Dust - On Hiatus

Furious

Peter was glad that Aunt May was getting out and having fun. It just left him with a whole evening and nothing to do. And the last thing Peter needed was more solitude. He could talk to Karen, but it's not like they'd have anything to talk about. She's not getting out any more than he was. May would usually tell him about her day, who was annoying at work, and anything else she could think of just to keep him imploding from utter boredom.

Now Peter was just gonna have to do it himself. Luckily, after the longest forty minutes of his life, SHIELD called to tell him they wanted a meeting. He was just glad for the warning. He was so over being scared witless by Nick Fury showing up in random places. That dude can be creepy when he wants to, and he seems to get a kick from scaring people. Especially Peter. Maybe just him.

Of course, he doesn't even knock. Nope, just saunters in through the door like he owns the place, leaving Peter looking startled, sitting on the couch with one sock on.

"So, Spiderman," he says, sitting down at the kitchen table. Peter got up and joined him, sliding into a seat across the table.

"It has come to my attention that you are unhappy with your current situation," he continues, staring at him intently. "I was wondering why that might be. There is no one trying to kill you. You are safe, thanks to a lot of hard work from a lot of people. I would hate to think that you were ungrateful."

Peter gulped. "Well yeah, but... I'm stuck in this apartment all day! I haven't seen my friends for weeks! And while it was nice to have a break from the superhero gig, I miss being Spiderman! I want to be able to help people again."

Fury shifted, leaning forward and clasping his hands together, his one good eye narrowing dangerously. "So you're telling me, that before when we wanted-no needed- you to step up, you were so reluctant that it took the betrayal of Mysterio and the destruction of cities before you would help. But now, after only a few weeks in this apartment, you want to go back to the friendly vigilante you very nearly gave up on back in Europe? Is that what you're saying right now?"

"That's not fair," Peter said, shaking his head. "I stepped up, I did the right thing. I came through, it just took me some time!"

"Time during which you very nearly entrusted everything to a psychopath!"

"You trusted him too!" Peter shouted, freezing when he realized that he'd just yelled at the director of SHIELD, a man who could very likely kill him several different ways with only his hands. But Fury looked taken aback.

"You're right." He seemed to think for a moment, before making a decision. "We're going on a field trip. Put these on," he said, tossing Peter sunglasses and a baseball cap. Peter looked at them, skeptical.

"Do you really think these are gonna work as a disguise?"

"You'd be surprised," Fury said, pulling open the door. "Now put them on."

It felt amazing to be outside, even if it was just a few steps between the apartment building and the car. The car was black with darkened windows to ensure full privacy. Fury motioned for Peter to get in the passenger seat, so he did, pulling on his seat belt and wondering about where the director was taking him.

"Today at 4:30 pm, Mrs. Pepper Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, made a public statement saying that Stark Industries disbelieves the validity of the footage released after Mr. Beck's death. She goes on to throw the full support of Stark Industries behind Spiderman," the director says, not taking his eyes off the road. "You already know this, of course, but it does make a touching video."

He hands Peter a phone. It shows Pepper standing at a podium, speaking to a crowd of reporters. "Spiderman is an Avenger. My husband, Tony Stark, chose him personally," she says, her voice wavering slightly on the words Tony Stark. "My husband didn't make mistakes. Tony trusted him, and so do I."

The camera pans to the crowd. They are outside, and behind the reporters are a loud group of protestors, bristling with megaphones and handmade signs proclaiming things like, 'DOWN WITH SPIDERMAN!' 'MYSTERIO KNEW THE TRUTH, WHY DON'T YOU'.  Their noise completely drowns out Pepper's voice. The clip ends, and Peter hands the phone back to Fury who tucks it into his jacket.

"Why are you showing this to me?" he says quietly, still shaken by the footage of the protestors.

Fury didn't answer for a moment, concentrating on the road ahead. "I just wanted you to understand how serious this is, Mr. Parker. This is bigger than you."

"I don't understand," Peter said, looking at the director.

"With most of the Avengers retired or off-world, you are the one people are going to think of when they think of superheroes. If the public opinion of the Avengers gets any lower, the government could shut the whole initiative down, effectively making you outlaws. It would be the Sokovia Accords all over again."

Peter winced a little at the mention of the accords. He understood why they were necessary, he'd just hated seeing the Avengers fight. He knew that it had torn a hole in the team that had never really been repaired.

"Can the government do that?"

"I wouldn't be telling you about it if it wasn't a real threat. I just want you to understand why we're being so strict. We want to find a real solution, and we have to be cautious so that we don't make the situation worse."

"Do you even have a plan? You tried to prove the footage was faked, and you couldn't. What next?"

"Your suit had a camera feed in it, did it not?"

Peter nodded, then stopped. "My suit was basically destroyed. And I had to make in less than an hour after being hit by a train and psychologically tortured. I left out a lot of safety measures. It's gonna be near impossible to recover that footage."

"If anyone can do it, it's you. You are Tony Stark's protegee after all."

"Where are you taking me?" Peter asked, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice.

"The Avengers compound. They have the best labs there, and you'll be able to work in peace."

"For how long? I mean, all my stuff...My friends.." Peter gestured hopelessly.

"Your aunt is packing up your stuff as we speak. We'll have it brought over. And it will be easier to get your friends to visit a more secure facility."

"You mean my friends can visit?"

"Let's see how you do on the suit first, Spiderman. The quicker you finish, the quicker you'll be able to go home. How's that for motivation."