"If you stumble, get back up."
Peter's eyes flew open but he could still smell and taste blood so vividly. He thrashed in his bed, trying to get out of his tangle of blankets and sit up, still sobbing and whimpering and totally pathetic.
"Hey, alright, it's alright." A soothing voice told him. Hands grabbed his shoulders and he felt like he was suffocating. "G-get off me!" He cried softly, energy and adrenaline seeping out of him and leaving Peter feeling like a baloon with a hole in it.
"Calm down, kid." Hands rubbed his back and his legs, they pulled the evil covers off him and he could finally breathe. Peter's vision was finally clear enough to look around and see the Avengers all gathered around his bed worriedly.
He pulled his knees to his chest with a groan.
"Um, wow, I'm really sorry about that." He coughed, voice raw from screaming. He could feel the Avengers all staring at him, slightly traumatized. "Care to tell us what that was all about?" Tony asked, tentatively sitting on the bed. His were the hands rubbing Peter's back, and the teenager leaned into the touch.
"Oh, you know, classic scary things." He laughed without humour, and his team was silent. "Blood, darkness, everyone you've ever loved dead and blaming you for it." His voice cracked and he curled inwardly. He felt hollow, the only thing left in him being the cries of the people who deserved to live more than him.
"Sorry for waking everyone." He mumbled into his knees, and Natasha suddenly sat on the bed right in front of him. Her face was sad, not regular Natasha somber, she looked heartbroken.
"I'm sorry you have to go through this." She sighed, reaching to run featherlight fingers through his sweaty hair. Wanda also sat down. "We know what it's like to be a child soldier." Scarlet Witch mumbled, eyes far off in the past.
"D-does it get better?" Peter asked quietly, and Natasha tilted her head at him. "It never gets completely better, but if you surround yourself with people who care about you and look out for you, it's easier to manage."
Peter looked up at the Avengers, even Falcon who didn't seem to really like him, gathered around his bed. "Thanks." He told them.
It was another half hour before all of them dissipated, leaving one at a time. Peter felt guilty for waking them at the ungodly hour of 1 am but they all assured him not to worry.
Then he was left by himself, at 3 am, the nightmare still fresh though Nat and Tony tried to talk him down from it.
Was he even fit to be Spiderman if he was bothered so easily?
In the morning, Peter called Ned to check in.
"Hey, it's like 6 am? Why are you calling so early?" Ned asked groggily. "Um... oh I guess I'm just used to getting up early?" Peter lied and they continued talking about things that didn't matter, like what color Luke's lightsaber was supposed to be.
It was 8 by the time Ned had to go, and Peter felt a lot better. There was no dark cloud hanging over his head anymore.
"Feeling better?" Steve greeted the teenager as he walked in. "Yup!" Peter responded, sitting at the counter and reaching for an apple. Before he could take a bite, an alarm went off. Peter launched nearly to the ceiling at the sound.
"What was that?!" He yelped, but Steve was already running out of the kitchen. "FRIDAY? What's going on?!" Peter called to the AI, skidding out of the room. "Something has breached earth's atmosphere." FRIDAY responded.
In the hallway in front of him materialized an unfortunately familiar figure in a red cape. "Dr. Strange?" Peter jumped back, and Stephen looked at him with relief. "Good, you're here. I was worried."
"What? Where have you been? What's going on?!" Peter was hugging his arms, brain racing. Dr. Strange grabbed his shoulders. "Whatever you do, Peter, do not leave this tower."
"Excuse me?!" Peter balked as Strange turned and started running down the hallway. "Wait! You can't just-! Strange!" Peter chased after him. "I'm sorry!" Strange stopped and turned to Peter. "What-?!"
Before Peter could ask another question a portal opened below him and he screamed as he fell into darkness.
oOo
"Tony? What is it?" Steve asked as he burst onto the docking port, where the rest of the Avengers were gathered. Iron Man turned to Cap and let his mask pop up. "It looks like some sort of meteor headed directly for New York."
"There's been no mention of it in NASA's scans?" Rhodey inquired, and Tony shook his head. "None. It came out of nowhere."
"We can stop it." Wanda said confidently, her hands lighting up red. Natasha nodded, pressing a button on her bracelet. The quinjet 2.0 sputtered out of cloaking mode. Before the Avengers could get on the plane, someone else joined them on the platform.
"Dr. Strange?" Scott was the first to notice the sorceror supreme striding towards them. "Where have you been?" Tony asked incredulously. "Trying to stop that thing. I failed the spell - it was too powerful."
"What is it?!" Cap growled, and Strange took a deep breath to explain. "It's a type of magic-resistant metal. The compound doesn't hurt humans - if it doesn't touch them - but this particular one is made up to target a very specific genetic mutation." Sam looked at Cap worriedly, knowing he was genetically experimented on.
"Whose?" Tony asked and Strange leveled him a look. "I only know one person with this make-up. Peter." Silence rang through the group as collective hearts stopped. "So... it's like Peter's kryptonite?" Clint asked, and Natasha glared at him. Surprisingly, Strange nodded. "Something like that. It weakens him, and over-exposure could prove fatal."
"Where is he? Who made this thing?" Tony spat, turning to charge back into the tower. "I already transported him to a safe place. As long as we prevent that substance from getting in the wrong hands, it should be fine. As for who; I'm not entirely sure."
oOo
"It's entered the atmosphere." Growled a raspy voice. "Good. Make sure you get a chunk." The familiar voice chuckled. He'd sent the Enforcers, and Doc Oc. He was not afraid to kill this Spider for scientific purposes. He'd gotten a blood sample through Octavious and all he needed to make the metal was sun radiation - which was why it was only now re-entering the atmosphere.
He would have that arachnid's head on his wall.
Duh duh duuuuuh
man, how many bad guys am I going to throw at poor Peter?
~Meow
YOU ARE READING
Believer
Fanfiction*Sequel to Survivor* It's summer time, and Peter couldn't be happier for school to be over! Except his life is about to get a whole lot more chaotic since he's staying at the compound while his Aunt is away (no she doesn't know, be quiet Bucky) and...
