26: Chapter 26 Black and Red Suit and an Arrogant Invitation

Peter walked Felicia back to the luxury apartment complex.

She seemed a bit embarrassed about living here, but Peter didn't care at all.

Before parting, he gave her a deep goodnight kiss before turning back.

The injury on his leg was still throbbing.

In front of Felicia, he had forced himself not to limp, but once out of her sight, he stopped hiding it.

Back home, it took some effort for Peter to convince Aunt May and Uncle Ben that he had just twisted his ankle while dancing.

When the old couple asked about Electro, he lied with a straight face, saying he was nowhere near that electric maniac.

Back in his room, changing into pajamas, Peter pulled the vial of Electro's blood sample from his pocket.

Violent sparks of electricity were still flashing inside the test tube.

He hid it under the bed and lay down to sleep.

But only five minutes later, the door creaked open.

"I thought you would give me a week to consider," Peter muttered without lifting his head.

"That was before I took down that electric maniac," Fury pulled up a chair and sat down, "and besides, I know you have already made your decision."

"Did she tell you my conditions?" Peter asked.

"She did. Tell me, kid, why do you insist on guarding this broken place? Why limit your own potential?"

"This is my home, Fury. Why wouldn't I protect it?" Peter retorted.

"Do you expect it to be burned to ashes when you are away?"

"Last month, I stopped a lunatic in tank armor from destroying the whole street; today, I stopped a monster who could shoot electricity from his fingers from killing people. Do you still need to ask me this question again?"

A flash of admiration crossed Fury's eyes, but he remained silent, trying to apply pressure with interrogation techniques.

Peter didn't buy it.

Finally, Fury spoke first: "She also told me your other condition. You want to keep what you make for us?"

"You provide funds and clearance, but I retain full autonomy over all inventions," Peter stared at him.

"You want too much freedom. Why should I believe you won't run off with the technology?"

"Do you think I am the kind of person who would stand by and watch people die?" Peter raised an eyebrow, "You need me, and I need you. You know me. If I really wanted to run, could you stop me?"

"Yes, I could," Fury answered bluntly.

Peter laughed: "Good. But I also don't like watching others get hurt while standing idly by. As long as you don't stop me from saving people, I won't cause you any trouble."

Fury pondered for a moment and nodded: "The conditions... are acceptable. Are you ready to start?"

"What? Now?"

"Why? Do you want to sleep?" Fury asked mockingly.

Peter pointed to his bruised leg: "Come on, I really got hurt in my last fight, I need a few days to recover."

Fury narrowed his eyes: "Do you need medical support?"

"No, I'm not sure how my body will react to foreign substances yet. Give me two days."

"Fine," Fury stood up, "This is the last time you will see me, Parker. I am assigning Agent Natasha Romanoff as your S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison and coach. You must obey her orders completely, understand?"

Peter raised an eyebrow: "Agent Romanoff, as in my English teacher, right?"

"Exactly."

"What about Mr. Duncan coming back to work?"

"Mr. Duncan won an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii and will probably be there for over half a year. We won't be seeing him anytime soon."

Peter whistled: "You really spent a lot for a small fry like me. Am I really worth this price?"

"We will find out," Fury finished, turned, and left, closing the door behind him.

Peter sighed and lay back down on the bed. Sometimes, he wished he hadn't become this damn superhero.

The next morning, Peter turned his room and the Underground Room upside down and dug out 15 bugs.

He didn't throw them away; he dismantled them all to study. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. insisted on wasting this stuff, he couldn't help it.

After breakfast, he locked himself in the Underground Room and started studying the Arc Reactor.

This thing was a miracle; so small, yet it could output amazing energy, like a portable giant battery that never ran out of electricity.

But the decay rate of the core material, palladium, was too high.

Tony Stark needed to synthesize a new element to solve this problem.

Peter went online and checked; science documentary websites were flooded with news: Stark had patented a new element and, with a rather twisted sense of humor, named it "Badassium."

This new element could allow the reactor to run indefinitely.

Peter wanted to get some, but Tony was the only person on Earth who could make it, and he certainly wouldn't like others knowing how to make his favorite toy.

Next, Peter turned to thruster technology.

He spent the whole day finally dismantling and rebuilding the system, even conceiving several improvement plans, ready to use on future new equipment.

Saturday night, Felicia sent a text, and the two agreed to meet on Sunday.

Sunday afternoon, Peter picked up Felicia.

She was wearing skinny jeans and a black jacket, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.

The two watched a cheesy comedy, laughing at the bad acting and cold jokes.

At dinner, Felicia insisted on splitting the bill, saying it was to make up for standing him up at Julio's restaurant earlier.

After dinner, Peter walked her home and told a joke on the way: "I was hiding under the principal's desk at the time, she came in and sat down, and I prayed for Harry to trigger the fire alarm immediately. Just as I was about to burst, he really pressed it! I snuck out while she went out to check the situation, and ever since then, I swore I'd never mess around with Harry again!"

Felicia laughed and snorted like a little pig.

"God, the way you laugh is so cute," Peter slowed his pace on purpose.

"Shut up!" She glared at him, blushing.

"Seriously, you are beautiful usually, but right now you are really cute."

The two walked around the block again and again, neither wanting to end the night.

Until her mother called to urge her to go home.

"I had a great time tonight," Peter said.

"Me too, Kitten," Felicia looked at him and smiled.

"Do you... want to be my girlfriend?" Peter asked.

Felicia looked at him playfully: "What, are you confessing to me?"

A trace of struggle flashed in Peter's heart.

There were too many secrets between them; he knew her background, but she knew nothing about him.

Spider-Man, S.H.I.E.L.D. ... could these things be told completely?

Forget it, take it one step at a time.

He cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her.

Felicia responded enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Are you willing?" Peter let her go and asked softly.

"Sure... why not?"

Peter laughed: "Looks like I hit the jackpot, Kitten." He kissed her again.

The date ended, and he was officially off the market.

Monday morning, Peter walked into school with light steps.

Just as he opened his locker, two hands suddenly covered his eyes.

"Guess who I am?" Felicia sang sweetly.

Peter recognized her by her scent, grabbed her wrists, pulled her over and pressed her against the locker, and leaned down to kiss her lips.

"Good morning, Felicia." He let go and smiled.

"If you greeted me like this every morning, I might fall in love with going to school," her voice was slightly hoarse, "Can you let me go now?"

"That's a really tough choice," Peter took a step back, "Are you ready for the physics quiz?"

"Today? Oh no, I didn't review at all! It's all your fault, you had to ask me out last night, making me too excited to focus!"

"Relax, with me tutoring you every day, you'll definitely pass."

After school, Felicia did get a high score.

Before leaving, she gave Peter a long goodbye kiss, long enough that it was clearly staking a claim in front of Mary Jane nearby.

"So, you and Felicia?" Mary Jane walked over and asked.

"I could ask the same about you and Osborn," Peter packed his schoolbag.

"We're not official yet, he just asked me out, and I agreed," Mary Jane shrugged.

Peter's expression turned serious: "Listen, Mary Jane, I know it's none of my business, but you have to be careful. Don't trust Norman Osborn, that old fox is insidious and cunning. Harry follows his every word and can't resist him at all. Don't let them trick you into doing something you don't want to do."

"Relax, Peter, you're acting like I'm going to war," Mary Jane waved her hand with a smile.

The two went their separate ways.

Peter just turned the corner when he realized he was being followed.

He flashed into an alley and waited for the person to follow him in.

"Agent Romanoff," Peter nodded.

Natasha took off her blonde wig and glasses: "Your observation skills are excellent. Most people wouldn't notice the disguise right under their noses."

"Hidden in plain sight, right?" Peter asked, "Taking me to execute my first mission?"

"You're not qualified for field work yet," Natasha put away her disguise, "Follow me, let me show you the training Base."

The two arrived at an abandoned warehouse in the old district of Queens.

Natasha walked to the right wall and pressed a seemingly ordinary stone.

The wall lit up instantly and slid open to both sides, revealing an elevator.

There were only three floor buttons on the elevator panel, from top to bottom: 1st Floor, Basement 1, Basement 2.

Natasha raised her hand and pressed the deepest Basement 2 directly.

"Did Fury tell you what to expect?" Natasha asked.

"No, but I guess he wants me to be an all-around field Agent. You are responsible for training me, and when I'm ready, you'll send me on missions. Also, you have to teach me how to be a spy, how to dismantle gangs from the inside. I guess you've read my file and know about the Grass Stain Gang case."

Natasha raised an eyebrow: "Good observation. But don't show all your cards next time."

The elevator door opened, and Natasha snapped her fingers, and the lights came on.

This was an underground command center, equipped with a conference table, computer monitors, weapon cabinets, and a small kitchen.

"Welcome to the Queens safe house. Except for the occasional visit from other Agents, it's just us here."

Natasha took him on a tour of the gym, data center, and laboratory.