Chapter 18: The Octopus and the Spider
Talon released his grip. Hope stumbled back, her pride more wounded than her body. Immediately, she lunged again, a knife-hand strike aimed at the side of his neck with lethal precision.
He didn't block. He simply tilted his head and, with a slight shrug of his shoulder, trapped her hand against the side of his neck and his trapezius muscle. The impact was like striking solid oak.
"You—" she gasped, infuriated and helpless. Every move she made was effortlessly neutralized.
He released her again, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "I was forged in combat. You're a hobbyist. You could never be my opponent." It was the truth. His body and mind were wired for conflict, his reactions honed to an instinctual edge.
This time, Hope didn't attack. She finally understood the chasm between them. "My strength isn't in my fists," she seethed, her voice low and dangerous. "It's in my technology. My Wasp suit. I can shrink, I can fly. You cross my father, and you'll see just how much trouble I can be."
Talon's expression shifted in an instant. The mockery vanished, replaced by a cold, predatory stillness. "Miss van Dyne," he said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper that was more threatening than any shout. "You should know something. If you weren't Hank Pym's daughter, you would already be dead. I do not tolerate threats. Especially from those who are powerless to carry them out."
Hope stood frozen, the raw, unvarnished menace in his eyes chilling her to the bone. The embarrassment was suddenly secondary to a very real, very primal fear.
"Hmph. Just remember what I said," she managed, her bravado brittle. She turned and strode away, the sound of her heels on the concrete a rapid, retreating tattoo of defeat.
Hank Pym came with a mountain of equipment—bizarre machines, prototype suits, and several sealed containers humming with the activity of his cybernetically linked ants. The Transformer handled the load with ease, its massive hand cradling the cargo as it flew back to the private island.
After settling Hank into his new laboratory and residence, Talon provided him with the quantum theory he remembered from the films—just enough to prove his "knowledge" and cement Hank's cooperation. The old scientist's initial suspicion melted away, replaced by a fervent, focused energy. He saw a path forward, and Talon had given him the map.
Talon didn't even have time to check on Helen Cho. As he was preparing to leave, Optimus Prime's voice echoed in his mind.
"My Lord, I am detecting a significant energy disturbance in New York City. A conflict between the individual known as 'Spider-Man' and another powered subject, 'Doctor Octopus,' is underway."
Otto Octavius. The name sent a thrill through Talon. The man's work on fusion was legendary, unstable but brilliant. But if Octavius died in the fight, his genius would be lost forever. Talon's arrival had already altered timelines; he couldn't rely on movie plots anymore.
The Transformer shot into the sky, its aerial form cutting through the clouds at maximum thrust.
He arrived over a chaotic scene in downtown New York. Below, Spider-Man, agile and desperate, was trading blows with the hulking form of Doctor Octopus, whose four powerful mechanical arms were tearing up the street.
Talon brought the Transformer to a hover, its massive form casting a shadow over the battle. "Doctor Octavius! Spider-Man! Cease hostilities!" his amplified voice boomed.
The two combatants broke apart, looking up in shock at the eight-meter-tall war machine.
"Who are you?" Octavius roared, his face a mask of fury beneath his dark glasses. He was moments from victory, and this interruption was unacceptable.
"My name is Talon Reeve. And I'm here to offer you a solution."
"A solution? Do you have tritium?" Octavius spat.
"I have something better," Talon replied, his voice calm and compelling. "I have developed a stable, artificial element that serves as a perfect catalyst for cold fusion. The machine I'm piloting is powered by it. Join me. I will provide you with unlimited resources, any material you require. I will fund your research without question."
Octavius was intrigued, but skeptical. "Do you have a technological empire? The infrastructure for such work?"
"The machine you see is proof of my capabilities. I don't need a public empire; I have a private one. I am currently funding Dr. Helen Cho's work on nanotechnology and the regenerative cradle. I am collaborating with Dr. Hank Pym on quantum realm exploration and Pym Particle applications. I have integrated the knowledge of Arnim Zola himself. And as for Tony Stark... let's just say his own AI was insufficient to keep me from acquiring this island. My team is small, but it consists of the finest minds on the planet. Join us, and your fusion reactor will become a reality."
He could see the calculation in Octavius's eyes, the desperate desire for validation and resources warring with his pride and his grudge.
"What is your price for this... collaboration?" Octavius asked, his voice cautious.
"You share the fruits of your research with me. That is all."
Octavius was silent for a long moment. Then, he nodded. "Very well. I accept." He then turned his burning gaze back to Spider-Man. "But first, I finish this. The spider dies."
"He ruined my life's work! He must pay!"
Spider-Man, who had been listening, swung to a safer perch. "Hey! Mr. Reeve! You said you were here to help! You're helping him? What about me? What about Mary Jane?"
Talon needed the Spider's genetic template as much as he needed Octavius's mind. "Doctor Octavius. As a gesture of goodwill for our new partnership, release the girl."
Octavius's head snapped toward the Transformer. "Our partnership does not give you the right to interfere in my personal vendetta!" he snarled. With a roar of pure rage, he launched himself at Spider-Man, his mechanical arms smashing through concrete as he pursued the agile hero.
Spider-Man fired a web, swinging desperately to avoid the crushing blows.
This is getting complicated, Talon thought, a headache beginning to form behind his eyes. He wanted Octavius's reactor. He wanted Spider-Man's DNA. And now the two were trying to kill each other.
He had to end this. Now. The direct approach had failed. It was time for a demonstration.
"Optimus Prime," Talon commanded, his voice cold. "Assume guardian protocol. Subdue Doctor Octavius. Non-lethal force."
The Transformer's optical sensors glowed brighter. "Acknowledged."
The massive robot dropped from the sky like a hammer, landing between the two combatants with a shockwave that rattled the surrounding buildings. One of its colossal hands shot out, not with crushing force, but with impossible speed and precision, seizing two of Octavius's mechanical arms. The other hand clamped down on the other two.
Octavius was lifted bodily into the air, his limbs pinned, his furious screams muffled by the machine's grip.
"Your cooperation is not a request, Doctor," Talon's voice echoed from the Transformer. "It is a requirement. You will come with me. Your work is too valuable to be wasted on petty revenge."
He then turned the massive head towards the stunned Spider-Man. "And you, Spider-Man. Your girlfriend is safe. Consider this a favor. One you will repay."
Before Spider-Man could respond, the Transformer's thrusters ignited, and it shot into the sky, carrying the struggling, enraged form of Doctor Octopus. Talon had his physicist. The Spider's debt would be collected another day. The pieces of his empire were falling into place.