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Team Argos Book 1:

The Unveiling Chapter 4:

Battle against Techno-Tarantula

By: Jear77

Team Argos

Introductions were quickly made, and Kiva asked, "How do we stop that thing?"

Tom said "We need to know what we're dealing with first. If we jump in without knowing what's going on we could get badly injured or killed. What did we learn?"

They compared notes about the scorch marks and black specks.

Examining the black specks under microscopic magnification from a computer camera, they saw the little machines looked like tiny machine spiders.

"Nanites," Robin said.

"More than that," Tom said. "They're the most complex ones I've ever seen. Moreover... they seem to be alive."

"How so?" Art asked, confused.

"There seem to be different types of these nanites, for them to do different things. They take nearby electricity and materials to make more of themselves. As a cohesive unit, they respond to stimuli, adapt, and have grown to become that," Robin said pointing at the vid-screen.

Tom glared at Robin.

As he points at the screen a booming voice is heard from the electric mass of nanites on the screen. "I AM ALL POWERFUL. I HAVE ALL IN FOR MAY SHUN. NOTHING CAN STOP ME!" The collective conscious laughed maniacally.

"Oh," Art said.

Still studying the magnified nanites on the screen, Tom said "I hate to ask this, without understanding exactly what we're up against and how to defeat it, but I need you to interact with it to give me some time to come up with a plan. Also you might be able to get me useful information to help me form the plan"

Art said, looking around at the others "I'll do what I can. What about you?"

The others agreed.

Planning

Bringing up dozens of charts and graphs, the team examined different areas of the electric spider to see the best angle of attack, whether breaking up would do any good, or not, and if there were any weak areas. They saw that the front, near the back left leg and the right front "leg" were the weakest, but by only less than 1%.

Discussing their powers, they talked about how they might battle the spider.

There were a lot of skyscrapers near the left back leg, so Akhela was assigned there to be able to use her Mirror Walker abilities.

FyreFoxx and X-Zorb were assigned to a full-on frontal attack.

Sway was held back in reserve in case they could figure out how to communicate with it.

Everyone is equipped with EMP generators if things get too hairy.

Mirror left through the bathroom mirror into Mirror World while Matt sent FyreFoxx and X-Zorb through the Maze to the rooftop, thinking. I just hope that they can buy enough time.

Mirror

Mirror phased through the glass on one of the skyscrapers near the spider's left leg. Turning around, she lightly hopped on the roof. She tried throwing some reflective powder. But it was too windy. The wind whipped the powder out of her hand. It "Shit" she mutters. "Plan 2."

X-Zorb & FyreFoxx

X-Zorb and FyreFoxx appear in front of the spider.

FyreFoxx, summoned a flame into his palm, lobbing it at the spider. The spider doesn't seem to notice. Or if it did, it didn't respond.

Meanwhile, X-Zorb ran over to an antenna., climbing it. Reaching the spider's web, he stood on it and started running towards the spider. Paying X-Zorb no mind it continued concentrating on its expanding web.

FyreFoxx called forth much larger fireball and lobbed it. This time the spider noticed. It shot a strand of webbing at him. X-Zorb, intercepted the webbing, pulling at it. It broke and wound around him. Entrapped, he lost his balance and fell. Rolling into a ball, as best as he could, he hit the roof below, rolling to his feet. Stronger, he broke out of the webbing.

Tom, Matt & Kiva

While the others were attacking the spider, both Tom and Matt were searching. They searched for any Powered individuals who were spiders. They searched for known spider criminals. They came up with a few names, but were quickly eliminated, as their current present whereabouts were known. They searched the news-feeds for spiders, coming across the in the hospital on Sharon and Plainfield

Mirror

Mirror opened a portal to Mirror World on a nearby skyscraper. Using the portal to "pull" the energy into to it, she tried filtering out the nanites. BAD IDEA. As an energy coil approached the portal, it arced. Splitting in several different directions, it arced around the entire building. As it did so, it broke many of the building's windows. Arcing inside it caused an explosion, breaking more windows. Pink-tinged green smoke poured out of the building. By the time it got to the ground it fizzled to nothing.

Tom, Matt & Kiva

Taking the captured nanites with him, Tom had Matt to transport him and Kiva through the Maze to the spider's room. As they arrived, Tom also had Matt find and transport a universal translator to him. As the electric spider's powers got stronger, the physical spider's condition worsened. Tom turned to Kiva, quickly explaining the situation as he saw it to Kiva, ending with "Do your stuff."

Addressing the universal translator Kiva asked the nanites in their possession "If you continue you may survive, but your host body will die. Do you want for that to happen?"

The nanites respond "No, but it is imperative that we survive, even if our original host dies."

"What do you want more than anything?"

"Knowledge. Power. We have that already. We need nothing from you"

"Even at the cost to your host, and the city?"

The nanites considered "Do you have an alternative?"

Kiva paused looking at Tom, who nodded. Licking his lips he continued, "What if we could provide you what you want without so much destruction? Would you agree to cease your attack the entire area?"

"We would investigate first to see that you fulfilled your end of the bargain. If there was trickery, there will be a severe price to pay, both personally and for your city. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Tom thought, Argos, bring us back.

Mirror

Knowing she couldn't do anything else, she exited Mirror World one of the conference rooms of the building that the explosion came from. The floor she was on was empty except for a single lab that contained an anthro hyena scientist. The scientist's fur had been bleached white from the explosion and his face was frozen in an insane rictus. He was laughing manically.

Argos, she thought, Take us to the hospital. This anthro needs immediate medical attention.

Argos did as she requested.

Leaving him sedated and restrained in a straitjacket in a padded room she thought Bring me back to your room.

FyreFoxx & X-Zorb

Sheathing himself in flames, FyreFoxx kicked the air, sending an arc-shaped wave of flame towards the spider. The spider raised a leg, blocking it, apparently unharmed. As it blocked the fire, it sent out dozens of hand-sized swarming spiders to deal with them. Simultaneously it electrocuted its webbing to discourage anyone from clambering up to it. Counterattacking, the spider threw ball lightning at him. FyreFoxx dodged, back flipping out of the way.

X-Zorb, rolling forward and breaking out of the webbing, he ran toward the antenna. As he reached it, he found that it was electrified. But the electricity didn't affect him. His entire suit was made of rubber. As he climbed the spiders scuttled over him, shocking him where they touched his exposed fur. Using the damage to increase his resistance, he tore the spiders off him while still hanging on to the antenna by his legs. As each spider hit the ground, it flashed to non-existence. No longer affected by the electricity, he continued his climb. As he got to the web, it started to drizzle.

Team Argos

Akhela, Tom, and Kiva appeared back in Matt's room at the same time. Tom agreed said, turning to Akhela and Matt "We have work to do. I've got an idea, but because you two are the dimension travelers, I need imput from you both."

Kiva suggested, "Since I can't you with that part, perhaps I'd better see how I can help with the spider."

"Agreed," Tom said. Turning to Matt, he asked, "Can you get me a large source of water? Maybe we can put a damper on it."

"I think I've got just the thing." Matt said sending Kiva through the Maze, and as he did so, he opened a portal in the middle of the nearby lake, which he connected with dozens of pinhole portals above the spider to simulate rain.

FyreFoxx, X-Zorb, & Sway

Sway appeared just as it started drizzling. Sway thought, Argos, we need more water than that.

Argos responded, I'm trying to make it's natural rain. I'll see what I can do to adjust it.

The "rain" picked up a bit more.The spider started sparking, and arcing. FyreFoxx and Sway both cried "Watch out!"

But it was too late.

X-Zorb took the full brunt of an arc, but it didn't affect him much, save to stun him momentarily. Shaking it off, he continued towards the spider's left foreleg. Grabbing it, he tried lifting it. But affecting the spider was impossible, as it was pure energy. As he was wrestling with the leg, more and more arcs built up and blasted him into a nearby electronic billboard.

As X-Zorb got struck both FyreFoxx and Sway hit the deck, getting drenched in the process. FyreFoxx's flame went out. Moments later hearing the explosion that blasted X-Zorb away, FyreFoxx gets up shouting, "ENOUGH!"

Team Argos

Tom, using sensor equipment to monitor both Akhela and Matt while accessing their respective dimensions, he used the computer to model mathematically how they were doing it. Combining the models, he came up with a box that he thought would fulfill the nanites' request. Telling Matt that he needed to get back to his lab, he was transported through the Maze.

FyreFoxx & Sway

FyreFoxx's eyes starting glowing with power as he shouted, "ENOUGH!" His fur dried out and started to move as if blown with some force by an invisible wind.

Kiva asked, "FyreFoxx, what are you doing?"

"Doing something I ought not do. I'm tapping energy reserves I was told never to use. Don't try to stop me," he said, starting to float a few feet above the ground. As he did the whole city seemed to get darker. Closing his eyes, now seemingly unconcerned about getting struck by the arcing electricity caused by the rain. His whole body grew and the glow became larger and larger. Amazingly enough as the arcs approached his glow, they veered away.

The spider sent more spiders out towards them but they couldn't get close. It shot ball lightning at him, but as with the arcs it couldn't get close.

A few minutes went by. Finally, opening his eyes he floated few more feet higher saying, "Two Tails" and another fox's tail emerges. Closing his eyes and meditating, a few more minutes went by. At the end of each time, he floated higher and increases the number of tails by one, until he has five tails and his energy outline is as large as the spider's.

His energy outline knocked down the antenna, and along with it more than half the webbing. The spider retreats to get a better position. The two energy beings start to wrestle. It was obvious from the start that as the kitsune's was going to win. As his energy form touches the spider's, it arcs and shrinks. Soon the spider was half its original size and shrinking fast. But FyreFoxx wouldn't relent. During all this time, the only thing Sway can do is stare with his mouth agape.

Shockwave

Mentally telling Argos what he needs to build the machine, Tom dashes around at supersonic speed, connecting this piece to that. As more pieces appear he connects them in the proper order and adds them to the box he's building. In about ten minutes he's done, and asked Argos to connect him to Sway. What's going on there? Tom thinks to him.

Taking a moment to stir from his reverie at what was going on, he thinks back, Sorry, FyreFoxx is wrestling with the spider and has shrunken it quite a bit. You should see him. He's simply... amazing.

Do you still have the universal translator on you?

Yes, why do you ask? I'm done with the device.

Good. Bring the nanites. Sway reminded Tom.

Team Argos

Arriving at the spider with the box and the nanites they talked to before, Shockwave turned on the device, sitting it on the ground and said to Sway, "You know what to do."

Sway said through the universal translator "This device is an extra dimensional portal to unlimited information. Will this suit your needs?"

The nanites go inside it and said "This is acceptable. We will tell the others so they do not die."

Moments later the spider dissolves into electrical arcs, which all merge into the box. Out of energy from battling the spider,FyreFoxx's outline winks out as if it had never been there. Collapsing in midair and shrinking to half his normal size, FyreFoxx started plummeting to the rooftop below. Before he could fall and injure himself, Sway jumped up and caught him midair, landing lightly on the rooftop. "Thanks," FyreFoxx said, kissing the spider on the cheek."Owe you one," before darkness overtakes him and everything went black.

Take us home. Tom thought to Argos, leaning on the box that has Techno-Tarantula. Take us home.