The night fell, then the sun rose. Shuri's lab was consistently loud and productive. Hours upon hours of work and study and theorizing. It was the first practical session of Project New Element. The blueprints were already drawn, all that remained was practical application. They were synthesizing and experimenting with metal types in ways no one else had. The sheer amount of technical knowledge and trial-and-error involved almost amounted to absurdity. If Felix wasn't infused with Extremis, he would have gotten a migraine just from trying to comprehend it all.
As the noon of the next day arrived, Felix sat outside the lab, arms crossed. He wasn't sleepy even after staying awake for more than twenty hours. He was so unfazed that he was having Herbie show him the last bits of footage of Alistair Smythe as he headed home. He lived in a small apartment mansion at the corner of 25 Riverside Drive. A brown townhouse that was accessible for the man in the wheelchair and with little local CCTV.
'An all-nighter…I know she said that but I didn't expect it.' Felix sighed and took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes. 'I just want to go home.'
"Yo!"
Shuri cracked open a can of soda and offered one to Felix, the fizzing sound breaking the silence of the night. Felix accepted it with a nod of thanks, taking a sip as he glanced up at the vending machines next to him and the bench he sat at.
"Convenient, right?" Shuri opened up her own can of soda. "I have my servants refill it every week. Chips, coke, whatever I want."
'What an easy life,' he thought. A laboratory with all the junk a scientist could want. Felix was jealous. 'I should buy a vending machine for Daxter Lab. Ugh, but how will I refill it? It's not like Herbie can go outside and grab stuff for me.'
"Jealous, eh?" Shuri snickered. "If that's the case, you should come work with me at Wakanda. You and Olivia Octavius. I've never had such great people to work with."
"What's the pay like?" Felix asked, half-joking.
"Seven figures if you work directly under me."
"...I'll think about it."
Shuri was quiet as she drank her soda. However, he could feel the curious side-eye. "Also, you…Felix, do you work out? Seriously, you're never tired."
"Endurance is an important part of being a scientist."
"Ha. Fine words, my friend." Shuri took one last gulp and tossed the can into the nearby trash can. Felix assumed her servants would take that out too. "With our effort combined, I estimate the particle accelerator will take a week to finish."
"Assuming we go at this pace of all-nighters," Felix corrected. "Liv and I have work. Actually…" He checked the time. It was almost two o'clock. Damn. "...I have to get going." He got up and Shuri followed.
"Which is why I suggested you work for me."
He stopped to give her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, no can do. I have a contract."
"A pity. I will contact you through Olivia. She is your boss, yes? Yes." With an affirmative nod, Shuri decided that was so and extended a hand. "Until next time, Felix Faeth."
He shook her hand. "Next time."
As he left the cube-like building, he encountered Okoye and gave her a wave. No reaction as expected. A taxi was already waiting for him, no doubt her doing, so he knew she wasn't ignoring his entire existence. Just some of it. Getting inside the taxi and telling the driver his address, he sat back and went back to thinking.
'Alistair Smythe or the Inner Demons…who should I investigate tonight?'
Mister Negative was the issue. Felix didn't think he would lose to him in a fight regardless of what he manipulated but it was better to fight with a semblance of strategy instead of rushing head-first. He had seen the complaints many made about Gwen Stacy, how she would recklessly destroy public or private property in order to win battles. Felix didn't want that happening to him.
As the taxi merged into the flow of traffic, the sound of J. Jonah Jameson's voice crackled through the radio. Felix couldn't help but listen, his senses preventing him from not listening.
"Listen up, New York!" J. Jonah Jameson's voice blared from the speakers. "We've got a new web-slinger on the loose, and mark my words, he's trouble with a capital T!"
'I…haven't even done anything though…'
Besides…what? Saving a bunch of royals? Was that really deserving of criticism at this stage? Felix sighed, unaccustomed to Jameson's sensationalist style. He heard that it was better than to take the man's words at face value, but there was no denying the influence of the Daily Bugle on public perception.
"Spider-Man, Spider-Woman," Jameson continued, his voice tinged with a mix of frustration and indignation. "Man or woman, why do we keep letting these costumed vigilantes run wild in our city? They're nothing but a nuisance, causing chaos and destruction wherever they go!"
The taxi driver glanced at Felix in the rearview mirror, as if seeking his reaction to Jameson's rant. Felix simply blinked, curious. As the taxi navigated the bustling streets of New York, Felix mulled over his options. Alistair Smythe and the Inner Demons loomed large in his mind.
'Mr. Negative employed the same strategies that Crossbones did. He's the more pressing topic out of the two.' He closed his eyes, drowning out the noise. 'But Herbie gets messed up when I get close to him. I prefer that not to happen.'
Decisions, decisions…
Even when he got home, he wasn't able to devise a strategy for tonight. He cleaned up the mess he made two nights ago when Maria was here. He wondered when she would contact him about the plan. The whole point of the texts were to entice Stark into inviting Maria and her "boyfriend" over to his house.
'Whatever,' he thought, deciding to do some research. 'Maria will contact me when that happens. I should focus on Mr. Negative.'
He sat at his computer, earbuds plopped in and the Herbie AI system asking for a prompt. His glasses were already connected audio-wise so it was a matter of thinking what to say. 'Vibranium and Adamantium, those are the best ways to combat his electrical power. But how? There's only so much I have at Daxter Lab…'
"Herbie, what data were you able to collect on Mr. Negative's powers?"
"Much of the footage was corrupted. Therefore, little can be gleaned other than it is electrical-based and very much akin to an EMP," Herbie said.
"How much Adamantium and Vibranium do we have?"
"We have two capsules of True Adamantium, five capsules of Secondary Adamantium, and three capsules of Vibranium. Each capsule contains five ingots of the listed metal."
"Yeah, I remember. Five ingots are worth almost five kilos." Felix crossed his arms. "I need to incorporate it into my armour without compromising its integrity. I suppose the only way to do that is with highlights."
"Highlights…Big Time Suit…calculating incorporation…"
"In other words, the gloves and the spider symbol should be either layered or outlined in the metal. Then, I implement some sort of special mode that will help me fight against Mr. Negative's lightning." He threw his head back, cursing. "But it's going to be all theoretical. It's not like I have lightning to test it against. Man, this sucks…"
It wasn't like he had anyone to help him either. He was on his own for this. Searching for a traitor was difficult because it made him almost paranoid. Liv, Czarina, Bobbi, Maya, Alistair—until he caught the traitor, it was impossible to trust them completely. His head hurt.
"Maybe I should retrace my steps. Go street level and investigate alleyways and shit," he muttered. "But crap, if I go online…"
Yep, every single article in the world was reporting on the new vigilante known as Spider-Man. If this had been an ordinary rescue, the splash would have been limited to New York. But no, Felix went out of his way to save important figures on the global stage. People whose deaths could potentially cause ripples—and he saved them. He saved them all. Oscorp's reputation wasn't exactly plummeting, becoming something of a place of sympathy, while Spider-Man became a source of intrigue.
"Wakanda will make their statement in a couple days once they confirm the king's health. Kenya has been quiet too, probably for the same reason." Felix scratched his head. "For PR's sake, I should stick to the shadows as difficult as it's going to be. Wait, no, but what if I have to intervene…"
He let out a frustrated sigh. In the end, he elected to wait. It was better to make a move once the official statement on Spider-Man was made. That way, he would know whether the police were on his side or not.
***
At the end of the day, no matter what anyone said, money was money and work was necessary. Felix sat in front of his computer, the screen displaying a grid of faces representing his team members. Kavita Rao, Maya Hansen, and Felix Faeth, as well as Liv, the head of their department, who was at the center of the screen. Bobbi wasn't here due to her throat injury.
"Alright, everyone," Liv began, her voice projecting into his earbuds. "Let's get started. We have a lot to settle today."
As always, there was plenty of notetaking, questions, and theoretical data. They had officially moved onto Vita Rays as the choice radiation to support the serum. See, there were two components to Project Rebirth II: first was the actual serum injected into the person. Second was the chamber of radiation that would accelerate and bolster the serum's effect. Kavita had already finished the first part, the legendary vial that had once made Captain America. She was a genius PhDs in mutant genetics and biochemistry, so of course she had already done her part. It was up to Maya and Felix (and previously) to create the radiation chamber that would amplify the effects and duplicate what made Captain America special. The legendary hero had disappeared for seventy years and returned looking exactly as she did during the war.
Before her reappearance, her origin and the administration of Project Rebirth were hidden from the world. People believed she was merely a hero in the war and nothing else. But when she returned, looking young and too powerful for an ordinary human, eyebrows were raised and the truth was revealed in a press conference. Samantha Wilson wasn't ashamed of what happened. It was a time of war and they did what was necessary. The scientific community was split; her existence was proof that humans could be augmented and thus encouraged governments to conduct inhumane experiments. Apparently, there were rumours that there were clones of Samantha Wilson running around and that Russia had killed nearly a hundred children in pursuit of copying the Super Soldier.
All rumours, of course. Then again, where there was smoke there was fire.
There weren't many heroes on this Earth. Spider-Gwen, the Wasp (Janet Van Dyne), Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm; all of whom were not hero-ing for one reason or another. Spider-Gwen was literally not on this Earth, Janet Van Dyne was an old lady and billionaire mogul fashion designer today, and the Storm siblings had retired last year to focus on political efforts. That was why the race toward a Super Soldier was so intense. It would be the first government-sanctioned superhero. Not some independence, something the police could control. Captain America was off working for SHIELD, which from Herbie's analysis was American-based but largely global scale. Put simply, it didn't put the interests of the American government first. SHIELD did its own thing.
Which was why Oscorp was so desperate to be the first to find success in Project Rebirth II. They wanted to deliver a Super Soldier on a silver platter and sell it for billions.
"Last week, you made significant progress in all your outlines. Your numbers look good and the probabilities have never been high." Liv inhaled and announced, "I've reviewed everything and believe Project Rebirth II has reached a critical juncture. It's time for this team to move onto animal testing."
There was a moment of silence as the team absorbed Liv's words. Animal testing was a necessary but ethically complex aspect of their work, one that required careful consideration and adherence to strict guidelines.
"I know this is a sensitive topic," Liv said, her voice gentle but firm. "But we have a responsibility to ensure the safety and efficacy of our research. Animal testing is a necessary step in that process. Next week, we will be returning to Oscorp Tower. Same time, same schedule, same everything. The board expects results—and soon. The Project has been going on for decades and progress has been slow. Scientists have come and gone. It's time we make all their efforts worth it."
Felix nodded in agreement. Returning to Oscorp Tower meant diving back into the heart of his investigation. "Understood," Felix replied, his voice steady.
"I'll make sure everything is in order for our return," Kavita added.
Liv nodded, her expression confident. "Good. We have some important people waiting for results, and I expect everyone to be fully prepared."
The meeting drew to a close and Felix couldn't help but feel the progress. As he signed off from the call, he thought about how it had been over a month since the incident in April—since Reed's death. Time went by so fast. He checked the time. "Right, the conference on Spider-Man is happening in a couple minutes."
He got his phone and jumped onto his bed. He went to the official website of Wakanda and clicked on the livestream. The press conference was being held at the Wakandan Embassy, a long table with four chairs and four separate sets of mics ready. Felix pulled his blanket up and watched. It was a bit nerve-wracking since the topic was on him—Spider-Man. Hopefully they weren't going to pull a Jameson and start calling him a menace.
The camera panned to the side of the stage, to King T'Challa clad in his regal white attire and stepping onto the wooden platform with a dignified presence. The journalists went wild and bombarded him with questions. The photographers flashed him with hundreds of photos. He stood still, looking around calmly, hands behind him, and then sat down.
Everyone else followed suit: Princess Ororo, Princess Shuri, and…Susan Storm?
'She's here too!? What the hell?' The blonde wasn't African royalty so she was clearly out of place. What was she doing there with that damn smile of hers? When she was more than willing to kill him at the mere chance that he would overshadow her?
"Good afternoon, esteemed guests and citizens of the world," King T'Challa began, his tone measured yet authoritative. "We gather here today to address a matter of great importance – the emergence of a new hero, Spider-Man."
Felix leaned in closer to his screen, his heart pounding. He knew the significance of this moment, both for Spider-Man and for the world at large. If T'Challa declared him a criminal, then that would be so. If not…
"As many of you are aware, Spider-Man recently intervened during a crisis, demonstrating bravery and selflessness in the face of danger," King T'Challa continued, his words carrying weight and gravitas. "His actions saved countless lives and brought hope to those in need. We used to have something of a legend in Wakanda: the Black Panther. It is a child's fairy tail now but the principles of the Black Panther remain. Let it be known that Wakanda stands in solidarity with Spider-Man," King T'Challa declared, his voice resolute. "We extend our gratitude for his unwavering dedication to protecting the innocent and upholding justice. Thank you."
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Flash, flash, flash. If that was Felix, he might have gotten a concussion from the sensory overload. King T'Challa, the princesses, and the one non-African celebrity remained unaffected.
"Your Majesty, can you confirm the identity of Spider-Man and provide any insights into his motivations?" a reporter asked, her voice slightly louder than the rest.
Before King T'Challa could respond, Princess Ororo of Kenya, seated beside him, leaned forward to address the question. "I can attest to Spider-Man's bravery firsthand," she began, her voice almost seductive. There was a certain hue in the blue of her eyes. A thrill. An excitement. Felix got the feeling that only he, Spider-Man, could see it. "During the incident at the Empire State Building, I was thrown off the tower and it was Spider-Man who risked his life to save mine."
The flashes went off again, more rapidly than ever before. This was what they wanted to hear. Pens poised over notepads and laptops typed away as they awaited further details of Princess Ororo's rescue.
The press conference continued when Susan Storm raised her hand to speak. King T'Challa acknowledged her with a nod, granting her the floor.
"I was lucky to have departed from the charity event early," Susan began. "As an ambassador of Latveria, I want to offer my condolences to the King of Wakanda and Princess of Kenya. No one, commoner or royal, should have had to face what they did. It was truly lucky that Spider-Man came when he did."
The journalists leaned forward, their attention fully captivated by Susan's words. Her status as an ambassador of Latveria lent weight to her testimony.
"From a distance, I observed Spider-Man in action," Susan continued. "I saw him rescue Princess Ororo and carry her to safety atop a nearby rooftop. I can't attest to Spider-Man's personality. I don't know him," she clarified. "But…as a retired hero, I give my blessings."
Yeah, right. The crazy chick had tried to kill him the moment she saw him. He didn't know what she was planning exactly but propping him up like this was deliberate. She was brewing a plan to steal his throne. He could feel it.
Princess Shuri didn't say as much since she wasn't there. Blah, blah, blah, I was fortunate to not be there, blah, blah. She spoke faster and with more vigour; with passion that only a young politician could have.
"However…" Shuri paused. "We expect a full response by the NYPD regarding this gang—these Inner Demons. They hurt not just us but innocent men and women. From the big to the small, everyone was harmed. These gangsters cannot be allowed to grow. We cannot allow them to grow arrogant. New York is the hub of the world. We cannot let Mr. Negative corrupt it. Thank you."
The conference moved on to a Q&A session. Felix continued watching but at this point it became redundant.
"We do not know Spider-Man but—"
"He saved our lives and for that, we would like to extend our gratitude."
They were purposely keeping their distance. All of them, even Princess Ororo, in fear of a future scandal. No matter what they truly believed, at the end of the day, it was better to keep relations weak. If Spider-Man became controversial, then they too would get caught up in it. As political figures, that meant more stress and dents to their images. Felix understood and he wasn't particularly offended.
"Susan Storm, as a retired hero, would you like to give advice to Spider-Man?"
Susan smiled widely. "Only if Spider-Man himself asks."
'Is she coaxing me to meet her?' It was hard to tell. The way she acted on the rooftop versus in the conference were night and day. They were two totally different people with different smiles and a different tint in their eyes. During their fight, it was a cloudy darkness that sought to kill him. Now, it was a blaring light that was warm and inviting. Felix wasn't going to fall for it. Fifteen minutes later, the conference meeting ended and Felix put his phone away.
"Man…Spider-Man…" It was really beginning to dawn on him that he was really doing this. That he was famous. That maybe he was a hero. "The lightning rod schematic is still in the works. Screw it, I'll just go for it. That's what heroes do, after all."
The capsule containing the Big Time suit was in the drawer of his computer set-up, having fetched it from Daxter Lab last night. He pressed the button and the black Spider-Man costume appeared in his hand, the effect identical to something supersizing. From his understanding, the Pym Particles downsized the costume and put it inside a capsule that essentially kept it in stasis. Honestly, he didn't understand a lick of the technology.
The Big Time suit opened up, allowing him to step inside it and equip it. "Breathing circulation, check. Flexibility, check. Everything is good to go."
It was almost four o'clock so the sun wasn't down just yet. The roads were busy and the notion of not getting photographed was next to impossible. The sun came down at about seven in Manhattan. Felix did a cross-body arm stretch, wanting to warm up. "I should try and get used to working out in costume," he said to himself. "Even though my body is next to perfect, it's better to have healthy habits and push myself, especially in costume. The added weight makes a big difference during combat."
Thus, he did a thousand push-ups, a thousand sit-ups, a thousand burpees, and topped it off by standing on one finger for thirty minutes. Surprisingly, exercise made time fly just as fast as work. Three hours came and went, the sun falling and painting the sky orange. Just as he was about to open the window—
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Someone was at his front door. 'Dammit, who is that?' Herbie pulled up footage of the camera installed at the peephole of his door. He blinked. 'Rio? What does she want?'
Standing at his front door, Rio Morales was a vision of beauty—and quite nervous from the looks of it. Her long, dark brown hair was pulled into a braided side ponytail like usual, her tan skin, brown eyes, and gold hoop earrings completing the picture. But the real gem was the way she looked in that outfit. She wore black jeans that clung tightly to her curves with the top being equally form-fitting, revealing just enough cleavage to be alluring without being vulgar. It was the perfect combination of sexy and classy.
Rio knocked on his door again, lighter this time. He was torn between answering the door or not until Herbie said:
"Inner Demons activity has been sighted on CCTV with Officer Grimm at the center of it. Address: 7135 Yancy Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Officer Grimm is fighting and currently being overwhelmed."
"Dammit, really? I know I said to keep tabs on him but now of all times? Is it bad?"
Herbie pulled up the live footage. Felix cringed. The officer was getting his shit kicked in.
"He might know something," Felix muttered. One foot on the open window of his room, he glanced at his locked door and visualized Rio Morales behind it. "Damn it, I have to go. Sorry, Rio."
Thwip! With that, he leaped off and disappeared into the shadows of New York. He was careful to avoid the main street, sticking to alleyways and running on rooftops. He wasn't web-swinging so much as he was running and jumping. Acrobats came naturally to him, his superhuman athleticism working in tandem with his enhanced senses. He was completely in-tune as Herbie suggested pathways and gave notices to phones in the vicinity. It wasn't easy going from Harlem to the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
"Avoiding Central Park," Herbie announced.
"I know, I know," Felix muttered through the whips of wind. He went through the Upper East Side instead, acquainted with the building at this point. It was like second nature. Since he wasn't openly web-swinging, it took a bit more time. From ten minutes to twenty minutes.
"How is Officer Grimm doing?"
"He is currently being dragged into a car.'
"Dammit, okay, keep track of him."
"It will be difficult considering New York traffic."
"I know, just do your best. Divert extra effort into it—no, wait. We have access to the NYPD database, right? A direct connection like that means we can track him through his department-issued cell phone."
"Tracking…tracking…confirmed." Herbie pulled up a map of Manhattan and zoomed in on a moving red dot. Clearly, it was moving to the Brooklyn Bridge. "Judging by previous patterns, they are heading to the Inner Demons HQ. Address: 150 Furman St Pier 2, Brooklyn, NY 11201."
"Knew it! Let's get there before they do. The Manhattan Bridge should cut into Brooklyn faster, right?"
"Affirmative."
Nothing else needed to be said. He ran across the rooftops of East Village and reached Yancy Street. The Manhattan Bridge was in sight. The suspension bridge crossed the East River and connected Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. It was the younger sibling of the Brooklyn Bridge in every regard: smaller, with fewer cars and a shorter walking path. Due to the number of people on it, Felix knew he had to reach altitude and run on the cables.
So first, he climbed the One Manhattan Square skyscraper. It was 847 feet in height, double that of the Manhattan Bridge directly in front of him. It stood out as a beacon of climbing. Running on it was exhilarating. If he hadn't run up the Empire State Building in the very same way, he might have been afraid of falling. The glossiness of the tall condominium wasn't lost on him. He was able to peek into windows and catch glimpses of the rich, luxurious rooms.
He shook those thoughts away and reached the top of the eight hundred foot tall skyscraper. He walked on the edge, staring at the Manhattan Bridge below him. It was almost puny from his perspective.
'If I calculate my trajectory right, I might be able to…' Felix trailed off and flexed his fists. Just thinking about the web-swinging caused a phantom pain in his wrist. At the same time…
'I should test the limits of my powers. I should test just how far I can go.'
Thwip! Thwip!
He attached two lines of webbing to edges of the rooftop and pulled back. Back, back, back, until his feet were on the other side. Herbie gave some calculations and assistance, but the end-all-be-all was that he was eyeballing it. Twang! He let himself go and hurled across the sky. He flew across the waters, across the bridge, and reached Manhattan. A hundred thoughts were running through him as he came closer and closer to Brooklyn.
'Wait…' His suit was aerodynamic and he zoomed over the Manhattan Bridge. His trajectory was directly leading into the warehouse of the Inner Demons. 'Oh shit, oh shit—!'
Closer, closer, closer! He was getting closer and there wasn't anything to stop his descent. 'Wait, the web barrier—!'
Too little, too late.
He saw gray and black, then felt steel and wood strike his chest. Like a lightning bolt, he crashed through the roof of the steel warehouse and landed into an array of machine guns. He didn't just blow into their base, he was sitting directly on top of their weaponry on the second floor. He had destroyed the long table holding over thirty machine guns.
Shit.
The noise sent a nearby trio of gangsters into a state of alert. Felix, recovering faster than he ever thought possible, zipped up to the ceiling with a reflexive thwip.
The inside of the warehouse was dark and moody with two floors connected by two opposing fleets of stairs. Lighting came from Chinese paper lanterns floating about. The rainbow of lights was dark and maintained a shadow presence. With stealth mode active, Felix blended into the shadows in the blink of an eye, finding himself in a corner where the paper lanterns didn't touch.
Disregarding the long tables of machine guns, the warehouse didn't explicitly look criminal. However, the number of Inner Demon gangsters said otherwise. This was a place of crime. This was where he was supposed to be.
"Spider-Man!"
"He's over there!"
"Get him!"
Unfortunately, the paper lanterns moved and the criminals weren't that stupid. Suddenly, everyone was alert to his presence and they ran over to grab their guns. On the opposite side was an identical stash of guns kept on tables. A couple of the Inner Demons were already equipped with handguns and began shooting.
Felix's Spider-Sense activated and he quickly zipped over elsewhere. 'Mr. Negative isn't here,' he noted, adrenaline pumping through his veins. His vision suddenly seemed clear and he caught a glimpse of Officer Grimm on the ground floor. He was on his knees, two Inner Demon members flanking him with bats. 'If I can wrap this up, I can deliver a crushing blow to the Inner Demons!'
His Spider-Sense blared again and he narrowly dodged another rain of bullets, springing off the wall. 'What—!? That almost hit me!'
It was then he noticed the black and white glow of some of the machine guns. They were corrupted somehow, identical to Mr. Negative and the sword he wielded. Herbie was still functioning fine though. That meant…
Thwip! Thwip! He couldn't stop moving, even for a second. 'Mr. Negative can power up his goons' weapons!? Ugh!'
A glowing silver bullet cut his arm. Blood was drawn and for a moment time went still. He was glancing over his shoulder, pulling himself through the air from webbing attached to the other end, arms and legs avoiding twenty-seven machine gun bullets. The magical enhancement didn't affect just power but speed too. This was going to be tougher than he thought!