Love Finds A Spider

Chapter 5 - Second Mission With The Avengers

Chapter 5     -    Peter's Second Mission     ...you're still just supposed to observe... right?

The three quinjets banked left just a few miles outside the border of Venezuela, but with their stealth technology engaged. The first jet carried Tony and Rhodey, in their Iron Man and Iron Patriot suits, standing by for the release to go. This jet was customized specifically to deploy and receive both men in their specialized armor systems. They would deploy once the recon team infiltrated in, determined and selected targets for them to engage.

The second quinjet carried Steve, Clint and Natasha, and was equipped for their HALO (High Altitude Low Open) insertion by parachute. Their job was to exit the aircraft at 25,000 feet, free fall across the border and not open their chutes until they reached 1,100 feet above the ground, which meant their chutes would actually deploy about 800 feet above the ground. They were the infiltration\recon team. It was their job to determine if there were targets on site for Tony and Rhodey to take out. Their best case scenario was that if targets existed, Tony and Rhodey would destroy them and Steve, Clint and Natasha would be picked up by quinjet. Worst case scenario, they would have to exfiltrate out and make their way out of the country the best way they could. To be captured was not an option as the U.S. would deny their existence and they would be held indefinitely, with the possibility of torture and execution.

The third quinjet carried a team of SHIELD agents who would act as a back-up element should things go wrong and the Avenger team needed assistance. And with them was Peter suited up in a camouflage version of his Spiderman suit. Wearing a headset so he could follow what was taking place, it was decided by Steve and Tony that Peter would observe from the back-up team's aircraft. For his safety he was told. While part of Peter did not like that one bit, he accepted it as that was the only option he was given. The SHIELD team leader did not like Peter being there as he felt like some overpaid baby sitter. The junior Avenger, as Peter was referred to, was a tag-along in their aircraft. There were instructed not to talk to Peter or attempt to engage with him in any way. He was classified as a VIP Visitor. Peter was instructed to stay in his seat, listen to what took place over his headset, and to not speak with or engage the SHIELD team. So the team ignored Peter and Peter ignored the team, as best as they each could given the close quarters inside the quin-jet.

In the second jet, the pilot spoke to Steve over the head-set. "Ten minutes from green-light, Captain" he said.

"Roger that" Steve responded. Using hand signals, Steve got Clint's and Natasha's attention. At five minutes out, they all stood, lined up, and checked their own equipment (their combat gear, chutes and oxygen masks) and then each other's equipment. At two minutes out, the cabin lights turned to red (so their eyes would adjust to the darkness outside) and they held onto a bar above their heads. At one minute out, the cabin depressurized and the rear ramp opened. Still holding onto the bar, the team adjusted to the night sky and changes in air pressure. Looking back at Clint and Natasha with a nod, as a group, they eased forward and jumped out into the night sky.

As they maintained their body positions, they free fell across the border and towards the azimuth that would take them towards their objective. When they reached 1,100 feet, their chutes automatically deployed, and their descent slowed so they had time to make for their drop-zone and land safely. Once on the ground, all three automatically packed up their chutes, and quickly buried them along with their parachute gear since it was no longer needed. With their suppressed M4 carbines, they made their way into the forest towards the soon to be operational HYDRA compound to assess it for destruction. Before crossing their line of departure towards their objective, Steve transmitted a scrambled signal to the quinjets notifying their safe landing and their heading out towards their objective. It was 2:45 AM, and the operation was underway.