(Sorry for the late update.. Been rewatching USM again. I remember now why I nearly quit writing fanfiction for the show: wasting the original team and especially under utilizing/nerfing White Tiger and the possible romance between her and Spidey (even if he's irritating at times). Hope y'all enjoy.)
Noble Six: It's ok. Thanks.
Death Fury: Thanks.
Chapter 8: Visiting Old Friends
(Triskelion, a few days later)
Spider-Man leapt around the blasts from LMD.s, firing off web blasts as he avoided each shot. The LMDs had taken the form of Hydra soldiers armed with assault rifles. Spider-Man laughed as he almost danced around the fire of the machines.
"Hit me if you can!"
Spidey quickly fired off web blasts, covering the barrels of each gun.
"Too easy!"
Spider-Man rushed forward, throwing punches and kicks. Each of the machines flew back with holes with fist or foot sized dents in them as they returned to their base forms. The wall crawler chuckled, cracking his knuckles.
"Almost as satisfying as beating up the real Hydra, almost."
The LMDs stood up and transformed into the malformed super soldiers created by Zemo before he had found the one his father created. They bellowed as they charged. Spider-Man rubbed his hands together. He slid under the punch of one and leapt up, both feet slamming into another and sending it flying.
"Hah! I don't see how Iron Man and Black Widow had so much trouble with these guys!"
He slid under another punch then lunged forward, kicking out and sending another skidding. As he backflipped one of the LMDs caught him with both hands.
(*Monkey screech* Ok, I see why now!)
Spidey shouted as the LMD tossed him and another surged forward, punching him. The wall crawler hit the ground hard. He groaned.
"Ow."
The LMDs stood over him, raising their fists. Spider-Man quickly fired a large web that encased the LMDs together. Then he fired a small web bolt and shocked all the LMDs together. The LMDs fell to the ground and returned to their base form.
"Whoo! That was close."
Spidey grunted as he stood up and popped his back, sighing.
"Much better."
"Good try Spidey, but you didn't beat the timer I set."
White Tiger was watching from the control booth and unable to control her chuckling. Spidey groaned.
"What?! Come on, even Hulk would be proud of the smashing I did!"
"Not with that speed he wouldn't."
Spider-Man grumbled under his breath. White Tiger chuckled as she made her way down to the training room.
"Don't worry, Webs. You'll improve."
"I somehow doubt that."
The two turned, seeing Laura standing at the other end of the room, leaning against a wall and arms crossed. White Tiger smiled widely under her mask.
"Laura!"
"Tiger."
The two young women walked over and hugged one another. Spider-Man smiled under his mask. White Tiger and Laura pulled back slightly.
"It's so good to see you Laura. How are you?"
"Doing good. How about you? Keeping the insect in check?"
"Arachnid! Spiders are arachnids!"
The two young women laughed at this.
(*Rolls his eyes* Why is it that they have to bond over laughing at me?)
Spider-Man grumbled, tapping one foot quickly on the floor. White Tiger turned to Laura.
"So, I hear you're dating someone! Who is it?"
"He's an X-Man in training. Telekinetic. Unfortunately he kinda reminds me of bug boy, both have similar egos."
White Tiger giggled. Spider-Man walked over.
"Sounds like a smart guy, can't wait to meet him."
White Tiger scoffed and pushed him back before turning back to Laura.
"So what brings you here?"
"The old man sent me here to talk with you about what's to come. Also to visit old friends."
Spider-Man grinned.
"Awwww! Come here!"
The claws from Laura's right hand extruded and pointed at Spider-Man.
"Only she can hug me. You haven't earned it yet."
Spider-Man gulped.
"Understood."
White Tiger and Laura giggled, the latter retracted her claws at this. Laura turned to White Tiger.
"The professor has been talking about increased mutant activity around the globe. The campaigns of certain political figures threaten the already very thin peace between mutants and humans. Given you and your team's experiences with the human community and aiding it against forces that threatened it, the professor believes having your teams and S.H.I.E.L.D. stand with us would be an example that the mutant community, or at least the X-Men, want peace only."
"We're here to help. The Avengers helped with the Inhumans and we will help with the mutants."
"Thanks, Tiger."
"No problem. Hey, how about a little sparring? We haven't done that in a while."
Laura grinned, cracking her knuckles. Spider-Man gulped.
"Uhhh, I think I'll sit this one out. Just finished training anyway."
The two young women chuckled. Spider-Man made his way over to sit on the bench at the side. White Tiger and Talon stood on opposite sides of the training mat. White Tiger took her fight stance, both legs bent and one hand in front of the other Laura took hers, one arm stretched out and bent upwards while the other did the same yet was held back slightly. Her legs were bent and back straight.
"Call it, Tiger."
"Go!"
White Tiger and Talon raced forward. The first threw out a swift jab to her opponent's upper torso, but Laura blocked it with her right arm then kicked out with her right foot. White Tiger jumped onto her leg and flipped over her. Both turned around, Laura making the move this time. She jumped up then kicked out with her left foot, White Tiger ducked under the attack then kicked out with her left foot. Talon blocked with her right hand as she landed.
"Wanna break out the claws, Talon?"
"Tiger, you know mine will cut through yours like a hot knife through butter, right?"
"Maybe. But I like to live dangerously."
"Maybe another time."
"Fine."
White Tiger rushed forward, lunging at her opponent. Talon slid under the swifty haymaker her opponent threw. Then lunged forward. She threw a roundhouse kick which White Tiger leapt over and flipped in the air before landing on her feet and one hand. Talon smirked as she cartwheeled over to her opponent then leapt up flipping around then falling while throwing out a kick. White Tiger chuckled as she leapt away.
"I see someone's copying my style."
"My sensei always said to be mindful of how others fight."
Talon rushed forward while White Tiger lunged at her. Talon growled as she threw a swift jab to her opponent's solar plexus, but White Tiger brushed aside the strike then retaliated with a haymaker. The mutant heroine blocked with one hand then threw her free elbow forward. The feline heroine slid under the strike and flipped around, kicking out with one foot. Talon blocked the strike with both hands before pushing her back. White Tiger back flipped and landed on both feet.
The two heroines rushed at each other again. White Tiger blocked a low aimed jab with one elbow then threw her own jab higher up Talon's torso. But her strike was pushed aside by Talon's free hand. The mutant heroine twisted around, throwing a backfist forward. White Tiger pushed the strike aside with one hand then threw a tiger claw strike forward. But Talon sidestepped the attack.
She leapt up, flipping around then landed on her feet and one hand.
"You've been stepping up your hand to hand combat, not just using your claws."
White Tiger grinned under her mask then rushed forward. She threw a roundhouse kick as she leapt up. Talon blocked with both arms, being pushed slightly to the side. The feline heroine quickly landed, throwing out a side kick which her opponent ducked under. Talon lunged forward with a pincer hand. White Tiger quickly pushed the strike aside before it hit her throat.
"Easy Laura, just a little sparring."
Talon blocked her opponent's haymaker with the back of her hand pressed against White Tiger's wrist.
"Sparring should help you know how to counter the hardest attacks."
White Tiger blocked the open palm strike Talon after her statement. Both grunted as they grappled, grasping each other's wrists as their arms were held out and struggled to break free. Talon smirked, her fangs gleaming. She slid to the side of White Tiger then jumped up, throwing a swift jab. White Tiger ducked under the strike then used a sweep kick, but Talon leapt over it. The two backflipped to either side of the room.
Spider-Man leapt between them.
"Ok ladies, I think that's enough."
Talon smirked, claws extruding.
"What do you say Tiger: Think that's enough?"
White Tiger chuckled, claws flexing.
"Not nearly."
Spider-Man's eyes widened.
(*Gulps* *Chibi White Tiger and Chibi Talon dogpiled Chibi Spidey in a cloud of scratching then jumped off him. Chibi Spidey's uniform is cut to pieces and he falls over, groaning.*)
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Ok, you're both badasses! No need to turn me into a scratching post!"
The two young women chuckled, claws retracting. Spider-Man sighed in relief. Laura crossed her arms.
"Some are calling for mutants to be registered. The professor is in D.C. in talks with the politicians about it. A couple of the veteran X-Men went with him."
Spider-Man crossed his arms.
"We haven't heard anything about that."
"The talks haven't started yet, at least not with the professor. He's hoping he can get the humans to see reason."
"I met your professor. Good man."
"He is…but he's so focused on the possibility of peace he's almost casting aside the fears of certain mutants, especially those who don't look human."
"I'm sure he knows, he's just trying to get people to see that peace is what's best."
White Tiger put a hand on Laura's shoulder.
"We know what Weapon X did to you will never be undone. Just know that there are humans and those of us who are sorta human will be by your side."
Spider-Man's eyes narrowed.
"Sorta human? Hey!"
"Spidey, you're literally half spider."
"...True…"
Laura chuckled.
"We might be doomed."
White Tiger and Laura laughed. Spider-Man groaned.
"Yeah, just laugh at my expense."
White Tiger and Laura ended their laughter with a chuckle each. Laura sighed.
"There's rumors that some humans are planning to strike out at the mutant community with members of law enforcement."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will put a stop to that."
"Maybe, Web Head. Some of the mutant community is readying themselves to fight back. The professor is going to speak on peaceful responses. He's worried the humans will get hurt."
Laura's smile had turned into a frown at her latest statement. White Tiger wrapped an arm around her friend.
"He's trying to secure peace for humans and mutants. Why do you think he founded the X-Men?"
Laura sighed.
"You've got a point, Tiger. It's just that this conflict has taken too many people…especially those who suffered for being different."
"We know you miss him…but you've moved on. There are people now who need you."
"You're right. You know you're too good for Web Head, right?"
White Tiger chuckled. Spider-Man grumbled.
(She really is her father's daughter.)
The ringing of a phone went off. Laura took the phone out of her pocket and answered it.
"Hey dad. Yeah, just visiting Tiger and the Spider. Hmm? Ok, understood."
Laura turned off her phone and put it back in her pocket.
"Gotta get back to the Mansion. The old man's about to start his speech soon and we all are supposed to watch and listen."
White Tiger nodded. She turned to Spider-Man.
"We should get the others to watch here. Fury's at the talks too, so while he and his closest confidantes are there, we're in charge."
Spider-Man nodded.
Laura sighed and hugged White Tiger then left. Spider-Man walked over to stand with White Tiger.
"She's doing better. I really want to meet this guy."
White Tiger punched his arm, gently.
"One egomaniac is enough."
White Tiger walked to exit the room. Spider-Man placed a few fingers over his heart.
"Egomaniac? Moi? Hey! Wait up!"
Spider-Man web slinged after her.
To be continued…
(Again, sorry for the late update.)