A Cosmic Rendition: Chapter 18

The small condo was filled with the whirring of various instruments as a balding man who looked to be in his fifties kept working deliberately at the contraption laid out on the table in front of him. His eyes glinted with malice as he held the metal in place.

The harness in front of him was his pride and joy. His life’s work had been enhanced beyond all comprehension when he had successfully managed to get his hands on a piece of technology from the outer realms. It was good that he had visited Manhattan all those weeks ago.

Adrian Toomes had lost his parents when he was very young. Raised by his older brother Marcus, he had grown up under the best care he could give him until he met a motorcycle accident. That had reversed the roles and he had to care for his brother until his passing.

He had always been academically inclined, having received nothing but praise from all his teachers in school. Thus, it was no surprise that he found his interest in engineering. His first objective was to apply for a position in either Stark Industries or Oscorp, but to his surprise and anger, he had been turned down in both places when he reached the final round of interviews. He had no clue what the reason was but both Howard Stark and Norman Osborn had refused to hire him.

He did not give up though. As a capable electrical engineer and inventor, he founded an electronics firm with his business partner Gregory ‘Greg’ Bestman

Things had been sailing smoothly for a few years. Bestman and Toomes was raking in green and his inventor curiosity had been sated adequately. Life progressed naturally, he got married and had a baby girl.

It was during his time at his firm that he developed this harness he had in front of him – a harness that could allow a human to fly. However, his excitement and celebrations were cut short when he discovered how badly he had been conned by the man he considered a brother in all but blood.

Greg had manipulated their agreement in collusion with their lawyers to ensure that in case any external investors were to come in, his shares would remain untouched. When Adrian came to know about the treachery, it had been too late. The lawyers had told him in quite explicit terms that his signatures were there on the agreement and that he had no recourse.

“I trusted you!” He had shouted at the lawyers who looked nonplussed in the face of his anger. “I thought you were my lawyers too!”

He’d gotten no recourse with the lawyers, so the only way forward for him was to confront Greg directly. He had worn the harness and confronted Greg in his office. The man looked none too pleased to see him and like the imbecile that he was, he had done nothing but mock him for his fall from grace.

Furious, Adrian had punched him square in the face. To his surprise, Greg’s jaw had broken from the attack and he had to flee the scene in panic. As their employees tended to Greg, he remembered the man groaning that he was fired and to never show himself back ever again.

Adrian did not ponder much upon those words. Instead, his thoughts had been occupied with the fact that one punch from him had broken his former partner’s jaw. A suspicion grew in his mind and he devoted himself to further experimentation.

A few tests followed and he had been left grinning triumphantly as he realized the connection between the harness and the human body resulted in a significant boost in strength and agility. He had no clue how it had happened but one thing was for certain. He craved this strength now, and he would do anything to amplify it.

However, for any further progress to happen, he needed to understand the intricacies of it all and then work on it. He knew he needed time for it and the decision to leave Queens for somewhere more private and secluded was necessary.

He had refused to give up on his rightful share of his firm though. He knew some of the best lawyers were in New York and he had scheduled an appointment with one of the law firms when an attack beyond anything he had ever seen struck the city only a few miles away.

Everyone was shocked and the forces were evacuating people to a safe zone, guiding the fearful masses with expertise. However, fear was the furthest emotion in his mind.

Fascinated, he had hidden at a safe distance, doing nothing but observing the fight taking place all around him.

His eyes were wide as he took in the massive leviathans that kept emerging out of that wormhole above New York. It was far beyond anything his engineering mind could have imagined, for it was a true breakthrough in extraterrestrial technology right before his eyes.

He had stood transfixed, barely noticing the office workers screaming and fleeing the streets around him. All he could focus on back then were the sleek contours of the alien chariots and armored monsters swarming from the colossal craft.

The architecture, the power sources, the weapons systems – he desperately wanted to examine them up close. The mere thought of what he could learn and what he could create if he could get his hands on a piece of their tech had set his blood on fire.

As the battle raged on, he realized he needed to get closer. If one of those leviathan ships was grounded, perhaps he could extract a few components before they were pulverized completely. Tucking his leather briefcase under his arm, he began weaving his way through the panicked crowds, his eyes glowing with greed.

It had been dangerous but the fruit of the risk he had taken had been worth it. He gazed hungrily at the bodysuit he had modified his harness into and grinned. It was the work of his life – his marvel and he was prouder of it than anything else he’d ever accomplished in his life.

He had combined his genius with the technological marvel that those Chitauri were, creating what he believed was capable of rivaling the most advanced weaponry on Earth one day. He was not delusional enough to believe that he had achieved the best he could. Satisfaction was not something he gained so easily, for it meant one lost the pathway to further progress.

However, it would do for what he had planned.

Bestman, being the son of a bitch that he was, had decided as the sole owner of the firm to sell it off and steal what was rightfully his. He would let it happen over his dead body. B+T might no longer exist but the money was his. He’d be damned if he let that bastard steal his company and his rightful share of money as well.

His work on his bodysuit was almost done and only a few tweaks remained. As soon as he deemed it adequate, Bestman would know what a grave sin he had committed by screwing him over.

XXXXX

BIG APPLE FEARS SPIDER BITE!

“Brilliant!” J. Jonah Jameson grinned from ear to ear as he gazed at the newest issue of The Daily Bugle that would be going out the next morning. The front page depicted an elaborate photograph of Spiderman and Spiderwoman with their masks modified to show evil grins.

“Why are you doing this, exactly? They are on the side of the law, you know that.”

Jameson stared at the woman sitting opposite him in a navy blue business suit and scoffed.

“These people think they are the law. Vigilantes, the lot of them. You think that’s how the civil society would be? Imagine the chaos if every Tom, Dick, and Harry started going out into the streets with crowbars and guns to deal with crime. We’d have a bloodbath. An anarchy.”

Lois shook her head and made to speak when they were interrupted by none other than half of those depicted on the front page.

Peter stared at the newspaper on the table with a raised eyebrow and his lips pursed. He glanced at her, only to receive a small shrug in response. Shaking his head, he turned back to Jameson and began, “Mr. Jameson, I wanted to tell you that I’ll be away for a few days and won’t be available for my usual.”

“Wait, wait!” Jameson’s eyes widened. “Come on, Parker. Couldn’t you’ve told us last time you were here? We’re already stretched thin with this business!”

“Pull Brock off this spider nonsense,” Peter shrugged.

“But—”

“Mr. Jameson,” Peter said firmly. “I’m not your employee. I’m a freelancer. You seem to forget there’s a difference. It’s mere courtesy that I’m even informing you in advance. I’m not obligated to. I understand the problem you might have but it’s not my problem. I’ve got a few days of stay in Queens and I’ll see you when I’m back.”

He turned to leave when suddenly, Jameson shouted, “Wait!”

Sighing, Peter turned around and stared at the man with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re going to Queens?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Perfect! You can get it done. It’ll only be half an hour tops! There’s an event at the Park Avenue Diamond Exchange in a few days. I’d already got a photographer lined up for that. If you could cover that, it’d be a huge help. I’ll slot Dirk in on the other bits.”

Peter pondered upon the proposal for a few moments, staring keenly at Jameson who stared back with a hopeful expression on his face.

“And I hope the cost of gas and other costs will be paid for?”

“As per company policy. Invoice price, not one bit less,” Jameson nodded.

Shrugging, Peter nodded.

“Why not?” She replied. “I’ll get back to you in a few. Be well, Mr. Jameson, Lois.”

Lois winked back at Peter and watched him walk out of the office before turning to Jameson who sat down with a sigh.

“Damned freelancers,” he muttered. “Guess we need to try and get a few on permanent payroll, Ms. Smith.”

“I’m sure Holding would be happy to arrange that, Mr. Jameson.”

The man nodded and pushed the paper toward her.

“Go ahead and get this printed. The entire state of New York needs to know the truth about these renegades.”

Lois rolled her eyes as she picked up the newspaper and walked away.

XXXXX

“What’s the matter?” Gwen asked her boyfriend when he joined her in the car. Peter rolled his eyes and told her what Jameson had asked him for.

“And guess what? New York apparently fears us now.”

“Another of those silly articles from the Bugle? How many’s it been now?”

“This will be the fifth. They surely are selling fast. Lois told me about it. They’ve had to reprint a few issues.”

“Anything as long as it makes money, eh? We should be asking for commission at this rate,” Gwen muttered as Peter revved the engine up and drove the car out of the parking lot.

“It’s irritating, to be honest. An article or two is one thing but what he’s doing now is pure slander for profit.”

Gwen sighed as she nodded in agreement.

“I’ll tell Lois to do something. We can’t—”

She was interrupted when Peter’s phone buzzed. The screen on the dashboard flashed with an unknown number. Gwen reached out to accept the call and they were surprised to hear the voice of none other than Tony Stark.

“Uh… Mr. Stark?”

“Parker. And I suppose Stacy’s with you? Never mind. Come over to Stark Tower, will you? Got something you might like.”

“Ehm… Mr. Stark, we’d love to, but there’s a little problem,” Gwen said slowly. “We’re actually on our way to Queens right now, visiting family and friends. We’ll be back in a few days though.”

“No worries,” Tony’s voice sounded, amused. “See you two there then.”

Surprised, Gwen exchanged a look with Peter as the call disconnected.

“He’s not really traveling all the way to Queens, right?”

Peter shrugged. “Sounded like he is.”

The blonde shook her head as he drove down the road.

XXXXX

Tony sat comfortably on the couch, watching the mechanism run a simulation on the suits he had developed the basics for. Things were looking up and if his vision bore fruit, then those two would have a suit that would push their skills into a new dimension.

“Jarv, go on with the simulation. I wanna see how much these can take. While you’re at it, find out everything about Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. Their address, family, the whole lot.”

“On it, sir.”

The holographic images of two spider suits, one male and one female, hovered in the air, twirling about, and Tony left Jarvis to work on them. He turned around to see the information on display.

Gwen’s entire background was on display, from her parentage to her academic and extracurricular records and everything else of concern. Her parents’ occupation was also disclosed and he frowned when he saw her father was dead. Further probing showed that it had happened during an attack. The man had been crushed under debris falling off a building and he did not miss the news report from the incident informing the presence of only the Spiderman during that attack.

It seemed Stacy took up the role only after her father died. It must’ve given her the motivation.

Tony swiped left, bringing up Peter’s profile and his eyes immediately widened when he saw who they were.

Peter’s surname had rung bells in his mind and only now he had gotten around to properly getting to know more about the young man. His parents were Richard and Mary Parker – two of the most trusted scientists and friends of his father. He remembered meeting them on numerous occasions until their untimely death in that accident with his parents.

It seemed he and Peter were much more closely connected than he had realized.

He skimmed over the other familial details and looked over his academic and professional records. The young man seemed like the one who loved to enjoy life while still being in full control of himself. He had no criminal history or academic blots on his record, had worked at Oscorp for a few years, and now worked as a freelance photographer. He seemed to be doing well for himself, just like his girlfriend.

His little digging done, Tony jumped when suddenly he felt someone wrap their hands around him from behind.

“Oh wow, didn’t know you were so engrossed in that,” Pepper chuckled as she walked around, grinning mirthfully. “You should see the look on your face right now.”

Smiling mockingly, Tony let her plant herself in his lap and turned back to the suspended screen in front of him.

“What’s all this? Spider suits for your two new friends?”

“One seems much closer than I’d thought,” Tony muttered, pointing toward Peter’s details. Pepper looked over and frowned.

“I don’t get it.”

“His parents,” he told her. “They were my father’s direct subordinates. They died with my parents back in ’91.”

“Oh,” Pepper frowned as she kept reading. “He was 3 back then. Brought up by his uncle and aunt. Must’ve been tough for them.”

Tony shrugged while she kept staring intently at the screen.

“That name seems familiar,” she muttered under her breath.

“What name?” Tony asked distractedly, caressing her thigh absentmindedly as he stared at the holographic images of those suits JARVIS was working on.

Pepper did not reply. She merely reached forward and tapped on the name she had been staring at for the past few seconds. Her eyes snapped open when the details popped up along with the photograph.

“Oh my!”

“Hmm?”

He turned around and his eyes bugged out as he stared at the photo. Slowly, they turned to each other with wide eyes, both hardly able to believe what they were seeing was true.

“You remember, don’t you?”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Tony asked disbelievingly. “You think I could ever forget that!?”

Despite herself, Pepper giggled and tapped his nose teasingly.

“How many years has it been? Twenty?”

“Twenty-one years, two hundred and four days,” Tony replied promptly, earning another giggle from the redhead.

“I’m surprised you don’t remember the hour, minute, or seconds as well,” she replied.

“Eight hours, seventeen minutes, and seconds counting,” Tony smirked, playfully squeezing her to himself as she let out another giggle.

“Who knew the world was so small?” She wondered out loud. “Let’s go over for a lovely chat, just the three of us.”

“You sure it’s only a chat you’re looking for here?” Tony asked teasingly, earning a smirk from her.

“It began with only a chat last time as well,” she replied.

“Oh yeah?” Tony asked huskily as he pulled her rump on his crotch, holding her by the belly. She was wearing a business suit and he expertly unbuttoned the half-sleeve jacket. Pepper allowed him to pull it off her and he dropped it to the floor.

She ground her perky rear on his slowly hardening manhood and nodded emphatically.

“Too bad we didn’t ask for her details or anything back then. She was brilliant, wasn’t she?”

“That she was,” Tony nodded, sensually nuzzling her. Pepper tilted her head to the side, allowing him more room to please her. Her breath hitched when she felt him pull her shirt out of her skirt and she raised her arms, allowing him to take it off. Now clad only in her blue bra, she leaned back with her head on his shoulder as his hands traveled up to her tits and started playing with them over the fabric.

“Admit it, you’ve never had a night like that before or since then,” she moaned, grinding furiously against him.

“Spot on,” he grunted against her neck. “Get up, will you?”

Pepper was eager to oblige and she shot to her feet. Turning around, she took off her skirt as he pulled his sweatshirt over his head and threw it on the floor. His cargos followed suit and she quickly dropped to her knees in front of him, pulling his boxers down and exposing his throbbing manhood to her hungry gaze.

“Oh you’re so excited,” she cooed, furiously stroking him as Tony caressed her hair. He grabbed her head and gently guided her forward. Pepper smirked and opened her mouth, taking him inside.

Tony groaned at the feeling of her hot mouth around his length, loving how she swirled her tongue around it as she moved her head back and forth, blowing him off.

“Damn Pepper… what’s gotten into you today?” he grunted, gasping when she brought her hands into play. One began to furiously stroke him as she sucked him off while the other cupped his balls.

Pepper’s eyes were staring up at him through her eyelashes and the sight was so erotic that all he could do was pump faster, aiding her in blowing him off.

“Oh I see it now… you’re looking for a repeat, aren’t ya?” He laughed throatily. “Oh you filthy, filthy girl! Always acting so prim and proper outside but once you’re behind closed doors, your true colors come out, eh?”

Pepper did not reply, not that she could. She merely winked, coaxing another laugh out of him as she continued to suck him off. His prick pushed rapidly against the back of her throat, constantly testing her gag reflex and it took all she had to not give in.

“Enough of this. I want something else,” he said and gently pulled himself out of her mouth.

“Don’t you talk about true colors,” she grinned up at him, giggling as he pulled her to her feet and lifted her in his arms.

The simulation kept running behind them as Tony carried her over to the couch and gently lowered her, quickly spreading her legs apart.

“Ooh, you’re in a really good mood today,” she cooed as he pushed her knickers to the side, exposing her bald mound, and licked along the outer edges of her pussy lips.

“Seeing her once again reminded me of that night,” Tony chuckled unrepentantly, earning a chuckle from the redhead. She watched him descend once again and spread her legs even more apart.

“Mm yesss…” she moaned, hissing at the wondrous feeling of her boyfriend’s tongue as it probed and prodded her lower lips. His scratchy beard brushed against her sensitive lips, making her mewl and sigh in pleasure. “You’re not alone… fuck!”

Tony kept his hands on her inner thighs, caressing with his fingers as he continued to eat her out. His tongue pushed hard against her pussy repeatedly, making her wetter by the second, and he grinned when he heard Pepper’s wild cry of passion as he abruptly slid three fingers inside her.

“Oh damn!” She cried out, eyes wide in lust as she stared at him pistoning his fingers in and out of her. “Yes, baby! Oh yes!”

He was in no mood to relent and with a smirk, he leaned down and flicked the sensitive bundle of nerves right on top of her pussy with his tongue.

“Tonyyyyy!” Pepper cried out in jubilation, rivulets of pleasure coursing through her as she came. Her breaths came out in short gasps, her eyes wide and her hair disheveled as her boyfriend kept teasing her folds and playing with her clit.

Tony smirked when he saw the look on her face and he slowly pulled his fingers out, making a show of licking them off.

That was enough for Pepper who pushed him back, making him lie flat on his back right on the floor. Before he could get up, he found himself pinned to the floor as Pepper planted her lovely rump right over his prick.

“Really?” He asked excitedly, watching her probe her rosebud with the tip of his cock.

“I came prepared,” she grinned sexily.

Twin moans of pleasure sounded out as Pepper slammed her hips down onto his cock, making it spear through her anal cavity and push to the hilt inside her.

“Oh fuck!” She hissed in tandem with Tony’s loud “Fuck!” as an impossible tightness enveloped his length. She dropped entirely on top of him, and Tony wasted no time in unsnapping her bra. He pulled it off her, throwing it away, and wrapped his arms tightly around her slender frame, mashing her naked tits against his chest as he held her.

“Go on,” she whispered and he obliged. Planting his feet on the floor, he began to slam his hips upward, thrusting his prick hard and fast inside her ass. Pepper kept moaning and crying out in pleasure as she felt him feed his cock deep into her ass.

“I can feel how aroused you are,” she whispered as she pulled back, staring at his slightly scrunched face. “I can tell you’re so close to cumming. Can’t say I blame you either. That was the first time we let someone else in and what a night it was!”

“I’d thought we were done with that stuff… all these years… but I guess we really aren’t,” he whispered throatily, his breathing heavy. “Fuck, I’m close.”

“It’s alright,” she grinned. “Give it all to me!”

Tony braced himself for a second before he let himself go. He started to hammer away inside her with reckless abandon, furiously thrusting his cock in her ass as Pepper clutched onto him tightly. Her arms were under his shoulders, holding on with everything she could muster while he had his wrapped around her, keeping her crushed against his front.

His balls tightened and he felt the head of his cock expand. His hot cum splattered the insides of her ass and he kept ramming away hard and fast.

The feeling of his seed and the sheer sensations coursing through her forced another orgasm to wash her over and she cried out in ecstasy, her body pushing off his front. He rose with her, keeping her flush against him as she rode out her second climax.

Minutes passed in absolute silence and nothing but their heavy breathing was heard as they slowly came down from their respective orgasmic highs.

“That was intense…” Tony whispered, making no move to get away from her.

“Yeah… yeah, it was…” Pepper groaned, her face buried in the crook of his neck where she had been dropping soft kisses all this while. “And we both know why it was.”

Tony sighed in agreement. They certainly did.

“You want this, then? A repeat?” He asked searchingly.

Pepper leaned back and regarded him with a smile.

“I do,” she nodded. “And not just because you want it. I want to relive that night again.”

Tony chuckled as she buried her face in the crook of his neck once again. He softly stroked her naked back, feeling his cock pulsing inside her ass, and sighed.

“Well then, let’s hope she’s still the same May Reilly we met.”

XXXXX

“What? You’re canceling!?”

“Sorry, bro. MJ’s got an urgent business and I’ve got to tag along. Please don’t be mad at me!”

Peter frowned as Gwen shook her head in exasperation.

“We’re already almost there, Harry,” he replied.

“I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you two, we both will. Promise.”

Peter sighed.

“Fine. See you later.”

“You’re the best, Peter. Bye! And say Hi to your aunt and Liz for us as well.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Peter muttered as the call disconnected. “For fuck’s sake… what’s MJ cooked up suddenly?”

“Who knows?” Gwen replied with a click of her tongue. “They can come some other time. Let’s not spoil our moods without any reason.”

“Yeah,” Peter muttered.

“I’ve got an idea,” Gwen said wickedly, and before Peter could reply, his beautiful enhanced girlfriend was in his lap, sideways, with an arm around his neck and the other caressing his chest.

“Err… Gwen… I’m driving,” he said distractedly, his eyes lingering on the large exposed cleavage right under his nose. He could not resist taking a long whiff of her unique scent and it sent all his blood rushing south.

“You’re Spiderman, baby,” she whispered, nuzzling the side of his neck. “Surely your reflexes would be enough.”

Peter chuckled shakily. “Believe me, babe. With you in my lap dressed like a dream, no amount of enhanced reflexes would be enough.”

Gwen giggled and resumed her ministrations, and it made for a very challenging drive.

Peter was aroused beyond belief by the time they reached Liz’s home and he did not shy away from glaring at his tease of a girlfriend when she slid out of his lap without any hesitation and got out of the car.

“You coming, baby?” She called out, grinning unabashedly. Peter looked down at the erection he was sporting before staring meaningfully at her, only to earn a smirk in return.

“You are dead now,” he said, drawing his thumb across his neck. Gwen simply stuck out her tongue at him as she stood outside the window, a wide grin plastered on her face.

He waited for over a minute, deemed himself fine, and got out of the car. Gwen grinned and clasped her arms with his.

“Doing good, babe?”

Peter glanced at her, sneering. “You’re evil.”

She giggled yet again and led them toward the door. The doorbell rang and they waited outside. Their enhanced hearing picked up the approaching footsteps after a few seconds and their eyes widened slightly when they saw who it was.

“Err… Ed… ehm… Adrian?”

“Peter!” Adrian Toomes grinned goodnaturedly as he greeted him. “Ah yes, Liz did tell me you all were coming over. And Gwen, you look lovely as always. Come in, come in.”

Peter and Gwen shared a look as they stepped inside, watching the man shut the door.

“Liz told me Harry and Mary Jane were also coming?”

“Ah yes, MJ had an urgent business in the city so she and Harry couldn’t make it,” Peter replied.

“Oh. That’s unfortunate,” Adrian replied. “No worries though. You two are here. They can come over anytime they want.”

Peter gave the man a small smile as they were led inside.

“Look who finally showed up.”

Peter smiled and returned Liz’s hug who quickly went over to Gwen while he greeted Doris, Liz’s mother.

Both he and Gwen were surprised by how amicable Liz and her family were, not to mention how close they looked. Adrian, or Eddy Boy, was the most surprising component. Gone was the unusually surly fellow, being replaced with this jolly rando who couldn’t stop grinning. It unnerved them how unnatural that looked on a man whom they knew to be short-tempered and unusually confrontational.

Furthermore, the fact that the man was here was a surprise in itself. Harry had told them that he had left his family and had holed up in Staten Island, but apparently the man was either back or Harry’s intel was wrong and he’d never left.

They found themselves sitting on the couch, with he and Adrian sitting opposite each other and the women sitting on the one in the middle. The talks had been entirely nonchalant so far, discussing their lives since they had last met.

Liz’s family was surprised to hear that he had left Oscorp for photography when the woman made an offhand comment about how he had finally let his old passion conquer him. Peter merely shrugged.

“There’s no stress, I love the job, and the pay is brilliant. What else could I ask for?”

“Pursuing your passion. I love it in a person,” Adrian remarked with a smile. “I say keep at it, young man. What do you cover though? Any topic in particular or?”

“Mostly anything that catches my fancy but I look for either abstract stuff or things you don’t see every day,” Peter replied. “I also freelance for magazines and newspapers. They pay pretty well.”

“Oh? Thinking of branching into filmmaking or journalism as well?”

“Oh hell no!” Peter laughed. “Too stressful for my tastes. The little bit of news I’ve covered so far has been enough. I’m slowly trying to move away from it all.”

“Talking of news,” Adrian continued. “Did you see that attack in New York?”

Peter and Gwen exchanged a glance and she took charge.

“How could we not? It has been the talk everywhere for months now. We were thankfully far away from the epicenter but we could easily see it all from our apartment. It was terrifying.”

“You saw it with your own eyes?” Liz asked in surprise.

“What else do people see with?” Peter snorted.

“Very funny,” Liz rolled her eyes before turning back to Gwen. “So? How was it?”

“Like I said, it was terrifying. We were watching the life feed of the battle. So much destruction, so much carnage. The explosions were audible from where we live, and the air… don’t get me started. I’d been coughing for hours after it all ended.”

“Good thing those Avengers guys were there to save the day, eh?” Peter remarked. “Apparently, they coordinated rescue operations with the local law enforcement while also fighting those creatures.”

“Yeah,” Liz nodded. “They’re treated as heroes everywhere.”

“And for good reason,” Doris nodded. “God bless them all.”

“Funny you say that,” Peter snorted. “One of the papers I’ve worked with thinks they’re vigilantes who should be arrested and sent to prison. You could do a world of good but still someone will find something to vilify you.”

“True. Too true. The world is full of backstabbers,” Adrian said emphatically.

“That attack proved the existence of more aliens though,” Liz intoned. “And that not all of them are friendly.”

“It was bound to happen one day,” Gwen sighed. “And it makes sense, doesn’t it? For there to be bad aliens?”

“Doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Liz smiled weakly. “I sometimes wish no aliens existed, or even if they did, they never came to Earth.”

“Now that’s a regressive attitude to have, dear,” Adrian remarked with pursed lips, earning everyone’s attention. “For too long, we have clung to the notion that we are alone in this vast universe. But such a belief is not only misguided but detrimental to our growth as a species. Imagine the wealth of knowledge and understanding we could gain from a species that has potentially evolved under completely different circumstances, faced unique challenges, and developed technologies and philosophies beyond our current comprehension. Not only that, but interaction with an alien race would force us to confront our own biases, prejudices, and limited perspectives. It would shatter the boundaries of our ignorance and thrust us into a new era of intellectual and spiritual enlightenment.”

Everyone stared at him in a mix of fascination and disbelief, and there was nothing but silence in his wake. Finally, Peter cleared his throat and smiled.

“Well, that’s probably the most passionate I’ve ever seen you. You sounded like a veteran lecturer from MIT or something.”

Adrian let out a mirthful chortle.

“I’ve always been fascinated with technological marvels. A few species of aliens might be hostile but we can say that for humans who live among us as well. The aliens who came to Earth a few months ago… what were they called? The Chitree or something, right?”

“Chitauri,” Gwen corrected.

“Yeah, Chitauri. I saw videos of them online, and I must say, I found their technology very intriguing. Imagine how much we could achieve if we somehow found a way to make alien technology work with what we have here on Earth? It would usher in a new era of scientific advancement we could only dream of.”

“Yeah, I’m not interested in any of that. I’d be happy with my coffee in the morning and three nice meals before calling it a day. Thank you,” Liz muttered.

Peter and Gwen exchanged an amused smile with Doris and Adrian who could only sigh in exasperation.

“Enough about the news in NYC,” Gwen started. “Anything interesting going on in Queens lately?”

“Oh, I’ve got the perfect bit of news for you!” Liz seemed to have gotten a new life as she grinned widely. “Or even better. Dad, you tell them.”

A frown crossed over Adrian’s face – the first one of the day – as he sighed.

“It’s still a bit confusion as to how it happened. Even though I’m thankful for it.”

“Just accept that someone looked out for you and gave you the justice you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise,” Doris said supportively.

“What happened?” Peter asked with a frown.

Adrian sighed and started explaining how the firm he had started with Bestman had started flourishing in recent years and how he and his partner started to argue over their respective visions for their business. Peter and Gwen listened with growing frowns as Adrian told them how he was screwed over by Bestman and those lawyers.

“I was betrayed by someone I considered a brother,” Adrian continued with a deep sigh. “I couldn’t believe he’d do something like that to me. I tried to contact a few lawyers but no one could help me out. It was perhaps the lowest point of my life.”

“And that’s why you went to Staten Island? To get away from it all?” Peter asked.

“You heard about it all the way in Manhattan?” Adrian chuckled mirthlessly, smiling at his wife who squeezed his hand supportively. “Yeah, I needed time away from everything.”

Peter and Gwen nodded in understanding.

“I was back in Staten when it all happened. Bestman decided to sell off the firm and keep all the money he got from the sale. It was plain robbery, but there was nothing I could do. Then one day, I get a call from Doris that she found a bag full of cash in our backyard with a letter inside.”

“A bag of cash?” Gwen asked in surprise.

“I was shocked too,” Adrian nodded. “And I came back as quickly as I could. Imagine my shock when I saw that bag. The letter simply said that it was my share of the sale and that I didn’t have to worry about Bestman anymore.”

“Someone took the money from him and gave it to you?”

“Bestman had been in the hospital for a while now,” Adrian continued. “Someone beat him up and gave me my share back. I know it sounds heartless but I don’t feel even a bit sorry for him. I can only be thankful to this person, whoever it is, for giving me my rightful share.”

Peter nodded faintly. It all sounded a bit too surreal.

“Well,” Gwen chuckled. “Looks like Queens has a friendly neighborhood hero of its own now.”

“A hero...” Adrian whispered. “Yes… yes, he is.”

To be continued…