The Hunting Spider

Chapter 10

Avengers and the Hunting Spider .•.•. (- That looks like a spooder.

Part 2

Chapter 10

(One week after rescue.)

Within a week things began to calm down and the team plus their guest fell into the lull of a daily routine. Bruce continued to stuff Peter at least once a day, usually at dinner as much as possible. He was still severely underweight for his age, which was fast approaching fifteen. The teenager didn't seem to mind too much as long as the flavor wasn't too spicy, which was something he constantly disliked. He also (without realizing it) avoided foods with ingredients in natural pesticides that repelled spiders.

Which Tony had at first thought was hilarious, before Bruce mentioned he could be dangerously allergic to a lot more ingredients and pesticides than most normal humans. Tony then immediately shut up, and may have later asked FRIDAY to make a list of foods and chemicals Peter could be allergic to.

Another constant about the teenager- that would hopefully fade with time and patience- was that he was jumpy and would flinch. Especially when others moved too close too quickly around him or if things became too overwhelming. And he had a large dislike for shiny surfaces- tables or beds especially- which filled the team with unquestioned dread.

He seemed to trust Bucky and Steve the most so he continued staying on their floor where they could keep an eye on him. They were also helping him with the new realization of having a choice in what happened to him. It started small and underwhelming, like choosing what clothes he'd be wearing for the day (Tony had ordered an entire wardrobe full of clothes for Peter a few days after they'd started getting him adjusted to his new surroundings and were sure he wouldn't run off).

Their main goal was to remind him he had a choice and free will at the Avenger's Tower and everywhere else. He most often used it to leave and go to another 'safe room' if he didn't feel comfortable in their company. That last one was probably the most important part of that. It wasn't uncommon for Peter's eyes to become foggy and for him to suddenly leave the room if there were too many people or it became too much for his senses.

But they still hardly knew a thing about him and his personality. Sure they had tons of files on his every cell and capability but they didn't know him as a person. Although when there was something going on though like a mission alert, they'd only had two small missions and at least one of them would stay with Peter since they'd taken Peter. Mostly Bucky or Steve. And when he was distracted anxiously watching the news his protective shell began to fall away and revealed his true, not as skittish, personality.

Most of the team had managed to become closer with the teenager seemingly without him realizing it and pushing them away. Except Tony. Since Pepper was coming home from Tokyo in a few weeks but neither were sure on an exact time so Tony was extremely busy preparing for her arrival. He hadn't told her about their guest either. As such he was always running around and fixing things up, as everything had to be just perfect. Tony was quite nervous to tell the hotheaded Pepper about the fact they'd brought in a dangerous and possibly deadly HYDRA assassin into his Tower. Where hundreds of people milled about in their daily lives, working all the while blissfully unaware of Peter's very existence. If the press ever got a hold of the fact there was a child in the Tower... There were too many ways that could be interpreted.