Chapter Text
—X—
—X—
[Krakoa – The Grove – Quiet Council of Krakoa]
“And that’s what happened!”
Gabby smiled widely, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. She showed no remorse, almost jumping with barely contained hyperactive energy and only stopped because most of her body was restrained by the vines coming from the Exile Pit beneath her feet.
The young woman’s excitement did exactly nothing to change the stern, judgmental expressions present on most members of the Council. Even Charlotte Xavier—whose face was hidden behind the massive dome of her Cerebro helmet—had a stiff, unnatural posture that radiated pure stress.
And for her part, Laura looked absolutely done with the whole thing, with the ever-present scowl on her face now even more pronounced and severe. One didn’t need to be a telepath to know her intentions; every part of her body language screamed that she was more than ready to cut the vines herself, grab her sister, and book out of the island if the meeting didn’t end within exactly five seconds.
In the six years since she had known her, Laura had never seen her sister so distraught and terrified as she had been after they got Spider-Man out of the rubble. Gabby could get pissy, angry, excited, and even pretty fucking mean, but never, ever scared. It was a new facet of her sister that Laura was wholly unprepared to deal with, so hearing Gabby's desperate, almost crying pleas to help him had made Laura give in pretty easily.
But now that she had a second to think about it? Well, if she could go back in time, she would have given her sister her best "what the fuck do you think you’re doing?" look and simply dropped him off at the nearest hospital because this whole shitshow was simply not worth it.
If only Laura knew how much worse things would get for her.
—X—
[Blue Area of the Moon – Summer House – Living Area]
“I heard what you did for Hope during the Phoenix mess,” Natalie finally said.
In reality, she had done more than just hear by this point.
Natalie knew every single detail, every small moment, every step of the journey. It had become a recurring topic ever since she woke up after the War for the Phoenix and again when she arrived in Krakoa. Hope would simply talk and talk for minutes on end about him. With red cheeks and stars in her eyes, she told her again and again about the only human—the only hero—who stood by her no matter what during the scramble for the Phoenix.
Every time she talked about it—and yes, Hope talked about him every single day—there was respect and admiration in her voice, as well as something else that Hope herself didn’t seem to notice. But Natalie did, and it reminded her that her little girl wasn’t so little anymore. There was a different kind of warmth and care in her tone, and it was all reserved for one man:
Spider-Man—Peter Parker—the best of ‘em, and in the future, the greatest hero that had ever lived.
Which, she supposed, wasn't too bad for her little girl.
Natalie put both hands on his shoulders with enough force that most other people would have already buckled… but he didn’t even seem bothered by her strength. There wasn't an ounce of discomfort in his body. He stood there, pure power contained in every muscle, holding her gaze with unending determination behind his hazel eyes. Cable could only chuckle.
Yeah, not bad for her little Hope. Not bad at all.
“Okay, Parker. You do good by her, you treat her like she deserves… or I’ll break every bone in your body,” she whispered, and every word carried the weight and force of a cannon going off. Cable then smirked. “And you know our laws, son. I expect grandchildren soon.”
Peter’s eyes widened as his mouth started to move, but he was interrupted by a shriek coming from the kitchen.
“MOM! SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, YOU HAG!”
—X—
[Krakoa – The Grove]
The same piercing stare could be found in the eyes of Peter Parker and Emma Frost. Hazel and blue eyes fought for control, and neither gave a single inch.
“You know I have nothing to hide, Emma,” Peter said, the first to break the icy silence between them.
Emma Frost clicked her tongue. “That would be White Queen to you, Spider-Man”
Peter hummed with barely concealed exasperation. “Then, White Queen, I wasn’t the one that ask to stay here, if you remember.”
“You have said as much for a while, yes,” Emma answered unfeelingly, every word transformed into a dagger under her regal tone. “But I also can’t help but notice how you seem to have made yourself at home in just a couple of days. You have even gone so far as to meddle in official Krakoa business, have you not?”
“Emma, we’ve talked about this. At length. Let it go,” Jean Grey said, standing next to Peter, finally deciding to step in.
But the White Queen didn’t so much as dignify her fellow Council member with an acknowledgement of her presence. Emma’s focus was entirely on the man in front of her.
Peter's eyes narrowed. “I apologized for the way I went about that, but I won't ever apologize for why I did it. And, I don't know, I’d feel worse if there were complaints. Have you seen anyone complaining much, White Queen?”
Emma chuckled, a sound completely devoid of mirth. “I suppose not, Spider-Man. But it does change things quite a bit, doesn’t it? It means that you’re not just a guest anymore on this little nation of ours. You are now an active participant. A participant that my Sisters and my children can’t seem to stop talking about...”
The woman took a step, so flawless and calculated just like she was, and suddenly Emma Frost loomed over Peter with the presence of a predator about to deliver the killing blow.
“Now be a dear and tell me what you really want out of this.”
“Emma!”
Jean tried to intervene at that moment, her eyes going bright pink as her telepathy activated.
But it was all too late as soon as Emma closed the distance and her delicate, manicured hand touched Peter’s cheek.
There was a sudden flash of white light and—
In the middle of a street, the boy is crouching next to the lifeless body of his father in everything but name.
—X—
[Xpost – The first social media exclusively for Daughters of X – Created and managed by X-Corp]
[Translated from Krakoan]
DAZZ! DAZZ! DAZZ! • @Dazzler
it has come to my attention that yall are a bunch of stupid bitches. apparently some people on this hellsite actually think that my song Manchild is actually about OUR MAN™???????????? u cant be this dumb I swear to phoenix. the song is about HUMAN MEN! HUMAN! MEN! the day you catch me saying something mean about OUR MAN™ then you can be sure Sinister replaced me with a clone thats as DUMB as all yall (stream Manchild btw)
JUBEEEEEEEEEEELEEEEEEEEE💥• @Jubilee
AMEN SISTER AMEN
01100100 01100001 01110000 01101000 01101110 01100101 • @Cypher
SHE IS SPEAKING NOTHING BUT FACTS
Ильяна😈 • @MAGIK✔️
Dazz You Make The Most Dogshit “Music” I’ve Ever Heard But You’re Alright.
—X—
[Krakoa – Hellfire Bay – Red Keep]
"So, hey, I just made a new batch of web fluid with the help of Henrietta and—wow, she really knows her stuff! This new formula is like ten times stronger and way more, well, fluid, which you'd think this stuff already was based on the name, but..." Peter went on, rambling and wildly gesticulating. She had only ever seen him do that when his brain was thinking of the most efficient way to get to the point, but his mouth couldn't stop moving.
His passion for a topic was charming in a way only Peter Parker could be. It didn't feel patronizing; he never talked down to her. It was more like opening Pandora’s box, and instead of all the evils of the world, you just got a nerd who wanted to share with anyone who would listen whatever breakthrough he'd made.
During a time that seemed ages ago, she could watch him do this for minutes on end.
But Kate was tired.
She could still feel the tension and desperation from their latest rescue operation in her bones. It wasn’t a total failure; they managed to rescue most of their Sisters… but not all of them.
Faces stuck in pain and incomprehensible anguish appeared at the edges of her vision.
Right now, she wasn't in the mood to deal with anything besides a good glass of whatever she could find at the bottom of her cupboard.
"What do you want, Pete?" she asked gruffly, the edge in her voice a product of all the yelling.
Peter’s mouth clamped shut as an obvious tension suddenly set in his shoulders.
As soon as she noticed, Kate wanted to scream at herself because what the actual shit was she doing? This was Peter Parker—Peter, her Pete—coming all the way to Hellfire Bay to wait for her for hours as he promised he'd do because he was a good... friend. Yes, a good friend—a close friend—and all she could think about was having a drink.
She was prepared to quickly apologize and disappear into the darkness of The Marauder when Peter stood in front of her, determination clearly written on his face and his penetrating hazel eyes staring only at her.
“You look stressed. Come on a swing with me. It’ll help clear your mind. We’ll take it slow,” he said, his tone suggesting not a true command but a plea born of pure concern and an obvious need to keep her company at a time when she clearly shouldn't be alone.
Kate found herself rooted to the spot, looking up at Peter. There was a sudden urge in her to forever remember the look in his eyes—the look she thought she’d never see again after they broke up. It was a look of such profound worry that it made her feel like this precious thing that could break if not handled carefully, instead of Kate Pryde, the captain of the Marauders who didn’t take shit from anybody, that she tried so fucking hard to be every single day.
God, she missed those eyes. They were the eyes of someone who cared, eyes that looked at her and only her. There was no malice or hidden intent, and they were instead filled with a desire for Kitty Pryde to just be happy.
Then the spell was broken when panic entered Peter’s vision and his eyes shifted nervously, evading her face.
“Or—or not. It does help me—“
He took a small step back, but her hand immediately found his left wrist, anchoring them both to the spot with all her remaining strength.
Kate felt a scream stuck in her throat—a plea to please don’t go, I’m sorry, I’ll be better this time. But every word felt too raw and born not in this moment, but from one of the many memories that had been taken from her because of his deal—the deal he could never mention without his face breaking with inconsolable grief—and that now came back to her with the force of a thousand suns.
She'd done the same back then. She kept quiet like she was doing now, retreated behind a wall of misunderstandings and things left unsaid. Back then she pushed when she should’ve pulled and pulled until nothing could separate them anymore.
But Kate wasn’t sixteen years old anymore, and with every memory of them restored, she knew she could be better—she would be better.
"Yes," she finally said, cutting his ramblings short, trying with all the determination she could muster to hold his gaze. “Yes. Take me with you, Peter. Please.”
Peter sputtered, but he stopped moving—stopped leaving—and instead gave her a small, hopeful smile. A small “okay” escaped from his lips, and he closed the distance between them as one of his hands found itself on her hips.
Kate felt herself go breathless for a second.
“I got you, Kitty.”
—X—
[Krakoa – Hellfire Bay – White Palace]
“Oh, thank you, Esme,” said Peter, taking the binder from the telepath's delicate fingers, opening it and scanning the documents inside.
Five identical heads tilted slightly to the side. Esme leaned into Peter’s personal space and studied his face in detail.
“How did you know it was me and not one of my other sisters, Mr. Parker?” she asked quietly and politely, almost as if she was requesting him to share a personal secret.
Peter raised his head and leaned back slightly in the crystal chair when he noticed how close the telepath's pretty blue eyes were.
His brain stopped for a second. "Huh? Um, well, I have a pretty good eye?"
“A good eye, Mr. Parker? Just that?” Esme inquired pointedly as she took another step, their noses almost touching.
“Well, I—I worked as a photographer for a newspaper for, god, almost eight years? And as you get more experience, the more you notice the little details that make your shot different and hopefully help it sell better. Y-you know, like the lighting, the angle, the shutter speed—everything.” Peter noticed he couldn’t make any more space between them without falling out of the chair, so he continued to ramble as a defense mechanism while Esme stared at him with an even greater focus. “Now I unconsciously tend to do the same with people, I think. I search for the little details, the things people miss. Honestly, it does help when you need to figure out the weakness of the person currently punching you or destroying the city…"
Esme Cuckoo didn’t move an inch and stared. Peter did the same in return, but with a lot more confusion and the certainty that his head was about to be squeezed like a grape.
Suddenly, the blonde stepped back, and the quintuplets spoke in perfect—and slightly terrifying—harmony. “And what are those details you have noticed, Mr. Parker?”
Peter visibly gulped. He was now keenly aware that it wasn’t a question—it was a test.
But before he could process any of that, his traitorous mouth started moving. “Sophie’s left brow always twitches a bit when you girls link together, Phoebe’s hands are always clasped behind her back no matter what happens, Irma pretends to play the keys of a piano on her thighs when she gets bored, Celeste always speaks first and last, and Esme clicks her tongue a lot. I personally think all those are pretty cute quirks, but I know you girls don't want to be differentiated like that, so I’ve never mentioned it before, and I should probably stop talking now.”
Peter took a breath and waited. None of the quintuplets reacted. They stared, blinking once at the same time as the very faint ghost of a smile appeared on Esme’s face. “Thank you for your words, Peter.”
“S-sure, yeah,” Peter breathed, not noticing the sudden change of address.
All five blondes turned around and calmly exited the room, leaving behind an extremely stressed Peter Parker. Once they were out of his sight, the Stepford Cuckoos huddled close, and their eyes glowed white as their voices wove through the canvas of their hivemind.
“Mine,” said Esme.
“Mine,” said Celeste.
“Mine,” said Irma.
“Mine,” said Phoebe.
“Mine,” said Sophie.
Then they looked at each other for a single second, and an equally ravenous smile appeared on all their faces.
“Ours.”
—X—
[United States – New York – Autumn Studios]
And in the blink of an eye, MJ's expression changed from one of profound confusion to paralyzing surprise as four shapely and clearly defined shadows rose through the floor of the studio until they stopped and rested in the wall behind her, hanging just above her fiery hair.
Before he had the opportunity to ask what was happening outside, Peter felt the soft, prickling sensation at the base of his skull that indicated his Spider Sense was picking up something. Not imminent, mortal danger, but intent. Dangerous intent. It was not directed at him, but rather in his general direction, where the only other person was, of course, Mary Jane.
Then, suddenly, a voice spoke from the same direction as where the intent was coming from.
"Open the window, Petey."
It was Anna Marie's voice.
But not with her usual husky southern timbre; no, her words were colder and sharper, delivered with what Peter could only describe as barely contained rage.
He’d only heard that tone in her voice once before, all those nights ago when he finally confessed what happened after that glowing man appeared outside MJ's apartment.
"Ah."
Peter’s whisper to himself came with the same realization that death row inmates had when they finally saw eye to eye with the electric chair:
This was really happening, and it was not gonna be pleasant.
—X—
[Krakoa – Bar Sinister]
“What to do, what to do…”
The beautiful, most excellent and all-knowing Rebecca Essex—known to the world as Miss Sinister—reclined leisurely on her plush ruby throne, with one shapely leg above the other, both hugged to perfection by the skin-tight white pants she wore.
“He calls himself Spider-Man? What a drab name! Does he come from the nineteen-sixties? Blegh!” Sinister exclaimed with mocking scandal to the shadows of her home. “But, hmm, he does pose some interesting possibilities, doesn’t he?”
With the grace of a predator zeroing in on its prey, she started to wander the floor of her throne room.
“Those stupid bitches in the Council think they can keep him to themselves. They think they’re being oh-so-clever by confining him to this… domestic observation. As if that will soften the impact this will have on their little Eden,” she said to the high ceilings and exuberant walls of pure red crystal. “But, well, we know better, don't we?”
Miss Sinister now stood in the middle, above a diamond symbol carved into the ruby floor. The reflection smiled at her. The shadows on the walls lengthened.
“Very, very soon every soul on the island will know. They’ll know a man eats and drinks, and sleeps in the same space as them. And what will happen then?” Miss Sinister laughed and twirled around, a wide, unnerving smile on her face. “They’ll either go feral… or try to tear out his innards… which would be a waste of such precious material! That’s why, while the Council is busy compartmentalizing and all X-Genes come for this Spider-Man, they’ll find out they were already late. Way. Too. Late—and why?”
Three giggles emanated from the shadows of Bar Sinister.
“Because he’s already ours. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
—X—
[XChat – The first messaging app exclusively for Daughters of X – Created and managed by X-Corp]
[Translated from Krakoan]
[LOST CLUB]
MAYSTORM, ArMoR, honey_badger, Starbolt!, Psylocke, BRUISER!!!, Surge~
[MAYSTORM]
HUH????????????????????
[Starbolt!]
え？
[ArMoR]
What the hell?
[Psylocke]
what in the actual fuck are you guys doing over there
[BRUISER!!!]
HOLY MOLY MACARONI RAVIOLI GUACAMOLE!!!!!!
[Surge~]
excuse me fucking WHAT
We need Gabby here
NOW
[MAYSTORM]
this is the only time i agree with surge
@honey_badger
[Surge~]
@honey_badger
[ArMoR]
@honey_badger
[Psylocke]
@honey_badger
[BRUISER!!!]
@honey_badger
we are not gonna stop gabs!!!!!!!!
[MAYSTORM]
@honey_badger
@honey_badger
@honey_badger
@honey_badger
@honey_badger
@honey_badger
@honey_badger
[honey_badger]
i literally just woke up what the hell guys
[MAYSTORM]
THATS WHAT IM SAYING
WHAT THE HELL GABBY
THERE IS A MAN????
HERE???????
ON KRAKOA??????
WITH YOU???????????????????
[honey_badger]
uh
no
that’s a lie
thats the thing
the thing when you lie and i can sue you
[Surge~]
...
Slander?
[ArMoR]
It’s libel when it's written.
[BRUISER!!!]
thats not how you spell salamander guys
[Starbolt!]
Molly, please
[MAYSTORM]
NO GABBY???????????????????
THEN WHATS THIS?????????????????????????
{IMAGE MARKED AS SPOILER BY [MAYSTORM]}
[honey_badger]
ah
well
shit
—X—
[Krakoa – The Grove]
"Illyana? What—huh? Why are you going all "Mother Russia" on me? You haven't talked like that in... ages!"
The blonde stood there, with her back turned to Kate. When she spoke, every consonant sounded punctured and hard.
"Spider likes Russian accent. It's severe, but also sweet, he said to me. Clearly, Spider wanted more, and you know, Kitten..."
Illyana then turned to her, but her face showed not the usual arrogant, defiant smirk she usually wore to battle. Instead, her face was split by a bright, radiant smile that reached her ears. It was a smile that had a different quality, something that was almost... contentment?
"What the Spider wants, the Spider gets."
Then Illyana turned around and continued her trek through the wooden, shimmering halls of the Grove, with each of her steps so serene and light she almost looked like she was floating on air.
And Kate stood there, shell-shocked, mouth agape.
That face—that was not a face she had ever seen in her best friend and occasional make-out partner. That was the face of a shy high school girl who finally mustered up the courage to talk to her long-time crush, not the face of Illyana Rasputina, half-demon and complete badass Queen of Limbo since she was a kid and who was always ready to cut down anyone who pissed her off enough or try to drink a sip of her coffee.
That face Illyana just made... that was the face of a girl in love.
And it freaked Kitty the fuck out.
Because if this was the result after, what? Five total interactions with Peter? Then every single woman on Krakoa was completely, absolutely, and undoubtedly fucking screwed.
—X—
[Krakoa – The Arena]
Blood dripped down his stomach and splashed to the dusty floor of the Arena.
“S-sorry I ruined your death,” Peter wheezed, each word feeling like a punch directly to the lungs.
Turning his face as much as he could, he offered the girl behind him a small, shaky smile.
Melody Guthrie felt everything around her—the gasps of the audience and the growl coming from Genesis—stop as she stood there, tears streaming down from her left eye, the one not bruised and swollen from the fight.
—X—
[Krakoa – Akademos Habitat – The Pod]
Hope cleared her throat. “Dibs.”
The other four girls also stopped eating, looked at each other, and then back at the redhead.
“Dibs for…?” Eva muttered, not really wanting an answer.
Hope raised her head, and behind her piercing green eyes there was a flicker. It was a flicker that most would miss, but the other four girls had spent so much time together that they had a pretty good understanding of what it meant: Hope Summers had made up her mind. And when Hope Summers spoke, she didn’t do so lightly. When she wanted something, she got it.
The flicker was also a reminder of the power she possessed: of the lingering embers of the Phoenix Force that would forever be with her, warning everyone to not fuck with Hope Summers or what she deemed hers.
And Spider-Man—Peter Parker—was most definitely hers.
“Dibs,” she said again and continued eating.
Josephine hummed, smiling amusedly. “Thanks for the clarification, girl.”
—X—
Kitty nodded to herself.
It seemed like a good plan. They would slowly introduce him, show the Krakoans that Peter Parker was nothing more than a normal man—albeit with spider-like powers—who was caught in this unprecedented situation of being forced to stay on an island full of women because the Council was still figuring stuff out and was really, kinda out of their depth on this one.
But of course, plans rarely worked for the Daughters of X, and Kitty could not have known that in just a couple of days, every single woman in Krakoa would be introduced to Peter Parker in the most unexpected, insane way possible.
And nothing would ever be the same after that because everyone would seemingly lose their fucking minds.
—X—
NEXT:
THE AGE OF SPIDER BEGINS!
—X—