One Month Ago – Birnin Zana, Wakanda
The lab smelled of hot metal and stale coffee. Shuri stood over a floating projection. Gwen's Iron Spider suit, its ivory platings blooming in rotating layers.
Her fingers darted through the air, dismantling its holographic shell. "Look at the lattice density. Whoever designed this… they folded energy shielding into a hexagonal pattern with ten times the compression of our city dome and what's worse ours is sonic based while hers is photon based. Even with all our knowledge, I would need decades to reach this efficiency but not before I can crack photonic shielding."
Queen Mother Ramonda stepped into the lab, her voice was firm, though sorrow softened its edge. "Child. You have not slept. For days you bury yourself here, chasing shadows."
Shuri shook her head. "Not shadows. Proof. This Iron Spider is linked to Peter Parker."
T'Challa frowned. "That boy who was crippled by a mutant lizard?"
"And then suddenly he walks with a glowing spine." Shuri countered. "Suddenly Spider-Woman dons armor far beyond Stark's designs. The connections are obvious."
King T'Chaka stepped forward, robes flowing, his gaze steady. "Obsession is a fire, Shuri. Do not let it consume you. Wakanda is strong. Our barrier protects our people."
Shuri jabbed at the display. "Strong, yes. But stagnant. We hide behind illusion while the world evolves. Somewhere out there a boy is making machines that rival us and without Vibranium. Do you not see the danger in ignoring this?"
Ramonda's lips pressed thin. "Your duty is to Wakanda. Not to a foreign child."
Shuri hesitated, then muttered. "Sometimes, those foreign children grow into storms that shake the world."
T'Chaka exhaled. "Very well. Dora Milaje will investigate. Lightly. Observe only. If Parker builds such things, we must know. But remember we do not provoke the hornet's nest."
Present – Birnin Zana
The Dora Milaje knelt before T'Chaka, spears laid flat.
"Great King. We observed the boy Parker. He has transformed Stark's New York factories into a new empire. Machines assemble themselves. Energy flows through towers unseen. He builds things but we have no way of access."
Another warrior added, "The Iron Spider detected our presence instantly. Her armor scanned us, the Vibranium in our gear. She knows."
Ramonda's eyes darkened. "Then they are dangerous."
T'Chaka raised his hand. "Remain in New York. Watch. Do not engage. We learn first. We act later."
T'Challa said nothing, but the thought weighed heavily in his eyes.
Present – New York, Stark Industries Tower, NY Division
Behind closed doors, Natasha adjusted her glasses and tapped a secure comms line. "He's calling it Parker Defense Solutions. Tony Stark's signed off, Pepper Potts too. They gave him licenses, factories, old patents. He's turned Stark's history into raw fuel for innovation of war."
Nick Fury's voice rasped in her ear. "Details."
Natasha flicked her tablet, eyes scanning. "Fusion reactors. A replicator that turns energy into matter. Full-scale robotic assembly lines that handle welding, plating, heavy work. Humans only step in for micro-tasks like screws and wiring. His factory will be operational in ten days. Ten. That's absurd."
Fury grunted. "What's he building?"
"Combat walkers the size of tanks. Fighters that can break orbit. Armor plating theoretically stronger than Vibranium. Quantum radars, plasma cannons, missile systems with electronic warfare suites. And he's designing all these alone. Stark doesn't even have blueprints like these. Kid's reverse-engineering the future like it's Lego."
Fury was silent a long moment. Then, "And Stark's helping him?"
Natasha nodded once. "Actively. Tony at first tried to talk him out of weapons development. Parker showed him encrypted chatter of something and Stark folded."
"Christ." Fury muttered. "A kid building arsenals for wars no one's admitted that exist."
Natasha's tone stayed neutral. "Orders?"
"Keep your cover. Keep watching. And I'll pay the Parker family a visit. If the boy's playing with matches, I need to know how far the fire spreads."
Present – African Coast
Waves hammered the rocks. The air stank of salt and rust. Peter crouched on a cliffside, cloaked in his suit, watching the black market docks below. Crates shifted between smugglers.
Clanker reported in his ear. Tracking signal matches Ulysses Klaue's last known shipment. Vibranium. Small quantities.
"Finally." Said Peter.
He adjusted his mask. Tonight he wasn't Peter Parker. He was a buyer and Klaue was about to meet a new kind of customer.
Present – Central Park, New York
The air smelled of grass and autumn leaves. Uncle Ben and Aunt May walked arm in arm, enjoying the peace.
The first shot shattered it.
Bullets sprayed the path. Gang cars roared onto the grass, muzzle flashes strobing the night. Ben grabbed May, shoving her down.
A burst of light enveloped them. A mobile energy shield, projected in a perfect dome. Rounds sparked harmlessly against it, whining ricochets fading into the night.
"Ben!" May cried. "It's working!"
But outside the dome, screams tore the air. A woman and two children collapsed by the benches, blood staining their clothes.
Ben's hands shook as he pulled a vial from May's purse. "The Regen. Peter gave it to us for emergencies."
May nodded, crawling forward under cover of the shield. She pressed the serum into wounds, her voice trembling but steady. "Stay with me. Stay with me."
The flesh knitted. The children gasped awake. The mother sobbed with relief.
"I'm Maria." She whispered, clutching her children. " Thank you. Thank you so much for saving me and my kids."
Ben's chest ached. He pulled the children close. "You're safe. You're safe now."
Later – Parker Household
The knock was sharp, military.
When the door opened, Frank Castle stood there. Scarred, hollow-eyed yet burning with unrestrained gratitude.
"My family." He rasped. "You saved them. I don't… I don't say this easy. But thank you."
Ben placed a hand on his shoulder. "No thanks needed. They're alive. That's enough."
Castle's gaze hardened. "You don't know what that means. I was Special Forces. I've seen men die in dirt for less. And now… I owe you everything."
Ben hesitated, then spoke. "Frank. You're a soldier without a war. My nephew… he's building something. Not just machines. A company. He'll need men who know what it means to protect. Would you… consider?"
Castle blinked. "A job?"
"A chance," Ben corrected softly. "Talk to Peter when he returns. Until then, stay here. This house looks suburban. But you'll find its walls stronger than most fortresses."
For a moment, Castle's mask cracked. He nodded once, tightly. "Then I'll wait. And when Parker comes back… I'll listen."
Parker Defense Solutions
In the outskirts of New York, the factory roared day and night. Macro assembler hands moved like iron giants, sparks showering the floor.
Not two months. Ten days. And the heart of Parker Defense Solutions would awaken.
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