A/N: - I own nothing. Just a fan.
[Natasha's PoV: ]
The first phase of the plan worked well and I was now face-to-face with the man I was assigned to dig out information from.
"You alright, ma'am?" The formal way of talking, nothing out of order
"Y-Yes, thank you." I stuttered, trying to remain in my role as a molested woman who got caught in something sinister while walking back home after work.
It was surprising to see a man beating the crap out of the three agents working on this mission like they were nothing but really just roadside goons. I mean, the agents were holding back initially but when the Subject began thrashing them, I could tell that they lost composure and began throwing hits which could have been dangerous if not for the Subject's agile movements and powerful counter.
He did not have any proper fighting skills but I can tell that Benjamin Tennyson holds a lot of experience in combat to draw out such an efficient way of fighting.
"If you don't mind, please wrap this coat around your waist." He handed me his overcoat while looking elsewhere.
I did not have to glance down to verify why he was advising me to cover up since I know my dress was ripped from places and my thighs were in full view. The strange part arrives from the matter that Benjamin didn't look flustered or uncomfortable because of my current appearance, rather his face showed no definite reaction at all like he offered his coat just out of courtesy.
Okay, he's different from the norm but other than his helping nature and immunity to my charms there was nothing notable.
"T-Thank you." I took his coat and tied it as instructed.
"Do you live nearby? Or should I call a cab?"
"I live just down the street b-but my ankle is slightly injured... "
It was why of course a lie but not the house part since I have rented a small studio room near the café with a backdated dealership contract, in case I get inquired afterward.
Benjamin looked skeptical. He cannot call a taxi since they won't travel in the compact streets during this hour and any other mode of transportation was unavailable at the moment.
His decision was in my favor.
"Then if you are okay with it, let me carry you?"
"Eh? No! I mean I have already bothered you with all this and now..."
"I insist. And traveling alone at this hour is not ideal in places like these, so please let me help. It will only take minutes to reach there."
Benjamin didn't wait for my response before he squatted down and invited me to his back.
He has a broad back, I must give him that.
"I might be heavy..." I spoke while maintaining my shy visage as I slowly climbed his back and felt his hand sliding beneath the back of my knees. No appropriate attempt there, surprisingly.
Okay, it was slightly vexing.
I mean, he didn't even pretend to accidentally feel me anywhere other than the necessary touches and that was not just coincidence. He is deliberately keeping his distance which was not good for my plan to seduce the guy.
Well, not like I was given any limitation of days so I can take my time.
"Do you generally roam around at these hours? "
I initiated the conversation as Benjamin began to walk. His strides were completely fine and no sign of labored breathing either. A good physique comes from a disciplined workout. Another habit a woman would like about him.
Hearing my question he vaguely answered, "Something like that. What about you?"
"I don't get off my work this late generally but today the editor-in-chief threw a party for receiving an award." A made-up story that I was about to tell him since he was going to ask where I work.
"Oh."
...or he is really not interested in me, at all.
I didn't strike up a conversation from there since I was a molested woman who should be all tensed up around strangers for now. If only this guy would have been a little cooperative I might have exchanged numbers or something.
"P-Please drop me here... I live in this building... "
Since I was nervous it was given I would be anxious enough to not feel strange telling someone where I live.
Benjamin slowly helped me down and like that, our small meeting seemingly came to an end.
"Umm...thank you...umm... "
"Benjamin Tennyson. And don't worry about it. "
"Uh... " He didn't even wait to hear my name or let me say how grateful I was for him to ruin my specially built plan to melt my way into his contact list. I didn't plant any tracker since Fury told me not to.
They have already tried to monitor Benjamin but it was proven to be a fruitless venture. Millions worth of surveillance equipment have been wasted over this single subject so for me to get deliberately suspected by planting a tracker was nothing but a bad idea. I need to get myself involved with him and for that, I need to be on his good side.
"Well, I still got his coat...tomorrow's coffee would be great I guess... "
After dropping the woman whom Ben identifies as the agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, more precisely Natasha Romanoff, he sped up toward the nearby alley since his tracker has been picking up distress calls nearby.
Ben initially didn't identify the woman as Natasha which was why he jumped to help her, otherwise, he would have left them to play their mini-drama act in the middle of the night.
Glancing at his surrounding Ben double-checked that there wasn't anyone before he slid his sleeve backward revealing a mysterious gauntlet-like watch over his wrist and reaching up to his forearm.
The said tool had a black and green dial with a button near the end of the round dial. The watch was entirely black in shade with only two green veins like cable growing at the side and reattaching to the watch.
Ben didn't have to shuffle through aliens before he found what was best in this situation.
A green flash illuminated the dark alley before a feline-like alien with a black suit-like color scheme, and his hands, legs, chest, and part of his head were colored blue, appeared. He has black mask-like fins around his green eyes, a triangle-shaped nose, a thunderbolt-like design down his chest, and a triangle one down his back.
"Fasttrack." Ben tries a lot not to shout his alien name, more so when his daughter makes fun of it, but old habits die hard isn't just a textbook phrase.
Throwing off his engaging thought, Ben now transformed into Fasttrack, sped across the alley, and began dashing toward the location from where he was receiving the emergency call. It wasn't that Ben had some helpline center, he just hacked every surveillance around New York and does his hero job in the dark.
Breaking the sound barrier, Fasttrack crossed over eight miles in seconds and reached an anonymous park where a car was traveling at high speed with the driver taken as a hostage and the person beside holding the gun.
The criminal has recently robbed a bank and was now on his way to escape the police who could not shoot at the car in the fret of injuring the civilian.
Under the night sky, Ben's figure was impossible for the human eye to catch so he paced past the aggressive car snatching the gun from the assailant in the process before transforming into Goop.
He did not alter himself to form a humanoid figure, rather left his body to remain like a puddle on the street, resulting...
SCREECH*
The tire slipped before the car began to go out of control. The police sirens were nearing which urged Ben to hurry up, as he was about to switch to Spider Monkey, intending to trap the car and bring it to a halt.
However, someone beat him to it as a cobweb splattered across the street as the car directly crashed into it, before it propelled back but thankfully remained at the place.
The goon was too terrified to move and so was the civilian, however, the cops had already closed in and were in the process to extract the criminal and probably lock him up for a good while.
Standing on the sideline, the green gooey substance which technically was Ben, saw the scene as he sensed a familiar person approaching.
"Saving the day once again, Mr. X? "
"Spiderman." Ben acknowledged the teen's presence without turning his head as a blue and red costume-wearing superhuman landed beside him.
Ben was aware of Spiderman's identity but it was not the same for the latter. Initially when Peter began to visit the cafe more often Ben thought that he might have suspected something but soon it turned out Peter genuinely was addicted to espresso. However, the growing friendship with his daughter was another story that Ben would look after very soon...
"I haven't seen this form of yours. What is it called?" Spiderman has come across Ben in several forms yet the kid was smart enough to deduce that there were no different entities but a single person behind all these supernatural alien beings.
Ben didn't intend to stay longer so he switched back to Fasttrack and was about to flee back home when suddenly Spiderman's hurried voice arrived from the side.
"Please wait, Mr.X. Why don't you let me be your sidekick? You have seen my abilities and with my help, I think we can stop crime at a faster rate."
The reason Peter seemed hurried since he knew the ability of this blue reptilian humanoid alien so the teenager needed to forward his plea sooner than he initially thought.
Ben first thought to leave the place while playing ignorant just as always but it has already been a while and Peter has risked his life various times by now.
Ben admits that there were times when he wasn't able to reach places where someone needs to be rescued and Spiderman proved to be useful in such a scenario but as a responsible adult, Ben needs to verify something first from the boy.
"I will ask you only once, Spiderman." Peter visibly seemed surprised being called out by Ben but he earnestly nodded, seemingly prepared to answer. Nevertheless, Ben continued, "Why do you wear this suit and deal with something that can take your life? Is it just for your hobby or is there any different meaning to this? "
Ben did not check Peter's background, since he never found the necessity but now that the boy seemed to persist in joining in this Hero work when he should have been enjoying his school life, Ben needed to ascertain Peter's motives.
Peter remained silent for a bit, maybe he was gathering his thoughts or it might be possible that he make some bluff here. Whatever it was, Ben expected that Spiderman is not being Spiderman just because being a hero seems fun to him.
However, against his expectations, Peter's answer carried heavier meaning than Ben could have ever thought of.
"I...I have lost someone close to me even though I had these powers. I just don't want any other kid out there to get their loved one stolen away just because a goon was in a rush to rob a car. I just...can't stand aside anymore and pretend that the crimes happening around me has to do nothing with me."
With a sigh, Peter walked up to Ben while his gaze remained fixed on the crime scene before the teenager finished speaking his response, "I feel...that while having these powers if anything goes wrong around me, won't I be also responsible for that? "
Ben remained silent hearing the kid's words, feeling the depth of his emotions. Despite how young Peter is, it seems he already has matured due to the circumstances he had to face.
Ben didn't have to go through something like that at that age, thankfully, but now he knows how it feels to lose someone close to you. He knows how guilt could crush one's desire to live anymore.
As such, Ben made a decision.
"Alright, you pass. Now you are my sidekick so do a good job and take care of the neighborhood like a friendly Spiderman, alright?"
The younger one was surprised to hear the sudden announcement. Inside his suit, Ben was sure he must have had a funny reaction but he didn't delay the chatter for his amusement since his daughter must be worried awake until now.
Rather he handed Spiderman something he has been working on for some time now.
It was a small blue and black capsule without any peculiarity visibly there to be noted.
"This...? " Peter caught the capsule thrown at him before he asked in an uncertain tone.
"I think you are smart enough to realize it's used, Spidy. See you, around."
Later that day, Peter would get scolded by his aunt for shouting late at night.
[Next Day]
"You handed that suit to Spiderman, already?! Isn't that thing worth more than a hundred million with all those nanotech and advanced technologies for which the American government can wage a war?"
Early in the morning, when I heard that my stupid father has handed over that suit he has worked for a month in his Juryrigg transformation alternatively changing it with Grey Matter, I couldn't help but shout at him.
That thing allows a person to become an all-in-one superhero with the ability to put offense and defense at the same time and also allows the user to heal themselves with the repairment option. It comes with eighteen different external weapons and also the ability to fly and electromagnetism which makes the User literally telekinesis.
Not to talk about how cool it look!
And my old man handed it to some shaggy cosplay-wearing guy who calls himself an insect? Yeah, I was frustrated.
"You didn't expect that I would let you wear that and allow you to do dangerous stuff, right hun? "
It wasn't that my dad was asking my opinion but rather reminding me of the only strict prohibition he has put in my regulations. I just have to run away from any danger I come across in this crime-prone city. Whoever is involved is the secondary thing to get concerned about since according to my father, I have to look out for my own safety more than anything.
I have no issue following the term since I do not have some hero spirit like my Old man, but still, I have seen what that suit can do and now I am feeling a little envious that despite being his daughter, he gifted that cool thing to some random passerby.
"...unfair."
"Stop pouting now, Gweny. I will build something cooler for you, alright?"
I snorted but didn't resist his ruffles. Though it messes up my hair, this gesture of his fills my heart with warmth. Of course, this is something dad should never know or who knows how long he would tease me for being a baby girl.
I soon began to arrange the tables in the café and Dad went to prepare the ingredients in the kitchen and dust off the appliances.
Since I knew he would be done in minutes, because of how used we are to our jobs, I switched the sign on the front board to 'Open'.
Tring*
I didn't expect that someone would walk in so early in the morning, nevertheless, I greeted the customer.
"Welcome, please have a seat. "
I checked the woman and found her attractive enough to make my brows raise.
Short and curly burgundy shade hair went perfectly with her Russian-American looks. Though she was covered inside a trench coat, I could already imagine what bomb she must be inside. However, what made me narrow my gaze was how she was gawking toward the counter where a single man was standing, engaged in his work.
"Umm...can I talk to him?"
She clearly was talking about my old man. Since this wasn't the first time when a woman wanted to approach Dad, I didn't lower my guard and asked, "And what purpose do you have? "
"I want to return his coat. If it's not okay to see him now, then can you hand it over to him in my stead? "
As she said, she forwarded a familiar coat that indeed was missing from Dad last night when he returned from his hero work. I sensed no hostility from the woman so I decides to let her meet him.
"No, he is free. You can give it to him by yourself."
I gave her way before I made my way toward the nearby table where the chairs were yet to get arranged.
At that time when I first saw the lady, I could have never expected that one day, I would be calling her Mom...
A/N: - Peter would be a part of this story and I would keep his and Gwen's story going on in the background.
I hope you guys liked the chapter. Gimme a review if you did.