Hi, I know I haven't updated in a while, but between the new job and the current crisis I've been busy fighting this virus on the front lines. Granted, the government work I do is only within the Welfare department; but trust me when I say that exhausted is a massive understatement to describe how we feel. Anyway, here is some more Peter!whump angst for all of you who enjoy this genre as much as I do.

To say that Ava didn't have a good feeling about the place they were currently staking out would be a lie. All her feline instincts were warning her to stay away, and she wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable. Their resident Web-head exuded nervous tension; his normal snappy quips were silent as they lay in wait. The others were not so affected as they, it seemed only those who held animal-based abilities were reacting to whatever this was afflicting their senses. Nevertheless, Ava knew she had a job to do, so she took and deep breath so to regain her focus and turned back to the matter at hand.

Earlier that day Fury had informed them of a major arms deal going down. Now, they weren't usually called in for jobs like this. Arms deals and petty crime were things that the regular law enforcers like the FBI, and the Police Department, could handle on their own. However, this one was different. Rumor was that the item being sold tonight was an untouched vial of elixir, the exact same kind that created Captain America, that had some how been found in the rubble of an old WWII bunker that the scientist had once used.

No one knew if the rumors were true, and it was more likely that it was a very elaborate and risky con, but White Tiger knew of more than a few villains with unlimited resources who could spare the small fortune in order to find out. Although, if the rumors turned out to be true, Ava shuddered at the thought. They couldn't afford to let an Elixir as important as that get into the hands of a villain, any villain. Even the smallest joke of a criminal had the propensity to become something nightmarish if they had access to that stuff.

So here they were, in an old barn at midnight, biding their time and waiting for the two players to make the exchange and stop a potentially dangerous substance from going into the wrong hands. Which was proving far more difficult than originally planned.

"I'm bored," Nova huffed, a pout decorating his features "we've been here for three hours, and nothing's happened." Crossing his arms, the teenage hero grumbled "I'd rather be playing Star Force IV."

"Be patient," Spider-man scolded, his large white lenses cold and lethal in the darkness "Fury said that the deal was going down here, tonight. If you want to go home and play video games, fine, but don't come crying to me when Fury asks why you couldn't complete the mission and I have to report that you left because you were bored."

Nova's pout deepened, his shoulders hunching, and with a haughty sniff the boy turned his head away from their leader "Whatever," he sneered "it's not like you to care about the rules, you go against Fury's orders all the time, but you expect me to be a perfect little soldier?"

Spider-Man sighed, and White Tiger couldn't help but empathize, the anxiety that she had been feeling was affecting their spider. He and Nova would bicker, sure, but Spider-Man rarely out right scolded him. Now Nova was sulking, and the cat could smell the unmistakable tang of guilt seep from their leader. The young woman sighed, their target better show up soon, or their web-head wouldn't be the only one biting heads off.

Like an answer to pray, a balding skittery man in a large overcoat clutching a small steel briefcase to his chest shuffled in. The hints of white betrayed by his nervous movement gave glimpses of a doctor or scientist's coat underneath the brown cloth. He came to a stop right below the rafters they were currently perched in, their uniforms in stealth mode, and once again silence filled the space although interrupted by the shuddering breaths of the small man.

"We have the target in our sights," Spider-Man murmured softly, their comms picking up his voice with ease, "and if I'm correct, the briefcase holds the elixir."

White Tiger merely nodded, both she and Iron Fist coiled like snakes, ready to strike at their leader's command. Another beat, and soon their target was greeted by the person who was buying the mystery elixir, armed with a similar briefcase held tightly in a leather gloved hand. A soldier who very obviously worked for the Red Skull if the Hydra insignia emblazoned on his shoulder patches, grey eyes emotionless and icy.

"Cue one brainwashed goon," Ava purred, smirking at the soft laughter her comment created among the ranks, "The guests have all arrived."

As one, the team discarded the levity, for the moment at least, and once again turned their focus to what was taking place below. Polished boots clicked along the concrete floor of the old barn, his face half in shadow due to the poor lighting, before halting in front of the smaller man.

"Is that the elixir?" the soldier queried in a heavy, clipped German accent, posture clearly portraying that he had not the time or patience for pleasantries. Obviously, the man wanted to get down to business and be gone, a sentiment the other business partner not only caught on to, but shared.

"Ye-Yes," the doctor/scientist quavered, shaking hands hurriedly approaching an ancient wooden bench strewn with dusty farm tools and placing the steel case down.

The team tensed, muscles rippling beneath the leather and spandex, but none let out the slightest sound. The latches of the steel case popped open, revealing a small syringe filled with a clear liquid. "H-Here it is," the smaller man gestured, "Now, what about my money?"

The soldier sneered, "You will be paid what you are due," he intoned dispassionately "what I am more concerned about is if what you have is worth it? Are you certain that this is the same formula developed by the scientist responsible for creating Captain America?"

"It was found in the remains of his lab," the smaller man defended, removing the syringe and holding it up so to reflect the moonlight filtering through broken shingles, "along with much of his medical equipment and notes concerning the project, I'm certain of it!"

"We were told there were no more vials of the super soldier formula, that all had perished along with the scientist," the soldier probed once more, "how can I know that what you hold is not merely a ploy to get money? That it is genuine?"

"Bah!"

Ava's eyebrows lifted at the sudden gumption shown by the Doctor/Scientist who had been meek and nervous up to this point. "This is it!" the man continued, "I would have tested it, but there is only one vial and I did not wish to waste what little survived. As I said, it was found in an old medical lab that had been used extensively by the scientist and was found within a desk holding much of his notes concerning the super soldier project. What else could it be?!"

The sudden burst of impatience caused the barest hint of interest glint in the Hydra Soldier's eyes, "Then, let's get down to business." He finally stated, presenting his own briefcase, "Your payment, Doctor."

The soldier presented his steel case, opening it to showcase the multitude of bills printed with more zeros than Ava had ever seen. "Money for the exchange confirmed," the tiger hissed.

"Good," Fury's commanding voice echoed through their comms, "Move in!"

"Right." Was the unanimous response, and in a flash, the team was on the ground.

"Surrender the elixir, baldy!" Spider-Man bellowed, the moonlight playing across his chiseled frame, glinting on the imposing lenses of his mask making him look even more intimidating. The Doctor let out a terrified shriek, backing up until his spine met the unyielding wood of the bench. Ava couldn't help a chuckle of amusement.

"Yeah, hand it over nicely," White Tiger purred flexing her hand to brandish her claws, making the man twitch in a harsh flinch "and maybe I won't use you as a scratching post."

"P-P-Please," the man begged "Don't hurt me, I'll do whatever you want!"

"Sure you will," Power-Man drawled rolling his eyes behind his shades, "your kind will always do whatever it takes to save your skin, bunch of cowards."

"Ugh," Nova scoffed, his face angry and petulant as he dashed forward, "Enough talking and more fighting!"

What happened next was almost too fast for the tiger to follow, one minute they were demanding the bad guys to comply (which of course they wouldn't), and they responded with a definitive no which prompted Nova to break ranks and target the Hydra agent (which of course he would). Swallowing the growl of aggravation, Ava moved to back up the young Guardian, choosing rather to support him than snap at his hotheaded behavior. She didn't really look backwards as Iron fist joined her, deducing that the soldier was the more dangerous enemy in the room rather than the whimpering doctor.

Ava could hear Power Man and Spider-Man talking to the Doctor, the man needing little cajoling as he was currently sandwiched between Spider-Man and Power Man, who towered over them both. The Web head was yakking, giving the man a succinct lecture on why it would be better for him in the long run to just give up quietly. That's when things went horribly wrong. Ava barely had enough time to turn her attention back to the Hydra agent before Nova was sent flying backwards, knocked senseless by a powerful kick from their enemy, and then as fast as Nova had flown past her a small sound, as foreign as it was frightening, made the room stop dead in their tracks.

It wasn't a cry, or even much of a yell, it was more like a grunt of pained surprise; and it came from Spider-Man.

It was like time stopped, even the Hydra Agent had turned his attention to the young team leader. Power Man's jaw hung slack in horrified surprise, and the Doctor didn't look much better. Based on what she could see, the Tiger deduced that Nova must have flown from the force of the hit and collided directly into Spider-Man. But what happened that had made him make that sound that had Luke look so…terrified?

Casting her eyes down, and analyzing the scene, that's when Ava made the horrible realization that the syringe the Doctor had been showing off to the Hydra agent not even a moment ago was now buried in Spider-Man's abdomen, and the plunger had depressed when it had been squished against the doctor after Nova hit the trio like a bowling ball. The Hydra Agent's face twisted in raw fury, seeing that the item he had come for was now obviously gone. Looking between the Doctor, the heroes, and the door, the Hydra soldier came to a quick conclusion. Snapping up the briefcase of money, he made a run for the door and neither Ava nor Iron Fist followed. There were a thousand more like him, taking down one wouldn't make a difference.

No, they were more concerned for their Spider.

Spider-Man took a slow step backwards, his mask twisted in a wince as a bloody needle, still clutched by the Doctor, was pulled out of his body. "Uh," Luke began, voice heavy with concern "You ok, man?"

Slight tremors stole across Peter's broad shoulders and down his back, "I-I don't know, yet," he responded, his voice breathless.

Nova sat up, anxiety written across his features still visible from under the helmet, "But, you should be fine, right?" the teen practically begged as he regained his footing to stand nearby Spider-Man, "It's the serum that made Captain America, so you'll be ok! Right?"

"We don't know for sure that's what the elixir is," White Tiger snarled, "there was no label on it, it could have been anything!"

"Besides, even the old reports say that Captain America surviving the real thing was technically a fluke," Power Man threw in, his own features growing with panicked concern, "he should have died from the experience!"

"Fury!" White Tiger barked into their comms, "we need a Med-Evac NOW!"

"It's already on its way!" the man replied, voice firm, though Ava could hear the worry "Expect paramedics in T-Minus Five minutes!"

White Tiger turned to reassure their leader that everything would be fine, but by this point, Peter was panting hard, and his suit was quickly growing damp with sweat. Harsh trembling shook the young hero down to his knees, making Peter grab for the bench even as his other arm curled around his stomach. "G-Guys, I'm not doing so good," was all the Spider was able to whimper before crashing to his knees and pulling his mask up to his nose so to give violent heaves, blood and bile mixing on the floor.

Nova's face paled at the sight, then with furious glowing eyes turned to the old man and grabbing him by the front of the shirt, "Are you absolutely sure it was the super solder serum?!" he snarled.

"I-It Wasn't!" the man wailed "I swear!"

"How do you know!"

"Because I pulled it from a case with several others!" the Doctor explained, his voice high pitched and shaking in fear, "it was the scientist's lab who developed the super soldier serum, but the case had a label on it."

"What was on the label?!" White Tiger bellowed, shoving glistening claws mere millimeters away from the man's eyes.

"Trichloro ethylbenzene!" The team was silent, not really sure of what to make of the declaration.

Iron Fist, Nova and Power Man turned to White Tiger, who found her brain whirling in a dizzy dance as she found for the first time in years, a question she had no answer to. "I don't know," she whispered, before a sob rose up in her throat making her clutch her head as if to pull the knowledge they needed out, "I don't know!"

"I do," Peter wheezed from the floor, now having sunk to lay on his side, and the part of his face that they could see a sickly pallor of white, "Trichloro ethylbenzene, it's….a chemical…They, they used it in the 1940's to fight….typhoid…"

Peter's voice was slowly reduced to a whisper, the strength leaving his body. Ava knelt down, carefully edging away from the puddle on bloody vomit so to hear him more clearly, "But what is it?" she asked, clawed hands holding the Spider's face up so to open his airways.

"It's….It's…." Spider-Man's chest convulsed, his breath stuttering as he fought to stay conscious and get the words out, before he managed to wheeze "D…D…T…"

With that being said, Peter went limp before his body tensed then began to jerk and spasm in a violent seizure. Ava's hand flew to her mouth, hovering anxiously over her leader, unsure of even how to help him. Power Man wasted no time, moving from his spot behind the Doctor, and rushing to Peter. Grabbing him by the legs, the invulnerable teen pulled Spider-Man into the middle of the floor where his thrashing would hit anything and injure him further. "Tiger! Find something soft to brace his head!"

Ava nodded in understanding and rushed to her feet only to find absolutely nothing useful. Whatever tools and items left in the barn were worthless and wouldn't brace Spider-Man's head to keep him from giving himself a concussion. Casting about helplessly, the girl finally settled with kneeling down and placing the Spider's head in her lap. Looking up at the Doctor, Ava's voice took on a savage snarl "What's DDT?!"

"It's a p-pesticide!" he supplied "You know, to kill bugs like spiders and mosquitos!"

"Is it deadly to humans?" Iron Fist asked, but his question was quickly cut off by Luke.

"Does it matter?!" Power-Man growled, "In a vial as big as that, anything is deadly to humans! Add into the fact that this human has spider DNA mixed in with his, and I think we can say that we're pretty much screwed!"

"Why on earth would you be selling a pesticide to major supervillains, and advertising it as the super soldier serum?!" Ava growled.

"I don't know!" the Doctor moaned, "I thought I could make some money, and if a bad guy or two died because of it, it wasn't a real loss."

"Seriously man?!" Luke scoffed, "You honestly think selling poison to insanely powerful criminals wouldn't affect you?! How dumb are you?! You're lucky that Hydra agent left, otherwise there'd be a bounty on your head right now!"

"Who cares about any of that!" Ava snapped, "we need to take care of Web-Head, so get him over here!"

"What?! WHY?!"

"Because you are a Doctor, are you not?" Danny replied in his usual monotone, though a tad more terse than they were used to, "We need you to treat our friend until the paramedics arrive."

"Exactly!" Ava nodded, "So, get to it!"

"I can't!"

"Oh, for the love of-WHY NOT?!"

"I'm not a Doctor!" the man shrieked, "I only wore this coat to make myself look more legitimate!"

"ARE YOU FOR REAL?!"

If it wasn't for the fact that Peter's head was in her lap, Ava would have pounced on the man right then and there and clawed his eyes out. However, the Spider, who's seizure had eased, was still twitching feebly in her arms. Blood streamed from the corners of his mouth and from his nose. Honestly, the sight terrified the tiger. However, she wasn't going to allow herself to succumb to the sobbing mess she so desperately wanted to indulge in becoming. Her leader needed her to be strong, so she would be.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before the searchlights heralding the arrival of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Med-Evac as it landed in front of the large barn door. Soon, the room was flooded with paramedics, loading the young spider onto a stretcher, and whisking him away. The team followed, Power Man followed, carrying the fake Doctor by the coat collar. Within moments, they were in the air, and speeding towards the Helicarrier.

…

Nova watched as the Doctors worked on his friend stripping him of his mask and cutting his shirt off, the young guardian's hands were clenched in his lap, wishing to look away from the scene but forcing himself to watch as penance for his brash behavior. Guilt writhed in his stomach like a poisonous snake, making his head dizzy and his hands clammy. He shouldn't have jumped in. Shouldn't have initiated a fight without the Web-Head's say so. Granted, he always did, it was practically expected of him to defy Peter in some form or fashion. But this time? This time he willingly did it as an act of rebellion as revenge for scolding him earlier. To prove to Spider-Man that just because Peter was the leader didn't mean he had the right to boss him around. He didn't expect the Hydra agent to be so strong though. Didn't expect that kick that would send him flying.

Nova swallowed a hiccup, his brain playing back that horrible moment before his eyes like a cursed film reel. He was so self-absorbed, his entire attention only and purely on showing off his strength, that he was distracted by his own ego and never saw the kick coming. Then he was flying through the air, and in those few fleeting seconds it took to cross the room, Nova remembered that Spider-Man had flinched and then seemed to brace himself, almost as if…he knew it was coming? No. No, no, no, that means Peter sacrificed himself, but for what? Why would he take a hit that would end with him being stuck through with the needle?

Standing to his feet, Nova stumbled towards his friend, brushing off the hands that tried to stop him, tried to pull him back. Squeezing between the gaggled of EMT's, Nova met the blue eyes of the teen hero. Opening his mouth, the Guardian tried to voice what was spinning through his head, but the mouth so ready with quick retorts and snarky comebacks was coming up dry. Nova didn't even know when he had begun to cry, but a steady rivulet of tears were burning down his cheeks, and finally Sam could only managed a soft plea that rode on a sob.

"WHY?"

Peter somehow understood, the jerk always seemed to be able to read people's mind, and even as his chest convulsed with the effort to breathe, even as his remaining strength drained away with every word, the Spider was willing to chance his own demise, if it meant consoling his friend.

"I…knew…" Peter confirmed, his face twisted in pain, but his eyes surprisingly calm "Spider…sense...told me."

"Why didn't you move?" Nova repeated his question, tears splashing on the pristine white blankets of the stretcher.

"The serum…wrong color…" Spider-Man wheezed "knew…it was fake…couldn't dodge…and save you…no time…you would have…gotten…stuck…"

A harsh coughing fit rocked the trembling frame, fresh streams of blood ran down Peter's chin from his nose and flew from his mouth with every wet cough staining the sheets and blankets red. The fit lasted for over a minute until Peter lay back, every labored breath rattling deep in his throat, before turning back to Nova. A weak smile perked up the red stained lips, and the bloody hand that had been used to cover his mouth gave a trembling thumbs up.

"D-Don't…worry, Sam…We're…all…good,"

Peter's blue eyes rolled into the back of his head, making it loll to the side, and then his heart stopped. The plane froze in shock as the resounding tone of the heart monitor echoed, somehow managing to be even louder than the jet engines. It didn't take long for the EMT's to recover, though, each grabbing a different tool and rebounding back onto their patient. One person used a strange plastic balloon to squeeze air into Peter's lungs, while another performed chest compressions. Another EMT prepped the defibrillator, watching anxiously as it charged.

"Spider-Man," Nova tried weakly, "Web-Head? Peter? PETE?!"

Nova shook the Spider as hard as he dared, desperately trying to roust him. "Please, wake up!"

"Can someone get him out of the way?!" a doctor barked, prompting two nurses to try prying Nova off Peter's limp form.

Nova wriggled out of their grasp, shaking his head in disbelief, "No! You can't die! Please! I can't lose my family again!"

"Come on, son! We need room to work!"

"No!" Nova shouted, straining against the pulling of the nurses "He's not allowed to do this! He's not allowed to just say we're all good and then die! I won't lose another brother!"

"SOMEONE GET THIS KID OUT OF HERE!"

"LET ME GO!"

"Charge is ready, CLEAR!"

Nova snapped out of his struggle, his foggy mind registering a different touch, and turned to see White Tiger tugging him away before returning his gaze back to Peter. Nova's shoulders shook in broken sobs, green eyes wide as he watched Peter's torso arc off the stretcher from the shock meant to restart his heart. Ava pulled him more forcefully, digging in her heels, her own mask sticking to her face as it became wet with her own tears until finally she had the boy in her arms and was hugging him tightly ensuring that he couldn't watch any more. Confronted by the sudden physical contact, and the fact he couldn't see Peter or the doctors working on him, the young guardian was overwhelmed by the emotions tumbling through him like a solar storm. Clinging to the girl who was as good as a sister, Nova allowed her to remove his helmet, and buried his face into the crook of her neck.

"I'm so sorry," he sobbed, "I'm so, so sorry!"

"Oh, Nova," Ava murmured, removing her soaked mask to reveal bloodshot tearful eyes, "it isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is!" Nova bawled, "he took the hit! Do you hear me?! HE took the HIT! He knew it was poison! He knew it was fake the whole time! And he still let me hit him so I wouldn't get hurt or stuck by the needle! It's MY FAULT! I charged in there like an idiot because I was mad! I'm the one who was distracted in a fight and got kicked in the face! And he still took the hit….to save me…it's…it's my fault…"

Sam's rant had gone from a bellowing shout, until it dissipated into grieved sobs. Ava held on, allowing the guardian to grieve, watching as the EMT's shocked Peter again and again, each time hoping his heart would restart. Finally, the Spider rallied, a weak but steady heartbeat was back on the monitor. That was about the time they docked into the Helicarrier and the four teens scrambled out of the way so that the paramedics could zoom their patient as fast as humanly possible to the infirmary. Nova still hadn't released Ava, his frame shaking like an autumn leaf, shock settling into his bones and leaving the boy feeling numb. With nowhere else to go, the somber group made their way to the infirmary, where they hoped their friend and brother in arms would be saved.

…

Peter slowly returned to consciousness, his mouth and throat feeling as dry as a desert like a thousand cotton balls had been shoved inside. Where was he? The Spider attempted to think back to where he had last been, but to no avail, he couldn't quite remember. A dull throb in his stomach made the still barely conscious teen wince, and with the pain a small memory resurfaced. He had been staking out a barn…there was a fight…he'd gotten hurt. Right?

That would certainly explain why he hurt all over, and why his throat felt like he had drunk a goblet of molten lava. Not to mention his ribs. Had an elephant danced on them? He didn't remember any elephants; elephants wouldn't fit in that barn. Well, maybe one would, but elephants can't dance so therefor it would still be unlikely that-.

"Did you see that? I think he's waking up," a hyper voice floated into the inky blackness where Spider-Man's consciousness currently floated.

"Are you sure?" a tolerant female voice questioned.

"I swear I saw his pinky move."

"It could have been simply a reaction to the Spider being in a dream state," a monotone voice said in rebuttal.

"Yeah," a deep baritone voice agreed, "or a random synapse from his brain that sparked movement,"

"I mean it, guys, he's waking up."

"Calm down, Sam," the feminine voice scolded, "even if he were, do you think he'd want his first reaction of coming back from the dead to be your face hanging an inch away from his?"

Sam? That name sounded familiar…

Nova, his brain helpfully supplied. That's right, Nova. The name caused the picture of a bratty kid wearing a bright helmet with kind green eyes spark across the darkness. The picture was quickly followed by the picture of a young Hispanic girl with chocolate brown eyes with feline grace. She was replaced by a blond teenage boy who exuded the wisdom of an old soul, and lastly a towering giant who Spidey somehow knew was one of the kindest and funniest people he knew floated through. These people, they were people he knew, but who?

Teammates, his brain supplied again.

Ok, they were his teammates. Wait…TEAMMATES?!

…

Ava watched the form of their leader, noting his breathing, the beeps of the monitors, everything. Nova was watching even closer. The four of them had been huddled inside the infirmary for the past week while their leader lay in a coma. The doctors were amazed, and said he was alive only due to his spider mutation, but the coma was also caused BY the spider mutation due to the spider DNA having such a violent reaction to the DDT. It was both a pro and a con situation, one Ava hoped they'd never have to endure again. Coulson was able to somehow convince Aunt May that Peter had been called away on a once in a lifetime science internship with Stark Industries. Aunt May was thrilled, if only it were true. However, it wasn't, and thankfully the incredibly kind woman had been spared the worry and heartache of waiting for Peter to wake up. Like they were. Not that they weren't finding ways to distract themselves from the gloomy situation.

Luke and Danny sat in an intense game of Uno, both trying to take a break from the concern and gnawing fear of the Spider never waking up. She was doing her homework, and Peter's too to be honest. Coulson had been informing his teachers that he was in an accident and so Ava had been 'taking homework to Peter' for the past week. At first, she just did the immediate assignments that were due first, but then as the week went on and the coma continued, Ava took on the responsibility of maintaining Peter's cover. Even going so far as to study his handwriting style so not to arouse suspicion. It was a surprisingly soothing distraction.

Sam, on the other hand…

Sam had been parked next to Peter's bed since they arrived. The guilt he felt driving him to become the Spider's personal bodyguard. Not that anyone had the heart to try and keep him from his self-imposed vigil. After the way Nova lost it in the Med-Evac, the team had seen a side of their brash and goofy prankster that they never even knew existed. They already viewed each other as family, but this situation had forced themselves to face something that they had never put into words before, at least not until Peter's heart stopped. Then Nova was a sobbing mess, looking much younger than he actually was, and for the first time in years Ava felt like the young teenage girl she truly was.

The team had clung to each other that first night, taking turns holding Peter's hand, pretending not to flinch when it felt like the space between beeps on the heart monitor took too long. In the darkness of that first night, they whispered their secret to each other, admitting to each other that they loved each other, that they were siblings by heart, even if not by blood. Those sentiments were not repeated once daylight broke and have not since been touched upon. Although, Ava knew it wouldn't be fair to keep Peter out of the loop, he deserved to know that he had four siblings he could count on.

Ava smiled at the thought, warmth flooding her with the knowledge that they would be able to say these things to Peter once he woke up but was broken out of her reverie by a loud gasp. "Did you see that? I think he's waking up!"

The girl looked towards where Sam sat, his green eyes watching Peter's fingers intently, giving a tolerant sigh, Ava returned to her essay "Are you sure?"

Sam's head nodded vigorously "I swear I saw his pinky move."

Danny pursed his lips in careful thought, throwing down a collect four that made Luke groan, "It could have been simply a reaction to the Spider being in a dream state,"

"Yeah," Luke agreed, although he was sending in unhappy pout at the monk while viciously grabbing four cards and putting them into his already overly abundant hand, "or a random synapse from his brain that sparked movement,"

Sam had switched from watching the Spider's fingers to analyzing the sleeping face, almost brushing noses as he searched for any sign that their leader was coming back to the realm of the living, "I mean it, guys, he's waking up."

"Calm down, Sam," Ava scolded, standing up with the intent to pull their crazy baby brother away from the Web-head, "even if he were, do you think he'd want his first reaction of coming back from the dead to be your face hanging an inch away from his?"

It was in that moment that their world, or at least that room flew into chaos. Because, just as Sam was turning to snap a retort back to Ava, Peter's blue eyes flew open with a gasp that rivaled the same one a drowning man would give upon reaching fresh air, and also chose to fling himself up into a sitting position. That ultimately failed, though, because Sam was in the way which lead to the two of them conking heads hard enough Ava could have sworn she heard their brains rattle.

"Owww…." Both teens moaned in unison.

Luke and Danny had long rushed over, their eyes alight with ecstatic relief that the coma had come to an end but found themselves shaking their heads at the all too predictable sight. "Jeeze, Sam," Luke drawled, a smile spilling across his features "he literally just woke, up are you trying to knock him back out?"

Sam sent a pout Luke's way, but his attention was quickly diverted when Peter fell against his pillows and started coughing. Ava ran to the mini-fridge they had installed a few days back, and grabbed a bottle of water. Uncapping it, she waited until the coughing fit passed before gently pressing the bottle to Peter's lips. The Spider flinched, but when his eyes focused and he saw his team he allowed the contact, one shaking hand unsteadily assisting Ava so not to give the impression that he was entirely helpless. The tiger merely smiled, letting the gesture slide, she knew the Spider's pride all too well. She was just happy he was awake.

Peter drank deeply, long enough to croak out a question, "Is everyone ok?"

"Seriously?" Luke chuckled "You're the one who almost dies, and you're asking if we're ok?"

"You're my team," Peter shrugged, as if that explained everything before another bout of coughing had the teen hero curled in half.

After several more sips of water, and a couple more coughs, Peter cast bleary eyes around the room, focusing on each team member as if reassuring himself they all really were ok. "Where," he began in a soft breathless whisper, voice hoarse from disuse, "where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary on the Helicarrier," Ava explained, "you've been in a coma for a week,"

"Coma?" Peter's eyebrows knit together in confusion, faint flashes of a barn and fight rose to the forefront of his mind, but Peter couldn't quite put the pieces together "What happened?"

Ava sighed, they had been expecting this, the Doctor said that some memory loss after a coma, much less the trauma of his heart stopping, wasn't uncommon, "We were staking out a barn, some guy claimed he had a vial of the original Super Soldier Serum, and we were making sure that no one got their hands on it if it really was legitimate."

"The serum," Peter recounted, blue eyes growing far away as that night slowly started coming back "it was the wrong color, I knew it was fake."

"What do you mean the wrong color?" Luke asked, his head cocking in confusion.

Peter drug his gaze up to Luke's immense height, already feeling the strain to stay awake "I've read everything about the super soldier program," Peter answered, licking dry lips as the effort of speaking made his mouth dry up, "I was even allowed to see the redacted files that S.H.I.E.L.D. holds in their archives. According to the chemical makeup of the serum, and what pictures we have, it should have been a crystal blue. The serum the Doctor had was clear, like water. I knew it was fake."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ava groaned, pinning the Spider with an anguished gaze.

"Didn't want to take the chance of the Hydra guy calling in his friends. It was better that everyone stays in the dark so to keep control and hope for the best outcome." Peter shrugged weakly.

"Yeah, about the Hydra guy," Sam began, green eyes lowered in shame, "I-!"

"You already apologized on the plane," Peter interrupted, giving a dismissive wave of his hand, "it's fine."

"What? No, I didn't!" Sam snapped.

"Maybe not verbally," the Spider yawned, blue eyes growing heavy, "but I could tell you were already beating yourself up. I said it then, and I'll say it again, we're good. I'm not angry. I'm just glad you're ok."

With that, the pale eyelids fluttered closed, and their leader was asleep his chest rising and falling in soft even breaths. Sam tried to get angry at the Spider, he really did, but the relief that they had proof Peter was getting better was too strong for the emotion to linger, much less grow. With a muttered "Jerk," Sam grabbed a nearby pillow and clambered onto the bed, squeezing himself between the bed railing and Peter.

Ava grinned, grabbing a pillow for herself, and running to claim Peter's other side before Danny or Luke could. The monk had no issues, he somehow managed to find a comfortable spot between the two boys, laying his head on Sam's stomach, with part of his legs hanging off the end. Luke was too big to fit on the bed anyway, his muscular frame barring him from taking part in the cuddle fest. However, he made do, scooting a cot over next to the hospital bed where he could keep watch over his friend, his family.

As the night wore on, the team that had suffered the rockiest of starts, found themselves enjoying the first restful sleep they've had in a week. They were family, and as long as they lived, they would always have each other's back.

Whew….that was a long one. As always, please, REVIEW! And let me know your thoughts about this chapter!