AN: Time to address my reviewers.
mastercheif1229 - Thank you. That means a lot to me.
Sandford9687 - I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm sorry that my idea wasn't exactly your cup of tea. You wanted to see Spider-Man be an anti-hero and kill people. On some level, that idea might appeal to everyone, me included. But that's not the Spider-Man I grew up loving. And it's not what Stan Lee envisioned when he created the character. I was taught that killing people can never be justified, no matter what. Even if it's not against the law to kill people in a war; there is always a price to pay. It always takes a toll on you. If not a legal one, then most definitely an emotional one; or maybe a mental one. That's not the kind of Spider-Man I want to believe in. And I don't want the people that he's saving to be afraid of him.
But just because he won't kill anybody in my story; that doesn't mean that he won't think about it. Maybe he would even try to kill one of his new enemies. I told the readers that he was going to go through an adjustment period. He killed people in the war. And that kind of trauma, doesn't just go away in one day. If you think his transition will be an easy, or seamless one, then you're wrong. There will come a time when he has to face his demons. He will have to decide what kind of man he wants to be. He will have to decide what kind of hero he wants to be.
Copper Forest 14 - You seem to know a lot about the Ultimate comics. And you're right; Peter and Janet won't get together. They'll just become really good friends. I had a very specific pairing in mind for the story. I wanted to create a version of The Ultimate Universe where Peter and Gwen would get to be an item; instead of him and MJ. There are already too many stories where Peter and MJ are a couple. Meanwhile, Gwen Stacy gets no love. Even though she was Spider-Man's first true love.
Also, I don't think I've read as many Ultimate comics as you. So far, I have read some of the Ultimate Spider-Man, and some of the Ultimate Fantastic Four; but I haven't finished either. Most of the information I get about the characters in The Ultimate Universe, is from Wikipedia. So my knowledge probably isn't as great as yours. It's because of this that I learned that Captain America was the reason for everything in Earth 1610, even the Mutants. Technically, the Mutants came before Steve Rogers. Because Nick Fury and Wolverine were kidnapped by Weapon X, in an attempt for the Canadian Government to create their own Super-Soldiers. Nick Fury was actually the first Super-Soldier. But the goal was still the same, to create Super-Soldiers. So I still count Captain America as being responsible, even if it is indirectly.
Lastly, I wasn't going to make Peter interact with too many Mutants. He wouldn't get to meet the X-Men; because this was supposed to be a short story based in the movie of "Ultimate Avengers." That was my plan for keeping it somewhat self-contained. Just so it would be easier to follow along with. But you're also right. Peter would feel responsible for the Mutants; and probably try to help them in some way. I think it's going to be fun to have Spider-Man lead the Avengers. They would be taking orders from a 16-year-old, that's awesome. When he catches up with the 21st century; he may even become their tech guy.
Now, with all of that out of the way. Let's jump into it.
It had only been a short time since Steve decided to use his powers to help people. In that time, the citizens of New York came to know him as the superhero "Captain America." A name he chose to not only showcase his pride, but also his freedom. The freedom to take charge of his own life. Bucky thought that the name was pretty out there, even for a superhero name. But it seemed to make Steve happy. Captain America was well received by virtually everyone that he helped.
Sometimes, he would stop muggers. Get into fights with guys who were trying to rob armored cars. He actually stopped quite a few robberies; it was like no theft was too small to escape his notice. He also did a few of the more simpler things. He would sometimes help little old ladies cross the street. Or get a cat out of a tree. It didn't matter to him; so long as he was helping someone. It felt good to know that he was putting a little bit of right back into the world. But he would also face bigger and more dangerous threats. These threats came in the form of supervillains.
He was currently engaged in a battle with a very specific supervillain. Herman Schultz, AKA "The Shocker." Steve has fought a few villains; such as a guy who throws boomerangs at people. A man by the name of "Kangaroo", who enjoys kicking his enemies. A sai wielding ninja girl, that works for an overweight crime boss. An attractive female cat burglar, with an affinity for a black skin tight jumpsuit. But, out of all the supervillains that Steve went up against, Shocker was special. He was the first one that Steve ever fought. He has dealt with Herman a lot. He always manages to beat him. A fact that Herman hates.
Shocker was in the middle of a robbery when Captain America showed up. "Seriously, Herman. Isn't the whole "robbing an armored car thing" getting a little old. Every time I run into you, you're always trying to rip somebody off. The first time, it was another armored car. Then it was the bank, that one time. And then it was the convenience store, after that. You're always stealing something; and it feels like your thefts are getting smaller and smaller. The bank job I understood. But now it looks like you're getting desperate. That's kinda sad. It feels like you could be doing more. Don't you think, Herman?"
"SHUT UP!" Herman said as he fired a shockwave at him. Cap dodged the attack, and then steadied himself. "And don't call me that. The name's Shocker, not Herman."
"Hey, I only just learned that your real name is Herman. So don't expect me to not have fun with that." Cap quipped.
"SHUT IT!" Shocker yelled before he fired off another shockwave from his gauntlets.
This time, Captain America didn't dodge it. Instead, he tried to block it with his shield. The force of the impact was so strong, that it started to dent his shield. Steve braced the dented area of the shield as best he could. But he knew he couldn't stay in that position forever. If he didn't stop him soon, a lot of innocent people could be hurt. So he broke free of Shocker's attack, and thew his shield at one of his gauntlets. The gauntlet short circuited, and imploded with a painful shockwave. Shocker removed his gauntlet before it could cause any more damage to him.
But before Shocker could focus on anything else, Captain America knocked him out with one punch to the face. After Shocker fell to the ground, Captain America pounded out the dent in his shield. "Sorry, Herman" Steve said. Little did Steve know, he was being watched. Atop the rooftop of a building, stood a man with electrical burns and lightning styled tattoos. The man wore a black containment suit with a lightning bolt insignia on the chest. There were a couple guys with him. All of them were dressed like thugs.
"Well, I'll say this much about the kid. He won't win any awards for fashion. But if nothing else, he's bold; dressing up in that kind of outfit." The man said; referring to Steve's colorful costume. "Ah well. Who am I to judge? Come on, boys; we got a job to do. So let's get to it." The man murmured before he jumped off the roof, and glided towards Steve. Then Captain America was struck by a bolt of electricity, and sent to the ground. When he got to his feet, he saw a man who was floating on an electrical current. After the man reached ground level, he was then joined by his friends.
"Back on your feet already? You're tougher than I thought." The man said.
"Who are you guys? And what do you want?" Captain America asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you're right. Where are my manners?" The man said in a sarcastic tone. "You can call me, Electro. And these are the boys. They're what you might call "Enforcers". And as for why we're here. We want a piece of you. Nothing personal, of course. But now we're gonna hurt you, really, really bad." Electro stated as he charged up his powers. No one else really knew this, but Electro was the result of bio-engineering. It had been yet another attempt to replicate the Super-Soldier Serum. But instead of getting a Super-Soldier, they got a guy who was now master of all electricity.
The Enforcers circled around Captain America. One of them had a pistol in each hand. The other had a lasso that he was twirling around. The last one was a big buff guy, who looked like he had been hitting the gym everyday of his life. The gunman shot at Cap; but he managed to deflect it with his shield. The man with the lasso had ensnared one of Steve's arms, while the big guy prepared to strike him. Captain America blocked the big man's attack; before slamming his shield into his gut, and following it up with an uppercut. The big guy staggered back; and then the Captain drop kicked the man with the rope.
Then Steve turned his attention to the gunman and Electro. He swept the gunman's feet out from under him; and then threw his shield at Electro. Electro then caught his shield in an electrical field. "Did you seriously just throw a metal shield at a guy who controls electricity?" Electro said, just before he tossed Steve's shield back at him. Steve caught the shield; but at this point in time, the gunman had gotten to his feet, and he was now holding a knife in his hands. The gunman slashed the knife across Steve's arm; tearing his costume, and drawing blood in the process. Steve picked up the gunman, and threw him at Electro.
Electro and the gunman, had both been knocked to the ground. When Electro got back up, he was fuming mad. "Why, you little- THAT'S IT! NOW I'M GONNA-" He shouted as he charged up his electricity. But before he could do anything else, he heard sirens in the distance. The cops were coming. "You got lucky, this time. Next time, you won't get off so easily. Alright boys, we're out of here." Electro said as he and the Enforcers retreated. Electro and his men could later be found on a rooftop.
"Did you get it?" Electro questioned.
"Right here, boss." The gunman said as he held up the now bloody knife.
Electro was now sporting a wicked grin. "Good. Now it's time to get paid." He mentioned as he let the blood drip into a glass vial.
Later, Electro and the Enforcers were visiting an Oscorp research lab. They were greeted by the CEO, and a team of scientists. Among these scientists, was Dr. Otto Octavius. He was wearing a special harness that he designed. The harness had four extendable metallic arms attached to it. He used them to aid in his research, and to handle unstable material. The CEO had called Otto in to analyze the sample that they were about to receive. "Do you have it?" Normie asked.
"Money first." Electro ordered. Usually, Electro and the Enforcers worked for The Kingpin. But when Osborn was willing to pony up that kind of cash for a few drops of blood; how could they say no? Normie brought out a briefcase filled with the amount they agreed on. A smile formed on Electro's face. "Pleasure doing business with you." He said as the exchange was made. When they left, Normie gave the blood to Octavius. When he ran it under a microscope, he discovered that whatever happened to Steve Rogers, it was now stable. His cells were multiplying and regenerating at an accelerated rate.
This meant that the OZ was working. They had managed to create a superhuman with enhanced strength, speed, and an increased healing factor. They had created a perfect human being. A real Super-Soldier. Normie was so pleased with all of this, that he decided to perform the same procedure on himself. He stepped into a chamber and told the scientists to begin the process. But something went horribly wrong. While the chamber was being flooded with OZ, a massive explosion occurred. It killed almost every one of the scientists. All except for Octavius. He wasn't dead, he would just wish that he was. He was in bad shape.
At the center of the explosion, stood Normie Osborn. But he was different. His body and muscle mass had increased in size. His skin turned green. He had grown horns out of his head. His eyes turned pure red. Lastly, his body could now generate an aura of fire around itself. When he looked at himself, he realized that he had become something more than human. Something far more powerful. "Rogers!" He said. This was followed by a sickening laugh. Whatever he was planning, it involved Steve Rogers.
Peter and General Fury were currently in a black jet, flying over the ocean. "Why me, General?" Peter asked. He understood that Fury didn't do everything that he did for him, just to be nice. He wanted something from Peter. He wanted him to lead his team against a global threat. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure what made him so Worthy. The world was now filled with people that could do extraordinary things. So it wasn't as if Fury had a lack of options, or anything. What made Peter so special?
"Because you're the only one who has faced this enemy, and defeated them."
"But I just don't think I'm ready to lead."
"Well I do. Here, get to know your team." Fury instructed as he handed Peter some files.
Peter flipped through the files until he came to a stop. "What's his story?" He was asking about a certain person in the files.
"He flies, hurls lightning, makes rain. That sort of thing." Fury spoke.
"People can do that now?" Peter inquired.
"Some. But this guy thinks he can do it because he's Thor."
"Thor?"
"As in the Norse God of Thunder."
In truth, Peter had heard some of the stories about Thor. A big part of being a scholar, isn't just learning about the lessons they teach you in school. But also, learning about what people once believed in. A truly smart person would learn all they could about the world around them. But to meet someone who actually believes he's the God of Thunder; it did sound a little farfetched. "And what do you think?" Peter questioned.
"I think he's a few rounds short of a full clip. But there's no getting over those powers of his."
"By the way, General. About the uniform. I was actually kinda hoping for an updated version. The original outfit that I wore, was to honor my Uncle Ben. But it's seen better days. And I acknowledge that this isn't world war II. It would probably be best if I had something more suited to modern times. I would still want something that carries the spider theme. Maybe something a little bit more...friendly."
Fury took a moment to collect his thoughts on the matter, before he spoke. "I'll see what I can do." He said.
In the ocean, three small ships opposed a much larger one. The people aboard the three ships, were protesters. They were trying to stop the crew of the bigger ship, from killing whales. On one of the smaller ships, stood a man with shoulder length blonde hair, black fingerless gloves, and a long black dress coat. This was none other than Thor Odinson; the self-proclaimed God of Thunder. He was bragging that he has faced down Frost Giants, Dark Elves, and even the fire demon Surtur, himself. So he was not intimidated by these poachers. It would be a small task for him to prevent their slaughter of the whales.
The captain of the big ship gave them one last chance to let them pass, before he pulled out a rifle. Thor then told the captain that just because he and his friends were peaceful demonstrators, that didn't mean that they couldn't be provoked. Then the captain took a shot at Thor. The bullet missed, and instead hit the floor. Thor opened his coat to reveal a big weapon that was part axe, part hammer. This was Mjolnir, the legendary weapon of the Thunder God. Thor raised Mjolnir to the sky, and channeled his power through it. Both his eyes, and his hammer, were flashing with energy.
His power caused lightning to shoot down for the heavens. There were big waves that made the big ship toss and turn. A tornado appeared out of thin air. This all ended with hail that fell from the sky. When the storm ceased, the captain knew that he was outmatched. So he told his men to turn the ship around and return to Port. Thor had won. But he didn't have much time to celebrate; as a black jet approached their ship. He had a hunch that he knew who this was. He told his friends to wait for him below deck; before the jet dropped off its two passengers.
"Nicholas Fury. Never a pleasure." Thor said with spite.
"Hello Goldilocks." Fury joked.
"And Spider-Man. You are well, I hope." Thor addressed Peter as he held out his hand.
"I, uh, don't believe we've met." Peter murmured before shaking his hand.
"We have not, officially. But a warrior such as yourself, does not go unnoticed by the Prince of Asgard. You show great promise. Thirsty?" He asked as he walked over to a large wooden keg, and filled up a pint.
"Asgardian Mead. Nectar of the Gods. Guaranteed to make you feel immortal." Thor spoke as he offered the pint to Peter.
"No thanks. I might officially be seventy six; but technically I'm still sixteen. Meaning, I'm not old enough to drink yet." He then politely refused the drink that Thor offered him.
"Good lad." Thor mentioned before he offered Fury a drink. When neither of them accepted, Thor thought it best to get down to business. "I hope you are not here to arrest us for our recent protests in Washington, General. It was a peaceful demonstration, until-"
"Until you were provoked. Yes, I know. Actually, The Captain and I are here to extend an invitation. We're forming a team to fend off a global threat. So, what do you say?" Thor finished his drink before he spoke again.
"This." Thor said just as he burped. "And this." He burped for a second time.
"Thor, this threat is very real." Fury shot back.
Then Thor got annoyed and slammed his pint on the ground. "Go back to your pay masters, General. And tell them that the son of Odin is not interested in the wars of man."
"Thor-"
"Not interested." He repeated. Thor took one look at Peter, and felt a sense of kinship. In a sense, they were bonded as warriors. Almost as if they were brothers in arms. The thought of all the good that Peter could do, filled him with joy. "But at the very least, your team will have a conscience. Safe passage, my young friend." Thor said before he scooped Peter up in a bear hug.
"Uh, you too." Peter said in a sheepish way.
Peter and Fury were back in the jet; and on their way back to base. As Peter looked at the scenery, he noticed that parts of the city had been destroyed. "Sir, what happened down there? Were we attacked?"
"Yeah, by Bruce Banner. There's a monster inside the good doctor." Fury answered.
"A monster?"
"That's what happens when a guy share space with an explosion of gamma radiation, and survives. At the time, Banner was working on a recreation of the Super-Soldier Serum. But before he could test it, the gamma explosion happened. It would've killed him; but the serum was the first thing to get hit. The explosion somehow altered the formula; and then it made contact with Dr. Banner. The serum saved his life. But there was a price to pay for his survival."
"I don't believe it. He seemed so normal." Peter stated in disbelief.
Fury then pulled out a video recording of The Hulk. The video showed all the destruction that The Hulk caused. "Every time he finds himself even a little upset, that beast comes out. The madder he gets, the stronger he gets. The more landscape he levels. He becomes raw, unleashed rage. A hulking monster right out of your worst nightmares."
This all made Peter feel terrible. It was all just another example of people trying to replicate what happened to him. But instead of getting a shiny new superhero out of it. Instead of getting something to aspire to, or fill you with hope. People were given something to be afraid of. An unstoppable monster with an appetite for destruction. Peter couldn't help but feel responsible for this. Everyone was trying to recreate Spider-Man. They all wanted to be like him. But all they ended up doing, was to make things that scared people. No one deserves to be hated and feared in that way. Sometimes it felt like being Spider-Man was a curse.
The Triskelion
Everyone was assembling in the war room. Betty and Bruce were already there; and then shortly after that, they were joined by Hank and his wife. Hank sat in a chair and propped his feet up, like he owned the place. Then Fury entered the room. Followed by Black Widow; and finally, Peter Parker. "That's Spider-Man? He looks so young. Even for someone in this line of work." Janet said, for good reason. Peter did look rather young to be a superhero; let alone, fight in world war II.
"Yeah? Well he's about sixty years too old for you. So you can pick your tongue up off the floor now." Hank said while being annoyed with his wife's fascination.
But Janet thought that Hank was just being ridiculous. "Oh please, Hank. He looks like he's old enough to be our son." She retorted.
"Whatever. I bet fighting Nazis and saving America, gave him a swelled head. He's probably a colossal jerk." Hank argued.
Peter had read all the files on the people that he would be working with. So when he spotted Hank and Janet, he was very eager to meet them. He walked up to them, with the intention of introducing himself. "You must be Dr. Henry Pym. My name's Peter Parker. It's very nice to meet you. I've read a lot about you and your work. The papers you published on robotics, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence, were genius. I'm still acclimating to the 21st century. So a lot of it might have been beyond me. But when I was a kid, I always wanted to be a scientist. But then things took an unexpected turn. And now, here I am.
Anyway, the point is, I'm a big fan. And I just wanted to say hello." Peter said politely, while extending his hand.
"Oh, well...thanks, I guess. It's nice to be praised for my work, every once in awhile." Hank said as he shook his hand. In truth, Hank wasn't expecting Peter to be so polite; or a fanboy, for that matter.
Peter then turned his attention to Janet. "And you must be his wife, Janet Van Dyne." Janet and Peter then shook hands.
"That's me." She confirmed.
"You're The Wasp. You're a Mutant." Peter stated. As soon as he said that word, Janet's face fell. She was used to people hating mutants; but she didn't think that she'd have to be on a team with someone who did. She really hoped that Peter wasn't a racist.
"Yes I am." She said with worry.
"You got a problem with that?" Hank said in an effort to defend his wife.
"No, not at all. I heard that you were able to scientifically replicate your wife's powers, that's so cool. When I was growing up, we didn't have Mutants. We didn't have a lot of the things that you have nowadays. It's interesting to see how the world's evolved."
He again, turned his attention towards Janet. "And I was taught to not judge someone based on what they look like, what language they speak, where they come from, or what their beliefs are. But instead, by their capabilities, and the actions that they choose to take. You judge a person, based on who they are as a person. It doesn't matter to me that you're a Mutant. All that matters is that you're here to help. I look forward to working with you both." Peter said with a smile, before going to sit down.
Hank's first impression of Peter was wrong; and Janet couldn't wait to rub it in. "Still think that he's a jerk?" She asked with a smirk.
"Eh, he's okay. Nice kid." Hank murmured. It wasn't even half a minute after he said that, that Hank started to ogle Black Widow. Which Janet responded to by elbowing him in the shoulder.
"So, Fury. Who'd you got in mind to lead this little scout troop?" Hank wondered.
"Kind of early for a promotion, isn't it, Pym?" Fury condescended. "Alright, everyone listen up. You're now officially part of Project Avenger. You'll working as a unit under the command of Spider-Man." Fury ordered.
"Great. We'll all end up on ice." Pym commented.
"Be nice, Hank." His wife told him. Then Iron Man walked into the room; with Hank instantly being a jerk about it. He called Iron Man a tin man, and then bragged about a rematch. Then Fury decided to silence Pym. He then went on to show everybody the information that was gathered on the monitor.
"May 2nd, 1945; a secret Nazi fortress off the coast of Norway, designed and built to launch this." Fury said as a picture of a Nuke appeared on the screen. "A nuclear warhead. Fortunately, it was scuttled before it could reach Washington. And we owe a great debt of gratitude to the brave soldier responsible." He was referring to Peter.
"General, how did the Nazis manage to acquire nuclear capabilities?" Betty questioned.
"With a little help." There was now an image of UFOs. "Extraterrestrials." Fury inform them.
"Oh, come on. Little Green Men?" Hank mocked.
"Dr. Pym, this isn't a joke. It might sound like science fiction; but I assure you, that it is not. I have seen these things. They have killed my men. So they are very real." Peter said with a stern look, and a sense of seriousness that made Hank stop talking. Fury then told them that the aliens went into hiding. But before they did, a photographer managed to get a shot of one of them. The Germans called them "Chitauri." Janet asked Fury why they were still on Earth; but he told her that they didn't know. All they knew for sure, was that they fly around in three ships; scouting out nuclear power plants, and military facilities.
He said that they finally figured out how to track the Chitauri; using a satellite to detect the unusual metal in their ship's hulls. The Chitauri didn't like that very much. Fury showed them the video of the satellites destruction. "Oh my God!" Janet said with horror.
Seeing all of this, showed Hank just how serious the situation was. "So, how did you get a line on the metal they use?" He asked.
"One of their ships was destroyed when the Nazi warhead detonated. That was our first lucky break." Fury brought in some men with guns. One had an assault rifle. Another had a flamethrower; and the last one had a rocket launcher. Then Fury pushed a button on his remote; and a metal cylinder came out of the floor. The cylinder opened, revealing a single sheet of metal. "The 2nd, the aliens neglected to recover every piece of its wreckage. We got this hull panel, and some fragments." Fury informed them.
"What kind of alloy is this?" Bruce said as he got up to inspect the panel.
"Unknown. We call it "Vibranium." But whatever it is, it absorbs energy like a sponge." Fury spoke before he pulled Bruce off to the side. The soldiers then started to shoot the panel. Neither the bullets, nor the flames, or even an exploding rocket, could even make a dent in the panel. The cylinder however, was in pretty bad shape. "Barring a nuclear blast, nothing can penetrate it. Well, nothing except more Vibranium." To prove this point, Black Widow threw a Vibranium knife into the panel. "Unfortunately, the amount we've recovered, is minimal." Fury finished.
"Is Stark Enterprises working on a way to counteract it?" Janet inquired.
"Oh, please! Unless there's a decent buck to be made, Tony will just back burner us for the next twelve months." Betty remarked.
"I don't know how you guys put up with that arrogant jerk." Hank added.
"No, I don't believe that. I may not have lived a very long time; but my uncle told me that there are bad people in this world, but there are also good people too. He said when push comes to shove, that's when they step up. At their core, people are mostly good. Now, I've never met this Tony Stark. But I choose to believe that he'll do what's right. If for no other reason, then for the survival of our world. It would be in his best interests to help out." Iron Man was kind of moved but what Peter said. But some of the others, thought that he was just being naive.
"So the bottom line is, we can't find these ships. And we can't shoot them down if we do. Am I correct?" Janet asked.
"I never said this was going to be easy. So if any of you want out, tell me now." Fury said. To both his surprise, and delight, no one got up to leave. They were ready, willing, and able to fight for their world. This actually made Fury crack a smile.
Peter had some time before they were assigned to any missions. So he chose to further explore the city. Soon after that, he came across a disturbance. There were three thugs, riding around on a skateboard and roller blades. Two of them were guys, and one was a girl. The girl had a taser that she used to shock people; one of the guys was waving around an aluminum bat, and the last guy had a gun that he was shooting into the air. These punks were causing a panic, while they robbed people at high speed. Peter was going to step in to help. But then, a guy in a red and blue star spangled outfit, appeared on the scene.
Peter watched as the costumed man did battle with the thugs. He used speed and agility that reminded Peter of himself. The thug will the gun, shot at him; but the man had a shield, which he used to deflect the shots. Then the man rushed towards the thug; grabbing the arm with the gun, before bashing him in the gut and head with his shield. The thug fell down, unconscious. The one with the bat, swung it at the man; who then caught it, and swiped it from the thug. The girl tried to tase him; but the man grabbed her arm, making her tase her friend instead. Her friend fell to the ground, and started to spasm out of control.
Then the man put the girl up against a lamp post, and bent the bat around her, keeping her in place. The man then returned everything that was stolen. After the fight was over, Peter thought that it was possible that this guy might be a Mutant. He then went up to speak to him. "I gotta say, you've got good moves. I was really impressed. Do you have a minute to talk?" Peter asked.
"Sorry, I gotta go." The man said before he started to run, and free run away from the scene. He was hopping across cars, and swinging off lamp posts, until he finally made his way to the rooftops.
"HEY, WAIT!" Peter shouted as he chased after him. "I just want to talk to you." He said as he chased him across the rooftops. The man was surprised to see that Peter was keeping up with him. That wasn't an easy thing to do. The man finally came to a stop, when Peter cut him off. Peter was now right in front of him, clinging to the wall of a building. "Are you done?" He asked the man.
"How...how are you doing that?" The man wondered.
"Because I'm Spider-Man." Peter said after he jumped down.
"Yeah right." Said the man in disbelief. He knew that Spider-Man existed a long time ago. But the thought of him being around nowadays, and still be that young, was ridiculous. Then Peter pulled out his mask and put it on his face, to show him that he wasn't kidding. After seeing Peter in his full outfit, it did manage to strike a cord of recognition with the man. He remembered seeing images of Spider-Man in textbooks, that looked exactly like that. Combine that with everything he saw him do, and he must have been the real Spider-Man. As a response to this, the man widened his eyes in surprise. "Wow, so I guess it's true. You're Spider-Man."
Then Peter took off his mask, and put it away. "Yeah, but if it's all the same to you. Please don't call me that. I haven't been Spider-Man in a long time. And I'm still getting used to that. My name is Peter Parker. But you can call me Peter. Now it's your turn. Who are you?" The man took off his mask to reveal a boy about Peter's age. He had blonde hair, and blue eyes. To say that Peter was surprised by this, would be an understatement. It was hard to believe that a superhero would be so young. "You're just a kid."
"My name is Steve Rogers. But when I'm in costume; you can call me Captain America." He said with pride. Peter had to do his best to fight back a chuckle. The name sounded a bit cheesey, and on the nose. But it's clear that it's a unique one. Odds are, you probably wouldn't hear that name everyday.
"We should probably talk." Peter said, before he and Steve sat down. They both had questions for each other; ranging from how they got their powers, to why Peter stayed so young. So they swapped origin stories. Peter's story came as quite a shock to Steve. He had always admired Spider-Man. He was his hero. But he never imagined that he would have suffered so much. He lost almost everything, and everyone that he's cared about. Peter was also surprised to hear how Steve got his powers.
"So that's how you got your powers, huh? I knew that people were trying to recreate what happened to me. But I didn't think that Oscorp would be one of the groups to actually attempt it. I wonder if Harry knew anything about this." Peter asked Steve why he chose a name like Captain America; and Steve in turn, asked why Peter chose his name. Peter understood that Steve was Captain America because he was a patriotic person; and Steve knew that Peter was Spider-Man because not only was it a name that made sense, given his abilities, but also because it was a name given to him by someone he loved.
Peter and Steve were having a good time. It was nice to talk to someone their own age, that actually understood what they were going through. Their moment of peace was interrupted by an explosion, that wasn't too far from them. So they both decided to check it out. They arrived at Time Square, only to see Electro causing havoc. He was hovering in the air, shooting lightning bolts at people. "Ah, not this guy again." Steve murmured.
"You know this weirdo?" Peter questioned.
"Yeah, his name's Electro." Not much else needed to be said on the matter. Peter and Steve knew that they had to stop him from hurting anyone. Steve threw his shield at Electro, when he wasn't paying attention. This caused him to fall to the ground. When he got back to his feet, he was furious.
"You again. I guess you didn't learn your lesson the first time. And look, you've brought a friend. That's nice. Now you can fry together." Electro flew back into the air, and fired a lightning bolt right where the two were standing. They were sent flying back, and landed hard on the ground.
"Ok, what's this guy's deal?" Peter asked.
"He claims he's the master of electricity." Steve answered.
"That would have been good to know before hand. Anyway, I got an idea. Do you think you can give me a boost?" Steve knew what Peter was asking for, and he smiled. When they got up, Peter used Steve's shield as a stepping stone; and Steve catapulted him into the air. Electro tried to shoot him, but he missed. This gave Peter a chance to deliver a powerful right cross to Electro's jaw. When Peter got back to ground level, both he and Steve kept hurling things at Electro. Their plan was to keep their distance, and keep him off balance. Electro tried to shoot them, but they were too quick for him.
Steve and Peter both took turns throwing his shield at him. Soon, Electro had enough of this. "Alright, no more screwing around." Electro said as he flew up to one of the jumbotrons. He's siphoned all the energy he could, out of the screen. His whole body turned blue, and was pulsating with energy. He was now at full power. "Yeah, that's more like it." He said with arrogance. Peter and Steve we're going to have to come up with a new plan, if they wanted to beat this guy. Peter was currently racking his brain with options.
"Wait, this guy's made of electricity, right? Well, what happens when electricity comes into contact with water? Maybe we can short him out." Before they could put their plan into motion, Electro blasted them away. Peter got slammed hard into the side of a building. When he looked around, he saw so much chaos. Steve was dodging Electro's attacks, while cars were exploding. Civilians were running in fear; while others fell to the ground in pain. People were getting hurt. Maybe even dying. It reminded Peter of his time in the war. The explosions, the piles of dead bodies; and the overall sense of helplessness. It was like his own personal hell.
Peter wasn't going to let this happen again. He steeled his resolve, and got to his feet. During one of Electro's attacks, Steve's shield landed towards Peter. Steve was currently being lifted in the air by a stream of electricity. Peter picked up the shield, and used it to crack open a fire hydrant. He then used the shield to narrow the stream of water at Electro, effectively, shorting him out. After Electro lost his power, he could no longer hold Steve; so they both fell to the ground. Peter then rushed over to Electro. "THAT'S ENOUGH! NO MORE! NO MORE!" Peter said as he began to wail on Electro. He delivered punch after punch.
"YOU ARE DONE, FINISHED!" Peter yelled as he raised Steve's shield in the air, preparing to Pierce Electro with it. But before it could make contact, Steve stopped it with his hands. Peter put more force into it; but no matter what, Steve wouldn't budge. He wouldn't let him kill Electro. Peter released the shield, after his berserker rage left him. When he realized what he was doing, he took a few steps back, and watched as his hands started to shake. Then Cap knocked out Electro, and left him for the cops. Later, he and Peter met up on a rooftop.
"WHAT WAS THAT? YOU ALMOST KILLED HIM!" Steve shouted.
"I know. I wanted to. And I was going to. It's just, when I saw all those explosions, and people getting hurt; it's like someone flipped a switch, and all the sudden, I was back in the war. I can remember all the chaos. I remember people dying. And I remember fighting for my survival. So when I saw Electro hurting those civilians, I didn't see a supervillain; I saw an enemy combatant. After spending so much time killing my enemies, it gets kind of hard to turn that feeling off."
Steve was coming to realize that Peter was just like everyone else who fought overseas. He was hurting; and he needed help. "You know, maybe you should see a therapist about that PTSD you have. It's not healthy to carry that stuff around with you. And if you let it, it will destroy you."
"No, don't think less of me. I was fighting for America, long before you were even born. And if you think that was a clean and honorable war, then think again. It was bloody, it was messy, and a lot of good men died. Sometimes it got so bad that we couldn't even sleep at night. Yet you prance around in that colorful outfit; thinking that you know anything about what we went through back then. And you think guys like Electro don't deserve what they get. I looked into his eyes, he enjoyed the chaos. Lock him up in prison; it won't change anything. When he gets out, he'll go back to hurting more people.
I never liked the thought of killing people. But in the war, it felt like you had to be made of stone. You had to do things that you told yourself you'd never do. It was kill or be killed. And that was the only way you could survive."
Steve could see that Peter wasn't going to bend on his position. But all the same, he still needed a reality check. "Do you know why I call myself Captain America? It's because of you. I admired you. You were my hero. When I remembered that you were a captain in the Army, I took it as a sign. You were one of the things that inspired me to do better. So if you ever want to talk about the things you saw over there, then I'll be here. Because you clearly have some stuff to work through. And even if you don't talk to a therapist; you should talk to somebody who will listen. It's important that you unload this.
But you need to understand something. This isn't world war II. Out here, we are not judge, jury; and we are certainly not anybody's executioner. You need to get your head on straight; before you wear this, or any other kind of uniform. I don't know about you; but I don't want the people I'm trying to save, to be afraid of me. You need to think long and hard about the man you are; and about the man you want to be. It's the only way you'll figure out what kind of hero you want to be. Killing the bad guys might be your first impulse. You might think it's easier.
But it has nothing to do with what's easier. We're supposed to be better than that. Being a hero is about doing what's right, because it must be done. The good people need to know you're on their side. They need to know that you give the same chance to everyone. Without that, we risk losing the people's trust. And then any reason to do this. Try to remember that the next time you decide to do something reckless; like taking someone's life away from them." After Steve said his peace, he left.
Some of the stuff that Steve said was harsh; but Peter knew that there was a point to it. All of that, needed to be said. It made him think that maybe he was right. Maybe being in the war has sort of messed up his moral compass, just a little. It's not like he turned bad, or anything. He still remembered everything that Uncle Ben tried to teach him. He just had to find a way to let go of all the bad; and start living for the good. In this new modern time, it probably would be a good idea for him to have someone to talk to. After considering all this, Peter chose to head back to base.
Peter was now in the lab adjacent to the Rebirth Chamber. When Peter looked at the chamber, he was reminded of the day that spider bit him. He remembered burning up, while his body changed. His muscles increased in size, as he fought the intense pain. It felt like his body was being torn apart, and put back together again. Peter opened his eyes, as he was brought back to reality. His face was now dripping with sweat; because of the painful memory. Dr. Ross saw him through the window; and thought that his behavior was strange. Then Peter went to examine Dr. Banner's desk.
Banner's work area was covered with memorabilia. There were papers, old photos, and posters. All of which were of Spider-Man. Bruce even had one of Peter's Web-Shooters. The same Web-Shooter that Kleiser broke. Peter ran his hand over his old Web-Shooter in remembrance. His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. He turned to see that it was Dr. Banner. "I, uh, had to learn everything about you." Bruce said. A short time after that, Bruce was again, extracting Peter's blood with a syringe.
"You'll be happy to know that the analysis of your blood, has yielded exciting results." Bruce said as he took out the syringe. "Do you know that your blood, not only has traces of the serum in it; but also, spider venom? It's quite fascinating, really. I just thought that the scientist in you, would appreciate how challenging it's been to separate the two." Bruce stated.
"Dr. Banner, I know about The Hulk." Peter blurted out.
"You have to understand. The Hulk has ruined everything in my life. My work, my identity, my relationships." Bruce scuffed in annoyance.
"And you think the serum can help you?"
"Yes. That monster is a menace because he can't be controlled. But the very principles of The Super-Soldier Process, indicate that such transmutations can be controlled. He can be a benefit to humanity. Just like you are." Banner said with enthusiasm.
"I don't know if this was a blessing, or a curse."
"Why?" Bruce asked.
"All I ever wanted was to grow up to become a scientist like you. Get married to MJ; and one day, have a family. I was hoping for a normal life. But then, one spider bite later, and my uncle dies. And because of anger, ego, or some misguided sense of morality; I joined the Army. I wanted to avenge him. And in doing so, I lost everything that mattered to me. In the end, I gave it all up to take a six decade long cold nap. And now I'll never get that time back."
"I expected you to be the one person to understand." Bruce said with scorn.
"We all have our place in this fight, Dr. Banner. Truth is, I don't want to be a soldier for the rest of my life. You and me, are men of science. We can use that to leave our marks on the world." Peter said as he placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder. He was trying to comfort him. But Bruce felt as if he was telling him that he wasn't good enough to be like him. Peter had been given everything; and the worst thing about that, is that he didn't ask for any of it. It was all just an accident, a twist of fate. Peter thought that he was better than it. This made Bruce think that he was unworthy of it. Then Bruce pulled away from Peter.
"We're finished here, Captain. Thank you for coming." Bruce said as he walked away. Peter wanted to say more; but at that moment, he got a call from Fury. He was told to meet with him and the others. So he did. When he was gone, Bruce started tearing up the lab. Betty saw this, and knew what it meant. She rushed into the lab to get a syringe. She approached Bruce; with his eyes glowing green, as he told her to leave him alone. She injected him with his medicine; and the green in his eyes, faded away. Betty got mad at him for ignoring his medication. He told her that he couldn't focus, while he was on his medication.
She said that The Hulk would destroy everything they've worked for. He informed her that he didn't ask for any of this. Then she shot back by saying that neither did she; and that he wasn't the only victim in all of this. Then she ran away in tears.
The Avengers, with the exception of Iron Man, were assembled on a landing pad. They were greeted by Fury and Black Widow, who were standing in front of a black jet. Fury told them that twenty minutes ago, an alien infiltrated one of their facilities. The intruder killed everyone on site; and activated the automated defense system. The people at S.H.I.E.L.D. have been unable to disable it. Fury's guess was that the alien was after the S.H.I.E.L.D. satellites. The same kind of satellite that they pushed out of orbit.
"Captain, we cannot afford to lose those satellites. But just as important, I want that Chitauri delivered to me. Got it?" Fury said to Peter.
"Yes sir." Peter responded.
"Our tech boys have managed to redesign your web fluid formula; and improve upon it. Meaning that more options have now been made available to you." Black Widow then gave something to Fury; which he in turn, handed to Peter. They were a pair of brand new Web-Shooters. "Here are your new issues. The shooters are a blend of Adamantium and Vibranium fragments. No one will be breaking these ones." Peter then placed them on his wrists, to get a feel for them. Their color was a kind of mix between silver and black. It felt good to have Web-Shooters again. He'd been wearing them for so long, that it felt wrong not to have them.
Then Hank started a fake clap. "Well done. Tell me, are you issuing friendship bracelets to the whole team, or just him?" Hank sarcastically said.
"Shut up, Hank." Janet said. It felt like she was always apologizing whenever her husband would mock someone.
"You waste Vibranium on his Web-Shooters, when we need it for weapons?" Hank was very vocal in his disappointment.
"In the hands of Spider-Man, those Web-Shooters are weapons. Oh, and before I forget." Fury said as he handed Peter a bag. "Here's your new uniform." Peter open the bag to get a look at the suit. Then he kept making glances between Fury and the suit. The look on Peter's face, was that of surprise. "What? You said you wanted something friendly." Fury responded to the weird look that Peter was giving him.
"It's...colorful." Peter remarked. He wasn't really sure what to say about it. Then, him and the others got aboard the jet, and flew towards their mission.
AN: I'm sorry that these chapters are a bit long. In the future, I plan on skimming some of the conversations. Hopefully, that will make the chapters a little shorter. Now before all of you die hard Spidey fans freak out about how I made Peter act in this chapter. Remember that he just came back from world war II. I wanted to make it realistic. So I couldn't make his feelings towards killing, a seamless transition. I gave him a little bit of PTSD. But that being said, I'm not going to destroy who he is. I love Spider-Man because no matter what from he's in, he'll always be Spider-Man. He's a good person. And I'm not going to be the one to destroy that.
There are parts of this chapter that I liked writing; and then there were parts that I didn't like writing. I didn't like making Spider-Man a Debbie Downer. But he was going through stuff; so that served a purpose. I did like writing the interaction between Peter, and Hank, and his wife. Of course Peter would be a fanboy for Hank Pym. And of course he would get along with Janet. One of the coolest things about Spider-Man; is that no matter what, he's not a racist. He gives everyone a fair chance. Now I'd like to take the time to address one of my reviewers.
Redpanda5142 - I'm glad that you like my story "To be a Hero." And of course I'll continue it. The whole reason I made it, was because there wasn't any stories like it. I wanted to change that. But I promised myself that I would finish this story first. The good news, is that this story is going to be a short one. It should only take about one or two more chapters to finish it. So please be patient.
Stan Lee once said that if you weren't teaching someone something, then you were wasting your time. I was never one for public announcements. But there is a bit of wisdom I can pass on now. PTSD is a very nasty thing. It can affect you, and those around you, in a negative way. So if you or anyone you know is suffering from PTSD; do the right thing. Make sure they get the help they need. Sometimes, just lending someone an ear, and actually listening to them, makes all the difference. It's good to talk about things. Because it gives you the ability to heal.
And remember, if you didn't like something about this chapter; then that's all you have to say. Don't go out of your way to be mean in the reviews. Everyone has feelings that you can hurt. Be honest, but fair.
STAY AWESOME!
