L-Lois..."

No! I will not die like this! Not here, not today! Summoning what little strength I have, I crawl to the control panel. Brainiac sabotaged it. I have no way of shutting it off. Morever, moving closer to the source of the radiation is only intensifying the pain. I reach my hand back, though it feels like it weighs a ton, and slam it into the crystals. I make a small crack in them. I do it again, this time forming a small indentation as the cracks start to splinter.

My vision is blurred now. I don't have much longer. I lift my arm again, barely conscious of the movement. I feel the air slipping in and out of my lungs in pained gasps. When I hear the sound of my fist meeting the control panel, it sounds a million miles away. For a second, I swear I see Jor-El and Lara, my parents. I close my eyes and bring my fist down again.

I collapse. I've failed. Jor-El and Lara are getting closer now. It feels like my blood is boiling. I've never been exposed to radiation this strong for this long before. I unclench my fist, feeling everything starting to slip away.

"Jor-El...I've f-failed..."

The darkness begins to set in.

Suddenly, I feel something wet on my hand. I open my eyes, but everything is an unintelligible blur. I see something white moving. I open my mouth, but I don't have the strength to speak. Then, my cheek begins to feel wet. I feel the hot breath on my face.

Even the act of smiling pains me. "K-Krypto..."

Krypto's never been exposed to kryptonite so far as I know. I guess it doesn't affect him in the same way it affects humans. Gripping to what little consciousness I still have, I roll over on my side and pound into the control panel with one hand. Noticing what I'm doing, Krypto lowers his head into the control panel like a battering ram. After a few hard collisions, the crystals give way and shatter.

The radiation stops, but its effects linger still. Everything slowly comes back into focus as I lay on my back, looking up at the vaulted ceiling of the Fortress. Krypto nudges my side and continues to lick my hand. I laugh, ruffling his fur. "Good boy." I breathe in the fresh air as sunlight streams through the crystals, invigorating me.

There's no time to waste. I have to find Brainiac. I find the strength to stand as I look at the destroyed control panel. I hope I'll be able to repair it, but the only expert on this kind of technology just tried to kill me. I think it's time he and I have words.

I look at Krypto. "Go back to the farm, okay?" And without saying any more, I take off like a rocket. The yellow sunlight washes over me, returning my strength.

My God...

When I return to Metropolis, I'm greeted by an unsettling sight. The entire city is bathed in an unnatural red light, like a dome extending over the region. Floating above the seemingly imprisoned city is a skull-shaped spaceship, which I can only imagine belongs to Brainiac. Well, that makes my job of finding him easier.

I launch myself at the spaceship, punching a hole in its exterior. I set down inside a metallic corridor to the sounds of sirens. I figured that kind of entrance would get some attention. The interior of the spaceship is coldly alien in design. It's like a floating temple to technology. Every inch of the corridor is covered in metal. Yet the ship feels strangely alive.

"Kal-El. How unexpected.."

The voice is coming from some kind of PA system, yet I don't see any speakers anywhere. It sounds like it's coming from everywhere, actually.

"Since you're here, you might care to meet me on the bridge. I have something to show you, anyway."

The corridor lights up, guiding me through the complex labyrinth. I'm partially worried I'm walking into a trap, but I don't think Brainiac anticipated that I'd survive. So I clench my fists and walk down the metal hallways, wondering what Brainiac could possibly have to show me.

"I'm not easily impressed, Kal-El, but even I must salute your continued survival."

I step into the expansive bridge. Brainiac, still inhabiting Milton Fine's body, has his back to me. He's pressing buttons on a control panel. My eyes are drawn to a pod-shaped container next to him. Inside, there's a robotic skeleton. Brainiac glances over his shoulder and notices my gaze.

"Ah. You see my real body now." He taps on the glass. "I'll return to it once I'm finished here. I'm afraid I have no more need for this particular shell."

"Whatever you're doing, it ends now."

Brainiac looks over his shoulder at me. "Strong words. You're every bit the hero these humans make you out to be. Though, I'm afraid you're much too late, Kal-El." Brainiac finally faces me, his eyes cold and calculating.

"What have you done to Metropolis?" I ask sternly, my tone never wavering.

"I'm a scientist at heart, Kal-El. I always need a sample."

Sample?

"Allow me to show you," Brainiac offers. He reaches back and presses a button on the control panel behind him. A door to my left slides open. Brainiac waves his arm for me to see for myself.

Hesitantly, I walk into the small room. It's not much larger than a walk-in closet. On either side, there are what look like big bottles. I examine them closely. Each contains a tiny replica of a city. The city's name is displayed on a small plaque at the base of the bottle. As I'm examining one, I notice movement.

They're--?

"Live samples," Brainiac announces. I look up to see him standing in the doorway. "I collect one from every planet I visit, for continued study. The people inside are kept alive through technology I've developed over the years." He points to a well-lit bottle at the far end of the room.

I approach it slowly.

"When I called you the last son of Krypton, that wasn't entirely true."

My jaw nearly drops when I read the city name aloud.

"Kandor."
​

 

[Excalibur]

"Probably where the goons are guarding the building," he responds. I look up and see two mutants leaning against the walls next to an otherwise inconspicuous door.

"Teleport in, Nightcrawler," we'll deal with them, Pete says as he becomes covered by metal.

I nod, and do as he says.
​

*BAMF*

In a puff of violet smoke they were in and instantly surrounded on all sides. Out of the corner of his eye Logan saw bullets pinging from Colossus armoured form. Nightcrawler was a blaze of speed and brimstone as the enemies opened fire. Logan crouched and focused his attention on a gaggle of opponents, each of them with thier weapons levelled at him.

*SNIKT*

With a roar, Wolverine leapt into a hail of gunfire, grimacing as slugs smashed into his body. Claws ripped through gun barrells and armour as Logan went low and took out the legs of his attackers, wounding them enough that they were out of the fight but leaving them breathing. His eyes darting around, he caught Kurt battling hard. A man flew over his head as Colossus exerted his will upon the battle.

"Elf, we need to keep movin'! this is your dance so what's the plan??"


​

 

[wiegeabo]

"It might be worth your time."

I pull out a manilla folder and hold it out for Batman.

"Inside this folder is proof that the mayor was taking campaign contributions from Two-Face. We were able to trace nearly five thousand dollars of those marked bills back to him. He didn't like Jim getting too close and was able to make up some half-assed reason to get him fired and dismantle the MCU. He succeded. Jim is too noble to leak this to the media now that he's unemployed. But I have to admit, the papers getting wind that the mayor was taking money from a known Gotham kingpin would make for some good headlines. We both know Hill is part of the problem when it comes to corruption in this town. This can get him out of office and Jim back in the commissioner's seat. Want to kill two birds with one stone?"

I flip through the envelope, committing the pages to memory. It's a fairly thorough file. Not a rock solid case, but more than enough to tank a few careers, even if criminal charges don't stick.

"As much as I want Jim back, I don't play politics." I hand her the file back, but she doesn't take it.

"What would you expect me to do?"

 

[Eddie Brock]

Kandor. I know it only through the stories I've heard in the Fortress. It's the fabled "Lost City of Krypton." Weeks before Galactus arrived, the city of Kandor mysteriously vanished - leaving behind nothing but a crater. No one, not the Science Council nor Jor-El, could explain it. Of course, there was little time to reflect on the mystery because Galactus' herald soon arrived to prepare the planet for destruction.

Here it is. An entire Kryptonian city, bottled up and separated from me by a glass dome. The people inside look like ants in an ant farm. I can hardly believe it. I thought it was a miracle that Kara survived, that I was able to find some connection to my home. Now, I've discovered that thousands of Kryptonians still survive in this altered form.

"I have initiated the shrinking process on the city of Metropolis," Brainiac reports. "Soon, it will be just another artifact in my collection - like your precious Kandorians."

I spin, grabbing Brainiac by the neck and hoisting him into the air. "Can you reverse this?"

Brainiac gasps for air, wheezing, "There's no time for a full reversal, Kal-El. The Earth is only minutes from destruction."

"What have you done?"

"I have encountered many violent species, but the human race is perhaps the most fascinating. They possess the firepower to destroy this planet one thousand times over. And nuclear energy? How quaint."

I try to hide the shock on my face. "Nuclear?"

"I have set into motion a chain of events which will bring about the complete destruction of the Earth by nuclear holocaust. By the time it's done, this planet will be a hollow shell incapable of carbon-based life."

I toss Brainiac aside, rushing to the viewing screens at the front of the bridge. The screens display a composite of hacked video feeds at nuclear missile silos across the globe. I close my eyes and listen, hearing a chorus of warning sirens. Brainiac wasn't lying. He's planning on starting World War III - and ending it in the same moment.
​

 

[Byrd Man]

I flip through the envelope, committing the pages to memory. It's a fairly thorough file. Not a rock solid case, but more than enough to tank a few careers, even if criminal charges don't stick.

"As much as I want Jim back, I don't play politics." I hand her the file back, but she doesn't take it.

"What would you expect me to do?"

"There's an editor at the Gotham Gazette. Alexander Knox, he works the city hall/cop beat. I'd like to have that file find its way to his desk. I'd be jeopardizing my career to do this....but it needs to be done. Jim always talks about how you want to make this city a better place, here's a chance to do that. If you're not interested, I can think of other ways for Knox to get this folder."

 

[Catman_prb]

There's the sound of gunfire downstairs, as the 'Brotherhood' attempt to stop the lucky X-Men who had infiltrated the not-so-secret hideout. Longshot was sat on a chair, watching Xorn.

"Have you ever seen Michael Collins? Of course you haven't, you were probably at a sit in somewhere. It's got Liam Neeson in it, very big hit in Ireland. I'm from there originally you know. You probably can't tell, I've travelled a lot, lost all my accents. Its quite helpful, people think you're a professional. Well anyway, that's what I'm trying to base my act on here. The troubled freedom fighter, going to extremes to protect his people. I sometimes think thats what Magneto should've done, instead of going all...invasion,"

He stood up, tense, and grinned at the captive mutant leader.

"Why am I telling you this? The same reason any villain ever tells anyone anything," he said "For ****s and giggles,"

 

[Carnage27]

Nightcrawler
​

Logan calls out for a plan from me, but I honestly have no idea where to go form here. We have no idea where these bombs are, nor do we have any clue where this madman is keeping Xorn.

I turn back to Logan, "Stay here! I am going to check out zhe upstairs!"

BAMF

Once I teleport up there, I'm greeted by a man with long blond hair and a man tied to a chair. I almost gasp realizing we've entered the building that they're holding the leader, not merely a bomb.

I charge the Brotherhood leader while he stands there looking awfully amused at the situation. As I go to throw my shoulder into him, I trip over a rug in the office and tumble. As I go through a roll, he kicks me in the stomach, sending me careening across the room.

I should be more hurt that I've been super-humanly pummeled, but the fact that I tripped has me more worried. I've never tripped in my life. I've never even stumbled. There's something up with this guy.

Before attacking him again, I send a telepathic message to Jean, I found Xorn and The Brotherhood leader. I need help.

 

[Carnage27]

I slap down two hundred bucks on a table in the front of the cafeteria in the gym with a little bit of disgust in my motion. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to go to the prom with Gwen, but man is this thing expensive! I had to use up my entire check from the Bugle to pay for the tickets, a tux, and the flowers for Gwen.

The girl behind the table looks up and smiles, "Oh, so you and Gwen are coming, eh?"

I realize it's Mary Jane Watson, who is widely regarded to be the best looking girl at our school. She had dated Johnny for a while, but was now living single. The smile she flashes me is odd, and kinda makes me uncomfortable, and my tongue feels like it's grown three sizes "Umm-er-yea. We're really excited about it."

"Well, you two are totally such a cute couple," she continues giving me that smile. I continue to shift awkwardly. "I can't wait to see you there, tiger."

She hands me the tickets and I smile in thanks before heading back to the table with Gwen, "What was that all about?"

"Whatta mean?"

"Mary Jane Watson was just ogling you," Gwen says, half annoyed, half surprised.

I laugh it off and shake my head, "No she wasn't, she was just being friendly. Besides, I only got eyes for one woman."

That was lame.

"You better," Gwen gives me a playful smile.

**********

It's been four days, Mac Gargan thinks to himself as he prowls a rooftop in Manhattan. He had ran into Spider-man four days ago and the "hero" had escaped. And for the past four nights Gargan was patrolling the city's rooftops, hoping and praying for another run in.

But he had none. No sight of the Spider even though Gargan knew he had been on patrol. But Mac was never at the right place at the right time. Spider-man was protecting an armored car across town while Mac was at the scene of a robbery, or some other cruel twist of fate.

But now Mac's desperation was palpable. And he had a plan that would ensure the webslinger would show up where he was.

All he had to do was enact it.
​

 

[Eddie Brock]

Nightcrawler
​

Logan calls out for a plan from me, but I honestly have no idea where to go form here. We have no idea where these bombs are, nor do we have any clue where this madman is keeping Xorn.

I turn back to Logan, "Stay here! I am going to check out zhe upstairs!"

BAMF

Once I teleport up there, I'm greeted by a man with long blond hair and a man tied to a chair. I almost gasp realizing we've entered the building that they're holding the leader, not merely a bomb.

I charge the Brotherhood leader while he stands there looking awfully amused at the situation. As I go to throw my shoulder into him, I trip over a rug in the office and tumble. As I go through a roll, he kicks me in the stomach, sending me careening across the room.

I should be more hurt that I've been super-humanly pummeled, but the fact that I tripped has me more worried. I've never tripped in my life. I've never even stumbled. There's something up with this guy.

Before attacking him again, I send a telepathic message to Jean, I found Xorn and The Brotherhood leader. I need help.

"Jean?"

"Nightcrawler found them," Jean explains, taking off down the street. We run past several rioters, but there's no time to confront them. The Brotherhood is here - with Xorn. Jean sends out an area-wide telepathic message.

~Nightcrawler, do not teleport! I'm tracking your mental signal.~

Like a hunting dog tracking a scent, Jean makes a few quick turns in pursuit of Nightcrawler. Finally, she stops in front of an unassuming building. She turns to me. "He's here."

A guard comes rushing out of the building, but I down him with a quick blast to the chest. "Let's go." I run up the stairs. The sound of fighting continues to get closer.

"Behind that door!" Jean announces.

I drop my shoulder into the door in question, knocking it off its hinges. Nightcrawler is in heated hand-to-hand combat with a blonde-haired man. Xorn's tied to a chair at the far corner of the room. Upon seeing me, the Brotherhood mutant charges.

I reach for the control on my visor, but my finger slips. It gives the man a fraction of a second more time, and he responds by jump-kicking me in the chest.

As I fall, Jean runs into the room and picks up the mutant with her telekinesis. She throws him across the room before leaning down to check on me. "Are you okay, Scott?"

I pull myself up. "Fine. Just got the wind knocked out of me." As the blonde-haired mutant begins to stir, I look to Nightcrawler. "Where are Wolverine and Colossus?"

 

[wiegeabo]

"There's an editor at the Gotham Gazette. Alexander Knox, he works the city hall/cop beat. I'd like to have that file find its way to his desk. I'd be jeopardizing my career to do this....but it needs to be done. Jim always talks about how you want to make this city a better place, here's a chance to do that. If you're not interested, I can think of other ways for Knox to get this folder."

"I can do it," I say. "But there's no guarantee it will work. The mayor is powerful and slick. He might be able to slip his way out of charges from an anonymous source."

 

[Catman_prb]

I reach for the control on my visor, but my finger slips. It gives the man a fraction of a second more time, and he responds by jump-kicking me in the chest.

As I fall, Jean runs into the room and picks up the mutant with her telekinesis. She throws him across the room before leaning down to check on me. "Are you okay, Scott?"

I pull myself up. "Fine. Just got the wind knocked out of me." As the blonde-haired mutant begins to stir, I look to Nightcrawler. "Where are Wolverine and Colossus?"

"Hey, pay attention to me, not to lover boy," Longshot shouted as he picked himself up, firing wildly with the pistol at his side. He moved as quickly as he could towards the red-haired telepath, dodging under a laser blast from the apparant leader. He was quick enough to land a blow on the girl's cheek, knocking her backwards by a few steps.

"Are you ready for the surprise?" he asked, grinning manically. All he needed was a few more seconds.

***​

Jack Ryder was having, all in all, a really bad day. He'd drawn the short straw and was covering the Mutant Town riots, though he'd been able to requisition the Channel 4 helicopter. This was, in theory, a chance for him to work towards a promotion. In practice, the military was being as obtuse as they normally were, perhaps even more aggressive towards a few innocent inquiries. Whatever was going on, they were wound up pretty damn tight. So know he was circling the slum in the helicopter, his cameraman earning his keep by getting a few choice shots of the MPs beating down the muties. He caught something out of the corner of his eye.

"What the hell is that?" he asked himself.

"Huh?" his cameraman ased.

"Not you!" he exclaimed, gesturing at a tall apartment building "That. There are X-Men in there!"

The camera whipped around at lightening speed to focus on the super-powered fighting.

"Get us in closer!" Ryder shouted to the pilot.​

 

[Eddie Brock]

I fly faster than I've ever flown before, occasionally glancing up at the sun as if willing it to give me more energy. I have to stop those warheads. There is no margin for error. If I let so much as one nuclear missile get past me, it could spell unspeakable destruction. Cities ravaged, millions lost, and the threat of all-out nuclear war across the world. I will either succeed, or I will fail, and I cannot allow the latter.

I pluck the first missile out of the sky just over Nebraska. My fingers dig into the metal with a crunch. With a little arctic breath, I freeze the rocket fuel. Carrying the missile behind me, I race to the next one in the skies above Colorado. I grab that one with my other hand, once again freezing the rocket fuel. I head straight up through the lower levels of the atmosphere before dropping off the missiles in space, where they won't run away from me.

I race back through the atmosphere, my cape flapping and threatening to burn up on reentry. But there's no time to think about that. I round up the rest of the missiles around the North American continent, piling them up next to the first two just out of gravity's reach.

I will not fail.

***

Brainiac moves about the bridge on his massive ship, watching the last son of Krypton round up the missiles one by one through satellite feeds on massive display screens. If he felt emotion, he would frown - or, at the very least, sneer. The intervention of Superman was never meant to happen. Brainiac's plan had been carefully crafted to eliminate him from the equation.

Brainiac checks the status of the miniaturization of Metropolis on a monitor. It was taking too long. At Superman's fervent pace, he would stop all the missiles and still have time to return and save Metropolis. That simply would not do. Brainiac could live with the survival of Earth - for now - but he absolutely needed to collect his sample.

I have underestimated you, Kal-El.

Brainiac presses a button, and a glowing pod opens. He presses a few more buttons to initiate the upload before sitting down inside the pod.

***

Beads of sweat are my indication that I'm pushing myself to my limit. But it's working. I've stopped almost all the missiles. I snatch one out of the air above Europe and bring it around to the others, which are still floating harmlessly in space. From up there, I close my eyes and listen. The sound of burning rocket fuel is noticeably absent. I did it. With no time to revel in my victory, I group all the warheads together and carry them towards the sun. With one mighty heave, I push them all into the burning star - all the while feeling more and more invigorated by its rays.

One word permeates my thoughts. Brainiac.

I race back to Earth at speeds that are amazing even to myself. I push through the atmosphere so quickly that my cape barely makes a noise. Instead, it wraps itself around my body as I hurtle towards the unsightly skull-shaped spaceship hovering above Metropolis.

When I finally do stop - after crashing through the hull of the ship into the bridge - the suddenness of it causes a great gust of wind to blow through the interior the ship. I stand there, fists clenched, ready to face my foe. "You've failed, Brainiac. Now, release Metropolis."

But Brainiac is nowhere to be seen.

"Brainiac?"

"An impressive display, Kal-El." Again, the voice seems to be coming from everywhere at once. I look around the bridge, seeing no movement. Even my superhearing does not shed light on his hiding spot. "My only regret is that I cannot pose a challenge great enough for someone of your strength. But I will do my best."

I hear the metal footstep a fraction of a second too late.

​

 

[Byrd Man]

"I can do it," I say. "But there's no guarantee it will work. The mayor is powerful and slick. He might be able to slip his way out of charges from an anonymous source."

"At this point, I don't care about charges. What matters is getting the mayor out of office. It has to be done. For Jim's sake as well as mine."

 

[Carnage27]

Nightcrawler​

"Hey, pay attention to me, not to lover boy," Longshot shouted as he picked himself up, firing wildly with the pistol at his side. He moved as quickly as he could towards the red-haired telepath, dodging under a laser blast from the apparant leader. He was quick enough to land a blow on the girl's cheek, knocking her backwards by a few steps.

"Are you ready for the surprise?" he asked, grinning manically. All he needed was a few more seconds.

BAMF

"Surprise!" I teleport behind the mutant and manage to grab him with my tail, and toss him across the room, where Scott catches him with an optic blast. I head over to Xorn and attempt to free him, "Relax, we're here to help."

I begin to fiddle with his bindings while Scott and Jean check on our adversary.

 

[Carnage27]

Now

​

I shift uneasily, and run my tongue around my mouth. It's dry as a bone, but there's no time for a drink. Not now at least. I've already come too far to turn back now. I shift uneasily as I walk towards something that I'd never thought I would.

"Peter, come on now, there's no reason to be nervous," Aunt May says from the door. "For crying out loud she's your girlfriend."

Prom. Who would have ever thought me, Peter Parker, the crowned nerd of high school would be going to prom. And who thought I'd be going with the only girl I've ever truly loved? Certainly not me. I never thought Gwen and I would reach this point. I always figured we would get together at some point, but with my extracurricular activities, I figured it'd be a short relationship.

But we've been together for months at this point, and if anything knowing about me being Spider-man has made us stronger. Her support has been amazing, and nothing can change that now. These thoughts calm me down, even though I still think it's a bit absurd that the two of us, two people who always said we hated the idea of prom, were now preparing to go to the event.

After a short car ride to Gwen and her father's apartment, I step out of the vehicle and attempt to fix my hair even more, although admittedly it isn't going so well. Aunt May and I knock on the door, which promptly swings open, and we're greeted by the smiling face of Captain Stacy, "Peter! May! It's great to see you two. Come on in. Pete, she looks great."

The oddness of the night is compounded by Captain Stacy's demeanor. I've always been used to him being the tough-nosed police captain, not the doting father who's beaming the way he is right now. I almost comment on it, but before I can, I turn into their living room, and I have to keep all my energy from having my jaw drop to the floor.

There I find Gwen, standing with her back turned to me, wearing a red, backless dress. She turns to look over her shoulder at me, and I literally have to try my damnedest not to melt. Her hair falls across her shoulders, curled for the first time which I can remember. She smiles at me, and it lights up the room. I swear, I almost feel my face turning into the wolf like those old-school cartoons. All I can muster is, "Wow."

"You think so?" she responds, turning around.

"I know so," I smile and place the flowers i bought her on her wrist, not breaking my eyes away from hers. All the uneasiness of the night so far washes away as I stare into them, and for the first time I'm completely relaxed. She doesn't respond, but simply kisses me and smiles.

The next hour is taken up with pictures in every imaginable formal pose Aunt May and Gwen could come up with, including a shot of Gwen with Captain Stacy in full police regalia. It's something that normally would drive me crazy, but for some reason now it just feels right.

Once that's done, we hop into Captain Stacy's car, and we head towards the dance. From the front seat, he chuckles, "I half expected you to come as Spider-man."

Gwen replies, "I never thought I'd say it, but I actually think he looks better in a tux!"

"Dang," I respond with a smile. "I picked the wrong profession. I should have been a secret agent."

**********

Earlier Today


Across town in Harry Osborn's study, the heir to the Osborn legacy paces. It had been a week and a half since Gargan had been given his suit, and the detective was no closer to catching Spider-man than he was before. Harry hated the idea that his first project as head of Oscorp could possibly be a failure, but now he had no control over it. Gargan had been missing for three days, and not even the commissioner had any idea where he was.

Just as he goes to head to bed, a set of the doors that open out onto the loft's balcony blows open, sending glass flying at Osborn, who dives behind his desk. As he rises from behind it, he finds the Scorpion staring back at him, "Evenin', Harry. I thought you and I could have a little talk. Whatta say?"

"Where the hell have you been, Gargan?" Osborn shouts at his uninvited guest.

"Now, now, that's no way for someone of your age to be talkin' to their elders, is it?" Mac says before flicking his tail towards Harry, knocking him into the wall, and cracking a stud. "Now, I know you've got some more toys locked up in your labs over on the other side of town. Toys that I need to take down the Spider. Whatta say that we break 'em out tonight and finish this once and for all."

"You're crazy," Harry responds, obviously shaken from the strike. "That will ruin my father's company, helping you. That's something I'd never risk, not even for Spider-man's head."

"Then you can just say that I forced you to do it. Threatened your life," Gargan snarls through his mask. "Think about it, Harry. I can guarentee the spider, and you get off scott free."

Harry wrestles with the idea in his head. He knows that the plan is a solid one. He knows that Gargan stands a good shot at capturing and containing the man that killed his father. And now there was a way which he could help the Scorpion do just that without implicating himself.

"What do you have in mind?"

**********

Now

The first hour and a half of the dance goes off without a hitch, save for Mary Jane Watson's smile, that once again gave me shivers. She was working the entrance to the dance, checking everyone's tickets. She mentioned how great the two of us looked, but said it to Gwen in that completely sarcastic girl voice. You know what I'm talking about. But once I ensure Gwen that she's my girl, the problems fade away.

We dance quite a bit, which is odd considering that I have almost never danced in my life due to my rather awkward nature. Luckily, superhuman agility and dexterity come in handy, and I'm actually fairly fluid on the dance floor.

After dinner, a slow song starts, and I lead Gwen onto the dance floor hand-in-hand. She places her head on my shoulder as the two of us sway gently to the music. I can honestly say I have never felt more like a regular kid than I do right now. This is how life should be. but it's more than that, as well. I have finally learned to balance my double life, and it's working out so well.

Then, the band goes quiet, and our principle takes the microphone, "And now, I'd like to present the winners of this year's Prom King and Queen!" A slight cheer goes up in the room as he continues, "As you know you all voted as you entered, and this year's kind and queen are..." he pauses as he looks at a piece of paper he's just pulled from an envelope, "Wow! This year's Prom King and Queen are Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy!"

A round of applause comes from most of the student body, and stunned silence form most of the "popular" crowd. The two of us receive the crowns, and then head out onto the dance floor for the ceremonial dance. As we begin, Gwen beams at me and says, "You should see the look on Mary Jane's face!"

**********

Across town, the Scorpion bursts through the vault of his third bank tonight with the aid of the enhanced acid shooters now attached to his arms. Along with the new projectile weapons, he also has servo-enhanced movements, allowing him to match the speed of Spider-man, as well as pneumatic-assisted jumping to catch his adversary.

He doesn't steal any money, rather, he dissolves it with the acid in his suit. He no longer cares about duty or the oath he took to protect the people of New York. He no longer cares about bringing Spider-man to justice. All that consumes Mac Gargan now is vengeance. And vengeance will be his.

**********

Gwen and I laugh as we exit the dance, only to find Captain Stacy waiting for us outside, much more angry and annoyed then he was earlier in the night. Gwen smiles, "What's wrong, dad?"

"Get in the car," he says sternly. "There's a problem in the city."

As we drive back to the Stacys' house, Gwen's dad goes over the situation with the Scorpion, and how so far the police response has been futile in stopping him. I take it all in, and am honestly furious that this had to happen tonight. After how perfect everything had been I should have expected something like this to come up, but I was hoping against all odds that it wouldn't.

Once we reach the house, I strip off my tux, revealing my costume underneath. As I go to put on my mask, Gwen stops me, and kisses me passionately, which has to be really uncomfortable for Captain Stacy. As she pulls away she whispers, "Be careful."

"Don't worry," I smile through my now in-place mask. "I will be. And I'll come back once I'm done."

I head out their back door, and swing towards Scorpion's next probable target. And like clockwork, there he is dissolving the side of the building with what looks like very, very dangerous acid. "Terrific...Hey! Bug brain! You lookin' for me!?"

At the sound of my voice, his tail comes streaking towards me, and my spider-sense goes off like a giant gong inside my head. I move as quickly as I can to get out of the way, and the sharp end barely misses my groin, "Whoa! That's my no-no area, Mac! Bad touch! Bad touch!"

I land next to Scorpion and drive my fist into his jaw, which barely staggers him and sends a sharp pain through my hand, "WOW! I probably should have realized you were armored!"

He responds by spinning around and slamming into me with the base of the tail, sending me bouncing down the city street. He moves like lightening and grabs my side and my right leg, digging into me with his claws, sending sharp pain through my side. He tosses me into a car parked across the street, cracking the windows in the process. He fires more acid my way, requiring me to scramble out of the way quickly. The compound dissolves the car's middle section almost instantly, and Gargan laughs at me, "Come on now spider! You're not the only one who can shoot some funny little liquid!"

I don't bother responding. Instead. I attach two weblines to the pavement and catapult myself at Scorpion, driving him through a car, which promptly bursts into flames. But really, what's one of my fights without a ton of collateral damage, right?

But my opponent recovers quicker than I would have expected, and springs off of his heals, sending the two of us rocketing into the air, trading punches and blows like two prize fighters in the rings. After the initial shock at his armor, I manage to find where it's weaker and do some damage.

As we begin to fall back towards the ground, I angle us so that his armored body absorbs most of the impact. But it doesn't phase him much, and he simply kicks me off of him. As he rises, his tail strikes out at me again, this time catching me across my right side, dropping me to my knees. It's not a bad slice, but it's enough to hurt.

He comes at me with a renewed viggor, slashing at me with his tail. I'm forced to go into a retreat, flipping and dodging the tail as I go backwards. After one tail strike I drive my feet into it and drive it deep into the tar of the street. The powerful servos in the weapon bring Gargan off of his feet, giving me a chance to strike.

But as I rush underneath him, he delivers another spurt of acid, one I barely escape. As the liquid flies by me, one of those odd strokes of luck I tend to get happens upon me, and the acid strikes the top of Scorpion's tail and eats through it, depriving him of one of his primary weapons. "You better watch out, Gargan, you'll put your eye out with that stuff."

He roars at me and charges again, but I can tell he's beginning to get desperate. All I have to do now is outlast and annoy. My specialty. He compensates for losing his tail by relying more and more on his acid shooters, which he's now using like Tony Montana at the end of Scarface. Globules of the dangerous liquid are flying left and right, and I have to rely on my spider-sense more than I ever have to make sure none of them hits me.

But it is hitting other things, and I quickly realize I need to end this before someone inside one of these buildings becomes the new Wicked Witch of the West. In order to do that I jump over him and begin doubling back towards the bank where I found him.

Once there I head into the destroyed bank, and find what I was looking for. There, sitting on the ground is the vault door, it's hinges burned off by the acid. I smile and turn back towards Scorpion, "Gargan! It's not too late to turn yourself in and end this. Don't do something stupid!"

"How dare you!" he roars again and charges at me, swinging a fist towards my face, i web up his feet and toss him back outside. He climbs back through a shattered window and stares me down, "You could have saved her if you sent your friends to Fisk's place earlier!"

"Uh...crazy man says what?" I say as he charges yet again. I can tell the man is obviously delusional, and nothing I do or say is going to slow that craziness down. Not tonight and probably not ever. His hate is overwhelming, and I'm not exactly sure why. But he's become obsessed with stopping me, so I have to stop him.

So I do what I had planned when I came back here. I shoot a few weblines towards the vault door and summon all my strength to toss it at Gargan. It strikes him before he has a chance top react and sends him careening through one of the solid walls left in the bank. I react quickly and web up his legs and remove his gauntlets, ensuring he won't escape if he regains consciousness before the cops, and probably SHIELD, pick him up.

I don't bother waiting around for them. I swing off back towards Gwen's house, and within thirty minutes, I'm knocking on her window. She opens it and puts me in a bear hug before I'm fully inside, "Ouch, careful I'm a little sore."

"Oh, sorry," she says sheepishly. She's still in her dress, and I can't help but smile at how great she looks, especially with that relieved look on her face. "Here, let me take care of you."

She lays me down on her bed, and begins examining the cut on my side, which by this time has basically completely sealed itself up, she gathers a towel and begins cleaning the blood off my side, and I slip of my mask. As the cool fabric touches my skin causes me to recoil a bit, and Gwen giggles, "Sorry, I should have told you it was cold."

I look down at her, and our eyes meet, both of us giving each other looks of intense passion. Before I know what's happening, the two of us are kissing like I've never kissed before, with feelings rising up in me that I've never felt before. Everything that has happened in the past few months, from Venom to Stamford to Goblin begins to fade away in a moment of pure ecstasy.

Gwen's dress hits the floor at the same time as my suit does, the two lying next to each other as the moonlight shines through the bedroom window.
​

 

[wiegeabo]

"At this point, I don't care about charges. What matters is getting the mayor out of office. It has to be done. For Jim's sake as well as mine."

"Fair enough. Just one favor. Turn that light out."

She glances at the makeshift light, and by the time she turns her head back around, I'm long gone.

***

Alexander Knox has to pick his jaw up off the floor as he flips through every page of the file that he found on his desk when he walked into his office this morning. He hasn't even touched his coffee. And, as anyone who knows Alexander Knox will tell you, nothing gets between him and his morning caffeine addiction.

Except, maybe, a story that could bring down the entire Gotham political system.

Knox starts reading through the file again. He realizes that if only half of these charges can be backed up, the mayor is finished in Gotham. And probably finished with having a political career at all. Hell, he'd be lucky to escape prison time.

With the election still months away, a mayor as corrupt as Hill might still be able to spin this in some way. Find someone to throw under the bus and take the blame so he can save his own ass.

Or, he could find himself ousted immediately, and Knox would find his name attached to the moniker "The Man who Freed Gotham." And he really liked that idea.

***

Five minutes later, Knox was standing outside the door of the Editor-in-Chief's office, yelling at the secretary.

"I have to talk to him right now. This is a huge story!" He waves the file in front of her face, as if that would somehow explain everything.

"Mr. Knox, how many times do I have to say that Mr. Wayne is not in the building."

"He's never in the building!" Knox stamps around furiously. "I need his number."

"His office number?"

"No, dammit! His personal cell number!"

The secretary looks shocked. "I'm not allowed-"

"Don't give me that! This is a make and break story. Now, if you want to tell Mr. Wayne that I couldn't clear it with him because you didn't want to give me his cell number..."

She raises an eyebrow at Knox. "Very well." She writes the number down on a piece of paper. He grabs it, but she doesn't let it go. "You didn't get this from me."

***

NANANANANANANANA NANANANANANANANA

"What the hell?"

I look at my phone in confusion. Alfred glances at me in the limo's rear view mirror. "Master Dick, sir. I believe he put a new ring-tone on your phone."

"Well, this isn't Dick's number." I put the phone to my ear. "Bruce Wayne."

"Mr. Wayne," an excited, and slightly nervous, voice says on the other end of the line. "This is Alexander Knox."

I smile slightly, but play dumb. "Knox...Knox...? Are you the Knox that works at the Gazette?"

"Yes, sir. That's me. I'm the editor of the paper's city hall beat."

"Ah. And...how did you get my number?"

I hear a slight gulp over the line. "That's...not really important right now, Mr. Wayne. I have a huge story, but there's no way I can break it without getting your ok on the matter."

"It's that big?"

"Yes, sir. It is."

"Give me a brief rundown." I listen as Knox recites the key points from the file I left on his desk. When he's done, I give him a low whistle. "Can you back any of this up?"

"That's the problem. I'm not sure I can. This stuff was left on my desk anonymously."

"How...mysterious."

"Yes, sir."

I pretend to think on it for a minute. "Run it."

"Seriously?!"

I smirk, knowing that Knox didn't mean to spurt that out. "I mean, are you sure? At the Planet, we never ran anything without at least two confirmed sources..."

"I'm not Perry White, Knox. Run it. And then you do your damnedest to find some confirmation asap, understand?"

"Perfectly! Thank you, Mr. Wayne." The line goes dead.

"Everything is going as planned, sir?"

"Indeed, Alfred."

"Are you sure you wish to go this route, Master Bruce?"

"It's time to tackle this problem from both sides, Alfred. What Batman can't do, maybe Bruce Wayne can."

***

Thirty minutes after talking with Bruce Wayne, Knox had the first draft of his article ready. Twenty minutes after that and he was sending the final draft to the printers to make the evening edition.

The next day, all hell broke loose in Gotham.

 

[Eddie Brock]

"What did you do to Dr. Fine?"

Brainiac swings his body around on a swivel, smacking me across the bridge. I crash through a monitor, which sends a shower of sparks flying. Brainiac's strong - surprisingly strong. His glowing red eyes show no emotion as he explains, "My use for Dr. Fine had run its course." He glances at a closed pod to his left. "You cannot save him, Kal-El. His mind is lost."

I stand up, sparks still bouncing off the bottom of my cape. "You're going to pay for what you've done, Brainiac." I launch myself at him, but his reaction speed is incredible. He steps half a foot to the side at the last possible moment before driving his metallic fist through my stomach. I'm knocked upwards, and when I come down, Brainiac spins around and kicks me aside.

"They say that adamantium is unbreakable. So while I am unable to match your strength, I am more than equipped to stand up to you."

Unbreakable? We'll see about that. I charge at Brainiac again, this time holding back a bit. It pays off because when Brainiac moves to dodge, I turn it up to the next gear and land a crushing blow on his jaw. Brainiac stumbles back, and I fire a blast of heat vision at his chest.

Brainiac laughs - a hollow, robotic sound that chills me to the bone. "Kal-El, did you really think I would fail to make all the necessary preparations for your Kryptonian powers?" He taps his undamaged chestplate proudly. "You cannot burn through this, nor can you freeze it."

This time, it's Brainiac who leads with an attack. He begins to rotate at the waist, spinning like a top with his claw-like fingers outstretched. I try to stand there and take it, as his claws shred through the House of El symbol on my chest, but I'm forced to give a little ground. I reach out and grab Brainiac by the neck, tossing him into the control panels.

"Give it up, Brainiac. This ends--"

BOOOOOOOOOM!

The bridge shakes with the sound of the blast. Brainiac scrambles to his feet, his claws digging deep scratches into the remnants of the control panel. He presses a few buttons on a different panel, and the display screens show a panoramic view of the exterior of the spaceship. A tiny object races by, and I recognize it as a fighter jet right away.

I close my eyes and listening, picking out the sound of the fighter pilot from inside his cockpit.

"--roger that. Circling back around for another attack run."

"It's over, Brainiac," I announce. I start to walk towards him, and for the first time he seems to lose control of the situation. "That jet is going to tear this station apart, one rocket at a time."

"Defense systems offline," Brainiac says to himself. "Must have been destroyed by the blast."

BOOOOOOOOOM!

"Brainiac."

Brainiac spins to face me. "Enjoy your small victory, Kal-El. But if I'm destroyed, there will be no one to save Kandor." At the mention of the Kryptonian city, I turn towards the room where Brainiac keeps it. The door slams shut. "I have initiated a full lockdown of the bridge. Don't bother trying to get through that door, either. You won't have time. The station is critically damaged. We have only moments left."

"Moments until what?"

Brainiac's glowing eyes go dead. His metal body collapses lifelessly. I watch as the display screens and monitors shut down. I rush to the sealed door, pounding away at it as hard as I can. I have to save those cities. I have to save Kandor!

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Instinctively, I shield my eyes as the bridge goes white. That wasn't a missile from the fighter jet. That was something much larger. When I open my eyes again, I'm surrounded by...nothing. No spaceship, no sealed door. I look down, seeing tiny pieces of shrapnel falling from the sky.

"We only have moments left."

Brainiac destroyed the station. He knew he had been defeated, so he blew himself sky high. Maybe he hoped the explosion would take me, too, but I think he knew. He knew I would survive. He knew I wouldn't save those bottled cities. He knew I'd have to live with knowing that Kandor was gone. Thousands of Kryptonians - my people - gone in an instant.

I couldn't save them.

***

Inside the Metropolis Buy More, things were running smoothly. It was the holiday rush, and Buy More employees were hard at work accommodating customers with their electronics needs.

"If it were me," Charlie began, looking at the hopeful couple before him, "I'd go with a plasma screen. You can't go wrong. It's the future of home entertainment." He turned and led them to the television displays, all the while smiling to himself. He was about to make the sale. "Now, you really have to decide how big you want to go. I'd recommend--"

Suddenly, all the televisions - which had been displaying innocuous images of animals, plants, and scenery all in beautiful color - flashed with a strange image. The same image showed up on all the computer screens and on all the registers.

And just like that, the strange image was gone. Charlie stared at the television screens, perplexed. He gathered himself, gave a little laugh, and said, "Sorry about that. Don't know what that was. But as you can see here..."

At least one employee later claimed to hear an odd metallic sound, like laughter, just moments after the strange image flashed.
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