Chapter 76

Nina and Peter, dressed in casual clothes, walked through the busy streets of London, observing the iconic sights and sounds around them. The familiar chime of Big Ben echoed through the air, and the scent of street food wafted around them. From a distance, the Thames river was a serene sight, a perfect backdrop for their casual exploration.

Despite the beauty surrounding her, Nina remained alert, her eyes scanning the buildings around them. Each structure held potential to be more than it appeared. There was a list of buildings in her mind that warranted further investigation. They stay in different hotels as the days come and go.

As they passed by a cozy café in the Westminster area, they decided to stop for a bite. As they sat down, a particular building across the street caught Nina's eye. There was something about it, an air of unease perhaps, or a silent sense of secrecy that it held.

She discreetly tapped the Uru ring on her finger, activating the connection with V, her AI. "V," she whispered, almost inaudible amidst the café's bustling background. "Can you look into the details of the building list we have and add this building to it?"

"Certainly, Nina," V replied in its respectful, monotone voice. After a moment, V responded, "Initial findings do not suggest any unusual activity in the buildings on your list, except for the last addition. The ownership records for that particular structure have changed hands more frequently than average. This could suggest covert operations."

Nina considered this information, her gaze lingering on the ominous building. It was enough to spark her interest. She turned to Peter, who was busy nibbling on a pastry.

"Hey, Peter," she said, her voice soft but serious. "Finish up. We're suiting up tonight. We have a target."

Peter looked at her, noting the determined glint in her eyes. He swallowed his bite and nodded, "Alright, let's do it."

Night had fallen, a cool breeze flowing through the deserted streets of London. The skyline was a mosaic of lit and darkened windows, casting long shadows that danced and intertwined on the quiet pathways below.

Cloaked in their suits, Peter and Nina made their way to the target building, skillfully darting from shadow to shadow. Peter was visibly excited, his body humming with anticipation. Nina, on the other hand, was the picture of concentration, her gaze unwavering and focused on their destination.

Once they reached the base of the building, Peter expertly scaled the wall, his unique abilities allowing him to effortlessly climb to the top. He found a small ventilation shaft at the rooftop, a grin spreading across his face under the mask.

"You know, it's a good thing I can fit into tight spaces," Peter casually remarked as he began to crawl through the narrow vent.

Nina, still on the ground, chuckled at his unintentional innuendo. "Is that so, Spider-Man?" she teased, her voice brimming with mirth.

Peter's mask eyes widened in realization and he quickly backtracked, his voice sounding flustered. "Wait, no, that's not what I meant! I just meant... you know... for stealthy stuff!"

Nina continued to chuckle as she took flight, landing gracefully on the rooftop beside the vent. She shook her head, her focus shifting back to their mission as she silently surveyed their surroundings, ready to respond at the slightest hint of danger.

The sound of the ventilation door opening broke the silence of the night. Peter popped out, looking like a proud inventor presenting his creation. "Ta-da!" He grinned, gesturing grandiosely at the open door.

Nina simply shook her head in amusement, though a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Peter, focus up," she reminded him, her tone turning serious again.

With the caution and precision that came with their training, they ventured inside the building. It was eerily quiet, the usual humdrum of an office replaced with an unsettling stillness that seemed to engulf everything around them. They split up, each taking a floor to search for any signs of suspicious activity.

Nina's journey was fruitless, the offices she checked were normal, too normal for her liking. Suddenly, her communicator crackled to life. "Nina, I think I found something," Peter's voice echoed in her earpiece.

"Where are you, Peter?" She asked, quickly making her way towards his location.

"Third floor, office 6A. Be careful, though," he added, a note of concern in his voice.

Nina halted as she reached the office, her eyes catching the faint glimmer of a laser grid on the floor. Peter was hanging from the ceiling, having skillfully avoided the security measures. "What's got you crawling on the ceilings now, Spider-Man?" She asked, her voice a low murmur through the communicator, maintaining their stealth.

Peter smirked, "Just trying to keep things interesting, Ivy. Plus, the floor is literally lava. Deadly laser kind."

As Nina scanned the room, her HUD cycled through various vision modes until it stopped at one that revealed a structural anomaly behind the bookcase. "Peter," she called out, "check out the bookcase. One of the books might be a trigger."

Peter chuckled lightly. "Ah, the old 'secret-passageway-behind-the-bookcase' routine. These villains really need to update their cliches," he bantered, as he navigated along the ceiling towards the bookcase.

Upon closer inspection, Peter spotted a book that looked slightly out of place. With a tug, the lasers deactivated and the bookcase swung open, revealing an elevator.

"Wow, a secret elevator. Even better," Peter quipped. "Ivy, we got what we came for, this is enough to report back to the Avengers. We should get out of here."

Nina, however, had a different plan. She shook her head, her gaze fixated on the elevator. "We need concrete proof, Peter. Something more than just an elevator behind a bookcase."

"But Ivy..."

"No buts, Spider-Man. We're going down," she stated firmly, stepping onto the elevator with a determined look. Peter sighed, knowing he couldn't sway her, and joined her on the elevator, as it began its descent into the unknown.

As the elevator descended further, Peter started to fidget nervously. "This thing's going really deep. Maybe too deep," he muttered.

"Stay focused, Peter," Nina responded calmly. "We're not in over our heads yet."

The elevator doors opened, revealing two surprised Hydra guards. Before they could even reach for their weapons, Nina sprang into action, delivering swift blows that rendered them unconscious.

"Ow, that looked like it hurt," Peter grimaced, glancing at the guards slumped on the floor.

"Less talking, more moving," Nina retorted, moving stealthily through the underground facility.

Making their way through the corridors, they managed to avoid the patrolling guards. "We have some time before they discover the guards at the elevator," Nina whispered, keeping her focus on the task at hand.

Eventually, they reached a large room filled with computers and Hydra operatives. Peter, peering in through a crack in the door, turned to Nina. "There's a room full of computers and Hydra agents in here. This could be where we find our evidence," he reported.

"Good find, Spider," Nina praised.

"Alright, Spider," Nina said, her eyes trained on the room beyond the door. "We take them out before they can hit that alarm. Ready?"

Peter nodded in agreement. "Ready."

Without another word, Nina kicked the door open and the duo sprang into action. Peter used his webs to disarm and gag the guards, preventing them from sounding an alarm. Nina swiftly dealt with the remaining operatives in the room.

"V, do a scan. We need to find something worthwhile in this place," Nina ordered, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Acknowledged," V's voice came back, always composed. "Scanning in progress. I detect a hard drive rack in the corner of the room."

Nina moved quickly, her hand hovering over the hard drive as V started to copy its contents.

But as soon as V connected, the alarms started to blare.

Peter groaned, "There goes our stealth..."

"Copy process completed," V announced a few moments later.

Peter and Nina, now on high alert, fought off the influx of guards rushing into the room. Once they had secured their exit, they sprinted back towards the elevator.

"Next time, remind me to bring earplugs," Peter joked as the alarm continued to wail in their ears.

The alarm continued to blare in the elevator shaft, making the tense situation feel even more harrowing. As they ascended, Peter's Spider-Sense suddenly tingled – a premonition of imminent danger.

"Ivy, move!" He yelled, lunging towards the ceiling of the elevator as a high-intensity plasma blast engulfed the elevator door.

But it was too late. The blast engulfed Nina, launching her out of the elevator, through the walls of the building, and out into the open street. She hit the asphalt hard, creating a small crater upon impact.

"Nina!" Peter cried out, quickly making his way to the street through the gaping hole in the building. As he landed next to her, he quickly started assessing the situation. "Nina, are you okay?"

Nina, slightly disoriented from the blast, slowly tried to push herself up. Her suit had protected her from the worst of it, but she had still taken a heavy hit.

"Ugh... that was unexpected," she grumbled, wincing slightly at the pain that shot through her body as she moved. "I'll live."

Peter sighed in relief. He had been worried about her. Nina, however, quickly gathered herself and started to scan her surroundings, ready for the next threat.

The night sky lit up with a bright blue light as Space Stone energy weapons fired at them from the building. Nina, recognizing the danger, immediately barked at Peter, "Those are Space Stone weapons! Don't get hit!"

Peter nodded, his eyes wide behind his mask as he dodged and weaved through the incoming fire. But Nina knew they were outnumbered and outgunned, especially with Space Stone energy weapons in play.

"Spider, we need to retreat! Now!" Nina commanded, extending her hand to him. Peter recognized the gesture and leapt towards her, catching her hand in mid-air. With a powerful twist, Nina hurled Peter skywards, distancing him from the barrage of energy blasts.

Simultaneously, Nina materialized a small bead and threw it towards the base of the building where the Hydra agents were. The bead exploded upon impact, causing a massive shockwave that knocked the Hydra agents off their feet and momentarily disrupted their firing.

With Peter soaring high above the fray, Nina quickly took flight, speeding upwards to meet him. Peter saw her coming and quickly shot a web towards her, latching onto her arm as she flew past.

"Thanks for the lift, Ivy," Peter quipped, trying to lighten the tense situation as they fled from the scene.

"Anytime, Spidey," Nina responded, her tone more serious. She knew they had escaped one battle, but the war was far from over.

Nina's suit sparked with residual energy from the Space Stone blasts. It was visibly damaged, but still functional. She was about to ask V to give her an update on the information they'd collected when she felt a rush of air. Instinctively, she rolled to the side as an electrical blast split the air where she had been standing.

"Whoa!" Peter called, just barely leaping aside as the blast came toward him. He landed in a defensive crouch, his eyes wide behind his mask. "That was close!"

Nina followed the trajectory of the blast, her gaze falling on the newcomer. The woman wore a suit that was predominantly red, with yellow accents. Her gloves were the same color, and the most striking feature was the webbed wings under her arms, allowing her to glide.

"Peter, any idea who she is?" Nina asked, already positioning herself between the newcomer and her friend.

"No clue," Peter responded, flipping into a defensive stance. "But she doesn't look happy."

The woman, without warning, threw another electrical blast, and this time a parked car was sent flying their way. Nina and Peter sprang into action, using their combined strength to send the car back towards her. This time, it was the woman who had to leap aside.

"Hey, lady! You got a problem with us?" Peter called out, trying to distract her as Nina tried to flank their opponent.

The woman didn't respond, instead launching another series of energy attacks, this time aimed squarely at Nina. The fight was on, and neither Nina nor Peter knew exactly who they were up against.

Nina and Peter sprung into action, working in perfect sync to combat this new enemy. They moved fluidly, one always covering for the other, trading blows with the mysterious woman. Her movements were sharp and her energy attacks packed a punch, but they matched her, strike for strike.

Just as Nina was about to land a direct hit, the woman sidestepped and released a concentrated, bio-electrical blast, stunning Nina and causing her to be sent flying into a concrete pillar. The force of the blow made the suit spark and malfunction momentarily, the circuits disrupted by the unknown electrical current.

"IVY!" Peter called out in alarm, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the woman as she lunged at him. He sidestepped and countered with a quick right hook, but she nimbly dodged and returned a kick that sent him sprawling.

In the brief pause, Peter took a second to size up his opponent. She was good, probably as good as him. She moved with the precision and control of a trained fighter, and her bio-electrical attacks were similar to Miles' venom strike, but different somehow, more potent. Peter couldn't let this fight drag on, he needed to end it, and fast.

Pushing off the ground, he shot a quick web-line at a nearby water tower, pulling himself towards it before rebounding and launching himself at the woman. He narrowly avoided another one of her energy blasts and returned a powerful kick. This time, he connected, sending her crashing into a stack of crates.

Meanwhile, Nina had managed to get back on her feet, her suit stabilizing after the initial disruption. She had been momentarily stunned, but now, anger was rapidly replacing shock. She wasn't about to let this woman get the best of them.

The parking garage echoed with the sound of their relentless brawl. Peter and Jessica were almost perfectly matched, their movements mirrored in a deadly dance, every punch, every kick precisely countered. They were locked in a combat stalemate. But Peter had a plan. Using his web-shooters, he fired a quick burst of webbing at Jessica's feet.

Caught off guard, Jessica momentarily lost her footing. Peter took this chance to perform a sweeping kick, knocking her off her feet. He quickly moved on top of her, holding her down and telling her to yield.

Just as the words left his mouth, a strange, sweet aroma filled the air. Peter's pupils dilated, his heart rate quickening, the pheromone emission from Jessica causing an unexpected attraction between the two. Jessica too, seemed surprised and affected, her attacks momentarily faltering.

Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, Nina moved in. She quickly shoved Peter out of the way, effectively breaking the strange moment between him and Jessica. With a swift, powerful kick to Jessica's side, Nina sent her flying towards a concrete pillar. The impact echoed loudly in the silence that followed, and Jessica slumped down, unconscious.

Nina quickly checked Peter, ensuring he was alright. The effects of the pheromones were already wearing off, but the confusion and surprise were still visible in Peter's eyes. This wasn't a typical night for either of them, and it was far from over. Nina had already begun to relay the situation to Steve. Now they had to wait for backup, hoping it would arrive soon.

The cool night air rushed past them as Nina flew through the city, carrying both Peter and the unconscious Jessica. She found an abandoned warehouse, a place hidden away from prying eyes where they could regroup and figure out their next move. As they landed, Peter was still visibly disoriented, a bit out of it from the unexpected effects of the pheromones.

"Nina..." he began, his voice shaky. "What... what just happened?"

Nina didn't answer immediately. She dragged Jessica towards a rusty chair, her movements brisk and efficient. She found some scrap metal and used it to bind Jessica's wrists and ankles securely to the chair.

"Nina," Peter repeated, his eyes following Jessica's unconscious form.

Nina crossed her arms and looked at Peter, her expression unreadable behind her helmet. She finally broke the silence, "V, report."

V's voice chimed in, smooth and respectful. "Detecting elevated pheromone levels in the area. The behavior from both Spider-Man and the unknown individual could be due to this factor."

Peter blinked, looking from Jessica to Nina, trying to make sense of everything. "So... you're saying we were affected by some kind of... perfume?"

Nina tilted her head slightly, studying Jessica, then Peter. "It seems so. It must be a defense mechanism or... something else." Nina sounded more unsure than she cared to admit, a rare thing for the usually confident Avenger.

Peter's gaze remained on Jessica as the lingering effects of the pheromones clouded his judgement. Recognizing this, Nina's tone shifted to more authoritative, "Peter, be on the lookout outside. We don't know if there are others."

Peter tried to protest, "Maybe I can talk to her-"

"No." Nina cut him off, "You're affected by her pheromones. The farther away you are from her, the better."

"But-"

"Just do it, Peter!" Nina snapped, her worry for him overtaking her usual composed demeanor.

As he reluctantly climbed up to the rooftop, Nina turned her attention to Jessica. She walked over and removed her mask, revealing a woman with striking features and an almost peaceful expression. Her face scanned by V's technology, the AI calmly announced, "Identification confirmed. Subject is Jessica Drew, also known as Arachne by Hydra."

Nina's eyes narrowed, her hand reaching out to not so gently slap Jessica awake. "Wake up, Drew," she said. "We need to talk."