Timeless || All Stories

22 || Hero

AU based off of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

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I've been on a bit of a Marvel kick lately, please bare with me.

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Ever since the couple first met, Jonah had always noticed certain things about Aurora that came off as odd.

Such as her ability to get on the roof so easily. And her cat-like reflexes. And the way she seemed to notice things a few seconds before they even happened. And especially the way she was conveniently never around when the Californian superhero, Spider-Woman was busy saving the day.

But Aurora has always been able to calm his paranoia, managing to convince him that while she's crazily reckless, she's no superhero.

Being able to quickly climb onto the roof and her cat-like reflexes were simply a result of taking years of gymnastic classes. And she only noticed things before him because he's awfully oblivious. And the reason she's never around when Spider-Woman is sighted swinging through the city is because, as a photographer, it's her job to catch all of the action.

All of these excuses worked for several months. Unfortunately, there came a day where she couldn't possibly explain herself without telling the truth.

****

Aurora paces back and forth, struggling to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. She had yet to change out of her red and blue suit, and continues to wring her mask in her hands anxiously.

Jonah and the other members of Why Don't We were currently on tour, and all of the girls were taking the time apart to visit their families, which left no one home to spot her.

Her latest mission - which had merely been to blow up yet another dangerous machine that a power hungry business man had built - was meant to go smoothly. After all, she had done it plenty of times; it was meant to be a routine job.

Yet it had gone so horribly wrong. Two innocent citizens had been killed and the villain got away, likely fleeing to a different location to set everything up again. Her Spidey senses - a term newspapers and reporters had taken to using to describe her skill - hadn't even alerted her to the danger, which was a major problem.

On top of the guilt eating her alive, worry and fear filled her mind as well.

Her sixth sense is part of what made her Spider-Woman. If it wasn't working and she went on another mission, she'd risk hurting innocent people again. The news would soon start calling her a public menace, a danger to society, a-

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Aurora was so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even heard anyone walk through the front door, let alone the door to hers and Jonah's shared bedroom.

Jonah stands in the doorway, an incredulous look on his face and a bouquet of white roses fallen at his feet.

The teen had a few days off until the next concert, and conveniently being in the same state had planned to surprise his girlfriend. What he had not planned on was walking into their room to find her pacing the ceiling in a red and blue onesie that had a spider emblem across the chest.

Aurora jumps, landing gracefully on the bed, and leans forward to peer at Jonah apprehensively, not wanting to scare him away with any sudden movements.

"Surprise?"

Jonah doesn't say anything, instead staying rooted in place and continuing to gape in shock.

As the silence between them grows, Aurora's anxiety skyrockets. With a small, defeated sigh, she buries her face in her hands dejectedly.

"You hate me now," she mutters into her palm, a lone tear escaping. "Don't you?"

Hearing her quiet sniffles finally breaks Jonah out of his revelry and he rushes forward, engulfing her in a comforting hug.

"Why on Earth would I ever hate you?" He questions, placing a small kiss on her forehead. "I was- I was just surprised, that's all."

"But why aren't you mad at me?" She presses on, nevertheless snuggling into his warm embrace. "I kept such a big secret from you."

"Oh come on," he chuckles, trying to lighten the mood despite still being in shock. "Everybody knows the first rule of having superpowers is never telling anyone."

The brunette nods, still not believing he was actually okay.

"Besides, no one else can honestly say they're dating Spider-Woman," he continues, finally earning a quiet giggle. "And now I don't ever have to worry about fighting anyone that hurts you because you're more than capable of ending them yourself."

****

"Why did he build his portal here?" Aurora mutters to herself, the mask only slightly muffling her voice. "He owns four damn factories for crying out loud."

"I'm glad you asked," the villain, Mr. Franckewitz, chuckles darkly, taking deliberately slow steps towards the spot where Aurora was doubled over, struggling to catch her breath.

In only a matter of days, Aurora was already battling the same man she lost to on the day Jonah discovered her secret.

She thought she would have longer to gather her bearings before their next fight, but he had wasted no time in rebuilding the interdimensional portal she had barely been able to destroy the first time. And Mr. Franckewitz had chosen the Fillmore - one of California's several popular concert venues - of all places as his new headquarters.

"Unfortunately for you, Spider-Woman," the bad guy continues, now only a foot away from her as a cruel smile plays across his face. "I discovered your weakness."

Briefly turning away, he nods to one of the henchmen standing near the door. Opening the door, the other man tugs on someone's arm, dragging them into the light.

"You fucking bitch."

Mr. Franckewitz merely chuckles again, gesturing for his henchman and hostage to walk closer. He instantly complies, pushing a gun against Jonah's back to get him to stumble forward.

"I suggest you give me back that USB stick," he states, holding his hand out. "Unless you want to be responsible for yet another death."

Aurora straightens up, ignoring the stabbing pain in her ribs as she does so. Squaring her shoulders, she glares - although it couldn't be seen through her mask, other than the slight narrowing of her eyes - and manages to get out a single sentence without her voice shaking.

"Shoot him."

In the brief second they're caught off guard, Aurora manages to get the gun away from the henchman and web him to the wall. Before Mr.  Franckewitz can proceed it, she slams the USB stick into the side of his portal and tackles Jonah to the ground as it explodes.

A blinding white light surrounds them before everything goes black.

****

The next time Aurora wakes up, Jonah is no longer underneath her and she's laying in the middle of a street in New York.