[Third Person Pov]
Darcy slowly lowered her hands, the tension draining from her shoulders as a relieved sigh escaped her. "Wait… so we aren't actually in any serious trouble?"
Peter's posture remained perfectly rigid, his voice dropping into that same dead-serious register he used when he wanted people to squirm. "Oh no. You're all still being detained. What you've done here could easily be considered a criminal offense."
Jane and Erik both froze, mouths slightly open, completely at a loss for how to respond.
MJ rolled her eyes and gave Peter a firm but affectionate elbow to the ribs. "Ignore this clown. He's just messing with you. You're not in any trouble."
Felicia shook her head and stepped closer, crouching slightly to get a better look at the unconscious Asgardian still sprawled on the asphalt. "You're not even who we came for."
Jane studied the four of them with cautious eyes, arms loosely crossed. "I kinda figured that. You're all the way out here in New Mexico instead of New York where you're usually seen."
Erik Selvig finally found his voice. As a man of science rather than faith, he needed the confirmation out loud. "Wait. Does that mean you all know what—or who—he truly is?"
Peter gave a casual shrug, though the weight behind his words was deliberate. "Yeah, pretty much. We're mostly just making sure Earth isn't about to face some kind of mortal threat. When gods start dropping out of the sky, history tends to suggest the world's ending."
MJ turned her head toward him with a flat look. "Why are you trying to scare them? And what history lesson did you take where Gods falling from the sky was a topic of discussion"
"Because it's fun," Peter answered without a hint of apology and left the second question unanswered.
MJ faced Jane and the others again, voice calm and reassuring. "The world is not ending."
Felicia added smoothly, "And if it were, don't worry—we'd have it handled."
Aria glanced around the parking lot and grimaced. Several bystanders had already pulled out their phones. A few were openly recording. "Can we please discuss this somewhere else? We're attracting a lot of attention… and I don't think Thor would appreciate us leaving him on the ground like this."
Jane nodded quickly and gestured toward her car. "Help me get him inside. We can talk more at my place—it's not far from here."
While the women carefully lifted the heavy Asgardian and maneuvered him into the back seat of Jane's vehicle, Peter lingered a few steps away. He became aware of an intense stare boring into the side of his mask. When he turned, Darcy was standing there, arms crossed, studying him like he was a particularly interesting museum exhibit.
"What?" he asked, suddenly self-conscious.
"Two things." She held up two fingers for emphasis. "First—can I get a picture?"
Peter's grin was visible even through the fabric of the mask. "Sure."
Darcy let out a delighted squeal and immediately fished her phone from her pocket.
"Erik! Here!" She tossed the device to the astrophysicist, then scurried over to Peter's side. She quickly smoothed her hair, adjusted her stance, and wrapped an arm around his midsection.
Erik, looking equal parts bemused and resigned, raised the phone and snapped several shots before handing it back.
"Thanks, man," Darcy said, already scrolling through the images with a satisfied smile. Then she looked up again, eyes bright with a second, even bolder request. "And the other thing… can you take me swinging? I've always wondered what that felt like."
Peter hesitated only a second. "I mean… sure. Anything for a fan, I suppose."
---
A short time later, Darcy's delighted scream echoed across the New Mexico skyline.
"Ahhhh! This is awesome!"
She clung tightly to Spider-Man's back as he swung in long, fluid arcs, webs shooting out one after another. The wind whipped her hair straight back, and the sprawling desert city stretched out beneath them in every direction. MJ, Felicia, and Aria kept pace in a loose formation nearby, matching Peter's rhythm with practiced ease.
Below them, Jane's car rolled steadily along the road. Every so often she glanced up into the rearview mirror and caught sight of the four costumed figures trailing overhead—and Darcy, still clinging to Peter's back like an overexcited backpack. Jane only sighed and kept driving.
Eventually the group descended as Jane pulled into the driveway of a spacious, well-maintained house that made it immediately clear she was doing more than fine for herself. The moment Peter touched down on the front lawn with Darcy still hanging on, the others landed softly around him.
Peter had landed lightly beside Jane's car just as she stepped out of the driver's seat. He set Darcy down on the driveway a second later. The younger woman was still practically vibrating with leftover adrenaline, cheeks flushed and hair wind-tousled.
Jane fixed her assistant with a long, exasperated look. "You are seriously unbelievable, do you know that?"
Darcy only grinned wider, bouncing once on the balls of her feet. "Hey, don't knock it till you try it. That was spectacular, man!"
Inside the car, Thor had already regained consciousness. He sat upright in the back seat, still dressed in nothing but a thin hospital gown that did little to hide his imposing frame. When the group approached, he regarded the four spider-themed figures with open curiosity.
"I am sorry," he said in a deep, resonant voice, "I do not believe we have met. And I must say… what bizarre attire you wear. Is this the common fashion of Midgardians?"
Peter tilted his head, looking Thor up and down with deliberate exaggeration. "Says you, Cinderella. What happened—did the clock strike twelve?"
Thor glanced down at the gown. He clearly did not understand the reference, but he was able to understand the meaning behind it. A faint look of chagrin crossed his features. "This is not by choice…"
Jane gestured toward the front door of the house. "Come inside. I should have some clothes you can borrow."
As they filed into the spacious living room, Peter stepped forward and offered a clearer introduction. "Anyway—I'm Spider-Man. In terms you'd understand, I'm a warrior of Midgard. I protect this planet and its people from anything that tries to harm them."
Thor's expression brightened with genuine respect. He clasped Peter's hand in a firm shake. "I see! How splendid. It is an honor to meet a Midgardian warrior. From my understanding, there are far too few of your kind. Well met, Man of Spider. I am Thor, the Thunderer, son of Odin."
MJ, Felicia, and Aria each introduced themselves in turn by their hero names. Peter watched with quiet amusement as Thor repeated the exact same formal introduction—name, epithet, and parentage—every single time he shook another hand, as though the ritual itself were sacred.
Jane returned a moment later carrying a folded pair of jeans and a dark T-shirt that looked like it might actually fit someone of Thor's size. "Here. This is all I have on short notice, but it should work."
"Much appreciated," Thor said, accepting the clothes. Without the slightest hesitation or change in expression, he began peeling off the hospital gown right there in the middle of the living room.
"WOAH—!"
Nearly everyone reacted at once. Hands flew up to block the view. Several people spun halfway around. Jane made a strangled sound but somehow failed to look away completely, her eyes briefly tracing the sculpted lines of muscle and the faint scars that marked an Asgardian's body.
Thor paused with one leg already in the trousers, brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "What?"
Jane finally managed to tear her gaze upward. "Don't you have any shame?"
"Shame?" Thor looked around the room as though the concept itself were foreign. "What for? What is there to be ashamed about?"
From behind her spread fingers, Darcy let out a low whistle. "Hubba bubba…"
Felicia, still half-turned, gave an appreciative nod. "Damn right. I wouldn't be ashamed either."
Peter's head snapped toward her so fast it was almost audible. He was standing only centimeters from her face, masked eyes boring into hers.
Felicia stiffened, then looked pointedly away. "…I'm not looking."
"Mmhmm," Peter hummed, eyes narrowing further.
She laughed nervously, gaze darting side to side.
Aria, completely unbothered, held her hands up in a rectangular frame as though taking a photograph. "I am. Wow. Good thing I have a photographic memory—straight to the folder it goes."
Peter immediately reached over and lightly whacked her upside the head. "The hell? What folder?!"
Aria swayed side to side, batting her lashes with exaggerated innocence. "Hehe… I mean, I still think you're the handsomest father ever."
Peter pointed a stern finger at her. "I'm going to have to thoroughly check your browser history, young lady."
************************************************
+5 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3