Now dressed and feeling much better Peter sat on the edge of his hospital bed; very much still under Nigerian guard. He looked at the shield but hadn't picked it up yet. Tasha had gone to work with Nakia and Bucky on dealing with the new bomb threat in the city. It was still there and could be plural as Tasha had indicated; and it could go off at any time. No further demands had been made yet. God only knew what they were waiting for. Bastard feeding off their terror no less.
He was healing at a typical spider rate. Still not great for the field but getting there. He stood and then reached for the shield. He set it on his arm. He'd held cap's old shield many times. It was nearly exactly the same weight. And with the vibranium properties it could be used as a substantial ricocheting projectile. And as he was proven to be faster and stronger than Rogers (by official Marvel power rankings) Peter could become an exceptional shield fighter as well; but unlike Rogers without the training.
I can cheat again and get away with it.
He moved the shield around on his arm. It already felt like a natural extension of it. He sighed and then set it on his back. His spider flexible joints connective tissues and bones that allowed him to assume unnatural spider positions readily allowed him to easily carry the shield on his back similar as cap had done with either a harness or electromagnet; he could do it minus the artificial aids.
Who's the next worldly badass now?
Peter removed the shield after walking around the room with it on set it back down on the bed and then sat on the bed again beside it.
He then looked at the spider symbol. He set his hand on it and sighed. He then closed his eyes. All kidding aside this had to be another tool to help him save lives or there was no point. Just like with his core powers or the iron spider armor. All were tools. But it was also like Rambo had said: the greatest weapon was the mind; and he'd had that at genius level even before Spider-Man. "That" was what made Spidey great before and would make him great here. Being Spidey had just caught up the physical to the mental.
It wasn't a complete solution to the war he was fighting but it was a start.
Tasha came in. "They're making demands." Peter put the shield on his back like cap and departed with her.
They entered a nearby patient lounge where a group of other patients surrounded a wall mounted tv. On the screen and out in the open kill monger addressed the world. "We are in control of Abuja now. All will bow to our demands or we will detonate bombs either here or elsewhere throughout the nation of Nigeria. Islam will be my new enforcers. Above them will be the sobek cultists. And I will be above them. Mephisto above that. This is the new order for Africa."
"And in time, when we are ready, Wakanda and its many treasures... notably a certain vibranium mound... will be ours. I failed to take the Wakandan throne before. That will not happen this time. Bast can burn. Mephisto is the true ally that will deliver all blacks from evil and unite us into the greatest empire ever seen."
"I will liberate my black brothers and sisters everywhere. Be assured of that. More demands will follow. Be terrified. For a new era has dawned."
The address ended; a subordinate read off a demand list. The patients around the agents muttered among themselves. Peter and Tasha took a few steps away. Their guards were still there but they gave them room.
You'd think they'd wanna work with us to stop kill monger. A man that just admitted he's in cahoots with a legendary hell lord. Tell me that ain't messed up.
"Well, cat's out of the bag" Tasha muttered. Peter "what now?" "Let's head back to the room." They did so. The guard resumed their previous sentry positions as before when the agents were inside the room.
They sat together on the bed's edge. Tasha "Nakia's working on something with the king. I don't doubt it. This affects Wakanda big time. T'Challa won't overlook that fact."
"Yeah. What about these crocodile cultists? What do we know about them?" "Not much. I'm sure Nakia would know much more. But apparently they were treated like crap by the other tribes and faded into Wakandan obscurity. Sobek is their god. And apparently he and Bast at their level don't get along." "Which means trouble for the rest of us." Pause. "I also heard that these cultists are mutants. I wonder if vibranium exposure caused that." Tasha "it's a likely bet." Peter leaned forward and set his elbows atop knees in thought. "They're obviously black Africans but it would be more complicated for them too." Tasha frowned/shook her head. "If they're mutants too that would give both Xavier magneto and others another cultural reason to reach out to them. It could create a greater sense of conflicted loyalty. It could hurt kill monger's rank and file. It could reduce them to mostly the jihadists; and even they'd have trouble because kill monger admittedly serves a being other than Allah; which Mephisto most definitely is not."
Tasha followed his thought. "So unless Mephisto solidifies his hold over them somehow, we could have them turn on each other." Peter nodded. "It could work. But there's still the bombs and their detonations. And we have to assume more than one. And that he will do it this time."
Yep. And I get the distinct feeling it won't play out like Tokyo this time around... Peter recalled the hit 90s action thriller Speed, and the crazed villain that called a bomb that didn't explode a "cheap gold watch." Whether that was true here he couldn't say. What he could say is that it was gonna get interesting to say the least.
There was a knock at their door. "Come in." It was agent Sabra from Mossad. "Agent Sabra?" Peter said with some surprise. "Agent Parker, Romanoff." They stood to better greet her.
"Mossad has been watching this situation very closely. They've sent me here to help in any way I can." Peter nodded. "Glad for the help. A lot's happened since we last spoke." "Indeed. I also heard about the Thor situation not working out." Peter nodded slowly at that.
Sabra looked behind her to make sure the door was closed then pulled out a scanning device and ran it around the room. It gave a positive chime and she secured it.
"I'm also here for another reason." Peter couldn't think about anything else right now... "it's about your sister." Now Peter was all ears. "These situations are all connected. There may be a way to win at everything to a point." Tasha "how so?"
"The Phoenix force."
Peter and Tasha definitely knew what that was.
Sabra didn't wait to explain. "Bottom line: bring it to your sister to inhabit her. She can then break free of Mephisto for good. The pact would be nullified."
Tasha "it could work; but how do we get it out of her?"
"It gets trickier there. That's where doctor strange and Thor will come into play. I've already spoken with them. They are confident they can drive it out. I'm reaching out to scarlet witch too but haven't heard back yet."
The spiders shared a look. If that could work it would be a hell of a win. And stopping kill monger here would make it even better yet.
There was another knock. "Come in." Black panther entered with his female royal guard, the Dora Milaje. The Nigerian guards avoided trouble.
All three agents straightened as the head of state entered. "Majesty" they said.
"Agents. This foolishness has gone on long enough. It is time to make it right. We know there is great risk but I know my cousin well enough. He will never stop. Mephisto or not."
Another black panther entered; Shuri. "Brother. Security has been called." T'Challa nodded. "Let them come. We are ready. Are you agents?"
Tasha looked at Peter. He was still on the mend. But he did feel much better. He pulled his shield off and set it on his arm. "I'm ready highness." T'Challa nodded with approval at the shield. "Nice improvement. May it serve you well in the fight to come agent Parker. Let us go now."
They followed after the king.