Avi2112
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Chapter 222
🕑 Added 2025-05-09 13:25:56 +0000 UTC“Hmm… hmmm… hmm…” Penny hummed a soft tune as she drizzled maple syrup over her pancakes.
“Well, someone’s in a good mood today,” Aunt May remarked with a smile, sipping her morning coffee.
“Why wouldn’t I be? There’s no school for a whole week! What could be better than that?” Penny said brightly, flashing a grin.
“Oh, is that so? Nothing else special going on today?” Aunt May asked with a curious glint in her eye.
“Oh—yeah! I’m going shopping with MJ and Liz later, and we might even stop by Aunt Cass’s coffee shop on the way back.” Penny’s smile grew wider.
“Well, that sounds lovely,” Aunt May said with a soft smile. Then her tone shifted—just slightly teasing. “Are you sure this is just a trip with your friends? No special boy… or girl involved?”
Penny rolled her eyes. “No, Aunt May, it’s just a trip with my friends.”
“Oh, how fun,” Aunt May said with a mock-sigh. “But honestly, sweetie, I’m a bit worried about you.”
Penny sighed, grabbing the remote and switching on the television. “Please, Aunt May—not today. I’m actually in a good mood right now.”
“I’m just saying—you’re a young, pretty girl. You should be going out, having fun… maybe with some boys. Or girls. I’m very open-minded, you know,” she added with a playful smile.
Penny groaned. “There are plenty of other single girls at school, like my friend Missy. Besides, I like being single. It gives me more time to focus on my projects.”
She shoved another forkful of pancake into her mouth and started flipping through channels.
“Mmm-hmm,” Aunt May said, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I remember when I left you home alone last month for that business trip to Latveria. Honestly, I fully expected that you would have invited someone over. Or maybe thrown a little party. But nope. I came home to a pigsty of a room and you glued to your laptop playing those shooting games.”
“It was a ranked marathon, Aunt May,” Penny mumbled through her food. “I had to hit Diamond. It was important. I couldn’t stop.”
May sighed again, reaching out to straighten a strand of Penny’s hair. “I just hope you give yourself a chance. Don’t shut yourself off from the world, sweetheart.”
“Yes, yes, okay, I get it,” Penny muttered, ducking away from her hand.
May let it go with a chuckle. “Anyway, I brought it up because I’ll have to leave for a business trip this evening. I’ll stop by the soup kitchen around noon, and after that, I’m off. I might be back as early as Tuesday, maybe Wednesday.”
“Oh? Where are you going? Is Luke sending you off to some foreign country again?” Penny asked with interest.
“No, no, he himself is god knows where. This is something different. Susan was supposed to attend a charity gala, but something came up, so now I have to go in her place—as the head of the Watson Aid Group.” She said adjusting her hair. “But hey, it’s at a fancy hotel with a spa and everything. I’m not exactly suffering here.” She said with a cheerful wink.
She then smiled warmly looking at her in concern. “You’ll be okay here by yourself, right?”
“I’ll be fine, Aunt May,” Penny said with a small nod.
“Visit your Aunt Cass if you feel lonely. Or better yet, just stay at her place for a few days. You can even invite MJ over—I'm sure Madeline wouldn’t mind.” She said thoughtfully.
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” Penny said, clearly dealigating that decision to her future self.
“You can even bring a boy or a girl—or both, to the empty house—just don’t make a mess, and please use protection,” Aunt May added with a wink.
“Yuck, I’m eating, Aunt May!” Penny said with a dramatic pout.
“Alright, alright. But It’s your Spring Break, right?” Aunt May continued, clearly enjoying the moment. “I was thinking maybe we could plan a beach trip. Your Aunt Cass was saying a change of scenery would be good for Cassie and Maggie.”
“A beach? Like water and sand?” Penny asked, eyes wide.
“And swimsuits. And juices. And sunbathes,” Aunt May nodded with a dreamy smile.
“…Will Luke be coming too?” Penny asked, eyes sliding down to her plate.
“…Maybe. Knowing him, he wouldn’t miss a chance like that,” Aunt May replied, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. “Pervert,” she muttered under her breath.
“Maybe I shouldn’t come,” Penny mumbled, staring down at her pancakes.
“Why not? It’ll be a fun little getaway,” Aunt May said, puzzled.
“I don’t know… I’ll think about it,” Penny replied, stabbing the pancake.
Truthfully, the idea of wearing a swimsuit in front of Luke made her stomach twist.
What if he didn’t like her swimsuit?
Worse—what if he didn’t like her figure?
“How horrible,” Aunt May suddenly muttered with a sigh.
“Wh-what?” Penny blinked, pulled abruptly back to the present.
“The riots in Hell’s Kitchen… It’s getting worse by the day. How can anyone feel safe with all this happening so close to home?” Aunt May said, covering her mouth with her hand.
Penny turned to the TV, where the news was showing footage of multiple shops in Hell’s Kitchen engulfed in flames. The female anchor was reporting that gang wars—ongoing for months—had escalated into open violence.
“…There are also multiple reports of people claiming a literal devil from hell appeared that night…”
“Hmph. Just real people hiding behind a devil’s mask,” Aunt May muttered bitterly.
“Yeah…” Penny echoed, her voice quieter now as she watched the footage in stunned silence.
“You stay safe, Penny Parker. Come straight home before it gets dark out, you hear? And don’t even think about going anywhere near Hell’s Kitchen,” Aunt May said firmly, giving her a pointed look.
“Yes, Aunt May, I’m not stupid,” Penny replied with an eye roll. “Okay, I need to get going—MJ’s probably almost here to pick me up.” She wiped her mouth and began gathering her dishes.
“Alright, you girls have fun. Love you,” Aunt May said, offering a smile.
“Love you too, Aunt May—and you have a safe trip,” Penny said, kissing her on the cheek before dashing off.
—-
“Hmm hmm hmm,” Penny hummed a cheerful tune as she walked into Watson Tower, practically glowing with happiness.
Today had been a good day. No, scratch that—an amazing day.
She’d had a blast shopping with MJ and Liz, even if Liz had spent half the time pestering MJ about which dress Luke might like—which, admittedly, she had wanted to ask too.
And MJ? She couldn’t stop going on about her new friend, Sage. Or, as Penny now knew, Tessa—the so-called secret weapon of the Watson Group.
Everyone online—and even some people in the Tower—were buzzing with rumors. That Pepper Potts had been secretly grooming her successor for years. That Tessa would soon be unveiled as the new CEO during a major product launch or a corporate announcement.
That she was a prodigy.
MJ had even confided to her in private: That Tessa was their age. Sixteen.
Which… didn’t make any sense.
Penny considered herself smart—really smart—but from the way MJ described Sage’s abilities, even Toni Stark might have had trouble keeping up with her.
Still, putting the teeny weeny jealousy aside, it had been a perfect day. They had picked out a bunch of clothes for her—though she had barely gotten a say in the matter—and even snuck in a risqué swimsuit for her. Afterwards, they got their hair and nails done and capped it off with a visit to Aunt Cass’s coffee house.
And she even made her special cookies for them! Which were absolutely divine!
A perfect end to a perfect day.
Penny was absolutely, positively sure—nothing could go wrong now.
“Ouch!”
She stumbled back, having bumped straight into someone in the lobby of Watson Tower. She nearly fell—but a pair of feminine arms caught her just in time.
“Oh, excuse me, dear… I must not be seeing properly.”
The voice was warm, sweet, almost musical. Penny was helped gently to her feet, her embarrassment cooled by the woman’s soft laugh.
“You see, I just have gotten my eyes working recently, so I’m still a bit clumsy.”
The woman who had spoken removed her sleek black goggles. She looked elegant—stylish and professional, like someone who belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine. But it was her eyes that stood out most: a striking blend of bluish-grey, sharp and intense as they locked onto Penny.
“No, no—it must’ve been my mistake,” Penny replied politely, though deep down she knew it wasn’t. There had been plenty of space in the lobby, and she wasn’t so distracted that she wouldn’t notice someone in front of her.
“Well then, it’s my lucky day,” the woman said with a small grin. “There won’t be many times you’ll be caught off guard again in the future after all.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Penny asked, blinking in confusion.
“Oh! My apologies—I forgot to introduce myself properly. First, meet my daughter, Anya.” She gestured behind her.
From her shadow stepped a teenage girl with brown hair, light brown skin, and bright brown eyes. “Hi! I’m Aña Corazon, but just call me Anya. It’s so nice to meet you!” Her tone was full of energy, her smile contagious.
“Hi, I’m Penny Parker,” Penny replied, shaking her hand with a polite smile, though she was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by how fast everything was moving.
“And I,” the woman continued, removing her gloves with grace and extending a fair hand, “am Cassandra Webb. But you may call me Madame Webb.”
“It’s good to meet you,” Penny said, taking her hand—though something about that name tugged at her memory. She was sure she had heard it somewhere before.
“No… trust me, Penny Parker,” Cassandra said, holding her hand a little tighter, her smile deepening. “It is my, no our pleasure to finally meet you.” she said looking at Anya, “Isn’t it?”
“Yes definitely” Anya nods quickly.
Penny stiffened slightly. “Excuse me… do I know you?” she asked, now more unsettled than confused.
Because she could swear that Cassandra’s eyes which were just greyish blue before were more grey now then blue, as if they were swirling, with the grey constantly swallowing the blue.
“Oh, nothing,” Cassandra said, withdrawing her hand with a warm, graceful smile. “I just believe in the saying: strangers are just friends I haven’t met yet. And I have a feeling we’re going to be very, very good friends.”
“O-Okay?” Penny replied, trying to stay polite even though she wanted to back away from this weirdly intense woman.
“It’s going to be so good having a friend around my age at last!” Anya chirped, suddenly grabbing Penny’s hand again, her brown eyes sparkling. “Don’t get me wrong—Madame has been great, but it’s exhausting talking to her sometimes, you know? Like, she’ll answer my questions before I even ask them! And even if you know my questions, at least pretend to let me talk, right?”
She barely paused for breath. “Anyway, Penny, you must be a scientist or an engineer, right? Working here at the Watson Tower? I love machines—I watch videos and movies online about tools, engines, tech, all that stuff. What are you working on right now? Can you show me? Ooh, can I help? I’m seriously so bored ri—”
“Aña. Breathe,” Cassandra said, massaging her temple. “You’re scaring her. And maybe give others a chance to speak.”
She turned to Penny with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. She’s just an overenthusiastic child—please don’t think badly of her.”
“Oh, no, no, I get it,” Penny replied with an awkward chuckle. “I ramble sometimes too… I guess now I know how my friends must feel.”
“So, how about we be friends?” Anya said quickly, already pulling out her phone. “Can I get your number? Add you on Insta—gram? Oh! And Facespace too!”
“Okay, okay!” Penny said, laughing nervously. She quickly typed in her number and accepted all the friend requests—hoping to avoid another rambling monologue. “There you go.”
“Wow, amazing! I have a friend! Finally!” Anya said, lifting her phone in the air like a trophy. “We’re going to have so much fun—we’ll have Late-night chats! and Early morning chats! and—”
“Uh, Anya,” Penny interrupted, forcing a polite smile. “I’m usually really busy with work… like right now, actually. So I’ve gotta go.” She said quickly, already knowing that she might have to block Anya from everything swiftly.
“Yes, you definitely should go,” Cassandra said, stepping forward with a serene smile. “After all, there’s no rush. We’re all connected in an intricately complex web anyway.”
“We’re connected?” Penny asked, that uneasy feeling returning. “Are you talking about... the World Wide Web? The Internet?”
Cassandra simply smiled and held out a card.
“What’s this?” Penny asked, accepting it.
“Keep it safe,” Cassandra said softly. “And when you feel the need to understand more about the web, come find me at that address—or call me, whichever feels right. Though I suspect you’ll be visiting my home. I’ll be sure to have your favorite pancakes ready. I’ll definitely have perfected them by then.” She laughed lightly, as if she had just told an inside joke only she understood.
“Uh... what?” Penny looked down at the card—red and black, with a simple address, a phone number, and the name Madame Webb. No logo. No title. No explanation.
She briefly considered asking if this was some kind of BDSM thing—the name did raise questions—but she wisely decided against it. Instead, she just slid the card into her pocket.
“Penny Parker...” Cassandra said in a near whisper, her hand gently grasping Penny’s once more. Her eyes had turned hazy, cloudy gray creeping into the blue. “You have such Amazing... such Spectacular things in your future. Ah... it’s all about to begin.”
“Okay, yep, that’s enough weird for one day,” Penny muttered, pulling her hand free. “It was... nice meeting you, Madame Lady. Goodbye.”
She turned and walked away briskly, resisting the urge to run.
“Goodbye, Penny! We’ll chat soon!” Anya called out, waving enthusiastically.
Cassandra watched the slender girl disappear into the crowd, her strange eyes now calm again, her lips curling into a quiet, knowing smile.
***
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Comments
Avirat Dulera
Lol people were complaining that there is too much sex and not much story progress, but dont worry yknow our MC he cant stay away from pussies for long :P
Victor Weismann
man, where is the MC? where is the NSFW, sigh, i came here after saw you novel in Fiction live, that was peak, sigh.
Orvious
The suspense is killing me. Especially with Cass knowing what's going to happen.
CkLance
Can't wait for Penny to start spewing witty sarcastic jokes at people. 😆
