Peter soon reached the door to see Wanda, standing in front of the table. She was putting on what appeared to be her gym jacket over her black tank top, but it was badly damaged from the Flash's attacks. She looked a bit disappointed, lightly fingering the slashes and holes in the fabric. Seeing this, Peter removed his own jacket and walked forward. The girl sees him, stopped what she was doing and rushed to her friend.
"Peter!" She said excitedly, throwing herself at the boy for a tight hug, "I made it!"
"Congratulations Wanda!" The boy replied, blushing slightly. The two sat down after Wanda separated from the hug.
"Flash is real a heavy hitter, it made me realize that I need some more physical training," said Wanda with a smile. "It gave me some ideas of who to choose for the internships. At least, if they choose me..."
"Of course they would, you were amazing!" The boy said as if it were obvious.
"Hehehe, thank you..." She replied, blushing just like he was. Her hand rested near the bandage on her arm.
"Didn't Night Nurse heal you completely?" Asked Peter, concern in his voice. He'd noticed the bandage and inspected the girl's hand as if to check for further damage.
"Well, she didn't want me to pass out and did enough to heal a deeper wound. And..." The girl stopped for a moment, feeling the boy's touch on her arm. His hands were a little rough, but he was still very delicate and cautious.
"Oh! S-Sorry..." Peter realized how quiet things had gotten, and quickly withdrew his hand, blushing as red as the girl's ribbon.
Wanda giggled slightly, "Don't apologize, it was... nice." She blushed a bit as well, before turning to inspect her ripped jacket.
"Flash really did a number on this, huh?" Peter noted.
"Yeah... I'm gonna have to fix it somehow. Can't really afford a new one right now," Wanda replied sheepishly.
"Well then, how about we trade?" The boy suggested, offering his jacket.
Wanda was stunned by the gesture, "Y-You can't do that! This one's all ripped up, yours is practically new!"
"Wanda, I'm going up against Robbie next," said Peter. "If you think for a second I'm leaving that fight unscathed, you're dreaming."
She tried in vain to stop him, "But still-"
The boy wrapped his jacket over the girl's shoulders, and she felt a feeling of warmth come over her body, not just from the jacket itself.
"Take it," Peter insisted, picking up her ruined jacket and tying it around his waist. "At least this way I can still wear M.A's colors. Maybe you'll bring me luck," he smiled brightly.
Wanda gripped the sides of the undamaged jacket, then leaned into Peter's chest. Peter blushed, raising his hands slightly to hug her. They stood there in silence for a moment, before Wanda raised her head to look at the boy. Peter brought his up as well, only to see a slightly flushed face and those red eyes.
The boy said nothing, hypnotized by those scarlet irises. He subconsciously raised his hand and caressed the girl's cheek, impressed by the softness of her skin. Wanda tilted her head slightly into his hand, enjoying the touch. Slowly, their faces began to lean in, until they were mere inches apart. They could feel their breaths mixing in the air...
"Wanda! You in here!?" The two heard a voice and separated quickly, their faces turning beet red in embarrassment, just before Pietro opened the door to the break room. He immediately recognized the tension. "Whoops! Hehe, sorry sis. I'll come back later..." The boy gave a naughty smile and zipped away at high speed.
"W-well, I'd better get going! My next fight's about to start!" Peter said, still embarrassed, getting up and heading towards the door.
"R-Right!" Wanda replied, awkwardly trying to play off the previous moment. "Sorry I didn't let you get ready..."
"No, it's okay... Maybe I don't even want to win this fight..." He said looking down, his hand still on the knob.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Wanda knew she wouldn't have time to hear the whole story, but why would someone with Peter's motivation to win say that?
"A hero has to save those who need help..." The boy replied simply, looking at the girl with a slight smile. He opens the door and exits, turning right to go towards the arena.
Wanda didn't even have time to ponder his answer, for Pietro appeared again at the door, this time leaning against the doorframe and looking in the direction Peter had gone.
"Sorry about earlier," he said, without looking at his sister. "I didn't know you and Parker were dating."
"What!? We didn't- We're not- I-It's not what you think!!" The girl tried to formulate a response while turning the same color as her uniform and bow in a matter of seconds.
"Well, I already told mom about it," he grinned, rushing forward at super speed to put a cellphone on the table before running off.
"Mmrrrph!!" Wanda growled slightly, zipping up the jacket before heading for the cell phone on the table. Because of their financial situation, Pietro and Wanda shared a cell phone, which was only used for calls. And now on the screen, the contact of 'Marya Maximoff' appeared as if on hold.
She pressed the button, "Hello?"
"Wanda?" A woman's voice replied.
"Hi mom..." said the girl.
"Wanda, I saw your fight on television!" The woman sounded very excited. "You were amazing, I'm so proud of you!!"
"Thanks!" She said with a smile, "If I keep this up, I can be recruited by a good agency and-"
"Wanda, do you remember what we talked about?" The voice cut her off.
"But..."
"No 'buts'," she said firmly. "What did we talk about, young lady?"
Wanda sighed, "That in the first place, I have to follow my dreams..."
"Exactly," said her mother. "I know you feel guilty for making me change my plans to be a hero..." There was a slightly sadder tone in her voice. "But know that I wouldn't change anything. You and your brother are the most important things in the world for me! And *sniff* I would be even happier *sniff* if you followed your dreams..." The woman ended in a tearful voice.
"Mommy..." Wanda can't help but cry with her mother.
"I love you my little sorceress..."
"I love you too..." She replied, wiping her eyes.
"Now let's stop this sad conversation," her mother said, already sounding as if she recovered. "What's all this Pietro told me about you having a boyfriend?"
Wanda made a mental note to kill her brother later.
A blushing Peter Parker walked down the corridors towards the battlefield. He kept thinking about what just happened; What was that!? He and Wanda almost...
Peter shook his head, trying to get rid of that thought. With a racing heart and a distracted mind, he didn't notice the person that came around the corner until he bumped into him.
"Oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention and-" The boy started to apologize, until he raised his head to see a figure clad in black leather with a flaming skull. He gasped at the sudden confrontation, "G-Ghost Rider!?"
"I know that I'm a hero, but I'm also off duty right now. 'Mr. Blaze' is fine..." He said. "I saw your fight earlier, your power's nothing too flashy, but you seem to be skilled with it."
"Um, thanks..." If Peter had been praised by the hero the day before, he certainly would have asked for an autograph. But now, after the conversation he'd had with Reyes, this situation was much more tense.
"You were one of the boys saved by Iron Man in the Carnage attack, weren't you?" The hero asked, already knowing the answer. "I hear Stark's taken an interest in you."
"What? N-No, not really! I mean, he's my teacher, and definitely my favorite hero, but-" Peter then stops rambling, realizing that he was saying all this to the Number 6 Hero, under Iron Man.
"Um, you know what? My fight's about to start and I need to go, so, excuse me..." The boy said, dodging the hero and trying to get on his way.
"Wait. There's something I need to ask you..." He said, as the flames in his skull diminished and he assumed his somewhat normal look. Johnny Blaze put a cigarette between his teeth, lighting it up with a flick of his finger. An obvious disobeying of the "no smoking" signs around.
"R-Really?" Peter asked, still a bit nervous around the hero. But the fact that he'd turned off his Quirk to look him in the eye seemed to indicate that this was an important matter. The hero took a drag on his cigarette and respectfully exhaled away from the boy.
"I spoke with Tony about this, and he said I could ask if you made it this far. But ultimately, what happens next will be up to you," said Mr. Blaze. "By now, I imagine Roberto has told you a bit about his Quirk?"
Peter nodded in response, "Yeah, he's had a real rough time of things."
"That's putting it mildly," remarked the hero. "The boy's determined and he's got a good heart. But he's headstrong, won't listen to anyone, even if they just want to help him. There's something he's been avoiding when it comes to his Quirk. The fact is, if he doesn't fully utilize his power, it will eventually kill him."
Peter gasped slightly, "W-What do you mean?"
"Normally, the Spirit of Vengeance bonds directly with the host, protecting him or her from damage," Johnny explained. "But Roberto's Spirit is different, I've been watching his progress and doing some research on my own. He continues to refrain from using the flames, and it's hurting him, physically and mentally."
The boy's expression was a mix of shock and confusion, so Blaze elaborated, "The flames can act as a sort of release, removing strain and a potential overload of power. So, the more he suppresses the fire, the more power he gives the Spirit within. It's already affecting his psyche, I'm assuming you watched his earlier match?"
Peter nodded grimly, the image of Reyes nearly chocking Laura to death still fresh in his mind.
"For whatever reason, he associates the flames with surrendering control of his body. Perhaps through some trickery by the Spirit itself..." Johnny folded his arms, leaning back against the wall.
"Which is why I came to you," he said. "Stark said you have a bad habit of getting involved in situations where you help others. This is an instance where I'm asking you to do so. Nothing I've said or done up to now has gotten through to Roberto. But maybe you can..."
Peter's eyes widened, "You're asking me to-"
"Help him," nodded Mr. Blaze, dropping his cigarette and crushing it under his boot. "You're strong and capable. Against you, he may finally use his true power. He needs to, before it's too late..."
The hero nodded to Peter before reactivating his Quirk and stepping outside. The boy exhaled, now realizing he'd been too nervous to breathe around the fiery hero. I knew there was something more to Roberto's Quirk than what he said, Peter thought. But this...
He looked out the tunnel towards the battlefield. The boy remembered his Uncle's words, that with Great Power, there must also come Great Responsibility. He had power, and now there was a fellow classmate who needed help, whether Reyes wanted to admit it or not.
Peter's expression became grimly determined, Of course I'm going to help. You don't even have to ask, Mr. Blaze. I planned on doing something already. He puts his mask on and walked through the tunnel opening.
"And it's at this moment that I return to the general joy of the nation!" Deadpool yelled at the reader before taking the microphone to address the audience. "WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE SECOND ROUND OF INDIVIDUAL BATTLES. WHERE THE RISKS ARE GREATER AND THE REWARDS ARE SWEETER!!! IN OUR FIRST MATCH; IT'S THE PRODIGY AGAINST THE UNDERDOG: ROBERTO REYES VS 'THE SPIDER'!!!"
As the two boys approached each other in the arena, Wanda had finished her conversation with her mother, and went out to sit next to Danny and Gwen. Upon entering, of course, she smacked her brother on the back of the head as she passed.
"Wanda, I'm glad to see you're well. Congratulations on the victory," Danny said as his friend sat down next to him.
"Thank you," she replied, looking down at the field with concern. "Who do you think will win?" She addressed both Danny and Tyrone, who sat on her other side.
"It's hard to say, both are extremely skilled in short and mid-range combat. But Reyes has the chains..." Tyrone said, staring down at the arena.
"That's true," put in Gwen, appearing out of nowhere behind the trio.
"Ah!" Wanda jumped in surprise, but quickly recovered when she saw it was Gwen. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry, but I went to buy you a snack," she replied, showing a paper tray with some tacos.
"Oh, thank you..." Said Wanda, accepting the gift as Gwen went to sit next to Danny.
"Gwen, don't you think you're spending a bit much on snacks?" He asked.
"Danny! No further interruptions, the author wants to finish this chapter!" She silenced her friend with a finger on his lips.
For many, that would be another fight. It would certainly be incredible, given the capabilities of the competitors. But for some, there were layers below the surface that made this fight much more important. For two pro heroes, it was a last ditch effort to save the soul of a promising young student. For Reyes, it was a chance to show the world that he had his own power and didn't need a demonic 'gift' to be the best. And Peter, he wanted to at least save Robbie from himself, to be a real hero. The only question was, how?
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Barber's Chair
• So, obviously we've got some different motivation for Peter to give his all against Reyes. It's no longer simply a matter of getting past his personal hang ups over his Quirk.
• Ghost Rider here is more of a genuine mentor figure, not a jackass parent trying to push some failed dream of his onto a son.
