Pride Is Not The Word I'm Looking For

Chapter 23

Editing credit to @HIGHGIRLS6111

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-+*+- Peter -+*+-

It had only been a couple of days since Peter was first admitted into the medbay. His wound had healed enough so that he could sit up and move without hurting himself, but if he put pressure on the irritated skin, he'd double over in pain.

It had only been a couple of days when the next challenge came knocking at Peter's door.

The spider was sitting on his medical bed eating jello happily when a knock sounded at the door. Loki was inside with him and he got up to open it.

Tony walked in, his mouth set in a grim line. There was something wrong.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked, already knowing it wasn't anything good.

Tony opened his mouth to tell Loki to leave and he moved to let Loki out and someone else in.

A figure clad in black leather entered the room. He was tall with broad shoulders and a controlling presence around him. He wore an eyepatch. He was intimidating, to say the least.

"This is Fury, The Director of SHIELD," Tony said, shooting a glare at the man.

Peter's blood froze. They were here to take him away. They were going to take him to SHIELD and do God knows what with him. He felt panic clawing at his throat and his face paled.

"W-Why is he here?" Peter managed to choke out.

"I am here to gain as much information about you as I can and ask you to join the Avengers initiative," Fury said, finally speaking after the beats of silence.

"Woah, absolutely not!" Tony spoke up, "You didn't say anything about admitting him to the team!"

"Because I knew you'd be a hardass about it," Fury snapped.

The pirate turned his attention back to Peter. "Ironman here doesn't think you're ready to join the team. What do you think?"

Peter picked at his nails as he thought. What danger could he get in if he fought with the others? And at least this time they couldn't tell him when he could or couldn't go. Fury would. Fury thought he could do it.

"I'll do it."

-+*+- Loki -+*+-

Loki was waiting for his turn with Peter while Tony and the pirate he met years ago talked in his room. Loki was excited that Peter would be allowed outside his room the next day. He missed the spider dearly and wanted to play more games that Peter introduced with him.

He heard faint yelling from the room and he stood up, making his way to the door quietly. He leaned in and listened through the door.

"Woah, absolutely not!" Loki heard Tony yell, "You didn't say anything about admitting him to the team!"

Admitting who to the team? Peter? Loki didn't see how that was entirely bad. Peter was a capable hero and with the help of the other Avengers, there was very little chance that he would get injured.

"Because I knew you'd be a hardass about it," The pirate snapped back.

Loki held in a laugh at the thought of Tony being put back in his place. Ever since the large... 'argument' they had, the two had been walking on eggshells around each other.

Loki didn't want the billionaire to attack him again. Sure, he could handle any physical attacks with ease but he hated the feeling of being controlled and manipulated like earlier in the week. He didn't know how it happened but Tony managed to make Loki lose all his shit, which was something only Odin could do until now. Peter was the only thing keeping them from beheading each other on the spot.