Arc Three. Chapter Eighty-Five. Anger Issues

"First though, Laura, after breakfast we usually train, you want to join?" Peter asked her and she nodded. "Good, callisthenics, running and then sparring, no powers though he said gently tapping her on the head and she growled, "Hey, I meant it, no powers," but she looked at her plate and nodded, "Be nice and I'll make that again for second breakfast, we eat again after we've showered."

Laura's eyes lit up at the thought of more food, and the group moved the table out of the way as Peter grabbed and stacked the dirty plates in the sink.

The group stretched and went through their routine, limbering joints and stretches as well as burpees, sit-ups, and push-ups. As Laura didn't seem to have super leaping they left out the usual hanging pull-ups, they could jump and reach the rafters, Laura could not, but as they all chatted while working out Laura seemed to be relaxed and enjoying herself. It didn't mean her agility was any lower than theirs and once she was up into the rafters, using the stairs she was leaping from beam to beam with the others.

Whatever enhancements had been used, she was agile, fast, strong, and without taking a risk of hurting anyone with her claws, healed incredibly fast. Peter shook his head though. She had also been seriously abused as once, when she tripped and fell, scraping her knee, she cowered in the corner of a walkway, seemingly expecting to be scolded, and even as Gwen gently patted her whispered to her, she dived and hugged the surprised Gwen, crying as she was comforted.

After their run, the group towelled down and began to spar. Peter usually left Huntress to this, she was a much higher belt in the martial arts she practised and was a much better teacher than he was. Liv, MJ, and Gwen all taking turns to go through several katas before pairing off while Felicia watched. Elektra still hadn't shown up, much to Felicia and Peters annoyance.

"Do you want to fight?" Peter had asked her. As she seemed a strange mix of excitable but nervous they hadn't wanted to push her into sparring. As Peter and she sat on the edge of the training area supping at some fruit juice, she watched the trio with sparkly eyes and to Peter, she was almost vibrating with excitement.

She looked over at him and nodded, but as she moved to dive off into the trio he grabbed her, "they're learning, so if you want to spar, it'll be with me." While Peter was a bit more experienced than MJ or Gwen it was nowhere near Felicia's level, but he figured it should be good enough to go a few rounds with the excitable Laura. She was definitely more than strong and fast enough, so it should be fun if nothing else.

She was enhanced but they had no idea to what degree. There was no sweat on her clothes, so she wasn't tired from the light workout they had just done, and he couldn't register an increase in her heart rate. It was only when he mentioned sparring with him that it spiked, her excitement wafted off her like a giant cloud and Peter grinned and shook his head. Great, an adrenaline junkie, was all he thought, shaking his head.

Moving away from the others, Peter chalked out an area and started to lay out mats for them. While it wasn't necessary, as his armour would protect him, for falls and other such moves it was kinder to the clothes and kept dust from billowing up and irritating anyone.

Watching as Laura clenched her fist and stretched, Peter did the same. They had moved away from the others as they had no idea how well this would go, but as Peter watched Laura limber up he got the feeling he was watching someone who was trained, and he was about to unleash a wild animal on himself. Shit, he thought, better be more serious, as she moved into the matted square they had laid out on the floor.

Finishing his own stretches he joined her, sinking into the low stance he preferred. And with a yell, she launched herself at him. He was surprised as she swung with what looked like wild abandon at him, but he knew if he let them each of the swings would connect with a nerve point or joint. Each blow was to kill, not cripple, and as he ducked and weaved out of each of them he saw the pattern. She wasn't used to fighting without her claws out. Each blow was a stab or a slice, not a punch or a slap. Each blow was designed to inflict maximum damage, not numb or disable. Peter was fighting a killer, not a kid.

Becoming even more serious, Peter began his counterattack, and he smiled as he began to cut loose a bit more.

Training with the girls was fun, but he only let himself go when fighting Felicia. Gwen and MJ were unskilled enough that he would hurt them accidentally. Even Felicia gave him a few good knocks and he did the same to her, so when he connected with a blow to her abdomen and Laura went flying he froze.

Shit, he thought too much, as she lay crumpled on the ground, and even Felicia and the others stopped and stared. Laura began to laugh though, lifting herself up and wiping some drool from her chin. Grinning, she yelled at him and six perfect razors slid from her hands and feet. Two sliding out of each hand, and a single blade from between her toes.

Oh fuck, he thought again as she launched herself over at him, and this time she began to connect. Venom thickened his symbskin over his limbs as her swings cut perfect lines through it like butter. His normal armour wasn't enough and he powered up again, thankful he'd eaten not too long ago, and as his more armoured form grew the gleam in Laura's eyes just sparkled more. Screaming in joy once more she vaulted herself at him, and he weaved from side to side as she slashed at him, and Venom felt himself avoiding not just punches now but wide kicks and overhead attacks as she leapt over him and struck out with the blades on her feet.

Trying his best not to hurt her, the spar had gone from friendly to deadly in one blow. As he ducked under a slash he lifted her and slammed her into the ground, rolling to the side and sprayed webbing on her foot and she twisted, trying to dislodge him. Sitting on her back he sprayed the other and then both hands and as she buckled and screamed at him, he let Venom back in.

"Hey, it's fine, sorry okay, sorry." but seeing she was safe and contained, Liv came over and took a look at her.

"Peter dear, get off. Gwen, neutraliser please," and MJ dived over to the warehouse door, hitting a button Peter had installed for them in case of emergency, while Gwen opened a drawer in the kitchen workbench and pulled out a spray bottle.

A fine mist was sprayed out of the sprinklers and the air con pushed itself up to max. Peter shook his head, forgetting the last time he'd fought, even as Peter in such an enclosed space.

Gwen had taken a sample and decided that in the event of an emergency or accident a chemical that could neutralize or contain the pheromone was needed, no one wanted Peter to set off someone accidentally or be accused of something he had no control over. Once the chemical was produced it was simple enough to add a smaller sprinkler system to the warehouse, to allow them to spray it over the whole area but not in the homes.

Laura huffed and panted on the floor, growling at anyone coming close, whining as Gwen came over and sprayed the same chemical in her face and over Peter.

"Not your fault dear, we should have been a bit more careful." said Liv as she helped him to his feet, "but go shower, we'll make sure she's okay."

Peter shook his head, they had been so used to it just being the five of them they forgot, and with Laura's sniffing habit it had been slightly funny. Now though, as he sweated and fought, she breathed in more of the pheromone and she was affected and had become agitated. She would calm down, but that wasn't the point, it was another stupid mistake.

As the symbskin withdrew he stood under the shower. Letting the cold water douse him. He wasn't upset, it was that he'd forgotten, and it bothered him. Laura was supposed to be safe here.

"It's not your fault you know," Felicia stood in the doorway, "If she's like Prowler then a canine enhanced will be more susceptible to your pheromone, and let's be honest, making a young girl horny isn't as bad as making a rabid one angry."

"Not good enough though," was all he said and she shivered slightly but joined him under the water, slipping out of her clothes.

"It's never good enough Pete. Mistakes are made, it's what we do after," and she began to cover her hands in shower gel and gently rub him all over "although, a cold shower is terrible," and reaching over, turned on the hot, letting it settle into a more pleasant temperature. As her hands slid down and soaped his front, Felicia whispered, "she is kinda cute though."

After their shower, Peter and Felicia headed back to the breakfast area where Gwen had made breakfast, which a grinning Laura was happily shovelling into her mouth. Peter had left plenty of egg mix in the fridge and all it needed was cooking.

"Monkey," Laura said, squirting ketchup onto the pile of eggs in front of her, "was fun, do more, do again?" and she gave him a thumbs-up as the pile of food rapidly vanished into another bottomless stomach. Seeing her plate empty she frowned and made a cute whine noise that Peter shook his head at.

The warehouse buzzer went and MJ wandered over to answer it. As she stared at the handset she shrugged, "no answer," and made her way back to the table to finish her breakfast.

After everyone was finished, Peter was left to clean up the mess. Still, under punishment for the incident at Fisk's, it was his job to clean up after breakfast once the group split up for their daily routines. As Peter collected and started to wash the plates he scowled as the 6th plate appeared, someone had seconds and took a clean plate rather than using their own one twice, shrugging he went back and finished them off.

Gwen and MJ had both headed back to their homes, leaving Felicia and Liv sitting at the table.

"Easters coming up,'' Peter said, "Aunt May isn't wanting to spend time with me, she's got that new guy and they're celebrating together, so we could all do something?" he asked as he finished washing the plates and started to dry his hands.

"The parade?" Felicia asked, having always wanted to go but never had the chance to.

"Uh, Liv?" Peter asked, knowing her chair and the crowds might be too much.

"Oh don't mind me dear, the crowd would be a bit much anyway," but Peter could see the disappointment on her face.

"Why don't we do both, something Liv can take part in, and then the parade?" Peter suggested, leaning over Liv, "Plus, I can be something special for you, if you want?" and she stroked his cheek and kissed him on the back of his hand.

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something," Liv said with a smile "but first, you should have waited for your shower dear, I need one too and you can start making Easter up to me by washing my back."

"Just your back?" Peter said, and Liv laughed,

"It's never just my back, is it dear?"