Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Marvel, Respawn Entertainment, etc.
Well, in the least surprising news of the year: DOOM: Eternal kicks fucking ass. Seriously a ton of fun, though playing it on a controller is a challenge, especially one certain enemy with a name I found amusing. If you've played the game I'm sure you can guess what I'm talking about. But yes, you should play DOOM, now onto the reviews.
Blaze1992: Spidey still has a serious aversion to killing people, especially since he is trying to save Li. So it made sense for him to prevent Cooper from killing him. As for Osborn, a running theme that you will see persist is him putting his own self interests above common sense.
A fan: I do remember you, though you do seem more excitable this time, which I'll take as a good sign. I'm glad last chapter was satisfying and its a relief to hear that the work of setting up all the side elements is starting to pay off. There should be more of that ahead hopefully, since this is supposed to be the climax of the story arc. As far as the observations regarding the similarities shared between Spider-Man and the Division, I agree. However, I don't have the time to do a seperate story for it. What will happen is that some elements of the Division will make their way into this story. Not to the extent where it would be a full on crossover but enough to where fans of that game will recognize it. There have even been a few already, the chief of the NYPD was Roy Benitez and Cooper's axe is the same one the Hunters use, expect more little things like that. As for the song, I've never heard of it before, but google tells me it's the theme of Shadow the Hedgehog. Admittedly, I've never played a Sonic game, at the age most were, my favorite video game characters were 'Ding' Chavez and Scott Mitchell.
Speaking of Scott Mitchell, the title of this chapter is here because of the memories I have of it in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2, which is a title that just rolls off the tongue. The band is called 'Ministry', but I don't know them and don't care. I have no particular love for the tune, but it invokes a very specific mental image for me; that of a US Army Green Beret team, M1A2 Abrams Tank, and 160th Nightstalker AH-6 Little Bird making a desperate all or nothing push through Juarez, Mexico in a last ditch attempt to stop the launch of a nuke at the United States. This chapter ended up having the same sorta attitude about it, being that it isn't very subtle and instead is a punch in the mouth, which was why this song got picked. That, and I love those old GRAW games and can't pass up an opportunity to gush about them.
Power Without Question – Chapter 40: Hero
They're gonna set you up
So they can take you down
They're gonna suck you dry
They've left the blood to be found
They're gonna rip you apart
You're gonna burn at the stake
Cause when it's time to collect
It's only heroes who pay
"So you agree with me on this, about Sable not being responsible?" asked Cooper as he looked up at Felicia. The heiress was lounging in the shirt he had been wearing while he was busy performing maintenance and cleaning on BT, since he didn't have the usual small army of MRVNs and mechanics to service the Titan it was a time-consuming process. But today had given credence to the almost religious schedule of upkeep he performed on the Vanguard Class. After storming off before he did something really stupid, he got BT underground and into the mess of tunnels under the city before spending the better part of two hours getting the machine back to his hideout, taking great care to not be tracked.
After a quick diagnostic and fixing a few more pressing issues with BT, Matt had joined Felicia in bed and grabbed some sleep, which lead to this work being done well past midnight. It wasn't like either had sleep consistently for the last three weeks anyway. Even if Felicia's eyes were torn between the Texan and the McLaren, her mind was as sharp and focused as ever. "I do cowboy, Sable is shrewd and controlling. She would know better than to pick a fight with you and BT." The woman then uncrossed and recrossed her legs, leaving Matthew transfixed while also wishing he hadn't shown her Basic Instinct. "Sablinvova's reputation is that of a professional, she is very good at what she does and very strict with herself. Even if she does want to kill you, she wouldn't unless ordered to. And if she had then she wouldn't have been ordering her men to hold fire" responded the heiress thoughtfully.
Matthew had her listen to the same communications that he had heard when BT cracked Sable's comms. And now that the 'brains' in the room also thought that it wasn't Silver who had been responsible for the shitshow that afternoon, that led to an obvious question. "So, who did want me dead? Just one of the mercs?"
Hardy shook her head, "Not without reason. And it isn't hard to guess what that reason is, someone paid them" she said simply. "Someone with money and the ability to contact Sable's Mercs wants you dead. But beyond that everything would be guesswork. If they were willing to do that then you can bet that they won't be dumb enough to leave a trail back to them." Matthew cursed under his breath as he pulled out a battery and was lowered by BT's hand as he went to grab a replacement. "And with you…you've got a long list of enemies. Li, Fisk, Hammerhead, and those are just the ones who are open about it…" she said, trailing off.
Matthew knew that tone of voice. "Babe?" he called out as he slammed a fresh battery into place and locked it firmly. Turning back, he could see Felicia's eyes narrowed, hand pressed to the side of her face, deep in thought. "What are you thinking?"
She didn't answer directly, but he could still hear her response. "Or maybe you're just a loose end…" she murmured softly, eyes widening in realization. Only then did she look up to meet his gaze. "I'm not sure if it's anything…might not be" she admitted carefully as she got up from her seat and sauntered towards him as he jumped back down and wiped his hands off on the rag tucked into his waistband. The platinum haired seductress ran her hand across his bare chest before standing on her toes to plant a quick kiss on him, "but I'll handle this, okay?" she asked, kissing him again before he could give an answer. "You have enough on your plate, go kick Li's ass Cowboy" she said encouragingly before pressing herself into him, turning, and strutting off, Cooper taking in the view as she left him alone in the subterranean armory/garage.
The Pilot took a minute to calm himself down and resist the urge to follow the thief, instead turning back to the Titan and beginning the process of topping off the various fluids. Unexpectedly, BT spoke up, "Pilot, someone is hailing you on the police contact frequency, point of origin is a Sable International camp." Cooper stopped what he was doing and cocked his head, curious, he gave a nod of approval to the machine.
"Hello? Marauder? Are you there?" came the nervous voice of Dr. Michaels, the man clearly frazzled, understandably so. Immediately, the Renegade Gunfighter was left with even more questions, but they would all have to wait. The Oscorp scientist was taking a big risk by reaching out to him, and if Sable International was compromised, then Cooper didn't want this to drag out for any longer than it had to.
"I'm here doctor" he responded calmly. "Send your traffic" he drawled simply, cool and collected, but with all of the weight of an order.
Thankfully, it seemed the man still had his wits about him enough to still his nerves and say what he needed to. "Listen, transit hubs are the most likely release points for Devil's Breath. Airports, bus terminals, train stations" rattled off the scientist. Cooper had figured as much but remained silent as the man continued. "It'll spread like wildfire from there."
That depended on one factor in particular. "Assuming Li just wants to do the most damage" mused the Marauder. It may have been obvious that that was Mr. Negative's goal, but he clearly had one target in mind above all others. He could use the Devil's Breath to target Osborn specifically, but it was the brutal calculus of war, would he prioritize the civilian population over the one man who created the compound in the first place? "What else can you tell me about Devil's Breath? Like why the fuck was it being developed here of all places?" he questioned.
There was a pregnant pause on the other end of the line before Michaels sighed deeply while the Pilot remained steadfastly silent, awaiting his answer. "It's been Norman's obsession for a decade" began the scientist slowly. "It's personal for him, but we weren't making any real progress until last year. We broke every state and federal regulation on the books to hammer out a working version of GR-27…but it didn't quite work."
"Understatement of the goddamn year" muttered the SRS Commando under his breath. What the hell could be worth the risks Osborn was taking? "What kind of consequences is Osborn looking at if this gets out?"
There was a derisive snort; "He'd be tried in the Hague for war crimes" answered the scientist bluntly. Something told Matthew that it wouldn't come to that, Norman had too much power, influence, and money, at least that's what his inner cynic told him. But that still begged the question, Why? "Li's actions have been a wakeup call; we've been ignoring the project's risks for far too long. I trust you Marauder, you and Spider-Man. You two are the only ones trying to do right by the city. I beg you, protect it from our mistakes."
"Understood doc" vowed Cooper sincerely, a grimace plastered on his features, "we'll get it done…or die trying."
Yuri Watanabe had learned that any sort of regularity had left her life long ago, but even now life found new ways to surprise her. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she asked bluntly as she narrowed her eyes at the woman sitting in her chair. A set of high heels were sitting on the ground as her stocking clad feet were perched on her desk, hands behind her head of platinum blond hair as she leaned back in the chair, perfectly balanced at the tipping point.
With a sigh, the mystery woman took her feet down and spun the chair around to fix the captain with a mischievous look from her emerald green eyes as she smirked coyly. "Nice to see you again Captain Watanabe" she drawled sarcastically before reaching back and picking a cup up off the desk, "Coffee?" she offered. Yuri merely continued to glare, brown eyes narrowing as she tried to remember where she had seen this woman before. "No? Fine, suit yourself" replied the woman with a shrug before helping herself to a healthy sip before setting the cup down on her other hand in her lap. "You'd probably like to know why I'm here."
"It'd help" answered the policewoman dryly, her patience quickly running thin.
But the mystery woman seemed to take no notice of that fact, merely smiling coyly despite the Captain's glare as she set the coffee down. "I'm here to ask a favor, I want your help regarding a…mutual acquaintance." Yuri raised an eyebrow, prompting her uninvited guest to get on with it already. "Cooper" revealed the woman simply.
The pieces fell into place as Watanabe fought to keep her poker face up, the woman sitting in her chair was Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she repeated lowly, the cop's voice almost a growl. She didn't know why the Black Cat had come to her of all people to get help for her boyfriend, it wasn't like the Captain was in any position to give relationship advice. But Yuri was through playing this woman's games.
Felicia, for her part, looked up at the Captain and scrutinized her features, Yuri holding her ground before the Thief nodded slowly. "Yesterday" she began, voice barely above a whisper, "Sable's people tried to kill Cooper and BT…it wasn't a mistake, it was a hit" she revealed. "We're sure that someone paid those men to disregard Sable's direct orders and try to kill the Marauder."
"You're saying Sable International could be compromised?" asked Yuri, stunned. If that was true then it was bad news, as much as she hated to admit it, the Private Security Contractor was practically the only thing holding the city together. NYPD was helping as much as they could, but they had been ground down by the numerous factions vying for control.
Hardy nodded slowly, "And I think I know who ordered it" she revealed, "but this stays between us until we have concrete proof. Whether you like it or not we both have targets on our backs because someone wants the Marauder dead, someone powerful" she said before taking a deep breath. "Norman Osborn."
"You're sure?" hissed Watanabe, getting a small frown in reply that told her that the woman wasn't, but Yuri crossed her arms and worked her jaw in thought. "You might be right" she confided, "what makes you think that?"
"Devil's Breath was created by misusing medical supplies handed over when Osborn cut his deal with the Marauder last year" revealed Hardy. "No, he doesn't know that, but Norman's afraid of what could happen if word gets out." Watanabe's features remained placid, feeling that there was more to it, but as far as motive was concerned it was a good one.
Yuri finally 'hmmed' an agreement and nodded slowly, "Osborn's always wanted the Marauder dead, even last year" recalled Yuri, riled up that the Mayor hadn't let that desire die as much as he had let on. "What do you need me to do?" she asked suddenly, she owed the Marauder her life and more, she would do what she could to help.
Felicia's eyes scanned the room as she reached down and put her shoes back on. "Enjoy your coffee captain" she said simply before standing, grabbing her handbag and walking out of the corner office. Yuri watched the woman leave and watched many of the male officers do the same before they noticed the Captain's glare and quickly got back to work. Sitting down in her desk chair, Yuri stared at the cup of coffee before picking it up and examining it with a careful eye.
Running her hand over the outside, she wondered what the Thief had meant when her fingernails hit an odd shape on the bottom. Picking it off, she soon realized it was a thumb drive and quickly slotted it into her computer as a set of documents and files opened up on her screen to answer her question.
After taking a few minutes to look through them, she pulled the memory stick out and pocketed it. That would have to come later, right now they had a bigger fish with a WMD to fry. Thankfully, their BOLO had come back with something and facial recognition had confirmed it, Li had been spotted that morning and it was time to give her heavy hitters some work. Picking up her phone, she dialed the secure three-way line and made sure the door to her office was closed before there were two clicks. "I have a lead on Li's location. We have footage from a guy at a coffee shop, looks like he hopped into a black sedan just an hour ago."
"Oh, is that all?" asked the Marauder's filtered tones, which were dry enough to kill a rainforest.
Ass Yuri thought, shaking her head. "Wait, let me finish" she interjected before the webhead could add a wisecrack of his own. "We have a partial plate" she revealed, "and one of my patrol guys found a matching plate, black sedan, in a parking lot near Canal and Hudson."
"You're a good cop Yuri" replied Spider-Man genuinely, causing her to crack a tiny smile. "I'm on my way" said the Wallcrawler before there was a click. A single click.
"Marauder?" she asked tentatively, "you hear that?"
"Yeah, I uh…one sec" he said, the gears of the man's mind were clearly turning as she waited patiently. He would always say that he wasn't the smartest man, but he had a way of seeing the simple things that were staring you right in the face. "Grand Central" he said suddenly, "There's a subway station at that corner, one train change and you're at one of the biggest transport hubs on the East Coast. It's the perfect target."
Rush hour at Grand Central Terminal was an experience that Mary Jane hadn't had to face in a long time, even if she felt she did vicariously through some of her coworkers. Though as she walked through the doors into the main concourse, she realized that none of their venting came anywhere close to the reality of the packed train station as commuters shoved their way through with typical New York courtesy. Taking a deep breath, the Bugle reporter got stuck in, "Standish said the Demons are looking for something at GCT. But what could they possibly need here?" she murmured to herself as she made her way down the stairs, towards a large cluster of Oscorp displays on the center of the main floor.
With a flurry of "excuse me's" and "pardon me's" along with one or two thrown elbows for good measure, the feisty redhead bullied her way out of the current of commuters and in amongst the displays. "Should probably call Peter and let him know what I'm doing" she mused before quickly rethinking that point. "Actually, scratch that. He'd probably just tell me to go home and chain myself to my laptop" she ground out bitterly, fists clenching involuntarily at the thought. "What about Matt? No, if he showed up it would just cause a panic. I'll just check things out real quick and let them know what I find" she decided finally.
The first table she approached was a display with models of enough high-tech ordinance that she was sure the Texan would be drooling over. According to the display, the weapons were state of the art sensor equipped 'smart' munitions. Just seeing the disassembled missiles brought back memories of similar weapons coming down around her when she had been taken by the Kingpin's syndicate. But this probably wasn't it, the missiles were dummies, no explosive or any actual technology in them, this wasn't what the Demons were after.
Moving on, she saw displays about new battery technology, drones, encryption, nanotech healing injections, and more stuff that Oscorp seemed to be developing to give Cooper's sci fi equipment a run for is money. But none of that was more than an advertisement, Osborn using the public space to show off his company. Mary Jane needed to find something that couldn't be easily obtained using google.
On the opposite corner from the missile display was another display with a device sitting on top of it. "The Gaia Micro Dispersal Device" read Mary Jane in horror as she scanned through the info sheet, this was a fully functional prototype meant to deliver designed microbes to heal environmental damage, but she was willing to bet that Li wanted it for a different end. The curious Bugle reporter was so engrossed in her reading that she failed to notice the man slicing through the crowds behind her. Feeling a presence, she turned and found herself staring up at none other than the most wanted man in New York. "Mr. Li" she said in surprise.
The suited man looked eerily calm; his features placid as he looked down at her as if she were merely a bug to be quashed. "This will be easier for everyone if you remain calm and do as I say" he threatened icily as his eyes began to burn with black and white fire. For a moment, Mary Jane was ensnared by indecision.
In the blink of an eye, that indecision became defiance as she narrowed her eyes and subconsciously barred some of her teeth, "Like hell" she whispered. Spying a cop out of the corner of her eye she called to the officer. "Police! Over here!" she screamed over the hustle and bustle of the station.
Thankfully, the policeman heard her and turned, his eyes widening as he saw Mr. Negative while he went for his gun, though he never got the chance to get it out. Li merely extended a hand and fired a massive blast of energy that sent the cop back into one of the massive glass display boards shattering it. Watson could barely stand to look at the cop as his body lay dead, neck snapped, ribs broken like toothpicks, and eyes staring lifelessly into the distance.
Then the screaming started.
Masked gunmen emerged seemingly from everywhere at once, some firing their weapons into the air. Some civilians made a break for it while others froze and were quickly corralled by the masked men. Li locked the reporter's arm in an iron grip that prevented her from making a mad dash before she too was tossed in carelessly amongst the others. In less than two minutes, the Demons had completely taken over Grand Central.
As Mary Jane sat towards one edge of the huddled crowd, she started to rethink her position that she didn't need Peter to coddle her all the time. She would fully admit that, this time at least, she had bitten off more than she could chew. Maybe she would have to make a change about pushing Peter away, she could really use some backup right now. Of course, putting that newfound realization into actions required her getting out of this alive.
With newfound resolve, Mary Jane pulled herself out of her introspection and started paying attention, trying to find anything that could help get out of this. Keeping her head down, she spotted Li with a cell phone pressed to his ear and read his lips from the corner of her eye. "I would like to speak to Mayor Osborn" he said as the redhead recalled his vendetta with the Billionaire CEO. "The man he is looking for…I want you at Grand Central Terminal in thirty minutes, by yourself" specified Li, he wasn't hard for Watson to surmise he was speaking to Osborn. "Or there will be more blood on your hands" he threatened darkly before crushing the phone in his hand and placing a red container into the aerosol dispersal.
"Devil's Breath" realized the reporter, a new spike of fear working its way up her spine.
Checking to make sure that the Demons weren't too interested in their hostages, Mary Jane slipped her phone out of her pocket and hastily typed out words into the group chat she had with the two vigilantes. Party at GCT read the first, Bring your best suits and your guitars ordered the second. She quirked a corner of her mouth up, not realizing she had referenced Desperado until she had put the words down. Putting her phone away, she pulled out a small earpiece and throat mic Cooper had given her, the black color betraying where it originated. Letting down her hair and adjusting her scarf, she concealed the communicator just as it crackled to life.
"MJ! I'm on my way. Are you hurt?" asked a flustered Peter as she tried to remain calm.
"No" she replied, the word not needing to leave her lips for the sensitive mic to pick it up. "I'm fine, just hurry" she begged as she kept her head down but eyes up.
"Watson" said Cooper calmly, "I've got eyes on, Cat's working on finding a way in. Listen to me, real talk, if something goes bad, I have Li lined up. If it looks like he's going to start killing hostages or release Devil's Breath I'm taking the shot" explained the Marauder, voice as solid as steel.
Taking one quick glance at the dispersal device, Watson grimaced but nodded. No matter what happened, they could not let the bioweapon get released. But Peter didn't see things that way. "No!" he shouted in near panic, "I'm heading there as fast as I can. We'll figure something out" he said hopefully before directing his next comment at the redhead. "What are you doing at GCT?"
"I'll explain later" she answered hastily. Now, more than ever, she wasn't going to entertain his incessant questioning. "Coop's right, Li's going to release Devil's Breath" she hissed, trying to get the Webslinger to focus on what really mattered.
But instead he was focused solely on her safety. "You gotta get out of there!" he called over the line as MJ took a look at the two dozen demons around her.
"Not much chance of that Tiger" she answered sadly before trying to find the silver lining. "Listen, he's not going to do it until Norman Osborn gets here" she relayed, meaning they at least had some time.
There was a filtered growl, "That must've been Li's plan all along" ground out the SRS Pilot. "Force Osborn to release the Devil's Breath, put the blood on his hands. Theatrical motherfucker" cursed the Texan as his usual drawl became a full-on snarl.
Mary Jane wasn't sure who she was more afraid for in that moment, herself or Li. "Sort of makes sense – in a twisted, psychotic way" she amended. Mr. Negative was absolutely nuts; but he was far from the only villain in the world, and the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. The seconds turned to minutes, time crawling by with agonizing slowness until there were new developments.
"Okay" called Peter over the comms line, "I'm here. Coming into the terminal now."
"Cat and I are too" added the Renegade Gunfighter. "Watson, call it, what're we lookin' at?" drawled the Commando, his anger taking a back seat as he slipped into his 'gunslinger's trance.'
Seriously, who came up with these names?
Shaking her head minutely, she glanced up and looked around. At first, she didn't see anything that stood out, patrols with rifles and melee weapons, some static sentries, the grouped-up hostages…until she saw one masked man pull something out of a crate. "Looks like he's got some drones patrolling" she reported, "guess he's prepared for you guys."
There was a slight chuckle in reply to that, "That's what he thinks. Cat has us coming up through the maintenance areas, ETA 30 seconds" reported the Marauder.
"Don't worry, I'm in the ventilation system" assured the webslinger. "Can you see a safe exit point?"
Mary Jane took a risk, looking over her shoulder as she raised her arms to stretch and faked a yawn, but confirmed there was a way in. "Southwest corner" she supplied as she returned to looking between her shoes, hoping her actions had gone unnoticed.
"If I get any closer the drones could spot me" said Peter after a few moments. The Bugle reporter chewed on her lip nervously, knowing every second was precious.
Looking for a way to help, her eyes quickly settled on a tablet sitting on a now empty crate. "See that Tablet I'm looking at? That controls the drones."
"Think you can snag it?" asked the webhead.
She took a deep breath, it was a risk, but there were some that you had to take. "Yes" she replied instantly, "if one of you can distract them and not get shot" she added, reigning in her expectations, she didn't have super spider powers after all.
"Leave that to me" answered Cooper, "stand by, in five…four…three" he counted down as MJ prepared herself before she heard a psst – PING as a suppressed shot glanced off the large clock above the central reference desk.
The Demons reacted immediately, scanning the area as some searched for where they heard the shot as MJ got up and got moving slowly towards the edge of the crowd and then the crate when another shot rang out, blowing out one gunman's knee as he crumpled to the floor with pained screams echoing through the station. Picking up the pace she snatched the tablet and stuffed it into her coat when a second Demon who went to aid his comrade got a round through the shoulder and spun to the tile floor.
Behind her, there were whisperings in the crowd as they saw their tormentors start to fall, their pained screams still filling the room as the others were paralyzed with fear, just waiting to see who would be picked off next. Then she turned to make her way back when she saw a few looking at her, one man turned to the others and said "Hey, she's got the right idea" while pointing to her, "I'm not going down without a fight."
Before MJ could try to dissuade him, the brash man got to his feet and charged forwards and readied a punch with a cry, a cry that alerted his intended target who turned around and bashed him across the face with the butt of his pistol, sending a tooth flying as the man twisted and collapsed. Still clutching his jaw, he cried out in agony as the masked man grabbed him by the neck and got the civilian to his feet, the gun pressed to his temple. Even if MJ couldn't understand the Chinese phrase he said, the Demon's intentions were clear enough.
She couldn't sit back and let that man die, she needed to buy time. "Wait!" she screamed as she stood and stepped out from behind the crate, hands up, but her jacket with the tablet was zipped closed.
"MJ what are you doing?" hissed a frantic Peter over the comm that MJ ignored. She had to do this, for this man and herself.
"Let's just all calm down here" she pleaded, keeping her hands up and voice as steady as she was able, though it still involuntarily wavered. When he shouted back at her in that foreign dialect she just stared blankly, keeping her hands up. "Listen, I'm a reporter" she reasoned urgently, slowly lowering her hands, "I have a direct line to Mayor Osborn. I can help make sure he arrives – on time" she bluffed.
"How?" asked the Demon.
"First" began Mary Jane, narrowing her eyes, "let him go" she demanded. By now a second masked gunman had arrived and the two exchanged looks. The second spoke into a radio, rattling off mandarin so quickly that MJ couldn't hope to understand the individual words. Much to her relief, the two men exchanged words before the wounded civilian was tossed back in with the others.
The Demon who had been holding the hostage gestured with his handgun as Mary Jane began walking slowly in the indicated direction with no less than three armed Demons behind her and watching her every move. Careful to keep a steady pace and not make any sudden moves, MJ strode as confidently as she could out of the central terminal and through an archway to a side area. Soon after she passed through, MJ heard something behind her and turned to see Spider-Man, the Marauder, and Black Cat each at work taking down a Demon.
Peter had swooped down and scooped one off his feet before taking him back up out of sight, webbing him up to a window far above the ground floor. The Marauder had put one Demon in a headlock as the Black Cat squeezed the third with a Fiber Wire garrote, turning and crouching to pull the man down onto her back as his air supply was cut off. When both finally ceased their struggles, the couple silently dragged the knocked-out men towards an open supply closet and deposited the bodies. "Let's go, over the top!" hissed Cooper as MJ bounded to the railing and the three leapt over before dashing into cover at the base of the staircase.
"Looks like two up ahead" called the webslinger over the comm as the redhead watched the SRS Pilot point in one direction to his hooded girlfriend and motion with his hands for her to strangle this one as well. MJ turned to look into the glowing green eye lenses as the Black Cat tensed the Fiber Wire again and began to creep up the stairs.
The Marauder then turned to the bugle reporter, "On me, let's go Watson" he ordered curtly before he two began to head up the stairs, SMG raised as Mary Jane kept up until they reached the top. Holding out a hand to signal her to wait, he slung his weapon, "On my takedown" he whispered over the comm before he activated his cloak and rounded the corner. Peeking around, the redhead saw the shimmer close in before the Demon had his rifle ripped from his hands before it was brought down on the top of his head like a club. His partner got to witness the whole thing but was more focused on trying to pry the garrote from around his neck. Both were unceremoniously dumped into the plants between the flights of stairs before both drew suppressed SMGs and the three got moving again.
"Drones! Get to cover!" called out Spider-Man as the three did just that, pressing themselves into the wall as they huddled near a crate, both armed vigilantes raising their weapons and ready to unload on anything that spotted them. "You still got that tablet?" asked Peter.
"Yeah."
"What are you waiting for Red?" asked a perturbed Felicia, her mouth fixed in a thin line verging on a scowl as she fought to hold her nerve. Not needing any further prompting, MJ opened up the tablet, letting out a sigh of relief the text was in English as she navigated the screens.
"I got this" she assured as she tapped away, the sound of the hovering drones telling them all that they were still there, even if they couldn't see them. "C'mon…c'mon" she encouraged, "almost there…" she said as she finally found the right settings and disabled them before popping her head out to see the drones lower their weapons, their automatic alarms also disabled. "I did it!" she reported happily.
At that moment, Spidey descended, hanging inverted as he was eye level with the other crouching individuals. "Good job. Now let's get you out of here" he said calmly. Though Mary Jane instantly bristled at that command, and by the way the others looked at the webhead, they also thought he was crazy.
"What about the Devil's Breath?" she countered passionately. They were already working against the clock and they couldn't afford to waste any more precious time.
But Peter, the stubborn ass, continued to argue. "I'll come back for it" he assured, but it wasn't good enough.
"No" hissed Mary Jane. "We're partners, remember?"
But the spandex clad hero shook his head, "Can we argue later?" he pleaded.
The fiery redhead wasn't having it. "If we don't help those people, they could die."
"Lady's got a point" interjected Matthew suddenly, "Li releases Devil's Breath and we're all gonna die. There's no time for this shit, get your head in the game and let's get this done" ordered the SRS Commando as all three fixed the wallcrawler with stares of steel.
After a tense second, the Webslinger accepted the situation before narrowing at MJ, "Don't die, I can't lose you" he admitted honestly.
Mary Jane nodded an acknowledgement. "Didn't plan on it" she assured with a faint smile, "now I got myself into this, I'm going to get myself out" she assured as she pushed herself out of cover and began to creep forward, the two armed vigilantes guarding her flanks.
"What do you mean you got yourself into this?" asked a bewildered webhead as he pulled himself back up into the rafters and surveyed the area. "Four, coming up the stairs ahead of you, MJ, still got those decoys?" asked Peter as Mary Jane pulled one of the devices from her coat pocket.
Tossing it behind a shuttered coffee stand, the reporter could hear two distinct pairs of footsteps move to investigate. "Spidey has the lead, Cat the trail. I got the other pair covered" whispered Cooper over the comm, "on my mark, 3…2…1…mark" he ordered as Mary Jane poked her head out to see one masked gunman get plucked up by a Spider's web while the other found himself pinned to the coffee stand and had a taser rammed into his side. "Clean takedowns, you're clear" reported the Marauder.
The next two fell in much the same way before the group split further, the Marauder remaining on the second floor as he got a better angle to set up on overwatch as Felicia and Mary Jane descended back down towards the main concourse. "I'm going to break up that group" reported Mary Jane, pointing towards a gaggle of armed Demons.
Felicia crept forwards to the base of the stairs and got ready as the redhead tossed another decoy behind a cart full of luggage in front of her. Like moths to a flame, the Demon's reacted, one peeling off to investigate while the other two watched. Just as the first was about to get into position, Mary Jane tossed another decoy to distract the others and by the time she turned back to see how the Black Cat was faring, the Demon lay still on the floor. "MJ, did you know Li would be here?" asked Peter as he fished a Demon who had wandered off onto the opposite side of one of the large screens.
"Not exactly" admitted MJ as the redhead hit the bottom of the stairs and began to move forward towards where the last Demon had been before he was picked up. "I thought something might happen, but not like this" she explained.
Just as she heard footsteps approach, a Demon rounded the corner and turned to see her when an arc round slammed into the back of his head and Mary Jane stepped forwards to prop his limp form up as she dragged him out of sight. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were partners?" he asked, causing MJ's temper to spike, he did not get to use her words against her.
"Partners trust each other Peter" she reminded flatly as she watched Black Cat pounce on another Demon with her garrote as the man's partner was picked off by another marksman rifle round. The foursome was making quick progress, picking the Demons apart with speed and ease.
The most difficult part about this was arguing with her boyf…partner. "What do you mean? I trust you" he insisted.
"Yeah, when I'm sitting at home behind a laptop" she retorted feistily.
"Just get a room and fuck already" interrupted Felicia suddenly. "You should know Spider…angry makeup sex is the best sex."
If MJ wasn't so busy trying to not sputter indignantly, she would have thanked the vixen for shutting Peter up. "I resent that darlin'' deadpanned Cooper in his southern drawl as he sniped another. The arc round knocked the Demon and before he was promptly picked up by Parker and suspended from the ceiling. With the comms silent, the four operated like a well-oiled machine. The two women were light on their feet, creeping forwards, MJ able to distract and check the drone's cameras to warn of any surprises while Felicia could dart forwards and take isolated Demons or join in a double takedown. Above, the two men kept them covered with rifle and web alike, and while MJ did admit she wasn't able to contribute as much as the others, she could also proudly declare she was contributing and not a burden.
Soon MJ could see the dispersal device with Devil's Breath loaded, but then a complication, or more accurately, a dozen or so, walked in. Li and a massive group of armed Demons emerged from the tunnel that led to a bunch of train lines down below and Mr. Negative entered a heated exchange with one of the remaining guards, their mandarin shouting echoing through Grand Central. "Gotta get past him" she whispered; voice barely audible over the radio.
"I'm ready."
"RTR."
"Start the party."
Mary Jane took a deep breath, "Do it."
Two weblines latched onto a display board and pulled it down onto a pair of Demons, pining them beneath it as the place fell into pandemonium. "Start the timer!" yelled Li before one of the Demons next to him collapsed to the floor, a convulsing screaming mess. Mary Jane watched one masked gunmen rush to the Devil's Breath and press a button as her heart leapt up into her throat.
"He did it, we don't have very long!" she warned hurriedly, "I gotta go for it now, cover me!" she asked.
"You heard the lady, smoke out!"
"Cover your eyes Red! Flashbang!"
"I'm dropping some web grenades!"
Every sense was bombarded at once as MJ made her made charge to the dispersal device, ignoring the smoke that obscured her vision, some if it crackled menacingly as the Demons caught in it wailed from the arc energy. Her ears were useless, the 'bang' part of the flashbang causing them to ring as she kept her eyes closed, not daring to look anywhere but directly down. The distinct aroma of web fluid, usually unnoticeable, but not to her after having to help clean up one too many of Peter's lab accidents, filled her nostrils as she snorted in an attempt to eject the smell. Only as she held up her hands and felt them contact the pedestal where the device was did she know she had made it. Blinking back tears, she snatched the device and scampered into cover as pandemonium broke out all around.
Hostages were screaming in panic as Demons fell left, right, and center. She figured that Cooper and Hardy had some way to see through the smoke in their visors as they continued to lay into Demon forces while Parker was reduced to picking off stragglers who isolated themselves. Thankfully, that also meant she could use him to help disarm a WMD. "Keep 'em busy, I'll take care of the Devil's Breath. Peter, can you help?" she asked as she tried to figure out where to start.
"Sure thing, how's it wired?" asked the webhead.
"I see four wires" she began, "two blue, one yellow, and one red." Turning the Devil's Breath on its side she blinked a few times to clear her vision as she tried to make out the symbols on the end. "Oh! Okay, looks like the blue is connected to the battery. And yellow to a fan. Red one has a little exclamation mark."
"Okay, you'll want to detach the wires from the battery first" instructed Peter calmly as the battle raged all around her. "Trace the wires to the other end and unplug them down there."
Doing as she was told, she commanded herself to focus despite the chaos and yanked the two wires simultaneously as the device beeped angrily. "What!? The timer just dropped to thirty seconds!" she exclaimed in near panic.
"It must be a collapsing circuit! Pull the fan, then the other! Do it now!"
The redhead didn't need to be told twice as she quickly pulled the third and fourth wires one after the other. "Got it!" she announced with excitement and relief.
"Wow! You did it! Nice job" congratulated Peter, the praise managing to bring a blush to her cheeks.
"Get. A. Room." enunciated the other couple over the comms as they continued to fight. Demon's began firing wildly towards wherever they thought they saw movement as hundreds of 5.45mm rounds tore through the terminal, shredding brick, display, and storefront with equal ease. The symphony of the guns was the music of death as Mary Jane curled up around the Devil's Breath and covered her ears to ward off the auditory assault.
Despite the onslaught, none of the bullets found their mark as they fell silent one by one, their magazines empty. The Terminal then became eerily silent as the Demons held their ground, Li standing in the middle, eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings and began shouting commands in Chinese. "Stand by everyone, I'm calling in the cavalry" said Cooper over the line as there was a static burst before the Pilot spoke again. "Marauder actual, confirm Devil's Breath neutralized. You are cleared to engage, light 'em up."
And that was when all hell really broke loose.
As soon as the message was sent, the Texan slung the Longbow DMR over his shoulder and raised the R-97 SMG while waiting for the cavalry to arrive. "All units, execute, execute, execute" ordered Yuri as several things happened at once. Muted explosions sounded from multiple directions as breaching charges detonated, but that was mostly a distraction. Two helicopters appeared over the station as Silver Sablinova herself led the armored troopers down, fast roping in and swinging in, breaching through the windows as they landed on the upper deck, guns blazing as all the Demons swung their weapons to this new, greater threat.
Red lasers and black tracers clashed as the Sable International troopers moved to cover on the second floor while the Marauder added his own gun to the mix, the long bursts stitching rounds across the Demons as they were boxed in and totally outmatched. Soon a third group joined, NYPD burst through the gates on the ground floor, riot shields in front as they moved to evacuate the hostages from the warzone that was Grand Central. "Li's getting away!" cried MJ frantically as Cooper popped his head out for just long enough to see the suited man calmly stride through the barrage of bullets before a chunk of the pillar he was hiding behind was torn away. "He's heading for the train lines!"
The Marauder cursed as he raised his SMG and fired a long burst before assessing the situation, he needed to get after Li, but there was no way for him to get across the station with the hailstorm of lead and lasers that was in the way. Thankfully, he wasn't alone, "I got him!" called the Webslinger as the Commando craned his neck up to see him swinging down from the ceiling towards the gate Li had just gone through. "Rest of you get the hostages out! Don't worry about me!"
"Tear him a new one Spider" encouraged the Black Cat as she stalked from the ground floor, suppressed P90 PDW hosing down Demon's exposed flanks as she helped clear out the more stubbornly entrenched groups. "We'll handle this crowd. Little help cowboy?" she asked as Cooper slammed a fresh 40 round magazine into the sub gun and dropped the bolt.
"Yippy ki yay" he drawled back as he activated his cloak and sprinted out from cover, jump jetting up to bounce off the wall before leaping into the fray. Hitting the ground in a slide, the Marauder opened fire, his cloak faltering before falling away completely as he dropped the hammer on a pair of Demons before pressing himself behind a crate, ignoring the rounds snapping past or the sizzle of the lasers as he stood and got back to work as Felicia stepped out in cover and the two moved in parallel. Rolling up the flank of the terrorists, the Demons found themselves caught in a pincer with the vigilantes on one side and the NYPD SWAT teams on the other.
"All units advance. Press the attack!" barked Sable over the radio as the silver armored soldiers responded instantly, sealing the fates of the Demons. Boots hit the tile floor as the PMC troopers vaulted over the railing, cutting off the last escape route as Sablinova stood tall, both energy pistols blazing away as the last of the opposition was cut down. The fanatics fought to the last, the final gunman standing and trying to take someone with him when rounds poured in from every direction and turned his body into sludge. As quickly as the shootout began, it was over, the
"Cease fire!" called the Symkarian as she waved her hand and holstered her weapons. "Secure the area and see to the wounded" she ordered to a pair of sergeants as they immediately got to work while Cooper and Watanabe moved towards the mercenary.
"Hostages are secure, EMTs are checking up on them now" reported the Captain. "Good work all around, I don't know how but we pulled this off."
Almost, there was still one last loose end. "Not quite, Spider-Man still has to apprehend Li, then we can pop the champagne" deadpanned the Renegade Gunfighter as the other two women nodded before Matthew turned to Silver. "And none of your people tried to kill me this time, today's getting better and better."
It may have been a low blow, but the anger didn't last long on the silver haired woman's features as she nodded and Cooper turned away. "Marauder" she called out suddenly, causing him to stop and turn to look over his shoulder, "well done" she complimented flatly.
The only thing that was more uncomfortable than the continual gunfire that echoed through the terminal for Spider-Man was the even more continual blaring of his sixth sense as it warned him to be anywhere but here. Ignoring it, the webslinger ducked, dodged, and zipped through the wall of life-threatening projectiles until he swung through the gate and fired impact webs at the two Demons who were guarding the platform as he saw a train pull away. Wasting no time, he launched weblines at the trail car and yanked himself to it, laying flat on his back as his feet smashed through the rear glass and he came to a stop inside the barren subway carriage.
Waiting for him inside was Martin Li, exuding power, the air around him rippling with heat and energy as an evil grin appeared on his blackened face, with white eyes, hair, suit, and tie glowing ominously. "Finally" he said calmly, his voice distorted as Peter stood to his full height and narrowed his eye lenses at the former philanthropist.
"Sorry I'm late" quipped the webhead, "it's kinda my thing." Both men sized each other up as the train began to pick up speed before the Superhero struck first, firing a webline and pulling himself into Li. The opening blow staggered the suited man as he clutched his chest, but the wallcrawler didn't let up as he threw more punches before his spider sense rang in warning. Getting one last parting blow, his spandex clad foot came up and bashed Li in the chin as he somersaulted away.
As he did he could feel the heat from the energized punches that missed as he returned to his feet in time to see Li charge up an energy blast as he sprung up and flipped, attaching himself to the ceiling as the black energy ripped through the air where he had been less than a second ago before Peter dropped back down. Going back on the attack, Spider-Man cut loose with his web shooters as Li was soon bound by the globs of synthetic silk, but the webslinger didn't let up until the cartridges were empty and ejected with a hiss as new ones were cycled in. But Peter didn't wait for them as he used his strength to launch himself forwards and plant both feet in Li's chest before backflipping off as the energized man slammed into the wall of the car.
Not giving him a chance to breathe, Spider-Man fired a line at either side of the car and yanked himself forwards, striking Mr. Negative with such force that both went through the doors and into the next car as Li went skidding across the floor. "Why are you doing this?" asked Peter while Li shook off the blow. Part of the hero was hoping he could convince Li to come in peacefully and wanted to give him a chance to surrender.
Instead of giving up, Li got to his feet as two henchmen came up, one either aside as the villain rolled his neck. "Paying off an old debt" he answered cryptically before placing a hand on each of the Demons before ripping the energy he had imbued in them out by force. His hands and eyes gave off black and white vapors as he stood straighter, his newfound power surging through him.
Li raised a hand and made a 'come here' gesture as Peter obliged, leaping forwards only for a energized forehead to slam forwards and crash down on his own skull. The Demon leader was moving even faster as he swung at the webslinger, forcing the hero to dodge as he of pursuing the more agile webhead, Mr. Negative elected to use his ranged attacks, charging and then flinging massive waves of deadly black-white energy that ripped through the subway car. The floor, ceiling, walls, and chairs were all singed and smoldering from the heat of the attacks as Spider-Man relied on his experience, reflexes, and spider-sense to dodge the lethal blasts.
Finally, Li paused to draw more energy, the entire area around him turning black as night and even more frightening. But it was the best opening Spider-Man was going to get as he webzipped to Li and began laying into him, holding back less and less with each successive blow. The air began to crackle and hiss as Peter tried to get back, but a massive shockwave threw him back, his feet clipping a standing bar and spinning him around as he fell to the floor. He opened his eyes just in time to see Li charge up another wave of energy as he heaved his body upwards and latched onto the ceiling as the wave passed beneath him, singing one of his arms on the way by. "Give up to me now Li…or the Marauder will kill you" he threatened, knowing that the SRS Pilot could already be in pursuit.
"Nothing can hurt me!" called back Li as he fired his blasts with even greater ferocity until one slammed square into the Wallcrawler, charring his chest as he fell to the ground and Li charged forwards, fists clenched as he punched the hero in the face and pinned him to ground. "Not anymore!" he snarled as he began throwing punch after punch, but he was becoming flustered and the webhead blocked them with his forearm. Mustering his super strength, Spider-Man threw a nose breaking hook that hit home before he sprung up and used his weblines to jam both feet into Li's chest, throwing him back into the mangled control panel of the battered two car train.
A blood curdling scream was heard over the clacking of the train as untold thousands of volts was pumped into Li's body while he could do naught but spasm and writhe in pain as his muscles refused to obey his mind. Finally, Li could take no more as his cries fell silent and he collapsed to the floor in a heap. Spider-Man stepped past, focused now on stopping the runaway train before someone got hurt. "No brakes, no problem" he mused as he stepped out onto the front and braced himself, this would hurt.
Approaching an arch, he fired as many weblines as his shooters could, gripping them tight in his hands as he planted his feet and pressed his back to the front of the wrecked train. Just as he felt the weight and force of the train begin to try and rip his shoulders from his sockets, the lines snapped, hanging uselessly in his gloved hands. "That totally worked last time" he grumbled as he looked for an alternative. Looking ahead, he saw recognized the station approaching and remembered something. "BT - they still doing construction on 42nd and 1st?" he asked, knowing the machine was always listening.
"Affirmative Mr. Parker" returned the Titan as Spider-Man launched himself forwards and stuck fast to the roof, "the street is closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic at this time" confirmed the machine. That was as good as he was going to get, so he fired a series of weblines at the tracks before jerking the lines up and ripping the tracks up. Screaming in exertion, Spider-Man strained as he took the whole weight of the subway train while it shot upwards.
Up above, those who were watching saw the train breath through the asphalt like a steel whale, throwing chunks of blacktop as civilians and workers ran for cover as the train came back down to earth in a shower of sparks before rolling over onto its side and screeching to a halt. Taking a second to catch his breath, the webhead followed the train up onto the surface and came down on top of the mangled front car as a battered Martin Li tried to crawl his way out when he looked up at the webslinger, white eyes blazing with fury. "Next stop" quipped Peter through heavy breaths, "prison."
Their jobs done, the three masked vigilantes watched as Martin Li was secured into a massive contraption meant to ensure he couldn't escape even with his powers to channel the electrostatic negative energy or corrupt those guarding him. With the Marauder and Black Cat leaning against Widowmaker and Spider-Man crouched on top, they were the subject of dozens of photos as press on the opposite side of the Sable perimeter blazed away with their cameras. Peter wasn't sure how to feel as the doors of the armored truck closed on the still glaring Li, though he could tell that Matthew, arms crossed and right hand twitching next to the grip of his pistol, still wanted a crack at Mr. Negative. That, and he was perturbed at Silver Sable totally shutting him out of handling Devil's Breath after the toxic compound had been trucked off earlier to some unspecified location. The Black Cat was far more relaxed, regally watching from her position next to the Gunfighter, her green eye lenses masking where she was looking.
With reality finally beginning to set in that the nightmare was about to end, fatigue slammed into the Webhead like the train he had just stopped. His eyes struggled to remain open, his limbs felt heavy, and he was willing to bet his entire body was one big bruise. The 'Advanced Suit' was not faring much better, seams were barely holding together, and the white spider logo was burned badly.
Without being able to say a word, he clapped a hand down on the Marauder's shoulder, causing him to turn and the helmet nodding and the wearer giving a small salute while the Thief blew him a kiss before he fired a webline and pulled himself away. Sticking to the side of a building, he saw the couple get into the P1 and heard the McLaren fire up before pulling away. Arriving at Grand Central to find not only the Marauder, but with the thief there as well, and both telling him that the NYPD and Sable International were mobilizing and were at their beck and call had been a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
Used to working alone with little to no backup, seeing what having all of the powers in New York coming together to crush the Demons at GCT was new, and the result had been a sight to behold. But there was one part of the experience that hadn't gone smoothly, and now he had to try and rectify that. Pulling out his cell he opened up his contacts before taking a deep breath and hitting the call button. "Please pick up…please pick up" he whispered.
"This is Mary Jane Watson. Please leave a detailed message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can" droned the automated answer as Peter mumbled a swear under his breath before the tone beeped.
"Uhh…" he began dumbly, "hey, it's me." Wow, really off to a great start here he mentally chided himself before pulling it together. "Lemme know when you want to talk" he said simply before hanging up. He didn't want to pressure her, especially since he didn't know how she was holding up after having to see the Demons work up close. Being Spider-Man for eight years had hardened him somewhat, and he knew that Cooper had probably seen worse on Typhon, Felicia had a surprising resilience to the mental strains of their occupation. Mary Jane? Well she hadn't seen that much, and he had no idea how she'd react.
There was also the, small, matter of their argument.
Leaping up, he stuck to an antenna as he felt the smart phone buzz in his hand. Looking down he looked at the words staring up at him. Not ready to talk yet they said, prompting a bout of confusion from the Queens native. "Texting isn't talking?" he wondered aloud as he tapped out his response.
Ok, it's over btw he informed, quickly firing a line to another building and yanking himself through the clear sky, fully able to appreciate the elation he subconsciously felt as he did so without the threat of Li hanging over the city.
But he was quickly reminded he was talking to the sharp-witted MJ, ever alert and scrutinizing any and everything her mind could focus on. And the quick message he had sent got the same treatment. Over? OK fine she responded as Peter's eyes widened in realization.
"N-n-no-no-no, not that kind of over!" he shouted in headless chicken blind panic mode, thankful he was on a rooftop and out of earshot for those below as he suffered a significant emotional event. I meant Li. He typed out quickly as he tried to calm down, pacing nervously on the edge of the rooftop, I beat him he clarified as the webhead swung across the street and planted his feet on a perpendicular wall.
With tension in his gut he looked down at the response he could feel in his hand, he hoped for the best. Oh… he read, causing him to groan in response as he 'sat' on the wall and let out a sigh of hope, or relief.
Finally deciding to take a page from the Texan's playbook and quit dancing around the issue, to bite the bullet and just flat out ask the question. Do you want it to be 'over'? he asked before leaning back and clutching the phone to his chest. "Please say no. Please say no…" he begged before he got moving again, streaking through the cityscape as he felt the phone buzz again.
Bracing himself, he looked down mid webzip to look at the screen and saw two simple letters that made his heart leap for all the right reasons, No. Backflipping in elation, he snapped off a webline that brought him swinging round a crane and to a stop beneath it as he felt the phone buzz again. But maybe it should be read the message, causing his heart to move in the wrong direction, up into the pit of his stomach. Need some time to figure things out.
"What is there to figure out?" he wondered aloud, exasperated before he thought about it and decided to ease off the pressure, he didn't want to push her any more than the day's events already had. Sure, me too he sent as he continued to make his way through the city, moving slowly but surely towards the safehouse Cooper had given him.
His phone buzzed again, the unexpected sensation prompting him to stop and perch atop an antenna and read the message, not having a clue number one what he would find when he did Think we both had different ideas about this 'partner' thing it read. Peter couldn't help but roll his eyes and the smart aleck in him wanted to snap off a salute to 'Captain Obvious' when he read the text. "Oh, you think?" he snapped back verbally, knowing better than to say things like that to her. Before he could give an answer, he got more notifications rapid fire. I need to do some work, read the first as he backspaced his words and began retyping a response when he got the second text. The message read I'll call you tomorrow as he backspaced again and his phone buzzed for the third and final time, Maybe said MJs message before her profile read 'Offline' and he knew replying would be pointless.
Letting out a sigh, he looked up at the setting sun, "Great" he groaned as he began the swing towards a hot shower and a cold bed that awaited him. Already, from his vantage point he could see the city that never sleeps slowly waking up, the streets seemed far busier than they had been the past few weeks.
There was a ringing from his ear from his miraculously functional mask mounted phone as he quickly accepted the call. "You did it – Li's off to the RAFT" congratulated Yuri, who sounded as exhausted as he felt, or maybe the last few weeks of being too busy to be tired had caught up with them. "The Devil's Breath is safe with Sable…how do you feel?"
"How do I feel?" he parroted back as he thought over the question and gave the honest answer, "How much time do you have?" he asked.
"Not much" admitted the Captain, but he could tell she was smiling on the other end of the line. "Heroics for you means paperwork for me" she reminded before adding "but I just wanted to say…good job."
"Thanks Yuri" he replied, "I kinda needed that" he revealed, not feeling bad about having to. They had worked together long enough to know that, on occasion, even Superheroes needed pick me ups. He also knew she wouldn't press, Yuri said what she had to say and didn't waste time with much else, so instead of prying she simply hung up, probably getting back to her Captain work. Inside the privacy of his mask, Peter smiled. For now, New York was still standing, and he hoped everyone in it would have the time to appreciate that.
He couldn't possibly know that nothing was further from the truth.
Cooper's Logbook – Ordnance: Electric Smoke Grenade
These multipurpose devices look on the surface like modern day smoke grenades, throwing up a wall of white obscurant to provide visual cover or mark a critical point. They do that very well, naturally, but they pack an extra surprise for those caught in the clouds. Advanced nano technology means that the clouds are peppered with microscopic electrodes that chain together to give these grenades the 'electric' part of their name. These aren't as powerful as an arc round, but prolonged exposure can yield the same results.
Beyond that offensive ability, these devices offer defensive utility as well. The nanomachines can put out fires by having the electrical discharge and corresponding lightning bolts suck up all the oxygen to snuff the flame. Similarly, they offer enough interference to spoof missile tracking systems as well as Infra-Red and other thermal imaging technology.
All of these attributes are carried over from the electric smoke discharges emitted by Titans for self-defense, but on a smaller scale. For someone who relies on speed, misdirection, and the element of surprise, these handy smoke bombs will make sure the bad guys never see me coming.
Closing Notes: I...have mixed feelings about this one, I hated GCT and it was one of the few segments I wanted to make alterations to. I get why the sequence played out the way it did in game, but it felt really dumb that everyone else would be sitting on their hands while all this is going down. That, and writing boss fights is hard folks, let me know how you think it all turned out.
We aren't moving straight into the next major story arc, there will be a few transition chapters to ease the story into it. Tying up a few loose plot threads, doing a side mission or two, and setting some stuff up.
Let the people know my wisdom, fill the land with smoke, better Run Through the Jungle.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.
