Maya Stark

Chapter 138: Does it come out of anywhere else?

Peter chose the statue of liberty. I didn't know if it was the best choice, but I had to remind myself that he knows what he's doing. He's leading this one, not me. He went to go call into the Daily Bugle and left me with the other two Peters. I hadn't put my suit on yet, them not even knowing I have powers. I was sitting on some steps, the statue in the midst of construction. MJ and Ned were waiting by an open portal where they would get the box and Ned would close it, making it impossible for the box to get into the wrong hands. It was a genius move. The two Peters were hiding the cures all around. We all had comms in our ear, thanks to me.

'So, why aren't you with your friends?' non-suit Peter (Tobey) said, who is now Peter 2 according to my Peter.

'I'm more useful here, trust me,' I say.

'Okay guys,' my Peter said, landing on top of the statue of liberty. 'It could be any minute now.'

'Yup,' Peter 2 says. 'Almost done.'

'So, you have some special gift?' suit Peter (Andrew) asks, apparently now Peter 3.

'I guess,' I say. 'I've never considered it a gift, but yeah.'

'You don't want to mess with Maya,' my Peter says, amusement in his tone. 'She's the strongest out of all of us, and has had much more experience.'

'Really?' said Peter 2. 'She seems... kinda harmless.'

I raise my eyebrows and extend my hand out, blasting a pole with my energy, leaving a dent. I pick at my fingernails as if everyone can just dent a metal pole. The two Peters stare at me in shock.

'Not harmless, that's for sure.' Peter 3 said. 'Energy Manipulation?'

I shrug. 'That's what we think it is.'

'Awesome,' said Peter 2.

Peter 3 leans over a pole, looking down over the edge. 'You know, Max was like, the sweetest guy ever. Before he fell into a... pool of electric eels.'

'That'll do it,' said Peter 2. He leans over another steel bar across from Peter 3. 'There it goes.'

'You okay?' asked Peter 3.

'My back. It's kind of stiff from all the... swinging, I guess.'

'Oh, yeah, no. I got a middle back pain too.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. You want me to crack it?'

'Yeah. That would be great.'

Peter 3 crosses his arms over his chest and Peter 2 mimics his movements. I watch as Peter 3 picks up Peter 2 and cracks his back in high amusement. This felt so surreal. Man, and I thought the Avengers were crazy.

'Yeah. That's good,' said Peter 2.

'How is it?'

'Wow. That's good.'

'Right?'

'That's better. Yeah. Wow.'

'Wow,' I repeat quietly to myself. This is insane.

'God, this is so cool,' said Peter 3. 'I always wanted brothers. And I guess an honorary sister.' I smile slightly. 'So, you can like make your own web fluid in your body?'

'I'd rather not talk about this,' said Peter 2.

'No, I don't mean to—'

'Are you teasing me?'

'No, no, no,' said my Peter. 'He's not teasing you. It's just that... We can't do that, so naturally we're curious as to how your web situation works. That's all.'

'If it's personal, I don't wanna pry,' said Peter 3. 'I just think it's cool.'

'No. I wish I could tell you, but it's like, I don't do it... Like I don't—Like I don't do breathing. Like, breathing just happens,' said Peter 2.

'Whoa,' said my Peter. 'Like, does it just come out of your wrists, or... does it come out of anywhere else?'

I swallow down my laughter.

'Only... only the wrists,' said Peter 2.

'You never had a web block?' said Peter 3. 'Cause I run out of webs all the time. I have to make my own in a lab. And it's a hassle.'

'That sounds like a hassle, yeah. But I did, actually, as you said that. I was like... I had a web block.'

'Why?'

'Existential crisis stuff.'

'Yeah, don't get me started on that.'

'Hey, what are like, some of the craziest villains that you guys have fought?' asked my Peter.

'Seems you've met some of them,' said Peter 2.

Peter 3 lets out a half-laugh. 'That's a good question.'

'I fought... an alien... made out of black goo once,' said Peter 2.

'No way!' said my Peter. 'We fought an alien too. On Earth and in space.'

'Oh,' said Peter 2 glancing at me. I look down at my hands from the mention of all of that. Bad memories.

'Yeah,' said my Peter. 'He was purple.'

'I wanna fight an alien,' said Peter 3.

'No, you don't,' I say, lightly shaking my head.

'I'm, I'm still, like—that you fought an alien, in space,' said Peter 2.

'I'm lame compared to you guys,' said Peter 3. 'Like, I fought a Russian guy in a, like, a rhinoceros machine.'

'Hey, can we rewind it back to the "I'm lame" part? Cause you are not,' Peter 2 responded.

'Aw, thanks,' said Peter 3. 'No yeah. I appreciate it. I'm not saying I'm lame. But it's just the self-talk, maybe we should, you know—'

'Yeah, listen... Please... you're—you're amazing. Just take it in for a minute.'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah.'

'You—You are amazing.'

'I guess I am.'

'You are amazing.'

'Thank you.'

'Will you say it?'

'No, I kinda needed to hear that. Thank you.'

My eyes travel back and forth between the two and I felt like my head was about to explode. I'm with the three nicest guys in the world, how in the hell are they superheroes? A shock slowly goes down my spine, and I stand up to look out at the sky. It started to thunder.

'Alright guys, focus up,' said my Peter. 'Can you feel that?'

'Yeah,' said Peter 2.

I click my ring, putting my suit on. 'It's show time.'

'How did that...' Peter 3 was staring at my suit in amazement.

'I told you,' I say, smirking, 'I come from a long line of geniuses. Peter has one too.'

Before anyone can say anything else, the sky lights up above our heads, painting the clouds with yellow flashes. Max was the first one here.

'What's up, Peter?' he said, smiling coldly.

My eyes immediately zero in on the arc reactor on his chest. My dad's arc reactor.