Peter
“New York, Queens. It’s a rough borough, but hey, it’s home.” I said, deliberately deepening my voice into a gravelly rasp. I was filming a little “trip vlog.”
“Who are you talking to?” Happy and Marina asked simultaneously.
“No one. Just making a little video of the trip.”
“You know you can’t show it to anyone,” Happy said flatly.
I nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
“Then why are you narrating in that voice?” Happy questioned.
“Because it’s fun,” I shrugged.
“Fun?” Happy pressed, his tone skeptical.
Marina scoffed, nudging me with her elbow. “C’mon, Happy, let him have some fun. This is probably his first time out of the country, let alone the state.” She turned her face toward the camera. I shifted the phone to focus on her. “He’s such a stick in the mud.” She whispered directly into the lens.
I chuckled. “So, uh… Why do they call you Happy?”
He rolled up the privacy screen separating himself from Marina and me. “Can I record you?”
“Sure. What do you want me to do?” Marina asked, tilting her head.
“Just… whatever you want. I want to show Ned that I met you.”
“Okay.” She moved to the middle seat, then deliberately pulled me closer. “Come here. I don’t bite.”
“Alright.” I aimed the phone at my face. “Hey, Ned. You’re never gonna believe who I’m with right now!” I swept the camera across us both.
“Hey, Ned. I’ve heard great things about you from Peter. He’s a really cool guy. I hope I get to meet you soon. If you’re half as great as Peter says you are, then I’d love to.” She smiled, a quick wink at the camera, and I stopped recording.
I looked at her. Her eyes were striking—one brown, one blue—set against long, dark hair and caramel skin. Her lips looked… incredibly soft. I smiled, and she flushed a delicate pink.
“So, you can… read minds, right?”
“Um… yeah. It’s the only good thing that came from…” She paused, making a vague gesture with her hand. “Nat—I mean Black Widow—trained me to fight.”
I remembered the news reports about her lab accident. Everyone assumed she was dead. The idea that she’d survived—let alone gained powers—seemed impossible. I wanted to distract her from it.
“Can you read my mind?” I asked, quickly adding, “If you don’t want to…”
“Yeah. I kinda already have,” she admitted. “Not much. Just to make sure you weren’t lying about the suit, where it was hidden. And to get an idea of what Ned looked like.” She cleared her throat, a flush creeping up her neck. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I shook my head.
She sighed. “Okay. You’re gonna feel a slight sting.” She placed her hands on my temples, closed her eyes, took a deep breath. Then, when she opened her eyes, they were completely white. A faint tingling sensation prickled at my scalp, and then… everything dissolved.
-x-
“Kiddo, hand me the—” A younger Mr. Stark was cut off mid-sentence.
“I already did.” A young girl said.
She was blonde with brown eyes. Recognition hit me—it was Marina.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I mean I already stabilized it,” she said, looking at her father.
“How?” he asked. She opened her mouth to explain, but he cut her off. “Never mind. I trust you. But I want to check it just in case.”
The young Marina sighed, handing Mr. Stark a screwdriver. “Okay.”
Mr. Stark poked at the reactor. It began to glow. “Ah! See, trust your old man,” he said, pulling her into a side hug.
They laughed, but it didn’t last. The reactor glowed brighter, blindingly so. They stared at it, confused. Marina grabbed the screwdriver, trying to stabilize it.
“We gotta get outta here,” Mr. Stark said, pulling her away.
“No, I can fix it!” She broke free of his grip and ran back toward the reactor.
“Marina, no!” Mr. Stark lunged for her, but he was too late. The reactor exploded, throwing Marina backward. It looked like a black aura enveloped her body.
Mr. Stark screamed, running to her. “Jarvis, get me emergency services. Now!”
The memory faded.
-x-
“Ladies and Gentlemen. Boys and girls. I present to you the newest member of the Avengers.” Mr. Stark announced. “Haze.”
A black cloud obscured part of the stage. As it dissipated, Marina appeared. Her hair was pulled back, revealing a black and red skin-tight suit. A mask concealed her nose and mouth. She looked lethal. Cameras flashed as reporters chattered.
“Show ‘em what you got.” Mr. Stark whispered to her.
She grabbed his shoulder. They vanished in a cloud of black smoke, reappeared behind the crowd. Everyone gasped, cheered. They teleported back to the stage.
The memory faded.
-x-
When I snapped back to the present, Marina had a crooked smile on her face. “You and Ned are weird,” she laughed.
“Yeah, we have some really great memories, as you saw.” I smiled at her. “I’m really sorry you had to go through that. I had no idea—”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, Peter. There’s nothing you could’ve done to stop it.” She looked down at her hands.
“How do you do all that?” I gestured with my hands, mimicking her power use.
She cracked a smile. “It was a miracle I survived the explosion. I should be dead right now. When I woke up in the hospital, I was… how I am now.” She used her telekinesis to lift my phone, then drop it back into my hand.
Just then, the car stopped. Happy told us to get out. I pulled my phone out again, starting to record as Marina and I stepped out of the car. Happy pulled our bags from the trunk.
“C’mon, I’m not carrying your bags. Let’s go.” Happy said.
“Hey, should I go to the bathroom before?” I asked.
“There’s a bathroom on the plane.” Marina laughed.
I pointed the camera at her, and she whispered, “He’s such a stick in the mud.”
I chuckled, and she blushed.
“Woah. No pilot? That’s awesome!” I said, watching Marina sit. Happy sat across from her, and I sat next to her.
“Is that where you’re gonna sit?” Happy asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Is it your first time on a private plane?” he interrogated further.
“It’s my first time on any plane,” I said, amused.
“Happy, give him a break,” Marina defended.
Happy rolled his eyes and moved to a different seat.
“Hey, should it be making that noise?” I asked. Happy ignored the question.
“It’s fine, Peter. Try to get some rest. We have a busy day ahead.” Marina pulled a blanket from her bag and leaned against the wall. I nodded and stopped recording.
-x-
I started recording again, turning the camera toward myself. I shushed my imaginary audience and turned it around. Slowly and quietly, I approached Happy, who was asleep. He was snoring loudly when he twitched. I jumped back. Marina snickered behind me.
“Very smooth, Parker,” she whispered, half asleep.
I put on a British accent and turned the camera toward her. “And here, we see a wild Stark in her natural habitat. A private jet, going halfway across the world.”
She laughed and gave me a cheesy smile, showing off her white teeth. Then she hid under the blanket.
“C’mon, no one’s gonna see the video anyway.”
Slowly, she pulled the blanket away from her face. “Happy now?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Her mascara and eyeliner were smudged.
“Yes.” I smiled at her, stopped recording, and sat down. She leaned her head on my shoulder.
“Do you mind if—?”
“No, you’re fine.”
“Thanks.” She yawned and closed her eyes.
“Sleep well.” I leaned my head on hers, quickly drifting off to sleep.