81: Confrontation
In New York, Stark Tower.
"The meeting will be in an hour, right at the old Glenwood power plant in Yonkers," Matt pointed out, reminding everyone why they were there.
"I've heard about that place, they call it the gates of hell," Peter said without thinking, recalling how some kids in his class bragged to everyone about having visited the old abandoned plant at night.
"To me, it looks more like the gates of the dump," Tony scoffed with disdain before making a few hand gestures, a command that caused a complete three-dimensional map of the area to be projected onto the conference table.
"I'm surprised it's still standing after Graviton's attack, you'd think it would be one of the first buildings to go flying," Natasha commented as she looked at the images.
"The important thing is that it's an almost isolated location, it has the Hudson River next to it, but also a train station, as well as some apartment buildings. If there's a fight, we need to focus on avoiding populated areas; the JFK Marina park next door isn't very big, but it looks like a good place to take the fight before having to go to the river," Daniel said, looking at the map of the area with narrowed eyes.
"You're assuming there'll be a fight, but with all of us together it'll be more like a one-sided beating. It doesn't matter if it's a trap or an ambush, it'll all be over pretty quickly in my opinion." Tony interrupted, brushing off any concern.
For the billionaire, there was no real danger here; he even thought it was quite exaggerated for all of them to arrive together, and the only reason he was also participating was because of the apparent connection with the Ten Rings in the matter, nothing more and nothing less.
"Underestimating your enemy is the first step toward sowing your downfall," Matt said, 'looking' at him, and although Tony couldn't see his expression because of the mask he was wearing, he could feel when someone thought he was stupid.
"It's not underestimation, it's a fact. In case you haven't noticed, we've got the guy who bench-presses mountains on our team, and more importantly, you've got me, super genius, super billionaire, and super handsome." Tony listed, raising one finger for each super.
"And super conceited," Matt finished for him, bursting his bubble of haughtiness.
Tony frowned, but before they could start arguing, Daniel interrupted them.
"Enough. Overestimation or not, the truth is we know nothing about the other side, not even whether they're really an enemy, but even so we must be prepared. Remember that if things get out of control, it won't be just our lives at stake." He said, looking at each of them seriously, his eyes lingering longer on Tony until the man nodded begrudgingly.
From the side, Natasha took note. Technically she was not a member of this 'team', which officially was still made up only of Daniel and Tony, but as the direct liaison between them and Shield, it was her duty to pay attention not only to their dynamic, but also to their tensions and the potential conflicts that could arise from them and, if necessary, intervene.
"So, how will we get in? I mean, are we just going to show up and knock on the door?" Before any kind of silence could form, Peter asked the question that had been on his mind since he found out where they were going.
The plant wasn't exactly surrounded by much; anyone already inside could easily see several people approaching together, even more so given how particularly eye-catching all of them were dressed.
"That's a good idea, they want to see me, so I'll arrive head-on. Whoever's there will focus all their attention on me, and while that happens you can come in from the sides stealthily and hide until it's necessary," Daniel proposed.
"Being stealthy is one of my specialties," Peter nodded, straightening his posture, quite confident in his ability to get in without anyone noticing.
"I'll go with you," Matt intervened, not as a request. He didn't show it outwardly, but at that moment he was quite upset, or rather, he had been quite upset, ever since the moment he found that letter in his apartment.
His feelings were fairly complex, and he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully until he knew how many people knew who he really was, because that didn't just put him in danger, but also everyone around him.
The firmness in his voice made it clear he wouldn't accept no for an answer. Daniel watched him silently for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Fine, you're coming with me."
"That sounds like a great plan to me, it just has one small problem. In case you haven't noticed, my armor isn't exactly the most discreet thing out there." It was then that Tony rejoined the conversation, pointing out the obvious.
"Wow! We hadn't noticed at all," Daniel replied, putting on a surprised expression.
Tony rolled his eyes at the poor performance.
"So? You're not expecting me to sit on the bench, right? Because that's not my style."
"Maybe you'll want to make a note of that for the next suit. I mean, the greatest genius in the world will surely find a way to be discreet when necessary, right?" Daniel advised, though not without mocking him a little.
"I don't think that word is in his dictionary," Natasha added at that moment, making Peter let out a small laugh, which earned him a very unhappy look from Tony.
"For your information, I can be quite discreet when I want to, thank you."
He said it with confidence, but no one at the table seemed to believe him.
"Either way, I'm not planning on leaving you behind, but you'll be our backup. If things go bad, you go in and blow everything to pieces. What do you think?" Daniel suggested.
"In short, I'll be the nuclear option. Sounds good, although technically I'll still be riding the bench," Tony concluded, not very satisfied.
"Uh, maybe I could help with that?" Peter, who had been hesitating over whether or not he should say it, finally decided to speak up, raising his hand and drawing everyone's attention to him.
That made him a bit nervous. In fact, he had been quite nervous ever since he entered the building and had to use all his willpower to hold himself back from asking questions and starting to babble nonstop about every technological marvel in the place.
Seriously, he really wanted to ask about everything, but he told himself he needed to prove he could be professional. He was on a mission with real superheroes. Sure, maybe he technically counted as one now too, but stopping small-time crooks and taking part in a fight against a terrorist organization with ninjas and super-soldiers with fire powers were very different things—major leagues, so to speak. It still felt pretty surreal even thinking about it, but no matter what, he didn't want to mess it up.
"If we go together, I could hide the armor with my powers," he clarified, placing his hand on the table and activating his camouflage ability. In an instant, his figure became invisible, including the entire table, making Tony and Natasha raise their eyebrows in surprise.
Only Matt remained unfazed, while Daniel, although surprised, wasn't quite as much so, since he remembered that there was a Spider-Man capable of turning invisible, though in his memories that Spider-Man wasn't Peter, and he also couldn't extend that 'invisibility' to large objects.
That was a trick Peter had learned recently.
At first, he thought his camouflage only worked to hide himself, but given that he could also hide anything he wore or carried, why wouldn't he be able to do the same with other objects? Was there some kind of limitation, perhaps of size or proximity?
Those questions needed answers, so he went looking for them.
In short, yes, there was a proximity limitation. Anything he wanted to affect with his power had to be at least half a centimeter away from touching his body, something he discovered by being able to camouflage objects even while wearing gloves.
As for the size of the object, that was where things got interesting, because the limit seemed to lie in his concentration.
If moving while camouflaging only himself already required doing so carefully, restricting his movement speed to a certain extent, then doing it while carrying something larger than himself increased that difficulty proportionally.
So far, his limit was lifting two full garbage containers at the same time and camouflaging them, moving with them at the running pace of an average adult, and he could only maintain that state for five minutes. If he stayed still, the time could go up to half an hour, but that meant not moving at all.
Peter theorized that with practice he might even be able to go beyond that limit, but for now it was still just speculation, more of a feeling than something he could prove—at least not until he had more time to practice with his powers.
"What other powers did you say you had?" Tony asked, now much more interested in the kid in spandex.
"Let's leave that discussion for later. Do you think you can do that while you're both moving?" Daniel asked, focusing on what mattered.
"I don't know about both of us, but if I carry him there's no problem. The armor must weigh around 100 kilos, right? I can handle that and move fast enough to get in without anyone noticing. Once we're inside, I can keep the camouflage on both of us for at least 30 minutes."
"120 to be precise. With me inside it comes to 204," Tony clarified, making Peter pause before nodding again.
"I can handle that." He had already taken Tony's weight into account, so the extra twenty kilos made no difference to him.
Daniel clapped his hands. "Well, that sounds like a great plan. You'll sneak in while we draw all the attention, and if necessary, you'll be the perfect surprise for whoever might be waiting for us in there."
"Just one question. When you say you'll carry me… how exactly are you going to do that?" Tony asked, making everyone fall silent as they tried to imagine it.
"That's something I'd pay to see," Matt suddenly said, making Daniel cough as he tried to keep from bursting out laughing, earning a few strange looks from the others, since at that moment only he could understand what was so funny about those words.
For now, even though the letter had been written in braille, that hadn't fully revealed Matt's status as a blind man. Sure, it had raised some suspicions in Tony and likely many more in Natasha, but Daniel had hinted that perhaps the person who sent the letter thought Matt was blind because he wore a mask that completely covered his face.
A somewhat weak excuse, given that they had tracked down his home and probably also investigated his identity, but it was either that or believing that a blind man had single-handedly weakened the criminal forces of all Hell's Kitchen in less than a year and even angered what was, for now, the most infamous terrorist organization of the current era.
It wouldn't last, of course, but it was the best that could be done at the moment to keep Matt's identity secret.
"I could carry you on my back," Peter suggested.
"Great, now I'm a backpack too," Tony complained, but he still agreed; at least they weren't going to carry him like a princess, or he definitely would have refused if that were the case.
"Alright, if that's everything then let's get moving. The clock is ticking," Daniel said, concluding the meeting.
As he stood up, the others followed him, ready for action.
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Gliding through the night sky almost silently, the Quinjet rapidly approached its destination. The high-tech aircraft was being piloted by Natasha, with all the other members of the 'team' in the back.
"We could have gotten there faster on our own," Tony complained, perhaps for the third time.
"We already discussed this before. Your suit is too loud and flashy, the Quinjet is stealthier," Daniel replied, making the billionaire snort.
"A superhero needs grand entrances. If no one notices when you arrive, how will they know they're already safe?" Tony countered.
"And a better hero knows when he needs to be quiet," Daniel shot back.
"Besides, this isn't a rescue situation, just stick to the plan."
Tony grumbled, but stopped arguing. Daniel didn't pay him any more attention either, knowing he was just being annoying to keep from getting bored.
At his side, Peter fiddled with his web-shooter to calm his nerves. The device had gotten a bit scorched in that fight with the fiery lady, but luckily he had been able to repair it in a few minutes, since the damage had been merely superficial. Even so, it reminded him that he needed to be more careful in the future, as the materials it was made of weren't exactly the most durable.
"Do you only have one?" The sudden question snapped him out of his thoughts. When he turned, he saw Defiant looking at his wrist with interest. Peter wanted to shrink in on himself at that moment, but resisted the temptation and nodded instead.
"Yeah, uh, making it is kind of expensive, so I was only able to build one." Saying it reminded him that he still needed to get that part-time job.
"I think I can help you with that, and maybe with the suit too," he offered, making Peter look down at himself doubtfully. He thought his new suit was fine—did it look bad or something?
As if reading his thoughts, Defiant smiled and quickly clarified.
"I meant more in terms of the material. Sure, we can play with the design, but the fabric I use isn't like anything that's on the market yet, I assure you. You'll be bulletproof with it."
Well, that certainly sounded super cool and made sense. Peter had been wondering how Defiant's suit could withstand so much punishment without tearing, almost attributing it to something related to his powers, but it seemed it was because it was made of a special kind of fabric, which was even cooler.
"Sure! I mean, that would be great." Peter didn't even think about turning down the offer, not only because he needed it, which was obvious even if it embarrassed him a little, but also because he was genuinely interested in working with Defiant, even after everything that had happened before.
He hid it quite well, but the image of those headless bodies still haunted him from time to time in his dreams. It was a good thing he didn't need to sleep as much anymore, or right now he'd have massive dark circles under his eyes.
On the other hand, upon hearing that they were planning to work together to improve Peter's gear, Tony perked up immediately.
"You know, I think I can offer a bit of my time to help too; besides, I won't charge you," he said as if he were doing them a huge favor.
The billionaire's self-inclusion made Peter even more excited. Sure, the man wasn't exactly as pleasant in person as he had imagined he would be, but he was still, in his opinion, the greatest scientific genius in the world, and what he could learn from him would undoubtedly be incredible.
"If your little chat is over, I'll let you know we're about to arrive," Natasha interrupted at that moment, making everyone tense up slightly.
There was no time for further discussion, because soon the Quinjet landed in the middle of JFK Marina park.
"It's showtime..." Tony put on his helmet and Peter turned his back to him, leaning forward slightly. Rather awkwardly, the billionaire stepped closer, cooperating with the kid so he could carry him.
"This is humiliating," Tony complained, already regretting having agreed.
"See you inside," Daniel told them, and both nodded, only to begin disappearing from the visible spectrum the very next second.
The Quinjet's rear door opened. Daniel didn't see it and barely heard it, but he could notice when Peter and Tony left the place, moving toward the old plant.
'His camouflage does more than just make him invisible,' he thought with intrigue. To anyone who didn't have highly sharpened senses like his, Peter would have been completely undetectable, since even the natural sounds his body produced were unnaturally dampened.
Only the sounds of Tony's body remained the same, though they too were muffled by his armor at rest.
Setting those thoughts aside, Daniel focused on his current task, walking alongside Matt toward the main entrance of the place.
For her part, Natasha stayed in the Quinjet. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent decided to limit her participation in this mission, as her main task for now remained solely to observe and report. Bringing them there was the maximum contribution she could make without interfering too much.
"There's only one person inside," Matt reported, but Daniel had already perceived it upon getting off the aircraft.
"Don't let your guard down. Remember that the Ten Rings can open portals; we could find ourselves surrounded the moment we go in."
"Do you really think they were the ones who brought us here?" Matt asked, and Daniel shook his head.
"It's not how they usually do things. Knowing where you live, it's more likely they would have chosen to attack you directly, just like they did with Tony. But whoever wants to see us is definitely connected to them, and that's enough reason to stay alert."
In truth, Daniel was quite aware that this mission could have been carried out with just him and Matt on board, but he also felt it was a good opportunity to test the waters and see how well everyone could work as a team, and, above all, how well he himself could work as part of one.
So far things had gone well, but that was because no one was under pressure yet. If the situation worsened, perhaps that would be the moment when they would truly be tested and show what they were made of.
Their conversation was brief and, within seconds, they were already at the doors of the place. Entering the first part of the structure, they moved through it quickly until reaching the widest and most important area: the Turbine Hall.
Stepping into the spacious room was like being inside a cathedral, if that cathedral were filled with graffiti and rusted pieces of metal.
It wasn't an impressive sight, at least not in the classic sense, but given the darkness of the night, only softened by the faint moonlight filtering through the skylight at the top of the roof, it could certainly give off a chilling impression.
Aside from that, there wasn't much else to note, and soon both of their attention focused on the only other person in the place, not counting Peter and Tony.
He was sitting on one of the iron 'platforms', more precisely on the middle section of the several levels that were there.
"You…" Matt stopped when he recognized him. He hadn't been able to before, since their first encounter had happened in an instant, but having him so close now, he could remember it: his scent, the way blood flowed through his veins like living fire, and the beat of his heart—stronger, steadier, and more controlled than that of any normal human.
The man nodded in recognition and jumped down from the platform to the floor, landing without making a sound.
"I appreciate that you answered my call," he said, looking at Matt and then at Daniel.
"You didn't exactly give us another option," Daniel advanced, eyeing this unknown individual with interest. He couldn't feel any kind of aggression or murderous instinct coming from him; it was like standing before a calm sea—too calm.
"I regret that it had to be this way, and I sincerely apologize, but I don't have much time and I saw no other option." Surprisingly, the man bowed toward them, and to Matt's senses, every word sounded genuine, which only managed to irritate him further.
"Enough nonsense! Who else knows about me?! How did you find me?" he demanded, stepping forward until he stood a meter from the man, his body tense and ready for confrontation.
"Many people know about you, Devil of Hell's Kitchen, and all of them yearn to hold your head in their hands, but only I know who you really are, and that is something I have no intention of revealing to anyone else—I promise," he replied gravely, not retreating in the face of Matt's hostility.
"Well, I don't believe you," Matt growled, his fists clenching audibly.
"But you have to, because the only way to make me forget isn't a path you would take—or am I wrong?" he asked, and that made Matt stop, because he was right.
And knowing that only made him feel even more helpless.
That was when Daniel stepped forward, his presence making itself known instantly.
"Maybe he wouldn't, but I would," he said simply. His voice was calm, but everyone who heard him could sense the certainty in it. It wasn't a threat, but a warning.
The stranger fell silent, nodding and stepping back.
"Yes, that's why I needed to speak with you, even if that meant earning your wrath, Jiǎ shén."
That made Daniel blink, taken aback.
"False God… I think that's the first time someone has called me that directly," he said, translating the words, unsure how to feel about it.
"People fear you as much as they venerate you, and those who feel threatened by your power try to deny what the rest of the world believes you are," he explained, making Daniel narrow his eyes.
"Why did you want to see me?" He asked, deciding to get straight to the point.
Knowing it was time to speak, the man didn't beat around the bush, ready to reveal the reason he was there—but before he could do so, someone else intervened.
"I'm very curious as well. What exactly are you doing here, young master?"
The voice interrupted in a completely unexpected way, even for Matt and Daniel. Its arrival was abrupt, as if it had appeared out of nowhere.
"Impossible! How is it that—" the so-called 'young master' seemed genuinely shocked, looking toward the direction the voice came from with an alertness and nervousness he hadn't shown until now.
Stepping out of the shadows at a slow pace, a man dressed in an immaculate white suit with neatly styled blond hair revealed himself before them, his Western features standing in stark contrast to the Eastern features commonly seen among the members of the Ten Rings.
"For us, nothing is impossible. You should know that by now. But to answer your question, although your father, my lord, entrusted you and your sister with the task of assassinating Tony Stark, to ensure his orders were carried out without complications, he assigned me to watch over you from the shadows and evaluate your performance. And yet, to my dismay, what do I find? You here, speaking with two of his enemies, on the verge of revealing things that must not be revealed, betraying us—betraying him!"
His voice grew stronger until it echoed throughout the vast hall. Then he took a deep breath, regaining his composure.
"This will disappoint him deeply."
While he spoke, Daniel and Matt had been scanning the surroundings with their senses, trying to see if there were more people hidden that they hadn't detected before.
'Twenty, no—thirty,' Daniel assessed, using a bit of his cosmic energy to extend the range of his search, mentally reprimanding himself for not having done so earlier.
Something was concealing them. He couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it was on their bodies—an object that emitted a special kind of energy.
'Is this the 'Chi' Peter mentioned?' he wondered. It was undoubtedly something mystical, since only something like that could have evaded his senses so effectively until now.
Meanwhile, the one who had brought them to this place was left speechless for a moment. His shock was evident, but he didn't take long to regain his composure, as it was not the time to feel remorse or regret his mistakes.
"We should already be surrounded. The fact that you appear before us means at least thirty elite warriors are here," he judged quickly, warning Daniel and Matt at the same time.
The man in white smiled, snapped the fingers of his left hand, and in an instant, dozens of figures appeared from all directions, fully equipped and ready for a bloody battle.
With their revelation, the temperature of the surroundings rose by hundreds of degrees in an instant. From their bodies, the familiar orange glow of the Extremis virus illuminated the area, and on top of that, Daniel could even feel the presence of 'Chi' circulating within some of them.
"Unfortunately, I'll have to take you alive, but don't worry—the heads of the greatest hero in the world and the annoying devil who ruined the Hand's plans will surely be enough to appease his anger a little, maybe even make your punishment less… painful," he said in a mocking, confident tone.
"You're overestimating yourself if you think this will be enough to bring us down, Killian," the 'young master' said, stepping to stand beside Daniel and Matt, adopting his own stance, ready for the fight.
"Oh, on the contrary, young master Zheng. I believe I am more than prepared for this confrontation. After all, my master has entrusted me with part of his power."
As he said this, Aldrich Killian raised his right hand, which until then had been hidden in his pocket, and a green glow erupted from it, beginning to radiate from the base of his index finger—or rather, from the ring he wore there.
The sight made Zheng Shang-Chi tremble, stepping back several paces in alarm and astonishment, completely losing the composure he had been trying to maintain.
"A Makluan ring!" he exclaimed. "Impossible! He would never allow another person to wear one of them!"
"I already told you—nothing is impossible! The plans the Mandarin has for this world are greater than anything you can imagine, and betraying him has been the worst of your mistakes!... and now I'll prove it to you," Killian proclaimed, his voice turning into a low, hoarse growl toward the end, his eyes taking on an orange glow before shifting into a sinister green hue.
Daniel decided to intervene at that moment, as he had already heard enough to form a clear picture of the situation, placing a hand on Shang-Chi's shoulder to calm him.
That simple gesture was enough for the young man to regain his composure and raise his guard again, forcibly stopping the tremors in his body.
"I need to explain how dangerous that ring is," he whispered urgently after swallowing, trying to organize the information he had as concisely as possible so he could say it without omitting anything important.
"I don't think you have that time," Matt pointed out, as the elite warriors surrounding them began to move.
"Then let's do this," Daniel declared, raising his hand and giving a signal.
A signal that was immediately followed by the sound of the repulsor beams, activating at full power in less than a second.
BOOM!!!
And just like that, the old Glenwood power plant was blown to pieces.
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Note.
And a new chapter!... a month after I announced everywhere that I was back... the shame I feel is only comparable to the time I had to give a speech in front of a hundred people and stumbled over my words eight times in a row.
But well, what matters is that I'm still here, right?
If that counts for anything.
I won't say much more. Whenever I write notes like this, I feel like I have to apologize, explain myself, and come up with a good excuse, but making excuses is useless. What people want is content, hahaha. Unfortunately, my writing capacity is still pretty far from A.I.'s.
Which sucks, but I'm working on improving every day. I don't know if I'll ever manage to release daily chapters like those Chinese authors with novels thousands of chapters long, but I hope I can at least release two or three chapters a week to redeem myself in the eyes of those who are still here, putting up with my delays.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Remember that you can already find the next chapter of this story on P/atreon( p/atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated!