Walking to school reminds me how much I've missed being around Peter. It also reminds me how much my spine feels like it's about to be snapped in half and how much my teeth dig into my jaw with every step. Though I don't know why either of these things is happening. Anyway, back to Peter, and the stark contrast in our behavior. We both may always be moving but Peter's twitching is puppy energy, excited and energetic. Mine is more of the, I can't sit still, my spine has this weird prickling feeling kind. The one that makes me feel like someone's watching me. Glancing at the resident hero however, there seems to be nothing wrong. His 'spidey sense' doesn't seem to be going off but maybe his powers work differently. Wait. His powers? My powers? Our powers? Life is confusing. At this point i think it's just trying to get rid of me.

~~~~~~ flashback ~~~~~~~

He needs to stop putting the weight of the world on his shoulders. Or maybe just gain a bit of self-preservation, I think as I brush my insanely curly brown/black hair. I try and put the brush down so I can braid my hair but it's stuck to my hand.

"Peter! I need some help."

"Yes, you do."

Ugh "just come help me with this, my brush is stuck."

He walks in, eyes going wide as the brush refuses to move. "Are your powers like some infectious disease or something because this is new."

"Cool. We should run some tests or something. How did you even get powers? Did you get all of them or just the one? Why does-"

"Peter! Can you stop being a nerd for one second and help me figure this out?"

"Okay, okay. Just relax and you should unstick."

"Fine." After a few minutes the brush clatters to the floor.

"See, that wasn't so hard was it?" He says laughing.

"Shut up."

"Never!" he yells running to the living room. I follow suit chasing after him until I am hit in the face with a pillow. A pillow fight ensues.

~~~~~~ flashback end~~~~~~

I am pulled from my memories as we reach the school. Ned and Michelle happily come and greet Peter, but the atmosphere grows tense as soon as they see me. This leaves two options, should I;

Stay and lie about why I've been virtually nonexistent for the past few? Walk away and avoid confrontation? Tell the truth and watch them hate me?

Apparently choosing took too long, they are all staring at me now. We awkwardly stand there for a few more seconds and then I'm saved by the bell. "Later" I say speeding down the hallway to class.

...

I avoid everyone at lunch. No questions. No answers. No awkward silence or long suspicious stares. My back on a blanket on the school's roof. Nothing but me, the sky, and my thoughts. It's supposed to be on the colder side today, but as always, I feel nothing. Thoughts of numbness take me down to the dark chasms of my mind. Where the pain is locked away. Where the worst memories are stored.

Where they are.

At the edge of my mind, in the blackest corner they wait. 3 of them, and counting my own personality and conscience, there are four demons in my head. I know them very well, all except for one.

The first as i mentioned before, my personality and conscience always walking the narrow tightrope of morality. The second, my unbridled rage, a powder keg, a time bomb, simply waiting to go off. The third, my programming, a separate personality. Always loyal, mindless, and quick to obey. The perfect hydra weapon, especially in bombs and espionage (as i've been told), Catalyst. She sets things off leaving naught but destruction and suffering in her wake.

The fourth is a mystery to me. I have no idea where it came from, how it got here, or what it wants. It sits there in my head, quietly waiting for something. Only occasionally peering past its barrier. The only reason I'm aware of its existence is because it did much more once. It thrashed and slammed against the confines of my mind once. Howling, screaming, weeping with me, as I watched the light leave my brother's eyes. The day Stephen died we were the same, we felt the same, helpless and full of pain. And it wants to be known.

Somewhere distant a bell rings. I guess I have to get to class.

School goes by pretty quickly. Flash is annoying as ever, and he ended up being my partner for an experiment. One of his goons was absent and he decided that since I have been spending much time with Peter lately, it was okay to make fun of him. He learned the hard way that it is very much not. His beaker may or may not have mysteriously and inexplicably exploded.

Dropping Peter off his apartment with a promise/ threat that I would join him on patrol later. I ventured back to Hell's Kitchen to finish up some things before them. Homework takes me about five minutes -i had already finished most of it in class- and I realize I have way too much time.

I clean. I clean my entire apartment. My stomach grumbles and I go foraging through my kitchen cabinets. Three sandwiches later and I'm still starving. Damn Pete his cool powers, stupid metabolism, and whatever weirdness is going on with me. I shouldn't have skipped lunch.

Welp time to go shopping.

So… It turns out I spent so much time buying food that I forgot to actually. I should probably wolf down something before I leave but I'm already late and Peter might start patrol without me. I throw on my combat suit, (it may be from Hydra but it's better protection than what probably would have been work out clothes). It still needs… Something. But, I don't have time for that, locking my door, and taking the stairs to the roof, I head out.

I never thought jumping from rooftops could be like this. I mean, I've done it before but it didn't end well was never this easy. It takes a while and there are a few hiccups (who throws bottles at random rooftops), but soon I'm meeting Peter in Queen's. Specifically the roof of Delmar's where we will be returning afterwards for sandwiches.

"Hey Webs," I say, making him aware of my presence. "Hi." a pause. I can basically see the gears turning in his head. "Ask your question." I say with little enthusiasm. "What name are you gonna use? Do you have a superhero name? We need to work on your outfit design. Do you have anything you want to be your trademark? We could match. This is gonna be fun."

"Hmmmm."

"Call me… Crimson"

And with that I ran off quickly being joined by Peter, to stop a mugging.