I do not own Spider Man or any of the characters.
Hired
"I'd better go make sure they behave themselves," Jess sighs, following. "Good night everyone!"
A few people return the sentiment and Mr. Harrington decides it's a good time for everyone to head to their rooms for the night. However, as soon as I'm in my room, I stop, setting Lexi on her feet and staring across the room at a black guy in a black trench coat with an eyepatch and a gun aimed at Lexi. He fires instantly, but I form an ice shield in the projectile's path, catching the back half of a tranquilizer dart before it can hit her.
"You know, it's not every day I get to meet my favorite character in Mortal Kombat in person," the man says.
"I hate that fucking costume," I grumble, Lexi giggling as Jess steps inside, eyes wide.
"I was going to put your girlfriend to sleep, so we could talk in private, and I was going to have you lock her sister out of the room, but I suppose you'll just have to let them hear," the man says.
I nod to Jess and she closes the door as I let my ice evaporate, the dart dropping to the floor. Both girls assume their true form and the man doesn't so much as blink. They turn back and he nods slightly.
"To Parker's room," he says. "Now."
We nod and he walks us to the room, standing us against the opposite wall while he sits in the corner where he's to the right of the door. We hear Peter and Ned talking, heading toward the room, and as soon as the two of them step into the room, Ned in the middle of telling Peter how he and Betty got together, the man in the corner hits Ned with a tranquilizer dart, Ned dropping onto his bed instantly. Peter, who had stopped to stare at me, Lexi, and Jess, turns to look at Ned, then back at us. He follows the line my finger makes to the guy in the corner and inhales deeply, eyes widening slightly.
"You're a very difficult person to contact, Spiderman," the guy says.
"You're Nick Fury," Peter says. "And you just shot Ned."
"Just a mild tranquilizer," Fury says. "He'll be alright."
"Wait, you three work for Fury?" Peter asks.
"Nope," I say. "We're hostages."
Peter blinks twice before nodding.
"So good to finally meet you Spiderman," Fury says, obviously wanting to get whatever conversation he wants to have moving. I saw you at the funeral, but I didn't think that was a good time to exchange numbers."
"No, that would have been really inappropriate," Peter says.
"That's what I just said," Fury says.
"Right," Peter says.
"Funeral?" I ask.
"Mr. Stark's," Peter says.
"Ah," I nod.
"I don't think you and I have been properly introduced," Fury says. "I'm Nick Fury. You can call me Fury. I'm a person you very much do not want to cross."
"What powers do you have?" I ask.
"Intellect," he says. "I was the head of SHIELD before it was shut down."
"I'm assuming the shield you're referring to isn't the medieval kind," I say.
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," Fury says. "We were the guys who did whatever was necessary to protect the world, and if you were from the world, or a handful of other planets in this galaxy, you'd know that. So, who are you?"
"Ben Dover," I smirk.
"Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes?" Fury asks flatly.
"Not at all," I say. "Just call me Ben."
"Alright, Ben," Fury says. "Who are you, and where are you from?"
"Ice Spider," I say. "And I'm from away. Very far away."
"Right," Fury is silent for a moment before turning back to Peter. "You're in Venice. I tried to bring you here, you avoided me, and now you're here. What a coincidence."
"Wait, was this a coincidence?" Peter asks.
"I used to know everything," Fury says. "Then I come back five years later and now I know nothing. No intel, no team, and a high school kid, is dodging my calls. Here's what I do know." He sets a small triangular device on the glass table in front of him and the corners rise as the machine whines to life, a yellow hologram of the Earth appearing, three small screens hovering beside the globe, playing footage of attacks by the water giant and a stone giant, plus one tornado strike. "A week ago, a village in Mexico was wiped out by a cyclone. Witnesses say that cyclone had a face."
Ned snores suddenly, Everyone looking over at him, Fury looking about ready to kill Ned for interrupting.
"Three days later, a similar event in Morocco," Fury continues. "A village was-"
Mr. Harrington knocks on the door frame, stopping at the door, thankfully. "Just making the rounds, seeing if anyone needs any emotional counseling after today's traumatic events."
Fury aims at Mr. Harrington's head.
"No, we're fine," I say. "We were just discussing our plans for Paris."
"Oh alright," Mr. Harrington says. "That's good, because I'm not actually qualified-"
Ned snores again.
"Oh, he's passed out," Mr. Harrington whispers. "I'm not really qualified to do it. Good night."
"Good night," Peter says.
Mr. Harrington closes the door behind himself and I sigh, looking to Fury.
"You were saying?" I ask.
"A village was destroyed by what may well be another world-threatening-"
A lighter, faster knock interrupts him and a vein pops out on the side of his head as his eye widens slightly.
"Babe, you still awake?" Betty asks. "You're not answering any of my texts."
"Um, he's asleep, Betty!" Peter calls through the door.
"Oh, already?" Betty asks.
"Mhm," Peter says. "Yeah."
"Okay," Betty says, walking away.
"That's why, it's imp-"
A third knock sounds, ben having to restrain a grin, lest he anger Fury any more than he already was.
"Hey boys," Mr. Dell says. "So that canal water today was filled with dangerous bacteria..."
"Another person touches that door, you and me are going to attend another funeral," Fury warns, picking up his device. "Suit up. Both of you. And bring the symbiotes with you."
I blink in surprise as Fury leaves through the window. "How'd he know what..."
I shake my head as Lexi envelops me and we leave the room, followed by Jess, so that Peter can change. A few minutes later, he comes outside, joining us in the boat Nick Fury has waiting for us. Lexi's already separated from me, leaving me in my real suit, mask included, and once again, Fury doesn't react in the slightest. Once we're moving, Fury reaches into his coat and pulls out an eyeglass case.
"Stark left these for you," Fury says.
"Really?" Peter asks, accepting the glasses and looking between them and Fury.
"Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown," Fury says. "Stark said you wouldn't get that because it's not a Star Wars reference."
Finally, they walk into a catacomb where a bunch of desks are cluttered with monitors, computers, keyboards, and other electronic equipment.
"You can both lose the masks," Fury says. "Everyone in here's seen one of you without it. You'd only be feigning anonymity and breathing through spandex for no good reason. The other one we're going to run a facial recognition search on."
"You won't find anything," I promise, pulling my mask off as Peter does the same.
"Don't be so sure," Fury says. "We can find anything. Come on."
We all follow him through the catacomb quickly, reaching a room where a much larger wall of monitors is, with a round holographic projector in the center of the room, and a desk with a high-powered sniper rifle off to one side, the man cleaning it looking like he was angry about something, but that might just be his face. Beside him, there was a woman typing on a computer.
"Over there we have Maria Hill," Fury introduced her. "That is Dimitri," Fury introduces the angry guy, "And this, is Mr. Beck."
Ahead of us, Mysterio turns to ward us. He's not wearing his helmet, allowing us to see his face. he's got neat brown hair, combed to the right, a brown beard, and a kind smile.
"Mysterio?" Spiderman asks.
"What?" Beck asks.
"Doesn't matter," Peter says. "It's just what my friends...have been calling you."
"Well, you can call me Quentin," Beck says, shaking Peter's hand and looking at me, taking in my suit with a single raised eyebrow. "Sub Zero?"
"Ice Spider," I correct him, also shaking his hand, head turned to the right where Hill is scanning my face, already having scanned Jess and Lexi. "That was more of a prank Lexi pulled."
I gesture to Lexi and he raises an eyebrow.
"A joke?" he asks.
"Long story," I say, waving a hand dismissively, just as Hill's search comes back completely negative on all three.
"Well I'll be damned," Fury says. "That's an impressive trick."
"You handled yourselves well out there today," Beck says. "I saw what you did with the tower. We coulda used someone like you on my world."
"And which world is that?" I ask.
"Mr. Beck is from Earth," Fury says. "Just not yours."
"There are multiple realities, Peter," Beck says.
"No shit," I breathe, eyebrows rising, no one else hearing me besides Lexi and Jess.
"This is Earth, dimension six-one-six, I'm from Earth eight-three-three."
"My condolences," I say. "I heard eight-three-three was gone."
Dimension eight-three-three was the one the Green Goblin that had come to our dimension was from, the one that was missing.
"You...know about the other dimensions?" Beck asks.
"I should," I nod. "I'm from one of them." I turn to Fury. "Hence why you couldn't find me. What dimension did you say this was? We got tossed around a little in our trip between and got lost."
"Six-one-six," Beck repeats.
"Ah," I nod. "My thanks."
"I have a million questions," Peter says. "For both of you."
"Later," Hill says, switching the hologram of the city into one of a galaxy.
"They were born in stable orbits within black holes," Beck says. "Creatures formed from the primary elements. Air, water, fire, earth. The Science Division had a technical name." He shakes his head. "We just called them Elementals."
As he had been speaking, the hologram had changed, zooming in on the black hole at the center of the galaxy and then generating four humanoids around it, each of the Elementals Beck had listed.
"Versions of them exist across our mythologies," Hill says, the four Elementals being replaced by gods of their respective elements.
"Turns out the myths are real," Beck says.
"Like Thor," Peter says. "Thor was a myth, and now I study him in my physics class."
I stare at Peter, as do Lexi and Jess.
"These myths, are threats," Fury says, walking past Beck.
"They first materialized on my Earth many years ago," Beck says. "We mobilized and fought them, but with each battle, they grew. Got stronger. I was part of the last battalion trying to stop them. All we did was delay the inevitable."
The hologram had been showing Earth with several locations listed, battles, I assume. As he said the last part, the world began to change, a dark red spreading over it from Europe until the whole planet was a torched wasteland.
"The Elementals are here now, attacking the same coordinates," Hill says. "Our satellites confirm it."
"So thank Mr. Beck for killing the other three," Fury says. "There's only one left. Fire."
"The strongest one of them all," Beck says as the holographic Earth begins to crumble. "The one that destroyed my Earth. It's the one that took my family." He begins to spin a silver wedding band around his finger.
"I'm sorry," Peter says.
"Well, I happen to be the perfect person to get you revenge," I say.
"I couldn't agree more," Beck nods.
"It will be in Prague in approximately forty eight hours," Hill says.
"We have one mission," Fury says. "Kill it. And you're all coming with us."
"Lexi and Jess are going nowhere near that thing," I say flatly.
"I'm sorry, did you say Prague?" Peter asks, Hill nodding. "I'm sorry, Mr. Fury, this all seems like big-time...huge...superhero kind of stuff, and...I'm just a friendly neighborhood Spiderman, Sir."
"Bitch, please, you've been to space," Fury says.
"I know, but that was an accident," Peter says.
"You accidentally went to space?" I ask.
"Kind of," Peter says. "Sir, come on, please, there's gotta be someone else you can use!"
"What about Thor?" Peter asks.
"Off-world," Fury says.
"Okay, um, Doctor Strange?" Peter asks.
"Unavailable," Hill says.
"Captain Marvel?" Peter asks.
"Don't invoke her name," Fury says seriously.
"Sir, look, I really want to help," Peter says. "I do. But if my aunt finds out I left my class trip, she's gonna kill me. And if I'm seen like this, in Europe, after the Washington Monument, my whole class will figure out who I am, and then...then the whole world will figure out who I am. Then I'm done."
"Okay," Fury nods. "I understand."
"I'm sorry, what?" Peter asks.
"Why don't you get back before your teachers miss you and become suspicious," Fury says, then smiles, a truly disturbing sight. "Dimitri, take him back to the hotel, please."
Dimitri nods and walks away, Peter slowly backing away from Fury.
"Thank you, Mr. Fury," Peter says. "And uh, good luck." He turns as he nears Beck, who's smiling kindly still.
"See ya kid," Beck says.
"Yeah, see ya," Peter says. "Bye ma'am." He raises a hand to Hill as he passes her.
"Yeah," Hill says flatly.
Then, he leaves with Dimitri and I turn back to Fury.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" I ask. "There's some stuff I'd like to know about this dimension, and clearly you have the answers."
Fury nods and leads me to another room, Jess and Lexi coming with me. He locks the door once we're in and turns to me. "This room's completely sound-proofed, and the only camera feed is to Hill's personal computer, the sound going to her earpiece. No one else will know. Now, what is it? I saw the way you were watching Beck."
"Actually, I'd like to start with you," I say. "How do you know what symbiotes are?"
"We've dealt with them on this planet," Fury says.
"Right," I nod. "So, then, I assume you know what happens when a symbiote bonds with an unwilling host? And you, of course, know that they can read their host's mind, no matter what kind of spy training they have."
Fury glares at me before sighing. "Alright. Fine. I'm a shapeshifter named Talos, species Scrull. I'm a stand-in for Fury. However, that all needs to remain a secret."
"And I'm guessing Hill is one too?" I ask.
"She is," Fury nods. "Now your turn. What's your story?"
"Bitten by a radioactive spider, gained the ability to generate ice from nothing somehow, because that's so clearly something to do with spiders, fought a group of renegade symbiotes in order to protect the queen, who I fell in love with, started dating the queen, and I've been working as one of my universe's two Spidermen, three if you include White Spider, which is what Lexi is usually called when she makes herself a spider suit to help. Our universe thinks there are a bunch of us, though, but only because there are five others who come to our dimension all the time to hang out, since we're all friends."
"You must be quite well-versed in inter-dimensional travel, then," Fury says.
"First time, actually," I shrug. "Although, we definitely didn't get lost, and we're definitely not in six-one-six. There is a six-one-six, but this isn't it. This is one-nine-nine-nine-nine-nine. Beck's lying through his teeth. Eight-three-three wasn't destroyed by Elementals. It was destroyed by a being of that universe, who became infected by a parasite, then destroyed his reality by one means or another, likely by angering a being in its universe that had the kind of power needed to wipe the universe out. However, the parasite-infected person came to our world and fought us, died, and passed his parasite on to my cousin. We're searching for him now."
"I see," Fury nods. "How do you know this?"
"Honestly, the part about how the universe was destroyed is a theory," I say. "But we tested Omega's DNA in a device one of our friends made for scanning dimensions and it registered as dimension eight-three-three. There's another person from eight-three-three living in our dimension now, but he's manageable."
"I see," Fury says. "So, what would you recommend we do with Beck?"
"Well," I say. "The only part I know is bullshit is the part about him being from eight-three-three, and this is obviously not six-one-six. He could technically be from a different dimension but doesn't want to say witch, and he may have gotten lost on the way here. So the part about the Elementals may be true. When I fought the water Elemental, I definitely got hit with water, and I definitely froze parts of it. For now, we'll work with him against the fire Elemental. If nothing else, that thing needs to be stopped, and Beck's powers will help."
Fury nods. "Let me know if anything comes up."
"I will," I nod. "Anyway. We better get back. See you around."
Fury nods and we all leave, heading back to the hotel and slipping into the room through the window. I change into a pair of pajama pants and Jess and Lexi both decide to sleep naked. We all climb into one bed and I sigh as Lexi's leg brushes against my erect member and she grins knowingly.
"And you call me high-maintenance," Lexi teases, before growing serious. "What should we do?"
"Fury's going to hijack our trip," I say. "No getting around that. We're going to Prague. When we get there, you guys protect the others. Stay away from the Elemental. And Beck. I don't trust him. And if I have to fight him, let me handle it on my own."
Both nod and I sigh, kissing Lexi goodnight, then Jess as well when she jabs me in the ribs. Then, Jess kisses Lexi, both slipping their tongues into each other's mouth and moaning just to mess with me, before separating and laying their heads on my shoulders. I sigh, closing my eyes and settling in to sleep, only to lie awake as they both drift off, thoughts of what I would rather be doing keeping me awake. Maybe Lexi has a point.
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