Sometimes when she dreams she's running from a river of blood.
Sometimes it's fire.
The promise of death always follows.
She was in a fire this time.
Smoke blocked out the sky as rampaging frenzied flames consumed everything in its rageful incineration.
There were screams, people voicing out the agonizing pain of their skin peeling, of their lives being taken away.
They yelled at her as they always did.
For her to join them.
And yet...
She was not running away this time.
"I knew you'd come!"
Breaking through the painful roars and the crackling of flame, soaring high above her was a boy. There was a smile plastered on his face, unphased by the rampaging flames, blue eyes burning brighter than they did as he went deeper into the blazing inferno, and for some odd reason, she followed him.
She kept her gaze on him and watched how he pulled people away from the flames, carrying them in his arms as if it were second nature.
She looked down into her own arms to find a man in hers.
A foreign feeling was within her mind as she ran in toe with the boy, fighting against the promise of death â saving people from the fire.
It felt right.
Saving people when she was created to kill.
They saved everyone from the raging inferno.
The people all looked at her with nothing but gratitude.
The boy â Peter, was smiling.
She was too.
In that small moment, she didn't feel like a hollow machine made for killing.
She felt like a person, she felt like...
Laura Kinney woke up to the soft light of the sun shining through her window, illuminating her excessively large room. Her petite figure arose from her bed with ease, giving her thanks for giving it the rest it so very much needed.
Her mind did the same.
This feeling that had embedded itself into her mind was so foreign that she felt like a stranger in a new land. She looked around her gently lit room, eyes covering every corner. She was still in the same beige room that was left barren with only herself and the necessary components of a bedroom occupying it. Still in the same institute and grounds too, upon pushing her vibrant red drapes to the side, the same surroundings she knew like the back of her hand was shown.
The chirping of birds pulled her attention onto a small nest that was hidden away in a distant tree.
That's why everything felt off.
It was peaceful.
For once, she was allowed to have a peaceful slumber without her mind plaguing her.
Chapter 4: Troublesome Developments
She mindlessly looked past her vibrant red drapes and out her window. Her subconscious had her look past the many trees and grassy friends, past the large town that was close by, and into the direction of the city that was miles away.
The memories of yesterday came flooding in.
She recalled the beginnings of what would seem to be another day she was indifferent to. She remembered the accident that changed that, her choice to leave the mansion and get as far away from everyone as possible. She remembered the weather that seemingly mimicked her own thoughts, she remembered the boy that was her own age...
She remembered meeting Peter Parker.
Spider-Man.
She had fought alongside him against a savage creature.
Adding more to her sheer disbelief, she remembered the faces â the people she had saved with him.
She remembered her smile...
The more and more she recalled the events the more and more her mind rationalized that it was nothing more than a deluded fantasy that only the likes of a girl named Katherine "Kitty" Pryde could come up with.
And yet her room still retained the faint stench of the New York sewer system.
She let out another sniff in a hopeful attempt to find another scent, and past the stench that burned her nostrils, she indeed found another. It was a pleasant one. One that distinctly belonged to the boy she met yesterday. She turned to her bedside and grabbed her phone, recalling how he was amazed at the fact she had such a device.
She went to her contacts, her emerald eyes slightly widening as she read aloud the alliterated name.
"Peter Parker."
So it was not just a delusion.
She felt relief wash over her.
Despite how unfathomable it may have sounded, she did meet the brunette boy named "Peter Parker."
She did save lives.
And she was going to do so again, today.
She got off her bed and approached her dresser; opening up the top drawer she was greeted with clothes that were given to her by Pryde. It was full of graphic tees and colorful sweaters, clothes unfitting for her and the task she had. She did manage to find a pair of black leggings which was given to her for training and whilst she had never gotten the chance to use them for their intended purpose, she found a greater usage for them.
A greater purpose.
She grabbed them and then proceeded to the second drawer, taking out clothes that belonged to her. It wasn't much â but she didn't need much, all she needed was if it was adequate or not, which they were. Upon donning the pieces of clothing she looked at herself in the mirror.
She wore a black sports bra, a pair of black sports arm warmers that covered her upper arms down to her knuckles, a black choker with a pendant most precious to her, and the pair of black boots that she always wore.
The attire itself was good enough for her but she furrowed her brow as she was missing something vital.
"Bring a mask!"
That's right.
She did not have such a thing and while she knew where to get one, it would be challenging to do so without being seen by prying eyes, but she came up with a plan as she put on a pink shoulderless sweater.
Had she woken up earlier, it would have been easier to retrieve a mask but considering the fact that it was nine-thirty and she had slept in for an hour and a half, she would have to do it later in the day.
Breakfast was going to start any second now and everyone was required to show up.
She stepped into the grand hallway that had beige-painted walls and white pillars. The hallway was littered with doors leading to rooms just like hers, though most of them were unoccupied. The walls beside her were decorated with the finest of paintings, while luxurious chandeliers hung above her and a beautiful red carpet was gently placed with glorious golden tiles underneath her feet. She walked down the hallway, her head slightly tilted up as she thought about Parker.
She was taken out of her thoughts though as the scent of a girl was trailing right behind her. She could smell the nervousness on her before her voice shakingly radiated with it.
"Hey... X!" the high-pitched voice of a girl hesitantly said behind her in an attempt to grab her attention. It belonged to the aforementioned Kitty Pryde, one of the handful of students who lived here alongside her. She was sixteen like herself, and she stood at five feet, five inches tall, like her as well, but that was where the similarities had ended. The brunette girl who had hair that reached past her shoulders always made attempts to converse with her and despite her efforts to ignore them, she never got the hint nor did she get the concept of walls either.
Laura halted her walk and turned around to face the innocent girl who had called her by her "name." Her emerald eyes blankly watched as Pryde nervously approached her, uneasiness on full display on both her face, her body, and her behaviors.
"I uh...I just wanted to say... sorry about yesterday..." Pryde said as she guiltily lowered her head and held her elbow. Laura looked at the girl, perfectly recalling the events that led to her leaving the manor yesterday and though bitter and angered did she leave, such frustration could not be found ever since the events that had transpired.
She could tell from the regret that came from Pryde's voice that she was heavily scolded like her.
She could smell the bandage that was gently placed over a small wound.
While what she did was stupid, even Laura knew the naïve girl only had innocent intentions in mind.
She did not deserve nor did she need more scolding.
"Do not do it again," she simply said in her monotone voice, and upon hearing her words Pryde lifted her head, surprised by the sudden acceptance of her apology.
"I-I won't. I promise," she sincerely vowed to Laura who simply turned away, satisfied with her answer. She continued on to her destination, proceeding to walk towards the steps that would bring her down to the first floor and to the kitchen.
Pryde followed her.
"I'll uh...I'll make it up to you," she said as she walked side by side with her. "Like...If you ever need anything, just ask?" Kitty enthusiastically said however Laura just let out a simple "hm," to acknowledge her offer. She would never take it though, Pryde could not offer her anything outside information on the latest trends and superheroes.
Superheroes...
Laura looked at the innocent girl who adored the few characters that "Saved the day." She could not gather information about Parker yesterday but she knew Pryde could provide important details about him for she borderline obsessively drowned herself with knowledge concerning them.
"Spider-Man," Laura simply said, causing confusion to appear all over Kitty's face.
"What?" she asked as she was confused by the sudden mention of the red and blue superhero.
"What do you know of him?" Laura expanded upon her initial statement.
"uhhh...what would you like to know?" the girl asked, she was caught off guard by the request but quickly grew increasingly excited as she got a chance to talk about one of her favorite superheroes whom X was apparently intersected in as well.
"Anything," Laura stated as both girls reached the stairs leading to the main room.
"Well, he's a hero," Kitty stated strongly with the utmost belief in her voice.
Laura already knew that but it was a start.
"Despite what others might say," Kitty added, which gained Laura's interest.
"What do they say about him?" She asked as she only knew he was on every headline.
"Well...a lot of people call him a menace. They all blame him for every disaster that happens even though he's the one that stops them," she said with pure annoyance in her voice. "Ever heard about the mass murders that took place a month ago?" Kitty asked Laura who shook her head in response to this.
"Really? It was like, national news," Kitty exclaimed which caused Laura to shake her head again. "Well anyways, there was this villain called the 'Green Goblin," Kitty began to say as they finished walking down the steps to the living room. "He was a monster who murdered countless people. He's fought the likes of Iron Man and the Fantastic Four but the only one that beat him was Spider-Man. Last month he and Spider-Man fought on the Golden State bridge where I think at least twenty-five people would die from explosions caused by the Goblin and another eight-ish would be personally killed by him; Do you know who Norman Osborn is?" Laura nodded, aware of the multiple industry titan who created and ruled the multi-billion dollar company known as Oscorp, "Well, he was one of those people who were killed along with a high school girl who he threw off the bridge before he was once again stopped by Spider-Man," Laura listened intently, she was not aware of any of this.
She hung on the mention of a high school girl.
"Who was the girl?" Laura asked curiously.
"I don't know, I think she was related to a late police chief or somethin' which is why the Goblin held her hostage," Kitty said with a shrug but Laura looked at her wide eyes.
Hostage?
She already thought that it was oddly specific to be dropped off a bridge if he had the capabilities to slaughter multiple people, but to be held hostage as well...was the Gwen girl she heard Parker speak of the one who died? It would explain the manner in which he spoke about her.
It would explain a lot of things.
Pryde was already passing on valuable information.
"The Daily Bugle: a media company that runs a smear campaign on Spider-Man broadcasted a story that Spider-Man was responsible for the deaths that occurred on the bridge without there being any real evidence. Other news agencies started picking the story up so much so that S.H.I.E.L.D. had to make a public statement that Spider-Man wasn't in leagues with the Goblin and that he stopped him before he could take more lives," Now this was not surprising to her. People making false accusations formed by information passed from 'News' Agencies who only wanted to further their own agendas.
"The only one to even publicly defend Spider-Man was Johnny Storm, you Know? The Human Torch, a core member of the Fantastic Four. While taking autographs from fans a reporter asked him if he would apprehend Spider-Man which caused him to say on live T.V. that he's a hero and that he'd gladly fry the face off of anyone who thought otherwise. " she finished saying.
To be the only person to come to his defense... this Johnny Storm must've been some close ally or friend. To her limited knowledge, she knew the Fantastic Four was a superhero team situated in New York so there was no doubt they must've crossed paths with Parker, but did those paths intersect? And if so, by how much?
Her thoughts dwindled on Storm though, taking autographs? It seemed like the actions of a glory hound more so a hero.
She wondered if Parker did such a thing.
"Does he take autographs?" Laura asked.
"Who? Spider-Man?" Kitty asked with a raised brow, unsure if she was referencing Spider-Man which a nod from her confirmed that she was.
"No, he doesn't do any of those things. He just appears when people need help and leaves when they no longer need it. It doesn't matter what it is, he just helps, and now he's gone..." she finished with a downcast expression, still disheartened by how one person who did so much was so mistreated.
Laura noticed this.
"He will be back," Laura declared as she kept looking forward.
"You think?" Kitty hopefully asked the raven-haired girl she knew little about.
"I know," Laura stated confidently as the both of them entered the dining room area.
Kitty let out a smile, "Better not tell Logan that," chuckling as she did so, imagining the man's reaction to losing the bet they had made.
"I already did," Kitty looked at Laura, the girl she's only known as "X", who she's only seen have two expressions: stoic and angry but to her surprise, she witnessed a new expression.
A tiny smirk was on her face as she said this.
It lasted for just a matter of seconds before she defaulted back to her stoic look but it was there.
Kitty let out a small laugh at the raven-haired girl's response as the both of them took their seats. Laura turned her attention to the T.V. to dwell upon her recently gained knowledge but the voice of Kitty stopped her.
"I didn't know you were a fan?" Kitty said with a smile.
Laura looked at the girl, an unamused expression on her face as she flatly said, "I am not."
"Then why all the questions?" Kitty said in a teasing manner which Laura ignored.
"That is none of your business," She flatly declared, turning her attention away from her and ending the conversation before it became foolish and trivial.
"Is Kitty talking about Spider-Man again?" a male voice asked from the kitchen. Kitty turned to look at who spoke while Laura kept her sights on the T.V. She knew who said that. It was Scott Summers, a twenty-two-year-old man who stood at six feet with short brown hair brushed to the side and had an athletically built body.
He was in the kitchen with two others, a woman named Jean Grey and a man named Henry "Hank" McCoy. Grey was twenty-two as well, standing at five-foot-six with waist length-curly red hair and green eyes that were darker than hers. Grey was slim, proportions resembling that of a model for that was what she was in her spare time. McCoy on the other hand was muscular and wide, standing at five-foot-eleven, his build nearly resembling that of an ape if it weren't for his mostly dominant human features. McCoy is caucasian, like Grey and Summers, however he had long blueish-black hair that dominated his body, a thick but well-kept beard, and bushy brows.
He is a man of science from what she's seen, preferably spending most of his time isolated in his laboratory.
The three of them were making breakfast and were just about done if the sheer overwhelming smell of the pancakes was anything to go by.
She did not pay any attention to the conversation Pryde had with Summers, choosing to keep her eyes focused on the TV as she dwelled upon what Pryde had told her.
It was not much but furthered her original assumptions of him.
He is a hero, she knew that the moment she saw him run off to save those people yesterday. People didn't like him though, they called him a "menace," however not everyone seemed to have agreed with that sentiment. The people yesterday were relieved and thankful for his actions and whether they represented a small minority or the majority was something she would have to look into.
As for possible allies, it would be obvious that Johnny Storm was one of them. She's never heard of him, but she knew the Fantastic Four was a renowned superhero group like the Avengers, however, unlike them, they prioritized the advancement of humanity through realms of science that the simple mind couldn't comprehend. If Storm felt so strongly about Parker that he would go out of his way to defend him in front of millions, then did the other members of the Fantastic Four feel the same way? Did they know who he was? Did he have other allies? Was S.H.I.E.L.D. one of them?
She was taken out of her thoughts as she heard a voice boom from the kitchen.
"Breakfast is ready!" She heard the voice of Summers yell from the kitchen. She watched how the others who resided here quickly came. The first to arrive was nineteen-year-old Robert "Bobby" Drake who stood at about five-eight and Twenty-one-year-old Kurt Wagner, who stood at five-nine. Drake was still in his pajamas with his blonde hair bedridden, Wagner was the same but he at least smelt like he had a shower. Appearance-wise Drake was average for a young adult but when it came to mental faculties, she deemed him to be that of a twelve-year-old. The boy had spikey blonde hair and caucasian skin. Wagner's appearance was vastly different from everyone else's as he had blue-tinted skin with two-toed feet and three-fingered hands, flat yellow eyes alongside pointed ears, and a prehensile tail.
Ironically, despite his demonic appearance, he is deeply religious.
Laura watched as Pryde's attention was now fully on Drake as he took a seat in front of her, Wagner sitting to his right. To her knowledge, Pryde and Drake were in a romantic relationship with each other, how she could stand him enough to be in one with him though was beyond her. Summers and Grey were also in a relationship although theirs was much more serious as they've been together for years.
Like many things, she could only watch and imagine what it would be like.
Love was a concept she did not understand.
She turned her attention to the T.V. It was simple news playing. Stocks within Stark and Trask industries were rising as Oscorp and Roxxon went down. It would stand to reason that the deaths of multiple officials alongside the CEO would put any company in a less-than-desirable situation but the news moved on, proceeding to cover the current poverty and crime crises that were currently happening.
She glared fiercely as the news reporter stated that Wilson Fisk acquired another piece of property in the city.
Ororo Munroe soon came walking into the room. She was a beautiful African woman with long wavy white hair. She stood at five-eleven and was in her mid-twenties. She was a calm and well-mannered woman and she dressed like it too. Adorning a white blouse with a long purple skirt. She greeted the students gently with a soft "Good Morning," everyone responded to it, even Laura, though she opted for a nod.
Logan soon came in, wearing nothing but jeans and a wife-beater, "Mornin," he said casually as he walked into the kitchen to grab a beer.
"Morning Logan," Jean and Kitty happily said.
"Mornin' half-pint," Logan said with a small chuckle.
He turned his attention to Jean.
"Mornin' Jeanie," He said in a slightly flirtatious voice.
"Morning Logan," Scott said as he slightly glared at the gruff man who ignored him.
The final one to enter was Professor Charles Xavier, dressed in his usual suit as he came through the door in his wheelchair. Xavier was a bald caucasian man who always dressed professionally. He had a soft smile on his face as his hazel eyes watched over his students.
Everyone sat within a pre-established spot at the dining table with The Professor eating at the head of it. The ones on the left started with Logan, Munroe, Grey, Pryde, and her in that order, with Mccoy, Summers, Wagner, and Drake on the right.
No one sat in front of her.
McCoy, Grey, and Summers brought out the pancakes they made for everyone, with everyone having two pancakes with a mini bowl of maple syrup on the side. Everyone said "Thank you," as they received their meal but she once again opted for a small nod.
Pryde and Wagner let out prayers before eating their food while everyone else went to immediately devour their thin flat cakes of batter. Uninteresting conversations she paid no mind to soon came up.
Munroe had made a light-hearted insult about Logan's attire and choice of beverage.
He let out a gruff chuckle as he took a sip from his beer.
She ate quietly, watching the T.V. as the channel quickly cut to a scripted breaking news segment.
"Spider-Man is back!"
At this almost everyone went quiet, turning their attention to the T.V. that was just moments ago on for the sake of background noise. The Professor even went to raise the volume as he and the others watched with undivided attention.
"Reports from last night indicate that a man dressed in red and blue alongside a girl battled against what witnesses can only describe as a 'monstrous dinosaur.' Reports of its details are unclear, but what is, is the clear detailing of the hero battling it alongside an unidentified girl, before saving the lives of everyone at the scene."
Pryde turned her attention to Laura, unable to comprehend or understand how her prediction had come true, but the possibilities as to how were sidelined by the realization that she had actually won her bet against the man who had promised a hefty reward.
"I told you!" She exclaimed, pointing at the man who grunted. The other students watched the scene with small laughs as Summers listened closely to what the news had to say, a small smile on his face as he heard about the hero's return.
"You gott-," she tried to say but Logan interrupted her.
"-I know!" he said in an annoyed tone.
"Wonder what Jameson has to say about this?" Scott asked with a mouthful of pancake in his mouth, mood lifted by the return of the one who he considered to be a great hero.
"Let's see," Jean said as she decided to change the channel.
She watched as the channel quickly changed from the Globe and onto the Daily Bugle, but the very moment they changed the channel they were greeted with rampant frustration by a mustached man who went on a tirade about how the hero inspired others to do what he had done, put on masks and use their powers to help, but of course he twisted those facts, wording it to sound like it was wrong, evil, dangerous.
The channel was switched shortly after.
"And that's why we watch the Globe," Jean reminded herself and others, none of them fans of the aggressive personality of the ridiculously mustached man who now gained another personality who thought little of him, for Laura Kinney did not like him.
"I swear that guy isn't living in the same reality as we are. A massive earthquake could happen and he'd blame Spider-Man." Bobby said, causing Kitty to chuckle.
"It doesn't matter what he thinks," The Professor said as he watched the screen carefully, "Spider-Man has proven himself to be a hero on numerous occasions. I only wish that I could learn about the man who is underneath the mask and why he does what he does," The Professor said as he looked at Laura but she ignored it.
"Same here," Logan said as he looked at Laura.
She also ignored that.
She just met him, she did not know everything about him.
But she learned enough from just being with him, and they were not entitled to know what she knew.
"He does it to help people, why else would he do it?" Pryde answered as she was oblivious to whose words Logan's words were directed too. Most of the students and faculty agreed with her however Logan had his own answer.
"Wealth and fame," Logan answered in a confident tone.
Pryde retorted by saying, "If your definition of fame is getting slandered by the media then yeah."
"Some people look for that kind of attention half-pint," Logan refuted.
"He doesn't even get that much attention, most of the time he ends up being ignored in favor of other heroes," Kitty replied as she dismissed Logan's words.
Wagner tried to support the brunette girl, "Yeah, and If he was doing it for money Logan don't you think he would be doing sponsors or be providing a similar service like the heroes for hire?" he said with his heavy German accent.
"Heroes for hire?" Logan raised a brow as he heard the term, "Never heard of 'em," he said as he drank his beer.
"They're new in town. From what I've heard they're just mercenaries with ethics, using their powers to help people if the dime is good enough," Summers said as he partook in the conversation.
"Where can I sign up?" Logan joked, causing a few people to chuckle.
"It's probably too late, with Spider-Man back, why would anyone want to pay for their service when he'll do it for free," Pryde stated.
"They only got business because of the rise of crime due to his absence, but with him back I doubt they'd last long," Wagner added with a smile.
"He just sounds like an idiot missing a good chance to make money," Logan said as he went back on topic. "Anyways, helping people, isn't that what the Avengers or the Fantastic whatever are for?" Logan asked.
"It's the Fantastic Four," Pryde corrected, earning a low growl from Logan. "And Spider-Man arrived before the Avengers did. He and the Fantastic Four are the first modern-day superheroes to appear," she spoke with a passionate voice.
Summers decided to add to Pryde's statement as he too was well-versed in the topics of superheroes. "The Fantastic Four is more like adventurers though; discovering and exploring realms of science first, saving the world, being superheroes second. The Avengers on the other hand only deal with world-ending threats, like how we only deal with mutant ones," Summers added, finishing off the final part with a hint of disappointment and wanting. "Spider-Man is the only actual dedicated superhero. He deals with everything, kids about to get hit by a car? He'll be there, a thief running off with a woman's purse? He'll be there, a mo-"
"I get it, I get it," Logan said as he was getting annoyed at Summers's admiration for the hero. Laura listened closely however, Summers, Pryde, Wagner, and even The Professor spoke highly of Parker and she could only validate their beliefs.
"But back to Elf's point about wealth, how do we know that he's not getting rich off of this? As far as we know he could possibly be getting paid by some corporation or government," Logan pointed out. The students who tried arguing against Logan tried to answer but were left speechless as he could be right, they didn't know the web-slinger outside the news.
Judging from how Parker reacted to her having a Stark Phone she could tell he was not getting paid.
"Give me one good answer as to why he would want to run around in a stupid-lookin' costume and help random people who hate him?" Logan challenged the lot.
Laura pondered her answer as she knew she was the only one who could give one.
Logan did have a point though, why was he doing this?
"Chivalry died long ago," She heard a voice within her head say but she mentally berated it, shaking her head at its words â refusing what she mockingly told her. She did not know much about Parker â in all actuality, she knew next to nothing. All she had to go off of him were his words and actions, but...that was enough.
She did not think of him when she passed him on that street, she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts, with her own troubles.
From what she understood, he was doing the same.
Minding his own business, thinking about his own problems, but then the roar happened. She remembered how she abruptly stopped her motorcycle to look in the direction where it came from, only to change her focus when she saw him instantly break out into a sprint when people instantly cried for help.
A part of her wanted to ignore it and drive off but when she saw him answer the call...she followed him. She watched him jump stories high which surprised her, and to add to her astonishment, was surprised even more when she saw him instantly battle whatever that creature was in order to defend that woman and her child.
She could not put it into words but when she watched him use his powers to fight â to help, she could not just watch from afar when she too could do the same.
"Because I could, meaning I had to,"
Is that what he meant? That if you have the power to help, it is your duty to?
That was the reason he gave her for saving the woman but with how confidently he said those words it was as if he was speaking about something greater.
Logan who had his eyes on her the entire time took notice of her shaking her head.
"Got an answer?" He asked.
Everyone around the table had their gaze on the raven-haired girl now, watching with anticipation as the girl who spoke few words met the gruff man's blue eyes with her green ones. Laura looked at him, matching his glare with her own; he instigated this whole conversation for her answer.
And she would give it to him.
"Because he can, meaning he has to," she simply stated as she crossed her arms. She was confident with her answer despite it not being a complete one. She may have been grasping at straws but that answer strangely fit the boy when it came to her understanding of him.
"So she can speak?" Drake muttered.
"What did you say?" she asked in a threatening manner, causing the blonde fool to instantly deny he said anything for his own safety. He was similar to Parker when it came to the incessant jokes but that was it. Parker was different from him, he was different from the rest of them, and not for the obvious reason. He has experienced pain, while most here don't even know the meaning. She knew this by the way he answered her questions, by the look of guilt in his eyes.
It was the same guilt she found in hers.
But in his words, there was something else.
There was purpose.
"Because he can, meaning he has to," Logan reiterated as he looked up to ponder his words. Xavier did the same, "That is quite noble if you ask me. That is a good answer, X," The Professor finished with a small smile.
"Good enough," Logan said as he leaned back on his chair, satisfied with the retrieval of what he wanted.
She did not know what her purpose was.
Everything she's done up until now has left her feeling hollow and lifeless.
Wrong.
But when she was there with him, running into the fire and saving those civilians, she didn't feel any of that.
She did not know what words to use, but she knew she wanted to do it again.
She was going to.
Breakfast was finished shortly after this conversation.
Many of the students left to go do their own things, Drake and Wagner left to go play their games while Summers, Grey, and Pryde went to venture into the nearby township. Pryde invited her; She declined. McCoy left to go do some tinkering in his lab while Ms. Munroe was off in the garden tending to her plants.
The Professor was in his study as always.
Currently, she was on the second floor standing in front of one of the many elevators that were within the building. It would be safe to assume that the mansion housed not your average everyday teenagers, so it would stand to reason that the mansion itself wasn't your average everyday building and that was the case. While the mansion itself housed two grand floors alongside a luxurious basement, below all that were the sublevels that housed the finest of technologies and a room where she could easily acquire a mask for her ventures with Parker.
And Logan...well he was standing right in the middle of the main room watching her, not even bothering to hide for they shared the same nose. She had ignored his presence but he let it be known by being the first one to speak up.
"Didn't think you of all people would partake in that conversation," he said as he walked towards her. She had stopped what she was doing and turned around to face him, "You started it so that you could hear my answer," She flatly stated.
"It worked didn't it?" he said with a smirk as he walked up the steps at a modest pace. "I'm going to help him again," she bluntly said as he stood across from her causing Logan to drop his smirk in response to this.
"No you're not," he said in a way leaving no room for arguments.
"Why?"
"You know why or do we need a repeat of yesterday?" he said accusingly to the girl.
"It was an accident," she said, referring to the events of yesterday.
"And that accident is exactly why you can't help him," Logan said firmly.
"She went through my wall, how do you want me to react to that?" Laura fiercely defended herself
"I want you to react by not immediately killing someone as a first reaction, you're lucky all she got was a tiny scratch on her arm," Logan retaliated with the same amount of ferocity. "It won't happen again," Laura replied, hoping that it would end this pointless conversation.
"It will," Logan said, dismissing her comment.
"It won't," She reaffirmed.
"It will," he stated once again.
"How do you know?" She said angrily as she was more than fed up with this whole entire interaction.
"Because I know that the only thing you know how to do kid, is to kill; you seem to have forgotten that," He said bluntly but upon seeing her shocked reaction he immediately followed up on this. "I...I didn't want to say it... but you've forgotten that killing people is the only thing you know how to do. It's not what you chose... and it sure as hell ain't what you wanted but that doesn't change the fact that it's the only thing you know how to do," he said softly with regret at his sheer bluntness and sympathy towards the girl's misfortune.
Her fierce and angered demeanor quickly changed upon hearing those words escape his mouth. She stood up straight, looking at him with an expression of disbelief before bitterly looking away.
He was right.
The only thing she did know was how to kill.
"...you said that I could be more if I came here...." she said lowly as she tried to hide her sadness. He looked at her softly before putting an arm on her shoulder, "And you will be, but that takes time. Right now you aren't ready and the only thing you'll end up doing is hurting more people," he said with the utmost sincerity.
Despite his words, however, the events of yesterday had echoed within her mind. She remembered the people she saved, the words of thanks she gave. She remembered the blonde-haired boy she saved all those years ago. She remembered the brunette one she just met who told her she was more.
She was more.
"You are wrong!" she said fiercely as she batted his arm away.
Logan grit his teeth, "I wish I was but on instinct, you almost mauled Kitty yesterday. It doesn't help that you let your anger get the better of you either."
"And your anger doesn't get the better of you?" she countered upon hearing his hypocritical statement.
"I'm not saying it doesn't, but at least I can control myself. You can't, and because of that, you will kill someone," he stated with whole-hearted belief.
"I can do more than just kill!" she yelled fiercely which caused him to take a step back. "I saved people yesterday. I am more than just a killer. I can help," she stated with the utmost emotion in her voice as she shook him as hard as she could. After shaking him viciously though, she still retained her grasp on him as the conviction that was within her was exponentially dwindling.
"...I can do good...I want to do good..." she said in a softer, wobbly tone as she looked down. Logan looked at her, taken aback by her words. He started regretting his own. He wasn't there yesterday, maybe he was wrong...maybe....
"Logan!" the commanding voice of the Professor said behind him. He turned around to look at the crippled man and asked, "What is it Chuck!? I'm busy," he said as he gestured to Laura who had a gaze on him as she still retrained her grasp on him. "I need you in my office," he said calmly as he flashed a small smile at Laura.
Logan turned his attention back to the girl who looked at him with a pleading look in her eyes, was she looking for his approval? Did she want him to stay and finish this conversation?
He shook his head and let out a sigh.
"We're continuing this later," was all he said as he brushed her grasp away and went to go towards the professor.
She clenched her fists as she saw the retreating figure.
She would not be here when he returned.
Snikt Thwip
Peter Parker's morning didn't start until eleven o'clock.
He opened his eyes slowly and was greeted with a snail's point of view of his floor. Regardless of where he slept, his body rewarded him pleasurably for giving it rest, and the young boy basked in it, taking his time getting up, outstretching his arms as he let out a yawn.
Waking up never felt so good.
He ran a hand through his hair, brushing the long and uncut hair to the sides. His wounds from yesterday had been healed, along with the teeth, and though his room remained messy, he felt good and recharged.
He still had to clean his room, however.
He sighed, getting up to do exactly that, brushing his blanket to the side but stopped abruptly as the texture of wool was not found. His blanket was smooth and soft, yes, but last time he checked, blankets didn't have layered designs.
Unless the blanket was a dirty and tattered superhero costume.
That would explain it.
He must've grabbed it subconsciously while he slept, confusing it for a blanket.
"I really couldn't have stayed awake for a couple more seconds?" Peter complained to himself, putting the costume onto his bed that wasn't even a meter away from where he collapsed. The fight from last night must've taken more out of him than he thought which was weird because he's faced stronger foes before.
He didn't feel sore though, in fact, he felt...amazing...spectacular even.
Peter hadn't felt this good until he woke up with eight-pack abs and a body more defined than Olympic contestants, in fact, with the way he was feeling, he felt like he could on Aleksei, better yet, have round two with that monster head-on.
He'd wait on Laura for that one though.
He recalled the girl who seemed to be rough around the edges with a fond smile. Something about her made his gut scream that he could trust her, which was rare because that gut feeling was only shared with five â no â six people, and those people took time to get that feeling where she took a day.
There was something about her...
He shook his head, he'd figure it out later.
Right now, his body demanded him to follow his regular morning habit. He hesitated though as he approached his window, looking at the white light that shimmered through his blinds. He almost wanted to leave the blinds closed for he had no trouble seeing within his darkened room but the morning habit compelled him.
He reluctantly complied.
The moment he moved them out of the way he instantly put his arm over his eyes in an attempt to shelter them from the literal blinding light.
"Ugh..." he took a step back and looked the other way as he wasn't expecting it to be this bad.
Tears started to form in his eyes.
Was this how Mole Man felt when he gazed upon the sun?
Peter shook his head, if he had to use Mole Man as a comparison then something was bad. It took a couple of minutes but his eyes soon recovered. When he looked out his window yet again he could only smile, it was a beautiful summer morning. The sun shined brightly as birds flew above the quiet neighborhood of Forest Hills. He decided to open his window and pop his head out, closing his eyes as he felt the nice summer breeze on his face which cordially contrasted with the warm temperature.
He looked down his street of twenty-one Ingram, everything seemed to be...clearer, which was strange because his vision was already perfect. To his astonishment, he could even discern what the rolled-up newspaper that was in front of his neighbor's door said, "Spider-Man Returns. Masked vigilante returns with mysterious accomplice to battle ravenous reptile," Peter read aloud.
He rubbed his eyes and checked again, to make sure he wasn't just seeing things but he could still read the title as clearly as if it was right in front of him.
"That's odd," he thought to himself. Peter could never see things so clearly before and he had perfect vision. He looked up when he heard the roar of an airplane above him and looked at it. He gazed at the flying vehicle and once again to his surprise, he could distinctly make out the symbols and name of the company that was adorned on the side of the plane while it was still far above the clouds.
"Woah..." was all he could say as he was left speechless, confused, and almost...scared.
He pulled his head back and shut his window, even shutting the blinds to make sure no one else could see into his room. This good sensation he was feeling...something was happening to him...something had happened to him. He turned his attention to his mirror, observing every little detail his body had.
Nothing seemed to have physically changed. He was still five-seven, had a body that could both do feats of power and agility that were beyond human capabilities, his overgrown hair made him look like someone from Twilight, his eyes were the same color â which was good, he still couldn't grow chest hair, and his you know what was still the same length as well.
He confirmed this by pulling on his boxers and looking down.
Something had changed, more, he knew it â he could feel it â he could literally see it, but nothing about his body told him that anything had changed outside his eyesight.
Maybe he was just seeing things...
No, no, he knew he had undergone another transformation, he felt stronger, more powerful, but there was more, he could feel something, something odd and misplaced inside his forearms which compelled him to investigate â to give his undivided attention.
"What the..." Peter questioned, scared and unsure of what had happened to his own body. He could almost see it, the thing that was within his arm, maybe if he just clenched the muscles then maybe...
Instantaneously something came sprouting out of it.
It ran amok, tearing through his arm â his muscles, having him recoil in an excruciating, agonizing, burning pain that would have been an agonizing scream if he had not grown accustomed to muffling himself. The pain lasted for only a fraction of a second, but it was so excruciating that he had to give himself a couple of seconds to regain his composure.
When Peter Parker regained his composure, when he looked on to what he had unearthed, he was left completely, utterly, dumbfounded because what came out of his forearm, what had been unsheathed on both his hands were...foot-long...skewer? Stinger?
"...ho-ly...s%^&..." Peter whispered, observing the razor-sharp stingers which were constructed from his bones.
"Where...Where did...Where did these come from?" he said in complete and utter bewilderment as he looked at them from every possible angle.
"Peter! Is everything alright?" Aunt May spoke up in a worried voice fuelled by concern spawned from his cries that were silenced too late.
"Ye-yeah!" he said as he tried coming up with a somewhat coherent lie, "Just-just stubbed my toe!" he answered as he kept his own concerned gaze on his bone blades.
"A-alright...Breakfast is ready by the way," she said but he didn't respond, turning his focus back onto his new additions which filled him up with worry.
Why was this happening? How did this happen? How did he get them?
Did he get these from Laura?
She also had claws.
Maybe she had some virus that just gave people claws.
Maybe it was God.
He always did like screwing with his life.
Maybe this was God's way of thanking Peter for accepting who he really is. Maybe God just noticed that he hasn't been in the patch notes recently and was in due for a buff, after all, whenever the villains come back they always have a new gimmick or power to make them even more threatening and an even bigger pain in the butt but did he really need to give him more lethal options? he didn't need to be able to stab people, nor did he want to. They were long and based on their appearance alone they were lethal, sharp on the sides â even more so on the point, and because of his superhuman durability, there was no doubt they could cleanly slice someone in half without even a crack...
...more strength would've been nice.
You don't have to worry about stabbing someone with more strength, nor do you have to worry about accidentally slicing them. Your only worry is if you accidentally blow someone's head clean off, or drive a fist through their body, which doesn't sound any better â if not, it sounded worse, but at least strength gives you muscles.
You can explain away muscles with ease or you can do what he does and just wear baggy clothing.
Footlong stingers on the other hand...how the hell do you explain that?
Better yet...how do you hide them?
He remembered how Laura's claws worked, they retracted into her hands, right? Maybe it was the same with him, after all, they came out of his body... surely they could go back in...right?
He tried taking the same approach he did when he controlled his strength but they remained unsheathed, frustrating him greatly.
He was taken out of his thoughts as he could hear his aunt coming up the stairs.
"Oh no..."
His eyes practically came popping out of their sockets as he inwardly panicked.
What was he gonna do? If his aunt saw him he would be completely 'boned.'
He would have laughed at that if he wasn't in such a dire situation.
He tried retracting them, as each footstep of his aunt told him that she was quickly approaching but each attempt which lasted less than a second was useless, and Peter was forced to rely on the classic.
He hid underneath his blanket. He grabbed his costume, stabbing his mattress in the process as he stuffed it underneath his bed before he followed suit with his bedsheets, squirming and moving around to find the best position like a child who was caught staying up too late. Her light knock forced him to remain in place, as it was followed by the opening of his door which his aunt peered through.
"Peter, Breakfast is ready by the way," Aunt May said as she perked her head through Peter's door so that she could look at him but to her confusion, he didn't even look at her, for his gaze was stuck on his wrists for some odd reason...
He sat up, his attention changing from his aunt to his wrists.
"Th-thanks, I'll be down in a sec..." Peter said as he looked at his wrists which now showed no sign of his stingers. The only thing that was off-putting now was the odd behavior of May Parker's nephew and his contradictory statements.
"What are you doing on your bed, Peter? I thought you stubbed your toe," Aunt May asked as she was
"I...I did and I...fell on my bed," he uneasily said and she raised a brow.
"and your sheets?" she pointed out as they were over him.
"They uh...they fell on me," he finished with a nervous smile, aware of the ludicrousness of his story just like his Aunt.
"You know, Peter, you can always have breakfast later. If you want to get a few minutes of extra shut-eye it's fine with me," she warmly stated to the boy who immediately sat up.
"No-uh, it's fine... I'll-I'll have breakfast now, I am kinda hungry," Peter admitted, not wanting the food she prepared to just sit there.
"Well then go, it's on the table, I prepared a nice meal for you," she ordered as she closed the door to his room before going back downstairs.
He stared at his wrists where his stingers once were.
The good news is they can retract into his body and it wasn't as painful.
The bad news is that he doesn't know how to do that, nor does he know why he was dealing with this in the first place. He got his powers from the spider bite, but these stingers, his vision...where did they come from?
Peter discarded his questions for now, he'd figure them out later. What mattered was that as of now, his stingers were concealed and that breakfast was ready. He'd make sure to keep a distance from Aunt May so as to not unintentionally harm her.
He got dressed immediately, putting on a white t-shirt underneath a green zip-up sweater with a simple pair of jeans before going downstairs. When Peter Parker arrived, he was left surprised by the warm greeting of bacon and eggs, a whole lot of bacon and eggs, along with a smile on his Aunt's face. He looked at her with a combination of bewilderment and excitement for bacon was like a once-a-year thing reserved for special occasions since Aunt May was scared that it would give him cancer â something he was pretty sure he was immune to.
He dived in, getting reprimanded for doing so since he forgot to pray, but after his Aunt's behest, he grabbed a whole stick of the salt-cured pork and devoured it whole, relishing the flavor of the crunchy and chewy meat.
Upon looking at her nephew's satisfied smile Aunt May let out one of her own.
"You know, the news said Spider-Man is back," she said to the boy which caused him to immediately stop eating the breakfast she prepared. "You wouldn't have had anything to do with that would you?" she said in an almost all-knowing way.
"I just take pictures of the guy," he tried saying nonchalantly, Aunt May always assumed he was friends with Spider-Man or at the very least had some sort of relationship.
"I assume with his return you're going to go back to the Bugle then?" she said as she turned around to wash the dishes.
He scowled at that, trying his best to push that thought to the back of his mind. He knew he'd have to come back, the bills don't pay themselves and despite him intentionally ignoring his bank account, he already knew he was flat broke after paying for last month's bills.
The only thing he had to his name was the twenty that was lying in his wallet.
"Yeah..." he begrudgingly said in a deadpanned tone, enjoying the break he had from J Jonah Jameson, but breaks for him were always typically short if they weren't non-existent, and that was a trend that was followed to a 't' when he jolted at the releasing of his stingers. He grunted, dealing with the immense pain as silently as he could to not startle his aunt or even bring awareness, but that was given regardless when the table shook with his movements.
"Peter, Is everything alright?" she curiously and questioningly asked as she looked at her nephew who looked to be extremely frightened.
"N-No-No, I just- there was a centipede," he lied through his teeth, biting through the excruciating pain while he attempted to hide his stingers behind his now-crossed legs.
"Where?" she asked questioningly as she looked around the room.
"It crawled underneath the fridge," he said, nudging his head towards the appliance, spurring to look around it.
As she went to circle around the fridge Peter took the opportunity to freely panic within his mind. He didn't know what to do, what could he do? He knew how to control insurmountable strength, not foot-long bone stingers, but there must've been a reason why he was still here and not bleeding out on his bed.
The body protected itself, it did everything it could to stay alive. Everything inside of it followed this principle, it's why you could only bite your finger off if you really really tried.
There was only one route to go down...
Peter looked at his aunt who let out a sigh before turning around causing everything around to move in slow motion. He looked at his legs, he looked at his stingers, and then he looked at his aunt.
He looked at his legs, and then back to his stingers, and then to his aunt.
He braced himself for the worst possible outcome and slammed his hands onto his quadriceps.
"Peter...what are you doing?" Aunt May asked questioningly as she looked at her nephew who had his eyes closed and his hands flat on his legs. He opened one eye and tilted his head, there was no pain and it wasn't because of the shock of impaling one of the body's largest arteries.
His stingers had retracted.
"Peter stop goofing around and eat your food," Aunt May scolded, he reluctantly raised his hands and to his relief, the stingers didn't instantly pop out again. He nodded and hesitantly went back to devouring the food in front of him, wary of summoning forth his sharpened cartilage.
The food was good.
It was really good.
It helped him clear his mind from anything that could possibly trigger his stingers.
"How do you like it?" Aunt May asked as she watched her nephew lose himself in the food.
"It's amazing," he unabashedly declared with a mouthful of food â a bad habit his Aunt could never weed out no matter how hard she tried and tried she did.
"Peter!" May said in a scolding tone but she sighed, resigning to the fact that her nephew had a few bad manners, but bad manners she missed, manners she wanted to see again, "I'm guessing that walk of yours helped?"
He looked at her for a second before nodding, "Yeah...yeah it did," he stated with a sullen smile, "I uh...I was thinking about him a lot yesterday," he confessed to her, prompting her to instantly take a seat in front him with a mournful smile.
"Ben is always there for me when I feel lost too," She admitted, putting her frail hand over his, "Not a day goes by when I don't think about him," Peter looked away from her warm gaze which hid away the pain she hid from him.
Pain caused by him.
"How...how did you get over it?" he reluctantly asked her, wanting to know how she dealt with the pain of losing him â looking for answers on how to deal with his own.
"Who said I did?" she chuckled but he could hear the slight tremble of her voice â hear her anguish, "I'm not over it Peter... I don't think I'll ever be...but I've learned to live with it thanks to the people dear to me like you and Ana," Peter smiled at that but the guilt still remained. "We Parkers may be made out of stern stuff," she said as she grabbed his bicep, aware that he had taken up the hobby of lifting weights, "But even then, there are some things you can't handle alone, and know that I'll always be here for you whenever you need me," she said with an encouraging loving smile that was so infectious that it had him smiling too.
"I know," he said as he held her hand, he was so lucky to have her.
"And I won't be the only one," she added.
He let out another laugh, "I know."
"I'll take that as you're going to go meet your friend Johnny then?" she said with a raised brow.
"Yeah...I think I will..." he finished with a smile.
He had to thank him for everything, although knowing him, that would definitely go to his head. That thought actually had him shivering as he thought more and more about thanking Johnny Storm, the boy who practically forced people to take his autograph and follow his social media had him come to fictitious and over-exaggerated situations that both amused and horrified him to great extents.
"He sounds like a really good and caring boy Peter, I'm glad he's your friend," Aunt May said with a smile, and though he shivered at the thought of thanking him because of his traits, he knew better than anyone that there was also good in the boy.
"I am too," he admitted to his aunt, picturing the blonde-haired moron whose brain had been burnt to crisps long before he received his powers.
He was looking forward to seeing him again.
Not just him but the others as well, Ben, Sue, Reed...
He thought about Reed for a second. He was the smartest man on the planet, had access to technology that no one else had, and had personal expertise when it came to "developments."
If there was anyone who could help him with these recent developments it was him.
He continued on with breakfast talking to his aunt for the rest of it, his stingers not resurfacing once.
"So what are you two going to be doing today?" May asked.
The answer to that was obvious, he'd go on patrol with Johnny for a little bit, maybe have a race around New York again, but he couldn't tell her that so he thought about the other â 'normal' activities they did with each other.
"Hang out I guess, play games," Whenever crime was low or it was a quiet day and Johnny was in this dimension they would always play some games and hang out, like regular kids for a change.
"That's all?" May asked, expecting more.
"Well, I have to meet someone later," Peter said through a mouthful of food, unaware of the great interest that sparked in her aunt.
"Who? Harry?" She guessed the only other person she was aware her nephew was antiquated with, and though she would be right any other time, this time, she was wrong.
She was very wrong.
"No, it's someone you don't know. I uh...I met her yesterday," He hesitantly admitted as he scratched the back of his head. He already regretted mentioning Laura to his aunt as she abruptly stopped washing the dishes to look at him upon hearing the word "her."
"Her?" Aunt May said to her nephew as he raised a brow, her voice brimming with undivided attention at the mention of the word 'her.'
There was no turning back now.
"Yeah...her name's 'Laura,' I met her yesterday," Peter's lips joyfully curved at the memory of the girl who was unlike any other he had come to meet.
"Really? In the storm?" Aunt May asked, recalling the vicious weather and wondering if this 'Laura' had a part to play in the revival of her nephew.
"Yeah, she uh, uh...," he tried his best to come up with a good lie but none of them sounded good in his head.
Who said he had to lie though?
"...she helped me when the storm got really bad," he said to her. He watched how his Aunt took in his words before letting out a small smile.
"Laura," she said warmly, "She sounds like a nice girl," Aunt May wholeheartedly declared, coming to the conclusion that she was good even though she never met her.
"Little rough around the edges..." Peter said as he remembered her aggressive attitude, "...but... she is," he admitted softly, "No matter what she says," he added with a small laugh because he knew that if she were here she would staunchly decline that statement.
"I am not a hero," he mockingly said, using her voice within his mind which caused him to let out a smile on the outside.
Aunt May noticed the wide smile he had on his face while he was talking about her.
"So where are you two going to go?"
Where were they going to go? They were going to meet at Washington Square Park but that wasn't really a good answer. They were going to hunt down a giant mutated gecko. Where does one find a giant mutated gecko?
"...The zoo..." he answered. She raised a brow to this prompting him to continue, "...to look at...alligators," alligators were reptiles, and they were giant reptiles too, close enough.
"Does she like alligators?" Aunt May asked.
Did she like alligators? He didn't know, all he really knew about her was that she dressed in all black and had a motorcycle.
"Um...I think so," his aunt didn't look satisfied with his answer, "She likes motorcycles too," She let out a laugh at that.
"And what does your friend Johnny like?" Aunt May questioningly asked. He could tell Aunt May was amused by this conversation. It was very rare that he talked about his friends for he didn't have many to begin with due to being not the most popular kid on the block.
His attitude may not have helped in his endeavor for companionship, but it was enough for Johnny Storm, the only other teenage superhero who â after a lot of battles, arguments, and insults, became his friend.
A real friend who could spend time with, whom he could hide nothing from, and as such, he knew a lot of the boy.
"Cars," he confidently answered, for Johnny Storm had a hard-on for cars.
"That's all?" she asked as if she was expecting more.
"Cars and girls," he didn't know which one Johnny liked more, to be honest. Aunt May let out another laugh at this.
"Your friends seem like quite the characters Peter, you'll have to bring them here one day," Aunt May hopefully ordered, looking forward to meeting both Laura and Johnny.
Peter knew she'd like them both.
He'd have Johnny meet Aunt May sometime soon â after putting on a disguise or something along those lines of course, but Laura? Sure, he trusted her more than most people, but inviting her to his home? It would at least take a couple more team-ups before she steps foot in here.
"One day," Peter simply replied.
Aunt May lovingly stroked his cheek.
"I'm glad you have friends now Peter...and it seems you're not the only one, even Spider-Man, someone who has always worked alone seems to have some friends now. That fiery fellow from the Fantastic Four and now this mysterious girl," Aunt May said offhandedly as she listened to the TV.
Peter laughed at the comparison â if only she knew, "Yeah...I guess he does," Peter pondered about his friends and acquaintances with a fond smile.
He finished his breakfast soon after this and washed his plate despite his aunt insisting that she would do it, but he refused her insistence. After washing the dishes, the boy set out to his room to retrieve the stuff he would need when he arrived at the big N.Y.C.
When Spider-Man arrived.
He'd stop by the Baxter building first thing and once everything was figured out, go on patrol with Johnny until he had to go meet Laura at seven.
Aunt May was right when she said that he did have friends.
He absentmindedly closed the door behind him.
When he turned around after shutting it he froze in place, blinking multiple times as a pair of emerald eyes blankly looked at him.