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MISADVENTURES IN PARADISE
xi. WITH GREAT POWER

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   "OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE."

   Riley shredded another page of calculations, crumpling it into a ball like the others by her feet. That must've been her hundredth calculation. One after another, they all yielded the same result. Inconclusive.

   The pressure was on. Solar couldn't wait forever.

   But even creating a cure came with potential complications. What if Riley wasn't fast enough? What if Solar distributed it to Riley first? What if it worked? What if it didn't? Every question produced the same answer, it seemed. A bloodbath was on the rise. If Solar killed Riley first, then Peter—

   "Everything alright?"

   Norman was watching Riley.

   The older man was using Peter's tech to brew a serum — or rather, an anti-serum — for himself while Peter worked on draining the extraneous electricity from Max's body. Riley had drawn up the blueprints, allowing Peter to tweak them as he deemed necessary. While they worked together, she explained everything Solar told her.

   Peter shared Riley's concerns, but he was more optimistic than she was. He believed they could help Solar, and it wouldn't come down to a battle of strength and wits. Just look at Octavius, he'd said. We helped him, of all people, and it didn't get messy at all!

   Riley appreciated the comfort, but she needed to prepare herself for the worst. Thinking about killing Solar wasn't daunting at first, but now that she knew what Solar had gone through and how similar they truly were, she was more prone to hesitation. She didn't like that. Attachments made her weak. They always had.

   Why would Solar's body bear such an adverse reaction to UVs anyway? Maybe her body was rejecting it, unlike Riley's. Maybe Solar exerted herself too much without learning to tame her powers first, and now she was facing the consequences. Maybe it had something to do with Octavius's machinery.

   If Solar absorbed Riley's light to keep herself alive, would it be a permanent solution? Riley doubted it. To her, judging Solar's condition, it seemed like charging a battery. You can only recharge it so many times before it dies for good. She figured Solar would try anyway. And if Riley lost her powers—

   "Ms. O'Dair?"

   "Sorry," Riley said. "Lost in thought. Was I too loud—?"

   "No, no. You weren't. Trust me. I understand what it's like getting absorbed in your work." Norman's smile was kind. "I saw what you and Peter did with that device for Max. If you could pull that off, what could possibly be stumping you now?"

   "Oh, that? Energy's always been my specialty. It's the family business. You should see my mom's company. It's the pioneer of clean energy." Despite Norman's intrigued eyes, she sighed. "I keep running into dead-ends with Solar. The only other solutions—" Between absorbing her light and attempting to kill her. "—are pretty risky."

   What if there were repercussions to harming Solar? If she was destined to die anyway, would it affect the vast multiverse, or was it like pouring a cup of water into a roaring river, hardly noticeable?

   Riley didn't know if she had it in her to steal Solar's light, assuming the absorption would be permanent. She wouldn't want anyone to take her powers. How could she do it to someone else? To her multiversal equivalent?

   The thought of being powerless had quickly become one of her greatest fears, one she didn't realize was a fear until the possibility suddenly manifested before her.

   "Isn't that the tagline for our industry?" Octavius chimed as he entered the room. His newfound cheery attitude was jarring. "Scientific discovery never came about without a risk or challenge."

   "Tell that to Isaac Newton and his apple. His greatest discovery literally fell out of the sky and onto his lap," Riley replied. "I'm starting to feel like I can fix anything and anyone except myself. Or, well, you know."

   All of this would be easier if Riley stopped viewing them as the same person, but she couldn't help it.

   "Do you realize who you're talking to? Norman and I have suffered from great darkness festering within us," Octavius said, "but Peter fixed me. And soon, Norman will be cured, too. How does it feel, Norman? You're about to become whole again. No more darker half. Just you."

   Somber, Norman echoed, "Just me..."

   "As for you, Ms. O'Dair—"

   "It's Stark, actually," Riley said. "I'm adopted."

   "My apologies. Ms. Stark," Octavius corrected, "I wouldn't mind glancing over your research. Perhaps we can conjoin our understanding of the power of the sun."

   Riley perked up. "You would do that? Wow, thank you! I had some questions about your machine. If I could understand what you were doing better, it could help me draw a few conclusions."

   "Right, of course. It was a fusion device. It relied on fusing tritium nuclei, releasing energy subsequently. I was researching self-sustaining nuclear fusion through magnet-confined neutrons," Octavius recalled. "Fusion, as I'm sure you know, occurs naturally in the sun, at temperatures of tens of millions of degrees and high pressure. The idea was that the machine would produce more energy than it consumes. However, my machine couldn't accommodate this calculation. It began to consume more energy than it produced until it combusted."

   "That would explain Solar's condition," Riley realized. "Her body's experiencing a similar drawback. Her body is failing to settle at equilibrium with the radiation. It's constantly overproducing or overconsuming energy. The more she uses her power, the more it's tearing her apart inside. Eventually, it'll kill her."

   "Intriguing. Did you obtain your powers through a similar incident?"

   "Yeah. The machine that gave me my powers involved microcellular research. I can only assume that's why my powers are more stable, more attuned to my body than Solar's."

   The fabricator trilled. The anti-collider for Flint had completed its initial construction stage. Riley excused herself to check on it just as Peter entered the room to do the same.

   "There you are." Riley tapped a few buttons on the fabricator. "You're slow today."

   "C'mon, I was only a second behind you," Peter replied. "How many ex-criminals have you cured today? Hmm? Oh, that's right. Zero."

   "That's a lot of audacity for someone who named all his devices the same thing. We've got the anti-Electro drainer, the anti-collider, the anti-octo chip, the anti-serum... Didn't Tony teach you anything about style?"

   "The only thing that man taught me is how to make an entrance and how to bluff a lawsuit."

   Peter grinned when Riley laughed, then took over for her. He was always better with the mechanisms of machinery than she was.

   "I don't know how you managed to get Solar to talk," Peter said. "I offered her a glass of water, and she threatened to give me a sunburn on my ass."

   "You can't blame her. Water plus Peter? You wanna traumatize her again?"

   "I was just encouraging her to hydrate!"

   "You are so sweet sometimes, it makes me sick."

   "Well, one of us has to be the good cop in this relationship." When Riley gasped, his head snapped upward. "What? What's wrong?"

   "Nothing! I just can't believe you're finally accepting that you're not the bad cop!" Riley giggled when Peter gently shoved her away, only to pull her back to him a second later.

   They worked side-by-side, making small talk about what to do next and how they would celebrate once this was all over. Riley was obsessed with Peter's mind, how it juggled and zipped between ideas and topics at lightspeed. Seeing him work so swiftly yet efficiently encouraged her to match his pace. They were perfect partners. She trusted his instincts. She matched his enthusiasm. She helped straighten his ideas when they got tangled in his brain. She could read him like a book.

   Which was how she knew when his Spider-Sense began to tingle.

   Slowly, Peter sat up. His pupils were dilated, eyebrows pinched. His breathing slowed, beat by beat. He made a face like something was pricking his insides, though he couldn't tell what.

   "What is it?" Riley asked.

   Noticing his face, Octavius chimed, "Peter?"

   "What's wrong?" Norman asked.

   Quietly, Peter said, "I don't know." He exited the room. The three followed him. "May?"

   May descended the staircase. "What is it, Peter?"

   "What's happening?" Flint asked.

   Riley was discrete as she shifted herself to physically block May. Her gaze flickered between Peter and the others. Peter, then Solar. Peter, then Flint. Peter, then Max.

   "Why are you lookin' at me like that?" Max accused. The circular drainer was attached to his chest. Small green lights rounded it. Once all the lights illuminated, he would be cured of his powers.

   Peter, then Octavius. Peter, then Norman. Peter, then Solar again.

   Suddenly, Riley could only focus on Solar. Solar knew of Peter's enhanced senses. Even if she wasn't the one triggering him, she could take advantage of it.

   Peter's eyes closed. He took a deep breath, trying to align himself.

   When he looked again, his eyes were on Norman.

   THWIP!

   A web ensnared Norman's hand against DUM-E.

   Riley would've expected Norman to cry out in surprise, but his face hardened. Slowly, he grated, "That's some neat trick, that sense of yours."

   "Norman?" Octavius called.

   An eerie smile curled Norman's lips. "Norman's on sabbatical, honey," he drawled.

   "The hell?" Max asked.

   "The Goblin," Peter whispered. He cut May a glance, who nodded and briefly slipped into the other room to retrieve the anti-collider and anti-serums.

   "No more darker half? Did you really think I'd let that happen? That I'd let you take away my power just because you're blind to what true power can bring you?" the Green Goblin sneered.

   "Finally, someone with their head screwed on straight," Solar mused.

   "You don't know me," Peter defended.

   "Don't I?" Goblin retorted. "I saw how she trapped you, both of you, fighting her holy moral mission. We don't need you to save us. WE DON'T NEED TO BE FIXED. These are not curses. They're gifts."

   BEEP! Max's drainer was two bars away from extracting his powers.

   "Even if they're hurting you?" Riley challenged. "Would you call a parasite a gift just because it was given to you by another?"

   "You thrive from the parasite, too, little hero. You have no place to talk. You're frightened of what you're capable of.  I can see it, in your eyes, in your desperation to fix your mirror twin. Aren't you tired of hiding who you're meant to be?" Goblin asked. Octavius tried to reason with him. "Quiet, lapdog."

   "You don't know what you're talking about," Peter said.

   "I've watched you from deep behind Norman's cowardly eyes," Goblin mocked, "struggling to have everything you want while the world tries to make you choose."

   BEEP!

   "Gods don't choose," Goblin said. "We take."

   Peter gritted his teeth. "May, run."

   If Riley had known then what would happen next, she would've killed Solar the day they met.

   But she was a hero. Her job relied on hoping for the best.

   May took off in a sprint. A blinding beam of sunlight burst through the apartment, aimed at her back. Riley swatted it back with a forcefield, then blasted at Solar.

   Max yanked off the drainer and fired a lightning bolt. It fried the fabricator and magnetized the Arc Reactor, drawing it toward him. It would've struck Peter had he not dodged, but it was pointless. The Goblin yanked himself free and slammed Peter with enough force to dent the staircase.

   Riley's eyes were on the Arc Reactor. She knew what it was capable of, supercharging Max and more. She couldn't let him take it. She moved toward Max, but Solar blasted her. As Riley stumbled, she caught Flint disintegrating into sand and flying out the window.

   Using her distraction to her advantage, Solar cast a forcefield behind Riley and pushed her into her range. Then, she curved her fist into Riley's gut.

   "Time's up, Val." Solar struck again. "If you can't give me my cure, I'll take it from you."

   Riley phased through the forcefield behind her, then pushed it forward to plow Solar away. Outside, sand swept through the sky. Since Flint was the first to escape, he was a top priority.

   Or, he was. But then the power in the building surged, courtesy of Electro.

   "Oh, my God." Octavius's tentacles flexed, mortified. "What have you done?"

   Electricity crackled around Max's fists, his eyes glossing yellow. "I liked you better before."

   Yellow whips grappled Octavius, shoving him relentlessly. Riley tried to wedge herself between them, but Solar grabbed her. Riley's back slammed against the floor. Solar dug her heel into Riley's stomach.

   "You want to save HIM?" Solar's face blazed with wrath. "HE DID THIS TO US."

   "I— AM NOT YOU!" Riley wheezed. She threw Solar through the ceiling with a forcefield. As Riley rose, the back wall along the living room blasted open. A gust of cold air bit them. Glass shattered. Riley caught only a flash of silver before it registered. Octavius was plummeting.

   She bolted to catch Octavius, but Max was standing at the edge of the broken home, firing into a climbing sandstorm. It funneled around the arriving policemen and reporters. A helicopter swarmed the side of the building, evading the storm. It shined a spotlight at the windows for a clearer vision of the fight. If Riley squinted, she could see the F.E.A.S.T. truck had been torn open. Dr. Connors had fled, too.

   Electro recoiled as Riley attacked him, but with the Arc Reactor on his chest, the electricity continued to spark from every inch of him. He turned to her daringly.

   Riley nodded to the Arc Reactor. "You have something that doesn't belong to you."

   Electro bared his teeth at her. "Come and take it."

   He leaped off the edge of the building, using his electricity to propel him forward. He took off in one direction while Flint vanished in another. Solar's wicked laugh came from behind Riley.

   "I like how he's thinking!" Solar turned invisible, even though she knew Riley could see her. "It's time to embrace your omnipotence, Valor. Let's play God. My favorite game. Who will you kill first, hero? I know who I'm choosing. Maybe you should run home before it's too late."

   Solar took to the skies at lightspeed.

   Riley pushed her hair out of her already bruised face. "Fuck!"

   Solar. Electro. Sandman. All three of them escaped, not to mention Lizard and Dr. Octavius were missing, too. She pushed the button on her cuffs. As her white suit materialized over her clothes, she chased the trio into the night, praying that May managed to escape and Peter could handle the Goblin alone.

   "JO, track the pattern of power surges in the area."

   "Good evening, Miss Valor. You have two texts from Mr. Stark and three missed calls from Mrs. Potts," JOCASTA reported. "Mrs. Potts is inquiring when you'll be home for dinner—"

   "Not what I asked for, JO!"

   "Should I call R—?"

   "Dammit, JO, any day now! We're losing time!"

   She wasn't thinking clearly.

   Solar. Electro. Sandman.

   Would they stick together? Regroup? Separate? Solar should've been her top priority, but she knew what Max could accomplish with that Arc Reactor. She also knew that if she lost Flint now, locating him again would be borderline impossible, and without her forcefields, detaining him would be even harder.

   She couldn't decide who to go after. Their faces kept flashing through her mind. She kept changing her path, flying in one direction before turning around. What to do? Who to chase first? What to do?

   Something about what Solar said was bothering Riley though.

   I know who I'm choosing.

   If Solar wanted to kill Peter, why leave the building? She knew where he was. She knew his strengths and weaknesses. She knew he couldn't focus on fighting two unpredictable enemies, especially with May still in the building.

   But Solar flew into the night — far, far away from Peter Parker.

   Maybe you should run home before it's too late.

   Riley froze mid-air. Ignoring JOCASTA in her ear, she turned her course of flight and hurried home, where her parents were entertaining their guests at a dinner party.

○ ○ ○

   In the backyard of the Stark Cabin, a group of coworkers-turned-friends gathered. A taupe canopy stretched overhead. Twinkling lights posed as stars. The air was cold and crisp, but with Tony's self-invented outdoor heater, it felt more like a summer evening.

   "There you are. I thought I told you we were having guests," Tony greeted, whiskey in hand. Riley entered the backyard wearing a tilted smile and an unusual outfit, which included a pair of gray gloves. "New look?"

   "What, you don't love it?" Riley usually greeted her family with a hug and a kiss. Tonight, she skipped the pleasantries and plopped into the seat between Bucky Barnes and Natasha Romanoff. "Pete and I were screwing around with the fabricator you left at Hogan's place."

   Pepper mouthed to herself, Hogan?

   "Screwing around on the clock?" Bucky took a swig of his beer, feigning an intimidating demeanor. "That Spider-Boy's changed you. If you want me to rough him up, I'm free on Thursday—"

   "Nah, nah, you have Bingo on Thursday nights," Sam Wilson taunted. "Let little Riley have her fun. She's allowed to be a kid and have a boyfriend."

   Steve pointed his drink at him. "You're a bad influence."

   "And yet you're the one who made me Captain America."

   Tony laughed, though his gaze kept flickering toward Riley. Something was off about her. "Ice cold, Samuel. Just like—"

   "Every time," Steve sighed. Noticing Tony's eyes, he sipped his drink in understanding.

   "Actually, I was going for a Russia joke—"

   "Speaking of cold, where's your buddy?" Natasha asked Riley. She studied the girl as she leaned into her seat. Her red hair was braided down her spine. Next to her, Morgan's hair was styled similarly. "I thought you and Rome were a package deal now."

   "Who?" Riley flinched. "Oh! Roman. Yeah, he's... busy."

   "With who? MJ?" Pepper asked. "I'm telling you, he likes her. A mother's intuition is never wrong."

   "MJ..." Bucky made a face. He glanced toward Natasha, who nodded subtly. Then, he turned to Sam, who seemed to read his eyes. "She the one we met at camp? The one with the cat shirt?"

   "What do you have against cats?" Sam retorted.

   "Nothing," Bucky replied. "I enjoy cats. Why are you getting so defensive?"

   "I'm not getting defensive. I was just—"

   "It's your tone that gets me—"

   "Where's Riley?" Morgan squeaked.

   All eyes didn't fall on Morgan. They fell on Riley.

   Riley's laugh was dry. "What are you talking about? I'm not invisible, am I?"

   "No," Natasha coolly said. "Answer the question. Where is she?"

   Her answer came in the form of a flurried light darting through the night like a comet. A sunbeam crashed into Solar's chest.

   Solar flew backward, drawing charred streaks in the tall grass. Everyone jumped to their feet. Bucky tore off his jacket, unsheathing his metal arm, whereas Natasha wielded a steak knife. Steve and Sam raised their fists. Tony tapped a button on his glasses, summoning a scrap of emergency Iron Man armor from the basement and attaching it to his arm. Meanwhile, Pepper scooped her youngest and brought her inside.

   Solar rolled onto her side. "Six on one? I don't think that's fair."

   "Fair... You wanna talk about fairness?" Riley prowled toward Solar, spitting out every word like venom on her tongue. "What happened to protecting me?"

   "I am protecting you." Solar rose. "You are surrounded by weaknesses. Your friends. Your family. Peter. You think Peter or any of your enemies will hold back because you have a family? You're lucky I got here before the others could. You're delusional if you think you can save all of them."

   "So, you're going after my family to prove a baseless point?" Riley demanded. "Doesn't sound very journalist-like of you."

   "And, for a hero, you wear your heart on your sleeve. You're weak. And for what? For love?" Solar mocked. "Love is temporary. Love comes and goes. But you and I, we can only rely on ourselves."

   "Okay," Sam muttered. "So, she's insane."

   "Riley," Tony carefully said, "why is she wearing your face?"

   "Let this be a warning," Solar said. "You keep holding back, and I promise you, your little village will be the first ones to go. Let me help you, Val. Let me make you stronger."

   Solar fired at Tony. He met her blast with his own, giving Riley a chance to attack. But Solar dodged in the knick of time and bolted toward Sam.

   Fighting soldiers was checkers. Fighting assassins was a dance. Fighting Solar was a sport. Importantly, all three were games, and Riley intended to win.

   Solar traded opponents with every step, her transparency blinking without warning. Her lack of strategy seemed like one in itself. She traded fists for blood, bruises for laughter, graying further and further when she never seemed more alive. She was reckless but ruthless, stubborn yet persistent.

   Solar didn't have a plan, just that she wanted Riley to hurt the same way she did. To make her feel unfathomable pain. To make them true equals like Solar believed they were. Solar had spent less than a day with Riley, yet she already knew all her weak spots.

   And if she could make Riley hurt, if she could make Riley beg for mercy, Solar could barter for Riley's powers. Solar could win. She didn't have to say it for Riley to know it. She would do the same.

   The fighting paused when Solar held Natasha in place. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders. A knife dug into the Russian's throat.

   "Let's talk about this," Steve offered. "What do you want?"

   Compared to the others, it was almost pathetic how battered Riley and Solar were. Even in a state like this, they mirrored each other. The others didn't understand the nuance that came with their continued collision. They made each other weaker, but they also made each other that much stronger.

   It was a dangerous game they were playing. How much longer could they go before the multiverse collapsed around them?

   "One move," Solar heaved. "One move, and I'll slit her throat right now."

   Riley spat blood onto the grass, then offered a shining smile. "Go ahead. Be my guest."

   That caught Solar by surprise. "I knew it. You're like me. She's a weak human—"

   Natasha jammed her elbow into Solar's gut, then twisted her arm. The blade fell. She bent back to swipe it and swung her legs beneath Solar. As Solar tripped, Natasha jammed the knife into her leg. Crying out in pain, Solar tried to attack Natasha, but this time, Riley was faster.

   Gripping Solar's neck, Riley sneered, "She might be powerless, but she is not fucking weak."

   They took to the sky. Solar barely wiggled out of Riley's iron fist before the fighting continued.

   "You wanna play God, you come after me," Riley snapped. "Not them. Me."

   "Scared, Riley?" Solar asked. "Scared of the power you wield?"

   "You mean the power you need? Face it, Solar. I'm stronger than you—"

   "And yet, you're still weak. If you were a god—"

   "I don't want to be a god. I've looked gods in the face and told them to go fuck themselves. Gods and humans are equally as weak. One just pretends they aren't. You don't get to dictate who I am because I don't share the same maddening thirst for vengeance as you. You don't get to dangle my vulnerabilities in front of me because you want what I have."

   "Until you give me what I want, I will come for you. Everything you have. Everyone you love. I will kill them when you aren't watching and convince you it was all your fault. I'll turn this world on you and convince them you're a monster, just like me."

   "You mock heroes for choosing to save people from death or otherwise, for choosing to change their fate," Riley said, "but what makes you any different? Killing and saving, it's still challenging fate, isn't it?"

   "You're right. We aren't different. I would turn this world to ashes to destroy it. You would do the same to save it."

   Riley flinched. "That's not the same thing—"

   "Isn't it? Wasn't half of this world ashes not that long ago?"

   "I should just kill you—"

   "And why haven't you?" Solar asked. "You could do it. You're stronger. You're smarter. Do it. Take away my pain. Save me, Valor." She waited, but nothing happened. "That's right. Because despite your anger, despite everything, I'm you. You don't want to hurt me. You pity me. You understand me. You want to... fix me."

   Riley didn't deny it. "I still can. I can help you. You could be better."

   "Like you?" Solar sneered. "I don't want to be tamed like some animal. I want to use this power to get my revenge, even if this world's Peter isn't mine. You don't deserve your power. You could be so much more if you just... let go. Be the machine they wanted you to be. Show them what they made you into. Show them that the weapon they wanted has been standing here all this time in plain sight."

   At Riley's hesitation, Solar blasted her to the ground.

   Riley crashed with a pained grunt. She rolled past the table, back slamming against the back porch. The others ran to her side. Bucky helped her up, holding her steady. Riley tried to push past him, but Solar was long gone.

   "Dammit, she's gone." Riley winced as pain curved up her spine. "I have to go after her—"

   "Hang on," Bucky said.

   "Don't tell me to—" Riley struggled against him. "Let me go, Bucky! Let me go!"

   "Riley—" Tony tried.

   "If I don't go after her, she's going to hurt someone else!" Riley shouted. "If I don't stop her, who will?"

   "We will," Sam firmly said. "Together."

   "No! Not together! You saw her! She's out of control! She could— Bucky, I swear to— Let me go!"

   "Take a breath, Riley," Steve instructed.

   "She's not hurting anyone. For now," Natasha said. "You didn't think I'd let her go unscathed, did you?"

   Pepper rushed into the backyard. "Is it over? Is she okay?" she panicked. She wrapped her arms around her eldest, holding her cheeks in her hands. "What is going on!? Who was that?"

   "It's complicated—" Riley tried.

   "Riley J. Stark, I have seen you fight aliens and robots. Nothing is too complicated for me," Pepper scolded. She ushered Riley and the others inside. "Is everyone okay? Should I grab the First Aid Kit—?"

   "She only ruined my favorite sweater," Tony replied, closing the door behind him.

   "I think you'll live," Sam said.

   "He's deflecting," Steve said knowingly.

   "I should go after her," Riley said. "If we wait, she'll just heal in the daylight—"

   "All of us are safe and alive," Bucky said. "You try to go after her again, you'll just wear yourself out in pursuit of imaginary vengeance. Take a seat." Riley tried to argue. "I said take a goddamn seat."

   Riley sat down beside Morgan, who latched onto her big sister. "That was so scary," Morgan mumbled into her side. "Why did she look like you?"

   "Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing," Tony said, sitting beside Riley. "I'm so sick of aliens—"

   "It's not aliens. It's the multiverse, Dad. It's real," Riley said. "Long story short, that girl — Solar — she's me from another universe. We accidentally pulled in a bunch of people from different universes into ours, and they all happen to be bloodthirsty criminals, all suffering from different powers and strange abilities."

   "Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Natasha asked. Tony's face paled. Pepper began to hyperventilate. "Oh. That's why."

   "I'm so stupid. I never trusted Solar, but a part of me really believed I could help give her a second chance. But she's too far gone," Riley said. "She has this convoluted revenge fantasy about hurting Peter, and now I've been roped into it. She thinks love is the root of her problems, and now, she's dying. That's the one difference between us. Her powers are killing her."

   "So, you fight her until she kills herself," Sam said. "Simple."

   "Not simple," Riley disagreed. She covered Morgan's ears. "Every time we touch, we start absorbing each other's light. I tried to create a cure for her, but it's impossible. And frankly, I don't know if I want to put something like that in the world for our enemies to get a hold of. My options are either: kill her or absorb her powers before she absorbs mine first. There's no strategy. No waiting game. No genies in bottles. It's all luck."

   "We can help you," Natasha suggested while Tony said, "I can try to cure her."

   "No. It's bad enough that she knows where to find you all. You haven't seen what she can do, especially in broad daylight," Riley said. "That's when we're both strongest. I have to take her at night. Ideally, tonight."

   "But you'll be at a disadvantage, too," Pepper said. "It's too risky."

   "If we wait until later, or even until morning, she'll come for all of you. Or whoever else she finds first," Riley said. "I know what she wants. She wants me. My powers. She thinks if she takes my powers, it'll cure her."

   "That doesn't sound probable," Tony said.

   "Agreed. But if I give myself to her in a fight, I can guarantee she won't go after the rest of you," Riley said. "If you guys just stay here, I can finish this."

   "And if you lose?" Pepper worried.

   "The only thing I can lose is all of you," Riley said. "I'd rather bait her with me than put you all at risk for no good reason. I ran the calculations. The only person who can get rid of her is me. This is the only way."

   "Alright. Fine. If we can't join the fight, we can help you get there," Sam decided. He seized the remote and turned on the TV. "If your guys are raising hell out there, I'm sure it's on the news."

   Solar wasn't on the news, but Happy's apartment complex was.

   The wreckage was horrific. It was raining now. Smoke coughed out of the gaping hole in the side of the building. Many of the windows were broken. The lights flickered sporadically. The residents of the building piled into the streets, blinking through the storm in their pajamas. J. Jonah Jameson was among the reporters. Seeing his face only infuriated Riley even more, but that fury waned as she read the headline running along the screen.

   She was hoping to see something about Spider-Man and his success in defeating Norman. Another Parker was being reported on TV instead.

   "BREAKING NEWS! THE CIVILIAN WHO WAS KILLED IN THE BRAWL BETWEEN SPIDER-MAN AND HIS ENEMIES HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS MAY PARKER."