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I posted chapter 72 while the site was being silly and not properly updating, so you might want to double check you've read the previous chapter before proceeding.

I'm happy to report good news for a change, Power Up came out last week and it absolutely kicks ass. If you can, give the whole thing a listen and if you're hesitant, just give the opening track, 'Realize' a chance and if you like that then you'll enjoy the next dozen songs. Highlights for me, besides that opening track, are 'Kick You When You're Down,' 'Demon Fire,' and the closing track, 'Code Red.' Leave it to a bunch of 70 somethings to show everyone else how it's done.

Bladewolf101: Glad you liked the last chapter, probably one of the few to read it when it originally came out because of the whole clusterfuck related to the site I mentioned up top.

Blaze1992: Yuri didn't actually know that they had an audience, she got outfoxed by a spook, can't blame her too much. I don't think anyone who was dealing with the FBI is the type to punch a federal agent, so sorry you didn't get your wish. As for why Cooper's helping Fury, they're on better terms, especially after the IMC and even more so following their little chat in chapter 70. As for the limit of BTs upgrades, I don't need to make the Titan any more powerful than he already is, and the upgrades I gave him were selected very carefully to be useful for what's coming. I want to preserve BTs role as a piece of heavy armor while giving him the tools he'll need for when I do have him see more action later on in the story. When Fury gave Cooper that room he knew what was going to happen, Fury also wouldn't want to get on the Pilot's bad side by bugging it now that the Pilot is reasonably responsive to him. Fury has always wanted the Pilot to be on his side and threatened him when Cooper was confrontational, but now that Matthew isn't so dismissive Fury is taking a more gentle tac.

A Fan: I get what you're saying, I don't mind you taking it in your own pace. As for the death of Aunt May, it was a well done moment that packed a brutal emotional punch, and it was also a big fat middle finger to whatever the hell 'One More Day' was supposed to be, at least to me it was. And make no mistake, Bliss is super dead, I just used his boss fight in the Division as the basis for that whole sequence. As for who the long term recurring Villain I have planned, you'll actually see him again in this chapter. As for giving Peter the lab, this was something hinted at in the tie in Comic Books.

A few quick housekeeping items right quick, yes, I do know that the spinoff/followup, Spider-Man: Miles Morales came out this week, I have not gotten a PS5 and don't plan on it for a while, and since I still hate Peter's new face in the remaster I don't want that either. I have watched a playthrough of it and have...many opinions on the story, and not a whole lot of them are good. Obviously I'm a ways off from the events of the game, but I'm curious as to all y'alls thoughts, do you want to see it adapted as is, changed, or just ignored in favor of an original story in its place? Let me know via review or PM or whatever, I'm curious as to the pulse of the fanbase.

Now, as to the title, this song is weird, it's a really old timey sounding rock n roll tune that sounds like it's from the early 60's but is actually from the mid 90's. It comes from the first movie directed by Tom Hanks called 'That Thing You Do' about a fictional band called 'The Wonders' or 'The Oneders' at various points in the film. I have a soft spot for the film since I saw it when I was very young and it has some incredibly catchy tunes, most notably the song that gives the film its name, but not too far behind is this one. As for why I picked it...I threw a dart at a board and this is what I hit.


Power Without Question – Chapter 73: Little Wild One

All the girls at school

Were never quite as cool as you

They were all teasin' 'n talkin'

You were always pleasin', let's do

Little Wild One, my little wild one

Oh, I love my girl fine

But when I need a wild time

Little Wild One, I'll come back to you


The air was split by the sound of jet engines as a huge An-124 Ruslan touched down, massive tires screeching in protest as the brakes were applied to bring the 300,000 kilogram transport aircraft to a halt at the end of the 2,500 meter long runway at the 71st Air Base in southern Romania. On it were spare parts for Sable International's newly purchased BTR-80s, 2S19s, and BMPTs, all of which would be neatly arranged inside one of the large hangers just off the base. As Silver Sablinova watched the four engine transport turn off the runway, she remembered to check on the Ukrainian T-84 tanks that had had been delayed in their delivery. Setting that thought aside for the moment, the Mercenary turned back to examine the SU-35 'Cyclone', or 'Flanker-E' as NATO called it, that sat in the hardened shelter. This particular one, tail number 032, had a distinct paint job, the fuselage was painted a standard grey, but the wings and tail were a dark navy blue. The wings bore the roundel of Sable International and the nose had the emblem of the Sable 66th Air Force Unit of the 6th Air Division, which was, rather fittingly, the red hound of hell gnawing on its chain. This was the Symbol of the Galm Team, and this was Galm 1's aircraft, the writing beneath the cockpit revealed that the Pilot's callsign was 'Cipher.'

The fixed wing elements of Sable International had seen rapid expansion, going from merely a transport and logistics group into a full combat one as well, featuring not only Flankers, but Tu-22Ms, Su-25s, and even a pair of Boeing 737 AEW&C early warning and control craft that had been designated 'Eagle Eye' and 'Sky Eye.' Her own personal aircraft had just arrived, one that she had seen in use against the IMC, and the Symkarian went to inspect it next. As Sable strode to the hardened shelter that housed it, she was saluted by the troops and mechanics that were moving with purpose to prepare for the inevitable invasion. Finally reaching the hanger, Sable's footsteps echoed through the space, which only had herself and her aircraft.

Filling the massive empty space, the massive 17-meter wingspan of the 11,000 kilo A-10 Thunderbolt II still gave off an air of lethality even when sitting still and completely unarmed. Silver approached the craft with reverence, for some reason, as she ran her hand over the 7-barrel gatling gun in the bottom of the nose, everything seemed to feel more real. There was still a lot of work left to do, the ground vehicles were not here, those who would use them needed to be trained and drilled on them, and more supplies had to be stockpiled, among many, many other things. Working her way around the aircraft, the tusked maw of a Warthog emblazoned on the nose, the hardpoints on the wings, and the partially disassembled engines, Sable got the sense that she was on a new path, nowhere near it's completion to be sure, and it wasn't one she hadn't even thought possible six months ago, but seeing this aircraft, purchased with the sole purpose of reclaiming her childhood home, was an 18 million dollar reminder of just how tangible that desire was.

Circling back around towards the front, the Mercenary climbed the step ladder into the open cockpit, passing by the writing stenciled below the opening that read Princess Silver 'Silver Bird' Sablinova as she reached the top and settled down inside. Wrapping her hands around the controls, the Mercenary began to see it, the old analogue gauges, worn seat, and cracked canopy told a story, this was a warbird, battle scarred but ready to serve. Even if the Thunderbolt wasn't high tech, it had heart, it was the kind of thing she was starting to remember mattered after being surrounded by nothing by cutting edge tech, and it was the kind of thing that made her feel renewed confidence that she would succeed, and accomplish more in the next few months than she had in the last decade.


Pulling on his shirt, Crimson looked down at the pair of whores in his bed, one of the many 'perks' of his current employment. The former Apex Predator got a steady supply of female company as soon as he asked for it that was delivered to his luxurious living space in the small town in the tiny little country he had been sent to under contract. Adjustment to life as an advisor to a group of scientists and engineers had been no more difficult than any other of his rapid adjustments made over his life, from farm boy to orphan to mechanic to mercenary. Even if he did now enjoy a more luxurious life now than he had before coming through 'The Gate' that didn't mean he didn't keep a dedication to his work, even if he had to find alternative ways to stay in shape and burn calories since tinkering in labs and workshops didn't quite do it.

Smirking at the thought, the Pilot made a mental note to keep that redhead around as he tied up his boots and strode to the exit of the house he had been put up in, grabbing the coat on the rack by the door before he stepped out into the Symkarian cold. At the very least, the former Frontier Mercenary didn't have to brave the elements for very long as he made his way down the road of what appeared to be a nondescript little village before entering an unassuming looking shop. But instead of a shopkeeper behind the counter, there was an armed guard who saluted Crimson as he came in. Without needless pleasantries, the former Apex Predator pulled down his hood and pressed his face to the retinal scanner and waited for the ancient technology to accept him before there was a solid 'click' and a tone to indicate his identity had been verified and the door behind the counter opened.

That door revealed a distinctly different hallway than one Crimson had expected when he had first been shown the facility. Walls of clean stark white, well-lit despite being fully underground, and all the power came from a geothermal plant built into it, with the village on the surface merely being a façade to conceal the entire operation. Stepping down the stairs, the Pilot came to yet more security, showing his identification to the guard, he was let into the observation deck overlooking the floor below where scientists and technicians were hard at work on the various projects in this wing of the facility that he was assigned to 'advise' on and oversee. There were several smaller attempts to integrate samples of IMC technology into Advanced Idea Mechanic's own robotics in a roundabout way to recreate the IMC's Specter mechanical infantry. Others were already hard at work continuing to reverse engineer weapons that he had used on the frontier. But the greatest creation was at the center, it was a sight he had sorely missed, the skeleton had taken more than eight months to complete, the electrics another month, and the powerplant had only arrived three weeks ago, but the rapidly forming shape of a Titan brought a smile to Crimson's face. While it did lack many of the advanced features of the Titans of the frontier, it was still shaping up to be formidable in its own right, and an assembly line was already being built to mass produce the machines once he had run this prototype through its paces and worked out the bugs.

But it still needed a few critical components, and Crimson was pleased to see that another vital item had arrived and was being fitted. Like almost everything else in the machine, the armor plate had been developed in this very facility. Deeper in the facility was another large group of metallurgists who had to develop the alloys being used for all of these projects and more, and they had finally created a set of composite armor using their most advanced alloys and other materials that was sturdy enough to make a difference and still light enough to be fitted to a Titan, which was limited by the lesser quality metal in the structure, the higher ground pressure, and the amount of weight that was high up and hard to balance. Despite all of the computer modeling said they would make it, but the Mercenary Pilot would only have his doubts dispelled once he was inside and driving a Titan again.

The only thing that would make it better was if he had something to use it against.


"To tell you the truth Felicia," said MJ as she sipped her Pina Colada while she sat with the water coming up to her shoulders, stretching out as she enjoyed the heat of the jacuzzi before turning to the other woman she was sharing it with, "you do strike me as the kind of person who would have a hot tub." The heiress smirked as she looked over her expensive sunglasses and down at the Bugle Associate Editor as the redhead continued, "New York is about subway rats and street pizza; not sunbathing and umbrella drinks," she argued, but it was somewhat undercut as MJ downed even more of the cocktail and smiled again, savoring the sweet coconut drink.

The Platinum blonde shook her head and, miraculously, her miniscule swimsuit top stayed in place, despite the fact that it barely covered anything to begin with. Mary Jane had hoped that she wasn't being too bold when she arrived with her own polka dot bikini, but Felicia had put those thoughts to bed when she walked out in some designer microkini that was downright brash in comparison. Still, with the warm water of the tub against their skin and cook drinks in their hands, the pair enjoyed simply relaxing, and MJ wasn't so proud to admit she didn't need some time to unwind. "I'll agree, that is what the New York down there is about. But up here? Why not?" she asked as she sipped her own cocktail. "I can go down and get my street pizza and then come up here, sip my umbrella garnished drink in my jacuzzi, eat that pizza," began the Thief as MJ sipped her drink, "and then get a good proper lay." Mary Jane nearly spit out her drink, but she forced it down before looking up to see her platinum blonde counterpart giving an appropriately Cheshire grin. "Come on, tell me how it went. Don't be shy," encouraged Felicia, which only caused MJ's face to turn as red as her hair.

"It…went well," she said quietly, swallowing hard as she withered under the Black Cat's glare, "we're back together. He's been spending the last few days at my place," she revealed as the platinum blonde vixen's grin managed to widen, "we've been…enjoying our time together." Felicia was clearly expecting more out of MJ, but the redhead clamped up and so she decided the best plan of defense was an attack. "How about you? Matt and you get up to anything you want to share?"

Felicia grinned wickedly, "where do you think I got the idea for the hot tub? I can't wait to get him in it to be honest." The silver haired woman sighed and relaxed, smiling fondly as she recalled how she spent her weekend, "Really, it'd be easier to list off what we didn't do. He really was spectacular," she continued with a small laugh, "goodness, my asshole is still sore. I told him to give me everything he had," she mused, "and I forgot just how much he has to give."

MJ couldn't fully suppress a smile but quickly hid her face behind her drink glass. Still, something, probably the alcohol, was going to her head, making her even bolder and urging her to respond. "You like doing that then?" inquired the redhead, noting the raised silver eyebrow, "taking it erm, back there?"

With the grin of a predator that knew it had caught its prey, Felicia replied, "I've always enjoyed a challenge. Be it beating some new security system or stretching my asshole to take a bigger cock," she explained, and MJ managed to keep a straight face, "and as long as the payoff's good then I don't mind enduring a little pain." Mary Jane hummed her acknowledgement as Felicia took another sip of her drink while she gave the redhead an appraising look before she continued. "Why don't you give it a shot? Spider's good for it, and you have the body to make him crave some backdoor action. A nice, tight ass, a good pair of hips to grab on to, there's no way he'd say no. What do you think?" she asked.

Finishing off the last of her liquid courage, Mary Jane worked her jaw before answering. "I think you're right," she said, getting a confused look back, "about everything." Mary Jane's finger tapped nervously along the inside of the jacuzzi as she elaborated, "I know that because…I'm a little sore back there too," admitted the redhead.

It took a moment for Felicia to comprehend what the redhead had said, but when it clicked, the Thief's look of shock was replaced with a knowing smile. "I knew there was more to you than you let on Red," declared the heiress smugly, "that fiery personality had to lead to something between the sheets." MJ clammed up a bit, the slight buzz she had worked up starting to fade even if Felicia did not. "I'm glad that you're getting some fun out of Spider. It'd be a damn shame if a guy like him got stuck with some boring missionary only bitch," she said with a laugh as MJ cracked a smile before a silence fell over them. MJ still felt weird talking with Felicia about her relationship with Peter, but it seemed that her admission had garnered more than a little respect from the Black Cat.

Leaning back and closing her eyes, Mary Jane reflected on what it was like to have Peter back in her life, they were both different people now. Pete would never let go of his protective nature; but he wasn't nearly as overbearing about it as he had been. After the IMC, she had a new respect for him, an understanding of her own limitations, that there were some things that she simply could not do and knew that they were best when they worked together. Their year apart hadn't dampened the chemistry they shared either, confirmed when they had gotten back to her place and she had enjoyed everything he had to offer. For too long, she had been envious of Felicia, her excessive wealth, extravagant lifestyle, and her relationship with a man who fit together with her perfectly. Not that MJ wanted Matt specifically, but she always wanted someone who got her like Cooper seemed to get Hardy. Only now was she realizing that she always had someone like that in Pete, and MJ felt kinda dumb for not realizing it sooner.

"Hey Red," said Felicia, knocking MJ from her internal conundrums as she looked at the platinum blonde, who had a look that plainly said she was grappling with her own inner thoughts, "mind if I asking something personal? But…in a different way." Mary Jane nodded and focused on Felicia, listening intently to her. "Are you in love with Spi…I mean Peter?" she asked bluntly, but sincerely. "You two read like a movie. You were his girl next door, his high school sweetheart. Then you were on again off again and now, after a year apart and a few near-death experiences where he saves your life, you two are back together again. Don't tell me you can't see that on the big screen," she challenged.

MJ laughed a bit at their crazy lives but pursed her lips as she pondered the question seriously. "I just might," she said finally. "I can't even say what would have to change for me to give a different answer. I know what I know and what I feel." Pausing, MJ looked up to see Felicia looking quite serious as she soaked in the Associate Editor's every word, "and I know that Peter is special…I mean I know he's special because he's Spider-Man, but he has a special place in my eyes that nobody else does." Felicia nodded in understanding, but said nothing as MJ asked, "what are you getting at?"

There was a lull before Felicia replied softly, "Matt told me he loved me." Now it was Mary Jane's turn to listen to the heiress as she continued, "he really meant it to and I told him that I felt the same but…I'm not so sure…" said Felicia before trailing off.

"Sure about what?" prompted MJ, "do you regret saying that?"

Felicia shook her head quickly, "not in the slightest. It's just that…I never expected it," admitted the Thief. "Think about it, who in their right mind would fall in love with a criminal who manipulated them? I'm not the kind of girl you take home to your mother and fall in love with, I'm the kind of girl you lust after. That was how I lived for so long, lusting for this or that, him or her, and I never thought I would get anything more. But now that I do have something more I'm not sure I can do it."

MJ nodded and carefully thought through her reply before speaking, "I don't think you're looking at this right. He isn't asking for more, he's just asking for you. Now, I'm not saying it won't be difficult at times, but you like a challenge, right?" she asked, getting a confirming nod. "Then just think of this like another challenge. You'll have to stretch yourself out a bit, he'll be trying to be careful so he doesn't force anything too fast, but in the end the payoff will be worth the pain," she assured.

Felicia let out a breath in relief, "thanks Red. That makes me feel better about this. I just have one question," said the Thief, "did you intend to use anal sex as a metaphor for love?" asked Hardy with a grin. Mary Jane's eyes widened as her blush returned, "not that I would mind true love leading to all the fun we had this weekend," she said lecherously. Mary Jane didn't answer, but her usual discomfort wasn't nearly as extreme as it was when Felicia made such lewd comments, something the heiress seemed to take delight in. "But I wouldn't mind if true love felt the same as a big dick in my ass."

Nevermind, Mary Jane was just as uncomfortable as usual.


"Thanks again for helping me with this Matt," said Peter as the Texan parked his new purchase, "I don't know how I would have moved all of this stuff without this thing." Cooper turned to look at the cheap furniture behind them and nodded in agreement as Peter's expression became concerned. "I hope you didn't feel like you had to get this thing just to help me with this."

Matthew burst out laughing, "you shitting me dude? I'm a Texan, it was just a matter of time before I bought a truck," he drawled as he shut off the 6.2 liter V8 of the Ford SVT Raptor. "Don't get me wrong, I still prefer my Viper or Shelby, but come on," continued Matt as he opened the door and dropped down, "I saw this thing come up for sale and couldn't resist." Indeed, a 2014 model first generation SuperCab Raptor in Ford blue, complete with the digital mud decals, was a rare find up here, especially in good shape. While the variant of the F-150 was meant to be an off road vehicle, it was still a truck with a big bed, and that had been used to carry most of Peter's larger items to his new apartment, with the Webslinger having taken care of the smaller stuff on his own.

Peter, however, was not quite as enthused as Matt was, "uhh…yeah, I guess it's kinda nice," replied the Webhead, "very um, big." Matt just shook his head and laughed, trucks were just something that New Yorkers didn't seem to get, which was fine, it meant he got a good price on his Raptor. "So…how do you want to do this? Work our way from left to right?"

"I'm thinking so," agreed Matt as he unlatched the tailgate and grabbed the first box, "let's make this quick, we shouldn't have many prying eyes so do your thing and let's make quick work of this, okay?" Peter nodded, the Webslinger using his superhuman strength to take the still assembled bedframe and mattress that even Matt couldn't even hope to carry, much less up several flights of stairs. "I never got a chance to ask," began the Texan as he opened the side door into the building and worked his way up the stairs with the Queens Native in tow, "how'd things go with Mary Jane?"

"They uh, went well," he replied, struggling more with the bulk of the items he was carrying than the weight in the tight stairwell. "I've actually been spending the last few days at her place," admitted the Queens native, trying to ignore the grin that Matt had on his face and continued before Matt could direct his prying, "it was good to be back together."

"Oh, I bet it was," drawled Matt with a knowing smile, not minding at all how the usually talkative Wallcrawler fell silent. Even if he was thankful for the quiet, that didn't prevent Cooper from continuing to tease his friend. "I could think of worse things than three days with a redhead, though it probably explains why you're looking so tired."

"You aren't looking too fresh either Coop," retorted Peter gamely as they reached the floor with Peter's apartment, and as the duo trudged out of the stairs Matt had a self-satisfied smirk on his face. As Peter opened the door to his new place he continued, "I'm guessing you told her how you felt and she felt the same way?" asked the Webslinger, Matt nodding in affirmation. "I told you that she would," continued Peter smugly and Matt shrugged, "I'm happy for you man, I really am."

Matthew nodded as he set the boxes he had down, "thanks, and I'm happy to hear you got back with MJ…if only so I don't have to hear you two dance all around each other while drowning everyone else with the sexual tension," drawled the Texan while Peter slid the bed across the floor. The impudence and anger in Peter's glare flowed past the Pilot ineffectually as the Queens Native looked around his new apartment, it wasn't in the best of shape but the location was good, and there was a surprising amount of space. "Still," began Matt as Peter led the two out and back downstairs, "now that I think about it, MJ has been hanging around with Felicia a lot lately," said the Texan.

"Uh huh…" responded Peter carefully.

"Don't you think we should be worried?" asked Matt, "I mean Felicia is enough of a handful on her own, I assume MJ is the same way?" Peter didn't respond, but his silence was answer enough, "exactly. It could become a concern."

Peter thought about it as they reached the bottom of the stairs before finally shrugging, "you think so?" he asked as the Webhead opened the door and led the pair outside. "I'm not sure man," mused Parker, "what makes you think they're up to something?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know for sure," began Matt as he climbed up into the bed of the Raptor and began sorting through what was left to take up, "but let's go through who we're dealing with here. On one hand we have your on again off again red headed flame who was crazy enough to sneak into a PMC's main operating base without any thoughts of backup. Not only that, she pulled it off. MJ is, in all honesty, just a little devious." Peter nodded reluctantly in agreement as Matt continued, "and then, on the other hand," began the Pilot, "we have Felicia." Peter's head bobbed up and down again with just that, "I love the woman, but she is always up to something."

"Point," conceded the Wallcrawler as he looked up at Matthew, who was pushing the bedframe to the edge of the tailgate. "What do you think we should do?"

"Based on my experience," began Cooper as he jumped down, "it would probably be best to just let them go through with whatever they have planned. Who knows," said the Pilot as he grinned and grabbed more of Peter's stuff while the Queens Native pulled out a well-worn desk, "we might even enjoy it."

Peter shook his head when a new voice sounded behind them, "hey, there you guys are!" Both men turned to see Miles Morales walking down the back alley towards them in his Midtown hoodie. Matt knew the teen would be coming at some point, but he had hoped to let Peter use his superstrength to get everything upstairs before he did show up, but that couldn't be helped now. "Here Pete," said Morales, "let me help you with that," he offered as the two worked the heavy wooden furniture out of the back of the Raptor.

"Thanks Miles," replied the Webhead as they easily pulled out the frame and Matt led the way with the box he had, performing some tricky moves to shuffle the box around so he could get a free hand to open the door. "How're things going with you? School started back up yet?" asked Peter as Miles backed through the door and began to work his way up the stairs after Matthew.

"Sure did, first day was Wednesday," answered Miles. Something sounded off though, looking back over his shoulder, Matt noticed that, unsurprisingly, Peter wasn't looking too bothered by the desk, but Miles wasn't looking to have much difficulty either. "Classes are all janked though, people are still trying to get back into things after everything," admitted the teen, "but I was actually hoping to ask you two something…"


Miles was terrified, and his mind was only partially focused on the bulky bed frame as another part of his mind wanted the two older men to say no to his request. That part of his mind was quickly disappointed as Peter offered a kindly look, "sure Miles. What was it?" Matthew hummed what was probably an agreement as the Teen looked up at the odd creature on the back of the Texan's bomber jacket.

Taking a breath, Miles opened his mouth before snaping it shut once more, how could he actually try to explain what was happening to him? But Peter was still looking up at him expectantly, so his mind raced to come up with an alternative, "so uh, there's this girl," he began, not really sure why his mind decided this was a preferable topic, but he had to just roll with hit. "And I was wondering if I could get some advice on asking her out," he began slowly as they began heading up another flight of stairs, "seeing as how you got back with your ex Pete, and after meeting Felicia, I know you both have some game," continued the Midtown student. "You two got anything that could help me?" he asked.

Matt answered first, "depends on the gal," drawled the Texan, "but just in general? I'd say to just go for it, no guts no glory after all." Miles nodded as Cooper opened a door into an apartment and held it open, "but he's the one you should really be asking kid," said the Texan, nodding towards Peter.

"Well, I'm not an expert or anything," began the Queens Native modestly, despite Matt rolling his eyes, "but I think it's in the way that you ask her."

Miles saw the wisdom in that as the two entered the apartment, which already had a few of the larger items inside of it. There was probably some truth to both of their words, and Miles nodded, "I think I'm too nervous…" he mused, "alright, so where do you want this?" he asked, looking up at Pete.

Looking around quickly, the Queens Native nodded towards an empty corner, "right over there is fine," he said as they carried the desk that way and Matt closed the door behind them.

"Right…" said Miles as he complied, the pair setting the desk down nearby the bed as Cooper placed the boxes on the mattress and Miles took a deep breath. He had to ask what was actually on his mind and this was going to be his best chance. "Hey, so guys…" he began, "I uh…gotta talk to you two about something I can't tell my mom about…"

Both of the older men turned to face him, "what's up?" asked Peter sincerely as the Texan leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, but still paying attention.

"Well umm…" he began, "weird things have been going on. Like physically…" explained the teenager seriously.

"Well shit," drawled Matt as Miles looked towards him, which only caused the Texan to shake his head. "Don't look at me dude, ask the smart science guy over there," said Matt, gesturing towards Peter.

Peter, for his part, looked confused, "oh?" he asked before realization seemed to dawn, "OH…uh…" he began Peter, who looked to Matt for some kind of support, but the Texan seemed uninterested in offering any, content to merely watch. "Well, you know, you're at that age where your body starts to change, and, so you may be noticing some…areas…for examp…"

Miles cut Peter off, "no!" he said emphatically, now understanding why Matt had decided he wanted no part of the conversation, "not that." Looking between them, his mind raced as he thought how best to explain what was happening without making himself sound crazy. "Umm…" he mumbled, "I think it's…it's better that I just, um, I show you two," he said finally, shaking his hands out. Matt was now narrowing his eyes intently, while Peter's were going wide as Miles took a deep breath and turned around, already feeling nerves start to overtake him.

"No…no, no, no, no—" urged Peter as Miles bent his knees and sprung up to the ceiling, twisting his body around mid air so he was hanging upside down, both feet and one hand sticking to the ceiling unnaturally as he smiled down at the two.

"Well shit," drawled Matt again, the Texan still leaning against the counter and his tone hadn't even changed.

Miles smiled awkwardly as he craned his neck to look 'up' at the two men standing on the floor, "pretty weird, huh?" he asked.

Peter, however, was offering a knowing smile before he too bent at the knees and jumped up, spinning twice before matching Miles stance, sticking to the ceiling, and looking Miles in the eye. "Not that weird," said Peter with a gleam in his eye.

"No, it's really weird," deadpanned Cooper, though his expression finally cracked as the corner of his mouth turned up, "even more concerning, this is getting out of hand," drawled Matthew as his smirk grew, "now there are two of 'em." Miles was still processing he fact that Peter was also hanging from the ceiling, Matt jumped up, pressing a foot on the counter and pushing up as he pulled a knife from his jacket and stabbed it through the vent grate, hanging from the wall so he was eye level with the other two in a stance the Midtown High student instantly recognized from pictures of the Marauder. "Although," began Cooper as his smirk widened, "I guess I ain't in a position to say anything."


A knock on his door had Fury take a break from the documents he was looking at regarding the situation in New York, "enter," he called gruffly as the door swung open and Agent Hill entered his office aboard the Saratoga. While the helicarrier and the Avengers were working to root out terrorist cells in Serbia with suspected Hydra connections, Fury had put his number 2 on the situation half a world away, the aftermath of the Devil's Breath in New York City. It was her report he was reading, and it was the content of that report that had him call her. The veteran Agent entered the office as Fury looked up with his one good eye, "take a seat Hill," he ordered calmly as he closed the file and set it aside. "So it looks like Osborn's going to make it out of this one," began Fury.

"Yes sir," agreed Hill, "Osborn had most of his corporate records wiped, the only things liking Oscorp to Devil's Breath are the inadmissible pieces of evidence gathered by individuals operating outside the law. As for the actions of Sable International, those have all been placed on Lieutenant Colonel Bliss, and rightfully so from what I can tell. Those dealings are private and the only person who can refute Osborn's claims is Sablinova, and she isn't going to for obvious reasons."

Fury nodded, "she still needs Oscorp armaments for when she goes into Symkaria," he agreed. Making a mental note to follow up with the Mercenary to ensure that the results of her extensive shopping trip on SHIELD's dime were proving satisfactory, Fury turned his attention back to New York. "They've turned up no witnesses who can testify against Osborn? Nobody who worked in the lab is willing to take the stand?"

"That's right sir," reported Hill, "if I may speak freely," she asked, getting a curt nod from the Director, "the DA screwed the pooch, he didn't over any fair plea bargains, and Osborn provided lawyers for all the possible witnesses that made it clear that the DA had nothing concrete on any of them. Chances of any of them coming forward is slim to none." Fury listened to all that silently, taking it in as he tried to put the big picture together, "but the way things are looking, there isn't much chance of the case even getting to trial, Osborn still has a lot of friends, including Wilson Fisk, who just so happens to have about half the city's judges in his pocket. Any case brought against Osborn will likely just get thrown out."

"And how's Osborn handling things?" asked the Colonel.

"He's vanished from the public eye since he resigned from the Mayor's office," answered Hill, "his PR team has been hard at work spinning the story to make him the victim of a revenge fueled madman in the form of Octavius. He's also admitted he was incorrect in his attempts to apprehend Spider-Man and the Marauder, even going so far as to praise their efforts." That got a grunt of laughter from the eyepatch wearing man, "and so far it seems to be working, people may not think of him as Mayor anymore, but those who think he should be in prison are in the minority."

Meaning even if it got to trial there wasn't much chance of a jury convicting him, which left one last facet to the issue, "and what about Oscorp? Is the company facing any sort of consequences?"

Hill shook her head, "a few fines for unethical research, but there isn't much evidence to bring about any more serious legal action. Still, their stock price has plummeted and we have shell companies buying up what we can, in total we now have a 30% stake," continued Hill before her stoic features gave way to an amused expression, "though we aren't the only ones, it seems that the Marauder is buying up shares too."

"Shit, I almost forgot about him," grumbled Fury, "you think he might do something drastic?"

Hill bit her lip, "possibly," she admitted, causing Fury to raise his one visible eyebrow, "he seems to be convinced that Osborn used the medical technology he gave Oscorp as a basis for Devil's Breath. His psych profile suggests he might have a grudge against Osborn and attempt to take matters into his own hands."

That couldn't happen, Osborn was still too useful to Fury alive for the Marauder to go off and play cowboy, "well let's give him a call and ask him, shall we?" suggested the Executive director as he picked up the handset and dialed the Pilot's number.


"When you called and said you wanted to do a workout together," said Felicia between heavy breaths, "this wasn't exactly what I had in mind Cowboy." Matt laughed as he pressed the starter button on the Viper and felt the big V10 rumble to life, looking over at the silver haired vixen as she downed a bottle of water in the passenger seat. The couple had just finished going through a 'shoothouse' that Cooper had set up the other day, but he had decided to make his first time through it a date and brought Felicia along for some friendly competition. "Though I can't say I didn't have fun," she purred as she arched her back, pushing her tank top clad breasts up into view, "I still want to continue training by getting up close and personal."

"I can't say I'm opposed to that," drawled Matthew as he put the car into gear and flashed a grin at the Black Cat, "just keep your pants on for now darlin, I don't need any distractions while I'm driving. Well…any more distractions anyway." Felicia smiled as she sat back in the seat as the car pulled away and Matt began heading back to his place, feeling good after finally getting to get some trigger time again, since he hadn't seen any action since Ock had been apprehended. But he was still following the news and ready in case Yuri called him, and there was one issue that had his attention, but he had been hesitant to act on it. As the Texan began to ponder that question again, he was interrupted by the infotainment screen in the center consoling flashing an alert that he had an incoming call from a 'blocked number.'

Not needing three guesses as to who that could be, he shared a knowing look with Felicia before hitting a button on the steering wheel to accept the call. "Director Fury, I presume?" he greeted dryly as he remained focused on the road, the Viper slithering through traffic with the speed of it's namesake, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Marauder," returned the SHIELD Director gruffly, "I'm calling because of some news that's come across my desk and I just wanted to talk to you about it. Have you seen what's happening with Norman Osborn?" asked the Colonel.

Matt's expression hardened, "yeah, two things, Jack and Shit, and jack's left town. I saw," replied Cooper through grit teeth. Felicia probably had a better handle on how that was the case, but he knew it was above his paygrade, still, if Fury was asking about it then it made him nervous. "Why do you ask?"

"Because some people around here are of the opinion you might try to do something about that yourself," revealed Fury calmly, "this is an opinion I do not share, I just wanted to confirm that I had it right." The weight in the Executive Director's tones didn't go unnoticed by either of the two occupants of the Viper.

"Now that you mention it," began Matt, "I was going to go have a talk with Osborn. And when I say that I do mean just a talk," clarified Cooper quickly. "I'm not going to kill him, the man didn't pull the trigger and I'm willing to let the shit he pulled against me personally be water under the bridge…on the condition he understands that he never gets to try that again," finished the Pilot darkly. He was being honest, the more he learned, he didn't hold too much of a grudge against the billionaire and, since the dumb bastard had resigned his Mayoral position, he no longer had any shred of serious power over Cooper, making the Pilot view him as less of an issue. "I'm not a judge or jury Fury, and don't want to be. As long as Osborn doesn't come at me again, I'll probably have bigger problems to worry about."

There was a tense silence as the Viper glided to a stop at a redlight, the engine humming at idle as the couple inside the cabin awaited Fury's response. "I suppose that's the best I'm going to get," grumbled Fury before speaking more clearly. "You better not be lying to me Marauder, don't cross me." With that, the call abruptly ended as the light turned green.

Matt wasn't thrilled at the heavy hand of Nick Fury forcing him down the spook's desired path, and so he took his frustration out on the accelerator. His right foot hit the floor as the back tires spun before the Viper launched off the line, motor howling as the car shot forwards thorough the city streets. "I can't tell if you're that excited to get into my pants of if you're that angry Cowboy," said Felicia as Matt was forced to slow for a corner.

"Bit of both darlin," replied Matt truthfully, forcing a derisive chuckle, he continued, "you know me, I like simple problems with simple answers. All this corporate law and legal horseshit is a bit too complicated for me, but I wasn't lying when I said I was going to talk to Osborn. He needs to know that he's under scrutiny now, and that if he ever comes after me, or you, again, I'll do much worse to him."


Trudging through his penthouse, Norman Osborn could scarcely recall feeling as exhausted as he did now, another day meeting with lawyers to preserve his company and his freedom had at least been successful. Oscorp stock had plummeted but was being bought up by a handful of buyers, including himself, and he maintained a 51% majority stake. Still, the situation was concerning, but he had made it through rough patches before and would not back down now. As he neared the portrait of him and his son, he was instilled with a renewed sense of purpose while he revealed the hidden keypad and input the code. The billionaire entered the secret lab hidden behind the wall, the lights automatically coming up as he walked slowly across it, keying a switch outside a large, armored tank in the corner of the lab, the metal screen panels sliding up to reveal the green liquid and humanoid shape inside. Seeing the breathing apparatus affixed through the figures face and the viscous black jelly like tendrils that spiderwebbed from the man to the sides of the tank, Norman was overwhelmed by shame as he forced himself to speak.

"We were so close," he began as his face was illuminated by the green glow of the liquid, "but…I'll keep trying," promised Osborn. "I will find a cure," he vowed as he stepped forwards and placed his hand on the tank, "I will. I love you, son." His lip trembled as he lowered his head and tried to keep his features calm, but the artificial cold of the glass sent a chill through his entire body, straight to his soul, making his heart wrench. With a soft 'thump,' Norman felt a sharp chill from the tendril that had met his hand on the other side of the glass.

He wasn't sure how long he was there before Osborn finally turned away, lowering the shutters on the tank, the CEO retreated, shutting the lights off in the lab as he closed the door, he entered the living room. It was dark, the sun having set and with no lighting in the room as the door behind him closed, precluding the light from the lab. "Lights on," ordered Osborn, but the space stubbornly remained plagued by darkness. "Lights on," he repeated as he stepped forward cautiously, surveying the space to try and find anything out of place in the blackness until he thought he saw something, an almost shapeless shimmer seemed to move towards him. "Who's there?" called out Osborn before there was a hiss and the shimmer lunged at him and he felt something ram into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to double over before he was forcefully slammed back into the wall, a gloved hand grabbing him by the shoulder and pinning him to the wall, forcing him to stand upright and look square into the blue x shaped visor of the Marauder's helmet. "You," managed Osborn as he forced air back into his lungs, clenching his fists as he leaned into the arm pinning him to the wall.

That effort only caused a pistol to be pointed at his face, "me," returned the Pilot through the electronic filter, "move it," snarled the Marauder as he yanked Osborn from the wall, roughly shoving him across the room.

Osborn stumbled as he reached out to try and feel his way through the darkness before the Marauder directed him with another shove until Norman ran into his desk. "Oof," grunted the CEO as he was roughly pushed to the side and was thrown roughly into the chair opposite the desk. "What is the meaning of this?" demanded Osborn with all the air of authority he could muster, but it wasn't as convincing as he wanted, looking up at the Pilot and the pistol in his hand, the laser sight on it resting steady on his heart.

Instead of answering, the Pilot's free hand reached into a pouch and pulled something out of his kit before tossing it down on the desk. Osborn could hear it clatter on the wood before his desk lamp came on to reveal a simple USB stick sitting there. "I'm going to tell you something about Titans Osborn," began the Pilot, "the original neural link on the first Titans had some adverse side effects. Extensive use, especially in combat conditions, would take its toll on the Pilot, degrading the nervous system until their bodies were rendered a paralyzed shell. Now later systems slowed the degradation before stopping it completely in the Vanguard class that I use." Osborn forced himself to remain straight faced as he listened, "but before that, there was another solution: Regeneration. A set of medical procedures developed to restore pilot's bodies after the damage they had sustained. The details on these procedures are there on that flash drive. They should be able to help your son."

Osborn reached out with a shaky hand and picked up the drive, "why?" asked Osborn hoarsely, squeezing his hand tightly around the drive, "why would you give me this?"

"I know what it's like to lose people that matter," answered the Pilot calmly, "and I know what the prospect of that loss makes people do…made me do." There was a tense pause before the Marauder continued, "I know you aren't going to stop trying to cure your son, and I won't ask you to. But I will make myself clear." The Pilot leaned forwards, planting a hand on the desk as he helmet came inches from Osborn's face before he continued. "You should be able to heal your son with what's on that drive. But if you ever come after my associates or I in any way, then I'm going to make sure that he doesn't have a father to come back to."

With that, the Marauder vanished from sight, leaving Osborn alone at his desk for a few seconds before the lights suddenly came back on, but the only sign that the Marauder had been there was the drive Osborn had clutched in his hand.


"Alright, I'm clear," called Cooper over the comms as he landed on a rooftop after a quick dash from Osborn's Penthouse. Having a look around, he spoke again, "where you at Cat?" he asked as he heard the distinct sound of the Thief's signature grappling hook before the quiet impact of heels on the concrete rooftop.

"Right behind you cowboy," purred the Black Cat as the Marauder faced his girlfriend, catching sight of her Cheshire grin under the green eye lenses as she stared back at him. Felicia had been the one to sneak in and handle the security system, disabling all the alarms and controlling the lights while he talked to Osborn. "How'd it go? That rat faced bastard get the message?" she asked, her voice turning deadly serious.

The Marauder nodded, "I'm thinking so," he returned evenly, "and if he doesn't then we'll know about it." Indeed, the USB stick had a bit more than just every scrap of information that Matt could get on Regeneration, it also had a hidden program that would make sure they could keep an eye on Osborn's computer and the other systems of his apartment. It wasn't that Matthew didn't trust the man, but the CEO had tried to get him killed at least three separate times, and had come after Yuri at least once too, so Cooper didn't trust him. "So now that we got that done," began the Texan, "your place or mine?"

Felicia's smile returned, "mine's closer," she replied, "and I can't wait to celebrate our success." She was flashing a wicked smirk as she strutted closer to him, hips flowing from side to side enticingly. "What do you say stud?"

Grinning cockily behind his helmet, Cooper made a sweeping motion with his hand in the direction of the heiress' penthouse, "ladies first," he beckoned.

Felicia's smirk widened, "always a gentleman," she purred as she traced a finger down his arm as she drew her grapple gun, "don't keep me waiting," she advised as she fired the hook and swung off, giving Matt a great view of her ass as she did. Taking her words to heart, Matt activated his STIM and leapt off the edge of the roof, streaking through the night as he went off in pursuit of the Black Cat. The pair carved through the city with speed and ease, going from rooftop to rooftop on the way back to the penthouse apartment.

With their destination in sight, the couple both put on a turn of speed before Felicia landed, followed closely by Matthew. The Black Cat pulled her hood back and off to reveal her platinum blonde hair before pulling out the band that kept it in a tight bund, letting it fall free and shimmer in the moonlight. As the Texan pulled off his helmet, he couldn't help but stare and drink her form in, every curve, every exotic feature as she turned to him, "what's on you mind Matt?" she asked genuinely.

Cooper gave a cocky smirk, "I'm just thanking my lucky stars I fell in love with such a kick ass woman," said the Pilot as he pulled the Thief in close and gave her a kiss as his hand trailed down her back to cup her bottom, "who has a great ass to boot."

The woman in question gave a throaty chuckle as she looked up with a gleam in her eye and a fond smile, "I will never get tired of hearing you say that," she said happily.

Matt brought his hand up to push an errant strand of hair back behind her hair. "What? That you have a great ass?" he drawled.

"No," replied Felicia, "the other thing," she admitted quietly.

"Ah, I'm glad you feel that way darlin, cause I love saying it," answered the SRS Pilot as he pulled Felicia closer and looked down at her. Her smile, still full of mischief, was framed by full red lips and contrasted alluringly with her gleaming green eyes. Slowly, the gap between them closed until he felt those soft lips on his, tasting her, that hint of peppermint that he had fallen in love with as much as he had her looks or abilities, "I love you."

Felicia's cheeks reddened a bit as she brought her arms up to rest on his shoulders, her hands holding the back of his head. Purring happily, the Black Cat licked her lips and spoke in a low, husky tone, "there's only one thing I like more than you saying that you love me," she said as those lips curled into a seductive grin, "and that's when you make love to me."

Her words had a profound effect as Matt bent his knees and easily scooped the woman up into a bridal carry, smirking at the small yelp that escaped from the woman's lips. "Ask, and you shall receive," whispered Matt in her ear as the heiress nestled her head against his shoulder affectionately. With Felicia purring quite like a kitten in his arms, Matthew carried her inside, leaving the chill of the night air for the warmth of her bed.


"That suit looks good on you Tiger," called MJ, causing Peter to look up from the bug eyed mask and turn to his redheaded girlfriend, unable to fully stop the blush that was rising on his face. Setting her laptop aside, Mary Jane came over and ran her hand along his back as she sat alongside him, "you really are ready to get back out there, aren't you?" she asked. Peter nodded as she took his hand, "I'm glad for you. I do like being able to say I'm dating Spider-Man," she admitted, "but I like to say I'm dating Peter Parker even more." The two shared a quick kiss that settled Peter's nerves a bit before MJ smiled again, "and I say that because it's Peter Parker who's brave enough to put on that suit and go be Spider-Man," she said sincerely, giving him a genuine smile before adding, "and because your butt looks great in it."

Peter laughed a bit, "thanks MJ," he said sincerely as he stood up, pulling out his phone to send Yuri a text that he was 'on the clock' before tossing it onto the couch with Mary Jane before slipping on the mask as the HUD booted up and he was met with the familiar sight of his map and inventory on the inside of the mask. "I'll be back before long, just going to do a quick patrol and stretch my legs, then we can have dinner."

"Sounds like a plan," confirmed the redhead with an illuminating smile, "go get 'em Tiger," she encouraged as Peter gave her a nod and leapt out the window of her apartment, firing a webline and swinging through the air, unable to stop himself from doing a flip at the feeling of webswinging again. Launching himself over a rooftop, he pulled his arms and legs close together as he went into a dive, only raising his left arm and firing a line to pull him up with his feet passing just inches above the blacktop, much to the enjoyment of the pedestrians and motorists on the street that he shot past. As he fired a pair of lines to pull him higher before rounding the corner as his phone rang in his ear. Seeing who it was caused Peter's face to brighten as he answered the call, "Yuri!" he greeted, "good to talk to you again. How's your mom?" he asked.

The Captain's older mother had been at serious risk when Devil's Breath was released, and even if the lawwoman hadn't shown it, Peter knew she was worried. "Fine, right back to complaining about not having grandchildren," deadpanned Watanabe, a slight tinge of irritation in her tone.

Peter chuckled a bit at how the usually no-nonsense woman was seemingly flustered by her mother asking for kids when she was unflappable by automatic weapons fire. "So you gonna take that vacation now?" he asked, now that things had quieted down for the last several weeks.

The predictable response came back, "Are you crazy? There's no time for that," replied the Captain. "The apocalypse didn't happen, which means we've got a city full of loose ends to clean up."

And the Parker luck continues mused Peter internally, but he wasn't daunted, in fact, with adrenaline in his blood he was ready to help the Captain. "Sounds like a big job. But we're up to it," assured the Webslinger confidently.

"Not you," returned Yuri quickly, "for a job this tough, we need…Spider-Cop," finished Captain Watanabe, the Webhead could hear the smile in her voice as she deepened it to try and match his faux gravelly tone.

Peter couldn't help but laugh, lightly at first, but he couldn't keep it under control as he was forced to come to a temporary halt atop a building to get it out of his system. When he finally had the laughing fit under control, he replied "you – you said it!" in a bit of shock. "You even did the voice!"

There was a mildly amused chuckle from the other end, "okay, don't make it weird," implored Yuri as her serious side came back out. It was odd hearing her be personable after she had seen his face, but Yuri had remained the same steadfast, reliable cop that he had come to trust with his greatest secret.

Still, he couldn't resist being the same Spider-Man he always was, "you like me!" he exclaimed, "you really like me!"

There was a sigh, "you made it weird," she deadpanned before turning serious, "let's go, we've got work to do."

"I can't wait," replied Peter genuinely before clearing his throat, "Spider-Cop surveys the city," he began in his best attempt at a gravely tone while deepening his voice. "Placid, but seething with turmoil just beneath its calm surface…" he growled.

There was a deep sigh from Yuri, "what have I done?"


Cooper's Logbook – GR-27

This Oscorp Special Pharmaceutical Research Project was meant to be a cure for genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis or Huntington's chorea, undoubtedly this would have been a monumental leap forward in medicine. The combination of CRISPR Genome Edition, AI Controlled gRNA, and what Oscorp called CS: T, which was a part of various advanced Militia medical supplies that was crudely slapped onto their existing work.

The result was, in effect, a nearly perfect Biological Weapon, something that spread rapidly through the air, was incredibly deadly, and could burn through populations with frightening speed. Attacking the respiratory system of the exposed person, the aptly named "Devil's Breath" would actually attack the person's immune system triggering immunodeficiency and can lead to death if not treated.

Which makes it utterly baffling why Osborn chose to keep it in New York, even if it was clear he wanted it to treat his son, an off the books lab built by a crime lord to work on it and the only sample kept by the head scientist is one of the worst plans to lead to actual success, but it satiated Norman's desire for secrecy. But it was that secrecy that came back to bite him in the ass when not one, but two criminal masterminds mate GR-27 an integral part of their schemes and successfully released it. Thousands died, mainly the elderly and the young, but tens of thousands more got sick, and if it wasn't for a crash development of a counterdrug then that toll would have been far higher.

Following that whole debacle, GR-27 development has supposedly stopped, but only Osborn really knows for sure.


Closing Notes: Lots of stuff here obviously, from the top, to any fellow Ace Combat fans, yes, I do mean that Galm Team, and I am really looking forward to writing the Demon Lord of the Round Table getting to do what he does best. I did consider coming up with some excuse for them to fly ex-Israeli or ex-Saudi F-15s but on my first playthrough I cheesed most of the whole game with the SU-37 you can get early on if you save money so I kinda associate the Flanker with Galm. After that, does anyone remember Crimson? It's been a long time since we've last seen him but he's back on the map so expect to be seeing more of him later down the line. After that were the last few post credit scenes, though all saw some additions to varying extents, but that officially concludes the contents of the base game.

Reviews, as always, are welcome, if you got something to say then don't be shy. Doubly so if you have opinions about what I should do with the Miles Morales story in the recently released spin off (at least at time of the chapter's release).

Next week will be mostly, to be honest, padding, but damn it I'm going to try to have it fun and make it More Than a Feeling.

Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.