Whatever It Takes

Part One: CIVIL WAR

Peter woke that morning with a familiar feeling. One that he followed to his older sister's bedroom to find her blankets a mess, but her body not amoung them.

Sure enough, he found her on the couch and regretted to shake her awake.

"Em," he shook her shoulder gently, "Em, time for school."

With a small grunt, Emma woke to find her boyish looking brother standing over her with a weak smile. "Come on," he urged kindly, "you can sleep in Geography." Emma rubbed her eyes, "you know I will."

***
Emma knew of Peter's secret. It was hard not to, since it was one of her own. So as she watched his eyes scan the streets slowly on their walk to Midtown High School, she offered him a warning. "May is going to kill you if you ditch that bag again."

"Good thing I keep most of my stuff in your bag then, huh?" Peter said.

"Maybe for you; you're going to give me back problems by the time I'm 30. You remember I'm an artist, right? My wrist already sounds like a cement mixer." Emma adjusted the weight of her bag on her shoulders and felt them burn. Peter didn't eye her as he continued their walk.

"You're basically Black Widow, you'll be fine," he insisted. Emma felt her eyes roll. A high intellect and advanced combat skills couldn't keep her up with Pete's giddy optimism.

She shifted the bags weight again, "Maybe I should start giving Aunt May tips on how to punish you," she half mumbled.

***
Midtown High School was as typical as most schools - except everyone in the school was insanely smart and most of which being MIT bound. Including Peter.

Ned joined the two siblings with his trademark grin - the kind that you couldn't not give a grin back to. Ned pulled Emma in for a quick hug, and Peter in for their handshake. "Did you guys see the news about Spiderman last night?" Peter stopped in his tracks and swallowed a lump in his throat. Emma didn't say a word, but shot him a look. "I knew you weren't in the robotics lab," her glare screamed.

Peter wet his lips, and stammered, "n-no, what happened?"

Could you be any more obvious?

"He stopped a car from crashing straight into a bus like it was nothing! Its all over YouTube; I've watched it like twenty times!"

As Ned gushed over who little did he know was standing right before him, Emma jostled her bag one last time. "I've gotta go to class, I'll see ya, Ned," the other spider tried her best at a smile and turned on her heel without a second glance at her brother.

Every video, every picture, every ounce of media coverage Emma shook woth fear that someone would find her brother out. She didn't care about her, she cared about some government asshole taking advantage of Peter. Using him for war, for battle, for a mess of pointing fingers that turns into a blood bath of who's right and who's wrong.

If only her spider senses could have told her what would be waiting for the two at home.

***
"Emma!"

It was lunch now. Peter scanned the crowded cafeteria with his tray in search of his sister who still couldn't keep her bouncing leg under control. Anxiety rattled her blood, and when Peter shouted a second time, the ringing in her ears blocked him out.  He watched her stare at a blank space on the table, as if not a single person was in the room. He knew he should have been more careful, he knew someone would catch it on tape.  Emma would go of like a rocket about that.  And go off she did.

Peter's hand on Emma's shivering shoulder was like a match to a flame. "Em-"

Het hand shot to Peters wrist, "what the hell were you thinking?!" She hissed.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry! My senses were going nuts.." the two tried to keep quiet, but tears were brimming Emma's eyes. "What if someone finds out, huh? What if the wrong person gets their hands on you and I can't help you?! I can't lose you too, Peter!"

Peter felt a sort of alarm go off inside him. Like his sister was a bomb he needed to diffuse, but so she wouldn't go into a panic attack rather than blow the whole cafeteria to rubble. "I know, I know, I'm going to be okay, Em!" His hands held her shoulders, keeping her gently in place and locked on his eyes.  Warm and reaasuring, just how she always knew them. A tear passed Emma's cheek before she nodded, and Peter clung to her in a hug.

"You had better not be fucking lying to me, Parker."