The explosion at the Jefferson Davis Awards Ceremony hit like a thunderclap. One moment, Deon was standing with his new family, filled with pride for his father, and the next, the world came crashing down around him. The chaos, the screams, the fire—Deon could barely process it as he was pulled from the wreckage by Spider-Man, his father gone.
Later that night, Deon sat in his room, numb. The world seemed to spin around him, but he couldn't focus on any of it. His mind raced, replaying the moment of the explosion over and over. He barely heard his mother, Rio, weeping in the next room, her sobs muffled by the walls.
"I should have been able to save him," Deon whispered, clenching his fists. Mercury's voice, calm and steady, broke through the storm in his mind. "There was nothing you could have done, Deon. But there is something you can do now—ensure his sacrifice means something."
That night, as grief and anger churned inside him, Deon made a silent vow. He would protect his family, and he would bring those responsible to justice. Roxxon, the company linked to so much of the city's unrest, was at the center of it all. And he would expose them.
The next day, Deon felt the full weight of his father's absence as he and his mother attended the funeral. The service was quiet, filled with heartfelt tributes to Jefferson's bravery. Rio stood tall but broken. Afterward, Deon held her hand as they walked home in silence. The weight of responsibility pressed on his chest.
Late that night, Deon suited up. He knew there was no time to waste. The people responsible for the explosion were still out there, and Roxxon was a key piece of the puzzle. He activated his Copy & Paste ability to begin his covert infiltration of their headquarters.
Moving with the precision Mercury had drilled into him, Deon slipped into Roxxon's main office building. The security was tight, but he was faster. Copying the confidential documents and hard drives, he gathered everything he could. As he scanned through the data, his stomach turned—Roxxon was involved in dangerous experiments, environmental destruction, and possibly, the attack that had killed his father.
He left the building undetected, his mind already racing with plans on how to release this information. This was his first step toward justice.
In the days following his father's funeral, Deon struggled to balance his grief with his mission. His mother was still raw, grieving deeply, and Deon felt the weight of her sorrow. He tried to be there for her, making sure she had everything she needed. But at night, when the city was quiet, his thoughts returned to Roxxon.
He knew he couldn't expose Roxxon directly. Not yet. Instead, he decided to anonymously reach out to someone who could—MJ Watson. Deon had heard of her investigative work before, and he knew she would be relentless in exposing the truth. Using a secure, encrypted line, he sent her the stolen documents along with a detailed report of Roxxon's misdeeds.
"Now we wait," Mercury said through their link. "Trust that the right people will act."
A week later, the story broke. MJ's exposé on Roxxon's illegal activities made headlines across the city. Protests erupted, calling for justice for the lives Roxxon had ruined. The pressure on the company increased, and several of their operations were shut down.
With Roxxon on the defensive, Deon knew he had bought some time. But he also knew this was just the beginning.
Days turned into a blur as Deon continued his covert mission. He spent his days with Rio, offering comfort and support as she tried to piece their lives back together after Jefferson's death. They sat in silence more often than not, but Deon could feel his mother leaning on him more. It was a new role for him, being the pillar of the family, but he accepted it without complaint.
At night, Deon's mind remained sharp, focused on his next objective: The Raft. With Roxxon weakened, Deon knew other threats were looming. The Sinister Six's potential breakout from The Raft was a disaster waiting to happen, and Deon couldn't let that occur.
Using his abilities, he conducted reconnaissance, copying blueprints, guard schedules, and security protocols from The Raft's systems. He worked methodically, identifying the weaknesses in their defenses.
"Once you find the cracks," Mercury's voice came through, "we'll make sure they don't get the chance to break through."
Deon took the blueprints back to his apartment, studying them carefully. He marked areas that needed reinforcement, compiling a detailed report that he would soon send to the prison's security team—anonymously, of course.
The tension at home was palpable as Deon and Rio continued to adjust to life without Jefferson. Every day felt like a struggle, but Deon was there for his mother at every turn. He made sure they ate together, talked about small, everyday things, even if the conversations felt forced. "One day at a time," he would remind her, but also himself.
After spending time with his mother, Deon would slip into the night and head back to The Raft. This time, he wasn't just collecting information. Armed with the data he had gathered, Deon began making physical upgrades to the prison's systems. Using his Copy & Paste ability, he replicated advanced security tech he'd stored in his pocket dimension and strategically placed them around the prison's most vulnerable points.
Each night, he worked in secret, ensuring that no one would notice the changes he was making. By the time he was finished, The Raft was no longer the weak link it had been. The enhanced security systems would make it significantly harder for anyone to escape, including the Sinister Six.