Chapter 4: Knight on the Town
Tony Stark in his leather armchair at his cherry wood desk waiting for the dreaded call. He held the bottle of Bourbon clenched in his hands grip like a vice watching the video of what the media called Spider-Man's declaration. Tony watched his phone, waiting for it to ring but it did not. They wanted him to sit with the idea of failure or maybe they were thinking of a plan to handle the situation.
He had gone about this all wrong. Peter had defeated his nemesis and broadcasted it with local media. Surely the net would be swarming with people buzzing in the chat rooms about the Spider-Man's victory. Good public relations would surly swing in his direction. He couldn't take the silence; he wanted it to be over with already. Let them say what they had to say so he could get to work on his next move in this chess game.
Suddenly, Tony's cell phone rang; he jumped in his seat as if a jolt of lightning struck him from his chair. Reaching into his pocket, he couldn't decide if he was genially nervous of that the drink had gotten to him. His thump jittered as it pressed the button to answer the call.
"What the hell is going on up their Stark?"
"Everything is under control Mister President."
"With all due respect Mister Stark, if it was, I wouldn't be hearing about It." Said the president in a curt voice. The media is in a frenzy and talk of a "Civil War II" is on every news channel. Five S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in critical condition not to mention agent Romanoff is unconscious."
Tony rubbed the temple with his fingers, attempting to sooth his mind. "I understand the situation is a little out of hand but believe me when I say that I will not let that incident repeat itself".
"I should hope not. Now what happened to this Mac Gargan, the files have him under the name Venom?"
"Yes, the agents recovered his body, and Spider-Man's initial video was not fabricated in any way. The Symbiote was seemingly destroyed by the load sound, resulting in Gargan's permanent loss of hearing. Damage to his spinal was also done when he decided to remove a tracking device we attached to it and is now paralyzed from the neck down. The violent separation from the symbiote seems have caused major memory loss as well."
"It's unfortunate what happened to Gargan but what do you mean by "seemingly" destroyed symbiote?" Said the president in an alarmed tone.
"Actually Mister President, I have reason to believe that Spider-Man took a part of the alien for purposes unknown to me."
"What!?" Responded the president in a hoarse voice. "Can't we track the damn thing?"
"No, it seems it was able to extract the nanite solution from its mass."
The president was quiet on his side of the phone line. The initiative, derailed by one Individual? So much had happened, for the people to believe in renegade heroes again. This Spider-Man had everything, perhaps he wasn't so much a threat now but given enough time things would get out of hand. The cycle could begin again before they knew it but this time people could lose faith in the government, not just heroes.
"Is there any way that we can talk to this Spider-fella? Get him to calm down at all." The president sounded tired in his voice now, trying not to think of the worst possible scenario.
"No, Sir. I tried talking when he first appeared in New York-."
"Then you have my permission to defuse the situation, whatever it takes before other former heroes rally behind him. I know they feel all doing the right thing but right now they're on the wrong side of the law. I will be calling regularly to confirm where we are in all of this."
"Thank you, sir. I'm already on it"
Tony hung up the phone with a little more clarity. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket with twitching fingers and took a deep breath. The clock had just started ticking and he had to find Peter but he wouldn't go quietly, that much was certain. What's more, if he really had the alien symbiote he would be difficult to take down with that kind of strength if he merged it with the Iron Spider suit.
Peter already proved that he was a force to be reckoned with when he first attacked and broke into the building to fix the Iron Spider. Tony gritted his teeth hard. He had underestimated his opponent not once but twice. This incident with Venom was another indication of the person he was dealing with. A Person filled with anger and malice but even worse was that whatever he was doing, Peter must had had an endgame.
Tony sipped his glass like it had a displeasing bitter taste to it. He took in the atmosphere, sinking back into his chair. Closing his eyes, Tony thought back to the first attack in this very building. The intense look on his face was one without mercy. His punches must have been one of the hardest he had ever felt. The web-lines streaming from his wrists, entangling Starks metal chest like adhesive hooks. How Peter bent his body to avoid the attacks with ease and ripped the Iron Man suit like aluminum foil.
Peter was once his friend, someone who could see things from a scientific point of view, but he always had that conscience. Like every hero he had his own set of problems and shouldered a lot of pressure. He lost two people close to him. Tony took another sip of the bitter alcohol as his mind continued to wonder about the fallen former avenger. A scientific mind coupled with rage created the new Iron Spider and its improved Waldoes.
A bolt of blue light dispersed into pieces like little blue fireflies and shot back toward him like four turrets. How they clawed into his suit like a ravenous creature. There could be no doubt that leaving Peter was clearly not an option and bringing him in as fast as possible would be a favor to the world.
Suddenly, like a machine grinds its gears, Tony's brain runs like clockwork. Various equations flash behind the backs of his eyelids and an idea is born. His heart rate hastens a bit from these thoughts, at what they can do. Again he is captivated by his own genius and what it had given him, but even if it was good it needed to be tested. His expertise demanded trial and error. He took a minute to give the idea one more thought to truly convince himself and he was sold. He hopped out of the chair a man determined. Because everyone knew that Iron Man wasn't just a suit but a man that could make things happen.
His right index finger struck the intercom button on his office phone hard.
"Maggie?" said Tony with haste.
"Uhh, Mister Stark my name is Megan"
"Whatever." Said Tony all too anxious to care about his mistake. "Just hold all my calls. If the avengers come looking for me I'll be on the R and D levels."
The dark sky was devoid of clouds that night and the only thing that could be seen in it was a crescent moon. It bathed the city its ambient light. The people of New York City walk the streets to their various destinations. Some people talk about the day's events, relishing in triumphs and others loathed their misadventures. The night sky is calming to the soul, representing the close of another cycle.
At night many people get ready for sleep to take on the next day, but not the criminal element. It exists in various forms at all times of the day but at night things are different. At night, some people feel their right at home. The winds blow through hallowed pitch black alleyways, funneling through the tight pathways and blowing old newspapers into gutters and vacant streets. They give invitation to deeds as dark as the shadows, offering cover from observant eyes.
During the day, where the people brave enough strike their targets in broad daylight. Super villains who would run through the city with a certain confidence to engage in titanic fights with heroes. The air filled with rock debris and dust from crumbling buildings. The skies, filled with energy blasts fired back and forth with hues that were anything but natural.
From the dark, creatures crawl out from the tiny crevices, venturing to seize the night. This is their time to take the streets in a way that isn't so obvious to the Avengers. Aside from the astral plains, timelines and universes the streets are their own world, their own universe. Regardless of the living energy and matter monsters the avenues are their own beast and the island of Manhattan, an eternal battleground.
On the rooftops of Manhattan two shadowy figures move through the air like trained acrobats. From high above they swung across large gaps between buildings as the night air brushes against their naked faces. The first was a female covered in black. Her body was slim yet muscular and held by a thin layer of black leather hugging her body. Her hair snow white hair flowed like a curtain in the wind as she held tight onto her grappling hook. Her face was had strong cheekbones as the breasts on her chest were her most noticeable feature. Although she herself was a strong individual, her facial expression said different.
The lipstick that coated her mouth was curled in the form of a frown whenever she looked back at are companion. He was a bewildered man cast in crimson and a glinting gold spider stretched across his chest but his face was that of Peter Parker. Without his mask covering his five o'clock shadowed face but clenched in his left hand. His brown, unkempt hair just barely drape over his scowling brown eyes. His muscular form gracefully swings through the air behind the Black Cat with a backpack on his back.
As she swings behind buildings, flips in mid-air and her grappling hook grabs hold on another building, she feels his gaze. She feels Peter's eyes fixate on her form. Her head is hot with regret, her body feels hollow and she knows why he feels so on edge. She was captured and used as bate to lore him into a trap. The Spider could have left her but he came back, was that really her problem to deal with? She couldn't take it anymore; the pressure knowing this would linger on had to be dealt with regardless of the outcome.
The Black Cat suddenly yanked on her black grapple line, suddenly rising up through the air to the roof of a skyscraper. Her feet were ahead of her body as she flew upward and flipped to gently land her feet on the gravel covered rooftop. As she stood still she didn't even bother to turn around as her heard the impact of Peter landing behind her. It took only a second before Peter's voice sounded "Why did we stop?"
At that moment a cool breeze blew Felicia's Silver hair against the left side of her face as she turned around to face Peter. The tone in his face was not one of concern but perhaps inpatients. She could see it, the tenseness in is toned biceps and muscles as his red suit hugged his body. His eyes didn't seem to sparkle so much as they looked somewhat hallow. Felicia brushed the silver locks of her hair behind her ear and folded her arms as if she were cold.
"Why don't you just say what you're thinking?" said Felicia, removing her eye mask in a distressed voice. "We both know what it is so let's get it over with."
Peter stared at her for half of a moment before speaking. "There's nothing to talk abou-".
"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "I never asked for you to come save me! That's what it is isn't it? That Venom used me to get to you?"
Peter had grit his teeth before he replied "That is true, but it all worked out in the end."
"So what is the problem then?"
"You know, when I saw on a TV that you were on the run from registration. I had a chance to leave but I just stood there for what felt like thirty minutes. I thought if I should get involved, if I should save you. If it hadn't been for the tracer I slipped onto you I might have." Peter looked deep into Felicia's eyes without blinking as she stared back wide-eyed "Venom must have seen it and made a trap for me, fortunately it worked out but what I'm saying is… I,I need to do this alone. There's no need for you to be a part of this anymore, you should leave to Paris or something."
At just that moment, Felicia broke away "You don't know what you're saying. You've already lost so much."
"And that's exactly why you need to leave, save yourself and go. It only gets worse from here and where I'm going is no place for you. Please leave. I'm not the Peter you knew anymore or the Spider-Man."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Peter Parker, one of the only men she ever loved was telling her to leave him. A lump formed in her throat making it hard to swallow. A ghostly chill traveled through her body like an unforgiving wind. Her open palm covered her face, as her closed eyelids shed tears of regret. There she stood in her high heels and leather suit covered in tears of anger.
Felicia's hand descended from her mouth with her tearing eyes once more made contact with Peter's unwavering attention. She stepped toward Peter until her face was only mere inches from Peters. The tears were now flooding from her eyes forming black streaks running down her face like a mudslide. Her breaths were inconsistent, she attempted to hold back her heaving but Peter had already picked up on it. He didn't say anything, he just stood there as she tried to get out the words on here mind.
Saying what she meant to say was proving difficult for Felicia as they remained face to face. Why was this so hard to do? She attempted once more but there was only drier heaving in the wind and she walked away from Peter with only her back to face him. She steadily walked till she reached the edge of the building never once turning back. What she said before she leaped from the edge of the building was low and the wind was still brushed small gusts or air as she turned around.
The wind stole what whatever sound had escaped from her lips so the only thing Peter could rely on was his eyes. Felicia said a few her words and leaped from the edge and was lost into the sea of buildings.
Peter would spend another fifteen minutes on that barren roof. He sat on the edge of the building with his feet dangling in the air and his head sunken into his chest. Thinking about what he said to Felicia and how he meant every word. He sat still looking out into the void of space wondering if it was the right thing to do.
"Of course it was right" He thought to himself. "This has nothing to do with her and knowing me she would only get hurt."
Peter clenched his teeth as hard as he could when he found himself thinking. How many times did he blame himself when things went wrong? How many lives did he blame himself for? When he let villains play with his emotions and dictate his moves from the shadows by using the people closest to him. There were countless times he saved Mary Jane and Aunt May only to lose them anyway, to lose them like he did Gwen.
In that instant Peter choked on his spit. He beat his fist against his leg. The winds stealing whatever breaths he attempted to regain. He clenched his fist in a fit of rage as his mind instinctively flashed back to the Brooklyn Bridge. Gwen's body freefalling toward the East river. The shot a web-line without thinking that accidently snapped her neck.
"AHHHHHH!" He screamed into the night sky and said "never again" as he grit his teeth hard.
"Poor Peter" whispered a sly voice from behind.
The Iron Spider's four Waldo arms sprang up from the suits back and craning toward the mysterious voice. He was a tall man draped in red robes, sharp fingers, a pointed nose and unsightly red hair. Even his skin was red and slightly shined in the crescent moonlight. He looked like a vampire but Peter knew better than that. He sprang up, facing the man with his back arched like an animal ready to pounce and putting on his mask.
"You shouldn't have come here" Growled Peter.
"I'm sorry but I had to see it for myself. The self-loathing, loss of control and the delusions you make for yourself just to keep going. I dare say, it's delicious."
Without thinking the Iron Spider ran straight for the giant with the Waldoes pointed out like claws. As he attempted to land a punch, the man disappeared in a puff of red smoke and reappeared about five feet behind the spider laughing. The Waldoes transformed to their repulsor mode and fired bolts of blue light only to have the fiend disappear again and reappear in a different spot.
"Come now Peter, this is pointless. You can't stop me anymore than you could save your loved ones. Oops… Too soon?"
Peter could feel his skin get hot underneath the suit, the anger inside him was feeding on itself like a leech. He was past words and far from talking.
"But you see it, don't you? All I wanted was to change the timeline so you that you and Mary Jane never got married in exchange to bring your Aunt back. It was a fair trade, some might even say the deal of the century but hey, you made the choice. And the real kicker is that because of your choice, you lost everything important to you anyway."
The Iron Spider leaped into to the air and shot two wide web lines, covering every surface of the roof. The man disappeared as the webs rained from the sky and reappeared on top when they settled on the ground. The spider was now descending from the sky as one stinger protruded from each of his forearms. The man stood still as the Spider stuck him in the chest with both stingers. He appeared to have hard time breathing before his body went limp.
The Spider's heavy breathing was now slowly subsiding with the lifeless body in his clutches. Lying still on the giant web the red man was still as Peter took his breathes. Absorbing the moment as the night air blew fierce with one gust. Just as he was about to let go of the body it sprang back to live with a sinister grin across its face.
"Ok, you hit me, are you satisfied now?" Said the man, once more cackling out loud.
The wicked laughter beat hard against, Peter's eardrum. Mephisto's laughter turned back into cackling, revealing pearly white teeth as well as a pair of fangs. His yellow glowing eyes gauged deep into Peter's soul. Breathing became heavy again. Even under the mask, Peter's face was on of distress. It looked as if he tried to muster up the strength to speak but how to speak was lost to him.
Did he really think that his stingers could kill a demon? The creature was responsible for the existence of an entire realm. In possession of bartered souls. He was known for fighting teams like the Fantastic Four. Yet here was lying on the roof of a building, laughing. The stingers dug deeper into the red skin with no sign of letting up. The stingers went deeper till they reached the backside of the demon's body and no liquid leaking.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT MEPHISTO!" Screamed Peter
"Ahh, I see the man has taken the reigns again." Said Mephisto in his slick tone "That spider in you could become a problem. The spider almost killed Iron Man, defeated your arch nemesis. Could have cost you the Black Cat too. But your mistaken, this isn't about what "I" want because like everything else in your life this, Peter, is about you."
The stingers deep inside Mephisto's chest began to slowly retract back into Peter's forearms. Peter stood, Pulled off his mask and looked into Mephisto's cold and glowing yellow eyes for some ounce of truth but there was nothing to distinguish. He glared at the demon as it grinned back like a true villain standing up straight and smoothening out his ruffled red robes.
"I love watching you, your choices are… unexpected. At times you're cold and calculating and at others you're an animal with nothing to lose, it's great entertainment. …But I can see that you're at an impasse right now, who could blame you? Wondering if you should let go of your feelings or hold onto humanity. Me personally I say humanity's overrated. In a world of heroes you're the only one who truly knows consequence."
"I guess you could say I've become quiet the fan. I know what you are feeling, really I do but you can't stop now" Whispered Mephisto as he walked circles around Peter. "You mustn't lose your resolve. Change is enveloping your little universe as we speak so what will you do? Are you a spider playing the role of a man or a man becoming the spider? I'll be in touch."
The demon disappeared in a cloud of red smoke leaving Peter to his thoughts and a web covered rooftop. "Was he playing a game?" He thought. "No, from what he was saying I'm the game and the world is entertainment". But before he could think about it any further the rustling of gravel sounds behind him.
Peter spun around, putting his mask on once again. The Waldoes ready to shoot when he saw it. A crouching figure covered in white and glinting silver. A white hood that covered his head like the top beak of a bird, leaving his face covered with nothing to be seen but blank white eyes like a predator in the darkness. The tattered dirty white cape which shrouded his form and flowed in the night winds covered in bullet holes. Peter didn't need to see the crescent moon shape on his chest to know who he was though. His name was Moon Knight.
Moon Knight stood up tall to a towering six feet with silver wrist guards protruding from within his cape as it blow in the wind. His body was well toned like an Olympic athlete covered by a white Kevlar suit that looked like it could stop at few bullets but stretchy enough to accommodate his athleticism.
To Peter Parker, Moon Knight was a mystery and nothing more really. Compared to back then, Moon Knight always was more aggressive like Frank Castle but never to the point of purposely killing. On occasion, they would cross paths and the two would fight together but only for a limited time and never on a team. The Moon Knight avoided teams as if they were cancerous. He never answered to anyone, even burned his avenger's membership card in front of Captain America which was a story people occasionally talked about.
Shortly before the end of the Civil War, after years of not being seen, he had returned to take on the streets but refused company. This much was certain to Peter. On a night like this during the Civil War Spider-Man had approached him, wanting to talk as "Moony" bashed a muggers bones with a 2X4 painting a nearby wall crimson. Before Peter had a chance to talk to him moon knight walked away. It was at this particular moment that he thought to himself privately how funny the roles had reversed.
"Can't you people just leave me alone?" said the masked Spider-Man straightening up his posture with closed fists.
"Not when you plaster your face all over the media for the third time." Replied the Moon Knight in a deep growling voice.
"So what is it? You want to fight me too?"
"No" Said the Moon Knight curtly sounding almost relieved. "I need your help."
The Iron Spider slightly tilted his head to the right side when he had realized the rooftop was no longer covered in webbing. It was as if it was never there in the first place, like Mephisto was never there.
"How long were you watching me?" said Peter with alert in his voice.
"Since you and the Black Cat stopped here, about twenty minutes ago." – replied Moon Knight
"So you didn't see anything?" – Spider-Man
"Just you walking around in circles. Is something wrong?" – Moon Knight
This would mean that Mephisto wasn't there in the first place, could it be a hallucination? His spider-sense didn't go off so he wasn't in danger but demons are on another plain of misfortune. The Iron Spider stood for a moment looking at the ground, paying absolutely no attention to the white knight across from him.
"So will you help me?"
The Iron Spider realigned his sight with the Moon Knights dark, blank face. He thought about it, looking skeptically at his form "help with what exactly? I'm not in a trusting mood."
"An undercover operation in Harlem… I'll fill you in along the way." Replied Moon Knight.
Surely if a man that wanted no part in a team was asking for help, there had to be some truth to it, Peter thought. But here he was, on the same roof where he just told the Black Cat to leave him and was about to team up. Just then Mephisto's words echoed through his mind "The spider almost killed Iron Man, defeated your arch nemesis and almost cost you the Black Cat too." Was the demon hinted at something? A foreshadowing at events to come, was it a warning? Or was it all just some sick joke?
One thing was certain though, Peter was angry, all the time and fighting was the only way to expel it. His head grew hot at the realization but he was hasty, maybe being alone wasn't the answer at all? He wasn't too sure what was right but he did know that there was some good he could do tonight and maybe feel a little balanced.
"I'm in" was Peter's decision.
"Good. We'll head there asap" replied the pleased Moon Knight. "… But first, let's get you to a shower. Even rouge heroes should smell good."
Peter didn't notice the musky smell radiating from his armpits. The smell seemed to invade his nose like an odor armada and flooding them. Without a second thought he followed the lunar warrior into the night.
Every place has its secrets and New York was no different. Buildings were constantly being torn down for new ones, accommodating the luxuries of the next generation of people to enjoy there splendor. Homes give way to new malls and vacant lots become department stores. Areas eventually become crowded, sometimes causing details to be missed and places to be overlooked.
Where people like S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Avengers pay attention from up high it went without saying that details got past even them at times. The darkness was an ally not only to villains but rouge heroes as well. The Moon Knight, Marc Spector was no exception to this rule as he and Peter treaded deep into the old subway tunnels under Manhattan Island. The walls were coated in layers of dust from trains, zooming back and forth. The rails were rusted for years of water damage and over use.
The air was hot, humid and unclean with each breath you took as if there were little remnants of oxygen. These were the reminders of an old world that didn't change in decades and only expanded. Only added to with new additions to train tunnels, never modified and never looked after. The two proceeded through the stern and hallow tunnels of the subway station as the hot air blew at their faces. The iron rails began to rumble like a small quake bearing down. In the distance, there was a horn. It sounded like a bellowing bird, in unbelievable pain.
Moon Knight walked down the tunnel with no sign of urgency. His walk was unchanged, not affected by the sounds up ahead. Still he proceeded down the tunnel with a certain swagger. Peter's head began to buzz like a wasps nest when confronted by an intruder. With each second the buzzing got louder and relentless. There were now two lights in the distance, blaring like empty eyes and they were growing larger. The sound of metals making contact screeched, violating the ears.
The Moon Knight was still walking as the train was still twenty feet away. He rammed into a wooden board on the wall to the right and it fell over easily toppling over pulled Peter inside after him. Folds of the Iron Spider suit were clenched in the knights vice grip and pulling him close. Peter swatted his hand before he had the chance to let go.
For a moment the Spector stood looking straight at Peter without a word. Peter looked back still wearing his mask and tensing his muscles. Still Moon Knight looked back into his gold spider eyes and said "Sorry about that" as he turned away from Peter.
The room was large and wide easily twice the size of J. Jonah Jameson's office but not nearly as clean. Grime coated the floor like a second skin, caked up over time but some areas were cleared. A group of old wooden chairs stood near the middle of the room. The air was also warm here but the rushing air from the train was nice and cool as it made contact with his suit. There was an old army cot in a far corner standing on six rusted legs but the sheets on it looked clean enough. In fact, whatever was in that room looked like it had recently been moved there.
The lights overhead were elongated bulbs, lined up in rows but it seemed only every other pair of lights had burned out. The lights had a greenish tint to them and much of the room was still coated in darkness as small squeaking sounds could be heard in the distance. These sounds seemed to grow fainter and fainter with the arrival of the pair of unexpected guest.
A duffel bag the shape of a cylinder lied next to the cot, it must have been full of gear. A small shower was in another corner diagonal to the cot but it had no enclosure or curtains, just a can of ajax, a bar of soap and a somewhat clean floor. The air still smelled of cleaning products leading Peter to the conclusion that this "base" was work in progress, as was rebuilding an old alliance. In another corner to his right, Peter could see a stone head lying there, broken at its neck with shards of rock at its necks base. There was a distinct shape of a crescent moon on its headpiece and its face facial features were flat and very similar to the Moon Knights mask.
Moon Knight walked toward the center of the room removing his white hood and relinquishing his black mask from his face. This was the first time he had ever revealed his face to anyone. He had a stern yet grizzled look about him, the kind of man you had heard about from war movies. A strong chin like Captain America, a somewhat pointed nose, strong cheekbones like walnuts, managed brown hair, a slash scar straight down his left eye and a pair of the meanest cold blue eyes he had ever seen.
Perhaps he didn't mean to but the Moon Knight gave off a chilling feeling from the look in his eyes which were not far off from Frank Castle, eyes of a killer. He tossed his black mask onto a chair and extended his right hand toward Peter and said in a growling voice. "It's nice to finally meet you Peter, names Marc Spector.
Peter approached and shook Marc's hand. It was a stern shake and they looked into each other's eyes searching perhaps for a hint of deception or maybe weakness in character but nothing came of it. Marc released his grip while still looking at Peter and curving the corners of his mouth into a smile.
He pointed at the shower, gesturing it was that time to move forward. Peter's hands pulled at his backpack, taking it off and placing it onto the floor.
Marc reached out his left hand for the bag but before he could pick it up Peter yanked at the bag and clutched it in his arms.
"I guess that makes two strikes for me now" said Marc as he retracted.
"Sorry, old habits" Replied Peter in a curt fashion.
"Well it has been an, eventful few days for you so I won't hold it against you. But you are different. You haven't even tried one of your corny jokes to the break tension."
"I'm not so friendly neighborhood anymore. So what's the situation in Harlem? Did Iron Man catch Cage?
"The opposite actually, Cage fought harder but the way things are right now you need to be low key and being Luke Cage you're anything but." Responded Marc Spector in an earnest tone of voice. "Because of that, organized crime had taken advantage, seeing as how they have a bit more breathing room. Tonight we'll try to reach the heart of the problem. Do you know what M.G.H is?"
"Mutant Growth Hormone" said Peter flatly
"Yes, but now it's worked its way to the streets as a real drug. Users will line up for blocks just to throw each other through the walls later. They get temporary superpowers like yours but the way it's made, it is also known to amplify aggression to the point where the person either works their heart to death or in rare cases explode and take other people down with them when they go."
Would this still have happened if we won the Civil War, Peter thought to himself.
"So what happens now, Marc?"
"First, you take a shower. Second, we head to a club in Harlem (out of costume) and third, we find the suppler and end the shipments. Ordinarily I'd do this alone but these enforcers all use MGH and one man can only do so much by himself. The operation is real and the danger is very real. There are no tricks here so I feel like I have to ask you one more time. Are you in or out?"
Peter could feel a lump in his throat. He thought back to be a loner, how maybe it wasn't the right choice. Just then he thought back to Felicia and the last words she said before she departed from him, those fleeting words, lost in the wind. Her hair blowing in the wind, the air stealing her words but the movement of her lips was clear to his eyes.
"I will never give up on you" she said to him. So how could he give up on others? He had come all this way for a reason, right? People needed help; registration was not reacting fast enough so this was his kind of job. So he looked back at Marc without blinking and gave the same exact answer as he did before "I'm in."
"Good, we leave in one hour. You can leave your bag here or take it with you, your choice."
Peter reached deep in to the depths of his backpack looking for something but he couldn't find it. Slowly his face changed as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. His eyes had suddenly opened his eyes wide as his lids could muster. He broke eye contact from Marc as he insisted on checking the bag looking directly into it. He shifted the jeans, the Yankees hat and shades until his hand caught something. His face seemed to calm as his hand clenched onto the object and released.
"Is everything alright?" Asked Marc with a look of minor concern.
"I'm fine. Let's get started" said Peter as he zipped up his bag.
Within the confines of Stark Towers Research and development levels, Tony Stark is hard at work. Metals were being bent, solving equations and gazing at the schematics for the Iron Spider suit. One year ago, it was he that created the suit. It was he that gave it to people as a sort of birthday present and was now used against him and even improved its design. Machines large and small worked together mending that what looked like a metal man on a slab.
Sections of its body were covered in wires and was far from finished, not to mention the testing that would still come later. Tony sat laid back in a steel chair and a small drink in his hand. Try as he might he couldn't stop looking at Iron Spider suit when his phone began to ring. Tony looked to find that his display read "Hill" and answered the call.
"Mister Stark?" said a mannered woman's voice. "I was curious as to how you plan to solve the spider problem?"
"Resume your operations for capturing unregistered heroes as usual and you know… spy stuff."
"With all due respect sir, he injured five agents including Agent Romanoff. Shouldn't we be pushing our efforts to catch Spider-Man? Washington is pushing for this"
Tony exhale heavily, he was tired of talking to a brick wall. There was pride in her voice so why would she stop. This conversation was already trying his patients and he was hard at work so like a child that wants what it wants and a questionable parent. Tony said what the voice wanted to hear "If you chase after him now there is a less than ten percent chance you could actually catch him but if you want to try I won't stop you."
"Thank you, sir. I will. Ten percent is more than enough."
Tony took another sip of his drink and looked intently at the Iron Spider suit and reflected on the battle they had. "More than enough" He said out loud to himself and laughed. Maybe he lied to the Hill woman or maybe he said it with truth but hoping she would fail since there was a bit of his own pride on the line here. She would try to capture the Peter Parker, she might fail but maybe she could also succeed. Either way, good or bad, Tony would keep his cool because at least he would have a new suit.