This is a fun little fic I co-wrote with a god friend of mine from my days on Marvel as both Mod and fic-writer, and later on Mickey's Comic Tavern. We each had our own OC teen heroes- sons of well-known heroes both- and decided to do a fic together with them, since they were about the same age and both had fathers in the Avengers, so grew up as good friends. Thus Red-Back teamed up with Heavy Metal, the creation of my good friend and beta-reader Feral Female, to have one heck of a crazy adventure! (Also, his code name of Heavy Metal was my idea- we were bantering back and forth looking for a name for him, and given his personality and pedigree as the son of Iron-Man, it just seemed to fit, and she liked it so much she decided to use it!)

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Metal and Red: Where's Ahnold When You Need Him?!"

The Starks Townhouse

July 2024 Saturday 6:34 A.M.

"Are you sure this will work?" Hunter queries bent down beside Alexander on the floor, one hand holding a wired microphone. The youngest Stark turns his head to look blankly at his friend with a cocked dark brow.

"Yeah okay, so you THINK it'll work. You also THOUGHT that virtual game display helmet would work, too and really dude, it fried Peanut's hair" Parker jags a thumb over his shoulder at the young man in question, one Wallace 'Peanut' Livingstone the third.

"Totally A. He smelled like toast for a week!" Hack snorts plugging a second hand flying V into one of four Peavey amps set up in the cleared living room. Peanut nods his buzzed red-head from behind the complete drum set, his round glasses down to the end of his freckled nose.

Alex goes back to his work, downloading the complete fifteen thousand song play-list into Mendel who is routing it to the huge plasma flat screen mounted to the far wall above where they pushed the sofa. "That was just a data overload" Stark mutters around the pen cap between his teeth, tossing his head quickly to snake the tendrils of his Billie Joe Armstrong haircut out of his eyes. Hunter rises latching onto Hack, also known as Leonard David Smythe, both young men sharing a skeptical expression. "This is a much simpler relay of information" Alex states kneeling beside his robotic cat.

"Dude you're the tech wiz." Hack announces from behind his fall of long straight brown hair, his top hat snugged down to his rather large ears. "All we wanna' do is play Rock Star with the real thing."

"And we will, just chill okay? Man you'd think you were about to snake a mitt down Gloria Du Pree's shirt or something!" Stark snaps getting a round of teen guffaws from the boys.

"I take it this Gloria is hot?" Parker asks Hack who bobs his head enthusiastically.

"Toe-tally. Hunt man, she has THE biggest..."

"Slam it Hack!" Alex growls as he comes to his feet, "You know how much my mom HATES us objectifying chicks. Seriously, if she hears that she'll rip us new ones."

"Pardone amigo" Hack mumbles softly.

"She's a cheerleader too!" Peanut adds, holding his two drum sticks in suddenly sweaty hands. "Rah-Rah. Dudes remember the pep rally yesterday?"

Three heads slip to the side as visions of Gloria Du Pree move before their eyes. She of the blond hair, blue eyes, massive pom-poms and short skirt.

"Sigh Are we doing this or what?!" Hunter asks with a bit of bite in his tone.

"Soon as Stark takes a cold shower!" Peanut snickers, thus getting a fast bird from Alexander.

"Hunt's right. Hack has a paper route. Okay its all ripe, soon as the main frame display comes up on the screen we play just like these were those crap-tastic toy things. Mendel open up the list and scan song 100." Alex commands the red and gold feline as he takes the mike from Hunter. With a fast wink to Parker now adjusting a fire engine red bass on his shoulder Alexander smiles as their first selection comes up on the plasma.

'M-m-m-meow' Mendel answers with miles of thin conduit leading from both guitars, drums and the mike to the open panel on his back. He opens the feed to every available speaker in the townhouse with glowing feline eyes.

Meanwhile in the Master Suite

"Tony?" she calls out slipping her arm under his bulkier one as he sleeps on his side facing the enormous walk-in closets. Karrie drops a soft kiss between his shoulder blades while wriggling her totally bare self provocatively into his back. A snuffling snore makes her face pucker sourly, so she intensifies her planned seduction. Her long right leg snakes over his hip, her hand draws long slow patterns over his furred chest, her mouth glides over the still firm muscles corded along his shoulders. "Anthony," she purrs tasting his neck. Still nothing but a grunt followed by a mumble.

Not one to admit defeat the woman takes his arm and places his pliable hand on her well-toned tush. Nothing. She arches into his back pressing her robust assets tighter to him. Nothing. She licks a path up to his ear, nipping that spot that makes him crazy. 'Zzzzzzz' is the man's sensual reply. But still this does not dissuade the love-seeking female. She slides her hand down lower, a perfectly manicured nail circles his navel then follows a path to the elastic band of his light summer shorts. "Antonee, I want you" Karrie whimpers beside his ear like a little stray kitten in the alley starved for a taste of warm milk.

"Mmm, lower, Natasha."

"Natasha!?" She spits out. Her retribution is delivered quickly.

"Ouch! Damn, don't pinch a man there!" Tony hisses tightening the hold he has on a firm rounded part of her and hauling the minx over his side. She lands beside him wrapped in the thick duvet as his sharp blue eyes find her sapphire ones ablaze.

"How long have you been awake?" Talon asks her golden brows knitted as his hand slips from under her to rest on his lean hip.

"Long enough," he replies eying the swells of womanly flesh hidden from his sight. He thinks to drop a kiss to each but finds he feels like a bit more verbal play, her heated reactions always fun. "I hope you have a reason for waking me up at-" a fast glance to the small clock on the walnut table. "Six thirty in the morning. On a Saturday."

Karrie fixes him a look then whips the satin covered duvet off exposing all her charms to the man who wears a platinum band to match hers. "Reason enough, Pookie?!" She inquires.

"That is the ONLY reason to summon a man at this ungodly hour. God you are breathtaking" he growls, mind and body tossing aside the verbal play for a more adult kind. His face nuzzles into her neck, the soft hair of his goatee making her sigh then gasp then sigh once more. Her back arches as he moves his muscular body over hers- then.…

Guns N' Roses screams through the boudoir's intercom as the jam begins in the living room, Alex's opening scream so loud the small vase of freshly cut roses atop Karrie's dresser shatters. Her husband has left the room before she can get the covers yanked back over her, a huge fight with Rocky who was snuggled at the bottom but now seeks to hide under the duvet with her adding to the flail.

Hack is going around in circles ala his hero Slash, Hunter and Peanut are intent on the screen since Hack is mudding up his chords and Stark has his hands on the mike stand as he gyrates and shrieks louder still in an attempt to capture the glory that is Axel W. Rose's vocals.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON DOWN HERE!?" Tony bellows unheard over the concert as he storms down the sweeping staircase. Guri stumbles from her room drawn by classic rock, her thick gold hair askew over her stunning face and her sleep shirt crumpled. Jarvis trips over a lead as he runs into the living room, almost falling to his face while trying to secure his robe about himself for proper decorum. "MAINFRAME OVER-RIDE ALL PREVIOUS COMMANDS VIA STARK SECURITY CODE 145! NOW!" Anthony roars out all thoughts of romance shattered not unlike the crystal vase back in his bedroom.

Silence falls. Hack keeps dancing around in circles for a moment then stops and lifts his head to peek through his hair.

"Leonard?" Tony asks the youth in the torn black tee who resembles Cousin It as his bare foot hits the bottom carpeted step.

"Yo Mister S" Hack replies contritely.

"Dad why'd you do that?!" Alex asks planting his hands on his hips trying to ignore the muttered sounds of his friends as they spy Guri in nothing but her t-shirt.

"Alexander it is six thirty in the morning. What the hell is this?!" Tony barks while Jarvis tsk`s the state of the living room pattering behind the master of this bloody insane asylum. And to think he was thrilled when they brought Master Alexander home from the hospital. Guri yawns then scurries back upstairs when she finds Hunter's onyx eyes on her bare legs.

"Dad we had to practice now since Hack has a paper route" Alex explains and four heads nod in unison. Even Peanuts still growing in red one bobs rapidly.

"Leonard, Wallace, go home. Now." Tony commands with a glower as the two school buddies hurry to vacate the premises giving Alex and Hunter mumbled 'Sorry dudes' as they scurry out the thick front door Jarvis holds open for them.

"He likes to be called Hack dad" Alex chimes up standing next to Parker who seems to have a sudden problem with his brown hair and keeps fiddling a couple hands through it.

"Hack? Dear gawd." Tony groans out. "Alex what the hell are you thinking at times? Never mind, I can surmise what occupies both your minds" the man sighs. The same thing that had been thrumming in his mind about two minutes ago. THAT was shot in the #$% now Tony knows getting even madder.

"Mendel must have re-routed the audio into ALL possible venues. No biggie dad, I'll just lay in a different..." the raven haired teen starts to say then stops as his father spins from inspecting their living room to flail him with angry blue eyes.

"No you will not. You and Hunter will get all this out of our living room."

"Okay" Alex replies trying to cajole a bit, "We'll take the gear down to the shop and..."

"Absolutely not! I want all this out of our house within the hour! This is our home gentlemen, it is not Radio City Music Hall! Six thirty in the damned morning! What the hell are the neighbors thinking?!" Tony asks turning to climb the stairs with attitude.

"But where are we supposed to keep it?" Alex asks sharply. "Hunt's mom said no. So did Peanut's and Hack's! Just let us play in the garage then!"

"No. Take the instruments to Avengers Tower" Tony throws over his very tense shoulder. "Pick a vault and play there!"

"That just so reeks!" Alexander shouts. Nothing comes from his father except the slamming of the master suites door. "This reeks dude."

"Yeah" Hunter sighs casting his black gaze at the huge mess all around them. "Guess we best get crack-a-lackin' huh?"

"True" Alex mutters laying his mike down with resignation. "Guess this'll be the worst thing to happen today anyway huh spanker?"

"Blood, I'm a Parker" Hunter comments dryly getting that 'Oh yeah' look from Stark beside him.

Avengers Tower

"Okay,Ugh Again I am carrying all this WHY?" Hunter asks as the two young men heft the last of Peanut's drum set into the huge vault buried deeply under Avengers Tower. "And blood you whip me 'Six arms, DUH' and I will SO slap you like the girl you are!"

"You wouldn't hit a girl and you know it loser" Alex comments placing the symbol stand beside the large bass drum as Hunter drops two guitar cases and Peanut's seat down to rest with the mountain of gear. "OWW!"

Alex shouts at the punch to his arm that nearly knocks him off his black high tops.

"I just did" Hunter taunts leaping to the wall cleanly when Stark swings back. "Too slow" Parker teases then coughs, his landing stirring up clouds of dust. "When was the last time anyone came in here?"

"Got me," Alex comments rubbing his bicep as he looks around the rather creepy chamber. "Ages, looks like. So are you coming down so I can drop you Parker?"

Mendel glides by his creator's legs on four soft blue repulsor jets with two drumsticks in his powerful jaws.

"Ha! You couldn't drop an egg Stark" Hunter snickers flipping from the wall to his sneakers. Young Master Parker shakes his head a bit at the low appearance of his warning bells flaring up.

"What?" Alex asks, well familiar with that expression. He and Hunt, they were blood since like diaper days.

"Nothing," Hunter replies scanning the various covered boxes and large items hidden from view. "Must be just my loser sense since I am so close to you Susie."

"Flag off!" Alexander snorts padding over to poke about some. Yes, his curiosity was both a blessing, Metal his armor being one blessing, and the curses? WAY too many things to recall. Hunter begins his own nosing about despite the odd sensation in his frontal lobe.

"So like this Gloria girl, you going to ask her out Stark?" Hunt asks lifting a drop cloth and tipping his head in the dim light to try to figure out what this metallic thing was.

"Yeah right!" Alex snaps back, "Like she'd give ME the time of day! Man I'd like to though. Hunt, she is just so- she has these eyes. And those lips." Stark can see her smiling at him as he presents her with a, well, present of some sort. "But she only dates like juniors and stuff. Not techno geeks in eighth grade" Alexander laments Gloria and her pom-poms. "What about you? Got any sweet things gunning to get a taste of the Red-Back?"

Hunter drops the cloth watching it flutter back into place before he moves deeper into the vault to reply.

"Unlikely. Chicks aren't into guys with so many appendages. Even mutant girls give me that look."

Alex lifts his dark head from some ancient old computer monitors he found in a corner. "What look?"

"The 'You are SO a freak' look."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So there ya go," Hunter states, the sadness clear in his low tone as he finds a small sealed container no bigger than a grapefruit, perfectly round, metallic and cold to the touch. Parker shakes it then holds it up to lay his black peepers to it in the diffused light. "What's this?" Hunter calls out and Alex leaves the dusty old computers to have a look.

"Clueless," Alex replies as Hunter hands the orb to him. His mind was racing though as he turns it this way and that, rolling the spherical container in his sometimes clumsy hands. "This lock, it's a binary access lock" Alex comments laying a finger to the one inch wide area that seals two halves together.

"Like the ones your dad has on his shop?" Parker asks and Stark nods blowing at his spiky bangs.

"Pretty much yeah. Impossible to access unless you have Stark tech to run a rapid search and decipher sequence. Mendel? Here kitty" Alex summons the cat. Both guys hunker down when the sleek feline zips up covered in dust from his mousing forays in the dark corners of the vault. Alex pops the cats back open then connects a thin red wire to the diminutive locking mechanism on the round ball. "Mendel will process all possible binary codes. Since this is old it shouldn't take him longer than a few..."

M-m-m-meow

"Whoa" Hunter and Alex both whisper as the orb pops open like an over-ripe melon and shimmering yellow light covers the teens from the huge gem nestled snugly inside the metallic orb. Hunter cocks his head slightly trying to tell if this odd pulsation in his head was getting louder or not.

"What IS this?" Alex wonders reaching in and lifting the glowing jewel out to inspect it more closely. "Why would my dad lock this down here? Mom would LOVE to have this..." And the teen falters for a second, his pause making Hunter turn his head to look at Stark. "Blood, this is my ticket to Gloria Du Pree."

"I don't know Alex, that thing has some really serious vibes." Hunter informs him. "I can't read it as bad really, just really 'Makes my skin crawl' odd."

"It's just some space jewel or something. She-will-love-this! I mean she'll be all OVER me when I slip this to her in English lit. Monday morning!" Alexander announces with a smile wide as his desire for Miss Du Pree is deep. He stands quickly as Mendel's back lowers closed over the open case then slips the bright yellow gem into his pocket for safe keeping. "Let's blow this place blood. We can head to your shack or mine, catch an old movie. Wanna? Oh lighten up! What's the worst that can happen?" Stark asks slapping Hunter on his shoulder as he activates the matrix band on his left wrist.

"Where have I heard THAT before?" Hunter quips in a worried tone as the three disappear in a crackling flash.

"Where's Ahnold When You Need Him- Pt. Deux"

They reappear in a flash of light in the workshop a few seconds later. Mendel jets over to a table and sits on top of it waiting for Alex, who takes the large yellow gem out of his pocket to look at it again, then puts it back in with a sigh of anticipation.

Meeow He pats the robotic feline absently, while Hunter moves over to inspect a piece of the black and silver armor that sits on the table.

"This your new up-grade?" Hunter inquires, picking up the new arm-mounted weapon. The strange gem is already forgotten, despite the odd tickle in the back of his head.

"Yup. Version 4.5. Has three power settings, is fully eco-friendly, recharges in half the time, AND has two fire modes- ray and burst. VERY cool, oui?"

"You went to Paris on vacation again, didn't you, suck-face?" He asks, putting down the piece.

"Heh, OH, yeah. You should have seen the hotties on the Riviera!"

"Okay, see- now I'm jealous. Our vacations are always somewhere boring like going camping or to Niagara. I never get to see anything NEW."

"Sucks to be you, bug-man!"

"Bite me, Full-Metal!"

Alex cocks his head. "So which one does that make me- Ed, or Al?"

Hunter laughs. "Both- you're a tin-man, AND you're short!" He dances back out of Stark's reach as his friend takes a mock swing at him.

"Oh, you're gonna' pay for that remark, Mister-I-Never-Get-Chicks!" He chortles, and gives his friend a raspberry.

Now the young Parker gives him a scowl. "Not cool, bro. That's hitting below the belt. Now you're in for it!" He moves to pounce on Alex, yelling "Six-Gun Death Tickle!"

Alex yelps, and grabs the arm-gun as he dodges just barely in time. He turns the weapon on and shoots at Hunter as he starts to leap at him for a second attempt. A narrow blue beam hits him, and he suddenly freezes in place for a moment- just long enough for Alex to dash for the door, laughing.

"What the- you just SHOT me!" Hunter exclaims in disbelief, now unfrozen. Alex pumps his arm.

"Woot! Score!"

"Okay, wisenheimer- MY TURN!" He laughs, and Alex suddenly finds himself tripped up, falling to the floor covered in a mass of sticky strands as his friend casually strolls over and puts one foot on his back, doing his best WWE victory pose. "Ha! This round's to me!"

Alex groans. "Ugh, please tell me you jacked one of your dad's shooters and this isn't actually your-"

Hunter snickers evilly, moving to let the other boy off the floor. "Sorry, Chumley- it's the real deal. How does it feel knowing you just got owned?"

Alex struggles to pull out a small laser-cutter and starts extricating himself from the webs. "Like I just got splattered by a giant spider-loogie. Seriously, dude, that is SO gross."

Hunter waves absently, and heads for the door. "Heh. Still say it sucks to be me? Who needs arm-guns when you got your own multi-purpose bio-weapon? Come on, I thought you said we were gonna' watch a movie? I'm in the mood for some serious butt-kicking action!"

Alex finally follows, still pulling strands of web off his clothes. "Ugh, gonna' have nightmares about giant mutant spiders for a week from this…" He mutters. "Hey, what do you want to watch?"

They head for the living room, and find a note on the table saying Alex's parents have gone to a UN meeting, while Guri is out with a friend. They look at the note, and both boys get the same idea, they turn to each other, grinning.

"You know what this means?" says Alex, almost reverently.

"Yeah- we got the WHOLE place to pah-tey! You pick the flick, I'M on the munchies!" Hunter dashes off to the kitchen to raid the fridge and pantry.

"Okay- but NO weird stuff in the popcorn, Handy! The cinnamon and paprika last time was a BIT much!" Alex yells after him.

"Aww, but I LIKE trying new ideas!" Hunter's muffled shout is heard from the kitchen amid the sounds of his rummaging among boxes of Fruit Loops, cans of diced pineapple, and half-empty bags of chips.

Alex calls Mendel in from the workshop, and the cat comes streaking into the living room to hover beside his master.

"Good kitty," Alex opens the cat's back and starts splicing into the parental control box of the huge plasma screen TV. Soon he has all the channels unblocked. "Hmm, let's see- what would be suitably violent that Mom would HATE for us to watch?"

He starts scrolling through the listings, and finds one that looks good just as Hunter comes back in, laden with bags of cheese puffs, tortilla chips, and Fritos, as well as jars of salsa, ranch and cheese dips, and a box of chocolate chip cookies. He also has a couple of small bowls in one hand.

Alex looks at him and gapes. "See, THAT'S why I love it when you do the food raids. You can get everything in one trip to the kitchen!" he says, chuckling.

"Yeah, but only because you're out of popcorn. So what's our gore-fest?"

"Well, the only good ones on Tivo right now are Predator, Terminator, and Total Recall. What do you think?"

Hunter cocks his head. "Hmm, an Arnold marathon? Awesomeness. I'm up for it! Couch potato warriors!" He exclaims, doing his own version of a gladiator's salute. Alex does likewise with a roar of agreement as they both vault over the back of the sofa onto the cushions. Hunter sets out the various implements of Munch-Kwan-Do as Alex starts the first movie.

Thirty minutes later.

They are whooping it up, the snacks spread all over the table and sofa, engrossed in the film. Alex lets out a groan as the pig runs through the camp on-screen.

"Aw, man! Why'd they have to go and stab Miss Piggy?!"

"Now that's what I call fast food!" Hunter says with a snort. They laugh at the dumb joke like a couple of hyenas.

"Seriously- these guys are idiots- they deserved to end up as trophies!" Alex says, popping a handful of cheese puffs into his mouth.

Hunter nods. "No kidding- I mean, jeez, did they just FORGET they were in a jungle? Wild animals, duh! If that was me, I'd have made sure the traps wouldn't be set off by the local wildlife."

Alex grabs another handful of cheese puffs from the bag, and nods. "You said it, blood!"

Hunter reaches for a bunch of cookies from the half-empty box. "Man, wouldn't it bee cool if we could go toe-to-toe with that thing in the jungle? I bet we'd do some serious alien-butt-kicking!"

"Yeah- I wish we WERE in the movie- I'd show old Ahnold how to fight a big ugly space-hunter!" Alex says as he scarfs down the puffs.

Suddenly, a strange glow seems to emanate from his pocket. Hunter's spider-sense spikes higher at the same moment, as the room becomes engulfed in a white light. The two boys disappear from the sofa, while on the screen, a cut scene shows Arnold and his group of commandos being stalked by the alien hunter from the trees, just as it is about to be ensnared by the net.

They reappear in a dense jungle a moment later, tumbling out of mid-air to land in a tree-top Their startled yells are cut short as they crash into the branches, and Hunter barely manages to catch his friend's arm and grab one of the branches before they fall through them to hit the ground. Hunter swings up and pulls Alex up after him onto the branch.

Hunter looks down as they try to get their bearings. "WHAT the HECK just happened?!" he asks. "Where ARE we?!"

Alex looks around, and sees only thick, verdant trees and vines. "I'm stumped. Looks like some kind of jungle, blood."

"Well, duh- I can see that for myself, genius. What I MEAN is- how did we GET here? It's like, a zillion degrees, and the humidity is enough to sweat your cahones off!" He hears a distant bird cry, and an answering call from elsewhere in the forest.

"Hey, what makes you think I know? I'm just as clueless as you, bro." He watches a strange-looking bird fly into a near-by tree. "You know, it almost looks like the bird house at the City Zoo, except- bigger."

Hunter sees him staring at the bird and cocks his head with a puzzled look. "I think that's a Quetzal. Ms. Munroe took us on a field trip to the zoo last week. But it's from Central America; to see a wild one, we'd have to be-" He stops, and suddenly goes slack-jawed. "Dude- I think I know where we are! We're…."

At that moment, his spider-sense flares a warning, and he turns just in time to see a strange shimmer in the air that suddenly lands on the branch. He sees a vaguely humanoid shape within the distortion of the air, and hears an ominous-sounding click. He grabs Alex.

"Don't move," he whispers. "It's here." He can't see it, exactly, but he knows the creature is staring at them curiously.

"Huh? What is?" Alex asks, confused. He turns and sees the shimmer. "Oh. $#it. Is that…?"

"Yeah, blood. It's him. Dude- we're IN the MOVIE." Hunter just stands still, watching the huge alien warily. It takes a slow step closer, then leaps down toward the ground below. Unfortunately, the creature's leap jars the branch, knocking Alex off. He starts to fall; Hunter dives down after him. A split second later, they hear a "sproing" sound, and they are suddenly caught in a giant net, along with the cloaked alien.

Alex flails around amid the leaves and other debris that hid the net, and feels the creature's masked head and face. He opens his mouth to scream, but Hunter claps a hand over it.

"Quiet, man! Do you want to get us killed? We're about to-" Hunter hisses, but he's cut off as the Predator cuts himself loose from the net, sending the two boys crashing to the ground amid a flurry of forest-litter. At the same time, they hear several voices from near-by, then a hail of bullets ringing through the forest at them. Hunter grabs Alex and dives to the ground, rolling aside to hide behind a low rock; then the huge chain-gun starts firing, mowing down everything around them in a massive barrage of fifty-caliber death.

"Ohgodohgodohgod…" Alex stammers, his prayers drowned out in the thundering roar of the huge gun's fire. Trees crash to the ground, leaves and twigs rain down of them, and bullets ping all around against the rock.

Finally, the deafening sound of "Painless" stops, and they hear voices from about twenty yards away. Alex is about to get up, but his friend holds him down. They are covered with leaves, branches, and other debris from the chain gun's deadly barrage.

"Are you nuts?" Parker whispers fiercely. "Those commandos will think we're the ones who killed the guys they found hanging. We're in the movie, Alex! We're in the middle of one nasty fight, and either side could decide we're the enemy!"

Alex gapes. "Holy $#&%! How did we get in the movie?!"

"Shh!" his companion whispers, clapping a hand over Alex's mouth again. They hear the voices again, with Arnold's distinctive accent loud and clear. Hunter looks at his friend as if to say "told you so", and then motions him to be still. After a brief pause, the commandos move off, and a few moments later, the two teens hear a primal scream of terror that is suddenly cut off. They stare at each other and both go pale.

"So, how DID we get here?" Alex finally asks.

"Why are you asking ME?! I just saw that weird light, and- Alex! That glowy gem you found! Didn't you say you wished we could tangle with big-ugly back there? It must have granted your wish!"

Stark frowns, and then slowly nods. "Maybe. But HOW? It's just some kind of dumb rock, right?" He starts to pull it out of his pocket, but freezes after a moment. "Uh-oh. It's gone."

"Huh? What do you MEAN, 'gone'? What did you do with it?!" Hunter whispers. His spider-sense is buzzing again, and he cautiously peeks up over the rock, to see the strange shimmer of the alien's cloaking field not far away. It appears to be approaching them slowly.

"Oh, man. He's back- and he SEES us…"

"It was right here, I swear! I had it in my pocket!" Alex groans softly, panicking. "It- it must have fallen out!"

Then Hunter sees the creature's outline pause, and it becomes fully visible. It bends down, examining something on the ground. After a moment, the alien hunter stands again, holding a small glowing yellow object in its hand. The mutant teen's jaw drops.

"Oh, PERFECT. As if this wasn't bad enough already. Blood, I know where the gem is."

"Oh, good. I thought maybe I lost it." Alex says in relief. "So where is it?"

"Take a look," Parker answers. Alex peers over the rock, and then goes stark white.

"Oh, man- you gotta' be kiddin' me!" He says in disbelief, and stares back at his friend.

Hunter sighs. "Uh-huh, I WISH. And who was it that said 'what's the worst that could happen'? Yeah, you and your big mouth, bud. Never say that when I'm around- that's just BEGGING to get smacked by the old 'Parker Luck"!"

"We gotta' get that thing back. If that's what brought us here, then we need it to get back home!"

"Yeah, and how're we going to do that?!" Hunter says snidely. "You want to just go ask plugly over there nicely if we can have it back? Sure- see you on the trophy wall!"

Alex shakes his head. "Wait- he could have killed us both earlier, or even right now, if he wanted to. Why hasn't he?"

Hunter stops, puzzled. He watches the huge creature examining the stone, then turning to look right at him. It starts to raise its weapon; Hunter raises all six hands in a gesture of peace, but he gets ready to spring, just in case. The alien cocks his head, and makes a strange clicking noise. Just then, Alex starts to get up, and it moves its weapon to focus on him.

"Alex- don't make any sudden moves. I think he's trying to decide whether we'd make a good trophy. Please don't do anything stupid to make him shoot us."

Alex sticks his tongue out at the other teen. "Bite me, Arachno-Boy. If he were going to kill us, he would have done it already. They don't kill kids, remember?"

"You sure about that? What if he decides to make an exception for us?" The young Parker lad says quietly, still keeping his obsidian eyes locked on the alien. It makes a sort of roar, then goes invisible again, and takes off into the jungle.

The two teens turn to stare at each other. Somewhere in the jungle, they hear shots ringing out.

"We HAVE to get that gem back!" Exclaims Alex, and he takes off. Hunter shakes his head, and follows.

"Man, I just KNOW this is going to get us into some serious $#&%..."

Where's Ahnold when you need him!? Part Three

Hunter casts a fast glance around, his hair still riddled with debris then breaks off in pursuit of Alexander. If this didn't turn out to be the death of him he doesn't know what will be. Puberty and Predators. Wonderful combination for any young hero Parker stews finally getting a hand on the rear of Alex's shirt and jerking the teen to a rough halt.

"What," Stark pants with a firm scowl at his bud.

"Where exactly do you think you're going," Hunter asks ducking to avoid a bug the size of one of his mothers crispy pork chops. Stark looks at him as if he just said something profoundly dumb.

"After the jewel. DUH. Come on blood, try to keep up will you," Alex huffs then turns to bound off into the jungle once more. The firm hand on the hem of his shirt draws the gangly youth up short once again.

"No, see that's a really lame idea. I'm trying to grasp what the angle you're working here is blood," Hunter explains with an ear open for gunshots, or clicking or some ex-governor about to spit on them or mow them down, take your pick. Stark finds his friends black eyes on him and sighs deeply.

"Okay Hunt, this is my plan. We go to where Mister Dental Works has the dead guys strung up. That's his crib right?"

Hunter nods slowly wondering if Stark took a shot to his cranium leaving him off in the thinking department. He tips his head in thought as he listens to the plan unfold. "When he leaves to kill someone we thwip up, grab the gem and wish like hell we were home. Viola, we are back on the couch! Oh, and I thought we could borrow one of his gauntlets, you know, just too…"

"Borrow a gauntlet? Did I hear you right? Can't be because I know you are kinda' smart, get that from your dad and all. Like me and my wit and humor in a situation that spells death in eight languages and fonts. So I really need you to say whatever it was you just said slower and clearer for me. Go," Hunter motions to Alex as they linger in a somewhat open clearing.

"It's not all that bad Hunt. Look, just imagine the tech that gauntlet has bro," Alex says as his crisp blue eyes begin to glass over. Hunter knows that expression and feels a gag reflex begin. Stark got glazed over two things, high tech gadgetry and chicks. Not in that order of course Parker amends mentally.

Speaking of mental, Hunter comes back to the rambling explanation in progress. "It has to use some light refraction device in order to bend the light rays the way it does. Man, with that on Metal even my father would be impressed! I think it could be as simple as a basic re-wire that would make the, OWWW," Alexander yelps at the slap to the back of his head.

"Dude you have serious issues," Parker tells his pal. "We are not, no, look at me Stark," Hunter commands as Alex rubs his head briskly with his eyes closed. "We are NOT going to lift some of that dude's tech. End of discussion. Finito. Forget it. N.F.W.!"

"You know for such a science geek you really are a pansy," Alexander snipes trying to fix his hair some.

"Now, let's just slip along real quiet like, find big and gruesome, get the gem back, go home, put gem BACK into vault and pretend like this never happened. EVER! You with me Alex," Hunter inquires firmly. Stark's dark head nods sullenly and with a huge sigh of relief the teens set off as stealthily as possible.

The two move along in the humid dense growth, the going difficult for fear of pits, snakes, big men with bigger guns and one extra-terrestrial with a really enormous urge to make coats out of peoples skins and ashtrays from their skulls. Hunter pauses every so often, letting his head sort out the enormous amount of signals it's getting in a steady stream.

Then he'd head off once more, Alexander behind Parker frequently looking over his shoulder in case Jessie decided to go postal again. Or was he dead? Heck Alex couldn't remember where they were in the movie, all he could think about was that gauntlet. The camouflage it provided would be something that would boost any Stark tech armor ahead a hundred years. For once he would step out from behind his father's huge shadow. That was something that was becoming more important with each passing year it seemed although he didn't know quite why.

The two come upon a stream and thirst gets the better of them.

"Yo Hunt," Alexander whispers to the lad kneeling down beside him cupping handfuls of water to his grimy face. Parker turns his head to peer at Stark, chin wet and shiny. "You ever wonder what our lives would be like if we were just normal kids? With normal parents, you know?"

Hunter falls back to recline on his calves as Alexander rubs the clear water over the back of his neck. "Sure."

"Come to any conclusions?"

"Well I guess for starters we wouldn't be here," Hunter says drawing a fast smirk from Alex. "Maybe we'd be like doing mall stuff, or skate-boarding. Without repulsors on our boards dude," Hunter adds quickly to quell Stark's comment. "Maybe I'd be like, normal."

Alex nods, keeping his mouth shut for once.

"You ever hate being the 'Son of'?"

Parker wipes his chin off with his forearm, his ebony eyes moving over the canopy above them. "Sometimes, I guess. But it's not like that for me, how it is with you and your dad blood. We don't have the competition you and your dad have. I really wish I could be more like my pops."

"You make it sound like we hate each other," Alex spits out in ire.

"Never said that blood," Parker is fast to point out wishing now he'd of glammed over this topic since Alex always was so totally both ways about his father. "I know you and him are close. And that you so get into his work, but you gotta' be true about how it stokes you to not be better than him. Word is truth blood, that's all," Hunter announces gingerly coming to his feet to stretch his tired limbs.

"My bad," Alex says finding nothing in the trees as he stares openly at them. "He pushes, you know? For me to excel at everything. To tug down grades higher than his, to get into M.I.T. at a younger age than he did," Stark lets a slow breath out. "Talk about pressure."

"I got that," Hunter states looking over as Alex pushes to his sneakers beside him. "Maybe he just wants you to do better than he did."

"How?" Alexander asks and for that Hunter has no fast or funny answer.

Their throats wetted they begin to step along keeping a wary kind of knowledge about the sun beginning to slip down on them. Both teens secretly scared out of their skivvies to spend a night in this jungle with that thing moving about like a wraith.

"Wish I were in Metal," Alexander mumbles catching a low branch Parker lets go of in front of him.

"You'd have been skish-ke-Alex if you were suited," Hunter informs him over his lean shoulder.

"Better than being so damn helpless," Stark snaps out in irritation and fatigue.

"Come on blood, you know knowledge is power," Hunter snickers out. "And you are a fountain of knowledge. None of it useful or remotely interesting but still, Ouch!"

"You have just been #$#%^ slapped. Please hand over your lipstick, Jonas Brother's posters and all feminine products to the victor," Alex barks softly. Hunter laughs out loud then gasps at the outburst. His forehead chimes just as flash of yellow eyes draws both their attention.

"He's up there," Parker whispers dropping instantly to the ground, Alex falling down to his muddy knees beside Parker. The familiar clicking rings in their ears, along with the incessant buzzing of flies. Both guys swallow down the bile that threatens to come up into their mouths. It was one thing to see a skinned person in a movie; it was a whole other litter of kittens to witness it in real life. Hunter suddenly whips his head about, another pulse of awareness wriggles in his frontal lobe. In the dappled remnants of sun the shimmering figure leaps over them, moving to the West.

"Now's our chance," Alexander nudges Parker in the ribs for the young man seemed to be intent on something inside his mind. "Fling us a web!"

In silence Hunter whips a web to the upper branches, then grabs a firm hold of Alex's wrist with twin right arms. Up they go slowly, both sweating more than the cooling air should make them. The more altitude they gain the thicker the swarms of flies, and the more pungent the aroma of rotting flesh.

"I SO was jonesing for some Chips Ahoy but now I am really glad my gut's empty," Hunter mumbles down to Stark who nods a firm yes to the statement.

"Blood we make a pact. If either of us hurls, it goes to the grave with us. Spit oath," Alex says shakily when both worn pairs of sneaks find the gnarled and heavy bough. They both expectorate into their palms, slap them together to shake then reach out to push the dark green vines and fronds aside. What greets them makes both Sons turn their heads rapidly for a moment.

"Oh $%^&," Hunter hisses finding the trophy room to be worse than anything he could have imagined.

"I am so in tune," Alexander coughs then steps cautiously forward using the myriad of vines to help balance himself. For there in the last peeks of old Sol sits the odd pulsing yellow jewel. Alex whips his head to the side to find the same look of joy on Parker that he wears.

"Sweet," Parker states with a true sigh of relief. His joy a fleeting one though for as soon as Stark lays his hand on the gem that lays amid the still wet skulls his head explodes with Notre Dame sized bells.

'Sweet-Sweet-Sweet-Sweet-Sweet'

"I wish we were home," Hunter and Alex both shout out as the branch shakes violently under their feet. A blinding yellow flash encompasses the treetop then all three fall with a horrific crash directly into Peter and Mary Jane's living room. The boys lay in a crumpled heap on the shattered coffee table as the alien hunter briefly appears, his towering form filling the humble home of May Parker for an instant. Then the ultimate hunter blasts a huge hole in the far wall, fades back into nothingness and disappears into the night.

"Oh $%%&. That is SO very, very bad," Alex pants with Mary Jane's favorite doily resting on his raven head.

"You just HAD to ask didn't you Stark," Hunter snaps as his life flashes WAY too quickly before his obsidian eyes. "What's the worst that could happen he says."

Pt. Four

The boys get up, dusting the broken glass and wood off themselves. "Great, now what?" says Alex.

Hunter lets out a deep breath, surveying the damage. "Man, we are so gonna' be grounded for this. Maybe I can claim Ock or somebody busted in looking for Dad…."

"Hey, yeah! What about Shocker, or Rhino?" Alex coughs. He looks at his friend and shrugs. Hunter doesn't say a word, but starts to leave.

"Hey, where you going, blood?" says Alex.

"To find that alien, where else?" Comes the reply. The young Parker stops short as a hand grabs him from behind.

"Hunt, maybe we should suit up before we go after the big creepy ET dude? You know, since he's, like, invisible."

Hunter thinks for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. But we gotta' hurry, man, before he hurts somebody. All we need is for fugly to make a trophy out of some hapless civilian, and WE'D get the blame!"

"True dat, blood." Alex agrees, and he waits while Hunter bounds upstairs to tug on his Red-Back suit, and borrow his dad's extra pair of web-shooters.

"Lucky for me Dad's at work right now. He'd have kittens if he knew I took these…."

"Heh, meow, dude."

Hunter stops long enough to hoist Alex up onto his back and secure him with a few strands of web, then takes off. They swing across the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, and finally end up at the Starks' penthouse. They dash to the workshop, where Alex grabs his latest incarnation of Heavy Metal and climbs into it.

Okay, bro, let's go catch us a Predator! he says once he gets the helmet on. The other boy nods agreement and pumps three fists in an enthusiastic salute.

"Hoo-yah!" he yells, and the two are off again like a pair of black bullets.

Several minutes later-

"Okay, Al- how are we supposed to find him in a city this big? He could be anywhere!" Hunter says after a fruitless search.

Ya got me, Handy. Maybe we could stand in Times Square with a big sign over our heads that says 'Alien Trophy Hunters Welcome'?"

Hunter groans. "Aw, geez- not you, too! I swear I'm gonna' kill my sister for coming up with that lame nickname! Anyway, I got a better idea, now that you mention it. They like hot places, right? What's the best place for a heat-loving ET to hang, bro?"

I dunno- Johnny Storm's latest shin-dig? Alex quips with a shrug, getting a sarcastic look from Parker. They mull it over for a moment, Hunter pacing up and down a wall while they try to come up with something.

Wait, in the second movie, the big baddie was hanging out in a big meat packing plant. Totally frozen, dude. So how can we be sure he'll be somewhere hot? Alex turns toward Hunter, his puzzled look hidden by the helmet.

"Cause they always show up when it's really hot, duh!" The young Parker says with a smirk. "Anyway, we need a way to lure him out into the open so we can catch him. And I'm going to be the bait. Use your armor to find anyplace with plenty of heat. Preferably one near an area that would make a good hunting ground, with lots of ambush points and easy targets."

Alex goes through his armor's database, and finally comes up with an answer. Okay, we've got a foundry over on the West Side, or a steel mill down in the Bowery. Which one? Your call, blood.

Hunter thinks for a moment, then stops pacing, still standing sideways on the wall. "Bowery. He'd have a field day in a place like that. Especially if there are any workers around, which means we better haul $$ if we want to keep him from making any more souvenirs. Let's go!"

Ten minutes later-

Hunter swings down onto a smoke stack, with Alex hovering nearby in Heavy Metal. They look around cautiously, scouting for the tell-tale sign of air-shimmer around the alien's armor. "Get anything yet?" Hunter asks, as Alex scans the area.

Not yet. You? comes the reply.

"Nah, I got nothi- wait. Just had a twinge." Hunter pauses, eyes closed, slowly turning his head from one side to the other. "There! At your eight-thirty, Metal." He points down at the nearest building, where the huge vats that hold the liquid metal are housed. Several workers come and go about their business, while the two boys watch.

Alex scans again, and spots a red blur with his thermal vision, entering the building. Right. Got him, blood! He starts to fly down, but Hunter thwips a line to hold him back.

"Uh-uh, bro. You're too big and clunky in that thing to move around in there. Besides, all that heat will interfere with your scans. I'll go in, and bring him back out here to you. When you see his ugly mug, fire your new toy at him, dig?"

You've been listening to Cyc too much, blood. You're starting to sound like him. Alex says with a sour tone.

"Hey, he may have a stick up his $$, but the guy's good with tactics." Hunter replies, and leaps down to slip inside the mill.

He finds himself in a huge open space with big, heavy machinery all around- giant smelters and furnaces, walkways above the vats, pipes to carry water for cooling, and huge molds to shape the steel. He skitters up one wall, his spider-sense making a constant low buzz in his head. He begins a slow, careful search of the place, trying to pinpoint the alien with his spider-sense, though the noise and movement of so much machinery seems to interfere, as he has to avoid the more dangerous areas.

Suddenly, he hears a loud clanging sound, like something heavy falling, and a high-pitched shriek from one of the workers, that is quickly cut off. Eyes wide, he races toward the sound with a curse, a black-and-red blur in the shadows high above the main work area. What he finds when he reaches the scene is horrifying- a man with his head lying on the floor, a look of terror frozen on it, and a huge hole blasted through the body. Three more workers dash up just as he is bending down to examine the body.

"Hey! What the #%&$ you doin'?" Shouts one, then sees the carnage, and all three stop dead. Hunter looks up, aware that the situation is about to turn ugly. "You $%&#in' mutie b $t rd! You killed Frankie!"

"Wha- NO! There's something in here! You guys need to get out, before it comes ba-!" Hunter starts to warn them, but it's too late. A burst of light flares from somewhere behind him, and one of the steel workers falls dead with a sizzling hole in his head. The other two scream and start to run for the doors. Hunter turns his onyx gaze toward the shot, and with an enraged snarl spits out, "I know you're there, creep, so come out and fight me! You want a REAL challenge! Come on, fugly- I'm here! Come GET ME!" He senses the shot just before it comes, and leaps nimbly out of the way, his head swiveling to mark the spot it came from.

"Got, ya, jerk." He whispers, and fires a double volley of web-balls. A half-dozen of the globs fly out, but only two hit the mark. One lands on the alien's shoulder, but the other hits squarely in his masked head. The creature lets out a frustrated and angry roar. Its camouflage shorts out briefly, and Hunter can see it clearly.

The huge hunter rips the webs from its face, and stares at its opponent for a moment. Hunter leaps to another vantage on some pipes, keeping his eyes locked on the alien. It follows his movement, tracking him, then makes some sort of clicking, growling sound, and fires again, only to hit the pipes as Hunter leaps away at the last instant.

Steam fills the air, and he shouts out to the eight-foot hunter, taunting him. "Gotta do better than that, creep!" he yells, swinging to the top of an empty vat.

As if in answer, the Predator leaps across to a large stack of steel beams, and fires again. Hunter ducks, then slips down into the huge container. The next instant, he hears the sound of something heavy landing on the vat, and looks up to see the enemy staring down at him. He smirks, and thwips out two lines onto the alien's feet, and yanks hard, pulling him into the vat with him.

"You lose, ya Creature Shop reject!" he laughs, while the dazed Predator shakes his head. It roars in response, but Hunter just roars right back, then launches out of the vat, still holding the drag-lines and pulling his opponent along behind him as he crawls along the ceiling. The alien dangles by his feet, smacking into objects as he goes, making furious noises.

"Yeah, back at ya, gruesome. You're coming with me!" The young mutant sneers, finally reaching the doors. Unfortunately, he forgets about the creature's blaster, and is hit in the shoulder from below, dropping the alien just inside the doors. Hunter lets out a cry of pain, while his enemy makes a sound that resembles laughter. He hears Alex calling out from outside; Hunter glances back at the alien, and sticks out his tongue, hoping to goad him into following as he leaps out the doors.

Where's Ahnold When You Need Him!?-Issue #5

Oh yeah, that's enough of that $%^& Alex spits out hearing his buddy's pained shout above the sounds of the foundry and the workers now running out with white pale faces. Stark fires off twin repulsor shots that take out a side wall while he keeps sharp blue eyes on his heat resonance scans. Handy is just now sprinting out the doors. Alex's medicals telling him Hunter's been winged while a very familiar alien shape glowing deep red, violet and orange makes one major league ninja kind of leap from floor to ceiling.Blood, tell me true! You fit to fight?

Hunter turns his head as he lands atop a forklift used to move huge bins of fittings around the massive plant. "Yeah. Chicks dig scars," he quips with a wince.

And shrapnel, don't forget that…. #$ # he's on the move! Alex shouts banking a lean turn to the West. No kind of BS that dude moves sonic!

"Over there!" Stark and Parker hear, both Sons turning their heads to look down at one of the foundry workers running back while pointing up at the two teens, a NYPD police officer at his heels. "Spider-Man killed Frankie! Then Iron-Man blew the $%^& out of the place!"

Say what!? Listen we were trying to help! There's an alien hunter slapping around town making people-kebob's! And I'm NOT Iron-Man! Alex growls coming down to hover beside Red-Back working his arm on top of the forklifts yellow roof.

"Spider-Man and Iron-Man!" New York's finest shouts out as terrified workers gather behind the cop, "We have eye witnesses to a homicide and terroristic destruction of property! You will BOTH surrender yourselves immediately!"

Metal's ebony helmet cranes around to look at Red-Back.Are they friggin` serious?!

"Uhm, I'm going to say yup," Hunter comments skirting fast looks over the plants roof-top to try to locate the Predator's tell tale shimmer. "Welcome to the wonderful world of Parker luck! Only thing missing is a front-page spread in the Bugle."

Bogus

"True dat."

"You have fifteen seconds to surrender yourselves or I open fire Iron-Man!"

I-AM-NOT-IRON-MAN! Black and silver dude! Seriously! Alexander spits then gets a momentary glitch of their quarry moving with speed and ease up the side of the towering cupola.He's skipping blood! We go now or we lose him!

"Sorry officer! Gotta go!" Hunter calls thwipping two fast lines to Alex's back as Metal's flight repulsors open up streaking both skyward in a flash. A few rounds are fired at the fleeing heroes, Alex rolling neatly in air with Hunter riding along behind. Hunter tucks his legs tight as a bullet rips WAY too close to a very personal area.

"Altitude Stark!" Hunter yells, "Gain some before I lose something I've never even had a chance to, Crap!" Another round zings past, ricocheting off Alexander's left patella.

Yo! No back seat web-riders! Over there! I've got him locked! I'm taking him out! Stark announces as his shoulder rockets kick up. Hunter whips his head to the left when the twin projectiles impact the base of the cupola. The detonation rocking the cupola so soundly it blows into bits, hot molten metal exploding outward like a deadly rain shower of crimson. Alexander shoots backwards, turning his back to the deluge while yanking on a web to heft Hunter into his embrace.

"Dude! No hugging!" Hunter protests as the two slam into the wall of the scrap iron building while Parker covers them both with a thick gummy shield. Ingots wash down over them as they crumple to the ground still wound into each other. Alex rolls off of Hunter to fling up a force field, small steaming holes melting into his beloved armor.

"Okay a lesson learned," Red-Back hisses slapping a small red ember on his thigh, "Webbing burns through. Owww! As does spandex!"

When the deluge stops Stark lowers his field then takes a second to let his helmet drop to the ground with a thud.

"Soooo THAT was quite the call there armor lad!" Hunter grunts pushing Alexander's heavy leg off of his. "And that hug? It never happened. Do you think he's ground?"

Like chuck.

Hunter and Alex push to their boots and begin to creep forward.

I'm getting weak life signs, erratic heartbeat and blood pressure is tanking.

"Yeah, I'm on-line with a barely there," Hunter adds as they move closer to the blast area. Huge shards of metal are scattered wildly about, devastation to the plant clearly evident. Keeping keen minds to any small twinge of Spidey sense or elevation in the Predator's life signs they step to ground zero. With a harsh growl Alexander easily flings a massive chunk of concrete and rebar aside, then both teens look down into the gaping hole in the ground.

Alex`s visor rises as he and his blood bro gaze down at the alien broken beyond repair and covered with phosphorescent green blood. The Predator's helmet is gone and it opens its mouth in a pained hiss, blood and gore bubbling out from its massive internal injuries.

"You are one ugly mother # #%%" both teens say and their words are met not with a roar or outburst of anger, but with an eerie chuckle as the alien hunter begins tapping one long clawed finger to the bracer on its thick left wrist. Odd alien symbols begin to light up as the beasts deep strange laugh echoes around the demolished foundry.

"That is not good," Hunter says dumbfounded that they had let that tiny little detail slip their usually sharp minds. Must have been the repeated blows to their heads over the past few hours Parker supposes.

"We are so totally toast," Alexander coughs out as the last small square begins to flicker.

Part Six

Alex and Hunter exchange worried looks as they see the last symbol begin to count down. "Alex, we gotta get out of here! Fly, man!" Hunter yells frantically.

What about all the people here? Alex screams back.

Suddenly the young Parker teen gets a flash of inspiration. "The gem! Use it!"

Metal turns his helmet toward his cohort, his befuddled expression thankfully hidden by the face plate. Then Red-Back's meaning finally dawns on him. Oh! Right! He pulls the yellow gem out of a small compartment in the suit, and hastily babbles out the first thing he can think of. Iwishthebombwouldstoprightnow! he yells, all in one breath.

An instant later, the gem flashes with the bright light again. The Predator's back-mounted battery that powers his weapon shorts out, and the bomb's countdown stops on the very last mark of the remaining square. The two teens duck low, waiting for the mini-nuke to explode, eyes squeezed shut and hands up over their heads- but no explosion is forthcoming. The power on the alien's pack fizzles out, even as it gurgles out its last breath. They both risk a cautious look in its direction, then breath sighs of relief as they realize that both the hunter and his weapon are dead.

"Whoa. Could you cut that any CLOSER?!" Hunter asks as he stares down at the bomb, frozen on the last symbol.

Well, it worked didn't it? Metal replies. What made you think of that, anyway?

"I've been wondering how it could drag us into the movie and back, and I finally remembered something Dad told me about a while back. You ever hear of the Infinity Gauntlet? I think that's one of the gems off it. Umm, the Reality Gem, I think. I took a chance. Guess it worked, huh?"

Lucky guess. What if you were wrong, blood? Alex asks.

"Uh, fly like hell?" Hunter suggests with a shrug and lop-sided grin. He is about to speak again when he is interrupted, his spider-sense going off loud and clear once more.

"Spider-Man and Iron-Man, put your hands in the air and surrender peacefully, or we will open fire!" An NYPD officer with a jacket reading HSC Special Division on the back comes up behind them with a nullifier gun pointed at them. Hunter sighs and shakes his head, looking ruefully over at his friend.

"They never give up, do they?" he says, then turns around to give the cop an annoyed grimace. "Dude, do I LOOK like Spider-Man?! Okay, costume aside, have you guys EVER seen him with SIX FREAKING ARMS?!" He thinks again about what he just said, and suddenly remembers something. "Okay, there WAS the whole 'Man-Spider' thing, but STILL! It's RED-BACK! Do you GET IT?!"

Alex holds up one hand to his helmet and flips up his face plate. He glares at the officer, who has now been joined by several others, and walks over, with both hands up, still holding the gem. Come on, officers! Do you guys even pay attention to the Registration files?! Do I LOOK like Tony freaking Stark to you?! Aside from the fact that he's my Dad, and could have your BADGE! We did NOT kill those guys- this ugly creep with the green blood everywhere did it!"

The cop looks down at the dead alien uncertainly, but he keeps his gun pointed at the teens. "Just come quietly, and we'll settle this down at the station. You two have a lot to answer for. Now surrender or I shoot."

Hunter glances over to Alex. "Bro, we better jet- if our parents hear about this, we are TOAST!"

And you think they WON'T hear about it if we take off and end up with half the city's finest on our asses?! Alex says acidly.

Hunter just grins. "Come on, Stark, THINK! Not if we use the gem!"

The youngest Stark suddenly gets his meaning. DOH! Duh, why didn't I think of that earlier? Okay, here goes- I wish that everything was back to normal, and we were back at home watching the movie! He waits, holding his breath while he concentrates on returning everything to the way it was before the fiasco began. A second later, the stone flashes again….

Stark Family Penthouse: one second later-

The boys appear on the sofa, still in their suits, landing with a heavy thud. Alex looks around, and sees that the movie is still going- the Predator has just activated his bomb, and Arnold is watching it count down. He takes off running, while the boys just turn to each other and heave heavy sighs of relief in unison.

"Dude, I don't EVER want to go through anything like that again…" Hunter says wearily.

Alex removes his helmet, shaking his head, flinging sweat drops all over. "Yeah, no kidding. It's definitely more fun to WATCH it than to LIVE it, blood." He looks down at the gem in his hand. "And to think I was going to give this to Gloria…" He sets the gem down on the table in front of them.

"True dat, bro. Gotta admit, though- we DO make a pretty good team, eh? And I wouldn't go giving that thing out to anybody if I was you. No telling what might happen then!" Hunter says, flopping back into the cushions with an exhausted grin. He spots the bag of cookies from earlier, and reaches over to grab one out of the bag, stuffing the whole cookie into his mouth hungrily.

"Hell, yeah! And I guess you're right. I'll just have to find some other way to win her heart," Alex replies with a wistful sigh, reaching for the bag of cheese puffs he abandoned when they got sucked into the movie. They watch the credits rolling; the door to the Stark family home opens behind them, and Guri comes in with several other girls, all dressed up in tight outfits, giggling as they carry in shopping bags with fancy department store labels. Both boys stare at the girls, who just glare at them as they head back to Guri's room.

"Man, I sooo wish I had your life, bro," Hunter mumbles through another mouthful of cookie. He reaches for the chips and salsa; as he does, one hand brushes the gem. Alex is reaching for the chips at the same time, and bumps against Hunter.

"Yeah, like my life is sooo great. I'd give anything to have cool powers like yours, blood." Alex snorts. Just then, the large yellow stone flashes once more…..