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MISADVENTURES IN PARADISE
vii. THE DAY THE SUN BURNED

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   PETER WOULD BE LYING if he said he could take hits to his feelings as well as he could take punches. The truth was, everything Fury said about him might hurt more than those.

   He kept thinking back to the day Mr. Stark showed up at his apartment, hoping the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man would be willing to work with the Iron Man. At the time, it was all Peter ever wanted. To help people. To save the day when all seemed hopeless. It was something he still wanted, but now he had doubts.

   What if he wasn't ready for this life? What if he would never be ready?

   Everyone seemed to think he was too young, too inexperienced, too fragile, and to his dismay, Peter was starting to agree. But how do you step away from this world when you already have one foot in it?

   Peter sat atop the cathedral tower, the night sky weighing down on him. He tried to see through the thick clouds, hoping to find some ancestral message from the stars that Roman claimed were eternally watching, guiding. It would be nice if they could give him a sign that he was on the right path, but part of Peter also feared that he was. Was this, everything he once dreamed of, what he truly wanted?

   This life gave you Riley, he reminded himself, and that made everything worth it.

   He didn't know who he would be if he never knew the Starks. He wanted to make them proud, especially Tony. With Iron Man in retirement, someone needed to step up to take his place, but Peter didn't know if he could fill his shoes. He wanted to. He wanted to prove to the world that the Starks picked the right kid to bet on.

   Peter looked up as Beck flew to the rooftop to greet him.

   "Fury asked me to come up here and see how you were doing. He just, he felt bad about snapping at you."

   "...Really?" asked Peter incredulously.

   "You guys do have sarcasm on this Earth, right?" Beck asked, drawing a faint laugh from Peter. "How you feeling?"

   There were so many things Peter was feeling. It would've been nice if May was here, or even Tony. They would know exactly what he needed to hear.

   Maybe Beck would, too.

   "Uh... I didn't think I was gonna have to save the world this summer. I know that makes me sound like such a jerk. I just..." Peter sighed. "I've had a lot on my plate, and I had this plan to get with this girl I really like... again... And it kinda feels like this is always gonna come first. Saving the world. And it's great most of the time, but sometimes I wish we could just be kids. We had that for a while, but you never know when you'll have to suit up again. We always have to choose, and we're never allowed to choose ourselves first."

   Beck floated forward and sat with him. The bowl around his head lowered. "You're not a jerk for wanting a normal life, kid. It's a hard path. You see things. You do things. You make choices. People look up to you... and even if you win a battle, sometimes they die," he said. "I like you, Peter. You're a good kid. There's a part of me that wants me to tell you, just... turn around, run away from all this. Then there's another part of me that knows what we're about to fight, what's at stake, and I'm glad you're here."

   "Me too," Peter said, albeit unenthusiastically.

   "And I know she's glad you're here, too. Trust me, she's crazy about you," Beck added. "But you're worried about your friends."

   "Yeah... Just always feel like I'm putting them in danger."

   "Look, just get them inside and keep them in a safe place for just a few hours. They'll be alright," Beck promised.

   The sky suddenly seemed less heavy. "It's really nice to have somebody to talk about... superhero stuff, you know? I hate mentioning it to Tony now that he's retired, and Riley... always tries so hard to keep me away from it."

   "Sounds like she knew you'd end up feeling like this."

   "Yeah, she knows me better than I know myself, I think," Peter admitted.

   Beck offered an amiable smile. "Well, you can come to me anytime you want. And hey, we survive this, you'll have all summer to kill Michelle."

   Peter shrunk, ready to explain that he didn't mean to almost kill his friend, but the look in Beck's eyes made him realize he was kidding. So, Peter returned the smile and said, "See you out there."

   Peter took his backpack and jumped off the rooftop. No one saw him, but he did manage to startle an elderly couple with his sudden appearance.

   "Excusi—! Sorry, that's... Italian, uh..." Peter turned away from them, putting on his glasses. "EDITH?"

   "Hello, Peter," EDITH greeted.

   "Hey, uh... I need to find a way to keep my friends inside for the next few hours."

   "Let's see what we can do."

   Peter held his breath as his class later gathered in the (thanks to Fury, admittedly very luxurious) hotel lobby, and Mr. Harrington announced, "Good news. We're going to the opera!"

   He couldn't say he was surprised by everyone's uproar. But it was either let his peers attend the Carnival of Lights where the Fire Elemental would emerge or keep them safe and sound. Sure, judging how everyone was wearing glow sticks around their heads and limbs, they were excited about the carnival, but it didn't matter. This was their only option.

   "You're kidding me!"

   "The opera!?"

   "Don't look at me," Mr. Dell defended.

   "What happened to the carnival?" MJ wondered.

   "This is upgrade living, guys," Mr. Harrington encouraged as Ned suspiciously turned to Peter, who slowly yet somehow aggressively nodded at him. "Come on. The tour company just gave us these tickets! For free! Do you have any idea how much opera tickets cost?"

   "No. Because none of us have ever wanted to go to the opera, ever," Flash griped. A bright burst of light shined through the dark windows, shaking the building. "Uh, what was that?"

   "Alright, I didn't want to tell you guys this, but they invited my good friend, Valor, to the carnival this year," Brad announced. "The entire carnival's dedicated to her, obviously, she's going to attend this year for the first time. I think she's putting on a show for everyone at the carnival right now."

   Peter had no idea what he was talking about.

   "Oh, I knew that. I was just putting on an act because I didn't want to ruin the surprise," Flash assured. "Because Riley J. Stark and I are actually friends, and she was excited to see us all again!"

   "Just because you know her full name doesn't make you guys friends," one of their classmates, Zach, mentioned.

   "Well, I think this is gonna be culturally enriching for us," Ned chimed.

   "Thank you, Ned!" Mr. Harrington beamed. "Everyone, this is gonna be, maybe, the best four hours of our whole trip."

   "FOUR HOURS?" the class chorused in disbelief.

   "Guys, I think this is gonna be fun!" Ned rallied. "Seriously!"

   MJ glanced between the boys knowingly and sighed. "Ned's right. Did you know opera was once used by royals to betray their adversaries by brainwashing them through music? It's how they won, like, every major war. But they won't tell you that in history class because they don't want future generations to get any ideas."

   "The tour company wants to brainwash us!?" Betty shrieked.

   "Only one way to find out," MJ said mischievously.

○ ○ ○

   The students of Midtown High stuck out like sore thumbs in their fancy suits and dresses as they walked against the grain of the crowd heading for the Carnival of Lights. Fireworks burst behind them, and Peter found himself worrying about Riley.

   "I bet you're all happy I had you pack a nice outfit!" Mr. Harrington called.

   "Yeah, because we'd much rather go to a four-hour opera instead of the biggest party in the world!" Flash retorted.

   "Again, don't look at me!" Mr. Dell chirped.

   The opera house was a ghost town. Every seat was empty, aside from the occasional old person who used the evening of the carnival as a chance to score cheap tickets. The class begrudgingly shuffled to their seats in the front.

   "Parker, do you copy?" Maria greeted. "Comm check, one, two."

   "Hey, I'll save you a seat," Brad whispered to MJ.

   MJ didn't let herself grimace until he left her side. "Ugh," she muttered as she and Peter lingered near the back. "Please don't let me be stuck with him all night."

   "I'm still sorry about that," Peter said. "At least you look pretty?"

   "And therefore, I have value?"

   "No! No, that's not what I meant at all! I was just— Are you messing with me again?"

   "You make it surprisingly easy. You look pretty, too," MJ mused, her floral dress swishing around her. "Wanna go halfsies on a pair of opera glasses? I bet we can convince Betty she's being brainwashed."

   To his surprise, Peter chuckled at the idea. That was when Fury barked in his ear, "Are you in position?"

   His smile fell. "N-No."

   "Why the hell not?" Fury demanded.

   "Oh. O...kay..." MJ awkwardly laughed. "It'd probably be messed up if we did that to Betty anyway. Are you okay though? With this Elemental thing? I haven't heard from Riley in a while, and I figured if you're free, she'd be, too, but she hasn't—"

   "Parker?!"

   Peter tried to cover his ear, but it did nothing to mute Fury's voice. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean that. It'd be really funny, you're right, I just... I just, uh..."

   "You... need to slip away again?" MJ guessed. His gaze fell. "You know, Peter, you could always let Riley and Mysterio handle everything. It's not like the world's completely helpless. I know you love having a secret identity and all, but don't let yourself miss out on your life because you're too busy saving everyone else's."

   "You're right, I'm sorry—"

   "Don't apologize," she assured. "Just know that we're really grateful for everything you do... and... your friends really miss you sometimes."

   He raised an eyebrow.

   "Take the compliments now because I'm never giving you another one again."

   Peter smiled. "Thanks, MJ."

   MJ nodded. "I'll save you a seat, whether you think about what I said or if you manage to make it back here before the show ends."

   For a second, as MJ walked away, Peter considered it. It would be so easy: trash his comm, tell Riley and Beck something came up, have a quiet night in with his friends. He could imagine Flash's snores harmonizing with the beautiful music, throwing peanuts at Mr. Harrington's head with Ned and MJ. Tonight could somehow be one of the best nights of his life.

   "Parker!"

   But that wasn't the kind of person he was.

   Peter jumped. "Coming!" He turned to Ned as he walked by, pulling him away from Betty. "Hey, I gotta go. Could you make sure MJ isn't stuck with Brad all night?"

   "Oh, okay. Sure. Be careful," Ned said. "And, Peter, whatever you do, please steer the monster away from the opera house."

   Peter sighed. "Yeah, Ned, I know."

   Instead, tonight would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life.

○ ○ ○

   The famous Carnival of Lights was certainly something his classmates would regret missing. Fireworks splashed the midnight sky. Rides embellished with neon lights zipped over the boisterous clouds, rivaling the noise of the music blaring through the overhead speakers.

   "Alright, I'm in position." Peter was perched on the tower, adorned in his new suit. It was plain and black, nothing Tony would take credit for. "As soon as I see something, I'll let you know."

   It seemed impossible to keep up with everything going on down there, but Peter reckoned a ginormous fire monster would be hard to miss.

   "Roger that," Beck affirmed.

   "How's the suit?" Fury inquired.

   "Uh, the suit's great. It's awesome. A little tight around the old web-shooter—"

   "Parker!"

   "Okay, I'll shut up."

   Peter was hoping to finally hear from Riley, even her cute laugh or a joke about how this whole party was for her, but she was silent. He hadn't heard from her since her fight with Fury. She must've been really focused. Peter took that as a sign to get serious, too.

   "Energy spiking," Fury soon announced.

   Maria added, "We have seismic activity."

   In the heart of the celebration, molten lava crawled up the statue of Valor like fiery veins, melting it. The cobblestone cracked as it grew, feeding on the metal. Screams rippled through the crowd as the people began to flee. At long last, the Fire Elemental emerged with a mighty roar.

   "Okay, he's here! Beck, Riley, are you ready? You know what to do!" Peter announced.

   Smoke spewed in chaotic swirls, sucking away the oxygen in the air and blurring their lines of sight. Ashes fell, toasting the already missed aroma of bread and baked treats. Flames licked the ground, making cars burst.

   "On your lead, Spider-Man," said Beck.

   "Let's do this," Riley agreed.

   Mysterio landed with his green clouds, his bowl concealing his face and cape fluttering behind him. Bolts of green triangles were suspended in his hands. Valor hovered on a forcefield beside him, humming.

   "Well, this should be fun," she said. "You're up, Spidey."

   The three sprang into action. Spider-Man's webs strung through the carnival as he whipped carts and fragments of ride attractions at the monster. He webbed a fire hydrant, ripping it open as he soared through the air. The Fire Elemental winced as the water sprayed it, inviting Mysterio to blast it. Valor circled them, raising forcefields and shooting at it from behind, only to falter.

   "Shit," she muttered as the Fire Elemental suddenly grew in size. "It's feeding off my powers!"

   It turned to Peter, its scalding fist bashing the building he was roosted on. Peter dove, debris flying behind him. "You're kidding!" he yelled, landing on the Carousel. "How!?"

   "I mean, it's basic science, right? With enough direct sunlight, you can create fires. I would know, I've done it a million times," Riley exemplified. "The more I hit it, the more it'll grow. I'm sorry, Beck, it's up to you to stop it."

   "No, hold on! Use your forcefields and throw stuff back at it!" Peter suggested. Why was that not her immediate thought? She did that all the time!

   Peter yelped as the Fire Elemental uprooted the Carousel. He flew, his back colliding with a wall. "HE'S GOT THE CAROUSEL! HE'S GETTING BIGGER!" he warned.

   A faint holler caught his attention. "Night Monkey, help! Save us! Night Monkey, we're stuck!"

   "What...?" Peter peered up, spotting Ned and Betty stuck in the Ferris wheel, alone and abandoned. His heart plummeted. Why would they leave the opera house!? "Oh no."

   A tingle in the back of his head sharpened Peter. He spun around as the Fire Elemental neared in on him. He tried shooting his webs at it, but they caught fire upon contact. The Elemental raised its arms, ready to smother him, but at the last second, a flash of green saved him. Beck stood before him, a shield of energy protecting them. The Fire Elemental bellowed angrily and hit the shield again, again, again.

   "Are you okay!?" Peter called.

   Mysterio grunted, struggling to hold it back. "Onto Plan B?"

   "Yeah! We gotta hit him with something he can't absorb!"

   "I go left, you go right! NOW!"

   The energy shield dissipated. Mysterio flew skyward, and Spider-Man swung away.

   "Not my boys, hothead!" Riley shouted. She scooped chunks of cobblestone from the ground with her forcefields and catapulted them at the monster. It cried in pain.

   "ATTA GIRL! That hurt it!" Beck cheered. "KEEP IT COMING!"

   And she did. She was incredible, dodging and bolting, blasting sunlight at the ground to send more rubble flying. Spider-Man worked with her, webbing pieces of fallen buildings and roofs at the Elemental. But even he could admit he was being a little careless. He kept inching too close, subconsciously expecting Riley to protect him with a forcefield as she always did. But she was focused on herself this time. Peter had nothing but his weird tingle to thank.

   "Spider-Man, keep your distance!" Beck coached, blasting the monster.

   "I'm trying!"

   "Can't let him get near the Ferris wheel!"

   "Okay, I'm on it!"

   Riley groaned as the Fire Elemental struck her, shoving her into a wall. Peter hurdled through the smoke and rushed to her side without question.

   "You okay?" he asked.

   "Ask me that after the burns set in," Riley grumbled. He reached to help her up, but before he could touch her, she shouted, "MOVE!" The Fire Elemental stomped, sending lava curdling through the ground, splitting it. "GET TO THE VICTIMS ON THE FERRIS WHEEL!"

   Mysterio was the only one standing between the monster and the Ferris Wheel, shooting at it with everything he had. They hurried to assist, with Valor taking to the skies and Peter slinging a web. It caught on something mid-air that he couldn't see. He yanked it, tossing whatever it was aside, and shot again.

   He weaved his body through the Ferris wheel, pulling Ned and Betty closer to safety. The heat tickled the fibers of his suit. Below, Fury, Maria, and other agents drove onto the battlefield. Behind him, he could hear Riley and Beck shouting ideas on how to keep it from growing any further. But nothing they did helped. Its size doubled as rafters and wall plates melted into its figure.

   "It's too late," Maria gasped, gawking.

   Beck turned to Peter. His bowl lowered to reveal his scorched, bleeding face. "Whatever happens... I'm glad we met."

   "Beck, what are you doing!?" Peter panicked.

   He turned back to the Fire Elemental decisively, his bowl securing over his face. "What I should have done last time," he gravely said.

   Riley appeared beside him. "I'm with you, Beck. Whatever it takes."

   Beck nodded in agreement. "Whatever it takes."

   "BECK! WAIT, DON'T DO IT!" Peter pleaded. "RILEY!"

   Mysterio summoned all of his energy, inviting Valor to do the same. They were on the same page, but Peter wasn't sure what they were about to do. His heart pounded in his ears. All he could do was watch as they plummeted themselves into the Fire Elemental head-first.

   Flashes of green and white spread through the flames, engulfing its body. It shrieked and wailed, grasping at its chest, unable to fight back. With each wheeze, more smoke foamed its mouth until the Fire Elemental finally collapsed onto its knees in an explosion of light and cosmic energy.

   Peter shielded his eyes until the energy flurry dimmed. He wasted no time, leaping from the Ferris wheel once he spotted Beck's motionless body lying among the ashes, his suit sizzling.

   "Beck! Mr. Beck?" Peter crouched beside him, shaking him until he gasped. "Oh, thank God." Beck was too breathless to speak, only nodding gratefully at the boy as he pulled him onto his feet.

   "So it's over?" Maria wondered as the agents joined them.

   "That... was the last of them," Beck confirmed.

   "But not the last threat we'll ever face. We need to stay vigilant. There's a void in this world for someone like you," Fury said. "Hill, Stark, and I are going to Europol headquarters in Berlin tomorrow. You should join us."

   "Thank you. I just might take you up on that," Beck said, shaking his hand. His face suddenly fell. "Stark... Where is she? Where's Riley?"

   Silence descended as everyone turned, searching for the Avengers' leader. Curses left Peter's lips. He was so used to her just being there, invisible. Everyone was. He hadn't even stopped to realize she wasn't beside him, like a complete idiot. Peter couldn't explain why, but fear sank in. Despite the heat of the warzone, the hairs on his arms stood.

   Then, they heard it. Quiet, agitated breaths.

   Beck moved before anyone else, sprinting to find her first. He plunged himself into the sunken smoke, and when Peter stepped through it after him, he swore his heart stopped beating.

   She was laying on the ground. Her face was exposed, eyes closed. Parts of her once white suit were shredded and thawed, drinking in the crimson blood spilling from her wounds and absorbing the soot in the air. Burns embellished every inch of exposed skin. What once was smooth and tan was charred and red. They traveled up and down her body in bubbly patches, distressed patterns seared through her skin. Her hands were pressed to her side, trying to place pressure on one of her gashes. Peter froze as he looked closer, realizing her fingers were bones. The blaze had melted through her hands completely.

   Not her. Not my Riley.

   "Wh...What...? How... Wh— RILEY!" Peter tripped over his feet, trying to get closer to her, but a flash of green made him freeze.

   "STAY BACK!" Beck snapped. His bowl was over his face again, a protective precaution.

   Maria's eyes were wide. "That thing did... did that to her!?"

   Even Fury was disturbed. "She needs medical care, STAT. Let's move, people! NOW!"

   "NO, DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" Beck frantically yelled. "These injuries, I've seen them before. I've seen countless soldiers die from these exact wounds. These aren't your typical burns. They eat at your muscle, your tissue, everything until only bones remain, and if you make skin-to-skin contact, the heat from the burns themselves can spread between people. It's why the Fire Elemental was the most feared of the Elementals."

   "What do we do, then?" Peter demanded, his voice hoarse with desperation. Tears pricked his eyes. "We can't just leave her like this! Are you insane!?"

   Riley groaned, eyes fluttering open. Her warm brown eyes that Peter loved so much were foggy, her irises paling into a cloudy shade of white. "Am I... Am I dead?" she softly asked. A tear streamed down her cheek, sizzling against the heat of her burns.

   "Not yet," Beck promised. "I'm gonna take care of you, okay? Focus on my voice."

   "Peter—" she tried.

   "I'm here! I'm here, I promise!" Peter tried to run to her side, but it took several agents to hold him back. He didn't care what happened to him. He needed to be with her. How could they expect him to stand there when his sun was dying?

   "You shouldn't have done that back there. Not for me, not for anyone," Beck quietly scolded. "You knew getting in between me and that bastard would hurt you."

   "Whatever..." Riley squeezed her eyes shut. "Whatever it takes."

   "What do we do, Beck?" Fury fiercely pressed.

   "My wife was a medic. I can tend to her injuries. But we have to hurry. Evacuate HQ. Don't let anyone in without proper protective gear. Whatever you've got down there, it'll have to work," Beck ordered.

   "But you're not completely covered either. The burns will spread—" Maria warned.

   "None of you saw what she did for me in there. She saved my life. She saved this world. We have a duty to try and save her, too." Beck brushed her hair out of her face. "Hang in there, champ. I'm here."

   Beck scooped her into his arms and flew into the night.