"Hell no," MJ said, lifting the 3,500-pound weight like it owed her money. Ever since the symbiote and the super soldier serum I gave her, her strength had gone way past normal. She actually needed stuff like this just to feel the burn.
"Come on," I said, leaning against the wall. "She clearly wants to apologize to Peter. That's not gonna happen if you keep blocking her."
MJ stopped mid-rep and set the weight down with a heavy thud, turning to face me.
"You were there," she shot back, her voice edged with anger. "You heard what she said. You saw how broken Peter was. And you know how forgiving he is. Hell, he doesn't even hate Flash, and that guy's been bullying him forever."
"You're not wrong," I admitted, pushing off the wall. "But you're missing something. Peter's not a kid you need to shield from everything. Let him decide if he wants to forgive her."
MJ didn't respond right away. She just stared down at her hands, flexing her fingers slightly.
"I just… don't want to see him get hurt," she said quietly. "He's too kind. He's got too big a heart."
I stepped closer, lowering myself to her level.
"And that's one of his greatest strengths," I said. "That's what makes him Spider-Man. More importantly… that's what makes him Peter Parker."
She looked up at me, conflicted.
"I know you love him," I continued. "And yeah, you want to protect him. But sometimes… holding on too tight does more harm than good."
She let out a small breath, tension leaving her shoulders.
"…Okay," she said after a moment. "Next time she tries to talk to Peter, I won't interfere."
I smiled a little.
"Thanks. That's all I'm asking."
"Franklin, get to the medical bay, now! Something's wrong with Cindy B!" Betty's voice came over the intercom, sharp with panic.
MJ and I locked eyes for half a second, confused, worried, and then we were already moving.
We rushed into the medical bay and found Cindy on the table, writhing in pain. Courtney stood close by, clearly stressed, while Mrs. Whitmore hovered near Betty, both of them looking just as shaken.
I didn't waste a second. I moved straight to Cindy's side.
"What happened?" I asked, already checking her vitals.
"We don't know," Courtney said quickly. "It started a couple of days ago. One minute she was fine, the next she was in pain like this."
"Her eyes changed on the way here," Mrs. Whitmore added. "Reptilian… then back to normal."
That got my full attention.
I tried to gently pry Cindy's eyelids open, but she kept thrashing, her body tensing with every wave of pain.
"Cindy, I need you to hold still for a second," I said, keeping my voice calm.
"N-no…" she groaned. "I'm not… supposed to be here…"
My brow furrowed.
"You're exactly where you're supposed to be," I told her firmly. "I'll deal with Ava and Yolanda. Right now, I need you to look at me."
She hesitated, breathing hard, like she was fighting herself. Then, slowly, she forced her eyes open.
And that's when I saw it.
They weren't her normal brown anymore.
They were reptilian.
"Omnitrix," I said immediately, lifting my wrist. "Run a full scan. I need to know what's going on."
"Affirmative."
The watch flared to life, glowing green and yellow. A holographic projection of Cindy's DNA spiraled into view above my wrist, complex, shifting… wrong.
"Holy crap…" Betty and I said at the same time.
"What… what's going on with her?" Mrs. Whitmore asked, her voice shaking.
I kept my eyes on the Omnitrix readout, watching Cindy's DNA shift in real time.
"Her DNA is mutating," I said. "It's like an awakening, but not like normal mutants. This was already coded into her… something built in from the start."
"Wait… so this was always supposed to happen?" Courtney asked, stunned.
"Yeah," I nodded. "Looks like her body finally reached the point where it can handle the transformation."
"Transformation?" Mrs. Whitmore repeated. "Into what?"
Cindy answered before I could, her voice strained with pain.
"…Into my dad, into his reptilian form."
The room went still.
"Oh no…" Courtney whispered, her face full of concern. "Franklin, is there a way to stop it?"
I hesitated for a second, then answered honestly.
"We could try to stop it… But it'd be dangerous. Her body might not survive fighting something this deeply rooted." I glanced at the Omnitrix. "But there's another option. I can use the Omnitrix to stabilize her DNA, upgrade it so she can control the transformation. Switch back and forth whenever she wants."
"NO!"
Cindy's voice cut through the room.
We all turned to her.
Tears were running down her face as she shook her head.
"Please, Franklin… don't do that," she begged. "Don't make me become him. I don't care what happens to me, just… don't make me turn into my dad."
I stepped closer, kneeling beside her. Gently, I wiped a tear from her cheek and made sure she was looking at me.
"Cindy," I said softly, "I've never met your dad. But I've heard enough to know he's a monster."
She flinched slightly.
"But you?" I continued. "You are nothing like him. And you never will be."
"But I—"
"That was a mistake," I cut in gently. "And mistakes don't define who you are. They can be forgiven." I gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I forgive you. And in time… Ava and Yolanda will too."
She stared at me, searching my face, like she needed to believe it.
A few seconds passed.
Then, finally… she nodded.
That was all I needed.
"Omnitrix," I said, raising my wrist. "Stabilize her DNA."
"Affirmative."
A pulse of green light washed over Cindy.
Her body tensed for a split second, then the pain stopped.
Her breathing slowed. Her eyes shifted… then returned to normal.
Just like that, it was over.
She slumped back against the table, completely drained, but stable.
"…Oh, thank God," Mrs. Whitmore said, rushing forward and pulling Cindy into a tight hug.
"I want Cindy to stay here for a while," I said. "She needs rest, and I want to run a few more scans, make sure her dad didn't leave any extra surprises behind."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Cindy said, her voice tight with worry.
"I told you I'll handle Ava and Yolanda. Right now, the only thing that matters is making sure you're okay."
She hesitated, clearly going back and forth in her head, but eventually gave a small nod.
Courtney and Ms. Whitmore stayed close to her while Betty and I continued scanning, breaking down her DNA strand by strand. Time blurred together, before I realized it, an hour had passed.
I was still analyzing the data when the screen suddenly shifted, replacing Cindy's DNA with a global map. A red dot was moving fast, headed straight for Earth.
"What the hell…?" I muttered.
"Is that an alien invasion?" Courtney asked.
"No… it's something else," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Big… but alone."
Betty was already moving, hacking into satellite feeds. A second later, the image cleared.
The thing was massive. Red. Covered in jagged spikes.
And at its center… a single, glowing blue eye.
"…Uh oh," I said.
"Uh… what do you mean, uh-oh?" Courtney asked.
"Because our sun is in danger," I said. "That thing is called Solaris, a living solar computer. It poisons stars, turns them into blue light… and then feeds on them."
"Superman can stop it, right?" Mrs. Whitmore asked.
"Not this time," I said, shaking my head. "Solaris emits red sun radiation. Under that… Superman loses his powers."
The room went quiet.
"I've got to go," I said. "I got an alien that can deal with him."
I turned and started toward the door, but stopped, glancing back at Cindy.
"I'll be back as fast as I can. Stay here until I return."
She gave a small shrug. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'm pretty sure Courtney or Mrs. Whitmore wouldn't let me."
"We're not," they both said at the same time.
I let out a small huff of amusement, then kept moving. No more wasting time.
I head for the teleporter right away, and I activate my suit as I walk, the familiar energy wrapping around me.
Time to deal with a sun-eating problem.
Ancient One POV
I sat quietly in my chamber, savoring a cup of tea, when a glowing ankh formed in the air before me. A moment later, Doctor Fate stepped through it.
"Nabu," I said, offering a small smile. "What a surprise."
"I highly doubt that," he replied evenly.
I only smiled wider.
"You know why I'm here," Nabu said.
"Yes… of course. Franklin," I answered. "I've noticed you've been watching him closely."
"The boy possesses a strange device," he said. "A dangerous one. I have seen what he could become."
"The world's greatest hero," I said without hesitation.
"…or its destruction," he countered.
"That is only one possibility among thousands," I replied calmly.
"Perhaps," Nabu said. "But it is still a possibility."
I set my teacup down gently and met his gaze.
"In all the years I have known you, I have never seen you troubled by a possibility."
He was silent for a moment before speaking again.
"I am not afraid," he said at last. "I am… concerned. About that form, the one made of stars. We should prevent him from ever reaching it. It is far too powerful."
"The power to create or destroy entire galaxies…" I murmured. "Yes, it is formidable. But I trust Franklin will choose the right path when the time comes."
"You place too much faith in the boy," Nabu said. "You have grown attached."
"Perhaps," I admitted softly. "But if you saw him as I do, if you spoke to him instead of merely observing, you would understand why."
He said nothing else. Instead, he turned, and a glowing ankh formed in front of him.
"If Franklin walks the path of destruction," Nabu said, his voice firm, "I will stop him before he becomes a threat… no matter the cost."
With that, he stepped through and vanished.
I remained where I was, unbothered, lifting my teacup once more and taking a slow sip.
He claimed he was not afraid… but I could feel it.
Nabu was afraid.
And I could not blame him. The power Franklin possesses is… immense. And it will only continue to grow.
But Nabu is mistaken.
He believes he can kill Franklin.
From everything I have seen… nothing has ever truly been able to kill that boy.
The only thing I can do… is guide him.
And trust that he continues to walk the right path.
Franklin POV
I was in my Jetray form, tearing through space at hyperspeed on a direct course for Solaris.
Didn't take long to get halfway there.
That's when I spotted them.
Superman, Green Lantern, and Captain Atom, just hovering in space like this, was another Tuesday.
Superman was wearing some kind of white suit.
I slowed down and came to a stop beside them.
"Hey, you guys," I said casually. "What brings you to this part of the galaxy?"
They all turned toward me.
"Omni," Green Lantern said. "Not surprised you showed up."
"What can I say? I can't resist a good space adventure," I shrugged, then glanced at Superman. "You sure you should be out here? Solaris gives off red sun radiation."
"The suit will shield me from most of it," Superman said. "But we'll need to end this quickly."
"Or," I said, raising a finger, "you guys don't have to lift a finger. I've got the perfect alien for this."
Captain Atom looked at me. "You seem to have a perfect alien for everything."
No sarcasm. No edge.
I blinked, a little thrown off. "...You okay? Usually there's at least a little attitude in there."
He narrowed his eyes. "Just go."
I grinned. "Fine. Watch me be awesome."
I shot forward, accelerating toward Solaris.
As the massive, spiked construct came into view, I slammed my hand down on the Omnitrix.
Green light flashed.
My body expanded, muscles surging outward as my skin turned a deep, burning red. My ears sharpened, my hair flared into a wild orange blaze, and my teeth lengthened into jagged points.
Heat radiated off me like a star being born.
I cracked my neck, staring straight at the massive blue eye ahead.
"Sun Eater."
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