Chapter 8

Note from the Author

Thank you to the reviews left behind. Whenever I come back and see comments and reviews, it makes me feel more inspired to write these so thanks and it is appreciated to see these. This chapter may seem unusual from the others, and that's because it is. I think this chapter may have tackled too much or went too big. Let me know what you thought and I'll keep it in mind in future chapters. Thanks again – Rocky Heroes

Last Time on Infinite Crisis

Upon returning to his world Noir meets up with an old contact and fellow spy, Felicia Hardy. With Max Dillon becoming the biggest crime boss, a missing lizard man roaming the streets, and a gigantic robot rhino taking over the Goblin's gang, Noir is left with no choice but to go for the only one he can find…a gigantic robotic R.H.I.N.O…life sucks sometimes. While running the Goblin's old base, Noir finds himself teaming up with the Lizard 2099 and Hammerhead Noir to take down Rhino. After a grueling battle, the Lizard went missing, Hammerhead now runs the gang, and Noir gets both the tablet and the R.H.I.N.O pilot Alex O'Hyrn. Currently O'Hyrn is being interrogated by both Noir and Felicia Hardy.

Ultimate Universe: Ultimate Air Battle

Sighing, Ultimate Nick Fury looks over the teenage superhero in an evil black suit that has been missing for three months while New York City's skies were lost to a Cannibalistic Mutant bird villain from another dimensions that has recruited goons and turned SHIELD agents into goons. Damn…

"I hate magic," Fury states.

"Join the club!" Ultimate Spider-Man rings out his agreement to the super-secret agent. Sense returning to his dimension, Ultimate found himself tangling in the skies against an army of vultures then saved by Nick Fury. Hours later, Ultimate, Fury, and whatever SHIELD agents left are hiding in a secret sewer sub-base that only Fury knew about. "So, what's the plan Nick?"

"That's Agent Fury to you Parker!" Fury scowls.

"That's Web-Head to you Agent Fury!" Ultimate quips back.

"Is this really the time for bad jokes?"

"Hey, I have three months of jokes to make up for."

"Can't you take anything seriously?"

"I'm sorry Fury, but seriously what is the plan?" Ultimate asks

Fury looks over the unmasked teenager and says, "Just ask the question you've been wanting to ask."

"What?"

"That's why you're joking isn't it Parker? You're friends and family?

Ultimate takes a deep breath then says, "I guess I've been scared to ask."

"The only ones I know about are your Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane. They're being kept in a quarantine zone with other civilians under guard of SHIELD agents. They're safe but I can't promise for how long with the Vulture still ruling the skies. What that means Parker is that you are an official SHIELD member, whether you like it or not."

Nodding in agreement, Ultimate pulls the mask back on before speaking, "So seriously what is the plan? Find the Ultimates? X-Men?"

"Like I said before, I don't know what has happened to either group. Both have dropped off the face of the Earth from what I can tell. Last I knew, the Ultimates went to investigate a disturbance of blue lights, which I assumed were your tablet pieces. That's about when some of my SHIELD agents began turning on us and started dressing up as those vultures along with other criminals aboard the hellicarrier about three months ago when you disappeared. I've tried contacting any other heroes or agents, but to no avail. All we've been able to do for that time is just try to hold our ground and keep this thing from spilling out of New York."

"Holy Moly Exposition Nick Fury!" Ultimate sounds off.

"Just shut up for a bit kid and listen," Fury orders. "We're going to make a move for the Hellicarrier. If we can take the ship, or if we have to destroy it, then the vultures will have nowhere to fuel up between attacks. With you with us Parker, we just may stand a chance to pull this off."

"So what do you want me to do Fury?"

"What you were doing before we saved you Web-Head," Nick Fury smiles before continuing, "Just be yourself but more annoying than usual."

…..

High above the city in the clouds, the SHIELD Hellicarrier begins to descend. Vulture Warriors begin to depart from the ship to replace ones returning to the ship to refuel. Just when the Vultures are in the middle of their switch…they find a well-placed rocket flying between the two groups….BOOM! The sky flashes a bright light as Vulture Warriors either escape the blast radius or fail to escape and crash to nearby roof tops. Not even losing a sixth of their troops, the Vulture Warriors spread out looking for the assailants. Not too far away are thirty SHIELD agents and a black suited Spider-Man ready for a fight.

Agents with rocket packs take to the sky with their rifles, while the agents with snipers stay back to pick off as many as they can. Just as Nick Fury predicted, these SHIELD agents would be sacrificed for the greater good, either falling to Vulture attacks or assumingly backstabbing their fellow agents due to an unforeseen influence. Within the first ten minutes of combat, half of the SHIELD agents were either taken down or joined the other side, but thankfully a good portion of the Vulture Warriors were still taken down as well. Everything was going to plan, including Ultimate and Fury's gamble on the symbiote. Due to the symbiote, Ultimate seemed to be immune to whatever was making agents change size and help Ultimate defend himself.

Facing only a fourth of the Vulture Warriors left, plus some backstabbing SHIELD agents, Ultimate continued his attack against the remaining 83 some foes. 'Just my kind of odds,' Ultimate thinks to himself. Webbing around and leaping off of Vultures, Ultimate does it best to avoid sniper fire from the six turned SHIELD agents on the roof tops. Sending out a web line to a sniper rifle, Ultimate whips the gun from the agent's hand and slaps it across the face of a Vulture. Just as the same SHIELD agent tries to draw a pistol, Ultimate web-zips in front of him and uppercut! Flipping in the air, Ultimate dodges three close ranged sniper shots. Forming a tentacle with the suit, Ultimate whips it around knocking those three SHIELD agents unconscious. The two remaining agents pull out their pistols and fire on Ultimate, just as the symbiote's rage is released. Dodging and weaving around the bullets, Ultimate unleashes a large fist from the suit to knock out the remaining two agents. Now it was just Ultimate with 83 some odd Vultures, and the plan couldn't be going smoother…for Nick Fury anyways. With the turned SHIELD agents knocked out or otherwise…Nick Fury and any remaining agents he had left were free to enter the Hellicarrier without distraction or betrayal from his fellow men.

Reflecting on the plan, all Ultimate can think is how he wishes the SHIELD agents didn't have to be sacrificed. Unfortunately, this impromptu attack had to look real and Ultimate had to make sure he knocked out any turned SHIELD agents out before the plan could be spoiled. 'I hope everything is going great for Fury…because it sucks out here!' Ultimate screamed in his head.

Just then three Vultures come kamikazing down, Ultimate sends out a web and pulls all three in for a 1, 2, 3 combo knock out. Ultimate became over run by too many Vultures and started web swinging away. While racing around the city, Ultimate would do his best to send out stray webs to blind or trap Vultures to buildings. Sensing anger building up in the symbiote again, Ultimate starts swinging straight up and releases his web allowing himself to fall into the middle of a flock of roughly 16 Vultures. Releasing the rage within, Ultimate uses lashes, tentacles, and hammers from the symbiote to incapacitate all of the Vultures. Exhausted, Ultimate tries catching all the falling Vultures and webbing them to buildings to save their lives when BANG!

Ultimate goes flying across the sky into a building. Nearly going unconscious, Ultimate barely manages to snap to and dodge the next attack. Another Vulture goes crashing into the building, but this isn't any normal Vulture…this is THE Vulture 2099. Glowing yellow and showing off his wings and sharp fangs, Vulture 2099 darts away from the building and manages to catch Ultimate again midair…then goes in for a bite! Blood spewing from Ultimate's shoulder, he manages to push off Vulture 2099 before landing hard on top of a building. Before Ultimate can get back up, Vulture lands feet first on Ultimate's shoulders.

AS Ultimate screams out in pain, Vulture finishes chewing his previous bite from Ultimate. Leaning down to get face to face with Ultimate, Vulture says "Tasty my boy but on the weak side." Giggling to himself, the Vulture continues, "I prefer meat with more muscle of as late but I might just save you for your powers." Vulture smiles just before he's about to go for another bite when he hears an alarm coming from his Hellicarrier.

"Did the birdie lose his nest?" Ultimate jokes between heavy breathes of pain and exhaustion. BLACK OUT.

….

Coming to while being carried back to the Hellicarrier by the Vulture, Ultimate just can't find the ability to move his body yet. Landing in the Hellicarrier, Ultimate finds himself being tossed into a tube and locked in. Coming a bit more to it, Ultimate realizes who else is in the same room but two members of the Ultimates Iron Man and Thor!

Vulture puts his face against the glass yelling, "I'll be back for another bite, just you wait!" Turning back to Iron Man, Vulture yells out an order, "And you Tin Man, or whatever you're called, stay here and protect my food!" Vulture then flies out of the room as the alarms in the Hellicarrier continue to go off. Iron Man salutes and stays in place. Beside Iron Man is the Mighty Thor who is being held in a tube similar to Ultimate…with the exception of many bites and bits of meat torn from his flesh.

Ultimate weakly calls out, "Hey Tony, Iron Man, what are you doing?"

No response.

"Tony Stark! Why are you just standing there?"

No response.

"Tony's not there," a weakly Thor explains. "Tony hasn't been himself in quite some time. Same for the rest."

"Thor!" Ultimate shouts, "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure but I guess Mind Control of some kind, or at least a kind of mind control that can't impact me, or you for that matter."

"I don't know where to start…"

Thor coughs up blood, "Why not from the beginning young sire."

"Actually, how about we start with the bite marks?"

"Food…I'm its food and source of power."

"I knew he was a cannibal but…wait…power?"

"Yes, power. Do you now feel yourself Man of Spiders? I see he has feasted on your flesh as well, the heathen."

"What?" Ultimate says as he slowly moves his neck.

Thor takes a deep, painful breath before continuing, "Do you not feel weaker since the bite? Unable to move? That's its bite and both of its magical properties. Just like a predator, it poisons its prey to be unable to move and then feeds upon its power like a true fiend."

"So that's why he hit so hard, it's because he had your powers when he went at me." Slowly Ultimate can feel his fingers moving.

"Aye, this fiend is mighty alone, but with my powers he becomes immortal."

Bending his knees, Ultimate mentions, "But he's not immortal right now."

"Aye."

Moving his arms, Ultimate then asks, "And Iron Man here is under mind control and will attack if we escape?"

"Aye Spider."

Going back to remaining still, Ultimate calls out loudly, "So what you're saying is that I shouldn't escape right now!"

"What are you doing?" Thor demands as Iron Man moves to Ultimate's chamber.

Speaking for the first time in a stone cold voice with no passion or care in it, Iron Man asks, "What are you doing?"

As Iron Man's face plate is just close enough to almost touch the glass of the tube, Ultimate screams out, "Didn't you hear me? Not escaping!" Busting through the glass of the tube Ultimate uses the power of the symbiote to smash into Iron Man's face and chest plates knocking him out.

"But how?" Thor demands.

"He took my powers Thor, but not the symbiote's' power" Ultimate explains. Releasing Thor from his tube, he places him hidden amongst crates a few rooms over.

"Do you feel your strength coming back?" Ultimate asks.

"Nay Spider, Nay."

"You stay here then Thor and wish me luck. I can't let Fury and the other agents take on Vulture alone."

With that Ultimate goes swinging towards the control room of the Hellicarrier. Running into little resistance along the way, Ultimate is able to rely on the power of the symbiote alone to get to by any Vulture Warriors to protect him. Leaping into the control room Ultimate finds Vulture standing upside down on the walls tearing a SHIELD agents neck out with his teeth. As three shots are taken, Vulture uses his new found spider agility to dodge and start crawling on the walls. Leaping to where Fury and two SHIELD agents are, Vulture tears out one agent's neck with his claws. Just as Ultimate leaps into the room, Vulture murders the other agent with a hard punch to the chest that leaves a dent. Just as Vulture is about to finish off Nick Fury, Ultimate nails Vulture with a dropkick! Vulture goes flying into a computer console as more alarms begin to go off. A sharp dive is felt in the room…the Hellicarrier is crashing. Sensing what is happening, Vulture 2099flies straight through the windshield and out to safety.

Ultimate goes to grab Nick Fury but gets pushed away. Grabbing hold of the few remaining controls, Fury yells "It's crashing into the city! I need to change direction!"

Ultimate stands on unsure what to do.

"I've had enough of these mother freakin' vultures on this mother freakin' Carrier! And I will make sure my boar doesn't crash and kill who knows how many down there! You get out of here and I'll see what I can do from here! That is an order!"

"I can't do that Nick! I can't leave you like this! I need you to help me fix this!" Ultimate screams.

"One, the captain goes down with its ship. Two, you need to go after the Vulture. I trust you are a capable young man and can handle this! And three, that is Agent Fury to you Spider-Man."

Fury then slaps on a miniature jet pack to Ultimate's back. The jet pack fires forcibly taking Ultimate through the windshield to safety. Outside the ship, the jet pack runs out of fuel and Ultimate uses a tendril to land on the side of a building. Watching on, Ultimate sees the Hellicarrier turning to the ocean and barely make it. Portions of the Hellicarrier burst into fire from the impact and other portions begin to sink. Slowly the rest of the Hellicarrier follows leaving Ultimate unsure of the fates of anyone on the boat for now.

PUNCH!

Ultimate takes a hard left from Vulture before crashing hard into the ground. Vulture leaps out and the symbiote forcibly pulls Ultimate to safety. Webbing the Vulture's eyes, Ultimate charges forward and knocks Vulture back hard with the strongest punch the symbiote can do on its own. Vulture takes a few steps back before he looks back at Ultimate laughing.

Pulling out a vial of blood Vulture proclaims, "This fight is done. You can't even hit as hard as you could before. You are too weak! But just to be sure…I always carry a vial of a certain thunder God's blood." Laughing, the maniacal Vulture pours the vial of blood into his mouth. Sensing a certain power take him over, Vulture begins to float in the air without using his wings. "And to make double sure this is done…" Vulture puts one hand out and suddenly Mjolnir appears!

Spider Sense tingling harder than they ever had, Ultimate could feel some of his powers coming back…and trouble on the way! A giant thunder bolt crashes down destroying the building they were standing on. Leaping and jumping across the debris, Ultimate manages to gets out of the debris and dodge the bolt. "That was more than lucky Peter," Ultimate thinks to himself, "I should be dead."

"I couldn't agree more!" Vulture screams as he throws the mighty hammer Ultimate's way! Again destroying the building Ultimate was standing on (and the next three in the neighbourhood), Vulture recalls the hammer and seeks out his prey.

Though using the destroyed building as a hiding spot, Ultimate still got banged up pretty bad. Unable to move his shoulder that was bitten into before, Ultimate has to fight one-armed a Thor powered Vulture from the year 2099 to the death. "Life just isn't fair sometimes," Ultimate says to himself. Thinking it might be safe, Ultimate leaves the debris and slowly searches for Vulture. Unfortunately, Vulture found his prey first.

"There you are!" Vulture screams as he tosses the hammer once again at Ultimate. Knowing he can't dodge this one, Ultimate flinches…closes his eyes…and doesn't die? Opening his eyes, Ultimate sees the hammer floating in place then go zooming away.

"NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE TOUCHES MJOLNIR, YOU FIEND!" Thunder reigns down near where the Hellicarrier was as Thor floats into the sky with his hammer in tow.

"NO ONE BUT ME YOU MEAN!" Vulture shrieks as he calls for the hammer to return to him.

A telepathic war for a magical hammer by dwarves between the son of Odin and a vampiric-like man dressed like a bird takes place in the skies of New York...and the bird was winning the God! New York is a weird place alright. With Vulture occupied, Ultimate takes his only opportunity to end the madness! Web slinging with one arm, Ultimate lands on the back and legs his legs around the Vulture. The Vulture screams but Ultimate ignores it. Going through the Vulture`s gear and costume, Ultimate finally finds what he`s been looking for, a tablet piece which is embedded in Vulture`s hip.

"This won't hurt a bit!" Ultimate shouts as he starts to pull out the tablet piece using the last bit of power and rage of the symbiote.

Ripping the tablet piece out of Vulture, his powers of Thor diminish as the hammer returns to the Thunder God. The pain of removing the tablet puts Vulture into a state of shock and Ultimate finds himself saving the cannibal using one arm to send out a web and keeping his legs locked around him. Using the last bit of webbing to bring them both down safely to the ground, Ultimate looks up as Thor lands down beside them.

"Some of my powers came back Spider-Man, so I thought I'd help." Thor pants.

"Appreciated Thor." Ultimate pants back.

Falling over forward, Thor slips into unconsciousness after finally being freed from being a meal slave for a cannibal for the last three months. The thirty-some chunks of meat ripped from all over Thor's body has taken its toll on the weakened God. Still breathing, for now.

Ultimate looks to the direction of the Hellicarrier worrying for Nick Fury, but stops as he sees the mind controlled Iron Man flying away the carrier and Ultimate altogether with Fury along for the ride. This isn't over yet, not for a long shot. For now though, Ultimate needs to get a cannibal under lock a key, and himself with Thor medical attention.

"Wait? Do Gods need doctors?" Ultimate quips to himself.

Next Time on Infinite Crisis

Spider-Man 2099 begins his investigation of Alchemax and goes searching for the first tablet piece currently being examined inside the building by Herman Schultz or better known as Amazing Shocker.

...

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Characters from Chapter 8: Ultimate Air Battle (spoilers if you haven't read yet)

Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate Nick Fury (kidnapped)

Vulture 2099 (captured)

Ultimate Iron Man (last seen flying off with Nick Fury)

Ultimate Thor (unconscious, potentially fatal)