Chapter 6
“So is no one else is going to bring up what the fuck just happened?”
Steve shot Clint a reproachful look.
“Well bird brain,” Tony replied, “what exactly is there to talk about? Spiderman is out of patience. We can’t keep this going for much longer, we either need to bring him in or leave him alone.”
A sigh from the corner of the room draws everyone’s attention, “The only reason he’s ‘out of patience’ is because we’ve been harassing him for months” Natasha said.
“Exactly!” Clint exclaimed. “All he has done is help people, and sure he’s getting a little harsher, but not worse than any of us. If he wants his privacy I don’t see why taking that away is so important to Fury.”
“Why is keeping his identity a secret so important to him in the first place,” Sam questioned. “If we knew who he was we could offer backup and medical support. We of all people know how hard it is to be a hero, to risk our lives everyday. I couldn’t imagine doing that alone.”
Quietly, Bucky spoke up, “Right now, he has the ability to take off the mask and exist as an unhindered member of society. He can go to the grocery store without a second thought. When was the last time any of us went outside without getting stopped on the street or having cameras shoved into our faces? What if he has loved ones he’s protecting from enemies? We don’t know all the reasons, but we should respect them.”
No one spoke for a moment, internalizing the situation they had forced Spiderman into.
Steve stood up, walking over to Bucky and placing a hand on his shoulder in solidarity. “Bucky is right. I already spoke to Fury about this once in our last meeting, but, if all of the team is in agreement, at my debrief with Fury today I’ll tell him we refuse to continue the hunt for Spiderman.”
“I’ll get straight to the point sir,” Steve stated, staring straight ahead as Fury paced slowly in front of him. “The team and I have come to a decision to stop hunting Spiderman.”
The pacing stopped as Fury pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “Captain, we've spoken about this already, you know what I have to do if you and your team refuse to follow orders?”
“I do sir, but I can't force the team to fight for something none of them believe is right.”
“Rogers, this is not about what you believe in, it's about national security. Whether you like it or not Spiderman is a threat to that.” Fury asserts.
Steeling himself Steve continues. “I’ve shared my thoughts on the mission to capture Spiderman. It will only worsen the situation and leave the trust he has for the Avengers at an all time low. In the past we’ve been able to work with him and trust him to watch our backs in the many crises New York has seen over the years. But this mission has destroyed that.”
“You're forcing my hand,” Fury asserts.
“Respectfully sir, you are the only one responsible for the decisions you make,” Steve finishes, persistently staring straight ahead the whole time.
“You’re dismissed.” Fury tiredly states.
“Fury,” a voice says from the dark, Russian accent clinging to his words. “It has been too long.”
“Kraven, I have an assignment for you,” Fury deadpands.
A bark of laughter echoed through the warehouse “Straight to business as usual, old friend ”
“This assignment isn’t to fulfill your twisted obsession with him, it's for the sake of security, nothing more.”
“Yes yes, of course, all for the sake of national security.”
“Bring him in alive and quickly, Ross is impatient enough as it is.”
“Well, I’m nothing if not efficient,” Kraven chuckles darkly.