Marvel : Web Of Evolution

Chapter 52: Chapter 51: Burger Summit



Spider-Man looked from the edge of a rooftop, pulling out his phone. The city was still shaking from the after effects of the battle, people panicked, their fear hanging in the air.

He sighed. "Time to fix that."

He swiped through his phone, opening YouTube. With a tap, he went LIVE.

"Yo, New York! Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man here!" His voice was light, reassuring. "I know things got crazy back there, and yeah, some super-bald, super-racist, super-ugly guy tried to ruin our day. But hey! We won! You're safe. And you've got a team of superheroes out here making sure it stays that way."

He flipped the camera to show the other heroes, Daredevil adjusting his gloves, Misty and Colleen leaning on each other, Iron Fist sitting on the ground looking exhausted. Luke Cage still looked grumpy about getting knocked out earlier.

"Big shoutout to my team for making sure the city didn't explode. Again."

The chat flooded in:

"SPIDEY YOU'RE A LEGEND!!"

"OMG DID HE JUST SAY BALD RACIST???"

"SPIDER-MAN 4 MAYOR"

"BLACK CAT IS HOT! KISS HER ALREADY!!"

Peter snorted. "Alright, alright, keep your web-fluid in your pockets, people. I gotta go." He ended the stream, pocketing his phone.

["Sir, your reputation has increased. Heroic Trust +45%. Overall Reputation: All-Time High."]

"Not bad."

Before Peter could react, Black Cat sprinted toward him and tackled him into a hug.

"You absolute maniac," she whispered. "That was hot."

Peter barely had time to open the lower half of his face mask, before she kissed him.

A loud whistle broke through the moment.

"FINALLY!" Iron Fist shouted. "Took you long enough!"

Luke Cage smirked. "No wonder the guy was so enthusiastic about her joining the team."

Misty Knight rolled her eyes. "Can you two get a room that isn't a crime scene?"

White Tiger smirked, crossing her arms. "Smooth move, Webs. Also, good job reassuring the civilians. That's what real heroes do."

"Yeah," Jessica Jones muttered. "Beats letting them scream and panic all night."

Peter adjusted his mask, grinning. "Appreciate it. Thanks"

Misty laughed. " Where's Deadpool by the way. Don't tell me you lost him?"

Peter shrugged. "Nah, he fell into an elevator shaft."

Colleen blinked. "…What?"

"Yeah, last thing he yelled was, 'Well, once I hit the bottom, it'll motivate me to go up!'"

Misty facepalmed with he bionic arm so hard, she almost knocked herself out.

Natasha folded her arms. "So what now?"

Peter stretched. "Simple. We celebrate the New York way."

Fifteen minutes later, the team was gathered at the best burger stand in the city. Moon Knight left early, muttering, "Not my style," as he disappeared into the night.

Sue Storm and Reed Richards also excused themselves, saying something about quantum instability and multiversal anomalies. Classic nerd excuses.

Meanwhile, Johnny Storm and The Thing stuck around.

"This is the best burger I've ever had," Luke Cage groaned, taking a massive bite.

Jessica turned to Luke. "Told you this spot was good."

Peter grinned smugly. "I don't just fight crime. I fight for flavor."

Johnny Storm leaned toward White Tiger, turning up the charm. "So, uh… you're White Tiger, huh? You know, I happen to have a thing for powerful women."

She didn't even look up from her burger. "And I have a thing for guys who mind their own business."

"Oooh, rejected," Hawkeye muttered.

"Maybe she's playing hard to get," Johnny grinned.

"Or maybe," Natasha smirked, "she's just not interested."

The Thing chuckled. "Flamebrain, you gotta learn when to take an L."

Before Johnny could respond, Psylocke turned to Peter. "Spider, we'd like to invite you to the X-Mansion. For training. And to dig deeper into Mister Sinister's plans."

Before Peter could reply, Johnny grinned. "Sounds cool. I'll come too."

Psylocke sighed. "You weren't invited."

"Come on, I bring the heat!"

"You are a liability," Natasha muttered.

Hawkeye nodded. "100% liability."

Peter chuckled. "I'll think about it. But not right now. I've got some unfinished business."

Luke, Misty, Iron Fist, and Colleen shook their heads.

"Nah," Luke said. "I'm sitting this one out."

White Tiger and Black Cat exchanged a glance. "We're in."

Peter turned to Daredevil. "You should come too. This could help you handle tougher fights."

Daredevil sighed. "Fine. But I'm not wearing a mutant uniform."

Peter grinned. "Never say never."

As the team kept eating, Natasha subtly leaned toward Peter. "So, Spidey. You've been getting… resourceful lately."

"Yeah?" Peter took a bite of his burger. "Superheroing takes a lot of creativity."

Hawkeye smirked. "And connections. You seem to have a lot of those."

Peter chewed thoughtfully. "Well, it's not what you know, it's who you know. And, y'know, knowing how to fight evil cyborgs and mutant warlords helps too."

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "We're just curious. You seem… more prepared than most heroes your age."

Peter shrugged. "I do my homework."

Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. "And your… investments?"

Peter wiped his mouth. "I like to think ahead."

Natasha leaned back to her original place and whispered to Hawkeye. "He's good."

"Tell me about it." Hawkeye whispered back, shifting is focus back to his burger.

***

Meanwhile…

The battle was over. The building and the nearby streets were still a mess, but S.H.I.E.L.D. was already sweeping in to clean up. Agents moved like clockwork, loading up criminals, securing evidence, and making sure no one tried anything stupid.

Two separate helicopters sat on the rooftop, their rotors chopping through the night air.

One was for Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. He was still unsteady from the beating he took, but too stubborn to let it show. His massive body barely fit in the seat as two armed agents strapped him in. He just sat there, silent, like a man who had lost the war but refused to surrender.

The other chopper? That was for the Red Skull. He sat in his restraints, grinning. Despite the situation, despite the fact that his great plan had crumbled around him, he still had that smug look on his crimson face.

The helicopter lifted off. For a while, there was nothing but the hum of the engines and the occasional chatter from the pilots. The agents around him were silent, disciplined.

But then, the agent sitting directly across from him reached up, unclipped and removed his helmet.

Red Skull's eyes widened. His face actually brightened.

"Ah…" he breathed, a smile spreading across his disgusting features. "At last."

Nick Fury stared back at him, face unreadable, his only eye as cold as steel.

Red Skull leaned forward slightly, his restraints creaking. "I knew you would come. We have much to discuss, Director Fury. Much to.. "

Fury pulled out a pistol. "Your job's done," he muttered.

A single gunshot rang out. Red Skull's head snapped back. Blood splattered across the interior of the chopper. His body slumped, lifeless.

The other agents didn't even flinch.

Fury calmly reholstered his weapon and leaned back in his seat.

The helicopter flew on, leaving behind nothing but a trail of smoke.

***

A dust-covered Deadpool stumbled in.

"Yo!" he called out. "I thought we were getting shawarma! But burgers work too."

Peter tossed him a wrapped burger. "Saved one for you, my man."

Deadpool gasped. "YOU. ARE. A. SAINT." He took a bite and immediately melted into happiness. "Holy chimichanga, this is heaven."

As they kept eating, Deadpool suddenly stood up. "You know what would make this night perfect?"

Peter looked up, " I am gonna regret this, but still... What?"

"A round of Among Us!"

Jessica laughed, "Alright, I love that game."

Iron Fist joined the laugh. "I played it once with Luke and Colleen. Luke flipped a table."

Luke grumbled, "Because someone kept voting me out for no reason!"

"Your avatar looked sus!" Danny said.

"Your face is sus!"

Peter sighed. "Alright, we are not turning this night into an emergency meeting."

Deadpool grinned. "Maybe you're the imposter, Spider."

Peter took a deep breath. "I regret saving you that burger."

Deadpool gasped. "You take that back!"

Peter grinned. "Never."

The night carried on with laughter, teasing, and way too many burgers.

****

Hours later, Peter sat at a computer, mask off, casually browsing. Nearby, Deadpool was sitting on a couch, legs spread apart, scratching his balls with a pistol in one hand and flipping TV channels with the other.

Deadpool looked over. "Hey, Phineas. Whatcha doin'?"

Peter didn't even look up. "Getting you another job."

Deadpool raised an eyebrow. "Does it involve pushing me down another elevator shaft?"

Peter smirked. "Nope. It involves you going to Africa."

Deadpool paused. "Sounds sketchy."

"It is." Peter continued typing. "I built a fake reputation as a wealthy businessman. Made it look like I'm an expert on Vibranium. Now, I've arranged to buy some. You're the guy picking it up."

Deadpool crossed his arms. "Sounds dangerous."

Peter smirked. "Nothing you can't handle."

Deadpool leaned forward. "Fine. But I need a suit upgrade. I want that slimy, living, badass fantasy suit."

Peter squinted. "Depends. Are you gonna go crazy and kill every hero alive?"

Deadpool placed a hand on his heart. "Nah, man. I got you now. My sexy, web-slinging, action-packed teenage soulmate to keep me sane."

Peter blinked. "No homo?"

Deadpool grinned. "I make no promises."

Peter sighed.

["Incoming Call – Tony Stark."] Suddenly, a notification came from CELESTE.

["He probably wants to assert dominance, sir."]

Peter took a deep breath.

"Watcha doin' again, Phineas?" Deadpool had his full attention on Peter, now.

"Channeling my inner Tom Holland."

"Oh, you gonna wear pantyhose, mascara.. and start dancing?"

Peter sighed before ignoring him and answering the call. "Mr. Stark! What's up?"

"Kid," Tony's voice carried that usual mix of arrogance and exhaustion. "Press conference. Tomorrow at Stark tower. Be there."

Peter kept his voice casual. "Whoa, press conference? Me? That's the biggest honor of my life!"

There was a pause before Tony narrowed his eyes. "Why do I feel like you're screwing with me?"

Peter chuckled nervously. "No way! I'm serious, Mr. Stark. I mean, you're a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist! Who wouldn't want to be part of this?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just show up. Oh, and since you own shares now, congrats on becoming a businessman. Hope you're ready for some boring board meetings."

Peter hesitated before steering the conversation in another direction. "Speaking of business, Mr. Stark… Have you noticed anything weird going on at Stark Industries?"

Tony sighed. "Kid, everything at Stark Industries is weird, especially since a kid bought 35% shares. It's a billion-dollar tech company, not a lemonade stand."

Peter pressed on. "I mean, with the shareholders. I've been doing some research, and there's someone buying up shares in a… let's say, aggressive way. Someone close to you."

Tony's voice lost its usual playfulness. "Who are you talking about?"

Peter exhaled. "Obadiah Stane."

Silence.

Then, Tony let out a short laugh. "You've been watching too many conspiracy movies, kid. Next, you'll tell me the moon landing was faked and that Steve Rogers is secretly a lizard."

Peter stayed serious. "Mr. Stark, I get it. Obadiah has been with you forever, but please, hear me out. You know that 'unknown guy' who was holding onto my shares until now?"

Tony sounded impatient. "Yeah, what about him?"

Peter took a breath. "There was no 'unknown guy.' It was me all along."

Another pause. This time, longer.

Tony's tone shifted to a colder, more threatening one. "That's a bold move, Peter."

Peter swallowed. "I know. But I needed to do it. Because the moment I got involved, which started from casual buying and selling. I started digging. And what I found… It's not good, Mr. Stark. Stane isn't just buying shares. He's forcing people to sell. He's been meeting with people he shouldn't be meeting with. He's making moves behind your back."

Tony exhaled sharply. "Peter, listen to me. Obadiah isn't some cartoon villain twirling his mustache. He's family. He helped build this company with my dad. You don't get to throw accusations around just because you think you've cracked some mystery."

Peter's voice was calm, but firm. "I know it sounds crazy, Mr. Stark. But what if I'm right? What if Obadiah is playing you?"

Tony didn't respond immediately. When he did, his voice was unreadable. "You got proof?"

Peter hesitated. "Not the kind you can take to court. But I know something is wrong. And I think if you look into it, you'll start seeing it too."

Tony sighed. "Alright, Peter. I'll look into it. But I still need you at that press conference. Can I count on you?"

Peter grinned, relieved. "Absolutely, Mr. Stark. And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Obadiah too. Just in case."

Tony let out a dry chuckle. "That's adorable, kid. But if Stane really is up to something, you don't need to keep an eye on him. You need to keep your head down."

The call ended.

Deadpool, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, let out another dramatic gasp. "WAIT. YOU'RE RICH??"

Peter looked around at the run-down warehouse, with a lot of expensive machines, they were in. "Look around, Wade. What does this tell you?"

Deadpool nodded sagely. "…That you suck at spending money."

Peter rolled his eyes.

Deadpool suddenly pointed at a metallic set of claws and carbonadium coil parts on the table. "Anyway, what do you plan to do with those Logan claws and carbonadium dildos?"

Peter cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna get me some spider legs."

Deadpool clapped his hands. "SEXY!"

========

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