The "Nuff Said" Marvel Universe RPG

[Saved]

Reed Richards​

Baxter Building, Lab 2212

Reed Richards, cloaked in his lab coat, sits slouched in his chair. A wall of computer screens and modules stand before him, each flashing with calculations and data he's personally programmed over the last twenty four hours. As his weary eyes stare at he screens, his face begins to droop a bit - the skin beginning to hang from his face like putty.

"Doctor Richards," a modulated voice suddenly speaks. Reed's eyes widen and his body becomes taut once more.
"Yes, Herby, did you finish the analysis?"
"Indeed, sir. The data has yielded a multitude of results with their own probabilities, but one event is justified by all the findings with the highest score of 40.4356%. Upon further analysis into the event's specific probability of occurance, the data yielded a score of 89.896%."

Reed lets out a long sigh. "I came to the same conclusion last night." He turns his head and looks at the chalkboard he's etched his math into. All the numbers and equations lead to one result: 89.8964473%. "I was hoping I'd made an error or overlooked something in my work, but ... apparently not."

"Unfortunately, Doctor, the data does not lie."
"No it doesn't," he says with a solemn tone. "Herby, lock up this data and triple encrypt it. Make sure Susan or Franklin don't find it. I'll tell them when I'm ready." Reed stretches his arm across the room toward his chalkboard and begins erasing the writing. As he retracts his arm, he turns back toward the computer screens. "How long does Earth have?"

"12 days. Plus or minus a factor of 24 hours."
"Twelve days until the Kree arrive," he says, going silent for a moment as he ponders within his own mind. He thinks back to the skrull team they uncovered the month before. He recalls their arrogant attitude; a tone only used by the incredibly haughty, or by those who know far more than they tell.

"Why are you here? Why are you on our planet?"
"It's not your planet. Not anymore."
​

"Not anymore," Reed finally speaks. The Skrull and the Kree have long been at war. All Skrull activity in the past has been a harbinger for cosmic disaster. Reed's calculations show this time to be no different.

Suddenly, an alarm goes off, breaking Reed's train of thought as his screens flash. "Doctor, Johnny Storm on the personal line."
"Put him through."
A video box appears on the screen to reveal Johnny's face. "Reed, we've got an alert in Midtown. You think you'll be able to pull yourself away from your numbers and test tubes for an hour?"
"Yes, Johnny, I'll be right out."
"Meet us by the F-car." Reed nods, and Herby terminates the message.

"I'll have everything encrypted by the time you return, Doctor." Reed rises from his seat and turns toward the door.
"Thank you, Herby. And one more thing," he says as he removes his lab coat and rests if gently on the back of his chair. "Send out a beacon to the Surfer. I'll need to speak with him when I get back."

As the Fantastic Four soars above the skyline in the Fantasti-car, Reed falls deep into his own thoughts once more. He begins to hypothesize the thousands of different outcomes that could result from his unsettling equations from the night before.

What did that Skrull mean? He ponders to himself. As far as intergalactic treaties are concerned, I do my best to keep up. But the Skrulls visitation of Earth in the past has been for one purpose; conquest. The presence of the covert squadron we uncovered could mean many things, but the most likely postulates are those that concern me the greatest.

"Reed," Ben growls, startling Richards out of his trance and breaking his train of thought.
"Yes, Ben, I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Nuthin'. And neither have you. That's why I thought I'd get the ball rollin', here."
"Sorry, Ben, I've just been ... preoccupied with things."
"What else is new?" Reed awkwardly adjusts his glasses. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course, Ben," he says, feigning a smile. "Everything's presently just fine."
"Presently?" Susan questions, picking up on Reed's subtle hint. "Honey, I've known you long enough to know when something's not right - we all have."
"Yeah, and we know the difference between 'scientific breakthrough isolation' and 'really bad, dangerous, world threatening apocalypse isolation'." Johnny chimes in.
"You've been in your lab for weeks. Heck, the first time we saw you was today - and that's probably only cuz we're headed to this disturbance in Midtown."

"Reed, I know you better than most; and I know you don't like to reveal anything before it's time just as much as you don't want to prematurely worry anyone before you have a solution to a problem."

"So, I guess what we're saying is, we've been through it all with you, Stretch. I think you owe it to us to let us know when you're numbers and math add up to a bad answer."

Reed sighs, remaining silent as he tries to gauge the best way to handle the situation. He's tired and weary; having slept maybe four hours in the last week. Too little of his energy can be put toward sociological issues such as secrets and cryptic replies. Time is short; 12 days. The time for preparation has begun, there is no more time for veils of mystery.

"Do you remember that Skrull unit we uncovered a month ago?" He says suddenly. The group recovers and nods uniformly. "The leader said it wasn't our planet anymore. Well, that really bothered me at the time, and it's bothered me ever since. That could mean a lot of things, but, what I really calculated it to result in is-"

Suddenly, a wave of blue energy fires upward through the hood of the Fantasti-car. The beam crackles in fluorescent sparks; the smell of burning plastic and metal instantly fills the air. The sudden spear of concussion tears a hole in the engine of the machine, causing a thick black smoke to bellow out of the hole. As the engine fails, the car begins to dip and plummet down toward the ground below.

Reed takes action instantly, not questioning for once in his life. "Johnny, flame on! Clear a safe place to land below!"
"You got it!" He shouts as he leaps off the side of the vehicle, igniting in a blaze just beneath.

"Susan, use a force field to contain the smog and another to levitate us."
She nods as she outstretches her hands. A bubble of energy covers the fiery smoke, causing the interior to become continually blacker as the poisonous gases fill the space. Another construct appears below the car; as it catches the car, it slows it's acceleration and helps it level out until stability is reached. Gently, the car's elevation decreases until the Invisible woman lands it in an open square of fire in the street Johnny had previously cornered off.

Susan Storm lets out a long breath of exhaustion as she repeals her constructs. Reed grabs her by her shoulders, helping her to stand as they exit the vehicle. "What was that, Reed?"
"I don't know. Lightning on a sunny day is rare - and ball lightning would require different meteorological conditions."
"And it doesn't usually go from ground to sky," Susan replies as she regains her faculties.

"Hey wait, where's Johnny?"

Suddenly, Johnny's body flies through the air and into the pavement before them. A trail of fire and smoke follows him as his body leaves a crater in the ground before bouncing off like a rag doll before crashing through a side shop's window front. Susan gasps in horror and Ben's mouth lies agape.

"Earthlings!" A booming voice becons from above, echoing throughout the street. A figure drops from the sky above, landing directly beside the crater before making one of his own. Cracks emit from the focal point, continuing all down the street for blocks. Window panes shatter and broken glass rains down onto the street.

As Reed gazes upon the figure before him, a lump grows in his throat. "No ... I was wrong."

"Humans," the figure says, rising to his full height.

"You stand accused."

"I'm guessing this is what had you so troubled, huh, Stretch?"
"Prepare for judgement."

 

[Andy C.]

"Well, I would say ladies first..."

"It'd be rude to not let our guests go first," Misty said. "We did invite you after all."

"I have an idea..."

On instinct, Danny, Colleen, and Misty all put their index fingers on their noses.

"Not it."

"Not it."

"Not it."

"Damn," I said, kicking at the ground. I turned to Venom and nodded. "Alright," I said, my knuckles clinking as I knocked them together. "Let's do it!"

I rushed towards Venom, my fist rared back and ready to strike. The symbiote easily dodged my first blow and struck me in the shoulder with his claws. The claws scrape my skin, but don't break it. Even though he doesn't draw blood, it still hurts like a mother****er. I grunted in pain and fell to my knees as Venom stood behind me, preparing to come down on my with his claws.

"That hurt, ***hole,"I growled, throwing my leg backwards and kicking Venom off his feet. The symbiote flew across the gap between rooftops and crashed into the gravel-covered roof of the next building.

"Anytime one of y'all wanna jump in, be my guest," I said to the others, holding my shoulder.

Hitting the gravel, we scramble to our feet, growling angrily. This one is tougher than we were expecting.

"Not bad," we say as we hurl a tendril out across the rooftops and snare Cage around the waist. "Against most of the losers in this city, you might actually be pretty effective."

Before he can fight back, we pull him across the gap and throw him over our shoulder, driving him straight down face-first into the gravel roof.

"But let's be honest," we say, lifting him back up, "We're a little out of your league."

With that, we slam him back down onto the rooftop, cracking the concrete.

"We've traded punches with the Hulk before."

Again, we lift him up and plant him in the gravel.

"We've beaten Spider-Man so badly he had to fake his own death just to escape us."

One more time, we slam him down.

"One time? We tore Iron Man's head off."

Well, that turned out to be just a robot, but they don't need to know that.

We fling Cage back across the rooftop, sending him tumbling to the feet of his friends.

"We can do this all night," we call out to the other heroes. "We're not so sure you can. If you don't use your brains, we're going to eat them."

 

[Eddie Brock]

Hitting the gravel, we scramble to our feet, growling angrily. This one is tougher than we were expecting.

"Not bad," we say as we hurl a tendril out across the rooftops and snare Cage around the waist. "Against most of the losers in this city, you might actually be pretty effective."

Before he can fight back, we pull him across the gap and throw him over our shoulder, driving him straight down face-first into the gravel roof.

"But let's be honest," we say, lifting him back up, "We're a little out of your league."

With that, we slam him back down onto the rooftop, cracking the concrete.

"We've traded punches with the Hulk before."

Again, we lift him up and plant him in the gravel.

"We've beaten Spider-Man so badly he had to fake his own death just to escape us."

One more time, we slam him down.

"One time? We tore Iron Man's head off."

Well, that turned out to be just a robot, but they don't need to know that.

We fling Cage back across the rooftop, sending him tumbling to the feet of his friends.

"We can do this all night," we call out to the other heroes. "We're not so sure you can. If you don't use your brains, we're going to eat them."

"In my experience," I begin, stepping forward, "the ones who talk so much have a hard time backing it up." I look to Colleen and nod. He's right about one thing: one-on-one, we'd all have a hard time bringing him down. But there's four of us and only one of him. Colleen bares her steel.

Together, we charge Venom. Behind us, Misty circles around to get a clear line of sight. As Venom lashes out a tendril to knock me down, I perform a running sideflip. Colleen, meanwhile, takes a more direct approach, slashing through tendril after tendril with her katana. I duck under Venom's next attack - a wild swing with those claws - which brings me right up next to him. I launch a quick flurry of jabs and chops to the ribs before backflipping away out of his reach.

Venom snarls and disposes of Colleen with a sharp backhand. Her katana falls to the rooftop with a clatter. He turns his full attention towards me until a bullet catches him on the ear. It distracts him just enough for me to make another attack. I charge Venom, planting my heels in his gut and running up his torso. He turns his head just in time to see my backflip kick connect with his jaw.

As I'm halfway through my flip - and completely upside-down - a tendril wraps around my waist. I'm spun around and thrown into a nearby air conditioning vent, leaving a sizable dent.

 

[Hound55]

As soon as Clint Barton put the plate full of dregs from his second sandwich down on the coffee table the television flashed three times.

“Sir, it seems you have an incoming call.”

“I can see that, Jarvis. Put them through.”

A familiar eye-patched face materialised on the screen below the video call camera.

“Fury…” The still topless Hawkeye said dryly with more than a slight hint of contempt.

“Barton…” Returned the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

“How’s policing the world going? South Africa double-park Lesotho..?”

“Wow. Geography jokes?”

“We work with what we’re given…” Hawkeye shrugged.

“No. I’m calling because I have a job for you. Avengers-type job.”

“Didn’t Stark tell you people to take a hike?”

“Stark, Stark…. Which one is he again..?” the Super-spy said, playing dumb “Is he the Iron Man currently checking out some energy signals for me, or the Captain America who I have out on mission in Pakistan?”

“Well… so much for solidarity.”

“Yeah. I think you’d want in on this one anyway. It’s Hydra. Unless you have something more important going on… like finding the guy who stole the shirt off your back.”

“It’s laundry day.” Quipped the blonde bowman.

“Just get moving. You’ll be briefed in full on arrival.”

“Arrival? Helicarrier altitude is a little much to expect from my SkyCycle.”

“I’ve arranged for transport. It should be waiting for you now…”

A knock at the door behind him causes Hawkeye to turn around and look at the main entrance.

“You’re welcome. Suit up, 'Hero'. Freedom of the world’s at stake.”

 

[Saved]

Stark Tower

Tony Stark stands in the hangar of his work lab, gazing at the multiple glass cases before him. As his legs lock, his eyes focus on the every curve and angle of his armored suits protected in their personal showcases. Every armor he's ever designed; every suit he's ever worn stands before him on display. It serves as a monument to his greatness - the main reason he comes here to think.

A small chirp echos in the vast empty spaces of the room, and the door at the edge hisses open. Pepper Potts walks through the opening as she makes her way toward Tony. Her heels click loudly with every step as she moves across the granite and stone floor.

"Tony, we need to talk," she begins, holding her clipboard tightly. "You have-" she stops, looking at her boss intently for the first time since she'd entered. "Why aren't you wearing your suit?"
"I'm picking one out," he says slyly, his eyes not diverging from his armor.

"Tony, you have a meeting in thirty minutes to discuss the shares of Stark Industries. Some of our investors are selling their shares and you have to be the one to convince them to stick it out."
"What do I care if people lose faith in me? It's their mistake, and they'll learn to regret it."
Pepper sighs in frustration as she tires of Tony's arrogance. "That's not how corporate function works, Tony. This isn't a popularity contest where you can blow everyone's mind in a few months with some new technology no one knew you were working on and get everyone's support back. If we lose these investors, it could be detrimental to your worth AND the company."

Tony turns to Pepper; his face shows an expression of ambivalence. "Pepper, you know I've never cared for this aspect of the company. I'm an inventor and an explorer - I search for new depths and heights in the world of the future. I couldn't care less what the people of our present time think of my usefulness to their benefit. How much stock do I personally own again?"

"The majority shares; thirty-one percent."
"Good, then I'm still in control. You can take care of this meeting for me. You'll do a much better job than I would anyway."

"Something on your mind?"
He grins, "Always. There's a magnetic disturbance in the gulf. I thought I'd go check it out."
"Alone?"
"It's recon," he laughs. "I'm a flying arsenal of equipment this world won't see or understand for another century. Advantage me."

"What do you think it is?"
"Probably AIM or Hydra trying to develop a new technology to threaten the world."
"And you promise this is just recon? You won't go trying to take on whatever you find all headstrong by yourself? You'll call for back up?" He just smirks. "Tony..."

"Alright, alright. I'll call for backup." Pepper smiles before turning around and heading for the door.
"Good luck on your adventure, Mr. Stark."
"Good luck with the meeting!" He calls back. "Whatever you face in there is bound to be more dangerous than any hole I could fall into."

The door closes tightly behind Ms. Potts. Tony watches her walk up the staircase until she is out of sight. "Now, electrical and magnetic disturbances ... Jarvis, what's the status on the Mark VII? Has the technological interface finally finished encryption?"

"Yes, sir," a quasi-modulated voice speaks out through the speakers in the room. "The AI is now 40% less susceptible to hacking; the suit itself is 30% less susceptible to EMP disruption and 26.5% more insulated in case of electrical interference."

"And the armor shell?"
"Trial testing has shown the hull to be 58% lighter while only losing 2.22% strength."
"Hmm. Still couldn't figure our how to increase durability, huh?"
"It's been 24 hours, sir."
"Even still."
"Perhaps you'd prefer to invent a new alloy when you return?"

Tony laughs. "Yes, I think I might. Prep the Mark VII for take off, Jarvis. I'm eager to see how she handles in a non-simulated mission."

"Worth taking the risk, sir?"
"We'll see, Jarvis. We'll see."

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Saleh Khana
Pakistan


Captain America took a deep breath and steadied himself. He looked at the woman in the Burka to his left and nodded before sliding his shield on to his back and running across the open field towards his goal. A small military facility just a few dozen kilometers from Peshawar. Steve grunted and jumped into the air, tucking his legs underneath him as he somersaulted over the facilities' barbwire fence. Cap landed on the other side of the fence with a thump, his breath ragged and uneven. Sweat was beading down his face, the smallpox blisters on his face close to rupturing.

"We ready to go?" Steve wheezed into his radio.

"Roger that," Bucky said on the other end of the line. "Standing by and ready to go."

Rogers reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a laser cutter. Within a minute, a freshly cut hole was in the barbwire fence. Cap peaked through the hole and signaled for the Burka clad woman to follow him. She ran across the field and darted through the hole. Together, the two of them crept through the base towards a chopper. Rogers signaled for the woman to hop aboard the helicopter. She opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat while Cap opened the line again.

"We're almost ready," Steve said, covering his mouth as he coughed. "How is the invite being received?"

"Very well. All the party guests are coming right now. The headcount I'm getting right now is a Pakistani special forces unit, half of Taskmaster's Spetsnaz team, a SEAL squad, HYDRA shocktroopers, a car-load of Al-Qaeda goons... and a partridge in a pear tree."

"Nothing from AIM?"

"Nope. Chatter on the radio says that they pulled back. You must have scared them off when you took out their MODOC squad."

"Maybe so. Alright, I'm getting ready. I'll see you on the other side. Cap out."

He cut the line and jumped into the helicopter's driver side. Steve started the engine and let the rotors turn until their blades were a massive blur above the chopper.

"Don't really know how to fly this," he said to the woman on his right. "But we don't need to go far."

Cap pulled back on the control yoke and the helicopter was airborne. The chopper hovered over the airbase before I shot across the sky towards Peshawar. Rogers looked out the window at all the cars and vehicles below him. A dozen cars, jeeps, and humvees were on the road, soldiers leaping out of them. Muzzle flashes filled the early morning air with light, and bullets hit and ricocheted off the helicopter. A HYDRA hover car came roaring at the chopper.

Steve barred his teeth and yanked the yoke, spinning the helicopter counter-clockwise to avoid being hit. Suddenly, a flash erupted from a nearby cliff. A rocket shot at the chopper and clipped its tail rotor. The rotor groaned and flew off, spinning into the night. The chopper began to spin out of control, twisting through the air as it careened towards the ground. Steve fought the vertigo and dizziness that accompanied the freefall. He kicked the helicopter and glanced back at the Burka covered woman one more time. He looked forward and leaped from the chopper, tucking his legs in as he flipped through the air.

The spinning chopper smacked into the HYDRA hovercar, both aircraft falling from the sky in a brilliant blaze of fire. The car and helicopter smacked into the ground, flames exploding outward from the wreckage. While the various troops looked on at the fiery crash, Cap was still falling towards the ground.

He reached behind his back and pulled his shield from his shoulders, leading with it as he fell. The metal disc struck the ground, the vibranium-laced item absorbed the force of impact and Cap bounced off the shield, flipping through the air before landing on the ground with a hard thump. He stood, looking to his right. The wreckage of the chopper crash was a kilometer to his right and the soldiers were all rushing to it, preparing to comb the wreckage for the woman that had been in Cap's care.

Steve began to walk away from them, heading up a hill towards the shooter of the rocket that had destroyed the helicopter.

"Nice moves," Bucky said once Rogers was within earshot. He watched the fire down below as Cap stood beside him.

"Nice shot," Steve said, looking down at the still warm rocket launcher at Bucky's feet. "Time to call Fury. Break the news to him."

Bucky handed Cap his transmitter and Rogers connected with the SHIELD frequency. "Uncle Sam to Eagle Eye."

"The hell happened down there?" Fury growled. "Satellite feed shows enough fire and brimstone to burn down Sodom and Gomorrah three times."

"Someone got a shot off," Cap said with a sigh. "It was all I could to get out before the chopper crashed."

"What about the principle target?"

"She... didn't make it out."

"Damn... Alright. You and Barnes can come on back home. Mission's scrubbed. Transport is waiting at the SHIELD safehouse. Fury out."

The line went dead and Cap tossed the transmitter back at Bucky.

"What do you think?" Bucky asked as he caught the comm.

"I think he bought it," Steve said with a nod. He glanced down at the fiery wreckage and then back to Bucky. "C'mon, Buck. We got a ride back to the States waiting on us."

*****

Thirty Minutes Earlier

"This plan's pretty crazy." Hank Pym said as he looked over Riya. He was sealed inside a containment suit. Riya, Hank, and Cap were huddled down in a gulley a few kilometers to the south of the base. Beside Hank was a metal briefcase.

"It has to be crazy to work, Hank. Only way it's believable is for it no be believable at all."

"You have a point there my friend," Hank said, taking Riya's hand into his own. "I'm taking a DNA sample for our LMD. This will only hurt for a minute, I promise."He gently pricked Riya's finger with a pin to draw blood. She winced as Hank collected the sample in the dropper.

"Now, just so you know, Cap, this thing will only follow basic commands. It won't talk back or do anything simple."

Hank popped open the briefcase. An array of computer interfaces adorned the case. Pym placed the dropper into the array and stepped back. Before their eyes, the case began to shift its shape, going from a simple briefcase to a cube of liquid metal. The metal grew and expanded, taking on a human shape. The outline came into focus, that of a young woman. An identical copy of Riya.

"Done. An instant Life Model Decoy. A microwaveable LMD, if you will. It takes the basic genetic code and creates a perfect model. The next wave in replication software."

"What happens if it's destroyed?"

"If anyone tries to do any kind of DNA scan, it'll show up with the sample. So, for all intents and purposes, this is your friend."

"Right," Cap said, nodding. "Are you sure Riya will be safe in the Lighthouse?"

"Oh, yeah. She won't be able to breech my containment suit, and I've got the facility on lockdown. I'm the only Secret Avenger that can access it right now. I'll keep her there until you're ready."

"Good."

Cap turned to Riya and squatted beside her, covering his mouth as he coughed. "You can trust my friend," he said once he was done coughing. "He'll get you out of here and I'll do the rest."

"Thank you," Riya said, touching Cap's hand. "Thank you for your kindness."

"We're not out of the woods yet. So, save your thanks until later."

Steve stood and nodded at Pym. He stepped back and watched as Hank and Riya disappeared in a flash of light. He turned to the LMD of Riya and waved his hand. "Let's go," he said, sliding his shield off his back. "We've got a base to infiltrate."

*****
​

12 hours later
Oceania


Riya and Steve walked across the sand of the deserted island. Cap was in a containment suit, the welts and bumps on his face were nearly healed, his smallpox nearly gone.

"This island is tiny, it's hundreds of miles from any shipping route, and nearly a thousand miles away from any other island. Nobody will be able to disturb you here."

"How did you discover it?"

"Howard Stark bought it back in the 60's. Apparently, he forgot about it. Stark Industries wasn't doing anything with it, so it was sold to me for a buck. I destroyed the deed, so as far as anyone who matters know, this island doesn't exist. You should be alright here. There's a spring nearby with fresh water. Stark is supplying you with a bungalow to live in, a year's supply of food, and a satellite phone that calls to only me. Supplies running low, cal. Something happens, call. I'll be here as soon as I can."
"An exile," Riya said with a sigh. "This is what I have to look forward to."

"It's not ideal, that's for sure. Considering it was this, a life in a lab, or being used as a weapon, I would say this is the best."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"I need to go," Cap said, walking across the sand towards the Quinjet parked on the beach. "Like I said, call me."

"I will," Riya said. She stopped Steve by touching his shoulder. "Before you go, I have to ask... why? Why all this trouble? You could have turned me over to SHIELD and be done with me. Why didn't you?"

"Because you remind me of someone I used to know. A guy who wanted nothing more to make a difference, only to have some horrible almost derail his dream. He was nearly put into a lab, poked and prodded on like a lab rat. But he was given a chance, and in the end, I like to think he actually made a difference."

"But how can I make a difference from here? Thousands of miles away from anyone."

"You can't right now," he said with a shrug. "But who knows what tomorrow might bring? You may get a handle on this smallpox thing, or you may find a way to lick it all together. You gotta have hope, Riya."

"Thank you," she said. "For at least giving me that."

"You want to thank me? Thank me when you got that plague out of your system. You can buy me lunch at my favorite deli in Brooklyn."

"It's a date," she said, hugging Cap.
Steve turned and walked towards the Quinjet. A few minutes later, the jet was hovering above the beach and taking off across the ocean. Unbeknownst to both Riya and Cap, a spy satellite was passing over the island at that exact moment.

From his control room inside the helicarrier, Nick Fury watched as the Quinjet streaked across the ocean away from the island. "Heh," Fury chuckled to himself. "Most of the time, I don't like people lying to me. But... Computer? Erase GPS location of Stark Island location Beta Gamma."

The satellite's feed shut off, as the location of the island was erased in all the SHIELD and UN databases. Fury smirked and turned off his monitor. "I'll give you this one, Cap. You earned it."

*****
​

Epilogue
Undisclosed Location

The man woke with a start from the bed. He struggled to remove the heavy blankets that covered his body. He kicked off the covers and tried to stand, only to find his right hand was chained to the hospital bed he was in. The room around him was pitch black, but his eyes were adjusting. It was a hospital room, there was a long mirror that went across the entire wall in front of him.

"Doctor Loharani," a voice said through a PA system. "Calm down. Everything is fine."

"Where am I?" He roared. "Where is my lab?! My work?!"

"Your lab was destroyed by one of your test subjects."

"Riya," Loharani whispered to himself, his memory coming back. "Where is she? Where is my daughter?!"

"Dead. She was killed trying to escape Pakistan. SHIELD killed her. She was a threat."

"No," he said. "No!"

"Yes," a voice said insistently. "Your research worked, Doctor. You created a weapon with Riya... but she was not the only one. You were the sole survivor of you daughter's attack. The Pakistani government tried to hide the truth, but we found out. We did not want your daughter, we wanted you. Why would we settle for a bomb, when we can have the bomb maker? As an added bonus, you were effected by your daughter's attack."

Loharani looked at his hands. In the darkness, he could make out a yellow aura around his fingers. "Yes," he said. "I remember. The attack. As a last ditch effort, I attempted to inject myself with the formula."

"My scientist tell me that a weaponized form of Ebola runs through your veins. It is the perfect weapon to fight our enemies, fight the corrupt people who took your daughter and your life's work from you. We will give you a chance to personally show them the error of your ways. We only ask that you further your research, make more of your plague men."

"Yes," Loharani said. "Give me my vengeance, and I will give you an army."

"Perfect," the voice purred. The mirror at the end of the room lit up, the mirrored glass fading away to reveal the man behind it, the owner of the voice Loharani had been talking to.

"Doctor..."

"Welcome to AIM."
​

 

[Byrd Man]

Together, we charge Venom. Behind us, Misty circles around to get a clear line of sight. As Venom lashes out a tendril to knock me down, I perform a running sideflip. Colleen, meanwhile, takes a more direct approach, slashing through tendril after tendril with her katana. I duck under Venom's next attack - a wild swing with those claws - which brings me right up next to him. I launch a quick flurry of jabs and chops to the ribs before backflipping away out of his reach.

Venom snarls and disposes of Colleen with a sharp backhand. Her katana falls to the rooftop with a clatter. He turns his full attention towards me until a bullet catches him on the ear. It distracts him just enough for me to make another attack. I charge Venom, planting my heels in his gut and running up his torso. He turns his head just in time to see my backflip kick connect with his jaw.

As I'm halfway through my flip - and completely upside-down - a tendril wraps around my waist. I'm spun around and thrown into a nearby air conditioning vent, leaving a sizable dent.

Danny falls and I step back up to the plate, ripping through Venom's tendrils and tentacles with a hardened fist. I get a solid punch in to it's jaw and send it slightly back on its haunches. Venom tears through my shirt with it's claws but I don't back down... at least not until a tentacle wraps around my ankle and tosses me across the roof like a ragdoll.

"Dammit!" I yell out as I come to a stop at the edge of the roof. "Getting real tired of this crap."

I stand up and walk across the roof, stopping by the building's AC unit long enough to rip off a pair of pipes from it. Misty and Colleen are fighting Venom while Danny waits to jump in. I hang back, far enough away to be out of reach.

"Listen up, mutha****er!" I yell, slamming the pipes together. The pipes crashing together create a sonic vibration. One of the symbiote things weaknesses. The sound starts to drive Venom crazy, it recoils in pain as I keep slamming the pipes together.

 

[Andy C.]

Danny falls and I step back up to the plate, ripping through Venom's tendrils and tentacles with a hardened fist. I get a solid punch in to it's jaw and send it slightly back on its haunches. Venom tears through my shirt with it's claws but I don't back down... at least not until a tentacle wraps around my ankle and tosses me across the roof like a ragdoll.

"Dammit!" I yell out as I come to a stop at the edge of the roof. "Getting real tired of this crap."

I stand up and walk across the roof, stopping by the building's AC unit long enough to rip off a pair of pipes from it. Misty and Colleen are fighting Venom while Danny waits to jump in. I hang back, far enough away to be out of reach.

"Listen up, mutha****er!" I yell, slamming the pipes together. The pipes crashing together create a sonic vibration. One of the symbiote things weaknesses. The sound starts to drive Venom crazy, it recoils in pain as I keep slamming the pipes together.

"NNnnnngh!"

My other writhes from the sonic vibration, our psychic link feeding that pain into me. While it would take something like a sonic cannon to actually incapacitate us, the vibrations from the pipes is still extremely unpleasant, like a hot needle in my brain.

We have to get away from the sonic assault, come at them a different way. Stumbling backwards, we trip over the ledge of the rooftop and fall to the streets below.

"*whuff!*" we grunt as we hit the pavement, my other maintaining enough of its form to cushion the impact. Pulling ourselves up, we see police cars forming a perimeter around the area. We can only assume they mean to keep bystanders out rather than actually attempt to arrest us.

"Attention, Venom!" one of the cops yells out. "You are under arrest! Get on the ground, and put your hands on your head!"

Someone's feeling brave, apparently. We reach out, arms stretching into tendrils, and snare the cop.

"We've got another idea," we say, ignoring the bullets the other officers are shooting into us, "How about we put our hands on your heads?"

The tendrils branch out, grabbing other cops around the head and neck, and we lift them into the air. It's a concentrated effort, and spreading this much of my other out has the drawback of leaving my own body vulnerable, but the risk should pay off.

"Okay, heroes!" we shout back up to the rooftop. "Drop the pipes and back off, all of you, or else the cops get shredded like lettuce!"

Honestly, we don't think we could actually do it-- it's one thing to kill criminal scum, or Spider-Man and his friends. But murdering cops? They're supposed to protect the innocent, even if they do a terrible job of it. It's really not something we could bring ourselves to do.

But we doubt the heroes know that--as far as they know, there's no difference between us and that butcher Carnage. Here's hoping they're too dumb to call our bluff.

 

[Eddie Brock]

"We've got another idea," we say, ignoring the bullets the other officers are shooting into us, "How about we put our hands on your heads?"

The tendrils branch out, grabbing other cops around the head and neck, and we lift them into the air. It's a concentrated effort, and spreading this much of my other out has the drawback of leaving my own body vulnerable, but the risk should pay off.

"Okay, heroes!" we shout back up to the rooftop. "Drop the pipes and back off, all of you, or else the cops get shredded like lettuce!"

Honestly, we don't think we could actually do it-- it's one thing to kill criminal scum, or Spider-Man and his friends. But murdering cops? They're supposed to protect the innocent, even if they do a terrible job of it. It's really not something we could bring ourselves to do.

But we doubt the heroes know that--as far as they know, there's no difference between us and that butcher Carnage. Here's hoping they're too dumb to call our bluff.

Luke stands at the edge of the rooftop, scowling. He knows that he must comply, or many innocent men will die. He angrily tosses the pipes aside and holds up his hands for Venom to see. He glances over his shoulder at me with a pleading look in his eyes. I then see that the pipes weren't all he tossed aside. Glinting from the police helicopter's spotlight are the keys to the Escalade.

I give him a curt nod to let him know I got the message.

Colleen, who is standing next to Luke, lowers her katana in a sign of submission. However, she also catches the keys by the keyring and flings them back towards me. With Colleen and Luke blocking me from view, I bend down and pick them up. Once I have them, I nod to Misty.

"Alright, ugly," Luke announces. "We did what you asked. Now, put the cops down."

Meanwhile, Misty and I silently make our way down the fire escape on the opposite side of the building - where the Escalade is parked. I climb in the driver's seat, and Misty hops in the passenger seat. "I hope you know how to drive this thing," she says as she loads a new clip into her pistol.

With a squeal, I pull the car away from the curb and go screeching around the corner. I slam on the brakes as we turn onto the street with the police blockade. "Better hang onto something," I advise.

I put the pedal to the floor as we barrel towards the blockade. I slam on the horn - partly to disorient Venom and partly to warn the remaining cops to clear the way. "Yippeekayay--" We break the perimeter, slamming through two police cruisers. I pull on the emergency brake, sliding the Escalade so that Venom gets slammed by the broadside.

 

[Eddie Brock]

With Adrian Toomes back in his birdcage, I can look forward to going to work again. Hopefully, there aren't any more surprises for me - like Shriek as a guidance counselor or the Rhino as the home economics teacher. Heh. Actually, the second one might be pretty funny. Anyway, Principal Gonzales has taken it easier on me since that first day. Probably because she has bigger fish to fry, like explaining to a hundred worried parents why a supervillain was cleaning their kids' bathroom. For what's it worth, I don't blame her for what happened. She's certainly not the first person to be swindled by a crazy kook like Toomes. And, I mean, she did hire Spider-Man to be her chemistry teacher, so she has a reputation for this sort of thing.

Rhino teaching home economics. Oh, man. That's funny.

I'm standing in the doorway of the room in-between classes, observing the natural wildlife here at Midtown. Nothing makes you feel older than seeing a bunch of fifteen year-olds running around, wearing t-shirts for bands you've never heard of or referencing internet videos you've never seen. Though I do have to admit that I'm very fond of that sneezing panda video. I showed it to Aunt May, and she laughed until she cried.

"Peter!"

I look and see Mr. Warren waddling in my direction. It's strange. He looks nothing like his brother, yet Miles is all I think about when I see Mr. Warren. I guess when a guy clones you, it leaves a mark - psychologically speaking.

"How have the students been?"

I shrug. "No worse than I was expecting." It's true. The night before my first day, I had these horrible visions of these kids pulling a million different pranks on me. Thumbtacks on the seat, live animal in the desk, at least one well-placed whoopee cushion. I guess kids just aren't as creative as they used to be. Though, honestly, it probably has to do more with fear of Principal Gonzales. I'm twenty-six years old, and I fear her.

"Good to hear it," Mr. Warren smiles. He rubs his hands together. "Listen, Peter, as a former student I suppose I don't need to tell you that the annual Homecoming Dance is rapidly approaching."

Ah. The Homecoming Dance. In my four years at Midtown, I did not attend it once. I wear that as a badge of honor. Unsurprisingly, Flash and Liz were named Homecoming King and Queen during our senior year. At the time, I was glad I didn't have to sit through that. Although I was grateful that it put Flash in such a good mood that he didn't give me a hard time the whole next week.

"Year after year, fewer teachers volunteer to chaperone the event--"

"And you were hoping I might throw my name in the ring?" I finish.

"You always were sharp," Mr. Warren laughs.

I consider the proposition. Spend a Friday night watching high schoolers make googly eyes at each other, or likely spend it patrolling the rooftops as Spider-Man while getting shot at and/or attacked by criminals. Honestly? It's a close call. "If it will get me back in Principal Gonzales' good graces, I'll do it," I offer.

"Glad to hear it, my boy." With a pat on my arm, Mr. Warren walks off to his own classroom.

Once Mr. Warren is gone, I go back to people-watching. One student in particular catches my eye. Smallish, only a freshman judging by the look of him. The whole time he's at his locker, he keeps his head down and never makes eye contact with his peers. He reminds me of... me. A pair of jocks I don't recognize passes him, and one shoulders the boy into his locker. The jocks walk away snickering while the boy simply adjusts his glasses and closes his locker.

Before I have time to consider him any longer, the bell rings, and the hallway begins to empty. I take one last look at the boy who reminds me of me and resolve that I have to help him. After all, that's all I ever wanted when I was in his position.

* * *

The Savage Land. A dangerous place filled with beasts and monsters. Here, colossal creatures from Earth's past wander the tropical jungles with visitors from distant galaxies. The jungle itself seems alive, as though every leaf on every tree presents a new danger. Many have traveled to the Savage Land, but only the worth walk away from the experience. Truly, it is no place for the common man.

Alyosha Kravinoff is no common man. His is the blood of the Hunter.

Alyosha moves freely through the jungle, fearing no animal or beast. Indeed, this place is his, a birthright of sorts. He is perfectly attuned to the jungle, as though it were an extension of his own body. All creatures in this jungle know now to cross the Hunter's path.

The saber-toothed tiger which accompanies Alyosha moves cautiously, its head ducked low and its tail between its legs.

"What is it, Nalla?" Alyosha asks. He, too, can sense something amiss in the jungle. His cat's fear only confirms the suspicion. "What troubles you?"

The underbrush erupts before them.

In all his time in the Savage Land, Alyosha Kravinoff has not seen a creature such as this. Nalla rises up to meet the lion-creature, and the two giant cats grapple with one another. Nalla fights hard, but the lion-creature is twice her size. Alyosha raises a spear but knows that he cannot get a clear shot while the two cats tussle. In a disturbingly human gesture, the lion-creature pins Nalla to the jungle floor and twists the saber-tooth's neck. With a sickening crack, Alyosha's companion is dead.

Alyosha raises his spear to slay the beast when something strikes his neck. He instinctively drops the spear. With a shot of pain, Alyosha pulls a dart from his neck. Handcrafted, like the kind Alyosha uses to subdue a wild animal. With his last moments of consciousness, Alyosha hears footsteps coming through the underbrush beside him.

* * *

Hours later - though he cannot know how many - Alyosha recovers. He finds himself in a small hut, strapped to a table with leather restraints. "Who dares cross the Hunter?" he demands angrily of his captors.

"You are not the Hunter," a woman's voice replies. Alyosha sneers. Captured by a woman.

"Show yourself!"

At the sight of their faces, Alyosha instantly knows who they are. Sasha Aleksandra Kravinoff, wife and lover of the Hunter, and her daughter, Ana Tatiana. Confusion overtakes him. Captured by his own family? "What is the meaning of this?"

"Revenge," Ana Kravinoff answers.

"I have done you no harm!" Aloysha protests.

"Revenge against the Spider," Sasha explains.

A growl from the far corner of the room draws Alyosha's attention. The lion-creature sits on two legs, holding a fleshy bone with the other. Alyosha does not doubt that the beast is feasting on the remains of Nalla.

"Do you not recognize your brother?" Sasha asks.

"I have no brother," Alyosha replies.

"Of course you do." Sasha turns to the lion-creature. "Vladimir!" The monster stops picking the meat from the bone and looks up.

Alyosha furrows his brow angrily. "What have you done?"

"We brought him back," Ana explains excitedly.

"It was a... trial. As you can see, it was only a half-success." Sasha brandishes a dagger.

"What do you mean to do?"

"Resurrect Father."

Sasha smiles. "We now possess the power to revive the dead, so the Hunter will be with us once more. However, we realized our flaw with Vladimir. Only Kravinoff blood can pay for Kravinoff life." She approaches the bound Alyosha with the dagger in hand.

"We decided that it must be you. You who shame the Kravinoff name with your pursuit of vanity. You who shun the glory of the kill in favor of captivity. Your blood is impure, but it is Kravinoff blood nonetheless."

"No! No, wait! Don't do this! Don't--"
​

 

[Carnage27]

The Thunder God marches towards the dungeons of Asgrad, disregarding all those that hail him as he does. He has a mission, and none will stand in his way on this day.

Descending the large spiral staircase that seems to stretch on for eternity. During the descent, Thor passes by those imprisoned in this great penitentiary. Some have been here for eons, trapped by his father as prisoners of war and plunder. But the one he's looking for was not originally chained here. No, his interment was on very different terms.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Thor bursts through the door that leads towards the inner cell, but is stopped by a solitary guard inside, "Halt, Thunderer. The Allfather has restricted the access to this prisoner. None shall pass."

"Do you not know who you speak to?" Thor seethes. "My father has shut himself off from the world. I rule in his stead. Step aside or face the wrath of Thor."

"Very well, my lord," he bows and moves to leave. "But I shall not be held accountable for what this villain does next."

The ruler of Asgard pushes further into this deep, dark cell, before coming to a small, magically guarded nook with a simple bed and latrine. Laying back on the bed with a smile on his face is the one he has come to treat with.

"Hello, brother."
​

 

[bkhedr]

Dawn

Moon Knight's disassembled carbonadium armor hangs, suspended by multiple metal prongs and hooks, near his cloak and hood which lie on the floor in a heap, and across that floor is a wall featuring row after row of blades, truncheons, bows, cable guns and various other weapons.

Steam drifts out of the show in another part of the building, several floors below the armory, as Marc lets the hot water pour over his shoulders. The daily cleansing has become part of his routine. A way to soothe sore muscles and wash away the grime and fatigue of the night's work.

He wishes he could stay in the shower forever, just forget the world and let the clean water wash over him, but grime and fatigue can be washed away, past sins cannot; and Marc, dutifully aware that there is work to be done, reluctantly forces himself to end his shower.

After shutting the tap and drying himself off, Marc leaves the luxurious penthouse bathroom behind and enters a spacious and plushly designed bedroom, with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Samuels" He says out loud as he opens his wardrobe and goes about selecting his attire for the day.

"Yes Sir?" Samuels voice comes in over the speakers after a brief delay

"Get the car ready. I need to check something out."

"Of course Sir." Samuels replies. "Will you be taking breakfast before we depart?"

This illicit a smile from Marc. He hadn't realized it but he was actually quite hungry.

"Yeah why not." He says "We can spare a couple of minutes."
​

​

Later

"If I may make a suggestion Sir, why not just go in and talk to her?" Samuels asks from the driver's seat.

The Lexus has parked on the side of the street for about twenty minutes. It is fairly unassuming for a luxury sedan and its tinted windows keep the early morning passers by from seeing inside.

"I just want to see her Samuels, not be a part of her life again." Marc replies from the backseat where he has been peering out the window at the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Center across the street. "I've put her through enough already."

"If you say so Sir." Samuels says with a voice full of weary resignation.

Marc ignores the tone and continues to look through the window, excitedly now, as the object of his desires appears around a corner with a hand bag slung over one shoulder and a steaming cup of coffee in another. She walks briskly, full of confidence. Her blue eyes are sharp and alert and her shoulder length blonde hair is tied back in a tight pony tail.

"Marlene" Marc whispers under his breath as he watches her walk by. He's leaning closer to the window now, his nose practically touching the glass.

He can feel the urge growing inside him and he's sorely tempted to just open the door and rush towards her, but Marc Spector and the Moon Knight have never brought Marlene Alraune happiness. Not happiness that lasted anyway and Marc was determined to do what was right by her even if it meant denying his own desires.

He watches for a few more moments before she disappears into the Center to start her work day before he lets out a sigh and leans back in his seat. Only then does he see Samuels' accusing eyes looking at him from the driver's rear view mirror.

"Go on then" He says "I know you're dying to say what's on your mind."

Samuels turns in his seat so that he's facing Marc

"Its obvious you miss her Sir and while you've only been back a short time its also obvious, at least to me, that you're...." he pauses, looking for the right words "...state of mind is better than it ever has been. I understand that you're looking for redemption from past sins, that you have decided to dedicate yourself to that admirable goal, but surely there is room in your life for love as well as responsibility."

"Well look at you." Marc says wryly.

"Don't be so surprised Sir." Samuels says "You let me into your life, shared the good and bad with me. Did you really think I wouldn't have opinions of my own? That I'd be content to function as a mute butler?"

"Obviously not." Marc smiles "Looks like I'll have to hire another, more professional, man servant."

Samuels dismisses the joke "Hide it with humor all you want, but you can't deny that you still have strong feelings for Miss Alraune and I have no doubt that she still has feelings for you. You may think you're doing her some kind of service by keeping your distance but from what I can tell you're just punishing her and yourself, and that, if I may be so bold, is not exactly the behavior of a sane man."

This illicits a wide eyed look of shock from Marc "Did you just question my-"

"Indeed I did Sir." Samuels says "And I'll continue to do so for as long as you give me reason to."

There's a pause before Marc's smile returns. He leans forward and put a hand on Samuels forearm

"Thank you Samuels. I really mean that." he says "But I can't hurt her, not again."

Samuels smiles back. It is a knowing, fatherly smile "Have it your way Sir. After all its only a matter of time before she finds out that Moon Knight is back and comes looking for you herself."

"Speaking of - " Marc says, his attention suddenly focused on the small display panel built into the back of the seat infront of him. "Looks like there's a situation developing uptown."

He turns in his seat and opens a hidden panel in the back of the car revealing a white briefcase which he pulls out and opens. The briefcase contains his Moon Knight armor.

"Take us somewhere more secluded will you."

​

​

 

[bkhedr]

Later

Four pairs of feet slosh heavily through the storm drain tunnels underneath Little Rock as The Wrecking Crew trudge through the ankle high water with slumping shoulders.

Each of the men carries a large sack of cash over his shoulder. They carry no less than 4 million in cash between them. It is a fine haul, but a pittance compared to what they had in their position just an hour earlier.

"Come on ya mooks." The Wrecker says, trying to sound upbeat "A mill for each of us ain't bad at all."

He knows what the others are thinking and he's trying, rather unsuccessfully to change their minds.

As usual its Thunderball who speaks up first.

"Would have been 10 mill each if you'd actually had a plan for getting out of town with the money." He complains.

"I got us out of there." The Wrecker says emphatically, but he's already lost the argument and he knows it.

"By blowin' up a gas main and taking half of the town and our cash with it!" Piledriver says.

The Wrecker knew this was coming. They'd been grumpy, quiet for the last twenty minutes and he could feel their eyes boring into his back as he led them. He had had to speak up first and hope that Thunderball would not talk back. Now that he had Piledriver and Bulldozer would pile on as usual.

"And that mess we left behind may have gotten us out but they won't just let us go." Bulldozer says, as if on queue"They'll probably send the Avengers after us."

"Then let 'em."The Wrecker growls "The Avengers come at us and we'll make 'em sorry they did."

"Don't kid yourself Wrecker" Thunderball says "We've never been able to beat the Avengers and we've just put ourselves on the most wanted list for some chump change."

This is too much for the Wrecker who drops his sack of cash and turns in a flurry of anger, sparks seemingly shooting out of his eyes.

"Enough already! If one a'you has a problem bein' part of my crew all you have to do is say so."

He brandishes his crowbar "I got no problem takin' that Asgard power back right here an' now."

This effectively silences the Wrecking Crew who look downwards, afraid to meet his gaze lest he carry out his threat. They might not be thrilled with him as a leader but they have no choice to accept it in light of the fact that their powers flow from the enchantment in his crowbar and super villainy, even only mildly successful super villainy, was far preferable to manual labor or petty crime.

"That's right."The Wrecker says. He then grabs up his bag of cash and turns his back to the crew who dutifully continue following him down the damp and darkened tunnel.

But the Wrecker's mind is still working despite their acquiescence. Deep down he couldn't deny that the day that had started out so well had ended up as another disappointment. They probably would send a team of Avengers after them and like it or not, he and his Crew had rarely, if ever, been a match for a full team of Avengers. Something was going to have to change and the Wrecker was starting to get an idea.
​

​

All is quiet as the early morning dew forms cold, icy droplets on the road where the the Wrecker stands alone. He is on an off road, near a stretch of highway in Eastern Arkansas. The spot is unassuming save for the single pay phone beside him.

He watches his breath leave his body in steady streams of fog. Its funny. He doesn't feel cold, hadn't truly felt cold, or hot, or even tired since he got his powers, but certain functions, such as warm breath reacting to the cold air remain the same as they ever was.

Reaching that conclusion almost makes him feel like an average joe again and he smiles absent mindedly as he thinks back to the days of when he'd be working a site in late October, shivering against the onset of winter and downing one hot drink after another just to feel the hot cup warm his frigid fingers. He didn't want those days back, wouldn't trade the power he now possesses for anything in the world, but it was still nice to reminisce.

As time passes, the Wrecker begins to shift impatiently. More and more, he turns his gaze towards the pay phone, as if waiting for it to ring. It is in such a moment, when his gaze is fixed on the phone, that he hears a mechanical, whirring sound behind him. The sound almost makes him jump but he is able, just barely, to subdue the instinctive reaction, so that when he turns to face the source of the sound it is as a menacing mountain of a man without a hint of surprise showing on his grim, business like expression.

"Mr. Garthwaite." An AIM scientist, the apparent leader of a foursome of AIM scientists wearing their familiar yellow beekeeper outfits says "Please step on to the platform."

The lead scientist gestures with his hand for Dirk to step on to the metal platform the four scientists just appeared on and Dirk does so, the four scientists, making room for him as he does.

"Please try to stay as still as possible." The lead scientist says before the platform suddenly begins a smooth, but rapid descent beneath the Earth. The Wrecker can't see what's happening on the surface but he imagines that everything up there has already returned to normal and that there is no hint that he, or they, were ever there.

The descent is brief and Dirk and the scientists let it pass in silence before the platform whirrs and slows to a halt in the center of what appears to be a significant AIM base. The base is obviously extensive and he counts nearly two dozen AIMers in his immediate line of sight.

Dirk is impressed by what he sees but does his best not to show it.

The scientist who invited him on to the platform now invites him off and they walk past several AIM scientists and security personnel, some kind of robots if Dirk has to guess, before they reach a cubicle like space which has been lavishly furnished and decorated. Dirk's escort invites him to take a seat and the Wrecker notices with some satisfaction that the chair he is being offered has obviously been reinforced to carry his weight as he certainly wouldn't want all his stoicism and undone by an embarrassing fall.

He takes the chair, then the drink he's offered, some kind of warm cocoa which is absolutely delicious. A moment later and a hidden screen built into the wall in front of him comes to life to reveal and image of AIM's leader, the freak known as MODOK.

"Mr. Garthwaite." MODOK says "What can AIM do for you today?"

This is the moment Dirk had been waiting for. The moment when everything changes for him, and he does not shy away from it. He leans forward in his chair, his expression deathly serious, and looks MODOK in the eyes.

"I want a Cosmic Cube."

​

 

[Hound55]

I grabbed my shirt and throw it on quickly, getting it caught briefly on the points of my mask before finally managing to pull it on. I grabbed my tunic and quiver, with bow already stowed, and I was ready to answer danger’s call... But with danger nowhere to be seen I responded to the knock on the door by the S.H.I.E.L.D agents instead. Immediately seeing the ‘transport’ Nick Fury had planned.

Well... It IS hard to miss a helicopter in your front yard.

Hopes and Dreams.


So at this point I think we’re well beyond the time for introductions, aren’t we? No? Fine. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum sitting over there who are almost unable to take their eyes off of me? They would be S.H.I.E.L.D agents. As for me? I’m Clint Barton. Also known as Hawkeye. Yes. THAT Hawkeye. The Avenger. Take on global threats, Super Heroes R Us type Avengers. Cap, Thor, Iron Man Avengers. One big happy family.

Of course, just like a family we don’t always see eye-to-eye on things. Sometimes siblings will argue, it may take years to get over that. May take years to realise that when good things come your brother’s way it’s no sleight on you. Took me years to realise that, and let me say the bigger brother comparison was not lost on me for all that time either. That said, I had a bigger brother once before and I won’t depress you with the details of that chain of events…

Couldn’t really ignore it if I wanted to anyway. Always people throwing the comparisons up in your face. I mean, we’re a couple of blonde blue-eyed guys who spend a hell of a lot of time beating up Hydra jack-offs, many of whom are hell-bent on preserving the Aryan way… I mean every other week we get that thrown in our faces. Funny thing is, every one of ‘em seems to think they’re the first one to say it. Me, I laugh that idiocy off… But Cap. It fires Cap up, nothing pisses off the symbol of America like suggesting that he proves the Nazis right. I don’t know whats funnier, the fact that they keep saying it when it just motivates Steve more, or that every one of ‘em seems to think they’re the first one to say it.

Kind of interesting thing about that too… Cap’s too humble to ever view himself down those lines. The symbol for America, the personification for the hope of a nation. But he acknowledges that everyone else sees him in that light, and I say that as someone who knows him about as well as anybody. It’s like he’s charged by what they say about his homeland and the people who view him that way, rather than anything about himself.

But then that’s Steve… Captain America: The symbol of America’s hope. But I’m not introducing him here, we’re talking about me – Clint Barton – and if Steve’s the symbol of America’s hope, then what you’re looking at now is it’s symbol of the American dream. That’s me. Living proof that no matter what background you came from, (and I had to work my way UP to be a Carny!), so long as you have a brain in your head and a heart in your chest you can have it all so long as you work hard enough for it.

Tony was born into money… BIG money. Thor, well he’s the son of the god of all gods in his realm… even Cap had a little help from a certain serum. Me? I’m 230 lbs of good old American flesh, bone and gristle sculpted into an Avenger by nought but hard-work and elbow grease. Sure, I’m not… hmm… I’m not… sorry, hold on a minute, this is always hard to say… I’m not perfect. But I’m, well, I’m not far off. What? Pfft, screw that. I leave the humility to Steve. And when I do fall short, I just rely on what I’ve learnt from this world. Team-mates are fine, but when it’s all said and done you’ve got to get yourself back up and work harder.

Just another reason why I love my bow and wouldn’t trade it for the best firearm on my worst shooting day. Guns may jam, but with my bow… nothing but me and a target. And when it all comes down to it, me and another guy? I’d bet on me. Heh, no pun intended there, Jacques… What? Oh, just a little inside joke there. Don’t bother yourself with it...

Anyway, sitting in this chopper here as we do, it seems S.H.I.E.L.D’s got some Hydra goons they want to point us at, or at least my bow. To be honest with you, I’m more than happy to oblige. Sitting around in that mansion isn’t doing me any good, about time I got to re-join the action and since we’re starting to level off some I’m guessing we’re just coming up to the Helicarrier now. Nick Fury’s flying skyfortress. I heard it used to be on the corner of Central Park West and Broadway until he kept getting requests from kids to fetch their cats from trees in central park, so he chucked some propellers on and flew outta there. No? Nothing? Alright, I’ll shelve that one, I’ve got to come up with something that’ll put burn marks on the inside of his eye-patch though because I’ll be there soon… Just spit-balling. How about I call him Snake Plissken? Nah, that’s been done to death. How the hell does Spider-Man do this? Every other thing out of that guy’s mouth is a quip. He must have writers.

“We’re here.” Tweedle-Dum said, or was that one Tweedle-Dee? No matter. That one.

We all step off the plane and much like the chopper sitting in our yard Nick Fury makes an unmistakable appearance, standing and waiting for me on the tarmac next to a blonde bombshell in a tight S.H.I.E.L.D uniform. Hey, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s fine. I’m not Stark, I can control myself.

“Barton...” What? Fury spoke first, now he’s looking at me... What was that line? Dammit, I had that joke all lined up.

“Eyeball... You’ve only got... one...” What the hell was that?

“Riiiight...” The blonde says.

What the hell was that? That’s not right... That’s not me... Fury offers a stony faced glare, not that I was expecting support.

“Walk with me.”

 

[Andy C.]

Luke stands at the edge of the rooftop, scowling. He knows that he must comply, or many innocent men will die. He angrily tosses the pipes aside and holds up his hands for Venom to see. He glances over his shoulder at me with a pleading look in his eyes. I then see that the pipes weren't all he tossed aside. Glinting from the police helicopter's spotlight are the keys to the Escalade.

I give him a curt nod to let him know I got the message.

Colleen, who is standing next to Luke, lowers her katana in a sign of submission. However, she also catches the keys by the keyring and flings them back towards me. With Colleen and Luke blocking me from view, I bend down and pick them up. Once I have them, I nod to Misty.

"Alright, ugly," Luke announces. "We did what you asked. Now, put the cops down."

Meanwhile, Misty and I silently make our way down the fire escape on the opposite side of the building - where the Escalade is parked. I climb in the driver's seat, and Misty hops in the passenger seat. "I hope you know how to drive this thing," she says as she loads a new clip into her pistol.

With a squeal, I pull the car away from the curb and go screeching around the corner. I slam on the brakes as we turn onto the street with the police blockade. "Better hang onto something," I advise.

I put the pedal to the floor as we barrel towards the blockade. I slam on the horn - partly to disorient Venom and partly to warn the remaining cops to clear the way. "Yippeekayay--" We break the perimeter, slamming through two police cruisers. I pull on the emergency brake, sliding the Escalade so that Venom gets slammed by the broadside.

"Ow," we say, picking ourselves up from the pavement. My other's substance was still stretched fairly thin when they hit, which sent us tumbling. And honestly, getting blindsided by an SUV isn't fun even in the best of times.

We were frustrated before. Now we're angry.

Lashing out with tendrils, we grab onto the Escalade's rear axle and rip one of the wheels off, keeping them from escaping.

"You know what we call three superheroes in a car?" we say, shifting my other's mass to our right fist, turning it into the shape of an oversized pick axe.

We raise the axe head up and slam it down into the SUV's hood, punching straight through the vehicle's engine block.

"Meals on wheels," we say with a snarl as our tendrils seep into the seams of the SUV's doors and pry them open.

 

[Byrd Man]

"You know what we call three superheroes in a car?" we say, shifting my other's mass to our right fist, turning it into the shape of an oversized pick axe.

We raise the axe head up and slam it down into the SUV's hood, punching straight through the vehicle's engine block.

"Meals on wheels," we say with a snarl as our tendrils seep into the seams of the SUV's doors and pry them open.

"I had that one time," I say swopping in and slamming my fist into Venom's side. "That food is god awful, dawg. You gotta treat yourself to something good."

Venom swipes at me and I manage to avoid it for a change, jumping back and pulling something out my pants pocket. "I got an idea. Colleen, do that thing we talked about."

"Here and now?" She asks as she, Misty, and Danny jump out the car.

"Not that!"

Venom lands a solid blow to my chest, dropping me to the ground. "The other thing," I wheeze out.

She catches on and leaps into action. She drives her katana into the side of the overturned SUV's gas tank. Gas squirts out and covers both Venom and I in the liquid. I hold the item in my hand up, a zippo lighter. "Everybody run!"

I strike the lighter, and Venom and I go up in a bright ball of fire and smoke.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Greenwhich Park
London, England

"Got it!" Blade flashed his light to signal Dane and Faiza, and they came running. They found Blade crouched behind some brush, eyeing what seemed to be a very unnatural hole several meters ahead. "Get down!" Blade whisper-yelled. Dane and Faiza dropped to the ground, crawling to cover behind their own shrubs, as two pairs of red eyes peered out from the dark depths of the hole. "Goddamnit," Blade mouthed before his whole body seemed to tense. Faiza looked at Dane with questioning eyes, but he motioned for her to stay still and silent. They'd inadvertently triggered a hunt and, contrary to what those two vampires believed, Blade was the hunter. He moved carefully around his shrubs as the vampires came to investigate Dane and Faiza's. Just as the vamps were about to peer over the brush, Blade sprang up behind them, a silver stake in each hand, and Dane and Faiza quickly rolled to avoid the falling ash of their remains.

"Knew I shoulda told you two to leave the armor at home. With their ears, these suckheads'll hear you comin' a mile away, just like these two."

"Yeah, well, 'stealth' is relative when you're wearing chainmail. And you're out of your mind if you think I'm letting Faz in there without something protecting her from potential bites."

"I am sitting right here, you know. I can speak for myself. If Blade says we need stealth, I haven't got a problem losing the armor."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you neglect to tell me about how you were born with magical immunity from vampire bites like our friend Eric here?"

"I'm not afraid!"

"That's because you're still new at this!"

"Shut the hell up, the pair of you!" Blade looked from one to the other and back. "Like a couple of goddamn children, I swear. Listen, you two stay put and stay out of sight. I'll do a recon sweep of the nest; we can come up with a plan from there."

"Got it." Blade scurried away, and within a half-dozen steps, neither Dane nor Faiza could see him any longer. Dane slumped back down behind his shrub. "Man, he's good."

"He probably practices a lot. You know, because he doesn't have a death wish."

"Great, here we go..."

"Yes, Dane! Yes, 'here we go.' I'm sorry to inconvenience you with the fact that I'm ever-so-slightly troubled that my boyfriend nearly let himself be killed ten minutes ago!"

"Keep your voice down! ... And I wasn't going to let myself be killed. I was going to defend, I just... it happened so fast and I knew I wouldn't be able to reach my sword in time and I thought... Damn it, I thought it would just be better for you if it were all over."

"That... You... That is so... pathetic!"

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me! I know you have the whole knight theme and all, but you 'thought it'd be better for' me? Last I checked, chivalry died a thousand years ago and us flighty womenfolk learned to think for ourselves."

"No, you've got it all wrong, I didn't mean--"

"Yes, you did. You absolutely did. I see that now. You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders because you know someone has to and you can't bear the thought of leaving it to others. I get it; hell, I sort of love you for it. But I'm not some mewling child you need to look out for, Dane. You know that. I thought that's why you made me your steward."

"It is, but--"

"I thought that's why you love me, too."

"It's that too, but--"

"But nothing, Dane. It's all or nothing: Either you believe me when I say I can handle this crazy life we're both stuck with or you don't. Either you trust me... or you don't. I'm telling you that I appreciate what you're going through and I understand it's difficult, but I choose to be here--I choose to be with you. It's your choice to do the same or not, but whatever you choose, do it because you recognize that we're equals, not because you think I'm some weak-kneed princess to be protected by her gallant knight. Excalibur chose me for a reason. Are you telling me a bloody sword is a better judge of character than you?"

Dane looked into her fierce, determined eyes and couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"Dane?"

His laughter continued, rising beyond a whisper to the point of becoming audible.

"Dane, seriously, you have to stop laughing. Besides being bloody well insulting to me, you're giving away our position."

"It wasn't..." *snicker* "I'm not laughing at..." *chortle* He couldn't stop.

"Dane, they'll hear you!" Faiza moved over and covered Dane's mouth with her gloved hand, finally stifling his mirth. He moved her hand away and kissed her, his own hands rising to cup her face as he did.

"Of course I choose to be with you. I'm sorry. I've been a fool. I wish I could blame the Blade--blades, now--but you're right, they're just an excuse. I've been so mixed up because of them, and because of these ridiculous ideas I had, and everything that's happened... instead of just appreciating the--the--god, the wonder that you are. I love you, Faz. I trust you. Of course I trust you. There's no one in the world I trust more."

Faiza shrugged out of Dane's hands and turned her face away. "All right, message received already. You're making me all embarrassed."

The two of them sat there for a few minutes, Dane staring at Faz, Faz alternating between staring back and blushing and staring at the floor. A smile slowly crept across Faiza's face and Dane's face returned the gesture without his even realizing.

Dane snapped out of it and cleared his throat roughly. The euphoric buzz of love quickly gave way to another, more familiar buzz--darker and immeasurably tainted. "One thing, though: 'the knight theme'?"

Faiza shrugged at him, confused. "You've got the knight getup. It's your superhero theme."

"It's not a theme. I mean, it is, but it's not just a theme. I am actually a knight, you know."

"Oi, here we go."

"No, really. I was knighted by King Richard the Lionheart himself!"

"Oh, the oppressor of my people in the Third Crusade? Tell me more, Sir Dane."

"Hey, come on--well, no, actually, that's fair. Richard turned out to be a bit of a jerk, now that I think about it. But I tried to stop the Crusade! Remember, with the conspiracies--on both sides, mind you!"

Faiza fixed a challenging gaze on him, daring him to continue.

"Because... I mean, both sides had their good people and bad, and... um..." Dane's eyes shifted under Faiza's unflinching gaze. "There's no possible way for me to dig myself out of this one, is there?"

"You two allergic to silence or something?" Dane and Faiza both jumped at Blade's sudden interjection.

"Uh... how much of that did you hear?"

"Enough, Romeo. It's a wonder this one hasn't left your ass yet."

"It really is, isn't it?" Faiza chimed in sweetly on her own behalf.

"Great, now it's two against one. So, Eric, buddy... the recon?"

"What, now? Sure you two don't want to give wakin' the whole damn neighborhood another go?" He looked from Dane to Faiza and back again. "Good, listen for a change: There's maybe two dozen fangs down there. Luckily, there's only one other exit--a tunnel the fangs dug straight up to the wall of the metro tunnel nearby. I figure I take that one, you two start from this end, and we pick 'em off as they go, drivin' 'em back 'til they got nowhere else to go but back to the grave."

"Works for me. Faz?"

"What if any of them get past us? What's our plan B?"

"Plan B is: refer to plan A and don't let that happen."

"Right. It sounds so simple when you put it that way."

"Think you're up to it?"

"Well, I've been training, but--"

"She is." Faiza looked at Dane, who nodded and gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll cover our end."

"All right, then." Blade pulled out a pair of earpieces. "Wisdom set me up with these. I've already got mine on. I'll radio once I'm in position."

"Then what?" Faiza asked.

Blade gave her a smile with just too much teeth to it. "Then the fun begins."

 

[Eddie Brock]

Unfortunately, that fight with the Vulture all but wiped out my reserve supply of web fluid, so I'm down to just the cartridges loaded into my webshooters. That should keep me for the rest of the week, so long as some huge catastrophe doesn't demand my attention and drain my webbing - which, let's face it, probably will happen. In the meantime, I'm weeks away from my first Midtown High paycheck, which means I need to scrounge up money for my next web fluid batch in other ways. Which, for me, means pictures of Spider-Man.

After school on Thursday, I swing into the city and go on patrol as Spider-Man. I try to avoid swinging so I can conserve my web fluid, which is fine by me because I love running the rooftops. My camera's loaded with a fresh SD card and ready to go. Now, I just need to find some picture-worthy action. Unfortunately, ol' JJ has gotten fickle in his old age, and any old picture of Spider-Man won't do. I'm going to need something truly eye-catching, something sensational, something--

VVVVVVMMMMMMM!

--something like an attempted robbery at the Savings & Loan on 42nd Street. And if my Spider-ears haven't betrayed me, it sounds like the perpetrator is an old friend. Removing the miniature camera from my belt and positioning it with a good view of the bank, I swing into action to meet...

"Shocker!" I announce happily as I crash through the glass and plant my feet into the villain's cushioned back. "You're the second 'classic' villain I've faced in the past week and a half!" I land crouching on the floor. "Is there a reunion in town or something?"

Shocker gets to his feet and drops the bags of money he was carrying. He's still wearing that ridiculous Quilted quicker-picker-upper outfit which absorbs the vibrations from his gauntlets and from my attacks. Thumbs on the triggers, he turns those gauntlets on me and fires.

I back-flip to safety, but not before Shocker obliterates some poor bank employee's desk. I throw my hands up defensively. "Hey, I'm just as upset about ATM fees as you are! But you don't see me trashing the place."

Silently, Shocker lines up another blast. I jump to the side this time, and one of the bank's windows is the unfortunate victim of Shocker's attack.

Frowning, I say, "You're awfully quiet, Herman. Now, don't disappoint me. Banter is half the reason I got into this gig!"

Spider-Sense? But I'm looking right at Shocker, and he's not ready to fire yet. So why--?

VVVVVVMMMMMMM!

The blast takes me completely off-guard, hitting me right in the back. I'm knocked to the floor in a heap, but the Shocker still hasn't moved. Spinning, I see a second Shocker standing behind me. "I think I need to schedule an appointment with my optometrist, because I'm seeing double!"

The first Shocker levels his gauntlet with my head. I fire a quick blast of webbing at his eyes, and while he's distracted I spring myself forward and tackle the second Shocker. I'm about to unmask the double when my Spider-Sense rings out again. This time, I turn just at the moment that the blast hits.

VVVVVVMMMMMMM!

As I'm thrown backwards against the wall, there's no mistake what I'm seeing. There's a third Shocker robbing this bank. As I regain my bearings, the second Shocker gets to his feet, and the first Shocker clears the webbing from his eyes. All three turn to face me.

"So, listen, fellas. I was thinking maybe we forget about this whole 'gang up on Spider-Man' thing and just go out for a beer. What do you say?"

All three Shockers raise their gauntlets.

"Oh dear."
​

 

[Byrd Man]

Manhattan

Captain America was crouched on a rooftop, looking down at the bank across the street. He had been here for nearly an hour now. So far, the biggest thing he had witnessed was a pregnant lady going into labor. Steve had resisted the urge to jump down and help her out. Instead, she managed to get help from a passerby and call an ambulance.

"It's been five minutes since this robbery was supposed to take place, Sharon. Perhaps your informant was wrong?"

"No, Steve," Sharon Carter said from a nearby rooftop. "They haven't steered us wrong before. So, why now?"

"I don't know. There is a first time for--"

Cap stopped as he heard the police scanner in his crackle. He stood and looked over to where Sharon was perched.

"Your informant was wrong on one thing, Sharon. The location. The robbery is going down right now, halfway across town."

"Let's go."

*****

Sharon Carter's flying sports car zoomed above the New York skyline, ducking and dodging the skyscrapers as she flew.

"NYPD are moving in on the scene. So, they'll be coming. SHIELD will have priority when the dust clears and we get a crime scene going."

"Right," Cap said, looking down at the city below as it passed by.

"One more thing, there's another hero there."

"Good. I can always use some help."

Sharon hit the brakes and the car slowed as it approached the bank that was being robbed. The car dipped its altitude down as it slowed. "Something else."

"Don't worry," Steve said, standing as he talked.
​

Ignoring Sharon's cries, Cap jumped from the car and dove towards the ground, his shield out. He used the shield to bounce off the ground and crash through the bank. Steve landed inside the bank, swinging his shield at the first bad guy he saw. A bank robber clothed in an unusual outfit was knocked to the ground by a blow to the face.

"Spider-Man," Rogers said with a nod to his fellow hero. "Duck."

He slung his shield at a Shocker dressed bank robber behind him. The metal disc slammed against the Shocker's head and dropped him like a sack of bricks.
​

 

[Eddie Brock]

Ignoring Sharon's cries, Cap jumped from the car and dove towards the ground, his shield out. He used the shield to bounce off the ground and crash through the bank. Steve landed inside the bank, swinging his shield at the first bad guy he saw. A bank robber clothed in an unusual outfit was knocked to the ground by a blow to the face.

"Spider-Man," Rogers said with a nod to his fellow hero. "Duck."

He slung his shield at a Shocker dressed bank robber behind him. The metal disc slammed against the Shocker's head and dropped him like a sack of bricks.
​

"Cap! Oh, you sweet, spangled man, you!"

With Captain America's dramatic entrance distracting the Shockers, I fire a webline. It catches one of the imposters in the chest, and I pull hard.

The Shocker's face slams against the ground, and I hope that his padded mask didn't absorb too much of that. "Good thing you're here, Cap," I say over my shoulder. "Now, if only these guys went and got three more friends, it could be a fair fight."

I see a small smile on Cap's face as he crashes that mighty shield against one of the other Shockers. Judging from the sound alone, I'd say that the robber felt that one. Vibranium beats grandma's quilt any day of the week.

The third Shocker has recovered from taking a thrown shield to the head, and he lines up a shot in the back on Cap. With a split-second twist of my webshooter's nozzle, I switch to impact webbing and fire a thick ball of webbing. It hits the Shocker's gauntlet just as he's pulling the trigger, and he misses wild.

"So what brings you to these parts? Just out getting a carton of milk when you heard the commotion?"
​

 

[Byrd Man]

I see a small smile on Cap's face as he crashes that mighty shield against one of the other Shockers. Judging from the sound alone, I'd say that the robber felt that one. Vibranium beats grandma's quilt any day of the week.

The third Shocker has recovered from taking a thrown shield to the head, and he lines up a shot in the back on Cap. With a split-second twist of my webshooter's nozzle, I switch to impact webbing and fire a thick ball of webbing. It hits the Shocker's gauntlet just as he's pulling the trigger, and he misses wild.

"So what brings you to these parts? Just out getting a carton of milk when you heard the commotion?"
​

"SHIELD business," Cap said, blocking one of the Shockers' shockwaves with his shield. "I'll explain later."

Both heroes ran in separate ways as two of the Shockers open loose with their blasts. Using his free hand, Captain America did a handspring and avoided a blast. He landed beside the younger hero and blocked another blast with his shield.

"You go after the one on the left, I go right. We'll meet somewhere in the middle."

 

[Eddie Brock]

"SHIELD business," Cap said, blocking one of the Shockers' shockwaves with his shield. "I'll explain later."

Both heroes ran in separate ways as two of the Shockers open loose with their blasts. Using his free hand, Captain America did a handspring and avoided a blast. He landed beside the younger hero and blocked another blast with his shield.

"You go after the one on the left, I go right. We'll meet somewhere in the middle."

SHIELD business? Involving the Shocker? That's a sho-- surprise.

"Aye, aye, Captain."

VVVVVVMMMMMM!

My designated Shocker lets another gauntlet blast rip, but I'm just a hair too quick. Spinning through the air towards him, I come down with a hard right hook. We tumble to the ground and grapple for a moment, but eventually I wind up on top. A good one-two-punch puts him down for good.

I turn and see that Captain America has dispatched of his Shocker and has already turned his attention towards the last one. Damn, that guy's fast! However, the final Shocker has made the fatal mistake of turning his back on me. I jump onto said back and get the Shocker into a full nelson. "I love this game! If I hold on the longest, what do I win?"

Cap lunges forward, driving the round edge of his shield into the last Shocker's exposed gut. The would-be bank robber doubles over and collapses to the ground. I hop to my feet and brush off my palms.

"Thank God. That guy's pits reaked." I guess those pretty suits don't ventilate well. Sucks for him. I bend over and peel his mask off. Hmm. That's not Herman Schultz. I bound over to the next guy. Same deal. By the time I unmask the third Shocker, I'm unsurprised to see that Herman Schultz is not in attendance today. Hands on my hips, I turn to Cap. "Thanks for the assist, Cap, but we've been duped. None of these guys are the Shocker."

 

[Byrd Man]

"Thank God. That guy's pits reaked." I guess those pretty suits don't ventilate well. Sucks for him. I bend over and peel his mask off. Hmm. That's not Herman Schultz. I bound over to the next guy. Same deal. By the time I unmask the third Shocker, I'm unsurprised to see that Herman Schultz is not in attendance today. Hands on my hips, I turn to Cap. "Thanks for the assist, Cap, but we've been duped. None of these guys are the Shocker."

"That's because Herman Schultz is currently in Ryker's, doing time."

Steve squatted beside the unmasked, unconscious Shocker and studied him. "We should have kept one of them conscious."

He stood and looked at Spider-Man.

"That's why I'm here. Schutlz is in prison, but someone has gotten a hold of his technology and equipment. They're producing Shocker suits and selling them to anybody with enough cash."

 

[Eddie Brock]

"That's because Herman Schultz is currently in Ryker's, doing time."

Steve squatted beside the unmasked, unconscious Shocker and studied him. "We should have kept one of them conscious."

He stood and looked at Spider-Man.

"That's why I'm here. Schutlz is in prison, but someone has gotten a hold of his technology and equipment. They're producing Shocker suits and selling them to anybody with enough cash."

Rent-A-Shockers? What's next? Goblins for Hire? I instinctively shudder. "Well, that's... great." I perk up when I hear sirens approaching in the distance. "You mind if we move this conversation elsewhere? The police and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye on... most things."

Cap nods, and we both head out together. I spring to the rooftop across the street, subtly picking up my camera before Cap gets up here. I've just tucked it away on my belt when Cap comes bounding up onto the roof.

"So, I've got time to kill if you want a tag-along on this Shocker thing," I offer. "After all, this is my nemesis who's being mass produced."

 

[Byrd Man]

Rent-A-Shockers? What's next? Goblins for Hire? I instinctively shudder. "Well, that's... great." I perk up when I hear sirens approaching in the distance. "You mind if we move this conversation elsewhere? The police and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye on... most things."

Cap nods, and we both head out together. I spring to the rooftop across the street, subtly picking up my camera before Cap gets up here. I've just tucked it away on my belt when Cap comes bounding up onto the roof.

"So, I've got time to kill if you want a tag-along on this Shocker thing," I offer. "After all, this is my nemesis who's being mass produced."

"Sure thing, your insight into how the Shocker suit works could be a vital asset."

The flying car holding Sharon flew over the two heroes' heads before landing beside them. Sharon jumped out and started to walk towards Cap.
"I told you not to go into that fight without backup," Sharon said, pointing a finger at Steve.

"I had backup," Cap said nodding towards Spider-Man.

"Oh, please. Spider-Man doesn't count."

"I can count how many times I've fought Shocker..."

"I fought Hitler one time. He had been turned into a being of pure energy, but I still managed to knock him out."

"Actually, maybe not...," Spider-Man said, counting with his fingers. "It's been a lot of times, and I've been hit..."

"What does knocking out Hitler have to do with this?"
"Nothing. I just like to say I knocked out Hitler."

"Whoops, I lost count. That happens. That last time I fought Shocker, I got hit in the head really hard. I started to smell colors, and I get confused after counting past fifty-five..."

"I want Spider-Man in on this with me."

"Why?"

"Because he knows how to deal with these Shocker suits. I'll work with him while you sweat the people down in the bank."

"Fine," Sharon said, crossing her arms. "Take my car. I'll get a transport back to the Helicarrier."

"Right," Cap said, sliding his shield on to his back. "We'll be in touch."

Steve walked towards the car and climbed behind the wheel. "Let's go, Spider-Man."

"This car's nice," Spider-Man said as he jumped in. "I love that new car smell. Smells like Magenta."