Confrontations
The next morning, Peter wakes up in his own bed at home. He rolls out and springs up then makes his way to the bathroom where he gets ready still dragging in a sleepy haze. He can already tell Aunt May is up because he smells coffee. Once he is dressed and ready for the day, he heads down stairs into the kitchen. He smiles when he sees that she has made a big breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, and French toast.
"Thanks, Aunt May… and good morning." He says as he gives her a peck on the cheek as he passes her sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. The small TV on the counter is on and the news is going… it's the usual stuff… War in the Middle-East, Politics, something about 'The Mutant Problem', Ancient Alien Theory, blah-blah,… He is happily eating his large breakfast while his Aunt sips at her coffee.
"So how is your new job going at Stark Tower, Peter?" Aunt May asks as she folds her paper and sits it down. She looks concerned. She's been that way since it came out in the news that Bruce Banner is the Hulk… and Peter had told her after his first week of shadowing Tony Stark that he had met nearly all of the Avengers. Peter had reassured her that it was perfectly safe and that Dr. Banner was in control of himself (which was somewhat of a lie but has become the truth as things have gone on).
"It's Avengers Tower, now, remember? And it is going great. I'm learning so much!" Peter says with an excited smile. "Mr. Stark is letting me help him work on some fascinating projects to get 'hands-on' experience."
"He hasn't pressured you into drinking or partying has he? I know his reputation, Peter… and I just don't want to see you waste your potential." Aunt May says voicing her other concern about the Playboy billionaire corrupting her nephew. Peter rolls his eyes at this like he has for the last hundred times.
"No, Mr. Stark hasn't had me to any wild parties… or anything else crazy." Peter says to ease her worries. "I did go to a wine mixer he hosted a few weeks ago up in Martha's Vineyard… but all I did was take photos, I swear… no wine passed these lips." His Aunt May just gives him an incredulous look.
"As long as you don't pick up any of his bad habits then, Peter…" Aunt May starts and sighs not quite ready to admit that he is growing up. "I worry about you because I love you, Peter. I just want you to know that." She then says and offers a small smile as her eyes shine a little.
"I know, Aunt May. I love you, too." Peter says with a small smile of his own, all warm and grateful. He then puts his cleared plate and empty glass in the sink. He gives his Aunt a warm hug and then grabs his back pack. "I may be home late. Don't wait up." He then says as he starts out the door and rides his bicycle down the streets making his way towards the Roosevelt station where his dad had a secret lab.
Peter slips a token into the slot and waits for the tracks to open and the old subway car to lift into place. The token then slides out a newer slot lower down from which he retrieves it as he passes strolling to the secret lab. He sits his bag down. His 'Spidey-Bike' is to the right and his own personal lab/workspace is to the left. He has made this place his own little sanctuary away from the outside world.
He has worked on the subway car since he started his internship at Avengers Tower clearing away some of the outdated equipment and scoured the computer hard drives for any and all useful information. He's learned much about his father's project with the spiders.
Using the data from here, Peter worked out the right configuration to synthesize his webbing fluid and Stark now mass produces it. Peter creates new ways to utilize as more than just web lines. Not long after he started on at the Tower, Peter had worked out on weaving strands of the webbing to make a cloth which he believes could prove bullet proof. Turns out… he was right…
A month ago…
"So this is supposed to be bulletproof?" Clint asks as he watches Spider-Man take a sheet of some semi-transparent/pseudo-whitish looking cloth and secures it to a frame that allows it to rest against the surface of some ballistics gel Bruce helped to whip up and let set with sensors set up within at varying degrees from the surface of impact. There is even a pressure sheet over the surface and under the spider silk cloth. These will measure the depth, velocity-on-impact, PSI, etc so Bruce can gauge the Spider Silk against Nanomesh and Kevlar
"That's what we are about to find out." Spider-Man says as he does one last double check of the cameras and the cloth frame before he hurries back to the rail where Clint waits with his standard police issue 9mm Glock and Bruce mans the laptop displaying the camera feed. Spider-Man and Bruce plug their ears and wait.
"Okay… here goes nothing." Clint says as he sets his earmuffs in place, aims, and fires five shots in rapid secession… one to each corner and one in the direct center. The sound fades and Spider-Man scrambles down the ceiling of the firing range while Bruce reviews the footage from the hi-speed camera.
"This looks very promising Pe-erm… Spider-Man." Bruce says as he watches the bullets strike the cloth which gives a little but does not rip or tear. "The stopping power of this… cloth is amazing. Anchored like it is… the bullets only go about a quarter of an inch into the gel."
"A quarter of an inch, huh?" Spider-Man says as he comes back with the cloth in hand. "Guess I'll have to wear some padding under it."
"Some nanomesh-kevlar weave under it would be an excellent choice. That should reduce the punching effect to nothing more than a poke." Bruce suggests.
"Does the nanomesh-kevlar come in red and blue?" Spider-Man then asks curiously.
"It can." Clint says with a smirk as he points to his purple accent on his chest. Thor had claimed the Archer bore the rune Algiz upon his breast… 'A fitting mark for you, Friend Archer. I understand why my brother took you into his service… Protection is what Algiz stands for… you are a Guardian, a Defender, and when need be… an Avenger.'
"Alright!" Spider-Man says enthusiastically snapping Clint from his thoughts. "Where do I fill out an order form?" The wall-crawler then asks looking between the scientist and archer as he dangles from the ceiling.
"Follow me." Clint says as he waves a hand for Spider-Man to follow.
"Remember, Spidey. You have an appointment with me in an hour." Bruce says before Spider-Man takes off.
"See you in an hour then Doc." Spider-Man says and flips down to sprint after Clint.
Peter quickly dons his new spidey suit… it's red and blue, but the colors are slightly darker giving it a more 'tactical' look than costume feel. The lines on his outfit that look like webs are black that shimmers in the light and serves to anchor the special spider silk cloth rendering Spider-Man 'bullet-proof'. He checks the lens of his goggles as he taps the settings button through his cowl and shifts it through four increasingly darker shades before it clicks over to infrared then UV, a red tinted filter that reveals laser beams, and finally back to normal. Once everything is tested, Spider-Man hops on his Spidey-Bike and revs the electric motor to spin the tires as the back end of the train car opens… he then leaps out and his bike wheels split as he hits the button by his thrusters on the handlebar. He lands upon the tracks on all four tires and rides away on the tracks… Destination: Avengers Tower.
It's just another fine day on Wall Street around lunch hour… A gorgeous woman with long, wavy platinum-blonde hair wearing a black dress suit that hugs her figure nicely walks into the New York Branch of the Federal Reserve. Her name is Felicia Hardy a.k.a. The Black Cat… and today she will cross many paths.
She had to break from her so-far three month long infiltration mission to run an 'errand' for Harry Osborn. She has come to sympathize for the spoiled rich kid, but she sometimes she wants to punch his lights out. After he pleaded her to help, he then told her what she needed to do switching from desperate to eager instantly. It unnerved her… but she's already in too deep so she can't really back out now. After a sigh, Felicia approaches the Teller states that she is here to transfer funds from an off-shore account to another one in the country.
The Teller confirms that she can do this and as the 'clickety-clak' of the keyboard starts, the nearly white haired woman pulls out her cellphone to check the time and to see if she has any messages… at least that's what Felicia wants an on-lookers watching to see. In truth, she presses an app on her phone and that activates a kill-switch at the OsCorp power plant in Brooklyn. It flips the breaker for lower Manhattan's power supply and instantly Wall Street has no power for five minutes.
The power suddenly goes off in the building. Everyone is confused and curious though the manager comes out after a few minutes and assures everyone that it's a hiccup in the power grid and power should be back on in a few minutes… The nearly white haired woman excuses herself from the teller window and heads out of the large stone faced building. She opens her cellphone and calls a certain contact.
"You're up… now I'm going back to my other job." She says and ends the call before any reply can be heard.
"Well, that's sweet of you to tell me." Harry says as he moves his hand from his ear… but Felicia has already ended the call. He smiles wickedly as he watches Dr. Octavius activate the special cutting laser in one of his four metal arms. His goggles are down as the brilliant blue light beam cuts through the reinforced concrete as he supports his weight with his other three arms.
Harry is hovering on his glider and ready to go as he watches, Alex O' Hirn, the snippy Irish man on the team, is ready in his Rhino mech suit, Adrian is busy off to the far side with an eye on his wrist display keeping track of the electrical snafu, and the Lizard stands, mindlessly, off to the other side shifting his weight from foot to foot as his long tail waves and flits behind him. The laser stops cutting and Dr. Octavius turns to look at Harry.
"It's cut through." The doctor says as the laser stops and the metal arm returns to the ground. His long greasy dark hair falls into his face as he moves away from the wall. His flesh legs dangle below him and his hands clutch at his chest.
"Good… now all that's required is a hard shove." Harry says and looks to the Rhino. The metal horned head nods as the fists pound together… and the Rhino charges. When the mech hits the wall, it gives and the cut slab moves.
"Lizard…" Harry says to the transformed and controlled Dr. Connors as he presses a button on the display upon his left forearm. "Take care of the guards." Harry adds with a dark smirk… and with the press of another button… The Lizard snarls and rushes forward scurrying about over the floor. He claws through an access door and dashes down the red lit narrow halls on the floor and along the walls scenting his way towards the guard station for the gold vault. He slinks up to the corner but pauses on the ceiling as gunfire erupts. The flickering red lights and the emergency flood lights add an eerie feeling to the drama that is unfolding.
"What the hell?!" A guard says panicked as he fires away at the on-coming monstrosity racing along the ceiling and wall.
"The phones are down! I can't get anyone down here to help us." A second guard says worriedly. The Lizard then lounges in at them… claws and fangs bared, ready to render flesh from bone… and dying screams fill the air as blood splashes about hitting the walls whilst the Lizard mindlessly performs his task of killing. He then moves on to the next area.
The Rhino pushes the six foot thick slab through the cut hole and suddenly he surrounded by gold bars inside rooms all around with cage doors…
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph… look at that shiny blessed sight." Alex O' Hirn says as he opens the suit up to look at all the gold. Adrian and Harry come in… Harry on his glider and Adrian pulls in a conveyer belt which Dr. Octavius is setting up the other end of readying to transport as much gold as they can. Soon bars upon bars are being taken out as soon as the Rhino pulls the barred doors off.
"Rhino… go a few blocks down… start some problems with traffic… and be sure to draw away any heroes that show up." Harry says and Alex turns the suit to look at Harry.
"Sure… why not?" Alex says as the suit closes up.
"Oh and more thing… let me know if Spider-Man makes an appearance." Harry says… The Rhino mech suit pauses and half turns then starts off again moving out the hole that the gold is going out of. The Rhino struts past Dr. Octavius who is busy loading a subway car full of the gold bricks. The large mech suit then jogs down the tunnels and finds an opening to the open sky.
"Today is a good day." Alex says with a smile as he takes a moment to enjoy the sunshine and the fact that he has a pile of gold bricks with his name on them waiting for him… but first, he has to complete his task.
The Rhino jumps down and starts smashing through the streets slamming into vehicles and knocking them out of the way as he runs west through lower Manhattan. He is enjoying himself thoroughly but when he charges a bus full of people intent on running through it with a twisted glint in his eye… the Rhino is stopped suddenly and pulled back.
"I thought me and Iron Man stopped you nearly three months ago?" Spider-Man says as he tugs at the two web lines pulling the large mech suit back. Alex looks at the display for the back facing camera and groans at the sight of the Wall-crawler.
"I'm the new and improved Rhino… so bugger off!" Alex yells, his voice tinny over the speakers of his suit. Spider-Man's 'spidey sense' tingles a little then suddenly some thrusters on the back and boots fire. Before he knows it… Spider-Man is airborne hanging on to his web lines for dear life as he is taken on a ride. The back thrusters quickly burn through one web line. Spider-Man fires another off catching a stoplight post then quickly ties it off with the other web line which goes taut a split second after.
"Ha! I got a Rhino on a line." Spider-Man says as he watches the large mech suit tug and pull to free itself from the hold then its thrusters stop and the Rhino lands on his knees… he turns his metal head to Spider-Man… "Uh-oh." Spider-Man says as he realizes what is about to happen… for suddenly the Rhino charges. Spider-Man jumps up high… twists his body and flips just right to miss the sharp horn that chases after him eager to gore into his lithe frame. In the space of a split second, Spider-Man sees his reflection in the polished surface of the horn.
"That was a little too close for comfort." Spider-Man says as he lands on the side of a building. The Rhino mech suit then shifts and changes as some heavy guns come out of the arms. "Really?!" Spider-Man says heatedly then the guns fire and he flips and web swings away. He hits the emergency button on his wrist communicator (a gift from Tony cause he's a nice guy like that) then scrambles around a corner of another building to hide as he waits for back-up to arrive.
"Is the little Spider scared?" Rhino says with a chuckle as he struts to the corner Spider-Man disappeared behind. The mech suit is suddenly hit from the right side by a thrown car. There's no one inside of it as it hits and knocks the Rhino down.
"No!" Spider-Man says as he lands on top of the car that now pins the new Rhino to the pavement. Webbing is quickly thrown down to secure the threat.
"Did you just lay an egg sack?" Iron Man asks as he hovers over the large blob of webbing and watches Spider-Man crawl all over it.
"Uh… no, I'm a guy, remember? I DO NOT lay eggs, thank you very much." Spider-Man says in his snippiest tone.
"Sorry… thought you were having a Charlotte's Web moment there." Iron Man says as he lands and looks at the bulge of webbing. "That's some pig."
"More like some Rhino." Spider-Man corrects.
"I thought we brought him down?" Iron Man says in his own tinny voice.
"I know! Right?" Spider-Man says then his 'spidey sense' tingles. "Watch out!" He says and jumps away as the Rhino mech suit fires its thrusters and burns through the webbing. An arm goes up and fires at Iron Man who stands presenting his side as he raises his left arm and the mini shield fans out. Tony then fires a repulsor blast from his right palm and hits the Rhino's firing gun arm. That stops the large caliber gunfire for a moment… which all Tony needs.
"Now we do things my way." Iron Man says as his thrusters blast and he hits the quickly standing Rhino square in the face with an armored knee. The force is enough to throw the Rhino back… but the large mech suit gets up after sliding across the pavement and charges at Iron Man who just stands there with arms open wide… then without warning… a crimson streak comes in from the side.
"Well… I was expecting Spidey… but the Space Viking Fabio will do." Iron Man says with a shrug as he looks to where Thor is straddling the metal chest of the Rhino mech suit.
"Pray tell, Metal Beast, why have you disrupted the peace of this city?" Thor shouts as he points at the metal snout with his hammer.
"Fook you!" The Rhino responds and fires his gun arms at Thor. The bullets are stopped by Thor's armor but that doesn't mean he feels nothing.
"Very well then… let it not be said that I did not offer an alternative to battle!" Thor shouts as a ricocheted bullet grazes his bearded cheek and cuts his skin open. Thor then swings his hammer to strike one arm then the other down. The guns are knocked wide and low then stop firing… but they are not damaged.
"Something's not right." Iron Man says as he and Spider-Man watch from the sidelines.
"What? That Thor is straddling a large metal Rhino?" Spider-Man says then his 'spidey sense' kicks in again… "Ooo." Spider-Man flinches as Thor is headbutted away and the Rhino gets up and charges the Asgardian.
"Come, Metal Monster! Let us test your strength!" Thor bellows out and catches the Rhino's horn with Mjolner and grabs at the mech's chest with his other hand. He squeezes and notes how the metal does not give under his mighty grip. In fact, the Prince of Asgard looks at the metal suit and notices how it seems undamaged. "What in the Nine Realms is this?" Thor questions as he halts the Rhino's charge.
"Adamantium suit, bitch!" Alex responds from within. Thor's eyes go wide…
"Jotun silver-steel!" Thor shouts and his efforts redouble. He shifts his hammer down under the Rhino's head then grips lower with his other hand. Thor lifts the Rhino overhead and flings the mech suit away.
"Jotun what now?" Iron Man asks as he flies over and lands next to Thor.
"Silver-steel… or Adamite as we call it on Asgard… it is an unbreakable metal once cooled. Mjolner's metal is an alloy of mystic uru metal and Adamite." Thor explains as he spins the hammer in his palm.
"Really?" Iron Man says as he eyes the hammer more closely now.
"Aye." Thor answers then suddenly something comes down from above but Spider-Man flicks a web line at it catching the object and flinging at the Rhino as he turns taking his crotched fighting stance.
"Who the hell is that?" Iron Man asks as he looks up at the hovering and crazed looking Harry Osborn.
"Tis a Goblin!" Thor comments as he sees the glider and the one riding it. "A green Goblin at that… odd." Thor then adds a bit puzzled as he fully takes in the sight before him.
"Goblin? Green Goblin?" Harry says as he lets those words roll around his tongue for a second. "I like it."
"Okay… Gobby… why don't you just fly away and let the real heroes deal with this menace." Iron Man says calmly. Green Goblin snorts and laughs manically.
"You think I'm here to help you! HA!" Goblin says and moves lower as he crotches on his glider to be more eye level with Iron Man. "I'm here to help him." And he points to the Rhino whose suit has shifted to reveal caches of missiles in the thighs and shoulders… all are aimed at Iron Man and Thor.
"Oh boy." Tony mutters as the mini bombs are launched. Green Goblin zips away straight up into the air.
"Oh no you don't!" Spider-Man says as he tags the bottom of the glider with two web lines and goes for a ride as the explosions rock below them on the street. Goblin looks down and snarls at the sight of Spider-Man… but then he smiles wickedly.
"Peter… how perfect for you to follow me. I've got plans for you." Green Goblin says sweetly then sneers at the end as he flips his glider. He throws a handful of caltrops… Spider-Man manages to dodge most of them but one hits him in the side. Harry smiles at that. As they continue the turn, Green Goblin grabs Spider-Man by the throat and slams him into the side of a stone faced building. He quickly grabs the embedded caltrop and twists it.
"You betrayed me… your friend. You turned your back on me… and for what?! To save that pretty piece of a-ahhh!" Green Goblin says then screams in pain as he is shocked. Spider-Man quickly kicks Harry away. The Green Goblin takes the caltrop with him and spins in the air on his glider.
"I knew those Widow Bites would come in handy." Spider-Man says as he fires a web line at Green Goblin… but the bastard dodges and loops in the air to avoid the next one as well.
"You walk away today, Spider-Man… but you won't the next time we meet!" Green Goblin shouts as he hurries away… grinning madly that he got more than he bargained for today.
Tony launched several mini rockets of his own to stop most of the Rhino's missiles from hitting them but a few managed to slip past and pepper the area around the pair of Avengers. As the explosions stop, Thor whirls Mjolner overhead to clear the smoke from the street level as he generates a swirling wind. The Rhino is gone and the roadway as well as some of the buildings are damaged.
"Great." Tony sighs out as he grumbles about having yet another mess to clean up. "Isn't there like a Norse God of Cleaning that you can summon down here with his mighty broom and dust pan?" Tony then asks Thor who just looks at him confused. "Nevermind."
"What were those villains after?" Thor questions as Spider-Man repeals down to dangle next to them.
"Beats me. That new and improved Rhino was tearing things up when I arrived on the scene." Iron Man says then looks at Spider-Man.
"What? That's what was happening when I showed up as well." Spider-Man answers quickly.
"It doesn't add up." Tony ponders then looks around… they are in the business district… money flows through this part of town like water through the tap. "The power's out." Tony says then suddenly stops and looks back towards Wall Street. "Son of a Bitch!" He then adds and flies off.