Chapter 11: Meltdown
New York City…
Jett's Home…
Monday, May 22, 10:12 pm…
"Whaaa!" Jett screamed as he rolled on the floor. His entire body was on fire, and he was in a panic to put it out.
He scrabbled to get into the shower, tripping over the edge and falling in. Jett lashed around, attempting to grab the faucet and turn it on. When he finally grabbed hold of it, he quickly turned it on, spraying the water down on him, putting the flames out, and filling the room with steam.
Jett panted heavily as cold water splashed down his head. He was too scared to open his eyes and see the damage to his body. His mind raced, trying to process what had just happened. Did that really happen? Why did he catch on fire? Was he a meta?
Those thoughts flooded him until he realized something. He wasn't in any pain. None at all. In fact, he felt the same as before, so either he was in shock or in some extreme denial. Though he was scared to look, Jett forced his eyes open to see the state of his body.
Slowly he opened them only to see he was perfectly fine save his clothes had all burnt off, leaving him stark naked in the shower. Turning off the shower, he crawled out of the shower, grabbing onto a towel and looking at himself in the mirror.
Just like the rest of his body, his head and hair were perfectly fine though he thought he looked a little more tan. Taking deep breaths, Jett ran his hand through his hair as he processed what just happened before the ringing of his phone brought him back to reality.
"Jay?" Jett asked as he picked up the call.
"Jett! We've got a problem. Or, more specifically you." Jay stated.
"Your test results came in and…." Jay began before Jett interrupted him.
"It's positive." Jett interrupted.
"Unfortunately yeah and…." Jay continued before Jett interrupted again.
"It's active," Jett muttered as beads of sweat ran down his face.
"Yes. Wait, how did you guess that part?" Jay questioned, confused at how Jett put together that his metagene was active so fast.
"Jay…I was on fire." Jett stuttered as the phone went silent.
"Did you just say? You were on fire?" Jay inquired.
"Yes. My entire body burst into flames burning off my clothes, but everything else is fine." Jett responded.
"Well, save the floor and the shower curtain," Jett added as he looked at the burnt curtain and the marks left on the floor.
"I hope I can cover those." Jett thought as he didn't want to know what his sister would do if she saw them nor when she found out how they got there.
"Jett, this is Curt. I need to know exactly how you're feeling right now and what you may have done to trigger this….what was it again?" Curt asked as Jay put the call on speaker.
"He was on fire," Jay answered.
"Fire?!" Curt gasped.
"Okay, what did you do to trigger your….fire ability?" Curt insisted as Jett explained what had happened to him.
"I feel normal, but before I…ignited. I felt a little hot like I had a fever. But now I feel perfectly fine. Honestly, I don't know what triggered it." Jett began.
"I reached for my phone when Jay called the first time, and my hand burst into flames, and the rest of my body soon followed." Jett continued.
"Thankfully, I was in the bathroom, so I put myself out in the shower." Jett finished.
"I see," Curt murmured.
"I'll be over tomorrow after informing your sister. We'll be seeing our options on what to do going forward." Curt informed.
"Do…do we have to tell Sara? Because I'm afraid she's going to lock me in this house forever if she finds out about this." Jett inquired.
"Yes, we have to tell her, Jett, she needs to know," Curt stated as Jett let out a devastated sigh.
"This isn't going to be anything like when Jay got his powers," Jett murmured.
"Probably not," Jay commented.
"Unlike Jay, you are a metahuman Jett. It'll be far easier to find you out with a blood sample and anything designed to detect metas." Curt noted.
"So does…does that mean I'm going to Taos? Or is it not ready yet?" Jett inquired.
"It may come to that, but we'll need to observe you first," Curt answered.
"I just don't know what could have triggered my powers," Jett murmured as he looked at his hand before he remembered his time on Hunter's Island.
Mark had attempted to throw one of Nightwing's birdarangs, but it had exploded in front of him, setting the trees on fire. That had caused a burning log to fall on Jett, and somehow he hadn't been hurt. At least, it seems this was the reason why.
"I think I know how it happened." Jett sighed before coming to a realization.
"Wait, if mine activated, could that mean…." Jett began as his thoughts went to Mark.
Queens…
"Shouldn't you be on house arrest, Mark?" One of Mark's friends questioned as they played basketball in the local park.
"Yeah, but I can't stand being stuck in my house all day. I have to do something. Besides, it's only for a few hours." Mark replied as he passed the basketball.
"Won't your stepdad be pissed?" Another of his friends inquired.
"Who cares." Mark spat.
"I'm still counting the days until I turn eighteen and don't have to see his ugly mug again," Mark stated as his phone went off.
Taking it out, he saw it was a call from Jett Riley, whom he had given his number to after they escaped Hunter's Island. Since he was in the middle of a game, he decided to call him back later as he declined the call and put his phone away.
"You done playing on your phone?" One of his friends teased.
"Yeah, let's get back to the game," Mark smirked.
"The game is canceled!" A booming angry voice shouted as the fenced door to the court burst open, and Mark's stepfather marched over.
"What are you doing here, Dylan?!" Mark questioned as he backed away from his stepfather before the man could grab onto him.
"I was about to ask you the same question. You know you're supposed to be home!" Dylan yelled.
"Because of your irresponsible ass, I had to leave work early because your mother wouldn't stop crying, thinking you were taken again!" Dylan added as he walked over and grabbed Mark's arm.
"Work my ass. You're probably drunk somewhere with some whore." Mark snapped as he pulled his arm away from Dylan's grip, smelling the alcohol on his breath.
"Listen here, brat, you either come home now, or I have the police haul you out of my hands for a few hours." Dylan threatened.
Mark gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he calmed himself down, not noticing his hands beginning to glow. With a sigh, he calmed himself down, causing his hands to return to normal, not without small puffs of smoke rising past. But it was too dark to notice.
"Fine, I'll go home," Mark muttered as he pushed past Dylan.
"That's more like it," Dylan grumbled as he followed Mark.
As Mark walked toward home, keeping a good pace ahead of Dylan, his phone went off again as he got another call from Jett. Taking out his phone, Mark was ready to accept this call, but his phone was snatched away by Dylan.
"As punishment for tonight, you're not allowed to have your phone," Dylan stated as he turned Mark's phone off.
"You can't do that! You don't pay for my phone!" Mark complained as he attempted to get his phone back, but Dylan kept it away.
"You live under my roof, so you live under my rules. So if you don't like staying in your damn room, then you can go without your phone." Dylan smirked as Mark balled his fists.
"Oh, are you angry? Then hit me, you brat! Give me a reason to put you further in your place." Dylan insisted as Mark pushed his anger down and pushed past Dylan.
"That's what I thought, you little coward," Dylan muttered as Mark growled but continued to press forward.
Jett's Home…
"He's not answering," Jett stated as he put on new clothes.
"Then there's nothing we can do right now. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to confirm if his meta ability has formed." Curt replied.
"But if it has…." Jett began.
"Then we'll handle it just like with yours. Thankfully I know a few other Star Labs employees who stuck around New York who can hopefully help." Curt interrupted.
"How is this going to work without a local Star Labs?" Jett inquired.
"We can probably set up a temporary lab around here or possibly send you to another nearby lab. Worst-case scenario, it's Taos." Curt explained.
"Let's be honest. That's not the worst that could come out of this situation." Jett sighed.
"I'll swing by his place tomorrow after school and check up on him in case you can't get a hold of him," Jay suggested.
"Now, when you say swing…?" Jett began.
"I mean visit. I'm out of web fluid anyway." Jay answered, clearing Jett's question.
"Alright, that sounds good. I'll text you his address." Jett sighed.
"Now, I just need to figure out how to calm Sara's reaction," Jett murmured.
Watchtower…
"So we're not looking into Spider-Man anymore, right?" Kid Flash inquired as he spun around in a chair.
"Nope," Robin responded as he typed on the computer.
"Seems a bit sudden, don't you think?" Kid Flash asked.
"I mean, we didn't even find him, but now it seems it doesn't matter." Kid Flash pointed out.
"Bart's got a point. Why stop so suddenly?" Blue Beetle agreed.
"We have more pressing issues to deal with. Such as the new sanctions against the Justice League placed by Luthor and the UN." Robin reminded.
"Ah man, don't tell me it's going to be even harder to be heroes!" Kid Flash complained.
"It's always hard." Beetle replied.
"But it used to be more fun." Kid Flash argued.
"I get it, Hermano, but there's nothing we can do about it at the moment." Beetle sighed.
"Nothing we can do except getting back to work." Miss Martian stated as she approached the three.
"Let's not focus on what's stopping us but how to keep going." Miss Martian insisted.
"Does that mean we've got a mission?" Robin inquired.
"That's right. So let's go. Unless the UN actually scares you." Miss Martian teased.
"Of course not. Let's do this!" Kid Flash smiled as he ran past Miss Martian.
"Wait up, man!" Beetle called as he followed with Robin slowly following behind, only to be stopped by Miss Martian.
"Did you figure it out?" Miss Martian questioned.
"Figured what out?" Robin inquired, feigning ignorance.
"Spider-Man. Batman ordered us to stop so suddenly, so be honest. Did you two find out who he is." Miss Martian requested.
"Batman figured it out. He wanted to test our deduction skills. I didn't say anything because he felt that Spider-Man deserved some secrecy." Robin explained.
"I see." Miss Martian sighed.
"Please don't make a habit of hiding things like this from me anymore in the future." Miss Martian insisted as Robin nodded.
"Good, let's go." Miss Martian ordered as she and Robin went to join the others while Miss Martian made a note to speak to Batman.
The Next Day…
"You are never leaving this house again," Sara stated as she stood cross-armed in front of Jett.
"Don't you think that's overreacting a little?!" Jett questioned.
"OVERREACTING?! You said your entire body went up in flames! Being confined to this house is the least of your worries!" Sara replied.
"You're lucky the house didn't burn down!" Sara added.
"I just don't want you taken away and made into a slave for some crook's evil plot," Sara explained, feeling the irony in her own words.
"Listen, Sara, we shouldn't be so rash. There are plenty of options we can do going forward." Curt assured as Sara let out a sigh.
"I know. But he hasn't been back from being kidnapped for more than a week, and this has happened. I just don't want him to be taken again." Sara argued.
"For now, though, you'll still need to stay home, especially since you can't control when you turn yourself on fire," Sara stated.
"Okay…" Jett murmured as he looked down.
"Guess that means I can't help Jay with the science fair." Jett thought.
His mind went back to the day of the Oscorp trip. Back then, he joked about having powers while Jay lamented the thought. Now that he was a meta, it hit him how right Jay was when he said joking about that was old-fashioned.
He was confused and scared as he didn't know the first step to controlling his new powers, and any tests could burn his house down. Jett would go to the abandoned warehouse, but to get there, he'd have to leave his house, and Sara wasn't going to let that happen anytime soon.
"Hopefully, Mark doesn't have to go through this." Jett hoped as he thought about his new friend.
Later…
Queens…
Jay walked down the streets of Queens as he made his way to the house of Mark Allen. After finishing his exam for that day, he was going to check up on Mark and give him a warning since he and Jett may share the same triggering event for the metagene.
It had taken him a while to get there since he was out of web fluid, but he was going to arrive soon. When Jay arrived, he was met with a standard townhouse, but for whatever reason, the windows were all covered.
The house stood out compared to others as every other house had its windows open or in view, but this one was covered up. Not overthinking it, Jay approached the door and rang the doorbell. After waiting for a few minutes, Jay finally heard footsteps and the door cracked.
"May I help you?" A Frail Woman asked as she peeked out the cracked door. Jay couldn't see much of her, but he noticed a bruise on her arm.
"Yeah, is Mark home?" Jay inquired warry at what was going on in the house.
"Mark…Mark can't come right now. He's been grounded by his stepfather." The Woman responded.
"I just need to tell him something, and I'll be gone." Jay insisted.
"Sorry, he can't come." The Woman stated as she attempted to end the conversation short. It was then that Jay noticed she had more than the one bruise on her.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" Jay questioned as his eyes narrowed.
"I-I'm fine." The Woman stammered as heavy footsteps approached the door.
"Close the damn door already!" Dylan demanded as he pulled the woman away before turning to Jay.
"We're not buying anything." Dylan spat as he slammed the door in Jay's face.
"Rude piece of…." Jay muttered as he racked his fist against the door.
"Sir, I need to talk to Mark for just a minute. If you can please, let me see him…." Jay requested before Dylan shouted back.
"Piss off before I call the police!" Dylan shouted as Jay heard loud crashes inside.
Placing his ear on the door, he could hear muffled voices and noted the sound of fighting. Upon looking back on the woman's bruises, Jay determined this had to be some sort of domestic violence. Clenching his fist, Jay readied to bust the door in to stop it before stopping.
"Jay Shephard can't just bust a door in and attack someone on his own property. Same goes with Spider-Man." Jay realized.
"Shit. Have to call the cops." Jay muttered as he wasn't leaving without doing something.
But before he could even dial the number, his spider-sense went off, warning him of imminent danger. He jumped back as the front of the house exploded out, sending burning debris flying everywhere.
"What the hell?" Jay gasped as he looked at the burning building.
Sprawled on the ground was Dylan, who was crawling away terrified of something or, more specifically, someone. Close behind him, Mark Allen walked over with his skin looking like it was made of molten magma.
"I'm going to make sure you never hurt us again!" Mark shouted his voice was distorted ever so slightly.
Earlier…
Mark sat in his room staring at the empty wall holding in his boredom and anger. Most of his things had been either moved to the garage or tossed out by his stepfather as punishment. Last night after getting home, he nearly attacked his stepfather again after seeing new bruises on his mother.
He hated Dylan and the pain he brought to his family. Mark wished he could just make him go away, but he couldn't do anything. Rationally one may think to call the police, and once upon a time, he did, but nothing came about it when his mother lied to the officers about what happened.
She was afraid of the backlash from Dylan and kept quiet, and because of that, Mark's calls were ignored as Dylan made up a lied that Mark was a compulsive liar. Now here he was, trapped in his room even more so than he was before.
"If only Dad was still alive," Mark murmured as he heard voices down below.
Listening closely, he heard his mother speak to someone at the door, but he couldn't pick up their voice. But whatever conversation that was being had was interrupted when Dylan stomped over and slammed the door.
This brought Mark on high alert, especially when he heard crashes down below. Swinging the door open, he ran down the stairs seeing Dylan in mid-swing at his mother. Enraged, Mark acted without thinking and tackled Dylan to the ground.
"Don't you dare!" Mark shouted.
"Little punk, you're supposed to be in your room!" Dylan screamed as he punched the unprepared Mark square in the nose.
"I've had it with you, kid. You've been nothing but trouble, so it's time I took care of you." Dylan hissed as he grabbed Mark by the collar.
"Please, Dylan, stop!" Mark's Mother begged as she grabbed Dylan's arm only to be knocked to the ground.
"You piece of….!" Mark hissed as smoke rose from his body.
"Don't touch her!" Mark screamed as his body exploded, sending Dylan out of the house.
Mark breathed heavily as his skin began to glow and soon melt into flowing magma. Soon his entire body was surrounded by a thin layer of magma as his hair flowed upward. Standing up, he slowly walked toward Dylan as his clothes melted away.
"I'm going to make sure you never hurt us again!" Mark shouted as his voice began to distort ever so slightly.
"You…you're a monster!" Dylan muttered as he crawled away. Meanwhile, Jay, who was across the street, ducked into an alley.
"The only monster here is you!" Mark countered as he grabbed onto Dylan's leg, burning it causing the man to howl in pain.
"What's wrong? Too chicken to fight back!?" Mark questioned as his anger fueled his actions.
"Who's the coward now!?" Mark asked as he held Dylan up.
Before he could even do anything, though, Spider-Man dove down and kicked him back, causing him to drop Dylan. The sudden attack jarred Mark as he slowly picked himself up and glared at Spider-Man.
"Spider-Man? What are you doing here?" Mark questioned.
"I was in the neighborhood when I noticed the explosion. So how about you calm down and let's talk this out." Spider-Man insisted as he attempted to calm Mark down.
"What's there to talk about? Stay out of this!" Mark shouted as he lashed out and inadvertently threw molten magma at a lamppost, causing it to fall down.
"Wha-What the hell?" Mark gasped as he finally took notice of his condition.
"My…my body! I'm…NOOOOO!" Mark cried, distraught that his metagene was active.
"I'm a freak," Mark commented as he looked at his hands.
"Just calm down. You don't know what you can do yet! You could hurt someone." Spider-Man insisted as he slowly approached Mark.
The boy listened to Spider-Man's words and attempted just that as he began to breathe slowly as the heat surrounding his body began to die down. But that didn't last long as Mark noticed Dylan trying to get away, reigniting his anger.
"Where do you think you're going!?" Mark questioned as he threw another ball of magma Dylan's way, this time intentionally.
The ball hit the ground in front of Dylan, splashing him a little burning some of his skin. Mark ran toward Dylan but was stopped by Spidey, who knocked Mark out of the way. The very contact burned part of Spidey's suit, leaving part of his right arm exposed.
"Stay out of the way that scum has this coming!" Mark demanded as his body grew hotter and the ground began to melt.
"Not like this! I don't know what happened here, but if you attack him, nothing good will come of it!" Spider-Man argued.
"You'll end up in jail or Belle Reve. Please just stop." Spider-Man begged, but before Mark could respond, his house began to creak and collapse.
"MOM!" Mark cried as he ran toward the house.
"Oh shit!" Spider-Man gasped as Dylan got up.
"Now, look what that brat did," Dylan growled.
Acting quickly, Spider-Man knocked Dylan out with a quick yet strong punch before bending a nearby fence to tie him up. Once done with that, he jumped into the collapsing home as Mark struggled to save his mother.
"I-I can't touch her." Mark cried as he held up a support beam.
"I can," Spider-Man stated as he helped Mark push the beam away before picking up Mark's mother.
"Let's go." Spider-Man insisted as he ran out with Mark following him.
When the two got out, the house collapsed behind them as Spidey placed Mark's mother down on the sidewalk. It wasn't too long after that several sirens could be heard as both the police and fire department arrived on the scene.
"This might not end well." Spider-Man thought as he turned to Mark, whose body was returning to normal though he was butt naked.
"Try and cover yourself before they try to charge you with public nudity," Spider-Man advised as Mark looked down and realized that his clothes were gone.
"Aw, man." Mark sighed as he grabbed onto a tattered piece of curtain that blew away from his home and wrapped it around his waist.
"Freeze, Spider-Man, put your hands above your head!" The Police ordered.
"The one time I don't have web fluid," Spider-Man muttered under his breath as he held his hands up.
"Don't shoot. There are still innocent people here, and this woman needs an ambulance." Spider-Man insisted as he motioned to Mark's unconscious mother.
"On your knees!" The Officers ordered as they surrounded Spider-Man while others checked on Mark's mother and Dylan, who was regaining consciousness.
"Ah! Get me out of his!" Dylan shouted as he struggled in the metal bindings before taking notice of the house.
"My house! Look what happened to my house!" Dylan shouted as he turned to Mark.
"Look what you did, you little bastard!" Dylan spat in anger as Mark began to smoke.
"This was your fault! If you'd never come into our lives, everything would have been better!" Mark yelled as he reignited, moving toward his stepfather.
"We've got a meta!" An Officer informed as many pointed their guns at Mark.
"Don't!" Spider-Man shouted as he knocked back the nearest officer before jumping off another.
Spider-Man landed between Mark and the police as onlookers filmed with their phones. Mark was angry, and his powers seemed to fuel it as he became even hotter. It got so hot that the street began to burn as several tires popped all around them.
"I'm sick and tired of him! If he doesn't shut his mouth, I'll shut it for him!" Mark hissed.
But before he could do anything, a gunshot ran through the air as a bullet hit Mark in the back. The bullet hit the ground with smoke rising from it as it did not pierce Mark. In fact, it had melted the second it made contact with his body.
In a rage, Mark swung his arm and threw a wave of magma, forcing the police to back off. Spider-Man dropped down and swept Mark off his feet to stop him, and while successful, it burned him in the process.
"Stop. If you hurt a cop, you'll be digging your own grave." Spider-Man insisted.
"Then I'll just have to accept my new reality, isn't that right?!" Mark questioned, throwing Spidey's own words back in his face.
"What life is worth living with him still around!?" Mark questioned as he got up and ran toward Dylan.
Spider-Man wasn't going to let him get near, though, as he jumped forward and kicked Mark out of the way. Without his webbing to give him help, Spidey noted that it was going to be far harder to stop Mark.
"Stop getting in my way!" Mark demanded as he charged at Spider-Man, who flipped over him.
Mark spun around and swung at Spider-Man, but the arachnid hero ducked down, avoiding the attack. However, he was grabbed from behind by Mark, who pulled him into a bear hug while heating up further.
"DGAHH!" Spider-Man screamed as his costume burned apart where Mark held him. Spidey headbutted Mark burning off the top part of his mask, exposing his hair and setting him free.
"I'm going to have to replace this costume, aren't I?" Spider-Man sighed as he looked at his damaged suit.
He needed to end this fight quickly, so he started thinking of a plan as he scanned the area for fire hydrants. When he found one, it was behind the police blockage that surrounded them, meaning he would have to disperse them somehow.
"Why is it never easy?" Spider-Man wondered as he jumped out of the way of flying magma.
Spidey kicked two officers out of the way before knocking another back in order to both clear a path and keep them out of the line of fire. However, the rest fired upon both Spider-Man and Mark. While Mark was unharmed, Spider-Man kept himself out of the way of the fire.
While he could take a few bullets, he couldn't take too many. But soon, he made it to the hydrant and broke it open, causing water to shoot out and knock Mark back against a fence. Steam covered the area as Mark was put out, and he returned to normal.
Crushing the hydrant's broken opening, Spider-Man stopped the flow of water before heading toward Mark. The boy struggled to get up as he was covered in water. He looked at Spider-Man and the police that had surrounded him as he grabbed onto the fence.
Having calmed down, he realized the situation he was in, and he was scared. He could only follow the one thought he could have at that moment. Mark jumped the fence and ran for it while the police readied to shoot, but Spider-Man stopped them.
This, unfortunately, caused him to lose sight of Mark as he too was forced to flee to avoid being captured and shot. He had only circled back to grab his backpack before heading off to figure out his next plan of action.
Later…
Jett's Home…
"You don't know where he went?" Jett questioned as he spoke to Jay over the phone.
"Yeah, I would have followed but moving around the city isn't as easy without my webs," Jay responded.
"His powers are strong too. My skin still feels like it's burning." Jay murmured as he looked at his pink skin.
"Seriously, if I didn't have hard skin, I might have serious burns," Jay added.
"Yeah, he's already everywhere on the news. They're calling him Molten Man." Jett sighed.
"It hasn't been a day, and they're already treating him as a villain. Just great." Jay muttered.
"Thankfully, his stepdad is away from his mother. Though it is to keep him safe from Mark." Jay noted.
"Don't be too sure. Listen to this," Jett replied as he held his phone close to his TV.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today another of the meta freaks has popped up in the great city of New York." Gorden Godfrey began.
"The boy people have taken to calling Molten Man went on a small rampage through a street in queens garnering the attention of not only the police but the Spider-Man!" Godfrey continued.
"The two fought briefly before "Molten Man" escaped with the aide from Spider-Man!" Godfrey went on.
"My friends, I can say for certain that it is not a coincidence that it happened. Perhaps they are working together!" Godfrey declared as Jay grimaced.
"But why listen to what I think when we have an eye witness. The father of the so-called Molten Man! Dylan Ripley!" Godfrey announced as Dylan appeared on stage.
"There's no way." Jay gasped.
"Hold on, there's more," Jett stated.
"I don't know what made the boy like this. He was always so well-mannered. I just hope he'll turn himself in, so he doesn't hurt anyone else." Dylan lied as the crowd applauded him.
"We'll be interviewing Mr. Ripley later tonight to get his full story and the tragedy of losing a child to the metagene," Godfrey announced as Jett turned off the TV.
"I doubt they'd let him be there without protection, but now everyone knows where he'll be." Jett pointed out.
"So if Mark hates him as much as you said…." Jett said.
"Then he'll be there." Jay interrupted.
"I don't know to what extent this guy abused Mark and his mother, but I don't think Mark is going to let it go. His powers might even fuel his anger, so I need to stop him." Jay stated.
"I know how revenge can consume someone, so I know he's going to stop at nothing before this situation gets resolved," Jay added.
"Just promise me that you won't hurt him." Jett insisted.
"I really don't want to. But I may not have a choice." Jay sighed.
"Even if I catch him if Godfrey goes on with this, I doubt Mark's public image will recover. Unless…" Jay murmured.
"Unless what?" Jett asked.
"Jett, I'm going to need you to do me a HUGE favor," Jay said.
"How huge?" Jett inquired.
"I'm going to need you to sneak out of your house," Jay answered as the call went silent.
"Do you want Sara to kill me? Because she'll put my head on a pike if I sneak out!" Jett cried.
"I know, but it's important. I need you to get to Mark's mother." Jay insisted.
"What for?" Jett questioned.
"Because Mark cares for her. He ran to save her from his collapsing home. She might be the key to saving him and his image." Jay explained.
Wayne Enterprises…
New York Department…
"Jesus, another meta popped up in New York." A Security Guard commented as he watched Godfrey's broadcast.
"I swear if they expect us to stop one of them from breaking in here, I may quit. I didn't sign up to go against superhumans." His Coworker replied.
"Well, with the new upgrades to the security system, we won't have to." The Security Guard reminded, motioning to their monitors.
"If a meta comes here, they'll never get farther than the lobby." The Security Guard smirked before the alarm went off, and the room was filled with red light.
"What the hell?!" The Security Guard questioned as he and his coworker scanned the monitors to see where the alert was coming from.
"There, sector thirteen!" His Coworker stated.
Both guards looked in shock at what they saw as four metallic arms sprouted from the four and began to drag several boxes containing valuable machines down. They sent a squad down while contacting the police, but it was too late as the arms and the product were already gone.
"What the hell was that?" The Security Guard questioned as the video of the metallic arms ran on replay.
"Well, I'm not contacting Mr. Wayne about this. That's on you." His Coworker stated as he handed him the phone.
Elsewhere…
Mark walked through the back alleys of New York. He hid from the view of the public as he swiped some pants off a drying rack to cover himself. The boy had no idea what he was going to do. At this point, he was basically wanted by the police, and he had no home to go to.
He couldn't even go to the hospital to visit his mother and make sure she was okay. It was like in a single instant, his entire life unraveled, and there was no coming back. Just as he feared most, his metagene was now active, and he had powers he didn't have a complete handle on.
Earlier, he was just on a rampage fueled by anger lashing out at everyone near him, and a lot good that did. It made his situation that much worse than it would have been if he'd just calmed down and listened to Spider-Man.
"This is all my fault." Mark sighed until he heard a voice.
Rounding the corner, he was faced with an electronics store, and the TVs on display were playing Gorden Godfrey on GBS. On said broadcast was his stepfather milking the public by making himself out to be the victim to be a good father with a troubled son.
The very act infuriated Mark as his body heated up and was covered in molten heat as he destroyed the display in anger. That man was using this for his own damn benefit, probably not caring that his wife was in the hospital.
He looked at other displays, which showed other news outlets calling him a monster and a villain. All were giving him the name Molten Man, and it made the boy who was already at his limit sick to his stomach.
"No. It wasn't my fault. It was his! HE RUINED MY LIFE AND WANTS TO PROFIT FROM IT!" Mark hissed.
"No more. He's done!" Mark shouted as he ran off.
GBS…
"Sir, are you sure we should allow this man on the show?" An Assistant questioned as Godfrey got ready for his show.
"He'll serve his purpose. I'll make sure he keeps it clean." Godfrey assured.
"I get that, but the security risk of bringing that man here is high. He's supposed to be under police protection." The Assistant argued.
"And he is. Isn't the building guarded by the police?" Godfrey countered as he got up from his chair.
"Even if the "Molten Man" comes here, it'll just help me open the eyes of the public to the dangers these freaks are!" Godfrey stated as he dismissed the assistant.
"Everything is just as it should be," Godfrey smirked as he went out to begin his show.
Waiting for a moment, he exited from behind the curtain and waved to the audience, who cheered at his entrance. He then stood center stage and waited for the crowd to die down before he began.
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to my show." Godfrey greeted.
"Tonight, we have a very special guest. A man who had his home taken and his wife injured by his own child turned into a monster. Please welcome. Dylan Ripley." Godfrey introduced as Dylan entered the stage with people applauding his entrance.
"Please take a seat." Godfrey insisted as Dylan sat on one of the two chairs on the stage.
"Now then, Mr. Ripley. How does it feel having your life turned upside down by your own son?" Godfrey inquired.
"Technically, he's my stepson. But I raised that boy for years. He was like my own son. I don't know what drove him to go on this rampage." Dylan lied as he began his sob story.
"I was just having a conversation with his mother when he came running down in a craze. Before he turned into that…thing." Dylan continued.
"Now, my poor wife is in the hospital, and I am without a home to go back to." Dylan finished as the audience gave an "Aw" and applauded in response.
"Tragic. Truly tragic." Godfrey commented as he shook his head.
"This is what the metagene has led to. Kids going wild upon the very instance they gain unbelievable power." Godfrey smirked.
"When will the next child turn meta and do something far worse than what happened to poor Mr. Ripley here?" Godfrey questioned.
Meanwhile, down below, the police were guarding the perimeter of the building to make sure that Mark couldn't get in. Though some were distracted when a call about a break-in at Wayne Enterprises came in. This allowed Mark to get the jump on a few of them and break in.
It didn't take long for Mark to get through security and make his way upstairs to the unsuspecting people. The boy, no, Molten Man, was dead set on silencing Dylan for good and getting him out of his life.
Queens Hospital Center…
Jett had somehow managed to sneak out when his sister was thankfully called out. He didn't know how long he'd have before she'd notice, but he needed to be quick. Jay needed him to get to Mark's mother, and that is what he was going to do.
That being said, he knew he couldn't up and visit her normally as she was guarded by the police, and only family could enter. So he had no idea how he was going to get into the hospital and see Mark's Mother.
"Good, you're here," Spider-Man smirked as he dropped down behind Jett.
"Jesus, a little warning." Jett stuttered as he jumped back.
"You gave me a heart attack." Jett sighed.
"But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at GBS?" Jett questioned.
"I know I'll get there soon, but I knew you'd need help getting inside. I scouted the windows and found out where Mark's mother is. I'll drop you off there." Spider-Man explained as he grabbed onto Jett.
"Wait, how are you…." Jett began before he stopped abruptly when Spidey jumped up and onto the wall.
He scaled the wall with Jett in tow before stopping at a certain window. Looking inside, Mark's mother was lying on her bed awake as police guarded her outside the room. Spidey opened the window before placing Jett in it.
"Never. Ever. Do that again." Jett insisted as he shook from the suddenness of the movement.
"Sorry. My bad. I have to go. Good luck, and thanks for helping." Spider-Man replied as he jumped off the building and ran off.
"Yeah. The hard part is just about to begin." Jett murmured as he slowly and quietly went through the window.
He stalked over towards Mark's mother keeping out of sight of the officers whose backs were turned toward him. Jett didn't want to take any chances, nor did he want to alert Mark's mother just yet as he crawled over and pulled the curtain over to cover them, startling the woman.
"Who who's there?!" Mark's Mother questioned as Jett got up with his hands up.
"It's okay. Don't be afraid. I'm one of Mark's friends." Jett assured as he slowly approached the woman.
"I just want to help you and him," Jett explained.
"How..how did you get in?" Mark's Mother inquired.
"I have a…let's just say I have a special friend who helped me. But that's not important. What's important is saving your son before it's too late." Jett responded as he got closer.
"Stay back, or I'll scream." Mark's Mother threatened as Jett took some steps back.
"I just want to help. But to do that, I need your assistance. Or else Mark might end up in jail. Or worse." Jett stated.
"What are you talking about?" Mark's Mother questioned.
"Mark is going to GBS most likely to kill your husband. I don't know the specifics, but I know that man hurt you and him." Jett began.
"If Mark goes there and succeeds, he'll never come back from it. But you might be able to stop him." Jett continued.
"How? Tell me what I need to do to help my son?" Mark's Mother asked as Jett took out his phone.
"You just need to put an end to it. The abuse you've been put through. Admit it all and expose your husband. I believe if he is punished for his actions, Mark will stop." Jett explained.
Upon hearing those instructions, Mark's Mother shook her head, her expression turning to terror as she was too scared to speak. She looked away from Jett as she covered her mouth, unable to meet the boy's gaze.
"I can't. It will only make it worse." Mark's Mother stated.
"Please, it's the only way!" Jett begged.
"NO!" Mark's Mother screamed, alerting the guards.
"Shit." Jett cursed as the officers ran into the room, pulling back the curtain and grabbing onto Jett.
"Please, ma'am, if not for yourself, do it for your son!" Jett insisted as the officers pinned him to the ground.
Mark's Mother looked as the officers began to detain Jett and take him away. In a panic, several parts of Jett's body burst into flames, pushing the police off before putting himself out. Thankfully he hadn't fully burst into flames, so his clothes were only damaged, and his phone was safe.
"He's a freaking meta!" One of the Officers gasped as others began to draw their guns as Jett waved his hands in the air.
"I'm not a threat! I'm complying!" Jett shouted as the officers surrounded him.
Meanwhile, Mark's mother was scared. Both for her son and for what her husband would do. She wished the situation could resolve itself or that it never happened at all. But after hearing Jett's last words, she knew what she had to do.
GBS…
"So what was it like seeing a meta up close like that?" Godfrey inquired.
"It was terrifying. Having to watch the boy, I considered my son to attack me and others so indiscriminately like that." Dylan began.
"I'll have these burns he gave me for the rest of my life as a reminder of my failure." Dylan finished as he showed the burn on his leg.
"How horrible," Godfrey commented.
"IT WON'T BE THE LAST!" Molten Man shouted as he busted through the wall and onto the stage.
The audience screamed as they scrambled out of their seats while Dylan fell out of his seat. Godfrey was escorted out by his private guard as Molten Man walked toward a terrified Dylan. Nothing deterred him even as guards and officers fired on him.
"It wasn't enough, was it?" Molten Man questioned as he kicked Dylan's chair away.
"You just had to rub dirt in my wounds and ruin my life more than it already is!" Molten Man hissed as he continued towards Dylan, who attempted to run away but was limping due to the burn on his leg.
"You're not getting away this time!" Molten Man growled as he grabbed onto Dylan's shoulder and threw him back on stage where the cameras still were broadcasting.
"I'm going to make sure you pay for everything you did to us!" Molten Man howled as he raised his burning palm above Dylan.
But before he could bring it down, the wall in front of him burst open, and a large beam knocked him back before melting over his body. Spider-Man jumped through the hole getting between Molten Man and Dylan. However, he was breathing very heavily as he was out of breath.
"Guess I…made it…just in time…" Spider-Man smirked as he panted.
"I really need to make more web fluid." Spider-Man sighed as Molten Man pushed the melted beam off of him.
"Why do you keep getting in my way?!" Molten Man questioned as he glared at Spidey.
"Because I'm going to stop you from making a mistake," Spider-Man stated.
"It's not a mistake. It's punishment for everything he's done!" Molten Man snapped as he charged at Spider-Man.
Spider-Man jumped over him, easily dodging the attack, but his spider-sense warned him of the next as Molten Man jumped upward. Unable to dodge, Molten Man tackled Spider-Man through the ceiling, and the two landed on the next floor.
Molten Man got up first and placed his hand on the floor, causing it to melt and collapse back down to the floor below. Spider-Man managed to regain his bearings and jump to the ceiling before the floor collapsed, watching Molten Man fall down with it.
Dropping down, Spider-Man prepared for Molten Man's next attack as he looked for a way to put the meta out. Thankfully because of the fires that started around them, what was left of the sprinkler system sprung to life around them.
"How about we cool off and talk this out!" Spider-Man insisted as he kicked Molten Man under the sprinklers.
"I'm done talking!" Molten Man stated as he stood back up, still heated up.
"This amount of water ain't enough to put me out!" Molten Man shouted as he threw magma at Spidey, who jumped out of the way.
Though what he said was true, Spider-Man noted that Molten Man was not burning as hot as he used to, meaning he was weakened. That was all he needed to fight back, even though he'd rather not attack Molten Man at all.
"Sorry about this." Spider-Man apologized as he jumped forward and tackled Molten Man to the wall before backing off and striking several blows to his body.
Heating himself up, Molten Man knocked Spider-Man down before tossing magma at the downed hero. But Spidey managed to roll out of the way before they hit him. Flipping back onto his feet, Spider-Man was ready for Molten Man's next attack as he ducked down, avoiding it.
Springing back up, he punched Molten Man in the jaw, sending him backward. When he hit the ground, Spidey jumped to the ceiling before jumping back down at Molten Man, hitting him in the chest. The impact cracked the ground, and if Spider-Man had put more force in his attack, it would have broke.
But he still didn't want to hurt Molten Man as he was hoping to convince him to stand down, which was why he held back. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Molten Man as he blasted Spidey with magma that was quickly cooled by the sprinklers.
However, it sent the arachnid hero to the spot where the sprinklers didn't reach, giving Molten Man his full power. Molten Man ran in and punched at Spider-Man, who jumped up to dodge, but Molten Man grabbed onto his leg and slammed him into the ground.
Without his webs, his mobility was far more strict, and now it was costing him in the fight. The burning meta stood above Spider-Man as he slammed his fist down on Spidey, beating him to the ground.
Molten Man then knocked Spider-Man away before running toward Dylan, who attempted to flee, but Spidey grabbed onto Molten Man and tossed him back. In response, Molten Man grabbed onto some rubble and melted it some before throwing it at Spider-Man.
"Out of my way! He has to pay!" Molten Man demanded as Spider-Man dodged the attack.
"Not like this! If you kill him, you'll never come back from it. You'll just become the monster the media is painting you out to be!" Spider-Man argued.
"The only monster is him!" Molten Man countered as he pointed at Dylan.
"Then get him the right way. Expose him for the abuse he put you through." Spider-Man insisted.
"Expose him. There's so much to expose! The beatings he gave my mother and me, taking all my money and all my things." Molten Man stated.
"All he knows is using violence to get what he wants. So I'm responding in kind!" Molten Man declared as Spidey's phone buzzed.
"If I can't convince you." Spider-Man began as he looked at who was calling.
"Then maybe she can." Spider-Man finished as he accepted the call and turned it on speaker.
"Who's she?" Molten Man questioned.
"Mark." His Mother called over the phone.
"M-Mom?!" Molten Man gasped as his body stopped heating up.
"Are…are you okay?" Molten Man asked.
"Yes, dear. I'm fine." Mark's Mother responded.
"But right now, you need to stop. Please, honey. I don't want you to be taken away." Mark's Mother begged.
"But…I have to stop him. To get him out of our lives. He won't ever hurt us again." Mark argued.
"I know you're angry, but this is my fault. I brought this on our family, and I'm sorry. But we can work this out another way." Mark's Mother stated.
"I've already talked to the police, and we're working things out. If it's to protect you, I'll make sure Dylan stays far away from us." Mark's Mother explained.
"Please. Please don't do anything drastic. Dylan will face the consequences of what he did to us. Just please don't do this. As your mother, I have to keep you safe." Mark's Mother continued.
"But I failed that when I brought Dylan into our lives. I don't want to fail you again. Please. Stop." Mark's Mother begged.
"I don't want you to ruin your life. So I'm going to do what's best for you even if it scares me." His Mother finished as Mark returned to normal.
"You didn't fail me, Mom. I-I'm sorry." Mark apologized as he fell to his knees.
"Glad you came to your senses." Spider-Man smiled as he tripped Dylan, who attempted to escape.
"You're not going anywhere. There's still music that needs facing." Spider-Man said as he walked over to the knocked-over cameras and turned them off.
"Guess all they got was audio," Spider-Man murmured as he walked over and grabbed Dylan by the collar.
"Ready to go see the police now?" Spider-Man asked as Dylan looked nervous.
"There's no evidence against me!" Dylan argued.
"I beg to differ," Spider-Man replied.
"After all, it would take a lot to push someone to do this." Spider-Man pointed out.
"Plus, I'm sure the bruises on your wife can definitely be placed on you," Spider-Man stated as Dylan held his head down.
"It's time to go, Mark." Spider-Man insisted as he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Why did you go so far to help me?" Mark inquired.
"Because I was in your shoes once. It might have been different circumstances, but I too looked for revenge on someone who wronged me." Spider-Man began.
"I went to great lengths to do so, and I nearly did it. I had him right where I wanted him, and I could have killed him. But I didn't." Spider-Man continued.
"I knew that if I killed him. I would be no better than he was, and I wasn't going to sell my soul like that." Spider-Man went on.
"You were close to making that same mistake, and I didn't want that to happen." Spider-Man finished as Mark looked up at him.
"Thank you." Mark thanked.
Downstairs…
As the police put Dylan in the back of a squad car for questioning, Mark was placed in cuffs and moved to a police van. Mark looked down but was compliant with the police as he was covered by a blanket to cover his nudity.
Nearby Godfrey was yelling at his employees, trying to fix the mess the situation brought to his credibility, knowing he would need to condemn Dylan and his lies. Above all of them, Spider-Man looked down at the situation, happy to have saved Mark.
He hoped that the system would be lenient with Mark as he was still a minor and his emotions were influenced by abuse. But that was out of his hands, so at the very least, he had saved Mark's soul.
"Sometimes words can do more than fists." Spider-Man smiled as he stood on the edge of the GBS building.
"If only it was like that for everyone I fight." Spider-Man chuckled as he ran off.
The Next Day…
Jett's Home…
"You are in so much trouble," Sara growled as she glared at Jett, who sat on the couch.
"I know I snuck out. But it was for a good cause." Jett argued, but it didn't do much to deter Sara's anger.
"Do I need to set up cameras in this house?" Sara questioned.
"Please don't," Jett begged.
"Mark needed help. If I didn't do anything, he'd be in a worse situation than he is." Jett explained, causing Sara to sigh.
"I know, but he's going to Taos for a parol and to control his powers. He'll be one of the first to go there to test out the facilities." Sara stated.
"He's going to be alone?" Jett inquired as Sara nodded.
"They're seeing if the site works with him. Doctor Conners and I will be taking him to a spare Zeta Tube to go there." Sara answered.
"Thankfully, it's not jail." Sara sighed as Jett looked at the ground.
"After all that, he's going to be alone," Jett murmured under his breath.
"There's something I want to do," Jett said, getting his sister's attention.
Curt Conner's Home…
"I don't even know how to fix this," Jay murmured as he looked at his broken suit on his desk.
"Maybe Jett can use Sara's machine again." Jay sighed as his phone went off. Taking a look, he saw it was Jett calling.
"Hey Jett, did you calm Sara down?" Jay asked as he picked up the phone.
"Sort of. But there is something you need to know." Jett responded, his tone sounding very serious.
"What's going on?" Jay inquired.
"I'm going to join Mark at Taos," Jett stated, shocking Jay.
"You're going to Taos! Are you sure about this?" Jay questioned.
"He's going to be alone there with no one he knows. I think it'll do him good to have a friend with him. Plus, I need to do something about my powers." Jett explained.
"I can't take the same route as you after all," Jett added.
"I see. I guess that makes sense." Jay replied as he sat down in his chair.
"Then I won't stop you if that's what you want." Jay smiled.
"It is. After all, Taos is probably the safest place. I can practice controlling my powers anyway. At least the safest Sara will let me go to." Jett replied.
"Can't leave it to chance. Hopefully, we'll be out by the end of summer for Junior Year." Jett added.
"Back in time to kick your ass for making me go talk to Mark's Mother. I nearly got shot because of that." Jett chuckled.
"Sorry about that. But that being said, I'm going to need your help fixing my suit." Jay replied.
"I'll lend you some tools to help you. But what are you going to do about the science fair? I mean, you do need the money." Jett inquired.
"I'll think of something." Jay sighed as he rubbed his head.
"But it's going to be lonely without you around," Jay noted.
"Maybe you should make new friends." Jett joked.
"Haha, very funny," Jay replied.
"That being said, it's going to be annoying without web fluid for a while. It was hard enough against Mark." Jay said as the two went silent for what felt like minutes.
"So. When do you two leave?" Jay asked.
"On Saturday when summer begins," Jett answered.
New York Harbor…
"This will make a fine laboratory," Otto noted as he placed the containers and equipment he had stolen from Wayne Enterprises down.
His new arms are far greater than he could have hoped for, and with them getting the equipment and materials he needed from Wayne Enterprises. He didn't want it to come to this, but he had no choice. To give the world the greatest gift, he needed to take drastic measures.
Norman dismissed his work, but here he was, now using his masterpiece to get what he needed to show him how wrong he was. But for now, he still needed supplies. He had what he needed from Wayne Enterprises. Now all he needed was money and a little something from Oscorp.
Saturday, May 27, 11:45 am…
STAR Labs Port Warehouse…
"I'm surprised they never used this place as a temporary replacement for the main building," Jay commented as he stared at the large warehouse.
"This is a storage facility. It isn't built for the dangerous experiments STAR Labs." Curt explained as he stood next to Jay.
"Fair enough," Jay replied.
The two were waiting on Jett and Mark to arrive as they would be using the Zeta Tube at the warehouse to go to Taos. Jay had been anxious about this day all week. It even overshadowed his nervousness over his finals but today was the day.
His best friend was about to leave for the whole summer, and he was going to be there to see him off. Just then, the Zeta Tube inside activated, and two figures appeared, stepping forward to join the two.
These new additions were Eduardo Dorado Sr. and Jr., who worked at Taos and was supposed to be waiting for Mark and Jett. It was unexpected for them to be here as it wasn't what was originally planned.
"Eduardo, it's been too long." Curt greeted as the two shook hands.
"It is good to see you as well, Curtis. I'm terribly sorry to hear about the tragedy of the New York Branch. I would have called, but things have been very busy." Eduardo Sr. replied.
"It's fine. But I have to ask, what brings you here? I thought you two were going to wait at Taos?" Curt inquired.
"Yes, but Eduardo wanted to meet them here to make a better impression of faith." Eduardo Sr. answered as his son stepped up.
"I believe it's important to show that we aren't scared of them and that we are perfectly comfortable meeting them away from Taos." Eduardo Jr. explained.
"As a meta myself who had to go through the original program with Taos, I know what will make them comfortable." Eduardo Jr. added.
"I like the sound of that," Jay commented as the two Taos members took notice of Jay.
"This is Jay Shepard. He's Kiran's son." Curt informed.
"Ah, I see. Now that I think about it, I seem to remember seeing you as a young boy." Eduardo Sr. noted as he looked at Jay.
"Sorry, but I don't really remember our first meeting." Jay apologized.
"That's fine. You were quite young at the time." Eduardo Sr. replied as his son took a step up.
"I'm Eduardo. Well, Eduardo Jr., it's a pleasure to meet you." Eduardo introduced himself as he and Jay shook hands.
"Jay Shepard, and it's a pleasure," Jay replied.
"So, where are our two new metas?" Eduardo Sr. asked.
"They should be here soon. One is coming via a police escort." Curt answered.
As if on que when Curt said that both Jett and Mark arrived separately from one another. Jett arrived with Sara while Mark was escorted by the police and his mother. He was in the back of a police van in cuffs and in an inhibitor collar to prevent him from attacking anyone.
Thankfully for the young meta, his stepfather had been found guilty of domestic abuse due to evidence his mother had been secretly collecting. She never turned it in because she was too scared of what would happen, but not anymore as Dylan had been sent to prison.
"Here they are." Curt smiled as Jett and Mark approached the group.
"Guess the welcoming party couldn't wait," Sara commented as she stood behind Jett.
"Greetings. I am Eduardo Dorado Sr., and I am the director of the Taos facility, which will soon be known as the Meta-Human Youth Center." Eduardo Sr. greeted.
"This is my son, who will be your counselor during your stay." Eduardo Sr. introduced.
"Hi there. I know this might seem scary, but as a meta myself, I can assure you we won't be forcing you to do anything during your stay, and you can leave whenever you want." Eduardo Jr. smiled.
"Well, except you, Mr. Allen, unfortunately, you have to stay until your parol is over." Eduardo Jr. apologized.
"I've accepted my punishment," Mark replied.
"Don't worry, though. Once we're at the center, you can have the collar removed." Eduardo Jr. assured.
"I'd actually prefer to keep it on when I'm not practicing. It makes me feel a little better that I won't accidentally melt my clothes or anything else." Mark stated.
"Then that is your prerogative." Eduardo Sr. smiled.
"And you are the fireman, right?" Eduardo Jr. asked as he turned to Jett.
"Yeah, I'm the one who turns on fire. But…and I've given this some thought…I'd like to be referred to as The Human Torch." Jett declared only to receive silence.
"No offense Jett but just…no. Just no." Jay stated, trying to hold back his laughter.
"Oh, come on, it's creative and original!" Jett argued, trying not to say it was better than Spider-Man.
"I'm sorry for my little brother. He's really into the hero stuff." Sara sighed.
"Tell me about it." Jay snickered.
"Really?! Mark back me up here!" Jett begged.
"I honestly don't mind it. But I do ask that no one calls me Molten Man." Mark insisted.
"Understood." Eduardo Sr. nodded as the group moved inside the warehouse and waited by the Zeta Tube.
"Are you two ready?" Eduardo Sr. asked as Jett and Mark nodded before Jett turned to Jay.
"See you in three months," Jett smirked.
"Yeah, so try not to burn the building down." Jay teased as the two hugged it out before Jett handed Jay a bag.
"This is all you need to fix your suit. I've left instructions," Jett smirked as Jay nodded.
"Remember to call me at the end of the week and never ignore my calls, understood?" Sara insisted as Jett deadpanned.
"Yes, Sara." Jett sighed.
"We'll take good care of them both." Eduardo Sr. assured.
"Please do." Mark's Mother replied as he gave her son a hug.
The four entered the Zeta Tube as it sprung to life as Jay and the others watched them disappear from sight being teleported to Taos. Jay stood there in silence as it felt odd seeing his friend leave for such a long period of time.
"I'll see him again. He needed this." Jay thought as he turned to leave.
He knew that Jett was right as he couldn't take the same path of dealing with his powers as Jay. Jett couldn't suit up and be a hero because he needed to learn to control his power which was drastically more dangerous than Jay's.
"For now, I'll continue fighting the good fight as Spider-Man." Jay smiled.
Author's Note:
That was a doozy to make, but it came out pretty good. I have to say the hardest time I had writing this chapter was going about how Jay fought without his webs. I didn't want his web issues solved right away, so I wanted to do at least a chapter of him without it.
And what better chapter than one where he has to fight Mark Allen or Molten Man, which I'm surprised not many people talked about because I just used the same name as the version in Spectacular Spider-Man. Though that being said, that character and the one here are very different.
To be honest, I think I did well with his character this chapter though I didn't put any mention of his home life before now. That proved challenging as I think it would have worked better if I had, but I did my best to make Mark's anger feel justified.
While last chapter might have seen to point towards a Jett-centered chapter, I feel like Jett still had some development here. I wanted to save more of his development with his powers in a later chapter, so be prepared for that.
Also, yes, Jett is going to be my version of The Human Torch, which I actually hinted at since chapter one. For those curious, if you didn't notice, the first clue was his nickname "Storm" (Like Johnny Storm) though I guess I should've said it more.
The second one was when Jett said what kind of powers he'd like being shooting fire and to fly, and the third was when he said "Flame On!" during the first web shooter test. It'll be a while before he becomes a hero.
We also got a little more development with Doc Ock so expect to see him very soon. Overall I'm happy with how this chapter came out, so let's get to the reviews:
Star Vader Chaos Breaker – You'll have to wait to see who Jay's arch-enemy will be cause at the moment, I can't really say as I don't want to spoil anything. Also never heard of the Elite Mooks trope.
I just gave Kingpin's goons exosuits because I felt any criminal organization will look to power up to counter meta's. I haven't completely thought of more Elite Mooks, but I might add some more.
Dark Goblin (Guest) – To be honest, I don't really plan on using any of the other students as the important ones were Mark and Jett. I may change my mind, but I don't think so. Jay will be working at F.E.A.S.T.
He'll only start out as a volunteer but eventually get a paid position. That being said, he'll also have a few other jobs later on.
MarvelDude (Guest) – Like I said above, I'm probably not going to use them, but I may change my mind in the future. You never know.
Reader2020italia – No, Jay will not keep the symbiote. Can't have venom that way, after all.
Vfc15650 – Yep, Jett is the Human Torch. Like I said above, I've been planning on it since chapter one, so it's finally bearing fruit. I'm glad you liked how I explored Maya's character in the chapter, and her future interactions with Jay will be important for her growth. Also managed to get the update faster than last time too!
BurnedByDaylight – Yes, Jett is the Human Torch. Glad you liked the chapter!
That's all I have for today! See you guys next time!