Cole had mistakenly overslept.
He groggily crawled from his comfortable bed, which hadn't wanted him to leave its confines. Reese, the replicator he had created, had much to discuss before sleep finally took him.
Cole yawned. He looked at the time and mentally noted how much he had before he was needed elsewhere. Elsewhere in school, he was a sophomore and had turned around Jeremy's educational journey and even increased his position in his class. Creating the bio-contacts hadn't helped, with the school stupidly trying to bring up a clause in its by-laws.
He spat the toothpaste from his mouth and stared at himself in the wide mirror in his luxurious bathroom, his heads-up display populating his vision with the usual morning dribble.
He signed a document and shifted it to legal.
"Let them come." He said to the handsome youth in the mirror.
Jenifer Susan Walters had responded. It seemed she would be his point person about his intellectual properties.
He chuckled at the board, still trying to claim he had used school resources. Had Ms.Hammers lost all pretenses, or was this her brother? Maybe numerous other companies funded the school. York Enterprises court order junction was still stopping all payments not deemed necessary to the company and its subsidiaries.
He was increasingly thinking about dropping out, pursuing a G.E.D., and taking community college before attending a major university.
'I could do it. It would give me more time for important things.' The problem was that he didn't need any of it. He could learn it himself or from a tutor, and Alfred could teach him.
The other side of the problem was it was all because of a mask. If he were to prepare appropriately for the likes of Thanosand Galactus, he would need to foster a civilian identity.
It was still dark, with the bare hint of peach peeking over the horizon. He suited up with a thought and launched himself into the sky.
Cole arrived at his destination at subsonic speeds a few minutes later. He noted the missile damage and whistled at the destruction. He was at the defunct medium-sized dock connected to his considerable real estate purchase.
He bit into his breakfast bar, having tried and failed to eat his way over and experiencing difficulty eating while flying. He balled the wrapper of the high-calorie bar the Flash used and tossed it in the air before it winked out.
He re-adorned the Manta cowl, and with a burst of the jets alongside his back giving him a vertical start, he reoriented in the air and swan-dived into the dark waters.
The Black Manta suit assisted him a lot. The advanced human-Atlantean wet suit came to life in the murky depths of the Atlantic. He summoned a submersible Boa drone that accompanied him. As always, Reese and Alfred hovered technologically over his shoulders.
His H.U.D. was opened, and Angelica watched in awe as he delved deeper and deeper. He wanted to surprise her in hopes of uplifting her spirits; she, having learned about the Lazarus Pits and his hesitancy in using them, had drawn a wedge between their still-budding relationship.
He understood.
Titanic. Came to his mind as laid eyes on the submarine. The moment he neared it, the ship came to life. It moved silently, parting the dark waters as it approached him.
He stopped and touched the bow of the blackest metal he had seen.
Without the lights and his intricate knowledge, he wasn't sure if he could place it.
The Nautilus Vl was nearly seventy feet long with the width of a standard super-cruiser; it was a stealth submarine, futuristic design was the best way to describe it, and nuclear with an accompanying hydrogen-electric fusion reactor.
Soon, over a hundred scientists and personnel messaged him about the submarine's capabilities and the dock he had access to construct such a behemoth. He sensed the weight of a notification that settled behind his eyes.
He would keep it near and use the dock as a staging area. First, he needs to update it to a state-of-the-art dry dock and seek licensing for small submersibles for research purposes. He scanned the map on the screen. The Hudson River is 315 miles long, starting from the source at Lake Tear of the Clouds near the base of Mt. Marcy in the Adirondack Mountain Range. It empties into the New York Harbor, leading to the Atlantic Ocean.
Technician 013: It's like the Leviathan. I want to be assigned to this ship.
Dr. Stuart Clarke: Astounding.
....
System notification-Milestone Achieved: Secret Command. Reward(s) Hyperion-class Satellite. Jolly Jack Candy Factory.
'A satellite? And a military one from the Batman Beyond timeline?' He delved into his mind, understanding the new weapon he had. He whistled. A laser in the sky was a potent deterrent. With his technology, he could launch it and hide it once it got into geocentric orbit.
The Candy Factory made him laugh for a few minutes. The system had given him two items of the Joker. The crowbar has a high amount of batmanium consistency.
He withdrew interest from the H.U.D. and focused on the wide-opening world before him.
'Beginning scanning for unique metals. Activate stealth, set up transportation rings, and begin shifting a skeleton crew into the ship.' He thought to his artificial intelligence
Midtown High was more electrifying than typical. The atmosphere was dark, and the hushed whispers in the hallways said a lot, but the councilors he spotted in the halls shifting through teary eyes students gave him pause.
'Alfred?' He called inwardly.
'A student was murdered. The data points lead me to believe it's the possible mutant serial killer. Do you want to invest more resources into this situation, sir?'
'First, who has died?' He queried.
His heads-up display popped into existence, and several smiling faces were shown. He had a bad feeling in his gut. How hadn't he known?
"Hey, Jeremy." His stomach churned, but he clamped down on the sensation.
"Good morning, Gwen. You need anything."
"Kind of. We were wondering if you have heard from Anne. You two usually arrive together."
'We?' He scanned ahead and noted Liz glaring at him. He rolled his eyes and refocused.
He chuckled, his features shifting across his face. "I'm in the dark, too. But it's school-related, I know. She is safe. Maybe ask one of the teachers. I'm afraid I'm not liked much, you know."
She stepped closer after closing her locker. "Listen, you went too far, but it's not fair that you're the only one being punished. And I'm sorry that Liz hasn't seen that." He felt terrible that he had lost his friend, but it wasn't like he had feelings for her. He defended himself, and he became that villain in their eyes.
"Flash is popular and a star athlete. It was inevitable I would be punished."
Gwen said. "I'm glad they didn't expel you, which shocked everyone, even the teachers."
Cole replied, "Even the school board couldn't do that without concessions. I'm a York, regardless of what everyone here thinks. My father's company is a shareholder in the school."
Gwen looked shocked at the information before she pulled out her phone.
Jeremy released a sense of smugness as if saying, 'Well played, playa.'
"Hey, Gwen. A lot is happening outside that, but thanks for speaking with me. I know I wasn't the best of people for a while, but I'm working on that; I only wanted to help, and you know the rest." He beamed genuinely.
"Yeah,' she said, looking up from her phone. He had seen what she found out.
"A.T.C. Towers," she muttered under her breath.
"A lot is happening. Have you heard?"
He nodded his head, somberness ringing his tone. "I didn't know her, but she was a new cheerleader."
"She wasn't nice, but she didn't deserve that. I'll see you around and be on the homecoming board. I'll get you permission to come. Being in the top five students will help you." She said, winking and turning her head over to the staring Liz, who was looking at the attachment Gwen had sent to her.
He sighed.
Peter's locker closed, bringing him from his inner musing. The two exchanged looks, but Parker had fully allowed the venom to bolster his emotions and lower his inhibitions.
"Peter." He said in a way of greeting.
Peter stepped toward him. The hall quieted somewhat. Cole stood his ground, his face impassive.
"Look, I don't like you, nor are we friends." He brushed past him, attempting to shoulder-check him. He failed. Cole's hand landed on his shoulder.
"That's fine, Parker. Don't forget what I did to your bully. Don't think I won't hurt you." Cole scanned over him, releasing his hand.
Peter smiled. "That will be the worst day of your life, man." He strolled off, snagging one of the cheerleaders around the waist and walking off with the blushing girl.
He sat at his desk. In-school suspension again.
The fact that Spider-Man had fought here recently had put what was considered a preppy elite nepotistic school into the limelight, and students who attended were vocal about what they assumed was known knowledge.
Spider-man and Red Hood attended; the latter hadn't been seen in weeks, but that could be attributed to the sophistication of his technology.
This isn't Cole's words. He's reading from the very active school Reddit page.
A video popped up. A reporter had asked Tony to comment on the local menace. Tony looked at her strangely, and what became a viral clip and a supposed dig at Red Hood had asked who that was again.
His not-knowing Red Hood made the video viral. Cole's eye ticked at the slight, but didn't let it set his mood.
'Tony has accused the government of corporate espionage and violation of FISA. Stark Industries has updated the school detection system.'
Cole nodded, observing the numerous cameras that were more than security.
'The government entities have requested mutant detection software but were overruled by Fury.'
Bullseye had requested additional assistance. He sent it through the chain, hoping someone else could handle it.
The Brood situation was concerning, and the rewards he could obtain weighed against his approach of letting them handle it.
This wasn't some game; life mattered here, and he had to treat everything like it was his life on the line.
"The team on the field is more than enough to handle the situation," Alfred added as he, too, had listened over the debriefing from Scorch.
Speaking on Scorch, he was impressed by the man's ingenuity with the suit. The street magician, who had a minor ability, had grown to frightening levels.
"The problem seems to stem from X-men."
"I'm lost on their rationale, Alfred. Their sensibilities are causing more death than my people are doing."
"I've updated the file. Will you need further assistance?"
"Access to the sealed room." Her eyes were puffy as she had been crying.
"I'm sorry, Angelica, the room is deemed dangerous. The files on the Lazarus Pit are in the updated files. Young master only has your best interest at heart."
"Call me Angel, please, Alfred."
"Understood Angel."
Angelica deflated, slumping in her chair."Just humor me, Alfred. Is it possible?"
"Hmm." Angelica perked up at the artificial intelligence inflections. It was growing pretty fast.
'Was he sentient?'
"Angel, the pit has the means to bring those from the dead back. The issue is the time and another area I can't speak on even if I wanted to."
She stood quickly, fist aflame.
"He doesn't trust me? I'm not Anne. I won't run off once something shiny comes along." She accused.
"The master has things that would shake you to the core he keeps from you. Not because he lacks trust but because it's dangerous. He's capable of safeguarding information by his nature. You're susceptible; look at what the professor accomplished; the master could barely keep him out. If it was you.."
She sighed, regaining her seat. "You're right; he has given me my life back and all of this. I'm rich and fed, and I start online classes soon. I shouldn't second guess him."
"I will say this, and I must depart. He will do everything to make you happy. I've seen it. He gives you all these machines beyond the scope of what most know because of your affinity. Your help with the hard light technology was indispensable. Your drone updates and upgrades have facilitated him in his endeavors. And, he will give you your grandmother back when he has tested it. Read the file and realize what you ask him to allow will taint your memory of her."
Angelica Jones listened and sat at her many stations long after Alfred left and thought on it. She opened the file and read what was in it, and her hand came to her mouth in horror.
She focused on three glaring points of contention in particular.
She read. "The Lazarus Pit is a supernatural phenomenon capable of instantly healing injuries, resurrecting the dead, and even granting immortality to those who bathe. I recommend this function be afforded to the critically lost and those deemed indispensable."
These were Jeremy's words. He had written them in the file and allowed his top brass, her too, to partake in his knowledge, which was a lot; he knew so many fields.
She continued."The substance that fills each pit is a chemical blend of unknown composition, seemingly originating from the Earth's crust. For an unknown reason, it bubbles to the surface only at specific critical points around the globe, typically at the junction of ley lines. The chemicals can rejuvenate the sick and the dying (and even the medically deceased) but will typically kill a healthy user. In addition, it sometimes acts as a youth restorative, decreasing a user's age depending on how long they were in the pit. For maximum efficiency, however, someone must be placed in the Lazarus Pit within a relatively short period following their death. Although older bodies may be resurrected, there is no guarantee that they will return in perfect condition."
Her vision blurred, and she became lightheaded. She clutched the station and steadied herself.
"When used to heal or to bring someone back to life, that person is also rendered temporarily insane — having experience with the Lazarus pit, I strongly recommend further tests and possibly dilution of the substance; with that, I will hold access to the pit and will only use it under extreme circumstances."
Dilution? Is that a possibility, too? With that, ward off the insanity. She stopped and reread the final part.
"Having experience with the Lazarus Pit."