I dropped down in through the hole on the roof, my wings allowing me to glide down silently.
Computer monitors showing Avengers Tower and the blueprint of Stark's plane sat amongst other various weapons blueprints.
Peter silently dropped down on a web behind me.
The metal wing suit Peter had talked about was on full display. Silently, the two of us crept around the corner and into the next room.
A man the both of us recognized, the Vulture, stood at his desk along the far wall. Everything else had been cleared out.
"Hey! Surprised?" Peter called across the expanse, continuing farther into the room.
"Oh, hey, Pete. I didn't hear you come in," the man said calmly.
"It's over. We've got you," Peter stated.
"You know, I gotta tell you, Pete, I really, really admire your grit," the man began. "I see why Liz likes you two. I do. When you first came to the house, I wasn't sure. I thought, 'Really?' But I get it now."
"How could you do this to her?" I spoke up.
"To her?" the man started. "I'm not doing anything to her, Eve. I'm doing this for her."
"Huh, yeah," I said, folding my arms.
Peter shot a web at the Vulture's left hand, pinning it against the desk.
The man sighed. "Peter, you're young. Neither of you understand how the world works."
"Yeah, but we understand that selling weapons to criminals is wrong," I said firmly.
"How do you think your buddy Stark paid for that tower? Or any of his little toys? Those people, Eve, those people up there, the rich and the powerful, they do whatever they want. Guys like us, like you and me, they don't care about us. We build their roads and we fight all their wars and everything, but they don't care about us. We have to pick up after 'em. We have to eat their table scraps. That's how it is . . . I know you know what I'm talking about, Peter."
"Why are you telling me this?" Peter drew back.
"Because I want you to understand," the man said softly. "And . . . I needed a little time to get her airborne."
Vulture pulled out a retractable knife out of his pocket. A huge whirring noise was coming straight for us. I ducked, Peter instead jumped up in the air.
Vulture's suit flew out from behind Peter's back. In the confusion of the moment, Vulture had cut himself free from the web.
The wing suit began to attack Peter as he jumped this way and that, dodging the suit that seemed to have a mind of its own.
Standing up from the ground, I once again wished I had my sword. Another piece of rebar would have to suffice.
"I'm sorry, Peter, Eve," the man began, moving to make his exit.
"What are you talking about?" I said, gripping the piece of metal tighter.
"Yeah, that thing hasn't even touched me yet!" Peter called, jumping down from the wall to join me. The two of us ducked as the wing-suit flew over our heads.
"True. Then again, wasn't really trying to," Vulture said.
I looked to my left and right watching as the flying metal wings took out concrete pillar after pillar around us. It wasn't attacking us, it was chopping down the pillars.
Then, the roof succumbed due to the lack of support, crashing down on top of both me and Peter.
Peter's POV
It was dark beneath the rubble of the building. I had to remember which way was up. I grunted, feeling a large chunk of concrete pinning me down.
My powers allowed me to take a beating, but Eve's didn't.
"Eve?" I called out.
No response.
I cursed under my breath, realizing the severity of the situation.
"Oh, god. Okay, ready?" I mumbled to myself, straining to get up. I couldn't. "Hello!" I called out desperately. "Hello! Please . . ." Tears dripped from my eyes, wetting the concrete around me. "I'm down here. I'm stuck! I can't move!" I cried. My breaths were heavy and quick. "I can't . . ."
Before me in a puddle was my Spider-Man mask accompanied by my desperate reflection.
If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it, Mr. Stark's words echoed in my head.
I pushed against the rumble again. "Come on, Peter. Come on, Spider-Man," I willed myself. I strained against the rubble. "Come on, Spider-Man," I whispered.
"Come on!" I now shouted through gritted teeth.
Rubble was raining down around me accompanied by water from a broken pipe.
With a final grunt, I heaved the enormous chunk of concrete off of my back. It clattered away from me loudly.
"Eve?" I called out to the settling dust cloud. She had been by my side when the roof came down. She couldn't have gone far. "Eve, can you hear me?" I called again. "Where are you?"
As the smoke cleared, a pale arm caught my eye.
"Eve!"
She had landed on her back, her wings cocooned around herself protectively, but they were really all just feathers and likely couldn't do that much protecting.
I unwrapped her wings from her body, trying to see how hurt she was. Blood from her stitches crept out of the bandage and onto her Midtown High gym shirt.
I cursed under my breath. Was she even breathing?
"Hey, hey," I said tapping the side of her face. "Eve, c'mon, don't do this to me."
Her once pristine homecoming makeup was smeared, her hair unpinned and left to hang in her face.
I put my ear to her chest, listening for her breathing. She was still alive.
I really needed to stop getting her into these situations.