Save Our Souls (Mantis x Peter Parker Sequel)

New Woman

Day 1, Week 2

(Recap)

Peter: That won't be necessary for next time, because you aren't going to hang with her again.

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(Continuation)

Mantis: No, Peter. What are you doing?!

Peter: You promised me you'd stay safe, but they're pulling you into danger every time!

Mantis: But they're also there to pull me out. C'mon, Peter. Just give them another chance.

Peter: I already did, many times. I'm not going to risk you getting hurt anymore. Mantis, let's go *starts walking away*

Mantis: *stays in her spot* No.

Peter: *turns back to her* No??

Mantis: I'm not going back, I'm going to stay. For once in my life, I wasn't shut away in my room, I was allowed out on my own, and I got to go on adventures out of my league. For the first time in my life, I had fun. And I'm not gonna let some macho-man stop me from doing any of that.

Peter: *rolls his eyes at the nickname* I'm not trying to lock you away on purpose. I still care for you, and I'm not going to let you get influenced by them *takes her by the waist and throws her over his shoulder*

Mantis: Hey! Let go of me! They're my friends! *kicks and squirms*

Peter: *holds on firmly* No! I'm doing this for your own good!

Bianca: Respect her wishes! Isn't that what good boyfriends do?!

Peter: Don't lecture me about what I'm meant to do! Besides, does Bastian ever respect what you want??

Bianca: ...

Mantis: Peter, stop! Let me go! Don't do this!

Peter: Mantis, c'mon. I'm taking you home *carries her out of the alley*

$$$

Day 7, Week 1

Mantis: *now sitting on her bed in her room at Stark Industries*

Peter: *knocks on her door*

Mantis: Go away.

Peter: *comes in anyway*

Mantis: I said go away.

Peter: *trying to cheer her up* I got you hazelnut soup, your favourite *sets the bowl on the bedside table and sits next to her*

Mantis: I'm not hungry. And I want to be alone.

Peter: Look, Mantis, I didn't bring you back to hurt you. I was trying to help you.

Mantis: Oh yeah? How so?

Peter: They were making you do horrible things, things that you'd never do.

Mantis: Let it go, Peter. It's not a big deal.

Peter: Are you kidding me?! Mantis, you moved out of the Industry a week ago, and you haven't replied to any of my messages. How is that not a big deal?!

Mantis: It just isn't! You can't keep me in here forever, you know *climbs into her bed and turns away from him*

Peter: I'm only keeping you here to protect you—

Mantis: And to keep me all to yourself! That's really greedy not to share, by the way.

Peter: That's not what I meant—

Mantis: Ever watched the Disney movie Tangled?? Don't be a Mother Gothel! *turns over to face him*

Peter: Wha—I'm nothing like that crazy old woman—

Mantis: You're keeping me up here just for yourself instead of sharing me—

Peter: For a good reason! All she wanted to do with Rapunzel was to keep herself young! So if anything, you should be grateful I'm not some creepy old man who wants your hair!

Mantis: How do I know you're not?? You could sneak into my room and shave me bald in my sleep and use my hair to stuff your sofa!

Peter: And why in any world would I do that?! You're already so beautiful as you are ... And that's just creepy, so let's not bring it up anymore.

Mantis: *almost falls for his sweet-talking but remembers she's locked up* Nice try, but I'm still mad at you *turns away from him again*

Peter: *sighs deeply and stands from her bed* If you get hungry, there's some chicken stew in the fridge. And if you need anything, just ring the buzzer and Martin'll come over. I'll be back at 3:00 *leaves the room and closes the door behind him*

Mantis: *makes sure he's truly gone before getting out of bed and opening her window and jumping out of the window*

*She lands in the deep public pool below her window*

Mantis: *climbs out casually and pulls out her phone from its waterproof bag and dials Bianca's number* Bi, I hope you get this call. I need you to meet me at HQ.

$$$

Mantis: *reaches the Cobras' headquarters*

Bianca: *meets her outside* You'd better have a good answer to why you're calling me at noon—AND why you're wet!

Mantis: *wrings chlorine water from her hair* It's a really long story, Bi.

Bianca: Well I've got a long lunch in store.

$$$

Bianca: So you're saying you went behind Peter's back (again) and jumped out of a window 60 stories high and survived?!

Mantis: That's basically it.

Bianca: You are a badass. When he took you away I thought that was the last time I'd be seeing you around.

Mantis: It takes more than an overprotective boyfriend to stop me.

Bianca: You know, you don't look like a Mantis to me. I'm going to call you Marieve from now on. And you need a makeover.

Mantis: I'm fine with that.

$$$

Bianca: *removes the curlers from Mantis' hair and gazes at her new wavy purple ombre* Now you look like a badass.

Mantis: Wow. I hardly recognise myself *stares at the blush, concealer and eyeliner applied on her face* It's like I'm a new person.

Bianca: You're just missing one more thing *applies crimson lipstick to Mantis* There. Now you are your own woman.

$$$