Peter had miraculously snuck his way back to his apartment without being seen, and looking back Peter couldn't believe how reckless he had been using his spider powers in public without his mask. He had just been so desperate to get out as far away from the school as fast as he could that he got sloppy, and it could've ended a lot worse than it did. All it would've taken was someone taking one picture before he could kiss he secret life goodbye. If anyone should how quickly something could be taken from you, it should've been him. The problem with Peter is that when he gets lost in his head, he just fails to think about the consequences of his actions.
I knew I should've taken the suit, Peter grumbled to himself. The only thing that had stopped him from taking his suit to the game in the first place was the security at the front gate that prevented any sort of bag into the stadium for safety reasons. He should've tried harder to fix his nanotech suit, it was times like that where he missed its convenience. All it would've taken was one button and then his body would be safely enclosed into his Iron Spider suit.
Throughout the journey back from the school, he could feel his phone vibrating consistently in the back pocket of his jeans, but he had no desire to figure out who was trying to contact him. He had a feeling he knew the answer to that question and he just wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. He didn't need anyone telling him it would be okay, he didn't need anyone telling him that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. He didn't need anyone to tell him how broken he was or that he could've handled everything better without resorting to yelling at people he cared about.
Climbing into his bedroom window, Peter took in the first breath of fresh air since he had left the school. His entire body was vibrating, but whether it was from the pain or from anger he couldn't fully say. Spotting the picture of him and Ned on his dresser, Peter clenched his fists in frustration. Walking over, Peter placed the frame face down on the surface, more out of guilt than anger. Changing into his spandex suit, Peter pulled the mask over his face before he dove out of his bedroom window, taking care to close it behind him. He swung up onto the rooftop of an apartment complex a few blocks south of his apartment and took another deep breath. His hands were still shaking and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking on a wire that was about to snap.
"KAREN?" Peter called out to activate the AI. "Keep an eye on the police radio, I want anything within a 20 mile radius."
"The police scanner is not currently displaying any disturbances," KAREN readily replied, her soothing voice doing nothing to calm Peter down. "I will continue to scan for any changes. Although, considering your current state I highly discourage such course of action."
Peter closed his eyes at the reprimanding tone of his AI. "I'm fine."
"You're heart rate is elevated and you are visibly shaking," KAREN disagreed. "From my observations something has deeply upset you."
"Yeah, well, I guess I haven't had the best day," Peter grumbled. I haven't in a long time.
KAREN was quiet for a moment before she kindly offered, "Would you like to talk about it?"
"Honestly? Not really," Peter's eyes flickered across the streets below, part of him hoping something would happen to end this conversation.
"If you do not want to talk about it, I recommend calling Mr. Stark."
Peter bristled at that. "I don't want to call anyone right now."
"I sense you are getting agitated, it is not my intention to make you feel that way," KAREN actually sounded remorseful.
Peter closed his eyes as a wave of guilt hit him like a brick wall. Is this what I've become too? Getting pissed off at a computer? "You're not making me mad, I'm not mad at you."
"But you are mad at someone."
"I'm not sure if I'm mad or more hurt," Peter amended.
"From what my observations tell me, people act mad when they're hurt. Those two things have the potential to go hand and hand."
"Gee, thanks for the philosophical pep talk, KAREN."
"You're welcome, Peter," KAREN returned and Peter dropped his head dramatically and sighed in exasperation.
"Did I just get sass talked by an AI?" Peter asked himself.
"Considering this AI can hear every word you are saying, I believe it is probable."
"Now I am getting mad at you," Peter returned, but there is no heat behind it. He was silent for a solid minute before giving in. "I bumped into MJ tonight."
"From what I've gathered, I'm assuming she survived the disaster when you did not?" KAREN asked innocently. Peter noted that his AI didn't gloss over the name and Peter was silently grateful for that.
"Yeah, she survived and I got dusted."
"Was she like Liz?"
The question was innocent enough, but it still made him feel sad at the implication. "I thought so. She was my friend and was also Ned's friend. I just thought I saw something spark between us, but I can't help but wonder if it was just in my head after all."
"It's not wise to make those assumptions," KAREN warned. "It just hurts you more in the end."
"I feel like I got the short end of the stick either way, at least in this situation," Peter admitted.
"What happened tonight?" KAREN asked, an open invitation.
"She said she was meeting up with an old friend, I just didn't think she was talking about Ned. Part of me, at least was hoping she wasn't because that means that Ned would've lied to me and he's never done that before, at least not with something as big as this."
"Are you mad at Ned?"
Peter deflated at the question, "I don't even know what to feel anymore. I mean how could he keep something like that from me? He knew how much... He knew it hurt when she shut me out. I just don't understand why he wouldn't tell me."
"Haven't you thought about the possibility that he was afraid to tell you because he didn't want to hurt you further?"
"That's why I don't know what to feel," Peter threw his hands up in the air. "I mean MJ is his friend too. It's selfish of me to be angry but it just hurt that he lied."
But you're a hypocrite either way, Peter chided himself. You lied to him once upon a time too, don't forget that. You continue to lie to a lot of people every day.
"Peter," KAREN's gentle voice was hesitant. "I strongly think that you should reconsider patrolling tonight. You're not in the right mindset to be out on the streets alone."
"No offense, KAREN, but you're not exactly in the right place to make the decision for me," Peter replied, but there wasn't any fire left in his voice.
"Very well," KAREN ended the conversation, her tone a mixture of concern and resignation.
For the next hour, Peter watched as Alex, George, May and Ned called him repeatedly throughout the night, their names appearing and disappearing on his HUD. Even Steve's number chimed in randomly at one point, but when the super solider didn't try to call him again or leave a text message, Peter figured it was about something else. He wasn't sure if he was secretly wishing for Tony's number to pop up, but there was a small little sting of disappointment when it didn't. Eventually, Peter muted the notifications and began to swing from rooftop to rooftop. He just needed to get moving, the longer he stayed in one place the more time he sat stewing in his negative mindset.
By the time nine o'clock hit, Peter was beginning to wonder if this had been a bad idea after all. The one time he wished for something to clear his head, the streets were clear. Logically Peter knew that was a good thing, because it meant no one was getting hurt and the streets were relatively safe. However, the selfish part of Peter really wanted something to distract him. He hands kept itching to hit something, as if that would solve all of his problems.
Peter cringed at the thought. He hated feeling that way, and it scared him that he thought like that more often than not. Every time he suited up nowadays it was getting harder and harder to control the underlying rage that rested in his bones. Angry at the world for bringing him back to scramble in the aftermath, furious at everyone around him for expecting him to be this perfect version of Peter Parker that he just wasn't anymore.
"I can tell you're angry, you keep clenching your fists," KAREN chimed in after thirty minutes of radio silence.
"People like me don't get to be angry," Peter grumbled. "Sometimes I just can't help it."
"Getting angry is a part of being human, but it's how you channel that anger that matters the most," KAREN noted. "Hitting someone isn't going to make you feel better in the long run. Especially if the person who loses control is the person who can kill someone easier than they think. Your powers come with great responsibility."
Those last six words washed over him like a tidal wave and almost immediately, the fight left Peter.
With great power comes great responsibility.
His Uncle's words brought a wave of shame over him. I'm sorry, Uncle Ben. I don't know who I'm becoming anymore. I don't even know if I like who I'm becoming.
"As I said, people like me don't get to be angry," Peter repeated remorsefully. He was about to add more when the smell of smoke invaded his senses. Peter stood up and immediately began scanning his surroundings. "KAREN, what's going on?"
"There's a massive fire that broke out at an apartment complex two block east of your location," KAREN reported, her voice locked into debriefing mode.
Peter spun around and locked eyes with a rapidly growing cloud of billowing black smoke. "I see it."
"There seems to be twelve apartment units that have been unaccounted for and caught in the direct line of fire, two trucks are currently at the scene but are requesting back up as they are struggling to contain the flames."
"Set a route to the fire," Peter requested.
"Peter, that is an unwise..." KAREN began.
"I don't care, just do it!" Peter ordered before diving off the building and beginning his way over to the scene.
It wasn't hard to find the building as Peter approached it. He could basically feel the heat of the fire about block out and the feeling was intensifying the closer he got.
"KAREN, engage Fireproof protocol," Peter said as he landed on the roof of the adjacent building. "Do an entire sweep of the building, I want every fire escape and unit number unaccounted for."
The building itself was seven stories high and Peter could hear faint screams over the roaring flames. There were three fire trucks now on the scene and the firefighters below were scrambling to do what they could to tame the flames so the others could safely go inside.
"There are now ten units that have been unaccounted for on the top three floors," KAREN reported. "They're in the direct fire zone. The building itself was not designed to withstand such heat, and I fear that a structural collapse is imminent."
Peter closed his eyes and shuddered at the words 'structural collapse'. He knew all too well what that fear had been like, and if the building were to collapse the way that it is right now, the people inside would have no hope of survival. The fire and smoke would kill them if the impact didn't kill them first. Peter stood up and clenched his fists, fighting down the waves of anxiety that threatened to consume him.
"Where's the weakest entry point?" Peter asked.
"It seems like the safest spot of entry is one of the top front windows, second from the right," KAREN told him. "However, even with the Fireproof protocol in place I highly discourage this plan."
"Sorry, KAREN, but I have to do this," Peter replied sullenly. Not for just myself, but for the people inside too. "Just be my eyes and ears, alright? If the building threatens to give out, I'll leave. But I have to try."
"Estimated time seems to be holding steady at about ten minutes. I will inform you if the time range decreases."
"Alright, Pete, no going back," Peter mumbled to himself. He took a few steps backwards before he sprinted off the roof of the building across from the fire. Shooting two webs to the specified window, Peter pulled with all of his strength, using the momentum to break right through the window.
Almost immediately, an overwhelming force of heat greeted him, and even with the Fireproof protocol, Peter wasn't sure how long he could last in such conditions. When he got bit by that radioactive spider, one of the side effects was his loss to thermoregulate. In other words, his body had a hard time cooling itself off or heating itself up on its own. Tony and Peter found this out the hard way sometime after Berlin, and Tony put it on himself to ensure that Peter had protocols in place to assist him if his body temperature either shot through the roof or he managed to contract a bout of hypothermia.
With the list of apartment units pulled up on his HUD, Peter made got to work, taking great care to avoid falling into the flames, and working around them if need be. Within the next five minutes, Peter was able to extract families from the five unaccounted units on the seventh floor, even if it meant having them use his web fluid as a makeshift fire pole. Eventually the fire department had caught on to what he was doing and set up a giant air bag to break the fall should anyone have fallen.
"KAREN, how am I doing?" Peter asked as he made his way to the sixth floor.
"Estimated time of structural collapse keeps fluctuating between two minutes and ten minutes, the apartment complex has not been investigated since 2019, it's hard to say what's been up to code and what hasn't been up to code," KAREN sounded frustrated. "Your vitals are not looking good, Peter, your core temperature just reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The Fireproof protocol was not made to withstand such intense continuous usage."
Yeah, I'm starting to get that, Peter kept that to himself, but his body felt like it was on fire. Even behind the mask, sweat was dripping into his eyes and it felt like he was slowly boiling alive. "I'll be fine."
Another three minutes passed and Peter managed to extract four more units on the sixth floor, and by the time that happened his body hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit and his vision was starting to swim. Surprisingly, his lungs felt clear and he knew that had to be because of the oxygen systems still holding strong in his suit.
"The structural support system is starting to fail, evacuation recommended," KAREN urged him.
"Estimated time?" Peter panted, already on his way to the fifth floor.
"Minimum of 60 seconds."
"Maximum ET, KAREN," Peter ordered.
KAREN paused for a moment before saying, "Maximum time of five minutes, but I would not put my faith in that prediction. Your body temperature is reaching critical levels."
"Just one more and then I'm out," Peter promised as he broke down the door of the last apartment unit that had been unaccounted for when the building was evacuating. It felt like Peter was stuck in legitimate hell, with a wall of fire everywhere around him. His head was spinning and his body felt like it was stuck in molasses, but he refused to give up when he had come so far already.
"Hello?" Peter yelled over the roaring flames. "Is there anyone in here?"
"Help!" Peter's enhanced senses picked up the desperate scream.
Peter's eyes tracked the movement, but he couldn't see anything above the flames, "Where are you? KAREN can you see them?"
"Please, help me!" The voice screamed and Peter's eyes locked in on the general direction of the voice.
"It appears the voice is coming from the bedroom," KAREN reported. "My scanners are only picking up on one person."
Peter began making his way over to to the trapped victim, having to switch between crawling on the ceiling to dodging his way across the floor. "I'm gonna get you out of here!" He promised.
Just as he was approaching the bedroom, his sixth sense spiked in his head and before he knew what was happening, something hit him point blank and he flew backwards, smacking through a wall before crashing onto the floor.
"What the hell just hit me?" Peter groaned, the unexpected movement not helping his dizziness.
"It seems to me like you hit a wall," KAREN chimed in unhelpfully.
Yeah, no shit. Peter stumbled he got to his feet.
"Take a guess," A gravely voice sounded in his ears and Peter spun around, trying and failing to match the voice to someone.
"Who are you?" Peter demanded.
"You're pathetically predictable, did you know that?" The voice drawled, it didn't sound natural.
"Show your damn face," Peter clenched his fists, ready for a fight. He hoped he sounded more intimidating that he felt with his vision showing him double of everything.
"Structural collapse imminent in a maximum of three minutes," KAREN reported.
"So desperate to prove himself," The voice continued. "So desperate to be seen."
"Don't act like you know me," Peter gritted his jaw.
"Do I? Open your eyes, I'm right in behind you."
Peter's sixth sense shot off again and Peter ducked just as a fist came flying towards his head. Grabbing the assailant's arm, Peter twisted it and used the momentum to kick off the wall, throwing his attacker into the ground. Peter caught a glimpse of the mask of his attacker and immediately a shiver ran down his spine and he recoiled in shock. The attacker was decked out in a reinforced green suit with a green mask that covered his entire face. The mask had sharpened ears like an elf and had a mouth that was dropped open, enticing its victims with is villainous laugh. The thing that stood out the most, at least to Peter, was the sharp yellow eyes that seemed to be digging right into his soul.
"You... You're from the rooftop," Peter stuttered out, stumbling away from the creature, his vision getting worse. Was it really not a dream?
"Did the poor little spider take a tumble?" The creature cackled manically. "Trust me, it was just as satisfying as it was painful."
"What do you want from me?" Peter demanded, sending out a kick to his attacker who was still on his back on the floor.
The creature effortlessly grabbed Peter's kick with a show of abnormal strength, that or Peter's strength was starting to fail him the weaker he got. "What do I want from you? I don't want anything from you."
If Peter was in the right mindset, he would've been able to see the next move easily, but instead the fuzziness in his mind failed to save him from being tossed aside like a rag doll right into the middle of a pit of flames.
Peter cried out in pain and immediately dove out of there, "KAREN!"
"Extinguishing measures online," KAREN immediately stated and the flames on his suit went out in an instant. "Fireproof protocol at 50% and dropping."
I need to get out of here, Peter's eyes flickered to the broken window behind the green monster.
The person in front of him clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Such a shame, and I thought this would be harder."
"What are you talking about?" Peter was so confused.
"At the end of the day, your heroics will always find a way too drag you six feet under..." Something clicked on behind the assailant's back and suddenly an orange ball was being tossed his way, the middle of the circle glowing an eerie green. Peter reached out and caught it instinctively. Studying the strange ticking object, it almost looked like a pumpkin.
"Peter, that's an explosive!" KAREN's urgent voice echoed in his ear.
"What?" Peter shouted and made to throw the bomb, but it was too late. With a resounding BOOM! Peter was thrown off to the side as a wave of heat washed over him.
By some miracle the force of the explosion tossed him out of a window and Peter immediately shot a web to the closest building. Pulling himself to the rooftop, Peter laid on his side and tried to catch his breath. His entire body felt like it was boiling from the inside out and his everything felt bruised to hell.
"KAREN," Peter croaked.
"Your core temperature is currently at 110 degree Fahrenheit and the suit's armor has been breached. I am detecting second degree burns across you chest and back, I'm strongly recommending medical assistance. I need an override to contact help."
"No," Peter shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Peter, you are not fine," KAREN insisted. "I strongly recommend you seek medical assistance."
"Mute," Peter said and welcomed the quiet that followed. He must've laid there for a good ten minutes before he made his shaky way back to his apartment in Queens.
Peter knew he shouldn't have been so stubborn, but he had dealt with worse injuries than this. Also, he really didn't want another lecture from anyone else at the moment. At least, that's what his delusional brain was telling him, 110 degrees was a new record for him. By the time Peter made it to his bedroom window, the suit was telling him his body temperature was still rising and Peter had a feeling it was a mixture between the burns on his body and how hot the suit felt on his skin, it almost felt like it was melting into him.
Opening the window, Peter more so fell into his room rather than climbed into it. He hit the floor in a heap and he let out a pained wheeze when he landed on his back. His entire vision felt like it was swimming and it was causing his stomach to twist nauseatingly.
If you weren't enhanced, you'd be brain dead right now, Peter thought faintly.
"Peter?" A voice echoed in his head, it sounded far enough away where he genuinely thought he hit the hallucinating stage of a fever.
Reaching up, Peter peeled off the mask from his face and winced as the suit scraped against his sensitive skin.
Then there was a surprised shout and hands were on him.
"Can... me?" The voice faded in and out. "Dad!"
Dad, Peter's eyes flew open to see Alex crouched in front of him, fear on his face. Oh...
Peter could make out George running into the room, tripping over his feet when he saw the scene in front of him. Faintly, Peter knew he must've looked like a mess if it sparked such a reaction, or it might've been the fact that Peter had just exposed the one secret he wasn't ready to tell.
Blinking blearily, Peter saw George examining him with a doctor's precision and then hands were on his face before they immediately retracted.
"His skin's on fire," He thought he heard George say.
"Peter, can you hear me?" Alex was waving his hand in front of Peter's eyes, as if he was trying to catch his attention, but the dark spots were overcoming his vision way too quickly. The last thing he heard before he lost grip on reality was Alex's pleading voice to stay awake.
I promise I don't like knocking Peter out constantly, but damn I'm really putting him through the wringer... I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Was it good? Was it bad? Feel free to let me know!