Chapter Text
Laura watched. It was all she could really do.
She stood and watched as the annoying shitbag and the alternative version of her father soared towards the sparkling portal. She could hear Alioth roaring behind her as the monster neared Cassandra Nova's camp. She sighed and closed her eyes, silently preparing herself for her inevitable fate.
Next to her, Gambit was making some speech that probably had something to do with the 'honour of serving alongside them' or some shit. She was honestly too tired to even bother trying to understand him. Not like he would have the chance to quiz her on it later.
As the gas monster neared them, Laura wondered what her life could have been like. What If the TVA hadn't sent her to this shithole and she had gotten the chance to not only grow up but actually experience what people called 'the best years of her life'? What if her future hadn't been stolen along with her past?
Well, wasn't that the million-dollar question?
Laura smiled as the two assholes made it through the portal just as Alioth covered the base, blocking out everything with its purple gaseous form. At least she got to see Logan one more time before she died.
But the multiverse had different plans for her.
Just as Alioth began to sink its 'teeth' into her, something strange happened.
The ground beneath Laura collapsed into itself.
She screamed as she fell but she didn't think anybody heard her. Not like they could do anything while they were being eaten alive. She instinctively tried to plunge her claws into the walls of the hole that she was falling down but there was nothing for her to latch onto. There was only darkness around her.
All she could do was fall and scream...
Fall and scream...
fall... scream...
fall...
...
...scream
...
...
..
fall...
...
New York, Earth-616 (The Sacred Timeline)
'Another day, another free hotdog,' Spider-Man cheerfully thought to himself as he swung over the busy streets of New York. The sun was out and it was mercilessly beating down on everything within its gaze. t was at times like these that Peter was grateful for how bad his suit was at insulating heat.
Of course, he was going to despise it once winter came but that was future Peter's problem.
Things had been admittedly rough since the... uh... multiverse almost collapsed because of him last year and everyone forgot about him but it was fine now. Everything was fine. Sure, he had to rebuild his life from near scratch, with only enough legal documents to prove that he existed, but everything was fine. Sure, he was a stranger to all of his friends but, well, Daredevil was cool. He even offered Peter a place to stay once, which Peter quickly declined. He was fine after all. Everything was fine.
He'd be starting his tenure at Empire State University at the end of Summer, so he was looking to that. Completing his GED had been quicker than he had expected it to be, but, well, Aunt May always said that he underestimated himself. He definitely needed a distraction that didn't involve explosions or him getting shot at. Wilson Fisk was still missing after the Battle at Rockefeller Center, but that didn't make the criminals on the street any less dangerous.
Speaking of headaches.
'Spider Sense is going like crazy' A much better name than 'Peter Tingle' in his opinion (Sorry Aunt May). He landed on the side of a building and scanned the area below him for any threats. Already, the hum of his sixth sense was fading but it was still there, pointing him to where he needed to go.
'There?'
Even though he didn't see anything amiss, Spider-Man allowed himself to fall from the building. The wind roared in his years as he rapidly accelerated towards the ground, before, with a flick of his wrist and the push of a button, he fired a web.
His moment completely switched as he swung in the direction his sense was pointing him in. Daredevil had been kind enough to give him some tips on how to effectively use his senses and now Peter couldn't imagine living without them. Especially since his Spider Sense was currently proving how useful it is even outside of immediate combat.
Spidey landed inside a seemingly empty alley. It had the usual dumpsters, empty crates and probably mutated rats. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Despite the seeming lack of danger, his Spider Sense continued to hum, almost like it was whispering to him that he should stay on guard.
So, careful of any ambushes, Peter tiptoed deeper into the alley.
"Hello, anybody in here?" he called, "I'm Spider-Man, so... I won't hurt you or anything, I just want to help. Unless you're a bad guy, in which case I'll probably hurt you at least a little."
No response. Peter kept walking.
He turned a corner that's when he paused. Sticking out from the other side of a dumpster, was a bundle of dark hair that was most likely attached to a head which was most likely attached to a body (hopefully). Peter quickly rushed towards the body.
She was unconscious. That was the first thing that Peter noticed. She was also lying flat on her face. Peter, crouched next to her and gently turned her over. She was dressed in faded jeans, a grey shirt with a design he didn't recognise, a black denim vest, black boots and, unless she had fallen on them, she had also been wearing pink sunglasses that looked like they were designed for a girl younger than herself. Said pink sunglasses, were now lying broken on the ground where her face had been. There were also quite a small few holes and burns in her clothes that looked pretty fresh. There was a lot of blood on her, and there were too many smells for it o be just hers. Peter wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
In fact, there, Peter couldn't find any visible injuries on her. Not even on the skin that was visible under the holes and burns in her clothes,
'Weird.'
Peter looked up from the girl in his arms just in time to see a rift in space and time seal itself, leaving behind only a filthy brick wall.
"What the fu-"
Spider Sense.
Spidey pulled his head back just in time to avoid two metallic blades which almost stabbed him through the bottom of his chin. A wild, feral scream shot through his ears and Peter instinctively dropped the girl and jumped back, dodging a kick from a foot that had a long metal blade at the end of it, which Peter was pretty certain wasn't there before.
The girl picked herself up faster than he could have possibly expected. She growled at him, with her back slouched forward and arms pulled back, with two sharp metallic blades sticking out from both fists. The blade sticking out of her boot was gone, but now that he was looking closely, Spidey could see that both of her boots had holes the perfect size for the knife that had almost gone through his brain.
Peter raised one of his hands and took a step back, trying to signal to the girl that he wasn't a threat. "Hey, now, it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you."
She just let out another ferocious growl which was honestly a little intimidating, before letting out a scream and lunging at him. Spider-Man dodged the under her attack and then avoided the slashes that followed through a mixture of careful leans and well-timed steps. She tried to stab him with a punch so Peter leaned to the side, but it left him open to a kick from a footclaw.
He narrowly avoided the attack. "Hey, relax, I'm not here to fight you."
But his words seemed to simply fall on deaf ears. Peter jumped onto a dumpster to try and put some distance between himself and the girl. "Listen, just calm down and we can talk about this."
She didn't reply. She just jumped onto the dumpster with him and resumed trying to stab him. Her attacks were wild and frantic, but not unskilled. Definitely not unskilled.
Spidey when she tried to plunge her hand knives through his chest, Peter rolled off the dumpster and she quickly followed. Peter kicked her away just before she could land on him and slice him up into a million tiny pieces. She hit the dumpster with a yell and Peter didn't wait for her to fall before he started firing webs. They pinned the girl to the dumpster and Peter made sure to restrain her arms and legs in such a way that she couldn't cut herself free.
She didn't even slow down. She just continued to growl, and scream and trash against his webbing, desperately trying to break free. Peter really hoped nobody would hear her because that was a conversation he did NOT have the energy to deal with.
"Okay, listen, miss, I need you to calm down." She continues screaming. "You just fell out of a portal, which might be hard to believe but you have those crazy knives coming out of your body so you can probably believe it." More growling and screaming. "Can we just talk, without all of the shouting and yelling, please?"
...
"I'm gonna take that as a no."
Peter sighed and turned away from the girl. A simple web to the mouth was enough to muffle the rest of her growls.
'Is she a zombie?' Peter wondered, 'I hope not. Zombies that still look alive are the last thing I need.'
Peter turned back to the girl who, he was happy to say, was no longer screaming. However, she was still glaring at him, so intensely in fact that it kinda made him uncomfortable. But, he was the superhero and couldn't just leave this girl alone, stuck to a dumpster, especially since he didn't trust her to NOT start stabbing people as soon as she was free.
"Okay lady, listen. I'm Spider-Man and, like I said earlier, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm going to remove you from that dumpster and swing both of us to the roof of this building. When we're there, I'll remove the webbing covering your mouth so we can talk like two rational adults, okay? But I'm keeping you tied up until I'm sure that you're not going to stab me. Understand?"
The girl just continued to glare at him.
"I'm going to take that as a yes."
Getting her to lose without releasing her was pretty awkward, especially since giving her the slightest bit of freedom to move would probably result in Peter getting at least one knife somewhere he doesn't want any knives. But, with some careful planning and quick webbing, Peter was able to remove her from the side of the dumpster without letting her free.
From there, all it took was a quick swing for him to reach the roof before he attached her to an air duct.
"Alright, first things first. Are you hurt? I couldn't tell when I was checking on you earlier."
She shook her head with what little movement she could muster.
"Okay, that's good. Accelerated healing?"
She nodded this time.
"Wow, that's cool. I guess that's why you don't bleed out whenever those claws of yours come out?"
She didn't respond this time. She just stared. Not as bad as the glare but still pretty intense.
"I'm going to remove the webs from your mouth," Peter explained. "Once I do, we're going to have a civil conversation and you will tell me who you are and where you came from. Can you do that?"
For a moment, she didn't do anything. Peter started to wonder if growling and screaming made up her entire vocabulary. Peter really hoped not. His sign language was pretty rusty and he didn't even know if she used the same kind wherever she came from. She had supposedly fallen out of a portal so Peter couldn't really assume. Luckily, she nodded.
Peter sighed in relief. "Alright. I'm going to remove the webbing from your mouth, it might sting a little so be ready. When I do, I want you to tell me who you are and where you came from. Got it?"
This time, the girl didn't respond for even longer. Spidey was wondering what could be causing her to hesitate for such a long time. Eventually, she nodded gain. Her stare didn't waver though.
Peter nodded back to her and took a cautious step forward. He didn't make a single move without carefully consulting his Spider Sense. It remained silent even as he reached for the webs covering her mouth. Careful not to hurt her, Peter ripped off the webs and jumped back in the time it took for a normal person to blink.
For a few seconds, he and the girl just watched each other, both seemingly waiting for something to happen. Peter noted that the red around her mouth, left behind by his webs, was already returning to its natural light colour. Accelerated healing definitely had its perks. Was it also why she seemed to have such perfect skin?
"My name is Laura," Laura introduced herself with a collected tone. "I don't know where I am or how I got here." She hesitated and her eyes shot down in what almost looked like embarrassment. It only lasted for a second before she looked back up at him again. "And..." she bit the inside of her cheek, "I'm... sorry for attacking you."
Peter had to suppress his instinct to laugh. Apologising was obviously not something that came easy to her and she looked so cute doing it. "Okay, apology accepted. Nice to meet you Luara, like I said, I'm Spider-Man. As for where you are, you're in New York. Manhattan to be more specific."
She smirked, "No wonder my nose wants to kill itself."
This time, Peter allowed himself to laugh. "Yeah, I know the feeling. So, based on your question, I'm gonna guess you didn't come here by choice?"
Laura shook her head. "No, I didn't. I'm not even sure how I got here. All I know is that I'm supposed to be dead."
'Well, that's dark.'
"When I found you in that alley, there was a portal next to you. It closed itself just before you woke up and tried to turn me into a spider kebab. My best guess is that that's how you got here."
Laura nodded. "That would explain why I'm not in the Void."
Peter tilted his head to the side. "The Void?" he asked curiously.
"The multiverse's garbage dump at the end of time," she explained nonchalantly with a twinge of annoyance. Not towards him at least.
Peter blinked in surprise. Well, that was definitely new, although he hated how normal such a concept felt to him.
"I'm going to guess it's not a place that you can just leave whenever you feel like it."
Laura shook her head. "Everything that the TVA sends there stays there until Alioth can destroy it."
"I don't even want to know what that last thing is."
Peter hummed as he thought through what he had just been told. Someone from another universe (the end of time?) was suddenly in his universe with no knowledge as to why, which was a scarily familiar situation to him Of course, that meant he knew what he had to do next.
Without saying a word, he walked up to Laura and ripped off the rest of his webs before she could ask what he was doing. When she landed on the gravel surface of the roof they were on, Peter finally noticed just how short she was. He was almost a whole head taller than her.
She honestly looked kinda adorable when she wasn't trying to kill him.
"What are you doing?" Laura asked sternly.
Peter shook his head. Now wasn't the time for loneliness-induced thoughts. He had work to do.
"There's only one man that I know that you can go to for help when holes in the multiverse are randomly opening and swallowing people up. Can you fly?"
Laura raised an eyebrow, "No?"
"Can you teleport? Run really fast?"
"No, and not as fast as you probably want me to."
Peter nodded as he crossed those things off the list, "Alright, get on my back. I'll swing us there."
"What?"
"I'll swing us there. It's the fastest way to the Sanctum."
Laura thought back to the way this guy had used his webs to pull both himself and her onto the roof they were currently on. Was he really going to do that all the way to wherever he wanted to take her?
"What? Scared I'm going to drop you?" Peter asked with a teasing grin, hidden only by his mask.
Red appeared on Laura's face. "No!" she defended herself, "Just... curious if that's really a practical mode of transportation."
"Lady, I've been web-swinging for six years, not counting the five I was dead."
"You died!?"
Peter ignored her question. "Point is, I've been doing this for a long time. You have nothing to worry about."
Laura sighed. She supposed she didn't have any other choice. If she wanted to get any answers, she was going to have to go with Spider-Man. Now that she thought about it, hadn't Johnny mentioned there being a Spider-Man in the Resistance before she appeared? He seemed pretty sensitive about it and she was never curious enough to pry.
Now she was curious.
Laura sighed. "Fine, you can swing us there, but I can hold onto you myself."
"Figured. Just no knives, they're terrible for my joints. Deal?"
Laura rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile.
"Deal."
Notes:
Peter, alone and still mourning Michelle: I'll never find love again.
Laura: *Falls through a hole in time and space and falls on top of him*
Peter: ...Hey.
Laura: ...Hi.
Peter: Just so you know, if you were to kill me right now, I would die happy.
Laura: Good, because I'm considering killing you right now.
Chapter Text
It was official. Laura hated web swinging.
Okay, so maybe the practice itself wasn't that bad. It was a practical traversal method in an urban jungle such as New York. It provided anyone with the ability to do it, such as Spider-Man, a level of manoeuvrability that even fliers would struggle to replicate.
It was even... fun at times. She found constant change between the feelings of falling and flying exhilarating. It didn't help that Spider-Man had this almost infectious air of excitement around him. But she managed to maintain her composure and didn't show anything but stoic silence, even as the man howled with joy with every swing.
So maybe web swinging wasn't that bad. It was even enjoyable at times. What Laura hated about it was the reliance on another person.
The only thing between her and hitting the pavement at the velocity of a speeding car was some guy she met ten minutes ago who showed just a little more maturity than the shitbag who most definitely got Johnny killed. Her keeping her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist could only do so much to maintain her security.
Especially since that very security seemed to be distracting the driver. Johnny could call her a social disaster all he wanted, but it didn't change the fact that she knew the difference between a heartbeat quickened by extensive movement and one that is sped up by... other things.
"Welp, we're here," Spider-Man declared as they landed on the sidewalk of what appeared to be a completely normal street. However, as Laura gladly put her two feet back on the ground, she realised that the building before them was anything BUT normal.
For one, its architecture was very different compared to the buildings around it. Secondly, all of her senses and instincts were whispering to her how off everything about it was. The very air that she was breathing in had felt like it had been energised with something otherworldly.
Despite how off everything about this place off, Spider-Man showed no hesitation as he began heading to the front door of the building. Laura, despite being off-put by the building's very presence, didn't hesitate to follow him up the steps. She didn't want to show any weakness.
None of the pedestrians seem to pay any mind to their sudden appearance. Maybe a few paused to take a quick picture (Laura made sure her face wasn't captured) but besides that, they behaved like there was nothing special about them essentially falling out of the sky and one of them being dressed in bright red and blue. Although, considering where they were standing, maybe that was the case.
Spider-Man turned his head to talk to her as he continued walking up the steps, "Okay, I'm not sure how weird things can get where you come from, but trust me when I say that things are about to get weird."
Laura rolled her eyes. The pair stopped walking, with Spidey now next to the double doors and Laura two steps behind him. "I can handle weird," she assured him firmly.
Spider-Man, to her annoyance, let out a very audible snort of laughter into his hand. He shook his head in amusement and replied, "We'll see about that."
He knocked on the door.
Laura blinked. That's all she did. As soon as her eyes were open again, she was no longer outside the peculiar building.
She immediately unsheathed her claws and released a threatening growl. She spun in a circle, as she carefully scanned her surroundings.
She had appeared in an entryway of some kind. It was wide open with a central staircase which split off into directions. Carpets decorated the floor and couches, tables and much weirder objects were spread all around. And that weird energy she had felt outside the building? It was now stronger than ever.
'We're inside that building,' she quickly concluded.
"Told you things were going to get weird," Spider-Man said far too casually. Laura just glared at him in response. She could practically see the smug smirk that he was wearing under his mask. He was so lucky she wasn't her younger self.
Back then, she wouldn't have hesitated to put two or more claws through him.
"Spider-Man, what a pleasant surprise," an unfamiliar voice echoed through the hall, "and I see you've brought a friend."
Laura turned towards the voice, back towards the staircase. She watched as a man dressed in blue robes and with a red cape flowing behind him floated down the stairs. He greying hair and a well-trimmed goate, and there was a golden amulet hanging down his neck. She glared at the stranger, keeping her guard up and her claws out.
Spider-Man ignored her as he walked up to the man, offering his man, "It's good to see you again, Stephen."
The man landed on his feet in front of Spidey. His eyes fell on the hand offered to him and he... hesitated. It was as if he was surprised the masked individual even considered offering him such a basic courtesy. Laura made sure to make a mental note of it.
After a brief pause, he accepted the offer and shook hands, "It's good to see you as well... Spider-Man."
An awkward silence filled the building as the two let go. Laura couldn't help but wonder what had happened between them. They didn't appear to be on bad terms, but the tension that was filling the room was undeniable.
"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to assume that your visit isn't purely for the pleasures of chatting with a fellow honourary Avenger," the bearded man said cooly. He turned to Laura and gestured to her, "And I get the feeling your friend has something to do with it. Speaking of which, do you mind putting those away? I don't need to have the Sanctum repaired for the second time this week."
"What happened? You forgot another maintenance spell?" Spider-Man asked cheekily.
The man just rolled his eyes. He didn't even bother signifying the question with a response. Laur like that.
Spidey and his whole body slumped forward with 'exhaustion', arms hanging like the leaves of a willow tree. "Fine, straight to the point, I get it. Both of you guys are no fun."
"Laura, this is Doctor Strange, the guy you go to when weird shit is happening. Stephen, this is Laura. I found her passed out in an alley next to a portal which closed itself as soon as I showed up. We were wondering if you knew what could have caused it and if you maybe could make sure that the multiverse isn't crashing into our reality again."
'...what?'
Strange hummed and stroked his beard. "If the multiverse is crashing into our reality again, then at least it isn't our fault this time. At least to my knowledge."
'WHAT?!?'
"Alright," Strange snapped his fingers and began to approach Laura, "this should be a simple matter. Just a quick check-up to make sure your presence won't cause our universe to crash into another one."
Laura took a quick step back. "Don't-" she started only to have her threat cut off when she suddenly found herself suspended in the air with arms and legs welded to her sides. Even her mouth was sealed shut and her tongue was glued to the top of her mouth.
"Don't worry," Strange assured her. "This is a simple procedure. You won't even feel it."
Laura wanted to fight back or at least argue against this but she physically couldn't. All she could really do, besides breathing, was move her eyes. So she looked at Spider-Man to... what? Plead for assurance? From someone she met less than an hour ago? Seriously?
Spidey shot her a thumbs up. Laura just rolled her eyes in response.
'Just get this over with.'
As it turns out, Doctor Stange was right. She didn't feel anything. She wasn't even sure what he did. It looked like he had scooped up the air in front of him before beginning to manipulate a ball of multicoloured light that had come out of nowhere. He hummed a few times and some variations of "Curious," and "Very interesting," were thrown around. Then, the ball of light jumped out of his grip and stretched into an empty circle that wrapped around her. Laura could only watch as lines made from that same everchanging light pulled themselves from the circumference and connected themselves to her.
They didn't hurt. It didn't feel like they were draining anything from her. It actually felt pretty grounding. Secure.
But, before Laura could fully digest these sensations, the light show ended and Laura was dropped to the floor.
It took her a moment to realise that she could move her limbs again. As soon as she did, she quickly stood up, trying to salvage as much of her dignity as possible. When Spider-Man rushed over to help her up, she elbowed him away and gave him her signature glare.
She turned her gaze to Stephen and demanded, "What did you do?"
"I did as Spider-Man asked," Strange explained, "I checked to make sure that your presence here won't destabilise our universe, bring another universe crashing into ours, or is part of some event which will eventually lead to the first two things."
"And?" Spidey edged the sorcerer on.
"She came out clean," Strange explained, "Outside of a few telltale signs that say otherwise, she may as well have been born in this universe. It's as if something has anchored her to our timeline. Miss, can you tell me how it is that you ended up here?"
Laura sighed before shrugging. "I was in the Void, about to be swallowed by Alioth before I fell through the floor and ended up here. That's all I know."
Strange was now skimming through the pages of books that Laura hadn't even seen him grab. In fact, six thick volumes of old, leather-bound texts were suddenly floating around him, their pages wide open.
"I'm assuming that you're referring to the multiverse's garbage dump at the end of time," he said as he turned one of the pages.
"You heard of it?" Spider-Man asked.
The older man smirked in response, "I've been studying up on the multiverse since our last adventure with it. Travelled to a few universes, stopped a few Incurstions, it's not important."
His demeanour suddenly became serious as he turned to face them both.
"Since our new friend originated from the Void, it means that her home timeline has been erased by the TVA, and I doubt she has any intention of returning to her 'previous residence'..."
"You got one thing right."
She had nothing to go back to there. Only the scavenged belongings of her fallen comrades.
"...and seeing as I can't detect any immediate signs of her presence endangering our existence, our only play is to let her stay here while I investigate this further." He then spoke directly to her, "I can show you to a guest room in the Sanctum, make sure you are comfortable." Then his gaze shifted to Spidey, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Spider-Man. I can take it from here."
Spider-Man nodded to Stephen, "I'm... happy I could help."
"...No."
The two locals turned to her in surprise. Laura just stared back blankly at them.
"Pardon?"
"I'm staying with Spider-Man," she stated like it was a fact. In truth, she wasn't sure why she was saying it. Sure, she didn't like the feel of this 'Sanctum' but she was sure she could adjust to it easily enough. Also, she didn't even really know Spider-Man so she couldn't really say that she trusted him more. So why...
"I'm staying with Spider-Man," Laura repeated bluntly.
"Laura.."
"Are you sure?" Strange asked. "We can keep you safe here, and I could introduce you to another girl who knows a thing or two about being stranded in a different universe. Lord knows how much America could use a friend."
"Yeah, I'm sure."
Strange nodded, "Alright, but the choice ultimately falls to Spider-Man."
"Wait... seriously?"
"What, Strange, are you serious?" Spider-Man asked, equally as surprised as Laura, "You're seriously willing to let her out into the wild? I thought you'd want to keep a close eye on her considering... everything."
"And you'd be correct to think that." Strange replied, "However, I can't control everything, and I don't have to. If Laura believes she'll be happier with you then I can't change that. Besides, a roommate might do you some good."
"But, if I let her stay with me, then I'll have to tell her who I am and the last time people knew... May..."
Spider-Man bowed his head, seemingly in mourning, and Doctor Strange followed his example. Laura wasn't sure what they were talking about, and she knew better than to ask.
After a few seconds, Strange lifted his head and spoke again, "Kid, you don't need to suffer alone because of a mistake that we BOTH made." He took a step closer to the masked man, "Now, I've been trying to get you to let me help you for almost a year now, and you obviously don't want that. Laura here, she has no ties to our world. She's a fresh start in more ways than one, and based on those claws, she is more than capable of taking care of herself."
"Strange..."
"Are you happy, Spider-Man?"
The question surprised both Spider-Man and Laura. She watched as the vigilante cautiously stepped back, as if allergic to the question. Laura wondered what his happiness had to do with anything.
"W-what?" he stammered.
"Are you happy?" Strange asked again. "Are you happy with where your life is at the moment? Are you satisfied with what you have accomplished? Do you have friends to share your burdens with? Are you able to make time for yourself?"
"Well- well- well, you see- I- um..."
The stuttering mess of words was enough of an answer. This man, despite his cheerful appearance and unserious attitude, was not happy. Laura wondered why. What happened during that multiverse incident that they keep mentioning?
"Spider-Man," interrupted Strange interrupted his stammering, "You should take her in. I truly believe that such an arrangement will help both of you."
Spider-Man stared blankly back at the sorcerer. His mask did not show what kind of expression was currently hidden behind it. Laura could only wonder what kind of thoughts were currently going through his mind.
Based on what the doctor had said, he seemed to be a lonely man.
Laura bit the inside of her cheek.
She knew the feeling well.
After what seemed like a solid five minutes of awkward silence, Spider-Man finally slumped his shoulders and sighed in defeat, "Fine. She can stay with me." He then turned to Laura and pointed an accusatory finger at her, "So long as you swear that you're not secretly a supervillain that is going to ruin my life."
Laura blinked in surprise. That had been... incredibly blunt. "I... swear?"
Laura internally cursed herself out for that answer. Even she wasn't convinced by it, but somehow it was enough for them.
"Good, now that that's out of the way," Strange declared, "There's one thing we must do before I can let you be on your way."
"Whaaaaaaa--"
Laura wasn't sure what had happened. Strange had pinched the air by her mouth and the next thing that she knew, it was like he was pulling her words out like they were tissues from a box. He seemed to now be moulding something out of yellow, blue and black light. Before she could question what he had done or was in the process of doing, the lights faded and he was suddenly holding a bundle of something out to her.
"Here, you're probably going to need these."
She took the pile into her hands and picked out the topmost item. It was a driver's licence with her face on. Shifting through the other papers, Laura found a birth certificate, medical records, bank papers, a passport and pretty much every other form of identification and legal history that she could need.
"This is..."
"Legal documents proving that you exist," Strange explained, "It's a nifty little spell I learned recently. It basically copied your legal papers from multiple universes and compiled them into something that will fit into ours. Databases around the world have also been updated to acknowledge your existence."
"Wow, that sounds pretty useful," Spidey commented.
Laura couldn't help but agree and she pulled out her driver's licence again, and this time read it more carefully. Everything appeared to be accurate, although she seemed to have been born a few years earlier. It made sense since, according to the expiration date of the licence, she was in an earlier time period. If this was her universe, she wouldn't be escaping Rice and his labs with the other kids for another four years.
Her eyes then drifted to her name.
"Kinney?" she asked.
She never had a surname before, at least not one that stuck. Whenever she needed one, she would come up with something basic like 'Smith' or 'Johnson'. She had never used 'Kinney' before.
"From what I have gathered from my brief look into your many lives across the multiverse, in most worlds, your mother, Sarah Kinney, was the head geneticist in the program that created you. She was the one who gave you your name. The spell likely found it appropriate to give you the same surname as your counterparts. Oh, and I'm sorry for what you had gone through and for intruding."
Well, that was a surprise, but not one she should dwell on.
Laura nodded, "Thank you."
Strange smiled, "Happy to help. Now, you both should probably get going. I'm sorry to cut your visit short but there are other matters that I must attend to. If I don't get back to Kamar-Taj soon. America will probably try to send one of her instructors to another universe again."
Spider-Man nodded. He waved to the doctor and began to turn back to eh door, "Right, thanks for all of the help, Stephen. Come on, Laura."
"I'm not web swinging again," she said sternly. "Especially not while carrying all of this."
Spider-Man groaned and headed back to her. "Strange?" he asked meekly.
He smirked at him, "Already on it. Just hold her hand, think of your destination and I'll send you there without having to learn your address."
"Thanks."
He wrapped his arm around her elbow without any hesitation, as her hands were very much full. Laura's face burned red and before she could shake him off, a flash of white light engulfed her vision.
The next thing Laura knew was the pain of falling onto a wooden floor. She lost her grip on her legal papers and they scattered all over the floor. She groaned as she opened her eyes to see a mouldy-coloured ceiling. Turning her head around, Laura saw that she had landed in the middle of a crowded apartment.
'Clearly being Spider-Man doesn't pay well,' she mused.
Next to her, Spider-Man was already picking himself off the ground.
"It's official," he mumbled as he swiped the dust off his clothes, "Magic portals are ten times better than instant teleportation."
Laura figured it would be better to get off the floor as well. When she stood up, she commented, "Your place smells like shit."
Spidey sighed. He was already picking her papers off the floor. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure something died in the walls but Mr Ditkovich refuses to do anything about it. I think it's meant to be some kind of punishment for being late on rent so many times."
"That... doesn't sound sanitary."
"It's not, but if I can shake off the poison from the tail of a mechanized scorpion then a few dead rats won't do anything to me."
In a few short moments, they had gathered all of Laura's new legal documents and placed them on the kitchen counter. Laura took the time took look over the apartment and noticed just how tiny and barren it was. It kind of reminded her of her cell, just a lot filthier and a few extra appliances.
"You can sleep on the bed," Spider-Man said casually as he dangled upside down from the ceiling from a single strand of webbing.
"What about you?" Laura asked as she looked around again and... yep. There definitely wasn't a couch that she had missed. "I don't have a problem sleeping on the floor. I've done it in worse places."
"Not happening. You are my guest you deserve the best I can offer. As for me, I can arrange my own sleeping quarters.
He fried two webs and two walls on either side of each other before connecting the two strands together. He then built off the singular line and began to widen it. Just as Laura realised he was doing, her new roommate was lying comfortably in a web hammock.
"Not bad."
"Thanks. A little trick I learned during a particularly boring stakeout."
"So," Laura took a step towards him, her arms crossed, "When are you going to show me?"
He raised his head slightly from the hammock, "I don't follow. Show you what?"
Laura sighed and rolled her eyes. How could one man be this annoying? At least he wasn't as bad as the other guy dressed in red that she had met today."
"Your face," she said bluntly, "I can't live with you without knowing your name."
Spider-Man groaned and sunk back into the hammock, not wanting to face her piercing gaze.
"Do I have to?" he asked pathetically, "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
Laura rolled her eyes. She didn't have the patience for this. It had been a long several years for her and right now she just wanted to go to sleep.
"Come down here and take off that mask or I cut that hammock in half," she ordered sternly.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming. There's no need to get your claws in a twist."
He landed on his feet directly in front of her. She needed to lift her head up to meet the gaze of his white lenses.
"Do you promise not to tell anyone what I'm about to show you?" he asked seriously.
Laura rolled her eyes. "Who am I supposed to tell? My father?"
"That's... a good point, I guess. Alright, I guess there's no delaying it.
His gloved hand came up to his mask and grabbed the cloth. For a moment, it just stayed like that, then with a reluctant tug, he pulled off the mask, revealing a handsome face with fluffy chocolate-coloured hair.
He awkwardly rubbed his mask in his hands and flashed her a smile that was just as awkward.
"Hi, um, my name is, uh, Peter Parker. It's... nice to meet you, Laura."
Laura just stared blankly at him. She was so stunned that she didn't notice her heart skip a beat.
"It's uh, nice to meet you too, Peter."
Notes:
Laura: So mutants don't exist here?
Peter: Not as far as I'm aware. Although the number of unexplained enhanced individuals has been growing since the Blip. Should probably look into that.
Laura: What's the Blip?
Peter: The Blip refers to the five years when half of all life in the universe, including me, was dead before the Avengers used time travel to bring all of us back and defeated a past version of the purple alien that caused it.
Laura: ...What the fuck is wrong with your universe?
Peter: Great question. I'll be sure to answer it as soon as Captain America is done fighting the president.
Chapter 3: Comics
Summary:
Laura doesn't know anything about the heroes of her new home. Peter gets an idea on how to catch her up.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
As it turns out, moving to a new universe is not nearly as fun as people claim it is.
At least it wasn't for Laura.
In fact, she found it pretty boring.
One of the first things Laura had learned about Spider-Man, besides his name, was that he was a very reclusive man. You wouldn't guess it based on his attitude and bright costume, but he went to great lengths just to avoid her. In the two weeks Laura had spent in his apartment, she'd only seen him late in the evening or early in the morning, during which time he was either sleeping, working on his gear or inhaling his portion of the takeout. All other hours of the day were dedicated to fighting crime and whatever else he did.
The only exception to this had been when he took her clothes shopping the week before.
He didn't say much during the trip, and Laura assumed it was because of how flustered he was that it took him that long to realise she didn't have any clothes. Thus, the sudden visits to multiple Goodwills and thrift stores to buy her new wardrobe.
Peter seemed to be physically hurt any time they arrived at the checkout.
Besides that, Laura's days were spent locked inside the dingy apartment. They were spent either reading or performing basic exercises. At first, Laura worked on familiarising herself with her new legal documents. When she knew her fake information better than most people knew their legal information, she moved on to Peter's textbooks.
She wanted to make sure that the laws of physics between their realities were the same. She didn't look like an idiot when someone explained to her that water evaporates when it gets cold or something equally ridiculous. She was surprised that a lot of the stuff in Peter's books was more advanced than even she could grasp. Peter hadn't stuck her as intellectually gifted, especially at such an advanced level.
However, even with her new hobby of trying to decipher Peter's textbooks, she quickly grew bored again. The apartment was so small that she had it cleaned in just a day. Peter had pretty much no books noneducation based which interested her. She hadn't owned a phone since she was sent to the Void, and the idea of someone as broke as him owning a TV was laughable.
Needless to say, life was boring.
"You know that you're free to go out whenever you like, right?" Peter asked one day after she had expressed her plight. Dinner was one of the few times she could potentially have a conversation with Peter, even if she usually didn't try to start one. It was also always takeout (cooking was off the potential entertainment list since Peter was, again, too broke to buy proper food), but Laura didn't mind. It gave her the chance to eat her precious Number 25 with chicken as often as possible.
Laura figured dinner was the best time for her to bring up her troubles. It's not something she did often, but at this rate was going to end up doing something stupid, and a part of her wanted to have a conversation with her roommate, which lasted longer than thirty seconds.
"I've never been to New York before," Laura explained, biting into her Chinese food, "and even if I have, there's no telling how different our worlds are. Outside of the general layout of the city, there may be laws or social norms that I am not aware of. Simple questions which I won't have the answers to."
"Huh, good point."
The awkward silence took over the apartment again. Of course, it wasn't true silence, not in New York and especially with her senses. Thought that didn't make the lack of conversation any less frustrating. Peter was actively avoiding talking, and Laura was getting sick of being the one who had to keep the conversation going. Desperate for anything to keep the suffocating silence away, Laura brought up something she hadn't even shared with the resistance in the Void.
"This wouldn't be as bad if I had my comics."
Peter blinked in surprise and leaned forward a little. "Comics?"
Laura nodded and shot him a light glare. "Before the TVA pruned me, sent me to the Void, I had a small comic collection back in my home universe. Got a problem with that?"
Peter shook his head quickly. "No, of course not. You just didn't strike me as the sort to read comics. If you don't mind me asking, what were they about?"
"The X-Men," she answered.
"Who?"
Peter tilted his head to the side, confusion evident. Laura blinked in surprise. Johnny and some of the others had mentioned the X-Men not existing in their worlds, but she hadn't ever thought about it. For one, she had bigger concerns to deal with. Secondly, Gambit had been there before she arrived, so he had already filled all of them in on it. Now though...
"They were a superhero team in my universe, as in they actually existed. I'm guessing that isn't the case here?"
Peter shook his head. "If it is, then it's news to me. Our main superhero team is the Avengers, but their status right now is ambiguous. Things just haven't been the same since the Blip."
"Blip?"
She'd seen the word on some of her documents (apparently she had 'Blipped'), but they didn't specify what that meant.
Peter's gaze became downcast, and Laura felt the temperature in the room drop. A shadow covered Peter's eyes and Laura got the uncomfortable feeling that she had just intruded on some deep, personal tragedy. If the silence before was suffocating, now it was actively sucking the air from the lungs and drowning her in gravel and sand. She hated.
"That didn't happen to you then," Peter mumbled. "Heh, lucky you."
Laura bit her tongue. She didn't trust herself enough to make this tense situation worse. She couldn't imagine how something called 'The Blip' could invoke such intense emotion. The way Peter was looking right now... he looked like the others whenever they remembered... THAT place.
"I'll probably have to tell you about it eventually," Peter continued. "I'm starting to think there is a lot I need to fill you in on. I should have started sooner. Sorry."
Laura didn't say anything. She feared that anything which left her mouth would cause an unwanted reaction.
"There's a comic book store a few blocks from here," Peter revealed. "I doubt there'll be anything X-Men related, but it'll probably be a good way to help get you adjusted to the heroes we have here. Also, Aunt May would kill me if she found out I was keeping a girl cooped up in here."
That last part got a short, humourless laugh out of him. Laura decided not to pry. She was finally going to leave this shitty apartment and maybe even pick up something to entertain herself with. She was not going to risk losing this opportunity.
"When do we leave?"
///
Laura hadn't realised just how used she had gotten to walking through barren wastelands with little to no people until she stepped onto New York Street. There were so many different sounds that they all felt like jackhammers against her enhanced hearing. Every bit of the footpath seemed to be taken up by someone, leaving barely any room to even take a proper step. And the smell... lord, it made her father smell like flowers in spring by comparison.
Needless to say, her first venture outside was not off to a good start.
"Careful. I'd rather not lose you before we cross the street." Peter joked with a slight smirk.
Laura just rolled her eyes. Despite her semi-isolation inside his apartment, she had not missed his jokes.
"I can track you down before you even realise I'm gone."
Peter smirked, "Considering how you knew that the meat in my burger from last week had gone bad before I did, I'll believe you."
Before Laura could reply, some asshole shoved her aside.
"Watch where you're going, bitch," he glared at her as he walked past. He was a foot taller than her and probably weighed 70 pounds more than her. Easy pickings.
Laura growled and was already halfway to turning around to confront him when Peter grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.
"You'll have plenty of time to curse assholes out later," he stated. "But can we save it for after we have lunch?"
"...fine," she grumbled and continued to follow him without needing to be dragged.
It wasn't until they were right outside of the store that Laura realised that Peter was still holding onto her. She made sure to rectify that immediately and shook him off. She even shot him her standard glare, which he winced under. Good. He deserved it.
Although... why did her hand suddenly feel so cold?
It was a decently sized corner store. It was probably enough for casual fans, but Laura doubted it could satisfy the more serious fans. It was called 'Stan's Timely Comics'. The store was painted in three primary colours, and its windows were decorated with posters and collector items. It was a splash of colour in an otherwise drab and honestly filthy city. It had a nice, wholesome feel to it. Laura decided that she liked it.
A little bell rang when they entered, and Laura had to squint her eyes to shield herself from the brightness. If the outside was colourful, then the inside was a fucking rainbow. Every shelf was colour-coded and had a large cut-out of whichever hero's comics were on it hanging above it. Statues decorated every corner, and masked faces stared at her from every surface. It was honestly kinda intense.
"Alright, so I'm going to go see if there's anything affordable in the Star Wars section," Peter explained. "I'll see you in a bit."
"What?"
"I recommend picking something from the 'Based on True Stories' section of the store. See ya."
"Parker, get-" but before she could finish her command, he was gone, hidden by ailes of comics and gaggles of nerds.
Laura sighed. Of course, he was going to disappear the first chance he got. She shouldn't have been surprised. Of course, his isolationist nature wasn't going to disappear overnight, but Laura still felt disappointed. He was making her seem social, and she was getting sick of it.
She could go after him, but he'd just come up with another excuse to get away from her. Her best bet was to just do as he suggested and either let him come to her or come to him when she was ready to leave. She sighed again and headed for the sales he had suggested.
Laura was surprised by how many individual heroes had an entire stand-alone series dedicated to them. The X-Men usually came as a packaged deal. That didn't seem to be the case here. Iron Man. Captain America. Ant-Man. Captain Marvel. Black Panther. The Norse God of Thunder, Thor? Laura quickly skimmed the first issue to check that it wasn't just some doctor who found a hammer in a cave or something, but nope. Apparently, gods were real, and they walked amongst humans in this universe.
Laura made a mental note to ask Peter about that when she had the chance.
The selves dedicated to the exploits of the Avengers were the least stocked, clearly the most popular item, but there was still enough for you to pick something out from a large collection. Laura's eyes fell on the volumes titled, 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame'. Both featured an ominouss figure looming over the Avengers, a beast with purple skin and empty eyes, armed with an ominous golden gauntlet.
Both volumes also had trigger warnings on their covers. Laura figured she'd leave those for later.
Laura pinched the bridge of her nose. This was getting frustrating. The whole point of this expedition was that it was supposed help introduce her to the history of this universe, but she had no idea where she was supposed to begin.
Did she start with the first issue of the Avengers, skipping all of their origins? Or maybe she should read Captain America: The First Avenger, which, based on the uniforms of the soldiers on the covers, was set during World War 2. Or maybe she could go even further back and immerse herself in the thousands of years' worth of exploits of the God of Thunder.
She considered picking something about Spider-Man, just to annoy Peter, but that was on the 'Secret Identity' shelf, so Laura doubted those would be very informative.
"Need help?"
It took every ounce of self-control for Laura not to stab the person who had snuck up on her. She must have dropped her guard at some point during her time in Peter's apartment, but her time in the Void and life in general still left her jumpy. The only reason this girl didn't have two adamantium blades through her chest was because of how young she sounded.
Laura turned around to face the one who had snuck up on her.
The girl was a bit taller than Laura, but also definitely younger. She was likely in her mid-teens. She had brown skin and dark brown, almost black hair which reached past her shoulders. She wore a worn pair of red and white sneakers, denim jeans, a faded grey t-shirt with the Avengers logo on it and a plad overshirt. She didn't appear out of shape, but Laura doubted she could put up much of a fight.
However, Laura decided to keep her guard up.
"Excuse me?" she asked, not exactly trying to sound polite.
"I was just wondering if you needed any help," the girl elaborated nervously. "You've been browsing for a while, and I was just wondering if you wanted some help. I, heh, don't mean to brag, but I'm a bit of an expert on superheroes and their merchandise." She said that last bit too smuggly.
"I'm Kamala, by the way," she said as she offered Laura her hand.
"Laura." She took it.
"Great to meet you, Laura. Now, back to the situation at hand, like I've already said, you've been browsing for a bit, and I just wanted to know if there was any way that I could help."
Laura's first instinct was to brush her off. She should be able to handle something as simple as picking a comic. But, after a moment of consideration, Laura figured that it wouldn't hurt. She didn't know where to even start, and the clock was ticking. Also, she doubted Peter would be much help, despite being a subject in some of these books. He didn't seem like the type who'd like to relive the memories inside of these pages.
"I would appreciate that, yes."
Kamala flashed her one of the widest, most innocent smiles that Laura had ever seen. It was somehow enough to relax her nerves, and it was enough for her instincts to go, 'Yeah, you can trust her'.
"So, what are you looking for exactly?"
Laura paused as she thought through her answer carefully. She couldn't just say, 'I'm not from this universe, and I know nothing about the superheroes from around here.' Or could she?
"I recently moved here and need something to do in my free time," she explained almost casually. "I also never really followed the Avengers, so I know embarrassingly little about them. I used to read local comics as a kid so a friend recommended I pick up some of theirs. Two birds, one stone."
Kamala hummed and nodded to Laura's words. It wasn't a lie. Laura had told the truth but left out some of the more outlandish details. Telling half a truth is always easier than coming up with a lie.
Kamala nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. If it's alright with you, I'm going to act like you know nothing about the Avengers and all of the ways that they saved the world."
"That's perfect." Laura struggled to suppress a smile.
"Okay." Kamala walked over to one of the shelves and pulled out a decently sized volume. "This should work." She handed it to Laura. Looking at the cover, Laura saw it featured six of the colourful heroes that had been surrounding her since she stepped into the store and some guy with an eypatch, standing in the middle of a city that was clearly under attack. The title read, 'Avengers Assemble', with the subheading, 'The Story of how Earth's Mightiest Heroes came to be'.
"This is a great starting point," Kamala explained. "It does a great job at reintroducing you to the individual characters, so even someone who has spent centuries under a rock can pick this up and read it without bothering with the origin issues. Of course, if you want to know the characters better, then the origin issues are a must- no question. Although I recommend keeping an eye out for the more fictional stories. They're good, but they're not exactly accurate."
"Then why were they written?"
"Why are cop shows made? A lot of cool stories can be told about these guys, even if they didn't happen. Don't worry, the publishers are legally required to include visible notices on comics that didn't actually happen, so nobody gets confused. Just don't bring them up during power-scaling debates. Trust me, it's never pretty."
Laura nodded as she absorbed all of the information that Kamala was throwing at her.
She thought back to what Logan, her Logan, had said when he saw her X-Men comics. According to him, only a quarter of it happened. It was probably a similar case here. Either that or he was drunk for the other three quarters. She never got the chance to ask.
Laura smirked. "Thanks, I appreciate it. Is there anything else I should know?"
Kamala hummed in careful consideration. "If you had to pick any of the origin comics before reading that, I'd say take Captain America and Thor. Those two do the most to set up for their eventual team-up. Also, do NOT read the comics in chronological order. There is an order at the back of every 'Canon' comic. If you ever decide to read everything, stick to it. You can read all of the offshoots and 'fillers,' as we in the fandom call the stories which never happened, whenever you feel like it."
"Sounds good. Thanks again"
Kamala flashed that same smile she had earlier. It was so sweet that a part of Laura was worried it would give her teeth cavities.
"Happy to help... shit, I promised Bruno I'd be back in five minutes. Gotta run. Bye!"
Without any hesitation, Kamala rushed away from Laura, grabbing a comic that the assassin didn't even get the chance to see. She was gone before Laura could wish her goodbye. Despite herself, she allowed herself to smile a little. That was the first conversation she'd had that wasn't weighed down by who knows how much emotional baggage in a long time. It felt nice.
Finding Peter wasn't that difficult. He was crouched by the shelf with the cutout man in a black mask and with a red sword hanging over him. Laura couldn't tell if he was actually searching for something or if he just wanted to look like he was. Either way, he seemed distracted.
A simple finger flick to the temple was enough to get his attention.
"Ow, what was that for?" he demanded, rubbing his head.
Laura just rolled her eyes. "You ditched me," she stated firmly, discreetly rubbing her finger. She was pretty certain that she hurt it more by doing that than him. He didn't need to know that.
"Okay, fair enough," he admitted as he stood up. "You found something?"
Laura held up the Avengers comic for him to see. Peter nodded, and he appeared to be relieved. Now Laura was wishing she had also gotten one that had him on the cover.
"Good pick. Let's go to the check out."
Laura didn't ask why he wasn't getting anything for himself. The way he cringed when the cashier told them the price, just like when they were shopping for her new wardrobe, told her everything that she needed to know. He pulled out all of the cash in his wallet and handed it over to the employee. Now Laura was glad she had picked out only one comic, despite Kamala's suggestion.
As the pair silently left the store, Laura began doing the math. Peter didn't strike her as someone with a lot of expendable income. She doubted that being a vigilante who lived on his lone some would allow for such a thing. Her appearance had also likely doubled his expenses, and what was she doing? Getting him to buy her comics just so she wouldn't be bored?
That... didn't feel right.
Halfway back to the apartment, Laura said, "I'm going to get a job."
"What?"
"I'm going to get a job," Laura said again. "I've been mooching off you for two weeks now while my legal documents sit in your apartment, gathering dust."
"Laura, you don't have to do that. Really. You're still new to this universe and-"
"Can you afford rent this month?" Laura asked seriously.
Peter flinched back awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. He wanted to lie, to not admit how empty his bank account was becoming. Selling selfies to JJJ just wasn't covering it, even with him patrolling for over sixteen hours a day. But the glare that Laura was giving him...
"Not unless I starve myself for most of it," he admitted reluctantly.
"Exactly," Laura said.
"But-"
"Talk to me for more than ten minutes a day, and I'll figure out everything I need to know about how things work here. You're not talking me out of this. Besides, I've been doing odd jobs for most of my life. I don't have a reason not to help you."
She looked at Peter and offered him a soft smile.
"How hard can it be?"
Notes:
Strange: Greetings, Spider-Man. It is good to see you again. How can I assist you?
Peter, holds up Laura like a cat: Can I keep her?
Strange: Wha- excuse me?
Peter: She fell out of a hole in time and space and I wanna know if I can keep her without almost breaking reality... again.
This probably would've fit better with the previous chapter and vice versa. Oh well.
Laura: Say yes or I'll strangle you with your cape.
Chapter 4: The Suit
Summary:
Peter is being reckless while on patrol, and Laura is growing sick of it. She wants to watch over him, she can do it only under one condition.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Welcome to Infinity Conez, where your desserts are made in a snap and the prices are halved. How may I serve you?"
The idiot on the other side of the counter just stood there as a very long and unpleasant sound left his mouth. In return, she could only stare daggers as the boy, who looked like he had never seen a real woman in his pathetic life, just gawked. Laura sighed. Her head dropped in frustration, and her long, dark hair fell forward. This wasn't the first time something like this happened, but it was the first time that it lasted this long.
In the back of her head, she remembered her boss's lectures about treating the customers with respect. Right now though, Laura didn't really give a damn.
"The menu's up there, jackass," she snapped harshly, pointing up at the aforementioned menu.
That finally pulled the overly sheltered high schooler out of his daze. Normally, their brains were developed enough to do it alone, but today was a long shift.
"Oh, right. Sorry," he stuttered before forcing his gaze to said menu.
'Son of a bitch,' Laura quietly cursed. She'd hoped he would've at least had a flavour in mind if he had time to gawk.
She honestly should've expected this when she decided to get a job. She knew that she was going to have to deal with annoying customers, but she'd assumed that she could handle it, when in reality, she couldn't deal with people in most circumstances. Now here she was, on the second hour of her shift, not even with a month of experience working at the place, and she was already using up every ounce of her will just to keep her claws from unsheathing.
Laura didn't know which customers were worse. The ones who keep forgetting how to talk, or the ones who talk too much. She'd had to deal with twelve different assholes who only came into the store to complain since the week started and it was only Wednesday. Four of them were throwing a tantrum about how the parlour was making a mockery of the lives ruined by the Blip. Laura, who wasn't in charge of marketing and had no control over the brand, told them to just go to the Ben and Jerry's down the street if it bothered them so much.
At least the customers who needed to be reminded how to order tipped her well for her troubles.
Laura grumbled as she pulled at the collar of her yellow uniform. For a country-wide business which originated in fucking Asgard, Infinity Conez had stupidly limited uniform sizes. It tugged her in all of the wrong places, and she would probably die if she decided to wear it while on the run. Even Peter was appalled when he saw her in the uniform for the first time. He couldn't bring himself to look at her for long, and he kept his face covered.
"Sir, are you going to order soon? At this rate, the ice cream will melt before it even leaves the freezer."
Normally, Laura had a little more patience, but she wasn't in a very good mood today. Peter had returned from patrol with a sprained ankle, which Laura had to treat. When she woke up the following morning, he was already gone, with the evidence of her hard work discarded. So, needless to say, she was not in a good mood.
'Idiot is going to get himself even more hurt,' was the thought always weighing on her mind since the day started.
"Right, s-sorry," the goblin stammered at her question. That was what he was, Laua decided. A little basement goblin too stupid to talk to people in real life. He even smelled like one, too. "I'll, uh- I'll have the Star Spangled Sundae"
Laura's brow twitched. That was one of the hardest items on the menu. Only the Infinity Goblet and the Rainbow Bridge surpassed it. Did this guy not know how hard it is to pour three different sauces in the shape of three different stars on scoops of differently flavoured ice-cream, decorated with ice shavings, nuts several other things?
'Do you get a kick out of pushing my patience, you pathetic bastard?'
"Right away, sir," Laura said with a forced smile. "Will there be anything else?"
'Say yes, and I will make sure each scoop you get is rock solid.'
"Um, I-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence as a sudden crash echoed through the building. She ducked instinctively as a red and blue blur rocketed through the parlour and smashed into the sprinkle dispensers behind Laura. Her coworkers and some customers screamed at the sudden appearance. The still blur flopped onto the tiled floor as multicoloured and multishaped sprinkles, chocolate nuts, and cookie crumbs fell around like a taste Niagara Falls.
Laura immediately recognised who it was.
While everyone was rushing either to the front door or the back, she crouched down next to the figure.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed.
Peter, in his full Spider-Man get-up, groaned, "Fighting crime."
Laura just rolled her eyes. "More like getting your ass kicked by it."
The former weapon in training looked over Peter's body. His suit was torn in several places, but not so badly that a new one would have to be made. She could see some bleeding cuts and a small handful of developing bruises through some of the tears. His right lens was also cracked. Seeing him so beat up, it made something inside Laura squirm.
"Rude. You don't know what I'm up against right now."
As if to answer the question of what Spider-Man was up against, someone with a very thick Russian accent and a booming voice commanded, "Stop hiding, Spider-Man! Come out and face the might of the RHINO!!!"
"Why don't you come here and face me yourself, Aleksei?" Peter called out to the obvious villain as he slowly picked himself off the floor. "I thought nothing could stop the might of the Rhino. Are you scared of a little frozen desert?"
"I am not going to destroy a perfectly good ice-cream shop. The Rhino knows his limits!"
Laura could tell that not even Peter had expected that kind of response. They turned to each other, and he just shrugged. Turning back to the hole he had made, Peter yelled, "Um, that is very nice of you, Aleksei. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you once I finish kicking you your butt."
"Come out and prove it then!"
Pete stretched his arms. "Welp, break time's over. Sorry for smashing up your place. I'm sure they'll have the window and the sprinkles replaced by tomorrow."
"I'm coming with you," Laura declared as she unsheathed her dual claws from her fists. She was about to walk over to the counter to jump over it when Peter suddenly pulled her back.
"No," he said with more gravity than Laura had ever heard in his voice. He sounded more serious than when he explained the SuperHero Civil War or the Blip to her. Laura still couldn't believe that they named the genocide of half of all life in the universe The Blip, or that she worked in a fucking ice-cream parlour based on it.
"Why not?" she growled.
"You don't have a suit, and even if you had a mask in your pocket right now, which I honestly doubt would even fit in there, you'd still be too recognisable in that uniform."
"So? You need my help."
"I'll be fine. I've fought worse than some overgrown clown with a skin condition. There's no need for you to throw away your chance at a new life over this."
"You are being dramatic."
Suddenly, as if he had teleported, Spider-Man's emotionless mask was right in front of her face. "No. I'm not," he said coolly. Laura's body froze. Her heart hammered against her chest, and the air trapped in her throat kept her silent. "I know what happens when you don't have a strong wall to divide the mask and your face. I saw how both lives destroy each other when they come into contact." He inched closer. "I lost everything because I was careless with my identity. I'm not letting you make the same mistake just so that you can drag both of us down that hell hole."
Laura didn't say anything. She could only look into Spider-Man's half-cracked eyes, which hid who lay underneath. And yet, she could see the fear and desperation in the chocolate brown eyes that not even the impassive white could hide. Not from her.
"What happened to you?" she asked softly.
Peter didn't answer. He simply turned around and rushed to the window that he had crashed through.
Laura bit her lip as she watched the shattered window. She could hear the sounds of battle building up again, but her mind was elsewhere. This conversation had reminded her that, even though Peter was now taking the time to talk to her more, explaining this crazy universe to her, she still didn't know a lot about him. Most of her information about him came from the extremely biased news and the social media posts, which she was looking through thanks to her new phone.
This brief conversation had cemented an assumption she had in the back of her mind. Peter took secret identities extremely seriously, his own especially.
Now, if only she could learn why...
///
Moonlight illuminated Peter's apartment. Peter was crouched over his desk with the bulb of the desk lamp spitting light over him. He was hard at work repairing the damage his suit had sustained from his fight with Rhino. Laura, who had long ago traded her uniform for her Goodwill wardrobe, watched from the spot on the kitchen counter where she sat.
When she had returned from her shift, she decided to let Peter be for the time being. He could tend to his own injuries. It wasn't until a few hours later that Peter returned from his patrol, even though he had defeated Rhino ages ago. She had long ago learned that Peter made his money from selling photos of himself fighting crime to the Daily Bugle, Spider-Man's biggest critics, which she assumed was one of the reasons he spent so much time as Spider-Man.
Laura personally found the irony pretty funny, but decided to keep that to herself.
Now, she just silently stared as he worked the needle and thread. There was something oddly mesmerising about watching him work. The way he was able to move the needle with inhumane precision, the way he used his powers in small ways, like sticking the strings to his fingers, to make life easier for himself, the utter silence and concentration he worked with, it all made her wonder what else he could do when he put his mind to it.
She could spend the whole night just watching him work.
As she observed, simply appreciating the view, it gave her mind to wander, to think. Stray thoughts, ideas and memories kept floating past her gaze. Peter's words in the parlour, how reclusive he was to her compared to the footage of his superhero identity, her childhood adventures, stories of protecting innocent lives and fighting evil from the Resistance members and the yellow and blue suit the variant of her father wore.
All of these thoughts, all of these memories, were free to circle around her mind, fading in and out of each other, seemingly waiting for her subconscious to make some kind of connection.
Laura's eyes widened as an idea appeared in her mind. It was stupid, and yet, she couldn't throw it away. She forced her gaze to move from Peter, who had just replaced the broken lens and looked so proud himself, to the window.
The night of New York looked back at her. There were so many lights, yet it was still so dark. So dark and cold that you wouldn't guess that it was summer. Maybe...
Peter put his mask aside and got to work on the final touches. He didn't want to look like he had pulled his suit from the back of the closet, especially after all of the effort he put into fixing it. That would just suck. His entire livelihood depended on looking good for the camera, which, now that he was thinking it out loud, made him sound like a diva.
'Tony would be proud.'
That last thought brought up memories that Peter would rather stay buried. So he pushed them aside and turned his attention back to the stitching of his suit. Just as he was reaching for his scissors...
"Could you make me one?"
Peter let out a very manly scream as he tactically dropped what he was holding and bravely jumped away from where the question had come from. At least he was still on his chair, even if he was hanging onto it with only one butt cheek. Laura had suddenly appeared right next to him, hanging over his shoulder like she was some kind of hawk.
Her eyes bore into him with that same cool, stoic neutrality that he was growing accustomed to, but he could now make out hints of curiosity and amusement. Peter didn't appreciate that.
"Laura," he gasped, "You scared the shit out of me."
"Sorry," Laura said bluntly, not sounding very sorry.
Peter sighed as he fixed his seat. It was his fault for letting his guard down. He had gotten mostly used to living alone, and now he was rooming with someone he was 90% sure was, or at least used to be, some kind of assassin. For all the shit that Laura gave him for now talking about himself, she kept her past pretty close guarded as well. All he had to work with was what was mentioned by Strange, which wasn't a lot, but it still painted a bleak picture.
"It's fine, he mumbled. "I should have been paying more attention. Now, what do you need? I didn't catch it when you said it earlier."
"Because you were too busy screaming?"
"...Just answer the question before I web you to the ceiling."
Laura rolled her eyes and pointed to the bundle of red and blue that was Peter's suit. "I was wondering if you could make me a suit."
Peter blinked in surprise. "You want a suit?"
"Yes."
"You want me to make you a suit?"
"Yes."
"A super suit?"
"Not what I would call it, but yes."
"For you?"
"Answer the fucking question before cut off your tongue out," Laura answered calmy as she popped out her claws.
"Okay, relax, it just took me by surprise, that's all."
Peter spun his chair around so he could face Laura. The hints of amusement in her stoic expression were now replaced by annoyance, which was much easier to spot. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. Purposfully annoying people, even outside of Spider-Man, was a bad habit he had recently started developing since the incident. But with results like this, he couldn't bring himself to care. Besides, it all balanced out with his usual politeness.
"You didn't strike me as the kind who would want to run around in red and blue spandex, calling yourself a cheesy nickname like Spider-Girl."
Peter was fairly certain that he saw a vein throb in Laura's forehead at the comment.
She then surprised him again, leaning forward, grabbing the armrests of his chair and pushing her face so close to his that a light breeze could make them make... contact. Red flushed Peter's face so intensely that it matched his mask. tried to lean back, but his chair blocked his escape, and Laura's rather impressive pair of legs kept him caged from the other side. He didn't need to break eye contact with her soul-damning glare to know just how close her chest was to his.
He was trapped in the opening of a teenager's wet dream.
"I'm not going to be your sidekick," Laura whispered, her words somehow sending a shiver down Peter's spine. "You are out there, day and night, reckless and untrained, picking fights against without any care if they're three times your size or if they outnumber and outgun you fifty to one. Someone's going to have to babysit you, and since you're so insistent on always throwing such a fuss about it, I'll wear a 'work uniform' to do it."
"O-h oaky...
"I have some designs in mind."
"Well, I-I guess, I should hear them out."
///
Peter was genuinely impressed by Laura's ideas, and he did his best to stick as close to them as possible. Of course, he couldn't fulfil all of her requests. She wanted something that would protect her but wouldn't affect her movement, with the latter taking priority. Now, Peter didn't have access to whatever DD made his suits out of, and he doubted he could afford it, so Laura would have to settle for protective gear made for cyclists modified to her needs. Peter tried his best to improve it with his limited materials, but he eventually had to settle for what he had.
The armour wouldn't stop a bullet, but being hit wouldn't affect Laura as much as it otherwise would. It was a good thing that she would heal anyway.
For her mask, Peter used a helmet which also protected the upper half of your face. He had cut and resoldered it multiple times to get the shape that Laura wanted without it affecting her sight. He also took the time to install special magnets which would help keep it in place. You had to pull the helmet a certain way to get it off. Now, only a really big explosion, Laura herself, or some bastard with either a lot of strength or enough time to wriggle it off her head without her stabbing him could time it off.
A special utility belt, hidden pockets, and an aerodynamic design, Peter did his best to fulfil all of Laura's wishes. Eighty per cent done, and the suit was already a better quality than his own. But he didn't mind. This suit would protect Laura, keep her safe. That's what was important.
When Peter reached the gloves and the boots, he ran into a bit of a problem. He couldn't just use store-bought pairs, at least not without making any major changes. Luara's claws were a detail that was firmly cemented in his mind. Anything that he got her, she would just rip apart while trying to use said claws. He could make the necessary adjustments, but first, he had to understand how Laura's claws worked.
Cut to the pair standing in the middle of the apartment with materials for Laura's unfinished suit scattered all around. Peter was crouched by Laura, who had her hand out and her claws extended for Peter to look over and measure. This certainly wasn't their first measuring session. The previous ones had gone without much trouble, but that isn't to say they weren't awkward, even if Laura did a better job at hiding it. Peter still wasn't sure how he should feel about knowing Laura's exact cup size.
The point was, this session was far more comfortable than the others. Comfortable enough for them to talk.
"Wait, these things are made of adamantium? Like the stuff they found on Celestial Island?"
Laura raised a confused brow at the unfamiliar term. "Never heard of that place, but if the metal is considered the strongest substance on the planet, then I'd assume yes."
"Incredible," Peter mumbled, analysing the metal claws with a new level of wonder and appreciation. "I can't believe I've got the world's first sample of fully refined adamantium inside my shitty apartment." He chuckled, "Oh, if Ross knew..."
"Do I have to remind you that these are my adamantium claws?" Laura questioned with a slight cheek.
"No, ma'am."
...
"Do they have to come out from between your knuckles?"
"No. They can come out from the top of my hand or my wrist as well. Depends on how my hands are positioned compared to my forearm."
"And which way do you prefer?"
"The way they are now."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Peter decided to have Laura put on the gloves and shoes he got her and pop her claws out so the holes were filled. From there, all it took was some sewing skills to keep the holes from growing and metal bracings to protect the fabric from the adamantium.
After a week and a half of hard work, it was done. Peter's masterpiece.
It took a lot of blood, sweat, tears and more money and shame than Peter would admit, but it was now done. Peter didn't think he could do a better job even if he tried. So he was naturally excited to give Laura his masterpiece.
When she returned from her shift at Infinity Conez, Peter immediately threw the paper bag into her hands and told her to change. He could barely contain his impatience.
As she changed, Peter's mind raced through everything. He liked to think that he was good at sewing. His latest suit was the only one he had ever made completely by hand since he got his first Stark Suit, and it came out better than he had expected. His mind repeatedly listed off everything he had down, searching his memories for any mistakes, even though he couldn't find any. Every centimetre, every seam, every stitch and every weld, they were all accounted for.
All of those hours preparing for Halloween with Aunt May and Uncle Ben had finally paid off.
Before Peter could fall too deeply down the memory lane rabbit hole, the door to the bathroom opened. What stepped out, Peter could only describe as a stunning angel raised in the depths of Hell.
Laura had insisted on black and other dark colours to optimise her stealth. Peter decided to throw in some light grey for contrast. Laura had explained that the design was based on a suit a Variant of her father wore. Once Peter deciphered the shoddy doodle, it was easy to replace the yellow with black and the blue with grey, with some adjustments, of course. The suit hugged her body tightly enough to minimise the risk of it getting caught on anything, but not so tightly that she couldn't move. A silver belt wrapped around her narrow waist with the emblem of a yellow X over a red background. A homage to the X-Men.
Laura's dark cowl seamlessly fused her suit and he helmet/mask into one. Her long, dark hair was free to flow out of the back of her helmet, although Peter found the 'ears' originating from her eyes to be an odd design choice. The white eyes were easy to make, just a smaller version of the lenses of his own mask, adjusted for her slightly weaker vision compared to his. Although it was a shame how well they covered Laura's eyes. Her nostrils and everything below them were the only parts of Laura's face that he could appreciate while she was in the suit.
Several metallic snikts brought Peter's attention to the gloves and bots, from which her signature claws protruded. Laura analysed them closely, searching for anything wrong. The metal rims through which the claws came out weren't perfect. The adamantium was too sharp and too perfect for cheap metal found in the trash. They would eventually need replacing, but Peter figured that they would hold for a month or two.
Laura was carefully looking herself over, same as Peter was. He couldn't tell what she was thinking due to how much of her face her mask hid. He hoped she liked it. He was almost too nervous to ask. But then Laura turned around, and Peter knew he had to say something before he irradiated everyone in the building with a nosebleed.
"So, um, how is it?" he asked awkwardly. "It seems like everything fits relatively well."
'Maybe a little too well.'
"That is correct," Laura said. "It's comfortable, light and provides at least a little protection. I'm impressed. You did more than I expected given the time and budget. This is more than I had asked for in the first place."
"Oh, well, you know. I can't spare any expense for you."
'Did I really just say that?!?!'
Laura smirked, "Clearly. Although I can't say if I like it just yet."
Dread and panic rushed into Peter's soul like a tsunami. Had he done something wrong? Was the suit uncomfortable? Was she being poked by something he forgot about? Were her pants riding her up because it didn't look like that when he back was facing him. Maybe the cowl was choking her?!
"W-why?" Peter stammered nervously.
Laura's smirk just grew.
"We need to take out for a test run, don't you think?"
A/N: Laura is going to meet and team up with a bunch of street heroes in the next chapter. Sometimes Peter will be with her, sometimes it will be just her. Who would you like her to meet?
Notes:
Peter, hands Laura a bag: Alright, your new suit is in here. I think I got the design as you requested and I accommodated it for your abilities to the best I can.
Laura: Thanks.
Peter: Before you put it, just remember that I had limited materials to work with, and I... you know... never made a suit for a girl before.
Laura: I'm sure it'll be fine.
*Later*
Laura, steps out in a grey and black Wolverine suit: What do you think?
Peter, with a bloody nose: I think we can afford to adjust some measurements but I'm not sure in what direction.
Chapter 5: The Defenders
Summary:
This is the longest I have ever written in my five years of writing. I hope it was worth it.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Darkness blanketed New York. Even in the city that never sleeps, where lights seem to be coming out of every window, there are still spots where shadows rule. Places where the light cannot reach. And there are people who will take advantage of it, slipping into the darkness to reach places and people unnoticed. Or at least, they think they can
"AAGGHH!!! Fucking Hell- ouch!"
Jeff once, very recently, believed that he was one of those people. That he could blend into the shadows like a piece of the night. He believed he could use the dark to sneak into a jewellery store and get away with a big score. Then, before he could even enter the store, the darkness, which he believed was his ally, attacked.
Jeff saw the twin blades protruding from his side before he felt them. A second later, they were sharply pulled, and someone kicked him to the floor from behind. Jeff screamed in pain as he struck the concrete ground, and the warm red liquid flowed out of the new holes in his body. Through the pain, Jeff heard footsteps behind him. So he braced himself and, while covering the front of his wounds to stop the blood, forced himself to turn onto his back and face his assailant.
A demon stood over him, but it wasn't the Devil which roamed the Kitchen. He wasn't even anywhere near it. This was a new breed of evil. A new predator of the night.
Small white eyes stared at him from the darkness. He couldn't make out who or what they belonged to. He could just barely make out their silhouette, which seemed to melt into the darkness. The only thing he could see clearly, even through the tears welling up in his eyes, were two silver blades soaked red in his blood.
His heart pounded against his ribcage like the drums in a rock band. He felt the air leave his lungs. The blood spilling out of him and the holes in his gut suddenly meant nothing as he looked up at the creature before him.
"Wha-wha-what kind of monster are you?" He had forced out of his mouth, even as every nerve in his body begged him to stay quiet.
The beast smiled. Jeff could tell because its sharp, white fangs shone in the dim light of the alley by the jewellery store.
"The Wolverine," it said with a voice which sent a cascade of ice down his spine.
That was the last thing Jeff heard before what little light there was disappeared.
...
"Did you really have to go that far?" Spider-Man asked as he finished webbing up the criminal's wounds.
"You told me to take him out," Laura said. "That's what I did."
"Yeah, take him out. As in knocking him unconscious, not scaring him physically and mentally for the rest of his life." Peter moved to place the body against a wall and stuck it to it with more webs. "This guy is probably going to have nightmares about you for years."
"At least he's alive to have them. Wasn't that one of your conditions?"
"...yep."
Laura smirked at the vigilante, and although she couldn't see it through his mask, she could tell he was also smiling.
Not killing wasn't something that she was used to. She was designed to kill. She was born to kill. She was trained to kill. She killed so she could survive. Her very DNA was in her blood only because the claws in her hands and feet made it easier for her to kill, without being killed herself.
The point was that old habits die hard.
But, maybe, for the idiot in the red and blue, she could kill those instead.
///
"Alright, Laura, this is your first warehouse siege. What are we dealing with?"
A week had passed since Laura first donned the suit Peter had made for her and began going out with him as Wolverine. It felt weird to think that she was taking her father's name with his legacy being attached to it. It almost felt wrong.
But, knowing two different Logans, she doubted either one would mind. Besides, if she tried to come up with a different name, Peter would probably not like it and insist on a cornier one. Claw-Girl, or something equally dumb. She would not have that.
Laura sniffed the air. She filtered out the repugnant smells of New York and focused on the warehouse in front of her.
She and Peter were currently crouched on a rundown building across from an even more worn-down warehouse. The streets were poorly lit, and even less light came from the boarded-up windows of the building. Luckily for them, Laura didn't need eyes to see what was happening.
She sniffed the faint wind once more to confirm her suspicions. "There are 32 people inside the warehouse. Twenty-five are on the ground floor, the rest are on the walkways. I'm also picking up a shit ton of chemicals and drugs. Lots of nitrocellulose, too. Based on how much of either is on each guy, twenty chemists and twelve gunmen."
"Nineteen chemists, actually. The boss is inspecting his workers after taking a pretty strong hit. Cocaine from the smell of it."
That wasn't Peter.
Without hesitating, Laura unsheathed her claws and spun around, aiming to immediately eliminate whoever had managed to get past her and Peter's senses. She saw the flash of dark red, and an armoured arm swatted her hand away.
She tried going low with her other pair of claws, but her opponent simply stepped away. She began to step up to face the man properly when her view was obscured by red and blue.
"Woah, woah! Everyone relax. Now is not the time for a hero vs hero fight." Peter had jumped between them and now held both of his arms out to them as if they were a pair of squabbling Velociraptors. "Wolvie, it's fine. Daredevil is a friend."
"Wolvie?" Daredevil asked with a barely disguised laugh.
Laura's eyes narrowed, and she released a small growl. The nickname was annoying enough when it was just her and Peter. She didn't need other people to hear and potentially use it. At least when Peter used it, it was tolerable.
Still, Laura listened to Peter and hid her claws. She tilted her head to the side so she could get a better look at this 'Daredevil'. His suit was mostly red, and a much higher quality than what either Peter or herself were wearing. It was armoured, and certain areas were outlined in black. His mask was similar to hers. A helmet which only showed the lower half of his face, but instead of too tall 'ears' which originated from the eyes, this guy had small horns protruding from his forehead.
'The Devil of Hell's Kitchen,' her memories of researching the heroes of this universe let her know. She also remembered that there had once been a Daredevil in the Resistance, supposedly from the same world as Elektra, but she rarely mentioned him. Laura only had the time to skim the information on this world's variant. He didn't seem to be involved in anything major. She assumed he was only a local vigilante who doubled as an urban legend in his neighbourhood; she hadn't thought much of him. But the way he had avoided her attacks... It was enough cause for concern.
"Daredevil, hey. What's up, man?" Spidey asked, having turned his attention over to the vigilante hero. He offered the horned man his hand, which was accepted and shaken. "Bit far from Hell's Kitchen, isn't?"
"I'm allowed to stretch my legs from time to time. I'm not geographically bound to my neighbourhood, Spider-Man." Daredevil replied. "But in all seriousness," he nodded past the two and towards the warehouse, "I've been tracking those guys for some time now. One of the many wannabe gangs trying to take advantage of Fisk's hospitalisation and now disappearance since Christmas. Except these guys actually seem to be semi-competent."
"So I've heard," Peter murmured, turning to look at the warehouse briefly. "I tracked one of their dealers here last night. We were just about to go in and bust them before they could distribute any more."
"Showing your new partner the ropes?" DD asked curiously.
"Yes."
"Partner?"
Logically, Laura knew that the man dressed as the devil meant it in a professional sense. They were working together after all. Then why did her mind go to...
"She's new to the area," Peter continued to talk. "She knows her way around a fight and has multiple tricks up her sleeve, so you don't need to worry about her getting hurt."
"So I noticed," Daredevil said. Turning to Laura, he said, "Those were some impressive moves, and some even more impressive healing."
"What?"
"Those blades came out from within your hands. They had to cut through your skin, muscles and even some blood vessels to break out, and yet, unless I am very much mistaken, you're not bleeding."
Laura blinked in surprise. Was this man... complimenting her healing?
"Thanks," she said slowly. "I heal quickly."
"So I noticed. Have you known Spider-Man for long?"
"Almost two months."
Daredevil nodded, "That's good. He needs more people in his life. Especially a lady of your calibre."
"Umm..."
"Alright, I think that's enough small talk!" Peter declared a bit too loudly. "We still have a drug factory to take off the streets!"
He was trying to redirect the conversation. He was either embarrassed by what the Devil had said, which had also left Laura feeling slightly flustered, or it was about his isolation. All this time, and Laura still hadn't seen Peter talk to anyone, excluding Daredevil right now, besides criminals, cashiers and herself. No friends. No family. No one.
Well, there was that one time Peter's landlord visited to complain about the lack of rent, but he was technically also a criminal, so he didn't count.
But that was a discussion for another time. For now, they had a start-up to shut down.
Laura didn't show it, but a part of her was in awe whenever she saw Spidey move at his fullest potential. The way he effortlessly swung and flipped past bullets flying at him. His speed and agility were inhuman. It was amazing. Spectacular. She wondered what else he could do.
Daredevil was also something special. A real force of nature. Every time Laura thought she had the general gist of his fighting style figured out, his Billy Clubs would pull out a new trick. They were individual weapons; they could combine into a singular staff, break into knunchucks, and he even used them as grappling hooks. The Devil was zipping around the battlefield almost as much as her spider was. S small part of her couldn't help but feel left out.
The fight which followed didn't even last a full ten minutes.
Before they knew it, they were done. Everyone inside of the warehouse except for the three of them was either knocked out, crippled and or tied up with webs. Once any important information was copied down for their own use, the three vigilantes disappeared from the scene before the police could arrive. They reconvened on a different roof.
"Well, it's always nice teaming up with you, Double D," Spidey said, "but I'm sure you're itching to get back to the Kitchen."
"I am, but would you mind giving me a moment with Wolverine?"
"Um, sure, I guess. Are you alright with it, Wolvie?"
"Yeah, sure, why not?"
Laura wasn't sure what she thought of Daredevil at the moment. She also wasn't sure what he would want with her. Maybe that's why she agreed."
Spidey nodded. He fired a web at another building, "Alright, I'll give the two of you some space."
"Remember, Spider-Man, I'll know if you're listening in."
Laura knew he was rolling his eyes behind his mask. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't try anything funny."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Before Laura could say another word, Spider-Man jumped off the roof and swung away. Suddenly, she found herself alone on top of a building in the middle of the night with the Devil.
"Are you close with Spider-Man?" the veteran vigilante asked.
"Uhh," Laura wasn't exactly sure how to answer that.
"I don't know what his civilian life is like, if he even has one, at all", Daredevil continued without waiting for a response. "But I can tell... that he is alone, and he has far too much free time. If all of the reports of his sightings can be believed, then he gives himself barely any time to rest. I've tried to help anyway I could, but he refuses to let anyone know too much about him. His life, super or not, is surrounded by an electric fence which I cannot climb. But you somehow got to the other end."
Laura crossed her arms, but it made her seem smaller rather than more intimidating, especially against the taller, horned vigilante. "That's different," she argued. "We didn't meet under conventional circumstances."
"Maybe so, you are in a unique position to do something I can't."
"And what is that?"
"Support him."
///
"Hey, you're that new girl, right? The one that's always hanging out with Spider-Man. Claw-Girl."
'Someone fucking kill me.'
Laura had not expected her first solo mission to go like this. She was investigating a lead which led a bit too close to home while still staying in New York and the same universe. During the investigation, she got careless and was hit with a knockout gas while questioning a potential asset. It was also stronger than she was used to from her home universe.
Now, here she was, in a metal room, chained to the ceiling by her ankles, her hands bound inside a metal box, and worst of all, she only had one person to keep her company. Unfortunately, Laura was pretty sure her behaviour wasn't due to blood rushing to her head.
"I'm Kate, by the way," her fellow prisoner introduced herself. She was bound exactly like Laura was, except she was free to move her hands, which Laura didn't find fair at all. "Hawkeye, if you want to stick to code names. Now, I know what you're going to say. 'Hawkeye is a dude!' Well, guess what? He's retired and I'm his successor. I mean, I'm sure that he'd happily put on the quiver again if there is another world-ending threat, but I mean, what are the odds of another Thanos showing up?"
"Can we focus on getting out of here?" Laura almost begged.
"Um, sure. Any ideas? If I had my bow and arrow, I could probably get us out of here pretty easily, but I'm not sure if you noticed, but these guys weren't dumb enough to leave them with me."
"Maybe, but they were dumb enough to assume some cheap steel could restrain me."
Snikt
Four metal claws suddenly shot out of the box as if it were made out of paper. Kate's eyes popped in surprise as she watched Laura discard her restraints, which were now just scrap metal. Then, with some impressive gymnastics, Laura pulled her upper body up to the chain attached to her foot cuff. She raised he claws and Kat's wide eyes switched from awe to panic.
"Wait!"
Chink!
The chain effortlessly snapped under the dual adamantium claws. Gravity immediately took hold of the situation, and Laura found herself falling to the tiled floor, back-first.
Thump!
Laura groaned. Healing factor or not, fallng fucking heart. Healing also hurt sometimes, but at least it meant that she wouldn't be risking any spinal injuries that could put her out of commission by pulling stunts like this. Laura groaned some more as she worked on standing up before her back could properly support her.
"Are you okay?" Kate asked.
"Peachy," Laura grumbled.
After a few minutes and a lot of yelling, Kate was also free, but without the potential spinal fracture. She was very insistent that Laura cut her out as slowly as possible.
"So, how did you get involved with these guys?" Laura asked as they walked through the dingy hallway together. Kate was now armed with her aforementioned bow and arrow. Apparently, the idiots running this place had left them in their cell just to tease Kate. Laura was starting to question the average IQ of this universe.
"Some of my clients came to talk to me about doppelgangers impersonating them and committing crimes. The only proof that it wasn't them doing it is the influx of reports of that happening, the fact that these dopplegangers made no effort to hide their faces, and some of my clients having rock-solid alibies."
"So, there's a decent amount of proof that they're telling the truth."
"Yep. It took some searching, but I've found my culprit. A bitch called Madame Masque. My current theory is that she's a shapeshifting alien from Mars."
"You're wrong."
"What?"
"She's not a shape-shifter. She's using cloning technology of some kind."
"How do you know that?"
The door before them opened, revealing a room filled to the brim with people. Dozens of people, with only like seven faces among them.
"Oh... this might be a problem."
"Not as much as you think."
"Why?"
Laura sniffed the air, just to be sure.
"They don't smell human."
"Um... then what do they smell like?"
A wicked grin spread across the exposed half of Laura's face as she unseathed her claws. "Machines."
She dashed forward and pounced at the nearest duplicate. The adamantium effortlessly punctured the false flesh, and Laura felt her claws cut through the electric cables inside. She pulled her claws out as the other robots began to converge on her. Before she could react, an arrow flew past her head and from its tip a burst of flames escaped. The duplicates screamed like real people as their hair burned away and their false flesh melted away, revealing the metal underneath.
Laura soon found being able to simply go dog wild, to release the beast within and not worry about sparing her enemies, extremely therapeutic. She was better at hiding it, but the anger she had inherited from her father still very much resided within her, now amplified by the survivor's guilt caused by the death of her universe as well as that of her friends in the resistance.
She kicked one of the robots that looked like a high school girl, allowing her foot claw to go straight through its skull. The continued momentum ripped the metal head off its shoulders, and Laura launched it at a middle-aged man. Meanwhile, a storm of arrows rained down around her, each one holding a special surprise. Nets, tasers, ice, smoke, some kind of pink putty, etc. Kate was utilising her entire arsenal to keep the drones from overwhelming Laura. The mutant appreciated it.
A far as she was aware, she was the only one who fell. She was the only one who had been spared from Alioth's hunger. All this time, learning how to live in this new, weird universe, and she did not know why she was allowed to do it, and they weren't. Why did that hole open up beneath her feet? Why did the TVA send her to the Void instead of letting her die with her universe? Why? Why? Why?
Two doppelgangers of the same person tried to sandwich her, only to lose their feet and crash into one another. Laura turned towards Kate for a moment. Some of the drones had managed to sneak past her arrows and were now engaged in melee combat with her. Wolverine was just about to rush in to help when Hawkeye wacked one drone so hard with her bow that its head spun 180°, and in the same motion, she stabbed another drone in the eye with an arrow filled with acid.
"She can handle herself," Laura decided, before going back to ripping and tearing the human-mimicking robots.
Soon, the robots were all replaced with scrap. The battle was over, but the adrenaline was still pumping. The rage was still there, but at least it had shimmered down a little.
Wolverine breathed heavily as her wounds healed, leaving only a handful of holes in her suit. Peter had worked so hard on it...
A hand fell on Laura's shoulder. "Hey." She turned and saw Hawkeye standing next to her. She looked exhausted and far more beat up than herself, but she still had the strength to hold a weary but excited smile. For a moment, Laura forgot that she didn't have any powers, at least according to what she had heard of the second Hawkeye.
"Wanna get some takeout?"
"...sure. Why the fuck not?"
Forty minutes later, Kate and Laura were sitting on the railing of a fire escape, happily digging into their respective boxes of Chinese takeout.
"Wow, you weren't kidding," Kate said between bites, "I should have the Number 25 with Chicken more often."
"Told you," Laura mumbled with a full mouth.
The two women continued to dig into their food, little to no words being exchanged between them. Sure, they'd have to exchange notes eventually, but that could wait for when Laura's stomach wasn't growling as much as she does. Accelerated healing took up a lot of energy.
Laura watched the New York skyline with rapid attention. She could see the edges of the sun slowly begin to break through the gaps between the skyscrapers. A gentle wind blew past her, accompanied by the echoing sounds of the traffic and people just generally going about their business. There was something truly magnificent about the city which never slept.
Laura sighed and allowed for a gentle smile to creep in. Of all the places that a hole in space time could have dropped her, Laura was grateful that it was here. And it wasn't just for the view or the Number 25 with Chicken. She still grieved her allies from the Void, but she was glad that the rift had brought her. If it hadn't, she likely never would've met...
"So, how'd you manage to bag Spider-Man?"
The chicken decided to betray Laura and, taking advantage of her surprise, it jumped down her windpipe. Laura coughed heavily and beat her chest to try and get it out. As soon as she spat it out, she turned to Kate and skreeched, "¿¡Cómo!? ¿Por qué preguntas- ¡No lo-" Laura shook her head. "What are you talking about?!"
Kate didn't answer her. She just began cackling like she was some sort of mad genius. Laura glared daggers at the archer, which seemed to bounce off her purple attire.
Snikt.
"You better zip that trap before I cut your tongue out."
That seemed to work, at least a little. Kate's laughter began to slow as she started to relax. She didn't seem to be particularly threatened by the claws, though.
"Alright, alright, I'm done. You can put those knives away. It's just that... well, the way you reacted."
"You're the one who asked the ridiculous question," Laura defended.
"You're right, you're right, sorry. I guess I could have phrased it better. It's just that, well, isn't that what happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I don't know how much you've heard, but ever since the Battle of Earth, Spider-Man's become a bit of a loner in the superhero community, and he became a bit of an isolationist after Mysterio framed him for terrorism. He doesn't really do team-ups unless someone else just so happens to be where he is. Heck, I met him like, twice, and all of our 'conversations' put together aren't as long as the one I'm having right now with you. So when he suddenly starts hanging out with a new superhero, a rather stunning woman like you, no less, and pictures start cropping up of him carrying her on his back like the world's deadliest koala bear, people will start talking."
Okay, when she put it like that, Laura could understand why she would jump to that conclusion, but...
"Well, they're wrong, and so are you," Laura stated firmly. "I didn't bag him, he didn't bag me, there is no bagging going on between us. Circumstances happened, and he's just giving me a hand."
Kate nodded, but the mischievous glint in her eyes didn't disappear.
"So... what you're saying is that he's available."
"Don't get any ideas, Bishop."
"What? Can't a girl show interest in the mysterious, local vigilante? I may not know his face, but that suit of his shows just enough for me to have a pretty good what I'd be having. Mmm, I could eat that cake-"
Kate stopped talking as soon as she felt the cold metal of Laura's claws against her neck, followed by the soft trickles of blood drops.
"Keep talking, I dare you."
"-but I know not to go after a man that is already taken."
Laura could feel the red blush burning beneath her mask. She pulled back her claws and shuffled away from Laura. She didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Bishop was being ridiculous, plain and simple. She couldn't be interested in Peter. She barely even knew him.
'You know him better than anyone else in this universe,' Laura's subconscious whispered, 'and he knows you better than anyone else in the universe, even with all of the secrets.'
No. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. Parker was annoying, irresponsible, he barely spoke to her unless it was to talk about what this universe was like, he barely told her anything about himself, he treated her like a normal human being, he took the time to make her a whole suit, he was kind, he was funny, he clearly cared about her...
"...fuck."
"I'm sure you want to, but I doubt it's going to be that simple," Kate stated. She spun around, throwing her rubbish at the dumpster at the bottom of the alley at an awkward angle, without even looking and got off the railing. Laura watched her as Kate walked towards the fire escape ladder.
"My word of advice," Kate said, "figure out exactly how you feel about him and tell him before he meets a pretty cat burglar or something."
///
"So, what's your deal?"
Laura blinked and turned to the person who had suddenly sat down next to her. Leather jacket, a grey scarf despite it not even being fall yet, hair darker than her own, a knowing smile, and the stink of alcohol. Although that last bit could probably be because they were in a bar.
Laura was more than comfortable moving around New York by herself now. It felt liberating to no longer need a tour guide just to pick up some groceries. No more eerie silences or corny jokes from Peter. Although she did miss having him by her side outside of patrol sometimes.
For a moment, Kate's teasing look and knowing smile invaded her vision. Laura blinked it away. Now wasn't the time.
"Pardon?" she asked.
"I just watched you drink twelve shots of vodka, and you're not even in the least bit tipsy," the woman elaborated. She reached for Laura's unfinished glass and downed it before she could stop it. "Well, you're not a faker. So, what, you a super soldier or something?"
Laura's eyes narrowed. The ruckus of the dingy bar faded away as she poured all of her attention on her new 'drinking partner'. All of her instincts were screaming at her to be careful around this woman. Although they were sitting next to each other, the woman had positioned herself just out of Laura's reach. She was also between the entrance and Laura. She could use the fire exit, but that would draw unwanted attention, and who knew if it even worked in a place like this.
'She knows what she is doing.'
"Depends. Who's asking?"
The woman smirked. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a card with her ID. A licence, Laura realised.
"Jessica Jones, PI," the woman said, "but don't worry. I'm not on a case or anything. Just curious. So, mind sharing your secret? It would save me from a lot of hangovers if you did. Yo, barkeep, send over another round of shots over here."
Laura shrugged, "Good genetics."
It was the truth, even if an oversimplified version of it.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Fresh glasses slid over across the table to them. Jessica grabbed her one without hesitation and downed it in an instant.
"Hm... shame. I was hoping you had some sort of miracle drug inside your pocket. It would save me a ton of trouble. You know what, just send over the whole bottle." She smirked towards Laura. "My treat."
"...thanks."
After a few more drinks and a slightly emptier bottle, Laura realised that despite her words, Jones knew how to handle her liquor. She was nearing the number she had observed Laura take, and she wasn't showing any signs of intoxication. If she was, then she was extremely good at hiding it.
After chugging yet another drink, Jessica turned her attention back to Laura. "So, kid-"
"Laura."
"-Laura, what brings you to New York?"
"What?"
"Your accent, it ain't from around here. From the sounds of it, I'd say Canadian with just an echo of Mexican."
'Perceptive.'
"I grew up in Mexico, moved to Canada when I was eleven, and circumstances recently led me to New York." All true.
"Hmm, I see. I'm a New Yorker, born and raised. Originally a Queens kid, but circumstances eventually led me to Hell's Kitchen." Another sip. "So, why New York? Aren't you worried about the aliens invading again or any of the ninja cults? Don't get me wrong, it's great for tourism, but most people aren't willing to stay for more than a week unless they grew up here. So, what's up?"
Laura downed a shot. "I can take care of myself."
"I'm sure you can, but in a world of assholes who throw semitrucks, or a demon can come charging down the street any day, it doesn't hurt to play things safe and stay away from the the epicentre of it all. Or at least carry some extra protection while hanging out in a bar, which violates lord knows how many health and safety laws."
"Who said I was unarmed?"
"I don't know. How about those clothes with pockets too small to hide anything bigger than a pocket knife, and I get the feeling you're not the type of girl to assume something like that will do you much good these days."
"What about you?" Laura asked. "I doubt your pockets are much better."
Jessica smirked and reached under her stool. Laura's eyes widened in surprise as the PI effortlessly crushed the metal bar connecting the legs of the stool. Jessica was clearly taking joy in her surprise.
"I have my ways," she said casually as Laura raised her head to meet Jessica's gaze again. "How about you, any tricks up your sleeves. Besides some impressive alcohol tolerance?"
Laura huffed. "If you're asking if I'm a muta- um... Enhanced as well, then I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"Really? No superpowers?"
"None at all."
"Uh-huh", Jessica nodded as she reached into her jacket pocket. Laura didn't pay much mind. After all, as previously established, her pockets weren't large enough to hide a serious weapon. Laura regretted that assumption as soon as she slammed her hand onto the table in the spot in front of her, but not hard enough to crack the wood. When she lifted her arm, Laura saw something that made her blood freeze.
It was a photograph, undoubtedly cut out from this morning's newspaper. And Laura had had a relatively good idea of what was reported in that edition of the paper.
Her.
Or, to be more accurate, Wolverine.
It was a terrible image. It was a blurry picture of an alley taken from across the road. Most people probably wouldn't even be able to tell that there was a person in the picture... if not for the four shiny metallic claws which stuck out from the darkness like stars against the night sky in a country field.
"So... no super powers... wanna try that again?"
"...how much do you know?"
"Not much. In fact, I didn't even know your name until you gave it to me. But, when you're searching for a chick that can heal fast and you see one that can handle more than her fair share of alcohol, while also having the same locks of dark hair, well, that's a gamble you'd have to be stupid not to take."
"You gamble paid off. Congrats. Now what do you want?"
"I just want to get a bit more information. Vigilantes may be as common in New York as rats in a subway, but not all of them stab people with such precision that blood loss is barely an issue. Not all of them appear suddenly one day, already have a costume of decent quality. And most of all, not all of them are taking daily rides on Spider-Man's back."
Jones tossed a small pile of photos onto the table. They all clearly came from various sources, cell phones, security cameras, and drones, but they showed the same thing. Wolverine on Spider-Man's back, holding on with her arms wrapped around his neck as he web swung them through New York. Well, all except one, that is.
It was another blurry photograph, this time during the day. Laura could barely distinguish the red spot against the blue sky as Spider, and the grey and black blob on his back as herself. Not Wolverine. Laura.
"...you're playing a dangerous game here, Jones."
"You're right, I am, but 'dangerous' is how I would describe my life in one word, so it doesn't really change much."
"I recommend that you drop whatever this is before you stumble across anything else you shouldn't know."
"Like what? Your boyfriend's email address?"
"He's not my-!!!" Laura forced herself to stop and took a breath. "Among other things, yes."
Jessica hummed, as if considering Laura's words. "Makes sense. The guy is an enigma. No one knows anything about him other than that he is annoying and that he used to be close to Stark. Besides that, it's all a mystery. A mixture of secrets, contradictions and awkward gaps in information. That's what makes you so interesting, Wolverine."
Laura growled under her breath. Her eyes and ears darted around the bar, searching to see if anyone was listening in on this very sensitive conversation. Luckily, it seemed like everyone else was either too drunk, too busy with their own business or both, to pay attention to them."
"Who sent you?" Laura demanded.
Myself and some mutual friends who care more than they should. The only reason I accepted is because I care about them more than I should."
"What do you want?"
"What every PI wants. Answers."
"You must be new to your job if you think you'll get any."
Jessica shrugged. "Fair point. So, how about a proposition instead?"
Laura's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What kind of proposition?"
Jessica gathered up her photographs and got up from her stool. "Tell me one thing about yourself, something which will satisfy my curiosity and assure my buddies that Spider-Man is in good hands. In exchange, I'll give you and your boyfriend some privacy."
Laura glared at the PI with pure and utter disdain. This bitch had some serious nerve coming in here, buying her drinks and then saying shit like this. Laura wanted nothing more than to gut her right here and now. If she knew her face, then she could easily find Peter if she wanted to. Laura didn't want to be responsible for exposing his identity, which he valued so dearly.
But Jones was offering her an out. One juicy tip and their secrets would be safe. At least, that's what she claimed. Laura had to be careful that what she said next was both satisfying, fulfilled the PI's requirements and didn't reveal too much.
She released air before breathing it back in.
"I only started wearing a costume because he has no self-preservation. I feel responsible for protecting him. I never had that before. Not like this."
To Laura's surprise, Jones shot her a smile so soft that it almost didn't fit on her face.
"Then I recommend you watch him closely. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but friends of mine have. And they're worried, and I can tell you are too."
...
"Leave, before I give you more."
Snikt
The smile became a smirk.
"Message received." She slammed a bundle of bills onto the table.
She then turned around and began to head towards the entrance of the bar. Her hand latched onto the door handle, but before she opened the door, she turned back to Laura and said, "Hope to meet you again one day, Laura. Oh, and Kate told me to say hi for her. So bye."
Laura simply glared as she watched the woman leave the bar.
///
Peter had told her to stay away from Harlem's Paradise. A nightclub which doubled as the base of criminal activity inside the borough. He said that it was run by a powerful and respected man who was best not to disturb.
She assumed that it was because he thought that she couldn't handle the criminal dealings which were going on there. Well, she had every intention of proving him wrong.
As it turns out that she was only partially correct in that assumption.
She groaned painfully as consciousness slowly returned to her.
All of the lights were switching between too bright. The floor beneath her was too soft to be the floor. A bed, maybe? No, her hand was grabbing an equally soft vertical surface. Definitely a couch.
"You're finally awake. I was getting worried for a second," a deep, yet gentle voice spoke.
Laura quickly checked if her identity was still safe. She let out a relieved sigh when she realised that her mask was still on. Peter's safety mechanism had worked.
"Don't worry, your identity is safe," the man that Laura could barely make out said. "I was going to take the helmet off to check if you've got a concussion, but when I saw your broken arm snap itself back into place, I decided to risk it."
She was in an office. A wrecked office, but it seemed to be otherwise a nice office. The expensive-looking wooden desk had been split down the middle, and some of the shelves had collapsed. By the split desk stood a bald man with an extremely muscular build, a nice-looking ripped-up tan suit and a freshly trimmed tan suit. One of his sleeves was rolled up, and he was wrapping a bandage around his arm. There was also a plaster on his right cheek.
"You know, most people can't even make me bruise," he said calmly as he tightened the bandage, "and yet you cut me open like I was made of butter. Gave me quite a fright. The hell are those claws made out of?"
Laura groaned as she sat up. She was too out of it to answer the question. She could feel her body still repairing itself, sealing cracks in her skeleton and erasing bruises. She couldn't remember the last time she got beaten up this badly.
"What happened?" she asked groggily. Was her brain stitching itself back together or something?
The man laughed, "You crashed through my window and started flailing those crazy claws of yours at me like you're Freddy Kruger or some shit. Ruined a perfectly good desk in the process, too. Oh, and sorry for roughing you up so much. When you landed those cuts, it scared me, and I freaked out. Lost control in my panic. Sometimes I forget my own strength."
Laura's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered the fight. She had indeed crashed through the window of this office, hellbent on taking down the man in front of her, whom she only now remembered was Luke Cage, the crime boss of Harlem. Peter had told her not to go directly after him off-handedly, and, while still frustrated from her conversation with Jones, Laura had decided to do just that.
The crime boss was more agile than she had expected. He managed to avoid her first few attacks, which were admittedly sloppy by her standards. She grabbed her wrist and started saying something to her, but she decided to kick him instead of listening to him. They tussled for a bit until she cut his arm when he tried to protect his face. He yelled in pain, chokeslammed her onto his desk, and all before he threw her at some shelves.
That is when the world went dark.
Without wasting any more time, Laura jumped off the couch and popped both sets of claws. She growled like a ferocious wolf before mauling its prey. She prepared to pounce, but Cage raised his hand in front of her and spoke gently, "Easy, kid. I don't want to fight you."
"You decided otherwise when you entered this office."
Cage sighed.
"I don't blame you for jumping to that conclusion. You're new here. I can't expect you to understand all of the intricacies of the underworld here in such a short time. All you need to know is that I am your ally, and not an enemy."
"And why should I believe that?"
"Because it's true."
Both Laura and Luke turned to the broken window, through which Spider-Man was entering the office. Laura blinked in surprise. She hadn't told Peter where she was going. How was here?
"I'm so sorry about this, Luke. I told her to stay away, but I probably didn't do a good enough job explaining why. That is my bad." Spider-Man said as he shook the crime boss's hand. "Thanks for calling me, but you do know that there are better ways of contacting me than sending your guys to Queens and Manhattan and having them scream my name in the middle of the night, right?"
"Do you plan on giving me your phone number?"
"Nope!"
Luke sighed as he let go of Peter's hand. Spider-Man turned and moved towards Wolverine while Luke shook his head with clear exasperation.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her like she was a child who had wandered off in a mall.
"Stopping a dangerous crime boss," Laura hissed. "Why are you acting so friendly with him. He's a criminal. Isn't it our job to stop people like him?"
Laura meant it to be a rhetorical question, but Spidey didn't seem to be taking it as one.
"Wolverine, look, it isn't that simple. Luke isn't really a crime boss. He's more of a... crime regulator."
"...what?"
"You know what people here call him?" Peter asked, "The Hero of Harlem. Google it. His whole thing is protecting his community, keeping people safe and keeping stuff like drugs off the street."
"Then why is he, and I cannot stress enough, a crime boss?"
"Because every time I got rid of the Big Man of the week, a new one would swoop in and take their place, and with a lot of death in between." Luke cut it. "I couldn't be everywhere at once. Too many people were getting hurt in the constant power struggle, and I couldn't protect all of them. This way, I can stop crime from hurting too many innocent people. This way, I can keep children from throwing their lives away for this life. Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do, but if there was a better option, I would have taken it."
Laura glared daggers towards him. She didn't trust him, but somehow, she trusted Peter. So, she relented and allowed her claws to sink back into her arms slowly.
"Sweet Christmas, that is freaky," Cage murmured.
Peter shrugged, "You get used to it."
Spider-Man turned back to the crime boss, "Again, sorry for the trouble, Luke. We'll be getting out of your hair now. And sorry about the window."
Luke shrugged, "It's cool. This isn't the first time a rookie smashed through my window."
'Rookie?'
"But, while I've got you here, could you two do me a favour?" Luke reached into the drawer of the broken desk and began rummaging through it.
Luara's body tensed instantly, and even Peter's body tensed at the request.
"Depends on the favour," he said evenly.
"It's nothing major," Luke said, pulling something out and closing the drawer. He approached the counter steadily and offered them what Laura quickly realised were a notebook and a pen. Her brow rose in confusion, and even Peter couldn't hide his own.
"...What?"
"It's for Danny, not me," Luke explained. "If he hears that I had both the elusive Spider-Man and his new sidekick..."
"Not his sidekick."
"...in my office, and I didn't even try to get their autographs for him, he'd lose it. And let me tell you, he packs a mean punch."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Peter muttered as he took the notebook and scribbled something on the paper. He ripped the page out and handed it to Luke as he passed the book and pen over to Laura.
Laura hesitated. She was a warrior, a wild animal on a self-imposed leash, not a celebrity. She didn't hand out autographs. She was about to refuse when she saw Spidey eyeing her from the side. Even though his mask hid them as always, she could effortlessly visualise the look in his exhausted doe eyes.
Laura sighed in defeat and wrote 'Wolverine' in neat, large letters on the page. It was simple, but it would do. She was just about to rip out the page from the notebook when Peter snatched it and the pen from her hand.
"Hey!"
Spidey ignored her outcry as he nodded to her writing like he was some kind of art critic.
"Not bad, Wolverette, although it's missing a little something."
He placed the tip of the pen onto the page and scribbled something on it. In just three seconds, the page was under her nose again, and Peter was asking, "What do you think?"
He hadn't changed much. He just extended the two strokes on either side of the W, making it look like her two claws were cutting through a wall or something. It was ridiculous, but Laura still found herself committing it to memory.
"It looks good," she said honestly.
"Of course it does," Peter said as he handed his autograph to a smirking Luke, "it's your name."
Laura had never once blushed so hard in her life as she did in that moment. She wished in that she had gotten a full face mask like Peter's to hide how red her face was, dampened sense of smell be damned.
If Cage knew Jones or anyone else who had taken a glimpse at her feelings, she'd probably will her own healing factor into killing her.
///
It had been, what, a month since Laura started going out as the Wolverine of Peter's universe? That was still hard to think about.
In that time, she had met a surprisingly long list of colourful individuals. She fought with some of them, some of them annoyed her, and others she could tolerate. All of them had something unique about them, and it was hard to believe that they all came from the same place.
This guy, though, was officially Laura's favourite, besides Peter.
"Well then, how are you finding New York?"
"Loud and full of obnoxious assholeswho can't mind their own business," Laura answered honestly. "And don't get me started on the smell."
White Tiger chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that is a reasonable description of this place."
The two had accidentally bumped into each other while trying to bust the same drug deal. Laura had intended to leave as soon as the fighting was over, but the man in the cat costume had somehow convinced her to go on a walk with him. So here they were, talking side by side down a street, one dressed in a black DIY combat uniform and the other in a white kitty cat onesie.
"It's not all bad," Laura added truthfully. It was nice to be able to go to a store and buy what she needed without scavenging through remnants of timelines erased by the TVA.
"Made many friends?"
"Nope."
"Truly? I've heard from the grapevine that you had been getting acquainted with a good few of New York's heroes."
Laura sighed, "If that's what you call it, then sure. Personally, I'd rather if they keep their distance"
The man chuckled, "Can't blame you for feeling that way. Viglantes are a colourful bunch, even if some of us wear darker colours than others."
"You can say that again," Wolverine noted, glancing at the tiger's suit and then at her own.
The man laughed, "Yes, I suppose that was a bit on the nose. I didn't mean any offence by it."
"None taken. I've accepted that the darkness is a part of me a long time ago."
The two rounded a corner. The sounds of the city continued to echo around them. Dogs barking, cars rumbling by. Laura could smell the leftovers of different crimes in almost every corner, but she wasn't picking up anything which would need her immediate attention.
"But it's not all there is, though, now is it?"
"What do you mean?" Laura turned her head towards the White Tiger, tilting it to the side in slight confusion, her unrestrained hair swaying in the air with the motion.
Tiger himself turned towards her. His exposed eyes met her hidden ones. Even through the darkness, with only the lights of street lamps and buildings, Laura could make out the twinkle in those eyes, older and wiser than her own, but also oh so much more innocent.
"Tell me, how are things with Spider-Man? What do you think of him?"
Laura pulled her head back and groaned in frustration, covering her face with her hands in the process.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" she cried out. "Do none of you have anything better to talk about than me and Spidey?" she questioned in frustration.
Tiger's gentle smile only grew beneath his mask.
"You have to admit, it is an interesting point of conversation. I don't want to make any assumptions about your relationship, but your close partnership does imply that there is some form of relationship there. I was hoping if you could tell me something about."
Laura pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and groaned again.
"There is nothing to say. He is an idiot with no self-preservation instincts. I'm just the idiot who decided that I have to watch over him while he's too busy jumping in front of bullets to remember to sleep."
Her fellow vigilante hummed in acknowledgement as he took in her words. "I believe that there is more to it than you are willing to tell me, and more than even you know. Sit with me, please."
White Tiger shifted directions and approached the bench just outside a small, nearby park. Unsure of what else to do, Laura followed him and sat beside him.
"If you're going to quiz me about my relationship with Spider-Man, then I suggest that you don't. The archer girl already quizzed me enough about it, and I am not in the mood for a second round."
"Understandable. She can get a bit overexcited. Don't worry, this is not a quiz. I would just like you to share your own thoughts on the matter."
Laura sighed and folded her arms. "There's nothing to say. I wouldn't even know where to start."
"How about the beginning, when you first met?"
"...When I showed up in New York, he found me."
Laura didn't know why she was entertaining this. She didn't know why she was even entertaining the idea. All she really knew was that something about White Tiger, something in the way he spoke or the way he walked or just the way his eyes twinkled with kindness and understanding, it made her feel... safe.
"I tried to kill myself, and in response, he helped me get some things in order. I was offered a place to stay by an Avenger, but I chose to stay with him instead. He... told me who was, and that obviously meant a lot to him."
He hummed and nodded his head. "Yes, secret identities are important to all who have one. Though I've heard that Spider-Man guards his own more closely than most of us. I doubt he would've accepted to walk with me like you have if I had given him the offer. He must trust you a lot."
Laura sighed, "I suppose. He didn't actually talk a lot with me before. Barely even acknowledged that I was living in the same place as him. Not until I confronted him about it. After that, he became easier to talk to, bit by bit. Too easy, maybe. He just won't shut up unless he's buried face deep in some kind of project. Like... my suit."
"Oh? He made it?"
Laura nodded. "He stitched and measured every inch of it, all while sticking closely to what I had requested. This thing is of an even higher quality than his own. I- I'm not sure what to think of that."
Tiger chucked gently to himself. "I'd take it as a sign that he cares deeply about you, and I doubt it's wrong to say that he cares about you as well."
"Maybe... he is very nice when he isn't going through an existential crisis. And he can be funny at times. He also cares deeply about not just me but... everything, and there's something so special about that and... he gave up his bed for me. He'd been sleeping in a hammock made of his webs for almost two months now, and I- I feel like-"
"That you need to repay him somehow." White Tiger finished.
Laura bowed her head and nodded, "Yes."
Silence washed over them. Not even the hustle and bustle of New York seemed to be able to break through. It was just the two of them. Only two vigilantes, talking about one of their feelings.
"I love my wife."
Laura raised her head and stared at White Tiger as he began to speak about something which was clearly very personal to him.
"I try to show her that every day that I can. It doesn't have to be anything. I tell her that I love her. I make her favourite food for her. I take her to places which she likes and buy her her favourite flowers. Little things add up, and they show the people that we care about how much we value them. But it doesn't hurt to go big sometimes. I've been saving up to buy a place of our own to call home. Go big and go home, if you would."
He chuckled softly at his own joke, and Laura just sat silently and listened.
"You care about him, right?"
Laura nodded.
"The best advice which I can give you is to show it in all of the little ways which matter."
///
Peter was asleep.
And in the bed which had been hers.
Laura glanced at the ceiling. No sign of a web hammock. If the torn-up suit which he was still wearing was any indication, he must have been too tired to even consider setting it. He probably didn't even remember that she had been sleeping in this for most of the summer.
Laura's gaze drifted back to the sleeping figure. Peter had managed to remove his mask before collapsing, at least. He looked so peaceful, yet so tired. Laura couldn't recall the last time that he looked so relaxed, so calm. Also, kind of adorable.
It would be cruel to disturb him while he was like this.
Laura yawned. She also felt exhausted, though. It had been a long night for her as well. Her body glued her suit to her body, but she didn't have the energy to take it off. She could shower in the morning. Right now, all that she had wanted was to jump onto the lumpy mattress and wrap herself up in the thin blanket. Oh, well. Not like she could do anything about it now.
Her hand slowly reached for the blanket, right next to Peter's sleeping face.
Although... the tiny bed did have some room to spare... maybe she could...
Laura instantly pulled back. She shook her head, not knowing if it was to drive out the idea or the sleepiness which had almost led her to almost to indulge in it. No, she wasn't going to invade his personal space when she already had.
With a reluctant sigh, Laura moved over to the chair by the kitchen area. She pulled it out, careful not to disturb Peter anymore than she already had and sat down. She shifted a few times, trying to get comfortable, and eventually found a position that would do.
She'd slept in worse places before. She could handle a wooden chair.
As the lull of sleep slowly began to pull Laura away from reality, her drooping eyes remained firmly locked to Peter's sleeping form. It wasn't something she got to see often. It was a nice view to... to go to sleep to.
So... calm... and relaxed...
Laura hoped that he... always looked like that when he was asleep, but... she doubted that. Something had happened to him... she knew... that would make it hard for anyone to sleep. Moments like these... where they could sleep... without nightmares haunting them... they were rare for people like her and him...
Although... now that she... thought about it... she hadn't woken up screaming... for a while now.
'I wonder what changed...'
As sleep finally wrapped itself around Laura, and the sight of Peter sleeping peacefully faded into the darkness... Laura had room for one last... semi-conscious thought.
'I hope... I wake up... to this view."
Notes:
**Laura in the MCU... but the X-Men secretly Exist.**
Scott: Logan, you are aware that this team and everything we do is meant to be a secret?
Logan: Really? Because the colourful costumes and pretty names could've fooled me.
Scott: *Points to the TV*
*The TV is showing Peter and Laura in action*
Logan: The fuck?
Scott: She has the same powers as you, wears the same suit as you, and has the same code name? What do you have to say for yourself?
Logan: ...she's not mine?
Chapter Text
Time slipped by faster than Cassandra Nova could turn you into spaghetti.
In that time, Laura had entered a comfortable routine. She'd wake up, with the remains of Peter's web hammock resting above her, perform some basic exercises, have breakfast, preferably with Peter, go to work, resist stabbing every fifth customer and coworker, leave work, fulfil any necessary errands if needed on the way home, get home, try to relax, read some comics, treat Peter's injuries if any are present, chat with Peter, do whatever chores are necessary around the apartment, have a quick nap, eat supper with Peter, suit up, fight crime, go home, treat Peter's injuries in any are present, go to sleep, rinse and repeat.
It was nice, peaceful even, and Laura found herself enjoying her time in this universe more and more. Sure, the place sometimes felt ludicrous with its world-ending threats, and how normal, absurd ideas like magic were. She had been absolutely dumbfounded when White Tiger explained his powers to her. Despite that, the place had a nice charm to it.
Having Peter there to explain all of it, with that fantastical spark in his eyes, which wasn't there any other time, made it all almost seem reasonable. He somehow made all of the crazy shit that his universe had to offer make sense. It all almost felt normal.
The lack of anti-mutant organisations trying to kill/weaponise her was nice, even if this place still had its fair share of bigots.
Soon, the warmth of summer faded away, and fall crept in to take its place. Soon, the green leaves began to wither into crisp golds and browns, and the gentle breeze would become yet another obstacle on patrols. With it came a change to her established routine.
Peter was starting his first semester as a student at Empire State University.
Okay, she was also let go from her job due to the drop in demand for ice cream, but that wasn't important. She could find a new one soon enough. This took priority.
Laura wasn't sure why the news had come as such a surprise to her. She had seen and read Peter's GED textbooks, and she knew that he passed with flying colours. He just never really brought it up, so she never stopped to consider the implications.
"Do you have everything that you need?"
"Yes, Laura, I do."
"Books?"
"Yes."
"Laptop?"
"Yes."
"Phone."
"Yes."
"Charger?"
"The one that doesn't look like it's going to catch fire, yes."
"Suit?"
"Under my normal clothes."
"Webshooters?"
"Filled, and I have backup cartridges."
"Money?"
"What little I have, yes."
"Packed lunch?"
Peter rolled his eyes. "I do, yes. Laura, I've got everything that I need. You made sure of it five times already."
Laura huffed as she smoothed out the wrinkles on his university hoodie. "I just don't want you screwing this up for yourself. You have a bad habit of making life harder for yourself than you need to."
"I do not," he scoffed.
Now it was Laura's turn to roll her eyes. "You insist on not letting me pay my share of the bills."
"Because you're a guest."
"A guest doesn't have their own section in the wardrobe," Laura argued. "Just make this easier for all of us and admit that we're roommates."
Roommates. Something about that word irked Laura the wrong way, and she didn't know why. It perfectly described her and Peter's current living conditions. So why did she feel so bothered by it? Like it didn't fit. Or maybe she didn't want it to fit?
"You have enough to deal with already, Laura. I don't want you to be burdened with the mundane world of paying bills as well."
"In our line of work, Peter, getting to experience anything mundane is a privilege."
"Can we talk about this later? You're going to be late."
"Sure, sure," Peter assured as he stepped towards the door. He placed his hand on the door and the handle and opened it with a creak.
"Try not to get yourself killed."
"Whatever, mom. See you in a bit."
Peter stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind him. Silence filled the apartment, leaving Laura standing in the middle of the space, with her arms crossed and a throbbing vein on her forehead.
'Did that little shit really just... When I get my hands on him..."
Laura released a low growl as she stared at the door. After a few moments, the growl faded into a sigh, as her entire body suddenly relaxed. Who was she kidding? She could stay mad at him, especially over a joke. She just couldn't. Of all the people, why did her seemingly endless rage wane against him of all people?
She turned around and headed to the bed. She grabbed her copy of 'Captain America and the Howling Commandos' and flopped onto the bed. She removed her bookmark and began reading through the comic as she prepared herself for another day of waiting for Peter to come home.
'Huh, when did I start thinking of this place as home?'
///
Over the next few days, Laura noticed something weird.
Everything seemed normal at first. Peter went to school and returned home, refusing to share anything outside of the bare minimum. Nothing new. But as the week continued, Peter would come back looking more and more like he was returning from a warzone. It was like he took classes with ghosts.
It was frustrating, especially considering how determined he was not to tell her anything about it or his life in general.
Laura had begun to genuinely consider stalking him to his classes.
Then, Friday afternoon came around.
Laura had been sitting at the kitchen table, rain patting against the apartment's windows and walls, nervously fiddling with her thumbs as she watched the digital clock on her phone like a hawk. 16:26. He should be arriving at any minute. When he did, she would demand the answers he refused to give.
She reminded herself to breathe as her fingers twitched nervously. She tried to ignore all the sensory input around. She tried to tune out the electricity crackling through faulty wiring around the building. She tried to block out the stench of the plumbing and everything hiding in the walls. She tried to pretend that the couple upstairs and two rooms to the right weren't having sex. She tried not to mind how the drizzling rain droplets hitting the glass matched the pace of her beating heart.
Normally, ignoring all of these inputs created by her advanced senses was as easy as breathing. But when she was struggling to even do the latter... When Peter kept coming home looking more and more like a ghost... When he kept falling further and further into the silence, she had thought they had broken through...
She caught his scent. Heard his keys. Laura stood up, pushing the wooden chair back.
She stared intently as the moulding door was pushed in on its rusting hinges.
"What's going on?" she demanded before Peter could even put his bag down. "You start going to school, and every day you come back looking like you just survived a slasher movie. What's happening, and you better give me a proper answer?"
Peter, hair damp from the rain, took a shaky breath and then said, "I think I just befriended this world's version of the son of the man who killed the woman who raised me."
Silence fell over the apartment. Even the neighbours seemed to have stopped their session of passion.
Laura stared at Peter blankly, who very uncharacteristically seemed more interested in the floorboards than her eyes. Her mind struggled to catch up with the words which had left his mouth. She tried saying something in response, but all that came out was an empty, "...huh?"
Peter sighed, as if disappointed in himself for sharing that information.
"I'll... make us some tea... mixed with coffee... not like the beer in the fridge would help. Might as well keep the mind as awake as possible."
The coffee tea tasted like shit. Laura knew that before even picking up her mug. The fact that they only had the cheap versions of both definitely didn't help. But that wasn't important.
She had sat back down at the kitchen table, and Peter was sitting across from her. His hands were wrapped around his mug, nervously drumming against its surface. His body was stiff, his breathing was shaking... he wanted to run. He was ready to run, but he wasn't stupid enough to do it.
Slowly, he lifted the mug and shakily brought it to his lips. He didn't react to the bitter, earthly taste of the mixture he had created.
Each second felt like an hour. Each one was more frustrating. Each moment eroded Laura's patience a little more than the last. She opened her mouth, ready to say anything to break the silence.
Peter beat her to it.
"Do you remember when I took you to the Sanctumm Sanctorum? What did Doctor Strange say to me?"
Laura paused. It had been a good while since she had thought about that weird building. She didn't want to think about the wizard who had reached inside of her and pulled out information from different universes. She didn't want to think about how casually he and Peter talked about other realities crashing into their own. She got proof of her legal existence and confirmation that her presence wasn't going to destroy this universe, and that is all that she needed from the place.
She didn't want to think about how her surname came from a mother who probably wasn't the woman hat birthed her or how a stranger probably knew more about her than she did.
But... she remembered Peter being there as well. She remembered how he and the wizard talked to each other. How pained the wizard appeared when he looked at Peter with sorrow, pity, sympathy, empathy, guilt and remorse.
"Kid, you don't need to suffer alone because of a mistake that we BOTH made."
"Laura here, she has no ties to our world. She's a fresh start in more ways than one, and based on those claws, she is more than capable of taking care of herself."
"Are you happy, Spider-Man?"
"I remember a few things about your conversation," she admitted cautiously. "I know that something happened a year ago, something you both blame yourselves for. Something that you... still suffering because of."
Peter nodded. Then, with a heavy breath, he began his tale. "Roughly a year ago, across multiple months, I made a lot of stupid decisions. Stupid decisions and dumb, childish mistakes which got people hurt, and which I had to pay for."
Laura could hear the way Peter's voice shook. It seemed to hurt him to say these simple words. Yet, she couldn't help but lean closer.
"After the Blip... after Thanos... after Tony died... I needed a break. A vacation. My high school was taking my class on a trip around Europe last year, and I saw it as a perfect opportunity to rest, to get away from everything. A chance to hang out with my friends, confess to the girl I liked, to be a normal kid. The only reason I had my Spider-Man gear on me at the time was because my... my aunt had packed the suit without me knowing."
He laughed weakly, like the memory of this woman brought him both joy and unbearable pain. Laura remained silent.
"Of course, it couldn't be that simple. Next thing I know, my field trip has been taken over by the ex-director of SHIELD, who I'm pretty sure was a shape-shifter impersonating him or something, and I have to fight these elemental monsters from another dimension. Only, there were no elemental monsters. Just a bunch of drones being controlled by a madman who got off on tricking people using illusions. Quinten fucking Beck. I, like the idiot that I am, trusted him. I gave him the only thing that Tony Stark left me, because I believed I wasn't worthy of it, and for some reason, the guy who wore a fishbowl on his head was. He then used it to endanger the lives of countless, including my friends, all for the sake of painting himself out as a hero, so I had to stop him. Heh, as if that lie would've lasted very long."
Peter took another swig of his hybrid drink. Laura still didn't dare to drink her own, even as the steaming cup cooled beneath her fingers.
"He got caught in the crossfire of the drones. He died right in front of me. I thought that was it. I thought it was over. I thought I could just move on from the incident and get on with my life. Heh, how naive I was..."
"What happened, Laura asked hesitantly.
Peter sighed. He obviously wasn't comfortable with sharing. His body language practically screamed that this was a story that he would rather keep to himself. He looked at her, finally met her eyes, and, somehow, he found the strength to continue.
"Barely a week later, I was out on a date with the girl I liked, web swinging. I was the happiest that I had been in a long time. Then... I saw him. Beck, on one of the big screens that we have around here. He... he claimed to have sent the Elemental through a dimensional rift or something. Then... using spliced audio from our fight, his team of former Stark employees made it look like I was the villain. Made it seem like I used the drones to launch a terrorist attack on London and killed the new hero, Mysterio, for the sake of becoming 'the new Iron Man'."
"I'm... sorry to hear that," Laura said truthfully.
She had seen headlines and mentions from this incident during her personal research sessions on this universe. She purposefully hadn't dug any deeper, despite her curiosity and instincts, because of, well, she wasn't entirely sure, but she had theories that she wasn't ready to confront.
"Don't bother apologising," Peter said, though not exactly bitterly, "You haven't even heard the worst bit yet."
...
"After he villainised me and framed me for terrorism, he did the worst thing he could've done at the moment. For once in his sad, pathetic, miserable life, the bastard told the truth."
"What?"
"He told the world who Spider-Man is. He told them that I am Peter Parker."
"Wha-?" Laura tilted her head in confusion and raised her brow. Was he pulling her leg? Was he speaking metaphorically, somehow? Then what did he..? No. Peter wasn't like that. "But people don't know. You have a secret identity. I'm pretty sure that only I know it."
Peter nodded. "After Beck told the world who I was, even after I was cleared of all charges, life didn't go back to the way it was. The court of public opinion is a completely different battle. Everywhere I went, I was stared at, either with hatred and disgust or fascination and awe. My aunt and I had to move out of our apartment. My friends were being harassed almost as much as I was. In under a minute, my life had been completely turned upside down. The final straw was when... due to being associated with me, my friends were rejected from our dream school at MIT. Desperate to fix this, I went to Doctor Strange."
"...a mistake that we BOTH made."
"He offered to make everyone forget who Spider-Man is. He would make the whole world forget the true identity of Spider-Man, and everything would go back to the way it was supposed to be."
"You were going to brainwash the entire world over a rejected college application?" Laura asked with a slight smirk that she couldn't stop. "That's kinda terrifying."
Peter, somehow, managed to let out a genuine laugh. "Yeah, I guess. I... didn't really think about it at the time. I was more focused on other things. Anyway, we didn't discuss what the spell would entail and, despite all of Stephen's warnings, I kept trying to make changes to the spell while he was casting it, trying to make sure that everyone important to me remembered."
"I doubt that went well."
Peter shook his head, "No, it didn't. We, uh, kinda ripped a bunch of holes in space time, which would pull everyone who knew that Peter Parker is Spider-Man into our universe."
Laura's eyes bulged out of her skull. Her mind whirred as she tried to process the information. "But that would be..."
"An infinite number of people, I know." Peter sighed. "Stephen sealed the spell before it was too late, but a few people slipped through the cracks. Villains, destined to die fighting Spider-Man." Peter took a shaky breath. "Stephen wanted to send them back to their universes, straight to their deaths. That was probably the smart thing to do, it would have been the smart thing to do, but I wanted to help them. Save them. Cure them. Aunt May said it was our responsibility to help, and I agreed. I know that we did the right thing, but sometimes I wish..."
Peter couldn't finish the sentence. Tears were now streaming down his cheeks. Laura didn't know what to do. What to say. She couldn't bring herself to move even though her heart and soul begged that she do something.
Eventually, Peter managed to bring himself to continue. "One of them was a man named Norman Osborn. He had taken something similar to the Super Soldier serum, making himself stronger, faster, and smarter. It also created a sort of second, psychotic personality called the Green Goblin. I only managed to cure one of the visitors, a scientist called Otto Octavious, who was being influenced by the robotic arms he had attached to himself. The rest were radicalised against me by the Goblin. We fought, wrecked Happy's apartment in the process, and... Aunt May... she... she... Goblin... he... she... she was the only family I had left."
Peter finally broke down. He brought his head down and buried it in his arms as he began to sob. Laura could hear the way he choked on his own saliva. She hated how it sounded.
"Oh, Peter..." she said softly.
Without hesitation, without any thought, she reached across the table and grasped his arm. She gripped it through the hoodie, and miraculously, Peter's breathing gradually returned to a more controlled rate.
He raised his head and offered a smile through his tears. Laura returned it.
"It's okay," she tried to assure him.
"Thanks, " Peter murmured as he pulled away from her grip, wiping away his tears. "But... I need to finish this now, please. I don't think I could do it, again, another time."
Lara nodded, "Of course. Lay it all on the table. I'm here."
Peter took a deep breath and continued, "After... that... happened, I ran away. I had to. Eventually, my friends found me, and they brought two other people not from this universe. Me. Two different Peter Parkers who had fought, at least, other versions of the same villains running around New York. They... were amazing. They helped me a lot, and they understood what I was dealing with. They convinced me to finish curing the other villains, and we succeeded, even though I tried to Goblin, even if it meant taking Osborn with him. Luckily, Peter 2 stopped me."
'I would have killed him anyway.'
"Before he was cured, Goblin managed to destroy the container for the spell, unleashing it full force. Tears were to other realities were appearing to the sky, bringing in everyone who knew that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange couldn't stop it. He couldn't seal all of the fractures. I then came up with a way to sort of cancel out the original spell. Stephen didn't want to do it, I didn't want to do it, but there was no other way."
"What did you do?" Laura asked, afraid of what the answer would be.
Peter hesitated, seemingly also afraid of what his answer would be. "I... told him to make everyone forget me. I told him to make everyone forget Peter Parker."
"No..." Laura said, even as all of the pieces clicked into place. Peter's self-imposed isolationism. His refusal to share information about himself. His determination to avoid any meaningful relationships, even with other heroes. It all made sense.
It was also explained why Doctor Strange believed that she could help him. She was probably the first person Peter had consistently spoken to in any kind of way, and formed.
Peter, ignorant of the conclusions that she was coming to, continued, "Yeah. Like I said, it was the only way. I said my goodbyes, and Stephen cast the spell, sending everyone home and making everyone else forget me. I... had promised my friends that I would find them, tell them the truth, make them remember, but... when I saw them again..."
"You couldn't bring yourself to do it," Laura finished for them. "You figured that they would be better off without you. Be safer, without you."
Peter nodded. "That and I doubt they would want to be friends with the weirdo rambling about being Spider-Man and their friend whom they don't remember because of magic. I probably would've called the cops if I were in their shoes."
Somehow, someway, the two of them broke out laughing. It was loud, it was manic, it let out the emotions that they had been building up inside of them for years. They laughed and they laughed, and somehow, the tragedy of it all seemed to become just that little bit lighter.
Their drinks had fully cooled by the time they managed to stop.
Their breathing relaxed as air returned to their lungs. The tension began to ease. It was nice to laugh, somehow. Laura was surprised that she had been able to bring herself to laughter after what she had just heard. She could tell that Peter was just as surprised. Chuckles still escaped his mouth, now mixed with choked sobs.
He looked so broken. So lost.
"So, when you said that you befriended this world's version of the son of the man who killed May..."
Peter sighed, weighed down by this reminder. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He turned it on and handed it to her. Laura took it and carefully read what the cracked screen displayed. A few texts from an unsaved number, claiming to be someone called 'Harry'.
"We share a few classes," Peter explained. "He helped me out with finding my way around campus, and I helped him with some of the work he was struggling with. Next thing I know..."
"You're eating lunch together, and he's acting like you've been friends for life." She handed him back his phone.
"Something like that," Peter murmured as he pocketed it.
"And every time you look at him, you remember the man who ruined everything."
"It's not just him," Peter muttered. "I'm constantly wondering if my genetics teacher is going to turn into a giant, rampaging lizard in the middle of a lecture, or if the guest speaker from the other day was going to take off his coat to reveal four robotic tentacles coming out of his back or... or... I don't know, the janitor shocks himself with an electrical socket and turns into pure energy or some shit. It's just... I feel like I tempted fate or something, and now the universe wants to go through exactly what the other Peters did. I don't know what to do."
Laura nervously swallowed her saliva. Peter had gone through, and was still going through, so much. He couldn't even go to class without being reminded of the worst period of his life. Unease stirred inside of her as the desire to help him, comfort him, to do something grew. She just didn't know how.
Memories swirled within her. Memories of being cut open. The children she grew up with. Men whom she had killed. People who had died to save her. People who had died just because she was nearby. Her father...
Maybe... just maybe...
"I wasn't born. Not really. I was made."
This grabbed Peter's attention. His head snapped towards, and while his face was still very much stained with tears, they weren't flowing as profusely. The rain outside, meanwhile, continued.
"As I have told you, people in my universe didn't get super powers through scientific accidents or technology or magic, it all came from the X-Gene. Most people feared us. Others saw an opportunity to advance their own agendas. To make living weapons. It's how my father ended up with an adamantium skeleton and and fucked up memory. The X-Men were there to fight for mutant rights, but they were wiped out when their psychic leader had a seizure, which wiped them out, except for my father, Logan. I doubt they could've helped much anyway. There was this group, Alkali-Transigen. They put this drug in a lot of food products, particularly ones with corn, which basically suppressed the X-Gene during pregnancy and made it so no natural mutants would be born. They shrunk the supply so they could raise the demand for their own products."
"Products?" Peter asked cautiously.
"Me," Laura admitted. "And others like me. Bred to be used as soldiers. Project X-23 is what they called us. I personally was referred to as X23-23. I was made using DNA samples of Logan recovered by Transigen. I don't know who the woman who birthed me was, but she definitely wasn't this Sarah Kinney Strange mentioned. I was poked, prodded, tortured to activate my mutation prematurely, my claws were ripped out, coated with adamantium and put back in my body with little care. The nurses tried to give us some moments of happiness, but those in charge refused to allow it. They couldn't even so much as wish us a happy birthday, not like there was much to be happy about."
Peter nodded along to what Laura was saying. He made no sounds. He showed no signs of interupptting. Laura continued.
"Eventually, we were deemed a failure. Too much free will, not enough desire to hurt. They started working on Project X-24, a perfect clone of my father. They ordered our immediate termination, so the nurses helped us escape. I was personally taken across the border by Gabriealla Lopez. She tracked down my father and Xavier, the only remaining X-Men. She wanted them to take us to Eden, a mutant paradise in North Dakota. She was killed by the Reavers, a cyborgically enhanced group which hunted mutants."
"I'm... sorry to hear that."
"Don't bother apologising," Laura said, mimicking what Peter had said earlier, "You haven't even heard the worst bit yet."
She then proceeded to continue her story. "We went on a little road trip, killed some Reavers. My father refused to acknowledge me as her daughter, and he kept insisting that Eden wasn't real. I refused to say a word to him. To put it simply, we didn't get along. At one point, we helped this nice family get their horses back. They were so kind and sweet, they invited us to their place for the night. It was my first time experiencing what it's like to be part of a family."
Laura finally reached for her cup, which was barely lukewarm, and took a sip. She barely tasted it.
"Then," she said cooly, "X-24 killed all of them, including Xavier. Logan and I barely managed to escape. Trust me, he wasn't happy for the next few days. The fact that his healing factor was failing definitely didn't help. We eventually met up with the other kids at Eden. We planned on crossing the Canadian border the next day. Logan refused to accompany us, saying that bad things happened to those he cared about. Idiot didn't realise that he didn't have to be there for bad things to happen."
"The Reavers and 24 chased us through the forest. Logan showed up to protect us at the last second. It's because of him that none of us died, but... but..."
"He didn't make it," Peter finished.
Laura nodded rapidly as she tried to blink away the tears. "X-24 slammed him into a tipped-over tree trunk. A broken branch the width of his head stabbed through his torso before I managed to blow the clone's brains out with an adamantium. Lo- my fa- dad's healing factor couldn't save him. He died... holding my hand... and he used his last breath to not be what they made me. To live my own life. We buried him in that same forest... and then we moved on."
"Laura... I..."
Laura shook her head and raised his hand at him, signalling him to stop. "I let you finish your story, so let me finish mine. Okay?"
After a moment of hesitation, Peter nodded his head in agreement, allowing her to continue.
"For a while, my life became relatively peaceful. I split off from the others at some point. Felt like things would be better that way. Sure, there was a lot of running and killing in the first few years, but I was eventually able to settle down. I would try to live a normal life for a few months before having to move and starting again. It became a rhythm that grew more stable over time as those months grew longer. And then the TV-FUCKING-A showed up. I don't even remember what I did to grab their attention."
She chugged her drink. "They just showed up at my door and sent me to their little headquarters before erasing my whole timeline. Apparently, there was supposed to be a mock trial or some bullshit, but I apparently didn't deserve that courtesy. All because I chopped off a few of their heads, they sent me to the Void to either become food for Alioth or be turned to spaghetti by Cassandra Nova."
"It wasn't all bad. I met Johnny, Blade, Elektra, Gambit, and everyone else in the Resistance. Survivors that had banded together to, well, survive. It was rough, scavenging for supplies, fighting off Nova's goons, dealing with the bullshit of the Lokis there, avoiding Alioth, but despite all of that... it was nice, pleasant even."
"I'm guessing that it didn't last."
"It never does. Not for me. An idiot and a variant of my father showed up. The idiot somehow rallied us to commit to a frontal assault against Cassandra Nova and her forces, even though he basically admitted to getting Johnny killed. The Logan variant needed some extra convincing, so I had a chat with him. Next thing in the morning, we're all crammed inside a wrecked Honda Odyssey, speeding headfirst to her fortress."
Laura decided that she shouldn't mention that the fortress was made up of the remains of the Ant Guy she had seen on some comic covers and, surprisingly, a best-selling auto biography. "We fought her small army while the idiot and Logan rushed to her headquarters. I managed to toss them a helmet that blocked her powers before being dragged back into the battle with her army. I'm not sure what happened next, but they must have been somehow convinced to help them get out of the Void, because a sparkling portal had appeared and the two had jumped into it. But, at the same time, Alioth was speeding towards us."
"You mentioned that name a few times," Peter cut in. "Alioth. What is that?"
"A giant gas monster that consumes any and all matter that ends up in the Void and is unlucky enough to avoid it," Laura answered bluntly.
"Oh."
"Mmh. As soon as Logan and the idiot had disappeared through the portal, Alioth covered the entire base. I could feel myself being ripped apart and devoured bit by bit at the atomic level. I knew that that was where I was going to die, going to die there, not able to even see my only friends, who were all dying with me just a few feet away. Next thing I know, I'm falling and then, waking up in your arms."
"Laura..."
"I have... long accepted that they're dead," Laura admitted, not meeting his gaze. "None of them had healing factors like mine, and even I couldn't keep up with Alioth. They probably died before I even fell down that rift."
She sniffed.
"It's not like I can do anything about it, though, right? They're dead. The kids I grew up with were erased from existence. My father died protecting something that was doomed from the start, and a another version of him is probably hanging out the crazy motherfucker who killed Johnny!!!"
Without any thought, with no intention besides the one born out of pure emotion, anger and grief that she had refused to truly acknowledge up until now, she swiped at her mug and launched it at the wall. It shattered into tiny shards as the cool, brown liquid seeped slowly down the faded paint. Laura immediately buried her head in her arms, unable to handle everything around her.
"I always lose everything and end up alone... always..."
"..."
Laura could only hear the pitter-patter of the rain against the building. It sounded louder than before. Stronger. If she listened closely, she could hear the sound of the automatic weapons from her childhood echo between the raindrops.
She wasn't entirely sure what had convinced her to open up to Peter, but at the same time, she knew exactly why she did it. Peter had opened up to her about his deepest pains, his grief. He poured his heart out after months of frantically keeping up the walls between them. It was only right that she open up as well, right?
The silence was deafening, and the rain was maddening. Laura just kept her head down and tried to push the memories that she had set loose in her mind. Blood, bullets, the feeling of being ripped open as her body tried to stitch itself back together, flashing images which she could barely identify, and amalgamations of voices years apart.
She hated it. She hated this. She hated that she couldn't open up to the man who took her in without falling apart. She hated that she couldn't have a normal life. She hated her existence. She hated it. Hated it. Hated it. Hated.
Laura's entire body suddenly stiffened. Something had just grabbed her from behind. Her instincts screamed at her to stab it, rip it apart and throw it away. Then the scent hit her nostrils. Familiar chemicals, cheap hygiene products, caffeine and the permanent scent of something almost like pancakes. Peter.
It was like someone flipped a switch. Her muscles instantly relaxed, her thoughts steadied, and her instincts calmed as she melted into what she now identified as a hug.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, Laura," he whispered to her ear. Laura automatically tilted her head towards his voice.
"I'm sorry that you had to make such a difficult choice," she whispered back, "I'm sorry that you lost everyone important to you in one night."
"It's my fault."
Laura shook her head. "You were only trying to do the right thing. The sins of others are not yours to carry."
"And you're not responsible for the choices others made for you."
Laura smiled as she felt the weight of Peter leaning over her grow, but her eyes remained closed. She inhaled his scent, categorising every little nuance and ingredient which made Peter Parker smell like Peter Parker. Peter.
She leaned against his firm chest. She could feel how the solid surface rose and descended with every breath he took. She could feel his powerful heartbeat. It sounded like a drum, and its rhythmic booms put her further at ease.
The memories which her consciousness was drowning in mere moments prior began to slither away. She hummed pleasantly at the feeling. It felt like sunlight after an endless storm. She wondered, hoped, that she was having a similar effect on Peter.
His lean but muscular arms tightened around her waist and chest, and his head landed softly on her shoulder. She took that as a yes and allowed her own head to rest against his as she cradled the other half with her hand.
Fuck, she hoped it was a yes.
Laura wasn't sure what happened next.
All she knew when she woke up in bed the next morning was that Peter was still holding onto her, they hadn't taken off their clothes from yesterday, Peter's distinctive smell was on her and hers was on him as well, the rain outside had stopped, and sunlight was seeping through the cheap blinds...
And Laura was the happiest she had felt in a long time.
Notes:
*Que Peter and Laura just sitting in the living room in silence*
Peter: Wanna trauma dump, eat ice cream and cuddle like our lives depend on it with the possibility of sad sex?
Laura, throws away her book: DO I?!
Chapter Text
Months ticked by since that conversation, where they had poured their hearts out to each other, and things changed faster than the seasons. Especially between Laura and Peter.
Laura wasn't exactly sure WHAT she and Peter were now.
Emotionally and physically.
Peter no longer slept in a web hammock. His bed, which she had been borrowing, was now their bed. Every night, they went to sleep in the comfort of each other's embrace, their scent and their warmth, and they woke up to those things every morning. It made sleeping... much easier.
The nightmares became rarer, and if they did come, they were soon forgotten.
Of course, those feelings weren't limited just to when they were asleep. Unless separated by school, work or vigilantism, you'd be hard pressed to find Peter and Laura more than a few feet apart. Snuggles, cuddles, hugs and cradles were a near constant in their lives.
Laura had never been big on physical contact. Who would be when, once upon a time, physical contact meant being ripped apart and shoved around by cold, rough hands. Peter, however, his touches were soft, gentle and oh so very warm. She just couldn't get enough of them, of him.
Now, Laura had not lost herself completely to these strange new feelings and desires. She was still disciplined enough to maintain some self-control.
No kisses, no hand holding in public, and especially no lovemaking. Laura did not feel ready for something like that in any way. She wasn't even sure if that was the direction that their relationship was heading. She didn't even know if there was a term that could properly describe their relationship.
But, no matter what their relationship was, it made her happy, and she could tell that it made Peter just as happy as well.
He was cheerier, more open, and he talked every second of the day. If Laura were a betting gal, she would wager that this was what he had been like before everything with the multiverse happened, before Mysterio, maybe even before Thanos. It was nice to see him like this.
He'd talk, and he'd talk and he'd talk, but unlike the idiot from the Void, Laura actually enjoyed listening to his words tumble out of his mouth. They were fast and filled with so much splendour and excitement, joy and intelligence, it made Laura wonder if this was what he was normally like, or if he was making up for lost time.
She didn't care.
She only wanted to listen.
And the way his brown eyes sparkled when he was particularly excited, whether it be by some movie he saw or a new science project which he was working on... Laura could die just to see it.
Laura tried not to let these new feelings, these new wants, interfere with her vigilante work. Wolverine had a growing reputation to maintain and develop, and Bishop pestered her about her relationship with Spidey enough as it was. She didn't need to give her any more reasons to spread rumours.
But when given the chance to cling to Peter like a baby koala as he swung them between New York's skyscrapers, how could she say no?
"You're sure that this is a good idea?" Peter, as they landed on the roof of a building with a few lit windows. As Laura hopped off his back, she countered, "What? Is the Amazing Spider-Man scared of a few dingy streets?"
"No," Peter whined, "I'm worried about the guy who watches them. Hell's Kitchen is Daredevil's turf, and he's the most territorial out of all the vigilantes in New York."
"Hell's Kitchen is just a few blocks," Laura argued. "If you can be buddy-buddy with a crime boss, then I'm sure that Daredevil can forgive us for snooping around for a bit. Besides, someone that I'm tracking passed through here, and I'm not passing up a lead."
"Ugh, fine. But when Daredevil starts staring at us from across the rooftops and yelling about 'My city!', I'm blaming you."
"Whatever."
To make a long story short, Laura's lead was a dud. The guy she had been tracking had already packed up and left hours, maybe days ago, and with all of the different scents of questionable legality around the Kitchen, it would take hours for her to track him through scent alone. Needless to say, she was not happy about it.
"You know that grumbling won't change anything, right?" Peter asked.
Laura just continued grumbling into his shoulder as he swung them past all of the dingy buildings.
Imagine witnessing such a sight. Wolverine, every criminal's newest nightmare, burying her face in the shoulder of Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man as he carried her through the sky.
Peter couldn't help but beam under his mask. Seeing Laura like this... it was adorable. Seeing her complain in annoyance about something like a dead end was like seeing a kid grumble about missing their favourite show. She looked and sounded so sweet when she did, but he made sure not to bring it up. He was smart enough not to.
It had been two weeks since she last tried to stab him, and he didn't want to break that streak.
Suddenly, Laura perked up. She sniffed the air. "Turn right."
"What?"
"Turn right!" she yelled, and almost ripped his head odd trying to steer him.
"Alright, alright! I'm turning!" Peter yelled as he took a sharp turn down a random street. Most people would've been ripped off Peter's back by the sudden whiplash, but Laura wasn't most people. She could handle the G Forces better than other people could.
She directed Peter to a window to a surprisingly decent apartment. So long as you ignored the body lying on the floor, still leaking blood onto the carpet.
"Holy shit..."
"I smelled the primer burning and the sudden burst of blood," Laura explained as she began investigating the body. She gave the air another sniff. "If we hurry, we can catch the one who did this."
'This is accurate... scarily so. Right down the middle...'
Laura's thoughts were broken by a sudden ringing. Her eyes shot to a phone discarded on the ground, buzzing some distance away from the blood. Peter picked up.
"It says 'Lawyer', with an 'o'," Peter said, before answering the call and bringing the device to his ear.
From the other side of the phone, a frantic voice spoke, "Benny? About time. What's going on?"
Peter swallowed nervously, "Um, sorry Mr 'Lowyer', but Benny can't make it to the phone right now... because he's dead. Like, shot in the head dead."
"...what? Who is this?"
"Just a concerned citizen, sir. Listen, I need to know, were you talking to Benny earlier? Did he mention anything... weird?"
"Yeah, he was really scared. Said someone found him. Claimed that he had been receiving death threats, so I stashed him at my place... hey, how do I know that you didn't kill Benny?"
Spider-Man glanced at Wolverine and saw her gesturing out the window. They had to go, preferably now.
"Because I'm the one going after the one who did kill him. Sir, listen, if the killer wasn't afraid to break into your apartment to get to Benny, then you might also be a target in some capacity. Get indoors and lock the doors. Stay away from any windows. I'll call you back."
"Hey, wait a minute-!"
Peter ended the call and marched to Laura, pocketing the phone in his utility belt. Laura seamlessly climbed onto his back, and Peter stepped through the window.
"Where to, ma'am?"
"Turn right. The scent is still strong."
Peter jumped without any question and began web swinging according to Laura's instructions.
"Whoever this guy is, he's not an amateur," Laura explained. "Their break-in was too quick and too clean, and yet, as far as I can tell, they didn't discard their weapons. So they are planning to go after someone else."
"So we stop them before they get to their target."
"Turn left."
Laura sniffed the air again. She could effortlessly make out the trail made by the shooter. The smell of blood, guns and their own unique scent was too fresh to ignore, sticking out like a sore thumb against the smells of old garbage and older crimes. Thus, tracking them was no different than following a piece of rope.
It only took a minute for them to find their target.
A man dressed in a blue jumpsuit and ski mask, carrying a high-calibre gun. He was out in the open, walking towards what appeared to be a dingy bar. At the entrance of the bar, a man and a woman stood, likely trying to call the same phone that Peter had pocketed and been ignoring. They didn't see the man walking towards them.
The darkness and the light fog likely obscured the danger from anyone not looking for it.
The shooter raised his gun.
Spider Sense flared.
"Tuck and roll," Peter yelled.
"What?!"
"I said, tuck and roll!"
Before Laura could say anything else, Peter violently twisted his body and threw her at the shooter. In the same motion, he slingshotted himself towards the bar. The gun fired. Peter shot another web that sharply changed his trajectory, sending him zooming past the man and the woman.
The bullet struck, and Spider-Man yelled in pain as it sent his body ragdolling to the floor.
"Jesus-!"
"Holy shit!"
Laura kneed the shooter as she flew down towards him. He was sent flying, dropping his gun and letting it clatter on the empty road. Laura, meanwhile, rolled into a crouched landing.
Her head quickly turned to the pair that the man had fired at, and her blood ran cold.
The two civilians were safe, but that didn't matter to her at the moment. What mattered was who they were trying to keep on the ground, as he tried to stand up despite the gaping, blood-soaked bullet wound in his side.
Slowly, Laura's gaze turned back to the shooter, who had already picked himself up. In his hand, gleaming in the pale light of street lamps, was a knife.
'Like that's going to help him."
"You're going to pay for that," Laura growled, popping her claws out.
"No, you'll pay for making me waste a bullet."
Laura took a step forward and was immediately knocked back. As she hit the floor with a loud thud, she realised that she could only see half of the night sky. The side of her head felt like it was splitting open. Her hand reached for her left eye, and her fingers instinctively wrapped around the handle sticking out of it. With a pained grunt, she pulled the knife out and picked herself up.
The shooter had turned his back away from her and was now aiming a handgun at Peter and the man and woman that he was shielding with his body. His stance was steady, and his body language showed extreme caution as he faced their opponent. Whoever this shooter was, he was clearly more than just a normal gunman on a rampage.
Laura ignored the sensation of her fractured skull pulling itself together, veins and nerves regrowing, and her eye's jelly refilling the empty socket as bits of her damaged mask and lens were pushed out of her healing wound.
She threw the knife, and it struck the man's shoulder, making him hunch over and shoot the floor instead of his targets. The wound wasn't very deep, though. Whatever the man was wearing, it was tougher than her own suit.
Before the shooter could pick himself up, another figure joined the scuffle. Swinging from the sky, not two different from Peter, a man in red kicked the man in blue away from the three. It only took Laura a moment to realise that it was Daredevil.
"You're not killing anybody else tonight, Pointdexter."
'Pointdexter' wheezed out a laugh as he rubbed his ribs, trying to stand up again.
"You're lucky that the bitch and the bug were here to take the bullet for your friend, Devil."
"Drop your weapons. You're outnumbered, three to one." Peter yelled as he stepped away from the original targets, who appeared too frozen by fear to run inside.
Pointdexter tilted his head with confusion. When his gaze shifted to a gradually approaching Laura, who had a blood-soaked but intact eye to show for his efforts to kill her, his expression shifted to horrified surprise. He shook his head.
"No," he whispered, "No, this is my chance. I WON'T LET YOU RUIN IT!"
He threw another knife, not at the vigilantes, but at the man he had tried to shoot earlier. Spider-Man effortlessly caught it and threw it at the floor, embedding the blade into the concrete. At the same moment, Daredevil hurled one of his clubs at the Pointdexter, and Laura ran after it.
The billy club knocked the wind out of the man, and Laura kicked him off his feet. Then, using a move she had perfected as a child, she pinned him to the floorcareful to keep both of his hands away from any weapons. As an extra precaution, she pinned his neck between two claws.
"Try anything funny," she whispered, "and you'll lose your head, and I won't even have to move a muscle to do."
"No... no... no... no... NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" he frantically and his body shook violently to try and knock Laura off. Laura could only hold her ground as she tried to keep the bastard in place. "This was my chance! My only chance to get my life back and fucking ruined it!"
"Shut... up!"
"What are you talking about?" Daredevil asked as he approached them. Spidey was next to him, and Laura was relieved to see that he had webbed his wound shut. At least he had enough sense to do that. Still, she was going to have to get the idiot home as soon as possible. She did not have nearly as much confidence in his healing factor as he seemed to have.
"This was my chance... it was my chance... she said I could get my life back," Pointdexter, as his strength seemed to fade from him.
"Is this..." Peter began to ask, but Daredevil cut him off.
"Benjamin Pointdexter. He impersonated me under Wilson Fisk's orders before the Blip. Last I checked, he was in a mental institution. Someone had him released."
"Fisk?"
"Maybe. It could also be the one you're not thinking of. I can handle this from here."
It took a few minutes to remove all of Pointdexter's weapons. Once they were sure that they were in the clear, Spidey webbed the man up, ready to be picked up by the police. Laura worked crowd control, keeping all of the bar goers inside and everyone else away. However, that still left Pointdexter's two targets to be taken care of.
"Are either of you, 'Lowyer'?" Spidey asked as he approached them, holding Benny's phone.
"That would be me. Foggy Nelson, representative of Nelson, Murdock and Page," the man with a beard said with a raised hand. Peter handed him the phone. "Also, I'm a lawyer."
"That's just what the phone said."
As he looked it over, he asked, "Benny... is he really..."
"Bullet straight through the centre of his skull," Laura answered, "He was dead before he even hit the floor."
"Damn it..."
"I get why Pointdexter would go after us," the woman, who Laura assumed must be Page, cut in, "We have... a history. But why Benny?"
Daredevil hummed. "I doubt it was purely out of pettiness. He was hired to do this by someone. Someone with an agenda. Someone who wanted Benny off the board as well as you," he said, turning to Foggy.
"What was Benny charged with?" Laura asked.
"He was caught on surveillance stealing, like, 20 cases of Lafite Rothschild from a warehouse at Red Hook Pier. Claimed that he found them at the subway."
"Well, if he was caught on camera, then it sounds like a pretty open and shut case."
A proud smirk crossed Foggy's face, "You'd think that, but it's not. None of Benny's charges will stick... or, wouldn't have stuck."
"How come?" Laura demanded.
"It's a freeport. Technically, he didn't break any laws because the port isn't applicable to New York laws and... shit."
Everyone fell quiet as that sank in. While the understanding of the law in the group varied from person to person, it didn't take a genius to figure out that that was most likely the reason why Pointdexter had been sent.
"Whoever controls Red Hook can bring in and store whatever goods that they want there," Daredevil said, "No customs, no taxation, no fear of seizures."
"Money can be laundered legally there," Page added.
"At least so long as it's not brought to the court's attention. That's what I was about to do."
"Okay, you two," he pointed to Foggy and Page, "Get inside and stay there until the police arrives. I'll scout out Red Hook." He then turned to Laura and Peter, "The two of you can go home. This is my mess to clean up."
"Like hell that is going to happen," Page declared.
"Foggy almost died!" the Devil spun around and yelled. He pointed to the other two vigilantes. "If they hadn't been here... I'm not risking that happening again. I'll let all of you know what I find. For now, go home and stay safe. Don't look for any more trouble."
Laura felt like she needed to speak up and say something. She felt her mouth begin to open, but was unsure of what was about to leave it. She then felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Spidey shaking his head at her. She took that as reason enough not to say anything.
"Meet me tomorrow at midnight by the warehouse where Wolverine and I first met," Daredevil ordered. He proceeded to raise his billy club, and from it, a grappling hook fired and clung to a building. "I imagine we'll have much to discuss."
With those parting words, the grappling hook began to whine itself in and pulled Daredevil into the darkness of the night. All four watched as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen zoomed away.
"I still have no idea how he does that without dislocating his shoulder," Foggy muttered.
"I always assumed that it's part of his demon powers," Spidey noted.
Laura and Page just stared at the two idiots with expressions of pure disbelief.
///
Laura found herself back in the apartment sooner than expected.
She was treating Peter's wound even quicker.
"You do know that I can treat my own bullet wounds, right?"
"Considering that you jumped in front of it instead of pushing the actual targets out of the way, I don't trust you enough to do it," Laura commented as she cautiously dabbed the wound.
She could see signs of the wound closing already. Even if it wasn't as advanced as her own, his healing factor was still undeniably quick.
"Are you sure that it's not just an excuse to see me shirtless?"
A wet and bloody rag to the face shut up any other snark he may have.
"Ow! I'll shut up, sorry. Gross."
Laura didn't bother hiding her smirk as she focused on the wound. A normal person would've likely needed stitches, assuming that they didn't bleed out first. Laura figured that she could get away with just bandaging it after removing the bullet.
Reaching for the freshly sterilised tweezers, Laura asked, "Any idea what the deal is with those two lawyers and the Daredevil guy?"
"I have a few theories developing, but I think it's best that I not share. Secret identities and all."
Laura hummed in understanding.
"Ouch. Watch where you're poking that thing."
"Sorry," she apologised genuinely. "What about the lawyers. Anything that I should know about?"
"Nelson, Murdock and Page. Formally, just Nelson and Murdock. They're a mostly pro bono firm that has a habit of picking up big cases involving vigilantes. They're the ones who exposed Wilson Fisk as the Kingpin of Crime for the first time, they represented the Punisher, and they even represented me during the whole Mysterio mess. Not sure what else there is to say other than they're good people. Well, other than the fact that Murdock caught a brick once."
"Impressive," Laura commented with genuine wonder.
"More so when you consider that it came from behind him and he's blind."
"Bullshit."
"All of your legal documents were forged by a wizard, and that's where you draw the line?"
"Fair enough," Laura hummed, accepting the explanation. She proceeded to carefully remove the bullet and put it aside before properly wrapping up the wound.
"Well, whatever their deal is, it's none of our concern," Laura commented. "For now, I'll make us a midnight snack, and once we're done eating, you can join me in the shower."
"You mean the always-cold shower with a broken tile and barely enough room for one person?"
"The very same one."
"...I don't think 'roommates' fits our relationship any more."
"I have no idea what you are talking about. Now, do you want to take that shower or not?"
"Yeah, sure, why not?"
Notes:
*Anti-Vigilante Task Force bursts through Laura's apartment door*
Powell: Laura Kinney, aka Wolverine, you're under arrest for a whole list of shit that I can't be bothered to list. Play nice and we won't pull out the muzzle, or would a freak like you enjoy that?
Laura, on her couch: Not now. My boyfriend just sent me a Tim Tok.
Powell: Wha- Hey, bitch, you're being arrested. Are you as stupid as your Halloween costume, or do you just want blood and brain matter on your couch?
Laura: Hmm, that's always a bitch to clean up. Fine, just give me a second. Oh, look at this. *Shows the Task Force her phone* It's your boss being arrested outside of his mansion.
Powell: Wait, what?
Laura: My friend was right, this is hilarious. Guess that you psychos can kiss that mayoral protection goodbye. Speak of the Devil, they've already placed warrants for your arrest. It's like we wanted you to get here at this exact moment.
Powell: Why you... we'll kill you for this, freak.
Laura: *Snikt* You will try.
Chapter Text
You know what's great about having a roommate who is most definitely more than just a roommate and also happens to have a more stable income than selling selfies to newspapers?
Rent isn't nearly as much of an issue as before.
In fact, rent is such a non-issue that you can move out of your shitty apartment and move into one where the kitchen, living room, dining room, and bedroom aren't just a singular room. You can save even more on rent because your roommate is so much more than just a roommate, that you only need one bedroom.
It was just another thing that made Peter grateful for the beauty that had literally fallen into his world.
Speaking of...
"Honey, I'm home!" Spider-Man declared as he crawled into the living room through the window.
"Don't say that. We're not some married couple from a '50s sitcom," replied Laura, not putting away her latest comic book.
Peter removed his mask as he approached her on the couch, "Isn't that what we basically are now?"
"Not in your wildest dreams, Spider-Boy," Laura smirked. Peter leaned down enough for Laura to wrap her arm around his neck and pull him the rest of the way into a deep kiss.
Peter still remembered the first time Laura had kissed him.
It had been in that shower, on the night they had saved the life of Foggy Nelson and made Daredevil aware of Vanessa Fisk's control of Red Hook. That shower was a lot of firsts for them.
The first time they had seen each other naked. The first time they touched each other naked. The first time their bodies were pressed together outside of their costumes, or any clothes for that matter.
The feeling of her breasts pushing against his chest, her ass in his hands, and his webshooter squeezed between her thighs as cool water repeatedly struck their skin and they got very familiar with the taste of each other's saliva. Not even a freshly bandaged bullet wound could taint the experience.
Peter remembered all of it like it was yesterday, probably because they relived the experience at least once a week.
"The pet name, craddling and kisses say otherwise," Peter joked when he was given the chance to breathe.
"I'm a complicated person with many needs only you happen to provide," Laura responded, before pulling Peter's entire body to the spot next to her on the couch. "Not get over here. We have a quota to meet."
"Yes, ma'am."
The 'quota' referred to the time they spent snuggling, although Laura would never say it out loud.
Peter didn't fight against her as she nestled him by her side. Her arm wrapped behind his neck, and his head rested on her shoulder, while Peter's arm that wasn't pinned between their bodies went over her tummy.
The two breathed in a euphoric sigh of relief as they absorbed each other's warmth and took in one another's scents.
"This is nice," Peter murmured.
"It always is," Laura replied sweetly.
With her free hand, Laura lifted her comic back up to read. Peter's gaze landed on its pages along with hers, but neither paid much attention to them. Their hearts and minds were too focused on the breathing of the other, their smell, their subtle moves.
Each other was all they really had.
Even if Peter was more open with other vigilantes, even if Laura had managed to form a friendship with the likes of Kate Bishop and Jessica Jones, that didn't change the fact that those relationships only came about because the two of them had met.
Only Peter knew that Laura wasn't from this world, and of the monsters that made her and still haunted her from the deepest corners of her mind. Only Laura knew about the boy who had been forgotten, and what the ghost he left behind had lost.
"I love you, Peter," whispered Laura as she tried to pull him even closer.
Peter smiled, "I love you too, Laura."
All they had was each other, and that is all they needed.
///
"HELLO, NEW YORK!"
Even after all these years, Peter still loved this part of the job.
Peter released the line of webbing that he had been holding onto and allowed his momentum to glide him through the air. He performed three pirouettes in the air before gravity took back control, and he began to lose altitude. He responded by firing another web and slingshotting himself further along.
He cheered and he whooped as he rose and he fell, his life constantly at the mercy of his aim and the devices on his wrists. He wouldn't have it any other way.
He dipped lower than usual, so that he just barely avoided brushing the heads of the pedestrians passing by.
Spider-Man extended his arm out to them, "Hey, everyone. How's it hanging?"
A lucky few managed to get a high five from him before he started to rise again, and they all cheered as he continued his swing.
Peter couldn't help but laugh.
It felt good. It felt good to be a friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man again.
After everything that had happened, he had retreated into the shadows. He rarely stuck around after wrapping up a situation. His webswinging had become methodical and efficient; he had stopped looking for excitement in the experience. He rarely spoke with civilians, unless they were in the process of being saved by him or a vendor who gave him free food. He prioritised the mission over the community.
Not any more. Not ever since Laura came into his life.
"God, I could kiss whatever multiversal anomaly brought us together," Peter mused with a love-struck smile beneath his mask. "But Laura would probably stab me if I did, so it will have to settle for a pat on the back."
Peter turned a sharp corner and let go of his webnonce again. As the wind carried him across the air, his eyes caught a familiar collage of red and blue, with a hint of gold, watching him from a rooftop.
With some quick manoeuvring, Peter dramatically switched his direction and launched himself towards the figure.
"Hey, Strange," Spidey greeted the doctor as he perched across from him, "Long time no see."
"Indeed it has," Strange nodded. "I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner. The multiverse has been... very demanding of my attention recently."
Spidey shrugged, "It's cool. So, I'm guessing this is about Laura."
Stephen nodded, "Partially, yes, but let's focus on you for now. How are you feeling?"
"Honestly, better than I've been for a long time, and it's all thanks to Laura. You were right, about me letting her into my life. She's always willing to listen to what I'm saying, even if she doesn't show it. She understands my pain, and she's also been through so much herself that it makes my own weight feel lighter. After all of this time, I finally feel like... me."
Doctor Strange smiled and nodded, "I'm happy to hear that. You've certainly recovered quite well since the Statue of Liberty. I imagine that your life will always be filled with struggle and hardship, so you need to take wins like these while you have the chance. Having a solid support system in your life, people like Laura, who will watch your back, I promise that it will make things easier. You deserve to be happy after everything. I just hope you get to keep it all once the dust settles."
Those words captured Peter's full attention, and reeled it out of the memories of Laura. "What? What do you mean by 'keep it when the dust settles'?" He took a step towards the sorcerer, "What's happening, Doc?"
Strange sighed, "Although I have been busy, I did have time to investigate the location of Laura's landing in our universe. I suspected that it was a tear caused by the Incursions plaguing the multiverse, but when I arrived, I realised I was wrong. The rift had been patched up too cleanly, too deliberately. Someone chose to send Laura here, which is supported by the fact that she has been theatered to our timeline. Whoever sent her here didn't want her presence to risk the integrity of our universe."
"What does that mean?"
Peter could no longer hear the sounds of New York. The city that he loved, which he protected, suddenly felt small, insignificant. Like it didn't matter how many little guys he saved because a really big boot was coming, and it was going to crush all of them.
"I don't know," Strange admitted, "but something big is coming, and someone is already moving pieces into place. I don't know if they are our allies, an enemy or both, but I won't let them do all of the planning. I would like to be able to at least see some of the pieces currently on that board before we have to play their game. Have the Avengers reassembled yet?"
"Um... no, not exactly... not yet," Peter admitted awkwardly.
Strange sighed and muttered, "You'd think that we would've learned after Thanos." He straightened up and refocused his attention on Peter. "I'll go talk to our new Captain America about that. I won't let our reality be doomed because our main line of defence can't be bothered to organise itself. We can't be caught off guard again."
"What should I do?"
Strange considered the question carefully for a moment. It was difficult to know what to do when you didn't know what or who was coming, but you had to prepare somehow nonetheless.
"Continue doing what you're doing," Strange decided. "Protect the streets, stop crazy scientists when you find them, keep the people happy and safe. We need something to protect. Also, let the other street heroes know to be on their toes. We may need their help as well."
You can't be a Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man if there's no neighbourhood.
Peter nodded, "I'll do what I can to help. You can count on me, Stephen."
"I'll call you if I learn anything new," Strange promised, "Laura too. She's as much a part of this as anyone else. Until we meet again, Spider-Man."
"Goodbye, Stephen."
The doctor nodded to the vigilante, and without even waving his arms, he opened a portal beneath his feet and seamlessly slipped through to the other side. Spidey watched the portal close behind the Sorcerer.
Spidey remained on that rooftop for what felt like hours, simply staring at the spot his friend had been standing, and allowing the weight of his words to rest on him.
Something big was coming, and if Stephen's words were true, someone was already setting up the board. Was it another Thanos, but worse? Why was Laura being saved from the Void a part of their plan? Did they plan to place her near enough for him to find? If so, why?
So many questions, and he had no way of getting any of the answers that he wanted. Answers which, according to Stephen's own words could save or doom their reality.
'There has to be something I can do,' he thought to himself. 'Something, anything!'
Was he really going to have to sit on his butt, do the same things he always does, while another Blip could very well be on the horizon?
"You know, brooding on rooftops isn't a good look for you. At least stand on a gargoyle or something."
Spider-Man turned his head in the direction of the familiar voice and watched as Wolverine confidently approached.
Some changes had been made since she had first donned the mantle. The grey of her suit had been replaced with yellow, and a lot of the black was now brown. This drastic change had come after many arguments between the two.
Peter had found sketches made by Laura depicting herself in a more colourful suit, one clearly inspired by the one the variant of her father had worn. Peter had been excited when he saw them and was desperate to make it a reality.
Laura refused. She argued her current suit was just fine. That they couldn't spare the materials. That the darker colours were better for stealth. It took a while, but Peter eventually managed to get the truth out of her.
She didn't think that she was worthy of those colours.
Peter firmly disagreed and relentlessly debated (annoyed) her until she had no choice but to accept the truth. The truth that she was worthy of those colours, that she was a true hero, this universe's only Wolverine. His only Wolverine.
His Laura Kinney.
The greatest of them all.
"You kinda have to brood when a wizard tells you that the world might be ending and he has no idea why."
Peter felt Laura's eyes widen behind her mask. Despite Peter's undoubtedly sarcastic tone, she quickly managed to pick up that he was being serious. That this was a very serious situation which he was contemplating.
"Tell me everything."
So he did. He repeated everything that Doctor Strange had told him, but with his own Peter Parker charm mixed in. Once he was done, Laura was left more silent than usual.
She circled the roof while Spidey watched from the centre. She wasn't showing an indication of stopping or saying anything any time soon, and Peter was starting to feel tempted to say something himself just to break the silence.
But he knew better than to interrupt Laura's own brooding.
Luckily, he didn't need to wait much longer.
"The person who sent me here, friend or foe?" she asked eventually.
Peter shrugged, "Unclear. They might be trying to give us a fighting chance by sending more heroes here, or it might be some twisted butterfly effect meant to doom us. Not that I think you're a threat or anything."
Laura smiled at him. "Relax, I get what you mean. Still, it's cause for concern."
"So, any ideas on what we should do to prepare?" Peter asked.
Laura sighed, "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think there is much that we can do to prepare. Train, upgrade our gear maybe, but given how little we know..."
"It's best to just let Strange handle things for now."
Laura sighed, "Yeah..."
She finally stopped pacing, instead rooting herself to the spot. Peter took the opportunity to approach her.
"Hey, we'll get through this," he promised softly. Gently, interwined his fingers with hers. "Whatever this is, we'll beat it. I swear."
Laura shook her head. "What if I lose everything again?"
"You won't."
Without hesitation, Peter wrapped his arms around Laura and squeezed as hard as he could without breaking anything.
"You won't lose me," he whispered to her.
Laura's body tensed at the sudden embrace, but she very quickly melted into it. She wrapped her own arms around him and squeezed.
"I can't-" she choked. "Not again. Not again."
"Whatever happens, we'll be together," Peter assured her. "Neither of us will be along again. I promise."
Notes:
**Laura in the MCU**
Peter: Nothing can ruin this moment.
Laura: Yep.
*TVA door opens and Deadpool steps through*
Wade: Where the fuck have you been? We had this whole ending scene planned for my movie, showing everyone happily hanging out like a family, and I would've given this whole speech and caring for the people closest to you, only to find that you were nowhere close to the timeline! And what have you been doing all of this time anyway? Blowing off Iron Boy Jr? What, did Paul get all of his canon girlfriends, or did Marvel finally run out of material?
Peter + Laura: ...
Peter: This is the guy you said got Johnny killed.
Laura: Yep.
Peter: *Sigh* And I just cleaned the carpet.
Wade: ...why do I feel like I'm going to be in a world of pain by the next scene?
Chapter 9: The Doomsday
Summary:
Peter and Laura can't stop flirting, even with Doom on the horizon.
Chapter Text
You know what's great about fighting robots?
You don't need to pull your punches. You are free to throw as many sound-barrier-breaking haymakers as you like, and not worry about getting blood, muscles, bone, organs and other gross insides on yourself. Also, there is no reason to feel guilty about brutally murdering someone because you DIDN'T brutally murder someone.
So, yeah, fighting swarms of robots is a perfect excuse to let loose and relieve yourself of stress.
Unfortunately, all of the previously mentioned perks don't really apply when it takes at least five of those haymakers just to take down one robot.
That was the realisation that Peter Parker was coming to as he was choke slammed through a brick wall and then onto the concrete floor by one of those robots.
Peter grunted as the robot's radiation-green eyes bore into the white lenses of his mask. Peter's hands were desperately clawing at his neck, trying to stop the machine from crushing his windpipe.
The robot leaned lower down, its cloak blanketing both of them as it put more weight onto the spider.
Spider-Man was certain that the malice emanating from it was genuine, which would make what came next so much more satisfying.
"Look, I can tell you're excited," the robot slammed him into the concrete again. "But... I'm sorry to say this, but this is just going too quickly for me, so I'm going to have to kindly ask you to," Peter pulled his fist back the best he could, "Back..." BANG! "the..." BOOM! "fuck..." KRZZT! "OFF!"
CRASH!
The last strike was enough to send the thing's head flying off its shoulders. For most robots, that would be enough to at the very least slow them down. Unfortunately, the creator of these bastards wasn't nice enough to put all of the important processors where humans keep their own. Instead, the lack of its head only made the machine more aggressive, tightening its grip on the hero and ignoring potential damage to its servos.
That didn't matter, though. Spider-Man got what he wanted.
Even as his lungs struggled to take in oxygen, Spidey didn't hesitate to speak his next words. "Say... Ahhh!"
With a well-placed shot, a metal capsule shot out of his webshooter and down the robot's exposed neck. Two seconds later, something was leaving it. Webbing was overflowing from the root, and you didn't need to be a genius to know the implications of that.
Electrical impulses were disrupted, moving parts were held in place, and the drone's harsh attempts to break free of the gunk inside of it only made it worse. Its grip on Spider-Man slakened, either from a calculated panic or because it was physically unable to maintain its hold. Whatever it was, the results remained the same.
Peter didn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation he had created and finish the job. He needs to ensure that there will be one less variable for everyone to worry about while he has the chance.
He pushed the robot back a bit, its slackened grip finally releasing his neck. Peter took a deep breath the moment he could, but didn't dare to waste any more time. Without hesitation, Peter thrust his hand into the open neck. He grabbed as large a clump of webbing as he could and pulled.
Wires, circuit boards, batteries, motors, metal plates and everything else that was important were all ripped out of the machine, clinging to the webbing like bees to a beehive. Electricity sparked from the loose wires, and Peter tossed the components away. At the same time, the Doombot lost whatever strength it once had.
The drone finally lost whatever strength it had once had, so Peter tossed the limp body away like it was an empty potato sack.
The New York vigilante picked himself up and rubbed his head as he tried to catch his breath.
How had it come to this? How had he ended up on a different world, fighting robots from different different world?
Spidey's gaze shifted to the discarded head, which he had knocked off earlier. A head which bore a striking resemblance to the mask worn by a certain egomaniac.
"Right... Doom."
Peter still wasn't sure what the bastard's deal was, but he did know one thing. He was a pain in the ass with an ego to match.
Peter fired a web line and launched himself into the air. In a single bound, he landed on top of one of the buildings. Perched on the edge of the top of a slanted roof, Spider-Man looked out on the landscape around him.
He was in an Eastern European town with medieval architecture. In the distance was a castle perched a top of a mountain, casting a shadow over everything beneath it. Everywhere he looked, fires burned, explosions shook the Earth, and those dumb robots were littering the sky.
"Well, what else can you expect from a capital called Doomstat?"
"Probably a smaller population. Seriously, who wants to live in a place with the word 'doom' in the name?"
A smile spread across Spider-Man's face beneath his mask as he turned to face the new voice.
"To be fair, according to Reed, the word 'doom' is tied with prosperity for these people, all thanks to their glorious leader," he snarked.
Laura smiled back at him as she approached, Peter's gaze unable to decide between focusing on that heart-melting gesture or the hypnotic sway of her hips. The skin exposed by the battle damage fabric did not make his decision any easier. God, when had he become such a scoundrel?
When Laura reached him, she squatted behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Any word from our friends?" she asked.
"The last people I saw were Captain America and discount Cap arguing about the latter's shield while fighting off Doombots."
"It is a dumb shield."
"Exactly!" Peter exclaimed like he had been holding it in his whole life. "Who looks at a taco shell and thinks, 'This would be perfect for blocking bullets!' It's stupid."
"At least it's a semi-decent arm guard," Laura suggested.
"Yeah. It's fine if half of your brain is missing so long as your arm is clean."
The two burst out laughing. The joke was a bit more morbid than Peter's humour tended to be, but when your girlfriend is an expert killer and you are in the middle of a battle for the sake of the multiverse, a little bleakness tends to seep in.
When the laughter died down, Laura added, "At least you didn't have to watch that water fairy try and flirt with Sue."
"He's still on that?" Peter almost yelled in shock. "Are you kidding me?"
"Laura sighed, "Unfortunately, no. I think all of that seawater got into his brain and ended up clogging something, because no one can be that dense. She's literally a mother who's happily married and would sooner fight a space god than abandon her family."
Peter shook his head. "I barely even know them, and I know that she ain't leaving Reed for anybody."
"Yep."
For a moment, silence replaced their conversation as they both just took each other in. Peter proceeded to break the silence with a very important question.
"Please tell me she smashed him through a wall or something."
"Even better. She slammed him through a three-story building and then cursed him out for it."
Peter sighed as he imagined the scene. "Reed is a lucky man."
Laura's hold on him tightened. "But you're luckier, right?"
Peter's body immediately stiffened, in more places than one. This was Laura's 'I'm going to either stab you or fuck you, and you have no idea which one it will be' voice. He had to choose his next words with extreme care. He couldn't afford to scre it up.
"Is that even a question?" Peter asked. "You are the most talented, beautiful, intelligent woman any guy could ask for. In my eyes, any Peter Parker who doesn't have you by their side obviously did something wrong."
Laura's gaze softened, and she pecked his cheek through the mask. "Correct. I'll be sure to reward you for it once we have a moment to ourselves.
Peter leaned into her, taking everything he could about her. Her smell, her shape, her heat, her breathing, her heart beating... it was all so amazing. So intoxicating. "I look forward to it."
They could've spent the rest of their lives on that roof, with only each other for company. The battle around them was slowly losing meaning. All that they could focus on was each other. So what if a madman was trying to reshape the multiverse in his own image when they were together? That is all that mattered.
Peter Parker and Laura Kinney.
Spider-Man and Wolverine.
Together...
They likely would've stayed in each other's arms for the rest of the battle if only someone hadn't decided to take issue with it.
"Hey, love birds! Less snuggling and more clobbering."
The two immediately looked up at the sky and saw the latest source of their annoyance, burning as brightly as ever.
"Get bent, Johnny!" Peter yelled at the Human Torch. "We're having a moment!"
"You're always having a moment!" Johnny Storm yelled back. "You're worse than Reed and Sue were in college. At least they have the decency to pause the smooching when we're all FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES!!!"
Peter rolled his eyes. God, he hated it when Johnny made sense. It was like the balance of the universe was disturbed every time that he did it.
"Just give us five minutes," Laura yelled to him. "We'll be right with you."
If Johnny were on the ground, he would've stamped his foot in that moment. "No! If I leave you two here, I'll fly back later just to find you two fighting Doombots NAKED!!! And that is NOT a sight that I want to see."
Peter groaned. He REALLY hated it when Johnny made sense.
"Fine," he sighed as he tossed Laura's arms off himself and picked himself up. Laura smirked at his misery and stood up as well. "Fine! Are you happy now?"
Johnny nodded, "Very. Listen, man, I can appreciate a bro who just wants to spend time with his hot girlfriend, but there's a time and place for everything."
"Aren't you the one who flirted with the woman trying to kidnap your nephew and bring about the destruction of your planet?" Laura asked innocently.
Johnny paused, his mouth hanging as he tried to think of an answer. Peter could barely suppress his laugh at the sight. Once again, all was right in the world.
Johnny eventually managed to point an accusatory finger at them both. "That is taken severely out of context, and you both know it!"
Peter shrugged, "I don't know, man. That seems like a pretty messed-up thing to do, no matter the context."
"At least he had the decency to hold back his feelings for Galactus," Laura snickered.
The two couldn't hold it in, and so they both burst out laughing, much to Johnny's annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." He rolled his eyes. "Just don't come crying to me. begging for a rescue when you get caught with your pants down... literally."
Johnny rocketed away from a scene, with Doombots quickly closing in on the flaming streak.
Peter and Laura watched him leave, their smiles never quite leaving their faces.
"Gotta be honest, it's nice to mess with him for a change," Laura admitted. "Back in the Void, whenever the Johnny I knew was acting like an idiot, I just ignored him, threatened him, or, on very rare occasions and while he wasn't looking, I would smile. It's nice to be on the coin."
"You smiled at a Johnny Storm variant?" Peter asked with a raised brow. "Should I be jealous?"
Laura rolled her eyes, "I smiled with him, not at him. There's a difference. Besides," she stroked Peter's chin, "He doesn't have the charm necessary to counterbalance his idiocy, even if he believes otherwise."
"And I do?"
"Why do you think I've tolerated you for so long?"
The two lovers gazed lovingly into each other's covered eyes, and it seemed like they were going to forget about the battle around them all over again.
At least until five different Doombots surrounded them and aimed their weapons at them.
Spider-Man and Wolverine quickly stood back to back, web shooters armed and claws out, respectively.
Peter wanted to make a joke out of the situation. Something about them needing to 'pause the smooching' after all. But Doom's machines didn't have the decency to allow time for humour. They opened fire on the duo, and they were quick to avoid the blast.
Laura leapt at the nearest Doombot and began digging her claws into it. Sparks and bits and bobs sprang out of the robot. Peter, meanwhile, would do what he always did, using his webs to swing between the robots, avoiding their blasts and slamming them into each other.
More Doombots would follow, and later, probably Doctor Doom himself.
But between all of the fighting, between the splashes of blood, explosions and tears in reality, Peter and Laura would always take a moment to look at each other. To remind themselves that their partner was here, that they were alive and literally still kicking, and they looked great doing it.
Their love should've been impossible.
It never should have been given the chance to bloom.
They never should have even met, separated by the multiverse itself.
And yet, despite the odds, they were both here. They were together. Their love for one another was the only beacon of hope that either of them would ever need.
Their love was the light that would guide them through this so-called 'Doomsday'.
While everyone else focused on Doom, fighting him and his armies, trying to save the multiverse from his reign, the two focused on each other. Everything else came second, because each other was all that they needed.
Peter Parker and Laura Kinney.
Spider-Man and Wolverine.
The End
Bonus Chapter coming soon.
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