The tired brunette turns over in his bed and checks his phone.
11:57 AM
Not TOO bad, he thinks. Finishing breakfast with his coworkers, he finally got home at about 6. Laura gave him a look and sent him straight to bed. So he calculated a bit over 5 hours of sleep. Much more than he used to get when he ran around in spandex.
Contemplating staying in his warm, comfortable bed, he decides against it and slowly gets up and moving. A quick shower later and he's semi functional again. Prioritizing his rumbling stomach, he heads to the kitchen.
April, he sees, is halfway paying attention to a documentary on the tv and filling out some paperwork.
"Oh, hey dad", she turns to him. "I got you, um, 'Peter Parker' as a reference. Who else can I put down?"
Her paperwork ended up being an application for the Marvel Knights. Peter thought for a moment.
"I'm sure any of the FF will vouch, and I'll call later to give them a heads up", he scratched his stomach and passed her on the couch. "Probably Danny too. You two kind of met and he's usually a good judge of character. I'll ask him."
"Danny?", she questions.
"Danny Rand. He's-", Peter stops in his tracks and closes his eyes and sighs in annoyance. "He's a coworker. I forget you're not in the know, I shouldn't be giving ID's out like that."
She gives him a smile, "it's ok, I understand. The Future Foundation will work. I can throw Carol in too."
Right. Carol. Big part of the reason he's even talking to his baby mama is his alternate future daughter with another woman reached out and struck up a friendship with her. As strange situations go, that didn't even crack his top 5 of that week.
He gives her a smile and walks to the kitchen to an odd scene.
Laura places two pieces of bread on a paper towel and goes to the refrigerator and takes out some peanut butter and jelly jars. She puts one jar down and looks in the silverware drawer. Frowning, she looks and sees a stack of dirty dishes and utensils in the sink. Narrowing her eyes, she unscrews the lid of peanut butter and pops an individual claw on her hand. Scooping a glob, she spreads it on a bread slice. Switching jars, she retracts the claw on her hand and pops the second one. Doing the same dance with the jelly, she finishes her PB&J and places the jars back. Taking another paper towel, she cleans the back of her hand. She then takes a satisfied bite of her sandwich.
"That can't be hygienic", Peter states and makes his way to the fridge.
"Actually, my healing factor removes germs and bacteria from my body. The tightness of my skin as my claws extend wipes away any residue. Dr. McCoy classifies my claws as surgically sterile", the young woman explains.
Pulling an apple out, he closes the door and turns to her, "then why use two different claws?"
"Habit I assume", she says, slightly bewildered by her own behavior, "I would not use the same utensil in both jars." Her eyes narrow at him, "if I could find one clean."
Peter raises his palms in defence, apple hanging from his mouth. Was it his turn to do the dishes?
Whoops.
She returns her attention back to her sandwich and he smirks at her. "Clean freak" may not be the BEST personality trait, but it WAS a personalty trait. In the little time they've lived together, he's seen little quirks and foibles emerge. Away from the craziness and energy of the X-Whatever-They-Are-At-The-Moment, she's had time to breathe and just LIVE for awhile.
After finishing his apple, he puts the dishes on to wash. Only because he wanted to, NOT because he feared her wrath.
Finishing his chore, Laura gets his attention.
"Carlie called, she wanted to discuss your case and ask if you have heard from Miguel", she taps away on her pad on the counter. "Miguel apparently requested a sick day and did not attend work. Jessica Jones called as well. I believe I detected some annoyance in her voice, but she asked if you and Carol would like to attend dinner at their residence this Friday. Commissioner Rogers has given you today off on account of your business last night, but do not forget your dinner at Carol's residence."
Leaning back on the counter, Peter crosses his arms and thinks. The case had been in the back of his head all night. Far more than who had access to it, but WHY was that particular victim chosen? He wished he could have asked the spirit more questions, but these vague "spirit rules" seem intent on making this new ability an annoyance at best.
Miguel taking a sick day was, maybe, a bit concerning. Dude was from the future and liked his privacy. It may just be a personal day to do some future stuff. If it lasts a few more days then he'd go check on him.
A bit more concerning was Jessica's invite. She was a bit miffed of finding the old highschool bully was parading around as Venom. That simmering anger was turned on him when she realized he knew and vouched for him. Flash was most likely the one that started the "Coma Girl" name, and she was NOT happy about it. She cornered him in a booth during breakfast and demanded to know if anyone else they went to school with put on tights. So he gave her the list, Carl, Charlie, and Sally to name a few. She had seemed a bit flabbergasted but calmed down a bit after that. Carol is one of her best friends, so she had to have found out about his and Carol's situation from her. This dinner might be for any number of reasons, most of them probably not good for his health.
And he has a "date" with Carol. He liked checking in on the baby, but enjoyed her company too. Sharing their histories and comparing notes for this conspiracy they found themselves in, their meetings were far from romantic. But still, he felt something was there. He still had some sort of feelings for her. He only hoped she felt the same.
"Alrighty", he finally said. "What do you have planned for the day?"
His interest caught her off guard. For all his heart and friendliness, she was not used to him acknowledging much beyond his sphere of attention.
April took that time to butt in from the living room, "SHE HAS A DATE!"
If he had been drinking anything, he was pretty sure he would have choked to death in surprise. He whipped his head around and stared at her, "a DATE!?"
Laura remained completely unperturbed, aside from a very slight coloration to her cheeks. "It is an early dinner. We agreed to meet and discuss a possible relationship", she informed him completely straight faced.
Her stoic face morphed into shock as Peter, in his excitement, sprouted his extra arms and gave her a huge hug. He picked her up and spun her around the kitchen, "A DATE! Holy cow Laura, that is amazing! Do I know who?"
She forced her way out of his arms and growled. It was a testament to her growth that she didn't extend her claws or attempted to injure him. "I am sure you do, but I do not believe it is any of your business."
Her attitude dampened his enthusiasm a bit. "Sorry Laura", he apologized as his extra arms fell to the floor and shattered. "I'm just surprised. Of course it's none of my business."
They stand there in silence. A Roomba like robot, the same design as from his lab, exits from under the kitchen island and cleans his mess.
She lets it zip back to its port before she speaks again, "I apologize. I am still not used to physical affection."
"Um", he looks away and scratches the back of his head, "I'm sorry too. I probably shouldn't go around swinging people." He grins at her, "I'm proud of you though. Hope you bring him around to meet the family eventually."
She turns back to her work with a small smile, "perhaps. Maybe if we continue past one dinner."
"And if he hurts you", Peter says mock seriously, "I'll get a ton of spiders to invade his bed in his sleep."
She nods in complete seriousness, "very well."
Wow. A date.
Peter grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and left her to her work. Walking back to the living room, he sees April stretched out on the couch watching the tv, her application apparently done on the coffee table.
"You got any boys I have to threaten?", he asks.
She sports a Cheshire grin, "not unless Franklin Richards is a teenager yet?"
"Um, no", he shakes his head in exasperation and walks away from her laughter. Future people had the WEIRDEST sense of humor.
-Carol's Apartment-
Peter climbed the last few steps of stairs to Carol's floor. Since cutting back on his heroics, he needed SOME way to stay in shape.
He stayed at his place hoping to see who Laura's date was. Unfortunately, after April helped her get ready she left to meet him at the restaurant. Then April made him promise not to spy on her date.
She could take care of herself so he wasn't worried... much, anyways.
Doing a little work from home, he killed some time before his own dinner. Carlie emailed him some details she uncovered with Miguel on the case.
Blizzard, an old Stark villain fit the profile they built up. But if he recalled correctly, wasn't he a mutate now? Why use outdated technology that could be traced back to him? Outdated, supposedly lost, technology at that.
He shook his head, trying to shake off the sense of gloom he has been feeling for the last hour or so. Almost like his Spider-Sense going off, but far from him. But creeping closer, almost like...
It was coming from the apartment he stood in front of.
He tried to shake off his unease and knocked on the door. It wasn't completely shut and swung inward slightly. He cursed in his head, Carol asked he keep spiders out of her place, so he couldn't ask them to check on her.
He peeked his head in, "Carol?"
"In the living room Peter", she didn't sound in distress, but he remained cautious.
Walking in, he shut the door. Taking slight steps he walked through the hall to the living room. He turned and saw her sitting in a small chair in the middle of the room in the dark.
"Ok, obviously cliche", Peter commented stepping in the room. His Spider-Sense narrowed in behind her. "Does evil doer or doers unknown want to explain his demands?"
From behind Carol, a slight figure stood up. In the darkness, Peter could make out a stringy mop of hair on top of sunken, tired eyes framed by a greasy, teen face. What really stood out was the large handgun being pointed at Carol's head as he moves to stand beside her.
Peter's eyes widen in shock, "Andy?"
"Alpha", the teen says keeping trying to keep his attention on both heroes. "It's Alpha", he gives his glare at Peter a touch of energy in his eyes for affect.
Peter remained rooted to the spot, trying to look as unthreatening as possible, "Alpha. Right, whatever you say."
The teen seemed to take offense at that, "whatever I say? How about when I begged for my powers back? You stood there and laughed and threw me OUT!" He punctuated his outburst by jamming the gun in Carol's head making her hiss in pain.
She got hurt. How? Peter put that to the side and and tried to calm the teen, "you got powers back? How'd that happen?"
"YOU!", Alpha screamed. "Don't pretend you're innocent! You turned my powers back on but they're not working right!"
As if emphasizing his point, a stray blast of energy erupted from his body by his outburst and blew Carol's couch through a wall.
"I needed your HELP! But you sicked Spider-Man on me and he knocked me out the window!"
Peter tried to follow but he had no clue what the angry young man wanted. He glanced at Carol to check on her and saw her silently mouthing something.
Octopus.
Octavius did something while in his body. Again. He was so getting a wedgie if Peter ever saw him again.
"Alpha. That wasn't me. You've seen the news right? That was-"
"Bull_!", Andy was raving now, "It was YOU! I know it was! You gave me back my powers but you messed me up!" Alpha stabbed a finger on his free hand in Peter's direction, another lance of power shooting out over Peter's shoulder, blasting a hole in Carol's hallway.
Peter thought he had it figured out. Octavius, in his body, reversed the power drain Peter slapped on the kid, for whatever reason. Something must have gone wrong though, turning the once arrogant youth into something unstable both mentally and physically.
"Alpha", Peter tried, "Andy. I swear, that wasn't me. But if you let me help, I can go and-"
"NO!", Andy leveled a glowing hand in his direction while keeping the gun flush on Carol's temple. "You don't go anywhere! Fix me NOW!"
Carol tried a motherly tone, "Andy, please. He can't wave his hands and fix whatever is wrong."
She got another jab in the head for her trouble, "he's not leaving! He'll get Spider-Man or the Avengers or Knights or something."
Peter tensed. Things were escalating. He was fast, but could he beat the twitchy finger of an unstable powered kid?
"Why the gun?", Peter asked, "how did you even get that?"
Alpha paused to look at the shaking weapon in his hand before addressing him, "a friend. He gave it to me while I was looking for you. Also told me to come here, that you had knocked up some lady." So he didn't recognize Captain Marvel? That should give them an edge, "Told me what to do to get what I want."
Him?, "Tony Stark?"
Alpha looked at him confused, "Tony Stark? Why would he help me?"
Peter sighed slightly. So Stark didn't hand it to him directly. Could have used somebody to point the teen in this direction. Who else would use Carol to get to him?
Andy continued his monologue, "and if I don't get what I want? I start using this. Couple of shots and I run off, I can still get pretty far with my powers messed up. Who's going to believe I came out here and shot people? I got blasts!"
The brunette wanted to wipe the smug look off the younger guy's face. Plenty of potholes in his plan, but Peter doubted the teen would listen to reason, "take me instead. Leave her out of this."
"Think I'm stupid, Parker?", Andy looked annoyed, "I got her, I can make you do anything I want."
Peter glared at him, "I won't do anything with you holding a gun on her."
The teen gritted his teeth in rage, "how do you like it then?" He swung the gun off Carol and aimed straight at Peter, and that's when she made her move.
Before Andy could fire, Carol jumped up and grabbed his arm and pulled it up. Peter charged them when the gun went off. The bullet hit Peter in the head in his rush to save her, and he collapsed in front of them. Carol screamed for Peter, but that distraction let Andy throw her down on the floor and he leveled the gun at her again.
Andy stared at her wide eyed, "it was your fault! You did it!"
She raised already tearing eyes defiantly at her captor. The unstable teen seemed to make up his mind and pulled the hammer back on the gun.
A weight fell the gun and crushed the barrel. Andy screamed in shock and looked to the side at the source. Peter stood there looking like a demon from hell. His eyes glowed red in what little light was present. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, revealing sharp fangs straight out of Bram Stoker's. There was a gaping hole in his forehead from the shot.
Andy screamed and a hand covered his mouth. The teen fought with all his strength to get loose, but seemed powerless against this zombie. Andy tried to swing a fist at the creature's head with a left but it was caught. Swinging his right, he found that caught as well. In his terror filled mind, he noted too many hands.
Peter didn't know what he was going to do. He was terrified for Carol and the baby, terrified of what this kid was capable of, and terrified of what he felt. His head was killing him. Figuratively thankfully, thanks to the same material his extra arms were made of subconsciously forming a bulletproof exoskeleton at the point of impact, an ability he had no clue of until now.
His confusion would have continued until he heard something breaking and Andy going limp in his arms. He saw Carol behind the teen, pieces of her chair broken in her hands.
Peter dropped the kid and felt the tension fall from him. The extra arms and pieces of broken exoskeleton on his head fell to the floor. His eyes returned to their natural color and his fangs retracted. Any other woman would have shrunk back from his monstrous looking form. Carol waited until he was done then threw herself at him and tried to swallow him in her arms. Peter wiggled his arms free and put them around her, noting the lack of the usual strength she seemed to exude.
A small gasp from her caused the two to separate a step and a glow caught their attention.
Her slightly swollen stomach radiated a soft light, the same color as Alpha's energy. It pulsed once and faded away.
Peter and Carol raised their eyes to stare in shock at each other.