Prodigal Son's Prayer

07

Peter, followed by an angry Margot, approached an empty yard, wearing his mask again.

Peter muttered, "Stay close to the ground? What is he talking about?"

He stopped walking, spotting something. Margot rolled her eyes and followed him. Peter and Margot entered the yard and found a piece of Brice's damaged weapon that had fallen out of the vehicle. He crouched down to tentatively flip it over with his fingertips.

"Whoa," Peter commented.

Margot frowned. "Oh yeah, sure. Go ahead and touch the weird glowy thing."

"Margot, stop. Okay?"

Peter and Margot found the glowing energy core. His phone rang and he answered a call from Ned.

"Hey, man, what's up?" Peter said. "Margot and I are on our way back."

"Actually, I was calling to say maybe you shouldn't come. Listen to this." Ned pulled his phone off his ear and raised it into the air.

"When I say "penis," you say "Parker,"" Flash said. "Penis!"

"Parker!" the crowd cried.

"Penis!"

"Parker!"

Peter and Margot could still hear Flash and his friends chanting in the background.

"Sorry, Peter. I guess we're still losers. Sarah and I'll see you and Margot tomorrow."

"Ned-" Sarah was cut off by Peter.

"I'll see you tomorrow in school." Peter hung up and carefully lifted the weapon. Metal and wires encased the glowing core. Peter looked up, determination clear on his masked face.

Margot narrowed her eyes. "Take me home. Now."

The two made their way to the apartment building and Peter walked Margot to the apartment she and Sarah shared.

Without another word, Margot entered and slammed the door behind her.

The next morning, Peter knocked on Sarah and Margot's door, hoping the former wasn't still angry with him regarding the previous night.

The door opened to reveal a stony-faced Margot. "Oh. You."

Peter sighed. "Yeah, it's me. Are you seriously still mad at me?"

"Yes!"

Sarah appeared next to Margot and narrowed her eyes.

"Great, you're both angry at me."

"Get going, girls," a male voice said.

"Who is that?" Peter asked.

"That would be our dad," Sarah replied sharply. "Peter, you put Margot in danger. While she shouldn't have run off like she did, you should have looked out for her."

"I did. But your sister is super stubborn."

Daniel walked up and hugged his girls. "Have a good day. Don't be too mean to Peter." He looked at Margot who narrowed her eyes. "And Peter, don't let her get in trouble. She needs to be careful."

---

In shop class, Peter hit the weapon core casing with a hammer. The core emitted purple light as it was partially freed from the metal casing.

"Oh," Peter said and started to pull it apart. Ned, Margot and Sarah joined him.

"Hey, thanks for bailing on me," Ned told them.

"Yeah, well, something came up."

Ned spotted the glowing core. "Oh, what is that?"

Peter and Margot struggled to take the machine apart. Margot shook her head as she said, "Peter and I don't know. Some guy tried to vaporize us with it."