Chapter 24: A Shield, A Pair Of Wings, And A Couple Surprises
Me and Pepper went through the portal, and found ourselves in my living room, where everyone else was. Tony and Pepper immediately hugged, and I said "Yeah, they're doing the type of hug that only couples would do, but they're totally not dating, or married, or significant others to each other. But couples that aren't couples aside, I think we need to stop using the living room as our council room, and get ourselves a council room. But now, I'm a little stuck, y'all. There are several paths I see going forward, but I'm unsure which way to take, each one is just as advantageous as the other, so I am unsure."
"The first time the man actually stops just making badass plans, and having us do it, and instead plans with us." Shuri said, rolling her eyes.
"I'm making badass plans as we speak, Shuri." I said. "The question is, which badass plan will we execute?"
"What are your options?" Aunt May asked.
I deactivated my mask. "Sexi, make us a council table of sorts, with the holoprojector in the center, and all." When that was done, I said "So, we got several options. One is to just go ahead, and attack the Triskellion tomorrow after school. The other, is to wait it out for several days, and just prepare for the fight. The last, is to wait as well, but in the meantime, I will hunt for a recruit or two, and bring them in. Now while I know the last one seems the safest, it's also the most dangerous, we're giving SHIELD a chance to make plans, and possibly an army of their own. This isn't really that major of a fight, we will probably win anyways, unless SHIELD recruits the Institute, that will be dangerous. He may even recruit the Brotherhood of Mutants, I will have to talk to you two about that later, Wanda and Pietro. We're not fighting Thanos here, people, and I will honestly need everything then, so I'm preparing for that now, by getting your help now, so it's normal for me when I need to ask."
Sexi said "I believe this information will help you decide which path to take. I wanted to see where exactly Fury was sending the communication to the LMD from, and it surprised me, to see he was in northern Siberia. There's some sort of ship over there, that is as large as the Helicarrier. But the ship is stuck in ice."
"Well, shit." I said. "He's bringing in Captain America. Very well then, let's see how he fares with our Captain America. Sunshine, can you get the location of Sam Wilson for me?"
"He's a Falcon, not a Captain." Sexi said.
"He takes the mantle, and earns higher authority than Rogers, this is someone from our time, from our people, and he usually goes up to be more famous than Rogers."
"Very well then." Sexi said. "He's in Washington, DC. I will give you his exact location when you head out to get him."
"Copy that." I said. "Now, which move do we make?"
"Wait it out." Aunt Nari said. "This way, each one of you can get ready, and there's a gym in The Masque's Home, you can train there. And as you said, no biggie. We will win anyways, and a new Director will take the position. Congratulations on your future promotion, Maria."
"Thank you." Maria said.
"Wait, I thought you're going to take SHIELD down?" Pepper asked. "If you do this, everyone will say you just want to have connections everywhere, and have control over everything. You sure you want the bad press?"
"Good point." I said. "But look at the occupants of this room. We have people from the three strongest countries, Wakanda, Attilan, and Atlantis. And I am aiming at having connections everywhere. But I'm not doing it for the power, I'm doing it for the strength. As I said, this isn't the most dangerous thing, and I will need all the help I can get, even from the Eternals. Granted, getting those self entitled yet badass and good people out of their forced retirement will be hard, but I will need to do that. What I am aiming at, is allies. What I'm not aiming at, is control. And it's a given, that to be trusted, some bad press is needed. I need the Bugle to fat shame me, and for me to go to the Starbucks, and get a cup of coffee, and chill with the people."
"You realize you can beat everyone in this room with ease?" T'Challa asked. "While I am not complaining, and I am thankful for our alliance, I wish to know, why? You could do this in your sleep. We all saw you use your magic, and even when you didn't, you were a beast that we couldn't defeat. What is our purpose in the long run? You never prepare for just now, you always prepare years ahead. So, with all due respect, why are you making an army out of your subjects, when they are merely your subjects, and you don't need the army?"
"No one lives forever, Prince." I said with a regretful smile. "Especially not me. I will not live forever, I will die. And when I die, who will be there to protect the universe? The ones after me, Miles especially. And if I don't prepare you beforehand, how will you take care of the Devil when he returns? There are some threats that don't die, and you need to be ready for it."
"You're really a king in your own right, aren't you?" Aunt May asked, her eyes shining with tears. "You already have a successor to take your position when you die, that kid from Starbucks. And you know you're giving him a lot, so you're giving him people that can be his advisors for when he sits on your throne, and wears your crown, and wields your blade." She shook her head, tears slowly flowing down her cheeks. "We just can't enjoy living with you, can we? That will never happen. I will never be able to hug Sexi, and not think about how she could become an orphan because her parents were killed, like her father before her. I will never be able to look at any of your women, and think that they're not going to be widowed, or whatever the term is for you guys. I will never be able to look at Tess, and not think, that one day, the promise that she bound you to will come to a close too early. I will never to look at your other siblings, and not think that they will lose their big brother, the one who saved them time and time again, and come home to me crying, holding nothing other than a piece or two of your body, or your whole body, all tattered and bruised, or just intact, because someone drew your soul out of you. I will never be able to look at Ben, and not think that he would one day have to bury his boy, the one he raised from when he was a child, when he came into his charge. I will never be able to look at Al and Nari, and not think that one day, they would be looking at the car they got for their son-in-law, and put a cover on it, knowing no one would drive it again. I will never be able to look in the mirror, and not see the face of a woman who would one day bury her son. One day, the world will know who is under the mask, and mourn for the one who protected them even in his sleep, and that's a fact. All of it is. You're creating an army, because your army needs to stay safe. You could fight the world alone, and come out on top, but you want there to be an army, for when you die." She started shaking softly, and we all had tears slowly flowing down.
"It's the truth, Aunt May." I said, my voice quivering. "I can't live forever, none of us can. I was brought here, to die. I was killed once, my soul was all messed up, but then it was patched up, by you guys. I was killed, and I will be killed again. I can't live my prime out, it's not a choice. I wish there was a way to convince me, to convince you, to convince Uncle Ben, to convince Uncle Al, to convince Aunt Nari, to convince Tess, to convince Sexi, to convince everyone, that I will live my prime out. But that's impossible. I have to go to sleep now, Thanos will contact me, and I must prepare for my war against him, I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry enough, I wish there was a way to change that, but there isn't. I'm sorry." I trudged my way to the stairs, blinking all the while, and sobbing softly, everyone else the same, in the living room.
I fell onto my bed, and started crying for real, my soul finally having enough. After a while, I closed my eyes, and when I felt something change, I opened them.
"Thanos." I said, staring the Mad Titan down.
"Legend." He said, staring me down as well.
"I took care of a multiversal threat, Titan. You still think you have a chance?"
"Beware, Legend. Your bravery in the face of danger will only save you for so long."
"You're calling me a legend, Thanos. Legends don't die."
"You're a legend of the beginning of time, Legend. You shall die then, that is what has been written. You think you can defeat the strongest beings of the universe, when they are born, and raging about, do you really? You died then, even taking some of the first evil Gods down with you, being killed by Knull, hence your legend survived time. I'm calling you a legend, because that is what you are, all what you will be. Merely a story, told by the fathers to their sons, telling them the story of the greatest man. Merely a legend, told by the mothers to their daughters, telling them what they should be looking for in their men. I will take the Time Stone from you by my own hands, and send you to the beginning, where you will die, fighting for the universe, as you have always done, as you do, as you always will. There will not be a body, for your siblings to take to your mother, there will only be memories, and memories have killed many a soul. My Children will kill your family as they mourn, months after your death. Until I send you back, Legend."
I woke up, and gave the greatest scream of anguish that I had ever done, breaking my device, and breaking the walls of my room. I just continued screaming, then I screamed "THANOS!!! I FUCKING SWEAR, I WILL TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME!!!!"
"Dad!" Sexi said, and immediately she came into the room and hugged me. "Dad, are you ok!?"
"I will be, sunshine." I said, hugging her back, tears running down my cheeks.
Everyone came into the room, and Aunt May said "What did he tell you, Peter?"
"Don't ask, Aunt May, please." I pleaded, shaking my head.
"Peter." Talia said, putting a hand on my shoulder "We can help, we can stop whatever it is, whatever that will happen."
"You can't." I said, shaking my head. "It's already been written down, it's final."
"Then just tell us, Peter." Crystal said, leaning down to look me in the eye. "What's final, is final. Nothing can change it, so it won't hurt to tell."
"This one will hurt, Diamond. So much, the Diamond will burst." I said.
"Then we will all hurt together, Petey." Liz said.
"I can't, Lizzy. The pain will turn exponential."
"Just say it, Peter!" Tess screamed. "How will we live, knowing that you know how you will die, and that you won't tell us!!"
"It's not how I will die!" I screamed back. "I'm a legend! I'm the Legend! It's not how I will die! It's how I DIED! I'm The Legend, from the beginning of time! I died then! There won't be a body! There will only be memories! Then he will kill you all! Months after sending me to my Anti Karma! And I won't be there! I'm dead right now! I was of the first to ever kiss Lady Death! I took several Gods down with me! AND I SWEAR, I WILL TAKE HIM BACK IN TIME WITH ME, AND HE WILL BE OF THE FIRST TO KISS HIS LOVER!" I broke down, sobbing, and I said "It's written in time, it's shared by the Gods, the story of the one at the beginning, who was fighting for the universe, always has, always will, always is, and how he died, killing the most evil gods, but not being able to kill all of them, Knull, and the others lived. I will kill Knull, for killing me. I swear. I'm sorry."
"How about you kiss me a little earlier, Legend?" I heard a flirtatious voice behind me say, and I turned to see Lady Death, but she wasn't a skeleton, like how she was in the comics, she was just a very hot white woman with black hair, but you just knew that she was Lady Death.
"My Lady." I said, nodding my head.
"Legend! It's nice to finally see the younger you! But I have to say, Thanos isn't my lover, he is my lover's hater."
"Are you hitting on me?" I asked.
"No, not really. Just saying. That's just how me and future you, talk."
"What is your reason for honoring me with a visit, My Lady?"
"I have a deal to make with you." She said.
"And what may the conditions be?" I asked.
"Go to school in your fancy car first, then come back, and we will talk."
"What's waiting for me at school?"
"The One Above All. But he doesn't know that I know that he's there."
"Fuck y'all, but ok."
"There's my lover!" She gave me a kiss on the cheek, then disappeared.
"I will just say, how many scary but hot women do you score?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah!" Tony agreed. "She totally was the hottest person I've ever seen. Also the scariest."
"Fuck this shit!" I said. "I swear, if them two don't give me a way out, I'm killing them both now!"
"Thank god you said that." Tess said.
"I agree." Basically everyone, even me, said.
We went to school in the McLaren, in incognito mode, which was black, and had red stripes on the sides. We stopped at the entrance, and the doors for the cars all opened, and we all got out, and then the doors closed, and the car started self driving to the school parking lot. Everyone was looking at me, but I ignored them, searching the crowd discreetly. I didn't see anyone outside, so I went inside, and saw a janitor mopping the- Wait the janitor! He was Stan Lee! Immediately I grabbed his shirt, no one was there to watch us, and said "Why are you here? I just had the worst morning in my life, and you're just making it worse."
"Calm down." He said "I came here to tell you, that there might be a way out. Originally I got this job for myself, when you finished your first mission, I wanted to see who you were. Then the whole thing with you and Thanos happened, as well as your noir suit, and I realized you were the one whom I owed my life to. I and the Enigma Force, as well as many others, owe you our lives. But that's not what I'm here to tell you. I just wanted to tell you, your last words. They were 'you better come in clutch, Death.' You might have a chance, or something. I don't know, I was dumb then. But I owe you my life, and so do others. And I'm willing to pay my debt, and I'm insignificant, when it comes to the multiverse, I'm just one among many. And you're going to need to save all of us, all of me. Good luck, Legend."
I let him go, and said "This better not backfire."
I turned before he could give me an answer, and just went to my locker, and went along with school.
After school, I pressed a button on my Parkerwatch, and the car came to the front, and I got in. A minute later, everyone else piled in, and Tess took shotgun, and said "Is there a chance?"
"We'll see." I said. "It's all on Lady Death, let's see her offer."
I revved the engine, and we headed home.
I burnt the tires braking in front of the house, and flipped out through my open window, not waiting for the door to open. I opened the door, and saw Lady Death standing right next to my usual couch, waiting for me. The others were all there, looking at both of us. "Take a seat, Legend!" She said, gesturing at my couch.
I sat down on my couch, and said "You better come in clutch, Death."
"So he did tell you!" She said, sitting on my lap like it was the most obvious thing to do. "I was worried for a moment there, but guess it's all good."
"Cut to the chase, Death."
"No nickname?" She pouted. It was admittedly very cute. "Aww, guess that will have to wait."
"Please, Death." I said "Can we just do this, and get along with it?"
"Fiiine. And here I thought we could fuck before you died."
"What!?" We all said.
"Yeah!" She said "How else do you think you are coming back, Legend?" She caressed my cheek, as if she had always done it, which I guess she had. "A totem of the Web Of Life, not fully dead, but somewhat dead, fucking with Death, and impregnating her, giving birth to someone in between, Tartarus. You were a good father, and our son saved your life, and will. Tartarus is supposed to be one of the annoying Olympian gods, in most universes, he is, but your coming at the beginning, changed things so much, which is why this world is so different. That's why Parker Industries is around, why your mother was a Widow, why Tony is so much better than his multiversal counterparts, why Fury is so much more evil than his other counterparts, not that he is any better there. You made a butterfly effect, a large one, Legend. You think you're ready to meet your son?"
I took a deep breath. "How long did you guys not see me?"
"It's been a while, but don't worry about that, Legend." She cuddled into me, and I lowered my body temperature, knowing that she would like it, but still wrapping my head around the information. "You always liked it when I called you Legend, you know? And when I asked why you did, you said it was because Legends don't die."
I froze. That was a message from future me to me. "Was there anything else I told you and Tartarus? I think I should see him, he probably misses me, but if I was a bad dad, then he doesn't miss me."
"You were the best dad, Legend. I think that was the only message, but I may have forgotten, sorry. Let me go bring Tartarus." She disappeared into dust.
I scratched my head. "I'm still wrapping my head around the information, but I know that he probably wants to see me, but what if I'm not what he expects?"
Sexi came and hugged me. "You're a good dad, Dad. And I can't wait to meet my half brother. I'm pretty sure he will be nice."
"I'm pretty sure this means I can't really give Peter the lecture about using protection till he is over eighteen, right?" Aunt May said, and we all laughed. "But seriously, Peter." She said "You're a good dad, I've seen you with Sexi. Just roll with it, and trust your guts."
"Thanks, Aunt May." I said.
Death popped back, and she had my son with her. He had my eyes, and Lady Death's black hair, and he looked like a handsome thirty year old man. I took him in for a moment, then he shyly said "Hi, Dad."
"Why do I feel like I'd totally call you Tarts?" I said.
He jumped into my arms, and said "That's what you always called me, Dad. It's been so long. I missed you. But we couldn't keep you with us while a past you was alive, and it has been so long. It's so good to see you again."
"It's good to see you for the first time." I said, hugging him tightly, somehow, he just seemed like he was totally my kid.
"Wait!" He said "Who's your oldest child now? Me, or Sexi? Like, I'm older than her by millennia, but you made her first in your life!"
"Yup, he's your kid all right." Shuri said "Only your kid would get lost in that tangent."
But I wasn't listening to her, I was thinking. "Ehh, Tarts, I don't really know. This is so confusing. Time travel always is, isn't it? But I mean, it doesn't make a huge difference, really. Cuz if we're talking about who's the oldest by who I met first, Sexi's older by a couple of weeks. I'm just going to not think about it too much, and say that you're my oldest son, and Sexi's my oldest daughter."
"That's totally easier to think, and say." Both Sexi and Tartarus said, and we all laughed, then Tartarus said "But if we're talking about time, then Sexi's not the oldest daughter. Ugh, this shit confusing for real."
I quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "Who's older than her timewise other than you?"
"Oh, you haven't gone back in time with the Goblin yet, have you? Then I guess I can't tell you, just go with Norman, and come back, and meet your kids again."
"What? The? Fuck? Do I have grandkids currently alive, and are they from you?" I asked.
"Yes, you do have grandkids." Tartarus and Death both said, then Tartarus said "But they're not from me, I haven't even lost my virginity yet."
"You have siblings? Where are they? Was I a bad father to them? How did you live a millennia without losing your v card?"
Death rolled her eyes. "No, Tarts doesn't have any siblings. You said we wouldn't have more kids till you came back to life. So we didn't. But you go back in time with the Goblin, and you meet this woman then, and you guys knock it off, and the nuts and bolts tell a very long story."
"Ok, how long? I feel like y'all are asking me to ask you questions." I said.
"Like six mansions filled with your progeny from one person long." Death and Tartarus both said.
"Yo, what the fuck!" AJ said "How is that woman even alive? How is Peter even alive after that much? I'm just gonna say, Pete, bro, you got some stamina."
"Dude, I don't even know what to think, or what to not! Like, should I be proud of that stamina, or should I just shake my head at how much time I wasted."
"I think it only makes sense that you have that stamina." Tony said "Like you're hot enough that you're attracting the most dangerous women in the universe, so you better have stamina with that. But how many grandkids does he have?"
Tartarus said "More than a hundred, I don't know the exact number."
"I'm just gon' say, what the fuck!?" Tess said, after a moment of silence. "I'm a great aunt to more than a hundred kids!?"
"How about we ignore the future, or the past, from mine and Tartarus' perspective." Death said. "We're in the now, let's stay in it."
"Let me just tell you something, before we forget the past." Tartarus said. "Dad, you know Knowhere?"
"Yes, what about it?" I asked, confusedly.
"Can you give us an analysis of it, and its history?" Tartarus asked, and Death was rolling her eyes amusedly.
"It's the head of a celestial, that serves, and has always served as the universe's general knowledge bartering base/planet." I said, my confusion not cleared.
"Where did the head come from?" Tartarus asked.
"It comes from the beginning of time, it was Knull's first... Kill...." My voice petered out as I understood what he was trying to tell me.
"You're telling me that my son's body will be used as a planet?" Aunt May asked.
"How do I get the powers of a Celestial? That's what I'm worried about. But I will not worry, I will let time roll as it wills." I concluded.
"Yeah, I know." Tartarus said "I just had to say it, I always found it very amusing, that you would become one of the greatest places in the world, a Legend, truly."
"Oh, Knowhere is totally under my express protection." I said. "No one is mutilating, or touching it with their weapons."
"You have two heads, as of now." Shuri said. Bruh.
"Let me tell you, Dad." Tartarus said. "Don't fight Knull until you die at his hands. Use that power, from your death, and return. Use the rage. You don't have the rage yet, the rage I remember you had at Knull. You never let it control you, but it was there. And I want you to get your vengeance. That's who you are."
"I was never planning any less." I said "Far be it from me to deny future me his vengeance. Karma will not strike, until the first strike is sent."
"Well thought out, Legend." Death said, and she hugged me tightly. Somehow it just felt normal, so I hugged her back. She rested her head on my shoulder, and said "It's been a while."
"I'd guess so." I said "Not to overstep, but why aren't you a skeleton? I thought you would look like a skeleton, that's how you looked in the comics."
"Ahh. The glorious comics, where a good amount of your knowledge comes from, amirite?" She looked at me with a smile, and I shrugged back with a sheepish smile. "You're actually the one who fixed that. Every time someone died, I would have gotten thinner. But you stopped that, with a spell, that had your soul down for the count for years, I was worried. That was when I realized I actually had feelings towards you. When I tended to your body, and took care of it, and I refused to let you stay with me for good. But it all worked out in the end, and we had Tarts."
"Not to break the sweet moment," Sexi said "But the Captain will awaken in three hours, you have to recruit your Captain, now."
"I remember this story!" Both Tartarus and Death said, and I laughed. "I'd guess you do." I said, suiting up. "Agents, let's go, we're going to Washington."
Me and the Agents jetted to Washington, having an altercation with several SHIELD agents in the middle of the flight. We arrived at the university where Sam taught, and I said "You guys are here for when SHIELD attacks, until then, stay to the shadows."
They nodded, and assimilated themselves into the shadows, activating their cloaking as well. I leaned against the wall, and waited for Sam to exit. A minute later, he did, and he looked at me, and said "I don't have the wings, the army took it. But if I had them, I would totally give them to you."
I winked "I don't need those wings, Sam. I can make wings so much better, and I made wings so much better. I need the man behind the wings."
"I'm not flying again, bro. I lost a friend to the skies, and I'm not flying again."
"I need your help, Sam. What about AJ, what about Cass? Riley was shot down, I get it. I lost my whole family, Sam. But now, I have a new family, a family of freakshows that all love each other. I lost them all, they were all ripped away from me. But you wanna know something I learned in my time, Sam? I learnt that when you have the powers, or skills, that we do, and you don't use them, and people die, that's your fault."
He sighed. "I get it, I really do. But what happens to AJ, or Cass? What if I'm shot out of the sky this time? I want to help you, in fact, I've been missing my wings. But what about my family? Can you promise me that you will keep them safe? To the best of your ability? I know you have friends in high places, you're fighting SHIELD. If you can keep 'em safe, I'm down."
I pressed a button on my wristpad, and said "Hidden security is being installed outside and inside your family's house by my nanobots as we speak. There are only cameras outside, your privacy is being honored. When you see your family again, giving them these watches, and tell them it's for their protection. The watches are also good looking, not gon' lie." I handed him three watches, and he took them. "Where's my wings?" He said, taking his blazer off.
"Right here." I handed him a watch with the wings' design as the bands, and he looked at me with a quirked eyebrow. "What? I thought it would look cool if I added the features of the wings to your watch."
"That has my wings?" He asked incredulously. "How good are you at your stuff?" He asked, tightening the band onto his arm.
"Real good." I said. "C'mon, spread your wings, you'll love them, trust me."
"How do I even activate my suit? Buddy this don't got a manual."
"Open your watch, and there will be a logo of wings. Just press that for three seconds, and you're set. It won't work for anyone else after this, it's locked to your fingerprint."
He activated his suit, and said "Woah! The wings are so big! And they're red! And they look like a falcon's wings! Badass!" He shot up into the sky, and I jetted up, catching up to him. He curled his wings somewhat, so he could slow down, and look at me. "This feels awesome! Thanks man!"
"No problem! And the wings are adamantium, so nothing can go through them. You're safe, Sam. You're going to go back to your family, if I have anything to say about it."
"You got adamantium, for little old me? How high are your friends?"
"Sam," I said "I am the friends. But I got a whole lot of friends, wait till you see the party at my place."
"You're going to take me to your place? You trusting me a little too easily, don't you think?"
"No, Sam. I'm not trusting you too easily. I know who you are. There's a multiverse, and in almost every universe, my multiversal counterparts and your counterparts are cool with each other. We're both good guys here. I'm trusting you, because I know I can."
"Nice to know I have an arm I can expect help from in battle."
"It's my job, Sam."
Then I saw two Helicarriers in the distance, and I said "Would you look at that!? The world loves me to an extent, and SHIELD hates me! Wanna have some fun, Sam?"
"Why not? I'm totally doing this, it'll be fun. But what do you plan to do with SHIELD? I know you don't plan to destroy them, and that's good. After all, they aren't all bad."
"I have an agent that was up top in the organization, that left, when she saw Fury's insistence to take me down, even though I was in the right. She left, and came to me, and is at my place. I plan on giving her the position."
"Good, the world needs SHIELD to an extent, and if you trust the agent, then I'm fine."
"Thank you for trusting my judgement."
"It's not a problem. Now which Helicarrier is going down first?"
"The one at eleven o'clock."
"Copy that."
We flew towards the Helicarrier, and then we landed on the deck of the ship. Immediately we were surrounded by agents, and Falcon covered both of us with his wings and they started shooting, and said "This is awesome! It was never this easy!"
"No problem!" When there was a lull in the shooting, I said "I'm going out through under, then taking care of the agents."
"Copy that."
I punched a hole in the floor, and dropped through the hole I made. I crawled upside down the hallway I was in, and then punched the ceiling, and jumped out the hole I made. Immediately the agents switched targets, and I just walked on in my trench coated glory, my trench coat flowing with the wind. Then I stopped the bullets with my magic, and said "Bullets won't hurt me, fellas."
"We know that, so we got him." I heard Fury say from the side, and I turned to see Taskmaster next to Fury.
"Fucking awesome!" I said "This will be awesome! Let's see which man with photographic memories is better!"
"You have photographic memory as well?" Masters asked.
"Why, yes Tony, I do." He tensed at his name. "But it's not my greatest power, it's one of my third tier powers."
He threw his shield at me, and I just caught it, and ripped it into two, then dropped the pieces on the floor. "That's one of my second tier powers." I said.
He rushed at me, and started using some moves against me, which I analyzed and dodged, using my powers from Karnak to see the weaknesses in his attacks. After two minutes of dodging, he said "Enough! Let's fight for real! I'm not being paid for nothing!"
"You asked for your Karma, Masters." I said, then used his moves, but taking all the weaknesses out of the style of attack. Within moments, he was down for the count. "Is that all you got, Nickelodeon?"
I heard a growl from next to Fury, and saw the one and only Wolverine. "Logan!" I said. I connected to him via mental connection, and said "Logan, talk to me. What lies have you been told to by Nickster that the Institute is on my ass? I am not an enemy, I'm a friend, Logan."
"Are you a mutant too? How can you talk to me via mental connection?" He asked via mental connection.
"I'm the Sorcerer Superior, Logan. You don't have a chance to fight against me, and win. Mutants merely use powers found in magic, and I can use almost all of it." I said, answering his question out loud so as to not make Fury suspect anything.
"Good plan, bub. What's the move?"
"I push you off the Helicarrier, and you tell my men down there I sent you, with the code Parker."
"Ready when you are, bub."
I nodded at him, and he charged at me, and I threw him off the Helicarrier, and said "What else, Nicholas?"
"Well, your grandfather is on his way, Rogers."
"I knew that, Fury. Tell me something that I don't know."
"Well, how about Logan wasn't the only mutant we brought?"
"Who do you have? I'm not surprised, it's expected."
Then I saw three people emerge out of the shadows, I had heard their heartbeats, and I was waiting for them to reveal themselves.
"Charles Xavier, Emma Frost, and Ororo Munroe. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Charles stretched his hands my way, and he tried to read my mind, but when he failed to breach my defenses, he gave up and said "Are you a mutant?"
"Didn't you hear me explain it to Logan?"
"Magic isn't real, Karma." Ororo said.
"Oh, and mutantkind isn't real either then. I swear, what's with humans and close mindedness?"
"He is right." Emma said. "We have no proof so as to say magic isn't real, but we cannot advance on him until we know his weaknesses. Storm, you're up."
Storm started using her lightning powers on me, but I merely dodged the lighting, and then made a magnetic field around me, making her lightning not able to penetrate my field, and protecting me.
"What do you want, X-Men?" I asked. "What have I done, that you feel you need to advance on me? Don't make me read your minds, I can do that."
"How do you know of us?" Emma asked, as she turned to her crystal form, and ran at me.
"Please don't do this, Emma." I said, dodging her attacks. "I've ripped vibranium apart with my bare hands, and I can rip adamantium as well, and your diamond form has nothing on vibranium and adamantium. I don't want to hurt you, don't make me, please."
"How have you gotten such power?" Emma asks. "And if you have this power, why aren't you using it?"
"I am!" I said. "I'm using my power to gain allies, like Atlantis, and such! I will need a lot of help when the threats out of this planet, or out of this universe, come, and I need the Institute's help as well!"
"What makes you think that we would work with a member of the Brotherhood?" Storm asked, attacking me as well.
"So that's what Fury told you to get you on my ass, huh?" I said "I'm not with Magneto at all, neither will I be with him at all."
"If you're not, then why do you have his children with you?" Emma asked.
"Really?" I asked. "The children do not pay for the mistakes of the father! I saved the children from HYDRA! They don't even know who their father is yet, I haven't had a chance to tell them!"
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Charles asked.
I looked at Emma. "Would you give me permission to enter your mind?"
"You would be able to, even with my current state?" She asked.
"As I said, I am the Sorcerer Superior. It won't be difficult." I responded.
"Let's see if you are what you claim you are." Emma said, staying in her crystal state, but not attacking me anymore.
"Queen, I'm more than what I am saying." I said, then I entered her mind.
I went into her mind, and found her presence, then said "Now do you believe me? I'm here, your defenses were meager and easy to break, no offense."
"I believe you, but give me all of the truth." She said.
"You sure?" I asked "What's learnt, cannot be unlearnt."
"I'm sure."
I mentally transferred the information, telling her what I was and who I was.
When I finished, she said "I trust you, but please don't enter my mind without letting me know beforehand."
"I would never, Emma." I said, then got out of her mind.
Emma regained her bearings, then said "He is trustworthy. The world is truly at risk, and he may be the only thing between us and oblivion a million times over, should we not help him."
"I am sceptic, but I guess I shall trust you." Charles said.
At that moment, Sam came to me flying, and he stopped in front of us. "I took care of all the agents, and this Helicarrier has no agents I haven't knocked out at least once. What's the move?"
"The move, is to go to my place, with four more people than expected. But," I turned to the three of them. "you mention Magneto to his children, you're in trouble. I will tell them, now, but I'm not going to risk hurting their feelings."
Charles said "They are mutants, Karma. You have no jurisdiction."
"I'm the Savior Of The Multiverse, Charles. My jurisdiction covers the multiverse, should I say so."
"You have no right to tell me that I cannot tell the children of their lineage!"
"I do." I said sternly. "You're going to enter my house, and you have no jurisdiction in my house, if anything. I have three mutants, several mutates, and you do funny shit, and you're dead."
"We shall see, Night." Charles said "Take us to where Logan is, we need to make sure he is alright."
"He's with my men, Xavier." I made a portal, and said "Let's go through, my men will be on the other side."
We went through the portal, and we landed in the middle of some trees, then the Agents came out of the shadows, Logan with them. "Nice guys you got, bub." Logan said.
I made a portal to take us to our house, and said "They're the best. Let's go." We all went through, and Charles was last, what with his wheelchair and all. The moment he came through the portal, everyone had an arm raised, repulsors aimed, and faces covered with masks. I twirled to face him, and grabbed him by the collar, and said "I thought I warned you! I said, in very straight words, funny shit, and you're dead! And you tried to read my family's minds! This is why I don't trust you, Charles. You think that humans are inconsequential! You think that there's no problem with mind controlling your own every now and then, you see no problem with using the Cerebro all the time to find new mutants! I set it up, so that should you attempt to read their minds, guns would be aimed at you. This is your last warning, X-Man. I am of the strongest people on Earth, don't test my kindness, you won't live my anger, Doom didn't, and he was stronger than you. Are we clear?"
"Who are you to tell me what I am to do, and what not to do?" He challenged. "You haven't done anything to gain our trust, just gain mistrust."
"On the contrary, Charles, he has." Emma said "I trust him, he could just as well be the strongest person in the universe, and it is a big place."
Then Tartarus appeared next to me, and said to Charles "You have not earned my father's trust, and you will never truly earn it, but my father is trusting you anyway. Don't test the anger of one who has been through all time, mortal. You're challenging one who has killed the Evil Gods Of The Beginning Of Time with his bare hands, don't do something you will regret."
Namor walked up to us. "Charles, I am a mutant as well, and let me tell you, we have no jurisdiction, when Spider is here. He is our king, we all kneel to him."
"The King Of Atlantis kneels to another man!?" Charles asked. "What do you get out of using your mind control to this extent, Vengeance?"
All of a sudden, red magic surrounded him, and I looked back, and saw Wanda using her magic "Uncle, should you suggest anything again, you will never see my father again."
"So you were able to get that part from the memories you saw." I said. "Well done, Red. I knew you would be able to, but I was going to tell you tonight anyways."
She glowed at the praise, then turned to look at Charles, and glared at him "Are you clear with Karma, Charles?"
"Yes, we are." He said, and me and Wanda both let him go. Then I made a portal under him, and I safely landed his wheelchair at the front of the Institute.
I turned around to face the others "I'm not trusting him with my family yet, but I needed him to cower a little bit, for when Jean's powers activate."
"Plan for everything, right?" Shuri said sarcastically. "I swear, when can we not be surprised by your crazy planning, that just works out perfectly!
"When there is no more planning to do, which is impossible." I said "The world will always spit out threats, and it's up to the kings, and those responsible for the people, to be ready."
"Introductions, Everyone!" Sexi said "We got the Falcon, Sam Wilson. Y'all can see his badass wings, so it's self explanatory."
"You took my thing away, sunshine." I said while smiling. "Let's see how well you do, you're doing all the introductions today, hun."
"Thanks, Dad!" Sexi said, to no one's surprise. I had revealed that I had a daughter the other day. "I've always wanted to do this part!"
"Well then, get along with it, hun!" I said "Everyone is waiting on you, and it'll get awkward if you don't give the introductions!"
"Stop playing around with me like that, Dad." She said, waggling her finger at me. Then she turned to the crowd, and took out Logan. "This is James Howlette, y'all, but call him Logan. He no longer goes by his old name. Mutant, has adamantium claws, how about you show them, Logan?" Logan bared his claws, and Sexi nodded. "Dad could rip them with his bare hands, but that's besides the point. His moniker is Wolverine, and he loves his beer. Take a seat, Logan."
Logan took a seat hesitantly, and I smiled. She did something big there, casually mentioning my ability to rip adamantium, and I was proud of her.
"Next up," Sexi said, pulling Storm out. "Ororo Munroe, moniker Storm. She's an Omega level mutant, and she has weather manipulation powers, simple yet powerful."
"Next, we've got the most powerful amongst the bunch. Emma Frost, AKA The White Queen, among many other monikers, all badass. She's a telepath, and one of the best. She can assume a diamond form, giving her durability, and strength, enough to match a typical super soldier."
After a moment, Sexi turned to me, and said "Dad, the Captain has been awakened, and been given his mission, to take you down. Does this mean what I think it means?"
"Yes, it does." I said. "Tomorrow, I will go on patrol, and reveal in my fight against the Captain, that I have no intention to destroy SHIELD, the world needs it to an extent. After that, the skirmish against SHIELD will come to a close."
Chapter 25: Karma Is Merely A Form Of Luck
The next day, we went to school, and the first few periods went by smoothly. I headed to the lunch room, and saw a familiar face from my Spidey times. I went up to Jean's table, and said "Hey! You look a tad lonely! How about you join our table?"
She looked at me, and when she realized who I was, she said "Why not? Thanks for the invite!"
"It's not a problem!" I said "You're Jean Grey, right? I'm Peter Parker, but I'd guess you knew that, ever since my thing with Max."
"Yes, I'm Jean Grey, but you totally didn't know that from before you asked me if I wanted to join your table." Savage. "And yes, you're Peter Parker, and you were famous before beating Max up too, y'know. That was cleanly done by the way, nice acrobatic skills. But you're the richest underage person alive, Peter. You don't need to beat someone else to be famous."
"That's not why I did it, but I can't believe I never realized that I was famous before." I said, putting my hand to my beard, just realizing. "And thanks for the compliment, that skill is something I just practice on the side, and it's fun, honestly. I thought there would be one person or the other that was richer than me."
"You don't even know how rich you are, do you?" She said, as we sat down on our table, the others weren't here yet. "You probably don't even use your money, unless you need it. You seem like that type of guy."
"Pray tell, what convinces you that I am so?" I said, confused as to how she realized that so fast.
"You're attitude." She said simply. "You don't think you are rich, or you're above anyone else. I may have just talked to you for real for the first time now, but I've seen how Tony Stark acts, and how Elon Musk acts, and you're not acting like how they would, no offense meant to them. Look at Flash, for example. He would never have realized there was a girl sitting alone in a table, unless he lost his girlfriend, and he needed a rebound. Wait, you didn't lose a girlfriend, did you? I'm not a rebound, are I?"
I laughed. "No, it's not like that. I just thought why not? And invited you to the table. That would have been messed up, if I did that."
"That's sweet of you." Tess said, sitting down. She stretched her hand to Jean in a handshake, and said "Teresa Parker, this smartass's sister, but you knew that."
Jean shook Tess' hand "Jean Grey, yes I did. You think he's a smartass? Honestly, I wouldn't say so, he literally didn't realize he was famous before beating Max up."
"Yeah, well, he just never realized that people were looking at him before." Tess said "So he really isn't a dumbass, he's just oblivious as hell." Tess turned to me. "By the way, we got a new teacher, you should have her later on."
Why did I feel like I wouldn't like the name that I was about to ask for. Oh, because of Tess's smirk, that's why. "What's her name?"
"Natalie Rushman." Tess said breezily. "She's a real nice teacher, and the guys totally had the hots for her. She's teaching PE, and she pushed everyone to their limits."
I groaned. "Why did I see this coming from before?" I said, then added "I hate my life, she got PE specifically so that she could attempt to embarrass me, or something."
"You know this new teacher?" Jean asked. "She was real good, not gonna lie. Oh, wait! Was she your teacher in acrobatics?"
"Something like that." I said, hating my life. "She taught me a whole lot, including my knives. I just wish that she doesn't have me do stupid stuff."
"You'll love this part." Tess said. "When she caught one of the guys in the class checking her out, she said that she was already taken."
"Me and her aren't together, Tess! We just flirt with each other! And we're homies to the end of the line!" I groaned.
"Oh, and the fact that she kissed you on the cheek, and is emotionally vulnerable around you when she's usually the most closed off person alive, and checked your ass out, and talked to you about having kids, has no significance?" Tess deadpanned.
I shook my head "What's wrong with you, Tess?"
"Gotta say though, I'm not surprised." Jean said "You're a real mature dude, and I'd totally see you and that teacher get together. But how old is she?"
"Never ask a woman her age, Jean." I said "I know better than to risk us have a knife throwing match, it'll just make slits in the walls, and neither of us will win."
Then everyone else came around, and when Gwen and Liz sat next to me, Jean asked. "Wait, who are you with? I'm real confused now."
"So am I, Jean." I said "I've learned not to question the enigma that is my life, and just roll with it, I'd sincerely advise you to do the same, and not attempt to understand something that wasn't meant to be understood. I've given up on understanding my life."
"So you're a playboy, but not really, cuz you're not leaving any of them. Got it." She said.
"That's actually pretty accurate." Tess said "But he isn't a playboy, he hasn't lost his v card yet. Or has he?" She looked at me with a smirk.
Both Gwen and Liz looked at me, wanting to see how I answered the question. I sighed, and said "Tess, I swear, I don't know if I hate you more than my future killer, or not."
"That didn't answer the question, Peter." Jean said, then added "But how could you be so casual about your future killer?"
"Why are you surprised that I'm so casual about a killer, rather than the fact that I mentioned a future killer?" I asked, confused.
"Dude," Jean said "it was just revealed that SHIELD had you on their hit list. You for sure have more than one enemy, and there's only so much The Dark Knight can do, with all due respect."
"What do you think about him?" Liz asked. "Are you on SHIELD'S side, or are you on the Karmic side. Or as they say, the Light side, or the Grey side?"
"What?" I asked. "Why the Light side, and the Grey side? What's the significance? Please tell me it comes from Star wars, that's a dope way of explaining it."
"It is!" Ned said "Bro, it's so crazy. I know you don't do this stuff, what with managing your company and all, but there are forums dedicated to Karmic justice, and the Grey side!"
"That's so accurate!" I said "Light side is SHIELD, and Fury is their Yoda! They're not necessarily bad, but with the wrong motivation, they can be more dangerous than the dark side itself! And HYDRA is the dark side! And Karma is the Grey!"
"Fellow Star Wars fans!" Jean said, and high fived all three of us.
"Who shot first, Han or Greedo?" I said, and they all said at the same time, "Han did! Of course it was him! What type of a question is that?"
Then I heard a familiar heartbeat enter the lunchroom, and I turned to look at Nat, with a face concealing mask on, making her look different. I groaned. "I swear, what has my life come to?"
"What happened to him?" Jean asked. "One moment we were all fangirling or fanboying, and then he looks at- ohhh." She cut herself off when she saw who I was looking at.
Talia sashayed our way on purpose, then when she got to us, she looked at Gwen, and said "Just one time?" Gwen nodded, and moved a little, and Nat sat down where Gwen was.
"Please don't embarrass me too much, Talia." I pleaded.
"Oh, I wasn't planning on doing that." She said. "Just some shirtless running around the gym, that's it. Or are your abs too good for the world?"
"Yes, they are." I said "The world will take pictures, I'm a celebrity. And then my abs will be hung up on random girl's walls, which you don't want, do you?"
"Oh, good point." She said, then got up. "Fine, I won't do that, but me and you are going to spar in the gym, ok? Knives, sticks, and all."
"Fine by me." I said, shrugging. "But you think you can beat me? You know they say the student is meant to be better than the teacher, and I'm the student."
"It's been too long since I've had a good fight. I expect that you go soft on me if you're so confident, and make the fight last three hours, at least."
"Oh, you sure you'll last that long?" I said "I will knock you out at least ten times by then, and you'll still be trying to take me out that first time."
"You that confident in your stamina?" She asked. "Guess you've earned the confidence, so we will see. Knives, guns, no holding back."
"Then I have to be hard on you, make it twenty knock outs." I said. "I'm not only good, I have youth on my side, and you're going to be limping when we get out of the gym."
"We will see, Peter. Now I got to go. Make sure you don't waste your glorious stamina, I want all of it."
"You're the boss, Talia. But I'm sure you won't be able to last, just you wait. Can't wait, this'll be fun. Till later, Talia."
"Always getting the last word, huh? Why you'll always come out on top. You better make sure that ass of yours doesn't get any fat. Till later, Peter."
She turned and left, swinging her hips slightly, so it would be hidden to anyone who didn't have enhanced senses. I looked for a second, then shook my head, and turned back to face the group.
"The amount of innuendos in that conversation, Good Lord." Jean said. "You're definitely losing your v card tonight."
"I don't think we're sparring tonight, but even if we were, I don't think I would lose it. I'm confident we were just flirting, and not being serious."
"That would be believable, if you guys didn't totally know what my second niece's name would be. What was it again, Pete?" Tess asked.
"We're bringing that up, Tess?" I said "Just because you know my future daughter's name doesn't mean you have to whisper it to me whenever I talk to Talia."
"The place where I lost y'all," Jean said "is where Tess mentioned something about second niece. Where's your oldest daughter?"
"I'm right here." Sexi said from our watches. "Hi, Miss Grey, I'm Karen SEXI Parker. SEXI stands for Superior Engineered Xquisite Intelligence."
"And we finally see his smarts, as another display of his skills, one amongst many, some of the others being flirting, loving, acrobatics, fighting, among many others." Jean said.
I rolled my eyes. "Now how exactly did we even get to this conversation? Oh, yeah! What do you think about Karma, Jean?"
"Hmm." She said, thinking. "I think, that he is honestly a good man. He may kill a person or two, or even more, he may be dark, doing what that kid suggested, but he has the people at heart. Not him, not his ego, not power, not control, just us, the people. I think that he is better than what they say Captain America was, or anyone else. His darkness, is something required. If he didn't have that, then we wouldn't be safe. If he didn't kill, then each time his enemies returned." She shook her head, and said "Let's not think about the carnage that would eventually overcome the world. But I will say, in the end, we're safer with him around, way safer than when we didn't have him around. Like, what if SHIELD used the list? But that's all I will say."
I nodded my head soberly, and said "My sentiments exactly. I will say, if that was Sexi in danger, I would kill anyone between me and her safety. And I know he thinks the same."
Then the bell rung, and we all got up, and headed to our classes.
I finished my classes smoothly, my PE class didn't go too bad, thankfully. Nat didn't try to embarrass me too much, but she said that we would spar, and I said that I was looking forward to it. I finished classes, and me and Tess headed home, after I promised that I would pick Gwen, Liz, Ned, and Betty from their houses in the McLaren tomorrow for school.
We got home, and I opened the door, to see Natasha standing there, in her suit. "So we're sparring now?" I asked. "I have to go patrol first, and fight the Captain."
"That's what we're going to do." She said "The Captain is definitely not their only weapon, and we're not taking any risks. It was decided that I would be the one to join you."
"Fine." I sighed. "But if it's between me and you, you're leaving. I'm not taking any risks either, and I know you don't trust me with my own life, so I'm letting you, but I can't risk any of you. Clear?"
"No, Peter." She said. "I can't risk you either. I'm not going to come back home, without you. We still have to meet Melina for real, and we still have to spar. We're together, whatever it takes."
"Natasha." I said, going up to her, and hugging her. She leaned into me, hugging me back. "It's going to be all right, Talia. You can't use my line, what was that?"
"It's not going to be all right, Spider." She said in Russian. "It won't, if I come back without you. I'm stealing your line, if it means you understand what I'm saying."
"Talia, look at me." She looked up at me, and I said, in Russian "It's going to be all right. I will come back, and we will see your family, and we will meet our children. Stay safe, Talia."
"I can't leave you, Peter. I can't do that, you can't expect me to, please. You gave me a new life, a chance to be a mother. Us spiders stick to each other, till the end of our lives."
I touched her forehead with mine. "I know you won't keep your promise, but just pretend for me, please. Just promise me, that you'll go back, when shit hits the fan, please."
"I promise you, a promise that I'll break," she laughed, a beautiful laugh, "that if shit hits the fan, I will leave you alone, to fend for yourself, I totally will."
I laughed, and said "What happened to the super spy, the spy-der, where's she? She used to be able to tell convincing lies."
"She got her soul patched up, Peter. Now she's even more dangerous, and she will lie convincingly, when she needs to. And she loves someone, a lot."
"I knew that before I met her." I said, smiling. "I met her brother before I met her, I knew she loved him, that's why he was her brother."
"Just shut up, and stop being a dork, and kiss me." She said. I kissed her, and ripped my legs out of the fake skin, and hugged her with them, picking her up. She put her legs around me, and kissed me even harder, her hair around my face. We were kissing for a long time, when we parted, and then we heard clapping behind us. Both of our eyes widened, then we rolled them slightly, knowing that it was Tess.
I put Talia down, and turned to face Tess, and Tess said "How were y'all breathing? Like I get Peter, but Nat isn't an enhanced. I timed it, it was ten minutes!"
"Spy-ders don't share their secrets, Tess." Nat said. "And we could have done longer, but we parted. Don't bother how, just know it."
I took Nat by the hand, and said "We need to get out of here, we have a job to do, then we can come back, and have our sparring match."
"Good point." Talia said, then faced Tess, and said "Till later, Tess."
We had been swinging around for twenty minutes, saving a couple of people from cars, and one sweet toddler boy who nearly got run over by a car. We took him to his dad, and the dad took him, and hugged his son tightly, then said "Thank you, Karma. I hope you have luck, and I think I can say for all the other fathers in the world that we are depending on you, and we're trusting you with all of our lives, and always will. Thank you, Karma."
"Thank you." I said. "If I don't have the people depending on me, and trusting me, and if I can't save you even with all I do, then there's no point. It's an honor, sir."
"The honor's all mine." He said, and I nodded, and me and Talia swung away.
After fourty minutes total of saving people, there was a lull, so we sat on a rooftop, near Queens. "Y'know, Talia. I'm afraid. What type of a world will we bring Melina into?" I said.
"Me too." She said "Will she grow up, with her mother not being at home, because she's on a mission? I don't know, but that doesn't mean I will stop, I want to meet my daughter, it means the world to me, and I will second guess it every step of the way, but I will go through with it, and I know you will too, that's why you are thinking about this stuff too. We're both scared, it's how we were taught. I don't know, Spider. We won't know, until we do."
I nodded, and said "Yeah. They always say that I am a good dad, but I don't know. Look at me, I'm going to fight my grandfather, instead of bringing him home to meet my daughter."
"The things we do in the name of humanity." She said softly. "The things we do, and will do, and have done. Never to forget, never to forgive."
"Did they tell you about Reed?" I asked, and when she nodded, I continued "I won't ever undo what I did, for humanity, for the multiverse. The only true threat to us, is us."
"Precisely." She said "We don't regret, we wish that we could. That our soul opened a little more, that we could feel. The life we were given, that we will never leave, for the world."
Then I heard the Helicarrier's hum in the distance, so I said "Humanity needs us once more, Talia. I wish it didn't."
We stood up. "This is our life, the life we have chosen, because we know no other, or won't live any other." She said.
I nodded, and we headed to battle.
We were standing in the Times Square, evacuating everyone from being near to us, telling them they could stay at a distance, and Captain Stacy arrived, and put barricades around the area, along with the other Captains of the NYPD. We just finished, when the Helicarrier arrived.
"Our guests have arrived." I said, and the Captains nodded. I guess that with the whole thing about their kids being in danger, they were trusting me.
A ship came out of the Helicarrier, and when it landed, two people emerged. One was Captain America, and the other was Fury. "Hello, Control Freak! And man out of time, hello to you too." I said.
"Karma." Fury said.
I looked at both of them in confusion, then started laughing. "What's so funny, Karma?" Fury asked.
"Oh, god, no way." I said, barely managing to breathe. "You didn't tell him who I was to him, did you, Fury? Only proves my point, Nickelodeon."
"He told me how you were aiming at controlling the world, through your allies, which you already have several of, and that SHIELD was the only thing between you and control." Rogers said.
"This is too good," I said, laughing even more at his speech. "Rogers, I'm your grandson. And it's the other way around, I'm the only thing between Fury and world domination. Keep in mind Rogers, SHIELD isn't bad, Fury is. I don't intend to destroy SHIELD, I intend to destroy Fury's version of SHIELD. My grandmother, your lover, Peggy Carter, founded SHIELD, and Fury has soiled her legacy. I wish to put someone trustworthy in his place, who won't gun kids down."
"There's a way to do that, son." Rogers said "There are laws to go through, and procedures for that, if there was a problem. The law is there, to make sure we don't get out of hand. This is not the way to do things, son. What will you get out of this?"
I laughed darkly. "The assurance that no one loses their parents to a killer, like I did, Rogers. You're working with the killer of your own child, Rogers. I don't know about you guys," I said, gesturing to the crowd, and the news helicopters, "but I think that is straight up bad.
A mumble of agreement rose from the crowd, and I said "See! The Captain's own people, the people he is fighting for, supposedly, agrees with me! They know how messed up that is."
"Son," Rogers was fuming now. "If you have a grievance against the Director, there are ways to go about it. You're putting US citizens in danger, and I can't allow that. You say you're my grandson, yet you hide behind your mask, like a coward. I wouldn't think anyone like that would be from my lineage."
"Rogers," I said angrily "I'm wearing this mask, using this tech, to ensure that whatever of my family that is left, that hasn't been killed by your owner, stays alive, instead of going to the guillotine. If anything, you're the disgrace, licking Fury's shoes, like a lapdog. Can you tell me that you saw my grandmother, before coming here? I can't see her, because Fury has SHIELD agents all around, so he knows when I visit her. I will visit her, when the agents are removed. But you, you can go see your lover. Did you?"
"We aren't here to talk about personal matters, Karma." Rogers said. "If you were truly an honorable man, you would go through the due process, you would honor my name. -"
"Ohhh, because the name of a man who will not even seek vengeance, or at least justice, for his killed child is totally a name filled with honor." I started clapping my hands. "I couldn't hear you over all the bull, Rogers. Care to tell me some real life stuff, that I can benefit from for real, Grandpa?"
"How about following law and order, Karma?" He shot back, seething.
I laughed as dark as the dark dimensions themselves. "It was always about Bucky, wasn't it?" He looked at me in confusion, and I said "Sorry, not sorry. Let me explain. I've been through the multiverse, and in billions of universes, you went against the law, and beat a good man so much, he nearly died, and you beat him up because it was revealed to said good man, that Bucky killed his parents. And you knew that from before, and you kept it a secret from him. And let me tell you, me and Bucky, we told this good man, that his parents were killed by your friend, instead of keeping it a secret, and no one fought. The only one Buck was truly in danger from, was yourself. In billions of universes," my voice was rising high "you beat a good man to damnation, because you made a mistake by keeping the wrong secrets, and you didn't want to admit it! In billions of universes, you never died at his hands that day, he just let you beat him, he wouldn't beat his friend up, when he could have! And he would have been in the right for that! But there is not even one universe, where he kills you, or gives you a lethal injury, or even a major injury! BUT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF UNIVERSES, WHERE YOU KILL TONY STARK, MY BROTHER IN ARMS, WITH YOUR BARE HANDS, AND HE HAS A SUIT OF TITANIUM GOLD ALLOY, AND WEAPONS THAT COULD KILL YOU, AND LEAVE NO BODY, AND HE DIDN'T EVEN HURT YOU! BUT YOU KILLED HIM! IN COLD BLOOD! THE ONLY THREAT BUCKY TRULY WAS IN DANGER FROM," I lowered my voice dangerously "The only threat he was truly in danger from, was you. You killed a good man, because you made a mistake, and your ego that should have stayed in the past, wouldn't admit it. You killed my brother, for no -"
"ENOUGH!!" Rogers said. "STOP TELLING ME LIES! NO CHILD OF MINE WOULD BE THIS DISRESPECTFUL! BUCKY WAS NEVER IN DANGER FROM ME! I WOULDN'T KILL A SOUL WITHOUT A REASON!" He threw his shield at me, and I caught it.
"Oh, but you killed him for a reason, Rogers." I said, then I put the shield on my back "This'll go to a man who truly deserves it. You killed my friend, my brother, because you failed him, and you didn't want to admit it. You attacked him, knowing he wouldn't fight you back, and you beat him to his death. And Bucky was in danger from you, my proof is the fact that Tony and Bucky are probably sitting in the same room right now, watching this unfold. They are not attacking each other, and they won't, they are allies. And I am your progeny, Rogers. You want proof, how about I deactivate my lenses, and look you in the eyes, and you'll see traces of your own in them, how about that? And no cameras will be able to catch my eyes, I'm not risking the people who were your family, or would have been. What do you say, Rogers? Will you look Karma in the eye, and see your own there?"
"I will entertain your fantasies, Karma, because that's all it is." Rogers said "You wish you came from me, you wish you had the power of a super soldier."
"On the contrary, Rogers." I said "I have power that makes the super soldiers seem weak, like bugs." I pressed a button on my wristpad, and then walked up to Rogers, and would have been breathing into his face, if it hadn't been for my mask. I pressed a button on my neck, and my lenses deactivated, and my eyes looked into his. He looked at them for a second, then his eyes widened. "Surprised that I'm telling the truth, Grandpa?" I said, then pressed the button on my neck again, and my lenses activated, then I said "Go to hell, Rogers."
I punched him, and he staggered, and then he said "It can't be. You can't be from me. It can't be."
"Oh, but it is." I said, then I turned to Fury. "This the show you were expecting to watch, Nickelodeon? What else were you expecting?"
"I didn't expect you to fight your grandfather, I expected you to let him beat you to a pulp." He said "But that devil thing, and that dark thing, weren't the only things the magicians brought."
I tilted my head dangerously, and said "I didn't expect so. And thank you, for confirming my suspicion, and for calling Mordo and Kaecillius magicians, they lost their true titles."
"Oh, it's not a problem." He said. "But I think you might want to know who you will fight next."
"It's fine, I think I'll figure it out sooner or later."
"Very well then." He said, then cupped his hand to his mouth "MORLUN!" He called out.
I immediately made magical shields around me, and said "NATASHA GET OUT! EVERYONE, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN BEAT HIM! I'M SORRY!" I looked up, and saw Morlun jumping out of the Helicarrier, and landing on the street, making a crater on the concrete. I looked to my left, to see Talia still there, getting ready for a fight. "NO! YOU'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE! I'M NOT LETTING YOU!" I made a portal under her, and she almost fell into it, but she jumped away just in time.
"I can't let you go!" She screamed at me. "Together!" She ran at Morlun, and I saw him bare his fangs, smiling to himself, while getting ready.
"NOO!" I screamed, and webbed to her, and tried to stop her, but we were too close to Morlun for me to focus on her rather than him.
I punched him hard on the face, and he rubbed it, then said "That hurt more than any other punch from Peter, you truly are the greatest of all of them, but not enough to defeat me."
"I know that!" I said, as I ran, and caught Nat, then deposited her at the farthest end of the Times Square. "It doesn't matter! None of it does!" I said, running all around him at my fastest, punching him with all my legs and arms, with him unable to see the punches before they came, and I was using all the skill I had. "All that matters! Is that my family is safe! My people! Whatever it takes! You know us Peters, you know what I'm saying, you've killed enough of me to know!"
I was just doing my best, going so fast, time basically stopped for me, everything was still, in the same position, while I just continued to punch Morlun, giving it my all. The only things moving in my eyes, were me, and Morlun, when I punched him. After several hundred punches, he said "ENOUGH!" And grabbed me by the legs, and he was holding me by my spider legs, right at the end, breaking them, and I screamed from the pain. He opened his mouth, getting ready to suck my energy, when I heard a scream from right next to me.
"No!" I heard Talia scream, and she punched Morlun in the stomach, then he used his free hand to grab her, and he said "Peter, is this one of your women? How about I eat her first?" He focused on her, and started sucking her energy, and she was screaming, and I screamed "NOOOOOOO!!!!" And I stopped time, and I punched Morlun, so hard, he flew away, Nat dropping out of his hands, but my legs ripping out of my body, and I screamed from the pain, and blood was dripping into my suit, from where my legs were. I pushed through the pain, and said "Sexi, tell everyone I love them, I'm going to go back in time the moment I nearly take him out, I won't live, so I have to fulfill my destiny. Love you, sunshine. Wish we could spend longer with each other, but Karen, Sexi, this was my destiny. Love you, to every sun, and back. To Knowhere, and back."
"Dad! No! Please don't!" Her voice screamed into my ears, from everywhere, but I shook my head.
"This is for you, sunshine." I said, then I used whatever I had left, to run at Morlun, and I grabbed his neck, and was trying to break it, but it was stronger than most, so I was basically only choking him. He coughed, and grabbed my human legs, and ripped them off. I screamed, and said "WE'RE GOING DOWN TOGETHER! THIS ONE TIME! ME AND YOU, MORLUN! AND IM USING MY MAGIC, SO YOUR SOUL WILL GO! FOR GOOD!"
He grabbed at my hands, and was trying to wrestle them off, but he couldn't, he was too weak. I was struggling too, the pain was practically unbearable, but I was ignoring it, and just using whatever I could to hold his neck. I was using the time stone too, but he was multiversal, so the stone could only slow him down. Eventually, he was too weak to struggle against me, and I screamed as I used all I had to pull his head off, and the moment it was off, I fell to the floor, with nothing left of me but my torso, and I sobbed softly, and said "Sorry, Sexi. Sorry, Tarts. I wish I could have stayed longer with both of you, but Karma Is merely a form of luck, it turns against you one day."
I looked at Nat, and saw that she was bleeding out, and could possibly die. I shot a web at her, and pulled towards her, and when I made it to her, I injected my blood into her, and said "Sexi, inject Logan's blood into her later on, please. I'm sorry."
I started using the Time Stone, and as it was gathering energy, I heard Sexi say "Dad! No! You're not ready! You have to die against Thanos!"
"That's what I wanted me to think, Sexi. Sorry, Sexi. Tarts, I love you, and I will see all of you again."
The Time Stone was ready, and I blanked out, as if I was never there.
I found myself in the beginning of times, and I knew what I had to do first.
I had to collect one of the Celestial's blood.
Whatever it takes.