Wade's eyes lit up with a rare excitement, even more intense than when he first saw Peter Parker. He darted off towards Peter, leaving the crowd behind.
At the same moment, Peter Parker was lost in his thoughts, oblivious to the surrounding commotion and the unusual excitement of Wade. His spider-sense gave no warnings, leaving him with no inclination of the looming danger.
Peter's mind was preoccupied with a different challenge: without Wade's eccentric guidance and with Robert unable to offer much assistance, how could he effectively counter any external force that sought to control his body?
He recalled the recent battle with N'Koxi, a powerful dimensional entity, and knew that such encounters, while rare, were not impossible. N'Koxi hadn't been truly defeated; as a being existing beyond the universe, it had merely retreated. Peter's current abilities, especially those derived from the spider, were granted by N'Koxi. If the entity returned to Earth, controlling Peter would be a mere whim.
To sever this connection, Peter mused, he would need to purge all spider-related powers from his body—a feat far from simple. His spider abilities stemmed from a lab experiment that had fundamentally altered his genes. This wasn't a mere gift from N'Koxi but a transformation embedded deep within his DNA, making his powers an intrinsic part of him.
Peter's predicament mirrored that of Morbius, who had inadvertently turned into a scientific vampire due to an experimental mishap. Although Morbius' transformation differed from the traditional mythological vampires, he still harbored an insatiable thirst for blood. Meeting Tony Stark had given Morbius hope, not to suppress his bloodlust, but to return to a normal human state.
However, reversing genetic changes proved nearly impossible. Despite extensive research, Stark couldn't turn Morbius back to a regular human. At best, he managed to curb Morbius' blood cravings. Similarly, Peter's genetic alteration from the spider couldn't be undone easily. Before encountering N'Koxi, Peter had seen his powers as flawless. Now, he viewed them with doubt and mistrust.
While deep in these troubling thoughts, Peter didn't notice the black substance approaching him. It swiftly merged with his body without triggering any alarms from his spider-sense.
"Is it really him? Does this mean that Spider-Man is about to go through a dark phase? Will he turn into the version of him that I know? Although this world's Spider-Man isn't as insecure or unlucky, a dark transformation will definitely bring about changes," Wade murmured, visibly thrilled. His excitement came from recognizing the black substance's nature and the potential it held.
"What are you doing still following me?" Peter snapped as he finally turned around, spotting Wade. "I have things to do. I don't have time for you right now."
"Is this supposed to be your dark phase? You don't seem all that different. Don't you feel anything off?" Wade asked, puzzled, his eyes filled with concern. However, his words only irritated Peter more.
"Are you crazy or something? Oh wait, you are. I told you, stop following me. I have important things to do!" Peter retorted, feeling a surge of anger flare up inside him. His natural inclination was to lash out at Wade, but he stopped himself, realizing that Wade would only enjoy it more.
Opting not to waste any more time arguing, Peter scanned his surroundings and, seeing no one else nearby, shot his web and swung away. He was confident that Wade wouldn't be able to keep up with him.
As Peter soared through the air, he felt a strange sensation whenever he used his web-shooters. It was subtle, a faint internal shift, but when he tried to focus on it, the feeling eluded him.
"What's going on? Is this a side effect from being controlled before? Or maybe because my powers were boosted twice and then reverted to their original state? Is my body just having trouble readjusting?" Peter pondered, trying to identify the source of the anomaly, but he found no clear answers.
Since waking up, Peter hadn't taken a moment to rest or engage in any combat. He suspected that the lingering effects of previous events had left his body in a peculiar state. Lacking the ability to introspect his physical condition thoroughly, Peter felt increasingly anxious and irritable as time passed, as if his negative emotions were being amplified.
"Dark phase? Did Wade notice something?" Peter thought, considering Wade's earlier comments. "Never mind, I'll take a good rest. If I still feel off when I wake up, I'll head to the Avengers' base for a proper check-up. Trusting Wade is far less reliable than trusting advanced technology…" He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Exhaustion began to weigh on him, and he decided to find a quiet place to recuperate, disappearing into the night.
"Still in the latent phase, it seems," Wade mused, watching the spot where Peter had vanished. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, trying to piece things together. "Why did it show up here now? Is it because of Peter's current condition? Is there some cosmic alignment at play?"
"Should I inform the Saiyan and Superman about this? No, I'll keep it to myself for now. After all, they threw me out without a second thought. I need to show my value, make them realize they can't do without me," Wade muttered, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he resolved to handle things his way.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the Avengers, who were busy with their own affairs, Peter's unsettling encounter with the black substance went unnoticed. Given Harry Osborn's earlier advice, the Avengers had decided not to disturb Peter. They figured he needed some alone time to sort through his emotions, especially after the recent turmoil.
Most of the Avengers were now occupied with assessing the aftermath of the Spider-Man incident and discussing ways to further enhance their abilities. Sharing experiences and insights from different battles, they hoped to inspire and learn from each other.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark and Harry Osborn were swiftly setting up a covert company to facilitate Stark Industries' collaboration with Osborn Group. This hidden entity would allow them to support Osborn Group discreetly, avoiding the scrutiny that might come with establishing a new top-tier company from scratch. Such strategic support would bolster Osborn Group without raising alarms about Stark Industries' growing influence.
Across the city, Clark, Robert, and Kara were diving into their tasks. Tony had conducted preliminary medical checks on the recently awakened Spider-Men using advanced medical robots, ensuring their well-being before releasing them back into society. Given that these individuals had been transformed into extraordinary beings without their consent, the Avengers couldn't legally detain them any longer once they recovered.
Clark, aware that these now-returned Spider-Men would attract significant attention from various organizations, prepared for a new wave of challenges. As expected, the moment these individuals returned home, they became targets for multiple factions, including government agencies eager to exploit their abilities.
Observing Robert and Kara joining the effort to protect these former Spider-Men, Clark felt a sense of pride. He had always believed that while he couldn't change everyone, he could influence those close to him. Robert, who might not have helped without Clark's encouragement, was now willingly stepping in. This shift in Robert's attitude was a testament to Clark's positive impact.
Kara's involvement, however, stemmed more from her connection to Robert than any influence from Clark. Before meeting Clark and Robert, Kara had been more ruthless, readily dispatching Hydra soldiers without hesitation. Now, she found herself entangled in a mission to safeguard others, albeit reluctantly.
As they infiltrated one of the secretive bases where Spider-Men were held, Robert couldn't help but marvel at the sheer number of captives. "Wow, just following these returning Spider-Men leads us straight to these institutions. It seems they plan to leave no one unclaimed," he muttered, taken aback by the greed and ruthlessness of the agencies involved.
These organizations' hunger for superhuman abilities wasn't merely driven by greed. With the increasing frequency of supernatural events on Earth, controlling or harnessing such powers had become a critical goal. Initially, these events were localized and manageable. Now, widespread incidents like the Shadow Soldiers and the Spider-Men crises had made the existence of extraordinary powers impossible to hide from the public.
Despite early attempts to fabricate stories to keep the general populace in the dark, the scale of recent events left too many people affected for the truth to be concealed. The Avengers' stellar performance in these crises, particularly the god-like powers displayed by Robert and Clark, only heightened the officials' desperation to acquire and control more superhuman resources.
These agencies undoubtedly had access to some superhuman capabilities, but none sufficient to dominate the landscape. They sought to consolidate more power, hoping to cultivate stronger entities to secure their dominance.
"You think this is bad? I ran into three different groups claiming to be the FBI, all trying to nab the same Spider-Men. They almost started a brawl until the real FBI showed up and split the captives among the three factions," Kara reported from another location, clearly frustrated by the increased workload. Each group required careful attention, tripling her responsibilities and testing her patience.
"Unbelievable. These agencies will stop at nothing to get their hands on any superhuman advantage," Robert responded, shaking his head. The lengths to which these organizations went to secure power were more extreme than he had anticipated.
As Clark, Robert, and Kara continued their efforts to rescue the Spider-Men from various institutions, they realized the enormity of the task ahead. Each agency, driven by a mix of fear, greed, and the desire for control, posed a unique challenge. And with every rescue, they risked exposing their own identities and alliances further.
In the midst
of this chaos, Peter Parker's encounter with the symbiote remained a ticking time bomb, one that could alter the course of his journey and the fate of those around him. The coming days would test the resolve of the Avengers as they navigated the treacherous waters of power, trust, and transformation.
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