A Spider’s Imperfection

I tried my best to focus on the road. I'm not gonna lie and say this was an easy task. Although in reality it just should have been that. My stomach was in knots and I could tell I was sweating behind my mask. I considered taking it off for the drive, but decided against it. Yellow created a scene in my head of Spidey waking up to see my ugly mug, only to have another heart attack. White was quick to add that I might actually scare him to death if this mystery disease doesn't kill him first. I tried my best to ignore them and even more so the unconscious passenger just inches away from me. It was late and New York was well lit with street lights and flashy buildings that lead to the world famous Avenger's Tower. There were police officers every where holding off traffic leading to the tower. The flashing red and blue created cascading shadows throughout the vehicle. My eyes couldn't help but to follow them occasionally as they lit up the young hero's form. Just how serious was this mysterious affliction? One glimpse of Spider-man out cold was all the Cap needed and he locks down all traffic in New York for me to get him to the tower. I tried my best not to stare as the lights traveled over his muscular and slender frame.

This was the longest I have been with him in absolute silence. If one of us wasn't talking the other usually was. I wanted to talk but, not a single witty bit of sarcasm came to mind. Not a single bit of sass even formed in my thoughts. All I could do was drive as fast as I could manage while occasionally starring at the still partially unmasked web-slinger. What happened? Why did it happen? What caused it? How often has Spider-man had to endure that torment? Why did Captain America know? What did he know? These questions littered my mind . Focus was near impossible. Had the streets not been clear I may have crashed already. There was a bright flash followed by a loud booming sound. I glanced in my rear view to see Thor speeding up and over the car towards the tower. I had enough time to see him land before I heard a tap on my window. Iron man was flying beside us. Falcon on the other side checking to see if Spider-man was in fact in the car. Falcon gave a signal and then flew up ahead to the tower. "Looks like your fellow Avengers don't trust me with you Spidey..." I paused in an attempt to clear my bubbling anger. Sighing heavily I muttered, "Haters."

I've been doing my best to stay on the straight and narrow. Yes I've slipped a little along the way. It isn't easy to get a broken brain that has been long since trained only to violently and mercilessly destroy potential threats on impulse to shift over to capturing the skum safely. Sometimes I can't help reacting on instinct. Sometimes I just can't wrap my head around the thought of allowing trash like rapist, murderers and evil scientists to continue to live. If you ask me, some people don't even deserve to live. For years I've been doing the world a favor in eliminating dirt-bags like that so no one will ever have to suffer their brand of torture again. Yet the other "Heroes" don't seem to buy my testimony. Well except for Spidey here. See, Web-Head over here for some reason has taken it upon himself to teach me how to be a "good hero". I gave him a hard time for a long while. Others before him have made that claim and it never ended well. I finally decided to cut the kid some slack when I over heard him defend me to Tin man. Stark for some dumb reason hovers over Webs, as if he has some kind of claim on the kid. Even now, he is flying just over head.

Hard to believe the media is still portraying Spider-man as a menace. Come to think of it, Captain America didn't witness what I did. Spidey could have just fainted for all he knew. Spidey gets hurt and the entire city goes on lock-down. I just don't get it. Spider-man is everything people look up to as a hero and yet they call him a menace and idolize drunken dummies like Iron man and Wolverine.

As I neared the tower, Nick Fury and all his goons surrounded the car. One of the agents attempted to open Spidey's door. I mustered up as much sincerity-like kindness before asking him to step the %#@& off. My gun gently tapping the glass. I choose to believe it was my explosive personality that had over whelmed the agent into backing away. Keeping my gun trained on the window, I acknowledged the tapping on my window by revealing that I was holding a second gun in my left hand. It was Fury himself who had approached my window. He signaled for his men to back away from the vehicle, but kept his focus on me the whole time. As the men backed away I looked to see Fury glaring at me and I smiled giddily rolling my window down by leaning on the button.

"Put the guns down Wilson."

"How about you get your people away from my wheels and I keep my babies where I see fit?" I grinned content with the look of irritance on Nick's face.

"We are going to get Spider-man the help he needs. Let my agents get him out of the car. Don't you see your just wasting critical time?"

"Listen Patchy, the Cap'n told me to bring him to the tower. Not to hand him over to the guys who allowed that freak Doc Ock to clone and torture Spider-man." Nick quickly interrupted my brilliant debate.

"Look at him." He urged, and my smug demeanor shifted.

"What?"

"Look. At. Him." The spy repeated emphasizing.

I turned to see Spider-man. He was sweating and his breaths were shaky.

"Let us help him. We don't have time to deal with your fantasies and over active imagination. You are just wasting time."

My heart sank seeing Spidey in such a weak state. I sighed but, kept my gaze on my friend. Gritting my teeth as images flashed through my mind. Flash backs of Weapon X began to flood my mind.

"This is exactly why I won't." I said almost growling. "You aren't the first group to offer "help"." My voice was no longer it's normal playful tone. I was done joking around. I slowly turned my head to face the tower. "I'm taking Webs to the Cap and if you got a problem with that...you can take it up with the Avengers." I turned my head slightly to look at the one eyed jerk. "Face it Nicky, you and I both know you've only got two options. Good ol' Justice incarnate or..." I smirked. "Well then there's me..."

I looked back towards the tower seeing that I made my point. "Now... get out of my way." I was fully prepared to mow down the agents that were blocking my access to the tower.
The director of Shield glared at me, but reluctantly ordered his agents to clear a path. I would have said something more to gloat but, I had a more urgent matter to attend to. I wasted no time getting out of the car and unbuckling Spidey from his belt.

He's burning up, no wonder he's sweating so much. I gently hoisted him up over my left shoulder and started walking towards the steps leading to the entrance of the tower. I could tell Nick was staring at me so without looking I tossed the keys to the 'borrowed' car over my shoulder towards him. The one eyed spy of course caught them with ease as I began walking past his agents that had secured the perimeter.

"Return that for me, would ya? Thannnnks" Fury didn't respond. Didn't matter. The second I entered the building, lock down sequences were engaged. I looked around the lobby to see the whole crew of Avengers gathered around waiting for me.

"Really? The whole team? What? Thanks for clearing a path. Sooo helpful." I rolled my eyes. I felt uneasy to begin with and now being locked in a room with a team of super dummies wasn't helping to ease that feeling at all. The opposite actually. As I ranted at the group I was already looking for possible escape plans and methods since I walked through the door. That is until Captain America decided to step forward. Yeah that pretty much stopped me in my tracks.

"We cannot oppose SHEILD without starting trouble within the city. Besides..." As he paused he grinned. "I knew you could handle that all on your own."

I was stunned by his admission of trust in my abilities. I couldn't help but smile dumb-foundedly. Yellow was giggling and shrieking like a fan-girl and White kept urging me to, [say something cool! Don't just stand there!]. Yellow just continued with (Ask him if you can throw his shield! OH OH! Ask him if he can throw you like his shield!! Ask him if we can be his SHIELD!!!)

Cap didn't wait for a response as he reached over to Spider-man to check his pulse. "It was worse this time. Logan get Spider-man to the medical bay. Bruce you know what to do." Captain America grabbed my hand and shook it firmly. "I can't even begin to express my gratitude Wilson." I would have really enjoyed this if it weren't for Wolvey trying to dislodge Spidey from my shoulder. I pulled my hand out of the Cap's hand and flicked Logan on the nose and then backed up as the shock of my action made him stop pulling at Spider-man.

As Wolverine growled and glared at me, I just looked at Cap and said " Yes, you can begin expressing said gratitude." My voice was horse. I glared at the furry midget. "I want to see whats going to happen to him. I'm not just going to let you walk away with him unconscious." I looked around at each member in the room. They all looked as if they wanted to fight but, were holding back. Was it for Spidey? Are they that worried? "Besides...you all seem to know what happened to him. I feel left out." I tried to end that with a mild kidish tone but, it only seemed to make the room more tense.

Logan snarled, "None of your business Bub. If the kid didn't see fit to tell ya, then ya don't need to know."

Bruce stepped a little closer to me and in an instant I had a gun drawn. They didn't want to fight I could see that, and maybe that would be enough to show them to give me my personal space. Bruce raised his hands defensively, and stepped back a step. " Your wasting time. Just let Wade help. Spider-man has been out for far too long!" He said with a shaky panicked voice.

Then all hell seemed to break loose between the disagreeing Avengers. They bickered amongst themselves for a while, so I adjusted Spidey from my shoulder down into my arms after holstering my gun.What had been going on that SHIELD and the Avengers knew about? Why did everyone become so interested in a man who otherwise took little notice? Was it visible behind the mask? Before I had even realized it, I was trying to sneak out of the room. A vice like grip grabbed a hold of my shoulder creating some disturbing crackling sounds.

"Wilson! Where the hell do you think you're going?!"

I glanced back at to see Rust bucket, and then looked down at his armored glove crushing what use to be my shoulder.

"Going? I was going to drain the lizard. Why? Do ya wanna cross streams? I gotta say, I'm not nearly drunk enough." Suddenly he jerked me back roughly and I nearly dropped Spidey.

"This isn't a joke! Pe--Spider-man needs medical attention NOW!"

"If it's so urgent then what's the hold up?" I asked calmly adjusting my hold on the youthful hero.

"He's poisoned." My eyes widened and I turned to see Hawkeye advancing towards me.

"CLINT!" Iron man yelled in frustration.

The blonde didn't flinch as he came up to me. "Poisoned? By what?!" I asked as I looked down at Spidey. He was barely hanging on now, they were right. He was running out of time.

Clint reached out slowly taking Spider-man from my arms. I didn't resist this time. How could I? As he turned and walked away he peered back at me, "A spider."

Iron man held onto my shoulder to prevent me from following as Hawkeye and Bruce carried Spidey into the medical bay. Cap nodded and made his way to the entrance. Iron man ordered Jarvis to unlock the building. Fury was waiting outside to speak with the Captain. Thor and Wolverine followed him as support.

And I just stood there...staring down the hallway that they had carried my friend down.