ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴜɴᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ (peter parker x oc) (g x g)

one

I had seen the Avengers face countless villains. Monsters from space, murderous robots, Steve's cooking. But now, they had never looked so terrified. The world's mightiest heroes looked up at me in horror.

I pouted, tossing the tesseract into the air with one hand, grinning in delight as the Avengers flinched. "Finders keepers," I murmured. Out of the corner of my eye, Thor raised his hammer the tiniest bit, and my smile widened. "Oh, don't bother, darling," I purred, "I think we had this discussion a while back." I held out my hand and Mjollnir twitched before flying out Thor's grasp and into my own.

"Curious thing, this is," I said, examining the etches on the sides of the metal. "Wait?" I giggled. "Doesn't this mean I can rule Asgard?" I smiled up at Thor, but he only stared coldly back.

"Oh come on, where did everybody's voices go?" I laughed at their silence, twirling the tesseract in one of my hands. "You know.. I would have thought breaking in here and stealing your most valuable object would be harder but..." I scanned each of them, my eyes lighting up playfully. "Ohh, you wanted me to steal it. Is this little reunion a trap?"

None of the heroes said a word. "Well? Get on with it. Aren't you going to sit me down and tell me what I'm doing isn't who I really am? That I'm still that same little girl inside?" I was tickled by my own words. But not a single Avenger was looking at my eyes, either focused on the tesseract, or trained on the floor. Except Peter.

We stared at each other silently, and my delighted expression dropped the slightest bit at his pleading frown. His eyes were just as warm and brown as they always were. "Please don't do this," Peter whispered, seeing his chance. "Please. Just come back."

My resistance was weakening, I could feel it, the familiar pricking sensation in the corner of my eyes. No. I commanded myself to look away. "Is that all you've got? Come on, I want the full waterworks," I scoffed. "Where's the 'you're not like this' 'we used to be family," I imitated a sobbing voice.

"You don't consider us family, anymore?" Steve asked. I turned to him, smiling.

"Cap! Did you miss me?" I greeted happily.

"You know I did," He said softly. I could see straight through the game they were playing. Trying to break out my resolve. Find compassion.

I batted my eyelashes. "Sweet as always," I sighed. "And to answer your question... why would I?"

"Because you are family, Maze. Always," Steve said. I cocked my head.
"To whom, exactly?"

"To all of us," He answered without a beat. I suppressed an outburst of laughter. Had they practiced this?

My gaze rested on Tony, and waves of anger replaced my delight. "Right," I said quietly. "I'm sure." I gave no warning before heaving the hammer square at his chest. He tumbled to the floor, the metal encaging him there. Natasha gasped, kneeling at his side and pulling at the handle in vain. "And what exactly is family? We lived together, but that was the end of it. Family's supposed to be there for you. Isn't that right, dad?"

I was walking slowly towards him, rage clouding my entire mind. "So let me ask you again? To whom am I family to?"

Tony's face was turning beet red, squirming under the impossible weight of Mjollnir. Nat's eyes were wide with terror, watching me approach, and her expression said it all. I was no longer the girl they had known. "Maze..." Tony managed to whisper feebly before his head lolled back, unconscious.

The clouds of rage dissipated immediately. "Dad!" I gasped, my hand outstretched. The hammer flew towards my grasp, but I ignored it, and it stayed floating in the air. I stared, horrified, as Nat spoke into her earpiece. "I need medics on level thirteen, stat," she muttered.

"Dad, I.." I felt my feet stumbling until my back hit the cool glass wall. Peter's eyes met mine just in time as I slammed my fist down onto the window. It shattered immediately upon impact, and I let myself fall hundreds of feet towards the ground.

"Maze!" I heard Peter scream, and his body tumbled right after mine. His arms caught me around the waist and he grunted at the force, pulling me into his chest. Only having time to activate his gloves, he shot web towards a nearby building and we sailed towards it.

Peter landed on the roof, still holding me tightly in his arms. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He muttered, setting me down. I glared at him, brushing my now tussled hair from my face. "Are you stupid? You can't just..." I had never seen Peter this angry, his hand balled in his hair and cheeks reddening. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Peter.." I sighed. "Look at my hands."

He glanced at them; two green metallic gloves, one still clutching the glowing tesseract. "You think I stole billions from my dad without making myself a suit?" I said. "I wasn't planning on dying today."

He blinked, turning away. "That's not all, is it?" I asked. Peter frowned.
"No of course its not all!" He yelled. "You left us behind. You left me behind."

I flinched sharply as if he had struck me in the face.

"Maze." He took a deep breath. "Please just come back home."

"I can't," I whispered.

It took a great deal of effort not to show emotion in front of the Avengers. They had practically taught me everything I knew. But Peter was my best friend. He never looked at me differently for a second. And my defenses completely caved when he was around.

'Why?" Peter asked softly, reaching out and taking my hand. I couldn't face him, and my head dropped in shame. "Peter, I just can't," I said.

"At least tell me where you're staying. Is it safe?"

I squinted. "Are you asking me this on my dad's behalf? Or yours?"

"Yours. I'm always yours," Peter murmured. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to mine. I closed my eyes. "I miss you," he breathed.

"I'm right here."

"It's not the same. Nothing is. Eating, training, missions. Everybody's different when you're gone. Nobody smiles," Peter muttered.

I laughed humourlessly, trying to ignore the aching throb in my chest. "I'm sure you guys keep your own company." Then glanced up at the Stark Tower, the gaping hole in the glass wall prominent, even from here. "I have to go, Peter," I said, letting go of his hand and stepping back. "Somebody's going to come looking for you soon."

"You know I can't let you do that," Peter said, catching my fingers as they drifted away. I sighed. "You do remember what happened last time you tried to fight me?" I rolled my eyes.

"That wasn't fair! You stole Thor's hammer!" Peter whined. I grinned, and we shared a smile. A genuine one and it felt strange. "Well.. I guess if you disappeared mysteriously while I bent down to tie my shoe.. there's nothing I could do about it," Peter said.

I nodded, understanding. I stood on my tippy toes, planting a kiss on Peter's forehead. He lowered himself purposefully onto the ground, fiddling with his perfectly done shoelace, and when he stood back up, I was already gone.