I See Them

Apparitions

This chapter takes place where the first left off. There's some cute momma spider and baby spider fluff so I hope you all enjoy it XD

Song for this chapter is Thriller Night by Michael Jackson
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Natasha's eyes widened somewhat in a rare display of shock. It was true, not much surprised any of the Avengers nowadays. Aliens, monsters, and villains had become the norm. But ghosts and the undead... that was new. "You- you can see dead people?"

"And communicate with them," Peter spoke softly, "sense them, and sometimes... remove them. I also have Telekinetic abilities." He continued to wring his hands nervously. "I told you it was weird."

"No, it's not." Natasha quickly shook herself out of her stupor, well aware of how worried Peter was feeling. The very last thing she wanted was to make Peter feel any worse than he already did. She needed to be there for him. "How long have you been able to do this?"

"All of my life. I would see these... spirits and ghosts even when I was little. But since I was locked in my parent's basement most days, I didn't come into contact with many spirits."

Rage shot through Natasha like lightning, sparking through her insides and shocking her to the core. The way Peter said it so nonchalantly. As if it were no big deal, a normal thing most parents did to their kids. But she decided to overlook that detail, for now, at least.

"I'm assuming that's the major proponent to you not liking Halloween or the month of October in general. Most people go all out, decorating with gory and ugly ornaments. And some people, the bad ones, try to conjure things that bring about dark energies."

Peter nodded forlornly. "Yeah. It seems like supernatural things are more active in October because people embrace that kind of activity more willingly. But they aren't all bad," he paused, running through some of his more positive memories with the undead. Memories of kind, joyful spirits who meant no harm. "Some stick around so that they can check on loved ones or because they simply aren't ready to move on."

This was a lot for Natasha to process. The prospect of spirits, ghostly entities, and an afterlife wasn't surprising in the slightest. Dr. Strange often spoke of many different astral planes and about how life does indeed go on after death. What concerned her was the fact that Peter had been dealing with this ability by himself for years.

She dared to ask, "are any of these spirits malevolent?"

"Mhm. Some are. But only if the spirits were mean people in real life. Like, if they were murderers, rapists, or committed some other horrible crime." Peter explained to the best of his ability. "Sometimes people that have been killed or were... wronged in some way... they stick around because they're angry or afraid and they want their stories told."

"Have... have you ever encountered any of these mean spirits?" Curiosity and her love for Peter made her ask, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Peter didn't say anything for a while, and Natasha thought the conversation had abruptly ended. She was just about to ask Peter if he wanted her to leave when he spoke up. "Yes. Over the past couple of years, I've run into multiple dark entities. As Spider-Man and as a civilian."

A sudden realization hit Natasha, and she asked, "did that happen today?"

"Yes," whispered Peter.

"Are you okay to talk about it? If not, that's fine-"

"I need to tell you... someone about this." He scrubbed a hand down his face tiredly. "I can't hold it in anymore, especially after today."

Natasha continued to run her fingers through her baby spider's hair, knowing it soothed him. She would do anything to ease his mind and make him feel better. "Whenever you're ready, I'm here." She pressed gently, willing to wait all day until Peter felt comfortable enough.