Yay! Peter is actually alive! Thank you for the reviews! Now, on with the show.
Warning: this chapter is a little gory lol if you have a sensitive stomach, this warning is for you.
The morgue was quiet. For the most part, at least. Tony hadn't slept for almost two days, his mind whirling with hypothesis and theories about how Peter survived his 'death'. Not that Tony hadn't tried. Pepper, Fury, the other scientists, everyone had told him to rest. He couldn't though. He'd close his eyes and the constant flurry of thoughts and ideas in his mind would go from a distracting hum to a screaming fit. He couldn't sleep when he had such a miracle of science hanging in his tower!
Fury hadn't slept either, not in the traditional sense. The man had parked himself in the room on a chair, and occasionally, his eye would close, and the man would slip into a catnap of sorts. Tony envied that skill and determined that he would learn it himself after this latest adventure was taken care of. No, Stark was far too enraptured with his newest project to sleep. He ate sparingly, enough so Pepper wouldn't nag him, but his entire focus was on Peter. Tony gave a soft chuckle at that thought. While the kid may have played the goofball and made it seem like he had a big ego that loved the spotlight, those who knew him knew that couldn't have been farther from the truth. How would Peter feel about all this extra attention?
"Get ready for chaos," Fury's rumbling baritone cut through the pleasant silence, almost startling Tony.
"Huh? Why?" the scientist queried, throwing on a pair of goggles that could use various filters such as thermal vision. "Oh, wow!"
Fury raised an eyebrow, it had become common for the scientist to exclaim about some new thing he noticed about the web sac, but Fury couldn't deny his own curiosity every time he heard it, "Walter Cage just informed Spider-Man's S.H.I.E.L.D. team about his survival. They should be here any moment."
"That's nice," Tony nodded, most likely not having heard a word that Fury just said, "that aside, take a look at this!"
The Director stood, approaching the scientist. Tony had long removed the ladder and replaced it with two wheeled machines that could lift baskets up into the air close to the sac. It certainly made studying the thing easier, that's for sure. Not only that, but the Avenger had also removed Peter's husk, squirreling it away out of sight for future testing and so no one would have to sit next to it while waiting for their spider's rebirth. Right hand stretching up, Fury plucked the goggles out of Tony's grasp and placed them on his face.
"What am I seeing?" he asked.
"In human gestation, when a woman is pregnant the baby will have a temperature of about 6 degrees higher than the mothers." Tony explained "Granted, he's not in a traditional womb, but his temperature versus the sac is identical. He's truly in an embryonic state right now. He's floating in a sort of amniotic fluid and breathing it in, just like a baby would."
Taking the goggles off, Fury was once again astounded by what he saw, "Amazing," he whispered, then handing the goggles back the Director once again asked the question burning in his mind, "but are we any closer to finding when he'll come out?"
"Well, I can say for certain it won't be nine months," Tony quipped dryly, jotting down his observation in a notepad.
"Stark," Fury growled, not in the mood for jokes.
"I don't know," the scientist sighed, throwing the pad of paper aside and spreading his arms helplessly "just like I didn't know the last hundred times you've asked me. We can only go so far in hypothesis here considering I've never seen anything like it."
"Ok, then here's another question that's been bothering me," Fury hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it but then powered through "can we be sure that this is truly Parker?"
Tony paused, his lips pursing as he considered Fury's question. In truth he had considered that himself. Just because it had Peter's DNA doesn't mean it's him. What if it was a clone and they really had lost Spider-Man? However, one bit of knowledge had greatly encouraged the Italian. "I recently conducted a particular experiment." He began slowly, choosing his words carefully, "it wasn't easy because we couldn't conduct it in the traditional sense, however, I was able to place many sensors and electrodes around the web sac. Using them I was able to rig up a way to measure brain activity and create a brain map of sorts."
"And?"
"And the level of brain activity, how it was drawn out on the map perfectly matches the brain map I took of Peter in the weeks before his death," Tony finished, a smug smirk quirking his lips.
"So then, it very likely could be him?" Fury felt relief rush through his frame like a fresh breeze.
"I'm about 90% sure this is absolutely Peter Parker, back from the dead." The Scientist nodded.
"90% is better than nothing, I guess," the Director shook his head then wandered back to his chair.
He had no sooner sat down than was startled by the banging of the morgue door as four rambunctious teenagers barreled through. "WHERE IS HE?!"
Fury sighed, and merely turned in his chair jerking his thumb up at the web sac, "He's up there."
"Whoa." Nova's jaw dropped, "He's in that?"
"I mean, my dad explained it to us, but…" Power Man shook his head and took off his sunglasses to get a better look, "wow, and I mean, WOW."
Ava turned to Danny, eyes wide with curiosity, "Is that really him? Can you sense his energy?"
Iron Fist had been scrutinizing the sac since they arrived, and a happy grin slowly stretched across his face, "Without a doubt, it's the Spider's chakra. He's alive."
The team burst into cries of jubilation, hugs were given out and high fives exchanged. However, Iron Man was intrigued by the words of the young monk. He suddenly got an idea that may assist him in answering the Director's query and may help him better understand Peter's current condition.
"Iron First, right?" Tony leaned over the basket to assess the teen hero before gesturing for Danny to join him, "You can analyze aura's, huh? Want to come up here and see if you can answer the question Fury and I haven't figured out yet?"
Danny tilted his head, but gave a nod anyway, "What question might that be?"
"When can we expect him to come out of this thing?" Fury supplied making Stark snicker at the impatience in his tone.
Danny merely smiled in amusement then quickly climbed up the basket to stand next to Stark. Reaching forward, the monk tentatively touched the sac, jerking back at the foreign texture. Iron Man chuckled at the slightly creeped out look Danny wore but said nothing when the teen tried again. Placing his hand on the side of the sac, Iron Fist focused in on Peter, connecting their two auras and seeking out a way to make contact. Blond brows furrowed as he pushed past the spiritual barriers and obstacles keeping him at bay, exuding what he hoped was a nonthreatening stance. 'I only wish to speak to my friend', he stated.
With a flash, Danny's spirit was transported, and he found himself standing in a meadow similar to the one Peter enjoyed visiting in Central Park. Come to think of it, he was in Central Park. He could see the skyscrapers all around him, could hear the bustling traffic, the chatter of people and inhale the smell of sizzling hot dogs. This was Peter's safe place. In the heart of the city that he loved best. Which was odd, considering Danny thought for sure it would be May's house, but maybe the lies and secrets he kept made the place too stressful for Peter. He did remember once how the Spider had once told him he enjoyed patrolling because flying around as Spider-Man was the only time he felt truly free and at ease. He felt like himself.
"Spider?" Danny called, "Spider, are you here?"
Iron Fist continued scanning the glade, his blue eyes searching for the familiar face he knew so well. "Spider?"
"Danny?"
The monk perked up at the voice, and as he turned, he saw a shock of brown hair and hazel eyes that could only belong to one person. As his lips spreading in a joyful smile, Danny waved at his friend, "I've been looking for you!"
Peter approached his teammate, his eyes heavy with concern. "What are you doing here?" he asked, fear darkening his features, "I thought I died?"
"You did," Danny confirmed with a solemn nod.
"Then you shouldn't be here!" the spider hybrid shouted, "Please, don't tell me you're dead too?! Was it Morlun?! What about everyone else?!"
Danny reared back at the force of Peter's bellowing, his lips twitching before the monk began to chuckle, and then to laugh. Spider-Man stared, his jaw hanging in disbelief, which only made Iron Fist laugh harder. Finally, after a few moments, Danny straightened from where he had bent over, "I apologize, my friend," he smiled, wiping the mirth from his eyes with a finger, "it is just so good to see you, and then you immediately began fretting over the team's wellbeing just as you always have. I was overjoyed to the point of laughing, I guess."
"You still haven't answered my question," Peter pouted.
"The team is well, and Morlun is gone." Danny confirmed, smiling fondly as Peter sagged in relief.
"Awesome," the spider sighed, but sent another quizzical look Danny's way, "but then why are you here? I mean, I'm dead, so shouldn't this be the afterlife or something?"
Danny shook his head, smile never faltering, "No, indeed it is not."
Peter's eyes widened, suddenly looking around him with renewed interest, "But then," he stammered turning brown eyes back onto his teammate, "Where am I?"
"You're alive, Spider," Danny couldn't help the uncharacteristic grin that stretched across his face as he admitted the wonderful news, "your mutation saved your life."
Spider-Man's knees wobbled, and Danny ran forward but was not fast enough as Peter collapsed onto the ground, "I survived?" Spidey murmured, eyes quickly filling with tears, "Really? Like, I'm really, really alive?"
"Yes," Iron Fist chuckled, kneeling down onto the soft green grass next to his friend, "your spider mutation saved you from the radiation poisoning by making you shed your skin after your death. Luke's father explained it to us that some species of spider can shed their skin once in a lifetime if they are fatally wounded or ill. You did die, as that was the only way to save you, your old skin met its end. You're currently hanging in a large web sac in what Tony Stark refers to as an embryonic state. We are all waiting for your rebirth."
"Whoa," Peter huffed, brown eyes wide, "I…don't even know how I'm supposed to react to that. I honestly thought that I died, and this was where I ended up. I'm just glad I didn't tell May yet, that means she didn't have to go through the pain of thinking I was really dead. But shedding my skin? That's a lot to take in. Speaking of which, if I'm alive and hanging in an embryonic state then, where is here?"
Danny shrugged, "I'm not sure. Maybe a place your mind has constructed to house your consciousness as you wait for your body to finish repairing itself?"
"So, when can I leave?"
"Once again, I'm not sure," the monk sighed, "I cannot say when you may be reborn. I believe, that may be up to you."
"Well, if I get a say in it then I want to go home. Now." Peter stated, giving a decisive nod.
"Then we'll be waiting for you." Danny stood and then turned to leave, but was stopped by the voice of his leader.
"Danny," Peter's voice suddenly sounded nervous, hesitant.
"Yes, Spider?" the monk replied, puzzled over the sudden change.
"Has Iron Man," the Spider paused, his brow furrowing as he wrung his hands, "has he found anything about me…different? You said that I'm in a web sac in a kind of embryonic state, which sounds cool but I'm kind of concerned."
"Concerned how?"
Spidey groaned, running his hands through his hair, "It's one thing to suddenly mutate from a spider bite and become Spider-Man. I can even handle my initial mutation mutating again to save my life from radiation poisoning, but…"
The monk waited, letting Peter gather his words, "I admit there's a part of me scared of waking up with a spider head or something," the hybrid chuckled humorlessly "what if I mutated to the point, that I'm not me anymore?"
Iron Fist considered the Spider's words. He could understand his leader's trepidation. It wasn't exactly normal to die and then suddenly resurrect via spider mutation. That was one of the reasons Tony Stark was so deliriously happy. The Avenger was overjoyed to have a new scientific marvel to study but was also over the moon about the fact the Spider didn't truly die. Casting blue eyes onto the still fidgeting form of Spider-Man, Danny analyzed his aura, noting every flicker and hue.
"I can sense a change in your chakra," Danny finally admitted quietly, "there is something different about you that I think is part of this mutation to save your life. However, I do not see any change drastic enough that it would affect your humanity. Not to the extent that you fear, at least."
Peter bit his bottom lip, worry still evident on his face, "To what extent is it effected?"
"Of that, I cannot say," Iron Fist shook his head mournfully, "while I can say that you may wake up to some surprises due to the second mutation, I cannot tell what they may be. But I can give you my solemn vow that we will be by your side helping you master any new abilities or changes to your physical body. You will not be alone, Spider."
A smile softened the worried features of Peter Parker, and the teen finally released a resigned sigh, "That's better than nothing." He chuckled, "I guess it's time to get this party on the road, huh?"
Danny nodded in response, beginning the process of detaching himself from the dream space, "As you say, my friend. Let's go home."
With that, Iron Fist dissolved the connection, and the morgue came back into focus. Leaning back, the monk rubbed his temples with a slight groan, feeling the effort it took to maintain the connection. He wasn't going to complain though, Peter was alive, and he was coming back to them as soon as he was able. Turning to face his team, Danny was somewhat surprised to see the room now housed all of the scientists who had been helping the Spider through his illness. Danny gave a mental shrug, no time like the present to let them all know about the Spider's imminent arrival.
"The Spider is well," he reported, heart warm with the news he could bring, "and he will be here soon. He's attempting to wake himself up as we speak."
No sooner had Iron Fist given his report when the web sac trembled, and with a strange sucking sound it cracked open. Blood red fluid leaked from the breach, dripping onto the floor.
"Ew…"
Ava punched Nova in the gut, her face stern even through the mask, "Do you want Pete back or not?"
"Of course, I want him back, but that's gross!" Nova huffed.
Tony chuckled, "It's the miracle of life, kid."
"Speaking of the miracle of life," Walter Cage piped up, "we're going to need an extra-large receiving blanket or something, because this is going to be messy."
"I got an idea!" Hank Pym stepped over to a nearby medical cart and picked up a soft towel. Plucking a device from his belt, the man swiftly made quick use of the silver disc and soon had the towel as big as a king-sized blanket, "This should work."
"Efficiently done," Reed nodded his approval.
"Alright kid," Tony grinned to Iron Fist, "you better get down so we can have plenty of room for the doctors and scientists."
Danny nodded, leaping down from the metal basket. Hank, Walter, Reed and even Bruce Banner scrambled up. Stretching the now enlarged towel between them, they waited for Spider-Man to make his reappearance.
"Reed, stretch out to get more of the blanket under the sac," Tony directed, "I don't want to take the chance of missing him should he surprise us by coming out the other side."
"Right,"
The split in the sac widened, and the dribble of amniotic fluid quickly became a stream of blood and liquid. The scientists shifted their stances, bracing themselves for the coming torrent and tightening their grips on the material. Their faces serious, focused entirely on the web sac hanging over them. Reed Richards glanced at his comrades and found himself chuckling at the sight, making Iron Man cast a quizzical brow at the leader of the Fantastic Four. "Something funny over there, Stretch?"
Reed merely shrugged, "It's moments like these that I must admit that being both scientist and defender of the world brings me a great deal of pleasure."
Bruce gave a small huff of laughter, a smirk twitching his mouth, "We do get to see some pretty wild stuff."
"Who could have predicted that we'd be playing midwives to a giant spider egg sac containing a teenage Avenger?" Hank Pym threw in, "I deal with insects on a daily basis, and the occasional arachnid, but even this is a new one for me."
Tony's shoulders shook with laughter, agreeing wholeheartedly with his friends. Their mirth was cut short, though, as the scientist quickly noticed a very large lump pressing against the open seam of the sac, "Get ready, boys," he bellowed, eyes glinting with glee, "I think he's crowning!"
"Seriously, labor puns?!" Reed scoffed.
"What else?" Tony cackled, "You know the kid would appreciate a few puns at the occasion of his rebirth!"
"Five bucks says the first thing Spidey does when he wakes up is crack a joke," Bruce snickered.
"I doubt he'll be capable of the complicated thought required for humor," Reed rolled his eyes, "he'll be lucky to make any coherent sense. He's literally being reborn! For all we know he may not even retain his memories of his life."
"Please," Fury scoffed from where he stood nearby Spider-Man's team "it would take a lot more than a near death experience to kill that kid's sense of humor."
"Or lack thereof," Nova muttered making his teammates chuckle.
"Enough chatter!" Walter Cage shouted, "Here he comes!"
With a rip, the side of the sac burst open, and a large humanoid figure spilled out landing on the blanket. The Scientists scrabbled to catch him, but as Tony predicted, the momentum was a bit difficult to manage, "Somebody catch him, he's slipping off the side!" Tony bellowed.
"I got him!" Nova flew up the ten feet between the floor and the suspended baskets, hands grabbing the part of the blanket that no one could hold, "Holy-! Is it just me, or did he get heavier?!"
"Just look at that new muscle tone, and you've got your answer!" Walter Cage grinned.
New muscle tone indeed. In fact, the Spider was changed in more ways than one. His shoulders were broader, sinewy muscles rippling under the skin in waves. If Peter was ripped before as Spider-Man, he was even more defined now. The kid's frame would make most superhero's jealous to see it, much less covet having one like it. Even the hero's face had lost its baby chub, and now sported the angular lines of young adulthood, giving a glimpse of his how his features would look into his twenties. Although covered in blood, Nova was happy to report that Peter had no scars, no evidence of past battles, even his eye was completely healed. The young guardian also noticed that Peter wasn't wearing any clothes.
"Uh, Ava," Sam yelled over his shoulder, "you might want to close your eyes!"
"Why?" was the Tiger's irate reply.
"Let's just say Spider-Man is wearing his birthday suit," Walter laughed.
"As in, absolutely nothing at all." Tony elaborated.
Ava's blush shone through her mask and the girl turned around, her eyes resolutely fixed on the door of the room. Fury smiled in amusement at the girl's reaction, shaking his head softly, "Honestly, it's not like it isn't expected. How many newborn babies do you know are born in a full set of clothes?"
Ava sunk in embarrassment as the room erupted in laughter, "Fury, can you grab the blanket as Nova and Reed bring it down?" Tony directed, slowly lowering his side of the enlarged towel, "We can set Peter on the empty bed I had brought down from the med bay. I'll have him wheeled there as soon as I get some quick tests done."
Fury nodded, and accompanied by Luke and Danny, the group gently settled the reborn spider into the hospital bed, using the large size of the blanket to cover him modestly.
Tony leapt from the basket, rushing to see his patient. Peter hadn't opened his eyes yet, but he was already becoming fussy. It wouldn't be long until he came around. Using the moment as an opportunity, Iron Man gave a quick field physical to the teen. His pupil reaction to light was normal, and the teen's heart rate and blood pressure were perfect. But there was a strange film on his skin that made the scientist give pause. "Wow," he murmured, running his thumb along Peter's bicep, "would you look at that?"
"What is it?" Reed pushed his way through the group, his own face serious with scrutiny.
"He has a vernix layer!" Tony chuckled, eyes wide with wonder, "Just like a newborn baby."
"What's a vernix layer?" Nova asked, head tilted in confusion.
Walter turned to face the guardian, his features soft with relieved joy, "A vernix layer is something every human being is born with. It protects the baby while it is inside the womb, and even provides vital nutrients to the skin to help withstand the climate and the rays of the sun. It absorbs into the skin within 48 hours of birth."
"The fact that he has one just proves that Peter was truly reborn," Tony elaborated, "I mean, just feel his hair! It's soft, just like a baby's is. I can't even see any evidence of scars he used to have. It looks like he is completely brand new! I wonder if that means that anything he went through as a kid is gone too?"
"I know one way we can check," Walter Cage scooted his way over to the spider's head, and then gently opened Peter's mouth while shining a small flashlight down it, "your hypothesis is correct, Stark, his tonsils grew back."
"HA!" Tony shouted, punching the air, "This is amazing! Can you imagine Peter having to start over? He literally got a new lease on life!"
"Not to mention an upgrade," Hank Pym snickered, "I wish I could get my body that bulked up so easily."
"I'm not sure dying and shedding your skin should be considered easy," Ava muttered.
"Agreed," Tony nodded, giving the Tiger a fond smile. "It definitely wasn't easy for our little hero, but for now I would request that everyone make some room so we can get him settled into the med bay and out of this depressing place."
This was met with unanimous agreement, but before they could start Nova grabbed the railing of the bed, "Wait!"
"Kid, can you let go? We need to get him out of-!"
Tony stopped talking, his breath catching in his throat when he finally noticed what made Nova flip out. Two brown eyes were opened and were staring quizzically at the group surrounding the bed. Sam leaned over the railing until he was eye level with his friend, one hand reaching out to clutch Peter's arm, "Hey, web head," he grinned, refusing to acknowledge the happy tears gathering in his eyes, "how do you feel?"
The team gathered behind Nova, each jostling to get a better view of the sleepy spider. Peter's eyebrows scrunched and the teen coughed, forcing new vocal cords into action, "W-Who…" Spider-Man rasped, "Who…are you?"
The smile on Nova's face withered and the teen drooped, his team mirroring his disappointment, "You don't recognize us?"
"I told you, it was extremely unlikely-!"
"Shut up, Reed," Tony hissed, shooting a glare across the bed.
"Come on, Pete," Ava pleaded, "we're your team!"
Peter cocked his head, looking much like a puzzled puppy, "Team?"
"Yeah!" Luke jumped in, "You're Spider-Man, we work with S.H.I.E.L.D,"
"I don't know what S.H.I.E.L.D is, or even what a Spider-Man is," Peter murmured, brown eyes blank, "are you sure you got the right person?"
Danny, however, wasn't phased by the teen's words, "Spider," he said in a tolerant voice one often heard among siblings, "you can stop now."
Peter's gaze flicked up to Danny, and with a glimmer of mischief, the monk knew his guess had been correct, "Aw, come on Danny," he snickered, "you just had to ruin it."
"Wait, what?" Sam narrowed his eyes as he took in the laughing face of his friend, "Oh, no you didn't."
Peter melted into giggles, weak though he may have been, his mental faculties were definitely still firing at one hundred percent, "I'm sorry," he gasped, struggling to fend off the annoyed slaps of the guardian, "Sam, I mean it, I'm sorry! I had to do it! You would have! I know you would! Come on, man! Stop hitting me, bucket head!"
The room was quickly filled with laughter as Bruce cleared his throat at Reed Richards, "My five bucks?"
"I never took that bet!" Reed scoffed indignantly.
"Yes, you did," Walter nodded, "when you disagreed it was an automatic agreement to take the bet. You lost."
Reed rolled his eyes, "Fine," he groaned, "I'll get it to you later."
Bruce grinned in triumph as Tony guffawed happily, "Alright, you can beat him up later," the Avenger chuckled, "let's get him settled into his room and cleaned up first, ok?"
Nova ceased his attack on Peter, unable to stop his grin from stretching across his face, "Whatever," he shrugged, "I guess I can let him off the hook this time. It would be too easy considering he's still just a baby anyway."
"I'm not a baby!" Peter balked, "I only shed my skin, Danny said so!"
"And you were reborn," Ava explained, a mischievous grin of her own lighting her features, "you even have a vernix layer."
"I have a what?!"
"A vernix layer," Luke enunciated with a snicker, "which means you're just a little baby. So weak and helpless!"
"It wouldn't be fair to pick on someone so young," Danny threw in as the group began their walk to the elevator."
"Oh, you guys just wait," Spider-Man growled, "when I'm back on my feet, we'll see just who's weak and defenseless in the training room!"
Fury chuckled at the threat, "I can't wait," he murmured.
I think it is safe to leave the chapter right here. Next time Peter will get to see his new abilities and try to get back into his old routine as Peter Parker.
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