Chapter 33: Black Widow
When Peter finally got a clear look at the person outside the door, his pupils contracted slightly.
Black Widow. Natasha Romanoff.
He recognized her instantly.
The change in Peter's expression lasted only a fraction of a second, but it was more than enough for a top-tier agent like Natasha. She caught every detail.
He knows me, Natasha concluded.
"And you are…?" Peter asked, feigning ignorance.
"Hi," Natasha greeted him with a warm smile. "I just moved in next door. My name's Natasha Romanoff. I arrived today and thought I'd come by to meet my neighbor."
"Peter Parker," he replied.
"May I come in?" Natasha asked, lifting the bag of fruit in her hands.
"Uh… you're too kind," Peter said, stepping aside to let her in.
Once inside, Natasha casually scanned the room before placing the fruit on the table.
"Please, have a seat," Peter offered.
"Where?" Natasha asked, glancing around.
Peter's apartment was small; the wardrobe, table, chair, and bed almost filled the space.
"Uh… the chair," Peter said, pointing.
Natasha took the seat as suggested.
She could tell Peter was tense, so she took the initiative, hoping to close the distance between them.
"Peter, can I call you that?" she asked lightly.
"Of course," Peter replied, forcing himself to relax.
"So, Peter, what do you do for a living?"
"I'm an intern reporter at the Daily Bugle."
"That's impressive," Natasha said, eyes lighting up. "I've always heard reporters are amazing. They rush straight into danger just to get the story. I really admire journalists."
Her tone and expression made her look exactly like a starry-eyed fan. If Peter didn't know who she really was, he might have believed it.
"It's not that big a deal," Peter replied, suppressing a grin. "We're just doing what we're supposed to do."
I never thought the always-serious Black Widow could look like this, Peter mused to himself.
"So what about you, Natasha?" he asked. "What do you do?"
"Me? I'm an insurance salesperson," Natasha replied smoothly.
She didn't hesitate. Before ever stepping into Peter's apartment, she had already prepared answers to any questions he might ask.
"Are you one of those insurance salespeople from TV who beats people up if they don't buy insurance?"
Natasha stared at him, momentarily unsure how to respond. His train of thought jumped so wildly that she couldn't quite follow.
"I'm just kidding," Peter added quickly.
"Are you always like this?" Natasha asked, studying him. "So… unpredictable?"
"Unpredictable?" Peter shrugged. "I just like cracking jokes. I think it's a good way to relieve stress."
"Jokes…" Natasha murmured under her breath.
From what she knew, Spider-Man also liked making jokes. Was it also to relieve stress?
After that, Natasha asked Peter a few more casual questions, and he answered them all without hesitation.
"Well, Peter, it's getting late," Natasha said, glancing at the sky outside the window. "I'll head back now. I won't take up any more of your time."
"Let me walk you out," Peter offered.
"Alright," she agreed.
As Natasha stood up, she discreetly pressed a tiny listening device to the underside of Peter's desk.
Peter, with his spider-like senses, immediately noticed her action.
He didn't call her out. He had known from the start that Natasha's visit wasn't innocent, and her actions were well within his expectations.
"Goodbye, Peter."
"Bye," Peter replied.
The moment the words left his mouth, he shut the door firmly.
On opposite sides of that door, both of their expressions shifted.
Peter walked back to the desk, moved carefully, and peeled off the bug Natasha had planted.
The device was no larger than a button, perfectly designed for concealment.
Staring at the tiny transmitter in his palm, Peter let out a helpless sigh.
So S.H.I.E.L.D. found me this fast in this universe too.
From the very first day he arrived, Peter had known it was only a matter of time before S.H.I.E.L.D. came knocking. A superhero who appeared out of nowhere, and a Peter Parker with no verifiable past. It would have been strange if they hadn't noticed him.
Still, he wasn't ready to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. just yet. S.H.I.E.L.D., at its core, was a spy organization. They would never fully trust a Spider-Man from another universe, and Peter knew he wouldn't earn their trust easily either.
More importantly, every universe was different. He had no idea what this world's S.H.I.E.L.D. was really like. What if Nick Fury decided Spider-Man was a threat and chose to eliminate him?
"Sigh."
Peter sighed helplessly.
Truth be told, he wasn't even sure anymore whether he should join S.H.I.E.L.D.
Spider-Man had always been a lone operator. He had only joined S.H.I.E.L.D. in the first place because Fury had offered him the chance to become the Ultimate Spider-Man, a leader of a team.
But now, that team was gone. This universe's S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't the one he knew, and people like Iron Fist and the others hadn't joined it either.
He was already the Ultimate Spider-Man. There was no real need for him to join S.H.I.E.L.D. at all.
And there was an even more important reason he didn't want to.
Peter walked over to the bed and pulled the Iron Spider Armor out from underneath it.
The Iron Spider Armor contained the most advanced technology developed by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony Stark ten years into the future. It was power capable of changing the world.
Though right now, the suit was badly damaged.
Peter lacked both the materials and the lab needed to repair it.
Crunch.
Peter crushed the listening device in his hand.
Power like this couldn't be handed over to anyone, not even S.H.I.E.L.D. in this universe.
"Maybe it's time for the Ultimate Spider-Man to go back to working alone," Peter murmured.
Just then, his phone buzzed. J. Jonah Jameson had sent him a message, asking him to come in.
I wonder if Black Widow will search my apartment while I'm gone, Peter thought uneasily.
He couldn't stay home forever, and he certainly couldn't carry the Iron Spider Armor with him at all times. A mechanical backpack would draw too much attention. Doing that would only make it easier for S.H.I.E.L.D. to discover the armor.
After some thought, Peter used his webbing to secure the Iron Spider Armor to the ceiling, then activated its cloaking mode.
"That should keep Black Widow from finding it… hopefully."
After tidying up, Peter headed out.
Once Peter left the apartment, the Iron Spider Armor emitted a faint red glow.
"Instructions received: prevent Black Widow from discovering the Iron Spider Armor," a mechanical voice announced.