Late Night, Wrecked Bar.
"Cheers!"
Aleksei, face flushed red, downed a glass of whiskey in one gulp, letting out a loud belch.
Hic~
Empty bottles rolled across the floor as he stared blearily at the red-and-blue figure before him.
"Bug… I'm not… not forgiving you. Once Cap calls me… I'm going back.
Next time I see you, I'm gonna… gonna crush you."
Charlie refilled Aleksei's glass with more whiskey.
No ice.
"Sure, sure, next time you'll crush me. Here, one more." He handed over the glass.
Aleksei took it, about to chug, when he froze. "Wait a sec. You're drinking like a champ, and you're not drunk… hic~"
Charlie pinched his straw. "I'm drinking juice."
Aleksei's eyes widened. "You damn bug! You tricked me… hic~"
He tried to stand, but collapsed back to the floor.
Charlie shrugged. "You didn't ask."
He tapped his nano-device. "Yo, Cap, what's the situation?"
On the other end, Carter chuckled. "Fury's handing me the mess—Thunderbolts Initiative and Aleksei included."
"Nice. Send someone to pick up the big guy. He's plastered."
"Drunk?"
"Yup. He couldn't catch me, so I offered him a drink. He said yes."
"You drunk?"
"Nah, just juice. Two glasses."
"Alright, I'm sending someone to get him. Thanks for this."
"No prob. Fury didn't throw in any other conditions?"
"Of course he did. I'm covering the street's damages."
"Whoa, Egghead's really broke, huh?"
"Yup. You get outta there. My team's coming."
"Cool. Don't forget to wire the mission funds to my account."
"Got it."
Carter hung up and met Fury to sign the Thunderbolts Initiative authorization.
Seeing Carter's smug grin, Fury smirked inwardly.
Wait till you deal with this mess. A bigger one's coming.
Carter glanced at him, reading his game. You'll see how a real leader tames these troublemakers, she thought.
Soon, agents arrived with a truck to haul Aleksei.
Seeing him drunk, Fury's face darkened further. "Captain Carter, discipline your people. Another screw-up, and I'm reporting everything."
Carter's lips curled. "Of course. Any issues are on me."
She approached the truck, banging her shield on the door.
"Aleksei, stand up!"
"Yes, ma'am!!"
Half-conscious, Aleksei snapped upright at Carter's voice, his head smashing through the truck's roof as he saluted. "Thunderbolt Aleksei, reporting for duty!"
Still drunk, his voice boomed with conviction.
The agents gaped.
This guy never listened like that before.
Fury's dark face turned ashen.
This guy…
Meanwhile, on a nearby high-rise, Charlie watched, stifling a laugh. "What a performance. Looks like he's earned an extra meal."
He turned, shot a web, and swung away.
The Next Day, Empire State University.
"Hey, Charlie, how's it going?"
Downstairs, Felicia, in light makeup, waved at him.
Seeing her actually show up to class, Charlie rolled his eyes. "Been a while, Felicia."
He parked his motorcycle, removed his helmet, and headed into the building, Felicia trailing. "No one's been gossiping about your past lately. Guess you can hold your head high now," she teased.
Charlie smirked. "That's a win."
"Totally."
Felicia quickened her pace to match his. "Adrian's almost done fixing his flight suit."
"Oh?"
Charlie glanced at nearby students, then veered toward the campus lake.
At a lakeside bench, they sat.
Felicia pulled out her phone, showing surveillance footage.
Charlie leaned in. Adrian, grinning, was testing his repaired Vulture suit.
"His speed's back to normal," Charlie noted, watching Adrian hover with flapping wings.
"He's desperate for the Time Tablet now."
Felicia smiled. "I'm ready."
In the footage, a maid delivered the Time Tablet to Adrian's lab. He snatched it eagerly.
As he prepared to act, he hesitated, scanning the lab nervously.
He was scared Felicia would discover his secret.
But he had no choice.
Bang!
A commotion erupted outside. Adrian peered through the lab door, spotting S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
"Shit, how's the timing this perfect?"
He glared at the Time Tablet, gritting his teeth.
It was a trap, he knew it.
But time was short. Trap or not, he had to take the bait.
He didn't want to rot in prison forever.
So…
He wrapped the Time Tablet in his green wings, faint green light spreading.
"Hm?"
Charlie frowned. "He activates the Time Tablet without any device?"
"No, look closer. His spine."
Felicia pointed, and Charlie noticed faint golden light emanating from Adrian's spine between his wings.
"Spine?"
Charlie's mind raced. Hydra?
No, this was an external suit, unrelated to Hydra's spine tech.
"He's almost got it."
Felicia smirked, tapping her phone. Sparks erupted from one of Adrian's wings.
"What?"
With a damaged wing, Adrian lost his chance to escape.
Boom!
Agents stormed the lab, arresting him and seizing the Time Tablet.
"It's over," Felicia sighed, turning to Charlie. "I supplied all his repair materials," she said with a grin.
Charlie shook his head. "Don't get cocky. This plan had too many holes and a tight window.
If Adrian wasn't so paranoid about fixing his suit fast, and if the agents didn't create that urgency, it wouldn't have worked."
Felicia shrugged. "It worked. In that moment, Adrian had no choice. You'd do the same."
Charlie snorted. "If it was me, I'd take prison. World rules give villains plenty of breakout chances."
Felicia: "."
"No idea what you're talking about."
In high spirits, she stood. "We've got our answer. Adrian's suit is the key. We overlooked it before. Now we can save my dad."
Charlie glanced toward the classroom. "I'm coming with."
He grabbed his helmet. "Need a ride?"
"No, I drove."
Felicia flashed her supercar keys.
Charlie went quiet, then tossed his helmet. "Give me a ride."
"No problem."
The red supercar sped out of campus.
Nearby, Gwen spotted Charlie in the car and frowned. "So he's into rich girls. No wonder he's not into Mary Jane."
Half an Hour Later, Hardy Family Castle.
Charlie followed Felicia into the sprawling castle, passing priceless antiques displayed like casual decor.
"No one steals this stuff?" he asked.
Felicia didn't look back. "I'm Black Cat. My dad's the Phantom Thief. No one steals under our noses—"
Mid-sentence, Charlie plucked a medieval sword from a rack.
"Got it," he said, waving it with a grin.
Felicia's mouth twitched. "Childish. Boring."
They reached the underground lab.
"You're here."
Carter and Professor Connors were waiting.
"Captain Carter, you're everywhere. Don't you have a job?" Charlie quipped.
Carter shot him a look. "That's because we're on the same team."
Charlie rubbed his chin. "Guess so."
His eyes landed on a green suit on the lab table—Adrian's Vulture suit, now disassembled into parts.
Among them, a pale golden spine bone stood out.
"Looks kinda like Hydra's black spine," Charlie said.
Carter shook her head. "It's different. More like a fossil."
"Exactly," Connors said, setting down a microscope. "I'm no expert on ancient creatures, but this is definitely a fossil.
I studied the Vulture suit before, but Adrian disguised this bone as a wing brace. Only when I saw him use the Time Tablet did I realize it's more complex.
I can't identify its special compounds, but it channels the Time Tablet's unique energy."
He donned white gloves, placing the spine on the Time Tablet.
Buzz~
The spine flickered with faint golden light, and the Time Tablet pulsed with mystical energy.
Half a minute later, the tablet's glow dimmed, but the spine kept its faint shimmer.
Connors lifted the spine.
Buzz~
His left hand moved like lightning, clearing the lab table in a flash.
Carter: "???"
"What just happened?"
Charlie mused, "His hand speed broke the sound barrier."
Felicia frowned. "It's like Adrian's acceleration state, but it doesn't seem to help my dad."
Connors exhaled. "It sped up my hand movements, like time acceleration, but my thoughts weren't affected."
Charlie stroked his chin. "Adrian placed it between his wings, so he got that insane speed."
Carter, curious, asked, "What if you put it on your head?"
"That'd be trouble," Connors said, shaking his head. "Thoughts moving too fast would burn out brain cells. Even Spider-Man couldn't handle it."
Charlie grinned, tying the spine to his right leg.
Boom!!
His leg whipped up a gust, unleashing hundreds of kicks in seconds, making the lab equipment tremble.
Removing the spine, Charlie rubbed his leg. No side effects.
"Interesting," he said with a smile.
"How's it feel?" Carter asked eagerly.
"Not bad. Try it."
"Alright."
Carter, excited, strapped the spine to her right arm. A blur of motion followed, and the Vulture suit's parts stacked into a "K" shape at visible speed.
"Nice. Fast hands. I'm impressed," Charlie grinned.
If you strapped it to your waist…
Nah, too evil. No one could handle that.
"My turn," Felicia said, diving into her own speed-and-passion test.
After everyone tried it, silence fell.
"So how does this heal Walter's aging?" Carter asked, frowning.
Charlie wrapped the spine in cloth. "Let's go see Walter."
"Okay."
Soon, they reached the castle's infirmary.
On the bed, an aged Walter lay unconscious.
"He's awake less and less," Felicia said, worried, placing the spine in his hand.
Buzz~
Walter's body jolted, a massive suction force erupting.
"Watch out!"
Charlie yanked Carter and Connors back. Felicia, caught in the force, grimaced as her face contorted.
"Argh!!"
She collapsed weakly, while Walter woke, his aged face rejuvenating.
"I'm… I'm back!" he exclaimed, overjoyed.
But Felicia, beside the bed, screamed hoarsely. "No!! My face…"
"Felicia!" Walter tried to help her up, but she pushed him away.
"No, don't look at me! I'm… sob…"
Felicia covered her face, sobbing. Charlie, Carter, and Connors exchanged glances.
"Sacrificing herself to save her dad. Felicia's so filial," Connors said, visibly moved.
Charlie grinned wickedly at Carter. "Cap, if you ended up like that, I'd inherit your fortune quick."
Carter: "."
"Instead of my fortune, you've got a better option."
"What?"
"Marry Felicia now. Her inheritance would be easier to snag."
Charlie: "."