The two worlds kept colliding. Seeing that Chen Mo was awake, someone actually showed a rare bit of tact, leaving the two Spider-Men some time alone and heading out to save the world.
When the blue scale lit up to the seventh mark, Peter reached out.
His fingertip stopped above the activation button.
He didn't press it.
Leaning against the hospital bed, Chen Mo followed that hand upward with his eyes. Peter had already taken off his mask. Sweat had plastered his hair into a mess, and a red mark still lingered on his right cheek.
Damn, he looked really hot-scratch that.
Chen Mo seemed to have hit him there.
Back in the enemy ship's hangar, Chen Mo had hit Peter a little too hard while trying to snap him out of the White Queen's illusion.
Just a little.
Chen Mo refused to admit he had been a bit irritable at the time.
"Want to press it?"
Peter immediately pulled his hand back.
The blue light on Cable still moved between them, one mark at a time. The metal ring was fastened around Chen Mo's right wrist, its record set to forty-eight hours earlier.
Peter lowered his head to check the bedside vital signs monitor.
His heart rate was elevated.
Neural repair was still underway.
Three red warnings showed on the spinal brace.
Peter dismissed the topmost warning, then pulled the blanket, which had slipped a little, back up to Chen Mo's waist.
"I'm sorry."
Chen Mo looked at him.
Peter held the edge of the blanket, his fingers never letting go.
"Back on the enemy ship, I should have pressed it. I know."
He spoke very slowly.
"Forty-eight hours. That would've been enough time to find Mr. Stark and tell him everything about the Pressure Relief Ring, the two