- I've been playing Outriders for a few days now. Some of the voice acting sounds a little flat and the cutscenes are kind of awkward at times but other than that, it isn't too bad. The game has an old 90's science fiction show kind of vibe to it.
- Saw the Shang Chi trailer a few days ago and it looks awesome. It'll be interesting to see Marvel's take on the kung fu/martial arts genre.
...
"I always did love the snow."
Peter looked at his girlfriend curiously. "Yeah?"
Wanda nodded with a little smile. "Being close to the mountains, winter often came early in Sokovia when I was growing up. Pietro and I used to play in the snow all the time with the other kids in our neighborhood."
"Sounds like fun."
"It was. We once had a competition to see who could build the most snowmen in a week. Our parents and neighbors thought there was a snowman army gathering on our front lawn."
He chuckled a bit. "So did you win?"
She shook her head. "No...Pietro beat me by one snowman. I got back at him later though by defeating his team in a snowball fight."
"Team?"
"We would usually split into teams with the other kids in our neighborhood for a big snowball fight. I'm proud to say that my team won more than Pietro's did."
"You must have one hell of a throwing arm." Peter joked.
Her lips curved into a smirk. "Perhaps...though the reason we often won was because Pietro and his team just blindly charged at our snow fort without a plan."
He grinned as his mind pictured the younger Maximoff siblings chucking snowballs at each other...with her twin brother being on the losing end.
"That must've been a blow to his pride."
Wanda giggled. "Oh, it was. Pietro would just sulk for hours after we went inside our house."
The two youngest Avengers shared a laugh together as they walked along the shore of the lake. The large body of water had completely frozen over in the last few months. Though it seemed solid enough to be able to stand on, neither of them were planning to go near the lake just to be safe.
"The book that Kassandra gave you...how much have you read so far?"
Peter recalled the last time he picked up the ancient tome. "I read through it everyday but I'm only a quarter way through. There's a lot of basic spells listed in there."
"Considering it's pretty much an ancient textbook, I'm not surprised." She said. "You said the spell for making those golden barriers was in there too, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Those golden barriers would be useful enough once you learn how to conjure them. Wouldn't it be a little redundant to install that forcefield generator in your suit too?"
He thought for a moment. "Maybe...but it still takes a bit of time to make those barriers. I may not always have that precious few seconds in the midst of a fight. With this generator though, I can activate the forcefield right away if needed."
"...So it's just a backup plan in case of an immediate emergency." Wanda said, understanding what he was getting at. "That's a wise precaution."
"I guess. I still want to learn how to make those cool golden shields though. I'm planning to ask Kassandra to teach me again after I leaf through the book a little more."
"It'll be nice to see her again. Where is Kassandra now anyways?"
"She sent me an e-mail from Kamar Taj three days ago. Kassandra's going home to visit her family in Greece for a while." Peter replied. "She's been training and studying pretty hard for the last couple of weeks. Her mentors decided to give her some time off so she wouldn't overwork herself."
Wanda raised an eyebrow. "...They have e-mail in Kamar Taj?"
"Yeah. They do have wi-fi up there...although Kassandra mentioned once their WEP password is ridiculously long. She and most of the other students up there have to jot it down just to be able to remember it."
The Scarlet Witch looked a bit surprised. She thought a place like Kamar Taj would've been completely devoid of modern technology.
Spider-Man laughed at the bewildered expression on her face. "I get it. I was shocked too when Kassandra told me they actually use the internet up there."
"No kidding. I just can't picture those sorcerers typing away at a computer."
They turned to the right and headed back to the docks. There was a little wooden gazebo that had been built beside the lake. Some snow covered the chairs that were inside. The young Spider brushed away the snow before they both sat down. Wanda reached for his hand and interwined their fingers together. Peter gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they looked out at the frozen lake for a moment.
"Your aunt spoke with Natasha and I for a long time last night." She whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Oh? What'd you all talk about?"
"...She wanted to know if we were planning to marry you sometime soon."
His eyes widened almost comically as he looked at her. "Wait, what?"
Wanda couldn't help but giggle at the funny expression on Peter's face. "May asked if Natasha and I ever thought about settling down with you. It just came out of the blue so we were just as surprised as you are right now."
"What did you both say?"
"Natasha said she never really thought about it before...but she'd be more than happy to be your wife someday."
Feeling his heart beat a little faster out of joy, he smiled warmly. "...And you?"
The young Sokovian woman smiled back at Peter as she gazed into his eyes. "I feel the same way Natasha does. You're the only man we want to be our husband...but I don't think now is the right time for us to get married."
He found himself agreeing with that. An important decision like this was something that had to be carefully considered. It wasn't a choice that they could just make rashly.
"In another year or two though, I'm hoping you and I will finally tie the knot."
"I'll have a ring ready for you by then." Peter whispered, pressing his lips against hers.
Wanda caressed the side of Peter's face and kissed him back for as long as her breath could hold out. Their cheeks warmed up a bit more and glowed a brighter shade of red.
"...Think I might need to get more than just one ring though."
She understood what her boyfriend was trying to say. "For Natasha and the others?"
He slowly nodded. "Only if they want to though. We've all been together for so long, I can't really imagine my life without them now."
"Nor can I. But I'm not sure if there is a wedding hall that would accept us."
Just the idea of a man dating or marrying multiple women was understandably considered taboo in many parts of the world. Some of the polygamous relationships that existed now were heavily condemned due to the man often treating his significant others like property rather than a fellow human being.
His relationships with Wanda, Natasha, and the others was built on mutual trust and respect but it would still be a polygynist one if they all got married to each other.
"There is one place that would...but we're getting a little ahead of ourselves."
Though the Scarlet Witch was curious about this place her boyfriend just mentioned, she decided not to ask about it just yet. It wasn't like they were planning to get married right now anyways. While May did give her and Natasha her blessings, Wanda knew the older woman wouldn't be happy if she and Peter just suddenly chose to run off together to elope.
"Right. We'll cross that bridge when we get there." The Sokovian woman said before she quickly kissed Peter again. "Mrs. Wanda Maximoff-Parker...I like the sound of that."
A warm feeling of joy welled up in Peter's heart. "It does have a nice ring to it."
An idea suddenly sprang up in his mind and he quietly laughed. There was still fifteen minutes left before they had to go back inside for lunch. This would be a good way to pass the time until then.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing...I just thought of something fun we could do before we head back inside."
Wanda raised an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"
Peter snaked his right hand behind his back and grabbed some snow that still covered the side of his chair. Raising his hand up swiftly, he threw the fistful of snow into her face.
"What the-Peter!"
"I was thinking of challenging you to a little snowball fight. I wanna see this mean throwing arm of yours."
The Scarlet Witch brushed away the snowflakes off her nose before her hands and eyes began to glow a subtle red. Bits of snow rose up from the surrounding fields and formed little white spheres in mid-air.
Spider-Man quickly looked around as he rose from his seat. "Uh oh..."
"You'll regret making that challenge." Wanda said with a confident grin. Behind her were a bunch of floating snowballs, ready to be hurled at her mental command.
She did give him time to stand up and retreat out of the gazebo they'd been sitting in. The second his feet stepped past the entrance though, the Scarlet Witch telekinetically launched her barrage of snowballs at him.
Peter barely managed to scoop up some snow in his hands as he ran. His Spidey sense blared and he ducked just in time to see a couple of glowing red snowballs sail over his head.
...
May rinsed away the last of the soap on her hands before she turned the water off. She just finished making lunch for everyone. All that needed to be done now was to wait for the vegetable soup to finish boiling. Pouring herself a glass of water, she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.
The middle aged woman found herself cooking a lot today. May didn't mind though...she loved to cook, especially if it was for her family and close friends. She and Peter had a lot of fun making dinner together last night.
May drank some of her water before she looked down at her left hand. The wedding ring that her husband gave to her so many years ago was still wrapped around the fourth finger of her hand. The ring wasn't anything too extravagant nor glamorous...just a simple gold band with a small diamond held in the middle.
It was all her husband could afford at the time but she loved the ring regardless. This was one of the two most valued treasures in her life, with the other being Peter himself.
"Our lives have changed a lot in the last few years...in so many strange yet wonderful ways." She whispered, rubbing her fingers against the ring. "I wish you were still here to enjoy it with us, Ben."
At the thought of her fallen husband, May's eyes began to well up a little. Years have gone by since his unfortunate passing but she still missed him a lot. The wedding ring Ben once wore was now held in a necklace that she wore around her neck. It had been returned to her after he was buried. It didn't feel right to put the ring away and let it collect dust somewhere.
Instead, Peter fashioned a make-shift necklace for her by looping a strand of blue leather through the ring. May made sure to wear it everyday or at least as often as possible...so she could always keep a small piece of Ben with her.
The Italian woman giggled quietly as she wiped her eyes. "Peter's very popular with the ladies. Not that it'd surprise you, I don't think. You always did say he would grow up to be a lady killer. Nothing's certain but if things go well...we'll be blessed to have not just one but seven daughter in laws in the near future."
A little smile graced May's face. The possible chance of their family getting bigger was an exciting thought to contemplate.
Her worries about Peter's unorthodox love life had gradually lessened in the last couple of months. Of course, it didn't go away completely but she's seen firsthand that her nephew and the seven women romantically involved with him were able to maintain a healthy stable relationship with each other.
The vegetable soup boiling on the stove started to bubble intensely and May got up from her seat to lower the heat. Grabbing a taste spoon from a drawer, she took a spoonful of the soup and drank it to test the flavor.
"Hmm..." The older woman smacked her lips together a few times. "It needs a little bit more salt."
She was about to reach into the cupboards overhead and grab the salt shaker when the two youngest Avengers entered the place. Their cheeks were rosy red from being out in the winter cold. The clothes they had on looked a little disheveled and there was bits of snow in their messy hair.
"What the heck happened to you two?"
Peter took off his jacket and tucked it beneath his arm. "Nothing much. We just had a fun little snowball fight outside."
May quickly grew amused. "Oh? Who won?"
"Wanda did...but only because she used her powers."
Her telekinetic abilities had definitely given her an edge in their little winter bout. Unlike him, she didn't even need to use her hands to make extra snowballs. While he was busy constantly reloading on ammo, his girlfriend had at least a dozen spare rounds floating behind her.
The Scarlet Witch just smirked. "You never said I couldn't. Don't feel bad though...you did manage to land a few good shots on me."
Spider-Man sighed. "Meh, I guess. That throwing arm of yours is no joke. I can see why your brother usually lost against you in snowball fights."
A playful laugh escaped Wanda's lips as she removed her gloves. She then raised her hand to brush away the snow that was still stuck in her hair. Peter approached his aunt and took a whiff of the soup she was making.
"The vegetable soup smells great. What else are we having for lunch?"
May added some salt into the pot. "Oven baked chicken quesadillas with some sweet potato salad on the side."
The two youngest Avengers barely held themselves back from drooling as the tantalizing scents of the food wafted beneath their noses. They've worked up quite an appetite from their little snowball fight outside. It wouldn't surprise them if the others could also smell the delicious meal despite not even being in the room.
Natasha especially...the Black Widow had the sharp nose of a bloodhound when it came to either May's or Peter's cooking.
"You both should change into some dry clothes first. I wouldn't want either of you to risk getting sick."
The Scarlet Witch nodded with a fond smile. Her mother used to tell her and Pietro the same thing after they were finished playing outside in the snow. "Do you need help with anything before we leave?"
May shook her head. "No, it's okay. Everything's almost done. I just have to wait for the flavor to settle in the vegetable soup. Thank you though...now go change your clothes before you catch a cold."
Spidey smirked out of amusement. "Understood, May. We'll be back soon."
"Good. Let the others know it's time to eat."
"Will do."
Wanda linked arms with Peter as they left the kitchen together. His aunt watched them depart for a moment before she moved to shut off the stove. May chuckled quietly to herself...Peter and Wanda weren't even married to each other yet and already she was mothering the young Sokovian woman.
...
Later...
Peter remained still as the nanites spread over his body to form the suit. He just installed the forcefield generator into his suit's internal systems a moment ago. Now the young Spider was about to test the forcefield out and see if it would actually activate on his command.
"You ready, Peter?" Captain Marvel asked, standing just a few feet away. In her hand was a small tablet that monitored the energy levels of his suit.
Carol was familiar with how these forcefields worked and so she was here to help make sure the generator would function properly.
Peter nodded his head. "I think so. Karen?"
"I'm all set. Fire it up."
"Let's do this then. I'm counting on you, Carol."
The cosmic powered heroine smiled. "I got you covered. If anything goes wrong, I'll kill the power to your suit right away."
He smiled back before his iconic mask enveloped his head. The blank lenses on his mask and the Spider emblem on his chest glowed with calm blue lights.
"Neural linkage and ion density normal. Power flow is stable." His A.I. partner brought up a head's up display of the suit's schematics on his HUD. "All systems are green. You're good to go."
Peter took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing. Karen...activate the forcefield."
"Understood. Turning the generator on...now."
Carol kept a close eye on the tablet in her hand. There was an increased surge of power being directed into the forcefield generator. The Spider emblem on his chest piece began to glow even brighter until there was a sudden burst of light, forcing her to look away for a second.
She turned her head back once the flash of light finally subsided. The geodesic domed forcefield activated without a hitch and it was emitting the sound of a steady hum. Spider-Man was standing right in the middle of it on the inside. Thanks to the extra set of arc reactors powering it, the forcefield was a bit bigger than the first time he used it.
Now the solid light energy barrier was large to protect at least a dozen people within it.
"I think we got it, Peter." Carol said with a grin.
"I guess so. What do the readings say?"
She quickly checked the data being displayed on her tablet. His suit was still functioning at full capacity, with a minimal loss in power. That little bit of lost energy was being diverted to power the solid light energy shield.
"Your suit's energy levels have gone down a little but it's being used to power the forcefield. Other than that though, everything looks fine from what I can tell."
Spidey breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Karen, how are the internal systems holding up?"
"I detect no side effects or malfunctions in any part of the suit." Karen reported proudly. "Congratulations, Peter. The installation is a success."
"I couldn't have done it without you. Shut down the shield."
The A.I. obliged and proceeded to turn off the forcefield. The blue geodesic dome flickered for a few seconds before it disappeared from view completely. The young Spider walked away from the testing area in his lab, his mask dematerializing back into his suit on the way.
Captain Marvel set her tablet down on the table. "Good job. I knew you'd be able to make it work."
"Only because of yours and Karen's help." Spider-Man said. "It still needs to be tested out in the field but I can do that later. Thanks again for giving this to me."
"You're very welcome."
Carol leaned forward and pressed her lips against Peter's. Peter returned the kiss with a smile...before she unexpectedly burped, forcing them to back away from each other.
"Oh man, I-I'm sorry. That came out of nowhere." She apologized, looking a little embarrassed.
"It's alright. No harm done."
His nose picked up the faint scent of herbal spices and baked chicken in the air...the main ingredient that was in their meals for lunch.
"Guess you really liked those quesadillas, huh?" Peter asked with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"With the way your aunt makes them, how could I not?"
She and the others had pretty much gorged themselves on the sumptuous meal May kindly prepared for their lunch. Between her cooking and Peter's from last night, they were certainly eating like royalty. There was a fair chance that most of them could gain a bit of weight from all this good food.
The cosmic power heroine wouldn't be surprised if she herself ended up weighing a pound or two heavier by Monday...despite her superhuman metabolism.
"Pardon the interruption. You have an incoming call from Ms. Jessica Jones." Karen informed.
Spider-Man shared a curious look with Captain Marvel. "Patch it through."
"Hey, Peter."
"Hi, Jessica. How's it going?"
The private detective sighed as she closed one of the folders on her desk. "Eh, I'm good. I finally managed to find my client's missing dog this morning."
His eyes perked up. "Really? Where did you find her?"
"In Chinatown. Some little girl found the dog wandering around in the alley beside her house and took her in, thinking she was a stray."
"A stray? I thought the dog was wearing her collar."
Jessica sat back in her chair. "She did but the collar must've snapped off. I found it a few blocks away from their house."
"I see..." He muttered. "You sure you got the right dog though?"
There were a lot of stray dogs in New York. Though he didn't doubt Jessica's tracking skills, It was possible she might've found the wrong one.
"Don't worry, I'm certain it's the right dog. She has a jagged scar going down the left side of her snout...just like the file says. Anyways, the woman just came by to pick her up and give me my pay."
Spidey smirked. "Congratulations. You've earned every penny."
"Thanks. You want to come over?" The raven haired woman asked. "We did agree to share a drink of the Medovukha you and Wanda gave me after this job was finished."
"I remember. I'm on my way...do you mind if I bring a friend?"
"I guess not. See you later."
"Be there as soon as I can." Peter said before he closed the call.
Carol looked at him with a little smile on her face. "I'm guessing you'd like me to come with you to Jessica's place?"
"Yeah...but only if you want to."
"Of course I'll go with you. It'll be good to see her again...and I've always wondered what a private detective's office looks like."
Peter chuckled quietly. "It's pretty much like what you would see on TV...only with a very well stocked liquor cabinet."
...
- I knew those who were Halo fans would figure out right away that Peter got the bubble shield. Specifically, it's the drop-shield from Halo Reach...hence why it's coloured blue rather than gold.
- All that technical talk Peter shares with Karen when they're testing out the shield is mostly made up. I'm no engineer or technician so I kind of just wrote what a person trained in those fields might say.