More like the proportions are all wrong. Their heads are too big for their bodies. (At least that's the impression I'm getting and can't shake)Roarian said:
Stark Transcendent (Iron Man/Marvel Quest)
- Thread starter Roarian
- Start date
Arc 2 - Chapter 12 - The White Heat
- Location
- Netherlands
[X] Disarm Gandhi : Go for the weapon first, disarming the brute and perhaps getting rid of the nuclear power-source. Between you and Peter, then, it should be a cinch to shut the guy up permanently. You can then move on to more important things.
[X] Track Her Movements : Let her escape, but make sure she can't go anywhere without being tracked. You can perhaps figure out who is responsible for the weapon thefts.
[X] General Resistance : The primary weaknesses of any computer-driven suit are going to be its electronics, and you'll have to make sure they can't just burn out or freeze over. Resisting electronic shocks and pulses will help you against brute force tactics, and protection against extreme temperatures should help with flying.
(This one's a little shorter, since it was getting excessive. Still 5000 words. Anyway, you managed to get out with people alive - mostly through your epic write-in - but there's plenty of trouble anyway.)
XXXXXXXXXX
You turned slowly towards the new threat, the suit latching itself closed around you as you did. The blue glow of your enemy's weapon brightened ominously.
It was true that you'd made a lot of weapons in your day - cluster missiles, miniature remote detonators, the mother of all landmines - but there was one area you'd always willfully strayed far clear from, even when the government tried to arrange a deal. That was one of the few times that you had agreed with your dad's company policies: chemical warfare research was tolerated, biological experiments had the occasional moment in the limelight, but the company had never gone truly nuclear.
Granted, building the bastard cousin of a fusion reactor was a recent project of yours, but even that was not something that actually irradiated anyone; the greatest risks were related to toxicity of the components, not riddling your body with cancer. But the Arc Reactor was the most stable application of the technology you could imagine, and even that scared you with its potential, which said enough about all the other possibilities. You'd never even considered building a proper nuke - or even designing one in more than errant sketches that were quickly shredded afterwards.
You'd stayed very far away from weaponizing one of the most dangerous forces ever discovered, but it had hardly been for humanitarian reasons. The same worry that plagued your progress on making the arc reactor an actual commercial product, had always clouded the potential of nuclear energy. In the wrong hands, such technology could be truly monstrous.
"Stay back. I mean it," you said shortly as the suit slipped closed around your limbs, fastening itself as bolts turned on their own. You didn't specify to whom the message applied - Rhodey, Peter or S.H.I.E.L.D. - because it didn't matter. "Jarvis, engage the protective latticework, and make sure you're monitoring if the armor's taking all the beating. I'd like to avoid a tan."
"Sir, the suit's resistance against outside threats is largely reliant on it being tightly sealed - a feature not present in the travel configuration you are presently using."
There was a long, tense silence, and you grimaced. Without Jarvis's perfect control over assembling the suit around your body, it would only keep out perhaps ninety or ninety-five percent of environmental hazards. Which would be fine in most cases, if not for the fact that you really, really weren't interested in getting skin cancer - or worse, seeing as the eye slots were rather poorly isolated. There was nothing like going blind on your first day out…
"Engage the secondary protective layer, then," you said as you faced the brute with his over-sized weapon. The man seemed amused at your hesitance, perhaps aware just how dangerous the gun he carried was - even if he bore it like a club. "The resistance upgrade should help, right?"
"That system is not complete, sir. Without further hardening, parts of it might fail when exposed to -"
"Yeah, yeah, I know it's not finished. I built it, remember," you said irritably. "Activate it anyway. Some protection beats none - and I'm the only one who can even get close to the guy as it is..."
"Of course, sir."
The sizzle of electricity just above your skin felt oddly reassuring, though you knew it was only a partial fix for dealing with the radiation. You hadn't even finished the backside of the second layer, which meant that part of you was protected by only thin layers of metal and fabric, interlocking poorly enough to let through an unhealthy amount of radiation directly into your spine. Which would probably kill you. On the bright side - you wouldn't go blind. Yay.
"Spidey," you whispered as you set a heavy foot forward, drawing the brute's attention as your eyes strayed to the ship. "You can't go near this guy, and I'm serious about that. Odds are that if he's got a heavy-duty nuclear source in there, he's gonna break out the gamma rays any moment now. I can take a bit of a beating - you are wearing nylon."
Peter sounded miffed across the radio. "I can do ranged, you know. I've got these nifty things called webs, you see..."
"Well, Rhodey can do ranged too," you said immediately. "I don't think Brick-for-brains here is a genius, so I doubt he's the head honcho. The guy's holding a nuke with his bare hands, for crying out loud! Keep an eye on the masked chick for me, would you? If you get a shot at dragging Obi out, then take it - but keep yourself safe."
"I'm being benched for this? Seriously?"
"Webhead - we all have our roles, and you're not the guy wearing heavy metal power armor." You raised your fists, revealing the full-sized repulsors inside. "Just back me up for now."
"...Alright." the boy replied, and though he sounded despondent, you could tell there was something more going on. You decided to leave that for another time.
"...Hey, ugly!" you cried out then, amplified by your armor, and you walked closer to the heavily-armed brute with your hands raised, twin repulsors glowing dangerously. The huge man raised his brow, tapping his gun with his free hand as he smiled, exposing teeth that were stained brown. Damn, he really was ugly. "...Wanna put that thing away?" you asked, nodding to the gun. "Fight this out with fists?"
Well, you hadn't really expected it to work, but it was worth a shot.
"Stark," the man rumbled, sniffing the air as he shook his head. "Where is your little skittery friend, huh? I was looking forward to crushing that bug." He grinned. "Well, I suppose you will do. I never thought you'd dare to come yourself…"
"...Am I supposed to know who you are?" you inquired slowly.
The man's smile turned to a scowl, and his eyes seemed to glow with inner light. "You always were a jackass, Stark. Four years I worked for you - four years of perfect service. And you don't even remember my face."
You blinked in confusion. "I run a company with hundreds of employees," you explained simply, wracking your mind over where you'd seen the guy before. Not R&D certainly, nor anything that required expertise - it had to be personal protection, or driving. "I don't know all my employees. So, what are you saying, anyway? You were let go, and now you're out for revenge with hand-held nukes? Have to tell ya - kind of an overreaction."
"Not everything is about you," the huge man mumbled. "I was hired to do a job here, and I intend to fulfill it. Whether or not you are in a tin can doesn't matter to me." He raised his giant rifle again, smirking. "I've been - enhanced. Your steel doesn't scare me in the least."
"Enhanced?"
He smirked, tapping his weapon lovingly. "This beauty here… Betsy's my baby, but Lola's a close second. Nobody else can wield her like I can." He grinned widely. "She's… magnificent."
So - he named his weapons.
"He named that thing Lola?" Rhodey commented distantly. "I suppose it beats Little Boy…"
"I don't remember you," you said carefully, ignoring the voice in your ear. "I'm willing to strike a deal - I don't want to hurt you if I don't need to. If you let me pass, I won't attack."
"Why would you remember me?" the huge man wondered. "We've never met before."
You blinked in confusion. "Didn't you just say -"
"SHUT UP!" your opponent barked savagely, rage bursting into existence from nowhere. "YOU DIE, NOW!"
You heard Rhodey's distant warnings in your ear, and you probably would've heard Coulson if you hadn't muted him, but you didn't hesitate. Twin beams of searing light erupted from your palms, full-power repulsors tearing across the bulky weapon of your opponent and leaving a bright glowing line behind, smoking slightly.
The seven foot tall giant didn't wait around for a second shot, whipping his gun around even as it smoldered in his hand, essentially undamaged. It wasn't just powerful, it was tough.
"Sir! I am detecting potentially lethal build-up of energy!" Jarvis piped up.
"Jarvis? I just activated primary and secondary protections. That should be enough to take a missile to the face," you noted in disbelief as you skidded back, hovering barely an inch above the ground with your repulsors. "How freaking powerful is that gun, anyway?"
You didn't have time to think about the numbers, because the weapon burst into blue light at its apex, and little red warnings lights blinked into sight as Jarvis blurted some warning or another into your ears. You'd reacted before your A.I. could finish his sentence, whipping your arms to the side in reflex. With a burst of concentrated energy, uncoordinated and sudden, you flung yourself out of the figure's path, out of the beam's path.
In your wake, everything went crystalline white.
For a long, unmentionable moment, it seemed as if you were weightless, and the world was utterly silent - then the noise came. A wave of incredible sound, a cacophony that was dulled to still painful levels by the suit, thundering right through layers of metal and isolating materials. When the light around you resolved back into recognizable shapes, they weren't the same ones as before. It had been a glancing blow.
"What the -" you asked yourself half-coherently, realizing that you had tossed yourself head-over-heels behind some of the shipping containers that lined the harbor, embedding your metal-ringed torso halfway into the concrete as you slammed down into the ground. You couldn't hear whether Peter or Rhodey had been close enough to be hit - they were a lot farther off than you, at least. They were probably fine.
What the hell was that.
"Jarvis?" you demanded breathlessly. "Status."
"You were hit by a concentrated blast of electrical energy, as well as an anomalous energy signature that is not in the database. The armor's primary protections are largely intact - several secondary protections have failed and need manual repair."
Fantastic. You crawled upright slowly, wincing inside the suit when it chafed and scraped against your skin as plates shifted back and forth. Without the tighter connections that Jarvis could provide, something had clearly shaken loose. On top of the damage, your side hurt, again, probably because your wound had opened again - and you could taste blood on your tongue.
"Where is he, Jarvis?"
"Sir - Might I suggest retreating? The enemy's weapon's clearly too powerful for the armor to adequately handle, and S.H.I.E.L.D. should be arriving within minutes. They will likely have more effective measures for dealing with this threat."
"Oh god, you're a Coulson fanboy now, aren't you?" you asked, taking a deep breath. "You're a traitor, that's what you are. Now tell me, where is he? Use a geiger counter if you need to, sheesh!"
"Of course, sir. The target is - Warning: two-hundred feet and closing. One-hundred. Twenty -"
"Ah, f-" You blasted off with all four repulsors, and your breath was knocked out of you just as another burst of white passed by just below you, a beam of electrons and something else that billowed outward across the half-destroyed containers, vanishing in fractions of a second and leaving only blackened remains. "Fiddlesticks?" you finished half-heartedly as you caught yourself, remembering who was listening.
"Tony - get the hell out of there!" Rhodey called across the radio. "That weapon -"
"Yeah. Time to get rid of it," you murmured as you turned in the air, keeping up your speed as you followed the giant's slow and ponderous movements. You knew it had to be a facade - it could be nothing else after he'd almost hit you twice with that massive gun of his. When he wanted to, the enormous figure could move incredibly quickly, his bodybuilder physique hiding someone nearly as dexterous as Peter. "Rhodey - switch over to actual bullets if you haven't yet, maybe some explosive ones. I think that on this guy, they'll be distractions, mostly."
"Already done. They're - bouncing off his skin."
You nodded as you brought forward both your arms, balancing on the repulsors in your feet. The figure below you twitched, bringing his weapon up and aiming with precision, just as you got ready to blast off again. "Right, Jarvis - focus all power to the front of the armor. We need to survive at least a second of the beam. If this guy's as sturdy as all that, nothing less will do."
"You wish to take the beam's full force? Sir, the risk is -"
"Never tell me the odds," you barked. "Divert all gathered power to left hand repulsor, and be ready to fire as soon as it's charged!"
You only realized in that moment, a stretched out second before the face-off, why the weapon you faced seemed so strange. Beyond the facsimile of an Arc Reactor that was bolted to the top of it, it had an aesthetic that was altogether different from any military design you knew. The rounded edges, glowing lines, and the thick armor suggested it was more a show-model than a real weapon - but it certainly felt genuine.
But what was most telling was the huge, over-sized grip on the bottom, unused by the man who faced you. It was as if the weapon had been made for a hand three times the size of even its current user, a massive claw of a hand. It was a weapon for a real giant.
The blue glow of the Cherenkov effect intensified for a split second when energy flowed forward in a wave from the barrel of the gun, resolving into a beam as it interacted with the atmosphere around it. The very air caught on fire as it passed at incredible speed, and a mixture of high-speed electrons, wild bursts of electricity, and something other impacted on the chest section of your armor. You were pushed up into the sky by a surge of raw destruction, annihilation in nuclear form.
You heard a distant cry, piercing and high-pitched, as you pushed your hand-repulsor forward into the onslaught, and squeezed the trigger.
There was only white.
XXXXXXXXXX
White.
Everything was white and hotter than the sun, incandescent and luminous.
The very air was light, matter turned to joyful energy as it rushed outwards in all directions, freed from its constraints.
It felt wonderful.
Everything felt - it felt -
White.
You opened your eyes in surprise, but nothing changed. You couldn't feel a thing - not even your own body. There was no heat, no cold, no touch. You weren't even sure you'd really moved, because there was no way to tell. There was just light.
"...Am I dead?" you tried to ask, but the question bounced around only inside your mind. It was impossible to tell if it had made its way out into a real world, if there was anyone around to hear. You couldn't see anything more than the brightness, couldn't hear anything but your own thoughts, your own imagination. The whole of everything was - you.
This had to be -
White.
You remembered firing the repulsor, blasting your way downwards towards the cascade that flowed from the barrel of that monstrous, alien weapon. You remembered the fire from your make-shift blast interacting with the electron stream, with the power that it channeled towards you. For an instant, it had been a futile endeavor, a hopelessly weak counter - then something else had joined your shot - a conflagration of unimaginably hot fire, a fearful cry of might.
In the face of what was unleashed, the weapon had exploded.
Fire followed in its wake - incredible flames, an inferno that had incinerated everything that was there at the heart of the collision, a flash of heat that should have evaporated you, cooked the flesh off your bones, and turned the bones to dust and ash. The heat was too great to imagine, hotter than the core of suns.
"Seriously, am I dead? How can I be dead if I can still think?" you tried to ask. "Hello?"
Peter had called out, in the last few moments - you remembered his voice. You'd seen him from the corner of your eye, a distant spot of red-and-blue, silhouetted against the sky. He'd been headed your way, despite his promise to stay out of the way - of course he would risk his life. He was a hero.
Rhodey - he had said something, too. Called your name, from way out in his distant perch, his eagle's nest. Whatever he'd said, though, it had slipped away into the -
White.
Something had changed. You felt a distant tingle across your skin, a flash of pain that lasted too briefly to truly hurt. In the distance, in the whiteness, great towers of unimaginable size stretched out into nothingness, forbidding structures that seemed as inviting as they were terrifying. And between them, suspended in the air, something gargantuan floated.
It was greater than worlds, more luminous than a whole galaxy even in the brightness.
It was an egg.
Pain flashed through you, a burst of agony that seared your skin, made you remember you had skin in the first place. You welcomed the feeling, realizing that it meant you were alive - alive, even a little bit.
The towers faded back into the mist, but the egg remained, surrounded by a red glow that reminded you of a terrible moment you had tried to forget. They were vapors of another place that should not exist, beyond the white and the real world, existing in the -
Gray.
The white had gone, and it was only then that you shivered, realizing that the coldness you felt wasn't cold at all - that you'd been caught in unbearable heat, before, even if you did not mind it. You recognized the cold only after you'd lost its antithesis.
There was nothing to see, now. Nothing except a mirror, an image of yourself that stared back with a small smile playing around the edges of his mouth. Then there was eerie -
Black.
Not much of the moment remained in your memory.
Just enough.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Tony!" someone yelled into your ear as you gasped in surprise or shock, taking in a deep, desperate gulp of air. You were on the ground, on your back, tangled in webbing - and a vast plume of smoke was smeared across the sky above you. A black shape among them resolved into red and blue. "Are you alright in there?" Peter asked.
You were alive.
Alive.
The mask of the suit opened on its own, probably at Jarvis's unspoken command - or perhaps you'd simply failed to hear him through the beeping in your ears. Peter seemed relieved as you met his eyes, even through his mask - it was unusually expressive. You raised an arm to try and set his mind at ease, but it rose only slowly.
"...What happened?" you wondered.
"Tony!" Rhodey yelled into your air through the radio. "What the hell did you think you were doing? You could have died!"
"...I know, Pepper," you murmured distantly, blinking in confusion as you glanced down towards the direction of the ship - only to find a vast column of steam rising up into the sky, towering over the flattened shape of the man you'd been fighting. You could tell he was breathing, still - his barrel-chest was moving up and down slowly - but he would not be using his gun again. Lola was scattered in pieces across the docks.
Shit.
"Get out! Radioactive materials from that gun have to be everywhere!" you declared. "Jarvis?!"
"I am reading only slightly elevated levels of radiation, sir. The source of the beta radiation that was generated is at present unknown."
"Huh. New research project," you murmured as you turned around, heaving yourself upright and vomiting all over your armor. "...Ugh."
Peter laughed under his breath, perhaps a little hysterically.
"Well, that was - violent," you said after a little while, trying to make rhyme or reason of that moment you'd been locked into the beam, captured within its heart. For an instant, it seemed as if space and time had been ripped apart, dissected before your eyes. And now everything was right back down to earth. It didn't make sense.
For a moment, it seemed as if the stolen weapons, the bickering with S.H.I.E.L.D. and hiring Peter were irrelevant concerns, compared to what you'd seen in that moment. Was that a near-death experience? You'd nearly-died enough to be due for one...
"...Let's just get Obi," you said at last, reluctantly turning away from the person you'd defeated, though you weren't sure how. You'd intended to fire into the barrel of the nuclear gun, cutting right past the heavy armor and into the firing mechanism - but you were certain that the repulsor ray had never reached the inside at all, overpowered by far. But it had reacted with the beam itself, somehow. You had caused an implosion - but you had no idea what had reacted.
With a shiver, you thought back to the cave, to that wave of incandescent fury as you lit the Pyre. That was what you'd been reminded of.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is requesting an explanation of the explosion," Jarvis announced dryly. "Quite vigorously."
"Put them through," you muttered, and you didn't wait for the agency to speak up. "Heya, Coulson!" you said lamely. "I just defused a nuclear threat with extreme prejudice - so you're welcome for that. I am fine, thank you. Now, stop spamming the line, and let me get on with asskicking, or get yourself over here. Slowpoke."
"This is not Agent Coulson," a new voice spoke in reply, sounding rather more severe than the amicable man you'd met, and you paused.
"Um, hi?"
"This is Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. I am currently en route to survey the situation - if it has not already been resolved. You have made many people very nervous today, Mr. Stark."
"So, you're the big Kahuna himself, huh? What can I do for ya?"
"You can work with me. Two significant threats to national security are present at your - operation. One of them is considered a major hazard."
"Let me guess - you're talking about a gal with a mask, and a guy who never has to worry about radiation sickness?" you wondered dryly as you limped over to the unconscious form of the man you'd taken out. "You can come pick up the latter. I'm still working on the other one."
"His name is Frank Simpson - he's a long-term interest."
"...He said he used to work for me," you murmured. "Is that true?"
"I'm afraid that Mr. Simpson is - delusional. It is doubtful that anything he says is trustworthy."
You sighed. "And the nuke? How did he get it?"
"Unknown - but we are working on that question," Fury grumbled. "We have also been tracing the activity of the assassin known as Madame Masque for some time, and we suspected you had hired her services on behalf of your company. Recent events seem to put that into question."
"Really now? Was it the attempts on my life?" you asked dryly. "Because I would count those."
"The second most likely person to be responsible for hiring them is presently unaccounted for. I believe you are looking for him?"
You felt a shiver run down your back. "You're not implying…?"
"Mr. Obadiah Stane was spotted conversing with Madame Masque two days ago. It is likely that he is involved in a dispute between the assassin and her - superior."
Obi had hired assassins? The very idea seemed utterly preposterous, akin to Rhodey betraying you to the military, or Pepper finally jumping into bed with you. And even if you did buy into the idea of Obadiah going for such low-blow tactics, he would never send them after his protégé. Hell, he'd had you all alone on multiple occasions, at his mercy - and in those moments he'd given you the key to his part of the company, and confessed his own fears and worries.
If anything, Obi had been protecting you.
"You're wrong," you said clearly. "He is not the one you're after."
"Mr. Stark -"
"Don't Mr. Stark me," you snapped. "Coulson - your lackey - told me you believe the bastards that kidnapped me in Afghanistan were connected to the attempt on Pym's life, and probably to these guys as well. Even if that's true, I'm not buying that Obi's behind it."
"The attempt on Dr. Pym's life was perpetrated by the same people who hired the Ten Rings terrorist group, as well as Madame Masque and her companion," Fury said slowly. "They share a common source. That is true."
"But that common source is not Obadiah," you concluded, narrowing your eyes. "Deadpool wasn't there to scare me at all, was he? Over in Vegas? He really was after Pym. You lied to me to get a foot in the door, because you knew that I was your way in."
"It was for your own safety," the Director said calmly. "Deception for a good cause."
"So said the inquisition?" you murmured, muting the channel. You would have to think about the trustworthiness of S.H.I.E.L.D. later - or how the different assassins and kidnappers were connected. Did they all have a single common master?
You had a way to find out.
"...Spidey, I'm probably concussed, so you'll have to help me out here," you said after a moment. "The woman - is she still there?"
Peter helped you up, supporting the heavy frame of your armor without visible effort. "I don't know, but I can swing over?"
"Yeah. Obi - we need him alive," you said. "Alive - and out of S.H.I.E.L.D. hands if possible. If they're convinced he's behind this mess, they might toss him in jail - and then we'll never figure out who's really behind all this." You nodded, wincing as a stab of pain erupted behind your eyes. "I know it has to be someone else, and I don't intend to let this lead slip."
"I'll… go find him," Peter said solemnly. "I'll be back in a minute."
"...Spider-Man," you said quickly, just in time to stop yourself from blurting his name. "The woman - we need to track her down, after all this - she's our lead to the bigger picture. There's some devices in my -"
"I got that covered," the boy noted quickly, swinging away.
Bemused, you looked on as the boy flung himself across the harbor with his usual incredible dexterity, leaving you alone in your dented suit, still smoking from the blast. The beeping noise in one ear was slowly fading away, and Rhodey's voice was audible vaguely from the headset you'd lost at some point, hanging by a thread from your shirt.
"Jarvis - what kind of dose did I get back there?" you asked.
"Your radiation exposure was - limited."
You frowned worriedly. "That's not what I asked."
"...A Doctor's appointment is prudent - but you are unlikely to suffer radiation sickness from the dose. The secondary layer protected your vital organs."
You let out a long-suffering sigh. "You're being unusually tactful about this, which means it's probably bad news. Gamma rays and whatever was in that unknown stuff, I'm sure. Do we still have the treatment kit at the house?"
"You have never removed it."
Despite the real risk of injury from the exposure, and the realization that you'd have to dig into your father's old emergency supplies, your mind wasn't really on the present at all. A strange, shrill song echoed in the back of your mind, in a miasma of light and heat.
"Tony?" Peter's voice came a few minutes later, subdued. "I - found Mr. Stane. You'd better call an ambulance."
The world seemed somehow colder than before.
XXXXXXXXXX
(You captured Nuke alive! +1 favor to any negotiations with Weapon Plus subjects! That includes Deadpool and Wolverine.)
S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to debrief you about what happened. (Choose one.)
[ ] Meet with Agent Coulson : You know this guy a bit, now, and you want to confront him with the lie he told you about Deadpool's intentions, or his connection with your kidnapping. Besides, you can shove his face into his tardy arrival, and maybe arrange for more timely support in the future.
[ ] Meet with Director Fury : He's the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. - anything you can arrange with him, be it deals or compromises, probably have a lot more weight than whatever Coulson might have to offer. On the flipside, pissing him off is probably a great way to lose their support.
[ ] Introduce Spider-Man : Seeing as you're responsible for Peter at the moment, since he came with you at your request, it's probably best to play peacemaker between Spidey and S.H.I.E.L.D. - your influence would probably save the boy a lot of trouble, and he could use some powerful support if he's ever in a tight spot.
[ ] Go Along Home [Science Major]: Ignore the debriefing entirely, and instead spend some time on upgrading your equipment for next time, so you won't need S.H.I.E.L.D.'s support at all. Digging into dad's old archives might be worth it, too, to find out about this Frank Simpson fellow - who knows what you'll find?
[ ] Set Up a Formal Meeting : Organize a more formal meeting that includes a debriefing but more clearly outlines that agreements between yourself, the company, and S.H.I.E.L.D. This will probably make your company happy - because they always like new military contacts - but it'll be less suitable for Peter, or your more personal concerns.
[ ] Write-In
You captured Frank Simpson, and have the remains of 'Lola'. (Choose one.)
[ ] Hand Simpson Over to S.H.I.E.L.D. : Let Fury and his goons figure this guy out, and keep him out of your hair. You can probably arrange for them to deliver you any relevant information about your missing shipments - it's doubtful they would care to keep that information from you. Whatever else he knows is not your problem.
[ ] Hand Simpsons over to Rhodey : Let the army keep this guy away from you - it's doubtful you'll ever see him again, and you'd probably get some good influence for delivering such an obvious goldmine of information on human augmentation - especially when it comes to radiation resistance.
[ ] Interrogate the Brute : You'll have to get rid of him eventually, but before you call up Fury, why not try your own hand at figuring out what the guy knows? Perhaps he can tell you where 'Lola' came from, who hired him, and what Madame Masque has to do with anything.
[ ] Kill Him [Ruthless] : No loose ends. Killing him will mean he's never a problem again, and odds are you'll make sure that nobody in his circle tries anything again any time soon. Sometimes it pays to be efficient.
[ ] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[ ] Write-In
You'll have to deal with Peter before he departs. (Choose one.)
[ ] Offer him a Job : You've been dancing around this enough - you've got a spot open for him, and even if you don't - you can make one. He's already betrayed his ingenuity, who knows what he can do with a budget, or subordinates? It'd be awesome to find out what a superhero could do with a lab.
[ ] Science Bros [Science Major] : Between the webbing, the web-shooters and the tracking bugs that you've just found out about, there's obvious genius hiding in the cracks here. You've been building all your stuff alone for years, now - what would it be like to have an apprentice to show the ropes, to help you figure out new, neat stuff? This is the best nerdy job offer ever, even if you do say so yourself…
[ ] Family Transfer[Careful] : The major stumbling block for Peter's moving is obviously his family, which means you'll have to entice him over by offering to rehouse his aunt, and perhaps even his girlfriend, free of charge. Them moving across the country might be a tough sell, but it's easier than just trying to nab Peter by himself.
[ ] Give him Money : The one reason that Peter's never really devoted time to his scientific interests is that he's short on cash, and never really had the means to go to quality schools. If you give him a little cash, perhaps that'll change, and you'll reap the benefits. Odds are, he'll gravitate back to find a job with your company soon enough.
[ ] Super Hero Hotline : You need more allies - getting Spidey's help whenever you need it would really be a boon, even if Peter moved back east. Costumed hijinks are go!
[ ] Let the Fish Go : Leave Peter be for now - there'll be other chances. Besides, you've got upgrades to make, people to see! All this has been a big distraction...
[ ] Write-In (There's an obvious one based on previous parts of this whole chapter, if not this part.)
[X] Track Her Movements : Let her escape, but make sure she can't go anywhere without being tracked. You can perhaps figure out who is responsible for the weapon thefts.
[X] General Resistance : The primary weaknesses of any computer-driven suit are going to be its electronics, and you'll have to make sure they can't just burn out or freeze over. Resisting electronic shocks and pulses will help you against brute force tactics, and protection against extreme temperatures should help with flying.
(This one's a little shorter, since it was getting excessive. Still 5000 words. Anyway, you managed to get out with people alive - mostly through your epic write-in - but there's plenty of trouble anyway.)
XXXXXXXXXX
You turned slowly towards the new threat, the suit latching itself closed around you as you did. The blue glow of your enemy's weapon brightened ominously.
It was true that you'd made a lot of weapons in your day - cluster missiles, miniature remote detonators, the mother of all landmines - but there was one area you'd always willfully strayed far clear from, even when the government tried to arrange a deal. That was one of the few times that you had agreed with your dad's company policies: chemical warfare research was tolerated, biological experiments had the occasional moment in the limelight, but the company had never gone truly nuclear.
Granted, building the bastard cousin of a fusion reactor was a recent project of yours, but even that was not something that actually irradiated anyone; the greatest risks were related to toxicity of the components, not riddling your body with cancer. But the Arc Reactor was the most stable application of the technology you could imagine, and even that scared you with its potential, which said enough about all the other possibilities. You'd never even considered building a proper nuke - or even designing one in more than errant sketches that were quickly shredded afterwards.
You'd stayed very far away from weaponizing one of the most dangerous forces ever discovered, but it had hardly been for humanitarian reasons. The same worry that plagued your progress on making the arc reactor an actual commercial product, had always clouded the potential of nuclear energy. In the wrong hands, such technology could be truly monstrous.
"Stay back. I mean it," you said shortly as the suit slipped closed around your limbs, fastening itself as bolts turned on their own. You didn't specify to whom the message applied - Rhodey, Peter or S.H.I.E.L.D. - because it didn't matter. "Jarvis, engage the protective latticework, and make sure you're monitoring if the armor's taking all the beating. I'd like to avoid a tan."
"Sir, the suit's resistance against outside threats is largely reliant on it being tightly sealed - a feature not present in the travel configuration you are presently using."
There was a long, tense silence, and you grimaced. Without Jarvis's perfect control over assembling the suit around your body, it would only keep out perhaps ninety or ninety-five percent of environmental hazards. Which would be fine in most cases, if not for the fact that you really, really weren't interested in getting skin cancer - or worse, seeing as the eye slots were rather poorly isolated. There was nothing like going blind on your first day out…
"Engage the secondary protective layer, then," you said as you faced the brute with his over-sized weapon. The man seemed amused at your hesitance, perhaps aware just how dangerous the gun he carried was - even if he bore it like a club. "The resistance upgrade should help, right?"
"That system is not complete, sir. Without further hardening, parts of it might fail when exposed to -"
"Yeah, yeah, I know it's not finished. I built it, remember," you said irritably. "Activate it anyway. Some protection beats none - and I'm the only one who can even get close to the guy as it is..."
"Of course, sir."
The sizzle of electricity just above your skin felt oddly reassuring, though you knew it was only a partial fix for dealing with the radiation. You hadn't even finished the backside of the second layer, which meant that part of you was protected by only thin layers of metal and fabric, interlocking poorly enough to let through an unhealthy amount of radiation directly into your spine. Which would probably kill you. On the bright side - you wouldn't go blind. Yay.
"Spidey," you whispered as you set a heavy foot forward, drawing the brute's attention as your eyes strayed to the ship. "You can't go near this guy, and I'm serious about that. Odds are that if he's got a heavy-duty nuclear source in there, he's gonna break out the gamma rays any moment now. I can take a bit of a beating - you are wearing nylon."
Peter sounded miffed across the radio. "I can do ranged, you know. I've got these nifty things called webs, you see..."
"Well, Rhodey can do ranged too," you said immediately. "I don't think Brick-for-brains here is a genius, so I doubt he's the head honcho. The guy's holding a nuke with his bare hands, for crying out loud! Keep an eye on the masked chick for me, would you? If you get a shot at dragging Obi out, then take it - but keep yourself safe."
"I'm being benched for this? Seriously?"
"Webhead - we all have our roles, and you're not the guy wearing heavy metal power armor." You raised your fists, revealing the full-sized repulsors inside. "Just back me up for now."
"...Alright." the boy replied, and though he sounded despondent, you could tell there was something more going on. You decided to leave that for another time.
"...Hey, ugly!" you cried out then, amplified by your armor, and you walked closer to the heavily-armed brute with your hands raised, twin repulsors glowing dangerously. The huge man raised his brow, tapping his gun with his free hand as he smiled, exposing teeth that were stained brown. Damn, he really was ugly. "...Wanna put that thing away?" you asked, nodding to the gun. "Fight this out with fists?"
Well, you hadn't really expected it to work, but it was worth a shot.
"Stark," the man rumbled, sniffing the air as he shook his head. "Where is your little skittery friend, huh? I was looking forward to crushing that bug." He grinned. "Well, I suppose you will do. I never thought you'd dare to come yourself…"
"...Am I supposed to know who you are?" you inquired slowly.
The man's smile turned to a scowl, and his eyes seemed to glow with inner light. "You always were a jackass, Stark. Four years I worked for you - four years of perfect service. And you don't even remember my face."
You blinked in confusion. "I run a company with hundreds of employees," you explained simply, wracking your mind over where you'd seen the guy before. Not R&D certainly, nor anything that required expertise - it had to be personal protection, or driving. "I don't know all my employees. So, what are you saying, anyway? You were let go, and now you're out for revenge with hand-held nukes? Have to tell ya - kind of an overreaction."
"Not everything is about you," the huge man mumbled. "I was hired to do a job here, and I intend to fulfill it. Whether or not you are in a tin can doesn't matter to me." He raised his giant rifle again, smirking. "I've been - enhanced. Your steel doesn't scare me in the least."
"Enhanced?"
He smirked, tapping his weapon lovingly. "This beauty here… Betsy's my baby, but Lola's a close second. Nobody else can wield her like I can." He grinned widely. "She's… magnificent."
So - he named his weapons.
"He named that thing Lola?" Rhodey commented distantly. "I suppose it beats Little Boy…"
"I don't remember you," you said carefully, ignoring the voice in your ear. "I'm willing to strike a deal - I don't want to hurt you if I don't need to. If you let me pass, I won't attack."
"Why would you remember me?" the huge man wondered. "We've never met before."
You blinked in confusion. "Didn't you just say -"
"SHUT UP!" your opponent barked savagely, rage bursting into existence from nowhere. "YOU DIE, NOW!"
You heard Rhodey's distant warnings in your ear, and you probably would've heard Coulson if you hadn't muted him, but you didn't hesitate. Twin beams of searing light erupted from your palms, full-power repulsors tearing across the bulky weapon of your opponent and leaving a bright glowing line behind, smoking slightly.
The seven foot tall giant didn't wait around for a second shot, whipping his gun around even as it smoldered in his hand, essentially undamaged. It wasn't just powerful, it was tough.
"Sir! I am detecting potentially lethal build-up of energy!" Jarvis piped up.
"Jarvis? I just activated primary and secondary protections. That should be enough to take a missile to the face," you noted in disbelief as you skidded back, hovering barely an inch above the ground with your repulsors. "How freaking powerful is that gun, anyway?"
You didn't have time to think about the numbers, because the weapon burst into blue light at its apex, and little red warnings lights blinked into sight as Jarvis blurted some warning or another into your ears. You'd reacted before your A.I. could finish his sentence, whipping your arms to the side in reflex. With a burst of concentrated energy, uncoordinated and sudden, you flung yourself out of the figure's path, out of the beam's path.
In your wake, everything went crystalline white.
For a long, unmentionable moment, it seemed as if you were weightless, and the world was utterly silent - then the noise came. A wave of incredible sound, a cacophony that was dulled to still painful levels by the suit, thundering right through layers of metal and isolating materials. When the light around you resolved back into recognizable shapes, they weren't the same ones as before. It had been a glancing blow.
"What the -" you asked yourself half-coherently, realizing that you had tossed yourself head-over-heels behind some of the shipping containers that lined the harbor, embedding your metal-ringed torso halfway into the concrete as you slammed down into the ground. You couldn't hear whether Peter or Rhodey had been close enough to be hit - they were a lot farther off than you, at least. They were probably fine.
What the hell was that.
"Jarvis?" you demanded breathlessly. "Status."
"You were hit by a concentrated blast of electrical energy, as well as an anomalous energy signature that is not in the database. The armor's primary protections are largely intact - several secondary protections have failed and need manual repair."
Fantastic. You crawled upright slowly, wincing inside the suit when it chafed and scraped against your skin as plates shifted back and forth. Without the tighter connections that Jarvis could provide, something had clearly shaken loose. On top of the damage, your side hurt, again, probably because your wound had opened again - and you could taste blood on your tongue.
"Where is he, Jarvis?"
"Sir - Might I suggest retreating? The enemy's weapon's clearly too powerful for the armor to adequately handle, and S.H.I.E.L.D. should be arriving within minutes. They will likely have more effective measures for dealing with this threat."
"Oh god, you're a Coulson fanboy now, aren't you?" you asked, taking a deep breath. "You're a traitor, that's what you are. Now tell me, where is he? Use a geiger counter if you need to, sheesh!"
"Of course, sir. The target is - Warning: two-hundred feet and closing. One-hundred. Twenty -"
"Ah, f-" You blasted off with all four repulsors, and your breath was knocked out of you just as another burst of white passed by just below you, a beam of electrons and something else that billowed outward across the half-destroyed containers, vanishing in fractions of a second and leaving only blackened remains. "Fiddlesticks?" you finished half-heartedly as you caught yourself, remembering who was listening.
"Tony - get the hell out of there!" Rhodey called across the radio. "That weapon -"
"Yeah. Time to get rid of it," you murmured as you turned in the air, keeping up your speed as you followed the giant's slow and ponderous movements. You knew it had to be a facade - it could be nothing else after he'd almost hit you twice with that massive gun of his. When he wanted to, the enormous figure could move incredibly quickly, his bodybuilder physique hiding someone nearly as dexterous as Peter. "Rhodey - switch over to actual bullets if you haven't yet, maybe some explosive ones. I think that on this guy, they'll be distractions, mostly."
"Already done. They're - bouncing off his skin."
You nodded as you brought forward both your arms, balancing on the repulsors in your feet. The figure below you twitched, bringing his weapon up and aiming with precision, just as you got ready to blast off again. "Right, Jarvis - focus all power to the front of the armor. We need to survive at least a second of the beam. If this guy's as sturdy as all that, nothing less will do."
"You wish to take the beam's full force? Sir, the risk is -"
"Never tell me the odds," you barked. "Divert all gathered power to left hand repulsor, and be ready to fire as soon as it's charged!"
You only realized in that moment, a stretched out second before the face-off, why the weapon you faced seemed so strange. Beyond the facsimile of an Arc Reactor that was bolted to the top of it, it had an aesthetic that was altogether different from any military design you knew. The rounded edges, glowing lines, and the thick armor suggested it was more a show-model than a real weapon - but it certainly felt genuine.
But what was most telling was the huge, over-sized grip on the bottom, unused by the man who faced you. It was as if the weapon had been made for a hand three times the size of even its current user, a massive claw of a hand. It was a weapon for a real giant.
The blue glow of the Cherenkov effect intensified for a split second when energy flowed forward in a wave from the barrel of the gun, resolving into a beam as it interacted with the atmosphere around it. The very air caught on fire as it passed at incredible speed, and a mixture of high-speed electrons, wild bursts of electricity, and something other impacted on the chest section of your armor. You were pushed up into the sky by a surge of raw destruction, annihilation in nuclear form.
You heard a distant cry, piercing and high-pitched, as you pushed your hand-repulsor forward into the onslaught, and squeezed the trigger.
There was only white.
XXXXXXXXXX
White.
Everything was white and hotter than the sun, incandescent and luminous.
The very air was light, matter turned to joyful energy as it rushed outwards in all directions, freed from its constraints.
It felt wonderful.
Everything felt - it felt -
White.
You opened your eyes in surprise, but nothing changed. You couldn't feel a thing - not even your own body. There was no heat, no cold, no touch. You weren't even sure you'd really moved, because there was no way to tell. There was just light.
"...Am I dead?" you tried to ask, but the question bounced around only inside your mind. It was impossible to tell if it had made its way out into a real world, if there was anyone around to hear. You couldn't see anything more than the brightness, couldn't hear anything but your own thoughts, your own imagination. The whole of everything was - you.
This had to be -
White.
You remembered firing the repulsor, blasting your way downwards towards the cascade that flowed from the barrel of that monstrous, alien weapon. You remembered the fire from your make-shift blast interacting with the electron stream, with the power that it channeled towards you. For an instant, it had been a futile endeavor, a hopelessly weak counter - then something else had joined your shot - a conflagration of unimaginably hot fire, a fearful cry of might.
In the face of what was unleashed, the weapon had exploded.
Fire followed in its wake - incredible flames, an inferno that had incinerated everything that was there at the heart of the collision, a flash of heat that should have evaporated you, cooked the flesh off your bones, and turned the bones to dust and ash. The heat was too great to imagine, hotter than the core of suns.
"Seriously, am I dead? How can I be dead if I can still think?" you tried to ask. "Hello?"
Peter had called out, in the last few moments - you remembered his voice. You'd seen him from the corner of your eye, a distant spot of red-and-blue, silhouetted against the sky. He'd been headed your way, despite his promise to stay out of the way - of course he would risk his life. He was a hero.
Rhodey - he had said something, too. Called your name, from way out in his distant perch, his eagle's nest. Whatever he'd said, though, it had slipped away into the -
White.
Something had changed. You felt a distant tingle across your skin, a flash of pain that lasted too briefly to truly hurt. In the distance, in the whiteness, great towers of unimaginable size stretched out into nothingness, forbidding structures that seemed as inviting as they were terrifying. And between them, suspended in the air, something gargantuan floated.
It was greater than worlds, more luminous than a whole galaxy even in the brightness.
It was an egg.
Pain flashed through you, a burst of agony that seared your skin, made you remember you had skin in the first place. You welcomed the feeling, realizing that it meant you were alive - alive, even a little bit.
The towers faded back into the mist, but the egg remained, surrounded by a red glow that reminded you of a terrible moment you had tried to forget. They were vapors of another place that should not exist, beyond the white and the real world, existing in the -
Gray.
The white had gone, and it was only then that you shivered, realizing that the coldness you felt wasn't cold at all - that you'd been caught in unbearable heat, before, even if you did not mind it. You recognized the cold only after you'd lost its antithesis.
There was nothing to see, now. Nothing except a mirror, an image of yourself that stared back with a small smile playing around the edges of his mouth. Then there was eerie -
Black.
Not much of the moment remained in your memory.
Just enough.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Tony!" someone yelled into your ear as you gasped in surprise or shock, taking in a deep, desperate gulp of air. You were on the ground, on your back, tangled in webbing - and a vast plume of smoke was smeared across the sky above you. A black shape among them resolved into red and blue. "Are you alright in there?" Peter asked.
You were alive.
Alive.
The mask of the suit opened on its own, probably at Jarvis's unspoken command - or perhaps you'd simply failed to hear him through the beeping in your ears. Peter seemed relieved as you met his eyes, even through his mask - it was unusually expressive. You raised an arm to try and set his mind at ease, but it rose only slowly.
"...What happened?" you wondered.
"Tony!" Rhodey yelled into your air through the radio. "What the hell did you think you were doing? You could have died!"
"...I know, Pepper," you murmured distantly, blinking in confusion as you glanced down towards the direction of the ship - only to find a vast column of steam rising up into the sky, towering over the flattened shape of the man you'd been fighting. You could tell he was breathing, still - his barrel-chest was moving up and down slowly - but he would not be using his gun again. Lola was scattered in pieces across the docks.
Shit.
"Get out! Radioactive materials from that gun have to be everywhere!" you declared. "Jarvis?!"
"I am reading only slightly elevated levels of radiation, sir. The source of the beta radiation that was generated is at present unknown."
"Huh. New research project," you murmured as you turned around, heaving yourself upright and vomiting all over your armor. "...Ugh."
Peter laughed under his breath, perhaps a little hysterically.
"Well, that was - violent," you said after a little while, trying to make rhyme or reason of that moment you'd been locked into the beam, captured within its heart. For an instant, it seemed as if space and time had been ripped apart, dissected before your eyes. And now everything was right back down to earth. It didn't make sense.
For a moment, it seemed as if the stolen weapons, the bickering with S.H.I.E.L.D. and hiring Peter were irrelevant concerns, compared to what you'd seen in that moment. Was that a near-death experience? You'd nearly-died enough to be due for one...
"...Let's just get Obi," you said at last, reluctantly turning away from the person you'd defeated, though you weren't sure how. You'd intended to fire into the barrel of the nuclear gun, cutting right past the heavy armor and into the firing mechanism - but you were certain that the repulsor ray had never reached the inside at all, overpowered by far. But it had reacted with the beam itself, somehow. You had caused an implosion - but you had no idea what had reacted.
With a shiver, you thought back to the cave, to that wave of incandescent fury as you lit the Pyre. That was what you'd been reminded of.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is requesting an explanation of the explosion," Jarvis announced dryly. "Quite vigorously."
"Put them through," you muttered, and you didn't wait for the agency to speak up. "Heya, Coulson!" you said lamely. "I just defused a nuclear threat with extreme prejudice - so you're welcome for that. I am fine, thank you. Now, stop spamming the line, and let me get on with asskicking, or get yourself over here. Slowpoke."
"This is not Agent Coulson," a new voice spoke in reply, sounding rather more severe than the amicable man you'd met, and you paused.
"Um, hi?"
"This is Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. I am currently en route to survey the situation - if it has not already been resolved. You have made many people very nervous today, Mr. Stark."
"So, you're the big Kahuna himself, huh? What can I do for ya?"
"You can work with me. Two significant threats to national security are present at your - operation. One of them is considered a major hazard."
"Let me guess - you're talking about a gal with a mask, and a guy who never has to worry about radiation sickness?" you wondered dryly as you limped over to the unconscious form of the man you'd taken out. "You can come pick up the latter. I'm still working on the other one."
"His name is Frank Simpson - he's a long-term interest."
"...He said he used to work for me," you murmured. "Is that true?"
"I'm afraid that Mr. Simpson is - delusional. It is doubtful that anything he says is trustworthy."
You sighed. "And the nuke? How did he get it?"
"Unknown - but we are working on that question," Fury grumbled. "We have also been tracing the activity of the assassin known as Madame Masque for some time, and we suspected you had hired her services on behalf of your company. Recent events seem to put that into question."
"Really now? Was it the attempts on my life?" you asked dryly. "Because I would count those."
"The second most likely person to be responsible for hiring them is presently unaccounted for. I believe you are looking for him?"
You felt a shiver run down your back. "You're not implying…?"
"Mr. Obadiah Stane was spotted conversing with Madame Masque two days ago. It is likely that he is involved in a dispute between the assassin and her - superior."
Obi had hired assassins? The very idea seemed utterly preposterous, akin to Rhodey betraying you to the military, or Pepper finally jumping into bed with you. And even if you did buy into the idea of Obadiah going for such low-blow tactics, he would never send them after his protégé. Hell, he'd had you all alone on multiple occasions, at his mercy - and in those moments he'd given you the key to his part of the company, and confessed his own fears and worries.
If anything, Obi had been protecting you.
"You're wrong," you said clearly. "He is not the one you're after."
"Mr. Stark -"
"Don't Mr. Stark me," you snapped. "Coulson - your lackey - told me you believe the bastards that kidnapped me in Afghanistan were connected to the attempt on Pym's life, and probably to these guys as well. Even if that's true, I'm not buying that Obi's behind it."
"The attempt on Dr. Pym's life was perpetrated by the same people who hired the Ten Rings terrorist group, as well as Madame Masque and her companion," Fury said slowly. "They share a common source. That is true."
"But that common source is not Obadiah," you concluded, narrowing your eyes. "Deadpool wasn't there to scare me at all, was he? Over in Vegas? He really was after Pym. You lied to me to get a foot in the door, because you knew that I was your way in."
"It was for your own safety," the Director said calmly. "Deception for a good cause."
"So said the inquisition?" you murmured, muting the channel. You would have to think about the trustworthiness of S.H.I.E.L.D. later - or how the different assassins and kidnappers were connected. Did they all have a single common master?
You had a way to find out.
"...Spidey, I'm probably concussed, so you'll have to help me out here," you said after a moment. "The woman - is she still there?"
Peter helped you up, supporting the heavy frame of your armor without visible effort. "I don't know, but I can swing over?"
"Yeah. Obi - we need him alive," you said. "Alive - and out of S.H.I.E.L.D. hands if possible. If they're convinced he's behind this mess, they might toss him in jail - and then we'll never figure out who's really behind all this." You nodded, wincing as a stab of pain erupted behind your eyes. "I know it has to be someone else, and I don't intend to let this lead slip."
"I'll… go find him," Peter said solemnly. "I'll be back in a minute."
"...Spider-Man," you said quickly, just in time to stop yourself from blurting his name. "The woman - we need to track her down, after all this - she's our lead to the bigger picture. There's some devices in my -"
"I got that covered," the boy noted quickly, swinging away.
Bemused, you looked on as the boy flung himself across the harbor with his usual incredible dexterity, leaving you alone in your dented suit, still smoking from the blast. The beeping noise in one ear was slowly fading away, and Rhodey's voice was audible vaguely from the headset you'd lost at some point, hanging by a thread from your shirt.
"Jarvis - what kind of dose did I get back there?" you asked.
"Your radiation exposure was - limited."
You frowned worriedly. "That's not what I asked."
"...A Doctor's appointment is prudent - but you are unlikely to suffer radiation sickness from the dose. The secondary layer protected your vital organs."
You let out a long-suffering sigh. "You're being unusually tactful about this, which means it's probably bad news. Gamma rays and whatever was in that unknown stuff, I'm sure. Do we still have the treatment kit at the house?"
"You have never removed it."
Despite the real risk of injury from the exposure, and the realization that you'd have to dig into your father's old emergency supplies, your mind wasn't really on the present at all. A strange, shrill song echoed in the back of your mind, in a miasma of light and heat.
"Tony?" Peter's voice came a few minutes later, subdued. "I - found Mr. Stane. You'd better call an ambulance."
The world seemed somehow colder than before.
XXXXXXXXXX
(You captured Nuke alive! +1 favor to any negotiations with Weapon Plus subjects! That includes Deadpool and Wolverine.)
S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to debrief you about what happened. (Choose one.)
[ ] Meet with Agent Coulson : You know this guy a bit, now, and you want to confront him with the lie he told you about Deadpool's intentions, or his connection with your kidnapping. Besides, you can shove his face into his tardy arrival, and maybe arrange for more timely support in the future.
[ ] Meet with Director Fury : He's the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. - anything you can arrange with him, be it deals or compromises, probably have a lot more weight than whatever Coulson might have to offer. On the flipside, pissing him off is probably a great way to lose their support.
[ ] Introduce Spider-Man : Seeing as you're responsible for Peter at the moment, since he came with you at your request, it's probably best to play peacemaker between Spidey and S.H.I.E.L.D. - your influence would probably save the boy a lot of trouble, and he could use some powerful support if he's ever in a tight spot.
[ ] Go Along Home [Science Major]: Ignore the debriefing entirely, and instead spend some time on upgrading your equipment for next time, so you won't need S.H.I.E.L.D.'s support at all. Digging into dad's old archives might be worth it, too, to find out about this Frank Simpson fellow - who knows what you'll find?
[ ] Set Up a Formal Meeting : Organize a more formal meeting that includes a debriefing but more clearly outlines that agreements between yourself, the company, and S.H.I.E.L.D. This will probably make your company happy - because they always like new military contacts - but it'll be less suitable for Peter, or your more personal concerns.
[ ] Write-In
You captured Frank Simpson, and have the remains of 'Lola'. (Choose one.)
[ ] Hand Simpson Over to S.H.I.E.L.D. : Let Fury and his goons figure this guy out, and keep him out of your hair. You can probably arrange for them to deliver you any relevant information about your missing shipments - it's doubtful they would care to keep that information from you. Whatever else he knows is not your problem.
[ ] Hand Simpsons over to Rhodey : Let the army keep this guy away from you - it's doubtful you'll ever see him again, and you'd probably get some good influence for delivering such an obvious goldmine of information on human augmentation - especially when it comes to radiation resistance.
[ ] Interrogate the Brute : You'll have to get rid of him eventually, but before you call up Fury, why not try your own hand at figuring out what the guy knows? Perhaps he can tell you where 'Lola' came from, who hired him, and what Madame Masque has to do with anything.
[ ] Kill Him [Ruthless] : No loose ends. Killing him will mean he's never a problem again, and odds are you'll make sure that nobody in his circle tries anything again any time soon. Sometimes it pays to be efficient.
[ ] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[ ] Write-In
You'll have to deal with Peter before he departs. (Choose one.)
[ ] Offer him a Job : You've been dancing around this enough - you've got a spot open for him, and even if you don't - you can make one. He's already betrayed his ingenuity, who knows what he can do with a budget, or subordinates? It'd be awesome to find out what a superhero could do with a lab.
[ ] Science Bros [Science Major] : Between the webbing, the web-shooters and the tracking bugs that you've just found out about, there's obvious genius hiding in the cracks here. You've been building all your stuff alone for years, now - what would it be like to have an apprentice to show the ropes, to help you figure out new, neat stuff? This is the best nerdy job offer ever, even if you do say so yourself…
[ ] Family Transfer[Careful] : The major stumbling block for Peter's moving is obviously his family, which means you'll have to entice him over by offering to rehouse his aunt, and perhaps even his girlfriend, free of charge. Them moving across the country might be a tough sell, but it's easier than just trying to nab Peter by himself.
[ ] Give him Money : The one reason that Peter's never really devoted time to his scientific interests is that he's short on cash, and never really had the means to go to quality schools. If you give him a little cash, perhaps that'll change, and you'll reap the benefits. Odds are, he'll gravitate back to find a job with your company soon enough.
[ ] Super Hero Hotline : You need more allies - getting Spidey's help whenever you need it would really be a boon, even if Peter moved back east. Costumed hijinks are go!
[ ] Let the Fish Go : Leave Peter be for now - there'll be other chances. Besides, you've got upgrades to make, people to see! All this has been a big distraction...
[ ] Write-In (There's an obvious one based on previous parts of this whole chapter, if not this part.)
Vanathor
Games Questers Play
- Location
- SB Exodite
[X] Meet with Director Fury : He's the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. - anything you can arrange with him, be it deals or compromises, probably have a lot more weight than whatever Coulson might have to offer. On the flipside, pissing him off is probably a great way to lose their support.
[X] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
[X] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
Holy crap. I think Tony just tapped into the phoenix force.
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Introduce Spider-Man : Seeing as you're responsible for Peter at the moment, since he came with you at your request, it's probably best to play peacemaker between Spidey and S.H.I.E.L.D. - your influence would probably save the boy a lot of trouble, and he could use some powerful support if he's ever in a tight spot.
[X] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[X] Family Transfer[Careful] : The major stumbling block for Peter's moving is obviously his family, which means you'll have to entice him over by offering to rehouse his aunt, and perhaps even his girlfriend, free of charge. Them moving across the country might be a tough sell, but it's easier than just trying to nab Peter by himself.
Now I don't give a shit about Simpson, he's cannon fodder who is stupid enough not to read warning labels on his gun.
The gun itself.....
As for the other two, well, we could use a apprentice, or at least partner.
[X] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[X] Family Transfer[Careful] : The major stumbling block for Peter's moving is obviously his family, which means you'll have to entice him over by offering to rehouse his aunt, and perhaps even his girlfriend, free of charge. Them moving across the country might be a tough sell, but it's easier than just trying to nab Peter by himself.
Now I don't give a shit about Simpson, he's cannon fodder who is stupid enough not to read warning labels on his gun.
The gun itself.....
As for the other two, well, we could use a apprentice, or at least partner.
Vanathor
Games Questers Play
- Location
- SB Exodite
Dude, this is a chance to get a two-fer action done. We can set up that subsidiary company for the arc-reactor that we control totally while also getting Peter on board.Night_stalker said:
Also don't you need to be psychic to tap into the phoenix force?
[X] Meet with Director Fury : He's the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. - anything you can arrange with him, be it deals or compromises, probably have a lot more weight than whatever Coulson might have to offer. On the flipside, pissing him off is probably a great way to lose their support.
[X] Hand Simpsons over to Rhodey : Let the army keep this guy away from you - it's doubtful you'll ever see him again, and you'd probably get some good influence for delivering such an obvious goldmine of information on human augmentation - especially when it comes to radiation resistance.
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
[X] Meet with Director Fury : He's the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. - anything you can arrange with him, be it deals or compromises, probably have a lot more weight than whatever Coulson might have to offer. On the flipside, pissing him off is probably a great way to lose their support.
[X] Hand Simpsons over to Rhodey : Let the army keep this guy away from you - it's doubtful you'll ever see him again, and you'd probably get some good influence for delivering such an obvious goldmine of information on human augmentation - especially when it comes to radiation resistance.
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
Vanathor
Games Questers Play
- Location
- SB Exodite
How much do you want to bet that Tony's genes got warped by the radiation and got mutified?Nightblade said:
SuperSonicSound
Shadowmancer of the Shadow Cabal
[X] Meet with Director Fury : He's the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. - anything you can arrange with him, be it deals or compromises, probably have a lot more weight than whatever Coulson might have to offer. On the flipside, pissing him off is probably a great way to lose their support.
[X] Hand Simpsons over to Rhodey : Let the army keep this guy away from you - it's doubtful you'll ever see him again, and you'd probably get some good influence for delivering such an obvious goldmine of information on human augmentation - especially when it comes to radiation resistance.
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
[X] Hand Simpsons over to Rhodey : Let the army keep this guy away from you - it's doubtful you'll ever see him again, and you'd probably get some good influence for delivering such an obvious goldmine of information on human augmentation - especially when it comes to radiation resistance.
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Screw that, West Coast is where it's at!Vanathor said:
More seriously, why invest time in a East Coast subsidiary when we can just set up in San Fran or Seattle?
I mean I may be wrong but to my knowledge only jean gray has tapped into the phoenix force.Vanathor said:
Vanathor
Games Questers Play
- Location
- SB Exodite
Because this also lets us snag Peter easily, creates that simple safety net in case something happens to SI proper (or we lose control of the board somehow), and gives us strategic placement against Oscorp.Night_stalker said:
- Location
- The Void
[X] Set Up a Formal Meeting : Organize a more formal meeting that includes a debriefing but more clearly outlines that agreements between yourself, the company, and S.H.I.E.L.D. This will probably make your company happy - because they always like new military contacts - but it'll be less suitable for Peter, or your more personal concerns.
[X] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
[X] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
[X] Introduce Spider-Man : Seeing as you're responsible for Peter at the moment, since he came with you at your request, it's probably best to play peacemaker between Spidey and S.H.I.E.L.D. - your influence would probably save the boy a lot of trouble, and he could use some powerful support if he's ever in a tight spot.
[X] Write-In: The Gun and The Sheild -Hand the guy over to Fury and Shield so they can do their thing while we study that gun. We'll trade a copy of our notes and findings on the gun with fury for what the learn from the enchanced nutjob.
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
[X] Write-In: The Gun and The Sheild -Hand the guy over to Fury and Shield so they can do their thing while we study that gun. We'll trade a copy of our notes and findings on the gun with fury for what the learn from the enchanced nutjob.
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Start Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
- Location
- Netherlands
Ayup. Except for Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus, and Magik...Nightblade said:
See I don't know to much about the phoenix force or marvel in general. The marvel character I know the most about is spiderman. And I haven't kept up with his stuff in the recent years.Roarian said:
How the heck do we have death in the future if we can become a host of the phoenix force? There's a pretty good chance tony could become immortal.
- Location
- Somewhere
[x] Go Along Home [Science Major]: Ignore the debriefing entirely, and instead spend some time on upgrading your equipment for next time, so you won't need S.H.I.E.L.D.'s support at all. Digging into dad's old archives might be worth it, too, to find out about this Frank Simpson fellow - who knows what you'll find?
[x] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Stark Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
[x] That Gun! [Science Major] : You don't really care about the big guy - let Fury do whatever he wants with him. You want to study the hardware he was packing; a gun that could evidently unleash a lethally effective nuclear reaction on a local scale, without any overtly radioactive fuel. What is this sorcery?
[X] Write-In: Move The Homefront - It's impractical to relocate Peter and it's also silly to just let him go without support. Tony spoke of bringing the fight to Oscorp's turf earlier. Let's put it into action. If you can't bring Peter to Stark Industries, bring Stark Industries to Peter. Use this as the opportunity for that peaceful R&D applications spin-off company for the Arc Reactor and base it out of New York. Hire Peter, help out his people with their housing situation and in general get ready for a big relocation.
- Location
- Netherlands
Heh, it's a pretty obscure reference unless you read a lot of comics, I think.hance1986 said:
But yeah, you're right. More like those who saw a glimpse than Jean Grey who fully moved in, though.
Remember - in Marvel (and DC for that matter) Death is an entity, not just a concept. Death's realm seems to be related to the Phoenix in some fashion - do the math.Nightblade said:
We die and resurrect. Also I wonder how psychics felt that.Roarian said:Heh, it's a pretty obscure reference unless you read a lot of comics, I think.
But yeah, you're right. More like those who saw a glimpse than Jean Grey who fully moved in, though.
Remember - in Marvel (and DC for that matter) Death is an entity, not just a concept. Death's realm seems to be related to the Phoenix in some fashion - do the math.
Ardion Prosili
An (im)Perfect Cell
We are a mortal man. Through the crucible of Death, we are reborn akin to a Pheonix, into something more than a man, a Transhuman being.Usernames said:
Everything is connected.
cokerpilot
Here comes the rain.
... That storyline was interesting but dumb in so many ways.Roarian said:
- Location
- Netherlands
Incidentally, I updated the character sheet to reflect the latest part. The new perk is indicative of what you say, here.serapheus said:
Also, you guys refrained from ruthless options on several occasions - unless you immediately go for it again in this update, you're free from that until you reoffend. Woot!
I know, right? It's bad enough when they fuck with the canon of Galactus, much less the Phoenix Force or other supposed constants...cokerpilot said:
- Location
- Somewhere
Hoo boy S.H.I.E.L.D. don't like us.
Choosing the Science Major options give us bonus tech points right?Roarian said: