"Jewel! Hey Jewel!"Spider-Man looks through his daughter's bed, right above his own. Obviously she wasn't here under the blankets, which started to worry the hero. Jumping down, he looks around not seeing any sign of her. She was tricky one, a rascal he had to admit to himself. Reminding so much of himself.
Which was a good thing on some aspects then again not really, having to constantly be on his toes or at times scolding her for her reckless behavior. He was starting to see a bit how Nick was with him, a scary thought. That made him shiver, though of course he could never admit that to man. Scratching the back of his, the hero looks around for any sort of sign of where his future daughter might be.
Making a reminder that he would put a tracking device on her next chance he got. Class was starting soon, and needed to find her. If she was not enrolled in the Academy she had to be apart of the classes. Thinking, she could have gone off with Agent Venom who had a habit of engaging her in certain unsafe like actives. Or the one he really needed to worry about was Zabu and Ka-zar who greatly approved of her reckless or the jungle boy would call it. Savage spirit, doing things way to dangerous.
Just the mere thought panicked him."Oh boy..."he runs off.
In one of the training rooms, Jewel hid in the shadows watching Iron Fist spar with her mother. Both where putting up a pretty good fight, though she was well aware Iron Fist was not going hard on her. Giving the teen a hissing look, she didn't like him. It was plainly seen and could be felt. While her mother blocked one of his punches with ease, her eyes light up with joy and pride. But quickly fades away, replacing it yearning and pain.
Back home, Jewel kicks her door open in anger and frustration slamming it with equal amount of force as her temperament. Running she throws herself onto her bed, grabbing her pillow burying her face into it. Refusing to cry those hot angry tears. She hated it here, wishing things could back the way where. Back with her dad and her mom where still together, back when things where fine and happy, before tragic happen. Not now, not here, she didn't fit in here feeling isolated.
If there was just any way, she could think of make things how they use to be. A way she could change the past, and keep things the same. Hearing the door to her room open, she knew who's presence had entered. It was her mother's, hearing her gracefully and gently walk towards her bed, Jewel did what any pouting child would do. Turn her back and bury herself under all her blankets.
Which of course didn't work at all, feeling whip of air from the blankets being taken off caused her to shiver just a bit. She heard her mother calling to her, trying to get her attention. But Jewel was just a stubborn as her mother would say, her father. One of the many qualities she inherited from him, infact most of them she did. Which was good to her, but at the sametime made her feel outcasted.
If only he was here, her mother kept calling to her first softly then more sternly, and when she called her by her full name. Jewel finally responded, yelling at her mother."What!"
Her sudden outburst startled her mom, and Jewel herself. Seeing the stun look from her mother made her feel remorse for her action. She quickly apologizes, and this time calmly asks what her mother wanted. Feeling her mom take a seat on her bed, getting comfortable she had to, she was after all pregnant. About maybe three or four months. Something she still wasn't to thrilled about, infact she distaste it.
"Jewel, during training with your fa-"her mother starts.
Which prompt Jewel to retort. Pointing at her door."He IS not my father! And I don't care how I acted...h-he had no right!"she raises her voice.
Her mother kept her calm."Even so, Jewel you should no show such disrespect. I know things are still an adjustment to you. But you must understand, we both want you to be happy here...just I am and your soon to be sibling."
"But I was happy...back home...with dad..and everyone else."Jewel stammers. Stomping her foot."Not here...with arghhhh!"She plops back down on her bed.
Her mother fully understood, sympathizing with her child. Placing comforting hands upon her."...Jewel...you well...with your father..it cannot happen. You are not the only one who's heart still aches..."
The young girl bit her lip, stopping it from trembling. But it showed. Closing her eyes tightly."...I want my dad..."
Outside her room, her stepfather quietly listen to every word his stepdaughter.
Still sparing with Iron Fist, you throw a punch at him. Which he easily grabs you by your wrist and flips you over onto your back. Pinning you down, tapping out he let's you go. Pushing yourself up off the floor, rubbing your shoulder. Stopping when you felt a warm glow on your throbbing injury. Iron Fist with his hand covered in his Chi, eased your pain. Holding out his other hand, helping you to your feet.
His tender touch, help block the pain out."How is it?"he asks.
Rotating your shoulder blade, it was fine."Better, thank you." Feeling someone else, you turn and look towards the open doors finding no one there. Though you were sure someone was there. Iron Fist noticed your distracted look, he looks in the same direction.
"Is something wrong?"
You kept your eyes on that spot, and shake your head. You turn back to him."Let's go again."you tell him. He nods and gets into position, you get into your position as well. Both of you look at the other, your stance was tight and strong. Just like his, he nods his head and the two of you take off to the other.
Outside, Jewel held her breath hearing her mother and Iron Fist sparring. She almost was caught by her mother just a few seconds ago, who sensed her presence. Luckily the girl managed to hide herself. Slowly she peeps around the corner yet again to look at her mother. Her child eyes look on in admiration at her mother, this version of her mother was different yet the same, to her mother back home.
Both of them were strong and firm. Yet unlike her mother back home who was kind and warm, this still was kind yet at the same time she was distant. Still, they both were the same person, just one showered her with love and affection, while this one seem to keep her distant or seem scared of Jewel. She wondered why? Still looking at you, the physical attributes of the two are the same. Though her mother back home didn't have such long hair compared to her younger self. Her mother's hair back home only reached her shoulders in a sort of asymmetrical cut.
Just thinking about her mother, and home. Jewel eyes drop heavily filling slightly with regret just a bit and loneliness, she didn't like this empty feeling. Remaining quiet she listen's to her mother sparring. Tears come to her eyes, what she would give for an embrace by her like her father did. Questions came to her mind, wondering if she did the right thing wrong? Or her presence was unwanted?
Something she felt since being here. Feeling tears starting to form, she does her best to wipe them away. Unaware of a hand reaching out to her, once she felt it startled her. She jumps a bit from shock and turns to see who it was. She finds Power Man, behind his shades his eyes soften and ache with her's. He gets down to her level and smiles warmly at her.
Thumbing over his shoulder."You're dad is looking for him, let's go. Something tells me that if he doesn't find you, he might blow a web-shooter."he chuckles deeply at his joke, she tries to smile. With a strong arm, he lifts her up upon his shoulders. A giggle escapes her, she clings to him tightly. Hearing her mood change a bit made him smile. He walks down the hall."You want to hear a story? It's funny about your dad..."
A knock came to Fury's door."Enter."he tells them, the door opens and you step inside.
Looking right at your uncle, who was going over files. He didn't look up from the holoflies or holovideos , but you knew he was aware of your presence. You stop about a feet in front of his desk. Looking passed him at the night sky, then quickly back to him.
"You summoned me, uncle?"you ask.
He just nods his head, a gestures his hand next thing a seat comes up from the floor."Yeah, I did...look at this footage."he presses something, in a second the holovideo he was looking at expands right in front of you. It was a video of training, the last training for today, which consist of Dagger, Agent Venom, Iron Spider, Squirrel Girl, Power Man, Spider-Man and lastly Jewel. Being trained by Hawk-Eye, you press play and watch the video. The training was not very successful, Dagger, Iron Spider, and Agent Venom had a hard time, and so did Power Man. Hawk-Eye was able to easily take them out. Spider-Man was the only one who seem to last, along to your surprise Jewel too.
You watch the young girl, maneuver with such efficiency. She was like Spider-Man, they both had the same style, the same unorthodox style she managed to dodge a few of Hawk-eye's arrows. Watching her, your uncle looks at you with his eye seeing a ting of pride and wonderment in your eyes. Back to the video, your eyes stay upon Jewel, until Hawkeye was able to get her with a foam arrow. Stopping her movement, just like her father who was frozen by an arrow from Hawkeye.
The video stops, you look at Nick speechless. He still didn't look up."Look at these..."he swipes a few more over to you, there were about at least five of them, each one of Jewel. Though instead of training, they were of her seemingly spying on you instead. Watching you from afar longingly, ducking when you would turn around feeling her presence or you assumed someone was there."This is my favorite part."Nick tells you.
From his desk, he enlarges the video so you could see Jewel closer. And she was crying, for some reason it stung you. Jewel tired to wipe the tears away watching you, but she just sunk down burring her head into her knees sitting there all alone. You don't know why, but you wondered if Spider-Man knew of this?
Quickly you shake that question out of your head, hearing Jewel's crying asking why and crying for her mother. Before you could say anything, you saw in one of the videos Spider-Man came across her and scoops her up. He does his best to cheer and comfort her. Having enough you tell the videos to stop playing which they pause.
Looking up at Nick, who now gave you his fully attention. You look at him irritated, trying to mask you real emotions. He stare upon you was hard to read, but you could tell he was giving you a look of disapproval.
"Look, I can't tell you what to do or not to do."he speaks up. He looks at the screen with Jewel on it next to him."But I CAN tell you what I think." With a wave of his hand, he sends an image of Jewel over to you."Here's a story of a little girl, had very little time with her own mother. Her mother died at young age, the little girl was raised by her uncle. Me. The girl grew up pretty well, a bit a screwball, but had heart all the same. Tragic struck the girl, she was taken away and then brought back. But not the same person from before. Everyone was happy to have her, yet she seem happy though kept her distant and that distance became bigger when her future daughter. Appeared, her daughter and extraordinary girl with well polished yet undisciplined skills. Who was so happy to meet her mother and dare I say it...Father. But her mother wasn't happy about it. Not at all, unlike father who confused yet thrilled the mother put more distance between th-"
You sigh annoyed, interrupting him."Are you done?"
He gives you a sharp look."No, I'm not. Don't be rude."he points his finger at you."Anyway, distance between them. The mother didn't dare to look back her heartbroken daughter. Who put the blame upon herself that it was her fault and wondered with a unanswered lingering question 'Is it my fault?' Still, the daughter manages to keep on a joyous and upbeat facade. She joins the Academy and is a determined and diligent student. Honing her skills, which have vastly improved. Sure quirky like her father, who might I add is doing a good job with her. Even comforting his daughter upon why her mother does not wish to have anything to do with her. The daughter is able to keep going, but that empty feeling inside her of acceptance from her mother cannot be filled. The mother is either acting scared of by my definition selfish because of something else. Either way...they both seem the same to me."
He finishes his story."There, I'm done. Now can you tell me the moral of that story?"
His words hit you hard, you could feel them starting to sink in and attach themselves to your conscience, which started sending impulses to your guilt. Even if you did your best to fight back. Nick could see it in your eyes, his stare on you became harder.
"..."you refused to break under his stare, that imposed its own force onto you. Your eyes look away, but the power of his stare was unyielding. It came down on you like Hulk's strength. Someone who you knew, no one could withstand a blow from. Feeling yourself crack, you did the only thing you could think of, you get up and run out of his office.
Nick didn't bother calling after you. He let you leave, turning back to the video of one of Jewel's training. Pressing play he lets it run, watching the young girl spar against a robot and manages to kick it back with one strike.
The halls never felt to cold and empty, your mind was hurting thinking about what Nick just told you and the feelings you managed to keep at bay that started to creep up. They wanted out, screaming in agony. That it actually hurt, but that was not the worst of it, those images of your distraught child flashed in your mind. Overloading not just your mind, but your emotions. It felt like a eagle's claw was gripping upon your heart and its talons sunk in causing you pain and blood to come gushing out.
It was aching bad, guilt never felt so heavy before. Thinking of her performance, it was amazing, Spider-Man was doing a really good job training her. The two of them seem to have formed a very strong bond, during her time here it was easy to see. There was always joy and pride on his face even if others couldn't see it, it glowed around him. Often you would hear the two laughing, cracking weird jokes. Mainly science jokes, which Jewel seem to get and understand.
The two of them always sat together in Mr. Whizzer's class and team up with training. Jewel was never far away from the web-head, even when it came to sleeping, the slept close by, and twice you caught and saw Jewel getting out of her bed to sleep with him. Which he didn't seem to mind at all. It was a touching scene, but you did your best to not focus upon that.
You had cut yourself off from that, especially Spider-Man. Who would try and talk with you, mainly about Jewel if she wasn't around or just to talk. You would be casual to him, but that was all. It wasn't hard to see he was hurting from this sudden isolation you put with him, even if you did your best not to make it known. Giving him a few smirks but never a smile fully. Not like you use to, in the...past.
The past, it seem so long ago to you. If only they all knew...if only he knew. Then just maybe he could understand why...why the two of you...
You stop yourself from thinking to far ahead. Stepping into the sleeping quarters you look around at everyone sleeping. Your eyes check to make sure everyone single person was in bed, scanning over quickly. When you realized something...a couple of bodies were missing. Counting them it was a total of four, and four being Power Man, Squirrel Girl, Spider-Man and Jewel!
She wasn't in her bunk, for some reason you became alarmed by this and rush over to it. Placing a hand on, feeling nothing at all. She hadn't even rested in the bed at all. Gripping her sheets, you rush out of the room to look for her.
After hours upon searching for Jewel throughout the school, you didn't find her at all. The night was now turning into day, and you missed out on a good nights rest. For some reason you were not tired at all, finding Jewel was more important right now and you needed to. Sure she was known for going off and hiding because she loved it. This felt different, something just didn't seem to sit right with you, it made you start to slowly worry.
Reaching back to the dorms, your eyes tired not form lack of sleep but from unsettled worry. Pinching your eyes shut, trying to figure out were the girl might be and if she was in a sense safe. When a certain smell made you look to see what it was.
"Good morning."Jewel timidly greets you, you stop in your tracks surprised to hear her voice and find her right in front of you. Holding out a wrapped up burrito. She wasn't looking at you, her eyes cast down. Silence filled the room with the others, you look and seem them munching on their own burrito. Which they slowly stop and focus all eyes upon you and Jewel.
Awaiting your reaction to the girl. There were no words exchanged between the two of you, just silence. Smelling the burrito, you knew it was your favorite type. Which surprised, Jewel kept her hand out with your food hoping you would except it. In fact trembling nervously. Her eyes now shut tight, to no doubt stop her own tears of rejection she was ready to receive.
Spider-Man held his own breath, watching mother and daughter. The anticipation in the air was heavy, his heart started to break seeing the way Jewel looked. Sure he took on the burrito run with himself, Power Man and Squirrel Girl, when they all should have been asleep. But fun was that, they did manage to stop Mesmero from taking over the City. They managed to get the burritos and Jewel had asked to give the burrito to her mother.
Which they found out she was not in the dorm room, to find her walking in slightly fatigued. Like she was up all night, deeply worried it seem about something or looking for someone. Spider-Man wondered if, you had been looking Jewel. Because he saw the look of shock and relief in your eyes when she greeted you. Was it starting to sink in with you, had you come to accept Jewel as your daughter.
That bit of hope begin to rise, he would know if just only...
You look at the burrito then to Jewel and back to the burrito. Blocking out the others eyes on you, you look quickly to Iron Fist who nods his head for you to accept it. Her saw the hesitation in your eyes, your hand twitched with uncertainty. Moving your eyes from Iron Fist, they lock with Spider-Man's he looks at you pleadingly to accept.
Without words you knew he was telling you that it would mean the world to Jewel. Your eyes lingered on Spider-Man longer than Iron Fist, and finally returned back to Jewel, the images of her crying surrounded her in your mind. Slowly your eyes close, as you release the tension your body felt. You didn't want to do it, you just couldn't bare doing it. Everyone waits, moving one foot forward you push back and block out your inner screams to not do it.
But you did it anyway, in order to ease this pain inside. Your hand reaches out, Jewel felt it brush up against her skin. She tenses up, and gasp sharply. It was loud enough for everyone to hear it. Her hand holding the burrito opens wide, her eyes shoot up open with a few tears and look up to see you walking away. Her eyes drop heavily with her head. Feeling a hand upon her shoulder, she finds Spider-Man he rubs her shoulder for comfort and smiles at her. He gestures towards you, Jewel looks and notices two things. One, she didn't have the burrito anymore and secondly, you were holding it now with a bite in it.