A new chapter, yay!
Sorry about my random update schedule. I know that the time between updates is awkward, but it all depends on how much of it I have done. I normally won't update unless I have the chapter after it finished. Just so I have a bit a leeway and so people get a chance to comment for me.
This chapter we are back with Peter, it ties in to the last chapter as well.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. I will never own anything. And Marvel is the best company ever.
Now that I'm done phoning that in, let's start the chapter.
Chapter 4: Spider-man Returns
The air swirled around him. His lithe body soaring through the sky with precision.
He'd been falling for a good few seconds already, but time seemed to go on forever in that moment. He knew that he was gaining speed.
That he would eventually come into contact with the concrete streets below him. Yet, it felt as if he could stay like this forever.
The wind blowing cool air into his stuffy suit. His sweaty body taking a relish to the frigid breeze.
His mind had been elsewhere for most of the week. Everything he had known was changing and he had a feeling more was still to come.
Peter couldn't be anymore grateful for the times like this. Where he could shut off his brain and restart his heart. The numbness had been slowly creeping in since he learned more of his past. An unstoppable force, intent on clouding his judgement.
It had worked for the most part. And he was admittedly thankful towards it, but sometimes he needed the adrenaline. He needed to feel the blood rush through his veins. Feel his heart thunder in his chest.
To hear the thumping in his ears. Moments like this where something he always enjoyed.
Peter had been pushing the limits of it though. Taking longer to dodge than normal. Making choices that put him in more risk than normal. Forcing him to remember that he was human. Enhanced human, but human nonetheless.
He waited until the last moment to shoot his web, catching the building across from him and swinging through the traffic. Bystanders shouting out at him from their vehicles.
Spider-man had caught more attention lately. The fall of Shield had the public watching it's heroes. Watching to see if they do the same, and turn against them. He could understand that. He'd felt as if it would happen to him many times already.
But, he didn't have as much time to worry about that. The fall of Shield was the opportunity criminals needed to take advantage of. Crime has skyrocketed in the days following. All of them intent on using the confusion to get a leg up onto the police.
Peter had stopped more firefights between the police and gangsters, in the last three days, than an entire three months from before.
The teen put aside his grudge towards the cops and helped them. It was his duty to do so. Spider-man protected the city. Cops included.
If Peter Parker had trouble sleeping afterwards, nobody would know or care. That was the way it was. Peter Parker was just another meaningless face. He didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
But, Spider-man did. And that was all he needed. He started to dedicate more time to being Spider-man then Peter Parker.
Peter may have been a genius, and he uses the term lightly, but that was what only mattered to most. His teachers at school didn't care about how he felt. They only cared about the genius they could exploit to their benefit.
He had realized this soon after starting the fast track program. They didn't care about him. But, he didn't care about them either. So for now, they would use each other to get what they wanted. If that meant he got out of the place faster, he would use them until they were dry.
…..that sounded weird. Maybe he should have used a different analogy?
'Probably should have. You sounded kind of perverted right then.'
"...shut up," he muttered. His shoulders slumping as much as they could while still swinging.
'What was that?!'
He rolled his eyes, "Shut up, please?"
'Better, but no, I will not.'
'And why is that?' he replied mentally. Not believing he was arguing with himself. This was just the thing he needed right now. Note the sarcasm.
'Because, Peter, you need to talk to somebody. And I am currently the best and only option.'
'Isn't that just fantastic,' he replied sullenly. His only conversations are being held with a voice inside his head. This was a new low for him.
'It's great!' Came an overly chipper reply. 'Is it not?'
'...not even close.' was his monotoned answer.
He didn't get a reply, because his enhanced hearing picked up sirens in the distance. The sound of a fire truck could be heard under the loud wailing. A fire, better check it out.
When he arrived, it was to the sight of a four story building, lit up like a bonfire. He was on the building opposite as he searched for a way in, dimly aware of a woman crying about her child on the third floor.
Finding a structurally safe place to enter on the second floor, he swung into the building. The glass window not making any resistance as he crashed through it.
He searched for any signs of life, but it seemed nobody was left on the floor.
Making his way up the stairwell, he felt the wooden stairs creak ominously, He only had a spare second to jump to the next floor. The stairs crashing down into a fiery demise.
He wouldn't be going back that way then.
The third floor was covered in flames. Everywhere he looked, the flickering orange met his gaze. Smoke was starting to enter his lungs, so he crouched down. Trying to stall the inhalation that was attacking him.
Flames licked at his spandex suit, the heat being felt as he walked.
The sound of a whimper, made him turn his head to the side. A collapsed wall opening up to what used to be an apartment. He jumped through the flames in order to find the source of distress. His shoulder scraping a fallen support beam, leaving a burn. He hissed between his teeth, but continued on.
Peter found the source. A young girl, about the age of seven. Her blonde hair covered in soot, and her bright blue eyes filled with tears. For a second, the image of another blonde flashed before his eyes. This little girl being confused for someone else.
He shook the apparition of Gwen away and made his way to the child. It wouldn't due to think about her at this point. They had a lot of unspoken problems that had to be worked out. He couldn't bring himself to look at her after everything. Gwen was the reminder of a better life that he would never get back.
"Hey, it's okay." he coaxed. Trying to get her out of the corner. "I'm here to help."
She looked scared of him, the mask not helping her in her terrified state. The little girl backed further into the corner, which made him mentally curse. He didn't have long before this floor collapsed as well.
Cursing himself for even thinking about what he was going to do, he slowly pulled of his mask, giving the girl a look at his face.
"My name is Peter," he started. The girl coming closer. "Can you tell me your's?"
She inched closer to him, his kind face giving her the trust she needed. "Emma."
"Emma, that is a beautiful name. Why don't you come out of there so we can get you to your mother?" he held out a gloved hand. Which she took a hold of. He smiled and picked her up, making his way to a window.
Before he could though, the floor started to crack and fall apart. Holding tightly onto Emma, he jumped up and stuck to the ceiling. The tips of his fingers and feet burning from the heat. His suit melting as he painfully made his way across the room.
He stopped by a window before putting his mask back on. The smoke was starting to get to him and the mask offered a small reprieve. Pulling the girl before him, he tied a web around her body.
"I'm gonna lower you down now," he held her shoulders. "Only a little bit to go alright?"
He didn't start until he saw he teary nod. Soon, she was being lowered to the ground below. A fireman there to grab her when she reached them.
Peter could hear the sound of the crowd cheering in the background. A small smile crept onto his face.
When Emma was fully lowered, he gave a thumbs up out the window, before climbing to the fourth floor. Nobody was on the floor, so he got out of there.
He swung until the burn in his lungs got too much and he collapsed on a rooftop.
He stumbled and fell to his knees. Ripping off the mask, he coughed and tried to get as much air as he could. His lungs burned intensely, and he knew that they were going to hurt for awhile. A cough would be almost entirely certain.
How was he going to hide this one. The house mother was intimidating when she wanted to be.
It took him a while before he could breathe without it hurting as much as it did. When finally shook off the pain and stood up, he realized that it had started to get dark. The lights of New York lit up the skyline. The city that never sleeps was such a true statement. Although he'd lived here his entire life, sometimes the nightlife caught him off guard.
There was still a lot of the city that he hadn't seen yet. It was only after becoming Spider-man, that he'd started finding most of it.
Shaking his head, he checked his phone for the time. It was only 8:27 p.m, He still had a lot of time left. The house mother wouldn't care, because he said he was sleeping at a friends house. It was friday after all.
She probably should not have believed his lie though, Peter didn't really have any friends to speak of. And he didn't know where he stood with Gwen. So, he would be spending his time in his lair. The Spider's Nest.
Does that sound good? He couldn't figure out a good name for it without sounding pretentious. All of the names sounded weird.
The Spider's Lair, Web Cave, Spider Sanctuary. He couldn't decide on a single name. Maybe he was overthinking it.
Peter ran towards the edge of the building, before leaping off and shooting his webs. He would continue patrolling for most of the night, into the morning. Before crashing at his mother's desk in the lair.
It was past noon the next day, when he was rudely awoken to the sounds of a warning beep from the computer. He rubbed his eyes and squinted at the screen. It's light temporarily blinding him from the sudden increase in brightness.
When he could finally see again, the blinking red words 'Warning: Security Breach' highlighted in bold, reached his vision.
"...shit." he leapt from his seated position and ran out the door.
Right into the multiple intruder's sights.
"Oh, hey fellas." he nervously spoke. Trying to keep calm at the sight of their weapons pointed at him. Those were big guns.
"Put your hands where we can see them." one of the men commanded. Peter got a better look at them then. They looked like they were agents. Of Shield. Fantastic!
There was five of them in total. He could probably take them all if he could split them up and make their guns useless. At least, he hopes he can. They were twice his size.
"Are those for me?" he pointed to their guns. One of them was gullible enough to look down, he was the first to be hit with a web. Peter sprang into action, trying to get good enough cover that would give him time to plan. He dodged a what seemed to be a tranquilizing dart and it made him move faster.
They were trying to capture him then. He could use that to his advantage. But it also meant that they weren't here to kill him, but take him in. Which was worse than being killed.
As he was about to leap over the desk, his spider-sense going off made him stay put. He wondered why it went off, but before he could put much thought into it a gunshot rang out. It was followed by a thump, and then happen four more times in quick succession.
When he was sure whoever had shot the men was not going to shoot at him, he peeked over the desk. A man came out of the shadows. His attire dark and blended in with everything. Sunglass covered his eyes and a beanie on his head. His left arm was in a sling and the other was lowering his weapon.
You don't see that everyday.
Peter snorted softly, then froze. The elastic fabric of his suit making itself known at the worst time. His face was free for all to see. He'd forgotten the mask!
He looked back towards the man and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. It was just an odd sight and he hoped the man didn't notice his suit. When he heard the man snort softly, all his hopes were dashed by the crude sound.
Peter didn't say anything until he heard the man speak. "You can come out now Peter."
Ahh, that was fantastic. The man knew his name. He was beginning to feel like he wasn't as great of an actor as he thought he was. Gulping slightly, he slowly rose to a standing position. Knees slightly bent in case he had to defend himself.
"Ahh, you seem to know me," he swallowed thickly. "Mind returning the favor?"
He asked in hopes that something would work out in his favor. He was feeling trapped in this room. This room that had felt like a safe haven, seemed to lose all its former warmth.
The man put his weapon away and surveyed the room around him. "Kid, my name is Nick Fury, former Director of Shield."
Okay, so that was enlightening. Peter couldn't help but wonder why the man was here. Last he had heard, Nick Fury was dead. "O-oh r-really then?"
The man snorted softly before staring into his soul. "Yeah, we have a lot to talk about Spider-man."
Maybe, he should've seen that coming. He was wearing the suit in front of the man. His mask thrown haphazardly on his mother's desk. Well, adopted mother's. Peter was still getting used to that fact.
That fact also brought up another thing to his mind. The name was ringing a bell.
"Nick Fury huh?" he started, a questioning tilt to his head. "I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again, but I can't seem to remember you."
Fury nodded his head slightly, glad the boy was figuring out stuff on his own. "Yes, we have met before. Back then, you were just a small boy."
Peter hummed under his breath and looked around him. "I'd offer you a drink, but as you can see, things are a bit messy."
And they were indeed. The room looked like a storm had came through. Papers and other things littering the floor. A table was overturned and of course, there was also five dead men dirtying his floor.
Fury must have seen his gazed wander to the dead men, because he spoke up. "I'll take care of them when I leave, but first, we need to discuss some things. No?"
"Aye, sir!" chirped Peter. The former director couldn't stop himself from muttering about cheek brats.
Peter was feeling overwhelmed. His eyes darting back to the bloody men on the floor. He'd seen death before, when his uncle died in front of him, he'd been covered in the man's blood. But now, he only felt a numbness clench his heart. Was he a bad person for not caring that they died? Should he care more about the blatant death that sat before him?
How was he supposed to feel? He couldn't stop the thoughts from running their course.
Shaking his head, he put it to the back of his mind. It wouldn't due to have a breakdown right now. A man that was a part of his past was standing before him. And he needed answers.
Leading Fury into his mother's office, he sat down behind the desk. It was a funny sight to those who knew the former director. The ludicrous thought of him not behind a desk and instead being the one in front of one, would have them laughing their asses off.
They sat in silence for a few moments, both gathering their thoughts. It was Nick who started.
"Seven years ago, an operation on an experimental facility was given the green light. Shield had been giving information pertaining to inhumane experiments being taken place." he said. His eyes cold behind his sunglasses. "An agent, had gone off his entry plan after finding a hidden door. What he found behind that door, was a secret experiment being taken place."
Peter looked confused before understanding hit him, "M-me?"
Fury nodded, "From what the agent could gather, you had been taken from an orphanage after a worker told her boss about a child who could lift more than his body weight. The group that took you, had been stationed in Paris. The same city you had been in, and took you before they made a escape."
Peter took a calming breath. He didn't remember ever being out of the state, let alone a different country. He motioned for Fury to continue.
"They had done tests on you and found out about your dormant DNA. After which, is when they began trying to wake it." said the former director. His thoughts all pointing towards how much the young before him has been failed in life.
"Coincedently, you were brought to the base Agent Parker was stationed at. From there, you had been sent to her for evaluation and a health check. You two hit it off immediately." he said. Making sure the boy knew all Fury could tell.
"Is that how she became my adopted mother?" asked Peter.
Fury felt his lip twitch. The boy was smart and inquisitive. He would have made a fine agent when he grew up. Fury nodded his head, "She was the best choice I could come up with. You two had a connection."
It was true, Agent Parker had been the best person to look after the boy. She could tell what was wrong with only a glance at him. They got along great when he had seen them.
Peter nodded slowly, that aligned with what his mother had said in her video. He keeps forgetting to add the 'adopted' part before it. The teen doesn't think that will happen anytime soon though.
Peter swallowed slightly, "There was a list on the flash drive. A list of who my biological mother could be. Have you figured it out yet?"
Fury closed his eyes. Now that was the question he didn't want asked. The boy's mother was an important person, one who had been on the news a lot lately. What was he supposed to say? The world was still in danger and Natasha needed to be focused on keeping it safe. A distraction like this could be fatal. He could only imagine what would happen to her if her son was killed after she just found him. The possibility of her going rogue and doing something bad would be an almost inescapable fact.
He took off his sunglasses and rubbed his left eye. The artificial eye itched sometimes, and it was doing so now. Looking at the expectant face of the boy, he made a decision.
He lied, "Sorry, I had been looking for years but I am still no closer than before."
When the boy's face predictably fell, he felt something he hadn't felt since the start of his training. He felt regret about lying to him. The words leaving a bad taste in his mouth. Fury could tell the boy fell for his lie. It was written in his eyes.
The boy had a perfect poker face, but it was his eyes that gave him away. They showed that he still trusted the world, even if he tried to deny it.
It was then that Fury realized, the boy wouldn't always have that trust. That one day, he would lose all faith in the world and start to do something about it. With his origins, Fury didn't doubt that those changes would be of a lethal variety.
"...ah." muttered Peter. His disappointment feeling like a crushing weight in his chest. It held him down and made everything cloudy. Like he was drowning in despair.
That should be a song title. Drowning in Despair. A good rock band could pull it off, don't ya think?
Peter ignored the voice. Now wasn't a time for his crazy to be acting up. He watched the man before put his sunglasses back on, covering the scarred visage they were hiding. They sat in silence for awhile.
He was grateful the man let him process everything. It was a saddening feeling, not getting the answers he wanted. It made the pain in his heart all too noticeable.
The teen had been blocking it out since his Aunt's death. It was unhealthy to hold it all in, but he couldn't let it out yet. Not when it felt like there was more pain to come.
That and he didn't have anybody he could trust with his pain. He'd cut off most of his ties since then. He barely saw Gwen anymore and if he did, what was he supposed to do? There had been a rift between them that didn't seem to want to close. Admittedly, that might be mostly his fault.
He could only hope that she wouldn't completely leave him as well. Peter didn't know how to deal with all his conflicting emotions. He was genius in everything besides emotion and human interaction. Awards and breakthroughs won't mean anything if he can't share them with somebody.
Fury checked his watch before standing up, he was supposed to be in Europe soon and he needed to leave.
"I need to go, but before that there is something I want to give you." he walked over to a bookcase, pushing the books aside and pressing a hand on the wall. He lifted his sunglasses as a scanner popped up. After it scanned his fake eye, a compartment slid out of the wall.
Now that is a secret compartment.
Peter shook his head as he watched the man pull out a data chip. Fury walked over to him and handed it to him. He took it with a questioning eyebrow.
"That," he pointed to the chip. "Is an Artificial Intelligence that Mary Parker was working on before her death."
Peter looked closely at the data chip, "this is?"
Fury nodded, "Yeah, she called it Monetary Assessment Reaction Intelligence Executive, or Marie for short. She didn't get a chance to finish it and I think she would have liked you to finish it for her."
The teen couldn't find the words so he just nodded. This was big. Nobody had working A.I's other than Tony Stark, and he made his when he was a little older than Peter.
Fury nodded again, before heading towards the door. He stopped at the entrance and looked at the still amazed teen. A soft smile on his lips.
"If you ever need me, press the eagle on Mary's badge and I will get you the help you need."
With his piece finally said, Nick walked out the door and looked at the bodies around him in distaste. "I used to have people for this."
Peter watched the door close. Feeling lighter than he did before. He got most of the answers he was looking for. Some were still out of his reach, but the ones he had were better than nothing. Which was something he didn't see happening anytime soon.
He looked at the chip in his hand before his vision focused on something else. His mask laid harmlessly on the desk. It's round eyes gazing innocently back at him.
Peter's eyes widened. His leapt from his chair and bolted towards the door. He opened it, already speaking. "Hey, the Spider-man thing will stay between us….right?"
The room was empty. All signs of bodies or Nick Fury nowhere to be seen. The papers stacked neatly at their designated places. All blood cleaned up and the entire room looked spotless.
How did he do that? Can we learn that?
Peter could only nod his head in shock. How did he do that?
"...hello?"
And there is the end. 4k words this time.
