13: Calm before the storm
March 15, 2007.
"And for that reason, I declare that Stark Industries' weapons department will cease its operations" Tony Stark's voice echoed in the conference room, a silence of disbelief lingered for half a second before reporters began to exclaim loudly, questions started to rain from all sides, their voices almost becoming unintelligible due to the cacophony of sounds.
Tony ignored them, let the microphone in his hand fall to the ground, and began to leave without looking back, what he had to say had been said.
His personal bodyguard, Happy, helped him leave the place, escorting him to the car prepared to take him home, he needed a good rest.
"Tell me, Happy, has anything interesting happened while I was away? What new things are happening in the world" as he sat in the back seat of his car, he couldn't help but ask, months without contact with the outside world had made him miss even the most basic news that he usually ignored.
Besides, he didn't want to be in silence, silence meant getting lost in his memories and that wasn't something he needed right now, it was better to catch up with Happy.
"Well, my favorite donut shop closed last week and I almost lost a bet with-" Tony quickly interrupted Happy.
"I was talking about real news" the bodyguard coughed and awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Uh - yeah, everything has been quiet, besides the appearance of the first real superhero, there's nothing else worth mentioning, the world remains the same as always, boss"
Tony nodded absentmindedly before his tired brain processed what Happy had said and blinked in confusion.
Did he hear that right?
"The first what?"
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Daniel looked at the hamburger in his hand, whether it was the appearance or the smell, everything was top-notch quality. He couldn't help but swallow saliva and without further ado, he took a big bite.
Whether it was the bread, the meat, or the vegetables in it, everything was amazingly delicious.
"I have to thank Carol later," her cooking level was over nine thousand, although he was still learning on his own, he was far from comparing himself to someone who had been experimenting with cooking since she was a child.
He finished his meal faster than he would have liked, felt the cool morning breeze, and knew it was time to get back to work.
Another morning, another day saving the world, he looked at the city beneath his feet, getting ready to act but everything seemed calm.
That made him furrow his brow a bit, he didn't like too much calmness, that only foreshadowed trouble.
Not far from him, a large screen on the side of a building began to broadcast the latest news.
"After the return of the famous billionaire genius Tony Stark, Stark Industries' weapons division is in an uncertain state, the declaration of its immediate closure has had a negative impact on the stock market..."
Daniel glanced thoughtfully, this morning he had watched the press conference and so far, it was the most talked-about news.
Although he expected Tony's return, he certainly didn't expect it to be like this.
The military market would change drastically because of his actions, he didn't know if that was good or not considering he was planning to venture into it in the not-too-distant future.
He didn't know exactly what Tony had experienced in Afghanistan, but it seemed to have affected him quite a bit, such a change left many people uncertain, many believed this was the end of Stark Industries.
Daniel laughed at that thought, he didn't believe that would happen. No, Stark Industries wouldn't fall so easily.
If Tony was half as smart as he claimed, then he would be able to at least save his company and make the change he was looking for a reality.
And Daniel believed the man could do it.
Looking at the graph representing Stark Industries' stocks, which were now displayed on the news screen, he couldn't help but consider investing in it.
It was risky, investing now that the company's stocks were falling could bring him profits later on while it could also make him lose a lot if he was wrong. He truly believed Stark would recover from this, but he didn't know exactly how long it would take.
He decided to postpone it a little longer, for now, observing was better.
On the other hand, a car was about to hit a school bus, without hesitation, he accelerated at full speed.
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Smallville, Kansas.
Greg was worried. His mother had scolded him again; normally she left him alone, but her patience seemed to have run out when she found the videos and photos he had been taking of Lana; she didn't like that at all.
She had destroyed everything and demanded that he take his insects with him; he had argued with her, but in the end, he couldn't go against her. That's how he found himself having to pack up his pets and cramming them into his old car.
They barely fit, and he didn't know where the heck he was going to leave them; he didn't want to just dump them in the forest; they deserved better.
He looked at the aquarium where he had locked up his fireflies; their splendid intense green glow caught his attention.
There were no insects like these anywhere else; he had found them as a child near one of the craters that the meteor shower had caused deep in the forest.
All the insects around that place seemed to glow with that intense green color in one way or another; it had taken him some time, but he had managed to capture most of them. They were all his pets, unique and unparalleled in the world.
And now he had to get rid of them because of his mother.
Just the thought made him grit his teeth, but soon his anger faded, and instead, helplessness filled him.
Maybe he could find an abandoned cabin or something.
Thinking about it, he decided to head to the forest; he started his car and set off without noticing how not far from him, a red truck began to follow him.
Soon both vehicles left the town, Greg didn't realize that his life was about to change forever.
Soon Greg's car veered off the road onto a dirt path that led into the forest; he drove as far as he could, but soon he had to stop the car.
He looked at the dark forest not far away and gritted his teeth; he would have to search on foot, but the chances of finding a good place to take his insects were almost nil.
While he was lost in his thoughts, a hand grabbed him by the neck through the car window and roughly slammed him against the steering wheel, disorienting him.
The door opened, and Greg was thrown to the ground with force, causing a groan of pain to escape his lips.
He shook his head and looked at his attacker; there he was, Whitney Fordman, looking furious.
Lana Lang's boyfriend raised his fist and punched Greg's face hard, easily breaking his nose.
Greg, who hadn't even managed to get up from the ground, could only wriggle like a worm in agony.
"I warned you, you son of a bitch! I told you to stay away from her!" Three other guys arrived at the scene, Whitney's friends who had been accompanying him, and together they began to beat Greg on the ground.
He screamed and pleaded; tears and snot fell from his face, but it did little to avoid his fate.
"Enough!" Whitney stopped them all and looked at the bloody Greg on the ground; he crouched down, approaching his ear, and spoke in a low voice.
"I know what you did, you invaded her privacy, entered her house, and were stupid enough to leave something behind; now she's scared, and it's all your fault, but no more, I've been too soft on you; you've crossed the line"
Whitney stood up, thinking about what he should do to make Greg understand the weight of his actions.
"Hey, look at this!" one of his friends shouted, and they all turned to look at him; he pulled a fish tank from Greg's car, brightly green insects flying inside, and then Whitney got an idea.
With a malicious smile, he looked at Greg on the ground and spoke.
"You really love your insects, don't you? Then let me help you get closer to them"
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Tony looked at the images projected in front of him carefully; he had to force himself to blink once he felt his eyes burning.
It hadn't been long since he returned; things had been hectic, and he had thought about unwinding a bit before starting his new project.
The news he had received and the images he had been gathering for the past hour had taken away any need for rest.
Of all things, the fact that a hero, straight out of a bad comic book wearing a damn cape, had decided to show up to start saving the day was extremely surreal.
Even with the evidence in front of him, Tony had to reassure himself several times that this was real.
"How are those calculations going, Jarvis?" When he turned his head, another projected screen unfolded, on it a series of extremely complex calculations could be seen. Every second, the calculations changed, mathematical formulas came and went, which would be almost impossible for others but for Tony, it was easy; he could keep up with the fast pace of the changing numbers without missing anything.
"The images lack the necessary detail to obtain precise calculations; so far, I have only achieved a theoretical measurement, sir"
Looking at the numbers, Tony couldn't help but furrow his brows. So far, he had been analyzing every action, every display of superhuman power; everything screamed illogical, nothing he had done should be possible to do.
But it was, he was there flying around the world with a cape.
When he flew back from Afghanistan in the plane, Tony had thought a lot about what he wanted to do, and his armor had been the thing that had been on his mind the most, but the ideas he had had so far regarding it would have to be modified, even if they were theoretical calculations, the numbers made something clear, if he didn't want to fall behind this "hero" he would have to improve beyond what he had planned.
After all, he couldn't let a guy in tights hog all the attention.
Even if he didn't actually wear tights.
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"Are you okay? You seem distracted" Daniel stopped looking out the window of the restaurant where he was and looked at the blonde sitting in front of him, he thought for a moment before responding.
"I have a strange feeling, I don't know how to explain it, I just feel like something irritating is about to approach me"
The blonde rolled her eyes and pointed at him with the fork in her hand.
"You know, if I had had that feeling before I met you, I could have prepared in advance for the headaches I now have"
Daniel looked at her, more precisely at her face; the tiredness in her eyes was clear, as were the dark circles beginning to appear under them.
"If you feel it's too much, I can try to find more people"
Harleen scoffed and took a bite of her steak.
"If there were more people, you would have brought them already; I can handle this, I just have to get used to the extra workload."
Daniel didn't refute; he had already told her there was no one else, and if he suddenly started presenting options, she would become suspicious of him.
Since Daniel contacted Harleen Quinzel, several days had passed. During this time, he had to meet with her several times; Killgrave's victims, despite being only ordinary humans, were still dangerous.
Leaving Harleen alone to deal with them was stupid, so he had to make time in his schedule to accompany her while she examined them.
They had all been placed in a villa he had rented; he had obtained the necessary equipment and had been adapting the place with Harleen's help and her printer machine.
To say that it was difficult to get in and even more to get out was an understatement.
His finances had even suffered a bit, but in the end, it was something that had to be done.
Those people needed help, and so far, progress was going well; it helped that they trusted him and were willing to move forward.
Harleen's job was just to make sure to deal with any possible side effects that Killgrave's power could have on them, to analyze how they were affected, and if possible, to find ways to treat similar abilities if she ever found them.
After all, this world still had to show its true face; Daniel didn't believe that Killgrave would be the only superhuman he would encounter or that only he would have such powers.
Harleen finished chewing and looked at the sunset; it was almost time for her to return to Rykers, she couldn't help but get a little excited, not about returning, but about how she had been doing it.
"How long do you think you'll need for them to be able to return to their lives?" At the question, Harleen looked at him, his dark blue eyes always had that seriousness when talking about helping others; she almost forgot to answer but quickly came back to herself.
"Without 'Killgrave' in the equation, the chemical imbalance in their brains is beginning to stabilize; I believe that with the medication I have given them, they will be able to recover enough to have a quiet life in a few months, at least those who spent less time with him; the others... well, that's more complicated"
Despite Daniel's help, Harleen still had to take risks, ask for favors, and use some of Rykers' facilities to help her with the victims' treatment.
It was slow, slower than doing it conventionally, but it was what she had to work with; she had managed to isolate some samples of the remaining pheromones in the victims' bodies; she had realized how dangerous this was.
She had to work personally and see the damage this had caused firsthand to understand how serious the matter was, and that's why she was careful; if someone managed to replicate Killgrave's pheromones on a large scale, then things could get very bad.
It was important; she was doing something important; it was... hard to describe, that feeling, she had always wanted to do something special, to be special, and somehow now she felt like she was doing it, helping Defiant, she felt like she was helping the world.
So failing was not an option; she wanted to do it right, to prove that her trust in her was correct, that it was not a mistake to choose her.
"But even if it's complicated, I can solve it; I just need a little time"
Although she started with confidence, she couldn't help but lose a little of it at the end; she didn't know if Daniel would be willing to wait; he had already done a lot helping her every step of the way so far, she feared that he wouldn't want to keep waiting.
Daniel smiled and spoke clearly.
"if it's time what you want, then I'll do whatever it takes for you to get it, whatever you need, no matter what it is, just tell me, and I'll find a way to get it; we're in this together, so I'll help you no matter what, trust me"
so any doubts or fears she kept inside disappeared; she didn't know how to describe it, but somehow his words were enough to make her fully believe in him.
Her heart beat faster; her face reddened, and she almost looked away.
"You're quite eloquent; if I were a high school girl, I'd be jumping into your arms right now" At her words, Daniel laughed, but his serious gaze returned.
"I'm just speaking the truth; I'm here to help you, I got you into this even knowing you have your own responsibilities, I'm taking away time you could be using for yourself; I think it's right that you can ask for something in return."
Daniel wasn't saying this in jest; these days, he had come to know her a little more; she was a good person; before, he hadn't cared about her original fate, but now, he had changed his mind, he wanted to save her.
Harleen smiled, she seemed to think a little before speaking.
"Well, I have a few things in mind, but I think I'll keep them to myself for now; for now, it's enough that you keep taking me to these places for dinner; Rykers doesn't have the best menu"
Daniel nodded; inviting someone to dinner as payment for their help wasn't much, but if it was what she wanted, then he didn't mind doing it.
"Next time, I'll take you to a better place; I know a pretty decent one in Tokyo"
Harleen blinked and laughed as if he were joking; Daniel let her, she would understand when the time came.
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Soon they finished dinner, and without anyone noticing, they ended up on top of a building, Daniel had changed back into his suit.
Harleen looked at the views ahead of them and couldn't help but whistle.
"No matter how many times I see it, the views from up high are always fascinating"
Daniel stood beside her and nodded.
Even if it wasn't the highest place, it still gave him that calm feeling he got while being in the sky.
Harleen turned to look at him; one couldn't tell by the mask, but Defiant was quite handsome, albeit somewhat youthful. She hadn't asked his age, but she didn't think he was older than her. Of course, Harleen also didn't imagine that he was younger than her.
"Come on, you still need to rest." Looking at the sun completely hidden on the horizon, Harleen nodded. She worked and lived in Rykers; getting out of there was quite complicated due to the strict security, which was why Daniel had been taking her back and forth every day, something she didn't complain about at all.
With a smile, she leaped toward him, and Daniel had to catch her carefully.
"Come on! This is the best part!"
Daniel caught her excitement, adjusted his grip on her, and took off into the sky. Harleen let out a cheer of joy as she felt the wind hitting her face and saw the sky beyond the clouds.
She loved flying.
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He tried to move, but it was useless; his hands and feet were tied. He struggled, but only ended up hurting himself. His eyes were blindfolded, so he only saw darkness, yet his heart pounded hard. He didn't need to see them; he could hear them. They were there, confined along with him.
Those buzzing sounds, the noise of their legs as they walked, the fluttering of their wings.
He could feel them crawling over every inch of his body. Then it began; due to his agitation, one of them became irritated
Its bite felt like hot iron pincers squeezing his skin. He screamed, but his mouth was blocked. He writhed in pain, causing more of them to attack him.
Dozens of insects of different species began to sting him, bite him, and inject their venom into him. Unbeknownst to him, light flooded the place where he was trapped, and with each sting, his veins began to emanate that same light.
The different types of venom traveled through his bloodstream, making his heart visible through his skin.
It glowed in a noticeable green color.
His skin began to turn pale, blood began to trickle from his ears, nose, mouth, and other orifices.
Somehow, he broke the ropes that bound him; his body convulsed, and the metal twisted. The trash container in which he was confined began to deform, and then everything stopped.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then a fist punched, sending the lid of the container flying.
Covered in garbage and dead insects, Greg staggered out of his prison. His bloodshot eyes stared at the dark sky, and his mouth opened impossibly wide, to the point where the skin of his cheeks threatened to tear.
A sound like that of a thousand insects singing flooded the night like a distorted roar.
The twisted body of what once was Greg staggered. With each step he took, his posture became firmer, and soon he was walking easily. The wounds, bruises, and cuts disappeared, and his skin regained some color.
Yet his eyes were different; a bright green tint could be seen in them.
"Whitney..." his voice buzzed, echoing in the area. The hatred and malice contained in it were surpassed only by anger.
He would make him pay.
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Note:
a short chapter.