Chương 2175: 43
Chapter 43: Quick Mornings and Surprise RhinocerosesNotes:
Sup guys! Also I've had this question a few times, but this does have an update schedule. So every Sunday...or more realistically in the wee hours between Saturday and Sunday cause that's apparently when I update every week now...I'm a night owl. It happens.
Chapter Text
Pietro yawned, rolling towards the warm lump next to him in bed. "Why are you awake?"
"Curiosity." Darcy replied. "Also coffee." She flicked his nose before climbing out of bed and pulling on clothing.
He groaned, letting his head thump onto his pillow. "It's five. We don't have to be anywhere for hours."
"Well if you want Peter and May to realize you slept in here instead of in Daisy's room, feel free to have a lie in." Darcy pulled on a shirt as she snarked.
Pietro considered that, nope. He moved as quickly as possible not slowing till he skidded to a halt full dressed next to the door. "Well, we wouldn't want that."
"You're a dirty rotten cheater." Darcy grumbled.
He brushed his hair out of his face. "But a cheater who can make coffee."
"And this is why I keep you around." She snapped the leg of a pair of sweatpants at him.
He sniggered as he easily dodged by zipping straight in front of her. He reached out cupping her cheek, his thumb carefully touching where her black eye began. "Do you need more ice for this?"
"No, but thank you." Darcy raised a brow. "However, I seem to remember an offer of coffee."
Pietro huffed in amusement, taking a step back. "Only if you make breakfast."
"Make food while drinking coffee and some eye candy wanders around? I think I can do that." Darcy smiled, it was slightly teasing but there was a genuine softness to her like this that filled his chest with something warm.
He gave a light nod, and then vanished from the room, his feet lightly carrying him faster than an eye could see as more than a vague blur. Coffee, he could do coffee.
Pietro enjoyed the quiet of the house. There was a stillness in the hours when people slept. The only sound was the soft sizzle as Darcy puttered around the oven, cooking pancakes for the house. He held his mug of coffee in one hand, hip leaning against the counter. "Not that I didn't appreciate it, but why wasn't I sleeping on the air mattress?"
"You're asking me now?" Darcy's face was amused as she turned, spatula in hand, eyes bright with amusement.
He didn't bother to hide that he felt rather smug after last night. "Well, things were looking good for me, so why question?"
"Valid." Darcy nodded solemnly. "But thank you for yesterday, for realsies. I needed this." She gestured at the home around them. "Apparently I'm mortal and capable of being ruffled."
Pietro decided to sip his coffee and not possibly say something wrong. Safe topics for them were mocking other people, not feelings.
Darcy turned back to the pancakes, and a sort of familiar quietness settled over them again. It was...different. But good. Very quiet though...actually why was it so quiet?
"Darcy, why isn't the news on? You always watch the news in the morning." His brow furrowed as he appreciated that she didn't even have music on.
She huffed slightly. "I can go more than fifteen minutes without my phone or a wrench. It is possible." Darcy whacked his knuckles with the spatula before he could snag one of pieces of bacon. Which was impressive, he hadn't been moving at human speeds. "Nuh uh."
"Please, I made the coffee." A slight whine in his voice.
Darcy arched a brow. "No. However you can run down to the store and get some berries to go on everything."
"As you command." With a mocking salute he walked backwards towards the door. "And I noticed you changing the subject about the news. I'm just too much of a gentleman to further ask."
Before he could run Darcy laughed. "Gentleman my ass."
"Well it is a very nice ass." Pietro took off at a run before he could get whacked with a dish towel. A wide smile across his face as the wind rushed past his face. It was going to be a good day.
////
Wanda tied on her apron strings and closed her eyes. She would not give her customers waking nightmares of hell. She would not use her powers on civilians no matter how horrible. Breathing out she opened her eyes and clocked in. It was going to be a good day. She walked out into the shop.
"Hey! What are you doing here? I thought you had finals for Jan term today?" Amanda greeted, genuineness tangibly wafting off of her.
Wanda accepted in that moment that this civilian girl, with fashion magazines in her purse, was going to become her friend one way or the other. And...she didn't mind at all. It was actually nice, feeling normal. "Finals are tomorrow, I was planning on studying for them today but Marg called and said you were short staffed today."
"You're an angel." Amanda grabbed and then squeezed her hand. "I'd have gone spare running this place over rush by myself.
Which….Wanda could feel the actual gratitude the actual fondness Amanda felt for her. It was nice. She desperately wanted to tell Daisy about how she was being befriended by a civilian, that the disguise was working perfectly, that she was getting straight A's in all her classes, that the University had let her test out of English 101 and out of her required math units. There was just so much. And Peter, god Peter was a wreck who needed his sister. All of them needed her back and it felt so hideously selfish of her to want her back when Daisy's own family was right there. Especially with May showing her so much kindness.
"Oh woah are you ok?" Amanda flapped her hands, and then dove into her purse pulling out a kleenex.
Wanda realized she was crying, and Amanda was just so nice! She promptly started sobbing.
Wanda sheepishly sipped at her gingerbread monstrosity, it was disgusting and exactly something Daisy would have liked, as they enjoyed a few minutes without customers. The rush had been good to prevent questions about her breakdown in the breakroom. "Thanks, for the kleenex."
"Yeah no problem, happens to all of us." Amanda set a cookie on a plate in front of her. "Want to talk about it?"
She opened her mouth and just….well she couldn't talk to anyone else but Pietro about it without feeling grossly selfish. "My girlfriend...she…" fuck, how to even beging to explain kidnapped by aliens and portaled to a future apocolypse?
"Oh honey, you two break up?" Amanda rubbed her back, her face full of sympathy.
"No, it's just she works for the government." And what had Daisy told Wanda about lying? Keep it as close to the truth as possible? "The army, but her team hasn't been in contact with anyone for over a month now and I can't…"
Amanda's eyes widened, and then she was hugging her. "Why didn't you say anything? That's terrible!"
"It doesn't feel appropriate. Her family has been so lovely. They've been insisting I stay in their home and come to dinner. And you'll probably meet her brother sometime. He just turned fifteen. They're her family and it feels wrong to let them try and comfort me." Wanda couldn't help the sniffle, god she felt pathetic. "Their parents died years ago so it's just the three kids and their aunt living together. They hunted down their bio-dad this year and were building relationships with him for the first time in their lives and I'm just the girlfriend."
Amanda hummed, squeezing her tighter. "You're not just anything. If they're pulling you in like that, then you and your girl must be a whole lot of something. Have you thought maybe they need you as much as you need them?"
She pressed her hand to her chest, where it felt like it would cave in sometimes. The thing is she knew how terrified the Parkers were of her or Pietro disappearing on them. That they genuinely loved them. "I don't want to burden them with my fear when they have their own."
"Does the army think your girl's team is...coming home?" Amanda asked as gently as possible.
Wanda nodded. "Her team, they have a reputation for dropping off the face of the earth for months at a time only to pop back up, mission done. It's their thing."
"So what you're saying is your girlfriend is a badass?" Amanda's lips twitched up slightly.
She chuckled, her throat wet and ever so slightly raspy from tears. "Yeah, adrenaline junkie too. She's into all those extreme sports, skydiving, cliff climbing, extreme paintballing. It exists and is horribly dangerous and she probably does it."
"Sounds like quite the firecracker." Amanda's lightly brushing feelings were empathetic. It was clear she thought Daisy was likely dead but wouldn't say anything.
Wanda pulled away from the hug, pulling the kleenex out of her apron and wiping at her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to cry all over you."
"Nothing to be sorry for." Amanda nudged her lightly. "Eat the cookie, you look like you need it."
She rolled her eyes, but broke off a bite and ate it. "Can we talk about something else? If we keep talking about Daisy I'm going to cry again and we could get a customer."
"Sure." Amanda's feelings crackled as she switched topics in her head. "Did you see the photos from Spiderman rescuing Darcy Stark yesterday?" Her tone was disgusted.
Wanda blinked as she processed that. No she didn't understand that. "What's wrong with that?"
Amanda whipped out her phone and pulled up the photos, she must have had them already open on the thing. She was bristling with indignation. "Look at that! They're all over each other!"
"Uh…" Wanda looked at the photos, and sure she could see how clearly Darcy and Peter in the suit were hugging could be seen as vaguely intimate but… "They're friends? She makes their suits?"
Amanda's eyes narrowed. "It's not just that." She scrolled further to photos from the Ninja Warrior night. There were pictures of her, Darcy, and Peter standing on the sidelines cheering Daisy on. And yes, Darcy did have a hand on Peter's shoulder...a hand that someone in the photo had circled in bright red. "They've been touchy before. And then suddenly Quake's gone and they're all over each other like that?"
Wanda's brain had rather stalled. One how was Amanda staring at a photo that included her, admittedly in a red jacket and with her hair down, but still very much her and not realizing her coworker was Scarlet Witch...her coworker who's name was Wanda, had a Sokovian accent, and just had her hair up and a fake tattoo. It was...how? Also two, dear lord the media looked like it was about to start up some sort of demented love triangle story involving Daisy, Peter, and Darcy. And with no Daisy there to prove rumors wrong...well Wanda could see how that could get out of hand.
"Of course a Stark would be a homewrecker." Amanda was actually offended by the whole thing. Truely, deeply offended.
Well...it was less of a distraction from Daisy than Wanda had hoped for. But well...it was certainly something. And Amanda was politely ignoring how thick her voice was. "They could just be friends? I'd imagine being kidnapped would stir some strong feelings? And they're just hugging?"
"I don't know about you but I don't hug my guy friends like that." Amanda countered and then opened up a tap from a gossip sight. "Look at this, they're saying Spiderman and Darcy have been seen swinging around a few times with no rescue involved. It's looking like they were cheating, and Quake's just gone and everyone knows the only reason she was in New York was because of Spiderman."
"Huh." Wanda couldn't actually think of anything to say to that.
Amanda's shoulders dropped. "Sorry, I went straight to celebrity relationship drama, that probably isn't helpful. It just makes me so angry. I mean Spiderquake was relationship goals, and then Spiderman turns out to just be a dumb guy."
"I mean we don't know for sure that's what's happened." Wanda finally managed to offer.
Amanda sighed. "We can hope, but I doubt it." She turned her phone off, sliding it back into her apron. "It just gave me hope, you know? Like if someone with as fucked up a past as Quake can settle with an awesome guy and they can be that perfect maybe there's hope for the rest of us ya know?"
"Not really?" Wanda couldn't quite parse out what Amanda was feeling it was so jumbled. At least not without physical contact and possibly actively touching her with her abilities. So effectively she couldn't understand her. "But I am sorry their relationship isn't what you thought it was."
Amanda sighed. "I hope Quake at least keeps being a hero ya know? And doesn't just go back to SHIELD full time or something depressing like that."
"Me too." Wanda agreed, she'd hunt her girlfriend down and talk some sense into her if she tried to stay with SHIELD full time. She'd already burned out in the organization once already. And oddly...she did feel better.
Wanda dialed Darcy's number. "Darcy, are you aware the world thinks you're the other woman in Spiderman and Quake's relationship?"
////
Peter slapped his hands down on the cement block and swung his legs forward into a hard kick, sending the guy with a gun flying into the wall. He landed on his feet and turned to the woman clinging to her purse. "To the rescue! Are you alright?"
"Spiderman!" The woman exclaimed.
He webbed the crook to the wall he was slumped against and patted the woman's shoulder. "You need some help calling anyone?"
Peter paused as he landed on the side of a building and switched his comms back on. "Yuri, that's my third armed individual in three square blocks. What's happening?"
-"Everyone's trying to elbow in on the Magia territory now that we've crippled them. It's only going to get worse."- Yuri replied, her tone made it plain she was getting less sleep than he was.
He sighed noting the blinking light in the corner of his mask. Another police incident within distance of him. "Well Spidercop is on the job." His voice was as upbeat as he could make it.
-"Right, can you head for my position? I'm heading in to a call where the responding officer hasn't been replying."-
Peter pulled up the map and blinked. "That's in the middle of the old Maggie territory. I'm on my way." He kicked off and swung as fast as he could.
The wind whipped by as he flung himself over buildings and through alleys. KAREN highlighted Yuri's car up ahead. The AI had been really useful without Daisy there.
He arched through the air, and then flew feet first through the open passenger window of Yuri's car. "What's the situation Boss?"
"God help me never join the force." Yuri looked physically pained at the thought. "But officers Davis and Lippincott went to investigate a tip of Magia weapons being moved out of the neighborhood. They haven't checked in for fifteen minutes and haven't answered any hails on the radio."
Peter bit his lip under his mask. He knew that was bad, really really bad. "KAREN, alert whoever is available I might need backup." He adjusted his web shooter. "I'll do a loop of the block."
"I want to say you're being paranoid but it's probably smart." She hit the gas. "Kid, if this goes south you get out. Do you understand me?"
His eyes narrowed. He liked Yuri and Davis, they were friends. Like hell he would leave them if it went bad. "If it goes wrong we just have to hold out till one of the Avengers can get there. And KAREN will call them in."
"Kid this isn't an argument, I'm not having a dead teenager on my conscience. The mafia doesn't play by the same rules as normal crooks." Yuri's knuckles whitened as she made the corner. "And the robot still freaks me out."
Peter tossed his fingers. "Fine, and she's an AI not a robot."
"Whatever, stay sharp kid." Yuri warned as they gunned it down the block.
He paused before jumping out the window. "I'm so sharp I'm lit."
Yuri groaned. "That doesn't even make sense!"
Peter landed on the sidewalk next to Yuri. He kept his voice soft. "Block seems quiet, I don't see a trap." He eyed the abandoned for renovations office building. "But KAREN picked up eight heat signatures and something really big, maybe a generator or something that's putting off a lot of heat."
"Ok." Yuri's eyes narrowed. "Go through the window up top, if you find either officer get them out."
He nodded, he could do that. "What about you?"
"I'm going in the front door. If you hear shooting feel free to swoop in." She adjusted her bullet proof vest. "Let's hope this goes according to plan."
Peter shot a web up to the roof. But strained keeping himself from being pulled up. "That'd be Spiderific if it went to plan." He snickered as he went shooting up, Yuri's exasperated groan was music to his ears.
Falling silent he slipped through the window and crawled along the ceiling looking for any sign of people.
He dropped to the ground as he reached the elevator shift. His mask switched to heat sign view. Looked like everyone was grouped together. He carefully hit his comm. "Second floor atrium. I think their moving whatever is putting off all the heat."
-"Rodger."- Yuri replied, her voice barely audible.
Peter could see the signature that had to be her moving towards the stairs. He slung himself into the elevator shaft. It was easy enough to get to the second floor. Peeking out he looked at the heat signature in the hall. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Yuri, I've got Davis."
He hopped up next to the officer, ducking the man's instinctive elbow towards the face. "Just me, your friendly neighborhood Spiderman!" His voice squeaked slightly.
Davis half slumped. "Jesus kid." He glanced to ensure they were still alone. "Something is blocking our radio signal. Lippincott was coming up the backstairs, is he ok?"
"Yuri'll find him then." Peter eyed the hallway. "What's the sitch?"
Davis breathed in a low gust of air. "Some sort of weapons deal. They moved in from the street, we followed, were waiting for back up when I realized no radio replies."
"Right, well my comms are working. So you've got me and Detective Yuri. And the Avengers are on speed dial."
The man nodded, relief painted across his face. "Good, that's good."
Peter twitched, his spidersense was prickling at the back of his neck. "Notice anything else?"
"Guy in charge's name is Aleksie I think?" Davis's voice was painfully quiet.
That was...that was bad. That was the name of the guy the Maggia had been trying to hire. It'd been in the files. The Russian enhanced that had been dragging out negotiations. Peter swallowed, the file hadn't been clear on how the man was enhanced. Just that he was. Which...right KAREN would be alerting someone. They just had to survive like maybe ten minutes. He could do this. Daisy had trained him.
Peter settled with purpose. "Stay behind me, and be ready to flee."
"Yeah, that's not happening." Davis squared his shoulders, and then forged ahead.
He blinked, huh, knew he liked the man for a reason. Just would be useful if they weren't walking into what was setting off his spidersense like crazy. "Hey wait! Don't go in without me!"
Peter hopped around the corner and immediately webbed a goon's mouthshut on instinct. "Bad Cop. Don't leave your Spidercop behind. It's a no-no."
"Come on, before Yuri kills you." Davis gave a tight smile as he snapped handcuffs on the goon who was...not struggling at all?
The ground shook. Peter looked towards the heat signatures….the giant signature he'd thought was a generator or something was moving. It was...oh that was person shaped… And it was headed straight for where Yuri had just stepped out of cover.
Peter flung himself forward. He spun as he shot through the door and over the giant of a man's shoulder. His arms reached out webbing two goons as he zipped across the room. Then he was landing in a three point crouch in front of Yuri. "Holy Hot Tamales."
Because what he'd vaguely noticed was a giant of a man as he flew past him was not just a big guy. He had to be seven foot at least, and he looked like the HULK's meaner little brother only was that...yup he had a very sharp, shockingly not ridiculous looking horn on his head. Actual...horn, the grey suit, general massive shit. Rhino. He was a massive Rhino. Peter swallowed. "I didn't know the zoo was in town."
"Ah, I have heard much about you tiny spider. I look forward to squashing you like a bug." A very thick, deep, thickly accented, Russian voice game out like gravel from...the rhino.
Peter couldn't help it. "Spiders are arachnids. Did you get dropped on your head as a child? I hear there's things they can do for that these days."
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