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ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
vii. ROMAN HOLIDAY

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   A ROMAN HOLIDAY IS defined as an occasion on which enjoyment or profit is attributed to others' discomfort or suffering.

   It's the one concept Riley Stark truly understood better than anything else in her bizarre life. After all, the idea of others gaining from the pain one may receive is the exact kind of thing Riley had observed not only in her life, but in the lives of those closest to her.

   In the metaphorical sense, these holidays arrive at different times bringing henceforth varying levels of distress. A Roman Holiday can be as extreme as the world celebrating the reversal of a universal Decimation while the war's soldiers coped with their traumas. It can also be as simple as being the victim to a beautifully crafted insult your friends compose for you.

   The scale always varies, but the results are always the same. And as of right now, Riley Stark was on the brink of facing yet another one of these infamous celebrations.

   See, just a few hours after all of the families left Camp Mirkhaven and the sun anchored on the far horizon, Michelle Jones confronted her best friend with an idea.

   "You... wanna go camping... while at camp...?" reiterated Riley, a somewhat judgemental, yet perplexed tone hanging off her voice.

   "Uh-huh."

   Riley furrowed her eyebrows together as she tried to understand the idea. MJ's whole plan was to sneak off and go camping further away from the official Mirkhaven grounds. Technically, it wasn't even MJ's idea—it was Peter and Ned's, and MJ naturally got dragged into it.

   The reason why they wanted to do this tonight of all nights was simple. Every once in a while, the campers would have free days to do whatever they wanted. No schedules, no workshops, no mandatory bonfires—just a full day to have fun and hang out. Tomorrow, July 24th, was a free day for the campers.

   Peter and Ned thought it would be fun to sneak off and do something defiant in honor of their dear friend, Liz Allan, who believed occasional acts of rebellion boosted morale. That way, if they got lost, they wouldn't have to worry about the repercussions of their little adventure.

   Even MJ, the introverted girl who enjoyed the indoors more than she cared to admit, was supportive of the idea. What was even crazier than that was the fact that Riley had, for once, been planning on staying in and relaxing (and also cleaning up the cabin, per her mother's pleading wishes). It was like they switched places.

   "But... aren't we already camping?" Riley asked.

   "Sure, but when you're gone, you won't have time for this kind of stuff," insisted MJ. It warmed Riley's heart at how much her friends cared about her. "It'd be fun! Plus, you still have to talk to Peter, right? If it goes bad, you can fake a stomachache and come back here to cry by yourself in peace, or... whatever it is superheroes do when shit hits the fan."

   MJ was right. She would have plenty of chances to sit inside and keep to herself in the future, but how often would she get to spend time with her friends outside of work? The whole point of being with her friends was to be a normal kid, wasn't it?

   So, Riley sighed and allowed herself to get dragged into a night that would end in celebration for many and discomfort for one.

   They snuck out of the cabin, soon reuniting with Peter and Ned. Since Riley couldn't turn MJ invisible, she conjured a flat forcefield for them to ride to further conceal and mute their steps. The ride was shortlived and silent — mostly because MJ was quickly realizing how much she despised being at great heights — until they spotted dark figures off in the distance near the edge of the forest.

   The duo hopped off of the forcefield together, with MJ desperately clinging to Riley's side. "We're never... never doing that again, do you hear me?" MJ hissed with a low voice, causing Riley to lightly chuckle. "Oh, you think I'm kidding?"

   Riley linked her arm with MJ's. "Aw, c'mon, it wasn't that bad." MJ just shook her head, dramatically shivering to display her fear. Riley pulled MJ toward the figures, naturally assuming it was Ned and Peter. She greeted them with a small wave as they grew closer. "Ned, Peter," brightly greeted Riley. She faltered when she noticed there was a third person amidst the dynamic duo. "...And Flash?"

   MJ squinted. "No offense, but when was the last time we hung out with Flash willingly?"

   "On the contrary, Jones, I think what you should be asking is when was the last time Flash hung out with you willingly!" arrogantly corrected Flash. "And the answer is, right now!"

   Ned tilted his head back, cringing. "I'm begging you, man, please stop referring to yourself in the third person."

   Flash just snickered, prompting Peter to step forward. "He overheard us talking about tonight and decided to join. We haven't been able to get rid of him," explained Peter. His eyes met Riley's as he added, "Sorry."

   Riley shrugged, offering Flash a forced smile. She didn't hate him, but she didn't exactly adore him either. He was constantly skating down the fine line of indifference, slipping onto either side every once in a while.

   "The more the merrier, right?" she suggested, causing Flash to beam. "Now, I don't really know anything about camping, but... let's get this show on the road, yeah?"

   It didn't take the group of five long to locate a clearing they could claim for the night. They weren't sure how close or far Mirkhaven was from their spot (because honestly, no one was paying attention), but they figured that was a minor flaw in their plan. For now, each person was assigned a task. For example, Riley had been instructed to start the fire with, of course, Peter.

   Riley had to keep reminding herself not to be nervous around the boy. It was just Peter, for crying out loud! Not Thanos, not Rob O'Dair, not an alien. Just Peter Parker. The anticipation of telling him everything was eating her alive.

   She glanced back at Peter with dry sticks in her hands as he stared out at the field behind them. The moon illuminated his pale far, highlighting his features. He looked so angelic at that moment that you'd never be able to see his scars of trauma. He seemed lost in thought, careless, free.

   She cleared her throat so as to grasp his attention. Peter perked up instantly, relaxing again when he remembered who he was with. He gave her a smile as she approached him and said, "Hey... You alright?"

   Peter nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... got a headache," he revealed. "I wanted to test Principal Morita's theory about nature being... y'know, healing and stuff... But I think I'm just gonna ask Ned for an Advil instead."

   Their shy laughter intertwined as one harmony alongside the chirping crickets around them. Riley lowered her hand, previously using it and her powers as a makeshift flashlight. She glimpsed up at the night sky and took in the sight of the twinkling stars.

   Riley smiled to herself as she thought of Thor, Carol, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. She wondered what they were up to and if they were near one of the stars she was gazing upon. It always brought her peace knowing that no matter how far apart they were, no matter what they were doing, she would always be looking up at the same sun, moon, and stars as her loved ones.

   "It's so pretty out here," she softly said. Still, she couldn't shake off how her surroundings sometimes reminded her of her time on Titan II. Chills ran down her spine at the memories she desperately tried to repress.

   Peter nodded, adding, "'Specially if you ignore the bug bites we're getting right now."

   Riley was quick to reply, "Well, maybe if you used my bug-spray, you wouldn't have that problem, hm?"

   As the two laughed once more, Riley's eyes trailed downward. Her gaze moved from the stars, to the trees, to him. It was strange. When she'd think about confessing her feelings toward him, she was incredibly nervous; however, when she was by his side, she felt like she was on top of the world. It made no sense to Riley.

   What did make sense to her was that if she didn't tell him now, she'd never do it and ultimately regret it. Sure, the future existed with twisted roads and unpredictable storms, but maybe it was time that Riley didn't live in the future or the past like she always did. This time, she would live in the moment.

   "So, uh," began Riley, looking away from Peter again, "remember what you said about having a... a crush?" She desperately hoped he wouldn't play dumb again.

   Peter squirmed, not having expected the change in conversation. "Y...Yeah," lowly replied Peter. "What about it?"

   The girl, suddenly rather timid, held her breath before she revealed, "Well... I have one, too."

   Riley didn't notice how Peter tensed up. He could have sworn his heart stopped beating. Riley liked someone? "R-Really?" he replied.

   "Mhm," she hummed. "I swear, I feel like I've been dropping all these hints for so long, you know?"

   Peter swallowed the knot in his throat and peered back at her. Riley didn't meet his gaze, allowing Peter to comfortably study her. She looked nervous. Peter nodded slowly, eager to learn more. "And... nothing's happened between you guys?" he gently interrogated.

   "Nothing."

   Peter furrowed his eyebrows together. How could someone steal Riley's heart without even realizing it?

   "Huh..." trailed Peter. "Well... whoever it is, they sound really dumb."

   "But he's not!" rebuked Riley. "He's really, really smart. Maybe one day, he'll be as smart as my dad. Seriously." She sighed, her shoulders dropping. "He's just... dense, I guess."

   He raised his eyebrows, making a mental note of how she spoke of her crush. Riley must think really highly of this guy, huh...

   Still, whoever it was, Riley was Peter's friend. They'd been through a lot together, and Peter knew that no matter what, he'd always want to help her. Therefore, Peter would do his hardest to give her the best advice he could muster up—even if it hurt knowing she liked someone who wasn't him... someone who was probably way better than ordinary Peter Parker.

   Peter turned to face Riley properly. "Maybe you just need to be more obvious?" he suggested. "Like, be more upfront. Like a "Hey, I like you" or something."

   She slowly nodded. That could work, right?

   "I guess I could try that..." she mumbled. She scrunched up her nose as a drop of rain fell onto her face. She furrowed her eyebrows, hesitant. "Are you sure?"

   "Positive!" encouraged Peter. "And if he doesn't like you back, then I'll just have to teach him a lesson!" He paused, quick to add, "N-Not that you couldn't yourself, but I just figured... you know, out of the kindness of my heart and all that."

   She smiled at how hard he was trying to make her feel better. That grin faded just about as quickly as it emerged. Was she really doing this right now? "Alright..." she mumbled.

   She could have sworn he could hear how intensely her heart was beating out of sheer vehemence. She turned to him and offered Peter a small smile.

   "Hey, I like you!"

   Peter nodded supportively. "See, just like that! And if he doesn't get it, then I'm sorry, Riles, but he's not good enough for you."

   Riley didn't even know what to say to that. Her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. Was... Was he joking? She sighed. "No, I..." she trailed off, speechless as the rain proceeded to fall heavily onto the pair. Unexpectedly, a laugh left her lips. This was easily the stupidest thing she'd ever put herself through. "Pete... I was talking about you."

   It took a moment for the words to settle in Peter's rattled brain. His eyes grew in size when it finally hit him. Was he dreaming? Was this real life? Because there was no way that the girl of his dreams actually liked him back—not even in his actual dreams!

   Peter furrowed his eyebrows together. "Wait, really?" he questioned. He blinked vigorously to keep the rain out of his eyes. They didn't even care that they were soaked. He smiled at her. "I—"

   "RILEY! RILEY!" Flash's voice shouted out seconds later. He didn't sound too far away from what Riley could detect. "ARE YOU OUT HERE?"

   Flash Thompson seriously had the worst timing in history.

   "RILEY! VALOR! WHERE ARE YOU!" With that being said, Flash sprinted out from the trees with his jacket over his head. It was drenched, along with Flash himself. It didn't look like his jacket was providing much protection from the rain. "THERE YOU ARE!" He approached them hurriedly, nearly tripping over his own two feet. "Come on! We gotta find shelter from the rain!"

   Peter narrowed his eyes at him, squinting as the droplets attacked his eyes. "You came back for us...?" he queried, somewhat projecting his voice over the rain. The rain had truly come out of nowhere. There wasn't even a hint of lightning or thunder, yet it was raining cats and dogs.

   Flash shook his head. "Well, I came back for Valor, but sure, dickhead!" he declared, causing Peter to sigh exasperatedly. "Let's go! MJ and Ned were right behind me! Come on!"

   Flash clutched onto Riley's forearm and hauled her forward. She barely managed to grab Peter's hand out of pure instinct whilst consecutively dropping the sticks in her arms. Her heart thumped in her chest so aggressively that she could hear it ringing in her ears. Of course, she'd confessed to Peter and of course, it just had to start raining to the point where they had to postpone their conversation and of course, Flash just had to come to her "rescue" if you could really call it that. She didn't know what was worse: the fact that she finally told Peter the truth or the fact that she had no idea what was going through Peter's mind.

   If only she knew that all Peter was thinking was how relieved he was. He was beyond ecstatic, really. All he had to do now was tell her that he felt the same way, that he liked her, too. A lot. But for now, they had to find their way through this rain.

   Since it was dark out and since it was raining so hard, the group (now reunited with Ned and MJ) couldn't see a thing. They had no idea where they were going. Riley took the lead, using her whole body as a light to guide her friends and illuminate their path. She wasn't sure where she was leading them. Her main concern was finding shelter. Otherwise, all of them would wake up horrendously sick in the morning and the rest of their summer camp would be spent sniffling and coughing in bed.

   The winds were picking up in the dark forest. Riley was worried that someone would get hurt from slipping and falling or from something flying into them. She had tried to raise a forcefield around them, but it didn't do much in terms of keeping them dry since they were already drenched. For now, she just focused on finding a dry place to wait out the rain.

   "Ugh, if only Spider-Man was here!" yelled Flash, mostly to himself.

   "Hey, what's that!?" screamed Ned over the whistling winds. He motioned toward something ahead of them. "Over there!"

   Riley squinted, wishing she had JOCASTA to guide her through the darkness of the night. She followed Ned's finger as he pointed out a small house not too far away. It looked like a cabin, but not one of Mirkhaven's.

   "Should we check it out!?"

   "It's not safe!"

   Flash shrugged. "Who cares!? We have a freakin' Avenger with us! Come on!"

   And so, the group marched through the dirt toward the strange cabin. Riley wondered how long the cabin had been there and who inhabited it (assuming someone did). Why would anyone want to live way out here? Then again, Riley had to remember that she lived in a cabin in the woods now, too. Maybe if she was lucky, a family like the Starks resided there. Or... at least, a nice, sane one unlike the Starks.

   Then again, Riley wasn't known for being particularly lucky.

   Well, whoever it was, Riley had to keep her guard up. Although the cabin seemed uninhabited, judging its raggedy and rickety appearance, it would be enough to keep them safe for the remainder of the storm. They just had to discover if anyone was inside and if they were kind enough to help a bunch of stupid teenagers out.

   Gathered on the porch, Riley stared at the door before them. Her teeth clattered together as chills ran up and down her body. "Should I just... knock?" she asked. "I mean, do you think they'd be up at this time?"

   MJ shrugged. "I-It's only 10," she pointed out, shivering as she spoke. "Maybe they're still up?"

   Ned made a face at the cabin. "This place is seriously weird," he mumbled. "Isn't this how all horror movies start?"

   Flash shook his head. "Nah, we'll be fine," he insisted. "We've got Valor to protect us."

   Ned rolled his eyes. "You can't just depend on one person to protect us, man. What if there are two bad guys in there? Then what?"

   "Two bad guys is nothing!"

   "Says you! You'll probably run off like a baby!"

   "Guys, this isn't helping anything!" Peter chimed in, knowing that Riley wouldn't appreciate their incessant bickering.

   "I'm just speaking the truth, Peter!"

   Riley's eye twitched. She couldn't focus with Ned and Flash bickering behind her. "Can everyone just... please shut up?" she begged.

   Flash held his head high as he waved his hands. "Yeah!" cheered Flash. "Chief called. She said this ain't it." He snickered at his joke. "Get it? Chief? Riley's the chief of the Avengers now? It works."

   "It's outdated," Ned countered.

   "You're just mad 'cause you didn't think of it first!"

   "And I—!"

   "Guys!" intervened Riley, harshly glaring at them once she whipped her head around. Everyone promptly became withdrawn, mumbling concise apologies. Riley puffed her cheeks out as she sighed.

   At this point, Riley wasn't necessarily worried about who was inside the cabin. She just wanted to get inside and dry off. She was just a little... on edge... for good reasons! Ned had made a point—This was a reckless idea. But, then again, Riley had done scarier things before. How bad could a little cabin in the woods be anyway?

   Riley took a step closer to the door and raised her fist. She only knocked on it once, barely tapping the wooden planks, when the door went creaking open. Riley's eyebrows shot upward as her friends behind her released nervous squeals (other than Peter, who was pretending he wasn't in "Spidey-Mode"). The door seemed to have already been opened.

   "...Maybe... no one's home?" MJ unconfidently suggested.

   "Stay behind me, okay?" Riley instructed. No one seemed to object, happy to let the seemingly indestructible superhero take the frontlines for them. Peter strayed toward the back, prepared in case someone snuck up on them.

   Warily, Riley stepped into the dark cabin. She had been so focused on her surroundings that she just barely missed Ned whisper to Peter, "I haven't been this nervous since we got second place to that potato arc reactor at the science fair."

   Riley couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about the cabin felt off. It was like something in the air was different. Whatever it was, it was prompting Riley to stay sharp. She felt like there was someone in there with them.

   But maybe she was just overreacting. It was just a random, probably abandoned cabin. Why would anyone be here in the first place? Besides, Midtown probably did a sweep of the people who happened to live in the area. If there was a dangerous person living here, then camp would've occurred somewhere else.

   Riley was sure of it. No one was here.

   "I'm pretty sure this place is abandoned," she said after looking around the small living space. She turned back to the group. "Doesn't look like anyone's lived here for a while, at least." That much was more than obvious. The place looked like it had been ravaged through and destroyed by the elements. She wasn't sure how it was holding up at this point. "I think we can wait out the rain here."

   Flash released a heavy sigh. "Phew, that was a close one," he proclaimed. "Thanks to Valor, we—" Creeeeak! "—OH MY GOD WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

   She quickly scanned the dark area. The wooden floor had squeaked under the weight of someone moving, but the sound hadn't come from the group. As a matter of fact, it sounded like it came from behind Riley's back rather than in front of her. She pulled her attention to Peter, who seemed to wear a matching look of worry on his face.

   "Oh my God, do you ever shut up?" Ned snapped, irritated.

   Creeeeakkkk!

   Flash squealed at the sound once more as Riley spun around in search of the sound. "Did you hear that!? We're gonna die!" Flash helplessly shouted.

   "Unless it's just a rat!" Ned countered.

   "Great," Flash sarcastically said. "A rat and I'm stuck with you and Parker? This sucks!"

   MJ clenched her jaw. "All you guys do is argue!" she finally spoke up. "It's not helping anything, you know. Your ego isn't getting any bigger, considering it's already massive!"

   Creeeaakk!

   Riley groaned in annoyance. She turned to the others again to tell them all to shut up; however, she was interrupted by something moving behind her, prompting Peter to roar, "Riley, look out!"

   Within milliseconds, Riley raised a forcefield around her friends in order to protect them from whatever was behind her. Her first thought was that some homeless person was camping out in the cabin and the New York teenagers were invading his "home". Riley didn't have enough time to turn around to defend herself, however, as the stranger grabbed and pulled her backward.

   An explosion of shouts came from the students of Midtown High as Riley's back collided with the ground. She winced in pain.

   Riley rolled to the side as the stranger approached the teenager on the floor, throwing their fist at her head. The stranger missed, creating a hole in the rotten floor panels. Since it was so dark in the cabin, she was unable to make out the stranger's appearance. All she could see was that her attacker was a tall, muscular male.

   Leaping upward, she kicked her leg out and pushed him onto the ground; however, he just pulled her down with him. She swore under her breath, almost unable to focus due to her friends screaming on the sidelines. She was just thankful she was able to keep up her forcefield.

   The fighters rose to their feet once more. Riley shrouded her fists in UV energy and shot at her attacker, causing him to loudly shout in pain. Flashes of light soared across the cabin, strobing rapidly. This disabled him momentarily as he lost his balance, but he was quick to jump back into action. Riley zipped toward him, throwing her fist at his face.

   Though the man dodged it, she was able to use her other fist to punch him in the gut. As the man bent forward, Riley motioned to grab him to hit him. In the seconds she did so, he threw his entire body at her, shoving her to the ground. The two continued to get their hits in. It didn't take Riley very long for her to realize that this person was experienced, judging by the bruises she could feel coming in already.

   Riley clenched her jaw as she shrouded her entire body with ultraviolet rays. This caused the room to brighten as she moved toward him; however, she faltered when she finally saw his face under the light.

   His bright red eyes sparkled as the luminescence shined against his otherworldly features. Almost immediately, Riley took a step back, hesitant to continue. She couldn't believe who she was staring at, and from the looks of it, he couldn't either.

   Because somehow, Riley Stark knew her attacker. And somehow, he knew her, too.

   Riley faltered, moving back as she tried to catch her breath. "...Roman?" she breathlessly greeted, unsure.

   The man's red eyes transitioned colors, becoming a dark brown. "What the..." he trailed off. "Riley?"

   Riley and the one called Roman stared at each other for a moment as they caught their breath. Meanwhile, the Midtown four were shouting in chaos.

   "Who the hell is this guy? Do you know him, Riley!?"

   "What's going on? Who is this?"

   "Are we gonna die!?"

   But Riley was too focused on her attacker. No one else mattered. The only thing running through Riley Stark's mind was questions regarding the man before her: Roman.

   Over 10 years ago, in the year 2012, the Avengers were finally gathered for the first time. The Avengers was a team composed to protect the planet against disasters, specifically supernatural emergencies. The world recalls that the original team was comprised of Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, Valor, and Hawkeye; however, what many fail to remember was that there was an additional member.

   You really can't blame the public for often forgetting the 8th original Avenger. He left the team as quickly as it was formed due to his untimely death. His name was Roman.

   Riley narrowed her eyes at her attacker, wiping the blood dripping from her nose. "What the fuck...?" hissed Riley, looking him over. Though he had been dead for over a decade, Roman looked the same age he was when he died: 17-years-old. "You're supposed to be dead!"

   The corners of Roman's lips flickered upward into a smirk. "Surprise," he jeered.

   Riley couldn't help the shock that overcame her. She was silent for a moment, trying to wrap her head around the fact that her old colleague was alive and well. "What, did someone summon you from a Ouija board or something? Seriously, what are you? A ghost? A zombie?"

   Roman rolled his eyes. "You wish I was that predictable."

   "I am so confused right now," Ned Leeds mumbled to his friends as Riley and Roman spoke with one another. "Do you guys know what's going on?"

   Peter furrowed his eyebrows together. "That's Roman. He was an Avenger, remember? He died in the 2012 fight with the Chitauri aliens."

   Flash scoffed. "He probably isn't all that, considering he died," he sneered.

   "So did we, genius," MJ shot back. "Besides, that's not true. I wrote a paper on his sacrifice in the 8th grade. He used his alien powers to save a bunch of people. The news said that without his sacrifice, the casualties from that fight would've been tripled."

   Flash slowly nodded. "Ohh... Okay..." He paused. "Wait, alien!?"

   Roman glanced back at Riley's friends. "You know, I'm more than just an alien," Roman taunted, causing Flash to squeal out of sheer nervousness. Roman snickered at his reaction. "I have a whole personality and everything!"

   Riley smacked his arm. "Now is so not the time for your stupid jokes!" she exclaimed. "How the hell are you alive!?"

   Roman narrowed his eyes at her. "You were way cooler when you were this tall," he commented, lowering his hand. Riley rolled her eyes. "Anyways, I'd love to answer that, kiddo, but I think your groupies want your attention."

   Riley raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a kid anymore," she told him. "We're basically the same age now."

   "Yeah, give or take a few hundred years."

   "I hate you."

   "You missed me."

   "Only a little bit."

   Peter walked forward now that Riley's forcefield had been lowered. "I'm sorry, but can someone explain what's going on?" he demanded. "Like, for starters, why did you attack us!?"

   MJ snapped her head toward Peter, knowing that Riley was the one with a bloody nose and bruises all over her body. "I'm sorry, us?" repeated MJ.

   Roman shrugged his shoulders. "Thought you were someone else," he said. "I would've stopped if I'd known it was you, though, Riley."

   "I don't get it," Riley said. "The last time I saw you, you died. How are you here right now?"

   And so, Roman went into his story, but not without having to explain the beginning of it to the others.

   Roman landed on Earth, specifically New York, in the year 2012 after his home planet was invaded by Thanos. Thanos and his army had infiltrated Roman's home planet when he heard rumors that the Power Stone was being hidden in the King's palace. Of course, the stone wasn't there, but Thanos didn't leave the planet until it was nothing but ashes and dust. Roman, a soldier of the planet's Royal Guard, was the only survivor of this attack because he selfishly ran from the fight and fled his home planet.

   When Roman arrived on Earth, he crash-landed in Stark Towers during a meeting between Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, and Phil Coulson. Phil took Roman back to headquarters, and Fury appointed him as the newest member of the Avengers. Roman only stuck around because he knew Thanos would come for Earth and he wanted vengeance for his people.

   Of course, that was until the war against the Chitauri aliens occurred and Roman sacrificed himself for the people of Earth. Riley remembered the exact moment he died like it was yesterday. Surprisingly, given the circumstances, 11-year-old Riley and Roman managed to form a strong bond, so when he died, his death haunted her for a long time. If she'd known he would come back to life, maybe she wouldn't have taken his death so personally.

   The explanation of his reincarnation confused the simple-minded humans. Roman dramatically sighed, now telling the story of how he returned to life for the third time.

   "This is the last time I'm gonna tell you guys, so if you don't get it after this, then it sucks to be you," Roman grumbled, causing Riley to hit his arm out of defense for her friends.

   (Yes, Peter totally noticed how touchy they were with each other... Then again, Peter wasn't sure if "hitting each other constantly" was considered flirty behavior. Peter was a simple-minded and worried boy).

   "There's an old story our elders used to tell the children on my planet about reincarnation. They used to tell us that if you were good your whole life and you lived for the sake of others, you'd go to a... special place when you died," explained Roman. "This... special place was kind of like heaven for you guys, but way cooler, obviously. And way more selective. I think I got in accidentally or something, but—"

   "Roman," interrupted Riley. Her hands were still lit with UV energy, illuminating the room for everyone as they tried to warm up under her light.

   "—Right, my bad," he muttered. He leaned back in his chair. "When you die and you manage to get into this special place in a higher plane of the universe, you're given the chance to be reborn."

   Roman continued, "It takes some time because your entire being has to be reconstructed, and it hurts like a bitch, by the way. Some take a few years, others a few hundred. It just depends on your species and the cause of your death. Anyway, after all that, I was reborn. The only thing no one told me was that I'd wake up in the same place I died... in the middle of New York. In case you all end up like me, waking up in the middle of rush hour sucks."

   MJ had to refrain from commenting, "Yeah because that's totally gonna happen to normal people like us." However, she paused when she realized that was exactly what happened to the people impacted by the Decimation.

   "So," Peter started, putting the rest of the pieces together, "you woke up in New York and immediately tried to find Riley. Why?"

   Roman eyed Peter Parker carefully. "Because, loyal guard dog," began Roman, causing Peter to make a face, "she's the only one of those Avengers I could tolerate."

   Ned and Flash exchanged unsure glances, considering the two had a habit of bickering like an old married couple from what they could see from the past hour.

   "So I did some research, found out Tony was last seen here, and kinda assumed she'd be here, too, since they were always attached at the hip when I was around," explained Roman. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now, but I figured you'd be able to help."

   Riley nodded slowly. "Sure, but—"

   "But we're at camp," emphasized Peter. "There's nothing she can do about it. Riley made a deal with her parents that she'd be here until camp ends."

   Roman's face twisted with puzzlement. "Your parents? They're dead."

   Riley nodded. "They are. Technically. Kinda. Well, it's a long story. Tony adopted me. Wow. We seriously need to get you caught up on everything."

   Roman folded his arms over his chest. "I'm just pissed that I missed out on the whole "killing Thanos" thing," he grumbled.

   "It wasn't that great," she muttered bitterly, cringing at the traumatic memories.

   It didn't take the group long to realize one thing. Since Roman was fairly keen on sticking by Riley's side, Riley was stuck harboring an alien until the end of camp. Additionally, since everyone wanted to help Riley out (and because Roman intrigued the Midtown teenagers), the group of five were all involved in the case.

   Peter Parker could sense the community between the group in regards to harboring an alien on their summer camp; however, for him, he found himself being quieter than usual. Peter couldn't stop staring at Roman and Riley, wondering the details of their relationship while the others were excited about being involved in Riley's newfound mission. Riley seemed comfortable around Roman—that was clear. Maybe she was even more comfortable with Roman than she was with Peter.

   Wait... Did Peter feel... threatened by Roman?

   No, that couldn't be it. Peter didn't even know him. And technically, Roman didn't know Riley anymore either. Things have changed since she was 11, after all. Still, they seemed a little too close for Peter's liking.

   Peter was worried. He thought he knew exactly what road he and Riley were going down, but then a reincarnated alien named Roman walked into the picture. Everyone seemed so enthusiastic about Roman's surprise appearance except for Peter. Sure, Roman and Riley had only been reunited for a short period of time, but what was supposed to happen next?

   Whatever it was, Peter had a feeling that it wouldn't involve him.

   And so, the Roman Holiday concluded with the group's celebration and one party member left in despair.

○ ○ ○

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Jeon Jungkook as Roman

SO! i've had roman's character on the backburner since the very beginning of this fic about 2 years ago. since this book started getting attention, i knew i wanted to write him into riley's story hehe. the idea of our beloved gang having to hide an alien from summer camp was just too intriguing for me to pass up on hehe.

i know there's a lot of information being thrown at yall, so here's a really really easy summary: roman. alien. original avenger. died in 2012 battle on new york due to sacrifice. was reincarnated. reborn in 2023 new york. sought out riley.

i LOVE roman and his character a lot, and i have a lot planned for him, especially in terms of his relationship with riley. aaand i hope you guys end up loving him as much as i do hehe<3 ALSO he's been mentioned discretely twice in this fic if you managed to catch that :))

while we're on the topic of the future, it looks like our baby boy is a little worried about his relationship with riley now that roman's in the picture :( AND THIS IS ALL RIGHT AFTER RILEY FINALLYYYY FUCKING CONFESSED. talk about shitty timing wtf!

i can't say too much without spoiling the remainder of the story, but i really hope yall like the little twist i threw in! comment what you think! i'm curious!

(REAL QUICK @ WATTPAD USER SPIDERSKOO, IDK IF YOU REMEMBER BUT A LONG TIME AGO, I TOLD YOU THAT I HAD A CERTAIN SURPRISE IN MIND THAT I THOUGHT YOU'D APPRECIATE. THIS IS IT. I LOVE JUNGKOOK SO MUCH. SURPRISE!)