"Holy shit! D-Did you just killed him!?" Spider-Man asked really freaked out by the sudden events, never expecting for Thor to just simply kill the giant so effortlessly and casually as he did.
"Hm" Thor sounded with his mouth closed as he was once more amused by the young man in front of him "I believe thou, as my fellow Avengers, avoid killing any foe who dares threaten the innocents. A truly noble sentiment, but quite curious to me.
As for your question, it is not death, nor was it ever alive" Thor spoke with sincerity when saying he found the need to avoid killing to be noble, as it is something he has come to respect in the idea that everyone should be worthy of second chances. This thing however, does not need that "It is not a monster, but merely an ice golem of Loki's creation. A mindless and unfeeling one born out of magic with no purpose other than destruction".
"Oh, like… some type of magic robot then" Spider-Man concluded with relief, seeing as the monster's body began shining as it did before, only to turn back into the stone. The difference being that the stone was now chipped and cracked all over it's scriptures.
*Chuckle* "I suppose that to a midgardian with no sense of magic, a 'robot' would be a proper description" Thor chuckled at the young one's comparison, reminiscing him of Stark and their various lighthearted arguments on science and magic.
"But why would Loki attack here? Is-is he here now!?" Spider-Man asked as he looked around in worry all over the snowy room, freaking out for the possibility of the Avengers' first enemy concealing himself from his spider-sense.
"Nay, Loki is far from here - I have seen to that in previous months" Thor reassured with another shake of his head, but with a small annoyed expression painting his face "tis is merely an old prank of his that has somehow slipped through mine sight. His ice golems take many shapes to conceal themselves, and they form without much of a warning, but I shall be more careful with the retrieval of any else that he might have left for you midgardians find".
"T-thanks! Here I had thought I had encountered an actual Ice Giant or something" Spider-Man confessed with some relief. It doesn't take a genius to figure that an ice giant born out of a Nordic rune would have some type of relationship to the mythological villains.
" 'Ice gian-' *BWAHAHAH* Thor tried to repeat the words from the young man, but his own bostorious laugh interrupted his words. He laughed so hard and loud that Peter had no choice but to take a small step back while feeling ashamed - without really knowing why - until Thor started talking "Nay, nay. Ice Giants are far taller, imposing and powerful than this mere golem would ever hope to be!"
"O-oh…" Spider-Man said with some degree of timidity "man, and here I thought I was doing something, like, really awesome".
Thor saw the way the young man's shoulders deflated, and coughed for a few seconds to erase his laugh from his throat while putting a reassuring face and tone "twas not my intention to discredit thou achievement. Tis truly impressive for a young midgardian to face and be on the victorious side against such a foe. Even some asgardians would have struggled more than thou seemed to be".
Thor left out that those asgardians would be citizens, due to the fact that no warrior in asgard would have struggled as such. There is no need to deflate the young hero, especially since it truly is a feat for the young boy in Thor's eyes.
"Oh, uh, t-thanks. It was nothing really, I just…" Spider-Man mumbled with his face lit up brightly underneath his mask, still very unused to be complimented by someone he looks up to straight to his face.
"Defending those who are unable to fend for themselves is never 'nothing' " Thor claimed with a serious voice, but with a smile on his face "Thou art to be proud of thy strength! Puff up thy chest to the sky with pride at thy achievements! If not for the recognition of the ones thou protect, then for thyself to know thou art treading the righteous path!"
"R-right! Right…!" Spider-Man sputtered for a moment, with Thor's words hitting him harder than the god could possibly fathom. Because despite it all, Peter does know that he is indeed walking the righteous path - and his every step is born out of his conscious desire to do so. He really should be proud of that.
He is.
*Ugh* "Apologies, I am once again talking in an 'archaic' manner" Thor scolded himself once again, not noticing how Spider-Man went rigid once more. But his apology reminded Peter to do the same.
"No, no, I should be the one apologizing, I haven't introduced myself!" Spider-Man said as his tone became lighthearted and chipper; with him putting his hand on his forehead as in salute "I am your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! At your servic-!"
"Of course! The man of spiders!" Thor interrupted Spidey's quip with a bright smile once he finally connected the dots "I don't know how I missed it with the webs, mark and your mask, but it was obvious it's you!"
Thor laughed full heartedly once again with his chin raised up and his chest puffed, now confusing Peter - who dropped his salute in a dumb manner '…Man of Spiders?… no, wait!'
"You've heard of me?" At this point, Peter was sure everyone in the whole world had at least heard of him, with his merchandise and presence in the internet due to his fans and haters, it would be a reasonable assumption.
Thor was not of this world though, and as much time as he had been here, Peter was sure that he was too small for the god to care about.
"Of course! You're the vigilante that is both acclaimed and hated by the city in equal measure! The protector that hides his face while facing the fights the small man cannot without caring for anything else!" Thor boasted his knowledge with an excited smile, happy to finally meet the man Steve Rogers had talked to on his behalf and intrigued the rest of the team "A true midgardian warrior, if I do say so minseself!"
A man that Steve Rogers thought highly of was definitely someone Thor had to meet as well, so he is happy the stars aligned today for such a meeting to happen.
"Y-yeah, that's me!" Spider-Man answered back with the same excitement, feeling giddy at being recognized as one of the good guys but Thor "It's an honor, sir!"
"The honor is mine as well, young one" Thor said with a gentler tone, intending to convey the truth in his words "And I'm happy to know that the words the Captain's spoke about you were true".
"H-he's talked about me?" Spider-Man asked with excitement and nervousness, not knowing what to expect from one of his all time heroes to think of him.
"Of course! Even though you've only met once, your words and actions really seemed to make him think highly of you!" Thor answered with a knowing smile, figuring that it would make the young man happy to know this. But his face soon showed curiosity "He did however skip to mention the reason why thou wear a mask; may I inquire about the reason?"
It was perhaps the thing that had made Thor the most curious about this person in front of him. He comes from a place where heroes are looked up to, where bards sing songs of their achievements while said heroes revere on the same during feasts made in their honor.
So why would someone who does so much for the people be objected to hate from the ignorant by placing himself in anonymity?
Peter merely smiled behind his mask, already used to being asked that question, but always feeling a torrent of feelings that came with the answer. More so because of what he learned just yesterday.
"You said earlier how I am a warrior that faces the fights 'small people' can't. And I do like to think that, because I am a 'little guy' myself… I was at least born as such" Spider-Man started saying as he looked up into the sky, which was already clearing from the darkness of the thunderclouds Thor had summoned.
The god could see a sense of maturity and seriousness he was not really expecting from the masked hero due to his reputation as a jokester in his posture and tone, so he remained quiet as he allowed him to speak; not wishing to mess with his words
"I know what it's like to be afraid, to be powerless and helpless… and when I got my powers, I did a mistake" Spider-Man kept on taking as he clenched his fist; now looking into it for a few moments before talking again "After that mistake, I understood the value of my powers… the responsibility they come with. And part of my responsibility is to help my fellow 'little guy' to the best of my abilities.
… but I also have a responsibility to the 'little people' that were there for me before I became… this" Spider-Man motions to his suit as he said the last part with the slightest hint of tiredness laced in his voice "With so many villains after my head… I can't have the luxury of fame… nor do I want it.
I just help because I can" Spider-Man finished his explanation as he looked straight into Thor's eyes, whose face had turned significantly more serious as he listened to his words and thought deeply on them.
Peter would've said less if this was any other guy - perhaps even if this was another day. But he really wants to see what a god thinks of his reasonings and resolve. If not because he'd change his choices, then just to satiate a sense of curiosity he has when presenting someone like Thor with part of his truth.
The guy is also an Avenger, one of the world's most trustworthy heroes, so Peter had no real issue in telling him as such.
"I believe I can see what the Captain was talking about" Thor finally said with a smile - this time a softer and gentler one - making Peter blush under his mask "It is admirable of someone as young as you seem to be, to lay your life in service of others while still holding on to the mundanity of your life to protect those you love".
"I'm… happy you think so" Spider-Man doesn't need anyone's validation. That said, it's amazing for him to hear Thor say that.
"However, I must inquiere further" Thor said as his smile faltered just a little bit "Is it not a burden to conceal yourself? To see all your deeds go unwelcomed by those you love and twisted by those who hate you? Is it worth it?"
"I… won't say it doesn't get tiring at times" Spider-Man admits with a sigh, but he smiled nonetheless "But yes, I do believe - I know - it is. And if something is worth it , then I'll gladly fight for it".
A true sentiment that applies to every aspect of his life. As a nephew, a hero, a boyfriend, friend, citizen, etc, etc. Peter's life is a constant fight that weighs heavy on him. A fight that he has been close to losing many times he did twice, with men that regretfully died.
But he knows that when he fights and he wins, everyone around him smiles. May, Emma, MJ, his friends, the citizens and victims - when Peter and Spider-Man win, everyone is happy and alive at the end.
Isn't that worth it?
"Aye, there is no better challenge than a fight worth fighting! You truly are wise beyond your years, man of spiders!" Thor said as he let out yet another happy chuckle, this time gripping his hammer beside him to accentuate the word 'fight'. Hammer that crackled with barely tamed lighting.
*Whoaa…* Peter marveled at the display of power, with his focus centering on the weapon now that he's seen Thor's reaction to his words "So hat's really your famous hammer, huh?"
"Aye! Mjolnir, forged by the dwarves of Nidavellir, this Uru hammer was gifted to me by the All-Father. And all who are worthy of holding it, shall be worthy of the power of Thor!" The god claimed proudly as he lifted the hammer above his head, with one of its faces facing Peter, where he could see some type of engraving in it.
"That's awesome" Spider-Man breathed out with the same level of marvel form before, and he mindlessly admits. "I know it is, yet I still can't believe magic is real".
*BWAHAHA* "Most midgardians can't, and there are even those who have seen it firsthand, and still deny its existence!" Thor let yet another hearty laugh at the words, thinking of Stark and his denial of magic; which prompts Thor to ask "You don't happen to be one of those, do you?"
"Deny the existence of magic? It would be, like, really dumb if I did considering… all of this" Spider-Man answers with an almost nervous chuckle as he looks around the snowy room with the chipped rune and even Thor still in it.
"You'd be surprised as to how little evidence matters to those who choose to blind themselves from the truth" Thor said with a fond shake of his head, not understanding how much denial some people have in their hearts for what they can't understand.
"… 'blinding themselves to the truth' " Spider-Man repeated as he thought about his one denial of everything he learned; which caused him to unconsciously ask "… What about fate? Is that a real thing?"
Peter cringed at his question and regretted asking it immediately after the words escaped his loose mouth. He wanted to pretend like it didn't happen, and just wait until his birthday to see what that was all about.
But the chance to ask a god about it was just too good to pass. Still, Peter mentally scolded himself for his loud mouth.
"Hmm? A most interesting thing to ask, but I do suppose young ones do be curious" Thor reasoned more to himself while rubbing his chin. His curious expression was soon changed by an easy one "But aye, fate is something that is supervised by the Norns. Three powerful women that oversee the fate of both mortals and gods.
They are referred to as the weavers" Thor talked with reminiscence in his voice, not feeling anything particular about it, with it just being a fact rather than something unbelievable.
And three things stick out for Peter with that explanation - things that Peter doesn't know if he wanted verified or not.
The first one is the memory Peter had very clear in his mind that Madame web had mentioned that each of the godly pantheons of the universe had their versions of overseers of fate. In this case, the three women called The Norns.
The second is how Thor hadn't claimed that these Norms control or make fate - but instead only oversee it. And yet, they are called 'The Weavers' - something web related.
And the third, the very fact that Thor acknowledges that neither mortal nor god is safe from the clutches, the shackles, that fate has over every single being and thing in reality - and possibly beyond that - with no chance of being free from it.
Except him, due to his 'special circumstances'.
"Oh" so Spider-Man was unable to hold that 'oh' in. A short and dry sound that carried some level of disappointment that Thor was able to pick on.
"Is that something that troubles you?" The god questions with his head slightly tilting to the side in curiosity.
"I… think so?" Spider-Man admits with conflict in his voice, not really wanting to say much, but also not wanting to waste the opportunity "It just feels… I don't know, it's weird to know that my choices don't matter? That no matter what happens, everything we did was already predestined…".
"Is that how you see it?" Thor questions with a raised eyebrow, now tilting his head to the other way in an almost dumb manner "That your choices have not mattered?"
"Is that not how you see it?" Spider-Man asks while he shows a level of immaturity and hope to Thor, clearly showing that this is something important to the young man.
"Nay!" So Thor declares with certainty "The Norns do not dictate what our fate will be! They are merely watchers that can gaze into the future of the choices we will choose to make! And until the moment comes in which we are welcomed into Valhalla, we must keep on fighting to make that fate be as bright as we are capable of - and then go beyond that!"
'…huh' Peter thinks to himself as he looks down into the ground in deep thought; thinking of how Thor does not see fate as something unshakable he can't escape, but as something he - and everyone else - forge as time goes with those Norns only being able to see into the future.
Then what happens to him, now that those Norns can't see into his? Do they know about his 'reward'? They must, right? After all, Peter has not been met with any 'cosmic figure' or whatever other than Madame Web - if she can even be considered as such.
What will-?
"The fight against evil - the struggle to find peace in troubled times - the uncertainty of what the future holds after every deed is done - and our choice to keep being the light in those dark moments that threaten everything" Thor interrupts Spider-Man's thoughts, forcing the latter to look up and meet the smiling god "is that not a fight worth it all?"
A stupidly simple question for Peter, who has reached the conclusion time and time again - one he keeps on repeating to himself daily, and today, hourly. So he smiles behind the mask while holding a snort for being hit with his own words.
"Yes. Yes it is" Spider-Man replies with the same serious tone of Thor, who smiled an even bigger smile. All this talk about worthiness gave him an idea as well.
"Do you wish to hold my hammer?" Thor suddenly asks as his smile turns into an amused and excited one while offering the mighty weapon to the boy; boy whose lenses showed the exploding surprise he felt.
"…W-what!? Me!? H-holding Thor's hammer!?" Spider-Man sputtered as he looked between the weapon and the god, talking as if he wasn't in front of him "Why!?"
"Perhaps you could prove to be worthy!" Thor boasted with excitement, hoping to finally find a Midgardian that can wield it. Thor suspects of Rogers' ability to do so, but so far, no one has been able to "come on, it could be fun!"
Peter considered doing it just for a moment, before his mind started going numb, his heart raced strongly against his chest and his stomach dropped while he felt all around nauseous. Because Peter doesn't know what he dreads more, the fact he is in fact not worthy due to all his mistakes and the darkness that plagues him… or that he could really be worthy… and what would that mean?
What would Peter being worthy mean to everyone he has lied? To everyone he failed? … To those he killed? To him, after he betrayed everything he-?
*ZAP* "Yikes!" Peter's thought process was abruptly interrupted as Thor sneaked closer to him with his hammer outstretched for the hero to grab, but the hammer, out of nowhere, let out a little bolt that connected and mildly shocked the hero.
Peter felt the bolt through his spider-sense, but curiously, it felt way less than a bolt of literal godly lightning - no matter its intensity - should've felt; which is why he made no conscious or unconscious effort to avoid it.
"Would you look at that!? Mjolnir seems to like you!" Thor claimed with a bright smile, amazed to see such an act coming from his hammer to a stranger - which only raised Thor's impression on him.
" 'Like me'? Is that what happened?" Peter asks as he puts a mock protective stance against the hammer that falters after a second "And wait, what do you mean? Does the hammer have like… a mind of its own?"
"Something like that" Thor shrugged with a smile, not really interested in revealing all of Mjolnir's secrets to this mortal. Still, he wants him to test his worthiness - if nothing else, because it could prove to be fun, so he offers it once again "Go on, there's no need to be shy now!"
"N-no thank you, really" Spider-Man denied as he took a step back from the god and it's hammer, his mind still swirling around with the options "It's a really tempting offer, and it does really sound like fun! But uhm… I'm good with the powers I already have"
"Oh?" Thor says as he stops offering the hammer, now with curiosity hinting at his voice "and what would the powers of someone claiming to be the master of spiders wield?"
'The masters of spiders?' Once more, Peter thought in his head with confusion as to why he is getting his name so mixed up. Still, he answered with a chipper tone "Well, you can let the name fool you, because I can do whatever a spider can!"
Spider-Man did a huge jump with a theatrical backflip to land directly on the wall behind him, sticking himself on it with his famous crouch. Avoiding very consciously to show any indication of how his leg still throbbed with pain and sent a jolt of pain when he did that.
Peter has become an expert to hide injuries like that.
*Tada!* Spider-Man boasted as he stood up, feet planted on the wall while raising his hands as if in showing off "Not only am I sticky, but I'm also strong! N-not like you or The Hulk, obviously. But I'm still stronger than most would give me credit for!"
"Quite wondrous! Really fitting of your name-sake!" Thor chuckled in entertained awe as he saw and listened to the young man explain some of his powers "How come a midgardian such as yourself came to hold the powers of such a beast?"
"Well, it's quite a bit of a tale" Spider-Man half laughed as he dropped to the ground, feeling that shiver of pain run from his leg to his whole being as he did so.
But that didn't stop the young hero from marching over to the god of thunder, to explain in an excited voice how he was bitten by a radioactive spider, which granted him his amazing powers. Thor marveled once more at that, and started explaining more of his own heroic story to the young man who listened eagerly.
They soon start exchanging their deeds and fights with Spider-Man being extremely awed by everything he hears - together with the very fact that this exchange is happening - while Thor laughs with each story from the young hero.
The god had heard from Stark that the curious arachnid figure swinging around the city was a non-consequential small-time help, while Steve had praised his bravery and drive.
And here, Thor can see how much of the truth each of his two friends have behind his claims based on what story the young one tells of whatever silly foe he faced. Fights that Thor suspects The Man of Spiders to be diminishing his role in or how difficult they truly were.
He cannot say if he was doing so to stay humble, or just a form of being self-conscious and he honestly did believe his actions to not be as important as they truly sound.
Whatever the case for this was, Thor was not off put due to how honestly funny and easy to talk to this young man is. He had heard he was something of a jokester, but it wasn't as grating as some of the midgardian news suggested.
Which is why Thor was mildly saddened by the way the young hero tensed as they both heard the men with gubernamental permission to help approach their position.
*Sigh* "Let's see how they try to pin this on me… again" Spider-Man muttered dejectedly as he heard cops and security guards arriving in a haste. It had taken some time for them to arrive, but they had surely been unable to enter the building as a whole with how it was shaking.
After that, it was only a matter of time until they found a way into the room - avoiding the collapsed hallways and all.
"You could always leave if you so wish to" Thor suggested with a kind tone and an easy smile, knowing that these men were indeed going to blame the young man in some way given his reputation.
"W-what? And leave you with everything just like that?" Spider-Man asked, unsure of what to do or what would be the right move.
"I'll stay behind to explain what happened. It was my brother's fault, so it seems appropriate for me to explain so" Thor shrugged and reassured "I won't take any form of offense either. On the contrary actually, I'm quite grateful that there was someone to divert its attention while I arrived".
"I… I-" Peter stammered, as he looked into the hallway, hearing the officers coming closer and closer - to them shift his look to where his camera is, then to his backpack and finally to Thor once he placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It has been an honor meeting you, Man of Spiders. Next time we meet, let us find ourselves on the same side of battle as friends!" Thor claimed as he hunched his back quite a bit to be eye level with the young man and shoot his most radiant smile yet.
The word friends boomed warmly within Spider-Man, who was able to convey his equally radiant expression through his mask for Thor to see - making Peter gloss over his need to correct his name and the fact that it has a hyphen to say "O-of course! Let's!"
"Now go forth!" Thor commanded as he pointed his hammer towards the other side of the room a bit more theatrically than what was required - perhaps still showing a bit off for what he hopes is his new young friend.
Spider-Man nodded with no more words needed, to then jump highly into the hole he had previously made while yanking his stuff with both his arms and webshooters - unfortunately getting them really dirty with dirt and dust while getting wet with the ice; to then finally disappear away from the room.
"T-Thor!? I mean, S-sir Thor? - your majesty? I-I mean-" A security guard leading a team of cops to the room tripper over her words as she was met with the imposing figure of The God of Thunder turning his head from a hole in the wall to look at her in amusement.
"Simply Thor is fine, my fair lady. In fact, everything is fine now that my brother's prank has been destroyed" Thor tries to calm down the guard, while proudly boasting of the victory.
"Prank?" "L-loki!?" "What prank?" "I-Is he here!?" Every cop started muttering amongst themselves as to what those words could possibly mean, causing Thor to sweatdropped a bit while asking them to calm down so that he can explain everything properly.
….
*Brrr* The boy trembled a bit as he walked out of the museum with the limp still very much present on him, now with his civilian clothes over his suit - trembling due to the fact that said clothes are still wet and cold thanks to the snow; affecting his colder-than-usual blood.
After changing back into his clothes, he found a group of people that couldn't get to the exit in time, so he joined them very sneakily and got out with a bunch of them; all led by various staff members of the museum who thankfully didn't bother to ask him why he is such a state.
Once outside, he looked up to the sky, and noted how the angry looking clouds were already dissipating in a calmed hurry, allowing the warm rays of the sun hit his body with a comforting embrace.
The boy closed his eyes as he breathed deeply the city air around him, feeling as 'Spider-Man' took a rest and 'Peter Parker's' shift took over once again. And based on the previous interaction he had as 'Peter', he wasn't really looking forward to it.
Between meeting and having an awesome conversation with Thor, who even called him a friend at the end; and having to deal with the whispers behind his back while he tries to make things right with Emma - which he doesn't even know what happened… it's a no brainer what he'd rather.
But Emma's happiness is so much more than a fight worth facing, so he'll do whatever he can to do things right with her. He just needs to find her and-
"PETER!" The boy began walking down the stairs behind the group as his eyes failed to focus on something particular due to his attention stuck on his thoughts. Thus, he failed to notice as Sally of all people rushed to him when just then he reached the bottom of the steps.
*Hu-? - Oofm!* Peter questioned as he looked towards his side where he heard his name, only to be met with Sally crashing into him with a tight hug. If he was little bit more distracted, Peter would've failed to pretend the struggle of maintaining his footing.
Momentarily taken aback by the blonde, Peter lifts his eyes from her hair to see half of his classmates looking at him with varying degrees of worry and concern; no one more than his teachers, friends and, oddly enough, his bullies.
"A-ARE YOU OKAY!? WHAT HAPPENED!? WHY ARE LIMPING!?" Sally asked after she removed herself from the hug and assessed Peter's state without caring for how wet and dirty his clothes are - asking about the very clear limp he now sports that everyone was able to see as he walked down the stairs.
"I-I'm fine, but more importantly, are you okay?" Peter asks after dismissing himself with a shake of his head, also looking all over Sally to try and find any bruises or whatever he himself may have caused her when pushing her away "You can't believe how relieved I am that you got out safely, but did I-? Did I push you too hard? Did you-?"
"What the hell are you talking about!?" Sally screeched with confusion and angry worry all over her face, flabbergasted that Peter would forget about himself as easily as that to focus on her wellbeing.
"I, uh, wha-?" Peter mumbled dumbly as he cocked his head to the side with curiosity, not understanding Sally's sudden dismay.
But before either teen could say anything more, everyone in Peter's year that was outside neared the boy to surround him and ask him various questions. Some of what happened with worried expressions, while some others asked for the rest of their friends.
Peter's friends and teachers finally came into the group, making their way through the students to find Peter looking a little too overwhelmed by everyone; without having a chance to answer back.
"All right everyone, let's give Peter some space here, okay!?" Mr. Harrington asked with a small shout, knowing that no one would hear him otherwise. Turning his attention back to Peter once the rest of the students started to give him space, Roger attempted to talk again "are you-?"
"Peter! Are you okay!?" "Why are you limping!?" Why are you covered in snow!?" "And dirt!?" "Where were you?" "D-do you need anything!?" Gwen and MJ got all up in Peter's face with Betty and Glory close behind - with the two former asking incessant questions to Peter while assessing him whole; better than Sally did, as they allowed themselves to actually touch Peter. And the formers to offer support to Sally, who was looking distraught at something.
Peter's usual bullies remained silent a few steps away from everyone, not sure of what to say or how to act. They all wanted to go and say something, perhaps just to see that he is in fact okay. But it's just so… awkward around the guy that they just stood away from him.
Even Randy, who is the one who has the best relationship with Peter out of these guys, didn't approach Peter to show his appreciation for what he did for Sally.
Because Kenny, Randy and especially Flash understood from the last time that they wanted to do something nice for the guy that it was not appreciated by him. Why would it?
They are not friends.
And Emma made it awfully clear to them that they have no right to act all chummy with him after everything they've done. And they all know she is right. The only thing that Peter's bullies allowed themselves to do was nod at him when Peter's gaze turned to them subconsciously.
Action that Peter attempted to return, but it just came out as an akward shrug; still distracted at how MJ, Gwen, the rest of the band and the teachers were still asking him a thousand things.
"G-girls, I'm okay, I'm okay! I just got a little roughed up because of the wind and me landing wrongly, but-" Peter started trying to answer, but the girls kept interrupting him.
"The wind that was caused by the monster!?" "Sally told us it was freezing! Aren't you freezing!?" "Is your leg broken!?" "Do you need a hospital or-!?"
"MJ, Gwen, I swear I'm fine! I swear it" Peter said as he tried to calm his friends with a smile, making them understand that they are overreacting just a tad bit. Peter then changed his expression to a more serious one "More importantly, are you two okay? Did you get out here safely?"
"W-we are fine, we made it out here after some others, but we are totally fine" MJ said sliaghtly embarrassed at Peter's intense eyes and worry behind his seriousness; now with a faint blush painting her cheeks, much like Gwen, who nodded in agreement.
Sally heard from the outside how Peter said 'more importantly', causing her stomach to lurch slightly once again. She… doesn't like how Peter seems to be so dismissive of his well being, and how his friends don't even seem to notice it.
And she can't help but wonder if part of that is her and her friend's fault. A thought she dislikes having, so feeling left out, out of place, and now with nasty thoughts swirling on her head, she steps away from Peter in search of her clique.
"Are you sure you're all right, Pete?" An uncertain Mr. Harrington asked while Mr. Dell did a headcount.
"Of course! I mean, I was really worried for a hot second, but Thor came in and saved the day!" Peter's voice turned from nervous to excited as he said this with sparkling eyes "So there was nothing to worry about!"
"Thor, really!?" Betty askes behind Gwen with excitement, also glad to hear that Peter is well.
*THWOOOM* before anything could be said at that, everyone's attention shifted when another thunder was heard, making everyone look up into the sky and see The Mighty Thor flying up into the sky; causing everyone to look up in wonder.
Thor merely looked at everyone in the ground and smiled boastfully when concluding that everyone is indeed safe thanks to their lack of panic. He then spun his mighty hammer with an incredible speed to make a quick exit.
"See!?" Peter's asked with an enormous excitement as he looked at his friends, who nodded dumbly at the sight of the god. They had logically supposed that it must've been him the one that summoned that storm, but it was still an amazing sight to see.
"This is not only assault, but also disorderly conduct, sir. Even if they don't press charges on the other because they are so obviously part of your group, they still committed a criminal offence that posed a risk to everyone in a tense environment" Peter's superior hearing managed to pick on what is most likely a cop talking in usual police behavior, so he naturally tuned to see what was the problem.
'Oh… fuck..' Peter closed his eyes tightly and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he let out a frustrated sigh/groan at what he saw.
A group of four men wearing very heavy anti-mutant propaganda shirts arguing with a bunch of cops, trying to get them to release their friends who are at the backseat of a patrol car.
'So that's why Emma was acting like that…' Peter wiped his whole face once with his right hand as he tried to keep his own anger in check. It wouldn't take much of him to change back again into his suit and rough this guys a little, but he can't.
Not only because he would be using his powers somewhat irresponsibly - which Peter is conscious that he can make the self argument that these guys do indeed deserve to be taught a lesson - but he can't increase the hate towards mutants.
If he were to hang this guys upside down on a telephone pole while telling them to think of their actions and change their mentality, he would simply be back in square one with everyone hating him while making the public think some mutants put him up to this act of aggression against humans; violating their freedom of speech or whatever bullshit they come up with to justify their hate.
Those guys would learn nothing, they would claim that the mutant terrorists have an ally in Spider-Man and the city's hate for both mutants and himself would only increase; making things harder for himself and stupidly worse for Emma, which is something Peter would not ever consider doing to her.
And perhaps he would still do that, or web them to a wall or something, if they were by themselves. But they are now getting handled by the police while surrounded by a very large crowd of bystanders.
Peter has his hands tied. He can't just 'kidnap' these guys - who are not hurting anyone but themselves apparently - from the cops with their other buddies.
"Peter? Is something wrong?" Gwen asked as she heard Peter's sigh. Seeing him wipe his face in frustration like that surely meant something bad for him.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. No, I mean, nothing's wrong. Well it is, obviously" Peter pointed at the museum as he started tripping on his words as Gwen's and MJ's attention landed on him with worried faces "but something wrong with me? I… I mean… w-where's Emma?"
"Oh" Gwen and MJ said at the same time with a slightly awkward tone at the question. It was something that they should've expected, but they completely forgot about it due to the situation "…her".
"I saw her going that way with Chat" Betty answered helpfully with her finger pointing to the Museum's left, all the way to the corner which is fairly far from the rest of the class.
*Sigh* "Okay. Thanks, Betty" Peter thanked as he looked where she pointed, to then give the girls apologetic looks "I'm going to check on her real quick".
"Wait, Peter, I don't think that's… such a good idea" MJ muttered as she reached for Peter's wrist while looking behind her to see Mr. Harrington walking towards the rest of the students that were exiting the building with the cops and security guards.
'Damn it' MJ mentally cursed as she saw her plan of having their teacher telling Peter to stick to the group walk away, so she looked at Gwen with a worried expression on her face.
It's not that she doesn't want Peter to see Emma, but she at least wants to tell her side of how things went before Emma gets the chance first.
Because, honestly? MJ is slightly worried at the chance of Peter getting disappointed at Gwen and her. She knows that what she did was wrong, and despite what Emma also said, it was her the one that 'searched' that little spat and said something inappropriate first.
And MJ knows how much Peter dislikes how she and Gwen just can't seem to get along with Emma. Or Harry for that matter. And dumb, petty and hurtful little fights like that really hurt Peter.
Because of course he wants his friends to get along with his girlfriend! They are all really important people to him, and it makes a useless conflict in Peter's already difficult life.
And instead of trying to make things easier for him, MJ fears that she's only making things unnecessarily complicated for Peter further, which will lead to their friendship being strained.
And she fears that.
Just like Gwen, who is also hesitant to allow Peter see Emma before she gets the chance to explain properly just why his girlfriend is most definitely going to be angry at them both.
"What? Why?" Peter asks with a confused face and worry poorly hidden in his tone as he shifts his look from where Emma is and his friends; fearing that she is still reluctant to see him.
"Uhm, well, with what happened, I think it would be best if we all stick to our group" Gwen explained lamely with an uneasy smile, with MJ nodding behind her and Betty merely raising a curious eyebrow at her friends.
"With all the more reason I should go get her and Chat" Peter nodded at Gwen's words, but used her logic to his advantage.
"P-Peter, wait-" MJ said as she tried reaching for Peter's wrist again, but she was too slow this time.
"I won't take long!" Peter said with a reassuring smile, to then quickly turn around and do a small sprint to where Emma is.
"…you did something" Betty concluded as MJ's and Gwen's face crumbled significantly at Peter's retreating from, to then look away in guilt at Betty's words.
….
"It's fine, it's fine. Whatever the problem was, it's over now, so it won't take long until he comes" Chat told an angry looking Emma with a nervous smile, while the latter had a scowl on her face and her arms crossed while leaning against a pillar for maximum privacy.
After the thunderstorm arrived, Emma and Chat walked away from the group to be as far away from those men as they could, while Emma used that chance to also be away from Stacy and Watson. There is no point in souring her mood further by being around undesirable people.
However, the building stopped shaking a while back, and Peter is still not showing signs of arriving, which worries her so. Something that Chat picked up on, as she started saying reassurances to her friend - as Emma has done countless times to her before.
"Yeah, it was over a while ago, so if he is not here by now, it's because he doesn't want to be" Emma huffed with her scowl deepening even further to hide her insecurities "he's most likely with those other two, hearing whatever lie they-".
"Oh! Uh, I wouldn't be so sure about that" Chat interrupted Emma with a bright smile and a move of her head to point at the approaching Peter, who quickly rounded the corner and saw them.
Emma turned her head just as Peter spotted them, locking their eyes on one another. Emma was able to see how Peter's clothes looked all wrinkly, dirty and weirdly wet - and due to the state of his disheveled hair, it didn't take a genius to figure out he just got out of his suit.
Meanwhile Peter saw the way Emma's face softened when locking eyes as she stopped leaning almost immediately. With her whole body in the shade of the building, he saw how she wanted to reach out to him as much as he did to her, but her eyes quickly found the floor as her gaze hardened.
"Uhm, I'll leave you guys to it" Chat mumbled to Emma as she started walking past her, thinking that she was going to be happy at seeing him instead of what she did.
"Right…" mumbled Emma without lifting her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest even tighter now in subconscious defense.
Peter and Chat walked besides the other once they reached each other without a word said; with the former giving Chat a sheepish and nervous small smile while the latter gave him a double thumbs up with an encouraging smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
He obviously wanted to ask her if she was fine, but her smile and the way she raised her thumbs gave him the clear signal that she's indeed fine, and that she was okay with Peter talking with Emma now. Something he - almost - desperately wants to do.
Similarly to him, Chat wanted to ask what just happened, and most importantly, what could injure him to the point of having him limp ever so slightly, but she supposed she'll get her answers in due time.
She knows he is Spider-Man either way, and with the authorities obviously going to disclose what happened in various news outlets her curiosity could be satisfied either way.
Chat doesn't feel it's really okay for her to know Peter is Spider-Man - no matter how exciting that is - while he doesn't know she's a mutant. And she actually had planned to tell Peter everything when the time was right…
But Emma prohibited her from doing so, claiming how the better Peter has his secret hidden, the better for everyone. Because if Chat revealed that she knew, then he would freak out a lot and it would only mess with his confidence between everyone - which Emma also feared the possibility of him thinking she betrayed his trust.
Because even if Chat were to truthfully say how she came to know his secret, he would still have a little nagging voice in his head saying that Emma told her best friend and everyone's lying to him.
So if Peter ever wanted her to know, then Chat would simply have to wait until Peter is ready to tell her. Which… Chat kinda agreed to, since it did make some level of sense. But… at the same time, Chat knows Emma's main reason is her possessive personality, and the desire to be the only one that Peter has to confide with.
Which… is not entirely okay, and it hurts her as she is friends with the both of them, and she knew Peter and his secret before Emma. And yet… Chat is okay with it because she doesn't want to create unnecessary drama between her and anybody.
She is going to be away in California in a very short time, so why would she make her last few weeks unpleasant for everyone? So if Emma is happy, and so is Peter, then she should be okay with that too… right?
Chat gives one final look at her best friends as Peter seems to be approaching a wild animal - with caution and uncertainty - while Emma keeps her cold demeanor almost intact; struggling very obviously to keep her act in Chat's eyes. And the animal-talker snickers slightly at them both.
Before sighing and rounding the corner to walk to her class, alone.
….
Peter scratched his neck with tiredness as he thought about what to say. Should he ask her how she's doing in what he knows is going to be a super lame manner? Should he simply start telling her what happened in the museum while trying to ignore the stuff from before? Should he make a joke?… no, no, a joke is a stupid idea.
Meanwhile, Emma was around the same wavelength, not knowing if she should ask Peter is he is okay and why is he limping - which truly worries her; or if she should just rip the band aid off and ask him if he's angry, or worse, if he met the other two and now he is even angrier at her.
*Sigh* "Peter, I-" Emma made up her mind to simply get over this and continue with what was going to most likely be a scolding from someone who she definitely doesn't want to be scolded by.
But she just wants to get over this as soon as possible and get back to how they were before today - as she desperately needs to be comforted by him. Luckily for her, Peter beat her to the punch.
"I'm sorry" Peter breathes out in a quiet and breathy manner after not coming up with anything else to say to make the situation better. Seeing as he interrupted her in what could be seen as a rude manner, he quickly talked again "I'm sorry to interrupt you! And-and I'm sorry from before as well! I… I'll admit I'm not too sure of what to say.
But I do know it's me who screwed up big time, and I'm sure you're angry at me; which I totally deserve! Because I know that I was rude, and I should've supported you instantly even when not knowing what was troubling you! And please, PLEASE, don't ever allow me to raise my voice when talking to you again!" Peter pleaded as his face showed high levels of regret and remorse in his face.
Emma wanted to keep a stoic look on her face despite her own need to apologize to Peter, feeling too unwell and - despite it being her's and Chat's fault - disappointed in Peter. So she looked away from Peter into the ground while keeping her arms crossed as she listened.
Because she too feels he's telling the truth; he should've supported her instantly instead of staying quiet for a long time; he should have not looked at her that way after she returned from doing her business; and he definitely shouldn't have let the situation escalate to the point of them both raising their voices.
But as much as he's telling the truth, Emma knows that she also should be apologizing profusely for what she did. From hurting and embarrassing Peter, to yelling at him repeatedly, and even stomping away from him in a childlike tantrum - all in front of their classmates and his friends.
And it's that same embarrassment from knowing that she too should be saying her apologies, paired with the happiness caused by Peter's own remorse that makes the prideful girl's angry mask slip, her eyes redden and her lip to quiver ever so slightly.
Peter, seeing Emma's defenses starting to crumble, continues with a heartfelt and soft voice, paired with his best apologetic look "I… I didn't mean for it to seem like I wasn't on your corner; which I am! Always! And whatever stupid thing I said was just me being an idiot due to things that are absolutely not your fault whatsoever!
And-and I promise something like this won't happen again! So… c-can you forgive me?" Peter asked as he neared Emma, not knowing if it would be proper to even make any sort of physical contact at the moment.
"… you're not angry at me?" Emma whispered with some meekness in her voice, stealing shy glances at Peter's now surprised face.
She knows that it's something selfish to ask that first before asking him if he's okay, but the curiosity and need to move forward compelled her to ask that first.
"Wh-? No! No, of course not!" Peter quickly reassured as he denied that idea profusely while shaking his head and putting his hands up in mock surrender "I-I'm not angry at you; I never was! And honestly? I doubt there's something you could do to make me angry".
"You said you didn't want to be angry at me and demanded me to explain myself" Emma now looked at him, with her scowl quivering just a tiny bit to show Peter that her angry face is really just her 'mask'. Still, her words do show how hurt she must feel "I didn't explain myself, so logically, you're angry".
"I don't want to be angry at you; ever" Peter tried to quip lamely with an unseasy smile that quickly crumbled at Emma's hurt face "but I… I didn't mean for it to sound like a threat or anything. I just… I just said something stupid. And I know that it has no excuse and I don't know if there is something I can do to make it up to you…
But I just… I don't want us to… to be like this" Peter motions his hands between them to emphasize what 'this' is while getting slightly closer to her "I want to be someone you can count on, someone you can trust your problems to without doubting that I'll do my best to make you feel better no matter what; Someone who…
…Someone who doesn't make you c-cry" Peter mumbles with his stomach dropping as Emma's eyes turned watery, her face flushed further, her shoulders started shaking while breaking her arm cross to sniffle into her left wrist "O-oh, gosh, you're crying. T-That's not… I-I'm sorry, Emma, I didn't mean- I-I don't-".
Peter's incredibly nervous ramble was successfully interrupted when Emma turned her body around, and with a single step, closed the distance between Peter and her.
Putting her forehead on his clavicle - on the right side of the crook of his neck - without breaking her arm cross; to then immediately do so to embrace him in a tight hug. One that Peter immediately reciprocated with his heart feeling an immense sense of relief.
"…thank you… for apologizing" Emma sniffed in the crook of his neck with a heartfelt and sincere voice after a few moments go by, where the two teens simply enjoy the other's presence; with her feeling genuinely happy at his thoughtfulness and desire to make things right with her.
Because that's everything she truly wants from Peter. His kindness and thoughtfulness directed her way; something she can't - and doesn't want to - receive from anyone else. What she initially seeked from him today.
"I'm sorry I had to apologize to begin with" Peter muttered in her hair as he drew circles on her back with his right hand and kept her close to him by the waist with his left arm, still talking with a heavy heart "and I'm so, so sorry that I made you cry… when we started dating, I promised myself that I wouldn't let it happen again, and I failed, and I'm so incredibly s-".
*Snort* "You're so dramatic" Emma snorted quietly as took her face off Peter to look at him; with her eyes still red, but an amused smile on her face. It's no secret among them that Peter is the more 'theatrical' of the two… but not by a long shot.
Peter remains silent while Emma shifts her arms from his torso to his shoulders, while he settles both arms naturally on her waist so that they can talk comfortably.
"It wasn't you the one that made it seem like I was crying" Emma huffed as she rolled her eyes in a failed attempt of shrugging; denying the fact that she did shed a pair of betraying tears on Peter's collar. Something that Peter made the conscious decision to not comment on "It was… nothing actually".
Emma herself physically cringed a bit at how lame and meek she sounded, already knowing that Peter was not going to buy that at all.
"I'd… like to believe you, princess. Truly… and I'm not calling you a liar!" Peter quickly corrected himself before Emma could have a wrong idea "But… since I saw you this morning, something looked off. And I wanted to ask you about it the moment I saw you! But since you didn't bring it up, and with so many people around us, I just… wanted to wait until we were alone so we could talk".
Emma looked away slightly from Peter; both because he, understandably, caught her bluff, and because what he said about waiting for them to be alone made sense; which she made impossible for them to do what he wanted due to her following actions.
"B-but don't feel pressured to tell me or anything!" Peter added, hoping that he didn't sound like forcing her into doing something she doesn't want to do "if you want to act like nothing is bothering you, then we can do that. Or if you want to… I don't know, whatever, we can do that as well with no problem!"
Emma smiled softly and genuinely at Peter's words, liking how he is subconsciously adding himself to whatever it is she wants to do next so as to not leave her alone. Her smile faltered when she realized that she doesn't really know what to do besides wanting to forget about this day.
"I… I just…" Emma struggled with her words as she retracted more to herself, making more distance between them; now barely holding on to Peter with her hands.
*Sigh* "Is this because… is this because of those guys? W-with the shirts?" Peter asked carefully and hesitantly, not knowing if bringing them up was the correct way to move things forward.
And due to Emma's shocked and hurt face, paired with how she ended any physical contact between them abruptly, Peter suspected he did the wrong move.
"Y-you saw them?" Emma asks with a lump of her throat, slightly fearing the possibility of him suspecting her to be the one that made them fight.
"Yeah…" With a sigh, Peter admits as he scratches his nape, not really sure of what to tell Emma. Because seeing them, it became obvious that the fears of being a mutant resurfaced once again; but he's unsure of properly handle this "Two of them were being arrested for- fighting each other? Something like that, it doesn't matter. What matters, Emma, is that-".
Since knowing she is a mutant, Peter has always been as supportive as he possibly can about the whole race-hating society situation they live in. From telling her how it is not everyone who has such strong and nasty feelings for mutants, to making fun of the bigotry, to even making promises of a tomorrow where she can shine proudly for what she is.
But something was different today - something Peter can't really figure out. And while his usual words do manage to bring a small smile to her face, Peter suspects that today they just won't be enough.
"Of course you saw them, just like everyone else did" But Emma interrupted Peter with an annoyed huff once she saw he didn't suspect anything from her. So, being with Peter, she allowed her thoughts and feelings to slip "And you know what everyone who saw them did? Everyone who heard!? Nothing! No one batted an eye to them! No one told them how disgusting it is to wear their hate for children - for everyone! - to see!"
"…" Peter remained silent with a worried look on his face while looking around to see if anyone was listening in their conversation; which, for a change in his luck, no one was; as Emma took a step away from him. With her breath quickening and her voice becoming more agitated.
"They were protesting outside while you saved the day; claiming how this was the 'mutant devils' fault! As if we were only sub-human creatures that can only act as terrorists! What a fucking joke!!" Emma exclaimed again, gaining Peter's attention, who saw the way Emma's face flushed once again while her eyes shone with unshed tears.
And he wanted to say something, he truly did! But… perhaps letting her vent a little bit was healthier. God knows he himself feels better after venting his feelings out… even when he does it in some unhealthy ways; like punching his enemies harder.
"I didn't do anything to them! No one did! So why the hell do they hate me - US! - so!? It-It's unfair!" Emma complained with a shaky voice that was starting to be interrupted by small little gasps coming from the lump in her throat "Who the hell are they to tell me what I'm worth!? Who the fuck do those bastards think they are to be saying who's worthless and-and evil!?
They treat us like animals! Like we don't deserve the same dignity as regular humans! It's so…! Its so fucking unfair! It's unfair m that I have to hide on the fucking shadows to not be seen! Not by them - not by anyone!" Emma exclaims as she motions to how she literally moved to the shade offered by the building to get away from the crowd, but also referring to how she needs to hide her nature from everyone.
"It's so fucking unfair…" Peter's heart breaks a little as he sees the way Emma crumbles further as she says that; with the way she is unable to keep her tears from falling and she tries to wipe them fast while speaking with a small and shy voice.
"I woke… I woke up happy today, Peter" Before he could speak, Emma started explaining herself as Peter carefully moved closer once again while listening carefully to her every word "I was excited to be here today, having what was supposed to be the first time I had a good field trip with Chat and-and with you. But how am I supposed to feel happy when there's literally men hanging around the place with their hatred out for all to see!?
How am I supposed to not feel bad when no one says anything because everyone agrees to their message!? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE NORMALLY WHEN EVERYONE WANTS ME AND MY RACE DEAD F-FOR NOT BEING NORMAL?! FOR NOT BEING HUMAN!" Emma's eyes turned frantic as she started shouting harder, causing her voice to become rougher and her breathy gasps to become more frequent.
"I HATE THEM!" Emma shouts before giving Peter a chance to say anything, surprising him ever so slightly due to how much emotion she showcases into the words "I FUCKING HATE THEM ALL! I WISH THEY'D DISAPPEAR OR-OR FUCKING DIE SO THAT THEY COULD LEAVE US ALONE!
THEY THINK THEY DESPISE ME AND MY R-RACE!? THEY CAN'T EVEN FATHOM HOW MUCH I FUCKING HATE THEM NOR HOW EASILY I COULD DESYROY THEIR LITTLE FICKLE MINDS WITH A SINGLE FUCKING THOUGHT!
AND THE ONLY REASON I DON'T IS BECAUSE I'M BETTER THAN THEM! AND I WON'T BECOME THE MONSTER THEY WANT ME TO BE!
B-but it's so fucking hard…! Sometimes it's just…! IT'S- *AAAARGH*
I HATE THEM!" Emma was left panting as she finished her rambling; her teeth left equally bared and gritted as her face showed a deep and nasty scowl that was only showing it was in profound distress due to the years cascading down her eyes.
"…" Peter said nothing at that; feeling worried by her clear showing of how she feels. His face showed pity and uncertainty due to not really knowing what to say, which Emma confused by a disapproving grimace, which made her heart sink.
Someone like Peter, a kindhearted hero who believes in everyone's right of second chances - even for his villains - hearing her say how she wishes her oppressors to be dead was bound to be cause for yet another problem for her.
And she just… she can't have another problem today. Not with Peter.
But before she could do something as insignificant as looking away from him, he extended his arms shyly with a small and forced smile, offering himself for a hug to Emma's extreme relief.
With her lip trembling, Emma didn't even wiped her eyes clean in favor of closing the gap between them; crashing into his body and clinging to him for dear life while whimpering quietly in his clothes while he tried to soothe her with his hands gently; stroking her hair with one hand drew circles in her back once again.
"O-oh god…" Emma muttered in Peter's crook of the neck while her whole body quivered; holding Peter even tighter, reaffirming her words once again "I hate them… I hate them".
There was nothing more to say about how Emma feels about those who wish for her's, Chat's and their entire race's demise. And there is absolutely no doubt in Emma's mind that those are her genuine feelings.
They are dark, nasty, disgusting and perhaps even wrong and dangerous, but Emma wishes they'd just die. As Mr. Harrington said, history has shown that those who despise those that are different will never cease to exist, and as long as they do, peace within the world will never be achieved.
And if Emma has to choose between the extinction of her people, or the death of those who see her below humans, the answer is laughably easy.
But it won't be by her hand, because as much as she wants them to disappear, she also wants to prove herself better than what they want her to be.
And so, she is left in the shadows, hiding herself from who and what she is while she cries. And that's unfair.
But… at least she has Chat with her so that neither of them feel as lonely and alienated as they would if they were to be by themselves. And now, she also has Peter, who is able to understand her beyond what normal humans are capable of while embracing her in his arms, bringing her a whole new type of comfort she never thought was possible before falling in love with him.
Being with him like this promised security, safety and an untold oath that whispers how everything will be okay as long as they remain together like this.
So she allows herself to cry on him without much shame as he remains silent for her to vent out her frustrations freely for some long-feeling minutes.
With her body wrapped around Peter's, with his silent reassurance of him being there for her, Emma Frost cries and cries.