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CONFESSIONS OF A
TEENAGE BITCH

"I'm no sweet dream but I'm a
hell of a night." —Halsey
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Location: Lower Manhattan, New York

August 27, 2016

"D-DO you ever wonder if, if we know each other in our normal lives?" Spider-Man questioned after they did a brief hand-to-hand combat. Glancing at her momentarily as they both stood near the edge of a building in High Line Park, a panoramic view of the city. He was taking a short breather while Aurora quietly pondered about it, unsure why he brought it up. She was always one to be cautious so it was highly unlikely for her identity to be revealed. Secretly she hoped that Tony didn't utter a word about her considering he could spill anything without a second thought.

"Maybe... but I highly doubt that," Phantom answered, looking up at him with a neutral expression. She could always tell when someone was lying but to her surprise, he was just genuinely curious. It unnerved her slightly at the possibility, unlike in the past she simply eliminated those who knew. But now? It was complicated yet she wasn't going to think about it, ignoring the incoming thoughts. A small smirk appeared on her lips, an idea for their next training, "Are you up for an endurance run? Here till the Brooklyn Bridge?"

"Is t-there something easier we, uh can do?" The teenage boy mumbled, staring at the distance where the bridge stood. It was merely three miles away yet he didn't have much sleep the night before. When he wanted to suggest something else, she instead leaped off before creating portals to step on. He had no choice but to follow suit, knowing she was testing him with his agility and speed.

"If you think this is hard— then you should try doing morning jogs with Captain America," Aurora remarked to Spider-Man, doing an early morning training session with him. Only to silently regret it since the masked hero seemed disheveled partially because it was Saturday. It was a straightforward training session with parkour exercises throughout Queens and Brooklyn. Observing how the masked hero was naturally agile while using his webs to his advantage. Although she did have to admit he was a fast learner... when he wanted to be.

"Y-You used to train with the C-Captain America?!" Spider-Man asked, slightly shocked by the information. Of course, he heard stories about the Winter Soldier training her during her time at HYDRA but this was unexpected. He never got a chance to be trained by anyone— well, except Phantom although he wished it was Stark. Occasionally glancing at the female assassin who would create small portals to match his speed, initiating a small competition between them.

"More like forced to. Trust me, if Wilson can't catch up to him, neither can you." The young Stark asserted, a playful smile appearing on her lips. Their training was mainly to build stamina and concentration, having control over their abilities while maneuvering with ease. It was similar when she did it with Steve, Sam, or even Natasha. Reminiscing the moments she once shared with them, even though she somewhat disliked Sam... Aurora missed him too.

Peter didn't know what else to say, considering she was well acquainted with the other Avengers unlike him. Recalling how Tony Stark mentioned that Captain America and the others became criminals but why not her? He couldn't deny that Phantom was exceptionally skilled, it's been only a month since they started his training. Unaware that she discreetly placed a tracker on the masked hero to monitor his performance since Tony wanted proof. His thoughts came to a sudden abrupt end when the girl decided to challenge him, "Now... let's see if you can beat me to the bridge, Spidey!"

Spider-Man couldn't resist having the opportunity to possibly beat Phantom, swinging over the buildings confidently. About one mile away from the Brooklyn Bridge, navigating through while she hovered using her energy ability. Silently thankful that his mask covered his awestruck expression since she never failed to impress him. Aurora purposely created portals to sidetrack the hero yet managed to move around effortlessly. Nonetheless, she still beat him and landed on top of one of the Gothic Towers.

"Guess better luck next time." She taunted him, a wide smirk etched on her lips. Although she couldn't see his face, she knew that he wasn't happy about the result. In truth, she was teaching him that nothing would be given to him. Aurora took out her computerized mirror to activate her A.I. assistant, M.A.T.T.H.E.W. which caught Spider-Man off-guard.

Initializing Sub-System... Sub-Routines Active... A.I Protocol Active...

"Who said that?!" Peter exclaimed, immediately glancing at her hand as it made a loud beep sound. Phantom rolled her eyes dramatically at his uneasiness before she indicated to the computerized mirror.

"Relax, Webbead. It's only my A.I. called M.A.T.T.H.E.W. or Matt. Spidey meet Matt. Now stand still for a moment...." Aurora briefly introduced him to Matt, creating a virtual scan even if the masked hero might protest. Within seconds the scan was complete as a projection popped up for both of them to examine.

"Assessing Spider-Man's biometrics and analyzing performance." Her A.I. declared loudly as a few video logs and files appeared, Aurora deciding which to open first. Meanwhile, Peter felt like he was being violated recognizing that she could potentially discover his secret identity. He wanted to reach over and grab the device but didn't want to take his chances considering she could 'kill' him.

"You put a tracker on me?!" The male superhero uttered in surprise, staring at her although Phantom was calm about the whole situation. Deciding to evaluate the video logs considering that's how she could tell if he learned something or not.  

"Stark's idea, not mine. He wants to see if you improved or not." Aurora shrugged her shoulders as both of them analyzed the footage. Peter felt a twinge of betrayal that he wasn't made aware of the new requirement, what else has Mr. Stark not mentioned?

"W-What else can he do?" Spider-Man asked with slight hesitation, glancing between her and the A.I. somewhat apprehensive. Phantom sighed through her nose faintly as she realized that he must think she knew. That was far from the truth but now was a step closer as Matt was confidentially storing data in the database.

"I'm a fully programmed A.I. equipped with the latest technology operated by my intelligent creator, Miss–," M.A.T.T.H.E.W. informed the masked hero but Aurora cut off the A.I. from mentioning her name. 

"Oh, so you're like Mr. Stark?" Peter commented, making a small connection between Phantom and Tony Stark. Unknowingly, Aurora wanted to glare harshly at Spider-Man, thankfully her black domino mask concealed her expressions.

"You did not just compare me to him—." The former assassin retorted, slightly annoyed and in disbelief that he would say that. Although she is Tony's daughter, Aurora is more like her mother, Athena. Unaware that Peter seemed to take note of her frustration, suspecting that she was offended being compared to Stark.

"S-Sorry... I didn't mean t-to—." The teenage boy rambled his apology, hoping that she wouldn't try to push him off the bridge or something. He noticed that whenever he mentioned Mr. Stark, it sounded bitter through her lips.

"After analyzing the footage, Spider-Man seems to be in peak physique based on his recent training. Sending data to Tony Stark for evaluation." Her A.I. interrupted them causing her to glance at the hero intrigued. Considering Spider-Man wasn't a super-soldier like herself, he's probably a human mutant who gained above-average abilities. Sighing softly as the data was sent to Tony before putting away her computerized mirror.

"...You think he'll, um, mention something about my, my progress?" Peter hesitated to ask her, not knowing what her mood was now. The young Stark didn't really care if Tony would say anything about him, although it made her ponder about Spider-Man's relationship with him.

"Why do you want to impress Stark so much? Seeing that you never stop talking about him..." Aurora sarcastically remarked, diverting the conversation as her eyes gazed into his figure. Placing her hands on her hips, catching him off guard by her sarcastic comment. Observing how his lenses twitched in various expressions as he contemplated his response. 

"P-Probably sounds stupid but he, uh, saw a YouTube video of me s-stopping a car from, from hitting a bus. And he asked for my help, I guess... he saw potential in me." Spider-Man stated that she couldn't detect any lies from him. Narrowing her gaze faintly, for once stumped since he managed to dodge her telepathy until realizing what he said.

"Wait— help? Why would he need your help? No offense..." Phantom muttered the last part, discreetly rolling her eyes. They were still a few feet apart so she quietly stepped forward yet he managed to maintain his stance. 

"Yeah, to make the world a better place. You know, w-with the Accords," Peter shrugged his shoulders like it was common sense information. However, Aurora was not amused at all, he knew nothing about the situation. She couldn't believe Tony had dragged someone into a fight that wasn't his. And if he knew the real reason for the Accords, she was sure Spider-Man would have thought twice before joining.

"Do you even know why Captain America and the rest of us were against the Accords?" Aurora accused him, her hands now crossed above her chest. Her demeanor changed rapidly as she tilted her head slightly to the side to intimidate him, which was definitely working. 

"M-Mr. Stark said that Captain America went rogue... uh, dangerous and you would be, um, out of control." The masked hero answered although it felt like something forced him to be truthful. Unaware that Aurora momentarily used her mind control, her eyes glowing blue for a mere second. His words pierced her like a dagger when she realized that Tony still didn't trust her, his own daughter.

"If you mean that the government can dictate when and where superheroes can help, then sure... we're out of control." Phantom declared although her voice wanted to waver, hiding her emotions. Clenching her fist to control herself she glanced away from Spider-Man, her mind weighing on what Tony really thought about her. "The UN is no different from HYDRA... just they have different agendas." 

"I-I don't understand–." Peter tried to understand her frustration, profound by the new information. Tony never once mentioned that the Accords were to stop the Avengers from helping. So did that mean what they were doing was illegal?

"Of course you don't! All you see is your idol finally giving you the chance to be him... sounds fucking pathetic if you ask me." Aurora retorted as she went to the edge of the Gothic Tower, her back facing Spider-Man. Conjuring blue mist on her left hand to summon small portals, sighing through her nose faintly. "Maybe you should ask your mentor the real reason for the Accords. Gotta go now." 

"Wait— we haven't finished training...." Spider-Man called out to her, she turned around and walked up to the masked hero with an annoyed expression. Her intimidating stance made Peter take a few steps back, holding his hands up defensively. 

"Well, now we are! Catch you later, Spidey." Aurora mock-saluted him before jumping off the ledge to teleport instantaneously. Peter seemed confused by her sudden outburst, clearly upset with his lack of awareness. This made him wonder what else Mr. Stark hadn't mentioned, nearly forgetting he needed to be somewhere. Swinging through the city while his mind seemed to linger towards Phantom, unaware that they were closer than they expected.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ🕷: *.☽ .* :🔪 ﾟ. ───

"FOR the last time... this isn't a date! It's a group presentation!" Aurora told Darcy, exasperated for having to repeat herself within the last hour. Her guardian has been constantly nagging her ever since she found out about going to a boy's house. Even compelling the teenager to dress up and bring some kind of housewarming gift as a nice gesture. The girl assumed that since Levi sent the address which happened to be in a rich neighborhood... she had to impress him. But it seemed like Lewis didn't understand the concept of being friends with a boy.

"Ah yes, the infamous 'study' date. Let me guess! It's that Levi boy who's inviting you?" Darcy commented as she handed a black skirt to which the young Stark begrudgingly took it. Aurora already hid some extra clothes in her backpack unless Lewis might find them, hoping she didn't. Adjusting it slightly but hated the feeling that it might ride up when she walked, glancing at the full-length mirror.

"Maybe he can be your soulmate?" The woman pondered as she gave a thumbs up to Aurora, approving the outfit. She would rather die than be caught by someone in school, much less by two boys. The young Stark grabbed her phone to message Levi she would be there soon before placing it inside her leather sling bag. Darcy forced her to sit on the bed as she applied a bit of makeup, saying it was to make her presentable or some shit.

"I don't think so, Darcy. My mom said that when I lose something so important to me, my soulmate will return it and know it's mine. And so far... I haven't lost anything." The teenager answered, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. It was starting to frustrate Aurora that her guardian was adamant in finding her soulmate. "Besides, why get my hopes up for nothing?"   

"Well, what is important or meaningful to you?" Darcy questioned sincerely, curious what it would be. In truth, only one thing was the most valuable to Aurora, subconsciously gripping her mother's necklace. Her guardian didn't question further as she finished applying some lip gloss before giving a small smile to the teenager. Handing the girl a mirror to admire the results, reminding her to hurry up. "Alright... I'm done. Now, we should get going, I don't want you to be late."

"I don't think Levi would care but fine," Aurora rolled her eyes discreetly with a short sigh. Reluctantly getting up to gather her stuff for the presentation, she swiftly headed to the garage. Slinging the leather bag over her shoulder, entering the car and buckling herself before Darcy started the engine. The young Stark activated her A.I. to give the location, something her guardian still wasn't used to.

"Right... forgot about your gizmo," Lewis mumbled under her breath, sighing softly while trying to focus on the road. It was about twenty minutes away but the woman drove rather slowly since Aurora was holding a chocolate cake. However, the teenager knitted her eyebrows faintly at Darcy's remark, slightly offended as if it was something out of the ordinary.

"Gizmo? You've seen aliens, gods, hell even super-soldiers and this is something you freak out about?" The girl playfully remarked, her computerized mirror on the dashboard. Darcy side-eyed towards Aurora as if none of this was normal, especially to her. 

"It's just strange that you talk to your A.I. like he's a real person. No offense...." Darcy vocalized her thoughts, shrugging her shoulders faintly. Aurora didn't seem bothered by the statement considering she didn't have anyone throughout her childhood. Besides Bucky Barnes, her A.I. was the only one she could trust, she did create him after all.

"Miss Hunter created me out of spare parts while Mr. Stark had cutting-edge technology at his disposal." M.A.T.T.H.E.W. promptly answered, a slight change in its tone. A playful smirk was evident on the teenager's lips, not denying the fact she was only a child when she built him.

"Still weird..." The woman uttered before the conversation fell silent throughout the whole car ride. Aurora was surprised that Levi was only twenty minutes away from their apartment, glancing at the streets. When they eventually arrived in front of his house, Darcy faintly nodded almost in approval. Unlocking the car, the young Stark opened the door before shutting it behind her. "Alright be safe, Rory."

"I know and you don't need to pick me up." The girl declared firmly, not caring what Darcy was going to tell her. Observing the rather modern architecture, she was slightly intrigued considering Levi didn't mention he was rich. She glanced briefly at the car driving away, wanting to desperately change out of her clothes. Walking up the front steps before ringing the doorbell, praying to god that Peter didn't see her. Wait, why would she care about him? Considering he's just a classmate of hers, although silently admits he was nice to her.

The moment the door was opened, Aurora held the chocolate cake in front of her attempting to hide the outfit. Realizing it was Levi, she gave him a firm expression hoping he understood what she wanted to say. "Please don't laugh, Warren. Look, can we just get this over with?"

"Sure, sure... let me guess... your Aunt thought this was a date?" Levi momentarily agreed until he couldn't resist humoring her. Grabbing the chocolate cake from her grasp before inviting her inside, a teasing smirk on his lips. Aurora didn't hesitate to stroll in, her eyes unintentionally scanning her surroundings noting how nice and elegant the place was.

"I swear she's driving me crazy. Can I please use your bathroom?" The girl remarked before asking her friend, fully aware that he finally noticed the black skirt. She had the sling bag over her right shoulder before slipping it off in her left hand. Glancing back at Levi once she noticed his smirk, she rolled her eyes at him.

"Knock yourself out, second door to the left down there. By the way, Peter isn't here yet." Warren nodded his head in the direction of the bathroom. She quirked her eyebrow slightly, wondering why Parker was late like usual.

"I'll be quick. I hope Peter doesn't screw us over." Aurora stated sarcastically although she meant it, walking towards the bathroom. Grumbling under her breath as the skirt slowly rode up, closing the door behind her. Unzipping her sling bag before reaching her hand inside, her eyes widened once she realized there weren't any extra clothes. Dumping her stuff in the sink further proves her suspicion that Darcy found them. "FUCK! For fuck's sake Darcy why are you doing this to me!"

Levi faintly heard Aurora curse behind the bathroom door when the doorbell rang. He couldn't help but snicker under his breath before he opened the door to find Peter standing there. Parker was slightly flushed, his backpack over his shoulder as he sheepishly waved goodbye to his Aunt May. Levi greeted him with a quick handshake, guiding him inside his place as he offered a slice of cake to him. Peter quietly declined as he felt slightly out of place considering Warren is rather rich. But unlike Flash, he wasn't intimidated by Warren which was oddly comforting. 

"I can't believe she–!" Aurora uttered in frustration, walking out of the bathroom with her bag in hand. When Peter heard a door open by the hallway, his eyes widened once he registered it was Aurora. He never once saw her with a skirt yet in that moment his inner thoughts seemingly vanished. Detecting her frustration while tugging her leather jacket closer to her body, it didn't go unnoticed by the boys. Once she noticed Parker, her gaze softly for a slight moment although she was unsure what provoked that reaction. "Oh... um, hi Peter."

"H-Hey, Aurora." Parker waved briefly, his face turning scarlet by the second as he couldn't seem to stop admiring her femininity. Meanwhile, Aurora wanted to get this over with considering it wasn't a coincidence what was happening. Her Aunt Nat would even mention that she was growing up and might attract boys but didn't think that would happen soon. Not to mention, there was the whole soulmate situation she still had to figure out. "You look... um, g-great."

"Thanks, but you're a bit late." Aurora acknowledged the comment yet couldn't resist amusingly remarking at him. Peter sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, trying to come up with a logical explanation. The first thing he came up with was the Stark Internship yet fumbled with his words that he did something else. The girl silently narrowed her gaze at his lying expression, wondering why he always seemed to be nervous around her.

"Now that everyone's here, should we order pizza while we do the project?" Levi clasped his hands together with a large grin on his face. The girl discreetly rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm as she simply shrugged her shoulders. Peter didn't mind the offer as Levi took it as a sign to place an order for pizza. Warren told them that they could go to his room while he called his favorite pizza place, leaving the two alone.

Peter was hesitant to go yet Aurora had no problem since Levi did permit them to enter his room. He followed behind her like a stray as they were both mildly curious about what Levi had in his room. As they glanced inside, there was a large bed in the corner and a huge game PC setup on his desk. His bass guitar and speakers with vinyl records and CDs are on the shelves next to it. Movie posters hung along the walls yet Peter seemed to stare at one in particular. Aurora couldn't help but stand beside him, entertained to see him like this.

"D-Do you know... what this is?" Peter awed, pointing at the poster that held signatures of his favorite movie trilogy. Aurora gazed upon it unsure why he was hunged up by some illustration. She shrugged her shoulders faintly, shaking her head in disagreement without a care in the world.

"I see you found my prized possession." Levi leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed above his chest. Both Aurora and Peter glanced back with different expressions, his from excitement and hers from boredom. He chuckled faintly as he walked towards them, purposely in between as he placed his hands around their shoulders. "My mom knew some people and they were at the NY Comic Con three years ago."

"You-u have the original cast signatures on your wall! Dude... that's amazing! I-I didn't know you liked Star Wars!" Peter gawked as he couldn't stop admiring it. Aurora rolled her eyes discreetly, silently thinking it wasn't a big deal considering it was just some movie. Parker was tempted to touch the framed poster as he uttered, "If only Ned could see this." 

"You never asked. So, what movie's your favorite?" Levi questioned Parker, intrigued about what his response would be. Meanwhile, Aurora crossed her arms above her chest as she glanced between the two boys. She didn't know anything about most movies, only the classics from Steve or action ones with her dad. 

"No doubt, The Empire Strikes Back. Only the best movie ever." Peter immediately answered, a genuine grin on his face. It seemed like he couldn't stop ogling over the poster while the young Stark gently moved away from Levi's grasp.

"Not bad, I'm more of a Return of the Jedi kinda guy." Warren nodded his head in acknowledgment, a half-smile smile evident on his lips. Aurora glanced between the two boys, suddenly feeling like she was the third wheel in the conversation. Meanwhile, they were oblivious to her as they continued their conversation for some time. "...But you got to admit when Luke found out about—." 

"As much as I love to hear you guys bond over a guy with a glow stick and another with a laser gun... can we please start the presentation?" The girl sarcastically remarked at the boys, setting down her sling bag on the ground. Sighing softly through her nose faintly, she wanted to get this over with considering she was still uncomfortable with her short skirt.

"Hold on. Y-You've, uh, never seen Star Wars?" Peter stuttered in surprise, silently offended by the statement. Aurora on the other hand merely shook her head, not recalling anything about the Star Wars. Well, she accidentally overheard it from Ned Leeds who seems like he can't keep his mouth shut to save his life.

"No, I've only heard of it because Ned can't stop talking about it with you. Should I?" Aurora bluntly stated, shrugging her shoulders gingerly. She hated wasting time so she took out her computer to start working on it since the boys were too preoccupied.

"It's only one of the best Sci-Fi films out there. Alright, what about Back to the Future?" Levi intervened, thinking that Aurora was messing with them.

"What's that?" She asked softly, although she'd heard of it... movies weren't her thing. In truth, she never really had time to watch movies, rather working on her experiments or training. At that moment, Warren's eyes widened at the dawning realization that she wasn't joking. 

"What the hell have you been doing with your life?!" Levi exclaimed, nearly stuttering in shock as he indicated to the poster he also had on his wall. She glanced at it briefly, a small smile threatening to appear at the reaction she was provoking. Aurora can't resist screwing them around once in a while for her own entertainment.

"Homeschooled." The former assassin uttered a white lie, after all, they knew nothing about her.

"That's it! After we finish the presentation, you have to watch a movie with us. Right, Pete." The dark-skinned boy protested in disbelief that his best friend hadn't watched his favorite movies. On the other hand, the girl faintly sighed through her nose at the mistake she'd caused. Immediately shaking her head in disagreement, getting up to stand directly in front of him with a slight glare.

"Nope, no way! Like I'm gonna let that happen." Aurora remarked yet it seemed Levi's mind was already made up. For once in her life, she looked at Peter as if asking for his help but instead, he didn't want to intervene.

This was going to be a long afternoon indeed.