Love Finds A Spider

Chapter 12 - Very Strange Things...

Chapter 12         -         Pheromones ... an actual spidey thing?

Several months after Peter's sixteenth birthday found him enjoying his situation with the Avengers. With the structure and the physical training he was receiving, Peter felt like he was on top of his game. And working in the labs with Bruce and Tony was a dream come true. Well, maybe a nerd's dream come true, but Peter had never felt more comfortable with his very existence. The only time he ever felt panic was when the thought crossed his mind that his situation would end. Well, that and being around Natasha.

While Peter was always polite and cordial around women, Natasha had a way about her that put him on edge. Well, not exactly always. While she was teaching him fighting techniques or Avenger operational procedures, he was very calm with their teacher-student relationship. Peter totally appreciated her expertise and professionalism and knew he was very fortunate to have her as one of his trainers.

And the times he got to observe her sparring with Clint or Steve, he was awestruck with her abilities. Peter would rather sit and watch her spar than play a computer game, watch YouTube, or anything other guys his age did.

It was one of those afternoons when Clint had been sparring with Pete, and finally told Peter to take a break and drink water to hydrate himself. Peter was sitting on a bench along the wall, with a towel draped around his neck, and he was working on his second bottle of water when he once again found himself watching Natasha and Steve sparring. Or rather, he was watching Natasha. He was amazed at her precision, her strength and her grace. He couldn't help but smile while watching her.

Suddenly he was aware of Clint sitting next to him.

"Like what you see?" Clint asked with a grin, noticing Peter's eyes on Natasha.

"Yeah...." Peter began. "...she is so...." he continued and was about to say gorgeous, but managed to get out "amazing!" Peter blushed a little.

Clint noticed, but didn't say anything.

"She makes it look so simple" Peter continued. "But I realize ... it's not ..." Struggling for words, He then got out "Just when I think I've identified some of the techniques you all have taught me, then she does ... that!" Peter pointed at Natasha who had executed a twisting back-flip to avoid an attack, and then just as quickly rebounded back onto the offensive that was driving Steve back. Peter looked at Clint and said "She just blows my mind." "I know I'll never be on her level" he finished in a matter of fact way.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Pete" Clint began. "She's got years and training on you." Clint then smiled and looked at Peter "But I'm glad you respect her for her abilities and not because of ..." and Clint indicated Natasha who had just finished her sparring and was stretching herself out. While her training outfit did cover her, it also left not much to the imagination. "Yeah, she's a real looker all right" Clint admitted.

Clint then looked at Peter and said "Pete ... there is an important lesson here."

Peter immediately looked at Clint with serious eyes.

"Don't ever judge your adversary, or people in general, by their looks." "People's appearances can hide things. Things that can get you really hurt, or worse..."

Clint looked at Peter straight in the eyes "Natasha was trained to be an assassin. A cold-hearted killer who looked at her targets as that: simply a target to be eliminated. No compassion or empathy. Just a target." He looked at Natasha and back at Peter. "I was assigned to eliminate ... to kill her. And I almost did."

Peter looked back at Clint in surprise and shock.

"I was a breath away from ending her, but while stalking her, I saw she was more than a cold-hearted killer." Clint sighed. "I'm glad I spared her."