Misadventures in Paradise ↠ Peter Parker [2]

21 | Loose Thread

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MISADVENTURES IN PARADISE
xxi. LOOSE THREAD

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   IN THE DAYS THAT followed, spring flourished, and Riley's mind continued to wind itself up. Her thoughts were a braided rope, twisting and fraying as her mind tugged back and forth. Again and again, she wondered what the Flag Smashers were planning.

   She chose not to tell anyone about Eden's final warning, the one exception being Roman. Stirring up the nation without a foreseeable conclusion seemed like a poor decision, so she decided she would keep it to herself until she had time to call Sam and Bucky. This should have been easy, but for some reason, Peter wouldn't stop asking her about them.

   It was like he somehow knew she was withholding something from him. Every day, he called and texted and asked about the Flag Smashers. What do you think will happen next? Do you think Eden was planning anything else? Where do you think they are? It was beginning to irritate her. Couldn't he understand she was handling it? Couldn't he see she was giving him a break? A chance to live a normal life?

   Riley and Roman spent days conferencing with the Governor, investigating Belmont establishments, running interrogations, and overall prepping for Eden's eventual trial — all of which had to be done without Peter to protect his identity. During all of this, her mind kept wandering back to the Flag Smashers obsessively. Even after the case was passed to Roman, they continued to consume her mind like an insatiable itch.

   With Roman taking Riley's place for Eden's trial, she spent her days off with her family. Pepper was beyond mortified that her eldest was nearly blown up (which wasn't the first time, but still anxiety-inducing regardless), and Tony couldn't stop joking about how all villains seem to love Riley ("It's the Stark charm, I'm telling you!" he'd say). But once they got past all of that, Riley was relieved to spend time with her parents and little sister again. She always cherished those days so much.

   Riley had yet to call Sam and Bucky. She was just so busy with the Belmont case and designing a new suit with her dad after Eden's bomb partly ruined her usual one. She was exhausted, needed to sort her thoughts, and needed a breather from Peter's constant questions. A simple pause. But the days were running shorter, and she knew she needed to get back to the investigation soon.

   Luckily, as she reached this conclusion, she received a text from Bucky Barnes asking her to meet up.

   Riley waited for Bucky at a park near the city, seated on an aged bench beside a large oak tree. In her hands was this morning's paper. She was currently reading about the GRC's highly anticipated decision on the Patch Act, which would forcibly relocate people displaced by the Blip back to their home countries. The vote would be happening tonight in New York City. Riley didn't think the Patch Act should be passed, but she ultimately had no say in things like that. She was hired to protect the world, not control it.