I Motion Nova over to sit on the couch with me. The poor kids even shivering and looks pale. She always comes back from practice cold, which is why I've left blankets around the apartment so she can warm up. She's too important to leave cold.
Nova slowly walks to me and flinches at one point before she settles in next to me. Flinching is something she does a lot, sometimes when we touch her, other times out of nowhere. Peter and Tony have both told me how she's been abused, so I wouldn't expect her to feel comfortable immediately. It has been a month... but I have a responsibility. I take a breath in through my struggling lungs, and I hold Nova close to me as she gets comfortable with her head in the crook of my neck. I can tell somethings bothering her when she tenses under my touch. "What's wrong?" I sign. She looks at me with glassy eyes before responding. "Nothing. I'm fine." Peter has tried that trick more than once with me; and he turned out to have problems larger than I expected. Like being Spider-Man. I have to find out what's going on. But I can't make her feel uncomfortable.
So, I hold her close to me as I rub her back. She relaxes a little as we watch the movie. She's shivering more than usual, but it might as well be a bad day. She's already asleep. Perfect. I gently place her down and pull the covers to her shoulders. Then I go to the kitchen where there is a safe in a cabinet. Peter thinks it's for valuables, but its more than that. There are files in here. I pull an empty one out and start to write. You don't need to know what I'm writing, it's my own business! I place the file back and pull out an already filled one and lock the safe. I put my shoes on and unlock the door. "May! Where are you going?" Peter calls out for me.
I need to think of a lie. Pete can't know what going on. It'll break the kid. I have to stay strong for him. "Just getting some groceries," I call out. It wouldn't seem like a bad lie I just have to specify it now. "We ran out of eggs. I'll be back soon, alright Hon?" We are out of eggs, so it wouldn't be an out of the blue sort of thing.
I leave the apartment and down the stairs. My heart thumps in my weak chest. It's been getting harder and harder for me to breathe, but Nova and Peter can't know. I have to stay strong. I walk down the street and into an ally, where there are already two men waiting for me.
"You guys have to help me out more," I say. "It's getting harder and harder to do this," I hand the file over to them and cough. They give me an envelope with the money. One of the men put a hand on my back and say, "Don't worry; We'll take care of you." I nod. "Thank you so much, I don't know what I'd do without you," I continue. They simply nod before I decide to leave. Peter and Nova might get suspicious. I get in my car which is parked outside and drive to the store. It's only a minute away, so I don't worry about being away for too long getting eggs.
***May arrives at the apartment***
When I arrive back at the apartment, I'm careful to be quiet. Nova is no longer on the couch. But maybe the kid is with Peter. Its already so late, Ned must have left. Peter would usually be Spider-Man around this time for a few hours, but he stopped doing it as often because he was the only person who made Nova feel completely safe.
I enter their room expecting the exper- I mean the kid and Peter to be sleeping on the bed, snuggled up together. But instead I'm faced with an empty room. My lungs really burn, and I decide to sit down. The window is open too. I walk over to the closet, where both kids keep their superhero suits. Both are gone. There's no getting them back until they return or I call Stark. But Peter would keep Nova safe. I know it.
I decide to go to bed. They'll come back. And if they don't, I can count on Tony to get them back safe.
They're everything.