Doomed

Chapter Eight

Peter stepped out of the medical wing, taking one last look through the observation window. Carol was already asleep. He knew she'd never admit it, but smacking him around had worn her out. She was getting worse.

Now that she was back in bed, Peter could feel himself stoking the embers of his fury. He needed to get that data back. He turned on his heel and was about to start back to the common room, but paused when he saw Steve and Jessica walking toward him. "Steve," he said, "I'm sorry about how I acted before, I…"

"Don't worry about it, son," Steve said, clapping a hand on Peter's shoulder. "We all have those ones that get to us."

Peter nodded. "Yeah, I suppose," he said.

Steve gestured back down the hall. "Alright, Avenger, let's get you debriefed."

"Wait," Jessica said, grabbing Peter's wrist.

Peter had nearly forgotten she was standing there. "Hey, Jess," he said, "Carol just fell asleep, if you were planning to head in."

"Thanks, Pete, I think I might just go sit with her for a while," she said. To his surprise, she pulled him close and hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You're going after Doom, right?" she whispered.

He nodded into her black hair.

She moved her lips closer to his ear. "Make the son of a bitch pay," she said. She pulled away from him, gripping both his hands in hers for a second. "For Carol."

Peter nodded his assent, and he had to wonder what kind of expression he was wearing, because Jessica actually looked a little afraid. She let him go to walk into the medical wing, and Peter turned around to follow Steve.

They avoided walking back through the common room, instead walking straight to the meeting room. Once inside, Steve took a seat at the large circular table and gestured for Peter to do the same. Comparisons to the legendary Knights of the Round Table were easy to make, as the Avengers literally met around a giant round table with an impression of the stylized "A" logo in it. Peter took the seat a few chairs down from Steve, so that he was sitting at the six o'clock position while Steve was at nine o'clock.

"How did Doom find out about the file?" Steve asked.

Ok, straight to the heart of it, then. "I have no idea, Steve. I've been in the lab for the past week, you know that."

Steve's fingers were interlaced and his arms were resting on the table. Peter could see the muscle in his forearms tightening like construction cables. "And you didn't tell anyone at your work? You didn't tell your Aunt?"

Peter rubbed his eyes. He was so tired. "Steve, I didn't tell Carol, and it's her life I'm trying to save."

"Dammit," Steve said, rising from his chair. "I'm sorry to grill you like this, Peter. I just have to be sure. Your boss doesn't keep security feeds in the labs?"

Peter shook his head. "Nope. Each lab is completely autonomous. As long as you provide something Horizon can use to turn a profit, they don't care how you do it."

Steve sighed. "That settles it, then. The leak came from somewhere inside S.H.I.E.L.D."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I have double agent in my organization," Steve said. "One who's working for Doom."

Peter rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, no offense, Cap," he said, "But I'm pretty sure you've got guys working for Hydra, and A.I.M., and anybody else who doesn't like you."

"Of course I do," Steve said, "But at least I know who those agents are."

Peter was silent for a long moment. "Come again?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.