Rising Power ~ p. parker

Team-Up

The woman stood in the middle of a room. She had her hands clasped on her stomach in memory. A soft melody sang through the mobile draped above a white crib. She hummed along as her eyes observed the rocking chair filled with teddy bears.

She was supposed to rock her child to sleep in that chair.

She was supposed to dress the child in the pink onesies that filled the dresser.

She was supposed to lay her down for a nap in that crib.

She was supposed to watch her daughter smile and laugh as she played with the bears.

She was supposed to be a mother.

As the woman paced around the unused room, she couldn't help but feel hopeful. Normally, this room brings her nothing but agony. It reminds her of what she was so close to having. But now?

She had a plan.

A smile spread across the woman's face as she swayed to the classical tune. Her men should have already started to execute the plan.

On cue, her phone buzzed from beside the crib. She happily grabbed it and held it to her ear. Her superior said three words that nearly made her shout in glee.

"We got her."

*~*~*

"Oh how pleasantly ironic," Taylor deadpanned.

"I assume you two remember each other?"

"He's dressed like a patriotic spider, I can't not remember that."

Peter looked his disguised best friend up and down. "I like the new look, Darth Vader."

"This doesn't look anything like Darth Vader," Taylor gestured to the mask still positioned on her face, "a stormtrooper maybe. I'll even take Kylo Ren way before Dar-"

"Children, please," Tony begged, walking back to his computer.

He tapped a few buttons and a holographic screen came up between the six heroes. A few faces and names were displayed, and Taylor recognized them as the men from under the bridge.

"The guys she stopped the other day were pissed. The kid took their entire stash," explained Tony, trying to bring Peter up to speed.

Taylor smiled. She is not used to being called out for doing the right thing. She liked it, no doubt about it. Much better than J. J. Jameson grilling her for being a menace to society.

Stark continued, "I looked in the case she brought back. It was full of the same things in Extremis."

Steve's eyes furrowed in confusion. "Extremis? Didn't you shut that down, like, two years ago?"

"I thought I did. Pep killed the Mandarin and I figured that was it.

"Well you figured wrong."

"Look, it doesn't have to be them. I'm sure other things can be made from the exact same components of the Extremis." He repositioned and looked at the screen again. "The guys she took the stash from don't seem to be a part of anything worth worrying about. They were just lucky enough to find the case and maybe make a few bucks from it."

Out of the corner of her eye, Taylor noticed Spider-Man glancing over at her and fidgeting. She focused on what he was thinking.

"I know that voice," he thought.

"Anyway," Stark pulled up a crime scene picture of the bridge-men lying dead on top of one another, "those guys were confirmed dead about an hour ago, but officials say they were killed sometime last night."