Under Naxi's watchful gaze, the Avengers began to sense something was amiss. The first to react was Tony Stark, whose physical resilience was the weakest among them, even by ordinary human standards.
"What's going on? Why do I feel a bit dizzy?" Tony Stark murmured to himself, shaking his head as he looked down at the advancing spider army below.
"Is it possible you're having a stress reaction to all these spider-people? If so, you might never be able to meet Spider-Man again," Pietro quipped, his enhanced physique far surpassing Tony's. Glancing at the spider horde, he continued, "So, what's the plan? Do we just stay up here and watch? Didn't you develop any devices in your suits to capture people?"
"No, something's not right!" As Pietro asked, Barry Allen, who was still recovering from his injuries, also felt a wave of dizziness. A flash of realization crossed his face as he remembered the toxins released when the small spiders died. Alarmed, he quickly warned the Avengers, "Do you guys feel anything strange? Could there be toxins in the air up here too?"
"Hmm?" The Avengers' expressions turned serious, and Tony Stark immediately issued a command, "Jarvis, activate the internal circulation systems and scan our bodies for any signs of abnormalities!"
As the suits whirred into action, both Lorna and Susan Storm simultaneously extended their force fields, trying to isolate their surroundings. Unfortunately, the air around them was already saturated with toxins. Despite their efforts to shield the team, the Avengers remained enveloped in the poisonous atmosphere.
"Sir! Your body shows signs of abnormality. It appears you've been poisoned. However, I can't detect any toxins in the air, suggesting they might be of a completely unknown type," Jarvis reported promptly.
"I'm sorry, this is my fault! When the small spiders died earlier, their toxins didn't seem to interact much with my field. It turns out they were accumulating here all along, blending with the air. Even with my powers, it will take a long time to eliminate them completely," Lorna's voice, filled with regret, echoed through the comms.
During the fight, Lorna hadn't felt much resistance from toxins against her force field, leading her to believe they were merely distant and thus limited in range. She hadn't anticipated that the enemy had laid a trap of toxins, waiting for them to enter and be slowly affected.
"It's not your fault. If it weren't for my order to ascend, we wouldn't be in this predicament…" Tony Stark's condition was worsening, but he mustered his strength to respond, "Besides, this was all part of their plan. The mastermind behind this, whoever they are, is more cunning and deceptive than any demon we've encountered."
Tony Stark had to admit that Naxi's patience was impressive. Even as he and others began to succumb to the poison, Naxi didn't reveal himself or deliver a victorious speech. Instead, the spider army below remained passive, as if their job was merely to trap the Avengers in this toxic field.
In just a few minutes, more and more Avengers began to show signs of struggle. Even Lorna and Susan, who were trying to use their force fields to protect the team, were visibly fatigued, finding it increasingly hard to push out the entrenched toxins.
"We need to retreat! Staying here won't help us. Even if the Saiyan team arrives, there's no guarantee they can deal with these toxins," Steve Rogers, holding on through sheer willpower, suggested to Tony Stark.
"But where do we go? The suits can move freely, but given the mastermind's planning abilities, our next move is probably anticipated. If we act recklessly, we might fall into another trap," Tony Stark's consciousness was fading, but he fought to stay alert, unable to find a clear path to escape the trap.
"We can't just sit here and wait! At the very least, we need to flush out the mastermind!" Johnny Storm, frustrated, surrounded himself with flames, causing his suit to warp slightly. The poison was not only affecting their physical state but also starting to erode their mental resilience.
With a burst of determination, Johnny moved his suit away from the group, attempting to see if anything would try to stop him.
"Bang!" However, he quickly collided with an unseen barrier. The impact might have knocked him out if not for the suit's protective systems.
"Huh? This feels familiar…" Johnny stared blankly at the empty space in front of him. Despite no visible object, he had undeniably struck something solid, like an invisible wall.
As the space around Johnny rippled, he was suddenly returned to the group's position, his expression more confused than before.
"Did I just leave?" Johnny asked, still dazed, looking at his fellow Avengers for confirmation.
"We're truly trapped!" Morbius, whose resistance to toxins was higher than the others, spoke gravely. "This seems like a domain, somewhere between a dark space and the Saiyan's mental barriers. Escaping won't be easy. But why would they trap us here? Are they just waiting for us to die from the poison?"
"No idea. They must have a plan…" Pietro shook his head, now too drained to maintain his usual levity. Staring at the spider army below, he speculated, "Do you think they want to turn us into spider people too?"
"Would that mean we'd all become Spider-Man? Though, we'd probably end up as their puppets," Morbius remarked, glancing at the horde of mindless, zombie-like spider people.
"Sir has passed out. Mr. Allen is also struggling to stay conscious…" Jarvis reported, his usually calm voice tinged with an unusual hint of uncertainty.
The air was thick with toxins, yet undetectable to Jarvis's sensors. Johnny Storm's attempt to break out had been forcefully reversed, showing that escape was impossible. Jarvis concluded that their only hope might be waiting for Robert to arrive.
Remarkably, Naxi continued to bide his time. Even after Tony Stark and Barry Allen fell unconscious, he did not reveal himself. Only when Morbius was the last one barely holding on did the spider army below start to move.
Streams of webbing shot towards the Avengers' suits. Jarvis, still able to command the suits, chose not to react, curious to see if this shadowy mastermind was indeed Richard Parker.
Moreover, Jarvis was aware that Robert was close, and his arrival could be pivotal.
In quick succession, the webbing from the spider army encased the suits, binding them like cocoons and pulling them down to the ground. It was at this moment that a figure finally emerged from the shadows.
"Well done, my children!" Naxi praised the spider army, nodding with satisfaction. Although they lacked self-awareness, he spoke to them as if sharing his triumph, relishing the victory.
Naxi knew from experience that, as a villain, it was unwise to monologue before the heroes were fully subdued. He opted to share his feelings with his spider minions, even though they couldn't truly understand.
"Now, it's time to turn you all into my children. But first, let's deal with Peter Parker and Harry Osborn. It's interesting that Richard managed to partially convert Harry as well…" Naxi's gaze shifted to the cocoons holding Peter and Harry. He could sense his power within them.
With a gesture from Naxi, several spider people approached and began unraveling the cocoons and dismantling the suits. While Tony Stark's suits were formidable to ordinary humans, they were easily pried open by these super-strong spider people, especially since they didn't fear injury.
"Awaken, my child. You truly are the perfect host for my power, far more so than any of these others," Naxi murmured, admiring Peter Parker as he infused him with a dark, pulsating energy.
Peter Parker's eyes snapped open, revealing a faint spider symbol in his pupils.
"Amazing. You're almost too perfect to use as a mere leader for my army. You might have made an ideal host for me, amplifying my power further," Naxi commented, both in awe and regret, as he considered the potential Peter held as a vessel for his own essence.
"Patience. Conquer this universe first," Naxi told himself, resisting the temptation to merge with Peter. He then turned his attention to Harry Osborn. "You're only partially transformed. Let me complete the process… hmm?!"
Suddenly, Naxi's expression shifted as he sensed something. He looked up to see a beam of light shooting towards him from above. Recognizing the formidable power within it, he instinctively dodged, ceasing his infusion of energy into Harry.
However, as Naxi evaded, the beam of light curved back, honing in on him once more.
"What is this?!" Naxi growled, a flash of anger crossing his face. He gathered energy in his claws and slashed at the beam.
With a sizzle, the energy beam was pierced and dissipated. But at that moment, the cocoons and the unconscious forms of Peter Parker and Harry Osborn vanished, reappearing in the sky, now encased in their suits and flying free.
"Some kind of toxin?" A voice queried as a new figure, Robert, appeared on the scene. Taking a cautious approach, he enveloped himself in an energy barrier and extended a protective aura around the Avengers, who were engulfed in a healing glow.
In an instant, the Avengers awoke, and a collective sigh of relief washed over them upon seeing Robert.
"What happened?" Peter Parker blinked, feeling both stronger than ever and thrilled to be in control of his body once again. The enhancements were evident, but more importantly, he was no longer a puppet. "I
'm back! Finally, I'm myself again!"
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