????? ?????? || p. parker

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CHAPTER ONE — ORIGIN STORY

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IRIS CAMPBELL'S VISION WAS BLURRED, HER BODY LIMP ON THE DRY ROAD. Deafening sirens were the only thing she could hear as she saw the outline of her parents lying next to her. She tried to speak, make a sound even, but she couldn't. She couldn't find her voice at all.

From a birds-eye view, the image of Iris laying on the ground was peculiar. Scattered glass that would usually scar her didn't even touch her. In fact, it was all around her, perfectly formed around her small silhouette.

She was untouched, unhurt, and completely healthy. Apart from the impact of the blow from the explosion that had occurred, she didn't have any obvious injuries. It was incredibly odd, but the people watching around her didn't notice. They only thought that a family of three were badly injured, if not killed.

Fire engulfed the Campbell home, covering every surface in flames and turning every object into ash. The explosion that had wrecked their home came out of nowhere, her parents would soon say, and nobody would give it a second thought.

A blurry figure ran to her, calling for something that sounded vaguely like a medic. She couldn't make out anything else the figure said, except for something like 'hold on.' But she couldn't feel anything, the ringing in her head becoming louder than the pounding in her chest. And soon enough, couldn't see anything.

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IRIS WOKE UP IN A HOSPITAL BED, her head aching. She groaned softly, and the little blonde girl sitting next to her stood up and gasped. Iris blinked heavily, the first thing she saw being that very blonde girl, with no nurses or doctors in sight.

"Iris," a high-pitched voice called to her.

Iris looked further to her right, finding a four-year-old Gwen Stacy standing next to her. She gave her best friend a weak smile, squinting at the harsh sunlight entering her room.

"How are you?" Gwen asked earnestly.

"In pain," Iris replied with her brutally infamous three-year-old honesty. "Are my parents okay?" Iris then inquired.

"Yeah, my parents and I saw them," Gwen confirmed, inching closer to Iris.

Iris hummed in response, nudging herself to sit up. She looked weak, and Gwen wanted to help. In an attempt to calm her nerves, Gwen reached out for Iris' arm (which was a regret of hers when reflected on). But when she touched the still arm, Gwen gasped, reaching away instantly. Things she could only describe as blue and teal sparks flew out of Iris' hand as they flew to various parts of the room, making Gwen look in shock. Iris stared at her hand, nervously shaking at the feeling.

Gwen stared at Iris, her stare turning into a frown when she saw what was happening. "Iris, your eyes."

"What?" Iris asked weakly, unsure of what was even happening at this point. What did that explosion do? she thought silently as her shaking became increasingly prominent.

"They're . . . green. They're turning green," Gwen said in intrigue and slight horror.

Iris' fear drastically increased, meaning her shaking did, too. Gwen took notice of it, and she instantly panicked, unsure of whether to help her friend or call for help. Tears forming in her eyes, she decided upon calling for the doctor as loud as she could, seeing as she was a weak child who didn't know much about anatomy. Gwen's yells were deafeningly loud — something that was seen as a curse by her parents but seemed to help in this situation — and when the doctor came in, he saw Iris, awake at last.

But the shaking had stopped. Not entirely, she was still jittery and every few seconds she would twitch noticeably, but she had made it stop. Somehow, she'd forced herself to control the shaking. She was overwhelmed, horrified about what happened and even more terrified of what was to happen. Gwen reached out for her arm once more before the doctor could protest, and this time, nothing. No green, no blue, just a limp arm.

Gwen's parents walked in at that moment, instantly running towards Iris when she realised she was awake. They quickly shooed their daughter away upon seeing her position, knowing it would only further harm Iris.

"Iris, honey, you're alright," Helen Stacy said by her side as she smiled sweetly. "Gwen, let's go. We'll let the doctor take care of her."

Gwen started protesting, looking back at her best friend as her parents removed her from the room. Her mother shook her head at the young girl, causing her to stop talking.

All Iris could do was stare at her hands with a frown. She didn't know what was happening, and she didn't like it.