Chapter 5
Steve wasn’t the only person on the team tired of it. Tired of the constant game of cat and mouse Fury had them playing with Spiderman, a hero who, as far as anyone knew, had done no wrong. Steve understood Fury’s concern with public safety but sending Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to arrest New York’s favorite vigilante seemed counterproductive. But once again, here they were.
Steve immediately noticed the shift in energy from the usually witty and sarcastic hero to who was in front of him.
Spiderman was different.
Spiderman stood rigid and silent waiting for their arrival. It put him on edge, and he wasn't the only one. A slight vibration from the comm tickled his ear before Hawkeye spoke up, “Who replaced Spidey with an evil clone?”.
“Team hold back, I’m going to talk with him. Iron Man, you’re with me.” Cap ordered
“What would you do without me” Tony sighed in a mocking sing-song but followed anyway. Cap knew his team. Tony joked when he was tense, which was pretty much always, but right now was different and he knew why. Spiderman was quiet. While his constant chatter did sometimes grate on everyone’s nerves it was comfortable and natural in a way. His Avengers team and Spiderman just wanted to protect people, they all had much more in common than not. So Spiderman showing them a serious demeanor was unnerving.
“Hey Spidey,” He said tentatively, hands up and steps slow as though he was approaching a wild animal. “What’s going on kid? You’re really giving us the cold shoulder.”
Silence.
“What do you want?” shot Spiderman, quick and to the point. Once again, very unlike him.
“I just want to talk,” Cap said evenly.
“Yeah yeah that's all you ever want to do, finally catch The Spider, make me give up all I am just to what? Huh? Have peace of mind?” Spiderman asked bitterly. “All I do is try and help people but I guess in the grand scheme of things I never excel at that do I? Well, I’m trying to make up for it okay? All I can do is save as many people as I can to make up for the ones I couldn’t. So if you’d all kindly fuck off and mind your business that’d be great.”
“Friendly neighborhood my ass,” Clint whispered.
Spiderman's head jerked abruptly, staring Clint down with eerie, blank, white lenses. “I’d be a lot friendlier if you weren’t constantly trying to abduct me.” Not much anyone could say to that.
“Listen, Spiderman, I’m calling a truce right now. Despite our orders, we know the good you do for this city and the care you hold for its inhabitants, and we don’t want to interfere with your mission. But, we’re worried about you. Something is wrong and we want to help. Not many understand what it is to be a hero, but we do,” Steve said, gesturing to his teammates, his family.
“I work alone,” Spiderman replied coldly, “and the last people I would talk to would be the ones hunting me down.”
“Please son,” Steve begged, “we’re trying to help you, and if you don’t let us at least try, someone worse won’t give you the choice.”
“Like I said,” Spiderman began as he turned away from Steve’s pleading face, “I work alone.”
Steve couldn’t do anything but watch him go. He could order his team to chase the young man but he wouldn’t be responsible for any more pain Spiderman was experiencing. He needed allies and whether Fury liked it or not Steve was done playing bounty hunter for the wrong people.