Cafeteria food has never tasted this good. Or maybe it's just that I'm starving after three straight hours of Masters' training session this morning. The cafeteria's fluorescent lights cast an unflattering glow over everyone except Ellie, who somehow manages to look like a goddess even under the worst lighting conditions. I shovel another forkful of questionable mac and cheese into my mouth, savoring the rubbery, artificial cheese taste like it's gourmet cuisine.
"I still don't understand why the fuck we're even sitting together," Ellie mutters, stabbing her steak with enough force to bend her plastic fork.
Across from us, Piper shifts uncomfortably in her seat, those intelligent hazel eyes darting between us. The awkward silence stretches just long enough that I can hear the clatter of trays and the dull roar of a hundred conversations happening around us.
"Listen, Ellie," Piper finally says, leaning forward slightly, her voice low enough that only we can hear. "We haven't really acknowledged that everyone knows... you know."
I swallow my mouthful of pasta, watching two of the most dangerous women I've ever met size each other up across a cafeteria table. It's like sitting between two apex predators.
"It's fine, isn't it?" I interject cheerfully, trying to diffuse the tension crackling between them. "I mean, we all know each other's secrets now. That's kind of nice, right? No more hiding."
Ellie's eyes never leave Piper's face, her blue gaze cold as arctic ice. "Look, Parker," she says, her voice dropping. "My beef with you is over. I don't give a fuck about you at all. Same with the symbiote. We just want to keep our boy and be left alone."
Piper's mouth opens, but Ellie isn't finished.
"And if you fuck Shane again," she continues, leaning forward until she's inches from Piper's face, "I don't care how much he idolizes you as a hero. I will put a fucking hole the size of your wide cunt through your skull."
Piper's eyes widen behind her glasses. "Wow. Very classy, Ellie," she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Ellie, baby," I say, reaching over to place my hand on her arm where I can feel the symbiote churning beneath her skin. "I applaud the creativity with that threat, really, but there's a time and a place."
I try to sound stern, but it's hard to scold her when we just spent half of Masters' class doing things that make my face heat up just thinking about them. Plus, the way Ellie's eyes flash when she's being protective does something to me I can't quite explain. Her blonde hair catches the fluorescent light as she tosses her head defiantly, and damn, she's gorgeous even when she's threatening to murder someone.
Ellie rolls her eyes at me, but I can feel the symbiote settling under my touch.
"Wouldn't it be cool though," I say, lowering my voice and leaning forward so only the three of us can hear, "if we could be, you know, friends?" I pause, then whisper excitedly, "And fight crime together?"
The silence that follows is deafening. Piper and Ellie stare at me like I've just suggested we should all strip naked and dance on the cafeteria tables.
"Are you fucking serious?" Ellie finally asks, her voice flat with disbelief.
Piper, surprisingly, looks thoughtful rather than dismissive. "It's not the worst idea I've ever heard," she says slowly, her hazel eyes studying me with new interest.
"See?" I gesture enthusiastically between them. "Think about it! Spider-Woman, Venom, and Skip Step, working together. We'd be unstoppable!"
Ellie's eyes narrow to dangerous slits at my suggestion. Before I can elaborate on my brilliant team-up idea, she grabs my shoulders, turning me to face her directly.
"Shane," she whispers, her voice low and intense. "I don't want to be a fucking hero."
"I hear you," I say softly, "but you won't let me go alone, right?"
She groans, running a hand through her short blonde hair. "I just can't let you get killed."
Piper leans forward, those intelligent hazel eyes softening behind her glasses. "Listen, Shane, once you get more training, we can discuss it again. It's not that simple to just team up."
"You literally tried to join the Fantastic Four on like your first week of heroing," I counter, raising an eyebrow.
Piper freezes, her fork suspended halfway to her mouth. Her eyes widen comically as she stares at me. "He really knows all my weird deep lore," she whispers to herself, barely audible.
"Who told you that?" she demands, setting down her fork with a plastic clatter.
I sigh, avoiding her penetrating gaze. "An online forum," I lie, mentally thanking my Earth-616 comic knowledge.
Piper's shocked expression morphs into something sly as she turns to Ellie. "Don't you get jealous with him always admiring me?"
"Yes, Piper. I do," Ellie responds without hesitation, her voice deadly calm. "And if he didn't affirm his love for me constantly, I'd kill you in your sleep."
The cafeteria noises seem to fade into background static as Piper's jaw literally drops. She blinks several times, clearly processing Ellie's casual death threat.
"I... I really didn't expect you to be so honest about that," Piper stammers, her usual confidence momentarily shattered.
Ellie looks exhausted suddenly. She waves a hand toward me, the gesture somehow both dismissive and affectionate. "This fucking guy... he's literally broken me of all my fight."
"That's so sad," I tease, grinning at her. "I loved your tough gal attitude."
Ellie leans in close to my ear, her breath warm against my skin as she whispers, "Keep this up and I won't choke you for a week."
I feel a nervous flutter in my stomach. Even though I'm pretty sure she's joking, there's always a tiny part of me that wonders if she might be serious.
"Don't joke about that," I laugh awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck.
Her blue eyes gleam with that predatory amusement. Before she can respond, a sharp ringtone cuts through our conversation. Piper fumbles for her phone, glancing at the screen with mild annoyance that quickly morphs into concern.
"I need to take this," she says, her voice suddenly tight as she stands and steps away from the table.
Ellie and I watch as Piper's entire demeanor changes while she listens to whoever's on the other end. Her shoulders hunch forward, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. Even from this distance, I can see the color drain from her face.
"Something's wrong," I murmur, unable to tear my eyes away from her.
When Piper finally returns to the table, she looks like she's aged ten years in two minutes. Her hands are shaking as she gathers her things, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"I have to go," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "My Uncle May... he's in the hospital."
Ellie watches Piper hurry away, her expression completely indifferent. It's like she's watching a stranger leave rather than someone whose life has just been upended by bad news.
"Should we go with her?" I ask, already half-rising from my seat. "She looks really upset."
"No, Shane." Ellie doesn't even look at me as she stabs at her food again. "It's none of our business."
Something about her cold dismissal makes my stomach twist. I shift nervously in my seat, my eyes still tracking Piper as she disappears through the cafeteria doors.
"But what if it's not just a medical emergency?" I press, leaning closer to Ellie. "What if it's a villain attack? What if some villian went after her uncle?"
Ellie sets down her fork with deliberate slowness and finally turns those piercing blue eyes on me. "Shane," she says, her voice dangerously soft, "gun to your head, if you could only save me or Piper, who would you…"
"You," I cut her off immediately, not even needing to think about it. "Ellie, it would be you. No hesitation. I'd save you over her always."
"But this is real life," I continue, meeting her gaze steadily. "Not some hypothetical ultimatum where I have to choose. I would literally put a bullet in her skull to keep you safe, but that doesn't mean I can't feel bad that her uncle is in the hospital."
Ellie stares at me, her blue eyes softening slightly as she considers my words. I can almost see the internal battle playing out across her face, the instinctive possessiveness warring with something kinder. Her other half is probably weighing in, too.
She lets out a long sigh, her shoulders dropping in resignation. "Fine. We can leave her alone for now, I guess. Maybe check on her tomorrow if you're still worried."
Relief washes over me. It's a small concession, but from Ellie, it feels monumental.
"Thank you."