The boys sat in the conference room bouncing ideas off of each other. Johnny looked over at Peter about thirty minutes into it. "Osborn. That's why you took off after Gwen introduced you to Harry."
Peter nodded. "I had just met a dead man's son. I've spent the last five years making sure that I don't kill anyone. You all know Tony as my dad but neither one of us knew about it until I was 17. The man I thought was my father died in a plane crash when I was 3. I've been an orphan longer than I've been Tony Stark's son." Peter looked down. "I was raised by my aunt and uncle then my uncle was killed when I was 14. To be responsible for a son no longer having a father hit me really hard."
"He tortured you. Tried to kill people you care about. You have zero reason to feel bad about his death." Wyatt was starting to understand Peter's vehement insistence on not killing anyone.
"So my dad and MJ keep telling me."
"Speaking of MJ. I'm assuming you're putting some kind of protection in place. How are you managing that?" Bobby had seen Peter after MJ had broken up with him for trying to protect her. He really didn't want his friend to have to go through that again.
"She's agreed to a tracker and a body guard. Just not sure how the body guard thing is going to work. Happy going to class with her would not go well." Peter glanced over at Wyatt. "What about Jennifer. They're roommates."
Wyatt frowned. "She is so freaked out over all of this. Telling her that her life may be in danger is not going to go over well."
Peter sighed. "I went the route of keeping MJ in the dark and she broke up with me. All I can say is that if you think she'll keep your secrets then telling her the truth isn't a bad option." Granted Peter and MJ had way more history but Peter was starting to get some perspective when it came to being a superhero. He was even starting to wonder if keeping his identity a secret was even worth it. That was a much bigger conversation that he couldn't even think about having right now.
All five boys looked over to the door as it was pushed open. Tony walked in and surveyed the scene in front of him. "Team meeting."
"Yes." Peter answered, looking at his dad with a questioning look.
"No...team meeting. In the command center." Tony sighed when all five boys looked at him with the same questioning look. "All of you report to the command center. Full team meeting."
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Steve and Natasha looked up as the five boys filed into the command center with Tony pushing Peter in last. The rest of the team that was at the compound had already made it in and were sitting around the table. Once everyone had settled in Steve looked over at Peter. "Are they up to speed on what happened with Osborn?" After Peter nodded he continued. "After what happened in California we're working under the assumption that Osborn's files on Peter got out." He put up a picture of Basil Sandhurst. "SHIELD has all hands on deck looking for Basil as well as our mysterious fixer."
Peter leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table and glanced over at his team. "You've probably come to the same conclusion we have - that they're both working for someone who has an interest in controlling Super Soldiers and Bio Enhanced individuals."
Johnny sat back and looked up at Steve. "Which begs the question 'why'. Who needs to control that much fire power."
Tony smirked at Natasha who was currently beaming with pride that the boys had come to the same conclusion. Natasha put up another picture. "Best guess...Ross. His anti-mutant rumblings are starting to turn more into a movement." She glanced around at everyone at the table. "We are flying under the radar with this and not looping SHIELD into our suspicions. Ross still has a lot of friends in high places."
"Going after Ross is going to have repercussions." Sam glances around at the group. "I'm not saying he isn't responsible. I'm just saying we need to make sure we have facts and not just speculation."
Steve nodded. "Which is going to take time. Ross has always been good at covering his network."
Wyatt frowned. "Something else is bothering me about this. Why grab me and Peter. I get that their target was probably Peter and I was just in the way but does that mean they don't have the super soldier serum complete?"
"Actually, we think you and Peter were probably both the intended target." Natasha switched the picture up to the controller tech with a series of code next to it. "We think Ned might have gotten suspicious. When they removed the device from him they were able to interface with it and see at least the back end of the code. We think he was trying to build in a back door. If they found out and their goal was to get it done they would have needed to make sure that you couldn't stop them." She looked over at Peter. "You were in the SUV when you met Ned for lunch and when you four went out for dinner, right?"
Peter nodded, frowning. "You think they tracked the SUV?"
"Not exactly. Basil is a computer genius. Hacking into traffic cameras would have been easy. If he knew what you were driving he could have located the vehicle." She looked at Wyatt. "You were just as much of a threat they just didn't know who you were so they couldn't plan for you."
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Most of the Avengers trickled out after receiving their assignments. Peter stayed behind. "I need a way to protect MJ and pulling her out of school isn't an option. She's agreed to a tracker and protection but..." he looked over at Natasha, "you know her definition of protection and mine are totally different."
Natasha nodded. "I know. I gave some thought to just moving in with her but I think we came up with a better option."
Steve sat down next to Peter and Tony. "We called T'Challa to fill him in on Ross. He's been fighting the anti-mutant movement politically and he knows Ross is a snake. He had a great idea that we think MJ will be ok with."
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Peter walked into his bedroom upstairs. MJ had been put there although she had barely spent any time there since she had slept in Peter's room in the MedBay.
"Hey, they cut you lose. I'm assuming that means your heart is working right again and the Spider healed your side?" MJ stood up from where she had been reading on Peter's bed and walked over to Peter. Pulling up his shirt she inspected the area where the wound had been. All that remained was the faintest hint of redness.
"Dr. Cho officially released me." He leaned over and kissed MJ before sitting down on his bed. "Your brand new watch, complete with your very own panic button and satellite tracker will be ready tomorrow. No nanotech spider suit although I did consider giving you a web shooter."
MJ sat down next to him laughing. "I thought I did pretty good with it."
"You did." Peter looked over at her. "I don't think I tell you enough how amazing you are."
MJ frowned at him. "You better not be trying to butter me up just to tell me you're locking me away until this is over."
Peter quickly shook his head. "No, if fact I think you'll actually like the option Nat came up with." He pulled out his phone and hit dial. Soon a face appeared on the screen.
"MJ! I was hoping you'd come back to Wakanda to visit but it looks like I'm having to come to you."
MJ stared at the phone in disbelief. "Nakia?" She looked at Peter, "You got Nakia to be my body guard."
"Peter had nothing to do with this. Natasha and Steve called to fill T'Challa in on what's been going on. I happened to be in the room at the time. I volunteered. Think of it more as two friends catching up."
MJ looked between Peter and Nakia. "When do you get here?"
"We'll fly over tomorrow and will spend some time working on logistics." Nakia smiled, "MJ, there is a saying in Africa...'Even the lion, king of the forest, protects himself against flies'. Do not look at this as unneeded and inconvenient. It is my hope that you don't need me. But if you do, I shall be there."
MJ sighed, "I know. I'm working on it. It'll be good to see you." The call disconnected and MJ looked at Peter. "It could be worse. I was worried Natasha was going to move in."
"Oh...that's Plan B."