Spider-Man: Fear Itself

Chapter 10

The SHIELD command room was bustling with activity, a controlled frenzy as agents and heroes monitored the evacuation and the shield surrounding Manhattan. The tension in the room was palpable—every hero present felt the weight of the stakes. Spider-Man was alone inside the containment barrier, and the knowledge that Mysterio's gas could be unleashed at any moment was enough to keep even the most seasoned veterans on edge.

Suddenly, the doors to the command room swung open, and Maria Hill stormed in, her expression dark and serious. Her entrance immediately drew everyone's attention. Steve Rogers stood at the front, his arms crossed, monitoring the situation, while the others—Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Carol Danvers, Jessica Drew, Susan Storm-Richards, Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm, Logan, and various SHIELD agents—turned toward her.

"Steve," Maria began without preamble, her voice tight with urgency. "We have a problem. A big one."

Steve frowned, immediately sensing that something was very wrong. "What is it, Hill?"

Maria looked around the room, the severity of her expression deepening. "SHIELD... withheld some information during the evacuation to avoid causing a mass panic."

The room grew noticeably tenser as everyone waited for her to continue. Tony narrowed his eyes, already suspicious. "Spit it out, Maria."

Hill exhaled sharply, clearly not liking what she was about to say. "During the chaos of the evacuation, several high-profile prisoners escaped from the RAFT, Rikers, and Ravencroft Asylum. And it's not just the big names—hundreds of smaller-time criminals also slipped through."

A stunned silence fell over the room, followed by a wave of anger and disbelief.

"What?" Steve's voice was a low growl as he stepped toward Maria, his face a mask of fury. "You knew about this, and you didn't tell us? You trapped Spider-Man on an island with the worst criminals in the world?"

Maria raised her hands defensively, but her expression remained firm. "We didn't tell you because if word got out during the evacuation, it would've caused chaos. The priority was getting civilians off the island. If people had known about the escapes, we would've had riots on our hands."

Tony, his face grim, shook his head. "You're telling me you left Webhead to deal with Mysterio, and you've got half the criminal population of the East Coast running loose in Manhattan? That's your idea of a tactical decision?"

Logan's growl rumbled low in his throat, his fists clenching as he shot a glare at Hill. "Kid's already got his hands full, and you toss this on him? Damn it, Hill."

Maria kept her voice level, though the tension in the room was impossible to ignore. "Look, I'm not saying it's ideal, but the shield is up, and the evacuation is complete. We still have a chance to contain this. If we can work together and stop Mysterio—"

Steve wasn't listening anymore. He was already turning to the SHIELD agents at the control stations, his voice barking orders. "Get me a team ready to breach that shield now. We're going in to back up Spider-Man."

The room was suddenly alive with movement as SHIELD agents began scrambling, but Spider-Man's voice came over the comms, cutting through the chaos.

"Stop," Spider-Man said, his tone as cold as ever. "No one's coming in. The shield stays up."

Steve's fists tightened at his sides, his voice filled with frustration. "Spider-Man, you can't do this alone. The criminals are loose, Mysterio's out there, and you're dealing with that gas on top of everything else. We're coming in, end of story."