Chapter 20: The Debt and the Deal
The moment the train shuddered to its final stop, the fragile truce shattered. Doctor Octopus, his pride wounded and his vendetta burning hotter than ever, lunged. Two of his mechanical arms anchored to the train's roof, while the other two snapped forward like monstrous pythons, seizing Spider-Man before the hero could regain his footing.
The hydraulic grip was immense, crushing the air from Peter's lungs. He struggled, but brute force was not his ally.
Talon watched from the cockpit of his hovering Transformer, his mind a cold engine of calculation. He could end this now. A single, precise strike could eliminate Spider-Man, allowing him to extract the genetic template at his leisure. But the cost… the cost was too high. Spider-Man was a symbol, a beloved hero. His very public murder would make Talon an enemy of the people and of powerful organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. His reputation, a useful tool in itself, would be irreparably shattered.
No, he decided. There is a more elegant solution.
"Optimus Prime," he commanded. "Locate Doctor Octavius's primary laboratory. Find the girl, Mary Jane Watson."
"Scanning... Location confirmed. The subject, Mary Jane Watson, is present. No other life signs detected."
"Good. We move."
The Transformer shot into the sky, leaving the struggling heroes behind. In seconds, it descended upon a dilapidated, retro-style building on the waterfront—the wrecked remains of Octavius's fusion lab. Talon emerged and strode inside.
He found her in a corner, bound and suspended by chains, a damsel in a distressingly cliché tableau. Her blonde hair was matted, her eyes wide with fear.
"Hey! Help me! Please!" she cried out as he entered.
He worked quickly, his strong fingers making short work of the ropes and chains. "You're safe. Your boyfriend, Peter, sent me."
"Peter..." Relief flooded her features. "I knew he'd come through."
"We don't have much time. Octavius is using you as leverage against him. I'm getting you to safety." His tone was all business, leaving no room for argument.
Once outside, Mary Jane gasped at the sight of the 8.5-meter-tall war machine. "Wow. It's... huge."
Talon allowed himself a grim smile. The unintended innuendo was not lost on him. "This is a Transformer. Its name is Optimus Prime."
"It's incredible," she breathed, her fear replaced by wonder.
"Optimus Prime, aerial mode."
The transformation sequence was a symphony of shifting parts, the robot folding itself into a sleek, formidable aircraft in moments.
Mary Jane's eyes were like saucers. "You have got to be kidding me."
"Get in. I'm taking you home."
She climbed eagerly into the co-pilot's seat, her head on a swivel, trying to take in every detail of the advanced cockpit. "Optimus Prime, plot a course to Mary Jane Watson's residence."
The flight was breathtakingly short. In under twenty seconds, they were touching down in the garden of her family's upscale home.
"We're here," Talon stated, the canopy sliding open.
"So soon?" she pouted, the thrill of the ride already addicting. "Can't we... go for another spin? Maybe up a little higher?"
"Miss Watson," Talon said, his voice firm. "Every second we delay is a second your boyfriend is in mortal danger."
The reminder was a splash of cold water. "Oh! Right! Peter!" She scrambled out of the craft.
"One more thing," Talon called after her. "When Peter returns, tell him he owes me. His cooperation on a small, harmless matter will settle the debt. Consider it the price of your rescue."
She nodded vigorously. "I'll make him understand. I promise."
"Excellent. Perhaps, if he agrees, I'll even take you on that trip to space you seem to want."
Her face lit up with unadulterated joy. "Really? Tomorrow?"
"We'll see. Goodbye, Miss Watson." The canopy sealed, and the aircraft lifted off before she could press further.
Back in the air, Talon's focus returned to the hunt. "Optimus Prime, reacquire Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man."
He found them several blocks from the railway, their battle a destructive path of shattered concrete and twisted metal. Talon held back, observing from altitude, waiting for the perfect moment to intervene.
It came when Spider-Man, using his webs to launch himself like a human cannonball, delivered a powerful kick that sent Octavius crashing through the window of a high-end clothing boutique.
Now.
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