After the incident with the bridge, Miles had come to a decision. Now that he knew who the Tinkerer was, he had to find her and take her down, fixing the problem his way. And so, through a few days trial and error, Miles, together with his friend Ganke, created a new suit for him to use, which was this world's version of his tried and true Red and Black ensemble. It was predominantly black in color but utilized red for its spider insignia across the chest alongside a V-shape stretching from the the groin up to the shoulders. The outlines throughout the suit's torso and mask area are colored red against the black. The finger joints where the web shooters are located are red while the palm of the hand is black. Elsewhere on the suit, the black coloring persists, transitioning to matt coloring on the legs and feet. There are also knee pads embedded into the suit for shock absorption. The only part of the suit that differs in this color scheme are the eye lenses, which were a faded white.
At Heights Alliance, the group was together with Miles in his new suit as they discussed the current events.
"Okay. So, Bridge collapse did two things. It revealed the Tinkerer's identity as one of Miles's longtime friends who's trying to bring Roxxon down with Nuform involved…. And now we're the targets of Roxxon for blowing up all the Nuform in their shipment except for one canister the Tinkerer stole." Adora said. "But what we don't understand yet is, what's the big reason the Tinkerer is leading the Underground against Roxxon. But we know it has something to do with Nuform."
"Miles, is there something about your friend that might help us learn something?" Miriam asked.
"Yeah. I slipped by Phin's family's old repair shop to look for a reason why she's doing this." Miles said. "I found out some pretty heavy stuff. Turns out Phin's older brother, Rick, he was the head of the Nuform Project. But for some reason they all got sick."
"Sick? From what?" Ginseng asked.
"Nuform itself." Entrapta piped in. "It's… not as safe as advertised. Prolonged exposure to it makes people suffer from all sorts of ailments."
"Rick got hit with bone marrow decay. He tried to convince Krieger to shut down the project, but Krieger didn't listen." MIles said. "They went to Roxxon to try and shut down a prototype Nuform Reactor themselves, but something went wrong. That's why Phin's got such a grudge against Krieger now."
"What happened over there?" Kendo asked.
"Something bad to Rick, and I'm looking to find out more about it." Miles said. "Phin recorded the whole thing on her phone, but she lost it somewhere inside Roxxon's research labs."
"And let me guess, you want to go to the research labs, infiltrate the building and find that phone?" Kaibara asked.
"Pretty much." Miles said.
"You don't have to do it alone though." Al said.
"I had a feeling you guys would want in." Miles nodded. "Honestly, I could use backup on this one. Roxxon securities probably gonna be tight there."
"Yeah, and Dark Garden's company positioned here probably placed a few of their guys there as extra guard duty." Kaibara said.
"It'll have to be in and out. We can't send in a large group to infiltrate or we'll be caught immediately." Todoroki said.
"We'll need to be pretty sneaky for this. Luckily, stealth is my speciality! I'll go." Hagakure said.
"I'll go too." Tsuyu said.
"I'll do the same." Tokoyami said.
"I as well." Phantom said.
"Kabuki, I think you should go in too, just to be safe." David said.
"Yes, my Lord." Kabuki said with a bow.
"Six…that should be plenty." Miles said. "All right…let's get on out there."
The four young heroes, accompanied by Phantom and Kabuki, traversed their way across the city before arriving at Roxxon labs. There was a way in through an exposed vent, but it was blocked by High-voltage shielding. Luckily, Miles had the ability to not only charge things up with Venom, but absorb energy as well. After draining the generator, the seven of them made their way inside the vents into the building.
"The tracker said the phone was pretty far below ground level. So we're gonna need to get to the basement." Miles said. They dropped to a lower level, but then Miles's spider sense went off. "Uh oh…"
Miles and Tsuyu enabled their Camouflage, while Tokoyami, Phantom and Kabuki hid in the shadows, and hagakure went total steath as four Roxxon guards came through the door, overhearing their conversation as they snuck past them.
"We got a report of a breach through the outer exhaust system– If it's Underground, kill them. Spider-Man or Tinkerer, detain them." the leader said.
"What about any of the Heights Alliance kids, or their backup?" a guard asked.
"That's what our hired help is for. We'll call any sightings of them in, but engaging them in anything less than self-defense is considered futile. Their words, not mine." the leader said.
"I don't like it. We're trained to deal with anything, but these guys want to say to leave a bunch of highschool kids and their chaperones to them?" another asked.
"Dark Garden knows them more than we do. Besides, we've all heard the stories." the leader said. "These guys have fought gods and won, do you really want to point a gun at them?"
"...Withdrawn." the one who asked the question conceded as the seven slipped by them as the door closed.
"Wow, you guys have a lot more of a rep than I thought." Miles said.
But before they could go any further, someone dropped down behind them. It was a masked man in a grey, purple and green armored suit with all sorts of gadgets and tech on it.
"Hey, kids." the man said.
"Who are you?" Phantom asked.
"Wait, I think Peni told me and the rest of the squad about this guy when she and Noir were in that Spider-Verse crisis. He's a mercenary and thief for hire… the Prowler!" Hagakure said.
Miles wasted no time and slammed the Prowler into a wall via slinging at him with his webs. The Prowler then laughed.
"Damn, Miles… for a skinny-ass kid.." he said as his mask unfurled to reveal…. Aaron Davis. "You hit hard."
"Uncle Aaron? You're the Prowler?!" Miles asked. "My dad had a file on you."
"Okay, can kinda see why your family doesn't talk about him." Tsuyu said.
"I know you all got questions, but that can wait. We need to get out of here." Aaron said. "You all picked the wrong place to break into. I.. did some work for Roxxon awhile back. You do not wanna mess with these guys, especially with their added backup. If we get caught in here…"
"Then help us." Miles insisted.
"Stubborn as your father…" Aaron said. "Alright. But we do this my way. I know a place I can access a security terminal, let you and your group know what's coming. Don't. Get. Caught." he then put his mask back on and leaped up high as the group kept going.
They went through another vent system to see Krieger meeting with a Lab Tech.
"Hey! Where's the Nuform I asked for?" Krieger asked.
"We're trying to make more, but Mason didn't leave behind any notes. I had heard that one canister of Nuform survived the accident. If we had access to that, I-" the lab tech started.
"Don't you think that if I had it, I would give it to you?" Krieger asked.
"Yes Mr. Krieger. I just wanted to make clear, that without that canister, it would be impossible to hit the deadline-" the lab tech started.
"SHUT UP!" Krieger declared, with resistance to raise his voice. "Myself, and those…hire-ons," the man said, clearly thinking of a stronger word as he got into the tech's face in a threatening manner, "Are doing everything in our considerable power to find that canister. However, right now, it would help me to go back to your lab…and do your damn job!" he seethed as the tech backed away in fear, Krieger walking away while composing himself.
"Krieger's on a deadline…" Miles noted.
"And we just saw his true colors." Hagakure said.
"So any of you gonna tell me what it is you're looking for in here?" Prowler asked over their comms.
"The truth." Phantom said.
"A phone with evidence on what happened to someone. The Tinkerer's." Miles said.
"Hmm…looks like there are signals from a phone…but looks like they're down by the reactor." Prowler said.
"Thanks. Now can you tell us why you're stalking us?" Hagakure asked.
"To protect my nephew, and by extension, you guys. You should feel honored. I came outta retirement to watch your backs." Prowler replied.
"Can't believe my uncle's the Prowler…" Miles said.
"And I can't believe my nephew and his friends are risking their lives for a phone. Let's get on with it." Prowler said.
The group advanced through the facility until they reached the reactor room, a squad of Roxxon security was patrolling it.
"Reactor's below. Powers this whole facility." Prowler informed.
"I see the phone all the way at the bottom, but we need to get past that fan… and all those guys too." Miles said.
"Take em out, but remember what I said. Don't get caught." Prowler said.
"Understood." Kabuki said.
They moved swiftly through the vents as they secretly took out any Roxxon security goon in sight before emerging safely near the reactor.
Miles picked up Phin's phone, noticing it was dead. "Please don't explode…" Miles said as he charged it via his Venom power. Once it was all changed, they saw a video on the phone that explained everything.
Phin and Mason went to Roxxon Labs a while back to shut down Krieger's prototype Nuform Reactor. But while they were trying to do so, Kreiger trapped Mason between an energy shield, and the exposed reactor. A burst of energy completely vaporized Mason, Phin in vain failing to rescue her brother. Phin escaped the facility just as Security went to find her. Naturally, she swore revenge against Krieger ever since, which led her to leading the Underground.
"Rick was trying to save people — and Krieger killed him." Miles said. "We have to finish what he started."
"Miles…what are you…" Tokoyami said as Miles pulled on the cables. "Have you lost your mind?!"
Miles slammed his hands to the exposed reactor and started absorbing the Nuform energy.
"You fool! You cannot possibly absorb that much energy from a reactor that size!" Phantom said.
"Don't worry! It's just like the generator outside… only… huge!" Miles said, absorbing as much energy as he could before he was blown back, the reactor shutting down.
"Miles!" Hagakure called.
"I'm alright…" Miles said as his whole body was sparking with Venom Energy.
"Uh, you are totally NOT fine! You absorbed way too much energy!" Hagakure said.
"Miles, I hate to agree with them on this matter, but you'll need to step away now, before you end up destroying yourself!" Kabuki said.
Miles got away from the group as fast as he could before discharging the stored up energy safely in a hallway.
"Ugh… I feel like I just got dropped out of a plane, but at least the reactors disabled." Miles said.
"Yes, and right now we need to make our escape." Phantom said.
"The phone was destroyed, but we know Phin's objective." Miles said as they headed up through a grate in the floor.
No sooner that they did, when a Roxxon agent carrying a customized riot shield appeared from a doorway and faced the group, more coming to back him up.
"Stand down! We're taking you into custody!" the Security guard with the shield ordered.
"Heights Alliance confirmed! Requesting backup!" one of the soldiers called in.
"Received. A captain and squad is inbound to your position." a voice on the other side of the comm answered.
"Do not think we will go down easily." Phantom said.
The Roxxon agents attacked, focusing on Miles.
"It's my nephew Roxxon wants more than you guys. Fight 'em off with him, I'll get you guys outta that room." Prowler said, before something on his end caught his attention. "Wait - no, damn it! I'm locked out of the system!"
"No choice…we're going to have to fight our way out." Tokoyami said as Dark Shadow appeared by his side.
"Look sharp, Tsukuyomi's quirk is active!" one of the Roxxon Security guards called.
"Prioritize Spider Man! Hold Heights Alliance back until reinforcements arrive!" the leader commanded as they engaged the group in earnest.
"(Throw!)" Phantom called, leaping into the air and throwing his shuriken and kunai from above, hitting the security guards.
"Say cheese!" Hagakure said as she blinded the guards. "Go for it, Kabuki!"
Kabuki got her daggers out as she started fighting her way through the swarms of guards.
"I've got her!" one of the guards said, pulling out a stun grenade and throwing it her way, only for it to be caught by webs.
"(Is this yours?)" Miles asked in Spanish as he threw it back at the guard as it blew up, stunning them, which allowed Phantom to nail them with a sword strike.
Between Phantom, Kabuki and Miles, the guards in the room were dealt with, and soon a door opened, revealing Aaron as he uncloaked himself.
"Let's go, before more of 'em and their hired buddies show up." Prowler asid.
"Super cool cloaking tech. How does it…" Miles asked as they went through the door before it shut behind them. In front of them, more Roxxon guards approached, as well as…
"A…boy band?" Hagakure said in confusion.
Sure enough, several men that looked like male idols strolled into the room. From behind them, a young woman with blonde hair topped with headphones and dressed in flashy clothes walked in.
"Great. Dark Stage was coverin' the labs." Prowler said.
"Prowler, Prowler, Prowler…why you gotta be such a buzzkill, man?" the woman shook her head. "Krieger's a jerk, but that ain't no reason to help a buncha kids shut down our power."
"I've…got my reasons." Prowler said, looking anywhere but in Miles' direction. "You wouldn't get it."
"Aw, bit too late to start growin' a conscious, my guy." the woman said. "Besides, now you've got yourself on Krieger's VIP list…and his private booths aren't as comfortable as ours, if you catch my drift."
"You know this girl, Prowler?" Hagakure asked.
"Just from when she and her Leader took up working for Roxxon. Her name's Dubstep." Prowler said.
"Correctamundo! Captain of Dark Stage, and life of the party!" the now named woman waved. "And you guys are the Heights Alliance! Shame you didn't call ahead. If you wanted to join our party, you could've just asked!"
"Listen, we're not the bad guys here, the people who hired you are! Nuform's dangerous, Krieger's lying about how safe it is!" Hagakure tried to persuade Dubstep.
"Oh, that so?" Dubstep asked. "Don't suppose you have any physical proof of that?"
"Uh…" Hagakure stumbled a bit.
"Yeah, thought so." Dubstep said. "Don't sweat it, though; you'll have plenty of time to cook up some believable lies in one of our holding cells. We offer free eats!"
"Gonna have to pass on that." Miles said
(Cue: Lambda - Judgement)
"Sorry, no opting out of this invite!" Dubstep giggled, as an aura seemed to surround her, one the Heights Alliance recognized. "Oh, and FYI? You guys really should've sent the Valkyrie. Juke Box Hero!"
The aura morphed into a glowing, floating silver figure with neon light circulates resembling glow stick bracelets on its arms, and a head shaped like a boom box.
Dark Stage Captain; Stand User of Juke Box Hero
Dubstep
"What the..?! She can use a Stand?!" Hope asked as Miles, Prowler and the heroes started fighting Roxxon Security, Dubstep and her boy band henchmen.
"But she's not even from the same world as Giorno or the rest of the Joestar line! What's going on here?!" Double D exclaimed.
"She can't be an Enhanced either." Mari said.
"Dark Garden must've gotten their hands on a Stand Arrow somehow." Mark guessed.
"That's the only way this can be possible. Be alert. We have no idea what her power can do." Tokoyami said.
"Understood." Phantom said.
"Let's raise the volume! Crank those sliders up to eleven!" Dubstep said as she put her hand out as a speaker seemed to grow out of her skin and a blast of sound waves exploded out of it, the group barely dodging out of the way in time.
"Well, now we know what she can do!" Miles said.
"She's weaponizing her own music." Tsuyu said.
"Don't worry, we won't have to face her for long. The H Train'll be passing by soon." Prowler said.
"What does that matter?" Phantom asked.
"You'll see. Keep fighting! But stay outta Dubstep's way!" Prowler said.
And so the group pressed on, staying out of the way of Dubstep's sound waves.
"I'm fighting a group of highschoolers with superpowers, a teenaged Spider-Man, and one of our own agents alongside a boy band and a woman with speakers growing out of her hands…how the hell did I get here?" one of the Roxxon agents asked himself.
"(Wait… what did he say?)" Hagakure caught the agent as she was completely invisible, staying out of the fight in thought. "(Did he say, 'one of our own agents'?)"
"Argh, quit the leapfrog routine! You're messing up my vibes here, dudes!" Dubstep said, blasing at Miles and Tsuyu as they jumped all over the place.
"If you weren't so evil, I'd really like to mix beats with you sometime! But this is one rave I don't wanna be in!" Miles said. "(Let's see if this works..!)" he said as he precisely shot webs at both her hands, plugging up her speakers just as they were blasting.
"Ah! My amps! No, if you cover 'em up…!" Dubstep tried to shout.
"Dubstep got plugged! Get down and cover your ears!" one of the boy band thugs called to the Roxxon agents as the Dark Stage agents did so.
The heroes did as well right before the speakers then let out a deafening screech of feedback, the Roxxon agents yelling in agony before they all collapsed to the group in a heap.
"Nice work! Time to go!" Prowler said, blowing a hole in the upper wall. "This way! Through the hole!"
They quickly jumped through the hole and onto a passing subway train as it sped by.
(end song)
"Dammit, they got away, boss!" one of the Dark Stage thugs said.
"Not cool…I hate partycrashers who cut and run." Dubstep pouted before she looked at the fallen agents. "Good thing it was just the palm speakers that got feedback. If it were any larger, we'd have blown their minds…literally."
"Yeah, but they're definitely going to be deaf for a while." one of the thugs said. "Your orders, captain? Do we go after 'em?"
"...Nah. We know where those Heights Alliance guys hangout. They'll show up again soon enough, then the boys can have some fun. Besides, we gotta get these boys to bed, they'll be sporting mighty big hangovers when the wake up. Get 'em to medical, chop-chop!"
"Yes, Dubstep!" the Dark Stage soldiers said as they started to pick the Roxxon soldiers up and carry them out.
With the heroes, they were riding the top of the subway, Miles and Prowler both unmasked.
"You guys and your buddies need to lay low. Don't trust anybody, and you better not take off that mask, Miles." Aaron said. "Wait till Roxxon and Dark Garden find better targets."
"We can't lay low. I still need to find Phin…" Miles said.
"Your friend's the Tinkerer…. No wonder you care so much about this." Aaron said.
"It's not just that, Mr. Davis. It's our job to protect the city." Hagakure said as the group ducked to avoid the tunnel.
"Use Phin. Tell her you wanna join the Underground." Aaron said.
"You just told me not to take off my mask." Miles said.
"Not as Spider-Man! As a friend. Trust me, friendship makes people do really stupid things." Aaron said.
"But, if Miles tells her the truth…" Tsuyu said.
"I told my brother the truth." Aaron said. "Thought he'd have my back, hoped he would. Instead he cut me out. If I'd kept my mouth shut, maybe id still have a family. You guys know what you have to do." he then masked up again and left, Miles putting his mask on as the group lept off the train.
"Joining the Underground is a risky move since we're all really well known in the city." Tokoyami said.
"Dont worry. You guys wont have to risk your faces." Connor said. "They might know about you guys…but they dont know a "C-Lister" like me."
"Connor, are you saying…?" Hagakure said.
"Yup…. i'll do it." Connor said. "I'll go undercover in the Underground."