Author's Note: Sorry this chapter came a little later than what I intended. I was a little preoccupied with last minute Christmas shopping. On the bright side I finally went to see The Shape of Water. It was one of the most beautiful and amazingly weird movies that I've seen in a while. I can't even begin to describe it so just go see it.
I also can't get over how it's snowing right now where I live. A perfect Christmas Eve. I hate being in the snow but the snow sure is pretty to look at when it's falling on the evergreen trees.
Spawn Hades: Glad you loved the chapter so much. I definitely think Emma and Peter relationship is strengthening. This chapter will be far more telling than the last. I also didn't mean to imply that Peter might someday take on Cap's role. I meant that Emma sees qualities in Peter that she's also seen in Steve. Emma holds a great amount of respect and admiration for her grandfather and he's the only one she listens to and allows to order her around because of that respect and admiration. I don't think Emma could fall in love with Peter unless he had certain traits that Steve has.
bonitalito: Rumlow will definitely make an appearance soon. Probably after the Homecoming storyline. We're still in Part II of the story which has been super long but it's about to end. Part III will focus more on Rumlow. I'd give it a couple more chapters before Part II ends.
ilypopxtart33: Thank you so much! I'm glad you love it so much. I never thought Some Things Never Sleep could ever be someone's favorite Avengers fanfic. I do wish that there was more Peter/OC fanfics. I don't really get why there's a shortage of them but hopefully as more movies come out that will change.
WooBinah: I always binge read fanfics because I just can't help it. The curiosity always gets to me. Thanks for the feedback. Glad you like it.
Thanks for all the reviews! Let me know what you think of this chapter. Merry Christmas!
"Flash's car?" Emma questioned before looking back at Peter, mischief in her eyes, as they stared at Flash's car that the annoying teenager was currently driving down on the street below them. "I could kiss you, Parker." Peter immediately blushed from underneath his mask, thanking God that Emma couldn't see his blush. He cleared his throat awkwardly and Emma awarded him with an amused look.
"It's a fast car and it'll get us where we need to go in no time." Peter said quietly and Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Am I driving or are you driving?" Emma asked him.
"I'll drive. You drove last time so it's only fair." Peter replied, trying to seem cool and nonchalant. In all honesty Peter really didn't know how to drive that well but he didn't want Emma doing everything like last time. He could do some stuff too.
"Sure." Emma agreed before giving Peter a devious smile. It was odd how there was so much anger and hurt between them a short time ago and now it was like they were back to normal. Almost like an unspoken spell of forgiveness fell over them. "Let's get the car then."
Peter immediately dropped down from the building with little to no hesitance and Emma flew down after him. He landed on the car with a loud thump surprising both Flash and his date so much that they both screamed in unison. Flash immediately stopped the car as Emma landed a short distance away. She casually walked up to the car as Flash looked between her and Peter in both fear and surprise.
"Flash, I need your car and your phone." Peter said as he disguised his voice.
"Uh…sir, technically, this is my dad's car, sir." Flash said as he weakly protested. Emma glared at the stupid boy, feeling beyond impatient at this point. It didn't help that she didn't like Flash at all either. "So I can't-"
"Get out of the fucking car!" Emma snarled and Flash's eyes widened before he quickly nodded. The look on the Viper Assassin's face made it clear that she wasn't up for negotiating.
"Of course, Miss Viper Assassin…anything you want." Flash said as he immediately got out of the car along with his date. He tossed his phone back into the car and backed away as Spider-Man immediately got into the driver's side while the Viper Assassin got into the passenger's side. She smirked from under her mask when she saw the amount of fear in Flash's eyes as he watched both herself and Peter steal his car. How pathetic.
Peter immediately grabbed a hold of the steering wheel before turning the car around to head in the opposite direction. Emma grabbed onto the edge of her seat as Peter made the turn a little fast, causing the car jerk around uncontrollably. She stared at Peter but flinched when he hit a bunch of bikes on the side of the road. What was up with his driving? Assuming that Peter was just a little panicked, Emma decided to put her uneasy feelings aside and try to find out more about the situation.
"You said that Liz's dad is Birdman?" Emma inquired and Peter looked over at her as he made a turn very fast. Emma's grip tightened against the edge of her seat. "Do we know what he wants exactly?"
"I don't know. He just said that if we interfere in his business again that he'll kill us and everyone we care about." Peter told her but Emma didn't appear at all bothered by what Peter told her. She just shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Is that the best he's got? He's going to have to do a little bit better than that." Emma said bitterly as watched the road ahead of them. "Sounds to me like he's more of a business man than a politician."
"What does that mean?" Peter asked her.
"It means that his agenda isn't political…he doesn't care about taking over the world. He just wants money." Emma responded. "He kind of makes for a boring villain actually. The world domination sort are always more interesting." Peter looked over at her, a small smile on his face although Emma couldn't see his smile. He felt a feeling of warmth wash over him as he continued to stare at her.
"I missed this." Peter said suddenly and Emma gave him a confused look.
"Missed what?" Emma questioned and Peter just shook his head.
"I missed working together." Peter answered and Emma just stared at him, not knowing what to tell him. She had missed the familiar routine they had created as well. These past few days felt entirely lonely without Peter's constant presence in her life. Emma, however, didn't want to seem all worked up over the issue. She laughed it off.
"You're acting like we haven't seen each other for months." Peter sighed as he shrugged.
"Well, it kind of felt that way." Peter told her. Emma chewed on the inside of her cheek nervously as she decided to change the subject.
"So…Liz's dad is a villain. No offense but your girlfriend is kind of living my dream." Emma joked as Peter looked at her in disbelief. "I mean, my father's kind of a villain too but he was actually just brainwashed until he decided to be one of the good guys. It's a little boring if I'm being completely honest. He was a lot more fun when he was homicidal."
"She's not my girlfriend." Peter said, ignoring Emma's usual odd banter. Emma narrowed her eyes at him as she tried to understand what he might've meant by that. She decided to just let his weird comment go as she leaned back in the seat.
"Well, I hope not. Ditching a girl at a dance is kind of a dick move." Emma told him. It was then that Peter made another sharp turn which put Emma on edge. She was starting to think that Peter might not have been the most experienced of drivers. Emma looked at him incredulously as he gripped the steering wheel tonight and swerved to avoid hitting a car in the next land. What the hell was his problem? Peter then reached for Flash's phone as he sped down the street so that he could get in touch with Ned.
"Hello, Ned? Hey, can you hear me?" Peter said into the phone.
"Go for Ned." Emma heard Ned say on the other line.
"Ned, I need you to track my phone for me." Peter told him which made Emma a bit curious. His phone?
"Yeah but where is it?" Ned asked him and Peter sighed.
"I dropped it in Liz's dad's car." He explained briefly and Emma had to admit that she was a bit impressed by Peter's smart thinking. She would've done the exact same thing had she been in his position. This would make it simple for them to track Peter's phone and by extension Liz's dad.
"Good thinking." Emma told him, sounding very impressed. Peter felt a feeling of pride wash over him at Emma's comment. It wasn't very often that she seemed impressed with anything he did. Emma Rogers wasn't someone who was easily impressed.
"Genius move." Ned added in agreement before continuing. "Okay, he just passed the GameStop on Jackson Avenue."
"Hey, where are the headlights on this thing? I'm in Flash's car." Peter said, sounding slightly panicked. Emma could see well enough through the dark with her enhanced vision but she wasn't the one driving after all.
"I'll pull the specs." Ned replied.
"Okay, you're on speakerphone."
"You guys stole Flash's car. Awesome." Ned said, sounding very delighted. Emma knew exactly what he meant by that. The look on Flash's face when they stole his car was priceless.
"Yeah, it's awesome. It's-" Peter was then interrupted as a bus pulled out in front of them and he narrowly managed to dodge the bus as he swerved around it. Emma bit down on her lip hard as her nails finally pierced through the leather seats. That was how nervous and on edge she was. She knew that they both needed to stop Birdman before any real damage was done but Peter was driving a little too recklessly for her liking.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way! Move! Move!" Peter yelled as he continued to dodge numerous vehicles. Emma flinched every time they nearly hit a car. She fixed Peter with a very agitated glare.
"What the hell are you doing? You're going to get us both killed!" Emma yelled at him.
"Don't yell at me when I'm driving! You're making this worst!" Peter yelled back over the loud sound of traffic.
"How can this get any worse?!" Emma argued. It seemed like Emma and Peter really were back to their old ways as they starting entering their usual routine of bickering.
"Peter, are you okay?" Ned asked in concern.
"I've never really driven before…only with May in parking lots. This is a huge step up." Peter admitted sheepishly and Emma looked at him in horror.
"What do you mean you've never driven before?! You volunteered to drive!" Emma said in disbelief. Peter ran a red light and narrowly missed hitting an oncoming vehicle. This time Emma's entirely hand went through the passenger seat and she could feel the foam inside her fist.
"I'm sorry! You already drove before and I just wanted to show you that you don't need to do everything…I can do stuff too." Peter explained childishly and Emma gave him another incredulous look, not believing that was his final answer. She scoffed before shaking her head.
"Your male ego?! That's why you're going to get us both killed?!" Emma rolled her eyes as she withdraw her hands from the seat cushions. She didn't really care about wrecking Flash's car since Peter seemed hellbent on doing that himself. The blonde crossed her arms as she tried to keep herself calm. "This is so ironic. I've been almost killed a hundred times by trained killers yet you're the one whose going to do me in. If only my father was here to see this."
"We're not going to die." Peter told her. In all honesty he thought Emma was being a little dramatic. Peter thought he was driving quite well for someone who had only driven in parking lots before. His attention was then drawn back to the task at hand as he kept his eyes focused on the road before calling out to Ned. "Hey, have you gotten through to Happy yet?"
"Yeah. I'm working on it. I just gotta backdoor the phone system." Ned told him. Emma heard the distinct sound of typing as Ned did his job of being the guy in the chair. She was a little amused as to how excited he seemed to be a part of this but at least he was willing to help. There was a brief moment of silence as Peter sped in between a few vehicles on the road before it was interrupted as Peter spoke up.
"Why are you helping me?" Peter asked Emma suddenly. Emma look over at him in surprise…not because she didn't know the answer to that question but because he asked it in the first place. Of course she knew why she was helping him. It was because she could never knowingly let him walk into danger if there was something she could do about it. She was a bit protective over him not only because she didn't want him to get hurt but also because he was Peter…her very own Spider-Twerp. She didn't have any claim to him but in her mind that was what he was to her. However, Emma didn't say any of this. She shrugged nonchalantly, pretending to seem unbothered by his random question.
"Because you need my help." Emma said as if it were that simple.
"You seemed quite adamant about staying away from me a couple days ago." Peter said, trying to get some kind of answer from her that actually made sense. Emma sighed as she looked away from him uncomfortably before responding.
"Look, I'm sorry I was such a bitch about it but the truth is that I really am a bitch. A cold hearted one too." Emma explained before she returned her gaze to him. "I meant what I said before, Peter. I'd be a terrible partner…you're better off without me."
"Then how come I never believe you when you say that?" Peter asked her honestly and Emma stared at him long and hard before looking away once more. She was glad that he had his mask on so she couldn't see his warm brown eyes. Emma was almost positive that she would say or do something incredibly stupid if she saw those eyes.
"That's your own stupid fault. Not mine." She muttered. Peter couldn't help but smile under his mask as he continued to pay close attention to his driving. It seemed like Emma might be his friend after all. Peter believed that all the time he had spent with her in past hadn't been a lie or a ruse.
"Hey, Ned, how are we coming on with those headlights?" Peter asked Ned as he changed the subject and got back on task once more.
"Uh…round knob to the left of the steering wheel, turn clockwise." Ned answered.
"Left." Peter repeated and did as Ned told him. And just like that Peter finally managed to turn on the headlights. "Okay, perfect. So where's my phone now?"
"He stopped in an old industrial park in Brooklyn." Ned replied. Emma was instantly reminded of Steve, of course, as soon as she heard the name of her grandfather's hometown. She was supposed to be already leaving town to go find him but those plans seemingly ended the instant Peter was in trouble. She should've felt guilty for abandoning her plans as soon as Peter needed her but somehow she didn't. It was almost like fate was keeping her from going for some reason.
"What? That makes no sense." Peter said and Emma gave him a confused look.
"Why not?" Emma asked and Peter just shook his head, not understanding what Ned just told them.
"I thought he said he was going out of town." Peter responded and Emma didn't know what to think of that. It was a weird thing to make up…going out of town that is but bad guys lied all the time. Maybe he only said he was going out of town because he was having an affair or something. It was plausible and not unheard of but somehow that didn't seem quite right either. Birdman was too fixated on his so called business to busy himself with another woman.
"Weird. Oh, I reached Mr. Happy. Don't think he likes either of you, by the way." Ned added and Emma rolled her eyes, slightly scoffing at the thought of Stark's lazy henchman.
"Don't worry. The feeling's mutual." Emma muttered under her breath. Happy spent all his time proving to Stark that he was still useful and had a purpose but lacked the ability to prove his use when he was needed most. Typical.
"It sounded like he was catching a flight. He said something about taking off in nine minutes." Emma tensed the moment she heard Ned's observation. Catching a flight…wait what day was it today? It felt like it had been years since she started school at Midtown that she also seemingly lost track of time.
"What?!" Peter questioned in disbelief.
"He was surrounded by a bunch of boxes." Emma knew what today was when she heard Ned's last comment. She vaguely remembered Happy mentioning moving day a few times in the past couple weeks but she hadn't really care much about it at the time. The tower was only home to Emma when Steve was with her and now that he was gone it didn't mean as much to her anymore. Emma knew, however, that moving day meant a very different thing to Birdman. He was obviously going to hijack Stark's plane full of Avenger's tech. If Emma was a high profile thief she'd probably do the same thing as Birdman anyways.
"Boxes?" Peter's eyes also widened in realization as he realized what Toomes was going to do. "It's moving day. It's moving day! He's gonna rob that plane. We gotta stop him!" Peter exclaimed as he panicked. The situation seemed to get worse and worse as the night went on. Peter made an abrupt turn down a quieter street and immediately started speeding up again. Emma didn't really mind fast cars since she liked driving fast herself but the problem with Peter was that he didn't actually know how to drive. Going fast in a car he didn't know how to drive really made her nervous.
"Okay, slow down." Ned told Peter. "You're getting close. It's on your right." Peter looked around in confusion as he tried to spot the warehouse but he was going very fast down the road.
"What?" He asked in confusion. Peter and Emma didn't spot the warehouse until the last minute but by then they had almost driven past it.
"Turn right. Turn right." Ned repeated and Peter, in a state of panic, shot a nearby lamp post with his webbing so that he could make a quick turn into the parking lot. What he didn't anticipate, however, was the car flipping onto it's side, causing Emma to wince as they were sent sliding across the parking lot.
She clutched onto her seat belt with all her might to prevent her head from hitting the pavement outside the side of the car. Peter screamed the whole time and Emma dealt with the traumatizing experience on her own terms. Her fingers dug into the skin of her other hand as she grasped the seat belt with both hands. She dug her nails so deep into her skin that it drew blood. The blonde bit down on the inside of her cheek hard, also drawing blood, clenched her eyes shut. She hoped that this night of a rollercoster ride ended soon. Peter's driving was obviously not good for her nerves. The convertible eventually stopped skidding across the parking lot and stopped, sending the car to land back on the ground. As the car landed back onto the ground, Emma gave Peter a dark look.
"You're the worst driver I've ever met." She told him as she tried to calm herself down from that intense car ride.
"Sorry." Peter mumbled and Emma rolled her eyes. That boy was going to kill her one of these days. Emma was sure that he was probably the only person in the world that was capable of killing her.
"Peter. Emma. Are you okay?" Ned asked in concern.
"Yeah. Just keep trying to get through to Happy." Peter said breathlessly as he glanced up at the warehouse. Emma followed his gaze and narrowed her eyes in determination as she saw the building. It was time for Birdman's little business ploy to finally end. Emma was going to take a long nap after they were finished with that old man. She was tired of constantly having to deal with him.
"Are you alright, Emma?" Peter asked her, feeling very bad about putting her through that nightmare of a car ride. Emma looked back at him and knew that he felt concern for her. She couldn't read his facial expression with that mask of his but she knew he was worried about her. Instead of looking insulted at his question like she normally would, she felt a bit touched by his concern. That was strange…she always told people where to get off when they worried over her. Emma nodded slowly.
"I'm better than ever, Peter. You?" Peter just shrugged at her response.
"I feel fine. Come on, let's go." Peter told her and Emma didn't hesitate a moment longer before hopped out of Flash's car, Peter following suit. She glanced back at the wrecked looking convertible, a smirk forming on her face.
"Well, on the upside it looks like Flash's dad is going to have to buy a new car." Emma quipped before they started walking towards the warehouse. Peter shook his head in amusement but he was glad to see Emma making light of the situation. His smile soon faded once he felt apprehension and fear take over him. He once again recalled the threat Toomes had made against both him and Emma. Suddenly Peter's mouth felt incredibly dry as he looked worriedly at a calm and battle ready looking Emma Rogers.
"Wait." Peter said suddenly as he stopped Emma, grabbing onto her shoulder and forcing her to look at him. She gave him a confused look.
"What is it, Parker?" She asked him.
"This isn't your fight, Emma. You don't have to do this." Peter told her seriously. This did nothing to ease Emma's confusion. Emma didn't understand at all what Peter was trying to say.
"What are you talking about?" She continued to ask.
"Toomes…he knows about me because I'm a terrible liar. He threatened to torture and kill you, Emma. If I had been more like you he would've never found out about me." Peter then looked down at his feet, feeling slightly ashamed of himself. "This is all my fault. I put you in danger." Emma watched him quietly, wondering what on Earth he was thinking in a moment like this. How could Peter blame himself for this? She supposed he blamed himself for something like this in a way similar to how she always told him that she wasn't a good partner to have. Maybe they weren't so different after all.
"Peter…I put myself in danger. I knew what I was getting into from the beginning. None of this is your fault." Emma told him honestly and Peter looked back up at her. He could see sincerity in her ocean blue eyes.
"I'd just hate to see you get hurt because of me." Peter admitted sadly. He didn't say how it would break his heart if something bad were to ever happen to her but Peter felt like she might've known deep down how much it would hurt him.
"I can't promise you that we'll both walk away from this unscathed but I can promise you that I won't walk away this time." Emma replied, her tone fierce and determined. She then bit her lip nervously as she remembered something she heard Steve once say when he told her a story about her father. It was a line the two friends gave each other as a means of comfort and Emma thought it was entirely cheesy but she supposed it would do for a situation like this one. "I'm with you 'til the end of the line."
Emma's meaningful statement was a bit confusing to most but Peter thought he understood what she was trying to say. She was promising him that she wouldn't walk away again…not like last time and Peter believed her. There seemed to be an underlying meaning to her words. He could tell that last promise meant a lot to her in way that went beyond words. Peter could see the truth reflected in those beautiful blue eyes of hers. It was enough for him.
"I'm with you too." Peter said awkwardly, not knowing what else to say but Emma wasn't expecting him to say anything. She knew that they were back to being partners again even if she thought Peter was completely insane for wanting a partner like her. Emma knew, however, that she was quite lucky to have a partner like Peter. Emma gave him a curt nod before continuing to walk towards the warehouse and Peter walked alongside her. There was no telling how tonight was going to end but they had to finish this once and for all.
Emma and Peter landed softly on the roof of the warehouse after Emma had flown herself and Peter up to the top. It was dark and cold but nothing Emma wasn't already used to. Peter quietly lifted the cover of one of the openings in the roof and set it off to the side carefully. They both glanced into the darkness of the warehouse but they couldn't see anything. Emma didn't even think she heard anyone down there. It was dead quiet which only proved to be a bad sign. Silence was never a good sign in these situations. The old man was probably even waiting for them in the warehouse…Emma wouldn't put it past him. She seriously didn't know how someone as nice and innocent as Liz could come from someone as greedy and insane as Birdman. Well…people always wondered how she and Steve were related after all.
"Okay…time for this asshole to die." Emma muttered as she looked down the opening with a determined look on her face. Peter gave her a look of disbelief.
"We can't kill him." Peter told her, not knowing whether or not to take her seriously. Sometimes he really couldn't if she was joking or not.
"Why not?" Emma questioned and Peter gave her an incredulous look.
"Other than the fact that killing people is wrong...he also happens to be Liz's dad." Peter told her and Emma rolled her eyes.
"Fine. Have it your way. I was just suggesting the easier way out but if you want to do things the hard way than fine." Emma replied. As much as Peter wanted to be annoyed with her over this, he couldn't help but smile at her in amusement. This was the Emma he knew and loved. Peter was so wrapped up in Emma that he didn't even notice how he had slipped over his words in that last thought.
Just like that the pair went back to being serious superheroes on a mission as Peter shot his webbing at a spot on the roof. He looked back at her and it became obvious to Emma what he was planning to do. Peter wanted to propel down to the warehouse floor with his webbing and he wanted her to go with him. If she was being honest than it was probably better that way. Birdman would never hear them coming and Emma would be able to save some of her energy for later.
"I won't drop you. I promise." Peter told her sincerely. The truth was that Emma knew that he would never drop her. It was a gut feeling that told her so. She realized then that she trusted Peter way more than she trusted most people.
"I know." Emma said briefly before she walked over to him. He immediately wrapped his arm around her securely as she held onto him with both arms. Peter had one hand on the rope of webbing as he then propelled them both down. She closed her eyes for a brief moment as she held onto Peter. For some unexplainable reason she felt safe in his arms which terrified her somewhat. It terrified her because she never felt safe with anyone before. Sure there was Steve and her father but that was different…no, this felt entirely different to her.
Peter slowly and quietly continued to propel them both down to the floor of the warehouse. It was seldom that Peter ever remained this close to Emma and despite the situation they were in he was going to cherish this. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to hold her this close again. He swallowed nervously as he was able to smell the sweet shampoo in Emma's hair. Peter swore he smelt strawberries and coconut. The teenage boy snapped out of his brief dazed state as he glanced around the dark warehouse. He wasn't sure what he was seeing until he brought both himself and Emma down to the ground. As soon as Peter hit the ground, Emma stepped away from him and Peter felt a bit disappointed from the loss of contact.
Emma looked around the room, scanning and assessing every object she saw within the darkness of the warehouse. It seemed like she was in her investigative mode as she and Peter both walked around the room. Peter was more curious than Emma while Emma just looked for any information that could give them the upper hand against Birdman. She spotted lots of computer monitors that displayed Avenger's Tower as well as the blue prints for what she presumed was one of Stark's planes…the plane carrying all the Avenger's tech more than likely. Mechanical tools laid around the room upon work tables, making the room look like some sort of lab.
"I guess we finally found that evil lair." Emma muttered under her breath. Peter only spared her a side glance before his attention was taken away by something else. The room opened up into an even larger space and Emma immediately saw what grabbed Peter's attention. Propped up on a lower platform was Birdman's wings. Emma narrowed her eyes at the sight.
Emma and Peter then turned their heads to look down the hall on the lower level of the warehouse as they heard noises coming from another room. She exhaled in annoyance. It seemed like Birdman was at it again. He just didn't know when to stop messing with weaponry beyond human understanding. The scare that day on the ferry and even the fact that Peter knew his true identity should've scared him off. If Emma were him she would've fled the country a long time ago but it was clear to her what drove this man to do the things he did. Greed.
Emma and Peter quickly made their way down onto the lower level before bolting down the hallway to finally approach the guy. Usually Emma would want to wait this out to get more of an insight as to what Birdman was currently up to but she was sick of dealing with him. She just wanted to get this over with once and for all. Of course, she'd feel a lot better if she had her gun with her but she was just going to have to do without.
"Hey!" Peter called out as they walked into a large open area located towards the back of the warehouse. Emma wore a stoic expression on her face as they marched over to the older man who was situated in front of a work table. "Surprised?"
"Oh, hey, Pete! I didn't hear you come in." Toomes said casually as he leaned against the work table. He glanced over at the Viper Assassin with a pleasantly surprised look on his face…he looked at her like he was seeing an old friend. Emma didn't like the look on his face one bit. It made her feel uneasy…like he knew something they didn't. "I see you've brought Blondie along too. I'd call you by your real name but since Peter's been so rude and hasn't properly introduced us…" He trailed off, clearly trying to get Emma's true identity out of her. It was an insult to her that he thought she was really that stupid.
"It's Viper to you, asswipe." Emma snapped as she glared at the man. His grin was unchanging as he looked at her. Emma didn't know why he looked that confident and casual. Whatever the reason was it couldn't be good.
"Not as polite and cordial as Pete, I see. That's okay…a strong and independent woman that doesn't take shit from anyone. I admire that." Toomes said, unaffected by Emma's hostility. "I have a daughter, you know. I admire strong and powerful women although you actually look more like my daughter's age than I thought. Why is that?"
"That's none of your business." Peter said angrily, not liking how Toomes was digging around for information about Emma's real identity. "It's over. We've got you."
"You know, I've gotta tell you, Pete. I really, really admire your grit." Toomes said mockingly as Emma and Peter drew nearer to him. He casually put on his leather jacket, appearing not to care about Emma and Peter walking so dangerously close to him. "I see why Liz likes you. I do. When you first came to my house I wasn't sure. I thought, "Really?" but I get it now although I get the feeling that you might be leading my little girl on, Pete. You and Blondie seem to be attached at the hip."
"How could you do this to her?" Peter asked, ignoring the last comment as they kept getting closer and closer to the older man. Emma clenched her jaw as she heard him call her that stupid nickname again. It was really taking all of her control not to lash out and attack him on the spot but that wasn't part of the plan. They needed to somehow convince him to come with them willingly. Emma didn't really like that plan but she understood what Peter meant by not hurting or killing Toomes. He was Liz's father after all and Emma could never stand it whenever her father got hurt. She sympathized with Liz on that level even if Emma wasn't necessarily part of the Liz Allan fan club.
"To her?" Toomes questioned before continuing. "I'm not doing anything to her, Pete. I'm doing this for her.
"Hmm…yeah." Peter said, not quite believing anything Toomes was telling him. Peter then shot his webbing at Toomes, gluing his hand to the table and knocking over a beer bottle in the process.
"Cut the bullshit, old man, and tell us what you want." Emma said shortly as she glared at Toomes. Toomes just sighed and shook his head before glancing up at the two of them.
"Peter…Viper…you're both young. You don't know how the world works." Toomes told them as he patronized the both of them. Yeah, that wasn't going to win him any favors. Emma gritted her teeth as her temper increased. It pissed her off enough whenever Steve and Stark patronized her so it pissed her off even more listening to this old man tell her how little she knew of the world. She knew the world better than most people and surely better than this old man proclaimed he did.
"Yeah but I understand that selling weapons to criminals is wrong." Peter pointed out. If this was any other situation Emma would've smiled softly at him. He was very black and white that way…a trait that he had in common with her grandfather who didn't live in the gray areas of the world like Stark did. Steve was very strict on what was right and what was wrong. There wasn't really anything in between that for him.
"How do you think your buddy Stark paid for that power? Or any of his little toys?" Toomes argued. Emma had to admit that she agreed with Toomes there…he was right about Stark. Stark, for the longest time, had profited off of war. It was true that Stark hadn't been aware of who he had been selling his weapons to but it was still his responsibility. Stark should've been aware since it was his company. He technically still profited off of war even if he built stuff exclusively for the Avengers now.
"Those people up there, the rich and the powerful, they do whatever they want. People like us…you and me…they don't care about us." Toomes continued to lecture and this was where Emma drew the line. He was wrong about the Avengers…the Avengers did care about people or why else would they put their lives on the line to save everyone? Just look at her grandfather and the others. They were forced to go on the run because they fought for what they believed in. How dare Toomes say that Steve Rogers was anything less than caring. Look at all that man had given them…he gave up his own time and someone who was quite possibly the love of his life to save everyone. Steve had even given Emma up to save the world. "We build their roads and fight all their wars and everything but they don't care about us. We have to pick up after them. We have to eat their table scraps."
"That's how it is." Toomes said as he began to wrap up his little speech. "I know you know what I'm talking about, Peter. Blondie might not get it but I know you do." Emma finally had enough of listening to this old man talk. She gave him a scathing look as she forced herself not to lose her temper and attack this idiot.
"Don't tell me that I don't understand the world." Emma hissed venomously as she glared at Toomes heatedly. "The things I've been through would make a coward like you shit themselves and die. I know this world better than you do and I know it's a cruel, unforgiving, and at times even a godless place."
"I agree with you about Stark. He profits off of war and chaos…he leaves misery in his wake but he's not evil like you paint him to be. He's just a misguided fool that does more harm than good." Emma continued as she gave her very own lecture. Peter stared at Emma in surprise…she sounded so impassioned and he knew that something Toomes had said really set her off. "Say what you want about Stark but don't say a word against the others. You don't know the sacrifices they've made to protect ungrateful idiots like you. People like you spit at them and curse them for saving the world." Emma shook her head furiously as she thought of Steve and all the others who were who knows were just to protect the rights of ungrateful people like this man. Money? Was that all that mattered to him?
"They gave up their whole lives just so that you could have the freedom to whine and complain about all the money you've lost when you should really be thankful you're even still alive." Emma sneered as she glared hatefully at the older man. "How do you think you and your family would've fared under Loki's reign? How about Ultron's… or even Hydra's? Loki would've had you beheaded in front of your daughter for even complaining about money. So just shut up and be grateful that Loki never had the chance to enslave us all and sell your daughter to a Chitauri." Toomes looked somewhat enlightened at Emma's rant despite how much she made him look like a fool. He nodded slowly as he shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll admit, Viper…I was wrong about you. You do know a lot about the world. Everyone's heard your past and it's safe to say that you've had it worse than any of us." Toomes admitted as he smiled at Emma. His condescending smile only pissed her off more. "Maybe you do understand on some level. Don't you see, Blondie? That's just what they want us to think…they want us to worship them and be grateful that they're there to save us. It's only so that they can screw more money out of us." Emma fumed at his statement. Okay…this man was completely delusional and Emma was very tempted to knock some sense into him right away. Peter just shook his head as he huffed.
"Why are you telling us this?" Peter asked him, wanting Toomes to just get to the point already.
"Because I want you both to understand." Toomes answered before adding. "And…I needed a little more time to get her airborne." Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, not understanding his response until the pair of the Vulture's wings came crashing through one of the cement walls. Emma flinched at the loud sound and immediately knew why Toomes had given them such a boring and long villain monologue. He had obviously been stalling.
As the pair of wings came flying towards them, Emma immediately ducked to the ground as Peter did a flip through the air before doing the same. As the pair of wings came flying back again, Peter shot his webbing in a different direction and propelled himself over there. Emma simply flew well above the wings but she was even more confused to see that it wasn't following her. In fact, the wings didn't really seem to be targeting Peter either. The wings just kept crashing into the cement pillars in the warehouse almost mindlessly. Something in her, perhaps her survival instinct, told her that there was a reason for this. She bit her lip anxiously as Emma lowered herself back to the ground next to Peter. She landed on her feet and looked incredulously up at Toomes who seemed rather smug.
"I'm sorry, guys." Toomes said them just as the pair of wings flew above them, nearly hitting them before Emma and Peter both ducked to the ground again. Peter was sent skidding across the cement ground as the wings nearly clipped his head. Emma glared at the pair of mechanical wings, trying to put the pieces together. Why was that old fool so smug? What did he have up his sleeve?
"What are you talking about?" Peter asked in disbelief as he got back up from the ground. Emma stood up and walked back over to him so she could stand next to him. "That thing hasn't even touched us yet."
"True…" Toomes admitted with that smug smirk on his face. "Then again…wasn't really trying to." It was then that the pair of wings came flying by and started crashing through all the cement pillars. Emma's eyes widened as she realized what he had meant to do. He meant to bring this whole place crashing down on them. It was a good plan and something she would've done had she been in his place. Emma wasn't even sure if she could survive the impact. She was stronger than most average humans but Emma didn't know if she was strong enough.
It was when the pair of wings went crashing through the last pillar that everything seemed to go into slow motion for Emma. She turned her head and saw Peter standing there staring up at the crumbling ceiling. She could practically feel the fear radiating off of him. Emma was sure about what she had to do but the thing was…she wasn't even afraid. Her self-preservation ideals seemed to leave her mind the instant she saw Peter in danger. Emma wasn't afraid of dying but she was instead afraid of Peter dying. The former assassin didn't even want to think of living in a world without Peter's kind brown eyes and goofy smile. He was one of the few good and genuine people left in this cruel world.
If she died for Peter Parker then so be it. Peter was definitely someone worth saving. At least she could finally be the hero Steve and Peter always believed her to be. Emma would never forgive herself if anything bad happened to Peter. Stark had put her and Peter together in the first place because he wanted her to look out for the teenage boy. However, Emma knew that this went far beyond keeping an unspoken promise to Stark. She cared too much about Peter to just watch him get hurt and possibly die.
Emma didn't even hesitate when she practically jumped on Peter, roughly pushing him to the ground, and covering his body with her own. Their faces were inches apart as the pieces of the roof started falling. Emma stared into the white lenses of Peter's tacky goggles before a piece of debris hit her in the head. Her vision began becoming blurry when more and more debris fell on top of them. She wasn't entirely sure whether or not the darkness was her own hallucination or if it was real. The last thing Emma saw before she blacked out was Peter's mask.
Peter woke up gasping for air as he looked around wildly but he only saw darkness. It took a few seconds before his vision steadied and he was able to focus. He felt like he couldn't move and he struggled for another few seconds before he felt a heavy weight on his chest. It wasn't just the debris from the ceiling that held him down but it was an unconscious blonde resting on top of him. Peter's eyes widened as he saw Emma's blonde hair pooled across his chest. Her hair was caked in mud and blood much to Peter's horror. Where was the blood coming from? It was then that he noticed the blood streaming down from Emma's nose as well as from a head wound. Peter started panicking as he stared fearfully at Emma.
"Emma?" Peter said worriedly as he tried to wake her up but she didn't even stir. Tears fell from Peter's eyes as he managed to rip off his mask. "Emma? Please wake up! No, no, no. Please, Emma…you have to wake up!"
Peter moved his hands to shake her head but she still didn't move. He let out a muffled sob as Emma remained unmoving. Emma would've looked incredibly angelic resting there if it hadn't been for the blood streaming from her head as well as her smeared make-up. Her muzzle mask had seemingly fallen off her face so he could see her entire face. Peter felt scared as the always strong and brave Emma Rogers didn't even wake up from his desperate cries.
"Please don't do this to me, Emma! Please! I need you!" Peter cried. He desperately tried lifting the debris off them but he felt utterly helpless and weak underneath all the weight. As he struggled some of the debris shifted causing Emma to slide off his chest and onto the ground somewhere below them. Peter tried to reach out a hand to grab her but it was too late. Peter cried out in anguish.
"No! Please, God, don't do this!" Peter screamed before he realized that crying wouldn't solve anything. What would Emma say if she was awake? She'd tell him to stop crying about it and get them out of there. He needed to get this debris off of him so that he could get Emma out of there before it was too late. Peter managed to flip over on his stomach underneath all the weight of the debris even though it was a tight fit and caused him a great amount of pain.
"Okay, ready?" Peter asked himself as he tried lifting the debris but he struggled underneath all the weight. He let out a strangled sob as he continued to try to remove the debris but it was no use. Peter just didn't seem to be strong enough and he had never felt more alone in his life.
"Hello?!" Peter called out desperately as the tears continued to stream down his face. "Hello! Please, hey. Hey, please…We're down here. We're down here! We're stuck…We're stuck!"
"Emma's down here and I don't know if she's breathing. Please. I'm stuck. I'm-" Peter stopped as he felt overcome with emotion. This was all his fault. He wasn't even sure if Emma was still breathing. If only Peter had stopped her from coming along with him to confront Toomes. She'd never be there if it wasn't for him. If only Peter had protected her more…
It was then that Peter looked up from the ground as he spotted his Spider-Man mask lying in a puddle. He saw his own reflection in the puddle that somehow merged with the mask. Suddenly Mr. Stark's words made sense to him as he remembered what the billionaire told him. 'If you're nothing without the suit than you shouldn't have it'. Peter didn't understand what he meant then but now he did. His suit wasn't what made him Spider-Man…he was Spider-Man with or without the suit. Emma had saved him without her suit because she wasn't just the Viper Assassin…she was also Emma Rogers. The same exact thing applied to him as well. Spider-Man wasn't going to save Emma. No, Peter was going to do that all on his own.
"Come on, Peter." He told himself with new determination in his eyes as he started to lift the debris again. "Come on, Spider-Man. Come on, Spider-Man." He chanted as he mustered all the strength he could into lifting the cement.
"Come on, Spider-Man!" Peter yelled out as he pictured Emma in his mind. He pictured her that night in his bedroom when they laid in his top bunk talking about nonsense. Peter remembered the way the moonlight streamed in through his bedroom window and shone over her face and hair. There was something magical in the way she looked that night that simply took his breath away. Peter used that image of her as well as Mr. Stark's words to gain the courage to lift the debris off himself and hopefully Emma too. He groaned from the weight but he didn't care how much it weighed or how impossible it must be. Peter was determined.
Peter finally regained his footing as he lifted the piece of cement and was able to lift it well above his head as he stood under it. He then pushed the large piece of the debris over to it's side and away from himself and Emma. The teenage boy didn't even have time to feel victorious as he overcame an obstacle. He immediately rushed over to where he had seen Emma fall from under the rubble and searched for the blonde. It didn't take him long to find her familiar head of blonde hair. She was lying a few feet away still unconscious and Peter didn't waste anytime grabbing her gently from underneath her arms before carefully dragging her to a safer spot.
He assessed her condition and winced when he saw all the blood that he knew to be her own. Most of the blood came from her nose and a head wound but he knew for a fact that she had most likely broken her legs too. One of her legs looked to be twisted at an odd angle. Even in all his crying and screaming Emma still hadn't woken up. He gently lifted her head into his lap as he softly began caressing her hair, willing her to wake up. She was still unconscious and didn't even look to be breathing. Peter feared the worst.
"Come on, Emma. Please just wake up." Peter said as he gently caressed her cheek. He furiously wiped the tears from his face as he shook his head.
"Why did you do it, Emma? Why did you save me?" Peter questioned but he knew she most likely couldn't hear him anyways. "This all my fault…why couldn't you have just stayed away like you said?"
"Please don't die, Emma. I'd never recover." Peter begged her but she was as still as ever. He sniffled as he took one of her limp hands in his before placing a chaste kiss against her hand. "I should've never let you go that day. I should've known you were lying when you said we weren't friends…if you wake up I promise to never let you go again. Please."
"I love you!" Peter admitted suddenly, surprising even himself. It was weird saying words that he hadn't even admitted to himself yet. He wasn't sure if he loved her since the moment he first laid eyes on her or if it was something that just happened gradually during all the time they spent together but Peter was never as sure as he was in that moment. As Emma laid there possibly dying he knew that he was completely in love with her. There was an old saying that said that you don't know what you have until it's gone. Peter could entirely relate to that old saying in this moment. Which was why it would kill him if she never woke up.
"It's crazy right? We've only known each other for a month and a half but it doesn't feel that way. I feel like I've known you forever." Peter told her as he desperately searched her face for any signs of life but she was still unconscious. Tears flooded his eyes again as he moved a strand of her blonde hair from her face and gently tucked it behind her ear. "I can't even remember what my life was like before you came along. It feels like you were always here."
"You looked so beautiful tonight in that dress. I wish I had the chance to tell you that…I wish I had asked you to the dance instead. Maybe we wouldn't even be in this mess." Peter remarked sadly.
"I know you'll probably never feel the same way about me but please don't die. That's more unbearable than anything." Peter said in misery. He then forced a smile as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"You wanted to see your father and grandfather again, remember? You love them, Emma, and they need you. It's why you have to wake up." There was still no sign of life from Emma and the forced smile fell off his face as he leaned down and rested his face against her forehead. He should've protected her better…he should've told her he loved her when he had the chance. Emma probably would've looked at him like he was an idiot but at least she would know.
Emma woke up to the odd sensation of wetness on her face. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she felt a mysterious liquid continue to drop on her face. What was that? Before Emma could spend anymore time lingering on the idea she felt an immense amount of pain all over her body. She couldn't remember feeling that much in pain since after waking up from the serum injections when she was seven. Her whole body felt sore…as if she had gotten hit by a train or something similar.
"Who's slobbering all over my face?" Emma asked suddenly before she groaned in pain. Peter immediately lifted his face from Emma's to look at her and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw her eyes open. He laughed in both disbelief and relief as Emma sat up from her position on the floor and tiredly looked around.
"You're alive!" Peter exclaimed before he wrapped Emma into his arms and hugged her as if he would never let go. This seemed to make her more alert and aware. Emma's eyes widened in bewilderment, completely surprised and confused by Peter's abrupt action. She normally didn't liked being touched or fussed over but Emma seemed to be making a lot of exceptions when it came to Peter.
"Of course I'm alive, Parker. Why wouldn't I be?" She said, sounding very surprised at Peter abrupt gesture. He pulled back, his brown eyes gleaming with happiness, as he looked her over. Emma was taken back by the joy and wonder clearly displayed in his face, not understanding how he could seem so happy just by looking at her. She blushed from his attention and carefully avoided eye contact with him. It occurred to her then that the wetness she had felt on her face was probably Peter's tears. Had he been crying? His eyes did look a little red rimmed after all.
"I thought I lost you." He whispered softly and Emma smiled at him before shaking her head.
"It's going to take a lot more than an old man with wings to kill me, Parker." Emma quipped before wincing in pain as her soreness made itself present again. Peter's smile faded into a frown as he looked at her in concern.
"Are you okay?" He asked and Emma gritted her teeth before shaking her head furiously.
"No. It really hurts." Emma admitted. Normally she would never admit to her pain but Emma was in too much pain to care at the moment. Despite feeling elated that Emma wasn't gone after all, he felt worried. He had never seen Emma in this much pain…not even when Emma reset her nose after it broke that one time.
"Is there anything I can do?" Peter asked but Emma just shook her head again as tears flooded her eyes from the pain. Most of the pain she felt was in her legs although her ribcage area felt very sore too.
"Nope. I have a healing factor, remember? Only I think this might take more than a few minutes…try several hours." Emma said but groaned in pain a second later. "What the hell happened?"
"Toomes brought down the building on us. You shielded me…you saved my life, Emma." Peter explained to her as Emma tried to process what he was telling her. Peter was still in a bit of awe as he recalled the way Emma had quickly thrown him the ground just as the debris started falling from the ceiling. "The debris knocked you out. I was so worried since you wouldn't wake up. It took me a while but I finally managed to left all the rubble off of us and free the both of us." Emma stared at him intently before glancing over at a concrete slab in the distance. Peter managed to lift that hunk of cement off of them? She always knew he was stronger than she was but he still managed to surprise her. It seemed like they both had saved each other.
"Thank you." Emma said quietly before running a hand over her face only to notice that some of her make-up was now on her hand. "God, I bet I look like a sad clown right now. I could probably pass as the Joker." Emma muttered to herself as she tried to think of something other than the pain. Peter glanced briefly at the smeared make-up on her face. He hadn't really much attention to her make-up before since he was panicking over whether or not she would wake up. The make-up she had smeared all over her eyes actually looked pretty cool but it was her lipstick that seemed to take brunt of it as it was smeared across her face as well. The expression on Peter's face softened as he gave her a reassuring smile.
"No, you look nice…I think you look more like Harley Quinn. The pretty Margot Robbie version, I mean." Peter told her honestly. He really did think she looked a lot like Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in that singular moment. Emma managed to smile in amusement as she looked back at Peter.
"Are you flirting with me, Parker? No one's ever told me I looked like Margot Robbie before even if it's the insane wack job she plays in a movie but…whatever. I'll take it." Emma teased and Peter blushed as he looked away from her, slightly embarrassed because he realized that he had been flirting with her.
"Harley Quinn is actually a really popular DC character that was created in the nineties-" Peter started to argue but was immediately interrupted by Emma who rolled her eyes at him.
"Don't be such a nerd." Emma quipped before frowning as her memory before the building collapse came back to her all of a sudden. It seemed like Peter had been trying to distract her from the pain all this time that she had momentarily forgotten about the reason they were in that situation in the first place. The weapons…Birdman. Emma looked around wildly as she tried to spot Toomes but she didn't see him anywhere. "Birdman…where is he?"
"I don't know where he went." Peter admitted. He realized then that he hadn't even thought of Toomes since he saw Emma passed out under all the rubble. He really must've been that worried.
"We have to find him, Peter. He has those weapons and Hydra can't get them." Emma said seriously, her blue eyes widening at the thought of Hydra getting their hands on those weapons…of Rumlow having those weapons within his grasp. It was needless to say that the thought made her more than a little uneasy.
"Okay, Emma we'll get him." Peter promised but not before looking back at her worriedly as she winced when she attempted to get up from her spot on the ground. It seemed to Emma like her legs just didn't want to cooperate. She tried once more to get up but she knew that there was no way she was going to be able to walk, much less fly or run, anytime soon. Peter placed his hands on her shoulders to try and steady her but Emma just shook her head. She knew it was useless.
"I don't think I'm going to be okay for a while, Peter. My legs are broken…They keep trying to heal but they can't without them being reset. I need medical attention." Emma told Peter honestly and Peter nodded.
"Of course. I'll take you to a hospital right away." He said without missing a beat but Emma just gave him a sad look.
"There's no time for that. You have to stop him now before it's too late…you have to stop him without me." She stated and Peter furiously shook his head. Emma must've been very delirious to say something like that, Peter thought to himself. They were partners…he couldn't do this without her.
"No way…you're badly injured Emma. You're more important than Toomes and maybe Ned finally got through to Happy…maybe Mr. Stark will stop him." Peter said although he was trying reassure himself more than Emma. It was then that Emma grasped both his hands in hers and she locked eyes with him. Peter immediately felt hypnotized by the incredible blueness of her eyes as well as the green combined in them as well. The moonlight truly looked beautiful reflected in them. He was reminded of that night she spent in his room again.
"You need to finish the mission, Peter. That's your job…I already failed but you can still stop Toomes. The mission is what's important." Emma told him seriously as she stared into the depths of his warm brown eyes.
"You're more important to me than some stupid mission, Emma!" Peter argued, furious that she was putting Toomes above herself. He had already almost lost her once…he didn't want to lose her again. Emma was surprised at his passionate outburst but she didn't have time to debate over what his outburst could mean.
"Peter, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You have to make sure Toomes doesn't steal anything from that plane. None of us will be fine if he does." Emma said as she tried to get Peter to think about this rationally. "You have to do this on your own Peter…it's a solo mission from here on out."
"I don't know if I can do this on my own…not without you." Peter said sadly but Emma just shook her head at him. There wasn't a single part of her that believed that. She knew Peter and she knew what he was capable of.
"Yes, you can. You're one of the strongest people I know, Peter, and I don't just mean that literally. I know that you're gonna hunt that idiot down and kick his ass for me." Emma told him fiercely as Peter listened intently to her, hanging onto her every word. "You managed to save us both from being trapped underneath the rubble. I know you can do this."
"What about you?" Peter questioned softly. It seemed like he was becoming more comfortable with the idea of leaving her alone. He was slightly taken back by the words Emma said to him. She completely believed in him and it was clear to Peter that he had been searching for acceptance in the wrong place. He had been searching for the acceptance of a father which he had found in Uncle Ben and had wanted to find in Mr. Stark but it wasn't the acceptance of a father that he wanted. No, it was the acceptance of the girl he loved. The fact that Emma believed in him suddenly meant so much more to him. He felt like the whole entire world could turn against him and it wouldn't even matter because Emma believed in him.
"I'll text Darcy for help. I'll be just fine, Peter." Emma reassured him and Peter nodded although he looked a bit reluctant.
"Even if I do go how will I ever find him?" Peter asked her and it was then that she saw some movement in the distance. She smirked as she spotted something familiar.
"I don't think you'll have to look very far." Emma pointed out as Peter followed her gaze. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted Toomes in his Vulture suit sitting on a billboard a ways away. It was evident that Toomes didn't notice them there as the older man looked in a different direction. Peter then turned back to Emma who seemed rather calm for someone in a lot of pain but he knew that she was probably trying to hide it to make it easier for him to leave.
"I can't just leave you here." Peter told her and Emma looked at him defiantly.
"You can and you will." Emma then finally removed her hands from his and reached into one of the compartments on the belt of her suit. Peter watched curiously as she pulled out a familiar looking contraption. The compass. "Here…take this." Emma stated as she placed the compass in Peter's hands. It felt cold in his hands but Peter couldn't help but looked back at her in surprise.
"This is your grandfather's compass…why are you handing it to me?" Peter asked her and Emma locked eyes with him again.
"He carried it with him through the war and everywhere since. Down in the ice, New York, Washington D.C., Sokovia, The Airport…when he found me. He's managed to stay alive every time so he likes to think it brings him luck." Emma told Peter as she glanced between him and the compass. "It doesn't seem to work for me so maybe it will work for you."
"I can't take this, Emma...I know what this means to you." Peter said, shaking his head but Emma didn't seem to have changed her mind.
"Just bring it back to me then." Emma replied simply and Peter knew better than to argue with her. She could really be stubborn when she wanted to. He glanced down at the small compass in his hand and flipped it open. He could hear the soft ticking as the seconds went by and he saw the picture of a young and beautiful Peggy Carter staring back at him. Peter wondered if Peggy Carter was to Steve Rogers what Emma Rogers was to him? The teenage boy then flipped the compass closed before tucking it away in the pocket of his sweatshirt. He gave Emma a look full of promise.
"I'll take care of it…I promise." Peter told her and Emma started feeling a bit sleepy. It must've been from her body being completely exhausted from the pain and soreness. She smiled at Peter and it was Peter's favorite smile. Her smile actually reached her eyes and he knew she was being completely genuine with him.
"Here's to looking at you, kid." Emma said, not knowing what other way she could wish him good luck. It was a saying she heard in one of her favorite movies which was also said by one of her favorite actors. Steve had said she was the Bogie of her own story after all, hadn't he?
Peter didn't really know what Emma meant by the comment but he figured she was trying to wish him good luck. He smiled back at her before leaning down and completely taking Emma by surprise as he placed a chaste kiss against her forehead. Emma's heart raced at his closeness and her eyes may have even fluttered shut for a brief moment. Something had changed tonight…Emma wasn't sure what had changed but there was something very different in the night air. She couldn't explain it but before she could think anymore on it, Peter pulled away. Emma opened her eyes again to look at him as he put his mask back on. He seemed to be just about ready to go when he turned to look back at her one last time.
"Stay safe and call Darcy." He told her. Emma didn't usually like being ordered around but she didn't feel the same way when Peter said that to her. She knew it was only because he cared about her well being. She nodded briefly as she smiled at him again.
"I will. Now go get him." Emma replied and Peter grinned from underneath his mask. Emma's smile was all he needed to finish this once and for all. She was right…he could do this. Peter was going keep those weapons from getting into the Vulture's hands. Emma and Mr. Stark were right about everything. He was going to go stop Toomes from hijacking that plane and he was going to do it alone. Emma had already done her part in saving him from the brunt of the debris now it was his turn to finish the mission like she said. Peter then shot his webbing in the direction of Toomes who looked about ready to leave.
Emma watched Peter leave feeling both supportive and worried. She knew that Peter was going to finish the mission successfully but that didn't mean that she wasn't worried about him. It seemed like tonight didn't help her solve the problem she had about Peter. Emma decided not to think too much on the topic as she pulled out her phone from another compartment on her belt. The screen was cracked but Emma honestly thought it would be more damaged. Stark phones seemed to be stronger and more resistant against destructive forces like building collapsing on top of you. Emma immediately began texting Darcy to let her know what was going on.
To: Darcy
From: Emma
Badly injured. Call Stark.
Emma hit the send button before tossing her phone to the side and laying back on the ground. The pain of her wounds trying to heal troubled her greatly and she constantly clenched and unclenched her fists. There was also a lot of pain from her head and tried to think of anything else to dull the throbbing pain. Her eyes focused on the night sky as she proceeded to count all the stars. It was something her father and her used to do on missions a long time ago when they were just trying to kill time. Sometimes when they were in Siberia they could even see the Northern Lights. Emma spent her life shrouded in darkness and ugliness but the Northern Lights had almost made it seem worth it…almost. It was then that Emma's began to feel herself drift asleep as she thought of the Northern Lights and her father. However, the last thing Emma pictured in her mind, before she completely succumbed to the darkness, were a pair of eyes that were the warmest and nicest shade of brown.