Previously, on The Defenders of Remnant...

"This is completely unneeded, guys," Peter sighed.

"Nonsense," Weiss shook her head, "You are injured. We are helping nurse you back to health."

"Guys, I'm just a little banged up," Peter assured Team RWBY, who all stood around him while he laid in bed.

"A 'little' banged up?" Yang repeated in disbelief. "Pete, you were half-dead when we saved you. You need rest, and a lot of it."

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"It's about Taskmaster," Blake sighed.

"What, about how he let me go?"

"It's too suspicious. Why would he go to all the trouble of drawing you out and taking you only to give you back once the base was found? It doesn't make sense!"

"Not really, no," Peter agreed.

"Impressive, Tarantula. Your fighting skills have improved," Cinder noted.

Then let me go hit my target," Tarantula demanded.

"Not yet," Taskmaster snapped.

"You will be able to fight Spider-Man soon enough," Cinder assured Tarantula, "But you must be patient."

"Yes, Cinder," Tarantula sighed.

"Luke's the obvious one, but the other guys can take a beating more than any normal human could. I just have the strength," Jessica explained.

"I'm sorry, if I would've known, I would've held back."

"If you are listening, Mister Masters, Miss Fall, I'd like to let you know that I was wrong about a great many things."

"Fisk?!" Taskmaster exclaimed.

"Have we found Prowler yet?" Taskmaster asked.

"He's hiding out at a club called Junior's downtown."

Taskmaster then wheeled onto Tarantula and pointed his finger towards him. "Then you and I are gonna start your first mission. We'll pay Junior's a visit, and capture Prowler. I wouldn't doubt Fisk has already contacted him."

"So capture Prowler, and then what?" Tarantula asked.

"Leave no witnesses," Taskmaster answered coldly before leaving the room.

Penny saw a card stuck under a few papers, and pulled it out. On the right side of the card in red, placed on a red circle that sat behind it, was a large capital A. "Any idea what this is? It is not an identification I recognize."

"Hm… I don't know. I don't recognize it either. But it's just a card, it's not gonna help us. Nothing here will."

"I'll be damned. Thought you were dead and gone," He said.

"This king is not dethroned yet, Mister Davis. And if you are as unsatisfied with Taskmaster's decisions as I am, then I suggest you rendezvous with Mister Mason and myself at these coordinates in one week. Until then, remain hidden from the witch's prying eyes," Fisk replied.

The info broker smirked and clicked the switch to transform his weapon, shifting it into a rocket launcher, with the barrel pointing right down at their feet. Emeralds's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't…" Emerald said.

"You don't know me, sweetheart," Junior chuckled before pulling the trigger and blasting both of them away, knocking Junior out and shattering Emerald's aura, also putting her out of commission.

Jessica ducked down then struck a blow to the sword that snapped it two thirds of the way down from the tip of the blade, only leaving a small amount of jagged metal attached to the hilt. She rose up to strike a blow to Taskmaster's head, But Taskmaster caught her by her wrist before stabbing the jagged end of the broken sword into her stomach.

"Hand over the scroll. Now," Tarantula commanded.

"I'm not letting you burn this city to the ground because Taskmaster has a grudge," Prowler huffed, bringing his fists up in a fighting stance.

"You'll do as you're told," Tarantula groaned while holding his chest, "Or you will die."

"I will give you one last chance," Tarantula said, "Give. Me. The scroll."

Prowler coughed hoarsely and hacked up blood before slowly pulling his shattered mask off, revealing a bruised and bloodstained face. "Next time you look at yourself in the mirror, I want you to think about all the kids that will die when you do what you're going to do, then look at yourself… and see if you can keep a straight face in the middle of that massacre."

Tarantula's fist tightened, and he reeled his fist back to deliver a final, fatal blow.

Then webbing enveloped his fist and he looked above to see Spider-Man in his classic suit holding the line of web. "I like the cosplay, but if you're trying to copycat, I usually don't kill the bad guys!"

"Let's see who'll be filling this week's mugshots." Peter tore off the mask to see Tarantula's face…

… And only saw his own. He took a step back in pure shock.

Aaron reached into his pocket and slapped his scroll into Peter's hand. "You take that… and you make sure your other hero friends get it…"

"What is it?" Peter asked.

"It's… Wilson Fisk's collider… He's alive… and will be leaving in a week…"

Police sirens finally began to sound in the distance, and Peter could see an Atlas gunship or two come down from one of the massive cruisers in the sky. "Looks like the authorities are finally showing up. Maybe we can get some help for you after all." Peter turned back to face Aaron, but he was already gone.

The Defenders of Remnant

Chapter 28: A Look Back

Danny and Matt looked through the viewing window into the hospital room, where Jessica lay unconscious, hooked up to an IV and Luke sat in a chair at her bedside. Stitches ran up and down her arms from the gashes Taskmaster left on her during their battle. "I can't believe this…" Danny said in an exasperated way.

"I can," Matt said. "Over the years, Taskmaster has been broken down bit by bit. Whatever has made him loyal to the enemy on this world has solidified him as one of the most dangerous people on the planet. Not to mention Fisk being alive…"

Danny looked down at Prowler's scroll in his hand. "This better be worth Jessica's injuries."

"If it means really stopping Fisk and getting a way home? I'd say it was, even if I would rather she be there with us to take him down," Matt said. "Chances are, her injuries will leave her bedridden for the rest fo our time here."

"I tried my best to heal her with my chi, but some of her injuries… they were too much," Danny sighed.

"Hey, you gave her a fighting chance, Danny," Matt assured him as he placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "That's all one can ask for." Matt then heard another, unfamiliar heartbeat approaching. "Who's that?"

Danny turned around to see Junior approaching them with his left arm in a cast. "Junior? What are you doing here?"

"Sprained my arm in that fight with the girl. Ended up taking myself out to take her down. But it's nothing like she got," Junior said before turning to look at Jessica through the window. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more. I really am."

"What happened down there?" Matt asked.

"That Prowler guy, Aaron, I let him hide out at my club for a couple days. Then tonight, a couple freaks in masks show up to kill him. We had to split up to take them on. I had to stalemate my fight, but… I guess they lost theirs."

"It's not your fault," Danny assured him. "Your adversaries were the very enemies we're here to stop."

"Well then… how can I help?" Junior asked.

"You're serious?" Danny questioned.

"These guys show up to my club, tear my men apart and try to murder a client, and…" Junior took a short breath before continuing. "... and a friend. As far as I'm concerned, that makes this my fight too."

"You've already done more than you bargained for. We couldn't ask you to-" Matt started to say.

"And I ain't asking, poindexter. They drew me into this, and I'll be damned if you're kicking me out of it now," Junior furrowed his brow and sternly made his stance clear. Matt seemed to know that trying to keep Junior away from this conflict was impossible now.

"Very well, Junior. I'm sure Danny will keep you in the loop." Matt then heard several sets of rushed, stomping steps coming from the stairwell, three halls down. He recognized those approaching as Team JNPR. "For now, you should rest up as well. Take it easy. You'll be notified when we have a move for you to make."

"Yeah. Right…" Junior sighed before taking one last glance at Jessica through the window and leaving. Just after he was out of sight, JNPR crashed through the doors to the hall just outside Jessica's room.

"Professor Murdock!" Pyrrha exclaimed.

"We came as soon as we heard," Jaune panted.

"Oh my god…" Nora muttered as she went over and looked through the window, seeing the extent of Jessica's injuries. Ren gently placed a hand on her shoulder, to which she responded by placing one of her hands on his.

"What happened?" Pyrrha asked.

"Taskmaster, along with two unknown assailants," Matt answered. "They went to kill Prowler, and Jessica stepped in the middle."

"And in the end, Prowler died anyway…" Ren said.

"Yes… but not before he gave us critical information, which we can tell you in a less public environment."

Danny asked Pyrrha, "Where's Team RWBY? I thought they were out with you tonight."

"They were," She replied, "But as soon as we caught word of all this, they went to Peter's straight away."

"When they heard Peter was involved, especially in his state, I couldn't tell if they were furious he went out, or if they were relieved to hear he was still alive," Jaune added.

"Yes, well… the target painted on Peter's back is something that's become quite an issue. It's been a long night. You four should go back to your dorms, enjoy the rest of your break while you can," Matt said.

"Yes, Professor," Pyrrha nodded.

"C'mon, guys," Jaune ordered. Ren and Nora pulled themselves away from the window and followed the other two out.

"What are we going to do about all this?" Danny asked.

"To be honest with you, Danny? I don't quite know," Matt answered.

A shipment crate was sent flying as Tarantula threw it far over everyone's heads. Despite that, Emerald and Mercury still ducked down before it crashed into the wall further behind them. "Is he trying to tell the whole city where we are?"

"Do you wanna be the one to try and stop him?" Emerald asked before another crashing of metal was heard across the warehouse.

"Not really," Mercury replied.

Momentarily, Cinder entered with a furious look on her face. "What the hell is going on here?!"

"Taskmaster and Tarantula are having… a talk," Mercury answered.

"What kind of talk would this be?" Cinder questioned in an annoyed tone while raising an eyebrow. As if on cue, Taskmaster was sent flying across the room and crashed into the aforementioned container.

"That kind," Mercury replied. Cinder growled and rushed past them with a flame of anger in her eyes.

Taskmaster groaned as he pulled himself up to his feet. Tarantula leapt a massive distance over to him and stood tall in front of him. "You lied to me! You told me he was a simple target and nothing more!" He exclaimed.

"That's no lie, boy. He is the man you're supposed to kill, and that's all that matters."

"'That's all that matters?'" Tarantula repeated before picking up Taskmaster and rushing forward to slam him into the wall. Taskmaster kicked his feet out and braced himself onto the wall before grabbing Tarantula by his shoulders, flipping over him, and slamming him onto the ground front-first, doing so with enough strength to make Tarantula bounce back up from the impact. Tarantula held his stomach in pain and started coughing heavily and panting to get air back into his lungs.

"Yes, that's all that matters. I was hoping we had already taught you that," Taskmaster said. "But it seems we need to teach you again." He cracked his knuckles and started for the collapsed Tarantula before a torrent of flame came between the two, making Taskmaster stumble backwards.

"That is enough!" Cinder exclaimed. "What is going on?"

"You both lied to me…" Tarantula groaned as he forced himself onto his hands and knees.

Cinder frowned at Taskmaster before turning back to Mercury and Emerald. "Emerald, help him up."

"But, Cinder-" Emerald started.

"Now!" Cinder commanded. Emerald was caught off guard by her volume and tone, but quickly did as asked and helped Tarantula back to his feet, giving him support as he tried to recover. "What lie are you talking about?" Cinder asked, addressing Tarantula.

"Spider-Man was no simple target. He is what made me…" Tarantula ripped off his mask, revealing a beyond furious look on his face. "You used him to make me…"

"You fought him last night, unmasked him," Cinder noted. "So why didn't you finish the job?"

Tarantula just scowled further and bared his teeth. "You never wanted me to know. You wanted me to go on knowing I'd killed someone with my face."

"Exactly. Because then you would hesitate, and you would fail: Just as you did last night," Taskmaster sneered. Cinder frowned and waved him off before turning back to the young Peter Parker clone.

"Yes, we lied, but in a way, it was for your protection. Had you remained out of the know, you would have stayed strong through your mission. But now, you must complete your goal and move beyond your morals. If you can kill him despite this knowledge, this hesitation, you will prove yourself even stronger than before. So I ask, the next chance you get, finish the job," She said.

At first, Tarantula's face was unreadable beyond the remaining anger. It seemed like he could decide either way. The room was silent for a painfully long time before an answer finally came. "Fine… I'll do it…" He relented.

Cinder smirked and crossed her arms. "Good."

"That was reckless, dangerous! You unnecessarily put yourself in danger while you're still injured. I mean, how irresponsible could you possibly be?" Peter was tuning out Weiss's high pitched scolding while he focused more on what was at the forefront of his mind; Fisk's return, Prowler's Death, Taskmaster's witch hunt, and to top it all off, a clone of himself running around under the control of Taskmaster. On one hand, it made sense why Taskmaster let him go at the White Fang base now. He got what he wanted, Peter's DNA so he could create another trial to break him: literally facing himself. On the other hand, though…

"Hey, are you even listening to me?!" Weiss squeaked.

"Yeah yeah, should have been careful, all that," Peter waved her off.

"Peter, we're being serious," Yang added. "It's barely been a week since we saved you from Taskmaster, and your injuries are still pretty rough. You need to rest."

"What I need to do is piece this all together. A man died tonight, Jessica is in the hospital, and I need to figure out why!" Peter replied.

"Prowler abandoned them before the attack on Vale," Blake said. "I'd say that paints a big target on his back."

"Yeah, except that's not it. Tonight, he gave me his scroll, a scroll with a message from Wilson Fisk saying they had a way home for them."

"Wait, that Kingpin guy is still alive?" Ruby asked.

"Apparently," Peter sighed. "But… I'm not quite convinced."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"Well, before I handed Prowler's scroll off to Matt, I, uh, discreetly copied the files from it onto mine, and I got this," Peter said before plugging his scroll into one of the monitors and bringing up both the coordinates and the recorded phone call. Peter let the call play, and the five listened to it as Fisk's message was relayed. When it ended, RWBY didn't get it.

"I dunno, sounds legit to me," Yang shrugged.

"Except that's not his MO. Fisk doesn't let things go, he's basically a big toddler. It's part of the reason we're here in the first place. In the end, he knew Taskmaster left him out to dry and would want to repay it back tenfold, not just run away and let him have his fun," Peter deduced.

"So you think Fisk being alive is a hoax simply because this isn't spiteful enough?" Weiss asked.

"It's not just that. Fisk is smart, he wouldn't have called Prowler a week in advance. He would tell him to come right away. I mean it, something about this doesn't feel right." Peter's focus was entirely upon the screen and his mind was racing with what could really be going on. Then Ruby stepped next to him and pulled him out of his inquisitive trance.

"Whether he's alive or not, you need to take a break," She said. "You're still hurt, and we don't know what their plans are. We can help you figure things out, but you just have to slow down."

Peter sighed and shook his head. "If anything, I need to speed things up. Because now I know why Taskmaster let me go." Peter changed the screen to show footage of his fight with Black Tarantula. The team watched up to the point where Peter unmasked him, and then he paused it. The huntresses were in shock. Aside from the minor differences like the eye color or haircut, it was like looking at Peter.

"W-What are we looking at?" Yang asked.

"Genetic replication," Peter sighed. "They let me go because they gathered enough material to create and train a clone of me in a matter of a few weeks, if that."

"Why would they do that?" Weiss asked.

Peter looked aside and crossed his arms. "Taskmaster hates me. And he wants to break me before he kills me. He started by baiting me to try and kill Fisk at the dockyards. Then he lured me out the one night I wasn't supposed to be someone else, then tortured me for three days straight. Now he wants the last eyes I see to be my own. He's a fighter… but he's also a coward."

"He created a clone of you because you're his strongest enemy, and now you're his most powerful tool," Blake said.

"And now there's a version of me out there scared, angry and alone in a world he was basically born into yesterday."

"Not to sound callous, but… is he really even a person?" Weiss suggested. "I mean, he was born to be a weapon, a criminal. Shouldn't he be lopped in with the others to be arrested?"

"I'd agree with you, but… when he saw my face, his face… it looked like he was as confused as I was. They're not treating him as a partner, as another assassin. He's being used just as a tool. He doesn't even know what it's like being a human being."

"That sounds so horrible…" Ruby shuddered, sickened at the thought of human life being treated as such. It was inhumane, evil. "Poor guy…"

"Yeah… he's engineered to believe his only purpose is to kill me, it seems like…" Peter sighed.

"So it's not his fault that he's like this," Ruby said. "If we could talk to him, maybe we can get him away from the bad guys!"

"Well, once we both had that little revelation, he didn't exactly stick around to talk things out. I wouldn't know where to start looking. Which means I'll have to wait for him to come to me again," Peter said.

"More of a reason why you're going back to your dorm and getting some rest, that way you don't get your ass kicked next time," Yang said sternly, but with a small smile and lighter tone.

"And next time this guy comes to try and kill you, we'll all have your back," Blake added.

Peter couldn't help but smile a little, despite the events of the previous night. "Okay okay, I get the message now. I'll go up to my dorm and get some sleep for once." Peter started to step away when Yang grabbed his arm firmly.

"Nuh uh, mister. This time we're making sure you get there and stay there." The strong blonde then started leading Peter out of his lab forcefully.

"What are you guys gonna do, board up my window and tie me to my bed?" Peter asked jokingly.

"Don't tempt us, Parker," Weiss smirked, causing Ruby to giggle.

Raven sat solemnly alone in her tent, her mask and weapon set aside and a cup of tea set in front of her. She didn't drink it, she didn't even reach for it. It had been around a week since the encounter with Marc Spector. Time hadn't lessened the blow of what had happened. Hell, she barely understood what happened. Parts of it still felt like a fever dream, or a bad nightmare. She only wished it were that simple.

Mere weeks before, Raven thought she knew what she believed: the gods were long gone, Ozpin's crusade was meaningless, and the most she could do is keep her tribe alive. Now? She wasn't quite so sure anymore.

She started to reach for the tea in front of her when a chilling voice rung through her ears.

Raven, the voice said. She instantly stood up and gripped the hilt of her sheathed blade, knocking the small table over and spilling the scalding hot tea on the ground. Her heart immediately panicked, on edge. Her breathing quickened instantly. She recognized the voice she heard.

"You… you arent real…" Raven squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

Aren't I? Khonshu chuckled.

"Get out… of my head…"

Oh, I'm in more than your head, Raven, Khonshu said before Raven felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder. A chill went up her spine as the point of a bone beak peaked over her shoulder. I am in your very soul. Raven tried to unsheathe her weapon, but her arm wouldn't move. She gripped the hilt tightly, but the act of pulling the weapon free felt like moving the world: like it couldn't be done. Her entire body was shaking. From strain or fear, she didn't know, and honestly didn't want to.

"I just want to be left alone…" Raven said, keeping a more even tone, which surprised even her.

To be perfectly honest with you, I don't care what you want, Khonshu replied before moving and standing in front of her. Raven opens her eyes finally and tints of a flaming aura formed at the corners of her eyes.

"You aren't here," Raven replied, regaining some of her composure.

Foolish child. I never was.

"What…?"

Marc Spector does not wield the power to bring me from across dimensions. And even if he did, I wouldn't want to, Khonshu clarified.

"Then… then how did you-" Raven started to say, but the lunar god cut her off.

Fix the moon and break it apart again in a matter of seconds? Khonshu finished before letting out a laugh and sitting down where the other side of the table would have been. Are you so naive to believe even gods could influence celestial bodies in other universes? It was an illusion, Raven, meant to instill fear upon you and your tribe. Clearly it worked.

Raven's muted fear quickly turned to anger. She hadn't been lied to and made a fool in years. Not since Ozpin. Not since she left her old life behind. And yet…

"I will kill that man where he stands," Raven growled, the aura around her eyes growing.

You could, Khonshu replied, Or you could listen to Marc Spector's words.

"What? His empty threats and lies told through his teeth?" Raven snapped.

Oh, I assure you his threats are far from empty. But no. His experience, Khonshu corrected before standing up and beginning to walk circles around Raven. When he criticized you for leaving your husband, your daughter, your brother, your old life behind, he was speaking from his own failures in life.

"What are you talking about?" Raven questioned.

Back on Earth, Spector also has a daughter and former spouse. And much like you, his choices in life led to him, albeit begrudgingly, cutting ties. Of course, also like you, that independence is only words, far from the reality he chooses to accept.

"You don't know me!" Raven exclaimed.

I know you better than you know yourself, Raven Branwen, Khonshu evenly replied. That totem you shattered wasn't a source of mere parlor tricks, bandit. It contained a small piece of my magic, my power. It was meant to help cast the illusion you saw, however the mixture of it and those maiden powers of yours… it created a connection between us even I couldn't predict.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Raven asked cautiously.

It means, at least for a short time, you will hear me, see me, feel me in the same way Marc Spector does. I will be the voice in your ear, the hand on your shoulder-

"-and the leash around my neck," Raven finished with a scowl before looking at the lunar god.

Khonshu couldn't help but laugh. You understood it faster than he ever did.

"That is what he is to you, isn't it? A pet. A slave. He didn't leave his family because he wanted to, you gave the man no choice."

Oh, I assure you, Marc was already a broken man when I found him. Innocent blood stained his hands, and he was betrayed. It left… a sour taste in his mouth.

"And you replaced it with yours, most foul," Raven sneered.

Not against his will. I gave him a choice: lay dying in the desert where I found him, or swear to protect the travelers of the night, become my fist of vengeance. My Moon Knight.

"That isn't a choice. That's a strongarm. Live or die, simple as that."

Still a choice nevertheless.

"What kind of man would choose death over life?" Raven questioned.

The kind of man with nothing left to live for, Khonshu answered. But as far as I can tell, you do have something to live for. So answer this: would you rather die only remembered as Raven Branwen the solitary bandit leader? With your daughter never really knowing her mother, your husband left to grieve alone until the day he dies, and your brother wishing he was an only child? Or would you rather be remembered as Raven Branwen, fearsome huntress of Team STRQ… and the mother her daughter has always needed?

Raven let Khonshu's words linger in the air for a moment before he continued speaking. Now, I'll be honest when I say I don't give a damn. Y'know, 'gods don't concern themselves with the petty conflicts of mortals' type of mentality. But Marc… as broken and harsh as that man is, as much as he hates you, he really doesn't want to see someone make the same mistakes he did, especially when they still have a chance.

At this, Raven furrowed her brow. "If he wants to change my mind so badly, then why isn't he here now?"

He's busy at the moment, Khonshu answered.

"Doing what?"

Khonshu chuckled a bit. Drinking.

Marc set his glass down after slamming down the last drips of alcohol from his second round while Frank was still sipping away at his first. "You're going awfully slow," Marc said. "Worried about being drunk on duty?"

"I'm always on duty. Especially after last night," Frank flatly replied before setting down his drink.

"Yeah, grim business all around. I almost feel bad for Junior as much as I do Jones," Marc said as he gestured for the bartender to refill his drink.

"You feel bad for a crook? This must be the end times," Frank half-joked.

"Not as bad a sign as you not killing them," Marc countered before immediately starting on his drink.

"I can't exactly go around pumping crooks full of lead while wearing the Atlas badge," Frank replied. "Without provocation at least."

"Does that mean the Punisher is no more?"

"Fuck no," Frank replied.

"Isn't he though?" Marc said. "The Punisher is the vengeance of Frank Castle, the crusade to kill until he can kill no more. But you're watching over that girl now. You did that on your own. So what does that say?"

Frank grunted and started for his drink before pausing when a revelation hit him. "I'm not talking to Marc, am I?"

The other chuckled a bit. Too lighthearted to be Marc or Jake. "You caught me," Steven replied.

"I didn't come to have drinks and therapy with a backseat driver," Frank gruffly replied.

"I never said you were done killing, Frank. But maybe the reason you will has. You've fallen back in line among the military, have a young girl to look over, and serve under someone almost like-minded. The question isn't if you're done, I believe it's if you will use that moniker to prevent history from repeating itself. Am I close?" Steven asked.

"Okay, we're done here," Frank said before slamming his drink and pushing himself off of the barstool. "Thanks for the drink, but I'd rather go beat the snot out of Torchwick some more."

"Frank," Marc said. Frank knew it was him by the gruffness and lack of positivity in his voice now. Frank stopped walking, but didn't turn around. "Take it from someone who's spent years trying: moving on from the past ain't easy. Whenever you see a chance to make it easier? Take it."

Frank lets out a low growl before heading for the door. "See you around, Spector." Marc watched Frank go before turning back to the bartender.

"Another round."

Peter sat down on his bed and stretched out his arms, immediately feeling a pull on a damaged muscle and wincing. "Y'know, I didn't need the escort the entire way."

"Like we said, we're not having you run away again," Weiss said.

"You guys have made your point, I'm not gonna run away. I'm not a-"

"Moody teenager with 'you don't understand' vibes written all over you?" Yang cut him off with a smirk. Peter raised a finger to object, then quickly lowered it.

"Fair enough," Peter relented.

"You really do need a rest period. At least take it easy while figuring out this whole Kingpin thing," Blake said. "Save Spider-Man for when he's needed."

Ruby looked over Peter's desk, glancing over it all. Despite being in here several times, she hardly took the chance to look around. For the most part, it was a cluttered mess, but two things stood out to her. The first was the picture of Peter and MJ taped to the backboard of the desk. "I hadn't seen this before," She said.

All their attention turned to the desk and the picture taped to it. Peter let out a weak chuckle. "I guess I was all talk and no show. Only Blake's seen that picture." Weiss and Yang looked at Blake, who nervously avoided their gaze.

"She's beautiful," Ruby smiled. "And you look so happy!"

"She was, and I was happy. Suffice to say, those were definitely the best years of my life. I just wish they would've lasted longer…" Peter trailed off a bit. Ruby stepped over and gave him a firm hug, one he returned with a small smile. "Just glad I have you guys to help me now."

"We're glad to have you too," Yang said as she put her arm around Peter's shoulders with a smile. Peter smiled back and felt the anxiety from talking about the picture fall away quickly. From there, the second thing caught Ruby's eye: the card with the large A on it.

"What's this?" She asked.

Peter looked over and saw it before hesitantly picking it up. "I keep forgetting I still have this…"

"What is it?" Weiss asked. Blake recognized the card from when she and Penny had searched the room before, but didn't say anything.

"It's an Avengers ID card," Peter answered.

"Avengers? Sounds like a band," Yang remarked.

Peter chuckled a bit. "Mister Stark did call it that at one point in time. The Avengers are the greatest team of heroes in my world. Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

"They sound incredible!' Ruby said excitedly.

"Y'know, I wonder…" Peter pressed his thumb against the A, and a robotic male voice spoke from the card.

"Confirmation Passcode Required."

"Ben," Peter said.

"Access granted."

Peter chuckled almost out of relief. "I guess Mister Stark always thought I'd come back. Avengers roster: Rundown. But, uh, hide any secret identities that are still secret."

"Certainly," The voice replied before a holographic screen projected from the car between Peter and the huntresses. The holograms began showing members of the Avengers one by one.

"A-01: Steven Rogers, AKA Captain America. Enhanced Super Soldier and leader of the Avengers. Founding Member. Status: Active.

A-02: Anthony Edward Stark, AKA Iron Man. Technological Genius, owner and funder of the team on Avengers Mansion. Founding Member. Status: Active.

A-03: Thor Odinson. Asgardian Demigod of Thunder and Warrior Prince. Founding Member. Status: Active."

"He and Nora would probably get along," Weiss remarked.

"A-04: Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye. Former Agent of SHIELD. Founding Member. Status: Active.

A-05: Bruce Banner, AKA The Hulk. Profound scientist until he transforms into a strong monster of rage. Founding Member. Status: Resigned."

"I could take him," Yang smirked confidently.

"You really can't," Peter muttered before the roster continued.

"A-06: Henry Pym, AKA Ant-Man. Decorated Scientist and inventor of the Pym Particle. Founding Member. Status: Retired.

A-07: Janet Van Dyne, AKA The Wasp. Co-Creator of the Pym Particle. Founding Member. Status: Active.

A-08: Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow. Agent of SHIELD. Founding Member. Status: Active."

"Is that where you got the idea for the name of our move?" Blake asked.

"Pretty much. She's one of the scariest women I've ever met," Peter replied.

"A-09: Wolverine. Mutant with Adamantium skeleton and claws, persistent healing factor and Animal instinct. Status: On-Call."

"On call? What does that mean?" Ruby asked.

"He's uh… kind of a loner, and he already has another team to look after, so he's more of a part-time Avenger," Peter answered.

"A-10: Scarlet Witch. Mutant Magic Wielder. Status: Resigned.

A-11: Quicksilver. Mutant with power of super speed. Status: Active." Ruby's eyes lit up at the mention of super speed, which made Peter smile and laugh a little.

"A-12: The Vision. Cybernetic Android converted to the side of good. Status: Active." Ruby didn't say anything, but images of Penny came to mind with the mention of a cybernetic android.

"A-13: Luke Cage, formerly known as Power Man. Bulletproof skin and enhanced strength. Status: Active.

A-14: Iron Fist. Master of martial arts and his own chi. Status: Active."

"Hey, how come they never mentioned they were Avengers?" Yang questioned.

"Well, it's not exactly something they should throw around, especially in a world that isn't theirs," Peter replied.

"A-15: Spider-Man. Supergenius with heightened strength, reflexes and spider-like abilities. Status: Retired."

Here, Peter kept a level head. They all knew the story already, but they could all already tell he was hiding the history. "It's so awesome!" Ruby cried. "You were part of the biggest superhero team ever!"

"Sometimes I wonder if I ever deserved to be," Peter said while rubbing his neck. "They're all geniuses, soldiers, gods and monsters. I'm just a kid from Queens."

"Maybe that's why they needed you. A normal human to keep them honest," Blake said.

"Cap would be that. He's as pure as you can get." Peter turned off the hologram and set the card back on the desk. "Being an Avenger always felt too big for me. I was more of the friendly neighborhood type."

"Vale probably felt like a breath of fresh air," Yang said.

"That's one way to put it," Peter chuckled. "Anyways, you guys should probably head to your dorm. You guys need rest too before we crack down on Fisk, or whoever is behind this."

Ruby and Yang traded glances before looking back to Peter. "About that, Pete…" Yang said.

"Hm? What is it?" Peter asked.

"Yang and I are going back to Patch with our dad the day after tomorrow," Ruby said. "We won't be back until the day before the tournament."

"Oh… well, you guys deserve a break too. You work hard to protect this city too. Not including last week. You guys have fun."

"Think you'll be ok without us?" Yang asked.

"It's just a week. If things go right, we'll have everything wrapped up by the time you get back," Peter said. "Hell, I'll even help you guys pack tomorrow if you want."

"We got it, but thanks."

Peter turned to Weiss and Blake. "What about you two?"

"We're sure not going anywhere," Weiss answered.

"We'll have your back in the investigation," Blake added.

"Thanks, guys. Now you all should really head to your dorm. You two have some packing to do, and us three have some investigating to do," Peter said.

"Right. Come on, guys," Ruby said. The team said their good nights and left Peter's room. When Peter closed the door behind them, he let out a sigh and glanced back over to the ID card sitting on his desk.