I woke up to Bob chirping from the windowsill, the sun gleaming in through the curtains, the smell of crystal clear water hanging in the air and... MJ smashing a pillow over my head.
"What the hell-" I blurted out looking around wearily only to be bashed by my dear roommates pillow for the fourth time.
"Wake up, sleeping beauty! We got thirty minutes to get ready and leave," MJ announced before slapping me with the pillow the final time and continued with her morning routine nonchalantly like she didn't just assault me with a scratchy pillow.
Without the energy to insult her I settled for simply flipping her off from my bed and got up begrudgingly.
Warning: 25% charge left
I sighed and went to the bathroom, taking out my hairbrush, clothes, and 'toiletries' with me. I quickly changed out of my t-shirt, revealing the larger blue bruise-like spot on my chest with the vein-like lines growing across my entire torso, showing off my corrupted system that my father failed to completely fix. I pursed my lips before changing into jeans and a camo T-shirt that stealthy hid my dilemma. I brushed my hair out, and took out my loose ponytail, settling with my hair down before moving to my wrist. I clicked a hidden button on the side of my wrist that opened up a small compartment and removed the empty battery, swiftly replacing it and repeated the process with the other one.
Just look normal. Act like you're not dying. Pretend. Lie, cause we all know how easily an asshole like yourself can do it, staring your loved ones in the eyes and lying to their faces like it's the easiest thing in the world. Super easy even a pice of shit like yourself can do it.
I took a deep breath and exited the bathroom to find MJ had already left with the others. I hurried to my bed and put everything back in my bag.
I was about to leave but stopped, realizing I was forgetting something.
"Bob! Here, boy," I whistled cuing Bob to fly through the windows and onto my extended arm. "Good Bob," I praised. "If you want to come with me, which is totally up to you, I need you to get in this birdcage, okay?" I offered, gesturing to the cage I had bought last night before I went back to my room. I had also bought cage liner and bought a bag of bird seed and fruit, enough to last until we get home. He cooed, hesitantly walking into the cage and looked around before excitedly getting on the bird-swing.
"I'll take that as a yes! But just remember to be quiet, okay?" I said, putting my finger to my lips and slipped on a white sheet on top of the cage. I scurried out the door just in time to meet up with Peter and Ned.
"Drink lots of water. I'm gonna get you a vitamin C pill. You cannot get sick, okay?"
"Okay. Thanks, baby," Ned said as Betty left to go get the vitamin and Peter and I came up behind him.
"Hey, are you sure you're good?" Peter asked with concern for his best friend because gods know what the hell was in that thing.
"Oh, dude, I'm fine. Don't worry. Getting tranq'd in the neck by Nick Fury? Probably the coolest thing to ever happen to me," Ned brushed it off.
"You're a strange man, Leeds," I noted, staring at him.
"It is pretty awesome. Yeah. I'm just happy I don't have to go to Prague," Peter laughed nervously at the idea as he and Ned did their nerdy, convoluted handshake.
"Seriously." But I knew better. I knew Nicholas better. After years of dealing with his bullshit I finally got his character down to a science.
"Wait for it," I muttered in a defeated tone making both of them look at me.
"Wait for wha-?"
"Good news! We're going to Prague!" Mr. Harrison announced, walking past us as he headed to the bus.
"Called it!" I whispered to the two nerds still in the middle of their handshake.
"What?"
"Prague?" Our classmates erupted in protest, obviously not happy they were going to Prague instead of Paris, city of lights.
"Yeah. Tour company called. They upgraded us. You should've heard me on the phone with them. I really gave them hell," Mr. Harrison explained to our class.
"All I heard was crying," Mr. Dell called him out making me look at Mr. Harrison with slight concern. This man really needs to see someone.
"Look at our upgraded ride," Mr. Harrison gestured to a somewhat large and nice looking bus. Way better than what we were probably going to get.
"Whoa, bro, you see that?"
"It's pretty sick."
"I'm impressed, Mr. Harrington."
"Oh, come on." The class erupted in praise and excitement while we stood there in annoyance at the audacity of Nicholas.
"Peter, what? What's going on?" Ned questioned with widened eyes as they continued to stare at our impeding doom in the form of a bus.
"I think Nick Fury just hijacked our summer vacation," Peter said with disbelief making me groan before facepalming.
"I'm Mr. Harrington to the kids- oh, all right. Okay," Mr. Harrison greeted to Dimitri who stood outside the bus as the driver but he didn't move a muscle to shake his hand making our teacher awkwardly set down his hand.
"Awesome," Ned breathed and I gave him look.
"Yeah. Awesome."
"So great," I said flatly with Peter and we all resentfully walked toward the bus to get on, not really wanting to get stuck in Venice.
"I'm going to take a nap. Maybe I'll find out I can dream and dream of a life far, far, far away from here, possibly in Paris," I joked hauntedly after getting on the bus and taking the window seat next to Peter. "Don't wake up me unless someone's bleeding, broken, or on fire," I instructed, leaning against the cool, glass window and closed my eyes.
"Weird, usually a request from you is followed by a creative, graphic threat," Peter pointed making me open one eye at him only to see him smirking at me.
"Do I really need to threaten you that I'll kick your teeth down your throat to get you to listen to me?"
"No ma'am, just wondering," he smiled, putting his hands up in defeat. I gave him one last tired smile before closing my eyes, ready to escape this existence.
Would you like to activate sleep mode?
Yes No
Sleep mode activated...
I found myself in the back behind a crowd of bustling news reporters with a young Pepper Potts beside me, watching my father at the stand with a cheeseburger in hand. We both carried an air full of nervousness with us as we watched the young Tony Stark have a breakdown in front of fifty or more people.
I was not paying attention I think because all I heard coming out of anyone's mouth was what the adults sound like in Charlie Brown.
"Wha wha wha wha wha, wha wha...wha wha wha wha. Wha wha...wha wha," my father said as he sat down in front of the podium and so did all the reporters looking absolutely lost. These sounds coming from my fathers mouth lasted a couple more moments before I actually heard something. A sentence I wanted to hear for years, a sentence I thought I would never hear. A sentence I heard clearer than crystal.
"And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be."
Outbursts rained from the crowd of reporters that continued to be only sounds from the Charlie Brown show and I watched my father get pulled away by his colleague, his future betrayer. Peppers eyes widened in confusion and aggravation but all I felt was pure joy and excitement. He was finally taking my advice. He was finally listening to me and actually hearing me. I thought maybe I was the one who convinced him, I hoped it was because he was taking me seriously and taking my advice.
Of course, that was not what happened. It took him watching a man die to do the right thing. It took him getting kidnapped to listen to me but at that moment I did not care. Just like the rest of our relationship, me hoping he had learned his lesson and started to hear me and him fucking it up and no one, not even me, caring enough to hold him accountable or correct him.
But I will be better than him. I will be better than my grandfather. I will be better than my entire family ever hoped to be.
Sleep mode deactivated.
"Hailey, Hailey..." Peter whispered, nudging me softly to wake me up.
"I'm going to kick your teeth down your throat," I slurred slightly from just waking up.
"We're at a rest stop, everyone's getting off," he informed with a smile, ignoring my empty threat.
"You people and your tiny bladders," I tsked before begrudgingly getting up and following Peter out the door only to be stopped by Dimitri.
"What?" Peter asked and Dimitri gestured to a door right across from us with a young woman peeking out from the doorway and Peter looked back and forth between them, hesitant on going to a secluded room with a random woman like a normal person. He reluctantly walked toward the door and I was about to follow him but was stopped by Dimitri again.
He glanced around to see if anyone was watching before handing me a metal rhombus similar to my super suit unit on my chest. It was simpler, less intricate than mine. It was a substitute suit so no one figure out my identity while I was fighting in the exact location my class was at. I stuffed it in my pocket unceremoniously before following my class and leaving Peter to fend for himself like the amazing partner I was.
After a couple of minutes we were shoved right back on the bus and I sat down at my seat. Peter scurried down next to me with the most freaked out expression I've ever seen displayed on his face.
"Uh, are you okay?" I asked hesitantly making him look at me nervously, giving me a look I knew all too well. "Shit, what did you do?"
"Um...I got a new suit from the lady and she wanted to make sure it fit so...she sorta asked me to try it on," he started awkwardly.
"Okay...?" I trailed off, uncertain to where he was going with this.
"She wasn't turning around and I had to...take my pants off while she was weirdly blankly staring at me and then...Brad sorta walked in with my...pants down and he maybe took a picture of me with the woman...."
I blinked.
"Why. The. Hell. Would. You. Do. That?!" I hissed quietly, hitting his arm with every word I spoke.
"She was very scary, okay?! What was I supposed to do?!" Peter argued desperately as I continued to stare at him in disbelief.
"Lock the door! What is with you and not locking your damn door? You're a teenage boy, you should be locking the door out of habit by now!" I shot back quietly, hitting his arm for the last time. "Just delete the picture, I need to go back to my escape from reali- I mean my nap," I ordered, pinching the bridge of my nose to keep the pounding pain coming from my head at bay.
"H-how exactly would I do that?"
"Your Stark glasses. Obviously," I said and he gave me a blank look. "Your glasses. You know, the ones that my dead father gave to you. Kind of hard to forget, Peter," I continued making his eyes widen in realization and lean over his backpack, digging around for the glasses case.
"Just say you want to look at Brads phone and ask to delete only that picture, alright? Simple," I shrugged as I placed my head once again on the cool bus glass. "Even you can do it without screwing up," I jabbed, smiling and he glared at me playfully when he looked up with the case in hand.
Would you like to activate sleep mode?
Yes No
Sleep mode activated...
"Your hair finally looks cool now," Nat complimented as she braided my hair into my ponytail.
"I know right?" I grinned giddily at my new, bright blue hair decorated in tiny braids thanks to Nat.
"Are you going to the party tonight?"
"And watch PTSD filled adults drink their weight in champagne and wine to fill the empty hole in their lives? No, I think I am good," I answered making Nat lean back with a look. "No offense," I added.
"Offense taken. What are you going to do then?"
"Probably fly around. Maybe hang out with Harley," I planned vaguely.
"Oh god, you're going to blow shit up aren't you?"
"Obviously," I said in a 'duh' voice.
"And...done!" Nat announced proudly making me smile and get up to look in my mirror.
"You are really good at this," I looked in awe at my hair in the mirror.
"Practice makes perfect. Come on, we need to flaunt your hair in front of the idiots," Nat smiled before pulling me towards the door making me laugh.
Sleep mode deactivated.
"I swear to the gods on Asgard, I will kick your teeth down your throat," I mumbled under my breath as I felt Peter lightly shake me awake.
"Uh...what?" I opened my eyes at the voice that wasn't Peters and turned my head to find Brad of all people sitting next to me.
"Oh...uh sorry I thought..." I trailed off, craning my neck over the seat in front of me to scan the bus for Peter who was peeking out the side of his seat. We locked eyes for a split second before he widened his eyes and disappeared, leaving me incredibly confused. "Never-mind. Anyway, what do you need?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering why in the hell Peter was up in the front of the bus and Brad was sitting next to me now.
"I actually wanted to show you something and I feel really horrible that I have to be the one to tell you this but...Peter's cheating on you," Brad empathized, not actually looking like he felt that bad. If I didn't immediately realize Brad was referring to the photo I would've bursted out laughing at that accusation even without that knowledge. I mean seriously, Peter cheating on me? Please!
"Oh," I simply stated, finally understanding what this was about. The photo. Hopefully Peter deleted it in time.
Brad furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at my lack of emotion to the supposedly surprising news.
"I mean oh! Why do you think that, what happened?" I asked with big, round, sad eyes that I pulled out when I wanted to look innocent and sad. And stupid. They always eat that shit up. Specifically egotistical men.
"I caught Parker with some random woman in the bathroom with his...pants down. I'm so sorry," he elaborated, taking my hand into his. I gave him a strained, awkward smile before pulling my hand away.
"Brad, he wouldn't just hook up with a girl on vacation. Have you met him?" I laughed at the boys thought process, giving him an out to what will be an awkward conversation but he still took out his phone.
"You would think that, wouldn't you? But I, unfortunately, have proof," Brad assured as he swiped through his phone. I watched patiently as his fingers flicked across the screen and after a few seconds the confidence he carried lagged and was soon replaced by desperation.
"Um...Brad?"
"Just a second, I just saw it," he said, looking at his phone with determination as he aggressively swiped through his phone.
"Brad, I think you're still jet lagged. Maybe you should take a nap," I suggested gently so he would just leave.
"No, no, no I just had it, I swear!" Brad swore and I gave him an awkward smile.
"Of course you did but I still think you should get some sleep," I proposed, pushing him passive aggressively out of the seat and to where he used to be. As soon as he left to lick his wounds I whipped my head towards Peter who was peeking his head out from the top of the seat yet again like a guilty child.
'What did you do?!' I mouthed with a glare making him look even more guilty and looked down. I felt a buzz come from my phone and opened a text from Peter.
Webs 🕸🕷❤️
I might have sorta accidentally programmed murder drones that came with the glasses and accidentally ordered them to kill Brad
Wires 💙⚡️
WHAT?!?
Wires 💙⚡️
I FALL ASLEEP FOR A HOUR AND YOU
SEND MURDER BOTS AT BRAD?!?
WHY WERE DRONES EVEN ACCESSIBLE TO THE GLASSES?!
WHY WERE THERE DRONES IN THE FIRST PLACE?!
HOW TF DO YOU ACCIDENTALLY ORDER MURDER BOTS AT SOMEONE
WHERE DID THEY EVEN COME FROM?
Webs 🕸🕷❤️
Uh...yes, I have no idea, I have no idea, poor communication with Edith, I have no idea
Wires 💙⚡️
Who the hell is Edith?
Webs 🕸🕷❤️
The AI that runs the glasses that Mr. Stark made
It's an abbreviation
Wires 💙⚡️
Ofc it's an abbreviation
What does it stand for?
Webs 🕸🕷❤️
Uhhhhh
I don't think you want to know
Wires 💙⚡️
Just tell me, I'll live
Webs 🕸🕷❤️
Even Dead I am The Hero
I looked up from my phone and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to resist the urge to chuck my phone out the window in anger. I took a deep breath and continued the conversation.
Wires 💙⚡️
Yeah that checks out
Wires 💙⚡️
Wait, armed drones?
Why did the glasses have weaponized drones?
That's impossible
Because if those glasses that my father made specifically for Peter were armed that means he...oh, for fucks sake!
THAT LYING ASSHOLE.
Webs 🕸🕷❤️
Hailey? Are you okay?
Wires 💙⚡️
🍑🍑🍑Peachy 🍑 🍑🍑