Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Marvel, Respawn Entertainment, etc.
Is it bad to admit that I just played through Wolfenstein: The New Order for the first time? Either way, I enjoyed it, we'll see if I go and pick up New Colossus.
Bladeworlf101: Yeah, no. Maybe down the line the pair will get serious and have kids, but not now. Felicia is careful with those sorts of things, she is smart and methodical. I won't rule anything for the future, but not any time soon.
ScreamingStuka: Glad you enjoyed it and just as glad everything made sense, I know the move seems a little contrived so I worked hard to justify it. If you can find a Rhino for a decent price then more power to you, never mind the cost of .357 right now. It's a slick gun for sure, though sadly out of my price range. As for Project Wingman, I have heard of it and would like to play it, but I am not a big PC gamer so I don't really have a machine that can run it well I think. If I did then I would pick it up in a heartbeat.
Now as for the title, it is the third track off The Glorious Burden that I've featured over the Turf Wars arc, and I promise I won't feature any Iced Earth for a while after this. The song was originally going to be the title of the first chapter of the arc which got changed to 'High Water Mark' but I felt that it fit this, the final confrontation of the dlc, better. It's fast paced, raucous, and brutal, which I think is a fitting tone to set. It was also the first song to feature Tim Owens doing the vocal work and was released on an EP with which it shared a title.
Power Without Question – Chapter 89: The Reckoning
You went too far this time, For this heinous crime
You will know defeat, Begging on your knees
One by one you'll fall, Your back against the wall
Nowhere to turn, You're sure to burn
Destiny's called us, It's the reckoning
This time it's for blood, Don't tread on me
The hours close at hand, We'll make our final stand
Justice shall be done, Nowhere to run
True evil broods in you, You're just a brainwashed fool
The coward close that hides, Spewing forth his lies
Revenge is not justice, It's the reckoning
This time it's for blood, Don't tread on me
A sudden thunk caused Yuri's eyes to snap open as she sat bolt upright on the couch she had fallen asleep on after being physically and emotionally drained. Looking up at the clock, she saw that it read just past eight o'clock before turning towards Matthew Cooper. The Pilot appeared somewhat refreshed, dressed in street clothes while holding a soda in hand. "Sleep well?" asked the Marauder as he unscrewed the cap with a hiss and took a sip.
"I didn't miss it, did I?" asked the lawwoman. She'd worn the Wraith Kit while asleep; even the laptop she'd been using rested on the sofa at her side. Yuri realize she had drifted off while going over the data on the laptop.
Much to her relief, the Texan shook his head, "Nah, I just got a bit of shuteye myself before freshening up and making a run down to the corner store." Letting out a breath, Yuri cast her eyes down to the table her feet were kicked up on and saw what had startled her in the first place, before tentatively picking up the cardboard box. "Hopefully those work, I admit to not having a fucking clue when I was down there," added the Pilot with a wry chuckle.
Watanabe couldn't help but smile just a little bit, "That really isn't important right now," returned the lawwoman as she opened the carton of cigarettes, "Thanks Cooper."
"No problem, just…don't smoke that shit up here at least," requested the Pilot as Yuri gave an understanding nod. "I'm going to suit up, I'll be down in ten minutes, then we have to grab our guns and get moving. Our window's opening soon."
The Lawwoman's internal musings about whether or not she wanted a cigarette quickly swung in favor as mention of her target brought back a lot of anger. "Where we going?" she asked, already standing up as the Pilot opened the door into the small office that housed a bed.
"I'll let you know when we get there," returned the Marauder, not unkindly, but Watanabe recognized that Cooper clearly was intent on keeping Yuri close. Somewhat begrudgingly, the woman nodded an acceptance before the Pilot disappeared and shut the door behind him. Almost mechanically, Watanabe went through the motions she had given up almost a year ago, standing up as she extracted a cancer stick from the box and sliding it between her lips as she descended the metal stairs, dropped the carton into a pouch, and her old lighter. It was adorned with an NYPD Shield, a gift from Benitez at some point that felt farther in the past than it really was.
Just the one vowed Yuri, who had made her final pack before she quit last the better part of three months, only need calm down before we go. Flicking the lighter and bringing it up to the end of the cancer stick, Yuri saw the cigarette ignite before she closed her lighter and inhaled. Immediately, the Wraith equipped woman removed the cigarette and coughed, "Shit," she muttered, overwhelmed by the sensation of smoking again. But once she had calmed down, Yuri reflexively replaced the cigarette where it had been and let out a breath that did manage to diminish her anger with the familiar sensations. If her mind hadn't been racing about the prospect of confronting Hammerhead, Yuri might have been shocked at just how fast she had settled back into her old habit, but instead she found herself focused on other issues.
One of the things Cooper had was an extensive list of personnel within the various crime families, and while the Marauder had crossed more than a few names off that list, there were still some that Yuri was not content with merely scaring off. After tonight she would get to work on that, it wasn't particularly difficult to decide where to start. After all, Hammerhead wasn't the only cop killer in the Maggia.
She was drawn from her musings by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. "Thanks for agreeing to help. It's nice to have a bit of backup for this, especially backup I can trust," said Cooper with a genuine smile as he came down the stairs, "It's time to get moving. Hammerhead is supposed to be at a construction site not far from here at 9:00, gear up, grab whatever you need," said the Pilot as he nodded towards the arrayed equipment, "Go ahead, ladies first."
Yuri rolled her eyes, "Such a gentleman," she deadpanned before she started weaving through the tables and the assorted armaments sprawled on them. "My god, how do you ever decide what to bring?" she asked half rhetorically.
The Pilot shrugged, "Depends on my mood," he deadpanned as Yuri shook her head and noticed some oddities in the mix.
"Where did you find this stuff?" she asked as she saw the small crate of Sable arms, looking up to see the Pilot shrug again but with a sly grin on his face that caused her to let out a breath. "You mind if I use it?" she asked.
"Nah, go ahead," replied the Pilot as he made a beeline for some of his own futurist weapons while the Cop found some of the Private Security Firms bolas in amongst the other stuff. Watanabe pocketed the restraints along with some of the exotic grenades to go on her belt with her restocked supply of .357 for her revolver. Passing over the same types of direct energy rifles she had taken to the Bar for the moment, the Lawwoman instead selected a Peacekeeper energy shotgun. "I thought you'd prefer one of the long rifles, why pick that?" asked Cooper.
Yuri slid a power cell into the breech before rocking the barrels back into place, closing the break action, "Figured I'd keep this handy for close encounters," she replied before cocking the lever action, slinging the weapon across her back and loading up extra energy cells. When finished, she looked up to see the Marauder standing there, helmet on, ready to go. Pulling down her own goggles, she turned to the Pilot and asked, rather simply, "Ready?"
"Ready to rock," he replied, "Now come on, let's go nail this son of a bitch."
Tightening the last screw, Peter leaned back and looked over the latest section of the Velocity Suit he had finished rebuilding. Since the time since he had first tried the suit out, Peter had completely checked and, if needed, replaced the electrical components that had failed, along with making changes to the cooling system to rectify that issue. Still, he had to upload a new software for all of the new components to limit heat buildup, so the suit wouldn't be ready for the 'Show' tonight. Looking around for his phone, the Queens Native fired a webline from the shooter still on his wrist to pull it to him and looked at the time. "8:30, better get moving," he said to himself as he got up from the workbench, still covered with the Velocity Suit and a set of arms based on Doctor Octavius' appendages, but tuned towards their first, intended purpose, to help people.
But that all had to wait for later, right now Peter had to get moving, especially since he needed to change first. Stepping into what had been his old office, he quickly stripped off the suit he'd been wearing for two…or was it three days? Giving the suit a quick sniff, his eyes nearly watered before he hastily tossing it into his 'wash this' corner and opening a cabinet to reveal the black armored 'Anti-Ock' suit he hadn't used since he had to battle his mentor. At that moment, his phone began to ring. He looked down to see the picture of his favorite redhead before answering it and putting it on speaker.
"Hey Pete, I finished decrypting those files…and might have called in a few favors to confirm they were legit," admitted the Associate Editor, "Listen, Yuri…she's been disciplined a lot over her career. She's so focused on stopping the Maggia that she didn't always follow protocol."
Those words hurt Peter more than he cared to admit as he thought of his friend, how she had finally reached the end of her rope, how he had let her down. "She always did bend the rules a little bit. She wouldn't have agreed to work with me otherwise," he answered quietly. He still couldn't find it in him to tell MJ what the Captain had done since they last spoke.
But the news didn't get any better, "No, you don't get what I mean. Her file shows she's gotten reprimanded multiple times over the years. Every time she did it had to do with the Maggia. One time, back in 2014, she was the cause of a lawsuit filed against the NYPD that alleged she had tortured a man before conducting an unlawful search."
"What?" asked a bewildered Peter as he was halfway through getting one leg into the armored suit.
"So as far as I can tell, Yuri saw a Maggia member who had a warrant out for his arrest and took him into custody." Finally getting that one leg into place, Peter began to work the other one in as MJ continued, "While she was making the arrest, there was an altercation and she shot him…"
"Shot him!?" he exclaimed, shocked as he stumbled a bit, and it was only due to Spider reflexes and balance that he was able to stay upright. "Why'd she do that?"
There was a momentary pause, "Her report says the man she was arresting went for a gun, and the lawsuit doesn't dispute that," replied the redhead dismissively. "Where things conflict is that the suit alleges that after Yuri shot the man, she pressed the muzzle of her gun to the wound. There's no mention of that in any police report of the incident, but it does say that Yuri went to where the guy worked and kicked in the door. It turned out to be a Maggia front and she found a kidnapped kid in there."
Both legs now firmly inside the suit, Peter took a moment to process everything, "So…she didn't actually torture him?" he asked cautiously.
"Ummm…I wouldn't bet on that Tiger," answered Mary Jane, "The hospital report shows there were circular imprints around the bullet wound." Peter felt his heart drop as that revelation sank in, it felt like he hadn't really known one of his closest confidants and allies at all. It didn't change his opinion of Yuri, it was hard to think of her as anything other than the driven and hardnosed Police Captain, but it did make the Webhead think about how often he completely misjudged people.
"So…what happened in the end?" he asked as he carefully slipped his arms in and zipped the suit up.
"The judge threw out the case," replied MJ bluntly. Then, almost as if she could see his wide eyed and shocked expression, the Bugle Editor elaborated. "I should probably explain that. It turns out that the kidnapped kid she rescued? It was the judge's son. So, he simply dismissed the excessive force aspect due to 'lack of evidence' and the 'unlawful search' was said to be under reasonable suspicion. Yuri got a verbal reprimand, but that was it." There was a continued silence as MJ seemed to wait for him to say something, but there wasn't really anything he had to say. "I know what this looks like, but know that nothing she did was anything like what happened today. You couldn't have known."
"You…knew about the Bar With No Name?" he asked dumbly.
"It's my job to know what's happening Tiger," she replied softly, "I don't blame you for not telling me, I know this is hard for you. But I know what you're thinking Peter, you're trying to decide of you can help Yuri, redeem her, and you're thinking that what I've said means that you can't."
Peter hunched over the table the phone was sitting on and let out a deep sigh. "Is that what you think MJ?" he asked sadly.
"No. I wouldn't be worried about that. What I would be worried about is that she's gone much farther this time." The words were cautious, careful, but Peter grimaced at them nonetheless. MJ understood people in a way that he simply didn't, and she was probably right. "I'm not going to say she can't change again, but if you see her again, know that you probably won't be seeing the same Yuri."
"I understand," he replied wearily, "But I'm not giving up on her, and I know I'm not the only one. She still has people who've got her back."
"Yeah, hopefully that's enough," Mary Jane sounded unsure, but Peter heard her take a breath and switch direction. "Listen, Peter…this makes better copy than the Hammerhead fronts. I've got to pitch it."
Peter sighed, part of him knew that was coming, but it still hurt, "I know you do. I know," he replied.
"Okay," she said carefully, "I'm going to focus on the good parts, how she helped make the city safer in her own unique way, despite her background. Make sure people know she was one of the good ones."
A weight felt like it had been lifted off his shoulders as Peter stood a little straighter, "Thanks MJ," he said sincerely.
"Hey, I still owe you one for this," returned the Associate Editor easily, "And I hope things work out for her. Talk to you later Pete."
"Talk later MJ," he answered before the line clicked dead and he plopped the phone on a wireless charging pad before pulling on his mask. Heading out the back of Parker Industries, he pushed the door open and was met with a cool Manhattan night. "Okay, time for the show. Hope I'm dressed for the occasion," he quipped to himself before he fired a webline to swing to Hudson Yards.
"Alright, this is it," announced Cooper as Yuri and him came to a stop on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the construction site at Hudson Yards. "Hammerhead is down there somewhere." The site was dominated by a large partially completed structure that loomed over the pair, but there were several other structures on the site below. Trailers, smaller buildings, and a pair of large cranes ringed the dirt lot, with a large open space at the center that had a few construction vehicles. "I'll clear the main structure," the Marauder continued, "You check the smaller ones. Hammerhead's the main prize, but when it comes to the others, they're…"
"Expendable," finished Yuri coldly, which wasn't exactly what Matt was going to say, but he wasn't going to stop her. Instead, the Pilot nodded once and moved to set off, only for a hand to wrap around his arm and hold him in place, "Cooper," began Yuri softly as the SRS Major turned to face her and was somewhat surprise to see that she had pulled up her goggles to reveal a pair of somewhat somber eyes. "I need you to promise me something," said the Lawwoman before taking a deep breath, "If you find Hammerhead, don't kill him, I have a few things to say to him first." Matthew looked at her for a second and nodded in agreement, but that wasn't good enough. As he tried to turn away, he felt Yuri tug on his arm, "Matthew, promise me," said Watanabe, voice intense, eyes drilling into his, "Please."
Matt didn't make a habit of turning down his friends, and so he didn't have to give her request much thought, "I promise."
Watanabe let out a breath, and sounded more relaxed, "Thank you," she replied sincerely before pulling her goggles back into place. "I don't care what kind of shape he's in when I get there, because he's going to look a lot fucking worse when I'm done."
Cooper just nodded, he vividly remembered what he felt when he found Mathilda's body, and he had no doubt that Yuri was grappling with the same emotions following the loss of her men, denying her the revenge she craved would have been hypocritical considering the lengths he had gone to get that same revenge on the same man.
"Let's not keep him waiting then, good hunting Yuri," wished Matt. The Lawwoman nodded and drew her shotgun before casually jumping off the rooftop towards the construction site below. Not sticking around to watch, the Marauder began to work his way around the site to get closer to the main structure when his phone rang in his ear and the Texan answered quickly. "Hey Darlin," he greeted before jumping to the next rooftop and cautiously added, "Just got to Hudson Yards, it's not too late to join if you'd like."
"That's alright Cowboy," replied Felicia softly. The Thief had been the one that found out that Hammerhead would be here tonight in the first place. While he had been clearing the most important Hammerhead's fronts, Felicia had been sneaking into his other businesses, looking for information on his location or where he was storing all of his stolen Sable equipment, though she hadn't had as much luck with that last one. "I trust you to be able to handle tall, dumb, and flatheaded, that's your domain. I still have a few places to check for all the Sable gear Hammerhead's got."
"Still looking for one more score, eh?" asked Matthew before firing his grapple hook to pull himself to the next building, not that he minded her choice. Felicia didn't respond, but he could almost see the Cheshire grin she probably had on her face, "Well don't worry about me, I found some backup and we should be able to take care of business."
"So you convinced your Cop Chick friend to help?" replied a somewhat surprised Black Cat, "I'm a bit surprised Stud. I didn't think you'd be able to do it, she must be a bit more adventurous than I thought." Cooper rolled his eyes at her not-so-subtle implications and came to a stop, taking a moment to scan for any patrolling goons. "Though I wouldn't mind seeing what the two of you can do together…especially to me."
"Focus babe, focus," replied Matt dryly as he shook his head at the even more risqué remark. "I gotta favor to ask. Yuri wants to keep working on the Maggia after this and I'm inclined to help her a bit, I'm letting her use our safehouses while we're gone but I want you to go and wipe her from the crime tracker system, help her stay under the radar, and if you could swipe a few police radios I'd appreciate it."
A sultry laugh came back at him over the line, "I'll see what I can do about that Cowboy, I should be able to swing by 1PP and do that…and I can come up with a way for you to show your appreciation." Smiling a bit behind his helmet, Cooper jumped from the edge of the building and fell until his jump kit flared to life and he slowed right before his boots met the dirt and he darted into cover behind a dumpster. "And you better come back in one piece to show it," added the heiress seriously. "I want to be able to enjoy my loot, martini, and you when this is all said and done." That last line, despite the words, was missing her usual flirtatious manner, replaced by a sobering sincerity that wasn't lost on Cooper. "Now go give them hell Cowboy," urged Felicia before the line clicked dead.
Taking a breath, Cooper hefted his weapon before sprinting from cover towards his objective and jumped up onto the roof of an SUV and then a bulldozer before his jump kit fired and he let loose his grapple to pull him up onto the fifth floor of the building, passing through a gap in the installed glass. Snapping the big gun up and scanning, the Marauder was somewhat surprised to find himself alone when his radio crackled to life in his ear. "Marauder, do you have eyes on the center area?" asked Yuri tersely.
"Wait one," he replied before he began cautiously moving towards that side of the building and asked, "Why?"
"We've got some complications," replied Watanabe as Cooper came to the other side and looked down. As soon as he realized what he was looking at, he couldn't help but agree.
With the construction site just up ahead, the armored-up Spider-Man felt the cool surge of adrenaline begin to seep into his veins as he let go of the line and stuck to one of the tall cranes overlooking the site. Looking for anything amiss, his eyes drawn towards the center of the site, which seemed to have lights, microphones, and cameras ringed around something, though the few construction vehicles in the area blocked his view of exactly what. While his eyes couldn't see anything, his ears could pick out something, and it was a frantic, desperate cry. "Help! Get us outta here!" came a muffled scream that prompted the Webslinger to whip his head around and leap down, firing a webline to pull himself to a crane truck that he perched on and got a better view of the situation.
The thing at the center was a dugout pit in which Spider-Man could see four well-dressed men with brown sacks over their heads tied to posts that were planted in the bottom of the pit, struggling against their bindings. All of the camera equipment was ringed around the pit as a cement mixer was backed up to it and loomed ominously over the struggling men. "The Maggia Dons…" realized Spider-Man as he went to leap to their aid, only for his sixth sense to buzz warningly as a loudspeaker came to life.
"Look who it is, the Bug! Just in time for the broadcast," proclaimed the haughty voice of Hammerhead as the Webslinger looked around and saw a large shape on the roof of the largest building. "Good evening New York!" greeted the mad Don, "Welcome, to tonight's entertainment: the Changing of the Guard!"
At those words, there was a mechanical hum as the cement mixer came to life, the only Hammerhead man Spider-Man could see standing at a console hooked up to the mixer holding a lever down as grey goo flowed from the mixer and began to fall into the pit. "What is that? Is that cement?" shouted one of the Dons as more of the mixture gurgled out of the mixer.
"Remember when 'honor' and 'loyalty' weren't just words?" began Hammerhead.
Spider-Man went into action, firing a webline at the crane arm he was crouched on before turning and leaping away from Hammerhead's man, letting his line out a bit before holding it taut and going back the other way, swinging under the crane arm as Hammerhead continued.
"When the Maggia were feared and respected?" asked the Don.
The Webslinger went up and let go of his line and fell towards the man at the mixer controls as he cocked a fist back. "Cause tonight: the good ol days are comin' back!" declared Hammerhead just as the Webhead's fist struck the goon pouring the cement in the jaw, sending him spinning to the ground as the spring-loaded lever snapped up and the flow of cement stopped.
This didn't seem to faze Hammerhead in the slightest however, "Wish I could join the festivities. Sit tight: I'll be seeing you all real soon," announced the Don before the loudspeaker screeched and went mercifully silent.
The peace didn't last as a door on one of the trailers was thrown open, causing Spider-Man to spin around to face five of Hammerheads enforcers, four making a beeline straight for the mixer controls, but it was the fifth that had the Webheads full attention as his Spider-Sense told him that the rocket launcher resting on his shoulder was loaded a split second before he pulled the trigger. With a plume of smoke, the angry red rocket leapt from the tube as the Webslinger leapt and flipped clear, though he could still feel the heat of the rocket as it streaked past. Rolling to his feet, Spidey fired a webline at the man with the launcher and pulled himself towards him, twisting his body around to deliver a spinning kick into the man's side that had him toppling over and dropping his weapon. Spider-Man planted his feet and threw an uppercut that sent the man airborne, flailing for a second before two lines of synthetic silk ensnared him and pulled him back down, slamming him into the dirt where he remained still.
No sooner had the dust settled than the cement started flowing again, the other Maggia men back on the controls as the pit continued to be filled. "You wanna taste the cement too, Spider!" taunted one of the Enforcers as the three not on the mixer stepped up to face the Websligner.
Spotting a bag of cement mix on the ground, Spider-Man fired a webline at it, "I already ate, but tell me how it is!" he quipped back before yanking the bag up and twirling it over his head before letting go of the line and letting it fly. Before the man could react, the bag slammed into his face as he fell backwards, leaving the other two men standing there, stunned, and letting Spider-Man close the gap. Sprinting forwards, the Wallcrawler saw the man he was going at raise his Sable shock baton to block and so he went to the ground, sliding between the mans legs before springing up and into a roundhouse kick before his sixth sense buzzed. Jumping up and backflipping over the top of the last Maggia defender, Spider-Man fired a burst of webbing into the man's face before dropping down, planting both feet on the man's back and kicking him into a stage light before Spider-Man webbed him to the ground. The man with a shock baton turned to face Spider-Man just in time to see the Webslinger fire a webline at each shoulder and leapt at him, thrusting a knee up into his chin and sending the Maggia man flailing back.
Firing a webline at the man pouring the concrete and yanking him from the controls, caused the cement to stop flowing for the moment as the man stumbled to the ground before the base of Spider-Man's skull buzzed as he turned just in time to catch a glimpse of a man with a Sable shield and jetpack charging straight towards him. Rolling away as the man charged past, Spider-Man snapped off a webline that snatched the man's ankle as the webhead planted his feet and stuck to the ground, killing the man's momentum, but the jet pack didn't stop, so it's wearer pivoted about where the synthetic silk had stuck fast and drove him, face first, into the ground. Seeing the man who had been at the console get back to his feet, Spider-Man turned and grunted as he threw the jet pack goon over his head and sent him into his compatriot, making both collapse in a heap.
The sound of screeching brakes had the Webslinger whirl around to see a pair of SUVs come to a halt, doors flying open as more armed men emerged to take him on while the sound of the cement mixer coming back on had him turn the other way to see another group had come from the other side and bracketed him. "Oh, come on! Just how many of you are there?"
"How many of you fuckers are there?" snarled Cooper, some six stories up and loading a fresh box into his Spitfire, his question going unanswered by the group of Hammerhead's men that he had run into during his ascent as they were drowned out by the near continuous barrage of laser fire that forced the Marauder to take cover behind an exposed concrete pillar. Gritting his teeth, the Pilot pulled his Pulse Blade from its sheath and slung it towards the gunmen, watching the orange pulse illuminate them in the darkness of the incomplete building. "Six, that's good to know," grunted Cooper as he pulled back the charging handle, chambering the first 7.62mm round before clenching his left fist, activating his phase shift as the Pilot was ripped through dimensions.
Sprinting from behind his cover under the few precious seconds of invulnerability the tactical ability provided, the Marauder was able to get out of the line of fire before he felt the energy prickle at him as the pure black and white world transitioned to one illuminated by laser fire. Sliding across the floor, Cooper brought the big LMG up and cut loose, stitching a burst across the nearest Maggia man before the Pilot sprung up onto one of the few walls on the floor and sprinted along it, turning the flank of the group of Maggia Enforcers as they reacted to his sudden reappearance. Jump kit spitting licks of blue flame, Cooper leapt from the wall and brought the Spitfire up as he hit the cement floor and slid along it as he pulled the trigger, the big gun bucking in his hands as it sent more armor piercing rounds into the three Maggia men that tried to stand their ground and fire back.
Blue visor glowing softly in the darkness, the Marauder scanned for any sign of the last two Maggia men and saw nothing. Carefully rising, the Pilot once again reached into his bag of tricks and sent out his Holopilot in amongst the pillars and construction materials ahead of him before activating his cloak and quietly strafing to his right, waiting for someone to take the bait. "Come on you bastards…" encouraged Cooper within the confines of his helmet as the suppressed muzzle of his LMG swept left and right until he saw a flash of red light as a stream of laser bolts perforated the hologram, giving away the position of the man who fired them. "Bamboozled you," growled Matt as he placed the reticle of his holosight on the source and pulled the trigger, firing an eight round burst. As the last brass casing clinked on the floor, Cooper could hear the screams of the man that had been hit echo through the room before he caught a flash of red light in his peripheral vision.
Reacting instantly, the Marauder whipped around and tried to bring his Spitfire to bear, but not before the Sable international stun whip shot forwards and struck his leg, wrapping around it and yanking it out from under the Pilot, sending his full weight into the floor. Seeing the flash of a second whip activate, Cooper let his cumbersome weapon go and rolled about his ensnared leg right before the second whip struck the floor where he had just been. Now with the man open, the Marauder rolled halfway back onto his side and smoothly drew his Smart Pistol before leveling it at the Maggia enforcer and pulling the trigger, sending a single smart bullet into the goon's head.
Reaching down to unwrap the whip from around his leg, Cooper had just removed the dimmed device before a bright light and audible whoosh as the striped helmet snapped up to see a luminous blue shield coming at him, propelled by a jetpack that belched angry red flames as the man with both items charged at the Pilot. Without time to think, Cooper jumped clear as the man streaked past before the Marauder's gaze snapped to his Spitfire on the other side of the trail of red energy the Maggia man had left on the floor. But the sight of a second shield flaring to life in the darkness as a second one of the goons appeared, a wicked grin on his face as he stared at Cooper and then the machine gun between them. "I'm going to turn you into roadkill!" snarled the second Maggia man before his jetpack flared to life and the Pilot was charged at again.
Eyes narrowing, the Marauder hesitated as the Maggia enforcer bore down on him, closing the gap before Cooper lowered his shoulder and launched himself forwards with an explosive stride, going to a full sprint. Both men were speeding towards one another before Cooper planted his boot and jumped up to meet his foe before activating his phase shift once again and vanishing just before they slammed into each other. Holstering his Smart Pistol, the Pilot came down and slid to a stop, turning back around before the phase shift expired and he reached down to scoop up his Spitfire. Snapping the weapon to his shoulder, the Marauder held the trigger down as the second Maggia man turned around and had his shield up before the hail of hot lead slammed into it while Matt wrestled with the recoil of the gun, managing to hold it steady as it chewed through the remainder of the magazine. Under the sustained punishment, the Sable energy shield failed first, turning red and then flickering out before the mags final five rounds tore through the man's shirt and embedded themselves in the jetpack on his back.
As soon as the bullet ridden body collapsed to the floor, Cooper barely registered the movement out of the corner of his eye before the other Maggia man slammed into him, sending the empty Spitfire flying in one direction as Cooper went the opposite one, colliding with a pillar and spinning to the floor. Stumbling up to his feet, Cooper scanned the area drawing his MK6 until he spotted the enforcer lining up for another charge as his left hand reached for a Gravity Star and pulled out the device just as the man charged again. Slinging the gadget out sidearm, Cooper confidently held his ground as the mini black hole flickered into existence just as the jetpack equipped goon passed by, sucking the man into the gravity well and stopping him dead in his tracks. While he flailed frantically against the gadget, Cooper calmly leveled his Smart Pistol and took aim before firing three, sending the round into the man's head and the other two into his jetpack, causing it to spark before the gravity well collapsed. The resulting push sent the dead man, jetpack stuck fully on, careening through the glass and towards the ground below.
Reloading and holstering his Sidearm, Cooper collected his Spitfire and loaded one of his two remaining magazines into the gun before resuming his ascent to the roof.
Spider-sense ringing, the Webslinger flipped clear as the Maggia man swung his whip through the space the black armored hero had just occupied while Spider-Man launched himself towards the enforcer. Spider-Man threw a punch that staggered his foe long enough for the Webhead to acrobatically backflip and plant a kick in the man's chest, launching himself clear as the man flailed the whips frantically while he stumbled back against an SUV. The Arachnid themed hero stuck the landing and brought up his webshooters, pinning the stunned man to the vehicle with a few well-placed bursts of webbing.
"It's getting hard to breathe down here!" shouted one of the Dons over the continued churning of the cement mixer as Spider-Man went to their aid, leaping up onto the top of the SUV and firing a webline at the boom arm of a crane overhead and swinging from it, extending his legs and planting them on the man's chest, throwing him back as Spider-Man followed through his swing, letting go as he flipped around and fired a pair of weblines at the ground on either side of the still flailing goon before streaking towards the surface like a missile, slamming into the Maggia man and driving him to the ground before flipping away.
"Now if they could just stay off…" muttered the Webhead to himself as he looked around for the next Maggia man when he felt his sixth sense buzz again and instinctively reacted by jumping and flipping away from a stream of red laser bolts. Seeing the big bruiser with his rotary energy weapon let the gun spin down and cool, Spider-Man went on the attack, firing a webline at the man and pulling himself towards the Maggia enforcer. Knowing the Wallcralwer was coming at him, the brute tried to get his gun up only for Spider-Man to flip around and bring an armored foot down on the barrels, driving the muzzle of the gun into the ground and opening the man up to a right hook, snapping the man's head to one side before following up with a roundhouse kick from his left foot that sent the man's head snapping back the other way. While the man shook off those blows, the Webslinger somersaulted back and fired a pair of weblines at the gun, tugging on the lines with his superhuman strength to rip the gun away from its wielder. Adjusting his grip on the weblines, Spider-Man whipped the gun around as the disarmed goon tried to charge at him, only for the Webslinger to yank the gun up and over the top before bringing it down like a hammer right on the man's head, the impact of the 40 pound weapon knocking him out cold.
The sound of the cement mixer coming back to life got Spider-Man focused back on the task at hand and turning to see only two foes left in the open ground of the construction site. "The Dons just need to hold on a little longer…" murmured the Webslinger as he charged forwards, forgoing webs as one man with a stun baton stepped in front of Spider-Man only for the hero to hit the dirt and slide between his legs and fired a webline at the mixer controls. With a mighty pull, the Wallcrawler shot along the ground and barreled into the man, knocking him off his feet as Spider-Man himself spun and flipped up before pining the man to the ground with a web of synthetic silk. Squaring up to the last man, the glowing yellow eye lenses narrowed before he saw a flash of movement above him and looked skyward and saw something descending at them. Tensing and at the ready, Spider-Man watched the jet pack equipped incoming descend and slam straight into the ground, surprising the three men squaring off. When the dust settled, Spider-Man could see the bloody bullet wound in his head that probably had more to do with his death than the now clearly broken neck he had.
His pondering of this was interrupted by the sudden ringing of his sixth sense as man with a stun baton charged at him. Snapping off a webline to yank the stun baton down, Spider-Man ran up to the first, planting his right foot on the man's stomach and swinging his left up into the man's chin before pushing off and backflipping away, his other webshooter firing a webline that he used to drag the man to the ground. Only then did Spider-Man realize that he still heard the gurgling of the cement flow despite the controls being turned off. "No, no, no, the mixer shorted out, it can't be turned off!" Manually ejecting the partially spent web cartridges, he came up with a plan, though he didn't have many other options, "Gotta try webbing the mixer…" he muttered as he lined up the shot and felt the shooter's click as they chambered a cartridge, "Come on extra strength web formula…"
Unloading the entire cartridge as fast as he could, the white webbing clogged up the opening on the mixer and the cement stopped flowing, and not a moment too soon, since it was well up the chests of the trapped Dons. Letting out a sigh of relief, Spider-Man soon got the expected appreciation for his efforts. "Hey! How about a little help down here!" called out one of the trapped Dons angrily.
He was met with the shrill shriek of the PA system coming back to life. "Well, I am more than happy to oblige!" called out Hammerhead as Spidey felt his sixth sense go off intensely and flipped away, taking cover behind an SUV before a series of explosions echoed around the construction site, throwing up dust and sending lethal shrapnel pinging around the area. Emerging from his cover, Spider-Man's eye lenses widened at the gruesome scene in the pit. The exposed portions of the Dons bodies were bloody and shredded, the cement around them turning a grisly red as their covered heads hung limply, the bags bloody. "And so the old guard goes out…with a bang!" declared Hammerhead haughtily as Spider-Man saw approaching police vehicles and turned to look up at the top of the tallest building.
Wasting no time, the Wallcrawler fired two weblines and pulled himself up until his momentum ran out and he pulled himself to the building and pushed off with an acrobatic flourish and fired more weblines to ascend the rest of the way, finding himself on the top floor in seconds. Pulling himself up to one of the cranes and sticking to it, Spider-Man surveyed the space, full of incomplete walls, some concrete pillars, steel I-beams, supplies, and some unusual looking containers littered about. What stood out most however, was the tall man striding with a confident swagger towards Spider-Man as he clapped slowly. "Nice work, Bug," complimented Hammerhead with a shark like grin on his face as he stared up at the Webhead. The Don was wearing his usual formal suit, but it was mostly obscured by a suit of armor. Clearly of Sable design, it featured the same bulky white armored plating covering his chest, stomach, back, arms, and lower legs, the wires and large buildup at the joints suggested it was power assisted, complete with an array of wicked looking weapons mounted on both arms. "Had to go with my backup plan, but we'll roll with it. Risks of live TV," explained the Don, flashing a roguish grin for the cameras. When Spider-Man didn't reply, Hammerhead gestured towards his new gear, "You like?" he asked, "Project Olympus in action. Finished it up while you were playing with the Dons!"
"So that's what they're wearing in Paris this season," quipped the Webhead before leaping over to an incomplete column and shaking his head. "Hate to say it, but brushed gun metal is not your color."
Hammerhead snorted and shook his head before shaking his hand at the Wallcrawler in frustration, "I'm trying to revitalize the Mob over here!" he proclaimed, "That takes long term leadership. Now?" he said before gesturing back to the high-tech armor he was wearing and offering a serpentine smile and smugly saying, "I'm long term."
"Your parts warranty may be long term, but you?" asked Spider-Man, clearly unconvinced before jumping to another pillar, "You're nuts!"
"Naw, I'm just a guy that knows a thing or two about PR," retorted Hammerhead, seemingly unconcerned. "The city don't take the Maggia seriously no more. Don't respect us. But after they see me break you in half?" asked the Don confidently, "All that's gonna change."
Spider-Man tensed, but the tension was broken by an unexpected, filtered voice. "You ain't gonna break him in half, not before we leave you lying in pieces you son of a bitch!" snarled the voice as a glowing blue x appeared in the shadows. Hammerhead turned, a look of surprise on his face as. "Remember me? No? Word of advice," drawled the unknown as he stepped forward into the light, revealing the striped helmet of the Marauder as he trained a machine gun on the Maggia boss, "When you try to kill a man, you'd better look at him." Spider-Man stared wide eyed at the Marauder, unable to believe that he could possibly be here, now, at this exact time. Hammerhead, equally shocked, began to chortle lowly before throwing his head back in laughter.
Peter could see the Marauder tighten his grip on his gun before he growled out, "I don't find it nice, you laughing."
Hammerhead shook his head, "But this is too good" he insisted, "The Bandit, back from the dead! And just in time for join the show! Talk about bringing the big names together!" boomed Hammerhead before clapping his hands together and tapping something on the inside of his armored wrist before his smile turned sharklike, "But you aren't the only one with a surprise in store," he warned before a few of those odd containers opened up with a discharge of smoke. With a bevy of mechanical noises, the imposing seven foot tall mechanical forms of IMC Stalkers emerged from the containers and turned their heads towards the Marauder, "Time to bring back the glory days!"
Base of his skull buzzing furiously, Spider-Man jumped away just as Hammerhead unleashed a brilliant beam of ruby red energy right at where the Webslinger had been, the blast so intense the Wallcrawler could feel the heat through his suit. Landing on the ground, Spider-Man looked up to see that the Marauder was blazing away with his machine gun on the group of Stalkers closest to him before his Spider sense buzzed again and he looked back to the Don. There were licks of flame from his back as the heavily armored Hammerhead lifted into the air and then leaned forwards, charging at Spider-Man and forcing the webhead to quickly dodge as the Don streaked past, his impact so powerful it shook the floor of the building ever so slightly. Casting one last look at his friend and seeing that the Marauder was holding his own, Spider-Man turned back to Hammerhead and went at him.
Looking out the window, Yuri stuffed a new energy cell into the breach of her shotgun as the first trio of police cruisers came to a stop; officers got out and entered the biggest structure, seemingly focused on reaching the top. Unable to stop herself from shaking her head in disbelief, Watanabe was at least grateful that their failure to secure the would be to her benefit. Turning back and heading through the small office that was filled with the bodies of the former Maggia men that had been inside when Watanabe arrived along with spent energy cells for her shotgun, the Lawwoman made her way to the ground floor and headed for the side door before stepping outside. Waiting a beat before moving, Yuri took a deep breath and looked for any sign of movement before darting across towards the cement mixer in the center of the area and taking cover behind it. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the mutilated bodies of the Maggia Dons in the pit before moving on. They had presided over the deaths of a hundred people between them and didn't deserve her pity.
But she couldn't focus on them for very long as she saw a pair of sedans pull up to the construction site and the doors to fly open as five men emerged, wielding various weapons as the man Yuri presumed to be the leader turned to address them. "Let's go boys! Boss needs our help, so we're gonna take care of these cops while he handles the Bug!" With that, the five men made their way into the partially complete structure, totally unaware that they had a tail.
Yuri stalked after the men, having slung her shotgun over her shoulder as she moved into the shadows before her cloak fell away. The group made its way straight to the staircase before the leader came to an abrupt halt, "Hey! Get your thumbs outta your asses boys!" he barked, "Spread out, make sure there's nobody down here!" After some grumbling, the men dispersed, quickly and lackadaisically canvasing the bottom floor. Head turning, Yuri watched the one that came her direction walk through a doorway, out of sight of the rest before she activated her cloak and crouched down before heading after him. Creeping up behind the man, Yuri extended the ripper blades from her left arm, and as soon as the blades clicked into place, she struck. Right as the cloak ended Yuri stood back up to her full height and wrapped her right gauntlet around the man's head, clamping it down on his mouth before using the Ripper blades to slit the man's throat, sending blood spurting out as he frantically squirmed and struggled before going limp and being set down before Yuri reengaged her cloak and moved.
The sound of the man's rifle clattering to the floor meant her kill wasn't as silent as she had hoped though, and soon the leader called out again, his voice echoing through the space, "Tommy! Tommy, you alright?" he asked. Head quickly spinning as she looked around, Yuri immediately pressed herself against a concrete column and remained out of sight. "Bruno, go check on Tommy, would ya?" There was an angry and incoherent grumble in reply before heavy footsteps made their way towards where Yuri was. Biding her time, Yuri forced herself to take slow, deep breaths, despite her rapidly beating heart, in order to remain calm and wait for the right moment. When she heard the man's footsteps approach, Watanabe engaged the cloak again and slinked out from the pillar, blades at the ready.
Stalking around to get behind him, Yuri slowly close the distance as the man lazily looked around, though didn't bother to look behind him. "Oh shit…" he muttered as he went bolt straight, spotting the legs of the man Yuri had just killed, "Hey! I…" he began to shout before Yuri struck, throwing out a powerful kick to his back that knocked him off balance and sent him stumbling into a concrete pillar. He let out a grunt as he spun around just in time to have Yuri slam her hand over his mouth as she rammed the blades into his gut, stabbing him four different times with the twin blades before he finally slumped to the floor.
"Bruno? Shit, Bruno!" called out the leader as Yuri stepped back from the dead man, "Look sharp guys, we ain't alone down here!" Now that they knew she was here, the Lawwoman didn't see a reason not to retract the blades and unsling the shotgun on her back. "Who's there?" called out the boss as Yuri kept calm and moved forwards, Peacekeeper pressed to her shoulder as she peered into the darkness for any sign of the Maggia goon.
Before she could spot him, she heard a different voice behind her call out, "They're fucking dead!" Eyes widening behind her goggles, Watanabe spun around and leveled the scattergun at the Maggia man holding his stun baton before pulling the trigger, glowing blue energy buckshot lighting up the darkened area and slamming into the man's chest, knocking him from his feet.
While he lay on the ground, dead, Yuri cycled the lever action before she turned and saw another gunman lay eyes on her and dove as she snapped off another shot. The scattergun impact caused dust to fly off the concrete pillar that took the shot before Yuri activated her cloak and scampered away to avoid a stream of red laser bolts flew through the air, giving away where the last goon was and letting Yuri line up a shot before she pulled the trigger and popped his head like a grape. Working the lever again, the Lawwoman chambered her last shot before she heard the fifth and final Maggia man bellow from her flank as she spun away from the whip that sliced through the air and hit the ground. Going on the attack, Yuri leapt at him as the jump kit on her back fired and pushed her through the air before lashing out with a kick again that crushed the man's hand and caused him to drop the whip before Watanabe thrust the butt of her gun out and struck the man in the face with the stock, sending him tumbling back and allowing her to level the gun before firing the fourth shot she had, blowing his chest open with the blast.
"Stay down," she snarled before breaking open the weapon and dumping the spent energy cell out and reaching down to grab a replacement. "Damn…" muttered Yuri as she pulled out her last reload and slid it into place, turning and looking at the flights of stairs and the long climb that awaited her. She couldn't help but sigh at the prospect before snapping the gun shut and cycling the lever before putting a foot on the first step.
Spider-Man drove his fist straight through the chest of one of the few remaining Stalkers, causing the machine to short out and collapse before turning around and seeing the Marauder unload his machine gun into Hammerhead, the Don holding up a blue energy shield to hold back the storm of lead. Seeing that the Marauder had tossed away his smoking and empty gun and draw his pistol, the Webslinger called out, "I got him!" and fired a webline to pull himself to Hammerhead, throwing a punch that merely glanced off the heavy armor the Don wore. Reacting swiftly, Hammerhead swung a wild arm that Spider-Man easily ducked, but his sixth sense kicked in hard as the Don slammed his head down in a crushing headbutt that the Webhead couldn't fully dodge, though the glancing blow still left his vision swimming and ears ringing from a blow that could have caved his skull in had he not been wearing the Anti-Ock armor.
Gritting his teeth, the Webslinger backflipped and threw a foot up into Hammerhead's chin, smashing the Don's lip before getting back to his feet and throwing a powerful superhuman punch into Hammerhead's midsection. The Don doubled over as Spider-Man jumped up and twisted before coming back down and seizing the mob boss' head with both hands and using it to swing under it, kicking his legs forward to fling himself upwards and twisting around. Firing a webline from each shooter at the ground to either side of the Don, Spider-Man yanked the lines, driving his feet into the man's back. The blow sent Hammerhead into the ground as Spider-Man acrobatically flipped off. Shaking off the blow, Hammerhead reached out and managed to wrap a massive armored hand around Spider-Man's leg and ripped it out from under the Wallcrawler as he myself got to his feet before lifting the Arachnid themed hero up and slamming him into to concrete.
The wind was knocked out of Spider-Man's lungs as he struggled against Hammerhead's grip when he saw a flash of movement as the Marauder came streaking in, throwing a punch, his fist crackling with arc energy that cause the armor to spark and seize up, releasing Spider-Man in the process. Tumbling across the ground, Spider-Man felt his sixth sense buzz as he forced himself to flip up before that ruby red laser sliced through the air, the Marauder jumping up and over it with the aid of his jump kit. Both friends turned to look at each other, surrounded by the wrecked remains of the various Stalkers and now alone with Hammerhead, "I'll soften him up, you finish him off," instructed Cooper, with Peter giving a curt nod before the Pilot leapt into action. Jumping forwards, the Marauder leapt up, jump kit flaring as his feet hit a pillar and he bounced off towards the one opposite it. The Maggia Don raised his arm to fire his laser again as the Pilot phased out of existence just before he hit the second pillar.
"Where'd you fucking go?" snarled Hammerhead before the Marauder reappeared right in front of him, axe held high. The Don threw an arm up to block right as the axe came down, burying itself in the laser module on the Mob boss' arm and causing it to spark furiously. The Pilot followed up by throwing a punch that audibly broke Hammerhead's nose, causing him to bellow out in anger and pain while the SRS Commando pulled out an arc grenade. Jumping up caused the flames of the jump kit to singe Hammerhead's Project Olympus armor before he fired his grapple hook to pull himself away as he dropped the arc grenade that went off as soon as it touched the Don.
Taking that as his cue, Spider-Man went on the attack, sprinting forwards and jumping up, firing a webline at the beams overhead and swinging from it, circling around the stunned Don before planting both feet in the side of his head before letting go of the line and flipping around, throwing a punch that knocked a tooth loose as Spider-Man came back to floor before springing away. Looking back at Hammerhead, Spidey could see the Don down on one knee, spitting out the tooth he had knocked loose with a spurt of blood, he then turned to the webhead, with crooked nose, black eye, and knocked out tooth making him look even uglier. As it looked like Hammerhead was contemplating getting back up, there was a shout of "Freeze! You're under arrest!" as Spider-Man turned to see a group of officers emerge from the stairs with their guns drawn.
Incredibly, Hammerhead's response was to chortle through his bloody face as he looked from Spider-Man to the Cops and then to the Marauder who similarly had his gun trained on the Don. "So yea, trying to become a rip-off Iron Man; maybe not such a great idea after all, huh?"
"Heh, pal," returned Hammerhead as he shook his head, "You weren't listenin' when I said, 'long term.' Old school Maggia's got patience," explained the Don as he slowly lifted himself upright, bracing himself up on one knee. "Knows how to wait for just the right moment to…"
Only for a reverberating crack to cut him off as the gunshot slammed into his back, knocking Hammerhead to the floor and revealing the source. Behind him, still clad in the Wraith kit, was Yuri, holding a shotgun with a smoking muzzle. "Yuri?" asked Spider-Man as he turned to Cooper for a brief second, but saw that the Pilot hadn't reacted, and was seemingly relaxed, sending more questions into Peter's mind before he took a step towards the Captain. "What are you…" he began to ask as she grabbed a white disk from her belt and tossed it on the ground in front of him, his spider sense ringing furiously to alert him to the danger as the bolas leapt from their housing, wrapping around him and crackling with 50,000 volts that brought the Wallcrawler to his knees. "No, Yuri! Don't do this!" he begged through grit teeth as she looked away from him and focused her attention back on Hammerhead.
The Don's eyes widened at the sight of the woman in the Pilot's kit face concealed and eyes covered by the high tech goggles as she worked her shotgun. "Captain! Stop!" shouted one of the cops as Hammerhead held up a hand to shield his face while Yuri aimed her scattergun. With a second deafening crack, the weapon fired again, blowing the Don's hand off and leaving a bloody stump in its place.
"This is bad," murmured a stunned officer as Yuri cycled the gun with a cold efficiency, sighting it on the form of Hammerhead as he desperately crawled away before Watanabe fired again, blasting pieces of armor off the shoulder of his other arm as he collapsed onto the concrete. With one last, desperate effort, the head of the Maggia pushed himself up to his feet and turned to face Yuri, only the Lawwoman had already cycled the gun and was ready to fire again. When it did, the energy shot went straight into the Don's knee, blowing away bits of armor and taking out a chunk of the joint. With neither the armored suit or his leg able to support him, Hammerhead tumbled back onto the floor as Yuri threw the gun away.
Watanabe stared down at her vanquished foe and spoke in an icy cold tone. "Last time we met," she began, her right hand drawing her Rhino Revolver while her left pulled down her mask, "You said something about fear," she reminded the Don before pulling up her goggles to reveal her face to him as she crouched down next to him. "Well…" Yuri said as she pressed the muzzle of the .357 Magnum to the Don's temple, "How do you feel now?"
"Just. Dandy," snapped back Hammerhead as Yuri's finger began to tighten around the trigger or her gun. Taking one last look at the Marauder and seeing that he wasn't going to do anything, Spider-Man summoned the last of his strength and broke free of the bolas, throwing them off with a grunt and acting before anyone had a chance to act. The line of synthetic white silk shot forwards and latched onto the barrel of Yuri's gun just as the hammer came all the way back, and just as it fell forwards, Spider-Man yanked. By the time the hammer struck the primer on the double action, the muzzle was no longer pressed against Hammerhead's temple, having been forwards just a scant few inches as the Magnum fired, sending its bullet straight into Hammerhead's hardened skull at point blank range. The sound of the gunshot echoed through across the rooftop as the round struck the man's head and tore a wicked looking gash across his forehead, denting the metal plate embedded under his skin before deflecting off. The force of the impact snapped his head back, causing it to slam into the concrete just as the gun that had been ripped from Yuri's hand did the same.
Back up on her feet, Watanabe spun to face those gathered as she stood over the still form of Hammerhead, her eyes roamed over the group ahead of her as she met the gaze of each one, her hand visibly still trembling as the other cops shared looks. Nobody seemed to move or dare break the silence until the Marauder strode forwards and picked up Yuri's revolver, dusting it off before grabbing it by the barrel and handing it back to the Lawwoman, grip first. For a long moment, Yuri hesitated, looking down at the offered gun and then back to the others as she seemed to grapple with indecision before a shaky hand extended and reclaimed possession of the revolver. Without so much as a word, she holstered the pistol, pulled her mask and goggles back into place, and then followed the Marauder as the two jumped off the building and vanished into the Manhattan night.
Spider-Man couldn't muster the will to pursue.
Inside the medical examiner's truck left the construction site, Rinaldo worked his jaw as he sat down on the seat inside the back of the truck, stuck there with a fellow cop and a corpse. "I feel bad for the captain," began the officer next to him, "But I'm glad this monster's dead," she nodded towards the body bag in the center of the truck.
His jaw now set firmly, Rinaldo turned to the woman who was sitting next to him. "Who says he's dead?" he asked, prompting the other cop to give him a confused look and let her guard down as he lashed out, wrapping an arm around her neck and squeezing hard, quickly overpowering the smaller woman as he choked consciousness out of her. She thrashed for a few seconds, but eventually her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. Letting her go, Rinaldo reached to his belt and pulled out a nondescript black cylinder he had been given that morning. Following the instructions he had been given, Rinaldo unscrewed the cap to reveal the twin prongs it had and then unzipped the body bag to reveal the beaten and bruised face of his Don.
Finding the slit in the armor, the dirty cop slid the device into place until it was firmly latched on and then pressed the big button on the end. The response was instantaneous, the battle-damaged Project Olympus armor jolted back to life with a hum, lights coming back on as it rebooted. A high-pitched whine began to grow in intensity before it discharged with a snap, causing Hammerhead to convulse before there was a slight pause and the whine began to build up again before the defibrillator discharged once more, and then the suit seemed to calm down. Hoping that it had worked, Rinaldo leaned down and whispered, "…Boss?"
A nerve wracking second passed by before the Don's eyes and mouth shot open and he took in a pained breath, back from the dead.
Mary Jane Watson Research Notes
'Corruption at Oscorp' – Project Olympus
Another one of these lovely 'top secret' Oscorp private venture projects like Devil's Breath, this one has progressed much faster because it is a larger project, according to sources, and that has come with an inverse to the secrecy surrounding it. And due to people now starting to seriously question Oscorp again, people claiming knowledge have come forwards to share what they know, and it paints a bleak picture.
The project began soon after the IMC attack last year, with the work being carried out by a mix of Oscorp R&D as well as their Defense division. While nobody has come forward alleging that any part of Olympus is based on recovered IMC technology and equipment, the rest of the details I have learned seem to point in that direction. Some people have spoken of new mechanical exoskeletons for soldiers while others talk about designs of advanced direct energy weapons, both of which were employed by the IMC.
Then there's the name, 'Olympus,' the home of the gods in Greek mythology. Many of which were the children of Titans. The potential symbolism there is hard to miss, especially for anyone who saw IMC titans up close.
All the more reason to keep digging into this.
Closing Notes: That concludes Turf Wars, an arc I've really enjoyed doing despite having to make a bunch of tweaks. I know the big boss fight with Hammerhead was a bit underwhelming but, as you might gather from the bit at the end, it isn't the last we'll see of him. Silver Linings will conclude the DLC story arc and starts in chapter 91. Feel free to leave a review with any thoughts on Turf Wars in general or this finale in particular.
Since Silver Linings starts in 91, the next chapter will be dedicated to setting up a character from that DLC as we check back in on Symkaria.
Because Sable International is about to come face to face with The Future of Warfare.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.