Chapter 10: Surprise!
I'm going to admit I'm surprised I was able to write all this in roughly two weeks. Granted, those were a tough two weeks and writing this was my greatest outlet aside from video games. But now that the initial online class stuff is mostly established, it should be smooth sailing from here on out, right? Right . . . ?
If only we could be so lucky.
Pink Lemonade: I try my best! It's interesting to hear what you think about Peter's tension with his aunt. I won't say why, but it's interesting. Also, you'll probably like this chapter too then, because I counted at least five different plots going on in here . . .
Peter went to school this morning knowing it would be the easiest and least stressful part of his day.
That was never a good sign.
After school finished today, he would be going on patrol with the team, as usual. That part probably wouldn't be too bad. Now they would be keeping an eye out for any super-powered teenagers, and everything would go a lot smoother with the team around.
When that was done, Peter had to head back to the Helicarrier for a check-up. Dr. Connors was determined to catch his venom sacs the moment they started growing in. After that, Peter had to rush home to clean up his room in preparation for Ava's visit. Along the way, he had to figure out a logical way to explain Phoebe and their mental link.
Honestly, he was quietly freaking out inside about those last few things on his to-do list. For one, his mouth had felt a little sore since he woke up this morning, and Peter couldn't be sure if he was being a hypochondriac or . . .
He would wait for Connors to settle that question.
And as for Ava, sure, she had promised her silence, but, well . . . she was Ava. She was quite opinionated, and she was never afraid to speak her mind. Even if she kept her word, she would still tell him exactly how she felt about everything. She wouldn't mince her words.
Yet Peter would take telling her over telling May any day.
Speaking of which . . . there was a lot going on in his current relationship with his aunt, all of which he just didn't have the mental R.A.M. space to process right now. But he would deal with May in time. And maybe he would even tell her about Phoebe too. Ava would be his test run. Then he could figure out how to explain it all so May wouldn't ask for change again, for Phoebe to be taken away . . .
Peter shook his head slightly, focusing on his locker again. It was school time; time to focus on homework and ignoring the ambient drama in the air.
Speaking of drama . . .
His eyes narrowed as he spotted Sam and MJ nearby. Sam had a humongous grin on his face. Peter hoped Sam wasn't trying to annoy him by asking MJ out first. True, that was a little extreme even by Sam's standards, but one could never be too cautious around him. Peter pushed his way through the early morning crowd towards them.
And of course, with his luck, a fair amount of the football team was passing by at that moment. Flash was among them, although he didn't notice Peter right away. One of his buddies spoke first.
"Hey, Penelope Parker! Too bad you're not agile enough to try out for cheerleading. I bet you'd look great in one of those uni—"
"Shut it, Carl," Flash interrupted. "Parker's preferences are none of our business."
"Right, right, sorry, Flash," the other guy mumbled. The group moved on.
Peter stopped in his tracks, mouth hanging open as he watched them walk away. When he turned back, he saw that Sam and MJ also looked surprised. He walked the rest of the way to them. "Do either of you have any idea what that was about?"
"Kind of," MJ said. "But I didn't think he'd change so quickly."
"He's not actually going to change," Sam said dismissively. "He's just proving he's a great actor to impress you."
Peter looked back and forth between them. "I'm missing something here."
Sam's grin came back full force. "You haven't seen the posters yet, have you?"
"What posters?"
"You can blame MJ for what you're about to hear next."
MJ blushed, obviously more than a little proud of herself. "It's not that big of a deal—"
"Only the whole school is talking about," Sam elaborated.
"—and I've had some help—"
"A few English tutors just proofread her stuff."
"—but as of today, I'm officially a playwright!"
"Oh, cool!" Peter said, still feeling like he didn't have the full picture yet. "You wrote an entire play?"
MJ nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Casting starts on Monday!"
"That's awesome! What's it about?" Peter asked, keeping his gaze firmly on MJ. Sam's wild grin was becoming rather disturbing.
"Spider-Man!"
It was only by a sheer act of will that Peter's mouth did not drop open again. "Sp—Spider-Man?" he definitely didn't sputter.
MJ took a deep breath, a sure sign that she was about to begin one of her explanatory speeches. "You know how Jameson and the Daily Bugle spread all sorts of lies about him? I mean, really, there is absolutely zero proof that Spider-Man has committed a single crime! The Avengers cleared up that last issue with Loki. But so many people just see him as some wall-crawling freak. So I wrote a play to focus on the person behind the mask. Sure, no one knows who he really is, but does that matter? Somewhere out there is a guy who's taking hours out of his day to protect this city, and I hope my play reminds people about that."
Peter gaped at her. Sam snickered silently behind her back.
"You—you—wow—that's . . ."
"Is it too weird?" MJ asked worriedly. "I don't want to sound like a superfan or anything, but he did save my life."
"No! No, it's not weird at all!" Peter assured her hurriedly. "I think it's a great idea!"
"Of course you do," Sam whispered just loud enough for Peter's sensitive ears to hear.
"Talk about taking journalism to a whole new level!" Peter continued, ignoring Sam. "I'm sure Spider-Man will really appreciate this when he hears about it."
"He already has," Sam agreed quietly.
The moment MJ looked away bashfully, Peter shot Sam a well-earned glare.
"I don't know if he'll ever hear about it," MJ said. "But I hope it can change some people's minds."
"Right, so, backtracking a bit . . . How exactly does that explain Flash being nice today?"
A mischievous smile tugged at MJ's lips. "You're my friend, and he wants to get on my good side so I'll pick him to play the lead."
Peter's heart skipped a beat. "Flash as Spider-Man?!"
"I know he's got a track record, but I might actually pick him," MJ continued, not entirely oblivious to Peter's inner turmoil. "Don't look so shocked! He's making a real effort to be nice. Even if it's not for exactly the right reasons, he's still trying. I think he deserves the role if he promises to keep this up."
"Well, uh—" Peter searched for something intelligent to say. "It's your play, so you choose whoever you think is right."
"Thanks, Pete! I knew you would understand!" She flung her arms around him, and Peter blushed. Then the first bell of the day rang, and the hug ended all too soon. MJ waved at him and Sam. "I'll see you guys later!"
The hall emptied out, leaving Peter and Sam alone with a handful of other stragglers. Peter leaned in close to Sam, who was shaking with silent laughter.
"Don't you dare say a word," Peter hissed. "I'm already torn between dying of pride or shame."
"I can't imagine why," Sam choked out.
"Did you suggest this idea to her in any way?"
"No! Honest!" Laughter turned to chuckles turned to true silence as Sam finally took a second to catch his breath. He cleared his throat. "I was just as shocked this morning! The only person who's not shocked is Harry, and he's not happy about it either."
"Why—oh, right." Peter grimaced. "I guess he won't be trying out for the lead."
"Well, yeah, there's that. But apparently he's also one of the few people who's known about this since the beginning, and he's been trying to talk MJ out of it the whole time. I think he's going to boycott the entire thing."
Peter nodded understandingly. "I might join him. I don't know if I want to see Flash in Spider-Man's suit."
"I bet he'll look better in spandex than you do."
"Stop talking now or so help me I will web you to a toilet."
Sam mimed zippering his lips shut.
A few hours later, Peter had mostly decided that he should feel flattered by MJ's efforts. So, for the first time in ages, he went to class with what felt like a warm and feather-light bubble in his chest. He was in a very good mood indeed when the latest class ended and the teacher started handing back the pop quiz grades. This was the one he had done just a few days ago, and now he felt much more confident about it. And rightfully so. A ninety-eight graced the front. Grinning, he walked over to Ava's seat.
"I got a ninety-eight. What did you get?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Ninety-six."
Peter's grin transformed into a full smile as he enjoyed the playful glare she sent his way. He didn't often get the highest grade anymore, so he took it when he could.
Maybe this would be a good day after all.
But then he overheard the teacher's quiet words to a student near the front. It was the short Asian kid who had popped up not too long ago. Peter didn't know him, but knew he avoided just about everyone in school.
"Congratulations, Mr. Cho," the teacher told him. "Your first pop quiz and it's a full one hundred."
Peter did a doubletake before turning back to Ava. "Did you hear that? He beat us both! Who is that kid?"
"Amadeus Cho," Ava supplied easily. "Didn't you read his file?"
Now Peter did a doubletake on her. "Since when did we get files on average students?"
"We don't. Cho is one of those prodigies Fury is looking for. Naturally, Principal Coulson gave him a free ride here."
"Oh," Peter said, remembering the many, many pages he had left to read. "I've only skimmed through that. So he's got powers?"
"Tony Stark level intelligence."
The happy bubble in Peter's chest felt like it had a puncture. "But he looks like a little kid."
Ava rolled her eyes. "We're kids too. Although he is extra young at thirteen."
"Fury wants to recruit a thirteen-year old?" Peter whispered, surprised.
"No, but Taskmaster does. Cho's already tried making his own arc reactor, which nearly blew up his last school."
"Jeesh," Peter muttered, watching Amadeus leave the classroom. "How can we compete with that?"
"We're smart enough to impress Stark. I think we'll be fine."
His bubble still felt like it was leaking air.
Ava grabbed her bookbag. "Are we still on for tonight?"
"Of course we are."
"Anything I should know before I get to your place?"
Peter shook his head. She had asked the same question several times at this point, and his answer was still the same. "Just have an open mind."
Peter knocked on the door to Dr. Connors' office. It opened promptly, and Connors almost looked surprised to see him. "Patrol is done already?" he asked. "And not one of you got hurt?"
"Is that really so shocking?"
"Frankly, yes."
Peter sighed. "Fury asked us to look around for Cloak and Dagger. Their usual haunts are very quiet streets when it comes to crime," he admitted.
"Ah, that explains it. Well, let's get to an examination room. Number four should be free." The doctor grabbed a pen and a few other items. "Does anything feel different today?"
Connors had asked the same question yesterday, but today Peter couldn't just say everything was fine, although 'fine' was the first answer that came to mind. Maybe his friends were right when they said he hardly ever answered these sorts of questions honestly. "Um, the roof of my mouth is a little sore."
"Well, that does seem like the obvious place for venom sacs to develop. Let's take a look, shall we?"
He led the way down the hall and they entered the fairly normal looking examination room. Peter hopped up to sit on the table that passed for a bed. The paper laid on it crinkled beneath him. Dr. Connors went through the same simple steps he had done yesterday, focusing now on the area in question.
The first step was to hold Peter's fangs out of the way with a tongue depressor, since their initial tests had shown that they latched onto anything that entered his mouth. Peter felt bad that he couldn't control them well yet, but Connors insisted it was no different from other reflexes like when your eyes close when something comes too close. Still, Peter wasn't looking forward to his next dentist appointment, even if it was a Shield dentist.
After that little safety precaution, Connors looked at Peter's teeth. Then he poked and prodded the roof of his mouth for several minutes. Peter waited patiently.
"There's definitely some inflammation," Connors confirmed at last, pulling his fingers out. "But no growths that I can find. When did the pain start?"
Peter let his fangs fall back into place and licked his dry lips. "It's more like discomfort than pain. But it started this morning. I woke up with it."
"I think we really did catch them in the act, then!" Connors said a little victoriously. "Your body is preparing for them. And just like everyone else, that entails some swelling. Also just like everyone else, your body grows most while you're asleep. I'd guess that you may officially have your venom by tomorrow morning."
"Wonderful," Peter said sarcastically, shoulders slumping. "How will I be able to tell?"
"I'll schedule an MRI for tomorrow evening."
"Before that, though. What if I want to know before I go to school? Just—just in case, you know?"
Connors smiled reassuringly. "Peter, you're not going to start biting people out of the blue. Besides, venom is usually a hard substance to reproduce. I have a feeling that, like most venomous animals, you'll be able to choose if you inject venom in a bite or not. But if you do want to test it for yourself, then, hm . . ." the doctor hummed thoughtfully. "Theoretically I suppose you could just take a pencil and extend your fangs, see if something drips out. But like I said, you may be able to do what is called a 'dry bite' with no venom, so that test may not be perfect."
"That's actually good to know," Peter admitted. Knowing he wouldn't be injecting venom with every bite of pizza went a long way in making him feel better.
"I'm glad to help! Now there's only one last thing." Connors proceeded to take a swab sample for DNA testing. As the doctor labelled the vial, Peter slowly built up the courage to ask May's question.
It was silly, really, being so hesitant to ask such a question. Asking about something and actually doing it were two separate things. But part of him was afraid May might insist he go through with it. She was his legal guardian after all. If she thought it would benefit him, who was he to say no?
He was the one living with this stuff, that's who.
"Doctor Connors?" he asked at last as Connors was tidying up. "Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"
"You just hypothetically did." The doctor chuckled. "What is it?"
"I—My aunt was wondering if you could surgically remove some of my latest . . . additions. Like the fangs and the venom."
Connors sobered up immediately, face set grimly as if he had expected such a question. "Yes, and no, I'm afraid."
Peter hadn't expected a complicated answer. "What do you mean?"
"Potentially, yes, it could be done, although there would be some risk of complications. Common surgeries that are done a thousand times a day still have risks. So I can't promise you complete safety with a surgery I've invented myself."
That hesitant part of Peter became less afraid. "Oh, okay. No problem, then. She was just wondering."
"I'm sorry if that disappoints you."
"Really, it . . . it doesn't."
"There's another reason I wouldn't want to perform such a procedure."
Peter cocked his head, wordlessly asking for an explanation.
"Just so you know, this idea is completely theoretical right now," Connors said. "I have no evidence for or against it so far. But, as of right now, you already have an extremely fast healing factor. And since I've been doing some research into spiders, I can't rule out the possibility that you can regenerate."
"Regenerate?" Peter repeated, completely caught off guard. "As in losing a limb and growing it back?" He looked down at his hands, as if expecting that to happen at any moment.
"I don't know if it could work on the level of limbs. I don't know if you have it at all, or if it ever could develop. I haven't done any research in that area since . . . you know . . ."
Peter wrenched his gaze away from his hands, glancing at the empty sleeve where Connor's left arm would have been. "Right, no, I understand. It's just—another thing to consider." He thought about it for a second. "That wouldn't be too bad, though, would it?"
"Well, aside from the possibility that if you really did want to get your fangs removed, they might grow back."
The idea both relieved and horrified Peter. But curiosity won out over everything else. "If I do have or get that, would I regrow my other teeth if they ever got knocked out in a fight?"
Connors hummed thoughtfully again. "Good question. Your fangs are made of a substance more akin to cartilage, so they would be much easier to grow back. But perhaps if you were given enough calcium . . ." He shook his head. "Forgive me if I'm hesitant to delve back into this area."
"I get it. We'll cross that bridge if it comes."
"That's the spirit!" Connors clapped him on the back. "If that's all, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay, have a good night, Doc. Thanks for everything."
Peter left. That had surprisingly gone much better than he had expected. A small part of him was still freaking out about everything he just heard, but the more logical parts of his brain knew he really didn't have to worry about any of it yet. Right now, there was just one more thing he had to do. Well, two if he counted cleaning his room. But that would be a piece of cake in comparison to telling Ava about—
His spider sense rang mildly, the way it did when a friend tried to pull a harmless prank on him. It was just enough to get him to look up in time to see the beast pounce on him, knocking him to the floor. He screamed in surprise. Then all he saw was fur.
"Ha!" a familiar voice said from beyond the fur. "Ka-Zar knew that Zabu would find Spider-Man before you!"
"Show off," said another familiar but deeper voice.
That explained . . . no, that didn't really explain much at all.
"Ka-Zar?" Parker asked, voice muffled by Zabu. "Wolverine?" Before he even began to lift the sabretooth off of himself, it stood on its own, huge fangs showing in an approximation of a smile. Then it licked the kid, large tongue slobbering most of his upper half.
"Ew! Gross!" Peter complained. "I just washed this suit yesterday!"
Logan grinned. "No you didn't."
"Well, I did do it recently." Parker deftly pulled himself out from beneath Zabu. He got to his feet, taking in the sight of Logan in his X-men suit and Ka-Zar in nearly nothing. "Any reason why you two set a massive Smilodon on me?"
"I wanted to check up on you kids," Logan explained gruffly. "Then Tarzan here bragged that his cat was a better tracker than me. Which it is. I should have known better than to go up against a real animal." He glared at Zabu, who stared proudly back.
Parker's head cocked, suspicious. "You never come around so often. Is there a specific reason why you wanted to check up on us so soon?"
Ka-Zar answered first. "We heard you are still affected by your time in the Savage Lands."
"Do you know why?" Parker asked hopefully.
Ka-Zar shrugged. "The jungle affects people differently. You became one with jungle."
"You call getting attacked by a gazillion bird-sized mosquitos 'becoming one with the jungle'?" the kid asked with his special brand of sarcasm. "No way, I'm a city boy through and through."
"Ka-Zar believe city is only colder jungle. My brother and I are still trying to adapt."
"There's no need for fangs and venom in this jungle," Parker maintained petulantly.
Logan raised an eyebrow. "So the rumors are true? You're getting venom?"
Even with the mask on, Parker looked aghast. "There are rumors about me?"
"Not necessarily rumors so much as there are snippets of conversations I make it a point to overhear . . ." Logan elaborated begrudgingly.
"You're following my well-being?" The kid sounded even more shocked if anything.
"Look, kid," Logan began, deciding to bite the bullet and just say what he'd meant to say days ago. "I feel kind of responsible for what happened to you, okay? See, I was the one who asked for you to join me on that mission because I thought it would be a good way to hone your much-neglected instincts. And I really wasn't expecting it to work at all, much less for it to work too well."
"It was your idea for me to go?" Parker's shoulders tensed. He was quiet for a second, as if debating what to say next. Logan would have understood if he wanted to curse him out, but that wasn't the kid's style. "Exactly what else have you been trying to keep secret from me?"
"That depends," Logan said, trying to buy some time to think if it was a good idea to say.
It seemed there wasn't any time left to buy.
"This is my life and body we're talking about!" Parker said loudly. "I think I have every right to know!"
"All right, calm down, kid!" Logan held his hands up placatingly. "Let's head somewhere private then, shall we?"
He led the way to a deserted conference room. Parker and the other two followed. Once they were all inside, the door was shut tight.
"Okay," Logan said. "So exactly what have the white-coats said about this venom?"
"Not much, just that I'll probably have it by tomorrow," Parker said, voice pitched slightly higher than usual.
"That's pretty specific. Anything else?"
"No?"
"Then it sounds like you don't remember."
"Remember what?"
"It probably has nothing to do with you right now."
"But—"
"Seriously, kid, I don't want to freak you out with stuff that's in the past—"
In a flash of motion, Parker pulled off his mask, revealing the face that wasn't wearing contacts or veneers. "LOOK at me!" he yelled. "Can you honestly tell me that what happened in the Savage Lands has nothing to do with me now?! I just want to know what to expect! I thought we both came clean to each other ages ago! But apparently I was wrong to trust you!"
The room rung with silence afterwards. Logan gawked at him for a good minute. He had never seen the kid snap like that before.
They grew up so fast.
But Logan didn't dare mention how Parker's fangs had been extended the entire time he yelled or how he had said 'Savage Lands' with an angry hiss. Then the kid would probably work towards never doing those things again, which was the wrong lesson in Logan's opinion. Sometimes the only way to get a message across was to be a little intimidating.
Parker panted a bit after his outburst, catching his breath and catching up with what he had just said. His fangs shrank down and he looked like he regretted it all. "I'm sorry. I don't really mean that. It's just I haven't been able to catch a break since our mission and—"
"No need to apologize," Logan interrupted. "You're absolutely right. I've been a coward, trying to pick and choose what I tell you. That's the truth, and sugarcoating it won't help anybody. Thanks for reminding me about that."
"But—"
"No, no more buts!" Logan scolded. "Now you get your truth. There are a few things you probably want to know."
Parker waited quietly.
Logan thought for a second where to start. "So yes, I did want to teach your scrawny backside a lesson or two. I didn't know Kraven had a poison so strong, though, and I certainly didn't want you to get hurt." He paused there, a question stirred from the memory. "On a side note, why couldn't you dodge that last dart? I've seen you avoid more complicated shots."
Parker looked down. "Well, you were right about my instincts being a bit neglected. I was—well, I was very overwhelmed with the massive sensory input. It took a lot of focus just to properly aim at the first two darts. And if I had missed those then we all would have—"
"Okay, point taken. Thanks for the save." Logan sighed. "But that means this really is my fault then. I assumed your spider sense thing would work just fine over there, and I was wrong."
The kid looked back up at him. It was hard to tell what he was thinking behind those bright green eyes. "But . . . you admit that I saved you. Most people wouldn't have dodged in time, including you."
Logan crossed his arms. "Are you trying to say we would have failed without you?"
"Not exactly. I'm just saying it did at least work out in the end."
"For everyone except you."
"Well, yeah . . ."
"Spider-Man did help save Zabu afterwards as well," Ka-Zar added. "My brother and I are forever in your debt." Zabu dipped his head in agreement.
That put a dopey little smile on Parker's face. "It's all part of a day's work. So . . ." he turned back to Logan, smile dropping. "What else is there you want to tell me?"
"I think I already know what your venom will be like."
"How do you know that, exactly?"
"When you told me about your little dream, you never said you dreamt that you had bitten me."
Parker's face paled. "I kind of remember trying to bite you, but I didn't think . . ."
Logan pointed at his right forearm, although there wasn't any mark remaining. It had disappeared the same night, which was when he had allowed himself to get checked out. "You can be pretty tough when you want to be."
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know!" Parker covered his mouth with his hands. "But then—that means—"
"I made up the story about the spider. I did find it in my place, but it wasn't the spider that bit me."
Running a hand through his hair, Parker paced away distractedly. "That's—that's—It put you in the hospital. I put you in the hospital!"
"You were drugged at the time. And the docs said I was never in danger of dying. My healing factor was fighting against it, but eventually it—well, it numbed the whole arm."
"Was it painful?" the kid asked quietly.
"A little. It was far from the worst bite I've ever received though."
"I need to know exactly what it was like."
Logan hesitated. "Okay, it was more than a little painful, but really not that bad. It mostly caused a spreading numbness."
Parker swallowed. "I'm sorry. I can't believe I did that. I can't believe I was so . . . savage . . ."
Logan snorted. "Don't compliment yourself. You weren't that savage."
"But—"
"Ka-Zar, tell him how we found him."
Ka-Zar grinned. "We found you trying to roast dinosaur over fire."
Parker was pretty speechless at that. Logan laughed.
"You're a funny kid, you know that? Even when you went savage, you were still trying to cook your food."
"That actually makes me feel a little better." Parker let out a long breath. "Is that everything now?"
"Yup, pretty much. Right?" Logan glanced at Ka-Zar, who nodded. "Yeah, the rest was just us looking for the cure. You do not want to know what I had to do to find that thing."
"That's what you said last time."
"This time it's not about you. It's about my dignity."
"Oh, okay. Thanks for levelling with me. And I don't blame you, just so you know."
"You wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me."
"Yeah, but it's not like you could have realistically predicted what would happen. You were only trying to help." The kid turned to Ka-Zar. "And I'm glad you two are doing well here. If you ever want a tour or—" Parker's communicator rang, causing him to jump. "Oh, um, I have somewhere I need to be. I'll see you guys around!"
Logan sighed again as he watched the kid put his mask back on and rush out. "Sometimes he's tough, and sometimes . . . not so much."
"Zabu says Spider-Man is tough enough," Ka-Zar said approvingly.
Peter rushed into his room through the window, flipping inside to find Ava sitting on his desk chair, arms folded and feet tapping impatiently.
"You took your sweet time," she said. Then she took a big sniff of the air. A surprised look broke through her stoic façade. "Why do you smell like you were covered in cats?"
"I'm so sorry," Peter said, panting slightly. He pulled off his mask. "Zabu pounced on me in the Helicarrier and then Wolverine was there and I learned something that changes everything but not really everything I guess and now I realize a lot of it is his fault but also not really and—" He stopped himself. "I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?"
Ava nodded mutely.
Peter let out a long breath of air. He wasn't sure where to start now. This wasn't supposed to be how this went at all. He was supposed to be the one sitting calmly in his desk chair.
Speter home? Phoebe asked from the closet.
Yes, he replied in his head, which still took some quiet focus for him. And Ava is here too, the girl I was telling you about.
Speter not calm.
I'll be calm in a minute. Just be patient, okay?
Okay.
"Your aunt is eating out with a friend," Ava said softly after the brief outward silence. "So we have the house and several pizzas to ourselves."
"Yeah, I know. I suggested she treat herself tonight, just so we wouldn't have to whisper the whole time." He rubbed his mouth absently. Somewhere along the way while he was swinging here, the discomfort in the roof of his mouth had turned into fully fledged throbbing. He couldn't be sure if it was caused by the fast movements or stress.
"Are you okay?"
"Um . . ." Peter briefly debated whether he should complicate this conversation further. But what was the point in telling her the truth about Phoebe if he was just going to lie about other things? She already knew about the venom anyway. "Doc Connors said I'll probably have venom by morning, and having extra stuff grow in your mouth hurts a little."
Ava's eyebrows creased in a concerned way. "Do you have a numbing cream? Or some ice cubes? Please tell me you haven't been dealing with this silently all day."
"It didn't actually hurt earlier. It just felt weird. I don't really need anything though."
A small and amused smile quirked Ava's lips up. "Pete, I know you're freaking out silently inside. I'll just grab you some ice and give you a moment to compose yourself, okay?" Without waiting for a response, she left the room.
Peter sighed. This was really not supposed to go like this at all. But that didn't stop him from taking advantage of the opportunity by changing out of his suit and clearing out the desk. He didn't bring Phoebe out yet though, only telling her to be ready. Abruptly instigating the meeting didn't seem like the best course of action.
Before Ava came back, he focused on Phoebe again, trying to see what she was feeling for himself. He hadn't practiced this much so it was still touch and go. Right now, it took a minute and a whole lot of concentration before he could feel that she was just as nervous as he was.
He had pretty much known that already, but it was the accomplishment that counted. It really would be incredibly unfair if their link was mostly one-sided.
Ava returned soon after, holding a cup of ice in one hand and a plate of pizza slices in the other.
"It occurred to me that heat may work better to ease the pain, so I heated some pizza up too," she explained, offering him both.
"Oh, thanks," Peter said sincerely. His stomach immediately decided the pizza would solve two problems in one shot, so he took a slice. It was just about hot enough to burn his tongue, but the heat did feel good on the roof of his mouth.
Also, Ava didn't watch his fangs at work this time, which helped him relax fully.
"All right, so what's the big secret? Or do you want to talk about whatever happened with Wolverine first, if that's easier for you?"
"Um," Peter said thoughtfully. "No, I think chronological order is better."
"Makes sense." Ava went back to the desk chair, spinning it around to face him. "So when did this big secret start? Is this related to the jungle thing last weekend?"
"Yes, but probably not in the way you're thinking."
Ava raised an eyebrow. "So not a spider thing?"
"Well, it's also kind of a spider thing." Peter paused there. His mind was still trying to remember the smooth speech he had planned, but he couldn't recall the words now. So, as usual, he just let his mouth continue on its own accord. "You know how stuff can get stuck in our suits after a really messy mission?"
She nodded.
"And jungles are full of bugs and stuff, so it's really a no-brainer that I would end up bringing something home."
A look of dawning comprehension came over Ava's face. "It was a spider, wasn't it?"
Peter was silent for a second. "Is it really that obvious when I put it like that?"
"Well, Wolverine was bitten by a spider that sent him to the Med Bay. But you're you, so the same spider bite probably wouldn't have affected you as badly." Her gaze became abstracted. "Is that what's really causing all of the new change? A second spider bite?"
Shaking his head, Peter smiled. "That's a really good guess all things considered. But I wish the truth was as simple as that."
"But you said I was right about there being a spider." Ava tapped a finger against her cheek. "And you brought me here because you think it's easier to show than to tell . . ."
"Do you want to keep solving the mystery yourself or should I just show you?"
"I think I'm beginning to understand. Let's see it."
"Her, actually," Peter corrected before he could stop himself. Ava raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.
Taking a deep breath, Peter opened his closet. Be on your best behavior, okay, Phoebe?
Okay, Phoebe assured him from her spot huddled in a corner of her Jungle Box. She crawled out of hiding, brushing some leaves and debris that clung to her short hairs.
Ava is a good person. Remember how I told you that she's my friend? I'm hoping she can be your friend too. Now get ready.
Carefully, so as not to jostle her, Peter pulled out Phoebe's Jungle Box, holding it at Ava's eye level.
"Phoebe, meet Ava. Ava, meet Phoebe."
"It's good to see you kids again."
Tandy whirled, light daggers already in hand. It was Taskmaster, in full costume this time. She didn't lower her weapons. Ty noticed her concern, immediately swirling into existence behind Taskmaster.
"What are you doing here?" Ty asked, voice echoing in the open space of the empty parking garage they sometimes hid out in. "We told you we need time to think things over."
Taskmaster nodded once. Although his weapons were (mostly) visible on his person, he didn't bother reaching for any. "Yes, but our last meeting was cut short. I was never able to show you that evidence you asked for. And I'm sure you have more questions now."
Tandy glanced at Ty, and they came to an agreement. She spoke first, "Okay, if you're so interested in recruiting Spider-Man, why did you attack him so harshly?"
"As you say, I'm interested in recruiting Spider-Man, not Shield's puppet."
"You keep using that term," Ty said. "What does it really mean to be a 'Shield puppet'?"
"Shield has gotten quite tired of relying on free-spirited adult heroes who do as they wish," Taskmaster explained patiently. "Their heaviest hitters such as Iron Man and Hulk cause millions of dollars in lawsuits each year. So imagine their delight when new heroes began to pop up. Young, malleable minds with ideas of grandeur . . . Shield jumped at the opportunity to have some soldiers who can follow orders completely."
"Are you talking mind control?" Tandy asked. "No one on Spider-Man's team acts like a zombie."
Taskmaster chuckled. "You're confusing fiction with reality. What rule did you read that said mind control had to be obvious to see? Of course, there are ways to get the total control you're talking about, but Shield is smarter than that."
"So what are they really doing?"
"As far as I can tell they have multiple methods. For those gullible and desperate enough, they spin a tale of glory and community. For those who might see through those falsehoods, they arrange for certain . . . events to occur; events that might sway a person to believe their lies. And for the very strongest, as I believe Spider-Man is, they do use some form of mind control. Not constantly, but enough to implant false memories and desires."
Tandy thought over his words. Ty was immediately skeptical. "How do you know all that?" he asked.
For the first time, Taskmaster hesitated before he answered, "My greatest gift is my near perfect memory, and yet I can't remember my life before Shield."
"Nothing?" Tandy asked, horrified of the idea.
"Echoes here and there, but nothing I have been able to verify or track in all these years."
Ty looked less skeptical now. "You joined Shield young?"
"Fairly young, yes. I thought I was one of their most loyal agents." Taskmaster sighed. "But even if I was, Shield's controlling methods had to be tested somewhere."
Tandy looked at Ty over Taskmaster's shoulder. "Does that happen to all of Shield's puppets?"
"I'm honestly not sure. Shield tightly protects the identities of all new recruits. I haven't found a way to check if their memories of the past are still being altered, or erased entirely. I do like to hope that I am the exception, not the rule." Taskmaster took a few steps to the side so he could look at both of them at once. "Will you two help me stop this from continuing?"
"How can we stop all of Shield?" Ty asked dubiously.
"We don't need to halt everything. I'm putting together a team and a plan that will expose Shield's dark side to the public. Then we'll have the law on our side."
"Why should we risk our necks to save a few other teenagers?"
Tandy glared at Ty. She understood that he was only trying to protect them, but, in all honesty, they were already putting their lives in danger by breaking up drug rings. Now they were being offered a way to help even more kids like them, and Taskmaster had already promised he would look out for the two of them in return.
"You don't have to. But Shield is already interested in you two. Why else do you think Spider-Man was there in the first place?"
"I'm confused with how we should deal with Spider-Man, then," Tandy said. "I mean, it's not exactly his fault that Shield convinced him that we're the bad guys or something. And he's still done good things, although none of those things may have been his idea at all . . . I'm just a bit unsure, I guess."
"I'm not going to lie; we will need to fight him and the others who are currently oblivious to their predicament. You just need to remember that we will be fighting for their freedom, and yours."
"I'm sure you understand that this sounds kind of suspicious," Ty said, bright eyes narrowed. "The entire world knows Shield as the good guys. Wouldn't there be others speaking out against them if you're telling us the truth?"
"There have been others," Taskmaster replied, voice hard. "Some are in hiding and ready to be part of the team I'm building. Shield got to the others first. I also have some proof, the same proof I was going to show you the other night." He pulled a small tablet from within the folds of his suit. "I would warn you that it's hard to watch, but I suspect you've seen worse."
Tandy took the tablet, and Ty teleported to her side. She tapped the screen. A video began to play. Tandy had expected to see a dank dungeon sort of scene, or maybe cold metal hallways. Instead it showed a lush jungle. A red and blue blur dropped into view, immediately recognizable as Spider-Man.
The volume on the tablet was low, but the scream was still piercing.
Then there was a screeching roar, a bone-chilling hiss.
The figure was no longer recognizable as Spider-Man except in the most literal sense.
The spider monster bound into the camera, and the screen went black.
Tandy's teeth clenched. She looked up at Taskmaster, somewhat aware that she was beginning to glow. "They experimented on him?!"
"When was this?" Ty asked sharply. "He looked completely normal just a few days ago."
"Almost two weeks ago now. I tracked a rumor about an area they're using for testing and I set up some cameras. As you may know, Shield takes possession of the research of every scientific villain they apprehend. They have amassed a massive database on all sorts of questionable experiments. So they can now perform an experiment and reverse it within hours. Well, as long as nothing goes seriously awry, I suppose." Taskmaster nodded his chin at the tablet. "It looks like this may be their attempt at another form of control: turning agents into trainable animals."
"Does Spider-Man know that this happened to him?" Tandy asked quietly.
"I don't know. If he does, Shield has probably convinced him it was the result of some villain's sinister plot."
Ty and Tandy exchanged another glance, and she felt Ty's skepticism relinquish at last. They couldn't do nothing while people were suffering like this. They had already promised that to themselves.
They nodded in unison. "We'll be glad to help you."
Even with the skull mask that was technically always smiling, Taskmaster's head moved in a way that seemed to suggest he really was smiling beneath it. He shook their hands.
"Welcome to the Thunderbolts, the first ever team to strike at the dark side of Shield. Director Fury is in for a nasty surprise . . ."
