✓ | ² SHARP EDGES, peter parker

04, of the reckless and naive

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ALEX WALKED TOWARDS THE BUS and explained what had happened last night to MJ. The students prepared to board the bus that will take them next destination on their European vacation. Out of the corner of her eye, Betty frets tirelessly over Ned as if they aren't going to the exact same place. Peter approaced Alex next beside her as Ned approached them with his luggage. ''Hey, man, are you sure you're good?'' Peter asked Ned with concern in his voice.

''Oh, dude, I'm fine!'' Ned insisted as he looked at them. ''Don't worry, seriously, getting tranqued in the neck by Nick Fury? Probably the coolest thing ever happen to me, anyway,'' Ned exclaimed. ''It is pretty cool,'' Peter agreed with a small grin as Alex watched them doing their signature handshake in front of her. ''I'm just happy we don't have to go to Prauge,'' Alex commented as Peter nodded. ''Seriously,'' He responded.

''Good news!'' Mr. Harrington exclaimed as he appears from the alleyway they'd had to walk through, waving a brochure with a manic of energy. ''We're going to Prauge!'' He announced as Alex looked at Peter with a sour expression. ''What?'' Alex demands a little bit too harsly. The boys stopped and looked at Mr. Harrington with a frown on their faces. Mr. Harrington ignored the tone of her voice and turns back with a grin. ''Yeah, the tour company called, they upgraded us! You should've heard me on the phone with them, I really gave them hell,''

''All I heard was crying,'' Mr. Dell commented.

Alex's stomach dropped, and she knew that it was the reason why Fury had let go them so easily last night. She knew that Fury always had a plan. Alex sighed frusteratedly, and she knows that she'd signed up for this hero stuff when she was born. But that had been just to be with her father at the lab when she was thirteen, and she lost interest when she discovered her magic.

And just because she'd gotten herself roped into something bigger than she could have ever imagined with Thanos and with the supernatural stuff, she's just expected to save the entire world now? Alex had already had the talk with Fury after her father's funeral that she did not want this, but it seemed that she didn't had a choice.

''Alex, don't set Mr. Harrington crying on the floor, please,'' She heard MJ's voice. Alex really does look like she could give Mr. Harrington an anerysum right now. Her shoulders are tense and hunched. ''I already told him that I didn't want this from the very beginning,'' Alex grumbled under her breath as she tried to calm herself down. ''Look at our upgraded ride!'' Mr. Harrington's voice announced as she snapped out of her stupor.

The bus parked on the pavement is completly black for them to store their luggage. She knew that Fury had set them up by the look of the bus when she noticed the familiar man, Dimitri stans outside with a plain sign saying Midtown High. ''Come on,'' Peter groaned in annoyance as his face pinched with irritation next to Alex. ''What is going on?'' Ned asked the two of them as he noticed something wasn't right. ''I think Nick Fury just hijacked our summer vacation,''

''Awesome!'' Ned told them as he doesn't share the same feeling.

''Anyway, how's the status on the Elemental thing? Where is it going to happen?'' Ned asked as he looked between the two. ''Uh, here...in the city,'' Peter hesitated. ''Peter, we're here!'' Ned exclaimed. ''We know Ned but, we're still trying to figure things out,'' Alex assured him as she glanced over her shoulder as she caught MJ staring at them. ''You coming?'' MJ called out as she nodded as she walked towards MJ and left Peter behind with Ned.

The bus pulled over about four hours of driving to a rest stop for everyone to relieve themselves and freshen up. Peter and Alex were the last ones to leave, just before they were about to go out, Dimitri stopped them and pointed at a bar that was a few feet away. In the doorway stood a lean woman dressed in all black as Alex frowned at the sight. She gave Peter a look before moved further into the bar.

''Do I go with him or?'' Alex quesioned with a frown on her face. ''Take your suit with you, and there's a bag under the driver's seat,'' Dimitri told her. She headed back towards the bus and reached under the seat. Alex grabbed the bag and unzipped it as she saw a small mask lying there. ''Are you kidding me? A mas that only covers my eyes?'' She grumbled and shook her head before heading out.

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By the time bus reaches Prauge, and the place already seems as magical as Venince. ''Okay, kids, let's head inside so we can get situated and talk about tonight's activities,'' Mr. Dell announced as he clasped his hands as Dimitri opens the doors. Alex sighs and grabbed her bag, and slings it over her shoulder. They all walked inside of the lobby of the hotel. ''Wow, this place is so classy!'' Betty exclaims with a joyful smile.

''Yeah, so why are we here?'' Another student asked.

''Speak for yourself, I'm home,'' Flash shoot him an offended look as he huffed a laugh. ''What can I say? The squeaky wheel gets the upgrade grease,'' Mr. Harrington says from behind Ned, MJ, Peter, and Alex. ''Everybody get settled in, rest up, because tonight, big surprise, is Prauge's annual Carnival of lights!'' He exclaimed as he gestured dramatically to the sign beside him as his eyes sparked with excitement. Peter's phone buzzes in his pocket.

Alex followed him as the two of them steps away from the students. ''Parker, it's Hill, there's an earpiece with your suit and as well for Alex, put it on and await for further instructions,'' Alex heard Maria speak through the phone. ''Yes, Ma'am,'' He responded before he hung up on the phone call. She looks at Peter and sighed. ''We need to make sure our friends aren't in the same spot as the elemental,'' Alex told him.

''Don't worry, we will figure something out,'' Peter assured her as he flickered on a very exhausting Alex. Before they even boarded on the plane, he saw Alex didn't had the same sparking eyes anymore. Now she carried a heavy burden on her shoulders, and Peter wondered how he could make it go away.

Mr. Harrington passes out room keys for everyone, and Alex shared room with MJ. Peter's room is in the middle of the floor beside their rooms, and luckily, they're all placed near the grand staircase where they could use it for a quick escape. Alex dumped her belongings onto the toilet seat. She locates the the small earpiece that the blonde woman had given her earlier, fitting into her ear and pressing the button to turn it on.

''Identification?'' She heard Maria Hill's voice inside of her ear.

''It's Alex,'' Alex responded.

''Good, were is Parker?'' Maria questioned.

''Here,'' Peter responded.

''Good, Dimitri will take you to our debriefing area in ten, make sure you're in front of the hotel no later than that, got it?'' Maria instructed them.

''Yes, Ma'am, uh, will we need our suits?'' Peter asked her.

''Not yet, don't bring anything but yourselves, if there's no other questions, you are dismissed for now,'' Alex wait for a beat before turning off her earpiece with a sigh. Alex headed towards the sink and splashes cold water on her face. She hadn't worn make up on the whole trip as she rubs her face to make her feel a little better. She rests her hands on the counter and leands forward to stare at herself at the glass mirror. She could see herself staring back at her with her exhausted eyes.

Dark circles have smudged her skin underneath her eyes as her hair were messy. Alex thinks back who she used to be before she entered the Salvatore Boarding School. Things hadn't been perfect since the endless arguments with her mother and sister. And then, her entirly life changed when she discovered the supernatural, and she wondered if this was the life she wanted.