Chapter 5: Lunch with the Avengers

The next day I was sitting down having breakfast when Armand came running into the dining room.

"Master Peter, you must hear this!"

"What is it, Armand?"

At that point, he turned on the TV monitor I had in the dining room where I saw Tony Stark who resembled Robert Downey Jr.

"This is Tony Stark also known as Ironman of the Avengers!"

He was wearing a black business suit and tie as he spoke. I wondered what this was all about until I heard my name.

"There's a superhero called Spider-Man who's been running around solving all sorts of crime. Well, I'd like to have a conversation with him. So if you're watching this, Spidey, I'm inviting you to meet with the Avengers. We can always use another hand in protecting the world."

"Thanks for informing me about this, Armand."

"Do you plan on joining the Avengers, Master Peter?"

"I'm considering it. However, even if I hooked up with them, it would be on a part-time basis. I have no intention of forgetting about the little guy."

Upon thinking about it further, I felt it was possible I could warn them of some of the dangers that were coming their way.

Come to think of it, the Chitauri will be arriving at any moment. Then there's that Civil War I need to keep from happening. So I'll be visiting Mister Stark sometime soon.

While I was contemplating how the first meeting between Spider-Man and Ironman would go, another more report came in.

"In other news today, a chalk-skinned super-villain wearing a jester's outfit that alternates between being green and purple on either side of him made himself known. He is possessed of superhuman strength, speed, and durability! He calls himself the Grinning Ghoul.

The screen showed a white-skinned man with sharp teeth wearing a gaudy, medieval jester's outfit being shot by the police with the bullets bouncing off of him. Then the jester moved in on the police at superhuman speed, tearing into them and ripping their hearts out, laughing and giggling in a sinister manner.

"Aaarrgghh!"

"Hmm. I wasn't actually expecting this."

"Are you planning on dealing with that clown, Master Peter?" Armand asked.

"Yes, I am," I answered as I glared at the image on the screen. However, before that happens, I had to visit a certain police chief.

XXX

Upon shadowing George Stacy who drove from the Midtown police station to his house, I noticed how much he looked like Dennis Leary, the actor who played him in one of the Spider-Man movies. As it was, I was a wanted criminal. However, I hoped I could come to some kind of agreement with the Midtown NYPD chief.

After he had gone inside, I sneaked into his house and waited for him to shower and clean himself up. There was no one else there since his wife had divorced him and his daughter Gwen Stacy had grown up and lived in her own apartment.

"Good evening, Chief Stacy. You kept me waiting just so you could change your clothes."

"Spider-Man! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to talk shop."

"Talk shop?! You're wanted by the police! Why should I even talk to you except to tell you that you're under arrest?!"

"I want to talk to you about all the crime in this city. From what I've heard you're serious about trying to shut down organized crime. And, please put the gun away; you won't be able to hit me with it anyway," I said as I put my hand forward.

"What exactly do you want?" the chief demanded, still aiming his gun at me.

"I thought we could help each other."

"Why would I want to help a Darth Vader-like vigilante like you?!"

"Because you're one of the few cops on the force that I know isn't crooked and cares about the well-being of the city. So you can simply judge me or let me help you."

"Exactly what do you want to know?" the chief inquired.

"I'd like some leads on how to bring on the pain to the gangs of New York."

"You want to take on the gangs of New York? My, you're ambitious!" the chief said.

"I have been taking them on! And I'm going to do keep doing it with or without you."

"Why is that? It seems personal to you," Stacy said.

"I have my reasons."

"I see. I can let you see some information I have with me on the gangs but you have to do something for me first."

"What's that?"

"Is it possible you find a guy called Bullseye? He's Kingpin's chief assassin. Whenever any of my men catch up to him they end up dead."

"All right. I'll look into it." In less than an instant, I was gone!

XXX

Later that night, I visited Oscorp Industries, skulking around seeing what I could find until I heard some talking.

"Octavius, what happened to my son and the escaped con who broke in here?!" Norman Osborne demanded of his chief scientist, getting in his face.

Norman Osborne was a tall, broad-shouldered man with reddish-brown cornrows for hair. He had a stern, slightly wicked look on his face as he regarded the plump, brown-haired, bespectacled scientist with a round head that matched his round body.

"It wasn't my fault, Mister Osborne. When the escaped con broke in here while I was giving your son a tour of what we were doing here, he whipped out a gun and shot your son, Harry. He almost shot me too," Otto Octavius replied, shaking in his boots.

"I don't care whether or not he shot you! My son's in the hospital fighting for his life! How did that guy get in here in the first place?!"

"It wasn't my fault, I say!" Otto shot back as his spine stiffened a little.

"It wasn't?" Norman Osborne grabbed the hefty scientist by the throat, picking him up with inhuman strength.

"It was security who let him in here!" Otto replied, using a couple of the metallic arms attached to the harness he wore to break free of his hold.

"Yes, but my son almost got killed while he was with you. Thus you should have done something! Thanks to you when that creep came into the lab while my son was here, he shot up the place, creating an explosion that set the lab on fire. This chemically enhanced fire engulfed my son who was on the ground after having been shot. Then the burglar transformed into that chalk-skinned psychopathic jester who's on the news right now. How did that happen?!"

"The guy who broke in here fell backward as he shot his large gun at your son and me. As he recoiled back, several containers of chemicals including the experimental formula, you've had me especially work on for the last few months fell on him. The combination of all these synthetic materials he absorbed turned him into what he is. At this point, he is more powerful than even you!"

"Really? Do you know how much money the damage to the lab and building cost me?"

"I…"

"Never mind that! Have you found out who that killer was?!"

While they went back and forth, I theorized who the burglar could have actually have been. I had read all about the happenings of Oscorp thus I recalled that one of their best scientists, Roderick Kingsley, had been fired and swore revenge against Oscorp Industries.

There was also an escaped serial/rapist and murderer named Cletus Kassidy who had gone missing ever since the accident at Oscorp took place.

All I needed to do was to use my advanced technology to copy all the recorded videos of this place and I'd know for certain. After placing a few bugs in strategic areas of the building, I took my leave, leaving Osborne and his scientist to their argument.

XXX

On my way towards my hidden car through a nearby dark alley, my danger sense went off, prompting me to leap up and backward, executing several backflips and landing on my feet as several playing cards passed in front of me.

"You're a hard man to find, Spider-Man!" a man wearing a blue uniform with white bullseye trim called out.

"Bullseye?"

Before I could say or do anything else, more cards came at me, forcing me to zoom to the left, making an evasive action.

"So my fame has preceded me. The Kingpin doesn't like you sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong. Now you'll deal with me."

"Is that so? Then deal with you I shall."

Upon vanishing into thin air, I popped right behind my would-be assassin, striking him in the back of the head, crushing him into the ground unconscious.

After tying him up, I drove by Chief Stacey's police station and dropped him off there, tossing him out of my vehicle.

As I made my way home, my shadowing skills sensed someone following me.

From my rear video camera, I was able to see that this person was riding a motorcycle. She was a curvaceous woman wearing a bluish/black bodysuit. Her shadowing skills were pretty good, but I was far too aware of my environment to be so easily followed.

After a couple more miles and making a sharp right turn, I turned on my stealth form, prompting my vehicle to practically vanish into thin air. At that point, I maneuvered to the left and watched my pursuer pass by me. Then I stealthily flicked a microscopic electronic receiver into the hair of her wrist.

"That's Black Widow!" I thought. In addition to that, the lady was a dead ringer for Scarlett Johansen, red hair and all.

After a few minutes, the Black Widow made a U-turn, coming back and passing by me again. At several yards away from me, she stopped her motorcycle, took her helmet off, and shook her gorgeous, shoulder-length hair loose. Then she called someone up.

"Did you find him?" a voice that resembled Hawkeye from the Avengers movie asked.

"No. He simply vanished into thin air. He had to have known I was following him. This Spider-Man guy is smart, probably even smarter than Tony," Natasha answered as she looked around, searching for me and my vehicle in vain.

"You don't want to say that to Tony," Hawkeye replied with a smirk.

"We're gonna have to call it a day. Natasha out."

Before the lady put her helmet back on and got on her motorcycle, she looked back straight at me unknowingly. Then she rode off.

Upon checking out my car, I noticed that Natasha had managed to place a tracker on my vehicle which was neutralized when my stealth mode was on. However, by the time I would have turned my stealth mode off the tracker would have informed the Black Widow of my whereabouts. Thus I planned to send the Avengers on another wild goose chase.

Upon noticing a car passing me by, I had an idea. Thus I took the tracking device and tossed it onto the next car that passed by.

I was growing tired of the Avengers and their efforts to find me out. Therefore if they wanted to see me, they would see me.

XXX

The next day, the Avengers were having a meeting, sitting around a table where I also attended, using my stealth skills to be practically invisible. Then I let myself be visible still using my stealth skills, practically hiding in plain sight.

Now that we're all together, it's time we get ready for the Chitauri who are on their way here," Tony explained. Then he looked around again, finally noticing me.

"Spider-Man, so you've finally decided to join us. You've been a hard man to find."

Everybody else there turned towards me as I was sitting there in my Spider-Man uniform with Bruce Banner on my right and Hawkeye/Clint Barton on my left. The Black Widow was across the table from me with Thor on her right and Steve Rogers on her left. At the same time, Tony was walking around the table wearing pants and a T-shirt.

"You wanted to talk to me. So I'm here."

"So what's with the Darth Vader voice? Is it mechanically induced or were you born sounding that way?" Tony asked.

"You were talking about the Chitauri. Do you have Loki in your custody? Or let me guess, he's escaped you and SHIELD already," I interjected.

"Zounds! How did you know?!" Thor bellowed.

"I believe in keeping myself informed of what's going on in the world and outside of it. That includes the Tesseract. I hope you haven't lost that already too," I explained, giving Tony a sharp look. Then I looked around at the others.

"We don't have time for games," Steve Rogers interjected.

"Games? You people have time to send Miss former KGB and SHIELD over there to try to place bugs on me to track me down yet you don't have time for games?" I said, giving the redheaded woman wearing a dark-bluish bodysuit that clung to her body like the skin on a grape a harsh glare that unnerved her a little bit.

"We needed to know…"

"You don't need to know my business."

"We…"

"This Tesseract will allow Loki and the Chitauri to transport their army to the earth. So it's very important you don't lose it," I said cutting Natasha off.

"It's safe in the hands of SHIELD," Tony countered.

"You really trust SHIELD with something like that? I thought you were smart, Tony."

"Well, you'd be surprised how convincing Nick Fury and Maria Hill could be. But I get your point. What do you suggest, we go in and take the Tesseract from SHIELD? Not a horribly bad idea, but their security is really good," Tony responded.

"It's not that good. Loki found that out."

"Excuse me. Loki overpowered many of the members of SHIELD while also using mind control to force…"

"You would know, wouldn't you Hawkeye?" I answered, turning towards him with a glare that unnerved him, causing him to look away in embarrassment.

"Anyway, Loki's security isn't all that competent either," I said as I placed the Tesseract in the center of the table in front of them. The Avengers gasped in awe as they regarded the silver/transparent cube the size of a baseball.

"I thank thee, Spider-Man for bringing this to me. Thus I shalt take it back to Asgard," Thor explained as he took hold of it.

"See to it, Thor. And I'll thank you to keep it from ever reaching the earth again. Now that our conversation is finished…"

"Wait! Aren't you going to join the Avengers?"

Then I turned towards Tony. "I'll become a reserve member, but I'll keep my own hours."

"You can't join the Avengers in such a manner!" Steve Rogers stammered, getting to his feet.

"That's how I'm joining. My time is limited and I'm concerned about the little guy that hardly anybody else cares about. So take it or leave it!"

"Just for your information, the monsters we'll be taking on often stomp on the little guy," Clint Barton replied.

"I'll keep all that in mind."

Then Tony stepped in. "All right! All right! But how about telling us how you got the Tesseract from Loki. I really want to hear that."

"When Loki left for a moment, I figured out where he had placed the Tesseract and took it."

"Hold, Spider-Man! Loki surely would have left traps and guards to keep anyone from taking such a valuable object from him!" Thor commented.

"I know enough about magic to get around such traps and guards. Now that we've had our little chat, it's time to…"

"OK, Spidey. Please be here next week at this time," Tony interjected.

"I will consider it. Oh, yes. One more thing," I said as I regarded both Bruce Banner and Tony with a hard, cold look.

"What is it?" Tony asked.

"You know that Ultron program you're making?"

"What the… How did you know about that?!" Tony gasped as Bruce's eyes widened.

"I'm a whole lot smarter than you are, Tony. And that Ultron machine you're creating will cause all kinds of death and destruction as it turns on you and the whole world. So I strongly suggest you shut it down while you can. That will be all."

"Wait a minute! We need something like Ultron to help keep the world safe!" Bruce stammered out.

"I gotta agree with Bruce there, Spidey," Tony said.

"Does the phrase absolute power corrupts absolutely mean anything to you? Or is the phrase peace in our time more important to you? By the way, Neville Chamberlain said those words a few months before World War Two started with Hitler going back on his word again."

"Oh, I see. You realize anybody bringing up Hitler has practically lost their argument?" Tony stated, giving me a sideward glance over his shoulders.

After I had given him a glare that unnerved him for a few seconds, I responded, pointing at him with my index finger.

"You can dispense with the wisecracking, Tony! That mechanized menace won't help you on any mercy missions. Instead, that computer program will take over almost every computer on the planet, bringing about the destruction of you and the Avengers as the people of the planet will blame you and the Avengers for the destruction will cause. It will become dangerous and a traitor. Throw it away!"

"I have to agree with Spider-Man. Something like Ultron will cause more problems than it will solve," Steve interjected.

Steve's words caused Tony to abruptly turn towards him. "We need to protect the earth against threats known and unknown."

"That program will take over the earth. You're basing it on your mental processes, aren't you?" I asked as I regarded Tony.

Tony's eyes popped open in surprise. "Have you been spying on us all this time? You seem to know what's going on and what we are doing."

"I keep myself informed of what's going on. And someone with your ego would do something like that. What happens when that program makes itself a suit of armor made out of nearly indestructible metal? The answer, it will be hard to defeat. Let's not forget how much control it will have over other machines. Who knows how far it will go. You must destroy it right now!" I demanded as I pointed at Tony.

"Watch the finger. It might go off. Anyway…"

"Tony, that program sounds dangerous," Hawkeye opined.

"Get rid of that program or there will be nothing to stop it next time!" With that, I vanished into thin air.

XXX