Chapter 8: Shadows and Suspicions

The morning after her first real training session, Emma woke up feeling sore in places she didn't even know existed. Every muscle in her body ached, a reminder that while she might have power, her endurance was still lacking.

Groaning, she sat up in the plush guest room Stark had assigned her. The tower was quiet, aside from the distant hum of machinery. It was still early, but she doubted she'd get any more sleep. Not with everything swirling in her mind.

After a quick shower, she made her way to the kitchen, where she found Peter already stuffing his face with a mountain of pancakes. He waved a syrup-covered fork at her. "Morning, Firecracker."

Emma rolled her eyes but took a seat. "Please tell me training isn't happening at the crack of dawn."

Peter smirked. "Nope. Stark's busy with 'Avengers business.' Something about an arms deal gone wrong."

That got Emma's attention. "Do you know who's involved?"

Peter shook his head. "No details yet, but he looked pretty serious. Said we should stay out of it for now."

Emma frowned. That didn't sit right with her. If there was something big happening, she needed to know. Especially if it had anything to do with the people watching her.

As if on cue, FRIDAY's voice chimed through the speakers. "Miss Emma, Mr. Stark requests your presence in the lab."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Guess you're getting special treatment."

Emma ignored him, standing up. "Guess so."

When she arrived at the lab, she found Tony standing in front of a massive holographic screen displaying several profiles and surveillance feeds. His usual smug demeanor was subdued, replaced by something more calculating.

"You called?" she asked.

Tony turned to face her. "Yeah. We need to talk about your mysterious stalkers."

Emma's heart skipped a beat. "You found something?"

Tony gestured toward the screen. "Maybe. The footage from the diner was clean—too clean. Whoever they are, they know how to cover their tracks. But I had FRIDAY dig deeper. Turns out, those guys have shown up near multiple enhanced individuals over the past year."

Emma frowned. "So they track powered people?"

"Looks like it," Tony confirmed. "And that's not the only problem." He zoomed in on one of the surveillance feeds. It showed a man in a black suit speaking to someone in a shadowed alley. "This guy? His face doesn't appear in any official database. No fingerprints, no records, nothing."

Emma's stomach tightened. "So what do we do?"

Tony sighed. "For now, nothing reckless. We keep training, keep an eye out. If they make another move, we'll be ready."

Emma nodded, though the unease didn't leave her. Someone was watching her, and she hated not knowing why.

Later that night, she found herself standing on the rooftop of the tower, looking out over the city. The cool air helped clear her head, but the uncertainty still gnawed at her.

"You look like you're about to overthink yourself into a coma," Peter's voice cut through the silence.

Emma turned to see him walking over. "I just don't like waiting. If they're out there, why aren't we doing more?"

Peter leaned on the railing beside her. "Because rushing in without a plan gets people killed."

Emma sighed. "I know, I just... I feel like I should be doing something."

Peter studied her for a moment before grinning. "Well, if you really want to do something…"

Emma narrowed her eyes. "What are you up to, Parker?"

Peter smirked. "Let's just say I might have a lead. But it's not exactly Stark-approved."

Emma's pulse quickened. "I'm listening."

Peter pulled out his phone, showing her a map. "A warehouse near the docks. Rumor is, it's tied to some shady deals. Stark thinks it's connected to the arms deal he mentioned."

Emma grinned. "When do we leave?"

Peter laughed. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

As they slipped into the night, Emma felt the thrill of the unknown course through her. She might not have all the answers yet, but she was done waiting.

It was time to take action.

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Sorry for the last few short chapters and this especially short chapter. I promise you the coming chapters will be longer again.