New, Fantastic Allies
On the observation deck of the Judgment…
After signing the truce, both directors took a walk alongside the observation deck in the lower level of the flag-ship heli-carrier, without their personal escorts. Daisy had ordered the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. heli-carriers to regroup in a singular formation behind the Judgment. In doing so, they were able to view the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. fleet through the windows.
The sun could be subtly seen at the horizon, signaling the morning and shining light across the fleet. Most of the heli-carriers were damaged from the battle, so the maintenance workers were out in force to fix critical systems and return the ships to full battle-functionality.
"It's impressive how Sitwell kept S.H.I.E.L.D. together, without the Council's guidance, as well with the destruction of the Triskelion," Hill observed.
"It was more of a dictatorship, Hill. Sitwell forced the heli-carrier fleet to become nomadic. This is all that remains of our military-ready force." Daisy gravely answered.
"Still, it's impressive. What do you plan to do now?"
"Well, I understand if you decide not to disclose to us where you sent the life-ships. We just got finished fighting each other a few hours ago, after all. Although, my intel suggests that you sent them to Wakanda?"
"That's right," Hill confidently answered.
She trusted Daisy. The spy had never given her reason to not trust her. Fury also held her in high regards. So, now with her at the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., she felt that the right step forward would be transparency between the two agencies.
"A smart move. Wakanda is the last free-standing nation on the planet right now. With the major governments of every country in the hands of the Reaper now, any piece of shelter is better than nothing."
"I can speak with the king and request him to open up the airspace to the S.H.I.E.L.D. fleet," Hill respectfully offered.
"I appreciate it, but that's not needed. I won't inconvenience them with the banner of an agency that was killing mutants not too long ago. Instead, I'm going to hide the fleet in the Atlantic."
"What do you mean?"
"Our cloaking mechanisms have been drained by our constant need to keep the ships afloat. Our engineers have found a way to keep them operational for another week, but beyond that… we'll be sitting ducks for the RSF to find and destroy."
This shocked Hill. She had initially thought that Sitwell would've been smart enough to foresee this happening to the fleet. But, after recent events, she supposed that she shouldn't be that surprised.
"Dear God. Daisy, you need to dock in Wakanda. I'm sure T'Challa can…"
"It's okay, Hill. We've already discussed battle plans. With the assault on Manhattan occurring soon, I'll make sure our fleet is ready to fight alongside R.O.G.U.E. when the time comes. It's just…"
"…this needs to happen within the week," Hill finished Daisy's line of thought.
"Exactly. Our timetable has moved up. I appreciate your offer, but I'd rather the Black Panther allocate those resources towards the defense of his country, to protect those refugees. Instead, I ask that we commence the battle soon."
"A week is too short of time, but…" Hill took a brief pause to sigh, "…I understand why."
Daisy stayed quiet. She simply looked off into the dark morning horizon, seeing repairs being conducted on the heavily damaged heli-carriers and heli-destroyers. To her, this was a slap in the face for all the good deeds S.H.I.E.L.D. has done over the decades. Sitwell's reign of terror doomed the agency with his secret alliance with the Reaper.
"What's on your mind, Daisy?" Hill broke her line of thoughts.
She hesitated to answer.
"I may very well be the last director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Maria. My only hope is that we save as many people as we can before all this is over."
She turned to leave the observation deck.
"We're going to win," Hill assured her.
She stopped in her tracks, turning to glance back at her counterpart.
"Yeah, I know."
Right before she left, she added one more thing.
"By the way, Hill. I'm sending a special team over to you guys. We picked them up before we left Manhattan. They're a smart bunch. I think they'll be of great help to you."
"Who are they?"
"The Fantastic Four."
A little bit later, back on Justice I…
The rest of the supers gathered up on the flight deck on the tri-carrier when the rains stopped. It gave everyone sometime to get some fresh air. Coincidentally, the sun was beginning to rise above the horizon, so it gave them a nice aesthetic view while they held their meeting.
Steve Rogers ran through the timeline of events to follow once they reach Wakanda. With the battle plans for Manhattan being drawn up by both S.H.I.E.L.D. and R.O.G.U.E. strategists with directorial oversight, there would be some downtime for the teams while in the country. He stressed that there would be training simulators available and to expect to be in tight environments while a buildup of military forces show up to provide the bolster of military support for the battle.
Sam Alexander raised his hand during the meeting.
"Yes, Sam?"
"Cap, I was wondering if we could explore the city while we're there."
"This isn't a vacation, kid," Wolverine scowled at him, "We're there to get ready for war."
"Be calm," T'Challa snapped, "Birnin Zana will be open, Sam. However, I'll advise for you to heed what the Captain requests. This is the time for you all to be prepared for battle. Additionally, most of my people will be preoccupied in helping the refugees. You will be lucky to see anything that represents our normal everyday life."
"Thank you, your majesty, that's all I was wondering."
"That was a stupid question, Sam," Ava whispered from behind him.
"Shut up, Tiger."
"Who else is coming as far as military build-up goes, Cap?" Luke curiously asked.
"Well, we have remnants from the American and Russian armed forces arriving. Some special force groups from China and India. The bulk of the military asset, however, will be civilian militias that R.O.G.U.E. has been able to save from around the world."
"Of course, we have Dracula's army of vampires and our mutant forces from Brazil giving aid as well," Black Cat added.
"Are we going to be okay with working with a bunch of foreign forces?" Wolfe skeptically asked.
"At this point, Wolfe, we are not fighting as Americans, Wakandans, Russians, or Chinese. We are fighting as humans and mutants, side by side, against a global threat," T'Challa coolly answered, "When our existence is threatened, who cares about the politics?"
"Fair enough."
While Rogers continued to run through their brief, Peter heard Sam whisper to both him and Ava.
"Did you guys screw yet or what?"
Ava's eyes widened into a deathly glare.
"Are you kidding me right now, Sam? You're asking about this now?"
"Luke told me he left you guys alone for a good minute. Come on, guys. How have y'all not slept together yet? Two years!"
"I swear, Alexander, the moment we get into our training scenario in Wakanda, I'm going to wipe your face all over the floor for asking that!"
"You won't do shit, Tiger!"
Peter sighed.
"They never change, do they?" Danny whispered to Luke.
"Nope. I'm not complaining, though. I always got a kick watching Tiger make dents in his helmet."
"…but, don't worry, his majesty has assured us that we'll have our own quarters inside the royal palace. Everyone will have their own respective room. Although, I ask you don't squander it. I'll make sure the troops have proper living space as well while we're there," Rogers concluded.
"Don't stress it, Steve," Stark interjected, "I've got portable housing units deployed to Wakanda already."
He rolled his eyes.
"Well, that's good, then, Tony. I appreciate your thought."
"Of course, Captain. Somebody has to think about the troops, right?"
"Anyway, I suggest you all go get some rest. I know it's morning, but we're set to follow the live-ships' route to Wakanda here soon."
"What about S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Phantom then asked, "Where will they go?"
"Hill told me that they're sending their fleet out to the Atlantic to be the forward element for our assault against the RSF. We'll join them once we're on the warpath."
"I see."
Once they concluded, everyone dispersed, with most of them returning to the quarters they were assigned to get some rest.
Shortly after that…
Phantom entered his quarters, a small room with an observation window. He closed it with the metallic slip to darken his room completely before undressing to take a shower. He felt a semblance of peace after stepping into the shower unit and allowing the lukewarm water to splash on his scarred skin. Taking a shower always seemed to calm him down.
The battle over Alpha Base had subtly angered him. Resent echoed within S.H.I.E.L.D., personified by Sitwell and his actions against both humanity and mutantkind. He tried to make sense of it, he tried to figure out why it was all occurring in the manner of which it had manifested. There was no other reason than hate. A hate that had a hand in his own transformation.
As well as the transformation of his daughter.
He closed his eyes and saw flashes from his memory of his ex-wife, Maria. His heart weighed on the fear of what might've happened to her on Manhattan. He prayed that she had survived. Their subtle mental connection seemed unsevered, which meant that she was still alive, but… he held less and less confidence in his connections. More so after Selena had disappeared from his life for two years.
Now, with the knowledge of what he was, and who Reaper was, it challenged everything he's ever known. It confused him. But, at the same time, all he could think about was why it was happening to him, of all people.
Gritting his teeth, he punched the wall of the shower unit.
"Damn it! Why does it have to be me!?"
His heart began to beat faster as the rage built up inside of him. He glanced at his hands, down to the bracers that were forever melted onto his forearms after nearly two decades of imprisonment. He felt so imperfect.
Angrily, he glanced up to the ceiling, seeing past it in his mind, and out into the heavens above.
He'd always considered himself a Christian when he was Alejandro Cruz. But, now, he questioned the existence of God. He questioned it more than anything else.
"Why are you doing this to me?! Have I not paid the full price?! You've taken it all from me!"
He then unleashed his rage.
Electrical pulses complemented each punch he slammed into the wall, burning it black with each strike. In his mind, visions of Taskmaster, Magneto, and Reaper all taunted him, telling him he was all part of their well-orchestrated plan. Merely a pawn. As he was always intended to be.
He punched and punched… until…
...Her words echoed in his head.
"Stop talking, tonto. We have a world to save! There is so much more to live for than what you believe. Phantom, if you help us stop this guy, I promise, I'll show you!"
Fox's vision emerged in his mind, recalling what she had said to him right before they fought Reaper on Island M.
Suddenly, his rage disappeared, and he opened his eyes.
Her vision then smiled at him, before disappearing from his subconscious. In that moment, he wished that her vision had stayed. He…
He longed for her presence.
His fear had come true.
He had fallen for her, beyond what he had felt before.
Nevertheless, he knew he couldn't show it to her. He feared hurting her more than anything else. He didn't want to break another heart ever again.
In Fox's room…
Fox put a white bath robe on and a towel on her hair after she took a hot shower. She had walked across her room to get changed when Firewalker rang on her communicator. She opened his call through audio and greeted him.
"Yo, Foxy, were you at the briefing with Cap?"
"I was. I noticed you weren't there. Where were you, Drake?"
"Look, I can explain. Well, not really, but, just needed to know what we gonna do once we land in Wakanda. So that way, I don't oversleep or something."
"Where were you, Drake?"
She sat at the foot of her bed and unraveled her hair from her towel. She heard him subtly sigh on the other end of the call.
"I tried to see if I could hit up that girl, Ember, ya feel me?"
"Good God. You just can't keep it in your pants, huh? It's one thing hitting on one of the other girls on the team but one of the enemies inside the cell block? Come on."
"Look, don't hate, Foxy! Plus, Phantom-man said he's thinking about recruiting them. So, why not? She like fire, I am fire. I figured I should try to help convince her, ya know?"
"Mhm. So, what happened?"
"Eh, I don't want to talk about it."
"Whoa," Fox chuckled, "Looks like you've lost your charm, Firewalker."
"Nuh-uh, I haven't lost nothing."
She rolled her eyes.
To his behest, she relayed to him what was said at the meeting.
"Aw, thank you, Foxy, you're a lifesaver, girl."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it."
"You uh… you talk to Phantom at all?"
"About?"
"You know…"
Her heart skipped a beat. She closed her eyes and remembered in vivid detail the conversations they had before the attack on Alpha Base. Specifically, when he told her that he'd be willing to sacrifice himself to save this universe.
"No. I haven't talked to him about that. I… I doubt he cares anyway."
"Nah, don't sell yourself short, Foxy. Homie digs you. You just ain't see that yet."
"Sure. I just… I don't know what I feel, Firewalker."
She stood up and walked over to her observation window, looking out into the waters several thousand feet beneath the clouds.
"Whatchu mean?"
"Is this love? Is this just an infatuation? Am I in love with a preconceived destiny that I might end up with him? What if my visions are just… they're just visions of other universes? Where we ended up together?"
"Shiiieeeet, don't get all soap box opera on me, Foxy. Look, you dig the guy and he digs you. That's extra obvious to both Wolfe and me. Like you jokingly suggested a while ago, you just need to get on your extra sexy lingerie, march up into that man's room, and tell him to take you."
She sarcastically laughed.
"Not happening."
"Alright, alright," he sighed, "Maybe I can do some reverse psychology shit and maybe get Ember to fall for me that way."
"In your dreams, Drake."
Once they wrapped up their conversation, she slipped into a silk night robe she kept in her belongings. When the base was attacked, she was only able to salvage her gear and a small selection of her clothing. This was something she valued since she enjoyed sleeping comfortably when she could.
Resting her body and closing her eyes, she delved into her slumber.
Fox's vision…
Reaper's maniacal laugh echoed across the dark dreamscape. Images flashed through, along with sounds of screams, explosions, and bullet-fire.
A female R.O.G.U.E. armored agent ran through debris to try and save her male S.H.I.E.L.D. counterpart, who was pinned underneath an overturned pick-up truck. They were being surrounded by Reaper Sentinels and Wraiths. The agent stood her ground, shooting at their attackers.
The image flashes right as the Wraiths pounce on them.
She then saw a glimpse of what appeared to be Phantom raising his sword up into the air. He was wearing some type of armor, covering his entire body and head, propelled into the air by the suit's rockets.
It flashes again, to another scene…
The setting changed to the one it was in her previous vision. Reaper's Observatory. The ceiling looked out into outer-space, with the edges of Earth visible on one side. In the middle, Reaper and Phantom materialized before her, both swinging into action, plunging their swords against each other, trying to best one another.
The scene violently shifted…
Images of Phantasm opening up a portal flashed by and a launch sequence sounded off across the entire asteroid. She looked up and saw the World-Ender Sentinel launch towards Earth.
It changed one more time…
She was inside a closed container of some sort. Spider-Man was behind her, sitting down, and she was facing outside of a pane of glass. Phantom was on the other side, still inside the throne room.
He placed his hand against the window.
"Phantom?" she called out to him, placing her hand against his on the window.
"I wish we had more time, Fox."
"Wait… What?"
The scene shifted again…
Her vision ended with her standing on a beach. She was still wearing her gear, but she was bloodied up, as though she had just finished fighting in a battle. She put down her hood and looked around.
She felt her heart drop when she saw the vision clearly.
It was her. She sat next to two little toddlers, a boy and a girl. The twins she had seen. Behind her sat another man, matching Phantom's build and stature. But, he seemed… cured, with no visible scars.
She approached them, trying to get a closer look, but they vanished out of sight.
She sat up as she awoke from her sleep. Her heart was racing and she was breathing heavily. She took a moment to look around her surroundings to make sure she was actually awake. After a moment of relief, she laid back down in bed, staring back up into the ceiling.
Her communicator read that they were a few hours from Wakanda. It was already night-time again outside. She just wanted to get a few more hours of sleep, but she was trying to process the vision she had just seen.
She wanted to talk to Phantom about it.
She knew she needed to.
In the medical bay…
May sat next to Coulson while he rested. The doctors patched him all up and removed the bullets that had penetrated his skin. Now, they just needed him to recover. One of the bullets crossed his spine, so their primary concern is what nervous damage the bullets might've caused.
Hill had stopped by earlier to check on his progress, but he was still asleep. May was grateful for Hill's continuous support for him, knowing how much he meant to her as her friend.
She had fallen asleep for a few hours before a knock on the door woke May up. It was Peter. He was tapping on the door that led into Coulson's sectioned off room in the medical bay.
"Peter! Oh, thank goodness!"
She promptly walked over and opened the sliding metal door through the control panel. She couldn't contain her relief, embracing her nephew as hard as she could.
"Nice… to see you too… May!" he was able to say, nearly unable to breathe from her hugging him so tight.
"I was so worried that you didn't make it out of that alive! I was looking for you with the rest of the refugees, but Phil told me that you were okay and…"
"Yeah, there's… there's a lot going on right now."
"Come, sit with me, Peter."
She grabbed an extra chair and placed it behind her nephew. He sat down and seemed to have a nervous expression about talking to her.
"Is everything okay, Peter?"
"Well, first, I'm really glad to see you here, May. I was worried that you didn't make it out too. But, there's something I've got to tell you. I can't let my secret continue, especially with everything that's going on."
"What is it?"
"I'm… I'm Spider-Man, May."
"W-What?"
She was initially in shock. She couldn't believe it. For a moment, she thought that he was joking, but he was serious. A brief pause of silence followed, where she pieced together every memory she had of him to come up with the logical conclusion that he really was Spider-Man.
All the late nights. All the weird science experiments in his room. The constant excuses for missed assignments or "field trips", it all made sense now.
"How long have you been this way, Peter?"
"For years now, May. To make a pretty gritty long story short: I got bit by a spider, I went through spider-puberty, and I ended up with these powers."
For over an hour, he described what had happened to him these past few years while she was oblivious of his second life. From his initial recruitment as part of the junior superhero team at S.H.I.E.L.D. under the guidance of Nick Fury, to meeting his friends who are also superheroes, to fighting Taskmaster when he was his gym teacher, to run-ins with The Beetle, to fighting the Green Goblin over the Hudson River, to meeting The Phantom, falling in love with Ava, battling Taskmaster and Deadpool, battling Magneto, the last two years, to now with the Reaper invasion.
May just sat and listened. She couldn't believe that the little boy she helped raise with her late husband was the Spider-Man. The masked superhero that used to swing from rooftop to rooftop over New York City. It was surreal.
By the end, all she could do was smile.
"I hope you're not mad that I kept it a secret for so long, May. I did it so that way nobody I knew as Peter Parker would get hurt if any of my enemies found out who I really was."
"Well, you know your secret's safe with me, Peter," she assured him.
His eyebrows shot up.
"I thought you'd be angrier with me."
"Why would I, Peter? Am I worried more than ever now? You bet I am! But, you're out here saving all these people, saving the world. I couldn't be prouder that you're out here doing all of this. I just… I just want nothing to happen to you!"
He reached out for her and hugged her before she could start crying.
"I'll be okay, May, I promise."
"I lost your uncle. I can't lose you too."
"You won't."
He assured her with all her heart and it gave him a moment of peace in this on-going war. With so much death, he felt fortunate to know his aunt was still alive. It was mostly thanks to the man who was recovering in the bed next to them.
Phil Coulson saved his aunt more than once, in more ways than Peter knew.
On-board Vengeance…
The glowing red color of Reaper's eyes shined bright as he scanned Manhattan's skyline from the bridge of his personal ship. It was late afternoon and he had ordered for his Sentinel and Wraith hunting parties to begin sweeping Manhattan clean of the plague that was the Resistance that continued to be a thorn in his day-to-day operations.
Moros emerged from the corridors of the ship, dragging along the young Aeolus, who they imprisoned earlier after he failed to stop Specter Haven in Washington D.C. The young mutate was still in his wispy cloud-like elemental form, but he morphed into an icy humanoid form just as Moros slammed him onto the floor right behind Reaper.
"Here's the boy. As requested, my lord."
Aeolus looked up to Reaper, who kept his back turned to them, with only his black cloak and back of his helmet visible to them.
"It's a rare sight when I give a second chance, Aeolus," Reaper calmly spoke.
"Y-Yes, my master! I promise I won't fail this time!"
"I'm not sending you to stop Specter Haven again."
"Wait, w-what? I thought…"
"Things have changed," he firmly informed him, turning to face him.
"Master, I don't understand. I thought you wanted Phantom brought to you."
He chuckled.
"In time. For now, I need you to form a dark thunderstorm around the city. I don't care how you do it. I just need it powerful enough to prevent anything to break right through."
Aeolus nodded as he listened.
"Can you do that for me, my young Aeolus?"
"Y-Yes! Yes I can, master! At once!"
"Good."
Reaper patted the young elemental mutate on his shoulder.
"Don't fail me again, boy."
Without another word, Moros dragged Aeolus back, out of the bridge, off to do his duties. Reaper resumed his observation of the city. The sight of it reminded him of Genosha before he left. It was in ruins. The Sentinels combed through the city, searching for the Resistance and any survivors, while the Wraiths hunted in drones, feasting upon any human that wasn't transformed.
Tombstone walked over, standing by his master. He gripped his staff with his right hand and observed alongside him.
"The end is near, Tombstone. When it arrives, we must do what is necessary."
The mute hooded mutate simply nodded. He glanced over to the Infinity Gem that was crested on his staff: The Space Gem, then back down to the one that was on his front chest-plate: The Soul Gem. He peered over and saw the ones on his master's iconic bracers: The Reality and Power Gems.
"While our victories have been vast in this universe and beyond, I did not expect Phantom to have lasted this long. He should be dead by now. Fortunately, we still have a few tricks up our sleeve, don't we, Tombstone?
"Soon enough, we'll finally come to decide the fate of this universe. Only then, will my life mission be complete and true peace return. If we fail, then we won't hesitate to ensure that the violence will cease to exist… for all time."
Back on Justice I…
A S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet landed on the tri-carrier, arriving from the S.H.I.E.L.D. fleet that had departed to the Atlantic after they crossed South America. It carried the "new team" that Director Johnson had promised to Hill. So, she summoned Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Phantom to the bridge to welcome the new team and get them up-to-speed while the other teams ran through training simulations that evening.
As Phantom departed his room, he ran almost face-first into Fox, who was on her way to see him, still in her night robe.
"Whoa, Fox. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you!"
"No, no, it's okay, tonto, I should've looked where I was going too!"
"It's alright," he nervously chuckled, "It would seem that you were coming to see me, though. Is everything alright?"
She tilted her head sideways, gesturing that something was up.
"I've… I've got something to tell you about, Phantom. I had another vision."
"Another vision? What was it about?" he attentively asked.
"Is there… is there somewhere we can talk about this? I know it's out in the open and…"
"I've got a meeting with the new team that just arrived from S.H.I.E.L.D. with Captain and Stark. Can this wait? Or is it urgent? Is it information that can help us win?"
She was a little taken back at Phantom's line of questioning. In truth, no, none of it was urgent and nothing she saw offered any new way of prevailing against Reaper. Although, the last part of her dream deeply concerned her, where Phantom wished they had "more time" together.
What did it all mean, though? She was afraid of telling him that her vision predicted that they would fall in love and have children because it might alter that possibility. Not that she was desperate for him, but over the years, she's realized that her care truly has morphed into something greater for Phantom.
He was confident in his decisions but vulnerable at his core to the worry that his existence brings danger to everyone around him. When, in reality, it brought security and peace to those that cared for him, especially her. The events on Island M helped solidify that for her, and now she wondered whether it was appropriate to let the man who had become her best friend, the man she had fallen for, stay oblivious of how she truly felt? Or does she tell him, let it all out on the line for him and figure out then whether or not he feels the same?
"Is… is everything alright, Fox?"
His words broke her silence. She had spaced out while thinking about what to answer.
"I… No. No, it's nothing that important, tonto. It can wait," she sadly concluded.
His masked eyes squinted, trying to read her. He softly reached out for her hands tried to make a mental connection into her subconscious. She felt a tingling sensation the moment their hands joined. The electrical pulses in his bracers didn't bother her anymore as it once did when they first began working together. His touch had become something she longed for.
She knew he wasn't going to be able to read her mind. She was the only person he knew that he couldn't read. For reasons he was unable to figure out. But, a part of her wished he could read her mind, so that she didn't have to explain how she felt.
When he realized he couldn't read her, he softly let go of her hands.
"Alas, your mind continues to evade me, Fox."
She giggled.
"I wonder if you'll ever figure out how to fix that."
To her surprised, he laughed back. Hearing Phantom laugh was an extremely rare sound.
"Maybe one day, Fox. Maybe one day. Although, I apologize but I really must go to this meeting before the Avengers deem me their next enemy. But, I'd really like to hear your vision, when we have a chance."
This made her heart jump.
"We're set to land soon, aren't we?"
He nodded.
"Yes. We should be landing in Wakanda tonight. It'll be hectic these next few days."
"Then it sounds like we need to make time for us, right? To have that conversation, I mean."
He smiled behind his mask.
"I'd like that," he softly told her.
She smiled back.
"I guess I'll see you around, then, tonto."
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked back to her room. He couldn't help but gaze at her from behind as she walked off. Her short night robe was very sexy.
"Stop staring," he heard her say right before she re-entered her room across the hall.
Nervously, he walked off into the elevator, feeling his heart pump with joy after talking with her. He couldn't' believe that all he could think about was her as the elevator landed in one of the hangar bays. Unbeknownst to him, he was stuck with the same questions Fox had: is it love?
Or is it something else?
"About time you decide to show up," Stark barked from across the hangar bay.
He stood next to Hill and Rogers, who nodded in his direction.
"I apologize. I got… held up."
"It's not a problem," Captain assured him, "Phantom, I'd like for you to meet our newest team to join the fight."
Phantom glanced over and saw a team of four characters, all suited in the same skin-tight attire, all with a visible 4 on their chests. It was two men, a woman, and a brown, rock-elemental type of humanoid. He stared at Phantom with beaming eyes.
"This is the Fantastic Four," Hill politely introduced, "Four, this is Phantom, the leader of Specter Haven."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," the fairly tall, bearded man greeted Phantom, "I'm Reed Richards. This is Susan Storm…"
He pointed to the woman, a blonde woman with blue eyes and a gorgeous smile. Phantom knew about her very well. The Invisible Woman. Some of her DNA was used that contributed in large-part to the Athena-Class Projects that created Specter Haven and their disappearing abilities.
"… Johnny Storm…"
The other man, who was a little shorter than Reed, nodded at him. He had dark brown hair and was playing with a spark of fire in his fingers. He was The Human Torch, one of Firewalker's personal superhero idols.
"…and this is Ben Grimm."
"Don't stare too hard or I'll knock your block off," The Thing grunted.
"Noted," Phantom firmly answered.
"He's just messing with you," Reed assured him, "We're pleased to finally be here. We felt that our abilities would be of some help."
"Greatly," Hill affirmed, "With the likes of Reaper, we need all the help we can get."
"I'm just a little confused here, Reed," Stark spoke out, "Last we met, you guys were still doing that science project up in the Baxter building. What happened? How did you guys get out of Manhattan?"
"We were actually contracted with S.H.I.E.L.D. in their R&D projects when the invasion hit the city," Susan explained, "We were still trying to save our work when then Agent Johnson showed up to get us out of there."
"Were you able to save your work?"
Reed gravely shook his head.
"All those years of research and studies… gone. Maybe we can salvage something when this is all over but… that's a long shot."
"That just means we're itching for a fight. Just point us in the right direction and we'll hit it," Johnny Storm assured them.
"Good," Hill remarked, "Because the enemy we're fighting… is going to need one hell of a punch to knock him down."
Suddenly, a specialist marched up towards them.
"Director Hill, we're beginning our descent towards Birnin Zana."
"Thank you. We should probably head up to the bridge with his majesty."
Authors' Note
I don't know how to start this note off other than a major Thank You for your continued support for my stories and the words that I've bled out onto these digital pages. Reading the chapters that Jack's forwarded to my inbox lately has inspired me to pick up this keyboard and return to what I've always loved for years now.
While Jack and I have worked (and will continue to do so) on this story through revising his written works, I'm happy to say that I'm returning as a full-time writer and that Jack will take a step back and focus on his schoolwork while I take from his example and keep pushing this story forward.
I appreciate everyone's support. I can't thank you enough for it. Keep an eye out for Jack's The Phantasm story that follows this story up after it's all over.
As always, feedback is always appreciated.
Warm regards, always,
Aferus