Peter knew better than to go out while Liv and Nat were having their ‘talk’. He’d been on the receiving end of plenty of those himself and Liv was hardcore when she got going. If she wanted him to know what was being said she would tell him, strangely enough, of everyone Liv was the most open with him, never shying away from an argument or topic of conversation regardless of its subject. It was just strange to Peter, being so close to someone who’d tried to kill him, and he wondered if he and Flash would ever be that close.

Bleh, he thought as he even considered it, close enough to beat the shit outta him again, he joked to himself but at the back of his mind, he already knew that Flash was of no consequence.

“Peter dear, its safe'' Liv joked as she spoke through the doorway and Peter nodded at her as he finished packing a bag, it wasn't the neatest of thing as he just stuffed underwear and a few spare t-shirts and trousers into the tote bag they normally used for heist but as he had his symbskin it was enough that he could fool anyone nosey enough. He undid the headset Liv had made all of them

“Boss’s orders, no electronics,” and handed it over and Liv scowled and shook her head.

“These are shielded against counter intrusion and don't register on scanners or any frequency unless they're in use.”

“No!” Nat shouted from the coffee table, “not unless I clear it,” and Liv just shook her head.

“Well, as she might be my boss as well, I guess we have to listen.”

“Uh, coming too?” Peter asked her but she shook her head.

“Next time, Nat will explain as you fly but yes, with the others happy with the Black Cat network, I'm at a loose end dear, and I would like to join you.” and Peter nodded while smiling

“Always welcome,” and as he hoisted the bag over his shoulder he kissed Liv on the cheek, “I uh, left some dishes in the sink though, this wasn't exactly planned, oh and uh, the wheelchair is still at Shield HQ, can you grab it?” and Liv just chuckled and shook her head.

“Leaving for a trip and expecting me to clean up after you, really dear?” but Peter smiled and kissed her again as she fake scowled, but wrapped her arms around him

“Will make it up to you when we get back,” and as Nat finished her coffee, Peter and Liv shared one last hug and kiss while she waited.

Nate was subdued as she and Peter drove to the Shield HQ. They would be taking one of the Shield quinjets over and land right at the facility. The situation in Sokovia was too volatile for any kind of civilian flight and with the urgency of the mission, time was more important than stealth. She had received a text from Fury while Peter was finishing his packing. Clint had been hurt as he and Tony took down the Ultron drones at the facility in Idaho. This mission was now strictly recon, which as Peter was a rookie and an unknown, suited her fine.

“Stow your gear here,“ and Nat pointed to one of the storage bins under the seats. “Preflight takes about half an hour, and we should talk. First, sorry, you're right I was unprofessional and you didn't deserve that. Second, Liv will be tested, along with you and then join us. Third, this won't happen again. No more flirting if I'm your commanding officer, and Liv also made it clear that you're off-limits.”

Peter shrugged, “I don't really do repeats. If the girls had been welcoming then sure, but no, they were mad at us both for that. I mean, I had to cook, clean and provide back rubs for a month after.”

Nat laughed, “Oh poor Peter, sex with a beautiful woman and then treated like dirt after. I’m sure those back rubs became more than just their back that got rubbed,” and she winked as Peter smiled. Back rubs always became more, even if they started off innocent.

“Orders still stand though, no weapons, no going Venom or whatever you call that black suit stuff unless I say so. Keep on coms, oh, take a throat mic from the locker on the left, it's marked communications gear. And well, sit tight and get comfy, preflight checks are boring but necessary.”

Peter watched as Nat transformed from flirty to serious, each panel was checked, engines, and a whole bunch of things that Peter didn't even know the craft had. While he was tempted to let his symbskin interface with the quinjet, he also promised not to use his powers without permission, and knowing his luck Nat would notice and he’d get in trouble.

“Right, well, with a long flight we can talk, you can sleep while I fly or we can do something else? It has autopilot,” Nat explained, “Liv and I had a talk, and I’m in the bad books, but if you want we can do some stuff, it seems I got permission.”

“Uh, didn't you just say no flirting while on a mission?” Peter asked and Nat laughed,

“Always wanted to join the mile-high club, now's your chance Pete,” Nat said while fingering the zip on her bodysuit. “It’s okay this time as well, we can have some fun but, yeah, once more but then you’re off-limits. Well, until I prove myself,” Nat said, rolling her eyes. ' I mean, you’re nice and all but I don't really want to be part of a relationship, so, autopilot, semi-comfortable chairs and a few hours to kill, yes or no?” she asked, moving the zip down slightly. 

Peter wondered if this was a test, maybe not Nats doing but the girls had been mad at the attempt last time, and he had promised himself to try and exercise some restraint.

Shaking his head, “can’t,” and he sighed, restraint sucked, especially when Nat pulled the zip down further and her large breasts spilled out,

“Hey, restraint can be learned later, one last time and then I can teach you how to reign everything in. Fighting is fine, spy work is 80 per cent lying 20 per cent fighting, the biggest part is learning to keep your emotions in check, so take this as a freebie, not a test. I'm not going to get mad,” and she shimmied out of the suit, standing naked before him and under the brighter lights, Peter could see just how excited she was, not just smell it. “Plus, I use that cream all the time, and someone forgot to mention it was based on his own biology, so one last time.” and running a finger down his front “please?” he swallowed and nodded.

Idiot, he thought and taking out a small bottle from his luggage he sprayed the air and then over at Nat, “turn on the air con and flush the interior,” he said, shaking his head. Nat was attractive and flirty and being this close of course she was affected by the pheromone as he was by her. 

Nat laughed and shook her head, lifting her face up and moving closer to him. “Liv warned me, that while your powers are better you still get aroused easily,” and sure enough, there were a pair of nose plugs. “I want this, and I got permission this time, so, pants off? or are you going to pussy out and use your scent as an excuse?”

“Pussy out huh? I remember you lasted about four strokes last time, so who’ll pussy out?” but then he sighed. “No, you were right, I need to stop thinking with my dick and this,” and Peter motioned to the very attractive Nat “is so tempting but we can’t, and you know we can’t”

Nat pursed her lips and grabbed her jumpsuit from the floor. “Your loss,” and headed back to the front of the aircraft. “Technical manual for the quinjet is in one of the storage bins over the seats in the back, find it and read it. It's a five-hour flight.” and the door to the cockpit closed.

Peter shook his head, Nat was right but he still felt like crap. If Liv and the others had said it was okay they’d left it up to him, and for once, he’d said no. It sucked and he could see the disappointment on Nats face. self-control, he repeated over and over in his mind as he fumbled around in the locker for the manual Nat was talking about. Slumping he saw the 500-page thick book and its four other friends. Yup, she might be more responsible but I guess even she can get mad. And lifting volume one down he began to read.

As he was nearing the end of volume One, Nat poked her head out from the cockpit, “hey figured you were hungry,” and Peter blinked as he looked up from the manual, 

“Already?” and she nodded.

“We land in about an hour, entering Sokovian airspace now.” and Peter felt the lurch as the quinjet slowed down to civilian flight speeds. Nat lifted one of the seats and pulled out two pouches from the storage underneath, handing one to Peter.

“Sorry,” he said as he tore the top off the gel paste, “it wasn't fair to blame the pheromone, I mean, who wouldn't be intimidated when a beautiful woman unzips her top.”

Nat laughed and moved to tear open her own pouch just as the exterior warning alarm sounded, “shit,” she swore and headed back into the cockpit.

“Flight nine-Zulu-Zulu, we have inbound bogies, repeat, we have incoming.” Nat started to hit buttons on the panel and grabbed the control stick in front of her, “No time, missiles, from the speed, can you?” and she shook her head, “stupid question,” and grabbing the quinjet controls she banked to one side as a small missile streaked past.

“Guns?” Peter asked her.

“Kinda busy, auto only,” she said, pushing a few icons on the control panel in front of her.

Peter shook his head, “if this is bullshit again, I’ll-“

Nats yelled angrily, interrupted him, “fuck your bullshit. Missiles, fucking do something if you can.”

Peter let his symbskin melt into the control panel and he familiarised himself with the weapons systems, actively avoiding the flight and environmental controls. The last thing he wanted was to take something offline accidentally while learning how things worked. Reading the manual was one thing but directly interfacing with it was another.

He felt the auto-tracking lock-on and actively turning the guns he sent out a spray of bullets towards the projectile.

“Not good enough, countermeasures as well, learn fast or we die in the air,” she yelled, tilting the jet again to avoid a second missile streaking at them. “Shit, must be a ship somewhere, can you find it, active radar and tracking.”

“I’ve no time, I can't learn on the fly, not unless you want me to take over the whole jet” he yelled back, splitting his focus with the guns and the radar. “Nothing, the sky is empty,”

“Ground site then, might get more, shoot more.”

Peter felt the chaff and flare guns fire and the missiles streaked towards the cloud of floating strips, taking better aim he allowed his senses to take over the radar and with precise control, he fired once more.

The missiles exploded in the air, and Nat shouted “great, just don't get cocky kid,” and the jet tilted once more as two more shapes sped past them.

“There's too many of them,” he yelled, “not enough flares and stuff.” 

The quinjet was set up for passengers, minimal armaments and more suited for civilian transport than combat, and even Nat knew that with a sky full of metal, they were going to be shot down.

“Can you, I dunno, make armour or something?” she asked, as the jet spiralled and rolled to avoid the now four missiles.

“Yes, but only over me, I don't think I can make a suit big enough to cover us both, not from fucking missiles,” he shouted back, trying to aim the guns the best he could.

Their flight was cut short, another two shapes sped past and two more exploded into the back of the jet, taking out its engines and the craft began to spin and fall.

“Doesn't matter, try anyway,” and Nat, grabbed her suit but grabbed onto him, “better than exploding in a fireball,” and as they made their way to the exit Peter could still feel that the four missiles were all turning and heading back their way. 

Nat pushed the emergency release on the side door, and as it exploded outwards, the sudden release of pressurised gas pulled them both out and into the sky.

Holding close to him Nat and Peter both watched as all four missiles hit the quinjet and it exploded in a  huge fireball, showering them with debris. Nat coughed blood as the pressure wave slammed into them, sending them spiralling in the air and a piece of the jet stuck out of her back like a comically large dagger.

Shit, Peter thought as she went limp in his arms and spreading out his symbskin he covered her the best he could, letting out webbing and securing the piece. As his skin covered her he knew it was right through her and only his thicker armoured skin saved him from the same fate.

Letting his scenes out he felt two minds close by, and turning he let his skin spread out in a huge parachute, slowing them down.

I don't know if you can hear me but please don't be afraid, we are hurt and need help, please, look up and you should see us.

Peter hoped the pair were friendly as they glided down.

From nowhere a young boy appeared, probably the same age as Peter, with dirty blond hair and a scruffy beard. “Hey, was that you?” he asked, his accent thick and definitely eastern European.

“Help,” was all Peter could croak, as they impacted on the ground, “she’s hurt.”

“I know, be right back with dad,” and the boy disappeared.

Peter figured he was seeing things as he reappeared a moment later with a much older man, buff, and very angry looking.

“So, I guess Shield sent someone for us after all.“ He said and with a wave, the debris beginning to rain down around them harmlessly floated away, and the boy turned into a blur and moved it out of the way.

“And you are?” he asked, and Peter recognised the look he was getting, answer or else flowed from the man.

“Uh, Peter, Peter Parker, and you?” he asked, picking himself up and brushing away the dirt.

Standing tall, a head taller than Peter the man drew himself up to his full height. He was old, much older than  Peter had first thought but he had the physique of a man used to working the land, dirt and grime covered both hands as he cast a critical eye over Peter.

“Erik, Erik Lehnsherr, but you may call me Magneto."