72) Vulcan (5)

"That doesn't look promising," Tony exclaimed.

Vulcan roared as a beam of blue light charged towards Tony at breakneck speed, annihilating everything in its path. This attack was much faster and more powerful than the previous ones, and before anyone could react, Tony was thrown backwards through the blue light.

"Tony!" Capt yelled.

"Stark!" Peter screamed.

"This is why I made sure you had no knowledge of my abilities, just for this moment," says Vulcan.

Peter glared at Vulcan and noticed his chest and abs, recalling how they looked at the start of their fight and the stark contrast. He was chubby at first, but he now has well-defined muscles. How did this happen in such a short time? wondered Peter.

Peter considered what had just happened; it appeared like Vulcan had absorbed Stark's arc beam and shot it back at him. Peter's eyes widen as he realises, "He converts calories into energy, which he can then use to attack!" he whispered.

"I'm Okay!" Tony yelled as he walked back towards the group, the front of his armour severely damaged, with electric circuits exposed and sparking. "However, not sure if I'll be any help anymore," Tony concurred.

"I know what his powers are!" said Peter, swinging and landing beside Capt.

"You do?" asked Capt. Sceptical.

"He can collect energy and then shoot or release it through his skin, which explains what happened. However, he also transforms calories into pure energy. So all we have to do now is wait for him apply it all. It's a battle of attrition," stated Peter.

"The kid is onto something," Tony remarked.

"Easier said than done!" the captain remarked.

"We need Iceman; where the hell is he?" Tony enquired.

The captain tapped a button on his earpiece. "Iceman, where are you?" he demanded, raising his shield to stop an incoming bolt of energy.

"I think I should probably sit this one out," Tony stated, leaving with his mostly wrecked suit.

"I'm almost there!" Iceman said through the earpiece. Vulcan glanced at Tony, who was rushing to a safe location, his eyes burning orange.

"Watch out!" shouted Capt.

An arrow penetrated Vulcan's eye from a faraway rooftop just as he was about to release his attack. Vulcan sneered as he rapidly drew out the arrow, blood streaming out, and threw it on the ground, his wound healing quickly.

"Miss me?" Hawkeye joked over the radio.

"Keep shooting!" Capt commanded as he began sprinting towards Vulcan. "We need to make him waste all of his energy!" said Capt, and Peter quickly followed suit. Vulcan fired energy beams at the two, rotating between his eyes and palms. Peter and Capt closed in as Peter dodged and Capt deflected; each time Vulcan attempted to use his eye, an arrow pierced one of them, thwarting the attempt.

Soon, Peter and Capt were bombarding Vulcan with attack after attack, leaving him with no time to breathe, while Hawkeye provided help from afar with his arrows that always hit their target.

Vulcan seized Capt's shield and, using his superior power, yanked it away and tossed it to the side. Vulcan was about to punch Capt, but Peter, now standing on Vulcan's back, used his webs to try to draw his fist back. Despite this, Vulcan's assault landed, knocking Captain to the ground and causing Peter to lose his balance. Vulcan captured Peter's leg from behind, threw him to the ground at his side, and primed his eye beams. Peter webbed Capt's shield from the ground and brought it to his hands, holding it in front blocking the beams.

Capt smacked the side of Vulcan's face, and as he attempted to look at Capt, Peter hurled the shield, striking Vulcan in the nose and causing it to bleed. As the shield began to fall to the ground, Capt grabbed it and slammed the side into Vulcan's waist before being kicked away towards Peter, who jumped over him and reached Vulcan.

Peter launched a kick from midair towards Vulcan, who easily caught it before pivoting to his side and hooking Peter in the stomach, sending him sliding across the ground. An arrow flew towards Vulcan before being smashed in his hands.

"I'm running out of arrows over here!" said Hawkeye.

"Just keep shooting!" Ordered Capt.

IN A BACKALLEY

Hudled against a bin, was a man, crying all by himself, his clothes ragged and the tip of his shoes full of holes. "I can't do this," he muttered to himself repeatedly while back and forth.

"Ed, do you hear me?" asked a voice from his earpiece.

Ed gave a delayed response,"Yes," over his tears.

"What are you doing? Vulcan is in serious trouble; he needs your help," said the man.

"I know, but I'm so scared," replied Ed.

"Ed, I know you're scared, but right now Vulcan needs you, and I know it hurts, but everyone else died for the cause despite their fear! Our friends gave their lives; the least we can do is put ours on the line to make sure it wasn't all in vain. You have so much strength, but you don't realise it because you never try, so try now, not for you but for everyone else and Vulcan," said the man.

Ed pondered for a while before responding, "Ok, I'll try," while getting up to his feet and wiping away his tears and sniffling.

"Good lad!" replied the voice.

Ed took off his shirt, throwing it to the ground as the skin on his back was malformed and his bones cracked, and a pair of metal wings burst out and long metal talons appeared on his feet as a fountain of blood sprayed across the ground. Pieces of flesh still stuck to the wings as Ed screamed in agony. Ed took a few moments to recover before opening his wings and flying out of the backalley, soaring towards Vulcan.