Arc Three. Chapter Seventy-Nine. Professional Opinion
After his talk, Felicia nodded and disappeared. She was gone a few days, waving off queries with misdirection. A few days after that, she smiled as her phone became alive with the buzzing of messages.
She settled back in, spoke to Gwen and then gathered everyone together.
"So, now that we're all here I have some good news and some bad news." Gwen stood in front of a whiteboard she had set up, holding a marker with one hand, "good news first."
"Well, first, We've been testing the pheromone cream and well, we've got orders coming out of the wazoo,"
Peter sat up straight "uh what?"
"Thanks to Felicia we've got confirmed orders for at least fifty tins a week." Gwen paused, unsure of what to say next, but she took a breath and continued. "Some of the more unsubtle brothels in Hell’s Kitchen are asking to buy it in bulk."
Peter raised an eyebrow, "I'll talk to you about that later Pete, okay?" Felicia piped up and he nodded. Unhappy but willing to listen.
"Costs work out at a dollar to make, a dollar to package and we sell for 20 dollars. Each tin lasts 10 applications and I heard that the brothels charge 5 bucks for its use. So profit for us is 18 dollars a tin, or 900 a shipment, and we can do about four shipments a week."
Peter raised an eyebrow "Are you fine making that much?"
"Sure, it’s mainly adding in the pheromone to already bought cream, then pouring it into tins. It's not hard. It takes an hour or so to do, and then a day to harden. Uh, not to sound arrogant or anything but uh, it's not rocket science, it's lunch break stuff." Gwen said. "Plus, I can make it, and leave putting it in tins to Liv. It was her idea, plus, it gives her something to do."
Felicia leaned over, "my big brain," and kissed her on the cheek.
"But um, the bad news," Gwen sighed. It was bad news.
“The pheromone you produce that’s making us all so much money, well, uh, we produce one too. MJ mentioned it one time and I checked. So um, Pete, we give off a smell that makes you want us.”
That did bring pause to the group. Peter mentioned several times their 'perfume.' With the pheromone Peter made, it seemed logical that they were making him just as aroused as they were.
It was the last time they had a conversation like this Peter had gone strange for a few days but now it was reversed.
"So was that all?" Peter asked as he shrugged, "Because I really don't care if you all give off a smell that makes me want you. You’re missing the,”
Peter pointed at Felicia, “super hot ninja.” At MJ, “super hot model.”
At Gwen, “super hot nerd.” Finally at Liv, “super hot scientist.”
The group of women looked at each other. "Pheromone or not I would want to have sex with you all. The last thing I can complain about is our sex lives. Anything else?" Peter said nonchalantly.
Things had been looking up, and there were no bedroom complaints, even from Felicia. There was some tension between the girls, but he would wait until he got Felicia alone to deal with that.
“Yeah, how come I’m a nerd but Liv’s a scientist?” Gwen asked accusingly.
Liv on the other hand looked down at her cup, making it harder for Peter to see the look of shock on her face. She had dropped a few hints, but he had ignored them. Until now.
“Well, maybe because Liv’s got more PhDs than either of us combined and is way smarter than you or I combined. No offence to us. I mean, come on. I half expect to wake up one day and Liv to have finished the CLS, built one and be swinging around the warehouse in it. Gwen, I love you but really? Compared to Liv we’ve both got porridge in our hair.“ While the others looked confused Gwen snorted.
“Uh, personal joke, we’ll explain later, but there is one thing. Um, I lost my job,” Gwen admitted.
With Liv missing, Norman had had a meltdown. As soon as he saw the Stacy name, his paranoia flared and she was sacked. Gwen had no idea of the real reason though. Her termination notice only stated 'interpersonal issues.'
Felicia came over and sat on the floor next to Gwen and hugged her legs. “It’s fine, we just scored the cream money, so don't stress over it. It is just a blip and with your college work you were needing to cut down on hours anyway.” Gwen rubbed the top of her head and smiled, but it was still an upset.
Oscorp still had weight in the world. If a potential employer looked deeper it was still a black mark, even if Gwen had done nothing wrong.
Trying to lighten the mood MJ, piped up. "Uh, I've got a commercial, a real one."
Everyone broke out in smiles with a round of congratulations, even Liv who had no idea what was going on was happy.
She shook her head, "but uh, it's in swimwear, nothing bad, it's a skin cancer commercial." She glanced over at Peter, trying to gauge his reaction.
He shrugged. "MJ, I can't complain about being jealous when," and he motioned around the table.
"No Pete this is different. Think about it,” Gwen said.
Peter closed his eyes and imagined MJ in swimwear. Her nipples poking through the thin material. The neat lines of her pussy tight against the small bathing suit.
"Not in that way you fucking perv," Felicia said breaking him from his imagination. "If everyone else saw her like that."
He shrugged "So? You think that guys, hell girls too, don't imagine their favourite stars naked? That sites with celebrity boobs or movie clips of sex scenes don't exist? Hell yeah, some scumbag steps over the line and I'll break their legs but it’s MJ's career. If MJ wants to cartwheel naked down 5th avenue for a shoot then I'm not going to stop her. She doesn't stop me from going out and smashing faces. Especially after I jump beds and she doesn't say a word. So no if I get jealous that's my stupid shit to deal with, not hers, so it's fine."
MJ was all smiles and came over to hug him, "it's fine. The outfit's not too revealing, I made sure," she whispered in his ear and he kissed her cheek.
“Liv," Felicia sighed. This was not a conversation she wanted to have, but it was one she needed to. "My dad tried to break into Oscorp, and then he vanished. Do you know anything? Even if you can't talk about it." Felicia looked over at Liv, and she was trying desperately not to sound desperate. She heard her father's words, no weaknesses, not in front of anyone. Weaknesses give them an edge over you.
Liv frowned, "I have no idea. Norman used me for dirty work and hush-hush stuff but never said anything about a break-in. How long ago?"
Felicia looked at her hands, "Five years."
Gwen shot up, "You've been alone for five years? Why didn't you say anything?"
Peter reached over the table. "Gwen, not the time."
Reluctantly she sat back down, it might not be the time right now, but she would be having words with Felicia about it.
Liv leaned back and shuffled in her chair, "Five years ago I was working on the Goblin suit. Norman only moved me," Liv winced in pain, "I'm sorry. I have no involvement in the disappearance of any intruders at Oscorp."
Felicia gripped Gwen's leg and took a deep breath, “I know that a lot of what's in those files is junk Liv. I know that none of us are completely innocent.”
“Uh I am,” MJ piped up.
Felicia rolled her eyes, “Some of us aren't completely innocent, but, can you at least help? Can you give me anything to help find him, even if it's just something to bury, anything?”
Liv nodded. “Come speak to me later dear. I’ll do what I can.''
Felicia nodded and relaxed, hugging Gwen’s leg again.
“Now,” Peter said, “anything else?
Everyone shook their head.
"Great, then I say we hold a housewarming party. We can celebrate our two new tenants and MJ getting a part." Peter said, "Plus, Gwen's got money now, so she can pay."
Gwen's reply to that was to make a small ball of sticky webbing and ping it at him, where it splatted against his cheek.
Peter laughed, "It's not like I've never done that to you."
It was decided after MJ finished work she would head out and get a selection of pizza for them all. Gwen and Felicia raided her brewery for beers for the girls and cider for him and Liv, baring her from hard liquor.
She had been bad enough after a few beers and he wasn't keen on letting her get too drunk. That didn’t stop her from doing so anyway and then sloppily demanded that Peter take care of her. The few nights she had gotten incredibly drunk she ended up snoring in Peter’s bed. From that point on, it was soft drinks or low alcohol only, much to Liv's annoyance.
⁂
During the day, while three others were busy Peter finished Liv's new home.
With his enhanced strength, it had only taken him a few days to build her a ramp. The wet room was already finished and he removed the interior walls so she had more space. In the end, the home looked more like his, with easily accessible counters and seating.
He had planned on finishing the second home for Felicia. She had just handwaved and disappeared into Gwens. He could only shrug at that. If Felicia and Gwen wanted to seem like it was official, then who was he to argue? It wasn't as if it stopped Gwen from visiting him at night.
Peter cut and ramped a door between the two places as well as the entrance in and out of everyone's homes.
No one minded making an adjustment for Liv. Even making sure the top decks had ramps. Liv was still too weak to pull herself up, but nobody minded helping.
Once the modifications were finished the final touch was adding in some furniture. It was easy enough, even if a little embarrassing for the small group.
"So, now I know what you did with all my stuff," Liv said as she watched them rearrange it back into the new home for her. "I must admit Peter, that was rather callous of you. Kicking me while I was down. It might not have been you who destroyed my home, but you were partially responsible."
She winked at Peter who rolled his eyes.
"We could give you back to Norman you know, there is still time." Peter stuck out his tongue at her but looked guiltily at her as she froze. The sudden look of panic that shot across her face reminded him that while a few jokes were funny, that one wasn't.
Felicia put down a table and batted Peter on the arm, hard enough that it stung. "Nice one jackass. Why don't you offer to take her dancing next?"
"Oh you mean, like being insensitive to remind her about her legs, nice one Felly,"
Felicia stared at him. "What the fuck did you just call me?" She glared at him, scowling.
"Felly. Rhymes with, uh something," Peter teased her.
As she growled at him and as she swung at him he dodged and made booping noises as he poked her in the stomach.
In the doorway Liv sat in her chair, quietly shaking her head. Watching Peter laugh and avoid Felicia, she wondered how on Earth these two managed to foil her plan.
Gwen, she thought, it was definitely Gwen.
⁂
Liv made a choice. After Peter's little admission earlier, she wheeled herself over to Felicia. "I would like to talk, about it later."
Once she had given out the details of her plan, Felicia just laughed. She moved the low alcohol bottles and made sure there were a few 'mislabeled' bottles of liquid courage for Liv.
She hadn't been shy about asking if Peter minded helping her in the shower or toilet. He was in all day he didn't mind either. The pair over the past week had become strangely close. Which was understandable as it couldn't be helped.
Once the furniture was in and arranged to her liking, Felicia skulked off. She had sworn payback against Peter. As her eyes flicked between the pair, she knew when and where it would happen.
Liv stared at her new home. It was warm, easy to move about in and most importantly, hers.
She finally broke when he pulled out his last surprise. A newly fitted wheelchair. Electric and much more comfortable than the contraption he had welded together.
She felt herself tearing up, "damn you," she whispered, "damn you." She wiped the drips out from under her glasses. "No wonder everyone here loves you when you do something like this. Something so wonderful, idiot, stupid, moron, stop it, this. This is amazing and I don't deserve it, Peter."
She sobbed. The harness stopped her from talking. But not from remembering all the things she had done. Countless nameless people, all reduced to nothing but specimens thanks to Norman.
Peter had dealt with this before. The guilt that came with Liv's freedom. He picked Liv up and held her in his arms, sitting down and cradling her close to himself as she quietly cried.