Chapter 22: The Hammer Descends
Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel Characters or Logos.
Now late afternoon, Angel had gone ahead in costume to await the arrival of his friends at the meeting place he had specified during their earlier encounter. Although he had made sure given the others instructions on how to approach without being seen or attracting unwanted attention from the citizens of New York, Warren still saw the necessity of waiting in plain sight. Acting like a hero on patrol, he circled the skies around the general area, pretending that he was just a vigilante searching for criminal activity. It was easy to be conspicuous so that Spider-Man would be able to find them, but at the same time the flying hero had to be casual enough to avoid unwarranted violence from potential enemies.
It had been several hours since the gathering in Jean and Scott's hotel room, and the X-Men were walking towards the specified meeting place that their benefactor had created. The foursome had departed in team of two to avoid attracting any attention as a group. Naturally the mutant couple had been paired together for this commute, while Captain America had left with his war buddy. The two teams had traveled to different locations in case their activities attracted attention from the Maggia, before flagging down a pair of cabs to bring them to Fifth Avenue.
Several minutes passed as Warren glided over through the skies, the orange-painted twilight sky filling him with a sense of tranquility. The feeling of freedom filled his body as the wind graced his wings. It reminded him of the first time he had spread his wings and took flight, fearing his father's reaction to his mutancy, but one night he threw caution to the wind and decided to try. It had been an unbelievable feeling that he had never before experienced as a child growing up in a prestigious family, where he acted a certain way in public and was constantly groomed to one day take over the family's fortune.
As these thought floated through his mind, the young heir couldn't help but smile. Although there were many times when his powers made him feel like a freak, flying always made his troubles disappear. Unaware of his surroundings, he spaced out and enjoyed the moment, but the world came back into focus as a red and blue clad figure swung across his path from a nearby building. The winged mutant stopped to avoid a collision with his fellow hero as the masked man danged between the surrounding skyscrapers, an odd silence following the initial encounter.
Spider-Man was the first to recover. "Gee… I thought you said we were going to a secure location. It's hard to keep the meeting place a secret with you flying around the area like an old buzzard looking for a carcass to nibble."
Angel rolled his eyes at the other man's sarcasm, his wings beating gently to maintain altitude. "I just needed to make sure that you saw me. I wasn't particularly worried, considering this area of town is relatively peaceful."
The masked vigilante cocked his head to the side. "Would I be right to assume that the others are already waiting for us to show up?"
Warren Worthington had given his friends more specific instructions along with the pass codes to the secret location, so that they could find it without his help. Spider-Man had been a more complicated case, considering that it had take a little convincing to arrange this meeting, and due to the vigilante's enigmatic nature, Angel had decided to personally escort him to the hideout. He wasn't even sure if the masked man would show up anyway, and even if he did it wasn't wise to give him complete instructions in the middle of the street where they could be overheard.
"If everything went my friends should be there already or at least heading in that direction as we speak." Angel replied tactfully. "I was able to give them the information earlier, so there shouldn't be a problem.
"All right then… Lead the way." Spider-Man gestured forward expectantly, quietly laughing at the irony when his ally flew in the opposite direction.
The arachnid easily kept up with his flying counterpart with his webbing. They might have looked strange, jumping a flying through the air, but in New York it was considered normal to see a hero out on patrol, especially during hard times such as these. The gang war had the police department's entire force working just to rescue victims and bystanders, while a handful of heroes had been seen jumping around rooftops and grappling over the cars in the streets. Even if being seen by bystanders was a problem, the sun was beginning to sink beneath the horizon, meaning that the shadows of night would soon cover their movements.
Despite being in mid-air, Peter Parker decided to start a conversation. "So flyboy, are we almost there?"
Angel pointed directly ahead. "Land in the alley near that building and I'll handle the rest."
Spider-Man looked in the general direction, his eyes instantly catching sight of a large skyscraper that easily towered over the other buildings in the general vicinity. He guessed that the winged hero was wealthy if his family owned this particular establishment, but he saw little reason to pry. Looking into the records he could probably find out who owned the building and thus discern Angel's identity, but right now he didn't figure it would be necessary. It didn't seem that the flying hero cared as much as he did about hiding his identity, so either way this wasn't a need for concern.
Angel retracted his wings towards his body and landed in the darkened alley between the buildings, his accomplice touching down nearby as he lowered himself from above with a strand of webbing and dropped to the ground. Standing up from his crouched position, the arachnid glanced through the shadows in search of any type of passage or opening, his eyes settling on his fellow hero when he couldn't find the entrance for himself.
"Okay, I'm stumped?" he asked, sniffing the garbage scented air as he glanced around the empty space. "Did you hide some kind of secret button in the trash can, or should I assume your friends have some kind of power that can teleport us inside?"
"Shut up!" the winged hero placed a finger to his lips for a second, as if hushing a child. "I don't want anyone else to see."
Spider-Man raised his hands defensively. "Geez, I was just kidding around. Can't you people take a joke?"
Warren ignored him for the moment as he looked towards both entrances to the alley, and also above their heads in case someone was nearby. Once he was certain that they were alone, he slid his hands against the wall of his family's building, his hand settling on a random brick. Exerting just a minimal amount of force, he managed to push the block in just enough to activate it. Angel repeated this process with two more bricks in different places, pressing them in a particular order. With a faint groan, a section of the nearby wall slide aside to reveal a doorway that had been concealed underneath.
The building's proprietor approach the door, putting his back to the arachnid to hide the number panel as he punched in proper sequence of numbers in. Once the process was complete, he unsealed the door and entered the passage, his guest following along with an awkward expression as both the door and the portion of wall slid shut behind them. The area beyond was dark, but a few steps in the right direction quickly alerted Spider-Man to the fact that they were in a stairwell, his foot causing him to trip as he hit the edge.
"Watch your step." Angel warned a little late, earning him a look of disdain from the other hero.
"Woops… Sorry about that." Peter Parker exclaimed.
Using his spider powers to prevent a rather nasty fall, Peter Parker righted himself and followed safely down the stairs. They stepped into the darkened hallway beyond, walking around the bend and up to the door at the end of the passage. His host reached up and opened the door at he end of the hallway, revealing a large room beyond. At the head of the room was a large computer terminal with enhanced abilities and several complicated controls. A large map of the city was displayed on the main screen, several sections glowing to indicate criminal activity. The masked hero guessed that it was probably connected with the police department's computers and several information databases.
The room also contained a simple table and chairs, along with a couch, most of which were occupied by costumed heroes. Spider-Man instantly recognized the two mutants he had worked with periodically for the last few days as Cyclops and Jean. He quickly caught sight of the room's other occupants consisting of a grumpy-looking stranger and a man dressed like Captain America. Although it took him a second, the web slinger realized that the other two people were the same men he had the met the previous night during the fight with the mammoth-sized guardian slayer. Wolverine looked up with a distasteful expression, although he didn't comment.
"What's what the look, wolfie? You look like you a bug just crawled up your nose." Spider-Man commented.
The feral mutant gave him a small glare, although nothing became of the spat. Jean waved politely from her place on the couch, although she and Scott had noticed the tension and aid nothing. Captain America moved between them, effectively making the same gesture he had done during their previous encounter to prevent any problems from developing between the two. The patriotic hero saw no major reason as to why they seemed to dislike each other and was more than willing to play peacekeeper so long as they were working together.
He stepped forward to greet the masked man, holding his hand out kindly. "I don't believe we were properly introduced last time. I'm Steve Rogers." He paused before casually adding. "Most people call me as Captain America."
An awkward silence fell as Peter Parker gathered up what he had said. "You can't be serious." He answered with a note of disbelief. "The real Captain America died during the war, which ended over fifty years ago! The entire world knows this!"
"The rest of the world doesn't know crap, and neither do you, bub!" Wolverine raised his head to reveal a deathly serious expression. "This guy's the real deal."
Spider-Man glanced around the room, his incredulous expression hidden by the mask. "Even if he were alive, the man would be in his nineties by now. That's not even possible."
"Oh, it isn't?" Jean Grey stood up from with a challenging expression. "Strange how this is coming from a man who can stick to walls walk up the side of buildings."
The arachnid froze for a moment, thinking about the possibilities before he realized that there really were no major limitations in the world of science. Whether he wanted to believe it or not, Peter Parker realized that what the psychic mutant said to him was entirely true. After being bitten by that spider years ago, he had done things that most other people would find impossible, and as a science student, he had always been taught to seek new heights in his field of study. In a world where several people around the world had developed superhuman capabilities, anything was possible. The question was, how could the famous World War II hero have survived into the modern age looking as he did in the war photos.
Without giving the topic too much though, he decided to ask. "So cap… How exactly are you still alive after all this time? All the history books I've read say you died like Bucky during the war. Is your little buddy alive too?"
"No, he is dead…" The blue-clad hero froze for a moment as he remembered his sidekick's demise, but he quickly began thinking of ways to answer the other questions.
Surprisingly, his war buddy answered for him. "All you have to know is that he never died. What exactly happened after that is classified information. If we told you, we'd have to kill you." He stepped forward with a thorny expression. "To be honest, I'd be just fine with that."
Spider-Man squared up to his adversary. "You could try."
"You're not even worth the trouble. Wolverine replied, his arms relaxing as he leaned against the wall again. "Just watch your mouth, kid… One day you're gonna harass the wrong guy and end up dead."
"Gee, you people really can't take a joke." The masked hero shrugged off the advice, having heard it many times before.
The group fell silent as they saw the small exchange, but from his posture and expression, it didn't actually seem as though Logan had any real interest in fighting the masked vigilante right now. This was a relief to the others, although they were also somewhat wary of the arachnid. No one doubted he was just as much of a hero as they were, but they saw him as being somewhat goofy and unprofessional. From the way he glanced around at his fellow heroes, it seemed as though he knew what they were thinking.
Spider-Man himself found the concept almost ironic, seeing how he was completely the opposite when out of costume. As Peter Parker, the web slinger was actually very polite if not stubborn, although he knew how to keep his tongue in check. Spider-Man shrugged inwardly as he rationalized this, seeing how it was easier to act like a wise guy when people couldn't see your face. Plus he also used the insults and sarcasm to throw enemies off during the middle of a fight, a strategy that worked very well on extremely proud villains like Doc Ock and short-tempered ones like the Scorpion.
Angel broke the awkward calm as he sat down, the noise made by his chair catching the attention of his allies. He took advantage of this and decided it was best to take advantage of it. "We came here to discuss the mystery behind these strange occurrences in New York." He eyed each of his guests carefully before continuing. "I suggest we ignore the pleasantries, or lack thereof, and get down to business."
Jean sat back down beside her boyfriend, before voicing her agreement. "He's absolutely right."
"If some of us took things more seriously, we wouldn't have gotten off on the wrong foot." Logan added casually, his eyes moving instinctively towards the wall crawler.
Spider-Man took a step forward, although the blue-clad captain blocked him with his arm. "Pardon the fact that I forget their manners, but it's not easy when you're trying to rationalize with a wild beast."
Logan's previous calm demeanor slowly melted away again, his lips curling to reveal his animalistic canines. "Don't push me, bub…" he growled irritably.
Steve Rogers stood up a little straighter, placing his body firmly between them. "We all came here for different reasons, but the time has come for us to put aside petty differences for the greater good. Most of us use our abilities to protect the lives of innocent people, and I hope that none of you will ever forget that."
The air thickened with tension, but eventually the sentiment seemed to sink in. "The cap always made the sappiest speeches." Wolverine ran a hand through his messy hair, groaning in stubborn acceptance as he turned to face his old friend. "As much as I hate to admit it, you always made a lot of sense."
Captain America responded with a nostalgic smile. "During the war I was usually partnered with hot-blooded fools like you. I had to be the rational one, because neither of us would be alive right now if I hadn't."
"You got that right…" The feral mutant answered, noting to himself that his friend truthfully left his young protégé out of the list of survivors. Turning to face the arachnid, he let out a small groan before reluctantly extending his hand. "Truce…"
Spider-Man shook his hand almost immediately. "There's no point in fighting now, anyway."
It was a normal handshake, although anyone who knew Logan personally would probably scoff at the idea that he was a gentleman. On the other hand, Peter wasn't usually the type for formalities himself. They broke the handshake extremely quickly, but the two heroes seemed to come to an understanding at this moment. They were exact opposites in more ways than either would ever know, but both men shared a sense of stubbornness and conviction when they became involved in the superhero business.
"Well now that we've settled that dispute, maybe we can get down to topic of this meeting." Warren calmly called the meeting back to order in an attempt to remind the others of why they had gathered in the first place.
The others did not join him at the table, although they seemed much more civil than before. Now that the tension between Spider-Man and Wolverine had been put to rest, the others felt like they could speak feely without inciting another disagreement. The X-Men waited calmly for someone to contribute further, although everyone seemed interested in hearing what the others had to say. Captain America shifted uneasily in response to the rekindled silence, while his disagreeable friend seemed keen not to say anything.
Jean waved her hand to get the group's attention. "I believe Logan should start, seeing how he was the first member of the X-Men to arrive in New York."
When the group's focus shifted to Wolverine, he sighed at the inconvenience, but decided to cooperate. Ignoring their expectant stares, he slowly began the story of his adventures in the surrounding woods. "It started when Charles Xavier, the founder of our little mutant group, discovered a possible recruit in this general area."
"Nick Fury told me that you work at a school for the gifted. Would I be correct to assume that you were trying to find renegade mutants for the institution?" Captain America questioned.
"I just said that?" Logan rested his eyes for a second as he tried to find a way to plot his story without mention X-23 by name. Even though he trusted the captain with his life, the war veteran had officially joined up with SHIELD, and this would avoid complications. "Anyway… Before I could find her, an old friend popped up, scrapped my bike, and tried to kill me."
Scott looked up with renewed interest. "So you ran into Sabertooth?"
"Why didn't you tell Professor Xavier what happened right away?" Jean questioned fiercely. "If you had told that one of the Acolytes was in the area ahead of time, we might have been able to find Magneto before he was able to cause any trouble."
"Well pardon me for thinking that survival was more important." Wolverine answered with a grimace. When the others did not interrupt again, he resumed the discussion. "So anyway… I ran into the girl shortly after ridding myself of the pussycat. She didn't want to join up, but before we could discuss it, some freak with mechanical arms showed up with an army of robots."
It was Spider-Man's turn to look surprised. "By any chance, was this man wearing dark glasses and a green jumpsuit? Did he spend half his time lecturing you guys?"
The former Weapon X actually looked up with a note of interest. "I take it you know this guy?"
"Yeah, he's one of the most persistent madmen I've ever met. He commits felonies in the name of science, believing that research is the perfect rationale for every life he destroys, and every object he steals." Peter Parker explained this with a note of disgust, having the utmost respect for science himself.
Cyclops folded his hands in his lap. "He sounds like a jerk, but what's this guy's name?"
The feral mutant scratched behind his ear, ultimately responding with a shrug. "He called himself Mr. Octopus, or something stupid like that. I don't quite remember what his real name was, but after listening to his endless ranting, I was itching to rip out his throat."
"His real name is Doctor Otto Octavius." Their host added in, having been all too familiar with the multi-armed villain.
Wolverine seemed not to care much either way, and managed to get everyone's focus back by clearing his throat. "As I was trying to say earlier, Octavius somehow managed to catch both of us, and we woke up in a laboratory where the fat man tried to sell us off to some other criminals." He purposely left out the explicit mention of HYDRA.
Spider-Man quickly made the connection. "I heard that Doc Ock had escaped prison and was taking odd jobs to fund his research, but I never imagined he would end up becoming the Kingpin's lackey."
"Then what happened?" Jean asked her former teacher, her words cutting through the masked man's babble.
The feral mutant cracked his knuckles with disinterest. "I'm surprised you would ask considering that you guys rescued us and we went back to the Xavier Institute shortly after. After hearing that Magneto was sighted in the local area, you guys were sent to New York with Gambit to investigate."
Cyclops looked puzzled. "Speaking of which, he never did meet up with us like he promised."
"I knew he couldn't be trusted." Wolverine scowled in annoyance.
"Well he did help us save you from the Kingpin's lair, so I can't say he's entirely unreliable, and neither can you." the female psychic defended their new member as best she could.
Their former teacher still looked unconvinced. "Never said he was evil, but that human bomb was always a shifty little snot. I still haven't forgotten that nasty incident a few months back when he turned up in Bayville one morning and snatched Rogue right out from under us."
"Maybe he was got himself involved in the gang wars." Jean suggested with a hint of worry.
He boyfriend gave her a downcast expression. "You're free to think whatever you want, but Logan still has a point. We need all the help we can get, and he hasn't contacted us since we were told to come to the city."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Logan growled irritably, looking somewhat satisfied with his explanation.
Captain America tapped him on the shoulder, quickly drawing eyes onto himself. "I understand that the affairs of your team may factor into this discussion, but how does this relate to the mystery surrounding the chaos in New York."
The three mutants froze as they realized the feeling of alienation they had created by talking solely about the affairs of their own team. Looking back, the trio of X-Men met the puzzled expressions of their allies. Angel probably understood most of it, while Spider-Man was looking over their shoulders at the opposite wall. No matter what the case, Captain America's advice had made sense, and it seemed as though the mutants had briefly broken off into their own debate while discussing the overall situation.
"Sorry about that…" Jean replied with an apologetic look. "Considering the rest of you already know what happened next with us, maybe the rest of you should try and explain your end of the story. Maybe it can provide some keen insight for those of us who don't live in the city."
Spider-Man nodded in agreement. "I'll be happy to share some of my findings, but I expect you guys to answer my questions to the best of your ability. There are still a few things that I don't know much about, and maybe someone here can help me out."
"Some stuff is on a need to know basis." Wolverine stated bluntly, trying to keep his meaning as clear as possible.
Although the arachnid looked as though he were about to retort, Cyclops quickly interrupted before he could. "What my friend meant to say, was that we might not be able to tell you every detail, but we can still do our best to answer any questions you might have."
Peter Parker considered his allies for a moment, quietly wondering if he had made the right choice to show up here at all. The feral mutant wasn't the most pleasant guy, but the masked hero understood that everyone was a trustworthy hero. He seemed slightly disappointed by the idea that the mutants might purpose hide things from him, but after a few seconds of consideration, he decided to go through with it anyway. Thinking quickly about his relevant experiences, the arachnid figured that the best place to start would probably be his first encounter with Magneto.
"This mess began for me that night your buddy showed up to rob a museum in Manhattan. If you read the newspapers, then you probably already know that the man stole a gemstone from one of the cases and escaped. Needless to say, Magneto and his goons got in some lucky shots, and the next thing I knew they were gone." Spider-Man explained with a hidden frown.
"More like he kicked your butt, and then lost interest." Logan added bluntly.
The masked hero turned on him again. "He was a lot tougher than I thought, and I also had my hands full with his henchmen."
Jean leaned forward with a look of anticipation. "Maybe you should tell us more about these people. What kind of abilities did they have?"
"One creep carried around a pair of flamethrowers on his back and had a really bad Australian accent. There was also another guy whose face was wrapped in red cloth." Spider-Man scratched his head confusedly. "I managed to subdue the first guy, but his buddy was a lot harder to read. He carried around a pair of freaky glowing whips, although I don't know what kind of powers he had."
Scott pondered this for a moment. "That fire bug was definitely Pyro, though I don't think any of us have ever met the other." He looked around at his fellow X-Men. "You guys know who the other bad guy was?"
"I've never meant someone like that either." Angel shook his head disappointedly.
The mutants exchanged glances again as the thought of Magneto's team of Acolytes returned. It was obvious that the mutant supremacist had followers, but they weren't familiar with one of the two men that their guest had described. Since he had approached X23, they were certain that he was planning on assembling mutants again. Sabertooth's appearance had been enough to get this point across to Wolverine during their violent encounter on the road, but hearing that someone they didn't recognize had appeared alongside their nemesis in New York was solid proof that he had been recruiting.
"Well, it looks like Magneto's found some new lackeys." Wolverine was the first to voice the group's opinion out loud.
Scott looked on with somber expression. "After seeing how people reacted back home when mutants were exposed, I can't say their reactions are entirely unwarranted."
"They've probably felt like freaks for so long back home, that they don't believe that anyone could ever accept them." Jean explained with a similar demeanor. "Throw in the escalating violence towards mutants, and it's only natural they would want someone to give protect them and give their lives a purpose."
Wolverine growled nastily. "The only people who would join up with the Acolytes are punks who need an excuse to take their anger out on other people."
"Really, then why didn't you join them?" the web slinger bantered with a chuckle.
"Shut up…" the feral mutant grit his teeth, silently muttering under his breath to avoid confrontation after their previous agreement.
"That was uncalled for." Captain America shook his head in disapproval before changing the subject. He glanced back at his friend to make certain there was serious conflict before turning to address the masked hero again. "Now, Spider-Man… When you were telling us about the crime syndicates last night, you also mentioned that Magneto was captured by some of the villains during your last encounter with him."
Cyclops stood up abruptly. "Wait a minute! What did you say?" he stammered in disbelief.
His girlfriend copied this action, casting the others a look of disbelief. "It makes no sense. There absolutely no reason I can think of why Magneto would be involved with this gang war."
"The mutant supremacist movement he's been promoting really has nothing to do with the gang wars here." Angel replied with a puzzled expression, running a hand gently through his blonde hair. "I don't know of too many powerful mutants New York, so who really knows what Magneto was thinking when he came here?"
The arachnid nodded in agreement. "Believe it or not, I wasn't exactly sure what to think about this at first either."
"Well there's a real shock…" Wolverine added in unnecessarily.
Spider-Man ignored this comment and continued on. "The one thing I do know about his case, is that the second time I ran into Magneto, he was after another artifact very similar to the first. According to what little I was able to dig up about these objects, it's possible that the stolen gemstones were from the same set."
It turned out that he had pondered these circumstances beforehand and done a little research as Peter Parker by searching through the Daily Bugle's database. He had long grown used to doing detective work over the last few years of fighting crime in New York. Of course the fact that he worked for one of the biggest newspapers in the country was also helpful. He wasn't well-liked by the editor, but he had established enough connections within the company so that he was able to call in some favors and find out almost anything.
Scott paused and thought about the web slinger's explanation. "Doesn't that remind you of the time Mesmero started gathering artifacts to free Apocalypse." He questioned, looking over at his girlfriend to see if she had also seen the same connection.
"Yeah… but we know from the past that Magneto found artifacts for his own reasons, like that weird radioactive stone he used to facilitate evolution in mutants." Jean replied with a look of uncertainty. "I just don't know how to piece these events together."
Warren stood up from his chair, turning to address the wall crawler. "Wait a minute… You said that the objects he was looking for might have been part of a set." The winged mutant paused again, but although it felt like a long shot, he decided that throwing anything out in the open might help them. "It was strange that Wilson Fisk just happened to donate a slew of artifacts to Tony Stark's new gallery, and purposely made a public spectacle of the opening."
"You don't really think that the fat man…" Logan began with a note of suspicion.
"That's exactly what I was thinking, earlier." Spider-Man interjected suddenly. "It seemed like those villains that captured your buddy were actually stationed in the area for the purpose of taking him down."
Steve Rogers raised an eyebrow before asking his question. "What makes you say that?"
"I was there the night they nabbed him, and it looked as though the bad guys were prepared for his magnetic powers." Spider-Man gathered the evidence in his head before resuming the explanation. "They sent a villain named Electro who could demagnetize metal with his electric-based abilities, and then they covered Magneto in a substance that seemed to drain away his mutant powers."
Warren's eyes widened slightly. "Who else thinks this sounded like an ambush?"
A murmur of agreement swept across the room as the heroes exchanged glances and spoke amongst each other, but it was Cyclops who recovered first. "Even though we may have figured out what's going on, I still don't know why the Kingpin would want Magneto?"
"He's got enough super villains around doing his dirty work." The web slinger was genuinely stumped. "I read up on helmet head, and still have no idea what Fisk could gain from holding a mutant terrorist hostage. It's not like there's any money to be made by abducting a violent activist, and the big man usually aims to maximize his profit."
Everyone fell silent again as they each took turns trying to figure out this pesky mystery. Although two of the group's number had dealt with crime in New York, they still couldn't figure out what was going through the Kingpin's mind. Cyclops and Jean's thoughts were more focused on the Magneto, having fought against the magnetic mutant multiple times in the past, and were much more familiar with his plans than Warren or the arachnid. Nevertheless their train of thought traveled just as far as the others.
Steve Rogers was hardly the right man for this case, having virtually no knowledge of who these people were. Logan's understanding of their mutant nemesis was probably greater than that of his younger colleagues, but he still had trouble. Glancing at the blue-clad hero behind him, the feral mutant remembered that Magneto had managed to steal the technology and formula used during project rebirth, something that many criminals would kill to get their hands on. The problem here was that most folks believed it was long forgotten to history, making it almost laughable that someone was still looking for it.
When no one seemed to be able to find a feasible conclusion, Logan let out an irritated growl and moved to the door. "I don't know about you guys, but there's no point in sitting around and doing nothing."
"Exactly what do you mean by that?" Angel looked up from his lap with a defeated expression.
"Do I gotta spell it out for you half-pints?" the former Weapon X snarled in annoyance before calming himself down.
Captain America stepped up, looking much more rational than his partner. "What I think Logan meant is, we were told to catch the Chameleon, and he's probably with the enemy right now. If this Magneto has any value to them, than he is probably with them too. Now's our chance to strike them, and when we get there we may finally get the answers to our questions."
The feral mutant snorted loudly. "At least he figured it out." Wolverine gestured to his old friend almost proudly before turning to face the city's heroes. "I you guys know where the big man hangs out, then quit gawking and spit it out."
Spider-Man looked conflicted for a moment, but he also realized that the best way to stop this gang war was to go after the cause and deal with it. It was also obvious by now that the questions they had could only be answered if they went, meaning that telling them was the most practical thing to do. After going over the pros and cons, the wall crawler joined Logan by the door leading the exit hall.
"I know where the Kingpin's hideout is, and it doesn't look like we've got any other choice but to go." Peter Parker declared bravely. "If you guys are in, then follow me… If you're not sure about coming than just stay out of my way and I'll handle it alone."
Wolverine eyed at him for a moment. "Well said, half pint…" he replied with a pronounced note of respect
He was clearly surprised that the web slinger had actually agreed despite their previously conflicting views. After some short whispers of deliberation, the rest of the group slowly joined them. They walked into the darkened passages leading back to the surface. None of them were entirely sure if this was the smartest idea, but with so little to go off of, they also had to agree with Spider-Man and Wolverine. The two of them led the way as their team prepared to follow into battle, none of them certain of what would happen next.
Meanwhile…
Deep below the streets of New York, Silvermane personally led his forces into position for their final attack on Crime Central. Hidden inside the core of a mundane office building, no one would have suspected that the nerve center of the Kingpin's empire was located inside a place where ordinary people worked everyday. There were secret passageways and a series of elevators that let through the different levels, all of which were hidden from public view to keep the secret that the gangs had worked so hard to conceal.
The building itself stood in the center of the bustling Metropolis within Manhattan, and was large ignored by those who didn't work there. However even those who visited the building everyday were often unaware of its dark secrets. Miles of tunnels ran underneath the streets, all of which led to several different locations associated with New York's Crime Cartel. All ways leading into the big man's lair were heavily guarded on both sides by his men, making it virtually impossible to sneak up on him without detection, but somehow the Maggia had managed this feat.
Silvio Manfretti had taken several locations and disabled the security measures put in place by his rival, having made certain that they would not be detected so easily. They were nearing the end of the passage at this point, meaning that even if the enemy had suspected them to appear, it would be too late to properly counter the attack. The Owl's treachery had been a pain, but thanks to the technology provided to them by HYDRA, Silvermane had obtained the technology to finish his robotic exoskeleton ahead of time for the final attack, thus moving their plans ahead quite a bit.
He had brought several of his top enforcers and his most skilled assassin along for the battle, including Hammerhead and Tombstone, as well as a team of mercenaries he had recruited just for the occasion. Several of the other gangs in New York had also joined with him for this particular endeavor, increasing his forces for the upcoming battle. Had they been more anxious to attract attention, it would have been much easier to attack the actual building, but the Maggia was attempting to handle the situation as efficiently as possible.
"At last… The time has come." Silvermane muttered, silently pressing a hidden switch on his mechanical suit.
The metallic exoskeleton came to life, the sleeves of his suit jacket tearing as the metallic covering expanded. Panels on the sides of his arms slid open to reveal a pair of built-in laser cannons, the neck area releasing a helmet-like attachment to protect his head, leaving only his face exposed to the open air. His white gloves were ripped apart as the armor on his hands enlarged, spikes sliding from the knuckle area for increased effectiveness in battle. The back of his jacket also tore open to reveal a miniature jetpack which would enable him flight capabilities in the case of emergency.
"Looks like those guys from HYDRA really knew what they were doing." Tombstone commented with a look of interest as he silently wondered what other tricks were hidden within the robotic harness.
His superior smiled in anticipation of the coming battle. "When asked by them what I wanted most, my thoughts returned to the glory days of my youth. That which I desired most is my former power and mobility, as well as the means to take what should rightfully be mine. BY sharing this technology with me, they have given me both."
Standing up at his full height, Silvermane allowed the tattered remains of the suit he was wearing to slide off his metal-encased body, revealing that every inch of him was now covered in a durable but extremely tough layer of metal alloy. The technological exoskeleton made him look more like a cyborg than Alistair Smythe, but at the same time he was also able to stand up and walk by himself without the pronounced limp and hunched posture he had developed in more recent years.
Approaching the metallic door ahead of them, the old crime lord placed his hand on the entry, not surprised that it was still locked from the inside. "Hammerhead, would you be so kind as to remove this obstruction?" he suggested calmly.
"No problem, boss man!" the flat-headed enforcer replied with a cheerful expression.
The others scattered out his path as the human battering ram lower his head, charging towards the sealed entry with all of his might. A giant crash reverberated throughout the tunnel as he mashed a crack in the barricade, repeating the process several times until the hole was large enough to exploit. He prepared to move in for another charge, but Silvermane placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him, wrenching his hands into the newly created window and effortlessly prying the doors open. He finished the movement with a swift kick to the door, causing it to fall off of its hinges with another crash.
"Go forth…" the old mobster replied, his right hand pointing to the broken opening.
Hammerhead nodded obediently before signaling the other mercenaries. "You heard him guys! When we're through, these punks won't know what hit 'em."
The room beyond was a small room lined with metallic paneling much like the rest of the Kingpin's futuristic lair, the cold industrial atmosphere creating a feeling of dread for those who walked these halls. The room had several other similar doorways, most of them still sealed, while each led to a different underground tunnel. At the opposite end of the room on a raised platform was the door leading into the main sections of the hideout.
The two guards stationed at the doorway raised their weapons to fire, but were immediately silenced by a few gunshots from the rival criminals. Silvermane and the other top gangsters allowed their underlings to move in first, but their decision seemed warranted when a flurry of bullets shot several of them dead. Several enemy minions had been waiting on the raised platform their weapons poised to fire again.
"Don't just stand there, return fire!" Silvermane fumed loudly as he prepared to enter the battle himself.
His bodyguard held out an arm and shook his head. "Don't bother wasting your time on these punks… Let me take care of this for ya!"
Tombstone crunched his knuckles menacingly as he stepped forward, taking out a large machine gun that had been strapped to his back moments before. The pale-faced enforcer jumped out and prepared to return fire, but was forced to dodge a pulse of sonic energy that was targeted at him. He looked up with a nasty sneer to find out that the blast had been fired by a familiar enemy. The opponent appeared to be leading the Kingpin's troops into battle, his distinguishing costume making him stick out amongst his fellow guards.
"Don't think so, zombie man!" the newcomer replied with equal ferocity, his eyes narrowing with a look of disgust.
The villain was of average height with a skinny figure, his body clothed almost entirely in a form-fitting yellow outfit with straight black lines running across the material. He wore a mask with a similar color scheme to the rest of his outfit, a black vest over his clothing, and a pair of bright red boots. Most prominent were a pair of metallic gauntlets adorning his wrists, these weapons having produced the blasts to begin with. In the criminal underworld, he was the villain known as the Shocker, for the powerful pulse blasters he wore on his forearms.
Although he had been locked up in prison for a while, the villain had been freed quite recently. He had no idea why, but one night while Spider-Man was fighting off some bad guys outside of the prison the cell doors on all levels of the prison had burst open by themselves, allowing anyone who was imprisoned to make an escape. The Shocker was one of the inmates that had escaped the Vault the night the Hobgoblin opened all the cells at the behest of Madame Hydra. It was a stroke of good luck that the Kingpin had offered him a job guarding this place, or else he would still be in the streets running from the cops.
"Just for that, I'm gonna make you death nice and slow!" the albino enforcer stated, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"Stop them!" Shocker barked to his subordinates, prompting the group to open fire again.
The two group exchanged gunshots, but Silvermane's side quickly turned the tide as the elderly mobster personally entered the fight. Using his flying ability and the enhanced protection granted to him by the battle armor, he flew into the air and began firing giant blasts of energy at the enemy forces using the weapons connected to the exoskeleton, his vicious attacks causing the enemy to lose their advantage. Many of them dove from the raised platform to avoid being fried by his laser fire.
Hammerhead used his employer's actions as a distraction to charge into the base of the platform, causing the enemy guards to lose their footing. The actions of the stronger gangsters quickly allowed their subordinates to gun down the remaining enemy troops, making room for them to advance even further. Tombstone raised his machine gun to kill the Shocker, but his opponent blasted the weapon from out of his hands with a well-placed pulse, using a second blast to knock the pale-faced enforcer off of his feet and into the opposite wall.
He hit the other wall with a loud metal clang before struggling to his feet, although the Shocker was now backing away from the scene, firing off consecutive pulses to keep the enemy at bay as Silvermane and the rest of his Maggia forces cornered him. An energy ray from the old man's armor burned the yellow-clad villain's shoulder as it soared past, prompting him to flee through the nearby door and into the next room to avoid instant death as gunshots peppered the air. The fleeing villain dashed through the larger room and slammed the panel on the wall with his hand, causing several thick metal doors to block the enemy from proceeding.
"Sir, the guards stationed in Sector A have been slaughtered and the Maggia has already taken control of the entry hanger." He called out loudly into the receiver near his mouth. "I repeat, the enemy has taken control of the main entrance!"
"I heard what you said the first time… I am not deaf, you imbecile!" the Kingpin's voice shot back, sounding even more irritated by this news. He considered the options briefly before answering his subordinate. "Lead them to the main laboratory if you can, I will make the preparations!"
"So you intend to use me and the other guards as bait?" Shocker seethed with outrage.
Wilson Fisk cut off the communications before pressing another button on the control panel in his office, causing a small monitor to slide out of the hidden compartment in his desk. Punching in a code into his keyboard, he contacted the main laboratory, immediately bringing the face of Doctor Otto Octavius into the view of the screen. The mad scientist looked as though he had been working moments before as he assessed the situation, and was none too pleased at being disturbed in the middle of his experiments.
"What do you want?" the stocky man snapped indignantly. "You promised me use of laboratories and funding in exchange for the last mission I completed on your behalf. I do not appreciate being disturbed!"
The Kingpin's image appeared on the monitor in the laboratory. "Do not push me after the lengths I have gone to procure your continued cooperation!" The scientist's disrespectful tone angered his employer, but the crime lord seemed to ignore it for now. "Silvermane's forces have broken though the main hall and shut down the building's main defense grid. I want you to guarantee your cooperation in stopping these interlopers."
"I guarantee you nothing!" Doctor Octopus retaliated with a large grimace, a defiant expression forming on his doughy face.
"You will obey my orders, if you want me to pay for your newest project…" the large man sat back in his seat, his hands folding in his lap in a relaxed manner. "The plans you submitted to me will require a substantial amount of funding to make a reality. If you do not comply, then I will personally see to it that your ideas never come to fruition!"
The multi-limbed villain opened his mouth to retaliate, but bit down on his own tongue to prevent himself from arguing. After muttering a few muffled threats under his breath, the ill-tempered villain nodded in compliance. "If you insist!"
Kingpin's evil grin only deepened. "I knew you'd see things my way." He pressed the emergency button on his desk, instantly setting off the alarm to alert all of his personnel. The large crime lord paused before turned back to the screen. "I will send down reinforcements from the upper levels, but in the meantime I suggest you work with what you have."
"Understood…" Doctor Octopus replied through grit teeth, the surface of his trademark sunglasses reflecting the laboratory's dim light.
He pushed the button on the screen, instantly cutting off communications with his superior as he planned to join the battle going on downstairs. The enemy would have to take a series of elevators in order to reach the Kingpin's sanctuary, one of which stopped on the floor he was working on right now. Although the made scientist despised Wilson Fisk, the two had come to a mutual agreement for the time being, and he was willing to work here so long as he was allowed unlimited funding and use of the labs. His desire to protect his own interests was the only reason he was willing to participate in this battle.
Otto Octavius removed the white lab coat he was wearing, extending his mechanical arms to their full length as he freed them for the first time in hours. "Attention all security forces available… Report to the main laboratory on level 12 and wait further instructions." He spoke into the receiver on his collar.
Using his mechanical arms to maneuver like four extra legs, the mad scientist exited the room and headed into hallway, waiting outside the elevator port with a group of underlings in wait of the enemy. The guards readied their firearms to prepare for the upcoming onslaught, but Doctor Octopus shoved them aside, using his metal tentacles to crush the door so that it wouldn't open so easily. Several floors above them, the Kingpin and his subordinates were sitting in the control room preparing in case the enemy reached them. Herbert Landon sat in the chair beside his employer and operating the terminal with the big man staring over his shoulder.
"This is the Shocker!" a weak voice came through the intercom on the panel. "Silvermane's goons beat me to a pulp and slaughtered all my men. They just took the first elevator and should be reaching the main laboratory any minute!"
The large crime lord cut off communications, not caring whether or not his subordinate was still alive. "Destroy the elevator!" he screamed to the disfigured man next to him.
"If the enemy was prepared for this attack, I doubt a small deter like that will put an end to their resistance." Landon shot back, looking slightly panicked himself. "They hacked the network before entering, so we can't stop the elevator or activate the security doors from here."
"Just do it!" Kingpin ordered, spit flying from his mouth as his anger grew.
The deformed man underling used the computer to open the communication links again, this time contacting the multi-limbed villain instead. "Doctor Octavius, stop that elevator by any means necessary!"
"With pleasure…" the mad scientist replied with a note of amusement.
Extending his mechanical limbs forward, he pried open the doors of the elevator and used the remaining two arms to tear the cables of the elevator to shreds. Without any support, the machine fell several stories with a resounding crash, tossing its occupants around like popcorn kernels in the microwave. The non-super powered mercenaries hit the ground with full force, several of them dying from the impact as the compartment they were riding in collapsed on them, shattering into a wreck of broken debris and sharp splinters.
The insane scientist glanced down before gesturing for his underlings to do the same. "This is not over… Prepare to fire in case any of them are able to stand!" he ordered, prompting the guards to position themselves around the port opening.
Down below, Silvermane and his top henchmen dug their way through the splintered metal remains of the elevator. Tombstone had several pieces of shattered glass and metal embedded in his torso and leg, although if it bothered him he ignored it. Hammerhead had landed on his adamantium skull plate and aside from a small headache he was otherwise unharmed, having been spared the main impact by bracing himself before they hit the bottom. Their leader also emerged in good shape, the metal exoskeleton now covering his body having made him near invulnerable.
He looked around to see if anyone else was in fighting shape, although it wasn't surprising that the normal humans had taken some serious injuries. His two top enforcers were a little ragged from the fall, but their faces were alive with anger. Looking up the barren elevator shaft, the old mobster's eyes widened slightly as he saw a familiar pair of metal arms retracting into the port several levels above their heads. Several gunmen from above pointed their weapons downwards, firing at the enemy with everything they had.
"Get down!" Tombstone warned as he picked up a large sheet of metal left over from the destroyed elevator. The pale-faced metahuman held up his makeshift shield using it to block the rain of bullets from above. "What a cheap shot… Sounds like something I would do!"
"I knew we shoulda just sent in the big guns instead of risking our own necks!" Hammerhead replied, looking as though he agreed with his fellow enforcer.
Silvermane looked more entertained than annoyed, having prepared for this. "If this is the way he wants to play this game, then so be it!"
"What're you doing, old man?" the albino villain shouted, trying to speak over the sound of gunfire echoing off the walls of the metal elevator shaft.
Silvermane ignored him for a the moment, turning on the communicator his scientists had built into the armor. "Smythe... Activate the Spider-Slayers and prepare to launch attack an all-out attack on Crime Central send a Mega Slayer to level 12 to assist me. Alert all of the crime lords to begin the final strike immediately."
The cyborg's voice came through the speaker with a note of uncertainty. "Per your instructions, I stationed three of these robots in several locations we managed to capture of the Kingpin's gangland territory. The slayers will arrive in mere minutes, and I will contact the others immediately."
"Excellent… See that you do!" the elderly crime lord replied, his heavily lined face twisting into a smirk as he severed the connection.
"You crazy old fossil! What's so funny now? Tombstone glared angrily as he saw the old man's cheerful expression. "Here you are smiling like an idiot while we're all stuck in a pit being shot at by those bastards!"
Several stories above them, Doctor Octopus glanced into the open port from above, realizing that his men were having trouble finishing the job. "Hold your fire!" he ordered.
The scientist extended his mechanical arm, grabbing hold of a giant statue that the Kingpin had used to decorate the halls of his criminal lair. It was a piece of abstract art sculpted out of iron by a famous artist and purchased for an outrageous amount of money, but then again he didn't much care. The only value that Octavius saw was that the heavy metal decoration probably weighed well over several hundred pounds and could probably finished the job. Heaving the statue over his head using his tentacles, the villain tossed it into the elevator shaft with all of his might.
"What the Hell!" Hammerhead bellowed, his eyes widening in shock as the giant piece of artwork came flying down from above.
Silvermane activated the jets on his armor picking up his hard-headed subordinate as they flew into the statue at full speed. Using the other man's head to crack the sculpture, he continued upwards while his remaining subordinate was forced to cope with the rest of the situation he had created. Tombstone managed to dodge the two separate pieces of the broken object as they hit the bottom of the tunnel where he was, but his employer and Hammerhead had broken through the enemy attacks for freedom. Flying through the open port above, they were quickly targeted by the guards who had moved back in anticipation.
"I have no desire to fight you, so perhaps you would be kind enough to accept death quickly!" Octavius replied courteously, but his as he spoke, the tentacles behind his back whipped the remains of the elevator doors at his opponent.
The old mobster blasted away the threat using his suit's built in laser cannons, looking pleased with the technology that HYDRA had provided. "We will see how your technological enhancements fare against my own."
"A challenge then…" Doctor Octopus raised an eyebrow with interest. "It would be my pleasure to destroy that shoddy piece of machinery."
Hammerhead ducked into a nearby room as his employer took on the mad scientist, providing cover fire as he held off the enemy mercenaries. Using his superior athletic skills and metal plate, he dodged and repelled their bullets, returning fire with impressive accuracy. Two more gunmen tried to interfere with the battle, but Tombstone joined the fight, having climbed up the shaft with his bare hands during the confusion. The two enforcers began to finish off the opposing henchmen, but the battle going on several meters away seemed anything but one-sided.
Despite his bragging, Octavius was having more trouble than he had anticipated. He flailed his mechanical limbs wildly in an attempt to crush the old mobster, but his opponent raised his arms to reflect the blows and retaliated by firing off several energy projectiles at the scientist. The multi-armed villain let out an angry growl as he ripped a nearby door of its hinges, using it to block the oncoming blasts. Although his adversary's attack had turned his makeshift shield into splinters, he lashed with his claws, seizing the old man by the throat.
For a moment it looked as though the mad scientist had won, his grip tightening as he attempted to wring his enemy's neck through the metal exoskeleton. "A worthless relic like you should have expired years ago!" he replied with an evil grin. "Now die!"
"You first!" Silvermane reached up, prying the robotic grip loose with his enhanced strength.
The elderly man let out a dry chuckle as he seized his opponent's mechanical arms, reeling him in with a well-placed tug and zapping him with a surge of electricity from another one of his armor's hidden weapons. Doctor Octopus screamed in agony as he felt the energy course through his body, temporarily stunned both physically and mentally by his adversary's actions. Silvio Manfretti blasted him away with a powerful laser blast, sending the super villain's smoking body through a nearby wall.
"It's over…" the old man replied as he kicked down the damaged wall, his metallic form looming above the enemy.
Octavius coughed as he rolled over to avoid a second blast from the elderly criminal's super suit, using his robotic arms to hoist himself into a standing position. He propelled himself towards his opponent with full force, retracting two of the limbs towards his own body to cushion the impact as he slammed into the elderly criminal. The remaining limbs of his harness planted into the surrounding floor to prevent his own body from being sent flying as the old man went hurtling through the opposite wall.
"We'll see who laughs last, old man!" the mad scientist replied, extending his two upper tentacles to ensnare the elderly criminal's entire body.
Exerting full force into his limbs, he started squeezing his enemy in an attempt to shatter the protective exoskeleton. From the beads of sweat forming on the old man's face ands failed attempted to break free, it seemed as though he was having trouble. Octavius felt his enemy beginning to gain some leverage, so he changed his approach. Pulling the old man closer, he withdrew a shotgun from his jumpsuit and readied it with his human hands. Glancing around to be sure that the others were still busy, he loaded the gun and took aim at Silvermane's exposed human face.
"You have long outlived your usefulness…" Doc Ock commented, raising the weapon with a look of amusement.
Silvermane struggled a moment longer, although his eyes caught the sight of a flying silhouette through the nearby window. "Have I…" he replied as the shape came into full view behind them.
The octopus-themed villain heard the sound of a jet engine behind him, turning around just in time to see a ten-foot tall humanoid robot fly through the wall behind him and advance forward. The debris from the new destroyed wall scattered everywhere as the fighters turned to see the commotion, but the Mega Slayer had already begun firing off missiles. Several of the scientists that worked on the floor head the commotion and began to flee, ignoring the battle that was going on altogether as they took the stairs to escape.
Caught off guard by the robot's sudden entrance, the Mega Slayer seized Doctor Octopus from behind, forcing the mad scientist to use his robotic claws to combat the new threat as his prey escaped. He easily managed to escape its grasp by breaking the enemy's grip with his metallic claws, but the metal monster recovered quickly and blocked his path to prevent him from pursuing its master. Meanwhile, the Silvermane met with his two enforcers who had also broke off from their fights to see the commotion.
"I see you called for reinforcements." The hard-headed man glanced at the robot. "What do you want us to do now, boss?"
"The two of you are to sanitize the building in any way you see fit. Now that we've attracted the attention of the authorities, there is no longer any reason for me to be discrete." Silvermane replied with a smirk.
Several floors above them, the Kingpin was forced to address these new developments. The room he operated out of was a large cavernous area almost as large as a gymnasium. Although a large number of machines and computers filled the bulk of the room, there were also several statues to add a sense of class. In the center of the room was the large control panel desk where the big man operated his criminal empire, the computer being more powerful than almost any other system on the planet. Vents covered the upper half of the room, and the metallic paneling that covered the floor and walls gave the area a futuristic vibe. Raised platforms and an elevator were used to get in and out of the room.
Now seated behind his desk, he was attempting to consolidate all of his forces in the city to combat this threat, having not expected a sudden change in the enemy's plans to quickly. Needless to say they had caught him off guard, and his own reinforcements were just starting to arrive. The problem with this was that Silvermane had also called reinforcements at the same time, which had resulted in a very incriminating gang battle in the streets in front of an office building owned by him.
His deformed sidekick burst through the doors of the main room, looking completely distraught by the current events. "Sir, the Maggia has sent in three Spider-Slayers to attack from the air, while their remaining forces have converged around the building!"
"Leland Owlsky told us about Silvermane's plans for the city, and yet we were still caught off guard by this onslaught!" the larger man bellowed loudly, his eyes narrowing like an angry predator on the hunt. "Those devious degenerates must have changed their plans as soon as they heard about the Owl's treachery!"
Landon loosened his tie, wiping sweat from his deformed brow. "I have assembled a small task force on this floor and by sending the remaining forces to stand guard outside while we wait for the enemy to arrive."
"What of the Spider-Slayers?" Have you dealt with them yet?" the crime lord questioned.
"Last time I checked, it appears that some of the local heroes were combating the threat for us in order to protect the public." The misshapen man answered carefully.
Before either of them could resume the conversation, a loud crash was heard in the next room. The metallic paneling split open as the Scorpion's limp body was tossed through the nearby wall, a laser blast enlarging the wall as his attacker came seconds later. The fully armored Silvermane stepped through the newly formed entry, tossing aside the body of a defeated guard as he advanced on the remaining two men. The Kingpin stood up with an angry expression, but his enemy grinned. The elderly crime lord was happy now that the moment he had dreamed of had finally come.
"Today, I will rebuild my criminal empire, and destroy yours once and for all!" the old crime boss replied in his elderly tones.
"How unfortunate that the mighty leader of the Maggia must wear a robotic suit to have any hope of victory." The large man retaliated with a similar expression.
His rival laughed a low, nasty chuckle. "It does not matter what methods I use to win, so long as the enemy is defeated."
"How right you are…" the Kingpin replied with equal malice. "Do not presume that I would be foolish enough to challenge you as you are now."
The much larger man pressed a button on his desk, causing the Chameleon to enter along with the Vulture and Rhino. The group of super villains moved between their employer as Silvermane, each of them preparing to attack on the Kingpin's orders. Herbert Landon reached under his desk and withdrew a large machinegun, bracing the weapon on his shoulder as he also prepared to participate in the fight. The elderly crime lord looked around, no longer feeling as confident now that he was outnumbered.
"Did you honestly think I would allow you to get this close to me were I not prepared?" the Kingpin commented with amusement as he stood up from his seat. "It's over!"
The elderly man opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted as a familiar masked hero smashed his fist through the vent he had been sneaking around in, allowing him to directly confront the enemies. Dropping down from the ceiling in a graceful manner, Spider-Man waved casually at the bad guys, all of which glared at him with even more hatred than they had for each other. He might not have been so bold under normal circumstances, but today was different. He couldn't allow either side to win this gang war.
"It's over all right… for you guys!" Peter Parker announced cheerfully.
As if on cue, a pair of claws shot through the elevator door, revealing the forms of Captain America and Wolverine stand behind it. Both of them had use stealth to infiltrate the base from the ground, something made easier by the fact that the security had been way too busy fighting off Silvermane's goons to notice them sneaking around. Both of them stepped into the room their eyes settling on the Chameleon almost immediately.
The villains prepared to attack, but the sound of breaking glass caught their attention as Angel came cashing through the windows in the upper half of the room, closely followed by Jean Grey who was carrying Cyclops in her arms. They set down on the floor as the two other heroes came from the opposite direction, their numbers and force distracting the bad guys and splitting their attention in half as they wondered what was going on. An awkward silence fell for a moment, but the large crime lord recovered first.
"Destroy them all!" the Kingpin shouted, his large fist coming down upon his desk like the force of a hammer.
Note to Readers: Phew… Another long chapter… I just want to finish this arc so we can put this Spider-Man story arc behind us. I really want to get back to X-23 and the mystery of the crystals. I will reveal what's going on after this battle, although there WILL be more questions than answers. A lot of elements for the sequel will come up, and if you're a Marvel fan, you will enjoy it.
Sorry for any typos, or errors in spelling or grammar. It is usually late when I work on writing this story, so there's bound to be some as usual. Please REVIEW… Still not much support, but I can't expect much for a story that doesn't get read by too many people. The most popular type of fanfiction is generally romance, but that might be more of that in the sequel… This one is action!
I can tell you guys another thing about the sequel… This story was large Spider-Man and the X-Men, the next one will have a much larger focus on the Marvel universe as a whole.