"Felicia's pregnant?"
"Yes."
"I'm going to be a father?"
"That's right."
"Fel—"
"Enough already."
After Felicia stepped out, Peter just sat there in a daze, repeating himself like a broken recorder. Hawk finally cut in, watching him with some curiosity.
"So… how exactly did you and Felicia end up together?"
Felicia had gone to question the Iwi about the mysterious metal that looked like adamantium. Hawk was curious, and now was the perfect chance.
He could have gone with her, but he hated the way the Iwi stared at him like he was their ancestor, so he'd let Felicia handle it.
Peter snapped back to himself at Hawk's nosy tone. Meeting those equally nosy eyes, he twitched.
"I don't want to say."
"Fine."
Hawk shrugged immediately, then smirked. "But when Mary calls you a scumbag, don't expect Gwen to defend you."
Peter froze.
"What do you mean, scumbag? Mary already broke up with me."
"True. But tell me—how many months along is Felicia?"
"Four."
"And Mary broke up with you how long ago?"
"Three months."
"See?"
Hawk spread his hands, smiling. "Mary broke up with you three months ago. Felicia's four months pregnant. You do the math."
Peter's pupils widened in shock.
Then he blurted, "But the island's time doesn't match the outside!"
Hawk gave him a strange look.
"Sure, you tell Mary that. See if she believes you."
"But it's true!"
"Will she believe it?"
"She…"
Peter opened his mouth, but Hawk's gaze shut him down. He wilted, eyes shifting aside, and reluctantly began to explain how things had happened with Felicia.
He had no choice. Mary wasn't just his ex—she was his neighbor. He knew her temper. If he told her Felicia was four months pregnant after only three months since their breakup, she'd roast him alive as a two-timing bastard. And if he added "time difference" as his excuse, she'd call it the lamest line in history.
So, for the sake of having Hawk—and Gwen, hopefully—back him up someday, Peter started talking.
"When I first got here, my powers cut out. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn't. Maybe it was the island's strange aura… or maybe it was because I was still crushed from Mary breaking up with me. I don't know.
"This place is deadly. The first day, the entire squad sent to protect Felicia died. It was just me and her left. She saw I wasn't myself, but she didn't blame me. She comforted me, helped me keep moving through the jungle.
"But then I got sick. First time since the bite. Shaking, freezing cold.
"It was Felicia—she kept me warm.
"And after that night, my powers came back. No more interruptions. We made it to the Iwi. We stayed. And… one thing led to another."
Peter finished with a sigh of relief, then looked at Hawk. "Now you know. You better back me up when the time comes."
Hawk, having gotten the gossip he wanted, nodded solemnly. "This… is the power of love."
Love could wound. Like Peter said, after Mary's breakup, his powers broke down.
But love could also heal, make a man strong again. Like Peter, whose powers returned after that night with Felicia.
Hawk thought about it, then smiled at him.
"Good for you."
"What?"
"Felicia." Hawk grinned. "I'm glad you've found love again. And not just love—you've got its proof now. Really, man, I'm happy for you."
This was Spider-Man. Hawk had truly come to see him as a friend.
Peter had lived by "With great power comes great responsibility," no matter how much it cost him. He deserved better.
And wasn't this the point of crossing worlds?
To mend what went wrong in another life.
Hawk smiled. "Congratulations, buddy. You're going to be a dad."
"Thanks!"
Peter scratched his head, grinning like the old goofy Spider he once was.
Then Hawk's eyes lit up, and he added casually, "Oh, by the way, Mary's dating again. You know him too—Flash Thompson."
Peter's smile froze instantly.
Hawk laughed brightly.
This was friendship: to cheer with you in your happiness, and never miss a chance to roast you.
That was what old friends were for.
Just then Felicia came back in.
She glanced at Hawk's grin, then at Peter's stiff face. "What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing."
Peter snapped out of it immediately. He wasn't stupid. Some topics—ex-girlfriends in particular—were forbidden in front of a current girlfriend.
Hawk caught his silent plea, then smoothly asked Felicia, "So, did you find out anything?"
Felicia looked at Peter for a moment, then sat beside him, letting him take her hand before answering.
"The high priest said the metal came from their ancestors. Originally, the Iwi didn't live here. They weren't weak, either. Their people once had mysterious powers—some could breathe fire, some could fly.
"But after a great disaster, everything changed. A monster worse than the Skullcrawlers appeared. They fled their homeland, bringing this metal with them.
"They climbed up from below."
"Below…" Hawk caught the word, turning sharply to her. "You mean… the cavern?"
Felicia nodded. "Yes. The high priest said their people climbed out of that canyon pit. But now it's overrun by monsters. So each high priest tells the next about their ancestral land, but never anyone else. Because they can never go back."
Peter frowned. "Then why didn't he tell us when we asked before?"
He remembered asking about the tribe's origins and being met with silence.
Felicia smiled softly. "Can you fly?"
"No."
"Could you haul a giant swamp squid out of the lake?"
Peter brightened. "I think I could stop a speeding train."
"But could you haul it into the air?"
He hesitated, then admitted, "No."
"Exactly. Hawk can."
She looked at him, then at Hawk. "To the high priest, telling us was useless. But Hawk? They think he's a god. Like their ancestor."
Hawk only chuckled, not denying it. If the Iwi's homeland really did hold adamantium, he'd be happy to reclaim it for them—as payment.
But…
His brow furrowed. "A monster worse than Skullcrawlers? Did he say what it was?"
Felicia nodded. "Yes. He called it a mutant."
…
(End of Chapter)
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