ALIAS ? Peter Parker?

2.09 Burning Bridges

***

My lungs burned as the pressure on my throat and my anger grew. I tapped on Rachel's forearm thrice then oxygen rushed into my chest. Once free from her grip, I ripped off the blindfold and coughed.

The studio air was cold and bitter. Fail after fail. I was supposed to get her pinned on the mat without seeing, but it was impossible. To quote that one ominous kid from Harry Potter, "It was like catching smoke with your bare hands."

It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the light. Rain pounded on the glass windows, blue-tinted light fell through the glass. It was later than usual, but it was nearly impossible to tell time passed in her mirrored studio.

"You should have tapped out earlier." Her hand patted my shoulder.

"Why can't I just use my powers?" I repelled from cold fingertips and felt bitter bile rise in my throat. "What's the point in having them if I can't use them?"

"They're flaky and you know that." Her brows furrowed. Then her eyes narrowing on me and arms crossed. I grabbed my bag that was leaning against the mirrored wall. "What's wrong?"

I saw her flash in my head again. Shiny and pink. Things snapped to grey and red. "Nothing, I'm going home."

"It's raining outside." She reasoned, glancing at iron clouds outside. "Is it the training?"

"For someone with no reason to give a shit about me, you're starting to act like my mother." I snorted, pulling the strap of my bag over my head and ignoring her approaching figure.

"We're not done." Her voice changed pitch and her eyes turned to ice. "We're not done."

"I think we are."

A crack rippled through the room, her pale hands pulled away just as it sounds. The floors slipped for a second, my body moved backward. A crunch met my head as it collided with the glass mirror behind me. Pain tangled through my cheek and I touched my scalp. Red coated my fingertips.

"I'm sorry." Rachel put her hand over her mouth. "Charlie, I'm so sorry."

Glass-covered the floor and I see the fractured mirror. The cuts of my face in it, too many too tired eyes. Fingers trembling, I held on to her arms. I couldn't even feel it. "It's okay, it was my fault. I'm sorry."

"Let's just let get you cleaned up, alright?" She gives me the same soft smile she always had. "We'll practice tomorrow."

"Of course."

There was no need for stitches, just a bandage Rachel gently placed on my temple. It was a silent agreement not to mention the accident again, it wasn't a big deal anyway. She offered to loan me a jacket for my trip home, which I accepted.

***

"I think this counts as an invasion of privacy," I noted as Peter Parker sat cross-legged on my bed, reminding me to invest in better window locks. Dropping my bag on the floor somewhere, I boarded up emotions and I looked for a clean shirt to wear as Peter stood up.

"I thought you might want to find the arms dealer again... where'd you get that?" His finger traced over the white bandaid and I winced away.

"It's nothing, what'd you find out?"