[Third Person Pov]
As Peter and the rest of the group finally exited the apartment complex, the air beside them shimmered and distorted. A familiar circular portal snapped open with a low hum of energy, casting a faint glow across the pavement. From it stepped Nightwing, moving with his usual effortless confidence, his posture relaxed but alert. Firestar followed closely at his side, flames briefly flickering around her hair before settling down as she took in the scene.
Before anyone could properly react, Keemia suddenly froze. She sucked in a sharp breath as if the air had been knocked straight out of her lungs, her entire body stiffening. Then her eyes lit up, sparkling with disbelief and excitement as she stared at the newcomer.
"Oh my god—oh my god—oh my god," she repeated rapidly, barely pausing to breathe as she bounced in place. Her hands flew up to her face as she practically squealed, "It's Nightwing!! Dad! Look! It's Nightwing!!"
Harry raised an amused eyebrow, clearly entertained by the sheer intensity of her reaction, and let out a soft chuckle. He folded his arms loosely, watching the scene unfold with a knowing smile.
"I am freaking out right now!!" Keemia exclaimed, unable to contain herself any longer. She rushed over toward Nightwing before anyone could stop her, skidding to a halt just a step in front of him. Her confidence faltered the moment she was face-to-face with her hero. "Mister Nightwing, sir, I'm… I'm a big fan…" Her voice grew quieter with every word, her shoulders drawing in as nervous excitement overtook her.
"I see," Nightwing replied, his expression softening immediately. He offered her one of his signature warm smiles. "Well, it's certainly a pleasure to meet you, little lady~" He genuinely meant it—meeting fans like her always reminded him why he did what he did, that his efforts mattered to people beyond the battlefield.
Keemia turned sharply toward the others, hands clutched to her cheeks as she leaned in and whispered in a breathless voice, "Oh my god… he smiled at me…"
She spun back around just as quickly and blurted out, "I'm honestly fangirling so hard right now, you have no idea."
Nightwing laughed lightly, clearly used to reactions like this, and gestured casually. "Do you want a picture? Maybe an autograph?"
"Can I get both?" Keemia asked instantly, her tone completely serious, her wide-eyed expression making it clear this was not a joke.
"Absolutely," Nightwing said without hesitation, gently patting her on the head.
Off to the side, Peter watched the exchange with narrowed eyes and an exaggerated scowl. "Seriously," he muttered, kicking at the empty air in frustration, "what is it about him that I don't have?"
Shaking his head, Peter refocused and quickly opened another portal. He stepped through it and returned a few second later holding a Post-it note and a pen. "Anyway," he said, handing it over, "here's the number and address to the law firm I was telling you about. You're looking for a Lydia Hardy. Tell her Spider-Man sent you. I'll let her know to expect your call."
Marko carefully examined the note, then nodded appreciatively. He looked up at Peter and offered a sincere smile. "Thank you. Really."
After a bit more back-and-forth between everyone, Marko finally sighed and glanced down at Keemia. "I think it's time we go," he said gently. "I want to take you back to your mother so she knows you're safe."
Peter stepped forward and gave Marko a firm pat on the back. "Good luck," he said honestly.
Keemia pouted slightly, clearly disappointed to leave while Nightwing was still right there, but the worry for her mother won out. She nodded and took her father's hand.
They all watched as Marko and Keemia began walking away. Keemia kept turning around, waving Nightwing's autograph excitedly as she called out her goodbyes, a huge, radiant smile plastered across her face. She hugged the signed item to her chest, looking up at Marko with the same grin still firmly in place.
"I should get kidnapped more often," she said cheerfully, "maybe Nightwing will come and rescue me next time."
"What?" Marko asked, staring down at her in absolute disbelief.
Peter turned back toward the remaining group and clapped his hands together. "So," he said, "should we get going too and officially put an end to our beach trip?"
Everyone agreed, and Peter opened another portal. They stepped through and reappeared beneath the wooden pier at the beach, safely hidden from public view. One by one, they retracted their supersuits, returning to normal. Nearby, Aria dropped her illusion as well, shrinking back down and once more looking like an ordinary little girl.
Peter took the lead as they began walking, his hands laced casually behind his head, his posture loose and satisfied. A crooked grin tugged at his face as he looked back at the others. "Well," he said with a pleased sigh, "that went far better than I expected. All in a day's work."
Lizzy slipped her arm through Harry's, leaning comfortably against him as they walked. "It's really a shame our date got interrupted," she said with a small pout. "We were actually having a really good time too."
"Ugh, I know, right?!" Felicia chimed in dramatically. "The mood was perfect, the vibes were immaculate, everything was beautiful—" She suddenly leapt forward and jumped onto Peter's back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. "—and then crime happened."
Peter barely staggered, already used to her antics. As they continued toward their car, his grin widened into something mischievous. "Hey guys," he said slowly, "I just thought of a fantastic joke. You wanna hear it?"
"Hm?" Everyone glanced at him with varying degrees of suspicion. Peter had one hand clamped over his mouth, shoulders shaking as he fought the urge to laugh too early.
"Phttt—" he snorted. "What did the ocean say to the shore?"
"Fuck you!!" Felicia instantly shouted, already knowing exactly where this was going. She tightened her hold around his neck in mock fury, trying—and failing—to strangle him.
Lizzy burst out laughing the second she caught on, doubling over slightly as she covered her mouth.
"Nothing!" Peter shouted triumphantly. "It just waved! Hahaha!"
He completely lost it, laughing loud and unapologetically. Around them, chuckles and giggles spread through the group.
Felicia pouted deeply, her annoyance growing as everyone laughed at her expense. Her jaw slowly opened, her fangs extending just a bit before she leaned forward and bit down on Peter's shoulder.
"Ya—ouch!!" Peter yelped, immediately spinning around in place, flailing as he tried to shake her off his back. "Bad kitty! Really bad kitty! No biting!!"
Felicia's face scrunched up into an angry snarl—only for her to suddenly yelp as a sharp static charge surged through her body. She released him instantly, hopping backward and shaking her arms.
"You shocked me?!" she exclaimed indignantly, staring at him like he'd committed a grave betrayal.
"And you bit me!" Peter shot back, clutching his shoulder as the faint bite mark began to heal on its own. "What are you, an animal?!"
"Yeah," Felicia growled, lowering into a guarded stance as she began circling him, "partially."
Peter mirrored her movement, narrowing his eyes dramatically. Both of them suddenly stopped, raised their arms and legs into over-the-top crane kick poses, and began shouting exaggerated battle cries.
"Waaaaaah!!"
The rest of the group immediately facepalmed, groaning in unison as Peter and Felicia launched toward each other. They exchanged wild kicks, loudly mimicking impact sounds with their mouths—pow, bam, whsh—while clearly not actually hitting each other.
They broke into ridiculously exaggerated martial arts moves, redirecting fake strikes, spinning, blocking, and finally locking hands together as if testing each other's strength.
"If you clowns are done messing around," Gwen called sharply from inside the car, "get in before we leave you behind!"
Peter and Felicia paused, both turning to look at Gwen. Then they slowly turned back toward each other, eyes narrowed. After a tense second, they leaned in and shared a quick, playful peck on the lips.
They separated, pressed their palms together, and bowed their heads respectfully toward one another.
Both snorted, broke into laughter, and sprinted for the car.
Peter climbed in first, Felicia following right after and slamming the door shut behind her. The car was cramped, forcing MJ to sit on Peter's lap, while Aria sat on Gwen's. Gwen shook her head as she looked back at the two troublemakers.
"I swear," she muttered, "you two are practically identical to the point where it's actually concerning."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Harry started the vehicle and glanced at them through the mirror with a teasing grin. "Are we sure you two aren't long-lost siblings or something?"
"I certainly hope not," Peter scoffed. "Because no brother should ever do what I've done to that puss—"
"PETER!!!" everyone roared at once, Gwen immediately covering Aria's ears.
Felicia, meanwhile, was the only one who found it absolutely hilarious. She cackled uncontrollably, wheezing with laughter until tears streamed from her eyes, clutching her sides as the car pulled away.
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