I had intended for the wedding to happen in this scene, but I noticed it's been mostly domestics and fluff, so I had to get in some action! I'm actually getting angst over what's coming, but I, as a writer, have a responsibility to character development. So just relax and

Enjoy!


The thrill of swinging through New York never got old. Peter just wished he had put in some insulation when he had made his new suit. The first chance he got when the lab was empty (which he found rarely happens) he used some of Tony's machinery to make a whole new suit.

He may have also made some improvements. Instead of the old thrown-together web shooters which were literally made of scraps, he had been able to use the same machinery that Tony used on his suits. The resulting tech almost brought tears to Peter's eyes, and they worked smoother than he could have ever dreamed.

As for the rest of the suit, JARVIS had helped him to use a machine that took his design and basically stitched it for him. He had added a few touches, like nicer lenses instead of goggles, and more comfortable fabric. It was lightweight, and Peter could wear it underneath his clothes much less noticeably. He loved it, and as he swung through the air, he had no complaints. Well, other than the chill. Maybe he could add some extra padding the next time he had the lab to himself.

JARVIS had taken it upon himself to add in other things, and Peter had found a special infrared light on his belt, that when he shone it, made a signal that looked like his logo. The fabric also had a strange microscopic pattern that made it harder to rip. It wasn't bulletproof, but it did help add a little extra protection. Peter had a feeling the AI was trying to help him stay safe, and he appreciated it.

He jerked a web and brought himself to a stop on the side of a building. He climbed to the top and looked down across the cityscape. His senses had gotten so much stronger since he was bitten, so he could hear it all below him. He heard a vendor calling out to passers-by about his food, and he heard a group of women laughing at something one of them had said. His spider-sense went off like a sudden shock, and he searched for anything amiss. He was rewarded with echoing crashes a few blocks away.

And screams. Something big was happening, and it sent a chill down Peter's spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Without thinking, he pushed himself away from the wall and fell toward the ground. As he went faster, he could feel the wind rushing around him, and he let out a whoop of excitement. The ground rose up to meet him, and at the last second, he shot off a web and swung back up into the air.

Within moments he was standing before the source of the trouble. A man was standing in the middle of the street, wearing weird robotic suit that looked a lot like a… rhino?

He yelled in a Russian accent, "I AM THE RHINO!" and then he said something else in Russian. Well, that answered that. The rhino tossed a few cars aside, then threw one straight at the line of officers who were trying to shoot him. The bullets just bounced off of his hide, making him laugh at their attack. "NO ONE CAN STOP ME!"

"You know what they say about overconfidence." Peter figured there was no point in hanging back, and launched right into action. And by that I mean he landed on the rhino and webbed his face.

"WHAT-" he ripped frantically at the sticky substance, but Peter poured on another layer.

"You know, this is why we can't have nice things." he jeered, and the Rhino let out a scream of rage. Good. He found villains easier to take down when they were good and angry.

The rhino gave up on trying to rid himself of the webs and instead chose to focus on Spiderman. He swung wildly, but Peter's good-old spidey sense helped him to dodge with ease. "Oh, that sure was close! Why not take another swing?"

The guy wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed (even though his 'horn' was plenty sharp enough) and he dropped to all fours and began to buck like a bull. Nobody really seemed to grasp the concept of 'sticking to things'. Needless to say, Peter had no trouble staying on, but he noticed a new problem. As the rhino struggled and thrashed around, he was stumbling carelessly into cars and light posts, causing damage. Too much damage. He had to take this guy down before he hurt someone.

Then of course, there was a new problem. If Peter were to jump off, either the police would shoot him, or the rhino would charge. If he stayed on, he would just continue like he was already doing. And if he managed to hop onto a building, the rhino would still be rampaging. He figured that while he was on there, he might as well try and break into the machine.

Peter brought down a fist on the metal, only to let out a cry of pain. This metal wasn't even dented by his strength. That was... new. To top it all off, he managed to rip the webs from his face with a cry of pain. Okay, so that idea was out. So, how do you take down an indestructible robo-rhino? Why, with a distraction, of course!

As if summoned by that thought, Iron Man arrived in style. "Need a hand, man?" he asked.

"Well, if you insist." Peter shot over his shoulder. The rhino stopped bucking and rose to two feet to face Tony.

"METAL MAN!" he yelled in a mocking tone, "YOU SO LITTLE COMPARED TO THE RHINO. WHY NOT RUN OFF AND MAKE SOME MISSILES?"

"First of all," Tony said, his voice taking on that metal edge, "It's Iron Man. Second, why don't you go back to grazing? Or are you lost?"

"Yeah, you sure are far from Africa. Would you like some directions?" Peter added.

"WHY DON'T YOU GET LOST?" rhino retorted, obviously getting angrier.

"Oh, that was a good one!" Tony laughed, "How long did it take you to come up with that one?"

Peter could see what he was doing. Maybe if he got angry enough, he could make a mistake. Even if it didn't work, he was having a blast with this back and forth banter. Now that he was distracted, Peter figured it was his chance to hop off and go somewhere more useful. There was nothing he could on there do if he couldn't damage the metal.

He leapt silently to the ground and crept toward Tony. The rhino didn't even notice and continued to yell at Iron Man.

"LEAVE! THIS IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM!" he cried.

Peter couldn't know it, but that made Tony think back to something he once heard. 'I thought it wasn't my problem.' He shook his head. That kid was really getting to him… "nah, I think I'll stick around."

"THEN I THINK I MAKE YOU LEAVE!" rhino growled. He swiped his feet along the pavement and leaned forward. Was he really- yep, he was gonna charge. He thundered toward Tony who held his ground, staring straight at the giant metal animal.

What was he doing? As he gained speed, the horn of the rhino's suit gleamed in the sun. C'mon, Tony, move! The space between them closed, and he was within feet, and yet Tony still didn't move. Peter had to do something.

The horn was inches from Tony's arc reactor when Peter slammed into him from the side. At the speed he had been going, the rhino didn't even have time to think before he was on his side on the ground. As for Peter, ouch. Just ouch. He had launched into the metal hide with all of his strength, so the impact had slammed into him as bad as it had the rhino.

But he couldn't waste time. So while the rhino was still down, he covered him in his strongest webbing, a new compound he had made in Tony's lab that had a metal alloy added in for heavy duty cases like this. He emptied two entire cartridges, and before the rhino had recovered from the blow, he was completely stuck.

Only then did Peter let himself relax. He plopped to the ground, and let out a sigh. But then his spidey sense gave a dull buzz, and he looked behind himself to find Iron Man looming above him. Peter stood and faced the hero, confused. Why was he still here? Oh, god. Had he recognized his voice? Did he know he was Peter? What now? Oh, God. He braced himself for the worst, but was surprised by Tony laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Nice one, man!" his face-plate rose to reveal his grin. Man. Not kid. So Tony didn't know who he was! Peter let out a sigh of relief, then replied,

"Not so bad yourself! Except I don't know why you didn't move. You do know he could have killed you, right?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Tony said casually, "I knew you were there, and that you would jump him like that. That was your plan, right?"

"Um.. sure." Peter lied, "So… what happens to wild guy over there?" he gestured to where the rhino was squirming under the webbing.

"SHIELD is on the way. How long will that stuff hold him?" Tony asked.

"Well, that's a new compound, but I think it'll last for a few more minutes." he said uncertainly.

"A new- oh, thank God. I almost thought that stuff was coming out of you! I have to say, that would be a little gross." Tony laughed. He gave Peter a friendly slap on the shoulder, which made him wince and hiss quietly in pain. Yeah, he wasn't going to ram into another villain anytime soon.

Tony looked concerned. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Peter responded. Well, lied.

"Liar." Tony said, no longer joking. "That was a pretty strong hit. Listen, I've got a friend who's pretty good at patching up superheroes. If you'll come back to my tower-"

"No, no I'm good." Peter took a step back and almost fell. C'mon, healing factor, do what you're supposed to do!

"You're swaying! Stop being so stubborn and just let me-"

"No!" Peter panicked. He couldn't go with him, or he might figure out who he was. So he did the only logical thing… he webbed Tony in the face and leapt into the air. He latched a web onto the nearest building and before he knew it, he was a few blocks away.

Back at the scene of the crime, Tony snatched desperately at the webbing, before giving up and heaving a muffled sigh. "JARVIS," he said in a muffled voice, "Autopilot me back to the tower. I don't have time for this." That guy was crazy.


Peter got back to the tower and crawled in his window. Good ole' JARVIS always unlocked it for him, which is pretty ironic, because part of the reason the windows were locked in the first place was to keep out unwanted guests, and Tony had put in special defense with Spiderman in mind.

He walked along the ceiling and stripped off his suit. His healing factor was beginning to work, but he was still covered in bruises. He grabbed a normal shirt and jeans, then dropped onto his bed. Spider powers were so cool. It had been a pretty productive Saturday morning, but he still had to go out with Tony and the others to get suits for Tony's wedding next week. He would feel like he was intruding, but he had been staying there for a month, now, so he figured it made sense.

A month. How had an overnight stay turned into basically living there? He knew Tony was trying to make sure he got enough food and sleep, but he didn't really mind. Soon, though, he would have to leave. He couldn't let himself get too attached. His thoughts were interrupted by Bruce's voice over the intercom.

"Peter- Peter, you have to get down to the lab! Now!" was he laughing?

Peter sighed and rolled off of the bed. His muscles and skin screamed in protest, but he walked to the door. As almost an afterthought, he grabbed a jacket to cover his arms. He didn't need another lecture from Bruce about bullies.

When he got to the lab, he was greeted by the funniest thing he'd seen in weeks. Well, days. Life was pretty crazy with the Avengers.

Tony was out of his suit, and sitting on a table pouting, with web covering his face. Peter should have felt bad about it, but he was too busy laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, kid!" Tony said grumpily. "Now, help me get it off!"

Peter crossed to the chemicals on the other side of the lab and mixed up a dissolving solution. He'd had to create one because of more than a few instances of getting stuck his own web, and having to wait a whole hour to get down. Luckily, he was only ever seen in this situation once, and it was by Gwen. Within minutes, it was finished and he dabbed it onto the webs on Tony's face.

"Thanks, Pete." He said once most of it was gone. "That stuff is the worst."

Bruce, however, was looking at Peter strangely. "How did you come up with that so fast?"

Oh. Whoops. He looked at Bruce and tried to think up a lie, and within a few moments of awkward silence, he had one. "Um, you know how I take pictures of Spiderman for the Daily Bugle?"

"Yeah." Tony confirmed. He was listening now, too, and looked at Peter impatiently.

"Well, I may- kinda- know him." Peter said slowly, "He helps me out with the pictures and sometimes even poses for better shots."

Tony and Bruce were silent for a few moments until Tony said, "I don't believe it. How is it that you manage to run into pretty much every superhero in New York?!" he shook his head, "It's like you're a frickin' magnet!"

Peter was embarrassed, "Um, sorry?"

Bruce came over to Peter, "Don't mind him, he's just pissy that Spiderman got that stuff all over his face."

"I was just trying to help!" Tony said exasperatedly, "He got all banged up by this rhino guy and and when I asked him to come back here to get some medical attention, he webbed me in the face and ran off. I don't know what his deal is."

"Well, you have that webbing off now, so you should probably get ready to go." Bruce replied.

"Whatever." Tony sighed, "You guys get ready too. Meet me in the common room in ten."

The others went to their rooms, but since Peter was already pretty much ready, he went straight to the common room. When he got there, he found Steve and Clint sitting on the couch, once again playing Mario Kart.

"You star-spangled bastard!" Clint cried.

"Take that, feather head!" Steve shot back.

"You frozen piece of- Oh, hey Peter." Clint paused the game and turned to look at him. "Wanna join? I think Steve is cheating, so I want a good opponent."

"I technically just looked up shortcuts on the internet." Steve defended himself.

"When did you learn to use the internet?" Clint asked, shocked.

"Right after I learned to play video games." Steve grinned.

Peter sat down and grabbed a controller. He was pretty good at video games, but that may have been the extra help from his spidey sense. Apparently, its guidance didn't end in the real world, so he was able to pretty much just sit back and let his instincts take over. Still, Clint was right, Steve had found out a ton of cheat codes and shortcuts. Clint had been nearly reduced to tears by the end, because he ended up in third place, behind Peter in second and Steve in first.

"You betrayed me, Peter!" he cried, standing up.

"I guess you underestimated me." Peter shrugged. The assassin looked like he was about to unleash some pretty strong vocabulary, but at that moment, the rest of the team entered through the elevator. (Except for Natasha. She was going dress shopping with Pepper.)

"Everybody ready?" Tony asked. "The jet's parked on the roof, so let's go."

Clint was the first to storm out, and he didn't even say a word as he took off. For an assassin, Avenger, and agent of SHIELD, he was a bit of a child.

"So why are we going to Italy?" Steve asked, "Aren't there places in New York to get suits?"

"Sure, but none are as good as this place." Tony replied. "Only the best for a Stark wedding!"

Within a few hours, they arrived at a small town near the coast of the Ionian sea. Think of it like the heel of the boot. They parked in an empty field on the outskirts of the town, and walked in. For once, Thor was in casual attire and Tony had gone for an inconspicuous look, but it wasn't long before they were surrounded by fans. The other signed pictures and slips of paper while Peter stood back and watched.

It was funny. Peter was a superhero just as much as the Avengers, but he didn't have to hide every time he went out in public. There were times when the mask felt like it was hiding who he really was, but in reality, it was giving him the freedom to not wear a mask to hide who he was. Make sense? Yeah, I didn't think so.

They eventually managed to get into the tailor shop and Tony spent a few minutes talking to a guy in Italian. Peter wished he had learned a useful language in school, but all he'd been able to take was Latin. So he was stuck not knowing what was being said. Soon, they seemed to come to an agreement and Tony walked back over to the group.

"Okay, you're all being fitted, so follow Bono here to the back." he said.

"What about you?" Steve asked.

"Oh, they already have my measurements on file, so I'm gonna sit here and read Avenger fan-fiction." Tony said, grinning wickedly.

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to read that stuff." Bruce said, blushing.

"Why? What is fan-fiction?" Thor asked innocently.

Tony laughed. 'I'll show you sometime. Now, go! Bono waits for no man." They headed to the back, where they were measured… extensively. Everyone suffered through it, but Steve blushed heavily for some of the measurements, and Thor couldn't hold still. Clint, surprisingly, was completely well-behaved, and even thanked the guy when he was done. Bruce and Peter just went along with it, but were glad when it was finally over.

When Bono finished with Peter and Bruce, he still had to go back to Thor, who had needed a break. Or Bono needed a break from him.

"Hey, Pete? Can we talk for a minute?" Bruce asked.

"Uh, sure. What about?" Peter replied, confused.

Bruce looked around, making sure they were alone, then continued. "About you being Spiderman."


Peter was shocked. How did he know? Maybe he didn't. "I, uh, I-I wish!"

"C'mon, Peter." Bruce shook his head. "How stupid do you think I am?" he looked so… disappointed. Okay, there was no lying his way out of this one.

Peter sighed. "Fine. How did you know?"

"Well," Bruce said quietly, "How about those bruises on your arms? How about the fact that I'll see you with bruises one hour and they're gone the next? You also eat way more than normal, even for a teenager. The list goes on and on."

"Okay, that stuff might be weird, but doesn't make me Spiderman. If you said you had caught me climbing up some walls or something, I would get how you got that conclusion." Peter said.

"I didn't see you climbing walls, but I knew something was off." Bruce shrugged. "Like, I knew you weren't a normal person, but I didn't even think of Spiderman until today. The dissolvant?"

"Oh." Peter said dumbly, because he didn't know what else to say. After a few moments, Peter spoke again. "So what now? Are you gonna tell?"

Bruce seemed to soften at that, "No, Peter, I won't tell. But I gotta ask, why are you even doing this? How did this even happen?"

Peter took a deep breath, "I was-"

He was cut off by Clint bursting into the room they were in, wearing what looked like curtains as a cape. "Doth mine mother know I weareth her drapes?" he shouted in a deep voice, and Thor was close on his heels. Peter had no idea what was going on, but it was hilarious.

Once they raced out of the room, Peter turned back to Bruce. "I'll tell you when we get home."


Here they were, in Peter's room, and Bruce couldn't decide whether to laugh or leave and quit science forever.

"A radioactive spider?" He shook his head, "Is that the best you could come up with?"

Peter looked annoyed, "I'm not making it up! It was hit with this ray-thing, and it bit me."

Bruce rubbed his face. This was crazy. This was Peter! How could this kid possibly be the one going out beating up criminals every night? Even though Bruce had been the one to figure it out, he still had a hard time believing it. "Show me."

Peter sighed, then got up from the bed. He looked like he was trying to decide what to do, before he just jumped up to the ceiling, where he stuck. Bruce almost fell off of his chair.

"Holy-"

"You good, Bruce?" Peter asked, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"How are you doing that?" Bruce asked, looking up at the boy. Peter walked over to a wall and sat halfway down it, with his feet clinging to the wall, and his legs bent over them. He leaned on his knees and said, "I… don't really know."

"So you just...stick?"

"Basically." Peter replied, embarrassed. "Any other questions?"

"Only about a million." Bruce assured him. "But I'm not gonna ask them all today. I do have one I want you to answer right now, though, and answer it honestly."

Peter looked hesitant, but eventually agreed.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

He fell silent, and a silent war seemed to play out in his head. Finally, he closed his eyes, and almost whispered, "I didn't want to hurt anyone."

Bruce didn't know what to say for a moment. He understood the feeling but… he didn't understand why Peter felt it. "What do you mean?" he asked softly.

"I just… I know it's dumb, and I know that it's not even rational, but… I don't trust people. Because everyone I've ever trusted ended up dead." He let his words hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "Bruce, I have to leave, because if I stay here, I'll kill all of you. And the world needs the Avengers. And telling you all who I am- what I am, would only make it harder."

He seemed shocked at his own honesty. He stared at the floor, and Bruce didn't know what to say. "Peter-"

"Promise you won't tell." he interrupted. He looked him in the eyes, and Bruce saw Peter's fear show through. They were a team, and they all trusted one another. But this… this was Peter's secret to tell.

"Alright, I'll promise." Bruce relented. Peter seemed to relax (Which looked weird for a guy sitting on a wall), until Bruce continued, "On one condition."

"What is it?" Peter asked nervously.

"You don't leave." Bruce said, "You stay here where I can keep an eye on you, and maybe help you with those battle wounds. If you go, then I'll tell Tony so fast your head would spin."

Peter bit his lip, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. You know, you're pretty bossy."

"I guess it come with the territory." He joked, and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was eleven at night. "Well, I think a growing spider needs his sleep. I'll be going."

Peter nodded, "Thanks, Bruce." He dropped from the wall and walked across the room to his bed.

Just before he left, Bruce turned to Peter one last time, "Oh, and Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"That thing with webbing Tony in the face today? That was beautiful." Peter gave a snort of laughter as the door closed. Bruce walked to the elevator with a heavy heart. He had never intended to get this close. He, like Peter, had a hard time getting close to anyone. But he just couldn't help himself. Peter had a way of making you love him, even if he was trying his hardest to get you to stay away.

He had so many questions, so many uncertainties. But as long as Peter was here… he supposed those could wait until another day. After all, he had plenty of time.

Right?


No. But we'll get to that later. So what do you think? Action scenes actiony enough? I actually hate writing action scenes, but you gotta do what you gotta do. The wedding is coming up, so just wait a sec while I write it out. I have school now, so please, please forgive me if I take longer to update! I'm writing in every spare moment, so I'm doing my best.

On another note. THANK YOU! I've gotten so many reviews and positive feedback since the last chapter, I'm just really touched. I might have to stop doing the special thanks every chapter, because there are so many people to thank, but Imma do it anyway. Special thanks to Spider-Pig (sorry, but I wasn't able to find your fic. Trust me, I really do wanna read it!) rachel, christina, and gwencarson126. Your feedback means the world to me, so thank you!

I should probably get to work on the next chapter, so please follow and review, and I'll get it to you as soon as I can.

Excelsior!