We Might Be Radioactive
Epilogue

Bruce awoke to the familiar sensations of vague confusion and too-tight skin. He didn't try to fight them, letting each breath come when it was ready, letting his mind slowly clear. He was lying naked in a bed of soft sheets - his bed in Stark Tower. Slowly, he tested each of his sore limbs, and he frowned when he finally realized that one of his hands was caught in five warm fingers.

Bruce turned his head to the side and was met with Peter, his hand gripping Bruce's, his head pillowed on his arms. He was still in his Spider-Man suit sans mask and, it seemed, deeply asleep. Bruce stared for several minutes. It had been years since he'd woken up from the Hulk to a hand in his, and his heart swelled in his chest until it was almost painful. While meeting Peter the first time he would have never thought that he would end up there, with Peter watching over him.

Bruce slipped his hand free and instead ran it through Peter's hair. "Where did you come from, Peter?" he murmured, emotion thick in his throat. "And what am I going to do with you?"

Peter stirred. He lifted his head, and the smile that touched his lips the moment he saw Bruce was sweet and captivating. "Bruce." When Bruce turned his palm against Peter's cheek, Peter leaned into it. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, now." Bruce gently traced the shape of a bruise under Peter's left eye. "Are you?"

"Just a little banged up, but okay." He chuckled. "I've had worse."

Bruce smiled, but he didn't want to think about worse. "How'd we do?" he asked. "Is Steve all right?"

"You don't remember?"

"No." Bruce could only recall the briefest flashes of their fight through the city. "Nothing."

"In that case, I single-handedly saved the day," said Peter with a weary smirk. "Except, well, Mr. Stark might still be in a coma or something. I haven't checked in a while."

Bruce sighed. "The gas?"

"Yeah. Right to the face." Peter squirmed. "But it wasn't my fault, really."

"I'm sure." Bruce continued to lightly stroke Peter's face, and at last gave the back of his neck a tug. "Come here."

Peter didn't need further coaxing. He leaned forward against the mattress and let Bruce pull him down into a kiss. His lips were bruised but still sweet, and Bruce didn't want to let them go. It wasn't any less wrong than ever, he tried to tell himself. Peter was still too young, too inexperienced for it to be anything short of taking advantage. That didn't stop him. He had something and he wasn't ready to give up on it yet.

Peter jerked back suddenly, and before Bruce could ask why, he had leapt to the ceiling. The door opened a moment later and Bruce jumped at the sight of Director Fury leaning in.

"Dr. Banner," Fury greeted precisely. "Now that you're awake, would you mind joining us?"

"Um...sure." Bruce sat up and managed not to glance to the ceiling. "Just give me a minute to get dressed."

Fury nodded and left again. Once the door had clicked shut, Peter dropped to the floor. "The suits picked you up after the bridge," he said. "I had to sneak in here through the window."

"Fury's not your everyday suit," said Bruce. He climbed out of bed and hunted out some fresh clothing. "You're lucky you were in his blind spot when he came in."

Peter sat down on the edge of the mattress as Bruce got dressed. His shoulders sagged. "I guess now's when I get turned in, huh?"

Bruce frowned and buttoned up his shirt. "I'll talk to him," he said. "Fury's tough but he's reasonable. He won't hand you over to the cops if he thinks he can get some use out of you."

"Use?" Peter straightened. "You mean, on the team?"

"We'll see." Bruce cupped Peter's chin and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Just stay put. If it seems to be going well, I'll give you the cue to come in. Everything's going to be all right, Peter."

He headed for the door, but once his hand was on the knob Peter spoke up. "Hey, Bruce." He leaned back on his hands. "You are going to tell me the story behind the Big Green You sometime, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Bruce smiled wearily. "I will."

Bruce closed the door behind him and let out a long sigh. He felt as if he were about to go into battle, but he steeled his nerves and followed the sounds of voices into the main commons of his set of rooms.

"Ugly little sucker, ain't he?" Fury was saying. "Maybe I should pay Oscorp a visit myself. It seems to me this has to be breaking some kind of safety violation."

Bruce entered and found Fury studying the contents of a plastic container: a small blue and red spider with its front legs pawing at the sides. "You found it?" He slipped his glasses on, and Fury handed him the container for closer inspection.

"Agent Romanoff found it," said Fury. "I'm guessing it's a spider thing." Natasha, who was seated nearby with her arms folded, only shrugged.

Bruce gave the spider a once over. It looked just like the last one he had seen, though much more alive. Satisfied that it was safely contained, he turned his attention to the rest of the room. Pepper was seated near Natasha, a tablet balanced in her lap. The only other occupants were Tony and Steve, both wrapped in bathrobes and seated side by side on the couch. Each sported an ice pack on the top of his head, and they both looked haggard and possibly nauseous, but at least Tony was awake and Steve fully human. Bruce handed the spider back to Fury and moved to Steve, checking his pulse and temperature.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Exhausted." Steve didn't protest any of Bruce's prodding. "Fuzzy."

"It'll pass."

"We've already sent a blood sample back to the lab," said Fury. "It should be able to tell us if this 'condition' of Captain Rogers' is going to be perpetual."

"The radiation given off by these spiders is very minimal," said Bruce. "Nothing like what I was exposed to. I'm fairly confident it'll dissipate and he'll be fine."

"Even so, he'll be coming back to the carrier with us for observation until we're sure."

Bruce gave Steve's shoulder a squeeze, which he seemed to appreciate. "And Tony?"

"Splitting headache," Tony grunted. "Thanks for asking."

"At least we know the EA works."

"Dr. Banner." Fury gestured for him to sit down. "I'd like to hear your version of the events tonight."

Bruce took a seat next to Steve. He glanced to his peers and they looked back, clearly trying to communicate something, which Fury was quick to interrupt. "None of that," he said. "I see you trying to get your stories straight. Just tell me what happened, Doctor."

Bruce licked his lips. "Captain Rogers was exposed to trace amounts of radioactive material, via that spider." He waved toward the container. "It reacted badly with the Super Soldier Serum already in his blood and he suffered...a mutation, as I understand. I didn't see it myself. There isn't any footage, is there?"

Pepper tapped on her tablet a few times and then handed it over. Several screens were playing, including security camera footage from the tower balcony, several shots from a news chopper, and even a few Youtube videos taken on cell phones. Bruce all but beamed with excitement as he took in the sight of Steve's grisly transformation. "All that from such a small dose of radiation," he said, mostly to himself. "Extraordinary."

Steve watched the videos with mixed guilt and apprehension. "I don't remember anything after Dr. Banner telling me to lie down on the couch," he said.

"It's not unlike my better half," Bruce went on, fascinated. "The transformation, the loss of cognition and control. Steve's original formula reacted in a very similar manner to mine. Do you realize what this means?" He looked to Tony excitedly. "It means I was right about the formula after all. It wasn't my chemistry that was wrong, it was the gamma radiation only. Everything else I did right."

"Does that mean something?" Steve asked blearily.

"Of course it does. What it means, I'm not sure yet." Bruce restarted the videos. "But this is amazing. I have a lot of work to do..."

Steve sighed. "At least something good came out of it."

"Dr. Banner," said Fury. "Focus."

"Ah, yes, sorry." Bruce continued to watch the clips. "You were saying?"

Fury glared at him. "You need to tell me where the spider came from."

Bruce kept his head down, stalling. He managed to catch Tony's eye but Tony only shrugged. Before Fury could lose his patience, he said, "It came with Spider-Man, I assume."

"The security guards at Oscorp headquarters swear that Spider-Man robbed their lab tonight," said Natasha. "The police haven't been able to confirm because no one will say what he stole, and there are no prints or other physical evidence that put him at the scene, let alone hint to his identity."

"I don't know anything about that," Bruce said quickly. "Honestly. All I know is that Spider-Man showed up here needing medical attention. We took care of him. And then Captain Rogers suffered the bite."

One of the video clips showed Steve's other form locked in a fight with the Hulk, and Bruce was distracted watching it. It was always a little surreal. "He helped us get things under control, though, didn't he?"

Fury pursed his lips. "He did," he admitted. "As far as we can tell."

Bruce closed the windows and handed the tablet back to Pepper. "Director Fury," he said, "Spider-Man has been active in New York for some time now, as I understand. Surely you have a file on him already."

Fury didn't look pleased to be the one put on the spot. "I do."

"Did you know that his abilities are super human? Artificial?"

"We've suspected as much, yes."

Bruce licked his lips and leaned forward. He prayed he was making the right move. "He's special," he said with conviction. "Sir, Spider-Man is smart, and he's talented, and we all know his heart is in the right place. I know what happened tonight could be labeled a fiasco, and-" he glanced to Steve and Tony "-it could have ended with a lot worse than property damage, but it takes more than some kid in a skin-tight suit to handle me at my worst, let alone two of me. And he did just that."

Fury looked him straight in the eye. "What are you asking me to do, Dr. Banner?"

"I think..." Bruce took in a deep breath. "I'm asking you to consider him for the Avengers."

Steve and Tony were very quiet next to him. Bruce couldn't tell if it was disapproval or acceptance motivating their silence, but he didn't try to look. He stared straight back at Fury and tried to convey all his confidence and none of his ulterior motives. It didn't seem to be working, but then Fury leaned back and frowned thoughtfully.

"Is he here?" Fury asked.

"He...was." Bruce managed not to look at the door. "I don't know if he still is."

Natasha stood, but Fury waved her down before she could leave the room. After another thoughtful moment he said, "I'll consider it."

"If he was here, I'm sure he'd thank you," said Bruce.

Everyone paused. No one looked at the door even though that was where their attention was. When nothing happened, Fury shook his head. "In the meantime, I have a lot of reports to write," he said. "And you, Captain. You're coming with me."

"Can you give me a few minutes?" asked Steve. "I'd like the chance to clean up a bit and find some clothes before getting in a helicopter."

"Fair enough." Fury's lip quirked; he always seemed to know everything. He motioned to Natasha. "We'll wait outside."

"Wait." Bruce sat up straighter. "If you don't mind, I'd like to keep that spider."

Fury raised an eyebrow at him. "What for?"

"My research, of course." Bruce held his hand out, but when Fury didn't budge, he was forced to elaborate. "It could provide me much needed data," he said. "The effect it had on Captain Rogers is extraordinary, and it deserves to be studied. In a safe environment, of course." He swallowed. "I might even be able to figure out precisely where it came from."

Fury grunted. "I suppose I can't consider it stolen property if the owners haven't reported it stolen yet," he said carefully. "But you be very careful with that, Doctor. I'll be checking up on you and I'll want to see what you learn from it."

"Of course." Bruce wanted to explain the full situation to Fury, but he had the feeling that would only tie Fury's hands in a way neither of them wanted. "There's no safer place for it than here," he said, and Fury at last handed the container over.

"If that's settled," said Fury, "we're leaving." He fixed Steve with a hard look. "Meet us at the pad."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll come with you," Pepper volunteered. "Maybe you'd like some coffee before you go?"

"I'd like that," said Natasha, and the three of them left together.

As soon as they were gone Bruce turned toward the hall. "You missed your cue," he called.

Something thumped and then Peter emerged, looking sheepish. He shrugged. "Sorry."

Bruce glanced at Tony and Steve, but they were both watching him expectantly. With a wince he moved to meet Peter in the doorway. "I thought this was what you wanted," he said quietly. "If you want to be on the team, you're going to have to face up to Director Fury at some point."

Peter fidgeted, and after some biting of his lip and rubbing his shoulder, he finally shook his head. "Thank you, Bruce. Really. But I think all of this has just made me realize I'm not ready for that. You know, maybe someday. Just not yet."

Bruce smiled. "I understand."

Tony cleared his throat loudly. "Something you want to share with the class?"

Bruce stepped aside, and with a deep breath Peter moved past him. He faced Tony and Steve resolutely. "Mr. Stark," he said. "Captain Rogers. I'm really sorry about all of this. I know how much trouble I've caused."

"I know the spider was an accident," said Steve, "but you really shouldn't have been at Oscorp in the first place."

"I know." Peter ducked his head. "I'll find a way to make it right, if I can. But it looks like you're not going to turn me in, so...I apologize, and I won't do it again. I won't need to now that we've got a spider, right?"

Steve sighed and rolled his eyes. "Everyone in the future is a smart ass," he complained.

"There weren't any casualties, at least," said Tony. "Except my pride. You turning into a giant spider and wrecking some cars isn't the worst thing that could have happened."

"We've all made mistakes," Bruce butted in. "And we're all a little wiser, right?" He set his hand protectively on the back of Peter's neck. "All the same, you'd better lay low for a while."

Peter watched him out of the corner of his eye. "Does that mean I'm not welcome back here anymore?"

Bruce blushed and looked to Tony for assistance. For a moment it looked as if Tony wasn't interested in a save, but then he pushed to his feet. "Let's get you some clothes, Rogers," he said. "Happy left some things here that you might be able to squeeze into."

As Tony helped Steve up, Bruce turned to face Peter properly. "As long as I'm here, you're welcome," he said seriously. "I said I'd help you figure out your abilities, and I meant it. I know what you're going through."

Peter offered a lopsided grin. "Yeah. I really believe it." He shifted his weight. "What about...the rest?"

Bruce's blush darkened. "We'll...work on that," he said. "But at a much slower pace than we were."

"So." A look of mischief flashed in his eyes that already made Bruce doubt his self-control. "I guess that means no more humping in spandex for a while?"

Steve hadn't quite made it out the door, and he stopped, turning to face the pair. "Wait, what?"

Bruce stuttered over an answer, but before he reached one Peter darted in to kiss him full on the mouth. By the time he even thought to push him off, Peter was already leaning away. "I gotta go," Peter said lightly. "My aunt's gonna kill me." He looked to Tony and Steve. "No hard feelings, right, guys?"

"Stay out of trouble," said Tony. "For real this time."

Peter saluted. "Glad to finally meet you, Mr. Stark." He tugged his mask down and headed for the window.

Bruce wiped his mouth and flashed the gaping Steve a helpless grin. "Peter-"

"I'll call you tomorrow," Peter said as he opened the window and climbed out. "We still have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, but Peter..." Bruce followed him to the window, and Peter waited, but once he was there he didn't know what to say. He sighed. "Be careful getting home."

"I will. Take care of yourself, too, Bruce." He blew Bruce a kiss and then leapt away from the sill, letting a shot of webbing carry him out into the city. Bruce watched until he was out of sight. He wasn't sure he'd ever tire of seeing Peter glide between the buildings so effortlessly.

"Hey," said Steve. "What the hell was that just now?"

Bruce turned back shyly. "Kids," he said, shrugging. "They're inexplicable."

Steve made a face, but then Tony shoved at his back to get him out of the room. "Come on, Rogers," he said. "Let's make you up nice and pretty for Director Fury."

He managed to usher Steve out, and once they were gone Bruce breathed a sigh of relief and moved back to the window. Peter was long gone but he knew they'd be seeing each other again soon. He had no idea what would come next, but for once, the sensation of not knowing didn't bother him.

"Guess I'll be staying in the city for longer than I thought," he said thoughtfully, and he headed back to his room, hoping to get a few more hours of proper sleep. Come morning he would have a lot of work to do. The thought made him smile.

The end!

Thanks for reading, everyone! I appreciate all the support, it means a lot to me especially with a crazy rare pair like this. I am working on a sequel but it'll be a while yet, so I hope you'll take a peek at my other Avengers fics in the meantime. See you again soon!

EDIT: The sequel is underway! You can find "Let's Glow in the Dark" among my other fics.