Preoccupied
Tony wouldn’t admit it, but the long wait for the police had been excruciating.
The only thing on his mind the moment peters com went dead was that he needed to be there.
Wether that was because he wanted to watch the kid in action or because he was worried, he wasn’t sure, but he was sure that the police were taking their sweet time getting here.
“How much longer Fri?” Impatience thick in his words.
“It would have been ten minutes but I assumed you’d want them here as soon as possible so I’ve been high jacking the street lights giving them all green. So I’d say I’ve sped that up to five.”
He would have chuckled at the wit his AI was able to produce and stroke his own genius but his mind was clearly preoccupied with thoughts of a young boy with spider-like powers
He let out a long sigh. “Thanks Fri, can you scan for Spider-Man’s signal and let me know how- Oh no you don’t!”
One of the tech thieves used that brief moment of unfocus to pull out what looked to be a white hot saber-like knife.
The thing shone brightly as particles flickered off the “blade” like embers to a fire.
“Hey guy, i hope that’s not a finished product because that thing is looking awfully unstable.” Tony razzed with an eyebrow up.
“Shut up. All you do is talk.” He quickly swiped the web that had been pinning him and his two accomplices. Causing the the web to essentially melt away.
“That’ll be your down fall.” He spoke lifting the knife up in a battle stance as the other two pulled out there own particle knives flickering, unstable, and hot.
“You sure about this boss?” The bigger one leaned in to whisper. “You said these were just for show, we haven’t even tested them yet.”
“Shut it Kyle, this is our test.” And he charged forward towards Tony crackling knife speeding towards his chest.
Tony took a hand to hand combat stance about to make a quip about how he’d take them on with just his two hands when Friday suddenly declared.
“Peter’s mask has been removed from his face, I’ve lost all contact with his suit”
The world stopped spinning for a split second.
Long enough for the words to register and send Tony into panic.
“Fuck it.” And Tony let all caution to the wind as he charged up his hand repulsers and one shot’d all three men leaving them all down for the count and unable to get up.
They’d be left with two degree burns and chest aches, probably from a broken rib or two, but Tony didn’t care. He’d already turned his back on them heading toward where’d he’d seen Peter webbing off.
“Where was his last location pinged?” He spoke with an almost panicked urgency.
“He was last seen,- Behind you Tony!”
Tony swung his head back around to see that the three blades rattled and inched closer to one another until they swung into each other almost like magnets. Combining into a volatile mass of white hot energy suspended in the air.
“There’s a large amount of photonic energy and It’s about to detonate. You don’t have much time Tony.”
“Why in the- Argh!!, I don’t have time for this!”
He used the boosters in his armored boots to propel him towards the three unconscious thieves and using the same trick he had used on victims of a plane crash, he used a small amount of electricity to bond the three criminals to his hands.
Using the chest repulsor, he destroyed the front of the van, creating a hole for him and his “baggage” a clean way out.
Just fast enough to get across the street, put the men down “gently”, and watch the mass of energy cave in itself then outwardly expanding like a small dying star. Destroying the van, the street below, and a bit of front siding to nearby shops.
And then it was gone leaving nothing behind but ash and the smell of hot pavement.
“Jesus.” Spoke a portly man in police garb, grabbing his hat in disbelief, he turned to look at the villains.
“We can add endangering civilians, property damage and use of unregistered weaponry to your already long list of crimes.” His thick southern accent almost took Tony aback. He was not used to hearing that thick an accent in New-York of all places.
The men responded with groans and whimpers.
“Mordecai, Mattice, help the paramedics get them into the their truck.”
The round man with control turned to Tony with a look of gratitude. “I thank the stars for being in whatever formation that brought you here to help. That and the luck we got with traffic.”
His smile then became serious. “Do you know anything about this group and there going’s on?”
Tony looked at the three men as they were stretchered into the ambulance. “No. This is the first time I’ve dealt with them. Why? You know something?”
The police chief let out a sigh. “Honestly, they’ve been becomin a pain in my neck these past weeks. Robbing tech vehicles, sporting weapons on unknown variety. Just last Monday they put two of my best people in the hospital with that lil explosion you just there seen.” He shook his head in disappointment. “Life Was a lot easier before aliens and gods became real.”
“Uh Huh.” Tony passively responded as he recorded a few videos. One of the remains of the explosion. The three men on the stretchers and anything else he’d thought could be important.
“We’ll I’m not to sure why they seem to have a beef with you Mr Iron-,”
“Man, yeah, since we’re getting to know each other, bonding, sharing villain stories. Can you send me everything you have on these guys?” Tony forces a business card into the mans hands and starts retreating. “Thanks in advance, I’ll have my people call your people.”
And without staying to hear the mans reply, Tony bolts on 80% power heading towards were he hopes to any god who’ll listen that its Peter.