Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of The Avengers. It all belongs to the MCU and The Walt Disney Company
Little Spider Heart Attacks
I wake up feeling cold and alone. Its a change to how I woke this morning, hot, sweaty and my phone buzzing...where is my phone, oh that right. I smashed it. I sit up and a wave of dizziness hits me and I plant my elbows on whatever I'm laying on and breathe trying to focus my eyesight back to normal. It takes a second but everything begins to clear again, and I groan. I look around finding an IV in my hand the tubing attached to a bad filled with clear liquid, probably just saline. Attached to my arms chest and forehead are large sticky cold green gel pads. I look up, I recognize this place because I help Mr. Stark redesign it. The Med Bay in Stark tower is just like the Med Bay at the compound, silver, sterile, up to date and more funded than any hospital in America.
"They think you're crazy" I turn to my left, Howard Stark sits in one of the silver chairs Mr. Stark bought because they "looked fancy."
"What?"
"Those people out there, they all think you're crazy, I too would think you're crazy." I fall flat on my back and grab the pillow shoving it over my face,
"Go away," I mumble into the satin pillow case,
"You're uncontrollable, I would have no doubt that my son is calling Ross right now" I sit up so fast the IV in my arm pulls me back,
"What?"
"When anythings ever been too tough for him to handle he finds a way out of it, boy rarely saw anything all the way through. Football, piano, I paid all this money for karate...went maybe three days." He throws his hand up, "Thats a deposit I'll never get back." I shake my head,
"You don't know Mr. Stark," Howards laughs,
"Thats the problem," Howard stands up looking me straight in the eye, "I do." I blink up at him, Howard is Mr. Starks father. Of course he knows him better than me, therefor he has to be right. I have to get out of here, I reach to my left hand and pull the IV out and quickly start peeling of the sticky green gel pads. When I push the blanket off I find more on my legs, I peal them away and roll off the bed onto my socked feet and fall.
"Ouch." I hit the floor hard, I didn't realize the jello state of my legs and I stay down for a minute. Wow the floor is cold...feels nice.
"Where are you going to go?" Mrs. Carter asks, I look up she's kneeling down in front of me, I have no doubt if she wasn't a ghost she'd offer me a hand. Wow she's really pretty.
"Home,"
"You can't go home." I force myself up on shaky arms and turn in the direction of uncle Ben's voice. He's sitting on the bed I once occupied,
"Why?"
"You'll be putting May in danger." My mom joins in on the conversation standing next to Howard. She's right, I'd never forgive myself if something happened to May because of me, so my home and all of my friends home are out of the question...I'll figure it out on my way out. I reach up and pull off the watch Mr. Stark gave me and drop it on the floor and reach up using the bed to get to my feet. I stretch my legs for a second before looking around. My shoes and backpack are next to each other on a small side table. I grab my shoes and leave my backpack, my spider suit is in there and Mr. Stark can track me with it. I head out of the med bay, the room is surrounded by windows, all the rooms in here are like that, although Mr. Stark did instal a privacy options with nano technology making the windows opaque and clear with a simple touch of a button. I creep out into the hallway and look down both ways, all clear, perfect. Now I just need to find the nearest window.
...
"Heat exhaustion."
"What?"
"Heat exhaustion,"
"No, I heard that part."
"Then why did you make me repeat myself, Tony." Bruce Banner the hero also known as the Hulk sighed,
"You're telling me the kid actually has heat exhaustion and is now seeing dead people."
"And not just dead people, but Howard and Peggy, how can she talk to people she's never meet before." Steve Rogers pointed out pacing back and forth, every since Peggy's name had been brought in, Steve found comfort in keeping his legs moving.
"The imagination is a powerful thing Steve." Bruce pointed out,
"What do you think Peggy said to her?" Steve finally stopped,
"What do you think my father said to her?" Tony asked pouring himself another drink, Natasha Romanov also known as Black Window reached forward and grabbed it out of his hand, downing the vodka in one go and then took the bottle out of Tony's hands,
"Why not just ask boys." She states, putting the bottle back where it belongs and then crossed her arms. Both Tony and Steve shared a look,
"Nahh, I don't want to know" Tony started,
"Me either." Steve finished. Natasha signed, Men were idiots. She turned to Bruce,
"She'll be fine right?" Bruce nodded,
"Oh yes, some fluids a cool down she'll be fine."
"Fluids? I can help the hot girl," Thor, god of Asgard, raised his empty beer mug making it fill once more,
"No Thor." Bruce said, a bit of disbelieve behind his voice,
"Don't say "hot girl" ever again." Natasha turned towards Thor who shrugged tipping the mug back,
"Should we get back to the matter at hand." Sam stepped forward, so far he had done a good job at staying quiet and keeping out of Steve's way as he paced back and forth,
"Good idea, Bruce go wake the kid up." Bruce stood for a second, sighed rolled his eyes and headed towards the med bay, "Good job buddy."
"Tony, let the her sleep." Natasha turned,
"Ya Tony-" Steve started by stoped the minute Tony held his finger out,
"Ah, ah, ah sleep is for the weak, besides the kid heals fast." The ground shook with every step of Bruces feet until he was back in front of everyone,
"Tony we have a problem." Bruce lifted Penny's backpack,
"I see the problem, that back pack is way to small for you Bruce" Bruce looks around at everyone before admitting a low growl and shaking the backpack.
"This is Penny's backpack Tony, she's is gone!" Tony shrugs,
"It's fine the kinds got a waaaaa" Tony drags on as Bruce lifts Penny's watch, "Well then. Friday where's the kid?"
"Penny Parker left the tower ten minutes ago,"
"And you didn't tell me?" Tony was clearly annoyed,
"You did not set any alarms or reminders on Miss Parker." Tony cursed himself, of course he didn't, he thought she'd sleep till someone woke her up but of course she woke up and left; when has Penny Parker ever done anything Tony expected her too? This kid was giving him grey hairs,
"Which way was she heading?"
"Penny Parker left out the back window in the kitchen" Of course, that was one of the few windows in this place that actually opened, he could roll his eyes at both him and her, "It seems she is heading east."
...
Keep your head down, don't look at anyone, look at your shoes. Huh that scuff wasn't there this morning. Keep your head down, keep going. I could only swing for so long without my suit so after a block I lowered my self down and started running, but again I can only do that for so long. A random girl running in New York without work out gear on, again that would be weird. It's so hot and I curse it for not being cold. I could wear a sweatshirt and keep the hood over my head, but no in my poka dot shirt, jean shorts, and sneakers I'm easy to spot. I feel like a criminal, I've never just left like that before, then again I don't think Mr. Stark will miss me all that much.
"Where you going?" I pass Howard Stark, he's just standing there,
"Remember what I taught you Penny girl, pay attention or you'll get lost." I pass Uncle Ben and I decide right then and there, damnit let me look crazy, and I run. Running and weaving, normally I keep my running slower and a bit more clumsy, I can't have anyone seeing the speed and agility I actually process but right now I don't care,
"Look, theirs Iron man" I stop and look up sure enough, Mr. Stark's got the suit out, I start running again. With Iron man people are either too occupied with looking up to see where he's going or they don't care about Iron man therefor they won't pay mind to a random girl running full speed in 90 degree weather. My head hurts, my chest hurts, my legs hurt but I pump faster and faster until everything burns and I have to stop, I find the entrance to the subway and run down the stairs, along with being cooler, it's usually a bit more empty this time of day and I can find a spot to sit. I hit the cement and find the nearest concrete bench and plop down. My heart's going a mile a minute, my lungs burn with each breath I take,
"You're really fast" Mrs. Carters accent hits my ears, it's amazing I can even hear her when it seems like the only sound I can hear is my own blood pumping in my veins, "You remind me of Steve." I look over, she's smiling, it's a nice sight.
"Ya?" I breathe out heavily, she smiles wider and nods,
"I remember when he'd just taken the serum. He was so much taller and bigger, the serum gave him his speed and strength and he chased a man down down the streets after he stole a vile.
"Thats cool" I breathe out, she turns towards me and nods,
"Yes the other man even had a car" I swallow,
"Impressive." she nods and I press my back against the wall, "Do you mind if we sit her for a while."
"Not at all," I rest my head back and close my eyes,
...
I don't know how long I sit there, well more like how long we sit there, the whole time, Mrs. Carter sits next to me, she doesn't talk, thank goodness. Weird people hang out in the subway all the time, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for me to be sitting here talking to the ghost of one of America's greatest secret veterans, but I don't want to be.
"Natasha went to her apartment."
"Isn't it weird that she knows where she lives?"
"She knows where everyone lives."
"Everyone?" I know those voices, I sit up and look across the tracks on the other side and sure enough, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Barnes stand next to each other talking. Mr. Wilson's in shorts and a tight white-T while Mr Barn's stands in jeans and a a black hoodie. Is it possible 80 years in a frozen climate keeps him from feeling hot? It seems like their getting along better than when I first meet them in Germany,
"Everyone, metal for brains,"
"Okay. Only a hero when he's wearing his wings." Okay I stand correct. Mr. Wilson turns to Mr. Barnes but keeps his mouth shut, he turn and unfortunately his eyes land on mine,
"Penny?" Oh god, I bolt, running for the stairs, taking them two at a time,
"Hey, Parker stop!" Mr. Barnes shouts...right behind me, I turn once I get all the way up the stairs, sure enough, Mr. Barnes is also running up them taking two at a time,
"Did you just jump across the tracks?" I breathe out in aww, thats quite a feat, I wanna see that. Instead I turn to my right and run. It's dark, I got to Mr. Starks around five and when I left it was still light so maybe it was six or seven, sunset's usually at 8:30 so it's gotta be like 9...I don't know, I can't run and think right now. I turn and start heading for one of the parks uncle Ben and aunt May use to take me too when I first started living with them. Theirs enough obstacles for me to get away there,
"Stop!" Mr. Barnes calls. I can hear his footsteps right behind mine and I push myself harder, I'm younger, I'm enhanced I should be able to out run him. I push harder and harder and for a second I believe it will only take a few more minutes and a few more turns and I'll have him beat, but that comes crumbling down when Mr. Wilson flies overhead of me. He lands on the sidewalk in front of me.. the thing that sucks about all of this happening in the middle of New York is I absolutely look like a criminal running from two of the Avengers. I groan and turn on a sharp right and head for the fountain in the middle of the park, I hit the lip of the fountain and jumps just getting to the middle where a ring of concert children stand, their faces sculpted into joyful smiles. I push my foot off one of the kids head and jump to the other side hitting the edge and then the ground and keep running. Faster and faster till I hit buildings again, down, left, right, up, down, this reminds me of when I first discovered the agility, speed and strength I had after the bite. Parkour was a huge topic in school and I was amazed when I could emulate the videos the popular boys were watching perfectly. Down this alleyway, up the fire escape on to the building, jump 20 feet to the next building, down the fire escape, over the fence. I can't hear the footsteps anymore then again the blood rushing in my ears is to loud. I get to a row of apartment buildings and turn down a sketchy alley and stop, pushing my back into the brick building. I've done a lot of running in my life, but the out of breath heart pumping feeling is different. BUMP, BUMP, BUMP, I can't get enough air and grab at my shirt pulling it away from my skin as if that will help.
"Alright kid, I'll admit it I'm impressed but are you done running?" I look up gasping for breath as the Iron Man suit slowly descends to the end of the alleyway,
"Don't turn me into Ross." I force out between each breath,
"Ross? Kid what are you talking about?"
"Not...crazy"
"Catch your breath kid and then we'll talk." Mr. Barnes and Mr. Wilson both run into the alley right behind the Iron Man suit. I have no doubt that all three tagged teamed, one the ground two in the sky, Mr. Wilson probably switched back and forth,
"Can't-" I get out breathing in harder and faster,
"Oh we're talking kid." I shake my head,
"Can't breath." I clutch at my shirt and feel my legs just give out, I hit the pavement hard feeling pain reverberate up my spin. I hear shoes shuffle down the street,
"Hey Penny!" Mr. Barnes kneels in front of me, his nonmetal hand grabs my neck, oh god he's chocking me, I reach up to push him away,
"Stop.."
"Calm down," Mr. Wilson tells me,
"Friday give me her vitals." Mr. Starks demands, if the computer responds I can't hear it,
"Her heart's going a mile a minute." I grab his arm, not to rip him away, but for comfort I know I'm panicking, I swear I'm having...
"She's having a heart attack." Mr Stark sounds out slowly as if he doesn't believe the words he's reciting. I wouldn't either if I wasn't currently blacking out from lake of air and a properly beating heart. I know my eyes must look panic because Mr. Barnes leans forward his eyes blue eyes hard on mine,
"Hey, Hey, it's okay, you're okay, we're going to help you, I promise."
"She's can't be having a heart attack she's like what 14?"
"Fifteen," I force out, I'd say closer to sixteen but I have to be careful with my words, I can only say so many of them right now. I'm having a heart attack, a heart attack! Wait
Little Spider Heart Attacks
I can hear Mr. Ronley's voice in my head, Black spots dance in front of my vision, oh no not again,
"Ronley" It's just a whisper,
"Don't talk," Mr. Barnes demands, "She needs Bruce."
"I've got a suit on the way"
"A suit?" Mr. Wilson asks
"It's the only way to get her back quickly in a stabilize condition." I don't know who's talking, the spots are growing and whats left is just blurred light,
"Kid? Kid? Penny, hey Penny look at me!" It all fades away.