"Of all the reckless, irresponsible-"
"Pot calling kettle..." Spider-Man quietly told Pym beside him, causing the older scientist to hold back a snort.
Tony Stark, in full armor minus helmet, turned to eye the two of them.
He continued his pacing in front of the assembled heroes inside the large Quinjet. Beast, Bruce Banner, Giant-Man, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Havok, and the newly returned Cyclops. Or now just Scott Summers, because he stood there in a new change of clothes without his visor. The scientists theorized in sealing Apocalypse, they cut off his connection to the dimension his optic blasts came from.
"This was a mutant crisis, what do you think you were doing?"
McCoy cleared his throat, "are Alex and myself expected to respond to this query?" He raised one big blue eyebrow at the armored Avenger.
"I'll get to you two in a minute", Stark waves off the question. He turns to Carol, "I specifically told you the Avengers weren't getting involved".
She stood her ground. "Cut the c*** Tony. People needed saving".
"At what expense Danvers?" Tony rubbed his temples. "When mutants fight everyone stays out of it. That's the rule".
"Wait, what rule?" Havok, currently on an Avengers team, asked.
"The rule to keep everyone else safe Summers", Stark snarked.
Scott startled everyone with his first words since everything went down. "The emergency Inferno Protocol."
McCoy's eyes nearly bulge out of his head and he turns to Stark in shock. "Inferno!? Was the option being considered!?"
"It was", Tony locked his glare onto Carol. "Until certain national treasures intervened."
"To sum it up", he returned to his pacing around the deck. "Certain people in Washington were scared after the Inferno crises a few years back. You should remember it Summers."
Alex tightened his fist in annoyance bit didn't comment.
"After several discussions, it was put forth that should any Omega level event happen in an isolated location, the area and any combatants will be sent to the Negative Zone via-"
"Special means to be destroyed", Bruce came to the conclusion. "How you were going to defeat the Hulk after he returned from space and started kicking your butt all over Manhatten."
"Whoa wait a minute!" Spider-Man was having trouble registering this new wrinkle. "Were you actually going to wipe out all these people!?"
"To prevent Apocalypse's doomsday plan? It was a viable option."
"Why weren't the other teams involved?" Pym too was having trouble accepting this.
"Because", Stark answered him like he was a child, "they would be caught in the blast. We don't want that Hank."
"But if it were only mutants?" Alex questioned already figuring the answer.
"It wasn't my decision", Tony sighed. "It was an option. But not while Captain Marvel, Pym, and half the Fantastic Four were in the cross hairs."
"So the only reason we survived..." Alex could only stare at his hands.
Scott spoke again. "It's been an option since Inferno. Don't let Stark spook you, Xavier always kept a close eye on all proceedings. There's always at least someone who votes against it."
He smirked ruefully at Stark. "That's why we've rarely had help from other organizations over the years. Our guess has always been that the Avengers or the FF or anyone else was kept in the dark during most mutant crises so it COULD be considered. It DID come close to being used during the Twelve standoff, but Egypt would not condone the process used in their country."
"Indeed", McCoy nodded. "The professor only informed certain X-Men in case of actual deployment of said protocol. The original X-Men, Magneto, Storm, and Logan to name a few." He crossed his arms and stared hard at the armored Avenger. "We have had countermeasures for just such an event for some time. I just would never have believed Tony Stark would have considered its deployment."
"Who knew about this?" Spider-Man asked. "Did you know about this?" Everyone but Scott, McCoy, and Stark denied it.
"It wasn't up to me blue guy. I've even done my part to shoot it down a few times in the past few years." Tony sighed again. "But this was Apocalypse with a giant laser and a mutant army-"
Scott stepped up to him, "exactly. A MUTANT army. A neat little target outside of any populated centers."
Tony grit his teeth. "Back off Summers."
"Almost every mutant left on the planet was out there."
"I said back off."
"You were quick to try and pull all the popular people out of this fight."
"I'm warning you-"
"Admit it Stark. You wish you were pulling the trigg-"
"-BACK OFF!" Armor assisted muscle pushed the mutant leader into the group behind him. Pym and Banner caught him before he could fall, with McCoy instantly checking on his old friend. Spider-Man leapt in front of them to defend them with Carol and Havok flanking his sides with energized fists ready to blast the suddenly violent Avenger.
Stark fumed and stared off at the group. "I don't care what you think Summers. I was trying to protect my people just in case things went south and they decided to fire the big bullet. But I can tell it's not appreciated."
He stalked away, opening the door to the ship's interior. "Carol? You and everyone else involved here are fired. Get off my plane." The door hissed behind him.
There was little celebrating after they had exit the Quinjet. After issuing his decree, Stark had flown off leaving some shell shocked and others confused.
The X-Men were leary of Scott until Cable approached and pulled him into a hug. Everyone was told of the circumstances by Rachel's telepathic communication. It boiled down to Scott was finally freed of Apocalypse's corruption from a few years back. Most of them didn't know what to make of the news.
Carol made sure there was no one left to fight and took off. The dressing down she got from Stark and the news about how close those present came to being wiped off the planet really rattled her.
Thing, Human Torch, Giant-Man, and Banner offered to help everyone get home any way they could. Those that could already travel, did so. Magneto and Polaris shaped some of the metal into vessels to transport passengers.
Spider-Man helped where he could, but there wasn't much for him to do. One of those that had knowledge of what could have very nearly happened, all he wanted to do was go home and hide under his blanket.
-Parker/Howlett Residence-
It was late before Johnny Storm brought him home. The kitchen light was all that was on when he dropped through the open sky light, mask peeling away from his dirty face.
Laura sat at the finished island in the kitchen. The remodeling was coming along great.
"Hey kiddo", Peter greeted her while opening the fridge.
He barely heard her quiet hello back. Getting a bottle of water, he turns to observe her. She stared down onto the dark counter top. A strong familiar scent was heavy in the air.
Blood.
He walked around to her and reached for her arm. She feebly pulled back but eventually relented. Two long healing cuts were on the inside of her forearm.
"Laura?"
She didn't meet his eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you."
Peter sighed and pulled a chair next to her and sat. He threw an arm around her shoulders and watched her. "You didn't. I'm just worried for you, that's all."
He unscrewed his bottle with his free hand and took a drink. If she didn't want to talk about it he wouldn't-
"The cure was too late", she started in a monotone voice. "They were already half degenerated by the time it arrived. They did not have my degree of healing to help them."
"I'm so sorry Laura, if we could have done it faster-"
"I know. I do not blame anyone. I am just..."
"Sad", Peter filled in for her.
"I think? It is still hard for me to process some emotions sometimes." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I know I feel anger. Rage. I want to tear someone apart. But I also want to sit and do nothing. Just, think about them."
She pulled a picture out of her pocket and laid it down in front of them. It was of Laura, sitting in between two similar looking girls in hospital beds, hooked to various life support machines.
"It was kind of Commissioner Rogers to cover for their expenses."
"Well, that's Cap for ya", he noticed the same expression on the two that was on Laura's. Small, sad smiles for being together one last time. "Heart of gold."
"Yes", Laura agreed.
The silence filled the apartment. Peter finished his bottle and put it in the sink to refill later. Laura stared into the picture, unable to forget the sisters she hardly knew.
Peter was heading to his unfinished room before Laura's voice stopped him. "I apologize for not being there."
He turned to her with a sad smile. "No need Laura. You had more important things to do."
She looked to the picture and traced one finger over it.
"We could get that framed or something if you wanted to?" He ventured.
"I-", she hesitated, then nodded. "I would like that."
He gave her another sad smile and continued to his room.
They saved the day, but couldn't save everyone. His heart broke a little for Laura. He knew how it felt to lose a "sibling" like that. But he'll be there for her, just like she's been there for him.
Just like he'll be there for the X-Men and any mutant that needs help in the future.
Tony's tirade shocked the webbing out of him. Something was definitely going on with the jerk. And dang it, Peter Parker wanted to be there when it came out.
But for now? Time to take it easy for a bit.
-Epilogue: X-Men-
Scott Summers stood in Hank McCoys lab bouncing a tennis ball on the floor.
He didn't speak with many of the staff and students, mostly just with his old friends. Rachel and Cable of course could tell the difference in him right away and welcomed him home. Alex took a little bit more to convince, but was eventually happy to have his brother back.
The young X-Men, mostly the teenage him and Jean, seemed hesitant, almost scared to be around him.
He couldn't blame them.
Ororo, Kurt, Peter, Kitty, and some of the others were friendly, but kept their distance. Emma disappeared soon after the fight. Apocalypse wasn't too kind with her. There went another relationship down the drain.
Hank finished his tinkering and turned to his friend. "Scott? I hope you realize you do not have to continue with this."
Scott looked him in the eye. Whatever Apocalypse had done to him, he didn't seem to be able to access his optic blasts anymore.
"I know I don't have to Hank", he tossed the ball back and forth in his hands. "But I want to."
Hank sighed. "I understand my friend. I merely hope to see you again soon, unharmed and healthy. You do not have your eyes to fall back on anymore."
Scott smirked to his longtime ally and threw the tennis ball hard to the side. It bounced between equipment and glass without disturbing anything. An angled ricochet bounced it to the ceiling and then down into Scott's waiting hand.
"I don't have my blasts anymore. Doesn't mean I don't have my other powers."
Hank chuckled, slightly miffed he had forgotten of his friend's superhuman spatial awareness. "So that is why you requested this."
He handed the small gauntlet looking object to Scott who immediately put it on his right hand. Pressing a hidden button, it hummed and a round energy shield appeared. It was mostly transparent red with a black circle around it and a large X in the middle.
He deactivated it and looked to the scientist. "Nice work Hank. Just call me Captain X-Man."
"I hope you have a better title than that picked out", Hank joked.
The two spoke a little more then shook hands, finally on good terms again. Hank was sad to see him go but understood the need.
Scott was his own man again. He needed time to unwind and figure his place in the world again.
In the meantime, there were new students to house and assign schedules. A teacher's work was never done.
-Epilogue: Iron-Man-
Impossible. Something was wrong.
All his calculations and planning. He was going to save lives. What went wrong?
Spider-Man for one thing. He should not have been there. He should have come to the tower and helped with the Thor clone. Instead, he didn't and the flesh melted from the robotic insides.
Pym and Banner. Loose cannons on a good day, they were instrumental during the battle. His projections showed they were not supposed to be anywhere near there.
Storm and Grimm at least were accounted for. But nothing they did was predicted either.
And Carol. Poor, poor Carol. He'll need to save her eventually.
Tony Stark poured over various plans and graphs and holograms on his work table. Aside from the botched mission, his new armor was coming along nicely.
"Coming to bed, lover?"
Tony turned to the redhead enticing him with the $3000 silk teddy she wore.
"In a minute. Gotta finish a few things."
She turned and headed for the bedroom. "I'll be waiting..."
"Tiger."
Vol. Two: End
Well that was another arc wrapped up.
Admittedly, I don't feel like I did as well with this arc as with the previous one. I do all this from my phone when I have the time.
This was more of an X-Men thing with Spider-Man and Co. caught in it. This was done purposely. The world doesn't revolve around Peter and he's not going to be the leading hero 100% of the time. He happened to have a personal stake in this and helped where he could.
I think he would be the good guy expert in cloning. I can't recall any other hero having as much experience with it as him.
Again, I think I'll put out a few short stories and take a break. Try to come up with a better plot.
Also was thinking of maybe doing a spin off with Pete, Jessica, Doreen, Nancy and Miles. Some college shenanigans with a little heroics on the side.
As always, Questions? Comments? Hope you enjoyed.