Author's Note: So the last chapter of Part II: Hardest of Hearts. This chapter will mostly center around May dealing with finding out that Peter's Spider-Man. It may seemed like a super long argument for them to have but it's not like it would be easy for her to accept that her fifteen year old nephew is Spider-Man. She's not going to be like 'Yay! Do what you need to!'. There's also a little surprise during the last half of the chapter but it's not really a happy surprise. It's more like a preview at what's going to be happening in Part III.
So I'm going to address all the questions about where I'm going with this after the Homecoming storyline. I think I've mentioned this before but I'm NOT going to wait for Infinity War to come out to write it into the story. I'm just going to be going full AU and do my own thing since I already know where I'm going with this. I might do my own version of infinity war but that would take place in Part IV and Emma and Peter would be a little bit older by then. Probably seventeen. So AU after Homecoming...although I might do a companion piece to this story when all the Spider-Man movies come out that does include the storylines from the movies but that wouldn't happen for a long time. Some Things Never Sleep, however, is AU from here on out.
I also just want to clarify to anyone who might've been confused last chapter but Emma and Peter aren't together. It's just a kiss on the cheek although it's clearly a step in a different direction in regards to their relationship.
crazyman844: Emma and Peter are slowly becoming more affectionate with each other but they're only friends at this point. It's not going to be forever until they get together but it's not going to happen super fast either.
LovingBOBThePacific: I've never really liked either Spider-Man before Tom Holland. I guess because they both looked too old to be in high school and I didn't really buy it. I still liked Andrew Garfield more than Tobey Maguire because for some weird reason Tobey Maguire just kind of creeps me out. I don't know why.
Civil War has to be one of the most heart wrenching Marvel films. The fight at the airport broke my heart and then the fight between Tony, Steve, and Bucky broke my heart even more.
Spawn Hades: Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Sorry. It was almost one in the morning when I published that chapter so I guess I didn't notice what I wrote. Lol.
nightwingbaby1: So I'm going full AU in Part III so the main villain is going to be Rumlow for the entirety of that. There's going to be more of a focus on Emma and her Hydra past in that part. She'll also finally get to the point where she finally tells someone what happened to her in that Hydra base beyond the torture, training, and experimentation. I think the only people who truly know about it, at the moment is Emma herself, obviously Rumlow, and Wanda. Camila kind of figured that's what happened to Emma when they met because of personal experience. I think you'll get more of my point as to where this story's going towards the half way point of this chapter.
Radioactive88: You have no idea how hard I laughed at your side note about how Tony will react to Emma and Peter. I haven't completely figured out how he's going to react but it's definitely something similar to what you wrote. He's going to feel very conflicted.
I think Steve will be protective of Emma but also happy. There's also a chance that he'll be jealous of Peter a little because he's been the only guy in Emma's life for the longest time and now he suddenly has to share her with both Bucky and Peter. I'm sure once him and Susan get together he'll probably not be that way but it's something he has to get used to. It's not just him and Emma anymore.
Bucky's probably not going to like Emma having a boyfriend at all. He's known her since she was a little girl and he's overprotective of her. Bucky isn't going to take too kindly to Peter. He'll see this dorky teenage boy and wonder what the hell Emma sees in him but eventually he'll get the picture.
McDuffie145: Thank you for being so kind in your reviews! Thanks for saying the bit about Darcy. I couldn't have put it in better words myself. I was just so thrown off from the rude review. Thanks. I appreciate your support.
Emma-Jean02: Another reason I'm excited for the Avengers to be reunited in Part III, other than meeting Peter officially, is so that Steve can see how much Emma's changed for the better. He's really going to be super proud of her and how far she's come along. I think seeing that will definitely make him more pro Peter.
knarl: Things are definitely progressing between Emma and Peter and things will progress even more in the next part once they're not distracted with a mission like the one with Toomes. There will still be crime fighting but they're staying low to the ground like they've both agreed to do. I'm also excited for Emma and Tony's mended friendship. Now that she knows how he knew her parents, I think she'll ask him some questions. There's many conversations between them to be had.
Sorry for not answering all the reviews but I really wanted to get this chapter out to you guys so I can start on Part III. Thanks for all the reviews and let me know what you think of this chapter.
Emma had been sleeping fairly peacefully when she awakened by a strange commotion coming from downstairs. She had decided to go to bed early that night so Emma was fairly certain she had been only been asleep for an hour when she woke up. After Peter left during the afternoon Emma only occupied herself with finishing reading 'Wuthering Heights'. While Emily Bronte was one of her favorite writers, Charlotte Bronte was definitely her favorite Bronte sister if she had to pick favorites. Now that's what Emma called a family legacy. Distracting herself with the work of Emily Bronte was the only way she could stop thinking about Peter and the confusing gesture he made. A kiss on the cheek? Emma had been driving herself insane as she tried to figure out why would so such a thing. It didn't seem like Emma had made a conclusion yet and it wasn't likely she would make one any time soon.
The blonde tiredly rubbed her eyes as she looked around the dark room. There didn't seem to be anyone in her room and she knew if there was then she'd be a lot more on edge. Emma slowly got out of bed, still feeling somewhat out of it after such a short amount of sleep. The only light in the room was the moon streaming in from the glass windows.
"McConaughey, what time is it?" Emma asked the AI system tiredly.
"It's 10:07, Miss Rogers." McConaughey answered.
"Is Tony throwing a party or something? What woke me up?" Emma questioned, feeling a bit annoyed at being woken up after only an hour of sleep. She had survived on a lot less of sleep but Emma had been catching up on her sleep after depraving herself of a lot of it lately.
"It appears that there's a puzzling altercation with Mr. Parker, Mr. Stark, and a May Parker." If Emma wasn't awake before she was definitely awake now. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she heard that last name. May Parker? As in Peter's aunt? Emma definitely needed to see what was going on downstairs. The blonde quickly threw on a US Air force sweatshirt that Sam had given her as a last minute birthday present for her last birthday. Sam was never good with dates but Emma honestly hadn't cared about presents anyways. She spent nine years of her life without even celebrating her birthday or remembering when it was. Still…She had appreciated Sam's gesture.
Emma immediately wandered out of her bedroom and padded down the long hallway before reaching the railing that overlooked the main level. It was there that she saw Peter much like she had earlier that day. Only Tony, Pepper, and Vision seemed to be down on the main level as well but it wasn't them that had Emma's attention. May Parker stood in the middle of it all as she glared daggers at Tony Stark. She definitely wasn't the first person to give Tony Stark a death glare. Tony had been the subject of many of Emma's death glares in the past but that was all past them now. Emma was confused as to what the hell Peter's aunt was doing at the compound and at this time of night. It was then that Emma realized something…Peter Parker had a big mouth. A mouth that he just couldn't keep shut for the life of him. Emma rolled her eyes as she realized that he probably blabbed off to his aunt. Seriously…who hadn't Peter run his mouth off to? Would Flash find out next? Maybe Betty Brant? Emma stood in the darkness behind the railing as she listened to what the apparent argument was about.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" May practically screeched at Tony who flinched at the sound of her voice. Emma always knew that Stark didn't handle women being angry at him very well. She had seen Natasha, Pepper, and Maria angry with him enough times that he usually just tried to back out of the room and disappear. For a man, who probably spent too much time with women in past, he sure seemed to be afraid of most women…especially the furious ones. Although May didn't seem to be as scary when she was angry as Pepper was.
"You've given my nephew some kind of high tech killing machine?! He's fifteen for Christ's sake, you stupid bastard!" May yelled at him angrily and Emma stifled a giggle as she listened to the woman yell at Tony. Emma may have gotten over her resentment of Tony but that didn't mean that she didn't enjoy seeing him in peril. Well, it was probably obvious to Emma now that May knew about Spider-Man. Peter really wasn't that discreet about his secret identity anyways. Emma knew that ever since she watched him change in the alley in broad daylight. Speaking of Peter…she watched him curiously as he looked between his aunt and Tony in a panicked state, his eyes wide with fear as he nervously chewed on his lip. Well, someone seemed to think this was the end of the world, Emma thought to herself. He was kind of adorable when he was all panicky like that.
"It's not like that, Mrs. Parker." Tony weakly defended. Emma raised an eyebrow at Tony's weak defense. Wow…that guy was able to fly through wormholes and fight against his teammates but when it came to someone's angry aunt, he was left defenseless. The irony didn't escape Emma.
"Then what is it like? Huh?" May questioned and Tony seemed speechless. "You seem to be making all kinds of decisions for him without my permission. God, I'm such an idiot, aren't I? Having no idea while my nephew runs around town getting into who knows what kind of trouble."
"No, May…It's not Mr. Stark's fault." Peter told her desperately, tears in his eyes as he defended his mentor. "He's been helping me. I'm the one who decided to do this. It's not you…it's me." Emma looked at the scene with a troubled expression on her face and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She never liked seeing a sad Peter Parker. Peter who was usually so happy with a goofy smile on his face.
"Perhaps we should discuss this in the morning when we're all more awake?" Vision suggested even though he didn't require sleep the same way humans did.
"You're both welcomed to stay in any one of the rooms." Pepper told May and Peter but May didn't seem eager to take them up on that offer.
"I just walked in on my nephew dressed as, not the adorable teenage boy I know and love, but as Spider-Man." May stated, seeming quite defiant as she stared bravely at the three people standing in front of her. Emma had to admire May for sticking up for herself and Peter. This world of superheroes wasn't for people with the weakest of stomachs. Especially when someone like Vision was hovering in front of you like that. "Now I've just driven two and a half hours to this place so I demand some answers."
It was then that Emma decided to make her appearance known as she started to walk down the stairs. She was hoping that she might be able to calm the situation down since Tony, Vision, and Pepper seemed to be miserably failing at that. Usually when there was concerned individuals in the compound Natasha or Steve would be the ones to handle them as they were the calmest of the Avengers as well as professionally trained. Emma was just going to have to take their place on this one since there was literally no one else there. Let's see…how could she talk her way out of this one? How was she going to save Tony's ass?
"What's going on?" Emma asked, making her presence known as she continued to walk down the stairs and at the same time playing dumb. Everyone immediately turned to stare at the blonde including a very confused and bewildered May Parker. Peter stared at Emma in awe as he always seemed to be doing these days. Emma Rogers seemed to have that kind of impact on him. He glanced over her appearance and noticed that she was dressed differently than she had been earlier. She appeared to have just rolled out of bed but she looked quite cute in her disheveled state. Emma was wearing a baggy US Air force sweatshirt and a simple pair of cotton shorts. Peter blushed as he couldn't help but stare at her long legs. It was possibly the most he had ever seen of her. Well, that wasn't true. He had seen a lot of her when she attempted to change in his hotel room back in D.C.
"Emma?" May asked in confusion as she continued to stare at the blonde, not having a clue as to what the teenager was doing there. "What are you doing here?" It was then that May turned to look at her nephew for an answer. She immediately glared at her stupid nephew who was practically drooling at the sight of the blonde. The older woman smacked her nephew upside the head and Peter immediately snapped out of it.
"Quit leering!" May snapped at him. Peter immediately blushed a vibrant shade of red at being caught staring at the blonde. Emma shot Peter a quick amused smile before looking back over at May. Tony and Pepper exchanged a look with each other while Vision just looked confused. May then transferred her glare over to Tony. "Is that what you're doing? Kidnapping children?" Tony honestly didn't know how to respond to that question without giving anything away about Emma. A more serious look came over Peter's face as he glanced back over at Emma, his brown eyes seemed to be pleading with her.
"Can I tell her, Emma?" Peter asked Emma softly and Emma thought about it long and hard before deciding that it was okay. She nodded reluctantly and Peter immediately turned to face his aunt. "Remember the Viper Assassin, May? The one I was telling you all about in the car? The one who's been helping me all this time…"
"Yes. You said she saved you from the collapsing building?" May asked in a confused state. "I don't understand, Peter. What does that have to do with anything?" Emma looked quite uncomfortable as Peter prepared himself to answer his aunt's question.
"Well…Emma and the Viper Assassin are the same person." Peter finally told her and May's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait…What?" She asked in bewilderment and Peter bit his lip anxiously.
"It's why Emma's here. She's actually the Viper Assassin." Peter explained and May looked back at Emma in surprise. The older woman analyzed the appearance of the blonde teenager as she tried to pick out any details that might've confirmed what Peter told her was true. May couldn't find any. Emma looked to be an average teenage girl with those innocent blue eyes and a perfectly symmetrical face. But then again…there was always something a little off about the girl to her. Not necessarily in a bad way but just a feeling she got whenever she looked at the girl. Like something in the way she looked wasn't completely right. She looked a little too perfect. Kind of like how you felt whenever you saw Grace Kelly in those old movies. May supposed that would've made her really dangerous if she was actually an assassin. Just look at the Black Widow.
"You're the Viper Assassin?" May finally managed to ask in disbelief and Emma didn't really know what to say to her. Would May be completely disgusted and horrified at Emma? Would she forbid Peter from ever hanging out with Emma again? There was a whole list of ways May could react to this newfound news.
"She's not an assassin anymore, May." Peter said as he quickly came to Emma's defense. "Emma hasn't been an assassin in years. The Avengers rescued her from a Hydra base so she's been living with them for a long time now. She's a good person...and she's also my friend. One of my best friends even." Peter then concluded his rambling, giving May a lot to think about. Peter seemed unwilling to look at Emma, feeling a bit shy, after speaking about her so positively but Emma felt absolutely touched by what he said. He must've thought very highly of her. An unreadable look came over May's face as she stared at young girl who was giving her an unsure look in return. May slowly walked over to Emma and blonde didn't know what to expect. Was she going to yell at her like she had yelled at Tony? Emma didn't know.
"You're the one who saved my nephew from the building collapse? You've been with him this whole time?" May asked Emma slowly and gave her a cautious look, not sure how May was going to react to her.
"I guess…" Emma trailed off and it sounded more like a question than an actual answer. May then abruptly burst into tears before wrapping her arms around Emma so suddenly that even the blonde never saw it coming. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head from the sudden action as May hugged her so tightly that Emma knew what the small victimized mammal prey, of pythons and vipers, felt like.
"Thank you so much! I don't what I'd do without Peter!" May cried into Emma's shoulder as the older woman remained latched onto Emma. Tony snickered at the awkward look on Emma's face as she remained tense in May Parker's arms. Pepper and Vision just looked sympathetic for the blonde since they were more than aware that Emma didn't like being touched in nearly any capacity. Peter just looked shocked at his aunt hugging Emma. Emma awkwardly patted the woman's back a couple times, unsure of what else to do. The hug she gave Peter felt so natural and that was because she was comfortable around him…and there was also the fact that she kind of loved him. There was Steve and Bucky too but Emma, in all honesty, had trouble with initiating contact.
"You're welcome." Emma said quietly, still not sure what else she could say to May in that situation. The brunette woman eventually pulled away from Emma after what felt like an eternity, giving Emma the kindest of looks. Her kind look, however, faded when she heard Tony Stark in the background snickering. May immediately whipped around to give Tony a scathing look.
"Tell me…what do you find so funny about this, Mr. Stark? Really…enlighten me." May said coldly to him and the smug look on Tony's face immediately vanished as he paled. "Because this girl over here has managed to do more for my nephew than you have. She's kept him out of harm's way and helped him through all of this." Emma immediately smirked smugly at Tony from behind May's back. Who was laughing now? She thought to herself. May turned back around to look at the blonde and the smirk vanished from Emma's face as she feigned an innocent look. May gave the blonde a soft look.
"Thank you so much, Emma, for doing what this man didn't." May told her and Emma nodded. Tony realized then that Emma was a little bit evil. Maybe she was more like Natasha than he thought. Natasha liked pretending to be just another innocent pretty face too even though she was way smarter than that.
"It wasn't a problem, May. Peter's my friend." Emma answered truthfully before giving Peter an affectionate look, causing the teenage boy to blush. Truth be told he was starting to get a little annoyed by his aunt for talking about him like he was a helpless child but Emma admitting their friendship was a rarity so he'd take what he could get.
"Still…" May trailed off as she gave Tony another annoyed look. Emma knew that she had to stop screwing around with Tony's sanity and actually do some ass saving because he was in deep trouble on this one. Emma sighed as she prepared herself to diffuse the tension.
"Can I talk to you about something?" Emma asked May who nodded, looking very interested in what Emma had to say. The blonde was actually glad to have seemingly won favors with Peter's aunt because hopefully that would help everyone in this situation. "I know this whole superhero thing must be hard to wrap your mind around, right?"
"Yes, it is." May answered, seeming very overwhelmed by all she had learned so far.
"I'm just going to be honest with you, May. It's only going to get crazier from here." Emma told her honestly. "I've never really been where you or Peter's been. This is all I've ever known but it's going to be a lot to take in."
"That's not very reassuring." May stated as she looked at Emma, feeling very sorry for the girl. All that she had ever known? May wondered to herself as she then remembered everything she had heard on the news before about the Viper Assassin. If half of the stuff was true than this girl must've had the most traumatic of childhoods. It was something that might've even broken May's heart to think about.
"I'm not trying to reassure you." Emma replied before continuing. Peter looked at the blonde in disbelief. If this was Emma's way of making the situation better than she was doing a very bad job at it. "I don't think you have much of a choice. Peter has these powers now and there's no escaping them. He's no more of a normal teenager than I am."
"He's all I have left." May told her sadly, tears in her brown eyes. Emma felt uncomfortable at the sight of tears but looked past May's emotional state.
"I understand that. We all have people we love…I do. They all have the most dangerous of occupations too so it would absolutely kill me if they died." Emma said, being completely sincere with her. "But they're stronger than normal humans so I try not to worry. They're like me."
"You mean Captain America and the Winter Soldier?" May inquired and Emma averted her eyes briefly before looking back at May. It was true what May said about Steve and her father but now there was another person included in that mix as well. Peter.
"Yes…They're exactly who I'm talking about." Emma admitted before moving on. "But Peter's strong too…he's stronger than I am. Did he tell you how he was the one who lifted the cement slab off the both of us? You see, I didn't just save him. He saved me too." May looked back at her nephew after learning this new information. Peter looked shyly up at his aunt as May stared at him questionably.
"Is that true, Peter?" May asked him and Peter slowly nodded.
"Yes." He confessed and May looked back at Emma. Peter wasn't entirely sure where Emma was going with this but he had a feeling she knew what she was doing. Emma always seemed to have a way with words. She always liked to win an argument, after all. It seemed like this conversation was actually heading in a better direction despite his previous apprehension.
"I know Tony's kind of crazy." Emma told May as she continued their conversation. Tony looked up in interest at hearing his own name but glared at the blonde when he realized this was just her way of insulting him. He had remained steadily silent, along with Pepper and Vision, through out the conversation as he watched Emma talk her way out of their current situation. "I actually like to think he's kind of senile but he does have good intentions. He's just a little misguided sometimes."
"That's the understatement of the year." May muttered before Emma continued.
"What I mean to say is that he cares about Peter. He's like a mentor to him." Emma said as May raised her eyebrows at her.
"And that's a good thing?"
"Yes, it is. Tony's the perfect mentor for Peter." Emma said as she locked eyes with Tony briefly. He was shocked to even hear Emma compliment him. It wasn't often that she spoke very highly of him. She then glanced back at May. "He's made some mistakes so he's not perfect but I think that makes him an even better mentor. No one's infallible."
"Tony's taken Peter under his wing so that he can make sure nothing bad happens to him." Emma continued to say as everyone listened intently to what Emma was saying. "He's done that for the both of us. Given us suits that are equipped with every sort of measure that ensures we don't hurt. He tries to keep us from getting into trouble but it's not his fault if we don't listen. We're teenagers after all."
"That doesn't excuse the fact that he went behind my back and encouraged Peter to do all this." May argued but Emma shook her head. Tony was still in a state of surprise at hearing Mini Cap basically singing his praises. He never thought he'd ever see the day.
"Tony never really encouraged Peter to do any of this." Emma responded. "Peter was already doing this long before Tony came into the picture. Tony just provided him with a safer way with some adult supervision." It really seemed like Emma had an answer for everything. She would make an amazing lawyer, Tony observed.
"He's only fifteen...only a kid." May replied weakly. Emma remembered something Peter once said a while back ago.
"A kid who can stop a bus with his bare hands." Emma said as she gave Peter a small smile. The teenage boy smiled a soft smile in return, touched that she had remembered something he had said weeks ago. May seemed kind of crestfallen as she shrank back into her self, finally beginning the process of accepting that her nephew was a superhero.
Emma had spent her whole entire life in this world of good and evil…assassins and spies…heroes and villains. She didn't know anything different than that. It struck her that there was one major difference that set her and Peter apart. Emma was born to have the life she had. Hydra had their eye on Emma since the moment she was born and since they couldn't get to her father when he was a child they settled for her instead. She never knew of a life that was different from this. Peter, however, used to be normal. There was a time in his life that he didn't have super powers and he just a normal teenage boy. He knew normalcy which Emma had never known. This was why it was difficult for Emma to comprehend what May must be thinking although May kind of reminded her of Steve during this whole conversation. It wasn't like Emma ever completely understood Steve's reasoning behind his overprotectiveness.
"Peter, how can I just let you do this?" May said quietly as she slowly looked up at her nephew. "After everything that happened to your parents…your uncle?"
"Aunt May, I have these powers for a reason. I can't just stand aside and do nothing if there's something I can do about it." Peter told his aunt, an earnest expression on his face. It was just another reason that Peter reminded Emma of Steve sometimes. Steve always told her something similar whenever he told her why he still fought...why he still had to lead the Avengers. "If Uncle Ben was here he'd agree with me." May laughed humorlessly.
"Your uncle would've never imagined this." May said as she gestured wildly around her, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Please, May, I don't want you to be angry at me but I need to do this." Peter pleaded with her and May looked down at the ground with an unreadable look on her face.
"You're too young." May repeated as she stood there. "Besides…this is the Avengers we're talking about. You're not prepared for this. It's filled with soldiers, trained assassins, and whatever he is." May said as she pointedly looked at Vision for the last part. Vision didn't even look offended in the least bit at that statement.
"The kid's already done way more than I've given him credit for." Tony informed May hesitantly, speaking up for the first time during the conversation. "He and Emma both stopped Toomes on their own. They work very well together."
"Peter's the one who really stopped Toomes. He saw the mission through when I was too injured." Emma couldn't help but add and it seemed like she had paved the way for the conversation as Tony gave her a grateful smile before continuing to address May.
"Peter, Emma, and I already had a long conversation about staying on the ground." Tony stated as he glanced back at Emma and Peter. "We all agreed on the Springsteen, working-class hero thing. No big missions and definitely no Avenger missions. The two kids will probably mostly help little old ladies cross the street." May definitely felt a lot better after hearing Tony's reassurances and all that Emma had told her. It was then that Pepper decided to step in and give her input, being the strategic businesswoman that she was.
"If it would make you feel better Peter could perhaps stay at the compound on weekends." Pepper suggested. "He could get a lot of training done. We have the world's leading experts to teach him. He'd be safer." Pepper then gave Emma a small smile, obviously referring to Emma as being one of those leading experts. May had a conflicted look on her face.
"He'd be getting a lot of training done?" May asked quietly and Peter perked up when he heard what his aunt said. Everyone seemed surprised by May's sudden question, even Vision, as she abruptly seemed more agreeable than she had been before.
"Plenty." Pepper confirmed reassuringly.
"What about school?" May asked as she turned back to look at Tony. "What if it takes over his school work? I can't allow that to happen. Peter's too smart."
"Then I'll confiscate the suit. If it gets to be too much I'll confiscate it…I'll do the same with Emma." Tony told her seriously. Emma wasn't sure how but somehow during the course of the conversation her and Peter had inched closer and closer together until they standing mere inches apart. They glanced at each other as Tony seemed to almost have May convinced. She gave Peter a reassuring smile before she looked away and Peter felt comforted by her smile.
"Vision and I will even stay with him during missions if that's what you want." Tony suggested helpfully and Vision nodded in agreement.
"I'll offer my assistance whenever Mr. Parker needs it." Vision confirmed but May made a face at the mere suggestion. She shook her head furiously at the billionaire.
"No way… you're just a man in a suit and he's…" May gestured wildly to Vision but looked somewhat lost and regretful as she did so. "Well, I really don't know what you are. Sorry."
"That's quite alright." Vision responded politely before May continued.
"No, if anyone is going to be with my nephew on any sort of mission, hypothetically speaking of course, then it has to be her." May pointed her finger at Emma and everyone immediately turned to stare at the surprised looking blonde. Emma didn't understand what May was saying as everyone collectively stared at her, reflecting the same surprise that she felt. Peter frowned at his aunt's statement.
"I don't need a babysitter, Aunt May." Peter argued but May shot him a sharp look which instantly made him shut up. May slowly walked over to where Emma was standing and locked eyes with her. For some reason Emma felt incredibly nervous and unsure…like she was suddenly under a lot of pressure.
"You used to be an assassin, right? You were trained?" May inquired as she stared at her. Emma swallowed before answering.
"For nine years and every day during those nine years. It was all I ever knew." Emma confirmed and May didn't know whether to fear her or feel sorry for her. In all honesty May was mostly feeling sympathetic for the blonde teenager who had a hard life.
"You know all the ins and outs of this kind of life? You can help Peter?" She asked Emma. Emma carefully glanced at Peter who was staring at her intently. He was the boy she loved and Emma most certainly would never let anything happen to him. It's why she shielded him from all the debris that night when they faced the Vulture. She cared about him to much but Emma didn't want to actually say that aloud…she was too afraid. Emma then glanced back over at May as she gave her a quick nod.
"I can teach him how to survive just like I was taught…well, not exactly as I've been taught. I'll be a lot nicer than they were." Emma told May. The older women wasn't sure if she wanted to know what Emma meant about how she was taught but she decided that she got the answer she was looking for.
"Are you actually okay with this then?" Peter asked his aunt with a hopeful look on his face and May scoffed.
"Of course I'm not okay with this, Peter, but it's clear to me that this is who you are now." May reluctantly admitted. "It's not going to matter if I'm okay with it or not because you're still going to go out there and do it anyways. At least if you're here you can be trained to fight and you'll also be safe when doing that."
"This is so cool. I can't believe you're actually going to let me do this." Peter said excitedly and May rolled her eyes at him.
"Well, I'm hoping that Emma will be such a tough teacher that it might change your mind about this whole thing. She was trained by Hydra after all." May told him before glancing over at Emma. "Don't go easy on him, Emma."
"Don't worry…I won't." Emma replied as she smirked evilly at Peter. However, Peter didn't really let Emma's smug look bother him as he realized that he could have it all. All the most important people in his life could know about his identity and he could still keep everything…even Emma. He didn't care if Emma was giving him an evil look. In fact, there were times that he even cherished her evil and mischievous looks. It was just another thing he adored about her.
"Just remember," May began to say as she gave Peter a serious look. Peter tore his gaze from Emma and looked at his aunt. "The second your grades start dropping then that's it. You'll come home and focus on your studies. That's always going to be the most important thing."
"Yes, of course." Peter said as he nodded furiously. May gave him a satisfied look before taking a deep breath to calm herself. Just don't think too hard about it, the older woman told herself. She knew if she thought too hard about all this she'd lose her mind.
"Good. You can start your training tomorrow." May told him before glancing back at Tony, Pepper, and Vision. "Is that okay with you guys?"
"Yeah." Tony said as he nodded, feeling relieved that May wasn't going to murder him after all. "That's okay with us. Right, guys?"
"Maria's gone for the week but I'm sure Emma can help him train." Pepper added as she glanced at Emma. "Right, Emma?"
"Sure." Emma agreed as she gave Peter a very mischievous look that made him nervous for an unexplainable reason. He could tell she had something planned but he wasn't sure he was going to like it. "Peter and I will have lots of fun. Won't we, Peter?"
"Uh…I guess. I-I mean…sure?" Peter stammered nervously. His statement sounded more like a question which only amused Emma more. He then blushed at being under her close scrutiny. May pulled her car keys out of her purse which captured Peter's attention. He gave his aunt a confused look.
"Wait. Where are you going?" Peter asked and May gave him a tired look.
"Home. I'm going to need a glass of wine after this conversation." May told him before resting her hands on Peter's shoulders. "You have a lot to do tomorrow if you want to keep this up. You'll have to get up early." Tears flooded his eyes as Peter felt suddenly guilty for hiding so much from May for the longest time.
"I'm sorry, Aunt May. I'm sorry for everything." He told her but May just shook her head and smiled at him.
"There's nothing to forgive, Peter." May then leaned down and kissed her nephew on the forehead. Emma watched the exchange curiously. It was clear to Emma that May was more like a mother to Peter than an Aunt. Emma had never really had a mother figure in her life so she wasn't sure what it meant…having a mother, she meant. Emma barely remembered her real mother. "We'll talk about this more when you get home." May then pulled away from him before walking over to Tony and Pepper.
"He's in good hands?" May asked softly and the couple smiled at her.
"The best." Pepper confirmed. "We'll have him home by Sunday." May nodded before she glanced at Tony.
"Thank you for caring." May told him honestly. "He needs someone to look up to." Tony didn't know what to say to May. He felt a bit speechless, having never thought that anyone could ever possibly look up to him...that he was worth that kind of admiration. The billionaire just nodded, feeling rather foolish and overcome with emotion, before he gave her tight lipped smile.
"We're glad to have him." Tony replied and it was the only thing that felt right to say. May smiled back at him before looking at Vision. She nodded at him briefly, still a bit speechless and in awe of the purple android, and he smiled politely at her. May Parker then walked out of the compound, tears in her eyes but still feeling like she was making the right choice. Everyone watched her leave with different expressions on their faces. There was one thing that was certain. Peter really needed to be more discreet about his superhero alter-ego.
"What's with all the racket? Don't you people ever sleep?" Someone said abruptly from the upstairs. Everyone turned around to stare at Darcy Lewis who was standing at the top of the stairs, looking to still be half asleep as she tiredly rubbed her eyes. She was wearing an old concert t-shirt and a pair of cartoon patterned pajama bottoms as she glared at them. Emma knew better than anyone else that Darcy was most certainly not a morning person and this was even worse since it was a good ten hours before the brunette usually woke up. It was then that Darcy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she thought she saw someone very familiar standing next to Emma. The sight of Peter Parker seemed to sober her up as she stared wide eyed at him, glancing between Peter and Emma wildly. Emma knew this wasn't going to end well.
"Em…What the hell is your boyfriend doing here?"
Hydra Base
Location: The Swiss Alps
The new location of the Hydra base was cold and dark.
It shared similarities with the other bases in that nature but it also lacked the technology of the other bases. This was the last somewhat functional Hydra base left untouched by the Avengers but that was only because it had been forgotten over the many decades. The Hydra base in the Alps used to be Hydra Headquarters which was founded by Johann Schmidt, the notorious Red Skull, but it was no longer as functional as it had been during the Red Skull's reign over it. The base was now empty and lifeless but that was slowly changing.
One of the last Hydra leaders, Colonel Karpov, had been killed mercilessly by Helmut Zemo while the coward hid in his small house in the states. Wolfgang Von Strucker had been killed by Ultron the year before and then Alexander Pierce was killed by Nick Fury even before that. Countless leaders had sacrificed their own lives for the cause. Dr. List, a highly accomplished Hydra scientist, was even imprisoned for his efforts. No…there was only one Hydra agent who had survived the fallout. Someone who was loyal to his beliefs and never abandoned Hydra when the Avengers got too person was Brock Rumlow AKA Crossbones.
Rumlow soon found himself in charge of Hydra which had been a dying organization until recently. His stunt in Lagos had been his ego speaking. He had wanted revenge against Captain America for what had happened to him in D.C. Rumlow only realized a little too late that a small attack in a foreign country wasn't the way to get back at the Avengers. He needed to go big or go home.
Hydra had been scrambling to get their bearings back after the Avenger's attack on the Sokovian Hydra base. The organization had lost a majority of their men that day and the men that survived went into hiding, terrified of the Avengers ever finding them. However, things were looking up for Hydra after the Sokovia Accords. The Avengers were split into two factions so more and more people began to come out of the woodwork to join Hydra's ranks. Sleazy politicians with large checkbooks were willing to make generous, under the table, donations to the cause. Soldiers from war torn countries were willing to join Hydra to at least make a profit off the war in their own countries. Mad scientists, hungry for new discoveries at whatever cost, were eager to aid Hydra in anyway they could. Agents from top secret agencies all around the world were more than willing to play double agent. And Brock Rumlow stood in the middle of it all as they all looked to him as a leader of the organization. Rumlow had been the only one to stick it out from beginning to the end after all. Could any of those men say the same?
Now that the Avengers were disbanded for the moment, Hydra was thriving as they experimented with new technology. It was difficult since they had to start all over again but they were finally managing to make a comeback. It was like the old Hydra saying...Cut off one head and two more shall grow in it's place. Hydra would always survive. After receiving such a high authority position from his new colleagues, Brock Rumlow even felt like he deserved the title he recently acquired as the new head of Hydra. People looked up to him as leader and it was everything he could've ever have wanted. Well…not everything exactly.
"Crossbones." A dutiful subordinate called out as the thirty something year old man walked up to where the imposing new leader of Hydra was currently seated. Brock snapped out of his recollection as he looked at the agent. Agent Lance Collins was a highly skilled MI6 agent but little did MI6 know that one of their most skilled field agents was secretly working for Hydra. They were currently in the meeting room of the cold base, along with another Hydra member, as they were coming up with plans on what to do next. They were slowly advancing with some new technology but they were never going to make any major advancements if they couldn't get their hands on useful material. There was a rumor going on that there was a man in the states, that went by the name Vulture, who had made quite the business for himself in selling advanced weaponry salvaged from Avenger battles. The man had everything from Chitauri power cores to Ultron parts. Maybe if they could get their hands on that kind of material they could stand a real chance against the Avengers.
"What is it?" Brock asked in a gruff voice. He wore his Crossbones helmet on his face as he normally did. The Hydra leader hated when people stared at him and there was absolutely nothing he hated more than seeing those looks of disgust and revulsion on the faces of those who were inferior to him.
"Sir, Nygard just informed us of some rather unfortunate news." Agent Collins told him in his posh sounding English accent. Brock raised an eyebrow from under his helmet.
"Well, what does Nygard say?" Brock sneered, not appreciating being interrupted from his thoughts by something unless it was important. Jorgen Nygard, a rather meek and nervous Norwegian Hydra agent, gulped before answering. Jorgen was the daddy's boy on base. His father, Henrik Nygard, had been a highly decorated captain in the Norwegian army and was even more respected within the ranks of Hydra. Henrik Nygard, however, had died at the Hydra base in Sokovia during the altercation with the Avengers. Apparently it was death by Thor's hammer for him, ironically enough considering that the Nygards were Norwegian after all. It was obvious to everyone that Jorgen was nothing like his father. His father wasn't weak or pathetic like he was.
"Well, you see, sir…I've just seen a rather alarming news headline from the states." Agent Nygard replied nervously and Brock glared at the twenty something year old.
"Well, what the hell did you see? What are you just standing around there for?" Brock asked angrily as he wondered if Hydra was so desperate for people that they'd take anyone…even someone as incompetent as Jorgen Nygard. Jorgen blushed before scrambling for one of the tv remotes and switching one of the many flat screens on. One of the international news stations popped up onto the screen and displayed a rather disappointing but astonishing sight to the Hydra members.
"Adrian Toomes, AKA The Vulture, appeared at his sentencing hearing today in Manhattan, New York." The anchorwoman announced as she stared into the camera. A picture of the man she was talking about popped up on screen. "Toomes was apprehended by Spider-Man and the Viper Assassin a week ago after being caught as the ring leader of a group who was illegally stealing and selling advanced weaponry salvaged from Avenger led battles across the world. He's also charged with murder in the second degree after it was discovered he murdered one of his former crew members...Jackson Brice. Toomes is currently facing twenty five years to life. He'll served his time at Rikers Island State Penitentiary."
Video of Spider-Man and the Viper Assassin appeared on the screen as the super powered individuals appeared to be climbing the Washington Monument in D.C. Brock's eyes remained glued to the screen as he spotted the sight of familiar blonde hair. He leaned forward in his seat as his fingers dug into the seat cushion in anticipation. Both Jorgen and Lance exchanged looks with each other before looking at Brock in confusion. They had never seen the newly appointed Hydra leader in such a state before. They supposed his intrigue made sense since the Viper Assassin used to work for Hydra and had been trained by him but they were still confused nonetheless. Why did he seem so intrigued by a traitor?
There was another reason that Brock wanted to end the Avengers once and for all. He didn't just want them disbanded. No, Brock wanted them gone forever and he wanted Hydra to be in control. He wanted this because not only were the Avengers responsible for his injuries but they also took away the one thing he wanted most in the world. The Viper Assassin. They had taken away one of the assets and kept her far from his reach. All these years he had spent thinking about her…obsessing over her. Yet she was too far away as well as locked inside a literal tower for him to ever hope to reclaim. It wasn't the first time Brock had been denied what was his. The first time around Margot's beloved Rogers Jr., Coulson, Fury, and even that stupid partner of hers had all kept him away from her. Now the second time around Rogers Jr.'s daddy and Margot's stupid partner were still doing the same thing only now they had the rest of the Avengers to back them up.
It was so frustrating for Brock to keep seeing Margot's daughter pop up like that then knowing that he'd never be able to doing anything about it. Now that most of the Avengers were gone that Stark prick probably kept a close watch over her. Of course Brock knew that Emma Rogers was no longer in the presence of her beloved grandfather. Her grandfather and the some of the other Avengers were hiding in God knows where. Not even any leads Hydra had led them to the actual location of the exiled Avengers. Brock knew that Emma, however, was still in New York under the protection of Tony Stark. He also knew that Stark was more than likely pushing her into living the life of a normal girl her age. The Hydra leader had seen the footage from the protest in D.C. where she went on a school field trip. He was also very familiar with the footage of the Viper Assassin and that amateur Spider-Man saving a bunch of school kids from the Washington Monument. Brock kept tabs on his little Viper where ever and whenever he could.
Brock scoffed as he thought about the mere idea of the Viper Assassin attending a school surrounded by worthless, sniveling children. Did Stark not know the weapon he had? He just couldn't understand the reasoning behind wasting such true potential. The Viper Assassin was trained and experimented on to kill and conquer. She was made into a weapon for those two purposes only and nothing else. The Viper Assassin was supposed to take over and conquer the world for Hydra. Putting her in a school where spent her days watching football games and gossiping with ditzy teenage girls was like slapping Hydra in the face. Maybe that's how Stark wanted it.
Brock was then reminded of the last time he saw his little Viper Assassin…his princess. He remembered how willing she had been to spend the night with him. The way his princess had looked up at him with those big blue eyes…so innocent and so submissive. When he was with her it was almost like how it used to be with Margot…when Margot and him were still teenagers. The memory of that night with Emma still lingered in his mind as if it just happened the other day. It was hard to believe now that she must've been nearly sixteen. Nearly three years since he had last seen her…since he had been with her.
"Are you alright, sir?" Agent Collins asked him carefully and Brock opened his eyes, feeling increasingly annoyed at being interrupted from his thoughts once again. He was angrier because he had been interrupted from his favorite memory of the assassin.
"What do you want now, Collins?" Brock growled at his subordinate. It wasn't even Jorgen he was focused on and the Norwegian man felt immensely frightened. Lance maintained his composure better than Jorgen and kept a stoic expression on his face as he looked at Brock.
"Sir, we need to discuss what we are to do now that Toomes is in prison." Lance told the Hydra leader. "He was the arms dealer we were looking at to supply our weapons."
"Well, obviously we can't use him now." Brock said in a rude tone, talking to Lance like he was stupid. Lance didn't like being talked down to like that but he had no choice since Rumlow was his superior. He put his feelings of resentment aside as he continued to try and find a solution to the situation they were currently in.
"Yes but we need to find an alternate solution." Lance suggested softly. "If we're ever to gain any footing in our opposition then we need weapons to fight with. We have none as of now."
Brock thought about what Collins just suggested before glancing back up at the screen that still displayed the Viper Assassin and Spider-Man. He had never wanted the Viper Assassin more than he did in that moment. Brock briefly wondered if the self-righteous Captain America had completely ruined and softened the young girl with all his beliefs and ideals. He figured that it wouldn't matter much either way since he was bound and determined to get the Viper Assassin back. Brock could only imagine how the both of them would lead Hydra when she was back in his clutches again. With his princess at his side Hydra would be unstoppable. All the Avengers would cower in fear including whoever that idiot in the spider costume was. They'd kill Captain America together, getting the perfect revenge Brock always wanted as he watched the Viper Assassin kill her own grandfather in front of him. Maybe Brock would even let Emma keep her little Winter Soldier pet if they zapped him in the brain enough times. The Avengers would finally be finished, Brock thought gleefully as a new plan formed inside his head.
"That'll change." He told both Lance and Jorgen. "We'll do what I did after I escaped from the hospital in D.C. We'll raid police stations and military bases for weapons." Both Lance and Jorgen's eyes widened in surprise as they stared at Brock in disbelief.
"Excuse me, Sir, but that's absurd." Lance told Brock. "People will be aware of our increasing numbers. We'll be right back on the Avenger's radar." Brock snorted at Lance's concern.
"What Avengers? Most of them are in exile." Brock replied as he rolled his eyes. The mere thought of the Avengers disgusted him but he'd have his revenge soon and he'd also have his princess soon as well. "All that's left is Stark and that purple asshole. I heard that Colonel Rhodes is still recovering from his injuries. So that's what… Two Avengers? How intimidating..." He drawled in a bored tone.
"But Mr. Crossbones, sir?" Jorgen asked nervously with his thick Norwegian accent. "What about the Viper Assassin and Spider-Man? I don't know about Spider-Man but the Viper Assassin is dangerous, isn't she? She was trained by us and is a formidable force." Brock immediately glared at the stupid man.
"Don't tell me how dangerous the Viper Assassin is!" Brock growled at him and Jorgen immediately looked down in shame and fear. "I know! I was one of the ones who trained her. Leave the asset to me. She'll return to Hydra and help us against the Avengers." Lance raised his eyebrow at his superior as he gave Brock a doubtful look.
"She's a traitor, sir. She's no more likely to help us than we are to help the Avengers." The British replied and Brock gave him the death glare. Even Lance couldn't hide his fear at the deadly look on Brock's face.
"The girl belongs to Hydra and no one else." Brock said firmly before continuing. "The Avengers have her brainwashed but she'll be returned to us in no time. She's only spent a little over two and half years with them…she's spent nine years with us." Lance and Jorgen both exchanged doubtful looks with each other. For some reason they thought their leader might've been a little delusional as he said that. They couldn't really see the sense in thinking they could turn the Viper Assassin against the Avengers.
"In the mean time we'll lead raids and gain enough weapons to give to our growing numbers." Brock said as it were really that simple. Lance still seemed unsure but he knew that Brock had to be confident in Hydra's ability to acquire the weapons and that was all he needed.
"Then what will be our next step?" Lance inquired and Brock smirked evilly
"Acquiring the Viper Assassin of course. What else?" Brock stated and the other two Hydra agents looked up at him in shock. Lance shook his head furiously.
"That's insane! You're suggesting that we break through the barrier of Avengers and steal one of their prized possessions. It's not possible with the lack of weapons we have." Lance ranted hysterically but Brock only chuckled as he shook his head at him.
"There's only two Avengers we'd have to face. The others are gone and I say we take advantage of that." Brock told them strategically. "We'll acquire enough weapons to help in our efforts in returning the Viper Assassin back to Hydra, where she belongs might I add, and that's all we need. We'll save the other scumbag Avengers for another time when the Viper Assassin is truly on our side. A couple rounds in the memory suppressing machine and she'll be more loyal to Hydra than she ever was to the Avengers."
"It would help our cause if we were able to reclaim the Viper Assassin." Lance said after listening to Brock's plan. He had to admit that it wasn't a bad plan even if it was kind of crazy. Lance was sure they'd face retaliation from the Avengers if they kidnapped the Viper Assassin but if they turned her against the Avengers than she'd help Hydra defeat them once and for all. It could actually surprisingly work if they were patient and disciplined enough.
"How long could a plan like that take?" Jorgen inquired curiously, gaining some courage to finally speak up.
"Until we've acquired enough weapons and men to successfully break into the Avenger's facility." Brock stated arrogantly. "I'm not worried about Stark. It's the Purple asshole that I'm more worried about which is why we need to find a way to get our hands on some Chitauri weaponry if we can."
"And what about Spider-Man?" Lance asked. "The Viper Assassin and Spider-Man seem to be considered partners. Whoever he is, he must stay close to the assassin's side. Should we be worried?" Brock gave Lance a look of disbelief as he scoffed.
"Who? That little circus freak in red tights?" Brock questioned before laughing. "Don't make me laugh, Collins." Lance nodded, accepting that as Brock's final answer on the subject of Spider-Man. Spider-Man was more a hero on rise and wasn't as well known as the other Avengers. Lance didn't even think that Spider-Man was an official Avenger either from what he'd seen in the headlines. He seemed to be more of an associate just as the Viper Assassin was.
"I'd give it a few months before we make any attempt to attack the Avenger's Facility." Brock continued to say as his subordinates listened to him intently. "We need to make sure we're ready. Until then, we'll just engage in raids until we're strong enough to launch an infiltration of the facility."
"Of course, sir." Lance said agreeably.
"Okay, I think we're done discussing plans for now." Brock announced as he looked at the two agents. "You're both dismissed." Agent Collins and Agent Nygard both nodded respectfully at their leader as they stood up straighter.
"Hail Hydra!" They called out formally as they lifted both their arms up in the official salute. The second the salute was over the two agents quickly left the room and left Brock to his own devices. For that he was glad.
Brock immediately took off his helmet, revealing his severely scarred and deformed face. He sighed as he felt the cold air against his face. That was one of the few things he was able to feel these days. The accident had damaged his pain receptors so much that he was no longer dragged down by the feeling of pain. There was just numbness but Brock still hated the way he looked. What would his princess say when she saw him like this? He wouldn't be the same person she remembered but Brock knew that she'd accept him eventually nonetheless.
He quickly took a worn looking picture out of his pocket as he remembered Emma once more. It was the picture of her from the protest…the most recent picture he had of her and one he had printed out. He admired the determined look on her face as she walked down the street with a megaphone in hand. Brock gently caressed the picture as he continued to stare at the girl in it. He couldn't help but notice that she was looking even more like Margot these days. The only thing that really set them apart was the girl's blonde hair and blue eyes. Her eyes were something that Brock could ignore…he found he quite liked those big blue eyes anyways. Her hair, however, was something he definitely couldn't put up with. It reminded him too much of Rogers…too much of Margot's beloved Captain America Jr. He supposed a bottle of red hair dye could fix that problem and then she'd look exactly like his Margot. She'd be better than the original actually…the perfect Margot Pierce.
"We'll be together again, Margot." Brock spoke softly to the picture. "Just like I promised."
Brock continued to stare at the picture, completely delusional, as he imagined having the Viper Assassin at his side. They would take down the Avengers which would be a huge milestone for Hydra but it was Captain America and Margot's old partner that he really wanted. He would just love to see the look on their faces as the Viper Assassin turned against them and murdered them once and for all. Brock knew that with his princess's help that he could finally get his revenge against the two individuals that took everything from him.
The Viper Assassin was the key to getting his revenge.