9 Dinner At Last

Felix needed to do field tests. Whatever this was, it went beyond theory. He was the experiment and as a scientist he had to pursue.

He conducted speed and agility tests first since they were the easiest. Suffice to say, he was wrong. He was so damn fast that Daxter Lab was pretty much too small. He had to change locations.

Luckily for him, there was a whole building for him to explore. Daxter Lab with the Fantastic Computer was deep underground, but that left the rest of the building open and free.

There were seven floors in total, all empty. One hundred feet by one hundred feet, it was perfect to do some exercises. He had a stopwatch ready in the form of little Herbie. The little guy's monitor blinked in excitement.

"Ready…"

Felix took on a sprinter's stance, fingers on the ground.

"Set…" The robotic voice lingered. "Go!"

Off he went. He didn't think about it, he just ran. Nobody was watching him, the windows sealed shut, so he could embarrass himself with his running form all he wanted. He touched the wall with a finger, then bounced back.

Felix identified the difference. Not only was he not getting tired but his legs had a huge spring in them.

He reached the starting line and nearly slammed into the wall. He exhaled and then glanced at Herbie.

"Dr. Faeth, you have run eighty feet…" Herbie calculated the precise number. "...in 2.5 seconds."

"Jesus! Really!? That's like…22 miles per hour. I'm not even tired either." He rolled his shoulders and then tried copying Goku's leg stretch, where he went down and stretched one leg at a time. "I think I can do better. Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir!" Herbie saluted him. "Ready, set, go!"

He was faster this time. The last time he had even attempted to run was in high school. Over half a decade of no running had led to his muscles deteriorating and his ability to run to falter—until now.

"You have set a new record! 1.5 seconds!" Herbie announced upon his return. "That is approximately—"

"36 miles per hour." Still, he wasn't winded. Still, Felix was able to run without issue. "These muscles aren't just for show. I mean, we did purposely intend for the Extremis to push the human body to its peak.

"Could you pull up Captain America's running speed?"

"One moment." Herbie blinked several times as he fetched the information from the Fantastic Computer underground. Suddenly, his mechanical hands transformed into a flashlight and began showing a hologram. Felix crossed his arms. It was a video of the legendary Captain America running in her civilian form.

The female soldier was six-foot-one and one-hundred and sixty pounds. Ebony, slightly muscular, and with black hair going past her shoulder. Her smile was quite pretty, even in the blue hologram.

"Captain America, AKA Samantha Wilson, once ran a thirteen mile charity marathon in thirty minutes."

"So wait?" Felix snickered. "I'm faster than Captain America?"

"She was doing it for charity. Judging by her lax running form in this footage, her full sprinting speed could be upwards of 60 miles per hour."

Herbie's explanation made sense. "And me? I haven't done any sort of exercise in a while so I don't think I'm living up to my potential."

Herbie turned off the flashlight and the hologram. The robot looked him up and down. "Our calculations are not adequate enough to determine your full potential. It is up to you to find it."

'It's up to me, huh…' That was something Reed would say. That was something he would get excited over. 'Reed…I won't let this second chance go to waste. This Extremis of ours, I'm going to get it fully working!'

Felix bent down and petted the walking, talking computer monitor. "That sounds like a plan."

***

A day passed. He didn't go back home once. His entire time was spent at Daxter Lab.

His current task? An immense barbell with a daunting array of discs, totaling a thousand pounds. The Pym Capsules in the drawer contained them. Reading the labels, it was the heaviest set of weight.

His heart raced with anticipation as he approached the behemoth of a weight set. Maybe it was a guy thing but lifting weights and being good at it seemed like fun. A source of real pride. Without hesitation, he gripped the barbell, the sheer heft of it barely registering in his augmented muscles. With a controlled effort, he effortlessly lifted the colossal weight, a sense of exhilaration and fulfilment washing over him.

'Yep, this isn't doing anything.'

A thousand pounds felt like nothing. Literally nothing.

"Come on," he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed in frustration. Clang! He dropped the barbell and purposely let it fall on his toe.

Guess what? Nothing. Literally nothing. The pain was less than a stub. As the barbell rolled away, he noticed the crack at the place that landed on his toe.

Felix sighed in frustration and went back to the Fantastic Computer. "This isn't going anywhere."

He needed a challenge, something that would truly test the extent of his abilities. His superhuman strength yearned for a higher threshold, an upper limit that would truly push the boundaries of what he could accomplish.

But it appeared he couldn't. Therefore, speed training and strength training were done, in a manner of speaking. Unable to test his upper limits, it was time to go to science mode.

Meanwhile, he had been having the Fantastic Computer analyze his blood, hair, and yes, even urine and sperm. He was a scientist and he needed to be thorough. Imagine if he had radioactive sperm?

Felix shivered. 'I don't want my future wife getting cancer or something.'

The Fantastic Computer began speaking in that semi-real robotic voice. "Known effects: enhanced musculature, increased neural activity, heightened metabolism."

Felix leaned in, his eyes fixed on the screen, awaiting further revelations about the unexpected changes in his body.

"Subject exhibits superhuman strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. Super accelerated healing capabilities and heightened senses. Possible wall-crawling abilities from hair fibres," the computer announced, presenting a detailed breakdown of his newfound powers.

"Wall-crawling?" Felix furrowed his brow. "Wait, is that why my grip is so good?"

The computer continued, "Yes, you possess the ability to adhere to and scale vertical surfaces, a characteristic commonly associated with arachnids."

The revelation sent a jolt of surprise through Felix. He glanced at his hands, almost expecting them to sprout spider-like appendages. The sheer complexity of his transformed physiology left him both amazed and perplexed.

"Interesting…" Felix looked to the metal walls, then up to the ceiling. In essence, the laboratory was a T-shaped structure. There was the super wide Fantastic Computer at the front, the west the mechanical side, and the east where the diagnostic and medical equipment were. It was also where the biological stuff went to get processed while Felix sat on his ass in front of the computer.

"Might as well test it out now," he said, shrugging. He got up, went to the nearby wall, and placed his fingers on it.

He felt the touch–the connection. Carefully, he put one leg, then the other.

'I-I'm not falling.'

Right hand up, right leg up, left hand up, left leg up—

"Oh my god…"

It was working! He was climbing a flat surface! A metal surface, to boot!

He kept going and going and going…

"Holy shit!"

…till his head was an inch from the ceiling. He peered over his shoulder and realized he had just climbed forty feet.

He thought about climbing back down but he was a little agitated from his lack of results. 'Would a forty foot fall hurt me? Probably, right? What if it doesn't?'

Screw it.

No need to think, just do it.

Adrenaline pumping through his veins, his heart racing, he pushed himself and started falling.

Forty feet.

One and a half seconds.

There was so little time to react. So little time to think, yet in his mind, he was able to calculate the time of free fall and whether it would hurt or not. All in one and a half seconds.

His body was thinking something else entirely, however. In a show of movements that went beyond logic, he landed on the floor with his legs and one hand down, somehow negating all fall damage in the ridiculous pose. One arm was raised back.

Felix didn't even know what happened. His instincts had taken over. It was like his body had detected danger and went into action.

He slowly got up, swallowing the nerves in his throat as he stared at the palm of his hands. At that moment, his stomach growled.

"I should go home. Get something to eat. This is just…" Felix laughed to himself. "Way too crazy."

Wall-crawling? Super strength? Super healing?

He was everything Gwen Stacy was. Maybe even better since he was administered with Extremis. His body's potential was limitless. In all his tests, he hadn't scratched the surface of what he could really do.

"Wait, actually, one last thing." Felix jogged over to the computer and he held his breath. This next question was of great importance. He had been thinking about it since it came into being.

Swallowing, Felix asked, "Herbie, do I have radioactive sperm?"

"No. On the contrary, your sperm is very virile."

A sigh. "Good to know." Then he blinked. "Wait, virile? Like how virile?"

"A billion sperm per milliliter. Your volume is also very—"

"Okay, okay, I get it." He rubbed his forehead, blushing. "No need to be so graphic. Jeez."

"Understood, Dr. Faeth."

***

A low-rise apartment seemed so much smaller with his newfound speed. If he wanted to, he could run up the stairs faster than someone would be able to take the elevator. For the sake of appearances and his own dignity, he refrained from acting like a kid and doing that.

'I can literally jump from one floor to another if I wanted to,' he said to himself while taking slow steps. There weren't cameras so he really could do it too. At the very least, he did go three steps at a time. His unit was on the second floor, so it wasn't a big deal. He opened the door and time slowed.

'Oh, it's Rio.'

She was at her own door, her shoulder trying to push it open. She was failing miserably and all she was doing was letting her butt stick out. The tight blue jeans were superb in showing her assets.

Felix's cheeks went red and he cleared his throat. Rio immediately bounced from her position, fixing up her hair and chuckling nervously.

"Felix, hello! Sorry about that. You know the door."

"Hey, Rio," Felix greeted her, a faint smile forming on his lips.

Rio's gaze fell on the grocery bag he carried. "Planning a feast tonight?" she teased, noting the assortment of items peeking out of the bag.

Felix chuckled lightly. "Just stocking up on essentials. I'm super hungry."

Rio's smile widened. "Why don't you come over to my place? I was just about to start dinner. You can join us if you want."

He opened his mouth, prepared to turn her down again. He wasn't bad with women or anything, he was just too big an introvert and enjoyed his down time. Today though…

'You know what? Screw it. Let's do it.'

"Sure." He smiled. "Why not?"

"Perfect! Miles should be coming soon." Rio threw a glare at the door. "I just have to get this busted thing open."

"Let me." Felix came over and without putting a miniscule of effort opened the door. Rio blinked.

"Wait, what? How did you…?" Rio blinked, before wearing a hearty smile. "You're stronger than you look, hm?"

"I do my best."

At long last, Felix went inside her apartment unit.

Earthy tones dominated the walls and the living room boasted a comfy sofa with throw pillows, a vintage rug on wooden floors, and warm lighting. It was identical to his own apartment in shape, except better kept together.

On the fireplace was a family photo of Rio, Miles, and one other man. Above it, a Puerto Rican flag hung proudly. His gaze didn't linger for long as he went directly to the dinner area.

Featuring a simple wooden table and mismatched chairs, a vase of fresh flowers acted as its centrepiece. Rio gestured to it and said, "Take a seat."

He did, then glanced at the kitchen across from him. It was compact but well-organized, filled with inviting scents of cooking.

"What are you making," Felix asked.

Rio giggled as she went into the kitchen, giving him a wink. "It'll be a surprise."

The door swung open and a voice called out, "¡Hola, Mamá! ¿Estás en casa?"

"¡Sí Sí! ¡Estoy en casa y tenemos un invitado!" Rio yelled.

"Oh." Miles noticed him and blinked twice. "Hey, Felix, what brings you here? You usually don't, you know."

Felix returned the greeting with a nod and a faint smile. "Just felt like a change of scenery, I guess," he replied.

"You gonna stay for dinner?"

"I had to one of these days."

Miles grinned. "Fair enough. I know my mom can nag a lot."

"I heard that!" Rio stood at the kitchen doorway, a hand on her hip holding a spatula. "You better get cleaned. We have a guest and you're late."

"Sorry, Mom…"

Sighing, shoulders sagging, he left to take a shower.

"Sorry about that. He always comes late these days." Rio pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's like he never listens to me."

"Trust me, he does," said Felix. "He's a good kid. Trust me, you guys could be worse off." He remembered his father and continued bitterly, "Much worse."

"Did you not get along with your mother?"

"Huh?" He looked up at her, surprised by her direct question. Breathing in and out, he answered with a shrug, "Sort of. It was mostly my father, to be honest. He was…a piece of work."

Rio's expression softened. "We all have our troubles. I am glad you are with us, Felix." She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. Her thumb drew circles and all of a sudden Felix noticed that they were quite close. He was seated and looking up at her smile. It was…

"Thank you."

…nice. After all the hardship he endured, it was nice to be treated well by someone. 'Maybe I should have accepted her invites earlier.'

"Whatever you're making, it smells great," Felix praised.

Rio laughed and playfully pointed the spatula at him. "You're too obvious. I won't be telling just yet."

"Maybe a hint?"

Rio laughed, the sound resonating in the room. "Nice try, Felix. My secrets stay secret until dinner is served."

Felix laughed and adjusted his seat towards the table, a casual confidence in his posture. He cupped his face. "Guess I'll just have to patiently wait then."

Rio put her arms on the back of his chair, leaning forward with her voice closer than it had ever been. "Maybe a little anticipation will make the meal taste even better."

Once again, the sudden proximity made him acutely aware of their closeness, seated and looking back at her, their interaction feeling unexpectedly intimate.

"I'm back!"

"Oh!" Rio's big smile fell and she immediately retreated back to the kitchen as if trying to run away from him. At the approaching footsteps, Felix cleared his throat. "That was fast, Miles."

"I'm the type to take five minute showers," Miles replied, grabbing the seat across from Felix. "Anyway, I heard about Oscorp. Were you there? "

"I was." Hearing Miles' youthful voice reminded him of Reed.

"Man, that's messed up. How many people died?"

"Twelve." That number sounded so damn small, didn't it? "There were two hundred injured though."

"Damn."

Miles must have realized it was the wrong topic to talk about because the table suddenly became gloomy. The awkward silence would have stretched on for an eternity if not for the matriarch of the household.

"Coming!"

Rio came out of the kitchen carrying a couple of steaming dishes, two tantalizing aromas filling the air as she set the food on the table.

"¡Buen provecho!" Rio announced cheerfully. The spread on the table exuded the flavors Felix was not acquainted with—a savoury arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) accompanied by a side of tostones as well as avocado and tomato salad.

Felix's eyes lit up at the sight and aroma of the dishes. He didn't say it but he thought it. 'This looks amazing!'

Rio beamed with pride and sat at the chair beside him. She purposely brushed her shoulders against his before saying, "Dig in! Hope you enjoy a taste of the Morales family!"

Felix eagerly took a forkful of the arroz con pollo, the flavours exploding on his palate in a delightful fusion of spices. The tender chicken, seasoned to perfection, mingled with the savoury rice phenomenally. Chewing on it was a delight. 

"Wow, this is incredible," Felix remarked between bites, his enthusiasm evident. He moved on to the tostones, savouring the crispy texture of the fried plantains, perfectly complemented by a sprinkle of salt.

"Thank you. I'm glad someone enjoys my food." Rio glared at Miles, who straightened himself and promptly began eating. "You know, it's not like Spider-Woman got stronger through dieting."

Felix blinked twice. That wasn't a name he was expecting to hear. "Spider-Woman?"

Rio leaned over and whispered in his ear, "She's Miles' hero."

He tried not to shiver from the closeness of her voice and the slight touch of her lips.

"Moom!" Miles protested. "Look, I just admire her 'cuz she saved a friend of mine. That's it!"

Felix decided to join his side. "Fair enough. I like her too."

"Oh? A fan of super heroes?" Rio asked. "I suppose men do like that sort of thing. All I hear Miles' friends talk about is the Spider-Girl's butt."

"Mom!" Miles dropped his fork. "That is not true."

"Sweetie, it is. I can hear you in the halls. Teenage hormones, I get it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it," said Rio, crossing her arms. "It is beyond inappropriate to talk about a woman's body like that. Haven't I told you—"

Miles was beet red at this moment. His mother didn't seem to have a filter when it came to embarrassing him. Here was the thing: Felix had also heard his friends making such comments, so it wasn't like he was on the poor kid's side either. Teenage boys were pretty, uh…descriptive, and not in a good way.

In between the mother-son banter, Felix busied himself with food. He was eating a lot. Rio and Miles, who had suddenly stopped talking, stared at him. A smile spread across the Latina's gorgeous face.

"Don't be shy, come on, come on!" Rio put more stuff on his plate without him asking. "Eat up!"

Okay, maybe he was eating a little too much. Great. 'Now she thinks I didn't want to come because I'm a heavy eater. That's not…actually, whatever. Homemade food is the best. I shouldn't be complaining. According to the Fantastic Computer, I have a high metabolism.'

So he kept eating, briefly acknowledging, "This is so good," before just going right in. Rio seemed very happy with the results.

After the matter, even after seeing all that he ate, Rio asked, "Would you like some dessert?"

Felix hesitated. "I don't want to, um…"

Her smile brightened and Rio gave a little nod as she popped back into the kitchen. "I'll take that as a yes."

He sat there with Miles, prepared to talk, before his phone buzzed with an incoming call. He glanced at the screen to see the name "Czarina - Oscorp Secretary" flashing across. A huge relief left his heart.

'She's alive.'

One of the scariest things about a disaster was the lack of information. He didn't get to hear the full details or the name of the victims since he was a measly employee. It sucked because he had made a few acquaintances. Maybe they weren't friends but that didn't mean he wanted them dead. In Czarina's case, he had called her several times yet she never answered. It worried him and he was so glad to see her name again.

"Excuse me for a moment," he apologized to Miles, a hint of regret in his tone as he reached for his phone. "Oscorp stuff."

"Go ahead," Miles said, whipping out his own phone. "I'll be fine."

Quickly excusing himself from the table, Felix stepped outside the unit and into the hall. "Czarina! Hey, good to hear from you."

"You too, Felix," Czarina replied, her voice as husky as ever. In real life, it was always a little dull but on phone calls it had an erotic edge to it. "I was allowed inside the building today. This isn't my personal phone."

"Oh, right." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I was just…worried."

There was a pause. "Thank you." Another pause. "I really meant it."

"So, um, what's the call for? Just this?"

"No, I have an announcement. You should be getting a text soon regarding the funeral in a week, on the twelfth, Wednesday at the Silverman Funeral Home."

"Oh." His stomach was making loops. He didn't like where this was going.

"Dr. Octavius wants you to make a speech on behalf of Reed," Czarina said. "Unless you can't, of course. The decision is up to you."

"I…"

"If you can't answer now, then let me know. We have a week."

A week, huh? He inhaled sharply. "Will we be going back to work?" Felix asked.

"On Monday, yes. You will be receiving a text from Dr. Octavius regarding details on your return."

"Understood. Thank you, Czarina." He smiled softly. "I'm glad you're with us."

"Me too, Felix."

The call ended. The door to the Morales' unit creaked open. Rio poked her head through, her lips flat. "That sounded quite serious. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just work stuff." He comforted her with his soft smile. "We do important work so despite the incident they want us back fast."

"I get it. I used to be a nurse. Big companies can be merciless and unemphatic." Rio wore a smile in turn, though hers was much more forced. He had heard how difficult it was being a nurse. The conditions were messy and patients could be messier.

"What do you do now?" Felix asked.

"I'm a middle school teacher. The pay is a little worse but the hours are much better."

"Is that why Miles loves science?"

Rio opened the door fully and leaned on her shoulder, arms crossed. The light did wonders to her smile. "Personally, I'm not too fond of it but I did it for a year when the school lacked substitutes. But I suppose a scientist in the family isn't so bad."

"Eh, debatable."

"Anyway, would you like to come back in for desserts?" Rio said.

"I would love to, but..."

Her smile waned. "Work?"

"Yeah."

"I guess being a scientist isn't as chalked up as it's supposed to be."

"No, it's not."

"I'll see you later then." Her smile was clearly forced. "Bye-bye."

"Bye, Rio. Um, say bye to Miles for me."

A chuckle as the door closed. "I will."

His hand raised, his fingers curled as she locked the door. He sighed out, his heart racing slightly. 'Why does she like me so much? Always inviting me, always being so friendly...'

He sighed again. Felix turned over and twisted the knob to his apartment unit, only to stop.

His ears suddenly heard a sound. A rhythmic cycle of....breathing? The door to his right, the door to the staircase, there was someone directly behind it. He purposely twisted the knob deeper, heard the breathing grow a beat heavier, then burst to the other door and opened it in a show of superspeed.

There was a yelp and a tumble. A body was hit by the swinging door. Felix looked down. A young woman in a trench coat was sprawled across the floor, her head having nearly fallen into a block of a stair. Her head snapped up, short brown hair shifting and her eyes becoming razor sharp.

Felix tensed, before fully identifying the woman.

"You're the detective from the hospital," Felix muttered. "Wait, have you been spying on me? Is that how you're here?"

"I..."

He glared down at her and the detective drew in a draft of air. Maria Hill knew she was caught.