[Third Person's PoV]
"There's no need to bring the others," Peter said with a proud grin, tapping his chest confidently. "I'll be more than enough to handle your little rescue mission."
Nick Fury raised a brow, unimpressed. "Are the others busy? I'd assume so. Ever since you launched that app of yours, your team's been popping up all over New York—and even outside the city on occasion."
Peter shrugged with a smile. "You could say that. Everyone's got their own thing going on right now. Nightwing's working on a missing person case—kind of his specialty. Scarlet Spider's been collaborating with the NYPD and local detectives to solve a string of murders. Firestar, well, she's been feeling guilty about how we mainly focus on New York. So she's been flying over to neighboring states whenever we get distress calls. Last I checked, she's currently in New Jersey."
He began counting off on his fingers. "Night-Spider volunteered for the night shift, so the city's still got eyes even when most of us are asleep. As for Ghost-Spider… let's just say she's enjoying some well-earned family time. So for now, I'm all you've got." He ended with one raised finger, representing himself.
Nick's expression turned serious as he folded his arms and placed a hand thoughtfully over his mouth. "Honestly, I would've preferred if all of you were available."
Peter tilted his head, confused. "Why? Wouldn't that be overkill for a simple rescue? Not to mention, I think you're underestimating me because you've gotten used to seeing us as a group. Sure, we're stronger together—exponentially, in fact—but let me remind you that just a few months ago, I held up an entire skyscraper by myself. Fun fact—I've only gotten stronger since then."
Fury didn't immediately reply. He just stared at Peter, who now stood with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out, chin raised in that familiar cocky stance.
Finally, Fury gave a short nod. "Fair enough. As the leader of your team, I'll assume you're more than capable on your own."
Peter blinked, then squinted playfully. "Ouch. That… sounded like a compliment, but it kind of felt like an insult. Is that what they call a backhanded compliment?"
Fury scoffed. "Take it however you want. Now—are you in or not?"
Peter nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, I'm in. But I've gotta ask—why come to me in the first place? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the trust, but I didn't expect you to be the one asking. You really having that much trouble finding Tony Stark?"
Fury let out a long, heavy exhale. He stared off into the distance for a moment, then reached into his coat and pulled out a small remote. With a press of a button, a soft humming filled the air.
Peter's eyes narrowed. "Jamming device?"
Nick gave a tight nod. "I wouldn't be here if I had another option. The World Security Council is breathing down my neck. They want Stark found now—and they're running out of patience."
"Wait, what?" Peter asked, caught off guard. "Why the sudden urgency? I don't sense or know of any threat that would make them become this impatient."
Fury's eyes sharpened, his voice turning grave. "Why do you think? Because of you. Because of your team."
Peter frowned, completely thrown off. "Okay… now you're losing me. What the hell do we have to do with any of this?"
"Everything," Fury replied bluntly. "Especially after your resistance against General Ross. The Council saw your disregard for authority, your defiance of military intervention, and most importantly—their complete inability to detain or control you—as a major threat. Not just to them, but to the global order."
Peter fell silent. His cheerful demeanor faded as his tone dropped, steady and cold. "Alright, I understand it now. So let me get this straight so we're both on the same page… You're asking me to help rescue Tony Stark—a man your Council wants so they can develop a weapon against me and my friends? You want me to go save the person they believe will help them neutralize us?"
He took a slow step forward, his voice unwavering. "Do you take me for a fool, Nick?"
Fury's jaw tensed, his silence confirming Peter's suspicions.
Peter continued, muscles taut beneath the black vibranium weave of his suit. "Help me understand this better. You want me to save a man who, once found, is going to be used as leverage against me? You want my help so your Council can sleep better at night, knowing they've got a weapon aimed at our backs?"
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowed. "Give me one good reason—just one—why I should help you, knowing everything I know now."
"Because I'm trying to help you," Nick said flatly, his expression unchanging, shoulders squared, eyes narrowing with intensity.
That made Peter freeze in place. "What?"
Nick closed his eyes briefly and exhaled a slow breath, releasing the tension that had been coiling in his chest. When he opened them again, he looked directly into Peter's lensed eyes.
"Tony Stark may be a lot of things—arrogant, reckless, unpredictable—but ungrateful? That's not one of them. If you're the one to save him, do you really think he'd turn his back on his own savior and willingly build weapons to take you down?" Nick paused for emphasis, then answered his own question. "The answer is no. That's what we're counting on. So, you can either help us, and have Stark owe you his thanks… or we go in without you, and when we find him, he owes them—the Councilmen—that debt."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Are you threatening me, Director?" he asked coolly. "Because let's get something clear: even if I don't lift a finger, who's to say any weapon Stark builds would even be effective against me or my team?"
He took a confident step forward, his voice calm but firm.
"To create a truly effective weapon, you'd have to understand the full extent of our capabilities. And be honest, in all good faith—do you? Do you really believe, with complete certainty, that you know everything we can do?" He scoffed. "Let me save you the trouble—the answer is no. Not even we know the full scope of our potential. We've barely scratched the surface."
Peter paused, then sighed and took a few steps back, his tone softening. "Still… while your phrasing could use some serious work, I'm not blind to the truth here. You're risking a lot—your position, your authority—to come to me and try to help us. You're going against the orders of your own superiors. Why?"
Nick pressed his lips into a tight line. He seemed reluctant at first, but then he gave a slow shake of his head and finally spoke.
"Because I believe you and your team are worth the risk."
Peter blinked. For once, he was speechless. He didn't even get a chance to respond before Fury continued.
"I've seen the difference you've made in this city. The lives you've saved, the hope you've given. You and your team have become essential to New York. If you were to disappear, it wouldn't take long before the city spiraled into chaos. Thanks to your efforts, New York is now the safest city-state in the entire continent. It has the lowest crime rate of all major cities, and it's because of you."
He stepped forward, voice now grim and resolute. "This world… it's a speck in the vastness of space. When the day comes—and it will come—that a threat beyond human capability arrives, we'll need every ounce of power we can muster. You and your team are some of the best we have. If the Council decides you're a threat and succeeds in taking you out… then we've just lost one of our greatest assets. And that's not a loss we can afford."
Peter was silent for a moment, taking it all in. Then, with a smirk, he pulled out his phone, tapped the record button, and held it out toward Fury.
"Can you say all of that over again? I wasn't recording. I'm gonna need this as evidence that you actually care about me."
"I respect what you do," Fury muttered, clearly unamused. "Not you as a person. You'd be the perfect hero… if you weren't you."
Peter laughed, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Appreciate the sentiment. But honestly, your concern for me? Kinda unnecessary."
Fury arched a brow. "Do you actually think you're invincible?"
"What? No. I'm saying this whole thing is unnecessary because you're worrying over nothing," Peter said with a grin. "Wanna make a bet?"
Fury looked confused. "A bet?"
"Yeah. You're afraid Stark's gonna start building weapons again. But think about what he's been through. You think after facing death—real death—he's gonna jump right back into the same line of work that nearly got him killed?"
Fury's brow furrowed. "What are you getting at?"
Peter crossed his arms, a serious glint in his eye. "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back. Stark didn't just glance—he stood at the edge and stared death in the face. And I'd bet good money that what stared back changed him. Probably broke something inside. You don't face your own mortality and walk away the same. That man's likely been tortured, pushed to his limits, forced to question who he is and what he stands for. So no, I don't think he'll come back the same."
He flashed a grin. "I'm willing to bet twenty bucks he'll that dealing with weapons is going to be the last thing he wants."
Fury stared at him for a moment, then scoffed. "Oh please, weapons are the lofe-blood of Stark, he would be on the losing end if you are suggesting what i think you're suggesting. Men like stark don't like to be on the losing end of things, he would probably increase the weapon production in order to keep himself safe so he doesn't have to go through something like that again. You've got yourself a deal."
"Easy money," Peter grinned, turning toward the exit. "Now come on. We've got a Stark to rescue and twenty bucks for me to win."
************************************************
+5 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3