- Sorry about the late update. Things have gotten a little hectic and busy around here. It took a while for me to be able to find time to write.
- People have been telling me again about the moron who's still copying my story and presenting it as his own on Wattpad. This bastard must be really pathetic if he can't come up with his own original story for a site that accepts almost any kind of fanfiction.
...
"Stay still. This will only take a minute."
Maria didn't move a muscle as May slowly removed the cast bundled around her right arm. The professional nurse just finished checking her over and decided it was now safe to take off the cast. Unclasping the sling with nimble fingers, she held Hill's forearm steady with her left hand. May then grabbed a pair of surgical scissors with her right hand and cut away the bandages that were wrapped around Hill's arm.
"All done." May said. She pulled off the white bandages and threw them into the trash can. "Try moving your arm around slowly."
Maria heeded her advice, curling her arm back and forth in a gentle slow manner. There was no pain flaring up when she moved her arm but the inner muscles did feel stiff and a bit numb.
"How is it? Any pain?"
"No. My arm's just a little stiff though."
May nodded. "That's to be expected. After all, your right arm has remained immobile for many weeks."
Maria stood up from her seat. "Guess I'll have to train for a while before the strength in my right arm is restored."
"Just remember to keep your exercises light and easy for the first week or so. That way, you won't risk straining anything too early."
Hill nodded in understanding. The last thing she wanted was to reinjure her arm again after it had just healed. May began to put her medical tools away while she walked to the small kitchen. Grabbing two clean cups from the drawer, Maria poured herself and May some coffee.
"Peter and the others are coming back from Sokovia today, right?" The off duty nurse asked.
"Yep. Natasha called me earlier and told me they were on their way home. They should be returning any moment now."
"I just hope they get here safely. The weather outside isn't exactly ideal for flying."
It had been snowing pretty hard around here for the past week and today was no different. Fortunately, there wasn't an actual blizzard but the snow still fell down from the sky in a mad flurry. Strong chilly winds were also blowing around in the air today.
Maria wasn't too concerned though. "They'll be okay. Natasha's flown through worse conditions than this before."
She and the Black Widow had worked together on many occasions back when they were still with SHIELD. Some of those missions required them to fly into hot combat zones. The skies in said combat zones were usually peppered with heavy ordnance and live rounds. Natasha often proved to be an extraordinary pilot in those situations as she managed to avoid getting their jet struck by enemy fire.
Compared to that, flying through cold weather like this was practically a breeze for her.
Hill carried the two cups of coffee as she walked back to May and handed one of them over to her. "Here you are. I added a bit of cream and sugar into yours."
The nurse accepted it with a gracious nod before she took a careful sip. "Ahh, that hits the spot."
Maria made herself comfortable in the chair directly across from May. Drinking away at her own coffee, she smiled at the smooth rich flavor that met her tongue.
"Thank you for coming all the way here to help me."
"Please, it was no trouble at all. I have the weekend off anyways and it would've been boring to just stay in my apartment the whole time."
Darcy stepped into the room a moment later, looking like she'd just crawled out of bed. Her long dark hair was a bit disheveled and she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. It seemed like the young brunette was still in a half asleep state of mind.
"Good morning." She mumbled.
Maria couldn't help but smirk at her funny haggard look. "Morning. You're up a little earlier than usual. You usually sleep in until ten."
"Yeah...but I wanted to be up to greet Peter and the others as soon as they returned. Are they back?"
May shook her head. "Not yet. They should be here any moment now though."
Darcy smiled at that before she made a beeline for the coffee maker. There was no way she could stay awake without the help of some caffeine. Thankfully, the Compound was well-stocked with high quality tasting coffee.
The young brunette looked out the window as she grabbed the coffee pot. "Man, it looks cold outside. Kinda reminds me of how the weather is in Norway."
"True...but at least it isn't snowing as heavily here."
May finished the last of her coffee before she set the empty mug down on the table. "I think this is one of those days where it's best to stay inside."
Neither Darcy or Maria argued with her on that point. The howling winds seem to have grown stronger. The windows were beginning to shake everytime a breeze blew against the glass. It grew quiet in the room for a moment. The only sounds that could be heard was the wind outside and the occasional slurping noise that Darcy made whenever she took a sip of her drink.
Even with the coffee, it was still a minor struggle for the beautiful brunette to keep her eyes from drooping. Hill occasionally had to nudge Darcy's arm to help her stay awake. It's been a long time since she last got out of bed this early. The silence soon came to an end when Captain Marvel walked in, decked out in a pair of blue sweatpants and grey sports top.
"Hey, all." Carol greeted with a friendly smile. She wiped some sweat off her brow with the towel around her neck.
May smiled back at the cosmic powered heroine. "Hello, Carol. How was your workout?"
"It was good. Nothing like going a couple of rounds with the punching bag to help you wake up in the morning."
"I think I'll just stick to coffee." Darcy said, raising her glass. Not that she minded doing a little exercise herself but there was no way she could ever do the intense workouts that Carol or Maria routinely did to keep in shape.
Captain Marvel shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself. I'm kind of surprised to see you awake actually. You usually like to sleep in."
"I normally would be and it was kind of difficult for me to drag myself out of bed. I just wanted to be here when they came back."
"Forgive my interruption." FRIDAY said, her smooth Irish voice chiming in from above. "But Ms. Romanoff has just contacted me. They'll be landing in the hangar in approximately ten minutes."
Everyone in the room perked up at that before they all stood to leave for the hangar. May walked alongside Maria, chuckling quietly at the hint of eagerness in the taller woman's eyes. It seemed like she and the others missed Peter, Wanda, and Natasha a lot...despite them having only been gone for about a week.
...
The Black Widow extended the landing gear as she brought the Quinjet down in a slow descent. The bad weather outside was making the jet shake a bit but it didn't stop her from landing in the hangar without a hitch. Once they were safely on the ground, Natasha switched off the engines before she opened the rear bay doors. She got up from the pilot's seat and turned to look at the two youngest Avengers...who were sleeping next to each other.
Her lips curved into a fond smile at the adorable sight. Peter and Wanda have been napping together ever since they flew into US airspace. Up until then, Spidey was the one piloting the Quinjet over the Atlantic sea. She took over shortly before they were about to enter the country.
"Peter?" The Black Widow said quietly, shaking him by the shoulder. "Wake up. We're home."
He woke up at her touch and quickly yawned. "Hey, Natasha. Are we back already?"
"Yep. You and Wanda have been asleep for at least five hours."
"Oh...how do you feel? Are you tired?"
Natasha shook her head. "No, I'm fine. My neck's a little sore but that's about it."
"You want me to give you a massage later?" Peter offered.
"I'd like that. For now though, we shouldn't keep the others waiting for too long."
The Black Widow moved to grab her travel bag. Spidey brushed the back of his hand down the Scarlet Witch's face to wake her up gently. A tired groan escaped her lips as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Wanda?"
"Hey, Peter. Are we home?"
He nodded. "We just landed in the hangar. Sleep well?"
Wanda rested her head on Peter's shoulder with a smile. "Yeah. I could use something to drink though. My throat feels a little dry."
"I'll get you some water once we're inside. C'mon, the others are waiting for us."
The Scarlet Witch stood up with Spider-Man and the two of them went to pick their luggage. Natasha was waiting for them by the landing ramp. Once the two youngest Avengers grabbed their things, they followed her out of the Quinjet. Waiting to greet them were Carol, Maria, Darcy, and May, who stood before the doors that led to the main building.
"Welcome home." May said with a warm smile on her face.
Peter went up to his aunt and embraced her. "Thanks, May. I've missed you."
"I missed you too, sweetheart."
May stepped aside to let Darcy come forward. The sleepy woman threw her arms around Peter and held on tight.
"Hey, Darcy." He whispered, patting her on the back. "You woke up early just to see us, didn't you?"
Darcy nodded her head against his chest. "It wasn't easy either. I'm not used to getting out of bed so early so you better appreciate this."
Peter chuckled a bit before he kissed her crown. She and Wanda really didn't like to get up in the early hours of the morning. The fact that Darcy did so today just to see them was indeed kind of touching. To their right, Maria was speaking with Natasha while Carol happily gave Wanda a warm hug of her own.
His aunt turned around and motioned for them to follow. "Let's go inside. We can talk more in the break room."
Everyone else followed her as she led the way. Once they stepped past the doors to the break room, Spidey set his travel bag down on the coffee table. The Black Widow and Scarlet Witch did the same with their luggage before they both took a seat on one of the comfy couches.
Peter didn't forget that Wanda needed something to drink and headed to the kitchen to fetch her a cold glass of water. He did notice that coffee had been made but ignored it. Hot beverages really weren't the best thing to help quench thirst. Captain Marvel followed him to grab herself some breakfast. After her tough training session earlier this morning, she was feeling pretty hungry.
"It's good to have you back." Carol said, giving Peter a kiss before she opened the fridge.
Peter smiled as he grabbed a pitcher and poured some water into a cup. "Thanks, Carol. Anything happen here while we were gone?"
"Not really. I did have to go back up to space for a little bit though."
"You did? When?"
She put two slices of bread into the toaster. "Three days ago. Talos and Soren needed some help moving supplies to their ship."
Talos and Soren...those were the names of her oldest Skrull friends. She told him about them and their family a few times before. The young Spider always thought their ability to shapeshift into anybody down to the finest detail was kind of cool.
"How are they?" He asked.
"Well enough. They're still holding their own in the fight against the Kree. The Kree StarForce isn't as strong as it used to be."
"...I'm guessing you had a hand in that?"
Carol grinned. "Guilty as charged. I destroyed a lot of the Kree's weapon depots and warships over the years. Now their military might is only a shadow of what it once was."
Peter shook his head out of amusement. Carol's stories about her adventures through the galaxy were always fun to listen to.
"Oh, that reminds me. I brought you a little gift. Come to my room later and I'll give it to you."
His eyes widened a little, wondering just what it was she got him. It was probably something technologically advanced if it was from outer space. Spidey knew better than to spoil the surprise for himself though and so he held back from asking what it was.
"I'll be sure to swing by." Peter said as they returned to the others. "Actually, I got you something too."
He handed the glass of water over to the Scarlet Witch. Wanda thanked him before she drank a long sip to wash the dust down her throat. Peter reached for his duffle bag on the table and opened it up.
"We brought back some souvenirs from Novi Grad for you guys. I hope you'll like them."
He gave Carol her gift, which was a bulawa carved from wood. Captain Marvel took the toy spiked mace with a grin and swung it through the air a few times. The Scarlet Witch handed his aunt a blue and white Sokovian folk chemise that was handsewn by a local seamstress in Novi Grad.
"Oh my...this is beautiful, Wanda." May smiled as she held out the blouse. "Thank you."
Wanda smiled back at her. "You're very welcome. When I saw this chemise, I thought it'd make a good present for you."
The beautiful Sokovian woman then turned to Darcy and gently slipped on a Carpathian wooden bracelet over her left wrist. The young brunette raised her arm and smirked as she looked over the bracelet a few times.
"I normally don't wear jewelry of any kind...but I like this. Thanks, Wanda." Darcy said gratefully.
Wanda accepted her thanks with a humble nod. As for Maria, the Black Widow gave her a box that was filled with Lviv chocolate.
"Figured this would be perfect for you...seeing as you have quite the sweet tooth."
Maria broke off a small chunk of the chocolate and popped it into her mouth. "Hmm, this is good. It's not too sweet or bitter. I owe you one, Natasha."
Hill turned to the others and asked if they would like to have some too. Darcy and Wanda accepted, splitting a bar of chocolate in half before they each took a piece. May followed Carol back to the kitchen to get some more coffee while the cosmic powered heroine went to grab her breakfast from the toaster.
Natasha took some chocolate too and held a piece of it close to Peter's mouth. "You haven't forgotten about the souvenir we got for Jessica, right?"
Peter ate the bite sized chunk of Lviv chocolate from her fingers. "Don't worry, I remember. I'll bring it over to her after I unpack my stuff."
...
"It's Spider-Man! Shoot him!"
"Here we go again..."
Spider-Man leapt over a burst of bullets with a bored look on his face. The high caliber rounds struck the wall that had been behind him harmlessly. The robbers grew frustrated and turned to open fire at the webslinger again. Peter flipped out of harm's way before he shot three strands of webbing at their firearms.
With a powerful pull, he yanked the guns out of their hands. The bad guys were caught off guard for a moment. Peter launched himself forward with his left foot and punched one of them across the jaw.
The dumb robber took an unwanted short flight backwards from the blow and crashed against the door of their car. Leaving a slight dent in the metal, he slumped to the ground in an unconscious state.
His two buddies immediately tried to attack Spidey with their fists. He flipped over them to avoid their clumsy punches and grabbed the back of their heads. Holding back his strength so they wouldn't die by accident, Peter smashed their foreheads against each other. The two men were immediately knocked out and fell face-first down to the ground.
Webbing up the unconscious robbers to keep them immobilized, Spider-Man walked back to the two police detectives that were taking cover behind the wall on the other side of the street. He picked up the large bag of money that the robbers had tried to steal along the way.
"You alright, detectives?"
The one on the right with chestnut brown hair nodded. "We're fine. Can't say the same about our car though."
Their standard ride for most cops in New York had been parked directly in the middle of the road. It was competely riddled with bullet holes and scorch marks. The door to the passenger seat was barely hanging on by one of it's hinges.
"Yeah...you guys might want to call one of your fellow officers for a lift."
"Backup will be coming in a few minutes. We'll just ride with them after we arrest those morons." Her partner said. "Thanks for saving our lives."
The young Spider shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, it was no big deal. I was just lucky enough to be in the area."
Remembering that he still had to get to Jessica's place, Peter handed her the bag of stolen money. The private investigator was probably still sleeping in her office...or passed out drunk. Either way, he didn't want to be late.
"You guys need help with anything else?"
The first detective shook her head. "No, we can take it from here. Thank you again, Spidey."
"You bet. Take it easy, officers."
Peter waved goodbye to them both before he fired a web-line and swung away. The second detective glanced over at her partner and smirked at the way she was staring at Spider-Man as he disappeared into the distance.
"Might want to close your mouth before you start drooling, DeWolff."
"Shut up, Yuri. It's not my fault he's got such a great ass." Jean retorted. Her face was blushing a twinge of pink out of embarrassment.
...
- Hope you guys liked Jean DeWolff's and Yuri Watanabe's little cameo appearance. I imagine most people know who Yuri is thanks to the first Spider-Man game that Insomniac made.
- For those who don't know the latter, Jean DeWolff was a police detective who worked closely with Spider-Man in the comics during the 80's...I think. The death of Jean DeWolff storyline was a well written story arc and I'd highly recommend reading it.