Chapter 73: AIM for Conquest

Chapter 73: AIM for Conquest

Over the New York City streets in the dead of the night, Spider-Man stood on a ledge perched, as the crisp October breeze blew right in the air.

"Bad night to be out, but I have a lead, the Master Planner, he's kept away from me for months and months," thought Spider-Man. "And after I ran up with a couple of his thugs, one of them spilled the beans. There's supposed to be a big deal going on here. There's someone, I better move."

Spider-Man the next moment swung right down, and landed right on the ground and there were a trio of individuals in masked who walked forward. The wall crawler climbed up, as a figure in a trench coat.

"You've got the goods," muttered one of the thugs.

"If you've got the cash," said the figure in a trenchcoat with a smirk.

Before Spider-Man could move right in, the windows from above shattered and he saw a figure in powered armor enter.

"Iron Man!" shouted one of the thugs.

"That's right now I understand you three have stolen something that belongs to Stark Industries," said Iron Man as he held his hands up.

"Ah, Iron Man, so very nice to see you again, I've been looking forward to this rematch," said the trench coat and two electric whips lashed right at him, but Iron Man dodged them.

"Whiplash!" shouted Iron Man as he turned to fight the foe, who was named Whiplash. "You're the one who's been behind all of these thefts?"

"No, but I'm about as close as you're going to get to the man in charge, because I'm shutting you down tonight, hero," said Whiplash, as he shot his electric whips right towards Iron Man who dodged them. "I've been upgraded, your little toy can't out run me forever."

Whiplash cracked Iron Man right in the shoulder of his armor, damaging it very slightly and Spider-Man immediately swung right in the battle and kicked Whiplash right in the face.

"What?" grunted Whiplash. "Spider-Man?"

"Ah, you've heard of me, I'm touched," said Spider-Man and Whiplash tried to nail Spider-Man but his spider agility had managed to have him able to avoid the attacks.

"This is none of your concern, web slinger!" cried Whiplash as Spider-Man rolled and pivoted underneath the attacks, and managed to cause Whiplash to take out his own whips. The sparks flew in the air and he was sent staggering right backwards.

Iron Man blasted Whiplash right in the chest and knocked him right into a stack of boxes and sliced his whips completely off. The three thugs dove right at Spider-Man and dodged the attacks, before he disabled them and webbed them right up in little time.

"Spider-Man," said Iron Man cordially as he looked at the downed figures and Whiplash who was knocked out and disabled.

"One of yours, I take it?" asked Spider-Man.

"Funnily enough, it seems like ever since I put on the armor, they kept popping up out of the wood work," said Iron Man.

"Yeah, they'll do that," said Spider-Man with a knowing nod. "So what brings you around this around this neck of the woods."

"Those thieves stole technology from a shipment to Stark Industries," said Iron Man as he held the case and popped it open. "These babies will lighten the load of anything by ten times."

"Would make pulling a heist easy," muttered Spider-Man.

"Precisely why they are after it," said Iron Man as he looked at them. "So, what exactly did bring you here?"

"I got a lead about these three working for someone called the Master Planner, he's a would be crime boss who uses technology and he's working on something, something big," explained Spider-Man. "Obviously the long term type, I've been after him since this past summer and nothing."

"The Master Planner," muttered Iron Man. "Whoever he is, I got a feeling that he's working with someone else."

"Well if you've got ideas, feel free to share them," said Spider-Man.

"Whoever he is, whatever he's got planned, he's got my attention now, no matter who he's working with," said Iron Man. "This heist, was something big. Whiplash said as much that he was a go between."

Iron Man picked up the case rather easily.

"Should be no problem tracking them down, now that you've got my help," said Iron Man as he looked at Spider-Man. "I'll be able to properly trace anything that they've stolen and with any luck, you won't have to deal with this Master Planner and get your hands dirty. Well too much."

"Yeah, well I've just about cracked the case, so thanks Iron Man but I can handle this," said Spider-Man.

"Trust me, if he does have some of Stark Tech, you might be way over your head," said Iron Man as he looks right at Spider-Man. "You might be capable against petty thugs and I appreciate your help with Whiplash but you caught him off guard."

On a ledge right above them, a figure dressed in yellow was above them, with a scanner device.

"Scanning Iron Man suit, error, scan blocked, security protocols locked out any scan, need direct link to scan," muttered the man from above but suddenly, Spider-Man looked right above him.

"Hey, there's someone up there!" yelled Spider-Man as he tried to scale right up of the wall right at him but the figure made a break for it.

Iron Man followed, as the figure made his way out of the window, with Spider-Man right after him. As he looked up, he was face to well laser, with a giant floating pod right in the air right above them which turned and began to fire lasers right at Iron Man and Spider-Man who dodged the attack. Iron Man tried to take out the pod but a force field appeared right around them and blasted right off, before it appeared to disappear into the night.

"That guy, he was watching us, I saw he had some kind of scanner device," said Spider-Man.

"Advanced Idea Mechanics, or AIM," said Iron Man, as he turned to see if he could pick up any hint to where his mystery man went. "This isn't the first time our paths have crossed recently."

"Yeah, I've dealt with them or at least someone after their work," said Spider-Man. "Morally dubious company from what I've heard..."

"Morally dubious yeah, but none of their work, is their work," said Iron Man grimly. "They are tech thieves at the highest, co-opting good technology for bad purposes and if they're working with this Master Planner guy, whatever he has planned, cannot do any good. Whatever they're after, they won't get it, I'll make sure of that."

Without another word, Iron Man blasted off.

"He's right about one thing, if these AIM people are involved, then the Master Planner could have access to some rather nasty technology," thought Spider-Man as he just shook his head. "That hover pod, disappeared without a trace. No need losing any sleep over it right now. There's time to worry about it right in the morning, I need to get home, get a few hours of sleep right before school."

X-X-X-X-X

"I failed to get the scan of the Iron Man armor," said the AIM Scientist. "Stark has upgraded the armor, our most powerful scanner cannot penetrate the security protocols."

"I had calculated that would be the most logical result of your attempts but we now have official data that we need to capture Iron Man and bring him for more detail scan, even if it is at the cost of destroying the armor and its wearer in the process," said an ominous figure in a creepy monotone, casting the shadow of a large head.

"What about Spider-Man?" asked the AIM Scientist.

"It has been deduced this his threat level is minimal and a base annoyance at most," said the figure, detached and emotionless. "Should he get in our way, he will have to be assassinated."

X-X-X-X-X

"So my guidance counselor told me that living off of my Dad's money was not a responsible career choice, can you believe that?" asked Harry as he sat in the cafeteria the next day with Peter, Gwen, and Mary Jane. "Seriously, this entire college thing, it's just all partying anyway, so why do I need to have to go to class?"

"It's far more than that, Harry," said Gwen as she shook her head.

"Doesn't seem to be like that though with half of the people these days," inputted Mary Jane. "But hey, it'll will be a blast, it's just like high school, only we're technically adults."

"Well it has just as much drama," said Harry but Peter looked. "Hey, Pete, you could get into any college of your choice, with your brains, couldn't you?"

"Not without a scholarship I could," said Peter, not happy that particular touchy subject got brought up again.

"Yeah that's unfair, top grades, and you can't get anything, when half of the football team got a free ride because...apparently sports are far more important for school than actually education," said Gwen as she looked at Peter who looked depressed. "Which is completely and utterly unfair."

"God bless the educational system," said Mary Jane. "With their backwards priorities and all that."

Peter just sat there. With all of the concerns on his mind, the most frustrating seemed to be his college dilemma. The Friends of Humanity, the Chameleon knowing he was Spider-Man, the Master Planner, all were problems but they were problems that he could easier deal with, then to defeat the system.

"So, my father decided to skip out of town for this weekend, so I was thinking maybe we can actually all hang out for a change outside of this prison or in public where we'll be bothered by those Friends of Humanity goofballs," said Harry.

"Cool, that would be great," said Mary Jane.

"Yeah we'll be there," said Gwen.

"How about you Pete, actually going to show up for once?" asked Harry.

"Oh yeah of course, it might be nice to have a nice little night, to hang out and to rather have fun," said Peter in a distracted manner.

"Awesome, stop by at at about 6:00 PM," said Harry.

X-X-X-X-X

At Stark Industries, Tony Stark was busy at work. For those who thought that he was just a lazy guy who lived behind his billions, they would surprised to see Stark at work. The fact that there was one shipment with items missing caused him to go completely back through the last six months worth of shipments from Stark and try and piece together everything.

"Just as I thought," muttered Tony as he looked at them. "They have been co-opting bits and pieces of my technology. Just enough where an untrained eye might think that they've got lost in the shipment. Once, maybe, but these many times are a coincidence. But whatever they're after, it doesn't seem to be consistent, there is no pattern."

Tony looked at everything.

"I've got to bait a trap for them," said Tony, as he prepared to send to "leak" a press release about his latest shipment within the next couple of days.

X-X-X-X-X

The entire world had read about the shipment of the newest and greatest Iron Man armor upgrade being shipped in to Stark Industries in New York, being ten times more resilient and it using ten times less power output.

"Stark's lost his mind, hasn't he?" asked Gwen in disbelief as she looked at the paper with Peter the day that it came out.

"Well, Tony Stark, the man has a brilliant mind but common sense, I don't think anyone's gotten the impression that is his forte," said Peter frowning as he looked at it. "You better believe AIM is going to be all over this."

"So?" asked Gwen, as she braced herself for it.

"And Spider-Man will be right there," said Peter. "Iron Man doesn't think I can handle these AIM people."

"Peter, let me just tell you that I love you and thus have the utmost confidence of you in the world, but...Iron Man has dealt with these guys," said Gwen, as she clutched his hand.

"Gwen, you don't really think that I don't have somewhat of a plan with this, don't you?" asked Peter. "I have an idea and if AIM can lead me to the Master Planner and his mysterious master plan, we'll wrap this up."

Gwen nodded. Peter had been kind of obsessed with the entire Master Planner thing over the past number of months and she would be happy for him if he finally cracked his most tiring and frustrating case as Spider-Man.

X-X-X-X-X

The sun had gone down, as a shipment truck was out, with two armored guard. Inside, there was a suit of armor right inside a sealed containment unit. As the truck began transit, a large pod appeared right out of the air and blew a large hole right in the street. The truck stopped, as a trio of AIM agents descending.

"We claim this technology for AIM!" shouted one of the scientists, as Spider-Man was perched upside down from the ledge of a building in the distance, as he watched the AIM scientists knock the driver and his passenger out.

"Wait for it," thought Spider-Man as he saw the pod float into the distance and one of the AIM Scientist use a remote control device, before his close dissolved and shifted into an exact replica of the Stark Industries security guard. Immediately, the disguised scientist entered the truck and Spider-Man swiftly, and carefully found his way on top of the truck.

X-X-X-X-X

Inside the armored suit, Tony Stark waited, with a smirk. Everything had gone by as he had planned and now the AIM agents would take him to their place. Then he would be able to get some payback on what they did.

X-X-X-X-X

AIM arrived with a loud thud right outside of the abandoned garage that they used for their hideout. The disguised scientist and a group of half of a dozen more unloaded the truck, to roll out the case with the stationary Iron Man armor. They looked anxious as the door opened, to reveal several odds and ends, technology that belonged to many other companies, that had been liberated by AIM, and utilized for their full potential.

"You have the package," said the detached voice from the shadows.

"We do, no trouble at all," said scientist.

"As I expected and also as I expected, the lack of trouble you have encountered was designed to be a ruse to entrap us by our enemy," said the voice in monotone. "Isn't that correct, Iron Man?"

Iron Man at that moment blasted through his own containment unit, but found himself trapped in a blue field. He recognized it immediately as another invention that went missing and in the hands of these renegade scientists.

"An invention that can shield computers from sustaining damage during magnetic discharges," said the voice. "It can also stop you flat in your tracks and make sure that anyone wearing a powered suit of armor does not lay so much as a finger on me or any of my employers."

"You won't get away with this," managed Iron Man.

"An expected response from you, Iron Man, but you will find that your ruse has been turned around you, you have delivered your technology right into my hands and you'll get the scan that I need," said the detached voice. "You will not impede my process, science is meant to be the sole domain and AIM shall seek to control each and all of its benefits. While my benefactor only wants the arc reactor technology that powers the armor, AIM will be allowed to keep the rest of the specifications for future use."

Iron Man moved right over to a large device, with two wires pulled out.

"Overload discharge," muttered Iron Man and he blasted backwards, and he managed to break free, causing him to get over the pull of the field which had entrapped him.

"Stop him, he must not be allowed to escape," said the detached voice, as the the thugs on the floor pulled out miniature cannons and sent beams of yellow light, which Iron Man ducked and dodged. At that time.

"I'll take those," said Spider-Man from above as he shot two lines of webbing to two of the AIM Scientists, before he yanked the guns out of their heads. The two AIM scientists rushed Spider-Man but they were not fighters without their weapons, so Spider-Man narrowly took them out. The Web Slinger rolled underneath the blast and dodged it, ducking and weaving. "Careful with that thing, you'll shoot your eye out, kid."

"I had this handled," said Iron Man as he barely dodged and a second shot almost dinged his armor.

"Yeah, handled real well," dead panned Spider-Man as he pivoted in the air, bounced off off of the head of an AIM Scientist to kick another scientist right in the face, and Spider-Man then webbed them right together.

"Failure is an illogical outcome, proceeding fail safe plan right now," said the detached voice and a large electrified net shot around Iron Man. Iron Man tried to break out, but a pulse from it had began to shot down his armor and he dropped down, absolutely unable to move. "By my calculations, your system will not reboot for fifteen minutes, more than sufficient time to obtain a scan of the technology needed."

Spider-Man was shot with wires that wrapped around his hands and his wrist and he was pinned to the ground.

"Hey, this...I can't move," stated Spider-Man.

"I have sufficiently prepared for your potential interference Spider-Man, this weapon has been calibrated to hold anyone with the genetic proportional strength of an arachnid," said the detached voice.

"I figured as much," said Spider-Man, who had calculated a way to escape, as Iron Man was being hooked to a machine. Likely the man who was inside was awake but the armor was shut down. "Just who are you anyway you psychopath?"

"Out of a courtesy, I will allow myself to face you so you can see who precisely is killing you," said the detached figure, who appeared out of the shadows. It was a grotesque looking sight, a pale individual with a large head and glowing red eyes, dressed with yellow head gear around the head. "You could not begin to comprehend what precisely I am, Spider-Man."

"A giant floating kumquat?" managed Spider-Man.

"I am the ultimate personification of all thing science, purged of all of the petty emotional responses that limit the aptitude of humanity,' said the figure, voice still detached and as he said, devoid of the slightest bit of emotion. "I am the Mental Organism Designed Only for Conquest or as those with more simple minds may call me, MODOC."

"Yeah well with that big ego, that explains the giant head," said Spider-Man in complete seriousness. "Seriously, that thing could block out the sun if you're not careful."

"Your witty banter is merely a defense mechanism to shield a tortured and tormented soul, that much I have calculated based on the data I have obtained on you" said MODOC coldly. "You are not dealing with one of your normal enemies Spider-Man. You are dealing with someone who is bound only by logic, only by glory, only by the power of science."

MODOC turned as the armor was scanned and Iron Man struggled, pained.

"There is an eighty percent probability that the organic inside the armor will be obliterated," said MODOC, uncaring. "There is a one hundred percent probability that should this scan process not kill the organic, than we will put him down in the interest of science for he is too dangerous to be allowed to live."

"Got to help Iron Man before that guy kills him and likely me," thought Spider-Man. "They've thought of everything right now, these guys are good."

"Anything of value will be processed with the source material scrapped," said MODOC. "There is a certain amount of scientific curiosity based upon your unique abilities Spider-Man. Such abilities should be replicated by a being such as myself and not wasted on foolish heroics."

Spider-Man tried to shift his way.

"It is futile to escape, I have accounted for every single logical escape," said MODOC.

"You have not accounted for one thing," managed Spider-Man.

"What, I fail to see the logic of my failure to compensate for every logical outcome," said MODOC.

"You can never account for creativity," said Spider-Man and immediately he cracked his arms, which caused the AIM Scientists to loose, as he slid right around and slid right into the side of the machine that contained Iron Man. The magnetic field around Iron Man caused a discharge that caused them to loosen their grips and Spider-Man released himself. He swiftly knocked out the AIM scientists one at a time. "Alright, ugly, now you and me, face to...your giant head."

"You cannot hope to defeat me," said MODOC.

"Yeah with your stumpy arms, I doubt you'd be much good in a fight," said Spider-Man as he moved on but he got nailed by a bolt of mental energy.

"Your infantile mind is no match for the supreme mind of scientific mastery that is MODOC," said MODOC evenly in absolutely monotone. "I will tear your mind and any potentially useful knowledge to shreds."

Spider-Man found himself on his knees, eyes watering, as felt MODOC shift through his mind and it hurt like hell.

"I got maybe a couple of minutes before...I'm turned into...I can't defeat this guy, he is powerful, his mind, strong, perhaps too strong, perhaps too logical," thought Spider-Man. "I've never done this before, but I've got to try, to force it, the backlash might boot him out of my head."

Immediately, MODOC was caught off guard by a loud blast. Spider-Man nearly collapsed, as his spider sense had finally went off, forced as it was, which managed to drive MODOC from his mind. Yet it took every bit of his will power to fight it off.

"You blocked my attacks, impossible, mental attacks down, repairs, approximately seven minutes and thirty nine seconds, subdue Spider-Man," said MODOC, as the AIM Scientists began to blast at Spider-Man but Spider-Man propelled himself right into the air.

"Scan, eight four percent complete," said the scanner as Iron Man tried to struggle.

"Just hang in there Iron Man, I got an idea," said Spider-Man as he ran up the wall, before he flipped right behind them and jumped right down, before he propelled lines of webbing right out from him and wrapped them around and the weapons crashed right to the ground. He propelled himself right in front of the control panel. "Or maybe not."

"Scan, ninety five percent complete," said the computer.

"Blue button, then green switch third from the right," managed Iron Man in between bouts of pain.

"Right," said Spider-Man as he did as he was told, with the only hiccup the goon that he elbowed him right to the face.

"Scan ninety nine percent complete, aborted, transferring scanned data to drive right now," said Spider-Man as he helped Iron Man.

"I have vocal, which means my suit systems should be booted back up in ninety seconds," offered Iron Man. "Think you can keep them busy."

"No sweat," said Spider-Man as he propelled himself but nearly got nailed by a bolt of red light that obliterated a crate right behind him. "Okay, maybe a little bit of sweat, but that's all in the name of the game."

Spider-Man dodged the attacks. With a swift move, he managed to disable three of the scientists and their weapons in one shot.

"My systems have reached repair and now this time, there is no room for error, all probabilities will be calculated," said MODOC coldly. "You were foolish to think that anything could stand up to the might of me. I have been programmed for conquest. I have been programmed for science. I am your superior and I shall...AHHH!"

A repulsor blast nailed MODOC right in the face and caused the twisted creation to spiral out of control. Iron Man stood up.

"Systems completely restored and not a moment too soon," said Iron Man. "Was getting sick and tired of hearing him ramble about science. Kind of wish he would just get it over with and marry it."

The AIM Scientists moved in but Spider-Man hung from the ceiling above them and knocked their heads together.

"No, not probable, not possible, you shall not defeat me, for I am the supreme being of all science," said MODOC.

"Yeah well there's a hundred percent probability of me kicking you in the face," said Spider-Man as he swung in and nailed MODOC with both feet.

MODOC found himself facing both Iron Man and Spider-Man.

"Activate base self destruct protocols, one minute, forty seven seconds, time enough for heroes to either escape or subdue me at peril to their lives," said MODOC.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," said Spider-Man.

"Something tells me he very much isn't kidding," said Iron Man, as an escape pod began to blast off and began blasting at Iron Man and Spider-Man. "We've got to get out of here."

"Yeah, I figured that much," said Spider-Man as he swung out, with MODOC having escaped with the remaining scientists escaping in their own ways, but there was no care if everyone escaped on the park of the AIM Agents.

A blinding flash of white light enveloped the building as Spider-Man and Iron Man escaped and the base appeared to swallow itself.

"He collapsed the molecules within themselves, likely sending them into a pocket universe," said Iron Man. "At least that's what I think he did."

"Likely so he could retrieve it later," muttered Spider-Man. "I just wish he hadn't escaped with the specs for your armor, I mean it was all brand new and all."

"Oh this thing, well the funny thing about this, is this is the original prototype with a different paint job and with most of the bugs worked out," said Iron Man. "He didn't get any new features, nothing important, except for the arc reactor technology that powers it...which is what he wanted. He didn't quite complete his scan, which means there's something that he didn't get."

Spider-Man nodded.

"Look, I'm man enough, to say that I was wrong, you did handle yourself back there," said Iron Man as he looked at Spider-Man. "And not one scrap of technology as well."

"Well some of us don't have the resources to make an overpowered suit of armor, so we have to make do with our wits," said Spider-Man but he just sat down, nursing a slight headache. "Of course, sometimes thinking does hurt. And no closer to finding the Master Planner."

"You'll find him, I've got to get back, to report, maybe I can find what exactly this guy plans to do with the technology," said Iron Man as he flew off right into the night.

"And now I got to get home," thought Spider-Man. "Left out in the middle of nowhere. Thanks a lot, Iron Man."

X-X-X-X-X

"No closer to defeating the Master Planner, no closer to figuring out what his master plan is, no closer to figuring out what all of this technology is being used for," thought Peter. "But really can't obsess over that right now. Time to do the Peter Parker thing. Man, Harry is going to freak when he's found out that I've showed up on time for once."

X-X-X-X-X

"You have done well," said the garbled voice of the Master Planner. "The arc reactor technology is right in my hands and with my modifications, it will ensure a power source that will not burn itself out in battle. As promised, the money has been wired to the account."

"This business transaction has been most successful and has been a banner day in the name of science," said MODOC. "The other device you requested will be delivered within the next seventy two hour period. AIM will be in touch for any further technology."

X-X-X-X-X

Doctor Octopus looked rather pleased. Months of scheming, using this Master Planner identity. Most of the tech thefts he had done had been to throw any meddling parties off of the trail, while he had been commission the weapon, the main crux of his Master Plan.

The time would soon come. The final stage would commence and the entire city would bend to the will of the most brilliant mind, when he controlled the very thing that most had grown dependent on.

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