~The Burning Truth~
Tony sped through the sky, following his HUD trajectory. His boosters spitting fire like money as he entered the edge of Queens, the buildings and airplane ports lighting up every shadow and corner built by generations of architects that catches the last remaining sunset and the early moon.
His mind tumbled and furrowed as he wonder what could cause an alert in the spider suit. Peter's AI sent him an assistance alert as well as an immediate repair on the outer layer of the boy's suit, and not much later he got a call from May. Many things could cause Peter's strange predicament, and it made him slowly worried as the suits tracker remained at one point in his map blinking on and off. Being late intentionally and making his aunt worried didn't match the spider's character, so something happened and he's going to find out why.
When he past the heart of the city, back to the south's edge were some of the highest buildings cutting the starlight sky like a throwing knife he slowed down enough to steady himself taking in his surroundings.
Tony looked at the black sky, thoughtful. "Friday, close on Peter's location."
His location glowed as it moves all across his screen until his targeting system slowed to a stop landing on the top right corner of his HUD screen. Without a sound, he propelled himself east spotting the spider he's been looking for minutes later.
He landed softly, the metal boosters spitting dying embers before they closed off completely. The suit melted back into the nano particle storage unit clamped to his chest. For a second, he just stared at the hunched over figure, the boy's shoulders slump and shuddering. Tony straightened his grey jacket before walking up to him. Peter was oblivious to his entrance and shook violently as his mentor rested a hand on his shoulder. The city lights moved its shadow, and it showed why Peter's suit asked for a maintenance check. The suit was burned to the last layer, black charred cloth folded in itself around slowly healing burn marks that looked red and inflamed that need medical attention.
"Kid, what happened?" He found himself asking.
Peter was caught off guard finding Tony next to him with a grim expression that was well covered. The state of his suit was probably the reason, but he didn't care about the suit that clung to his skin like a second layer. He quickly wiped the single tear that slipped down his cheek, shaking off the embarrassment as he forced a small smile. He couldn't let Mr. Stark see him like this, not in this state. Peter forced a smile on his face. "Hey, Mr. Stark, I-I didn't know you were here."
Tony took a seat beside him. "I wouldn't imagine I would be, but here I am." He looked at the city in front of him, staring as he continued. "Kid, are you okay?" It took a lot to keep up a calm facade, and not give into a panicked, yelling state. Tony forced his heart to slow down to hear Peter's words.
Peter gave a half chuckled that turned into a wince. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
Tony sighed, finally looking at the boy he took under his wing four months ago with barely contained worry. "Well, if you must know your suit has sensors that detect any deteriorating systems or programs, so that gives it away." He sighed. "Also, the missing half of what used to be called a suit is gone, turned to ash I'm assuming.
Peter give a knowing smile. "Karen?" Tony nodded.
"Yeah, you wish, but yeah. She gave me the red light before she was shut down completely, and a few of your sensors sent for assistance, so mind telling me why your out here twenty minutes before midnight with burn marks that are probably third degree and not sitting on a bed getting proper medical treatment while I 'lecture' you about fire safety?"
Peter sighed solemnly. "I messed up, Mr. Stark. I messed up so bad." He brushed his hand through his hair hard and frustrated. This was worse than the Ferry incident. Being almost split in two was nothing compared to what he went through. "How could I not see it! If I'd just figured out a way then it never would've happened! I had her! She was right there...!" He gripped his hair in a fist, hissing at the pain and self loathe bubbling in his chest.
Tony straightened up, waving his hands in a calming motion. "Okay kid, I need you to slow it back down to a one sentence per second speed limit." Peter took a few slowing breaths as he refused to meet his mentors' soft gaze. Tony patted Peter's shoulder carefully not to irritated the boy's shoulder. "I don't have a bachelor's degree in human counseling, but if you have something on your mind..." Peter stood up straight leaving his mentor side and walked away from the edge running a hand through his hair harshly.
He clutched his eyes tight as his fists turned white. "She died, and I couldn't stop it! How can I be a hero when I couldn't save a six year old girl!"
Tony sat there shocked. "I guess you do have something on your mind, kid. Mind to elaborate." He waited for a moment as the boy's chest continued to suck in too much air. "Kid, you need to calm down before you shoot off to space or something." Peter nodded numbingly, not even registering the small hint of fear in Tony's voice, before returning to his spot next to Mr. Stark.
Peter gave a shuddered breath. "Well you know the apartment complex on 46th street?" He waited as Tony nodded before continuing. "Ned picked up an emergency evacuation alert for the area, so I went to check it out. Turns out it was a huge fire that started in one of the apartments on the fourth floor before the winds transferred the fire towards the other departments. When I got there, me and the police captain, had to form a barrier to contain the flames. I managed to created a thick wall of webbing and some metal scrapes to by us some time. Once that was done, five of the buildings were still on fire, but at least there was no wind to extend the perimeter of the fires heat." Peter licked his dry lips as his body mentally felt the heat from the scorching hot flames. "I would go in the first one since it was the most unstable, while the firefighter commander and his team's went into the next four until I could provide assistance." Peter stated at his hands, rubbing them back and forth. The pressure on his shoulder tightened. He looked up expecting a look of pity, but instead he got understanding and he didn't know which was worse. The understanding that made him feel small and pathetic or the pity that was no where to be found. He was glad the pressure on his shoulder was there. It grounded him, and it seemed his mentor sensed that as well. "But when I got inside the building that's when everything went downhill."
Everything that happened came back in a flash.
~O~
"Spider-Man, you have an ETA of twenty-three minutes before the structure collapses," The firefighter commander said, strapping on his oxygen tank and mask to his right shoulder. Peter stood next to him in front of the inflamed building entrance as police cars, paramedics and firefighter head lights glowed red and blue creating an eerie atmosphere while reporters snapped photo after photo, live recording the scene around them.
Peter nodded. "How many civilians?"
The commander had a thoughtful face. "Not an exact count, but maybe seven victims. Are you sure you don't need a mask or any equipment?"
Spider-Man shook his head, his eye lenses narrowing. "No, your team needs it. My suit has one built in." He taped his ear. "Karen set a timer for twenty minutes top."
"Twenty minutes set, waiting for voice activation, though I must inform you the temperature is spiking from the source, initiating heat membrane protocol." Peter took a few steps back as his suit lit up from his chest and radiated to the rest of his body before returning to it's natural state. "Process successful. I'm reporting increased strain on the top two floors. I suggest immediate action." He didn't have time to question the sudden action his suit made as he faced the commander.
"If the situation worsens get the crowd out of here." He felt dull and numb as the fire raged cloaking the dark blue sky with a miserable grey hue.
"Wait!" He turned looking at the stern expression on the dark tanned skin of the firefighter. The man held out his hand. "Good luck Spider-Man." Peter grasped the man's hand in his tightly, nodding.
"You too, commander." And with that they parted ways. The veteran firefighter screaming orders as medics and officers barricade the area and waited as the firefighters and him took off. Peter wasted no time, and busted through the window, landing with a hard crash as the people watched the neighborhood hero rise within the flames on the fourth floor.
"Karen, start the timer." He took off dodging flickering flames and falling wood beams.
"Twenty minutes until catastrophic failure. I suggest you move quickly. I'm detecting two heat signatures above you." Karen said. Peter shot two webs into the fire and propelled himself forward as he felt the familiar strain once the web's made contact. Peter spotted a staircase leading up to the next few floors, but beams, debris, and flames made it nearly impossible to even shoot webs.
"Come on Peter think." He looked at one of the beams leaning against the railing untouched by the flames. The angle and length was perfect. "That'll do." Peter grabbed the large wood balancing it on the railing webbing it together before easing himself on the wood. He calculated the right angle to jump on the wall a few meters in front of him, and leaped. The jump was easy, but he winced as the flames came in contact with the suit. He stuck himself to the wall before leaping to the next level railing. He hopped over the staircase landing in a cautious stance.
"Heat membrane at ninety-five percent." Karen quipped. Peter ignored her as a hallway of apartment doors were present. The heat felt suffocating, but oddly enough it felt fine. He was almost fifty percent sure it has to do with the heat membrane.
"Alright, Karen. Where are they?" He asked.
"Room 412 to your left. They are currently taking refuge in the main bedroom." He didn't waste a second running down the hall kicking down the door before he was throw back in shock at the sudden heat. Peter was thankful his HUD screen was operable as a 3D model of the room was illuminated. He rushed to the bedroom pushing the door opening scanning the room. A man and woman were holding each other close and tight in the corner of the bed smashed together between the dresser and the king size bed.
The man's eyes widened as he watched the door open. Peter kneeled down to their level. "I know your scared, but we need to go are you hurt?" The man shook his head as his wife cried.
"No, we're fine." he looked down at his wife running a hand through her hair. "Nadia, we need to go. Spider-Man gots us." The couple slowly got to their feet taking in uneven breaths as the smoke gathered at the top of the ceiling black and thick like an oil factory puffing out unnecessary smoke. Peter knew they couldn't go back the way he came, but a window on the east side of the apartment was close enough.
He turned towards them. "We need to get to window in the living room." He cleared a path for them as the trio coughed around the debris that the couple called home. The window was in place before Peter punched it, shards falling down below. A large crowd was below them yelling and pointing at them as some pedestrians spotted them. He webbed the bottom of the window pane to prevent getting cut and made an entire web slide. Once he was done he face the man.
"I need you to slide down," Peter said. The man looked down with a gulp before letting go his wife with a nod. He positioned himself on the window pane about to push himself off when Nadia screamed.
"No! You can't leave me! Sam!"
Peter stopped her from running to her husband, but he looked at the man. "Go! I got her!" The man nodded before sliding down. Nadia fought back against him, but it was in vain. Peter grabbed her shoulders. "Look, Nadia, I need you to listen to me. Your husband's fine, but you have to go."
"I can't," she whimpered.
He shook his head. "Yes, yes you can. You can do this, it's just like a slide at a park. Don't think about it, okay? I know you can do this, your husband is waiting for you." He looked at the rising flames. "Look, we can't stay here and I can't leave until your safe. Nadia, trust me."
She squeezed her eyes shut, crying before she forced herself to move to the window. Her eyes opened fixated on Peter. He nodded encouraging and she slid down. Peter let out a breath of relief as she hugged her husband. He turned around running back to the front door when an explosion from the kitchen sent him back into the living room wall. Ceiling tiles and boards falling on his shoulders. The suit melted and burned on his side and left arm before miraculously repairing itself. He sat shocked as a cool sensation flowed at the area of the burns when Karen voice brought him back to the fiery reality.
"Heat membrane at seventy-two percent, and twelve minutes left before structural integrity is depleted."
Peter groaned as his muscles protested. He found the next three on the same level two floors above him, getting them to safety. He spent a huge portion of webbing with only a capacity of three large shots left, and now his suit was at twenty-five percent with only six minutes to spare. Peter coughed as the suits filter system was damaged. The suit has definitely seen better days.
"Karen where's the last one?!" He yelled as he flipped over falling boards and planks.
"Scanning," she said. "I've detected a signature on the next floor up." Peter jumped onto the wall crawling upwards. He reached the floor, but a huge hole was made from the beams above him. The building freaked and groaned as the foundation grew weaker.
"Karen, where?!"
"Over the hole down the hall to your right in a janitors closet it seems."
"I'm on my way!" He yelled as he jumped over the collapsed floor. He was running past and through the flames. The fire was like a raging wind that held the summer heat at a California beach that made him long for a cold winter season. He approached the closet opening the door. Inside, a little girl was curled inside, her shoulders shaking as she cried. Her light brown hair matched her ash covered face as she hugged herself. Peter found scorch marks littered on her face and arms, but otherwise unharmed. He kneeled towards her the girl expressionless as she stared at him.
She wiped her nose as she sniffed. "Hi Spider-Man." She whispered.
Peter nodded slowly, looking left and right. "Hi, what's your name?"
"Kiely," She mumbled. A crash behind him had him turning fast looking at a fallen beam that ignited another wave of heat and flame. Peter laughed nervously. They needed to get out of here.
"Okay, Kiely, I need you to come with me."
She shook her head. "I don't want to leave. I want my daddy!"
Peter sucked in a deep breath. "I know, but he isn't here, but I can make a deal with you. How does that sound?" The fire was getting hotter, and the place this girl probably called home won't be here much longer.
"Okay."
Peter glowed. "Okay, great. I'll give you the first letter of my name if you let me get you out of here."
She shook her head frantically, fearing taking over. "But it's safe here. Mommy says to stay here cause it's safe."
Peter did a double take. Who would tell their daughter to stay during a fire? "Y-your mother told you that?!"
Kiely nodded. "It's safe here."
Peter took a deep breath as he readjusted his posture. "Okay... but your dad is probably worried." He grew thoughful. "I know your scared, but it won't be much longer before it's over. Besides, don't you want to see mommy and daddy?" Again, she nodded, tears streaming down her round pink cheeks.
"Then I need you to come with me. Don't worry nothing will happen." He reached his hand out waiting for her to take it. It didn't take long when her little fingers wrapped around his gloves ones.
"Only if you tell me the first letter of your name," she whispered a small gleam in her browns eyes that made the fire around them dull.
Peter smiled under the mask. He put his arms under her forearms lifting her up against his chest and shoulder. "I did say that didn't I? Well, okay then. My first name starts with P. Think you can guess?"
Kiely nodded, doing anything to keep herself from looking at the fire around them. "Hmm, yep. There's not a lot of names that start with P."
Peter had to agree. Especially boys name. Okay maybe she will figure it out. His AI startled him as he carefully made his way to the nearest window... only to find none. Peter looked around, but the fire and smoke made it harder for him.
"Peter, you have exactly two minutes and thirty-two seconds. Please, I urge you to leave the premises!" Uh oh! Peter continued to search for their way out, but he grunted in frustration. He could've sworn he passed one.
The little girl coughed as she made her first guess. "Um, Petri?"
"Well you got the first letter correct." Peter managed to laugh as she stuck her tongue out, but the moment was short lived when the ceiling caved in front of them. The girl wrapped in his arms screamed as Peter gently cushioned the girls head against his collarbone protecting her from the force of heat that came after. "Karen! Find me an exit!"
"The floor below you!" She sounded frantic as a timer blared in his HUD screen. "Peter, you have forty-five seconds before collapse!"
Peter started to panic as the flames kicked his feet and face. He started to run when the floor creaked beneath him, and his spider sense screamed. In the next second, all he heard was Kiely's high pitch scream as they fell. He shot his left wrist up letting the web catch the ceiling above him. He yelled as the floor above him blew up. The blast sending a raging heat that hit Peter's back. He bit his lip holding back a scream.
"Heat membrane protocol down." As soon as Karen said it his suit lit up like before he entered the building and he got a taste of hot it really was. He let out a gasp as his lungs and muscles contracted as a surge of heat covered him like a blanket. Kiely was crying into his shoulder, a mix of tears and a low oxygen cough. Peter's eyes widened as he heard the familiar sound of his webs snapping. He looked up seeing the only thing keeping them alive slowly strand by strand snapping like it did back at the Washington Monument.
"Peter! You have twenty seconds before..."
"I know!" He screamed. He looked up and down frantically. "Come on! Think!" He scanned the room, but he only found flames. The entire building was fully engulfed in flames and a suffocating smoke that was burning them alive, killing all the oxygen they have left.
A tiny voice made everything halt for him. "Spider-Man I'm scared." There was a final testimony to that statement that made Peter's chest tightened and his throat close completely. He rubbed his thumb in circles on her back, shaking his head.
"You just need to hang on a little longer. Please, just hang on." He looked at the bottom of his feet that looked endless in red and orange that would've reminded him of a late Friday night sunset, but now it only reminded him of the description of Hell.
"Ten seconds!"
Peter barely heard her as the last web snapped and the ten seconds was up as the entire structure collapsed. Everything blended into red haze as the world turned black.
~O~
"When I woke up, it must've been a few minutes. I was caught in an air pocket between two walls." Peter swallowed the thick bike that made his throat sear with pain. "S-she wasn't there. I managed to get out of the rumble, but I couldn't find her! I tried looking for her, but as soon as I escaped the pocket I realized how vulnerable I actually was. My suit was mangled and melted, and the fire was still going. I had to get out of there, but no matter where I looked I couldn't find her. I couldn't go back outside knowing her parents were there or more importantly her father... I just..." He trailed off leaving the words hanging in the air.
Tony took everything in. "Kid, listen before you dive into pool of self despair, let me tell you this."
He gestured to the city in front of them. "This life, this responsibility is the hardest part for heroes. Kid, when I first started this charade I wasn't ready." He sighed. He remembered the late nights where he worked tirelessly to protect the few people he could call family. The threats that kept him in high alert for months making sure Pepper was safe. "And neither are you."
Peter stayed quiet. It made sense, but it made everything more complicated and painful. It angered him how much it took him to realize what really mattered and just how much time he really had. "How did you do it?"
Tony hesitated, thinking. "This is where things become strange. I had a support group, the worst one you can imagine. I had the team, Pepper and Rhodey, and on bright and sunny days, Happy." He smirked, but it faded as he looked at Peter. "Kid, you've made a lot of progress, you've seen stuff that a fifteen year old shouldn't have seen on a late Friday night, but it's what you do right?"
Peter nodded.
Tony rubbed his hands on his knees, the weight on his shoulder visible. He wasn't prepared for something like this. Didn't have the experience that counteract his inability to work with others, and he felt words fall into his tongue, but none felt right.
"Remember when I first met you?" He asked.
Peter nodded. "Yeah, you used my aunt against me so I would go, why?"
Tony groaned. "I'm going to ignore that section. I asked what made you do this." He pointed to the burned suit tight on Peter's figure.
Peter gave him a curious glance, his brown eyes shifting back in forth trying to get a read on his mentor's face. "I said that when bad things happens it's because of us, but I don't understand."
Tony stared at him. "I think you do, but that wasn't the only thing you said. You explained that since you weren't normal before your powers you couldn't be normal after, right?" Peter nodded. "I couldn't push away what you said for months, and I still can't, but when the chips are down what is the first thing you do?"
Peter shrugged slowly, thinking about his patrols. "I help or jump in."
"Exactly, but in some circumstances you don't always come out one hundred percent or leave the place the way it was. There is no way to protect every person, animal, or individual morals." He forced Peter to look at him. "People like us aren't handed many chances, and I was fortunate to obtain more than I needed. So I learned from my past mishaps, and made sure that what ever your feeling right now never happens again. We can spend every second trying to prevent tragedies, loses, harm, and pain, but what we can't do is stop people from living the life they want. Some accidents happens and sometimes for a very specific reason."
"But how does this help me?" Peter asked.
Tony smiled warmly. "Well... it let me teach you what it really means to be a hero. To be one you have to learn how to let go, and learn. It's pure torture to go through that over and over again, but the only reason we were given the power to protect is because of how much strength we have, and you kid have loads of it."
Peter scoffed. "Sure doesn't feel like it." Tony wrapped his arm around Peter's shoulder.
"No it does not, but what are we going to do about?"
Peter let himself smile, as a warm feeling wormed his way into his chest as the crushing weight crumbled off his shoulders. "Whatever we can."
Tony smirked. "You bet we will." He patted Peter's shoulder standing up. "Come on, I want to get you checked out to make sure your not hanging by a thread."
"What about my suit, it's literally collateral damage." Peter remarked looking down at his chest. Tony straightened his jacket with a knowing glance.
"Not for long, unless you want a change of style." He said.
Peter's eyes widened. "A-another suit! I already have two... well one now. That's already enough, Mr. Stark. You don't need to do that."
Tony help Peter up from the edge. "It's not a need it's a want. Two very different things, and something you can't fight me on." He said. "Sorry kid, but I won."
Peter sighed, but then again this was a battle he didn't mind losing. Before they left he continued to stare at the lights each building had. Each one contained at least one person. One person he made a promise to protect, well to the best of his ability. A hand squeezed his shoulder and he looked seeing the understanding his mentor actually had for him. For the first time in a long while he didn't feel alone at night when swung to the top of every building, disarming every robber and criminal out there. He felt like the fifteen year kid from Queens getting advice from his mentor, and for him it meant everything to him. He was far from normal, but Mr. Stark made the best of it.
"You ready Kid?"
Peter nodded and smiled. "Yeah."
Tony clapped his hands together. "Great. How does a red and black suit sound to you?"
A/N: Sorry for the delay, school and holiday kept me busy. I hope this makes up for it.Requests are welcome... please, I could use some.
