Upside-Down

Chapter 33

  Peter can't help but watch Fish out of the corner of his eye. The kitten had been acting like it needed something-- acting erratic, almost, and now it was just laying down in front of his window, silky gold streaked fur shining in the pale light. Ned and MJ had raided his kitchenette for snacks, now sitting on his couch with brightly colored bags of candy and some super overly buttered popcorn, debating whether or not to watch a movie or play UNO.

  Peter looks back at the cat, watching his tail sadly swish. At least-- he assumes sadly. He looks back at the bowl of tuna sitting next to his fridge. It's still untouched. "Let's watch Star Wars Episode Four," he yells over his shoulder, his Captain America socks plodding toward fish, and picks up his cat.

  "I know that one line for line," Ned argues, crossing his arms, but MJ interrupts, still chewing some gummy candies.

  "Well, it is the classic Star Wars. It was a stroke of brilliance in the story telling-- starting from the middle, practically--"

  "MJ--"

  She pauses to swallow, glaring. "And I don't know it line for line yet." MJ gives Ned a glowering side eye, and it's decided. Peter plops down on the couch between his friends, Fish curled up in his lap. Ned presses a button on the remote, scrolling back to Episode Four. Seconds earlier, the debate had been over Episode Two or Three (Peter would've gone with three-- it was the only correct answer, Episode Two was boring--for a Star Wars movie-- ).

    As the friends snack on the food crunching through candy bars and dwelling on popsicles, Peter can't help but notice Fish seems particularly focused on the TV screen. The cat's green eyes hardly look away, watching Luke closely. Peter had wondered since he was a kid if pets could watch shows-- at least, since he'd begged May for a dog-- or a cat-- or anything, really.

  Outside, rain begins to patter on the window, tiny drops splattering against the glass. Fish seems to tense, but relaxes after a few minutes of Peter stroking his strangely patterned fur. There is a flash of lightning as R2D2 gets attacked by screeching sand people, and Fish leaps a mile into the air, landing on top of MJ's face.

  He clings to her ears and her curly hair, looking scared and hesitant. Almost like... he's listening. MJ pulls the creature off her head, looking utterly terrified, but Fish doesn't resist. She stares at his pattern for a second, releasing the kitten's waist. As Fish resettles in Peter's lap,  MJ clicks on her phone, looking away from the movie. Peter sighs inwardly. He had hoped MJ would become an avid Star Wars fan like him and Ned. 

  After a few minutes, MJ nudges his shoulder with hers, still looking at her phone, but with an open mouth. She closes it, opens it again, and is about to say something when a sudden bolt of forked lightning splits open the New York skyline, followed by a deafening rumble of thunder. The storm startles them all, but none more then Fish. He leaps off of Peter's lap and bounds across the carpet toward the door.

  Peter jumps to his feet after the cat, staring at where it should be, but somehow, Fish is on the door handle, a weird green glow fogging up Peter's vision, tinting the world. He blinks, but the eerie lights disappears as soon as it came.

  "Is he scared of thunder?" Ned has to scream to be heard, but more rumbling covers any response. Fish's weight on the door handle pushes it down, unlocking the door, and he manages to rip it open and dart outside. Peter races after him, MJ yelling something masked by thunder, probably about how this was like a classic horror movie, with Ned close behind.

  The group sprint down the hallway, legs flying, trying not to crash into each other or land on top of Fish or--

  They burst out of the hall and into the huge living room. A hulking six foot tall man appears in their view, standing in the middle of the circle of couches, covered in muscle, his hair billowing in a blonde blur. He's wearing medieval looking armor and a swirling crimson cape, wielding in his right fist a heavy metal hammer with a leather handle.

   His head jerks up, tearing his gaze from the ground up at them, and his stormy blue eyes seem to spark. It is none other then Thor Odinson.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR 10k!!!

THANK YOU GUYS!!! I love all the feedback I'm getting too! I plan to do another chapter this week before my normal Sunday post to celebrate--

THE SUSPENSE!!!