Issue 64: New Age Part 1

Author Note Please Read: 1 Now let's get to the story.

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"To start us off, my friend here, the very lovely Sue Storm suggested that I allow a few of you to ask some questions, and since we're in the Daily Bugle, we can start with Jonah."

"Thank you," JJJ said as he stood up, "Why do you do what you do?"

"Can you be more specific? I do a lot of things," Peter chuckled.

"Why risk your lives to help others,"

"Oh, that…well, you see, my family brought me up on a very special saying, that with Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. Shortly after before turning 16, I was just a regular guy with a good head on my shoulders, but when I manifested my powers, I realized that if I didn't stop bad things from happening when I had the power to, then I would be letting innocents die. I do this because I have a responsibility to do so."

The room chatted a bit before triple J asked another question.

"What is your connection with the Avengers?"

"Oh, we're card carrying members," Peter pulled out his identification card and smiled, "The card was my idea."

"I see, and what is the purpose of this super powered organization."

"To protect mankind and the planet we all live on, whether that threat be foreign or domestic. We've gotten the approval of several world leaders and only a few haven't signed the Avengers Accord, so this a worldwide peace keeping task force, oh and not all our agents are super-powered."

"I see…" JJJ wrote some things down on his note pad before turning the page, "Why is it that you've gathered us all here today?"

"Ah, about that…you see, a dangerous guy learned who we are, and I'm the kind of person that likes to take away any advantages my opponent might have. To keep him from blackmailing me or others and to get the protection my family needs, I've decided that I will be unmasking today. And yes, I'm that petty."

The room blew up with dozens of questions before Peter raised his arms to quiet them, "Is that everything you have to ask?"

Jonah shook his head, "No. So are you telling me, if this person hadn't found out you Identity, you would have kept is secret?"

"Yes. Anonymity provides them a level of protection that just can't be beat. However, now that my identity has been discovered, I've been left with no choice but to make other arrangements to keep my family safe and do something else I'll be discussing during this conference."

 "You said that your powers manifested, are you a mutant?" JJJ asked.

"Yes, yes I am."

The room once again became garbled by the sound of dozens of reporters asking questions.

"What is your opinion on Mutant Human relations?" Another Report called out.

"Well, for starters, it's dumb to separate us into these categories. All humans are Mutants and possess the X-Gene. The only difference between us is whether that gene is active I know that many people tend to look down and the few that outright promote hate against our own kind, and to those that say Mutants are problems, I say they are the solution to the humans' biggest problem. We live on this small planet yet we take its resources for granted, we pollute our oceans, and deforest entire lands. Now, we've come a long way since then, but it still hasn't stopped the worst offenders."

Peter looked to Sue as she pulled down a projector screen behind Spider-Man.

"What we are about to show is a different viewpoint on Mutants and other Super Powered people," Sue explained as she pulled out a remote and pointed it at the screen.

The image of a forest burning appeared before it switched to a small island of plastic forming in the ocean, melting ice caps, deforestation, and several other environmental travesties.

"Due to the folly of humanity, we have destroyed more than we've taken care of. However, Mutants can do stuff most people can only dream of." Sue switched it to a live feed of the Antarctic. Ice-Man from the X-Men was standing on a icy bridge while looking at the camera.

"This here is one of the X-Men. His mutant Gene allows him to control the cold. So in layman's terms, he is a Cryokinetic powered individual," Peter tapped his mask, "Do it."

The ice-man smiled as he turned around and raised his hands to the sky. The area around him was suddenly covered in waves of pure water that flooded the polar ice caps. When he finished, a dense layer of snow was deposited on top of it and the area became more expansive.

While the group gasped, Peter smiled and nodded at Sue to continue.

"You think this is impressive, well let me tell you that this is just the tip of the ice burg," Peter got a few chuckles.

"Our next image is of a up and coming scientist that was hired by the Baxter Foundation. His name Samuel Smithers, and he is a Mutant that can manipulate plant life," Sue explained as she hit the remote, showing a green man with pointed ears and bark-like skin.

"Go for Green!" Peter spoke into his comms.

Everyone watched as the man showed a deforested area made by logging companies that cut corners and didn't plant new trees for the ones they cut down. The mutant known as Plant-Man put his hands on the ground and let a greenish energy flow into the soil.

Within a few minutes, stumps grew new trees, the foliage returned, and an entire forest was repopulated.

"As you can see, Mutants have many useful abilities, and can do great things for our planet. However, the hunting, experimentation, and discrimination against our own kind, has to stop. Give these guys jobs instead of looking down on them, help their powers flourish and gain protectors, but most of all we need to stop calling them Mutants as if it were some derogatory term."

"Are you saying that there are people hunting Mutants to experiment on them?" Another reporter called out.

"Yes, and at a level you can't even begin to imagine. The Avengers have many missions and rescued hundreds of victims. We can't publicize their names to protect them, but we do have felid reports and listings of what powers they've managed to manifest."

The group chattered some more before Peter took a few dozen questions. He answered them all, and even MJ chime in on occasion. Offering her two-cents to the conversation, she managed to dispel many rumors about the Spider-Heroes and improve their image somewhat.

"So, who are you?" JJJ finally asked the question.

"Right, we'll get to that. However, before the big reveal, I think we should show what it is we can do."

Peter opened a portal to the location he planned on putting his island.

"Are we live?" MJ asked as she checked her camera footage.

"You guys are on," Sue said as the portal closed.

MJ looked to Peter who gave a thumb's up and said, "For starters, we'll be making a couple of companies. However, it's more than that. We purchased the land we're about to use, so don't freak out or anything."

Peter switched the camera view to MJ as she raised her hands. Piles of sand under the water began moving closer and closer until it formed one giant mound. She then used her Geokinesis to turn that sand back into stone and soil before a beach popped up around the edges of the island.

"Now, when I say that Mutants are useful members of society, I want you to get a clear idea, just how much they are needed for our future. The living space you see here is just the start. I know a group of Mutants that can terraform entire planets. Mars could be greened and filled with oceans in just seven days if I had that team at my disposal. Making peace with our neighbors won't just save earth, but will allow us to spread amongst the cosmos."

MJ snickered as she continued to use her power. She then opened a portal that brought over Plant-Man and had him green the entire island.

Peter then pointed to Tony's place as he said, "I've already formed a partnership with Tony Stark, so I want you guys to see what happens when humans and Mutants work together."

Everyone watched with apt attention while the massive doors the size of an entire island opened up beside underneath the ocean near Tony Stark's house.

The ship floated into the air and slowly made its way over to the human-made island while the group in the conference room gasped in astonishment.

"Allow me to introduce the newest island to New York, Watker Island."

Tony who was watching this in the ship frowned, "And he called me vain and uninventive. He just named an island by slamming half their last names together."

"He also named the street his company is on, Parker Street," Jarvis added.

"Of course he did," Tony chuckled.

The ship landed and opened up, revealing a massive city that looked like someone took a chunk out of New York and made a super high-tech island out of it. It had high rises and a residential section that was surrounded with greenery.

The rest of the metal started to transform and reach out to make bridges that connected them to roads that led to Staten Island, Queens, and Centerville. When it finished, it made the island look a bit like a spider from the aerial view.

Peter then ported back into the room while MJ sent Plant-Man back to Professor X's mansion.

"Welcome to New York's newest island, Watker Island," Peter held his arms out in a presenting manner.

"We made this place for people that want to help humanity live better live, for people that want to do good things for our planet, and for people that want to be pioneers of a new age."

The room dissolved into chaos while the Spider-Heroes explained what they could. They told them how they could apply for residency, explained the legal sides of things, and what the city would be used for in the future.

There were many hoops they had to jump through if they wanted to live on this island, background checks, a short interrogation, and cost of purchasing buildings were all out in the open.

When questioned the legality of the citizenship, Peter informed them since it was technically a vessel, they didn't have to abide by the same laws for living on the land. Not to mention, they owned the land surrounding the island ship.

When asked how they did this, Peter snickered and said, "Ingenuity, Technology, and Company Secrets."

"What he's trying to say is that classified!" MJ pointed at the reporter.

They answered many more questions before the time came to unveil their identities.

Peter took a deep breath and started. Lifting his mask, he showed his smile and said, "Hello. My name is Peter Parker, and for two years now, I've been Spider-Man."

"I'm Mary Jane Watson, and like my boyfriend, I've been Spider-Woman for about 2 years," MJ revealed her face.

Once again, the room was crowded with chatter and questions, mostly about who they were.

They answered what they could, mostly about their age and how they took down certain criminals. Peter was very adamant that all personal questions are off the table. However, MJ who had aspirations to get some of her girls into acting shared a few spicy details about their romantic life, much to Peter's embarrassment.

After the conference was done, they knew there'd be lots of people crowding about, so they opted to teleport away and leave portals for Sue and Natasha to get back.

When arrived in his house, Peter saw his family crowded around the television. Before he could say anything, he got a call from Fury.

"Hey! How the hell did you managed to make a working Truth Serum?"

"Ah, I see you got my present. It's just something I've been working on in my spare times. I finally managed to get the side effects down to slight drowsiness. I also figured Charles and Jean could use a break from all the mind reading."

"Damn kid, is this how you plan on filling up that city,"

"I did say slight interrogation," Peter chuckled, "So what's the real reason you called me."

"Hydra bases have been located in foreign lands. I'll be borrowing the Avengers."

"Nick, I let you be in charge because I don't want to waste precious time. Not to mention, the A.I I've been working on will be the new real head of the Avengers. It'll have all the information on any heroes we hire and their identities. You're just the guy with all the keys."

"Yeah, yeah. I remember our deal. If it take the paperwork away, I'm all for it. But are you sure about keeping their information on a computer.

"HAhaha! No, you didn't just call 'THE' A.I we've been working on for months a plain old computer. Relax, nothing can get in her systems. With the tech we used, I doubt there will ever be a hacker good enough to get in. Not to mention where I hid her server, trust me when I say it can't be found unless you know where it's at. Besides, we have to show the public that we can accept accountability. Some heroes might screw up on the job or jump the gun. If the public turns against us, it's over for the Avengers."

"Fine…I can't believe I'm agreeing with you, but this isn't a half bad idea."

Peter shook his head, "So, about that vacation."

"I got you one month, Parker, and you owe me for the agents guarding your little island."

"Little? Being a bit bald, I mean a bit bland aren't you?"

"You son of a,"

Peter hung up and laughed.

"You know he's going to shoot at you someday," MJ smirked.

"I got em a gift. He'll forgive me," Peter said, going heavy on the drama.

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During the press release, it was clear that people all across New York were in shock. Peter was barely an adult and a hero who had saved countless lives and even the world during an alien invasion.

Flash was watching his television with his jaw almost hanging on the ground. All of those who bullied Peter were in the same condition too.

Harry was sitting next to his mother with wide eyes and expression of pure shock.

"Pete…of course! It all makes sense! All those times they bailed are perfectly aligned with the Spider-Duo being active…ugh! I'm an idiot!"

"That little boy…oh my…" Emily blushed as she thought back to looking at some of the images and drooling over his butt. Her son must never know. The shame was turning her face bright red.

"Where's dad?!" 

"He's at work. He said something about shutting down a part of his company's research to reallocate funds into better projects."

"Agh…I got call Liz!" Harry took off.

Jessica and the rest of the Defenders all showed wide eyes as they looked at each other.

"Did you know?" The group asked while Angel started snickering.

"You knew?!" 

"Yeah, Pete and MJ saved my life."

While there name was buzzing all across the world, the two heroes had to deal with the influx of request to come and live on their island. Not to mention the crappy encounters with bureaucrats and would be politicians. Luckily, they had a furious Fury to keep the idiots at bay. 

However, there were one or two suits who tried to call them in for a possessing such tech and not sharing, and of course, they tried to use some b.s reason to call them in for a judicial meeting. Peter laughed in their faces and sent them to their team of lawyers to rip into the legality of their claims.

"No, Governor, I won't be coming into city hall tomorrow. You have no grounds to summon me. However, if it's a power play you want. If you call me again, I'll send Sheild agents to arrest you for harassing a public civilian."

Peter hung up, "Ugh, when will this day end."

His phone rang again, "Look shit for brains,"

"Little rude," Harry's voice echoed on the other side of the phone.

"Oh, god. Harry, it's you. Sorry. Been a bit busy, lot of assholes have my number now."

"Yeah, I can tell…Spider-Man,"

"How you feeling about that?"

"I don't know, my best friend has been lying to me for two years now. How do you think I feel."

"Grateful I didn't drag you into a world of danger," Peter chuckled, "You got my citizenship card, right?"

"Yeah, mom really wants to check out the new place. Did you really have to give up your identity?"

"Yeah, you know a group called Hydra?"

"The Nazi group form WW2?" 

"That's the one. Turns out, they're still around and kicking. One of their members managed to figure out who we are and kidnaped our family a while back. The whole reason I want you guys here is because the island is secure."

"What about the rest of our friends?"

"Harry, anyone I can call my friend can take care of themselves, meaning the majority of them have powers. Let me know when you guys get here, we'll talk then."

"Alright, but you're explaining everything, and I mean everything! And I don't have powers!"

"Bat-Man would disagree, but okay, I see what I can do about that whole power issue, and we'll regal you with the adventures of the Amazing Spider-Duo when you get here."

His phone rang again, "Sorry, Harry. The President is calling?"

"Of the United States?" Harry blurted out in surprise.

"Nooo, The President of Mars. Of course, it's the president of the United States!" Peter hung up and sighed.

"Please, just let this day end."

While Peter was talking with the leader of their country, Osborn was getting a call from his son.

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[Oscorp]

"Yes, I understand. Just ship it to the Brooklyn warehouse and store it. I don't care what you're doing with the projects. Just shut everything down and move it storage." Osborn let out a frustrated sigh.

He hung up the phone and it rang again, "Yes, huh? My son is calling. Put him through."

The line changed over, "Dad?"

"Yes, Harry? Look if this is about the funding for Plastic eating Fung, I already talked to your mother about this. We'll have the money for more of her projects in a bit."

"No! Haven't you heard it yet?"

"Heard what?" Harry grabbed his forehead.

Harry was about to explain when a loud boom interrupted their call. An explosion shook the entire floor while the line went dead quiet.

"Dad? Dad?" Harry's voice echoed on the speaker.

"Hello, Osborn."

"Kin…"

A loud crash was heard before his father screamed out. The last thing Harry could pick up was the scream becoming distant, like he was being dragged away at high speeds.

Harry immediately hung the call up and contacted the only person he could trust with this.

As the other line picked up, he heard Peter saying, "Mr. President. I agreed to a tour, not for you to hold up the line."

"Damn it, Peter! It's me, my dad's been kidnapped!"