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❄️ Chapter 21 — A Glimpse of Normal
The first rays of morning light filtered through the blinds of Adrian's room. For once, the hum of machines and the soft whir of servers weren't the only sounds echoing in the chamber.
There was another voice. Calm, steady, almost curious.
"Is this what … all humans do in the morning?" Natalie asked, her sharp blue eyes glancing at the steaming mug in Adrian's hand. "Consume… bean water?"
Adrian chuckled into his coffee. "We call it coffee. And we both know that you knew that."
Natalie tilted her head. She wore the same sleek suit she had manifested in the night before, though she had now borrowed one of Adrian's coats to soften the business-like appearance. Her hair caught the faint glow of the monitors, and her posture remained unnervingly precise, like every movement was calculated.
But her expression carried something else. A spark of curiosity, new to the world and desperate to explore it.
"Can I try it " Natalie ask curiously. Adrian passed the coffee and Natalie tasted it and said "so this is the flavor of coffee it's sharp and unpleasant I don't think I like it. "
Adrian pour some milk and sugar in the mug and gave her a try now look. "Natalie… you've only seen this place, my workshop. The world is a lot bigger than glowing monitors and databanks."
Natalie tries it again and smile .
She folded her hands. "Then show me. I want to understand what I was created to protect."
Adrian hesitated only a moment before leading her down the stairwell to street level and they when to the city. The city was alive with noise—car horns, distant construction, chatter of passersby, the smell of roasted bagels drifting through the winter air.
Natalie froze at the sight, her breath catching. The sheer scale of it—the colors, the smells, the thousands of lives weaving in motion—struck her more deeply than any of Adrian's explanations.
Her lips parted slightly. "this is So much…"
Adrian smiled faintly. "Welcome to New York."
They walked through the streets together. Adrian noticed how Natalie observed everything with laser-sharp attention. A child tugging at his mother's sleeve. A hotdog vendor yelling about mustard. A street musician strumming a battered guitar.
Natalie's head turned constantly, her eyes soaking in details, her voice low. "All these little pieces… all these lives. You create me to protect them all?"
Adrian shoved his hands in his pockets. "Not all but everyone we can save."
Natalie gave him a sidelong glance. "then I will try my best."
Later that day, they went in the base . Adrian set up his computer while, Natalie sitting beside him.
"Step one," Adrian murmured, "we make you real."
He typed rapidly, bypassing firewalls, sliding into federal systems with surgical precision. Birth records, census data, academic histories—he wove them together like strands of a spiderweb.
Natalie leaned closer, watching the screen with unnerving focus. "You are… altering history."
Adrian smirked. "Nothing just Hacking you into the world."
Bit by bit, a life emerged: Natalie Ross, born in Queens, graduated with honors, worked briefly in private security consulting. A complete, believable identity. Adrian even uploaded edited CCTV footage, weaving her into the background of events she had never lived.
When he finally leaned back, stretching his stiff fingers, Natalie stared at the glowing confirmation screen.
"I exist," she whispered. "Not just because you willed it. But because the world now acknowledges it."
Adrian glanced at her. For the first time, she wasn't just composed and serious—she looked moved.
"That was the point," he said softly.
Natalie's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Thank you, Adrian. "
Then they went out again
On the way back, Natalie insisted they stop at a small diner. The smell of sizzling bacon and toasted bread wafted through the air as they sat at a booth near the window.
Natalie picked up the menu, frowning. "So many… combinations of meat and bread. Why complicate it?"
Adrian laughed. "Welcome to American cuisine."
She eventually settled on a simple grilled cheese. When the plate arrived, steaming and golden, she studied it like it was an alien artifact. Then she took a careful bite.
Her eyes widened. "This is… effective ."
Adrian snorted into his burger. "That's one way to put it."
For a moment, with grease-stained napkins and the chatter of strangers around them, Adrian felt something rare: normalcy.
Natalie leaned back, gazing out at the street. "If I am to protect this world, I should know what it feels like to live in it."
Her words stayed with him long after they left.
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At Midtown High, Peter Parker sat slumped at a cafeteria table, untouched food on his tray. His mind replayed every moment from the night before—Harry's scream, the sight of Venom, the sound of electricity tearing the symbiote apart.
He had saved Harry's life… but at what cost? Had he failed him as a friend?
Peter buried his face in his hands. "I should've stopped it earlier…"
"Talking to yourself now, Parker?"
The voice was light, teasing. Peter glanced up to see Gwen Stacy sliding into the seat across from him, her blonde hair catching the light from the cafeteria windows. She set down her tray—pizza, an apple, and chocolate milk—and gave him a half-smile.
"You look like you lost a fight with organic chemistry," Gwen said, stabbing at her pizza.
Peter forced a chuckle. "Something like that."
She tilted her head, concern flickering in her eyes. "You've been off all week. What's wrong?"
Peter hesitated. He couldn't tell her the truth. Not about Harry. Not about Venom. Not yet.
So he just shrugged, picking at his fries. "Guess I'm just tired."
Gwen studied him a moment longer, then smiled gently. "Well… if it helps, Dr. Warren tripped on his own chalk this morning. Nearly face-planted into the board. Funniest thing I've ever seen."
Peter snorted despite himself. "I wish I saw that."
"See?" Gwen grinned, nudging his tray toward him. "Still worth eating lunch today."
For the first time that day, Peter smiled back. Small. Fragile. But real.
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The next day, Midtown High's hallways buzzed louder than usual. Whispers darted between lockers and classrooms.
"Did you see him?"
"No way that's real—he's huge!"
"Looks like Thor. Like, actual Thor!"
And then he walked through the doors.
Tall, broad-shouldered, golden hair gleaming. Thor Odinson strode down the hallway as if he belonged there, Mjolnir resting easily in his hand. His Asgardian armor glimmered faintly, though he had thrown a hoodie over it in a half-hearted attempt at disguise.
Students gawked. Some snapped photos. Flash Thompson, never one to miss a chance at bravado, swaggered up.
"Hey, man, cool cosplay. Where'd you rent the hammer?"
Thor looked down at him, unamused. "This hammer has slain frost giants, young mortal. It is no toy."
Flash blinked, his grin faltering. "Uh… right."
Thor turned away without another word, striding straight into the administrative office, where Agent Coulson sat waiting with his usual calm expression.
"Thor," Coulson greeted evenly. "Let's discuss your request for a meeting with Director Fury."
Thor nodded gravely, lowering his voice. "There are matters of great urgency. The storm is coming."
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Across the city, in Adrian's workshop, Natalie paused mid-analysis of surveillance feeds. Her eyes narrowed, glowing faintly.
Adrian looked up from his schematics. "What is it?"
Natalie turned toward the window, her voice low. "I sense something… Powerful. Like thunder given flesh."
Adrian's brow furrowed. "Thor."
Adrian leaned back in his chair, the weight of it all pressing on his shoulders again. But when he glanced at Natalie—steadfast, calm, a pillar beside him—he felt the faintest ember of reassurance.
For the first time in weeks, he wasn't preparing alone.
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❄️ End of Chapter 21