Peter woke up feeling refreshed. Peter smiled to himself when he realized that Dr. Stacy's advice had actually worked. Peter snuggled in deeper to his bed, the comforting sound of the train going past his window lulling him back to sleep.
For exactly three minutes.
"Peter! Wake up! I made breakfast!" May called. With those words Peter shot up, the sleepful haze disappearing. He speed walked into the kitchen, sticking his head in to make sure May wasn't in danger of burning the house down.
"Good morning May," Peter smiled, happy to see that May was actually cooking correctly. "Smells good in here!"
May grinned. "I know right! I should be a chef!"
"Maybe take it one day at a time," Peter said cheekily. May gasped in mock offense before shooing him out of the kitchen.
"Go! Get ready! Come back in fifteen minutes." she said. Peter nodded and turned to walk back down the hall, only stopping when May called his name. He turned around to see her poking her head out of the kitchen with a grin. "And Peter? Take a shower."
Peter chuckled to himself as he got ready for the day.
Peter was not looking forward to school. The second he got there Ned was at his side instantly, demanding to know if he was okay. "Ned, I'm fine, I promise." Peter said, waving off his concerns. Ned refused to accept that.
"You just passed out!" Ned cried. "And everyone was freaking out and there was blood... How is any of that okay?!"
"It was all taken care of," Peter assured him. "Bruce fixed up my thigh and helped me with blood. Ned, I swear everything is okay now."
Ned frowned. "Never do that again!" he hissed, pressing his finger into Peter's chest. Peter winced. "I was terrified! You are my best friend, Peter! I can't keep watching you almost die!"
Peter sighed and pulled Ned in for a tight bro hug. Ned just clutched Peter, and Peter frowned when he felt Ned trembling against him. "Ned?" Peter asked. "Are you okay?" Ned shook his head against Peter's head and Peter's frown deepened. "What's wrong?"
"That was really scary." Ned admitted. "I thought you were going to die and it would be all my fault."
"What? Ned it wasn't your fault---"
"I was the one who stitched you up," Ned argued. "And I didn't tell anyone you were shot! That's crazy!"
"I asked you not to." Peter said lamely. Ned shook his head.
"As your best friend I should know not to listen to your stupid ideas when you're hurt." Ned said. Peter laughed. "Next time something like that happens, I'm going to tell your dad."
"Okay." Peter nodded, knowing that it would be impossible to change Ned's mind.
The rest of the day was pretty normal. Thanks to the incredible pain pills that Bruce had prescribed him, Peter was able to focus and make up everything that he had missed from yesterday. He was even able to pass off his collapsing as a passing sickness.
When the bell rang to signal the end of the school day, Peter was happy to be able to get back to the apartment. Peter nodded at Happy who was sitting conspicuous by his car. Happy nodded as Peter got onto his school bus.
Peter frowned when he felt his phone buzz. "Hello?" he asked, pulling it out of his pocket. The caller ID read, Dr. Banner.
"Peter?" Bruce said. "Hey, Peter do you think you have a minute?"
"Er, yeah?" Peter said, walking to the subway. "What's up?"
"I was going over your blood work and I ran some tests," Bruce said. Peter scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. "I noticed something strange."
"What do you mean?" Peter asked.
"Your cells aren't repairing as fast as they used to." Bruce said. "For some reason your healing factor is slowing down at a cellular level."
"Is that bad? That sounds bad." Peter said, a hint of concern ebbing into his voice.
"I'm not sure yet." Bruce said. "I need to keep an eye on it. Whenever you have the chance, do you think I could get another blood sample?"
"Sure." Peter agreed. "I think I'll be in the tower this weekend? That good?"
"That should do just fine." Bruce says, and he lets out a sigh that sends Peter's anxiety skyrocketing.
"Um... Bruce? Is something... wrong?" Peter asks, his hand clenching to a fist at his side.
Bruce was silent for a few minutes, Peter's heart rate spiking as he waited for an answer. "I don't know." Bruce said finally. "Peter I need to go, Fury's calling a meeting. Just, make sure to stop by the med bay during your visit. I need a blood sample soon."
There was a click on the other end signalling the end of the conversation. Peter stared at his phone for a second, his eyebrows pulled forward in confusion.
"Well shit." he said finally. "That was really ominous."
___________________________________________________________
"What's going on, Fury?" Steve asked. He was sitting tensely in his chair, a look of concern resting on his usually stoic face. The rest of the Avengers sat around the oval table in similar states.
"Stark. You didn't tell them?" Fury asked. Tony raised his hands in a defensive motion.
"You never told me I was supposed to!" Tony said. Fury just growled and looked back at the rest of the Avengers.
"Hydra is on the move." Fury said, causing everyone to stiffen and listen harder. (Tony just rolled his eyes and leaned back further in his chair. He'd already heard this spiel before.) "Lately they've been really obvious with their plans, causing them to get discovered very quickly."
"They're trying to make us look incompetent." Natasha said with a frown. "They want you gone, don't they?"
"Hydra has always wanted me gone." Fury scoffed. "They're trying to get revenge."
"Revenge?" Clint asked. "Revenge for what?"
Fury rounded on Tony. Tony scoffed. "Why don't you ask him?" he said pointedly. Clint raised an eyebrow.
"They're pissed that I killed Zemo." Tony shrugged. Saying that man's name made a full body shiver run down his spine. Pure hatred coursed through his veins at the thought of the man who had taken everything from him.
"Zemo?" Steve asked. "Why?"
"Who knows." Tony shrugged. "All we know is that now Hydra is making all sorts of claims. Sightings of possible activity are popping up faster than we can track them."
"Have you tried sending out more operatives?" Steve asked.
"Have I tried sending out---" Fury cut himself off, taking in a deep calming breath. "No, Rogers, I haven't. I've sent out all of the operatives I have."
"Okay. How far short are you?" Steve asked. "Maybe we could help out."
"Not that I don't have faith in Earth's Greatest Defenders," Fury sneered. "But I don't think that you'll be much help here. There's too much even for you."
"Yeah, I have to agree with Jack Sparrow over here," Tony said. Fury growled. "I have a son at home that I need to take care of. I can't just fly out and fight a bunch of Nazis."
"I have kids too." Clint pointed out. "I don't want to put them in any more danger by spreading myself to thin trying to beat an impossible force."
"Impossible force? It's Hydra! They're practically all we fight!" Steve cried.
"We fight them when we have the means and force to beat them," Tony argued. "Do you see the means or the force anywhere? We're benched, Spangles. Nothing we can do."
"Actually there is something you can do." Fury said.
"Thank you--- Wait, what?" Tony asked, snapping his head over to where Fury stood. "Repeat?"
"There's something that the Avengers can do to help." Fury said. "Information wise."
"I already tried researching it," Tony said. "As far as I could find, there wasn't really any reason for Hydra to get all worked up over one doctor. I think they're using him as an excuse to get rid of you."
"Yeah, why do they care so much?" Clint asked. "He was just some Doctor. They're acting like we killed Red Skull."
Steve coughed and looked down. Clint chuckled. Fury gave them a deadpan stare and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"He may have been more valuable than we know." he said. "We don't have enough information yet. We need help."
"And what do you propose we do?" Natasha asked.
Fury looked up at her. "I propose that we get help," he said. "We need more information. We need to know more about Zemo and who he was to the organization."
"And who do you think is going to help us?" Tony scoffed.
"Bucky Barnes."