The Life I'm Running From

34\ Take it Hot or Never At All

The next day I found myself seated on Peter's couch—which not was flipped over like ours—my legs on top of the cluttered coffee table. Spider-Man himself was beside me, sipping hot chocolate that his aunt had just given us. My mug was in between my hands, providing a buffer of warmth. Even inside his apartment it was freezing. I was so done with the cold.

"Ah!" Peter set down his mug quickly, and some of the liquid sloshed over the rim. His face contorted into a grimace. "I burnt my tongue."

I smiled, letting the hot metal of my mug toast my hands. "You should've given it a second."

Peter leaned back into the couch, a light scowl on his face. "It hurts."

"You always wait a bit before you drink hot chocolate. I thought you were the smart one here."

"Ouch. I don't know what hurt more—that insult or my burning tongue."

"I would like to say my insult." I smiled teasingly at him, and set down my mug on the only open space on the coffee table. I had to squeeze it in between a Star Wars comic book and a DVD of the Notebook. It didn't take a genius to figure out which was Aunt May's and which was Peter's.

My phone dinged in my bag. I didn't reach to grab it—then I'd have to reach around my Physics textbook, my notebook, and various other junk I needed to take out of my backpack. It was probably just Adriana anyways. I talked to her all day today; now was my chance to talk to Peter.

"So," I said, pulling my legs up onto the couch, "what's new with the Avengers?"

Peter shrugged. "Not much. I haven't been involved a lot, 'cause school and everything, but it seems to be the same old missions. There isn't much going on. Which is a good thing I guess. No evil supervillains or anything."

I nodded. "No evil supervillains is good." My hands curled around the outside of my sweater sleeves, trying to keep themselves warm. "What about Ravenyx?"

"No new news." Peter stretched out his arm across the back of the couch, then seemed to realize that it was behind me too, and retracted it. "They can't do anything if they don't know anything."

"Fair enough. But they aren't even trying?"

Peter shrugged. "They have a lot on their plate. They're always out on missions to catch criminals they know about—they don't have time to chase a villain who's doing nothing."

"Ravenyx will do something." The boldness of my statement surprised Peter—I could see it on his face. I didn't know why I was so certain. Something about the way Ravenyx had acted... something about her powers and determination... it all made me think that she was far from giving up.

If the Avengers just left her, then she would strike again. Who knows what her plans were. Maybe she was planning on becoming an evil supervillain. She had the capability with her powers. And if she did, and no one stopped her because the Avengers were too busy...

"I have an idea." Abruptly, I turned to face Peter head on. He shifted on the couch to mirror my position, so both of us were squarely facing each other.

"Yes?" he asked. It sounded doubtful, and nervous. Maybe he was worried I would propose something outlandish. But there was still curiosity too, in his milk chocolate eyes. It was cute, the mixture of emotions displayed on his face.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Not the time to think about Peter's eyes, I had an idea. "We should track down Ravenyx."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "'We'? As in, you and me?"

"Is there any other we?"

For some reason, Peter blushed. But then his expression turned serious. "Track her down? How would we? It would be dangerous. You saw what she can do."