Boom! Go the Cannons Watch the Blood and the Shit Spray
“So, you got everything you need?” Tony asked, walking Peter, Mindy, and May out to where Happy was waiting to drive them back to Queens.
“Yup, it’s all in here,” Peter replied, patting his bag. His clothes, his phone, and most importantly, the iron spider suit.
“And you?” Tony asked, turning to Mindy.
“Right here, she replied, gesturing to her head where the crown that held the remaining infinity stones sat when she was in her true form of Palmarius.
“I expect you guys to check in,” Tony ordered. “I’m serious, daily report.”
“Mr. Stark, I do that anyway,” Peter reminded him. “It’s not my fault you never actually listen to them.”
“Wow, that wounded me, kid,” he said. “You keep sending those in. Mindy, I want some from you too.”
“Yeah, that won’t be happening,” she said before climbing into the car. “If Nemea tries to blow up the city, I’m sure you’ll know before us anyway,” she called back. Tony rolled his eyes but didn’t push any further.
“Well at least one of them listens. Just keep an eye out, kid.I highly doubt that Nemea will just let an insult such as losing to us slide,” He warned quietly. Peter nodded nervously.
“I will, Mr. Stark.” Tony nodded and watched as Peter climbed into the car and headed back to Queens. He knew that Nemea would be attacking at some point. He just hoped that it would not be for a while.
“Stark, did they head out?” Sam asked as Tony came back into the compound. Him, Rhodey, and Vision were sitting at the coffee table playing cards, Vision winning every round of course, while Natasha and Wanda were watching some TV show from the nineties.
“Yeah, they’re off to Queens,” Tony replied.
“You sure that was the best idea? I mean with Nemea and everything there’s a good chance that they’re in a lot of danger,” Natasha said from where she sat on the couch.
“Steve won’t like it,” Sam said, swearing as Vision beat him again.”
“Well, given that he isn’t even here, I really don’t think his opinion is valid,” Tony said, flopping into the chair beside Rhodey.
“Where is Steve anyway?” Wanda asked.
“He and Bucky went out for the day. Something about showing off Brooklyn or something,” Sam explained. “Okay, I know you’re cheating,” he said, this part directed at Vision.
“Well whenever those two lovebirds get back, tell them that T’Challa wants to speak with Bucky,” Tony told them. “Something about golden light.” He sat in thought for a few moments before standing up and heading off towards his lab.
“Where are you going?” Wanda asked.
“To call Strange, see if he’s seen anything,” Tony replied.
“He really thinks Nemea will attack this quickly?” Sam asked. Rhodey only shrugged and watched Tony head down the stairs.
“He’s paranoid, but we should keep our guard up. We have no idea how large their numbers are, or how capable they are against us.”
The world had changed a lot since the forties. Bucky had been the Winter Soldier for most of those years, so the changes had meant little to him at the time, but now they were almost too much to take in. He could barely recognize the streets of Brooklyn, let alone where he used to live.
Steve had woken him up early saying that they were going to spend the day there while Stark still let them leave the compound. Both of them had a feeling that their window of freedom was getting smaller as the threat of Nemea loomed closer.
“So, what did you call these things again?” Bucky asked, looking at a bright flashing sign.”
“Billboards,” Steve explained. “Light up, billboards.”
“That’s insane.” The technology in Wakanda had been highly impressive and far more sophisticated, so Bucky had not yet seen anything this bright and loud. Nothing as crazy.
“You’ll get used to it all eventually,” Steve assured him. “I mean I did. It took a little bit, though.”
“Yeah, it must have.” They sat in silence for a few minutes before a ringing sound started up from Steve’s pocket.
“It’s Wanda,” he said, checking the ID on his phone. “Wonder what’s going on. Hey Wanda, you all good?” Steve asked, putting the phone to his ear.
“We’ve got a problem, Steve,” she said quickly. “You’re needed at the compound now. Dr. Strange will be there in a second to portal you through.” With that the line went dead and Steve looked around.
“Steve, what’s going on?” Bucky asked, sensing the mood change immediately.
“Strange is gonna portal us back to the compound. Something’s happened.
“Um… Does it have anything to do with that?” Bucky asked, pointing to where a window of TV’s was broadcasting the latest news wstory.
BREAKING NEWS: QUEENS UNDER ATTACK!
“I’m gonna say yes,” Steve said, right as a golden portal opened behind them.
“Gentlemen, I believe it’s time for you to go,” The voice of Stephen Strange said as he stepped out of the portal. Steve and Bucky both nodded and followed him back through the portal and into the compound’s living room, where the Avengers were waiting.
Wanda and Vision were sitting on the couch while Sam and Rhodey were talking with Natasha about a plan. Bruce was nowhere to be seen, and Steve assumed he was in the lab. Thor was absent as well, but he’d probably be showing up soon. Tony was pacing back and forth, every muscle tense and his eyes darting around the room.
“What’s happening?” Bucky asked. “What’s going on in Queens?”
“Nemea,” Shuri replied, striding into the room. “They went after Queens the second Happy called in to confirm that Peter, Mindy, and May made it back. They new when they’d left.”
“And since they know Peter’s Spider-man it would be the perfect chance for revenge,” Natasha finished.
“If it’s true that they waited until Peter got home, then that means they knew when he left the compound. They have eyes on us,” Bucky added.
“Buck, I know this’ll be hard, but we need everything you know about Nemea,” Steve said quietly. Bucky nodded, staring forwards.
“I know.”
“Is there any word from Peter?” Shuri asked.
“No, we’ve tried contacting him in every way we know. Nothing,” Vision said.
“How about Mindy? I mean, have you tried contacting her with the mind stone?” Dr. Strange asked.
“What do you mean, doctor?” Vision asked.
“Mindy, or Palmarius, was created by the stones. She understands them like no other being in the universe possibly could. We can use that to try and get in contact with her, who can then get use in contact with Peter,” Strange said.
“Yes, that’s good,” Tony said, pausing in his pacing. “Shuri, have you gotten into contact with your brother?”
“Yes, he is on his way, along with Okoye,” she replied. Tony nodded and returned to his previous activity. “How long until Thor gets here?” Shuri asked, looking around.
“We’re not sure. It really depends on how soon he gets our message,” Rhodey replied. “He doesn’t have a phone, so it could take a while. We had to send a bird.”
How everything managed to go to Hell within five minutes of Peter getting home, he did not know. He had just gotten back to the apartment with Mindy and May when a loud bang rocked the building.
“What the Hell was that!” May yelled as Peter and Mindy rushed to the windows. Screams floated up to them from the streets below where what looked to have been a homemade bomb had just gone off. Another crash sounded and the two whipped their heads around to see another explosion ripping through another street, this one larger than the first.
“Nemea,” Peter whispered in realisation.
“Shit,” Mindy whispered, green eyes flashing. “Call Stark, have him and the others get here as fast as they can,” she ordered, her form rippling as she shifted into Palmarius. Peter nodded and whipped out his phone only to find that the batteries had somehow eroded within the time it had taken to get into the building.
“What the Hell?” May murmured, finding her phone had suffered a similar fate.
“They knew we’d come, they set this up beforehand,” Peter said. “Quick, was anyone set to work on the building within the past week or so?” he asked quickly.
“Um… actually, now that you mention it, I did get an email from the landlord saying something about renovations in the lobby,” May replied. Peter cursed and looked back out the window.
“Whoever they were, they’re Nemea. They must have set something up then and activated it when we walked in.”
“Guys? You might wanna see this,” Palmarius said, pointing back out the window. Peter followed where she was pointing to see five heavily armored black helicopters with a skeletal lioness on the side hovering over the streets. Definitely Nemea. Peter opened his mouth to comment when another loud bang ripped through the city.
“The police station!” Palmarius cried. “They’re taking out any protection we have!”
“That’s it, we need to go out there,” Peter said, opening his bag and grabbing the iron spider suit.
“Oh no you don’t!” May cried, grabbing his arm. “You have already died once this year, and I don’t think I can handle going through that again!”
“May, I have to-”
SMASH!
The building shook like an earthquake as an explosion went off in the lobby. The three tried to keep their balance and Palmarius ended up floating a few inches above the ground.
“We have to go,” she said. Take only what you need, and swing out of here. They know we’re in here, so they’ll try and bring down the building.”
“Wait, what about you?”
“This is as much my town as it is yours. I plan on defending it,” she said before jumping out the window they had just been looking out and landing with a flash of purple light.
“She’s right, Peter, we need to o,” May said, coming back from the kitchen with her and Peters ‘go’ bags. Peter took a last look around the now slightly crooked apartment room and quickly grabbed a picture of Uncle Ben before putting on the iron spider suit and making as close to a harness as he could out of webs for May. He took one last look around before following Palarius out of the window and into the next building over.
T’Challa arrived at the compound faster than Tony thought possible without one of Strange’s portals. He immediately went to Shuri who filled him in on what was happening and told Okoye to listen to whatever sort of plan the Avengers had been trying to piece together.
“Are you okay, Stark?” T’Challa asked, noticing the man’s obssesive pacing.
“Yeah, yeah. Peter’s gone silent, Queen’s is being destroyed, and Hydra turns out to be in the government, but yeah, I’m fine,” he added bitterly.
“What of you, White Wolf?” Okoye asked.
“Same as usual, I suppose,” Bucky replied. “Big fight, incredibly powerful enemy, absolutely no advantages.”
“Well I wouldn’t say no advantages,” A voice said. They all turned to see a woman in a strange suit similar to that of Scott Lang’s appear before them. “Hope Van Dyne,” she said, taking off her helmet. “Also known as the Wasp.”