Mercy ▷ Peter Parker

TWO. ROTTEN TO THE CORE

"Where did you say your class was going?"

Nathan Mendes sat at the kitchen table, pen and glasses in hand as he read the permission slip in front of him. Around him his three children worked at doing the dishes, tidying away after dinner. The child he was referring to was Nora, who was busy putting glasses away. The permission slip didn't give much away, just that her biology class was going on a field trip and would he allow it. He was apprehensive, and he needed to know more. Nora closed the cabinet, walking over to her father. Her eyes scanned the piece of paper for a moment, before she began. "Some exhibit is opening up in the Oscorp building. It's to do with genetic splicing in animals, I think. Something biology related, anyway."

The police captain sighed heavily, fiddling with his pen as he mulled it over. It wasn't that he didn't want her to go to the exhibit, in fact he thought it would be rather interesting, he just didn't like the fact that Oscorp was hosting it. Over the years, Oscorp was known for their shady business dealings and sketchy experiments. He's lost count of how many times his precinct has come into contact with someone who claims a loved one of theirs has gone missing because of the company, although they were never charged because of lack of evidence(and, as much as he hates to admit it, bribes to his bosses). Nathan knew Nora wouldn't be alone, she would have chaperones and other classmates, and he was sure Oscorp wasn't going to do anything to a bunch of teenagers, but one wrong move and Nora's powers could be exposed.

Nora moved past him, to the window, where she watched the cars go by on the busy Brooklyn road. Their old brownstone had a great view onto the city, something she always took huge advantage of. On the window's edge lay a potted plant, the leaves of it drooping and brown, withering away before her. She pouted for a second, her fingers brushing against it, the tips of them glowing a white gold light. Within seconds the plant regained it's mossy green colour, the soil becoming fertile and muddy. "It's supposed to go towards my grade of something, though I don't know how. Mr. Tully is kind of vague about that stuff."

That made up his mind, she really did have to go. If this contributed to her education, then what kind of parent would he be? He clicked the pen, scribbling his signature onto the dotted line. He stood up, walking towards his youngest daughter and handing it to her. "I'll pack you a lunch later."

She smirked. "Nah, you don't have to. Rafe still needs to pay his side of the bet he lost two weeks ago, this is how I'll get him back."

"Was that the one with the soccer ball and the wall?" asked her father, she nodded. "Ah, I see." he kissed the top of her head. "Well, then, don't forgot your blazer then."

Nora groaned. That yellow monstrosity never went with anything she wanted to wear. For a prestigious school such as Midtown, they really did have the worst uniform. The brunette's father chuckled at her distaste, kissing the top of her head. "Alright, I gotta go to the precinct for an hour, Aliya's in charge!" he says that last part out to the entire house, to which Nora hears a loud groan and a laugh coming from both Rafe and Aliya. Nora chuckles like her father, before hugging him goodbye.

She watched as he left the brownstone, waving as he got into his cop car. She looked at the clock on the wall, realising she still had homework to finish. Giving one look out onto the street, her eyes casting toward the Avengers tower lighting up the sky all the way from Manhattan. She walked away from the window, brushing against the plant, the leaves making her smile. However, as she walked away, she didn't notice the tips of her fingers turn a deep ebony colour, the leaves veins absorbing the colour. Nora was out of the room when Rafe entered. He reached for a glass in the cupboard, filling it with water. He frowned once he spotted the dying plant. He knew a dying plant wasn't unusual, but it was the way it was dying. He knew from school that plants wither, turn brown and die. This plant had turned a sickly black colour, the leaves curling in on themselves and dripping into the soil. The eldest Mendes son got closer, reaching out to touch it. He barely brushed it with his thumb before the entire stalk and leaves disintegrated into a thick black sludge. Rafe retracted his hand with a grimace, noticing his thumb had some of the liquid on it. He turned the tap back on, washing the sludge away. Taking the pot, he dumped it in the trash, not wanting that weird substance anywhere near him or his sisters.