Life So Far and A Dangerous Game Of Catch

Throwing the baseball in my hand up until it tapped the ceiling above my bed, I waited for it to fall, my perception of time so inhuman that if I concentrated the ball would seem to freeze in mid-air. Shaking my head, I relaxed and my perception of time returned to a more normal one...but even then the ball falling felt too slow.

Grabbing the ball, I went to throw it again but before I could I heard a creek near my door. Raising an eyebrow, I looked to the door, "You need something, Pete?" I asked seeing the short and skinny cousin I'd known since I was adopted by our Aunt.

"Uh, you--I mean, do you want to come play catch with me?" he asked, his hazel eyes looking somewhat nervous as he fidgeted around with his hands.

Smiling a little, I rolled off the bed, catching myself with my feet before I gave a reply, "Sure thing Pete. Just let me get dressed and we'll play some catch in the street, yeah?" I threw the ball lightly toward him and he fumbled in the air before finally catching it and looking supremely proud that he had. He looked to me and nodded before dashing off to somewhere else in the apartment.

Shaking my head with a wry smile at my surprisingly energetic cousin, I wondered why he was so excited about a simple game of catch. I mean, he's usually petrified when either me or Uncle Ben mention sports.

"If you're wondering why Peter's so excited about playing catch, it's because he's trying to help placate your boredom, Alex," I heard a mirthful voice coming from the door war and I turned to see the Aunt who'd been looking after me since my mom and dad disappeared and left me on her doorstep.

She was a beautiful woman and looked a lot like a younger Marisa Tomei - black hair, slightly tanned skin, dark brown eyes and a proportionate body. She was a real beauty. Uncle Ben is a lucky man - seriously, I don't know how he landed her.

Smirking, I gave a reply, "Me, bored? I think you have the wrong guy, May. I was just resting," I gave an answer. An untruthful one, however, as to not worry her.

I was bored. Why? Because I was in the MCU, with superpowers...and nothing was happening. I was an 11-year-old, about to enter puberty and I could bench press a car. I guess you could say the energy of a kid my age has is making me restless because I can't fully stretch my legs without having to worry about hurting someone.

I really sympathize with Superman right now. ''A world made of cardboard''...yeah, I really get how he felt when he said that.

Even America's boy scout Superman felt frustration at having to hold back all the time, so let alone me, some random kid who got reincarnated. I can't even remember how I got reincarnated or how I even died - I just woke up as a baby on a doorstep after I went to sleep one night.

As time went by, I figured out two things: First, I'm in the MCU. Second, I have superpowers.

What superpowers? You know, the basics. Super strength, super speed, super durability, super senses--the whole package. Hell, I could even fly. If it weren't for the fact I'd figured out my powers had nothing to do with the sun, I'd have guessed I was a Kryptonian. Even then I didn't really know if my powers did or didn't have anything to do with the sun - I just didn't feel anything when I was standing under the sun. I'd even spent a few days trying my best to stay in the dark and nothing happened other than me worrying Aunt May who thought I was having some sort of depressive episode.

Oh yeah, Aunt May as in THE Aunt May, Peter Parker's Aunt. Pete, my cousin? Peter Parker, Spider-Man. That's how I know I'm in the MCU - well, alongside me seeing Tony Stark on the news every now and then.

It's currently 2002, so if this truly is the MCU, I have six years until canon starts. So, uh, not a lot of time.

Anyway, outside of my superhuman thought speed, Aunt May replied to me with a knowing smile, "Resting? Alex, I've raised you for eleven years and not once have you ever voluntarily rested unless you were bored out of your mind," she lightheartedly shook her head, "Jeez, you've gotta be the most odd kid I've ever known. You're the only kid I've ever met that's this bored during summer vacation," she smiled down at me as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Ouch," I said with a mock look of hurt on my face, "My aunt thinks I'm odd? How ever will I live on knowing this brutal truth?" I spoke with a tone of fake dread and May burst out in laughter as she entered the room and walked right up to me.

"See what I mean?" she looked down at me with a look of amusement, "You speak like you're in your late teens instead of someone who's about to enter his teens."

Shrugging, I slipped on some sneakers before bending down to tie them, "I guess I'm mature for my age. Should you really be complaining about that?" I asked curiously as I tied the shoelaces quickly and neatly.

I saw May lift her arms up in surrender while a light and loving smile came across her face, "I'm not complaining, Alex. Though if I'm gonna complain about one thing it's that you might be too clever for your own good!" she said before rustling my hair back and forth with her hand, laughing as she did so.

Rolling my eyes, I let her do what she wanted because she was usually like this with both me and Pete. Trying to escape, even with superpowers, was more effort than it was worth.

"Smart?" I asked while looking up to her, "I'll leave that type of stuff to Pete. I'll take care of the stuff that requires muscle," I jokingly lifted an arm and flexed my childish arm. Superpowers or not, my body hadn't started packing on muscle yet. If I had to describe my body in anyway, it'd be as athletic for an 11-year-old but that didn't mean I was rocking a classic Arnie physique.

It was Aunt May's turn to roll her eyes as she replied to me, "You can try fooling your teachers but I've asked Pete and he tells me you've helped him with some of his homework before...so stop flunking all your tests!" she reprimanded me with a light smack on the back of the head which I had to roll with to avoid May hurting her hand off my skull's sheer hardness.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll try," I got out as I walked for the hallway.

Hearing my reply, May sighed before moving the subject in a different direction, "Look after Pete while you're out there, okay?"

I gave her a nod before I picked up the pace into a normal jog as I ran for the front door where Pete was waiting for me. When I got near him, I clipped him round the back of the head lightly, "Why'd you snitch on me to Aunt May? Didn't I tell you to keep me helping you with homework on the down low?" I asked him with an accusatory tone. I mean, I wasn't really mad or annoyed - I just wanted to know why he gave me up after I explicitly told him not to.

Pete rubbed the back of his head where I tapped him reprimandingly and looked at me with a worried expression, "I, uh, I mean I only told her because I heard she was complaining about you failing another test...I didn't want her to be mad at you or think you were stupid so I showed her the homework and study questions you helped me with...You're not mad, right?"

Sighing, I pulled Pete into a headlock and gave him a knuckle sandwich. He tried to get out but even if I was a normal kid, I was still a head taller than him and much less skinny despite his being the same age.

After a few more seconds of this, I let him go and he looked at me, waiting for me to answer his question, so I did.

"I ain't mad at you, Pete. Not after the punishment I just gave you," I smiled before the smiled faded and I carried on, "But next time I ask you to keep something secret, keep it secret unless it can save someone's life. You got it?" I gave him a serious stare and he audibly gulped before nodding his head, "Good. Then let's go play some catch."

Opening the door, we both walked out of the apartment we lived in and made our way to the stairs to Pete's disappointment. He'd rather take the lift, but as I told him, he needs some exercise to make up for all the time he spends cooped up in his room reading and studying.

When we got out onto the street, we stayed on the pavement because this wasn't the early 30s where you could play in the street. It was the 2000s - cars were bound to come speeding down the street at some point or another.

So, we stayed on the pavement and paid enough attention that we didn't bump into any strangers or throw a ball into a stranger's face. You know, the common courtesy.

While we played, I spoke with Pete a little about any homework he'd been struggling with lately because despite being a genius, he was still a kid, you know? People like to think Geniuses naturally know things - they don't. Geniuses can just learn stuff better, quicker and more of it than normal people. They still need to read the relevant books before they can work their genius ways and develop new things.

Take Pete for instance. He sponges stuff up like a piece of aerogel. He sucks up whatever knowledge he encounters like what aerogel does to moisture it encounters...but for him to use it, he needs to first have the knowledge in the form of a book which he can learn from and secondly, he needs to work his magic and understand it.

So, it helps when you have me who can fly off in the night, sneak into the nearest library and learn stuff just as quick as Pete, if not quicker, because my mind works like a supercomputer.

Hence why I can help a genius with his homework.

Besides what homework he needs help with, we spoke about books and such that he's read and any suggestions he has. I mean, I'm more of a sports guy or at least I was in my previous life, but reading is still a nice way to relax. Especially seeing as sports have become incredibly boring for me because of my powers.

Just as I was thinking this, Pete fumbled the bag and messed up his catch. The ball he'd failed to catch bounced off his hand and rolled toward the center of the street. Just as I was about to call out to him that I'd get it, Pete rushed into the middle of the road like an idiot. Just as a car was speeding around a corner onto our street.

...Goddammit.

Sighing, I looked around, the world slowing to a halt as I checked around. No people. No CCTV or cameras that can catch me. Sighing once more, I pressed off the ground while trying my best to not crack the pavement as I shot off to where Pete was.

The corner the car was coming round was right next to where Pete had just ran out onto the road and if it weren't for me being here...well, Pete would be getting hit by a car within the next second or two.

Luckily, however, I was here.

I arrived next to Pete before the car had even crawled a foot further and I just stood there looking at him. He wasn't even aware how close he was to death.

...Idiot.

Carefully and with as much gentleness as I could muster, I picked Pete up before moving us forward and then, I threw us to the ground like I'd just dived and pushed Pete out of the way. Then, I let my perception of time return to normal and the car sped passed us. Not before I got a look at all four of the people in the car.

All of them were carrying guns and the back of the car was stuffed full of bags. What was in the bags? Considering each of the people inside the car were wearing ski masks...I'd say the bags are full of money.

A quick listen with my enhanced hearing pretty much told me the police were out for these guys. There were a few patrol cars aiming to cut them off a few blocks from here.

...Man, I love super senses. Glad it's not to the level of Superman's though. I'm okay with being able to just hear what I want within a city block or two's range. Hearing everything on the planet? Sounds like something real annoying. Opening my senses to a city block in New York is like having a concert in my head, let alone the whole of New York and the world.

Time resumed and Pete gasped in shock as he realized he was on the ground and without his glasses.

Picking him up off of me, I reach over and picked his glasses up before passing them to him, "Get back inside, Pete. I'm telling May you ran out into the street and the two of us are gonna rip you a new one until you understand road safety. Now, go," I said without a mirthful tone to my voice.

Pete just took his glasses before getting up and looking both ways before rushing back into the apartment. He could probably understand what nearly just happened and how annoyed I was with him. Jokes on him though - I'd be more scared of Aunt May than me given the situation. I'd just lecture him. May, however? I feel sorry for his backside, man.

Letting out a huff of air, I got up before walking over and picking up the baseball.

Then I looked to the direction the car had gone in. I could still see it.

Quicker than any camera could capture me, let alone a human eye, I flashed away for less than a second before I reappeared in my original place.

Throwing the ball up and catching it, I smirked as I spoke to myself, "Hey, you can't blame me...you guys were criminals anyway. Plus, you nearly ran Pete over. I can't just let either of those things slide, you know?" I chuckled to myself as I picked up into a calm jog as I thought about the years of prison those four would be facing.

Hearing a car pull up and park behind me as I got onto the pavement, I ignored it and the two people getting out of it - a woman and her child - and just walked up the stairs to the apartment door.

As I opened it and walked in, I heard a somewhat frantic and tired voice behind me.

"Sweetie, can you hold that door open for a second?" I turned around and looked at the woman walking toward the apartment with her arms both occupied by suitcases and bags.

"Huh?"