Black as Night | P. Parker

Chapter Six

"They're a very nice family, the boy is about your age and his aunt is fairly young as well. Both so kind and nice, I'm sure you'll be very happy here, Onyx."

Penelope Lincoln had been assigned as her social worker once she and Hannah had been caught. They were putting her with an aunt and her nephew. The Parker's. They sounded despicably suburban. Though maybe she would be able to relate to the kid, he was her age and his parents were dead too. Maybe she'd make a friend.

As soon as the thought popped into her head, she scoffed. Yeah, right. She wouldn't make friends. She never made friends. Except for Hannah (who was despicably not with her and being sent to another family). People didn't want to be around her, they were scared of her and with good reason, too. Onyx was a killer, and she didn't feel remorse. Why would someone want to be friends with a person who wouldn't feel bad if you got hurt?

Far too soon, the car came to a stop and Penelope got out of the car. Onyx sighed, but followed suit and, with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Looking up at the apartment building, she was struck with the thought that it that it living here was not going to be much of a step up from where she was. She would have a warm bed (without the need for fire) and meals every day, but the condition of the apartment she was now looking up at, didn't seem all that better than the abandoned building she and Hannah had been living in before.

"Come on, Onyx," Penelope prompted her, giving her a kind smile and an offer of her hand which Onyx found completely ridiculous, "let's go meet the Parker's."

Ignoring Penelope's outstretched hand, Onyx pushed past the social worker and headed into the building. The elevators seemed to be out of service at the moment, so Onyx and Penelope went to the stairs and headed up with the social worker in the lead, since she knew where they were going. At least, she knew more specifically than Onyx did.

On the sixth floor they stopped and exited the stairwell, making their way down the hall till the neared the end. Onyx didn't bother to look at the number on the door, just waited patiently as Penelope knocked on the door. A moment or so later, a kind, middle-aged woman with brown hair and brown eyes opened the door. She had a kind smile and was dressed nicely, but Onyx knew that there was pity in those eyes and she didn't care for it. Not one bit.

"Hi," the woman said.

Onyx didn't respond.

"Hello, May," Penelope said, "this is Onyx. Onyx, this is May Parker."

"Hi," she deadpanned.

"Nice to meet you, why don't you both come in?" May gestured for them both to enter the apartment, so they did. They sat on the sofa and Onyx zoned out while Penelope and May talked about the technical stuff.

This was how she was going to get to kill Spider-Man, she reminded herself. This is how you were going to get your revenge.

Penelope and May seemed to go on for ages and ages, talking and talking. Onyx was this close from snapping and killing them both and forgetting about it all and killing the stupid hero another way, when they finally stopped and the two adults stood up.

"Well, this is when I'll take my leave," Penelope said. "You'll be good for Miss Parker, won't you, Onyx?"

"Mhm," Onyx agreed noncommittally.

"Good, I'll come check in on you soon, okay?" When the dark-haired girl didn't respond or even look at the social worker, she took the hint. "Buh-bye now."

To say that Onyx was relieved that Penelope was finally gone, was an understatement. But that also meant that she was now alone with May Parker. Strangers had never really been something that Onyx was good with. Unless she was killing them or taking a contract from them.

"Alright, we have a small bedroom for you back here, if you'll follow me," May said and Onyx picked up her bag and followed to older woman down a hallway to where there was a door. The woman pushed the door opened and gestured for Onyx to go inside.

The room was small, with a twin bed, a closet, a desk and a window that looked out over the street. The floor was carpeted, which Onyx thought was going to be wonderful in the mornings, but it was still a little ratty. On the desk there was a set of binders, all filled with lined paper and a notebook, a small pencil case sitting next to them. A black backpack sat on the floor under the window, and all Onyx could think was that she was glad it wasn't pink.

"What do you think?" May asked, as Onyx stared at the room.

"It's uh, a lot nicer than my last place," she said.

"That's good, that's good. I might have gone a little overboard with the school supplies, but the thrift store does have some good stuff and you can get some good cheap paper at the dollar store. I hope you don't mind it's second hand," May told her.

"No, I don't mind," Onyx said, "everything else I own is second hand."

"Well, my nephew is at school right now, but he should be home in a couple of hours and you can meet him then," May said.

"Looking forward to it," Onyx deadpanned.

"I'll, uh, I'll leave you to get acclimated then," May said and closed the door.

Onyx dropped her bag next to the backpack and then flopped down on the bed. It was definitely a lot more comfortable than the mattress that she had chosen from Sears, and way better than the sleeping bag and floor she'd been making due with before.

But she knew that even though she had a warm home to sleep in and a proper bed, assured meals and so much more, things were going to be far from easy. She was going to have to live with strangers and people she didn't like.

Without Hannah.

All that Onyx could hope for was that this job was going to be easy so that she could go back to her old life. It may not have been a perfect life, but at least she was happy...