[The rush of words washed over him and Steve just smiled. He'd desperately missed the kid's enthusiasm and breathless way of speaking. And the total candor Peter spoke with. The kid just didn't seem capable of lying, or inclined to try. It was so . . . refreshing.

It took him a while to figure out all of what Peter had said, however. The kid talked so fast and that was a lot of information!]


So let me get this straight. You're a genius who managed to get bit by a spider. That bite gave you powers, like super strength and . . . other stuff? You decided to be a superhero after inventing a ton of neat toys to help you out and Tony saw you saving the city. He decided to recruit you to fight me? Why did he want you to fight me? Why did you say yes? How did you steal my shield? And don't say ass. You've spent too much time with Tony Peter, you're swearing.


[A lot of questions on his side, but there wasn't any heat behind them, or the rebuke about language. Steve was just curious as hell. He'd heard a little about the "civil war" that he and Tony had, but he wasn't entirely certain how accurate that information had been. It just seemed so . . . sad. That they'd fight so viciously they made friends choose sides and destroyed everything they'd built to that point. Hadn't anyone tried to stop them?]