Almost a year had passed since Pip had first put on Spider-Man's mask... the city itself is still the ordinary, crime-ridden decaying husk that it always was, but now with a white-suited spider-themed vigilante swinging around in it, delaying the inevitable.
During the time that had passed, Flash Sentry had joined up with S.W.O.R.D as an agent... he’d just graduated and is now working full-time with the agency. Celestia, still a cripple, is awaiting her trial and mainly a lawyer that would fight for her innocence. While they all do what they do, the Rainbooms were still withering away inside the Raft—a supermax prison just off the coast-line. Other agents of S.W.O.R.D call it ‘New Alcatraz’, with the circumstances it brings.
The five were quite busy with themselves, and their new abilities that Sunset gave them... Rainbow Dash-- or ‘Electro’ as some call her, now—is using her powers to try and bring a brain-dead inmate back to “life”. It’s admirable how eager she is to prove herself... perhaps why she founded the Rainbooms to begin with—a chance for something greater that just happened to blow up in her face.
Fluttershy spends her days constantly put in solitary confinement, either punching the wall, working out, or practicing using her new bladed tail. One could suppose she truly is the Scorion, now...
Applejack is quite different—she hardly remembers much from her old life, and her skull is somewhat flatter, with plates of a virtually indestructible metal alloy implanted onto it. She usually behaved, and her family still look out for her, so she has her own little paradise in her cell, watching old mob movies and doing whatever one would do when one has a metallic skull, and one’s family is an old-fashioned mafia.
Pinkamena is quite fascinating... ever since the battle at the high school, she’s had another symbiote inside of her... apparently a result of Sunset’s energy blast with a piece of Venom attached to her. As such, she has been isolated from the others and locked in a padded cell at least a mile underwater, with a hatch for food or other needs... she otherwise spends her days moping and pathetically nuzzling with her parasitic friend, the poor girl...
And now... Sunset Shimmer. The one woman whose reputation used to strike fear into anyone who hears about her, but now...
The crown’s magic has taken its toll on her body—her once-beautiful form had now withered away, with her skin scaling and possibly itching, and the wings she’d grown to love are gone—reduced to ashes-- with only faded scars left behind... her hair has also started to fall out, leaving few strands here and there, that she had managed to mostly cover up with a large purple ski-cap. As for the inside, Sunset hasn’t changed, much—she'd gathered a following in the prison alongside Sombra, who was locked away alongside the five. The girl may look like a goblin, but she can still have anyone and everyone should she desire to do so.
Perhaps we should have a slice...
I playfully rolled my eyes at the large mechanical arm next to my head.
No, that would never end well.
“How do you know that? Perhaps we could, perhaps we should.” I said to the two mechanical arms whispering in my ear.
Come on, now... I thought the plan was to get Pip back.
Pip... he was possibly the first and only person who cared about me. I once swore that I would make him understand just how special I really am... but, plans change...
I’ve changed.
Then what are we?
“You are my invention—you don’t qualify.” I told them, looking over the prison cameras I was oh-so-generously exchanged in return of the warden’s family remaining on this Earth.
I then caught another glimpse of the goblin-girl... something about her—I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it—drew me to her—perhaps her savage nature? Or maybe her intelligence and strategy? I don’t really know, exactly...
But, all of that could wait until later—but first, they must be freed...
A year ago, our lives were being controlled... a year ago, we were all just trying to get by, at each other’s throats every day because of the Rainbooms.
A year ago, I was alone...
But now?
Now, I’m sticking to the side of a building, wearing an all-white body-suit composed of a virtually indestructible material, courtesy of my ex-girlfriend, as my current girlfriend flew over the building I was clinging to, us speaking through phone, on our way home to get dressed for a movie.
“So... the place is an old theater?” I asked her.
“Yep-- my sisters and I watched Space Wars when it came out, there... it was honestly a blast for Sonata and I, but Aria didn’t mind it. It took us over a week to beg her to come see the second... she liked that one.” She said, letting out a laugh towards the end.
I chuckled along, and we landed on a roof, where I took off my mask to take a breath, and Adagio smiled at me.
“What?” I asked her, still catching my breath.
“Who would’ve thought that Spider-Man got tired?” She chuckled.
I shook my head and put my mask back on.
“Oh, I think you know that better than anyone.” I laughed.
We were almost at the theater when a radio call went through to my mask—mainly thanks to the police scanner that Shining lent me.
“Come in, officers, we have a... masked magician, robbing the bank near the old drive-in in uptown—requesting back-up and possible ambulance, over.”
I then sighed, knowing that our job was far from over.
“Magician, huh? Let’s make their new fortune disappear.” I joked as I shot out my webs to a building and yanked on it, zipping me through the air as Adagio flew next to me.
We had reached the bank, and sure enough, a magician with what seemed to be a large fish bowl on their head and wearing a purple cape above a black skin-tight one-piece.
“Begone, plebs!” The magician—female—shouted as she blasted beams out of her hands, which sent two cop cars a few feet back, pushing four officers over.
“Okay... so what’s the plan?” Adagio asked me.
I let out a faint “hmm” as I then looked up at the bank behind the magician and noticed the larger bags of cash.
“Keep her distracted—I have an idea.” I said.
Adagio nodded as she flew down and got her attention.
“Ahh-- Adagio Dazzle, the Siren! We meet at last!” The magician shouted, very theatrically.
I simply rolled my eyes as I held on to one of the change bags, ready to catch her off-guard.
“You know me?” Adagio asked her.
The magician simply let out a hearty laugh and launched another beam at her, only for her to phase through it and prepared to send out another blast.
I then threw the bag at her...
Only for it to disappear as it hit her.
“Ah! Spider-Man! I confess that it is an honor to meet thee!” She said as she flew over to me.
I jumped past her and shot a web at her helmet, trying to pull it off of her head.
“Oh, come now—let us keep our masks—much more fun!” She said as she grabbed my webbing and pulled me back down, ramming me against the concrete sidewalk.
Adagio then flew over, punching the magician into the wall, allowing me to web her up, trapping her.
“Have at thee—oh, come on! No fair!” The magician whined.
Adagio and I then landed next to her, where I mockingly leaned against the wall.
“Alright, gang—now, let’s see who this ghoul really is!” I mocked as I pulled off the mask to see...
“Man! Tell me, how were the beams? That took forever to make!” Trixie said, her hair undone and in a tangled mess.
I was genuinely caught off-guard—I remembered her from my first date with Adagio...
“Well, well—what drew you to the life of crime? Magic show not good enough?” I asked her, still keeping up the act, with my accent and all.
Trixie simply smiled and moved her head next to my ear, as close as she could manage.
“I know who you are, Pip... the Six are coming for you, and they aren’t going to stop until you’re broken—just like this city.”
Before I could say anything, the cops marched up and pulled out pocket knives, cutting into my webbing and cuffing Trixie, taking her away.
“This is not the end—we shall meet again, Spider-Man! We shall meet again if my name is not... Mysterio! Mistress of Illusion!” Mysterio let out a hearty cackle as she was pushed into the police cruiser.
Two officers were next to us, admiring our handiwork.
“So... you two some kinda hero/sidekick duo or somethin’?” One of them asked.
I smiled as Adagio simply rolled her eyes.
“No, no—we're partners, I’d certainly be dead in a ditch if it weren’t for her.” I genuinely added.
It was true—I could name at least twenty times where Adagio managed to save my life, and I could name five when I saved her’s...
She never often needed it as much as me.
“Oh, Spidey, come on...” She said, laughing a little.
Sure enough, a few poparatzi car rolled up and the flashes of cameras quickly enveloped us.
“Oh, boy—here we go.” I chuckled, getting ahead of the cops.
Sure enough, it was like the horde was upon us, with news reporters and bloggers enveloping us, calling our names in vain attempts of asking their questions.
“Spider-Man! Are the rumors true that you and the Siren are a couple?” One of them asked.
I decided to tell the truth and let out a hearty chuckle.
“Yep-- a whole year, at least.” I said.
That only resulted in more name-calling and more photos taken. She and I kept answering questions, by now knowing that our movie-date was a pipedream, until one certain reporter got our attention by pulling out their phone and simply astounded...
“The Rainbooms have escaped!” He screamed.
Everyone stopped as their phones went off, as well... all showing the same headline...
Rainbooms Escaped Raft, S.W.O.R.D Agent Gives Speech to Press.
Sure enough, everyone was either running off scared, or had turned to us, not saying a word.
“I can assure you that... the Siren and I... will look into the matter, and ensure the safety of Canterlot, as always.” I said as I shot out a web and swung from it as Adagio followed...
The Rainbooms... escaped?
How? Were they the Six that Trixie mentioned? If so, who was the other member? Rarity? No, she changed her ways after the fight at the stadium.
Was it...?
No, it couldn’t be her... she hasn’t shown up since Flash was shot...
Maybe.
Either way, it was time to put the old gang back together.