"Wanda, think fast!"

"What?"

Thunk! A plastic water bottle struck the side of her head before she could react. It knocked her trademark Headdress askew before falling to the ground. She looked around for the speaker, who turned out to be the masked Vigilante and fellow Avenger Spider-man. Despite being on the same team for the past two years, she hardly knew the man, outside of the mask. Sure, she knew his name, Peter Parker. But other than that, there wasn't much that she knew.

Not that there was any reason for that. He was the heart of New York city, while she went back and forth between being the whipping-post of the human and Mutant communities. He was the happy-go-lucky guy who always cracked jokes at the most inappropriate times. She was the one who suffered a mental breakdown that altered the very fabric of reality. Which lead to another very good reason for the two of them to not associate. In the reality she had created, she had made his life perfect. Painfully perfect, as it was all constructed around a lie.

"Sorry," he said as he leaned down to pick up the bottle of water for her. "I don't know my own spider-strength," he quipped as he launched himself onto an adjacent couch. "Don't turn my into a spider-toad. Or a Spider-pig. Though if you are in the habit of turning me into something," he continued as he drew back his mask so that his mouth was free. "I wouldn't mind being a spider-billionaire."

"I don't do that," She replied softly as she lamented the fact that her brother was away from the city at the moment, with the majority of the Avengers. He was the one she could always talk to about things.

"Oh," Spider-man replied as he sunk even lower into the couch. "So..." he said, letting his voice drag on, "what's new with you? I see you're back to the bathing-suit and Cape and mask deal again," he shrugged before taking a drink out of his own bottle. "Ahhh," he exclaimed, "Mountain ice mixed with cheap plastic. What's not to love?"

"Umm..." Wanda replied, nervous about talking with him. After all, she had ruined his life.

"Seen any good movies lately?" He asked casually.

"I don't..." she muttered nervously.

"Trick question," he replied with a smirk, "there aren't any. Unless you're into shitty re-makes of classics and the occasional Vampire movie that sucks," he quipped as he rested his head back, against the arm of the couch. "And I don't mean they suck blood. I mean they really suck. Big-time."

"Oh..." she muttered as she got to her feet, and began to make her way towards the door.

"You know," Spider-man said as she reached the doorway, "a guy might get the impression you don't like him that much," he quipped casually as he sat up in his seat, and looked at her intently. "Even if he's just trying to strike up some idle conversation."

"I..." Wanda half-stuttered, not understanding where he was coming from. "I just...never..." she continued, as she looked for a way out of the conversation. The last thing she needed was for yet another party to hate her after her breakdown. After all, she had worked so hard to build back friendships and trust. "I mean...we never talk..."

"Which was why I started," he replied with a shrug. "How else are we supposed to talk unless we talk?"

"I don't know you that well," Wanda said as she leaned against the frame of the door.

"And I don't know you that well," Spider-man replied as he leaped to his feet. "Which is another perfect reason to start talking. We're team-mates, after all." She didn't like where the conversation was headed. She had a sneaking suspicion that it would lead to an argument eventually.

"I just didn't think we would ever..." Wanda said as she began to back out of the room, "...click because-"

"Of all that weird shit?" Spider-man said casually with a shrug as he followed her. "Wanda, that was like...five years ago? Six? Why the hell would that bother me?" This conversation definitely wasn't going her way.

"Because I-" she said, nearly on the verge of tears.

"'cause things got a little cuckoo?" Spider-man smiled as he grasped her hand, preventing her from leaving. "Trust me, it's all water under the bridge."

"But I-" she said, as she tried to pull away.

"Hurt me?" Spider-man said casually, "Next time you see She-Hulk, ask her about the time I wished her a happy birthday and she punched me. Or as Jessica about the time she punched me. And ask Carol about the time she punched me. And ask Wolverine about the time he punched me. In fact," Spider-man said with a stupid grin on his face, "ask any Avenger about the time they tried to punch me. They all have. Except for Thor...I need to piss him off somehow," the vigilante finished.

"So...you don't hate-" Wanda said softly.

"You? No!" Spider-man said in a dramatic tone of voice. "Pfftt, that whole snafu doesn't even make my top ten list for personal attacks. Not even my top twenty," he shrugged with a smile, which she returned. It felt good to hear that coming from him. It felt like a weight had come off her chest. "So listen," Spider-man said as he let go of her hand, "if you need to talk, don't hesitate! I never shut up! Wolverine says it's what I'm best at!" he finished as he began to walk away.

"Hey," Wanda blurted as she started after the vigilante, who turned to face her once more. "Do you wanna...get something to eat?"