Chapter 19: Michelle Jones
Michelle stared up at the domineering building before her. It wasn't the height that intimidated her as much as the gigantic 'A' logo on the side of the building. The Avengers Compound. It looked exactly as it sounded. Sleek, modern and gigantic. It was vast with multiple buildings, an airstrip and hanger, and Michelle swore she saw a dock that overlooked a lake that hid behind luscious trees. The whole compound was practically its own community. Suburbia for superheroes. A place Michelle never expected to spend her Friday afternoon.
Yet, she, Ned and Harry arrived at the compound directly after the last bell in school. It took several weeks and lots of paperwork for the three of them to be approved to step inside the gate. It was ridiculous. Not only did she have to go through an intense screening process, but so did her parents. It was unnerving and unnecessary for the bombarding questions thrown at them. Michelle handled her own interrogation quite well though. In fact, she was sure she gave the interviewer a far bigger headache than the one he gave her.
In the end, she was approved and was allowed entry in certain designated areas of the compound. That was to be expected. Still, she found it ludicrous on the extent it took them to visit a friend.
But when Peter rushed out of the doors and down the steps to the vehicle with a stupid grin on his face, Michelle frustrations evaporated.
Harry whistled at the impressed stature of the compound. "Christ," he remarked, slowly rotating to examine the might of the area. "You live here?"
Peter dipped his head, rolling his lips in. "Yeah," he muttered, closing the SUV doors after Ned crawled out from the back. Peter waved to the driver. "Thanks Mike!"
The driver pulled away and Peter led them up the steps to the building in front of them. Michelle noticed that Harry was searching around them, checking out faces of people who passed them. "So, you live here with other Avengers?"
"Um, yeah," Peter answered, nodding. "A few of them live here like Captain, Falcon, Scarlet Witch..."
Harry's eyes bulged. "Is Captain America here? Like, right now?"
Peter bit his lower lip. "Um… no," he said after a moment. "No, most of them are gone. Captain America and Falcon went to DC for the weekend."
And Harry's hopeful face fluttered to severe disenchantment. He dropped his hands inside his jacket and let them hang.
They reached the top of the stairs. Peter held the door open for them. "How's the drive, by the way? It's not too bad. At least, I don't think it is."
"It was the best! I never ever got a car escort before," Ned happily chattered. "You should have seen Flash! He was jealous when the car pulled up. Oh—did you know that the car has drinks and snacks. Free of charge too! Did you know that?"
"Yeah, they usually carry water and some pretzels or something like that," Peter answered as he strolled through the main lobby where a suited man spied their every footstep to the elevators. "All in? Alright... FRIDAY?"
Michelle didn't flinch like Harry and Ned when a woman's voice answered above their heads. "Yes, Mr. Parker?"
"Home, please."
The elevator arrived and they all gathered in. Michelle stood beside Peter as he instructed the AI to take them home. The elevator moved, rising up. Ned, giddy, stared at the expansive compound.
"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, face pressed against the elevator glass. "Look at the size of that plane! Is that even a plane?"
Peter glanced over his shoulder. "Um... no," he answered. "It's a Quinjet. One of them at least."
Ned's mouth dropped. "'One of them'," he repeated. "There's more than one!"
Peter nodded.
"Have you flown in one?"
Peter nodded again.
"Oh my god! That's so cool!" Ned exclaimed. "What's it like? How fast can it go? Was it—"
"I don't really know. I was kind of out of it when I was on it," Peter answered. "Fell asleep."
Ned gaped at him. "You fell asleep," he said, shocked, "on a Quinjet?"
"It was a long night," Peter responded as the elevator came to a stop. The doors parted to a corridor and Peter gestured for them to follow him. "This way."
They strolled down a white corridor, following the black ribbon tile the led to several doors with key pads outside each one. Ned and Harry hardly paid attention to where they were going. Their focus was driven to the floor-to-ceiling windows, displaying the entire layout of at least half of the compound.
Michelle quickened her pace to walk beside Peter. She's seen jets before and alien ships and flying men. A Quinjet and a few modernize buildings wasn't enough to impress her. As they neared the end of the corridor, Peter stopped at a door. He tapped on the key code. The door unlocked and opened to the Parker's apartment.
The apartment wasn't as exquisite as Michelle originally anticipated. It looked like a regular apartment, albeit a bit nicer. Carpeted living room, hard wood flooring in the hallway and decorative tile in the kitchen that had a small island that served as a border for the hallway and kitchen. The walls were beige. Plain if it didn't have the few framed pictures and decorative art to make it more unique and homey. The television was a large flat screen. A Sony BRAVIA OLED to be exact, according to Ned, who gasped upon seeing it.
"No way!" Ned went straight for the television, hovering around in giddy fashion. "You have a BRAVIA OLED TV?! With a 4K HDR Z1 processor? Oh, man! I'm so jealous! Dude—we have to play Fortnite on this."
"Maybe later," Peter responded, but he wasn't looking at the television. His eyes were fixed ahead, down the hallway where Michelle heard the sound of wheels coming down the stretch. It was a miniature claw machine, rolling down on four wheels, its claw-like hand reaching up towards the group.
Michelle stepped back from its approach while Peter stepped forward. "No—DUMBO! Go!" he shooed the robot away. "Go to my room! Come on..."
Peter ran after the wheeling robot, taking its claw-like hand and directing it to a room. Michelle listened to him tell the robot to stay before closing the door shut. "Sorry about that," Peter apologized, looking at Michelle as he returned. "He gets a bit excited when he hears new voices."
Harry popped his head down the hallway, intrigued. "Is that your robot?" he asked. "More like a dog."
Peter raked his fingers through his hair. "I somewhat regret giving him wheels," He gestured to the living room. "You guys can drop your stuff off over there. If you need the bathroom, it's down the hall to the right."
Michelle dropped her backpack, but didn't have to use the bathroom. Ned had to go. After all, he had two drinks and a snack on the ride up. They waited for him and Harry looped around the living room, checking the place out probably to compare it to his family's penthouse.
"Nice digs," Harry quipped, coming back to where Michelle stood. "How much do you pay for rent?"
"About two thousand."
"I was being sarcastic," Harry said with that loose smile of his. "You don't actually pay rent here. Wait. Do you?"
Peter nodded, serious. "My aunt insisted. She didn't want to live rent-free. Some kind of independence thing," he explained. "Mr. Stark tried to convince her otherwise, but May refused to go any lower than two thousand. So… we pay two thousand a month."
Harry stared, gobsmacked. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he said, but Peter didn't contradict his statement. "Holy shit! You're not. Wow… never heard of someone not accepting free rent before."
"Nor have you ever heard of someone offering free rent before," Michelle countered to which Harry shrugged. "Well, I think your aunt is smart. Sucks to rely everything on a man and not yourself. Good independence."
They heard the toilet flush and a moment later, Ned came out of the bathroom. "Your bathroom is amazing! Did you know that your toilet—"
"Yeah, Ned, I do," Peter cut him off, not interested in gushing about every single object in the apartment. "So, um, you guys want a tour?"
The enthusiastic response got Peter to laugh, little lines crinkling around his eyes and corners of his mouth. He led them out of the apartment and back to the elevator. "FRIDAY? Rec floor, please."
Michelle felt the elevator descend. Harry busied Peter's attention with questions about his robot, asking about its programming and power source before the elevator settled to a stop. The doors parted to a large, extravagant room.
Peter stepped out of the elevator, turning to face his friends as he entered the room backwards. "Welcome to the Avengers Compound."
Peter showed them around the compound, starting with the home movie theater, equipped with snacks, beverages and any movie available, including the current films playing in cinemas. They continued their tour through the building, checking out the bowling alley, massage parlor and even the obstacle course that the Avengers apparently use for training purposes.
Peter demonstrated how to finish the course. He made it look easy that even Harry and Ned tried to follow him. They didn't last long. In fact, Ned quit after the first obstacle. Harry held out a little longer. After the first two obstacles, his confidence grew. He started the third obstacle with a wink directed at Michelle, who promptly sent him the middle finger. That only made him laugh as he jumped right into the third obstacle. And that was when Michelle smothered her own laughter when she watched Harry fall flat on his back. Peter and Ned helped him off the course, much to Harry's embarrassment. He couldn't even look Michelle in the eye.
"You wanna try?" Ned asked her.
Michelle smartly opted out. She didn't see the point when she could simply walk down to the end of the course on the grass. The obstacle course got Harry and Ned all sweaty, so they went to the pool to cool off. They splashed around, jumped off the diving board and even played a game of volleyball. Michelle teamed up with Peter and, naturally, they won the game.
Tired, they got out of the pool to return to the apartment. She was the lone girl in the woman's locker room. Running her fingers through her wet curls, she considered whether to tie her hair up or leave it down to dry quicker. She decided ponytail was the better option and tied it up into a knot. Quickly, Michelle wrapped her suit in a towel and stepped out of the locker room, finding Peter, Ned and Harry waiting on her.
Peter spotted her first. "Ready?"
They headed back to the apartment. DUMBO greeted them again. He managed to get out of Peter's bedroom and its wheels zoomed around their feet in hysteria, making shrilled noises of enthusiasm.
Peter shooed it away, but didn't order it back to his room. The little robot rolled around him, heading straight to the kitchen with its claws up. Peter pulled out his phone. "You guys hungry? Want pizza or Indian? Chinese?"
"I'm down for some pizza," Harry said, falling back on the couch. "Princess? Want to split a veggie?"
Michelle's teeth clenched in retaliation of that horrid nickname, but responded with a leveled voice. "Actually, I want Chinese," she looked to Harry with an overtly sweet smile. One may even describe it as deadly. "Is that all right, sweetie?"
Harry cocked a brow at the sentiment, confused by the kind words mingled with the underlying tensed tone. Peter awkwardly stared between the two of them. "Um… okay," he said, coughing a bit. "So... pizza or Chinese?"
"I like both," Ned answered, not picky at the options. Nor was he observant at the situation before him.
Harry brushed his hair from his face. His gaze lingered on her, studying her face that unnerved Michelle. Why did Harry have to look at her like that? After a brief second, Harry half-heartedly shrugged.
"Whatever you say, Princess," he said to Michelle before answered Peter's question. "Chinese is good, Parker."
Peter still hesitated, looking to Michelle for confirmation. She gave a little nod and Peter hit a button on his phone. "KAREN?"
Harry picked his head up, scanning the room. "Who's Karen?"
"Yes, Peter?" came a new embodied voice. Another AI, although the voice was much softer and kinder than the one from the elevator.
"Whoa!" Harry shot up from the couch. "You have another AI?"
Peter nodded in response to Harry's question. He waved his phone up. "Yeah, this is KAREN. My AI. She's cool."
"Thank you," KAREN replied to Peter's compliment. "Hello friends of Peter. I've heard so much about you."
Ned hurried to Peter, nearly colliding into him as he reached for Peter's phone. "You have an AI in your phone? Like Iron Man?" he said, mouth hanging wide open. "That's so cool! Is your suit inside—"
Peter elbowed Ned in the ribs. "It's a regular phone, Ned. It just has KAREN added onto it," he said. "It's not that fancy."
"It's a Starkphone!" Ned exclaimed. "It's fancy!" He admired over it. "Does it only respond to you or can others talk to it?"
"Let's find out?" Michelle said as she bent down closer to the phone. "Hey—KAREN? Do you record everything even when not asked to?"
She has read the news reports about other minor AIs recording their owners' private conversations. Michelle didn't trust ALEXAs, or SIRIs or Googles. Reliance on AIs meant dependence and no privacy. Something Michelle coveted.
KAREN solidified her concerns. "I record only upon request or when he's wearing his Spider-man suit."
That answered both questions. "Thanks—oh, and don't record anything on me," Michelle added as pressed the phone back to Peter.
Peter took his phone again. "Hey, um, KAREN? Can you order Chinese?" he asked. "The normal order plus... what did you guys want?"
They all said what they would like to eat and KAREN got it all, despite they cut each other off and their voices mingling with one another. "Do you want me to double that order?"
Peter thought. "Umm… no. I can eat leftovers from the other day."
"The food is ordered. I will alert you when it is coming."
"Thanks KAREN," Peter said and he clicked on a button on his phone before sliding it in his pocket. "Food will be coming soon. What do you guys want to do?"
They decided on a board game. Pictionary to be exact, a game Michelle enjoyed as her artistic talent shined through to a victory. Peter retrieved the game from the top shelf and settled it on the coffee table.
Michelle stepped up to the table, eyes drawn to Peter. "So, um, you wanna—"
"Hey Princess!" Harry called out, sliding up next to her. "Be on my team. We can take on these two."
Before Michelle protested, Harry had his arm looped around her own arm, securing them as partners. And Ned went along, taking Peter as his partner and declaring that they could beat them.
"We've been friends since kindergarten," Ned reminded them all. "We can read each other's mind. We got this in the bag."
Michelle was stuck with Harry as her partner. She snuck a quick look at Peter as she took her seat next to Harry. Perhaps she and Peter could be drawing partners, but that hope was dashed when Ned sat across from her rather than Peter, making Ned and her competing together for their respective teams. Michelle sagged into a sitting position as Harry picked the green game piece to be their champion while Peter picked red. Her favorite color.
The food arrived and DUMBO assisted Peter in passing out the food. They devoured cartons of fried rice, lo mien and sweet and sour chicken in a matter of minutes. They mixed and shared the food as they continued on with the game. By the time May Parker returned to the apartment, they already scarfed all but a few spring rolls and white rice. The dumplings were gone, the leftover soy packets the only evidence of its existence.
Ned and Peter were barely in the lead when May came through the door, her heels clacking against the wooden floors. She didn't see them. Her back faced them as she dropped her purse on top of the counter before letting out a long, drawn sigh.
They could hear May shooing away the robot from her. "Go away, DUMBO! No, stop… Jesus… Peter!" May called. "I'm home!"
"Right here," Peter responded and May spun around to find her nephew and friends surrounding a game board.
"Oh! Hi guys!" May said, flustered at not seeing them earlier. "How is everyone? Ned? You doing good?"
Ned grinned at May. "Doing great!" he said. "You got a lovely place."
May held back a snort. "Yeah, sure, if you want to call it mine," she commented, looking at all their faces. She stopped on her face. "You must be MJ."
Michelle nodded. "Yeah, hey," she said, cursing silently to herself for responding in casual manner. "Erm, nice to meet you."
"Oh—yeah," Peter sat up, remembering his job as a host. "Aunt May? This is MJ and Harry."
May acknowledged Harry with a happy, but strained smile. Almost like it was forced. "It's nice to meet everyone," she said. "Peter's told me so much about you guys. Are you having fun? No problems?"
"No, ma'am," Harry politely responded. "Been having a good day so far."
"I can tell. Been swimming?" May said, playing a bit with Peter's wet hair as she scanned the empty cartons. "I see you went ahead and ordered dinner?"
"Um… yeah," Peter sounded apologetic for not leaving enough food for her. "Went with Chinese. We have a few leftovers, but you probably want to get something else."
"Oh, I'm not eating here. Going out with Pepper tonight," May said, backing away from them to go down the hallway. "Speaking of which, I need to change out of my work clothes. So, excuse me, you guys keep… keep doing what you were doing."
May was gone. Michelle heard a door close and figured she was changing into different clothes. Peter looked surprised by that announcement, but shrugged and returned to the game. "Alright Ned," he said. "Draw the card."
It became apparent they were evenly matched. While Michelle's artistic skills were on point, her partner's imagination was not. Harry struggled to comprehend what her drawings stood for. Ned's artistic ability was zilch. He couldn't draw anything better than stick figures. His board looked like a mess and yet, Peter always managed to guess the answer correctly before Harry did. Guess Ned was correct in regards to their ability to read minds.
It was her turn to draw a card and she shared it with Ned. They had to draw an anvil. The timer started and, Ned and Michelle drew as quickly as possible. Harry cocked his head, confused at what he saw. "Is it a hammer?"
Michelle groaned, and sketched a road runner. Still, Harry was clueless.
"Anvil!"
Peter got the answer and Ned gave him a high five. Another point to them. Michelle scrubbed away her perfectly drawn anvil and road runner. Ned, meanwhile, drew a punch of lines that resembled… well, it resembled nothing and yet, Peter got the correct answer. Board clean, she passed it to Harry and they continued playing.
Peter and Ned were winning by a sliver when the bell rang. Peter got up from his seat as May called for him to answer the door. When the door opened, a tall, slim, strawberry blonde woman entered the room with one hand carrying a baby carrier, a shoulder lugging a big diaper bag, and another hand held a baby.
"Oh, hey, Peter," said the woman, exhausted, as she lowered the baby carrier on the floor and let the diaper bag slip of her shoulder to the floor. "Is May around?"
"In her bedroom," Peter pointed behind him as he opened the door wider for her to enter. "I thought you guys were going out?"
"We are," the woman sounded irritated, "but Tony's not back yet from his meeting. So that means…" She switched her arms' position and handed the baby over to Peter. "I need you to babysit."
Peter accepted the baby in his arms, cradling the baby. "But, I have friends…"
The woman now noticed them for the first time. "Oh, sorry! I didn't see you there," she said to them. "You must be Peter's friends." She stepped away from Peter and moved to the living room, stretching her thin arm to Michelle first. "Hi! I'm Pepper."
Pepper Potts. CEO of Stark Industries and Tony Stark's fiancé. One of the most innovative, leading woman in the business industry. Michelle shook her hand. "Michelle Jones," she said.
Pepper smiled wide. "Nice to meet you," she said before she moved onto Ned and then Harry.
Although, Harry needed no introductions. Pepper looked at him, warmly. "I know who you are," she said to Harry. "You look like your mother."
Harry sucked in a breath. He never spoke of his mother. His only mention of her was that she died before he could remember her at all. "Hello, Ms. Potts," he said, his voice a bit squeaky. "I didn't realize you knew my mother."
"Tony and your father ran in the same circles," Pepper explained. "Did the same circuits, conferences and parties. I met your mother at a few of them. I enjoyed her company. Lively and funny."
Harry rolled in his lips, eyes casted downward for a fleeting second. "That's what my father tells me," he said, looking back at Pepper. There was a sadness reflecting in his irises. Not of love, but of abandonment. "Love of his life."
Pepper must have noticed because her tone became softer. "Yes, she was."
"Thank you for allowing me to visit the compound," Harry thanked her. "I'm sure it wasn't easy for Mr. Stark to agree."
Pepper huffed a chuckle. "Tony does whatever I tell him," she dismissed. "And it's no problem. You're a friend of Peter's and Peter's friends are always welcomed."
Footsteps interrupted the small talk as May reappeared, dressed in a far more casual attire than her pencil skirt and blouse. "Hey! I see you met the kids," she said to Pepper, but stopped when she saw Peter holding a baby. May's face squished into an excited smile as she went straight to the baby, cooing over it. "Oh my! Look who's growing. You're getting cuter every day."
She tickled the baby's stomach. The baby gurgled in response. "So… guessing Tony's late?" May posed the question.
Pepper sighed, going back to the front door. "He said the meeting went over, but knowing him, he probably did it all by himself," she said, but turned to Peter. "Can you watch her until Tony comes home? He should get here in about an hour. If he doesn't, you have my full permission to revoke all of Tony's parental privileges."
Peter glanced from Pepper's pleading face to the baby's face. There was a resignation to his expression when he nodded. "Yeah, it's not a problem."
Relief shed off Pepper's shoulder. "Oh—thank you! Diapers and a bottle are in the bag. If anything happens, call me on my phone or call Tony," she said, giving him a one arm hug before kissing the top of the baby's head. "Be good to Peter."
And then they were gone. May and Pepper walked out, chatting like old friends, leaving Peter with the baby and a party to entertain. The silence lasted only for a few seconds before the wails of the baby erupted.
Peter started rocking the baby, bouncing it a little as he made back to the game. "Hey… hey, it's okay," he whispered. "Your mommy will be back."
The little baby scrunched its face and turned red as tears flowed down its chubby cheeks. Peter kept the baby on his lap, holding it as he gently rocked himself to calm the baby down. Ned and Harry gawked at the baby, almost finding it unbelievable to be in the company of a screaming infant.
"Is that—" Ned started, staring at the baby. "Oh my god… it is! That's… that's…"
He couldn't finish his sentence, but Michelle knew what he wanted to say. Peter was holding Tony Stark's baby. The famous baby that has yet to be released to the public. No one has seen pictures or news about the infant since its birth. In fact, the only tidbit of information available was that Pepper gave birth. That was it.
And now, Michelle, Ned and Harry sat around a board game, staring into the eyes of the mythical baby. It was real, loud and, apparently, a baby girl.
"There, there, Maria," Peter cooed as the baby started to quiet down. "Don't worry. They'll be back soon."
"Maria is her name?" Harry said.
Peter looked up from the baby. "Yeah. Maria May Stark," he clarified for them, "but don't go around telling anyone that, okay? Tony and Pepper don't want the world to know. And if it gets leaked out—"
"Relax, Peter," Michelle said to calm him. "We won't say a word. Even if we didn't signed those non-disclosure agreements."
Peter relaxed as he lifted Maria up a little before settling her back on his lap. "Thanks."
"Do you often babysit her?" Harry piped up, taking a swig of his Coke. He looked uncomfortable being around the infant.
"Sometimes, but not a lot," Peter answered after some consideration. "Tony and Pepper are very hands-on with her. They don't have a nanny for her. At least, not yet. If they need one, they come to me or Aunt May."
Ned kept staring at the baby, mouth agape. "You are the luckiest guy in the world," he uttered. "You get to hang-out with Tony Stark's kid!"
"I babysit her, Ned. Not hang-out," Peter reiterated.
Just then DUMBO wheeled up to Peter, its claw coming in close contact to Maria's face. Peter jerked Maria out of DUMBO's reach. "No! DUMBO! No!" he scolded the robot. "No… hold on."
Before Michelle knew what was happening, Peter handed her the baby. "Hold her while I take DUMBO to my room," he said, placing Maria in her arms as he lifted DUMBO off the floor.
Michelle held the baby. The baby's dark eyes shiny as she unashamedly stared at Michelle's face with a scrutiny of distrust. Not that Michelle blamed her. They only just met and were perfectly, good strangers. To her relief, the baby didn't cry. Maria choked a bit on her fading sobs, but no more high-pitched screams of dismay.
Ned enviously looked at her. "You're holding Stark's baby!"
"I am well aware of that," Michelle retorted, not entirely happy about the responsibility. "Here—you wanna hold her?"
She tried to pass her off to Ned, but Ned retracted his hands. "Oh no! No… I don't want to get in trouble with Iron Man. What if I accidently hurt her or damage her? Nope. Not risking it."
Michelle turned to Harry. He too shook his head. "It's best that Starks and Osborns stay separate," he claimed. "It never ends well when they meet up."
It was not a well-hidden secret that Stark and Osborn despised one another. They were competitors who held little to no respect for one another. That's not surprising for Michelle. Almost everyone in the business world hated Stark for his arrogance and unbeatable products.
"You know," Michelle said as she adjusted the baby. "I'm surprised you were accepted in here at all. Would have thought your dad wouldn't want you around Stark at all… unless to spy on him, of course."
Harry curled a corner of his lip up into a smirk. "Who says my dad knows where I am?"
Typical teenage rebellion. Lying to the parents. Not that Michelle hadn't partake in such traditions, but it made the picture clearer for her as to how Harry managed to tag along with them to the compound.
Peter eventually returned and took over the baby duties, freeing Michelle from all burdens of endangering the child. Peter placed Maria on his lap and leaned over the game board, figuring whose turn it was to draw a card. "Harry? We're up."
They played several rounds. Each one becoming more dramatic and competitive. Peter beat Harry in almost every round in spite of Ned's poor scribbles he called drawings. Michelle was a reliable partner. Even though Harry's drawings (and Peter's for that matter) weren't quite on point, she understood the drawing far quicker than Ned.
But, her genius wasn't enough to claim victory. That belonged to Ned and Peter, who scored the final round with Peter naming 'in a pickle' correctly. They did their stupid handshake in victory and got Maria to cheer for them in the form of shrieks and squeals. Harry acted indifferent about the lost, but Michelle saw through the façade. The slight twitch in his left eye and the darted looks and frown in the winners' direction was enough to know he wasn't too happy about losing.
Neither was Michelle.
A driver arrived an hour later, ready to take Ned and Harry back to Queens as per the schedule. Ned groaned. "But… I don't wanna go! Why isn't Michelle coming?"
"Because my dad is picking me up," Michelle answered. "And, as of now, he's not here."
Michelle's ride was postponed. Her father already talked to security and explained that his phone conference with China got pushed back to seven tonight and he wouldn't be able to pick up his daughter until later. They notified her and Peter of the change, so Michelle had a few more hours to kill before her father came to pick her up before they drive through the night to Boston.
Ned's shoulders slumped, disappointed he was forced to leave early. "Can't we stay until Michelle's dad comes?"
The driver didn't even bat an eyelid. "No," he said. "Times have been arranged to depart now."
Peter promised Ned could come back any time. Harry's shoulder drooped, even he was disappointed to leave the compound. Harry said his goodbyes as he grabbed his backpack. Before he left, he went up to Michelle with a charming smile and a wink. "See you later, Princess."
Once they were gone, only she and Peter were left to stand uneasily in his apartment. Michelle tried to play it cool. She kept her posture casual, her mouth a straight line to restrain any emotion from giving away her thoughts. Peter, however, was a bundle of nerves. He busied himself with Maria, using her as a distraction to occupy himself from being forced to embarrass himself with small talk. But, he couldn't keep doing that forever. In the end, he sought to end the awkward silence.
Peter hoisted Maria up, keeping her close as her little fingers poked at his hair. "So… um, when did you say your dad was coming again?"
"He's finishing a call around seven," Michelle answered. "Probably around eight or eight-thirty."
"Cool, cool," Peter said, adjusting Maria in his arms. "So, um… you hungry at all? I could heat up something or… thirsty? Water? Tea? We don't have the best coffee, if that's what you want. But I can go get it. It's not that far from—"
"I'm fine, Peter," Michelle said to him. "I can get a drink for myself." To prove it, she walked over to the kitchen, took out a glass from the cupboard, and filled it with tap water. "See? Done."
Peter huffed a nervous twitch in the corner of his lips. "Okay," he said, moving back to the living to clean up the board game. Michelle joined him and they quickly packaged the game together again. "Thanks for that."
"No problem," Michelle said as she popped a squat on the floor beside Maria, who kept reaching for the leftover spoon no one used. She teased her with it, twirling around in her fingers to mesmerize the baby. "I didn't know you were a great Pictionary player. Thought you were more into nerd things like Legos or video games."
"I am," Peter confirmed as he took a seat on the floor as well. He watched her and Maria play for a minute. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Better than you."
"I, um, I didn't get the answers from Ned's board," Peter confessed and he lifted his gaze from the floor to Michelle. "I got them from you."
Michelle stopped messing with the spoon. "You looked at my board?"
"There's no rules against it," Peter defended. "And… Ned can't draw and you draw really well. I couldn't help, but glance at yours."
Michelle stared down at him, not in judgment. A warm foreign feeling fluttered in her stomach as she repeated his words in her head. "I knew it wasn't mind reading," she finally said. "You don't have that power."
"No, I don't," Peter affirmed. "Only Wanda does."
She didn't know who was Wanda, but assumed he meant Scarlet Witch. The Avenger with the mind control powers. "Next time, we should be partners," Michelle said, "and whoop their asses."
"Only if you want to," Peter said as if his throat tightened. "You and Harry did all right. I thought you guys were, um, good partners. You guys looked good… I-I mean… you did good. Good word. Teamwork, I mean."
Michelle narrowed her eyes at him before she scoffed. "Yeah… like Sid and Nancy."
Peter looked perplexed. "Who?"
"No one," Michelle said as she handed the spoon back to Maria. "Hey... Maria? You want the spoon?"
She attempted to entertain the baby with a few spoon tricks, but Maria was no longer interested. She kept squirming and made faces, acting irritated by something neither of them could see. Peter quizzically stared, pondering the reason for the sudden fit.
"Oh no."
Michelle eyed Peter. "What?"
Peter raised Maria up and sniffed. "Oh no," he said as he lowered the baby, her face screwing into a tighter distraught look. "She needs a diaper change."
"So? Go change it."
"I don't know how to change a diaper!"
Michelle was bewildered that Peter didn't know how to change a diaper. "I thought you've babysat her before?"
"Yeah, but she never used the bathroom when she's with me," Peter claimed, reaching for the diaper bag and tugging it to him. "Okay... um, KAREN?"
Peter's phone came alight. "Yes, Peter?"
"Can you tell me how to change a diaper?"
It would have been humorous to watch Peter struggle changing his first diaper, but Michelle did not wish for Maria to be in further discomfort. No need for the baby to keep crying over a diaper rash.
"Here," Michelle held out her arms to Peter. "I'll change her diaper."
Peter didn't hand the baby over. "Do you know how?"
"Of course," Michelle said, slightly offended Peter didn't trust her. "I've been a babysitter for my neighbors' kids since 2015. I know a thing or two about cleaning up after a baby."
Convinced, Peter passed off the crying infant to Michelle. She took the baby and grabbed the diaper bag. "Come on," she signaled Peter to follow with a jerk of her head. "I'll teach you, so you can do it next time."
They entered the bathroom for privacy. Ned was right. The bathroom was spacious and clean. She used a towel as the layout, settling Maria on it as she searched for the supplies needed.
"You're going to be fine," Michelle uttered as she pulled out wipes, a diaper and baby powder and lotion. "I'm not incompetent."
Peter got down on his knees beside Michelle, watching her undo the old diaper. The smell hit them square in the face. Michelle cringed her nose, the foul odor assaulting her nostrils. She had to be quick. She wadded up the used diaper and threw it into the trash. "Okay, after you throw the old diaper away, you'll need to wipe her clean," Michelle instructed Peter. "Get the wipes and wipe front to back."
Peter took one of the wipes and Michelle carefully lifted Maria's legs up for Peter to clean.
But, Peter pulled back. "Um... I don't know if I should be doing this."
"What?"
"I mean," Peter avoided Maria entirely, eyes turned away as his cheeks burned. "I... I don't think it's appropriate for me to, um..."
Oh. Oh. Oh good grief! "Fine. Give it here."
Michelle took the wipe from Peter's hands. She gently wiped the baby's bum, cleaning up the last residue of feces and urine. Maria's cries turned into heavy breathing. Her little chest struggled to keep up the sobs.
Michelle gently rubbed her belly. "I know. I know," she murmured. "It sucks. I'm going as fast as I can." She looked back to Peter. "Hand me the powder and lotion."
Peter passed the items to her and Michelle lathered the baby with powder and lotion. "Okay, Peter, this is the easy part," she said to him, handing him a fresh diaper. "Put the new diaper on her."
Maria's legs kept kicking and moving, making it difficult for Peter to get the diaper on her. "How do I get her to stop moving?" Peter asked as Maria kicked the diaper back down. "Come on, Maria. You're supposed to be good to me, remember?"
"Hold her legs first," Michelle told him. "Lift them up and then place her butt... yeah, like that." She observed Peter slide half of the diaper underneath Maria's butt. He then held Maria's legs down with one hand as he used his other hand to fold the flaps over, securing the new diaper on the baby.
By this time, Maria had stopped crying. Her dark eyes followed Michelle, lips blowing up spit-bubbles. Michelle smiled and made goofy faces as Peter got the new diaper situated. The baby smiled and gurgled, her flabby arms waving.
"We did it!" Peter cried, proud.
Michelle couldn't help but smile at the baby. "You feel better, don't you? Yeah?" she said to Maria, brushed some of the baby's black hair back from her forehead. "All right. Let's pack up."
They cleaned up the mess, packing away the lotion and powder back in the bag. Michelle dropped the towel in the basket as they exited out of the bathroom, as Maria bounced happily in Peter's arms. They moved back to the living room, setting Maria down on the floor to play with the spoon.
Peter and Michelle sat and watched her, laughing a little at how easily Maria entertained herself with the spoon. Michelle took a moment to look up and saw Peter staring at her before he quickly dropped his gaze back to Maria, tickling her belly.
While Peter looked away, Michelle didn't. She watched Peter play with Maria, making funny faces and pretending to disappear behind his hands. He didn't act self-conscious or embarrassed. Not like the other boys in their grade. They wouldn't be caught playing 'Peek-a-boo' with a baby or even try to learn how to change a diaper. Peter, however, cared little of his image at the moment. He only wanted to make Maria happy. And Michelle saw that as a rare trait.
They entertained Maria, watching her flip from her back to tummy. Her little head lifted from the ground for a few seconds before falling back on the carpet. She squealed in delight and then lifted her neck up again. At one point, Michelle had Maria on her lap while Peter dangled a scarf in front of the baby, swinging it slowly in front as Maria followed with her eyes. Every now and then, Maria made a swipe for it, gurgling in frustration.
Michelle laughed when Maria flapped and bounced in her lap. "You almost had it. Try again."
Almost as if she understood, Maria went for the scarf again. Peter was kind and allowed her tiny fingers grab the scarf. Maria screeched, giggling as she let go of the scarf to grab for it again.
"Very good, M&Ms," Peter proudly cheered, jiggling her arm in celebration. "You're getting stronger!"
"What did I say about calling her that name?"
Michelle snapped her head up. Tony Stark stood right by the door, sunglasses off his face and in his hand. He was dressed in a suit, pinstripe, and wore a tie. Stark flicked his gaze from his baby to Michelle as he swaggered into the living room.
"Oh, hey, Mr. Stark," Peter greeted. "Did you just get in?"
"Yep," Stark answered with a strong 'pop' at the end. "Pepper told me you were on babysitting duty, so I came as fast as I could."
He dropped to his knees, right in front of Michelle as he gave a big smile to his infant daughter. "Hey! It's Daddy," he said. "I've come to take you away from these bad influences."
Peter rolled his eyes as Michelle handed Maria to her father. Maria recognized Stark. Her coos grew louder, almost to a shrill as she wiggled in her father's arms all excited. Stark lifted Maria up, coming to a full stand as he grinned at the happy noises Maria made for him.
"Yes, your knight in shining armor is here," Stark teased his baby.
Peter rose up to his feet and Michelle followed suit, standing beside him in wait. Stark ignored them. He carried his daughter back to the door, scooping the baby carrier back up and putting it on the island counter. He strapped Maria in the baby carrier to which made Maria pout and fuss over her new confinement.
"You grumpy? Past bedtime that's for sure," Stark muttered as he lifted the baby carrier off the counter and turned back to the teenagers. "Which means I gotta ask—what's happening here? Taking the midnight train?"
Michelle frowned at the reference. "My dad is running late," she said. "His call with China got postponed, so he's picking me up later. About ten... so, just hanging out until then."
"I can have someone drive you home," Stark offered.
"I'm not going home," Michelle corrected him. "Heading straight to Boston from here."
"Boston?"
"My brother is playing basketball up there."
Stark got the whole picture. "Tell you what," he started. "Why don't you just spend the night here? Then in the morning, your parents can come up and you guys can fly my private jet to Boston."
The offer surprised her. Generous as it was, Michelle sensed an ulterior motive behind the offer. Something deeper that Stark covered with a friendly gesture. She stared hard at Stark, looking for signs of weakness, but he gave nothing away.
"Thanks, but my dad already made plans," she said. "Besides, my mom got us a hotel up there and everything."
"Cancel it," Stark airily said. "If you lose the deposit, I'll refund. Stay the night. Get a good night sleep and not risk the possibility of falling asleep at the wheel. What? Boston is like… five hours or so by car. Yeah… no. Just stay the night and your whole family can fly to Boston in the morning."
"I don't think my dad will agree," Michelle argued. Sleeping over at a guy's friend house was not something her traditional father would allow for his only daughter.
But Stark wouldn't accept her answer. "Call him. He might surprise you," he encouraged. "Especially when he learns that he can take a free flight." Stark gestured to her smartphone that stuck out of her pocket. "Go on."
"Tony—" Peter tried to step in, but Michelle was already too happy to prove Mr. Stark wrong.
She took out her phone and dialed her father's number. Not that he would answer anyway because he was in a meeting at the mom—
"Michelle? What's wrong? Is everything okay?"
Michelle startled upon hearing her father's voice. "Dad? What… I thought you were in a meeting?"
"I am, but you're calling me. Is this not an emergency?"
Oh shit. Her father thought she was in danger. "No, everything is fine," she assured him. "I'm calling because—" She took a quick glance to Stark, who wore a smug smile on his face, "—well, the people here are concerned about us driving late at night. They said I could spend the night here and in the morning, we could all take their plane to Boston. I told them that wasn't necessary, but they insisted I ask anyway."
There was a long pause on her father's end. Michelle could almost make out the sound of his pen tapping against his desk. She almost mouthed to Stark that she was right when her father responded, "Do you want to?"
"Do I want to what?"
"Stay the night."
This was not exactly how Michelle pictured the conversation to go. "I… well, I wouldn't mind, but I don't want to interfere with our—"
"Honey—if you want to stay the night, that's fine. I know how much you missed Peter this past year and I know you are a responsible woman. Not like your brothers at that age. I'm not worried about you. You will make the smart choices. I want to make sure you are comfortable staying there."
Michelle's mouth dropped open. Is her father actually approving the idea? "Wait… are you saying you don't care if I stay over or not?"
"Of course I do! I don't want you to stay if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I'll come pick you up this second if that was the case, but if you want to stay the night, that's fine too. Again, I trust you to make the right decision."
Michelle had no words to say to her father. Nothing, except her answer. "I would like to stay."
"Okay, kiddo. That's fine. If you change your mind, call me. All right? Call me! I'll come and get you at any hour of the night. What time should we get there in the morning?"
Michelle asked Stark, who advised between eight-thirty to nine. She passed the information onto her father and wished him a good-night. Stark, meanwhile, sported a winning smirk in her direction.
"Hey, Crockett?" he called to Peter. "Go get a set of extra sheets, blankets and pillows. You're going to need them."
Peter departed to get the extra bedding, leaving Michelle and Stark alone for their full frontal interrogation.
She waited for Peter to be out of earshot before turning on Stark. "What the hell are you doing?" she snapped.
Stark, in all his vanity, patronizingly brushed off her anger at him. "Trying to help you," he replied as he leaned up against the counter. "Young people's way of romanticizing one another just baffles me. When you like someone, you tend to want to spend more time with them. Not away." Tony clapped his hands together, before opening them up to the apartment around them. "And what did I do here? Made more time for you and Peter to be together."
Michelle wanted to bury her face in her long curls. "It's not like that."
"What? You don't like him anymore?"
That wasn't it. Not at all. Michelle enjoyed the last hour she spent with Peter. Even if it was babysitting. She daydreamed of spending evenings with Peter, going on dates and talking about everything and anything. But Peter wasn't just Peter. He was Spider-man. He would have duties and responsibilities as an Avenger, as a hero, to the public. Relationships based on intense experiences rarely ever worked out. And Michelle's read and seen enough troupes to know that it never ends well. Look how Stark's relationship status fluctuated because of his Iron Man duties. Michelle loved Peter. Not Spider-man. But, Peter Parker would always be Spider-man. Not that she blamed him or found fault in that. It just brought a lot of problems to a relationship.
But, Stark interpreted her silence as confirmation. "See, kiddo," he knowingly pointed at her. "I'm helping you out."
"Don't call me kiddo."
Stark's confident smirk slipped. "Okay, I know it's not exactly Paris like I promised," he said, "but it's a start. If you want to be with the kid—which you definitely do, I can tell—then don't give up."
Michelle stared, eyebrows furrowed in bemusement. "Are you giving me relationship advice?" she queried, scoffing. "You? Tony Stark? The billionaire playboy?"
"Genius, superhero and philanthropist," he added. "And no, I'm giving you a warning."
"A warning?"
Before Stark could clarify, Peter returned with a stack of blankets, sheets and two pillows. "Hey! I'm back," he said, dropping the bedding on the couch. He noted their stressed stances. "Did I miss something?"
Stark patted Peter's shoulder. "Not at all, short stuff," he said. "Just reminding her that she can't exploit my jet while she's borrowing it. No jetting off to Paris." He gave her a secretive wink that only made Michelle bristle. "I'm going to go. Put Maria to bed and all that."
He headed to the door and said his farewell, before adding, "I'm rooting for you." And then he turned down the corridor away from the apartment.
Peter looked back to her, brows wrinkled in confusion. "What did he mean by that?"
Michelle sighed loudly, crossing her arms. "He's being a jackass," she grumbled her answer. "It's nothing. He's being Stark."
Peter dropped the subject. He asked if she wanted to watch a film. Rather than go to the theater, they stayed in the apartment, utilizing the television Ned envied. Thanks to Apple TV, Peter had access to Stark's film collection, to which he allowed Michelle to be the decision-maker. Michelle went off Peter's suggestion and went with an old classic, Jurassic Park. Peter heated up popcorn and dimmed the lights to get a more cinema feel. They plopped on the couch and watched the film, with Peter rooting for the humans and Michelle rooting for the dinosaurs.
"It's not their fault!" Michelle disputed against Peter's claim the humans were the victims. "The humans brought them back to life. What did they expect would happen? A domesticated T-rex? Even domesticated lions attack their human caretakers."
"So that makes the two kids responsible for their trauma?" Peter queried.
"No—it means that people with power need to know when to quit before they screw over the next generation."
They finished the film, watching the dinosaurs continue their reign of terror (or heroics in Michelle's opinion). At the end of the film, they both concluded that the T-Rex was the ultimate hero of the story. The surprise twist at the end, that Michelle honestly didn't see coming.
With the film finished, Michelle wanted to know what Peter did when he was all by himself. What did he do for fun being caged in the glorified cell? Peter didn't appreciate her description, but from an outsider's viewpoint, it was exactly what the compound was for Peter. Maybe he didn't see it. Too blinded by all the flashy gadgets and amenities, along with superheroes surrounding him, but Michelle recognized the restrictions of freedom Peter had.
Peter gave her a daily schedule that started with him waking up early to train followed by school followed by whatever he wished to do. Sometimes it was working with Stark in the lab and other times it was hanging out with Captain America and Falcon on the basketball court or garage, where he was building his first motorcycle. Michelle wanted to see the motorcycle, but apparently, the garage was off-limits to her. Even to Peter, unless supervised. Peter figured it was because Tony didn't want him to ruin his valuable sport cars.
Instead of the garage, Peter showed her his lab. They left the residential building, heading directly to the building across the main circle. Peter carried a card with him, swiping it across keypads to grant them entry through the elevators and corridors. They came to a stop outside a door. It was labeled: Parker, Peter.
Peter swiped his card and Michelle heard the door unlock. The lights beyond flickered on and an AI's voice answered to them upon entrance.
"Good evening Peter, Michelle," KAREN said to them as Peter closed the lab door behind them. "Is Mr. Stark aware you are here?"
"No, and let's keep it that way," Peter answered as he took Michelle's hand without asking and pulled her alongside to show off his laboratory. "Tony donated most of the equipment to me. It's all second-hand, but way, way better than the stuff at Midtown. And look!"
He showed her the Geiger counter, the hot plate with a steel stirrer ("Now, I have a machine to mix my chemicals to create my web fluid," Peter explained), arc welder and a drill press, among other things. Everything a science nerd dreamed of owning on his own. Michelle could almost hear Ned's stammer of awe and the faint squeak of everything around them. It was all modern, almost the latest, high-tech model of equipment.
Michelle stared at a waist-high table that projected 3D holographic images of designs Peter created. He was showing her how he could visually test and tweak the virtual mock-ups with a simple hand gesture. He displayed DUMBO's schematics, explaining what he planned to upgrade DUMBO to once he figured out the right coding.
"So… you're building another AI?" Michelle concluded.
Peter shook his head. "No, more like a, um, helper. Tony has two robots that help him in the lab," he said. "I figured I could have one for my lab or what not."
"Well, Harry thinks your robot is more like a dog."
"Yeah… I gotta fix that part in his coding. He's an excitable robot," Peter said, turning off the table. The holographic designs zapped away and Michelle only saw Peter's face across the table.
"So, that's all you do down here?" Michelle asked. "Work on DUMBO?"
"And one other thing, but I can't really talk about it."
Now, they were getting somewhere interesting. "Oh, yeah? Like what?"
"Nothing."
His sudden secrecy only intrigued Michelle to learn more. She slid around the table, dropping in next to peter. She stared hard at his face, reading each crevice that dug into his youthful skin. "It's something to do with Spider-man," she said as it was the obvious answer. She didn't need his slight swallow to confirm it. "You were already vocal about the web fluids, which means it's something else… like your suit."
Peter's wide-struck eyes was the dead giveaway. "How did you know about the suit?" he inquired.
"Ned told me he had it after you disappeared," Michelle answered, recalling Ned clutching Peter's backpack to dear life after the shooting. "Figured it had to be that considering you were adamant about KAREN not wanting Mr. Stark to know you were in the lab."
Peter looked at her with wonder and appreciation. "You're scarily smart," he acknowledged. "Did you know that?"
"And you are blatantly obvious," Michelle returned with a disarmingly smile. "Now—where's the suit? Can I see it?"
Peter glanced over his shoulder to the door. He listened, quietly, not saying yes or no to Michelle's request. Then, he moved away from the table. "KAREN?" he called out to his AI. "Keep watch."
He hurried to one of the storage cabinets and yanked the door open. He dug through the cabinet, lifting up a floorboard as he pulled some kind of outfit out. Peter stood up straight, flapping the outfit out. Michelle drew closer and saw that it was the Spider-man suit.
He held it up for her to see. "I've been secretly working on it," he said. "Tony and the others don't know about it, so you can't say a word."
Michelle approached, examining the famed suit that served Queen's protector. It looked exactly as the same suit she saw in Washington DC, with only what appeared to be a sliver of metal woven in the fabrics. "Is metal in it?"
"Vibranium," Peter corrected. "Shuri worked on it behind my back for a few nights when she stayed here. She implemented vibranium in the suit."
Michelle almost forgot that Shuri stayed at the compound when she visited New York. She lived and shared a space with Peter. They were close. They took a lot of pictures together. Shuri claimed they were friends, but Michelle couldn't help but feel that twinge of jealousy when she remembered their trip to New York.
At the moment, Michelle opted to feign forgetfulness. "Oh… yeah, that's right. She stayed with you," she said. "Cool, so um, what does vibranim in your suit mean? Does it make you glitter in the sunlight?"
Peter favored her a dry chuckle. "No, it allows more protection. It can take on kinetic energy and physical impacts without injury. It's indestructible too, well, to a point."
Michelle grew intrigued. "Really?" she hummed in thought. "Okay, but how are you not weighed down or at least able to move. Won't that affect your flexibility?"
"No, it's pretty light actually."
"Really?" Michelle couldn't see it. How would carry a metal suit not affect his coordination?
"Don't believe me?"
"Just trying to imagine, that's all," Michelle responded.
Peter made a circular motion with his finger. "Turn around."
She understood what he meant. She groaned, but complied with his request. She waited with her back turned to him as Peter shuffled about behind her. A few minutes later, he gave her the okay to turn around again.
Peter changed from his casual attire into his Spider-man suit. It was slim on him. Fit him like it was a layer of skin. He looked impressive. It hid his age and identity well, giving him a suspenseful outlook. However, everyone in the world already knew Peter Parker as Spider-man. Still, seeing Spider-man was different than seeing Peter Parker. And that was the most disappointing thing for Michelle.
She couldn't see Peter's eyes. Or his smile. Or the way his nose scrunched up when upset. Or his hair that curled a bit when it got long.
She must have stared too long in silence because Peter started to shift his weight from foot to foot, acting a little jumpy. "What do you think?" he asked.
"I think you look like some kind of circus entertainer."
"What?!" Peter cried through the mask. "No—No, I don't."
Michelle felt her lips curl up. "Yeah, you do. Like one of those Las Vegas performers."
"And they have bulletproof suits?" Peter gestured to his high-tech suit.
"Nowadays they probably do."
Peter dropped his head back in exasperation, exposing the red webbed design on his neck. "Okay—well, what about this?"
He jumped. High up in the air that was considered impossible without assistance, and then he proceeded to do two full twists before landing in the exact spot he launched. With the mask on or off, Michelle knew Peter was smirking.
Michelle refused to act captivated. "A lot of acrobats can do that. And gymnasts."
"On their own?"
Michelle shrugged, knowing Peter had a point there. They all needed assistance to perform such a feat like a trampoline. "Still an act they can do," she reiterated.
Peter spent the next few minutes performing feats that no human could possibly accomplish. He demonstrated his "spider-sense" ability, able to dodge anything thrown at him with his back turned. He even reenacted the famous scene in the Matrix! Yet, Michelle remained impassive at all his stunts, refusing to give him the satisfaction that he impressed her.
Finally, he showed off her ability to stick to anything. He leapt to the ceiling, feet first, and dangled his body. "Can an acrobat or lion trainer do this?"
Michelle stared at up where his feet were planted before trailing down to the masked eyes. "I've seen them hang upside down before too," she quipped as she ambled her way to him. "Doesn't the blood rush to your head?"
"A little, but not too bad," he replied. "Guess it's a spider thing?"
Must be as he didn't let go from the ceiling. "Well, you know, if this whole superhero business doesn't go anywhere," she commented, "you at least have a back-up job at the circus."
"Hardee-har-har," Peter deadpanned, swaying on his feet. "You have to admit, MJ. It's pretty cool."
Yes. The suit and tricks were all cool additions. But it didn't make the person. "Can you take off the mask?"
"Err... why?"
"Because I want to see you."
Peter slipped the mask off. He remained hanging, his brown eyes solely on her. Her lips parted, to speak, but nothing came to her. She stared, memorizing every trace of Peter's face. He may have changed into a hero-celebrity, but Michelle still saw the boy she liked since the eighth grade. The Peter Parker that shared his pencil with her when hers broke. The Peter Parker who didn't whisper behind her back, debating whether she's a lesbian or a snob like the rest of the class. The Peter Parker who was kind enough to help pick up her belongings when her backpack split.
For Michelle, Peter Parker was the better person than Spider-man.
Inches now. That was how close they suddenly got. Michelle breathed in the light touch of cologne. She saw the soft speckle of freckles across his nose. His lips parted and for a few seconds, their breaths mingled. Michelle's heart fluttered as they drew closer...
"Everything okay in here?"
Michelle leapt in fright, shoving Peter from her in the process. Peter dropped from the ceiling and landed hard on the floor, staggered by the sudden appearance of Black Widow. They didn't even hear KAREN's warning or the door opening.
Peter, now rooted to the floor, blushed visibly in his cheeks as he bumbled in his speech. "N-Nat... what are you, um, what are you—why are you here?"
Black Widow arched a single brow at him. Her red hair shined like blood under the lights as she stood at the door, relaxed in her stance. She looked highly amused by Peter's fluster. "Saw the light on," she said. "It's nearly eleven. What are you guys doing up? And why are you wearing your Spider-man suit?"
"Um... I," Peter stopped and looked down at the suit. He panicked. "Nat! Please! Don't tell Tony. Please don't. Please! He'll take it away from me. Please... please Nat!"
Nat switched from Peter to Michelle. There was a sharp perception in the former assassin's eye. Michelle scooted back, but she didn't hide away. She kept her posture, one arm on her hip and the other wrapped around her stomach. She refused to redirect her gaze from Black Widow, holding it as she watched the former assassin dismantle her in a single look.
The former assassin turned to Peter. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said with a knowing smile. "All I know is that the light is on while two teenagers were sound asleep."
Black Widow backed out of the room and closed the door behind her. Peter didn't say a word. He breathed, sharply, for a few moments before he yelled up at the ceiling. "KAREN! I told you to keep watch!"
"Yes. I kept watch."
"That's not..." Peter grumbled at her defense. He looked back to Michelle, still a bit flustered by the intrusion. "Sorry about... all of that. Um... I'm just gonna get changed."
Michelle turned her back and waited until Peter stripped off his suit and put back on his day clothes. He lifted the cabinet's floorboards again, stuffing his suit in its secret location. They didn't say a word to one another. They quickly headed out of the lab and back to the Peter's apartment.
A heavy silence fell between them. Michelle refused to look at Peter, afraid to see something in his eyes. She sat on the couch, fingers tracing the outline of the couch's cushion to occupy her strung nerves. Her mind whirled, replaying those last moments and reanalyzing the whole situation. It was a lapse moment. Nothing was going to happen. It was in her head. Nothing. They're friends. Just friends.
The couch dipped and Michelle realized Peter sat down as well. He didn't say anything to her. The void was a cruelty they both inflected onto one another, but neither made any effort to end it.
Michelle wished she never agreed to stay the night. This was all Stark's fault.
"You want to... um..."
Peter started talking, but fumbled back to the awkward silence. He sucked in a deep breath and Michelle wished she could say something to him. Anything at this point.
"I, um... I can get you a set of pajamas," Peter offered, springing up from the couch. "Wait right here."
He sprinted off, leaving Michelle alone on the couch before she could say a word of gratitude. No longer bearing to remain seated, she got up from the couch to wander around the living room. It was something to do. Something to loosen her jittered nerves.
She started at the bookcase, looking at the pictures in the frames. Each photo captured a different face at a different time. One was a picture of Peter as a toddler, held up by the uncle Peter admired so much. Michelle examined Ben Parker's face. He was quite young in the photograph. Probably in his early thirties. Peter looked like him. She went onto the next picture. It was of May and Ben, younger than the first photograph. Twenties, Michelle decided as she continued on to the next photograph. It was of Peter again, but with a different couple. He must have not been much older than four years old in the photograph. If Michelle thought he looked similar to his uncle, then Peter looked strikingly alike to the man in the photograph. Same hair, same eyes, same cheekbones and same goofy smile when excited. The only difference was that Peter wasn't as big as the man beside him. Rather, his body frame was similar to the woman on Peter's other side. Slim, not muscular or broad. Almost petite, but athletic. And the nature in the woman's eyes... it was the same as Peter.
Peter's parents, she concluded. Michelle hardly heard anything about them. Peter never mentioned them. Well, he may have mentioned them once or twice, but he mostly spoke of his aunt and uncle. Michelle studied the dead Parkers image a little longer. They looked like a nice couple. A loving family, who clearly adored their only son. A shame they don't know him now.
"They're my parents."
Michelle didn't jump at his voice. Her heart jolted, but not her feet. Peter quietly stepped beside her, staring at the photograph of his parents. "Before you ask," he said, "they died in a plane crash. I was only five at the time of their deaths." He took the frame off the shelf and held it in his hand. "I don't have much memory of them. A few flashes here and there. Nothing definite."
Michelle noticed the distant look in Peter's eyes like he was trying to recall a moment. But, he resigned. No luck. Peter put the photograph back on the shelf. "They were scientists, you know," he said to Michelle. "Chemistry was their specialty. At least, it was for my dad. Uncle Ben said that's where I got my knack for chem."
"You look like your dad," Michelle observed. "Can definitely tell you're a Parker."
"Yeah, the Parker men all look the same," Peter said with a smile. "Something my aunt said when I was growing up."
A small frown formed as he studied the faces of his deceased family. He abruptly turned away from the photographs. "So, eh, I have pajamas for you. They're clean. Sorry if they are a bit big."
He passed them onto Michelle. They looked a little big, but she figured it was better than her pair of jeans at the moment. "Thanks," she said, accepting the clothes. "Um... I'll go get ready."
She went to the bathroom and quickly changed out of her clothes. The pajamas were big on her, but not terribly. Enough to pass without it looking awkward. She folded up her day clothes and exited from the bathroom.
Peter was trying to set up the foldout bed. He struggled with the sheets. The corners kept snapping off much to Peter's disdain. Michelle put her clothes aside and grabbed the slipped sheet. Together, they put the sheet on the pullout mattress and got the rest of the bed ready to sleep.
Michelle sat on the edge of the bed. To her surprise, the foldout bed was comfortable. Quite soft. "Thanks," she said. "For the pajamas and the bed."
"Oh, you're not sleeping here," Peter corrected her. "I am. You have my room."
That was not what Michelle expected. "That's okay. I'm fine here," she assured him, bouncing a bit on the mattress. "I can sleep on this."
"I'm sure you can," Peter agreed, "but I prefer if you got the nicer bed."
Michelle didn't get up from the foldout. "I don't want to kick you out of your own room," she stated. "I can sleep out here. It's not a problem."
"I would feel better if you slept in my room. So, I'll sleep here," Peter insisted, jumping on the bed. The pillows bounced in response. "See? Already claimed it."
Michelle accepted her loss and got up from the bed. "Fine," she conceded the battle to him. "Where's this room of yours?"
Peter led her down the hallway to the door on the left. It was bigger than his old room. He had a full-size bed, desk littered with papers and books. A Lego set off to the side and a miniature library collection on his bookcase. Even DUMBO rested in the corner, before whirling back to life upon their entry. He zoomed right up to them, circling around Peter's feet as he tried to shoo the robot aside.
Harry was right. It acted very much like a dog.
"KAREN is programmed to this room as well," Peter informed her, once he got DUMBO to settle. "If you need anything, just ask her and she'll help."
Michelle slowly nodded as she eyed the ceiling for any signs of surveillance. She didn't see anything. "Thanks," she said, turning back to Peter. "I guess this is good-night then?"
Peter licked his lips, nervously. "Um… yeah, yeah," he tittered, backing up to the door. He hit his shoulder on the doorframe. "Just, um, let KAREN know when you want to wake up."
Michelle gave him a thumbs-up. "Thanks," she said, suspiciously eyeing the ceiling again and wondering if KAREN was listening in on them. "Good-night, Peter."
Peter didn't leave. "MJ," he began, crossing and then uncrossing his arms. "About what happened… I don't—"
"It's okay," Michelle interrupted, not wishing to rehash what occurred in his lab. "I know you don't want to work in a circus."
Crestfallen, Peter numbly nodded. "Yeah... yeah, that's what I, um, wanted you to know," he said, doing his best to smile. "I'll see you in the morning?"
Michelle squeezed her backpack close to her chest, where her heart drummed. "Yeah. In the morning."
Peter left, taking DUMBO with him, and closed the door. Michelle closed her eyes and inhaled. She should have asked her father to pick her up.
She dropped her belongings on Peter's chair and climbed into bed. Covers pulled over, she rested her head on the pillow. She scrunched her eyes close, demanding sleep to invade her waking thoughts. She held on for a few minutes only to find herself still awake in Peter's bedroom and breathing in the sheets that smelled of him.
Damn it! She was not going to get a good-night sleep after all.