Still Peter Parker (One Shots)

A Promise

Trigger- Mentions knives and regrets and stuff

Peter was used to being watched. That was what happened when you were an ex-hydra agent- people watched you. Made sure you weren't a threat. That you were going to stay civil and not go all stabby.

Not that Peter minded being watched per se, he wasn't like his ex-colleagues, he wasn't in the business for fun or because his values matched up with theirs. No, he was working for Hydra because that was all he knew.

All he ever knew was their whispered lies, tongue-twisted tales, and their haunting peaceful words as they put a knife in his hand.

He was not like them.

He didn't enjoy the work, he didn't believe in their cause- but what was one to do when that was all they knew?

Well, what you do is get an out. Betray. Backstab. Throw everyone he ever knew under the bus to escape the hole that Hydra had buried him in.

And so that was what he did.

Flash forward to a year later and SHIELD had allowed him to live a normal life. One without assassination, without cultish words, and one without Hydra, all thanks to him giving them information of the inner workings of the organization.

Peter was just happy to be let free of that place, he would have given them anything they wanted to leave all that darkness behind.

And to leave it there.

Behind him.

But fate has other things for him in store. In the middle of class at his new (and first) school, Midtown High School, someone barged into the room with a SHIELD badge in hand staring straight at Peter. And Peter knew what the man wanted.

The first thing that came out of his mouth was, "No."

His class stared at him wide-eyed, never really hearing the young teen say anything loud, as Peter liked to stay quiet and listen, only ever talking to his friends Ned and MJ.

The man in the suit waved the badge and with a commanding voice, he projected, "You have no choice, kid. Get your ass in gear."

Flustered classmates stared at the two, even more confused.

Peter, frustratedly threw his pencil at the agent as if it was a throwing knife, it sailed across the room with such precision that it would have hit the man in the head- but this wasn't just a man, it was a secretive government agent, so naturally, he expertly dodged the writing utensil. Peter snarled at the man, "I have a choice, I always have a choice- you said I wouldn't have to anymore if I told you all I knew!" He was becoming hysterical, he couldn't- no way, not again! He had left it all behind him, please don't make him go back to that dark hole, to feel the steel against his skin and to become him again.

Peter couldn't do that to himself, he couldn't become a monster all over again.

The man simply walked calmly over to the table and placed a briefcase in front of Peter. His classmates simply watched with a mix of caution and awe. Clicks of the leather briefcase being unlocked was the only sound that filled the room, and so the case was flipped open- revealing silver blades that shimmered and reflected in the fluorescent lights of the school classroom. "This is not optional, this is a command, agent, you are being activated."

Ned, Peter's first and only friend, stared at Peter before looking back at the two deadly knives in the case. Peter, feeling the heated stares of his peers, sneered, "I'm not one of your agents to command."

With a cocked eyebrow, the man nodded as if he was expecting this answer. In a quick and elegant move, he grabbed his pistol and pushed the barrel of the gun to Peter's head. "I know, you're nothing more than Hydra scum- which is why you will do this or we'll hand you over to your old friends, see how much they would like to take revenge on their traitorous protege." Multiple intakes of breath were heard throughout the room, people were gasping and clutching their chairs, they had heard about Hydra. Who hadn't, it was an internationally known terrorist group- they were so bad that the class learns about them in History! And to think, one of their classmates had worked for them? That was terrifying, to say the least.

Peter, ignoring the room of shocked teens, reached forward and felt the cold steel of his old blades in his hand once more. They were the exact same as they were when SHIELD confiscated them, the only difference was that the Hydra logo was sanded off to show a clean black handle, one without any carvings etched in it.

Through the reflection on the knife, Peter was the man place the gun back in its holster in his jacket. In a small voice, he whispered in a haunting voice, "I promised myself I wouldn't kill anyone anymore- that I was more than that." The words seemed to echo throughout the room and the class shivered at the emotion behind the hurt-filled words. Peter stared up at the man, who just then realized that he was nothing more than a kid. Peter Parker was nothing more than a child Hydra moulded into what they desired him to be, and he had broken free from those bindings, and he, who was supposed to be the good guy, was forcing this kid to do exactly what Hydra did.

The agent felt sick to his stomach. But in a steady voice, he replied, "Then don't kill him. Just rough him up enough to cooperate and bring back to base."

Peter continued to stare at his reflection in the knife, feeling just as helpless as he did when he was under Hydra's thumb- that is until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Ned.

And he didn't seem afraid of Peter?

No, he didn't seem scared at all.

All Ned did was place a hand on his friend's shoulder in a show of silence support. Ned didn't really know too much about Peter, and from what he has heard from this conversation so far was that Peter had a shit childhood and was now being forced to do something he didn't want to do. Ned didn't quite know what it was going to entail, and he didn't know who his friend used to be- but that didn't matter. He knew who his friend currently was. Who Peter Parker was. And Peter was no killer, not a mean guy, and wouldn't do something so drastic unless it was completely necessary.

Peter, with newfound confidence thanks to his new friend, asked, "Who is it?"

The man, knowing he now had Peter on his side and ready to negotiate whispered in Peter's ear, too quiet for the kids prying classmates to hear, "An old pal of yours. We need you to hunt him down and bring him in to serve his sentence out, or even for relocation- we're thinking Wakanda. He's too dangerous to be left alone to his own devices or even to be doing Hydra's bidding."

Peter, nodded and started to flip the knives around in his hands, getting used to his old companions once again being with him. "Why me though? Why not an actual agent?"

The man simply gave a small smirk, "Why because you think like him, you know his thoughts and his training- how better to find a rat than to send another after him?"

With that, the man started to walk away, but before he could leave he stared a the class, "If any of you breathe a word of this to anyone- well let's just say you won't stay breathing for very long."

And with that, he was gone.

Peter repacked his school bag, slid the knives into their slots, and took the case file that the man had somehow slipped in front of Peter when he wasn't paying attention. He gave Ned a lopsided smile after he locked the briefcase. "It seems I'll be missing school for a while, can you take notes for me and send me the classwork through the doorman at my apartment building?"
Ned, unsure of how giving homework to some doorman would get it to wherever Peter was off to, just nodded at his friend. Peter ignored the rest of his class and their dubious questions as he walked to the door to leave the room, but stopped when he heard his friend call out to him, "... Just be safe Peter."

Peter beamed, and gave a wave before rushing out of the room. He opened the case file and read who his target was. His eyes twinkled as he read it, excited to see his old friend, who also despised Hydra's teachings. "It's been a while since we've talked, hasn't it been, Bucky?"

-=-

Hope you enjoyed this!

I actually had a dream that kind of went like this- inspiration struck! So I just had to write it!!

omg finals are starting soon and i am so underprepared

-SecretsInMyHead