The old man behind the desk is a little less than chipper when I check out just after six am. I make sure to give him the rest of the money I owed and slipped in a little extra. Money's tight when you're on the run, but it's pretty obvious this place isn't getting a lot of business, so I can spare a little bit more than usual.

I walk back to the ferry station. All I can think about is if I should just break cover and talk to Peter directly, but it would risk everything. Six months of running and shutting down parts of the REM trials operation would be virtually undone. If I'm arrested, it's only a matter of time before they gets their hands on me.

Even knowing what's happening, I can't. It would put Peter, Morgan, and countless other people in danger. I'm working with a pretty much non-existent margin of error. How I'm going to pull this off is beyond me, but I'll never forgive myself if I don't try.

The moment my feet touch down on the mainland, I look around for my next ride. Luckily, there's a rental lot nearby with a small selection of different sized cars. "Okay, ARTI, I'm gonna need you to work your magic." I say and walk through the small section of cars. "Can you get into their system and create a fake rental agreement?"

"Already done." He tells me. "I've also accessed the car's systems. It won't sound any alarms, and the skeleton key will work."

"Perfect. Then we're off to Prague." I mumble as I slip on my gloves and toss my rucksack into the passenger seat and slip the skeleton key I've pieced together over the months into the ignition. ARTI pulls up the route, which starts the over nine hour drive.

It gives me time to think of ways to warn Peter and make sure Beck pays for everything he's done and is trying to do. I crank up the radio and listen to the wide variety of songs pouring through the radio to help me ease my nerves, but it doesn't really help. Especially when ARTI gives me the news I've been simultaneously hoping for and dreading since last night. "He just accessed EDITH."

"And?"

"He asked about you."

I crack a half smile at that, but it quickly fades as the worry settles back in. When I first got access to EDITH's systems, I did some digging. Dad had spent a large chunk of the Blip cultivating her database and systems, but it felt too real. Even her name was a reminder that he died—that he knew it was going to happen. I mean, he  named her EDITH—even dead, I'm the hero.

The man loved his acronyms, which is another thing he passed on to me.

I kept with ARTI, letting him be my gateway into EDITH if I ever needed her. The day I got the call from Claire was the first and last time I've accessed her systems. She helped me set up what I needed to run and stay off the grid entirely, and I put in protocols that made sure when Peter got his access to her systems, he wouldn't be able to know where I was. Not to mention, they both helped process all the paperwork for me to officially test out of the rest of senior year and 'graduate.'

"Then I guess it's a good thing I made sure to keep my location shielded from her, huh?"

"In a way, yes, but you need to remember there's only so long you can carry on like this. Need I remind you why we had to leave Prague so quickly?"

"I didn't have a choice, and you know that. There was no way I could leave those people there, or let that lab stay intact." I drum my fingers against the steering wheel. "I couldn't stand by knowing that no matter how many cells I unlocked, they'd fill them back up in no time."

"I'm not saying you did the wrong thing, but it was a narrow escape. You need someone to have your back if we're to truly stop this for good."

"That doesn't give me the right to just ruin his life—again." I sigh and hold back the tears, "He's moving on, finding new ways to be happy, and creating his new normal, which I'm pretty sure doesn't include me. After everything we went through, I don't want to put him through this too, and that's final."

ARTI doesn't add anything more to the matter, and I press a little harder on the gas pedal. It's still a few hours to get to Prague. I just have to get there quickly. Who knows what chaos Beck plans to create, and I don't want to him to get any more of a head start than I can help. "Maybe I should have just shadow traveled."

"Maybe, but you wouldn't have any energy left for whatever's coming next." I nod. He's right, whenever I shadow travel, the greater the distance means the greater exhaustion. It's how I got out of Prague in the first place. I shadow travelled my way back all the way to London on instinct. The second I emerged though, I found out I'm a lot like Nico in Percy Jackson. I passed out for over a day and had to take another to recover fully.

It's weird, I've learned more about my powers—both light and shadow—and their limits these past six months than I ever knew possible. I found out how to really control my supernova's, which I'm pretty sure were how my light abilities initially manifested.

"Um, Lia? It appears that EDITH just released a strike drone targeting Brad Davis? He's listed as a student on the trip."

"Wasn't he that kid that used to cry and get nosebleeds all the time?" I ask myself before fully processing what ARTI said. "Wait, did you say a strike drone?"

"Yes, I did. It's being discharged from the satellite as we speak."

"Crap, and I can't counteract the command without setting off an alert to Peter." I grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white. "I swear, if I was around while Dad was programming her, I would have made sure this kind of thing couldn't just happen."

"Well, EDITH is still relatively young. She's still learning and upgrading."

"That's not what's important right now. How do we stop it?"

"It appears Peter has already done that for us."

"And you couldn't have told me that before I had a heart attack?"

"One, you're not having a heart attack. Two, the boy works very quickly."

"It doesn't mean I forgive you." I retort, pulling the car into a random parking spot . "Give me ten minutes and let the car get flagged."

"Scanning for trace evidence. Nothing detected."

I nod closing the car door and heading into the crowd. "It's already the carnival of lights?"

"Yes, it is, which only makes the potential for casualties increase exponentially."

"All the more reason to kick Beck's ass and stop whatever he's got planned." I say as I weave my way through the people. "Where are they supposed to be staying?"

"A five star hotel near the center of town and far out of our parameters."

"I know, but I—I don't really wanna be far from him right now. Check the security system, see if we can get the service entrance unlocked, and get me a image of their housekeeping uniforms."

"Please, tell me you're not—"

"Gonna pose as part of their staff? Yes, I am."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I'm not sure of much anymore, ARTI. All I know is that I have to help Peter, even if it means taking risks." He doesn't say or do anything, but after a long minute, he pulls up the route and the code as he gets into the hotel's security system. "Thank you."

Five minutes later, I'm slipping through the service entrance unnoticed. A few employees offer me a quick glance, but no one bothers to ask questions. It's a trick I learned a long time ago, if you pretend like you belong somewhere, people around you start to believe it too. I used to do it when I used to sneak in and visit Dad whenever he was working. Anyone who thought to question it was just told I was an intern that Tony was helping mentor.

I slip into a supply closet and 'borrow' a house keeping uniform. It'll give me access to the entirety of the hotel without drawing any attention. No one pays any attention to people in uniforms. It's honestly better than going invisible.

"Peter and your classmates have arrived." ARTI informs me and pulls up the security camera feed of the lobby where they're entering. "Also, I'm detecting an unusual frequency in the secondary dining room. The only time I've seen it before is when—when SHIELD is around."

"You've got to be kidding. What, did Fury get tired of secret underground headquarters?"

"Actually, I think SHIELD is taking control of the hotel as we speak."

"I swear, being on the run doesn't get any easier." I sigh and loop a couple of the camera feeds. "I need the building schematics. We've got to find a way to eavesdrop on their conversation."

"There's an air vent that connects from the hallway to the dining room, but it's too narrow for you to fit inside."

"Then I'll send in a shadow." I shrug and sit down with my back against a shelf full of fluffy white towels. "Watch the door, ARTI. I'm going in."

The world tunes out as I close my eyes and focus on creating and guiding my shadows through the air ducts and into the dining room where Fury sits with SHIELD agents setting up their equipment. I almost gag at the sight of Beck. He's decked out in what I can only describe as a collage of someone having searched 'futuristic hero costume' on google and pasting the top results into an outfit.

How on earth is anyone buying this crap?

My questions fade as I spot Peter staring into the fireplace. I reach out to him despite the fact that I'm nothing but shadow right now. Not that it would matter much, he's so lost in his own head. I know because he's making the face. It's the one that always made an appearance when he was worried about something. Except usually, we were there to make sure the other didn't get lost in their own head.

"Parker? Parker!" Fury calls, abruptly bringing Peter back to reality.

"Yes, sir."

"That thing is going to be here in a few hours." He states with the classic Fury sass and anger. "Are we boring you?"

"He's not bored." Beck interjects before Peter can mutter a single syllable. "He's just thinking about how you kidnapped him."

Fury doesn't seem to take that well. "He had obstacles. I removed them."

Hill turns around looking frustrated. "They still won't evacuate the city."

"Idiots." Fury mumbles and shakes his head. Not that I'm surprised. There's no proof that anything is coming. Maybe because it's because this is all the scheme of a psychotic megalomaniac. Not that any of them realize that yet. "So what's the plan, Parker?"

I look to Peter, who despite the brave face he's trying to put on, looks a little terrified as he recites back the plan. "I will be in the cathedral tower, keeping watch for the fire monster. When that shows up, I will radio you guys, and then Mr. Beck and I will—"

Cue Beck's ego interrupting as he says, "My name is Mysterio." I end up gagging at that, which is fine since I'm only here through my shadows instead of in person. It just figures that he'd take on the ridiculous name a bunch of teenagers made up.

Peter offers a small chuckle at that, and I can't help but frown. It hurts to see him smiling at a man who only wants to destroy him. Beck is charming, and he must be laying it on thick to make Peter like and trust him.

I wait and listen to the rest of the plan, which gets interrupted by Beck grandstanding. Every bit of supposed 'advice' he offers only makes his story sound more ridiculous. Fury and Hill share a look, and I wonder if they're starting to see how preposterous this all is.

The worry in Peter's voice makes me wish I could Supernova level obliterate Beck right here and now. It hurts to see someone I care about dealing with this alone, even if it is a big charade. "Hey, my friends are here, and I can't help but think we're putting them in danger."

"You worry about us hurting your friends?" Fury shouts as he gets to his feet. "You, who called a drone strike on your own school tour bus? Stark gave you a multi-billion dollar A.R. tactical intelligence system, and the first thing you do with it, is to try and blow up your friends."

What is Fury compensating for? Anyone with experience in AI's knows that it they take time to analyze, learn, and improve. Plus, EDITH is basically a toddler that's eager to please. You'd think the director of an international spy organization would understand that. Especially knowing all the skeleton's he's stashed in the closet over the course of his career.

Of course, the great Nick Fury is never wrong, so he continues on his rampage until I'm about ready to risk getting caught for busting out of my hiding place to give his good eye a solid punch. I can only imagine how Peter must feel when Fury shouts at him, "It's clear to me that you were not ready for this."

Peter just stands there and takes it. Though, I know he's torn to shreds by that. He looked up to my Dad, and every day since I've met him, he's done everything possible to be the best he can. But Fury obviously doesn't care about anything but his own bottom line.

I pull myself back from the shadows and into my own body. "This is gonna be a mess. ARTI, can you get me a map of all the cathedrals in the city and pinpoint which ones are likely to be the location of tonight's 'attack.' Use what Beck said to help narrow the search."

"What will you do in the meantime?"

"Try not to murder Beck?" I joke and sigh. "You know what? Screw the part of the plan that includes staying here. I need some air."

"Then I suggest you suit up and get into position. I have the location that will draw the most attention and potential destruction."

"Then let's go." I slip my suit on and toss everything else in my rucksack. "Alright, let's get out of here and start looking for a way to prove Beck's a complete nutcase."

I slip out as easily as I came in and head back onto the crowded streets where the carnival of lights is in full swing. People all around are wearing lights and glow sticks. Some carry lamps or wear extravagant costumes. It's one of the biggest celebrations of the year from what I've been told and lasts for three days.

The whole area is jam packed. Music and laughter fills the air in a way that almost makes me smile, but it's hard knowing in a matter of hours this will probably all be destroyed by one man's insane revenge plan.

I can see why he picked here. Especially if his supposed monster will be 'more powerful' by getting a hold of metal. There's statues, a ferris wheel, a carousel, and countless stands offering carnival goods. Not to mention, you can barely breathe without bumping into someone else, which means plenty of attention.

It takes me a few minutes to find a place I can watch everything from. People start screaming and running away in panic. I have absolutely no idea what they're seeing, but I'm pretty sure it has something to with the swarm of drones flying, blasting, and wreaking havoc. I get the feeling I wouldn't be seeing them if it weren't for my light abilities helping me see through most projections. If I focus hard enough, I can barely make out what they're showing.

"ARTI, can you tell me what they're seeing?" A second later, I see the overlay of the drone's projections. There's a large monster of what looks like lava? Beck really is putting everything into this, huh?

It swings around, smashing cars, and pretty much anything metal. All I can do is watch intently as it goes down and try to find a way to gather evidence. I'm distracted when Peter swings by, hitting the 'monster' with something and rips a fire extinguisher out of the ground to drench it.

The effects don't last for long. After all, it's just a bunch of drones using blasts and hologram projections. They circle around the carousel, blasting it to pieces and making the projection larger. I can hear Peter beginning to panic as he looks around in terror after being thrown against the ferris wheel. "No, Beck! He's got the carousel! He's getting bigger!"

Shouts echo from the ferris wheel, and I look up to see Ned and Betty frantically waving their arms and calling out for 'Night Monkey'?

It takes everything in me to not rush in and help Peter as the drones turn towards him. Of course, projection Beck swoops in and 'block's the monster. I swear, every second watching makes me hate this egotistical maniac even more. It figures he'd be the one thing that actually has an affect on this supposed 'monster,' which only feeds his need for attention and ego.

I move around the courtyard and try to get a better vantage point. "SHIELD agents and Fury are on their way."

"Crap." I mumble and press myself further into the shadows. "ETA?"

"Five minutes at most."

I turn back towards the fight when I hear the ferris wheel creaking. The drones are currently shrouded and surrounding both sides of it to maintain the illusion and push it farther. Peter fires a web at them without realizing what he's going to hit instead. I take a deep breath and push the drone into the line of fire.

Peter's web attaches to the drone, which makes him yell out in confusion. He yanks it back, and I direct it towards an empty alleyway. It lands with a clatter, and I let myself drift into shadows as I slip over to it.

What I find is more a whole lot more than I was expecting. MJ peers out of an alcove, watching the events in horror and curiosity. The drone is just by her feet, and I take a deep breath. I've been searching for a way to get evidence to Peter without directly interfering. I suppose this is the closest to indirect I can get.

I gather my courage before stepping out from the shadows, which immediately draws MJ's attention. "Phantom?" She whispers, but surprisingly, she doesn't seem scared.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" ARTI asks, and I am. She was one of my best friends, and she's always been the best at keeping secrets—aside from her matchmaking endeavors that is.

I take a deep breath as I lower my hood and slip off my mask. "Hey, MJ. Long time no see."

"Huh. I wasn't expecting that." She nods. "I knew you had something you were hiding, but I didn't expect this."

"Yeah, not many people know about it, and I trust you to keep it a secret."

"You know me. Keeping secrets is my superpower." She pauses for a moment. "Is it true? What they're saying you about you?"

"No, and the explanation is a long story that I don't have time to get into." I sigh and pick up the drone piece. "Right now, I—I need a favor."

"Okay."

"I need you to get this to Peter as soon as possible. I can't tell you why without putting you in a lot of danger, but just get it to him and tell him where you found it."

"Why can't you?"

"Because,—"

"Does it have something to do with him being Spiderman?"

I chuckle softly, "Figures you would put the pieces together. He's not the best at hiding things, and you've always been observant."

"So is that a yes?"

"Yeah, and I can't risk anyone knowing I'm here. If anyone found out—well, let's just say no one would be hearing from me indefinitely, and it would put everyone I know in danger." I extend the drone piece to her, "Right now though, Peter's in danger, which is why he needs to see this. Please, MJ, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't serious."

"I figured." She nods and takes the drone piece. "I'll make up a story of how I found it and get it to him as soon as possible."

"Thank you." I smile and pull her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry I can't stay for long."

"I am too." She replies and pulls a way with an understanding smile. "It hasn't been the same without you, and honestly, Peter's been a mess these past few months."

"Really?"

"Are you kidding? He's been all mopey and sad these past few months."

"I haven't been so great either." Tires screech as a line of cars enter the courtyard. "I have to go. Remember, get his straight to Peter, and—and keep an eye on him for me?"

MJ nods, and I offer her a thankful smile as I go.

It's a struggle for me to walk away. With everything Beck's been pulling, I need to stop him before it goes too far, which makes it hard to relinquish control. But right now, all I can do is walk away and pray that MJ gets the drone part to Peter in time.