The Trips of Field

Someone You Loved: 6

The next morning was bright, the sun streaming through the windows as the decathlon team got ready for the day. Liz and MJ still weren't on speaking terms, filling the air with tension whenever they were too close.

The Avengers were already up, some of them still in pyjamas, others already out doing other things. Peter sat at the table with Nebula, a game of chess between them while Morgan watched on. They had an unusual way of playing, but it helped Morgan and Nebula learn.

"Now," Peter said, picking up a piece. "I'm going to move my bishop here. What does that leave you to do?"

Nebula blinked, scanning the board. "YOUR bishop is defending your rook, so if I were to take that with my knight then you would take it with your bishop. I could move my queen down to this square, but that leaves my king undefended. I could also move my pawn forwards to let my rook out, but then that leaves it in range of your other bishop..." Her blue hand reached for her bishop. "So I'm going to take your bishop over here because it's undefended."

Peter groaned and flopped back on the chair. "I didn't see that. Okay. Your bishop is now threatening my queen, so I will move her up here, which means I am going to have to take your pawn."

Nebula frowned. Morgan perked up and whispered something in her cyborg sister's ear with a cheeky smile. Nebula nodded, then shook her head. "No, he has his pawn there." Morgan nodded, squinting at the board. Nebula tapped her fingers against the table, thinking. "If I move my bishop here, that puts my horse at risk from your queen, but then I can take it with my bishop."

Peter nodded. "Or, if you wanted to, you could move your queen here and take my rook, which is nearly threatening your king."

"Or you could move the horsey to that square and then get his king," Morgan suggested. Nebula considered her options and moved, taking Morgan's idea. Peter screwed his face up in concentration, analyzing his next move.

"I'm going to move my queen up here."

Nebula deflated. "You win."

"You did really well."

"But I didn't win."

Peter smiled. "Just because you didn't win doesn't mean you did a bad job. You had me stuck quite a few times, and I've been playing this since I was six. I'm proud of you."

Nebula shot him a small smile. "Really?"

"Yup!" Morgan gave her a hug. "You did absolutely AMAZING!"

Nebula returned the gesture. "Who taught you chess?"

"My uncle."

"He must be really good."

"Yeah. He was." Peter pulled out a small, origami triangle and put it on the table. "Up for a round of Paper Football?"

The two girls made goals with their fingers and began to play, Nebula absolutely smashing them with her experience.

"Hey loser."

Peter looked up at MJ walking towards him. "Hey Em. How are you?"

She shrugged. I've been better." She sighed as Peter raised an eyebrow. "Liz and I had an argument yesterday and so now we're giving each other the silent treatment."

"Hm. So you're mad at her."

"She said some really awful things, okay?"

"You know what I do when I have a grudge?" Peter said.

"What?"

"I forgive them."

MJ snorted. "But it's easy for you. You have a heart of gold."

It was Peter's turn to snort. "Yeah, really easy to forgive someone who tried to kill you. But I'm serious, you feel so much better when you just let it go."

"But it's hard."

"Never said it was easy, but it's easier than holding a grudge." Peter straightened and want to grab himself a drink. "Besides, you two have to spend the whole week with each other. I-" he lifted the glass of water, pointing a finger at her, "-do not. Which I'm kinda glad about because everyone seems to be mad at me for some reason," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"Yup." They both walked into the living room where the others were talking with the Avengers.

"Hey, Pete," Tony said, beckoning the kid over. "We're having a visitor come and stay."

Peter stopped, raising a sceptical eyebrow at his mentor. "Who?"

As if on cue, the door burst open, revealing an African girl with a very fed up older brother behind her. "I have arrived!" She announced in her thick accent. The man behind her sighed.

"I had to listen to three hours of her vines," he said, sinking into the couch next to Steve. "I am disiwing her."

She would have retorted, but her eyes landed on a particular person. She squealed, nearly bowling him over with a hug. "PETER YOU LEFT ME ON READ! HOW DARE YOU!"

"Shuri, I'm sorry but you're the one who messaged me at three am in the morning when I was actually sleeping. And it's good to see you too."

Shuri laughed. "Since when do you sleep? Also, where's Ned?" She pulled out three metal cylinders, handing one to each dork. "They're complete."

Peter's eyes widened. "No way." He pressed the button and a blue beam of light shot out, accompanied by the soft "shroom" as he moved it through the air. "You finished the lightsabers?"

"Oh gosh, here we go again," Tony muttered as Ned lit up, about to explode. His was green and Shuri's was red. "This is the coolest thing ever!"

Shuri chuckled and swung hers at Peter, who blocked it smoothly.

"Why hello there," he said.

"General Kenobi," she responded, swinging the weapon at him again. They moved around the room, dodging and dancing as they fought.

"You are a bold one!"

Shuri lept up onto the coffee table. "It's over Anakin, I have the high ground!" She slashed the lightsaber down, Peter straining under the force. He moved his arm in a loop, effectively moving her weapon to the side and clearing her torso. He lunged, plunging the saber through her stomach. It went through, not damaging her at all.

"Noooooooo." Shuri collapsed dramatically to the floor, clutching where she had been struck. "You win."

Tony shook his head, trying to conceal his smile. "That's enough ruining my coffees table. Lightsaber fights are to be done in the training room, the labs or the rumpus rooms."

"Sorry Mr Stark." Peter deactivated his weapon, helping Shuri off the floor. MJ laughed.

"Do I get one?"

Shuri tossed her the last one on the bag. "Purple."

MJ switch the lightsaber on and it was indeed purple. "Cool."

Flash laughed. "You guys are so geeky with your Star Wars. It's so babyish."

Shuri whirled on the bully, staring him down. He shrank into the seat as Shuri grew a mere centimeter from his face. "How dare you insult my friends," she hissed. "If you say something like that again, I can assure you that your body won't be found again, even in the deepest jungles of Wakanda. Do you understand?"

Flash gulped and nodded, visibly shaken out of his skin. The princess nodded and turned to Peter. "So who are these people?"

"This is my school's decathlon team. They're here for a field trip."

She burst out laughing. "You're on a field trip... to your house!?"

"Oh no, it's better than that," MJ said with a smirk. "He didn't plan on coming."

"So you didn't want to go on the field trip, but you ended up here anyway!?" That's was it for the Wakandan. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she cackles at Peter's luck, slapping his knees as he just glared at her. "Only you," she gasped, "Only you would have this luck!"

He sighed rolling his eyes. "Tell me about it."