A/N: The last chapter of 2019, feels a bit crazy to be saying goodbye, almost feel like the year just started. But hopefully with the new year will come good things. Like some new stories. And wrapping up some old ones. I'm hopping to finish up with The Dark Spider before summer roles around, and then work a bit in Bleach and Ben 10, but let's see what happens.

Just have a Great New Year and be happy all my fellow reader and writers!

Arc: Emerge and Recede

Chapter 19: Ethical Nonsense

Two Days Prior

It was a feeling not unlike stepping out of a warm bath and letting the cold air touch your skin. The world felt alien and uncomfortable all over again. Their pale skin practically vibrated as the sun touched it, and grey tinted eyes looked at the eye patch wearing director, and while they weren't much of one for picking up details or really reading people—you'd have to be blind to not spot the flicker of surprise that shone through in the confused shield director's eye.

Smiling the pale skinned and narrowed eyes of what appeared to be Peter B. Parker in the flesh raised their empty hands and patiently waited for Fury's mind to catch up.

"Surprise?" They taunted, once melded one was not so easily separated, but revealing that little information wasn't exactly in their best interest.

Fury scoffed and snapped his fingers. Aloud whirring appeared overhead and they only needed to slightly tilt their heads up to catch sight of the circling SHIELD helicopters. The metallic wires connected to their little prison and Fury spared them no pleasantries as they were airlifted away to the next prison—but it just so happened that as they become airborne they saw none other than their little red bird come running around the corner. Her concern and aggravation so easy to read you'd think she was legitimately worried about them.

Back on ground level Fury started after the slowly leaving the scene of their latest Venom capture attempt. He knew this one made an even bakers dozen, it seemed that with each attempt they only assisted in training the arachnid themed hero in evading them, but they finally got it. He wished he hadn't needed to resort to such a sickening way of doing it…

"Fury!"

Turning back to the carnage he saw the redhead herself sprinting over to him, he was in no mood for a teen drama earful from some lovesick girl.

Hands crossed behind his back and trusted SHIELD scientist Doctor Markel. His results spoke for themselves and even did well enough to cover for his particular eccentricities. As the red haired mutant approached he handed off the compartment holding their little black ooze friend.

"Agent Grey, what is it now?" Straight to the point and so blunt it stings.

"You!"

"Me?" Fury interjected hoping to throw her little tirade off course before it built up any undue steam.

"You said that I could be here to talk to him! It was our deal!"

Sighing he punched the bridge of his nose and waved away his lead scientist, no point keeping their progress on hold while he explained proper operating procedures to some deluded half trained girl.

"And you will. But these next few hours are crucial, between transport and a psych evaluation and physical, I made the executive decision that your star crossed love reunion could wait another day."

To those watching it was truly a sight, it usually took a lot to get Jean flustered enough for her face to turn the same shade as her hair but the director had that special ability to file just about anyone up with his personal charm.

"And who better than me to perform psych evaluation Huh?!" Jean threw out, grasping at honest straws in hope of remaining involved in this little assignment.

Fury was about to reply with 'someone less biased and emotionally involved' but he stopped as he really though about it. The pieces really were coming together.

"Fine, come along."

[The Dark Spider]

To say that they were bored would be to say that the sky was blue, or water was wet, or—well you get the idea. Back to the proverbial starting line as it were, it was bad enough that they had been outsmarted, but it was worse still to be placed right back in some bland looking SHIELD containment unit, as if it hadn't proven incapable of holding them previously.

Their hand came up and massaged their temple, the long brown hair was starting to get in the way and they were only now realizing that not getting a haircut for a few weeks lead to this as a result. Unexpected right?

His fingers performed a soft circular motion, he felt off. He recalled a feeling not unlike this one from before but…

A pain much like a crack from a whip made him hiss, and the sudden cramping of his arm and leg forced his thoughts away from that particular thought and toward the sliding doors cracking open and letting light soil inward to his cell. Two figures stood there. One he knew quite well, the other less so but still well enough to recognize. It was Jaque and Franklin from his favorite late night talk show!

Jean and Fury steppes into the room and allowed the light to ally mínate their faces. Their face fell and to add to their dissatisfaction at guessing incorrectly they clicked their tongue and gave a shake of their head.

"I was really confident about that one." They spoke, the faintest hint of a warble to Peters voice.

Jean was never one to hide her emotions, the kind hearted redhead who wore her heart on her sleeve—just never make her mad.

Fury had the poker face of gambling god so he was absolutely no help at discerning reactions.

Luckily he was relatively unneeded in figuring this one out. They expected him to be a wreck—a messy one—after being separated. But what they had done was fall right for his plan. Which was less a plan and taking advantage of the fact he had lost. But he wasn't about to give these SHIELD guys a free point, not like he was at his best anyway.

"P-Peter…?" Jean reluctantly asked, her left hand twitching slightly as she struggled to keep from raising it.

His smile could be classified as many things, but one who looked upon him right now would only really call it one thing. A devilish smirk. Her hand instantly stopped trembling as her eyes shimmered with golden green light. Her jaw set with a frown marring that pretty face of hers and a crease along her forehead from how hard she had narrowed those eyes of hers.

Taking this set up perfectly they shrugged their shoulders and offered a more 'genuine' smile.

"What can I say Jean? You can the man out of the suit...but you can't take the suit out of a man."

He regretted taunting her the instant the last syllable left his mouth as she extended a hand so fast the glow around her fingers left spits in his vision and the sudden vice like sensation around his head had him seeing nothing seconds after. One pained scream later and he was lying on the floor a small trail of drool dribbling out of the corner of their mouth.

Jean felt her teeth grind against each other, a warm tear ran down her face and the feeling of failure that she'd grown so accustomed to filled her entirely.

The glow vanished from her hand as she recalled the words of the Professor, consideration before action, and foresight instead of hindsight, he said these lines to her so often she'd think he was some bog standard video game NPC...but he was a real person who...who just wanted her to be careful with her gifts. Her gaze remained on Peter, and she was certain that if he was in his right mind he'd want that too.

All those thoughts of what he'd say, what he'd do, all those pretty little mental flashes about someone else just stop as soon as she feels a hand around her wrist. Her mouth goes dry and she's back to that night. The voices. The mugger. Her first time seeing Spider-Man up close and personal. Being saved. And she can't stop but think about what she could have done differently to change this outcome. To get something else, something better.

"Grey!"

She flinches, eyes frantic and searching. She's in a SHIELD carrier cell, Peters unconscious, and the person with their hand invading her space is none other than Boss man of the whole thing himself Fury.

She coughs, clearing her throat, making sure to prevent potential voice cracks.

His grip tightens, his sole visible eye narrows and he's ready to scream her head off. But he calms himself, the mili-second of expression vanished into thin air and he just shakes his head in disappointment.

"Go back to your quarters Agent, I'll send for you when Parker wakes up again."

And like that he's gone, and she's ruined her chance to get first crack at Peter unopposed and unrestricted. Her leash just got a whole lot shorter and she's not sure how to fix it. She wants to believe that it's not panic and fear welling up inside her. But she's be lying if she even suggested something else. Her lips stay clamped shit and she bows her head as acknowledgement before ducking out of the room.

Fury started at her as she simply walked away, ashamed obviously—she failed to live up to basic expectations any agent would be ashamed of that—but she's angry, some at herself, mostly at...the world?

"Teenagers…" he sighs, pinching his nose and refusing to let it stress him out when he has actual thousands of more important issues to deal with before dinner hour.

He offers the unconscious teen that's given him no end of issues over the last...month? He'd lost track of the calendar at some point, but it was over. Medics would look him over, Jean would get his head straight, and HE could finally get on with this insane task of his.

It was funny, at some point he'd laugh but he'd need to remember how first, he'd figure it out...right, it was funny how well he knew the carrier. He often overheard agents talking about how well they knew parts of the carrier, but Fury felt abundantly confident in his ability to maneuver the place completely blind and without issue.

So when he quickly came upon his office it was no surprise, what did surprise him was the very young girl with an oversized katana in a bright red sheath with long flowing white hair. Her black and red dress almost like a tarp thrown over her nearly skeletal frame.

Without hesitation and years of practice his hand effortlessly slips into his pocket and pulled out the force protection field projector. His thumb pushing in the button and his eye waiting patiently to see the world take on a blue hue as the field comes to life. But it doesn't happen. In fact…

"Right, Snow Ogre to what do I owe the pleasure of yet another visit?"

She seems nonchalant, uncaring, and definitely uninterested. It takes longer than it should for her to reply, but she eventually gets around to it.

"You've done well to get back on the right track, but WATCHER says it's already too late. Things are permanently changed, I'm just here to say goodbye."

To say he was surprised would be to say he breathed air. It was so stupendously obvious that even as she clicked her fingers and vanished from the air before him, he simply started at the spot and waited.

Finally, with the relief that always came with it, he fell into his comfy desk chair and just...took...a breath.

And with that exhale he opened his eye to see a panting Agent at his door, generic five foot eight, brown hair, brown eyes, sun kissed skin, nothing special or remarkable. But he was here in a hurry for a reason.

"Agent?"

He coughs, clearing his throat and saluting, "Sir! Medical has examined Prisoner 0034-6709P and have identified something startling!"

Raising his remaining brow Fury crossed his arms, motioning for the agent to continue.

"If he remains separate from the symbiote...it could prove life threatening."

And to this, Fury has only one reply, "Shit."