183. Thunder on the Horizon. (Patreon)

Peter POV:

The War Pattern Helios Mk. III folded around me like a second skin.

Gone was the brutal bulk of the earlier marks. Those were hammers, built to crush problems until they stopped moving. This one was different. Sleek. Purposeful. Predatory. The Celestial Forge helped me create something more lethal... again.

Mysterium ran through the armor like a hidden skeleton. Harder than Uru, which was already magically enhanced neutronium, absurd by any sane metric. Subatomically woven together with Uru and Vibranium-S, the result wasn’t just the metal being strong. It was complete.

Magic-unconductive like pure Mysterium.

Magic-amplifying like Uru.

Perfect kinetic absorption and release like Vibranium-S.

An all-rounder alloy. The kind of thing that made physicists cry and gods raise eyebrows.

The chest plate sealed with soft clicks. Green light pulsed once, synced with my heartbeat, then stabilized.

Tony’s call came through my HUD right on cue.

“Please tell me you’re already airborne.” He said. “Because if you’re not, I’m about to feel deeply insecure about my travel time.”

“Nope,” I replied, flexing my fingers as the armor calibrated. “Still on the ground. Tennessee is practically next door compared to Malibu.”

Tony scoffed. “Practically next door, he says. You know, your Model 72? The inertial dampeners? Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I’m offended I didn’t think of it first.”

I smiled. “You were busy inventing ego-powered flight.”

“Hurtful.” Tony said. “Accurate but hurtful. Also, for the record, I won’t take as long as you think. This thing hits near Mach 34 and doesn’t liquefy my organs.”

“High praise,” I said. “Try not to race me. Gwen hates it when I treat physics like a suggestion.”

“Duly noted, Dad.”

I rolled my eyes and cut the channel, opening a private line.

“Hey, Spider-Woman.” I said softly.

Gwen answered immediately, wind rushing past her mic. “Hey, husband. You calling to tell me you miss me already?”

“Always,” I said. “But also to say thank you. I saw the incident report. Biohazard robbery. Former Rhino. One civilian saved.”

She hummed proudly. “He was very nervous. Sweet guy and seemed smart. You’d like him.”

“I already do.” I said. “Listen, Pepper’s staying in a safehouse outside New York with Maya Hansen. I’m heading to Tennessee. AIM might get… desperate.”

“I’ll keep an eye on everyone.” She said without hesitation. “You know I will.”

I hesitated. Just for a second. “Be careful, Gwen. Please.”

Her voice softened. “I always am. And make certain that you don’t overload your brain trying to fix everything at once. Just do what you do best.”

“And what’s that?” I asked.

She laughed. “Be impossibly competent and annoy everyone doing it.”

“I love you.” I said.

“I love you more.” She replied instantly.

“Objectively false.”

“Fight me later.” She teased.

The line closed and I launched.

The Helios Mk. III roared to life, green light flaring as gravity bent politely out of my way. Rose Hill, Tennessee rose on my trajectory like a gathering storm.

Max Dillon POV:

Yesterday felt like a dream.

Spider-Woman told me I was important.

Me.

For the first time in my life, I walked taller. Smiled easier. I even hummed on the way to work. Today was my birthday and for once, it didn’t feel invisible.

I was going to have dinner with Mom. Just the two of us. Like always.

Then I got to Oscorp.

My stomach dropped when I saw it, presentation of the power grid. My power grid. My design. My equations.

Submitted under someone else’s name.

Alistair Smythe.

Integrated into a Parker Industries cold-fusion plant.

I went to HR. I tried to explain. I showed drafts, timestamps and proof.

They barely looked at me.

Then they reassigned me.

“Basement maintenance.” The supervisor said flatly. “Bio-electric plant. Electrical conduit’s acting up.”

I swallowed my anger and nodded. Like I always did.

The basement smelled like ozone and water.

Huge tanks lined the walls. Genetically modified electric eels were glowing dazzling blue, swimming lazily through artificial currents.

I climbed the ladder. Reached for the conduit. My gloves slipped.

The shock hit me like a god’s fist.

Pain exploded through every nerve. I screamed... then fell.

Water rushed up to meet me.

The eels begins to bite me. Pain. Light. Heat. Electricity.

And then... Nothing.