Mutants On The Run

Professor Xavier wanted to repair the school, something he had become quite good at doing after a few tries, but this was not currently an option. Richards was sure Shield and Stark would attempt to take the mutants again, meaning it wasn't safe for any of them to remain at the academy. The students and even the X-men would have to be relocated. Until they could figure out a safe haven for the children, Reed offered to let them all stay at the tower, confident that neither Stark nor Fury had the balls to send Sentinels into battle in lower Manhattan. It took the flyer a few trips but the managed to get every student and teacher from the academy over to Reed Tower and situated in a matter of hours. To make room for their new occupants, Reed had organized many people to share apartments to maximize space. It wasn't that the tower didn't have adequate accommodations, but there were over two hundred students that were being housed there with little or no notice. Peter gave up his condo which they managed to squeeze several cots into, and he joined Johnny in Ben's room, as no one immune to sharing during this situation. Peter wouldn't mind spending time with his new teammates, but his encounter with Stark was still on his mind. He was pacing on the ceiling of Ben's apartment when the big man finally spoke to him.

"You're quite upset about this," Ben called out to Peter, "I haven't seen you this agitated since you arrived."

"I trusted him," Peter replied, looking back at Ben. "He was supposed to be one of the good guys. He just tried to steal children from a school, just because they were different. I thought we were all better than that. I thought he was."

"I get it," Ben said, "You admired the guy, and now you see him for what he really is. He's human like the rest of us, capable of making mistakes and even choosing the wrong side."

"I chose the wrong side," Peter replied, "I can't believe how wrong I was."

"What do you mean by that?" Johnny asked, confused.

"Stark asked for my help a year ago," Peter explained, "He needed a team to bring in Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Turns out they were doing a little recruiting of their own and two super-powered squads did battle at the drop of a hat."

"Hold on," Johnny said, remembering something. "The airport in Germany, you were there when Stark tried to apprehend Rogers?"

"I was," Peter confirmed, "I helped him bring in half of that squad, and now I don't know if I was fighting on the right side. Now I'm starting to see things from Steve's point of view. Thank goodness I was too young to sign the accords at the time. If this is what can happen because of it, I will never sign it."

"You won't have to." Ben told him, "None of us do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter asked.

"The Foundation is exempt from the accords," Johnny replied, "Reed had a sit down with the President and pretty insisted that exceptions be made not only for the safety of the country, but the planet. Our own contract already keeps us in check so it was redundant to add more oversight. Reed was prepared to challenge the government for breach of our contract if they didn't add the clause, and the President caved. On page two hundred and something there's a small list of people who are exempt from the accord, and the Foundation is right there in the middle of it. You won't have to sign it; they can't even ask you to."

"That's neat," Peter said, jumping off the ceiling. "I'm going to grab something to eat from the main kitchen. You guys want something?"

"I'm fine," Ben answered, "But thanks for asking."

"I'm good too," Johnny said, laying down on his cot.

"Alright," Peter said as he left the room and closed it behind him. As he arrived to the main kitchen, he could see a problem. The place had been cleared out. Reed solved the problem by making a large order for pizza, but that was only a temporary fix and he'd have the kitchen restocked as soon as possible.

Peter stood there and looked at the few leftover slices, when suddenly he leapt from the floor and onto the ceiling, as his spidey sense had warned him about something coming up from behind. When he looked back, it was Kitty who has passed through the wall behind him.

"Sorry about that," Kitty called up to him.

"It's okay," Peter said as he hopped back onto the floor. "Force of habit."

"I just came down here to get something to eat." Kitty said, looking around at the empty kitchen, "Looks like I'm a bit late."

"We both are," Peter agreed, "But the sun's just coming up, so I'm sure we could get something for breakfast."

"Do you know a good place around here?" Kitty asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Peter said, smiling. "How about we change into something normal and go out for breakfast?"

Kitty smiled as well. "I'd like that. I'll be right back."

Peter watched as she went back through the wall that she came from. He took a deep breath before walking back to Ben's room to grab a change of clothes. He kept his uniform and his shooters underneath his clothes, unwilling to take changes especially after what had happened that night. Peter checked the mirror in Ben's crib, checking his hair and his teeth. Johnny noticed this and sat up in his cot.

"If I didn't know any better," Johnny started, "I'd say you were getting ready to go out on a hot date."

"It's just breakfast," Peter replied, "With a cute girl my age from the academy."

"I live in a glass mansion," Johnny said, laying back down. "Who am I to cast any stones when it comes to dating?"

"Good point," Ben replied, "Don't forget to take some protection with ya."

"Ben!" Peter called out, almost blushing.

"Not what I meant," Ben said in his defence, "I mean take your web shooters. I wouldn't put it past any of them to try taking another shot at us."

Peter rolled up his sleeve, showing his shooters. "Already ahead of you."

"Good luck, Pete." Johnny said, "If you guys happen to pass a store on the way back, grab me a six pack of Yoohoo."

"I'll see what I can do." Peter said, trying to stay uncommitted.

Peter and Kitty took the elevator down to the lobby and walked out of the Reed tower, dressed as two normal teenagers looking like they were taking off for school. truth was Peter professor was very busy, and Kitty's had burned to the ground the night before so they were both free walk around the city. Peter took Kitty's hand as they walked through the busy downtown area, until they reached a nice café that Peter used to frequent back in his solo web-slinging days. As the two of them sat down, Kitty seemed a little shy as she was looking at her menu.

"I hope you're buying," She said with a small grin, "I'm afraid my purse went up in flames with the academy."

"I've got this," Peter said, something he never used to say only mere months ago. The foundation paid their heroes a handsome sum each month, almost to the point where Peter felt bad taking the money from Reed. Yet it was moments like this, having a date with a pretty girl that Peter began to appreciate it a bit more than he had before. It was another freedom he never had prior to joining the foundation.

"Can I take your order?" the waitress asked.

"I'll have the omelet special please," Peter replied, "With cheese and mushrooms, and I'll have the toast white, bacon crispy and orange juice on the side."

"And you honey?" the waitress asked kitty.

"I'll have two eggs, scrambled, along with bacon and toast." Kitty replied as she handed the menu back.

"Anything to drink?" The waitress asked.

"Milk please." Kitty replied, looking back at Peter. "Don't you say a word."

"Not saying anything," Peter said, smiling at the irony of someone named Kitty ordering a glass of milk.

Despite what had happened that night, Peter could tell that Kitty was feeling better after the entire ordeal enough to enjoy their breakfast date. They were talking about classes, teachers and even the first time she saw him when he arrived to the academy with Reed. He was the talk of the school that day, especially because word got out that he was in the simulators with Scott's team and had no problem holding his own with them.

"Don't be so hard on yourselves," Peter replied, "I've had years of practice fighting super villains here in the city. You guys will all be that good when you've had time to get to know your own strengths."

"That's what most people are afraid of." A voice called out.

Peter's spidey sense hadn't gone off, so he knew the person approaching them wasn't a threat. That, however, didn't stop Kitty from disappearing through the wall beside them, which Peter could hardly blame her for. Peter looked back at the Shield agent who was standing there, and sighed.

"Was that really necessary?" Peter asked him, "We were on a date and I really like her."

"Sorry about that, Parker." Phil Coulson said, taking a few steps over as he sat down in Kitty's seat. "I just felt it was time for us to have a little chat."

"So they're sending in the good cop this time," Peter said as he sipped his orange juice, trying to act casual. "I'm afraid there's nothing you can tell me that will change my opinion about what happened last night."

"What happened last night was unfortunate," Phil admitted, "But what we need to know is how you guys managed to get over there as quickly as you did. Fury is freaking out, thinking he has a mole in Shield."

"He doesn't," Peter told him, "Do you know how many telepaths are in that building?"

"I thought we had them all blocked them." Phil admitted, "I guess we underestimated their abilities."

"You shouldn't have been there at all," Peter told him, "The mutants at that academy are on our side, Phil. There's no threat to Shield or anyone else."

"How do you know that?" Phil asked.

"Because connecting with someone telepathically is a two way street," Peter said, unsure why he was telling Phil about it. "When the professor scanned my mind, I got a small glance into his. He's a good man, a noble man who doesn't deserve the paranoia that you're lobbing at him."

"I appreciate your honestly," Phil said, stealing a piece of bacon from Kitty's plate, and nibbling on it. "Shield is required to take the Sokovia Accords seriously. We're going to look into whether or not you guys have signed them yet."

"We haven't," Peter said, smiling because he finally knew something Phil didn't. "And we never will."

"Why is that?" Phil asked, as he could sense he was missing something.

Peter tossed a few bills onto the table, "I suggest you read the entire accord, because Reed left a little gift for you and Fury somewhere after page two hundred."

"Did he now?" Phil said as he also stood up, "Wanna save me the trouble here, Parker? That thing is bigger than war and peace."

"The Foundation is exempt from the accords," Peter informed him, "And even if we weren't, I still wouldn't sign those damn papers. What you guys tried to pull last night was disappointing, and none of us are going to stand for it. If you want to get to those mutants, you'll have to go through the Fantastic Five first."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Phil said, "I wish it didn't have to be like this."

Just as Peter's spider sense started to tingle, Coulson had already pulled out his I.C.E.R. and tried to put a few of the non-lethal rounds into him. For the first time, Peter was unable to get out of the way and was caught completely by surprise. It didn't matter because the bullets never hit Peter, as they sailed right through his body and into the wall behind him. Kitty had reached out from the wall behind Peter and had grabbed his elbow, and that connection extended her power to Peter. Rather than run for it, Peter stood his ground and used his web shooter to take the I.C.E.R. away from Coulson. Phil watched with surprise as Peter easily crushed the handgun in his bare hand as if it were made of clay, which impressed the agent.

"Either that's new," Coulson said to Peter, "Or you've been holding back."

"It's the ladder," Peter informed him, "Try that again, and I'll show Shield just how much I've been holding back."

"I believe you," Phil said, holding his hands up, "But you know we don't give up that easily."

"Neither do we," Peter said, as he reached back and took kitty into his arms before firing a web at a nearby building and swung away. Coulson watched as Peter and Kitty kept swinging away from him, as he then tapped the Bluetooth in his ear.

"Director," Phil started, "Parker is not going to be as easy to take in as we first suspected. He's gotten stronger under Richards... much stronger."