Tyrone Johnson writhed in pain, trying desperately to control the darkness bursting forth from his body. Peter and Tandy struggled to stand up, the situation before them extremely grim.
"STAY BACK! YOU'LL DIE!" He yelled at the two. He was still conscious, but he was losing control of his Quirk fast. It wouldn't be long before shadows took over completely and destroyed the entire area.
"Tyrone-!" Peter yelled at his friend, before Tandy covered his mouth with her hand.
"Keep it down!" She hissed, quickly taking cover behind a tree as the monstrous shape moved past them, crushing trees and brush in its way.
"How did he get this way?" Peter asked.
"After Wrecker told us what was happening and that we shouldn't engage, we were both on high alert," Tandy explained. "Still, one of the villains surprised us. She's the one who gave me this cut..." The blonde glanced at the bleeding wound on her arm.
Peter glanced back at the struggling Tyrone, "Ok, so you two were jumped. But how did he get like... that?" He asked, gesturing toward the shadow monster.
"When Ty saw me get hurt, he couldn't stand it," she replied. "When his rage broke, the Quirk he'd been suppressing began to take over." Tyrone roared with pain, Tandy wincing as if she herself was experiencing some of it.
"The darker it is, the less control he has," Peter recalled. "I had no idea Tyrone's Quirk could explode like this. But wait, I thought your Quirk was able to cancel out his own?"
"Normally, yes. My Lightforce is its natural opposite, and we keep each other in check," Tandy explained. "The problem is, Darkforce is fueled by the fear and hopelessness of living creatures."
She pointed through the snowy trees, to where a yellow haze still lingered. "That yellow gas has been effecting anyone exposed to it," she went on. "It makes you see things they're afraid of. Combine that with the fact Ty's been holding his power back all this time-"
"It went out of control," Peter finished.
Tandy nodded, "And it's too powerful for my light to cancel out on its own."
She looked into his eyes, her exhaustion reflected in his own. "Peter, I know these are weird circumstances, but I can't just leave him behind," she said. "You forced your broken body to get this far you here because you were worried about Flash. So if you still wanna find him, I'll distract Ty for you, and you can run.
"Like hell I'm leaving you!" Peter quickly refused, "The headquarters is too far. You'll be in danger if he- DUCK!"
Peter's Sense alerted the two just in time to dodge the burst of shadows heading toward them.
"I know that!" Tandy exclaimed. "But to save people, you have to take risks. You should know that by now, Peter. You have to make a choice; help Tyrone or help Thompson."
It was a tough choice. Fortunately for the two, there was still hope. "What if there was a third option?" Asked Peter.
"Come on!" Jack howled as unleashed a wave of yellow gas on the area using his Quirk. Just like how the villain was scary looking, his Quirk was just as creepy.
Steven Levins, alias: Jack-o-Lantern. Quirk; Nightmare. He can emit a gas that when breathed in, makes one hallucinate their greatest fears.
Thankfully, it was presently not affecting the two boys. Roberto had taken out one of his chains and briefly powered up. Spinning them at high speed, he was able to displace the gas like an industrial fan.
Still, the assassin was no slouch in a fight. Armed with a series of bizarre weaponry, including his chain sickle, he was able to keep the two Hero students at bay, and even catch them off guard with his explosives.
Surprisingly, the concussive waves and brief miniature payloads were affecting Flash more than Roberto, as his black skin would visibly shake and become unstable. This apparent new weakness only fueled the hot-headed boy even further.
"Chain attacks? Pumpkin bombs? This freak has no originality!" Flash exclaimed angrily. "Time to hit him with everything we've got!" He was sick of this fight, he hadn't been able to land a blow on the elusive killer, and it annoyed the Symbiote User to no end.
"You can't!" Roberto yelled at him, seeing his classmate was becoming increasingly violent and unruly.
"We can and we will!" Flash snapped back, his white eyes becoming sharper, his muscular frame was growing bulkier as his anger became more intense. "If you're not gonna fight, then stay out of our way!"
Reyes stared at the person he was teamed up with. Normally, the Latino teen was calm and cool-headed in dangerous situations. But Flash Thompson was the polar opposite; loud, abrasive, and unwilling to cooperate. No wonder Araña can't stand being around him, he thought.
Flash growled irritably and glared at Jack-o-Lantern. However, his and Roberto's attention was caught by a series of big noises. And they were coming their way.
"INCOMING!" Yelled a familiar voice. Jack turned his pumpkin head in confusion.
That's when they all saw both Peter and Tandy running towards them as fast as they could. Behind them, a dark shadow pursued the two, engulfing everything in its path.
"Reyes! Give us some light!" Tandy yelled.
"And hurry!" Peter added as Tyrone roared in pain.
"Someone else coming to play?" Jack glared at the shadow monster, "No, these are mine! I'm the one who gets to slice them open. Don't steal from me!"
He threw a series of pumpkin bombs at the figure hidden in the darkness, while Peter and Tandy leapt out of the way. But before the bombs could go off, they were sucked away into nothingness.
"Huh!?" The villain exclaimed.
Reyes prepared to throw his fire chains, when Flash raised an arm to stop him. "Wait," he said. "Let him take care of that walking Halloween decoration."
A huge portion of shadows looked over Jack-o-Lantern. "You don't matter," Tyrone said in an deep, ethereal voice, as if overtaken by the power. "You're just an insignificant bug!"
"Now, finish him," Flash grinned.
The monstrous shadow loomed over the villain, completely engulfing him until he disappeared completely.
"Reyes!" Peter yelled over, as the teen in question looked up. "Hit him, now!"
Tandy began throwing lighter daggers. Roberto shot a chain on fire toward the shadows. However, the darkness enveloped the projectiles, mere drops in a bucket.
"Not enough!" Roberto growled, "It's not enough!" He transformed into his Ghost Rider form, and taking a deep breath, breathed a stream of flames from his skeletal mouth. It was working, but only for a moment as the flames began to die down and the shadow monster that was Tyrone inched ever closer.
"We need more power!" Exclaimed Tandy, fending the shadows back with a pair of longer daggers. "I'm almost out and there's nothing I can absorb!"
"If it's power you want, then leave it to me!" Called a voice.
From out of the sky, Riri Williams landed next to Tandy, making a slight crater in the snow. She immediately spread her hands and created a glowing ball of blue energy around the blonde girl.
From the Support Course: Riri Williams. Quirk; Energy Ball. She's able to create bubbles of energy around her target and can trap objects and people. But only one at a time.
"Wait! What're you-" Tandy began, before realizing what was happening. Almost instinctually, her hands went up against the bubble, and Tandy's eyes began to glow white as she absorbed the power emanating around her. "Everybody down!"
Thrusting her fists forward, a beam of pure Lightforce shot into the living shadows. Riri continued to maintain her bubble around Tandy, though she was starting to feel the strain from it. Gradually, the shadows began to shrink until a lone figure was finally visible. As the darkness disappeared, Tyrone's black eyes went back to normal as he stumbled to the ground on all fours.
"Ty!" Tandy rushed forward, eager to help her best friend. Roberto turned back to normal, none the worse for wear. The Latino's flames actually had an effect on Flash's Quirk as well, as the boy regained his senses and powered down, the goo retreating into his body. He was glad nobody saw him beginning to lose control.
Peter went to check on his fellow inventor, who'd fallen over onto her butt and was breathing heavily. "Riri, you're a lifesaver!" He praised, offering a hand. "Are you alright?"
Riri smiled tiredly, "I could ask you the same thing!" She took Peter's hand as he pulled the girl to her feet. "But it looks like I got here just in time."
"Not to sound ungrateful, but what're you doing out here?" Asked Peter. "You were safe in the base!"
"Yeah, but... you weren't," the girl replied, looking into his eyes.
"Riri..." The boy was taken aback by the implication of what she was saying, a slight blush on his face.
"Pete, you're my number one client!" She said, gripping his arms. "If I lose you, who else am I gonna riff with in the lab? Nobody in the Support Course will experiment with me! And if you stopped coming around, I'd go nuts from the boredom!"
Peter sweat dropped, the blush vanishing as his expression became deadpanned. Of course, that's what it was... he thought.
He scratched the back of his head. "Well, when you put it like that, I'll try to play it a bit safer," the teen chuckled.
Riri turned away, focusing on one of her gauntlets and taking out a screwdriver. "Don't make me worried, ya big dummy," she muttered to herself, a light blush hidden by the darkness. The remains of Peter's web shooters sat in one of her pouches. She'd resolved to make him a more durable model when this was all over.
Flash observed the drained Tyrone struggling to get to his breathing under control. He was crouched down on the ground, panting from what was likely the worst and most hellish experience he's ever had. It was frustrating in many ways for Tyrone. Even after all the training, he still couldn't gain full control in the dark for even a second.
"Guess I'm still a lousy matchup for you, Reyes," he said, looking up. "Thanks. You saved me."
"Just returning the favor," Roberto nodded. "We could barely defend against that pumpkin guy, but you beat him instantly. Where'd you send him, by the way?"
Tyrone shrugged, "I don't remember. Somewhere far from here, where he can't get to us." He turned to Tandy. "Are you ok?" He asked cautiously.
His best friend placed her hand on his shoulder, "I'm alright, Ty. You did what you needed to do."
He hung his head, shame all over his face. "I'm s-sorry Tandy," he began to stutter, a trait he'd struggled with most of his life that still emerged under moments of high anxiety. "You t-t-too, Peter. I'm still far too immature. My anger cons-s-sumed me, and I let my Q-Quirk take over. The influence of the d-darkness, combined with my fury, spurred it into a frenzy. Until... it got so s-strong, I couldn't contain it. And I ended up hurting you..."
Tandy held Tyrone close in a comforting hug, "'We'll deal with it later'. That's what you'd say if our roles were reversed, right?"
The boy said nothing, but gave a slight smile as the girl helped him to his feet.
"I still have y-you to thank," Tyrone nodded toward Riri, who was still making minute adjustments to her power gauntlet. "You helped T-Tandy power up when she n-needed it most."
"Hey, I remember you!" Tandy added, finally getting a good look at the one who'd helped her. "You're that girl from the Support Course!"
"Yeah, that's me. Glad I could help," Riri said before looking up to acknowledge the speakers. "Who are you again?"
"Seriously?" Tandy asked incredulously, "We competed in the Sports Festival together."
"You and I were even on the same team," Tyrone put in, tiredly.
"Sorry, never heard of ya," the inventor shrugged innocently, as the two friends stared in confusion.
"Do you just delete stuff from your brain that's not important?" Asked Peter, raising an eyebrow.
"That analogy's not too far off, actually," Riri commented.
Peter sighed and sped along an introduction, "Class A, Riri. Riri, Class A. Now, I don't know if you guys heard Wrecker's announcement, but I found out something important: the villains are after Flash."
Roberto's eyes narrowed, "Thompson?"
"Are they trying to kill him?" Asked Tandy. "Why?"
"Dunno yet," Peter replied. "But I think we should get back to the base. It's the safest place now, so long as Daredevil and Mr. Duck have regrouped there.
"I understand," said Tyrone, now moving unassisted. "So our mission is to get Thompson back to safety by serving as his protectors."
"It's possible the Crew's still fighting in the clearing," Peter went on. "Going that way would draw the attention of the villains. Plus, it's longer."
"We should cut straight across then," added Tandy thoughtfully.
"We don't know how many enemies there still are," Reyes pondered. "We might come across some by chance."
"I can use my Spider Sense," Peter offered. "It's a subconscious part of my Quirk that warns me of danger. Plus we've got Tandy's light daggers, Roberto's chains, and if Ty's okay with it, we can always the Darkforce now that we can actually control it."
"I've also got these goggles I made," Riri offered. "They can help scout ahead in the darkness."
"Ok, I like this," Tandy said, a smile on her face. "With a diversity of powers and Support tech, we have a chance at getting through this thing!"
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" A fed up Flash retorted. "I'm fine by myself!"
"Like hell you are, dumbass!" Peter snapped back. "I just said you're a target. That means you're going nowhere without us watching your back."
"We'll surround you as we go," Roberto said.
"I said I don't need any of your protection, damnit!" Flash shouted.
"Let's go." Tandy said, beginning to walk in front of the group with Riri.
"Don't ignore me!" The blond snapped.
"Already doing it!" Peter said, rolling his eyes.
"Just make sure you keep up," added Roberto.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Flash retorted.
The group of six entered the forest. They walked for a while, keeping on high alert for any villains. Tyrone walked behind Flash and was the one who was watching their backs.
Along the way, Peter began to grimace, stumbling as he attempted to keep pace with the others. Finally, he collapsed to the ground.
"Pete, are you ok?" Asked a worried Tyrone, getting a better look at him. "Damn, you look like hell..."
"I'm fine... I just need a minute," Peter replied, struggling to pick himself up.
"What happened to you?" Asked Reyes.
"He's been fighting nonstop since this whole thing started," Riri answered for Peter, walking toward him. "My guess is your adrenaline's running out and all the pain's starting to hit you."
Riri stopped in front of the teen, before turning around and crouching. "Climb up," she said, offering her back.
Peter looked quizzically at her, "Come again?"
"The tech I'm wearing is bare bones, but it's built atop an exoskeleton that can lift up to 500 pounds," she replied. "It can handle your weight no problem. Now get on."
After a moment's hesitation, the boy hobbled forward and leaned down onto the metal back. Riri rose back to her feet without an issue. "Let's keep moving," she said.
They continued on in silence until one of them finally spoke up. "So... We know that Thompson is someone they're looking for," Roberto began. "Araña, were you able to learn anything else when you encountered villains?"
Peter looked up from Riri's shoulder, turning slightly, "They wanna kill the rest of us, that's nothing new. Apparently, Hobgoblin's even got a hit list, and he wants me dead in particular."
Tandy looked back, "Why you?"
"He's probably still holding a grudge after the EDR," he managed a cheeky grin. "But I guess a boot to the face'll piss anyone off."
"Heh, yeah that was funny," Flash commented, a smirk on his face.
"Problem for them is, they don't know what I look like under the mask," Peter went on. "And I wanna keep it that way for as long as possible."
"Is that why you look like a cowboy?" Asked Tyrone, lightly teasing his classmate.
"It's not a-" He began to protest.
"I dunno, I'm getting more Zorro vibes off it," Riri commented. "What do you thi-" She cuts off her own sentence and focused on the woods ahead.
"What's up?" Asked Tandy.
"I'm picking up movement ahead," she replied, her goggles adjusting and zooming on their own as she brought up a hand. "Switching to infrared." With the click of a switch, Riri could make out 3 figures engaged in combat.
"Is it one of us?" Reyes asked.
"Possibly..." She paused for a moment before his eyes adjusted. "There's 3, all about the same size. And they're fighting two against one. Does anyone in your class use a big hammer?"
Tandy shook her head, "Nobody in Class B either, from what I remember."
As if on cue, the ground shook and snow fell off several of the surrounding trees. Riri raised her goggles, "Then two of your friends are up against a heavy hitter."
A scream of pain echoed through the woods, sending a chill down Peter's spine. He recognized that voice.
"Wanda!"
Immediately, Peter leapt off Riri's back and shot webs into the trees, slingshotting himself forward.
"Peter, wait!" Tandy called as the others ran to catch up.
Riri, using her thrusters and rocket boots was alongside him in no time. "Don't be reckless!" She said anxiously, "You've got enough injuries as it is!"
"Fine! Then give me a boost!" Peter called, reaching over as his hand stuck to Riri's metal back. Her friend secured, the Support Course girl rocketed into a clearing where the sight made them both gasp.
Kamala was collapsed against a tree, clutching an arm and struggling to stay upright. While Wanda was using her Quirk to try and hold back a sparking hammer held by a woman in red and black, a gas mask hung around her neck. A look of sheer bloodlust was on the stranger's face.
"Riri!" Peter called.
"On it!" She replied as they burst forward together. Riri launched a blast from one of her gauntlets at the villain as Peter leapt off her back.
Seeing the blast coming, the villain quickly leapt back, narrowly avoiding the impact. Peter stood in front of Wanda protectively as Riri aimed both palms at Sinthea.
She looked back at the new arrivals, then turned to see a group of four running her way. "There's too many people here now, and I don't feel like getting killed by some Iron Man wannabe," Sinthea said, thrusting her hammer skyward. "Laters!"
The momentum took the villain away as she went up and over the forest, landing in a different part of the park. Riri lowered her palms and went to check on Kamala while Peter looked over Wanda as the rest of the group came over.
"Are you hurt?" He asked, gently moving the red hair out of her eyes.
Wanda looked up at the battered but unbroken Peter, relief on her face. "I'm alright. I can still walk at least," she said. "Kamala took a bad hit, thought." She gasped slightly at Peter's wounds, "What happened to you?"
"Don't worry about it," Peter said, they had bigger problems to deal with now.
"Who was that villain?" Asked Roberto, "How did she get the jump on you two?"
"She calls herself 'Sin'," Kamala said, limping over with Riri's help. "That hammer of her's got a few tricks, including energy manipulation. It could absorb Wanda's Hex and convert it into an EMP. It destabilized my Quirk and left me vulnerable."
She continued to hold her arm, Peter could tell from the bruising that it was badly broken. How the bone didn't puncture the skin, he didn't know. Possibly a lingering effect of her Quirk trying to resist.
"Let me see that," Peter said, removing his makeshift mask and unwinding it. Looking around, he selected a thick branch from a nearby tree. Leaping up, he snapped it off and brought it over to his classmate.
"This is gonna hurt for a second, but hang in there for me, ok?" He asked, looking at Kamala. She had tears in her eyes, the pain starting to get to her, but she nodded gamely. "Riri, on my mark, pull her arm out as straight as you can. Robbie, hold onto Kamala. Ready? Go!"
The armored girl did as she was asked, as Roberto held Kamala by the shoulders, trying to keep her still as she struggled with the pain. Peter placed the branch against the fractured forearm, then after ripping his remaining fabric into strips, tied it to her arm. He knotted the rest together into a crude sling that supported the weight and rested against Kamala's chest.
"Thanks Peter," she said gratefully.
"You know, that's the second time I've seen you work on broken bones," Wanda smiled, recalling their encounter during the Entrance Exam. "Were you a doctor in a past life?"
"We can't stand here and talk now," Tandy said, getting their attention. "Let's keep moving."
Peter nodded before acknowledging the duo he and Riri came to rescue, "I'm just glad you're both okay. Come with us so we can protect Flash and make our way to base. We could really use your help."
Kamala looked confused, "If you're protecting Flash, then shouldn't he be standing here with you guys?"
Peter turned around to look where he'd been standing, "What are you talking about? He's right-"
He was gone.
"SON OF A BITCH!" The teen exclaimed as he began to panic. They had all their bases covered and were doing so well. If he ran off to do his own thing, Peter swore internally that he was gonna strangle him.
"Nice trick, eh?"
He gasped and looked up in the direction the voice came from. It was then that he saw somebody sitting on the branch of a nearby tree.
He wore a solid white jumpsuit, with no facial features like eyes, ears, or even a mouth. What he did have, however, were a series of black spots covering his body in varying sizes.
"I took the kid you're talking about with my Quirk," he said. "Power like his would be squandered were he to try and play the hero. We're going to provide him with a different point of view!"
"Give him back, you damn dalmatian!" Peter glared, ready to fight again despite his exhaustion.
"'Give him back'?" The stranger quoted, "Well that's kind of a weird thing to say. Mr. Thompson doesn't belong to anyone. He's his own person. Don't be so arrogant."
At this, Roberto activated his Ghost Rider form and Tandy armed herself with two light daggers. Kamala grew the fist on her good arm, while Riri aimed her
"Why so aggressive?" Asked the stranger. "We merely wish to show him that there's options besides the fanatical world of heroism he's drowning in. It's important to choose a path that aligns with your core values, after all. And let's face it, his disposition leaves much to be desired, doesn't it?"
Peter glared up at the villain before a gasp caught his attention.
"It's not just Flash. Tyrone's gone too!" Kamala exclaimed.
The teen looked around. To his shock, she was right. This unknown villain had just snatched two of their strongest classmates without a sound. What kind of power is this guy using? He thought.
"A bad habit of mine," the stranger said, shrugging. "I was something of a researcher once. Quirks are utterly fascinating to me, so when I see somebody with a good one, I can't help but wish to examine it more closely. Your friend, Tyrone, was it? He wasn't part of the plan, but I think it's a good move on my part. Poor Jack-o-Lantern, our master of nightmares. He may not look like much, but he's a dastardly death row devil whose last appeal was denied."
"Geez, I can't imagine why?" Peter asked sarcastically. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"When I saw the Shadow User take him down so swiftly and efficiently, I thought he should join us as well," Compress said. "Regrettably, I wasn't able to move the boys to our headquarters quite yet, not without suitable restraints. But rest assured they will find a new home and new purpose with the League.
"You're not taking them anywhere, you bastard!" Peter exclaimed.
"Araña, calm down!" Reyes said, summoning a flaming chain and shooting it at the villain. However, it sailed through one of the black spots on his outfit out another, redirecting it back toward Riri! Thankfully, she'd seen it and was able to dodge in time, but the chain left the ground scorched and melted a good bit of snow when it made impact.
"What the hell!?" Tandy exclaimed.
Wanda, thought burned out from using her Quirk, summoned the reserves of her Hex energy to hold the stranger still. That accomplished, Kamala stretched out her good arm to grab him, but he suddenly vanished, as if falling into one of his own spots.
"Apologies, but sleight-of-hand and escapology are my specialties, not combat," the stranger said, reappearing in another tree not too far away. "I'm not so foolish as to fight Hero candidates from M.A. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be leaving. The boss is not a patient man."
He pressed a button where his ear would be. "Vanguard Action Squad," he began. "This is Spot, confirming I've acquired our target. Meet me at the retrieval point in the next five minutes and we can go home."
The teens watched the villain disappear again, reappearing in another tree even further away. A sense of defeat washed over them. "They're going to take them…..our friends," Kamala said.
"No, they're not!" Peter replied determinedly, and took off running after the villain. The others followed after him, and together, they chased after Spot as he moved from tree to tree.
"Damnit, this guy's quick!" Reyes exclaimed.
"Don't suppose you could bring in the Hell Charger!?" Peter yelled over.
The Latino teen shook his head, "It's too narrow through here, it'd never get through!"
"Riri, what about you?" Peter asked his Support Course friend, who was surprisingly also running.
"Without a full suit to cycle the power, these parts burn through my energy fast," she explained. "I'm good for a quick burst, but then I have to recharge."
"I wish my brother was here," Wanda said, grimly keeping pace with the rest of her group.
Spot looked down at the kids. "These kids aren't as big of a deal as I expected," he said, taunting them as he continued casually skipping through the tree.
"He's pulling farther ahead!" Tandy said, seeing Spot get further beyond her sight.
"No, we can make it!" Peter yelled. Having an idea, he looked to his red haired classmate. "Wanda, make us float!"
"Huh?" She asked.
He turned to Kamala, "Grow your arm again, we'll need you to throw us."
Peter looked to Riri, who ran alongside him. "Riri, you carry us as far as you can using your power once the momentum slows." He said to her before looking at Reyes and Tandy.
"I'll hold onto you two," he continued. "My Quirk gives me an adhesive grip. Riri, you'll have to use your gauntlets to correct our trajectory through the air."
Riri came to a realization, "Oh I see what you're thinking... This could work."
"Peter, wait! You're still going to fight with your injuries?" Wanda asked, with a deep concern in her voice.
He'd taken a lot of punishment from combat that night, between the cracked ribs and cuts along his body, and the loss of blood had sapped his strength considerably. No one would've been surprised if he passed out at any moment.
Peter knew the risks, but his determination to save and protect those in trouble overruled any idea of stopping to rest. He had to get Flash and Tyrone back. His whole class would leave Central Park together, or not at all.
Lifting up his arm was painful, but he still clenched his hand into a fist. "If I can take the pain, then I can fight!" Peter said firmly, before looking to Reyes and Tandy. "So are we doing this or what?"
The others looked to one another and nodded. Together, they stopped and put their plan into motion.
Roberto and Tandy stood on Peter's right and left. He wrapped his arms around them and pressed his fingertips against Riri's armor.
Wanda activated her Quirk on the quartet. She looked at Peter, there were many things she wanted to say to him. But this was not the time or place. All she could do was put her faith in his plan, and hope for the best.
"Good luck," she said to him.
Peter nodded determinedly, "Catch up when you can, we'll try and slow him down." He looked back, "You're up, Kamala!"
"Make sure you've got a good grip on them," Said the stretchy girl. Wrapping her hand around the group, she charged forward and reared her arm back.
"Please don't sue me, Wolverine," she murmured. Using all her strength, she flung the quartet into the air and across the forest.
"FASTBALL SPECIAL!" Kamala yelled upon releasing her hand. The boy yelled as they flew towards Spot, who turned around and...
When Vengeance made it to the retrieval point, he dropped the heavy body of Bulldozer on the ground, still unconscious. It fell like a sack of potatoes.
"Woo! Looks like you scored," said a voice behind him. Vengeance turned around and Nuke walking over to him with Sin. "And one of the heavy hitters of the Crew too, nice!"
Sin looked down at Bulldozer, and gave a low whistle. "You sure did a number on him," she said, impressed.
"Jack got to him before I did," the villain replied. "The Doctor said to bring one of the Pros with us, I figured he'll suffice. Did you run into any?"
Nuke shrugged, "I took on Thunderball one-on-one, but he managed to give me the slip after helping a group of kids escape." He looked around, "So, where are the others?"
"Azazel will be transporting the Six back to our base soon," Vengeance said. "Spot and Whirlwind are on their way here now, they're our way back. As for the rest, we can only assume they were defeated or captured."
"Really? That's disappointing," Sinthea added. "I was just starting to like that French guy..."
"N'ai pas peur, ma cher," said a voice. Limping through the trees, his purple uniform ripped and damaged, was Batroc. "Those children are more ruthless than they let on..."
"Well, at least one of them made it back... Now for your report," Vengeance turned to the lone female of the team. "Did you retrieve any DNA?"
"I managed to pull a few hairs off one of the students," she said. "I still don't know why you had me do that, it's weird!"
"Another request from the good Doctor, I imagine," Nuke shrugged. "Weren't you supposed to get at least three though?"
"That's just the way it went down. I thought those brats were gonna kill me," Sin replied nonchalantly.
"YАAAАННННН!!"
CRASH!!!
All of a sudden, Spot came crashing to the ground as Peter, Riri, Tandy, and Roberto grabbed onto him and slammed him against the snowy ground a shirt distance from the meeting point. The villains were taken aback by this and looked at the Heroes-in-Training.
"Sorry, but your flight's canceled, Pongo!" Peter quipped.
Riri grabbed a hold of Spot under the armpits, as Roberto summoned six chains. One by one, he sent them into the various black spots on the white body. After a moment, he would remove them and try another spot, while the villain struggled to free himself.
Finally, their efforts bore fruit, as Reyes pulled out Tyrone, clutching onto a chain. "Ty!" Tandy exclaimed, "You're back!"
"And I thought the Darkforce was crazy..." The shadow user clutched his head, somewhat disoriented from his experience as Tandy helped him back to his feet.
"Alright, one to go," Peter said, keeping hold of Spot's legs while Riri continued to grip the upper body.
"Get ready," Said Vengeance to his teammates as he made a ball of Greenflame in his right hand.
"What the-" Peter's Sense went off, alerting him that something really bad was coming his way. "LOOK OUT!"
The name of Vengeance's Quirk lived up to its name when the villain sent a stream of green fire at the group of students. Peter leapt up with Riri's help as Tandy and Reyes jumped to the side. Even from where he was, Peter could still feel the heat.
Having split up the students, the villains sprang into action, with Nuke going for Roberto. "Trying to kidnap what we've stolen, are you?" He asked, pulling a large blade from his hip. "I won't let you get in our way!"
Roberto shot a chain at the villain, who caught it around his bare forearm, making impact with a clank! The Latino teen was shocked, and Nuke yanked him over, attempting to slice him with his knife. He missed as Roberto ducked, retracting his chain to reveal bits of metal beneath fake skin.
Interesting, Roberto thought.
"Allons-y!" Called Batroc, leaping into battle and taking on Tandy as well as the approaching Kamala.
Sensing an incoming object, Peter leapt away from Riri, as a large hammer spun in between the two, splitting them up. It flew back into the hands of the redheaded villainess, a crazed smile on her face.
"Hi there!" She said cheerfully, "I didn't get to introduce myself earlier, but I'm Sin!"
She leapt wildly at the teen, swinging her hammer like some wacky cartoon character come to life. Peter retreated, the next blow grazing his arm. His web shooter took the brunt of the impact, but it broke apart and fell to the ground.
Sin prepared another blow as Peter flipped over her as she struck the ground. "Easy there, Looney Tunes!" He exclaimed, landing behind her. "Why don't you put down the hammer, and we can talk this out?"
The crazy girl spun around, swinging her hammer and narrowly missing. "Say, you're pretty agile!" She said giddily.
"Whoa, hey!" Peter narrowly avoided the blow as Sin advanced on him.
"You know, I've been thinking since I saw you... That you'd be much cuter if you were beaten up a bit more!" She exclaimed with crazed delight, as she charged at Peter with her hammer raised. "Just hold still for a second, I can help!"
"Peter!!" Wanda yelled, shooting a Hex bolt that knocked Sin away. The girl bounced off the ground before flipping around and landing on her feet. She skid across the snow, using her hammer as an anchor before she came to a stop.
"So, that's how it is. You wanna come between us?" She asked, giving a death glare to her fellow redhead. "I thought you were pretty cute before, but now I think I'll crush you too."
"She's crazy," Wanda cringed.
"And apparently she gets off on causing pain," Peter replied, picking up something from his web shooter. "You think you can hold her back? I've got one last trick that might help against Spot."
Wanda nodded, "Go. I've been wanting a rematch with her anyways." She raised her hands, a red glow emanating between her fingers.
Spot reappeared next to Vengeance, dusting himself off. "Damn kids... Almost ruined my exit plan," he said.
Vengeance turned to Spot, "You still have the target?"
"I did tell you, didn't I?" Spot asked smugly, pointing to himself. "But I'll need someone to hold him if I'm bringing everyone home. Still don't know why their teleporter couldn't just bring us back..."
"You're covered," replied Vengeance. "And I'm sure he has his reasons, just do your job."
"Alright, alright. Who died and made you boss?" Spot didn't have visible eyes to roll, but the implication was there. Grabbing a spot off his white body, the villain tossed it forward until it hung in mid air.
After waiting a moment, the voice of Flash Thompson could be heard getting louder as he fell into the snow with a thud! He struggled to his feet, spitting out snow and glaring at Spot.
"You bastard..." He began to activate his Quirk, when Vengeance lit Greenflame in his hands, shooting dual streams near the blond that formed a circle around him. Flash's skin seemed to react similarly to when Reyes used his flames, and he was unable to power up.
"What the hell!?" Flash exclaimed, "What're you doing?"
"Sorry, our orders are to take you in alive," the villain replied, stepping within the ring of fire. "That said, I can't allow you to fight back. Word is, you're not so tough when it comes to fire... Guess this proves it."
Rearing back his fist, Vengeance delivered powerful shot to the incapacitated Thompson's jaw. The teenager was knocked to the ground, barely conscious.
Meanwhile, Spot removed another black piece off his costume, throwing it into the air and gesturing with both hands. It gradually grew wider, tall enough for a person to walk through. "Alright, it's ready!" He called.
Over with the villains fighting students, Sin and Nuke heard their comrade's signal, and they immediately retreated from the battle.
"Au revoir, children!" Batroc called, leaping backwards and into the portal.
"Sorry, Wanda! We'll just have to finish this later!" Sin yelled back to her opponent as she leapt into the portal.
Nuke followed close behind, firing a few shots at the students to keep them from following him. However, they were undeterred as Roberto, Peter, Tandy and Riri drew closer.
"Fools," Vengeance said and aimed his hand to incinerate them. Green flames began to shoot through the air. But Riri threw something from her belt over the stream of fire. It suddenly it exploded into a blanket of goo, covering the villain.
"What is this!?" Vengeance seethed, struggling to free himself.
Peter couldn't believe what he was seeing, "Is that..?"
"The prototype for your Web Grenades!" Riri grinned at Peter, "I borrowed one of your cartridges to use as a base. I was gonna surprise you with it tonight, but I guess now's as good a time as any!"
However, they didn't have time to celebrate. As a villain in green armor landed from the sky just before Vengeance and Flash, blocking the path. He set loose a gust of wind, knocking everyone back and to the snowy ground. Riri hit her head against a tree truck, knocking her out instantly as Peter tried to wake her up.
Vengeance looked up, "Excellent timing, Whirlwind." He used his Greenflame to melt some of the adhesive, freeing himself. "The target is there, bring him in with you. I have to prepare back at the base in case he comes to."
Whirlwind nodded, "I'll take it from here." Vengeance picked up the unconscious body of Bulldozer, dragging him into the portal.
"No! Let him go!" Called a voice.
Vengeance glanced up to see Roberto, too far away to make a difference, who was staring back at him. The villain gave a small, but triumphant smirk as he walked completely through, Spot continuing to keep their escape route open.
"Hurry it up!" He called to Whirlwind, "I can't hold this portal open much longer!"
Now starting to come to, the Symbiote user looked at the Whirlwind, and his eyes widened to see the portal looming ever closer. He was still too dazed to use his power, as Whirlwind created a gust of air that lifted him off the ground, forming miniature tornado. It carried Flash closer to the portal as the villains prepared to leave.
Spot stuck a leg in and began to enter his own portal. "It's closing the second you both get through," he said, jumping inside and out of sight.
"Game over," Whirlwind said, stepping into the portal and pulling Flash into it. Seeing his classmate being taken away made Peter gasp.
"Flash!" He yelled, before running toward his rival to save him. But he was slowing down. His body felt so tired, and he was aching everywhere. It wouldn't be long before his body shut down.
As he was pulled in, Flash stared at Peter as the Spider-Man desperately tried to reach him. "Stay back, Parker!" He yelled, not wanting to drag anyone else in with him.
Seeing Thompson's face disappearing, Peter knew what he had to do. One more push was all he needed. And it came when he concentrated his all of his enhanced strength into his legs and and leapt forward, rocketing himself at high speeds, but it wasn't enough. So, Peter shot a final web-line and it connected with Flash's arm before it entered the portal. And with the last ounce of his power, yanked the teen's body back toward him.
Flash only had time to gasp when it happened. Peter had managed to pull him out of Whirlwind's grasp and away from the portal.
...While his own body continued flying towards it.
Time seemed to slow down as the two rivals passed one another, they locked eyes with one another as time seemed to slow down. Thompson, who would have normally glared at Peter with disdain, instead stared at him with what likely genuine shock and horror.
But Peter wasn't thinking about what would happen to himself. He released the webbing and fell into unconsciousness, finally succumbing to his pain and exhaustion as Whirlwind's Quirk sucked him into Spot's portal.
Flash landed on the ground, and watched in stunned silence as the portal disappeared. No one, not Flash, Roberto, Wanda, Kamala, Tandy or Tyrone could move as Peter's body disappeared into that dark void. Straight into the jaws of the enemy. No one could imagine what he was thinking doing something like that, or what the villains would do to him. They didn't want to imagine it.
On that fateful night, the Heroes Course aimed to be what they could only hope to become. But instead, the villains won. They won the moment Peter's right hand, which was the last part of him they saw, crossed into the portal. Disappearing before the portal vanished.
They had failed.
.
.
.
Barber's Chair
• Damn, that ending was a bit of a downer, wasn't it? Thought I'd subvert expectations a bit. In the source material, Bakugo is the one who gets captured. But I think in this case with Peter being taken instead of Flash, it offers some unique developments, not just with the villains, but with Flash Thompson's character.
• First appearance of this universe's Spot! I'm mostly keeping his comic origins intact, instead of being a Mr. Compress type of character. Still, he's a unique villain, proven to be even more so in the recent Spider-Verse movie.
• Speaking of Spider-Verse, I think I should mention this before this story gets much further. I definitely have plans for expanding the world of MMA, but it currently does NOT include multiverse shenanigans.
• As for other characters, Sin is our stand-in for Toga, except she won't be as "Toga-ish." She doesn't have a thing for blood, won't be trying to connect over boys, and as we saw in this chapter, is already at odds with Wanda. So there's definitely a different dynamic going on here.