Arc Six. Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Six. Soft Reboot

"I don't care Agent Rumlow, this isn't a request and if you dare to argue I'll go over your head." Liv was angry, since the lab incident she was aware that everyone treated Rumlow as the boss, but this time he had gone too far.

"Look I get it doc, you keep saying it over and over, but we don't have the time for what you're askin, we just don't,"

"Oh, and I suppose if a hidden subroutine cuts out the power at 10,000ft then you'll listen?" and as Rumlow leaned back over the conference table he frowned,

"Uh, what?"

"There are hidden ROM chips through the armour that I've been busy digging out. Most control the armour's systems but some have independent network access, and some have boobytraps, designed to shut down systems remotely in case someone steals the armour." Liv leaned back, feeling a sense of smug satisfaction and the full extent of the problem finally got through to the man, and as he rubbed a hand over his stubbled face,

"How long?" and that was the issue,

"Six months, minimum. I can adapt the operating system of the Goblin armour but it's just not sophisticated enough. In a month I can give you control of the armour, 3 months for flight but full weapons and system integration will take 6, and that's if Stark hasn't hidden anything else." and Rumlow shook his head and leant back in his chair,

"Look doc, that's just too long. Fury's breathing down my neck, Pierce is up my ass, and half the council wants to know why the Avengers are sitting around with their thumbs up their butt."

"What the team does in its free time is none of my concern Brock, only the armour, and if I am honest, Stark is a genius but he's also a complete bastard. It would be irresponsible to entrust your life to something I wasn't happy with."

Rumlow leaned back and laughed, "I'm touched doc, but really, six months, not faster? I mean, don't you brain types give an estimate and then break it by being super smart or something?" and it was Livs turn to laugh,

"You watch too much television, Brock. Six months is my best work, if this was anyone else it would be a year at least, and even then I would imagine the armour might explode if you tried to use it."

Rumlow leant forwards on the table, "no faster?" and Liv shook her head,

"The only concession I can give Brock is that by building it from scratch I can customise the interface to however you like, right down to what font you want the clock to be in."

Brock snorted and laughed, "comic sans," and Liv laughed with him,

"Well, maybe not then."

"Fine doc fine, I'll go, I dunno, watch Peter try to teach Flash math, I mean, I ain't a thinker but damn, that boy." and as Brock slid off his chair and left Liv sat with a scowl on her face. She had heard about Flash's attempts to learn, and he was trying, making fun of him wasn't fair on either of them. Peter was trying his best and according to him, so was Flash.

Peter was sat with Flash who was staring at the textbook, a strained look of impatience on his face,

"I just don't get it, I mean, how does using letters make more sense than numbers, it's just stupid."

Peter sighed, "It's algebra Flash, and you need it to pass Math." Peter had tried everything, even Harry wasn't this bad. He had gone so far as to have Flash checked for a learning disability but there was nothing. As much as Peter hated to admit it, which he still did as often as he could, Flash was just dumb.

"But why? I don't buy groceries that cost x+3 over y dollars, do I? It's stupid and I don't need it," and in frustration, Flash closed the book and slid it across the desk.

"You," and Peter sighed and shook his head, "you just do, okay, it's part of math and that's it. Look, learn it, do the exam and then forget it."

"Yeah, easy for you to say, you sat the test blind and still got 100, some us aren't wired like that Parker," and Flash took his head in both hands, running his fingers through his hair,

"Yeah, Laura and Wanda both aced theirs and Laura grew up in a lab, so suck it up frat boy and stop whining." Peter smirked, "or, you know, I could ask Cap to make you run x+3 over y laps, and only let you stop once you figure it out. Maybe sticking math with sports will get it into that brain."

Flash shook his head and grabbed the book, "don't you fucking dare ruin sports for me Parker, don't you fucking dare."

Liv ran a hand over Peter's shoulder as she sat down in the library next to the pair, nodding a greeting at Flash. "Great, someone else to make me feel stupid" Flash complained, and Liv scowled,

"I hear you're doing your best Eugene, don't let anyone tell you it's never good enough," and Flash just scowled and shook his head.

"So, not tinkering with your latest toy?" Peter had to admit he was jealous and really would prefer if things were reversed but his technical expertise on the armour was well below Livs,

Liv sighed, "I'm having to rebuild it from scratch. Whatever Stark did to the operating system really screwed it over, even Harry's sabotage of the Goblin armour wasn't that bad." and Peter frowned but then sat up,

Leaning over he kissed Liv on the cheek, "That's it, Liv, you are a genius,"

"I know dear but what?" and Peter took out his phone, scrolling through the long list of Shield department numbers he had been given,

"Yeah, hi, do you guys have one of those perspex containment units, the ones with the lockable tops, uh-huh, can I get one and a beaker, pyrex is fine delivered to the library in the academics wing. Sure it's Parker, 78235443, uh if there's a problem contact Natasha Romanov, yeah thought so, great, bye." Peter hit the end call button and set down his phone, "what?" he asked as the pair stared at him, expectantly.

"Fine, fine, Flash, you're an idiot, and that's fine, nobody is great at everything. Math, science, not your thing, deal with it, but Webb isn't. He was my symbiote, he should be just as smart as me, so why not?" Flash rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah Webb doesn't talk too much about what happened, he really doesn't talk that much at all."

"Exactly, like Poison. When we fought, Eddie was a pushover because he was just Enhanced but you, even with a small amount of training we should have been a better match, unless Webb was sick or hurt."

Liv nodded, "and you want to separate them and heal Webb, so that he can help Flash pass math?" she said with a smirk,

"No, well, yes but no. Look, Cap said boys make mistakes but men fix them, Osborn did something terrible to both of us, and I got fixed. It's not fair to leave Webb hurting because of us fighting Flash. You're a jackass, but Webb, he never asked for this."

"I dunno, Webb doesn't really like you Parker, and I gotta admit, you're still a dick, but, will it hurt? I mean, he was pretty banged up when we bonded, I don't want to hurt him more."

"Honestly, I don't know, does healing hurt? Maybe, did your legs hurt, yes but they got better. Liv couldn't walk for a while but she got better. If Webb says no then it's a no, but, I can fix him. I fixed Poison and Ravage, fixing Webb is easy, it's just a bath and a sleep." and as Flash sat with a pensive look on his face, a young lab technician came over, wheeling in a rounded sample cylinder with a swing top and a selection of beakers.

"Boss says you break 'em, you're paying for them, and Ms Romanovs words were 'blow something up and its laps till you puke'." before handing over a clipboard for Peter to sign and then walking away.

"So?" Peter lifted the cylinder and unscrewed the top, moving it back onto the trolly and grabbing the largest beaker there.

"Right, so, yeah, he's not happy but yeah." and Flash held out a hand. The thick black oily symbiote slid over him and down his arm, sliding into the sample cylinder. Flash looked anxious as Peter lifted it and then placed it back on the table.

"It's fine, once it starts Liv and I can leave, so you know I won't try anything. I get Webb hates me, but well, that wasn't me, Osborn did that. I just didn't know he was there." and he lifted the beak and a white fluid began to drip into it.

"Shit Parker, that isn't?" Flash asked with a disgusted look on his face.

"Calm down, moron, it's symbcells. The same substance that makes up the symbiotes, mine heals and regenerates symbiotic tissue," and while Peter did shake his head, he knew exactly what the beaker of white fluid looked like.

Once the beaker was full Peter upended it into the sample cylinder and Webb sloshed around in it and as it was absorbed they could see the changes almost immediately.

Webb was originally black, coloured the same as Venom, with the same Spider motif on his chest. Really, Venom was copying Webb, as Peter was his first host, but now as the white spread across him, they could see the black fade, into grey at first and then into a pure brilliant white colour. As the symbiote sloshed and rolled around the cylinder it began to spin and soon toppled over, the small tendrils stretching out from the top, seeking out Flash.

Flash held out his hand and soon Webb had begun to latch on, covering his arm and then spreading up his entire body. Unlike the girls and himself, who used symbcells to make clothing, only wearing a protective undersuit, Flash was fully dressed and Webb sat over it like armour.

As the symbiote enveloped Flash he stood and roared. His armour was now White, with a black spider sitting in the middle of his chest with a web design spreading out from it and over his chest. His mask was the same, but now with smaller white almond-shaped eyes sat where Flash's eyes would be.

"We are Webb, and we are whole." Webb announced and flexed a few times, "and we are grateful."

"Do you think all symbiotes announce themselves? or is it just ours?" Liv pondered and Peter snorted and laughed,

"They can't talk so I guess maybe they want us to know they're there." and Webb was too busy admiring his new form to say anything.

As the symbskin retracted back into Flash he sat there, "You know, you're a fucking pervert Parker," and Peter and Livs faces both scrunched up before Liv turned and batted him on the arm,

"And why did you share that with him?" and he shook his head.

"I did-" Peter began but Flash interrupted,

"It's just feelings, no details. Uh Liv, Can I call you Liv? but I know, about all of them, and Parker, you're a fuckin man," and he held up his hand for a high five but giving Liv a look, Peter shook his head subtly, "Oh come on, what six? I mean, shit, talk about a ladies man, shit I can't even." Flash noticed the look on Livs face and cleared his throat, "uh, oh hey, I get this now too" and grabbing his pen, began to fill in the answers to each problem, "fuckin A, got them all." closing the book he saw the still angry look on Livs face and gathered his notebooks together. "Uh, lunchtime, yeah, Webbs hungry, I'm hungry and uh, cya Parker," and Flash stood, stretched and wandered off, whistling to himself. Even he was aware enough not to get involved in that conversation.

Peter sat with an angry-looking Liv next to him, and as a hand leant over and pinched his thigh, "You will tell us exactly what Mr Thompson was privy to Peter, or there will be consequences."