Be sure to Follow me so that you don't miss the release of the side story "Warrior by Moonlight" featuring the vengeful Moon Knight.
Chapter 24: Friendly Fire
It had been days since the prison was lost. Peter sat upon the Japanese Tatami flooring mats with his legs crossed in nothing but grey sweatpants. His arms and chest were bare, exposing the slight burn mark on his chest where Iron Man's repulsor blast had caught him. His brown hair was recently cut to a short length. Next to him was an orb containing Venom. Across from him was the unmasked Iron Fist, Danny Rand, in meditation wearing a green and yellow gi. His yellow half mask was mounted on a mantelpiece which sat against a wall. The only light in the room came from white candles, whose flames burned slowly.
After Philip Grey was in hand, the team burned the facility, took the doctor's notes and met Fury in the North like they were instructed. The spider and cat returned to the new base, while Wolverine and Deadpool went to join the X-Force to Genosha.
The revelation of Weapon Plus had only deepened the hole. The consequences of the civil war had driven the world into an arms race and there was no stopping it. Worse was the fact that he may not have known if it weren't for Fury. The pieces of a larger picture were falling into place.
The Weapon Plus project had a long history that began with Captain America in World War II. It strove to create the perfect soldiers and use them against the perceived "mutant threat." It soon expanded into other iterations and methods to turn man into weapons, producing the likes of Luke Cage, Wolverine, Deadpool and X-23. And it was so ironic that the Weapon Plus mentality was applied to handle all superhuman opposition. The Mutants and Mutates were all in the same metaphorical boat now.
Peter allowed himself to chuckle at the situation and break his concentration. He was there to meditate, not because it was required of him but because he felt that it was what he needed to do. To reflect on his journey so far. To be reminded of what he did right and where he made errors in judgement. The loss of Kaine was the most irksome mistake at the moment that he couldn't help but to revisit and if he was to move forward he could use a clear head.
It seemed that for all of the times his logical mind brought success, his anger had cost him more. In those moments he threw out reason in order to enact his revenge and in turn he lost another person, with whom he shared history. Who knew what Devin or the people he worked for were doing to Kaine at the moment. The thought of it made Peter's blood boil and he knew he needed to create mental distance from the subject, think about something else.
On his last mission he seemed to be able to talk to the X-Man, Cyclops and get him to agree to let Philip Grey live. Logic had prevailed in that hostel moment. He even managed to build a working relationship with the Venom symbiote of all creatures which had benefited him in critical times, including his escape from the Negative Zone.
His quest had led him this far but where would it all end? Johnny Storm managed to make it but so many more were lost. Young kids who wanted to be heroes and stand for something were trapped in the confines of the prison, along with some of the not so nice cape killers who tried to crack his skull. Was he to blame for all of them not going home to see their families? The answer was undoubtedly yes. If he was going to move on he needed to accept that like he did when he killed Wilson Fisk with his own gun and when he left Mac Gargon to die without the Venom symbiote to sustain his body.
Those in power would not relent in their position to enforce Registration, they would instead double down and use the lives lost and a rallying point. He and Luke's group would be dubbed radicals, was he prepared for that? He then had to ask himself what it was that he was fighting for now that his goal was next to impossible. Felicia seemed to support him but was she really going to stick around? She was always a sort of free spirit the way that she would enter and exit his life.
Did he even want Cat to stay? What would he have left without revenge to keep him going? And though Venom was cooperative, how long would that last for? Yes, it was indeed time to take inventory.
Iron Fist attempted to mind his own meditation, however, he couldn't help but pick up on Peter's queues. Peter's eyes were closed but his eyeballs darted left and right. His hands rested upon his knees but his fingers twitched like they were itching. It had been thirty minutes since they started and Danny was concerned that continuing in silence might not be of help to his ally.
"You seem to be at odds with yourself Peter, is there something I can help with?"
"I thought this was meditation time?"
"It is, but reflection doesn't always require silence."
"I'm fine, there's just a lot to process, a lot to think about."
Danny offered an innocent smirk and allowed himself the chance to reminisce.
"When I was in Kun'Lun there was a point when everyone needed me and I had to be my best self"
"i'm guessing that didn't turn out so well."
"I failed and the city was lost. And I've been hiding ever since. When we were separated by the Mimikai, they reminded me of my failure. I struggle with it everyday but I train so that I can go back there. Seeing you continue in spite of your losses, how can I do any less? Struggling is what we do, it is a part of life but oftentimes the real challenge is what will we do after we get what we want."
At the time, it appeared too difficult to fathom the future after all of the fighting. That seemed to be another thing that Peter hadn't thought of. Was he expecting to go back to being an ordinary citizen? Killing Wilson Fisk certainly took him off the path of the righteous but he didn't regret it either.
Danny shook his head "You don't have to answer that now but keep it in mind. When the time comes we will all have to make a decision and you have been more decisive than most, including myself."
Danny stood up from the mat and began stretching his arms and legs as Peter continued to remain seated. The Venom ball began rolling around on the floor by itself which Ignored. It was like a child rolling around for attention.
"By the way, are you mad at Luke? After he… gave you up to Tony Venom was Venom wasn't too happy with us either. It took Logan of all people to calm it down."
"No, I put that behind me at the prison. Besides, if me getting captured motivated the group to raid the place then it was the right move. Although if it happens again I may take it personally."
"I know you two have been at odds since you got here but I hope you two can get along. He doesn't say it but he misses Jessica and Danielle. He hasn't been the same without them."
Jessica Jones was Luke's wife and Danielle was his daughter. Both had left him after Jessica was attacked at the base of the resistance and she doubted the safety of being with the resistance for her child's sake so she went to Iron Man. Since then Luke never heard from her.
Luke's voice came over a loudspeaker "Everybody needs to get to the war room now. You have to see this."
Danny took his half mask off of the mantlepiece and donned it once again. Peter stood up and pressed a button on his watch device and the nanites spread over his body but stopped at his neckline. His chest is adorned with his new Scarlet colored spider symbol and the web themed cape. He picked up the Venom ball and the two rogues made their way to the war room.
The new base was even better than the last one, larger in scale, training rooms to rival the X-Men's Danger room with the capability to change terrains and drones for combat training. One thing that made this base different however was the fact that instead of Manhattan it was located on Staten Island. Though the island was one of the five boroughs that made up New York, for most people, it might as well have been in another dimension. Many New Yorkers didn't think about it as part of the city, many of them had never even been there either, it was called the forgotten borough for a reason.
The typical way for ordinary people to get to the island was by ferry or car over the Verrazano Bridge and the tolls were expensive. As far as most were concerned there was no Staten Island. The team was then practically hiding in plain sight. Various access tunnels led to the neighboring boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and New Jersey to make coming and going especially easy.
As Peter and Danny marched down the recently moped tile floors. Some of the lights flickered and required replacement. They were still working on turning the place into a home and it was assumed that they would have much time to fix it up. Most of the things they needed were already stocked.
Peter and Danny were the last to reach the war room, a large space with a round conference table, big enough to fit 20 people easily. Johnny Storm sat at the table in a wheelchair with his sister Sue by his side. Matt Murdock sat in his chair, his body lurched over the table as his elbows rested upon it with his mask on the table, which revealed his face. Even Doctor Strange had his place sorted out. They all say with plenty of space between them as Luke stood up in a yellow t-shirt which made him stand out from everyone else, presumably he waited for the last two members.
"What happened?" Questioned Peter as he took a seat next to Black Cat.
"Remember that other shoe Fury mentioned? It just dropped" Luke grabbed a remote and pressed a button. In response, multiple screens rose up from the center of the table with the Face of Norman Osborn as the subject of focus. He stood at a podium in one of his green suits and wavy brown hair. His posture was stern, he did not slouch in the slightest and his facial expression said that he was all about business. Behind him was Tony Stark quiet and it was presumed that he had already spoken to introduce Osborn. They stood in what was assumed to be the white house as the presidential seal was visible along with the shield symbol on the podium.
The second Peter saw Norman, his own face had contorted to one of pure loathing. The kind of loathing that can only be cultivated through years of history and suddenly he could feel himself fall back into that reactionary state when he saw Devin for the second time. Fore Norman was the first to take the life of a loved one from him.
"As my colleague Anthony Stark said, my name is Norman Osborn. Until recently I was overseeing daily operations for the hero initiative but today I come to the American people with untimely news."
The air in the room of the base was thick with tension. Some people looked to Peter but his eyes were zeroed in on the screen to watch and hear whatever his past nemesis was about to say. Black Cat grabbed his arm and held on tight without a sign of letting go.
"Today, the peace we as a people strove to maintain has been compromised. A group of former avengers stormed a high security facility with precision and proceeded not to free those within its walls but detonate it with callous resolve. I shudder to think what would have happened had we held them in more populated areas such as the Raft. As such, these individuals are now designated as a terrorist organization. Anyone protecting these people will be charged to the full extent of the law."
"As of now, my predecessor, Anthony Stark felt it best to step down from his position, not out of shame but with true leadership and I will not betray his trust. As acting director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I will not be implementing any radical changes to the organization. I will honor those who have fallen and implement measures to be sure that we can all feel safe again."
Norman gestured with one of his hands for someone or something to be brought out. Seconds later, two Shield agents brought out a man in a star spangled shining suit. He was heavily cuffed with one arm and forced to his knees. A third agent brought out a circular shield in red, white and blue, then handed it to Norman to present to the camera.
This man was the winter soldier, Bucky Barnes. The acting Captain America, captured and presented to the populis as the proof of Norman's capabilities. This prisoner was to show everyone that he would take his job very seriously in an uncertain time
"This is my promise to you, the American people, that peace is on the horizon. A false idol, running rampant in our streets cannot be tolerated. James Buchanan Barnes has been a rogue agent operating as Captain America for over a year but that ends now. This Shield, a symbol of our history can no longer be tied to the misdeeds of renegades any longer."
"It's true that we have suffered losses, it's true that we are now more divided than ever but it is also true that we will be made stronger because of it. And we will show the rest of the world that we can lead by example."
A long list of names appeared on the screen. Names of guards lost as well as former heroes: Jack Flag, Coldblood, Prodigy, Living Mummy, Network, Mister Fantasic, Ultra Girl, Wiccan, Living Lightning, Triathlon, Silhouette, Firebird, Machine Man, Monica Rambeau, Justice, Stingray, Prowler, Silverclaw, Digitek, Lectronn, Lightbright and Hercules.
What followed was a compilation of images of the New Avengers members Spider-Man, Luke, Black Cat, Iron Fist, Jessica Drew, Daredevil, Doctor Strange and Wolverine along with their identities, long from being secret.
These were only some of the names without names of guards and personeel added to the list. One of the first to be noticed was "Reed Richards." Peter noticed that Susan conveniently had turned away around this time and why not? He was her husband after all. It was only human to care for someone you pledged your life to, at least that was the thought. One thing that was certain was that the opposition was truly under new management.
Luke shut off the televisions with a heavy brow and heart.
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When the cameras stopped rolling, Norman stepped down away from the podium with the shield still in his hands. A shield agent approached him to take back the vibranium frisbee and two other agents grabbed the former winter soldier.
"Take this frisbee and have it mounted on my wall."
Tony looked at Bucky with remorse but kept himself from saying anything. an agent removed the mask from Bucky's face. He had been beaten to the point that his face was covered in sores and one eye was swollen over. Bucky said nothing to Tony and Tony could only watch as they took him away.
Norman approached Stark with a large grin on his face, the kind that only a winner could have.
"Don't look so glum Stark, have a party with some of your celebrity friends" said Norman with a magnanimous aire as he adjusted his tie. "I'll even pay for the first bottle."
Tony's eyes trailed off "I'm sure I could be more helpful to you sober."
"Sorry but you know that you were directed to stay away from this. And I'm not about to risk my position for your convenience."
"We're all on the same side here Norman."
Norman pinched the skin at the top of his nose as though he had just Then received a headache. "I realize your maternal instincts kicked in with Parker, he has that effect on people. I wished he was my son, once upon a time but the boy is a cancer. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be."
Norman tried to distance himself from Tony but the armored former avenger grabbed his shoulder. "Whoever these people were, they had access to our self destruction protocol. Luke Cage and his people didn't have the means. I can find the truth."
Norman removed Tony's hand from his person. His generous mood had evaporated in mere seconds to a look of disdain. Norman drew closer to Tony, invading his personal space and gave a sharp dark grin as he did. "You want to talk about the truth? Then let's talk about how our friend Barnes got his hands on the shield of Steve Rogers in the first place? Someone with high-level clearance would have to be at fault, right?"
Tony backed off from Norman after that but the acting shield director press him future.
"And what would the consequences be for someone like That? Look Stark, you want people to think you're so damn smart, then do the smart thing. Keep your mouth shut and fuck off, my being here is due to my own effort. We're not friends."
Osborn turned away from Stark with a grim expression, one might even say hostile. A second later he turned back to his predecessor as though he had nonsensely forgotten his keys. His facial expression had gone from night to day.
"But not before you bring me up to speed on your little 'phase 2' project. Oh and I'll need that list of the secret identities of everyone under the registration act. As the new director of SHIELD, I am entitled to this information. That's how you can help."
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Back at the New Avengers new base the team sat in the war room to conference over what they had just seen. They had just been branded terrorists responsible for the deaths of countless people. They were expecting the worst but to hear it being said by one of the most sinister people on Earth made it ten times worse.
From Peter's own history, Norman Osborn was a vile and vindictive man. A figure who would return to destroy him and manipulate those around him like chess pieces. It was like a bad joke to see him in a position of power and director of SHIELD no less.
The story was that Osborn had been placed on prescription medication for his goblin impulses. His work as the leadership and direction of the Thunderbolts team in the last year positioned him in Tony's camp. Of course his replacement would come from in-house.
But even with these general details, they couldn't know how he operated.
Luke rose from his seat to drive the direction of the meeting forward. "We need to pool our intel. What do we know about Osborn?"
"Long story short, he's insane" Peter spat with disdain.
"But now he's taken the top spot" said Susan. "before that he was in charge of the Thunderbolts rounding up anti-registrators.
"Wasn't Venom on that team?" Asked Luke
Everyone looked at Peter who pulled out the ball which housed the symbiote within. They could get it to talk but who would bond with it? Many of them were not comfortable with the thought of such a thing. Wolverine was but he was gone with the X-Men. Peter wasn't going to, that was for sure. He was resolute to distance himself because once it got a hold of him it wouldn't let go.
Luke added "I want the information but I'm not willing to put any of you at risk to get it. If nobody volunteers we'll find another way."
A pause of overtook to group, the kind where none of the children in class wanted to be the one to answer.
"I'll do it," said Felicia.
Luke offered her a grim look "There is a room Fury installed here, we can use that for questioning."
Before Luke could bring the meeting to a close, the human torch began to speak. His memories of the day he was captured were so long behind him but he tried to recall useful details. Things that Mr. Fantastic was working on.
"On the day I was captured," began Johnny, "I remember part of his plan was to create a compound, B-284. Once injected with it the body produces Lactic acid."
Everyone except Strange and Peter seemed to be lost.
Lactic acid is what causes soreness in the muscles during strenuous activity like exercise. It was actually a way to take down people with healing factors. No matter how hard you fight your body, more acid and you will tire. Using a natural defense against muscle decay to slow an enemy.
Peter agreed with the doctor and recounted his time in prison 42 after he was injected with the then mysterious substance. The prolonged burn in his arms and legs as he fought alongside Kaine.
Johnny continued with his account. "But it is meant to be injected through the bloodstream. At the prison, before I was freed by Elijah Bradley I saw a guard force him to swallow it. After that he hacked up blood and died in front of me. If it can be recreated, Norman could use it on other people"
Johnny clamped his eyelids tight from the strain of trying to remember all of the details at once. Susan was about ready to take him out of the room altogether. Luke thanked Johnny for his contribution and brought the meeting to a close there.
Luke seemed to linger where he stood, to mourn the loss of the young hero Elijah and his family's legacy.
As Susan wheeled Her younger brother out of the room, Luke wanted to get eyes on the streets and see what the landscape was beginning to look like in this post-Osborn era. Gang activity was sure to shift but there was also the revelation of Weapon Plus ties to the manufacturing of MGH. Their work was far from done.
The meeting adjourned with Matt Murdock heading back to Manhattan via Fury's tunnels and under a false identity. He donned a black curly wig and received a fake ID with the name Shawn Johnson. He left in some random civilian clothes and took to the tunnels.
Sue and Johnny splintered off as well with Johnny having to give lessons to the Hotshot on how to use his fire powers.
Luke, Cat, Iron Fist and Peter moved into a room broken up into two sections. The design made it look like a gas chamber and a control room for observers. The control room was set up with many options for torture. From there, one could flood the chamber with flames, gas or even noise like it was made to stop symbiotes. Peter and Felicia entered the chamber as Luke and Danny entered the control room. If Venom got out of hand Luke would stop it however he saw fit.
Peter opened the sphere to eat venom free and Felicia allowed herself to be it's host. The alien enveloped her body and she frowned in discomfort until her natural face was no longer visible.
"Norman Osborn" Peter began "what do you know, Venom?"
The alien opened its mouth to expose its tongue and proceeded to lick it's forearm like a feline. "We grow tired of these gamesssss, Parker. Have we not been good? Have we not proven that we are worthy of your trussssst? If you want Osborn then we deserve ssssssomething in return."
Peter didn't bother to ask what that something was. It was always the same thing he was not willing to give.
Venomized Cat approached the spider with seductive body language. A sinister smile from ear to ear plastered her face as it positioned itself beside him. He didn't move in the slightest as his former nemesis rubbed his chest and said "It isss time for usss to be one Parker. Together we can kill Sssstormin' Norman."
Luke's hands twitched as he struggled to keep from acting. Danny placed a hand upon his shoulder to remind his friend to trust Spider-Man, to trust Peter to do the right thing.
To Venom's proposition, Peter said flatly "no."
The alien screeched and bared its teeth. "Then we have nothing to speak of. You don yourself with machines that mimic us, you steal our gifts. Maybe we should take what is ourssss."
"Then we're done here."
"No, we are not. We are owed."
"Sonic's on."
From Peter's new suit came a blast of sonic sounds. Another hidden function of the nanite suit meant to handle Venom for these disagreeable situations.
In the closed chamber of a room the waves could do nothing but bounce off of the walls and group up. The symbiote covering the cat's body quivered. Peter pulled Venom from Felicia and the two escaped the room, leaving it behind. Fire rose up on the edges of the room, keeping Venom from crossing the threshold.
Once the door was sealed the flames died down. Venom slithered onto the viewing glass as Peter watched it from the other side. If it had a face one would imagine that it was pissed.
"That went well" said Danny with an ironic tone.
"It's not all bad," said Luke. "No doubt Fury has some intel we can use. Let's get Cat to the infirmary so she can rest. Wong can look after her."
Black Cat brushed off any helping hands offered "I can handle myself boys. Spider, can I talk to you?"
Luke and Danny splintered off to leave Peter and Felicia. She leaned onto a wall to support herself. "You should talk to your friend"
Peter paused. For the past few days since he returned from his mission in Germany he had been avoiding Johnny Storm. He had been avoiding most people.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but you can't run away from your problems, Spider. You seem more distant than ever, even from me."
Peter struggled to curate the proper words after being put on the spot. He wished his meditation with Danny had given more generous fruit of knowledge. He just simply stood there.
"I know that you're about to go back into battle mode with Norman but you need to cut loose too."
"It isn't easy for me Cat"
"And I get it. You've lost so much, been through so much but I need to know that you still care about people. That we're not just steps in your conquest."
He paused and went to the next logical question "are you saying that you want to leave?"
Felicia locked her wayward eyes with his. "To be honest it's getting a little too hot for a jewel thief to handle. I volunteered to be an alien's sock puppet. That's not me."
"I didn't force you"
"But you didn't stop me either"
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to talk to your friend"
As she walked away from him, he could feel the familiar sting. Those odd situations where he could not find the right language had failed him. Clearly Felicia was not ok with the situation and eventually she might not stay. Would he be ok with that? Would he miss her if she left?
He looked back at the window, black from the Venom symbiote attempting to break it. A window was all that separated them and yet it couldn't break through. In that moment Peter wondered what he would be if he did become enveloped in the symbiote. "What would that future look like?" Then he walked away.
Peter entered the training field room where Johnny was supposed to be training Hotspot. Dirt covered the landscape with boulders randomly placed throughout the space. Still in his new Unlimited suit, he entered a clearing and saw Johnny Storm seated in his wheelchair as he watched Brendon train by creating flamethower-like streams. Johnny gave little criticisms to Hotspot, who seemed to be his usual irritated self as he strained to keep the fires going. He might have been more irritated at his own ability than at Johnny but who could say?
The room was naturally hot but His Unlimited suit adjusted itself for the environment and made itself cool.
"Finally made time in your busy schedule for the little people?" said Johnny in a playful tone.
"You're doing well"
"You think so? Strange says that most of my body suffers from atrophy. I have to do physical therapy until I can walk on my own again. Can't even eat solid food for a while, my jaw gets locked if I open it too wide. What I wouldn't do for a double bacon cheeseburger."
Just the name of the food was enough to cause Storm to salivate. The saliva dribbled from his mouth.
"Would you mind getting that? It kinda hurts to move" he said as he gestured toward the spit that slid from his mouth.
Peter gave an awkward pause as he realized that he didn't have pockets for a napkin and failed to produce one. Johnny laughed while attempting not to laugh too hard, for fear that his jaw might lock.
"Just kidding man, I got it. Flame on!" The drool from His mouth evaporated in the same instant that his flaming body returned to normal. His clothes caught fire but he did nothing to stop the flame as his blue suit made of unstable molecules was revealed. His wheelchair smoked a bit but ultimately was fine.
The younger Storm looked at his old friend's face, he searched for some semblance of what once was. "I know it's been awhile but aren't you gonna crack a joke? Jiggle? Something? It's almost like I'm talking to Ben."
"A lot happened. but you knew that already."
"Yea, remember when Reed used to say that change happens every second, even if we can't see it." Johnny paused for a moment, the smile which he held seemed to fold with uncertainty. "They say he's dead but I can still hear him. Not see him, cause 'that' would be crazy but I hear him give me advice. He would schedule his visits to my cell? It was hard not to hate him but at the same time I was glad when he showed up. Knowing him it was at least to keep me from going too off my rocker, ya know?
Peter said nothing, it seemed pointless to try and seem sympathetic but he understood one thing. Though Johnny seemed well adjusted, he too was dealing with troubles. In fact, Johnny hearing Reed talk reminded him of Mephisto. It had been some time since Peter was paid a visit by the demon lord.
"Remember that time you came to the Baxter building to get Venom removed? We gave you that spare fantastic suit?
"I remember, you put a kick me sign on my back. I had kids for blocks trying to get me to stop"
Johnny burst out laughing,tears of joy from his eyes. It was the kind of infectious laughter that could get to anyone. A fraction of a smile began to form on Peter's face as he thought of that simpler time.
So much so that Hotspot was distracted by the noise. "Do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate"
"Sorry dude, you're doing great by the way." Johnny cupped his jaw with one hand "Man, that hurt my jaw a little but it was worth it. "I heard you've been carrying that thing around. Finally figured out how to train it huh?
Peter told Johnny what had recently happened before he came to meet. When Venom demanded they bond, Johnny simply gave a chuckle. "Some things never change. Reed's Nanite Module is a better fit for you anyway."
They sat in silence. Peter saw the toll the year or so in the negative zone took on Johnny. His limbs couldn't quite be still, at least as still as everyday people could be. Every so often he could see a Johnny shake. It appeared to be tiring for his old friend to sit up on his own because it wasn't long before he said "Flame On" and hovered into the air.
Brendon's exhaustion was visible from expanding his powers. The heat in the air was sweltering and it was sure to get worse for any normal person to handle.
The thin Human torch hovered above Hotspot, ready for a little fire fight as Peter watched. The young fire wielder dodged and darted to the best of his ability. It was easy to see that Johnny wasn't trying too hard to hit his new student directly, just cut off his path since he couldn't fly.
The teen's formal training with Wolverine showed with every dash. Ferocious as an animal but without fear like a flame itself.
One could tell that Johnny was enjoying his time of defying gravity. Perhaps he needed a chance to feel strong in spending time with the mutant teenager. He eventually cut off the youth's path with a dense circle of flame. Rather than stay in the circle, he dared to leap through the fire but was caught in the middle of it.
Up until now, Hotspot's powers appeared simple enough in nature, flame manipulation and a higher resistance to the heat but nothing more. Yet something happened when he entered that fire. His body stopped dead in the middle of the jump. His clothes caught fire and burned away.
Johnny wasn't sure what to do as Hotspot's little brother, Jake, attempted to run in and save his brother. Peter webbed the boy and anchored the line to a boulder. Another webline connected with a boulder was hurled around before he drove it into the soft dirt causing it to smother enough of the fire to approach.
The ground simply smoked and Hotspot himself was naked and unharmed. Johnny descended from the sky to his ward's side to be sure that he was ok. But the second that he made contact with Brendon, Johnny's powers activated on their own. They seemed to be drawn into Hotspot, like he was draining Johnny.
There was probably an easy way to separate the two. But being who Peter was he dashed towards the two fire users and with an open palm he sent Hotspot at least nine feet. After he landed coughed several times thanks to the rapid loss of oxygen. The little boy broke free from the web which held him and ran to his older brother. He tried to help him up but his skin was still hot to touch.
Peter tended to Johnny Storm by helping him stand and get his bearings.
"Are you ok, Johnny?"
"I… feel cold actually."
That was when two people ran out to help Hotspot, Scott Summers, Emma Frost and Logan of the X-Men in civilian attire. Scott wore shades as opposed to his usual visor. Emma was Scott's partner the way that she helped manage the Genosha. She was also his love interest. A blond woman powerful telepath who also had a second ability to make her skin as diamonds. She was unable to use both powers at once but she was blessed with great offense and defense.
The three had been brought to the new base by Nick Fury to offer Hotspot and his younger brother a place with them on their island, Genosha.
Scott looked at Peter through his scarlet shapes, it couldn't be anything but a stare for the heavy handed tactic.
Both of the flame users were brought to the infirmary. They laid awake on beds that neighbored the still comatose Jessica Drew. Doctor Strange and his assistant, Wong, looked them both over but no one could know what the verdict was because he kept Peter and the others out to the hallway with the little boy
Scott and Emma convened and whispered, no doubt about the situation. Nick and Logan stood quietly as Peter stood back and leaned against a wall to watch everyone else.
No one said it but Peter hypothesized to himself that Hotspot's powers evolved. The way that he drew in the human torch's fire was too unnatural. If the two were separated any later, Johnny might have died then and there.
Sue came down the hall at a hurried pace. Peter got in her way. Her biceps caught by his hands.
"Let go of me Peter"
"Strange is checking Johnny now. The best thing to do is wait"
"What the hell happened?"
Peter looked Sue in the eyes "We don't know."
One could see that Sue visibly held her tide of tears for the brother she once thought was lost. She bore her teeth and her lips quivered like a weak leaf in the wind which prompted Peter to let her go slowly.
Hotspot could be heard from the hallway, he yelled and his body glowed and orange color. The white sheets under him began to brown and smoke from the heat of his body. Strange could be seen twisting his fingers for a shield spell as the youth's mutant body exuded a wave of heat. The air knocked over everything that wasn't weighed down. The beds of Johnny and Jessica were pushed but that was the extent of it for them.
Sue rushed into the room, intent to be sure that no more harm would come to her brother. The Spider everyone else flooded in not knowing what to expect. The sheets under Hotspot were roasted after that blast but the biggest surprise was when Jessica's still body returned to life. She groaned and gasped for air and coughed.
Everyone was stunned by the occurrence but Nick acted almost immediately. He took a place by her bed and bent over towards her.
"Drew!"
She jerked away from him in fear with her eyes closed, in an attempt to hit the former Shield commander. He put up his hands in defense from her weak assault as she screamed. Her one remaining arm had a sore on her elbow, a bed sore from her inability to move.
"It's Fury! You're safe with friends."
She shortly stopped flailing around and opened her eyes to trust that she wasn't in hell. They darted left and right to scan everyone's faces. The group collectively looked back at her and then Hotspot, the youth.
"Did he do this?" said Peter out loud. She hadn't shown any signs of waking since she was brought back from the Amphibian. That day was truly full of surprises.
"NO!"
Unfortunately it didn't take long for her to notice that her right arm was missing. He grew hysterical in a short amount of time as she attempted to get up from her bed. Nick fought to keep her down but she wasn't giving up.
"I need some help here!"
With everyone else still stunned, Peter sprang in with two wide net-like webs to keep her down with Nick's aid. She continued to scream and cry.
"I need you all to leave" said Wong.
"I'm not going anywhere," retorted Susan.
"Sus I'm fine, Please go" said her younger brother. "I'm not going anywhere."
It was clear that she didn't want to leave but when Peter made the attempt to guide her she didn't fight him on it. Scott and Emma were soon to follow as Logan held Brendon's brother, Jake. The boy fought to reach his older sibling but it was in vain, Logan ultimately carried him out as he kicked him.
Logan turned to Emma for a quick solution to the boy "Frost, you mind?"
Emma approached the boy and reached out to the boy with a hand out. The next moment his body went limp, which left Logan to carry the boy in his arms back to his room and returned alone.
Sue was visibly agitated as her lips trembled, even as she looked at the unmasked Spider-Man before asking "What the hell happened Peter?"
Everyone else also turned to him at that moment but he kept his eyes on Sue as he spoke. He told her how they two were running a drill, how Brendon got caught in the fire and finally when Johnny's powers activated as he made contact with the youth. He also made sure not to leave out that Johnny said he felt cold afterwards.
Nick gave himself time to think before he turned to Scott and Emma. "So is this some kind of second mutation?"
"It's hard to say if Brendon's mutation cycle isn't a prolonged one" said Emma. "Maybe he had this power but the proper stimulant wasn't available."
"I just got Johnny back and this happens" said Susan.
"He might still be changing," added Scott with a heated undertone. "For that reason alone we should take him back to Genosha. We are better equipped for situations like this."
"That's a moot point until the boy chooses" said Nick, to inject reason back to the discussion. "Also this base is well below the surface and the walls are reinforced so we wouldn't be detected unless there was significant seismic activity."
Peter continued to speak with Sue "If I had to guess it looked like Brendon leeched heat from Johnny. Add the fact that Jessica is conscious and you've lost me completely."
"If that is true, that blast we saw might have him giving back the energy."
Those two could have gone back and forth with theories but it felt useless now that they would have to ask the people in question. Inside the infirmary, the three patients appeared to be awake. Peter wondered what this meant for Nick and his operation overall, how this would tie back into weapon's plus. He could see that the gears were in motion in the old spymaster's head. He might cross paths with the Hooded man again soon and with Norman in the driver's seat on the other side of the conflict, the Spider was going to be very busy.
Wong appeared in the doorway to tell everyone it was ok for them to enter. Scott, Emma and Logan were first to get in and approach Brendon to finally make their offer. The red headed youth was stunned to be in the presence of prominent X-Men. Scott wasted no time and made his offer and the boy thought about it
"I understand that what happened today was a first for you. On Genosha, we can help you and your brother understand your powers. We can protect you."
"I don't know…"
"Think it over, kid but remember. You also have to think about your brother"
It may have been due to his mentorship with Wolverine and his decision to relocate or that he didn't quite fit in with Luke Cage and his group but he ultimately accepted the offer for him and his brother. A key detail was that he wasn't in the room when everyone watched Norman make his declaration on television.
Ultimately, Brendon agreed to go with them. But it wouldn't be that easy to get an answer from Jessica. She was still shocked at the amount of time that had passed by and the events she missed, including her arm. Fury decided that then wasn't the time for her debrief but it would have to come sooner or later.
Johnny was fine in his medical bed. His body temperature was back to normal and he seemed to be himself again as Sue stayed by his bedside.
Peter decided to leave the room. There was nothing else for him to do and it felt natural for him to depart with the knowledge that everyone was well and good. He walked down the hallway when Scott Summers called out to him. He stopped and turned to face the X-Men leader.
"I haven't forgotten our deal"
"You came out here to tell me that?"
"That's not all, we saw the address from the new Shield Director. Somehow this feels worse than you described."
"Norman has that effect on people"
"Don't take this the wrong way but New York is going to be a hot zone. You and your team should leave while you can."
"I don't intend to run. If you want to worry, worry about Norman Osborn."
The spider turned around and walked on before he disappeared behind a corner.