After seeing Spiderman a second time in the theater, and loving it even more, I give you... Chapter 15!
Chapter 15
"I really think you two will be very happy to have a little more privacy," Coulson said, stopping outside of a closed oak door.
Peter followed him down a long gray corridor, pushing Gwen in a wheelchair. She had been released from the infirmary that day, and given a good pregnant bill of health. She had refused the wheelchair at first, but one look from Peter's brown puppy dog eyes, she shut up and sat down in the chair. The flowers Tony Stark had given her rested in a vase on her lap, and she smiled up at Coulson.
Coulson opened the door, and Gwen gasped in surprise. What stood before them was a little efficiency; a tiny yellow kitchen stood off to the left with a microwave, apartment size fridge and coffee maker, while a leather couch and tv were to the right. A small dining table sat back against the far wall next to two doors, which Gwen assumed were to a bathroom and bedroom.
"Wow," Peter said, pushing her inside. He opened one of the doors and it lead to a modest bedroom with large queen bed.
"This is amazing," Gwen said. "Thank you so much."
Phil smiled, "You're welcome." He extended a hand to Gwen, and she got up out of the wheelchair. "I'll give you guys a minute to get settled, and then, Peter, Director Fury would like to see you on the bridge. Gwen, Dr. Banner would like to see you in the labs tomorrow at 0900."
Gwen nodded, setting the vase down on the dining room table. She looked down at the thin cotton hospital gown she was still wearing. "I'm guessing my clothes were..."
"We took the liberty of buying you a few outfits." He nodded to the closet.
"You know my size?" Gwen asked.
Phil gave her a look.
"Right, stupid question." Gwen mumbled.
"I'll see you later. Take care." Phil said, and with a final wave, he pushed the wheelchair through the door and let it close behind him.
"Wow," Gwen said, repeating Peter. She gave her head a small shake, and walked over to the closet. She looked at Peter, who had a worried expression on his face. "What is it?"
"Are you really okay with all this?" Peter asked, gesturing around to the apartment.
"It will take a bit to get used to," Gwen said, pulling out a blue dress and admiring it. "But," she rubbed her flat stomach, "we're going to be parents, Peter. Everything is changing."
He walked to her then, and took her hands, gazing into her eyes, the eyes of the girl he loved, and had almost lost. "I love you."
Gwen felt a heat sizzle up her spine at his words. You never forget the first time you hear your boyfriend say the L world. She imagined it'd be infront of a roaring fire in the Swiss Alps, but right here, in their tiny home, she accepted it. She smiled up at him, "You've never said that to me before."
"I have," He said sadly, remembering her being unconscious in his arms as she bled out in the alley behind OsCorp. "You just didn't hear me."
"I hear you now." She said.
He bent his head down to her, and she tilted hers up, and their lips were inches away from touching when there was a knock on the door. Peter rolled his eyes, "I wonder who it is that has great timing."
"Mr. Parker, I'm Agent Sitwell, I'm supposed to show you the way to the Bridge." Came a voice through the door.
Peter groaned. "Coming!" He called.
"I guess you have to go." Gwen said.
"Yeah," He said, stroking her cheekbone with his fingertips, "But I will come back to you."
"Don't be long," She whispered.
"You'll be okay here?"
"Yeah," She nodded, looking around, "I might take a nap."
He wrapped his arms around her waist then, pulling her to him and she laughed. He kissed her quickly, and then jogged to the door.
8888888
He had disappeared.
Soon, the media would pick up on it. Felicia prowled the darkened streets alone, her eyes on the rooftops. She had stopped two muggings and a car jacking this night, had visited all of his old haunts, and nothing.
It had been three days.
And there was no sign of Spiderman.
The wind tousled her wavy white hair, as sweet as a caress.
Where was he? Was he avoiding her because she had kissed him? That was highly unlikely. Though their kiss had been brief before he had pulled away from her, he seemed to enjoy it for a moment. She had advanced on him before, and he had always paused before pushing her away.
She was certain that if she could just spend a little more time with him, she'd break down his walls. He didn't have to be careful with her. He could have her.
They didn't have to be alone.
Felicia froze. She stood still and listened. In the darkness, someone was walking toward her.
"Who's there?" Felicia called.
"Good evening," A man said, emerging from the shadows.
Felicia balled her hands into fists, ready for trouble. But the man did not attack her. He was dressed smartly, in an expensive Italian suit, his polished shoes glistening in the moonlight. His face looked so familiar. She had seen his face in the Bugle.
Of course.
This was Norman Osbourne, head of OsCorp, one of the richest men in the world. What the hell was he doing walking the streets of Manhattan at midnight?
"What do you want?" Felicia asked.
"To make you a deal, Miss Hardy."
He knew her name. Felicia gave a small start, but she realized that she shouldn't be that surprised. OsCorp ruled the city.
"What kind of deal?"
"A deal that will save your father's life, one you will be stupid to refuse."
Her breath caught in her throat. Her father. Her poor, bed ridden father that lay dying in her apartment. How could he know that? How could he possibly know? No one knew about that. It was her great secret...
Felicia bit her bottom lip as Norman began to speak.
"The good news is," Fury said, his good eye glancing at every face around the room. "Is that we have Osbourne on the run. S.H.I.E.L.D has frozen his assets and give sole control of the company to his son, Harry who is at boarding school in Europe and couldn't care less."
Peter looked up at that. They were all in a large conference room around a table. Agent Romanava and and Barton where there, as well as Tony and Cap and a few other. Peter had been sitting in his seat, watching Fury, half listening. The first half of the meeting had been about other missions that the teams had done, nothing that had to with him, so he turned his attention to the rather large man sitting beside him. Thor, he had called himself, and he had said that he was the God of Thunder. Judging by Thor's bicep, Peter believed him. Although he was jacked, he had a very kind, and easy going demeanor, though Peter felt like he was someone who you wanted to be on good terms with, or he would squash you with the sole of his size 45 boot.
"Did you say Harry Osbourne?" Peter asked.
Fury paused and looked at him, as well as everyone else. "Yes. Harry Osbourne."
"I know him. Well, I used to know him. We grew up together until he got shipped out of the country."
"Were you close?" Fury asked.
"He was my best friend, you could say." Peter replied.
"So a call from you wouldn't arrouse suspicion?" Fury asked.
"Well, we haven't talked in years."
"Understood. Thank you, Mr. Parker." Fury said with a half smile, "Anyway, like I was saying, if Osbourne even laughs too loud, we'll have him." He turned to Tony, "Any news on the organism?"
"We know that it needs a living host in order to fully mobilize. Without that, it can't even break through a glass canister." Another man sitting beside Tony spoke up. Peter looked at him. He was short, with a kind face and salt and pepper hair.
"Thank you, Dr. Banner." Fury said.
Peter gasped. Dr. Banner. Dr. Bruce Banner. Could that really be... "You're Dr. Banner?" Peter shouted, looking at him from across the table.
The man turned to him, "Yes, I'm Dr. Bruce Banner. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Parker."
"Call me Peter." Peter said. "Oh man, Gwen is going to... I mean... Gwen, my girlfriend and I... we read your paper... I mean she let me read your paper that was published in OsCorp Digest about suntransical molecular biopsies and how it's helping cancer patients."
Bruce grinned at him, "You read it? And understood it?"
"I more than understood it, sir. If a group of suntransical cells reaches maturity, the possibilities could be endless."
Bruce grinned, "I did have the pleasure of meeting Gwen, but I think you should help us out in the labs as well."
"Parker is to work in the field only, as Spiderman." Fury said.
There was a hush that fell around the room. All eyes were glued on Fury. Tony's mouth dropped open like a drawbridge, and he was the first to speak, "Well, the kid is hardly, like me, Nick, I don't see why he has to..."
Fury sighed, "At the present time, S.H.I.E.L.D has use for Spiderman only."
"Why?" Tony asked, "Are you downsizing or something?"
"I am not going to go into details with you, Stark..."
"He's a bright kid," Bruce piped up, "Is this because of the girl?"
There was a collective gasp, and Fury paused before speaking, "Absolutley, 100% not because of Gwen Stacy." He turned his eye on Peter.
Tony flopped back in his chair with a rueful grin.
"We've been monitoring Miss Stacy closely, I'm sure she's mentioned." Fury continued, "we'd be interested in her even if you weren't in the picture, Mr. Parker. Please believe that."
Peter gave a small nod. He wasn't sure what to believe. It seemed, that no matter who you were, SHIELD acted in their own interests. It didn't matter if you were a one legged hermaphrodite that could juggle bowling bowls. If they wanted your abilities to be a plotted plant, you were a plotted plant. He gave Fury a small nod. "So, what happens now?" He found himself asking.
"You have an associate," a familiar voice said. It was Phil. He wasn't seated at the table, but he moved out of the shadowed corner of the room and over to them. "Goes by the name of the Black Cat. She's had a recent dealing with Osborn. We need you to bring her in. We need to find out what she knows."
"Felicia?" Peter asked. He knew he shouldn't of trusted her. He felt his hands balling into fists. "She's working with Osborn?!"
"That's what we need to find out." Phil said.
Peter gave a small nod. If she had used him, if she had hurt Gwen, if she...
"Alright, dismissed." Fury said, and left from the room as the others got to his feet.
Peter sat still a few moments, and then he found a hand on his back. He looked up and into the face of Stark.
"Hey, kid, how ya doin?"
Peter shrugged. He honestly didn't know.
"But hey, you're gonna be a dad, and that's great." Tony smiled.
Peter gave him a smile.
"Listen, don't get too comfortable here. Don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D blindly. They will give you a gift, but it's not really a gift, it's a prison sentence."
Peter looked at him. He was openly disgracing the organization he worked for.
"You don't trust them?" Peter asked.
"S.H.I.E.L.D? No." Tony said. He gestured around the room, "But these guys? They will have your back."