Chapter Nine
June 1st, 2010
Washington, DC
Coulson's Apartment
Jack had managed to return to the apartment in time before anyone found out he was gone. Afterwards, he went to heat up his food. But he didn't quite turn away from the microwave just yet. He was staring at himself in the door, reflecting upon his reflection and what he wore.
He looked like he had survived a car crash. The hooded sweatshirt he wore had burn marks all over it, and he was sure that his shirt and skin weren't left unscathed by the attacks. He slowly pulled off the sweatshirt for a better look and winced. His shirt wasn't safe, but there were bruises that were starting to form on his skin. Hopefully they weren't that noticeable.
The microwave alerted him that it was done, and he fished his plate out. He placed it on the counter and headed for his room to change his clothes. The bruises would be evident, and he would have a hard time explaining them to Coulson.
However, as he put on a new shirt, he remembered how quickly the burn mark on his hand had healed in a matter of minutes. Curiosity got the best of him, and he raised his hand up again. He poked at the area where the burn was, but he didn't feel any tremors in his nerves or muscles. He wiggled his fingers and didn't feel any sluggish movement.
"Huh. Guess super quick healing comes with the stickiness," Jack said to himself before heading back to the kitchen.
His phone started to ring on the countertop. He went to look to see who was calling him, only to be bowled over at the number of missed calls and texts. "Ah, crap," he groaned. He should have looked into them, but he had to answer this call first. "Hello?"
"Finally! I've got a hold of Jack! Hold on, let me put you on speaker phone."
Jack's head snapped up. "Miko?"
"Duh! We were wondering what happened to you — oof!"
"Jack! Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" Raf asked desperately. "I mean, with MECH, right? We saw on the news that they took a bunch of people hostage and figured they were after you—"
"Raf, calm down. You're about to set off the smoke alarms," Tiger said to him.
"Forget that! The way he kicked Supercharger's ass was the highlight of the episode," Miko's voice piped up. Raf hissed at her to keep quiet, but it was too late.
"Indeed," the unfamiliar deep voice chimed in. "With the way he was swinging and throwing his punches, he would have made his ancestors proud."
Jack was mortified and shocked that any of them knew it was him fighting Supercharger. He regained his composure and asked, "Um, what are you guys talking about?"
"Jack, we saw the video of you fighting him. You think we wouldn't figure it out?" Sierra said.
"Video?"
"Dude! It's all over the internet!" Miko piped. "The fact you're even still alive after every blow he gave you was—"
"Wait a minute. What? Hold on." Jack dropped the phone and quickly turned on the TV. He flipped through every channel until he found one covering the fight at the inn.
"They always say that what happens in DC stays on YouTube," the anchorwoman was saying, "but none were prepared for the spectacle that happened in our very own capital. Jackson Norris has more information on the event."
The screen switched to a man in a parking lot, where many people had gathered around. "Sara, it's an incredible scene here in downtown Georgetown, where a group of thugs there that afternoon tried to take an inn hostage. Luckily for us, they were foiled when a stranger stepped in and fought the two until they escaped."
On screen, shaky cell phone footage showed Jack fighting against both Supercharger and the Vulture. "Police have been unable to identify the masked man, but many believe he may, in fact, be an unregistered Mutant or Inhuman. Other theories suggest that he may be part of a new species of empowered humans like the Hulk."
The image shifted to a group of shaken but unharmed bystanders talking to the news anchor. "We saw this man who called himself Supercharger tearing at the cops. Thought for sure he would fry us all when this stranger came barreling inside the building and took out the guys that were holding us!" a man reported. "It was something you don't see every day."
"Others were not sure how to react, even after his mysterious disappearance," the reporter continued.
"This person just shows up, fight these guys, and then just leaves?" a man scoffed. "If you ask me, there's something fishy about it. We don't even know if he truly is on our side."
"Yet there were those who showed much gratitude and admiration."
The screen switched to the mom from earlier. "Whoever he is, if he's watching this, I want to thank him for being here at the right time. I don't know what would've happened to my son if he wasn't there." Tears started to stream down her eyes and her husband held her.
"The Spider-Man was awesome," the kid exclaimed.
Jack blushed heavily at that while the scene shifted to another interview, an elderly couple with two kids believed to be their grandchildren babbling. Their grandparents smiled and the grandfather calmed them down. The grandmother looked at the screen. "He really was a marvel of a man. I don't want to think about what would've happened if he hadn't shown up."
"Iron Man created a whole new vision to how society can be safe from terrorism and other dangers," the grandfather agreed. "This kid could be a step up."
Jack wasn't sure whether to feel touched, proud, or scared. Yes, he had blatantly gone in headfirst knowing he was now a target to MECH, but he had saved lives. He still hadn't considered the facts that it was now all over the network. If anyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. who knew him found out about this and put the pieces together, he would be in serious trouble. Worse yet, if Silas knew it was him and not just some random stranger…
Wait, did MECH pay any attention to the news?
"Jack? Jack, are you there?" Raf's voice broke his train of thought.
"You're a YouTube sensation now! Oh, I am so jealous of you," Miko said.
"Really?" Banner said in disbelief.
"What? Him fighting those goons hit almost a million views in one day! How can you not be?"
Jack quickly shut off the TV and rushed back into the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Okay, look. What I did was absolutely stupid, but I had a reason to, okay? So just zip it!"
"Stupid? On Asgard, they would throw you a feast and sing ballads about you for years to come," the man said.
"Thor, we don't really do that here," Banner said.
"You really don't believe he's from a place from Norse Mythology, do you?" said Miko.
"Are you calling me a liar?" Thor growled.
"No, I'm calling you a nutcase."
"Guys!" Jack shouted. As they grew quiet on the other end, he whispered, "Do the others know?"
No one answered him right away. He raised an eye brow before he heard Raf say, "Ratchet had to leave the room because he was having a nervous breakdown. So, no."
"Ratchet having a nervous breakdown. Sounds like something Fowler would have," Jack sniffed humorously.
Miko cackled. "That is so true."
"Bump me like that again and I'll turn you into dog chow," Tiger hissed.
Miko "eeped" on the other end.
"Okay, you guys have to promise to keep this on the DL," Jack said. "Especially from Optimus. If any of them find out what I did, they'll lock me up — right after Arcee kills me."
After a while, Sierra asked, "What did you do?"
"Never mind," Banner said.
Footsteps pounded from outside of the hall. Jack quickly placed his phone back on the table and sat down before the door was forced open. Five people swarmed the apartment.
"Where are they? I'll kill them. I'll—" Romanoff came to a halt when she saw Jack at the counter. He could practically hear the others trying to hush Miko.
"Um, how's the weather today?" Jack asked stupidly. He could imagine the others facepalming themselves.
"Why do you look like hell?" Coulson said.
"Who cares? I'm tired from all of that running, and I want to go to bed." Barton stumbled over to the couch and plopped on top of it. Before any of them knew it, he was snoring aloud.
"You guys were running all over the place?" Jack questioned them. He raised a brow. "Wow. I guess I'm slow on the exercise."
Romanoff had a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Slow on the exercises? I can have that problem fixed if you like."
Hank and Janet started to gesture with their hands, mouthing no at the same time.
"I think I'll pass," Jack shoveled the meatloaf into his mouth. "Mmm, after nine years of tofu, this is so good."
Janet gagged at that. "Ew, tofu? Why would your mom feed you that stuff?"
"Yeah, like Jasper is a very diverse city," Jack said caustically.
Hank smirked. "I don't know. You seem to know how to take care of yourself." He had been looking at his phone as he said that, and he slapped it down in front of Jack. The teenager tensed when he saw it was the footage of him fighting the pair and taking out the thugs.
Jack swallowed a nervous lump. He reluctantly looked up at the others and saw them glaring at him, waiting for him to explain. Except for Barton as he continued to snore on.
"What?"
"Jack, how dumb do you take us for? You're only here for one day and this guy shows up. Did you honestly expect us not to figure it out?" Coulson frowned at him.
"Um, I didn't think you would notice," Jack mumbled.
"…So, how was it?"
Jack gawked at his godfather. "Huh?"
"Don't try to encourage him," Romanoff told Coulson. Then she had the nerve to look back and ask, "But yeah, how did it go?"
Jack frowned at them. "This isn't one of those tests you guys use to lure me into a trap, is it?"
"JACK!"
Jack yelped as the sudden voices that boomed through the room. Even Barton bolted up from his short nap. Everyone turned to his direction as he heard something thunder in his phone. The voices of his friends were hissing before the noises stopped all together, but it was too late.
"Jack? Jack, are you okay. We heard what was happening over there. MECH hasn't tried to get you, have they?" Arcee's voice said. If she were there, she would have seen Jack's face pale as all eyes turned to him.
Meanwhile, Jack mentally cursed her. They really did have bad timing after all. He should have bolted to his room and locked himself inside. Hopefully his embarrassment would fade by the time school started.
But he couldn't bring himself to move. He wanted to, but only his hand did as he quipped lamely, "Well, no one's tried to pull an MI6 on me."
"Why would you expect something from Tom Cruise? I mean, it's not like he'd be interested in us." Miko gasped. "Oh, that would be totally awesome just to see the look on his face when he sees the Autobots!"
Jack smacked himself on the side of the head. Well, he made it worse than it already was, but it was obvious that she had no idea what he was talking about. Glancing up, he could see most of the adults trying to hold their laughter in.
"Miko, MI6 is…never mind. This'll be a long thing to explain for you."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Miko demanded.
"She kind of sounds like you," Hank whispered to Janet. He was rewarded with a smack to his shoulder.
"Look, guys. I'm okay. Seriously, I am. Nothing bad has happened to me. I heard it from the radio and was a little freaked out myself, but no one's come for me. From what I've heard, they're being taken care of," Jack assured the others. He sounded dismissive, but he was near tired and hungry.
Ratchet must have picked up something in his tone, because he suddenly asked him, "Are you absolutely certain you're fine? You haven't been feeling any bouts of exhaustion or drowsiness for no reason, have you? Anything feeling out of the ordinary?"
"No, Ratchet. Nothing's changed since we've last spoken to each other," Jack said.
"So partner, how's Coulson been treating you? Do I need to have to go over there and straighten him out?" Arcee asked, and Jack rewarded her with a snort. That only earned a glare from him.
"Coulson's still a bit mad at me for the sudden arrival, but we're working it out. Other than that, nothing's changed in the last few hours," Jack answered. "So, how's everything going on your end? Any new activity?" Even as he asked that, he could feel the uneasiness crawl up into the atmosphere when she didn't answer right away.
"Well, you know Cons, they never stay silent for long," Arcee said, and Jack frowned at that. He was talking about them, not the Decepticons. Why would he want to know what they were up to?
"Yeah," Jack pushed out. "They can't seem to know when to call it quits after all."
"Well, I'll give them credit for some of the good things. Like the first time you and I have met? You know, right outside of your school while two Vehicons tried to play hide and seek with me?"
Jack frowned in confusion. What?
"Who would have thought that staying after class would have led you to finding out about us, huh?"
Jack blinked. "Yeah, that was a really crazy day. Except for one thing," he revealed. "You never went anywhere near my school until the day after we met. You know, right outside K.O. Burger?"
There was a sharp intake, and Jack suddenly felt something heavy grow. He spotted Hank and Janet sharing a knowing look. Jack couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. But now that he thought about it, he didn't sound much like himself.
"Arcee, it's okay. I'm fine. I was just as freaked out as you guys were. I understand that you're worried, I would have been to. I was just freaked out and worried about MECH being in Washington, that's all." Why wouldn't he be? If the others had been in his position, he would have been terrified.
The conversation carried on for a few more minutes, with Jack promising to call them at Miko's demand. As he hung up, he stared at the screen. Having left his lunch and the adults forgotten until Janet spoke.
"You okay?" she asked him.
"Yeah, totally," Jack said as he picked up a glass. He nearly did flinch as Coulson turned to the others.
"When Fury is given the okay, you are not to tell them or the others about this," he hissed at them. He caught sight of Barton snickering in the background so he added, "And if you tell anyone, Barton, I will personally take your arrows and use them to redecorate your farm." That earned more snickers, but not from the archer.
"Er, right," Barton said with a grimace.
Later that night, after eating Chinese takeout, Jack retreated to his room. He was ready to change into his pyjamas before he saw his phone resting on his bed. Even after talking it out, Jack couldn't shake off the feeling of the stunt he pulled. He wanted to see if Silas was there, but when it turned out to be someone else, he thought for sure he was in trouble until he found a different reason for being there.
He swiped his phone off of the stand and sat down, searching for the video that the others talked about. He managed to find it on the website for WDAZ News. He watched it, replaying it over and over again, trying to remember every little detail there was. He even watched every news outlet that covered the story; some praised him, others condemned him. All in all, at the end of the day, they acknowledged that he had saved the boy's life.
For the first time since his mom's death, he felt warmth in his chest. He had done a good deed for once without worrying about being chided for his recklessness, and even though it would not go unpunished, he didn't care who would react negatively.
Looking in the mirror, he reached up and traced a hand over his chest. The spider bite had done a lot more than enhanced his physical attributes, just as the serum enhanced Captain America. But he used everything he was given for a good cause.
"You're a lot like your father. You really are, Jack, and I'm proud of that. But he lived by a philosophy, a principle. He believed that if you can achieve greatness, you had a moral obligation to do them! That's what I'm trying to get at to you."
He closed his eyes and took in a breath. The memories of his father were still hazy, but he knew enough to know that his mom was right. He had a lot of potential, but he was able to use it responsibly, and he would do it again in her memory.
It was settled then; he would be a hero here for those in need. The only problem was, he didn't know where to start. He had to be secretive, because if he ever got caught, it meant that they would learn what he was doing. Well, he could start with a name, a title, a moniker. He replayed the news in his mind as it all came back to him.
"Spider-Man…" It was like a light bulb went off. "That's it!"
It was perfect! He had the name down, now what to wear was at the forefront of his mind. He wanted something that suited his name, abilities, and personality. Something that would let the world know he was a defender and not a criminally reckless vigilante. His original outfit wouldn't do, so he needed something else.
And then he got an idea. Jack pulled out the suitcase from underneath his bed and rummaged through it until he found his sketchbook, pulling it out and flipping through it until he found the drawing of the superhero he made. It would need adjustments and redesigns in a few areas. All he needed now were the materials, and he needed the right one for this to work.
He quickly pulled up the internet service on his phone, searching for different types of body armor and clothing material. Most of the armor was expensive, ranging from seventy to four hundred dollars. Now that he thought of it, he could probably steal some from S.H.I.E.L.D., hoping none would be the wiser. He would have to use spandex for fabric, considering that it was cheaper. With his job from the K.O. Burger, he knew he wouldn't have been able to afford much without drawing someone's attention. If he wasn't careful enough, he could cause quite a stir.
From what he learned from comic books and advice from the others, he would have to find a way to balance the heavy with the lightweight. He needed to be fast, but he also needed protection from blades and bullets. With that in mind, he overlooked his childhood hero to know what was needed. With those spots in mind, he pulled up shops for all the equipment needed. Some were easier to find than others.
The next day, Jack went straight to work on creating his costume. He had learned sewing during home economic classes in Jasper, so he wouldn't need much tutorial from the internet. He used the savings from his bank account to get the materials from one of the local shops in the neighborhood and one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s warehouses and started to lay out the outfit before sewing the materials together. He made sure to hide the outfit, hopefully to surprise the others positively.
As soon as he was done with that task, he realized two problems that needed to be addressed. He needed a way to find the bad guys, and he needed a way to catch them once he did. Finding them when he did was all well and good, but if you could hear about the crimes as they happened, it would get rid a lot of all the guess work. He may be stronger than the average person, but he had to neutralize the threat on the spot and prevent the fight before it could happen. He just needed the right gadgets to make it happen.
It all came to him when he looked at the devices Raf made. Unfortunately, the spiders were still back in Jasper, but Raf had promised to take care of them until they could figure out what to do with them. He would have to figure a way to create his own webbing like spiders did. Wait, could he do it biologically? Probably not, because that would be a major awkward thing to have. After some thinking, he figured out how to locate criminal activities. No one outside his family but a few knew this, but he was very intelligent for his age. From a very young age he had a love to learn things; especially when it came to the STEM category.
Luckily for him, Janet was able to drag him to her father's labs various times in the few days when he started to create his superhero alter ego. From the labs he began to work on his webbing problem. He did his research on spiders and how their webbing worked, examining the molecular structures of the sticky silk and the ones from the pellets. He broke it all down piece by piece. He would spend his free time working on the formula until he found one that worked.
As the week came to an end, he found himself on top of one of the taller buildings. The suit was finished, the web formula was completed, and he was ready to go. Jack was shaking as he looked over the district. As he slipped the mask over his face, he could suddenly feel everything fall into place. "Here goes nothing."
He closed his eyes, concentrating. Without a thought, he fell forward and plummeted towards the ground. He was so high up that it felt like he was flying. His eyes flickered as his body sliced soundlessly through the air. He could feel the adrenaline as he came closer to the ground.
So close and so quick. He shot an arm out and deployed his web-shooter. He watched as a thick strand of the webbing shot out and caught a nearby building. Calculating the trajectory, he started to swing from one building to the next one. It was not long before he came to a building, his palms slamming into the glass. He took in the sight before him. "Holy, shit!"
He didn't look anything like his old self. Jack Darby, the lonely and orphaned outcast was no more. The stranger that stared back at him was confident and heroic!
His costume was full body, made entirely out of polyester and spandex. Most of his suit was a dark blue while his mask, chest, abdomen, gloves, and boots were red. His upper body showed off the pattern of a spider web's design; black on the red, silver on the blue. On his belt were the cartridges for his webbing and other utility uses in case he had to fight back. And his mask was a good way to hide his identity. The eye slits were large and expressive. To complete the outfit, a spider was imprinted on his chest and back.
Jack choked on a giggle. "I can't believe this. I just can't…" He did a backflip and found himself laughing at the sudden excitement he felt, blasting out webbing as he swung through the streets once more.
His whole life had changed so drastically. Here he was just an average kid that met a whole new species, only now to be an orphan and become a whole new being. He was a hero, not by a total accident but by a choice. Sure, it wasn't something huge, but it was a stepping stone. Who knew what the reactions the Autobots and his friends—
Jack froze up, realization dawning on him. "Oh, no…"
Jack stopped on top of a building as a new problem had settled on him. What would the Autobots say? What would Fowler do? There was so much going on for him that he hadn't even given them a thought. For what reason though? Was it because he was selfish, or was it because he was a coward, ashamed of himself for making the choice?
He should tell them. He had been honest with them about himself. Well, not entirely about his family history, but he was honest about all of the other things.
He clenched his fist tightly. "I'll tell them when the time is right." he decided, "Just…not yet."
Letting out a soft sigh, Jack sat on the ledge and pulled off his mask. He just needed a minute to let everything sink in. So many changes…
It had been years since Danvers had been to Earth. Because of the deception she was put through and the trauma to her memories, she had dedicated herself to relocating the remaining Skrulls and covering what she could against the Kree Empire. Those she once she called friends were now her enemies. And vice versa.
Not that she minded. At the moment, she was nearing the borders of the Triangulum Galaxy. It was home to the Shi'ar Empire, composing of humanoids of avian descent. Rumors had been that they were slipping into other quadrants of the universe to capture other dominants as slaves. She was heading there to prevent that from happening.
Captain Marvel.
A voice echoed through her head. It was neither male nor female. Rather, it was but a soft whisper.
Help them.
Danvers frowned, "Who?"
She gasped as images of people she either knew or didn't flash through her mind. One of them looked very inhuman, that she remembered.
However, the scene around her changed. She was standing on a rock surface, with meteorites surrounding it in open space. It was devoid of life, save for the sleeping forms of aliens she never discovered before.
"The Harbinger of Chaos has awakened."
Danvers gulped at the rasp. She inched closer into the shadows.
"His target is a little world. A mortal world."
At a crack of the rock formations, she could make out a faint light. She peeked through the crack to see where the source came from. She could make out two figures, but not what they looked like.
"He is ready to lead, and our forces will follow. The world will be his. The universe will know your name. And the humans — what can they do but burn?"
Unbeknownst to Danvers, another figure was appearing from behind her. It held an electrifying staff in its hands. As soon as that was said, she felt something hot and painful slam into the back of her neck.
Danvers' head snapped back as her consciousness returned to the void of space. She was in no pain, but the effect still lingered. The voice was not present, and she could do not investigate into this as she turned to a certain direction…