Chapter 205: Code Yellow Meeting

[Third Person's PoV] 

Location: Spider-Cave 

Inside the base, a large, rectangular table dominated the room, displaying a detailed hologram of New York City suspended in midair. Around the table, various heroes were seated in comfortable leather chairs, each with a nameplate displaying their superhero alias in front of them. At the head of the table sat Spider-Man, his relaxed yet commanding posture setting the tone for the meeting. On his right side sat Ghost-Spider, Spider-Kat, and Firestar, each of them appearing focused and alert. Opposite them were Scarlet Spider, Nightwing, and Bruce Banner, who shifted uncomfortably in his chair, eyeing his own name tag, "Dr. Banner/Hulk." Seated on his armrest, Betty Ross observed the scene with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

Leaning casually against the wall behind Spider-Man, White Fang rested beneath the Spider logo, his gaze sharp as he listened to the conversation. 

Bruce sighed, breaking the silence with a note of discomfort. "Why am I here?" he muttered, his tone tinged with self-doubt. He glanced around, a bit out of place among the costumed heroes. "I'm no hero. Not like the rest of you."

Spider-Man shot him a quick thumbs-up. "Because you're part of the team, obviously!" he replied cheerfully, as if the answer was self-evident.

Betty raised her hand, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Team leader, I have a question."

Spider-Man snapped his fingers in her direction, giving her the spotlight. "Go ahead, Betty Ross!"

"What exactly is 'Code Yellow'? Why did you gather all of us here?" Betty's brows knitted together in curiosity.

"Great question! Code Yellow means we've got a villain in town," Spider-Man explained, his voice growing more serious. "But we can't act against them yet because they haven't done anything overtly criminal. So, this meeting is to set up surveillance and be ready. If they make a move, we'll be there before things get messy or people get hurt."

Bruce nodded slowly, his frown softening with understanding. "So it's a meeting to establish precautionary measures."

Spider-Man grinned. "Exactly. Then there's Code Green, which covers minor threats where attendance is optional. Code Blue is a debrief to share intel and updates. Code Red means we've got an immediate threat—a villain attacking directly with potential for major casualties. And then there's Code Black… the end-of-the-world stuff, where if we don't act fast, it's game over."

Betty's eyes widened in shock. "Code Black? Why is that even an option?"

A deep sigh echoed from White Fang, who shook his head with a smirk. "You be surprised how many times there's been a code black has been initiated in the past… in the future? But it's a past for me so it's past…Technically, right?"

Bruce ignored White Fang's musings and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "What criteria do you use to define someone as a villain?"

Ghost-Spider leaned forward. "Take Kraven, for example." With a quick command, she summoned an image of Kraven onto the hologram, his intense gaze and hunter's gear casting a menacing silhouette on the table. "He's one of many on a list of villains we monitor, who we get from an alternate version of us. Aria here"—she gestured to their AI companion, who nodded in confirmation—"helps us keep an eye on them."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Alternate Version? Wait a minute. Are you saying this list of villains come from another alternate reality?"

Ghost-Spider nodded, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah. Before the team grew, it was just the two of us, and we got transported to another universe. We saw versions of ourselves, people, and threats that we couldn't even imagine."

Aria pulled up holographic images from their journey as Ghost-Spider explained, showing alternate versions of heroes and villains, some familiar and others terrifyingly foreign. Bruce's face grew pale as he leaned forward, both hands on his head as if holding onto the remnants of his reality. "The concept of the Multiverse… It changes everything. There could be an infinite number of us out there…"

Across the table, Spider-Kat crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm still mad I made it onto that villain list in one reality. I mean, apparently, I'm some cat burglar called Black Cat in another world? Really? And my dad's legacy too? Makes me cringe just thinking about it. What I'm most pissed off about is that I totally see myself doing exactly that!" 

Nightwing tapped the table, his expression serious as he redirected everyone's focus. "Can we get back to the reason we're here? Kraven. He's likely setting traps across the city to hunt us down. We need to stay sharp."

Spider-Man nodded, straightening in his seat. "Good call, Nightwing. Kraven's our top priority right now." He turned to Scarlet Spider, his tone decisive. "Red, I want you to send out your spiders to keep a close watch on Kraven. We need constant updates on his movements."

Scarlet Spider gave a firm nod. "Consider it done."

Spider-Man's gaze shifted to Aria. "Aria, deploy your spider-bots throughout the city to assist. I want every angle covered."

Aria saluted, her holographic form flickering. "Leave it to me, boss."

"Nightwing, Firestar, and Spider-Kat," Spider-Man continued, his tone authoritative. "Since you three spend the most time patrolling, stay on high alert. You're likely his first targets." The trio exchanged serious nods. "But that goes for the rest of us, too—no one should let their guard down."

Betty, looking around the room, raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Aren't you all taking this a bit too seriously? I mean, you're practically all superhuman. This Kraven guy… he's just one man, right? How dangerous could he really be?"

Spider-Man's gaze turned steely. "Underestimating an opponent is how people get hurt and you are killed. Kraven is a hunter—he's taken down creatures far more powerful than himself. Being stronger or faster or having special abilities doesn't guarantee victory. Skill, strategy, and experience make all the difference in a fight."

Betty's expression sobered, and she nodded slowly. "You're right. I hadn't considered that. You Know… Sometimes I forget that you're all still kids."

Bruce glanced at Spider-Man, a newfound respect in his eyes. "What can I do to help?"

Spider-Man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I'm working on a plan with Parker Industries to expand the city's surveillance network. We could use some high-quality cameras. Think you could design something for us to sell to the city?"

Bruce blinked, surprised. "So, you want me to… build cameras?"

Spider-Man chuckled. "What, would you rather let the Hulk loose on Kraven?"

"Well, no… but I was expecting something a bit… grander."

Spider-Man smirked. "If you're up for something bigger, I could use your help with a satellite I'm building. I'm studying some runes to enchant it, but I'd like you to review the design. Think you could help with that?"

Bruce's eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his face. "Now that's more like it." Then his brows furrowed as he considered the logistics. "Why not just launch the satellite you have now, get a basic surveillance system up in space, then bring it down for upgrades when your… 'magic' is ready?"

Spider-Man's eyes widened. "You know, that's actually a pretty solid plan. Let's go with that."

Bruce chuckled. "Alright, leave it to me." 

Firestar raised her hand, her expression thoughtful. "What should we do if we encounter Kraven first? Do we engage him, or wait for backup?"

Spider-Man took a moment, scanning the room before answering. "If he isn't attacking, I want you to keep a close watch on him and avoid engaging. But if he does attack, try to handle it yourself. However, if he proves too difficult, don't hesitate to call for backup."

Firestar nodded, absorbing his instructions. Just then, Betty raised her hand, her tone a bit hesitant. "Um… could I be of any use to you guys? No offense, but I don't want to just hang around and depend on everyone else without pulling my weight."

A few of the team exchanged encouraging smiles. Spider-Kat leaned forward, intrigued. "Do you have any skills we could use?"

Betty's face brightened with a hint of pride. "Well, I've been around weapons my whole life thanks to my father, so I'm actually a pretty good markswoman."

Spider-Man placed a thoughtful hand on his chin. "I think I've got an idea… though I'm not sure Bruce is going to like it."

Bruce's brow furrowed slightly. "What is it?"

Spider-Man sighed, glancing between Betty and Bruce. "For both your safety and ours, I was thinking Betty could act as a double agent. If she's close to Ross, she could report back on any plans he's cooking up against us."

Both Bruce and Betty's eyes widened. "Are you out of your mind?" Bruce exclaimed, his expression darkening.

Spider-Man raised a hand to calm him. "I wanted to suggest this to both of you first, so you could think it through. Bruce, no one understands better than you how obsessed Ross is with you – and not in a good way. But he trusts his daughter. He'd never suspect her. And if he did, I doubt he'd actually harm her."

"No way. Absolutely not! I'm not putting her in any danger," Bruce said, shaking his head firmly.

Betty's expression softened, but there was a resolve in her eyes. "Don't I get a say in this? As much as I dislike my father, Spider-Man has a point. My father would never see this coming. And besides, I could keep an eye on him – maybe even keep him from doing anything reckless."

Bruce turned to her, his face a mix of anger and concern. "It's still too dangerous, don't you get it? If something went wrong, you could be killed."

Betty raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Being with you is dangerous, too – but I'm here anyway."

Bruce looked visibly hurt, but before he could respond, Betty gently placed a finger over his lips. "I didn't mean that in a bad way, Bruce. What I'm trying to say is, I'm not afraid of danger. If I were, I wouldn't be with you in the first place. The last thing I want is for you to keep worrying about my safety."

Spider-Man nodded, his tone reassuring. "And this wouldn't be immediate. You'd have time to train and would be given tools to protect yourself."

Betty glanced between them, her voice steady. "I just want to be clear – one of the reasons I left my father was because of his need to control me. I understand that you're worried about me, Bruce, but I also want to have a say in how I can contribute."

Bruce let out a small grumble, still clearly uneasy. "We'll discuss this later, just the two of us."

Betty nodded in agreement. "That's fine. As long as we come to a decision together, I'll be okay with it, even if the answer ends up being no."

Spider-Man looked around the room, meeting each team member's gaze. "Is there anything else anyone wants to go over?"

The group glanced at each other, exchanging small shakes of their heads.

"Alright then," Spider-Man said, slamming his hand down like a gavel with a sense of finality. "Meeting adjourned until further notice."

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