|| GET WELL SOON || Peter Parker Love Story

Chapter XXIX

"Now, poindexter," Tony commanded.

Lottie took a long inhale. "You probably heard about this since it was all over the papers, but a few months ago, Sophia was kidnapped and experimented on by Oscorp. They . . . they did awful things to her." Peter still never found out what exactly happened to Sophia in there. But the way Lottie bit down on her lip to keep from crying made him want to scream. "This woman named Greta Krause headed the experiments. They put some serum inside of her that gave her this new power--"

"Pause. New power?" Tony asked.

Harry swallowed, clutching Lottie's hand until his knuckles turned white. "All her life, Sophia has had the power to heal people."

What?

Peter wasn't sure if he was hearing Harry right as his friend continued. "It's something she has had since she was born--or that's what she believed. But her family told her to keep it a secret. After we rescued her, the serum took away her ability to heal others and gave her this power to . . . destroy. By touch, she can decompose any material."

"Wait . . ." Peter started. "Decompose? You mean like--"

"Sophia is Prayer."

It felt as if the world tilted, throwing Peter off balance. Prayer . . . his partner . . was Sophia? No. That--That couldn't be right. There was no way that Prayer and Sophia could be the same person.

But then again . . .

Flickers of memories filtered into the forefront of his mind. That girl all those months ago that he had saved from that shoot out so close to the library he was supposed to meet her at . . . she healed him. With only a touch. Anytime that Peter ever got shoved or hurt at school, he chalked up feeling better to just being around Sophia . . . but even back at that field trip, he could still feel the small touch of her fingers on the back of his neck. And the pain that swiftly disappeared there afterward.

And shortly after--Prayer appeared--with the same power and unique kindness. Oscorp stole her away, and then shortly after, Norman had too. Maybe there had been more of a connection there that he hadn't pieced together. The gloves she always wore . . . whenever Prayer used her powers, her hands and eyes would glow. And Sophia started wearing a pair religiously shortly after everything at Oscorp. Just around the time that Prayer suddenly couldn't heal him anymore. Not to mention she outright called out both Ned and Peter's names after saving them . . .Oh God . . . Oh God.

Prayer's tear-filled eyes pleaded again and again, tearing his heart to shreds.

"I have to go somewhere far away. Like in another country far away."

"I actually found out that I have an . . . aunt on my mother's side."

"There's someone that I have to find--it's hard to explain."

"I'm flying out to meet her now. "

"But I-I can't go alone. I need help."

The world around him crumbled to ash.

"Peter?" Lottie asked with concern. "Peter? I know it's a lot to take in, but--"

"She's in Siberia . . ." He barely breathed the sentence, but everyone still looked on in shock. "Sophia is there with Hydra, isn't she?"

They all remained silent, Tony nudging Peter and whispering, "Are you sure about this, kid?"

"How do you know that?" Harry asked, rising to his feet, fist clenched. "How would you possibly know that, Pete?"