Marvel: Open Up, It’s the FBI

After leaving the science exhibition, Lynn Hall didn't take Gwen home immediately.

Instead, he made a quick detour — to a clinic for a full medical workup.

He couldn't be 100% sure the spider that bit Gwen was the spider — the one destined to turn Peter Parker into Spider-Man.

Until he knew for sure, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Once the comprehensive checkup came back clean — no fever, no elevated heart rate, no anomalies — Lynn felt a bit more at ease. Still, he ordered all data and blood samples to be destroyed. If Gwen did develop spider-like abilities, he wasn't going to risk some lab rat selling her DNA to the highest bidder.

Afterward, he drove her home.

---

Back in Queens, the Stacy household was quiet. Uncle George was still at the precinct, neck-deep in a cartel investigation. Even on weekends, the man never really clocked out.

Gwen, however, was exhausted. She barely managed a hello to her mom before retreating to her room for a nap.

Lynn stayed in the living room, chatting idly with Aunt Helen when his phone buzzed.

RICHIE HOOD.

Lynn's brow lifted slightly.

The senior agent was supposed to be easing into semi-retirement, barely touching casework anymore. For him to be calling now meant something big.

Lynn stepped away and answered.

"Boss?"

Richie's voice came through, calm but tense.

> "Lynn, we've got a situation. I need you to handle this personally."

> "A small town under Oswego's jurisdiction — town's called Carlanell. Last night, every one of its 1,300 residents turned into mindless husks. Walking corpses. The entire population."

Lynn froze. "What?"

> "It's not just rumor. Local police sealed off the area, but footage leaked online — over a million views already. People are calling it a zombie outbreak."

> "Miller Field offered to take the case. But… well, you know what that means."

Lynn smirked. "He wants to make a name for himself before you hand over your badge and become a cozy little FBI consultant next year."

> "Exactly. And I don't want his ambition causing a damn panic. This is delicate."

> "Got it. I'm on it."

---

As soon as he hung up, Lynn sent messages to Alice and Sean to rally the team.

The assignment wasn't just about solving a mystery. It was about controlling the narrative before things got worse.

After checking in on Gwen — still sleeping soundly, no fever or strange symptoms — Lynn slipped out of the house and drove north.

---

Two hours later — Carlanell Town Perimeter

The scene was surreal.

Thick, white fog clung to the ground like smoke from an ancient battlefield, blanketing the town in an eerie silence. Every so often, shadowy figures shuffled aimlessly through the mist — people, or what used to be people.

Outside the yellow police barricade, the air was completely clear. Clean. Normal.

Not a single wisp of fog crossed that boundary.

Lynn, sitting in the passenger seat, narrowed his eyes.

> "That's not natural fog," he muttered.

"Creepy as hell," Sean mumbled from the backseat. "You think this is one of those supernatural deals? Like, actual zombies?"

"We'll find out," Lynn said, pulling off his gas mask.

He stepped out of the car.

One by one, his team followed — all of them mimicking his confidence and removing their own masks.

Sean hesitated. "Uh… shouldn't we keep the masks on? I mean, if it's airborne…"

Alice rolled her eyes. "You see any cops wearing masks? EMTs? Fire crew? If this was airborne, they'd all be dead already."

Sean blinked. "Right. Okay. Just checking."

---

At the barricade, the sheriff on duty moved to block them until Lynn flashed his badge.

"Agent Lynn Hall, FBI. We're taking over."

The sheriff studied the credentials, then nodded. "Glad someone from up top is finally here."

"What happened?" Lynn asked.

The sheriff exhaled, glancing toward the fog-choked streets.

> "Town's got about thirteen hundred residents. As of yesterday, everything was fine. This morning? They're all like… that."

He gestured toward the fog.

> "Totally unresponsive. Vacant. Moving like sleepwalkers. No pain response. No speech. Just… empty."

> "But get this — none of them have crossed the town line. They stay inside the perimeter, like they're stuck there."

Lynn frowned. "Who made the initial report?"

"That'd be Officer Briggs."

A tall county deputy stepped forward. "Sir."

Lynn turned to him. "Walk me through it."

"My sister and her family live in Carlanell. I couldn't get through to them last night — phones dead, no response. I got worried, so I drove down."

He paused, glancing toward the mist.

> "But when I reached three clicks out, the road just… vanished. Like the town wasn't there anymore. Just empty hills and trees."

Lynn frowned, looking at the wide, paved road beneath their feet. "You're saying this road disappeared?"

Briggs nodded. "I know it sounds insane. But I've lived here my whole life. I could drive that route blindfolded. Last night, it was like something warped the land."

> "And the fog… it wrapped around my car. Visibility was barely two meters."

> "I tried to push through, but then my car died. Lost all power. Not just the engine — everything. Headlights, phone, radio, even the dashboard clock froze."

He shivered slightly.

Lynn didn't respond right away.

He just stared into the fog.

Something unnatural was happening in Carlanell.

And for once, even he wasn't sure if this was a biological outbreak… or something else entirely.