Faeth

Felix's fingers flew across the keyboard, his eyes darting between multiple floating screens. Equations, chemical compositions, and radiation decay rates filled his vision as he tried to solve what felt like an impossible problem—cleansing an entire ruined city of lethal radiation. He had no time for distractions.

So when Captain America's voice interrupted his focus, he was immediately irritated.

"Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Faeth, but—"

"Apology not accepted," Felix shot back, barely sparing her a glance. "Look, I'm checking the isotopic—"

"It seems important," Captain America insisted, phone in hand and nudging toward him. "Take it."

Felix sighed sharply and side-eyed her. She was giving him that look—calm, serious, but immovable. If Samantha Wilson was saying it, then it probably mattered. The phone in Samantha's hand, it belonged to his old number. He couldn't keep it because of his VIP status. Maria told him SHIELD would hold onto it unless there was an emergency. Felix reached for the secured line and pressed accept.

"Hello?"

The woman on the other end exhaled shakily. "Thank goodness you're okay, Felix."

Ah. So that was why. 

His mother.

Felix's back straightened and turned away from the captain. He should've expected this. Of course she would call—after what happened in New York, after the world had practically ended, after news stations filled their broadcasts with images of destruction and death.

She was probably watching, waiting, wondering if her son was alive.

"I'm fine," Felix said shortly. "I'm…working right now. With the other scientists."

There was a pause. He could practically hear her worry through the silence.

"Working? Studying? Even now? Even still?"

"..."

"Felix…" His mother hesitated before continuing. "You should come to us. Please. Your father and I—"

"I have work to do." His tone was clipped, final. He didn't need to hear the rest of that sentence. "Are you alright?"

"...yes. We got the money you sent. We went to a better retirement home like you asked."

"That's good."

"Your father is…doing well too."

"Oh yeah? Does he still raise his voice at you?"

"...no, not anymore."

"Hrm."

His mother sighed, too relieved to push him. "Just promise me you'll be safe."

Felix ran a hand through his hair. He was exhausted. Frustrated. 

"I'll do my best," he muttered.

Another pause.

"…Okay. I love you, Felix."

Felix exhaled through his nose. "Yeah. You too."

The call ended. 

For a moment, he just stood there, gripping the edge of his workstation. He knew what she wanted. She wanted him to go to them—to the small, quiet town where she took care of his father at the nursing home. But that was never going to happen.

Felix had made his choice.

"Apologies. Agent Shadowcat and Carol said it would distract you. I disagreed," said Samantha. 

"It's alright." With a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders, squared his stance, and turned back to his work. His mind was sharper now, more focused. The city still needed saving.

And Felix Faeth wasn't going to stop until he fixed it.

***

'Herbie is telling me something. Viiiiisitor at the front door.'

The Symbiote warning came right on time. Felix was on his laptop. He checked if anyone was watching. Discreetly, he went to the camera footage and expanded the video feed.

Walking through his gate without being granted access was the one person who should have had access—Yuri Watanabe.

Felix's chest tightened. 'Yuri, you're alive! W-wait, but what the hell is she doing here?'

He wasn't the only one who had noticed. His secretly hacked communications feed buzzed in his ear.

"Luke," Carol Danvers' voice came through. "Wave her off or knock her unconscious. Nobody should know about this place."

Felix's chair scraped against the floor as he stood abruptly. Agent Shadowcat was at the door. She was rarely ever here due to her rather…strange nature. She was often sent for perimeter checks and patrol.

He marched up to her and surprised her by grabbing her cheek and making out with her. Squeezing her ass, he broke the kiss and breathed huskily, "Go to the shower and strip. I'll be coming in fifteen minutes."

She immediately cupped his balls so hard that it hurt. "Oh really now?"

"Really."

He tried really hard not to wince. God, as hot as this was, his balls were aching. 

Agent Shadowcat wore a crazy smirk and smoothly removed her hands from his family jewels, her nails intentionally scraping along the pants. "I know you're playing me," she said, "but I do want dat dick bad. So I'll go."

Plopping her earbuds off, Rouge sauntered out of the room and into the bathroom. "Fifteen minutes," she echoed before closing the door.

Right. Fifteen minutes. 

He ran down the stairs as fast as he could. Holy fuck, not having spider-powers made running harder. No wonder he was tripping up so much in the shower. His sense of balance was so much worse now. He wasn't about to let them toss out his butler though.

By the time he reached the first floor, Luke Cage had already opened the door and was rolling his shoulders like he was getting ready to handle the situation. Felix tried to be nonchalant as he called out, "Luke, hey, what's going on?" 

"Huh?" Luke looked over as did Carol who was at the bottom of the staircase."

"Stay back," Carol said, a hand up. "We may or may not have an intruder."

"Really? Who? Is it my butler?"

"...butler?"

"Yuri Watanabe. Asian girl, short hair. She's nice enough—oh hey, she's here."

While Luke was turned and looking at him, Yuri arrived at the door. Her gaze instantly went to Felix. 

"That's her! Yuri, hey! Come on guys, she knows all my habits. She'll make my work better."

"This is the fourth time you have said this." Carol inhaled. "But fine." 

Felix smiled. "Thank you, Carol."

The blonde looked away and gestured at Luke to let her in. 

Yuri's eyes flicked between Felix and the security detail assembled around him. She hesitated only a moment before striding inside. She probably didn't expect Felix to come up to her and hold both her hands.

"I'm glad you're okay. Come, follow me. We have a bit of catching up to do."

At this point, Carol just let it happen. Felix took Yuri down the hall and into the butler's private quarters. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the first floor, it was a modest space compared to the grandeur of the household she served. The room, though small, was impeccably arranged. A narrow bed with a neatly pressed linen sheet stood against the far wall. A single wooden nightstand sat beside it, bearing a brass oil lamp and a pocket watch.

There were two bean bag chairs. The sole modern furniture and clearly Yuri's choice. She let out a slow breath and dropped down to the bean bag. Her usual composed demeanor cracked. 

"I missed this." Yuri was in a trench coat and black boots, all muddy. She closed her eyes. She must have travelled far. Felix sat down on the bean bag too. She spoke again. "You and I, Felix, we…are not that close."

"So? You're my responsibility."

"...thank you." Yuri looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Most…most of my old police friends are dead," Yuri said, monotone and dead. "This disaster wiped out everything. And the monster that did this—" Her fists clenched. "I want revenge."

"I know you want it. I know everyone wants it. But it's done."

Yuri's head snapped up, eyes burning. "What?"

"Spider-Man beat the monster," Felix said evenly. "It's done."

"I saw the news, I saw him throwing it but—"

"Yuri. It's done. Trust me."

Yuri searched his face, looking for something—some argument to fight against. Felix didn't let her find one.

He went over and knelt down, making sure she was looking at him when he spoke next. "I already distributed a cure for people. Now I'm working on something for all of New York."

Yuri's breath caught. "You… you already cured people?"

"Yes."

There was a quiet rustle of movement. Felix turned slightly to see Captain America, still standing near the doorway, arms crossed but face unreadable.

"It's true," Samantha said, her voice steady. "Dr. Faeth is a VIP scientist because of what he's done. The world is watching him now. The monster no longer matters. Perish it from your thoughts if you must."

Yuri turned back to Felix, her expression shifting from anger to something more conflicted. "You're really going to fix all of it?"

Felix smiled. Not a cocky smirk or an arrogant grin. A real smile.

"Yes," he said. "I'm going to save everyone."

For a long moment, Yuri just looked at him. Then she exhaled, some of the tension in her shoulders easing.

"So no revenge," Felix said, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "Just help me. Be my butler. Be kind. Don't give in to hate."

Yuri was quiet. Felix tilted his head and his smile grew gentler. 

"Want a hug?"

A pause. Then, barely above a whisper—

"…Yeah."

Felix pulled her into a warm, steady hug. Yuri stiffened for half a second before exhaling, relaxing slightly in his arms. Felix smiled against her hair.

***

Felix sat in his workspace, sipping water, lost in thought. The fucking brick walls. That shit was what was stopping him from completing the formula. The silence was nice—until Miles Morales, sitting across from him, broke it completely.

"You know, man," Miles mused, spinning lazily in his chair. "You sure got a lot of ladies in this house."

Felix froze mid-sip. Slowly, he set the glass down. "Excuse me?"

Miles spoke nonchalantly, "I mean, think about it. You got my mom, Rio, then there's the scary sadist lady—Agent Shadowcat. Captain motherfreaking America is here. You got the hot blonde chick—Carol Danvers. She has a huge rack—"

"Dude, you do NOT say that out loud."

"That hot black soldier woman—Monica Rambeau. She's my type, if I'm being honest. The divorced snowbunny too—"

"Please don't call every white girl that is into a black guy a snowbunny."

"—and now some Chinese detective lady?"

Felix pinched the bridge of his nose. "Miles, I am not a frat boy."

"But you could be."

"I would rather die."

'I almost got bullied into doing homework for them once.'

"You have a private pool and a tennis court and a movie theater. Okay, how about harem house."

Felix sighed dramatically. "I have a lab too. This place is just big and I'm here to work, not—"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Keep telling yourself that, Mr. Harem King."

Felix groaned. "You did not just say that. Where did Rio go wrong with you?" 

Miles laughed. "Alright, alright, my bad. It's just jokes." 

Felix rubbed his temples before coming up with the perfect distraction. "You know what? Go fetch me some coffee. I think Yuri is almost done brewing it."

Miles blinked. "The kitchen is two floors down."

Felix nodded. "Yup. There's an elevator so don't worry."

Miles groaned, throwing his head back. "Come on, man, that's still a long walk."

As Miles left the room, grumbling about his coffee-fetching mission, Monica walked in, giving him a pat on the back as he passed. She laughed and turned to Felix.

"He's a good kid," Monica said. "Likes to hang out with Luke and Carol a lot. Wants to train, work out."

"Yeah, that's what happens when tragedy strikes. You force yourself to be better… no matter the cost."

"Mhm." Monica fell silent for a moment before her expression turned solemn. "Felix… can I ask something? Just…person to person. Not as a scientist or US representative. Just two humans being honest with each other. What…what was Creature Z? Why was it created? Did…did we make it?"

"...not our government, no."

Monica seemed relieved. She placed a hand on her chest. "Thank god…"

Felix ran a hand through his hair. 'SHIELD has been doing their own investigation. They're not done yet but the conclusion seems obvious: Before it became a huge behemoth, Creature Z ate nuclear waste. But before even that, it swallowed something that stabilised its form—a fragment of a meteorite. The same meteor that brought the Symbiote on the moon that Elsa Brock used to create the Symbiote… and that I stole.'

'Whaattt? T-that's…true?' 

The Symbiote was surprised. 'Interesting, so you don't tune into my thoughts all the time.' 

'Nooo. We are Symbiotic. We are friends. Are you saying we killed one of our bretheerreen?' 

'No, that was no Symbiote. It ate it up. Used it amp itself. If I ate another cow, would I be symbiotic with it? No, of course not. I'm merely using it for its nutrients and to keep myself alive. In this case, it went above and beyond simple maintenance. It doubled its mutation.' 

Created by the Chameleon, born from radiation, grew from the sins of mankind—nuclear waste, and completed itself with an alien meteorite. 

"You shouldn't worry, Monica. The threat has passed. Creature Z will stay in the atmosphere for another 92,450 years. As long as no satellite or meteor 200 feet wide intercepts it—which is highly improbable—it's effectively gone."

"And if something does?"

"Then we blow it up. We have the tech—missiles, nukes, whatever it takes."

Monica studied him, then smiled. "You sure know how to make everybody hopeful, Doctor."

"I do my best." Felix blinked, feeling sleepy. God, he was tired. He couldn't let dreams engulf him. He had to keep going. He yawned. 

On the desk was his phone and it buzzed. He briefly flipped it over. He bit his lip to not groan. It was SHIELD. They were asking for an update.

He must have been sleepier than he thought because he didn't notice Monica pulling up a blanket on him. 

"It must be hard, I know."

"It's fine," he mumbled.

"You came up with a cure for radiation affecting people and they still treat you like you're some grunt. They will never know what you sacrificed for them."

"It's what I signed up for." Felix was about to get up. Monica gently pressed down on his shoulders.

"Relax. Don't worry, I won't tell. Sleep for a bit. Let your dreams take over."

Monica was truly a kind woman. He flashed her a smile and put his head down on his desk to sleep.

Five hours later, he woke up. He heard voices. Monica was outside, talking to Carol to distract her. When he did…

"Two."

He realized it.

Two worlds. Two types. Two cures. That was what he needed! 

"One for plant life and one for everything else!"

God, it was so obvious! The world wasn't so binary that there was some one-time universal cure. There had to be two! He smacked himself on the head, grinning, and got to work.

By the time the scowling Carol was inside, Felix was already doing simulations and chemistry work.

"Carol, Monica—I think I got it! I think I can cure all of New York! I can get rid of all the radiation! Get a truck ready in a couple hours. I think I'll be able to ship two dozen dosages in two hours!"

Carol and Monica exchanged looks. Monica especially did not see this coming but smirked at Carol, a hand on her hip.

"Told ya he's working."

"...I see."

***

Midtown Manhattan was in ruins. The streets were littered with collapsed buildings, shattered glass, and the charred remains of what had once been a thriving city. Creature Z had left its mark in fire and claw, but the worst of it—the unseen, creeping poison of radiation—was finally being purged.

Seven gleaming towers stood at key locations across the city: atop the ruins of the Empire State Building, within Central Park's Great Lawn, near the Brooklyn Bridge's fractured remains, on Roosevelt Island, beside the wreckage of Times Square's digital billboards, in the heart of Queens, and at the Lincoln Tunnel's crumbling mouth. These were the Ganali Devices, Norman Osborn and Spencer Smythe's collaborative invention from long ago. 

The sky was gray with soot, but a soft hum resonated through the air as the devices activated. Beams of light shot outward, shimmering and diffusing like mist caught in the wind. It spread across the city in waves, invisible but unstoppable, embedding itself into everything it touched.

The first cure was for the people. Men, women, and children who had been huddling in underground shelters felt the effects immediately. Those afflicted with radiation burns gasped as pain faded. The dizziness, the nausea, the internal sickness—it all washed away, leaving behind only exhaustion. Survivors staggered to their feet, touching their skin in disbelief. Hope flickered in sunken eyes.

The second cure was for the plants. Central Park, once choked with withering trees and dead grass, shuddered with new life. Brown leaves turned green again, curling upward to drink the sky. Roots stretched through poisoned soil, purging the contamination in moments. Flowers bloomed in craters where Creature Z's claws had gouged the earth. The city smelled of rain and rebirth.

The third cure was for the city itself. Buildings still stood in jagged ruins, but the poison that had seeped into brick and concrete evaporated. Waterways, thick with the filth of destruction, ran clear as the toxins burned away. The Brooklyn Bridge, though broken, no longer bled poison into the river. The very bones of New York were healing.

It wasn't over. The city was still broken, and the scars of this battle would linger. But for the first time since the attack, New York was alive.

And that was enough to begin again.

****

"As you can see on this map, our formula is working. Allow my head scientist, Dr. Faeth, to tell the numbers."

"Lowball estimation: seven million people have been vaccinated. I suspect those underground, in sewers, close to waters, or with a rare condition may have received the dosage."

"A million left, give or take. Excellent numbers if I do say so myself."

"Due to the nature of the vaccine, I can also confidently say that those with compromised immune systems are actually strengthened." 

Felix was talking with Norman Osborn and hundred other men and women via holograms. 

Following the activation of the Ganali Device and the news of hope, Felix was rushed into a room by Agent Shadowcat and was forced into a video call with the elite of the elite. Director Peggy Carter and Vice-Director Nick Fury, King T'Chala, Princess Ororo—all the relevant world leaders, as well was the World Security Council, an international council formed of politicians from some of the Earth's most powerful countries to function as oversight for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Everybody was here. Everybody. 

The spotlight wasn't exactly on him though. That gave Felix the chance to analyze and identify. His phone in the back of the room in a basket, it was still within range to send and receive signals. 

'THADDEUS ROSS: FORMER LIEUTENANT GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY WHO NOW SERVES AS SECRETARY OF STATE. LUCIA VON BARDAS: FORMER LATVERIAN POLITICIAN WHO SERVED AS THE PRIME MINISTER FOR DR. VICTOR VON DOOM. TODAY, SHE IS THE MONARCH AND SUPREME LEADER FOR THE KINGDOM OF LATVERIA.'

Herbie told him everything. So many important people. So many VIPs. All because of one disaster. All here for him. 

In Felix's shadow was what he affectionately called the Defenders: Samantha, Luke, Rouge, Carol, and Monica. They defended him, therefore the Defenders. 

"Next week, we will distribute a second dose," said Director Peggy Carter. "At least, that is what we desire. Your advice, Doctor?"

Felix didn't have to reply. Not when Norman was here with equal amounts of competence and knowledge. "Make it three weeks. One week alone is too early. Not all bodies are the same. If 99.9% of people are okay with the cure, that means in New York, one thousand people will have negative side-effects. That's just the way of science and genetic differences."

"I agree," Felix said. "Let's be patient."

"When will we receive the formula for your vaccine?" asked Monarch Lucia von Bardas. "We have agreed this is an international crisis."

"It will come soon," Norman replied without fear. 

"Apologies for the lack of trust, Mr. Osborn. You are a business man at the end of the day and the doctor that procreated the formula is one of your employees," the black-haired monarch retorted.

"Indeed. I hope you are not planning on patenting the vaccine," said King T'Challa. "Wakanda has helped you. We simply ask you to help us in turn."

This wasn't just about New York anymore.

This was about the world.

Creature Z's attack had reshaped global politics overnight. The radiation crisis alone had left nations scrambling to coordinate. Now, they weren't just looking at Felix for answers. They were demanding them.

Why? Because of the fact that it was still alive and drifting in space. Because of the nuclear question. Could or would a nuke work on Creature Z? According to scientists, no. No, it would not. And that terrified them.

Norman Osborn adjusted his tie. "King T'Challa, Monarch Bardas, rest assured—there will be no patents. This is humanity's problem, not an opportunity to make money." 

"Agreed," Felix added for no real reason. Norman Osborn conducted the most respect here, not him, and Felix was content with that. As much as being taken seriously in politics was nice, it could hamper his activities as Spider-Man. Better to the silent, respected scientist than a figure capable of threatening Norman or these other politicians' positions.

Director Peggy Carter, ever the composed tactician, tapped a finger on her crossed arm. "The vaccine timeline remains a priority, but let's not forget the elephant—or rather, the kaiju—in the room. Creature Z may be gone for now, but it is not dead. It's up there. Suspended in the upper atmosphere."

Silence followed.

Felix knew where this was going. He had been dreading this part of the discussion.

Long straight white hair with a golden headpiece, Princess Ororo stood up on the holograms. "It should be dead. You get thrown that far out, you don't come back."

"That's a dangerous assumption," King T'Challa warned. "A creature that could survive direct gamma exposure? We cannot dismiss the possibility that it will return."

"SHIELD, NASA, Roscosmos, the International Space Station—every space eye is eyeing the creature as we speak," Director Carter said. "If something becomes amiss, we will know.

"Regardless, we need to prepare for the worst. We have to assume Spider-Man's solution—however impressive—is temporary. That thing was thrown out of our atmosphere, not destroyed."

At the mention of Spider-Man, the room tensed slightly.

"Speaking of," Monarch Lucia von Bardas said, tilting her head, "do we have confirmation of Spider-Man's whereabouts?"

Felix kept his expression neutral.

Monarch Bardas continued. "He was seen during the battle, yes? And then…?"

The room fell into an expectant silence.

Norman Osborn spoke up. "Spider-Man does what Spider-Man does—he swoops in, saves the day, and disappears."

King T'Challa steepled his fingers. "For someone who saved the world, he has become quite elusive."

Norman Osborn smirked. "If I were him, I'd be avoiding the bureaucrats too."

The female Monarch of Latveria exhaled. "Regardless, the issue of his whereabouts is secondary to our real problem—Creature Z is out there. The world cannot afford another attack."

Director Carter nodded. "Then let us make sure it never happens again."

The discussion continued, plans forming, alliances solidifying and plans for public negotiations occurring. 

If only they looked at Felix Faeth more closely. Because if they did, they might just realize that the scientist working to save the world was the same masked man who had thrown a monster into space.

The holographic video call ended. Agent Shadowcat went ahead and fetched the button-like device from the ground. 

"Just what is that?" Felix asked her.

"Stark technology," the spy replied. "Why, you want it?"

"No, just curious."

'...maybe a little.'

"His father drew up the original schematics," Samantha suddenly said. "He had his engineers bring it to life, I hear."

Felix glanced back. Ah, right, she must have known Stark's father. 

"You don't like Stark?"

"No," the super soldier said bluntly. "The only thing Anthony thinks about is himself. Nothing like his father who believed in the future of humanity. He is not the kind of man to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over him. He would prefer to just cut the wire and save himself."

"That's good to hear. I don't like him either," Felix said with a thin smile.

"Well, I do. I think he's hilarious," Rouge said. "His goatee is great too."

"Isn't he just a rich asshole?" Luke questioned. 

"That's what the poor think," Rouge said. 

"He does great work for the military," Moncia added. "He might not be a man of the people, Captain, but he is a man who believes in America."

"I do not agree," Samantha said, "but we can agree to disagree."

Beep, beep. In the basket at the back table, Felix's phone started buzzing. He jogged over and saw the caller ID.

Norman Osborn.

Felix took a deep breath and answered the call. "Mr. Osborn?"

"Please, call me Norman, Doctor."

"Right. The meeting went well."

"It did. You did well to keep in my shadow."

"Thank you."

"These people, these politicians, they always have an agenda. Every little thing they saw informs a future decision. I am glad you did not pull out too many of our cards."

"I did my best." 

"For that, you have my eternal gratitude. As a scientist, of course, I must ask: have you read through any negative side-effects so far?"

"Not yet, no. It's only been two days. Reports have been overwhelmingly positive."

Felix had FEAST give him reports. Telling them that every patient should fill out a form listing their medical history, where they were during the attack, and comparing their post-vaccine condition versus pre-vaccine condition. He had FEAST fax it to Herbie who then combed through the forms and if necessary, faxed a response to FEAST to help the patients. More often than not, it was a past condition that they needed help from, not the vaccina. Nevertheless, Felix instructed Herbie to help anyway.

"We should always keep an eye out," Norman said. "If anything goes side-ways, the blame will fall on us."

More like it would fall on Felix. Norman Osborn was a billionaire with dealing, trust, and respect from the world's most powerful military. A partner more than a collaborator. Felix was not. Felix's wealth came from the stock market which had just crashed. His current net worth? Fifty million. The unfortunate consequences of being seventy-percent reliant on American stock markets. Already, he was having Herbie establish a stronger international stock. 

"Physical injuries?" Norman asked.

Felix turned around, glancing at the Defenders. "The firefighters and police deal with those."

"I know, but did you know? On some rare occasions, just as it's possible for trauma to damage the brain, it is also possible for it to improve it," Osborn said.

"..."

"Just a suggestion, but after all this, would you mind coming in for a brain scan? Just for…science sake."

The Symbiote, Extremis, and everything else that had happened. His intellect had certainly improved and Osborn noticed. No, not Osborn, he didn't know Felix. It was his friends. Liv and Kavita and everyone else, they must have off-handedly mentioned and Osborn must have figured something happened.

Did he think he was Spider-Man…?

'No, can't be. I went through way too many scans. Blood and hair, everything was collected. There is no logic to him thinking I'm Spidey.' 

This…was this a sincere, out of the goodness of his heart attempt to check up on his health.

"Sure," Felix replied. "I did feel something was off."

"Perfect. With that, take a break. The Ganali Device has been set loose. Take a bath, relax with your friends. I will contact you if I require your assistance." A small pause came. "Have faith in yourself, Doctor. Not everyone may know it but you saved New York. Be proud."

The call ended. Felix blinked once, twice, and then laughed. He put the phone down, a hand to his head.

He did it. He actually did.

Felix Faeth saved New York.