Chapter Five

"Would you like to order anything?"

"Just a frozen latte please," Peter replied.

"I'll just have a glass of water," I murmured.

The two of us had decided to meet after yesterday's incident at the subway. Not that it surprised me Peter was worried. I mean, he had said that he never performed any of those tricks before. I'm guessing it was a huge shock for him when he slugged one of those thugs for attacking him.

The cafe itself was packed with people either on business breaks or just socializing. It wasn't the best place for us to chat about this, but I figured it was better than meeting at my apartment. I had a feeling that he wouldn't react too kindly to Rinzler. With all due respect I'm not sure I would appreciate having a stranger in my apartment either. Once the waitress returned with our orders, Peter got right down to business.

"So, that spider bite I got yesterday... I think it did something to me," he admitted in an almost guilty voice. "I mean, I'm not even sure if I should be telling anyone this."

I raised an eyebrow after taking a sip of my water. I was more surprised that he had called me than anything else. Wasn't there something about the not trusting strangers rule he should know about? Well, I suppose we weren't entirely strangers. We did meet several times, under different situations.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper.

"I mean, I think that spider gave me powers," he replied. "I've never been able to take down anyone bigger than me. Isn't that a bad thing?"

Hey, after what those thugs tried doing, I would've arrested them on the spot. But since we already kicked their sorry butts I had restrained myself from doing so. Plus it would only make me look even more suspicious if I showed them by SHIELD badge. It was something I always kept on me just in case.

"I don't know." Looking out the window, I thought it over. The spider had somehow given him abilities. And now we were both trying to figure out why. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it had come from Oscorp. I mean Connors did say that they were studying cross-species genetics. "Maybe the spider did give you powers," I muttered under my breath.

Peter looked at me strangely, and my eyes widened when I realized he had heard. "You remember what Connors said about cross-species genetics, right?" I nodded at his question, suddenly wishing I had never opened my mouth. "Maybe that spider was somehow genetically altered. And that's how I was able to..." He cut himself off.

"Look, I don't think this is something you should tell the world about," I told him warily. Especially with so many prying eyes around us. A few of the people inside had given me odd looks the moment I walked in.

"I guess you're right," he grumbled, taking a sip of his drink afterwords. "I'm just worried this is gonna backfire on me."

After what Dr. Connors had said about the cross-species genetics, I couldn't blame Peter for saying that. I'm sure he was wondering if he would grow eight arms and have multiple eyes now that the spider had bitten him. I just hope that things didn't turn out that way.

"Well, I have the rest of the afternoon off. Maybe I could show you a few moves," I suggested once my drink was finished.

"I'd like that," Peter replied with a smirk.

I really hope that SHIELD wasn't watching. Otherwise I was in for the lecture of a century. Again.

. . .

"What do we know about the subway incident?"

"A spider bit him, sir. We believe that the spider was somehow genetically mutated, and he received it's powers."

"And this is all from Oscorp, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oscorp most likely knows what we're up to than."

"What do we do now?"

"Keep an eye on that Parker boy. If anything happens, you know what to do."

"Yes sir!"

. . .

Peter ducked just in time to avoid my incoming fist. His reflexes were good, I'll give him that. He'd managed to dodge most of my attacks, almost as if he had already seen them coming. So I took the tactical approach. I went for a less obvious attack and kicked him in the thigh, making him reel over in surprise.

"Man, where'd you learn how to fight like this?" This was his second attempt at attacking me. While he wasn't nearly as well trained as Beck, he did show courage and stamina. And he was willing to learn and try something new.

"I was taught how to defend myself," I explained.

It wasn't necessarily a lie. I had to learn how to defend myself when I was on the Grid. Otherwise I would've been long dead. Luckily Peter just grinned as I helped him up from the mat. This sparring session was just what I needed to get my mind off of things. And it helped that Peter seemed genuinely interested in what he was learning.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side than." Peter glanced out the window to make sure no one was watching.

They gym remained relatively empty, much to my relief. Usually Steve was here in the afternoon, but I haven't even seen him lately. He was my sparring partner most of the time. Occasionally Natasha would ask to spar, but that was about it.

It was actually nice to have some company other than the people I've become so familiar with. Once we were finished Peter sat down beside me and grabbed a book from the bag he took with him. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when I noticed what he was reading.

"I take it you're not a fan of his works?" Peter caught my expression and grinned sheepishly. A book by Dr. Connors. Somehow that didn't surprise me, though the subject made me slightly wary.

"I'm just not so sure cross-species genetics is a good idea," I admitted. "I mean, aren't you worried that you might turn into a spider?"

Mentally I smacked myself for that comment. But Peter just laughed and shook his head.

"If anything were to happen to me, I think it would've by now," he replied.

"Hm, I suppose you're right," I grumbled.

I took my phone out to see how late it was. It was getting close to dinner time. And surprisingly Peter hadn't taken the opportunity to run off. I sure hope he wouldn't get in trouble for being out this late. Something told me that his aunt and uncle wouldn't be too pleased.

"So, do you wanna meet up again sometime later?" I was even more surprised when Peter asked that question.

"Sure, I'd like that," I replied with a grin.

It would be nice to hang out again, especially if it was just for fun. So far I think I've gathered enough intel for Director Fury. Though if he was anything like Tron, he would be next to impossible to please. Once he was gone, I grabbed my stuff and headed back to my apartment.

The streets busy as usual, but the sidewalks were surprisingly not nearly as crowded. I suppose that by now most people would've already gone home or headed out if they needed to. So I was left holding on to my bag, suddenly wishing that I still had my light sword.

A light sword was a weapon designed for use on the Grid, but I had taken it with me when I stayed in the User world. Sadly though it had been destroyed by that Extremis soldier a few weeks ago. Tony had offered a replacement for it, but I reluctantly declined. That light sword had been a gift from Castor, one of the few programs to take me in when I needed the help.

Natasha would have just told me that I was being paranoid, constantly looking over my shoulder. But with everything going on lately, there was no such thing as being too cautious. After one of the Mandarin's soldiers had managed to take me down, I wasn't taking any chances.

And it was a good thing I had been paying attention. Because the moment I looked over my shoulder I knew that someone was following me. So I took a counter measure to walk faster, hoping to reach my apartment before they caught up with me.

"You lost squirt?" So much for getting away on time.

Turning around I noticed that the man standing in front of me was tall and muscular. Wearing a strange purple suit with a half-bald head and narrowed eyes. I've seen him before on SHIELD's most wanted files. If only I had them memorized. Right now I could really use that info.

"No," I replied as calmly as I could. The stranger simply smirked and took another careful step towards me. "I was just headed for my home."

"Nah, I think you're lost." Sometimes I really wish I had taken Natasha's offer on handling a gun. While I was against using such a weapon, having one as means of scaring people off would come in handy. Though something told me this guy wouldn't be so intimidated by that.

"So, who sent you?" I demanded, noticing the weapons he was carrying. Strapped to his waist was a knife, and I'm guessing he was hiding a few other tricks under his sleeves.

"That's for me to know," he sneered. Before I had a chance to respond, he leaped gracefully into the air and kicked me in the arm, tossing me aside like I was nothing.

Once I had recovered I grabbed him by the boot and tripped him, not giving him another opportunity to kick me. He leaped back again to give us some distance. The way he moved with his legs made me suddenly realize who this was. Batrok the Leaper. Whoever sent him must have known I wasn't returning home anytime soon.

I blocked a few of his blows before catching his fist as he attempted to knock me out. This guy was nothing compared to some of the soldiers I've fought on the Grid. But he wasn't a pushover either. I just had to bide my time until SHIELD arrived with backup. Meanwhile Batrok was giving it his all as he pushed me into the railing that led to a set of stairs. That smirk of his... I really wish I could just swipe it off. Without making things worse than they already were.

"Heh, they don't usually last this long," he hissed as I flipped back and kicked him in the chest. Batrok was faster. He tripped me just as I spun around to face him. I rolled to the side as he tried kicking my face with his boot after landing on the cement.

Leaping back to my feet just as he tried throwing his knife at me, I threw a fist into his nose and heard a sickening crack. He may have more weapons, but I wasn't about to let him take advantage of that. I moved swiftly to the side just in time to avoid getting kicked in the ribs, only to feel the sting of something sharp running across my arm. The same arm that Cyrus's disk had cut through. Grinding my teeth together, I dropped to the ground and swung my leg over to knock him off of his feet. He easily dodged and grabbed another knife, this time only narrowly missing me when he threw it.

"They weren't kidding when they said you're just like 'em," Batrok said as he threw in another punch, which I blocked easily. I didn't need to know who he was talking about. I'm guessing Natasha and Clint have fought him before, and won with ease. "I would've brought more weapons with me if I'd known you would put up this much of a fight."

If this kept up I'd be exhausted by the time he was finished with me. I needed to end this before things got worse. Batrok seemed to be thinking the same thing as he grabbed me by the leg. I let out a yelp of pain as he twisted it, letting me crash to the ground as I tried jumping to avoid him.

"Sorry, but I have to go before mommy and daddy come to the rescue," he sighed. "I hope we meet again!"

My leg was broken. That was the only thought I could think of as he vanished into the night. And there was no one around to notice. Sometimes I really wish I had stayed on the Grid. At least on the Grid I knew what an assassin looked like. And I could use my disk to defend myself.

As carefully as I could I stood up and held on to the railing, ignoring the pain that seared through me. I needed to get back to my apartment before anyone else was sent after me. Right now I was a sitting target for any onlookers. And I'd never hear the end of it if SHIELD found out what had happened.

God, don't let me pass out, I begged silently as I limped forward. If anyone was watching they hadn't noticed what had happened. It was probably a good thing nobody had noticed. Because not only did I have a broken leg, but the cut on my arm was still bleeding. Anyone sane enough would've stayed on the spot and waited for help.

Rinzler was already waiting for me at the door when I finally got back. By now exhaustion had crept over me as well. At this point I pondered over whether or not I should just fall over and sleep on the floor. Right now it looked like the most comfortable spot I could find.

"Hey bud, not now," I muttered as he nuzzled me cautiously. I've never seen him look more worried than now. I had read somewhere that animals had a tendency to know whether or not a human was in pain. Even though Rinzler was technically created by a strand of codes, he was more animal-like than program. Taking a deep breath, I struggled to get to the most comfortable seat I could find. "I'll be fine," I promised as he nuzzled my hand.

I sure hoped that I was right. Last thing I wanted to do was end up dying from a stupid broken leg and a cut on my arm.

AN: Sorry if I got Batrok's description wrong. He's actually going to be in the Winter Soldier movie, so thought I'd introduce him early and move things on. And Mira got to spend some 'quality' time with Peter ;) Big thanks to Panda Bear Lover 317, Sunofaia, Briannajs-22 and 2theSky for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D