Chapter 19

Well, here it is, the highest point of the climax . . . I hope I did it justice.

Thank you to all the reviewers who helped shape this ending! Literally none of the past five or so chapters would exist without you guys.

Peter sneaked through the building. Many of the rooms were dark now; the Hulk's reckless smashing had probably upset some of the internal wiring. Just in case the power on the roof was affected, Peter grabbed a defibrillator from one of the emergency stations he passed. The new installations really did save lives.

Adrian's furious shouts became more muffled the farther away Peter went.

For the first time in months, Peter wasn't double guessing his choices, wondering where (who) they came from. He didn't have the time to spare. He did feel bad for having to restrain Adrian though. But the key point was that he had to. Adrian had been trying to stop him. Adrian hadn't been able to see reason.

In a situation this big, saving the day usually required a sacrifice. If Adrian's trust was the price of the city's safety, then Peter was willing to pay it.

That was such a classic Spider-Man thought.

And besides, someone as touchy as Adrian wasn't someone you could depend on. Adrian hardly seemed to have any trust in him anyway. It was more than a fair trade.

That was such a classic Otto Octavius thought, but there was no time to dwell on that. No time. Whatever Peter did, he had to do it and do it now.

The first staircase he found was overrun with symbiotes. That was a no go. And while there weren't any visible outside, scaling the building was Peter's last resort. Goblin's manic laughter was coming from out there, and the windows here were cracked but surprisingly intact. Shattering the glass would surely attract attention. There was a possibility that his symbiote might be capable of cutting through the glass silently, but there was also the risk of an enemy spotting him regardless. So he quickly searched for another staircase. The Empire State Building was large enough to have more than one. And indeed, he found one where the symbiotes were still many floors beneath him.

Running and jumping jostled his arm painfully. After a bit of painful trial and error, he figured out that using his symbiote's four extra legs helped absorb the shock and made his progress much more pleasant. He quickly reached the floor where the transmitter was hidden. He carefully peeked out.

It looked like the fight had gone through here. Or a tornado. The wreckage was immense. Practically nothing was left whole. If Peter didn't have a clear image of the exact pile of debris, he would have worried that he would never find the transmitter. As it was, it would still take a few minutes to locate it. He quietly sneaked around, hoping there were no symbiotes lurking around.

Honestly, he really was afraid of being found. Now that he was moving, he was feeling the effects of the massive blood loss. He felt lightheaded and weak. The room wasn't spinning yet, but he knew from experience it was coming, and that was just another reason to hurry up.

A noise to his left made him jump. He instantly regretted the reaction as blood splattered over the nearest remains of office furniture. It was a good thing he didn't faint at the sight of blood, he dully realized as his symbiote squeezed tighter over that arm to stem the flow.

But, more immediately, he turned in the direction of the sound. A familiar face poked out from beneath a large pile of broken desks and collapsed ceiling.

"Power Man? Are you all right?" Peter whispered, rushing over.

"Spidey?" Luke grunted as he tried and failed to pull himself out. "I heard you're back." It was said as a statement, but the question was still there.

"Yeah, Octavius lost control of the symbiotes' bond. Give me a second to get you out of there."

Relying on the symbiote's extra legs even further, Peter dug Luke out as quickly as he could. Every second seemed to stretch or constrict with each heartbeat. This was taking too long, but he needed to help. There was a crash in the floors below them, and murderous shrieks outside. Time seemed to squeeze, reaching breakneck speeds as Peter pushed himself to work faster.

Not for the first time in his heroic career, Peter felt the cinematic ambience of the moment. All they were missing was a creepy soundtrack where the percussion was gradually picking up the pace as it all came to a stunning conclusion.

Stunning conclusions were vastly overrated in real life. This was why he and the team usually didn't go to the movies anymore.

At last Luke was free. He stood, brushing himself off and looking at Peter. Even with his dark lenses still intact, Peter knew his gaze lingered on the tendrils of red symbiote. He felt a need to explain. "They're like shock absorbers. I don't want to bleed out before I get to the roof."

"Why do you need to go to the roof? I thought Octavius was handling that and Vulture was supposed to be keeping you safe?"

Peter shook his head. "Change of plans. Goblin is chasing Octavius, so he left the transmitter somewhere on this floor for me to find." Reminded of his goal, he turned away from Luke, scanning the ground for the specific pile of debris he saw in his head.

"He did? I saw them come through here. That's why I was stuck under there. But I didn't think Octavius had enough time to hide anything. Goblin was right on his tail."

"I don't know how he did it, but he did. I think—aha!" Peter kicked aside an office chair, revealing the small device beneath.

Luke was silent for a second. "How did you know it was there?"

Peter started edging back towards the stairs. "I just had this conversation with Adrian. It didn't go well. But please understand that I'm just trying to—"

Luke's communicator buzzed, and Adrian's rushed voice came through. "Don't trust Spider-Man! He just escaped from me! Doc Ock is still talking in his head and they're coordinating something!"

Despite the continuing sounds of turmoil everywhere, silence seemed to follow the message. Peter stopped just shy of the door. He had hoped his webs would have bought him enough time to avoid such interactions. He really should take the opportunity to run, but . . . he was curious.

"What?!" Ava's outraged voice came through. "If anyone finds Spidey, keep an eye on him."

Too curious. He was being far too curious. He was wasting time.

"Disregard," Luke said into the communicator. "Octavius can't shake the Goblin, so Spidey needs to save the day right now. He's already got the transmitter now. We need to give him a clear shot to the top."

"How did he get it? Are you sure we can trust them?" Adrian asked.

"We can trust Spider-Man," Luke replied without hesitation. He lowered the communicator to ask Peter, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Peter thought about it for a second. "I'd appreciate having some help."

Luke nodded, bringing his communicator back up. "If it'll make you guys feel better, I'm going with Spidey to make sure he stays safe. Can you all keep Goblin and his minions busy?"

Affirmatives came through. Luke came forward to enter the stairwell. Peter hesitated before leading the way up.

"Thanks for—for—"

"Don't mention it." Luke smiled as they ran up the stairs. The echoes of the symbiotes below were louder now, so he had to yell to be heard.

Peter held his tongue for as long as he could, but as they neared what was probably (hopefully) the top of the skyscraper, he couldn't ignore the question anymore. He needed to know before they went any further. "How do you know you can trust me? How do you know I'm me?" Peter noticed he was getting out of breath.

Luke glanced at him. When he spoke, he was only slightly out of breath. "I'm sorry if I can't offer any really inspiring phrase here like Iron Fist, but I've learned to trust anyone who's willing to do the right thing. Peter Parker taught me that. Whether you're him or not, I've heard enough to believe I can trust you."

Peter couldn't help but agree that Luke's words weren't quite as reassuring as they could have been, but they were nice to hear regardless.

"Power Man, trouble is brewing down here," Danny's voice came from Luke's communicator.

"What do you mean?"

"Goblin has rendered the Hulk unconscious. Now Vulture came to our aid, but he is complaining loudly about who will save the day."

If he hadn't lost so much blood already, it would have drained from Peter's face.

They climbed faster. Luke continued to ask Danny questions. Meanwhile, Peter received his own message.

Vulture is ruining everything! Octavius practically shouted in Peter's head. Norman is growing too suspicious. I'm going to head in your direction.

You're just going to lead him to us?!

No, of course not! Norman is smart enough to figure out a decoy when he sees one. He will assume I am still leading him astray and will abandon the chase.

Peter relaxed slightly. Oh, right, that makes sense.

"Spidey, did you hear that?"

"What?"

Luke held out a hand, signaling him to slow down enough for them to have a more coherent conversation. "Goblin knows something's up and Octavius is leading him up here!"

Nodding, Peter began to speed up again. The stairs were starting to feel endless at this point. "Don't worry about it. Octavius has a plan."

"Is it a good plan?" There was some doubt in Luke's voice.

"As good as any."

At long last, they reached the top. Peter took one deep breath before continuing forward. It had been hard to tell while they were going up the twisting stairs, but now that he was trying to walk in a straight line he noticed the dizziness had started. His symbiote's legs tried to support him more, but he still wobbled. Luke automatically grabbed his shoulder to steady him.

"Are you all right? I mean, obviously you're not all right, but are you sure you're going to be able to do this?"

"I'm fine," Peter assured him firmly. He was careful to speak clearly. The moment he started slurring his words was the moment he would lose all respect. That's how these things always worked.

They left the stairwell and walked through the deserted hallways, searching for the nerve center of the Empire State Building. Peter didn't really know exactly what he was looking for at this point. Neither he or Octavius had any knowledge of the building's layout. He supposed the door would have a sign that would give them enough of a hint, but this was the point where the plan was essentially nonexistent.

The sounds of battle and symbiotes were nearly absent up here. As seconds turned into minutes, Peter found himself calming, the adrenaline leaving his system. That was the major problem with having a super-fast metabolism. Everything was flushed out of his system quickly, including helpful things like adrenaline. The good news was that the boomslang venom would be gone soon and his body would finally be able to heal. The bad news was that the pain in his arm flared up. Peter began to shake. Even the tender throbbing of his sliced sides came back, which he had honestly forgotten about. His arm had just completely overshadowed everything else.

Peter realized there was a chance he might pass out before he could connect the transmitter. But now there was a backup plan. Octavius was headed up here. Octavius was just a simple thought away. Octavius would be able to handle everything. Peter often found it hard to trust other people with everything. He usually preferred to have everyone lend a hand to make sure it all went well (it wasn't his fault he often got saddled with more responsibility than he bargained for). But Octavius could be trusted. Because now there really was no denying that the two of them were similar (almost exactly the same). Octavius was literally like an older version of him, like a fa—

If Luke wasn't already supporting him, Peter would have toppled over.

He didn't believe that. He didn't. He wouldn't!

"Whoa, are you okay?"

Peter's breath was coming in sharp and fast again. The adrenaline seemed to be kicking back into gear. "I'm good. Just—uh—"

Bad news, Peter. Octavius sounded rushed, afraid. Norman received a fresh shipment of symbiotes and Vulture and White Tiger were compromised. He knows what you're doing now—no he doesn't know your identity. You know Norman is shortsighted with such opportunities. He's only focused on killing you now, and he knows where you are. I'll hold him off.

Octavius's thoughts were very disjointed. They came in bursts now, which was odd in comparison to the logical flow Peter had been treated to the past few days. He realized Octavius was already deep in the midst of battle.

"Pete?" Luke whispered.

"N—Goblin's coming. We need to keep going."

Luke didn't question his source of information this time. "Any idea how much time we have?"

Peter forwarded the message to Octavius. How long can you hold Goblin off?

Not long at all.

"The faster we go, the better," Peter relayed. Luke nodded mutely, helping him move forward. Black spots danced over his vision from the sudden movement. He blinked them away. Gripped by fear again, Peter asked Octavius a further question.

Is there any way you can maybe trap Goblin and get up here? I don't think I'm going to make it.

You're dying?! Octavius's concern was palpable.

No! I mean, probably not, if we can stop this in time. I feel like I'm about to pass out though, and we haven't even found the terminal to connect the transmitter to yet. Peter meant to stop there, but communicating telekinetically was tricky, and he was pretty sure his next thought went through to Octavius. I need to know someone will be here who is able to do what needs to be done.

I understand complet—

Octavius's response was cut off abruptly. And if he had been able to maintain conversation while running from and battling Goblin, Peter could only imagine what could have distracted him enough to stop him midsentence. Peter pushed on.

At last, Luke spotted a door that was helpfully labeled as the communications room. It was, predictably, locked, but that was no matter for the two of them. Luke barreled through it. The room beyond was dark, lit only by the screens that lined one wall. A light from above flashed, intermittently bathing the room in red light. Peter's red symbiote blended into the room in those seconds, and so did his blood. His mask lenses were the only parts of him that stood out at all times.

Once inside, Peter rushed to the terminal on his own, pulling the transmitter out of the folds of his symbiote. He connected it efficiently. He knew all the steps, even though he hadn't been quite as much of an electrical expert before.

Danny's voice crackled through the communicator, confirming Peter's fears, "Octavius is locked in a tight battle with the Goblin. They are very near the top. I fear that Octavius is losing strength. Have you had any progress connecting the transmitter?"

"Yup, we just started. And it'll take about ten minutes, right Spidey?"

"Yeah, but I'm aiming for less than that." Peter quickly looked at each computer. If just one person forgot to log out of the system before they left, that would make his job much easier and faster. And for once in Peter's life, luck seemed to be on his side. The third terminal still had a user logged in. Glancing at the name, Peter thanked one Jimmy659 before pulling up a chair and getting to work. Sitting down probably would have felt more like a relief if he didn't feel like he was on pins and needles.

Hang in there, Octavius. I made it, and I can get the transmitter up and running in five minutes. I'll let you know when you can get away from Goblin.

Octavius didn't respond immediately, and when he did Peter felt his exertion. That is excellent, but . . . I don't think I can extrapolate myself from this. Norman is almost at your floor. If I let him go, he will be on you in seconds.

Peter shook his head, mostly to clear it. The room was spinning again, and the edges of his vision were going dark. But he knew what he had to type, and he knew where every key was. He willed his hands to be steady.

If you don't get away from him before I turn on the transmitter, so many things can go wrong, Peter insisted. You can fall, or Norman can wake up before you and—

I am aware of the possibilities, Peter. The same would happen to you if Norman gets inside.

The seconds were ticking by faster now that Peter had something challenging to do. He typed his way past firewalls and restricted access panels. He would be done so soon. At least get on top of the building so you won't fall. Goblin and Hydra are still going to be out there when this goes through. We need enough people out there to keep the civilians safe. Then I'll—

Peter stopped as he realized he wouldn't be able to do anything past this point. Even if he didn't pass out from blood loss in the next fifteen minutes, the transmitter would knock him out once he turned it on. He looked down at his arm. This was the type of injury that even superheroes couldn't work through for long. It was the type where he knew that the med bay would be the first thing he saw after he woke up. He wasn't going to be able to help anyone else after this. Not his team, not Adrian or Hulk, not the civilians, and not even Octavius.

He was going to wake up to the aftermath. He had to do what he could now to ensure that the rest of this mission went smoothly.

Octavius, I need you to promise me that you'll try to hide when I activate the transmitter. I need you to promise that you won't bail on my team, on the city.

I already promised to help you save the city, and I intend to fulfill that promise.

That caught Peter off guard. When did you become a selfless hero?!

There was a thought that might have been a chuckle. You know exactly when.

Peter watched a loading bar fill up much too slowly on the screen. But . . . why now?

Stop asking foolish questions. You should know such things by now. That's the entire reason why I am working so hard to keep you alive!

I always make sure that everyone gets out alive! Peter practically screamed in his head. Always!

You know very well that is not always possible!

But in my experience, that's usually the case! What happened to the coward who would look for any way out of this?

He's looking for a way to get you out of this! Do note that you admit it's only 'usually' the case.

It's always the case when I try my best! Is that probability good enough for you?!

Probability is a representation of knowledge, Peter, not a true representation of reality.

This isn't the time for a rationality lesson!

The page finished loading. The transmitter was ready. There was a gigantic crash somewhere beyond the room. More smashing and bangs followed. It sounded like Goblin was ramming through every wall in search of them. Luke stood at the ready.

Peter, if the transmitter is set, you need to turn it on now!

But—

NOW!

This was it; the last thing Peter would do for this mission. He felt like he had hardly done anything at all. Certainly not enough to really consider himself helpful. But if this was his responsibility for today, he would do it.

The rumbling grew louder and closer as Peter clicked a single button.

And his world went dark and silent, and at last time seemed to stop just for him.