Out Of This World

Fresh, cold, air filters in through the askew window. Peter looks out at it, smiling. Another day on earth. He thought about going back home. He really did. But… he loved May and Ben. They were like parents to him, and he didn’t want to lose that.

Throwing his legs to the side of the bed, the young alien gets out and glances at his reflection. He’s older now. His hair is longer and if he looks really closely, there’s a bit of hair sprouting out of his chin. One hair’s enough to call it a beard, right?

Sighing as he throws on his clothes, he grabs his school bag and throws it over his shoulder. Midtown’s far away from where they live, so he must wake up really early to jump on the bus. If May would let him swing like he used to do at home… well, he’d have an extra twenty minutes in bed for sure. But apparently it’s too ‘dangerous’. And, even if he hasn’t seen the evil his mama told him about, May assures him people don’t like what they can’t understand. So… he sticks to his routine… as mundane as it is.

His favourite part of the route is when it finally completes all the winding back roads, pulling up in front of his best friend’s house. Ned comes running out of the door with his family close behind him. He looks embarrassed, sure, but Peter thinks it’s sweet. His mother truly cares for him, if only he’d look and see.

Ned walks down the aisle to the seats that Peter always saves. Peter jumps up because Ned always likes the window seat. They sit together, catching up on their evening (or weekend), and fill the bus with a laughter that pretty much everyone complains about. But it’s their routine. It’s what Peter, as he becomes more human by the day, loves, so… when it changes, he doesn’t know what to do.

The first sense that something is wrong is when the bus stops at Ned’s house… but nobody comes out. The doors quickly close, and Peter’s mundane routine is damaged. It’s changed, and the young boy doesn’t know what to do. There’s never been a day where Ned wasn’t there… by his side. Staring out at the world, the window turns blurry and his mind spaces out. Why is he here? Where is he? He takes a deep breath, and then- everything is fine?

Peter runs a stressed hand over his face, a deep sigh escaping from his lips. The sounds of Earth rotate in and out of his mind, and there’s sweat everywhere. The hair on top of his arms is raised, and he tries so, so, hard to calm himself down but there’s alarms going off in his mind to tell him… run. Run as fast as you can, Peter, don’t let them catch you. But- he doesn’t move, he stays. Because May and Ben told him to stay in the shadows, it’s best not to stand out. Let the other people around you be the sun, for all you need to do (to stay safe) is exist.

Dreaming of doing extraordinary things is long out of reach, because he’s different- and if people realise that he is, he’ll become the scum of the earth. Something to stare at. People will marvel at him as they parade him around in a transparent cage. A circus act… that’s what he’ll become. But there’s no cheering, no happy faces telling him he’s doing a great job… all he’ll see if fear. He will hear cries of outrage. ‘Where did he come from’, or ‘how’… but most of all they’ll say, ‘how can we tear him down? ‘Make him feel like he doesn’t belong’. And that? He knows he’s not ready for it.

The bus stops in front of his school gates. Mechanic doors swing open, and Peter slowly walks down the aisle of the bus with his backpack glued to him. He glances around for Ned. Maybe his best friend was early- maybe he’ll be standing by their lockers with that contagious grin. Then, and only then, Peter will feel safe. For a good friend is like a shield, someone who can make you feel like you’re safe with a simple glance. And that’s what he needs right now… that’s all he needs.

But Ned isn’t there. Instead of Ned, Peter’s warmth, Flash Thompson is standing with his arms crossed over his chest. His back is leant against Peter’s locker, his head resting on the cold metal. He looks… intimidating. Peter’s seen worse, however. Because life on his home planet was different. Frankly, he remembers curling up on the ceiling as his body completely shakes as his mama tries her hardest to keep others out. She never could, and Peter’s learnt how to protect others from such a young age because of it. If he wanted to, Flash would never hurt him again… but then he remembers May’s voice. ‘Stay in the shadows, Peter’. And then he remembers what he’s been taught. ‘Revenge is lost on those like you, my son. Use what you have inside for good. If there are those out there who don’t like that, you walk on with your head held high. Because you… you are so good.’

“Excuse me,” Peter says, politely, as he tries to walk around Flash. The boy doesn’t move. So, Peter tries again. “I need to get my books, please.”

“Why are you talking to me?” Flash asks, only his eyes moving over to where Peter stands only an inch smaller than him. His body stays where it is. “If you want your books, you can wait until I’m finished here. Can’t you see I’m busy?”

Peter looks around. He still can’t quite grasp human nature. “Uh… no? No, I can’t,” he says. Because there is nobody there. It’s just Flash. Therefore, unless he has some complicated stuff going on in his mind… he’s not busy, and he could easily step out of the way for Peter to open his locker. God, Peter thinks, humans are certainly complicated.

Flash huffs, glaring at Peter as somebody beside them stifles a laugh. He doesn’t seem happy. He never does around Peter. Peter has never said anything bad to him (well, he doesn’t think so anyway), but the other boy decided he disliked him the second they walked through the doors. And it’s not because he’s an alien, right? Because nobody knows about that.

“Can I just get to my books?” Peter says again, after an awkward minute passes.

“Fine,” Flash grumbles. He moves around, waiting for Peter to open his locker. When he does, and gets his books out, the bully hits them and laughs as they all tumble to the ground. Paper goes flying, and the teenager winces as the hardcover smacks into his toes. “There you go. Happy now?” Flash laughs, running away from the carnage before the principal sees what he’s done.

Peter looks around at the mess, confusion overwhelming him. Why did Flash have to do this to him? After taking a breather, before a panic could rise in his chest and overtake him, he kneels to start clearing everything up. There are footprints over his notes, trodden on by classmates who didn’t care to help (he doesn’t need them, really, he’s got a photographic memory- but he likes to keep up appearances). Reaching for his favourite book that May brought him for his birthday last year (the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, he likes it because it’s strangely accurate), he doesn’t feel the comforting feel of the paper… but instead he finds himself gripping onto a hand.

“Sorry!” he says, quickly looking up and retracting his hand as if he just touched a hot iron. When he realises who was trying to help, his heartbeat only accelerates. “Michelle- I,” he starts, gulping when she gives him a look (it’s MJ, he can feel her say). “MJ, I mean- sorry- I didn’t mean to-,” he stops himself, as she slowly hands him the book. “Thank you.”

MJ doesn’t say ‘you’re welcome’, or ‘it’s okay’. All she does is look off in the direction that Flash went as they gather the rest of the books. When they’ve got everything together, she looks at Peter and offers a timid smile which isn’t usually there. It fades in a second, replaced by her natural frown- but to know that he was the person behind even a second of her happiness makes Peter feel… overwhelmed. “He’s an ass,” she finally says. When Peter tilts his head, confused, she elaborates. “Flash. He’s- well, he shouldn’t have done that to you.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to it. I don’t know why he’s so insistent on doing it to me- but I- I guess I understand,” Peter looks to his feet. “I don’t think his father is so nice to him if I’m honest. If he feels better by making me feel worse… I don’t mind! Honestly!”

MJ purses her lips (Peter thinks back to the book he read about human behaviour… that means she doesn’t approve of something. He bites his lip. Oh no, that doesn’t sound good. What did he say to annoy her?). She sighs. “You should mind,” she says. But then… she has this peculiar grin on her face. “I think I know your secret, Parker.”

Peter’s brain short circuits. He’s been so careful, hasn’t he? Was this what his senses were warning him off this morning? If MJ knew, she’d tell people. Right? He’d be at risk, and there’s nothing he could do that would stop it. This is bad… really bad. “Uh, you do?” he asks, his hands beginning to shake (he’s lucky the books stop her from seeing).

MJ hums, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You’re not human, are you?”

Peter’s eyes bulge out of his face. “I am! I swear-,”

“Peter,” MJ laughs softly. “I was joking. I mean- I don’t care that you are nice or anything, but I swear you’re too kind to be one of us. So- yeah- hah,” she awkwardly smiles (and she’s making a lot of eye-contact… didn’t that website say that meant she was interested?). “Anyway! I gotta go- you know, class and everything,” she says, waving as she walks away… as if she had no control over where her feet took her.

That was a close one, Peter thinks, as he runs off to his own class that he was about to be late for. Good thing she didn’t actually know. But… then again… wouldn’t it be nice if he could talk to someone about his problems? Ned wouldn’t mind… surely. In fact, he loves space, so he’d be over the moon! But Ben prohibits it… yet, what does he know? Sure, both his ‘parents’ here on Earth love him and want the best for him. However, they act like being himself would be a crime. If he wanted to go out and swing across the nearest city’s buildings… he could! It’s his birth right.

Shutting that thought to the back of his mind, Peter pushes the door open to his class and sneaks in… just in time. He eyes the clock. As he gets all his stuff out, the threshold passes. He would’ve been late if he just waited two more minutes. And if he was late to yet another class, his teachers warned him that he’d get a detention. And if he got detention, he’d get the late bus which doesn’t go all the way home. It stops just outside their village. So, even if May and Ben didn’t like it, he’d have to walk home… on his own. Which ‘apparently’ is too dangerous.

School’s so boring without Ned, Peter decides. The day drags, as if he was sat by the window watching one raindrop fall from the top to the bottom. He sits on their table by himself, picking at his sandwich he doesn’t want to eat. Whenever he sees something amusing happen, he looks over to see if Ned saw it too… but his best friend isn’t there. He’d give anything for him to be here, giving him hope that humanity isn’t as bad as the adults in his life say it is.

The bell goes, but Peter’s too distracted to remember what it means. He only notices everyone’s gone when the janitor gently taps him on the shoulder, looking at him if he’s crazy for just staring at the white walls of the cafeteria. Peter quickly springs into action, scaring the man who just woke him up from whatever far away place he was stuck in. He throws his food in the bin, grabs his bag, and goes to his fifth period. But… he doesn’t make it in time. The teacher’s waiting for him with a disappointed gaze and a shake of the head, as if they knew it was going to happen.

Flash laughs when he sits down, happy that the person he hates so much is down. Peter hates this lesson if he’s honest. It’s not the content. Oh, he can’t hate anything that teaches him so much about his new home… but it’s because he sits in front of Flash. Which means he must sit there and endure crumbled up pieces of paper smacking him on the head, or little whispers only he can hear attacking everything about him. He gets through it, of course, but it’s never ‘fun’.

He stays behind in class, as of his teacher’s request. “What’s happening, Peter? You’ve been late to a lot of classes recently. We’re beginning to worry about you.”

Peter tilts his head. Compassion, he realises. He’d like to say he was taught that on his home planet, but it was only because of the parenting book (one he found in May’s draw one night) that he learnt about it. And he also realised that a lot of people lacked it. And only those who really cared for others showed Peter how it worked. On paper, it sounded so good. In reality? It was so much better.

Knowing someone was there, someone who (to be honest) hardly knew anything about him, made his heart feel warm. It made him feel good. And it was another pro for humanity. They sound less evil as the days go by. Maybe walking home tonight wouldn’t be as scary as he once thought.

“I’m fine,” Peter says, and he thinks that he’s telling the truth. “Just feel like something bad is going to happen today.”

“Something bad?” his teacher, Mr Smith, questions, gesturing to the open seat for Peter to take. “And why do you feel like that? Is something happening at home?”

“Oh, no. Nothing at home,” Peter responds. “No, it’s just- well, it’s nothing. I can’t really explain it.”

His teacher smiles at him softly, putting him at ease. “Sometimes we just get a bad feeling, don’t we?” they ask, nodding when Peter does. “If it makes you feel any better, I think everything is going to be… just fine.”

Peter furrows his eyebrows. Hm, well- that last bit sounded a bit sinister. But this teacher had always been weird. Ned said they started only a few days before he did, and that they’ve always been a bit weird. And Peter swears they follow him and Ned around a lot, especially when getting the bus home. But surely that’s all in his head… right?

“How about I give you a ride home after your detention today? It worries me that you’re on your own… especially since Ned isn’t here to witness- I mean- to keep you safe,” they smile.

Peter doesn’t think anything of the kind offer. But he must say no. That’s just what he’s been told to do. “Oh, that’s okay. Thank you. I think I’ll get home just fine.”

Peter’s dismissed… but he swears he hears his teacher say ‘oh, I don’t think you will’, as he closes his door. Hm, it must just be his imagination.

Peter walks the halls, the sense of danger building. It’s always been there at school, and he’s never known why, but today- today it’s on a whole different level. He gets to his last class of the day, passes the slip that his last teacher wrote for him over the desk, and sits down. He looks around, feeling as if somebody is watching him. He must just be going delirious because he misses Ned. That’s surely it. He’s just out of his routine and once he gets home to May’s mediocre pasta, everything will be fine. Ben will finish his shift in the station, give them both a kiss on the cheek, and go to bed. May will then take him out to the porch, and they’ll look at the stars together and laugh at the crater Peter made when he first landed (they haven’t bothered to fix it).

Yes, Peter thinks, everything will be… fine.

Detention’s boring. He sits at the back of the class, watching a video of someone they call ‘Captain Rogers’. He preaches listening to the rules, but Peter doesn’t bother to take it in. It’s not like he completely disregards everything here. He’s a good student. He does his work; he even attends academic decathlon on days where Ben can pick him up. He just stares into space sometimes and misses the first five minutes of a lesson. Big deal! He personally thinks the schools wants too much out of them.

Looking at the back of the class, he makes eye-contact with MJ who was previously doodling in her sketch book. She keeps her eyes on him for a second, before turning to the boy who has his head in his hands and a frown on his face (she’s always liked to draw people in distress. Even if Peter doesn’t get it, it’s her hobby… and he thinks she’s pretty good at it). He can’t remember her getting detention. Sometimes he worries that she’s got more going on at home than she let out, but then he remembers he doesn’t know anything about her. So, he hasn’t really got a leg to stand on. She could have the best family life… for all he knows. It’s best to stay out of other people’s business when you’re someone like Peter (yet another life lesson he got from the people who took him in). He wouldn’t want to risk putting her in danger too.

Detention stops, and Peter’s mind fades away from MJ and focuses in on how he’s getting home. He jumps onto the bus, bag tight in his hand, and sits on the same seats he always does. The bus leaves, dropping him off in the outskirts of town. It’s a thirty-ish- minute walk from here to home. Ben has always told him to call if he’s in this situation, but surely he’ll be just fine to make his own way back.

But when he checks his phone to see if Ned’s said anything (he’s a good student, he turns his phone off throughout the day), he’s bombarded by messages from Ben asking him where he is. Peter gets he’s worried, but all he wants to do is live a normal life like humans of his age do. So, he doesn’t reply. He walks and walks… until he sees someone familiar walking behind a young lady… just a little bit too close.

“Hey!” Peter calls, when he notices the knife. He runs, fast. He knows how to save people’s lives. He’s seen his mama do it, and he’s been taught the technique since the moment he could walk. This… this should be easy. “Leave her alone!”

In the dimly lit hallway, the man turns around. He’s tall, with black hair and a tattoo that looks like a skull and bones on the top of his arm. But it’s the face that baffles Peter. It’s… it’s Mr Smith from his school, the same teacher who asked him if he was okay only a few hours back.

“Peter!” he smiles, “They said you would fall for the trap, but I wasn’t too sure of it myself,” the man chuckles. He leans over, kissing the lady (the same lady Peter once thought to be in danger) on the cheek. “Thanks for the help, sweetheart,” he smiles, putting a twenty-dollar bill in her hand as she walks off… the sounds of heels getting drastically lower. “Damaged by humans who tell you that the world is amazing, and that everyone deserves to be here. New flash, they’re wrong. Not everyone deserves to be on our planet, son, especially those like you.”

“…M-Mr Smith, what do you mean?” Peter stutters.

“I mean, Peter, that I’m not letting you out on our streets ever again. You are property of Shield now- well, you’re really Hydra’s… but we’ll have to find a new location once we’re strong enough again. If the higher ups of shield find out, we’re doomed.” He’s talking to himself, but he’s looking straight into Peter’s eyes. It’s terrifying.

“Mr Smith, I don’t- I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Get it through your thick head, kid! I’m not ‘Mr Smith’! I was sent by my team to keep an eye out on you. We knew you arrived since the second you landed in May Parker’s Garden. She took you… kept you hidden from us with her brother-in-law’s tech. I had to keep up this ‘cover’ of a teacher as we needed the right time to strike. No witnesses, nobody to say I was acting weird,” his teacher (well, Peter realises he was never his teacher at all) grins, stepping forward. “My name’s Brock, kid. Brock Rumlow. And you? You’re coming with me. And I’m not asking twice.”

Peter jumps back, heart in his stomach. “No, I’m not. I’m not going anywhere near you.” He goes to turn around, but there’s more of people like ‘Brock’ standing there. Peter looks up, trying to figure out a plan of escape. But as he goes to jump up, hands grabbing the side of the wall so he can retreat to the roof… a dart hits him in the leg. His vision goes dark.

It doesn’t keep him under for long. In fact, it’s only five minutes later when the young boy comes to again. And when he does, he wishes he never did. He blinks. Looking up, he watches as Brock Rumlow puts his hand around Uncle Ben’s neck. The man must’ve located him on ‘find my friends’, as Peter was never home this late. And when he found people trying to take his kid away… he would’ve done anything to stop it. But he can’t win against them. And when Peter hears the gunshot go off, he knows what has happened. Ben’s dying, and it’s all his fault.

“Ben!” Peter screams, trying to get to his dad of two years. “Ben, no- please. Please. Help him! God, somebody help! I’ll go with you- just please- please help him.” The kid’s crying, as Brock rolls him over to where Ben’s bleeding out on the floor.

“It’s too late,” the man sneers, “Say your goodbyes.”

Peter rests his forehead against Ben’s. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers, his own tears dripping down onto Ben as he sobs hysterically. “I love you, Ben. I’m so sorry.”

He leans into Ben’s touch as the man uses his last few minutes to hold Peter’s cheek in his palm. “I love you too, Petey-Pie. I promise you that you’ll make it out of this, bubba. There’s still good out there, remember that. And one day- you have to make it back to her- okay? Be good, kid. Or should I say- stay good… because you’ve always been the best.”

Peter sobs as the hand drops, indicating that Ben’s gone… and he’s not coming back. He’s dead. He’s been killed so these men can take Peter away and tear him down. And when he’s pulled away from his dad, he’s hit with another dart. But he’s glad for the darkness to overtake him, and a bit of him wishes he never came out of it.

Thirty minutes later

Officer Grant walks around the corner of his post, looking for Ben Parker (his partner-in-crime… or in this case, his partner-in-law of ten years). May called him to say neither him or their adopted kid, Peter, made their way home… and she was worried beyond belief. He called out Ben’s name for ages, getting no reply. It was a small, yet populated, town (unlike the nearby village that the Parker’s called home), so they couldn’t have gone far. But when he sees a trail of blood… his heart stops. He follows it and sees… Ben.

Turning around to throw up at the sight, officer Grant can hardly believe his eyes. He calls the rest of the team, getting them to block the area off for the public. And once they arrive, and mourn, he jumps into his car with the horrible task of letting May know her husband was dead, and her son was nowhere to be found. Her entire family was gone… How on earth would she ever get over it?

He knocks on the door, twice. And as he raises his first to go for the third knock, the door swings open. May’s standing there in a dressing gown and tired eyes. She looks behind Officer Grant, hoping to see her family standing there beside him… but there’s nothing to see. When they make eye-contact, she knows. And just like that, she collapses into tears and lands in Ben’s partner’s arms.

“Oh my god,” she cries.

Later that night, once the officer’s gone, she sits in the living room. Her love for astrology breaks in half, because now… she thinks, what’s the point of watching them? Because the world isn’t as beautiful as she once thought it to be. The stars remind her of greed, or evil- of humans who can’t leave things alone. It reminds her of lost love- as she remembers every evening where Peter would point out where he’s been. So, as she sits on the sofa that her husband loved so much, she fades away from the person she used to be. And she cries. She now realises what she should’ve told her boy the moment he stepped foot on her earth.

‘Run away, Peter’,” she wishes she said, because all humans do is destroy… and now, now they’ve destroyed her… and they’re coming for her kid next. And there’s nothing she can do to stop it.