It's been a few grueling weeks after the Infected had been properly fed; but they were still growing, and evolving. Little progress has been made to figure out what the gas was doing, a lot of the chemicals have been diagnosed already; but there were just one or two factors that made no sense, and ruined any further progress on figuring out what was going on. To say Tony and the other scientists were frustrated was a serious understatement.
A lack in much needed information was affecting everyone. The Avengers, who (besides Sam and Tony) didn't have a clue what to make of all the science-y stuff involved, have no way of helping. The remaining teen heroes were getting more and more restless with each passing day; Cho now spent the most of his days in the dorms trying to find his own advancements in the gas since he wasn't allowed in the labs while the 'adults were working', while the other maintained a heavy schedule for keeping up status on the monitors. Even Nick Fury was stressed, and when Nick Fury wasn't happy, no one was happy.
All while, the Infected had increasingly grown. Squirrel Girl had gotten bigger; though she remained hunched like a squirrel most of the time. Her tail was big, and bushier, claws had grown longer on his hands and feet, and two sharp, and scary looking teeth hung from her jaw. A hazel nut blanket had smoothly been grown across her skin, which she managed to keep really clean. Her eyes had also changed, they were still a deep brown, but looked wider, with the pupils bigger. She was always moving, and acting super hyper, spending most of her time scurrying around for a place she can store away the nuts she collects from the food-submarine.
Zabu's frame had gotten bigger and broader; his fur was sleek but bristly. His two fangs hung threateningly, and his ears had pointed to tips. Zabu liked to spend most of his time taking cat-naps, stalking the other members of his 'pack', or playing a friendly game of tackle with Tiger. Those two had grown a special friendship between each other, probable because both were part of the feline family and agreed on relatively everything.
Speaking of which, Tiger physique had also gotten bigger. White and black fur glistened over her skin, and muscles would ripple across it like a wave as she played and fought with Zabu, and sometimes Spider, she always remained on all-fours. Tiger made it a goal to keep herself groomed, and cleaned at all times, though she was prepared to take down anyone who dared challenge her authority. She, somehow, had become Spider's right-hand man/women/comrade. She was usually by his side, tail flicking in amusement whenever Spider got frustrated at another member of his pack, and would eventually go and help him out after she spent a good-deal of time making fun of him. At other times she got irritated quickly when someone bothered her, or she thought they were being too foolish, and would snap at them to stop, they listened....sometimes.
Rhino was the biggest of them all, now so big that soon his sharpened horn would scrape the ceiling above him. His thick, tough grey hide looked impenetrable, and he kept his horn sharp by digging into any hard surface he could fine (which would be a problem if he started using the outer-interior walls as his sharpening post). Rhino had eventually came to be Spider's personal body guard, maybe it was because he saw that Spider meant business and didn't want to upset him, or because he grew to like his weird, protective personality. Either way, he too was usually by Spider's side, and whenever another pack member acted too aggressive or rude to Spider, Rhino was there to grunt a warning at them while tilting his horn menacingly in his/her direction. Spider didn't have too many behavioral problems thanks to him.
Triton was probable the one looking worse out of all of them. He was tall, with thin vein-webbed fins, and webbed hands and feet. Thin, sharp spines lined up along his spine, and his fish scales were a glistening green/blue color. Though since Triton was mostly associated with water, if he didn't have enough liquid to sustain himself, his skin would start to grey, crack, and peel. It looked painful, and left Triton whimpering and whining in misery. But the problem was soon fixed once Triton found the shower rooms, now he spent most of his days soaking in the showers and drinking any water he could get his webbed finger on.
Finally, there was Spider who was several feet taller; brown, black, white, and grey hair had spread over his body, with the tattered remains of his suit getting stretched farther and farther across his frame and hid any remaining skin. He had two long, sinister looking fangs that protruded from his mouth, with green veins of poison webbed across it. Spiders tattered mask had torn been torn from his head somewhere around week 2 on Tuesday, where he was revealed to have spawned four more eyes on his forehead. Long, barb-like spike poked from his wrists and ankles, as well as growing on his fingertips. Spider spent his time making sure his pack had enough food, making sure they behaved, got along, and over-all watched them like a Hawk from a corner of the room, or his web on the ceiling. Though he did play with them all occasionally, if they ever got lonely or sulky. But mostly he made sure they were safe, if anything new or unfamiliar was found, he was the first to investigate it until he deemed it hazardless-it annoyed the others at times, but they got used to his protective nature eventually.
Up in the tricarrier, it was Kazar, Power-Man, and Agent Venom watching the monitors. They sat on the chairs lazily, eyes flitting over the screens. It was around midday, when the sun was highest in the sky. The Infected weren't doing anything interesting at the moment, mostly just lazing around, and dosing on and off. The three teens didn't say much, or try to start up a conversation. There honestly wasn't much to talk about; any kind of subject had been discussed over the last weeks.
Agent Venom twirled boredly in his swirly chair, looking up into the ceiling and wondering how sick he could get if he twirled faster. Power-Man sat with his arms folded, back against the chair with a calm expression-but he could've been asleep, it was hard to tell with his sunglasses on over his eyes. Kazar was the only one intently watching the screens, he watched Zabu as the giant cat tried to get Tiger to play with him, but the feline just kept snapping and swiping her claws at him in annoyance.
Kazar smiled a little as Zabu kept pestering her, as a familiar feel of longing burst in his chest. He missed his brother so much, they have never been separated this long-not even when Zabu had been captured by Taskmaster-and it hurt. Not physically, but emotionally. Kazar could feel the mystical connection he had with Zabu; it was like a string pulling at his chest, pulling him back to his brother. But it was impossible to see Zabu now, despite the cameras-he just longed to run free with his cat-brother like they used to.
Agent Venom stops twirling in his chair for a moment, hunching over as he tries to get his head to stop spinning. Once he looks up, he spots Kazar, "Dude, what are you looking at?" he asks, sliding across the floor on his chair, and stopping next to the other boy, before looking at the screens. "They're not even doing anything." Kazar doesn't even look in Agent Venom's direction, his eyes remains stationary on the screens.
Noticing Zabu, and the longing look in Kazar's eyes, Agent Flash nodded in understanding, "So, you miss your brother huh?"
"Of course," Kazar answers, "Why wouldn't I? Zabu is my brother, we rule Savage Lands together. He is all I have and..." Kazar sighs and leans back in his chair, "and I can't even help him." Agent Venom sits still for a moment, before he claps an awkward (but friendly) hand on Kazar's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Spidey will watch over him." Agent Venom tried not to flinch as he says it, his fingers itched to touch the spot where is bruises once were. They long ago healed, but sometimes it felt like they were still there.
But it seems to work, Kazar looks at another screen where Spider is sitting on his web, watching as Zabu tries to prompt Tiger into chasing him, and his gaze softens. "I-I suppose you are right." Kazar says, letting out a breath. "I am sure he is in good hands."
"Yeah, all eight of them." Agent Venom murmurs, wincing, and fighting the urge to rub his neck.
Before he can, Power-Man speaks up, "You just made a pun, Spidey would be so proud." He sits up in his chair, arms unfolding from atop of chest. "I thought you were asleep." Agent Venom accuses.
Power-Man simply shrugs, "I was, but you guys woke me up with all your yammering." He stretches his limbs, where the joints popped and he groaned. "Sorry for waking you," Kazar apologizes. Power-Man shrugs again, "Nah, I wasn't going to be sleeping for long anyway. I don't think I'm ever gonna get a good night's sleep until I know they-"he nods his heads in the direction of the monitors, "-are back home." Kazar nods in agreement.
Power-Man made it his goal, and purpose to keep his team safe; especially when it had just been him, Iron Fist, White Tiger, Nova, and Spider-Man. After he thought his parents were dead, he didn't-and still doesn't-want to lose anyone else like that again. He found it hard to sleep at night, knowing the rest of his team was below him, alone, and experiencing unknown changes that were hurting them.
He knew the other Ultimate's felt the same too. Over the years, after all the challenges thrown their way, they all sort, kind, became their own little family of superheroes. Spider-Man was a cross between the dad (watching and telling them what to do), a protective big brother (it doesn't go unnoticed how much he worries about them), and a fun, obnoxious younger brother (with all his weird jokes and quips). Power-Man liked to think of White Tiger as the mom (not that she would EVER pair up with Spidey, those two just didn't role that way, it was mostly because of her constant need of keeping them on track, and making sure they had everything set and ready), a bossy big sister (because, let's all face it, she did get bossy), and a best friend (because she was always there for them, both as White Tiger and Ava Ayala). Nova was the younger brother, definitely the younger brother, the one that annoyed everyone, and loved causing mischief, but everyone loved him anyway because he was still there for them, and always keeping the situation fun. Iron Fist was the calm, and collected brother-perhaps the middle child; the one who would listen to their problems, and offer advice, he was also like a best friend-because he never skipped out on them, and his faith and loyalty was as strong as his iron fist.
But Power-Man was snapped out of his musing when the sudden yowl from the monitors grabbed all three teens' attention. On the screen, Tiger had decided that Zabu's pestering was enough, and howled at him angrily. She lunged and tackled Zabu, claws sinking into his hind leg carelessly. Zabu whined, before growling and snapping back, his sabre teeth got Tigers arm. Both cats let go, jumping back a few feet, to assess their wounds before growling and snapping at each other some more. This wasn't a game to Zabu anymore; his eyes were slit and fierce as he bared his fangs at Tiger. Blood stained Tiger's glossy white fur; she hissed and bared her own fangs. Zabu too was bleeding from his hind leg, but he refused to let that stop him as both felines circled each other dangerously.
Sensing a fight, Power-Man pushed a button on his communicator to signal Nick Fury (who was up in his office) that the trang gas might be needed. The swivel of the cameras (to get a better angle of the two cat) and the sound of the gas getting ready to release into the vents signified that Nick got the message. Just in time, as Tiger and Zabu growled once more, before lunging for each other.
Thankfully, they never got the chance. There was an angry roar from above, and Spider dropped right in front of the two cats. The cats stopped abruptly, but didn't cease their hissing and spitting at each other. Spider quickly noted the wounds that both cats obtained, as well as the steady trickle of blood from both, he hissed at them, but they didn't acknowledge it. Spider hissed again, louder and more forceful; once again he was ignored. With a throaty growl, Spider lifted a fist and struck the ground between Zabu and Tiger with enough force that it cracked once.
Immedianly both cats shied away, crouching down and inching away from the fuming Spider. Spider roared at them again, he turned and looked Zabu in the eye, Zabu couldn't hold his gaze for long before shifting his eyes at his paws. Spider grunted in satisfaction, before turning to Tiger and doing the same. Tiger held Spider's gaze a bit longer than Zabu, her tail twitched a few times, but she too ended up looking down as well. Spider huffed; he crouched down into his familiar spider crouch so he didn't look as intimidating.
Then, he gave a softer, kinder grunt, the tone almost seemed questioning. Both cats flashed to their feet, hissing and howling at the same time; Spider growled a warning at them, and the two went silent again. The three teens watched in fascination as Spider turning to Zabu, and crooned at him with a simply wave of his barbed hand. Zabu went into a flurry of hissing and growling, his muscles jerked irritably, and his tail swished behind him. After he was done, Spider turned to Tiger and crooned at her. Tiger did her own episode of hissing, and grumbling as her tail twitched, and she would shift her stiff frame from time to time.
Spider was quiet for a moment; he looked between Zabu and Tiger, and then growled at them softly. Both felines huffed, and turned away from each other, their bodies were still alert but they didn't attack. Spider then brought their injuries to attention, Kazar had spotted Spider practicing making web-bandages a few times (which still astounded him, and everyone else on the tricarrier), and he carved a bandage from his webs and wrapped it snugly around Zabu's leg, and Tiger's arm. Tiger grunted at Spider in thanks for the bandage, before turning to continue her nap by the wall. Zabu purred at Spider, rubbing his head softly against one of Spider's arms, before limping down the fall, making sure to keep his weight off his wound. Satisfied with the results, Spider returned to his nest in the corner of the room. Rhino, who had been watching the whole scene from afar, locked eyes with Spider in acknowledgement, before continuing his activity of rubbing his horn against the wall to create jagged gashes.
Though, before Spider completely settled down. He noticed as the cameras swiveled back into their original position, and hissed uncertainly. Hesitantly, Spider crawled along the wall and faced one of the cameras curiously. He sniffed it, scratching the device with one of his barbed claws in wonder. There was a harsh hissing noise of warning from the trang gas releasers in the vents, and Spider jerked away. He gave the camera one last skeptical look, before hastily retreating back to his web-nest. But his gaze never left the camera.
"What...what just..." Agent Venom gaped; all three teens stared at the cameras in wonder. "Did they...like, just talk to each other?"
"They've always hissed and growled at each other, but nothing like that." Power-Man agreed, mouthing falling open. The three looked at each other, kind of unsure on what to think about this situation. "Should we report this to the others?" Kazar asks, referring to the rest of the teen heroes who were in training with Coulson.
Power-Man nods, "I don't think they'd appreciate it if we kept this from them." They got up from their chairs, and hurried out of the room. None of them noticed how Spider was still watching the camera; he growled under his breath.
Tiger lay up against the wall, licking the wound on her arm. But with the webs wrapped around the injury, her tongue did little good. She was still irked about her incident with Zabu, and wished to hunt him down and finish their fight. He should've just left her alone, instead of continuously bothering her like he did.
But she didn't, because Spider told her not too.
Tiger wasn't stupid, she knew that Spider was superior to her, and that disobeying him would result in punishment. But that didn't stop the burning anger in her limbs that itched under her skin and told her to make Zabu really bleed. Tiger looked up where Spider was lying in his web, but he wasn't relaxing like before, nor was he watching for another fight. Instead, he was watching the wall. Tiger followed his eyes, but saw nothing worth watching.
Her tail twitched curiously, and Tiger mewed at Spider to catch his attention. At hearing Tiger, Spider looked down at her in acknowledgment. She looked at Spider, then at the wall he had been staring at, then back at him and cocked her head to the side un question. Spider hissed again under his breath, arms shifting around him as he shifted his position-an obvious action meaning something was bothering him.
It had taken some time, but all of the Infected had sort of developed a way of talking to each other. It involved noise and body movement mostly. Whenever Spider hovered his arms, tensely around him, that meant that something was agitating him and he was getting ready to attack if necessary. Tiger looked back at the wall Spider was staring at, this time noticing a little device in the corner, but it didn't strike her as interesting.
Yawning boredly, Tiger turned away from Spider and settled down to keep napping. Spider huffed, a little miffed that Tiger wasn't taking this as serious as him, and returned to watching the wall.
He's watching the camera; Tiger heard a voice say in her head. Tiger was familiar with the voice that continuously popped in her head, it was annoying, and Tiger always ignored it the best she could. She was pretty successful at it too, getting to be really good at shutting the voice down. But this time it seemed agitated.Why is he watching the camera? It muttered curiously, almost worried. Does he know he's being watched?
Tiger didn't pay the voice any mind, it usually babbled about stuff like that. It didn't usually make sense either. Though it did always tell her to listen to Spider, in fact was this weird voice that urged her to become sort of the beta to Spider. But Tiger was growing increasingly annoyed of the voice, and didn't listen to it as often.
And this time was no different. Already angry with Zabu, Tiger quickly, mentally shut the voice down before it could continue-the voice barely managing an angry protest before it was silent. Purring quietly at the voice gone for the time-being, Tiger closed her eyes and slowly dozed off.