CHAPTER SIX
She felt something In Spider-Man's arms that she never felt anywhere else, not even with the Avengers. She felt comfort. Even though she just met him, he saved her and she knew she would repay him.
"We are almost to your apartment; you'll be okay there right?" He questioned. "I mean you have someone who will help you?" he backtracked his question.
Thea answered this as they landed on the fireplace outside the apartment. "No, but I'll be fine taking care of myself. I've been doing it all my life, I think I can manage this night too." Spider-Man gently released her from his grasp and she stepped down onto the fire escape grate floor.
"You mean that you live here alone? You have no family with you?" Spider-Man looked shocked at this statement.
"What are you suggesting Spider-Man?" Thea questioned with a wink. Spider-Man sputtered out nonsense before Thea shook her head and smiled.
Thea paused for a moment before she spoke. "I mean, I guess I have been alone my whole life in a way," Thea said sadly, looking down and her shoes to avoid the awkward eye contact. "I have a guardian that comes by occasionally to make sure I'm fine, but I think since I joined Mid-Town I'm not alone anymore."
"Why, what's different with Mid-Town?" he asked, leaning forward as if this could get the answer out faster.
"It's because of the people at Mid-Town; I finally have friends that I have always wanted." She confessed. "People like my friends Peter and Ned really help me, even if they don't know it." Thea smiled slightly. Spider-Man looked away at this comment, out at the skyline of the city.
"Well...I'm glad you have friends who you like so much." Spidey muttered. "I-I have to go now," he stuttered and tripped over his own feet when trying to leave. Sensing the tension, the masked man looked back at Thea in sorrow and gingerly touched her neck wound. Thea hissed at this interaction and Spider-Man then quickly pulled his gloved hand away and shot out a web, ready to leave.
"Please be careful next time, I can't risk you being hurt." He said, looking away from Thea and out at the skyline of the city. Right before he shot away Thea grabbed his arm, making sure to ask one more question before he left. Squeezing his arm, Thea asked curiously, "Who are you?" Her eyebrows furrowed and her forehead creased in confusion. He smiled at this question, even though it was under his mask, Thea could still tell it was genuine. "You'll just have to find out yourself Thea." At this he yanked on his web, protruding from a device on his wrist, and swung away. Thea climbed into her apartment feeling relieved that he didn't answer, but also confused.
Once Thea got into her room she got a call, the name Tony Stark flashed on the screen. She hadn't talked to Tony in over a week since she started this mission. Thea put the call on speaker and answered. Over the static of the call she heard Tony say, "Hey kid, long time huh."
"Hi Tony, and it's only been a week since we had seen each other. It's not the end of the world." She added sarcastically.
"I'm checking in to see how you are doing and if you found anything," Tony said.
"Thanks for that but so far nothing has come up. This kid is very well hidden; he doesn't show up until that last possible moment and then leaves as soon as he's done." Thea added onto the information by saying, "I only met him once and that only made things worse for me."
"Well hopefully you can find him soon cause everyone at the tower misses you kid," Tony said endearingly. Thea assumed that he didn't hear about her meeting Spider-Man once already, otherwise he would be practically yelling at her.
"I hope I do to Tony, I miss everyone. Tell everyone I miss them too and I'll come back as soon as possible."
"Alright will do kid, see you soon," Tony concluded.
"See you, Tony," Thea said ending the call. She wished she was back at the Tower but also wished that Peter and Ned were there with her. Once Thea put down the phone, she felt the sting on her neck and remembered what happened. Grabbing her neck, she hissed out "Shit."
Still holding on tightly to her neck, she walked into her kitchen where she kept her first-aid kit. Thea walked up to the modern, varnished wooden cabinets and scavenged through them for a bit before she found some gauze and tape that she needed to wrap up the wound. Once Thea finished wrapping it up carefully, something reminded her of the earlier interaction with Spider-Man. It was very strange with him. Being with him was like being with a friend, but Thea didn't know him...so how did Spider-Man know Thea's name and where she lived?
On Monday Thea couldn't find Peter to walk with her to school. He didn't wait outside for her, which she found strange. So Thea ended up walking by herself to Mid-Town. But the weird thing was Peter also wasn't in first period too, which was equally as strange. Peter didn't seem like the type of guy who would be absent without telling someone. During lunch, however, Thea saw Peter sitting down with Ned at their table in the cafeteria. Walking over with a purpose, Thea made herself known by saying, "What the fuck Parker? I was so worried this morning, you didn't walk me to school today and you didn't text me saying why."
"I'm sorry Thea; I had a rough weekend and was running late this morning. I didn't mean to worry you." Peter sighed out while playing with his hands.
"Ned, did you know about this?" Thea questioned Ned while crossing her arms together.
"I mean, yeah, I did," Ned said slowly, quickly picking up the pace he said, "But Peter said not to tell you because he thought it would worry you and," he rambled on.
"I'm just glad you're okay Peter," Thea said to him. She paused for a moment before continuing, "If you don't mind me asking what caused the rough weekend?"
"Just something happened on Friday that I could have changed if I was quicker," he said monotone, his face void of almost all emotions. Except Thea could still see an emotion peeking through his hard facade, guilt. Thea could see Peter eyeing her bandage over her neck that covered her injury she got after Spider-Man saved her. She pretended not to notice Peter doing this and went on.
"I'm sure you couldn't have done anything differently, everything happens for a reason you know," Thea sat down next to Peter saying, "If I hadn't been clumsy last week I would never have met you guys. I believe it all happens for a reason." She assured Peter. She placed a small hand on his shoulder and rubbed tiny circles on his shoulder.
The bell rang, interrupting their conversation, "Come on Debby-Downers we have physics to get to now." Thea said wanting to get a reaction out of them both, it didn't work.
Thea was surprised neither of them questioned her abnormally large bandage over her neck but she just chopped it off to them being out of it. In physics, they learned about electromagnetics and Thea wondered when in the world is she ever going to use this again. Unless she somehow magically becomes the next Tony Stark and needs to know everything. After school ended Thea tried desperately to talk to Peter but he was already gone by the time the bell rung.
The smell of smoke, along with the continuous loop of sirens going down the street must have meant a pretty big fire. The trucks never seemed to stop, the smoke too. Thea could see the smoke billowing from where she was.
She thought to herself, This is it Thea, a time to prove that Dark Matter isn't just a monster to the world.
She rationed the idea in her head a couple more times before deciding that it would be a stupid idea. Also a dangerous one on top of that. Tony would kill her if she did something like 2012 again. Risking herself when she doesn't need to. Thea started to walk the opposite way when she heard the very distinctive whoops of Spider-Man. She couldn't just let him be alone with the firefighters to take on whatever happened over there. Thea could also just say to Tony that she was just doing her mission and tried to find Spider-Man. Rationalizing in her head the possibilities, she decided to go.
Thea ran off into one of the many alleys that New York has to offer. She was thankful the smoke and sirens caused a distraction for her to change. Thea still had the uniform from when she used it last. Tony made one for her especially; he knew that if she was going to help out, she couldn't just be in street clothes. Thea would need protection. So Tony built her the best uniform he could. It wasn't a uniform like you would think it normally is, no, this was special. He tested out the idea of expanding clothes. This meant Thea didn't have to carry around an entirely new outfit whenever she wanted to change. Thea could just stick a metal broach onto her clothes and it expanded from that, forming into a completely new suit, a suit that was black and resembled Black Widows but with changes to it. It was reinforced with vibranium and iron to make sure she could take a hit but it also allowed for quick and flexible movements. Thea never got many times to use it, until now. The uniform fit snug over her body and the mask covered the lower half of her face. Thea can't have her eyes covered because she relies heavily on them when using her powers.
Thea ran out of the alley, suit and mask on, though no one was around to see it. It seemed like everyone in a 3 block radius was evacuated. This must have been much bigger than she expected.