Spider-Man Homesick (Sequel to Spider-Man Homebound: Book 3)

Chapter 3: Relevance

Annie found everyone waiting in the kitchen. She was surprised to see them all there. Tony got to his feet.

"We know your lying to us.We can't protect you if you don't tell us everything." Tony said and Annie crossed her arms.

" I don't need your protection." Annie said plainly. Tony looked pained as he heard this response.

"You can't do this alone." Tony said in fear as he stood there and Annie's eyes filled with tears.

"I know. But I don't have a choice and neither do any of you." Annie sighed as she knew what had to happen. Tony let the tears fall.

"We'll hide you, we, we, we'll stand by your side and help fight." Tony tried to figure out a solution and Annie couldn't take it.

"There is no other solution! If you hide me he destroys the earth. If you fight by me he'll destroy you in an instant, and then he'll destroy me! I can't run from this! I can't hide! I can't crawl up into a ball and cry like I really want to at times. I have no choice but to be brave and maybe that will be enough. Or maybe it won't and we'll all die anyways. All I know is that this is a fight that I WILL have to face alone when it comes." Annie saw that everyone was heartbroken and she let her tears fall as she grew quiet. "And I know that every single one of you want to stop this from happening. I know you want to protect me, and fight for me, but the fact is that you can't. And I'm so sorry that you have to sit back and put your trust in a 15 year old girl." Annie said but she didn't realize that she had revealed something. Peter looked to her in confusion.

"Your 14, you don't turn 15 until after next week." Peter said and Annie looked awkward as she couldn't believe she let that slip. "You know when its going to happen." Peter speculated.

"Not exactly." Annie replied.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Peter snapped.

"I'm not lying!" Annie snapped back. "I don't know the exact day, but I know what the weather will be like, what time of day it will happen, and I know where it's going to happen at. I know for a fact it's not going to happen until the snow and ice go away. It was stormy out so it's probably mid spring to early summer. It'll happen outside of the city on the other side of the bridge by the Hudson River. It will happen during late afternoon." Annie explained and it was clear that nobody trusted it. Annie got angry. "Fine! You wanna know what Galactus said that made me react the way I did? He said that my tragic life wasn't a coincidence. He said that I had no idea who I was. He said that even if the world is destroyed I will still live. When I shouted at him for an answer he told me that we would have that discussion after I proved my worth!" Annie shoved herself into a seat. "Happy?!"

Everyone was silent and then Peter shook his head.

"No, I'm not. The infinity stones are an immortal force. They've always existed, even after being destroyed. What if you are immortal because you house the Infinity Stones?" Peter shared a troubling idea but it didn't phase Annie. She got sassy.

" Well if you had even asked me, I would have told you that after all of this is done and over with, I'm giving the powers back to each and every one of you!" Annie snapped.

"And if the stones don't let you?" Peter added a point and Annie looked unsure.

"Then so be it." Annie sighed sadly and then she looked away and seemed exhausted. "I'm gonna go take a shower and then I'm going to bed." Annie said this and then she left the room. Peter's eyes filled with tears as his mouth was slightly open and he looked to Tony in heartbreak.

"I," Peter couldn't speak. Tony shared the same look as everyone else. No one was ok with what Annie had just said.

"How can she be ok with it?" Bucky asked as he tried not to cry.