Misadventures in Paradise ↠ Peter Parker [2]

09 | Family Reunion

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MISADVENTURES IN PARADISE
ix. FAMILY REUNION

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   RILEY WAS DREAMING AGAIN. Dreaming of him.

   Those were the best dreams, the only ones she wanted to have for the rest of her days and nights. It wasn't enough to look at him or stand by him. She wanted to breathe him in, feel him against her. She wanted his curls in her hands, his lips on hers, his eyes looking only at her, no matter how fervently the rest of the world stared. When she slept, the solutions seemed so simple. She closed her eyes to hide, and awaiting her in her haven was him.

   If she was fated to an eternity of dreaming, she was happy to do it.

   After all, she'd been dreaming for a while now.

   Perhaps... too long.

   "This is taking too long... Yes, I'm sure it's her... She fell from the sky! How would I confuse her with anyone else?"

   Riley stirred in her sleep, moaning as an ache rattled her ribs.

   "No, I didn't put her outside, but I put her in bed... Because she's not a dog! ...Are you sure that's a good idea? 100% positive? ...Why are you acting like that isn't a completely normal question? I don't know how this Avengers shit works, but she got hit by a plane! She needed medical assistance, not a bad tan line!"

   The image of Peter's face flickered as a woman's voice drew Riley to the world of waking. Though her eyelids were heavy, the voice dragged her against her will. The logical part of her knew it was time to wake up, but she wasn't ready.

   "I think she's starting to wake up. How far are you?" A deep laugh. "No, I'm not scared of facing her alone. I just think she'd feel more comfortable if she saw a familiar face, сестра."

   Сестра. Russian for Sister.

   Riley's subconscious flickered, unwanted memories clawing through the opulent fantasy of her dreams. She remembered the waking nightmare she was subjected to, where she'd lost everything. Everything that mattered. Everything she'd ever cared about. She remembered her blood pooling in her hands, the flash of light burning her retinas. She remembered the darkness of the night and the clouds she disappeared into after... after...

   What happened, again?

   A reporter on TV spoke in a foreign language, one Riley recognized as Portuguese. Riley Stark... Brutally killed after a long fight against the Fire Elemental... Sacrificed herself to save Mysterio, the Night Monkey, and the greater good of the world once again... Reports came in this morning announcing her death from Mysterio himself... Our hearts are heavy as we send our condolences to the Stark family...