23: Chapter 23 Black Widow

Monday morning was pure torture for Peter Parker. Waking up was hard, he had to go to school, and even worse, he was being recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D.

On the way to school, he used his personal Scanning Adapter (SA) to scan the folder Fury had given him, reviewing the terms page by page.

The conditions were simple: S.H.I.E.L.D. would provide top-tier training, and in exchange, he would carry out missions for them. He could specify the technologies, combat, tactics, and other skills he wanted to learn, be trained by exclusive Agents, and be sent out on missions once he met the standards.

Honestly, Peter Parker couldn't find a reason to refuse. Patrolling the streets every night was truly exhausting, and with official resources, his efficiency would definitely double. As for the fact that HYDRA was lurking inside S.H.I.E.L.D., he was well aware of it, but for now, the deal outweighed the risks.

The only thing that bothered him was that he didn't want to give up his right to patrol New York; he would have to talk to Fury about that.

Walking into the classroom, Peter Parker turned off the SA. He didn't want some sticky-fingered classmate stumbling upon S.H.I.E.L.D. confidential files.

"Yo, Parker, what kind of gadget is that?" Flash leaned over.

"A Scanning Adapter." Peter Parker didn't even look up.

"What's it for?"

"Scanning any document and converting it into a digital format."

"Pretty cool, where'd you buy it?"

"I made it myself."

Harry Osborn leaned in, his eyes lighting up: "You made it yourself? That's impressive."

Peter Parker couldn't be bothered with their attempts to get close to him.

"Parker, are you going to the homecoming dance on Friday? Or do you think you're too cool for it?" Flash, surrounded by a group of girls, turned to tease him.

"Haven't decided yet." Peter Parker replied perfunctorily.

"You're definitely going to ask Felicia, right? After all, she kissed you, she must be into you."

Peter Parker shrugged: "Maybe."

"Relax, man. If I had a girl that hot, I wouldn't want to leave her side for a second." Flash grinned.

"You have a real girlfriend glaring at you right over there." Peter Parker pointed to Liz Allan, who looked like she was about to explode with anger.

Harry Osborn chimed in with a snide remark, causing everyone to burst into laughter. Peter Parker just found these sycophants annoying.

"Get lost." Felicia pushed the group away like she was shooing flies, sat down next to Peter Parker, gave that bunch a cold look, and then nodded slightly at Peter Parker.

"Anyway, Peter Parker, you have to come on Friday. Flash is taking Liz Allan, Harry Osborn is taking Mary Jane, it's going to be fun." Harry Osborn continued to ramble on.

Peter Parker raised an eyebrow and looked at Mary Jane. Mary Jane rubbed her forehead and nodded slightly. Peter Parker was a bit surprised that Harry Osborn could be so polite to her.

"I'll consider it." Peter Parker dismissed Harry Osborn and turned to look at Felicia: "What are your plans for the dance?"

"Why do you ask?" Felicia smiled with a hint of mischief.

"Because I want to ask you to go with me, and have dinner beforehand." Peter Parker looked straight into her eyes.

Felicia tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and the corners of her mouth curled up: "Since you've asked, then let's go."

Peter Parker's smile widened: "Great. How about dinner first?"

"Sure, you're finally going to make good on that date you owe me." Felicia winked.

Just as Peter Parker was about to speak, a woman wearing a black pencil skirt and a blue shirt walked into the classroom. She had curly red hair and a figure as hot as a model's.

Natasha Romanoff. Black Widow.

She was here to monitor him.

"Good morning, I am Natasha Randall. I will be substituting until Mr. Dunke recovers." She smiled and scanned the class, her gaze lingering on Peter Parker for an extra second.

The boys were all whistling, but only Peter Parker felt a chill. This woman was a top-tier Agent who could wipe out everyone in this classroom without batting an eye.

The lesson ended quickly; Natasha's literary explanation was indeed profound. When the bell rang, the boys left reluctantly, but Peter Parker stayed behind. Felicia looked at him, and tactfully left first.

"Mr. Parker, is there something you need?" Natasha asked with a smile.

"I thought Fury would give me time to consider." Peter Parker said straight to the point.

Natasha blinked: "Sorry, I don't understand what you're talking about. Who is Fury?"

Peter Parker rolled his eyes: "Don't pretend. The previous teacher just went to the hospital two days ago, and you're already here to fill the vacancy? This school's efficiency isn't that high."

"I just happened to be applying..."

Without warning, Peter Parker threw a punch at her face.

Natasha's eyes sharpened, she instinctively sidestepped the blow, grabbed his arm with a backhand, and executed a clean shoulder throw, slamming him onto the floor.

Peter Parker rubbed his shoulder as he stood up and grinned: "You have quick reflexes, teacher."

The gentleness on Natasha's face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold scrutiny: "Fury said you were fast, but I didn't expect you to be this fast."

"Thanks, I was born this way. Now, I suggest you stay away from me, so people don't think you're hooking up with a student on your first day." Peter Parker brushed off his jacket.

The corner of Natasha's mouth twitched slightly; she seemed to find him a bit interesting.

"I read the contract, it's acceptable, but I have two conditions." Peter Parker stopped smiling.

"Speak."

"First, I want to retain the authority to protect New York. I understand there will be missions out of town, but as long as this city is in danger, I must be able to return. I won't sabotage missions, but I cannot ignore it."

Natasha nodded: "Reasonable. And the second?"

"I like to tinker with inventions. Can Fury provide me with R&D funding? Who holds the property rights to what I create?"

"You'll have to ask Fury about that, but I will relay your request to him." Natasha resumed her professional smile: "If there's nothing else, Mr. Parker, you should head to your next class."

The door was pushed open, and the next batch of students walked in. Peter Parker wished her a good day and turned to leave.

All day long, he felt like someone was watching him from the shadows, but he couldn't find any cameras, so he could only attribute it to paranoia.

At lunch, he carried his tray to a corner and sat opposite Felicia.

"Hey, Tiger." Felicia seemed to enjoy his nickname for her: "I think you've earned the right to give me a nickname now."

"Really? Any requirements?"

"You decide." She lowered her head to eat her salad.

Peter Parker stared at the fork in her hand; the handle was embossed with a black cat pattern.

"How about I call you... Kitten?" He deliberately lowered his voice, saying the word in a slightly raspy tone.

Felicia paused, looking up in surprise: "Why are you calling me that?"

"The cat on your fork." Peter Parker pointed at it: "I think you're quite like a cat. Aloof, smart, and especially elegant. So, Kitten?"

"Damn you, Parker." She gritted her teeth, but her ears turned red.

"What's wrong, Kitten? Don't like it?"

"No... whatever you want." She muttered and continued eating, clearly flustered by the low-pitched term of endearment, her heart rate accelerating.

After school, Peter Parker spent an hour in a study group with the two girls, then headed to the dojo.

"Peter Parker, you are my most outstanding student. You've learned more here than I did in years. Can you really not continue?" Colleen Wing looked full of regret.

"Sorry, sensei, my family needs money, I have to prioritize taking care of them." Peter Parker explained, half-truthfully.

"That is truly a pity." A middle-aged man's voice came from the doorway.

The man was wearing a suit and had neatly trimmed facial hair. Peter Parker recognized him at a glance.

The Hand master, Bakuto.

"Master Bakuto!" Colleen Wing bowed respectfully: "This is Peter Parker, my best student, but unfortunately he is leaving."

Bakuto looked at Peter Parker gently: "Mr. Parker, can you tell me the reason?"

Peter Parker cursed inwardly. This old fox wanted to brainwash him into a mindless thug.

"I need to earn money for college." Peter Parker replied without changing his expression.

"If that's the case, my organization would be happy to provide you with a full scholarship, as long as you perform well." Bakuto dangled the bait.

Colleen Wing explained excitedly from the side that this was a very wealthy non-profit organization.

"Thank you, but I don't think that's fair to others." Peter Parker met Bakuto's gaze: "People like Marcus need this money more. I just need some cash, don't worry about me."

"You are wasting your talent, Mr. Parker."

"I'd rather waste it than have my family sacrifice everything to accommodate me." Peter Parker retorted coldly: "Sorry, goodbye."

He turned and walked away. Colleen Wing called out to him from behind, but he didn't look back and ran straight out of the dojo.