Their POV.
The cold weather didn’t help the inner turmoil Quinn was going through. Standing outside the building, waiting for the truths she might uncover, felt almost unbearable. If it were up to her, she would never take the chance of meeting a potential family. She was too scared of disappointment—but even more terrified of things going well.
But this situation was out of her hands. As soon as she and Bucky returned from their weekend at Trisha’s, Joaquin informed them about a data leak involving her aunt and cousin—two people who didn’t even know she existed.
And today, she was here to warn them about the danger.
“Can you remind me why I’m the one doing this?” Quinn asked Bucky, her gaze fixed on the building ahead.
“Because these people are your blood, and they have a right to be warned and offered protection,” he replied, watching her worried expression. “But you already know that.”
“I do,” she sighed. “I just magically hoped the answer would change at the last minute.”
Without giving herself time to overthink, she stepped up and rang the doorbell.
“Hello?” A male teen’s agitated voice answered.
“Hi. Uhm... is this where May and Peter Parker live?”
“Who’s asking?” The kid’s tone was wary.
“Quinn,” she breathed, shooting Bucky an annoyed look.
“Well, Quinn, my aunt isn’t here, and I’m not supposed to talk to strangers, let alone let them inside when I’m a minor, and—”
“Parker,” she interrupted, cutting through his rambling. “I’m Quinn Parker. And if I’m correct, you’re Peter—my cousin, I hope.”
“Damn. Wow. Okay. Wait,” he stammered, his voice rising an octave. Three seconds later, the door opened, revealing a 17-year-old boy who seemed to have quickly thrown on the first clothes he found. He opened his mouth to speak but froze the moment he saw Bucky. His eyes widened in disbelief.
“T-that’s the Winter Soldier,” Peter stuttered, staring at him.
Bucky frowned, something in the boy’s tone striking a chord in his memory.
“And I’m Quinn. Hi,” she said, forcing a smile. “Is your aunt arriving soon, or should we come back another time?”
“No! She should be back soon. Please, come in. Hi, I’m Peter,” he chuckled nervously, extending a hand. Quinn hesitated, then awkwardly accepted the handshake before stepping inside.
“Wait, so, you said ‘aunt.’ Isn’t May your mom?”
“No, my parents died when I was a few days old. Please, take a seat.”
Quinn froze mid-step, exchanging a tense glance with Bucky as Peter hurried off, mumbling something about getting them water. She plopped onto the couch as soon as he left the room.
“I’m afraid to inform you there’s a very obvious resemblance,” Bucky said dryly, sitting beside her. “Congrats, big sister.”
“So, how distant of a cousin are you? Because May didn’t have kids as far as I’m aware of.” Peter said as he came back with two glasses of water, his hand shaking too much when he had to make eye contact with Bucky.
“I think we should wait until she is here, you are still a kid after all.” Quinn said as she sipped water.
“Am not. I turn 18 in a few days and will enter MIT soon.” He smiled proudly, which made her blink.
“MIT? Wow, you do well. Did you grow... good here?” She asked, scared of him having the same fate she did.
“Sure, May has been the coolest person ever. A bit strict, you know, sometimes I did wish curfew wasn’t at 8 p.m., but I can't complain too much can I?” Quinn faintly smiled, half bitterly and half relieved. He was a good kid. “Now please may I ask why is Bucky Barnes here too?”
“I’m a friend.” He explained with a fake smile, which only made Peter more uncomfortable.
“Well, I’m a Trauma Surgeon.” She commented. “Guess the brainy traits come in the family, right?”
“Right.”
As they made small talk, Bucky’s senses sharpened. Something about the kid seemed too familiar. The tone, the nervous glances—it was like déjà vu. Suddenly, his memory clicked.
Without warning, he grabbed a jar and threw it in Peter’s direction. Peter dodged effortlessly, catching it mid-air with a strand of web.
“Not May’s favorite!” Peter yelped, horrified.
“You’re the spider-kid!” Bucky accused, standing up.
“W-what? No! This is just... just tape. I—” Peter sighed in defeat. “Fine, yes, I am. Please don’t take revenge on what happened in Berlin.”
“Spider what?!” Quinn exclaimed, her voice rising in shock.
*
The sound of the straw indicating Peter’s milkshake was finished resounded for the last minute, as he let Bucky and Quinn process his small story time of how he basically became a superhero, and his aunt had no idea. They were at a nearby restaurant, for the newsflash made it impossible to deal with May and this whole information drop.
“Well, that saves us the job of protecting you.” Bucky commented, trying to be a comic relief.
“From what?” He chuckled.
“It’s my turn to make a story time, so buckle up.” Quinn took a breath. “I’m the oldest daughter of Richard and May Parker. They were murdered because Richard created a spidey-serum that many forces wanted, such as Hydra. There are people actively searching for that serum, and I only knew you existed because the people who trespassed my apartment may come for you and or your aunt. Oh, and now we know there is no serum and you are literally what they want.”
Peter blinked, his face frozen in a mix of disbelief and unease as he processed Quinn’s revelation. His fingers tapped idly against the now-empty jar he’d used to drink his milkshake, the sound breaking the tense silence between them.
“Wait, wait, wait,” he stammered, setting the jar down and holding up a hand. “You’re saying... I’m the serum? Like, my DNA or whatever is the thing these people have been looking for this whole time?”
“Yes,” Quinn replied bluntly, her tone sharp and to the point. She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, her eyes assessing him. “And before you start thinking this is some cool superhero origin story, let me remind you: this makes you a target. A very dangerous one.”
Peter swallowed hard, glancing nervously between her and Bucky. “But they don’t know that yet, right? They’re still looking for, what, a magic potion in a lab somewhere?”
“Exactly,” Bucky said, nodding. “That’s our only advantage. These people—former Hydra agents—don’t have a clue that the serum isn’t some formula locked away in a vault. As long as you keep your identity under wraps, they won’t know it’s you.”
Peter exhaled in relief but quickly frowned. “Okay, but... what are you two even doing about this? I mean, are we just sitting around waiting for them to figure it out, or do you actually have a plan?”
Quinn’s eyes narrowed slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line. She wasn’t used to caring about anyone this much, especially someone who was just dropped into her life like this. The thought of having a "little brother"—even if it was just a label for now—was unsettling. But she had to admit, there was a strange, nagging pull in her chest that didn’t sit right when Peter's safety was concerned.
She took a deep breath, shaking the discomfort from her thoughts. “First of all, there is no ‘we.’ You don’t get to play hero in this situation, Peter. You’re the asset, not the soldier.”
“The asset?” Peter repeated, his voice rising indignantly. “I’m not some... some object you can stick in a vault and forget about! I’m Spider-Man! I’ve fought guys way worse than some washed-up Hydra wannabes!”
“That’s exactly the kind of attitude that’s going to get you killed,” Quinn snapped, her voice colder than before. “You’re not invincible, Peter. And this isn’t some neighborhood scuffle with a guy in a goofy mask. These people don’t care about honor or fairness. The second they realize you’re what they’re looking for, they’ll do whatever it takes to get to you. Including going after May.”
Peter flinched at the mention of his aunt, his jaw tightening. “Then let me help. If I’m in this, I should be doing something. I’m not just going to sit around while you two handle everything.”
Bucky sighed, giving Quinn a pointed look before turning to Peter. “Kid, I get it. You want to help. But right now, the best thing you can do is keep your head down. The second you start drawing attention to yourself, you’re putting a target on your back—and on May’s, too.”
Peter ran a hand through his hair, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “So what, I just stop being Spider-Man? Pretend none of this is happening?”
“For now, yes,” Quinn said coldly. “Just until we figure out a better plan.” She paused, her gaze softening for just a moment before she added, “And if that means staying out of the spotlight for a little while, so be it.”
Peter stared at her for a long time, the weight of her words sinking in. Finally, he sighed, shoulders slumping as the anger drained from him. “Fine,” he muttered. “But I’m not happy about it.”
“I know,” Quinn replied. “But sometimes doing the right thing means swallowing your pride.”
Her words lingered in the air, leaving Peter with a lot to think about.