Chapter 16: Loose Ends

Chapter 16
The Fastest Man Alive
Loose Ends.

Benjamin Blake / Super Fast Semi-Functional Moron / Genius / Hero’ish

It had been a month since the smashing of Stryker and his bases, and there was still nothing on the news about it. The only thing that came out of the whole situation was Michelle asking me pointed questions, which I in turn ignored, but I was pretty sure Gwen knew. Gwen didn’t ask me what Michelle was talking about, but that was fine. The last thing I needed at the moment was more drama in my love life while I was trying to run a thriving multi-billion dollar company. There was no sign that the world was hungering for nano-technology or hologram technology at all. Once I placed the computer, table, and holophone on the open market, it was a smashing success, running faster than a runaway train.

NASA placed a contract that had far too many Zeros for my cryogenics research and projects to turn down. Although every invention Star Industries placed on the open market was a money maker. Gwen even made her mark in the medical field with a regenerative balm made from the Oz serum and a combination of the web formula. This was a good thing since Gwen wasn’t too happy finding out there was no fix for the Oz serum formula because it was fundamentally flawed to begin with. Granted it was a combination of the super soldier formula and whatever Norman cooked up in the lab. 

The two were not playing nice, which was causing the mind to deteriorate and causing the patient to go psychotic. I already had thoughts on how to get her some powers, but Gwen wasn’t pleased she couldn’t succeed with the first try. I counted it as a success because we were able to get a full mapping of half of the super soldier formula. And that was a secret between Gwen, Jean and myself since there was no way I was going to share that and get the military up my ass to reproduce the bloody thing. Peter had his fateful interview at Oscorp today, and I was in a park right around the corner watching from my tablet while completing the final draft of my suit and a few other things.

The current draft of the suit was my 2.0 version, I required a fully functioning computer within its systems, so I had to build a harness from scratch housed in Adamantium to make sure internals were protected. Hard hits like missiles and every other crazy thing have come my way since I doned the name Light Speed.  The gangs of New York weren’t getting scared, they were getting more and more guns. They were also getting smarter; like pulling multiple heists around the city all at the same time. Whoever was behind them came to the realization I couldn’t use comm’s and go super speeds at the same time.

So my current worry was figuring out the true crime when they all get reported all at once, but other than that, I was still taking down the carjacker or the alley mugger. Though they weren’t my concern today: today all of my attention was on one Peter Parker and how to get three layers of carbon composite nano fiber, and my unique crystal composite to all compress into one solid fabric.  The atomic nature of what I was working with wasn’t bonding properly, and Hank Pym was ignoring all of my calls. Something about working with upstart punks and he was retired, to bad for him I had some of my nanobots infiltrate his home with directives to ignore the ants and to not get caught by them. 

Currently, I only had half of the Pym formula, and it was turning into a pain in the ass because the half I had wasn’t following any known laws of physics. I didn’t have enough time to sit down and rewrite the whole thing though. I would have to give it my undivided attention next because it can solve a lot of problems I was having. Being able to shrink down to the atomic level to fix and create any structures I want with complete stability was fast becoming a wish of mine. The Pym particles would also take my nanotech to the next level, and I wasn’t going to let Hank Pym stand in my way. Maybe it was also time to infiltrate Pym industries and see what Darren Cross has and then compare it.

While I was watching Peter wait in the lobby of Oscorp towers I was going over how to create a reflective, augmented reality smart lens for public consumption while also doubling as the lens to my helmet so I don’t have to keep looking at my wrist mounted hologram.  She walked by, and I do mean walked by because I knew that ass. Anyone who’s anyone knows that ass, but what made matters worse was that she sat next to me sending me a flirtatious smile. 

All I could feel was a chill run down my spine. When Fury had shown up at my house, I decided to find where she was; so I hunted down every information within SHIELD’s servers to find her. All I found was that she was not even an agent, to begin with, even to this day they still hold a kill on sight order.  With that knowledge, I had Alfred track her down no matter how long it took because if SHIELD didn’t have her; I wanted her as my right hand. I spent over fifteen million to get the contacts to find her, and still, she evaded me. 

Though her last job gave her away and Alfred has had a track on her ever since: but I wasn’t happy with that last job at all. Yes, I was delighted she turned down a school bombing to take out a principal, but the assassination she performed left an awful taste in my mouth. I knew she was here for my head, Norman had put out a ten million dollar contract out on me, and she was in America from her last job. Case me for a few weeks, and most people would take me for some nerdy rich kid that swoons at anything. Maybe that’s why she was in her blonde get up and look so delicious in those yoga pants. Sitting across from me was a twenty-two-year-old Natalia Alianovna “Natasha” Romanova, I can’t lie she looked good for someone only five years out of the red room. 

I couldn’t fall for it though, and I had to remember how she performed that last assassination on her target.  The autopsy report had that his urethra still had seminal fluid and was coated with a female vaginal fluid of the O+ blood type. She had killed that man mid sploosh, and I wasn’t going to become the next. “Good Morning, Natasha, it nice to finally meet you. Although I thought you were ignoring my request for a meeting.” She tried to play it off, but I was far too focused on her, and there was no way I was going to allow her to slice my throat today. 

I had chosen this secluded spot in the park because of its lack of cameras, but it looks like she also had the same plans on eliminating me. Her breathing didn’t change, nor did her eye twitch; what gave her away was my sight. I noticed that different types of people had different kinds of bioelectricity running through them.  I could tell if a person was healthy or sick just from their internal flow and a few other things I was slowly experimenting with and figuring out.  What gave her away was the slight flare in her right hand along her hips, which am guessing has a hidden knife even though her arm didn’t move in that direction. She mentally wanted to, and that was the tell.

“Sorry I don’t know any Natasha’s, but you can know my name, it’s Megan.” She smiled as she held out her hand for me to shake it. With a sigh, I shook her hand, no reason to be rude. Since she is here, I might as well make my pitch. With a press of a few buttons on my tablet, a dead zone was activated around the whole park. Some of the joggers yelped in pain as there headset, and other devices all blasted out white noise and shut down. Humming to myself, I watched and waited while most of the parts occupants left after all their devices all messed up.

That got a twitch out of her, though, and it made me smile. “Calm down Natasha I am just clearing out some people so we can chat.” Showing her the tablet and how it was showing the park current covered in red, “I am creating a blackout zone just for us.”  With that, she cocked an eyebrow at me. With the park cleared out; it was time to make my offer and hoped to all hell it was Black Widow that wanted redemption. It would be a waste to kill her and lose all that knowledge in her head. “So Miss Romanova, we are now in the clear to speak.” And with that, I smiled at her since I was slowly revealing that I knew far more than I should. I was still working out the design for my helmet, but I noticed from the side of my peripheral vision her getting stiff from that admittance.

“No need to freak out, I am the contact Fast Feet; we have a meeting five months from now but, thanks to Norman, you’re here.” With that, I placed the tablet and my work to the side. “Let’s be honest and up front. I require your services, and I don’t mean a single contract here and there. I want you on retainer and working for me, in return, I can solve that Graduation Gift of the Red Room.” That got me her full undivided attention, and if I weren’t already juiced up on the speed force, I would never have been able to track when she moved for the knife. 

I watched as she moved in slow motion while she pulled it out from the back of her yoga pants then came after me in one fluid motion of movement. It was one thing to hear about it and another to watch the Black Widow in action. This was a dance, and I was supposed to be a very unwilling participant, and at the end of this dance of death was to be my preordained death. Unfortunately for her, I was not an average human anymore. And I have been far removed from average for some time. 

When her leg kicked out for my chest, I moved up with it pushing her leg up onto my shoulder, placing us in a very compromising position. “You know just killing me when I am trying to help isn’t very nice,” Natasha didn’t even reply she just pulled another knife out of I don’t know where and went for the family jewels. 

My survival was due to my reaction time; otherwise, I would have become a dead man.
 I went for both her knives, and I found thirty-six more on her in some very, very nice places. I even had to disarm a small pistol strapped to her ankle. The only knife I left was the one connected to the inner wire of her bra. Placing all her tools on the bench, I carried her over my shoulder and threw her at the nearest tree still in sight of the park bench. 

Bless her heart, Natasha took the throw, grabbed onto a tree branch, and swung right back at me. Though I was at my limits, with a sidestep to avoid her, I gave her a boot right to the back pushing her away and pulling out my insurance to make her listen to reason. Other than wanting to kill me to erase all traces of knowledge about the red room.

I held up the vial of golden liquid that I was never going to release on the market. This golden liquid was a concentrated dose of my healing factor from my blood. “This isn’t and will never be on the open market, but I know you did your research on my company and me. You’re aware we have a healing solution on the market, right?” She was now still like she was a statue, and it was slightly creepy. I could tell she was trying to figure out how I was able to out-maneuver her while going over all the information she had on me. 

The one thing I didn’t do in public was use my powers, and so I am sure she just deduced I was a Metahuman and was considering ways to escape.  Her eyes snapped to the vial in my hands, and I could see the gears working in her head, though she was still standing like a statue. “I have also checked about your little healing solution; there is nothing in its medical disclosure that says it can.” “Very true Nat, can I call you Nat? Anyway, we had to reduce the concentrated effects so that the other big pharmaceuticals dont kill it on arrival that’s why it works on wounds and doesn’t heal everything. This golden liquid was derived from my blood and powers; it packs far more of a kick.”

When they make the expression, you can see the hope in someone; I always wondered how that would look on a person’s face. Natasha had such a focused intensity on the vial in my hands it was beyond scary. Like if I hadn’t removed the knives from her, I would lose my hand at any moment for what I was carrying. She was silent eerily silent, and I refused to break this silence. Then she finally spoke after eye killing me in many different ways. “Name your price.” “I need you in my employ, to be honest, I need a right hand that can help me with a lot that I can’t do because of my status.” At that statement, she raised an eyebrow at me.

“You want me to work for you? You do understand I am a wanted assassin right. And what about the contract on your head.” “Don’t worry about it; Norman has outlived his uses to me. When he gift wrapped you to me, I realized it was time to end Norman’s interference he can cause before it happens.” I was positive that my I refusal to sell Osborn a part of my company caused him to be more than a little incensed. And, I am sure it didn’t help that we released Gwen’s little creation on the open market and it had some of the markers from his Oz formula.

“Can you even pay my price?” “I am a young billionaire Nat, I can not only pay your price, but I will raise it with things you can never imagine. I know your Ledger is dripping RED and I can help cleanse that.” I tossed over the vial filled with the golden liquid to her. “I can also give you back what you have desperately wanted for years. Home and family.” “This sounds like am making a deal with the devil,” She stated which caused me to smile. “Don’t be like that, Nat; we are both devils. We do what we must to succeed, although I will never ask you to do something like what you did in your last mission. I will never rent out your services or ever want you to complete a mission in that manner.”

“So you waste millions just to give me a job offer and to heal me: why?”

“Everyone deserves a second chance, and child soldiers deserve one even more.” That statement caused her to stiffen up. Yeah, I finally got her because no one should know that critical tidbit of information about her. “And my contract with Norman?” “He will be dead before the days out, so I will double it. This allows you to put out that his death defaulted the contract, so the Widow never broke a contract.” “You have a lot of answers for a kid that’s supposed to be new to all this.” “Honestly I don’t, I am just trying to give a helping hand and avoid something worse in the future.” At that admittance, she raised an eyebrow at me, so I had to elaborate more for her. 

“My family isn’t currently like I am. So if someone hires people to get rid of them, they’re finished. I have some contingency plans for those events, but I want and need the best in the business to make sure everyone’s safe, and cover hole’s that I will miss.”

“You’re going to trust me around your family?” “I am going to take a leap of faith in your humanity. You did turn down that school job. This is your second chance; are you’re going to take it or let it pass you by?” And with that, my tablet went off, which meant something was happening. 

I was next to the tablet within moments, “Your him, aren’t you? That guy calling himself LightSpeed.” she spoke up walking next to me. I smiled at her as I watched Peter go down during one of Norman’s little show and tells, trying to impress him. I knew why he went down because he just got bitten by the spider and I needed that spider. Hell, I was going to take all those spider’s, and there was nothing Norman can do about it.

“Hold this please,” Giving the tablet to Natasha. I went towards the Oscorp tower for another speed heist. I already knew Peter was going to be okay. He has always survived getting his powers. So I was going to use this opportunity to get his spider and the rest.
I was in through the doors and up the steps before a fly could flutter its wings. They were on the thirty-second floor when I was watching the video. While I was in motion, I double checked my bag to be sure I had everything that was needed. 

I had ten jars total to make sure that no two spiders were in the same containment. It wouldn’t do to have them kill or eat each other when I had waited so long for this day. 
That situation would fucking suck after all the planning and waiting I had to go through.
When I entered through the fire escape stairwell, Peter was still down on the ground, and Norman had that displeased look on his face.