The Avengers Weakness

Chapter Six

Over the next few days, Peter and Penny stayed with each other almost constantly. Both wanting to make up for lost time with each other and Peter's goal was to help his younger sister get settled in quicker, hoping that she'd feel safer around everyone. They watched movies in the movie room at the compound, played pool in the game room where Penny won almost ever game, they played chess in the older teenager's room and many other things. Peter took Penny to the park several times; it was one of his favorite places in Manhattan. They walked around the park talking about things that they enjoyed doing: Peter found out about his younger sister's natural musical talents and he told her how he could play anything with strings, he learned about how she liked to dance but that she wasn't the best at it and that she loved history. Over ice cream at his and the others favorite ice cream and shaved ice place on the pier, Peter finally convinced his sister to tell him about how her aunt and uncle treated her. After slightly panicking over the idea of telling him what she'd been keeping to herself since she was a small child, she told him of the beatings and the yelling. How she'd go days without food and water because she lost the "privilege" due to something she'd done or how she'd sometimes go weeks without a shower because they locked the bathroom door so she couldn't get in and the other things that they had done to her. Peter cried at his little sister's words, his heart feeling like it was being ripped out and beat on like a sad pinata; and he hugged her for what seemed like forever, not wanting to let go. She cried as he held her, finally feeling a slight semblance of some freedom, and the fifteen year old boy apologized over and over again for how they treated her, telling her that it was wrong no matter what she thought or what they'd told her. She kept assuring him that it wasn't his fault, that it just happened, keeping the fact to herself that she deserved it because it seemed to make him more upset. Even though she told him this, he still blamed himself and made a promise to her and himself that no one would ever hurt her again. He also made the promise to himself that not only would he protect her, but anyone who hurt her in the future would get due justice served to them, whether it by the way of the law or as Spider-man, no one would get away with it. After the long, painful conversation, he took her to the zoo, wanting to cheer her up. He remembered how when she was younger she loved all the animals and while they were there it seemed like that was still true, since Penny laughed and smiled at all the animals, getting excited at her favorites. Peter was thrilled to see her so happy and laughed at how excited she got like a little kid at Christmas at almost everything, it made his heart hurt knowing that she probably never got to do any of this stuff after they'd taken her from Aunt May and Uncle Ben.

Two days after they went to the zoo, Wanda, Pietro, and Kate came back from their mission. Peter and Penny were cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast since Nat and Tony had to leave earlier because of a mission that came up, but the two adults promised that they'd be back by dinner time since there were no other adults around at the period and Tony didn't feel to comfortable leaving five teenagers alone in his compound. When the group of three walked in, they went upstairs to their rooms to put their things away, all three of them immediately hitting the showers before they went to see Peter. Later, after they showered and put their things away- more like Wanda put her things away- they came back downstairs to see their friend and the big news he had said he had for them when they talked on the phone last night.

"Hey Peter!" they all greeted in unison.

"Hey you guys, how was the mission?" the youngest member of the team asked.

They all started talking at one time, leaving Peter to only nod his head in response while he laughed in response to them.

"Sounds great!" he responded, laughing at his friends, whose excitement was bubbling out of them.

Everyone got really quiet suddenly, not looking at Peter, all of them suddenly finding something more interesting in the room.