the strongest avenger

fifty four

Talia shoulders her backpack as she walks through the hallways the Monday following the disaster of a dance.

She sees Ned and Peter walking in her direction and immediately turns around, walking the opposite direction.

She didn't know why she was ignoring them...maybe it was because Peter was neglecting to tell her stuff or the fact that she knew she had some sort of feelings. Whatever it was it was stopping her.

Tony had told her about the Vulture incident, and had told her about his future plans for the boy.

"Tal! Hey." Peter says as he runs up next to her.

"Hi," she gives him a close mouthed smile.

"Uh, can we talk?"

"Right now?" She asks.

"After school? I can walk you home?"

She ponders for a second before coming up with an answer.

"Okay."

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"So what do you wanna talk about?" Tal asks as they leave the school properties and start the walk to the tower. "You gonna tell me about what you did Saturday?"

"Uh—uh, I didn't do anything."

"Stop lying!" She yells and turns to look at him. "What the hell is going on with you? Ever since the ferry incident you've been keeping things from me! We would tell each other everything, I don't know what's wrong! You're—you're keeping secrets from me." She crosses her arms and glances at Peter, watching as his wide eyes start to narrow.

"I'm keeping secrets? I know nothing about you Talia! Nothing! You tell me nothing about you!" He pulls her aside in between two buildings. "Literally nothing!"

"You know everything about me Pete. I don't know what else you wanna know. What do you want from me!"

"I want you to tell me your past Tallie! I wanna know about where you grew up! I want to know your middle name! I wanna know what you used to be like!"

"Fine! That's what you want? You wanna know how I was sold to one of the most dangerous beings in the universe when I was eight. Eight! You wanna know how I was trained to be a weapon all my life, only to be thrown in a cell for years! Barely being fed! Having to live through long days while my guards tortured me! While they played with me! And took advantage of me! You wanna know how I got these scars on my arms and legs! You wanna know how scared I was, and how much I wanted to die every moment of my life. Is that what you want? Huh?" She pushes him on his chest, not realizing that tears flow freely from her eyes.

"You wanna know what it was like to get put in handcuffs cause no one trusts you, or what it's like when people are scared of you. It sucks! It all fucking sucks Peter! You wanna know what it was like watching you take someone else to that stupid dance! That stupid dance that I wanted to go to with you!"

She pushes him back again, hastily wiping away her tears.

"Tal," Peter starts, hand grasping her wrist.

"No! Don't touch me!" She thrusts her hand out, her face turning to a mask of horror as a blue blast hits Peter and sends him flying back through the alley.

"No, no, no. Pete," she runs over to where his body lays still, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Peter, Peter..." she kneels and shakes him. "Hey, wake up. Wake up Pete. Don't be dead please don't be dead!" she shakes him harder, stifling a sob when he doesn't move. She leans over his body and sobs, holding him tight in her arms.

"That...hurt."

Tal gasps and leans back looking down at the boy lying on the ground. He gives her a weak smile.

"Don't-don't do that again!" She yells, tears still falling. "Don't scare me like that, you—you can't do that! I can't lose you too."

Peter reaches up and cups her cheek, wiping her tears away. "You'll never lose me." The girl sniffles and helps him sit up.

"I'm sorry for the outburst," she says. "I didn't mean too." She looks around the alley. "This was all a little dramatic for us."

"I know. I'm sorry for being a total asshole, I don't know where that came from."

"It's all good."

"I—I didn't know it was that bad...when you were up there." He points to the sky.

"No one knows, only you." She looks away from him.

"I—your dad took my suit away. The day of the ferry, I didn't wanna tell you. I'm embarrassed and I didn't want you to be disappointed in me." Tal frowns at that. "I took down Vulture on Saturday, during the dance."

"I know. Dad told me. But Peter, I could never be disappointed in you." She punches him hard in the arm.

"What was that for?"

"Not telling me about the suit," she hits him again. "That was for not telling me about Toomes," she hits him once more. "and that's for not asking me to the dance." Peter blinks at her, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.

"I—I was gonna ask you. On Friday...but then you said you were going with Jackson, so obviously I didn't. You were my first choice Tal, always."

The girl feels an invisible weight lift off her shoulders at his statement. She smiles wide at the boy sitting across from her.

"Kay, well that makes me feel a little better."

"This was all very passive aggressive."

"Well what else would you expect from a mentally distraught alien?" she says with a small smile.

He chuckles. "Let's never fight again."

"Agreed."

Peter sighs and looks at the girl. "So what do we do now?"

"I have a surprise for you."

"Wanna tell me what it is?"

"Nope. You'll find out soon though. It's worth the wait, I promise."