two sided | peter parker

XII | menace

『men·ace | noun | a person or thing that is likely to cause harm; a threat or danger』

"MAYBE WE CAN COPY EDDIE," Tony stated, his arms crossed as he looked directly at Y/n with a blank stare. Her eyebrows furrowed at that, the tingling feeling of burning needles stretched across her body in a warm manner rather than the immense pain she felt just a few days earlier. Normally, Y/n would be stressing over her tests, it was her senior year after all.

Now? Y/n was completely content with staying as she was, the reality of school completely wiped from her mind. All that mattered now was working with Chip, working with him to defeat the person that started all of this together. "How so?" She breathed, stepping back from the punching bag. 

Y/n had never been the type to do hardcore exercise, but after trying numerous tactics; insulting, forcing, demanding, instinctive moves, and even fighting the Tony Stark, nothing was working. Tony stepped forward, his nose scrunching in thought before he remembered something from before. "Say 'mask'. This is from Eddie, isn't it? Maybe it works like Venom."

Letting out a valiant sigh, she walked away from the training equipment and gave a worried look towards Tony. He just nodded back, confirming that he had a backup solution if it went wrong or if it didn't happen at all. Y/n wasn't very sure, but it brought a sense of reassurance to her. Without another second, she turned to the mirror. "Mask."

Almost instantly, a red substance covered the entirety of her figure as she grew in height. A long, scary looking tongue slithered out of her mouth in an odd manner as it hissed. "I am Menace." It named itself, the weird sensation sending waves of warmth in her body, like sitting in a blanket near a fireplace on a winter day.

What made her feel odd the most was the way she saw. It wasn't like mesh in those cheap Halloween masks at Party City. No, it was more of like she could actually see what was going on, as if it were her eyes even though they weren't. "Y/n," Tony calling out her name made her head snap towards him, Menace moving closer.

"Menace has the same mind as you, think of an action!" He yelled, hoping she could hear since he didn't entirely understand if he could or not. Making a mixture of a clicking and growling noise, he could only hope that he'd heard her. Leap, she thought as it followed her actions. It felt like the downhill part of a roller coaster, how it'd make your stomach jump.

At the same time, it was such a satisfying feeling. Being free with the wind like that, it felt like a side of her she wasn't finished discovering, one that she was wholeheartedly devoted to. It was pure euphoria. She didn't realize it, but her figure was pressed up against the window, daring eyes staring outside at how far of a leap it could be.

Tony noticed the look, the desire, the urge to go out and be this new part of herself. "Unmask yourself, Y/n." He said in a stern tone. Menace seemed to talk to Y/n in her brain, as if it was a second voice. Like the cartoons, in which the devil and angel would sit upon each shoulder of the character and give advice. Y/n wasn't entirely sure which one Menace was, though.

Whatever Menace was seemed to sink back into her, the heat returning before dissipating within seconds. How rude. She rang, the sharp and slightly welcoming voice flowed through her ears, like a yell into an empty cave. The words seemed to echo back, the girl wincing as Tony looked at her with a worried gaze. "She's talking to me, i-it's weird."

He stared at her intently, his eyebrows becoming close together. "What's she saying?" Y/n laughed softly, eyes averting as Menace made another sarcastic reference. It was obvious Menace was a bit sassy, blunt, and to say the least, badass and knew where her loyalty stood. Y/n didn't have to ask or interrogate, she could sense it within her.

"Calling you rude, is all. Some other unfriendly words as well." She excused, smiling gently while Tony raised a snark brow, a chuckle escaping his lips. "As long as it's nothing lethal or threatening. I don't think you need much training." His eyes held confidence and appreciation, the teen staring at him confusion.

"You seem to have it under control, y'know? I think you'll be just fine, Y/n."

It had been hours, yet his words still seemed to ring in Y/n's ears. Charlie had managed to wake up earlier when she was holding his hand, thinking about something else. He'd woken up enough for the blue substance from earlier to cover his hand, Menace doing the same. That made her ponder even more after he passed out again from the pain like she almost did.

Was it weird? How Y/n hadn't even seemed to call her out, yet she appeared and seemed to understand the vitality of Chip's presence? Maybe since they were from the same origin, it made them siblings in a sense? Well, Menace and Midnight, for that matter. Upon the mental topic of relationships and ideas, Y/n's eyes trailed towards the calendar on the wall. 

On it, the month of October was labeled boldly in the month section. It'd been a few weeks of her getting bed rest since the transfer and new feeling of the substance. It was unbelievable that in a few weeks, it would be Halloween. Her and Chip always used to tag along with Chase and Lily, knowing that Lily didn't like the candies they happened to like and Chase was generous.

Annaliese, their mother, always found it amusing and a bit of childish, but didn't do anything to stop it. Rubbing her thumb over his knuckles, she smiled slightly. "You know you have to wake up soon, don't you, dork? I can't take the kids trick-or-treating without you, y'know?" She laughed, Chip wincing as he opened one of his eyes weakly.

"L-Like I'd let you t-take all the candy, i-idiot."