I literally confessed to Peter Parker that I like him. I look at him and blush. He's holding my hand. I bite my lip. Peter smiles widely.

"Um...you're a great kisser. Did you ever kiss anyone before?" I ask. Peter shakes his head. "No, you're the only girl I've kissed."

I blush. "So...is this a dream?" I breathe out. Peter kisses my hand. I turn red. I guess this was all real. We get up from the bench and walk around.

As we cross the street, a taxi cab runs the red light, pushing into me, but luckily I'm not hurt. "Hey! We're walkin' here!" I yell and I slam my fist into the hood, making a big dent.

Peter pulls me away as I continue to cuss out the cab driver, who retaliates my cussing. "Are you okay?" He asks, observing my tense figure. We briskly walk away from the scene.

"I'm fine. Just shaken." I relax my fists. Peter sighs, taking my hand. "Don't worry, Nic." He smiles. We walk past the same bank that I just saved earlier. A woman steps out, holding her purse.

She walks past us. A few moments later, I hear the woman scream and a black hooded man runs by us, shoving me to the ground. Peter picks me up and pulls me away to the side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Pete, really." I rub my knees, looking at the masked guy run away.

"I'm so sorry, Nic. I really have to go." He pecks me on the cheek.

"What? But why? Where are you going?!" I look at him as if he had two heads. My mouth is open.

"Stay here, don't go after me. I'll be right back!" I hear Peter yell as he runs around the corner, chasing the guy.

"Wait! Come back-" I open and close my mouth like a fish, sighing loudly. I roll my eyes, taking of bite of the now-smushed sandwich in my hand. I follow the direction where Peter and the guy ran. I don't see anyone here...

I wonder where Peter is right now? Should I call the cops? I hear gunshots ringing out. My heart pounds in my chest. Oh shit.

Where the hell is he? Is he dead? I try to walk in the general direction of the gunshots. Pulling out my cellphone, I speed-dial Peter's number. He always answers the phone.

"Hello?....Hello, is anyone there?" I hear a voice ask.

I blurt out, "Peter! What's going on-"

"Well, you may be there but I'm not, so leave a message!" The voicemail says. I grumble.

"Hey, Peter. Where the hell are you? Please answer ASAP. I'm worried. Just call me as soon as you can. I'm going home." I respond, hanging up the phone. I take a bite of my sandwich, texting Zel about today.

N: Okay, Zel, you won. I did have a crush on Peter. I just kissed him and then he kissed me back. He's a good kisser, surprisingly.

Z: It was about damn time! Now, when do you want the wedding to happen? Roses or lilies?

N: Forget the wedding, Zel. When we were walking, a guy just stole some lady's purse and then Peter chased after him. I don't know where he's at. I heard gunshots and he didn't answer the phone.

Z: Oh shit! What else happened? Is he alright? Don't do anything stupid, Nic. Just get home already. Dad has some news.

I didn't get the chance to reply. "Hey!" I hear someone shout. I feel a hand grab my shoulder. I turned around and immediately, my fist connected with a jaw. I gasped, my hand covering my mouth, finding myself standing in front of the one and only Spider-Man.

I turned deep red as he clutched his jaw. "Ouch! What was that for?!" He groaned.

"I'm sorry, Spidey, but you scared the shit out of me." I stuttered, biting my lip.

"You pack a punch, kid." He says. I shrug, "Thanks, man. I can't believe I'm talking to the real Spider-Man..."

"Um. Yeah, I'm just walking around patrolling the streets looking for some bad guys. You know, the usual. Actually, I just stopped a guy who stole a purse."

I smile wistfully. "I wished I could do that..." My eyes widen after realizing I said it out loud.

"Oh, you wouldn't like it. Too much work and no fun." He tells me. I frown.

"Yeah...I guess you're right. You beat up bad guys for a living and I'm sure it can get tiring."

"It can kind of suck at times. I can't put my friends and family in danger, because my enemies can use it against me."

"Yeah. My dad loves me so much. I know he doesn't want me to be in danger. My dad has PTSD from the battle in New York. I can sometimes hear him crying at night, after a nightmare."

"I'm sorry, I'm talking too much!" I laugh.

"No! Go on, part of my job is to help people."
Spider-Man says.

"So, you're a part-time therapist?" I ask. He motions for me to keep going.

I continue, "I have nightmares too. I imagine my friends dying in front of me. Piles and piles of bodies. People dropping dead. And my boyfriend turns to ash in front of me and I can't even hold him in my arms." I sigh.

"I can't even tell anyone. I have memories and I don't think they're mine. I see things that haunt me." I say. "I'm probably going fucking crazy right now. I bet you're not standing in front of me." I chuckle lightly.

Spider-Man shakes his head. "I'm right here. I'm a real person, and I think you're far from crazy." Just like Lex said.

"I remember getting these powers and I couldn't even tell my best friend about it, because if I did, then I might be seen as crazy." He says.

"You're not crazy. I want to tell someone about my stress. It's just eating me up. I want to tell my boyfriend the truth, when the time is right. He's been my best friend since maybe forever, and he keeps secrets." I declare.

"Maybe you should tell him soon. You don't want to keep secrets from him." Spider-Man suggests.

"You're right, Spidey. Thanks for the advice. I need to find my boyfriend, Peter. He just took off after that guy! And I heard gunshots. I just can't handle more stress on my hands." I say. Suddenly, I feel myself heat up, the fire inside lighting up.

I feel Spider-Man hug me, his strong arms holding me tight. "Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm sure he's alright. He's probably trying to find you right now." He tells me.

I wipe my hands on my sleeve. His voice sounds familiar, but the thought slips my mind. "Peter always answers his phone...I don't know where he's at. Do you know where he is?" I ask him.

"What does this Peter look like?" Spider-Man asks.

"He has brown hair, and he's 15. He's wearing a blue sweater with a plaid shirt underneath and has a grayish jacket on." I sigh.

"I think I did see him...he was running past Delmar's, but then I think he was looking for you." He says, a nervous tone in his voice. He sounds like someone...it's probably just my mind jumbling up everything.

"Okay. He might be at his house, so I guess he ditched me. I can't deal with more shit today. Just give a message to Peter to call me when he can. I'm going to walk home." I say, waving bye to Spider-Man and walking the way to the apartment.

"Hey! Wait up! Maybe I could take you home? It's not really safe out. It's getting kind of late." He says, running after me.

"Wow. Are you sure? I don't want to bother you. You have tons of criminals out in the city." I say.

"It's no trouble at all, Ni—ma'am." He tells me. I furrow my brows.

"So where would my fair lady like to go?" He chuckles. I snort.

"Just take me to Stark Villa, please." I say.
"Your wish is my command, Princess." He says. I roll my eyes.

"Please don't call me thaaaat!!!" I yell, as he shoots his web, swinging from a high building.

I don't scream, but gasp slightly, holding on tightly to his neck. He lets out a whoot, swinging along the buildings. I laugh, feeling my hair in the wind.

It's like being on a roller coaster. "I don't like heights, but this is actually nice!" I yell. I rest my head on Spider-Man's shoulder.

"Glad you like the view!" He shouts. He stops shooting his web for a brief moment, letting us drop fast to the ground. "Oh shiiiit!" I scream, then his web attaches to a building, pulling us back up from the ground.

He laughs in my ear. The ride is soon over. He quickly lands on the ground, carefully putting me down. I am breathless from the ride.

I shove him lightly. "I can't believe you're such a dick!" I laugh. Spider-Man laughs.

"Well, thanks for the ride, and the talk." I smile and hug Spider-Man tightly. He hugs me back.

"Okay, Spidey-o. Just remember to pass on the message Peter. I'll call him later." I smile.

"Will do! See you later, Princess!" He yells and swings away, leaving me smiling and shaking my head.

Finally, I receive a message from Peter as I enter the lobby of my apartment.

1 new message from Underoos 🤓

P: Nic, are you okay? Where are you? You're not here.

N: What the hell, Parker?! You just ran off after that guy, possibly risking your hide to save someone! Are you hurt?

P: I'm alright, Nic. Spider-Man caught him for me. He gave that lady her purse back.

N: I know. He found me while I was looking for you. And we actually had a nice conversation. Then he took me home! Like, literally! Did he give you my message?

P: Yes, ma'am. That's why I'm talking to you right now. :)

N: I feel like you don't believe me about Spider-Man...I'm not crazy! He swung me home!

P: I believe you Nic. I'm sorry again for ditching you. I thought I could take that guy down.

N: I know. I can be stubborn at times too. I'll talk to you later. Bye Roos

P: Bye to you too, Nic.

I fix my hair and go to my apartment, walking in and seeing a patient Tony eating a sandwich. He waves at me. "Hey, Dad...what's up?"

"I'm just eating this sandwich. Also, I was gonna tell you that I'm leaving to the compound. It's important business which is strictly for grownups only." He says.

"Can I please go with you? I really want to visit Wanda, she really needs some company!"

"No, kid. Maximoff is off-limits. She's on house arrest. I'm leaving to go do some business at HQ. Stay here." Tony says.

"That doesn't mean she's supposed to be isolated like some criminal!" I yell.

Tony sighs. "She killed people, kid. I'm trying to protect her. You're really stubborn, aren't you?"

"Well, I take after you in spirit, which might get me killed someday." I mumble.

"Okay, kid. You're coming with me. Just the four of you: Lex, Rose and Zel come too." He says. "I guess the news kind of concerns you all."

We get into one of the bigger SUVs in the underground garage. "So, what is the important business that kind of concerns us?"

Tony is driving the car. Lex is riding shotgun. I sit in the back with Rose and Zel.

"Wait till we get to the compound." He says. We all sigh in unison.

I lean my head against the window. I take a deep breath. Zel pokes me. I look back at her.

"So...you really kissed him? Is it official?" She asks. I smile.

"I mean...maybe!" I giggle. Zel smirks.

"I fucking knew it. I knew it since we came to New York. He was literally giving you lovey eyes!"

"I don't know if he did have a crush on me then. Also, I'm slightly pissed at him for ditching me!" I hiss. "He acts really weird and jumpy now."

"I was shocked when you told me that. That is very out of character for someone like Peter Parker." My sister agrees.

"I don't know what's up with him. I'm concerned. And I have some other shocking news." I say.

"Oh no. Not another fist fight." Zel rolls her eyes.

"What? No. I'm talking about how I was trying to find Peter because he ran off after that mugger. You had texted me and I didn't reply because Spider-Man spooked the shit out of me and I accidentally clobbered him in the face!"

"Holy mother of llamas. Are you serious?! You ran into THE Spider-Man?! From YouTube?!" She yells out.

Lex gasps. Rose looks at her phone to Google search him. I nod furiously. "Don't tell Dad though." I whisper.

"Kid, I can clearly hear you talking. So who is this...Spiderling from YouTube?" Tony asks.

Rose scrolls through some YouTube videos. One is Spider-Man catching a car that was going to crash into a bus.

Tony has a thoughtful look on his face. I continue with my story. "Okay, after I accidentally punched him, we just talked a bit about ourselves. Surprisingly, we are like the same person."

"I think that's cool. He sounds like a down-to-earth person, which is good for a superhero." Rose says.

I nod, stopping the conversation and sighing. I feel my phone vibrate.

1 message from Underoos 🤓
P: Just thinking about you ❤️

I look at the text, blushing pink. Lex takes a peek at my phone. "Aw that's cute and mushy."  I shove her gently.

N: Stop...that makes me wanna vomit.

I send the message, laughing when my phone rings a moment later.

P: Ouch. That just hurt.

I put up my phone up. We pull into the new Avengers Facility. I haven't seen this place in a long time.

I haven't seen everyone since...well, the Ultron thing. Me and my sisters became fast friends with Wanda after the incident. She was just like us, broken and lonely.

I walked inside the compound to the foyer. I looked around. "It's good to be back." The rest of us walked into the lounge, where we saw the rest of the Avengers sitting down, apparently waiting for us.

"It's everyone's favorite kid, me!" I say, smiling at the group.

"Hey, Nic. I missed your annoying voice." Natasha smiles, hugging me tight.

"Oh wow...I don't even get a hello?" Zel frowns.

"I missed you more than this one right here." Nat points at me.

"Is that you, Nic? Wow! I can't believe you're getting taller." Steve walks over, squeezing me tight.

"It has been too long. I should come over more, but Papa Bear over here won't let me visit." I snort.

"Well, that's very rude of him." Nat rolls her eyes. Tony laughs dryly.

"Where's Wanda?" I ask. A silence falls over the room.

"She's...in her room. She's still processing what happened in Lagos." Steve looks down.

I sigh. Slowly, I walk to Wanda's room. The door is open. Wanda is inside, watching a report on the incident in Lagos.

"They are operating outside and above the international law. Because that's the reality, if we don't respond to acts like these." I can sense Wanda feeling guilty about what happened.

"What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nigeria?"

I turn off the TV. Wanda looks up at me and she smiles sadly. "Hey, Nicole." I sit down next to Wanda on her bed.

Looking down at my hands, I sigh. "I know what it feels like. The feeling of losing control. It's like...shit, I can't explain it." I laugh lightly.

"I know how it feels like. I just...wished it didn't happen." She answers. I lean slightly on Wanda.

"I've done bad things, Wanda. Sometimes, we can't help it. Maybe I could've helped it, if I didn't lose my temper." I blabber on.

Wanda eyes me curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"It's just...well, I bet you already know since I can feel you prodding around in there." I say, pointing at my head.

Wanda smiles. "Oh, my goodness, Nic. You're really a rebel."

"Yeah...I guess that makes two of us." I say cheekily. I sigh, massaging my temples.

"I'm glad that I can talk to you about anything. I don't feel so alone." Wanda smiles. I frown slightly.

"My dad is really...he seems like he has good intentions. I know how 'normal' people see the enhanced as dangerous. Not to be offensive, Wanda."

"It's okay, Nic. I understand. I wish it didn't have to be that way. I can control my powers. That one time was a mistake." She says.

We're interrupted by Vision walking through Wanda's bedroom wall.

"Vis, we talked about this!" Wanda sighs.

"Yes, but the door was open so I assumed that...Hello, Miss Stark." Vision says, greeting me.

"Hey there, Red." I smile.

"Mr. Stark has brought a guest, and he wishes for everyone to converge in the conference room." Vision replies. "I'll...use the door."

"We'll be there. And who's this guest?" I ask.

"The Secretary of State."
—————
We all know what this is leading up to...get ready for everything to be turned upside down! Thank you to everyone for reading my book and voting on it. It is very much appreciated! 😊