Peter and Ovyah head to the Daily Bugle and discuss their new status.

"So... you're a webslinger, right?"

Peter looked at Ovyah. She was in her 'civilian appearance, though her clothes were toned down into a windbreaker, tank top, shorts and sneakers. She looked like a college freshman into kawaii fashion. "We... try not to bring that up in public, Ovyah. And... do you have a less... distinctive name I can call you?"

"Oviya is a perfectly cromulent name. It means beautiful artist. It's Indian."

"And that'd be great if you pronounced your name Oviya, but you pronounce it Ovyah, and that mostly means unfertilized egg."

"Point." Ovyah giggled. "Call me anything you like. Literally. It's literally up to you."

Peter rubbed his brow. "All right. Fine. I'll think of something before we get there. Anyway. Yes. I do that... thing... you mentioned."

"Cool." She paused. "So why are we on the subway?"

They were indeed on the subway, heading into Midtown and the Daily Bugle building. Peter kept rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Because I'm going to work, you're apparently coming with me, and this is how normal people travel. I'm just glad the car's more or less empty. Which is wild at this time of day, but--"

Ovyah looked innocent.

"...okay, how does that relate to your... specialty?"

"You're joking, right? Public venue, but unusually private? If you should get some... ideas... then there's no muss or fuss."

"I'm not going to get any ideas," Peter said, shaking his head.

"Yeah but I don't know that, and I have a certain amount of latitude. So congratulations. You get to have a seat on your commute. And it's even set up so it's just luck of the draw -- no one's being put out by your choice." She looked thoughtful. "On the other hand, a lot of guys are into chikan..."

"What is 'chikan?'"

Ovyah blinked, innocently. "Public molestation. Most often groping a poor, defenseless girl on a packed train. Really, 'chikan' is the fetish, versus... you know, actual sexual ****. That's just molestation. The word's Japanese but the kink's universal."

"It's not universal with me," Peter muttered.

"Oh, you say that now... but a beautiful girl, you right behind her... the crowd packs you in tight, and suddenly you're right up against her, your cock against her butt, and you're getting hard and you know she knows, but she seems like she's pretending she doesn't feel anything and maybe even leans back a little more... and then the train rocks so you slip an arm around her so she doesn't fall and she doesn't try to pull away--"

"I really don't want to have this conversation right now."

"I'll find an opening in your calendar, then." She giggled. "So got a name for me, yet? I warn you, 'pest' and 'deviant' will attract attention."

"Shock. You get attention. You live for attention. And you're telling me you're like this because I'm into it?"

"I am in fact telling you that, because you are in fact into it." She paused. "That's why I bit you in the shower. If you're going to try and prude out on me I'm going to act out against you, because you liiiiiike that. You like naughty girls who make you go places you don't want to go, because you're the ultimate responsible guy so you have trouble loosening up to do that. And to be fair when you do loosen up life seems to dump all over you for it." She smiled just a bit more softly. "Maybe I can help with the Ol' Parker Luck, while we're doing this."

Peter was flushed, looking down at the floor. "...you know what bugs me?"

"What?"

"You're right." He looked at Ovyah. "You remind me of Felicia. A lot. But you also remind me of MJ... MJ back in the early days, when it was all fun and crazy and she was wild and pushed my boundaries. And that scares me."

"Why?" Ovyah cocked her head, listening.

"Because bad things happened with MJ. Bad things happened to MJ. And to Felicia. Bad things happen to the people I get close to, and they seem to get worse when those people are reckless. So I'm into you and you're reckless because I'm into that, and that scares me because I feel like you're going to get hurt."

"Peter... I can't be hurt. Not the way you're thinking of, anyway."

"Of course you can." Peter shook his head, laughing. "Ovyah -- you're not the first cosmic power I've known. I was a cosmic power, once. And one thing I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that there is always someone stronger. Do you trump Galactus? Or Eternity? Or ****? Because I've met ****. For that matter, how do you stack up against Thanos? And what do you do when suddenly you run into someone badder and more powerful than you are." He looked in her eyes. "You told me that if I managed to truly free you from servitude, your soul would literally be irrevocably destroyed. You told me that so I wouldn't keep trying to get rid of you -- but you know what I heard? I heard 'Ovyah can be soul-destroyed, and I have to make absolutely sure that doesn't happen.'"

"Peter... Peter you don't have to do that. That's not why I'm here. That's not what I'm for. You're my master. You don't have to be responsible for me."

"Wrong." Peter took Ovyah's hand. "I'm your master. That means I have to be responsible for you."

Ovyah blinked, her cheeks turning pink. She looked away. "Oh, you chose well," she said, laughing softly. It wasn't her normal joyous giggle.

"What do you mean?"

"I told you. I take after MJ and Felicia and the girls like that in your life. But I also take after Gwen and Betty and Carlie and..." she sighed. "And all those girls who keep up a good front until it really hits them that you care, and then they want to push you away. But I can't push you away, so..." She laughed. "You may be the first master I've had in aeons who pre-installed baggage in my psyche."

Peter half-smiled. "See? The good ol' Parker luck strikes again." He chuckled. "Don't assume you're bigger than it is, because there's nothing bigger in the universe, as near as I can tell."

Despite herself, Ovyah smiled. "I guess you're right. After all..."

"After all... what?"

"After all, I'm pretty sure our stop was two stops back."

Peter blinked, looking around. "Crap! Okay! We gotta go like now!"

"Right behind you! But I still need a name!"

"I'm working on it!"