Oh my gosh! What? An update!
Hallelujah!
Sorry about such a long wait, guys. Things were happening, was updating different stories, encountered a stubborn case of writer's block, yada, yada, yada.
But we're back now!
Note: The author actually has no idea what goes on in a therapy session and based this chapter on her research and what she thinks might happen. If you've been to therapy and the way she depicted it seems off, please tell her and she will promptly correct it. Thank you! :D
Now read on!
Dr. Kafka POV
Client: White Tiger
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
Dr. Kafka settled into the comfortable leather chair SHIELD provided her, crossed her legs, and glanced over her clipboard with the reports and information about her clients. Across from her on the long plush fainting couch, her first client sat straight up with her arms folded tightly across her chest. She had a white, tiger-print mask on, but Kafka was under the impression that the girl was glaring at her.
She tried not to think about that as she leaned against the armrest with a pleasant smile, "Well, how about we begin with introducing ourselves? My name is Dr. Ashley Kafka. You?"
The girl folded her arms tighter, somehow making her white bodysuit look down-right dark, and scoffed loudly, "My name should be on your paper," she said. "Why would I need to introduce myself?"
Kafka blinked. Well, that didn't usually happen to her, but no two clients were ever alike. She sat back and nodded, "Well, you're not wrong. I suppose it is a little unnecessary. But that's fine, introductions can be hard. Maybe we can just start off with anything that's bothering you. Any problems in particular that you might be having in your day-to-day life."
"Aside from this appointment, I don't have any problems," White Tiger glowered, "I'm fine."
Kafka hummed, glancing down at her file and skimmed through the summary of attacks, fights, and team-relationship issues White Tiger had been experiencing as of late. Kafka would've preferred to have her client tell her these things of her own free will, but Doctor Agent Connor insisted she have it. Given how much has been going on between the Academy students, Kafka was honestly a little relieved to have a report of what to expect.
"I was told that a member of your team was taken a while back." She settled on, after brushing through the events of the past few weeks. "Do you want to tell me about that?"
White Tiger bristled as if Kafka had suggested she pull out her own teeth. That was probably a sensitive topic. One they were getting to a little too fast. There would be time to get to that later. She opened her mouth to defer the subject, but White Tiger was already on a roll.
"All there is to know is that while I'm in here, doing this useless appointment, my friend is out in New York somewhere, in pain, and needing to come home. Something this appointment won't fix," she lurched from the couch and took two steps toward the door, but paused. Taking several deep breaths, she smoothed her dark ponytail and turned back around, sitting down with a cautiously calm ambiance. The green amulet around her waist seemed to glow somewhat maliciously.
"I already discussed these appointments with them," Kafka remembered Doctor Agent Connors saying when she first arrived. "You shouldn't have any problems."
Kafka refrained from snorting.
"This is all just a waste of time," White Tiger commented as if to make sure Kafka knew her thoughts on the matter as she crossed her legs and put her clenched fists in her lap. "You don't need to be here."
Kafka took a deep breath and scribbled down a few notes. Disappeared friend was a very sensitive topic. Noted. "Well, I may as well make the best of time regardless," she said, smiling politely. White Tiger was going to be a hard one to open up, she could already tell that much.
Client: Powerman
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"Hello, Powerman, my name is Dr. Kafka," she held out her hand, but the boy sitting in front of her stared at it until she slowly let it drop.
Clearing her throat, she leaned back in her chair, "Well, how about we get started then. Please, get comfortable."
Powerman kept his stiff sitting position.
Kafka took a breath. "First off, is there anything you want to discuss, personally?"
He shook his head.
She nodded slowly, "So, do you mind if I ask questions?"
He shrugged.
"How's it been living in the SHIELD Triskelion?"
"Fine, I guess."
"Would you like to elaborate?"
"No."
"Okay. How about your teams? What's it like working with them?"
At that, Powerman dug his fingers into his arms, shoulders stiffening. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "It's great."
She had a distinct feeling that 'great' wouldn't be the word to describe it. "What's great about it?"
"Just working with them," he said briskly, "It's good. We're good. It's all great. Are we done yet? How long is this going to take?"
Sighing, Kafka looked over Powerman's information. "We have 45 minutes left of our session."
Client: Iron Fist
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"Working with the teams are wonderful," Iron Fist said politely, "We hit barriers, as any team would, but we always find a way around our obstacles."
"That's good," Kafka smiled, "Sounds like it's a wonderful team."
He nodded, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, "Yes, they are."
"And as you said, any team is bound to run into obstacles. Are there any dilemmas with them right now?"
Iron Fist shifted his mediating, cross-legged position on the couch, and curled his fingers together in thought. "Yes," he admitted, slowly, "A rather big one, I'm afraid. A friend of ours is missing, and we're eager to bring him home." He looked at the clock. "I don't mean to be rude, but how long with this appointment take?"
"We have," Kafka look at the clock, "About 40 minutes to go. Sounds like it's been rough without him. What happened?"
But Iron Fist was back to looking at the clock as if wishing it would tick faster. "Forgive me, Dr. Kafka," he said, bowing his head, "but I fear my time is ill-spent here. Perhaps it'd be better if I cut my appointment early."
Client: Nova
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"What happened to him is that he got nabbed by an old baddie and we need to get him back," Nova snapped, "What's the point in doing this anyway? Dr. Connors may think this is going to help, but it's not going to do anything. We don't need to talk about our feelings right now."
"Your impatience is understandable," Kafka conceded, "Sitting in here when you could be helping your friend is probably very taxing."
"No, it's irritating," Nova grumbled, crossing his arms as he slid down the couch, slouching over. "And dumb. And stupid. I could be scouting the city right now, but nooooo I'm stuck here."
"What can you tell me about your friend?"
"That he needs our help," Sam said, scowling. "That we're wasting time doing this. That I should be literally anywhere, but here." He stood up, almost surprisingly Kafka into dropping her pen. "Know what, I think this has been enough gushy talk for today. So I'm just gonna go."
"No, wait," Kafka got up as Nova stormed to the door, "We're not done, yet, we-" he slammed it shut behind him.
Client: Triton
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"Spidder-Min was the thing that kept us all together, you see" Triton was saying as his webbed hands felt around the couch. The one he was supposed to be laying on. "We've all been rather on edge since his disappearance. What did you call this couch again?"
Kafka looked up to see him examining the sloped back of it. "A fainting couch, I believe."
"Fascinating," he mumbled, "and why is it called that? Am I supposed to faint during these therapie sessions?"
"Therapy sessions, and no, not normally," she said, amused for the first time since she arrived at the Triskelion. "You're supposed to lay down. It helps you relax and freely associate yourself to make talking easier. But I'm not sure why it's called a fainting couch."
"We don't have things like this in Attilan," Triton said, finally laying down, with his legs propped up on the back. "If I ever needed to talk to someone, my cousin, Karnack would let me sit with him. He's really intelligent, you know. He has helped me through much."
"That's really nice, Triton," Kafka smiled at him, writing a few things down. This was her first time talking with an Inhuman and it wasn't that bad. All those rumors she heard were definitely a bunch of hogwash. "It's kind of nice to have someone to talk to, isn't it?"
"Yes," he agreed, "Very. As long as their trusting, of course. My uncle, Maximus, he is terrible to talk with. When he wasn't blathering about wiping out humankind, he was complaining about everything else. It was quite vexing. Spidder-Min helped me stop him from landing our kingdom on New York."
"I actually remember that," Kafka said, tapping her pen against her head. "I was in Central Park at the time. I'm grateful you guys handled it so quickly. Although, I hear quite a few windows were broken because of some kind of," she made a flitting gesture, "sonic shockwave?"
"Oh, that was Black Bolt," Triton beamed, twisting around to face her, "His voice is so powerful he could've leveled New York himself if he wanted to. But don't worry, he wouldn't. He promotes the peace of our two species."
"Oh, well...that's...that's good to hear." She said, looking a little green.
"It really is. I can't imagine what it would've been like if Maximus succeeded. He would've killed millions and caused a complete war that would decimated us as a planet. That's why Spidder-Min is so amazing, you see. He believed me when I said that the Royal Family would never lay siege to his people, when everyone else thought me a traitor. I owe it to him for saving my people. His city owes it to him for keeping them safe." He looked at the clock. "How long do these sessions go? I'd love to talk, but I volunteered to be on a scouting mission with my teammates. We're searching the city for Spidder-Min."
"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot," she sighed.
Client: Squirrel Girl
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
Kafka took the offered almond. "Thank you."
"Of course, I have a lot to spare. Sometimes I don't know where they get them all," Squirrel Girl pet the head of a squirrel in her lap, smiling at it affectionately. "I'm glad Director Fury let them move in with me. Can't be much of a Squirrel Girl without my squirrels."
"You seem very close to them."
She preened, "Yeah, they're my best friends."
"Speaking of best friends, how's being on a superhero team been for you?"
Squirrel Girl looked up with a new gleam in her eye, "It's great! I mean, before, I always felt so alone, you know? I didn't know a lot of people with powers like me, so it's nice to live in a place where I'm not getting second-looks for having a tail. I mean, I get teased, but it's not really bad."
Kafka frowned, "You get teased? Who teases you?"
"Oh, don't worry," she brushed off, "It's not mean teasing. Friendly teasing. Spider-Man mostly, but he lets me tease him back, so it's good. He's never really mean about it. He gets so exasperated with my squirrels though," she laughed, petting them again.
"Spider-Man seems like a really good guy."
"He is. He was the one who enlisted me to the Academy. I've never done something big, like save the world, but he asked me to join SHIELD anyway. He gets exasperated sometimes, but I think he doesn't mind my squirrels."
Kafka watched as she scooped up a baby squirrel that was sitting on her knee and made kissy noises at it. "Sounds like Spider-Man was a big part of the Academy."
"Yeah," Squirrel Girl said, smiling turning down. "He was. Still is, but…things have been really tense lately. For everyone."
"Why do you think that is?"
"Because he was the heart of the Academy," she said easily. "He was the one that kept us all informed and motivated. Helped us get past our fears, planned out training, listened to our problems. I don't think the Academy would've ever run so smoothly if not for him."
Kafka mulled that over. It'd make sense. All of the students seemed so attached to him. "Once again, he sounds like a really good guy."
"Yeah," Squirrel Girl simpered, hugging the baby squirrel close, "He is."
Client: Dagger
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"Yeah, there's a problem here!" Dagger exploded, pacing the length of the couch. "Cause nobody can get over the past! I know Scarlet betrayed us and all, but it's not like he doesn't regret it. He's sorry and he wants to do better. Why can't anyone see that?"
"Maybe they're still hurting," Kafka offered, following her pacing tiredly.
"Yeah, maybe. But you know what, Spider-Man wanted us all to heal and get along. I'm tired of Agent Venom getting in the way of that. I was hurt during the attack too. I didn't trust him either. But I gave him a second chance, and he's really been trying to turn over a new leaf"
"I'm sorry," Kafka said, "I don't really know what you're talking about. No one will tell me. I haven't heard anything about Scarlet Spider's betrayal, and it wasn't on the news."
"Well, of course not. SHIELD didn't want it getting out to the public. We were all in a rough patch as it was, we didn't need the media on our backs too."
"What made you change your mind about him?"
"Well," Dagger slowed, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "a while back, he took me and a group down in the sewers to look for any clues. He was so timid around us, you know? He didn't want us to be uncomfortable with him, but didn't want to lead. He looked so…conflicted. And when we found the old sewer lab, he was the one who stayed the longest to get things done. Never complained when he was told to do something, and worked hard. He wants to find Spider-Man just as much as the rest of us, and that alone is enough for me to trust him. Spider-Man's in danger. We need to get over our issues and find him, not waste time by pointing fingers."
Client: Cloak
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"To be honest, I'm still skeptical about Scarlet being back," Cloak admitted. "I can work with him to find Spider-Man and all, but I just," he grimaced, staring at the floor. "I just can't help but think back to that day. We all almost died, you know? And as superheroes, that shouldn't really matter cause it happens all the time, but…but we almost died."
"Superheroes or not, almost dying is a valid reason for being cautious," Kafka said. "Even with all your powers, you're still human. You've got emotions, fears, and thoughts. You shouldn't blame yourself for having them."
Cloak looked up at her, not completely convinced. "Yeah, maybe..."
"What can you remember about Scarlet's betrayal?"
Cloak leaned back in the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "Mostly, that it was really dark. I've been to the dark dimension and teleported to so many places different places that that should mean much, but it was so dark in the Academy. And there was so much noise. Water everywhere, debris, fighting. Alarms going off. Flashing lights. It was chaos. We took the Sinister Six down, but when that wave over them," he shuddered. "I wasn't there when it first hit, but Dagger tells me it felt like getting hit with a truck. We couldn't find most of our comrades for a while, and I was completely useless cause I couldn't teleport right. Kept jumping from place to place. I hated not being in control of my powers."
"Would you say being out of control is what stuck with you? Being unable to help what was happening to you."
He nodded, "Yeah, that and," his eyes turned cold and dark, "the looks on everyone's faces when I made it back. The pain. Dagger was hurt. Spider-Man was…" he blew out a breath, "He was a wreck. He tried to stay strong for us, but I could tell. You can always tell."
Cloak glanced at Kafka, "I hate seeing my family hurt, Dr. Kafka. And I don't like seeing the person who hurt them close to them either. Whether or not they're turning over a leaf, it just," he clenched his fist, "It…I can't…All I can see is what they did and how much it hurt my friends."
"That's fair, Cloak. These types of wounds stick with you and everyone heals at their own pace. Even if you're not physically hurt, it still hurts."
Client: Ka'Zar
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"When you've spent your life in the jungle, you learn to either trust indefinitely or fight for your life. I never would've survived without trusting my brother. We kept each other safe."
"And because of Scarlet's betrayal you don't feel safe anymore?"
Ka'Zar shook his head, hands clutching his knees. "No," he admitted. "I don't. Every time I'm in the same room as him, I…" he glared at the small coffee table, teeth gritting. "If we are to live in a Pack, we can't do that to one another. Scarlet he…he turned on his own pack. We brought him into our group, trusted him enough to have our backs to him, and he shoved a knife into it. I can't forgive that…not yet…maybe not ever."
"I see," Kafka said. "What do you think made him betray you?"
"Doctor Octopus manipulated him. Had his allegiance from the start. He intended to betray us ever since he walked into the Academy."
"So he was being used by this Doctor Octopus."
"Yeah," Ka'Zar said blatantly. "But he was still in control of his own actions. He could've stopped it all from happening, but..." he sighed, "I am not dumb. I know he was manipulated. But people were still hurt. People were almost killed, and...and that's not something you ever forget. Like in my Savage Land homes, you never forget what tries to kill you after it's taken its first bite. That's how you survive."
Client: Zabu
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
Kafka stared in unabashed fear, perched halfway up on her chair with her clipboard clutched to her chest. The sabretooth on the couch yawned wide and bored, showing off its long, razor teeth and she paled, scrambling for her phone.
"Agent Connors!" she whispered hysterically into it, "I. Don't. Speak. Sabretooth."
Client: Harry Osborn
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"Harry, it's good to see you again," Kafka smiled, getting comfortable in her seat. To be honest, she was a little relieved to have an appointment with someone she was used to talking to. She's never really talked with superheroes before, so it was definitely new. But it was a relief to see a familiar face.
"Hey, Dr. Kafka," Harry said, though his face bleak and eyes solemn.
She knew that face. "Want to talk about it, Harry? Mr. Osborn called me in again. Is it the nightmares?"
His hands clenched together, turning white-knuckled and hard. "M'fine," he said, staring into the floor. "Dad is…he's just being dad."
"He's very concerned, Harry."
"Yeah I know," he said. "I know. But you didn't need to meet with me, Dr. Kafka. Really. There's no point."
Yeah, that was another thing she's heard a lot today.
Client: Kid Arachnid
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"Everything's been changing," Kid Arachnid muttered, hugging his knees to his chest. "With Spidey gone and the team splitting up, I feel like it's all just," he made a falling apart gesture with his hands. "You know?"
"It's been harder to work with each other?" Kafka offered.
Kid Arachnid nodded, "Yeah, that's one way to put it. Everyones' just so on edge. Half the time I feel like we're just gonna break out in a fight."
"It sounds like you've been going through a really hard time, Kid Arachnid. How long would you say its been going on?"
He blew out a breath, running a hand over his head, "Uh, probably a few weeks now. Something kind of changed when Spidey was kidnapped. It didn't get this bad till last week though."
"Why's that?"
"We found out what happened to him."
Kafka slowly stopped writing her notes and looked up at him, both wary and curious. "And, if I might ask, what happened to him."
Kid Arachnid was quiet for a long minute. "He was hurt," he whispered, somewhat strangled and watery. "Really hurt. We saw some stuff that," he took a staggering breathe, "that wasn't easy to see. I think it really broke us."
"Broke you how?"
"Broke us bad. I'm really worried about my team, Doctor. Not just the Web Warriors, but all of us. Ever since I've moved to this dimension," Dr. Kafka paused, shook her head, and recoiled, as if he'd just slapped her, "they've been my only friends. Kind of like a weird, loud family, if you know what I mean. I don't want to see them get torn apart."
Dr. Kafka nodded slowly, dragging her mind away from the 'moving to this dimension' bit and sat back in her chair, fingers clutching the armrests. "That's understandable. M-moving to a new...dimension would probably do that."
"I just want Spidey back," Miles muttered, picking at the spider on his suit. "He knew how to keep us together. Things were easier when he was around. And...and I'm just ready for him to be home."
Client: Iron Spider
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
"And your inability to calculate Scarlet's betrayal and Spider-Man kidnapping is what bothers you?"
"Yes," Iron Spider huffed, pacing along the room so fervently, Dr. Kafka had to twist around in her seat to watch him. "Numbers are good. They're easy to understand? I can easily figure out what element is in a formula just by looking at the numbers. I can calculate the weight and mass of the Hulk if he ever absorbed more gamma radiation. I can rewire a suit made by Tony Stark himself and incorporate my own designs. But what I don't get is how to understand people."
"It's probably frustrating being in the dark like that."
"It is. I don't like dealing with the unknown, okay. It's weird. It's puzzling. It's...unknown. Like magic. Magic is just a form of science that we don't understand yet, which is why I hate magic. You can't just make something appear out of thin air. There are laws that apply, rules to our universe. Even our DNA has guidelines that tell us what we're made of. But emotions are irregular. They only end up hurting you."
"It can be pretty tough dealing with irregularities."
Iron Spider sighed and collapsed down on the couch, one arm flung over his face. "Thing is, I know Scarlet's making a change. I'm not blind, I can see it. But, I just…yeah, maybe I am still a little angry about what he did to us. Is – is that so wrong? Does it make me a bad person to still be upset?"
Kafka crossed her legs, regarding him with a cool look. "Iron Spider there is nothing wrong with having emotions. You trusted someone to have your back, even though it was new territory, and you were hurt because of it. Something like that is bound to leave a scar. You're not a bad person for reacting in a sensible way. It's a wound that you have to overcome to be comfortable trusting people again. No one should make you feel obligated to open up. That should be when you're ready, not when they are."
Iron Spider peered at her, small shoulders hunching, making him look incredibly small despite the bright, garish armor.
"Thank you," he said, sniffing behind the faceplate. "THat really... - thank you."
Client: Agent Venom
Therapist: Docter Ashley Kafka
"And you still don't trust him?"
"Of course not!" Agent Venom exploded, wringing his hands together aggressively. "And you know what, I called it. There was always something off about Scarlet. I didn't trust him and no one listened to me. No one. They just LET him in. Just like that." He pushed to his feet, walking furiously around the length of the room. Something he had in common with quite a few of his comrades.
"Why do you think no one listened to you? That's sounds kind of strange."
Agent Venom shrugged roughly, "I don't know. But Spidey trusted him, you know. Fell for the whole sob story. And if he trusted him, everybody else did. Doc, Spidey's…he's, like, my hero, and I promised myself that I was gonna keep him safe. But, he just…he didn't take me serious about Scarlet. They all thought I was just being jealous."
"Were you?"
Agent Venom scowled at the wall. "No!"
He paused, thought about it, and his shoulders sagged, "Okay, maybe a little. But that's not the point."
Kafka put down her clipboard. "Then what is?" She asked gently.
"My point is, they should've listened to me," his clenched fists were shaking at his sides and his voice was tight with a tremor, and when he kept talking it sounded somewhat desperate, "They…they should've listened. No one ever listens to me. I'm just…I'm just the stupid, jock-bully. It's all I've ever been." He whipped away from wall, running a hand violently over his head. "That's – that's all anyone sees me as. I'm just stupid, and dumb, and I can't do anything right. But I was right and I tried to tell them, but they all just brushed me off. Spidey-" he faltered, voice breaking, "he brushed me off."
"Do you think Scarlet is trying to be better?"
Suddenly looking tired, Agent Venom sat back on the couch, staring at the floor between his feet. "Honestly," he whispered, "I do. But…but why does he get to come back to the Academy after everything he did. They're all just….just opening their arms and they don't even care. He doesn't get to be constantly reminded of his mistakes because they're all so willing to forget about. About how he hurt us. Teammates aren't supposed to stab each other in the back."
Kafka tilted her head to the side, "I see. And are you constantly reminded of your mistakes?"
Agent Venom sniffed and rubbed at his nose, unable to meet her eyes. "I…wasn't a very nice guy before." He mumbled, "I hurt people too. Really bad, and…" he sniffed again and cleared his throat, "But Spidey gave me a second chance. He did. It just seems like…even though I've been here longer, even though I've been trying to win their forgiveness longer, I….can't. No matter how hard I try. And Scarlet, he just…he wins Spidey's trust so easily. And I…."
"Are you sure you're even mad at Scarlet Spider?" Kaka asked. When he didn't answer, she continued cautiously, "Maybe you're not so much as bad at Scarlet, as you are at…Spider-Man."
Agent Venom's head snapped back, gaping as if offended. "Wh – what. No. NO! I – I'm not mad at Spidey. I – I want him back at the Academy. He's been tortured and in pain for weeks and I just want him back. But I'm not…I'm not…I promise, I'm not….he's…" he lurched to his feet, shaking his head wildly, "I'm…I'm not," he didn't sound sure. "I...I'm leaving."
He slammed the door shut behind him.
Client: Scarlet Spider
Therapist: Doctor Ashley Kafka
He still hasn't said anything.
Scarlet Spider sat on the couch, arms crossed, shoulder tense, and hands tight.
"How have things been going for you, Scarlet?" Kafka tried.
He shrugged, but kept silent.
"I hear there have been a few problems with your team. Do you want to talk about it?"
He shook his head.
"Everyone's been pretty worried about Spider-Man. How do you feel about it?"
He stared.
Kafka sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I understand that things can be pretty hard to talk about. It's hard to find the right things to say to express yourself. But I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, Scarlet Spider. I know you probably don't know me well, but I can promise you that there will be no judgement here. I'm here listen to what you have to say."
"Who cares what I have to say?" Scarlet mumbled, swallowing roughly.
"I do."
"Yeah well, it doesn't really count when you get a paycheck out of it."
"The reason I became a therapist, Scarlet, was so people could be heard. There's always a different view of the same story. There's always a perspective to take into account, and that includes yours."
"I don't deserve that," he said. "I don't. Everything I did…"
"Everyone deserves to be heard. That's the best way to understand."
Scarlet stared at her for a long minute, before taking a rattling breath and stood up. "I…I need to go for a walk," he said, and Kafka watched silently as he left the room.
She sighed, checking his name off. He was the last one of the day. The majority of the students had left before their time was up, but there wasn't' much she could do about that. Therapy was so much better when her clients wanted to be there.
But now that she was here, listening to every one of them, she was glad she took the job. It was going to be frustrating, she could tell that much, but something told her it'd be worth it too. She took off her glasses and scrubbed at her face.
Yep, she definitely had her work cut out for her.
Look at all my children struggling :D Getting into the deeper thinking of some of our characters! Whoop! Whoop!
Hopefully, this story will be revving up again. I have, like, the next 5-6 chapters planned out, so we'll get to those!
See you then!
-OfficialUSMWriter out!