The air was charged with silence.
Ethan watched Peter carefully. The older man's jaw was set, his hands resting flat on the table, like he was ready to either lecture or leap into action.
Peter exhaled. "I really hope you're telling me the truth."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, letting the silence stretch just enough. "About what?"
"You know what," Peter said. "About Amy. About why you really brought her here."
His tone wasn't angry—not yet. But it was layered with doubt, and more than a little worry.
Peter leaned forward slightly. "You're smart, Ethan. Smarter than most adults I've met. And that's not a compliment—it's a warning. Smart people who think ten moves ahead usually don't stop to ask whether they should be playing the game at all."
Ethan offered a small, unreadable smile. "You think I'm using her."
"I don't know what to think," Peter replied, his voice low. "You clearly see people like puzzles and games, not as people. You've got layers of plans that I'm not privy to, you speak like someone double your age, and everything about you screams 'calculated.' So yeah… I'm a little worried."
Ethan didn't flinch.
"I seem to have given you a bad first impression. I may not be the best guy," he said finally, "but I have no intention of hurting my friends. That's why I've never pushed Amy to become a superhero. Though I think she might go down that path eventually… but only if she chooses it."
He leaned back, folding his arms. "After all, as you—or was it your Uncle Ben—who once said: With great power comes great responsibility."
Peter's expression darkened instantly. His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing.
That had hit the mark.
"You know about Uncle Ben?"
Ethan shrugged faintly. "I know a lot about many things, Peter. Public records, news articles, interviews, background footage… and a few things that aren't so public."
Peter stared at him for a long, uncomfortable beat.
"Is that why you brought me into this? Because you want her to learn that lesson."
"Yes and no. I truly believe you're one of the only people I know who could help her," Ethan said, not missing a beat. "Not with powers. With uhh… responsibility and understanding. As you know, she trusts me, but I'm… well, I'm not exactly warm and fuzzy."
Peter's glare remained, but some of the heat in it faded.
Before he could respond, Amy returned from the restroom. She looked more relaxed now—still tired, still shaken—but more grounded. Her eyes darted between them, sensing the tension but saying nothing.
Peter smiled and stood. "It was nice to meet, Amy. Give me your number. I'll text you some calming breathing exercises tonight. See if that can help with the floating and glowing. I'll visit you tomorrow and we can get start."
She nodded, looking to Ethan. "Can I give him my number?"
Ethan gave a small nod, "Of course, that's why I brought you here. Here I'll give him mine too."
Phones came out. Numbers were exchanged. Peter was cautious but kind, Ethan calm and reserved, Amy grateful and nervous.
As they stood, Peter pulled out his wallet. "I've got the tab. You guys go ahead."
Amy gave Peter a small wave. "Thanks… for everything."
Peter nodded. "You're welcome. Anytime. Call me if you need anything. Anytime, I'm available."
Ethan placed a hand on Amy's shoulder and gently guided her toward the door. They stepped into the warm night air and flagged down a cab.
Inside, Amy pulled her hood back slightly. The city lights spilled across her face, and for once, she didn't look nervous to be around people. Her fear of hurting others accidentally seemed almost gone.
After a moment of silence, Ethan asked, "Did it help? Talking with Peter, I mean. You look better, but I wanted your opinion."
Amy looked at him, and something shifted in her expression. A quiet, trembling kind of emotion.
Without warning, she leaned over and hugged him.
Ethan stiffened—completely caught off guard. A first for him since coming to this world.
She held on tight, her arms wrapped around him like a lifeline. Her voice trembled.
"Yes," she whispered. "More than you know. I was so scared. And now… I'm still scared. But I don't feel like a freak anymore. I don't feel alone. I don't feel like I'll hurt those closest to me."
Tears sparkled in her eyes as she pulled back, wiping her face.
Ethan blinked, then gently reached out and patted her back, uncertain but sincere.
"You're not freak, Amy. I think Paige and I are freakier than you'll ever be," he said quietly. "You're Amy. All you need to do is learn control. That's all."
Amy nodded.
They sat in silence for the rest of the ride. But the cab didn't feel so heavy anymore.
Just for tonight.
As the cab pulled up near the hospital's side entrance, Ethan reached into his bag and handed Amy her hospital gown, folded neatly beneath the hoodie she'd worn out.
"You know the drill," he said softly. "Bathroom, change, and be quick."
Amy nodded. She was calm now—grounded in a way she hadn't been that morning. They entered the hospital through the same east side staff door, slipping past the night nurse who barely glanced up from her phone.
They ascended via the same stairwell Ethan had used earlier. This time, they weren't escaping—but infiltrating.
Ethan led Amy to the empty room two doors down from her original one—the fallback plan he'd seeded into the hospital's digital records earlier. A room technically marked as 'under maintenance' but still fully functional.
Amy changed quickly in the small bathroom and stepped back into the room wearing her hospital gown. Ethan already had his laptop out, logged into the network.
He navigated to the patient logs and restored Amy's file—overwriting the previous misdirections and tagging her as located in Room 512. It looked like a routine correction from a night-shift administrator. No flags. No alerts.
Fifteen minutes passed. Then twenty.
The door creaked open and a flustered nurse entered, clutching a clipboard.
"There you are!" she said, exasperated. "We had a whole mess trying to find you—must've been a system error. You were marked for transfer, but the paperwork was never filed."
Amy blinked, playing along perfectly. "Sorry. I was brought here… and just woke up not too long ago."
"Well, let's get you back to your room. I'll let the night supervisor know."
The nurse turned to Ethan. "You're a friend?"
"Yes, I was just visiting," he said. "I'll see her back."
As they moved into the hallway, Ethan walked beside Amy, slow and unhurried. When they reached the elevator, the nurse gestured inside.
Ethan turned to Amy and gave her a nod. "Rest. Tomorrow's going to be better. I promise."
Amy smiled, more tired than sad this time. "Thanks for everything."
Ethan waited until the elevator doors closed, then turned and disappeared down the hall.