He stood up. Everything was black; there was no light, no sound. It was almost too bright, and the silence was too loud. Peter Parker stretched out his arms and legs, coming across a glass cylinder about three feet wide. He couldn't reach, let alone see, the top of the container he was locked in. He started to bang on the walls, yelling for help. As expected, there was no reply nor was there even an echo from Peter's cries.
So he sat down, his back leaning against the glass. Peter's left leg was bent at the knee, his toes touched across the cylinder and his right leg was bent as well, laying on the floor, under the left one. It was then that he realized he was in his suit. Peter took off his mask and stared at where he guessed it would be - it was too dark to even see in front of him. Left in his frustration, Peter threw the mask forward. It smacked on the glass cylinder and fell to the floor.
That's when the light appeared.
On instinct, Peter looked up, but then regretted it because the light was too bright compared to the darkness he was used to for who-knows-how-long. So Peter threw his arms up in an attempt to block the light. As his eyes started to adjust, he realized it was a film, a video - of him.
Peter watch the video play out, not knowing what else to do but wait. There was a small screen at the top of the cylinder, giving Peter a better idea of where he was. But he wanted to watch the video. It was of him, web-shooting across the sky, going from building to building. Until a arrow was perfectly shot, making Spider-Man fall down, down, down.
The camera followed Peter Parker's fall, watching him land on the floor. He struggled to get up as people in black trampled over to him. And then the camera went out, going into static. The city sounds that Peter was used to from the video also faded out and the silence was back.
Parker's first thought was to yell more, get angry and wish for revenge. But on who? Getting frustrated didn't help; it made everything worse, actually. So instead he kept his breath steady and thought about a conclusion that made sense. Peter then remembered the guy at the airport when Anthony Stark had called him to fight. He had arrows, but what was his name? Hawk-? Hawkeye?
That sounds about right, Peter thought. But then more questions swarmed his head. Why would Hawkeye want to shoot Peter and bring him...bring him wherever he's going? Did it have something to do with the fight at the airport?
He would have thought about this more, but his time was cut short. There was a hiss and a click and the roof of the cylinder slid to the left, and light blend through once more. Peter looked up and saw clouds. Next, the bottom of the cylinder started to move up and Peter scooted away from the glass wall. He picked up his mask and stood in a crouching position in the center of the circle.
Once the small circle platform reached the top, Peter looked around. He was not in darkness anymore; he was in a field. There were people standing just like he was on these small platforms. In the center, there was food and water scattered on a barely lifted white colored platform.
"What the heck is this?" Peter mumbled, twisting his mask in his hands, trying to think of an explanation.
His mask. Peter looked down at his own mask in his hands. He didn't know these people, why'd he take it off in the first place? Peter didn't even know where he was. He tugged it back on over his head. He then looked around some more and he was just about to step off the platform and swing into a tree that was behind him in a forest to hide, but a huge explosion went off across the circle and Peter stopped.
Peter looked around from his platform instead, noticing that the people surrounding the large platform in the middle were people he did know. Fellow Avengers. Iron Man was a few platforms to his left. But what about Hawkeye? Was he here? His thoughts were cut off by a voice
"Hello, heroes," the loud voice boomed from every direction. "I highly advise you not to step off the platform early or else things will blow. And you have all ready seen an example of that." The speaker then did a evil giggle that made Peter cringe. The explosion was a person. "All of you have started in here, but only one will be leaving. Have fun and may the odds be ever in your favor."
Above the center of the food and water, numbers started to count down from 60 in a bright orange color. Every time a second passed, a boom would sound off. Peter shifted his position and slowly stood up. The weird announcer guy said that he couldn't leave the platform, but what about his webs? Peter put his arms out, and clicked the button, shooting a long line of webs from his shooters.
The web shot out and landed on a bag of apples. Peter was going to pull it back, but a wave of shock came through the web and at the bottom of the platform and he let go with a wince and jumped. What the heck was that for? he wondered, wiggling his hand and going from one food to the other like happy feet to get rid of the shock. Peter then looked up at the numbers counting down; only 15 seconds left.
For the few extra seconds, he just couched down and waiting. But once the seconds went up, no one moved. Everyone was still. Everyone but Tony Stark who was walking over to Peter Parker who looked over to Iron Man with a wondered expression. Of course, it was under the mask and no one could see it, but Peter was intrigued.
Stark's metal mask was taken off and his face showed. He was a few steps away from Peter's platform when he spoke. "What the hell is this?" he yelled.
All eyes were on Peter as he responded. "I-I don't know," he stuttered, taking a few steps back; his right foot was hovering above the ground before he placed it on the platform again. He was getting a bit afraid.
"Don't play dumb with me, Peter Parker," Stark replied. "Take off the damn mask and get serious. Tell me what this is about, kid. Now."
Tony Stark just said Peter's real name. And now he wanted him to take of the mask.
"Mr. Stark..." Peter trailed off. He was at a lost for words.
Yeah, the people around the circle were heroes, too, but they didn't need to know about Peter's life when he isn't Spider-Man. That was the whole point of the mask. Yet here was Tony Stark - the billionaire that everyone already knows is Iron Man - spilling everything. Peter just wanted to fall back into that black tube. He didn't want this.
"Don't you dare lie!" Stark's voice rose. "I saw webs in that video when I was coming up to this place. No one else uses webs but you."
"I seriously don't know. I-I swear."
Iron Man rose his left hand, pointing it at Peter's chest. Peter - who took a step back and was on the grass with his hands up in defense - was begging in his mind that Stark didn't shoot anything at him. "Spill, Parker," Stark commanded.
Peter, who wanted to stay alive, ripped off the mask. He dropped it on the platform. "Mr. Stark," he repeated, "I swear I don't know anything." Peter looked around for Hawkeye once more. He let out a huge sigh when he saw the man with the bow on his right. Parker turned around and pointed at Hawkeye. "I saw arrows in my video," he said, looking at Stark once more. Peter then shot a web at Hawkeye's bow - that was out and loaded - and pulled it to him. "I was shot at. A arrow went through my web. Am I just supposed to believe it was him?" Peter asked, lowering his finger as he looked at Stark.
Stark was looking across the circle, where Captain America was crossing, and Peter's eyes followed. Captain America was just passing the food and water. He pointed at Stark. "Tony, do not shoot at the kid," he commanded and Stark's hand lowered. He then looked at Parker. "And we don't know who it was. Besides, a perfect shot to go through a web would have to be timed; Hawkeye couldn't have done that. He's just as clueless as the rest of us."
"I could if I wanted to," Hawkeye added.
Captain put his hands on his hips as he stood next to Stark. "Give the bow back, Parker," he said.
Peter lowered his head. Everyone knew his real name, how he looked. "It could be a show, a lie. Why would I give it back? So he can shoot at me again?" he asked quietly.
"Give the bow back, Spider-Man," he repeated.
Peter turned around and tossed the bow back to Hawkeye. "Why are we here?" he asked, sitting down on his platform, mask in hands. Stark and the Captain were looking down at him.
"The videos could be fake," Captain America added. "I mean, to put us against each other."
"Or they could be real and the kid should-" Stark started, raising his hand again.
Captain America cut him off, putting his hands out and lowering Stark's. "No!" he said. "He didn't do anything! I had Sam's - Falcon's - little bird robot in my video, but I know that he didn't do this."
"Mr. Stark, you said you believed in me," Peter said. "Why would I do this?"
Stark huffed. "I don't know," he answered. "Just keep your distance from me."
Peter nodded, accepting anything that doesn't get him killed. "Alright," he responded.
"Well?" Stark said. He put his arms out, motioning for Peter to take a step back.
"Oh, now?" Parker asked and Tony nodded. "Okay." Peter stood up and hesitantly put his mask back on as he took a few steps away from Tony Stark. "N-now what?"
Captain America looked around. "Get out of here, kid," he said. "There is gonna be a blood bath. People will die. Grab some supplies and go hide."
Peter turned to the center pile of food. Then he looked to the other superheroes who started to gather in small groups. "Seriously?" he asked. "You-we are really gonna fight?"
"No, kid, we are," Stark corrected as his mask molded back on his face. His suit blasted off and he flew in the sky. "Get outta here, Peter."
"I wanna help!" Parker yelled.
Captain America turned and faced the teen. "Listen here, kid, and listen good: if I wanted to crush you at Leipzig airport, I could have. Those people-" he pointed out to where Tony Stark was now blasting at the heroes on the ground "-wont hesitate to kill you if it means they live. Run."
"Fine," Peter said, giving in. "But only because I want to."
He shot a web at the bag of apples he saw earlier and flung them towards him. Then grabbed a water bottle and turned to the trees, running. Peter put the things in one hand and shot webs around them so they would stay together. Then he wrapped them around his back in a web-made backpack. He shot a web at the top of a tree, swinging from one to the other, slowly gaining height until he was at a comfortable spot. He let out a sigh and pulled the web-pack off, slinging it on a thinner branch.
Peter's head and back were against the thick truck, and his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He placed his hand over his heart, feeling it beat in his chest.
"What the heck is goin' on?" he yelled, then covered his mouth with his hands. That was a mistake; he shouldn't have yelled out. People would find him now.
Peter was confused, though. He didn't want Stark to treat him like a kid, but now Captain America was doing it, too. Sure, he was only 15, but he could do amazing things. Age is just a number, right? So why couldn't Parker go out and fight with the rest of the heroes? He stood up from the tree branch just as a scream rang out. Peter jumped, almost falling off. Yes, that yell did scare him a bit - things really were going down; people were dying - but he wanted to help...not killing anyone, though.
Peter has a no killing policy, but he could immobilize the person so that Stark or maybe Captain America... He cut that thought off right there. Either way, whether he liked it or not - whether Tony Stark or Steve Rogers liked it or not - Parker was going with them. He couldn't just sit around and wait. What if someone came after him? What'd he do then? Run? He needed a group so that they could work together.
Because Peter Parker was not going to kill anyone. He was only 15 years old and didn't need that on his Constance.
Peter stood up and grabbed his homemade pack. He webbed the sides of the trees, going to the center to find Stark. After the trees pasted, Peter would run into the center platform. Of course, he had to start somewhere if he was going to look. But after he reached the edge of the forest, he stopped. Scarlet Witch was sitting on the floor with Vision. How could Peter win against one of them, let alone them both?
He crouched behind a large rock, watching them just sit there. Every once in a while, he'd look around, making sure no one was watching him. As he looked back to the two guarding the center, they both looked in his direction.
"Shoot," he whispered, leaning his back against the rock. His spider-senses started to tingle then. He crawled around the rock, looking at the center only to find that Scarlet Witch was missing.