The Spider and The Flame (Peter Parker)

Part 29- Sticky Situation

Ash's POV

I pull back from the kiss and stare up at Pete. His cheeks are burning with a crimson glow that brings out his boyish charm. He's really adorable, yet really an attractive guy.

"Don't leave again," he mutters quietly, leaning his forehead against mine. I move my hands around his neck and hold him close.

"Never," I whisper back, causing him to smile widely. 

As we stand on the rooftop and wind swirls around us, the night grows eerily cold. Somehow the sounds of the city have drowned out, and it's only silence. I can hear the sound of Peter's heartbeat, growing ever-faster. I physically feel the hair on the back of Pete's neck stand up, and I know something is wrong. As he would put it, his spider-sense is tingling.

"What's going on?" I ask suspiciously. Without hesitation, Pete backs away from me and slides his mask back over his head. He moves his hand to where his mouth would be and makes a signal to stay quiet.

I watch as he runs to the other side of the roof to investigate his intuitions. As he arrives at the edge, a large figure appears from below. A man in a metallic bird suit emerges from the ground and hovers above Peter. 

"Spiderman!" The bird-thing yells out.

"Oh fuck," I hear Pete whisper to himself. Immediately I tense up, knowing that this isn't about to be an easy fight.

"I told you to stay out of it, kid," the man growls, "but you just had to get in the way."

"What those men were doing," Pete finally speaks up, "robbing a bank using alien weapons," he continues, "that isn't right!"

"No shit, kid," the man explained, "but it's none of your business."

Pete suddenly points his hand up to the bird-man and shoots a web toward him. He tangles part of the bird's wing and begins to pull, probably hoping to arrest the man. I run towards Peter and stop beside him.

The bird is pulled onto the rooftop and stands to fight. Pete runs at him in an attempt at first-hand combat, but the bird swings his wing and smacks Pete into the air, sending him flying to the other side of the roof. 

Immediately I fly up into the air, forming a fireball into my palm and throwing it towards the man. He watches as I do so and I meet his gaze. Bright green eyes stare into mine and I feel a shiver down my spine. 

He blocks my fireball with his flame-retardant wings and flies up to meet me in the air. A smirk forms on the man's face as he draws closer to me. 

I form fireball after fireball, throwing them towards the man in an attempt to burn him. But of course, with my luck, he blocks every shot.

"Spidey!" I call out, hoping for Pete's immediate assistance. I can try to fight this man one on one, but with my training incomplete and his heavy weaponry, I don't know if I'd stand much of a chance.

I search frantically for Peter and find him on the roof, struggling with his web shooters. They're leaking out, both destroyed from his awkward landing after being hit. He's distraught and panicking, knowing there's really nothing he can do to help me. My first thought is to get back to the roof.

I move quickly towards Peter, reaching my arm out for him to take hold. But, of course, just before our hands meet, an opposite force pulls me back into the sky. The man has hold of me and I struggle to escape his grip.

"Let me go!" I scream out, thrashing my arms. I burn with rage and allow my body to heat up to a maximum temperature. 

The man screams out in pain, releasing his grip with his bare hand and instead grabbing hold of me with his metal claws. 

"This fight is between you and me, Vulture!" Peter yells loudly, "let the innocent go."

"Innocent?" He chuckles as I try to escape, fighting and thrashing every muscle I can. "Look, kid, you're not in this fight either. You're going to stay away from me and my clients, or I'll send you a piece of her in the mail."

"No!" Peter screams, rushing towards the edge of the roof. 

The bird-man flies higher into the sky and turns to me. From his belt, he pulls a spray bottle and presses the nozzle, emitting a powerful toxin into my face. Everything begins to fade to black and I struggle to stay conscious.

"She's beautiful really," the man says into my ear, stroking the side of my face with his hand, "maybe I'll keep her."

"Don't touch her!" Pete screams as my eyes start to close. My body goes limp in the man's grip and I stare at Pete. 

"P-P-" I begin to say, then fade into darkness.