(The following day, at a diner...)
A couple of hours after school ended, the whole Parker family went to a diner to have some time together. The place was decorated with ghosts, pumpkins, webs, and witches on a broomstick. It was also crowded and filled with indistinct chatter. People talked about everyday topics or current trends as they ate fast food and drank beverages. All that while a TV was playing different channels to accompany the customers with a casual atmosphere.
Kaine looked at his plate of grilled skirt steak with poblano sauce with a somber and thoughtful expression. He didn't move, still holding his knife and fork tightly. He didn't talk a lot with Annabelle today. When near each other, they felt awkward and tense. Even though only a day had passed, Kaine kept on thinking about his friendship with Anna after her confrontation yesterday.
"Candy Cane? Is something wrong?" May asked in a concerned tone.
He chuckled softly and turned his attention to his mother. "Come on, Mom," Kaine groaned in slight annoyance.
May let out a small giggle before talking to Kaine seriously. "What seems to be the matter? Is it something between you and Anna? Does it have something to do with yesterday?"
"Yeah..." Kaine nodded. "I talked to her. She finally knew about my secret."
"How did she react?"
"Not good... She was angry but she understood why I hid it from her." He sighed, "She said she needed some time to think. We didn't talk a lot today. And I've been fearing of losing someone who understands me, Mom..."
Listening to what Kaine told her, May expressed pity for her son. She looked at him in the eyes and comforted him. "Kaine. Worry about today only... It has its fair share of problems. For your concern about the future, the time will come. Just don't linger in the past. It's hard but you have to live with the decisions you made, okay?"
He simply smiled as a reply.
"Okay then," she smiled back, "Well, you should eat your food. It's gonna get cold."
"Thanks, Mom. Appreciate it," Kaine replied and proceeded to do so.
"You're welcome, young man."
On a table next to Kaine and May, Peter was with his parents. He looked at his cousin with concern in his eyes. Deep down, he hoped for a good resolution to this matter. No matter the view he had on the secret identity thing, he just wanted the best for Anna and Kaine. He sighed and cut a piece of cheese omelette, dipping it in tomato sauce and ate it.
Richard noticed this and asked, "You okay, kid? What's in your mind?"
He nodded. "Ah. Just concerned about friendship stuff. That's all," Peter answered.
His father nodded in understanding. "Whatever it's really about, I hope things get well between you three."
"Agreed," Mary said.
"Thanks, Mom, Dad. And yeah... Me too."
"Oh, how about things with your other friend? Is it going well?" Mary asked her son.
"Yup!" he replied enthusiastically, "We're getting along, Mom."
She and Richard looked at each other in relief. Their fears on Peter's friendship with the stranger diminished slightly. Perhaps Peter's friend wouldn't betray his trust. Yet, they both couldn't help but still feel afraid for their son.
The Parker family then continued to eat and drink as they talked about whatever topics came to mind. It was all fun until a Daily Bugle news report interrupted and caught everyone's attention. The customers and the diner employees' eyes were on the TV.
"Tonight, the police have managed to bust another drug operation and arrested several men, identified to be members of Hammerhead's mafia. Police are planning to bring them in for questioning and continue to stop other criminal operations, which one of them was foiled thanks to the help of Spider-Man a couple of days ago. Despite the best efforts by the NYPD, Spider-Man, and Scarlet Spider however, criminals are still running rampant. But we can put our faith in them to protect us. This is Betty Brant reporting."
After the news report, the staff returned to their duties. Some slight smiles of comfort could be seen on their faces. Some customers smiled too but others had concerned expressions, as they felt unease with the fact that there were still a lot of criminals around.
"The city keeps becoming more and more dangerous," Richard commented grimly as he turned his attention back to his food. "At least there's the police and the Spider-Men to protect the city."
Mary swallowed a piece of sausage before replying, "Without them, it won't be safer. I'm glad there are people who use their gifts for good, though I don't agree with Scarlet's violent methods. But it's a dangerous job for them..."
"Can we really trust Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider..?" May expressed doubt as she drank her glass of iced jasmine tea. It caught Richard and Mary off guard.
"What do you mean by that?" Mary asked.
"We don't know what their intentions are and who those vigilantes are," May said, "On one hand, I'm glad they're here. I feel safe. On the other... You already heard what JJJ said about them and I can't ignore it. Do they simply want to protect and help us all? Or do they have motives we don't know yet..?"
Richard and Mary couldn't answer that question. They just shrugged and the three continued eating.
Meanwhile, Peter and Kaine had been listening to their respective parents the whole time. The two exchanged awkward glances because of what they heard from May. Both looked down and let out a sigh, feeling somewhat hurt that some didn't trust them. Even one of their family members. They went back to eating and drinking but in low spirits.
(Two and a half hours later...)
"Alright, I just sent the bill of lading for one of the warehouses to the group chat. You can check the address there," Felicia spoke through her phone's microphone as she sat on her bed.
"Thanks, Cat... I appreciate it," Peter replied in a somewhat somber tone.
"Thank you. At what time are we going to do the mission tomorrow..?" Kaine asked in a similar tone too.
"Are- Is something wrong? What happened, guys?" she expressed her concern.
Peter sighed. "Well, you probably heard what that JJJ guy said about me and Scarlet. He doesn't trust us and I feel like some people share that sentiment too."
"It sucks when the people you help distrust you," Kaine added, "I mean, it's understandable in a way. We are strangers to them. But...ouch. At least there are still others who believe in us."
Listening to their feelings, Felicia felt bad for her friends and decided to comfort the duo. "Guys, I'm really sorry to hear that. But if it makes you feel better, I trust you. Really."
"You...do?" Peter asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.
"Yeah. You guys are amazing friends to me. And you're good in my book."
The Spider-Men chuckled softly and they lightened up after hearing that.
"I guess I really needed to hear that... Thank you, Cat." Peter sounded more positive this time.
"Much thanks from me by the way," Kaine said to her.
Felicia giggled before clearing her throat and focused back on planning. "To answer Scarlet's question earlier, we can do the mission in the evening like usual? Unless you two are busy with patrolling stuff tomorrow?"
"We're going to have a patrol at midday but it'll only take a couple of hours," Peter answered, "So yep, we can do the mission like usual."
"Okay, that confirms it. Meet me on a rooftop not far from the warehouse after your patrol is finished. We're gonna look for a bill of lading that will lead us to Shocker's HQ. Also, I'm gonna upload a virus to mess with their system like in our last mission." Felicia smiled and expressed her enthusiasm and confidence, "Man, I'm glad we're almost close to defeating the bad guys. I can imagine how pissed off the Kingpin will be."
"Hey wait. We've only faced Shocker, his men, and the security guards," Peter commented. "But what about Tombstone?"
When Felicia heard that name, her smile vanished, replaced by worry. "...Oh shit. If he joins to help Shocker, then things are gonna get tougher and we're done for."
"Well, let's just hope for the best scenario. And Cat, what matters is we do our best too," Peter encouraged Felicia.
"Yeah... You're right. But still, I can't help but feel afraid for tomorrow, Spidey," she let out a soft sigh. "Anyway, see you tomorrow, guys?"
"Byeee, Cat. Take care!" Peter said.
"See you tomorrow. I hope you have a good night," Kaine said too.
"Thanks, Webheads. You too." Felicia then ended the group call. She got out of her bed and exited her bedroom, walking to the kitchen to make bibimbap for dinner.
On her way, her smartphone buzzed. Felicia stopped and looked at her phone, to find a notification about a message from her mother. Lydia greeted her daughter through the message. Felicia's face lit up and she quickly opened the messaging app, typing a reply.
Hi, Mom! How are you? (Felicia)
Hi, Kitty! I'm doing alright. Just checking up on you, honey. How about you? (Lydia)
Glad to hear that, Mom. And I'm doing fine. Oh btw, the two guys I told you days ago? We're getting along now (F)
That's great! I'm glad for you (L)
Aww thanks. Mom, you're right about what you said to me. That not everyone is the same. I feel like I can trust my friends now (F)
See? I told you, Kitty. Well, I'm happy for you and your progress, hon. I wish the best for you (L)
Yeah... Thank you again, Mom. Oh and can we stop the convo for a bit? I'm about to make bibimbap for dinner. We can continue with a call while I eat (F)
Sure, honey 3 I'll wait for you. Talk to you in a bit then! (L)
Alrighty, Mom (F)
Felicia shoved her phone into her jeans' pocket. She breathed softly and smiled. "Don't worry, Mom... Dad will be avenged soon. I promise to you..."
A/N: Hmm, I wonder if the next mission will go smoothly. And whether Felicia's gonna keep trusting her friends ;) Check out the next chapter, it's a big one. Full of action! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this one! Let me know what you think of it. And feel free to favorite and follow this story and me to stay up to date with future chapters! Have a good day, y'all!
