Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Marvel, Respawn Entertainment, etc.
Guest: New chapters come out every Wednesday, and that is the plan for the foreseeable future. Thanks for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy.
Thank you everyone for the continued support as this story presses on into the main game. One goal here is to be faithful to the story of the game for those who haven't played it, so they'll get everything the game had while making enough additions so that there will be plenty of new material for those who have played the game. We're going to start seeing a little bit more of the second half of that here, so hopefully the expansion of game events is well received. The other thing I want to make sure is done well is the Marauder fitting in, the goal here is a Riggs and Murtaugh like buddy cop dynamic with Spider-Man, because Lethal Weapon is awesome.
As for the title, the original plan was for a KISS song to be here because of the resemblance their monochrome face paint has to a certain group that will be encountered in this chapter. Sadly, none of their songs really fit the group in question, so I had to look for an alternative. Thankfully, my buddy that suggested 'Indestructible' came to the rescue once again and suggested the band Powerwolf because they too have monochrome face paint, which makes me surprised Gene Simmons hasn't sued them yet. This was one of their top tracks on Spotify and the title was too fitting not to use.
Power Without Question – Chapter 27: Army of the Night
Come to the other side, Into the dark we hide, Gather them for the rite
Sacristarum
We are the force allied, Into the war we ride,
Hallelujah
Stand up all the night and call the fight
Let your mind go wild before the light
Here we come the army of the night
Mater Maria
Felicia Hardy sat outside the small café, the high-end establishment in her business suit and sunglasses, sipping at a glass of wine as she heard the distinct sound of an approaching Voodoo powered Pony Car. A few minutes later, her lover joined her at the table in slacks, button down shirt, green tie, and sport coat as he ordered his own lunch. "Hey cowboy" she greeted with a smile, "how did your morning meetings go?"
Cooper smirked knowingly as he sipped his sweet tea, Felicia didn't question his choice, he would need to be on full alert for the foreseeable future. "About as well as I expected, a few complications but nothing we couldn't handle" he replied as the two played the parts of hard-working young professionals. A quick glance at the black Jaguar and white Shelby Mustang certainly reinforced that appearance. "I'd say that we're in business, there are a lot of new opportunities for us."
The former thief 'hummed' in agreement as she continued to down her lunch as she thought over what that meant when a hand reached out to hers. Before Matt could speak, Felicia cut him off, "We're going to take them and make the most of them" she said firmly. When she looked up, she saw Matt look her in the eye before nodding in understanding.
She had thought that money would be what motivated her to return to her nighttime activities, but Cooper had proven that you could make just as much working for the good guys as the bad. That was assuming you didn't turn money down when it was offered like a certain spider themed hero. Osborn had been sending generous sums to the Marauder and helped with the work done for the tunnel system. In addition, the Pilot had taken several contracts for security work including one from Elizabeth Rodney, usually protecting high profile events and acting as a deterrent.
No, instead she was returning because she had a score to settle with a certain maggia boss. "You don't have to if you don't want to darlin'. I wouldn't think any less of you…you know that" he said firmly. Hardy knew why he would say that of course, just like she had been, he was addicted to the action and the high that came with it, an addiction she had kicked.
But that didn't matter, not anymore, in her mind there was only one thing that would let her have a chance at a 'clean' life, and that was fulfilling the promise she herself had made with Mathilda's father. "I promise your daughter's killers have been dealt with." To do that, and do everything else she had planned, required her most ambitious plan to date. But after taking one last look at the man across from her and she was confident the two of them could pull it off.
So, she tilted her head and smiled faintly, "But I would think less of myself."
Peter Parker, still in his battle worn suit, slipped in the back door Octavius Industries and ducked into a supply closet where a duffel bag containing spare changes of clothes was stashed. Today was another critical step in their project of reverse engineering the Marauder's exoskeleton technology and integrating it into a prosthetic. While studying the exoskeleton and helmet Cooper had given them had yielded a wealth of information, recreating the technology had been another matter.
Even with the early prototypes it was clear to the two of them that the kind of materials needed to make the arm compact and lightweight while still structurally sound and safe to wear didn't exist yet. Once that was overcome, the circuitry and electronic components in the exoskeleton were literally hundreds of years ahead of them and so radically different that equivalents would have to be developed from scratch. Today would be the most extensive test of many of these newly developed components and the first time they were all combined into a single unit.
Quickly pulling on a shirt and pair of pants as he made sure his suit was out of sight as he stuffed the mask in the bag and pulled on a lab coat, he rushed out of the closest and into the main workshop. "Sorry I'm late, I—" he began to apologize before he looked up and took in the sight before him. Otto was strapped into the harness, massive bundles of cables extending from the harness on his back that passively picked up bioelectrical pulses in his spinal cord. Next to him, the prototype left arm moved only scant milliseconds behind Otto's actual arm, twisting, flexing, and bending its fingers nimbly. "You started without me" said a stunned Parker.
"The grant committee's director will be here soon" explained Octavius, but the man didn't miss the less than certain expression Peter had on his face. "It's fine Parker. I invented this equipment. I think I can handle it" countered the scientist casually, Peter stepped up, looking over the rig before everything went to hell. The faint humming from the electrics against the wall soon was replaced by crackling and furious sparking.
Peter's eyes widened in horror, "the power dampener—" he realized as he shielded his face from the sparks and unplugged the main cable, but to no effect. "Oh man…" he muttered as claxons blared and red warning lights flickered on and off, "uh…maybe we should abort?" he suggested as he pulled up the status of the rig on the terminal that monitored the technology.
Otto was determined however, "Not yet" he ground out as Peter watched the diagnostics continue to dive deeper into the red before the power cutoff box hooked up to the terminal sparked angrily, a flicker of flame coming uncomfortably close to Peter's face. His spidey sense was the only thing that allowed him to recoil in time to not lose his eyebrows. Otto, however, fared far worse, the power, now unregulated, surged into the harness. The entire rig's wiring melted instantly, the plastic insulation bursting into flame as Otto grit his teeth in pain from the unexpected shock.
"Hold on!" called Parker as he decided that enough was enough and darted towards the emergency release, slamming his hand down on the large red button with slightly more force than was strictly necessary. No sooner was that done then he yanked the release on Otto's harness, causing the main to fall to his knees, "Dr. Octavius! Are you okay?" asked Peter as he helped the man to his feet.
Despite the ordeal, Otto seemed to have emerged intact, his spirt even remained unbroken, "Another setback" he said simply. Peter looked back at the ruined equipment, unable to find it in him to fully agree, but he knew just what Otto was capable of. Otto then grabbed him by the arm and made Peter look him in the eye, "but we're close" assured the scientist with a smile. And for a brief moment, Peter felt like things might be looking up.
That was until the door opened and the grant committee walked in to the smoldering wreck created by the failed test.
While Peter would usually say it was good when you could shock the grant committee, he would also say it was better to do it by having your project working. "Is anyone hurt?" asked the woman in front bluntly.
"No" answered Peter quickly, "but it was all my faul—" began Peter, only for Otto to cut him off.
"The energy levels exceeded our expectations" he explained weakly. "From a certain viewpoint" he began, quick to try and put a positive spin on events, "that's a very positive development." The fact that the new systems were transferring the power that well was a massive improvement, their new compounds were more efficient, but now the problem was regulating all of that energy transfer.
Understandably, the committee didn't understand the particulars of the project. "It doesn't smell very positive" ground out the woman in retort.
"I assure you, in the next phase—"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves" said the woman, cutting off Otto before she coughed, waving her hand to get some reprieve from the smoke that was in the air. "Is there somewhere else we can discuss this?" she asked.
Otto slumped dejectedly and turned to the lab assistant, "Maybe you should take the rest of the day off, Peter" he suggested, voice now sounding much more weary than it had just minutes before. Peter made to argue, but was shut down before he could get a single word out, "we'll talk later" assured Otto as the Queens native nodded and excused himself.
Even if Otto gave him the rest of the day off, Peter had nowhere else to go. Matt had already agreed to be available today so Peter could focus on this evaluation, and he felt he owed it to Otto to try and make up for the disaster. Setting to work, her rewired the fried circuitry in the arm and worked on the spectrograph station, comparing samples of existing technology to readings taken from the Marauder's equipment. While he worked, he could overhear bits and pieces of the discussion occurring in Otto's office. Octavius was putting up a valiant defense, but it was clear that he was fighting a losing battle; the grant committee had already made up their minds as soon as they walked into the smoke filled lab.
Finally concluding that there was no work left to be done, Peter retraced his steps out the door and to the supply closet before reemerging minutes later as New York's very own Webslinger. Even if his suit still bore the scars of the battle earlier in the day, it was still liberating to don the mask of Spider-Man.
The ringing of his masks built in cellphone jarred him from said thoughts as he answered before firing off a webline and beginning to swing into the city. "Spider-Man, it's Yuri" announced the Captain over the line, exhaustion permeating her tones.
Peter couldn't help but sympathize, today had been a long time coming and reality was starting to set in, but that didn't mean that it would be an easy one. "Fisk make it to Ryker's yet?" he asked, wanting to ensure that there were no unexpected complications for his longest running foe.
"Not Ryker's" replied Yuri tiredly, "our boy qualifies for the VIP treatment. He's in the Raft" she informed. Peter's eyes actually widened at the news as he swung through the dimming city, the sun on its downward path.
Of course, the Webhead knew better than anyone who would be waiting for the Kingpin in the maximum security prison. "Ahhh – joining Scorpion, Electro, and the rest…" he replied knowingly. "Fisk should be honored, that's esteemed company" he quipped.
Using his immense strength to launch himself from the top of a water tower, Parker changed direction as soon as he heard Yuri's actual reason for calling. "Could you swing by the precinct?" she asked, did she make that pun on purpose? Mused Peter as he listened intently. "Got an issue that could benefit from your unique skillset" she said cryptically. Though, assumed Peter, if she was calling him it meant she wanted the matter handled with some degree of discretion.
"For you Yuri, anything" he replied as he began swinging in the direction of Chinatown. "I'm on my way" he finished before Yuri hung up on him and he continued swinging, adding in some flips and tricks for the benefit of onlookers below as another alert appeared on his HUD. "Hmm – Looks like Jameson's got a new episode out. Wonder what my number one fan thinks about the Fisk Takedown…" he mused as the podcast began to play in his earpieces.
"This is Just the Facts with J. Jonah Jameson, where listeners like you discuss the issues affecting our city with Pulitzer prize winning…"
"TWO TIME!" Shouted the distinct voice of his former boss, cutting off the producer.
"Two-time Pulitzer prize winning former publisher of the Daily Bugle" continued the unfortunate college kid who needed money more than most before he was cut off again.
"Hey! Plug the book!" Ordered Jameson with his usual amount of calm and patience.
Sighing in resignation, the Producer did as he was instructed. "And, as always, if you order Mr. Jameson's Book, Spider-Man: Threat or Menace, within 24 hours of our broadcast, you'll get an autographed copy at no extra charge."
"NO personalization's! Don't ask! Not gonna' get it!" Barked Jameson as Spider-Man couldn't help but snicker at the producer while also feeling sorry for the poor guy, having been on the receiving end of Jameson's fury more times than he cared to count. "Welcome to Just the Facts, with J. Jonah Jameson – alerting you to the threats you don't even know about." The man's voice was much calmer, forced, to be sure, but still calmer. "Let's dive right into the calls. Speak!"
That was a decent sign, Peter had expected him to go into a full on rant straight away. "Okay" began an accented voice, Italian if Peter had to guess. "So, not for nuthin', you gotta' give Spider-Man and the Marauder respect for taking down Wilson Fisk, right?" Asked the man. "I mean, one less mob boss is good for everybody" he reasoned.
"Is that right?" Replied Jameson sarcastically as Parker felt a wince build up on his features. "Tell me, are you a Police Officer? Prosecutor? Maybe an award-winning reporter with decades on the job, like me?" Asked JJJ with his usual amount of modesty.
"Uhh, no" replied the caller, "I'm a plumber."
"Oh, good" answered J. Jonah before taking a deep breath as another wince appeared, this one so hard that Spider-Man cocked his head as he braced for the wrath that was about to be unleashed. "Then fix my toilet and SHUT UP!" He shouted, now clearly doing what the staff at the Bugle called a 'Full Jameson.' "Let me explain something to you about crime bosses. Soon as one goes down, every punk with a gun, a tracksuit, and a drawer full of gold chains decides he's the next Godfather. We're going to have a gang war in the streets, but does that web-headed moron give a damn? Of course not, he got on TV, that's what counts. And don't get me started on the Marauder! He just wanted to shoot people like the raving gun toting lunatic he is."
"Yeah, well…I can get copper pipe without paying kickbacks now" answered the Plumber. "So until that gang war starts, I'm on their side."
"And you'll be singing a different tune when three new mobs are lining up to charge you triple for that same pipe" shot back JJJ, who Peter swore wanted to outlive god just so he could get the last word in. "Or…just break your legs! GOODBYE!"
Peter sighed sadly as he neared his destination. "Someday, Jonah" he vowed, "I'm going to get you to say something nice about me…someday" he said aloud. "At least I'm not being accused of being a murdering sociopath" he mused sadly as he thought of what the Editor had said about his friend. While the Marauder working directly with police had gotten him some praise from Jameson, the Journalist would always revert back to his body count when he wanted to slander the Pilot.
Sending an alert to Yuri that he had arrived, he crouched down on the rooftop and waited for his favorite Cop to make an appearance. Pulling out his phone and checking his twitter feed to pass the time, he was soon disturbed by the sound of the door below him opening. An Asian woman with black hair and matching leather jacket walked out and headed towards the railing. "Now that you quit smoking" began Spider-Man as he saw her body immediately tense before she took a noticeable deep breath, "what do you tell people when you come up here?" he asked.
Watanabe turned back to look at him and smiled, genuinely, he almost couldn't believe it, though taking down Fisk that morning had probably helped. "That I need a break from their crap" she answered sarcastically, though her smile didn't abate in the least.
With an acrobatic flip, the Wallcrawler came down firmly on the railing next to the woman, getting a clear view of the nicotine gum in her hand as she slipped a piece into her mouth. "Well" said a filtered voice as both turned to see the Marauder decloak, the green armored gunfighter leaning casually against the exit Yuri had emerged from, his arms crossed. "I suppose the best lies are always the ones closest to the truth" said his friend dryly, matching sarcasm with sarcasm.
Picking his Carbine up from where it had been leaning against the wall, the SRS Pilot moved to join the others as Parker shrugged, "fair enough" he conceded. "So, why'd you call? Need a date for the policeman's ball?" he asked only half-jokingly.
But the quip didn't faze the veteran officer at all. "You got a black and white suit?" she shot back without missing a beat, completely serious, though the small gleam in her eye gave it away.
"Uhh…" returned the wallcrawler dumbly as the Marauder gave an amused snort from Yuri's left.
Yuri smiled weakly, a tinge of disappointment in her tone, "No ball this year anyway. We spent too much incorporating Oscorp's surveillance tech" she said as the three looked towards the small high-tech antenna bearing the company's ubiquitous logo.
"Worth it though, right?" asked Peter, who had sustained months of Cooper's high-tech maps that had a real time link with the system putting anything he had cobbled together to shame. So much so that Peter had abandoned his own methods of tracking crime in favor of just relying on the predictive models he made using the data and alerts sent to him by BT for high priority items.
Yuri just looked at each of the two in turn. "It was…until an hour ago" she revealed. "Whole system went down" she said before turning to look at the Blue Visor, "citywide" she continued as she looked at the white eye lenses, "every tower."
"Sounds like you should ask for a refund" responded Cooper dryly as Yuri gave him a knowing look and nodded in agreement.
Behind his mask, Peter furrowed his brow, mind racing, "How?" he asked, slightly dumbfounded. Oscorp was many things, but inept was not one of them. The system wouldn't just fail on its own.
Yuri bit her lip and lowered her voice, "They tell me someone sabotaged the central server, and now all the towers are offline" she answered with a shrug. She clearly didn't understand how or why that worked, all she understood were the results.
Cooper, in his unique way, summed it up best. "So right now, we're deaf, dumb, and blind?" he asked. Yuri grimaced before giving a small nod and continuing to chew on her gum. "Shit" he said simply, getting another nod from the cop.
The Webslinger leaned in closer to two of his best 'work' friends. "Hm…inside job?" he posed.
"Maybe" agreed Yuri with a nod, and Cooper gave the same affirmative gesture behind her. "I'll figure it out later, right now we need to get these towers back online. Fast" she said, emphasizing the last word.
"And you called us?" asked Peter in mock astonishment. "Aw, that's sweet" he gushed as he put his hand over his heart. Cooper chuckled dryly in the background, though he could see the helmet roll anyway.
Yuri gave him a mildly annoyed look, "I called people I could trust" she corrected. "Plus, the signals are scrambled, and we have no idea how to fix it" she said, tossing her hands up in exasperation.
"Ohhh!" said Spider-Man happily as he dismounted the railing. "I love a challenge" he called out as Yuri turned and headed back inside.
The Captain turned around a pointed a finger at the pair in mock accusation. "You break it you buy it!" she threatened.
"What happened to trusting us?" asked the Renegade Pilot dryly as Yuri merely gave the two men one last exasperated look before heading back into the precinct. Once she was gone, the Pilot laughed mirthfully as he turned towards the malfunctioning equipment. "Alright, alright, alright, let's see what we got" he said as he pulled out his knife and pried the cover off the box. A light fixed to his helmet came on as he inspected the internal hardware. "Everything looks good in here, connections are good, wires are intact, no signs of tampering" he reported.
Meanwhile, Peter busied himself with the software side of things. Linking his suit into the tower he ran a simple diagnostic program to find the point in time when the tower went offline and opened up the changes that matched that time. Luckily for him there was only one. "I got it! Input bands have been shifted. Subtle." he noted as he set to work recalibrating the array to pick up the correct frequencies.
After a few moments of tinkering, he had the right frequency dialed in and rebooted the tower. Once the power came back, he saw the array on top move upwards slightly and the indicator lights switch from red to green. "We just had a tower come back online" said Yuri as soon as he accepted the call. "Was that the two of you?"
"Spider-Man, to be precise" provided the Marauder.
"More than just a pretty mask, huh?" quipped Peter.
Yuri, as she usually did, ignored him. "Whatever you did, any chance you could do it to the other towers?" she asked seriously.
"Uhh, sure" answered the Queens native as he set everything back the way he had found it, no reason to be untidy. "But just so you know, I had to sync up to the tower to fix it" he admitted. "I'm seeing all crime data in the area now. Looks like there's a break in happening near us."
Yuri didn't seem to mind about him having to sync up to the towers. "Great, I've got units nearby…"
"Don't bother" said Cooper, cutting off Yuri as he expanded his R-201 and dropped the bolt with a metallic click. "They're ours" growled Cooper before he vaulted over the railing, with Spider-Man in hot pursuit. The duo covered the 150 meters in seconds to find a group of thugs in tracksuits and ski masks in a back alley, one of their number working at a door with a crowbar.
"I don't think these guys forgot their keys" quipped Peter over the voice comms as he settled down on a lamppost and saw the Marauder hang from the building, visor scanning the scene. "But I'll ask anyway…HEY GUYS!" he yelled out as they all snapped their heads to look at the Webslinger. "Did you lock yourselves out? Why not just call a locksmith?" he joked.
"It's Spider-Man! Get him!" shouted one of them as Peter fired a pair of weblines and pulled himself to him, driving him to the ground. Spider sense tingling, he dodged to his right as a crowbar narrowly missed him before he planted an uppercut on the man's chin that knocked him into the air as the Webhead leapt up in chase.
A flurry of punches and kicks fell upon the flailing gangbanger before Peter finally let him fall back to the ground, the red and blue clad hero landing in the middle of the group. "Didn't your parents ever tell you stealing isn't nice?" he asked when he felt his Spider sense go off wildly and immediately pulled himself up out of the group.
No sooner was he clear than the arc grenade fell where he had been standing, shocking every thug still standing. Barely a second after the grenade went off, the Marauder entered the fray, a punishing kick sent one thug back into another before he fired his grapple at a second, and shoulder checked him to the ground before firing two arc rounds into his chest at point blank range.
Spider-Man then leapt from the wall and used his weblines to grab hold of a conveniently placed garbage can, flinging it into one before he fired web blasts at the injured thugs, pinning them to the ground in a twisted pile of limbs and bruises before the base of his skull vibrated in warning. Dodging to the side, he fired a webline at each of his attacker's hands before leaping over the man's head and yanking hard enough that the impact of his own fist knocked him out. "Why'd you hit yourself?" he asked the unconscious man before he blocked the next incoming blow before responding with a series of punches and a bicycle kick that put his assailant down for the count.
Fining no other threats, Peter turned to see the last of the thugs charge at the Marauder, who merely lowered his shoulder and rammed it into the man's sternum before throwing the man up and over him as the Pilot launched himself skyward before dropping his passenger. Peter fired a pair of weblines to grab the flailing man by his ankles, slamming the man into the ground and causing his body to go limp even if he was still breathing.
With that done, the Spandex clad super dusted his hands off as his friend replaced the magazine in his weapon as Spidey made a call. "Okay, wrapped up" he reported as he heard a shot ring out and turned to see one of the thugs he thought he knocked out slump back over, arc energy dancing across him. "Correction, now it's wrapped up."
"Thanks for that" said Yuri sincerely as the two made their way back up to the rooftops. "Now I'm seeing an assault near you" continued the Captain as Parker looked towards his friend, who merely nodded.
"You're in luck Yuri" answered Spider-Man before gradually beginning to deepen his voice for dramatic effect. "Your favorite tough-but-lovable, grizzled, seen too much detective is in town…" he began, despite hearing a clearly displeased Cooper mutter 'aw fuck' into his headset.
Yuri's response was far more pronounced. "WHAT?! No, no, no, no, no, you promised you wouldn't do that any…"
"Spider-Cop" he finished gleefully; despite the fact he could feel the daggers Cooper was glaring into the back of his head. But the Marauder hadn't started shooting at him yet, which he took as a good sign.
"Please no" begged Yuri.
"Look on the bright side Cap" responded Cooper, "at least you can hang up at any time."
"Good point" agreed Yuri before the line went dead.
"Aw, c'mon, you're no fun" whined Peter as they came to a stop and looked for the crime in progress.
The x shaped visor turned towards Peter, helmet tilted ever so slightly. "And you have enough for the both of us."
"Touché."
Cooper watched as Peter slammed his fist into the hostage taker, slamming him to the ground and dispatching the last of the men who tried to assault a woman. After he was satisfied that the area was secure, Cooper collapsed the R-201 and joined Spider-Man alongside the woman they had rescued. "I knew Jameson was wrong about you two" she said as he walked up. "You're a little weird" she said to the Wallcrawler, "and you're really scary" she said to him, "but you've both got good hearts."
Cooper merely shrugged off the praise, satisfied that another innocent was safe, and more hostiles were neutralized. "Have you got somewhere to go?" asked Peter, clearly concerned. Matt smiled faintly, he knew that it was genuine, hell, he had never seen Peter not be genuine.
The woman took offense at the comment though, "I can take care of myself" she defended testily as the Webhead held up his hands in a calming gesture.
"I'm sure you can" said Spidey, "but just in case, there's a place called the F.E.A.S.T. center…"
"Seen it" snapped the woman, holding up her hand as she turned away. "I don't want charity" she insisted.
But Spider-Man was undeterred, "they got the best wheat cakes in the city" he insisted, "hands down."
The woman, defiant up until that point, finally faltered. Coming to a halt, she slowly turned back towards the vigilantes. "Mom used to make those" she said wistfully, the memories coming back to her as she smiled slightly. "Haven't had any in…in a long time." After another moment or two of thought, she nodded, again. "I'll check it out. Thanks…Spider-Guy" she said before turning and leaving them.
Matthew smirked behind his helm as the webslinger's shoulder slumped, "It's Spider-Man" he corrected to no avail before turning to the Pilot. "Not one word Marauder."
"Hmm?" said Matt as he raised his eyebrow. "I didn't say anything…Spider-Guy" he deadpanned as his smirk became a full-on shit eating grin while Parker seethed inside his mask. "Come on, we should be able to spot the next tower from up there" said Cooper, pointing towards a rooftop before he jumped up to run along a wall, Spider-Man swinging past on his webs.
They soon had eyes on the next tower, a waypoint appearing on Cooper's HUD as he parkoured his way across the city. "From his elevated position" began a gravelly voice as Cooper silently patched Yuri into their comm channel, "Spider-Cop spies his destination: A second surveillance tower."
Yuri spoke up in a mix of complete shock and unbridled amusement, "Are you…narrating yourself?" She asked, completely dumbfounded.
"Wha…no" responded Parker, caught completely off guard at the unexpected interruption. "Of course not" he insisted.
"Yes" deadpanned Cooper as he activated his STIM to catch up to the webslinger, "Yes he is."
The white eye lenses looked his way and narrowed as Matthew shot his friend the middle finger in reply. "Neither the chief nor his partner understood Spider-Cop" said Peter in an exaggerated gravelly tone, "thought he was a loose cannon."
"Already regretting this" chimed in Yuri.
Cooper snorted, "how do you think I feel?" he asked sarcastically before Yuri cut the link. The duo then reached the next precinct and the Webhead pulled himself up to the control panel as Cooper climbed up to chat while he worked. "How are things going with you? Besides Fisk this morning."
"Eh…could be better" admitted Peter as he fiddled with the electronics of the high tech surveillance tower. "Had another fire at the lab today, nothing serious but we'll have to rewire the system, again." Matthew nodded; he had already offered to help, but when Peter explained the problem, they both agreed there was little he could help with. "Other than that? I broke up with Katherine last week. It just wasn't working; I couldn't keep making the trip upstate and she doesn't like the city" he said with an unconcerned shrug.
Behind his helmet, Matthew was somewhat bewildered. "Dude, it's like a two hour drive, even if I do it in one and a half. I seriously think you need your head checked if you weren't willing to go that far to get a piece of that ass" he chided half seriously. Though Matthew knew the real reason, his friend never committed to any of his recent relationships because he was still pining after Mary Jane Watson. The Texan understood this completely, he still maintained a platonic friendship with the reporter, and she had earned his respect as a gutsy and capable woman. Unlike himself, Peter, or Felicia, she was still that unassuming girl next door, despite her forays into their world of incredible exploits. That normalcy, that piece of a simpler life and a reminder of a time before spandex and jump kits, was what Peter wanted.
Despite this desire, the gods instead blessed Peter by throwing hot women at him only for him to somehow fuck up every single chance he got. And not just hot women, but the good kind of hot, the kind that was tough and determined and didn't need their looks to succeed. If he wasn't already dating one of Parker's exes, then he would probably be going after one of his others.
However, the gods also blessed Peter with some intelligence, which he used to point out the gaping hole in Cooper's logic that was so large you could drive a semi truck through it. "Yeah, but it's a lot longer if you don't have a car" he informed cheekily.
"Oh" answered Matthew dumbly, having forgotten that little detail before quickly moving on. "So the webhead is back on the market huh?" ribbed the Marauder without a hint of malice. "Have you ever at least considered calling…"
"Her? No, she was quite clear when we last talked" said Spider-Man firmly, his tone making it clear that he didn't want to talk about a certain redhead. Cooper merely grit his teeth; he thought his friend was being a stubborn ass. MJ was a good woman, better than most, and Peter clearly trusted her. Why he refused to take those last few steps to make their relationship work baffled the Texan. "Besides, I don't think I would even want to try anything serious until I have my life back in order."
That got Matthew's attention. Unlike him, Spider-Man got no financial benefit from his actions, refusing everything offered to him. Cooper knew he did it for the right reasons, but that hadn't stopped him from trying to convince Peter from making some small changes. "Just say the word and I'll have ten grand wired to your account tonight" Matthew said.
"Thanks, but no thanks Coop" said the webslinger as the tower activated and the webhead closed the panel. "I know you mean well, but I'll be okay, seriously" he insisted as they jumped down. His boots dug into the rooftop and they got ready to get moving again.
"Just don't want you getting distracted and getting your head blown off in a firefight is all" replied the Titan Jockey half seriously. He felt his wrist buzz as he looked at the TACPAD on it and frowned, "Listen, if it's alright, I'm going to head out. I'll catch you at FEAST tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure, I can take it from here, see ya' then."
Matthew, now in casual clothes, climbed the stairs up into the first floor of his hideout to be greeted by quite a sight. Felicia Hardy was bent over the counter wearing a pair of Nike shorts that barely contained her ample ass and an equally immodest tank top as she examined a collection of maps with detailed notes at specific circled locations. In the living room were a dozen duffel bags and the equipment she would need sprawled out all over the floor. "Hey Cowboy, just making sure everything is ready before I start moving my gear" she greeted before they shared a quick kiss.
"It's really happening, isn't it?" asked Cooper as each set to work packing the bags with everything she would need. "So, is it finally time to reveal your master plan?" he asked.
"Part of it" revealed the burglar with a playful grin. "I know you're not going to like everything about it, but just hear me out…" she said before beginning.
All of the equipment Felicia would need was neatly stowed and carried, mainly by Cooper, downstairs by the time she finished detailing exactly what would happen and the role her lover would play. Matthew did as she asked and remained silent, simply listening and processing everything as she explained the what and the why. When all was said and done, he gave his response, "okay" he said simply.
Hardy quirked a perfectly manicured eyebrow, "Okay?" she parroted as Cooper merely nodded slowly, his face clearly reading 'Yeah. What did you expect?'. "I know you're not Spider, but I thought I'd get a bit…more."
Matthew laughed a bit at that as he smiled and shook his head. "If you say that's the best way to do it then I'm inclined to believe you" he said with a shrug. "I trust you Felicia, we'll get this done" he assured before turning back into the armory. "Now come on, we got a few more things to grab" he said as Felicia furrowed her brow and followed.
Hardy followed the Texan to a corner of the basement, behind some shelves to find a tarp covered object. Without any flair, her cowboy pulled to tarp back to reveal a black Ducati sports bike with the brand spanking new costume Mathilda had constructed folded neatly on the seat. Felicia looked at Matthew, green eyes smoldering with desire as she jumped up into his arms and found herself pressed to the wall, engaged in a passionate kiss.
The couple finished the loading later that night after a considerable delay.
Meanwhile, across town, Peter had finished up his patrol for the day and was back in the workshop at Octavius Industries, casual clothes on and his damaged Spidey suit in the pack on his back. "Looks like Doc's gone for the night" observed Peter as he walked in, past the various equipment, picking up the tools he would need on the way to his office, "time to sneak in some Spider work."
Closing the door and whistling a jaunty tune, Peter tossed the torn suit on the table and began setting up the tools he had brought in from the workshop. Setting everything up, he was just about to begin when his Spider sense began to vibrate in warning and he heard the door open behind him. "Parker!" said a surprised Otto as Peter whirled around while trying to shove the spandex suit out of sight.
"Dr. Octavius!" replied Peter, "I – ah…watcha got there?" he asked, trying to redirect the Doctors attention away from the incriminating evidence on the table behind him. Making sure to keep himself between Otto and the suit, he waited for an opening before he tried to push it further away.
Otto raised the bag, "Chinese" he answered matter of factly, "If I knew you'd be here I would've—" he began before pausing, eyes fixed on the red and blue material on the table. "What is that you're working on?" he asked.
"Uh, just a side project" replied Peter, not technically lying as he tried to dismiss the older scientist, but it seemed Ottos curiosity had been piqued. As Otto pressed further, Peter found he was being forced out of the way so that Octavius had full view of the web patterned red and blue spandex.
Otto looked down at the suit with a look of total shock as his mouth hung open dumbly before looking back up at Peter and stepping back. "It's you" he said in realization, having put together everything as Peter felt his stomach drop out from him while his heart was in his throat.
SAY SOMETHING PARKER! He screamed mentally, and, somehow, his brain decided to play dumb. "I—I don't know what…"
"Oh come on, Parker, its obvious" interjected Otto, cutting off the lab tech as Peter felt panic begin to set in.
"Let me explain" he asked, hoping Octavius would at least hear him out before firing him.
But Otto didn't seem angry, "I only wish you'd told me sooner" replied the Doctor, his all-knowing eyes scrutinizing the younger man.
"I wanted to" admitted Peter with a tinge of regret. "But I was afraid that if word got out, my family might be in danger" he explained, hoping Octavius would understand the risk this knowledge posed.
The man hmmed as he thought it over before nodding, "Yes" he murmured in realization, "I guess if you design his equipment, you're bound to be a target too."
"Yeah" replied Peter lowly before what Octavius had said fully registered, "I mean…YEAH" he repeated, much more forcefully, hoping that was all Otto thought he did in relation to the Webslinger.
"Don't worry" began the scientist as he placed a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder, "your secret's safe" he assured before offering a small smile and stepping back. Relief flooded through Parker, finding it almost unbelievable that had turned out as well as it had. "Well, I'll leave you to it" finished Otto before grabbing his dinner and exiting the office.
Peter let out a hefty sigh of relief and got back to work.
Unable to suppress a smile, Peter stepped out of Octavius Industries into the cool morning air. The Queens native had a newfound pep in his step, and it was due to the fancy new threads he was sporting. For months he had been brainstorming ideas for improving his suit but had always put it off. And after his classic look had been shredded the previous day, he had just the excuse he needed to overhaul his entire costume.
After waking up four hours ago with a sticky note stuck to his face and several notes from Otto on his computer, he had set to work redefining his alter ego. Both integrating the upgrades he had made to his old suits over the years as well as some of the radically new ideas and options available to him. Lightweight fabrics that Cooper gifted to him that were durable and form fitting, being both tear and fire resistant while not being nearly as bulky as the Marauders own bodysuit underlayer since it lacked the temperature regulation and endurance enhancing features.
Even better, he gave him the material in his favored red and blue colors, though he spent a long time adding the black web pattern detailing. Red on his chest, back, and most of his arms contrasted with the blue on his sides and legs. As an added bonus, the red sections were fitted with an additional lining sandwiched between two layers. The Silicon Carbide discs, ceramic matrices, and accompanying laminate combined to make cutting edge flexible body armor to protect his vital organs. With the basic style nailed down he began to think more practically, and so he focused on the four places he wanted to make significant upgrades, on his hands and feet. Over the years he had gotten used to the constant bruises, aches, and scabs that usually covered those areas and decided it was finally time to do something about that.
Here, it was one of Otto's suggestions that offered the best answer. While Cooper offered fireproof gloves, they were too thick for Peter's taste, so he made use of a new semi elastic 3-D printable material the Doctor had developed for artificial limbs. Starting from the models they had made for arms, he removed most of it before beginning to print the parts and setting to work on footwear. Otto had come up with a semi armored carbon composite weave, and while Peter couldn't envision making a whole suit out of the material, it offered extra support. Molding the material into shape, he stitched it inside the base of his legs, so it covered his ankles and extended a third of the way up his calf to help avoid his most common and annoying injuries, rolled and sprained ankles.
Next, he took a pair of gifted combat boots from Cooper and went about deconstructing them, eschewing the heavy material and lacing until he was left with just the soles. Testing them, he found the multi layered component to be both flexible and sturdy, tossing one to get a feel for its weight, he smiled as he set to work. Using Octavius' carbon composite, he fashioned slip on shoes that would fit seamlessly into the leg pieces he had already made, he went about stitching everything together. By the time he finished, the 3-D prints for his forearm braces had finished, so he set to work on assembling those.
The bracers were thin strips of material that ran halfway up the sides of his forearms, with a gap between them and the rigid plate on the top of his hands with a gap and the knuckles and smaller plates on the base section of each of his four fingers. This was purely so that he would no longer hurt his hands by punching bag guys. Smiling at how the suit was coming, he turned to the last major piece, his mask.
Taking the mostly undamaged mask from his classic suit, he stripped the outer fabric layer off to reveal the complex circuitry beneath. After checking to ensure everything was intact, he began layering the new material over the top, but took advice from Otto to go for a more aggressive look with the black outline around his eyes. According to figures the doctor sent, he had to fight more criminals, by percentage, in the past year. Otto hypothesized that this was because Spider-Man no longer possessed the same aura of a formidable foe that he had once had due to the arrival of the Marauder.
Taking care to ensure that the lenses still gave off a 'friendly neighborhood Spider-Man' vibe while looking more dangerous when narrowed, the Webslinger affixed the strips of material in place. Peter finished the mask and slipped it on before looking at his computer and the rest of the suit before deciding one last thing needed to be done. Taking the rest of the Carbon composite material he had, he cut it into a shape Otto had sketched out, a larger Spider logo with clearly multi part body and eight longer legs. Once these were done, he stitched them to his suit and took a step back, he felt that he had nailed it. Now all that he had to do was the detailing.
Now wearing that exact costume he had labored away at for hours on, Peter bounced on the balls of his feet before nimbly leaping up onto the AC unit and then the rooftop above, launching himself into a flat out sprint, slowly pushing himself to test if his new threads were up to the task. After he was sure he hadn't suffered a wardrobe malfunction, he launched himself up, flipping over to plant his hands on a pipe and sending his 167 pounds flying through the air, corkscrewing elegantly as he went.
Just as he crested the apex of his flight, he extended his arms and shot out a pair of weblines, noting with satisfaction that the webshooters worked perfectly in their new reinforced housings before he was yanked towards the side of the building he had selected. Twisting his whole body, he planted his feet to a raised section of the wall, with the kind of ease that came with years of experience, he managed to stick to the wall just enough to still allow gravity to pull him earthbound as he rode the ridge like a skateboarder grinding a rail.
Using his enhanced strength to launch himself off the wall, he used the webshooters to streak through a patio filled with patrons enjoying their morning coffee as he performed another acrobatic trick and began to swing through the streets. With the wind surging around him and the suit holding up, he decided to have some fun, 'buzz the tower' as Cooper would say, and dropped lower than he would until he was scant feet above the concrete. "Coming through!" he called out as he gave a jaunty half wave and swung by some pedestrians.
"Looking good Spidey!" yelled back one as he rolled over the top of a car and fired another line to pull him down the center line of the street and towards the intersection ahead as he pressed one arm down into the asphalt to slow himself down enough to not splat into a fast approaching taxi.
Once he bought himself some time, he contorted his way between the oncoming vehicles, "Hellooo New York!" he bellowed as he squared up to use both webshooters to pull himself through traffic and up atop a fuel tanker before throwing himself skyward once again, aided by two more weblines until he was back near rooftop level. "New suit! Same old me!" he declared, thoroughly pleased with his test drive.
But, at that moment, the old Parker Luck reared its ugly head and demanded that, not only was the test drive over, but he was going to have to put his new creation into the equivalent of Rally Finland. His mask phone rang in his ear as Yuri began without preamble as soon as he answered. "Spider-Man, I think I figured out how Fisk's men are keeping his rackets running…"
"Cinderblock coming back to haunt us?" asked Cooper dryly as he held his cellphone to his face, for some reason he wasn't surprised at the revelation. Sitting in the passenger seat of the F-Type while Felicia drove, the Marauder was processing what Yuri had told him.
The construction sites that had been the result of the property acquired because of Cinderblock had been confirmed by Spider-Man to be a network of weapons dealers earlier that morning. At least they now had an idea where all the unaccounted-for hardware from the shipping manifests was. "Looks that way" agreed Yuri, "I've got surveillance up and running on the other sites, but we're spread thin."
Cooper bit back a curse, they both knew what would happen once the Kingpin fell and thought they had been ready, but with the tower network down it had crippled their ability to effectively fight crime through conventional means. "If we don't get a handle on this soon, we're going to lose the initiative. Send me a list of those construction sites and I'll start crossing them off tonight."
They were already losing the intuitive, though neither of them said as much. With the crime network down, the Marauder was reduced to sitting on his hands when it came to small time crime, much to his chagrin. Indeed, their tenuous situation was apparently evident as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen had made his first appearance in nearly three years. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a group of thugs were found, nine shot dead with military like precision, the tenth had his throat slit by a military style knife, his holster empty.
"Alright" she answered, "at least we haven't seen anyone else make a serious go at being the next Kingpin. All the crime we're seeing is scattered, disorganized" she reported, much to his relief. Yet at the same time, he frowned, the window for Cat's plan would close quickly if nothing changed. "So far, it's nothing we can't handle outside of the gun running, and our case against Fisk is coming together. I've even been offered a bit of paid vacation" she finished with a small laugh.
Matthew chuckled as well, "Yeah, well" he responded lamely as he shrugged, "what are you gonna' do about it?" he said casually.
"Tell them to stick it in their ass" replied Yuri, deadly serious.
After a moment of silence, Matt burst out laughing, a massive smile on his face as he imagined the scene. "Dirty Yuri, master wordsmith" he said once he got air back in his lungs. "Well for what it's worth, damn fine work Captain, you never cease to amaze" he said honestly.
"Thanks Coop" she answered simply before regaining her usual laser like focus. "I'll call you if something else comes up, let me know what you find at those construction sites" she ordered before hanging up and Cooper pocketed the phone.
The black Jag prowled the streets of Manhattan as Felicia turned to the Gunfighter, "By the sound of things I had better start tonight" she said with pursed lips. "Hopefully I can work faster with the crime towers down, I should only have to worry about the security systems" she finished, it went unsaid that they were both confident in her ability to handle those.
The convertible sports car came to a graceful stop just outside the FEAST Center as Cooper gave Felicia a quick kiss. "Kick ass darlin'" he drawled before climbing out and watching the Jaguar streak away, supercharged V8 crackling, the echo bouncing off the buildings. Hardy was on her way to her office to collect a few items 'to work on while she was on vacation in the Bahamas.'
Cooper knew there would be consequences to his actions, but he could only hope the ends would justify the means as jogged up the steps of the homeless shelter. As he reached the top, he saw a familiar figure drop down from the roof. "Holy shit" said Matt in mock astonishment, "Peter Parker is actually on time for once" he finished with a grin.
The man in question turned around and smiled sheepishly, "Hey Coop" he greeted before the two made their way inside. "Mr. Li is probably in the kitchen, getting ready for the party" said Parker before the Queens native led the Texan through the center. On their way the two stopped to chat with some of the folks there in the center, a pair engaged in a chess match, one or two that thanked Cooper for working on their stuff, and another commented on Peter's Aunt May.
Heading into the kitchen, they found an Asian man of average height and build and wearing a white button-down shirt, black slacks, shoes, and tie stacking up boxes in the corner. "Hey Martin, sorry we're late" greeted Peter in hushed tones.
"You're right on time" assured the philanthropist as he looked over his shoulder to see May Parker scribbling notes on a clipboard across the dining hall. "Just keep her distracted Peter" he said, placing a hand on the scientist's shoulder before turning to the gunslinger, "you come with me Matthew, we need to bring everything in."
"Sounds like a plan" replied Cooper with a nod as Peter peeled off and strolled up to his relative, doing his best to look casual. With one last look to ensure Peter was making a distraction, Cooper nodded to a few other volunteers as they began to quickly unroll and hang a banner on the wall before rushing back to grab bundles of balloons. Judging from the voice cracks and near shouts emanating from Peter, his distraction skills left something to be desired.
If it were anyone else other than Spider-Man and perhaps the Marauder's best friend, then Matt was pretty sure he would have taken over distraction duties. Thankfully, Peter held it together without any interference as Matt saw Li roll in a car with a massive cake with a bunch of others following as Cooper fell in with them. As they got closer, they could overhear what Parker was saying to the older woman. "…sacrificing so much, and asking for nothing. I just wish there were more people like you in the world" he said sincerely.
"He's right" agreed Li before stepping out from behind the cart. "Five years ago, you walked in here and told me you were inspired by my mission to help others. But now it's you who inspires me." Cooper agreed with the sentiment, he was far from a humanitarian but that didn't stop him from recognizing the impact the woman had on people. While FEAST would never be where he truly belonged, it was too peaceful, her belief that 'when you help someone, you help everyone' had strengthened his resolve to use his skills to help people instead of just killing the enemy. "Thank you May, for everything. Here's to many more years of service."
From there, those present enjoyed the cake, chatting idly about this and that. Cooper was at a table with an empty plate, his Sig out as he discussed pistols with a few people interested in buying a gun with the expected increase in crime. It was well known that the Texan enjoyed talking about guns and was the de facto authority on them at the Shelter. He stopped suddenly when his phone went off, the guitar lick was quickly silenced as Matt's face tightened and he turned to look at Peter, he had just looked at his own phone and was looking at Cooper.
The two quickly shared a nod before excusing themselves and exiting the room side by side, speaking in hushed tones. "Whatever it is" began Cooper, "it must be serious if she called both of us" said the Pilot as Parker nodded in agreement. "How soon can you get moving?"
"Now" answered Peter immediately as he stopped at a staircase, "I can change on the roof."
"Do it, I'll suit up and head over as soon as I can, I'll call you when I get close" the Marauder said before turning on his heel and making a bee-line for the door to hide his smile. This would be exactly the kind of distraction Felicia would need.
Inside the auction house Yuri had directed him to, Spider-Man peered through the grate at the scene below. Suited men wearing strange masks and wielding enough firepower to make the Marauder jealous were spread throughout the room below. "I am losing patience" said one, a tactical vest over his fine shirt and tie. "Where. Is. The file?" he asked, raising his rifle for emphasis.
The dark skinned woman on the floor tried to move away, holding her hand up as she replied, her voice wavering. "There's someone else here, they must have taken it" she reasoned before looking away, fearing her answer wouldn't be adequate.
"Those masks…" whispered Peter as he watched the scene intently, brow furrowed behind his new mask. "Who are these guys?"
"There's no one here but us" insisted the armored man as he picked the woman up off the floor, his voice calm and level with some accent Peter couldn't place. "We will find the file" he said calmly as he raised the rifle and shoved the muzzle right in the woman's face, "or you will die" he said with cold finality.
With that, the man spun the red suited woman around and shoved her forwards as the group of gunmen moved onto the next room and Peter began crawling through the vents. "This is bad, they'll kill her if I alert them. Better pick them off silently" he said to himself as he rounded the corner and made a call. "Yuri, the silent alarm was legit, masked gunmen and a single hostage" he reported. "Looks like a heist in progress."
"Copy that, sending units your way" she responded instantly. "Keep the situation from getting worse in the meantime" she ordered as Spidey dropped out of the vents and landed on a scaffolding below.
"Can do" he responded before she hung up and the wallcrawler crouched down, creeping forwards slowly. He heard someone speak in a foreign language, Chinese? No, Mandarin he thought, but wasn't totally sure as he found the source. A lone gunman that he quickly lured beneath him by firing a burst of webbing at the floor before stringing the masked shooter up from the light bar. "They always looked so cozy webbed up like that" he mused before web zipping to a vent on the far side of the room and slipping inside.
After webbing the unlucky gunmen below the grate to the ceiling of the vent, Spider-Man dropped down and crept up behind the next gunmen, taking him down with an expertly performed sleeper hold. The next thug to wander in found himself pinned to the wall by an impact web as Peter quickly pulled himself up and into the next vent. "My patience wears thin" said the masked leader from earlier.
"Someone else is here, I swear!" insisted the hostage in a panicked voice. "She must have the file!" She? Noted Peter as he wondered who would was either crazy enough, or stupid enough, to try and play hide and seek with this bunch. Before that train of thought could go very far, Peter found himself reflexively flinching at the sound of gunshots as the glass display case next to the hostage shattered.
"If they are here, where are they?" said the gunman, unamused as the woman dropped to the floor.
"I don't know" she said as she began to break down and sob. "I don't know, I just don't know" she repeated as the sobs began to get stronger as she slowly got back to her feet and kept walking, the gunmen just a few steps behind.
"Move it Pete, bad guys are getting ready to be bad" he said to himself as he continued forwards and found himself in some sort of store room with two more thugs. After separating and dispatching them he landed on the floor and scanned the room, eye lenses narrowing on a familiar object. "Is that…?" he wondered as he picked up and inspected the camera. "This totally belongs to…"
"Don't move" commanded a firm voice from behind him as Peter cursed his only now humming spider-sense and raised his hands.
"Buddy" he began as he raised his hands and turned around slowly, "if I had a nickel for every 'Don't Move' then I'd…" he began when he saw a blur of motion as something gold slammed into the back of the man's head with an audible 'thwack' and he crumpled to the floor to reveal his favorite redheaded reporter.
MJ smiled after a moment of realization, "Hey Pete" she greeted.
"MJ…" he returned dumbly as he quickly collected his wits and asked the first of many questions that came to mind, "what are you doing here?"
The two got closer, "Same as you" she replied with a shrug, "working…at least I was" she answered before looking down at the dispatched gunmen lying still on the concrete floor.
After a momentary awkward silence, Peter held out the camera, "Here, I think this is yours" he said, returning the device.
"Yeah, thanks" she said as she took the camera back. Had she changed her perfume? He mused internally before quickly banishing the thought and trying to focus.
"So…Robbie's got you covering a break in for the Bugle?" asked Spider-Man.
MJ squirmed a bit under the blank white gaze; "Well, Robbie doesn't technically know I'm here" admitted Mary Jane. "And it wasn't a break in until a few minutes ago."
Peter blinked inside his mask as he stared dumbly at the redhead until his mouth opened before he could think his response through. "Huh?" replied the wallcrawler, feeling a certain sinking feeling in his stomach as he could see her react to his tone.
A frustrated Watson held up her hand, "Let me explain…" she began as she recounted what had happened. There were a half dozen times where Peter wanted to explode at her for being reckless as she went through her story, but he held his tongue. Cooper was right, he had been too overbearing, and if he wanted another chance with MJ he would have to change.
She explained about how she had bluffed her way into the auction house, the Ni-oh statue that she found and opened, the file inside, and the appearance of the hostage taking gunmen that he had encountered earlier. "I was on my way to the exit…when I saw you" she finished.
Peter almost couldn't believe it. "You're lucky to be alive!" he whisper shouted, his emotions coming through.
MJ just smiled mischievously, "Says the guy I just saved five minutes ago" she countered. Turning around, she moved to collect the file from a crate against the wall. "Listen, whoever these masked guys are, they're after this file. But I'll never get it out of there when the place is swarming with them."
"Right" said the Webslinger as he tried to refocus on the task at hand and not her ass in those jeans. "Ok, ummm…You hide back there, I take out the bad guys, you make a break when it's clear" he suggested.
Much to his relief, she accepted without hesitation, "Sounds like a plan" she said before turning and giving him a view as she walked away before adding "Good to see you, Pete."
"Yeah, you too" he answered reflexively as he quickly averted his eyes to avoid being caught staring, even if they couldn't be seen behind his mask. "Not exactly how I pictured us meeting again though" he added.
"Funny" mused MJ as she opened the door and turned around to give him that perfect smile of hers. "It's exactly how I pictured it."
Cooper almost couldn't believe what was waiting for him at the address Yuri had sent him. BT had reported that the business located there was the auction house that had promptly arrived at Fisk Tower, the one MJ was investigating. "Hopefully I don't have to bail your ass out again Watson" muttered Cooper as he checked that his Hemlock was loaded and the pair of RE-45 auto pistols were in his hip holsters. Tapping his TACPAD he waited for his friend to answer, "Spidey, Marauder here, I'm just outside the building, what's the situation inside?"
"Not good" answered Spider-Man, "hostage situation, unknown number of masked gunmen, heavily armed, single hostage" rattled off the webhead quickly as Cooper used the magnification feature on his visor to look for a way in. "There's more, MJ's here, found a file Fisk had hidden on something called 'Devil's Breath.' Fisk built a lab for Norman Osborn to develop it, whatever it is."
That revelation sent a chill down Matt's spine, or maybe it was just the name. He was the one who named his car Widowmaker but you didn't call something 'Devil's Breath' unless it was seriously bad news. "Alright, call the shots" he replied, Peter was the one with a better grasp of the situation.
The response was the opposite of what he wanted to hear. "Stay outside for now, I got everything under control. If something goes wrong, then bust in and go to town on these guys" answered the webslinger as Cooper heard the distinct 'thwips' and 'hisses' of his webshooters activate.
"Copy that" responded Cooper, keeping the line open as he decided to bend the rules a little bit. Grapple slingshotting across the gap and clambering onto the fire escape outside the auction house, he slipped his data knife under the seam of the window and busted the clasps securing it before drawing his MK6 and quietly making his way inside the building.
Closing the window behind him, the Pilot swapped back to the BF-R as he swept the corridor and made his way to a flight of stairs and slowly made his way towards the top floor, rifle scanning all the way. When he reached the top of the stairs, Matt pulled out his pulse blade and buried it in the wall as he saw the pulse light up several unknown and armed men waiting for him in the hall outside.
Grip tightening on the Hemlock, Cooper resisted the temptation to charge in to start kicking ass and taking names. Instead he crouched down in a corner and checked the time, guessing that Felicia was getting set up for her first stake out. He wished he could have been there with her, but she didn't need the help and chances were that it would be a lot of tedious waiting he would not enjoy. Still, it had been 8 months since they had both ridden out together as the Marauder and Black Cat, and Cooper missed that feeling most of all.
But an ear-splitting scream ripped Matt's attention to the here and now as he sprang into action, kicking down the door and planting a burst into the back of each of the two gunmen who had turned to look for the source. The Marauder heard a massive crash to his left as he sprinted forwards, jumping up to wallrun towards the set of ornate double doors. The doors burst opened and the first one out got a trio of arc rounds in the chest as he tackled the next one out, bashing his rifle stock into the mask.
A snarling war cry erupted behind him as Cooper rolled over onto his back and brought the Hemlock up, firing another burst into the next man to charge him, his fists glowing with strange black and white energy before he crumpled to the floor. Two more gunmen appeared as Cooper tossed out an a-wall that sprung to life to absorb the bullets as the SRS Pilot barrel rolled into cover. Taking a second to reload and catch his breath, he stepped out from around the corner just in time to see two men wielding strange scythe like weapons covered in the same energy from before charge at him.
Shock turning to cold fury, he triggered the rifle, sending one down as his weapon skidded across the floor. The second bounded straight through the A-Wall and swung the scythe, Cooper raising his rifle to block to swing as he stepped back, only to be shocked as the weapon was nearly cleaved in two, useless. "Don't touch my gun" snarled the Texan as he ripped the ruined BF-R away, turning to put his whole body into the motion as he easily got the upper hand and rammed his knee into the suited man's stomach before letting go of the wrecked rifle. Grabbing the man's left arm with his right hand he twisted it behind his back before dropping his left elbow, breaking the bone before the Marauder spun him around and held him close as a human shield, drawing his right RE-45.
Using his exo enhanced strength, Cooper picked the masked man up off the ground as he covered the open ground in the first room of the auction house. In his right hand, the .45 chattered like a terrier as it spat out rounds like they were going out of style. Gunmen, glass display cases, fine artwork, and a stupid looking white and grey specked canvas were all caught in the storm of fire as the green armored gunfighter bull rushed in.
Once he was close enough, he discarded his extra passenger, emptying the last three rounds into his chest before sliding into cover behind a cherry wood cabinet. Instead of reloading, he simply placed the empty gun back in its holster and drew its partner. Testing his luck, the top of the Marauder's striped green helmet stuck out from his cover to catch a glimpse of a fleeing man before a hail of fire forced him back into cover as he waited, watching the red dots on his mini map draw ever closer.
As soon as the proximity alert went off, Cooper activated his cloak and slipped out from behind cover as the gunmen came to find nothing and instantly went on alert. With icy calm, the Marauder extended his left arm straight and feathered the trigger, a single arc round slamming into the back of the trail man's head. The others turned just as an arc grenade went off, stunning all of them as Cooper keyed his jump kit and rushed in, rapidly dispatching each foe with a well-placed shot, kick, or punch.
Soon, he was all alone as he reloaded both handguns and barged into the next room, both guns blazing as he guns down the remaining suited men Spider-Man was dealing with before raising his still smoking guns. "Daily cardio; Check" quipped the Wallcrawler before turning to the green armored Vigilante. "What happened to waiting outside?" asked Spider-Man, eye lenses narrowing in accusation.
"Got bored" replied the Marauder flatly, shrugging nonchalantly before holstering the handguns, "didn't want to miss all the fun. Really digging the new suit by the way, that logo has a much better presence than the other one" observed Cooper after seeing the new suit. The spider on the chest is white with thinner and longer legs, giving it a more predatory look. White accents run from Peter's knuckles up the length of his forearms in addition to the usual array of red and blue material. "Any ideas who these guys were?"
The webslinger shook his head as he soon fixated on one of the knocked-out goons and crouched down next to the well-dressed man, slipping off his mask and holding it up to examine it closely. Cooper can't say he knows what it is, but it looked Asian, either Chinese or Japanese or something. "Hm, looks antique" observed Spidey, "I think I know someone who can help track down where this came from."
Cooper nodded, but did the same, grabbing another mask and attaching it to his webgear to see if Felicia or her contacts could give him something, it never hurt to double check your sources. The sound of approaching police sirens caused the two to be knocked from their internal musings. Without another word, both slipped out the way Cooper came in before heading their separate ways into the Manhattan night.
Cooper's Logbook – Pistol: RE-45 Autopistol
As much as I enjoy precision shooting and all my practice with every gun I can get my hands on, when it comes down to actual combat there is one thing that becomes abundantly clear: Accuracy is overrated.
Outside of specific circumstances such as sniping and hostage situations, it doesn't really matter how many bullets you hurl down range, all that matters is that some of them eventually hit the bad guys. Preferably, your shots will hit them before theirs hit you, but the number of shots you miss is wholly irrelevant to actually wining in a gunfight. Now that isn't to say that spraying and praying like Schwarzenegger or Stallone is actually a viable tactic, you do want to be putting your shots in the same post code as the bad guys at the very least, higher hit probability that way. But something between spraying and precision is often best, 'directed shooting' is a good term, I think.
Which brings me to the Auotpistol, which puts a great weapon to utilize such tactics. Effectively a modified version of the R-45 semiauto requested by Einsatzkommando (which is where the 'E' in RE-45 comes from), this variant features a ported compensator to tame the muzzle climb that comes with serving up big .45ACP rounds at nearly 800 rpm in a pistol sized package. The result is that this is a big handgun, smaller only than the Wingman magnum revolver and even more heavily modified Smart Pistol, even if the Wingman is heavier.
But for that size and kick, you do get a whole helluva lot of firepower in just one hand. That weight does help tame the recoil somewhat. Still, all of the SRS issues RE-45s come with integrated Irondot optics for some stupid reason, once you pull the trigger you can't see jack or shit through whatever aiming system you put on the gun. But the inherent pointability means you can still direct that stream of hot lead more or less where you want it to go, and because it is a pistol, I do like to carry them in pairs and duel wield them. If nothing else, it feels like I'm Neo in the Matrix, that scene in the hotel lobby.
I wonder what Felicia would think of me in a trench coat?
Closing Notes: And the Inner Demons have now been introduced in their suited and mask wearing glory. There was also a blink and you miss it reference to the Netflix Daredevil show, I'm curious is anybody noticed at all. In addition, that whole scene of Peter constructing the Advanced Suit was inspired by John Wick Chapter 2, I even went so far as to have the red material the wiki says is reinforced receive said reinforcement via the same material and method as Wicks suit. Personally, the Advanced suit is my favorite Spider-Man outfit, hands down, in my mind it is the one the character should always wear. Recognizably Spider-Man but still sleek and modern with some practical touches and an emblem on the chest that is downright badass, it has it all.
Another obscure reference, in the logbook entry I say the 'E' in RE-45 stands for Einsatzkommando, which is not strictly Titanfall cannon. Instead it is a reference to the real life Glock 18 machine pistol, though many of you will know it simply as the G18 from MW2 and MW3. It is no coincidence that Cooper dual wields the weapons here like everyone and their mother did back in the day. Einsatzkommando Cobra, or EKO Cobra, is a real life Austrian Special Police unit that requested the Glock 18 be developed, and so you have them to thank for all those times you got shredded by twin pocket sized bullet hoses online.
As always, feedback of any sort is welcome, I will respond either at the top of the next chapter or via PM. Next week will see Spider-Man and the Marauder continue to pursue the Demons and find out just how much of a threat they are as the hunt for their leader begins.
So fire your guns, it's time to run, and Blow Me Away.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.