The atmosphere within the house was loud as the music blasted through the speakers, so loud that even the conversations between guests became difficult to hear. The crowded space was dominated by the bodies of irresponsible teenagers, packing together tightly without a single hint of decency or self respect. Such a situation would normally deter Nova from wanting to join the crowd, but she was searching for Peter, and she refused to leave without finding her cousin and possibly knock some sense into him, once and for all. The music played on as she and Mary navigated through the throng, scouring the faces for a glimpse of Peter.

Nova and Mary walked slowly through the crowded party, hope and anticipation growing with every passing step. The din of conversation, booming music and laughter from the festive atmosphere filled their ears, yet none of it could drown out a distant hope that had sprung within Nova's heart. Though Peter was not one to engage in such frivolous activities, Nova was certain that she saw someone with his distinctive features near the back corner of the room. Mary's attention soon followed her gaze to the same point within the crowd, and together, they set off toward the figure.

With their hearts soaring with a mixture of joy and relief, Nova and Mary raced towards the figure, their hopes mounting with every foot they covered. As they neared the figure, however, they soon realized that it was not Peter. Their hearts sank and the joy quickly turned into disappointment and disbelief.

"It's not him..." Nova muttered to herself, as she shook her head in disappointment.

"Hey, don't get discouraged again," Mary comforts Nova once more as her green eyes trace through the room. But it was now getting harder to see over heads this point. "I'm going to go check from the back," MJ pointed, snapping Nova out of her thought process that was slowly spiraling once again.

"Please don't leave me!" Nova begged Mary, as if she was thinking of them to split up.

"Nova," the redhead shook her head, "we need to cover more ground as possible to find Peter before Mr. Parker decides to bardg in himself."

Nova became more stressed about the idea. Ben was already mad enough, so keeping him waiting could possibly make the outcome worse. Eventually, Nova nodded to accept the idea.

Mary smiled and patted her friend on the back, "We will find him. Don't worry," she said before departing and blending into the crowd. Leaving Nova lost and uncertain which way she should go first.

There was so much noise that Nova could not focus that even her extreme hearing powers were being frizzled out by the booming speakers. Only creating her more of a headache then she ever had before. Focus, she tells herself as she stood tippy toe to try and look over the crowd. That's when she noticed someone in the other direction. Bold head from behind and large.

Kong!

Nova recalled seeing the photo MJ showed on her phone of Peter and him. With no hesitation, Nova wedged through the crowd to get to the main host. It took every effort until she was able to reach him at the other end.

"Kong!" Nova called out his name the moment she felt it was suitable he was able to hear her from right behind him.

So far, he reacted and turned around before looking down to her level. A wide smile spread across his face right before voice boomed, "Nova! You are here as well! This is amazing!" He said before turning back to where we were before, "Guys! Look who is here! She actually came!"

Nova blanked, confused at Kong's reaction at her present as if it was expected for some reason. Then she looked around him to see who exactly he was talking to and realized it was basically the whole basketball team from Midtown high school. Including Flash! The only one she could not see in the group was Peter and not even a sign of Harry as well.

As Nova mind tried to process who was who, she felt an arm hooked behind her shoulder and pulled her into the group!

The team eyed her as she was pushed into their circle as they were hanging around an island counter. Turns out, this was part of the kitchen of the household and there were a lot less people gathered in this area than anywhere else.

All the boys looked intrigued and interested right away as they all asked her questions all at once and could not exactly make out what they were saying. Did one of them mention Harry to her?

As all the boys were all focusing on her, Nova could feel an intense glare coming from Flash before he finally spoke up the most loudest to make all the team fall silent. "Do not bring her here! She is clearly unwanted!"

The whole team paused as they all looked at Flash before switching their gaze up at Kong, who stood before them and had his arm over Nova, who was becoming really uncomfortable and wanted to run away herself.

"Well I want her here," Kong said with his head held up high. "This is my house and my party," he said sternly to his best friend.

The team and Nova's attention switch their attention back to Flash, to see if he can make a comeback.

Clearly, Flash was not happy seeing Kong being courteous.

Flash rubbed his cast hand. "Fine, be that way," he growled before turning to face the bar and picking up a cup with his non-cast hand to drink.

Once Nova felt that everything started to settle, she started to finally speak up. "Hey Kong, do you know where Peter is?" she asked, before getting barbge with the team's questions again.

"Peter?" Kong repeated before looking around, "Yeah, he was here a moment ago before Liz dragged him away somewhere," he started before everyone started to go 'Oooooh.'

"Lucky!" One called out.

"Oh you know what that means!" Another chime in.

"Mostly it would be Flash!"

Flash just scuffed, "What a slut," he mumbled before taking another drink.

Nova looked confused yet concerned how the team talked about Liz. Is that MJ's friend? Nova tried to figure it out. But she felt a heavy pat on her back that almost made her yelp in surprise.

"So what brings you here?" Asked Kong as he ushered someone to hand him a drink.

"I came here to bring Peter back home," Nova bluntly said, just wanting to get to the point and leave to continue to find Peter. Definitely before Mary Jane does.

"What?" Kong said as he looked like he was taken aback by her comment, "But, you just got here…"

"And I have to go," Nova said. All the boys groan except for Flash, for he seems happy to hear the news.

"Oh come on," one of the guys pleaded while sitting on the island, "Stay awhile and have fun with us."

One of them handed Kong two cans of sodas.

"Yeah, stay," Kong pipes up as offer on the cans to Nova.

"I can't…" Nova looked hesitant and tried to back away but Kong was keeping her from leaving and before she knew it, she was plopped down on a stool next to Flash. Who just gave a disgusted grunt. It seems like she was not leaving and all these guys were looking at her weird. Attention she never got before until now.

"You looked cute without your hoodie," one said leaning on the bar on his forearm.

Nova blank for a moment before looking down at herself. Of course, she no longer has her hoodie. Before freshman year, Nova always wears her zip up hoodie wherever she goes. It was large and baggy and she could easily sleep in it whenever she wanted to like a comfort blanket. Now it was gone and probably lost forever with her cellphone with it. Now she was only in her basic black T-shirt and baggy jeans being held up by her checked belt. Clearly, her clothes no longer fit her and seem to sag on her as well.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Another asked.

"Uh, no?" Nova raised a brow as the team looked at each other excitedly.

"Hey hey!" Kong butted in, "Settled down, this is Peter's sister after all!"

"Cousin," Nova corrected him.

"Yeah, you don't look anything like Peter," one pipped in. "Have you ever gotten serious with a guy before?"

They all lean in for this question on her as she shook her head no to that question with a baffling look on her face.

Strangely, they cheered on that and one blurted out, "I knew it! Yes!" Even got Nova even more confused.

Until the mood was soured when Flash spoke again. "Ha! It's like anyone would sleep with a flat board anway," he said with a smug look on his face at Nova before looking at his teammates. "If you want someone with a good body, you have to see Lady Arachnid's. That is a body I would love to handle."

Nova's face froze with horror before looking at every guy around the island face lit up before her eyes drifted down to the ground. Feeling her ears burning as Flash keeps talking about 'Lady Arachnid'. Unaware, he was talking about HER!

"Oh man, you're right!" One agrees with Flash before the others jump in.

"Damn, wish we could see her face though! I bet she is thirty with that kind of body!"

Nova could feel herself being punched with that comment and was making her sweat where she sat. She did not want to hear this! She did not want to sit here and listen to those boys talking and HER in front of her! It was almost like eavesdropping and they were so oblivious.

"Oh? Getting jealous?" Flash hummed as he leaned into Nova side, who quickly shifted away from him.

"No… I'm…. Getting uncomfortable with you guys talking about doing this to a… woman in front of me. What if she was married?"

"Oh, she could be right!" One said, "She might be married to that Spider-Man guy!"

Nova almost fell off her seat at that point.

"Lucky bastard!"

Before Nova could hear any more, she got up and got the will power to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kong started to stop her once again, blocking her way to leave the kitchen.

"I have to go," Nova said, without looking up at Kong as the others keep on talking in the background. She could feel her heartbeat racing the more they talked about Lady Arachnid.

"No please stay," Kong insisted, "We are having fun. We can talk about Spider-Man, he is your type, right?"

"No!" Nova yelled, "I don't want to talk about them! I don't want to think about them! I don't even want to think any way about them!"

Suddenly, the kitchen became quiet.

Nova sighed, trying to calm herself down before speaking again, "Now excuse me, I need to find Peter and go."

Kong looked at her with a sad look before stepping to the side.

"Thank you," Nova said before going forward and back into the crowded room.

"Hey, did any of you hear what happened to Harry's dad?" One of the teammates broke the silence inside the kitchen, that made Nova stop and to listen furthermore before she left.

"Yeah," one of them chimed in, "Is that the reason why he did not show up to school and practice today?"

Nova recalled that morning school that not once she saw Harry in any of their classes together and only responded to her text that he was not feeling good that morning and would like to be left alone. So she did, up until she lost her phone to that creature in the alley. But Nova kept listening to the basketball team's conversation.

Kong was looking at her why she was not moving until he noticed his teammates were talking about Harry.

"I thought you said you were leaving," Kong reminded Nova as he carefully watched her from the side entrance of the kitchen.

"I was…. But…" Nova mumbled before turning to one of the boys, "Hey, what did you say happened to Harry's dad again?"

The boys look at her with shock, "You didn't hear the news? His father blew up this afternoon, in his lab."

Nova looked shocked at the news. Well, at least me and Peter won't worry about him anymore… she thought with relief and sadness for Harry.

"Yeah," one of the other boys continued, "I heard he spontaneously combusted. There was blood everywhere."

"Nu-uh," one disagreed, "That can not explain the multiple deaths that happen in that lab. Like seriously, some of them seem gruesome that S.H.I.E..L.D was involved and would not allow reporters to get the scoop of what really happened. They were definitely making something in that lab!"

"I heard Harry was there and he was the only survivor! Sucks that he is not even answering his calls," one mumbling.

"What?!" Nova blurred out, unaware that even happened. She went back to the island to the last boy that spoke. "You texted Harry? Can you asked for me, if he is okay?"

Before Nova could get her answer, she heard a familiar voice crying out in the crowd beyond the kitchen.

"Mary! Mary! Come back! I can explain! Mary please! Come back! MJ!"

It was Peter's voice!

Nova quickly dropped everything and went after the crying plea of her cousin calling out for Mary Jane. It happened so fast that she traced Peter's voice up to the front door and could see Peter standing still at the entrance.

"Peter!" Nova called out as she managed to get through to be right behind him and can see why her cousin was frozen in place. Standing at the opening was an arm crossed man with the most disappointed face Nova had ever seen in her life. It was Ben.

"Let's go… now."