章 73: The Avengers Initiative
-PETER POV-
What do I tell him? Ned needs to know the truth about what happened. I can't tell him the same shit I told those officers, he deserves a proper answer 'I look at Ned kicking a rock as he walked beside me' Or a proper story. I can tell him the truth that I'm Spiderman but I don't think he can keep his hands out of my work as Spiderman.
Ned would want to be a part of it, the guy in the chair, the man in my ear, and a concern in my heart because I am not going to be fighting street rats anymore, we are in the big leagues now. Ned looks at the cafe where we used to eat before the robbery ruined the place for us and says "Wanna eat and argue about The Lord of the Rings?" I grin as I tell him "We will be there all day but who cares right..." an explosion interrupts me and I look up to find people running away from something 8 streets across.
I frown as I look at Ned about to tell him that 'I have other work, so I'll have to leave' or some other such bullshit making him sad that he doesn't get to spend time with his best friend. This is why I was afraid of Flash of all people because in my mind I knew that I was being a bad friend, every time I left without telling him what was happening.
I remember the Peter Parker from comics, always leaving for this or that leaving behind his friends in dangerous situations so that he could save them with a mask on. His conscience might be ok with this but his friends will wonder all the same 'Would Peter leave if something goes wrong, can we trust him to not be a coward?' I don't know if I can ever face Ned if he thinks of me like that.
I make a split-second decision as I drag Ned into a nearby alley, I look around for cameras and homeless people as Ned asks me "What are you doing Peter?" I take off my shirt and he gasps as I take out the mask from my secret pocket and wear it. Ned looks at me in realization as if every doubt he had till now has vanished "You are Spiderman" I wear my black gloves as I tell him "The one and only".
I point towards the fleeing people as I tell him "..and I need your help with making sure the people are not in the line of the explosion or fire, I want you to tell me everything" I give him an earpiece connected to the one in my suit as I tell him "I will inform you on where to guide the people according to the threat but knowing New York it will probably be complicated" Ned nods mutedly before he realizes what I'm asking as he tries to give me the earpiece back "No, I can't do this Peter, I can't".
I look at his Panicked expression and tell him "You are in a dream you idiot, of course you can do it" His eyes widen before he grins with a confident look in his eyes before running off to save people, I look at his receding back as I mutter to myself "May God save that idiot..." I look at the puddle of water showing my reflection and continue "..or Spiderman" as I swing toward the danger.
-Tony Stark POV-
I have been dealing with the unfortunate fallout of the whole *I am Iron Man* thing, turns out that announcing yourself to the world as the man who pilots the most dangerous suit on the planet especially as a former alcoholic, narcissistic, unstable, nymphomaniac is not a good thing. They want the suit a thousand miles away in the desert, worn by a soldier instead of me but I have learned my lesson already, if this thing falls into the hands of anyone other than me, war will change as we know it.
So I ignore the assholes trying to steal my shit and talk to Pepper "Please tell me I don't have any meetings after this" Pepper looks at me in clear displeasure as she says "There won't be any if you listen to what they are saying Tony" I sigh as I look at them going on about this and that, I ignore it until they say something that irritated me to no end.
"Hence, a weapon like this should be in the hands of the American government, saving American lives instead of wasting away in a billionaire's garage waiting to be...." I slam a fist on my table making everyone go quiet as they turn to me "The last time my father trusted the American government with a monumental discovery, it was in the hands of the enemy within a decade..." They must have sensed the gravitas in my words as they listened for once instead of interrupting me.
"...My suit is not a weapon, so I am not obligated to let it fall into the hands of terrorists." Senator Stern the chipmunk face tells me "Don't sacrifice American lives for your cowardice Stark" I grin as I find my next prey, this man will be on my *Probably Racist list* and the *Would find dirt list*, I get close to the mic as I stand up "You can be rest assured that I am sacrificing YOUR COWARDICE to ensure World Peace" I look around at the people as I say without looking up "You want my suit you can't have it, it's not yours to take and I'm not feeling generous to give because frankly, it is not needed. War is worse as is don't make it any more dangerous".
I was walking away as Justin Hammer yelled "What about the countries making more of these mechs, what if they get these suits first?" I just open my phone activate the tasks I have assigned and walk away as the TV shows various countries failing badly at making a suit like mine. I'm pretty sure they will succeed in their attempts as soon as I give up the Armor to the government and it would once again all be my fault.
I get into my car and drive into my hotel in Washington DC, the whole place is dreadfully silent but you kind of expect it when you have canceled all the bookings for a day to have some peace and quiet. I get into my luxury suite and wonder why they put these at the top of the building *oh! I know, probably for the view* is what I thought before I opened the door to find the whole place dark as all hell, I slowly move in while palming the small flash bang in my pocket. The curtains are closed and the lights won't turn on, I get into the living room and open one of the window curtains letting light into the room, I exhale in relief as it must have been a power cut and nothing else.
"I am Iron Man.." I turned around in surprise as a black man in a Long black trenchcoat, I thought those were out of fashion. I ask him in suspicion "Who are you?" But he ignores me as he continues his tirade "... you're not the only hero there is" I frown as I tell him "and I didn't say I was, I know Spiderman exists" The man frowns as he says "But you don't act as like they exist, you went on three rescue missions in Afghanistan without any supervision or support, you have put down arms dealers and drug peddlers alike all without supervision. You are a loner, but what happens when you face a threat you and Spiderman can't face alone?"
I frown as I hold a hand up "Hold up dipshit, first of all, you came into my house, cut my power, and are now lecturing me, without even telling me who the fuck you are" The man levels his one eye on me as he says "Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D..." I nod in realization as he continues "...and I am here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative. When threats beyond your or my caliber appear, a team of you would be better suited than you alone" he throws a holo proctor towards me, which I catch and place on the dining table beside me before expanding it.
It shows me the potential candidates, two trained assassins in all but name, one ranged and the other melee but I don't doubt they can do what the other can do, I continue looking and find a man wielding a hammer and flying with it, I almost laugh at the comical sight before sobering up once lightning forms around the man, I continue looking and find....
...
.....What the fuck, Captain America!! But how? he died in... Oh! He survived both the crash and the ice, what the fuck did Dad put in the Super Soldier Serum. Ok then what's the last one, I watch as a man turns green before turning mean as he jumps onto the pristine grass of a university to fight off the military, I point at the thing as I ask Fury "You want this guy too?" Fury nods slowly as if he isn't sure himself before he says "He isn't a threat as long as you are not a threat to him, all appearances of Hulk have been noted and every single time he has fought in self-defense before leaving the place"
Fury looks at me and he must have seen the doubt on my face "Even if he can't be controlled, he must be contained and all military efforts have gone to shit and even you won't be able to capture him. That is why we need a team of you, people beyond human power" I continue looking at the files, committing to memory the details that I don't know when I notice something "Why isn't Spiderman in here?"
Fury for the first time looks Furious as he says "We don't want to deal in unknowns and Spiderman has to our shame been an Unknown for almost 5 months now, we need more info to evaluate him to make sure he is suitable for the team" I sigh as I tell him "You can count him in if you think I'm suitable, if I can be an Avengers then he definitely can" Fury frowns as he says "I didn't say you were in the team" I deadpan at him as I ask "And why am I not included again?" He stares away from me as he says "When I said an evaluation, it also included a psyche evaluation..." I groan as he continues "...You will be tagged along by Agent Coulson once his mission in Mexico is over" I ask him in surprise "What's his mission in Mexico anyway?"
-Somewhere in New Mexico-
Coulson wiped the sweat off his face with a handkerchief as he looked at the markings on the ground impassively, Dr. Jane Foster looked like she would wait here all day and night but I don't have that patience so I walk away as I thought of something, I run back towards those runes as I yell at the heavens "IF A SINGLE FUCKING SCRATCH FALLS ON MY CAR FROM YOUR FUCKING DESTROYER THEN IM SENDING THE BILL STRAIGHT TO ASGARD OR WHEREVER THE FUCK YOU LIVE" Dr. Jane looks at him like he was crazy, but Coulson didn't care, his car was worth it.
-Rainbow Bridge on Asgard-
Heimdal's eyes twitched as he heard the mortals call to the heavens, but Heimdall knew the price of a cherished chariot for he lost one in his youth so Heimdal swipes the sword clean across a frost giant's neck before he promised himself *If an opportunity arrived then I would pay for Ser Coul's Chariot to be fixed, for it is broken beyond repair with a piece of the Destroyers head on its hood*
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