The snow gently fell to the frozen pond on that January night. It was about six o'clock when Ned and I got a knock on the door of the cabin we were staying in. I looked at Ned confused before putting down my science book. I went to the window and saw the whole decathlon team, including Mr. Harrington, standing in the cold. They were all bundled up in their winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarfs. I pulled the wooden door open and let them in.
"We're going ice skating and we were wondering if you guys wanted to come." MJ said. Her nose and cheeks rosy pink from the cold wind. I looked back at Ned to see he was already getting his coat on.
"I, uh, I don't have any ice skates." I said ashamed. May couldn't afford them and the trip for me.
"That's okay. We can get some from the lodge. Just hurry!" I smiled before dashing to the closet. I grabbed my black heavy coat and Star Wars, Yoda green hat. My gloves were in the pocket of my coat so I slipped my boots on and headed for the door.
We all happily walked down the snowy hill to get to the frozen lake. "This is so fun! I'm so glad we went camping for our yearly group activity." Ned exclaimed. I was not happy about this choice. It was extremely cold and dangerous. I glared at Ned, only to start laughing at how stupid he looked. He looked like a giant fluffy marshmallow with his large brown coat. He was in so many layers that he was waddling like a duck down the small hill. Abe, Sally, Charles, and MJ saw the lake in the distance and took off running. I grinned when MJ tripped and fell into Sally. They rolled down the snowy hill for a while until they got cold. Mr. Harrington was rushing to keep up with them. That left Ned and me in the back. At least that's who I thought was left behind...
I leaned over to Ned to ask him a question. "Ned? MJ said I could get some Ice skates at the lodge, right?" He turned his whole body towards me, slightly. He was smothered in clothing, leaving him a little stiff. "The nearest lodge is 20 miles away from here. To think of it, it's not too safe to be out here this late at night." I said, suddenly aware of my surroundings.
"Peter, lossen up! She probably just wanted you to come." He nudged me a little and I huffed out a small laughter. Then next thing I know, Flash Thompson has his arms draped around the two of us, his head in between us. "Dude." Ned mumbled. Something hard and a little sharp hit the side of my arm. I looked over to see Flash was holding an old pair of ice skates. He dropped them and I stopped walking.
"MJ blackmailed me. Enjoy my old skates Parker. Hope they fit." He grumbled before running off to catch up with everyone. I picked up the skates and looked at Ned. In unison we started laughing.
When we finally reached the lake, everyone was already skating. I plopped down on the cold snow and instantly regretted it. How MJ was able to roll in the snow, I don't know... It was freezing! I slipped off my boots and quickly put my skates on. "Alright, everyone! I'm sorry to tell you this, but we can only stay out here for 15 minutes. I don't want a student to get frostbite... not again." I rolled my eyes and reached for Neds hand. He pulled me up, but I fell back down.
"Have you ever been ice skating, Parker?" Flash said after flipping in the air and landing. I could do that on ice without skates on my two feet... I stood back up and awkwardly walked to the ice.
"It's been a while." I said rubbing my butt. "You sure this is safe?" I asked my teacher. He nodded and got on the ice himself. That's when his phone rang. He answered it and his face dropped. When he hung up, he sighed. " What's wrong?"
"Got a situation at the main cabin. You guys come up in ten minutes, you hear? No longer or you'll freeze. I'll have hot chocolate waiting for you all." He started climbing back up the hill. I looked at the others in a concerned way. If something happened, I would be able to take care of myself, but what about them? They couldn't take care of themselves if a bear or a creepy hermit tried to attack them. "Well, I'll just have to take care of them myself." I thought. I started skating on the ice. With my incredible spider balance, I looked like a pro. MJ was standing with her hands on her hips, watching Flash and Charles compete against each other. Ned and Sally were arguing which one was better: Star Wars or Star Trek. Abe was building a small snowman by himself. When I asked if he wanted company he told me I should talk to MJ. I didn't know what that was about, but I skated to her anyways.
"Thanks for the skates." I whispered in her ear. She jumped a little, losing her balance. "Sorry!" I yelled as I yanked her up on her feet.
"It's okay. Just didn't expect a squeaky toy to go off in my ear." She turned back to the competition which was now who could eat the most snow without getting a brain freeze. "You're welcome by the way." She punched me hard in the shoulder and I laughed.
Ned and Sally yelled to all of us that it was time to go back in and everyone else groaned with complaints. MJ, Flash, and Charles got off the ice before me. I was four feet away from the edge when my senses went off. I froze. I looked around to see what was triggering them. I saw nothing, but heard a small crackling noise. When I looked down, I saw a small line running in between my feet on the ice. I heard MJ's laughter a little ways ahead. They were already climbing the hill back to the cabin. "Where's Peter?" Everyone looked to their sides before looking behind them, back to the lake. "Peter! You want us to get in trouble!?" I was still frozen, but this time in fear. I looked down at the ice as I heard more cracking noises. "Pete?" I swallowed hard and tried to take a step. I quickly pulled back when the noise was even louder and more crisp.
"MJ? NED!" I was about to tell them that the ice was cracking when it suddenly gave away. I didn't scream as I fell into the brisk water. I did hear my peers exclaim in distress though. My life seemed to flash before my eyes as my body started falling deeper and deeper into the cold. My lungs were filling with water and my nose burned. I choked as I tried to hold what breath I had left. I had to get to the surface. I forced my eyes open, but it didn't help. Everything was dark, but what did I expect? I started forcing my body to move even though it hurt. I pushed myself up as much as I could. My head hit something hard and I wanted to scream in pain. It was ice! I spotted the opening that I fell through and went towards it. My head popped above surface for a moment and I took a deep breath. For some reason I started falling back under. I threw my hand up and gripped the edge of the ice. There were screams of horror and terror, but I ignored them. A chill went down my spine when someone grabbed my hand. They tried to pull me out, but I started drifting back to the lakes floor. My senses were screaming at me to get a grip and go back up. I could barely move as I started heading back to the surface. I started thinking of the time Iron Mans suit saved me from that lake in Queens. Too bad I didn't have my suit on. All I had to help me was five scared teenagers.
I reached the surface again and gripped the ice again. My body was still in the water and my head was barely bobbing above the surface. I couldn't hear, feel, or see anything. Someone else grabbed my hand and yanked me up. I could tell it wasn't the same person because this persons hand was a lot larger and more like a boys. He dragged me off the ice and sat me up. I started coughing up water and blood on the snow. I looked up to see my savior, expecting to see Mr. Harrington. "F-F-Fla-ash?" I stuttered before blacking out.
I can only image every ones panic when I passed out. I had just been under freezing water for about ten minutes and somehow survived. It only felt like a few seconds though. Flash scooped me up in his arms the best he could and literally ran up the hill to the cabin. My teacher took me from Flash's arms when we reached the door and dashed inside. He laid me on the couch and started barking orders. "Ned, start that fire! MJ get some blankets! Sally go make him some soup! Charles, call 9-1-1!" They all dispersed, leaving Flash and my teacher leaning over me. "I've never done this before." He said in a panicky matter. My eyes were barley open, but I could see them staring at me. I was shivering really bad and my body temperature was extremely low.
"M-m-y... clothes." I tried to say. "O-o-fff-f." I needed to get out of those soaked clothes.
"Take your clothes off? Sorry Parker, but you know I'm not like that." Flash joked. Any other person would get mad if someone started joking while they were practically dying, but I chuckled a bit. The laughter quickly turned into hard, deep coughing. Flash started to strip me from my coat, hat, boots, socks, shirt, and lastly my jeans. "You been working out?" He said at the sight of my abs. I curled up in a ball, extremely uncomfortable. MJ came over with the blankets and started wrapping me with them like it was normal to see me in my underwear. I was running a fever now. Something that took way to quick to appear with my healing powers. "What now? Charles, did you call?"
"I've been trying! Nothings working! I've used everyone's phone." He yelled at our teacher.
"There's a big storm coming... We can't leave. No one can get to us except through flight but they can't do that for two more days." He said under is breath. Everyone looked at me with fear. I was gonna die from hypothermia. I just had a feeling. "Peter, how you holding up?"
"C-c-cold. I can't s-s-st-ay awa-k-ke. Hel-help me st-sta-ay awake!" I pleaded to the group. I looked around and noticed MJ, Sally, and Abe looked like they were crying. I couldn't die in front of them. I needed to stay awake. I needed medical care... "Tony!" I yelled quickly. "N-ne-ned! G-g-go to the room and call Happy or Karen." I said carefully. Ned looked at me for a moment and then understood.
"I'll be back!" He took off running to our cabin despite everyone's disapproval.
"We just said we couldn't call anyone. Ned could get stuck in the storm!" Sally exclaimed to me. She lowered her voice when I squeezed my eyes shut. "Peter, don't go to sleep." It was freezing in the cabin even though there was a fire and five blankets wrapped around me. Flash started shivering and so did MJ. They were cold too. That was the only thing I could think of. I tore off one of the blankets and threw it to her. Then I did the same to Flash. They caught them and looked at me confused. MJ threw hers back at me.
"Take it. It's not helping anyways. Iv'e been through worse." I smiled. She rolled her eyes at me and stomped over to grab the blanket. Sally and MJ sat close together on the couch diangal to me. They covered up with the small blanket I forced them to take. Flash and Charles sat up against the wall. All of them positioned there bodies to keep an eye on me. I looked into the fire as it flickered away. My eyelids were getting heavy and I was feeling sick. I closed them for a split second before realizing I was gonna die if I fell asleep. "I-I..." I couldn't say what I was thinking out loud. I didn't want to, but I did. "I need my suit." I pushed myself up off the couch and tried to stand up. MJ was the first on her feet. She forcefully shoved me down and I slammed my head on the back of the couch. At least it woke me up. "What the heck!?" I screamed.
"You look like a zombie, Parker. You need to rest. You're body is still freezing and-and..." I nodded and laid back down, not bothering to cover up again or to even move down on the couch. My legs were in sitting position, but my upper body was laying down on its side. "Peter..." My blank eyes looked at Flash with desperation.
"I need... my..." I blacked out again.
Two minutes later my eyes were opened to hear MJ screaming my name, Flash rocking me back and forth, and our teacher telling everyone to calm down. My healing factor was the only thing keeping me alive. "I'ma alive." I mumbled. My eyes were still closed, my body still freezing. "Not for much longer. Is Ned back?" Ned leaned over me smiling.
"He's on his way to get ALL of us, Peter! Isn't that awesome! He should be here any minute with help!" I nodded slowly and started coughing.
"Can you get me some water?" I asked no one in particular. Everyone stood up and started walking to the kitchen. "Th-thanks... whoever is actually getting it." I brought my legs closer to my body and sighed. Some how, I was laying down normally again.
"OMG! Did he just die?!" Ned yelled. I rose my head up a little and shook it forcefully. "Okay! He's alive. He's good. Actually, he's still freezing to death... no matter our efforts. I mean! He's fine. You're gonna be fine Peter." I wanted to roll my eyes but it took too much effort and after shaking my head like that, I was dizzy. It even hurt to try to roll my eyes.
The next time I looked up, Flash was holding a cup of water over my head. "Th-th-thanks... for everything." I looked around for the others. Everyone was still in the kitchen.
"Yeah, I saved your life." He snorted and sat down on the floor, leaning against the couch.
"Now we're even. I saved you're life... you saved mine." I was sluggish and kind of loopy, not thinking of what I was saying. Flash looked at me weird and I started to explain. "The thing in Washington. The elevator? Do you not remember? I saved all of you from the bomb I found. Well, I didn't know it was a bomb until Karen told me after." I turned on my side and closed my eyes. "Good... night."
"Peter? Peter!?" Flash yelled. I heard a loud noise from outside as I closed my eyes. I breathed in. I breathed out.
I opened my eyes to see Tony Stark leaning over me, this time... "Come on kid! Come on!" He pressed on my chest and I let out a small wheezing sound. "He's back!" My chest and heart hurt. My throat was stinging and my body seemed to be floating. I was shaking uncontrollably again as I looked around the room. We weren't in the cabin any more. The area that surrounded me was gray and metallic. We had to be in some high tech jet.
"Please tell me nobody kissed me!" I tried to sit up, but Tony pushed me down. He looked at me intensely before smiling. Like what I said triggered some good memory. There was some medical equipment sitting next to me and some paramedic looking guys standing next to Flash. He looked like he had fainted and had just woke up. "W-what happened?"
"You stopped breathing, Peter! It was only for about thirty seconds or minute. Thank God Tony Stark showed up, or you'd be a grave yards toy." Ned said, his voice was a little higher than usual. His face fearful.
"Well... I'm back now. I actually feel better now." I looked over at Tony confused. "Is it normal to feel better after not breathing? Like getting it over with... Sort of like when you throw up?" I said breaking between words to catch my breath.
"No-no... that would be the heating blanket, the IV, and the oxygen we gave you. Here, put this on." He put a mask on my face and turned something on. Pure oxygen filled my lungs. It was refreshing. "We should be back to the compound in a couple of hours. Good thing we brought supplies and medi...cal support. Anyways! You are alive... you'll be fine. He will be fine. We will all be great." He clapped his hands together and stood up. "FRIDAY? Has that storm hit yet?"
"Negative. My radars says the storm will hit this area in 20 minutes."
"Okay, which direction is it coming from? Where is it heading?"
"It's coming from the South East and heading North West. If you plan on out running it, I recommend you go South West." Tony was defiantly calculating the pros and cons of trying to outrun the storm. His lip was quivering from time to time, eyes glued to the floor. His arms were crossed and he was tapping his foot.
"How you kids holding up?" He turned to my team.
"I think most of us are still in shock. Peter almost died on us three times now." Sally shuddered under her blanket.
"I-I d-didn't die." I was still shaking. I started coughing hard and it hurt my chest. "Oh God!" I tried taking the mask off, but Tony bet me to it. Making sure I kept the mask on.
"Keep that on, kid." He walked towards the front of the jet and looked at something. He frowned. I couldn't see what he was looking at, but it wasn't good. "FRIDAY, deploy security shield 5-A. Also, increase our speed as high as the quin-jet can go against these winds." He came back and sat next to me. "You truly are a survivor." He slapped my shoulder a little hard and I winced. "Sorry..."
I looked over to see Flash staring at me with a confused look on his face. It was like he was searching for something in my eyes. My eyebrows went into a knot as I looked back at him. He noticed my glare and looked away, quickly. "He-hey, Mr. Stark? Do you happen to have any food? I'm kinda hungry." Tony immediately ran to the back of the jet. He brought me a duffel bag and started ripping out bags of chips, candy bars, fruit, and nuts. "Thanks." I took a bag of Doritos, a bag of powdered donuts, a bag of peanuts, and a banana. The food would help my metabolism and my healing factors speed up.
"We'll be on this jet for about an hour, so... You kids learn any valuable lessons tonight?"
"Don't go ice skating on shady lakes!" Abe called.
"Don't go out at night in the middle of winter. BTW, this is the coolest thing that has ever happened to me. Even though Peter almost died, it was totally worth it! I got to meet you!" Tony looked at him with a disgusted look and Ned quickly added, "Not that Peter dieing is a good thing or that I enjoyed it." Tony shock his head in understanding and pointed to Flash.
"Never let someone blackmail you... could save a life." Flash mumbled. He didn't ask questions. Instead he moved on to MJ.
"Never take your eye off, Parker. Bad things happen..." MJ snickered. Tony burst out in laughter and the others joined. I opened my Doritos bag and rolled my eyes.
"Haha! Laugh it up, fuzzball. Just know that the reason I fell in that ice was because I let you all go ahead in case there was any danger." I stuck my tongue out at the group. Food was making me feel a whole lot better. "What about our stuff?" I said in a sudden panic.
"Don't worry. I got your bag, kid." Tony said in a hushed tone. "I'll send someone back for the rest of your things. And yes that includes all of you." Tony assured my classmates. "Now! I think you all should try and get some sleep." Everyone took a seat along the sides of the jet and wrapped up with their blankets.
"Thank you very much Mr. Stark. It's a shame this happened... again." My teacher cleared his throat and frowned.
"Guess it's only fair... I mean he wasn't there on the elevator in Washignton. Maybe he was meant to be there, like the gods destiened it and Peter cheated his death!" Sally yelled. Tony was not getting a good first impression. "Sorry... I'm a writer and have a very creative mind. That could be a story!"
Tony gave me a concerned look and I shrugged, eating my banana. FRIDAY told Mr. Stark the storm was approaching us faster and he went to the control panel.
Thirty minutes later, I was still awake... so was Flash. We were sitting in an awkward silence while Tony growled in frustration. The storm had hit and he was having trouble keeping the jet on track. The plane rattled and jerked us around. I really don't think any of my teammates or my teacher were really asleep. Their eyes were closed, but I could tell there ears were opened and listening to Tony's exclaims. "So. Thanks again." I said with a half smile.
"You're welcome. I still hate you, this changes nothing." He said half asleep. "Tell me one thing though, what did you mean when you said you needed your suit?"
"I said that?" I asked a little too fast. "I don't remember saying that. I may have been thinking about Tony's. It has a heater in it." I shrugged and ate some more nuts.
"Uh-uh... I see. Well, I'm going to try and fall asleep now. Good night Parker. You sure are lucky." He flipped over on his side and instantly started snoring.
"You were almost toast." Tony whispered in my ear without warning. I jumped in the bed and looked behind me.
"Dude!" I yelled/whispered. "Not cool."
"Sorry, sorry...How you feeling?" He pulled up a stool next to me and sat down. In is right hand was a cup of steaming coffee and in the left was a pair of glasses.
"I feel a lot better. Thank you. The food helped too. I think I'm fine now." He put on his glasses and looked me up and down.
"Vital signs are normal. Blood pressure is 146/93. Pulse is 120 BPM. I think you'll make a full recovery." He smiled at me and I smiled back. "Bet that was scary, kid."
"Yeah. It was like being sucked into a portal to Pluto. No air, no escape, and you're freezing. I can't believe I was able to get to the surface. So, how did you explain to everyone that I know you?" He smiled and it scared me. "Tell me."
"I'm just joking with you. They already knew. Through the internship. Your secrets safe with me kid." Tony patted my shoulder again and told me to get some sleep. I did as I was told and closed my eyes. The next time I opened them, I was in a hospital room. May and Tony were talking quietly next to me. I flipped on my side and and propped my head on hand.
"What time is it?" I said with a yawn. They looked over at me. May rushed to my side and hugged me tightly. "Hey..."
"Hey?! That's all you're gonna say?" I chuckled slightly as I awkwardly tried to sit up as May still held on to me.
"What is there to say? I guess I love you and missed you. Wait. No... I larb you." She slapped me lightly on the arm and let go of me.
"Yeah, yeah. I larb you too. What am I gonna do with you?" She laughed.
"Send me to boot camp? I'm fine May. Just-"
"Just almost freaking died! That's the last time you go to camp during Winter break." She glared at me and I seemed to shrink into the mattress. "Begging me to go. Saying nothing could possibly go wrong. I had a heart attack when Happy showed up at my door, saying you nearly drowned in freezing water and Stark was flying to get you, racing against a freaking blizzard to the cabins!" May rambled on about how I need to be more careful. I glanced over at Tony, pleading for help. He smirked and left. Next time his plane full of precious stuff is about to be hi-jacked, I'm gonna act like I never saw it.
THE END