Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I make profit off the Avengers. The rights all belong to the MCU and the Walt Disney Company
The Truth Hurts
"Alright Leeks, truth or dare?"
"I'm not really good at dares, so truth."
"Okay, what superhero is on your underwear right now?" I bite my lip hard trying to keep the laugh at bay, it doesn't work and I snort instead. Ned turns to me for help, his face is bright red and we both know he's stuck.
"Well Leeks?" MJ asks again. It was her idea that we play. Eighth period has always been our free period and usually we spend it by doing homework or just simply talking but ever since Harry came to Midtown and joined our group we've realized we don't know as much about each other as we thought. Well Ned and I know enough about each other.
"Ummm-" Ned starts,
"I'm goanna go with Iron Man." I interrupt,
"I'll say Captain America." Harry adds, gaining a dirty look from Ned,
"You look like a Thor man to me," MJ nods. Ned's blush deepens and he turns away,
"Spiderman." He mutters, oh god he's wearing me. I turn away from him making a face,
"Ewww Ned."
"I know," He groans,
"Wait Spiderman has merch?" I turn back, his blush is gone replaced with an almost giddy expression,
"Ya, I was goanna tell you! I saw it Monday while I was out shopping with my mom." I smile,
"No way dude, thats so cool!"
"I thought I could show you after school?" I nod,
"Yes, I wanna see it-"
"Hey spider dorks shut up, Ned your next." MJ threads her finger behind her head and props her dock martians on the table,
"Okay, umm Harry, truth or dare?"
"Truth,"
"Do you have a crush on someone?" Harry turns the same shade of red as Ned did seconds ago, and looks around for a help, he won't get it.
"Yes,"
"Who?" Ned probs further,
"You only get one question!" I look to Ned and shrug, he's right. Ned grumbles,
"Fine, you're next Harold." Ned smiles earning an angry glare, Harry hates it when we use his full name.
"Penny," I turn,
"Me?" He nods, I lean back and shrug "Go for it,"
"Truth or dare?" Easy, mainly for the reason I'm afraid of the age old question, "whats your biggest secret?" I know I can lie, but I don't want too.
"I'm not afraid of a dare?" Harry smiles,
"I dare you to skip last period." I clench my jaw, what did he just ask me to do? MJ laughs,
"You forget who you're asking Osborn, good girl Penny over here rarely even takes a sick day." I turn towards her and stick my tongue out, "See thats the worst she'll do, she doesn't even swear."
"I have," She raises her eyebrows and tilts her chin up, "...stupid." She laughs again, this time Ned joins in too. I reach over and punch him in the arm, it's not hard but it gets him to stop laughing,
"Owwww," He groans and rubs at his bicep. Harry shrugs,
"Well you could always tell me what your biggest secrete is." I huff out an angry breath and stand up tossing my backpack over my shoulder,
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm sneaking out so I can skip last period." MJ laughs again,
"She wont do it." I look down at her,
"You're on Jones."
"If you skip last period, tomorrow at Bistro's I'll buy you whatever you want, nothings off limits, but if you end up coming in late or sneaking it at the last second, you pay." I tighten my grip on my strap,
"Deal, see you tomorrow. I'm going to have a very large appetite" She smiles,
"We'll see." I look down at my watch, the bell will ring in five minutes, at that point the halls will be so littered with people no one will see me, perfect.
...
"This was a stupid idea" I mumble to myself, hanging off the edge of the school building. Deciding to sneak out through the science lap window was both a stupid and more importantly dangerous idea. It seems like days ago I was working in this exact science lap developing my web fluid, instead of almost a year ago. I would sneak in here on study hall and after school to get as much work done as I could before anyone would walk in on me. Lucky for me then and lucky for me now, the science lap room is only in use during the morning periods. So sneaking in then was just as easy as sneaking in now, however I somehow forgot about all the full classes right underneath the third floor. Full classes with large open windows...how the heck am I going to get out? I left my suit with Mr. Stark yesterday so he could put a few new things into it, I'm not even suppose to pick it up until tomorrow. So do I just wait till class ends and continue awkwardly sitting on the edge of this building. Thank god I'm sticky. I lace my fingers behind my head and lean back and look around. I'm high enough so anyone looking up can't exactly see me, but with enhanced eyesight I have a great view of everyone down...hey is that Loki? I squint my eyes and lean forward looking down at a tall man dressed in a black suit with a green tie, his hair long and dark. He captures my attention for two weird reasons. First thing is he's wearing a suit, lunch is over so anyone wearing a suit would be back at the office and second...really all black with just a green tie, I mean come one. A mother holding the hand of a child no older than four walks past the man on the cross walk, immediately the child bursts into tears...yup thats Loki. He hops back on to the side walk and starts heading south...
"Shoot," I look around. I have too follow him, but how to I get down...theres only one way. I take a deep breath and drop, past the window on the third floor, the second floor and on to the concrete at the back of the school. I can already imagine people looking out the window trying to figure out what happened. I smile and breathe, I might have just gotten away with this,
"Where'd you come from" I freeze and turn to my left. Of course theirs someone right where I land, judging by the blanket and shopping cart this is where she comes to spend her days. I reach into my backpack and pull out the lunch aunt May made me this morning, she didn't know it's was pizza day and I didn't have the heart to tell her so I took it anyway. I was goanna eat it on my subway ride home,
"I'll give you this if don't tell anyone what you saw," She looks the bag lunch up and down,
"What is it?"
"Peanut butter sandwich, box of crackers, two Oreo cookies, a pepperoni stick and a string cheese." She thinks for a second,
"I prefer ham and cheese." I groan and turn to where I saw Loki heading,
"This is all I have." After a second she nods,
"Okay deal." I hand her the lunch and start running, sprinting as fast as I can. I swear he was going down this way, I run till I reach an empty lot and look around. Did he turn somewhere?
"Why were you looking for me child?" I jump, turning to face the man in question,
"You're Loki." I've never come face to face with Loki before but everything they say about him is true, and suddenly I feel small.
"And you," he looks me up and down, "are small child?" I stand taller,
"I'm 5'8 and I'm an Avenger!" For a second we both stand in silent until Loki's straight pale face, cracks into a smile and he starts laughing. I look around it's just us, and the only sound is coming from Loki's mouth,
"Could you stop laughing," I mumble. He doesn't,
"You want me me to believe that a school child is an avenger, I've fought the Avengers and you girl, are no Avenger." I step forward,
"Yes I am. Your brother even said I was!" This gets him to stop laughing, thank god, I'm afraid my face was going to get brighter than both Ned and Harry combined.
"Thor, is he here?" I shrug,
"I don't know." The last time I saw him was last month when Thor dropped by to help with the Hydra problem in Russia,
"Will you give him a message for me?" I step closer to him,
"You can tell him yourself when I bring you in." He smiles,
"Perfect."
…
My heads pounding and my eyes burn. The last thing I remember was talking to Loki and then a burning yellow light. I sit up and rub my head, whatever's happen has left me on the ground and worst, Loki's gone.
"Damnit" I mumble scratching the back on my head, he must have pushed me or something...it doesn't matter, he got away. Why did I tell him I was an Avenger? Now I just look stupid. I groan and get to my feet. Nothing but my head hurts, I reach down and pick up my backpack and look at my watch, only about twenty minutes have past, but it's enough time for Loki to get far away from me. Just perfect. I start to head home, by the time I get there Aunt May will be getting ready to leave for work and I can chill for the night. These last three weeks, Mr. Stark has been odd, then again I don't know him well enough to determine if this is odd behavior or not. Other than meeting every Monday and Wednesday, he hasn't texted or checked up on me during my patrols. Normally I hear from him at least once a day, but he's been distant. Than again he is a billionaire superhero with thirty other things going on in his life, and there's not way I'm not at the top of the list. It just feels weird going from semi Mr. Starks friend to being almost completely shut out. You're getting too attached Penny stop it. Wednesday when I was working on some sketches for one of my fathers old blueprints I found in Aunt May's room, Mr. Stark asked me for my suit to patch up the technology. I went to drop it off yesterday but Trish Mr. Starks secretary; who's desk sits in front of the elevator that goes up to Mr, Starks private floor stopped me and told me to leave it with her. I shoulder my bag and head for the subway hoping to get there before school's out so I don't have to run into anyone, I don't know why, but I really just want to avoid people.
"Free sample?" A women standing outside one of the many pizza joints surrounding the school asks as I walk by, I don't even stop,
"No, you're pizza's gross." This time I stop, what did I just say? I hear the women use her colorful New York language to call me a few nice names. I start up my pace again, why the heck did I say that, that's so rude! I mean it's true her, her crust is always soggy but you're not suppose to say that kind of stuff. I speed up when someone steps in front of me,
"Do you have a moment to talk about our god-" I step back, the man in front of me is in black slacks and a button up, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
"Oh, you like Thor too?" I interrupt and his smiles disappears for a second,
"No, God as in, the one most true God." His eyes light up and I frown,
"Where was he when Thanos attacked?" Why did I say that? "Sorry... actually I'm not really that sorry, I don't want to talk to you anymore." WHY WOULD I SAY THAT! I step past him and quicken my footsteps. Is my brain remembering what MJ said and trying to prove a point, because if it is, it can stop now. I keep my steps fast and my head down,
"Spare change?"
"I gave my lunch to someone else."
"Do you wanna buy a watch?"
"So it can break?"
"Can you sign our petition to stop the so called "Heroes" from saving people without consent?"
"What? No, that's dumb, you're being dumb."
"Coupon for a free dye session?"
"Your roots look terrible." Why am I saying this stuff?! I start running, subway be damned I need to get home now!
"Aunt May!" I burst through the door,
"Penny?" Aunt May turns clutching at her hospital scrubs, it's clear the approach I took has practically given her a heart attack. She looks down at her watch and back at me,
"You're home early?"
"I ran," and took the stairs two at a time, I'm a bit out of breath, "Somethings wrong with me?" She furrows her brows and steps forward placing her hand on my forehead,
"You're a bit warm but if you ran the whole way home-" she reaches forward to place her hands on my neck, but I step back,
"I'm rude." She drops her hands and smirks,
"Excuse me?"
"I'm rude, I told the pizza lady next to school her pizza's gross."
"It is." She states matter of factly,
"Then I told some guy that God wasn't real-"
"It's up for interpretation."
"And then I told some salon lady that her roots were bad-"
"Were they?"
"Thats not the point aunt May! I'm not rude, today I'm rude like I can't help but tell them the first thing that comes to my mind, like I can't just walk by with a polite no thank you." Aunt May laughs and strides past me,
"Penny I think you're just tired, it is Friday. I left money on the coffee table, order a pizza, rent a movie, turn in early, you'll be fine." She grabs her coat and keys by the door,
"Aunt May, you can't leave me?" I step forwards grabbing her coat from her hands, I can't be trusted to be left alone, I need her here. She sighs,
"I'm going to be late sweetheart."
"But-"
"I know you're not rude, I know everything about you Penny and if you were a rude person I would know it, even if you tried to hide it, this is a secret free household remember?"
"I'm Spiderman!"