What If

Chapter 12: Team-Up

Note: Do I not get any reviews anymore? Do I suck that much?

I've decided that home is not that bad of a place to be.

I mean when you are me, its like you don't have to worry about not having food, or running out of pocket money

The Xaiver School for Higher Learning American Express card

Don't walk around without it

I think of this now as I stand in front of a sixteen year old Russian girl as she rings my purchesses of a new pair of black tennis shoes, I hate white shoes, in fact I hate the color all together, a pair of new jeans, and a black button up shirt

"Your total today comes to 156.56" the clerk says through her thick Russian accent

I have to smile a bit

"Wow, did you rig that number up or am I getting that repetitive?"

The clerk's smile grew larger

"Will that be cash or charge?" she asks, strictly business

"Charge I say as I hand her my card"

You know I still don't know where the professor got all his money, but it is kinda nice to be able to go out and do stuff like this every now and then

The clerk handed me my shopping bag and receipt, and with a wink I am out of the store

And on to the streets of New York

I stand on the sidewalk, and like a tourist I stare up to the skyline

God it was beautiful, this town was fantastic, the people, well some of the people in the city, are fantastic. New York is just one of those cities that if you know your way around, you just can feel the history of her, smell

I start to cough…

Hard…

Well maybe not smell the city but you get my drift. I can honestly say that I am in love with a city. Probably because I don't actually live in it, I live upstate so I don't have to be in the city all the time.

Oh, I just got a brilliant idea, something that I haven't thought of since I got home.

I pull out the cell phone that Dad and Emma were so gracious in giving me out of my pocket and dial information. With this phone I have a link up directly to a SHIELD satilite that can track my movements throughout the world, I guess Dad would like to keep a close eye on me or something. Plus I have the numbers for everyone from the Fantastic Four, to Captain America. When my father told me that I just looked at him, shocked.

"Why would I need Tony Stark's home number" I asked

"Because you never know" was his answer

In our line of work I guess that is true

But it was missing one number in particular that I would like to have.

"Information"

Damn, I almost forgot of what I was doing

"Yes I would like the number for the Daily Bugle" I said with a smile

The cool female voice on the other line had shocked me back to reality

"Hold please" she said

The phone automatically dialed the Bugle

"Thank you for calling the Daily Bugle, New York's premiere paper on everything you would want to know about the city, this week in the Pulse we have an interview with former Avenger Janet Van Dyne"

Blaa, Blaa, Blaa I thought as I hit the zero key for the operator

"Operator" another female voice said rather gruffily

"Yes can I speak to Peter Parker?"

"What office?"

I stopped and thought, does Peter even have an office?

"Newsroom, I guess"

"Hold please"

Damn I am glad that I don't pay the bill for this thing, I think I could be spoiled really fast

"Betty Brant, how may I help you"

Ahh finally a voice that I did know

"Hi Betty, this Nate Grey. I am looking for Peter Parker. He doesn't happen to be there is he?"

"No, Peter doesn't come in as much anymore. Actually I think he is working at PS 118 in Queens now, you might want to check over there" She said

"Ahh thank you Betty, I appreciate it"

"Anytime"

And with that, the line disconnected

Pete is a teacher now

Damn I was gone for a while

I looked down at me watch, a quarter to three. Fifteen minutes to get from downtown New York to Queens. To most would be a problem, but when you can fly

I summoned my power together, and lifted off the ground in a bright light

For some reason I always did get a kick out of seeing people's reaction to random people flying off

Oh crap the bags…

I smiled

See the thing about being a telepath, especially one of my power, you can make people see what you want them to see. Case in point, the entire time I have been standing around in New York and shopping, I've just been in a pair of boxers and nothing else, but you would never know this because I am a telepath and I made you "see" that I was fully dressed.

HA

Every now and then these powers come in handy.

I poured on the speed and flew over to Queens, I want to be able to throw this stuff on before I shock Peter. I landed on a nearby roof and quickly dress. I float down to a nearby alley and walk the rest of the way to the school. I lean up against the wall and check my watch. Three right on the dot. I watched the kids push through the doors in droves, it was a feeling that I never got the chance to have seeing how I was home schooled.

The feeling of the last bell sounding. That rush you get as you grab your stuff and run like a madman for the doors, the pushing, the yelling of times to hook up with your friends. Sometimes I think that regular kids have it better than I ever have, and I am a hero.

Then I hear it

"Mr Parker, Mr Parker, what chapters do we have to read for homework?"

"Well, just because I am feeling a bit lenient today, just chapter seven, think you can handle those five pages Jessica?"

The girl laughed

I smiled, kid's got a crush

"Mr. Parker, you're a funny guy"

"Yeah, you should see me at home. Have a good weekend Jessica"

"You too Mr. Parker"

Then I see him

Peter looked a bit ragged, I could see that his arm had been recently broken, it was healing nicely. From the way he was standing I could tell that he was working on less than three hours of sleep.

Hard to believe that this guy is the Amazing Spiderman, he swings around the city on webs, spouts out witty quips in the face of death, that this guy hangs out with some of the biggest and best of us all.

And he is one of my best friends

Peter turns his head, as if his spider-sense was going off. He looks me up and down, I kinda give him a half wave

"What's up?"

"Nate?"

"How are you Pete?"

Peter rushed to my side and slaps me on the arm, then pulls me into a hug

"Oh man…I heard you were dead"

"Nah, it takes a lot too kill guys like us"

Peter threw up his finger to his lips

"Hey, hey the kids man"

I smirked

"Oh come on, Pete. Half these kids are trying to figure out if we are gay, least expect that you are Spiderman and I am an X-Man"

"Really, do they really think I'm gay?"

"Well you do run around in little booties"

"Well I do have a hot wife"

"That's true you do have a hot wife"

"Hey now"

Being around him again, just felt good. It felt like I was truly home

"So come on Pete, you can buy your long lost dead friend a slice of pizza"

"On a teachers salary? You should be buying it"

I laugh

"Alright, then you can explain why you are teaching"

"It's a funny story really"

"I am sure it is"

Back at the mansion…

Scott was sitting at his desk, the light gleamed off of the ruby red quartz glasses. He sighed, he never expected running the school would be so much work.

"Mr. Summers?" A voice came into his head, must be the telepath that answers the phone

"Yes"

"You have a call"

"Do you mind putting it on screen"

"Coming on"

Suddenly in front of him appeared the grizzled features of Nick Fury. It appeared to be on a holo screen, just another example of Shi' Ar' technology at work in the school

Scott sat back in his chair

"Nick, what can I do for you?"

"You got some explaining to do Summers"

"And what might that be, Nick"

"You know damn well Summers what I am talking about"

"Nick you called me"

"For a smart guy you play pretty dumb. How come one of my agents in New York saw your son fly off during rush hour?"

"I don't know, maybe he was in the city doing some shopping"

"What I am talking about Summers is the fact that your son, which you and Xaiver told me and the President, was dead was flying off of 5th Avenue"

"We never said that Nathan was dead, we said that he was under control"

"And under control in my business is that he under six feet of dirt"

"He is under control Fury and that is all you need to know"

Fury voice grew to a small roar

"No it isn't Summers, now SHIELD has never had to step in on how you run that school. We didn't say anything when Magneto ran the school and he is a known terrorist. We didn't step in when Xaiver had that spell of killing off the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and countless others"

"And you sure as hell didn't step in when your splinter team allowed an alien that was planning on killing us devise a cure for mutants either Nick, so don't try to give me this holier than thou crap"

"Let me get two things here clear Summers. One we have always kept to our own but I am the one person that is standing between a war between you and the US government for the rights of your kids and two, I don't personally like the fact that you are harboring a mutant with God like powers without telling us"

"Nick, my son is not a god and he knows how to use his powers"

"Didn't he use these same powers to bring your ex-wife back from the dead?"

Scott folded his hands in front of him

"I can control my son Nick, he is no worry to you or anyone else"

Fury growled

"Yeah tell that to the people in Manhatten when Magneto took over"

And with a blink Fury was gone

Scott sighed

"And you tell that to the millions that died in Genosha" he said to no one

Scott took off his glasses, making sure to keep his eyes close, so he did not unleash the power that was inside him…

Life was going to get rough again for the X-Men, but then again, life was always rough for them.

Next up

The amazing adventures of Nate and Peter

Till then

I remain

X