= Chapter 174. Upcoming Celebration =
Commentary on Chapter 174. Upcoming Celebration If anyone would like to support your favourite and invaluable author with deeds rather than words (though I appreciate comments with your detailed opinion no less), you are welcome to do so: 5469980470822129 - Sber A few weeks later.
Evening. Baxter building.
Peter Parker.
- Jennifer Walters? - I arch an interested eyebrow, catching the familiar name. - She's invited to the wedding?
- We invite all the characters who don't hide their identities and with whom we have a good rapport, Peter. And Jen has helped us a lot a few times, both as a hero and as a lawyer," Sue nodded.
- When did you work with the Hulk Woman? - I rested my chin on my hands, ready to hear some fucking amazing stories.
Funny, I never got to meet Miss Green Sex Symbol.
I've never seen her in Avengers Tower. Bruce is a regular at Avengers Tower.
Or maybe I'm not as in touch with Banner... We should get him some cupcakes. At least for the blood.
Speaking of Hulk blood. I've finished working with it and here I am, waiting for the right time to introduce it.
The last couple of weeks have been just great with their calm and adventure-free nature. So maybe it's time?
Not... Kitten is just on the mend, so don't.
Felicia has been home for a week now. And, much to my delight, her maternal instinct has been doubly awakened (as has her attraction to the father of her offspring). So I was happy with my family.
The only thing that was bothersome was Ben's aloofness at Felicia's discharge celebration. His brother was strangely detached from Janine, who was clearly uncomfortable but hid it behind an artificial smile.
And, of course, Benji's absence from the celebration itself.
I tried to get in touch with my son, but he was only two sentences about being busy and a congratulatory call to Fey. I had a great desire to visit my son, who was behaving so strangely, but the girls asked me to give him space, because the child was worried that his mum had almost died, so he just had to wait.
Well, my gut was silent, so I waited.
My brother, on the other hand, needs to be talked to.
Oh, what's with all this squabbling: Fey may be on the mend, but relapses are possible, I'm a scientist, I know! I'm still ashamed of Mary, even though I got permission to "help"... my conscience is somehow uneasy. Hence the slight awkwardness with my sister and Natasha. Although the girls don't seem to be embarrassed at all, as if I was the only one! It's even more uncomfortable because I, or rather, my lustful part wants to be alone in a bed with two hot beauties... but this time not my girls.
Maybe I should see a therapist.
Ben's moody again, Benji.
Cain, on the other hand. I feel like he's the only one in the family that's doing well. Theresa, but she doesn't dress up in costumes.
It's nice to have a little bit of a break for all of us.
And one fantastic duo's wedding is just perfect.
"It's finally here," to quote Raj.
Reed and Sue have been doing unprecedented things. I know for a fact that all the Avengers got an invitation yesterday.
Today I'm helping draft invitations for more or less civilians.
Mary's helping Alicia, our stone-cold goofball's girlfriend, with the cake. This, by the way, is an extra opportunity for Felicia to babysit all four of our babies. May will help anyway, she's very attached to Felicity and Walt, she comes and babysits every day. It's a good thing I got my aunt to go to the doctor. And she seems to be doing better, just bronchitis.
Everybody's on the clock.
- All right, who's next, I'm looking at the cards.
- There you are! - Johnny burst into the living room in his flaming uniform.
- Is there a fire somewhere, Lightning? - I arch an eyebrow in interest.
- Almost, mate," Storm smiled brightly, landing and removing his fiery cover. - Come quickly, I have a present.
- A present? - I'm surprised and look at Sue, who just shrugs. - What's it in honour of? - I squint suspiciously.
I don't think the Sensors would have warned me, so it could well be another ultra omega fun trick from the master of pranks, Torch the Clown...
- In honour of what, the birth of my best friend's twins, of course! - bangs his fist on his open palm, blondie.
- Wait, seriously, you're not kidding me? - I'm getting up out of my chair.
- Pete, I'm careless about almost everything, even work, sorry, sis, - on the guilty smile of her brother, almost, Mrs Richards only rolled her eyes, say, "put up with the carelessness of the younger". - But to people close to her, never... unless it was Ben, who reacted so ridiculously to pranks.
- Well, let's go then, Ogonyok," I smile, preparing to stomp after my friend, and then stop. - Is it okay if we go out for a while? - I ask the blonde in embarrassment.
- Have fun, boys," Sue said, waving her palm at me. - Besides, we're almost done.
We get in the lift with Johnny and go down. Not to the lab, but down to the garage level.
- What, did you build me a car? - I'm shocked to assume.
- Almost," Storm scratches the back of his head. - Promise not to be mad.
- At what?
I knew Torch couldn't do something out of the goodness of his heart! He's in trouble again.
- So, Spider-Man, I give you... Spider-Buggy! - Torch pulled down a wide white sheet. - TA-DA!
- You're kidding me? - I even got an eye twitch looking at... this.
- Just hear me out!" Storm put his hands together in a prayer gesture. - I got this car from Mr Wagley, who owns the biggest car dealership in New York State, if not the country! He's got a calendar shoot, just don't faint... Kimberly Dolly!
- Who?
- Don't tell me you don't know?! - Johnny ran over to the table and grabbed a magazine off it. - Pete, relationships are great, sure, but not knowing such hot stuff... and I'm telling you this!
Storm flipped through a few spreads and shoved the right one under my nose.
On the poster, in an inviting pose and a tight-fitting mechanic's suit... very, very sexualised, lay a searing brunette.
- Okay, yeah, she's all right," I nodded.
- Exactly! And Mr Wagley promised me her number! If-" Torch hesitated.
- If?
- If my best, the best friend in all the land, Spider-Man promotes his salon in his personal company car, - Storm pointed at the buggy with an awkward smile.
- 'You're as usual, Flame,' he slapped his face with the palm of his hand, rubbing his eyes.
- 'Come on Pete, they used gravity modulators, it can drive on walls, they made it for you!
Well, now, that's interesting!
- Can it really? - I'm getting a new look at the car.
- And it's got stainless steel alloy wheels! It's a car, it's gorgeous.
- But it looks cheesy, - I press my lips together, - only two seats, no roof, and also...
- You've never had a car before, mate! - Torch raised his hands in indignation.
- Nor a driver's licence," I sniggered.
- Pfft, Parker, we're superheroes, we don't need papers!
- Tell that to the cop who pulls me over," I approach the car.
- Yeah, when you're driving up the wall," the blond laughed.
I went to look at the car.
Yes, it's definitely not worth riding in such a car, especially for the future director of a multimillion-dollar corporation...
I'll have to thank Reed for agreeing to invest in Parker Industries.
Just in my free time I completely shifted the vector of my attention to the company's affairs: I contacted my friends, transferred them the money they would officially "wash", began to study the premises offered for rent, to consider the files of young and not very promising scientists, even consulted with Kurt about it.
I had a lot of things to do, and it was good that I didn't have much time in the lab, and I had plenty of time to spend with my family.
And it's worth noting that I'm more and more willing to make a deal with my principles and conjure the mind of a tongue-tied brunette with a Mind Stone, because Drew... can piss even me off.
But that's not the point.
Flint called four days ago and gave his consent because "the salary is very generous, Mr Parker, I am grateful that you are willing to give an ex-convict a chance". The only thing left to do was to get in touch with Wade.
My musings were interrupted by Johnny's question.
- So, Pete, are you in? - Storm was looking at me askance.
- To hell with you, Lightning, call, let them set up a time," I waved my hand, looking at my new chariot, "I'll tune you up. I'm gonna tune you up.
- WHOO! - the blond guy's all fired up. - Thanks, mate! I owe you one! - The torch flew out of the room.
Well, Bearer, after that, you're the best friend I've ever had," the Clintarian said.
It's not so bad, brother, a free car. I would have been happy with that in my twenties in a previous life.
- Well, okay," I walk over to the table and get the keys. - What else is there?
I'm responding to the beep of my communicator.
- Hello?
- Hey, bro, we're on patrol, we got a tip from the Spiderbots, and we need you," Cain's voice rang out.
- Hey, wild brother, you can't do it without me? - I'm looking at the car. - You know what though, forget it, give me the address.
I get the coordinates and teleport. Three minutes later, the whole Spider Family crawls up on the roof. Well, except for my son.
- Hey, guys, what's going on? - I walk up to the guys leaning against the industrial air conditioner and Del, who's smearing her booty on top of the metal device.
- You just have to see these clowns," Parker, the scrawniest, said.
Nah, Ben needs to be talked to and the awkwardness with his sister needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.
I mean, when was Cain the most talkative of my clones?!
- Okay, people, I'm switching off our radio," I focus on the minds of the doppelgangers.
My training with telepathy led to an unexpected vector of change in the direction of such an ambiguous ability: Attempts to read thoughts are still destructive for me, to turn people into vegetables is somehow not to my liking, so telepathy was perfectly revealed from the other side: broadcasting my own thoughts or creating channels of communication with the minds of others. Perhaps this outcome is the result of my personal preferences, but I always tried to protect my own mind and not to meddle in others'. My thoughts are only my own, perhaps that's why I think it's a bit wrong to twist the minds of others or interfere in the workings of their minds, because I don't like telepaths for that.
So let it be as it is, and as the Spider-Universe, I now have a "voice of truth" for ferreting out secrets.
So, can everyone hear me?
Loud and clear," the genetic duplicates responded in unison. - Still shocked that you've become telepathic, but, yes, we can hear perfectly," the brown woman added.
Good. Who are these clowns, Cain? - I'm coming to the edge of the roof.
They should have climbed into the bank by now, it's hilarious, you should see it.
We silently approach the walls and start moving along them in the shadows.
Climb into the bank and head for the safe deposit box section. No cash is kept here, only valuable customer savings, papers, jewellery, powers of attorney.
- Hurry up, you morons, the boss said we don't have much time, he'll pick us up in ten minutes! - shrieked a girl in make-up with bunny ears and an umbrella in her hands.
- Hurry up, hurry up, you try to break these boxes down yourself! - muttered a heavy guy in a walrus suit.
Oh, my God, these guys! You called me here because of the Walrus and the White Rabbit? - I asked, not even trying to suppress a smile.
No, no, no, no, no, look, look," Ben replied in a cheerful as hell tone.
It seemed to have lifted the haze of heavy thoughts even from my secretive brother.
As the bickering reigned between the villains, the dude in the frog costume and my old acquaintance, the glue eater, came round the corner with their bags full of stuff.
- Why are you bickering, you idiots! - shouted sticky Pittie.
Okay, people, I can't, let's knock them out quick because I can barely contain my laughter right now," I was about to jump, but I was stopped by my sister's mental shout.
Wait, what about their boss?
Okay, okay, we'll wait, but everyone be quiet! - I sense the same mood of my Spider kin and we continue to wait quietly under the ceiling.
What idiot villains, we've had so many encounters, and to look up...
- Oh, shit, it's the Spider-Men! - yelled the Walrus, pointing his paw at us.
My tongue is my enemy. Even when I'm not saying anything.
- Hey, Trapster, you're certainly not at the top of my list of even second-rate enemies, but working with these... it's bad, isn't it? - I'm jumping off the ceiling, just like the rest of the spiders.
- Attack! - White Rabbit screamed hysterically.
The fight was a tower... managed it in two punches each.
- I gave Spiderbot the order to contact our captain, the police are on their way," I bind the four villains with an organic web.
But the ringing of the Sense alerts me that all will not be so simple this evening.
Another old acquaintance of mine with a fishbowl on his head materialises out of the violet haze.
- Oh, no," Beck says heavily.
- Hey, magician, are you just going to give up or are you going to fight for your freedom?
Quentin took off his helmet and stretched his arms out in front of him.
- Well, that's not even interesting," Tarantula commented.
- Let's tie him up," Ben braided the illusionist into a cocoon.
The cops arrived quickly. We put the bandits' grief in the hands of the law, said goodbye to the officers who thanked us, and returned to the rooftops.
- Okay, folks, it's been fun, but I gotta go, this ride has instilled confidence in the benefits of a single procedure," I wave to my family. - Karen, text MJ and Fey that I'll be late...
- Pete, wait," Cain called out to me as the others decided to leave as well.
Delia had already flown off to patrol further, but Ben also lingered after hearing Parker's callout.
- What's up, brother? - I looked at the brown-haired man.
- Honestly, I didn't want to bother you with it, - Cain hesitated. - In principle, could help and Hank, but you always said with conviction that if suddenly something starts to happen to us obligatory to talk ...
- Cain, what's wrong? - I'm getting more focused.
In response, the wild brother only silently approached the water tower and took off his glove, putting his palm on the metal.
After a second, the material began to bubble and a smoke of vapour emitted from it.
- Acid touch?! - Ben exclaimed.
- How long has this been going on? - I asked in a serious tone, walking over to my brother and examining his hand.
- A couple of days," the clone exhaled. - At first I thought it was just a new ability, but yesterday I felt dizzy before I went to bed, and today I've been unpleasantly dizzy all day.
- I see," I nodded. - You're coming with me to the lab," I turned to the blond. - Ben?
- Yeah, sure, I'll come with you," the Scarlet Spider stepped closer.
I put my hands on my brothers' shoulders and teleport us to the Frontier.
- Don't mind the woman in the cage," I said, leading my brothers to the table.
- And a man in a capsule is the norm, right? - The blond pointed his finger. - Is there something we don't know about you, brother?
- There are gaps between your teeth for jokes like that, pretty boy," I snickered at Ben's comment. - Don't tell anyone about Carl, but don't tell anyone about Jessica, especially not the girls! - I added, going into the research room and closing the door behind us.
It's only in these last fortnight that I've thought to set up a research corner for the essentials when I was clearing out the spaces for the suits.
- Yeah, so you kidnapped two people and are holding them against their will," Reilly nodded. - Yeah, well, nothing out of the ordinary.
- One of them is a mutant dinosaur who was a tyrant in the Wild Earth, terrorising the aboriginal tribes there," I shared the details, shrugging. - I'm going to need access to your wrist, little brother," I sit Cain down and go to get medical supplies. - And Drew's a HYDRA agent who I'm... re-educating. And not in that way!
- All right, all right, I get it," Ben said with a smile.
I'm collecting a few samples of my older clone.
- By the way, cool costume, - the Scarlet Spider, obviously from nothing to do, was spinning his head and caught a glance at the mannequin stand with my first most unusual costume and the first exhibit in the collection, respectively. - What's it made of?
- Adamantium.
- Adamantium?! - Reilly's shocked scream was definitely audible even in Hoboken.
- What can I say, it took me a long time to get to this point," I chuckle. - In the meantime, the equipment's doing its job," I turned to the blond. - What's the matter, Ben?
- What do you mean? - The Scarlet Spider continued to smile, but more strained.
- You don't have to lie to us, I noticed it too," Cain put his glove back in place. - What's going on with you and Elizabeth, Junior?
- Guys, honestly, it's normal... okay, not normal, and, I don't know! - The clone puts his hands behind the back of his head, clutching it with his palms. - I just don't know...
- Tell us, and we'll give you a clue," I sit down on one of the chairs and pat the upholstery of another one next to it. - What else are brothers for?
Wild Brother nodded in agreement, settling into his chair.
- Good," Reilly sighed, walking over and sitting down on the stool. - Elizabeth... first of all, she's not Elizabeth.
- Let me guess, her name is Janine Godby and she's wanted for the murder of her father? - I'm laying all my cards on the table.
- DID YOU KNOW?! - Reilly jumps up immediately.
- Almost immediately I checked everything I could when I found out you'd told her your... our secret.
- You should have told me, Peter!
- Yeah, you're right Ben, I'm sorry," I nod, agreeing with the clone. - I just thought it was the kind of thing you should discuss in private.
- That's true," he frowned, then exhaled again. - Then perhaps I should tell you about our conversation...
- Hold that thought," I teleport away.
I spend a short period of time looking for the most important things in a case like this.
In ten minutes I return, holding a set with telekinesis: a wooden folding table, a set and a ton of food together with my personal, third-party development.
- My own moonshine," I toss the bottle in my hand while the furniture flies around, served by telekinesis.
- Moonshine? - The scarred Parker was surprised.
- Since we're going to have a serious conversation, we can't do without it," I nod monolithically and lower the bubble with a small clatter onto the wooden surface of the prepared table.
Experiments in chemistry can sometimes yield completely unexpected results.
The clones just shrugged and began to sit down.
- Well, here's to our brothers and sisters spiders in the multiverse! - I raise a shot glass, pouring each one a portion... And let's have a Parker's Ambrosia... woah!
- Em... yes! - the brothers supported the toast, clapping moonshine after me.
Under the vodka the conversation went as it should.
Ben poured out his soul, snacking on herring, Cain marvelled at the strength of the drink, and I nodded and poured fuel for the soul.
Admittedly, I'd overdone it.
Reilly, despite his snacks and spider regeneration, ran off to the bathroom after the fifth drink. The older clone was stronger, but he was starting to twist, and Parker was trying to find his footing, sitting on a chair, swaying every now and then.
The drink had the opposite effect on me...
Something, so sharply remembered home, family...
- I will exclaim Glory to the clan, Glory to the Russian people, - I quietly recall the lines of my favourite... I called them Slavic arias, - Let's take hands, brothers, let's weave a round dance, - I close my eyes and remember the wide southern fields. - I'll shout Glory to the clan, Glory to the Russian people, to the rhythms of music, to give ourselves to the rhythms of music under the expanse of the sky...
- Pete, what are you doing?
I lift my head and look at pale Ben, who has returned from the loo, having obviously coped with the urge to cleanse himself.
I shift my gaze and see that Cain is also looking rather surprised.
- No, it's nothing, guys, it's just emotions, - I sob, - now I'll have another glass and it'll pass...
I empty the glass.
- Yes, that's the fuel you created, - the blond returned to the table, staggering.
- And it served its purpose," I hum. - You sang better than any prisoner under the truth serum, brother.
- That's right," Parker nodded, agreeing with me, and Reilly rolled his eyes.
- Another round, then," Ben said, taking the initiative.