After Ethan finished settling things with the vice president, his phone buzzed. The caller ID flashed: Little Spider. But when he answered, the voice was unmistakably playful.
"Hey, guess who this is."
"Tony..." Ethan recognized the cocky tone instantly, though he frowned. Why was Tony using Peter Parker's phone?
"So you heard I'm not dead. Happy to hear my voice again?" Tony sounded like he was grinning.
"Of course I'm happy," Ethan replied dryly. "When I woke up and saw headlines everywhere mourning your death, I dumped all my other stocks and bought up Stark Industries at a bargain."
Tony went silent for a second, clearly thrown off. "Can't you just once react like a normal friend? Maybe tear up? Not talk about how you're making money off me?"
"Details, Tony. The important thing is, you're still alive. Now, why are you on Peter's phone?"
"Kid's alright. Bit of a nerd. Only problem is he ended up in the Academy for Metas and your weird little club." Tony sighed. "Anyway, long story short, I had a mishap with an X-Crystal. Now I'm... different."
"So that's why you're calling me." Ethan smirked. "You need help."
Tony was quiet for a moment before exhaling. "Yeah. Look, I don't get this stuff. And Peter's still doing basic meta courses. You're the only meta expert I trust."
"If you'd been honest from the start, maybe you wouldn't be in this mess," Ethan teased.
"Yeah, yeah, save it. Where are you, by the way? I don't think I even told you what town we're in."
"Doesn't matter," Ethan said. His voice came from behind the door — and the phone — just as a gust of wind burst it open. Ethan touched down lightly inside the house. "S.H.I.E.L.D. phones have tracking. I'm already here."
Peter's grandparents' house was only minutes away at Ethan's top vector speed. Inside, Tony was fiddling with a jury-rigged generator. Two clips ran from it, clamped awkwardly to earrings he'd installed on either side of his head.
Ethan tilted his head. "Tony... what are you doing?"
"Uh... charging. Not ideal." Tony cringed. "Feels weird. Ear's too far from my chest reactor. Tingling's off. Also not great on the nipples. Parker's Aunt May had... helpful supplies."
"Moving on." Ethan waved him off before Tony got more graphic. "So your new power lets you fuse directly with your armor?"
Tony nodded. "Yeah. The neural link's incredible. I process HUD data instantly. Sensors feed straight to my brain. But... I can't take it off. That might be a problem. Future upgrades, showers, you get it."
"It's normal," Ethan said, thinking it through. "Meta abilities evolve to fix weaknesses. Once you learn to control it, you'll separate at will."
"So how do I learn?" Tony muttered. "I hate not understanding. This isn't tech I can break down in a lab."
"That's where you're wrong," Ethan said. With a grin, he pulled a stack of books from his storage ring.
"Apocalypse designed these training manuals with data mined from countless meta minds — including the Black Queen's."
Tony flipped one open. "'One Hundred Meta Tips'? 'Avoiding Power Backlash'? These are workbooks! Full of exercises!"
"Basic theory. Do these, you'll be able to handle your newfound meta abilities in no time. The best part? It's scientifically mapped. No hokey mysticism."
Tony rubbed his temples. "And you did all this homework?"
"Ah, well... I prefer hands-on application." Ethan scratched his head, remembering the time his failed study session ended with him accidentally tearing a hole through Cyclops' office wall by redirecting a seismic wave. "Theory's nice. Practice saves lives."
Tony just stared. "Unbelievable."
Luckily, Peter walked in then, breaking the awkward pause. "Uh, guys? There's signs of people with Extremis Virus near town."
"That woman may be someone with Extremis virus abilities. Earlier, when I was in town, I saw her use them."
In the shadowy corner of a small house, Peter whispered to Tony and Ethan, pointing to a woman lingering outside a bar.
"If that's true, it's odd," Ethan muttered, narrowing his eyes. "She doesn't look like she's here to assassinate Tony."
"More like she's searching for something or cutting a deal." Tony scratched his chin. Suddenly, his expression changed. "Wait a second, Parker, didn't you mention there were bombings in town recently? People going up like living warheads?"
"You think they're cleaning up evidence, trying to keep whatever blew up under wraps?" Ethan said, catching on immediately.
"Exactly." Tony snapped his fingers. "By the way, Peter, do you remember the name of the mom whose kid exploded?"
"You're really gonna lug that thing around?" Ethan asked, eyeing the oversized battery strapped to Tony's back. Wires disappeared under his hat, with electrodes pressed awkwardly against his temples. In winter gear, it was almost passable. In any other season, it would be a circus act.
"You think I enjoy this? It reminds me of that hellhole in Afghanistan," Tony grumbled. Without a replacement arc reactor, this was his only option. Charging in quick bursts was the only way to keep the new bio-armor ready. So far, after a full day of charging, he got five minutes of power. Luxury.
With a sigh, they made their way into the bar. Thanks to Peter growing up here, they quickly found Mrs. Davis, the grieving mother.
"Ms. Davis, may I sit?" Tony asked gently.
"What could you possibly want from me?" Her sunken eyes held no warmth.
"I'm truly sorry about your son. I just want to understand what happened."
She didn't speak. Instead, she slid a folder across the table. Tony hesitated, exchanging a surprised look with Peter. But before he could pick it up, a woman slammed her hand down, glaring.
"Looks like you mixed up your meeting, grandma." Her voice was icy, her skin subtly glowing from the Extremis heat.
"What's your problem?" growled the town sheriff from across the bar.
"I'm arresting someone." She flashed a badge. "Homeland Security. Any issues?"
The sheriff backed off, but Ethan stepped forward, flipping open his own badge. "Actually, there is. I work for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Or as the world knows it... S.H.I.E.L.D. You're harassing my people."
The woman frowned, confused. "What kind of long-winded bureau is that?"
"Doesn't matter. After New York, I promise these people trust S.H.I.E.L.D. more than your agency." Ethan nodded to the bar. Locals were already inching away, watching nervously.
Seeing the shift, she released Tony. "I was hoping to keep this simple, but if you want trouble..."
In a blur, her hand blazed bright and clamped around Ethan's throat. He barely looked at her, just nodded at Tony, who clutched the folder tightly.
"No," Ethan said calmly. "I don't want to trouble."
With a flick, vectors of force erupted from Ethan's body at precise angles—redirecting the gravitational vectors around her spine. She shot backward like a cannonball, smashing through the bar wall.
The woman's backup rose, skin glowing and cracking from the internal heat of the Extremis virus. Ethan cracked his neck, looked at Peter. "Kid, clear everyone out before I take this place apart."
Outside, Tony hustled away with the documents. Unfortunately, he ran straight into the woman again. Extremis was nasty stuff—her skull was still dented, but she was very much alive.
"Did you really think you could run?" Her grin twisted.
"Not exactly. Bleeding Edge Armor—deploy!" Tony struck a pose. The armor erupted from within his bloodstream, forming piece by piece across his body with sharp crimson filaments. His eyes glowed.
"The hell is that—?" She didn't finish. Tony launched forward, fists hammering her into the dirt.
She rose almost instantly, her limbs already stitching back together. "I heal, genius. Your toy can't keep up."
"Oh yeah? How about this?" Tony grabbed her head, palm repulsors flaring at point blank, and vaporized her skull.
Meanwhile inside,
Ethan was surrounded. With a casual sweep of his hand, he altered the force vectors acting on two Extremis users, sending them smashing into each other at near-terminal velocity.
The bar erupted in flames.
Ethan walked out, soot-covered, brushing ash off his jacket. "You alive?"
"Barely," Tony wheezed, armor retracting into his veins. The arc reactor on his chest pulsed a weak red, forcing him to one knee. "That last stunt drained everything."