~Nicole~

I quietly eased my way through the door. Hopefully Dad and everyone was asleep...or so I thought. I shut the door slowly. The lights immediately turned on. The living room chair spun around, revealing Tony sipping a glass of champagne. I jump, caught like a deer in headlights.

"Look who decided to show up." He says. His face softens only slightly. "Why is your nose bleeding?"

I didn't notice until I licked my lips and tasted the iron. I wiped at it with my sleeve. I looked back at Tony.

"You smell like smoke. Where were you tonight? Cas told me you left. I saw the cameras from the lobby and you just walked out!" Dad practically screamed.

I rubbed my head. "Can we talk about this later? I'm kind of tired."

Tony sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Okay, kid. But tomorrow after school, we're having this discussion again."

I silently thanked Dad, walking slowly to my room. "Thanks for nothing, Cas." I spoke. No one answered. I laid on my side watching the moon cast a light in my room.

I tried to sleep peacefully, but dark nightmares swirled around me. I could see people turn to ash in front of me. The wind blew my hair around. I saw blood flow around me. It threatened to drown me.

I felt the blood drip down my hands. Slowly, I touched my face. It was blood, seeping from my eyes and nose. Then, I see my family dying. They all lie in front of me, dead and lifeless. Tony, Lex, Rose, Zel, Julie, everyone...Tears pour down my face. Then, I see Peter Parker... a kindhearted boy who never fails to put a smile on my face, slowly fades away into nothingness. I try not to sob but I can't help it.

I gasp a little, my eyes opening. I turn around to the night stand. The alarm clock read 6:34. I had an hour before school.

I lay on my back, my hands on my stomach. I feel calm. The sound of sirens fills the air. My body is as light as a feather. My eyes flutter close...everything is balanced.

I close my eyes. All I see is nothing. Darkness. It's welcoming and warm. Then-

The alarm blares in my ears. I open one eye. It was already 7:30. I flick Zel on the nose to wake her up. She reluctantly gets up. I put on a Captain America hoodie with blue jeans, not really caring for style. "I'm going to go on the train with a friend." I yell to everyone.

"Sure, Nic! Go ahead." Lex says. Zel chuckles.

"Give Peter a smooch for me, will ya?" I turn around and flip Zel off, which earns a laugh from her.

"Stay close with your friend, kid. You don't want to get into more trouble." Dad calls out from the office. I ride down the elevator and pull out my phone, thinking about Peter and the dream...no. Don't think about it.

I haven't really had a normal conversation with Parker in a while, so I text him.

N: hey, Parker. I was wondering if I could take the train with you to school? I've been wanting to talk to you :)

P: Sure, Nic. I don't mind. I enjoy your company.

I smile at that and walk over to the train platform. I wait a while. The dream from last night rises in my mind. It's more of a nightmare. People were dead. Millions...maybe billions...they all faded, literally. Even Peter did. He didn't deserve a fate like that. That would be impossible though. I mustn't worry, but something tells me it might happen.

I jump as someone nudges me in the shoulder, me from my thoughts. I gasp loudly. It's just Peter...He looks at me concernedly.

"It's just me, Nic. What's wrong? You seem...on edge lately." The boy looks at me. I sigh, not looking at his eyes.

"I'm just tired. School...stress." I say vaguely.

Peter thinks on it. "You know you can tell me anything? I am your best friend, after all."

I smile. "I know, Pete. I am thankful for it." I shuffle my feet awkwardly as he gazes at me knowingly.

The train arrives, breaking the silence and awkwardness. We don't talk during the ride, but I know that Peter still worries about me. I am kind of glad he cares about me, but I don't want to put him in any danger or reveal my secret to anyone, even if I could trust them.

We arrive at the school. This time, I decide to sit with Peter and his friend Ned. I don't even feel all the way here. I'm in my mind but not in my body. I lean on my hand, looking at nothing.

"Hey. Nic. The bell already rang. You're gonna be late." Peter's voice rang in my ears. I snap from my trance. His hand is touching mine.

"Sorry, Nic. Come on...tardy bell is going to ring." He says. It's like time has slowed. I'm walking like a snail.

"I don't know why I keep doing that...I feel strange." I say to myself. Peter furrows his brows. We walk to class late in silence. What is wrong with me? More like what ISN'T wrong with me.
—————
Nothing much happens during first and second period. I doze off in Langley's class. I stare off at some random thing on the wall.

I notice people start to stare at me. I look at them. Shane looks at me as if I was trash. I turn red and avert my gaze away from him. Fuck. I was staring at him...by accident.

"Is something going on here, Iverson?" Ms. Langley asks. I shake my head, looking at my notes. Everyone turns away from me, and the class continues. Snake glares at me from the corner of my eye. I could care less about what she thinks.

The bell for lunch rings. I am grateful for the distraction. I quickly walk out of the room.

"We really need to talk, Nic. You're scaring me! You keep zoning off and running away from us, your friends." A hand touches me. It's Andy. Her eyes are serious and worried.

"I wish I could tell you. It's no one's fault but mine." I say. Zel sadly looks at me. She knows what's going on with me but cannot tell anyone our secret.

"Just know that we have your back. Anyone who messes with you, is getting beat down." Nova smirks. The rest of my friends agree.

We sit down for lunch. I feel slightly more chipper. Andy cracks a few bad jokes, which I giggle at. We talk and talk about school, cranky teachers, and parties.

"Yeah. Liz is having one soon. I can't remember when." Meg adds. "Are we even invited?" I ask.

"Liz is my friend. She's nice too! I'm sure we can all come." Nova smiles. We change the subject to some department store in the mall.

"So, you look kind of better." Peter adds, having a side conversation with me. I shrug, swinging my feet slightly.

"I look like a trash panda everyday. Don't kid yourself." I grin widely. Peter chuckles. I've only ever seen Peter happy. He never gets mad or sad, sometimes concerned or serious...but never angry or sorrowful.

He makes a joke and I laugh loudly, my stomach in pain from how hard I laughed. I clutch it, with tears in my eyes. I guess this was the calm before the storm.

It suddenly felt as if ice slid down my shirt. My expression changes in an instant. I squirm and gasp loudly. I feel a liquid pour over my face and back. My mouth is agape. Everyone at my table looks at me in horror. No one dares to breathe.

I turn around. There she was. The Snake came to lash out. My eyes widen. An empty carton of chocolate milk is in her hands. She throws the remaining bit of it on me. Nothing could've prepared me for this.

I stand up slowly from the table. "You should've kept your eyes to yourself, you rat!" Snake yells.

I scrunch up my face. "You dumb cow, it was a damn accident!" I yell. Zel grabs my shoulder. She looks at me warningly. Don't do something you'll regret.

Snake rolls her eyes. "I've always hated you for some reason. But now I know why. You're a trashy, stupid girl who doesn't belong here! No wonder you wear those raggedy clothes. You're a hobo!" She screams.

I feel my fist curl tightly. Zel sees my eyes flaring up and moves in front of me to block me. I nudge her away gently. In a quick, swift motion, before anyone registers my next move, I punch Sarah in the face and she quickly falls like dead weight. Zel panics from beside me. "Fuccck." She hisses.

You could hear a pin drop in the cafeteria. Then, the whispers start. Some people look at me nervously, in horror, with awe, or a mix of every emotion. Peter is in shock. The cafeteria is in a buzz with this latest juicy news.

I sit down in shock. I can't believe I freaking punched Sarah. I mean, she deserved it. I only felt bad because then Tony would find out and ground me for eternity, or maybe just celebrate my accomplishment and buy me an island.

"You really did it..." Andy whispers from beside Zel. "I don't know why I did it. It's like my arm was just controlled by something...like instinct." I confess.

Then, the talking quickly stops. Principal Morita enters with the school resource officer. I look down in shame. "Miss Iverson, if you would please come with me." Morita directs it to me, obviously. Some other student takes Snake to the nurse. I knocked her unconscious with one punch. She'll survive (unfortunately).

"Everyone else, back to class now! No dawdling!" A teacher shouts. The cafeteria buzzes again loudly. I see my friends watch me. Peter looks disappointed. I feel guilty...ugh! My stupid brain needs to stop acting on instinct. My friends disappear into the crowd of students walking back to class.

Morita and the officer lead me to the principal's office. It was my first time ever being in a principal's office. I was always the good student...the teacher's pet, the smartest one in class. I could make Tony Stark proud, either by being the smartest kid ever, or by being the world's most arrogant ass. I could beat Dad at his own game.

The principal calls my father, telling him of my delinquency today at lunch. I don't hear their conversation, as I sit outside the office detained. Snaky-poo is still knocked out cold. Good for her.

The officer calls me in and I sit down in the chair against the wall. I fidget with my fingers. Tony can be a scary man when he needs to. By the time we're out of Mr. Morita's office, I'll be six feet under the ground. The clock reads 1:30.

A knock echoes in the room and a man enters. He has brown and grey hair and wrinkles on his forehead. He looks at me suspiciously.

"Welcome, Mr. Grey. Please, have a seat."

"So this is the kid that hurt my daughter?" The man asks. Mr. Morita nods. "Yes, Mr. Grey. Miss Iverson is the perpetrator."

Mr. Grey nods. I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"It was self-defense, Mr. Morita and Mr. Grey. Snake- I mean, Sarah...poured milk on me, as you can see by my stained clothes and-"

"That's enough, Miss Iverson. We will wait for your father to get here."

I sigh frustratedly. The clock ticks loudly. Noises seem louder than ever before. I close my eyes. Please get here fast, Tony.

I am saved by the bell when I hear a knock on the door. Tony enters the room. His eyes pierce mine. I shrink slightly under his gaze, but keep my cool, trying not to let myself appear scared.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark. Please take a seat. I'm sure you know why we're all here today." Mr. Morita explains.

"So...Nicole has been up to no good lately, I see." Tony frowns.

"But it was for a good reason!" I pipe up.

"Your daughter assaulted another student, Mr. Grey's daughter Sarah by punching her and knocking her unconscious." Morita says.

"She needs to be expelled. She hurt my Sarah!" Mr. Grey demands.

"Its an injustice what this school has done." I say.

Everyone looks at me. I meet everyone's eyes. "And why is that?" Tony asks.

"For starters, the school resource officer has done nothing to prevent the bullying occurring on our campus. I've seen other students being harassed and taunted by their peers. It is appalling and besides, it was self defense. Sarah did pour milk on me." I ramble.

"So, are you some kind of vigilante, knocking around the "bad guys"?" Morita says.

"I guess you can call it that..." I smirk.

"You heard her. It was self defense. Besides, she was slightly in the right. You have to fight back." Tony defended me, stretching his hands.

"Mr. Stark, I'm sure you are aware that your daughter has injured another student severely. There must be consequences. Miss Iverson cannot go unpunished." Morita responds.

"So what? Are you gonna put me in jail? Detention? Maybe whip me through the streets?" I roll my eyes.

"We're thinking about one week of suspension." Mr. Morita says.

"What? What about Snake girl?!" I yell, aghast.

"She will be put in four days detention. You're lucky, Miss Iverson. You have potential to do great things. You're an excellent student, but you lack a good attitude. Why waste it on petty drama?" Morita responds sternly.

"This is a shitshow. I guess I'll see you in a week...good sirs." I say in a huff. The bell rings for dismissal. Tony walks after me, leaving the other three men dumbfounded and dazed.

Zel eventually finds us two walking out, with Lex, Rose, and Julie trailing behind. "Oh geez! What happened? Are you going to get kicked out?" She asks.

Crowds of kids are whispering around us six. Tony rolls his eyes. "Nope. Just one week of suspension. The other kid got a slap on the wrist, which is four days detention."

Students pull out their cameras, taking pictures of Tony and record us exiting the school. I blush a little. Now there's a whole swarm of people yelling at Tony and asking for autographs. "Sure, why not." He says. I try not to bury my head in my hands.

People start to crowd around me, acting all nice to me, but really they're starting to suck up to me. I roll my eyes. Zel has her hands on her hips. We walk to the car, which is parked on the curb.

"What is Tony Stark doing here?" Peter asks. I blush red, trying to look anywhere but at him.

"Oh nothing, just taking a tour of the school, and picking up my criminal kid." Tony smirks. I mutter, "Oh fuck it all."

Peter stutters, "You-you're Nic's dad?" Tony nods.

"You're Tony Stark's daughter?" I grit my teeth.
"Um...noooo??" My voice gets high. I'm a shit liar.

Everyone chatters about this sudden revelation. The look on their faces makes me smirk as they realize that I'm Tony Stark's daughter...a very powerful person. "Okay, yes, but I guess it's too late now! You wanna hang out tomorrow maybe?" I whisper, pulling him aside from everyone.

"Um...sure, Nic. I could never say no to you." Peter smiles at me. His brown eyes make me melt. I sigh then turn back to Tony.

"Let's get the hell out of here." I say. I look at Peter sadly, and climb into the car, before getting back out.

"And for the record, I do not regret punching Sarah Grey. Thank you and goodnight!" I even take a little bow. Everyone goes into an uproar over my declaration. Peter's eyes widen. Andy stifles a gasp and everyone is just in shock and awe over this. Nova makes the sign to call her later with the tea.

I get into the car with my sisters. Tony says nothing but looks at me through the rear view mirror. "You just dug yourself in a deeper hole, kid."

I shrug and look out the window, watching the crowd disappear and buildings pass by. I sigh...maybe I'm the bad guy. I hear my cell phone ding. It was Wanda Maximoff, my friend. I hadn't talked to her in almost six months, but I still worried about her.

She was an Avenger, one of the very best. Wanda was like another sister. I could always talk to her about anything troubling me. Her twin Pietro was like my big brother. I cried for months when he had died in Sokovia. Pietro was also Lex's first love; she wasn't the same ever since. My dad was worried about me, and after that, he refused to let me get involved in Avengers stuff. He didn't even let me see or talk to Wanda or any of the Avengers anymore, but I never listen. I was glad that I could talk to her again.

W: Hey, Nico. I need someone to talk to. I'm scared.

N: What happened, Wan? Are you alright?

W: Nothing is alright. I've done something terrible. I killed innocent people. Look at the news.

I went to the news app on my phone and saw a horrific headline: "Avengers team member kills Wakandan relief aid workers in Lagos." It occurred almost one month ago. I didn't even bother to check the news anymore, as I never cared for the news.

W: I tried to contain the explosion but I accidentally threw it into a building...full of people. I didn't mean for it to happen, Nico.

N: I know, Wan. You're a good person. It was an accident.

W: I'm supposed to stay in my room at the Avengers facility. It's kind of lonely here. Will you come visit me?

N: I'll try, Wan, but I don't know if my dad wants me to go. I'll see what I can do.

I look at my dad. "Tony! Did you hear about Lagos?" Tony sighs.

"I know about it, kid. Look, Maximoff is being watched over to make sure nothing else is happening. She's safe." He explains.

"She didn't do it on purpose! It was an accident!" I yell.

"Kid, that's enough! Maximoff is a danger to society. They fear what they don't know. Also, you shouldn't be interfering in stuff like this. You could get hurt." Tony says.

My sisters look at us, not saying anything. "I'm a defender of freedom. I don't want to see people I love get hurt."

Tony shakes his head. "I'm trying to protect Maximoff from people who could hurt her." I sigh as we pull up to our home.

I quickly exit the car, slamming with a force. Lex runs after me. "Nicole! I was talking to you!" Tony yells.

I snap my head around. My fists are glowing. I look into Tony's eyes. I close them, and unclench my fists. I grumble and then storm off to the elevator. Then, I rush to my room, flopping on the bed.

Anger fills me. I grip my hair and yell. I breathe harshly. Picking up my phone, I look at the notifications.

3 missed calls from Supernova ⭐️
2 messages from Supernova ⭐️
3 missed calls from Andy Q 🌸
4 messages from Andy Q 🌸
2 missed calls from Underoos 🤓
2 messages from Underoos 🤓
1 missed call from Starboy ⭐️
1 missed call from Ace of Spades ♠️
1 missed call from Megamind 😒

I read through Peter's messages.

P: Hey, Nic. I'm kind of worried about you. Just wondering, why didn't you tell me about your dad?

P: You don't have to talk about it. You just seem odder than usual. And I think what you did today about punching Sarah was badass. I wished I could punch Flash like that.

I smiled at that. I called Peter back.

"Hey Nic, what's up?" His cheery voice asks. His happy tone calms me a little. I inhale slowly.

"Can we meet up at Delmar's and talk?" I say, my voice shaking.

"Sure, Nic. I'll see you there." He responds.

I hang up the phone. A tear fell from my eye, dropping on my sleeve. I walked out of my room, watching my dad pace around in his office. I passed by my sisters' rooms. Lex was reading a book. Zel was doing some decathlon questions and Julie was just listening to music. My little sisters were watching movies.

I wrote a note to everyone so they wouldn't worry about me.

I'm going out with a friend. I know what you're thinking. Yes, it is Peter Parker. And maybe I will give him a smooch for you, Zel. I'm messing with you, Dad. I'll be back soon.

Love,
Nic

I leave the note on the kitchen table, quietly leaving the apartment. On the ride down the escalator, I can't help but wonder about Peter. He's such an angel. This world doesn't deserve a person like him. I don't. I'm not good for him.

My feelings for Peter Parker are growing. I think I've always felt something for him since maybe the first day. He's caring, sweet, and honest. Oh, I just feel guilty for keeping secrets from him. We tell each other everything.

When his Uncle Ben died, he hugged me and cried. I was his anchor in the storm, and he was mine. I walked to Delmar's and saw Peter inside talking to Mr. Delmar. "Hey Underoos."

"Hey, Kickass." He says. I roll my eyes.

"Hey, Nicky, what's up? How's dear old Dad?" The man asked. I smiled.

"He's doing okay. Can I have the usual?"

"Number 4, with tomatoes and a Number 5, coming right up." Delmar makes my order and gives Peter his sandwich as well. We leave the store, walking and eating our food.

I sigh. Peter and I walk to a nearby park and sit down on a bench. I put down my sandwich and look at Peter with tear-filled eyes. I fidget with my hands.

"Um...I'm having problems. A whole load of problems, and I feel helpless to them." I say. I can't help but sniffle. Then, I do the unthinkable and lean my head on Peter's shoulder.

"Hey, hey. Nic, it's okay. You know I'm here for you, right?" Peter says. He hugs me and lets me cry on to his shoulder. Waves of emotions are let out.

I look up at him. "My best friend is hurting...I'm hurting. I'm pushing people away. And I want to give up. I should've told you sooner about everything. I apologize for hurting you." I cry out.

Peter shushes me and looks me in my eyes. His brown eyes are warm and sweet like honey. "I will always be there for you. I want you to know that you can tell me anything."

"I feel really scared, even though I seem hard as nails." I say.

"You're the most badass person I know, Nicole." Peter smiles.

"I'm sorry, Pete. Forgive me." He looks at me strangely.

A spark of courage lights inside of me. Slowly I place a soft kiss on Peter's lips. He kisses back, unsure of himself. I pull back, scared that I went over the line, but he pulls me back, kissing more fiercely.

I tangle my fingers in his brown curls. We break the kiss. I shyly smile at Peter. He gives me a kiss on the forehead.

Maybe everything is going to be alright.
——————
Yessssss we have finally built up to moment. I know it seems I'm going fast, but I promise that there will be some action/fight sequences coming up, so stay tuned. I deemed this ship name Spider-Violet :)