After saying that and transforming, Reyes proceeds to slowly walk towards Taskmaster. It might even be a walk with no ill intentions, if whoever was walking wasn't an angry kid with a flaming skull.
— You couldn't defeat me so you had to summon the devil to piss me off? – Taskmaster asks, in a strangely calm way for the scene he was seeing.
Danny and Peter stand still watching that, but Reyes wastes no time; he summons two chains that appear behind him, but instead of launching themselves towards his opponent, they wrap around the boy's forearms and wrists, as if they were Muay-Thai ropes, but made of iron. Besides, the part that passed over Reyes's bent fingers glowed orange, like red-hot iron, and the boy raised his fists in his trusted, familiar boxing stance.
— So he uses his fists… – Trainer says sheathing his sword, putting away his shield and putting his closed fists up – come on then, show me what you got…
Robbie soon complies, with the distance having shrunk, he lunges for an attempted blow to the side of Taskmaster's head, but being in his skull form, even with an exponential increase in strength and stamina, one thing diminishes; his speed. Even with several attempts, of several blows in different ways, Taskmaster continues to dodge the boy Reyes with some ease, and after a while analyzing his movements, the mercenary starts to give the boy some blows of his own.
Obviously he avoids the boy's flaming skull, but starts to deliver several blows to his torso, which even though hot, didn't seem so dangerous, besides, the boy didn't seem to be agile enough to block him. Which in itself wasn't a problem, as with his resistance, Taskmaster felt like he was punching a brick wall, the way the boy didn't seem to notice. The villain then takes a few steps back, thinking of a new strategy; one that would use a new toy;
— You're tough boy – Taskmaster says cracking his neck – but let's see if you can handle this – he says and soon a kind of mechanism grows and lodges in each of the villain's forearms; a piece of iron in each fist with iron staves, with some other mechanism more hidden beneath the armor and cloak.
Even without knowledge, Reyes tries again to attack, but the villain lands another punch, this time with the mechanisms, and as soon as he hits Reyes' abdomen, the machine activates and gives a new impulse with the iron rods, which has enough strength to take Reyes back.
The kid isn't thrown or anything like that, but that was so unexpected that he had staggered back a few steps out of sheer surprise, but he soon returned to face the villain, angrier than ever, not that he could make many expressions in his skull mode.
— Did you like it? Courtesy of a friend of mine – Taskmaster says referring to the mechanisms – now things are going to get interesting...
Peter just watched from a safe distance the clash between Reyes and Taskmaster. At first, as expected, Taskmaster dodged the blows and Reyes looked like a punching machine. Until Taskmaster activates those machines in his arms, and the spider boy has a slight impression of having seen those equipment before, and it had something to do with Nigeria, but Peter didn't remember very well.
But anyway, that equipment had definitely leveled the battlefield; once a boy with super strength and a man with experience, now both with strength, but only one with a lot of experience.
Peter then tries to help Reyes in some way; in a moment the boy and the villain switch positions, with now Reyes closer and with his back to Peter. The boy uses Taskmaster's vision block to launch a web and catch him off guard, but the one who was quite prepared was Robbie, with an agility and reaction time never seen before in that form, he simply raises his arm and holds the web as it passes over his right shoulder. He takes it and turns his head, looking back at Peter, those eyes literally on fire.
— Seriously? After everything we've been through!? – Peter asks indignantly.
Without giving an answer, Reyes sets the web on fire and the flames quickly consume it. Peter is quick enough to release the thread, releasing it before the fire reaches him, and watching the web darken and be consumed by the flames.
— Whoever launched the web is no longer here... - the boy says he raises his arms in surrender as he saw Reyes return to the fight
— Peter! – The boy turns around to see Danny calling him to come to him and the unconscious hero. Peter leaves Reyes and walks over to the blond, who was crouching beside the hero, his right hand glowing over the hero's leg and adjusting a piece of wood and a piece of iron as splints — can you create a sash?
— I think so. - Peter says, soon releasing web and tying the hero's broken leg between the two splints
— Hngh... – they hear the hero grumble, apparently he has slightly regained consciousness
— This splint will make it easier if we have to move him... - Danny says deactivating his quirk - you pick him up and take him to some hero, I'll send Reyes along and...
— Danny! – Peter puts his hand on his friend's arm as he removes his mask – that's enough, I'm not going anywhere while you're here… What's all this for Danny? Send me away? Facing Taskmaster alone... Is this all because of Orson?
— ... – Danny takes a moment to respond, as if pondering his answer – you wouldn't understand… – is all he can say.
— So help me understand - Peter says squeezing Danny's shoulder, encouraging him to share his feelings
Danny reflects for a few moments, until something happens. An orange glow, coming from behind Peter, illuminates the blonde's face, at the same time Peter's Spider-Sense is activated, he then grabs Danny and ducks with his colleague and almost instantly afterwards, a burst of orange flames passes over both of them.
— Reyes! Come on! – Peter turns to the boy, slightly indignant – not wanting help I can take, but we are on the same team, take it easy!
Reyes recoils slightly after his flame attack. He didn't really want to do it, it had been an involuntary reflex; he wasn't used to the ghost form yet, but one thing he knew, when he started to despair, it meant his time in that form was running out, and that wasn't a good thing.
Watching his opponent, he sees that with the blast of fire, he had pulled his cape forward, probably because it was made of some fire resistant material, but not entirely apparently;
— Damn it! – Taskmaster says removing the cape with some places on fire – Fireproof my ass, Hammer you pay me...
Reyes doesn't have much time to act; he didn't want to do it, but he feared it would be the only thing that would work.
He advances towards Taskmaster, who was still distracted by removing his cape. Grabbing his arms, he pushes him toward the wall, which breaks a little given Reyes' strength. He then holds Taskmaster tightly and stares deep into his eyes, preparing to use the "Penance Stare"
— Look into my eyes... - it was the first time that Reyes' voice was heard in ghost mode, his voice was hoarse, deep and dragged, it brought shivers to everyone who heard him - your soul is stained with the blood of innocents... Feel their pain!
With this, the flames in Reyes' skull grow, as if they were being fed, they increase and the existing glow is too much to look at directly, so Peter and Danny have to look away to avoid being blinded. Peter, even far away, feels a shiver down his spine at that moment; he had been the first person to have received that power from Reyes, and it hadn't been any good, even if unintentionally, he now wondered what could happen to someone Reyes used the Gaze on purpose.
After a few seconds, the fire subsides until it goes out, and Reyes' bare skull starts to have the skin coming back and covering his head. But what he didn't expect was Taskmaster, having turned his head in the light, turning back to face the boy, not seeming to have received any sort of affliction from the Gaze.
— Imposible... – says Reyes, getting his head back to normal
— You were wrong about something boy… – Taskmaster says calmly, feeling the boy's grip loosen and watching him return to a normal shape, covered in sweat, pale and panting – they weren't innocent.
With that Taskmaster opens his arms, freeing himself from Reyes' grip, and then follows up with a kick to the boy's belly, which throws him backwards, causing him to crash into the opposite wall and fall. Peter tries to do something, launching a web in Taskmaster's direction, but he catches it with ease, pulling Peter close to him and punching him in the face, which sends him backwards again. He then walks over to Reyes, lifting him by the hair, seeing the angry but completely exhausted boy punch him in the stomach and throw him close to Danny, who was helping Peter sit up.
Danny then gets up. The boy was tired, dirty, bleeding, bruised wrists, broken ribs, multiple bruises that pulsed every time he moved. But still he raises his arms, ready to continue.
He advances towards Taskmaster, who just watches him approach. Danny tries a blow, but already being very predictable and with his speed reduced, his opponent easily dodged his advances.
— The problem with you heroes... is that you don't know how to give up - Taskmaster says with a punch in Danny's face, which makes the boy stagger - and that's what makes you end up dead...
He was about to shove Danny with his foot, knocking him to the ground, but Taskmaster had underestimated the boy. Quickly ducking, Danny had activated what little he had left of his Quirk and punched the ground at Taskmaster's feet, catching him by surprise, and with the wave of energy knocking him backwards.
Danny holds back a howl of pain; the energy was enough for a blow, not to protect his fist too, he felt his hand bones breaking
— Danny... – Peter had approached him, with Reyes close behind -are you okay?
— Yes... – Danny can barely speak
— That one was bald-faced… – Robbie says, he also had a weakness in his speech – we need a new way to ask for reinforcements, if we continue with this fight we will end up dead...
— You two go... - Danny says pushing Peter as he gets up - I'll stay...
— Danny, that's enough! – Peter says, already irritated with his friend – what are you doing? Is this revenge? Justice? Whatever it is, it's sick to want to face him alone.
— I need this, if I want to be a hero, if I want to be Iron Fist… – Danny says and then starts to explain – where Orson came from and trained, Iron Fist is the biggest school honor, it's like the number 1 hero...
"Each Iron Fist chooses an apprentice who knows how to master his chi, and he trains to become the next Iron Fist. But, the Iron Fists never lived long to die of old age, and they had their chi to rid them of disease, so they usually died or stopped acting because they were defeated. With that, the next Iron Fist can only acquire that name if it defeats the one who defeated its master."
— And in my case, that's him... - Danny says referring to Taskmaster, who was walking towards the three of them with his sword in his hand.
— A boy who appreciates the past, I can respect that – Taskmaster says – most heroes try to run away from their past, but only one embraced it; Iron Man, no secret identities, not denying everything he'd done in the past, but moving forward, always. This is a real hero kids, learn it - he says getting into a fighting stance
Danny also stands up, raising his fists and bracing himself, until he sees Peter on his left stepping up beside him. Danny was going to say something, but Peter is faster;
— You're not running from your past Danny, because that was never your past… – Peter says turning to his friend – you have to choose what you want to be, I bet that's what Orson wants; not that name being a weight, but a symbol...
— Don't let your father... - Reyes says, putting himself to Danny's right and putting himself in a fighting position too - or at least his idea, get in the way of you being the hero... the hero you want to be ... - Reyes says this last part looking at Peter
And in that moment, something clicks in Danny's head. A combination of something Katie said, Taskmaster's Quirk and his own powers. He had faced Taskmaster on his turf, so they couldn't win, he needed an alternative way to beat him other than in a fight, and Danny knew how.
— I have a plan…- Danny says, more determined than ever.
— I hope it doesn't involve you facing him alone - Peter says and Reyes nods.
— No, in that case I need you two – Danny says smiling – I need a little time, I need you to slow him down and hold him – he says more quietly so Taskmaster won't hear and takes a few steps back to get ready
— Can you enter the "Pure Rock and Roll Skull" mode? – Peter asks, refreshed by Danny's words, while checking his webs, he didn't have much, but it should be enough, he hoped at least.
— Just once, and not for a long time... - Reyes says, already starting to make smoke come out of his head.
— It will be enough – Peter says, lowering his mask – just try not to be predictable!
—... – Reyes says nothing as his head is covered in flames and only his skull/helmet remains in place.
— Go low, I'll go high... - Peter says and jumps on one of the walls, clinging to it and heading towards Taskmaster
Reyes understands where the boy is going and starts running towards Taskmaster as well. The villain just prepares his sword while he exchanged glances between the two boys, preparing for what might happen.
Reyes then stops a few meters from the opponent and launches a chain, which drags along the ground with speed. Taskmaster, watching the boy trying to tie his legs, does a somersault, escaping the chain and landing unharmed.
— You're going to need to be smarter than that kid... - Taskmaster says defiantly
Reyes just stares at him, and suddenly the chain stretches, as if it's been tied to something, and he pulls it with his arm. Taskmaster has just enough time to turn around, sword drawn, and see the dumpster with a chain attached to it flying toward him. With a flick of his sword, he slices the dumpster in half, with enough distance for the two halves to separate before hitting him.
But that had turned out to be a great distraction. Peter who was on the left wall shoots some webs at Taskmaster, or rather his sword. With the distance, the mercenary dodges the shots nimbly and goes towards Peter and tries to hit him with his sword, but the boy jumps at the last moment, going to the other wall.
Turning his attention, the man notices one of the currents coming towards him; expecting a direct lunge, he tries to cut it, but Reyes controls it in a way that it deflects slightly and clings to the web attached to the side of the blade, pulling it away from his hands. Peter takes advantage of this moment and shoots two webs on Taskmaster's arm and hand, and then pulls his arm so he can't use it. The villain tries to do something with his other arm, focusing on Peter, but soon feels a current pulling his other arm in the opposite direction.
Reyes approaches quickly; because of his energy, the chain wouldn't last long, so he grabs the mercenary's arm, making a headlock on it so he can remain motionless, even if only for a few moments.
— Danny! Now! – Peter yells at his friend after realizing they had Taskmaster immobilized
Danny was at that moment some distance from the trio, facing the opposite direction, he was breathing calmly and deeply, feeling all the pain in his body, but concentrating on getting just a little more energy to carry out his plan. He knew it was risky, but this might be his only chance.
Having a Quirk that focused on utilizing his vital energy to accomplish his feats, Danny had trained a lot to have a certain amount of energy stored in his body that would be enough for moderate combat. Unfortunately, given his impulsiveness at the start of that confrontation, the boy had used up all that reserve, but there was a way to get more; go deeper into your life energy. Danny could theoretically take energy from cells in his body to get more energy, it was risky, because it was naturally dangerous and the boy had never done it before, but he just needed a little.
For that, Danny needed to think about what he cared about, he could only get that energy if the goal he was fighting for was bigger than his own life. His thoughts wander to training with Orson, the classes, the heroes he admired, his desire to defeat Taskmaster, but ultimately his thoughts turn to one specific person; a person who was his biggest motivator, biggest fan, and best friend, a girl with wild ideals, crazy plans, and the most beautiful pair of sky blue eyes Danny had ever seen.
Even with all that going on, Taskmaster was also one who didn't know how to give up. He swayed and tried to free himself from the two boys' arms; if all conditions were normal, the two boys would have no difficulty, if they managed to carry out the action of arresting Taskmaster, they would easily be able to keep him given their superior strength. But unfortunately they were not in normal condition. Peter was badly bruised and tired and was using whatever strength he had left to keep Taskmaster in place, while Robbie was running out of time for his second transformation. The fire in his skull was fading, and patches of skin were regenerating along his face, indicating that his time was running out. Peter was about to yell at Danny, but looking ahead, he sees it wasn't necessary.
The blonde had already approached, without them noticing, and when they had noticed, the boy was already in front of Taskmaster, with his right hand with the tips of two illuminated fingers. Danny then holds Taskmaster's head with his left hand, holding his jaw, and with his right, places both fingers on top of Taskmaster's head, above the hood and with a slight movement, launches the energy to the mercenary, who soon softens and seems to faint.
— Did it work? – Peter asks not feeling Taskmaster fight anymore
— I hope so, time's up... - Robbie says having his skull revert to its normal shape and almost letting go of Taskmaster's arm
But suddenly the man wakes up. Startled, but still aware of his surroundings, he quickly pulls both of his arms from the two boys and rolls backwards, thus moving out of the boys' immediate reach.
He stands up in a fighting stance, or what appears to be a fighting stance; he had switched positions throughout the entire fight, but now he looked confused, looking at his hands and Danny, as if he were in someone else's body.
— What did you do to me? – Taskmaster asks in an annoyed whisper
— Yeah, I'm with him Danny, what exactly did you do? – Peter asks too.
— Given the characteristics of your Quirk; photographic memory, copying movements, everything was related to the front part of your brain; enough energy would be able to overload the neurons and cancel your Quirk, even if for a little while – Danny then stands straighter, clenching his fist, with energy seeming renewed – besides, as all your movements were from mental memory and not muscular memory, you will no longer be able to copy us, nor predict our movements...
— ANow you're talking... - Reyes says raising his fists and heading towards Taskmaster
Realizing the truth in Danny's words, Taskmaster turns towards his fallen sword and his glove begins to glow in his palm as he reaches for the weapon. At the same moment, it seems to start shaking and throws itself towards Taskmaster, as if pulled by a very strong magnet.
But Peter manages to act fast enough, launching two webs at the sword, which hinder its trajectory and pin it to the wall. Robbie then uses this opportunity to take a swing at the villain. Being very tired, Robbie practically lunges towards Taskmaster, with a punch straight to the face that sends the man backwards a few meters, with Reyes falling face down to the ground shortly after.
The villain looks up and the boys can see his mask broken, revealing part of his fair skin, square jaw and scruffy beard, along with blood coming out of his mouth.
But Reyes doesn't stop, he approaches the villain, ready to continue the fight. Taskmaster tries to throw something, a dagger apparently, but Peter, watching the confrontation more closely, launches a web that prevents him from reaching the object, and Reyes unleashes a hook from the bottom up on the mercenary's chin, immediately after that leaning against a wall.
And for a while that was the fight, Reyes would approach, exhausted, falling to the ground, leaning on the walls, but he wouldn't stop, with one blow after another, while Peter was more of support, holding blocks from Taskmaster or other tricks he could try.
By the end, Taskmaster was practically on the floor, with Reyes leaning against a nearby wall and Peter a little farther back, catching his breath from the rush of adrenaline he'd just had; climbing walls is not as easy as it sounds.
— I'd love to finish you myself... - Reyes says gritting his teeth - but there's someone who deserves more - he says walking away as he sees Danny limping towards them both
Danny just stops, looking at Taskmaster, watching that figure that had been the center of his thoughts for days, finally there, at his mercy.
— You've hurt a lot of people… – Danny starts saying – maybe even more than we know. You seriously injured my master, my sensei. By K'un-Lun's law, I, Daniel Rand, should declare that I've defeated you, and thus earned the honor of being the next Iron Fist... but that's not going to happen. K'un-Lun's laws prize the strongest individual, but I believe in the strength of a whole, so tonight, you were defeated by the new Iron Fist, by Spider-Man... - Danny says, turning to Peter with a smile and a determined look, and then turning to Reyes - ... and by Re...
— Ghost Driver… – Robbie says, and then he sees Danny and Peter's stunned faces – I won't say it again.
— And by the Ghost Rider – Danny says – you will be taken to the authorities, where you will be tried and face the consequences of your actions.
— Just over my dead body... - Taskmaster says getting up slowly and facing Danny
— No, just over your body, still breathing and definitely alive… – Danny says sarcastically – just unconscious…
And in one quick movement, Danny lowers himself and rotates his body quickly, with his right leg bent, until he is in the right position, stretching his leg with speed and precision at Taskmaster, who launches him backwards and sends him to the ground unconscious
— Great speech... – Peter says approaching his friend, helping him to stand up – did you read Martin Luther King before coming here?
— Something like that... - Danny says smiling, feeling the lightest he's felt in a long time - thank you Peter, for everything
— It was nothing, that's what friends are for. - Peter says smiling to Danny
— Okay, I think we've had enough emotional talk - Reyes says approaching, still limping and with one hand inside his jacket over his ribs - a little web would be nice to tie him up ArañaI
— Some chains would also be, since I'm out of web... - He returns the comment to Reyes, who just snorts in a mixture of amusement and irritation, with him you could never know for sure
— I think the plan now is to call the police, right? – Reyes asks heading to his car – my cell phone was inside, and I hope it hasn't caught fire, it's the only thing in there that isn't fireproof so...
But soon enough, the three boys hear police sirens and a NYC police car pulls up in front of the alley, and a woman gets out of the driver's seat.
— That was convenient - Peter says seeing the policewoman getting out of the car
She was of medium height, with Asian features in a round face. Her straight, black hair reached her chin, and her body had slight curves. She wore a red plaid shirt under a black leather jacket, as well as black jeans and boots, with the police badge attached to her waist. She walked towards the boys with the gun drawn.
— You three, freeze! – she says firmly, pointing the gun in the direction of the boys; Peter and Danny instinctively raise their hands
— Hey lady – she turns to the speaking Reyes, the only one of the trio who hadn't raised his arms; both not wanting to and not being able to - the villain is this one... - he says pointing to Taskmaster passed out on the floor next to him.
The woman soon sees the fainted body of the villain who terrorized the streets and had hampered her work for weeks, simply lying there and unconscious. Momentarily forgetting about the trio of boys, she makes her way towards the mercenary, while removing the radio from her belt and holstering her weapon.
— Central, this is vehicle 29-67, requesting support... - she says to the radio
— He also needs help! - Peter catches the woman's attention by pointing to Comanche, still passed out and leaning against the wall
—...and an ambulance too. – She finishes saying on the radio seeing the hero, but soon turning to the mercenary
— "Copy 29-67, squads and ambulance on the way" – Central responds and the officer turns to the villain, putting the radio back in her belt and then placing a hand on the villain's wrist and one hand on her handcuffs on her belt, with a slight bluish glow, probably from her Quirk, the object disappears from the belt and reappears already attached to the unconscious man and she concentrates on securing the other wrist.
— Cool... - Peter says when he sees the woman's Quirk, soon thinking about several questions about the power and how it works
— Save the fanboy side for later… – Reyes says, walking back to his car – I'll see if everything is working properly so we can go to the hospital, I think he can take us...
— Don't even think about it, you're coming with me to the police station - the policewoman says getting up and turning to Reyes
— What about no? – Reyes says ironically – we're screwed, we'll stop by the hospital and then we'll do a private interview or whatever you want...
— Do you know what you did!? – the police officer asked indignantly.
— We defeated a dangerous villain, so you're welcome... - Reyes replies
— You boys broke the law of using Quirks by practicing vigilantism, you three need to go to the police station with me, now…- She says putting her hand over the gun in her belt, while Reyes balled one hand into a fist and gnashed his teeth
— Ah... We're M.A. students - Peter says, not wanting to get into trouble with the police so early in his career - if it helps...
The woman takes a moment, digesting the new information about the trio of boys, until she lifts her face again, this time in Peter's direction;
— So you must have your provisional licenses right? – she asks defiantly.
Reyes and Danny just turned to Peter in disbelief, they were burying themselves deeper and deeper.
— So that's a funny story... – Peter starts trying to ease the pressure on that conversation – we're actually still in the first year, we started classes, what? A month ago? Yeah, I think something like that - He replies, realizing they're back to square one
— So you have to accompany me to the station so we can get your report and call your parents – she says, again using her Quirk to bring her other pair of handcuffs into her hands – then? Shall we cooperate? – she asks looking at the three boys.
Reyes gets defensive, he had no problem going to a police station, he'd done it more times than all his colleagues put together, well, maybe not more than Flash, he figured on the case. But the problem was calling his father; the cops in his neighborhood already knew him, so they always called his uncle, but she would probably call his father, and Reyes would rather carry his car on his back than be taken out of the station by hero number 2.
Peter on the other hand, was wanting to get away from there, the problem was that he had neither strength nor web left to perform such a feat, he knew running away from the police was not a smart idea, but he was too young to be arrested, besides that if Aunt May found out he was under arrest, a police cell wouldn't be enough to stop her rage.
But neither boy needed to worry about those options, as Danny stepped forward, presenting his fists to the policewoman.
— Their being here is my fault, I got myself into this situation and needed help, getting them involved in this, if anyone needs to be arrested, it's me - Danny says raising his fists once again
Yuri thought she was an intelligent woman, she was probably the youngest detective at the station, and the only woman too. She was good at deciphering people, and seeing that the emo boy was wanting a fight and the boy in the red pajamas seemed to want to disappear, the blonde was her only option. She wasn't doing this because she wanted to arrest children, but following the rules was in her DNA, so that's what she would do.
But as soon as she fastens one of the halves of the handcuff on one of the boy's wrists, another police car appears at the end of the alley, and another policeman emerges from there. This time an older man, with slightly wrinkled, fair skin, with piercing blue eyes and dark blond hair slicked back. He wore a bulletproof vest over his police uniform. The detective recognizes him immediately.
— Captain! Sorry for not sending my location, but it turns out that... - the girl soon stops talking when she sees that the man's gaze was not on her
And apparently she wasn't the only one who knew the newcomer.
— Mr. Stacy... – Danny says smiling weakly and turning to the man
— Danny, I already told you to call me George, but what's going on here? – he says getting close to the boy and seeing his various injuries – were you run over by any chance?
— Something like that... – Danny responds, and the man soon sees the handcuff attached to the boy's wrist.
— Detective Watanabe, what's the meaning of this? – the police captain asks angrily
— Captain, these three were using their Quirks without a proper license and... - She tries to justify
— These three? – the man asks and looks further down the alley, finding Reyes and Peter in similar situations to Danny, with the second waving slightly embarrassed
— Release him... - the man says lightly
— Sir, I wouldn't recommend...
— This is an order, detective! – Mr. Stacy says irritably - they're kids, for God's sake, my daughter is the same age as them...
— Yes sir... - the girl says, soon releasing Danny's handcuffs, who thanks her and rubs the released wrist
— Now can you tell me what happened here? – the man asks putting a hand on Danny's shoulder
— As we explained to your subordinate - Reyes says, not even reacting to the detective's glare on him - he happened - Reyes says pointing to Taskmaster passed out and handcuffed on the floor
— ... – the captain pauses for a few seconds, not knowing exactly what to say, being so ecstatic – you have a lot to tell me...
— Absolutely... – Danny says smiling slightly
After a while, more police and the ambulance had arrived and established a perimeter. Comanche had been placed on a stretcher, and since he wasn't in a life-threatening situation, he was just getting IVs and having his wounds treated. Taskmaster was still unconscious, now sitting with his back against one of the alley walls, the cops had pulled out all the weapons they'd found through the villain's armor, which were far more than they'd expected, and each one was being cataloged at that time, just before they had to take him to the police station.
The three boys and Captain Stacy were in the back of the ambulance. The boys now had splints, slings, and bandages all over their bodies as they finished telling the story to Mr. Stacy, and consequently to Detective Yuri, who took notes whenever she was around.
— Apparently your night was much more eventful than ours - the captain says, being quite shocked by the whole story
— But you guys had a pretty busy night too, didn't you? – asks Peter – I mean, with the Sentinels attacking and all...
— Sentinels? From the EDR attack? – Yuri asks and the boys confirm.
— Sentinel, I heard that name with Marrone... - Captain Stacy says and soon his phone starts to ring, he takes it out of his pocket and looks at who was calling - Tanaka, stay with them, I need to answer this one. Excuse me boys - he says and walks away to answer it. Yuri doesn't seem to be happy with the task so she walks away a little, going to see how the villain's weapons catalog was going.
The three boys take time to just be silent; a grueling battle coupled with an interrogation pretty much immediately afterwards wasn't for everyone, well, that seemed like the life of a hero. But anyway, the brunette of the trio couldn't stand the silence because of the question that ate his insides with so much curiosity.
— So Danny… – Peter starts to ask, curious but still embarrassed by the question – how exactly do you know a police officer so… personally? – the boy asks and soon Reyes raises his head a little to pay attention too
— Oh, mr. Stacy? Well... - Danny starts, initially normal, but his face closes before he can actually start talking, as if he's remembered a bad memory. Realizing this, Peter tries to change the subject or end the conversation, but before he can, Danny speaks again - It's not my story to tell, but...he's Gwen's father
— Okay... that doesn't sound so bad... - Peter doesn't understand how difficult it was to say that, or the weight of that fact.
Peter was now remembering all the times Gwen had pestered him and Wanda to find out more about their families and personal lives, but when the question was countered, she would always deflect the question, change the subject, or something happened that she didn't answer. But her father being a cop didn't seem like a big reason to keep it hidden, of course, cops were somewhat mocked for "only arresting the villains that the heroes defeat", which wasn't true, but that still didn't seem to be enough of a reason...
— Like I said, it's not my story to tell, but... - Danny continues, trying to answer Peter's question - he's her adoptive father... he's actually her uncle, since her biological parents are not present... anymore.
That is a blow for Peter and Reyes. Of course, neither of them expected everyone to have a "normal" family, unlike them, but Peter couldn't imagine what was really behind that story that Gwen would never feel comfortable telling them. Of course, they'd met that year, but they'd been through so much together that it seemed unthinkable for her to hide it.
— I can't imagine what would lead Gwen not to tell us this... - Peter says looking straight ahead - but it doesn't matter, this is her decision, and we will respect it, as her friends... - Peter says this to Danny, who nods, smiling slightly
— Thank you... - Danny says, already knowing the story and thanking Peter for understanding, he, more than many, what it's like to lose someone close
— Besides, we know her dad now, we should ask him some embarrassing stories about Gwen to tell her over lunch – Peter says amusedly, turning to Danny and then to Reyes
The boy Reyes notices that movement, Parker looking at him when he mentions the M.A lunch break, as if he knew that after that night, just because they had fought together that they were now friends and Reyes would eat with them. He, until that moment, had only eaten alone, in the school parking lot in his car, the idea of having lunch with other people, other friends, brings a strange warmth to the boy's chest and a micro smile, which is soon erased from his lips, soon after he perceived the involuntary movement.
Soon, a loud roar of engines begins to approach, along with an orange glow coming from the end of the street. Several police officers, fearing that they were hooligans taking advantage of the chaos that night, put their hands on top of their weapons, but Reyes soon recognized the approaching figures.
— They're with me – he tells the cops, gets up from the back of the ambulance and starts walking towards the oncoming group – I think at least...
Those approaching were, in this case, three people on motorcycles, each one bizarre and different in its own way. The first to arrive was a tall, athletic, muscular young man. He was shirtless, wearing black leather pants and barefoot, around his waist he wore a kind of golden belt and had on his wrists what looked like bracelets made of the same material. He had a thin but strong face, with a square jaw, eyes with red irises, slightly pointed ears, and red hair slicked back. But what stood out the most, and which was one of the reasons the agency's fanbase was a part of being rebellious teenage boys, was the inverted pentagram on his bare chest, which glowed orange like it was on fire, which it technically was. That was Daimon Hellstrom, or just Hellstrom, the youngest of the Ghost Rider's main trio of sidekicks.
After him came a very different man. Taller and wider, which drew attention, mainly, because of the two pairs of extra arms present on his torso, just below the main arms. He was bald and had dark skin, in addition to a square jaw, a wide nose and brown eyes. His bike was modified to be able to keep the other four arms somewhere, even if they were just supports. This was Henry Roach, or Minion, who was thinking about changing his name after the yellow creatures appeared in the movies, and he was the oldest of the trio and a friend of the boss, the only one Reyes liked.
And finally, there was the second person Reyes least wanted to meet that night (the first being his own father) his right hand man, Alejandra Jones. She was a very beautiful woman, even if in an unusual way, she was very athletic and with noticeable curves, but not exaggerated, she had straight black hair cut very short, fair skin, thin face and black lipstick on her lips. Her clothes consisted of what Reyes could describe as a female version of his father's hero uniform; leather pants and jacket, but instead of iron spikes on the jacket, she had what looked like iron shoulder pads. Plus, her head was literally on fire, and she was the first to get off the bike and head toward Reyes, looking unfriendly.
— Reyes! – she says irritated approaching the boy trying to intimidate him – But where the f*ck did you run away to!?
— First, I didn't run away - Reyes replies, keeping his voice lower and looking Alejandra straight in the eye - second, I thought you saw things back here... - he says pointing to the commotion of ambulances and squad cars.
— Don't play smartass with me kid, or I…- she says gritting her teeth
— Or what? Are you going to hit your boss's son? Do it, you won't make it anyway since you'll stop being the favorite if you do.
— Listen here... - the woman was about to grab Reyes by the collar until Roach enters between the two, keeping them away from each other.
— Okay, we get it. – He says to his partner and then turns to Reyes – Robbie, what happened, exactly?
— A friend sent me an emergency message...
— And you have friends now? – Alejandra says sarcastically
— Enough! – Roach says – keep going…
— Anyway... he sent the warning and I came as fast as I could, there was no time for me to know the real risk so I didn't call anyone else to come along
— And what was the problem? Was he lost and in need of an Uber?
— Jones... – Roach tries to defuse the situation, but Reyes is faster.
— We took down Taskmaster, which you were planning to do.
— Bullsh*t! – Jones says to Reyes' face
— True... - Daimon, who was a little farther away says when he sees Taskmaster handcuffed and unconscious and soon the other two follow the line of sight and see the mercenary too - I'll call Blaze, send our location.
— Do it – Roach says recovering from his stupor and turning to Alejandra – and we'll set up a perimeter so the cops and doctors can work... – he says pushing her away and letting Reyes go back to his colleagues, friends, he couldn't say for sure.
And Reyes does, only later realizing that he had called Peter a friend; he'd never had a friend before, of course, he had Gabe and Eli and Matthew, but friends in his class? First time. He was really annoyed with Jones, if he got a coin for every short haired woman who had pissed him off that day he would have two coins, considering Jones and the policewoman who had found them. If he increased that time to a week he could consider Seol, which he had no idea why had popped into his mind, I mean, he knew, but he didn't want to think about it now, that was the Reyes of the future's problem to solve.
Watching his colleague talk to the three figures and returning, Peter can hear Danny sigh beside him;
— Shang will be furious when he finds out what I did..." Danny says crestfallen.
Peter was about to comfort his friend, but a penny drops into his mind at the same time he sees a point in the sky approaching and landing in the middle of the street; what looked like an old model of Iron Man armor, but with a "V" shape on the chest, where the core energy was, instead of a circle or a triangle
— Droga... – Peter diz se levantando e se encaminhando até se mentor pela semana
— Peter! - Yinsen lifts the armor's visor, and starts walking towards Peter
— I know what you're going to say – Peter starts – I should have stayed on the bus, but I realized that other heroes might need help and that's what I did, so I thought about Danny and looked for him, and this outfit is pretty intuitive, so in the end this is all Riri's fault so we can blame her together and...
The boy speaks quickly, trying to get his ass off the line, but Yinsen doesn't seem to notice. Instead of paying attention to what the boy was saying, he recoils his armor gauntlet from his right hand and rests it on Peter's forehead, closing his eyes in the process, after a few seconds he withdraws his finger and looks at Peter.
— Broken ribs, some external bleeding... you took a good hit, but apparently the paramedics did what they could, next stop, hospital... - he says softly as he faces Peter
— You are not angry? For me running away? – the boy asks
— Peter, I was sure what you were going to do… – Yinsen says in an amused way – I knew you wouldn't be able to stay still, at least I'm glad you weren't alone – the man says looking over Peter to Danny and Reyes who watched the conversation
— Yeah... - Peter answers, and soon he hears a noise that seems like a kind of alarm, and then turns to Yinsen, seeing his armor being collected, reverting back to a suitcase.
— I knew I should have charged it... - the older one says smiling and Peter sees Captain Stacy heading back towards the other two boys, then heading in that direction too, with Yinsen right behind him.
— Very well, I have some news – the captain says turning to his subordinates, but mainly to the three boys – apparently the situation with the robots has been practically resolved so we have that. But boys, unfortunately we're going to have to do something about you, even though Watanabe was a little exaggerated, you acted outside the law, and you'll need to answer for that.
The three boys look at each other downcast, not knowing what that could mean for their future at school.
— I am the hero responsible for Mr. Parker this week – Yinsen says, taking out his cell phone with his hero certificate – is there anything I can do?
— Unfortunately no, to be of any use you should have been here with them at the time, so just then we could...
— I will do it then.
The group looks back to see the hero, Comanche, previously unconscious, now on a stretcher, with multiple bandages and an IV drip on his arm, removing his oxygen mask to be able to speak better.
— Blame it on me, say that I was fighting Taskmaster and asked for the boys' help, deceiving them that I had a Type A License, and that I could be with them - the man says straight and serious.
— But it could make you lose your license – Peter says
— His reputation as a hero – comments Danny
— Not to mention even some jail time... – Reyes adds
— I know that... - the man says, looking down, but then turning his eyes to the boys and then to Taskmaster - this man is a monster, there is no doubt about it, he should receive the full weight of justice for his actions, but he wasn't wrong, i didn't make the best decisions in life, and i let a lot of things happen for being a hero... so at the end of the day, i'm getting my justice too...
—... – no one speaks for a moment, until Captain Stacy speaks up – it might work, but are you sure?
— Yup. - The man doesn't waste a second to throw his life as a hero under a truck for those three boys who had saved his life
— Very well, I'll call the commissioner and we can release you three... - the captain says quickly walking away again
The three boys then turned to the hero, or ex-hero, they couldn't say, Comanche. He'd dropped everything for the three of them, of course, he wouldn't have had anything if it weren't for them, but still. Peter was about to say something, until a loud screeching of brakes and accelerators was heard at the end of the street and everyone turned to watch a motorcycle, literally on fire, with a man in a leather jacket with a flaming skull in the place of the head accelerating towards them. But he didn't look forward...
...he looked up.
In a moment, Peter was no longer on the floor. From one second to the next, he had been lifted, the scream he had given was pure instinct, and soon after, he tried to see what had really happened. Looking up, he saw a large dark figure, with what appeared to be scale, black metallic ones, with huge wings, holding the boy with its arms as it flapped those wings, taking the boy somewhere; a Sentinel, but one that had had a rough time, with Peter managing to observe the occasional sparks coming out of his face which had rips in the scales.
— Peter! – Yinsen and Danny scream at the same time, unfortunately not being able to do anything
Reyes is someone with a possibility, he tries to summon a chain, but a tightness in his heart stops him, he feels pain and palpitations, he was too weak. The cops also try to do something, taking their weapons and shooting at the metallic monster.
— Hold fire! You will hit the boy! - Captain Stacy shouts to his men, the only hope they had was to wait for Ghost Rider to sort things out, but just in case, George was pulling out his radio to ask for air support when a figure passes by his side.
Having freed himself from the handcuffs and on his feet, Taskmaster was running with his sword drawn in the direction of where that beast was heading, probably one of the toys of the boy he had spoken to earlier. He was running towards where the hero Ghost Rider was coming from, but he didn't care about anything but the boy.
Having a certain distance from his target, he presses a button and his sword transforms, the handle extends into a staff and the blade retracts a little, getting smaller, the weapon transforming into a spear. With a few specific strides, recognizable as those used by Olympic athletes in javelin throwing, he launches the weapon into the skies, above and in front of the monster, looking like he had missed. But with his glove extended, he magnetically attracts the spear, which turns the blade towards the robot, which spears itself halfway through the metallic monster, completely destroying it and causing it to fall, along with Peter.
Fortunately, Taskmaster is there, and he holds the boy in his arms so he doesn't crash to the ground, while the rest of the Sentry's carcass falls to the ground with a loud, metallic thud, the spear still stuck in it.
Peter, scared, moves away from Taskmaster as quickly as possible, who doesn't show any reaction, not when the boy walks away, nor when Hero #2's motorcycle stops a few meters behind him.
— Congratulations boy... - he says, looking at Peter, with half his mask broken, revealing his face - you've completed the task... you're a real hero - that's what he says before passing out
"After a few days, we discovered that Taskmaster had used an adrenaline injection built into his suit for this latest stunt, and had freed himself using the magnetic connection between his gauntlet and sword. But what we could not have known was the influence he would have on the world. How his ideas and ideals would continue to permeate people's minds for a long time..."
—-
Hi, I usually don't write much here to talk to readers, but I need to pass on some important information. Firstly, the next chapters will not be a continuation of the story, some Omakes will be made exploring the small stories of other characters, among them; Seol Hee, Robbie Reyes, Laura Kinney, Sam Alexander, Gwendolyn Poole and Groot for the next four chapters before we return to normal programming. Secondly, the first chapters of this fanfic will be revised and changed; nothing will be changed to change the story itself, but adjustments will be made to make the fanfic more original and in more detail. Any criticisms you want to leave for corrections are always welcome. See you soon!
