Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse
A Tangled Web we Weave: Villains
New York based Oscorp was, on paper, a seperate company but functionally Wilson Fisk and Alchemax owned it all. It had been a moderately successful biomedical company before Norman Osborn staked the company's reputation on replicating the Super Soldier Serum. It failed, their stock crashed and Norman accidentally became the Green Goblin.
The lab was under an 'abandoned' Oscorp building, with full facilities. A containment tank was in the middle of the lab, where the currently inert Green Goblin floated. He was nearly as huge as the Hulk, and massive bat-like wings sprouted from his back.
"So... is he dead?" Wilson Fisk asked his chief biological scientist.
Miles Warren shrugged slightly, "We don't know."
"That's not a helpful answer," Wilson frowned.
"We still don't fully understand what the Goblin Serum did to him," Miles Warren admitted. He took off his glasses and rubbed tired eyes before putting them back on as he continued, "He's come back from what was assumed to be actual 'death' twice now. He may revive after this, he may not. We don't really know."
Wilson grunted, but couldn't really argue the point. Around them techs monitored the body, worked up samples as well as worked on other projects.
Trying to appease his boss Miles Warren added, "Thank you for the new cloning lab. I've already begun sampling tests..."
"Keep me informed." Wilson really didn't want the details. He just wanted to get his wife and child back...
Leaving Miles to his work Wilson left the lab, then met his assistant upstairs. "Mr Fisk," Caterina nodded, "back to the tower?" The slim, brown haired woman was pretty, with sharp, angular eyes. She was his 'fixer' who handled various administrative tasks for him.
"Please," Wilson nodded as he got into the back, the woman sitting beside him as the driver started the car.
Caterina brought up the privacy screen, to make sure the driver couldn't hear. "I have updates on the 'talent' we were scouting," she noted.
"Any luck?" Wilson asked.
"Some," Caterina used her tablet to bring up the files as she said, "as you know, SHIELD is still cracking down on deliberate superhuman biological experimentation, but we've been able to contact a few operatives."
Wilson sighed. Yes, he needed new enforcers... Scorpion had severe damage to his cybernetics. It was fixable, but would take time. Prowler was dead, though Wilson was certain he could find another agent to wear the suit. And Liv Octavius had never been eager to be a field agent.
"Kraven the Hunter," Caterina said, "was in SHIELD custody due to illegal biological augmentation. Ironically, the ACLU helped spring him."
"He fought the other Spider-man and lost, correct?" Wilson frowned.
"Kraven might do better against the new kid," Caterina noted.
"True. At least he might be a distraction," Wilson admitted.
A image of a figure in insect like armor. "The Beatle," Caterina noted as she explained, "they were formerly an agent for Doctor Doom. After Doom's death, they went freelance. Armor allows flight, enhanced strength."
"Hmm. Would Iron Man come after them?" Wilson wondered aloud, knowing the hero had hunted dow foes using his tech.
"He's left him alone so far," Caterina shrugged. "And if Stark does, we can simply cut ties with them." she said reasonably.
"Fair enough," Wilson agreed.
"You are familiar with Electro, of course," Caterina brought up another file. "We've secured his release from SHIELD in exchange for service."
"Max Dillon is also a chronic loser," Wilson noted dryly. "Still... we need men," he conceded. "Any word on the other candidates?" he asked.
"Not yet, though Scorpion should be field ready again soon," Caterina noted.
They reached Fisk Tower, and the two headed in. "Take Octavius off the list of field agents," Wilson said as they took the elevator up.
"Understood. Will that be a problem?" Caterina asked.
"No, we've mostly relied on her as a scientist," Wilson said. "Besides, we could have another agent wear the arm rig," he added.
Caterina made a note to look into minions to do that, possibly. Once they were in Wilsion's bug proof, sound proof offices she added, "Should we consider a sanction order?"
There was, of course, a difference between employing superhuman operatives and assassins. While Wilson would, at times, order steps to be taken, in general he didn't want his enforcers to go out killing people. It was bad for business. He had, for awhile, the assassin Elektra on staff, which made him realize that when you suddenly had a good hammer, everyone started to look like nails...
"No. We were lucky to avoid fallout from the last Spider-Man's death," Wilson noted as he sat down at his desk.
"Mr Tombstone is not happy with his being confined at home," Caterina changed the subject, sitting in a comfy chair in front of him.
Wilson gave her a look, "He's lucky he's not in jail." He sipped a glass of water as he mentally added, 'Or just cut loose. His getting caught helping his gang was stupid.'
"Understood," Caterina said but added, "however I feel it's certain he will bust out eventually, if only due to boredom."
Wilson hid a sigh. Part of him was tempted to just sanction Tombstone... he knew too much at this stage, which put Wilson in the unpleasant position of having to keep bailing him out. Still, he was useful to have around...
"We still have the Prowler uniform, correct?" Wilson asked as an idea occurred to him.
"Yes sir," Caterina confirmed.
"Courier that over to him. If he has to break confinement, do it in disguise," Wilson said.
They finished up their business, then Wilson sat back with a sigh. On the corner of his desk was a picture of his wife and son, taken not long before they died. He touched the frame, a very tender gesture, then he went back to work.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Liv Octavius was beginning to think she was wrong about the time travel thing. Which was annoying. She HATED being wrong.
About a week ago Liv's old computer arrived at Alchemax safe and sound. Fedex! When you need it shipped on time, safely! She hooked it up to a self contained system (Who knew if those Spider-People had loaded a virus on it? Why take chances.) and after running anti-virus programs, successfully extracted the collider data.
But digging through the data... it was looking like what was happening was a difference in relative progress in time in each dimension. So over in one universe despite it being 'now' it was ALSO 1940s and there were Nazis were running around. And in another 'now' was the late 21st century and there were mecha.
Mind you, there were STILL huge possibilities in all this. If they could find an 'advanced' universe they could attempt to visit, get samples of the tech, and bring it home for huge profit. The issue, of course, was figuring out how to bridge universes without a collider.
The problem, in a nutshell, was it took incredible amounts of power to open the initial 'gate.' Hence their needing the Collider to do it. Once passage between dimensions happened it should be easier to do a second trip, but again it was all theory. Too bad none of the 'Spider People' had stuck around for further tests...
"Argh," Liv sighed, taking off her glasses a moment and rubbing her eyes. It was getting late, and she was tired.
Liv also remembered she hadn't really thanked May for sending her computer back. (YES, it was also stolen out of her lab. Still.) She should do something for her.
Struck by inspiration, Liv picked up the phone. "Hey, May... want to go out to that nice cafe up the street?" she invited cheerfully.
Liv was, of course, unaware that May would end up looking at this as a 'date'...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Caterina finished her work day, then closed down her computer. Her tablet was locked up, and she left with her work smartphone. It was encrypted, illegally, and gave Mr Fisk the ability to reach her at any time.
Her 'home' was a nice apartment, not far from Fisk Tower. She dropped her briefcase by the door, then put her phone of a table. She stripped, then jumped in the shower. A few moments later, in a fuzzy bathrobe she dried her hair as she went back to where she dropped her phone.
The box she dropped the phone in was designed to block att transmissions. No calls in or out. Then she took a device and swept the room for bugs, as she did every night. Only when she was sure her place was clean did she call on a older style flip-phone.
"Fury?" she waited, gave a pre-determined code then continued, "this is Agent Jessica Drew, reporting in..."
To be continued...
Notes: Still basically using the Ultimate Universe backgrounds. Interestingly, in the Ultimate line, getting superpowers artificially was only OK on a government level. So you could have a Captain America, but a character like Electro would automatically be illegal.
Also in the Ultimate Spiderman comic, Electro once got defeated by Aunt May. I might use that.
"Your ARCH ENEMY is an old lady?!"
"Oh shut up! I don't feel too manly about it either! But revenge WILL BE MINE!"
And yes, short update.