Chapter Nine

Peter wiped the sweat off his brow feeling as if his entire body was sweaty and burning, especially the area on the sections where Jake had landed the belt marks over and over again until Peter had been on the verge of begging him to stop, but his stupid pride wouldn't let him.

Thanks to his healing abilities the whip marks didn't hurt as much as they had done yesterday, but it had only been a day after all, and it didn't help that Tony had him jumping around all over the place as if he were some sort of squirrel.

"I need to use the bathroom," he blurted out.

Tony nodded as he took a sip of his energy drink. "Third door, hallway on your left. Be careful there are some Avengers in the wild. Don't let them spook you."

Peter rolled his eyes as he found his way towards a tiny, but well-equipped bathroom. He removed his shirt that, thanks to Tony's training, was nearly falling apart. He would have to go to the fabric store today even though money was running low.

He turned around and inspected his back. He winced when he noticed the long, deep strokes of Jake's belt on his pale skin. The pink skin was swollen, and it almost looked like he had been branded. The rectangular shaped marks criss crossed across his back ruthlessly.

Peter's fingers touched the pink skin and he winced at the sting, yes definitely painful. He made a metal note to stop by the pharmacy and get some ointment for his back. He flinched when he heard the door of the bathroom opening exactly three milliseconds before it finally did.

Before Peter could put on his shirt again, he was looking into the hazel eyes of a girl who was only a few years older than Peter, perhaps late teens or early twenties. The girl had long, wavy brown hair, a black dress, and a tight red coat.

She gasped when she noticed Peter's bruised and welted back and with trembling hands Peter managed to put his shirt back on. "Sorry, it's occupied."

"I should have knocked," she stammered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Peter's cheeks burned crimson. "My friends and I went to the skateboard park yesterday and I was just viewing the damage." The lie came out effortlessly from his lips and he hoped she believed him. He really did not want to have the my-stepfather-is-an-asshole conversation mere days after meeting the man.

"It looks painful."

"It really isn't." Peter offered his hand. "I'm Peter Parker. I am working on an internship with Mr. Stark." He didn't know how much any of the Avengers knew about his "little secret" but he did know Stark had a big mouth.

"Wanda." Wanda smiled and something in Peter's brain clicked. Of course, he had seen her before. She was the witch. Could she read about Peter's inner turmoil? He removed his hand. "Let me take you back to the training center. You're the spider, right? Tony mentioned you."

"Spiderman," Peter corrected with gritted teeth. "Mr. Stark, can't keep a secret, can't he?"

Wanda laughed. "No, he can't, but he means well. Most of the time." She linked her arm in his like something a friend would do. "Now tell me what tricks you have up your sleeve?"

While Peter and Wanda chatted, Peter grew more comfortable. As it turned out Wanda wasn't as scary as she appeared on TV. She was actually funny and reserved, sort of like MJ, but less sarcastic. Tony had been typing on his Stark pad when they appeared. "There you are, Parker. I thought you had fallen down the toilet. I see you met Wanda."

"Who else knows my secret?" Peter blurted out. "You promised you would be discreet."

Tony raised his hands in mock surrender. "Chill, ok? I only told the rest of the Avengers. They are on babysitting duty." When Peter shot him a look that said he could very easily kill him, Tony changed tactics. "Relax. They are only getting involved unless they absolutely need to. Listen, kid, you need all the help you can get. Believe me when I say General Ross and Nick Fury are not the only psychos who are sniffing for every enhanced creature they can find. You will be in deep shit if they find out your true identity. I am assuming you don't want Auntie Dearest to find out about your secret life. Do you?"

Peter quickly shook his head.

"Lovely. I see you have already met Wanda." Tony started leading them out the door. "Let's meet the rest of the Avengers, grab some dinner, and then we can continue where we left off."

"Um, Mr. Stark," Peter struggled to catch up to him. "My aunt said I can only stay for four hours."

He shrugged as if it was no big deal. "I called her while you were in the restroom. She says it's fine, that she and your uncle, I mean step-uncle, were going on a date. Besides kid, you have to eat, you're already scrawny as it is."

Peter looked down at his thin frame. He had always been slim, but even since he had become Spiderman he had become slimmer. Some of it had turned to muscle, but most of the time it was because he didn't have enough to eat. He knew Jake and May sometimes struggled to pay the grocery bill and he couldn't come up with a decent explanation of why Peter had eaten a family size packet of chocolate chip cookies.

They entered a marble gray and white dining room, apparently Stark did not like any type of color. The Avengers were all in their casual wear. If Ned were here, he would have freaked out or at the very least asked Peter to take an embarrassing picture.

Tony nearly pushed Peter towards the Avengers like a fussy parent. "Everyone, this is the famous Spiderboy-"

"Spiderman!"

"Spiderman who likes to interrupt me when I speak and I'm starting to learn is a bit too sassy for his own good. Peter Parker. Peter, this is everyone." Tony motioned to Natasha, Steve, and Bruce who all smiled at him. They were not as intimidating as Peter thought. They said their greetings while Peter looked on like a starstruck kid.

Steve clapped his hands together. "Let's eat."

Thankfully, the Avengers took pity on Peter and did all the talking when they saw he was shy and not much of a conversationalist. Peter was too busy stuffing his mouth with bread rolls, mashed potatoes, and fried chicken.

Wanda kept looking at him and he swallowed hard wondering if she would tell Tony about his scars. Though the more he looked at them, the more he realized Wanda and Tony squabbled like a bunch of kids half the time.

"So, Peter," Natasha cleared her throat. "What grade are you in high school?"

"I'm a freshman," Peter replied, feeling extremely young. "I just turned fourteen."

The Avengers exchanged dark looks before they glared at Tony. Tony put down his glass of whisky. "What? We'll train him, by the time I'm done with him, Peter will give you a run for your money, Cap." Steve didn't look amused. "Starting with a new suit."

-End of Chapter Nine-