Replacements

May 14, 2014

Yesterday had been exciting. First, because… Jen. Just, Jen. Holy damn, Jen was amazing.

Second, because Bruce walked in on me and her making out. That was bad enough. But Jen had also ripped my shirt off and had pulled me down on top of her as she lay back on the floor… Not a good look.

Did you know an angry Bruce is fast as hell? Not an angry Hulk, an angryBruce. He'd rushed after me through the halls for a full three minutes yelling at me.

That was all sorts of stressful.

Yesterday

"Bruce, come on man!" I shouted as I leaped over a table in the recreation room. My shirt had been ripped off, so I was running around topless while I dodged at random.

"You were making out with my cousin!" Bruce tossed a random potted plant, one that had to weigh at least 10 pounds, at my head. I ducked it, letting it explode on the floor behind me.

"Dude, you really think I kissed her without permission?!" I yelped the last part because I had to sidestep a sudden plate that came at me with what felt like super-speed.

"You were on top of her!"

Bruce grabbed some kind of steel sculpture off a table. I booked it toward the door we'd entered through. He threw it at me.

A feminine green hand snatched the sculpture out of the air before I could get brained. Jen had entered the room. Her hair was still mussed up and her shirt was still off, leaving her in just a bra. She looked amused and angry all at once. Amangry? Anused?

"...Brucey," Jen took the sculpture in her hands. As Bruce and I watched, she began to squeeze. "I think we should have a talk," under the immense pressure, the sculpture began to compress. It was fascinating. Seriously, look up a video of metal under a hydraulic press sometime. The steel structure basically gave up without a sound and started to fold in an almost artistic way, slowly compressing, her fingers leaving small divots in the metal.

"I love you, Bruce, and I love that you're so protective of me," with a couple of twists, she crunched the thing into a ball, then tossed it behind her. "But I was dating people evenbeforeI got the superpowers. I took down a mob boss! You have no right to get mad at any of my dates."

"I know, but-" Bruce began to say.

"Bruce," Jen stopped him. Then she gestured at me. "You realize he isn't exactly a 'bad boy'."

They both looked at me. I tried to channel as much nerd energy as possible and waved hesitantly.

"Plus, you aren't even the slightest bit green," Jen pointed out.

"Only cause the Other Guy keeps giggling," Bruce grumbled. Then he sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry Jen, I just…" he trailed off and walked up to me. I kept still as he placed a hand gently on my shoulder. I sighed in relief when he didn't go green and turn my shoulder to dust. I mean, I knew he wouldn't, but it was still nerve-wracking after Bruce "Smash" Banner had chased me through the tower. "Sorry… Ah, damn it!"

Jen and I blinked in surprise. "What, what happened now?" I asked.

Bruce looked up towards where I knew one of the tower cameras were hidden. "Tony absolutely has footage of what just happened."

We all stared at each other. Jen and I were still shirtless, Bruce had just chased me through the halls, and Tony was the world's best at editing footage to be as embarrassing as possiblewithoutactual embarrassing things in it already.

"Jarvis, X!" I shouted, running for the door.

"Mr. Stark is attempting to save the footage and post it to Facebook," X responded over the speakers.

"He has added Korean pop as background music. I believe he's also 'cackling'," Jarvis added helpfully.

"TONY!" Bruce roared, Jen laughing behind us as we ran for Tony's office.

Present

Yeah, we were too late to stop him from posting it. Thankfully we kept him from adding anything other than the music, and X and Jarvis deleted everything after.

I still don't know how in the hell Tony managed to post it before two AI managed to stop him but I guess he was just that damn good. Dick. I'm gonna use Jury Rigg to get even later.

Still… Worth it. Worth it, even for all the pranks in the world.

Anyways, today I'd flown out in my Astrodactyl form to meet with Fitz in the base Tony had made into our new Research and Development center. We'd been working together on and off with Tony and Shuri on a bunch of different stuff. Simmons worked there as well, but I didn't work with her as often since Jury Rigg and Upgrade, my current 'genius' forms, were more specialized toward technology.

I walked into Fitz's 'Idea Room'. And yes, that was the official title of the room. Fitz was messing with a hologram that took up most of the space in the center. Like a lot of the rooms, it was set up to project the interactive holograms Tony made use of. I had gained a lot of familiarity with it as well.

Fitz was currently working with a dark blue life-sized car, one of the standard ones SHIELD used. You know, the evil black SUV's all governments used. He was digging around the engine with the hood tossed aside so it was floating about a foot off the floor.

"Hey dude," I said as he was working on the engine. "What you working on?"

"Hmm?" Fitz looked up at me, blinking owlishly. "Oh, hello Mahmoud! ...Were we supposed to meet?"

I grinned. "Yeah, we were. You playing absent-minded professor again, dude?"

He scowled, though I didn't feel any real heat behind it. "No,dude. I just… got distracted by science."

"You know that's exactly what an absent-minded-"

"Yes, yes, I know," he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his right hand while waving at the holographic car with his left. "I've just been working on this since we got back. I was repairing Lola, and I got to thinking about the MDX and Fury's SUV, and the Catom tech."

I looked over the hologram. It looked like a car. I had been trying to learn as much as I could from the geniuses around me, so I could at least figure out when something was odd. Okay. SUV, like Fury's. Yeah, I could see the parts connected to the flight system from the engine. I imagine it had the turret as well. "So you want to make a car?"

"Sort of," he scratched the back of his neck. "The standard model MDX's have been fitted with flight systems based on the same ones from Lola's era of technology, but they aren't a replacement for a true combat vehicle. I was thinking of what I could do to change that. Simmons and I have been working on a new type of fighter jet, and I figured this could be a good prototype before we started on that."

"So you're making…" I said as gently as I could. I liked Fitz. Fitz was insanely cool in my opinion. But he also went on tangents that only Simmons could track, so you had to bring him back to earth every once in a while.

"A transforming car," he said, as though that wasn't an awesome pair of words when put side-by-side. "One that can change to fit a different role whenever we want."

"Doesn't Lola technically do that?" I asked while 'opening' the holographic cars door to poke at the center console, raising up the turret that rested between the driver and passenger seat.

"She can, but she isn't designed for prolonged combat," Fitz explained as he watched me turn the turret gun to point at a nearby wall. "I wanted to make something that could."

"That would be pretty awesome, to be honest," I noted. "You want some help?"

"A little," Fitz said with a shrug. "Not for now, but I'll need it when I have to do some redesigns. It's more planning stages… I'm hoping to gift it to Coulson. The first one, I mean. Since I had to transfer," he said slowly.

Oh right. Fitz and Simmons had left Coulson's team recently. Which… I didn't have super-strong feelings on, other than knowing Fitz-Simmons seemed okay with it.

"Well hell, if it's for Coulson, I'm down. I like Coulson. Even if I sometimes forget he has a first name."

Fitz chuckled.

"Maybe we should redesign that Russian plane, too, make up for the Bus getting tossed across the Russian countryside. Seriously dude, half the stuff on the plane ended up in the trees. I'm pretty sure most of it was-"

"You know, you don't have to," he stopped me, holding a finger up while closing his eyes.

"Just… please stop."

"Sorry."

"It hurts too much."

"You uh… want to talk about it?"

"No, I'll just," he took a deep and shuddering breath. "I'll work through it."

"So, then we'll redesign the plane?"

He nodded. I could almost see that big brain sparking to life. "Yes, I think… well, besides the various amenities, there are upgrades I could do for the engines, the security system, maybe add in some weapons. If we use the prototypes we've been making for your spaceship? Would that be okay?"

"For the Defiant?" I thought about that. While we were still a few weeks from actually building my spaceship, we'd already started on some of the beginning stages.

Shuri had been a big part of that. I'm pretty sure it was a big hit to Tony's ego to see that Wakanda had made propulsion systems for aircraft more advanced than he'd even thought of decades before. If so, it had been quickly buried under sheer scientific curiosity followed by coming with improvements to the Wakandan design's efficiency that made Shuri and Fitz's jaws drop.

Anyway, the point was that we had some devices ready to go already. Prototype big guns, something that could turn base ingredients into different foods, and an EMP shielded battery backup, among our attempts to make an alloy of Vibranium and other materials.

"Nothing Wakandan based," I said slowly as I thought. "But the Jury-Rigged tech is fair game. Probably better to ask Tony and Shuri about the rest."

"Fair enough," Fitz nodded so fast his head became a blur, then stopped. "This should work unless we have to replace the plane again."

"Eh, bridge to cross later," I joked.

He nodded again, looking more cheery. Then he seemed to realize something. "Oh, by the way! I have to introduce you to two of our new coworkers!"

He moved toward the door. I followed curiously. "New coworkers?"

"Yes!" my Scottish friend said brightly. "They'll be replacing Simmons and me on the Bus. They're brilliant! Absolute genius! Honestly, if BRIDGE wasn't around, I don't know where they'd be working, but I'm glad they're here."

"You sure have a high opinion of them," I noted. I tried to think of Marvel scientists. I drew a blank on any that weren't supervillains or already known to me besides Reed Richards or Sue Storm… wait, why hadn't I looked those two up-

"They deserve it," he said, interrupting my chain of thought. I put a pin in it. "Here, they've been setting up a lab while we were in Russia."

We entered the room. Immediately I was reminded of Simmons and Fitz's workspaces. Half-Engineering parts everywhere, half-biological formulas and organic material held in tubes inside fridges along the back wall.

Inside, an older man wearing glasses was arguing with someone digging in a section in the back.

"Dr. Kusuma, you really must be more logical than this," he said in a very sophisticated tone. "We are sharing our work now, so-"

"Buzz off," a feminine voice said.

He sputtered in shock at the rude comment. The man was pudgy, wearing a lab coat over a warm looking wool sweater and khakis. He had thick brown hair and when he looked over at us his eyes were-oh shit, it was Alfred Molina.

Who had played a character in the Raimi Spider-Man movies… as the villain. The best villain, some would say, out of all the Trilogy.

"Dr. Octavius!" Fitz said excitedly, confirming my suspicions.

"Ah, Dr. Fitz!" Otto turned around to face us completely, giving me a curious look before smiling warmly. "It is good to see you. Who is this young man?"

I kept my face as neutral as I could when Fitz turned to look at me, trying to hide my internal screaming fit.

Come on, come on, think logically, Mahmoud. Otto usually turns evil. Doesn't mean he has just yet. In fact, he's usually an okay guy before something happens to mess with his brain. Mostly. I had to keep my cool. If I went Diamondhead and punched him through a wall just to stop something that might not happen, all sorts of bad would follow. Damn it, why'd I forget to look him up?! Now I had to check in on every other Spidey villain, just to make sure a 12-year-old Peter wouldn't have to fight them. Oh, and check in on Anna Maria Marconi, aka one of the newest 'best' girls of the Marvel Universe.

"This is Mahmoud Schahed," Fitz introduced me with a wide grin. "Mahmoud, this is Doctor Octavius!"

"Yes/Yeah, I've heard of him," Doctor Octavius and I said at the same time as we reached to politely shake hands. We gave each other surprised looks and spoke again in unison. "You have?"

Thankfully I'd gotten used to people being confused when I recognized them by name. "Well, of course, I have, you're one of the world's most well-known scientists. You're an absolute legend."

"That's what I said!" Fitz sounded almost giddy.

"O-Oh. Well, thank you so much. I'm n-not sure what to say," it was really weird seeing Alfred Molina's face, one I had seen a million times as a little kid, give me and Fitz a warm smile, seemingly honest to god touched. Spider-Man 2 was one of my favorite movies. This Otto in front of me reminded me of the one at the beginning of the movie. You know, before he lost his wife and the robot tentacles started talking to him. Yay, more things on my plate to manage.

"And I suppose you've made a name for yourself as well!" Otto (I didn't have the heart to think of him as 'Doc Ock') chuckled. "The superhero Dial. I must say, that little device of yours caused quite a stir in the scientific community," he said with a gesture toward the Omnitrix.

I looked down at it. Oh right. I didn't have a secret identity… Maybe I should look into what exactly the rest of the world thought of Dial at some point.

Just then, the person in the other room spoke up. "Is that Fitz?"

"Yes, it is!" Otto yelled behind himself. Then he leaned forward. "Listen, she's not self-conscious about her appearance, but it is a shock if you aren't prepared for it."

"Just remember, you've seen stranger," Fitz hissed.

The woman in the other room stepped in.

I immediately felt a 'fuck' from the depths of my heart try to erupt from my throat.

She was short, wearing a lab coat over a pink tank-top and torn up jeans, a pair of flip-flops on her feet.

Also, her skin was green. I was used to that. She had scales, sharp claws on her fingers and toes, a fin on the top of her head instead of hair, and a tail trailing behind her. She gave me a look like I was going to scream. I was, but most likely not for the reasons she thought.

"Hi," I waved with a sigh. "I'm Mahmoud. You?"

She seemed surprised at my underreaction. "Uh, hi. Melati Kusuma."

AKA, Komodo in the comics.

"Nice to meet you," I said with no real emotion behind it.

"Actually, we already met," she walked up to join us, the steps giving me time to regain my glowingly positive attitude. "I was at the Graveyard."

"Really?" I asked blinking. Then I looked down at the Omnitrix. Oh no. The Omnitrix had ended up 'fixing' everyone in the Graveyard. Which had worked out great for most, but what if she'd-

"Oh, no," Komodo seemed to realize where my train of thought was going. "I actually did this to myself afterward."

"I, really?" I cocked my head to the side. "Well, at least you look cool."

She seemed to positively glow at that.

"Cool?" Otto scoffed. "More 'irresponsible'."

Melati scowled. "Oh please, I knew the risks, and I knew I'd still get what I wanted."

"You took a chance on unnecessary mutations when a year or so of research-" Otto began to say.

"Yeah, because another year without legs vs a life with scales is such a tough choice," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"And what if-"

"I can't believe you-"

They suddenly began to argue at high speed, surprising the hell out of me. "Uh…"

"The research that you did has promise, but not if you take all these risks!"

"Oh what about you, mister 'plug-robots-into-your-brain'!?"

"Cybernetic research has made incredible strides!" Otto argued.

"Nobody wants robot arms!"

"They're even better than the real thing!"

For some weird reason though… Otto still seemed warm. I don't know, maybe it was the little glimmer in his eye, but I got the sense he liked Melati. There was a fondness in the arguing if that made sense?

Still, as Fitz and I looked between them like spectators at a tennis match, I resolved to add them to thelist.

Thelistwas too damn long at this point.

Also, gonna need to look into Peter Parker again, just to make sure the kid was all right. Starting to feel creepy about it