Banner had just scooped up a spoonful of coffee jelly and popped it into his mouth when Saiki Kusuo plopped down right beside him. Startled, Banner swallowed the jelly whole.
He rubbed his throat, which felt uncomfortably tight from the hasty gulp, and only after catching his breath did he look up, asking cautiously, "Natasha told me Fury went looking for you. Everything okay?"
Still grumpy about his stolen desserts, Saiki scowled. "What could possibly happen? Did you really think he could give me a hard time?"
"Of course not," Banner replied earnestly. "I was afraid you'd give him a hard time."
Saiki Kusuo: "..."
His gaze drifted to the pile of empty dessert containers on the table, and his scowl deepened. After ushering Saiki over to entertain his friends, Kurumi had disappeared into the kitchen to start cooking dinner.
Saiki watched Peter enthusiastically describing the wonders of Kurumi's cooking to the Maximoff twins. While the praise was certainly pleasant to hear, Saiki wanted to get straight to the point.
"So," he asked flatly, "why are you all really here today?"
Peter stopped his glowing review mid-sentence. Meeting Saiki's unfriendly gaze, he offered an awkward chuckle. "Kusuo, you're being so distant! We're all friends, isn't it normal to just hang out?"
Saiki gave him a look that clearly said 'Do I look like I was born yesterday?' "You really think I'd believe that?"
Peter faltered. He knew Saiki was impervious to both threats and flattery; pleasantries were useless. He decided to just come clean.
"Remember Olsen?"
The name drew a complete blank. Saiki frowned in confusion. "Who's Olsen?"
"I knew you'd forget," Peter sighed. "The guy who invited us to that friendly soccer match last time? He's really grateful we helped him out, so he wants to invite us to his family's resort for a couple of days this weekend."
Friendly match? Saiki finally dredged up a vague memory: the timid guy sobbing because someone stole his girlfriend. He hadn't pegged him as a rich kid.
"No thanks," Saiki refused instantly. "I don't know him well."
Realizing Peter wouldn't give up that easily, he quickly added another excuse. "Besides, I was just there to make up the numbers in that match. Not only did I not help, I actively dragged the team down. How could I shamelessly go enjoy myself at Olsen's resort?"
"But Olsen specifically invited you," Peter pressed.
"Don't say another word," Saiki declared, striking a pose of noble self-sacrifice. "In short, having failed to assist Olsen, I am utterly unqualified to go."
Peter: "..."
Seeing Saiki's resolute expression, Peter gave up trying to persuade him directly. He turned his head and yelled towards the kitchen, "Mrs. Saiki! Kusuo, he— Mmph! Mmph!"
Before Peter could finish, his own hand clamped firmly over his mouth. He struggled against his own grip, glaring accusingly at Saiki.
Saiki smirked smugly. "Knew you were going to tattle. Did you really think I didn't—"
Saiki's words choked off abruptly, his smile freezing on his face.
Kurumi Saiki had materialized silently behind him sometime during his gloating.
"Did you really think what, Kusuo?" she asked sweetly, her shadow completely engulfing him. Saiki stiffened, slowly, mechanically turning his head. Under his mother's increasingly benevolent smile, he released Peter.
Peter gasped for air. "Kusuo," he said immediately, his voice firm, "you will go, won't you?"
Kurumi chimed in, "Oh? Are you all going out somewhere fun?"
Peter nodded eagerly. "Yes! Because we helped him out last time, our classmate Olsen invited us to spend two days at his resort!"
"Is that so? How wonderful!" Kurumi exclaimed. "I've never been to a resort before! I'm so envious of you all."
Watching the two of them perform their perfectly synchronized routine, Saiki, though deeply unwilling, found himself meekly agreeing.
Come the weekend, Saiki dragged himself out the door after repeated, insistent urging from Kurumi.
When he reached the designated meeting spot, everyone else was already there, having clearly been waiting under the sun for some time.
"Hey," Pietro zipped over to him, complaining immediately. "You're late. You know, making a delicate young lady wait under the hot sun is incredibly ungentlemanly."
Saiki glanced over at Wanda, who was currently in the process of beating two leering men who had been harassing her black and blue. Delicate? he thought dryly. Your sister looks less 'delicate' and more like a female King Kong.
But internal commentary aside, he still apologized to the group, even though he technically wasn't late.
Olsen had arranged for a van to pick them up.
There were already other passengers inside: a thuggish-looking man whose face seemed entirely composed of fierce muscle; a handsome, suave 'life-winner' type flanked by attractive women on both sides; and a Black man with dreadlocks who immediately started rapping under his breath.
They were apparently heading to the same destination, but their attitude wasn't particularly friendly. The thuggish man, in particular, let out a pointed, contemptuous snort as Saiki walked past him.
Saiki had encountered plenty of people radiating inexplicable malice before, so he didn't dwell on the man's rudeness. Peter, however, grinned broadly and asked innocently, "Excuse me, sir, is your throat bothering you? Need a cough drop?"
He simultaneously rummaged in his bag and produced a half-eaten roll of throat lozenges.
The man clearly interpreted Peter's actions as a silent provocation. But picking a fight with a student felt beneath him, like bullying the weak, so he just scoffed disdainfully again.
Compared to Peter, Pietro was far less polite. "If you're coughing that badly, you should go to a hospital," he quipped sarcastically. "What are you doing here?" He then turned pointedly to Peter. "Remember to open a window later; don't want to catch whatever he has."
"Why you little—!" The man started to rise in anger, but just then, Wanda, who had been walking last, paused beside him, her expression completely blank.
"Excuse me," she said quietly.
Despite her beauty, her eyes were so cold they sent an involuntary shiver down the man's spine. Though he hated to admit it, in that instant, he felt genuine fear. Some primal instinct screamed at him that if he let his anger loose, this girl would kill him.
Saiki watched the escalating confrontations unfold with an internal sigh. He didn't quite understand why such trivial matters were blowing up so quickly.
But he also recognized, with a flicker of warmth, that they were doing it to defend him. Suddenly, his mood about being dragged along on this trip improved considerably.
The van drove for a short while before stopping again. This time, a very tall, broadly built man, covered in dirt, climbed aboard.
The same thuggish man who had hassled their group immediately started causing trouble again, directing his complaints to the driver.
"Hey! What's the deal? Weren't we told it was just us and these brats sharing the ride? What's with this filthy guy? Letting some weirdo dressed like this on the bus without our permission? What if he's dangerous?"
The driver just chuckled. "It's fine, he's just a kid. Won't cause any problems."
Everyone in the van looked at the new passenger – a man easily 1.9 meters (6'3") tall, with a scruffy beard, looking utterly exhausted and disheveled – and collectively fell into a stunned silence.
_______
+40 chapters on: patreon.com/Shinobi_Scrolls