From The Dark | Peter Parker x OC ✔️

Chapter Ten

A/N: This chapter is one day early, but also a little shorter than usual. So this is basically another buildup to the climax I'm wanting to hit and I promise it's coming and that it's vvverrry good. Soon. Very soon. Also, this chapter also has the consequences from the previous chapter which I apologize for lol. Ross wasn't supposed to die, but this is Graves we're talking about soooo. I guess Ross isn't gonna be going on that vacation with his wife anytime soon. Wow, I sound despicable. Hm.

Anyway, my average for a chapter is usually about 3,000-4,000 words but this is around 2,000 words mainly because I didn't want to put too much in this chapter and it felt good to end it where I did. I will say that it ended with a lot more unanswered questions because you know I can't go too long without those :)

That's about it, so here's chapter 10 (finally in the double digits lol).

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"Once Pepper says

you gotta do something,

there's no argument there."
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Once again, Ned Leeds was having another normal day as he told his mother goodbye and left the car. He was about to climb the concrete stairs to the entrance of Midtown Middle when he spotted a very familiar black car. How could he forget it? It was the car that he had seen Adelaide get out of before she entered the Stark Tower and met Tony Stark. Of course, there were many cars like that one in all of New York, but he knew it was the same one when his friend stepped out of it. His heartbeat sped up, wondering who else must be inside that car. It was just his luck when the window of the driver's seat rolled down, revealing the face of Happy Hogan. Adelaide bent over, talking to him. Ned wasn't that far away and he could hear their conversation pretty clearly.

"Happy, you drop me here and pick me up every day," she said, "By now you should know how terrible this dump is."

"Not my problem, kid. Tony and Pepper sent you here, tell them." Adelaide sighed.

"I've told Pepper a million times, but she says I have to go to school. Something about education and friends. But I have better things to do, you know." Happy chuckled.

"Once Pepper says you gotta do something, there's no argument there," he said, making Adelaide sigh and slump her shoulders lazily against the car. "At three, okay?"

"Can't you take me back to the Tower now?" she asked.

"Pepper's orders. And, hey, try to have some fun." he said, beginning to roll up the window and Adelaide took a step back. "But not too much. Bye, kid." Adelaide stood there until the car rolled away, wondering if he'd notice her if she climbed on top of it and made herself invisible. In fact, it wasn't such a terrible idea. She could just hitch a ride back to the Tower with Happy and wander around invisibly until 3 and hitch a ride to school where Happy would take her back. It was a genius plan, but she doubted the unexcused absences would go unnoticed by Pepper.

"Bye," she mumbled to herself before turning away and climbing the stairs that ascended to her least favorite place. In the midst of her sulking, she didn't notice her friend standing there, his mouth agape. She walked past him, waiting for this day to end already so she could go back to the Tower.

Ned was left dumbfounded at how casual his friend had been talking to Happy Hogan. She said that he drove her here and back every day. He had so many questions, he didn't know what to think first. Why did Happy Hogan drive her every day? Did she always go back to the Stark Tower after school? What if...What if she lived at the Stark Tower? Ned shook his head. That was absurd. Crazy. Preposterous. Insane. If she lived at the Stark Tower, then she'd tell them...right? As crazy as the idea was, what if it was true? Then that meant Adelaide lived with Tony Stark. And Pepper Potts?! What on earth was going on?