Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. I know the last chapter was kind of a shocking one because of the kiss. This is a huge step in Emma and Peter's relationship but don't think that they're going to rush into anything. Emma and Peter are definitely attracted to each other but it's a slow process for them. The kiss might cause feelings to evolve more between them but Emma clearly has a lot of issues so it'll be a while. Emma and Peter are still in the process of trying to figure each other out.
JuggernautJJ: I don't think I'll work any of the Netflix story lines into this story because I think Emma's going to have enough adventure in her life as it is. I have a lot in store for her after the Homecoming story line. She might cross paths with Jessica Jones but I don't she'll be a part of the defenders. Also... I think Emma might actually root for the Punisher. I can see everyone else wanting him in prison but Emma just totally being cool with the Punisher on the loose.
writeremma: I don't think it'll be forever until Emma has contact with Steve and Bucky but definitely not a for a while. It'll be post Homecoming. That's not to say that Steve and the others will be completely absent from the Homecoming story line so you might want to stay tuned for the next chapter. I also have to say that it breaks my heart having Emma be apart from Steve and Bucky. I just want them back together so bad but I know some stuff has to happen in this story before that can happen. That's why I'm going to keep updating.
Spawn Hades: I've really thought long and hard about this but I don't think I'm going to wait until Infinity Wars comes out. It's a long time and I also have a lot of ideas where I want my story to go after the Homecoming story line. I'll probably do something of my own with Thanos but it won't be for a long time. It'll just be my own little spin on the Infinity Wars. So... no, there won't be a time jump.
Thanks and keep reviewing!
Emma followed Peter and Ned back to Peter's apartment after the two had finished running tests on the power source. All through that time Emma felt like there was a different sort of atmosphere than there had been before. There was definitely tension between her and Peter but Emma couldn't really figure out why. She had a feeling like he might be angry with her but she wasn't sure. When Steve angry at her he would yell at her and get all red faced and her father never got mad at her… she didn't think she had ever seen him mad despite being one of the world's most feared assassins. When Rumlow or Colonel Karpov had been mad at her they'd beat her to a bloody pulp. That was Emma's experience with people being mad at her but Peter did none of those things. He was just unusually silent for an otherwise chatty teenage boy.
The obvious tension between herself and Peter was setting her on edge because she didn't understand what his deal was. Peter was usually an easy person to read but right now he couldn't be more complicated. His deafening silence was really starting to frustrate Emma. She just couldn't seem to figure him out. No one told her that teenage boys were this confusing. If someone had then Emma might've reconsidered asking him for a truce. It was only when Ned left Peter's bedroom, to get some snacks from the kitchen, did she finally choose to ask Peter what his problem was. If they were going to be working together in close proximity then she needed to get this settled with now.
"Okay, what's your problem, Parker?" Emma asked suddenly, cutting to the chase. She was sitting on the edge of his bed, watching him cautiously as he sat at his desk. Peter just shrugged as he turned around to look at her.
"I don't have a problem. I'm fine." Peter replied and Emma groaned.
"Can we not do the thing were you say you're fine but you're really not." Emma told him. "I've seen Stark and Pepper do the same exact thing more times than I wished I'd seen." Peter just sighed as he ran a hand over his face. He was at a tipping point with the frustrating blonde.
"Fine. The truth is that I don't understand you." Peter finally told her and Emma gave him a confused look.
"What?" Peter just shook his head.
"You're the single most confusing human that I've ever met." Peter said. "You can be nice to me one second and then just completely insult me the next. You tease and taunt me then you kiss me of all things but you tell me that it's for a mission. I can't understand you." Emma just stared at him with an unreadable expression before answering.
"Maybe I don't want you to understand me." Emma retorted and Peter just shook his head in frustration.
"See! It's exactly that." Peter stared at her as he gave her an incredulous look. "That whole thing you did in the stairwell? You never even told me what you were planning. You don't tell me anything."
"Why would I have told you anything?" Emma questioned. "You would've only asked a hundred questions and we didn't have time for that."
"You should've told me because we're partners in this." Peter told her, his features softening. Emma didn't know how to feel as he stared at her with those warm brown eyes. Kind eyes. "Look, Emma, I guess I sort of get your point in showing me how far I have to be willing to go in a mission but we really need to communicate better if we're going to do this. Communication is just as important as the stuff you showed me." Emma processed what he said thoughtfully and she realized that he was right. Maybe she had been so used to the silent communication between her father and her that she just expected the same thing to happen between her and Peter. Emma sighed.
"I guess you're right." She admitted. Peter gave her a slightly surprised look because he didn't take Emma as a person to admit when they were wrong. "I haven't had a partner in a long time so I'm still a bit hazy on teamwork."
"You had a partner before?" Peter asked softly and Emma nodded, a barely noticeable smile on her face.
"Yes. It was a long time ago." Emma told him. "He's a silent kind of guy so we never verbally communicated that much."
"It's the Winter Soldier, isn't it?" Peter asked quietly. "I remember reading somewhere that the Winter Soldier and the Viper Assassin were companions of sorts. I also remember seeing you two at the airport together. You fought really well together… almost like it was a dance routine." Emma nodded, the smile on her face growing wider as she fondly remembered her father. If there was any time at Hydra that she actually enjoyed, it was all the time she got to spend with her father on missions. It wasn't really the norm for a father daughter day out but it was enough for Emma.
"Yes. The Winter Soldier was my partner." Emma confirmed and Peter noticed the gleam in her eyes as she mentioned the Winter Soldier. He suddenly felt a little flushed as he took notice of the happy gleam in Emma's eyes. He felt a searing feeling of... Jealousy? Was that right? Did he actually feel jealous that Emma had a partner before him and it was the Winter Soldier. Peter bet the Winter Soldier was a lot better partner than he was. The guy has a metal arm for crying aloud. You couldn't get cooler than that.
"Was he a good partner?" Peter asked, trying not to seem too interested. He tried to play it cool and surprisingly Emma seemed to buy it as she became lost in the thoughts of her former partner in crime.
"The best. He never talked much but he didn't need to." Emma stated, the smile never leaving her face. "We had an understanding. We'd do anything for each other." The jealousy in Peter seemed to spike the more Emma talked about the Winter Soldier. He had never heard her speak that nicely about anyone before. It had to mean something.
"Do you like him?" Peter blurted out, instantly blushing as Emma gave him a bewildered look. Okay, he hadn't meant to go that far.
"What?" She asked in a confused state.
"I know he's older and all but do you think you're into him or something like that?" Peter tried to ask nonchalantly and a disgusted look immediately came over Emma's face. She couldn't believe he just asked her that repulsive question. What even drove him to ask that?
"What?! No! Of course not." Emma told him, repulsed by the question. "Why the hell would you even ask that?" Peter was starting to think he might've had the wrong idea about Emma and the Winter Soldier. She seemed kind of pissed that he asked her that. Okay, so maybe she didn't like the Winter Soldier like that.
"I don't know." Peter said defensively, immediately knowing that he had asked the wrong question. "You just seemed really close. That's all." Emma just scoffed.
"You do realize that he's my grandfather's childhood best friend, don't you?" Emma asked him, glaring at the stupid teenager. Peter just gave her a sheepish look. "Even if I didn't care about that it would still be disgusting considering that he's like my fa-" Emma never got to finish what she was saying as Ned walked back into the room with an assortment of snacks.
"I got everything, guys, Doritos, Chex Mix, Cheetos… you name it." Ned proclaimed as he remained oblivious to the odd conversation Emma and Peter just had. It seemed like that part of their conversation was over and Emma was glad. She didn't know what got into Peter's head sometimes. How did he think up shit like that? Honestly…
"Here, I got the tracking device so we can see where those guys went." Peter said as he brought out the tracking device from a drawer in his desk. He instantly wanted to get back to business so he could forget that awkward turn in his conversation with Emma. Peter handed the tracking device to Ned who immediately looked at in awe. Emma noticed that it was part of his suit, remembering seeing it around his wrist the night before. Emma's disgusted look had then morphed into a bored one as she looked at the device. She had decided to put that last bit of conversation with Peter out of her mind. It was better for everyone that way.
"This is so awesome." Ned said as the device turned on and showed a holographic image of the current location of the two idiots. Peter sat down on the bed next to Emma as he also stared at the device.
"I know, right?" He agreed. "They're in Brooklyn." Peter pointed out as the holographic image grew larger. Brooklyn. A saddened expression came over Emma's face as she heard Peter mention Brooklyn. Steve. Steve had always talked about Brooklyn and how proud he was to call it home. She was instantly reminded of him yet again until she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Don't let you self be compromised. Don't be compromised. She repeatedly told herself.
Before anyone of them could respond Emma heard the door of the apartment open and close. She instinctually stiffened but reminded herself that it was probably only Peter's aunt. With some amusement she noticed the wide eyed look on Peter's face as he started panicking. He immediately told Ned to hide the device and then grabbed some school books from his backpack, tossing one to Ned and then Emma. She realized then that Peter probably had to be a lot more secretive about what he did at home since his aunt didn't know about his superhero alter-ego. It was quite different than Emma who had just told Darcy and Jane all about her adventure from the night before.
"It's Aunt May." Peter explained anxiously. "Just be cool and act natural." Emma just raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as Peter pretended to study the notes in his notebook.
"Hey, Peter are you in here?" A soft voice asked as the door immediately opened. Emma was met with the sight of a pretty brunette woman who looked to be in her late forties. The woman wore a kind smile on her face as she entered the bedroom. "I was wondering if-" May immediately stopped talking as she saw an unfamiliar face sitting next to her nephew. May looked at the pretty blonde teenager in surprise, having never seen a girl in the apartment before let alone Peter's bedroom. She was a pretty young thing with golden blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. For some odd reason the girl instantly screamed ballerina to May. It was just something in the way the girl held herself and probably how long her legs were too. May also thought it was odd how close the girl sat next to her nephew. She was completely astonished because she had never seen Peter with a girl before. Granted Ned was there too but still.
"Oh, hi." May said in surprised as she continued to stare at Emma with much interest. May then looked at Peter curiously. "I didn't know you had a girl in here, Peter. I don't think I've ever seen a girl in here before." Peter instantly blushed at his aunt's admission and Emma looked between the two in amusement.
"She's a friend from school." Peter muttered, feeling embarrassed by his aunt. Emma then decided to put on some charm and gave Peter's aunt a kind smile, feigning the part of an innocent doe eyed teenage girl.
"Hi, I'm Emma." Emma introduced and May smiled at the girl's polite tone.
"I'm Peter's Aunt." May introduced before a slightly curious look came over May's face. "Emma? You wouldn't happen to be the Emma Peter keeps telling me about? The one who sits next to him in history class? He said you're the smartest the girl he's ever met. He also said you're the reason he got a perfect score on his history test." Peter suddenly felt like sinking into a hole in the ground and never coming back out. His face flushed an impossible shade of red as Emma briefly gave him a smug look before smiling a more innocent smile at his aunt.
"Well, I guess that's me." Emma told her. "I hope it's okay that I'm here, Mrs. Parker. We're supposed to be working on a project together for history class." May just waved her hand dismissively. Peter just stared at the blonde in astonishment. How did she do that? How did she act so innocent and cordial and then play that part so well? Peter just had to know.
"Of course it's fine. Make yourself at home." May told her. "And you can call me May." Peter then cleared his throat as some of the embarrassment went away.
"Emma and Ned might stay the night tonight." Peter told his aunt. "We've got a lot of work to do." May nodded.
"Well, that's fine. As long as Emma's parents know." May told Emma. She didn't bother telling Ned because her nephew's friend was there so often that he practically lived there. Emma nodded as she kindly smiled at May.
"Yes, I've already let my sister know. It's her I live with and not my parents." Emma told May and May nodded understandingly.
"Okay. Make sure you guys just leave the door open." May told them. She never used that rule when it was just Peter and Ned but now that a girl was in her nephew's room… well, rules changed. She then gave Emma another welcoming smile. "If these boys are bothering you just let me know, Emma." Emma then flashed a charming smile in May's direction as she then wrapped an arm casually around Peter's shoulder, pulling the wide eyed teenage boy closer to her.
"Don't worry, May, you've raised quite the gentlemen." Emma told her and May just smiled before leaving the room. The older woman couldn't help but remark at how nice of a girl Emma was. She really hoped that a girl being in Peter's room meant that her nephew was finally dating because she was really starting to get worried for him. The charming smile then fell off Emma's face as she removed her arm from Peter's shoulder and looked back at both him and Ned.
"Your aunt seems nice." Emma remarked.
"She is." Peter replied as he tried to calm down from the encounter between his aunt and Emma. He was still in awe over how calm and collected Emma had been, portraying herself as just another ordinary teenage girl. She really had to teach him how to be that calm and collected. Emma then smirked at Peter as a thought popped into her head.
"So… I'm the smartest girl you've ever met, huh?" Emma questioned Peter teasingly. Peter immediately flushed red in embarrassment at Emma's remark and even Ned snickered at his best friend's embarrassment. "I hope this doesn't make Liz too jealous. I don't really do cat fights." Peter glared at the smug looking blonde before closing his notebook.
"Shut up." He muttered bitterly. It was nice to see that Emma was back to teasing him which meant that things were back to normal between them. The tension felt awkward earlier and he was glad that it was over. Truthfully, he didn't think he could stay mad at Emma for long. Emma Rogers was just too interesting of a person for that. It was true… Peter had never met anyone like her and he didn't think he ever would again.
"I really hope this doesn't take too long." Ned said suddenly as he and Peter shared a bag of Doritos. Emma just looked at the nacho cheese flavored chips in disgust before returning her attention to her sketchbook. She was currently lying across Peter's bed, making herself at home just like Peter's aunt told her, as she sketched a new drawing. Peter and Ned were still paying avid attention to the tracking device as they tracked the two idiots but Emma didn't really concern herself with the tracking device. It would let them know when the two idiots finally arrived at their evil lair.
"Why not?" Peter asked curiously.
"Because we have the decathlon trip tomorrow." Ned explained and Emma looked up from her sketchbook as she suddenly remembered the trip. It wasn't really like her to forget things like that but so much had occurred over the past few days that her mind didn't have time for much else. It really surprised her that she was able to forget about the trip considering there was some important business she had to take care of once they arrived in D.C.
"Shit. I forgot about that." Emma cursed and Peter looked down at his hands. He was reminded of the fact that he kind of ditched the decathlon team.
"I honestly can't wait." Ned boosted, not noticing the sad expression on his friend's face. Emma noticed. Ned then glanced over at the blonde who was glancing at Peter with a curious expression. "Have you been there before?" Ned asked her and Emma immediately turned her attention to the other teenage boy. Peter's brief saddened state ended once he looked at Emma curiously.
"Yes, a few times. My grandmother used to live there when she was still alive." Emma told them honestly. Peter noticed the somewhat softer look on her face when she mentioned her grandmother.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." Peter told her quietly and Emma gave him a small smile before shrugging as if she didn't really care.
"It's fine. She had a long life." Emma told the both of them. A curious look came over Ned's face as he stared at her. Something was definitely bugging him.
"Who was your grandmother by the way?" Ned asked curiously. "We all know that Captain America is your grandfather but who's your grandmother?" Peter also gave her a curious look because the thought never occurred to him. Emma just sighed before answering.
"Her name was Peggy Carter." Both Ned and Peter's eyes widened at Emma's admission.
"Peggy Carter?" Ned asked in disbelief. "As in The Peggy Carter? One of the most badass women of all time? Wait… that makes so much sense. Badass genes must be hereditary in your family." Emma laughed at that. Peter stared at the blonde in wonder because he had only heard Emma laugh like that once. It was the same music laughter that he had heard when Peter accused her of trying to kill him.
"That's hilarious, Ned." Emma told him. "I don't think I've ever heard that one." A perplexed expression came over Peter's face as something else occurred to him.
"Wait… How did that happen?" Peter asked suddenly. Emma just looked at him like he was stupid.
"What do you mean how did it happen?" Emma asked sarcastically. "They fucked and my father was conceived. Geez, Parker, I thought they taught sex ed at school." Peter immediately blushed at Emma's crude remark.
"No, I meant how did it happen if Captain America was frozen in ice for seventy years?" Peter asked her and Emma shrugged.
"Well they obviously conceived my father before then. Apparently my grandmother didn't even know she was pregnant when my grandfather went down in the ice." Emma said as a thoughtful expression came over her face. "When Steve woke up, years later, my father was long dead and my grandmother had already moved on with her life. She had gotten married and had more children hence lots of grandchildren… She had a happy life." Peter felt a sinking feeling in his chest as he thought about what Emma just told him. Even Ned seemed troubled by this information. Peter just realized that Emma never mentioned what happened to her parents. She told him before that Hydra had taken her away from her home but he didn't remember her saying what had happened to her parents until now. He supposed it was safe to assume that her parents were both dead. That resonated with Peter since he also lost his parents at a very young age.
"That's so sad." Peter stated as he thought about what she said about her grandfather but the thought of her deceased parents still lingered there in the back of his mind. Emma looked back at him. "I never really thought about how hard it must've been for Captain America. It seemed so cool when everyone found out that he was still alive and he had only been asleep for all those years. I never thought how hard it must be waking up in a completely foreign world. Everyone you love is either dead or they've moved on with their lives." Peter finished saying and Emma looked down at her hands. She knew it was hard on Steve but she never really brought it up that much with him because she knew it probably hurt. Her grandfather was a bright and positive person that didn't let anything get him down so she never mentioned it because she hated to see him sad.
"It is hard on him." Emma admitted. "He never even got to know the son he never knew he had. I think that's why he's always so protective over me… he's actually quite smothering. Steve wasn't there to protect my dad and so he promised himself that he'd always be there for me." Peter analyzed the lost look in Emma's eyes. Maybe he had been wrong before when he called her an emotionless robot. It was clear to him that she really missed her grandfather. Peter felt a bit guilty as he stared at the lost looking girl because he felt partially responsible for taking her grandfather away from her. He had been on Mr. Stark's side of the fight after all. The lost look in her eyes then vanished as quickly as it had come and Peter continued to wonder how she did that. She showed you a more vulnerable side and then just in a flash it was gone. She was back to being her stoic and cold self.
"But he's gone and that's probably for the best." Emma continued to say, making it clear that this conversation was over. "It's better that he's on the run than him sitting in some underwater prison." Both Peter and Ned's attention was immediately taken away from the emotional response they had gotten from Emma as they were left dumbstruck by what she had just said.
"Underwater prison?" Peter questioned in surprise. Emma just raised an eyebrow at the two as she smirked, loving how she still knew more than Spider-Twerp did.
"Oh, Stark didn't tell you, Parker?" Emma said mockingly. "He didn't tell you where all the other Avengers were sent to after the airport fight? That's right. Prison. He sent them to the Raft Prison which is basically an underwater prison in the middle of the ocean… Well, it's more like a helicarrier prison."
"I didn't know." Peter said quietly, trying to process what she just told him. He knew that the other Avengers had probably been held somewhere before they escaped but he figured that it might've been a regular prison with college classes and cable. A really nice prison and not an underwater one.
"It's a pretty shitty prison if you ask me." Emma said truthfully. "If I was unenhanced then I would've been really seasick." Peter and Ned both looked at her in surprise.
"You were in prison?" Ned asked her, completely in awe that there was a potential ex-inmate of a superhero prison sitting in front of him. Emma just shook her head.
"No, I'm technically a minor so they couldn't hold me there." Emma told them. "I was interrogated for seventeen hours though. That was incredibly boring and a huge waste of time. I think Ross finally realized that at the end." Peter raised an eyebrow at that.
"Secretary Ross interrogated you?" Peter asked. This story just kept getting stranger and stranger. A lot of the stuff that Emma told him he found shocking but this was incredibly shocking to the teenager. Emma just scoffed at Peter's question.
"Yeah but he wasn't any good at it." Emma replied. "You would not believe the shit that guy's been trying to hide in his past. If the President knew than he never would've appointed him. He's a pretty sketchy individual." Wow… Peter thought to himself. Government conspiracies? Well, there wasn't really ever a clean cut politician. Most of them were corrupt.
"So they just let you go?" Ned asked and Emma rolled her eyes.
"I wish." She muttered before continuing. "They released me into Stark's custody. It was my worst nightmare come true. He made me live at the facility upstate with him, Vision, and Rhodes before he finally kicked me out. Thank god. If I had lived any longer in that place with him than we probably would've murdered each other. I could stand living with him when the others were still there but not when there was only four of us left. It was a really toxic environment." Emma glanced over at Peter and Ned who were eagerly hanging onto every word she said as she described living with the Avengers. She didn't really know why she was telling this all to them. Maybe it was because she wanted their trust or maybe it was just because she needed to vent about this to someone. Sure, she had Darcy to talk to but Darcy was weird about stuff like that. She didn't really take Emma's annoyance with Stark seriously. Darcy was kind of annoyed with Stark for tearing the Avengers apart like some people were but she was an easygoing person who didn't hold it against him either.
"So why did he send you to school?" Peter asked curiously. "Wouldn't he try to keep you there with the other Avengers?" It was a question that had been bothering him a for a while. Emma was a former assassin who was the last person someone should've wanted to send to a high school. He didn't really understand why Mr. Stark would send her to a high school when she could probably be of better service to the Avengers.
"He said that he wanted me to be a normal teenager… that I should spend time with kids my own age." Emma told them. Peter had to admit that Mr. Stark had a point there. Emma had grown up in a Hydra facility most likely and then spent all her time with superheros. It made sense that he wanted Emma to have a normal life. "I think he just wanted to punish me." Peter didn't really believe Mr. Stark would want to punish Emma but he didn't argue with her.
"Why didn't you run away then?" Peter asked her. "I don't think Mr. Stark could really keep you here." Emma glanced back up at Peter, her expression softening.
"My grandfather made me promise to listen to Stark." Emma confessed. "He told me I'd be safer with Stark so I decided to respect his decision. I owe him that much. Trust me… the second I turn eighteen I'm leaving this place to join the others… that is unless they come back before then." Peter didn't know how he felt about Emma's statement. She wanted to leave and she had made that so obvious. Emma seemed like she couldn't wait for the day when she was eighteen so that she could run away and join her grandfather. It made Peter a little sad knowing that she wanted to leave so bad but it was still years away. Maybe this whole Sokovia accords thing would blow over by then and Emma wouldn't have to run away.
It still perplexed Peter that Emma might just up and leave one day. Maybe she'd leave before she turned eighteen if she got tired of waiting for her grandfather. Would she even say goodbye if she left? Would he just walk into Spanish class one day and the seat next to Michelle would suddenly be empty? Peter hadn't known Emma that long but after the past week he suddenly couldn't imagine going to school and her not being there. It was like she was there all along. He knew that Emma was kind of crazy but he was really liking the idea of having a partner… someone to fight alongside. It was like they really were Batman and Catwoman. He didn't dare say that to Emma because the last time he said that she looked at him like he was stupid and then flew out his window.
"Wouldn't you be a war criminal then?" Peter asked. "You'd always be on the run." Emma didn't seem that bothered by Peter's statement. She just shrugged and leaned back on the bed, not looking to have a care in the world.
"I've been worse things." Emma said, a far away look in her eyes. "Being on the run wouldn't be so bad. At least I wouldn't have to worry about seeing Stark's ugly mug." Peter wondered how she could hate Mr. Stark that much. It wasn't completely his fault that the Avengers had been torn apart. It was both side's fault. Captain America was to blame too.
"Okay, I just have to say that you're the single coolest person I've ever met." Ned said suddenly breaking the obvious tension in the room. Emma and Peter looked away from each other to give Ned an incredulous look. The serious conversation quickly became forgotten. "You're like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. You're all like "I've been places and I've seen things"… you're like this super cool assassin who used to be one of the bad guys but now you're one of the good guys so you know how to think like a villain. Not to mention you're the granddaughter of two badass people. Wait… what about your parents? What do they do?" Ned suddenly asked in his little rant. Emma just looked at him, debating whether or not to talk about her parents before she eventually relented. Who could it hurt?
"They were Shield agents." Emma answered, avoiding the subject of her parent's death and Ned's jaw dropped open. Even Peter was surprised to hear this although he wasn't sure why. Emma's grandmother had technically created Shield so it made sense that Emma's father would join Shield as well.
"Is your whole family a family of badasses?" Ned asked her in disbelief and Emma smirked as thought about her cousin Sharon.
"Something like that." She answered, remaining as vague as possible.
"It really must be hereditary then." Ned said to himself before he went back to asking Emma all sorts of questions about her past life as an assassin. "Peter told me that the Avengers rescued you from Hydra. That must've been cool." Emma just shrugged.
"I guess. I didn't want to leave at first but they managed to convince me." Emma told them and Peter raised an eyebrow.
"Convince you?" Peter inquired and Emma rolled her eyes.
"Well, they sedated me. We kind of got off to a rough start… I broke Barton's bow and knocked him out then broke Romanoff's wrist. I also threatened Banner with a scalpel later on… I guess bonding with them was a slow process." Ned gave her a wide eyed look. Peter just stared at her, stumped by what she just said. Emma made it seem like she hadn't wanted to leave Hydra. If she was forced to work for them like she previously told him than why hadn't she wanted to leave? Peter didn't really want to question it about her right this moment. He had a feeling she wouldn't give him an answer with Ned there.
"Marry me." Ned said suddenly as he stared at the blonde in awe. Emma looked at the boy like he was crazy and even Peter wondered what the hell was up with his best friend. Could Peter not see how cool this girl was? Ned wondered. If Peter was still too hung up on Liz then Ned had to at least try. "Please marry me. It would be so cool. You'd go out there and be a badass then I'd have dinner waiting for you when you'd come home." Emma just laughed as she looked at Ned in amusement.
"Sorry, Leeds. I'm you'll make some girl very happy but marriage isn't on my agenda." Emma told him and Ned pouted.
"I'd be such a good husband though. I promise to wash all the dishes and clean the bathrooms." Ned pleaded although it was clear that he was joking… Well, semi joking. "I would love you so much. I promise." Emma looked at Ned as if she couldn't believe he actually said that but she was mostly just amused by the dark haired boy. Peter was still in disbelief that Ned was actually going there.
"Love is for children. There's more important things I have to worry about." Emma said as she shot him down but Ned wasn't that dejected. It made sense that Emma was anti love and marriage. It wasn't like there was many assassins out there who were married and lived domestic life styles. Peter just sat there wondering what Emma meant by that. Love is for children? What an odd saying.
"Well, if you're not going to marry me can you at least tell me about one of your missions?" Ned asked her and Emma gave him a suspicious look. Peter was snapped out of his thoughts about Emma when he heard Ned's strange request.
"You mean one of my Hydra missions?" Emma inquired and Ned nodded excitedly. That kid was too weird. Why would he be curious about a Hydra mission? Hydra was one of the bad guys.
"Yeah. Come on, tell us about one of your missions." Ned begged and Emma stared at him for a long moment. She guessed that she could tell them about one of her missions. Not all of them had to do with assassinations. Sometimes Hydra had her rescue important Hydra operatives from hostile situations. Emma finally relented and decided to tell Ned and Peter about one of the less horrifying missions she had been on. She wanted them to trust her so maybe this was a way for her to earn their trust. However, she still didn't want to make them scared of her by talking about a mission like the ones she had gone on with her father.
"Fine." Emma agreed. She'd tell them about the mission she went on in the Amazon. That was one of the more PG-13 missions. Both Ned and Peter eagerly listened to the blonde as she agreed to tell them a story. Emma was someone that had seen some real action… a lot of action actually. She obviously had a lot of experience in the world of spies and assassins. That's what made Peter and Ned interested in her past even if her past was the dark kind.
"It was 2011 and I was in the Amazon." Emma started to tell the story and the boys hung onto each and every word that came out of the blonde's mouth. "All my technical equipment and gear had been compromised and there was still an important Hydra official I was supposed to save. A corrupt politician that had been held for ransom by some Guerilla fighters…"
It was almost midnight when the three teenagers decided to finally call it a night. Emma had heard Peter's aunt head to her bedroom hours before so the apartment was dark and quiet. Ned was already passed out on the bottom bunk snoring loudly. Emma had spent most of the past couple hours telling the boys all about the less gory missions she had been on. They seemed to be really impressed with all the places she had been to. Truthfully, Emma never paid much attention to Big Ben when she was in London or the Eiffel Tower when she was in France. No, she was more invested in the mission.
"I guess we should probably get some rest." Peter told Emma as they sat on the floor, facing each other. Emma had been sketching in her sketchbook during that time while Peter just stared at the tracking device. She glanced up from her sketchbook. "Especially you since you still have to go to the decathlon trip tomorrow." Emma sighed but nodded in agreement.
"Okay, Parker." Emma agreed. She could still tell that he felt a little guilty about leaving the team but she didn't call him out on it.
"You can take the top bunk." Peter told her and Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Then where will you sleep?" Emma inquired. "Ned doesn't look like he wants to share the bottom bunk." The both of them glanced at the boy in question who was sprawled across the bed with the bag of Doritos strewn at the end of the bed and an assortment of his books from school littering every other available area.
"No, I'll sleep on the couch." Peter said and Emma just looked at him.
"It's your bedroom. You shouldn't have to sleep on the couch." A mischievous look then came over Emma's face and Peter started feeling worried. Nothing ever good seemed to come out of that look. "Why don't you join me?" Peter's eyes immediately widened at the blonde. She really was insane.
"What?!" He asked in surprise, his voice did that thing were it got all high pitched and squeaky. Emma thought it was hilarious whenever his voice got like that. She was just glad that she knew the right buttons to push to get that sort of reaction out of him.
"I trust that you'll keep your hands to yourself, Parker." Emma told him. She should've been wary of even the idea of sharing a bed with someone of the male gender but Emma decided not to care. Maybe if she pushed herself into this then she could get over her irrational fear of men… or rather intimacy with men. It was a dangerous game she was playing but Emma was used to playing dangerous games. She also didn't think Peter would try to hurt her. He wasn't like Rumlow.
"I can't do that." Peter said panicked. "My aunt is in the next room." Emma just rolled her eyes at his childishness.
"It's not like we'll be having sex." Emma replied causing the teenager to blush a vivid shade of blood. How old was this kid, anyways? Why did he blush every time she mentioned anything remotely sexual. It almost reminded her of when Stark would tease her grandfather. Her grandfather's embarrassment was very misplaced. It was clear her grandfather was no perfect angel. How else did she and her father come to be in this world? "I promise not to jump you, Parker. I'll keep my hands to myself. You'll be safe from my lustfulness. Don't you worry one bit." Emma said sarcastically as she slowly levitated off the ground so that she wouldn't have to climb the ladder of the bunk bed.
Peter just stared at the blonde in bewilderment. She was completely insane… just incredibly crazy. He watched as she landed herself onto the top bunk of the bed with no effort at all and gazed down at him from her new spot on the bed. She smirked at him and patted the spot next to her. Peter just groaned, rolling his eyes as he immediately started climbing the ladder of the bed. He couldn't believe he was even giving into her demands but he honestly didn't want to sleep on the couch. It was incredibly cold in the living room at night. Emma slowly scooted over to give him some space and Peter glared at the innocent look on her face. He didn't understand why she loved to play these games so much. He didn't know what was in it for her and he may never know either.
"You better not murder me in my sleep." Peter told her as he laid there next to her. "Because I'm kind of starting to feel like Michael Douglas at the end of Basic Instinct." Emma just watched him, her blue eyes looking him over with interest. When she stared at him like that it made him nervous. She looked at him like she could almost see through him and that terrified him.
"Murder you? I'd never murder you, Peter Parker." Emma said in a mocking tone. "You're too entertaining for me to murder. Who would be there to entertain me if I killed you?" Emma joked and Peter realized that he really didn't like her sense of humor. She had the weirdest sense of humor out of anyone he had ever met. He huffed.
"I'm glad that I'm entertaining to you." Peter said bitterly and her smirk slowly morphed into a small smile at his bitter tone.
"I'm just messing with you, Parker." Emma told him. "I don't hate you like I hate everyone else." Peter just mulled over her odd confession. He wasn't sure if that was a compliment.
"Um… Thanks?" Peter said, sounding unsure of what he was supposed to say to something like that. Emma just rolled her eyes.
"I'm trying to be nice here. Work with me, Parker." Emma replied. Peter just stared at her in wonder as a comfortable silence grew between them. A few minutes passed by and Emma had relaxed on her side of the bed, her eyes closed but Peter could tell that she hadn't fallen asleep. Her breathing hadn't really slowed.
"Emma?" Peter asked quietly through the darkness of the room. Emma's eyes shot back open as she glanced back at him.
"What, Parker?" Emma asked, her voice sounding slightly annoyed. "I'm trying to get some rest here."
"Was that your first kiss?" Peter asked suddenly. Emma looked at him tiredly as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion from his random question.
"What are you going on about?" She asked in confusion.
"The kiss today. Was that your first kiss?" Peter asked her. Emma immediately stiffened at Peter's question. She quickly grew uncomfortable but answered his question nonetheless.
"No." She said vaguely and hoped that Peter's would drop it but she should've none better. Peter was way too curious for his own good.
"Who was your first kiss then? When did it happen?" He asked her and Emma tensed.
"It doesn't matter." She said coldly. Peter noticed the coldness in her voice but he didn't understand it. Emma teased him all the time and made jokes of a sexual nature. Why would she be bothered about a simple question about a kiss?
"I think it kind of matters." Peter insisted. "I mean this was my first kiss. Today, I mean. You were my first kiss." Emma just stared at him. She kind of figured that Peter was inexperienced but she hadn't been completely sure until that moment.
"I didn't know." Emma murmured, her voice softer than usual. "I know that you probably wanted to kiss Liz. I'm sorry if I took that away from you. It was never my intention." Emma told him sincerely and she meant it. She knew what it felt like to have something taken away from you. Peter was a bit taken back by the sincerity in her tone. Wasn't this the girl who said never to apologize? Emma's gaze was intense as she stared back at him and Peter was just glad that it was dark in the room so she couldn't see him blush. Or maybe she could if she had enhanced vision but she didn't say anything or tease him like usual. Peter shook his head.
"No, I enjoyed it. I mean… I did kiss you back after all, Emma. You didn't take anything away from me." Peter told her seriously. "Don't misunderstand me... I really like Liz and all but the kiss was nice."
"I know you like Liz, Peter." She replied and Peter felt his heart race against his chest as she called him by his name which she hardly ever did. "She's a nice girl."
"She really is." Peter replied as he thought about Liz but his thoughts suddenly felt torn. He knew he liked Liz but he was starting to wonder if he may have been forming feelings for the blonde next to him. A thought suddenly occurred to Peter as he looked back at her. "What about you? Do you like anyone?" Emma raised an eyebrow at him.
"Do you really want to have girl talk with me right now?" Emma asked him before she shook her head. "But to answer your question. No… I don't like anyone. I don't have time for stuff like that right now. I have too much on my plate and even if I did have time… Well, I don't think I'm capable of having those sort of feelings." Peter gave her a confused look.
"What?" Peter questioned.
"Hydra taught me that love is a weakness. They instilled that in me from a young age." Emma knew she was just bullshitting Peter because she did feel love. She loved Steve and her father but what she meant was that she didn't think she'd be capable of falling in love. "I wasn't lying when I said love is for children. Romanoff taught me that phrase and she's right. There's no place for love in our world."
"You can't honestly believe that?" Peter asked her as he looked at her in shock. "Emma, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
"Is it? It's not like it matters how I feel anyway." Emma told him bitterly. "What person would want anything to do with me if they knew all the things I've done? You know, Steve wanted that for me. He wanted me to have the whole American dream because he missed out on it. He wants me to have that sort of thing for myself but it's just a pipe dream. Steve thinks I'm a better person than I am. He only sees what he wants to see... he doesn't really see me." Peter felt his heart clench at the bitterness and cynical nature of Emma's words. Did she honestly think of herself like that?
"You shouldn't talk like that about yourself." Peter told her with determination. "I know we haven't known each other long but you're not a bad person… you're good. You do and say some crazy things but you're still good underneath it all. If you weren't then you wouldn't be helping me track down those weapon dealers." Emma carefully scrutinized him.
"What if I'm just doing this for entirely selfish purposes?" Emma asked him. "What if I just don't want Hydra getting the weapons to be on my conscience?" Peter just stared back at her, his gaze unwavering.
"I don't believe you. You care about people and you care about the world." Peter said and Emma could tell that he really believed that. Emma was taken back by the fierceness in his eyes as he said that. Emma wasn't sure how deserving she was of his praise. Steve was the only other one who really believed those things about her.
"I'm sorry you believe that." Emma told him, closing herself off and Peter could only sigh in defeat. He knew he had been so close to breaking down some of her walls but she just closed herself back up. Peter wished more than anything that Emma would open herself up more to him since they were working together but he could tell he was just lucky that she had told him as much as she had. That was probably more than most people were able to get out of her. The room had been quiet for a few minutes again but Peter couldn't take the silence as something else started to bother him. Maybe if he brought this up he would be able to connect with her on a different level. He just had to take the chance.
"Emma, what was it like?" Peter asked and Emma's eyes flew open again. It was easy to tell that she was becoming very frustrated with him.
"What is it this time, Parker?" Emma asked in an annoyed tone. Peter looked a bit shy as he asked her a less serious question than the one before.
"What was your first kiss like?" Peter asked, honestly wanting to know. Emma's throat grew dry as she stared back at him through the darkness.
"Why do you want to know so badly?" She threw back at him.
"Well, I shared my first kiss with you so I just wanted to know about your first kiss. Who was he?" Peter said to her and Emma could feel her heart pounding against her chest. Honestly Peter felt very curious about the kiss since he was slowly starting to maybe have feelings for Emma. He wanted to know if there was someone else out there waiting for Emma. Peter knew he was treading into dangerous waters if he was going to start having a crush on Emma so he told himself he was just curious because Emma was his first kiss. It was only natural that he was curious about her first kiss. He was very conflicted with himself hence why he was in denial.
"It wasn't anything special, Parker. Neither was he." Emma said shortly. Peter felt a bit taken back by the coldness in her voice.
"I guess what I really want to know is if he was a lot better at it than I am." Peter admitted shyly. Emma analyzed the innocent expression on his face and knew that if it was anyone else she wouldn't hesitate to beat them to a bloody pulp for asking that but it was clear that Peter didn't mean any harm. He was just curious and it wasn't like he knew about the nightmares that still haunted her. She couldn't blame him for his curiosity. Emma swallowed as she relaxed against the pillow her head was resting on.
"You were so much better, Peter. A hundred times better." She told him quietly before she quickly turned around to face the wall without another word. Hearing something like that might've given Peter some satisfaction but he couldn't help but frown at the blonde's back. There was something not right. The way she said it sounded so empty and cold. Peter wondered why she was so touchy about her first kiss but he knew better than to ask her. Emma made it clear that there were some topics that were off limits with her and this was clearly one of them. Peter just wondered why this was one of those topics.
Emma was woken up an hour later by a beeping sound. Her eyes shot open as she sat up in bed and she immediately noticed that Peter wasn't next to her. She looked around the room and spotted him hanging upside down from the ceiling. Emma just shook her head the sight. Weird kid. She then brought her attention to the tracking device as she realized that was what was making the beeping noise, probably alerting them that it had the location of the two idiots. Emma immediately flew down from the top bunk and softly landed on the floor without making the slightest of sounds. Ned was sitting on the edge of the bottom bunk with the tracking device in his hand. She didn't even concern herself with the fact that he was wearing Peter's Spider-Man mask as she focused on the holographic image.
"They stopped." Ned said, still wearing the mask. Peter hung lower from the ceiling as he moved closer to look at the tracking device.
"Maryland?" Peter questioned.
"What's there?" Ned inquired.
"I don't know." Peter told him. "Evil lair?" Even though it was an incredibly cheesy idea, Emma had to admit that Peter was right. Every evil asshole in the history of the world had an evil lair.
"They have a lair?" Ned asked in astonishment.
"Dude, a gang with alien guns run by a guy with wings?" Peter said. "Yeah, they have a lair." Ned looked at Emma for confirmation and she nodded.
"Every major villain has a lair… it's a common stereotype but it's true. I would know… I grew up in an evil lair." Emma told him honestly.
"Badass." Ned said as he nodded. "But how are you going to get there if it's like three hundred miles away?" Emma gave the both of them a solemn look as something very obvious occurred to her.
"I can think of a way." She then pointedly looked at the poster Peter had of the decathlon team's school trip. The two boys followed the blonde's gaze as their eyes widened in realization. Peter looked back at Emma and Ned with a determined look in his brown eyes.
"It's not too far from D.C." Peter said, agreeing with Emma. So it was settled then… Peter was back on the decathlon team. Emma was a little relieved that this trip wasn't just going to be all about the decathlon team. She didn't know how much she could've stood being there and thinking about the weapon dealers back in New York. This way at least she was doing some more work. She could've quit the decathlon team but Emma thought it might raise a few eyebrows if both she and Peter quit. Emma didn't need to draw any attention to herself… that and being on the decathlon team seemed to make Stark think she was assimilating into this normal teenage life he had planned out for her. It didn't really matter either way. This trip was going to be more work than pleasure and that, for once, wasn't a bad thing.