Breaking The Ice

"... While we wait, allow me to recommend you to play some ice breakers, so you know each other," Edith said. "It'll do wonders to know the people you'll spend the rest of your life with."

Everybody looked at each other, coming to a collective understanding. Even though we might not want to listen to her, she's not wrong. Besides, we don't know what she'll do if we say no.

They all sat down on the couch.

"Uhm, I guess I'll start," Peter said. "All of you probably know this already, but I'm Peter Parker, my "superhero name" is Spider-Man, with a hyphen, and I'm 20 years old."

"I feel we could do with a little more, but I suppose we can wait for future rounds," Emma said. "As I'm to Peter's side in a clockwise fashion, I shall go next. My name is Emma Frost, I have no superhero name, I am a mutant of considerable prestige and power, and I'm 37 years old."

Natasha went next. "My name is Natalia Alianovna Natasha Romanov, but I prefer to go by Natasha. My alias is Black Widow, however, I'm not the only one who goes by that alias. I guess I'll add that I'm a mutate, and I know I don't look like it, but I'm a 101 years old."

"Pardon the question," Emma cut in, "but is that because of a situation like Captain Rogers', or something else?"

Natasha made a so-so gesture. "I do have a Super Serum similar to his, however, him not aging has more to do with staying inert, compared to me just living."

Emma nodded satisfactorily.

"I'll just rush on ahead," Anne said. "The name's Anne Weying, I go by Venom or Lethal Protector, and I'm 28, but Venom is very old, maybe as old as human history."

"Venom's ancient?" MJ blurted out.

"Uh, yeah," Anne said with a shy grin. "I mean, in my world, it—"

Anne was cut off by the symbiote's head appearing on her shoulder. "Don't call me an "it!""

"Sorry, sorry!" Anne exclaimed. "What do you want me to call you then?"

"She, or they," the symbiote said, then she slunk back into Anne.

"Fascinating," Olivia said. "An intelligent symbiotic organism."

Anne glared at Olivia. "Don't you dare think about putting your tentacles on Venom, we've had enough of scientists trying to study us. She says her tentacles are better than yours, by the way."

Olivia rolled her eyes and humphed in dissatisfaction.

"Sorry about that, we get a little touchy when it comes to doctors and all," Anne chuckled awkwardly after a moment. "Quick advice if any of you ever get a symbiote, don't get MRIs. As I was saying, in my universe, Venom is really old. Actually, right now she just told me she's older than Thor by a bit."

Everybody looked at Anne and Venom in a newfound light. To think Venom was older than Thor was... Astonishing.

"I'm afraid little Felicia Hardy here isn't that old," Felicia said with a tinkling laugh. "I'm only 25 years old. Since we're adding a little bit, I'm a mutate."

"We're all singing kumbaya, that it?" Olivia said after a moment. "News flash, I'm the bad guy to most of your guys' alternate counterpart. Only reason I haven't smacked the shit out of all of you is because I have no idea what our dear Host would do to me."

"Ok, I don't mean this disrespectfully- who am I kidding, I totally do," Peter said. "I beat your alternate counterpart. And I think Ms. Romanoff here can tell you SHIELD probably has you on their street tier villains, something they don't have to worry about. So pipe down, lady, and play along. Because if you think the AI Host shutting you up is scary, I promise you, the two Directors? They make her look like a cakewalk."

Felicia giggled. "I was wondering when the Spider I know so well would come out."

Ava rolled her eyes. "Like Peter would spend his time with you, of all people."

"Let's not escalate, ladies," May said, looking at both Felicia and Ava.

Ava immediately shied away from May's gaze. Meanwhile, Felicia looked at May for a moment, then she looked away.

"I'm only going to stop because my version of you was very nice to me, Mrs. Parker," Felicia said. "But I want to say, she started it."

"And I appreciate you not continuing it," May said genuinely. "Olivia, if you could?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'm Dr. Olivia Octavius, age 39, I don't have powers, these tentacles are technology and stuck to my spine."

MJ rushed ahead. "Soo, my name's MJ, well, full name is Mary Jane Watson, and I'm 23. If I can add, this is the first time I've been around so many supers, Peter usually keeps me away from your side of things."

"For good reason," Olivia grumbled. "Now that I know your name, nothing's stopping me from just getting my version of you straight from her bed, is there?"

MJ said nothing, but she inched away from Olivia, her face wide in fright.

Olivia laughed to herself, but May started introducing herself.

"I'm Maybelle Parker née Reilly, I'm 56 years old," she said. "No powers here."

"Well, I'm the last one here," Ava said. "I'm Ava Ayala, I go by White Tiger, and I'm 22 years old. I got my powers from a magical amulet that I inherited from my father. Now, for the next question, let's make it how you got your powers, where you work, and what you do there?"

"Let's add in that we can ask questions, now that basic intros are out of the way," Natasha suggested.

"Fine by me," Peter said. "I got my powers from a spider bite, I study at Empire State University, and I'm studying Bioengineering."

"My version of you never talked to me about being Spider-Man, so I was always curious about this part," May said. "What do you mean by a spider bite?"

"Uh, well, there was a field trip to Oscorp in my world, a genetically engineered spider bit me and I got powers the next morning," Peter said.

"That's how it was on my side too," Ava said. "My Peter once took a travel through the multiverse, and he said that most Spider people that are Parkers have that same story."

"That's quite shocking, if I'm being honest," May said. "Nevertheless, that's my question answered, does anyone have anything else?"

"Uh, yeah," Felicia said. "Edith said you had a near identical life to the version of Peter from my world, so can you explain?"

"Explain?" Peter asked. "Like, what?"

"I mean, I dunno," Felicia said sarcastically. "How about how we were a little group in highschool: me, you, MJ, and Ned, and we all knew your identity, but since your fight at the Statue of Liberty, I couldn't remember any of that, and I suddenly remember all of that right now?"

Peter stared at her in shock. "Your world really is nearly identical."

"Yeah, so, explanation, please?" Felicia demanded. "You were supposed to go to Harvard, the three of you, suddenly, there's some dudes from another universe, suddenly, I can't remember shit!"

"I-i had to sacrifice everyone's memory of Peter Parker," Peter admitted. "It was the only way to stop my universe, and I guess for you, your universe, from getting destroyed by other universes."

"What the fuck, Peter," Ava and Felicia said at the same time.

"As a spy, I will say that sometimes, the hard thing has to be done," Natasha said. "Was there really nothing else you could do?"

"No," Peter said uncomfortably. "It was a difficult decision, alright? Can we move on now?"

Felicia and Ava both gave him a look, as if telling him the conversation wasn't over.

Thankfully, Emma proceeded to take her turn. "As I said, I'm a mutant, I've always had my powers. Well, not from birth, but I did have them since the last stages of puberty. Currently, I work at a school for training young mutants, however, I do have several businesses."

"Ok, I'm curious though," Peter said. "I get that you're saying mutant, which means you're born with it, but typically, a genetic mutation you're naturally born with would mean something like heterochromia or albinism, so I'm not understanding how you were born with superhuman powers without external influence beyond evolution?"

Emma stared at Peter.

Natasha chuckled. "Good luck. Mutant leadership is very touchy when someone talk to them in an educated way about anything, trust me."

Emma glared at Natasha. "I doubt SHIELD has anything educated to say to us." She faced Peter. "Nevertheless, you raise a great point. You're a smart individual, Xavier would've loved to sit down and pick your brain, unlike Miss Romanoff is suggesting."

"He'd really love to pick his brain," Natasha said snidely, but Emma ignored her.

"Judging from your question, either mutants don't occur on your world, or they've kept themselves hidden successfully," Emma said. "The source of our power is from a specific gene called the X-Gene, which is essentially, the code required to crack the book of nearly unlimited plethora of powers. One of the teachers at my school can adjust her density so she can phase through walls; another can control the weather. It varies."

"Notice how she didn't answer your question?" Natasha said. "I'll answer it. Mutants are essentially descendants of the lab rats of an omnipotent race called the Celestials."

May was about to stop the argument, but Emma was already too angry and shocked to not react.

"How do you know that?" Emma asked, aghast.

"I have one of the highest levels of SHIELD clearance, White Queen," Natasha said. "Besides, the information became kind of an open secret after your war with the Inhumans."

Emma looked like she was about to unleash her anger, but she controlled herself and cleared her throat. "Apologies for the disruption. My powers are two fold. One, is when I am as normally as I am now, I have telepathy. Not as strong as some others, but I am near the top. However, I have a second form, where my skin turns into diamonds, however I cannot use my telepathy in that state."

Everyone had so many questions, but they let it go, realizing that if they continued along that line, the conversation would stay sour.

"I got my powers from the Red Room, a defunct KGB organization," Natasha said. "My powers are slightly superhuman strength, and longevity, but I'm an assassin and a spy. I work for SHIELD these days, but I am an on and off Avengers member."

"Well, I guess I'll just go on ahead," Anne said. "I don't have any powers on my own, everything comes from Venom. Together, we can turn into what's essentially a goo monster that's human shaped. We have tentacles, superhuman strength, and can grab onto basically anything. I work as a freelance journalist."

"That's basically my power kit, plus the tentacles," Peter said, nodding in appreciation.

"That's actually so cool," Anne said.

"I have no powers," Felicia said. "Just my suit, a few tools, and expertise. I don't work anywhere these days."

"Where's your probability powers?" Ava asked.

"Never had any probability powers," Felicia said. "That might be something only your universe's version of me had."

"Interesting," Ava said.

"No powers, just technological advancements, and an IQ higher than the rest of yours," Olivia said dismissively. "I work at Roxxon Corp, in their bioengineering side. Move on."

"Well, I obviously don't have any powers," MJ said. "I work as a model."

"You do have the body for it," Felicia said flirtatiously.

MJ rolled her eyes jokingly. "That's why I got into it."

"I work at F.E.A.S.T.," May said. "It's a homeless shelter. I'm the lead manager over there."

"My amulet gives me catlike reflexes, strength, and claws," Ava said. "I work for SHIELD in the Ultimates program."

"What is that?" Natasha asked.

"Well, back in my junior year of highschool, Fury hired my version of Peter to lead a group of young heroes, which included me, Iron Fist, Power Man, and Nova," Ava explained. "Many things led to others, and eventually we had a large group of younger heroes, and we knew more were on the way. So Fury and Coulson created the Ultimates program, a place where veteran heroes would train younger ones, and we'd take the younger ones out in the streets as well, basically a mentorship program."

"That's an interesting idea," Natasha said. "Has some merit to it."

"Please," Emma said. "Xavier has been doing that job for you for quite a while."

"That's a mutants only thing," Natasha said. "Not everyone is elitist as you "Homo Superior" are."