Animal Instincts: Infected Humanity *Book 1* (Ultimate Spider-Man *Cartoon*)

Chapter 24: Breathing Free (Part 2)

(Previously on Animal Instincts: Infected Humanity) –

Then Spider roared loudly, crawling up the wall as he did so. Cap was shouting into his comm with Taskmaster, Electro was cursing saying "he looks so much creepier in person", while Widow raised her wrist defensively in front of her. Then the room burst.

Rhino came charging in through the wall, pieces of shrapnel and debris raining down on those closest, whereas Tiger, Zabu, Triton, and Squirrel Girl came pouring in from the hallway. Squirrel Girl chittered frantically, scurrying up the wall next to Spider. The Infected regarded them with cold, killer eyes.

These were people in THEIR home. Invading THEIR territory; and the Infected did not like that.

Up ahead Vulture was starting to fly crazier, looking conflicted between the regular people and the Infected. Widow and her group were horrible out-numbered, the entrance doors were still not working, and now they had to keep not only Vulture from leaving the Academy, but six other mutated, feral creatures as well.

With one last blood-pulsing roar, Spider jumped from his perch on the wall, down toward the group. The Infected followed after him with an excited cry.

And all hell broke loose.

(Up in the tricarrier)

"What the hell happened?" Nick Fury demanded, watching as his agents worked furiously to get the monitors to the Academy back up and running.

"Our systems crashed, someone hacked into the Academy mainframe and cut our connection to it. We're blocked from all the video-footage, and our control over the building." The agent close to Fury frantically explained. She, along with the row of computer agents she was coworkers with, had her fingers flying across the key-board as they desperately worked on getting past the computer viruses firewall.

Nick Fury cursed colorfully, running a hand along his bald head before taking a long, deep breathe to calm himself, and exhaling slowly. "How long till you can get our systems back online?" he asked. The agent shrugged, her eyes never left the screen as codes and numbers flew across her vision. "I think I know a way to get past the firewall," she said. "Give me 15 minutes."

"You have 10." Nick replied.

The agent bit her lip nervously, glancing at the Director with a sliver doubt, "Sir, this firewall is very-"but then she stopped herself. A hard look of determination gleamed in her eyes, and she set her steady gaze back on the screen. "Consider it done Sir." She corrected herself as she set back to work.

The agents gaze was fixated back on the screen, completely ignoring the man behind her. Nick nodded and stepped away to let his agents do their job. In his ear piece Cap was yelling: Any progress with the controls? Things are getting tough down here!

"Hold the Infected down there for 10 minutes." Nick ordered. "The controls will be back up and running by then."

Copy that, Cap replied.

For a moment the only sounds coming from the comm were the grunts, curses, and the occasional hiss of pain from the Avengers (and villains) below; Nick paced along the tricarrier, walking up to the giant glass windows and looking down at the Academy. He heard the teens run up behind him, "Director Fury is there anything we can do?" Powerman asked.

Fury shook his head, "The Infected already have taken a dislike to anyone sent in there, over-loading them with too many 'enemies' will make them go crazy and lash out even more."