Spider-Man: Nobody Home (18+)

Chapter 39: Terminal Velocity

Peter woke up the next morning in a haze. The revelation from the previous night struck him like a meteor falling from the sky. He hadn't managed to fall asleep until nearly three in the morning, and still ended up waking up early as everyone else.

He wanted to go back to sleep, but couldn't bring himself to do so. His mind replayed Raven's conversation with the mysterious stranger over and over again. Slowly, yet surely, he could feel his pain and anguish giving way to bitterness. He hated feeling like this, but at this point, he didn't know how to make it better.

He sulked down the hallway and down the stairs. As he neared the living room, he could hear the chatter of the other Titans. As rounded the corner, his eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat when he spotted Raven, dressed in all white, standing amongst the other Titans.

"Yo, Raven!" Cyborg said. "Liking the new digs."

"Thanks." She replied dryly as she sipped on her tea.

"So." Dick began. "When do we get to meet this new friend of yours?"

"Soon." She replied

Starfire zipped over to her at that moment. "I am unable to wait!" She said. "Beastboy has told us much about the Malchior and how he remains trapped in a book, but-"

"Now how would Beastboy know something like that?" Raven peered at the Green Titan who nervously rubbed the back of his head in response.

Peter's eyebrows furrowed as he neared the name for the first time.

Malchior...

"I uh..." Beastboy began. "I've kinda been a fly on the wall in your room... Sorry."

The others seemed nervous about that as Raven peered at him.

"Funny." She said flatly. "You look more like a RAT to me." She said, before her eyes glowed white and suddenly she transformed Beastboy into a green rodent.

The others gasped in shock as the green Titan changed back into his human form and sat down on the floor.

"What the... You just MORPHED me!" He gasped in shock. "How did you do that?"

Suddenly at that moment, the Titans alarm went off, blaring throughout the facility.

"Titans, move!" Dick shouted as they all started running for the door.

As they were leaving, Beastboy stopped and turned to Raven, who nonchalantly hummed to herself.

"Rae Rae, you coming?" He asked

This seemed to snap her out of her daze and she went to the green titans side. Her happy dazed appearance only seemed to solidify the Symbiotes theory in Peter's mind.

Immediately he turned around with his fists clenched, intending to go straight back to his room.

"Yo! Pete!" Beastboy called from the bottom of the stairs. "You coming?"

Raven looked back at him when she realized Peter had been standing there. Again she felt the need to talk to him, even if now felt like an inappropriate time.

Perhaps she could talk to him on the mission.

However, Peter remained silent and turned around with a scowl as he approached them. His eyes locked on hers, then quickly darted away as his black suit slithered across his body.

Beastboy seemed put off by Peter's silence as he walked right past them and went out the door. "O...Kay?"

After that they all went out front and most of them had already left to go to the crime scene. Raven watched as Peter stepped out front with hisnfists clenched and his head hung low. It was clear to her that he had heard their conversation, but she didn't know how much he knew.