HOPELESS ☾Peter Parker - 1

FORTY ONE

"I don't believe you." Aspen spoke, her stare hard and challenging.

She had seen no evidence in the memories that her father was dead, so she wasn't going to believe it.

Have hope. 

Peter had to her those very words, so that's exactly what she would do: hope that her father was still alive. 

"You don't believe me? After all the truth I've told you." Her mother challenged back, her icy stare much more threatening than Aspen's.

"Prove it to me." The young Blue was trying to have a confident facade. She didn't want Marie to think that she was weak, so she needed to act like she wasn't.

But her heart sank in her chest when the woman smirked at her. "Fine." 

She stood up and walked out the door, disappearing from the trio's view. 

"Peter, how are you doing?" Tony whisper across the room to the boy that was still trying to break free. 

"I've almost got my left and a right foot." He whispered back and Aspen's eyes widened.

She had no idea that Peter was somehow tearing his way out of his restraints, but she was sure glad that he was. 

Before anyone could say anything else, Marie walked back into the room with a small device in her hand. 

"Watch." She commanded and pressed a button on the side of the circular device. 

A beam of light projected out from the device, creating a holographic picture in the center of the room. Marie Blue pressed another button and the image began moving, Aspen then realized that  it was a video. 

On the screen was a situation that seemed all too familiar to Aspen. There was a man that looked exactly like Stanley Blue in a chair, surrounded by people, with a single man standing in front of him. 

The girl watched with anticipation, her eyes scanning across the whole picture. Words were shouted, but Aspen wasn't listening. Instead she was watching certain movements in the background. 

A gunshot sound rang out, grabbing the girls attention. She looked at the chair her father was in to see his figure laying limp before the screen went back and the video ended. 

Her mother turned to her with a smirk and looked proud that she was able to prove herself to her daughter. "See, I told you. You should've just believed me--I wish I didn't have to show you that." 

It was Aspen's turn to smirk now. 

"You're right, you wish you didn't show me that." The girls smirk grew when her mother's faltered. 

"A man in the top left corner doesn't move the entire video, not even when the gun shot rings out. Another man across from him doesn't have a shadow. I'm in the background watching, not moving at all. You thought I wouldn't notice that it's fake?" Aspen's smile grew as her mom's face fell.

"You should be more careful with the files you release. I've seen that exact video but with your body strapped to that chair. If only it was actually real." Aspen spoke with more venom in her voice than Peter or Tony had ever heard. 

Marie Blue grew angry, embarrassed that her genius of a child out smarted her. 

"He's here isn't he." Aspen whispered out. "That's how you were able to send us his location." 

Her mother stood there staring a cold glare, and Aspen knew that she was correct. 

Stanley Blue was in that very building.