The Night Skies ~ Avengers

CHAPTER 1

The streets were busy as usual in Queens. Car lights blinded my eyes as I navigated through the bustling sea of people. 

Even though I walked the same route home from school every day, it somehow never looked the same. One day, there was construction, blocking my path with towering machinery and clattering tools, while on another day, a street was closed off for unknown reasons. I supposed I should have been grateful for the ever-changing scenery; after three years of high school, my daily route still hadn't lost its charm.

After passing the familiar deli, I turned right and ventured into the quieter alleyway, the cacophony of the street fading into a distant hum. I lowered the volume of my music, letting my favorite tunes blend into the background as I strolled, glancing through the glass of the music shop on my right.

 I mentally noted which vinyl I might want to buy next. The new album from Arctic Monkeys had just dropped, and the thought of listening to it on my record player filled me with anticipation.

As I turned left, I walked down what were now deserted streets and after a few turns approached the communal entrance of my apartment building. 

I set my backpack down beside me as I rummaged through it for my keys. Just then, a firm hand landed on my shoulder. My heart sank into my stomach, adrenaline surging through my veins. I spun around, ready to strike whoever had snuck up on me. 

To my surprise, I found myself face-to-face with my brother, Peter, a wide grin plastered on his face and excitement dancing in his eyes. My initial fear had morphed into irritation. "Why would you do that, Peter?" I snapped at him, adding an edge of anger to my voice.

He merely laughed, his plan to frighten me having clearly succeeded. Rolling my eyes, I bent over my backpack, resuming my search for my keys.

Once I finally located them, I quickly unlocked the door and slammed it shut behind me, the sound echoing through the quiet apartment. In the distance, I could hear Peter's voice complaining, tossing words like "childish" and "annoying" in my direction. 

I began ascending the stairs, deliberately passing the elevator, which sported a dusty "out of order" sign. 

As I reached the top of the first flight, the loud slam of a door followed by heavy footsteps echoed behind me. "So how was school?" Peter asked, joining me on the staircase. "Fine," I replied, feeling indifferent. "It was just school; nothing special," I added, shrugging it off.

"And how was your work?" I asked him with genuine curiosity, eager to hear about his day. He had the coolest job, working in the Avengers Tower, side by side with the legendary Tony Stark. I wouldn't have been honest if I hadn't admitted to feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"It was fine," Peter answered nonchalantly, mimicking my own answer, though his was untruthful. I shot him a look, urging him to express more excitement. Just because my days felt monotonous didn't mean he had to downplay his. His stories about saving the world were always entertaining.

"We had to destroy a Hydra base today. We kicked their butts! It was like fighting brainless robots; by the time they started to fight back, we had already blown up the base." He laughed, and I found myself laughing with him, though a wave of anxiety washed over me. 

While he seemed thrilled by his job as Spider-Man, I couldn't help but feel scared, constantly worrying about his safety in those dangerous situations.

We finally reached the eighth floor just before my legs threatened to give way beneath me. I walked to our apartment door, and Peter took the lead, unlocking it and holding it open for me.

"May, we're home!" I shouted through the apartment, dropping my backpack haphazardly next to the couch. 

"May?" I called out again, my eyes scanning the apartment for any sign of my aunt. The kitchen, visible behind the couch, lay empty and May's room situated right by the front door remained silent, no clue of anyone residing in it.

"Is she working today?" I asked Peter, glancing over to see him already sinking into the couch. He shrugged, eyes glued to the TV. "She'll probably be here soon," he replied, his attention captured by the news, which was showcasing impressive footage of the Avengers. 

It was clear that Peter would be stuck in front of the screen for the next hour, watching himself in action.

I hummed in response, opting to escape down the hall to my room, ready to relax and catch up on some Netflix rather than watching my brother fight villains on screen. Watching or hearing my brother fight would never be relaxing to me.

As I passed the bathroom situated right before my own room, I abruptly halted, a frown knitting my brow in confusion. I could hear an inconsistent drip from behind the door. What was that sound? I thought we had already resolved the sink issue.

Curiosity piqued so I opened the bathroom door and was met with a scene that made my heart race.

The room was a nightmare. A pool of blood spread across the floor, stark against the tiles. The handle of the door was smeared with the crimson liquid, and a dark shadow loomed ominously behind the shower curtain, which once had been white but was now stained with blood.

"Peter," I whispered, my voice trembling as fear coursed through me. I couldn't bring myself to speak louder. "Peter!" I called out again, urgency replacing shock; my tone was laced with dread.

I heard hurried footsteps racing toward me, and Peter appeared, his demeanor shifting from casual to grave upon seeing the horror in the bathroom. 

"No, no, no," he murmured softly, panic creeping into his voice as he rushed toward the shower curtain, sending a ripple of terror through me.

Something terrible had happened in that small room, and I was gripped by the fear that once he pulled back that curtain, our worlds would change forever.

I was right.