Mind Full of Roses // Peter Parker

4.6: Bringing the Band Back

My hands brush another packet and I bring it down, reading the label: Salted Kale Chips.

"Oh my god, Steve," I mutter, throwing the green chips back into the cupboard, my eyes widening as they crash into a pile of low-fat rice cakes and cause them to topple over to the ledge. "My bad."

I bend down to pick up the packet of rice cakes from where they lay on the floor, my knees clicking. When I bring my hand out to grab them, I accidentally push them further and they roll into the plinth on the base of the kitchen counter. It moves inward slightly, as though it hadn't been properly secured when it was built. Either that or it's been removed.

Curiosity getting the better of me: I brush the blue packet to the side and stick my finger in the small hole to try and wiggle it loose. It gives after a couple seconds and I lay the slab of wood down quietly on the floor before harnessing a bright ball of energy in my hand and stick it under the counter.

A plethora of sweets and biscuits lay beneath the counter. My mouth drops open in shock, my lips tilting into a smile. "I knew there was a reason I loved you, Nat."

A red wrapper grabs my attention and I nudge other packets aside and grab the corner, pulling it until the light hits the white writing. Jammy Dodgers. I squeal and pull them all the way out, already ripping it open before I'm even stood up all the way. I place a biscuit in my mouth and close my eyes in joy before pulling myself up onto the counter and swinging my legs below me, looking out of the large windows at one side of the kitchen as I stuff my face with the biscuits.

Movement draws me attention to just above a meter tall wall. Steve stands by an expensive looking car with the boot door swung open. He's talking to someone but they're blocked by the car. I start to lower myself from the counter to try and get a closer look when the door creaks open. My head flies over to the sound but I can't see anything apart from the kitchen island and the door that is still swinging slightly forwards and backwards.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickle and I see the air around my hands become a familiar red frenzy of energy, turning the biscuit I'm holding into a small yet sharp dagger. My ears focus on each small sound which alerts me to a small tapping, like Cheddar's claws were like against our bathroom's tiled floor in Lena and I's old apartment. I bring up my arm and aim the dagger to where I last heard the tapping, my arm tense and ready to let the blade go flying into whoever else is here.

"You ain't Big Greenie," a voice says from next to me on the counter.

The dagger flies from my hand towards them before I can even turn my head. But when I do, I jump back in shock, the dagger wedged in the wall falling and landing with a thump, back to being a jammy biscuit.

"What the fuck?" I shout. A raccoon sits on the counter next to me, staring at the fallen biscuit with a confused expression on its furry face.

It turns to glare at me. "If I didn't use my super speed to duck outta way, you woulda killed me." It points to a slice in the side of its leather jacket. Jacket. Why is it wearing clothes?

I stare at it for a second and it stares back; beady black eyes staring straight into mine. "Um," I try to start, "let me rephrase my previous question: who the fuck-"

It shakes its head at me and brings up a paw. "Language!"

I have to force my mouth to move. "Sorry, whom the fuck are you?"

"Better," it says, and grabs for a biscuit. "The names Rocket." I watch as crumbs fly out of his mouth.

"Roselyn," I reply warily, taking a biscuit before Rocket eats them all. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugs, brushing crumbs from the fur around his mouth and on to the counter. "Needed to find Banner. I'm captaining him on a mission."

I refrain from raising a brow and instead conjure a small ball of energy to give my hands something to do. "Where're you going?"

"I ain't sure if I'm allowed to tell ya."

"But aren't you the captain?"

Rocket looks at me for a second as though battling between telling me and not. At the end, the former wins.

"We're getting Thor."

I almost choke on a Jammy Dodger. "Thor? As in, Norse Mythology God of Thunder Thor?"

He rolls his eyes and passes a biscuit between his two paws. "He ain't all that much, lemme tell ya."

With the way he's not looking at me, I can tell they've had a bit of a history previously.

"Why are you bringing back Thor?" I ask.

He stares at me, as though expecting me to suddenly burst out laughing and tell him I was joking. When I don't, he breathes in deeply as though shocked. "They ain't told ya?"

I shrug, unsure of what they were supposed to tell me.

"We're getting everyone back!" Rocket throws up his hands, crumbs flying from his paws. "The Avengers, we're bringing 'em back together!"

The Avengers. Back together. I then realise with a start who it was that Steve was talking to outside. Tony Stark.

They're really doing it. For the first time since I've woken up, I've got hope. We're gonna do it. We're gonna bring them back.

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AN: Hola, this is a bit of a short one just cos we're finally getting into the good stuff 😉

Also thank you so much for 6K reads!! I know I'm like a lot late but it rly motivates me to keep writing and it means a lot to me! Thank you!!! <333