Starlight › Marvel [1] ✓

012. this is awesome

Raleigh wanted to question his use of secret lair, but Ned's breathy voice stopped him.

"You guys are so cool." Peter and Raleigh faced him. Raleigh couldn't hide an amused smile, while Peter agreed. "I said it earlier, but I want to thank both of you for allowing me on this journey."

Raleigh bit back a chuckle as he crossed his arms. "Well, whether I wanted anyone else on this or not, I don't have a choice since Peter blabbed out about my secret."

Peter's cheeks flushed. "I said I'm sorry!"

Raleigh cocked his head to the side and squinted his eyes at Peter in confusion. "No, you didn't."

"I didn't?" He was thinking back to when Raleigh learned that Ned knew about his secret to now. His eyes widen when he realized they hadn't talked about the entire thing since Raleigh angrily stomped over to Peter at the scene of the ATM crime. "Oh...sorry...then..."

Raleigh patted both boys on the shoulders. A smirk covered his face. "I don't really care—" He left his palm on their shoulders and gave them both a sharp look. "—just don't tell anyone else."

› › › ›

Raleigh and Ned followed Peter to his apartment. While Ned was planning on staying the night, Raleigh had no plans. He wanted to get some light studying in his own bedroom since he was leaving with the Decathlons team for the D.C. Nationals tomorrow afternoon. He was still bitter at Peter for leaving the team, but that was mostly because now he was gonna be forced to sit beside Flash in the actual showing. At least he had the rest of the team, and he was good school friends with them. He would say Peter and Ned were his actual friends at this point... And he would like to think he was friends with Michelle, but it was hard to tell with her.

Peter's aunt, May Parker, greeted her nephew as he walked through the door. Her smile grew warm when she saw him bringing his friends inside.

May wiped her hands on her apron. "Hi, Ned. Are you staying the night?"

Ned greeted her cheerfully and nodded. "I have Decathlon tomorrow so I'll be gone pretty early tomorrow."

May turned her attention to Raleigh and clapped her hands together. "Raleigh. How are you? It's been a while since I've seen you."

After Germany, Raleigh had started visiting Peter at his house and had gotten to know May pretty well. He learned she was a strong woman for taking in Peter after his parents died and for carrying on as well as she has since her husband had been killed. He also learned she was a fiercely protective woman after she made sure both Peter—and Raleigh, who she hardly knew—understood to never get near anyone who looks, or is, dangerous. She'd be in for a surprise if she learned Peter purposely put himself near those people and also fought them. He would hate to know what she would do to Raleigh if she learned that he helped him fight crime.

Raleigh smiled at the woman. "I've been busy. With school."

May laughed a little. "If only your responsibility could rub off on Peter. He keeps losing things."

"Okay, Aunt May," Peter jumped in and grabbed Raleigh and Ned's wrists, "we're going to my room."

"I'm making lasagna for dinner. Are you going to stay for dinner, Raleigh?"

Peter was still pulling him as the ravenet answered the aunt. "No, I don't think so. I think Trystan is ordering Chinese for dinner. Thank you, though."

Whether Aunt May answered or not, Raleigh didn't get to know, because Peter closed his bedroom door before he could hear. He didn't care though as he set his backpack down by a red beanbag chair and flopped down in it. Ned moved to the bed and Peter sat in his desk chair. The spider-boy drew out the gadget from earlier and switched it on. Raleigh leaned in, along with Ned, and examined the hologram. The city landscape had changed, showing the man had moved a considerable distance, and from the little Spider-Man head, it didn't seem like he was slowing down at all.