Rhea had never seen a superhero fight, least not one in person. The news really undersold how terrifying it truly was. She pushed people undercover as debris fell round her. The sound of the two mutants (?) above scraping was frighteningly close. One was in a blue and red spider themed costume, the other was in what appeared to be a green and black…hazmat suit and glasses? Hazmat suit had some strange mechanical tentacles that were currently ripping off chunks of buildings, and raining rubble everywhere. Questionable fashion aside they were putting all in risk of being harmed. Spider was doing his best to web up as much as he could. 'Where did the webs come from?' Her mind questions.
"Please get to safety!" She called running as fast as she could down the busy streets. All she wanted to do was get to the little Café her college counselor had set up a meeting at, and she just wanted to get there in one piece at this point. Turning she watched the two slowly making their way down the street, hazmat suit had picked up a car in those tentacles of his. Lovely. Adrenaline pushed Rhea harder, her legs burning at this point. At last the Bean Bag Café was in sight. She had just made it through the door as the Spider guy crashed through the front display.
"Oh my god!" Rhea gasped, several gashes littered his costume now and blood pooled there. The whole Cafe looked scared but far calmer then they should be in her opinion. Rhea darted over to the downed man, and carefully and very discreetly let her energy brush against his own. She caught a wave of bright red energy behind her eyes. A marker of his biofeedback in her mind. Slowly she let a trickle of energy flow from her into him.
Rhea was a mutant, her powers centering on electromagnetic radiation. Right now she was quietly assisting the man's natural healing into stitching up the wounds. Stimulating the flesh to close and nerves to heal. She wasn't magic but she could help minor things. The man was awake and up and out the hole in the display before she could finish closing all the wounds. Leaving Rhea stupefied and kneeling on the dusty glass filled floor. Her counselor spotted her and pulled her under a table before anything else could happen.
"Hello Miss Chloros, how are you enjoying your first week in New York?" Her counselor chirped.
Mr. Robertson was a jolly older gentleman with short well kept grey hair and clean shaved face. His cheeks were always a bit red as opposed to his very freckled pale skin. Blue eyes twinkled under bushy brows. Rhea pushed back strands of ash brown hair as she settled into a more comfortable place under the table. Her dark emerald eyes still wide with fright. The dust irritating her contact lenses.
"Well I wasn't expecting this to happen sir. Is it always like this?" The sound of the fight was close now and so loud.
"Why must you interfere with my experiments?! Haven't you betrayed the progress of humanity enough with your very presence?!" Hazmat or Doc bellowed out at the leaping blue and red blur.
"Nah that's your job tubby." The blur answered. Something crashed very close to the coffee shop causing Rhea to cringe.
Mr. Robertson smiled "No but it happens more than you'd think. You should see the Goblin, way more damage than Doctor Octopus out there."
Doctor…Octopus, okay then. Maybe she should have found a college in Virginia like her father wanted.
"Will that man be okay? The one in the spider costume?"
"Spidy err Spider-Man? He should be, he's a good hero. Though Ock is a tough bastard when he wants to be. I saw you try to help him, you've got a good heart in you kid."
She felt her cheeks redden at the compliment. Hesitantly she poked her head up over the table to see the fight. Once more she sent a small trickle of energy to Spider-Man letting it sooth the wounds as much as she could. Too much and she'd give herself away or worse cook him. Doctor Octopus; as she now knew his name, perked up more. A genuine look of interest and curiosity on his face as he struggled to evade Spider-Man. His heart only seemed half in this fight, more keen on observation now. Looking for something? Rhea felt a wave of anxiety clench her heart. At last he seemed to make a decision and retreated. Spider-Man let himself drop to the ground, the buildings and streets covered in the strange silvery silks. He jogged over to the Café.
"Sorry for the inconvenience there folks. Anyone hurt?" The majority of them sounded off a no. He cast a look around once more before settling in on Rhea. "Hey thanks for your concern back there, but next time don't go into a fight. You could really get hurt out there."
Rhea just nodded numbly at his words. Her instincts just told her to help. Not like you can fight instincts. Nodding he sent out a web to go check the rest of the streets for those who needed help. Mr. Robertson was absolutely glowing.
"You got a word from Spider-Man, lucky you!" He whooped. "Now let's get you home and reschedule your meeting. Hummm? To a less glass filled coffee shop." The owner shot a look at him. Mr. Robertson just smiled sheepishly.
"Where do you live right now Miss Chloros? I'll drive you there."
Rhea smiled tiredly at him, her powers really did a number on her sometimes.
"Forest Hill, Queens. I'm renting a room from a nice old lady."
...
The house in Queens was small and homey. Three bedrooms, one bath, an open kitchen, it reminded Rhea of her grandmother's home in Virginia. May Parker was the sweetest woman she had ever met, she was probably in her early sixties to late fifties. Long grey hair up in a neat bun and her clothing always tasteful. As soon as she lay eyes on Rhea and her dusty form she began to fuss over her.
"Oh dear I was so worried. I saw on the news that awful Spider-Man and the little chubby boy fighting in the streets. Just not right. Where you hurt dear?"
Rhea smiled up at her. "No Mrs. Parker I'm fine it was definitely a shock. I'd love a good shower and a nap."
Mrs. Parker gently patted her shoulder and dismissed her.
Rhea liked living here, she helped with chores and cooking, and her rent was pretty low for New York. Truth be told she though Mrs. Parker was a bit lonely without her nephew here. He had gone off to college and was expecting to move in with his girlfriend soon. Having Rhea was no substitute she knew but it helped. Rhea wasn't vain enough to think herself anything more than a rubber duck to fill space. Mrs. Parker would always remind her that she was good company and a sweet girl.
Walking into the small bathroom Rhea quickly shucked off her dusty clothes. Mindful of the other part of her mutation. On her back were the remnants of what should be moth-like wings. Now little more than pale lime green taters. They were regrowing but it was a slow process. The wounds had been deep and not entirely consensual. The four joints were still a bit puffy, the skin bruised, tuning the light olive skin a putrid green. The memory still brought tears to her eyes. It was the very reason she had gone to New York, to get as far away as possible from that memory. Hot water soothed the wounds, water in general was her best friend. Her powers tended to tire her out and overuse made her overheat. Cold water was the best way to fix that. May always fussed at her for her long showers. Rhea smiled at that. Popping into the warm water and cleaning off quickly. Wrapped in a fluffy towel from home she tiptoes up to her room. May had seen her wings she thinks, but she tried to keep them hidden as she wasn't totally sure. She liked this place and she worries about being kicked out.
Rhea's room was small and spartan, she didn't take a lot with her when she left. A plan pink flower bedspread and sheets on the bed. Next to which sat a picture of her father, her uncle, and herself. They smiled up at the camera from field of hay. A old fashioned alarm clock and a lamp framed the picture.
Changing into a pair of gey sleep pants with little rabbits, and a baby blue tank she crawled under the covers.
"Oh contacts." She remembered before settling in. Wouldn't be the first time she fell asleep in them. She slid them put with practiced hands and set them in the case. Without them she had a limited bubble of vision around her before it faded into fuzziness. With that done she let her head fall onto the pillow. Sleep found her quick.
Rhea woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. A glance at the clock read five pm. She'd only been asleep for a little over two hours. Grabbing her glasses and robe she made her way downstairs to see who was there. A bit groggy sill but feeling refeshed. May had been in the kitchen cooking something for dinner, she beet Rhea to the door.
"Oh Peter there you are. I thought you'd be late for dinner!" May tittered.
"You know I'm never late for Friday dinner Aunt May."
Rhea halted on her journey, tuning quickly she tried to head back to her room. Never one to intrude on a family moments.
"Oh Rhea here I'd like you to meet my nephew Peter. Peter this is the little girl who's renting your old room, Rhea."
Rhea shuffled over over nervously waving her hand close to her body.
"Hi." She said quietly.
"Hi." Peter said back waving a bit. 'Today just wasn't her day' Rhea cringed inside.
