Adventures in Babysitting ↠ Peter Parker [1] ✓

07 | Reverse Psychology

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ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
vii. REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY

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  LOVE IS SO TWISTED. Why is it that the things we love with all of our hearts always hurt us the most? Why do we continue to partake in the things we adore despite knowing what happens in the end? Is it for the short-lived euphoria? Is it for the temporary smiles? Why do we continue to go back to the things that hurt us, even after we've learned our lesson?

   And, more importantly, is it worth it?

   Riley loved being an Avenger. It wasn't the badass powers or finally being respected after years of being frowned upon by her coworkers at S.H.I.E.L.D. She loved helping people. She loved the idea of being the world's protector, fighting the battles that others couldn't. She loved being part of something that was bigger than herself.

   After being the reason her parents died, Riley decided at a young age that she would devote her life to helping people. She knew that this was already decided for her once her powers were discovered, but it meant something more to her knowing she would have chosen that path no matter what.

   Because of this, Riley became a bit of a perfectionist. Between the explosion 13 years ago and being pushed to be the best, Riley spent her entire life perfecting her craft. She didn't want to be the best, but she had to. She and the universe shared that in common: they forced her to be stronger, faster, smarter. It was all for the greater good.

   Valor looked out at the city from the top of a random building—a little deli shop by the name of Mr. Delmar's. Riley was born in Manhattan, but sometimes, she had a hard time remembering that this was her home. She'd moved around so much because of S.H.I.E.L.D., going wherever they wanted her to, like a mindless pawn. That was why Riley had spent the past few months getting to know New York, relaxing after the Sokovia Accords. She wanted to make New York feel more like home than just another place she was stuck in.

   She peered down at her foot, frowning at the blood that continued to gush out of it. She'd been bleeding for what felt like hours after stepping on broken glass in a random alley right before suiting up to go patrolling. Somehow, the glass had gotten stuck between her foot and her sole before Tony's nanotech finished doing its job. Talk about bad luck, right?

   "Well," she mumbled to herself, wiping up her own blood, "this is certainly a minor cause for concern." Valor pursed her lips, seeing as some of the crimson liquid had gotten on her suit. "I wonder if I can take the suit out for dry-cleaning..."

   Riley supposed that was why everyone had advised her against opting for a white suit. Honestly, she was young when the idea of having her own suit was proposed, and she begged to have a say in how it looked. She didn't have the opportunity to make her own choices very often due to her age, so when everyone said she should pick something dark, she picked white out of spite for them. She didn't regret it though. She thought it was funny.