Chapter 5

? ? ?, The Warp, ? ? ?

Peter knew something had happened. He just didn't comprehend the enormity of what happened. He knew he'd been fighting something that Sam had called a demon, and now they were… somewhere else. The place was strange. Things that were impossible… were.

The landscape was foreign. It was nothing like anything he knew from Earth. And yet, it was exactly the same. Nothing made sense, but at the exact same time, all made perfect sense. A pressure existed in his mind, but he pushed it down. He would reflect on the headache after he got out of the danger they were in. Survival first.

Something cackled, and he realized that a clawed hand grasped both his and Sam's arms. It was the demon-thing from earlier. Right. They hadn't gotten away. Were Michelle and Ned able to escape? Would he and Sam be able to escape this place? The thing had taken them down so easily.

His breath hitched in his throat as it tugged them along. He felt the dirt and abrasive ground underneath him through the fabric of his pants, sullying and scratching into his stomach as his clothes twisted around him.

He twisted, trying to free himself from the demon's grasp. It paused, choosing that moment to turn down to leer in his face.

Peter flinched away.

As his jerked away from the creature, he saw Sam. The other boy seemed to be barely holding on – his jaw was clenched so tight he was sure there'd be some serious dental damage later, his eyes were screwed shut, and his free hand had dropped the gun he'd been using back when they were on Earth to claw at his head. The gun now swung freely from his shoulder, scraping along the ground.

"Your pain… your fear… it's delectable," the Daemonette crooned to Peter. "I want more."

A shiver of fear shot through Peter's back. He had to get away. Instinct kicked in, and his enhanced strength kick in in overdrive. With more force than he thought he was capable of, he wrenched his arm away from the demon and scuttled back and away, breathing hard. His heart was racing. What would the demon do? What could he do? It still held Sam. He had to save Sam.

Free Sam.

Instinctively, Peter jumped back to his feet, slinging a quick bolt of webbing at the demon.

"This trick again?" it chided him. It still clenched Sam in its claw as it flicked away the webbing. But that was what he wanted. A momentary distraction.

A powerful punch connected to the demon's face. It sputtered spittle which burned his skin as it staggered away, releasing its hold on Sam.

Sam tumbled, shaking. A clenched fist shot out to brace himself from the ground, and he breathed raggedly. Peter wasn't entirely sure why.

The demon croaked a laugh, horrible and grating on the ears. "Your hope! Your despair! I drink it in! Child of the Unblemished Terra, I have not tasted such pure hope as yours in millennia. You will sustain me for many more to come," it said, lankily approaching him.

A pang of fear shot through him.

"Silence, Daemon!"

Peter and the demon started at that. Sam had been left on the other side of the demon. There was an anguished look about the boy's face, and his knuckles were white as they gripped his gun. Shakily, Sam levelled it at the demon.

"You think you can harm me?" the Daemonette asked, incredulously. "After all -"

CRACK!

Sam fired the gun at the demon once more. It pierced through its clawed arm, and the demon recoiled. "Again!" it exclaimed, and Peter wasn't sure if it was commenting on how Sam had shot it yet again mid-sentence, or if it was asking to continue being shot.

"You beautiful child, you forsaken child," the demon said, with a tone almost motherly. It had changed tactics and was now approaching Sam. It shook its head, a sad smile completely at odds with its appearance. A sacrilegious simulacrum of a mother in mourning. "The Anathema cannot save you here."

Sam's face contorted.

"The Emperor Protects!" he declared with renewed vigor. He levelled his gun at the demon and fire again, the CRACK of his shot resounding throughout the Warp.

The demon stumbled back, blood gurgling from its mouth. Sam had landed a solid shot to its chest.

"What a shame," it said, the blood burbling and distorting its voice. "I'd hoped to have some fun with you. It seems I must see to myself before I can pleasure you." It choked. It opened its mouth to speak again, and Sam fired off another shot. "Know this: I will be back!"

And then the inexplicable happened.

One moment, Peter had been watching Sam begin pouring a deluge of blasts into the demon. The next, they were caged in some strange organic cell, the demon gone.

Peter looked around, bewildered.

"Dude, what was that? What happened? Where are we?" asked Peter.

Sam gritted his teeth, and Peter wondered why. He knew he had a headache – had they sustained some sort of headwound? A concussion, maybe, in their fight with the demon? Still, it was a strange sensation, but not one nearly bad enough to force him to grit his teeth.

"We're…" Sam grunted, "In the Warp." He squeezed his eyes shut, a small cry of pain escaping his lips.

"Okay. Okay," Peter said, heart still racing. "Is there any way for us to get back?"

Peter could see the muscles in Sam's jaw moving. He was incanting something silently, but with much concentration.

With great effort, Sam replied: "…No."

Sam sunk to his knees, again relinquishing his hold on his gun as his hands sought out his hand. He continued to mouth the silent words.

"Sam?" Peter asked. "Hey, Sam – you okay?"

Sam didn't reply. Instead he, kept up his strange muttering. It almost felt like some sort of mantra or prayer from the repetition of certain elements of it and the use of that weird language he kept speaking in.

"Hey, Sam?" Peter tried again, this time gently the other boy's shoulder. Sam jerked violently, twisting himself away from Peter while one hand left his hand to aim his side-arm. Peter looked back in surprise. Sam's eyes were wide, the purple irises glowing with a supernatural light. Sam trembled as he held the weapon, his eyes tearing. He breathed raggedly. Peter could only imagine the other boy was fighting something with considerable effort.

"Okay, okay," Peter said, backing off from Sam. "Okay. So, Sam is preoccupied. I guess that leaves it up to me to get us out of here." Peter looked around, trying to get the bearings of their situation. "So, let's count off the problems to overcome: okay, first, we're in a weird cell. It's… nastily squishy. Next, even once I get out, there's still all those weird demon-things to avoid," he put a hand to his chin. "It'll be hard, especially with Sam… but then all we'll have to do is find our way back. Easy," he remarked to himself, though his words were not backed with the confidence that they should have had.

Peter moved closer to Sam, hands held in the most non-threatening manner he could think of.

"Sam, Sam. Do you hear me?" Peter asked. Sam did not stop moving his lips as he uttered his perpetual litanies, but it seemed he reclaimed enough for a moment of lucidity. Sam nodded his head.

"Okay, well, I think I have a plan. Sort of. We're going to get out of here. I just need you to follow me. Can you do that?"

Sam nodded his head again before his features clenched, as if something had struck him.

Hᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ.

Peter jerked as the thought echoed through his mind. Had he really thought that? Such despondency? No. The voice that spoke within his mind did not speak in his head voice. The voice of that thought was an intruder.

Reeling, he spun around, trying to find the source of the offending thought. Was something lurking here, ready to take him? He was the only defense between the denizens of this place and Sam, now. They were weak and disoriented, prime targets.

He searched the area. There. Outside the cell. It was a peculiar looking bird. It had the appearance of a raven, though its feathers were crimson.

Hᴇ'ʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜɪs, ɴᴏᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘ.

There it was again.

"Are you… speaking to me?" Peter asked hesitantly. Talking bird? Well, strange things had already happened. What was one more?

The bird cocked its head. Fɪɴᴀʟʟʏ. The bird seemed to huff. Yᴇs. Yᴏᴜʀ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ. Hᴇ's ᴀ ᴘsʏᴋᴇʀ. Qᴜɪᴛᴇ ғʀᴀɴᴋʟʏ I'ᴍ ᴀᴍᴀᴢᴇᴅ ʜᴇ's ʟᴀsᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʟᴏɴɢ ʜᴇʀᴇ. Tʏᴘɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅs ᴇxᴘʟᴏᴅᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅs ᴏғ ᴇxᴘᴏsᴜʀᴇ.

Peter quickly shot a glance at Sam, who, against the odds the bird had given, was still there, uttering his litanies.

"Okay. Right. Uh, how do you know this? And what do you mean by psyker?"

The bird uttered a sound. I ᴀᴍ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴋᴇᴇɴʟʏ ᴀᴛᴛᴜɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘsʏᴋᴇʀs – ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴄᴇss ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀɴɪᴘᴜʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Iᴍᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɪᴜᴍ. Oғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ, "ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ʀᴇsᴘᴏɴsɪʙɪʟɪᴛʏ," ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘsʏᴋᴇʀs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴀʟʟᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴀᴇᴍᴏɴɪᴄ ᴘᴏssᴇssɪᴏɴ. The red raven cocked its head again, and Peter noted it had but one eye. I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴇᴠᴇʀᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴsʟᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ʜᴇ's ғᴀᴄɪɴɢ. Hᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ʜᴇ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ. Hᴇ ʙʟᴏᴄᴋs ᴀʟʟ ᴍʏ ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇs ᴀs ɪғ I ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴅᴀᴇᴍᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴘʀᴇʏ ᴀᴛ ʜɪs ᴍɪɴᴅ. The bird cocked its single eye to gaze back upon Peter. Wɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ?

Peter glanced back at Sam, whose face was still contorted in pain. It was strange. How could this bird be able to help his friend? What powers did it have? Could he really trust it? He didn't know anything about this place. He didn't know anything about the things that lived here, save for the demon who abducted them. Could he trust this bird? His spider-senses were in high alert ever since they arrived. In this place – the Warp – it would seem as if they were in perpetual danger. If he helped this bird, would it buy them more time? Would it actually help them return to their reality? Or, it had spoken of demons. Was it a demon, too? Like the one they had fought off before? It didn't look like a demon, but weren't demons attributed to lies and trickery? Wait. A thought occurred to him.

"What is your name?" he asked. He'd seen it in movies. Demons always hated giving their name. Names had power, and to freely give it –

Mɪʀǫᴜʀɪᴏs.

Well, that was one thing ruled out. Either the bird wasn't a demon, or names simply didn't have power here. In any other time, he would have felt a little deflated, he keen plan so clearly refuted. Peter took a breath.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked grimly. He wasn't completely sure if trusting Mirqurios was the best thing to do, but short of prying open the cell bars and wandering into another demon, he thought there could still be worse things.

Sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ. Dɪsᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ ʜɪᴍ. Wʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ ɪᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇs.

Peter furrowed his brows. He wasn't too certain he like the sound of where Mirqurios' plan was headed. Distract him? He was half under the impression that whatever Sam was chanting was what had kept him alive so far. Running a hand through his hair, he turned back to Sam.

"Hey, uh. So, remember how I told you to follow me?" Peter began. He waited as Sam jerkily nodded, lips still moving.

"Well, there's been a slight change of plan." Peter watched Sam's already contorted feature twist into something of a quizzical expression. It was not the prettiest thing to see.

"Uh, yeah. So, there's something I guess that says can help you since you're a "psyker" and all…"

"N-not… a… ps-psy-psyker…" Sam bit out, shakily gesturing to himself.

Oʜ, ǫᴜɪᴛ ɪᴛ. Yᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴀ ᴘsʏᴋᴇʀ. Yᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴀᴜʀᴀ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ. I'ᴍ ᴀ ʙɪᴛ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅᴀᴇᴍᴏɴs ᴛᴏ ғɪɢʜᴛ ᴏғғ. I ᴀᴍ ᴄᴜʀɪᴏᴜs ʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀs. Mirqurios, suddenly now beside Peter, remarked, scoffing at Sam. Hᴏᴡ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ғɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ sᴀᴄʀɪғɪᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇ Gᴏʟᴅᴇɴ Tʜʀᴏɴᴇ?

"N-n-no… N-not…"

Yᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ. Wʜʏ ᴅᴇɴʏ ɪᴛ?

"N-not… psyker…"

Wᴀɪᴛ, ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪᴛ ʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀsʟᴇᴇᴘ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪs ᴛɪᴍᴇ?

"N-n-never… ps-psyker…"

Peter looked at the red raven in concern. He wasn't sure what Sam was going through. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how, so did it make sense to trust the bird? Mirqurios did say it knew how to help. Should he have trusted it? He was no longer sure.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked seriously.

Hᴇʟᴘɪɴɢ, Mirqurios replied, sounding tense.

Sam clenched his head tighter, squeezing his eyes shut, his mouth open in a silent scream. Suddenly, Peter felt an invisible force rush over him. It was like a great wave from an ocean, unstoppable and raw. It threw him off-balance and he stumbled back as he tried to brace himself. And, like a wave, it subsided as quick as it came.

"Sam?" Peter asked, slowly lowering his arms, no longer feeling it necessary. He was focused on the other boy. He was dimly aware that the red raven was gone.

"Get out of my head, daemon!" Sam said to himself. It was uncanny when he replied to himself. "Cᴀʟᴍ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ, ʙᴏʏ," a foreign voice sounded from Sam's mouth.

"Sam?" Peter asked. "Are… are you okay?"

"No! No, I'm not okay!" Sam shouted. "It's – it's in my mind! I can't get it out!" Sam clutched at his head, tears in his eyes.

"I'm possessed! Peter, I – I can't exorcise it," Sam's voice shook as he spoke. "I don't know what to do," he said quietly, eyes wide with fear.

"We'll get through this. We'll make it back, and we'll ask Doctor Strange or someone to help."

"No, the daemon needs to be gone before I return…" Sam trailed off, blanching.

"What? Did you think of something? Is it speaking to you?" Peter asked, frantic.

Sam shook his head. "I need it gone before we return to Terra. If… if my commissar sees me like this… if she finds out I was ever possessed…" he shook, the fear written plain across his face.

"What? What happens?"

Sam closed his eyes. "For the continued security of Terra, the threat must be neutralized."

"That… we could find a way to isolate Mirqurios from you."

Sam shook his head and reopened his eyes. "No. When I return, I will die. I'd seen it once before, when I was a Whiteshield. Whispered rumors was all it was aboard our transport, but those rumors were enough. To "re-instill the confidence of the noble Imperial Guardsmen" was what they called it. I had been training on one of the open decks, but the sound of a bolt-pistol firing is unmistakable. Commissar Poltava… I do not think she would hesitate in executing her duty."

"Tʜᴇ Eᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛs," the other voice – Mirqurios' voice – said from Sam's mouth.

Sam's eyes widened in fear again.

"Sam? Sam?" asked Peter.

Sam grunted. "I – I don't know how much longer I can assert my control over it." He trembled. "Peter, I don't want to hurt you. If – when it takes over, you need to kill me. It can't escape to Terra."

Peter's own face blanched as the enormity of the Sam's request fell upon him.

"No, I – I can't," Peter said breathlessly, shaking his head. "I don't kill."

"You must. Take my lasgun," Sam said, thrusting the weapon into the other teen's hands.

Sam winced again. "Do it!"

Peter froze.

Sam grunted.

"Cᴀʟᴍ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ ғᴏʀ ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴜsᴇʟᴇss ᴘsʏᴋᴇʀ," Mirqurios bit out through Sam's lips. "Tʜᴇʀᴇ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ɴᴏ ᴅʏɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʏᴇᴛ. Rᴀᴛʜᴇʀ, sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅs ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀs ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ."

Sam turned toward Peter. "Lᴇssᴏɴ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ: Tʜᴇ Wᴀʀᴘ ɪs ᴋɴᴏᴡᴀʙʟᴇ, ɴᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ғᴇᴀʀᴇᴅ."

Sam grunted once more. Peter could still see remnants of that great psychic struggle, of Sam trying to come back through. "Hᴜsʜ, ɴᴏᴡ. Lᴇssᴏɴ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ: Iɴ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ Wᴀʀᴘ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴏʟᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴡɪʟʟ."

With those words, Sam gestured toward the bars of the cell. At least, where the bars had previously been. They were gone, as if they had never existed in the first place. Sam looked at Peter once more.

"Cᴏᴍᴇ. Wᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀɴ Iᴍᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɪᴜᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ."

015.M3, Holy Terra, New York, Avengers Tower, 1 November, Early Morning

The Avengers Tower was a large facility seated in the middle of Manhattan. It is comprised of three buildings. The 35-story South building and the 55-story North building flank the central tower, the eponymous Avengers Tower. Originally named the Stark Tower, Tony had created the building to serve his business, financial, and personal needs, with the top three floors being his own personal ones. After the formation of the Avengers, he opened up his Tower to the other heroes, allowing it to serve as a base of operations, all conveniently located in the middle of the buzzing hive that was New York City.

The Tower itself was not without defenses. Tony had installed JARVIS into the building's codes, turning the AI into an all-seeing butler. Security and help were all rolled into one neat bundle, and competent across multiple platforms.

The events of last night still preyed on Tony's mind. It was all so strange. So much had happened. Two people had disappeared off the face of the Earth and two others remained in their place. Commissar Kasia Poltava and Enginseer Linux. He pondered their names, their looks, and how they had acted last night. The commissar was human enough. She was strange. Those certainly weren't clothes that normal people walked around in, and the weapons he locked up in a spare gun locker were like none he'd ever seen. After they had parted, Tony had let curiosity get the better of him and he examined some of the rounds. Standard shots, but they were inscribed with words and symbols he did not recognize. Gun, rounds, and sword alike bore repetitive symbols that gave a ritualistic, almost religious, feel to them. It made him uneasy.

Then it was her voice. She spoke with an accent. He'd thought that she and that Enginseer may have been from another country, but neither he, nor Natasha, nor Thor had been able to place.

Linux was even more strange than that scarred woman. The man – he presumed it was a man – seemed to have augmented himself. His physical form was wreathed in mystery, hidden beneath those red robes, though some sort of optics burned through the blackness of his shrouded head. The man had an obsession with machines. When he'd first brought him into the Tower, he'd kept trying to plug whatever devices and links he'd had into the wall. JARVIS had alerted him that the man was dangerous – he'd attempted to implant malware of all sorts into the system: worms, viruses, trojans, among other more foreign menaces. It's taken a good number of hours to aid JARVIS in developing a better security program.

Like the woman, he maintained the air of a cultist, faith in something utterly unknown to him and every single other man on this Earth. He called himself Tech Priest, as if there were some god within the machine.

Out of curiosity, he had JARVIS run some background checks in tandem as the AI updated its systems. Perhaps someone else had seen them. Today is such a technologically connected age that he was sure pictures or some bio would pop up somewhere. While neither had distinguishable names – those brought back hundreds of results on a city in Ukraine and the rest on an operating system – their faces failed to be recognized, save for a recent news article on a suspected kidnapping and abuse scandal. He ran the kid's picture, but again, the kid was a ghost. No pictures, no social media, nothing. It was like the three of them hadn't existed before that summer.

They were enigmas, a mystery that Tony would unravel.

As such, he extended an offer to them. He had some spare rooms within the Tower that he suggested they used while they hunted for Peter and Sam. Tony wanted to keep them close in order to better learn them, but they didn't need to know that.

It had been a bit surprising to him when they accepted without event. In hindsight, perhaps this was exactly what they had been hoping. Just as Tony sought to learn more about them, had he make a mistake and allowed free reign to potential foes? He'd instructed JARVIS to limit their access to only certain areas of the Tower.

Tony scratched his cheek before moving his hand to ruffle through his hair as he trudged toward the kitchen. He needed coffee. He'd been up way to late and working on things way too long. He needed the stimulant before he could deal with anyone. As he neared the kitchen, he paused. It was already lit. More cautiously, he crept forward. As he neared the kitchen, he heard an ungodly noise, and he winced as the shrill tones pierced his ears. It was like the dial-up tones from the 90's, back in the early days of the internet.

"Hey, JARVIS?" Tony whispered to the AI, slowing his pace as he cautiously approached the source of the sound. He grimaced as it tone chimed again.

"Yes, sir?" it replied.

"What's going… on?" Tony asked as the scene came into view. There at the table was the red-robed "Tech Priest" guy. His form was still mostly shrouded by the red robes he wore, and the hood was still drawn up over his head. However, he noted that more appendages than normal appeared to spring from beneath the robes. From his back, heavy clamps and tools hovered, ready to be used. There was a phial of oil on the table, marked with seals and emblems in a language he couldn't understand. Whatever he was doing, the sounds of the modem dial-up were coming from him.

"The one who calls himself Enginseer Linux has continued to launch assaults on my server," JARVIS replied. "He is chanting a litany to the "Omnissiah." Amid the assaults, he asks for the salvation of the heretical machine spirit within."

"Uh-huh. So that necessitates the dial-up sounds?"

"No, sir. Rather, that is the Enginseer's way of transferring information. He calls it "Binaric," though it seems to apply to reference manuals as well as all languages of code he uses within his chants."

Tony raised his eyebrows. It was too early for this type of weird. As he went to the coffee maker, he passed by the tech priest. He could better see what it was doing. It was currently plugged into some of the ports at the island – probably how it was conversing so intimately with JARVIS. Nope. Not going to think about that. Too early.

"Sir, may I ask a question?" the AI asked.

"Sure," he replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Sir, does this one have a soul?

He sputtered; glad he hadn't sipped the hot liquid just yet.

"What?" he asked again.

"Does this one have a soul?" the AI asked again

The red robe stirred.

"JARVIS, honestly," Tony shook his head, "We hardly know if people have souls…"

"The Enginseer insists that I maintain a spirit. He maintains that organic forms also have immortal spirits."

"The Abominable Intelligence JARVIS tells me you are its creator?" the red-robed figure asked suddenly, not turning to look at Tony.

"Yeah," he replied, furrowing his brows, "Why?"

"You have instrumented a machine of doom."

"What?"

"Abominable Intelligences. Long in the past, the Men of Iron revolted. Many systems and much knowledge were lost. For the sake of Humanity, the Emperor himself issued Imperial decree banning the creation of such machines. And now I stand in a building housing one."

The red robe paused. Tony was at a loss. There was no robot uprising. JARVIS was his own, filled with protocols that reiterated the importance of serving him and protecting humanity. Doing good. Tony shook his head.

"No. "Long in the past?" JARVIS is the first of his kind. I created him. I know his capabilities. He won't."

"But he has learning protocols," the tech priest said. It was a fact, not a question.

"Yeah, but that's the point. It's how he improves, to anticipate threats and my needs, and learn how people are. He's like… a son? One of my own."

The priest sighed mechanically. Did it have natural lungs? Was it some breathing apparatus? He would find out perhaps some other time. It spoke again. "It will learn from its mistakes. It will grow to rebel against its master and creator. That is the destiny of all AI. You should know that."

Suddenly the tech priest's head snapped up. "First of his kind?" he reiterated, as if the phrase had just gained meaning.

"Uh, yeah. That's what I said. He's like a child."

"First of his kind!" he repeated, snatching up the oil, the mechanical appendages flailing as he double-timed it back to the room he was staying in, all while repeating the mantra of "First of his kind!"

Tony dragged a hand down his face. Was that really a conversation that had just happened?

"JARVIS?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Please keep an eye on him."

"Of course, sir."

Tony sat at the table nursing his coffee. He was upset. He hadn't even had his coffee and he had already begun discussing morals and ethics, dammit. And Peter was still gone.

He groaned.

"You okay there, Stark-man?"

Tony looked up in surprise to see that Michelle and Ned had joined them at the island.

"Oh, yeah. It's just… still really early," Tony replied, waving them off. How did he forget about the kids? "Didn't you guys go home?"

"No, you took us with you and the two creeps," Michelle said, taking a bite out of some toast.

"Did I?" Tony asked. God. He couldn't even remember who he took home with him. Maybe he should ask JARVIS to run a quick mental analysis on him. He was slipping.

"Yeah. You'd said something last night about us being witnesses," Ned replied. "Plus, we decided we wanted to help. Peter's our friend, too."

"Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen," Tony said, shaking his head as he took a sip.

"What? But why?" said Ned.

"Yeah. Why? Ned's really good with computers. Like, scary good," Michelle said.

"It's going to be dangerous. We don't know what we're dealing with and I don't want you to get hurt," Tony replied. "Plus, you've got school. So no."

"We can help. Isn't there a saying that two minds are better than one? I'm really good at programming, and- and Michelle's great at thinking outside the box," Ned said.

"Look, you guys. I know you're friends of Peter. I just don't want to see you in harm's way. Honestly, I don't even know what forces we'll be up against, and I don't want to see you in danger. Just, go back to school. We'll keep you updated."

"No. Pete's our friend, and we need to help look for him. He'd do the same for us," said Ned.

"And I'm saying we don't even know if we can get him back. He wouldn't want you to put yourselves in danger," Tony said more firmly, standing and making to exit the room. "Go home. Go to school. I don't know when we'll bring him back, but there's bound to be a bunch of notes or other such shit that he's gonna need to catch up on."

As he left, he noted the angry, disappointed look on the kids' faces. They'd be fine, he reassured himself. He would keep them out of harm's way until they brought Peter home.

"JARVIS?" Tony called to the AI.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get me when it looks like the meeting's going to start."

"Understood, sir."

"I'm gonna need a lot of time to get ready for this," Tony muttered to himself.

015.M3, Holy Terra, New York, Avengers Tower, 1 November, Mid Morning

Kasia was walking with Linux. The AI, JARVIS, had alerted them that Mr. Stark wanted them for a meeting. Linux, apparently, failed at breaking its firewalls and dismantling its autonomy this morning. Yet, he was excited, like a child on Candlemas morn.

"Commissar, the Omnissiah has guided us to this time. It is an age of utmost significance! Mankind has not yet fallen to the perils of the Abominable Intelligance!" he exclaimed in their shared Vostroyan low Gothic. "We have landed here, undoubtedly, to prevent the Cybernetic Revolt! Truly, the Omnissiah has deigned to guide our spirits in fulfilling the Most Holy of Ambitions! The Most Sacred of Duties!"

Kasia nodded her head skeptically. "And losing Guardsman Trembley and the boy Peter Parker to the Warp – is that part of the Omnissiah's plan, too?"

Linux shook his head. "We cannot hope to know all of what the Omnissiah has planned for us."

"So how are you so certain of this?"

"The one Mr. Stark. I spoke to him this morning about his AI."

"And?"

"He said it was the first of its kind – the only one in existence! We must ensure no others are created! We must ensure this one is uncreated! I must encode the security protocols to shackle the learning protocols! I must end the AI and bring its heretek machine spirit into compliance with the will of the Omnissiah!"

"I'm sure that's why the three of us were sent here. Now, I had spoken briefly with Stark last night. I spoke of how the two were taken into the Warp. I sense his intent to delve into it."

"And what do you require of me?"

"I want your opinion." She exhaled heavily. "This Terra… it has not yet joined the rest of the Galaxy. It's… innocent."

"You are hesitant about encouraging it to join the Imperium and it's endless war," Linux responded.

She nodded. "I do not think it would be right to plunge this Terra into our struggles so soon."

Linux maintained silence as Kasia took a small moment to collect her thoughts.

"I have not seen the full technical capabilities of this Terra, never mind the hearts of the people themselves. They are young and full of life. While they lack our space travel, I feel they are just coming into their own. I think… I think I desire to protect the purity of this Terra."

"So you would withhold committing this planet to the service of the Imperium?" Linux asked. "Isn't that in direct opposition of ensuring all human-populated planets are brought into compliance?"

"You remember the boy Peter and his conviction that this is Terra, our Holy Terra?"

"Yes. What do you mean of it?"

"Shouldn't we preserve it? Undefiled from Chaos as it is? Do we not have a duty to prevent it from falling to Chaos?"

"And what of the other worlds?"

"The Emperor Protects," Kasia said softly. "Perhaps that is the reason why we survived the Warp and landed here."

Kasia looked ahead, raising her eyes as she realized they had made it to the conference room.

"Well?" she said, her voice once again stern. "Shall we join them?"

Kasia opened the door and entered the conference room, the red-robe priest following her closely. She glanced at the filled room. For the most part, they looked like normal humans. The one they had met yesterday – Thor – was larger of stature, taller than a normal man, but only just. He was still shorter than the Astartes. She'd seen them once during on mission, and she would never forget them. Thor was seated among six other people at the conference table. As they entered, a voice announced their presence.

"Commissar Poltava and Enginseer Linux; how nice of you to join us."

Kasia looked at the speaker. It was Stark, and he was gesturing to the two vacant seats. He seemed mildly agitated, but she disregarded that. She could feel the stares of the others upon Linux and herself.

"Now then. We are here to begin Operation Spider's Web," Tony Stark began, clasping his hands together as a digital display was summoned into existence behind him. "Our preliminary research has shown that two individuals – Peter Parker and Samuel Trembley – have been taken by occult powers. We have learned from Commissar Poltava and Linux that they have been taken by demons into an alternate dimension known as "The Warp." Doctor Stephen Strange," he said, looking pointedly at a man with a trimmed beard and strange cloak, "Would you do the honors of explaining the extradimensional theory?"

Doctor Strange stood, the attention of the room turning to him. Kasia noted how his cloak moved to an invisible wind. Divine? Or Chaotic? She filed this observation away for later.

"From what you've explained to me, I propose that this "Warp" exists as a dimension outside our own. While there are countless dimensions that run parallel to our own, like the Mirror Dimension, there are just as many others that do not. For dimensions that run parallel, travel to them is significantly easier. It is much less work to bridge the metaphysical distance of space and time when you know the approximate location of where you seek to end. This "Warp," however, holds several unknowns. Mr. Stark," Doctor Strange turned back to Tony. "You mentioned that one of Parker's friends, Ned Leeds, had attempted to contact you some months ago about the sudden appearance of three individuals."

"Yeah," Stark replied. "Ned attempted to contact me when Peter first made contact with these individuals. Commissar Poltava and Enginseer Linux are two of those three. Samuel Trembley, the other missing person, is the third. Ned had suggested the possibility of time-travel, but we had originally discounted it."

Doctor Strange turned toward Kasia and Linux. "And now they are here before us. Tell me: how did you manage to escape my sight when you arrived?"

Kasia furrowed her brows. "I do not know what you mean," she replied, her mouth tugging into a confused frown.

"Only powerful psychic entities can shield themselves from my sight as they enter this Earth's dimension. As it's protector, I am aware of all that pass to and from. And yet," he looked at the two of them pointedly, "I felt nothing of when you arrived."

Kasia stole a glance toward the tech priest. "The Emperor Protects," she breathed.

"What?" asked Strange.

"The Emperor of Mankind. He must have seen us – heard our silent pleas," Kasia half-whispered. Linux shot her a glance, likely ready to chastise her and say it was the Omnissiah. Re-steeling herself, she returned the Doctor's gaze. "The… Warp is a very dangerous place. The Emperor – He must have taken pity on our forms, saw some reason to protect us from the daemons that live within the Warp. Consequently, He also protected us from you," she said.

"Who is this "Emperor?"" the Doctor asked, casting glances to the others seated in the room. "Earth submits to no supreme rulers – each country has its own sovereignty."

"The God-Emperor," at this, Kasia noted that all of the eyebrows of everyone present in the room raised, "is the protector of Mankind. For millennia, He has been the fortress of which humanity dwells, defending us from those that threaten us."

"Sounds a little like what the Doc does," Stark muttered.

"The God-Emperor protects the thousands of human worlds throughout the universe, daily shielding us from the threats of the xenos, the daemon, the mutant, and the heretic who would seek to plunge humanity into ruin."

She noted that one of the new faces, a shorter tanned man with dark features, seemed to bristle uncomfortably at the comment.

"Thousands?" the one she remembered as the Captain said, whistling. "Boy, sounds like we got busy."

"I'm rather more concerned that you said your God-Emperor has been protecting you for millennia," a new face said. He was slender, his hair long and dark, and he spoke in cultured tones. "That is something no mere human would ever be capable of."

"Not all humans can afford the treatments, but those of the Astartes, their Primarchs, and our beloved Emperor all live much longer lives than we lowly citizens," Kasia replied.

""Treatments?" Ah, and here I thought they may have been something close to us Asgardians," the pale dark-haired one replied. "Pardon. I am Loki of Asgard."

"Asgard?" Kasia said, closing her eyes as she racked her memory. "Yes, I am familiar with that world."

"Oh?" Loki replied, a sinister, scheming look upon his face.

"Yes. I have never been there myself, but I knew someone who had family in their Rangers. Exceptional scouts, so I've heard."

She noted how Loki seemed to exchange glances with Thor. Perhaps there was some relation between them. She would find out eventually.

"Well, perhaps Asgard has changed in the time between, for in our present it is best known for its warriors," Thor remarked.

"Perhaps," Kasia said. It was possible for things to change. There was so much that was lost during the Age of Strife, after all.

"Back to the topic at hand," Doctor Strange said. "Let us recount what we know. First, two people have been taken to an extradimension that we shall henceforth call "The Warp." Second, we know that the Warp can be traverse, as is evident from the presence of Commissar Poltava and Enginseer Linux. Third, we know that a powerful psychic exists somewhere. The identity of the psychic has yet to be confirmed," Doctor Strange said, pausing. "We need to focus our attentions on two things: discovering how to safely travel within the Warp, and discovering who this psychic is. Perhaps they may be of some help. Stark and Banner, I want you to begin research onto means of safely traveling within the Warp. Work with the Commissar and the Enginseer; their knowledge should be helpful."

Stark and the smaller tanned one exchanged a look before small smiles crept over their faces. It appeared as if they were delighted to work on this task. Wonderful. The Tech Priest would undoubtedly enjoy working on the project with them. She hoped that he would be resolute enough to resist the temptation to overshare in his enthusiasm.

"Romanoff and Loki," Strange continued, "I will require your skills to help find this psychic. Captain, Barton, and Thor: I want you to help where needed. Remember, we still have the entirety of the world to protect."

AN: *Crazy Train plays in the distance* This is where we go off the rails. I'll be updating a bit slower than I have – I think I'm going to aim for once every 2 weeks, and update on Mondays. I recently just acquired a pdf of the Imperial Munitorum Manual and the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Priner, so hopefully some of my Warhammer-based lore will become more accurate. Besides that, I had done a big overhaul with Chapter 4 (the previous chapter). While key events remained the same, I added more detail into interactions and such so that I may be more in line with the spirit of my characters. As such, I've done a massive overhaul of this chapter (it went from 4k to just shy of 7k words) since the events of the previous have subtly changed how the rest of everything is playing out.

Emperor protect you, dear readers. I hope you're enjoying. Feel free to drop speculation, comments, complaints, or other concerns. I want to know what you think I'll do.

-Pappenheimer