Lucky Enough to Live

by flying feather scribbles

[Sequel to Explosive Energy] Emmaline has started her life over. Then she runs across a sudden fight between Superheroes and Super-Villains near Central Park and finds Danny injured. She takes him back to her apartment to find he is dying and there's nothing she can do, and his friends don't even know. Just a great new start of her final days to life.

21. Fritz

Thank you for the reviews, TheOnyxDragon12, BowTies23, & leggo lover 99!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ultimate Spider-Man. I do own my OC's and the idea.

Chapter 21: Fritz

"Learn to focus only on the present.

The past is unchangeable

so it is futile to reflect on it unless you are making sure you so not repeat past mistakes.

The future is but a result of your actions today.

So learn from the past

to do better in the present

so that you can succeed in the future."

-Jordan Lejuwaan

I yawn. Ten more months. I really should stop counting down, but I know that all my friends are too, and it's hard not to. Peter decided to tell his aunt I'm dying of a rare genetic disease- which is close enough to the truth. Mrs. Parker has offered to bring me with her and Sam on some of her 'adventures', and I've done a few things that don't require traveling. Ava talks with me much more than before, but how can you fit a lifetime of friendship into a few final months? Danny does Kundalini with me every night. It's gentle enough to prevent me from getting overexcited, but, at the same time, is refreshing, challenging, and enjoyable. Taekwondo, though, makes me way over the top, so I don't practice that very often anymore. I really miss practicing martial arts, but at least I can use it whenever I go on a mission.

I drowsily slip two slices of bread into the toaster, but as soon as I touch the handle to start it, it begins to emit sparks and smoke, so I decide against eating breakfast. Lately that has been happening to me whenever I touch electronic devices; let's just say that the city has had very faulty power lately.

"Morning," Peter mutters, walking into the kitchen. I giggle; he is covered in some sort of scented green wax.

"Sam?"

"Don't know. I think these are Danny's candles, though."

"Were."

Peter lays his head on the table. "I'm dead."

I shrug, then say, "Danny won't mind that much. I mean, they're expensive, but Danny never seems to care."

"Like Danny would care about money, Em, really? No, I ruined Ava's shirt..."

My eyebrows shoot up. "You are dead."

"And Luke's 'beauty kit'..."

"Double dead..."

"... and this old book called "Dairy Firm Grills..."

"Oh, you are dead!" I exclaim, punching on the arm. "That thing had better be okay!"

Peter's eyes widen in alarm, and suddenly makes a break for it, dashing back to his bedroom, only to run into Ava. I roll my eyes at them when I hear them half flirting, half arguing.

"What's burning?" Luke crinkles his nose as he, Danny, and Sam enter the kitchen.

"Oops..." I blush.

"Not the microwave!" Sam cries, before noticing the toaster and visibly relaxing. "Oh, just that piece of junk. It's useless for actually toasting anything, you know. I mean, it was useless before Em fried it."

"EMMA FRIED THE TOASTER?!" Peter shouts from the top of the stairs.

"SORRY!" I yell back. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Danny slip two folded bills underneath the toaster, and shame builds in my stomach. "Danny-"

"What?" he replies innocently.

"Those two-" I say, before Danny presses a finger to my lips, shushing me with his grin. "Oh, fine." Instead of moving away to fix himself some breakfast, though, Danny moves in closer, until we are pressed against each other in a tucked away corner of the room, away from our friends' prying eyes, and our lips meet.

"Hey, Danny, where did you put my-" Luke starts to ask, before realizing that Danny is, well, kissing me. "Dude, really? Before breakfast?"

"What before breakfast?" Sam inquires, stepping in front of Luke.

"Peace."

Sam snorts. "Peace? Really? For what?"

"Oh, nothing at all, Sam," I say, hurrying away, because I know that within the next minute or so, he will put two and two together, and the teasing shall begin.

Yes, life is good. I love this feeling of being apart of something, of taking place in the daily squabbles. For most of the morning, I read a book that Ava recommended to me called "Thundering Hearts", a rather funny romance.

Later that day, after lunch, Danny approaches me again. "Hello," he greets me warmly.

"Hey Danny. Whatcha doing?" I snap the book shut and set it aside, glad he doesn't know what I was reading.

Danny shrugs, an amused smile lingering on his lips. I haven't ever seen Danny being 'mischievous' before, but... oh, well. "Simply talking to you."

"Well, yeah, I can see that," I roll my eyes.

He grins back as he says, "I was unaware that one could see sounds."

"Oh, stop it!" I give him a playful shove, but at my touch, Danny flinches.

"What is wrong?" he asks me in an undertone.

My eyebrows shoot up. "Nothing... what is it, Danny?" I cannot hide the concern in my voice.

"Your hands... why are you shaking them like that?"

I shrug. Lately I have had a habit of waving my hands around and wiggling my fingers, because the energy has a tendency to build up otherwise. "Just cuz." He frowns at me, then shakes his head. I sigh, then say, "Danny, could we do some yoga? Please?"

I know that he realizes that something is wrong, but Danny isn't one to pry, and simply nods, starting to Peter's bedroom, where he already has two yoga mats laying on the floor. As we stretch, Danny breaks the silence. "Here." He holds out my necklace.

It's hard to believe that he has kept it all this time. Why didn't he give it back? I don't want it anymore, though, and carefully close his hand around the necklace, pushing it back towards him. "No. I don't need it anymore. Keep it."

Danny pauses. "Where did you get this? It is very valuable; I have only seen one other of this kind."

"Doctor Strange. He told me it contains the 'magic woven through the universe' and takes advantage of that. I don't know what kind of stone it is, but it used to help."

"Used to?"

"Yeah. Not anymore... It just stopped working- it used to absorb energy, which helped a lot at times... It stopped working when I found you, but I kept on wearing it because I've had it since I was seven."

Danny closes his eyes, thinking. "How did you find the Sorcerer Supreme?"

"You mean Dr. Strange? He found me. I was... in a mess, and he said that I'd been using magic and wanted to know where I'd learned it. I explained that I'd dreamed about how to do it," I say slowly. Even though I'm with Danny, I still avoid telling the whole truth. Not because I'm worried about myself; I have little to be concerned about when I have so little time remaining- rather, there are people involved that would be hurt. More than hurt- this information is so precious, no living person other than myself and Dr. Strange knows it.

"You Dream?" Danny sounds concerned, and he's usually quite good at keeping a neutral tone. Worry begins to pool in my stomach.

"Who doesn't dream?" I ask, my voice becoming slightly high pitched.

"No. You Dream-walk using magic."

So that's what this is called. "I guess. Well, not really- but I always- Oh, I don't know!"

"Dream-walking is an ancient art gifted to but a few. Where did you learn the techniques?" Danny says gravely.

Neither of us are in a pose any more, or a stretch. We're both just sitting there, with me staring into Danny's eyes. His blind eyes. Guilt settles uneasily in my stomach, and I feel myself starting to blush. "I... I don't know. I always had dreams about stuff, but they just kept getting more vivid and stronger, if you know what I mean... I always thought it was my mutation, you know, causing it."

Danny stands up, and holds out his hand. "Come. You and I need to talk." My heart jumps nervously, but I grasp his hand, pulling myself up. He leads me downstairs, then right down the sidewalk. After six blocks or so, I start to worry; are we just going to walk the whole way? As it turns out, we do. Danny's pace is steady and unwavering, and I have to keep pulling him away from the street.

"Danny! Watch out!" I exclaim, yanking on his arm as he nearly walks into a passing taxi. "Where are we going?"

"Patience."

We eventually arrive at an old, beat-up building. As we walk closer, though, it shifts into an enormous house, headed by stone gargoyles. I can't help but letting out a little gasp despite the fact that I've been here once before. Inside, the hallways is precisely as I remember it, decorated with various 'spooky' relics. A man with a black mustache and goatee appears from the shadows, wearing a royal red and gold vest, stiff white polo, and shiny black pants. His eyes are a startling pale, stormy gray.

"Greetings, Iron Fist and Emmaline." His voice is regal and commanding, echoing throughout the corridor.

"Namaste, Doctor," Danny bows.

I follow his example. "Namaste."

"What brings you here? Emmaline, after your last... visit, I was under the impression that you would not return."

I mutter something under my breath, redirecting my gaze to the ground. "I wasn't going to. Danny brought me here."

"You have fared... well. Far better than I expected, Emmaline. What is your secret to holding back?"

I wring my hands uncomfortably. Dr. Strange has a knack for knowing what I think, how I'm doing. He still wouldn't help me, though, not in the way I needed. Even after all these years, Dr. Strange still remembers me. I wouldn't have ever intentionally come back here again, truthfully, and I wouldn't have followed Danny at all if I had known where he was bringing me; now it is too late to turn back. I open my mouth to answer the doctor's question, but he waves his hand to quiet me.

"Iron Fist, I had not expected you to find love. Not that you should not have, but I was unaware that the Monks would allow it. Although she shares an extraordinarily similar spirit to yours. I did not expect your paths to cross."

"What in this world is ever expected, Doctor?"

"True, Daniel, true," Dr. Strange strokes his goatee thoughtfully. "Emmaline, you dare to become close to another? Again, unexpected. Then again, you have always defied the laws of reality, so why should you follow the beaten pathways? In all aspects, you are a miracle of life. Speaking of such, how is your life faring?"

"Ten more months," I say in a hushed voice.

"Ten? Why would you reject-"

"Stop." No. Doctor Strange is not telling Danny about my other Choice. The risks aren't worth it, why won't Doctor Strange accept that? I know my friends would never let it rest if they found out. "No. You know my answer, Sorcerer."

Danny's face betrays his surprise, but, true to his nature, he says nothing.

"Then, what brings you here?"

"She can Dream," Danny says.

"Dream? Where did you learn this ancient art?"

I am about to explode from frustration. Literally. My hands are quivering, and I anxiously shake them back and forth, trying to rid myself of the excess energy. "I said, I don't know!"

Dr. Strange's eyes darken. "Explain yourself, Hayat Ruh."

Hayat Ruh. The words ring through my mind. It's been so long since anyone has called me that, and I'd nearly forgotten, but the words are still true. Hayat Ruh. "Why?"

"Do it," Danny commands.

Something inside of me tumbles down, and I say, "I've always dreamed that way. I thought it was how everyone dreamed when I was little. I thought everybody saw others' dreams. Then I saw... a special dream about Dream-walking, and I suppose that reflected upon me, and I started dreaming about others' memories and fates; pasts, present, and futures. I can't control it, okay? I'm sorry!"

"Emma... that in itself is... extraordinary." Danny's face is calm, but his words convey his awe. I hate this, I hate always being the 'not normal' person in whatever I do.

Dr. Strange examines me curiously. "Say what you will, Hayat Ruh, but you have gleaned much control as of recent days. Why you claim the card of death when there is a deck of cards spread before you is a mystery. Only you would do so. Yet only you have that decision."

"Stop it!" I say angrily, fury welling up inside of me. He has no right to judge my choices.

"As you wish, Hayat Ruh. Let me inform you, though, that Uzun Uyku holds little risk for you if your words are honest."

Danny interjects. "You have been given the choice of Uzun Uyku?"

"Yeah, but it's too risky, and I've already said no! I don't trust you, Doctor, not with this. Nobody can be trusted with this this, and that's why I have to die. I don't want to go into Uzun Uyku; I don't want to place that burden on anybody's shoulders," I say venomously.

"You would not entrust me?" Danny asks quietly.

"I trust you just fine, Danny! That's not it! You don't deserve to do that for me, it's too much to ask-"

"You do not deserve to die."

"What if I do?!" I am nearly screaming at him now. He can't do this for me. No. "You said yourself: 'What if you are the only person who deserves to die?'!"

"You know that I did not mean it in such a way. I meant it as a compliment to your inner value."

"Enough!" Dr. Strange waves his hands, and we both fall into silence instantly. "If Hayat Ruh objects to Uzun Uyku, then you must accept this, Iron Fist. The decision is hers alone, and perhaps her choices are for the better."

I turn away, trying to blink away my tears. "We need to go, Danny," I say thickly, and start for the door. From the footsteps behind me, I know that he is following me back to Peter's home. The whole way back, I am mute.

That night, while Sam is making dinner, Danny pulls me aside. Everyone else is talking and laughing in the living room.

"Emma, please, Uzun Uyku is your best option." I've never heard Danny plead before, and I feel terrible that he wants this for me so badly, but the decision was made years ago. A lifetime ago, really.

"No, Danny."

He raises his voice, "Emmaline, Uzun Uyku-"

"NO!"

Ava puts her hand on my shoulder from behind me, but I shove her away. "Em, what's wrong?"

Danny's eyebrows lower, and his entire face portrays anger. "She is choosing death over Uzun Uyku. She is deaf to my arguments."

"Oo-Zen Oye Coo?" Sam asks. Why is everybody walking over here? Danny and I fighting isn't that- oh, who am I kidding? Danny and I almost never argue, preferring Yoga over fiery words.

"What the hell is Uzun Uyku?" Luke exclaims in his deep, caring voice.

"It means 'long sleep'," Danny says in an undertone.

I interrupt him. "It's a magical sleep."

"It could save your life."

"It could destroy yours."

"I am willing."

"I'm not!"

"Please- the Sorcerer Supreme himself said there is nearly no risk-"

Peter laughs nervously. "Well, if that nut job says it's 'safe', then it's probably about the most dangerous thing you could do!" Danny's eyes narrow in anger, and Peter gulps loudly. "Uh, oops?"

"No, Peter, you're right. Doctor Strange is no 'nut job', but what he considers 'safe' could destroy everything," I say. My words are bitter even on my tongue, but they taste no better when I spit them out, lingering in the silence.

"The risk is minute."

"Any risk at all is too much," I say, turning my back to Danny. "My life isn't worth it."

"We- your family- are not worth the risk? Life is merely a series of risks, and if you take no risks, you do not live!"

"Exactly. I take no risk, and I do not live," I whisper, a single, lonely tear sliding down my cheek. "That is my choice, on how I shall die. There are far worse things in life than death itself."

"No there aren't!" Sam exclaims. I turn to face him, looking him in the eyes so he can see my sorrow.

"Life once asked Death, 'Why do people love me but hate you?' Death replied, 'Because you are a beautiful lie and I am an ugly truth.' I prefer the truth over lies, Sam. Death is blunt and honest, while Life encircles you in its beautiful, glittering web of lies. Everyone dies, and each for different reasons. Some people die prematurely, yet others know when it is there time. I know that I will die, and I know when I will die. I have ten months of Life remaining, and I will forever treasure those, but I do not want to leave my family with only painful memories of the end. I want you to have the luxury of believing that I was ready to go, and died with ease, not drawing it out to a painful end. I would rather cut it off cleanly than suffer until the last possible moment; I will make the best of the quality of life that I have, for the golden days that life remains."

Sam stares at me, his face pale.

"Nice fortune cookie talk," Peter supplies. I whirl to face him, blazing with anger.

"Shut up, you ignorant little-" I stop myself before I go too far, storming off.

The world is suddenly red, spinning everywhere, and it's going out of focus. Why is it so blurry? I feel myself falling backwards, towards the floor, but someone catches me first. I blink, and the room slowly starts to appear before me, and I see Danny's stoic face above mine.

"Careful," he warns me as he sets me down. I shake my head at him, starting to walk upstairs when Danny grabs my hand, swinging my around to face him. Guiltily, I look into his eyes, but find I cannot hold his empty gaze. "Why do you choose this?" he whispers.

"It's not worth the risk. I'm not worth the risk."

"The risk is nearly nothing," Danny murmurs sadly. "It is not the risk that concerns you, is it?"

"No," I admit. "I don't want to make anybody bear that burden. You know that."

"I am willing."

"I'm not. I trust you, but I don't want you to have to do this. There's no guarantee it would work, Danny," I whisper, and Danny envelopes me in a hug. I bury my face into his chest as though hiding from the consequences of my choices will make them disappear if I wait long enough.

"Why won't you try?" he asks, lifting my chin up.

"No. I've said no, and it'll stay that way."

Danny looks sad, and I hate myself for making him feel this way, but this is the best choice I have. "It is your choice, then," he says softly, and I hug him tighter.

Suddenly, our coms begin beeping. "Mission time." Hastily, we suit up. On the way there, we join up with the rest of the team.

"You really need to come up with a code name, Em," Peter informs me from his as he swings on his webbing from building to building.

"She already has one," Danny shouts over the wind. "Hayat Ruh!"

I glare at him. I hate that name, but I know the meaning, and it fits me. No matter how much I dislike its connotation, it is true. I hear Peter laughing at me. "Shut up, Web Brain!"

"Why should I, Hat Ra? Isn't Ra like the Egyptian god of the moon or something?"

I roll my eyes. "Hayat Ruh! And Ra is the Egyptian god of the sun."

"Whatever," Peter shouts back. Sam is circling above us, bored. He and Peter are the fastest- hey, it's not exactly the quickest form of transportation to run on foot to every crime scene, which is exactly what Danny, Luke, Ava and I have to do.

"What excuse did you give your aunt for missing dinner again?" Ava says.

Peter shrugs back at her. "I... uh... forgot to tell her?"

"That's just great, Web Head!"

I mentally face palm. After what Peter told Mrs. Parker about me 'dying of a genetic disease' she tends to fuss a bit over me. Not to mention that she always likes to know where her nephew is. Sam's jealous of Peter, and to be frank, I am a bit too; it wouldn't be bad to have someone like that around, who cares so much. I have Danny, though, and my friends; they're worth more than anything else to me.

Danny stumbles and trips. I immediately stop to help him up, but he just moans, clutching at his back. "WAIT! GUYS, WAIT!" They turn around, and see me kneeling beside Danny. "Danny, what's wrong? Are you okay?!" Admittedly, I am starting to panic a little bit.

"Can't- breathe-" he gasps, and my eyes widen in horror. Sam and Peter are close enough to hear him, and they speed up. I can see Ava suddenly halt, growling, before pouncing on Luke and attacking him. Sam's hands fly up to his helmet, and I watch him fall, as if in slow motion, to the street, then go limp. Peter is nearly here, though, swinging from web to web as fast as he possibly can.

Not fast enough. The bomb blows up before he can get to us.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Finished! Sorry for the delay. :-/

-FFS