(Stark's P.O.V.)
The internet blew up with news about Queen's newest superhero.
I scroll through the feed after searching up 'Voltage' to see what would pop up.
The answer: a lot.
I scroll through the wildest theories, from 'Voltage is actually an alien from outer space!!!' to 'Voltage: Spider-Man's new girlfriend???' to even 'Voltage: Iron Man and Thor's secret love child?'
I snort out loud in the living room as I read the last one, not being able to keep in my laughter anymore.
"What's so funny?" My dad asks, looking over to me from the kitchen.
"Did you know you apparently have a secret love child with Thor?" I ask him. "Here I was, thinking I was the only secret child you had."
My dad sighs, "is this about that Voltage girl?"
"Yeah."
"You didn't happen to see her in action while you were out, (Y/n), did you?" Natasha asks me, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.
I shake my head. "Nah, MJ and I headed back to her place pretty quickly. She did want to watch the news though, so I did see what happened."
Not a complete lie. MJ did text me later, saying she watched the news and saw the new superhero, and I did see what happened.
"She's all over the internet," Natasha continues. "She looks pretty powerful, maybe we should let her join the Avengers." She waits for my reaction.
Nat, come on. Do you really think I'm going to reveal myself so easily? You're the one who taught me how to do these mind games, I'm not falling for them.
I roll my eyes. "Sure, you'll let a complete stranger join, but you won't let me."
"That's different, and you know it," my dad says.
"Besides, she has powers. She's a real superhero," Natasha says, still trying to get a reaction out of me.
I roll my eyes again. "Whatever."
I stand up and start to head back to my room, when Natasha calls, "where are you going?"
"My room," I say, "I have school in 20 minutes, remember? I still have to get dressed." I gesture towards my pyjamas which I'm still wearing.
"Alright."
I roll my eyes at her again. Ever since she caught Clint and I training, she's been suspicious of me and everything I'm doing, and she's become even more suspicious since Voltage made her first public appearance.
"I wasn't aware I needed your permission," I mumble as I continue to my room.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," I say, not bothering to turn around, but I have a feeling she heard me the first time.
I walk into my closet, pulling out a grey hoodie that's too big for me and black ripped jeans, trying to look inconspicuous. I smile as I see Peter's shirt tucked in a corner. Both him and I know he's never getting that shirt back.
I walk back out of my room after I'm completely ready, to find my dad in the living room....
......along with Natasha who's still looking at me suspiciously, waiting to find the slightest bit of evidence to prove that I'm doing what she thinks I'm doing, so she can shut it down.
I bite back a groan as I ignore her and head towards my dad.
"By the way, I'm gonna be late coming home today." I say, remembering the promise I made to Spider-Boy.
"Why?" Natasha asks.
I roll my eyes, not bothering to hide it. "I'm hanging out with friends, and may I just say, dad, your Natasha impression is very convincing. It sounds just like her."
Natasha rolls her eyes this time.
"Which friends?" My dad asks.
"MJ."
"MJ?" Natasha butts in again. "You were just hanging out with her yesterday."
I roll my eyes even harder this time. "Yeah? So?"
"You're hanging out with her quite a bit."
"Yeah? So?" I ask again. "I thought you preferred it when I didn't spend so much time with my male friends."
"Nat, quit helicopter parenting! That's supposed to be my job," my dad jokes. "Seriously, calm down. (Y/n) can hang out with whoever she wants, even if it is a male friend." He turns to me and winks, "though I'd prefer it if you didn't spend the night at boy's houses so much. No telling what you're doing over there exactly."
I swat his arm. "I'm getting in the car now. See you guys later."
"How much later?" Natasha asks as I start to head towards the door.
"Later," I say, rolling my eyes while not even bothering to turn around.
I shut the door behind me.
................................................................................................................................................
Voltage mania is just as intense at school.
Everywhere I turn, people are talking and gossiping about Voltage. Talking about even wilder theories than what I saw online, and just talking about her--or me, I suppose, in general. Even the morning announcements were talking about it.
"So this Voltage person," I hear a voice behind me say. I turn around to see that it's Ned, with Peter behind him. "Pretty cool right?"
"Yeah, I guess so," I answer, smiling.
"I wonder what it's like to be famous when nobody knows it's you," Ned ponders aloud.
"Crazy," Peter and I say at the same time. We both look at each other. Colour rises to my cheeks as I realize my slip up, and colour rises to his as well, for some unknown reason.
"I-I mean...I'd assume so. Not that I'd know..." I stammer.
"Same..." Peter replies.
"Aw, you guys even say the same sentences now?" MJ says, walking up to us. "You guys are adorable."
"Ha ha," I say, rolling my eyes. "Seriously, if I have to roll my eyes one more time today, I think they might fall out."
MJ laughs.
"Why have you been rolling your eyes so much?" Ned asks.
I sigh. "My aunt...it's a long story."
We start walking together to our lockers, even though we don't have our first period class together.
After getting our binders and books, we start walking down the hall again, still having a while until school starts. Then I spot a familiar blonde.
Grinning, I take Ned and Peter by their arms, and Peter grabs MJ's arm as well, as I drag them over to where my English classmate is standing.
Betty Brant.
As soon as Ned recognizes the blonde he starts to dig in his heels, but I yank his arm along anyway, pulling him with me.
"Hey, Betty!" I greet.
She turns around to look at me smiling, "hey (Y/n). Did you finish the English homework?"
I feel my smile drop and lips part. "We had...English homework?"
She sighs and shakes her head, still smiling. "You really don't pay any attention at all anymore, do you?"
I rub the back of my neck. "My mind has been....preoccupied. I should be good now though."
She shrugs. "It's fine. I don't think our teacher was checking it anyway, and you can copy my notes if you'd like."
I grin, "thanks, Betty. You're the best."
I feel Ned start to try to back away again and I pull him closer to Betty. "Betty, you remember Ned, right?"
I could just be seeing things, but I swear she starts to blush. "Yeah, hi."
"Hi," he mumbles, shooting me a glare as soon as Betty turns back to the screen she was watching. Another Voltage story.
"That Voltage girl is so cool," one of Betty's friends says.
"Yeah, she's like Iron Man and Thor rolled into one," another says.
"She's no Spider-Man though," I tilt my head to see Flash at the back of the group.
"What is it with you and Spider-Man?" MJ asks.
"What? He looks out for the neighbourhood, has a dope suit, and I really respect him." He says, crossing his arms.
Peter steps closer to the group to look at the screen.
Flash notices him. "'Sup, Dickwad."
Peter presses his lips together and gives him a thumbs up. I laugh.
"We should hang out sometime soon, Betty." I say, elbowing Ned. "All of us should."
She grins, "yeah, that'd be great."
"Awesome, well, I'll see you in class." I say as I wave, starting to walk away with Ned, Peter and MJ.
"Yeah, bye!"
As soon as we turn the corner and are out of earshot, Ned rounds on me. "(Y/n)! What the hell?!"
I laugh, "relax, Ned. All I did was get you to say hi. It's not like I made you propose or anything."
"She's right, Ned," MJ says, winking at me. "That would need planning in advance."
I laugh with her, and Peter laughs as well, while Ned goes scarlet.
"Oh come on, Ned. It's no big deal. Everyone has crushes. Well, almost everyone." I say. (This isn't meant to offend anyone who doesn't get crushes, just for the sake of the story)
"Does...that mean you have a crush, (Y/n)?" Peter asks hesitantly.
MJ snorts, "obviously."
I raise my eyebrow. "'Obviously'? Who?"
MJ smirks. "Peter, of course."
I give her my best are you kidding me face before bursting out in laughter, not even bothering to notice how flustered the sentence makes Peter, or how hopeful he looks.
Hopeful?
Nah, no way. My mind is just being stupid.
"Peter? Are you kidding me?" I laugh some more. "I thought you were over that whole, you are secretly in love with Peter Parker thing."
"That....was a thing?" Peter asks shyly, looking down at his feet.
I nudge his shoulder. "You know how MJ gets." He doesn't look up. "Hey...is everything okay?"
He looks up and puts on his best fake-smile, even though I can see completely through it. "Yeah! Everything's fine!"
"What a meant was...I wasn't trying to say that you'd be a bad boyfriend or anything! I'm sure you'd be a great boyfriend, and any girl would be lucky to have you! I just meant....you know...MJ was just being like that again, you know how she gets--"
"(Y/n), I'm not upset," he laughs gently. "I know what you meant."
I throw my arm around his shoulder, and my other around Ned's. MJ stares at us, and mouths the word 'losers'.
"I do love you though, Peter Parker." I say.
I feel Peter's shoulders tense up as if he's not breathing, so I decide to add, "and I love you too, Ned Leeds, and even you as well, Michelle Jones."
"You never answered Peter's question though," MJ points out.
I roll my eyes again and sigh. "No, I don't have a crush on anyone. I don't think I'd be able to tell even if I did."
"What do you mean?" Ned asks.
"Well, I've been home-schooled my whole life, right? Except when I was in Kindergarten, which isn't saying much. I've barely been around other people, much less people that I could potentially develop a crush on. I wouldn't even be able to tell I liked them. What does a crush even feel like?"
"It's kind of like...when you're thinking about that person all of the time...and you constantly want to be around them...and they're always on your mind, even when you know they shouldn't be and you should be focusing on something else. They can either make you really happy or.....cause you a lot of pain..." Peter says, looking down at the floor.
I think about it for a moment, "well, then I don't think I have a crush on anyone at the moment, no." I grin, "but it sounds like you do."
Peter turns absolutely scarlet at the words, which further confirms my suspicions.
"N-No, I don't..." He stammers.
"It kinda sounds like you do," I say, grinning wider.
I look to MJ and Ned to back me up, but Ned looks at the floor and MJ looks like she really wants to say something, but she doesn't.
"No, no I don't," Peter tries again, still scarlet and refusing to meet my eyes.
I don't say anything, instead I just raise my eyebrow and smirk, waiting for him to look up at me. He finally does, let's out a small squeak, and immediately looks back down.
I roll my eyes teasingly at his adorably embarrassed behaviour, and look at the time on my phone. "Well, I suppose we should be heading to class," I say. "But, Peter?"
He timidly looks up.
I smirk. "Don't think that this conversation is over."
................................................................................................................................................
I can't help but notice that Peter is the last to join us at lunch.
And that he also waits until someone else sits down with me first so he won't have to face me by himself.
Dork.
"So, Peter," I say as soon as he sits down. I watch him cringe, bracing himself for what's about to happen. "About what we were talking about earlier..."
I pause and watch as he looks desperately towards Ned and MJ. MJ shrugs, clearly enjoying the little show, and Ned is too busy staring at Betty. I grin.
Peter sighs, "(Y/n), I already told you! I don't have a crush on anyone!"
"Then why are you blushing?"
Peter blushes even harder at that, not helping his case, and looks back to MJ for help.
I look to MJ as well, and back to Peter. "Wait, wait, wait. You told MJ but you won't tell me?"
"There's nothing to tell!" He exclaims, though his face says otherwise. "T-The only reason I knew all of that stuff earlier was because..."
I raise my eyebrow as Peter fumbles to come up with a lie.
"W-Well, I...I used to like someone....but they moved away so it doesn't matter anymore..."
I lean forward over the table so my face is only half a foot away from his. "Oh yeah? Who?"
Peter's face turns a darker shade as his brown eyes search mine. Eventually, he leans back and looks down. "....Liz Allen."
I lean back in my seat, putting more distance between Peter and I. "Ah, yes. The famous Liz Allen that everyone mentions, but will not tell me anything about."
"That's her," MJ agrees, smirking. "You jealous, (Y/n)?"
I roll my eyes. "Of course not." I ignore her wiggling eyebrows and turn to Peter. "Tell me about her."
"Erm.." Peter started. "It...doesn't really matter now anyway, she moved away and I got over my crush..."
"Yeah, but--"
"Hey! Harrison!" Peter yells across the cafeteria, startling poor Haz. He turns back to us, trying to force an apology smile to cover up his relieved one. "Sorry, I gotta go. I promised Harrison...well I just gotta go."
He gets up and speed walks over to Harrison as fast as he can.
I roll my eyes. "Idiot forgets he has next class with me too."
MJ laughs. Ned continues to stare at Betty.
"Just ask her out~" I sing-song.
Finally, Ned snaps his head around to face us. "Absolutely not!"
I roll my eyes and begin to smile as a plan begins to form in my mind. "Fine."
Ned raises an eyebrow suspiciously, but lets it go. "So, you think that Voltage will show up more?"
I smile, thinking once again about the promise I made Spider-Boy. "Maybe."
"I hope so, she's so bad-ass."
"Plus," MJ adds, "it's nice to have a female protecting Queens as well. No offence to Spider-Man, but leaving saving the city to the men? I don't think so."
"I completely agree," I say. "We should probably get going though. Our class starts soon, and I'm going to bug Peter until he tells me."
We stand up and scrape our scraps into the trash, getting ready to leave.
"MJ," I say, falling back in step so I can walk beside her. "Did Peter tell you who he has a crush on?"
MJ presses her lips together and thinks before answering. "(Y/n), Peter already told you. He used to have a crush on Liz, but he got over it."
"So he really doesn't have a crush on anyone?" I ask.
"Why so curious? You like him?"
I roll my eyes again. "Will you ever be over that?"
"Nope."
I sigh, "whatever. Let's go."
The three of us, missing Peter, head our separate ways to class. Since Peter isn't with me, I walk to Advanced Science by myself.
All by myself.
I didn't upset him, right?
Maybe I annoyed him, but I didn't upset him, did I?
He doesn't stay mad at me long anyway.
Does he really not like anyone?
Wouldn't he tell me if he did?
Yeah, he would.
Then what is he hiding?