CHAPTER SIXTEEN; SPIDER MAN

❝ the world of today can only be saved by the rebellious youth of tomorrow ❞

[ songs to listen to during this chapter ]

❝ run boy run, woodkid / victorious, panic at the disco / watch me, Jaden smith / power, little mix ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ midtown high ❞

"I'M SORRY ABOUT DINNER, but I know when branzino's fresh, and that was not fresh, okay? So-" Flash tried to explain to his date he he began approaching the school.

But suddenly, his car was stopped in its track while Spiderman simultaneously dropped on top the car. Flash let out an amusing scream that had he known who they were, Alia never would've let him live it down. In a sad, gravelly voice, Peter demanded, "Flash, I need your car and your phone."

Like a deer in headlights Flash tried to refuse, "Uh, sir, technically, this is my dad's car, sir. So I can't––"

Stopping his very words, his car door swung open as the familiar enhanced peeked her head into the doorway. The mask covering her mouth was clearly doing its job because not an ounce of recognition crossed his face. "We still need your car," she said and he instantly found himself taking off his seatbelt allowing Alina to get in the drivers seat.

Peter followed after her as she turned the car around barley missing some bikes as she hightailed out of there. Having already dialed Ned's number, Peter loudly greeted, "Hello, Ned? Hey, hey, hey, hey, can you hear me?"

Ned, who had run all the way inside to the compute lab answered, "Go for Ned."

"Ned, I need you to track my phone for me," Peter said knowing there wasn't enough time for Alina to do a spell to track them.

Already typing away he said, "Yeah, but where is it?"

"I left it in Toomes car when he dropped me off," said Peter as he smacked against the car doors from Alina's vicious swerving to avoid cars.

"Genius move," remarked Ned as he finally zeroed in on the signal, "Okay, he just passed the GameStop on Jackson Avenue."

"Hey, have you gotten through to Happy yet," shouted Alina to ensure he'd hear her while she cut down an alley barley missing a car as she came back to the main streets.

Growing a little panicked while he typed away twirling his chair to go from monitor to monitor, "I'm working on it. I just gotta backdoor the phone system." While he worked he couldn't help but mumble to himself, "Guy in the chair."

"Okay, perfect. So where's my phone now," asked Peter growing any the longer it took them to catch up.

Looking back to the second monitor he told them, "Um... He stopped in an old industrial park in Brooklyn."

Through his hoodie mask, Peter shrieked, "What? That makes no sense. I thought he said he was going out of town!" While he spoke he noticed Alina getting increasingly closer to two trucks with little room between them. "Alina, we're not gonna make that," he said seeing one of the truck trying to back up leaving less and less space.

"Who here between us has actually driven vehicles in situations like this," Alina pondered slamming her foot on the gas making drivers move out her way. Despite Peters protest to stop, Alina went forward barley scraping the back of the car causing sparks as they made it through.

Once they has Peter sat back his hands on his chest, close calls like that were much less scary when he was the controlling his webs. "See, nothing to worry about," she told him.

Grabbing their attention Ned told them, "Oh, I reached Mr. Happy. Don't think he likes you, by the way Peter. It sounded like he was catching a flight. He said something about taking off in nine minutes."

Peter incredulously asked, "What?"

Telling him what he saw Ned added, "He was surrounded by a bunch of boxes."

Hearing the detail about the boxes Alina realized, they were the timetable Toomes was working on. Slapping Peters arms she told him, "It's moving day. It's moving day! It's moving day! He's gonna rob that plane! I gotta stop him!"

Just as they'd come to the realization, Alina made it to the less crowded streets. "Okay, slow down. You're getting close. It's on your right," Ned said with the last of his words being muffled.

Peter looked to Alina puzzled, "What," he asked.

"Turn right! Turn right," ned shouted making Alina turn the wheel sharply to the right as he told her. But she had done it too fast and too roughly, before she could stop them, their car slammed right into a streetlight. "Peter? Alina, are you okay," Ned asked.

Peter crawled out of the passenger side while Alina forced the crushed door open. "Yeah, we're okay. Just keep trying to get through to Happy," Peter said ending the call seeing they were where they needed to be.

Peter tried walking towards the building but Alina grabbed his forearm warning, "If we do this, there's a chance Liz's dad won't give us a choice."

"Between what," Peter asked clueless.

The Draganov girl sighed saying, "Between killing him and stopping him. If you want, I can deal with this.You shouldn't have to worry about lying to Liz about this." Of course Alina didn't want to kill another person, add more blood to her ledger, but Peter had none. He hadn't done anything, if she could prevent loss of his innocences it felt like the right thing to do.

"We won't have to kill him," countered Peter.

With a tilt of her head Alina said, "You hope so, you don't know. I just want you to be aware of that before you go in there."

Taking her hand into his grasp Peter said, "It won't come down to that. We'll stop him and then Tony can hand him over to the right people." Alina nodded knowing there was little she could do to change his mind. The two of them skillfully and quietly climbed up the building heading towards the roof.

Once they had, Peter immediately spotted and went for the first open window he saw. He hung from his web and slowly descended into the building. Following suit, came Alina who gently lowered her body to the ground by holding onto the metal bars until she was low enough to drop down. Gesturing to keep quiet, she pointed to the room filled with gadgets and computers, most resembling Stark tech. One of the computers even had monitors showing Avengers Tower and the blueprint of Stark's plane.

While they quietly went deeper into the building, Peter stopped seeing Vulture's wing suit. "Alina," he said quietly pointing at it.

Joining him at his side Alina touched the suit realizing, "They're using Tony's tech. This design, this metal, it's his."

As she was examine the suit, Peter noticed light glowing from down the hall. He tapped her shoulder telling her to move along with him. As soon as they came down the hall they saw Toomes standing over a table of metal scrapings.

"Hey! Surprised," shouted Peter coming further into view.

Toomes turned around seeing him, and Hex walking towards him. Smugly he greeted, "Oh, hey, Pete. I didn't hear you come in." Pointing to the girl he said, "And if I'm right, you are Alina. Liz slipped up telling me Spiderman came to save you. Everywhere Spiderman goes lately Hex has followed, except when Alina was in danger."

Hex shrugged telling him, "Doesn't really matter who I am or who he is. t's over. We've got you."

Adding on to her statement Peter said, "End this now before it gets worse, please."

The older man chuckled leaning against the table, "You know, I gotta tell you, Pete, I really, really admire your grit. I see why Liz likes you. I do. When you first came to the house, I wasn't sure. I thought, "Really?" But I get it now."

Peter shook his head in disgust stating confusedly, "How could you do this to her?"

"To her," Toomes repeated in disbelief, "I'm not doing anything to her, Pete. I'm doing this for her."

"Well the road to hell is paved with good intentions so," Alina drawled on not buying his act.

As they stopped walking Peter shot his web gluing Vulture's left hand against the desk. "Peter, you're young. You don't understand how the world works."

"Yeah, but I understand that selling weapons to criminals is wrong," Peter said believing it was very simple.

Proving to him it wasn't so clear cut, Toomes asked him, "How do you think your buddy Stark paid for that tower? Or any of his little toys?" Looking to Alina he said to her, "You've seen it, the government, they don't care about the people they use an abuse."

"Don't compare what I suffered to you using a work contract," snapped Alina finally creating a blue orb in her hand as a warning to him

Toomes shook his head telling the kids, "Those People, kids, those people up there, the rich and the powerful, they do whatever they want. Guys like us, like you and me, they don't care about us. Girls like Alina they use and throw to the side like it's nothing, like she's nothing. We build their roads and we fight all their wars and everything, but they don't care about us. We have to pick up after 'em. We have to eat their table scraps. That's how it is. I know you know what I'm talking about."

Finally seeing where he was coming form Peter asked him, "Why are you telling me this?"

Frustratedly he told him, "Because I want you to understand. And... I needed a little time to get her airborne." Suddenly, Vulture had raised a knife while Alina heard a buzzing coming towards them.

Turning around she saw the Vulture's wing suit flying out from behind the wall. Both of them had barley a second to dive out of the way of the suit, using this chance, Toomes cut himself free. Alina rolled across the ground watching as Peter used his quick movements to avoid the suit. As soon as he did, it cam flying past Alina breaking the concrete pillar in front of her. With a spare second of time, she put up a barrier to comfort her as she fell to the floor. "I'm sorry, kids," he told them both.

Getting up from the ground her eyes glowing, Alina shouted, "Why!? Afraid what I'll do now that you pissed me off?"

Confidently, Peter asked, "What are you talking about? That thing hasn't even touched us yet."

Toomes confidently told them, "True. Then again, wasn't really trying to." it was then they noticed, the suit was attacking the pillars, knocking them all down.

Looking across the empty building Alina shouted, "PETER!" Not even bothering to get himself out, Peter ran straight for Alina. As fast as she could she booked it across the lot but it was too late. Piece by piece the building came crumbling down around them. The wreckage rained down on them burying them inside. The Vulture waited a moment watching for movements, but nothing happened.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

The second Peters eyes opened ripping off his mask, he almost couldn't tell he had fretted himself from it. The dust was infiltrating his lungs faster than he could escape it. Not only that, he could feel giant bricks of concrete on his entire lower body. "ALINA," he shouted pushing rocks in front of him out of his sight. Only then could he see her, she was unconscious with her powers doing everything to protect her.

A metal pipe was sticking out from her stomach, but the sapphire glow surrounding her in a sphere meant she was still alive. "LINA," he shouted for her again trying to pull himself from the rubble. But it was no use, he crumbled trying again as he gave himself a pep talk, " Oh, god. Okay, ready?" With most of his strength Peter tried to move, but he struggled until his arms gave out under him.

Desperate to help her Peter shouted, "Hello! Hello! Please. Hey, hey, please. I'm down here. We're down here. We're stuck. I can't move. I can't...I can't help her..." Shallow breaths fell from his mouth as he stared at his own reflection in the water puddle. The Spider-Man mask in the puddle covered half his reflection, making it look as if Peter was wearing the Spider-Man mask on half his face.

He could hear Tony's words, "If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it."

And Alina's, "That's what's heroic about you Peter, your heart, your immense capacity to care and protect people, that makes you one."

They could believe in him and see something in him he never could. And Alina needed him, she had done everything to help him, now he needed to do the impossible for her. Once again, Peter tried to push the debris off his back, "Come on, Peter. Come on, Spider-Man. Come on, Spider-Man. Come on, Spider-Man. Come on, Spider-Man!" With every ounce of strength he could muster, Peter lifted the debris off his back finally.

As soon as he had broken free, Peter weakly crawled to Alina sliding down giant stones. He was afraid her powers would keep his back but as soon as he was close, her defenses dropped. As if her powers knew she was finally going to be safe. "Lina," he said lifting her body up as he cradled her head, "Lina I need you to wake up. Please wake up."

Knowing she wouldn't heal until the pipe was out of her, Peter bang to tug it from her body. The pain of which instantly shocked her awake and she jolted in his arms, "You're okay! Alina you're okay, I got you." But he was too late, Alina fell face first using her hand to prop her up. "Let me help you," he tried.

She shook her head telling him, "No, it's easier if I do it." Alina sucked a breath in gripping the pipe tightly, she yanked it out screeching from the pulling of her own skin. The brunette fell onto her back covering her wound, "Where is he?"

"He got away, it doesn't matter. I need to get you out of here," he told her attempting to scoop her from the ground.

Alina shook her head, "No, you have to go after him. Those weapons, they'll get so many people hurt. You have to get it away from him, you have to stop him. I'll be right behind you, just go."

Peter didn't want to leave her behind, "But––"

Once more she insisted, "Peter, go!" Knowing she wasn't going to let him help, Peter slid on his mask but was still unable to move. Seeing the regret and hesitation in his body, Alina encouraged him again, "Go on Spider man, finish what we started."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ Coney Island ❞

Causing a plane crash had proved to be Peters least affective plan. The chaos of him trying to stop Vulture caused them to go nose first into the sandy beach. The impact of their landing sent both of them flying off at separate point. Peter lost his hold of the plane and rolled down the beach to be consumed in a land of smoke.

Peter slowly stood up taking off his mask so he could see while his ear continued ringing. The Parker boy staggered up to his feet when, suddenly, Vulture flew toward him and attacks him.

Sparks came from Vulture's wings; it was clear that they suffered some serious damage, too. Yet even with his damage, Vulture tauntingly greeted him, "Hey, Pedro."

"Shit," muttered Spiderman as he shot his web only to miss getting pinned to the ground. Toomes' metal claw gripped him in place while the older man rained down punches as if he was a grown man. Trying to protect himself, Peter caught Vulture's fist to prevent another blow. The blow sent him face first back to the ground. Bruised and bloodied Vulture pulled Peter up to the sky only to drop him a few feet in the air.

Peter tried grabbing onto his wing but was thrown like a rag doll once more. From his spot on the ground, Peter looked up at Vulture, who picked him up by the hood of his Spider-Man costume. Vulture was holding Peter there, studying his limp body, when he spotted the crate of goods behind him. "Bingo," he said dropping Peter to the floor.

Hovering above the ground he approached the crate, but before he closed in, a small figure dropped in front of him. No longer bothering to wear her mask stood Alina with glowing hand and eyes. "Thought you were dead," said Toomes believing when she wasn't with him she had been killed in the crash.

"It would take a lot more than just crashing a building around me to kill me," she warned charging at him. The older man used his wing to block her, but as soon as he put his wing out, Alina used a bolt of Kinetic energy to send him flying once his wing made contact with her. Quickly recovering, Toomes flew towards her grabbing her by her throat slamming her against the broken part of the plane. Moving even faster than him, Alina broke his hold on her throat by targeting the space where his arm bent.

He stumbled back allowing her to shoot a blast directly at his chest. Alina walked over standing over him, just as she readied herself to take the final blow –– the sharpened feather of his wing was impeded in her gut. Toomes pulled it from her throwing her back to the ground.

Just as he went towards his crate, it was mysteriously pulled away from with. Toomes turned to see who was doing it, but was only met with a punch in his jaw forcing him to the ground. While the man stumbled to his feet, he saw a boy. One he didn't even know existed, one dressed in black, grey with a green band tied around his waist.

But the boy had little interest in the crate, all his attention was on Alina who he rushed too. "What are you doing here," Alina asked as he tried to help her stand.

"I knew what you were doing, and I just wanted to help you," he told her honestly. For once she didn't feel Connors calm, she could feel everything that flooded through him. He wasn't trying to stay hidden from her anymore, across the beach Peter came to noticing Toomes escaping with the crate.

Sparks rained down from his wing suit when he tried to lift the crate, but Vulture refused to stop. Not even with Peter shouting, "Your wing suit. Your wing suit's gonna explode!" Lifting his weary arm, Peter shot a strand of web at the crate pulling it down with all his might.

"Time to go home, Pete," he told him still not seeing what was going to happen.

"I'm trying to save you," shouted Peter as Connor and Alina rushed to his side to help pull Toomes down.

But before they could even reach him, Toomes cut the web with his wing and trying to fly off. Swiftly Peter pressed the button on his web shooter, but it didn't work. As they all looked up to the sky they could see the wing suit failing as more sparks came from it. "Get behind me," shouted Alina as she put up and giant blue shield.

Each boy hid behind her while she bared the brunt of the flames caused from Toomes falling. As the dust settled, she lowered her guard, "I think it's over," said Alina feeling the wound on her stomach healing.

Standing to his feet, Peter charged toward the sight of the explosion. "Peter," Alina called out as she and Connor ran after him. Without thought he pulled the burning metal off him ignoring his own shouts of pain.

Just as they got there, they saw Peter struggling to carry Toomes above his shoulders. Peter laid Toomes down on the beach wheezing and coughing from the smoke. Looking around at the smoke and fire filled beach Connor said, "So do you guys have a plan to explain this or..?"

Looking at Toomes Alina said, "I have one."

"Does it involve us getting out of here before the cops show up," asked Connor.

"Yes," said the enhanced girl kneeling before him, "Escaping, giving this guy to the exact people he fears, and ensuring he doesn't utter a word about Peter or me."

Connor and Peter sharked curious looks, "How are you going to do that," wondered Peter.

Toomes shrunk away from Alina's hand but he couldn't get far, "obliviscere quid nosti et recordare quid opus est tibi." Toomes eyes turned nearly white while the memory of tonight as forever altered.

"What will he remember," asked Peter.

Turning around she said, "That Spiderman and Hex ruined his life, no more no less." She snapped her fingers creating ropes to bind him by his arms and feet. "Now let's go," she warned trying to sneak them away.

"Wait," protested Peter as he began searching the wreckage finding the box of clipboard describing what was being carried. He quickly scribbled something down sticking it to Vultures chest. Running back towards them he said, "alright we're good."

Alina peaked at the message and was about to comment when she heard the approaching sirens. "Pretty sure that's our song," Alina reasoned.

Pulling out the zip line tool he carried Conor said, "They are, which is my cue to get out of here."

Before he left Alina said, "Thank you for helping, Connor. I know what that cost you."

The raven haired boy said, "It didn't cost nearly as much as I could've cost you." Swiftly, Connor used the zip line to attach himself to a building pulling him away from the scene.

Once he left, Alina cradled her hip, "Do you need help getting home," Peter asked.

She nodded taking the hand he offered her, "Yeah, please. I feel like I went through a wood chipper."

Holding her up Peter joked, "That, or got a building dropped on you."

Alina chuckled clinging onto him as he shot his web up, "Yeah, or that."

Alina's outfit next chapter