"So, magic tick huh?" Johnny Storm casually asks his friend.
"Yup", came the equally casual reply of Peter Parker. "With tentacles."
"Huh, that's kind of a new one."
"Not really. New shape maybe, but the "destroy me and use my body" thing has been done enough."
"Well glad to see you acting like your old self."
"Thanks flame brain."
"Gonna make a move or what?"
The two friends turn to see the irritated face of Luke Cage across the poker table in the game room of the Baxter Building.
Peter, Johnny, and Luke were seated with elderly Steve Rogers, Ben Grimm, Johnny Blaze, and Kurt Wagner, with a small stacks of chips between them.
Matt Murdock and Elektra were there as well. Well, Elektra was to the side speaking to Sue Richards and Jessica Jones. Matt was probably off talking to Jennifer Walters.
Jessica had in her arms baby Dani, which was surprisingly the topic of conversation with the Greek warrior.
Peter caught a little bit here and there around the apartment, but it wasn't his business, so he never asked Matt or Elektra about what they've been talking about so much lately.
Besides, he's had his hands full with therapy.
"And you've been seeing a psychiatrist?" The older, but still commanding, Steve asked. Peter was pulled aside by him before the game and asked how he was doing. He apologized again about the SpOck fiasco (note to self: dye Johnny's suit pink for coming up with that name) and said if he needed anything, let him know.
Peter was gonna keep his appointments quiet, but he DID tell Johnny (note to self: just switch out all Johnny's suits with non unstable molecule variants) and of course he told everyone else at the table.
But, he's been feeling better about himself lately, so he didn't feel near as self conscious as he may have before.
"Ya, it's actually been pretty nice to just unload everything and talk about stuff." And he meant that. He's been going through his past with a fine tooth comb, leaving nothing out. He's told Emma stuff he never even spoke with Mary Jane about.
"And they know you're...", Steve ended his question by scuttling his hands across his side of the table on 8 fingers.
"Yes", Peter nodded with a smirk, "they know. And they got a good incentive to keep quiet about it too." He swore he caught a small smile from Elektra out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey, that's great Webs, but are we talking or playing poker?" Luke interrupts the conversation with an annoyed tone. He had the smallest pile of chips, and is looking to turn his luck around.
Normally, Peter would have flinched if he was called that with his mask off. But after the cover up by Stark, it seemed like most of the higher ranked heroes and government spooks knew who he was.
Even Kurt, veteran X-Men, seemed to know. After a few questions, he shook Peter's hand and sat down.
At the table, the only one who didn't know before was Johnny Blaze, and he didn't really care. Everyone else there vouched for Pete, so Blaze picked his seat and started playing without a fuss.
So Spider-Man, Human Torch, Power Man, Steve, Thing, Ghost Rider, and Nightcrawler sat around, half or completely out of costume, playing poker and chatting with each other.
"Alright. Everyone ante up." Ben's statement cause a swarm of chips to fly to the center of the table.
After the first round of bets Kurt spoke up. "Zo Peter, vhen vill you come to zhe mansion?"
Peter looks up from his pair of 9s in confusion. "Um, why? I didn't think I was well liked out there. It was like being in highschool all over again, which I guess it was, but I'm older now and-"
"You vere named in his vill", Kurt solemnly interrupted his rant. "Peter Parkher and Spider-Man vere both named separately."
"Huh", Peter responded. He keeps expecting to hear Logan, back from the dead again. His amazing healing factor pulling another miracle. But every time, he's reminded that he's really gone for good this time. "What did he say?"
Kurt silently appreciates Peter being serious for this, and not cracking a joke that may have had him teleport across the table and sock him.
"Ve don't know. It vas 2 letters. One for Peter Parker held by Laura and she vill not explain anything. And the other at "zhe place we became brothers." Kurt ends his explanation with a confused look.
His old friend had many secrets. The most recent one, Kurt discovered, was a mysterious connection to the man before him.
"I knew the two of you chilled sometimes", Luke said eyeing his potential flush, "but brothers? Didn't think he even liked you."
"Meh", Peter shrugged. Spider-Sense. "We've been through some strange times together. I fold."
Luke narrowed his eyes a bit after that. Peter didn't even need his Spider-Sense to know he had something going. When he got annoyed, he got pretty expressive. And Peter had made it an art form to annoy people and predict their next move.
"Where is Laura?" Peter hadn't seen the Wolverette since the Enigma Force thing.
"Ve don't know that either", Nightcrawler admitted. "The frauline haz not returned to the mansion in zome time."
"She's with Misty", Luke chimed in, angrily eyeing the decent sized pot Johnny Blaze was pulling toward himself. "She hired the kid for a sniff job. They've been tracking someone."
"Ah. I'll get ahold of her later then." That's the favor Matt asked Misty to do. Investigate this "godmother" business. He hadn't thought about it in a few days, but he wanted to know who she wa-
"Next hand, let's go", Luke almost shouted. He was getting antsy. Blaze gave him a cocky smirk, pulling his winnings near.
Peter shook his head to clear his thoughts. The godmother thing was being investigated. He was getting his life back together, so he didn't need to focus on her just yet. If he wins big here, he could at least help Matt and Elektra a bit with money. Didn't look like they needed it, but it wasn't in his nature to free load.
Therapy was going good, even if Emma looked shell shocked on occasion. He didn't think his battles were that horrifying.
No luck in the job department yet. Reed's offer was starting to look better and better, but he wasn't ready for that yet. He had a few ideas, just needed the funding-
"PARKER! Make a move man!" Luke was banging the table and scattering chips before Jessica walked over.
"Calm down Luke. It's just a game." A quick look showed Dani in Elektra's arms, the woman with a small glowing smile on her face.
"Ya baby, but I'm down $500 and I think I-" "You lost FIVE HUNDRED!?" Jessica interrupted Luke to get all the details, with everyone else watching in amusement.
Peter arranged the cards in his hand and started thinking again. Life was decent so far, but odds were, something bad was about to happen.
He shook his head again. He needed to stop thinking like that. After that first session with Emma, she theorized a lot of his problems came from self doubt.
After becoming a media success, then crime fighter at a young age, then the Bugle blasting his character, he had been under a lot of mental pressure.
Between Emma and himself, they figured that from all the doubt, depression, and people's fear of him, that's when he started having problems.
He'd held onto every insult and jibe people threw at him back then. They hated him, and were terrified when he was near. That's why the class clown act appealed so much to him. Sure, he was a natural jokester, and cracking wise in the middle of fights always helped calm him down and cover his fears. But, and this was Emma's theory, he let it get too out of hand.
After saving Jameson's son from the shuttle, that's when the Bugle really picked up their hate for him. He didn't want to be hated, he just really wanted to do the right thing. He didn't want to be feared either. So what was the best option? Act like a total idiot and clown so people weren't scared of him. And it worked.
Too well...
And the longer he did it, the more natural he got at it. He was already socially awkward, so it wasn't that big of a stretch. But looking back on fights he's had, he should have done a lot better.
He wasn't as strong or fast as he is now, but hardly any regular human should be able to keep up with him. And Spider-Sense! He should have been practically untouchable to any normal Joe.
But wasn't that the point? He didn't want to be feared and hated, so he took a few lumps here and there so people would look at him different. Ok, they still hated him, but they weren't scared anymore.
He'd purposely limited himself in fights to put people at ease, and he wasn't even consciously aware that he was doing it! The human mind was an amazing thing. It can also be incredibly stupid, as Emma pointed out.
He took hits to make people feel better. He portrayed himself like an idiot, he acted ineffectual, and overall, nearly got himself killed about a million more times than he thought he was aware of.
Man, he should have gotten help a long time ago.
Nothing to do about it now though. He knows about it, so he can change. He's becoming a better Spider-Man everyday.
The thought put a smile on his face, and he turns to face Steve when the older man gets everyone's attention.
"Alright everyone. I'm glad to get out and school you kids in poker," He paused letting the table laugh. He had the 2nd largest chip stack, just behind the kid with the Spider-Sense. "But there was another reason I wanted to see all of you."
Everyone got quiet and focused on him. When the original Captain America talked, you listened.
"We got some great people out there fighting for us. Feels like a half-dozen Avengers teams. The various X groups. The Future Foundation, and the street level heroes protecting the little guy." He looked around the room and nodded to each hero when he brought up their faction.
"But, as always, I think we can do more. Do better."
"Oh man," Luke covered his face with one hand. "This sounds like a recruitment drive." Jessica smacked him in his arm.
Steve chuckled. "In a way, it is. Elektra?"
Elektra and Sue walked toward the table. Elektra handed Dani back to her mother before turning her attention back to the table.
"Someone's spoken to some of you, so you probably already know what this is about." Blaze and Ben nodded while the others continued to listen.
"The individual pieces are never as great as the whole. And some of us have not been a part of a "whole" in some time. I've recently been doing some thinking. About the future, and about the present. I want a future I, and anyone with me, can be safe in. That has to start now. What I'm proposing, is a new team of us."
"Steven already established there are many teams of us already," Nightcrawler chimed in.
"Yes, but where are those teams usually? In space? In another dimension? Lost on another earth? What happens to New York while they're gone?"
"Um", the focus of the table shifts to Peter. "I usually swing into a big mess and nearly get killed waiting for backup. Or I pull a last minute victory. Depends on if I ate my wheat cakes that morning."
Elektra continues. "Exactly. One man, or maybe two if another happens by, faces whatever drops onto the streets."
Johnny interrupts waving flaming hands in the air, "wait, wait, wait. You want a team of what, street level heroes?"
"Not a team", Steve takes over again. "A squad."
Most of the group looks back to Steve in confusion. Johnny puts it best. "Huh?"
Steve takes a deep breath and gears up for his bombshell. "I've been in talks with several government and city officials. It took some time to iron out some details, but we have been given the green light to establish a squad of heroes who work along side the police to help protect people."
Seeing a few about to interrupt, Steve hammers on. "We're being smart about this. No "registration" or unmasking. We've already got some of the best lawyers on retainer, so if there's a problem, they'll be there to help. This will be by the book, but we're making our own chapters up as we go. This will be like another department of the NYPD. I'm to be placed as police chief of this group. Orders will come from me mostly, but if there's trouble, I expect full cooperation with other departments."
Peter scratches his head. "So, we'll do what we've always done, just with a badge?"
Steve gives him a dry smirk. "Yes. A badge... and all the benefits and priveledges that come with it."
This had everyone staring in shock. Even Elektra, and this was mostly her idea.
Steve was serious again. "This will be a department parallel with the police force, funded by the same source, with a little extra from investors. You will get a badge. A salary. Benefits. Insurance. This will be as legitimate as it gets people."
"We're getting paid?", Blaze cocks an eyebrow. It's been awake since he held down a job.
"Are zhey fine vith mutants?" Nightcrawler asks.
Steve answers them while Johnny jabs Peter in the ribs. "Dude, this is like your dream job! Help people and get paid!"
Peter shrugs off Johnny's enthusiasm and looks directly at Steve. "I can't do it."
All conversation stops and everyone stares at Peter. Steve's face was stone. "Why not?"
People seemed to lean closer to him to hear the answer. "I, I just can't. Not again. I went through this with Stark. I can't do it again Steve."
Steve observed him for a moment and nodded. "I figured that would be your response. Your identity wouldn't be held against you. Or your family. This is mostly my show, under my Champion License. Very little government involvement. I choose and manage the squad. But I understand if you don't want to be a part of it Spider-Man."
"Um, thanks Captain?" Peter replied awkwardly.
"Good. Now I have a offer for Peter Parker." Steve directed to a confused Peter.
"Word is, you're a top notch scientist in need of work. I've looked through your history and seen that it looks like you've been given a bad break. We could use a brilliant mind like yours. We'll need help with technologies to combat and detain the types of criminals we'll be dealing with. You'll be compensated and have the same benefits as our officers. I feel like you're the person for the job. What do you say?"
Peter was gobsmacked. He didn't want to fall into the same situation he was in. But this wouldn't be that. A police force, made up of heroes, under the command of Steve Rogers. Working with the local boys in blue. There's some details that sounds like they need to be worked out, but it sounds hands down better than Stark's deal. And he'd work as Peter Parker. Earn a real paycheck. Could he do it?
Looking down at Steve's outstretched hand, Peter's own moves over piles of chips and cards to grasp it.
"You got it boss", Peter says with a smirk.
"Good man", Steve responds back.
Everyone there knew this was the start of something amazing.
-Baxter Building - Another Room-
"You and Ben didn't find anything?" The man in the red sunglasses asked.
"Just spiders." The attractive brunette woman asked him. "Lots and lots of spiders."
"Spiders? Hmm." Sunglasses held his chin. "What's the connection between this, Peter, and the money?"
Brunette stood up from behind her desk and looked straight into the tinted lenses. "I don't know, but we're going to find out."
-Another Building-
A human like mass of spiders walks through an old, broken building. Coming to a door, the spiders break apart and slip through cracks to reform the body on the other side.
An attractive red head woman, bound and gagged by stands of silk like material, tries to scream through her bonds.
The creature reaches out one hand toward her, and slowly starts to break apart and flow toward the woman.
The last thing the woman hears before the spiders reach her is an all too human voice angrily saying the name, "Paarrrkkkeeerrrr."
-Some other building-
A yellow and blue figure is running through hallways and stairs. Occasionally, the female figure stops and sniffs the air, then changes direction.
She's tracked her this far. Her partner had given up hours ago, and asked the she be kept posted.
She's alone in her hunt, just the way she likes it. Coming to a room strong with the scent, she kicks the door open and looks around.
She was here. Fairly recently too. She'll catch up sooner or later.
"I will find you."
-Another Where?-
Looking back at the group he's picked up, a red and black figure resists the urge to sigh.
Two teens, boy and girl, who look like identical twins, another girl, in an amorphous blob like form, a familiar redhead, in an even more familiar red and blue suit, and now this guy in some sort of Halloween costume.
"Look Par-" "Don't call me that", the red and black suited man interrupted the trick or treater.
"Whatever. How are we gonna jump now?" The new guy asks. They've been through several different earths, and had gotten pretty good at finding ways around. But this new world...
"Don't move!" A loud voice came from behind the police barricade in front of them.
The group was on what LOOKED like a street in New York. They were surrounded by what LOOKED like police officers.
"Requesting back up! We got some kind of aliens in the street! I repeat, requesting back up!" A humanoid lion in a police uniform roared into a walkie talkie.
The officers surrounding the group WERE officers. They were also lions, tigers, and bears.
"Oh my" the redhead said in amusement.
The red and black figure facepalmed himself, and the new guy summed the situation up in his native vernacular.
"Well, shock it."