Chapter 20
Peter smiled as he walked in to his personal lab. His entire team was there, anxious to hear from him about what was going to happen.
"How's Mr. Osborn?" Lily asked.
"He's out today but plans to be back tomorrow. He's doing as well as he can."
The group nodded, all having been informed on Peter's errand to SI and helping out their boss. It was no secret amongst his team anymore that he and Harry Osborn were friends.
"We've really come to a halt on things, Peter." A dark skinned man named Grahm spoke. "We've cataloged all the missing equipment and supplies. The truth is, we can't continue our current projects until we replace it all."
Peter sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Any projects we can work on? I can put in orders for our missing stuff but they'll all be on hold until Harry comes back. Even then though, it'll take time to get it all in."
"We have a few stalled projects we can jump back on." A short, blonde girl replied.
"Ok, Laura. Get together what ever you guys need for those projects and get started. At least we can get something accomplished so that we don't all look useless."
The team then filed out, all conversing with each other on where and how to pick up the laid aside work.
"So, is Mr. Osborn out for just today...."
Peter look up as Lily shuffled from foot to foot in his doorway.
"Knowing Harry, probably just today." Peter smiled.
Lily nodded and paused before leaving.
"We have things under control here, Peter. If you have something else you need to be doing, we can most definitely cover for you. You may not know it, but some of these projects they're getting ready to work on are things they never thought they'd be able to get back to. You've just made their day." she chuckled.
"You're a life saver, Lil." Peter smiled, grabbing his bag and heading towards the elevator. At the door, he paused and turned back to his excited team. "Enjoy yourself guys, it'll be back to grind sooner than you'd like."
His colleagues shot him false glares, some sticking out their tongues as he entered the elevator laughing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter swiped Harry's ID and entered Norman's lab. He hadn't found anything yesterday and, most likely, wouldn't today either. Sitting down in one of the rolling chairs, Peter ran a hand down his face. He couldn't believe how fast and hard things had fallen. It wasn't that long ago he graduated college. He pictured Harry and MJ's happy faces at their engagement. His sexual awakening for Wade. Aunt May's full recovery. Things were looking good for the future despite Tony Stark. He should have known it wouldn't last.
He was about to do one last sweep when his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Don't you 'hello' me, Spider!" Felicia yelled. "I haven't heard from you since your little lunch date!"
"Don't call it that!" Peter snapped.
“Then quit being a tight lipped asshole and tell me what’s going on!”
Peter grinned and leaned back in the chair.
“Two questions. Are you sitting down and how much time do you have?”
He heard a shuffling sound then Felicia spoke.
“I’m sitting and I’ll make time.”
“Spider-Man may be about to whore himself out for Oscorp.”
There was silence on the other end far longer than he would have liked.
“Felicia?”
“I think something in my head just exploded. You wanna run that by me again?”
“Spider-Man is on the chopping block. The Avengers get Spider-Man or SI pulls out of its Oscorp partnership and claims its due to the security compromise.”
Felicia was silent for a moment before a snicker came over the line.
"Spider-Man really is about to whore himself out, isn't he?"
"It concerns me that you find this funny." Peter huphed.
"Well, I honestly don't know what to tell you, Spider. I can't make the decision for you but, come on, how can you not find some of this funny?"
"Because it's happening to me!" Peter yelled.
Felicia snickered again.
"I'm going to hang up."
"I'm just amused by how it sounds, not by what it means."
He could practically feel her eye roll through the phone.
"I told you before, I've got your back. Whatever you need, I can give. With that said, are you gonna offer yourself up?"
"Matt is demanding to go with me when I make my choice, and he wants me to bring Wade."
"Oh, it just keeps getting better." Felicia snorted. "I love your life."
"You're a terrible person."
"Excuse you, I'm fabulous!"
Peter sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Honestly though, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I don't want to join the Avengers, but Harry is important to me. I can't do this to him."
"You can't save everyone, Pete." she soothed. "I know you want to help Harry, but is it worth your freedom as Spider-Man?"
"I'm in trouble, Cat."
Felicia sighed over the phone.
"Take Matt and Wade to meet them. Having the two of them there will take some of the pressure off of you. I'd love to give you some amazing piece of advice, but I don't have any. I won't lie to you about how pissed everyone is going to be if you agree to Stark's terms."
Peter felt a tired smile cross his face.
"I know. I hate feeling like I'll be spitting in everyone's faces. I never thought it'd turn in to this giant clusterfuck. The worse part is that Harry would give up SI in a heartbeat if he knew why I don't want in on the Avengers."
"Wait, you say that like he knows you're Spider-Man."
"He does. He dropped that on me after the break-in. He's concerned if I'm gonna be able to handle Norman again. He even brought up getting help from the Avengers. I know Tony isn't the ending of the world for Oscorp really, but it would be a blow I'm not sure Harry could handle right now. He's got Norman and the missing equipment he stole to worry about. SI pulling out will be a ripple in a pond next to the tidal wave that Norman attacking the city with Oscorp property will be."
Felicia was quiet for a while before speaking softly.
"We both know where this is heading, Spider. Sometimes there is no good answer, no right response. I trust you to do the right thing and I'll defend you against the others. Just....just don't let yourself get hurt, Peter. I love you."
"Love you too, Kitten."
He kept his tiny smile as the call ended. He really did have the best people in his life. Taking a breath, he stood up from his chair and moved around the room, straightening things up from where he and Harry had only increased the mess. Bending to pick up a stack of tossed aside papers, Peter paused. The words 'Dear Harry," catching his eye.
~~~~~~~~~~Possible trigger warning starting here~~~~~~~~~~
Pulling the paper out from the stack, Peter read over the letter.
Dear Harry,
If you're reading this, then something has happened to me. I only wanted what was best for you. I spent years working on a formula to keep you from the same fate as your mother. I lost her, but I refused to lose you as well.
Peter blinked. Harry's mother had died due to some rare heart condition. Did Harry have it too?
This formula will enhance aspects of a person's body. An unhealthy person can suddenly lose all since of their illness. Your mother could have been spared, as can you, should you develop the condition. I won't deny that this project has had to remain hidden from all eyes. I can't allow anyone to hinder its development. The secrecy, though, leaves me with very little options of testing out its effectiveness. I'm going to test the serum on myself. The goal is to enhance a person, so if it works, I will feel its effects to some degree.
I can only hope I feel a difference in my body. Perhaps if I can prove it's positively changed me, I can bring it to eyes of the public. Imagine it, a world without illness. I must succeed! I can't allow anyone to stop me!
I will conduct the first trial on myself tomorrow.
Peter stood, staring at the paper. Norman hadn't even bothered to leave a hint of love for Harry in a letter that could have preceded his death. While the letter didn't tell him anything about the actual construction of his formula, it was clear what it was meant to be. It was a knock off of the Super Soldier Serum given to Steve Rogers. Norman had tried to create a brand of the formula that would erase illness from people, only it backfired into a serum for madness.
"Jesus, Norman." Peter grimaced. "Why?"
"Imagine a world where everyone could be spared a life of sickness, Parker."
Peter jumped, spinning around. His eyes widened as he found Norman Osborn standing in the lab doorway.
"The Super Soldier Serum was a masterpiece, but without all its components, it would have been a dangerous thing to try to replicate completely. I wasn't that stupid. With that said, I could replicate what gave Rogers his extensive immunity to illness. I think I improved it even."
Peter took a step back as Norman advanced.
"Oh, I could never replicate you though. I would have loved to, but you are very special, Peter." Norman grinned, an unsettling glint in his eye. "So, special. You bonded completely with the spider DNA. Amazing really. You were the only one to do that, and it was a complete accident it even happened."
Peter's eyes widened as he realized what Norman was saying.
Norman chuckled, stopping a few feet from him.
"You're friend Adrian was quite willing to give you up for the chance to see his family again."
Peter swallowed hard. This was a worse case scenario situation.
"Let's not do anything rash, Peter." Norman said, noticing Peter's quick looks around the lab. "You're completely alone here, and you wouldn't want to have to risk your identity now would you? You can't be certain if I'm the only one who knows."
Peter's blood ran cold. Norman had him backed into a corner. If he had told anyone else, then there was a huge threat to Aunt May running around New York. He could only pray Norman was bluffing.
"So beautiful, Peter. The perfect human in my eyes. My altered Super Soldier Serum may not have worked out how I wanted, but you are a lovely result of another passion project. Your parents were involved in it's creation you know? How poetic their son would be the one to survive it. There were others Peter, but like I said, you were the only one to survive."
"How could you create something so dangerous?"
"Dangerous? Look at you, Peter. You're, alluring. Everyone would love to be you. I would love to be you. While the formula I took didn't work out quite how I wanted it to, I can't say I'm disappointed either."
"You lost your mind!" Peter yelled. "You lost control and nearly ruined the city! You left Harry to clean up behind you! I thought you were a brilliant man, but I nearly died trying to save you from yourself!"
"Oh Peter," Norman tisked. "I may not have known that it was you under the mask, but I would never have allowed you to die. I told you, you're special."
Peter moved to dodge as Norman leapt forward, but the man had already taken a dose of his formula, his eyes flashing green. The change distracted Peter just long enough to Norman to slam him against the wall, his arm pressed into Peter's neck.
"Very special." Norman purred, pinning Peter's body to the wall with his own. "My goal was always to bring you in. Bring you in, study you, replicate what worked on you. When you managed to put me away, I thought all my chances of getting to you were gone. You can imagine my joy when I was offered a deal to get out. I help them, and I get you in exchange. I'm so grateful to the fact you didn't let Toomes die."
"Wh-who let you out, a-and what do they get i-in return?" Peter struggled to get out.
Norman laughed darkly.
"That's my secret little spider. Now that I have you, I just have to let it slip that I do. Make sure your little friends know you're mine." Norman's eyes flashed green and a wicked smile settled on his face. "You're so perfect, Peter. So much better than the wasted potential my son is."
Peter tried to swallow as Norman pushed a little harder.
"Yo-you wrote Harry that note. Wh-why do that if you didn't care?"
"Oh, that note wasn't for Harry, Peter. I wrote it and placed it for you to find. Once I heard my pathetic excuse for a son wasn't coming in, I figured you would make your way in here alone. So, I came and planted the letter for you to find. I wanted you to know what I hoped to accomplish. I knew you would understand my goals. Again, it didn't quite work out, but I benefited from it. I'm healthier than I've ever been, not to mention stronger and....virile."
Peter's eyes widened as Norman's leg pushed between his own.
"Now, my beautiful, perfect Peter. I think it's time we leave here and go somewhere...more comfortable."
Peter had been waiting, hoping to get information out of Norman but, that was no longer an option. Lifting his leg, he planted his foot against the wall and pushed off. Norman flew back, sliding across the floor. Jumping up on the ceiling, Peter scrambled towards the door.
"Stunning." Norman awed as Peter moved above him.
Flinging himself out the room, Peter turned and closed the lab doors, using Harry's ID card to seal it shut.
"Oh, Peter." Norman sighed, shaking his head as he walked up to the glass door. "I designed this lab. Do you really think you can keep me in here? You were bit by an Oscorp spider, therefor, you belong to me. You're mine, Peter. You're mine and I will have you."
Peter glared at the man.
"You're not getting anything except a one way ticket back to lock up."
Norman laughed darkly, moving towards the back of the lab.
Peter watched as the man tapped a button on the back wall and a thick mist began to fill the room.
"W-what are you doing?!" Peter yelled, losing sight of Norman in the fog.
As quickly as it came though, the strange fog cleared the room, leaving no trace of Norman behind. A deep sense of dread settled in Peter's stomach. Not only was Norman loose and back on his serum, he knew he was Spider-Man. Could things get any worse?
~~~~~~~~End possible trigger section~~~~~~~
Peter flew out the front doors of Oscorp, his phone out and dialing Matt's number. He had let Lily know he was leaving the premises, telling her he was going to talk to Harry about some things and that he'd be back tomorrow.
"Peter?"
"Matt!" Peter yelled, running down the street. "I hope you're not busy because I'm on my way!"
"I'm just doing paperwork. Where are you?"
"Tearing ass down the street! We need to talk now! I'll be to the office soon."
"Peter!" Matt yelled. "Where are you? I'll send Foggy to get you."
"I'm.."
There was a slight pause on Peter's end before he responded.
"I've got a ride. See you soon Matt."
"Peter? Peter!" Matt shouted into the phone but the line went dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matt paced his office, waiting on Peter to show up. It wasn't like him to call Matt in such a frantic state.
He was about to call Peter when the door to his office slammed open and Peter came barreling in. He ran straight to Matt and pulled the man into a hug. The two stayed like that until Matt noticed the figure of Wade Wilson standing in his doorway.
"Let's sit down, Pete." Matt soothed. "Tell me what happened."
Matt motioned to the empty chairs in his office. Peter took no time falling in to one while Wade moved a little more cautiously.
"Wilson, get over here." Matt huphed. "I don't have time for you to drag ass."
Wade grinned and slipped into the seat next to Peter.
"What's wrong, Pete?" Matt asked, concerned over his kid's appearance.
Peter took a deep breath before opening his eyes and focusing on Matt. Wade studied Peter's face, a little concerned for his spider after Peter had filled him in on both his past with Tony Stark and that he had something he needed to discuss with both him and Matt.
"Norman caught me in his lab."
As the story of his encounter with the former head of Oscorp unfolded, Wade felt his anger spike.
"He did what?" Wade fumed, shooting out of his chair. "Who does that asshole think he is? How dare he lay his hands on my Baby Boy!"
"Sit down, Wilson" Matt growled. "I'm not dancing in a field of fucking flowers over this either, but ranting like a lunatic isn't going to get us anywhere."
Peter sat slouched in his chair, his head thrown back.
Wade grumbled and balled his fists open and shut as he sat back down next to Peter. The three sat in a tense silence until Peter finally spoke.
"I'm going to turn myself in to Tony."
Wade and Matt flew out of their seats, both shouting.
"You can't be serious, Peter."
"I don't think that's a good idea Petey-Pie."
"What about everyone who's looked out for you?"
"There's no going back if you do this."
Peter rubbed his temples as the two raised thier voices as thier objections continued.
"I know what I'm doing!" Peter yelled, eyes narrowed as he looked up at the two men. "I thought about it the whole way here! I thought long and hard about this."
Taking a deep breath, Peter stood up and moved to look out Matt's window.
"There's not enough of us Matt." he sighed. "We can't protect everyone. Aunt May, Harry, MJ, they're all in danger. They're all connected to me, and Norman knows it. If I don't give in to him, he'll draw me out by going after them. Don't say he won't, because he already did when he sent that mystery group after Cat. "
Matt frowned, glancing over at the frustrated and torn face of Wade. Neither knew how to reply, as both knew what Peter was saying.
"Tony and the others have the means. Natasha and Clint can do this type of surveillance in their sleep. We all have jobs. Jess, Luke, Danny, me, you. We can't be with them all the time."
"Petey, why not ask Kitty Cat to stay with May and I can keep an eye on both-"
"I already thought about that." Peter looked at him. "Felicia was with Jess the night they found the Oscorp drop off. I think it would be best if the two of them continued thier investigation. Maybe they can find out where it's going from there and find Norman's hiding place. So no, I don't want her to leave Jess and go to May. So we're still where we started."
Matt sighed and ran a hand down his face.
"What about you, Peter?" Matt asked softly. "I am fully aware of the threats to May, Harry, and MJ, but what about your own? Norman already got to you once, and no one was around to help you. You yourself said he had already taken at least some of his old formula. What if he catches you off guard again? Or what if he catches you in a group of people?"
Peter didn't respond. He honestly didn't know how. He would never be stupid enough to say Norman wouldn't go after him in public, but there was one problem with him doing that.
"He'll lose his element of surprise if he doesn't." Peter finally spoke. "Right now it's not public knowledge he's out. If the Goblin comes after me in public, secrecy is lost."
"I don't think he's worried about that any more, Peter." Matt sighed. "Secrecy went out the window when he told you he was going to let us all know he had you. The fastest way to deliver that kind of news would be publicly. He could cut out having to do that by nabbing you in a crowded place."
Wade frowned pulled Peter in to his side.
"Maybe I should stick close to you instead, Baby Boy."
"This is exactly why I've got to go to Tony. May, Harry, MJ, me, that's to many people for just you to cover. I could be proud and count myself off the protection list, but that's how you run in to trouble. I'm not stupid enough to overestimate my abilities. If he attacks me while I'm surrounded by people..." he looked at Matt. "
Silence settled over the small group, the sun's light growing weaker. There wasn't anything else to say. Matt knew exactly how stubborn Peter could be, and Wade had quickly been learning.
"So what do you want us to do, Pete?"
"I still want both of you to come with me to meet with Tony. I feel positive he'll bring all the others in, and I'll need the support. We'll leave Aunt May with Jess and tell her to go hang out at Luke's. I dread the questions I'm gonna get for that request. It'll be safe for May though. The more people around, the less chance Norman will make a move. As for Harry and MJ, I'll ask Reed to take them in for the night. Hopefully we can have them under surveillance at home by tomorrow evening."
"Why not just ask the Fantastic Fam to watch over May and the little Osborns?" Wade asked.
"Because they're about to leave on a mission. I talked to Reed after Johnny dropped off a project I had asked him to look in to."
"Tin Man's not going to make it easy for me to be around you Petey-Pie." Wade said sadly.
Peter smiled as he moved and cupped Wade's cheek.
"He doesn't get a say in my private life, Wade. Remember, he's only getting Spider-Man."
"You ask for protection for May, Harry and MJ," Matt grumbled, "And he's going to ask for more. He'll hold thier protection over you so you'll have to turn in Peter Parker as well."
Peter smiled tiredly as he looked at the man he come to consider a father to him.
"Possibly. I just....I need to do this, Matt. I need to."
"Everyone's going to try to kill you. I'd put May at the top of the list. I'd put Felicia right below it."
"I talked to her right before Norman caught me. She already knows what I'm dealing with. May.....I won't lie that I'm terrified of telling her." Peter's laugh was full of anxiety.
Silence settle again before Wade took Peter's hand and moved toward the door.
"Come on Petey, let's go try to relax before we meet back up with Red."
Matt didn't argue as Wade led Peter out of this office. He gave Wade a concerned look, sensing the man glance over his shoulder. The lawyer stood, a defeated stance was all he could managed. Wade tried give off an encouraging aura, but both knew they were about to face a devastating experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter stood on Matt's roof, waiting for the man to join him and Wade. He shift, slightly annoyed and embarrassingly aroused at the fact he was about to go meet with Tony while wearing a butt plug that was keeping Wade's release inside him. He can't say he hadn't been surprised when Wade pulled out and something else was immediately inserted. While Wade had acted teasingly about, Peter had the suspicion it made Wade feel smug to know Peter would be sitting in front of the billionaire with a flaming ass filled with him.
"Really?" Matt grumbled. "You two couldn't have waited?"
"We're right here, Red. I know you're blind but your other senses are better than that." Wade said, raising an eyebrow.
Peter's face glowed under his mask.
"That's not what he's talking about. Shut up."
Wade looked between Peter and Matt, noticing Matt's slightly scrunched nose.
"No way." Wade snickered, finally realizing what was going on. 'Did you think I'd let my Petey go into the jaws of death without a last taste of satisfaction?"
"I'd have preferred it if you didn't leave the satisfaction with him."
"Oh my God." Peter moaned, putting his face in his hands. "Can we please just go now."
"Is May with Jess?"
"Yeah." Peter sighed.
"I take it that didn't go well."
"It was strange. She was upset but heard me out completely. She understands my fears, but she's itching for a chance at Tony. We're going to, 'have a long talk' once I get back." Peter shuffled again, anxious about May and the impending Avengers meeting. It also didn't help that the plug had a tendency to brush his prostate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tony tapped his foot against the floor and looked out the large window. Peter hadn't shown up last night and it wasn't looking promising for tonight either. He had really hated to hold the Osborn kid over Peter's head, but desperate times and all that.
"Something wrong Tony?" Steve asked, drawing the attention of the other Avengers spread around the common room.
"I was just-"
"Boss." FRIDAY's voice filled the room. "Spider-Man has just entered the briefing room."
"Perfect." Tony grinned, standing up.
The other Avengers looked at him in surprise. Spider-Man had willingly come to the tower?
"I made an offer." Tony said simply. "I guess he accepted it. You all coming? You might want to be here for this."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter shifted in his chair, hoping to find a positing that didn't remind him of what had happened before heading to the tower. A position that didn't make him think of Wade bending him over the back of the couch and landing smacks to his ass while his quickly hardening dick made him beg for Wade to fuck him. He had nearly come when Wade roughly pushed him down on all fours and plowed in to him, all the while telling him that despite what Tony might say, he wasn't going to just let Peter go. Peter couldn't believe himself when he started screaming about how he belonged to the merc and no one would change it. What was it about Wade that made turned him into a wanton mess?
He was startled as a large hand squeezed his upper thigh, a little higher than anyone would consider appropriate. He stiffed as the hand started to creep up higher. Peter waited, curious to see just how far Wade would go when the door suddenly opened.
"Ah, Spider-Man-" Tony froze as he noticed Deadpool and Daredevil looking back at him.
"I hope you don't mind, Mr. Stark. I just thought it might be best if your team got to meet some of mine." Peter smiled, lifting his mask up to his nose.
"Thank for the heads up FRI." Tony grumbled.
"I was only told to inform you of Spider-Man's arrival, Sir." The A.I. sassed.
"While you're welcome here," Steve started. "I have to ask why you're here."
"You didn't tell them?" Spider-Man asked, turning to look at Tony.
"A surprise can't be a surprise if everyone knows." Tony grinned, motioning for everyone to sit.
Peter wanted to roll his eyes. Tony's overly confident attitude grated on his nerves. It wasn't like Peter was about to turn himself over because he genuinely wanted to.
The Avengers filed the rest of the way into the room and filled up the empty seats, all curious as to what was going on.
"So, Spider-Man," Tony grinned. "Anything you want to say?"
Harley studied Spider-Man and his two....teammates? They had certainly been quick to come to his aid the night Harley had chased him down. As mad as he wanted to be, he had promised Tony to give the vigilante a second chance.
"I've come," Spider-Man paused, taking a breath. "I've come to accept your offer to join the Avengers."
The room erupted into loud voices, all wondering what was going on and when Tony had made contact to ask the man to join them.
Harley sat in silence, watching the reactions of the people before him. It was clear the two flanking Spider-Man weren't happy at all with this development, while Spider-Man's tense shoulder suggested he had his own doubts as well. Curiosity filled him. Why accept the offer if you didn't want to? What was Spider-Man going to get out of joining a group he had seemed to fight so hard to stay away from?
"I just have one request." Spider-Man spoke up, the room falling silent.
'Here it comes.' Harley thought.
"What's that P-Spider-Man?" Toy asked, a slight hesitance in his voice.
"I have people that need protecting. Norman Osborn is after me as both Spider-Man and my civilian identity-"
"What?!" Tony yelled, clearly unprepared to find out Norman knew who Spider-Man was under the mask.
"All that's important is that he knows who I am and that puts people I know in danger."
"What are we supposed to do about that?" Natasha asked, eyes narrowed.
"I'm requesting they be watched. I need to know they're safe." he answered.
"Who are these people?" Steve asked.
"Harry Osborn, his fiancé Mary Jane Watson and May Parker."
Harley perked up at the last name.
"May Parker?" he asked. "Would she be related to a Peter Parker?"
"She's his aunt." Spider-Man responded.
"Well, what about Peter then? Doesn't he need protection? Also, how do you know him?"
Deadpool tensed, agitation evident.
"Mr. Parker used to take pictures of me for The Daily Bugle. Kid needed money so I helped him out."
"You let that kid take pictures of you for that rag?" Clint grimaced. "They talk shit about you all the time!"
Spider-Man shrugged, not concerned about the paper's stories.
"So, can we assume Mr. Parker knows who you are under the mask?" Natasha asked with veiled curiosity.
"He does. It's through him I was able to talk with Harry Osborn. Point is, Norman knows who these people are and how important they are. I need them covered for Peter's sake and they're own. I'll handle Parker's safety." Spider-Man replied.
"How? How will you keep him safe?" Harley glared. "If this Norman guy is after you, seems like you're the last person that should be watching out for him!"
"Look, Peter is my responsibility." Spider-Man stated firmly. "He's got a lower profile and can get me around Oscorp easily. I can't ask Harry to do that."
Harley glared, clearly not liking his answer.
"So basically, you're willing to risk his safety to make things easier for you."
"I told you once before, if you try to fight me, you'll lose." Peter glared through the mask.
The air was charged with tension, and Wanda found herself developing a headache. She made a conscious effort to avoid delving into the minds of anyone in the room, but the fluctuating emotions were pushing her limits.
"What happens to this Peter Parker, after his work hours?" she asked, trying to diffuse things. "Will you be watching him?"
"Depending on the protection that can be provided for May, Peter will be staying with a known acquaintance in Hell's Kitchen in the evening. During the day, Spider-Man and Deadpool will be watching him." Daredevil answered, his voice calm and assuring.
"Oh, and I suppose you can't tell us who the Hell's Kitchen acquaintance is? Also, how is that lunatic safe for Peter?" Harley scoffed, pointing at Deadpool.
"Look brat," Wade sneered. "I happen to know that our Hell's kitchen contact is trusted by most of the vigilante community and the three of us. Also, and most importantly, Peter Parker sees this man as a father and the guy sees him as a son. As for me, I'll make damn sure Baby Boy is well protected. So why don't you butt out of things you don't understand before Bea and Arthur have to made an appearance."
Peter pushed Wade's hand down as it reached for the katana hilt strapped to his back. The tension that had started to fade, spiked once again.
Tony's face was strained from Wade's father/son comment. It was obvious now that the merc knew what Spider-Man and Daredevil looked like behind their masks. Noticing Harley made to respond, Tony cut him off.
"I have to disagree with your choice here Spidey. I'm covering everyone else, so I'm going to cover Parker as well. I can understand if you want Osborn and his fiancé to be at thier home to keep up appearances, but the Parker's don't have the security benefits to do that. I think it would be best if they both moved into the tower until this was all over. In fact," Tony looked straight at Peter. "I insist. You have your demands Spidey, I have mine."
"Tony, man-" Rhodey started.
"Peter's not up for discussion." Spider-Man glared. "May Parker will be left alone in their home and Peter will-"
"Not happening." Tony shot. "I can't secure an entire block with normal civilians, not without drawing attention. You're asking me to have people monitor all the residents as well as people they let in to their homes. You're focused on Norman himself but we already know there's lackies out there doing work for him as well. You want May Parker protected, you're gonna have to give me more. Also, I highly doubt she's going to want her nephew to be left to fend for himself. I know you said he'll be with some friend, but I doubt it's really the safest option."
"I respect your opinion Spider-Man," Steve smiled, his expression genuine. "But I feel like Tony's right. Protecting someone from afar is tricky on the best days, you can talk to Natasha if you want a more qualified opinion, but to do it with the situation we're in might be to hard to manage. We're dealing with more than one person and no way of knowing who else to look for. Think about your friend who was attacked. They managed to take out a S.H.I.E.L.D team and go after her. Fury still hasn't been unable to get a lead on anyone involved. Even the person who infiltrated his organization has completely vanished. We have a lot of variables we can't possibly account for here. Tony can arrange for protection for her, but you either have the risk of making her a bigger target with open protection or the risk of not being able to get to her fast enough. As for Peter, splitting up isn't always bad as it lessens the chance of both people getting kidnapped, but it also thins out the protection force."
"Ok Stars and-"
Peter covered Wade's still masked mouth.
"I want her opinion." Spider-Man said, looking Natasha in the face.
Natasha raised an eyebrow as everyone in the room turned to look at her. With a smirk, she met Peter's eyes through the mask.
"I think my opinion doesn't matter. Nice deflection while you try to think of something though."
"You know, we're spending an awful lot on time on some random kid and his aunt." Clint said, crossing his arms and looking between Spider-Man and Deadpool. "You guys in a threesome or something?"
"No they're no-" Harley shouted.
"Oh I do love me some Petey-Pie-" Deadpool interrupted.
"There is no threesome-" Spider-Man once again covered Deadpool's masked mouth.
"So there is something going on-" Sam joined in.
"Either you're going to protect May Parker, in her home, or you're not. It's a very simple answer. Spider-Man has agreed to join and that's all he's asking for. I find it hard to believe you can't accommodate his one request. The Osbornes are easy to monitor since they live alone and have way more privacy in their high-rise. May is the only one you'll have to put out any real effort on." Daredevil said, cutting through the chatter.
"Where do the Parkers live?" Natasha asked.
"Forrest Hills, Queens." Spider-Man replied.
"I could make it work. Any houses for sale on the block?"
"No." Tony grumbled, slamming his hand down on the table. "We'll have the Osborns and the Parkers stay here in the tower. I know I just mentioned appearance for the Osborns, but I'm sure we can come up with some excuse if it actually becomes an issue."
Peter was one wrong word away from a legitime panic attack. This meeting was going all kinds of wrong. This was supposed to be easy. He gave himself over as Spider-Man, why did Tony have to push for more? He knew Matt was going to be right when he mentioned it in his office, he had just stupidly held out hope he wouldn't.
"You're assuming these indivuduals will be comfotabel staying here." Daredevil frowned.
"Who wouldn't be?" Harley replied. "The tower has everything! If I was hiding from someone, I'd love to do it here."
"Comfort and comfortable are two different things, son." Steve smiled softly at him.
"You gotta admit Nat," Clint grinned. "Having them all here would certainly make it easier than getting Tony to buy you a house. Plus," he looked at Spider-Man. "Wouldn't it be easier on you too? I mean, you're worried enough about these people to come to us, even though it's obvious how uncomfortable you are."
"If Norman finds out Petey is coming here, it could make things worse." Deadpool pointed out. "I think he should stay with his...dad."
Tony glared at the obvious jab.
"Let the kid and his aunt stay together in their home. Don't send him somewhere else." Bucky spoke up, causing everyone to look at him. "I'll look after them."
"I already offered to do that." Natasha said, raising an eyebrow.
"Deal." Spider-Man said, looking at him. "You watch out for them. May during the day, both at night. Deadpool and I will have Peter and Harry during the day. I'm pretty sure I can convince him to bring MJ to the office. She can help him work on all the paperwork the break-in caused. Peter can take me around during that time."
Spider-Man stood, holding his hand out to the man. Bucky smirked, standing and taking the masked vigilante's hand in his.
Everyone watched the exchange with mixed reactions. Surprise, confusion, intrigue, suspicion and anger.
"I know the Parkers have an extra room, maybe I can have Peter talk to May about you renting it, instead of trying to buy one of the housed on the block." Spider-Man offered.
"I-"
"I'm sure we can get it covered if you can't, Spider-Man." Steve cut Tony's agitated response off. "I know this is a stressful time for you, but I want you to know that you're apart of our team now, and we take care of our own." He stood up and made his way over to a small cabinet in the corner. Rummaging around a bit, he pulled out a small box and walked back to the table. He slid the box towards the vigilante.
"That's an Avengers comm." he nodded. "It's directly connected to ours and FRIDAY. Wear it whenever you suit up. If you get into any trouble, you can let us know and we can come help."
"Or," Tony started, reigning in his anger at Barnes and quickly jumping in with a hopeful expression. "You could take the new suit I made for you."
No one said anything, surprised by Tony's offer. While word had slowly been circulating about Tony's Spider-Man suit designs, no one knew he had already completed a suit.
"The comm is already built into the mask. KAREN is already installed.."
Harley stared at Tony with wide eyes. When had he worked on a Spider-Man suit, and why hadn't he said anything? To have finished it and no one know, Tony must have been spending hours in the lab that no one, not even Steve, knew about. Even more so, the suit had and A.I. apart from FRIDAY? Even his own suit operated off of FRIDAY. Why was Spider-Man given something like that? Why did he get a personal A.I.?
Harley felt a dark feeling weigh down on him. Tony hadn't said anything about creating a separate A.I. for the Iron Lad suit. Nothing for him, but one for Spider-Man? The most ungrateful person ever! Tony was more that capable to creating A.I.s in his sleep, but it took time to program one to be personal, which is exactly what it seemed like Spider-Man's was. An A.I. just for him. Even more upsetting was based on the way Tony said it, the A.I. had been existence since Tony took Spider-Man in.
Harley glared at the vigilante across the table. He wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. He wasn't special. He was just a dirty vigilante playing hero. The papers hated him, and most of New York was undecided.
Harley though, Harley was an official Avenger. He was Iron Lad! He was going to be fighting alongside Earth's mightiest and everyone would know him. Being an Avenger would only make him a positive symbol. A sign of new blood and a symbol of hope that the Avengers would continue on.
Spider-Man, well, he would only bring them down. He would be a black spot on thier image. A member the public would never get behind. He had agreed to give Spider-Man a chance, but that was out of the question now. He would never accept the man after finding out just how much of Tony's generosity Spider-Man had threw back in his face. Spider-Man had no business being a part of the future of the Avengers. Harley could handle it just fine.
Spider-Man didn't deserve anything. He didn't deserve a suit, and he sure didn't deserve his own A.I.!
"As nice an offer as that is Mr. Stark," Spider-Man said stiffly. "I-"
"No strings kid." Tony said, sending a clear message to Peter he wouldn't be taking it back. "You're on the team now, so your equipment is on me. I'll be making sure your stuff is on par with ours. You can take the comm, but come with me down to the lab and take the suit. I won't push you to wear it, but at least you'll have it if you need it."
And there it was. The moment had come that would solidify Spider-Man's stance on involvement with Tony Stark and the team. If he turned down Tony's suit, it would make the statement that, while he was technically a team member, he had no desire to assimilate himself into every aspect of it. That, of course, would cause a major problem as that mentality of not accepting help or guidance could eventually spread to the other members of the team. The point of a team was to have trust in each other and the Avengers had already been through a devastating issue of trust and loyalty already.
If he did accept Tony's suit, then it would send the message he was willing to put their past behind him and give, at least some, control back to Tony. Tony made the team tech, they all had to trust he had thier best interest in mind. For Peter though, the real fear was that unlike the rest of the team, Tony had used the tech to limit his capabilities and then held it over him. Peter had already proved Tony didn't control Spider-Man once, would he be able to do it again if Tony slid things in under the radar?
"Come on kid." Tony said, standing from the table. "Let's go to the lab. We can talk more there. Personally, I think it's a little crowded in here. Your.....friends can wait here though."
Tony walked to the door and stood there, waiting to see if Peter would follow.
Peter looked at Matt. The man gave the smallest shrug, just a tiny flicker of shoulder movement but Peter got the message. Matt wasn't going anywhere. If Peter wanted to go at with Stark again, the man would be waiting there when he was done. Regardless what Peter decided on following Tony, he had already given Spider-Man over in exchange for the security of the safety of his loved ones. Matt would stand with Peter on anything and Peter loved him for it.
Next to him, Wade's rigid posture radiated suspicion and anger. He knew what Tony was doing. Get Peter alone and manipulate him into giving away more than Peter planned or wanted to. He was about to tell Tony just what he thought of the man's offer when Peter's soft touch landed on his shoulder. In one, small exchange, Wade knew Peter's decision and hated it. He didn't want Peter alone with the man who held so many of the cards, cards Peter may not be able to out play. He felt the touch leave his shoulder and let his shoulders slump. He hadn't missed Matt's subtle response to agreeing to let Peter do what he thought he needed to.
Agreeing to trust in both Peter and Matt, Wade gave the nod.
He could sense the small smile Peter gave him before following Tony out the door.