CHAPTER 15: Slowly Crashing
PETER P.O.V.
I haven't checked my phone in forever, and that's because I'm angry with the results I'm getting.
I've tried every single sequence I can think of. I tried taking some small qualities of the technology out, I tried updating the tech so that it can work faster, and nothing made the duration go down.
These are just some minor setbacks, and I'm only taking minor approaches. I need to find something that'll make this work by doing something a little bit bigger.
I go right back into the settings and try again. As I'm doing that, I look at my watch and see that it's already 9:30 pm and I'm extremely excited about this. This means I have all night to work this out, and hopefully have this program overnight so I can connect it to the machine, test it out early, and I'll be ahead of schedule.
I start jumping up and down as I keep working things out. I have to do my research. By taking the major things out of this technology, it'll make the time decrease big time. Then, if I need it to make the machine work, I can add the little piece that I took out initially and add it back in. It still wont take up a lot of time because it's not programming with everything else in the product. I FIGURED IT OUT!
I start screaming as loud as I possibly can. The only reason why I'm allowed to do that is because Pepper came back from her business meeting and she took Morgan back home for bedtime, and Happy had to go work on some things that I don't even know about so I was just here by myself.
Either Miles was having a really long conversation with Gwen or he was stopping places as he was doing it. Regardless, I had this whole building to myself and I'm loving every second of it.
The screen went back to saying the results of how long it's going to take and I'm smiling at myself, hoping that all the hard work I put in is going to work. As I'm still waiting for the result, I turn my phone back on. My screen time is going to be amazing for a 17 year old teenager.
I check to see that I have so many unread messages it's really shocking. I'm usually really good at getting back to people.
I start with May, since she is family.
PETER- Probably wont get back for dinner, but Indian next time.
Then I have to talk to Ned because Star Wars has been on my mind recently, but gonna have to catch up another time.
PETER- Hey man, I'm at the Tower working on the machine, but we can watch it during decathlon practice tomorrow when nobody is looking.
And then I have to ensure to MJ that I'm not blowing her off and I will make it up to her. That's what a good boyfriend does.
PETER- Hey MJ, I'm sorry that I didn't respond to you. I'm still working on the machine and I just figured out how to program the really advanced technology Tony used a while back. I'm not at my place and I DONT want you roaming around New York by yourself to get there so please stay inside. It's great that your cousin is offering to do things that involves you, I think that's great. When I can at least get this tech programmed, I'll take you out for ice cream and more. I'll talk to you before I go to bed.
I put my phone back down. I look at the screen and I'm smiling from ear to ear.
8 HOURS!"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YESSSSS!" I scream to myself as I'm punching the air. I did it! It'll program overnight, talk to Gwen on how she was able to do this crazy mess without killing anyone, hook it to the machine in the morning and test it out to make sure Miles can get back home and I can close all these portals for all eternity.
Life is going great again."Hey Peter, why are you really excited?"
"I FIGURED OUT THE TECH MILES! It'll be programmed in 8 hours and all the magic will happen in the morning." I smile as his face is lighting up."Wow Peter that's awesome! You really are gifted." The warm feeling I felt in my body earlier is coming back to me again.
"But, I would also like you to meet my friend, Gwen Stacy." Gwen walks into the room, and she looks really cool and edgy. She has this nice haircut, icy blue eyes, and she does look like the type of girl who will cut my throat but hopefully I can stay on her good side while she's here.
"My name is Peter Parker. I'm pretty sure you've met a Peter Parker in your universe."
"Yeah, he was my best friend to be exact. He died and I couldn't save him, so yeah." I'm getting a really scary thought that I'm destined to die from some tragic story based on all these different versions of myself. I still can't get use to the multiverse.
"Anyway, Gwen Stacy. Nice to meet you Peter Parker."
"Nice to meet you too. So, just to tell you everything that's going on, I-"
"I know everything that's going on. I don't mean to cut you off, but Miles was telling me you want to get everything done as fast as possible so I'm here to do just that."
"Right. So, how are you able to go to different universes without killing anyone?" I start playing with my fingers. I hope I'm happy with her response.
"Well, after the whole spider verse disaster, we all returned home and I decided to work on a machine that's similar to this, but it came from the particles that Kingpin used for his little project. They have a whole business just to see a mother and a son. Anyway, in order to get Kingpin out of your hair, you have to defeat him first." Sounds easy. As I'm about to open my mouth to say it, it's like Gwen already knows what I'm about to say.
"Don't be so sure it's super easy. I knew you were going to say it because all the Peter Parkers I know always say it's going to be easy and they have it all mapped out, and I assume you think the same way. That man is strong. He can tear and break just about anything with his bare hands, even a single person's body.
You have to fight him in a way he wouldn't expect. Kingpin knows Spiderman like the back of his head, he knows what you're capable of." I thought she was helping me out, but it sounds like Tony came back alive and put himself into a teenage girl's body just to scold me. That would be really weird but I would believe it.
"After you defeat him though, there's this really purple glowly thing and that's the key to getting everyone to return to their universes without creating anymore portals and keeping the Earth at 7 billion people instead of 50 billion people." 50 billion people in a single Earth would be terrible. I don't think I would have any room to walk the streets of New York.
"So you're saying that thing by itself can make all these weird creatures and enemies go back to their universes?'"
"Yep. Just make sure they don't get ahold of it. All of them want something special like that. And what weird creatures are you talking about?"
"This thing called Venom. Really creepy looking, likes to eat humans whole and alive, it's very disturbing."
"It sounds disturbing. Kingpin is probably in his lab somewhere, but we should track down a full plan before we go over there. Never know what to expect with that guy."
"Sounds great. Miles, you wanna help?"
"I'm in! I can make some pretty good plans."
"No you cannot. You suck at that, but I'm willing to hold up your slack Morales. Okay boys, let's start our plan." Gwen walks over to the table and Miles and I just stare at her. She's honest, just like MJ.
"I can see why you like her." I whisper to Miles and I walk over to the table where Gwen is. Miles rolls his eyes and comes with us so we can map out our plan.
MJ P.O.V.
I'll make it up to you with ice cream and more? That's the biggest Peter response I've ever read in my entire life.
I would walk over to Avengers Tower myself, but I'm not allowed to leave the apartment due to my cousin. She wants me to stay inside and eat the dinner she's cooking for her new boy toy to see if it's good enough. So much for offering something for me, as it was just to butter me up to do something for her.
The ice cream didn't do enough for me so I decided to eat it. She made chicken pot pie and I was really excited to try it until it sucked.
"This is horrible. He would try to sneak out if you told him you needed to use the bathroom." I told her. I'm here to be completely honest, regardless if it hurts her feelings or not.
"Well try cooking for your man and see how he'll react to you." I would if he could just get ice cream with me.
She gets up from the table and she tries to throw seasoning into the pot to give it more flavor. She should just start over if she really wants it to be spectacular. Matter of fact, just get takeout.
I go to my room to read my book. The project in English is really important to me since I've gotten into dystopian fiction lately. I love the unfairness and how the character deals with the crisis they're in.
I'm reading 1984, the epitome of crisis. Sociopaths can really make the world harder. Just to help Peter out of his rut, I know he likes school so I'm going to pair up with him for the project. If only he wasn't too tired and he didn't fall asleep not know about the assignment.
I'm really worried about him. It's not like me to be paranoid and it's not like I need Peter to breathe, but I care about him a lot. More than anybody else in my life. I don't know if that means something huge, I just know how I feel and I have to admit it.
The fact that he isn't answering his phone as much is annoying me. He's been really good with his phone, and now he can't even text without sending me an extremely long message apologizing. It's been like that for the past 2 hours. I understand everything with the portal, but I already told him he's going to stress himself out.
That's Peter Parker for you. Can't tell that guy anything because when he sets his mind to something you can't get him to stop until he does it. An amazing quality but an annoying one in this very situation.
My phone starts to ring and my stomach jumps because I think it's Peter. It isnt…
BETTY- Hey MJ! I'm suppose to be throwing a little senior party for our class this weekend, but I am struggling with an oufit to wear! Wanna shop with me Friday after school?
MJ- Sure. I could use something to wear too.
I wasn't really thinking about the party until Betty texted, but now that it's being brought up I really should go and get an outfit or two.
BETTY- Awesome. I'll pick you up. Last time before you get a great ride of your own
Oh yes, and I cannot wait. I've had my license for the longest time, but I don't have a car to drive. Luckily, my cousin is letting me borrow her old one to use. The car has had major problems though and it's not safe to drive at all, but once it gets fixed I'll be able to drive myself places.
I go back to reading and everything is getting intense. He's staring at this girl in the little building they're in. Novels like this would not be good if a girl didn't come into the boy's life. It makes me smile because it reminds me of Peter and I.
Why do I keep thinking about him like this? I know I've basically stalked his life just because I've always liked him, but the feeling is growing. The more hero work he has to do, the more he invents, my attraction for him grows.
Should I even say that I only like him anymore? I'm a teengaer, I feel like people who are married are the only people who understand love. Some married people.
I stare at my sketchbook, and I know the solution that will help me figure out how I'm feeling. I need to finish my Peter drawing.
I'm finally able to draw his actual face. The strong jawline and the really brown eyes he has. The small but magical mouth that makes my stomach grow with butterflies.
Gross, I sound like a hopeless girly poet. Back to just drawing him in crisis.
After I finish his facial features, I go back to my phone and instead of texting him, I call him.
No answer. What the heck is going on with this guy? I call again, just to at least make sure he's alive.
"Hello?" He says into the phone, like he's in a business office or something."Hey, did you figure everything out with the machine?" I ask him.
"Yeah yeah yeah, I did. The tech is going to program before morning and I'll be able to test it out and see if everything works." After he says that, I don't even know what to say, which causes the whole conversation to go completely dull. Like two people who are on the phone and they have nothing else to say to each other.
Also, did he forget he has to go to school in the morning? How is he going to test it out? We have a project!
"That's great Peter. I know you're busy, but I need to talk to you about something." I hear him let out a long sigh on the phone. I know guys hate hearing the words, but they need to stop giving a reason for girls to say them.
"I know Tony wants you to do this and he believes that you can, but don't you think this is really starting to affect you? You had so many bad dreams, you went to sleep in almost every class, you skipped decathlon training and you don't even care for school in general. Don't think I haven't realized you barely eat anything at lunch too."
"MJ, when I have something as bad as this going down, things are going to change a little bit. I just didn't have the time to call you because I had to figure out a way to get this to program tonight so I can just do my job."
"I don't know Peter. I still get the feeling that you aren't telling me what's going on."
"MJ, I am telling you." He says it with an annoyed tone that I don't appreciate."I'm doing this for the people I care about, including you. When I get this done, everything is gonna go back to normal, I can promise you that. Right now, I have to go after Kingpin."
"You're going after Kingpin?! Why would you want to do that?"
"It's not that I want to, I have to. He has a certain part that I need to close the portals so I gotta defeat him, get the part that I need, and program that too. I'll be fine. Just focus on what you have to do and I'll catch up later." I hear him laughing, and a smile is not appearing on my face, even if I wanted to try.
"Peter, if I find out you aren't telling me the truth, you know what's going to happen right?"
"Not exactly. Would you be mad at me?"
"Not just that." I wasn't trying to threaten him with ending our relationship, but I kinda was just to scare him and make him tell me the truth. I'm not delusional.
"I hope you dont do anything beyond that. I gotta go but I'll see you at school tomorrow. Goodnight MJ."
"Goodnight Peter." I hang up the phone and put it back on the charger.
That's it. I have to get to the bottom of this.