Unbeknownst to the Avengers, Naxi observed them from the shadows. Not only did Naxi possess concealment abilities superior to those of the small spiders, but the Avengers were also entirely preoccupied with the immediate threat, paying no mind to the unseen presence that hadn't yet made itself known.
"Don't worry, Lorna. Hang in there for a bit. The Saiyan team should be on their way, and my army of suits will arrive even sooner. Although our research on Susan's abilities hasn't progressed significantly, we've made enough headway to ensure our protection isn't compromised," Tony Stark quickly reassured the Avengers, bringing a sense of stability amidst the chaos.
Lorna's powers had their limits; even extraordinary beings were still bound by the physical constraints of flesh and blood. Relying solely on Lorna's abilities for extended combat was unsustainable. However, Tony's suits were a different story. Though they consumed a lot of energy, they could be recharged. As long as the small spiders couldn't fly, the suits could return to the base to swap out their arc reactors and recharge the depleted ones.
"Don't worry, I can hold out for a while!" Lorna nodded confidently at Tony's reassurance. "You guys can go all out. I'll keep our location shielded, preventing the toxins from reaching us."
No sooner had Lorna spoken than an explosion rang out. It was Johnny Storm, who had been feeling something lurking nearby but couldn't see it when he looked around. After hearing Lorna's words, Johnny decided to act, throwing a fireball that lit up the surrounding darkness and incinerated a few spiders that had been eyeing them hungrily.
"Attack!" Following Johnny's lead, Tony Stark quickly issued orders. Several beams of light emanated from his suit, illuminating parts of the area around them.
In the group, only Johnny's flames and Tony's suit could penetrate the darkness, as neither Steve Rogers nor Bucky Barnes had equipment capable of lighting the way. Had Peter Parker been conscious, he could have used his lightning powers to provide additional light. Alternatively, if Kara were present, she could easily detect all the spiders and guide the Avengers. But Kara wasn't here, and Peter showed no signs of waking up.
"Jarvis, note this down. After this event, we need to develop a batch of specialized night-vision equipment. It would prevent us from being so passive next time," Tony Stark instructed Jarvis after lighting up part of the area.
In the previous Shadow Soldier incident, Tony hadn't created night-vision gear because the Shadow Soldiers weren't typical life forms and couldn't be seen with such devices. But the spiders were different; despite their alien appearance, they were still biological entities detectable by surveillance equipment.
In the ensuing battle, the Avengers managed to kill many spiders. These creatures, although far superior to ordinary Earth spiders, were not nearly as powerful as the giant spider. Thus, they didn't pose a significant challenge for the Avengers.
Of course, only those with ranged abilities could effectively combat the spiders. Individuals like Barry Allen, who was already injured and lacked ranged capabilities, had to refrain from engaging. Barry could only watch over the unconscious Peter Parker and Harry Osborn, as these spiders were poisonous. If Barry disregarded his injuries and fought, he risked being poisoned, which would be detrimental.
"Heh, go on, keep killing. Soon, you'll be in for a surprise. Did you really think my children were just here to die?" Naxi watched the Avengers' slaughter of the small spiders with a calm and slightly amused expression, showing no intent to intervene.
The Avengers were unaware that the spiders they were fighting were not all there were. The darkness concealed many more, too difficult to find even with partial illumination. Moreover, as the Avengers killed the spiders, some of their bodies and toxins accumulated in the air, seemingly waiting for something to happen.
"They're here!" Tony Stark's eyes brightened as he issued a new command, "Jarvis, have the suits engage freely and target the spiders. Also, activate their lights to illuminate as much of the area as possible!"
"Yes, sir." Jarvis responded promptly, and several suits appeared in the sky, lighting up the streets and providing better combat conditions for the Avengers.
Unfortunately, if the suits were living beings, they might have detected something amiss. The toxins accumulating in the air were becoming more concentrated, turning the space into a near-death zone. The Avengers, unaware of this growing threat, were somewhat encouraged. They felt they were on the brink of overcoming the crisis without needing reinforcements like Robert.
"Do the suits have tracking devices? It feels like there are fewer and fewer spiders," Pietro, who was enjoying the battle, noticed the diminishing number of targets and asked Tony.
"Jarvis?" Tony Stark, looking at the shattered spider bodies around him, felt relieved and turned to Jarvis.
"Sir, there are still some small spiders in the area, but their numbers are not significant... Wait! Sir, detecting a large number of life forms! Thousands are approaching, and their life signatures resemble those of Spider-Man!" Jarvis reported after scanning with the suits, initially providing some relief but quickly alarming the Avengers with his update.
"Thousands? Thousands of Spider-Mans?!" Even the usually unflappable Pietro exclaimed, calling out Peter Parker's name in shock. The gravity of the situation dawned on him and the rest of the Avengers.
The Avengers' faces darkened. They had believed they were dealing with just the small spiders. But now it seemed the threat was far greater. This situation was reminiscent of the Shadow Soldier incident, where the soldiers' attack had affected many civilians. However, unlike the unconscious civilians in that event, these spiders seemed to turn people into puppets, granting them extraordinary powers.
Comparatively, Peter Parker's original abilities might not have been overwhelmingly strong. But against ordinary humans, he was nearly invincible. Now, facing thousands of similarly empowered individuals was a problem the Avengers couldn't solve easily.
This was especially troubling because these people were originally civilians. Could the Avengers bring themselves to harm or even kill them to stop the threat?
It was clear the Avengers were in a bind. They would have to fight cautiously, much like Pietro did when fighting the controlled Peter Parker earlier.
"How could it be so easy to create an army like Spider-Man?" Pietro muttered in frustration, scratching his head. "Tony said that guy could only make a few defective ones."
"It seems the mastermind behind this is far more capable than Richard Parker," Tony Stark said, his voice heavy with concern as he scanned the surroundings. "But where is this guy hiding? Has he really come to Earth? And what about Richard? Is he dead or just hiding?"
Tony wanted to locate Richard Parker or Naxi, hoping to exploit any weaknesses he could find, especially before Robert arrived to assist. However, both Naxi and Richard had disappeared, making it seem as if the mastermind had decided to reveal himself only after the Avengers dealt with the remaining spiders and the transformed civilians.
"Already feeling desperate? It seems the Avengers are still the same, or perhaps superheroes are just too easy to manipulate," Naxi mused, his smile widening as he watched the Avengers. He had faced superheroes many times across different universes and found them all too easy to control, especially with his ability to create armies of spider-people.
From a certain perspective, these spider-people were no different from a zombie horde. They lacked personal consciousness and could infect others with their spider genes, turning healthy individuals into part of the spider army. Naxi, once a minor player clinging to survival between dimensions, had begun evolving into a dimensional demon after mastering this power. Consuming one spider universe after another would eventually elevate him to a spider demon god, spreading his influence across the multiverse.
As Naxi eagerly anticipated the outcome, the Avengers struggled with their looming challenge. Suddenly, a swarm of spider-people, either flying, leaping, running, or crawling, surged towards them.
Every pair of eyes in the spider army glowed red, fixing menacingly on the Avengers as if they were prey. The Avengers felt a wave of discomfort as the spider-people's gaze settled on them.
"It feels like we're in a zombie apocalypse," Johnny Storm muttered, his voice tinged with unease as he glanced around at the tension in the air.
"If these were regular zombies, we wouldn't be so conflicted. But they're just ordinary people! Morbius, can't you bite them, turn them into vampires, and make them listen to you?" Pietro turned to Morbius, asking hopefully.
"What century are you living in? Give me a bunch of equipment, and I might turn them into vampires through scientific means. But forget about biting them to give them 'the embrace,' okay?" Morbius rolled his eyes, annoyed.
"Useless. Richard Parker turned from a science experiment to a supernatural infection, and you're still disdainful of traditional vampire methods," Pietro grumbled, then looked at Tony Stark. "So, what's the plan? Do we knock them out, or do we go all out?"
"Let's retreat for now," Tony Stark suggested, his expression grim. "Jarvis, get everyone into the suits and take off. We'll wait for the mastermind to show himself. If Peter Parker can't fly, these spider-people probably can't either..."
Quickly, with Jarvis's assistance, the Avengers boarded the suits and took to the air. Below, countless red eyes glared up at them, while Naxi, hidden in the shadows, watched with amusement, making no move to stop their ascent.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/INNIT]