Also in Queens, a mother was saying goodbye to her son. But not in the same way as Jean Grey's mother. There were no extenuating circumstances forcing May Parker's nephew to stop living with her. The brown-haired, thirty-nine-year-old woman hugged the young man, eighteen, ready to live in the city with friends.
"Now remember, if MJ introduces you to a pretty girl, always use protection," he said.
"Aunt Maay ," Peter moaned.
He was a short, thin teenager with brown hair and eyes, facial features May often saw in her husband and brother-in-law. Peter drove a pickup truck behind him, with his friends making faces out the window. Harry Osborn, like Peter, had brown hair, was short, and thin. But they were opposites in appearance. Harry's hair was neatly combed, and he wore more expensive and elegant clothes; some of Peter's clothes were worn out, and his hair was cheaply cut and styled.
"Don't worry, Congressman, my friends always insist on protection," said the truck driver.
She was a red-haired girl, wearing jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt that showed off her athletic figure. Mary Jane was another good friend of Peter's, although she wasn't one to hang out with the girls at school; she had been with Peter and Harry since they were kids. May kissed Peter's forehead and hugged him again.
"I'll visit you regularly, you know," he said.
"Don't waste your money, you'll have to save for the rent," May said.
"I will walk."
"Queens is a long way from the city, young man. Have fun, but don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"So I could go to a pretty wild party, drink and do drugs while being underage?" Peter asked, smiling.
May shook her head; she had been a party girl when she was younger. Likewise, despite her husband's lecturing to Peter, he had also been very active in the party scene. But then they both came to an agreement and wondered if, had they done it sooner, they would have had a more expensive house and a better lifestyle for their nephew.
"Great power..." the woman said with firm eyes and voice.
"It's a big responsibility," Peter said quietly.
He lowered his head, the joy of a new adventure fading. A memory from a couple of years ago crept into his mind. It wasn't a happy one, just one that filled him with deep regret. Seeing him, May lifted Peter's chin and smiled.
"I'd be very proud of you," he said.
Peter nodded slowly and hugged his aunt through his tears. As they got into the van, Mary Jane and Harry didn't make fun of him. His best friend patted him on the shoulder, a sign of complete understanding.
Not all decisions to leave home left time to pack, or even to go in search of something better. For most, it wasn't even a choice, and especially in this world, it was often the result of tragedy. A dark-haired man stood beside two graves, both labeled "Maria's Castle," but one life was tragically shorter than the other. The man hadn't been drinking; he had a focused look, as if he'd decided exactly what to do with the rest of his life. However, there was still an obstacle facing him—not one that impeded his path, but a task he felt he must accomplish.
It was an explanation he had to give his wife and daughter, the reason for his journey. Frank Castle took off his wedding ring and placed it on his wife's gravestone. A part of him knew he would no longer be the man she fell in love with. From his jacket, he took out a stuffed animal and a storybook, the only things belonging to his daughter that he hadn't burned or donated to charity. He pushed the doll against the gravestone.
"One lot, two lots, one cent and ten cents," he read, one last time for his girl.
Sometimes, when a person is forced to leave their home, it results in tragedy. It's common in this world for people, good and bad, to change. Unwittingly, they become creators of tragedy, unwittingly sowing death and destruction. Because this is a world where a terrible power can manifest even in an ordinary person. The transparent man waited for his master; he saw how a great power took a poor soul. He was neither seen nor heard, but he could see and hear.
The blond, blue-eyed teenager named Gary had it all. He was going to take an English Literature course at Empire State University. State . He had a wide circle of friends, a girlfriend, and a bright future ahead of him. In the future, he would graduate from ESU and publish a book about the controversial phenomenon of superhumans and mutation. His book would inspire understanding, bringing us closer to a world where mutation was accepted. He would then forge close friendships within what would become a massive superhero community. His longtime girlfriend would become his wife, and their children would become members of the largest mutant team on the planet.
But that was just a future the Watcher saw. It wasn't the future Gary would live. Gary was shirtless in his kitchen, flipping pancakes for his girlfriend. Elizabeth loved hot breakfasts, and Gary loved pleasing her. He smiled as she came out of the bedroom, her brown hair tousled by the bed.
"An incredible night," he said.
"Yeah, I can't believe Conners was able to get us drinks," he said.
"You're the one who convinced him."
"What can I say, Liz? I have a way with people," the young man smiled as he placed the food on her plate.
Liz had a spectacular figure, one she showed off with gusto in her bra and panties today. Gary was also wearing only his boxers , watching his girlfriend eat, knowing they would be having sex in a matter of minutes. Elizabeth, however, stopped when she noticed the pained expression on Gary's face and the way he was clutching his stomach.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Everything is just perfect," Gary said with a smile and leaned down to kiss the woman he loved.
Aaron, the transparent man, the machine man, the eyes of the Watcher, shook his head. Perhaps everything had been perfect for Gary once, but he knew what the boy's ultimate future was, far from perfect.
Instantly, Aaron felt like he was somewhere else. He saw a young blond man of eighteen, with darker hair than Gary's, shorter and not as stocky—not fat, but not muscular either. The young man was wearing an old brown jacket and cargo pants. He knelt slightly, writing something on a piece of paper; his gray eyes studied what he had written before he put down the pen. The young man sat up fully, slapped his cheeks, and smiled. As he left his house, leaving his key and phone, Aaron approached the table.
"There's no time like the present. I thought I'd get going and say goodbye to everyone for you, " Aaron read aloud. "Love, Sven!"
.
Hello everyone, what did you think of the chapter? Please let me know in the comments. If you want to download the full book, it's available on my KO-FI page. The link is here. 👉
🤩ko-fi.com/winterstar01/shop🤩