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Chapter 63 – Back to Normal (Maybe Not)
[Morning, Agreste household]
Here's the thing about saving the world and fighting bad guys,I was never a fan of it.For One your body hurts, and second, you are always dead tired.
Nah, I'm just lazy.
But seriously, you'd think after stopping a molten supervillain, a terrorist organization, and a guy with magic alien rings, the world would let me sleep in. Maybe have some sweet dreams where I'm lying in a field somewhere.
Nope.
My alarm went off at six-thirty like it always does, Plagg immediately started demanding cheese, and sweet Tikki help me find my brush.
Normal Monday.
"You're moving weirdly," Natalie observed from the kitchen doorway. She had a coffee in one hand and her tablet in the other, which meant she'd been awake for at least two hours. Seriously, who the hell wakes up at 4 in the morning for a "secret project"?
"I got punched through a cargo container twenty-four hours ago," I said. "I'm allowed to move weirdly."
"You used the Rooster Miraculous to heal yourself."
"'The Phantom pain'. The Phantom pain is real."
She handed me a coffee without being asked. That's the thing about Natalie — she notices everything and says very little about it. Which is either comforting or unsettling depending on the day.
I took the coffee. "Anything new?"
"Mandarin's gone quiet. I've been trying to search for AIM's bases with my powers, but no luck." She paused. "Which means they're either planning something or hiding."
"I don't get these people. They're smart enough to live a comfortable life, but they want world domination. Why?"
"Speaking of comfortable," she added, "you have school."
I stared at her.
She stared back.
"Right," I said. "School."
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The thing I've noticed about going back to Midtown after a crisis is that nobody seems to have complained to the education board about the Spider-Man and Andy attacks. In a school this big, you'd think there'd be at least one parent demanding better supervision and security. But I guess SHIELD's already smoothed all that over.
Ned spotted me the second I walked in and immediately launched into the most important topic on his mind.
"Okay, so. Did you watch the president's kidnapping and rescue?" he said, falling into step beside me with the energy of someone who had clearly been waiting to have this conversation. "I mean, Captain America and Black Widow used some new powers. And I think Guardian gave them those powers."
"Morning to you too, Ned."
"Yeah, yeah, morning — but look." He held up his laptop. "Here, Captain used the same barrier Guardian used in the New York war. And look closely — see the bracelet? Same as Guardian's. So I have a theory. Guardian's powers are tied to his jewelry, and anyone wearing it can use his powers."
"I haven't had my coffee yet. Don't go power-hungry-Sherlock me before coffee."
"But you're holding coffee right now."
"Yes. Yet to drink," I said.
Ned kept going anyway. That's the thing about him — he can be extremely perceptive at times. But if he figured this out from two videos, how many other people are putting it together too?
My thoughts were cut off as we reached Gwen, already there, looking at her phone with the expression she gets when something's annoyed her but she hasn't decided how annoyed yet.
"Peter's late again," she said, not looking up.
"He probably got caught in traffic," Ned said.
"Yeah, he texted that he got held up."
Marinette arrived about thirty seconds later, slightly out of breath and carrying what looked like a sketchbook, a tote bag, and someone else's jacket all at once. I have no idea how she manages to carry so many things and still trip over flat ground, but she's consistent about it.
"Sorry — metro was packed—" She fell into step with us. "You're walking weirdly. Did you get hurt or something?"
"Some dude rammed his bike into me," I lied.
"Maybe you should go to the nurse," Gwen said helpfully.
"It's nothing serious, just some soreness. So, what are you working on, Marinette?"
"I've been working on a tailcoat, but—" she shifted the tote onto her other shoulder, "—I need a model. Want to help?"
"Sure. Does tonight work?"
"Yeah, it works." She smiled. Ned made a victorious face behind her that I ignored with the expertise of someone who's been ignoring Ned's faces for months now.
The bell rang.
---
Physics was fine. History was fine. Lunch was fine until Flash sat down uninvited and started a debate about whether Guardian or Iron Man was "actually more useful in Miami" based on a YouTube breakdown he'd watched.
"Iron Man literally fought that giant lava monster," Flash said.
"Guardian's the one who stopped the explosion," Ned countered.
"Both of them let the villains escape," Gwen said.
That's fair, honestly. I didn't say that out loud.
"But Guardian nearly killed that monster," Marinette said, and then immediately looked like she regretted saying it. "I mean — I know he's a man, and heroes don't kill, but it looked like he was going to."
Gwen put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, we understand. You're right."
"You're actually kind of wrong. Heroes like Spider-Man don't kill, sure, but technically all the Avengers have killed someone. Iron Man destroyed a terrorist group. Captain fought in a war. Hulk's caused a lot of destruction. Thor's a god who's definitely killed people. Hawkeye and Black Widow are agents — they've definitely killed someone." I said it, and the atmosphere immediately turned awkward. Then Flash said—
"That's why Spidey's the best."
"Even if we ignore that — they killed a bunch of aliens."
I drank my water, looking at them with mischief.
"They were attacking Earth, and they looked like cyborgs," Ned tried to defend.
"My point still stands. Heroes kill," I said.
Everyone started talking at once. I went back to my lunch.
Normal Tuesday.
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After school, I walked home the long way. Not for any tactical reason — I just wanted the extra twenty minutes.
The city looked exactly like it always does. Loud, busy, slightly chaotic, completely indifferent to the fact that two weeks ago a man made of molten metal tried to kill four people on a Miami dock.
Which is either depressing or reassuring. I haven't decided.
My phone buzzed. Natalie.
*"Daredevil contacted me — he wants my help with the recent disappearances in Brooklyn. Won't be home tonight."*
Somewhere in Brooklyn, according to the alert Natalie flagged this morning, three people had gone missing in the past two weeks. No bodies. No ransom. No witnesses.
Just gone.
I pulled up the report on my phone and read it twice.
Then I kept walking.
Maybe I should see what's happening there.
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*End of Chapter 63*
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A/N :-
1) "Midas_a_god" here is the chapter. Happy now.
2) I have a few arcs in mind I will try to write them and complete this story.
3) This isn't a promise and story might go on haitus do to my work schedule. Bye