The REM Trials

Chapter 27

"Peter Benjamin Parker, you better have a good explanation for this." May demands with her eyes still wide, but then she notices me. "Oh my gosh. You're—you're Phantom! Wait, that's really her, right?"

"Yeah—yeah, that's her." Peter softly replies before turning to me again. "Phantom, this is my Aunt May; she's a fan of yours."

"Huh, that last part I didn't know." I turn to may, giving her my full attention as I extend my hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Parker."

"Oh, please. Call me 'May.'" She replies with a beaming smile as she shakes my hand fervently. "I can't believe I'm actually getting to meet you."

"May," Peter whines as he drags out the sound of her name, "please, don't embarrass me in front of her."

"On the contrary, I think it's sweet." I tell him with a smile that he can't see. "I do apologize for intruding, but I needed to return Peter's suit and speak to him about something. Although, I'm sure you two have a lot to discuss, and I don't want to overstep."

"Oh, no. Please, stay." May quickly stops me and look to Peter for a quick confirmation, "Maybe you can help me understand all this."

I look to Peter, hoping to gauge his reaction on the situation, but he looks between May and I with wide eyes as his hands nervously fiddle with his mask. "All right, I'd be more than happy to help where I can."

Peter's eyes soften at the words, and May leaves with a comment I can't quite catch. "So—um. Th-thanks for bringing my suit back."

"You're welcome," I smile and nod to where May just was, "you're aunt seems pretty cool with everything—all things considered."

"Yeah, I guess so." He mumbles and looks to the hallway where May disappeared down. "You said you had something to talk to me about?"

"Yes, I did." I pause for a second and fall into chair and feet propped on the desk. "Now, just going to start off by saying that I don't need an answer right away, and you shouldn't feel pressured to agree."

"Okay." He draws out the syllable and sits on his bed.

"I should also start off by explaining, there's a new threat in New York—one that targets people like you and I. These past few months, it's come to my attention that someone—who I can't quiet tell you about at the moment for your own safety—has been conducting a series of human trials on unaware or involuntary subjects. Their goal is to modify the DNA of humans and REMs alike with the hopes of creating or enhancing abilities.

"These people are unimaginably dangerous—both to people like us and the general population. Especially since the closer they get to attaining their goal, the more desperate—and therefore dangerous—they become.

"Which brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about. Tony and I have agreed that this is not the kind of mission done alone. So, seeing how—shockingly—well we work together, I came to ask you if you'll become my partner?"

Peter stays eerily quiet and still for a long moment. "Wait—you—you want me to be your partner? Like team up together for missions and patrols and such?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Can I ask you something?" He questions softly with that look on his face that always makes my heart melt and ache. It's the expression he gets when he's doubting himself, but I nod anyway as if I don't know what he'll say. "Why me? Why not Mr. Stark or one of the other Avengers?"

I drop my feet from the desk and lean forward on my knees as I speak, "Because despite the fact that I normally do things best alone, I work better with you. Plus, you said it yourself. 'Someone's gotta look out for the little guy.' There's bigger worries for the Avengers to handle." I look up at Peter, wanting desperately to take off my mask so he can see in his eyes how serious I am. "Not to mention, I've kept an eye on you since I tracked you down before Germany, and I've seen the person you are both in and out of the suit. You're the kind of person I can respect and want in my corner. I chose you, Peter Parker. So don't doubt yourself."