If there was ever one constant in Peter's life, aside from perpetual financial desperation, it would the lack of boring nights and patrols. By some cosmic will, he always seemed to find himself at the wrong place, wrong time and with the wrong people, and tonight was no exception. It all started quite innocently: swinging by, chase a speeding vehicle, said vehicle then drives off into the docks, Spidey in pursuit, and next thing he knows, he ends in the middle of a Hydra hideout. And now, after promptly webbing up speeding felons, he now has to deal with about a dozen Hydra agents, led by Madame Viper herself.
"Seriously, guys, I need to ask you: why are there so many of you?" Spider-Man asked sarcastically, weaving away from the incoming fire. "I mean, I know the whole "one head-two heads," but how do you keep getting those? Last I checked, world domination, striking color pallets, and funny mustache people went out of fashion back in the 40s." Spider-Man webbed up three goons, before coming face to face with Madame Viper.
"If you think that's all that it takes to be Hydra and who want to be one of us, then you don't even know the basics." Viper said, firing her gun, and him dodging.
"Well enlighten me." Spider-Man sarcastically said, taking care of the rest of the goons. "What are the benefits of working for Hydra?"
"Complete health coverage for employees and family members, maximum amount on your taxes, complete insurance coverage, including dental and alien attacks, 8 weeks of guaranteed paid vacation." Viper recounted without missing a beat, before she pulled out a grenade, while Spider-Man finished her goons. "And that is just the regular people, for the start."
"Wow, mind if I get an application?" Spider-Man retorted, with Viper stopping for a moment, blinking. "What?"
"No need, consider yourself hired. Have a good night." Viper suddenly said with a not-ominous smile, before throwing the grenade, dispersing smoke, and disappearing.
"Great, no application, and no Madam Hydra… Well, time to get back to work." Spider-Man said, as he swung away, just as cops appeared.
Away in the distance, Madame Viper watched as the Hydra agents were rounded up by SHIELD, before pulling out her phone and making a call.
"Kraken, there has been a development…" Viper said.
One month and a half later.
"Man… I'm beat…" Peter said in a defeated tone, as he fell down on his couch, after another grueling week of being the friendly neighbor in a not so friendly neighborhood that was New York City. "First it's Mysterio, then Tooms, then Kraven, then Hydro-Man, and now they teamed-up…" Peter bemoaned, recounting his recent encounters.
"And now Jameson's underpaid for photos, again, since they were not up to snuff… Plus I missed MJ's big performance, making her and Aunt May mad, again. And rent's due tomorrow, and I'm all tapped out." Peter recounted all the trouble he was facing. "Maybe Felicia will let me stay at her…" And then Peter heard his door bell ring, forcing him to get up.
"Coming, Mr. Andrews." Peter already assumed that it was his renter, moving to open the door. "I know that I'm late again, but I can explain…" And just as he opened the door, all words left his mind, as he observed the person standing in front of him.
"Mister Parker." Ophelia Sarkissian, aka. Madame Viper, standing in a full business suit with a suitcase, looking every bit like a lawyer, spoke up in a respectable tone to Peter, who looked paler than Tombstone in winter. "Apologies for coming unannounced, but there is some business we need to discuss. May I?" Taking his silence for an affirmative answer, she walked into his small flat, with Peter following her.
"I-I-m sorry, Miss…" Peter tried to play it cool, so as to not give himself away.
"Sarkissian, Ophelia Sarkissian." She introduced herself. "Given that we are going to be working rather closely now, it would be better to be on actual name basis."
"No, no, I mean, what are you, and who are you…" Peter was quite losing it with everything that was happening right now, while Madame Viper seemed completely composed.
"Please, Mister Parker, relax and take a seat. Your reaction is admirable, but unnecessary. We have swept the whole building and ensured there are no listening devices of any kind, as well as any interlopers." Ophelia said, as she made herself comfortable on a chair, while Peter sat on the couch. "We can converse freely, Mister Parker. Or, if you prefer, Spider-Man." Ophelia said it with a mundane tone, while Peter felt his heart sink into his feet.
"H-how did you…" He dared to ask, with Madame Viper responding.
"How did we discern your identity?" She asked, with Peter subtly nodding. "I shall spare you the mundane details and simply say, that it was not an easy task. Given our prior attempts at contacting you were foiled multiple times, we had to resort to alternative means of locating you. Thankfully, SHIELD had a file you, which provided us with the necessary information in regards to locating you. I have also taken the liberty of changing certain details in it, so as to ensure your identity's safety."
"Thanks, I guess…" Peter said, trying to compose himself. "B-but why would you, I mean, Hydra, need to go so far for me?" Ophelia then gave him a bit of a curious look.
"Because you were late to pick up your paycheck, along with bonuses." Ophelia said, confusing Peter even further. "I understand your employment was a more unorthodox one, but you were employed in official capacity within Hydra, and therefore, fully entitled to all the benefits it entails, including your salary and bonuses." If Peter wasn't floored before, he was now.
"Wait, wait… You mean I'm now an Agent of Hydra?!" Peter practically screamed. "How?! When?! Why?!"
"You asked for an application during our past altercation, I took it as agreement to work with us. You have been officially employed for one month and 16 days as of today, and you were accepted due to your exceptional skills and valuable services you provide to Hydra." Viper answered all of his questions without missing a beat, as if she were a professional lawyer. "Your service thus far has been nothing but exemplary, with the leadership very satisfied with the results. They wanted me to extend their appreciation and gratitude for your hard work."
"What… B-but all I did was fight bad guys, literally the people like you!" Peter cried out. "I-m no Hydra Spider-Man. I'm a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, a superhero and… And I now I remember, I fought you, and now you are saying that I'm employed by you?! How does that even work?"
"Quite simple, really: you prevent crime for happening, apprehend criminals and super villains, and Hydra pays you, that is it." Madame Viper stated to him. "While your particular skills and experience make you a potential field asset for Hydra, your current occupation as New York's defender provides far greater benefits to Hydra in the short and long term, hence we would prefer you retain it."
"Alright…" Peter said, taking a few deep breathes, trying to compose himself, and then spoke up. "Let's assume that I believe you. How is this whole arrangement going to work, exactly? While I know Jameson can be quite persuasive, I'm on the side of the good guys, firmly and permanently. While you people… Well, you are basically Nazis, no offense."
"None taken, and while some elements of our organization do adhere to more… antiquated views, the general structure and membership of the Hydra are far less radical in our views." Madame Viper stated.
"So you are not actually a super-villainous organization, hell-bent on world domination?" Peter asked of her.
"No, we are exactly that." Ophelia said without missing the beat, with Peter letting out a defeated sigh at her declaration. "We want world domination and we have supervillains, but we are not complete monsters, Mr. Parker." He gave her a completely flat look.
"Your leaders include Red Skull, Baron Zemo and Baron Strucker, all of which are genocidal maniacs, with signed copies of Mein Kampf serving as their bedtime books." Peter responded to her earlier statement.
"Like I said, antiquated views." Madame Viper stated. "Every organization suffers from certain elements of leadership, refusing to adjust to the realities of the time. Thankfully, our immediate leader and employer shares a more pragmatic view on the matters. You can rest easy knowing that he will not send you to fight Captain America to secure his own escape."
"Gee, thanks. Now I feel bad for every other Hydra Bob that ended up beaten up, behind bars and forgotten." Spider-Man said sarcastically.
"If you are concerned about work hazards and potential risks, we have it all covered. Otherwise, we would not be able to recruit anyone into our ranks. Speaking of which, please take these." Ophelia reached for her suitcase, and pulled out several documents, with Peter looking at them.
"Um, what are these?" Peter asked.
"Your standard legal package as an employee of Hydra: employment contract, health and property insurances, Hydra's labor laws book, etc." Ophelia said, with Peter skimming through those.
Now that he looked at those, he could absolutely understand why people were signing up for Hydra, because what they were offering was out of this modern world. Viper wasn't lying about covering everything, and she meant damn well everything: dental plan, superhero hazards, aliens, interdimensional monsters, even being hijacked by body snatchers. They even had a section for what Peter assumed was leadership stupidity, though dressed far better, basically ensuring that if your boss is an arse, you are still covered.
And then there was the salary…
"Um, miss…" Peter looked up to Ophelia.
"Please, call me Ophelia, since we are off our working hours." She responded.
"Ophelia, could you explain this?" Peter asked, pointing towards the section with his salary. "Maybe there was a mistake or something, 'cause this can't really be my salary." Peter said with an incredulous tone, with Ophelia taking a close look.
"No, everything is in order. I've taken the liberty of filing those myself, but I do need you to sign them, for protocol's sake." Madame Viper said. "Given the high-risk environment, taking into the account your regular assortment of opponents, along with physical and mental hazards, and the additional circumstances, it was determined that this amount would be appropriate for your services, Mr. Parker. If you believe it is too low, then we are prepared to…"
"No! No, I… Sorry, it's just… I'm not really used to having that much for my salary." Peter said. "Not sure if you know, but I live off paycheck after paycheck from Daily Bugle and… Well…"
"We are well aware, Mr. Parker. If you would prefer, I can find more appropriate alternatives." Ophelia offered. "If you concerned about the IRS, rest assured it has also been taken care off. As far as they are concerned, your new income comes from your patented adhesive, which one of our public companies purchased. The paperwork for it is also included, along with the information on your credit card, bank account, interests and more."
"Wait, which adhesive you are talking about?" Peter asked, with Ophelia showing him the papers for it. "I had it patented? I even forgot about this." Peter said.
"No, but we did have it patented as yours, after we found it in your University's files." Ophelia stated. "On that note, the Cobra Solutions extends it's gratitude to you for your contribution. Your adhesive already boosted their stocks by 4.3%." Peter was shocked to hear that.
"Okay, but why are you willing to pay me so much? I mean, I'm an Avenger. Not a big name one, but still…" Peter was still confused.
"Because, unlike the vast majority of the superheroes, you provide competent and consistent services in defending New York, it's population and all of the assets within it. This city is an economic and financial heart of the world, and Hydra has an extensive and vast assets and interests tied to it, directly and not. And these actives do not benefit from uncontrollable criminals, especially the supervillains, running rampant around." Ophelia stated. "To be quite frank, Mr. Parker, if it were not for you, this city would've been leveled ages ago from all the villains running rampant, and I am not just talking about your rogues' gallery, which are an extreme hazard to deal with individually. You also routinely deal with enemies of the Avengers, Fantastic Four and others, not to mention the routine criminals. In short, Hydra deeply appreciates your work in containing all of them, Mr. Parker, and hence seeks to compensate adequately."
"And you guys aren't mad that I trashed that cell?" Peter felt the need to ask.
"Not at all. It was to be disbanded anyway, so you saved me the paperwork." Ophelia said.
"Okay, so… What exactly am I to do for you?" Peter asked.
"What you have been doing so far, Mr. Parker: be the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man." Ophelia stated to him. "Given your membership with the Avengers, we will take into the account any potential actions against Hydra as a necessary sacrifice. You will also be informed about additional duties, if they appear, as well as any supervillain plots that we come across."
"Wait, you will be snitching on the villains for me?" Peter asked.
"Of course. Hydra is extremely invested in your continuous work, and it's success. It would only be appropriate to expedite your success." Ophelia stated it like it was the most obvious thing. "Now then, this is your paycheck." Ophelia handed it to Peter, who, upon seeing it, was glad he was seated.
"Holy cow… I could cover my loans and rent with this…" Peter stated, with Ophelia speaking up.
"Regarding your current financial situation, we have paid off your student loans with interests, as well as the mortgage of your aunt's house, as well as the bills." Ophelia said, with Peter letting out a sigh.
"Next thing I'll know, you've also paid off my rent." Peter uttered sarcastically.
"No, we did not." Ophelia said. "We bought this building, and are effectively leasing it to you for usage. Feel free to make full usage of it, however you see fit." She stated, with Peter looking completely shocked at her.
"Why?" Was all that Peter could ask.
"Because we all appreciate and value your hard work, Mr. Parker." Ophelia said with a smile, before she gave him one more thing. "This is my number, if you have any questions, feel free to run them by me."
"Sure thing…" Peter said, looking at the number, before something hit him. "One question."
"Of course." Ophelia said.
"You are Madame Viper, basically a step below the Skulls and Strucker, so why are you here basically playing my financial lawyer?" Peter asked of her, with Ophelia looking like she wasn't even offended by it.
"Like I said, you are an extremely valuable asset for Hydra, Mr. Parker, and our leader decided that it would only be appropriate that you were provided the best of services. That also includes best support in legal and financial matters, which I am fully capable of handling." Ophelia explained. "You can rest assured that my alternative duties will not affect my work with you. If you want, you may consider me to be your financial advisor. Any other questions?"
"About a million or so, but um… If I were, to, say, terminate my employment with Hydra, what would happen?" Peter asked, with Ophelia's gaze getting rather cold.
"I believe it is a purely speculative question?" Ophelia asked, with Peter understanding what she meant.
"Just a stray thought, already gone." Peter immediately responded, already imagining what would happen if he to say otherwise. "So, um… See you at work? Hail Hydra?" Peter weakly said.
"I will stay in touch. Have a pleasant evening." Ophelia said and left him.
Peter slumped back, trying to fully comprehend what had just happened and he would he go about it. On one hand, he was now working for the number one evil organization, doing so for the whole month and a half without even knowing it, and said evil organization knew who he was, and if he to try and do anything about it, he could kiss goodbye to Aunt May, her pies, MJ, and his life, all in that order. On the other hand, said evil organization was basically paying him to do what he was doing, and were paying him really well, and even fixed just about every problem he had financially, and then there were the insurances, benefits and more.
Wrestling the morality and practicality of his choices and actions, Peter spent the whole evening and decided to go to sleep, reasoning that all that had happened was nothing more than a dream. Once he woke up, he would be in the same financial and personal dump he was just yesterday…
…Unfortunately, that was not to be, which was evidenced when his phone rang in the morning.
"Hello?" Peter said with a sleepy tone, not having checked the caller.
"Peter!" The worried tone of Aunt May was like a shot of espresso for Peter, as he woke up and got up.
"Aunt May, what's wrong?" Peter immediately asked, already dressing up. "I'll be at your place in ten!" He said in a panicked tone, before he heard his aunt speak up.
"Peter, dear, why didn't you tell me about the mortgage?" Aunt May suddenly asked him.
"Mortgage?" Peter asked again. "What are you talking about?"
"The mortgage for my house, what else? I went to the bank to discuss my payments, and they told me that my mortgage was already paid for in full, with interests, by you." May stated. "Why didn't you tell me you had it taken care of? And where did you even get the money? Did you ask Mister Jameson a loan?"
"No, no, May, I…" Peter then remembered what he heard from Ophelia. "I... I actually had a meeting with a company, who wanted to buy an adhesive I've made back in the Empire State. They paid quite a bit in the advance and I've used it to take care of the mortgage. I sorry to have made you worry."
"Peter, dear, you shouldn't have. It is wonderful news, but are you sure it was the right decision?" May asked with worry in her voice. "What about your own problems? I can handle the mortgage and…"
"No, it's is fine, May, trust me. They paid for exclusive rights, so I'm pretty well set for the moment." Peter said. "Look, I wanted to say, I'm sorry to have missed MJ's performance yesterday. I've had quite a hectic day, with everything going on and…"
"No, no, Peter, do not apologize. I'm sorry to have been mad at you, and I'm just glad you are alright. I watched the news about those villains, and it was unbecoming of me." May told him.
"Yeah, it was quite a scene." Peter agreed. "No worries, though, I'm right as rain, May. I'll try to swing by today or tomorrow, maybe celebrate your new status as a proud house owner." Peter said with a smile.
"What's there to celebrate, when you've had your work appreciated and bought? This is the real cause for celebration. I can't wait to tell Anna and Mary Jane." May said, with Peter deciding to stop her.
"Actually, May, could you not tell them?" Peter asked quickly of her. "It's just, you know how much Anna is a blabbermouth and with MJ… I think she and I need some time off each other and she made it clear she didn't want me around for a while, so…"
"You young people and your heartaches… Alright, and you are right about Anna." May agreed. "Just stay safe and healthy, okay?"
"Of course, May. Love you." Peter said, with May responding in kind and then hung up. "Oh man… Yesterday was not a dream." Peter said, as he sighed, recalling what had happened yesterday, before he heard his phone ring again, answering it.
"Mr. Parker?" Peter heard an unknown voice on the other side. "Sorry to call you so early in the morning. My name is Hank Johnson. I work with Madame Hydra." To that Peter could only suppress a groan.
"Um, Hail Hydra, I guess?" Peter said in an unsure tone.
"Of course, Hail Hydra to you as well, sir." Hank responded in kind. "Anyway, Madame Hydra put me in charge of your tenant building, and if you do mind, I would like to come by and examine it. Just standard stuff, see if the place up to snuff, all safety regs are up and all that."
"Well, I fear it's not up to regs, but I don't think I've got the cash to take care of it right now." Peter commented.
"Ah, that, it's okay. We've got a budget for these types of things, so you don't need to worry." Hank assured Peter. "So, when will it be okay for me to stop by?"
"I dunno, really. Today, if you are free?" Peter said.
"Very well, I'll stop by at three, will that be alright with you?" Hank asked of Peter.
"Yeah sure, I'll try to make it." Peter said.
"Excellent. Oh, and um, mind if I ask you a favor?" Hank suddenly asked. "My little girl is your big fan, and I've kinda promised her to get Spider-Man to come to her birthday. I know this is asking a lot of you, and it's totally alright if you can't…" Peter let out a sigh.
"Sure, just give me your address and leave a notice beforehand. I'll be sure to make it." Peter promised.
"Thank you, sir! You are the best!" Hank excitedly responded, before hanging up.
"First the fattest paycheck of my life, next the mortgage and loans, now remodeling… I'm either having the best day of my life, or the worst nightmare ever." Peter said, as he went on to get breakfast and get back to his duties.
Three days later. Avengers Tower.
Being a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was something that Peter Parker was quite used to, more or less, having grown accustomed to his current lifestyle and made peace with it. Being an Avenger meant that he was basically in the big leagues now, though not quite recognized as one of the Mightiest Heroes, and more often than naught made Pete feel like he didn't really belong there. And being Hydra Agent made Pete ask himself, what kind of deity did he piss off to make it all reality, but right now, as he raced through the city to get to the scheduled meeting, all he could think of was coming to terms with what he just did.
Just as he promised Hank, he did make it to his girl's birthday, and he was honestly shocked to discover that the guy was just a normal, run of the mill man, with a normal family, wife and kids. No extra heads, doomsday weapons, malicious plots, nothing of that sort, you couldn't even tell if they were Hydra or not. But what really shocked Peter was the amount of respect he was getting from Hank and his wife, like he was their boss or something, or rather, a hero, something that really unnerved Pete. He was so used to people just treating him like a menace to society, curtesy of JJJ, or a pest, that he hadn't really received all that much appreciation for his work. Not that he ever asked for it, but who would've thought that it would be Hydra to show him respect and treat him a hero…
Either he was going crazy, or something was really wrong with the world, and Peter didn't know which was worse, but he put those thoughts away, when he entered the conference room.
"Sorry I'm late! What did I miss?" Spider-Man immediately said, as he saw all of the Avengers' eyes turned to him, clear annoyance and judgement evident on their faces. "Let me guess, I missed the whole meeting and now I'm in for a lecture."
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Spider-Punk actually learned something." Hawkeye said sarcastically. "Look, Spidey, if even the Hulk can make the time for this sit down, then even you can."
"In my defense, I had extenuating circumstances." Peter noted.
"Mhm, quite extenuating." Wolverine commented, as he smelled the air. "Red velvet and cola. Are you now part-timing with children's birthdays?" Peter was taken aback by that, before composing himself.
"Spider-Man, explain yourself." Captain America demanded of Peter. "Were you late because you were on a party?" Peter squirmed a little bit under the pressure, before speaking up.
"Yes, but that's because I made a promise to the girl's dad, and…" Spider-Man said, before he heard Tony Stark and Clint laugh. "Hey, that's not funny!"
"No, no, it definitely not!" Clint laughed even harder, with even Black Widow showing a small smirk.
"Really, Peter? A little girl's birthday, that's why you missed the weekly meeting with the World's Mightiest Heroes? In case you haven't noticed, we've got certain standards to uphold." Iron Man said to Peter.
"I know that, and I am trying…" Peter tried to defend himself.
"Trying, and failing to do so. Spider-Man, being an Avenger is a commitment to a duty greater than your personal wishes. I know that these meetings are boring, but everyone here attends, because they are important for this team to work together well. If you cannot understand it, then you may as well not come again here again." Captain stated to him with stern and cold expression. "Do I make myself clear, soldier." Peter didn't enjoy this tone and words, but swallowed his pride.
"Of course, Captain." Peter responded.
"Good, now take your seat." Captain said, and the meeting continued, while Peter sat down, next to Wolverine and Hawkeye.
"So, you are free this Wednesday, 'cause there's a kid's party at Xavier's, and they could use some entertainment, even if it's a cheap sad clown." Wolverine chuckled lowly, while Clint laughed some more.
"Oh sure, let me just check my schedule." Peter said theatrically, pulling out his phone. "Hm, nope! Sorry, I've got whole day packed with "Hail" and "Hydra." You know how time consuming those are."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Clint asked of him.
"What? That I'm actually an agent of Hydra, and I've got a whole day packed with being one. What's so strange about it?" Peter said, part of him hoping he was to be taken seriously, but when the whole table exploded with laughter, he realized he was hoping in vain.
"You, agent of Hydra! Oh man, that is just gold!" Tony Stark laughed almost to a wheezing point. "They'd turn you down faster than a first Hail goes off. I mean, c'mon."
"What? You do know that I can be a menace when I want to." Peter said in an indignant tone, actually becoming offended by the fact he wasn't taken seriously.
"The only menacing thing about you is your sense of humor." Black Widow stated to him. "And seriously, you wouldn't make it a day as a spy, much less a double agent for Hydra."
"Yeah, bub. I don't even need my nose to know what you are, so stick to saving kittens off the trees." Wolverine commented. "Leave the big bad Hydra to the real men and women."
"You guys do know that I've been doing this for a long time now, and I did earn my place here." Peter was now starting to feel quite fed up with this.
"No offense, Petey, but you are mostly here because we needed someone to keep the seat warm." Wasp commented with a wry smile. "I mean, your rogues are mostly C-listers, with a couple of Bs, and you still struggle to keep those at bay most of the time. Just look at what happened last week?"
"Now that wasn't my fault they all escaped and teamed up, and I don't remember any of you being there to stop that Fearsome Four." Spider-Man responded back.
"Fearsome? More like Tiresome, hardly of any interest and time of the son of Odin!" Thor stated with pride, further irking Peter, who finally rose up at those words. "Oh, do wish to have words, Man of Spiders? Do not worry, 'tis no shame to back off a fight, for you have neither build nor character to tangle with likes of me."
"You know what? I think you are right, Cap: I do not have it me to be here." Spider-Man said, as he moved away from his seat. "Thanks for ruining my self-worth, and wasting my time with you. See you around." And without even hearing anyone else, Peter left the room and headed towards the ledge.
"Spider-Man, Captain America would like for you to return." Jarvis chimed in. "He expressed that it was childish of you to leave like you did."
"Tell Cap and the others that I'll get back to them when I've got time of my own." Peter said, as he gotten outside and jumped off the balcony, needing to beat something really badly to clear his head.
And wouldn't you know it, he just found a willing volunteer just for that, who was currently in the middle clearing out a bank.
"Heh, piece of cake! Almost too easy." Shocker said, as he grabbed bags full of cash and prepared to leave, before he suddenly found the bags thrown back into the vault. "What the…"
"Herman, did I already tell you, you shouldn't play with other people's money, or trash banks. Bad boy!" Spider-Man commented, as he came into the view of Shocker.
"Spider-Man! Don't you have your weakly tea party with the Avengers?" Shocker charged up his gauntlets.
"Oh Herman, you know I can always make time for you. Now then, how you want go back in Ryker's?" Spider-Man didn't get to wait for an answer, as Shocker launched his attack. "Guess the usual way!" And immediately dodged the vibration wave and went to business.
Twenty minutes later.
One mundane fight and ringing ears later, and Shocker was all packaged up and ready for delivery, as the police swarmed the bank, while Spider-Man took a breather on the roof of a building.
"Phew, definitely needed that, though I hope that bank's got insurance." Spider-Man commented. "I can already see Jameson's next headline: "Spider-Man- Menace to Financial Security and Banking!" Or something like that."
"No need to worry, we've got it covered." The sudden voice almost made Peter jump, as he turned and came mask to face with Madame Viper, dressed in her usual green attire, accompanied by four Hydra Agents, armed to the teeth. "Excellent work, Spider-Man. Not a single dime was taken, and the threat contained and eliminated."
"Um, thanks, but what are you doing here?" Spider-Man asked. "And what's with the hit squad? Is this for me, or…"
"We were dispatched to take care of the Shocker, seeing as he decided to rob one of our banks, one that contains assets, actives and savings of Hydra members, including my own." Madame Viper responded. "Your intervention was not anticipated, but a much more welcome alternative. It will save us considerable efforts in the afterward clean-up."
"Wait, so that's a Hydra Bank, and I just saved all of your money there?" Peter asked for clarification, with Madame Viper nodding. "Wasn't really my intention, but, um… Glad to be of service." At that moment, the four Agents suddenly stood at the attention and saluted to Spider-Man.
"Hail Hydra!" They saluted to Spider-Man three times, something that Spider-Man was not expecting to him.
"Um… Hail Hydra." Peter responded in an awkward manner.
"Gentlemen, return to the extraction zone." Madame Hydra ordered, leaving her and Spider-Man alone on the roof. "Again, excellent work on the Shocker. Normally, he wouldn't have gotten anywhere near this without our knowledge, but it would appear he has had help avoiding our early detection system."
"You gonna need help with that?" Spider-Man asked, purely out of courtesy.
"Your offer is appreciated, but we will handle it. Your time is better spent attending more prevalent matters." Madame Hydra assured him. "I've also been informed that your building is being closed for renovations. You have made quite an impression on Hank and his family."
"It was nothing special, really." Peter responded. "And yeah, guess I'll have to look for a temporary rental, or something like that…" And at that moment, Spider-Man caught keys and a paper in his hand, tossed to him by Madame Viper.
"Keys to one of my penthouses and where to find it, consider it a sign of my gratitude for today." Madame Hydra explained to him. "The staff is Hydra, and will not mind your presence. Enter however you see fit, but do please make you presence known to the management. We have a tight security."
"You sure this is okay? It will take a few months I'm told, and I do not want to impose." Spider-Man said, with Viper smiling to him, leaning a little closer to him.
"Maybe I want you to be a little imposing." Viper then blew him a kiss, leaving him flabbergast, before moving away. "Keep up the good work, Spider-Man. Hail Hydra." And with that she left the rooftop.
"Yeah… Hail Hydra." Was all that Peter could really say, left completely confused and bamboozled by what had happened.
Deep down, in the darkest corners of his mind, a small thought made itself known: maybe being Hydra wasn't so bad after all…
Right out of the blue, I will say, that this is just a flight of fancy, a wild thought that came to me, and I decided to write it. Just like that, something lighthearted that I decided to make, nothing serious as in my other works.
I cannot say if I will continue it or not, given my work taking a lot of my energy and time, but if you like it, then please, feel free to tell me in the reviews.
Have a nice day!
