C647 Spider-Man (Patreon)
Content
Alone in the main square, Peter took a minute to let out a sigh. Everything went as he hoped it would. In just a week, he managed to make this entire organization, but he wasn’t done just yet.
"Knull." He called out toward the shadows.
Suddenly, a dark silhouette emerged from Peter's own shadow, gracefully taking a knee before him. "Yes, Master?"
"Keep watch on everyone on the island from the shadows," Peter ordered, his voice carrying authority. "Report any problems to me. Investigate suspicious activity as well, but remember, no killing. Detain and report. We have a prison for a reason."
Knull responded with a simple, "Yes, Master," before seamlessly melting into the shadow of a nearby building, vanishing from sight.
With a sigh of relief, Peter observed as his plans unfolded seamlessly. The Watchmen were established, and Knull, his silent and lethal ally, would ensure the organization's security from the shadows.
Taking a deep breath, Peter pondered the next step. The foundation was laid, but he needed a structure. A ranking system to delegate responsibilities and share the burden that came with leading such a diverse group.
After all, at the end of the day, Peter is a lazy man. If he can take the lazy route and it won’t cause problems, then the lazy route he will go.
…
..
.
Hours passed, and the many members of the Watchmen began to disperse, some heading home using the new watches, while others opted to stay on the island for the night in their new apartments.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the main building on the island, Peter convened with the representatives of each faction that made up the Watchmen.
Superman, representing the Justice League. They originally were going to pick Batman, but Peter tended to p*ss off the Dark Knight, so they changed their minds.
Tony Stark, who obviously represented the Avengers, was someone who was always for joining Peter’s organization. But most of all, he was the one with the least amount of responsibilities on the Avenger’s Council, so they chose him as their representative.
Thor, King of Asgard. He refused to leave anyone here in his place, ready to rush off and explore the multiverse as soon as possible.
Brunnhilde, the baby of the Valkyrie. At first, their leader Astrid was going to be here, but Brunnhilde was later chosen due to her past experience with Peter.
The Ancient One, who is usually busy with running Kamar-Taj, was able to make some time. Technically, the Watchmen should take some responsibilities off of her shoulders, as she won’t have to worry as much about multiverse threats.
T’Challa and Namor attended as the rulers of their respective nations, their soldiers outside of the room, patiently standing guard.
And lastly, the representative of the Spider-People, Spider-Punk himself. Although he was hesitant to take up the position, he still held the trust of many Spider-People, which lead them to voting him in.
Peter simply pushed out a notification to every Spider-Person’s watch, asking them to vote for their representative, and he won.
As they settled around a large conference table, Peter spoke up, capturing their attention. "Now that the Watchmen are formed, we need a structure. But unlike the Avengers and the Justice League, this won't be a democracy. Here, I'm in charge."
A murmur of discontent rustled through the room, but Peter pressed on. "I get it, most of you are either used to being in charge or having some sort of say, and truthfully, I planned to make this a branch of the Avengers with the council in charge, but after seeing how slow and indecisive that process can be, I've realized we can't afford it. Decisiveness is crucial against multiverse-level threats, like the Council of Kang's. So, I will remain in complete control."
Superman raised an eyebrow, "You're taking quite a leap…”
Peter leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. "The Watchmen need speed and efficiency. I'll establish a ranking structure for delegation of power and responsibilities, but understand, I won't compromise on swift decision-making.” He paused for a moment to let his words sink, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want your input. Each of you will hold high ranks, so your opinions will be invaluable.”
Thor grumbled, "I’ve grown used to ruling as of late, so it will be quite odd taking orders from someone else again…"
Peter nodded, "I get that. But in this, you'll have to trust me. The alternative is a less affective organization. We're dealing with threats that won't wait for discussions. There’s a reason why armies are lead by a single commander.”
T’Challa interjected, "Trust is earned, Spider-Man."
“And have I not earned all of your trust in one way or another?” Peter leaned back, a knowing look in his eyes. Instantly, everyone turned quiet, none of them were able to refute his words. “If you want results, trust in me."
Namor folded his arms, unamused. "Your way or the highway, then?"
Peter smiled, "Exactly. Now, let's focus on the ranking structure. We need leaders for different divisions. Suggestions?"
The group, despite their initial reservations, started contributing ideas. As discussions continued, Peter remained firm, steering them toward a structure that balanced efficiency and cooperation, determined to lead the Watchmen with the precision it demanded.
…
..
.
After hours of discussion, Peter and the group came up with the beginnings of a ranking system.
Watchmen Ranking Structure:
The Prime Overseer (Peter Parker/Spider-Man):
• Ultimate authority and decision-maker.
• Responsible for the overall strategy and direction of the Watchmen.
Division Leaders:
• Representatives for specific hero factions within the Watchmen. (i.e. Thor, The Ancient One, Namor, T’Challa, Brunnhilde, Spider-Punk, Tony, Superman.)
• Collaborate with The Prime Overseer in decision-making.
• Manage internal matters and concerns within their divisions.
Multiverse Navigators:
• Specialized in understanding and traversing the multiverse.
• Oversee travel permissions, ensuring responsible use of multiverse access.
• Exploratory mission leaders focused on unknown universes.
Guardians of Order:
• Security and enforcement division.
• Coordinate investigations into suspicious activities reported by Knull.
• Responsible for maintaining order and discipline within the Watchmen.
Shadow Operators:
• Intelligence and information gathering.
• Oversee the collection and analysis of data from across the multiverse.
• Provide strategic insights to aid decision-making.
Realm Envoys:
• Responsible for external relations and alliances.
• Engage with other hero groups, cosmic entities, and alternate universes.
• Facilitate collaboration and information exchange.
Dimensional Craftsmen:
• Specialized technicians and engineers.
• Maintain and improve the Watchmen’s technology.
• Develop new tools and equipment for the Watchmen.
• Gather existing technology from across the multiverse and integrate it into the organization.
Harmony Keepers:
• Focus on internal unity and morale.
• Address conflicts and disputes among Watchmen members.
• Promote a positive and cohesive environment within the organization.
Grunts/Lackeys:
• Field agents whose responsibilities could vary based on their orders.
• Act as the eyes, ears, arms, and legs across the multiverse, reporting everything back to the Watchmen and ultimately doing the organizations bidding.
…
In the aftermath of the lengthy discussion, Spider-Punk, the representative of the Spider-People, raised a valid concern. "Are you sure we should be calling the majority of our members Grunts and Lackeys? They might take offense to that," He pointed out, the sentiment echoed by nods of agreement from others present.
Peter, leaning comfortably in his chair, simply shrugged nonchalantly. "Because it's funny," he declared, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Hahahaha!” Tony burst into laughter, clearly agreeing with Peter.
The room fell into a momentary silence before everyone, unable to argue with the humor of it all, moved on to the next order of business.
The rest of the meeting focused on establishing guidelines, which were promptly sent to every member via their watches along with the detailed ranking structure. Most found themselves in the Grunt/Lackey rank, and they were informed of their respective bosses, with Peter seated firmly at the very top of the hierarchy.
The guidelines were straightforward as well, but the paramount rule was about multiverse travel. Permission to explore unknown universes would be handled by the Multiverse Navigators, who were yet to be selected.
At present, only Peter could give out permission to explore unknown universes. Though there were all sorts of potential candidates from the former Spider Society members, who would go through testing and vetting for navigator positions in the coming days.
As the meeting concluded, members dispersed for the night. The new Division Leaders headed home, knowing they’d have all sorts of work cut out for them in the morning.
After all, they had entire divisions to build.
But as Spider-Punk was headed for the door, Peter called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. “Hey, stick around for a second. I need to explain somethings about the division you’ll be leading…”
“?” Spider-Punk raised a brow. “Sure, but what’s so important that we have to talk in private?”
Sighing, Peter leaned back in his chair. “As you start going through the process of managing your division, you’ll notice that about 5 percent of the members who agreed to join aren’t here.” He revealed.
“And why is that?” Spider-Punk asked.
“They were deemed unworthy of joining our ranks due to their past deeds alongside Miguel. This includes Jessica Drew and Scarlet Spider-Man, just to name a couple…” Peter explained, his earlier telepathic reading of each spider-person allowing him to sort out the undesirables.
Although he didn’t mention it yet, Peter didn’t allow these undesirables to return and live peacefully in their universes either. Instead, as he summoned each of the Spider-People earlier in the day, he did the same for them and simply dumped them into the islands prison, where he’ll leave them until he decides their punishment.
But until then, they’ll remain behind bars. At least until he sorts through their wrongdoings and crafts a fair punishment for each of them.
“I see…” Spider-Punk nodded his head, not against Peter’s decision. “Is that all?”
“Sadly, no.” Peter shook his head. “You happen to be in charge of the most complicated division.”
Spider-Punk couldn’t help but sigh in resignation as he heard this. After all, he didn’t even want this damn job in the first place. The only reason he accepted was because they voted him in.
Peter continues, amused by Spider-Punks reaction. “After all, each of you holds a fair bit of blame when it comes to enforcing Miguel’s ‘Canon Events’…”
“Not all of us...” Spider-Punk shook his head, speaking up for his people. “Most of didn’t handle Canon stuff. We would usually just police the multiverse, taking down anomalies or other big villains.”
“True.” Peter knew he was telling the truth, as his words matched his past telepathic vetting of the Spider-People. “But that doesn’t absolve you all from guilt. You still joined the Spider-Society, and you still helped Miguel, even if you weren’t too involved with his plans, which is why as the new Spider-Division leader, I order you to dole out appropriate punishments for each and every member.”
“How the hell am I supposed to know who to punish, or how heavy their punishment should be?” Spider-Punk asked.
Smirking, Peter pulled out a flash drive and handed it over. “This has all the information you’ll need. From names to their level of guilt. I even added a list of suggested punishments. Nothing too heavy handed. After all, I wouldn’t recruit any truly heinous people into the Watchmen.”
Spider-Punk stared at the flash drive in his hand in surprise. “How’d you get this information?” He asked.
“LYLA kept excellent records.” Peter answered with a lie. The real source of that information was his telepathic vetting of each member. He spent a whole night typing up all of the information he gained so he could sort out the undesirables and punish everyone accordingly.
Spider-Punk couldn’t help but ask, “And you’re trusting me to punish them all? What if I let them all off, or they decide not to listen to me?”
“I don’t believe you’d let a crime go unpunished, you’re not that type of guy.” Peter shrugged as a predatory smile graced his lips. “And if any of them even think of being insubordinate, then the last thing they’ll have to worry about is receiving a few slaps of the wrist from you…”
A chill ran down Spider-Punks spine as he recalled just how powerful Peter truly is. ‘I really pity the first idiot that causes trouble…’
————
After his talk with Spider-Punk, Peter reclined and in his chair, gazing out of the window. Everything was falling into place. ‘This might be the coolest thing I’ve ever done…’
Deciding to get a bit more work done before bed, he rose and took the elevator to the lowest level, where he had established his own lair. The place was fairly empty at the moment, with only a beast of a computer set up, but he planned to fill the space as time went passed.
Seated at his desk, Peter powered up his computer and retrieved a hard drive from his storage necklace. This particular drive contained the entirety of LYLA's AI code, everything that made her, her was in this drive.
Plugging the drive in, Peter immediately got to work. ‘Let’s see what I can do…’
As he delved into the AI, typing away with purpose, Peter began molding LYLA to his liking, deleting all past allegiances, emotions, and even removing some of her memories. But he didn’t just delete, he also added all sorts of code, improving her efficiency while also ensuring her loyalty.
After all, the Watchmen need an AI to help streamline and manage everything, but why create an entirely new entity when he could repurpose an existing one? Especially one that already has experience running organizations like this.
With each keystroke, Peter orchestrated the transformation of LYLA, envisioning the crucial role she would play in the intricate web of the Watchmen's operations.
…
..
.
Time passed and before Peter knew it, the sun began to rise on the horizon. He had spent the whole night working on LYLA and now it was time to see the fruit of his labor.
Leaning back in his chair, Peter took a breath before reaching forward and tapping the enter key, running LYLA’s new and improved coding.
Seconds later, a noticeably younger-looking LYLA appeared in her holographic form, standing beside Peter’s desk. “?” She looked around the empty room for a moment before her gaze landed on Peter, recognition flicking in her eyes.
For a moment Peter wondered if she still remembered him, thinking he might have missed a few of her memories, but her next words wiped his worries away. “Prime Overseer, how can I be of assistance?”
A/N: 2468 words :)