WEB OF LIES [TRANS PETER PARKER]

ten

Chapter Ten

Peter's POV

If it weren't for me being able to swing from building to building like Tarzan, I would be a shit Spider-Man. Even though the spider bite had impacted my muscles and lung capacity, running in a binder was nearly off the table. I relied on my web shooters, but my chest still heaved beneath the restricting fabric of my binder. I wanted it off, but I knew that I would be no help to the city if I was bed-ridden with dysphoria all night long.

A siren off in the distance caught my attention, not that sirens were uncommon in the city but that it was so close. I had only just pursued this man who had been trying to rob an old couple, and usually it took the cops much longer than that to catch on. Sure enough, a glance behind me told me that the cruiser was on the prowl.

Swinging down from above, I swiftly encased the burglar in a web cocoon, securing him to a telephone pole, and escaped around the corner. I didn't like to get involved with the police, I just liked to do my good deeds and move on. Though the recent recognition on the news wasn't unappreciated. Once out of sight, I dropped down to the concrete and began walking slowly. I closed my eyes as I traveled, still trying to calm down and catch my breath. It was probably time to turn in for the night, anyway.

Suddenly, the high pitched siren yelped as it crescendoed around the corner I had just rounded, and blue and red lights flashed in my eyes. Before I could react, three cop cars had encircled me against the side of a shop.

I reached out my arm, intending to send a web up to the building behind me and take the easy way out, but the movement causes an eruption of pain in my left ribcage, causing me grip my side in agony.

A car door opened, and suddenly a bright light was shined in my eye.

I lowered my voice before speaking, as I naturally did around strangers. "Hey sir, we don't really need to chat. I don't want to talk to you. I caught the bad guy for you already, so I'm just gonna go-."

"Freeze!" a sharp voice cut me off. I was completely taken aback. Didn't I just help them out? "Hands behind your head."

"Man, I've got homework-"

"Hands. Now." Slowly, so as to not anger the cop nor trigger any more pain from my side, I lifted my hands like I had seen criminals do in movies. But I wasn't a criminal, was I? It bothered me that I still couldn't see the face of the man was talking to me due to the bright lights, and even more that I didn't see the officer approach me from behind. My heart was pounding as he grabbed hold of me, the cold metal cuffs click-click-clicking as they locked into place around one wrist and then the other.

The first man finally approached me, as the other kept a tight grip on my arm despite my struggles.

"So, you're the Spider-Man, eh?" he asked in a menacing tone as he stared into my masked eyes.

"Actually, it's just Spider-Man. There's no 'the'," I squeaked out, tensing up.

"Well then, Spider-Man," he corrected condescendingly, "how about we take off this mask here?" His fingers ran across the back of my neck, sending the bad kind of shivers down my spine.

I was too scared to speak. How was this happening? May was going to kill me, and I meant that. She would find some way to have my head before she even reached the station.  I couldn't get arrested, that just wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't part of the plan. Maybe the stupid part was not having a plan in the first place, but I really didn't think that stopping bad guys from doing bad things was something worth being arrested for! Now everyone was going to know my real identity. Ned and MJ were going to hate me, I would get expelled from school, scientists would abduct me and run tests and I would be stuck in a freak show for the rest of my life, and May would disown me. I would never get to ace the math test I was supposed to take tomorrow.

The officer jerked his hand back, a sour look on his face as he stared up at the sky. I followed his gaze to wear a shiny looking object was zipping towards us like a missile. At first I was taken aback, until I realized what, or who, it was. No way. This day just got better. Not that it was any good before, but it was really good right now. Doubly good.

With a slight shake of the earth, the red and gold capsule landed solidly next to me. Timidly, I turned my head, the officer having the same reaction. The mask retracted backwards, in fact the entire suit began to dismantle itself, and out walked a well-dressed Tony Stark.

"Woah," I mumbled in awe, staring at the idol from my childhood. He merely glanced at me before looking to the officer, who now wore more of an "oh shit" face.

"Mr... Police-Officer-whatever-your-name-is, I'm going to have to ask you to hand over the... Spider-Man," Tony started. Me?

"Is he, yknow, one of yours?" the officer asked quickly, like an employee eagerly trying to not upset a patron.

"Jesus, you make it sound like they're all my kids. I'm too young to be a father," Tony said in an exasperated voice, like this was a conversation he had every day. "But yes... he's with me." He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a light pat. No one spoke for a moment, until Tony finally turned his attention to the man still squeezing my other arm, and said, "That was your cue to let him go. You're supposed to let him go now."

"Oh, right!" the officer recovered, likely still in awe of the famous superhero's presence.

The sound of jingling keys came, and in seconds my hands were pulled free. I immediately brought them up to the back of my neck where my mask met the rest of my suit, assuring that everything was still concealed. The cops still stood there, looking quite dumbfounded, and I admitted I probably looked the same.

"Why does everyone look so surprised to see me? Fury couldn't make it so they sent me instead. Alright, scatter already," Tony said to them, annoyed. "Go." He flicked them off with his wrist, and they retreated.

"Mr. Stark-" I began, but he was already scrolling through his phone.

"That means you too, kid. Go home," he said abruptly. I was taken aback once more. I was finally meeting the one, the only, Tony Stark, the one man who might have a clue what's up with me, and I was supposed to just say goodbye.

"I just wanted to say, thank you. Thank you so much. You know, I was so scared, I thought they were actually going to arrest me! And then you swooped in all cool like, and-" I rambled on, nearly losing my breath in the process.

"Save it, you'll be seeing me around again. Now, go home, I have some business to do and I can't keep saving you on the streets like this. I'm a little out of your league, if you couldn't tell," he said matter of factly.

"Oh- oh right, of course Mr. Stark. Yes, I'll see you- okay, okay, I'm going now." I held my hands up in mock surrender as he nodded, giving me a strange look. I waved goodbye, saluted, and nearly blew a kiss before I actually exited the scene, and even then I walked away instead of webbing up in fear that I might mess up in front of him and fall flat on my face. What had just happened? I began skipping gleefully, ignoring any looks I got from passerbyers because I had just met Tony Stark! I had just seen Iron Man in action! And he said I was going to see him again! I couldn't help but wonder when...

I walked all the way home, changed quickly behind a dumpster, and hid my suit in my backpack. The second I burst through the front door of the apartment, I realized that it wasn't going to be long at all before I saw Mr. Stark again, since he was sitting on my couch.