Thanks for the review:
TheOnyxDragon12: No, not yet; the Cyanide didn't blind him, it was the liquid that Doc Ock spilled on his face- the Cyanide just made him faint and made it hard to breathe. Yes, though she has gone nuts on him...
leggo lover 99: * blush * Aw, thanks. =)
Hamster1000: Ah, I see you actually bothered to log in! Where are your priorities, gal?
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ultimate Spider-Man. I do own my OC's.
Chapter 22: All Who Fly Will Fall
"The ultimate tragedy
is not the brutality
of the bad people
but the silence
of the good people."
-Martin Luther King, Junior
Do you know what one of the worst feelings in the world is?
Failure.
Not that you have failed yourself, but that you have failed others in some fatal way. Death. There are worse things, I tell myself, than dying, but what is worse than the death of friend or family?
I absorbed the force. Not all of it. Just that directed at Danny and I. He only survived because I was touching him. Do you know what a frightening thought that is? My fingertip had brushed against his skin at the very moment it exploded, and that saved his life.
At least the bomb was right in front of us, and I took the worst of the force. It still was a bomb, though. It still exploded. Twelve civilians dead. All my fault. My friends injured. Whoever planned this attack had thought every detail out completely- but my father has always been thorough.
I bang my head against the back of the waiting chair. It is the soft kind that they reserve for the sorry, pitiful people that know those who are nearly dead, so different from the hard, plastic chairs of the regular waiting rooms- far more comfortable, yet I would give everything just to be waiting in a plastic chair, or, better yet, not waiting here for news at all.
Already, I know that Luke is all right, as is Danny. Luke is injured, yes, but he is not in the ICU like Sam, Peter, and Ava. He simply needs time to heal. His impervious skin really saved him this time. From what I have been told, he collapsed on top of Ava, saving her life. Sam fell. A very, very long ways. Then he had to bear the explosion. He is only alive because he was unconscious, and his muscles were relaxed, allowing him to better absorb the impact. It didn't save him from the debris, though.
Waiting. Alone.
I shudder. The hospital is a terrible place for me to wait; I can sense so many people, many of them giving off negative energy. I hate this feeling of not knowing, not being in control. Three days of waiting really starts to wear on a girl, as does sleeping in a waiting chair, no matter how comfortable the chair itself may be.
My hair hangs, uncombed, framing my hollow face. How little hope there is. Nick has not even taken the time to talk to me yet, which means that things are bad. Really, really bad.
A doctor approaches me, clipboard in hand. I read her name tag: Shannon Page. Feeling hollow and hopeless, I shake her hand.
"Hello, Ms. Carlson. I understand you have been waiting for news on your friends." Bleakly, I nod. "Well, I have it right here.
"Your boyfriend, Mr. Daniel Rand, is faring well, considering his extensive chest and lung injuries. We have him on a machine to help him breathe, and he is still weak, but we believe you should be able to visit him soon.
"Mr. Luke Cage is healing quite nicely, but he has a broken leg. You should be able to visit him later this morning.
"Ms. Ava Ayala is currently in Intensive Care, as you know. We have found... extensive internal injuries. Hopefully one of the doctors in that unit should be able to talk to you soon.
"Mr. Peter Parker is also in the ICU, on life support. Only direct family members may know more at present.
"Mr. Sam Alexander is beginning to heal, though he will remain in ICU. Hopefully we should be able to get back to you soon." With a crisp nod, Dr. Page turns to leave.
Hoarsely, I say, "Wait. You can't tell me any more than that they're alive?" She nods.
"You are not a member of their direct family."
"Most of them don't have any direct family any more," I hiss at the woman. This is not her fault, but somehow, I still blame her.
She clears her throat uncomfortably. "Well, yes, be as that may, we cannot change the rules."
I feel energy pulsing through me that has no where to go, and my hands buzz. I think that I'm starting to glow, but I am beyond caring. "I don't care about your flipping rules, doctor," I say venomously. "You don't anything about these people, you don't care. I'm sick of waiting. I want to help; I want to see these people- because these people are my family."
Dr. Page backs away, her cheeks flushed. "I- I do suppose we could manage to arrange a visit between you and Mr. Cage, as well as you and Mr. Rand," she stutters.
Within the next hour, I find myself being escorted to a room. A private hospital room, one floor above where I had been waiting, holds Danny. My Danny. Numbly, I walk through the doorway, collapsing into the visitor's chair beside the hospital bed.
Danny lies there limply, surrounded by various devices. An IV is connected to his arm, and a ventilator helps him breathe. In, out. In, out. Next to all of the equipment, my strong Danny seems weak, and helpless, so small. My words catch in my throat, and tears well up in my eyes. If Danny is 'faring well', then Peter must be on the verge of death. Carefully, I extend a single hand to brush the hair from his face.
A few limp fingers twitch upwards, and I grasp his hand in mine. Danny weakly squeezes my hand back, and the tears begin to make rivers down my cheeks as my heart swells. "I'm sorry," I choke.
I truly am. None of this should have happened.
Danny does not move. I can feel the effort that each breathe takes him, and I sit there, mentally keeping time. One... two... one... two... one... two...
"Don't touch me," the girl hissed, but her captors, grinning maliciously, circled around her like enormous birds of prey, ready to pounce. They kept time to the Drum, darting in and out on each beat, their knives stinging like overgrown wasps.
The Drum quickened, and so did the men. In, out, in-out-in-out, in, out, boom-boom-boom-boom, bum, boom, boom-boom-boom-boom.
A hand shakes me, and I drowsily open my eyes. Nick's eye meets mine, and I bolt up.
"What happened? What's going on?"
"Shut up, Carlson. Let me start from the beginning."
"What beginning?" I laugh coldly. "You don't know the half of it."
"Well, it would certainly help if you'd tell us what the hell happened to you as a kid."
"Give me a reason I should trust you. A really good reason. Not just that you've trusted me- you haven't- or that you've protected me and done all the things you do to gain somebody's trust- you haven't done that either."
Nick gives me a long look, then says, "The man behind this is a madman, but an utter genius. That entire mission was a fraud, a trap to lure the team to the right place at the right time. He must have had ingenious contacts, because they knew everyone's weaknesses."
"Ingenious? More like traitors, stalkers, thieves, liars," I spit.
"Whatever they are, they knew White Tiger's 'wild' side, and made her attack Luke."
Luke would never hurt Ava. No wonder. "Maybe they contacted Kraven?"
"That shouldn't have been possible."
Bitterly, I chuckle. "This entire thing shouldn't have been possible."
"It was, though," Nick says. "They infiltrated Nova's helmet. Another used magic on Danny. Peter was hurrying to help you, and took on a lot of the force from the explosion. They knew and expected this result. They wanted someone. They knew that someone's weaknesses."
Me.
Contrary to Nick's belief, though, these people do not want to kill me. They want to break me.
I wake up, in cold sweat. Please let that have been a dream, please. Cautiously, I open my eyes to find that I am in a hospital room, lying in a hospital bed.
Ava leans over me. "Hey, you're awake!"
"What- what happened?"
Sam shrugs. "Oh, you just, um, absorbed the energy of an entire bomb!"
Wait, what?! "What the heck is going on?!" I sputter in disbelief. "You guys are okay? Did I fall into a coma or something while all of you healed?"
Sam, Ava, Peter, and Luke stare blankly at me. "Uh... Em, you and Danny are the only two who got hurt..." Ava trails off.
"Is he okay?!" I exclaim in alarm.
The four of them exchange glances. "Depends on what your definition of 'okay' is," Peter supplies.
My stomach plummets. I jump out of bed. "What room is he in?"
"I, uh, don't think you're supposed to get up..." Sam trails off at my glare. "Right next door. But we can't see him yet."
I sink back into the bed. Why, why? I don't understand what is happening. "You mean I absorbed all of the energy? Seriously? Then why did I have that bizarre Dream?" At my friends' looks of confusion, I realize that I actually said the last part aloud. "Uh, oops- I need to talk to Danny, or the Sorcerer Supreme- could someone please explain what happened?"
Ava shrugs. "The bomb went off, you absorbed it, Danny and you went to the hospital while the rest of us kicked some bad guys' booties," Peter says.
"There were people at the scene? I mean, my dad was there?"
"What the hell? Your dad?"
I sigh. Why is my tongue so loose right now? "I need to talk to Nick."
Sam casually leans against the stark white wall. "One prob with that. Fury hasn't talked to any of us; why'd he decide to talk to you?"
I clench my hands into fists in frustration, then let a breath of air out that I didn't realize I was holding. This isn't their fault. It's mine. Leaving all of these loose ties waving in the wind was bound to cause trouble; I should have contacted my parents somehow, but it just didn't seem worth it. To be honest, it still doesn't. If my parents did cause this (which, despite the fact that I don't think it could be anyone else, is still fairly unlikely, considering that they should be dead), then I doubt that they would want to hold a 'heart-to-heart' conversation and settle our differences. "How long have I been out?"
"Three days."
Swearing under my breath, I dig into my pocket, only to find that I am no longer wearing my uniform, but, rather, a hospital gown. "Where's my uniform?"
"You're not supposed to leave the room. That's about the only orders Fury gave us," Ava says.
"I'm not leaving the stupid room! Just give me my uniform!" Luke hands me a crumpled up pile of clothing, and I rummage through it until I find what I am looking for. A small, rectangular piece of card-stock with a phone number on it. The telephone is beside my bed, and I begin dialing, deaf to my teammates objections.
"Hello, Hayat Ruh."
"What's wrong with Danny?!"
"How should I know?"
"You're magic!"
"Am I?"
"Quit answering my questions with questions!" I shout angrily. "Just tell me why this happened!"
"Have you ever paused to think about the rod S.H.I.E.L.D. removed from his back? I suppose so, but the thought has never occurred to you that it may still render a certain effect on Danny?"
Dr. Strange doesn't mean physically; he means supernaturally, I realize with dread. "Who did this?" I ask thickly.
"I believe you already know."
"What if I don't? What if I can't do things I thought I could before?"
He sighs into the phone. "Who is behind you?"
I drop the telephone, and whirl around to face Brian, letting out a small gasp. "What's wrong?" Ava asks, confused. I realize I am the only one who can see him, of course. He looks exactly the same as he did last time I saw him. Briefly, I wonder if he has changed at all.
"Hello," I greet him softly.
Time is running out.
"I know."
Then hurry! You must do it. We have talked about this before, Emma. Why haven't you completed your task yet?
"I can't."
What has changed? Why are you so earth-bound? You weren't this way before! You owe me, after all of those years that I protected you. I protected you from the worst spirits, and this is how you repay your debt? By falling for an earthling?
"He is different. Look."
Yes, yes he is. He would be able to see me if I were willing. Or perhaps whether I am or am not willing would not matter, simply if he is willing or unwilling. Yet, this does not amend the fact that you are indebted to me. I do not care how long you have to live. You must do as I said. At last, you have heard my story, and now, you must settle my final affairs.
"No-"
YES!
"I SAID NO, BRIAN!" I scream at him, and he slinks into the corner, brooding, waiting for the right time to strike again. "I told you, I owe you nothing."
"What the-?" Sam asks. I suddenly remember that, of course, my friends are still here, and that they heard our whole conversation.
"Nothing," I say, turning away from Brian. "It's nothing."
"So talking to yourself is nothing?" Peter snorts.
"You can't see him, it doesn't matter."
"Who can't we see?" Sam's eyes dart around the room suspiciously.
"Brian."
"Who on earth is Brian?" Ava demands.
"A man."
Peter rolls his eyes. "Wow! I totally thought that 'Brian' was a little girl!"
"Oh, be quiet," I say, lightly punching him on the arm, a faint smile lingering on my lips.
"Seriously, Em, who's Brian?"
I avert my eyes to the floor, wringing my hands uncomfortably. I could tell them; this is not the sort of secret that would endanger anybody except myself, but the truth is, I am worried that they will think that I am insane, and I really don't feel any need to let them know. "You wouldn't understand." I stand to leave. "Let's go back to Peter's."
Peter swallows. "Uh, we can't exactly do that... that was Fury's other order... to stay in here with you and not go back to my house because he's worried that the assassin might target Aunt May- Fury actually removed her from the house because he doesn't think it's safe for anyone to stay there right now..."
"So she knows." It is not a question, simply a statement.
"Yeah." Peter shifts uncertainly.
I sigh. Funny the way everything can be completely turned around in a few fleeting moments. "How bad is Danny?"
Ava looks me in the eyes so that I can see that she is being truthful. "He's all right. Not that bad off, I suppose. I think there's some sort of machine helping him breath. That's it. I think. That's all I got out of the nurses, anyways."
"Where have you been staying these past few days?" I try to redirect the conversation.
Luke gestures to the waiting chairs. "Uh... yeah. Not the best sleeping place..." Peter says.
"So we just have to wait?"
"Pretty much."
The next two days are spent in silence. I am restless, but what is there to do but wait? I try not to worry, without success. At last, on Thursday, a nurse approaches us with actual information.
"You have all been discharged," she says in an unusually high pitched voice, as she herds us out of the building.
"Wait- where are we supposed to go?" We are all still in uniform (I changed yesterday), the Tricarrier was blown up (a story I still need to hear), and we are 'forbidden' from returning to Peter's. The nurse is quite unhelpful, simply shrugging.
Outside of the building, Danny is leaning against the wall, trying to look casual, but not succeeding as his green uniform earns him many odd looks. I run up to him and throw my arms around him in a tight hug. "Are-you-okay?!" I demand breathlessly.
Danny laughs, a smile dancing across his face. "I am fine."
None of us believe him as we start walking down the block, and Danny finds himself already out of breath. Peter insists on him sitting down on the nearest bench and resting for a little bit. People do double-takes at us, pointing and staring, then whispering in hushed voices, "Look! Spider-Man!" or "Are those superheros?! I think that is Power Man, Mummy!". We are all wearing our masks, for the sake of keeping 'secret identities' (not that I much need one, as it seems like plenty of people have been stalking me, judging from the ease that criminals find me).
"Where are we even going?" Sam whines.
Everyone looks to Peter, the team leader, who simply shrugs and says, "Uh... how about lunch?"
"Where are your priorities, Web Head?!" Ava exclaims. "Five days ago, somebody tried to blow us all up. The Tricarrier already went Kay-Boom, and who knows what happened to Peter's house if Fury doesn't even want us within six blocks of the place. Danny can hardly breath, we've been sleeping in cruddy plastic chairs for five days, we're dressed up like famous superheroes in the middle of New York City, and you seriously think it's a good idea to walk into a random restaurant and eat lunch?!"
"Actually, I was thinking about going to Central Park and getting hot dogs."
"Oh, yeah, and Em totally wasn't kidnapped from that place a few months ago by a madman, who then didn't capture and torture Danny!" Ava vents.
"Oh... yeah. How about pretzels? See, there's a cart right there, no Central Park needed!"
She fumes, "You don't even realize that we're about a block away from Em's old apartment, do you?"
Peter facepalms. "Can I do anything right?!"
"Uh, no, duh, Web Brains," Sam says. "We all know that I should be team leader."
"Dude, not now!" Luke glares at the two of them, who both look as though they are about to attack each other. Peter suddenly freezes up.
"SPIDEY SENSE! MOVE!"
Everybody backs away, and an enormous chunk of rock falls where we were moments ago. Black smoke envelopes us for a moment, and no one can see as we keel to the ground, coughing. Once it clears, though, Danny continues coughing, a terrible, hoarse, heart-wrenching sound, for another minute or so, and I am absorbed with him. When I bother to look up, I see my teammates in a circle around us, in fighting stances, watching in horror as flames lick up the buildings around us, consuming them one by one. The air is dry and hazy, filled with lingering smoke.
"Emmaline."
I whirl around to face Flame. "Go away."
"No." She grin evilly, watching Danny choke on the smoke.
"Shuddup."
"Make me." Flame opens her hand, allowing it to catch fire, then sets it down on the street. "I am here to watch your memories, your life burn away. Like a book where the pages catch fire, all you will have is ashes, and then- well, then, Emmaline, you will die." She closes her eyes, and the flames swell, shooting higher and higher.
I close my eyes, concentrating. Now is the Time. Time to let go.