Marvel: A Tale of Shadows

*THWIP* *THWIP*

Peter Parker was doing his usual route of swinging towards his home away from his perch above Times Square. In a pair of blue and red sweat pants and jacket with a red balaclava and thick goggles. His outfit has not been able to keep up with his activities and usually ends up destroyed. So he was making do with what he could find, but he was hoping to settle on a single design soon.

Thankfully, Peter's friends had been a big help since he got his power just over a month ago. Unfortunately, it was getting harder to hide it from Aunt May. As he swung he was thinking about where they should set up the lab. That one place, what did they rename it?

Ah! The Potts-Stark Science Center for Students. Anyways, that place wouldn't work. Next year they were graduating from High School so he would not be able to use that place anymore. His aunt's house has a garage where they store stuff, he could fashion that into a temporary lab.

As he was thinking this he heard an explosion and stopped mid swing and landed on a wall. He looked towards where the sound came from and started swinging. Arriving on the same street he saw a person in mechanical armor with silver gauntlets. Actually it didn't even look like a full set of armor, it was just arm gear and a helmet. But his outfit… was he wearing a full body of clothes in a quilt?

"Are you really robbing an armored truck in the middle of the day?" Spider-man landed on a light pole behind the person. The… quilted person was pulling two bags of money out of the flipped armored car.

Spider-Man waited until the nearby civilians had gotten off the street. "Who the hell are you?" The quilt man-person asked.

"Umm… I am Spider-Man, who are you? Quilt Man, The Gauntlet, Fashion Reject?"

"What!" The person dropped one of the bags and pointed one of his hands towards Spider-Man, not a moment later he was jumping away as a visible vibration tore through the air. Spider-Man felt his sixth sense trigger warning him of the danger early, which is why he jumped away.

It was fortunate he did because the street light he was crouching on a moment ago had bent out of shape and the glass part completely shattered.

"The name is Shocker!" The Shocker sent another shockwave through the air sending Spider-Man sailing into the wall. "Because of the shockwaves my gauntlets generate!"

Spider-Man moaned in pain as he stood up and quickly pulled himself into the air using a web. He started dodging left and right as dense vibrations rippled through the air shaking anything it hit.

"Who's your tailor? I am being honest, I need a proper outfit!" As Spider-Man thwip from surface to surface he finally gets an opening as the gauntlets flashed with a red light and it opened out, probably to let it cool off. The gauntlets probably overheat when they were overused.

But Spider-Man took this chance and punched the self-named Shocker right across the jaw, causing Shocker to drop like a bag of rocks. Unconscious to the world, Spider-Man pulled off Shocker's gauntlets and webbed them to his chest. Then he webbed the man to the ground. Looking around he realized he had some time so he pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a note and drawing before sticking it on the front of Shocker on the sticky webbing.

Stepping back, Spider-Man nodded at his own work for a moment before he swung away. Making sure to web up the back of the armored truck that had the money in it as he left.

There was one thing that Peter had learned from this quick and interesting exchange. Even the villains had better outfits and apparently funding than him.

Spider-Man landed on the side of a building and looked down a bustling street, "I have a feeling this is going to be a busy summer."

—--------------------

Susan Storm sat at her work desk as she looked through her emails. She had an influx of work over organizing public affairs since they got powers from that cosmic storm they encountered. Because she was having to talk with several government organizations and even a few international ones about what forced the emergency landing of their spacecraft.

But now that her very irresponsible brother had gone and made them into heroes she was having to deal with a whole new list of problems. Including her own brother, who seemed to think being a hero was about going on game shows and on the front of magazines.

"So you want to host a game show?" Susan asked, completely exasperated. "Forget it. I am not your agent, I am done helping you with public appearances. Keep in mind if you do go and get an agent I will have you removed from the building." Sitting on the other side of Susan's desk was her brother, Johnny.

"What! Why!" Johnny asked as he quickly stood up and slammed his hands onto the desk, shaking the desk and disrupting her focus.

Susan sighed as she pulled back from the desk and looked at her brother while relaxing in her chair, "because Reed is a scientist, Ben is a pilot, you are a model, while I am a business woman. We are not some pop idol group who are vying for fame and fortune through hollywood. If you want to be an actor you can go to California, but don't involve us or the 'Fantastic Four'."

"What? Why can't I? I came up with the name."

"You may have said it but I bought the name and made it a brand and I even renamed Reed's Company to Fantastic Industries. So no, you cannot use the name without my permission. You know I am not above suing my own brother over this." Susan glared at Johnny which made him shiver.

"But I said it, that isn't how it works… isn't it?" Johnny had the most confused expression on his face. But Susan was used to it, even though her brother was a good model and a genius mechanic he somehow rarely understood anything outside an engine or a pose.

"I purchased the rights to the names, so yes it is. Now find something more productive to do with your time." Susan started waving him off trying to shoo him off while she turned her attention to her email. "I have to talk to ESU, apparently there are no students that want to intern here. But we still have a contract signed with them to provide two internship positions."

She pulled her phone out and dialed up the Dean of Empire State University. "Hello, this is Susan Storm of Fantastic Industries formerly known as Reed Industries. We have a contract with ESU to provide two internship positions. I was wondering if the dean still wanted us to provide those positions. Please tell him I called and to contact me when he can." A moment later she was hanging up while Johnny was slumped in the chair.

As Susan went back through her emails she noticed a particular email of interest and frowned. Pulling out her phone she texted Reed. A few minutes later he was walking through the door.

"What's wrong?" Reed asked as he entered.

"It seems Director Fury of SHIELD is giving you an ultimatum. In this email from him he all but outlines that we have three choices: become members of SHIELD, do research work for SHIELD as consultants, or they will take us as test subjects because of our superpowers." Susan explained as she turned her screen around.

"I assume he doesn't outright say that?"

"Nope, he offers us work under SHIELD as either members or consultants. But then he goes on to highlight that our help is needed since a rise in superpowered beings is becoming more and more prevalent. He then made a point of reminding us that the Powers Requisition Act, which Senator Robert Kelly is trying to pass, can easily become an international movement."

"What does that do again?" Reed asked as he looked over the email.

"It makes anyone with a superpower or ability property and strips them of their human rights." Susan explained briefly as she played with a pen.

"If we start accepting government grants from the military we could push it off. But do you have some suggestions?" Reed asked.

"Yes… actually I think it would be a good idea to do grant work for the government and accept a few long term projects with SHIELD. Like the super soldier revival project." Susan explained and received a frown from Reed.

Reed clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Very well, but I am going to need more help in the lab, see if Alyssa Moy is available. I know she was doing some work for NASA but that was it."

"Okay, do not forget we will have two new interns starting in August as well. I will also see about getting some graduates we have worked with before and still have an amicable relationship with." Susan reminded him as she pulled her monitor back over to her. "Now go, I have to make several calls and send many emails now."

"Okay," Reed walked out. But as he did he rubbed his hands together, a nervous tic of his that she was familiar with. For some reason he only did that when he was nervous about some social situation.

As soon as Reed closed the door, Johnny's head popped up and he was frowning. "Weren't Alyssa and Reed an item back in college?"

Susan nodded with a frown, "yes they were."

—--------------------------

Detective Yuri Watanabe sighed as she started pulling her 'murder board' apart. It was the end to her latest case, 'The Shocker' was short lived as he was apprehended by Spider-Man.

Herman Schultz is the Shocker's real name. He might have been able to walk if it weren't for the several people and the nearby convenience store footage that showed the fight and even showed his unmasking.

"Still doing your murder boards?" Yuri smiled as she recognized the boisterous voice of her mentor. Looking over her shoulder she saw Lieutenant O'Malley. He also happened to be her current boss, he was potbellied and could probably only barely pass a physical at this point. Standing behind him was a younger man.

"Investigation Network, and yes I am. You have a new case for me?" Yuri asked as she motioned at the file in his hand.

The ginger bearded man chuckled causing his figure to almost bounce. "Always the workaholic. Before that though, meet my sister's kid." O'Malley turned toward the younger man that had slightly darker ginger hair. "Patrick Mulligan meet my favorite mentee, and the only one to tolerate this old man's presence for more than a year. Detective Yuri Watanabe."

Patrick approached her desk and they shook hands, "Nice to meet ya Detective Watanabe. So my Unc has always avoided telling us what he does here. You wouldn't mind telling us, would ya?"

Yuri gave a slight smile, "well I can't say what O'Malley does for sure. But as a whole, the NYPD Special Investigations Unit deals with super powered individuals that are troublesome. I mostly deal with the costumes. How about you kid? College? High School? Or Job browsing?"

Patrick nodded in understanding, "I am a sophomore at ESU for criminology, then I plan to join the force once I graduate. But at the moment I was looking for an Internship, when my Uncle recommended I come work for him for the summer."

Yuri frowned as she looked at O'Malley. "You're dumping your nephew on me?"

O'Malley nodded, "I am also dumping a new partner on you, Detective Stacy. He is on path to becoming Captain so the Brass want him to have some notable cases to notch his belt."

Yuri sighed as she pulled the file out of his hand while giving him a look, "Yeah, I know Stacy. Met his daughter once while I was on the Rhino case. So when do your nephew and Stacy start?"

"Tomorrow."

Yuri glared at him again.

"I am showing my nephew around today and then you will have him for a month. As for Stacy, this was last minute notice to us. So we get a day to prepare." O'Malley explained, "I gave you a case that is lukewarm to start with." He nodded at the file in Yuri's hand.

"Hmm…" Yuri opened the file and raised an eyebrow. "This is a month old, and they are only getting it to us now?"

"Apparently nothing was found wrong with the bodies until an autopsy was done and two of the bodies involved in the case have extra non-human cartilage in the back of the neck. Which is when they handed it off to us. They think superpowers mean anything strange apparently." O'Malley shrugged and then stepped out of the office, "at least you now have space for a new murder board. Come on Patrick, we will drop by the bullpen next."

As O'Malley walked out, Yuri shook her head and turned her attention to the file. Apparently there were three deaths. Two of them were around the security room but an additional body was found in one of the Oscorp vans with the head smashed in. There was also an additional person that was severely injured. Both the body in the van and the security guard that went on a killing spree had the non-human cartilage. There was a single surviving guard who stopped working immediately afterwards.

Yuri frowned, she felt like she recognized the name. She set down the file and started putting her Shocker file away.

A few minutes later she was setting the box labeled, 'The Shocker' aside. Then she opened the file and started pinning the information to the board.

There is the non-human cartilage in two of the bodies. One was partially damaged when the head of the scientist was smashed in. Was the other one trying to destroy the evidence? Or are they just killing each other? Is it related to an Oscorp project?

Then there were the dead security guards. Why them? Were they targeted because of something they were doing? Was there meant to be a survivor? How did they survive when other trained guards did not?

The survivor himself was a curious case as he left Oscorp immediately afterwards. According to the records it even shows he left to go do something rather than stay and get additional medical help. Why did he leave a steady employment at Oscorp? Why did he leave the attack site early? Where was he now? Why couldn't the previous officers contact him?

But for some reason she still felt like she recognized the name. For some reason there was no picture attached to the file. Nor any personal information. There weren't any public records of him. He would have to be the start of her investigation.

For now she had to make an appeal to Oscorp to see if she could learn what they all worked on. But more than likely she would get stonewalled by the lawyers. She still had to do her due diligence and check with them.

Once she has done that she could find this missing security guard. Wherever he may be.

—---------------------------

*ACHOO!*

Ethan suddenly sneezed while he was on the couch playing video games with Laura.

"Bless you!" Laura mechanically responded.

"Thank you…. Wait a minute, how did your car get in front of mine?" Ethan asked. They were playing a racing video game. Somehow Laura was better than Ethan.

*Ring* *Ring*

"Ah Crap… give me a second." Ethan paused the game causing Laura to grunt in annoyance while Ethan answered his phone and put it on speaker.

"Hello Ethan Hilt. This is Oscorp's Law and Contracts Department. This is your reminder that for at least five years after you leave our employment you are not allowed to disclose anything you have seen or heard at Oscorp without prior approval." After a moment the call went dead.

"What a weird call." Laura frowned then turned her attention back to the game. "Unpause… please."

"Fine. By the way, you and Felicia should go out tomorrow morning."

"Where?"

"Anywhere, you just can't be here until I call you two back." Ethan then unpaused the game while Laura wasn't looking.

"No fair!"