Catalyst

Chapter One

Peter awoke with a small shudder and a tiny gasp, as his eyes darted around the small car. He... He still remembered the moment clearly in his mind's eye. Walking back home from school, blood, so much blood... He bit his lip, in an attempt to pull himself from another brutal recollection. 

The teenager attempted to calm himself, by glancing around the small car, noting the details. The windows were clean to the point of shininess, but the car itself was barely above the status of a rust bucket. He wondered why. Captain Stacy was certainly earning enough to get himself better than this...

"W-why don't you get yourself a new car?" Peter asked, the sound of his somewhat cracked and emotional voice breaking through the silence.

"Because this car is close to my heart," the policeman replied, glancing backward at Peter, tapping absently on the steering wheel as they waited for the light. "I got it from my dad when I passed my exams. Kept it ever since."

Peter swallowed. He wondered if his dad would have given him something if he had done something that... that good? That successful? Or if he wouldn't have, because they didn't have enough money?

"I'm sorry, kid." The man said, looking rather guiltily in the mirror at him. "I shouldn't have reminded you of David... H-he was a good man."

Peter didn't really know what to say to that. It felt like he heard the phrase far too much - from his apathetic neighbors who were almost too used to it, and now from Captain Stacy. At least he seemed genuine, he guessed. The car rolled along, and eventually, Peter noticed how the tall buildings and skyscrapers seemed to fade away for the suburbs of Queens, with just a bit of jealousy. It felt cynical, how he and his parents lived in barely ten feet of an apartment, whilst these people lived in nice houses.

Peter sighed defeatedly. He couldn't blame these people for his problems... They probably had no idea he even existed, what his problems were... It was an exercise in futility. And he was too tired to summon the energy to do much of anything, at the moment.

Eventually, the car pulled to a stop, in front of a rather pretty, two stories high suburban house, with the lights shining from the windows, and a rather pretty blonde girl with startlingly clear blue eyes, leaning against the window on her phone, a distinct pair of pink headphones on her head.

"Eyes down, Parker," Stacy teased, apparently noticing his staring.

"Is she your daughter?" Peter asked the clearest his voice had ever been, since then.

The man let out a chuckle. "Yes," he offered, as the two exited the Twingo. "She takes more after her mother than me."

Peter offered nothing but a somewhat shaky smile, before grabbing his suitcase and his bag, following the man into the house. The house was remarkably tidy, with various photos of Captain Stacy receiving various awards, and a few family photos, with the girl upstairs, and even what he believed was Captain Stacy's wife. Huh. They did look rather similar.

The sudden sound of tap, tap, tap broke his concentration, causing Peter to narrow his eyes, as he instinctually sought out the sound. The sound was almost overwhelming to his ears, yet he noticed that Stacy hadn't reacted, and was currently putting down his coat on the hanger.

As the sound reverberated down the stairs, Peter realized with a small startle, that it was merely Captain Stacy's daughter, walking down the stairs. What... What had he done there?

"Dad...?" The girl said, almost hesitantly, before glancing to him her eyes widening, before turning to her father. "You're late, you know?"

"I know, kiddo," George replied, tiredly, motioning towards Peter, who didn't really know what to think of the interaction. "Gwen, this is Peter. He's... He's going to be staying with us." The police officer said, moving out of the way towards the kitchen, by some sort of open doorway to Peter's right.