Remnant's Mightiest Heroes!
Chapter 18: Sins of the Father
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November 3, 18:09
Camden, New Jersey
It was the dead of night for Camden. Leaning against the wall of a house, Daisy Johnson was doing a stakeout. Her hardened gaze is directed at the two-story rundown row of houses across the street.
"Patriot. It's Quake. Do you have a visual?"
"I'm your eyes in the sky, Quake. I've been tracking that guy ever since you gave him the scare to lead us to this place. Drones picking up at least six hostiles. Two of them are in the kitchen cooking who knows what and the rest are upstairs cleaning weapons."
"Can you identify them?"
"The weapons? I wish. Maybe I can talk to Ghost Spider and see if that brain of hers can upgrade my gear. You know…I didn't take these guys to be that desperate."
"When you're a group of superhuman haters, all reason goes out the window," Daisy muttered. "Whoever their supplier is, they have to be smart enough to recreate the formula."
"Well, there is always—"
"He's NOT the supplier!" Daisy snapped. "I thought that we made it clear several times back at the Helicarrier. Director Fury even confirmed that he isn't the supplier!"
"That doesn't exactly mean he's off the suspect list."
Before Daisy could retort, a van pulled up to the house she was watching. Exiting the van are five men wearing military uniforms. The most distinctive feature they share is the white snarling dog masks. She recognized those masks everywhere, and the thought made her groan.
"Patriot, some more Watchdogs have entered the building," Daisy warns as she watches them enter the building. None of them looked at her as the last one closed the door.
"Great," Patriot groaned. "Isn't six bad enough?"
"We've dealt with a Kree Accuser, right?" Daisy asks as she kicked off the wall and walked to the house. "You get the top floor. I got the bottom."
"On it. What's the signal?"
"How about now?" Daisy asked as she knocks on the door. Faint footsteps can be heard from the other side of the door. It was silent for a moment before a gruff voice spoke from inside the house.
"Who's there?"
"Theodore."
"Theodore who?"
The response was a vibration blast that shattered the door into splinters. The unlucky Watchdog standing behind the door was knocked off his feet.
"Theodore was stuck and won't open," Quake muttered as she entered the house. Some Watchdogs, probably the ones that arrived, were in the process of receiving soup when she shattered the door. One of them gasped at her in recognition.
"Crap! It's her! She's an Inhuman!" One of them shouted as they reached for their guns. Quickly, she vibrated the air in front of her, creating a barrier that blocked the bullets. The bullets continued to slam into her barrier only to end up as crumpled nuggets of metal.
Patriot stood on the rooftop watching the whole thing. Through his cowl's lenses, he saw what his Shield Drone is seeing. Right now, Daisy is punching her way through the Watchdogs, whose guns have run out of ammo. He could tell she was using her vibratory powers to enhance the power of her attacks. From what he heard, even without her powers, she took out a room of HYDRA agents. She'll wipe the floor with these guys.
"Couldn't she have waited a few more seconds," Patriot mutters as he recalls his drone. When he hopped on, it switched to glider mode. He flew towards the building and leaped through the window. The upstairs Watchdogs that heard the commotion was gearing up when they heard shattering glass. Patriot rolled on the ground before catching his shield as it transformed into its default form.
"You're under arrest by order of SHIELD!" Patriot declares. "Now are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"
The Watchdogs looked at each other before firing their weapons at him. Bullets slammed into Patriots shield and fell to the ground. The former protégé of Captain America gritted his teeth,
"Why do I even ask?" Patriot muttered as he pulled something off his belt. He gave an underhand throw and lowered his head behind the shield. A few seconds later, the flashbang went off. His cowl had inner ear protection and his lenses protected him from the glare. The Watchdogs weren't so lucky.
"I should make it a habit to bring one of these," Patriot mutters before giving the nearest Watchdog a shield bash. He followed it up with a punch to the jaw. One of the Watchdogs who had been lucky enough to cover his eyes charged at him. Sweeping his legs from underneath him, Patriot slammed the side of his shield into his temple, knocking him out.
As the battle continued, one of the fallen Watchdogs crawled on the floor and reached for an open briefcase. He pulled out a vial of yellow liquid and insert it into a slot of a wrist-mounted mechanism. Pressing a button, the formula injects into his bloodstream. Seconds later, he began to convulse uncontrollably. Soon, his muscles began to grow, his clothes barely keeping together.
A Watchdog was crawling towards a fallen pistol. Just before he could grab it, he heard a high-pitched whine. Looking up, he saw Patriot aiming a glowing tip of his Shield at him. The last thing he saw was the energy bolt that put him to sleep.
"And that takes care of that," Patriot said before speaking into his comms. "Quake, I finished up the second floor."
"Same here. I call Coulson and have him send the retrieval team to drag these assholes into the interrogation room."
"I'll be sure to gift wrap them," Patriot said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. As he heard the click of the handcuffs locking, he noticed the long shadow looming over him. When he turned around to look, his eyes widened behind his cowl.
"Oh shit-!" Patriot barely had time to raise his shield in time to block the boulder-sized fist streaking down at him. The force of the blow felt like an anvil had dropped onto him. He could feel his bones ringing. He could swear that he heard his shield sparking. Before he could recover, he felt a second blow that knocked him off the floor. He crashed through the door and flew down the stairs. His fellow agent was in the process of restraining a Watchdog when she saw him slam against the wall.
"Patriot!" Quake cried out in worry.
"I'm okay. But I'm going to feel that in the morning," Patriot groaned as he struggled to get up. "But you might want to bring out the Sci-Tech divisions present!"
Daisy looked up as a hulk-like figure came lumbering down the stairs. His clothing had been reduced to rags, showcasing chiseled muscles. The Watchdogs mask has been cracked at the lower jaw, a perpetual grimace replacing the snarling dog.
"Quake! What's happening?" Coulson spoke in her earpiece.
"It's one of the Watchdogs! He's jacked up!" Quake growled as she threw up a barrier just in time to block a punch from the hulking Watchdog. Her foe growled at the fact his attack failed and threw punch after punch in an attempt to pulverize her.
As Quake struggled to keep the barrier up, Patriot managed to stand himself up. He saw the clash between barrier and fist and knew it can't go on. Even if he could help, his shield is damaged to be of any use. His eyes drifted to one of the restrained Watchdogs and noticed something on his belt.
"Quake! Cover your eyes and get ready!" Patriot called over the rumbling of the air. His fellow agent looked over her shoulder and saw the object in his hand. Nodding, she dropped the barrier and fell to the ground as he threw the object.
A few seconds before the Watchdog could pound her, the flashbang went off. He howled and pawed at his face in an attempt to remove his blindness. Seizing her chance, Quake gathered vibratory energy in her arms and blasted it at the giant thug. The Watchdogs got launched out of the house and into the street still dazed and confused from the flashbang.
Not wasting this chance, Quake ran forward while he is still down. Pulling out a syringe and inserting a purple fluid, she injected it into the hulked Watchdog. He remained motionless as his muscles began to deflate. After several seconds, he returned to his previous state, albeit with clothing reduced to rags.
"Coulson. Hostiles have been neutralized. The vaccine worked. Send a retrieval team and prepare the med bay for Patriot.
"Copy that Quake," Coulson replied. "Did you find the supplier?"
"That's a negative," Daisy said before she saw something. "But I found a lead…"
Daisy approached the unconscious Watchdog and pulled a folded piece of paper out. When she unfolds it, she found out that he was carrying a map of the United States. From the markings, it seemed that he was curious about the supplier as well, but not smart enough to not include more Watchdog hideouts across the country. SHIELD is certainly going to be having a field day with this information. But what got her attention was the big red circle around one city.
New York.
November 5, 15:03
Avengers Mansion, New York
Weiss Schnee stood in a luscious forest area with her weapon drawn. Myrtenaster is set to its pre-revolver configuration, the revolving cylinder is changed to accommodate dust vials. Not that she would be using any dust anytime soon. Next to her is a table with three vials standing upright. Each of their contents appeared to be moving inside. She picks up and inserts each of them into Myrtenaster's cylinder.
"Okay JARVIS," Weiss called. "I'm ready. Send in the first wave."
"At once Ms. Schnee."
Materializing in front of her are several soldiers in black and red BDUs. Their helmets had red lenses for them to see through. Each of them is armed with an H3L-A Energy Rifle. On their shoulders is the logo of a tentacled monster with a skull. A mark the represented an entity whose atrocities scarred this planet forever.
"I couldn't have asked for a better target," Weiss said as she begins testing the first vial. Thanks to the efforts of Ruby, this one is filled with Horton's Cells. According to Ruby, they were created by a Dr. Phineas Horton, hence the name of the cells. They were used to create something called a 'Synthetic Man' until he discovered that they burst into flames upon exposure to oxygen. The synthetic man would go on to become the first human torch during the days of World War ii.
She snapped out of her thoughts when the HYDRA soldiers aimed their rifles at her and open fire. Acting fast, Weiss swung her rapier, sending a wave of fire at them. As it passed through them, it set them on fire. The HYDRA soldiers screamed as they tried to put out the flames. The heiress took the opportunity to charge in and stab them while they're down. While she is sentimental against killing, these are still holograms. It was certainly far better than the Light Model Decoys that she and her friends had to fight during Bootcamp.
"Test results are satisfactory."
"That's what you said for the past three days," JARVIS pointed out. "One would think you enjoy setting HYDRA soldiers on fire."
"My semblance is like my muscle," Weiss explains after she called for another wave. "The more I practice, the more proficient I become."
"You said that for the liquid helium test too. Seven times if I may add. Should I be keeping count?"
Weiss just rolled her eyes before calling up the second wave. This time, the HYDRA soldiers are armed with truncheons. The next vial she tests now contained liquid helium—the coldest substance on earth. According to Stark, this was commonly used by a criminal known as Blizzard. Creating a glyph in front of her, she stabbed the ground and covered it with an ice sheet.
When the HYDRA soldiers took a step forward, they comically slipped and fell on their behind. They tried to get up only to slip and fall again. Weiss stifled her opportunity to laugh at their misfortune before skating on glyphs towards them. Like the first wave, she effortlessly defeated them. With a flourish, the ice sheet cracked and faded into nothing.
"Test results satisfactory," Weiss said proudly. She looked at Myrtenaster as its cylinder revolved. "Now to test the new one. The third wave please."
JARVIS complied and set up the third wave of HYDRA goons. The last vial that she is testing has something metallic moving inside in swirling, like a mini-tornado. As it moved, sparks of electricity sparked which increased in frequency and intensity as Weiss activates it. Focusing her semblance, a clock glyph appeared beneath her.
Just when she was about to wipe the floor, her Glyph sizzled out. Weiss blinked a couple of times before looking at the vial. Inside the vial, the swirling and electricity had stopped. At the bottom of the vial is something that looked like metallic dust. But it is something else if you grab a microscope to look closely.
"Still a work in progress," Weiss muttered as the HYDRA soldiers raised their weapons to fire. "JARVIS, end program."
Weiss turned on her heel and walked out of the HARM room as the HYDRA soldiers faded with the simulated environment. She removed the third vial from Myrtenaster before transforming it into its default state – a snowflake broach.
Despite her disappointment, she felt satisfied with the results of the dust substitutes. Naturally, dust is compatible with their aura. Using something else to substitute was an exhausting effort. When she brought this up to Stark, he figured that nanotechnology would help stabilize certain materials to make them easier for her to use. Ruby volunteered to help work on them to gain firsthand experience. While she still has some difficulty, the nanites inside helped reduce the stress on her aura.
As she ascended the stairs to exit the command center as they have taken to calling it, she heard noises coming from the living room. As the heiress made her way there, the sounds got louder. They sounded like encouragement.
"Come on Yang! You can do it!" Ruby cheered. She and the rest of her friends are standing in a circle around Yang. The blonde brawler's face is red with exertion as she tried to lift a hammer. After several more minutes, she gave up and let go of it. She stared at it with an indignant scowl and threw her hands up.
"Stupid hammer!"
"There, there," Nora patted her back in sympathy.
"If it's any consultation, my fellow Avengers tried lifting Mjolnir and most of them weren't worthy," Thor chuckled. The Asgardian prince is sitting on the couch watching them as they tried to lift his hammer, Mjolnir with mirth. It was there he noticed Weiss standing in the doorway. "Hail young Schnee."
"Hello, Thor," Weiss politely greeted. "What brings you here?"
"I believed that a visit was in order before I join my fellow Avengers in cleaning up the mass exodus of the Raft," Thor answered. "While we wait for you, I thought I'd give you young heroes the chance to try lifting Mjolnir."
"Really?" Weiss asked, looking at the hammer that sat innocently on the ground. Upside down, she can make out the words 'whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.
She recalled what the Avengers told them about Thor's banishment to Earth, or Midgard as the Asgardians called it. To teach him a lesson in humility his father, Odin Allfather, placed an enchantment on the hammer to prevent the 'unworthy' from wielding it. From the stories of Thor's exploits, both now and in mythology, that seemed to be a wise move.
"Hey, Weiss! Guess what?" Ruby gushed as she bent down and gripped Mjolnir's handle. To Weiss's surprise, Ruby is picking it up but with some difficulty. It got no more than a few inches off the ground that Ruby had to let go and let it fall with a thud.
"You can lift Mjolnir?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah, but barely," Ruby sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "I still have a long way to go before I'm worthy of the power of Thor."
"Hey, almost worthy is still pretty good," Jaune said. "At least you're able to lift it."
"Do not be disheartened young warriors," Thor encouraged. "Time will tell if you will be worthy. Young Schnee…would you like to try?"
"Hmmm…" Weiss thought to herself. Ultimately, curiosity got the better of her and she approached the hammer. She gently gripped the hammer and pulled it. To her disappointment, the hammer didn't budge an inch.
"Looks like I am unworthy," Weiss said as she removes her hands. Half of her expected this to happen.
"Don't worry Weiss. We feel you," Nora walked over to pat her shoulder as she did with Yang. "But at least we still get to be hammer buddies with a god of thunder! Well…I know that I'm the only huntress with Magnhild."
"Even if we are worthy, wouldn't Mjolnir be too heavy for us to wield?" Ren asked Thor who got up.
"Nay. The enchantment only prevents the unworthy from wielding it. The balance in weight is changed to allow the user to use it," Thor explained as he held out a hand to Mjolnir and it flew into it.
"I wish my baby can fly into my hand," Ruby whispered, looking at Crescent Rose in default form. Indeed, the mystical properties of Mjolnir seemed appealing to them.
"Just out of curiosity, who else is worthy to wield Mjolnir?" Weiss asked Thor.
"Other than me? As far as I can remember, there are only two people…my father and Vision. It was how we accepted him as an ally in our battle against Ultron."
"Thank the brothers that he did," Ruby shuddered as a chill ran down their spines. They knew who Ultron was through Scott Lang, for he is one of the Avenger's formidable foes. His predecessor, Hank Pym, creator of the Pym Particles that power the Ant-Man technology, created an artificial intelligence peacekeeping program to protect Earth from any domestic and extraterrestrial threats present and future. However, things took a turn for the worse when it took his objective too seriously concluded that humanity itself is the biggest threat to peace on earth. He gained sentience and made it his goal to create what Stark called a technological singularity, which would result in the extinction of humanity. Everyone was thankful that Ultron had been stopped, but it left a permanent stain on Hank Pym's legacy.
"What about Cap?" Jaune asked when Thor didn't mention the sentinel of liberty. He seemed like he would be worthy of wielding Mjolnir. To their surprise, he shook his head.
"Captain Rogers has a long way to go like young Rose," Thor said. Just then, Thor reached into his pocket and pulled out a beeping Avengers ID. "It would appear I will have to cut my visit short. I'm being summoned to Avenger's Tower."
"Well don't let us keep you!" Ruby pressed. "Go out there and save the day!"
"And so, I shall," Thor said with a hearty laugh. He was making his way to the door when he stopped. Slowly, he turned back around with a solemn expression on his face. The prince of Asgard was silent before he spoke softly.
"I didn't actually come here for banter," Thor said. "I've just returned from Asgard…Heimdall still hasn't found Remnant."
He fell silent again as everyone understood Thor's mood. Ever since he told them that Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, couldn't find their planet, they've been depressed and worried about its fate. They feared that Kang might've destroyed it all in an attempt to 'save' the future. Seeing their distress, Thor told them that he would ask Heimdall to keep searching the cosmos for their planet. From what Thor told them, there was no luck.
"It's alright Thor," Pyrrha assured him gently. "We appreciate the help you're providing us. I'm sure Heimdall is doing his best."
"He's always doing his best," Thor said. "I'll ask him in another fortnight. Until then…fare thee, well brave warriors."
His words hang in the air as he left. They heard the front door shut close, followed by the sound of thunder.
"So how did it go?" Ruby asked Weiss.
"The electro nanites need some work," Weiss answered as she handed Ruby the vial. "My time dilation glyph only lasted about five seconds before it fizzled out. Any idea why?"
"It must've been the consumption rate of your semblance. If that's the case, they're not generating enough power," Ruby said, holding the vial to her eye. "I'll work on them. Did the nanites at least help stabilize the other two at least?"
"They did," Weiss affirmed much to Ruby's delight. "It was difficult at first, but I managed it. It feels like that I'm using dust again."
"That's great!" Ruby cheered. "Anyway, I manage to make a vial full of nanites to act as a replacement for Earth Dust! It's still in the trial phase, but we can work out the kinks once you test it. I'll go get it."
Weiss let out a small smile as Ruby ran over to her bag and began ruffling through it. Ever since Stark introduced the remnantians to the world of nanotechnology, the silver-eyed girl had been honing her knowledge to improve their weapons. Like their weapons, they are conductive with their aura or at least modified to. Nowadays, most of that attention had been directed to a 'top-secret project she's been working on. No matter how much Yang tried to bribe her, the silver-eyed girl wasn't going to spill.
You'll have to wait until the expo to find out, she said.
"I don't see why you have to work on time dilation," Nora said, snapping Weiss out of her thoughts. "Why couldn't you just use your glyphs to bring the thunder? Like Thor!"
"I can summon lightning Nora," Weiss huffed. "I just feel the need to use time dilation whenever I use it."
"Then you should get to work on expanding toolset," Yang said. "Me? I'm picking up new martial art styles so I can finally get Nat back."
"Like karate?"
"The Dane Cook of martial arts? No way. I'm thinking of improving my Krav Maga. Daisy is also a master at it and I'm looking forward to sparring with her."
At that moment, a bright light filled the room. The remnantians shielded their eyes from the familiar sight as it died down. The energy in Lockjaw's tuning for antennae died down as he had teleported their friends, the Secret Warriors inside Avengers Mansion. Fortunately, they are recognized by JARVIS as friends otherwise the indoor security would've kicked in and made everything messy.
"Hey Daisy," Yang waved to their leader. "Are you here about our sparring session? Because it was tomorrow."
"We didn't come here for that," Daisy answered seriously. "Fury wants us down in the command center, pronto. It's urgent."
"First, I'd like to thank you for having us here," Daisy said to the gathered heroes. They are in the sub-levels of the Mansion in their casual wear. The two agents of SHIELD stood at the War Table.
"It's no trouble Daisy," Ruby said. "We're happy to help out our friends."
"If you ask me, the Avengers should've given you the mansion in the first place," Yang said. "Not that I'm complaining, but it would save you plenty of time."
"We're a covert team Yang," Shaun pointed out. "The point of being covert is that you don't draw attention. Besides, you are aware that the mansion has a history of being destroyed right?"
"Oh yeah."
"Besides, most of our work is in Jersey City," Kamala said. "Including our families."
"Why couldn't you just tell them that you're a superhero?" Weiss asked. "I get the whole secret identity thing and lying is a necessary evil to protect them, but it would promote a healthier relationship."
"You have no idea how Ammi would react," Kamala said seriously. "Abu might understand, but I'm afraid of what might happen if she were to find out I'm inhuman."
Weiss softened her gaze at those words. She had been made aware of the persecution of Inhumans. Ever since their emergence, the Inhumans have been prosecuted for their powers. She heard that sometimes they are abandoned by their frightened parents or worse…killed. It was similar to the faunus persecution back on Remnant. The same can be said for the mutants…whatever few left there are. A glance at Blake told her that the cat faunus was thinking the same thing as well.
"JARVIS? Can you patch in Director Fury?" Daisy asked quickly, determined to change the subject.
"At once," JARVIS said. A holographic window pulled up and displayed the Director of SHIELD with a bag under his one eye. He looked so tired that the Remnant teens wondered if he ever gets any sleep.
"Thank you, JARVIS," Fury said. Another materialized next to his and displayed various information. "Thank you for gathering today. I wouldn't have asked for this collaboration if it wasn't serious. SHIELD has been tracking the flow of a new drug in the country. Two days ago, we raided a hideout belonging to the Watchdogs."
"The Watchdogs," Ruby asked slowly. "Those are the ones who hate superhumans and undesirables right?"
"You've done your homework, Rose," Fury praised to which Ruby beamed. "The Watchdogs had been getting bolder as of late. The day before the raid we received an anonymous tip about the Watchdogs receiving some kind of booster drug. While we try to find who sent it, we investigated its claims.
"So, they're using steroids?" Yang asked with an eyebrow raised. "I don't see how we need to be dragged into this."
"Because this steroid made a terrorist go from puny to hulk sized," Patriot said in a tone of steel JARVIS brought up a video clip of the fight between him, Daisy, and a Watchdog that would've matched the Hulk in size. They watched as he flung Patriot against the wall and Daisy defending him. They were relieved when Daisy blasted him out of the house and rendered him normal.
"Are you alright?" Doreen asked, eyes wide with worry, Shaun.
"My ribs and back were sore but nothing was broken," Shaun said, patting his sides as if to check if the injuries are there. "If that were the case, then I wouldn't be standing there. But that won't matter if we don't shut this down. If someone has an army of these things…we're in big trouble."
Everyone dreaded the possibility of a hulk-like army sent against the world. Something unstoppable, and relentless. While they're sure the Avengers can put this out of commission, they are still busy hunting more Raft escapees.
"Do we have any idea on who's making it?" Jaune asked. "Whatever the drug was."
"Upon examining his bloodstream, SHIELDS forensics found traces of the drug he ingested. The compound is similar to a formula created by this man…"
Another window popped up. This one showed a Caucasian man with brown hair sticking up. He was dressed in a gray suit and tie. Daisy remained still as a statue, her face betraying no hint of emotion JARVIS identified him.
"Doctor Calvin Zabo. A biochemist who was a supervillain known as Mister Hyde."
"As in the novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson?" Blake asked, having read the book out of curiosity.
"Indeed Ms. Belladonna. Calvin Zabo had a morbid obsession with the story. Dr. Zabo believed that the formula can unlock his bestial nature. As you probably guessed, he was successful in creating the Hyde Formula. Not only did it make him superhuman, but it also gave him a personality as murderous as Jack the Ripper."
"I don't think I want to know who that is," Pyrrha said with a shudder. "So how does it work? Muscle mass expansion?"
"The transformation process is hormonal in nature," Daisy explains. "The Hyde Formula causes the cells of the user's anatomy to instantly manufacture mutated hormones that induce a physical transformation encompassing the entire figure. As JARVIS said, the user becomes aggressive and loses all rational thought. The original takes about thirty seconds to take effect. But as you can see…"
"Someone made the effects more potent," Pyrrha finished, to which the SHIELD agent nodded grimly.
"Sounds like we've got our prime suspect," Yang said, cracking her knuckles. "Why don't we just bring him and wring it out of him?"
"As I have told Patriot for the last NINE times," Daisy said tersely, glaring at the blonde girl. "Calvin Zabo couldn't be the supplier because he's currently living a life of a veterinarian by the name of Winslow. With no memory of ever being a supervillain if I may add."
"Ever since SHIELD found the connection to the Hyde Formula, he's been placed under constant surveillance," Shaun quickly said. "Any sign of suspicious activity and SHIELD will inform us."
"How did he lose his memory?" Weiss pointed out. She noticed that Daisy is acting defensively toward Calvin Zabo, but she filed it away for later. "If someone was able to recreate the Hyde Formula, it would have to be Doctor Zabo. He's the only one who knows it. For all, we know he could be faking it as a cover-up."
"We know because SHIELD erased his memories," Daisy answered, redirecting her glare at the heiress. "In light of providing assistance to SHIELD in a delicate matter, he's been granted leniency. It's why he wasn't sent to the Raft."
"Wait…SHIELD can erase memories?" Yang asked in disbelief.
"Indeed Ms. Xiao Long," Fury confirmed much to her consternation. "Before you ask, the process is classified under clearance Level 10. As you and your teammates are operating under Level 4, none of you are certified for access to that kind of information."
"He's right Yang," Blake cut in before Yang could argue. She held her gaze at the blonde brawler before she sighed.
"Do we have any other leads as to who the supplier is?" Jaune asked. "Circumstantial evidence like fingerprints?"
"An annoying thing about the Hyde Formula is that their recipients' fingerprints are altered, so any piece of evidence like that goes out the window," Daisy said as she had JARVIS pull up crime scene photos. "On another note, we have discovered an incriminating piece of evidence. Yesterday, we raided another warehouse and found a crate filled with vials of the stuff and it had this logo."
JARVIS zoomed in on an orange crate. It zoomed in further upon a black 'O' with a diagonal cut on the lower right. Gwen, who had been leaning against the railing now stood up straight as she recognized the logo. Her eyes hardened when Daisy said the name.
"Oscorp."
16:30
Oscorp Tower, New York
Weiss ran over what she read up on Oscorp Industries. It stands as one of the world's largest companies the world apart from Stark Industries. It was created together by Norman Osborn and Mendel Stromm. Things were going well until Stromm was arrested for embezzlement and Norman took sole control of the company. Under his leadership, Oscorp focused heavily on advancing various sciences and technologies for the betterment of the world. Eventually, he founded the now-defunct Osborn Academy for Geniuses to educate future minds like Horizon High.
However, there was a dark history that the public isn't aware of yet. This is why they are being suspected of selling the Hyde Formula into the criminal elements.
"So why did I have to come?" Weiss asked as she and Daisy stood in front of Oscorp Tower, decked in their gear. If not for Avengers Tower, it would've been the tallest building in New York. After revealing the Oscorp lead, Daisy requested Ruby if she could borrow Weiss for a meeting with the CEO. Strangely, it was the CEO who contacted them first about the formula running around and offer some information.
"The CEO isn't giving the information for free," Daisy said. "He only stated that his terms are reasonable and that we should come to him to sort out the details. Fury believes that he might be trying to extort us to boost his company's profits. That is where you come in."
"Ah, so I'm doing the haggling for you," Weiss said. She had been trained to be the best in everything. The business was no exception. "Well, what are we waiting for…let's go meet Osborn."
Together, the two of them entered through the glass doors of Oscorp tower. People dressed in white lab coats walked across the gray tiled floors, likely to get to their assigned divisions. Displayed in the center is a hologram of the company's logo and motto.
Altering the future, from the cell to the superstructure.
From what she could tell that motto is morally gray, much like the Schnee Dust Company. The more pressing comparison is the fact that they were run by unscrupulous businessmen. She hoped that the current CEO would be anything different.
They ignored the looks the employees are giving them as they approached the receptionist desk. Two security guards noticed they didn't go through the metal detectors moved only to back away when Daisy showed them her SHIELD credentials.
"Agent Daisy Johnson. SHIELD," Daisy said, without glancing at them. They back off as she talked to one of the receptionists. "We're here to see Mr. Osborn. Can you let him know we're here? He's expecting us."
"Wait one moment," The receptionist held up a finger as he reached for a phone and speed-dialed a number. He spoke into it for a few seconds before replacing it in the receiver. "Mr. Osborn is waiting for you in his office. If you will follow me."
He gestured the guy next to him to take over as he led the two superheroes to an elevator. After swiping his card through a scanner, pressing a button for the penthouse, the elevator ascends. They stood in there without saying a word. After several minutes, the elevator doors opened to reveal a casually dressed, black-haired teenager that looked to be Weiss' age.
"Thank you, Donald, I'll take it from here," Harry Osborn said as they stepped off the elevator. The receptionist nodded towards his CEO and steps back into the elevator. As it closed, Harry held out his hand to them. "I'd like to thank you for taking the time to come here. I'm Harry Osborn. CEO of Oscorp Industries. But you already knew that, didn't you?
"Indeed. I'm Agent Daisy Johnson," Daisy took his hand and shook it. She gestured to Weiss next. "This is my associate, Snowflake."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Osborn," Weiss said, taking his hand.
"Just call me Harry. Mr. Osborn sounds too formal," Harry said with a smile. "Besides…I feel like you're about my age. It would be weird, wouldn't it?"
"It would've been polite Harry," Weiss said with a smile of her own. "But I believe we have a business to discuss."
"Right, if you will follow me," Harry led them through the penthouse halls. He opened a door to a well-decorated office. He led them across the green tug and gestured to two black velvet chairs. When they are seated, he took his seat behind a glass desk.
"First I would like to thank you for allowing me to hear me out. I didn't think SHIELD would be willing to negotiate for this kind of information."
"We came to hear your terms," Daisy said. "You said you would give us the information unless we agree to them. SHIELD is ready to pay for it."
Harry stared at the open mouth for a moment before he started laughing. Even Weiss was taken aback by this reaction. It was a while before he stifled his laughter.
"I'm afraid you're misunderstanding Agent Johnson," Harry said before becoming serious. "I don't want something that I already have. What I want is simple…I want in on this operation."
The agent of SHIELD blinked. "What?"
"I want to help put an end to the new drug war plaguing the country," Harry reiterated. "You're not the only one who's been keeping their ear to the police scanner. I may know how Oscorp got dragged into it and I would like to clean it up."
"I'm afraid I cannot Mr. Osborn," Daisy said with a frown. "Don't take offense, but SHIELD is well aware of your company's history. Finding a crate filled with the drugs paints Oscorp as the prime suspect. Your father doesn't exactly help our trust issues."
"I'm well aware of what my father has done," Harry said crossly. "That's why I'm asking for this chance to clean it up. I'm not going to let the Osborn name be dragged through the mud again. Like it or not, you're going to need me."
Weiss listened to the two argue back and forth. Like her friend, she was surprised by his daring demand. On one hand, Daisy would be correct in letting Harry in on this crucial operation. For all they knew, he could be in on the drug ring and try to sabotage them. But from his tone, he seemed determined. When Daisy mentioned his father, he looked like he wanted to throw up. It felt similar to her situation with Jaques Schnee. Seeing him act like this made her rethink her opinion of him if only a little.
"Daisy," Weiss says firmly so that the argument ceases to let her speak. "Maybe we should let him in on this."
"May I ask why?" Daisy asked, clearly not happy about this.
"Don't get me wrong, but I feel like we have more to gain with his assistance," Weiss elaborates. "And if he is working with the criminals distributing the drug, then we can keep a closer eye on him. If he gives us a reason, he can be arrested."
Daisy seems impressed by her logic. She looked at Harry again before sighing. "Alright, your in. But give us any reason and you got a one-way ticket to the vault. Clear?"
"Crystal," Harry said. He turned to Weiss. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"Don't thank me yet," Weiss said. "You said that we need you to shut down the drug ring. Can I ask what you mean by that?"
"Of course," Harry said as he booted up the computer on his desk. "You two are aware of the Goblin War, correct?"
"I read up on it," Daisy answered. "But I'm not sure my friend has."
"I'm more than aware," Weiss answered. What Harry was referring to is the uprising caused by the criminal organization known as the Goblin Nation. It was formed after a power vacuum in the criminal underworld, thanks to Spider-Man. Strangely, he insisted that it wasn't him despite the fact there was a Daily Bugle article about it. The nation is composed of criminals who utilized stolen Oscorp tech, or Goblin tech as Peter called it, to commit crimes in service of their leader, the Goblin King. Spider-Man and the Web-Warriors fought against the Goblin Nation, New York becoming the battleground. Peter said that it was thanks to a friend that the Goblin Nation was stopped.
"After the war, I modified my tech to send out an RFID signal in case they ever got stolen again. I made it mandatory to present and future Oscorp equipment. A few weeks ago, someone broke into Oscorp and stole critical components needed to recreate my Goblin tech along with biochemical technology. If I were a betting man, I say that tech is being used to produce the drug."
"I take it that the thieves are remnants of the Goblin Nation?" Daisy asked. She seemed to have realized what she said. "I'm sorry Snowflake. The pun wasn't intended."
"It's nothing to worry about Daisy, I understand," Weiss said before gesturing Harry to continue. "Wouldn't the thieves discover the trackers and removed them?"
"That's the thing," Harry said with a grin. "I made it so that my tech can't work without it. Even if they discovered it, they wouldn't be able to use it."
"That's assuring," Daisy admitted. "Do you believe the Goblin Nation is rebuilding?"
"Most likely. This is why we have to stop them before they could become powerful enough to reignite another Goblin War," Harry said as he finally turned the computer around to face them. On the screen is a map of New York City with its districts highlighted.
"Fortunately, we know where to start. First, let me get dressed for battle."
18:00
Manhattan, New York
"Thanks to Harry's—Sorry, Hobgoblin intel, we've located five warehouses. One of them is where the supplier is. For now, we're going to assume that the Goblin Nation remnants have elected a new Goblin King. We're going to take them out at once so that they don't alert the others."
"What can we expect?" Ruby asked as she stood on the rooftop with Ms. Marvel and Ironheart. After the meeting with Harry Osborn, the Secret Warriors and Hunters decided to split up to cover more ground. The sun was beginning to set by the time Lockjaw teleported the last impromptu team. Across the street, they saw the building hiding their quarry. A rundown apartment complex is scheduled for demolition next week.
"Ghost Spider had sent us dossiers on the Goblins during the Goblin War," Daisy said. "That includes schematics on their equipment. If anything goes wrong, she can call the Web-Warriors for backup. Hopefully, we can shut this down with no problem. We need to make sure the Goblin Nation stays down for the safety of New York. Proceed at your discretion. Once you've cleared the hideouts, contact SHIELD so they can assist in transporting them to their cells."
"Understood," Ruby said as she signed off the comms. She turned to her fellow heroes. "You guys ready?"
"I'm a little nervous," Kamala said. "It's not the mission…and I probably should've mentioned this, but electricity is my kryptonite."
"You're weak to electricity?" Ruby asked.
"Specifically, her elasticity can be weakened by an electromagnetic pulse," Riri clarified through her helmet. "For villains that rely on technology, it would've been handy. But it would also put Kamala at risk."
"And there is a sub-group of the goblins who utilize that weakness," Ruby said dryly. She pulled out her Scroll and looked over the dossiers that Ghost Spider had given them. "The Electro-Goblins have electrical gauntlets that let them generate and shoot electricity. Fitting since their commander at that time was Electro."
"But hey, I faced worse," Kamala said. "But I really don't want to get shocked. For me, it hurts a lot more than a regular human."
"I feel you there," Ruby sympathized before realizing something. "I'll take sniper duty while you guys engage them. If I see any Electro-Goblin, then I'll make them a priority target."
"Really?"
"I need to brush up on my marksmanship. Plus, they're going to be using those gliders of theirs to gain the high ground. Which is contradictory they're going to be in the air. Besides, we don't know what types of Goblins are going to be in that building. If we go in there, we're stepping into their turf."
Then, an idea struck Ruby. "Or maybe we don't have to… Ironheart can you scan the building to see how many are inside?"
"I'm already on it," Riri replied. Her armors HUD displayed a real-time display of the building. "I'm picking out multiple signatures on the fourth floor."
"Okay…is the electricity still running in the building?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Well…" Ruby gave a mischievous smile. "Do you think you can activate the fire sprinkler system?"
Slowly, the other two girls realized what Ruby had planned. Riri's helmet collapsed into her armor to show her grinning face. "Oh, I sure hope their gear includes water protection. Give Not Tony a few seconds."
"As if I need a second to smoke out a goblin nest. Or in this case…washout," Not Tony snarked. "And…there. If this works, we should be expecting a mass exodus of wet and possibly angry Goblins…now."
The three heroes waited with bated breaths. Then, multiple windows crashed open as out flew people on holographic gliders. They wore gray armor over a black undersuit with purple stripes. Their hoods are drawn over iron masks with metal protrusions sticking out of the side of the head like ears and a pointy chin. Noticeably, their clothing was wet.
"Are you sure they're Goblins?" Ruby asked as she aimed Crescent Rose in sniper configuration. "They look more like elves! Or…what's the evil version of elves again?"
"They're Dark Elves. But sometimes, it applies to blood elves," Kamala answered as she embiggened her fists. "Let's bust some Goblins!"
Kamala drew back her fist and threw it. Her arm stretched over a long distance and punches a Goblin out of the sky. The Goblin would've plummeted to the ground if Ms. Marvel hadn't stretched out her hand and grabbed him. Her arm snaps back with the Goblin in tow, and she dumped him on the roof behind them.
"Ms. Marvel, focus on snatching the Goblins before they hit the ground," Ruby orders as she fires stun rounds at the swarm of goblins heading their way. "We'll focus on shooting them out of the sky. Ironheart, can you engage them in midair?"
"You got it, Thorn!" Ironheat says as she flies into the air to engage the enemy. Seeing her coming, the Goblins pulled out swords that became engulfed in flames which Ruby briefly fawned over. But when Riri got close enough, her suit emitted an ultrasonic frequency that caused the Goblins to swerve out of control. She took the opportunity to snatch two and carry them to the roof where her comrades are. Ejecting two magnetic handcuffs from her suit, she snapped them on the Goblins before throwing them at a water tank. The magnet took hold and anchored them to the metal container. Satisfied that the cuffs are holding them, she swerved back to the swarm of Goblins, who by now is recovering from her sonic attack.
But they are down to their few of their number. While Riri was carrying her Goblins to the roof, Ms. Marvel and Thorn were taking down their share of Goblins. Ruby would fire sniper stun rounds into exposed parts of the Goblins armor, and if lucky, the boots that are powering their gliders. Those that fall would be snatched by Kamala and taken to their position. Occasionally, Kamala would lend a hand and smack a Goblin out of the air
"Hey, I know this is not the right time to ask!" Ms. Marvel said as she caught two more Goblins before they became splats on the ground. "But where are you now in World of Warcraft?"
"My Goblin Shaman made it to the Lost Isles," Ruby answered, never taking her eyes off the sky. Then, her shoulders slumped before raising them back up.
"I just realized…I'm attacking my own race."
"Learn to separate reality from WoW," Kamala said as she sent another long-distance punch at a Goblin. "Besides, you knew the risks when you joined the Horde. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have been able to join my guild."
"I know," Ruby whined with tears coming out of her eyes. "I wanted to be a gnome! Gnomes get a racial bonus from engineering. And they get to craft their own Guns! But they're in the Alliance!"
"You realize you can make another character, right?" Kamala sweatdropped.
"Thorn! Ms. Marvel!" Ironheart yelled in her comms. "I spot a few Electro-Goblins! One of them is headed your way!"
The heroes looked toward the battle just in time to see a Goblin headed their way. Unlike the other Goblins, this one had blue streaks on their arms. They thrust out their arms and sent a blast of electricity at them. Ruby rolled out of the way while Kamala used her stretched her body at a ridiculous length to bend it out of the way.
"Whew!" Kamala cried out in relief. "Makes all those lightning simulations worth it!"
"I hope that last attack was for that Goblin," Ruby said as she transformed Crescent Rose into its staff form. Bursting into rose petals, she appeared behind the Electro-Goblin and thrust the sparking tip of her staff into his back. Ruby didn't stop as she notices several more Goblins coming towards her. Kicking off the Goblin, she burst into rose petals again and appeared in front of a surprised Goblin. Like his comrade, he received the same shock treatment from her staff. Again, she turned into rose petals and shocked another Goblin. By the time she returned to the roof, Kamala had scooped up enough Goblins to make a pile. Ruby stared at the remaining Goblins and let out a defiant cry.
"FOR THE HORDE AND THE IRON LEGION!"
Bronx, New York
"So, who are these guys again?" Jaune yelled as he, Patriot, and Pyrrha held up their shields in a triangle formation. Their raid is taking place at a construction site. Apparently, some teens decided to use this place as a dare because they spotted some Goblins harming them when they were infiltrating. They didn't waste a second in stepping in.
Things got difficult when they started using explosives. Throwing them are Goblins without stripes. The shield bearers huddled around the civilians to protect them.
"According to Ghost Spider and Hobgoblin, these guys are War Goblins," Patriot answered over the explosions. "As you can see, they specialize in blowing things up."
"Well, they'll need to stop blowing things up, otherwise the civilians are going to get hurt," Jaune said as he put up his shields energy field to block a cluster of pumpkin bombs. The field rippled as the blasts bombard them. Jaune watched as the metal shards drop to the ground and mentally slapped himself.
"How can I be so stupid," Jaune muttered. "Invincible Girl! The pumpkin bombs are made of metal!"
From the corner of his eye, Pyrrha nodded in confirmation and holstered Milo. She raised a hand and used her polarity to stop and the next cluster of bombs. She clustered the explosives together and added more to it as the Goblins kept throwing more. As it got bigger, one of the Goblins called a halt to any more Pumpkin Bombs.
"Knighthood! Go!" Pyrrha yelled as she clenched her fist. The crushing of the pumpkin bombs together resulted in a blast that knocked nearly every one of their feet. Patriot and Pyrrha's shields took much of the blast, but they pushed off the ground and land back on their feet to recover. Jaune had gotten the civilians out just in time, keeping his shield up in case of stray shards. With the civilians gone, they can get to work on taking these thugs down.
Drawing Milo in sword form, she charged at the Goblins as they are recovering. Two of them saw her coming and drew their flame swords. Those that would dare challenge her are about to face a true warrior trained in the sword.
The first Goblin swung his sword clumsily to which she disarmed with a flick. She hit the Goblin with the butt of Milo before kicking him away. Against the second Goblins, she bashed Akouo against his sword hand. He cried out as he lost his grip on the sword and didn't have time to register Pyrrha pivoting on her heel to deliver a concussive blow with her shield.
Pretty soon, four more Goblins recovered from the blast. They moved in hopes to overpower her with numbers. The Invincible Girl had to resist the urge to snort at the fact CRDL tried the same back on Remnant. She threw Akouo at a Goblin before transforming Milo into javelin form to block a flaming sword strike from a Goblin. Not paying any heed to the heat coming from the sword, she kicked off the floor and plants her boot on the goblins chin.
She could've sworn that her kick crumpled the Goblins mask, but she didn't look as she continued her assault. Sweeping the legs of a Goblin, she threw another off her shoulder as she recalled her shield. Throwing it, she used her semblance to guide its trajectory in a manner that strikes multiple Goblins at once before recalling it.
While she was fighting, one Goblin was crawling toward a stash of pumpkin bombs. He was only a few feet away when an energy bolt slammed into one, causing it to blow up. This caused a chain reaction for the rest of the bombs. Behind the Goblin, Patriot held his shield which was smoking from the tip.
"Never put your eggs in one basket am I right?" Patriot asks as delivers a kick that rendered the Goblin unconscious. He looked over to observe Pyrrha's progress, the floor beginning to be littered with Goblins by the minute.
"Dang. I better not get left in the dust," Patriot whistled as he engaged several Goblins of his own. He bashed his shield against one and socked another in the jaw. He followed it up with a roundhouse and a hammer fist. He raised his shield to fire another energy blast only to realize that there are no Goblins left standing.
He looked over at Pyrrha to see her lifting Goblins by their armor and lining them up against the wall. She was taking the liberty of restraining them with unused pipes. It was at that moment Jaune showed up.
"I'm back! Let's get these…guys…" Jaune stopped talking when he saw the battle is over.
"Yeah. Invincible Girl cleaned up a lot of these guys," Patriot said, jerking his thumb over to Pyrrha. "Want to help?"
"Y-yeah…" Jaune said with his shoulders slumping. Patriot took notice of this and approached him.
"What's wrong Knighthood?" Patriot asked. "We stomped some Goblin butt and saved innocent lives."
"It's just…I didn't get a chance to try throwing my shield," Jaune pointed out, holding up Crocea Mors. The former protégé of Captain America couldn't blame him. He must've had some tricks he reaped from training he wanted to try out. Patriot looked around the construction site and spread his arms out.
"Well, no time like the present don't you say?"
Queens, New York
Blake fired another impact round at another Goblin. Then she swung Gambol Shroud in ribbon form to wrench a Goblin out of the sky. Her form vanished when an Electro-Goblin shot a lightning bolt at her. She reappeared behind him and wrapped Gambol Shrouds ribbon around his neck. The Goblin struggled to get her off as she applied pressure. Soon, his form relaxed as he fell unconscious.
"I have to thank Natasha when all of this is over," The Shadow murmured as she transforms Gambol Shroud into its chain scythe form. Swinging her body, she threw it around a flying War Goblin's waist and yanked him to the ground. She made short work to disable his boots and restrain him.
The hideout they are raiding happened to be an abandoned subway station. Of course, they would have to choose something abandoned for a hideout. Right when they were about to enter, Blake recalled a mission where she and Adam fell into a trap. While she regretted that day, she learned from that. So, she stopped them to avoid making the same mistake.
When she mentioned her concerns, Gwen volunteered to act as the test rat with her Spider-Sense. That idea was immediately shut down by Doreen.
"No way! We are so over that! Especially after the Kraven incident!"
It was there that she proposed the most brilliant idea Blake ever heard. She can have her squirrel friends invade and disable any traps the Goblins might've set up. After spending much time training with the Secret Warriors, the faunus learned not to underestimate Tippy-Toes. Especially the intelligence of her species.
The squirrel girl sent her to get her squirrel friends. After ten minutes, Tippy-Toes returned with an army of squirrels. The heroes stood by to allow them passage into the subway. They stood there waiting until Tippy-Toes returned to give them a thumbs up.
As they walked, they saw various traps that have been disarmed with exposed wiring chewed in half. Blake wasn't even going to ask how they turned off the power. By the time they reached the end of the tunnel, the goblins are having a pest—or rather, squirrel problem. They were scrambling to shake the furry little buggers off them. The Goblins were so busy trying to ward them off they didn't notice the squirrels disabling their technology. They went as far as to crack open a pumpkin bomb. One Goblin who was flying on his glider suddenly fell face forward because it has been disabled.
"I don't know about everyone else, but Squirrels are awesome," Blake told Doreen with a smile as the Squirrel Girl lands on the ground with a Goblin locked under her arm.
"Absolutely positively!" Doreen nods eagerly as her bushy tails whack a Goblin that tried to attack her from behind. "When squirrels team up, we kick butt and take names!"
"You can say that again," Ghost-Spider said as she shoots a web blast at another Goblin. Several of the Goblins are stuck to the ceiling or trapped in web nets. "When she and I fought, Tippy-Toes wouldn't stop eating my web lines."
"Fought?" Blake asked.
"It's a long story," Doreen explained. "There was a misunderstanding between me, Ms. Marvel, and Ghost-Spider before the Secret Warriors were formed."
"Yeah," Ghost-Spider agreed before her spider-sense went off. "Clear!"
They leaped away just in time to avoid an exploding pumpkin bomb. Blake notices that her aura took entered the yellow from the blast. If it weren't for Gwen's warning, she would've lost more. She looked up to see the Goblin who threw it.
"I got it," Ghost Spider said as she fired a web line at the Goblin and pulled him to her. She grabbed him by the throat and leveled her glare at him.
"You seem smart enough to wait until your friends are down before performing a sneak attack," Gwen growled. "So where is he? Where is the new Goblin King? I would love to meet his majesty."
"All hail…the Goblin King…" The Goblin croaked with an edge of defiance. Beneath her mask, Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Thought as much," She muttered before dropping him and webbing him up. Gwen proceeded to walk away without another word. Blake and Doreen stared after her before the latter leaned in to whisper.
"Is it just me, or is she getting all aggressive again?"
Staten Island, New York
At the top of the skyscraper under construction, another battle is taking place between heroes and Goblins.
"You know, when I read about the Cyber Goblins, I was expecting them to be more tech-savvy," Yang called out as she evaded another laser blast from a Goblin with red streaks. "You know, the whole cyberpunk thing. All they are doing is shooting lasers at us!"
"Not to mention they barely tickle," America said as another Goblin is firing his laser in a continuous stream. She crossed her arms in front of her to block the blast as she approached the Goblin. When she got close enough, she grabbed him and headbutted him. The dented mask fell off while the wearer was unconscious.
"Easy for you to say," Yang yelled over the fighting. "You're a walking tank while I've got aura! And it's running out!"
"Then you better take them out faster chica," America retorts as she throws a Goblin at Yang. Eyes red, she threw a punch with her mechanized fist. It socked the goblin across the jaw, sending him flying back to America, who punched him into another Goblin.
"This is one of these battles where I don't have to hold back," Inferno said. Thanks to the armor, the Goblins are protected from Dante's flames and he was enjoying it. He threw fireballs as fast as he generates them at the Goblins, knocking them out of the sky. Yang assisted with her Ember Celica's arm cannon.
"Hey, ease up on the flames Inferno," America warned as she knocks the fallen Goblins unconscious. "I love to keep my hair the way it was."
"Sorry America," Inferno apologizes as he evades a sword strike from a Goblin. Punching him in the gut, he grabbed his sword which was still on fire.
"Didn't you know that fire doesn't work on me?" Dante asked as he proceeded to melt the Goblin's equipment.
"Got you!" Yang yells as she pounds another Cyber Goblin. She didn't stop to look and glared around the area. Her red eyes challenging anyone else. "Who else wants some?"
"I think that's all of them," America said as she lands on the ground. "Let's contact Quake and tell her to send the SHIELD team to collect these pendejo's."
"Uh guys," Inferno said nervously. "I don't think our fight is over yet."
The girls looked to where he pointed. A Goblin they defeated was convulsing uncontrollably. Before they could go to check it out, it began to grow. His muscles expanded until the undersuit ripped apart, the armor screeching as it struggled to remain on. When he stood up, the heroes face a Goblin the size of the Hulk.
"Ay caramba," America said as the hulked-up Goblin punched her. The blow knocked her off the building where she plummeted.
"America!" Yang cried out. She stared after her friend before turning her red eyes towards the enemy just in time to see him bring his fists up. She and Inferno rolled out of the way as the Goblin slammed his combined fists to the ground. The floor shuddered from the blow. When the Goblin lifted his fists, there were fist-sized dents embedded into the floor.
"Damn! He's jacked up with that Hyde shit," Yang cursed. If she had gotten enough hits, she could end this guy. She doubts that she had stored up enough energy in her arm to knock the guy out. If it weren't for those lasers whittling away chunks of her aura, she would've stocked up enough hits.
"Ignite!" Inferno called out. "How's your aura?"
"It's a little in the red," Yang said, never taking her eyes off the huge goblin. "But it will recharge if I have the time."
"Then I will buy you some time," Inferno said determinedly. "Once your aura is recharged, come and help me."
"What are you going to do? No offense, but I doubt your flames are going to make a dent aside from burning his clothes."
"Oh, don't worry," Inferno said as he slowly walked towards the behemoth, his eyes blazing with fire. "I can become a heavy hitter when I want to be."
As he approached the hulked-up Goblin, the temperature around him increased. His body became red hot as he is engulfed in flames. When they dimmed somewhat, his body is had become as black as obsidian. His eyes had become embers and his mouth was exhaling fire.
Molten rock, Yang realized. Flames continued to billow from Inferno as he approached the Goblin, who growled at him.
"Let's heat things!" Inferno yelled as he charged at the Goblin, who rushed to meet him head-on. Inferno was the first to strike. A heated fist struck the Goblin by the jaw leaving a burn mark. The Goblin howled in pain before retaliating with a strike of his own. Dante was knocked back by a few feet before he recovered. He felt a hand on his chest before looking up at his adversary.
"That barely tickled," Inferno taunted. The Goblin bellowed out in rage as Inferno charged at him, wrapping his arms around his waist and slammed him into a concrete pillar. Yang watched the exchange with open mouth shock.
"Where the hell was he hiding this?" Yang demanded. On her mask's HUD, her aura is steadily recharging. To her annoyance, it was at a slower rate than she wanted it to. Here she is, waiting for her aura to get back up while her friend is taking a beating.
"Come on," Yang growled as her aura had entered the yellow.
While this was happening, Inferno is losing ground. While he can match the Goblin in strength and durability, his enemy was relentless. Another side effect of the drug is that the user's mind becomes set in a berserker state, logic is damned. The Goblin landed a blow to Inferno's head, staggering him before punching him in the gut. By then, cracks had started to form on his body.
"Oh, screw this!" Yang growled as she rushed to aid her friend. She raised her arms in a cross to block a double hand blow from the behemoth. The attack had set her aura back to the red, but she managed to get some energy from the hit. She hoped that it will be enough to put this guy out of commission.
"Here goes," Yang said as she prepared to activate her arm. Before she could, from behind, a fast-moving object flew by her and took the Goblin away. That object was America Chavez, whom the blonde completely forgot that she could fly. She glared into the red eyes of the Goblins mask.
"Here's payback for earlier," America growled as she flew higher in the air. She released him and threw punch after punch into his torso. When she had gotten high enough, she positioned herself behind the Goblin and hits him with a hammer fist. The force of the blow sent him speeding back to earth.
"All yours Ignite!" America shouted with all her might. It was loud enough for the blonde brawler to hear. Nodding, she activates her fist, the accumulated energy charging it up. Rearing it back, she punched the bastard with everything. The blow sent out an explosion that could've been heard for miles. When the flash died down, the Goblin was lying on its back with a smoking burn on his chest. The only sign that he was still alive was his moving chest.
Yang's breath became ragged as she fell on her butt. Inferno transformed back into his normal state as America flew back to the ground. They shared a look before Yang broke the silence.
"Can someone get my scroll? I'm feeling dead tired to do it."
Brooklyn, New York
"We shall be victorious!" Nora cried out as she brandishes Magnhild. "And we shall be worthy of the power of Goblin Slaying!"
"We're not slaying them Voltage," Ren said as he evaded defies death from smashing him into a pulp.
Nora and Ren had raided a store that is the front for the Goblin Nation. Thanks to the intel that Ghost Spider provided them, they were able to take them down with ease. Unfortunately, two of them had jacked up on the Hyde Formula and make things difficult.
The one Nora face threw an electrified fist at her. The grinning girl caught the fist and held on. The Goblin soon found it difficult to wrench his fist away from her. It became more difficult as the gauntlet kept pumping electricity into her.
"Oh, you've done it now," Nora grinned wickedly. "You see…electricity gives me super strength!"
Before the Electro Goblin could even say 'crap', Nora pushed him off her and swung her hammer. A loud crack was heard as the Goblin flew several feet into a wall. When the dust settled, the Goblin lay prone and unmoving. Even with the healing factor the drug granted, it will be a while before it healed.
That was something that Nora regrettably couldn't allow. Running up, she reached for her belt and pulled out a syringe. From her belt's pouch, she pulled out a vial filled with the counter agent in case these guys used the Hyde formula. She pressed the needle against his skin and injected the formula into his bloodstream. Slowly, the Goblin begins to revert to normal.
Back to Ren, he dodged another blow from his Goblin. While he couldn't match the brute in strength, he can make up for it with his training. Enhancing his strikes with aura, he went for the weak points. Poking him in the eyes, breaking the nose, hitting his temples, punching his ears, punching the throat, the jaw, and even the solar plexus. The behemoth was slowed down by these strikes, even with his enhanced physiology. But he needed an opening to apply the counter agent.
Then, a heavy object slammed into the brute, knocking him down. Ren watched as Lockjaw stood over the brute in triumph, panting heavily. The Inhuman dog was assigned to them after teleporting the others to their destination. The travel had taken the toll on the dog and they let him rest. Now it appeared he recovered enough.
"Thank you, Lockjaw," Ren said as he applied the counter agent. While he waits for the effects to kick in, he pulled out his scroll and contacted SHIELD.
"Coulson, this is Tranquil. We're finished up here. Please send a team to our location."
"Copy that Tranquil. Stand by and secure the prisoners until the team arrives.
"Understood," Ren said. He turned around to watch the Goblin Lockjaw had decided to use it as a bed. It was there that he noticed that the Goblin hadn't reverted to normal. That made him more unnerved. The effects should've kicked in by now. Something was wrong.
"Ren?" Nora called out, not bothering to use his codename. She approached him tenderly. "What's wrong?"
"Just a bad feeling," Ren said as he knelt to remove the Goblins mask. What he saw underneath made him drop it in shock. Nora covered her mouth as she gasped.
"By the brothers…"
Lower Manhattan, New York
"The other teams have reported in," Daisy yelled over the wind into her comms. "The four of the five Goblin Nation hideouts are neutralized."
"Then that leaves only one left," Weiss said as she bounced off her glyphs like a pinball. As it turned out, the Remnantians needed a movement strategy as well as a landing strategy. For Weiss, she can use glyphs to repel herself at high speeds and control her movement.
"The last one was an old biotech lab owned by Oscorp," Hobgoblin said, his voice disguised by a modulator. His goblin armor has orange plating over a black undersuit. Beneath the orange hood, blue orbs gazed out from behind his collapsible mask. He and Daisy rode on his hard-light glider, which has been shifted to accommodate a second passenger.
"Believe it or not, it was one of the places where my father would conduct his…unethical projects. But whatever he was working on here, it was shut down long before I was born."
"What exactly was he working on?" Daisy asked.
"I believe it was a serum that would enhance the strength of humans," Harry said. "Whatever happened, it would most likely add to Dad's rap sheet for the shit he's done. We're here."
The heroes slowed down and descended to the ground. Before them is a building complex that looked abandoned. Above is an Oscorp sign that has fallen into disrepair. Plants have begun to overgrow and take over as if to take the place of the humans that once worked there.
Weiss wondered what it about is abandoned buildings that make it great for supervillain hideouts. She put that thought aside as she followed her fellow heroes inside. They stepped into the lobby that has also fallen into disrepair as well.
"Of course, he would add one here," Harry muttered as they approached a wall. Hanging on it is a portrait the depicted a young Harry Osborn standing next to a sharply dressed man sitting down. Weiss knew right away that the man is Norman Osborn.
"I'm detecting electricity focused on this area," Harry said. "Looks like there's a hidden door here."
"You can detect hidden doors?" Weiss asked.
"My penthouse was filled with them, so I asked myself 'why not," Harry replied. "You won't believe the rooms that my dad hid."
"We can talk about it later after we end this," Daisy said as she moved toward the painting. To their surprise, the painting swung outward to reveal a keypad centered on the wall.
"Damn, a passcode," Daisy cursed. She raised her hand. "Get clear. I'm going to—"
"That won't be necessary," Harry waved held his hand out in front of her. "Try inputting 0-7-1-8."
Daisy looked at him for a moment. Slowly, she stepped forward and pressed the aforementioned numbers. The keypad blinked green, and the wall slid down to reveal a dark tunnel that lit up from overhead lamps. That was definitely a sign of activity
"How did you know that was the code?" Daisy asked, a look of suspicion on her face.
"It was my birthday," Harry answered smoothly. "Turns out he uses it for everything illegal. Now are we going to put me on trial or are we going to get inside?"
Daisy nodded without a word and went in first. Together, Weiss and Harry followed her inside. They followed the SHIELD agent down the tunnel until they came to an elevator. There wasn't any security, so they entered it. Daisy pressed the down button and it descended. Occasionally, the elevator would shake but not fall apart. The silence held before Weiss decided to break it.
"You seem to be taking this personally," Weiss spoke to Harry, who looked like she offended him.
"What tipped you off?" Harry asked heatedly. "The fact that my father conducted unethical business practices that resulted in the city being destroyed several times? That he got me kicked out of Horizon High? That the man who raised me and loved me has been manipulating me my entire life?"
"For what it's worth…you and I are more alike than you realize," Weiss said gently. This surprised him. When he spoke, his voice lost the anger he had been carrying.
"You have a bad father too?"
"Yeah," Weiss nodded in pure honesty. "Where I come from, my father was a ruthless businessman. He would conduct less-than-ethical practices like cheap labor, allowing dangerous working conditions, hold monopolies, and have shady business partners all so he could get another lien…I mean buck."
"You mean he lets his workers die?" Harry asked quietly. When Weiss nodded, he cursed. "Damn…and I thought my dad was a monster."
"You have no idea. He even treated his family like tickets to power. On my tenth birthday, he told my mother that he married her only for the family name. That moment made her pick up the bottle as a way to cope with marriage to a man that never loved her. But it didn't stop there. He cracked down on me, my older sister, and my brother. He wanted to turn us into mini versions of himself, all for his public image. We had a difficult childhood that made us want to leave. First, it was my sister who joined the military, and now me who became…something else. Now it's just my brother, who's already becoming a mini-version of my father."
Weiss fell silent as she relived those horrible memories. Her father making her sing like she's his canary, the verbal abuse, everything. Harry's mask collapsed to reveal his softened face as he reached over to place a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," He spoke gently. "You had it rough."
"It's alright," Weiss said softly. Silence reigned once more. This time, it was Harry that broke it.
"Question…"
"Go ahead."
"Your name wouldn't happen to be Weiss Schnee, would it?" Harry asked. When he saw her surprised reaction, he added, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
"How did you…" Weiss struggled to find the words.
"You might know a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man," Harry said with a smile. "Before you say anything, I figured it out just now. He talked to me about you guys but left out your superhero identity. You can trust me because he trusts me with his identity."
"You know Spider-Man?" Weiss asked.
"He's my best friend," Harry said with a smile. "We've been through thick and thin since we met. Even after I blamed him for everything that my father put me through, he still thought of me as a friend. Not just an Osborn."
"I can relate," Weiss said with a smile. She fondly remembered Ruby declaring that they are super besties. Despite her denial, she came to enjoy the silver-eyed girl's company. "My point is that the sins of the father don't define your legacy. Norman Osborn doesn't have to be what defines an Osborn. You should not be held accountable for your father's crimes. Your life is yours to define like mine. And I will do it by working as a huntress."
"And me as a hero," Harry said with a smile.
"If you two are done, we should get going," Daisy, who had been silent for the duration, finally spoke. The two jumped when they realized that the elevator had stopped during their conversation and they didn't notice. Harry's mask reformed as they walked out of the elevator into another tunnel. It led them to a laboratory with running equipment.
"I recognize some of this equipment," Harry said. "Most of this is the stolen biotechnology while the rest has been jury-rigged."
"There's no sign of any Goblins," Daisy muttered as she found a table with Goblin tech lined up. "But there are some of their equipment here. I don't like this."
"I'm not getting a signal down here," Weiss said, showing her scroll. "We can't contact the others. Which means this must be a trap."
"Why would anyone want to trap us?" Harry asked.
"So, I can have you bear witness as I reach my fullest potential."
A male voice spoke as a light shone on a dark part of the room. The heroes turned and nearly recoiled at the sight. Sitting in a glass chamber is a man who looked like he had been in an accident. A hand and foot are missing, and half of his face had been burnt so that he's missing an eyebrow. Some of them recognized the man, especially from the painting.
"You're…"
"Dad," Harry stammered in shock.
"That's right, Harry," Norman Osborn said, never dropping his sinister smile. "It is I."
"How are you alive?" Harry demanded to which Norman chuckled. "I and Spider-Man saw you perish in the fire!"
"I think you already know when they haven't found my body," He said. "As for Alive? For too long I have been barely alive. But that changes now."
"How did you get your hands on the Hyde Formula?" Daisy demanded. "There is no way you could've gotten it in that state!"
"I had help from the remnants of the Goblin Nation," Norman answered. "Even after the loss of the Goblin King, they needed a leader. Doctor Zabos work was easy to recreate with everything in this lab. My old friend Mendel Stromm had notes to correlate with his."
"But they were pawns, weren't they?" Harry growled. "You were using them just like everyone else."
"You were always a coward Harry," Norman scolds. "Risks are part of laboratory science. Without taking necessary sacrifices, there can be no progress."
"Science?" Weiss demanded and Norman turned to her. "Those are human beings that are using your formula! Were the people they hurt with it risks as well?"
"You must be one of the new heroes in town," Norman said politely. "I don't believe that I know your name."
"It's Snowflake," Weiss answered crisply. "Why are you doing this?"
"I suppose I can answer that," Norman answered. "For Forty thousand years and we barely tapped the vastness of human potential. But why bother with humanity when we can be something more. Today…you can watch as I achieve my destiny. The future of the Osborn legacy."
"You're delusional Norman," Weiss declared, pointing Myrtenaster at him. "By the authority of SHIELD, you are under arrest for drug abuse and human experimentation."
The three heroes stared at him with determination. Then Weiss became embarrassed and turned to Daisy.
"Wait…can I do that?"
"You are acting under me, so yeah," Daisy said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs, but wondered if she should be using them on a crippled person. "Open up Norman, you've got a lot to answer for."
"Oh, indeed he will," Norman said ominously. "For you see, I'm about to become much more than Norman Osborn…"
At that moment, the machines hummed to life. Thin clear tubes that were attached to Norman began to fill with green liquid. It seeped into him and he began to convulse uncontrollably. A look of pain mixed with mania appeared on his face.
"Dad!" Harry banged on the glass wall separating them from his father. "What the hell are you doing?"
"He's transforming," Weiss answered before she realized. "He said that risks are part of laboratory science! This is what he wanted! The Goblin Nation was the experimental group for a sick science experiment to complete his own version of the Hyde Formula! He wanted to use it on himself!"
"Then we better stop him before he becomes another Mr. Hyde!" Harry said. He took a step back and picked a pumpkin bomb off his belt. When he threw it, it exploded on upon making contact. But when the smoke cleared, the glass wall was still standing.
"Both of you! Get clear!" Daisy ordered as she pressed her hands against the glass. Vibrations emitted from her hands. The glass began to shatter from the frequency that Quake is sending out. She kept it up until the glass shattered and fell to the floor. The Agent moved forward to apprehend Osborn only to take a step back from the sight of the man.
Ripping free of the restraints of the chair is no longer a thin-looking man. What stood up is a large and bulky man that can only be dwarfed by the Hulk. The most noticeable features are that the skin had turned into green scales, the eyes became larger and pointy ears, a double chin with horns sticking out, and yellow eyes without pupils. His bare hands and feet are clawed with the missing limbs having grown back.
"Dad…" Harry lost his breath at what his father had become. "What have you become?"
"What could've been you, Harry," the transformed Osborn sneered, exposing sharp teeth. "Norman Osborn is no more! There is only…the Green Goblin!"
Norman shouted that last part with force as he leaped at them. Despite his size, he was far quicker than they thought. With one swipe of his arm, he sent all three of them flying away from him. As she tumbled on the ground, Weiss felt like a boarbatusk had run her over. Her aura meter had dropped to the yellow from that alone.
"Yes, this is everything I have wanted," Norman, now Green Goblin boasted. "The power, the speed, and even escape from my pathetic human self! This is the real me!"
"Then you better enjoy it while it lasts," Quake growled as she sent vibrations in the ground to cause a cascade of spikes to knock the Green Goblin back. "Because we're going to figure out how we're going to reverse the serum and throw you in a dark cell where you belong!"
"Never! I refuse to return being mortal!" Green Goblin roared as he snatches up a belt of pumpkin bombs. He didn't appear wounded by Daisy's attack. He rushed at her with a fist reared back. Daisy managed to put up a barrier just in time to block it. She was unprepared for the strength behind his attack. It felt far stronger than the wannabe Hydes that she faced. She was even more unprepared when the Green Goblin brandished a pumpkin bomb at her. It blew up in his hand, which emitted a flash that blinded her. Her vision clouded and her hearing deaf, she could only feel the sharp blow to the side.
"Neat things to have, aren't they?" Green Goblin chuckled as he stood over her. Before he could finish her, he was hit by a fireball from behind. Weiss had summoned a glyph that launched the fireball.
"That was warm," Green Goblin jeered. "Got anything else?"
"How about this?" Weiss asked as she summons a glyph and stabs the ground. Soon, the Green Goblin is encased in a block of ice. His eyes are wide in surprise.
"That should hold him," Weiss huffed as she helped Harry up. "You alright?"
"I should be," Harry said, looking at the ice cube that contained his father. "Is he alright?"
"He should be," Weiss said, looking at him. "From what we've seen that formula injected himself with made him psychotic, but not enough to lose all logical thought. Plus, it enhanced his physical abilities and grew back his severed limbs. I don't think it's safe to let him roam free."
"No kidding," Harry muttered. "What now."
"We need to get Agent Johnson treated," Weiss said, leaning over the injured SHIELD agent to check her injuries. "I think she suffered broken bones. Can you go on ahead and contact shield to get a med team along with a squad of troopers asap?"
"I'll get on it," Harry nodded. "But what about—"
He was cut off as the ice surrounding the Green Goblin cracked. By the time the heroes noticed, it broke. Green Goblin roared as he broke free from the icy prison. His molten yellow eyes glared at the gaping Weiss.
"Well…that was cold Snowflake," Green Goblin shivered. "Allow me to return the favor!"
He lunged at her. Instinctively, Weiss sued a Glyph to propel herself away. She used herself to propel herself back at Green Goblin to slash him with Myrtenaster. To her disappointment, it didn't seem to make much more than a scratch against his skin. This made the Green Goblin growl with irritation as he tried to swat her away, only for her to evade him. She kept it up until the Goblin suddenly grabbed her by the leg.
"Caught you!" Green Goblin taunted as she slammed her against the floor. Weiss gritted her teeth as her aura took a dangerous dip in the red. The Goblin stood over her, ready to finish her off when he was assaulted by a sonic attack. He clutched his ears as he was hit by a pumpkin bomb.
"Snowflake!" Hobgoblin called out as he ran to the white-haired teen. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but my aura is dangerously low," Weiss reported. "At this rate, he's going to kill us before we can beat him."
"My pumpkin bombs aren't working either," Harry said, looking at the fallen Green Goblin who is beginning to get up. "He knows my tech inside out. I tried to shut it down with a backdoor I installed, but he must've figured it out and removed it. I don't think I have a pumpkin bomb that can restrain a guy with his strength."
"Then what do we do?" Weiss said. She didn't have enough aura to perform a summoning glyph. Even if she did, there was no doubt that the Green Goblin wouldn't give her time to complete it. Even if he was distracted, he would pick up on what she is doing and prioritize her.
Her eyes drifted to a case that had fallen open. In it are vials of the same green formula that Norman had injected himself with. The vial had the same volume as the one she used for Myrtenaster…
Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. It was crazy, but it's probably better than nothing.
"Hobgoblin! Distract him!" Weiss said. "I have an idea! It's a long shot but it might work"
"I don't like 'might' but okay," Harry nodded reluctantly. "I felt like I wasn't doing much, to begin with."
The CEO moved toward the Green Goblin as he stood up. Meanwhile, Weiss had already opened Myrtenaster and removed the vial that Ruby gave her earlier in the afternoon. She opened the vial and set it aside and reached for the green formula. Opening it, she poured the formula into the vial of nanites.
"So, you're still using Toomes sonic device," Green Goblin said. He sat himself up and picked up a flaming sword that fell next to him. Turning it on, he brandished it. "Just as you use the same toys you created."
"Like you when you ripped off other people's works?" Harry asked as he drew his own. Only this one is an energy sword, unlike the flaming one. Together, they clashed swords, with the elder Osborn adding his superior strength to his. Harry could barely keep up his guard.
"This could've been you, Harry!" Green Goblin roared. "All of this power could've been yours if you had joined me! Instead, you chose to join that wretched Spider who wastes his potential with heroics!"
"At least he's more heroic than you!" Harry retorted. "All of this is because Spider-Man became the hero that this city needs! I'm surprised that they haven't made him an Avenger yet!"
"That could've been you, Harry," Green Goblin argued as he pushed him back. "You could've been the greatest hero of your generation if Spider-Man hadn't stolen your thunder!"
"You mean your thunder," Harry argued back as he struggled to hold the blade lock. "The only thing I had stolen was the man I called father."
"All I wanted was what's best for you," Green Goblin said. "Think about it my son. With my formula, we could bring humanity from its pathetic potential! You could rule the world at my side! The Osborn family will finally be taking their rightful place in the world!"
Beneath his mask, Harry closed his eyes. He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of this thing's mouth. The same words that nearly cost him everything. When he opened them, they are filled with resolution.
"I've told you before…I've disowned you."
"And so have I," Green Goblin said as he broke the lock between their blades. He swung his sword for an overhead cut. Harry had to roll out of the way to avoid the attack. Hobgoblin clumsily swung his sword, only for it to be grabbed by a green fist. Wrenching an arm free, he activated his electrical gauntlet and shot a stream of electricity at his father. Unfortunately, it only seemed to tickle him.
"Ah, the electrical gauntlet, a handy thing to have," Green Goblin sneers as he leveled his own at Harry and fired. Hobgoblin screamed as electricity coursed through him.
"You shouldn't have gone against me Harry," Green Goblin declared. "But now you shall receive all that you have wrought!"
Harry didn't have the strength to retort. Then, from his peripheral vision, something glows brightly beneath his feet. He felt something flow into his body like it is empowering him.
"What is that?" Green Goblin asked, looking down at his feet. Harry took the opportunity to wrench his arm out with strength he didn't know he had. He took the second opportunity to sock his father in the jaw.
As the Green Goblin stumbled away in surprise, Harry looked down at his feet. He appeared to be standing on a Glyph. He looked over to Weiss, who is the user of this power. She was standing up, holding Myrtenaster with all the strength that he had.
"What the devil are you waiting for?" Weiss shrieked. "Get him!"
"Oh..right!" Harry nodded as he charges at his father. Before he could recover, he punched him in the jaw again. Behind him, he could hear Weiss shouting weak points for him to strike. Whatever she did to him, he felt stronger and faster…like the Green Goblin. He would ask about it later as he continued to pummel the villain into submission. Every punch was backed by the fury, the hurt, and the betrayal he and everyone else suffered because of the monster that was his father.
With one last punch, he sent the Green Goblin sprawling on the ground. Harry could barely catch his breath as he felt the strength leave him. He stared at the ground where the Goblin lay unmoving. Behind him, he could hear Snowflake approaching him tenderly.
"Are you alright?" Weiss said.
"I will be once this man is locked up," Harry breathed. He stared at his father for a few more seconds before he looked at Weiss. "What was that you just did?"
"My glyphs have different effects depending on the material I use," Weiss explained, holding Myrtenaster to show the vial containing the Goblin formula. "When that brute was throwing us around like rag dolls, I figured that someone with similar strength could beat him. His formula enhanced his physical abilities, so I used that as a catalyst to make a new Glyph. I got to say, that went off without a hitch."
"No kidding," Harry said. "Have you thought about other things you could do with your Glyphs?"
"I'm actually considering that. But if you don't mind, I think we should contact SHIELD and get this guy behind the most secure cell ever."
"Never…"
Both heroes' heads snapped back to where the Goblin stirred. His yellow eyes gave them a hateful glare as he spat, "I have so many plans that I want to accomplish. You haven't heard the last of me!"
With that declaration, he picked a pumpkin bomb off his belt and threw it at them. Low on the aura and Harry barely standing, they leaped away and tucked in their head as the room is flooded with light. For a few seconds, anyone would've been blind. When they were certain that it subsided, they looked over to where the Green Goblin was.
But he wasn't there.
Nov 6
12:39
"So, we have a deal, Mr. Osborn?"
"Indeed, we do Ms. Schnee."
Harry and Weiss sat in a cafe, negotiating the details of her tutoring sessions. After the mission, she voiced her concerns about his swordsmanship. It looked like he was waving an oversized club. When he jokingly asked that he tutor her, she accepted. If he was going to do some hero work, he's going to have to get better with the sword. Not for free of course.
After the fight in the biotech lab, Harry went ahead and called for reinforcements. Despite the Green Goblin escaping, the mission was a success. The Hyde formula has been put out of production and they managed to find more hotspots for the drug. Some of the users had adopted Goblin-like features upon use. It won't be long before a cure was found. It was only a matter of time before SHIELD managed to arrest the recipients and keep the drugs off the streets for good.
"I look forward to our first session, Weiss," Harry said as he got up. "Enjoy the smoothies."
"Harry," Weiss called after him. "What are you going to do…about your father?"
For a moment, his face became cross at the mention of his father. Even now, it was a sore subject.
"I'm sorry…I…"
"It's alright," Harry waved it off. "Nothing isn't going to change if I keep getting made. The only thing we can do is go forward. As for what I am going to do, I'm going to turn Oscorp Industries into an honest and gentle company. Like I swore to do when I became CEO."
"As for my…no, Green Goblin. I'm going to lend law enforcement everything to apprehend him. I'm not going to let anyone else suffer because of him. I'm going to redeem the Osborn name."
"That's great Harry," Weiss said with a smile.
"Thanks," Harry said. "I hope you can deal with your father. Something tells me that his company days are numbered."
"Definitely," Weiss asked with a smirk. "By the way…do you think he'll make a good supervillain?"
"God, I hope not," Harry laughed. "I don't think this city can handle another Goblin-themed villain. Especially a Snow Goblin."
The two of them laughed a little at that. Waving goodbye, Harry left the Café. Weiss took a sip of her blueberry smoothie. It was refreshing to be drinking her favorite flavor. Harry told her that he and Peter frequent this place. Now she knows why.
Getting up, she moved to leave when she spotted someone out the window. Her eyes were wide when she recognized Daisy.
"What's she doing here?"
Daisy leaned against the wall, her eyes staring straight ahead. Her arm has been wrapped in a sling. She didn't wear her usual attire, settling for a simple t-shirt and jeans. She slightly winced from her ribs section.
"Daisy?" She looked over to see Weiss standing there.
"Hey Weiss," Daisy held up a hand in greeting.
"What are you doing here?" Weiss asked. "You need to recover!"
"I will Weiss," Daisy dismissed. "I've taken worse injuries than this. Besides…I need to keep my promise."
She didn't say anything else. Weiss followed her gaze to the building that she was looking at. There was a foldable sign with a white medical cross with a paw at the center. Big bold white letters spell out 'Winslow's Veterinary Clinic'.
The door opened and a woman with a dalmatian walked out. Weiss would've fawned over it if it weren't for the man that followed her. His hair wasn't standing up and he looked gentle, but she recognized the face of Calvin Zabo. She heard the woman thank him for treating her dog before walking away. Zabo watched after her before going back inside.
Weiss looked over at Daisy who had a forlorn look on her face. She recalled how defensive she was with the man's innocence. The heiress wondered why she acted like that. From what she said, she had been making regular visits. The look she was giving the clinic was like that of familiarity.
Then, realization crept on her face.
"He's your father…isn't he?"
Daisy didn't deny her claims. She looked back at the clinic where Winslow was working. It was a while before she spoke.
"I was taken away by HYDRA agents when I was born," Daisy said. "When my mom, Jiaying Johnson, was brutally murdered, he was desperate in searching for me. He didn't know that SHIELD found and rescued me already. But when they were being picked off, they dumped me in an orphanage. When my powers kicked in, Fury gave me the option to join SHIELD to help me find my parents. Little did I know that my father was searching for me all this time.
Daisy gave a humorless laugh.
"And Little did he know that his formula would turn him into the monster that is Mister Hyde. Since the emergence of Inhumans, he created the Hyde Formula to combat them in his quest to find me."
"Do you feel mad at SHIELD?" Weiss asked. While she understood that HYDRA was responsible, she felt like SHIELD had some responsibility for Mr. Hyde's actions. To her surprise, Daisy shook her head.
"While I do harbor some resentment, I was glad to be given a purpose," Daisy said. "Besides, it turned out, my mother was alive. She became the leader of an Inhuman settlement called Afterlife in Nepal."
"Your mother was an Inhuman?" Weiss asked. Like her friends from Remnant, she felt a dislike for such a derogatory term despite their friend's insistence.
"Yep. She had the power to absorb another being's life force through touch, allowing her to heal from fatal wounds and extend her lifespan. That helps nurtures her hatred for humanity, especially SHIELD. By the time SHIELD approached Afterlife to negotiate peace, she declared open war against us."
"I take it you sided with SHIELD?" Weiss asked.
"Yep, and she didn't take it well. She went as far as to try to kill me," Daisy said, much to Weiss' horror. "Coulson was able to convince my dad to side with SHIELD. He knew that it ends with only one of us dead. He chose to protect me. And he did…by breaking my mother's spine."
Weiss held a hand over her mouth. She didn't know what to say. Daisy took a deep breath, wincing from her injury before continuing.
"Everyone may view him as a monster for the things he's done, but he was just a man trying to put his family back together."
"What happened next?"
"After that, he turned himself in, knowing he was going to be incarcerated for the rest of his life. I promised that I would visit him once in a while. But Fury decided to erase his memories, and he agreed. The last words he told me before they wiped his mind was that he only had one best day ever…and it was the day that I was born."
"Have you ever thought about restoring his memory?" Weiss asked. "Telling him who you are?"
"I thought about that," Daisy admitted. "But I know that it's for the best. The last thing I want is for him to be involved in this life again. He's suffered enough already. Even after everything he's done…he's still my father."
Daisy fell silent after that. Weiss couldn't blame her for her feelings. She wondered if deep down, she still loved her father, like Harry and Daisy. But she knew that very few would choose the path to redemption. The only one that she could feel sympathy for was Calvin Zabo…or is it, Calvin Johnson?
Then, she held out a cup of smoothie in front of her. That snapped Daisy out of her thought, and she looked at the heiress.
"I thought that you might be thirsty," Weiss explained. "I didn't know what you liked so I got you raspberry. If you're not feeling it, it may help with your injury."
Daisy just stared at her. Then she smiled and took the offered beverage and took a sip.
"Thanks."
Undisclosed Location
In a hidden laboratory, Monica Rappaccini was at work. Before she stood a machine that was synthesizing a compound. After days of going over the data gathered from the recipients of the Hyde Formula, she managed to create it. Now all she had to do was make them believe that they need AIM for it.
"Synthetization complete," Monica says as she takes a vial of orange serum from the machine. As she was inserting it into an injector, a black portal formed on the floor behind her. Emerging is Victor Khol, otherwise known by his nom de guerre 'Exile'.
"The Secret Warriors took down Norman Osborne," Exile added. "Along with the rest of the so-called Goblin Nation."
"Of course, they did," Monica said, never turning around. She had been informed about the Avengers secret team of heroes.
"They took them down with those eight new heroes."
This time Monica turned around with a look of intrigue. She knew who he was talking about as she anticipated them getting involved. But he didn't need to know her real interests.
"Oh? Did you get some data?"
"Of course, I did," Exile spat as he held up a camcorder. He tossed it to her, which she calmly caught. "They didn't get a glimpse of me as requested. Now, where is my army?"
"You'll get your army in time," Monica said as she held up the vial. "But I believe you will be interested in what you can offer them."
"What?" Exile spat, pointing to the vial in her hand. "I worked my ass being your delivery boy for that? No thanks! I don't need to be some hulking brute."
"You misunderstand Mr. Kohl," Monica interrupts, not caring if he glared at her for using his 'human' name. "There can be no success without sacrifice. Despite what he thinks, Norman Osborne and the Goblin Nation remnants were necessary to test subjects for the formula. If only he and Dr. Zabo knew what this could really do for your kind."
"What are you talking about?" Exile asked.
"Allow me to show you," Monica turns her head to look at a goth-looking girl that walked in. Her green hair is styled into a Mohawk, wearing a green jacket over a black outfit, and her eyes have black shades. Exile's eyes widened as he recognized her.
"Sheath?"
"So, you're here too, huh," Sheath said with her arms crossed.
"Sheath is one of the criminals that escaped the Raft," Monica said with a thin smile. "In exchange for haven, she has volunteered to assist AIM with its endeavors. Sheath, if you will…"
She held out the injector to her. Sheath looked at it and back in the eyes of the AIM scientist. Slowly, she took the injector. Studying it, she rolled up her sleeve to expose some skin. Before she could inject herself, Monica stopped her.
"Not yet," Monica said. "First we need a practice dummy. Perhaps one of our Synthoids would do?"
Monica snapped her fingers. From above, a hatch opened up and an object fell and landed on its feet. Was fell is an android with a black and yellow chassis. The hexagon of AIM is emblazoned on both its shoulders. Neon blue eyes looked at the three of them. Green electricity sparked in Sheath's hand as an energy dagger formed.
"We'll take a step back," Monica said as she backed away. "You can begin when you're ready."
Sheath took one look at the Synthoid and back at the injector in her hand. Slowly, she pressed the tip against her exposed forearm. She pulled the trigger and the formula seeped into her bloodstream. Immediately, excruciating pain followed. Gritting her teeth, she endured it as her eyes flashed green.
"Don't worry," Monica assured Exile. "This is only the first stage."
The energy dagger Sheath held flickered with electricity before it changed. The blade elongated and became more condensed. When it finished, Sheath is holding not a dagger, but a sword. The mohawked girl stared at it in shock.
"I…I never did that before…" Sheath muttered. As she stared at the blade in fascination, Monica snapped her fingers again. The Synthoid charged at her. Seeing this, Sheath quickly reacted and slashed it with her energy blade. It stumbled past her before it collapsed on the ground, its eyes devoid of any power. The energy core that powered it is dead and cold like a stone.
"Fascinating," Monica took notes as Exiles stared at it in shock. "It appears that the serum has enhanced not only the construct but the rate at which she absorbs the energy."
"What just happened?" Exile finally spoke.
"What just happened is a sample of what AIM can offer you," Monica said. "Though the effects are temporary at the moment, I can make it permanent. But that can only happen if you guarantee me your cooperation. So, Mr. Kohl…do we have a deal?"
Exile thought about it. While he was more than tempted to force the human to make more, he wasn't stupid. They are standing in an AIM facility, and they will incur the wrath of the organization if something happens to Monica. Not to mention they've dealt with superhumans for a living during the Civil War period. Slowly, he realized that he had more to gain by allying with AIM.
One look at Sheath's face told him that she thought the same. He turned to Monica and held out a hand.
"Very well Scientist Supreme…we have a deal. Now, what do you want us to do?"
[~][~]
Remember, remember! The fifth of November, the gun powder treason and plot; I know of no reason the gun powder treason should ever, ever forget!
Now that would've sounded better if this was posted on the fifth of November, but what can you do?
Greetings and Bienvenu readers.
First, allow me to apologize for taking too long to update. I was a little under the weather and needed a break. I hope this chapter proves that I'm not dead…yet.
As you can see, Weiss and company have shut down the Goblin Nation for good. But it appears that there is more going on than it seems. What is it? Wait for more to find out.
Until next time.