Chapter Text
Peter was very excited for the day.
Not only was it his eighteenth birthday (something that would excite anyone), but he could finally join the Taskforce officially, after years of just being a paid intern. Sure, once in a while when there was a big, all hands on deck emergency and he would get to go into the field, but it didn't compare to the level of clearance and responsibility the actual agents had. He could actually make a difference as a full agent.
"Happy birthday Peter" MJ smiled coyly at him in the school hallway.
God, Peter was the luckiest guy alive. She was amazing. They had been dating for almost a year after a long time of just being friends, and being able to kiss her whenever was one of the highlights of his day. The fact that she kissed him was even more amazing.
"What are we doing to celebrate?" Ned asked "A new arcade opened, they supposedly have a ton of retro games."
"I can't today. I'm meeting Grace at the Taskforce HQ."
MJ whistled "You're going all the way to the Vat?"
"Yeah. Grace's picking me up and we're taking a jet. He's in New York to speak at the UN, and, well, it's Friday so…"
"So you're having a sleepover with one of the most important men of our generation?" She said "Note that I said men. Stratt is still more powerful."
MJ had a bit of a crush on Eva Stratt. Peter would have felt threatened, but it was clear it was more of a hero worship than actual romantic crush.
"You know I could introduce you, right?"
"Fuck no. I'd be so embarrassed. What would I even say? Hey, I'm your intern's girlfriend, big fan?" She shuddered "That's so lame"
"Okay, no introducing you." Peter put his hands up and then kissed her, just because he could "But she's not as scary as she looks."
"That's just 'cause you're always with Mr. Grace and he mellows her out. You remember the Ultron thing, right?"
"How could I ever forget that?"
The Ultron thing had been probably the most stressful day of Peter's life. Tony had created a sentient AI to protect humanity, which would have been a good idea if it wasn't for the fact that humanity's biggest threat (at least currently) were other humans. It would have destroyed the world if it hadn't been for Stratt, who had walked up to him and gave him a rundown on what the Taskforce did and offered him a job. He had accepted, thank God, and just in time too, as it was getting ready to launch the small but densely populated country of Sokovia into the sky.
Peter was already picking out the flowers for his funeral when Stratt showed up. She had been so cold when talking to Ultron, so pragmatic and logical that she seemed like the robot. After it was done though, Peter managed to see her smile at Grace. It was tiny, but so relieved it completely changed his view on her.
"She was scary" Ned said.
"Terrifying" MJ agreed
"Come on guys, she's not that bad. She's pretty sentimental, actually."
"I'll believe it when I see it. Now come on, Spider Boy, we're gonna be late for biology"
Biology had become Peter's favorite class. Normally, he was much more into Chemistry or Psychics, but the teacher that year was the best he ever had.
"Hey Peter" Grace said when they opened the door to his classroom "Happy birthday. Hello Ned, MJ. Sorry I'm stealing Peter on his birthday"
"No problem, Mr. G." MJ sat down, putting her feet on the desk. Grace didn't even blink "Just make sure to give him back on Monday"
Grace laughed, almost dropping the little green planet he was hanging from the ceiling "I promise. Now, can you three tell me if this poster's crooked?"
After the bell rang, Peter put his things away as fast as he could and almost ran out of the school, where Carl was already waiting for them next to an unmarked black van. Normally, it would have been suspicious as hell to get into it, but the whole school knew about Peter's internship with Grace, even if they didn't know the full extent of it, and so being picked up by increasingly mysterious vehicles had just become part of the day to day life of the student body, barely something to mention.
At least Flash had stopped bullying him.
As always, Carl drove like a madman. Over the years, Peter had gotten used to it, and trusted the man not to crash the van with all of them inside. The jet, however, was more stressful. Most of his work at the Taskforce was done in the New York offices, not the Vat, so he never got the chance to get as accustomed to jets as Grace did. He managed not to vomit as soon as they got out of the plane, but it was a close thing.
"We need to stop by Stratt's office" Grace said "She's the one that's gonna give you your contract."
They had gone over the whole thing a couple of times, but Peter knew Grace either planned everything to the smallest detail or completely improvised, nothing in between. Peter's hiring fell into the first category, mostly thanks to the fact he had months, if not years, to think about it.
"Once she does, you'll read it and tell us if you want to make any changes. If you don't, we'll sign right there and then. If you have any concerns, we can get a lawyer to explain any technical stuff you might not understand, or we can negotiate any changes. As soon as you sign, you will officially be an Agent of the Taskforce." Grace was scratching his scars. Over time, the redness had faded, but if there was an abrupt change in pressure or temperature they could get inflamed. Going from New York to the middle of the Atlantic in a few hours counted as 'abrupt changes'.
"Mr. Parker, happy birthday" Stratt said as soon as they entered her office. "Grace, LeClerc has the reports on the Saharan Restoration Project you needed."
"Right, yeah, I'll look at them later" Even though he said that, Grace was already grabbing Stratt's tablet to presumably check on the reports.
"Thank you" She turned back to Peter, freezing him in place with her piercing gaze. "Mr. Parker, are you absolutely sure about this? You know being Grace's intern doesn't mean you have to become an agent. You can say no."
Grace snorted from where he was sitting on her couch "That's new"
"Oh, shush, you." She smiled, breaking the tension "Your brother quit and no one bothered him anymore, right?"
"You're right, you changed."
"I didn't, the world did. It's safe enough to breathe now" They smiled at each other with the faces of people who managed to crawl their ways out of Hell. Peter supposed that, in a way, they had. "I no longer need to send people to space against their wills."
"Hear that, Peter?" Grace laughed "You better hold her to it. Don't let her send us to Kepler-22b or anything like that."
Peter laughed nervously. He had to admit, there had been a part of him worried about being contractually obligated to follow the orders of someone who sent her best friend on a suicide mission against his will, but Grace had assured him time and time again that he had gone over the contract and made sure it couldn't force him to do anything he didn't want to.
"Don't tempt me" Stratt said before handing Peter a stack of papers "These are for you. Take your time to read them and sign when you're ready. I have a pen."
Peter sat on the couch and set off to read. The contract was, unsurprisingly, the exact same as the one Grace had given to him as an example when it became clear Peter was, in fact, planning to become an agent. The hours were irregular, he could be called in at any time, but he had access to the best health insurance (and doctors) in the world, with the promise of full secrecy, no less. The pay was also amazing, and if something happened to him his aunt would get a pension generous enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life and then some. It was leagues better than the freelance job he had at the Bugle, which paid pennies and had no benefits at all.
"There." He finished signing "It's an honor to be able to work with you."
"Flattery will get you nowhere" Stratt warned, but signed the papers with a smile.
"Great!" Grace said once he handed off the papers to Stratt's assistant in the office next door "Now, we have to celebrate. I know!"
"No" Stratt groaned, shocking Peter
"Karaoke!"
"Hey kiddo, happy late birthday" Tony said that Monday when he arrived at the Tower. "How was the floating tin can of peace?"
"Very fun. We did karaoke. Ultron says hi."
Tony shivered "I always forget the guy works there. Does he just… walk around being all menacing and stuff?"
Peter shrugged "I guess"
It might have been worse than that, actually. Ultron had taken a liking to Stratt, and for him a liking meant light stalking. It was only light, of course, because Stratt threatened to throw a glass of water on his router if he didn't tone it down. It was kind of funny, though, to see him act like a duckling following its mother.
"Is he… doing good?" Tony didn't meet his eye when he asked.
Peter knew Ultron was a difficult topic for Tony. After Insight almost vaporized two million people in a minute, he had been terrified of inventing anything, especially if it was something that could fall into the wrong hands. Ultron had been his way of trying to snap out of his funk, to make something that no one, not even himself, could control. He didn't want a weapon he could point and shoot, he wanted a guardian. When Ultron went off the rails, he had been devastated. They'd been lucky he didn't manage to kill anyone, Tony would have never forgiven himself.
"Yeah" Peter said "Just last week, he helped evacuate Tuvalu. Saved a lot of lives."
Tony looked relieved "He did, huh? Taking after his stepdad?"
"His stepmom, actually. He adores Stratt. Follows her around all day."
At that, Tony barked out a laugh "That's adorable. Now, come here. I've been trying out some new propulsion for the suit and I need you to time me."
Peter's first mission as a full agent was going with Grace to check out Bruce Banner at the New York Sanctum. Apparently, he had crash landed there as the Hulk. Normally, they wouldn't have bothered sending Grace for something as innocuous as the Hulk landing somewhere he shouldn't and needing a ride back, but the fact that Bruce had been missing for close to a year before that was weird enough to warrant Grace taking the trip downtown. Not only that, but he had landed in the New York Sanctum, somewhere he shouldn't be able to enter without an invitation from the Sorcerer Supreme.
"Dr. Grace" The Sorcerer Supreme met them outside "I heard a lot about you."
"Dr. Strange, an honor to meet you. Your work on emergency burn treatments literally saved my life" They shook hands, and Peter noticed the way Dr. Strange shot a surprised look at Grace's burns. "This is Peter, my protegee. Peter, this is Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme of the New York Sanctum"
"Hi" Peter shook his hand, purposely ignoring the way it shook in his "I didn't know wizards were real."
"Sorcerers" Dr. Strange corrected "Wizards are something else entirely."
"Sorry to interrupt" Grace said "But we're on a pretty tight schedule. Where's Dr. Banner?"
"Right. He's inside." Dr. Strange gestured at them, and a golden circle made of light surrounded them "I, Sorcerer Supreme, grant you access to the New York Sanctum. Follow me"
The Sanctum was one of the most fascinating places Peter had ever been inside of, only second to the Vat. But even the Vat had been something he expected, a great floating laboratory. The Sanctum, however, defied all laws of physics and reality. The windows led to different places, there were artifacts strewn about that he was sure were at least a little magical, and Strange's cloak had waved at him. Waved.
"Bruce!" Grace cried out once they entered the room the man was in "We thought you were dead! You were gone for a year! Where were you?"
"Oh, hi, Grace" Bruce stammered, putting the teacup he had been holding down "I'm not sure, actually. I was green the whole time."
Grace frowned "Did you know you could be green for an entire year?"
Bruce shrugged "Not really. Every time before, I went back to normal once the Big Guy tired out. At most, I was green for a couple of days. I think the record was a week and a half."
"That can't be good." Strange muttered
Peter noticed the leaves outside swaying in the wind. Weird, his Spidey Sense didn't usually care about the wind of all things.
"It's not" Grace agreed "Bruce, are you sure you don't remember anything from the time you were gone?"
"I tried already. Usually I can at least get flashes, feelings, but the Big Guy's shutting me out for some reason."
"He's usually the one pushing for you two to connect." Grace scratched his scars "Okay, nothing to it. Let him out, would you?"
"What?" Peter yelped "Isn't that dangerous?"
"It wouldn't be the first time I met the Hulk" Grace said "He knows me, and he knows I'm a non-combatant. If he sees me, he'll figure out we're not in the middle of a fight and won't attack. Hopefully."
"Hopefully?!"
"I have an unbreakable room upstairs, if that would make you feel better" Strange piped up "Can't even move the furniture. That might be the safest place to call the Hulk."
"That's a good idea" Grace said "Peter, you can make a wall of webs between us. Your new formula's still not strong enough to stop the Hulk, but it will slow him down enough for him to notice what's going on."
They quickly relocated to a room that looked remarkably like an old fashioned classroom. Bruce situated himself at the back, far away from any doors or windows, and Peter quickly webbed up a barrier between them. Grace was right, it wouldn't be enough to stop a truly determined Hulk, but it might tangle him up for long enough.
Did the Sanctum have a silencing spell on the windows or something? He hadn't heard the birds signing in a while. In fact, the whole of New York was remarkably silent outside the windows. Peter, used to having to block out the cacophony of the City that Never Sleeps, amplified by his super senses, was unnerved at the emptiness.
"You all ready?" Bruce asked, waiting for them to give him a thumbs up. "Well, here goes nothing."
He closed his eyes, concentrating. Peter held his breath and got ready to fight. Next to him, he could see Grace's hand twitch. Dr. Strange raised his hands, ready to open a portal out of there if they needed to.
But nothing happened. Bruce's skin stayed the same unhealthily pale tone he always had, not a smidge of green in sight. Dr. Strange dropped his hands, and Grace hummed, tilting his head.
"Something's wrong."
"Yeah." Bruce agreed "He doesn't want to come out."
The windows didn't look like there was a spell on them. It looked just like normal glass, none of the inscriptions he could see on the unbreakable furniture.
"He doesn't want to?" Grace asked "That makes no sense, he always wants to come out"
A bird flew by. It was going faster than pigeons usually flew, as if it was escaping from something.
"Maybe I didn't call him hard enough?"
Another bird, this time smaller. It was followed by a cat, but it wasn't chasing the bird. It was scared.
Something was wrong.
"Maybe. Why don't you try again?"
Peter walked over to the window, keeping his eyes on the animals fleeing outside. Every second, more and more animals ran, all in the same direction. Away from the same thing.
A car screeched to a stop to avoid running over a dog that had escaped its master, but the dog didn't even spare a look at the vehicle, running as fast as its legs could take it.
Something was very wrong.
"No dice?"
He turned to look at where the animals were running from.
Was that…
"No dice" Bruce sighed
"Guys?" Peter could only whisper, ice crawling through his veins.
"He says he's scared."
"Scared?" Grace asked "What could possibly scare the Hulk?"
It couldn't be. Could it?
"Something apparently can"
"What is it?"
"I don't know. We can't exactly hold a conversation. It's just feelings and impressions."
"Then how do we figure it out?"
"I think I know" Peter interrupted.
"What? How?"
He pointed at the sky, where a great big ship, straight out of a nightmare, was slowly lowering itself onto a park. It was big enough to take up at least half the park, crushing the trees underneath it as if they were made of paper.
"We have visitors."
And something told Peter they weren't friendly.