章 475: C475 Ghost

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"Yo, Tony, what's up?" Peter asked as he picked up his phone, hoping for a simple, quick conversation that wouldn't require him to leave his comfortable spot on the couch.

Tony's voice crackled with urgency on the other end. "Hey! We've got a situation here..." The sounds of thruster blasts and destruction followed.

Peter closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of his laziness being shattered by the demands of being a superhero. "Alright, I'm on my way..."

As he ended the call and let out another exasperated sigh, his spider suit flashed over his body, replacing his normal clothes. With that done, he glanced over at Genie, who was practically buzzing with excitement. The mischievous Djinn was loving every minute of this.

Genie floated closer to Peter, his blue form shimmering. "What are we waiting for! Let's go!"

Peter chuckled, despite his reluctance. "Yeah, yeah, Genie. You're getting what you want, but remember, you have to keep a low profile. No genie magic, and you'll need to look like a regular human."

Genie beamed and, with a flourish of his magical powers, transformed into a human form. He now appeared as a tall, athletic Kree man, dressed in casual attire that wouldn't draw attention. "How do I look?"

Peter nodded his head. "Yeah, that'll work. But remember, if anyone asks, you're a friend of mine from my time off planet."

With their disguises in place, Peter waved his hand, conjuring a shimmering golden portal that hovered before them. He stepped aside and gestured for Genie to go first. "Alright, Genie, let's get this over with."

The two of them stepped through the portal, the golden energy swirling around them as they stepped into Avengers Tower. Emerging on the other side, they found themselves in the midst of a fight, which was currently destroying Hope and Hanks Lab.

The scene before them was nothing short of pandemonium. Iron Man, in his sleek crimson and gold suit, darted around the room with bursts of repulsor blasts. Ant-Man and the Wasp, which Peter guessed was Hank and his daughter, were zipping in and out of sight, their sizes shifting from minuscule to normal in the blink of an eye.

And there, amidst the chaos, was Ghost, a masked womanly figure in a white suit that seemed to flicker in and out of reality. Her movements were elusive, a blur of motion as she phased in and out of visibility, making her an elusive target.

[Insert picture of Ghost/Ava Starr here]

Tony voice crackled over the suit's comm system. "Come on! We need to corner her!"

'Isn't that the girl with some weird Quantum disease? What was her name again?' Peter watched the battle unfold with a mix of amusement and curiosity, leaning against a lab table with Genie by his side. "Looks like they're having a rough time..."

Genie nodded with an impish grin. "That lady's powers are interesting, it's like she fades into another dimension"

Peter nods his head. "Yeah, but it seems to be tearing her body apart and then mending it back together. That's gotta hurt."

Ghost sensed Hank and Hopes approach and phased through them, emerging behind the father-daughter duo. Before they could react, she delivered a swift kick to Hank's back, sending him sprawling. Hope narrowly avoided the attack, soaring upwards to regain her normal size.

Genie nodded his head in agreement as he gestured toward the chaos in front of them. "Are you going to help them, or?"

Peter shrugs. "Nah, let's watch for a bit. They ruined my lazy night, so let them suffer for a while."

Peter raised an eyebrow, considering his options. He had more than enough power to put a swift end to this little skirmish. However, he wanted to enjoy the show for at least a little while.

Iron Man's repulsor beams lashed out, narrowly missing Ghost as she phased in and out of existence. Hank and Hope shrunk down, attempting to take her by surprise in miniature form. The chase was on, and it was clear that they were struggling to keep up.

As the battle raged on, the frustration among the heroes was palpable. But Ghost remained eerily silent, her every movement taunting them. She was like a literal ghost, her form intangible no matter what they threw at her.

As he watched them fight, Peter started to realize that they need to update the Towers security. After all, Ghost isn't a current member of Shield, which means she got past all of their security. 'I'll have to come up with some sort of dimensional security… Maybe I can con the Ancient One into doing it?'

After a while, the battle continued to escalate, with no sign of Ghost getting caught. It was at that moment that Tony realized Peter was here, sitting at the back of the room, casually watching them suffer.

Tony was not happy. "Hey! A little here?!" He yelled, which drew everyone's attention back to Peter and Genie.

Peter sighed dramatically, finally relenting to the inevitable. With a begrudging expression, he stepped forward, his power coursing through his veins. In an instant, he snapped his fingers.

Time seemed to slow as Ghost's eyes widened in shock. Her phasing powers faltered, and with a loud thud, she ran face-first into a nearby wall, her body becoming solid and corporeal. The white-suited woman crumpled to the floor, dazed and disoriented.

"What...what did you do?" Tony exclaimed, his voice a mixture of awe and confusion. After all, they've been fighting her for a while now and nothing has worked. Yet all Peter needed to do was snap his fingers and she was defeated.

Peter glanced at Ghost before shrugging toward Tony. "I temporarily sealed her powers," he explained casually.

Ghost lay on the ground, her breath shallow as she realized the impossible. Her powers, the source of endless torment and pain throughout her life, were gone. She reached out to touch the wall, her hand trembling as she felt the cold, solid surface. The pain that had always haunted her had disappeared.

Seeing that Hope was about to continue her attack on the now powerless Ghost, Peter dashed over, swiftly intercepting her. "Easy there, the fight's over."

Hope blinked in surprise, her anger and determination waning as she recognized Peter. "She hit me at least 10 times… Can't I get one?"

Peter smiled under his mask. "No, but maybe next time."

Ghost, lying on the floor, stared up at Peter with a mixture of shock and disbelief. She reached out, her fingers trembling, and grabbed onto Peter's leg. "Please...don't let it come back," she begged, her voice filled with desperation.

With a gentle but firm tone, Peter replied, "Well, it's only temporary. Your powers will return eventually."

Ghost's mask fell to the floor, revealing her tear-streaked face. She sobbed uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking. "I don't want them back. I can't stand the pain anymore. Please don't unseal them. I don't want to die!"

Tony, Hank, and Hope stood in stunned silence, their formidable foe reduced to a crying, vulnerable woman by Peter's intervention. It was a sight they never expected to witness, the enigmatic Ghost stripped of her powers and her stoicism.

"What do you mean you don't want to die?" Tony asks curiously, confused by the sudden turn of events.

…

Once Ghost calmed down, everyone gathered around Peter and the now powerless woman.

Tony was the first to speak, his Iron Man suit retracting its faceplate to reveal his face. "Alright, lady, the game's over. Who are you, and what's with these powers of yours?"

Ghost, her mask now discarded on the floor, looked up with tear-filled eyes. Her once defiant demeanor had crumbled, replaced by an overwhelming sense of vulnerability. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice shaky. "I'm Ava Starr, I used to work for Shield." She began, her words quivering. "And my powers... they're a curse."

Everyone remained silent, listening intently as Ava continued to speak.

"I suffered a quantum accident," Ava explained, her voice filled with pain. "It tore me apart at a molecular level and then put me back together. I became... out of phase with reality. My body constantly shifts between dimensions, and it's excruciating."

Tony exchanged glances with Hank, who was equally perplexed by Ava's revelation. "So, your powers are what's causing you all this pain?" Tony asked, his tone surprisingly empathetic.

Ava nodded, her tears continuing to flow. "Every moment of my life is agony. I'm in a constant state of flux, never fully here or there. It's a living nightmare. And if that wasn't enough, I'm slowly dying because of it."

Hank, who had been silently observing, chimed in, his voice tinged with sympathy. "And what were you trying to achieve by attacking us?" After all, they were just working on the portal to the Quantum Realm when Ava suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started attacking them.

Ava glanced at the floor, shame and regret in her eyes. "Bill Foster said your technology might be able to help. I thought if I could steal it, I might find a way to stabilize myself, to end the pain. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I was desperate."

Hank began to grumble at the mention of his estranged business partners name. "That loud mouthed idiot…"

Hope, who had been silently listening, spoke up with a softer tone. "We can help you, Ava. You don't need to steal. We'll gladly help you find a cure."

Ava's eyes widened in surprise, disbelief etched on her face. "You would... help me?" She was used to a Hydra controlled Shield, who would do nothing but use her without anything in return.

Hope nodded, her expression sincere. "We're scientists. Our goal is to help people, not to hurt them. We'll do whatever we can to find a solution."

Peter, who had been observing silently, stepped forward. "Well, I'm sure they can help, but I can probably cure you by tomorrow. The question is, do you want to keep your powers or no?"

Ava's tear-filled eyes looked up at Peter in shock. "You... you have the power to fix it? P-Permanently?"

Peter nodded solemnly. "I can. I'll have to run a few scans but I should be able to fix you up with a spell or two. But it's your choice whether you want to keep the powers or not."

Ava hesitated for a moment, her mind racing. Though she didn't hesitate for long. "I want them gone." She stated resolutely. "I'm tired of being used. I just want to live a normal life."

A/N: 1785 words :)

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