Author's Notes: I would like to thank Latara Hanu, Guest, Windy, and TheImmortalWeapon; their showed support is what made this chapter possible. It really means a LOT. *hugs all*
Disclaimer: Ultimate Spider-Man is not mine. Nor are any of its characters. That's Marvel's job. Any Original Characters and art you note, however, are all me. No. I'm not making money. Don't rub it in.
Chapter 23 - Assurance
Are you sure, Zeelan?" Ava questioned, frowning. She hated to admit it, but she was nervous. Very nervous. She couldn't hide the tremble in her voice, or the twitching of her fingers against her knees. She sat, mask-free, in her Tricarrier bedroom, watching the white-haired mutant slip into a black jacket before a full length-mirror beside the vanity.
"We can't wait any longer," Zeelan replied in her heavy accent. She took a step back then tenderly touched the bandaged spot beneath her purple shirt.
"Yeah, but…are you okay?" Ava asked when Zeelan grimaced. "I have to admit…I'm not fond of my family's lives being in the hands of others. You haven't done anything bad against Danny. I just—"
"Oh, I understand," the white-haired teen replied in a soft tone. She faced Ava and slowly smiled with every ounce of sorrow reflected in her black eyes.
The heroine's stomach dropped under the smile's weight. "This is a lot of pressure to place on someone he hasn't known very long."
"Yet you all do the same for the people in the city every day."
"This is different!" the Central American snapped. Her glare formed unwillingly, and when she closed her mouth, she mentally reprimanded herself for the slip. "Danny…he means a lot to us. I'm not good with handling loss, honestly. It's hard keeping it under control with my amulet feeding into the emotions. So, I'm kind of asking this selfishly. Are you ready for this?"
With an iron-clad stare, Zeelan nodded once then approached Ava's bed. "I've been practicing every day. With each practice, I notice Danny falling deeper and deeper into the Dark Realm. However, I had always been able to reach him. Except for yesterday when…"
"I'd apologize for that, if I meant it," Ava noted, unable to control a growl in spite of Zeelan's downcast expression.
"Don't bother, Ava," the mutant grumbled absentmindedly. It took the heroine a moment to realize what had been said.
"Did you just use my real name? How—"
"Sorry; it slipped." Sheepish, Zeelan rubbed her arm. "In the Dark Realm I'm tasked with getting Danny to remember things so his consciousness doesn't drift far. One of the things he remembered was, well, you guys."
"So you know the others' names as well?"
"I do. Though…Fortune Cookie makes Peter Spider-Man, right?"
"Well, since the cat's out of the bag…Yeah., Pete's Spidey. Sam is—" A small choke cut off the words. Ava hated how helpless she felt, thinking of all that Sam had gone through—was going through—and she couldn't be there as a guard for any of it.
"Sam will be next," Zeelan added, surprisingly definite.
"Is that belief I hear?" Ava's groomed brow rose and the mutant looked to pale a fraction.
"No choice," Zeelan all but muttered. "I have to keep up the confidence or else my connection with Danny will…Anyways, I'm ready. My bandage is all changed and I had a night's rest so"—she drew in a long, loud breath—"no time like the present."
"Then let's go meet the others." After a short nod, Ava walked with Zeelan to the room's entrance. She opened the sliding door, but it closed prematurely when Zeelan twisted towards the heroine.
"Um," the mutant started, Midwestern accent almost country, "I wanted to thank you, real quick."
Ava blinked. "Thank me? What for?"
"For helping me get my act together." Zeelan chuckled lightly, though it felt heavy. "I want to thank you for convincing me to use my powers. That shift is why I feel assurance now."
"I'd feel a little guilty accepting that. You know—"
"The push was for Danny's sake; not mine. Yeah. So if you don't want to accept that thanks, then accept the one for helping me during my seizure. That felt freaky, and I hate to think how my head would've felt if you hadn't been there to catch it."
"Now that I can accept," replied Ava with a grin. Both females shared a look then a laugh. "Seizures aren't funny," the Central America managed between breathes.
"I don't know why I'm laughing," Zeelan added. But they had to wait for the urge to pass. When it did, the mutant straightened, her smile sincere. "I would also like to thank you for letting me sleep in your room last night. And for—"
"Oh, that's enough; quit sounding like this is your last chance to make amends."
It was a joke. Well, it was supposed to be. Between the flicker of fear that crossed Zeelan's freckled face and the falter in Ava's laugh, though, it felt more like a death sentence. The heroine shook it off by opening the door again. Then, she followed Zeelan out of the room.
Peter's boot tapped impatiently against the metallic floor. Usually, the repetitive motion would've grown boring in the first minute. Then again, he wasn't exactly feeling usual today. There were lots of things he could laugh off or ignore or counter with a charming quip—especially painful things.
Not this though. The anxiety had been marinating in his gut like a spicy taco from the school's lunch and it had reached its souring point. He couldn't even wear his mask; if felt suffocating. Today, the team would gather in the Medical Ward. Today, Doctor Strange and Zeelan would fight for Danny's consciousness. Or die trying.
Yeah, it kinda sucked when the day had a high risk of deaths all around…
'Where are they?' Peter thought with a huff. Tap. Tap. Tap. 'I don't see what could be taking so long. It's not like either of them are fawning in front of a mirror. They should be—'
Chatter echoed in the hall. It wasn't overpowering like a large group, so it lured the hero off the wall he leaned against. In moments, Zeelan and an unmasked White Tiger rounded the corner, and Peter maneuvered to meet them, landing by White Tiger's feet after a front flip.
"So," he started, strained, "is she ready?"
"As I'll ever be, Peter," Zeelan answered just candid.
Assurance. That was always good to hear. Well, sometimes. Peter nodded his approval, opening his mouth for a compliment on Zeelan's positivity. Only, something was amiss. And it silenced him for a moment.
"Wait, did you just say what I think you did?" he asked with cautious words. When the mutant grinned sheepishly, he then pointed a finger towards White Tiger's bare face. "Did you seriously—I—Really? I thought we all agreed we would tell her if she—"
"Don't look at me," the Central American interjected, straight faced and hands raised. "Look at Danny."
"I learned your names from him in the Dark Realm," Zeelan quickly added. "Sorry…"
She glanced down in…shame? That didn't seem right. Or fair. So, Peter forced a grin that gained the mutant's attention. Then, once their eyes met, he chuckled a bit, finding that he didn't mind her knowing his name. At least it was just his given name…right?
"Hey, Web-Head"—White Tiger's stern address earned a fake glare from Peter—"Do you know where Fury and Doctor Strange are?"
"Uh…" The memory was foggy, but the hero nodded anyway. "They weren't sure how long Zeelan would be, so they told me at breakfast to come to his office when she was."
"You went to breakfast?" Sheesh. Why the disappointed glare?
"Hey, Coulson gave us the day off school; why wouldn't I?" Peter responded. He felt oddly conscious about it. For some reason.
"Well, I'll go get Fury. You take Zeelan to Danny." There wasn't much choice in the matter, seeing as how White Tiger stalked down the hall before Peter could turn around. Well then.
"I guess you're coming with me," Peter said, sending Zeelan a hundred watt grin. The mutant gave a quick nod, silent, then started down the hall, towards a place Peter's grown more familiar with than he would like. "So," the hero started as they took their first turn, "We don't get to talk often."
Totally awkward conversations? His favorite. But the silence was worse. He waited patiently for Zeelan to catch up before he unstuck from the wall and began walking beside her.
"Would it be cool if I just called you Z?" he questioned while walking backwards. Yes, he could see. Thank you. "Every time I use your full name, I'm tempted to add a 'D' at the end."
"Like New Zealand," the mutant countered in an accented tone that clearly marked his joke as old.
"Well—"
"I don't mind. It beats 'Hag' or 'Freckles'."
Peter made a funny face. "Okay, 'Freckles' I get. But 'Hag'?"
"Oh, that's school for you, even small town ones."
"I still don't get it."
Zeelan sighed, her pace slowing. "My hair. It used to be a strawberry blonde until middle school. By the time Junior High started, it faded to all white and kids were saying I looked like an old hag. So."
"Well, I don't think it makes you look old."
"Thanks…"
Silence. Peter found himself tempted to swing ahead and wait for Zeelan to catch up. Walking on two feet—especially when in costume—felt downright unnatural. But, he couldn't find the strength to leave her side and instead kept stride beside her.
"Can I ask you something, Z?" he started in all seriousness.
Zeelan glanced his way. "What about?"
"Danny."
The air gained a sudden gravity. It made walking difficult. Unfortunately, it was necessary.
"Oh, I get the feeling I know what you're going to ask," Z replied in a near whisper. Peter encouraged her with a look, yet quickly averted his eyes when she continued. "Ava asked me as well. You know I can't guarantee anything. Life's just that way. However…I'll do my best. Everything that I have, I'll give in my fight with the poison. Even if"—she chuckled nervously—"the thought scares the hell out of me."
"I wish we could go with you," Peter spat—not in loathing, but in frustration.
There was a soft groan. "I asked Strange about that. He said it's too dangerous for people without spiritual connections."
"Still…"
"If anything, you'll all be gathered around us, right? You're there for the support, if we need it." Zeelan halted at Peter's gaze. He didn't even realize how cold it was until the mutant frowned, her dark eyes soft. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive…I know he's like a brother, like…Sam."
Peter's head shook. "No, I should be thanking you, not snapping."
"In all honesty, I'm surprised you didn't snap sooner for what my brother—"
"That's another matter. You still didn't have to do any of this. You could've chosen to ignore your powers forever or leave Danny to his own devices or…join your brother. But you didn't. So, thank you."
In a second, Zeelan mirrored his grin—solemn fear and all. She was quiet when she resumed walking beside him, and for once, Peter let the silence sink in.
Luke found it hard to sit there—harder than anything he's ever done before. The utter helplessness he experienced had been what kept him from the Medical Ward all these days. Seeing his best friend in so much pain? Without any means to ease it? He just couldn't endure that. Until today.
Today, Luke needed to be at Danny's side. Because today, his best friend could…No. The doubt couldn't reign. Danny wouldn't die. He couldn't; he was too strong. Stronger than any wound and much stronger than the stupid poison that kept him trapped within his own mind.
So how come Luke didn't feel convinced? Was it because Danny writhed with sweat beneath the white sheets? Was it because of how heart-breaking the blonde's ragged breath sounded? Or was it because his body odor had adopted a notable tinge of decay in the past week and a half?
Well, those facts sure didn't help.
"Um, h—hi, Luke." Zeelan's Midwestern voice drifted across the heavy air. That's not why his head turned towards her so fast, though.
"Did you just—"
"Oh. Dark Realm. Danny. Memories." Apparently, the question had been asked one too many times before. "It's okay if I use it…right?"
Luke eyed the white-haired mutant as she approached Danny's bed. "Well, since you already know it. Just be sure not to use it in public—if I'm dressed like this, anyhow."
"Gotcha." Zeelan offered a smile, only it died before fully forming. "Peter was right behind me. But since Ava still hadn't come back with Fury and Strange yet, he decided to round them up. I think he's a bit restless."
"That's Peter for you," Luke remarked with a shallow chuckle. "Him and Sam…" He couldn't possibly grow any more nauseous than what he was? Wrong. Sam's name proved that.
"After Danny is saved, Sam is next."
Luke caught Zeelan's stern eyes, noting their assurance.
"I told Ava the same thing," she added. "Don't worry; you'll have your whole team back."
The laugh—it couldn't be dumbed down or prevented. It shook Luke's broad frame, forcing his head against the chair back as he sought some sort of control. Insomnia. Stress. Irony. Whatever the cause, it lifted some weight off his chest and he smiled at how easy new breaths came to him.
"What's so funny then?" Z questioned with tightly knit brows.
Luke could hardly face her without wanting to chuckle. "You're hoping."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"Hope and assurance aren't the same. We just have to have our minds set on what we want."
"Sure." Luke chuckled again. "I told you, life has a way of turning these things against you."
"Yeah, well." Zeelan's gaze settled on Danny as the blonde sighed shakily. "Life could have picked a not-so-dire circumstance. If I did hope."
In an instant, the weight returned—this time, tenfold. Luke forced his eyes towards Danny, a long sigh brewing in his throat as he asked, "H—how does his aura look?"
"Horrible," answered Z with the tact of a sniper. "The greens and browns are so muddy now. I haven't seen any blue in days. The black…it's almost taken over. It's—"
"You believe you can save him, right?" Luke couldn't stop the question. Nor did he want to. He must know, so he ensured his gaze said as much.
Zeelan hesitated in the silence, searching for an answer, before she placed a hand on his tense shoulder. "I believe…I can reach him. I believe Strange is strong enough to ward off Swilla Iku. I believe…once Danny's consciousness is fully reawakened, that he will fight back the way he should. And he'll win."
"You'll be fighting, too," noted Luke with matter-of-fact words.
Z didn't seem to care for them.
"You've been practicing with Strange for this."
"Yeah, on how to reach Danny. We've hardly touched fighting technique or even my force-fields since I sleep so often from projecting."
"Looks like you'll have to learn in the field."
Zeelan sighed and tightened her grip. The sounds of marching feet kept her silent, though, as both she and Luke turned around. Peter and Ava flanked Doctor Strange and Fury with a midst of blinding lights behind them. Not a smile could be seen in the group, but the pure determination in each of their gazes fueled Luke into standing strongly. He nodded towards them when they reached Danny's bed then fell into line beside his teammates.
"Are you ready, Miss Weir?" Fury asked. She ignored him, attention set on Doctor Strange. "Miss Weir?"
"Yes," she replied with difficulty and a frown, "I'm ready."
Author's Notes: The real fights are about to begin! To read them, the story needs four more reviews. :)