Power of Love (Peter Parker)

Fourteen

In front of me, my black suit was tightly packed in the cardboard box I had managed to obtain from the garage awhile back. I grasped it into my hand, and moved to my closet. Positioned behind my clothes and other inessential items, my bow and arrows hung from the secret wall mount. I slowly grab one of the arrows from the mount, careful to avoid poking myself with the others alongside it.

Once in my hand, I inspect the prominent, crimson detailing that fabricated the arrow. I was designated my name, because of these weapons and for that, my life has been altering ever since. I retrieved several more arrows and loaded them into the leather quiver, before picking up my infamous bow. I marched back into my bedroom and deposited everything down on my unmade bed. The blue covers were disheveled and in utter need of a good cleaning.

I stripped down to my undergarments, then reached for the suit I laid out on the bed. I tugged it over my body and glanced back at the mirror situated in the corner of the room. Satisfied with my appearance, I stepped into the black combat boots and laced them up. My red mask was the last thing I needed. I found it on the nightstand beside the picture of my mother. The mask had been hers. When the red, masquerade-looking-mask was on and hiding away my identity, I hoisted the quiver over my shoulder and clasped the bow.

Before I stepped out of my room, I glimpsed back at the photograph of the woman, who transformed me into the young lady standing in the doorway. With a strong voice, I spoke, "I don't quite understand why we put ourselves into menacing situations knowing that we might not come out alive, but I am sure of two things. The first being that, no matter how imprudent or reckless I am being, you and dad will always be watching over me. Lastly, no matter the outcome today, I will walk away a winner, because I could save several lives or I could die trying to protect the city I love. Nothing has terrified and enlivened me more. I just want to say I'm sorry, too. I'm sure this isn't the life you had planned out for me, but just know that I don't blame you. I should go, I have a city and a spider to save. I love you," and with that I turned and left.

Everything was calm. The way I leaped from rooftop to rooftop, and how the wind ripped through my hair, tousling it into a mess. The bank was just a few buildings ahead and I could hear the cry of the police sirens and ambulances. Among them, the sounds of people crying out for their loved ones and the fears of losing them. I blocked them out and focused on the door ahead of me. I examined my surroundings and noticed a camera resting above the head of the entrance. Carefully, I reached behind my head and grabbed an arrow. My hand drew it back, and I steadied my aim on the camera. Without hesitation, I released the arrow and let it fly.

Sparks were sent flying as the camera malfunctioned. When they finally stopped, the camera crashed down to the cement in front of the doorway. I made sure there were no other cameras before jumping onto the roof and sprinting over to the door. I scoop up the device and open the door unhurriedly, not wanting to make any noise. With one final look outside, I step into the bank and let the door close behind me.

An obnoxious alarm echoed throughout the hallways. Confusion reigned in my mind as I wondered why it hadn't shut off yet. Suddenly, power was shut off in the building and I was rendered sightless. I moved towards the wall, allowing my left hand to slide along it. As I reached the corner, a blow that felt like a rock to my face knocked me to the ground. I recovered quickly and jumped to my feet, listening for sounds of breathing or movement. With my arrow drawn, I walked forward and tried to find the culprit. Out of the corner of my eye, I could sense movement and I turned and fired. I heard a loud groan and someone's body dropping to the ground. I squatted down beside them and checked for anything that could be useful. In their pockets, I could feel what felt like a small flashlight. I clicked the top and sure enough it was. I turned it on and beamed it at the person on the ground.

Their face was covered with a black ski mask, but I could tell it was a man by his muscular figure. I ripped the mask off and was met with the face of a teenage boy. I felt my heart skip a beat at the sight of him, "Derek?"

The teenage boy let out a small chuckle and snatched his hands into my hair, pulling my body to the ground. My arrows spilled out all over the place and my bow fell from my hands, along with the flashlight. An awful pain surged through my body, when an arrow was shoved into my leg. A scream was emitted from the back of my throat and I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes. My body started to drag across the white floor of the hallway and fear coursed through me. The thought crossed my mind that I was going to die, but I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I wrenched the arrow out of my leg, and I dug my heels into the floor. Derek made an abrupt stop and yanked his head around to look at me.

"You're going to pay for that," he scolded me, and tugged me by my hair off of the floor. As he went to distribute a blow to my face, I booted him into his abdomen where I had shot him at just moments ago. His tight grasp on my hair was released and I shoved him up against the wall. A grunt spilled from his lips at the contact.

"You're going to listen to me and you're going to listen very closely, Derek. I'm going to ask you once to tell me where Spider-Man and the hostages are, and if you can't do that I'm going to use you as my bait." My eyes burned into his, causing his body to squirm from the uneasiness. Derek never did well under interrogation. That was my favorite thing about him, because if Riley or I were ever to suspect him of cheating, he would be caught in a matter of moments.

"I can't! He'll kill me," he whispered with panic laced in his voice. I furrowed my eyebrows as I leaned a little closer, "Who will kill you, Derek?"

What he said next left me in complete shock. "Your dad, Hadley. Your dad will kill me."

My hands released him and I backed away from him, my back coming in touch with the wall opposite of Derek. My mind wandered over every possibility, but none of them seemed to make any sense. A tear rolled down my cheek as I tried to figure out what was going on. Derek had to have been messing with me right? I watched my father die right before my eyes.

"You're lying. My dad is dead. The police, they shot him. He tried to hurt me." My words were mumbled and out of context when they were spoken, but he understood. He stepped towards me and let a hand rest upon my shoulder, "Hadley, it was all part of his plan. He won't stop until you and the people you love are dead."

I shrugged his hand off and walked over to pick up all of my bows. I bent down and retrieved all of them, placing them back in my quiver. My hand recovered the bow and I stood upright once again. "Well, he should know that I won't go down without a fight. Where are they, Derek?"

The heartfelt expression didn't go unnoticed as he whispered, "They're in the lobby, down the hall and to your left."