[Third Person POV]
"Okay, I can do this… I can do this… I got this," Lydia muttered under her breath like a mantra. Her fingers twitched nervously as she cracked her knuckles, then shook out her wrists as if trying to fling the anxiety right off her skin.
"Oh my God, just get on with it already! We have somewhere to be!" Felicia groaned dramatically, throwing her head back and letting out an exaggerated sigh. Her foot tapped impatiently against the ground. "At this rate, we'll grow old before you even flap those things."
"Will you shut it?" Lydia snapped, glaring daggers at her. "This is nerve-wracking! I've never flown before, and I'd rather not fall, break my neck, and die right there on the spot, thank you very much!"
Peter held up his hands in a calming gesture. "Don't worry, I'm really fast. If you fall, I'll catch you before you hit the ground. You've got nothing to worry about."
Lydia stared at him with a flat, unamused expression. "That's… not nearly as comforting as you think it is."
"Just beat those wings of yours already," Peter replied in a deadpan tone, earning a light chuckle from Gwen beside him.
"Okay, okay! Just don't rush me," Lydia said defensively, holding her hands up as if to ward off their impatience. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her shoulders rising and falling as she centered herself.
A soft sound — like rustling silk — filled the air as she flexed her back. From between her shoulder blades, wings burst forth, unfurling in a graceful yet uncertain motion. Feathers, a warm shade of earthy brown, shimmered faintly in the sunlight. They trembled slightly, as if sharing her nerves.
Gwen raised her wrist and projected a thin beam of light that danced across the feathers, scanning them with a soft hum. "They're double her full body length," Gwen murmured, analyzing the readout on her watch. "Almost four meters across. That's… actually really impressive, Lydia."
"Yeah, impressive," Lydia muttered, craning her neck to glance over her shoulder. "But also awkward. I've never had wings before, so I have no idea how to even make them move." Her brow furrowed in deep concentration, feathers twitching but refusing to cooperate.
"Just use your instincts," Peter said, his tone shifting into that of a mentor. "When we swing through the city, part of it's calculations, sure — but the rest just comes naturally. You stop thinking and start feeling the movement. Trust it."
"Yeah, see, that's the thing," Lydia said, her voice tinged with frustration. "I've never exactly had to follow my instincts before so I don't know how to do it."
Peter rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes glinting with an idea that made Gwen immediately frown.
"Peter," she said, catching the look on his face, "don't."
He raised a finger. "Hear me out."
"No. Whatever you're thinking, it's a terrible idea," Gwen said, crossing her arms.
"What other choice do we have?" he countered with a helpless grin. "We're short on time, and she's not going to learn by standing here."
"We could guide her slowly," Gwen offered, though even she sounded unsure.
"If this were any other day, maybe," Peter replied, shaking his head. "But we've got a place to be, and slow isn't going to cut it."
Lydia blinked, her concern rising. "Okay, what exactly are you two talking about?" she asked, voice wary. Felicia tilted her head, curious but clearly enjoying the show.
Peter clasped his hands together as he stepped closer, wearing the kind of smile someone gives before doing something very stupid. "You know how baby birds learn to fly, right? Their mom picks them up…"
"Peter, no," Gwen said, already too late to stop him.
Before Lydia could even form a protest, Peter scooped her up effortlessly by the waist. "Eh?!" Lydia yelped, eyes widening in disbelief. Felicia's jaw dropped.
With a flick of his wrist, a glowing portal tore open before them, its swirling light revealing a cliffside high above the clouds — the peak of a lonely mountain.
"…and then throws them out of the nest so they figure it out on the way down." Peter grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Lydia. Mother bird's orders."
And with that, he hurled her straight through the portal.
Lydia's scream echoed through the sky as she plummeted downwards, her voice fading into the distance. "PEEEEEETEEEETeeeeerrrrr!"
Silence followed for a long beat.
Gwen and Felicia stood behind him, both wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Gwen's expression was frozen between horror and disbelief, while Felicia looked as though she was watching the world's most chaotic comedy unfold in real time.
Peter rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "...I'm sure she'll figure it out before she hits anything."
Gwen just sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Did… did you just throw my mother off the side of a cliff?" Felicia asked, her voice trembling between shock and disbelief, her mouth hanging open as she stared at Peter.
"Uhhh… no?" Peter said stiffly, his voice climbing a few octaves as he avoided her gaze. His hands were awkwardly tucked behind his back, like a child trying to hide something broken.
"Pete…" Gwen muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose in pure exasperation, "I thought you were just going to toss her into the air, not to her inevitable death."
"Umm…" Peter fumbled for words, nervously twiddling his thumbs. After a long, awkward pause, he reached out and patted Felicia's shoulder in what he clearly thought was a comforting gesture. His expression turned solemn, "I'm really sorry for your loss," he said, biting his lip.
Felicia's eye twitched violently. She stared at him for a long, heavy second before saying flatly, "I'm going to literally kill you." Her voice was so calm it was terrifying. "What is seriously the matter with you?"
---
Meanwhile, Lydia was still tumbling through the air, screaming at the top of her lungs. The wind roared past her ears as the world spun violently. Her limbs flailed, and her eyes watered from both the force of the wind and sheer panic.
'I'm going to die. I'm going to die!' The thought echoed endlessly in her mind. The ground was racing up at her fast, far too fast. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest like a war drum.
And then—something changed.
A surge of raw, primal energy shot through her veins like fire. Her fear gave way to something fierce, something ancient and animalistic. Her screams turned into a guttural growl as her pupils slit, her fangs lengthened, and her nails sharpened into claws. Her wings burst open, feathers scattering into the wind.
One powerful flap slowed her descent. Another kept her steady. And with each beat, she rose, suspended in the air by sheer fury and instinct.
Her chest heaved, her breathing ragged. Adrenaline drowned out everything else—pain, fear, even logic. All that remained was rage. Hot, wild, unrestrained rage.
She looked back up toward the cliff, her eyes glowing with feral light. "Peter…" she growled, her voice deep and animalistic. "Count your days." She paused, her lips curling into a snarl. "Actually, as a matter of fact—count your seconds."
With an explosive flap of her wings, Lydia shot upward, feathers scattering behind her like embers. She tore through the air in a blur of motion, her body streaking toward the cliff at terrifying speed.
---
"Hey, look at the bright side," Peter said, forcing a weak laugh as both Gwen and Felicia glared daggers at him. "No curfew, eh?"
Felicia blinked in disbelief. "You're making jokes about killing my mother?"
"She's not dead dead…" Peter said quickly, waving his hands defensively. "She'll live. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully?" A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
Neither woman responded. Instead, they suddenly stiffen and slowly stepped backward, their expressions morphing from anger to unease as they looked toward the sky.
Peter's spider-sense started to buzz in his head like a siren. He froze. "She's standing right behind me, isn't she?"
Both Gwen and Felicia shook their heads in perfect unison.
Peter's shoulders slumped. "Flying right behind me?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
They both nodded.
"Well, I'm cooked," he muttered. Clearing his throat, he spun on his heel with the fakest smile imaginable. "Mother! Look at you! You're flying! Isn't that amazing!?"
Lydia hovered there, looking every bit the avenging beast. Her hair was wild and unkempt, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, and saliva dripped from her lips as she glared down at him with glowing, cat-like eyes.
"Any last words?" she growled, her voice low and vibrating with murderous intent.
Peter raised his hands, clapping as he nervously began to sing, "What can I say except— you're welcome—!?"
Before he could finish, Lydia lunged. She grabbed him by the neck so fast that the air cracked from the force. With one powerful flap of her wings, she carried him off the cliff, straight through the nearby portal, and slammed him into the wall of their base with an earth-shaking thud.
Peter groaned as his vision blurred. Lydia leaned close, her eyes burning into his. "Listen here, you little brat," she snarled, her tone sharp enough to cut steel. "I'm a criminal defense attorney. I could kill you right now and run circles around the law. I'd make it look like you were mauled by some wild creature, and no one would ever trace it back to me. Got that?"
Peter's eyes rolled slightly as he croaked out, "Harder~"
Lydia blinked. "What?" she said, momentarily thrown off her murderous intent.
Peter blinked back innocently. "What?" he asked, dead serious, as if he hadn't said anything at all.
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