chapter twenty-four!
go get 'em, tiger

NINA RAN out of the gym, heart pounding as she tried to see where Peter had sprinted off to. She knew something was wrong as soon as she saw the look on his face through those doors. She told herself, no Spider-Man things, nothing will go wrong, but all of that was flung out of the window the moment she knew something was up. She didn't even think, her feet moved on their own, spinning on the spot and pushing through the students to the back gym door, stepping out into the hauntingly quiet corridors of Midtown High.

She felt a chill down her spine in her light orange dress. Nina's feet twisted nervously on the spot. She glanced down one end of the corridor of lockers, and then up the other, hearing nothing more than her own breath and the pace of her thundering heart.

She knew she had seen that same guy who had been in the school not long ago. The Vulture had stepped onto the school grounds, and for all Nina knew, all of her friends might be in danger, ignorant and laughing as they danced to the music behind closed doors. Nina didn't know what she planned on doing now that she was out here, she just knew she had to help Peter.

Nina took a deep breath and started running down the corridor. Her footsteps echoed against the tiles, bouncing off the walls. The music was muffled━distant, even, in the back of her mind. She didn't risk calling Peter's name, scared that she'd somehow put herself in danger, or him in more.

She rounded the corner into the next hallway. Something felt strange. Nina felt as though she had stepped through something━it tickled her skin, made her breath hitch, like a ghost had walked right through her chest. She was being ridiculous, she knew that, but that was until she heard a voice.

Her own voice.

But she wasn't speaking.

Nina frowned. She couldn't quite make out what she was saying, and so she followed it. She walked down the hallway with her ears piqued, searching for the origin of a voice that couldn't be hers, but it was.

As she walked down the corridor, she began to hear it more clearly:

"How is it?" she heard the echo from her left. Nina glanced over, confused. "Does it still hurt?"

Nina's thoughts wandered from Peter and she stepped closer to the sound, sitting by one of the lockers. Her breath hitched again, seeing something in the light shimmer. She might've been imagining it, but she wondered whether she had seen the silouhette's of two people. A girl and a boy, to which the girl looked horrifyingly like herself.

"How's what?" replied a boy's voice, sounding rather cheeky.

"You know what I mean."

"What do I mean?"

Nina heard herself chuckle. She was right beside the strange shimmers; as if she was in the conversation herself. She saw a hand reach out to smack a chest, and for a moment, the two figures became as clear as day. It was her, but with ... with someone she didn't recognise. A boy tall and slender, with a long face and a cheeky smile. "Don't play with me," Nina saw herself smile nonetheless, and she figured this boy was quite mischevious on the usual day.

Nina was stunned to frozen silence. She had no idea what was going on. She had no idea what she had to make her see these things━but they seemed so real, it was terrifying. That was her. It was her.

She felt as if she was watching the ghost of a life she never knew, expect she felt as if she should. She felt nostalgic.

To the right, across the hallways, Nina heard a loud smash! Like something hitting the tiles. It made her jump and she gasped, thrown back to the reality━her reality right now. She glanced over, heart jolting with sudden fear. Was that Peter? Was he okay? Nina surged onwards, but something stopped her before she did. Her eyes glanced back at where she had seen the figures, and they widened to see her own eyes stare back at her with a similar expression.

She ... she could see her?

Nina's heart rose up into her throat. This wasn't ... this didn't feel right. This felt wrong━but here she was, staring right through a mirror; she felt like Alice gazing through her looking glass. Stories of worlds beyond the mirror━sides of yourself you wouldn't like.

The other version of her frowned. Her friend muttered her name, "Nina," he murmured, "Nina, are you all right?"

Nina had to get out of here. She had to━she turned and ran, not finding any courage or dare to even take a single glance back.

"Nina," Peter touched her arm. "Nina, what's wrong?"

Nina was frozen. She had seen herself. She swore she had seen herself. Just for a moment, brushing past the students like a ghost in an orange slim dress, running for her life down the hallway. And in that moment, that girl, a young Nina, and seen the one standing right here. They locked gazes, and then, it was gone. She disappeared in the crowd.

Peter's hand moved from her arm to the small of her back. Nina glanced over, startled. He looked very concerned. "Nina, speak to me."

"I━" she couldn't find her voice. "I thought I ..." something felt wrong. She felt like she was supposed to help that girl. Her distress filled her with distress, made her want to run after her. She tried to find her in the crowd, but it was as if she had never been there. "I don't know ..."

Peter watched her, as if scared she'd break down suddenly. Nina then realised a tear had fallen down her cheek. She frowned, wiping it away. Why would she be crying? What on Earth is she sad about?

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I don't know what just happened."

Her boyfriend kissed her on the forehead, confused, but not saying anything, mainly because Nina didn't think she'd have an answer. Peter rubbed her back, hesitant before turning back to his locker, grabbing his History text book that looked very sad in regards to tabs and notes for their upcoming test.

He still was stiff. She could see it in his shoulders. He healed well, but Nina was sure he had fractured a rib and was refusing to tell her. Gashes might heal quick for Spider-Man, but Nina believed bones definitely took far longer. She was worried━god, she was more than worried. He wanted to go after Connors, the scientist Nina had once hoped to be her mentor, just a day after his last encounter that almost ended up getting him killed.

Nina wondered whether this was what it was like, sending someone off to war and knowing there was a chance that they won't return home.

But instead of waiting, Nina was desperate for there to be a way for her to help. She didn't want to be the one having to patch him up, to hold back her tears to see him in such pain. She had to find a way to help keep him safe, in her own way.

"Peter," she spoke up before she could stop herself. He glanced back, back to being conerned. Nina pursed her lips, "You promise me━and you promise me right now, if there's anything━"

Her words were cut off by the screams. Nina spun around, confused. Peter immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, stepping forward with his hairs on end. Students were running towards them, pushing others aside or tugging them along to join them. The screams were loud, ear-splitting, and for a second, Nina was sick to her stomach, scared she'd hear gunshots.

Until from around the next corridor, bursting through with a hollowed shriek, in nothing but tatters of a scientists coat, was the Lizard.

Nina had never seen him up close. She had seen rumoured pictures, dark tabloids from the bridge and details from what Peter has told her that was once her science hero. They never prepared her for the real thing.

He was hunched over in the school halls; humanoid and yet far from it with scaly arms that ended in sharp, hooked talons, feet that stepped off the tiles with sticky slime, a long, sharp tail that swiped so far around one unlucky student was knocked away. She screamed, skidding across the tiles down the corridor. Nina's heart stopped for a moment, until her best friend screeched in horror, sprinted forward, and tugged her dazed friend back up, helping her away. The worst thing about him was his face. It looked as though his smile had been cut at the cheeks, sliced up to his ears to show rows of sharp teeth. And his eyes━they were a human's eyes with a lizard's glower. He was a monster. A real monster.

And he had followed Peter to his school, not caring who he'd hurt in his way.

Peter Parker dropped his History text book. He tugged Nina around so she was facing the crowd running away. "Go!" He told her. She had never heard him so straight-forward and serious. When Nina didn't move, scared to leave him alone, Peter met her gaze with one that deep down, she saw was terrified━not for himself, but for her. "Get out of here! Run!"

Nina didn't want to leave him. But she realised in this moment, she had no choice. Her feet shuffled back, her heart pounding. "Stay safe," she told him, which felt stupid to say, but it flowed out of her with such desperation she was glad he nodded, promising her.

She spun on her heels and took off running with the other students. As she reached the end of the corridor, she glanced back to see Spider-Man charge the Doctor Connors. Nina gritted her teeth, but followed the crowd still. Students were still screaming far away from the fight, pushing and shoving each other to get to the doors.

But as Nina was being pushed and shoved, her gaze had started to search for a specific person.

"Gwen?" She called into the crowd. There were many blondes, but she knew the head of her best friend, and she wasn't finding her anywhere. "Gwen!" What would she have right now? Where would she be? Nina's heart raced even worse, shouting for her friend in the chaos.

Nina couldn't take it anymore. She forced herself out of the crowd. As the students all pushed through the doors, tumbling over each other to get outside, Nina let herself be shoved out onto the ground. She skidded along the tiles away from the student body, her elbow hurting, but her mind determined. She got back onto her feet, rushing to the windows to double check in case her friend had already made it outside.

She wasn't finding her. Nina's stomach dropped. She was still in the school.

Nina didn't think this time. She ran back into the school towards the danger.

Gwen studied before school━she always studied. She had calculus first period, which meant she'd be in the science labs close to the math department. At least, Nina hoped. She fished for her phone, dialling her best friend's number and pressing it to her ear.

It rang and it rang. Nina cursed each time it rang for longer as she ran through the corridors. When she didn't pick up, Nina shook her phone in fury, "Damn it, Gwen! Stop being a genius for one second!"

The science department was on the other end of the school. Nina was terrified she wouldn't reach her in time. She sprinted past the staff room, only to stop. Her gaze ventured inside and fixed on a skateboard, just sitting there. The teachers had left, running with the students. There was no teacher around to go off at her for stealing someone else's skateboard and ride it through the school halls.

Nina took a breath. "Okay," she muttered to herself. "Lessons from Peter, you better work for once."

She ran inside and grabbed it. Stepping back out into the hall, Nina set the blue and red skateboard onto the tiles and planted her feet just as Peter had showed her. She tested her balance. "I can do this," she whispered. "I can do this."

Nina took another deep breath. She pressed her right foot on the ground and with a clench of her hands, pushed off.

She almost fell off immediately if she hadn't composed herself with another push off the ground. She could set her foot on the back after that, and Nina was speeding down the hall. She breathed a grin as she turned into the next, fixing her position just right to slide around the corner and into the hallway on the left.

Nina did her best to call Gwen again. She must've heard the screams and thought something off. If she was smart, she would've locked herself in the room (which, of course, she was).

In the distance, Nina heard Peter Parker fight the Lizard. There were horrible crashes and thuds, the sounds of lockers falling and lights breaking. Even an explosion━right from the science block.

Nina pushed herself to go faster, and forgetting her fear about falling, she swerved around corners upon corners, chasing the sounds and constantly trying to call her best friend, starting to fear the worst.

She wasn't picking up, at all.

Nina reached the science department, and felt her throat choak to see it practically destroyed. Lights above were hanging down on threads of cords, the lockers were caving in and there were suspicious dents in the walls the size of a certain Spider-Man.

She stopped the skateboard, careful not to make any noise. Bending down, she picked it up and grasped it like a weapon, stepping into the mess of the hall and checking each door, hoping to find her friend behind one of them and get her out of here. Nina heard crashing and fighting down towards the glass hall that crossed from the Math wing to the English. Nina found it safe to call out, "Gwen?"

And like a miracle, one of the lab doors open. And there, racing towards her with dishevelled hair and a flushed face, was Gwen Stacy.

Nina dropped the skateboard with a sob and ran to her friend, throwing her arms around her and clutching her tight. "Gwen!" she cried, feeling her shake in her hold. "Thank━oh, my god━I was so worried━!"

"It's Doctor Connors!" Gwen pulled away, her face suddenly as pale as a sheet. "The━The Lizard monster, it's Doctor Connors!"

"I know," Nina croaked. "He━he tried to regrow his limb with cross-species genetics ... but it went wrong ... really, really wrong."

Gwen held her shoulders tight, tearful. "Nina," Her voice was a horrified whisper. "Did━Did you know about? Your━" she held herself back, as if unsure whether she should say. But then she clenched her jaw and finished, "Peter is Spider-Man! I━I saw him! He━He fought the Lizard with the webs and━"

Nina didn't know what to do. She was shocked. How was she supposed to keep his identity when her best friend had seen it with her own eyes? Lie to her? Call her crazy? Nina couldn't do that. But did she have no choice?

"You can't say anything," Nina cut her off, not giving herself a chance to even think of some excuse. It was too late now. Gwen Stacy knew. "Gwen━listen to me━It's important you don't tell anyone this, okay?"

Gwen stared at her, stunned. "So ... you did know. You knew this whole time?"

Nina didn't know whether her friend sounded hurt or impressed. Perhaps it was everything she just experienced━She looked traumatised. "I ..." Nina swallowed hard. "Peter told me. I promised him I'd keep the secret."

"So when he came to my father's precinct..." Gwen shook her head, "He━he had been telling the truth?"

"Gwen, you have to get out of here," Nina stressed, tugging her along down the corridor.

"What do you mean?" Gwen pulled her hand away, stubborn. In the space of a few seconds, she went from crying, to shocked, to hurt, and now back to her determined self. "What about you?"

Nina glanced towards the sounds that seemed to just grow worse across the school. "I━I have to help him. What if━what if he's hurt?"

Gwen shook her head, "What if you get hurt, Nina?"

Nina pursed her lips. She was already picking up the skateboard and starting down the hall towards Spider-Man. "I can't leave him━I━I have to try. Just get out of here, okay? I'll call you! I promise!"

"Nina!" cried Gwen as she took off.

Nina continued her race through the school halls. She felt like that young version of herself she must've imagined, and yet seemed so real, pushing along, scared and alone━Nina wondered whether she was looking for Peter right now, somewhere else. She didn't know how to explain it, but she just knew.

It didn't take long to find them.

Nina stopped by the entrance of the glass hallway and quickly hid herself. She pressed her back against the wall, peering around with wide eyes. Peter was in his suit, his feet pressed against Connors chest as he tried to crawl around him, webs attatched to his shoulders. He clung on as he was thrown around, shaken like a rag doll. Nina winced each time he hit the sides with a great slam that would have crushed the bones of anyone else.

Then, the Lizard grabbed him by the head. His talons wrapped over Peter's temple and slammed him straight into the glass window. It didn't shatter, but at the force, each inch of it became covered in stress fractures; a sudden mosaic about to crash. He kicked his legs, tugged at Connor's scaly talons, suffocating behind the palm of a monster that Nina used to look up to.

It made her furious.

She grabbed the skateboard and held it up above her head. Running forward, she cared little of what consequence laid out for her━she just brought it right across the Lizard's side. So hard the skateboard snapped in half.

Nina froze up with just half a board, watching in horror as Connors let Peter go, and he crumpled to the ground. The Lizard turned on her, towering over her with a terrifying grin that stretched right across his scaly green face.

"Nina," he chuckled; it wasn't kind. His voice was still his, but it seemed deraged━so unlike him, and yet such the same, it made her knees tremble.

She stumbled back as he took a few thundering steps towards her. Nina held her broken weapon bravely, though she felt far from it. "Leave him alone," she said in a voice she wished sounded less weak.

The Lizard refused her order. He raised a talon and Nina's stomach dropped. The sharp ends glinted dangerously, she knew it would slice her right through with no mercy.

Just as Connors was about to kill her with one swipe, a web shot out and wrapped around his wrist. Peter was on his feet. He tugged back with a furious yell, sending the Lizard swinging. He leapt up. Nina watched, in awe, as Spider-Man swung around━his webs became a blur. They attatched to any part of Connors they could reach; his arms, his legs, his tail and his chest, wrapping and wrapping around like a Christmas present until every ounce of him was covered in white. He staggered, stumbling still towards Nina and Peter set down onto the tiles. Throwing out both hands, two, strong webs attatched to the ceiling━he flung them out. More and more webs grasped onto Doctor Connors, caging him into a web in the centre of the school hall. He growled with rage, shaking and wretching his body in every direction.

He was kept there, but Nina knew not for long.

Peter jumped over his trap and Nina felt a tug to her waist. She gasped as he pulled her towards him, speechless. He took the broken end of the skateboard she held and flung it at the window. It shattered, and so did the skateboard onto the concrete below.

Spider-Man grasped her waist, and Nina found herself flushed against his chest, still trying to take in everything that had just happened. She hit the Lizard!

Peter stared at her through those unblinking lenses. "I'm gonna throw you out the window, now."

Nina's heart stopped, "What━?"

A short scream tore threw her throat as Peter chucked her with amazing strength. Nina soared through the window and out into the daylight, arms flailing before a single web flung out after her. It attatched to her stomach, tight and secure━her entire body jolted as her fall stopped, leaving her hanging below the glass hallway, safe and sound.

Nina's scream fell away, and she swung a little, eyes wide and mouth agape. That didn't just happen━she did not just do that?

Despite it all, Nina managed a chuckle, shocked and relieved all at the same time.

*ೃ༄

HER HEART was still racing. Nina couldn't forget about that strange moment, but she knew she had to for the time being. Even in these shoes, her heels began to hurt as she ran, but she didn't stop. Nina kept on going, flinging herself around the hallway after the sound that had raked her bones with worry━

Nina ran straight into something. She had to gasp very loudly to stop her scream, throwing out hands to fight and smack the thing she ran into, until she heard that the thing had a very familiar voice.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow, Nina!" cried Ned, shielding his face from her projectile hands. "Nina, it's me! It's Ned! I'm innocent━innocent Ned!"

Nina realised and she gasped again, holding her hands up to keep herself from hitting him again. "Ned!" She seethed, staring down at him as he massaged a sore, red cheek under his fedora. "What are you doing here! You scared me!"

"What am I doing here?" replied back Ned, miffed from her attacking him. "What are you doing here?!"

Nina pointed a threatening finger, "I asked first!"

"I asked second!"

"Yeah? Well, I━" she stopped herself, knowing this was getting nowhere. Lowering her hand, her worry returned and she met Ned's gaze, pretty sure she knew exactly why he was here, too. "Where's Peter?" she asked. "Where did he go? Is it the Vulture? Is he here? Is Peter in trouble?"

Ned stared at her for a second, dumbfounded that she knew so much. "Uh ..." Even if they all sort of understood that each of them knew Peter's secret, it had never been stated like this. Nina watched as Ned tried to cover his best friend's tracks, leaning back and muttering a dumb, "The Vulture? Yo, he's like this cool guy━don't worry about it. He's Peter's━uh━nemesis at the Stark Internship━"

Nina rolled her eyes and quickly deadpanned, "Ned, I figured it out." Ned's mouth clamped shut, shocked. She shook her head at him, incredulous. "You guys weren't exactly subtle about it, you know? It's a shock no one else figured it out."

Ned pursed his lips. He stared Nina down. She arched a brow, confused, until he muttered, "I knew first."

She threw her gaze to the ceiling, "Oh, my god━let's just find Peter, okay? Come on!"

Grasping Ned's arm, Nina pulled him along down the hallway. They ran together after their best friend, skidding along the tiles and following the sounds that started up outside. Horrible sounds. Crashing sounds, yells and slams that made Nina's stomach twist with fear. She didn't know what they could do, but she just knew they had to help Peter. She knew that he needed them.

They remade their promise to each other. Where you go, I go.

They made it to the back doors of the school.

Nina pushed them open. She was lucky the noise of Peter slamming into the side of a school bus hid her, otherwise she and Ned would've been struck where they stood.

"Nina!" gasped Ned in horror and pulled her back. They hid behind the closest bus, huddled together as they watched their best friend groan as he hit the concrete. He wasn't wearing his normal suit. Nina recognised the suit he wore before━nothing more than a sweatsuit, sneakers, jacket and camera lenses for eyes on his balaclava mask. In comparison to the man who walked up to him━the Shocker, he seemed little, easy, a bug ready to be squashed underfoot.

The Shocker's gauntlet lit up in blue━pulsing with electricity in the night. Nina eyed it, feeling sick to her stomach. She watched him kick something away at his feet. It skidded along, landing just paces away from her and Ned.

One of Peter's web shooters.

"You know," said the Shocker, stalking up to Peter as he struggled back up onto his feet. "I wasn't sure about this thing at first, but━" he chuckled lowly, holding up the gauntlet with a sick gleam in his dark gaze, "━damn!" he swung it.

Peter barely had time to gather his bearings. Nina jumped, horrified to see him take a strike right to the face. He flew━soared━across the car park and into the front of the far bus, shattering through the window and right to the back seats. The Shocker laughed. He slammed his fist into the side of the bus, and it toppled━over and over and over with Peter still inside.

Nina had to do something. She had to help him. But they were stuck here, hiding, useless━

Her gaze fixed back onto the web shooters.

Her heart gave a jolt.

She knew what she had to do.

Nina carefully crouched back up.

Ned frowned, startled, "Wait!" he whispered, horrified. He tried to tug her back, but she waved him off, "Nina, no!" She pressed a finger to her lips, telling him to stay quiet. She checked the Shocker. He was still occupied with tormenting Peter, not even caring that a brave (but very stupid) teenage girl in her Homecoming dress, was sneaking out of her hiding place into plain sight.

Nina tip-toed towards the web shooter. It wasn't far away. If she just grabbed it, and raced back, it'll be all good. Behind her, she heard Ned scramble for something to fight with. He found one of the broken off handle bars from the bus, holding it with trembling hands. "Nina, don't die!" he whisper-shouted.

She waved back a hand to reply with, I got this!

Quickly, she picked up the web shooter, twisting it around in her hands to see where the trigger was. Meanwhile, Peter crawled out of the back of the bus, struggling. He glanced back. The Shocker loomed over him.

"Why did he send you here?" he croaked, dragging himself away, but he could barely move. He was pathetic.

The Shocker chuckled at him. Poor Spider he said. He raised his gauntlet. It glowed with new, seering power. "Guess you'll never know━"

Clang!

The Shocker froze, confused as a broken bus-door handle struck to ground beside him. Ned's eyes widened, lips pursed as the Shocker's gaze slowly settled onto him and Nina, standing there, barely armed and competely vulnerable.

Nina turned to her friend, incredulous, "What was that?!"

Ned exploded in defence, "You told me to throw! I threw! I'm not good at gym, okay?!"

"It wasn't even that far of a━oh, my god!" Nina squealed in terror as the Shocker surged towards them, pressing her thumb down on the web shooter trigger.

A single web sprung out━long, thick and strong━latching right onto the end of the Shocker's gauntlet. Nina gasped, just as surprised at her luck as the Vulture's accomplice was.

Peter stared at them for a moment. Then, he sat up with a bright, "Yeah! Nice shot!" Reaching up a hand, he grasped the web and tugged. The Shocker grunted as he was pulled downwards, stumbling with the weight of his weapon. Peter spun around and pulled on the web again, Nina let go, breathless with awe as Spider-Man caught his web shooter and with a final strike, webbed the Shocker sprawled against the side of the bus like a miserable fly.

"Yes!" said Spider-Man before spinning around and running back to his friends who still stood there, stunned to silence. "Nina! Ned!" he skidded to a stop in front of them, "The guy with the wings━the Vulture━he's Liz's dad!"

"What?" they let out at the same time.

"I know! I gotta let Mr. Stark, know!" Peter glanced back, as if worried more goons would come out for a fight. "I need you guys to call Happy Hogan, he's Mr. Stark's Head of Security. And━uh━get a computer and track my phone for me." Without another word, he spun around at a run. Nina watched him go, leaping up to the street light. With a spin, he crouched onto the top.

"Wait, wait!" Ned called after their friend. "Are you gonna be okay?!"

Spider-Man glanced back from the top of the street lamp. Nina's heart fluttered. "Hurry, okay? We gotta catch him before he leaves town!"

He went to swing away, but Nina burst out a quick, "Wait!"

Peter froze. His lenses fixed down upon her, and she let out a breath, relieved. With a smile, Nina told him, "Go get 'em, Tiger."

Spider-Man may have a mask on, but Nina Hart knew Peter Parker smiled beneath it. "I'll be back," he said. "I promise."

Then, he jumped off, shooting out a web into the night.

Nina stood there for a few more moments, gazing after his figure that swung around into the next block, feeling something in her heart grow. She smiled, knowing the Vulture wasn't going to stand a chance.

*ೃ༄

a/n: yeah, you go get 'em tiger!!!!

the amazing spider-man part of this chapter was so ew i'm so sorry.

i just needed to publish something today so i felt like i accomplised something lol. now i go online retail shopping therapy for my birthday on monday ahaha.

MEMEhS:

     Nina and Ned bumping into each other in the school hallways

     Nina after seeing her multiverse self