NOWHERE LEFT • Peter Parker

twenty one •

"Pinky Promise."

June 2025

"This is good?" Yelena asked as glanced down to the newspaper in her hand before up at Peter and Cecilia who were standing on the opposite side of the kitchen table.

Peter didn't look certain, but Cecilia did. They had taken into account the dangers and they prepared for them.

Karen and Frank now lived together while Nelson and Murdock were at the ready for the possible incoming lawsuit.

"He already wants us dead, can't get much worse," Cecilia replied with a shrug as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"This pretty much only makes him angrier," Kate retaliated as she reread the headline.

"Who fucking cares! People deserve to know what a piece of shit he is!" Cecilia snapped raising her voice slightly causing the three to look at her in concern.

Never before had she yelled at any of them, at least not like that. Kate could see the fury behind her eyes, she knew that this entire process was taking far longer than any of them would have liked. And Cecilia's ability to remain calm and complacent was fading.

"She's right," Peter agreed earning shocked looks from the two older women so he began to explain, "At least about telling people—about the Devil's Breath, hospitals need to be prepared and people need to be informed." 

Kate sighed and ran a hand through her hair, she wasn't exactly one to talk about making smart and well thought out decisions, but that's what Cecilia had always done. She was always there to solve problems and talk everyone down, but not now, not anymore.

"Maybe this will bring him out of whatever hole he's hiding in," Cecilia continued in a softer tone, although it was still firm as the irritation was still present.

"You're willing to put your whole family in danger?" Kate asked in disbelief. Her mother was in prison, she didn't have anyone else left, but comparatively, Cecilia had so many.

Sure her only blood family was her father and grandmother, but they had managed to build a group of people who truly loved each other and take care of one another. And since Kate was a part of that family now, she couldn't help but feel resentful over how quickly her friend was to endanger them.

Yelena watched as the brunette's head titled ever so slightly, a look she had never seen crossing her face as she digested her best friend's words.

The room was silent for a few seconds, the tension thickening instantly as Yelena and Peter shared a look. Neither wanting to say anything but they both were aware that this was about turn ugly if it continued down this path.

"They're already in danger. They've been in danger since before this, since before either of us were fucking doing this. Karen and Foggy were brought into danger the moment they stepped into my father's life," Cecilia responded in a tight tone, her voice level as she tried her hardest to compose herself.

"He made the choice to keep them around, and whether we like it or not that's the selfish choice! The choice that leads to the people we love getting hurt. I made that same choice with Oliver, and then again with you," Cecilia continued as she watched any resentment quickly leave Kate's face, there were very few times that Oliver Daniels was spoken about apart from recently, and it was rarely Cecilia who brought him up. Yet none of them went to interrupt her as it seemed she wasn't done.