A/N: I'm back again! Sorry I disappeared for so long, I'm still figuring out my health (that just seems to be refusing to get better) and so I write when I can, which hasn't been much lately. However! I got some good news recently and, if what we think is going on with my health is actually the case, I should get much better soon! And then hopefully I can write more because I really do enjoy writing. But that's what we thought last time and I just got worse so... yeah. Please wish me luck on figuring out how to start feeling better! And then actually start feeling better for longer than a week!

I also want to apologize if my writing style has gotten worse. To me it feels like once I finally felt good enough to write this chapter, whatever I ended up writing just seemed worse than usual. We are our own harshest critics though, so I hope I'm wrong and my writing style has stayed okay. Anyways, I'll leave you to your reading! <3

Peter's POV:

I lower my hand after wiggling my fingers at the Avengers and smile nervously, remembering that the last time I saw them all they were trying to capture me. My Spider Sense isn't going off though so rather than quickly defenestrating myself to get away from them I just sit up fully and take them all in. I inwardly smile at their surprised expressions because none of us (Including me of course) expected this to happen, "So, uh, sorry for crashing your party. I promise it isn't my fault."

Black Widow's eyebrows raise, "Well whose fault is it then?"

"Well that's an easy answer! It's" I turn my head to face the window as the sound of Harry's glider grows louder, "his."

Crazed cackling accompanies the sound of the glider as Harry floats into view, taking in the occupants of the room, "Oh look, you found some friends. The amazing and strong Avengers. Protectors of the world. Hmmmm," he taps his finger to his chin. "Well in that case Spider-Man, I'm going to take my leave. You better keep an eye out since we'll be seeing each other again very soon no doubt."

I shoot a web at him hoping to stop him from leaving but am too slow, allowing him to slip away with a parting cackle. Slamming my hand to the table in frustration, I groan, "I was really hoping to capture him and get it all done with."

I hop to my feet and stride to the other end of the table, suddenly all too aware of all the eyes on me. Turning to face them I point my thumb over my shoulder at the gaping window, "So uh, I don't feel like being taken in today so imma just gonna go."

I turn to leave but stop at a quick "Wait!" from Fury.

Not sensing any bad intentions with my Spider Sense, I turn to him with my eyebrows raised, "What?"

"I've changed my mind about you Spider-Man and so have the Avengers. Can you and I make some sort of deal so that I know you can be held accountable for your actions?"

I smile at him, "You know, I thought you'd never ask. I've had a solution to your problems with me for a while now just waiting to be used," Fury opens his mouth but I hold a hand up to stop him. "But now isn't the time to go into it as I still have a patrol to finish. When it's time, which should be in a day or two, I'll come to you."

"How are you going to do that?" Hawkeye asks.

I wink at him, "I have my ways. Stay safe guys." I give them another salute before shooting a web and pulling myself out the window.

*      *      *      *

The rest of patrol is fairly uneventful, and I find myself lounging on the edge of a building waiting for my hearing or Spidey Sense to pick something up or for the police radio to go off with something they can't handle on their own.

My eyebrows raise as my Spider-Man phone starts ringing, "FABAE, can you answer that and connect it to my mask please?"

"Okay, Peter. The caller ID says it's Greg."

I hum in acknowledgement right before the call is picked up, "Hi Greg, what's up?"

"Spider-Man," Greg says, "Are you out on patrol right now?"

"I am. Do you need something?"

"Well I'm just finishing up a grocery run from a nearby store and noticed that a van has been following me for a couple blocks now. My whole team is either out of town right now or on their way out of town because we have the next couple of days off. It's probably nothing but I decided to call you anyways."

I hop to my feet, "Greg, if you feel like it's something then it's something. I'm going to have FABAE track your phone if that's okay with you. Then I'll come meet you where you are."

"Okay sounds good. I'll see you in a couple minutes."

I follow FABAE's directions to Greg's phone and get there just in time to see Greg's groceries scattered on the sidewalk and several beefy men in masks shoving Greg into the back of a van. My face contorts in anger and I swing down and lightly attach myself to the top of the van just as it starts to drive away. I start to move to the front of the van to enter through the passenger side window but am stopped by FABAE.

"Peter, wait."

My want to rescue Greg and anger towards the people trying to kidnap him simmer under the surface as I grit out a "What?"

FABAE's voice softens, "Think about this rationally Peter. We don't know why Greg is being taken, where he is being taken to, and if there are more guys that can go after him once the guys in the van are taken down. We can't stop this from happening again if we don't stop them at their source and know why they want Greg. So I say we should follow them to wherever they are taking Greg and figure out what to do from there."

I take a deep breath and attempt to wrangle my anger and worry down to manageable levels, truly taking a moment to think, "...Fine. You're right."

I stand up fully and shoot a web to continue following them at a distance, not wanting to be spotted on top of the van once we get to the final destination.

After another ten minutes of following them discreetly, the van turns onto a road leading to a group of warehouses. I see it roll to a stop in front of the very far one and park. Without being seen, I jump onto the top of the warehouse and peek over the edge, watching as they manhandle a struggling Greg into the warehouse. Once all of the goons are inside of the warehouse with the door shut, I climb down onto the side of the building. Scanning the row of windows along the top of the warehouse, I smile as I find one that is broken enough for me to crawl through it. Once inside I hunker down in the shadows of the rafters and observe the goons tying Greg to a column on the other side of the warehouse, leaving him standing up and straining against the bonds.

Once Greg determines that the bonds are too tight to loosen and escape from, he opens his mouth and starts talking, knowing that it would be best to get as much information out of the goons as he can, "So can I ask why I'm here? I think I deserve to know after the welcoming party that kindly made me drop my groceries all over the sidewalk."

The goons ignore him and start taking out guns, knives, and a baseball bat.

Greg tries again, "Does it have to do with any connections I have? If you let me know what you guys want, and are willing to do so, I bet we could work something out."

The goon with the baseball bat hits it against his hand as he stalks closer, "You know, I don't think we can."

Greg raises an eyebrow, "Oh? Why's that?"

"Because we already have a job, and our orders are not changing."

"Orders?"

"Yes. You see, our employer isn't very happy that Spider-Man escaped from him a year and a half ago and has tasked us with bringing the little spider back to him. And you know the best way to trap an animal? You leave out bait. Or in this case, you."

"Me?"

"Yes you. We've seen how close you two are. And what do you think will happen when Spider-Man hears we've taken you? Well he'll come right to us, that's for sure."

Taking in the words I inhale sharply before clicking quietly through my teeth to silence my mask, "FABAE! It's him. He's the employer."

"I know Peter. But you need to remember that you have a bunch more people on your side now than you did back then, and that might very well include the Avengers soon. Right now what you need to do is focus on getting Greg out safely, okay?"

I take a shaky breath in before letting it out and whispering, "Okay."

I click through my teeth again to unsilence my mask before jumping silently down to the ground and into the shadows clinging to the edge of the large room. "You know," I say in what I hope passes as a confident voice, casually strolling further into the room, "taking me in won't be as easy as it was for your employer a year and a half ago. I think he's underestimating how much I've grown."

All the goons startle and whirl around to face me. The goon with the baseball bat scoffs, "You think you can beat all of us?"

I smile, "I guess we'll have to see, won't we. But if you ask me? I'm pretty confident."

Shooting a web quickly, I catch the goon with the baseball bat off guard enough that I can tug the baseball bat out of his grip and into mine. Webbing him to the floor, I rush up and knock him out.

Dodging the bullets aimed at me, I dart to the nearest group of goons and engage with them, striking a couple of knives and guns out of their hands while webbing them up and knocking them out with the baseball bat. I have a little trouble with a few of them, but overall I'm able to overpower them relatively quickly. Each goon is surprisingly (and thankfully) not as trained at fighting as you would think at first glance.

Quicker than expected, all of the goons but one are webbed to the floor or walls unconscious, leaving me with only a few knife and bullet grazes that are already healing.

I turn my head to face the last goon right as he lifts his gun and fires. Dodging the bullet, I web him to the floor with a grin before knocking him out cold just like the rest of his buddies, "And the last one's down and out for the count! Spider-Man wins! Woooo!"

My grin quickly fades when I hear a pained gasp for air followed by a faint gurgling sound behind me.

Horror fills me as I spin around to see Greg listing to the side against the bonds tying him to the pillar, his knees threatening to buckle.

"No," I whisper, rushing over to Greg and hovering my hands over him, "No, no, no!"

Greg tugs weakly at the bonds and I rush around the pillar to untie them, rushing back just in time to catch him as his knees buckle, sending him crashing forwards into my arms. Gently lowering Greg to the ground, I notice the blood flowing in a steady stream from the bullet wound in his chest... The bullet wound caused by the bullet I dodged.

Greg gasps for air he can't quite grasp and looks up at me, reaching up to grab my arm gently, "Spider-Man... It's okay... It's not your fault."

I choke on a sob, "I shouldn't have dodged the bullet without checking it wouldn't hit anyone behind me... Such a rookie mistake," the sob finally rips its way out of my chest. "Please Greg. Please don't leave me. I can't have this happen to me again. Not again..."

Greg shakily smiles, "Hey hey hey Spider-Man... You're strong... You'll get through this... And know that I'll always be watching out for you and cheering you on... Whether I'm here physically or not, that fact will never change," Greg's next breath rattles in his chest, "You're such an amazing hero... and I know you are destined to do great things Spider-Man."

Tears roll down my cheeks and I rip my mask off of my face, "It's Peter. Peter Parker. You deserve to know who I am and I was–I was planning on telling you soon anyways," My breath hitches. "But now I guess is the time, right?"

Greg's smile widens slightly, "It's nice to officially meet you Peter... You make a fine individual, hero or not," his smile turns to a grimace as he coughs, a bit of blood trickling out of the side of his mouth. "You keep pressing forward okay? You're strong and are a blessing to those around you... including me... I'm so happy I was able to get to know you. But promise me... Promise you'll stay strong and press on through your struggles... Promise me you'll seek for happiness in your life."

My shoulders rack with sobs, "I–I promise."

"Good... You're. . . destined for great things... Peter..." Greg sighs one last breath before his chest stills.

Horror and sadness envelop me as I pull Greg close and give him a little shake, "Greg! No! Greg!" I let out an anguished scream before bending over and touching my forehead to his. "Greg..."

I close my eyes and squeeze them tight, tears rushing out of them, "Why? Why do the good people in my life always die?"

A/N: F in the chat

But seriously, don't give up on this fic just because of this chapter. Give the next chapter a shot, I promise it will all work out. :D