The hum of the reactor had been the heart of the room. Now, it was drowned out by the gunfire.
Screams erupted as masked mercenaries poured into the demonstration hall, weapons raised, fingers tight on triggers. The crowd scattered—investors, scientists, university staff all scrambling for cover behind chairs and presentation booths. The glamour of the event shattered in an instant, replaced by terror.
Gwen Stacy's breath hitched.
Here we go.
Her eyes darted to MJ Watson, who had already grabbed Harry Osborn's arm and was dragging him behind a table.
"Babe, go," MJ whispered sharply, seeing the look in Gwen's eyes. "You've got this."
Gwen didn't hesitate.
She ducked into a side corridor, breaking into a sprint. Her symbiote suit slithered across her skin, coating her body in black, forming the sleek mask over her face. In seconds, Spider-Woman was reborn, but no one would see Gwen Stacy—just the vigilante.
Back inside, the chaos worsened.
Dr. Octavia "Vee" Octavius had been standing near the reactor when the gunfire began. Her first instinct had been to shield the control console. Her husband, Otto Octavius, had the opposite instinct—to shield her.
Otto rushed forward, grabbing Vee's arm.
"Vee, get down—"
But the bullet came too fast.
A sharp crack echoed over the mayhem. Otto's body jerked back as the shot tore through his chest.
Vee froze.
Time slowed.
The sound around her faded into a distant hum as she watched her husband collapse to his knees, eyes wide in shock.
"No… Otto…"
Her arms—those cursed mechanical limbs—twitched violently, reacting to her panic.
She caught Otto before he hit the ground, her hands trembling as blood spread across his shirt.
"Stay with me. Stay with me," Vee begged, her voice breaking into a sob.
Otto's hand gripped hers weakly, his face pale.
"You… you did it… honey… I'm so… proud…"
His eyes dulled.
His grip slackened.
He was gone.
"NO!" Vee screamed, her voice raw and ragged, echoing across the chamber.
But there was no response from Otto—only the growing coldness in his body.
And then the arms moved.
The twitching ceased.
They coiled around her like serpents, protective—possessive.
The whispers returned—stronger than ever.
"He is gone."
"But we are here."
"We will never leave you."
"Together, we will make them pay."
Vee's sobbing breaths turned ragged.
Her grief twisted into something darker—rage boiling beneath the surface.
The woman who had stepped onto the stage minutes ago was dying alongside Otto.
And Doctor Octopus was being born.
Natasha Romanoff saw Otto fall.
Her training kicked in. The Black Widow symbiote surged across her body, forming sleek black armor, her twin pistols already in her hands.
Her emotions—rage, grief—were pushed aside.
All that remained was precision.
She tracked the two men responsible, already retreating toward the rear exit.
Bang. Bang.
The first man fell with a scream, clutching his stomach.
The second tried to raise his rifle. Natasha shot him twice in the chest, then once in the head.
Both collapsed in a pool of blood.
Their final breaths gurgled out—one muttering, "Fucking… redhead…"
Natasha didn't blink.
She fired two more rounds into each body.
No survivors.
Her eyes flicked to Vee, still clutching Otto's body.
Something was wrong.
The arms were moving—but it was different now.
They weren't just reacting—they were controlling.
The Rest of L.U.S.H. ignited.
Wanda Maximoff's hands glowed crimson, chaos magic swirling around her like a storm, tearing weapons from attackers' hands.
Jean Grey's eyes burned with telepathic power, lifting two gunmen into the air, smashing them into a wall like ragdolls.
Storm raised her hand—lightning crackling above—summoning a gust of wind so powerful it hurled the remaining mercenaries backward, weapons clattering across the floor.
Spider-Woman (Gwen) swung from above, her symbiote suit morphing around her.
She landed between two attackers—kicking one in the chest, webbing the other's rifle to the ground.
Talia, her Extremis-enhanced reflexes sharp, wielded her twin stun batons like an artist, taking down a fleeing mercenary with brutal efficiency.
The mercenaries were being dismantled, but one of them—panicked—fired wildly toward the reactor.
A bullet struck the reactor's containment panel.
The hum shifted into a high-pitched whine.
The room bathed in an ominous orange glow.
Gwen's heart sank.
"It's gonna blow!"
Wanda and Jean reacted instantly.
Jean's telekinesis gripped the core, trying to hold it steady, but the energy was surging beyond control.
Wanda extended her hands, red tendrils latching onto the reactor.
Their minds became linked—focusing everything on preventing the blast from consuming the entire hall.
Sweat formed on Jean's brow, her breathing heavy.
"I… I can't hold it alone…"
Wanda's voice was tight with strain.
"You're not alone."
Together, their powers intertwined—chaos and telekinesis working in tandem.
The pressure built—heat washing over them like a furnace—but they held.
The core collapsed inward—imploding on itself—before being sealed in a cocoon of red energy.
The reactor was destroyed—but the explosion was contained.
Natasha, breathing heavily, moved toward the console.
Her symbiote peeled back from her face just enough to expose her smirk.
While everyone was focused on survival, she had uploaded the reactor's blueprints onto a Sokovian drive.
She deleted the originals.
No other copies remained.
She approached Wanda and handed her the drive.
"The Fusion technology now belongs to Sokovia."
Wanda took it—her eyes still glowing—but there was no satisfaction.
Just relief… and sorrow.
Vee stood over Otto's body, her face pale, tears mixing with fury.
The arms were still wrapped around her—but now they cradled her like an extension of her grief.
Her eyes met Wanda's, and for a moment, it was just pain.
Then it changed—hardened.
"You let this happen."
Before Wanda could speak, the arms lashed out, smashing through a wall.
Vee fled into the city—Doctor Octopus now fully born.
Silence hung over the ruined hall.
Otto's body lay still.
Vee was gone.
The reactor was destroyed.
But the future belonged to Sokovia.
MJ, dusting cake off her ruined dress, broke the silence.
"This is why I don't do science."
Harry hugged her, pale and shaken.
Peter sat near the wall, staring at the blood.
Wanda knelt beside Otto's body—her hand resting over his chest.
"I swear…
I'll bring her back."
Fracture whispered, softer this time.
**"If you can."**
Wanda spoke to Fracture. "There are no if i will save Vee even if she kills others she will find sanctuary in Sokovia with this technology Sokovia will now rise to become a world superpower."
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