1 | ISSUES ( Peter Parker )

15

           

CHAPTER FIFTEEN | CIVIL WAR

__________

'be a Goddess among men,'
they told her.
'no,' she smiled.
'i'll be a Queen among Gods.'

__________

Bella was chewing incessantly at the skin around her thumbnail. Very, very soon there would be a fight and chances were that fight would not end well. This was like nothing she had ever done before. It was a fight between the freaking Avengers; it would be brother against brother, friend against friend. She had no idea how she should react to something like this. Bella was completely, utterly out of her element.

"You seem nervous," Ashara commented as they split up from the rest of the team ( and after Bella, of course, made a fool of herself in front of Wanda Maximoff ) to find a spot to set up surveillance.

"I am," Bella muttered, stepping out.

"Just say the word, Bella," Ashara said, pulling her aside, "and I'll bring you back to a hotel and get you when the fighting's done."

Before Ashara could finish speaking, Bella was shaking her head in protest. She couldn't just leave. She couldn't lie to her friends and Peter for nothing. She had to stay.

"No," Bella said strongly. "I can do this. Really. I promise."

Ashara eyed Bella suspiciously for a moment before she nodded and clasped Bella reassuringly on the shoulder.

Bella took a deep breath and pulled her mask over her face. Ashara showed her how to turn on the earpiece and then it all came to a deafening start. While Ashara worked to set up a computer, Bella listened. Her fingers gripped the top of a chair tightly as she heard Tony Stark's voice.

"—that was twenty-four hours ago. Can you help a brother out?" Tony's voice crackled.

"You're after the wrong guy," Steve replied.

Bella looked to her left, knowing that Sam and Bucky were somewhere over there, running around to find the quickest escape route.

"Your judgement is askew," Tony spat out. "Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday."

"And there are five more super soldiers just like him."

Bella looked at Ashara with wide eyes.

"Five more Winter Soldiers?"

"This is the first I'm hearing of it," Ashara muttered, looking severely annoyed. "I should be out there with him."

"Why aren't you?"

Ashara licked her lips, hesitating. Finally, she gave in and answered. "I'm pregnant."

"Oh," Bella said. "Well, congratulations."

Ashara smiled thinly and turned back to the computer. Bella looked around awkwardly before going back to paying attention to what the men were saying.

"Underoos!" Tony yelled.

There was a familiar thwip and Bella's blood ran cold. She sprinted towards the computer and watched as Spidey landed on top of a truck with Steve's shield.

"Oh, hell no," she muttered bitterly. "He is not—"

"What?" Ashara asked.

"That's Spidey!" Bella yelped. "We work together."

"Nice job kid."

"Thanks!" Spidey said in that voice of his that was so painfully familiar, yet impossible to place. "I could've stuck the landing a little better, it's just... new suit. Wait! It's nothing, Mr. Stark. It's perfect. Thank you."