From the Ashes

by Mr Toes

Shortly after the Blip, a family from Missouri struggles to find a new balance amongst the chaos. While confronting their own demons, the Bartons are forced to face off against a curious individual with a strange agenda; one which may have implications for everyone on Earth.

38. Chapter 38: All Hands on Deck! - Part 2

Chapter 38: All Hands on Deck! - Part Two

"Twenty-seven minutes? Time to go to work!" Clint leapt to his feet. "Laura? You're with me. We're gonna find out what's going on."

I nodded. "Gotcha."

"An' you, Thera—" Clint stopped. Thera was staring off into space, apparently lost in thought. "Hey, Thera! You there, buddy?"

"Um…yeah," Thera said, and shook his head. "Sorry, I was just…distracted."

Clint's expression sharpened. "There's no time for distractions! You heard Inky; we've got twenty-seven minutes 'till the end of the world!"

"Twenty-six," said Inky, helpfully.

"Right! So quit daydreamin', get up, and get your head in the game!" Clint barked, and I saw a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes as Thera scrambled to his feet. "You're gonna make sure Bill's safe and ready for Keame! Got it?"

"Yeah, sure," Thera said. "Give me thirty seconds—"

"You've got twenty, no more! Clear?"

There was a slight pause, "Crystal."

"Good." Clint held his gaze for a moment longer, and then turned away. "C'mon, hon. We've got a job to do."

While Thera busied himself with Bill, Clint and I quickly and quietly crept towards the glass frontage, keeping low and out of sight. It was quiet, eerily so, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end as Clint carefully peered around a pillar and scanned the area.

"What's going on?" I whispered, rising impatiently to take a look.

"Stay down!" He hissed, and I froze. "It's right outside!"

"What, the Arachnid?"

"Yes!"

I ducked down further. "What's it doing? Where's Blacknest?"

"No sign," Clint said grimly. "Either dead or retreated, is my guess,"

"Think they'll be back?"

"If they're dead? Not likely," He grinned, and I gently slapped his arm in response. "Otherwise…well, Pexley needs that List, but gettin' his men to take on that thing? Kind of a tough sell."

"But not for us, right?"

"We don't have a choice. 'Sides—" Clint cast a look over his shoulder. "—it's not like they've got someone like him. I hate to say it, but right now he's kind of our ace in the hole."

I followed his gaze. Thera was bent intently over Bill, a W.I.S.P in either hand, but even from here I could tell he was preoccupied with something. "You really think he's up to it, hon?"

"He's got to be. Or we're all dead."

"That's great, but…look at him! His head's definitely not in the game!"

"Yeah, I know," Clint smiled wryly. "An' if I had to guess, I'd say he's blamin' himself for what happened to you."

"What? That's insane!"

"Sure it is. Doesn't mean it's not true."

"But it was Pexley's fault! Thera did everything he could!"

Clint sighed. "You remember what Vi said? He takes responsibility for everyone; you, me, those people at the Blip centre…everyone. If he views you as his responsibility, that means it's his fault you got hurt."

"That's…yeah, I get it," I blew out my cheeks. "No wonder he's so anxious."

"No kiddin'. Hopefully he'll grow out of it, but right now he needs a pep talk. That's all."

I snorted. "A pep talk? Thera? That's not going to work."

"Sure it is," Clint grinned. "You remember how you used to talk about how I kept the Avengers 'grounded'? If I can keep a neurotic mess like Stark from goin' off the rails, I reckon I can handle our irritating little mystic."

"I hope so."

"I know so!" he said, and his gaze shifted. "Here he comes, so prepare to be amazed."

I looked. Thera was scuttling across the foyer, moving from cover to cover with the practiced ease of someone used to keeping their head down. His expression was cool, his eyes wary and alert, but as he drew closer I saw his brow furrow in apparent puzzlement.

"What's going on? It's so quiet out there!" he remarked, as he dropped into cover behind me. "Everyone get lasered?"

"That'd be nice, but I reckon they've gone to ground," said Clint. "The Arachnid's just keepin' watch."

"Well, at least we don't have to look for it," Thera said. "Inky, is the suite—"

"Energising. Please stand by."

"What, while the Arachnid ticks ever closer to going nova?"

"The suite must be online before I can collect the necessary data. Engaging the Arachnid prematurely will expose all operators to unnecessary risk."

"Okay, good point," he sighed, running his fingers across his hat. "Goddess! What a mess!Vi was right; I should've killed Pexley. Hell, I should've mopped the floor with Blacknest back in St. Louis! I let this happen! I let all of this happen!"

"An' I'm gonna stop you right there," Clint said sternly. "We've all got our principles, and the whole point of 'em is that we don't just throw them away 'cause life gets difficult! That's exactly what I did, and thanks to that you, Vi, an' even Laura got dragged into a mess that rightly should've been mine to clean up!"

"But—"

"But nothing! Look, I'm gonna tell you what I told Wanda back in Sokovia. Fine; maybe this is your fault. Maybe it's mine. Maybe it's Keame's or Pexley's or even Laura's!"

I pinned him with a glare. "Seriously?"

"The point is… who cares? That Arachnid's gonna go critical, an' if we don't stop it, it's gonna vaporise everything in a seven-mile radius!" Clint took a deep breath. "With Wanda, it was 'stay in here, you're good - but if you step out that door, you are an Avenger!', but I ain't offering you that choice. You don't get to stay in here and hide, 'cause we need to you go out there and show that Arachnid the real reason why Strange came running the instant you turned up—"

"Sorry. Quick question," Thera held up a hand. "Did you actually tell her that?"

"Sure did." Clint smiled in a rather self-satisfied manner, apparently oblivious to the amusement dancing in Thera's eyes. "Pretty good line, dontcha think? Perked Wanda right up!"

"So…you're telling me that your basis for hiring her was that she could walk through a door? That's it?"

"Wait; that's the bit you're focusin' on?" Clint said incredulously. "That whole thing about Strange—"

"Was it a trick door? Did she have to jiggle the knob or something?" Thera went on, and from his glee it was clear he was planning to run this one into the ground. "Or was it one of those doors which says 'push' but you actually have to pull it? 'Cause they had one of those at my hospital and I thought it was locked for weeks—"

"Jesus Christ; it's a metaphor!"

"I'm pretty sure it's an allegory, mate."

"Then why're you taking it so literally?" Clint threw up his hands. "You know what? I thought it was a pretty good pep talk!"

"But I don't need a 'pep talk.'! I'm not some bloody rookie hiding in a bloody cargo container while bad things happen to other people!" Thera's tone turned sharp, but an appreciative smile played across his lips. "Of course I'm sad, Clint, but I'm also a professional. For the last twelve years I've taken on killer robots, eldritch abominations from beyond the veil, and horrible illnesses that make Ebola look like the common cold! At the end of the day, I'm still here, and they're not! Why should this Arachnid be any different?"

"Well, good. Glad to hear you're on board."

"Defensive suite online in one minute," said Inky. "Please move to combat positions."

"Showtime, I guess," Thera went to rise, and then paused. "But to be clear, if I do go through that door…am I an Avenger?"

"Don't be absurd," Clint snorted. "And take your hands out of your pockets. You look sloppy!"

Thera smiled impishly, then drew himself up and stepped out from behind the pillar. Clint gently nudged me, winked, and whispered, "See? Primed and ready!'"

"Oh, c'mon!" I scoffed. "Like you planned that!"

"'Course I did! Look, different people need different things. Stark needed to have his head shaken, Banner needed reassurance, an' Nat just needed someone to listen. That's why she liked you so much."

"Mmm," I nodded. "And Thera?"

"He needs to laugh. I don't think it really matters what he's laughing at, so long as he's laughing… It's annoyin', sure, but it ain't malicious."

"So…wait!" I blinked and looked at him accusingly. "That whole speech was you setting yourself up? That thing with Wanda—"

"You gotta admit, he's a whole lot more focused now, right?" Clint grinned. "You're right; a pep talk isn't going to work with him, but you saw how quickly he pepped himself up, right?"

I shook my head. "And I thought I was the devious one. No wonder the Avengers fell apart without you."

"The oil in the gears, right?" He nodded at Thera. "C'mon, we'd better go."

Clint clambered silently to his feet. I followed suit, wincing as various muscles made their displeasure known. Through the shattered doorway, I saw the dark, hulking form of the Arachnid standing motionless in the parking lot, illuminated only by the flaming husks of wrecked Humvees. Even now, it seemed to exude a menacing aura. Its long, spindly legs and insectile body spoke to me on a primal level, and I felt every last hair stand up on end. Was I really meant to get close enough to touch it? If that thing turned on me…

"We're all clear on what we're doing, right?" Thera asked. "I'll distract it, Laura'll get in close so Inky can get her what she needs, and Clint will make sure that Blacknest don't gatecrash our little shindig. Everyone happy?"

"Sure!" I said, with a bright, false smile. "Are you sure you can get its attention?"

"It'll be fine!" Thera flexed his fingers, and in the gloom they came to life with a faint blue-gold glow. "Okay, I'm going to blow the doors. Ready?"

"Ready," Clint unshouldered his bow and pulled an arrow from his quiver. "We've got this."

"I know we do. Good luck, everyone." Thera's expression hardened. "Right—"

-LB-

Thera gestured once, sharply, and with an ear-splitting scream of protesting metal the doors exploded outwards from their frame, spraying the Arachnid with shards of glass and red-hot steel. The spiderbot staggered under the assault, and its legs bit into the tarmac as it whipped around to face the new threat. Rows of optics gleamed in the dark.

"Oi! Sunshine!" Thera shouted, striding forward confidently. "Yeah, you! With the eyes! I want words with you!"

The Arachnid backed away as he advanced, seemingly conflicted by the actions of this unarmed, yet curiously aggressive individual. Its tail lashed about uncertainly, the tip flaring one moment and then fading away the next, and as he drew closer a chilling hiss filled the air. Without hesitation, Thera walked right between its forelegs and rapped hard on a glassy eye. "Listen up, mate! In accordance with the Order's Emergency Dispersal Act, you are hereby ordered to cease all aggressive activity and stand down immediately, or—"

The hiss built to a roar, to a deafening bellow, and once again the Arachnid rose on its hind legs and slammed down with brutal force. A cloud of dust and smoke rushed through the foyer, obscuring both spider and mystic, and I threw up a hand to shield my eyes.

"Thera!" I cried, my heart rising in my throat. If he'd been speared—

"—good answer. Love the confidence." Thera's voice cut through the fog, and as it swirled away I saw him standing in the exact same spot, mere inches from a shuddering, needle-sharp limb. His hand went up to his beanie cap, his fingers tensed… "Fine! You know what?—"

He wrenched off his hat, and I caught just a hint of green before he lunged. Light burst forth from a thunderous detonation, blasting the spiderbot backwards across the parking lot, its spiked legs digging deep furrows into the ruined tarmac.

"—if you think you're 'ard, come and have a sodding go!" With a blinding flash, Thera wreathed himself in a blue and gold nimbus. The Arachnid reacted immediately; in one smooth motion, its tail swept overhead to spit lethal light at the mystic, and laser met shielding with a colossal explosion of superheated air.

"C'mon, hon!" Clint said. "He's got its attention; time to go to work!"

We raced for cover, crunching over broken glass and through a ruined window to hide behind a shattered chassis. Clint knelt, his bow half-drawn and ready for action as he scanned the darkness for mercenary activity.

"So far, so good!" he said, loud enough to be heard above the raging battle. "How's he doin', Laura?"

"Um…" I poked my head up over a wheel arch. The Arachnid's laser bored into Thera's shields, tracing an angry red line as it skittered across the surface of the glowing dome. Silver panels flipped up atop its exoskeleton, revealing long, dark tubes, and with a flaming 'whump' a salvo of missiles soared into the sky.

"Blinky! Intercept!" Thera shouted, and the Wisp streaked up to meet them. His corona flared like the sun, and the night lit up with a sheet of fire as the missiles detonated in a spectacular, rippling barrage. "Goddess! Micro-missiles? Why does this thing need micro-missiles?"

I smiled wanly at Clint. "He's doing…okay?"

"'Okay' ain't bad, considerin' the mess that thing made of those mercs." He nodded at a pile of smoking junk near the Arachnid's abdomen. "We gotta get over there. It'll give you the best shot at gettin' in close without being detected."

"And what if the mercs come back?" I protested. "Clint, that's not going to keep you safe!"

"I'll worry about Blacknest. You worry about not being trampled!"

Without another word, he headed for the heap of wreckage, running soundlessly across the pitted ground in a low crouch. I followed as quickly I could, clumsily scattering shrapnel left and right. The enormous spider was close, a menacing silhouette against Thera's warm, bright glow, and I felt my skin crawl as I scurried in its shadow.

"Please don't see me," I prayed. "Please don't see me. Please don't—"

I froze as the Arachnid split the air with a mechanical screech of rage. It pounced on Thera with shocking speed, and his shields buckled and groaned as they struggled to bear its immense weight. The Arachnid lashed out with its viciously spiked forelimbs, and there was a shower of sparks as it rained blows down on the corsucating shell. Thera's barriers groaned, and great, glowing cracks began to form under the frenzied, unrelenting assault.

"Oh, sod off!" Thera yelled. With a brilliant actinic discharge, the Arachnid was hurled bodily through the air and landed with a crash amongst a pile of debris. A leg snapped, sheared off by the impact, and as the spider righted itself the stump twitched and writhed uselessly in its socket. "And for the record? Spiders don't roar!"

"Laura!" Clint shouted, and I saw him desperately beckoning to me out of the corner of my eye. "Stop standin' around out there and come on!"

Shocked back into action, I rushed for cover. The Arachnid hunkered down on its remaining legs, and with a thunk a large, black canister was ejected into the air. It tumbled end over end and detonated with impressive force, spraying thousands upon thousands of razor-sharp needles in all directions. They whipped through the air, sizzling with heat, and as I dove the last few feet to safety I felt a searing line of agony tear across my calf. With a cry I hit the ground and curled into a ball, whimpering with pain.

"Hon? Hon!" In an instant, Clint was by my side. "Where're you hit?"

"My leg!" I gasped. It was excruciating, but I retained enough presence of mind to know that bringing the Arachnid down on us would be a terminally bad idea. "How… how bad is it?"

There was a brief pause while he looked it over, his face a picture of tenderness and concern.

"You got lucky, hon; looks like it just grazed you," he concluded. "Must've been hot enough to cauterise as well."

"This is lucky, is it?" I hissed. With his help, I pulled myself into a kneeling position. It hurt a lot, but a heady mix of adrenaline and endorphins was just enough to keep me upright. "What was that thing?"

"Fléchette bomb. Like a nail bomb, but worse," Clint said grimly. "If you'd been just a second slower, you'd have been pulverised. I've seen it before."

"Why the hell does Keame even have this thing?" I asked angrily. "What possible need could a refinery in the middle of nowhere have for a spiderbot that can shred people?"

"He was scared, hon. Scared people make easy targets for companies like Hammer."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not waiting around to find out what else that thing has up its thorax!" I said firmly. "Inky?"

"Present."

"Activate your suite. We're taking that damn thing down!"

-LB-

"Confirmed. Defensive suite activation in three…two…"

"This is going to suck, isn't it," I muttered, and gripped Clint's hand tightly. "Don't let go."

"One…ignition—"

Somewhere deep inside my mind it felt as if a dam had broken, releasing a tsunami of pure sensation - not hot, not cold, but alive! It surged through my body, washing away my aches and pains, and I shivered and gripped Clint's hand as the world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of light and sound.

"Hon?" Clint's voice somehow reached me through the chaos, a tinny voice borne aloft on a soft stream of blue and gold. I did my best to smile and nod in a reassuring manner, but I wasn't really sure if I had. I wasn't sure of anything—

"Core integration complete. Integrating visual overlay—"

—and the world returned with a jolt, only now it was even more so. It was sharper, more colourful, even brighter, somehow. The inky blackness of the night had been dispelled, revealing a forest of scattered flechettes and gleaming shrapnel, thrown into sharp relief by the deep, orange glow of the burning wrecks around us. Even the fire itself had a new depth and lustre; it was as if I could see every feathery flame from ignition to extinction, fading into tiny puffs of char that danced into the sky.

"How're you doing?" Clint said urgently.

"I…I have night vision!" I said, in a tone of wonder. As I stared, my gaze alighted on the distant copse from where we'd first seen the refinery, and I fancied that I could pick out every leaf on every tree. "Christ! Is this how Vi sees the world?"

"So you sure you're okay, then?"

"Thaumokinectic barriers, online. Pain management, online. Defensive suite integration complete. "

"I'm fine, I think," I flexed my foot, and then gave the angry red weal on my leg a tentative prod. "Yeah, it's stopped hurting!"

"Thank Christ," Clint sagged in relief. "So…what? You're a wizard now? Is that how this works?"

"Um…maybe?" I scowled at a piece of shrapnel and willed it to explode. Nothing happened. "Hey, Inky! Why can't I blow things up with my mind? Thera said—"

"The purpose of the suite is survivability, not combat. Even with the 'Suite, you would not be capable of damaging the Arachnid without suffering a catastrophic cranial avulsion."

"So…no superpowers?"

"Additional capabilities may be assigned as the situation develops. However, it is critical that we exercise restraint; every erg expended brings you closer to another neural breakdown event."

"Fine, fine!" I pouted. "But before this is over, I want to move at least one thing with my mind!"

"Duly noted," Inky said. "However, we only have twenty-one minutes until a critical resonance event. We must move quickly to collect the necessary information from the Arachnid and assess how best to disable it."

"Right. Right…time for me to go, I guess." I took a deep breath, and reached out to touch Clint gently on the cheek. "I love you, hon. No matter what happens, I'll always love you."

Clint's eyebrows knotted in confusion, "That's nice, but you know I'm comin' with you, right?"

"What? But—"

"No buts. You seriously think I'm lettin' you fly solo on your first op? Nat'll have my head!"

"But…Inky…I—" I floundered. "I have shields! Like Thera! You—"

"Incoherent babbling aside, Laura does have a point," said Inky. "As mentioned previously, the likelihood of an unempowered operative surviving a direct confrontation with the Arachnid is infinitesimally small."

Clint snorted, "Shields're for amateurs, Inky; never needed 'em, never will."

"Taking into account your towering but misplaced confidence, I have reassessed your likelihood of survival to be 'non-existent'. This course of action is ill-advised."

"'Ill-advised'? That's pretty much my entire career!" Clint said, and I couldn't help but smile at his casual, assured tone. "In any case, we ain't got time to stand around here and argue. Let's get out there and show that thing what we're made of!"

"You are made of meat," Inky said. "Which it will discover, when it eviscerates you."

"Thanks, Inky; you're a big help. Fine then — let's rock!"

This time, I insisted I take point. My borrowed shields might only be a shadow of Thera's, but they were better than nothing. No way was I going to let some overgrown spider laser my husband in half, and it wasn't like I was really going to need them, right? We were going to get in, get what Inky needed, and get out before the Arachnid even knew we were there. Thera's distraction was going to hold. It had to!

That burst of confidence lasted until we rounded the wreckage. Thera was still hanging in there, but he was taking a beating. His shields were badly cracked, in some places little more than crackling fragments, and what remained was peppered with flechettes. Bolts of lightning arced powerfully between the metal slivers, cracking and snapping before discharging violently to earth in a shower of sparks and smoking tarmac.

"Oh, that ain't good," Clint said. "He's not going to last twenty minutes, hon. If that thing charges him again—"

"I know!" I looked nervously at the Arachnid. It somehow seemed larger than before, and its legs beat out a brutal tattoo on the blacktop as it stormed up and down the parking lot, probing at Thera's tattered shields with its laser. "But how the hell're we going to get under that?"

"We ain't. Not yet," Clint said. "It's actin' way too unpredictably!"

I had to agree. Before, the Arachnid's aggressive nature had bordered on the bestial, but now it was clearly keeping a careful distance from the mystic. Had the loss of a leg made it cagey? Maybe being tossed through the air like a child's toy had convinced it that Thera was more dangerous than he'd first appeared. Whatever the reason, we had a job to do, so…

"So how do we make it predictable?" I asked.

"We gotta immobilise it. If it can't move, it can't trample us!"

"Just like that, right?" I raised an eyebrow. "Hon, it's a twenty-ton killer spiderbot! How're we going to stop it?"

"You got anything in your new bag of tricks?"

"Inky was pretty clear I'd blow my head off if I tried," I said. "Well, clear for her."

"Yeah," Clint's fingers went to his quiver. "Maybe I've got something that'll help…"

My phone buzzed, and as I yanked it out I was greeted with a sheet of static. It warbled and hummed, as if it wasn't quite tuned into the right station, and then a moment later I heard avoice coming through the speaker. It was faint, almost against the non-stop cacophony of the Arachnid's onslaught, but it sounded almost like…

"Is that Thera?" Clint looked over, "Is he—"

"...guys…enjoying the— oh, bugger!" there was a pop, and then his voice came through loud and clear. "Okay, can you hear me now?"

"Loud and clear," Clint said. If he was surprised by this new development, it didn't show. "You hanging in there?"

"By my teeth. This thing isn't taking any bloody prisoners."

"Tough it out, buddy. We're all depending on you."

"Yes, and I'm depending on you!" Thera said sharply. "In fact, now would be an excellent time for you to make your grand appearance!"

"Not until we slow it down!" I said. "Even if we could keep up with that thing, it'd squash us flat!"

There was a pause, and Thera said, "Okay, that's kind of hard to argue with. So—"

"Hold on, I've got an idea!" Clint's hand froze on an arrow that looked, to me at least, entirely indistinguishable from its peers. "I've still got a couple of putty arrows left. If I gum up some of the legs on this side, and Thera gets his Wisps to restrain it on the other side, then maybe we can stop it wriggling around long enough for Laura to get in there and do her thing!"

"Right, yeah!" I said, and winked approvingly at Clint. "Like with Pexley and his gun!"

"Oh, sure," Thera said, and I could hear his eyes rolling. "I mean, there's a slight difference between Pexley and an enormous arachnomorphic automaton of pure rage, but I'm sure it's just a rounding error. Nothing to it, right?"

"It doesn't have to be for long!" I said. "I'll be in and out before you know it!"

"I hope so. You're stretching me pretty thin here," Thera said wearily. "Okay, I'll get 'em on the case. The instant you're out from under there, get clear! It's…probably going to be unhappy."

"Got it."

"And be quick!"

"Time me!" I said, and flashed Clint a quick, nervous smile. "You ready, hon?"

He nocked the arrow, and gave me a quick nod of acknowledgement, "When you are."

"Okay…" I looked at the Arachnid, and fixed my gaze on its abdomen. In and out - no waiting, no distractions… "Go!"

We sprang into action, sprinting across the wreckage-strewn parking lot towards our target. Clint drew back, took careful aim, and launched an arrow deep into the joint of a spindly appendage. Purple goo erupted from the crevice, coating the leg in a disgusting layer of quick-setting goop, and the Arachnid stumbled as the joint shuddered and seized. Clint fired again, drowning another leg in putty as its servos howled in protest.

"Your turn, Thera!" he shouted.

"Alright!" Thera replied. "Tie it up, guys!"

The Wisps responded eagerly, zipping around to the other side of the Arachnid. Working as one, they stabbed out with beams of golden light that wrapped around the spider's legs, immobilising them within a snapping, crackling forcefield. Frozen in place, the spider screeched and thrashed wildly against the Wisps' grip.

"Hurry up, guys!" Thera said. "They can't hold it forever!"

"I know!" I said, and looked briefly at Clint. "I'll be right back, hon."

"But—" Clint protested, but I waved him off.

"I might need you to pull me out in a hurry!" I said. "I'll just be a moment!"

Clint's protests faded behind me as I ducked past a twitching, gummed-up leg and under the Arachnid's abdomen. The underside was badly damaged; once-pristine, silvery plates were cracked, charred and pitted, and in places there was still a faint actinic glow. If this was Thera's doing, no wonder it was hanging back… "Okay Inky; now what?"

"Place your hand on the indicated region," Inky said, and a circular section of the underbelly lit up in blue. The Arachnid bucked and screamed, and with a enormous bang its free leg slammed deep into the ground as it tried to gain some purchase against Thera's Wisps. I stopped dead, and found myself suddenly paralysed as I fought against the instinct to turn tail and flee. This was madness! What the hell was I thinking? I shouldn't be here; I should be at home, safe and—

"Come on, Laura! Get a goddamn grip!" I snapped at myself. "You're here now! Deal with it!"

Somehow I forced my legs to move, and staggered forward to slap a trembling hand on the small circle. There was a powerful tingling sensation, stretching from my wrist to my fingertips, and I watched in amazement as they came to life with a bright green glow.

"Contact confirmed. Scanning."

"How long is this going to take, Inky?" I asked anxiously.

"Please stand by."

"That's not helpful!" I said, but fell silent as the glow spread upwards into the Arachnid. As it did I saw and felt an intricate web of pulsing, glowing, flowing energy. It wrapped around me, warm and comforting, and for just a moment the world seemed to fall away…

"My god…" I murmured. I could see the reactors, all eight of them, burning like tiny suns. They were hot, too hot, and amongst the green I could see a faint blue-gold glow — Thera's glow, resonating deep within. It was growing more powerful with every second, and I could already feel the system straining to cope. If this was allowed to go on…

"Hurry up, Inky!" I said, through gritted teeth, and suddenly the web shifted. The Arachnid stopped thrashing, and a surge of power flowed away from the reactors, coursing down thick power lines towards several large, flat panels on the Arachnid's back. The panels turned upwards, and I was jolted back into reality by a rush of fear as I remembered what that meant.

"Thera!" I shouted. "It's getting ready to launch again!"

"Really? Oh, good," he said sardonically. "And here I was worried it was out of ammunition."

"So what do we do?"

"Not much we can do, I'm afraid," he said. "Until you're clear, my Wisps're stuck holding that monster in place."

"Then I'm getting out of here—" I began.

"No! This is probably the only chance we're going to get! We don't have time to repeat this!"

"Then send one of your Wisps to intercept those missiles!"

"They're barely holding on as it is! If I do that, you'll be trampled!"

"And if you don't, you'll be blown to smithereens!" I snapped. "And if you die, I die, remember?"

"I'll be fine! Just make sure Inky finds that collector!"

I heard a deep, ominous roar of flame, from somewhere deep within the Arachnid's thorax. A moment later there was a rush of air and the spiderbot jolted violently as the missiles took flight.

"Come on, Inky!" I shouted, and slapped the underside of the spiderbot in frustration. "What's taking you so long—"

"Scan complete. I have located the collector," Inky said, in a cool, clinical tone. "It is at the topmost point of the abdomen, located in—"

"Tell me later!" I said, "We're going!"

With my heart pounding in my ears, I scrambled out from under the Arachnid. Clint was waiting for me, his eyes tight with tension, and as I emerged he quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me to safety.

"We've got to move!" I said breathlessly. "Those missiles—"

"I know!" Clint pointed upwards. The missiles were far overhead, trailing thick white smoke as they hurtled through the night sky. "We need cover! Thick cover!"

"But Thera—"

"—we can't help him if we get blown to bits!" Clint quickly scanned the available wrecks and nodded at one nearby. "That's as good as we're gonna get. C'mon!"

We made it just in time. Following Clint's lead, I hurled myself behind the thick metal bodywork and ducked down as low as I could. My phone clattered to the ground beside me, and I snatched it up to shout, "We're safe, Thera!"

My phone whined and emitted a violent blast of static. If I strained, I could just about make out Thera's voice; a distant, tired echo amongst the sleeting interference, "You're both safe? Good. Stay together!"

"We will!" I looked up, and watched in horror as the missiles, trailing smoke and flame, came raining down like a meteor shower. "Thera, your Wisps can—"

"—no time…" the static spiked. "...improvise."

"Improvise? Improvise how?"

"Uh, hon? Look," Clint said, quietly. Thera's shields were blazing with power, the warm, golden glow now an actinic corona that burned like the sun and scorched the ground, leaving bubbling tarmac and molten slag in its wake. With each passing moment it grew brighter and hotter, pulsing with energy, until I was forced to turn away and shield my eyes.

"Critical alert! Shield overpressure detected!" Inky said. "Risk of catastrophic fragmentation is increasing!"

"Christ! Thera—"

"Overload…it'll be fine," The phone popped and cracked. "Just…come find me. Oh, Goddess—"

-LB-

The world exploded. With a deafening crash of thunder, Thera's shields blasted outwards in a blizzard of white-hot fragments that shredded the Arachnid's missiles and cut deep into its armour. The storm swept across the parking lot, obliterating everything in its path, and as it bore down on us I cannoned into Clint and knocked him to the ground, shielding his body with mine as I screamed for Inky to 'Do something!'. There was a rush of air, too hot to breathe, and I closed my eyes and held Clint tight as the ground shook and the wind howled…

…and then the wave passed, surging onwards into the darkness. I lay there, scarcely daring to believe we'd survived, but as the roar receded into the distance I sat up and looked around cautiously.

"Holy…" I murmured. The parking lot was just…gone! No tarmac, no wreckage; all swept away, leaving churned, smoking dirt that clinked gently as it cooled. Only the Arachnid remained, its optics dark and armour cracked and broken. Tiny bolts of blue and gold lightning skittered up and down its hull, sizzling and snapping in the night. "It's the damn warehouse all over again!"

Clint groaned, and I quickly scrambled off him to let him breathe. To my great relief, he looked okay; maybe a little scratched and banged up, sure, but definitely no worse for wear than any of his adventures with Fury.

"Are you okay, hon?" I asked urgently.

"I'll live," he said, with a pained smile. "But I'm startin' to think Strange might've had a point."

"We're still alive," I shifted, and winced as my calf twinged painfully. "That's what matters!"

"I'm not sure that's 'cause of Thera, though. Check this out," Clint reached up and plucked something from behind my ear. It was a long, thin sliver of metal; a flechette, twisted by the heat, and enveloped in a gentle green nimbus. When he let go, it spun weightlessly through the air. "Gotta say, I'm definitely comin' around to the idea of Super Laura!"

"I—" I looked around. Now I was actually looking I could see dozens of pieces of shrapnel, glimmering like fireflies in the darkness. If any one of them had hit us at speed… "You think I did this?"

My phone buzzed. "Critical alert! Empowered operative is offline! Significant injuries detected."

"What- oh, shit!" I exclaimed. "Clint! Thera's down!"

"Frame damage detected. Major lacerations detected. Blood loss detected. Superficial and partial-thickness burns detected. Vital signs are dropping. Emergency medical support is required."

Clint's expression turned grim. "Yeah, he sounds pretty banged up."

"Contingency mode engaged," Inky intoned, as I desperately scanned the darkness for our injured friend. "Operational functionality now reduced to—"

"I get it, Inky!" I snapped, maybe a little louder than I meant to. The events of the last few minutes had stretched my frayed nerves to breaking point, and the growing pain in calf wasn't doing anything for my temper. Where was he? How had that idiot managed to hide in completely plain sight?

"Can you see him, hon?"

"No! No, I can't damn well see him! I…" my Inky-enhanced gaze fell upon a scattering of broken glass and burned rubber. It seemed strangely out of place in the brutally scoured parking lot, and then I spotted a slight figure, lying limp and lifeless amongst the wreckage. "Wait! There! That's him! It's got to be him! C'mon, Clint—"

I leapt to my feet, and my excited exclamation became a strangled, anguished cry as my calf exploded into white-hot agony. Pain coursed up my leg, blasting through my senses, and I was dimly aware of my leg buckling beneath me before I hit the ground with bone-jarring force.

"Hon!" In an instant, Clint was by my side.

"My leg! My leg!" I whimpered, and felt tears running down my face. "It…it…"

"It's okay, Laura," he said quietly, and carefully supported my injured calf. "Christ! I thought Inky had that under control!"

"As my operator is currently incapacitated, my operational functionality has been curtailed. This includes dynamic pain management," Inky said. "When I attempted to warn you of this fact, the response was 'I get it, Inky!'."

"That ain't helpin'," Clint said shortly. "Is there anything you can do?"

"My options are limited. I can attempt to reduce the pain, but this will increase the strain on the E.B.I.. Continued use of the limb will inevitably lead to a neural breakdown event."

"Do it!" I hissed, as the world shimmered and swam before my eyes.

"Confirmed. There will be a short delay while I set up the necessary neural blocks. My recommendation is that Hawkeye locate and attempt to revive my operator. Should he regain consciousness, this problem will resolve itself."

"I ain't sure about leaving you out here—" Clint began.

"I am! Clint, this is agony!" I said, and inhaled sharply as another jolt of pain lanced through my calf. "You need to get Thera back on his feet, and if doing that will make this pain go away, then you need to do it now!"

"But—!"

"Now!" I glared at him, and he quailed in response. A small part of me felt bad about being so short with him, but right now it was all but drowned out by the part that would do almost anything to make this tearing, grinding pain go away. "I'll keep my head down, I promise!"

"I…" Clint looked genuinely anguished, but then he nodded and gently set my leg back down on the ground. Even that small movement felt like my leg was being torn in two, but I grit my teeth and smiled through the pain. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!"

I continued to smile until Clint turned away, and then my smile became a grimace and I slumped to the ground. From afar, I watched as Clint knelt beside Thera's crumpled body to administer first aid, and despite the pain I felt a sudden spike of worry. My calf was bad enough, but from what Inky had said it sounded like Thera's condition was much, much worse. What if Clint couldn't do anything for him?

"I have successfully developed a pain mitigation strategy," Inky said. "You should experience relief over the next few moments."

"Thank you, Inky," I said, and watched as Clint moved from checking Thera's arms to checking his head. "I'm…sorry I cut you off. I was worried."

"Understood."

I bit my lip. I didn't really want to hear the answer, but I had to ask, "Will Thera be okay?"

"That is unclear. Empowered individuals require highly specialised medical care."

"So how can we help him?" I pressed. "Is there anything Clint can do?"

"Unfortunately, until Thera regains consciousness, I am unable to access the required information to inform you how to help him regain consciousness. In retrospect, this appears to be a serious oversight."

"Are you serious?"

"I am always serious."

"Damnit!" I swore. "I knew that this was going to be risky, but I didn't expect this! What else is the universe going to throw at us?"

Right on cue, a spine-chilling hiss filled the air. Dread pooled in my stomach, and when I looked I saw the Arachnid's optics come to life with a dull, ruddy glow. Its legs shuddered and twitched unnervingly as it drew itself up to its full, imposing height, and it stamped down hard and bellowed a challenge into the night sky.

"I believe that could be considered an answer to your question," said Inky. "This is a serious complication."

"No kidding!" I hissed. The Arachnid turned slowly, its heavy, spiked feat beating out a complex tattoo on the dirt, and I felt my blood turn to ice as its glowing red eyes swept over me. It seemed to hesitate, as if cataloguing my existence, and then continued its methodical scan of the area. I exhaled heavily, releasing a breath I wasn't even aware I was holding.

"Clearly, the Arachnid does not consider you a threat. This is fortunate," said Inky. "However, it is unlikely to extend the same consideration to either Hawkeye or Thera."

"Clint!" I whispered, and suddenly the dread was back in full force. As the Arachnid's gaze turned towards Thera's resting spot, I saw Clint pick him up by the armpits and haul him bodily towards the HQ. It looked like tough going; I knew from experience how surprisingly heavy Thera was, and even from here I could see the strain on Clint's face. He kept going, though, doggedly dragging Thera across the splintered earth, foot by laborious foot, just ahead of the Arachnid's gaze—

—until something went 'crunch' underfoot. It was quiet, but in the deep, oppressive silence of the parking lot it might as well have been a bomb going off. The Arachnid whipped around, zeroing in on the retreating Avenger, and he froze as it regarded him with that gleaming mass of optics. Suddenly, the hiss intensified, and the enormous spiderbot advanced on them with a slow, deliberate tread. Its tail swung through the air, left and right, twitching and jerking like a broken marionette.

"Oh no," I said fearfully. "No, no no no! What should I do? Inky?"

"My tactical suite is offline," said Inky. "I am unable to provide a situational assessment."

"Well, I have to do something! I'm not lying here while it eviscerates my husband!" I said, and added, "Or Thera!"

"While your determination to act is admirable, if irrational, it is important to be realistic," said Inky. "You are an untrained, middle aged woman of limited physical capability—"

"I beg your pardon?"

"—with severe brain damage and an injured leg. I am curious what you believe you can accomplish, when even the Arachnid considers you to be harmless."

"I don't care if that thing doesn't think I'm a threat! I'm going to show it…" I stopped, as I realised what I'd just said. Was it really that simple? "That I'm not a threat! Inky! I know what to do!"

"Please explain."

"I'll do better than that. I'm going to show you," I went to rise, and hesitated. "Can I walk?"

"With care, but I fail to see how this will drive off the Arachnid."

"Maybe it won't, but I have to try." I said grimly. "If I'm right, then nobody else can."

The Arachnid stalked towards Clint and Thera, its charred, cracked armour glimmering in the night. While Clint was making a genuinely heroic effort to drag Thera to the safety of the HQ, I could tell he was never going to make it. I was sure he knew that too, but there was no way he was going to abandon Thera to the Arachnid's tender mercies. He'd either succeed, or die trying.

"Not today, babe," I muttered, and climbed carefully to my feet. My injured leg protested quietly, a subtle rumble of complaint, but at least it bore my weight. I had to be right; I knew it! After all, what was it Clint had said?

"Keame wouldn't stop going on and on and on about all of its fancy safety features! Facial recognition, advanced threat assessments, proportional responses…that thing wasn't bought for combat…"

The implacable advance of the Arachnid continued, drawing ever closer to Clint and Thera, and as I watched its heavy feet tear the earth apart, a small part of me wondered if being 'right' was enough. With an effort, I forced my misgivings deep down inside and picked up the pace, staggering across the unstable ground on unsteady footing. Despite Inky's best efforts, the pain was building in my calf; if I fell before I reached the Arachnid, I'd never be able to get back up in time.

"I hope you are certain about your course of action," said Inky. "While I am not technically 'alive', I would rather not technically 'die'."

"This will work. It has to," I said. "Failure is not an option."

"Regardless, it remains a possibility."

My target loomed over Clint and Thera, its blackened mass seeming larger than ever before, and Clint set Thera down before reaching for an arrow in his quiver.

"No!" I cried, and his gaze snapped around. I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Don't!"

"Laura! What're you doing?" he yelled. "That thing's going to tear you apart! It's—"

The rest of his yell was drowned out by the furious roar of the Arachnid, and time seemed to slow as it surged towards Clint and Thera. With a cry I hurled myself forward, ignoring the piercing pain that erupted in my calf as I staggered between the Arachnid and my husband, spreading my arms wide in a protective gesture.

"No!" I shouted. "No! You leave him alone!"

The Arachnid reacted instantly, its spiked legs digging deep into the earth as it skidded to a halt. Its many, many eyes bored into me, chilling me to the core, but I forced myself to stand firm as it hissed, scratched, and pawed at the ground.

"You can't hurt me, can you?" I said, with some satisfaction. "Sure, maybe you've seen Clint's bow, and I'm pretty sure you want to tear Thera to pieces, but me? I'm not a threat, am I? I'm nothing! Harmless! I'm not a target!"

The air grew still, electric — and the Arachnid lashed out with a furious roar. A leg whipped past my face, missing me by inches, and slammed down with earth-shattering force.

"I knew it! Clint, honey?" I said, not taking my eyes off the Arachnid. "I need you to grab Thera and back away slowly. I'll stay in its way until you get into cover, and then we'll work out what to do next."

"But—"

"I don't want to hear 'but'!" I went on, more sharply this time. "I'm in a lot of pain, and honestly? I'm not sure I'm going to be upright for much longer; if there was ever a time to get moving, it's now!"

"Alright," There was a brief pause behind me, and then, "Christ; how can someone like him be so damn heavy?"

"It won't be for long," I said reassuringly. "Are you ready? One, two—"

From somewhere in the distance, out in the darkened fields, there was the unmistakable crack of a rifle. I ducked away reflexively, hitting the ground in a low crouch, and there was a flash of green light and an earsplitting shriek of tortured metal.

"Alert! Shield impact!" Inky reported. I looked up to see a copper-plated bullet, twisted with heat and wreathed in an emerald glow, drifting slowly through the space where my head had been. "Sensor suite is offline! Unable to calculate origin!"

"Blacknest! Get down!" Clint shouted. "I told you they'd be back!"

Another crack tore through the night sky, and as I hit the deck the dirt nearby exploded in a puff of dust. A third shot rang out, then a fourth, blowing great holes in the earth around me. Above, the Arachnid hissed and twisted back and forth, seemingly conflicted between eliminating the old threat or responding to the new.

"Jesus!" I craned to look, "Can you see them?"

"No, and stay down!" Clint shouted. "They're aiming at you!"

"Me—" A bullet hammered into the ground and showered me with soil. I shrieked and scrambled back, only to find myself pinned against the Arachnid. "Oh shit, they are! Why?"

"Maybe you're not the only one who reckons you're an easy target!" Clint said. "Or someone holds a grudge!"

There was a faint flash, somewhere in the distance, and then a shower of green sparks as a bullet ricocheted off Inky's shields. It struck the Arachnid with a loud ringing noise, and in that moment it made its choice. With a shriek of fury, the spiderbot spun to face the sniper, and I dove to one side as its stampeding legs churned the ground up into a cloud of dust. It seemed to brace itself, and then stormed forwards, charging off into the night in hot pursuit.

In the distance, I heard screams.

-LB-

I lay flat on my back, staring up at the sky. My heart thundered in my ears and my leg screamed for my attention, but right now I needed to get my breathing under control. The events of the past few minutes reeled through my mind in a riot of sound and colour, and I felt a strange mix of horror, excitement, and pride. Had I really just thrown myself in front of that thing? What was I thinking? How was I even still alive?

"You should be dead. You know that, right?" said my little inner voice. "You should be dead a hundred times over."

Clint's face appeared in my vision, lined with concern, "Laura? Babe? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm…fine, I think," I said. I reached out for his hand, and squeezed it hard. "Except for my leg. That's still not…great."

"You're completely nuts. You know that, right? That thing could've killed you!"

"Yeah? Well, it would've killed you!" I retorted. "You really think I was going to let that happen?"

"I…" he exhaled heavily. "Wow, hon. It's just…wow. I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that!"

"And now you have. Is it really gone?"

"Sure is. Took off after that sniper," he said, and his expression turned grave. "They really wanted you dead, hon."

"They want all of us dead!"

"Yeah, but not that badly! You've picked up a tail, hon, an' I don't think there's any prizes for guessing who."

"Guess I really pissed him off, right?" I smiled as bravely as I could, and looked past him to the figure lying unmoving on the ground. "How's Thera?"

Clint was silent for a moment, and then said, "Come and have a look. It's bad."

Even with Clint's warning, the sight of Thera's injuries still horrified me. His face was streaked with blood, oozing from a deep gash in his forehead. It flowed in rivulets, red and glistening, to fall to the ground in fat, sticky drips. Welts and blisters covered his arms, clustered around two particularly nasty looking burns that tracked from elbow to wrist, and as we approached the stench of seared flesh assaulted my nostrils. I gagged, and for a moment I genuinely thought I was going to be sick or pass out on the spot.

"I know; it ain't good," Clint said. "No response, no nothing. Whatever he did, it must've hit him a whole lot harder than he thought it would. I mean, this head injury? I don't know, hon. Maybe we need Strange faster than we thought."

"Yeah," I agreed, and reached out to carefully sweep his hair away from the wound. I felt a sharp jolt, like a powerful static shock, and Thera suddenly jerked to life under my fingertips. "What the—"

"Communication re-established. Instructions received," said Inky. "Emergency medical support systems engaged. Vital signs are stabilising."

Thera's eyes snapped open, glowing eerily in the dark. With a great shuddering heave he catapulted upright, and looked around wildly with unseeing eyes. Clint gave him a wary look, studying his expression carefully, and then reached out to clasp him on the shoulder. I held my breath.

"Hey, buddy," Clint said quietly. "You back with us now?"

"I…" Thera's gaze seemed to focus, and his hand came up to grip Clint's tightly by the wrist. "Clint? Is that you?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Apology accepted." Thera released his grip and glanced at me. "Thanks for bringing Inky, Laura."

"Is that what just happened?" I asked. "If I'd known you needed her, I would've had Clint drag me over!"

"Inky didn't tell you?"

"Inky didn't know!" I said, coming to the defence of the little Wisp. "But never mind that; how're you feeling?"

"Like the morning after the night before," he groaned, and prodded gingerly at his head. His hand came back bloody. "Maybe the missiles would've been the easier option."

"Easier on us, maybe," Clint said tartly. "You damn near obliterated the parking lot!"

"Don't be silly. I—" Thera fell silent as he stared over the near-universal devastation. "Oh; so I did. It's like the bloody warehouse all over again, isn't it?"

"I still don't get why that thing even has missiles!" I said furiously. "This is a damn refinery! If one of those ends up in the wrong place, it could end up blowing the entire complex to hell and back!"

Clint raised his eyebrows, "You think Hammer cares?"

"I'd think Keame would!"

"You think Keame knows? If I had to guess, I reckon Hammer's actually using Keame Refineries as a test site for its newest toy. Think about it; a big, volatile refinery, off the beaten track, out of the public eye…if anything goes wrong, they can swoop in, claim it was an 'industrial accident', and throw money around to make it go away."

"You really think?"

"Wouldn't be the first time they've pulled a stunt like this," Clint said, with a disgusted expression. "You know, sometimes I wish Tony hadn't gotten out of the weapons game. If he'd made something like this, at least he would've made it correctly."

Inky piped up, "Without taking a side, it should be noted that the Arachnid is, either by accident or design, a highly-effective anti-Empowered weapons system. Had Stark Industries developed an equivalent with appropriately shielded reactors, we could have destroyed it in moments."

"I guess you could say the difference is…Stark," Thera chuckled, and then grimaced in pain. "Okay, laughing hurts too."

"I'm not surprised," Clint said, surveying Thera's injuries with a look of mild astonishment. "You're kind of a mess."

"Nothing that near-lethal quantities of magical painkillers can't ignore," Thera said, and with a grunt of effort he forced himself into a kneeling position. "Sides, it was worth it, right? Everything worked out in the end."

"You really think so?" I exchanged an incredulous look with Clint. "Are you sure one of those missiles didn't sneak through?"

"I'm serious! We get Blacknest off our back, I get a chance to patch myself up, and the Arachnid gets to meet new people. Everyone wins!" He paused, and then added. "Well, except for its new playmates; they'll probably be mauled beyond recognition. Now, if you'll just give me a minute to catch my breath…"

"I'd say you need more than a minute, buddy."

"Well, we don't have that. We're running out of time!"

"That is correct," said Inky. "There are now only sixteen minutes remaining before a critical resonance event."

"See?" Swatting aside Clint's proffered hand, Thera clambered laboriously to his feet. "I'll manage, but what I really need is sugar."

"Sugar?"

"Sugar. Do you know how many calories it takes to throw a giant spider through the air? Not all of that is stardust and moonbeams," Thera said. "If you want to see anything like that again, I'm going to need to eat something first."

"There's some vending machines in the foyer," I pointed out. "Let's raid 'em."

"Good idea—" Thera began, but then my phone buzzed noisily in my hand. "What is it, Inky?"

"Now that I have access to my full faculties, I have been able to formulate a tactical solution," Inky said. "As it is sited on the topmost part of the abdomen, the best location to take a disabling shot would be from the Keame Refineries' boardroom."

"That seems simple enough," Clint said, and stooped to pick up his bow. "I mean, we've gotta lure it back here, but—"

"Hold on, mate." Thera held up his hand. "Inky? What's the inevitable complication?"

"The Arachnid is protected by a layer of piezomorphic armour, possibly derived from Chitauri alloys. Although this layer is extremely thin, its reactive nature and excellent impact resistance effectively renders the Arachnid immune to small arms and other light weaponry, including bows."

"So…" I paused while I thought about this. "We know how to bring it down, but we have no means of actually doing it? Have we been wasting our time all along?"

"No. My analysis indicates that an anti-materiel rifle, loaded with appropriate rounds, should defeat the armour layer. The inventory Blinky took of Blacknest armaments indicates that multiple such weapons are held in their armoury."

"How convenient. And you're sure this will work?"

"That is correct. A suitably proficient marksman, firing from an elevated position, will bring down the Arachnid."

"Well, that sounds like a plan," Clint said. "We'll get Thera patched up, head to the armoury, and—"

"Negative. Your objectives remain unchanged. By now, Blacknest may have procured heavier weaponry of their own. You must prevent them from destroying the Arachnid or accessing Keame Refineries HQ until we return. Once we have the weapon, Thera will need to lure the Arachnid into a suitable position to allow you to take the shot."

Clint looked incredulous, "You want Laura to go alone? With Blacknest gunnin' for her? That ain't happening!"

"We all have a part to play. There is no time for you to take on two roles."

"You're gonna get her killed!"

"It's okay, hon. I'll be okay," I said, reassuringly. "Besides, Vi can't be far away."

"I have been unable to establish the whereabouts of Operative Doe. Based upon her last known location and velocity, her ETA is approximately five minutes."

"She's gone dark?" Thera smiled thinly. "She'll be up to something, then. You know Vi."

"Yeah, an' I wish she wasn't goin' solo when we could really use her help!" Clint said, angrily. "Goddamnit; what's she up to?"

"No idea, but I'm sure it'll be spectacular. You know how much Vi likes 'spectacular'."

"I'm telling you, it'll be fine," I said. "I've got Inky, remember? Besides, the Arachnid's off our backs, Blacknest are scattered…what can possibly go wrong?"