The Dark Archer

Chapter 30

"I need to do my part. I'm tired of sitting around on my ass all the time. Peter isn't letting me do anything anymore because he's afraid of everything now. I need to prove to the both of us that I can do this," I rationalized.

Peter had been acting really strange since we came back. He was always holding off on going out at night, despite all the alerts we kept getting on our police radio. He also kept saying over and over again that I needed to stay out of the Accords mess. Maybe he was right, but I was sick of always tiptoeing around. I'd had enough of it all, especially seeing as he kept acting like he could control me or keep me in line or something. And maybe helping out Steve was a childish rebellion on my part, but damn if I was done with everything and his attitude.

"As long as you know what you're getting into," Dad relented.

"I'm aware, Dad, and I'll be careful. First sign of trouble and I'll ditch you," I joked.

"Hey, come on now! Eighteen years of parenting for this?" He whined.

"I'm just kidding. I love you," I said, dragging out the 'u'.

"Alright, whatever she-devil, we gotta figure out how we're gonna bust Wanda out," Dad sighed.

"Well first I think we both need to go and get our crap," I suggested. "If we go back and get my stuff first, I can teleport us both back to the farmhouse to warn Mom and get your weapons and such."

"Sounds good. But what about Peter?" Dad asked as we stood and left the restaurant, now walking down a random sidewalk.

"He's off 'taking pictures of Spider-Man'. He told me he'd be home around three," I responded, using air quotes to describe Peter's job.

"Okay then, let's be off," he agreed, leading the way to Peter's house.

"This whole thing is going to be a mess, isn't it?" I asked suddenly as we neared the house.

"Yeah, and the tough part about this is that they've got Vision on guard duty. They're not even married yet and they're having their first big fight," he pointed out.

"Poor Wanda. That must really suck. Not only has her team turned on her and each other—her own fiancé agrees with them," I sympathized.

Our conversation ended abruptly as we entered the house and quickly grabbed my things. I changed into my uniform using my powers as Dad waited for me in the living room. Once I was done, I hurriedly gathered my bow and arrows and walked out to my father.

"You ready?" He asked as I entered.

"Not quite," I muttered, setting my stuff down and power-walking to the kitchen.

I grabbed the notepad off the fridge and hurriedly scribbled a note.

Peter,

Don't worry about me. My dad came to visit and I've left with him for a few days. Be back soon.

Love,
Kylie

"You're lying to him?" Dad wondered. He had snuck up on me and read the note over my shoulder.

"Not lying so much as creative truth telling. Nothing I said was I lie. If anything, I left out parts of the truth," I corrected guiltily.

"It's still not right, Kylie. Keeping secrets is one of the major things that screw up a relationship. It'd be just as bad as if you had simply disappeared," Dad protested as I came back into the living room, him hot on my heels.

"I just don't want him to worry about me. He overthinks things way too much. It's better that I at least told him a partial truth," I argued, gathering my things.

"I beg to differ—" he yelled, but I cut him off by whipping out a grappling arrow, grabbing his arm, and shooting us both back to the farmhouse.

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Peter POV

I came home to an empty house. Alarmed, I immediately called out, "Kylie?"

No response came, and my suspicions worsened. I carefully stalked through the house, reflexes at the ready. My Spidey senses weren't telling me anything, and that was the only thing that kept me remotely calm. She's supposed to be home, isn't she? Maybe she's playing some kind of practical joke?

It wasn't until I reached the kitchen and saw a note on the counter that I got a bad feeling. I picked up the note written in Kylie's handwriting and scanned it.

The note was clearly written by Kylie, but that didn't make my feelings of dread dissipate at all. Something was up.