PRIORITIES

Everyone in Nick Fury's safe house stood there in stunned silence at what they just witnessed. Not only was a seasoned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and hero, Hawkeye, lost his match, but he also lost to the misguided Harry Osborn, who donned the enhancing Scarlet Spider symbiote costume. Though they were grateful that the Scarlet Spider didn't kill Hawkeye, there were moments in the match where they could see the young man become unraveled bit by bit, which caused great concern, especially for Peter and Gwen. Finally, it was Nick Fury that broke the silence. "Well, we may have lost one, but we're not licked yet," said Nick, trying to boost morale by trying to sound as somewhat optimistic. "We still have some Avengers that can put us back in the lead and win Osborn's sick game," as he continued, Nick turned his attention over to the human-sized Wasp. "And speaking of which, I think it's about time you head back there help your team make sure that that happens!"

Hearing her name managed to get Wasp out of her shock and shake her head to regain focus. "Right, right," said the Wasp, then turned to face Nick. "I'm on my way."

Peter, with his shirt and gloves back on, heard the S.H.I.E.L.D. veteran's words, and with a determined look on his face, pull his mask from out of his waistline so. "I guess that means I better go too."

This was not what Gwen wanted to hear and thus grabbed his left arm. "Peter, no!" she told him while squeezing his arm tightly, and she saw him wince in pain, she loosened her grip, but still looked at him with a worried expression. "You're still too hurt to being going back out there!"

"Gwen, I'll be fine," Peter replied, trying to sound reassuring but the pain he still felt was making it complicated. Nonetheless, he kept his positive demeanor as he pointed to the claw marks on his chest. "Besides, I've been through things a lot worse than this."

Nick soon walked over in support of the Web-Head for the sake of Gwen letting him go to the tournament, know that Spidey and Wasp's holograms from Iron Man's armor could only keep the people watching fooled for so long. "Gonna have to vouch for Parker on this own, Ms. Stacy," he told the young girl. "We're all in a desperate situation, and we need all of the Avengers over there if we're going to put an end to this insanity. Besides, after seeing how tough Peter's been throughout this whole tournament, I think it's safe to say that a few cuts won't be able to bring him down."

A concerned Gwen remained silent. True, in all of the times she saw 'Spider-Man' in action, she could see that he held his own. But now, Peter was facing off against a team of people who not only had a ruthless person like Norman Osborn leading them but were also playing dirty to win their matches. And as she looked into the hazel and determined eyes of Peter, she could see that there would be no changing his mind and thus placed her hands on his cheeks. "Just...promise me you'll try to be careful," Gwen told Peter softly. "Save the world, and Harry, from Osborn, but don't get further injured, or killed! Promise me!"

Peter grabbed both of Gwen's hands and gently moved them from his face as he looked into her blue eyes. "I will, Gwen, I promise," he told her with a soft and comforting tone. "Trust me, getting nearly slashed to ribbons again is the last thing on my mind. And I will save Harry, that's a given!"

Though Wasp found Peter reassuring Gwen to be cute, seeing it as young love at it's finest, she had to cut it short when she felt the small disc come into her hand, prompting her to gently grab Peter's shoulder to get his attention. "Pete, we need to go."

Peter turned and gave Wasp a reluctant nod of acknowledgment, then turned back to Gwen one final time. "Well, duty calls," he said with a lighthearted demeanor, then placed his mask over his head to complete his Spidey guise, then said this to Gwen in a gentler tone. "I'll be back."

With that said, Wasp placed on hand on Spidey's shoulder, all the while keeping the disc on the other. She then pressed the bottom of the disc, which in turn, shrunk both Avengers to microscopic size and thus the disc flew down, opened its top and allowed the shrunken Wasp and Spidey to fall inside. With its passengers collected, the disc flew into the air conditioning shaft, then sped its way through the rafters and out of the building, where it proceeded on its way back to Madison Square Garden. Inside the disc, Spidey and Wasp looked out the window as they passed from overbuilding to building on their way to the Garden, and the Wasp herself gives Spidey a bit of a coy smile. "So, I noticed that you and Gwen were REALLY happy to see each other. Could that possibly be more than just friendship?"

Hearing his question caused Spidey to blush wildly behind his mask. "What?! I-I have no clue what you're talking about!"

Wasp couldn't help but find Spidey's shyness adorable, and thus kept probing, smile still present. "Don't play dumb with me, Bug Boy! That girl is crazy about you, and you're nuts about her! You might as well admit it!"

"No! I mean, well, but...I..." Spidey was utterly flabbergasted, so much so that he couldn't form a sentence, much less deny his feelings about Gwen. That is, until moments later, he realized that there was nothing he could say that could convince the intrigued Wasp otherwise, thus causing him to take a deep saddened breath as he replied truthfully. "It's complicated."

"Well, not to split hairs, Pete, but we're superheroes," Wasp retorted. "Complicated is half of our lives. So, you'll have to be more specific."

Before answering, Spidey rolled his in slight aggravation. "Okay, but 'complicated,' I mean she already has a boyfriend, and his name is Harry Osborn, who by the way, just so happens to be the one who smacked Hawkeye around in the last match."

This reply instantly caused Wasp's smile to replaced with a shocked expression. "What?!" she exclaimed, then shook her head to regain her composure to try and comfort the troubled Web-Head. "I mean, wow! I'm sorry, Pete," she told him on softer tone as she placed her hand on her shoulder, then changed her expression to a more serious one. "But Peter, if she really is in a relationship with Harry while he's wearing that suit, she may still be in danger."

"I know," Spidey replied, with worry in his voice. "Which is why plan on getting that suit off of him and get him to the help he needs! And even though I know Harry's my friend, I'm hoping this'll convince Gwen to end their relationship, for both their sakes!" As he continued, he let out a sad sigh, which only brought out more of Wasp's attention. "But even if she does I don't see the two of us getting together anyway. Since becoming Spider-Man, I've become a magnet for every psycho in this city! In fact, I remember that her dad, Captain Stacy, who for the record still doesn't know who I am, told me something on why 'Spider-Man' wears a mask. 'It's to not only hide his face...but also protect the people that he cares about." At that moment, Spidey let out a scoff as he so remembered how Norman Osborn targeted Gwen and Aunt May. "And some job I did at protecting Gwen and my Aunt. Because once Gobby found out who I was, he used that info to try and put the two women I care about in danger to try and get to me! Making me just as responsible for putting them at risk."

Wasp, upon seeing that a fellow Avenger was blaming himself for the actions of a villain, soon sprang into 'supportive friend' move by grabbing both of Spidey's shoulders and turning him to face her. "Listen Parker, Osborn is the one who put Gwen and your aunt in danger, not you!" she told him sternly, but later had a sad look on her face, for she knew where Spidey was coming from when it came to his feelings for the young blonde back in Nick's safe house, and it reminded her of how she had a similar talk with Jane in her relationship with Thor, and how she was putting herself in danger dating the Thunder God. All in which lead her to say to the young Web-Head what she told the medic that night, which was a shame, for Spidey and Gwen did make a cute couple. "But, I see what you mean about you and Gwen not getting together. And yeah, for her sake, it might be best if you two don't take your relationship any further than where you are right now."

Spidey could feel the hurtful truth in Wasp's words, and thus reluctantly nodded to her. "Yeah, I know," he told her regretfully. "Still, I just hope she forgives me when I break it to her."

The Wasp, being the supportive teammate, as well as feeling a newfound 'big sister' sense when around Spidey, gently lifted the lower part of his mask, then leaned in and gently kissed the Wall-Crawler on the cheek. "She will," she told the stunned teen as she lowered his mask over the lower part of his face, causing the blushing Web-Head to hold said cheek in disbelief. "After all, what girl in their right mind could stay mad at a sweet guy like you?"

Though Spidey appreciated Wasp's sentiment, this also spurred memories of Liz Allen and the Black Cat, both of whom were very angry and bitter towards him the last time he saw them both. Thus causing him to say this to his size, altering teammate feeling somewhat discouraged. "Trust me; you'd be surprised."