CHEMICALS

lost in the dark

Natasha indeed said that she wanted to speak with the Spider, but she'd almost forgotten it. Had so many things to do, so many things to take care of. Mostly small missions, but they were important nonetheless.

At first, she wanted to confront him about the Goblin, but then she thought about it. She became more and more suspicious. Didn't really know what for, though.

Why would Tony bring him to Germany, just to toss him aside when they were done fighting?

All these years since then, the Spider hadn't showed up at their doorstep, demanding a place amongst the Avengers. Why?

Tony didn't let her and Hawkeye investigate, again, why?

They knew absolutely nothing about the Spider.

Yet, somebody with his abilities could be considered a threat. A serious threat.

So, Natasha was after him in these past few days. She started her investigation with the university. Since FRIDAY told them, that the Spider was studying there, she spent a whole day trying to find out his identity.

It was no longer of her concern that Tony specifically forbid them to do something like this.

After asking nicely, lying easily and paying good money, she got inside the school's database system. Eventually, after hours of slouching in front of her laptop, she found something at this particular night.

She found only one boy – the Spider was just a boy, oh – who was suspicious. His grades were absolutely perfect, and he was in the athletic team, but she also discovered, that the boy was given an internship at the SI.

Four years ago.

Why? He was still in high school back then. It didn't make any sense.
But indeed, there was an official record of him being an intern for Stark Industries for two months.

It got her attention, to say the least.

Exactly that time, when they all had met Spider-Man at the airport.

It was no coincidence, she knew. Natasha found the Spider.
As she looked at the clock next to her bed, she quickly decided that her discovery could wait till the morning. There was no need to wake everyone else up in the middle of the night. Natasha thought it was unlikely that anyone would be awake at two in the morning.

With a wide grin on her face, she glanced at the screen again, looking for the name in black letters.

Peter Parker.

*

Peter Parker was gracefully leaning on a dirty wall in a dark alley. He was also trying to throw up, which was not so graceful, to say the least.

He could already make out the shape of the building, he was trying to get to. It was not so far from his apartment in the first place, but being beaten up, half-deaf and having two literal hole in both of his thigh while he was trying to run from his friend, was no pleasure cruise.

From one of the smelly trashcans, he fished out a huge – and dirty as hell – blue shirt. It was big enough for him to cover almost even his thighs. As he was digging deeper in the literal shit, he flinched and had to fight back a yelp whenever his fingers touched something wet, sticky or furry. He was about to give up, when his hands found a torn ski mask. Oh, it was his lucky day. It was black, and covered his face perfectly, though he couldn't really breathe properly.

Peter tore apart his own t-shirt in order to – attempt to – stop the bleeding in his legs. He knew his enhanced healing was doing its best to close his wounds, but he hadn't eaten in almost days now. He felt dizzy even at the thought. He limped towards to a fire escape at the end of the alley and quickly made his way to the rooftop. Hoping, he'd knocked Harry out for at least half an hour, he launched himself from the edge.