Midtown High
«What a day... - Said Laura, stretching tiredly. - I didn't realise there'd be so many tests.
«Yeah. - Said Lorna scratching the back of her head. - Too many in one day...
«Come on, it wasn't that hard. - Lena said, finishing her sketchbook and slamming it shut before Laura and Lorna could look at it.
«Geez, what are you drawing all the time? Let me see. - Kinney said.
«Secret. - Lena replied nonchalantly.
«Eh... - Laura puffed up her cheeks. - Okay, shall we go to a coffee shop?
«Do you have any money? - Lena asked, to which her friend turned pale.
«How can you spend all your pocket money for a month in a fortnight...? - Lorna asked.
«'It's not my fault I have more expenses than pocket money,' replied Kinney.
«As much as Arthur.... - replied Lena. - You said it yourself.
«I, unlike him, don't work at the Daily Bugle... - said Laura. - Shit, he has a normal salary and bonus there....
«Maybe that's because he's doing a good job. - Lorna asked.
Just then, Arthur walked past.
«Oh, Arthur! - shouted the dark brown-haired girl.
«Eh, sistah? - Evans asked.
«'Look, borrow some money,' she said.
«What is it this time? A new jacket, jumper or handbag? - he asked.
«Just to go to a café... - replied the girl.
«Listen, you've already owed me two hundred since last month.... - said the brown-haired man.
Laura said nothing, looking away.
«Well, help me out, I've got a moth in my purse," she said, showing the empty purse.
«Shit, okay, what are you going to do...? - Arthur took out his wallet. - Is a fiver enough?
«Don't make fun of me! - she shouted.
«Okay - he held out a hundred. - Is that enough?
«Thanks, bro," Laura smiled, taking the note.
«Okay, in the notebook.... - Arthur took out a book and wrote "+100" to Laura's name.
«You're mean!" she shouted.
«Lena, Lorna, am I mean? - Arthur asked.
They shook their heads in the negative.
«Thank you - nodded Chestnut. - Okay, good luck - he headed onwards.
«Good luck to you - Lorna waved.
Evans blushed, looking up. Laura and Lena looked up at him, then looked back at Lorna.
«What? - the green-haired girl asked.
«Come on, let's go chat - Kinney took Dane's hand.
«Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," the white-haired girl smiled, taking her other hand.
They led Lorna, who couldn't even resist.
The centre of New York. Cafe
«Well, come on, tell me - Laura said, sitting down with Lorna and Lena at the same table.
«Tell what...? - Dane asked.
«Come on... Who are you trying to fool? - Kinney asked.
«I don't know what you mean... - she replied.
At that, Laura began to glare at her. Lorna, on the other hand, looked away. In the background, Spectre and Spider-Man were fighting with a brigade of crushers in the street.
«'Well, repent,' said Laura.
«'Well, okay...' - replied Lorna.
«'Yay, so, come on, tell me, are you and Arthur dating? Did you two have a thing? - Kinney asked.
«Well... Not exactly... - replied the green-haired girl. - And what was it, are you out of your mind?!
«Okay, that was me being hasty.... - she replied.
«More like over-rushed... - said Lena, sighing tiredly.
«So, when's your date? - Laura asked.
At this, Lorna choked on her tea. At that time, behind a shop window on the street, Spectrum, together with the spider, threw back the Krushila flying into that very shop window and knocked out Ball Lightning and Scorer.
«What the...?! - Dane asked, but then kept her voice down. - What the hell kind of date? Are you out of your mind?
«No, why?" asked Kinney.
«'Laura, stop mocking and mocking...' - said Lena. - Lorna doesn't really feel comfortable talking about her feelings.
«Well, okay, I'm sorry... - She replied, smiling.
Outside the window, Spectre and Spider-Man were in turn tying up the destroyers as best they could.
«Listen, do you guys know if Arthur does anything other than study? - Lorna asked.
«Playing console games, working out, working at the Daily Bugle.... I don't know any more, said Laura.
Spectre and Spider-Man are sticking Absorber in the meantime.
«I see... - replied Lorna.
«'Listen Lena, do you like any of the guys? - Laura asked.
«What? Я... I haven't really thought about it," Lena replied, her head down. - I don't feel anything for anyone yet.
«Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Okay, I'm just kidding," Kinney smiled.
«Not funny... - her two friends replied at the same time.
X-23 scratched the back of her head. But then she smiled broadly.
«Why don't you guys stay at my place tonight? - She asked the girls.
«Would Miss Evans allow it? - Lena asked.
«Don't worry, I'll sort it all out.
«Shall we call Gwen and Felicia then? - Lorna asked.
«I think that would be great. - Said Lena, smiling weakly.
«Well, my place at 8 then," smiled Laura.
«Okay - smiled her friends.
They then looked out the window and saw the snow, smiling.
Evans house
Arthur calmly to himself walked out of the bath with a towel around his shoulders. He was wearing only trousers and socks. The brown-haired man saw Laura carrying pillows and blankets into his room.
«What are you doing...? - Evans asked.
«Э... Secret, listen, where's Aunt Aria? - Laura asked.
«She got called away on a business trip. She said she'll be back in two days... - he replied.
«Ah, well, then we won't have to make an agreement... - she said as she came into the room.
«What? - Evans asked, and suddenly the doorbell rang. - Mum, what have you forgotten? - he headed for the door.
«Hey, wait! - Kinney shouted, but not in time.
Arthur opened the door and patted his eyes a little. On the doorstep were Gwen, Felicia, Lena and Lorna with their backpacks. But the peak came when Gwen, Felicia and Lorna blushed when they saw Arthur's naked torso. The brown-haired man closed the door, pressing his back against it and spreading his arms.
«Fuck... - Laura covered her head and crawled into the room.
«LORAAAAAA! - Shouted Evans, heading upstairs.
***
Arthur was sitting in the living room watching TV and sipping his tea. He was already wearing a black jumper. Gwen and Felicia were looking at him from the kitchen as they sipped tea with Laura, Lena and Lorna, who was red with embarrassment.
«It wasn't nice, I didn't even have time to warn Arthur," Kinney said.
«I don't know why you're so embarrassed. - Lena asked, taking a small bite out of her biscuit.
«Are you kidding me? There was a guy half-naked in front of us - said Gwen.
«And a good-looking one at that. - Felicia said quietly.
«I still don't get it. - Said Lena, then remembered something and took out of her rucksack her album, then opened it on one of the pages and showed the others.
Almost immediately it was forcefully closed by the rapidly blushing Laura and Lorna, and Gwen and Felicia didn't even see anything.
«What are you showing? - Laura asked.
«What's wrong with it? - Asked Lena, bowing her head incomprehensibly.
The girls lowered their heads, which were steaming.
«I'll give you twenty quid for a copy of that drawing. - Felicia smiled and blushed slightly.
And then there was a short silence. The silence was broken by Arthur's sneeze.
«Fuck... I must think of some kind of insulation, or I'll die of cold and pneumonia... - Arthur said quietly, finishing his mug and pouring a new one.
He got up and headed upstairs to his room. He sat down at his desk and started sketching a winter version of the suit.
***
Evans put on the new winter version of the suit. A black tight, warm suit, black gloves, boots, silver coloured inserts. New mask on his face, but old goggles. Also a belt with pockets and a silver S on the buckle. On top of that, Arthur wore a black scarf, for a little cosiness.
«Why, it wasn't bad - he put a black jacket over it.
The brown-haired man pressed a button on his glasses and his clothes changed to casual. The clothes were a black jumper with a jacket on top, trousers with a belt and winter shoes, and a scarf around his neck.
«Okay, I'm going for a walk," he headed downstairs.
As he passed the lounge, Evans saw the girls playing a console.
«At least I'm thankful I had my account password-protected... - The brown-haired man headed outside, closing the door quietly.
«Shit, why is the game so hard...? - Lena asked.
«I was tense at first too... - smiled Laura. - Then I got used to it.
«Does Arthur play games like this? - Lorna asked.
«He's been testing Miss Evans' games since he learnt to hold a joystick, at least that's what she told me," said Gwen.
«Ouch! Killed! - Felicia shouted, then put down the joystick and crossed her arms on her chest.
The other girls laughed.
***
Arthur flew through the city in the form of Spectre in his new winter suit. As he flew, he sipped hot tea from a cup. In his hands he had a holder with two more cups and another bag of doughnuts. The silver-haired man landed on the roof where Leo and Spider-Man were freezing. No wonder, their costumes were still the same.
«Damn, it's freezing... - said Peter.
«Yeah, Morris nodded.
«О... Don't you guys have any winter suit options? - Specter asked.
«You know, I'm not that rich - said Parker.
«And to me the shield does not provide such a ... - exhaled steam Leo.
«Okay, here you go - he held out a tea holder.
«Oh, thank you - Peter lifted his mask, taking the cup and began to drink. - Oh, hot chocolate...
«Milk and syrup or something...? - Leo asked, taking a sip.
«Yeah, is there a problem? - Arthur asked.
«What's in it for you?
«Black tea, he replied.
«Ugh... - Leo took another sip.
«Do you want doughnuts? - Evans asked. - They're still warm.
They each took a doughnut and started eating.
«So, how are you going to celebrate Christmas? - Specter asked.
«I'm with my aunt... - answered Spider.
«And I'm with my relatives - answered Arthur. - And you, Leo?
«Don't even know...
«Well, it happens... - said Spectre, and then he saw Leo freezing. - Okay, here's a present in advance - the silver-haired man took off his scarf and tied it around Morris's neck.
«S-thank you... - the dark-haired man replied, blowing steam on his hands.
Arthur, on the other hand, smiled. Suddenly he looked round and glanced round behind him.
«Is something wrong? - The spider asked.
«No. Evans turned back, but pointed his finger behind his back and stealthily shot a beam of black energy out of it.
***
On the roof of a building five kilometres away from where our heroes were, there was a drone that had been punched through the roof. Z-01 landed on the roof and approached the drone.
«Surveillance interrupted. Fault: External failure," the robot said, then turned the camera to the direction of the gunfire.
He zoomed in to get a closer look at Spectrum and his company for the day.
«Z-01 what's the delay?
«Nothing. Going back to base... - replied the robot, raising the drone.
He gave Spectre one last glance and flew off.
«New targets set... Gain access to the right Sigma agents... Get through the upgrade... Develop a plan... And most importantly... Find out who Spectrum is... - the robot's eyes lit up.
To be continued...
***
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