Chapter 21: A Fractured House
Reed Richards, the man known to the world as Mister Fantastic sat behind his desk wearing a white lab coat over his famous blue uniform. He was quiet and lost in the thoughts of his award-winning mind, the mind which had made him a savior of humanity. Aliens and universes were puzzles for this intellectual. For him Prison 42 was the safer path for a bright future, but it cost him much. Images of everything that had brought him to this point of his life, from saving world to protecting its people from themselves played like a slideshow.
Saving the world on a more active level was no longer his directive, there were LMD's of the Fantastic Four to handle that now. Time was devoted to scientific pursuits and research the human body's potential. Understanding of biochemistry and mutations, the keys to his next study that Tony had been waiting for by pooling resources for Phase 2 of their plan. So much work but more sacrifices than he was willing to make.
He hasn't been home to see his children in months and leaving the prison was rare in of itself, but he always looked to the wall. On it were the achievements and awards granted to him for his service and deeds. After choosing a path thought unpopular, he lost the support of his family and pressed on in order to save the world. His wife wanted nothing to do with him and his work, so he buried himself in it, sculpting that better world. If the bottom line was satisfied things would work out. After all, the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few.
A blaring alarm sounded off, signaling that a captive had gotten free somehow. Someone was attempting to get out. Someone was trying to disrupt the order. It didn't matter who that was so much they needed to be dealt with, but he left it alone. After all there was a super powered guard around, and these things were usually contained in a few minutes.
Time went on but the alert did not go away. Reed had considered the possibility that the situation had grown more complicated. The disorder could not be allowed to continue any longer so he picked up the phone on his desk and made a call.
"Captain this is-"
"Doctor Richards, what can I do for you Sir?"
"Why is the alarm still on?"
"Spider-Man has gotten free with the aid of Venom and Deadpool. I'm not sure how but he has gotten some kind of new suit as well. They appear to be working their way to a dimension gate. My men are intercepting but they're getting mowed down out there."
"I want further updates regarding the situation every 5 minutes"
"Yes, Doctor Richards"
The captain hung up; this left Reed alone once again in his own small world of an office. As he waited the news only got worse. Spider-Man had gotten a new suit which could confirm the missing device from his old lab. The Spider-jammers seemed to be less effective, possibly due to his new suit. He then managed to reach a dimension gate and bring in reinforcements. At a precious time like this he didn't like to wait but everyone had a function.
Reed dialed the captain again. Mid-way into the first ring the captain picked up and received Reed with stress in his voice.
"What's happening now"
"Sir, it seems the enemy has gathered reinforcements and splintered off into smaller groups. We've lost sight of Spider-Man. Doctor Strange floated off above the facility. Black Cat and a female Hawkeye are running in Sector C, Penance has intercepted Cloak & Dagger and Director Stark is leading a counter attack against the larger group."
"Have we identified who is in that group?"
"Yes, we've identified Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Venom, Deadpool, Daredevil, Wolverine and… Your wife, the Invisible Woman."
Reed paused for a moment as his heart pulsed with excitement at the reference of the mother to his children. With all that was happening in the next few minutes he needed to be precise. He wanted to see Susan even longed for it, but his job dictated that he follows through and he had already done much. One misstep could lose his side the advantage. Tony's team easily outclassed their opposition in terms of power so there was no need for him there. Strange would most likely meet his own opposition after learning of the source which barred him access to the zone so he was not needed in a battle of magic, a concept he could never understood.
"Tell your men they are authorized to use B214. They can collect it from the lab facilities however you need to be sure the that is injected into the enemy's bloodstream."
"…Thank you Sir."
"I will Pursue Black Cat and Hawkeye. Have some of your men meet me"
"Affirmative"
"Since they left the dimension gate unattended it might mean that the resistance planned to break out some other way but make sure the gates are guarded."
To help the world that meant deterring the efforts of the resistance group lead by Luke. They had no scientific minds to breach the Negative zone but they did have Doctor Strange and though the zone had been blocked from his magic there was the chance they could make a dimension gate so he laid traps just in case. One of his methods were set coordinates to a dimension where the LMD Fantastic Four was sent to investigate. What they found were a race of creatures with a hatred for the Sorcerer Supreme and could serve as a distraction. While interactions with the species did not go well, he did nevertheless receive a means to slow his opponents progress if not cripple them.
Before Spider-Man returned, the resistance was no match for S.H.I.E.L.D. but Peter Parker was always a promising youth. A young, hungry scientific mind with time on his side. No doubt him getting captured was part of the opposition's plan.
Black Cat and Hawkeye were most likely going to free more captives. If that was allowed to happen, they could overwhelm the guards.
Reed reached for a headset and stuck it into his right ear and threw off his lab coat onto his desk.
"Captain, I am assuming command from this point forward. I need you to follow my directives to a perfect t and we will be able to bottleneck this situation."
With elongated legs Mister Fantastic walked the long hallway.
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"Brother, huh?" grimaced Kaine in a low ramble as he faced the new Spider-Man before him.
"Before he died Ben told me, that you two had come to an understanding" said Peter "At the time I had my doubts but his word was good enough for me because I trusted him. He was family and so are you"
Kaine scuffed at Peter's words and turned his head away. Peter couldn't see his face, but he imagined it was a look of mistrust. The two of them didn't get along. Hell, they didn't really interact with each outside of the ridiculously confusing clone saga.
While Ben Reilly was the clone Peter came to know best as family, Kaine was more of a black sheep. He was the first clone created by Miles Warren, the Jackel. Half of Kaine's face drooped as though he suffered from a stroke and his body was victim to a degeneration factor. This meant that his body could fail at any time and with news like that a person is likely to change their values. He became hell-bent on killing Ben and erasing him from existence or anyone who dared to stop him. Still there was something Kaine still cared for as Peter and Ben did and that was Mary Jane.
Though Kaine tried to destroy Ben by torturing his ex-girlfriend Ben forgave his brother. Ben, who had embodied Peter's morals and strength found the power to forgive Kaine's transgressions and welcome him as family. He chose to believe that there was still good in the clone that had spent most of his existence to become a polar opposite of his core. Thinking about it in that moment, it was funny how the original Peter grew to be more like his clone rather than the other way around.
Kaine lifted his head toward the original while still kneeling on the ground, still at the mercy of the heavy magnet below him. The darkness in his room and long hair still kept his face from being seen. He jerked and rustled his arms to free himself as Peter watched him fail.
His long head hair eventually flipped backward and revealed his flawed skin. A web-like pattern stretched across his face and body, a result of his genetic flaw known to some as the mark of Kaine. The result of his degradation and the cause of fluctuations which dialed his power to a much higher degree than Peter's. It was also a weapon capable of being passed on to Kaine's victims, killing them in seconds with a single touch.
Peter took the unconscious guards keys and used them to turn off the magnetic field. This had freed Kaine's arms and legs. He then approached slowly with the keys still in hand to unlock the cuffs on Kaine's arms and legs. After the shackles were unlocked, the two looked at each other for a moment which was then broken when Kaine's large hands found themselves around Peter's throat. His body tensed up and the not so healed flesh on his chest given to him by Iron man flared with pain.
"What makes you think I'd go anywhere with you?" growled Kaine as his eyes leered into Peter's soul.
"Because Mary Jane is dead and the man responsible his here. So, hurry up and decide before he gets away."
Kaine was dumbfounded. His grip loosened from Peter's neck and looked off into space as if there was nothing in him. A moment later the rage swelled to the surface and Kaine's hand clasped down tight again. The neck section of Peter's suit had attempted to harden to prevent its host from suffocating but Kaine was stronger.
Peter had hoped that Kaine would see through that anger for a moment to see clear as he did. Finally, Kaine threw Peter across the room. The airtime allowed the Spider-Man to spin his body to land on the wall perfectly. Kaine simply stood in his place and said, "lead the way".
Peter crawled off the wall and dropped the guard keys onto the floor, having no use for them. On his two feet he walked with a bit of haste toward the exit but to do that he had to pass Kaine when he did Kaine grabbed Peter's arm.
"Make no mistake" said Kaine in a lower, pained voice. "You're going to tell me what happened. And if I don't like what I hear I'll kill you too."
"You're welcome to try but first you have to keep up"
The two ran side by side down the hall and into another corridor complete with dull grey paint. Steel doors were lined up on both walls without any distinction between them.
"Do you even know where you're going?" said Kaine with a tone but he got no answer.
Peter stood in silence, allowing his new suit to do its job, locate Devin. Through his spider eyes Peter could see the various camera feeds of the facility with static making the view hard to see. The heat in his suit rose with each second that the feeds ran. His head needed to sweat. Images rotated until he caught a glimpse of the target running through a sort of plaza and into another building. In the lower left-hand corner of the feed read "Icarus tower"
The temperature in his suit rise to abnormal levels. The heat was unnatural but then again, the suit itself was untested so it would be unwise to overwork it further. Peter looked to the watch-like device on his wrist and pressed his index and thump on the opposing sides of the dial, hoping that the suit would cool over time. The nanites untethered themselves from each other and rolled back to their home which left him in is prison 42 uniform.
Peter took a moment, allowing his skin to once again breathe and let the perspiration cool his body. Kaine on the other hand didn't stand still, nor did he wait for his "big brother" to catch up. He cared little for Peter's reprieve. The clone hadn't seen what Peter had seen through the eyes of his new suit, but he was in no mood to stop. Kaine's mind was in a frenzy with questions. "How long had she been dead?" "Where did this happen and why did Peter let it?" but he didn't ask, one thing at a time. All he needed was to reach him, the man who made it happen and look his in the eyes as he died.
"Do you know anything about the Icarus Tower?" called Peter from behind Kaine. He got no answer, however he observed that his clone seemed to change directions from the elevator to a door on the far end of the hall and forced it open. Inside were a series of staircases which formed a rectangular spiral leading straight down to the bottom. Kaine proceeded down without a word or hint to a plan.
It wasn't the silence that bothered Peter but the thought of being strung along with little to no knowledge of where he was going. In a way this must have been how the new avengers felt, which led to his imprisonment to begin with.
"That's enough. Where are we going?"
"Where we're supposed to"
The answer itself felt incomplete because it wasn't definitive. Perhaps Kaine didn't know the where the tower was but he felt that their path was the right one. A premonition perhaps?
Kaine simply stopped in his tracks "get ready"
From up above the echoing sound of a door slamming against a wall ratcheted downward and passed the duo. For a moment Peter froze in place as a chill took over his muscles. Then came the sounds of hurried feet descending toward them. The enemy was hot on their trail and they weren't going to stop, not with their query on their turf.
"I see something!" yelled a voice from above
Kaine wasted no time running to the handrail and jumping down the center of the staircase. A freefall decent to the ground floor with his bare feet first, Peter followed.
"Make it Rain boys!"
Muzzle flares shot off from above. Bullets gave chase as the Spiders continued. It must have been a thirty-foot fall and at the last few moment Kaine grasped the railing. The force of the weight had bent the rail to the point of almost snapping off. Peter used his organic webs to bungee and relieve the impact with the floor, letting go before the line could bring him back up. He performed a dodge roll out of the staircase to avoid the shots.
Kaine was second to leave the staircase with little haste. He pointed to the closest exit for Peter to open it. They entered another hallway with exposed pipes on the ceiling. Doors on both sides with no indication of their purpose. A camera hung overhead. Watching them as they took their steps.
"That one, third from the right" said Kaine while pointing to the door "I've got the camera"
After entering the door Peter had found a hall which led to double doors into a loading dock. The area was full of large rectangular containers spread out creating a sort of maze. with the shutter doors as the only way out.
"Don't move inmate!" boomed a voice only to be followed by a grunt.
When he turned around, he found that Kaine had already disarmed the would be guard and choked him with one hand.
"Where and what is the Icarus Tower?" Growled Kaine as the light from the overhead bulbs revealed the more scared portion of his face. The lone guard squirmed in the clutches of the clone by trying to strike at his chest with bare fists. After the 5th punch his hands turned soft.
Kaine held on a little longer to show that he meant business and the squeeze any more resistance out of his prey.
"the-the tower (cough) it's a training facility on the other side of the base in the southern direction"
"Is there any security?"
"You'll need a biometric scan to get in. Besides that, there are guards posted at some checkpoints."
The door from the staircase boomed open with the sounds of heavy boots were coming down the hall and spread out. Other doors banged into walls after they were kicked.
"They're in here!" screamed the guard while on his knees and shortly received a punch to the head from Kaine's hand. The agents stormed the dock with rifles at the ready. And flashlights on their helmets lit for visibility
"Spread out" commanded the leader in an unrelenting tone from the back of the crowd. "I want those two pinned down before they can spin a web and keep the ceiling in your line of sight."
Some of the usual guards from the prison were here but among them were three people in armored tactical gear. Filter style gas masks covered their faces and the armor glowed in certain areas with blue lights on the shoulders and arms. With were part of a specialized shield detail known as the Superhuman Restraint Unit or "Cape Killers". Their suits were designed by Tony to assist non powered combatants to compete with powered. Reinforced armor plating for durability, power servos for increased arm and leg strength.
Slowly the guards spread out with their firearms pointed out in front of them
"Someone really took their time to bust out this new anti-super serum"
"No kidding, just stay close, no getting separated"
"Roger"
Both men stalked between the large boxes side by side with just enough space for both of them. They were hunting predators and it wasn't going to be easy. They inched closer into the dark and looked back at the Cape Killers waiting in the wings. The sound of wood splintering broke the silence. Then gun fire and muzzle flares from fired shots. More wood cracked. The men yelled back and forth attempting to establish and understanding but by then only the Cape Killers were left.
"Here we go boys. Stay sharp."
The visors on their helmets lit up with blue lights. No doubt their suits were equipped to see in the dark. They stayed in the tight formation of a triangle, each looking in an outward direction. With the visor on one of them saw the attack coming. Kaine leaped through the air with little caution. The soldier took three shots, launching darts into the chest of their target but only the first one made it into Kaine's skin.
The clone reached his enemy with a knee to the chest, sending him into both of his comrades and knocking them all over. His rage was unfiltered in a way that whatever was in the dart didn't affect him after he pulled the dart from his chest and let them fall to the bare floor. One of the guards bounced back up with his arms to push from off the ground.
"Let's go freak"
With time running out and Peter's target getting further away, he didn't want to exhaust too much of his energy. Unnecessary fighting would cost dearly later on and Kaine was not invincible. The act of freeing him was not to be wasted. He performed a flip from off the crates and spun around as he landed, driving his leg into the knee section of the odd Cape Killer. The strike shattered the side of the servo along with an extra pop sound. Right after the blow landed the cape killer's armor buckled under its own weight. The opponent dropped to his knees, opening him to Peter's follow up attack, an elbow to the side of his face. This forced his covered head to collide with the ground. The Cape killer let out a groan.
The first was already down but the other two were still in play. The other who was previously knocked over by Kaine jumped in front of Peter. He opened the palm of his hand and electricity shot from out of it. The blast connected and surged throughout Peter's body. He shook violently as the energy continued to flow.
"You think I'm going to risk a fist fight with you capes?" said the cape killer as he walked over toward his rifle and picked it up. "Guess you should brush up on your tactics and I've got just the lesson."
Peter's struggled to break free but all he could do was shake violently in one spot. The cape killer lowered his palm and shifted it to holding his rifle and taking his shot. A dart escaped the chamber and flew at Peter, penetrating his skin. Peter tried to stop the dart and his new suit might have been able to do it, but he couldn't reach it. With no steady stream of electricity to shock him he fell to the ground.
Over on the other side was Kaine, who grabbed the right forearm of his opponent and squeezed hard with his left hand. The metal began to seize and bend, the mark of Kaine was being passed on. The Cape-Killers suit began to whine and the blue lights covering from all over his limbs flickered. He tried to grab Kaine by the shoulder but Kaine caught that forearm as well and gave him a head butt. With his opponent disoriented the clone proceeded to lift his opponent, slam him into the ground. The final blow came after Kaine peeled off the helmet and struck the head, cause him to go limp.
"Alpha, this is epsilon" said the cape-killer standing over a disoriented Peter. "One in my party are down, we are located in the loading dock of the hospitality building. Requesting reinforcements and a cleaning crew. Another of my squad has engaged the target identified as Kaine Parker. I have his older Brother down for the count.
"Epsilon, are you saying that Peter Parker is in your custody?"
"That's right"
Another voice jumped onto the line shortly after the confirmation. "This is Dr. Richards. I need a team at that location as soon as possible. Epsilon do not let either target out of your sight."
"Dammit, Kaine has overpowered my partner" said the cape killer as he shot a pulse blast and missed his agile target. "I'll do what I can, just get me that backup"
"In the meantime, remember that your precognitive overload module was designed specifically to disable beings like him."
"It's ok to say Spider jammer. I got it" responded the guard.
When the cape-killer finished talking he reached for a disk on his waist and tossed it on the ground. Electricity lashed out at Peter, stunning him. And stalked off behind some crates with his rifle aim forward. He activated the spider jammer on his waist area and took a slow pace forward.
Noises started to erupt from different directions, one after the other. The agent remained calm while shifting around to be mindful of his surroundings. A bang sounded from his right, then another in front of him but further away. Crates collided to the left, then behind. When the soldier turned to his right, he turned just in time to see Kaine bounce off another crate and spiral toward him, fists first. The clone's arms impacted, knocking the guard off balance. His armor whined up, charging more energy for a stun blast but the target was already gone.
Again, the sound of crates being pushed echoed throughout the dock. As the cape-killer stumbled to his feet his suit continued to charge energy and he said, "C'mon you freak!"
He took another hit from Kaine, this time from behind and as he took the strike his armor sent a charge to Kaine. Both lied on the floor and both had gotten up. Kaine lifted a crate off the ground and smashed it over the guard and broke.
Kaine walked over to Peter, who was still being shocked by the disk left behind. He crushed it underneath the heel of his foot. As he stood, he watched his older brother roll over and twitch on the floor. Three minutes passed before Peter rose up. Kaine was already starting for the exit.
On his way to the shudder doors Kaine slowed down and began to shake a bit. He strained to keep his pace and ultimately fell to his knees while grunting.
As Peter walked over to Kaine's aid he could feel a pain in his own limbs. Whatever was injected into their systems must have caused the affliction. He could feel nothing but intense exhaustion.
The muscles in his chest burned slowly. After raising his arms to rub his pectoral area his biceps burned, a sort of tense feeling you get after exercising for too long.
The two spiders stayed close to the ground. They inched to the exit as the reinforcements could arrive at any time.
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Doctor Strange glided through the twisted dimension of the negative zone, being drawn close to his objective. In the distance was an idol floating in the space. It was a black rhumbas shaped item. Another in the line of mysterious objects linked to the force which kept him and his team from entering in the first place. After Luke's team had gotten through the dimension gate Stephen set out to secure an escape plan.
Something about the energy was divine in origin, a power unlike mortal magic. He could sense two more in the distance now but still nothing had come to strike him but Stephen was certain that it would arrive soon. Whatever these objects were connected to it had an investment in this dimension if not Prison 42 itself.
The Doctor put out his hands to project a magical field around the item. He begins to bring his hands together. The pressure from his hands caused the rumbas to buckle. It cracked under the force of his power and through those cracks shone a light. The idol began to shake, attempting to resist the Doctor but he did not yield in the attempt.
"That will be enough… Sorcerer Supreme." Said a voice from behind the good doctor.
"Seems I've finally gained your attention" replied Stephen as he faced down a bald human shaped being in a black robe with pupil less eyes. "It was a lot of trouble to go through, blocking off this realm from me. Why have you done this? Are you working with Stark?"
"You speak of the one called Anthony Stark. The simplistic answer is sustenance" said the divine being simply. "I am, therefore I need to survive."
"Perhaps there is a way that we can create a compromise. I see no need to fight you at this juncture."
"That is unlikely. The emotion that you call misery powers me and this facility is the perfect breeding ground for it and as a result my power has grown more than I could ever expect. Naturally I brokered a deal with Anthony Stark. Provide the prisoners and in exchange, bar access from all other outside forces."
"That deal meets its end today" said the doctor as he stretched his arms out like bird wings. Confrontation might be inevitable after all and a creature with vast power was not so sure to bend its knee to anyone.
"How is it harmful" Questioned the entity. "No one has been hurt by my hand and I do not oppress. Your people are the ones who take that honor, I merely provide a service to protect this realm."
"But you aid in their efforts by allying yourself with them."
"Now we are just going in circles, Fore are you not guilty of the same action? I was told of the conflict that came before, that you did not participate but now you have chosen sides. I believe that is what you call a double standard. Now you are asking me to deny who I am and my way of live for your own ends to which I have no intention of doing so."
If this being could feed off misery, then perhaps it could sense aggression. The Doctor would have to slow down, clear his mind of dark intent. Even now he could still be feeding off the prison with all of the conflict sure to come.
"Am I to assume that we will commence?" asked the entity as it raised its hand and fired a beam of energy from his hands.
In response, Strange crossed his arms to create an shield of energy to cover his body. The result was the beam bouncing off the shield in sparks. The force was enough to push him back, not even his cloak of levitation was enough to fight against it. The entity vanished from view and reappeared behind him with a swatting hand. With the doctor displaced the entity clasped him in and energy field shaped as a cube.
Not knowing the nature of the creature could prove dangerous but the sorcerer would meet this challenge by testing the limits. The eye of Agamotto could weaken dark beings or people who practice dark magic. Was it working? Darkness might be perceived as knowing that one's actions harm others with varying degrees however, what this creature does may not be evil. After all, dictators could see themselves as justified given the right viewpoint.
While captured in the field he used the powers of the eye to cloak himself to appear invisible. Another test. If it could sense him then the creature would not lower the field. The field did not come down.
"I can still sense you, Doctor."
The cube shape of the doctor's prison began to shrink steadily, threatening to crush his body. His arms and legs buckled under the strain and his invisibility ended. There was little time and physical strength was useless still, there had to be something. At a moment's notice Stephen sat down with his legs folded. This gave him a little room to move his arms and legs to make hand signs. He flexed his fingers to create his own barrier and allowed his mind to do the flexing. The power of the Eye was redirected to create a counter force in the shape of a sphere that could break his cube prison.
The cube shattered, liberating the sorcerer. He swung his arms around, forming a circle with an orange glowing center. The entity responded by raising his own arms. Two beams clashed from the opposing sides. The two appeared to be evenly matched as neither beam yielded for 30 seconds until the Strange's beam was forced back.
Instead of trying to fight back head on he would have to strategize.
Somehow, they were on similar levels until something changed. Extra power was drawn from another location and then he sensed it. When Stephen began, he had searched for the idols connected to the entity by sensing their power. He could still sense them and as they clashed he caught a shift of power in the distance. Could it have been that the creature drew power from the idols like a reserve power source?
If the idols were conduits, containers that held his power. With each idol's destruction would cause a loss of strength.
Strange allowed the enemy beam to reach him before deflecting it to his left and allowing his cloak of levitation carry him to the nearest idol. The enigmatic being simply watched the sorcerer take off and after a moment gave chase after realizing what was in that direction. This confirmed the doctor's suspicions.
The large collar of Stephen's cloak flapped savagely he soared through the negative space, but he suddenly stopped and turned around and placed his hands together, generating a miniature sun, strong enough to blind even the most resilient eyes. The entity shielded its face from the light. This was the Doctor's chance. A second spell had teleported him back to the spot where their meeting began, the cracked rhombus. Stephen allowed his miniature sun to leave his grasp and consume the object and grow beyond its original size, swallowing the object.
The sun grew at a fast rate and shortly collapsed into itself, disappearing with the rhombus.
After the disappearance of its apparent battery, the entity's indifferent expression shifted to a cold scowl.
"To block off this realm was no minor feet. You've been using these constructs to isolate the negative zone"
"Well done sorcerer but I'm afraid this cannot continue."
"I agree. Your hold on this dimension will be undone this day"
"Surely, I Sallvira, have enough power to fight you. The prison still powers me."
"Perhaps but even now, as my team retaliates the prison becomes home to more emotions than just misery. Feelings of hope, anger, fear, surprise… I imagine that our bout will be quite the trial. If I'm right, you only have two of those batteries left and your hold on this world is slipping."
Sallvira's body surged with energy until the area around him seemed to become murky. As his arms moved, they were followed by afterimages. It became hard to track his movements after that. By waving his hand horizontally three beams formed in its wake and fired.
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Elsewhere on Prison 42, Cloak and Dagger stared down Robbie Baldwin, the former speedball and then Penance. A walking nightmare, Penance could terrify by being in proximity. The air that escaped his metal mask was heavy and yet hollow as it slipped through the holes. His breast plate stained with his own blood both wet and dry crust sent chills down Daggers spine.
"This is Penance, I've located Cloak and Dagger" said Penance into his earpiece. "Proceeding to incapacitate."
"Roger that, Penance. Assistance will be on its way"
Shortly after another voice calls to Penance from his earpiece.
"Your priority is Cloak" said Reed Richards after breathing heavily. "Without him the resistance won't have a way to escape."
"Understood."
Cloak and dagger stared down their next foe, a nightmare wrapped in steel, leather and covered in spikes stood opposite of them. His helmet itself was covered with two rows of spikes and had no distinctive facial features. One could not even see his eyes as the helm covered his entire head in a cylinder shape. You could hear his hollow breathing if you were close enough, an eerie noise in of itself. The breath escaped the mask made a heavy sound as it pushed into the open air.
Dagger found her eyes locked onto the vents on his chest plate and the trails of dried blood which came from it. Perhaps it was hard to belief within that depressing figure was once a man with a bubbling personality. But this was someone else, a man of consequence and whether Cloak and Dagger liked it or not they were his next mission.
"I'll only say this once" Bellowed Penance in a slow and irritated tone. "Stand down or be put down"
Within that suit were spikes, one for each life lost during the Stanford incident. 612 spikes spread throughout the suit and of those, spikes 60 were longer, representing the number of children whose precious lives were snuffed out prematurely. For him, the registration was a way for him to fix what he had broken, to correct the mistake made on that day when his team preemptively struck a meeting of super villains while filming for their "New Warriors" reality show. While they put on a show for the cameras the villain Nitro self-destructed, killing many in the process and put the world on this path.
The palm of Penance's right fist crackled with a blue energy and he fired the first shot. Dagger dropped down to the ground and made a dash for him as Cloak was clipped by the blast on the left side of his ribs. She made a jab which was blocked. The walking nightmare let out a grunt and returned in kind with a flat palm to her chest. The force of the attack forced her to slide back into Cloaks arms. He proceeded with a follow up blast that sent the enemy pair flying.
Cloak helped Dagger to her feet as Penance's impending figure approached with his right hand charging up more power. Tandy released a light dagger from her hand and hit Penance's shoulder, draining the kinetic energy from him. Penance turned his head toward his hand as Tandy threw another light dagger. He could feel himself grow tired and lightheaded after both attacks. To remedy this, Penance balled his fist and slammed it against his rusting chest plate.
The spikes against his chest entered his skin and excited the energy within him once again. Tandy and Tyrone did not pay the action any mind, assuming that it was meant to intimidate until a fresh trail of blood spilled from the vents in the chest plate. He struck a second time and then a third in the same spot, Kinetic energy began to surge across the surface of his suit.
"Is he charging more energy by hurting himself?"
If pain was the cause of his power, then it might be difficult to defeat Penance. The best they could hope for might be to cause as much damage as possible before he could retaliate. Tandy's daggers could still knock out Penance if her aim was still true. His legs wouldn't be strong enough to support is body and he would fall in no time.
Tandy unleashed a salvo of light daggers at Penance with nowhere for him to go. To counter, the blue aura gravitated to the surface of Richard's body to create a hardened protective layer. The daggers dissipated after they bounced off Penance's shield.
"Tyrone, we need to get close if we're going to finish this"
Tyrone could take Tandy away but where? He wasn't sure if his powers still worked on this side of the barrier and he didn't know the facility too well to know where to go. He covered Tandy in his blue cloak and reappeared just above the target. Tandy fell from the cloak before Penance's feet with a sweep kick which he simply expanded the kinetic energy covering his body to slow her momentum. This made it easier to avoid with less effort. A blast sent her sliding three feet.
Cloak had descended from behind and caught his opponent in a full nelson. Both struggled as Dagger regained her footing and came running with a chop to his throat. A wheezing noise rang from the inside of the helm
"Enough" said the walking nightmare in a strained voice. The needles were still digging into him as he struggled against cloak, he could feel more blood trickling down his back and down his legs. As blood flowed, energy built up, swelling just under the surface of his skin. Tandy's second hit was directed at the ribs. The energy erupted to the surface in the form of a twister with Robbie in the center. The energy ran rampant, a force of nature brought on by one person. If their opponent could grow more powerful by harming himself then it was apparent in that moment that they weren't going to stop him. Their bodies flailed and slammed into the walls multiple times, with their arms, legs and heads taking much of the impacts.
When the twister finally stopped Cloak and Dagger were separated to opposite ends of the hall. Tyrone stood up despite his recent collisions and faced Penance who had his back turned to him.
"Stay away from her"
Penance turned around to face Cloak and raised his fist again and smack his chest plate. He began to approach as more blood and energy came flowing out of him. As this happened, Cloak could feel cold wash over him. Fear was an instrument of self-destruction. If they couldn't defeat Penance in a fight, perhaps he could banish him. Not only could Tyrone transport with the dark force dimension, he could leave people there. Alone in the dark void with their fears they could be eaten away but for now it was a temporary solution to an unavoidable problem.
Penance put his fist forward and launched another attack. Before it could make contact, Tyrone was gone. With his power still surging through his body Robbie reached for Tandy and was taken by darkness with Tandy into the dark force.
After the three arrived in the dark force dimension, Robbie's energy released from his body and flung Cloak and Dagger across the space. Cloak hit his head on the black surface of the ground. Tandy fell like a rag doll onto a pile of rocks. Cloak did not get up after his crash, he simply laid there. Robbie was left to himself in the dark void cut off from prison 42 and allies.
He panted and gave a long look at his target's bodies, sitting on opposite ends of him. Then he removed his helm he revealed the face of a bald man whose face was covered in cuts that hadn't healed. Time in the darkness was all that he had now, and it was useless to try and contact Richards. He could only reflect on the past that got him there and the thought that the pair would wake up soon.
"Mission complete."
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After one year, the two factions of avengers were about to collide once more. Two sides operating on opposing beliefs but this time it was not the same. After a year of being chased and boxed into a corner, the New Avengers led by Luke Cage no longer played by the same rules. They couldn't afford to. Before, Luke would not allow Venom to roam free but on this day, he would need the alien's strength to hold off the enemy. His team seemed a little more ragtag with the delusional Deadpool facing off against the Wasp, a comical combination. With Iron man's team having strong members among his ranks.
The original plan was to free as many people as possible and leave the zone behind, however that changed when the opposition appeared. For now, Luke's team would have to keep them busy while Black Cat and Hawkeye worked to free as many people as possible. When all was said and done, they would hopefully have a way out of the situation.
"Tony, I'm seeing that Luke's team-" said Reed from over the intercom.
"Already ahead of you Reed, no need for you to send backup. Divert resources to keep the others from getting out."
"We shouldn't leave anything to chance Tony"
"Trust me, this is anything but chance. Go handle the big picture I've got this corner covered"
Tony Stark, in his red and gold Axis armor faced down the Immortal Iron Fist in his green and yellow suit and yellow half mask. The eight orbs from the Axis floated above them, observing the battle to come. Both were quiet but it was only a matter of time before Tony would start spouting his quips. And true to form, it did happen.
"You know, technically since I'm Iron Man I have two iron fists."
"I thought you did away with iron somewhere around mark 30."
"Ah, ya got me there" said as he charged recklessly at the chi master with his left elbow forward. The Iron Fist gracefully stepped to his right; calm had become him in that moment. Eagerness was the enemy in every second. With Tony's armor protecting him, a misplaced hit would wound Danny. His dragon eyes observed ebb and flow of the metal plates, he could feel the air shift from his foes rushed attack. Still, while the dragon observed with two eyes behind a mask those eight orbs watched him from every angle and possibly all the other fights.
Iron Man slid past Iron Fist. His momentum carried him well past the target with his feet scraping across the floor. The thrusters on his feet sparked against the ground in order to turn around and swing his right arm out. The arm itself had hit nothing but air as the young dragon intended to keep his distance. For all he knew, data was being collected for a countermeasure with every dodge and at first glance his team appeared outmatched.
"I see you're going to make me earn it."
Danny heard the orbs as they cut through the air towards him, four of the eight. They flew at him like pigeons on a suicide run. He dodged the first and second. The third and fourth attempted a pincer, one to his right, the other to the left. Rather than dodge these he positioned his arms out to catch them instead, they swerved past him with Iron Man incoming, feet first.
To counter, Iron Fist positioned his arms to wrap around the Iron Man's calves and tossed him to the ground into Ares. The god of war was irritated by the sudden disruption of his match with Wolverine. His skin as well as his armor suffered from cuts by adamantium
"Sorry big man, lost my balance for a second"
"Be sure that it doesn't happen again." Ares toss him back toward Danny who was ready to strike.
Danny cocked back his glowing fist for the incoming target. Rather than strike Tony Danny shifted his attention to one of the orbs and turned it into a disk and tossed it to slice a second in half. The other six fired repulsor blasts that missed their mark. With his index and middle fingers pointed together, firing his chi into a concentrated blast, taking out two more. The number was now down to four out of eight.
Following the emergence of the chi blast came a pause from the other combatants to see the yellow light shine. What made this action so stunning was because before that day, Danny had not been able to channel his energy that way. His recent training was responsible for this. The book of the Iron Fist had pushed his abilities further with notes of his predecessor, Orson Randell. Orson was able to channel his chi and fire it from the chambers of dual pistols.
Iron man came in close, fists at the ready. He throws punches but his form was off, sloppy. Danny knew better than to fall for such poor technique, he kept Tony close but not allowing him to create distance or the surrounding orbs may strike. Every hit was aimed for his opponent's head and joints, damaging the suits with chi energy but Tony did not back away, he did not yield.
For Tony, every strike against him was invaluable. The axis took hits but picked up on the Iron Fist's patterns, his stance, stockpiled the data.
Danny pulled his half mask from over his eyes and yelled "Eye of the dragon!" As his eyes met Tony's something happened. Concentrated chi energy escaped from his pupils. Energy of a fierce dragon surged. It was as if Tony faced down the real thing and that was enough to cause muscles to tense up from paralysis. Tony was trapped in his own body, the body wrapped in armor meant to help him do great things rendered useless in one moment.
Danny needed to follow it though, for the eye of the dragon would not last very long, but it bought him time. Enough time to get one clear shot and put Iron Man out of commission.
Before Danny's fist could connect with Tony's chest Ms. Marvel had stepped in to catch it. The resulting force sent Iron Man backwards. She holds onto Danny levitating off of the ground.
"I could use some help about now. Can anybody tag in?" Called Danny
Luke steps toward Iron Fist but Sue Storm puts her hand on his shoulder. "I got it"
Sue formed a bubble over Ms. Marvel's head, preventing her from breathing oxygen. This caused Marvel to drop Danny to land on his feet and rejoin the New Avengers group.
"Thanks. I almost had him."
"Don't do that again" said Sue with tension in her voice. "There are too many powerhouses here to misstep"
"We just need to hold on until Black Cat can get our reinforcements out" added Luke.
However, the Sentry was not going to wait for the resistance to get their bearings. He flew head first into Sue's field and grabbing Venom and taking off into the air. This left the group open again to a blitz.
Tony stood up again with the paralysis having worn off. "Time to pick a dance partner"
The mighty Avengers charged forward to divide up their former comrades but by then Wolverine and Deadpool were dashed to meet them half way. Wolverine clashed his claws with the axe of Ares. Deadpool was comedically punched in the face by Wasp, whom he didn't see.
Daredevil clashed with black widow, Wonder man with Sue, Luke with Ms. Marvel.
"I've already killed one of your kind" said the Sentry. "If it means freeing this victim, I will pull every bit of you from her body."
"Then we hope you were as dedicated to eliminating our offspring."
The Sentry, Robert Reynolds had long blond hair, yellow suit with a blue cape and an "s" just above his waist. He was an imposing figure and for good reason. Next to nothing was known about him which made him as dangerous as the fact that he ripped Carnage in half and left the remains in space. This was during a prison break at the Raft and it gave him a reputation as a force to be feared.
As he promised, the Sentry grabbed at Venom and pulled at a portion of the alien covering the hosts skin underneath. Venom let out a hiss in response.
"Shall we get back to our fight?" said Ares as he took an axe swing that slashed open Wolverine's chest, the blade caused a large gash across Logan's chest, pouring out blood and bearing his adamantium covered bones before healing again. "I had heard of a little mortal man with the traits of a feral beast within him. Where is it?"
"Bub, I'm the best there is at what I do."
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Reed Richards had been following the chatter and chaos, even the Sentry's retreat. Teams were scattering and still so much had happened in a short time. Reed had considered himself the last line of defense though because where he was going would affect everything. Reports of the new Hawkeye and Black Cat were on their way to the detention cells holding the current prisoners. If they got free there was a greater chance the prison would be overrun.
A team of four soldiers had the two pinned. The Black Cat was using a key she acquired from a guard while Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) fired off Arrows. Trick arrows filled with a clay that made the floor sticky, keeping the enemy from getting closer and smoke
"Do you have the shot?"
"Affirmative."
"Then take it"
Kate took a dart to the shoulder, its contents invaded her body, she removed it, but the damage was done. It quickly became hard to lift the bow, to tug on the string. The strength that her muscles knew to exert grew more difficult every time she fired.
Black Cat managed to get the door open freeing a bare foot Eli Bradley in his orange one-piece jump suit. He pulled Kate and Felicia into his cell and rummaged through the bag of weapons to pull out his traditional shield. He peeked out into the hall to see that the guards were freeing themselves from the sticky floor.
"Well, here goes nothing" Said Eli.
Eli charged into the hall with his shield covering the top half of his body.
He leaped over the first soldier putting him on the center of them all. The man in front of him received a kick to the torso. A man to his left turned with his rifle ready to fire. Bradly swatted it away with his shield then followed up with a low sweep kick, knocking them off balance. To wrap it up he collided his foot with their helmets, rendering them unconscious and returned to his former cell. He saw the dart that Kate discarded in the hall.
Kate smiled and said, "How does it feel to wield the Shield again?"
"If it's anything like you with your bow, just like home. Thanks Kate but if you wanted an easier time with the guards, I'm the last one you should have come for. Did they hit you with a tranquilizer?"
"I'm fine, we have to keep moving"
Kate could feel herself struggling to stand. Her knees quaked but she stood up, Black Cat offered herself as a support, but Kate insisted on moving herself. Bradley looked away from his teammate's struggle.
"Since you started with me, we might as well get the others on the way to the big gun" said Eli as he looked down both ends of the hall. "We're going to need more help before the next wave comes. And I'm feeling a bit out of shape."
He changed into his full outfit, the blue padded long sleeve top which had the white star on the left peck with white pants and a red stripe on both sides of the legs. In full uniform he walked back over to the guards relieved them of their radio and hooked it to his waist. His shield was raised as he pressed on with Cat and Hawkeye at the rear.
In the beginning Kate had barely kept up, however, the more she tried the more it felt like her body was working too hard. The sore feeling spread to her thighs relentless, her calves were tense. Eventually it was too much for her as Patriot was halfway down the hall scouting ahead. When he returned, she leaned against the nearest wall and allowed herself to slide against it. She couldn't go on.
He didn't want to leave her behind. Black Cat was not comfortable waiting around while holding the bag full other people's items. If they free the right person, they could help but that would take too long and each cell was specifically designed with different locks. The best option for that was to find the control room but could mean running into a heavily guarded area.
Kate pulled on Eli's shirt, bringing his face to hers and kissing him.
"Well this got hot and heavy quick" purred Felicia
Hawkeye's arm then pushed Patriot away. He looked back at her with the reluctance, he wanted to stay but time was running out. Black Cat agreed and tossed the bag full of clothes next to the disabled Hawkeye who reached a hand in and pulled out a pair of gauntlets attached to yellow sleeves. She looked them up and down for the on button and pressure controls. She had seen them on TV before with a c-list villain by the name of the Shocker.
"Over there!"
"Go now" shouted Hawkeye with her arms directed down the hall. Her allies ran with the bag of weapons in hand. The guards were hit with concentrated blasts of air and flung backwards. She let out a scream from the kickback which aggravated the ache in her arms. Relief came from knowing that her allies got away. In that moment a strange blue wheel came rolling over the cape killers and go straight for Kate at a high speed. She forced her arms up to fire another shot and before the blast let loose the wheel came undone revealed to be Mr. Fantastic in uniform.
Reed turned from the shape of a tire to a thin bed sheet, drifting by the ceiling, just above the blast range. After it passed Kate fell to her knees in agony as Reed began to coil around and restrain her.
"You'll only make it worse if you struggle"
The guards came to capture Kate, this freed Reed and allowed him to resume the chase.
"Hey kid, are you going to tell me who the big gun is?" Asked the Black Cat.
"Johnny Storm, he's easily one of the strongest but besides that I'm sure you heard his story."
"That he caught wind of something and was locked away for it? Sure, that's all anyone talks about at the base. They make him sound like a martyr."
"Funny, it was the only thing keeping me going in here. Especially since time flows differently. For good measure they kept his cell away from everyone else's."
Felicia fell quiet as she ran behind the youth, unsure where they were going. It was not in her nature to follow blindly but she watched him. She watched him look up at the letters and numbers to identify the different cell areas because he knew what to look for.
In another dimension isolated from their homes on earth, guards would talk to break the silence of long hours. They gossip about one of the prisoners. The one who has a strict guard detail on the other side of the building dubbed Prometheus.
"We've got company, looks like the Scientist supreme came to stop us himself"
"Guess that means we're on the right track."
Again, in the form of a tire wheel Reed sped down the hall at a faster rate and Black Cat was weighted down by the bag she was carrying over her shoulder. The two of them would have to fight if he wasn't stopped and all he had to do was keep them busy until more guards came.
Felicia ran the odds in her head, and she didn't like any of them. Even now, as far as she had come thoughts of heroic actions had costs. She didn't want to pay but she thought of what the spider would do? She passed along the bag to Patriot's right hand and ran in the opposite direction. In the hopes that something would be able to help him get passed whatever security he faced.
Patriot lost sight of Black Cat as he turned the corner but tried to keep his eyes forward. The guards up ahead were sure not to have left their posts and they might have whatever Kate was tagged with.
Two Guards stood at the other end of the hall with a steel door behind them. One stepped forward with their rifles and fired without warning. Eli held up his shield on his left arm, not to protect his body but his eyes. As the bullets hit his skin, they bounced off like cotton balls and he got closer to the target.
With one guard firing off rounds the other took out a vial of the limited substance Mr. Fantastic had distributed. Instead of loading it in the dart gun he kept it in his hand and cracked the lid open. If his target was bulletproof perhaps his insides weren't. Eli smacked the gun away with his shield which slammed the guard into the wall, the second grabbed him by the head and pulled back. With his mouth momentarily open the guard poured the experimental liquid down the youth's throat.
Eli cocked back his elbow into the guard's chest with a follow up spin kick which sent him colliding into the wall. He used the shield as a wedge to crank the metal door open. On the inside of the room were another pair of guards at the ready with teasers. Eli hid in the hallway as they stood ready to face him.
In that time Eli's stomach grew tense. Whatever the guard had made him swallow was on its way back up. The gag reflexes started and with great force, coating the floor in vomit. Pains in his body remained though the cause was expelled. Soreness had spread through his body yet his mission lead before him.
He rushed into the room with hoarse breathing and his shield up. In this room was large sort of fish tank completely sealed, connected to tubes filling it with green gel and at its center was the figure of a man. This person's mouth was hooked up to a mask, presumably feeding oxygen to the captive's face. A tube in his arm fed him nourishment His arms flailed as he struggled to break the restraints which covered his arms to the biceps and his legs from the feet to the thighs. This was his thousandth time for the thousandth time when he saw Patriot.
Patriot ran into the room the captive reacted by flailing arms and legs, renewed with a will to struggle. He darted for the console to the far right of the tank as the guards came to meet him with flying fists. His stomach wretched with pain and his vision blurred. Even as he shielded himself the electricity traveled through the metal to flesh. He pushed back one and hit the other in the ribs with his shield.
His insides were irritated, his chest grew tighter with every breath. If this were to get any worse, holding back was no longer an option. As the guard stood up Eli flung his shield at the man's shin guards, penetrating it. The guard let out a scream and was choked from behind by Eli's biceps until he fell asleep.
With the guards relieved of their keys Patriot approached the console. Both keys inserted in their respective slots when a voice called to him from behind.
"Don't do this Eli" said Mr. Fantastic. "All of the work from the past year will be undone if you release that lock. You didn't get to see that work, but we did the right thing, the dangers we've prevented…"
"I'm… so tired… of talking" Patriot pressed the button, Causing the tank to release its contents. Red lights flashed as a solution was added to the gel, causing it to change to a liquid form and flushed from the tank.
Eli fell to his knees, with his stomach in searing pain. Blood dripped from his mouth as he choked on it and expired.
Reed stretched his way to the console in an attempt to restart the restraining process but the gel as about gone now and Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, was not happy. His body was let down slowly as the gel drained away. His arms and legs had succumbed to atrophy from lack of use and could not stand but he did not need them to do so. By craning his arms, he pulled out the various tubes in his arms and the mask which covered his face, supplying oxygen.
"Flame on!"
His body was alit with flames after reciting his old phrase. In this form there was no need to walk since he could fly. He had thought to himself many times about what he would do once he was free. He could fight Reed but there was Patriot's body on the floor, growing colder by the minute after paying the ultimate sacrifice. There was always a chance that he would have another countermeasure hidden away in the room. Johnny Storm burned hotter and flew for the doorway.
Johnny flew into the hallway and was met with the fire suppression system. Cold foam discharged from the walls, it coated the Human Torch and he crashed onto the floor.
Reed kneeled to check Eli's condition. He mourned the young avenger as Johnny looked onward to his fleeting freedom.
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Peter and Kaine traversed the prison square wearing guard outfits complete with helmets and stolen cotton balls to muffle their ears to thwart the spider-jammers. An area of 100 square feet in the center of the prison 42 complex. Across the way was the Icarus tower in their sights. With every step their limbs burned even more. It felt like they had been running for miles, however that wasn't true. The distance they traveled was not even a mile and yet their muscles said otherwise since they were injected with a mysterious substance.
Along the front of a few buildings were Humvees fueled and ready for transport. Kaine had been a few feet ahead of Peter, carrying himself with occasional grunts to combat the strain in his legs. In the distance was the encroaching cape killers with weapons in hand. Peter saw Kaine stubbornly push forward and at the same time let his eyes gravitate toward the cars. With the soreness in his calves constant, he gave up walking but he had no knowledge of how to hotwire a car.
Peter threw an elbow pad as hard as he could.
Peter pointed to the car and pinched his fingers together to say, "Can you hotwire a car?"
Spider-Man took his place at the passenger side of the vehicle, pressing his hands against the glass. It cracked in every direction, spreading to every corner until it shattered altogether and fished his hand inside to undo the lock while his double ripped the driver's side door off.
The car drove through the two-way road the other side of the complex. From this view the prison felt more like a city unto itself with vacant sidewalks to match and smooth roads. Every second of not moving relieved the soreness which was sure to return. Kaine kept his eyes on the road as a few cars moved toward and then passed them, most likely to put out other fires.
The Icarus Tower was similar to Stark Tower, the way that it reached for the sky, making it easy to spot. Kaine drove up to the building, allowing the car to jump the curb and park on an incline of stairs leading to the front entrance. After the bumps, Peter was glad he put on his seat belt after checking his neck for whiplash and stepped out.
The brothers walked up the steps and approached the front doors which slid open to welcome them. The lobby was empty, but the security cameras followed them on their way to the elevators.
When the elevator came, both stepped inside knowing it was a trap. Their muscles sore from whatever they were injected with, this would not stop them. A ding sounded as they arrived at their destination.
The lights on this floor were dim and walls of black led a narrow path, leading in one direction. Kaine led the way to an office space with flickering florescent lights. Desks, tables and chairs were all tossed other and littered with holes. Papers littered the carpeted floor. Phones sounded off with their dial tones, waiting to be hung up. Windows of black glass encapsulated the whole space from presumably the facility outside.
This floor had been a battleground before they arrived. In his crouched position Peter kept his back to the black wall while Kaine lurched over to the nearest desk when the buzzing started. The sound of a rapidly exploding chamber was in the distance.
Kaine grabbed a metal leg of the desk, pulling it up and making the furniture a riot shield.
"Frag" called a man before a grenade bounced off the carpet and near Kaine's feet. He dropped the top side of the table on the grenade
Peter aimed is web for the grenade and flung it at the blackened windows. The glass did not yield in the wake of the explosion. Next were the flashbangs, three of them, scattered around the floor. Smothering one with webbing was easy but not the other two. Light burst from two of them, blinding their intended targets.
The loud ping did not affect the two while their vision was covered in white as the punches rained down. They could feel the helmets torn from their heads, the cotton in their ears fell to the floor and if the punches weren't landing on their skulls the spider-jammers would.
The two spiders were propped up and held in place by the arms of normal people whose veins charged with adrenaline. presented before their target as he approached, Devin soaked in the sight of the two.
"I thought there was a chance you would come after me, but you even brought your clone. Well you know what they say… double your pleasure, double your fun."
"The only pleasure will be when I snap your neck with my bare hands"
"Kaine Parker. It's been some time, but I would say there's no difference between you and Peter. Yeah, you both have that look in your eyes. Don't tell me you're still mad about Mary Jane"
Both Parkers had tensed up at the sound of her name.
"Chill out guys, you'd think I killed the love of your lives which isn't what happened. Technically her heart was just too weak. Whoops I don't think I said that right"
Devin saw as their faces mirrored each other perfectly with scorn as he rolled up his sleeves. He took out a green pill from his pocket and swallowed it himself.
"My point is we need a fresh start and we can't do that until you let go. I don't know how you beat me Spider-Man but I'm willing to bet your flawed double isn't the same. Still, I know his degeneration might infect me if I touch him."
Devin kneeled to Kaine's level, opened his palm toward Kaine and blew some kind of powder at his face. The clone held his breath and rocked his head left to right to avoid the specs. As Devin observed that his prey did not breath, he chose to have one of his guard's strike Kaine in the throat. He breaths deep upon instinct and coughs.
"Breathe deep. Now stand up."
Kaine rose up from his knees in a perfectly smooth motion. His eyes focused
"Kaine?" said Peter. But he was met with no response. His clone merely looked forward and nowhere else.
Devin turned to look at Peter and said, "it's your turn now".
"And we're right on time"
Red lights blared and a loud ring sounded off across the entire complex. "warning. Self-destruct sequence has been initiated. The facility has now entered lockdown protocol."
All around the facility, all the fights ceased with the sound of the ringing bells
Devin back to face Peter with a smile. "The powered population is going to take a hit Pete. Don't worry though, I'll be careful not to break him like the last one."
Peter desperately tried to break free from the hold on his arms, but he could do nothing as Devin and Kaine disappeared in a cloud of darkness.
The guards who remained dropped to their knees and held their heads as though they suffered a headache. Quickly, Peter broke his arms free of the weakened hold and slammed the palm of his hand down on his wrist. The nano machines released from their confines cover Peter's body again in the black red and blue suit.
"Whoa, what am I doing in the training field?"
"It's Spider-Man! Get him!"