CHAPTER FIFTEEN; SPIDER-MAN

❝ what a marvelous time they had causing chaos ❞

[ songs to listen to during this chapter ]

❝ brutal, olivia rodrigo / angels & demons, jxdn / bad blood, taylor swift / hermit the frog, marina / fallin, why don't we / teeth, 5 seconds of summer / parents, yungblud / the man, taylor swift / selfish, madison beer / don't blame me, taylor swift / power, little mix / romantic homicide, d4vd ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ staten island ferry ❞

MOVING AS FAST AS HIS LEGS COULD CARRY HIM Peter leaped from the dock letting the suit create wings to held him glide through the air. He just barely managed to land on the side of the boat where no one could see him. "Took you long enough," Alina's voice called out as she sat above him her legs dangling as she waited. She was much closer to the ferry, so she hid in wait, seeing Peter notice her she laid down to the edge of the boat with him.

"I think I forget you're a lot faster than me," he mumbled through the mask the eyes of it narrowing as it examined her. Tony had given him extensive knowledge on her and her abilities as well in the suit, which was supposed to be unlocked later. Breaking eye contact from her sheepishly he ordered Karen, "Okay, Karen, activate Enhanced Reconnaissance Mode."

"Sure thing," she replied easily loud enough for Alina to hear as she sat next to him.

She could hear Karen amply the men's voices as she peaked through the window. They watched as an older white man said, "He's up front. Main deck."

The man they had seen in the van the other night replied, "I hate this guy."

"He's actually doesn't hate him, he's scared of him," Alina whispered feeling the man's fear the more she looked at him.

Speaking about the same man, Peter confirmed, "It's the guy from the bridge, right? Who is that other guy with him?"

Alina focused on the other man shrugging, "I don't know, but he's...calm even though he's rushing himself, he's calm. He's definitely done this before, he's either the boss or the guy right under him."

"Just keep me posted," he directed the man as they kept their backs to each other to act as if they weren't there together.

Karen, who had been searching her records said, "There's no record of him in my criminal database. Incoming call from May Peter. Should I reroute to your heads-up display?"

"'I can't talk right now. I'll call her back," he answered quickly dismissing the call.

"We should just go in there. Stoop this now before things go wrong," Alina offered for two reasons, one, she thought there was a possibility of things going smoother that way. Secondly, she was looking for a fight. She was reading from what she'd heard Connor admit and she wanted someone to pay for it. Every fiber of her wanted to hurt someone, something. Let someone feel half the pain she carried within her for just a moment.

Knowing they still needed to figure out whom they were selling it to, Peter warned, "No, not until we see the buyer." The brunette huffed allowing him to release a small spider drone that crawled up his head. "Hey, dronie, keep an eye on that guy. We can't let anybody get away this time."

As the drone flew overhead Alina leaped up landing softly on the roof as she used her powers to slow her descent. Following behind her Peter crawled the side of the boat both of them careful to still stay out of sight. Peering down from the edge she saw four men on the front deck, "Who's the guy on the left," she asked him curious if he possibly met him before.

"Karen," he urged as his answer not knowing him.

Seconds after being told to look she discovered, "Mac Gargan. Extensive criminal record, including homicide. Would you like me to activate Instant Kill?"

Alina scoffed having it come out as more of a laugh, "Ready to kill, isn't she," she joked.

Immediately he refused her program option, "No, Karen, stop it with the Instant Kill already."

The man who had been ordered to meet the others nonchalantly stood by saying, "White pickup truck."

Gargan nodded to a slim man who walked away, "Dronie, scan the ship for a white pickup truck," he said, and the drone followed orders.

The tiny drone scanned the cargo under the deck and spots a pickup truck. It hovers over the truck and scan its contents. "Did you find it," Alina asked wondering if she needed to sneak down to it herself. Another man, a coworker of the arms dealer exited leading the slim to the back of the truck.

"Oh, this is too perfect. We got the weapons, buyers, and sellers all in one place," he said thrilled to let the Avengers know of their success after it was done.

As if some sick twist of fate fell before them, Karen informed, "Incoming call from Tony Stark."

"No, no, no," Peter panicked backing away from the edge.

Swatting at him as he moved away Alina warned, "Don't answer it! Are you insane?"

But Peter didn't have a choice, the call was programmed to be answered. "Mr. Parker. Got a sec," he asked not really expecting a no.

Stammering over his words Peter said, "Uh, I'm actually at school?"

Karen couldn't resist corrected him as Tony's voice overlapped hers as he said, "Nice work in D.C. Heard you helped Alina from exposing her identity which is a plus to saving all the kids."

Despite having waited for this call for a while now, Peter quickly dismissed, "Okay."

Still drowning on Tony said, "My dad never really gave me a lot of support... And I'm just trying to break the cycle of shame."

Seeing Alina's warning look through the mask covering the bottom half of her face he said, "Uh, I'm kind of in the middle of something right now."

"Don't cut me off when I'm complimenting you. Anyway, great things are about to," before he finished his reply, he heard a loud horn blaring in the background. "What is that," he asked him.

Thinking fast Peter said, "Uh, I'm at band practice."

Alina put her face in her hands disappointed as Tony countered, "That's odd. Happy told me you quit band six weeks ago. What's up?"

Knowing he had no other choice left, the young Parker boy said, "I gotta go. Uh, end call."

"Thank god," Alina exhaled jumping into action, "Motus," she said calling the keys to them,

As she did Peter leaped from the top down to the deck taunting, "Hey, guys. The illegal-weapons-deal-ferry was at 10:30. You missed it." Before they could act, he shot his web disarming two of the men. The line of the web connecting the two men was then used to pull them both roughly face first into the cars.

Landing in front of Peter just as Gargan went shoot him taking the shot in her shoulder. They watched as she flinched with the hit of the bullet before she held her hand over her wound pulling the bullet out and into her hand. Gargan watched in horror as the wound healed and there was just him and her.

Coming up behind her the man with the alien power gauntlet shouted bringing his fist down to hit her. With ease she put up a shield that glowed blue upon impact, acting fast Peter swung into him send him face first into the gate. The force of his hit locked his gauntlet in the gate, "Spider guy and that little witch are here," he warned his boss.

Inside having been able to see some of what was happening the older white man groaned. The two teens back up until their back were touching, seeing two men approaching Peter shot a web to grab a motorcycle. He pulled it towards them hitting the two men from the back with the bike. "Are you guys okay? My bad. That was a little hard," remarked Peter while Alina cornered the man stuck in the gate.

Mocking him she said, "I gotta say the other guy was way better with that thing. I'm honestly, I'm, I'm shocked."

Just as she was about to freeze his weapon to the boat, she was stabbed in her back forcing her to her knees. Without mercy, they kicked her side forcing her onto her back and the blade through her stomach. With the man standing over and death certain when he was handed the gun to finish her off, Alina did what she knew. She gripped the blade pushing it out of her body as she readied her claws.

Brandishing them as her warning, Alina lunged at the man scratching at his chest. His blood splattered across her face as he fell to his knees before her. She was about to finish him when she heard the sound of someone being bashed against something. "Peter," she shouted turning around to see not him, but the white man standing at the truck.

Just as the two of them moved a step forward to follow him, men surrounded them shouting, "Freeze! FBI!"

"Don't move," shouted another.

Alina saw gun all aimed at her, "Get on the ground," they shouted.

"Wait, what do you mean, FBI," Peter said confused as to how they were there. Alina was distracted looking at all the weapons counting them all, but she assumed Peter must've been told what the FBI was by Karen. She had to assume such because he randomly shouted, "I know what the FBI means, but what are they doing here?"

A loud whirring before a sudden sound of metal tearing apart distracted them all. Metal wings caused the truck to be ripped apart while all the agents readied their weapons. Seeing the man coming towards them and the agents still shooting Peter shouted, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

The vulture zoomed through the air using the weapon in his hands to shoot at the teens. Before she had aa chance to miss it, Peter slammed into her moving her away from the blast. Swiftly they pulled themselves up in time to see Vulture use his wing to fling a car at the agents.

"Move," Alina shouted at them creating a vanishing wall of ice that forced the car to fall back into the wall. In her moment of distraction Vulture flung out a blade from his wing lodging it in her leg.

"HEX," Peter was careful to shout as he shot webs over the man's eyes. The air of battle was chaotic and thick while the world moved slowly around him. Alina was falling down, he almost reached her but was stopped by a car and motorcycle being thrown at him.

While the two enhanced teens were on either side of the boat the Vulture flew off the boat ordering his man, "Get to the top deck. We're getting out of here."

Needing nothing more, the man ducked cover running for the door. Peter tried to stop him shooting a web, but he just barely missed. Alina ripped the blade from her leg feeling her body heal itself as she forced herself to her feet. Pointing at the man in the sky she screamed, "You take care of him, I'll get the other one."

No waiting for him to agree, Alina took off pushing through the crowd of people following after the man. In desperate attempts to force her back, he shot at a pamphlet making the papers explode clouding her vision. As she leaped over a man running to take cover Alina bent her arms in towards herself before extending them sending the smoke away.

She halted seeing nothing but an empty hall, but she could hear his heart racing. "Lost him. Gonna head back to you now," she lied speaking just loud enough for him to hear. Alina turned her back knowing he was waiting for her to leave to attack. And she was right, as soon as she did, she felt the air around her whooshing from his movements.

If that wasn't enough, he announced himself with a loud grunt trying to hit her. With ease she tilted her head dodging his hit causing him to lose balance, she used her left elbow to turn her body using her momentum to catch his eye. He stumbled to the ground, "What the hell are you," he asked as he scooted away from her towards the open area of the ferry.

"Don't you worry about that," she assured him as she was about to knock him out, a purple bolt of light erupted between them. Alina flew up trying to avoid the blast as the boat began to rattle. In the chaos the second man took his chance to vanish from sight. There was a moment of silence before water burst through the boat causing it to break apart. She quickly flew over to Peter asking, "What the hell did you do!?"

His hands shaking Peter asked, "Oh, my god. What do I do? Karen, uh, give me an X-ray of the boat and target all the strongest points." Looking up at Alina he asked, "Can you keep the ship steady until we dock, I'll offer support to pull the pieces together."

"Yeah, I got it," said Alina as she descended to the lowest floor that wasn't flooding. She had never held anything together this size before but she knew she didn't have time to doubt herself. The Draganov experiment shut her eyes inhaling deeply, "Venez sanguis. Venez sanguis, Venez sanguis la force de la bête à moi." As her eyes shot open beams of blue light made concrete extended from her hands grabbing hold of the boat.

She watched as Peter swung from side to side using his webs to pull the boat in to itself. He tumbled back and forth on the upper part of the ferry, and with each strand of web the load lightens a little. Alina grunted doing her best to keep the ship together, "Hurry," she urged as he dodged flames as he traveled down the length of the ferry. Peter fired several strands of web and once and binds them together with another strand. Reaching the bow, he crouched on the edge of the roof. He eyed the two leaning halves of the ferry that are crisscrossed with spiderweb before swinging down to Alina.

From the edge closet to her he shouted, "Alright I did it. How are you holding up?"

Grateful for the help she did have she answered, "I'm holding on! How long do you think we can keep this up?"

"Karen? How long can we," he asked.

Alina just barely managed to multitask enough to hear he answer, "You did a great job and she's keeping most the water from flooding us, Peter. You are 98 percent successful."

Both of them noticed the end of her sentence and confirmed, "Ninety-eight?!"

With all the luck of a bride abandoned at the altar, a man stood up clapping as he cheered, "Yeah, Spider-Man! And that weird blue girl?!" The force of his clap near Peters web caused a domino effect of them all snapping.

"PETER," Alina shouted slipping out his real name accidentally as the force sent her plummeting towards the water. With no choice, she broke contact with her spell creating wind she pointed down to stop her before she hit the water. Her breath was ragged as she hovered mere inches above the cargo hold, water pushing the cars forward. People above clung to posts as the stream rushed past them no longer seeing Alina there helping. On the upper level, passengers slid down the floor of the leaning ferry.

Alina could see gap widening with the loss of now both of their supports as Peters last strand broke. She saw Peter grab the remaining pieces from the broken strand to hold them close. "Venez sanguis. Venez sanguis, Venez sanguis la force de la bête à moi," Alina shouted grabbing the sides again but it was too much water. Yelling up to Peter she warned, "I CAN'T HOLD IT! WE'VE TAKEN ON TOO MUCH WATER!"

Blood spilled from her nose, for the first time in a long time she felt pushed to her limits. Her eyes glowed brighter than they ever had before, she could try and force the water out but if she did she wouldn't be able to keep the ship together as well. Arms outstretched, Peter hung between the two sides, trying to hold them together to offer what little help he could.

Suddenly, the two sides started to move toward each other, but Alina didn't lose her grip. Peter landed gently in the seating area and looked around, "What the hell..."

As he turned his head looking out the window, he saw the iron man suit outside, "Hi, Spider-Man. Band practice, was it? You wouldn't happen to have an angry little witch with you, would you?" For the first time in a long time, she was relieved to hear his voice. She finally let go collapsing into the water left behind, seeing her fall beneath the waves Peter leaped down catching her arm that was just barely visible.

"Lina," he yelled at her as he shook her face, but she didn't move. He wiped the blood from her nose that spilled down her face. His hands were shaking as he swung them up to the surface. Tony was healing the ship while he leaned her up right against the cargo hold. Suddenly, her eyes opened as she began coughing up the water, she did take in. "Oh my god! Thank God you're alright," he said leaning back relieved she was okay.

"That could've gone better," was all she could say knowing she had never, ever done so poorly on a mission, of any kind.

Seeing Tony floor above them Peter shouted, "Uh, Mr. Stark? Hey, Mr. Stark. Could I do anything? What do you want me to do?"

"I think you've done enough," remarked distastefully before flying away leaving them behind.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

Alina was still soaking wet as they watched Tony fly over to them beginning, "Previously on Peter Screws the Pooch: with Surprise Guest Star Alina –– I tell you to stay away from this. Instead, you hacked a multimillion-dollar suit so you could sneak around behind my back doing the one thing I told you not to do."

She didn't say a word while Peter wondered, "Is everyone okay?"

"No thanks to you," he replied slowly landing in front of them.

Spinning around the edge, an angered Peter challenged, "No thanks to me?" Alina watched slightly stunned as he leaped off the edge approaching Tony, "Those weapons were out there, and I tried to tell you about it. But you didn't listen. None of this would've happened if you had just listened to me. If you even cared, you'd actually be here."

Making her eyes go wide, the Iron Man suit opened, revealing Tony inside. She suddenly felt the amount of trouble they were in set in, he stepped out of his suit marching toward Peter, who backed off. "I did listen, kid. Who do you think called the FBI, huh? Do you know that I was the only one who believed in you? Everyone else said I was crazy to recruit a 14-year-old kid."

Peter couldn't resist correcting, "I'm fifteen."

"No, this is where you zip it, all right," he said raising his voice making Peter flinch. "The adult is talking. What if somebody had died tonight? Different story, right? Cause that's on you. And if you died, I feel like that's on me. I don't need that on my conscience."

Understanding his point Peter said, "Yes, sir. I-- I'm sorry."

Tony shook his head disapproval clear as he said, "Sorry doesn't cut it."

"I understand. I just wanted to be like you."

"And I wanted you to be better," countered Tony taking a beat before he directed, "Okay, it's not working out. I'm gonna need the suit back."

"For how long," Peter asked assuming he'd get it back.

His eyes stern and voice firm he answered, "Forever."

"Tony," Alina tried.

But as soon as she opened her mouth he spat, "Not yet you and I will talk in a second." She sunk in on herself while Peter shook his head with a shocked expression, "Yeah. Yeah, that's how it works."

"No, no, no... Please, please, please..."

Motioning for him to take it off he said, "Let's have it."

"You don't understand. Please. This is all I have. I'm nothing without this suit," pleaded Peter desperate to keep what he'd only just got.

Making a fair point, Tony said, "If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it." Realizing what he said and instantly having it take him back he said, "Okay? God, I sound like my dad."

Seeing there wasn't a chance of changing his mind Peter said, "I don't have any other clothes."

"Okay, we'll sort that out," he said pulling out his phone texting Happy to bring him clothes. "Go wait downstairs, Alina will be a minute." Before leaving, Peter looked back regretfully descending the stairs. Once he was gone Alina waited for him to begin, "I sent you here not only to help you stay off the radar but for you to guide him. Tell him what you know, tell him how to keep himself safe, yet here you are dragging him into messes like this with you."

Alina scoffed, "I dragged him into this," she repeated back leaping from the edge. He nodded still believing what he said, "Wow, when you say something dumb you really do double down on it, huh? I'm here because I refused to sign my name and right away. The accords are nothing short of government control, their attempt to control things they really can't. Peter begged for my help, why? Because you wouldn't even give him the time of day. You ignored everything he did right and were only here for his mistakes, you really are like your dad I guess."

"The only thing I was wrong about was trusting you," he said not ever knowing the weight of his words. Alina stiffened her lip as he finished, "Don't forget to wipe the blood before you come downstairs"

Alina wiped the blood from her face but when she tried, she realized there was still blood on her hands. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she refused pushing herself off the tower flying from his sight. No matter what she did she would never be seen as innocent as Peter. Everyone could do whatever they wanted to her, unless she stopped it. She couldn't stop Tony, but she could stop Ross.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ Connors apartment ❞

"You really think she was there," Gwen confirmed with her brother as they stood at his home with their mother. He'd called her to meet him there and explained that while he was speaking to Ross, he felt her there. Connor was about to speak but he heard the sound of the doorknob distract him. The blonde stood from the couch, "You don't think...?"

Answering her question, the couch came flying in their direction. Each of the siblings ducked out of the way narrowly missing her. From opposite sides of the room Connor shouted, "Pretty sure she knows!"

As they crawled back over to each other they saw the small figure of Alina drawing closer. "Alina, please, let me explain," he tried but she wasn't hearing any of it. Without mercy she pulled him onto his back sliding him down the marble floors to her.

"Alina," Gwen shouted desperately trying to grab hold of him.

The brunette grabbed hold of his throat pulling him from the ground, "I got my explanations on my own, because you cannot be trusted! My guess you robbed the wrong guy, didn't you? And to save your own skin you struck deal with Ross? How right am I?"

"You've got an A plus on deceive skills," he coughed out as his sister watched powerless to do anything.

This enraged her more; she threw him on the ground causing him to slide back in front of his sister. Coughing he tried to explain holding up his hand, "Ross, knew you were coming to the city, Alina, Stark had agreed to watch you, but Ross didn't trust him. He couldn't allow you to walk around without someone else watching you. He said he would ruin not just my life, but Gwen's, my parents, I had to make a choice. He knew Gwen was the one helping me with all this, and he'd said she'd go to jail just like me. I signed the accords and waited for my chance to meet you."

Her eyes dangerously focusing on Gwen she realized, "A chance you were all too helpful to off," she snapped her eyes glowing brighter blues.

"Yes," Gwen admitted blocking her brother's body with her own, "He's my brother Alina I had to keep him safe. We just had to report if you were using you powers for anything dangerous to people. I didn't do it because I wanted to, but because we didn't have a choice. I do care about you, we both do..."

Starring at the Stacy siblings she had considered her truest friends, her heart broke. Connor was a spy, just like Alina, he was no different than the worse parts of her. She had long accepted she couldn't run from her past, but she didn't have to welcome theirs.

Seeing the look on her face Connor hesitantly stood trying, "I know I'm not the most trustworthy person for you right now but, I'm sorry. I really do like you Alina, as more than a friend."

"You think that matters? You get to keep all our memories intact because you knew the truth, I never will get to see them the same. I never had friends and I thought I did with you two, and now that was just another government trick to keep me behaving. I don't want anything to do with you," she told them both, "And if I find out you're telling Ross anything about me, you will both see exactly why he was so afraid of me."

"We didn't mean to hurt you," Connor tried.

Tears spilled from her eyes as she shouted, "Do you think that matters!?" Her voice caused the lights above to spark and explode.

The wind in the room started to pick up, "Lina," Gwen tried feeling her balance start to waver.

The picture frames shook from the wall while things flew clean off the tables they were on. "Alina, you have to calm down," Connor realized seeing how things were becoming dangerous.

But nothing they said was worth anything to her, her hair flew around her face as she screamed, "Do you have any idea what it's like to live controlled and experimented on by a government swore to protect you!?" Connor backed away only for Alina to immobilize him and keep him stuck to the ground. "Have you been put in a coffin and left to drown? Were you injected with chemicals that robbed you of every ounce of free will you had! Did you grow up feeling like your inside were being yanked out from inside you and burned to test durability? Did you have to kill entire families because someone thought their parents were a nuisance?"

Connor didn't know what to say as she wiped her eyes, "No, of course not. You grew up on fifth avenue with mommy and daddy there to fix anything. I never knew friendship you realize that right? Never kissed a boy, never even had a crush before...you guys gave me that and then you took it away." Any words either twin could muster was impossible with the air vanishing from the room. Seeing them on the ground trying to breath she told them, "If you tell anyone, I will expose you too. And if you think that I'm not capable then you truly don't understand anything around you." Alina left them practically dying only cutting off the spell when she left the apartment.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ parker apartment [ peter's room ] ❞

Exhaustion was just about to take over Peter as he exited his shower, having the suit taken had robbed him of any ability to stay awake. Until he saw blue hues growing and disappearing outside the window. Knowing May was fast asleep by now, Peter opened his window looking up at the roof. Over and over, he saw blue hues joined by colors of lilac and pinks lighting up the sky.

Curiously he crawled up the fire escape peaking over the ledge to see Alina. Facing a wall, he watched as she created the most beautiful almost bold colors to suround herself. It wasn't just blue, pinks, and purples, but every color she could think of following her hands. She moved like water leading it through the air, mastering it. Suddenly she threw her arms up creating a vortex of colors that look eerily like a tornado that surrounded her.

Yet it didn't hurt her, if anything it looked like it made her happier. Peter hadn't gotten to see her so free of worry, so happy. There she was, standing in the middle of beautiful color storm, and she wasn't afraid. All the colors reflecting off her skin casted in her in a new, more beautiful light than before. He didn't announce himself, Peter just watched as her smile slowly began to fade. Responding to her emotions, the colors became all shades of red.

Every time she'd tried to calm herself, she would remember Connor and it enraged her once more. She liked him so much, for once Alina trusted someone and it blew up right in front of her face. Seeing his face replay in her mind, from his smile the day they first met at the party to the look when she left his apartment. 

The look on his face and Gwen, the feeling of betrayal stung too deeply. Feeling it wash over her like a wave she screamed forcing the once beautiful display into the wall where it burst into rain drops. She fell to her knees, from what Tony had said and what Connor and Gwen had done, she didn't see any hope for herself anymore.

She was so caught up in her sorrow, she didn't notice Peter until his gentle hand grazed her shoulder. She flinched looking up to him, she looked almost like an animal that had been hurt. Peter inched back just a smidge, "You look like you needed a friend," he said. His words made her realize, the only real friend she had was Peter. He knew everything about her and only ever wanted to make her happy. Alina collapsed into his arms where Peter held her safety allowing her to break down.

Alina's outfit next chapter