Note: I do not own any of the characters. I am just geek who is crazy about fanfiction, so I decided to write one. I hope you all like it.
Chapter 1: The New Beginning
Peter Parker had a complicated life. In fact, his life was anything but simple ever since that day; the day when he got bit by a radioactive spider and instead of getting sick like any other normal person would, he ended up gaining his crazy superpowers.
Being the stupid teenager that he was, he didn't use them wisely and made some choices that resulted in very adverse consequences.
Choices that he still regrets to this day; choices due to which he wasn't able to save his uncle. But Peter promised himself that what happened to his uncle won't happen to any other New Yorker under his watch.
So he started living a double life. In day time, he was nerdy and socially awkward Peter Parker and by night, he was crime fighting vigilante 'Spider-Man'.
But he got so busy in living these two lives that he didn't notice that May needed him to be there for her, he didn't notice that she was lonely and desperately missing Ben.
And just like that Peter lost his last living relative. It happened 5 months later, Peter was out patrolling at night. He arrived home at 3 in the morning, tired and exhausted from all the fight. He was about to head to bed and sleep for an eternity when he realized that he was incredibly hungry, so he decided to raid the kitchen first. He knew that May must have kept the leftover from dinner in the refrigerator.
But what he witnessed next shocked him to his core. When he arrived downstairs, he noticed that May was lying unconscious in the middle of the kitchen. He sprinted towards her and found no pulse. Panicking, he called 911 but he already knew that she was gone.
He knew that now he was completely an orphan and all alone in this mean world. He didn't realize that the ambulance and the cops had arrived until they burst through the door, breaking it in the process.
Suddenly there were various noises throughout the once silent kitchen and someone was shaking him. He blinked and it felt like the blurry world finally became clear.
He saw it in the cop's eyes, he saw the pity and he hated it. He hated feeling so useless; he hated the fact that he wasn't able to save Ben or May. He hated that he was all alone.
They took him to the police station and he settled on a plastic chair, waiting for what seemed like hours but was merely minutes. Then an officer came with a guy in a black suit. The guy nodded and the officer left them alone.
"Hey Peter," said the guy. "I am Phil Coulson."
Peter just stared at him.
"I know this is a difficult time but we need to talk, Spider-Man." sighed Phil.
That seemed to take Peter out of his shock and looked at him in disbelief.
"I don't know what you are talking about." responded Peter.
"Look we can do this the easy way or the hard way," Phil added. "But frankly, I advise that we should not resort to the latter."
"Who the hell are you?" glared Peter.
"It doesn't matter right now. First, you need to come with me." explained Phil.
"I am not going anywhere with you," said Peter. "Besides, I don't think you are a cop, so who are you?"
Phil chuckled, "You are a smart kid but I am afraid that's a need to know for now."
"Then we'll talk later and it looks like you have no proof or any evidence. And we are in a police station, you can't possibly kidnap me."
"You want proof, huh? Tell me does this work," Phil said as he unlocked his tablet and showed it to Peter.
Watching the pictures of him sitting on a roof without the mask was enough to send shivers down his back. If Peter was afraid before, he was terrified by now. Because not only had he lost his aunt but now this man held the very thing that can possibly ruin his life.
"I am not going to share these, if that's what you are afraid of," Phil muttered in a soft voice. "We just want to help you."
"Help me? You think threatening is the best way to do it." Peter demanded.
"How about you just come with me right now and if you don't like the place or what we are proposing, then you can leave." Phil negotiated.
Peter looked straight into his eyes, trying to catch the whether this is a trap or not.
"How can I trust you? What if we get there and you back out of your word?" Peter questioned. "Or what if you turn out to be a super villain and hurt me?"
"Kid, trust me when I say that if I wanted to hurt you and I would've done it already." Phil replied curtly.
"What do you mean?" Peter asked, getting annoyed at his vague answers.
"You see that officer there?" Phil pointed at a tall cop standing a few feet away from them. "Well, let's just say that he's not a cop. He's with me; there are few more agents in this station and others are waiting for us outside."
It's then Peter noticed that the man Phil had pointed out was acting strange.
"I have no choice, do I?" Peter spoke softly.
Phil's eyes soften and he kneeled down in front of Peter.
"Kid, I know that it's hard to trust me but I am a man of my word. If you don't like it, you can leave whenever you like." Phil replied with a weak smile.
"Let's go then," Peter said as he stood up.
Peter, for some weird reason, believed what he was saying. Besides, the spidey sense was not tingling like usual. So he decided to give this a shot.
Phil nodded and escorted Peter outside, his hand not leaving Peter's shoulder for even a second. Phil knew that even though the kid won't show it but he needed the comfort right now. He needed to know that he still has someone in his corner.
Phil then directed Peter to a black SUV. After they were both settled in the back seat, Peter turned to Phil with a curious look.
"You said you all are agents," Peter said. "So you're with the government?"
"Nothing escapes you, does it?" Phil smirked.
Peter just gave a shrug.
"And to answer your question, no we're not with the government. You'll find out everything in a few minutes." Phil finished.
Peter nodded.
After a surprisingly short time, the car stopped and both of them got out of the car. As soon as Peter set foot on the ground and saw the huge building in front of him, not visible before due to the black glasses of the car, it left him awe struck.
He narrowed his eyes at Agent Coulson in astonishment and shock.
"This is the Stark Tower."
"Now known as the Avengers Tower."
"Why are we here?"
"You'll see." is all Phil said before he stormed into the building.
Peter shook his head in anger and followed him inside. Phil waited in the elevator to for Peter catch up to him and when Peter did, he kept glaring at Phil Coulson.
"JARVIS, the avengers floor please." Phil requested calmly, completely unbothered with Peter's stare.
Finally when the elevator reached the floor, Peter took his attention away from Phil and observed his lavish surroundings. Peter had always admired Tony Stark for his intellect. Peter always dreamed of becoming an intern here but it all faded after he became Spider-Man.
He got super busy and the internship seemed near to impossible with all his existing responsibilities. He gulped when the thought of May lying dead entered his mind but shook his head to clear all these thoughts, he knew the time's not right.
He didn't even realize that Phil had stepped out of elevator and was waiting for him to do the same. Peter finally followed him but what he saw next left him speechless.
All the avengers were there sitting in the living room and talking to each other normally but he didn't miss the man with black eye patch working on his tablet, distant from others.
Phil coughed to get everyone's attention and the whole room went dead silent, Peter could feel everyone staring at him as if they were judging him. And coming here started to seem like a huge mistake to him.
"Is this a fucking joke?"came the all too familiar voice of Tony Stark.
"Tony, language; he's just a kid." Steve Rodgers, The Captain America, corrected but his body was all tensed now.
"Exactly, he's a kid." Tony said in an exaggerated tone and then turned to the man with the eye patch, "Fury, you told us you found a new recruit for the avengers initiative."
Peter looked up so fast, that he was sure that if it wasn't for his superpowers, he'd get a whiplash.
"And we did, everyone meet Peter Parker." The man, Fury, introduced. "He's Spider-Man."
Peter was now pretty much glaring at him by now, "Dude, you should familiarize yourself with the term secret identity."
The man gave Peter a sharp look but nonetheless stepped forward towards him.
"My name is Nick Fury, not dude. But call me sir." Fury informed. "And I am the director of SHIELD."
"You mean SHIELD as in the top secret spy organization?" Peter arched an eyebrow.
"Wait kid, you know about SHIELD?" Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, questioned.
Peter was about to reply but was cut off by Director Fury, "Not only does young Mr. Parker know about it, he has tried hacking into our system a grand total of three times."
"Hey but if it means something, I have only ever succeeded once." Peter responded awkwardly.
Director Fury shook his head, clearly unimpressed. "And that's when you came across the Avengers folder and their identities, correct?"
"Is this why I am here because I promise I was not searching for it. I just stumbled on it when I was collecting information about my parents because they used to work ther-"
"Kid, breathe." Steve said in an attempt to calm the kid.
Peter nodded, too nervous to say something without hyperventilating. Nick Fury decided to step in and save Peter from anymore embarrassment.
"Peter, it doesn't matter. You aren't here so that you can be punished; you are here because I'd like to offer you a spot in the Avenger's team." Fury conveyed.
"Sir, please you can't be serious." Steve intervened.
"Captain, does it look like I am joking." Fury replied in a firm tone, ending all arguments but that is, of course except Tony Stark.
"Well, you kinda do have the joking face." Tony commented.
"Stark, not now. So Peter, what do you say?" Fury asked.
"I'll tell you what he'll say," Tony interrupted again. "That he has homework and he should go home, his parents must be worried."
Peter then directed his glare to Tony Stark, sure he admired him but he was crossing all lines. This was one of the main reasons that he didn't want people to know about his identity, if they found out he was still in high school then they would treat him like a kid.
"My parents are dead and you should mind your own business, Mr. Stark." Peter snapped. "And I am almost 18, so stop calling me a kid."
"Peter, you're 16 and it is pretty far from 18." Phil stated.
"He is 16!" Tony ridiculed. "Oh my god, you are in high school and you are going around playing superhero. Are you crazy?"
Peter was starting to hate him more with each comment that left his mouth.
"If saving people you all don't bother to help makes me crazy, so be it. I don't care." Peter voiced his annoyance.
"Now look kid-," Tony started.
"Again with the kid, stop-," Peter said.
"We are just trying to-," Steve tried.
That started a full blown argument and Fury had enough of it, so he took his pistol out and fired in the air. It stopped the commotion, but also earned a gasp from the infamous Tony Stark.
"Hey, I just had this building remodeled after the Chitauri," Tony added. "You know how much that hole the ceiling will cost me?"
"Oh hush it, it's not like it would put a dent in your bank account." Natasha scoffed.
Tony was about to answer her when Phil Coulson interrupted yet again.
"Look I agree that Peter is too young but try to understand this is why he needs to be here, to train with you guys," Phil explained. "He has powers but no knowledge on how to use them properly and you all can teach him."
"No, I don't need help," Peter exclaimed furiously.
But everyone ignored what he said.
"You don't have to take him to every mission, not at least till you think he is ready and even then you can decide whether he can help or not," Fury said. "So he stays here and becomes a part of avengers. This is an order."
"So you want us to train him?" Bruce Banner, who was quiet till now, voiced his thoughts and instinctively, everyone turned to Fury for his answer.
"Yes, so he can fight without getting himself killed." Fury replied. "And it is not only for his safety but also for the security of other civilians."
"What do you mean for other civilians?" Peter glanced at Fury. "I will never hurt them. In case you have forgotten, I am doing this for them."
"Parker, I know you will never hurt them intentionally. But you see intentionally is the key word here." Fury answered.
"What Fury wants to say is that as you know half knowledge is dangerous," Steve stated. "So maybe accidently, while fighting off some goons, you end up hurting someone else. Will you be able to live with that?"
No, he couldn't. But Peter knew that this came with the job, he knew that he possibly can't be there for each and every person but the thought him hurting someone or even killing them unknowingly was enough to make him want to give up being Spider-Man. Peter backed away from each and everyone, as if he suddenly realized that he can do more harm than good. But in doing so, he bumped into Clint.
"Hey, it's okay. Everything's fine." Clint assured.
But his words held no importance as Peter felt more and more nauseous with each passing second. Suddenly a pair of hands firmly held his shoulders, keeping him in his place. He looked up to see the Captain America staring straight into his eyes.
"You didn't hurt anyone, okay." Steve commanded. "You're scared and it's completely okay to be afraid of it. As much as you like to disagree, the truth is that you still are a kid and in our line of work, adults can make mistakes but look at yourself, you are only 16 and you have done a marvelous job. Now calm down and breathe."
Peter wanted to look up and say that he did not. He wanted to say that May and Ben were still dead, so no he didn't do a marvelous job. But Captain's words did provide some relief to Peter and he managed to calm himself down.
Peter nodded gratefully.
"We understand." Steve replied with a weak smile.
"So Peter, do you wanna join the avengers?" Fury questioned.
Peter was silent for a few minutes pondering and weighing the consequences that'll follow. The pros of joining the avengers were that he had a place to stay (he doesn't get thrown into the foster system), he got to train with the avengers (he was trying to control his inner fan boy on that one), he'll obviously learn more and he kinda did agree on the matter that he may end up hurting someone.
But there were obviously various cons for the same like he didn't know them, he's also a huge fan so he might stutter through every conversation with them which will lead to more embarrassment and it would most definitely restrict his nightly patrols.
"Earth to spider," Tony interrupted his thoughts.
"If I do, can I go on patrols like I used to?" Peter inquired.
"Captain, do you wanna answer that?" Fury asked.
"It depends; will you be able to manage it with your school work and your training?" Steve asked with a shrug.
"Yeah, I'll make time. I used to before." Peter replied earnestly.
"Well in that case, after your basic training is over, which won't take more than a couple of days," Steve mentioned. "Yes, you can get back to your patrol."
That lit Peter up like a Christmas tree. But then the reality of the situation about why he was here hit him and the smile vanished as soon as it appeared.
"Yeah, I am in." Peter mumbled.
And suddenly Tony applauded, Clint gave him a pat on the back, Natasha (The black widow, the one who can snap his neck in a second) smiled at him, Bruce came to congratulate him and Phil Coulson and Steve Rodgers were both giving him the 'I am so proud of you' look.
For a second, Peter forgot about the fact that he just met these people; he forgot that they still were strangers to him and he felt like he was home.
