It took a few minutes to get to the tower and safely get them both to the med bay and hooked up to at least get their blood levels to stabilize.

Peter had passed back out about half way back and so now Tony could only sit and wait as he hadn't the slightest clue how to even start removing the blades from either of them.

It was a while before Aurora even started to stir. Although the last thing she remembered was the back of the van. Needless to say, when she woke up in a med bay attached to a bunch of wires, it freaked the hell out of her. Her heart rate spiked, and she pushed herself up, on high alert.

"Woah!" Tony very quickly but gently stopped her. "Aura, it's okay. It's okay, you're safe. You're home." He reassured her. "You need to lay back down, okay?"

Aurora panted lightly, her eyes darting around the room. She recognized Tony's voice and focused on him. "What? But I-" She paused, looking around the room again. It was the tower's med bay, not some probing lab.

Her step down from panic caused her pain to resurface, and she listened, laying back on the cot. "Where's Peter?"

"He's asleep, right over there." He moved slightly so she could see him not too far from them and fast asleep, hooked up to all the same devices she was.

"It was tricky getting those cuffs off of the two of you but I managed. However..." He looked at the knives still in her shoulders and chest. "I'm not sure how to go about these..."

Aurora glanced down but quickly ripped her gaze away to stare up at the ceiling. All of the memories from the alleyway came flooding back to her. She wanted to curl up onto a ball, or to fall asleep until everything was better.

"They-" She choked on her words, the taste of iron still in her mouth. "It was just going to be me. They had me, and kept cutting when I kept resisting but then-" She paused, pushing herself. "Then Peter came, and they slit his throat." She sobbed.

Tony very gently squeezed her uninjured hand. "Aurora- I'm so sorry I wasn't there sooner... This should've never happened..." He apologized to her.

"I promise you that I've done what I can for Peter right now and he's stable. We found out that the devices on your ankles are power dampeners and they also stall your healing factors... We've decided to keep them on so you don't heal around the knives." He explained to her.

"I was hoping to talk to the two of you to see what you wanted to do about them. I am in no way capable of doing it but I have a few people who might. I could also possibly see if Claire would be able or know someone if you'd prefer that."

Aurora knew if she even looked at the knives again, the urge to pull them out and be rid of them would be overbearing. "Just-" She shook her head lightly, trying to avoid any further pain. "Anyone. Because if someone doesn't get them out, I will."

She remembered what the man had said about the blades. "They're some sort of special blade, serrated on the edges." She spoke softly, her gaze focused on the ceiling.

Tony sighed and nodded. "I'll give Claire a call first. Just... try to get some rest, okay?" He told her as he stood up. "And call for me if you need me."

Rest. That's all anyone was doing recently. Rest, recovery, and then back into the fire. She hated it. That damned corporation had been keeping them in this vicious cycle of pain and she hated it.

But all she did was nod, and rasp out an 'okay'. Just like usual. She kept her gaze fixated on the ceiling, in fear of looking away from it. She didn't want to look at the wires, or the blades, for fear that she'd lose herself and pull them out. She didn't want to look at Peter for fear of losing her stomach.

She could hear the faint beeping of both their heart monitors and Peter's soft breathing.

Tony called Matt, hoping Claire was still there.

—

Matt cursed, tossing his crutch to the side and instead leaning on the window for support. He heard Kasey cry out for him again, and it felt like a stab to the heart. He knew what she was going through but couldn't get to her. And it killed him.

"Claire, I think she's got some sort of shutdown happening. She's out there, alone and afraid."

Claire looked at him, eyes wide. "Can you tell where she is? I can try to find her," she offered. "I assume up on a roof somewhere probably?"

Kasey curled into a tight ball, sobbing as her body panicked. She felt so sick and dizzy- Too much- Too quiet- Too-

She stopped, a gasp leaving her as she heard a voice from around her.

"I told you that you'd be back."

She whirled around, but shuddered at the feeling of her hair moving against her neck without the sound accompanying it.

"I told you that he couldn't protect you forever. That everyone who gets close to you gets hurt someway or another!" He told her. It sounded like it came through a speaker.

"That it was only a matter of time before they pushed you away or get killed because of you! That you would be alone and you wouldn't have anyone left to save you!"

A laugh echoed around her. "Now, here you are. Everyone close to you is hurt or killed because of you, some even scared of you! Now, you're all alone and I'll make sure it will stay that way."

Tears dripped down her face as she tried to figure out what to do as she panicked, shaking her head. She felt herself say no. That he was wrong-

But not a single sound reached her ears.

Matt cursed again, hitting his hand against the windowsill. It sounded like she was talking to someone, or something. The only thing was he couldn't hear a counterpart, and could only assume the worst.

"She's not far, a few rooftops away to the east. I don't think she can hear or anything! She isn't responding to me, and it sounds like she's talking to someone who isn't even there!" Matt exasperated, wishing he could go out and just... hold her.

Claire turned to head to the door. "Like earlier when she was having problems while unconscious?" She asked, grabbing the keys to her car.

Kasey was sobbing as the voice kept speaking to her.

"No one is gonna find you here and even if they did, they couldn't get through to you." He told her.

She let out another sob.

"No- No- You're not here-" She cried but again no sound reached her ears.

"You'll be back here before you know it. And we'll find your friends again and bring them too."

She shook her head, pushing to her feet. "No- no- Stop it!" She pressed her hands over her ears again.

"Exactly like that." Matt agreed. "Which only makes it all the more terrifying."

If she was like that, out there? Where he couldn't get to her? That was dangerous to think about, let alone actually happen. He flinched again, hearing her yell.

"I'm afraid it's getting worse-" He stopped, hearing Tony call. Of course he'd call at such a bad time! He hobbled over to his phone, answering it. "Tony?"

Claire stopped, hearing the phone call out Tony's name. She glanced at him. "You got that?" She whispered softly, making sure it was okay for her to go.

"Hey, uh... There was a... situation with the spiderlings and..." He sighed. "It- It's not good. I was calling to see if Claire was, uh, able to come help out..." He explained.

Kasey, meanwhile, was trembling as she cried, trying to block the man out.

"You're gonna come back and you are never leaving again." He replied. "You're gonna learn to behave and take orders like you were supposed to."

She stepped back, shaking her head. "N-No! I- I won't let you! I- I won't go ba-!" she had been stepping away rapidly, taking larger and larger strides but felt her leg hit the side of the rooftop and her eyes widened as she fell over the side of it with a cry of surprise.

She felt her side clip something metal as she fell past it, making her gasp in pain, stunning her as she felt the wind rush past her as she tried to spin around to grab something! Anything!

But had spun herself upside down and her head hit the railing as she thrashed and knocked herself unconscious.

Her arms hit two more of the railings on her way down before hitting the ground with a heavy thud, the back of her head hitting the ground before rolling to the side, still unresponsive.

Matt gritted his teeth and held the phone to the side so he could speak with Claire. "He's wondering if you can help the other spiders after their incident. But I-" He stopped, turning his head slightly towards the window.

"She fell-" He heard the following clunks and thuds of metal and something soft.

"Damn it, she fell off the roof!" He reached up, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Claire, please go get her, I can't hear her speaking."

He pulled the phone back up to his ear. "I'm sorry Tony, but I'm going to have to call you back. Something just came up. I'll talk to Claire and let you know."

Claire's eyes widened and nodded. "I'll call you when I find her!" She told him and ran out the door.

Tony blinked in surprise but nodded, taking in the tone of his voice. "Sure thing. Just let me know." He hung up so he could deal with whatever was going on.

Matt waited for Claire to leave before hurling his phone at the couch. Luckily, it didn't break but instead bounced straight off the couch and onto the floor a few feet away.

If only he had use of his other leg! Then he would've been able to go out there and get her! Not stuck inside his own apartment waiting for Claire to do all his work for him. God, he loves her, she was always willing to help, but Matt felt useless.