I look over to Jami, my vision blurry with tears. Being my best friend, she knows when I'm about to have a total breakdown. She nods her head and rubs my hand.
"Go," she whispers. Without bothering to watch the rest of the movie, I bolt out of the theater, bumping into more than a few people. When I exit the theater, I'm bombarded with cameras. Tears run down my face, destroying my makeup. I push past everyone, sprinting down the sidewalk. Many people chase me, but they all are stopped when I run into the hotel.
I run up the stairs to the roof, hoping that no paparazzi see this. I sit on the back ledge, my legs hanging off of the building.
"Happy ending my ass..." I whisper. Behind me, someone clears their throat. I turn my head and see the famous old man.
"Oh... Hey Mr. Lee," I mumble.
"{Y/N}," he says in his sweet old person voice. "I believe this is the first time we've met. How about you get a good look at me." I turn my entire body and stare at him, sniffling every few seconds.
This is Stan Lee. He might not have created all of the Marvel characters, but he took credit for them. All of them. He started the superhero boom. Stan likes to write comics. The art might not be the best, but the storyline is good. Storyline... The fates of all of the characters. He decides who lives and who--
"Son of a bitch," I mutter, standing up. "You... You killed him. You killed him! YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU KILLED HIM! HE WAS FIFTEEN, STAN! HE'S JUST A KID! AND YOU FUCKING KILLED HIM! I LOVED HIM AND YOU--" I collapse to my knees, burying my face in my hands. My body trembles as I let out painful sobs.
"I can explain," he calmly says.
"How the fuck do you explain killing a fifteen-year-old kid?" I spit, glaring at him.
"He's dead," he says. "He's dead because I made you to save him. To save them all."
"What?" I ask, my hands falling to the ground.
"Comics," he laughs. "I love writing comics. But just because they aren't published doesn't mean they don't exist."
"What are you saying?" I ask.
"{Y/N}, my dear," he whispers. "You're a comic book character too." I take deep breaths, trying to process his words. "I titled your comics, 'Emotion'. That's the name of your movies, too. And when you go back, you'll see why."
"I-I can go back?" I ask, standing up.
"Of course," he chuckles. "I can't tell you everything, but I will tell you this: You can do anything you put your mind to. And it's okay for Jami to keep her head in the clouds and her feet off the ground."Strange.
"I don't understand," I say.
"You will," he sighs. "I promise you that."
"So- So when can I go back? Now? Tonight?" I ask, hoping for the answer I want.
"That's the bad news," he mutters. Fuck. "The only time you can truly get your wish is your birthday."
"B-But that's almost two months from now," I whimper, clutching my hands to my chest. "Can't I use a shooting star or something?"
"I'm afraid not," he says.
"But--" As if he knows what I was going to say, he interrupts me.
"The only reason that worked is due to your wish," he explains. "Double wishes come true, guarenteed." My wish...
Flashback...
Peter seems distracted like he's completely lost in thought. I look at the pond, seeing the reflection in the pond water. My eyes dart up to the sky above the tower: A beautiful night sky filled with twinkling stars. I look back to him.
"Peter?" I say. "Do you see that?" I point to the sky above the tower. He glances at me before he looks at what I'm pointing at.
"They're beautiful," I whisper, scooting closer to him. I lean my head on his shoulder and squeeze his hand. Without thinking, I say, "I love you, Peter."
"I love you too," he smiles, not missing a beat. I smile and plant a small kiss on his cheek. I look back at the sky, comfortable silence settling between us. Suddenly, two stars shoot across the ocean of stars.
"Two shooting stars! One for each of us," I giggle. I close my eyes, like a little kid and make my wish.
I wish... I wish Peter's wish would come true.
Before I can open my eyes, Peter leans down, connecting our lips. When he pulls back, he rests his forehead on mine.
"I'm so sorry," he whispers, his voice cracking.
"Peter?" I search his eyes. They're glassed over with tears.
"I wish you and Jami would go back to your world," he whispers, his voice steady this time. My eyes widen and my heart begins to race.
"Peter?" I whimper.
"I want you to be safe from Thanos," he says, holding his own tears back. "I couldn't deal with watching you die."
"But, I don't want to leave you," I whisper. My eyes widen and I take a deep breath like something is choking me. "Peter... Something's happening." He looks at me and pulls me into a hug. I hold him tight because I can't stand to let him go.
"I love you so much," he whispers, his hot breath hitting my ear. Somehow, he doesn't shed a tear.
"Peter! I love--" We were engulfed in a bright blue light until everything went black and I couldn't feel his warmth anymore.
End Flashback...
"Oh..." I sigh. "So my birthday wish is the only one that will definitely bring me back."
"I'm so sorry," he says.
"For two months, I have to deal with the fact that the love of my life is dead..." I mutter.
"No," Stan says. "For two months, you have to deal with the fact that you can save the love of your life."
"Thanks, Stan," I smile. I pull him into a hug. God, I love how old people smell. They just make me so happy.
He pulls out of the hug, and for the first time in the conversation, a thought pops into my head.
"Wait... You made me an orphan?" I ask. He laughs and pats my shoulder.
"It's a theme," he laughs. "Lot's of heroes are orphans. Welcome to the club." I pull him back into a hug and roll my eyes.
"Thanks... Dad," I wink as I pull out, taking in his image.
"You're welcome," he chuckles.
"Just a second... How did you make all of this happen?" I ask.
"Because," he smiles. "I'm Stan Lee, baby."
"Ohhhh," I sigh.
"Now go have some fun," he says. "Spend a good time here and spend the best time there." I nod and walk over to the front edge. When I turn to thank him once again, he's gone. As if he was never on the roof.
[Booom! Plot twist accomplished!]
I shrug and look back over the edge. The paparazzi, Tom, and Jami are standing there. I put two fingers in my mouth, attempting to do the whistle thing. Instead, I get spit on over my hand. I wipe my hand on my converse and cup my other hand around my mouth.
"HEY, YOU GUYYYS!" I shout, gaining the attention of everyone. Haha, I just made a Goonies reference. Climbing up onto the edge of the building, every camera points toward me.
"Don't do it, {Y/N}," Tom yells, looking worriedly at me.
"I'm not doing anything, Thomas," I laugh. "Follow me!" I turn to my left, taking a few steps back.
After taking a deep breath, I push off and sprint toward the ledge. As my foot pushes off of the roof, a collective group of gasps and screams follows. My right foot lands on the roof next to the hotel. Once I land safely, my adrenaline starts to kick in. I smirk at the cameras and keep running. I leap from building to building, making it every time. Thank God I'm wearing shorts under this.
When I start to feel tired, I look up ahead and see the four-way stop. When I get there, I turn and jump over the busy street below. Everything is going in slow motion. It's like I'm running on air. My foot misses the edge by just a few inches, but I use it to my advantage and push off the brick wall. I dive toward the ground and roll across the concrete until I get to the sidewalk. I take a deep breath and look up at all the shocked faces.
When I stand, showing no cuts, bruises, or breaks, I get cheers from all around. I smile and run my hand through my hair.
"{Y/N}! {Y/N}!" A lady shouts. I turn, smiling at her. "Why did you decide to run across those buildings and risk injury or even death?"
"Well, you know," I chuckle. "You gotta live life to the fullest. If you don't, then why are you even here?"
A/N: Take it from yourself, guys. Live your life to the fullest.