NEXT LEVEL|PETER PARKER (2)

1.9

Peter walked through the hallway to his apartment feeling like he'd lost everything. Jessie, his suit, Tony's trust, all of it gone. Tony had bought him a shirt and shorts to wear since he had no other clothes he could change into after giving up his suit.

He knocked on the door and May wasted no time opening it. When her eyes landed on her nephew, her emotions ran high. She stalked into the living room and Peter took his time walking through the door. "I've been calling you all day. You didn't answer your phone!" She said frantically. "You can't do that." Peter walked further into the apartment until he reached the living room. "And then this ferry thing happens?" She paused. "I called five police stations. Five. I called five of your friends, I called Ned's mother..." Peter's eyes glazed over with tears but he fought against them.

"I'm fine. May, I'm okay. Honestly, just relax. I'm fine," He told her and she stood up from the chair she had sat in to look at him in disbelief.

"Cut the bullshit. I know you left detention," May said in a low voice and Peter broke eye contact with her to look at the ground in disappointment. "I know you left the hotel room in Washington. I know you sneak out of this house every night. That's not fine," Peter looked at a loss for words and May grew hysterical.

"Peter you have to tell me what's going on," She demanded. "Just lay it out. Jessie isn't back yet so it's just me and you." Peter's heart clenched at the sound of Jessie's name coming out of her mouth.

Peter couldn't take it anymore and let his eyes collect all of the built up tears he had held back. "I lost the Stark Internship," Peter said shakily.

"What?"

"Yeah," Peter responded.

"What happened?"

"I-I just thought that I could work really hard and he could...he would...you know. But..." He sat down on the chair next to him. "I screwed it up." May approached him and placed her comforting hands on his head and back. He leaned his head into her stomach and she rubbed his back softly.

"It's okay, it's okay. It's okay."

"I'm sorry I made you worry," He said into her shirt.

"I'm not trying to ruin your life," She reassured him.

"Yeah, I know."

"Have you seen Jessie today?" She pulled away from him. Peter sniffled and wiped the tear falling from his eye.

"She uh, she left. Mr. Stark took her back, too," He told May. The woman felt her eyes prick with tears and she scoffed.

"He can't just..."

Peter looked up at her solemnly.

"He can. Can't he?" She asked and shook her head in disbelief. "God! I knew it wasn't a good idea to trust that man," She said in frustration.

She stalked off and Peter trudged to his room, not saying a word.

-

"Your cells are changing themselves. It's as if your brain is ordering your cells to mutate to its liking. That why you're able to defy gravity. Your cells are changing your mass and allowing you to float up and down," Tony explained and Jessie turned her head in confusion.

"So then how do I learn to control it?"

"Same as the powers you grew up with. You practice," He shrugged and Jessie huffed.

It had been a few weeks since the ferry incident and a few weeks since she'd seen Peter last. She missed him and May so much that she tried sneaking out of the Avengers tower to catch a bus to Queens.

Sadly, Tony's security system kept her trapped on the fourth floor and wouldn't let her go anywhere else without Tony's permission.

Jessie knew she needed to learn to control her powers but that shouldn't mean she's not allowed to see the Parkers anymore. And that's what she'd told Tony.

He told her there was no leaving the tower until she had full control of her powers. He assigned Vision and Rhodes to help her out whenever Tony couldn't.

That was what was happening now.

"You're not moving," Rhodes deadpanned and Jessie shot him a glare.

"Obviously," She snapped and he held up his hands in defense.

"Look, I'm just-."

"-trying to help? Yeah you were very helpful in almost killing me back in Germany," Jessie's eyes intensified at the memory.

"Jessie, I'm-."

"Sorry?" Rhodes sighed and stared at her with an annoyed look.

"Would you quit interrupting me?"

"Will you quit trying to boss me around?"

"Look, I don't-."

"Enough," Vision stated. The two shut their mouths and looked up at the red and gold man expectantly. "You both are in the wrong so apologize and be done with it." Seeing Vision looking annoyed surprised Jessie but she knew he made a good point.

The two turned to each other. "Sorry for interrupting you," Jessie muttered.

"I apologize, too, for dropping you from so high off the ground," Rhodes said in sympathy. Jessie held out her hand to call a truce and Rhodes shook it.

"Well done, the both of you," Vision told them and they instantly scoffed and rolled their eyes. Doing so simultaneously surprised them and they chuckled at each other before high-fiving. "Let's continue."

Jessie nodded and stood in front of them with her arms by her side and her hands twitching. She closed her eyes and tried moving the particles like Vision had told her to. She envisioned the cells and telling them what to do, but she still didn't feel any different. "Is it working yet?"

"See for yourself," Rhodes said. Jessie felt excited with that answer and opened her eyes. She looked down and saw her feet were still planted on the ground. She frowned and kicked the metal beam beside her. "That wasn't smart."

"Oh, you little-" She charged at Rhodes but Vision held her back.

"Calm down, Jessie. You need to stay calm when practicing," He told her soothingly but she turned to him and yanked her arms from his hold.

"I've been practicing. I've practiced and practiced and nothing gets better!" She grew emotional. All Jessie wanted was to master this skill so she could go back to Peter and Aunt May.

"You have control over everyone else's minds but your own. Until you can learn to do so, Mr. Stark has ordered that we not let you leave and that the little device behind your ear stays put," Vision explained and motioned to the small mechanism implanted in her skin.

Tony had figured out a way to control Jessie's powers and keep them limited until she was ready to experience them in full range. Problem was, she had to be beside someone with the mechanisms power source in order for her powers to work.

"Yeah, you're not going anywhere," Rhodes added and even that time Vision shot him a warning glare.

"It's okay, Vision," Jessie reassured him. "His snide comments won't last long. Pretty soon he's gonna get a taste of his own medicine."

.