A/N: New year, new over due update. Have a great New Years Eve or New Years day depending on what time zone you're in. Thank you for reading and/or reviewing this story. Have a great day, until next time.


Yes, Spider-Man dying was a tragedy. He was taken from this world too soon and I wish there was some way I could have saved him. Alas, there was nothing I could do to stop him from going splat against the side of such a historical, national monument. If only we could have switched places, maybe I wouldn't have been such an idiot and no one would have had to die.

I start planning my speech for Parker's funeral when he hits the window feet first. Though, instead of being smashed like an actual spider, he breaks through the window. The surprising feat sprays glass over everyone who have not been able to evacuate the building. I'll never understand how some people are able to do idiotic displays like that and come away with barley a scratch, but I use my powers once and suddenly I'm on death's door. (Not literally though, Death really doesn't like visitors showing up at his palace without warning.)

Peter lands in that weird superhero pose I saw in a movie Jason made me watch one time. The stance where one knee is on the ground while and his head is bowed like he's going to propose to the floor.

With all eyes on him, I consider taking the chance to deploy the suit Ashely made for me, but quickly decide against it. Only an idiot wouldn't make the connection between me running into the building and a new super hero appearing out of no where. And Hades help anyone who would call Michelle an idiot. Besides, I'm not ready to reveal the existence of the Ghost King just yet.

Instead I blend try to blend into the crowed as they back away from the webs Peter shoots at the elevator. They latch onto the car a moment after the last cable snaps. His quick reaction saves the occupants from a tragic death and is all very heroic, or it would be if the hero in question wasn't Spider-Man with all of his inexperience and knack for finding bad luck around every other bend.

The weight of the lift drags him across the floor, forcing him to brace himself on what's left of the glass doors. I can't help but feel like this has happened before except with a van, but maybe that's just my imagination. Right now would be the perfect time to have some type of sticky hands or feet that he could use to anchor himself.

"Don't worry, I've got this." I don't know if Parker is trying to reassure the people standing around watching, his classmates trapped in the elevator that could fall any second, or himself. It's doesn't really matter because I'm more than fairly certain that he doesn't "got this."

To prove my point, the glass under his feet starts cracking at an alarming rate, and, oh no. He fell. Two more strands of webs shoot out of the shaft, thankfully sticking to the wall and not a innocent bystander.

Everyone rushes forwards to see what happened. Surprise, surprise, Peter hasn't died yet. No, he's still a very much alive moron who takes the 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try again' strategy way too seriously and uses the same tactic of bracing himself against a rapidly crumbling foundation. This time it's the hole ridden ceiling of the elevator. As much as I hate wasting the speech I prepared for his funeral, now is probably a good time to help out.

From the back of the crowd, I reach out to the shadows surrounding the elevator car and take control to make them more solid. Hopefully, it will help take some of the weight off of Peter's webs.

I can't see everything, but from the whispers around me, I think they've found a way to get the passengers to safety.

Then, because nothing can be easy, the sound of ripping meal fills the air.

The shadows I'm using to keep the lift from falling suddenly gain a lot of weight that I was not prepared for, causing me to lose control. Seriously, how did Peter hold this up by himself? Without much thinking, I go send a wave of power out to the shadows at the bottom of the shaft, forcing them into a sort of net to lesson the impact. I stumble under the strain of holding them.

The people around me let out a cheer. Risking a glance over the edge, I find Peter helping the girl he was stalking at school onto solid ground.

Letting out a sigh in relief, I let go of the shadows. If anyone notices an unnatural pause between when the elevator fell and when it hit the ground, they don't mention it.

Peter swings over to a ledge a few stories below, officially making everyone safe and sound. Maybe he doesn't need me to keep an eye on him as much as I thought.

I wait around long enough to make sure there's a way out for all the civilians before shadow traveling to ground level to sneak back to Michelle and Ashely.

It isn't hard. With so many people trying to get a closer look at the chaos and the authorities doing everything to prevent that, it's easy to go relatively unnoticed. The only one that does see me is a young daughter of Hecate who makes eye contact with me. From there, it's a simple as allowing myself to be pushed back behind the makeshift barriers as if I had ben there all along.

"Ghost," Ashely greets with a large smile, startling Michelle who hasn't noticed me yet.

"Hey Ash, everything going okay out here?" I rather not have to deal with any monsters right now.

"Yep, though she may not agree." Ashley points to an obviously annoyed Michelle.

"You are insane," Michelle diagnoses.

"Thanks, I really needed the clarification." For a second I show her a smile that matches Ashely's, but then turn more serious. "Oh, and you might want to know that I head one of the officers mention that everyone inside is safe. They should be coming out soon." It also helps that I saw it with my own eyes.

She nods, accepting the information without trying to react to it, but I can see some of the tension leave her shoulders. " And what about you? Are you okay? No one's said what happened."

"Yeah, I'm good. I didn't even make it past the first floor before someone caught me and made me turn back. By then, I lost sight of you guys and only just found you again." I isn't as hard to lie to Michelle as I thought it would be. I've been wrong about a lot of things today. I don't like it. "Thanks for looking after Ashely while I was gone." Though I suspect in reality, it was the other way around.

"No problem, you have a pretty cool sister." She manages to ruffle Ashely's hair for moment before he hand is swatted away. Though a glint in Ashley's eye suggests she doesn't really hate the interaction. I'll have to find a way for those two to meet again.

"That I do, and she and I need to start heading back before our parents get worried. Will you be okay here by yourself? You don't have Ashely to watch over you anymore."

Michelle scoffs even though I'm not joking. "I'm not a damsel in distress; I'll be fine," she insists.

"Okay then, I'll see you at school."

Ashley waves good-bye as I guild her away from all of the hullaballoo.

It takes two minutes to find a dark alley way, then another twenty minutes and three low level monsters for us to find one that's actually empty so we can finally shadow travel to my apartment in New York. By the time we make it back, it's late and I'm tired from using the shadow. For the second time this week, I want nothing more than to fall into a coma on the couch.

I'm half way there when the lights flick on, momentarily blinding me. "Nice of you to finally get back." I have to blink the spots out of my eyes. When I do, I find Lou Ellen leaning against the wall next to the light switch.

"Lou." Ashley perks up at the sight of her older sister, completely unconcerned the harsh glare pointed at me.

"What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to pick Ashely up until tomorrow," I ask, much more weary of Lou Ellen's temper.

"Well, surprise. I came early since I remembered that you have school. Imagine my shock to find no one here, but I didn't worry. They're probably out for the moment it thought. I'll just watch T.V. until they get back, surly it won't attract too many monsters and it's been a while since I've caught up on the news in the mortal world. Would you like to know what I saw when I turn it on?"

I don't. I really, really don't.

"Ashely standing in the background of a breaking news report next to some random person with you no where in sight." She crosses her arms, waiting for n explanation.

"Her name was Michelle. She's Nico's friend from school," Ashley states. "I was keeping her safe."

Lou looks just as surprised as I am that Ashely spoke up. "Oh, were you? What monster did you keep her safe from?"

"There wasn't a monster. At least not there." It there was, I wouldn't have left her alone without a weapon.

Lou Ellen's anger starts giving way to confusion. "Seriously, there wasn't any Greek influence? You happened to be there at such a horrible time by accident?" She doesn't have to be so surprised. My bad luck isn't that horrible.

"I wouldn't say that." I shift from one foot to the other.

"Nico," she takes a step forward to get a better look at me. "What did you do?"

"Nothing! Geez, why does it have to be my fault?" I fall onto the couch. Standing is too much effort.

"Ashely, why don't you go grab your stuff. We'll be leaving soon."

Ashley doesn't move. She looks between me and Lou.

"Now please."

Huffing in annoyance, Ashely stomps off to the back room.

Lou Ellen stalks over and flops down next to me. "Spill." She pokes me in the side.

"You know about the Avengers, right?" I pull my knees up to my chest to be a smaller target just incase she tries to assault me again.

"Who doesn't? You had a quest with them a while back where, um, where Will," she clears her throat. "What do they have to do with anything?"

"One of them got in contact with me the other day, asked for a favor."

"Nico, no."

"Lou,"

"No," she interrupts. "Whatever they want, don't do it."

I shrug. "Too late."

"Then back out. I'm sure they would understand."

I'm shaking my head before she finishes. "I can't do that."

She grabs my shoulder and shakes me a little. As if that will knock some common sense into me. "Nico, the last time you helped them someone died. Will died."

"You don't think I know that!" I cut her off.

Does she think I forgot? I didn't. I can't.

"What do they want you to do?" She asks quietly.

"Keep an eye on some junior hero I go to school with. I make sure he doesn't die."

"What? They don't have anyone else to baby sit?" She asks.

"Guess not. It doesn't matter though, I made a promise." I rest my chin on my knee, not caring to look at anyone right now.

"So? You've never cared about promises made to mortals before," Lou Ellen points out. "Unless you didn't make the promise to a mortal." My continued silence answers for me. " Please say you didn't do what I think you did."

"Why? You've figured out by now that I did," I wonder.

"You're crazy di Angelo, absolutely insane."

"So I've been told." I smirk, trying to lighten the mood, as if I didn't admit that I swore on the River Styx.

"So, what do you do know?"

"Isn't it obvious? I make sure what happened to Will doesn't happen to anyone else."