The Butterfly Effect: a Peter Parker Fan Fic

Part 6; Bear

Sometimes, life gets so difficult that you just need to laugh about it. ~ Katy Perry

The edge of the building is surrounded by a wall that only makes it up to my knees, but it is enough cover. I kneel down in an attempt to shield myself from the views of anyone passing by. The wind sends a harsh gust of cool air towards me and goosebumps make their way up my body, my suit too thin to contain the heat from my body.

An elderly couple pass by carrying half a dozen grocery bags. The pace they're walking at provides plenty of time for them to be my test subjects. I exhale and squint my eyes as I find myself reaching into the woman's head. If a mind could smell, her's would be of lavender, just as any old woman would. It feels pure and kind... almost making me feel bad for doing this. I plant the image of a bear appearing in the middle of the pavement, cutting their path off. The woman drops her bags in shock, her face ashen. Her husband glances at her and then where she looks, a confused expression spread on his face.

She is too shaken to do anything and I snicker. Call me a sadist but I have been through so much shock, it's unfair. These fortunate people walk through the streets and get to go shopping together. Their lives are filled with nothing but love. Yet there are still people out there who have it worse than I do and then there are people like this couple who get to stroll around together and not have a care in the world. A wave of guilt passes through me as she begins to tremble like a leaf and her husband begins to ask her questions worriedly.

I hold my grasp in her head and sigh as I try to extend the image to her husband's. My breath shudders as I find myself in there. His jaw drops as he drops his groceries as the bear advances slowly towards them. His teeth begin to chatter. A sharp pain appears in my head and I let out a small groan. It stops and towers over them. I try to hold it for as long as I can, but the pain is too much after a few seconds. I clap my hands together as the bear turns to dust and the couple look around in confusion.

My ass falls to the floor and I rest my body weight on my hands. I pant heavily. If that was too much for me to handle, looks like any plans to confuse large groups of people with large images are all flooding down the drain.

A young voice appears from the ground below. "Are you okay?" it asks, presumably tending to the couple I have apparently traumatized.

My forehead creases as a wave of deja vu comes over me. I peer over the edge and my heart falls as I take in the familiar red and blue spandex down below. He puts a hand on the small of the woman's back. "Here, I'll help you take these home," he says as he picks up a handful of grocery bags.

He begins to look around, his head darting in all different directions.

Shit.

I activate my wings and my legs rise from the ground before he sees me.

"Raven?"

I snap out of my daydream and look up to see my mother staring at me in concern at the other end of the dinner table.

"Mm?" I respond sleepily.

"Are you alright?" she gestures towards my plate with her fork, "you've barely touched your plate. I thought you loved spaghetti."

My eyes travel down to my plate when I realize she is right. I haven't eaten. I had tried to convince her to let me eat in my room, but we're a family, Raven!

"I'm just not hungry, I guess," I merely shrug.

Phil butts in, "are you sick?"

I roll my eyes and take my plate to the kitchen. My mother doesn't even come after me as I bound up the stairs and slam the door of my room shut behind me. I fall onto my bed and shove my earphones into my ears, blasting music.