Okay people, gonna try this. I've been wanting to write a Spider-Man and Avengers crossover for a while. It's pretty much exactly what the name describes: Evasion. I've read a lot of fanfiction where Spider-Man's identity is revealed to the Avengers. I'll probably do a series of short stories that will eventually lead to that, but I want to draw it out. This is a prologue, which is why it's so short. I hate writing short things :£

Please review! -alphathetagamma

Spider-Man?" Tony repeated incredulously, eyes narrowing at Nick Fury, pure disbelief lining his features. The director stood at the head of the conference table, glaring back at the self-obsessed billionaire. Surrounding him were the rest of the Avengers, none of them looking too happy. Stark's disbelieving tone mirrored the expressions of the rest of the Avengers. Steve Rogers face was sceptical, Thor unhappy, and even Clint and Natasha seemed disapproving, though it was hard to be certain through their usual blank looks.

Bruce knew his own face was irritated. He'd been dragged along by Tony to a meeting at SHIELD HQ, at ten o'clock at night, without dinner. It meant the… Other Guy was more likely to make an appearance, especially with the added stress of Tony and Captain Rogers in the same room.

The Hulk roared his approval inside his mind. Bruce tapped the edge of his swivel chair nervously, staring down at the papers in front of him. 'Project Web-Slinger', the bold title read. It was followed by the familiar level seven clearance label, typed in a threatening mauve ink.

Below it, was all the information they had about Spider-Man. Incidents, reports, article, witnesses, and descriptions. The pile of papers was thick, a seemingly endless amount of information. But it was lacking. Nowhere, in the pile, was there any information about Spider-Man's real identity. What lay beneath the mask was pure speculation.

Bruce supposed that was why Fury wanted the hero hunted down. SHIELD didn't like variables, and Spider-Man was just that. But labelling him an armed, top priority threat? It seemed a little extreme. The rest of the team had had a few run-ins with the guy, and spoke of him favourably. Spider-Man had saved the city multiple times, times when the Avengers had been too slow, or hadn't deemed the enemy a threat. Bruce knew they all felt a bit guilty for that. The vigilante had never done anything to suggest himself a villain, which was why Fury's new mission seemed… Wrong. They were in charge of getting the bad guys, not the ones that saved lives daily.

"Yes. I said Spider-Man," Fury responded, delivering each person in the room an intense look. "I don't want any of your sass, Stark. This is a mission, and you are going to get your backside on it right away, like it, or not."

"Oh no, I have no problems with hunting down Spidey. The little bugger's been on my to-do list for a long time. But what does SHIELD want with a pint-sized, freelancing arachnid that catches minor criminals while wearing spandex?"

Steve spoke up.

"With all due respect sir, what puts him on SHIELD's radar? I think what he does is rather admirable."

"Admirable or no, there is too much unmeasured power in one person's hands. If he becomes a threat, it's better to know now how to take him out, than when he's making Stuttgart, Germany bow before him."

There were a few visible winces at the reference to Loki's attack on Earth. The Other Guy rumbled menacingly, echoing Bruce's thoughts. Even though he didn't like the idea of bringing Spider-Man in for questioning, Fury made a valid point. If Spider-Man ever became a threat…

Smash him! The Hulk bellowed.

"I understand your reasoning behind that, sir," Steve said hesitantly. "But shouldn't he be allowed to keep a secret identity if he wants to?"

"Captain Rogers, if you had had on file the identity and personal history of the Red Skull before you started hunting him, would more people have survived? Would you have been able to stop his attacks in a faster time?"

"Well… Yes."

"That's why I need my team to bring in Spider-Man. Any more questions, or can I get on with explaining the mission?"

Bruce spoke up, knowing if he didn't ask the question, somebody else on the team would find out, and not in a way that would make Fury happy.

"What do you plan to do with Spider-Man?"

The director's glare deepened. Bruce backtracked hurriedly.

"I mean, you're not planning on experimenting on him or anything, right?"

He hoped the director's answer would be a negative. The Other Guy's anger was already beating against the scientist's will. He didn't need an excuse to… Release it.

"Spider-Man will be brought into SHIELD, and will be let go. What I choose to do with him during that time is my business.'

Bruce slowly stood up, clenching the table so hard his fingers whitened.

"However," Fury continued. "We will not be trying any backside-thought-out projects on the Spider. I know as well as you do, Dr. Banner, that those never turn out well."

"Sit down, Dr. Banner," Natasha spoke from the other end of the conference table. Bruce did so, taking a deep breath as he did.

"Can I continue?" Nobody said anything else. "Good. Now here's the plan."

Inwardly sighing, Bruce forced himself to relax in his chair, listening carefully to Fury's instruction. Spider-Man. He didn't seem like the type of person to go without a fight. And from what Bruce had seen, it was sure to be a good one.

The other Avengers didn't seem to think so. As they left SHIELD HQ, they laughed and talked, dismissing the vigilante as an amateur. Bruce wasn't so sure. Underestimating him was a fatal mistake.

But what did he know? If even proffesional Natasha thought this was to be an easy attack, then who was he to tell them otherwise?

Either way, the events of the next few weeks were sure to be... interesting. Unfortunately for Bruce, interesting was not a good thing.