Streaking out of the roof of Stark Tower, I'm overwhelmed by that wonderful feeling of freedom again. I'd describe it as making you feel like you're flying, except... well, I really WAS flying.
Coordinates for the Hulk's last sighting in Nevada were programmed into the autopilot, and I was just engaging the extended flight routines when a security override came over the armour's Heads-Up Display.
"Calling all Ultimates. Red alert. Norman Osborn is attacking the Triskelion, I repeat, Norman Osborn is attacking the Triskelion. Abandon whatever it is you're doing and head to The Triskelion. The more firepower we have, the better."
Norman Osborn?
Norman Osborn?
Surely Nick had learned his lesson and locked that mutated psychopath away for good? Surely this was a mistake? I couldn't chance it. cancelling the pre-programmed routines, I consciously turned in the direction of the Triskelion.
Even from this distance, it was horrifying.
Flames licked around our Headquarters, smoke curling hundred feet into the air. In amongst the acrid black clouds, I could make out the form of someone gigantic, at least fifty feet tall. Had Osborn increased in power?
"magnify visuals 300%", I instructed the on-board computer system. The image in the distance suddenly came into full focus, far increased in size.
PYM?!
What was going on? Osborn escaped, Pym back in his Giant-man costume wearing a bizarre helmet... Things today were most definitely taking a turn for the bizarre.
I flew full-speed towards the mayhem.
shortly more than one minute later, I arrived on the scene. On the approach to the Triskelion I'd already locked Osborn's genetic signature into the suit, prepared to engage a full genetic paralysis and prevent the madman from using his artificially-enhanced genetic abilities - no sense in prolonging the fight any longer than I had to.
Flying in close enough to the hulking green beast, I was reminded of the mission I had been about to embark on in Nevada - and couldn't help but feel a moment's relief. Taking careful aim at the monster, aided by the HUD in the suit, I fired the paralysis beam.
The force of the blast knocked the creature to the ground, rolling several yards before sliding to a stop in the grass. Laying still, I breathed deeply, thankful that he'd gone down without a struggle unlike the last time.
Then he turned around, gazing skywards right at me. He quickly twisted to his feet, and leaped at me,
roaring.
"OSBORN!", I managed to shout at the fast-approaching figure, before he crashed full-pelt into me. His momentum knocked me off balance and sent us both to the ground with a *THUD*.
laying on my back in the small crater our crash-landing had formed, I looked up into the eyes of the beast that pinned me to the ground. For a moment, its features seemed to shift, to melt away. I thought the genetic paralysis was finally taking effect, but looking at the rest of its body, the creature was merely shrinking away, gaining a slightly more humane appearance. I looked back at the face of it, and where I'd formerly seen an animalistic look of sheer menace, I found myself looking at brown eyes set into the face of what was clearly a boy, no older than sixteen or seventeen.
"SssttoOOooppPpp.... TThhhHiiIIssSSsss....", he said, before leaping off me and back towards the looming structure of the Triskelion.
"PARKER?"
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