Tap tap.

      Millie moans as the noise makes her stir in her sleep. She can't sleep very well. The pain pills are making her feel heavy. Like a huge weight is on her, crushing her and preventing a decent night sleep. Her head is constantly throbbing, but at least she didn't have any major brain damage. Just a minor concussion.

      Her arm and side are still scrapped up. Both areas are hidden by large white bandages that aren't helping with Millie's mission for sleep. Her throat was sore too. She had a faint bruise around her neck from when the guy choked her. Overall she was okay.

        Tap tap tap.

      The noise is louder this time. Millie lifts her tired head off her pillow and blinks as she stares at her pillow. She pauses waiting for the noise.

      Tap tap tap tap.

      Millie's head, painfully, whips around to her window. She reaches next to her bed and switches her light on. When she looks at her window again, she sees a masked face. "What?" Millie breathes as she climbs across her bed to open her window. "Spider-Man?" She asks as he perches in her window frame. "Hey!"

      Millie yawns. "What are you doing here?" Millie notices how strangely he is sitting on her second floor window sill. "You can come in." She offers. Spider-Man instantly does so, standing awkwardly in Millie's bedroom. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." Millie tiredly looks at him, then rubs her eyes. "That's nice of you."

      Spider-Man looks down at Millie's mismatched pajamas. She sees this and shugs as she tugs at the random T-shirt. "Hand-me-downs." She supplies. "So, do you make house visits to all the people you save or-" Millie pauses for a moment, then narrows her eyes. "How'd you even know where I live?"

      Spider-Man stammers for a moment, then Millie waves her arm at him. "Whatever, I don't care." Spider-Man remains silent for a moment, then, "How are you doing?" Millie shrugs. "Better. Thanks for saving me. Being shot to death is not how I wanna die." Spider-Man chuckles. "And how's that?"

      Millie smiles a bit and, once again, shrugs. "I dunno. Doing something epic, I guess." Millie puts her arms up and raises her eyebrows. "Not that I'm looking to die." Spider-Man laughs and nods. Millie nods at him. "How 'bout you?"

      "Same as you." Millie nods and smiles at him. "Thanks for checking on me. It was very cool of you." Outside Millie's window, distant sirens can be heard. She looks at him with a smirk. "Duty calls?" Spider-Man nods. "See you later, Millie." Then he leaps out her window and swings away. Millie goes to shut her window then, "Wait. How'd you know my name?!" She shouts, but he's already gone.

      Millie sighs and closes her window and lays back in bed. She looks at her clock. 3:23 am. She scoffs. Spider-Man interrupted her beauty sleep. Morning Millie won't mind, but sleepy Millie isn't too happy about being woken up at prime sleep time.

      Millie lays on the couch downstairs, completely alone besides Mason up in his room. Getting attacked is good for some things like getting to miss school. Not that it's that big of a deal for Millie. She'll just have to watch her lessons later and have the same amount of homework.

      Millie pulls her phone out after it dings.

Molly:
Not coming in today?

Millie:
No. I can't stand up without my head hurting

Molly:
Okay, I'll tell Tony
Are you excited about tomorrow?
Saturday means you get to stay longer.
I think Peter will be there too👀

Millie:
Mol, istg
Don't start

Molly:
Too late
C'mon, just admit it
You like him

Millie:
F off

Molly:
I love you too.😘

Millie:
🖕🖕🖕

      Millie sighs and stuffs her phone away. She grabs the remote and turns on 'Supernatural'. She's behind and needs to catch up. Instagram is full of spoilers.

      Millie had almost thought that last night had been a dream. It was almost too unbelievable that Spider-Man visited her. She thought it was a hallucination from her pain pills, but it was so vivid, it had to be real.

      Once again, Millie's phone dings and she pulls it out.

Peter:
I was wondering if you wanted to go to another one of our Decathlon meetings?
I know you just got discharged, but it's really just sitting around and answering questions

Millie:
How'd you know I was at the hospital?

Peter:
Oh
That made me seem like a stalker
My aunt works at the hospital
She's a nurse.

Millie:
Oh
Okay.
I mean, I guess I could go.
I'd need to take a taxi though. It kinda hurts to stand

Peter:
Okay!
We're meeting after school today in the gym

Millie:
See you then

      Millie smiles a bit and stuffs her phone away. She really shouldn't be doing anything but laying down, but Millie wanted to see Peter again. So, if she had to deal with pain to do that, then so be it.

☁

      "Millie!" Peter shouts as he sees her step out of the taxi. Millie adjusts her sunglasses and waves at him. "Hey." She replies. Peter rushes over to her. "Need a hand?" He asks. Millie nods and Peter links her arm with his. "How's your head?" Millie glances at Peter. How'd he know about that?

      "Still hurts, but it's getting better." Peter nods and kicks the gym door open. "Millie's here!" He shouts. Millie blushes deeply as they walk into the gym. She pulls her sunglasses and waves at everyone, noting the teacher there too. "Hi."

      The teacher walks over to her with a smile and his hand out. "You must be Millie. Peter's told me a lot about you." Millie clears her throat as a blush reaches her cheeks. She shakes his hand, then walks over to a chair and sits down. Peter sits next to her. "Hey Millie!" Ned says from where he sits to the left of her. She smiles at him.

      "All right," Mr. Harrison starts. "Since we have a special guest," Millie sulks in her seat. "We are going to have a fun day. Identifying mutants by their code names." Millie smiles. This'll be easy. A photo of a woman with blue skin appears on the screen. Millie looks around the room briefly before hitting her bell, but someone beats her to it. Flash. "Beast." He answers smugly.

      "Incorrect. Millie?" Mr. Harrison asks. Millie glances at Flash and leans forward. "Mystique." She answers. "She can change her appearance and voice to match anyone." Mr. Harrison smiles at her and nods. "Correct." Millie looks at Flash and sticks her tongue out at him. Peter chuckles. A new photo appears and Millie creases her brows. She doesn't recognise them at all.

      Abe rings his bell. "Professor X." He answers. Mr. Harrison shakes his head and Millie can see him fighting off a smirk. "Incorrect." The whole room falls silent for a few seconds. Millie bites her lip and rings her bell. "Trick question: That isn't a mutant. I don't recognise them." She says. Mr. Harrison nods. "Very good."

        This goes on for a few hours. Millie knew the answer to every question and at times even started spouting facts about certain mutants. A big discussion broke out when the topic of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver came about. Some people argued that they weren't mutants, but Millie knew otherwise. As a person of person experience, she knows that traumatic situations can activate a person's mutation.

☁

      The man in the mask waits patiently in his office. An agent walks through the doors and hands the man a file. "Ce ai găsit?" He asks as he opens the file. "Suspectăm radiațiile." The agent tells him. The masked man raises an eyebrow. "Bănuiți?" The agent nods at his question. "Agenții noștri au fost găsiți morți în celulele lor." The man grits his teeth as he looks over the file. An autopsy report from one of his men. (What did you find?) (We suspect radiation.) (Suspect?) (Our agents were found dead in their cells.)

      "Vreau să știu cine a făcut asta și," The masked man pauses, "Ia fata." He demands. The agent nods and leaves the room. The masked man sits back in his chair and observes the radiation levels in the agent's body. It's incredibly high. Like he had taken a stroll past the Elephant's foot in Chernobyl without any protective gear. This is exactly what he's been looking for. (I want to know who did this and,; Take the girl.)

      Mutants have fascinated him for years. Ever since he was a child, he's wanted to know everything about them, and after the death of his mother, he's wanted nothing more for them to fall. Mutants are a parasite on this planet. They take, and take, and take, and the 'lesser' species is left to cower under their rule.

      He isn't going to let this stand. He's close to his goal, and this girl may just push his plans above schedule.

      The door to the man's office slides open. Seeing the small figure's head peeking through, he takes his mask off and hides it in a drawer. "Tată!" The little girl shouts as she runs around the desk and throws her arms around the man. He laughs and pulls her up into his lap. "Elena, ce am spus despre intrarea aici în timp ce lucram?" The little girl pouts. "Îmi pare rău tată. Dar uite!" (Father!) (Elena, what did I say about coming in here while I am working?) (I'm sorry father, but look!)

      The little girl shoves a drawing into her father's face. He takes it and the corners of his lips twitch when he sees the crude drawing of the Avengers. "Asta este... foarte bine." He tells her. Elena smiles and hugs her father tightly. He sets her down and smiles at her. "Continuă. am multe de facut." He tells her. Elena smiles and runs off happily. (This is... Very good.) (Go on. I have a lot to do.)