#1 STOPWATCH

Chapter 46

" So Spidey what's up? Anything exciting going on in your life?" The new avenger asks.

" Don't call me that." Peter says trying to return his attention to what he's supposed to be paying attention to in the meeting. Why was he the one who just happened to catch this female's interest? The stalker was always nudging him and prodding for conversation when ever they crossed paths though she seemed to close herself off to others, taking a professional, dangerous demeanor any other moment of the day. Not that she didn't have that dangerous vibe around him but still.

" What do you want me to call you then? You're not exactly a man, not am I into the idea of calling you The man of Spiders like Thor. I mean I could call you by your name if that would be better but-"

" Absolutely not." Peter hisses quietly.

" Thought so. Does he call you that? That why you don't want me to say it? "

" Who?"

" Your mate." She answers simply.

Peter chokes slightly in his own saliva. " W-What?" Couldn't he keep anything private and to himself around this person.

" Oh please. I can smell him heavily on you. Not to mention that pretty little bruise on your jugular that hasn't had time to heal is another marker. So you let him top or he Just taking his time to make a mark that will at least last a few hours unlike the ones you attempt to give him?"

Peter consciously tugs the edge of his mask down lower while shaking his head at the obnoxiously curious female.
" What's wrong with you?" Peter says with an unintentional snarl

" Many things." She responds seemingly unscathed by the harsh delivery of the words despite the way Peter sees the way here eyes dart away.

" Sorry. Didn't mean to-"

" Don't apologize." She says quickly with a light smile. " I'm the one pushing the limit. A stranger who knows too much about you and openly asks personal questions."

" You're not a stranger." Peter responds. 'Not really anymore anyway.'

" Well I'm certainly not a friend." She says with her continuous, and almost fool proof, happy tone. The only indication of the idea slightly bothering her was the small droop in her wing posture. Instead of being held up in a way to keep them out of other's way and off the ground they sink a bit so the Sharp edges of the wing fingers lightly touch the ground.

Peter falls silent not entirely sure how to respond to the true statement, feeling if he returned to the small project Tony had asked him to do while he did something else would be rude.

They both sit there in an uncomfortable silence as Peter stares at his screen while not touching while she sands, still leaning casually on the back of his chair.

" What's it like?" She finally asks, her time no longer happy but not unfriendly?

" What's what like? " Peter asks slightly nervous as to what she's asking about. He didn't think she took it quite that negatively.

She in response taps on the small area in his wrist where the Spandex isn't completely smooth against his skin because of the thin watch that is permanently strapped on there. " Having on of these?" She asks.

Peter turns to Better face the person standing behind him to speak to them more directly and to settle his Spider sense that had been at a constant hum of acknowledgment of her presence and ability to be a danger.

" Wouldn't you already know?" He asks slightly confused.

She offers out her right wrist, her sleeve pulled up slightly to expose the odd sight of a pale, bare wrist. " Nei," She answers in her Norse native tongue.

" Why not?" Peter asks.

Max shrugs as she pulls her sleeve back into place. " I wasn't born in a civilization....Have never been offered the chance....I'm not human."

" You look human enough."

She seems to find the statement funny as she has a small smile. " I'm more genetically closely related to a cat or lizard then I am a human."

" But you can still have one couldn't you?" Peter asks.

Max shakes her head, her wings shifting as a nervous tick of some sorts. " Being I'm not human, I may not have a soulmate. And there are no others alive of my kind. I'm an animal. I'm only in a sort of camouflage. It's a curse I would commonly get killed for if I where living in the times of my race." She says.

" But that doesn't mean there isn't a possibility that someone out there has a blank watch because their soulmate doesn't have one to count down in time with. What if someone has been waiting all their life wondering why they are destined to be alone when really it's only because you haven't put one on that they can't be happy about the idea of their stopwatch counting down."

" Where you happy about your watch counting down?" She asks hotly, Peter's spider sense kicking back into gear as her gaze is dark at him.

" No." Peter answers.

Max doesn't respond for a long time. " Besides. The one who's my eyes and ears won't allow it. They would kill who ever it was before I had a chance. " She says before walking away.

Peter watches her leave, looking at the way the artificial lights glint harshly off of her glossy black scales on her wings and tail as she leaves the room.

Spider-Man is quiet for a long time before he returns to his small project Tony had asked of him as he pushes the whole conversation to the back of his mind to be replaced by the work I front of him and the pondering a of what Wade could possibly be doing at his or the arachnid's Apartment.

Sorry guys, having trouble publishing cause of my internet here. Forgive me