Chapter 2 Enter the SandMan
Pairing: Peter Maximoff x OC
Summary: No matter when she goes to bed Gemma always feels exhausted when she wakes up.
Notes: special thank you to all the support I have gotten so far on this fic. Gemma has been an OC I have had for some time now but always seem to struggle to tell her story (for some reason)
Also, I feel like not a lot of happening but I promise it will pick up.
All Masterlists @melyalizarchive
Connect with me! AO3 / Instagram / Pinterest
They had been dealing with these mutants for over a year now. Not consistently but every once in a while they would pop back up. Only stealing weird stuff from power cells. Once they had stolen a whole truck full of household batteries (like AA and stuff). Another time they had broken into a string of car dealerships but only took the engines
Regardless they would strike and then disappear just as quickly.
Xavier had said that it was possible they had been causing crimes for longer but the X-men had only come upon them recently.
Because of their mutant powers he had been worried they would ruin all the hard work he was doing to build a better world where Mutants and Humans could co-exist. They weren’t shy about using their powers both in a fight and when they were busy taking whatever they wanted.
Peter had never really thought much about it.
They were just more baddies they needed to fight.
Until he met one of them on the bus.
Gemma yawned again rubbing her eyes as she turned on her boombox letting the music pulse through the room. James Hetfield’s gravelly voice filled her small bedroom as she changed from her work clothes into something more comfortable for bed.
It was soothing, the energy pulsing from her speakers. Not that many people would call the tunes of Metallic soothing but she wasn't many people. Sitting down in front of the boombox she hummed along letting the manic sounds flow through her like sparks from a current. As weird as it was to say the fast-paced rhythm was calming she couldn’t explain it any other way.
Getting up she threw herself down onto her bed letting out a low moan as she buried her head in her pillow. Closing her eyes letting sleep overcome her. Praying it would be a peaceful night. That her body would just rest. Just let her have one good night’s sleep.
Was that too much to ask for?
Her dreams were filled with weird lights flashing behind her eyelids. Yelling and screaming. Flickers of energy flashing like lighting across her face as monsters with human faces she didn’t recognize danced around her. Their deformed bodies flickering back and forth as if the lighting itself was summoning them.
Running around her faster and faster. Her headphones on his head.
“Wake up, wake up, wake up.”
Gemma found herself laying flat on her back on the hard floor of her bedroom, her body unable to move as she looked up at her ceiling blinking a few times. Reality slowly seeped into her consciousness images from her dreams fading.
All but one, a silver-haired boy.
Well man really, but you know.
“Maybe I need to stop playing music before I go to bed” she muttered sitting up rubbing temples trying to bring some feeling back into her body. It felt so numb and exhausting. As if she had just run for miles. Getting up she turned off the buzzing alarm on her clock before dragging herself into the bathroom to try and get herself ready for the day.
“Morning!” Drew said as his older sister stumbled down into the kitchen looking like death itself. He would never say it to his sister but later she really didn’t seem… herself. “I made coffee,” the 12-year-old said, holding out a mug.
Gemma smiled gratefully taking it in her hands letting the warmth fill her body before taking a sip. “Ok but why are you the coolest brother ever?”
Drew shrugged “It’s my gift.”
“Oh, if only I could be as cool.”
“Maybe someday my young padawan”
“Teach me your ways yoda” Gamma chuckled already feeling the effects of the caffeine bringing her back to life.
“Speaking of the best movie that has ever been made, are we still on for marathoning tomorrow?”
“Don’t you have like, cool friends you want to hang out with?”
“Yeah but my sister said she would make her sugar popcorn and I got a bunch of star wars themed snacks with that money you gave me.” As he said this he pulled out a box of C-3PO's cereal out of the cabinet. “I mean look at this,”
“I mean, I know I want to hang out with you and quote Star Wars ad nauseam until our sweet dear parents make us turn it off or at least speak with inside voices but I assumed you had like… you know kids your own age you wanted to hang with.”
“It’s the summer we hung out all week. Weekends are our time.”
“Sounds perfect to me. I literally can’t wait.”
After a hearty breakfast of sugary themed cereal and coffee Gemma grabbed her bag and rushed off to the bus stop while Led Zeppelin cheered her on through her new headphones.
Normally Gemma wasn’t one to really pay attention to the other patients on the bus. Keeping her head down and enjoying whatever mixed tape she had made that week. But as she walked onto the bus that morning she couldn’t help but notice a silver-haired boy sitting at the back.
Naw probably just had the same route.
Peter was stalking her. All night he had rushed around unnoticed by the small family that resided in the house Gemma had entered.They were your classic American family. Two kids, a boy and a girl (if not a bit of an age gap) with loving parents. They said grace and talked about their days over a roast.
Besides the constant yawning, Gemma seemed happy. Smiling and engaging with them. Very polite and even seemed to care about the work story her father had to say or what drama Karen was causing in her mom’s sewing circle.
Shit that Peter would have bashed his head in if he had to listen too.
Shit, a villain like the woman he had fought wouldn’t sit through. Or at least with a genuine smile like the one Gemma wore. It was like she actually enjoyed family time.
After dinner, they all watched some TV but Gemma had chosen to rest early. Going to her room where she blasted some music from her stereo turning around letting her hands hover just a few inches from the speaker. This was the first time he noticed any non-normal action from her. Just her standing there, eyes closed, head tilted back, mouth open slightly letting the music wash over her with her hands so close to the sound it was as if they craved it.
After a few moments she removed her hands then walked toward her bed face-planting on the bed and promptly fell asleep.
Which was his cue to leave. Yes, he was stalking her but he wasn’t a creeper. Time to find out who this weird girl was.
A quick break-in and a couple photo books later and he learned she was a VERY average girl. Normal grades, all comments in her yearbook generic like “good luck” “rock on” with a few quotes from songs, all heavy rock and metal. (At least she had a good taste in music)
There was one thing though, it looked like in her early years she had dark brown hair and eyes which slowly through her teens faded into the white hair and bright blue that she had now. Probably had something to do with her mutation.
This also confirmed she was one of the four mutants.
Which was almost impossible to believe considering how generic and bland this girl’s life seemed.
Their eyes met in that awkward “so should we act like we know each other or not’ look. In the light of day and (in the loosest term possible) rest, the silver-haired boy wasn’t bad looking. Large brown eyes and that laid back “whatever” attitude that Gemma had always fallen for in high school.
But she wasn’t in high school anymore and he was just some weird guy on the bus.
Deciding to not engage she flashed him a half-smile before taking a seat in the middle of the bus. Ok, maybe she shouldn’t have smiled. But it was that christen upbringing engaged in her.
Or some bullshit like that.
“You forgot your headphones yesterday.”
Gemma basically jumped out of her skin when the boy appeared out of nowhere now sitting next to her in the empty seat. Holding out small headphones in one hand for her to take.
“I…” she checked behind her to confirm that the seat he had been in was empty, it was. “I didn’t forget them,” she said, turning her attention back to him. He smelled good, was that bad for her to think? But he did so maybe it was just more of a fact. Kind of like fun. He smelled like fun. Which shouldn’t have a smell… but if it did it would be how this boy smelled.
He was still sitting there holding out the headphones for her, a look of confusion on his face.
“I gave them to you.” she clarified, “So you could listen to some better music than Pink Floyd.”
“Outch, what do you have against Floyd?”
She chuckled, shrugging, “Honestly I don’t, I just felt like razzing you.”
The boy shrugged fighting back a smile, (was it ok to like this girl if she was a bad guy?) “Fair.”
Both of them sat in an awkward silence for a while.
“Well this is my stop” the boy said as the bus slowed.
And like that he was gone.
Cute, but still a weirdo.
Not that she was really one to talk. She was VERY far from being normal.
Turing up her music she leaned back in her chair letting it play as she held the cassette player in her lap trying to make sure she didn’t touch it with her hands. Sometimes her powers would drain electronics when she wasn’t paying attention, especially when she was tired.
Why was she always so tired?
Music playing through her head and thoughts of a silver-haired boy played around in her mind as the world rushed past her.
And that was the last thing she remembered.
Forever tag: @the-shadow-of-atlantis @coffee-randomness @0hmydeku @xx3fsxx @daisyboobear @ @jason-redhood @hello-i-lovespiderman-blr @ocelysium @pinkwitch21 @tomhncharliep @cdwmtjb8
(Let me know if you too would like to be tagged)
