Extra Hands on Deck
“…so you’re telling us you found this girl…”
“Total rip off of our favourite red and blue hero, might I add!”
“Shut up, Nova.”
“Oh, shut it, Luke!”
“…being attacked by five of our greatest adversaries, practically screaming as Kraven chased after her?”
“Yeah, this was not how I was expecting to spend our vacation.”
“Alright, alright! Can I get some answers here, Spidey?”
“Oh, right! Answers! Yes, we probably owe you an explanation or two. Sorry about us not getting involved with the Hawk Moth situation earlier by the way. I got your calls. Pity Director Fury didn’t think it was worth helping you out.”
“Really?”
“Unfortunately. But hey, better late than never, am I right?”
“We were originally here on vacation. SHIELD gave us nearly two weeks here. We weren’t expecting something like this.”
“And I wasn’t expecting those guys to kill Cat Noir! You saw his head, right, Spidey?”
“Oh yeah… Her partner met Kraven. Didn’t end so well for him.” White Tiger’s mask flashed red for a minute, while Power Man’s stoic demeanour faded into a frown at mention of the death of Cat Noir.
“Kraven?! Oh, if he’s here, and if he hurt a cat hero…!”
“Meh. I know what it’s like to lose someone close, bug. I’m sorry.”
“It was worse for me. We’d just had an argument. He disapproved of my leadership style.”
“Like these guys?” Spidey’s quip earnt him a disapproving look from his teammates.
“Depression makes for a powerful enemy. Such strength should be used to strengthen your resolve to bring his killer to justice.”
“That’s Danny Rand for you.”
“Regardless, if Kraven’s in Paris, we ought to stop mucking around. Might not just be the hunter. Can’t shake the feeling Kraven isn’t just a hired hand in all this…”
“Honestly Luke, I’d be very surprised if he is.”
Meanwhile, back at the Latverian Embassy…
“You call yourself a genius, Otto? I only count three heroes! Where are Ladybug and Cat Noir?!”
“Yes, my lackeys, I’d much appreciate an explanation myself…”
“Unforeseen circumstances arose, Doctor. The cat boy resisted too much. He was about to strike me with his energy claws. I was forced to kill him.” Doctor Octopus gave a frustrated grunt as his tentacles thrashed about violently. Of course, Kraven was standing a few metres back so he wasn’t hurt. Shadow Moth gave a sharp cough.
“And what of Ladybug?”
“I’m afraid the current mission has received additional… complications.”
“What sort of complications?”
“Take a wild guess who followed us here.” If it was possible for Ock’s face to look any more furious, Kraven did not know.
“Spider Man?! Here?! Oh, this is just perfect(!) I agree to this painstaking partnership to get away from that wall-crawling pest, and now I find out he’s in this very city! What are the chances?”
“Perhaps we could distract him for you? Buy you some time to convert the subjects?”
“Thank you for the offer, Electro, but I doubt that would suffice. If you five couldn’t beat him before, I see no way you could now.” Shadow Moth gave an evil chuckle.
“I think you might be overlooking something, doctor.” A butterfly flew down onto his arm as he took out a feather from his fan, and then he infused them both with his dark magic. “Now… can I have a volunteer?” Rhino shoved Electro to the front. “Excellent.” Electro was less than enthusiastic.
“Boss… urgh, are you sure this is completely safe? I mean… this… this could be dangerous! Um… isn’t there another means of fighting him?”
“Fly away, my little akuma, and evilise him!” Electro tried to resist as the akuma and amok flushed into his armour. “Electro, for too long you have been at the mercy of Spider Man and his ridicule. I will give you everything you need to make him pay. In return, you will bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir’s Miraculouses!”
“Urgh… urgh…” Electro seemed to be struggling immensely, before the stern looks of his teammates rose the peer pressure enough to force a nod. Shadow Moth grinned as the electric supervillain was engulfed in purple energy… when it settled, Electro had changed, now closely resembling the promotional pictures that depict him in a power suit like the Marc Webb series. Next to him suddenly erupted a creature almost identical to Zzzax. But much more monstrous looking.
“Whoa… wow… the power… I feel so strong!”
“With your new abilities, Spider Man will stand no chance! Go forth, Electrocutioner, take Thunderbolt here and embark on a quest of mayhem until the heroes arrive, then defeat them and bring me their Miraculouses!” Electrocutioner gave the nod, climbed onto his sentimonster and left.
“That power could be very useful…”
“As I said earlier, Otto, there are limits to my powers. I can only create one villain at a time. But we shall see if Electro will warrant another try. If so, I have a way around my limitations that could be worth trying.”
“You four get ready. We may be needing you to join him sooner than we think. The spider is no one to underestimate…”
Elsewhere, the Six’s masked benefactor was watching the spectacle with keen interest.
“So that is his power.”
“Indeed, Lucia. Such an ability will serve me well… once he has been disposed of.”
“The Miraculous Holder and their allies. We shall find them. We shall transform them.”
“Back into their previous forms. For the three here… Lady Wi-Fi, the Bubbler, that golden girl… for the rest of the city… an army. Otto and Gabriel think their soldiers will bring them the defeats of Spider Man and Ladybug, and the jewels they so pathetically crave! Whereas I know the jewels are not the source of power. Their Kwamis will be mine! And with the army of akumas, I will tear apart the current, pathetic world order that rejected my brilliance, and establish a New Latveria that will last onto eternity!”