✔️A Spider's Journey

Chapter 15(A Spider's Worth)

I'm so so so so so sorry that this is so late and short.  I've been really busy with school and rehearsals for the play I'm in.  I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner but I can't guarantee anything.  Sorry

It didn't take Peter long to arrive at the site of the fire. He swung as fast as he could letting go of his web and doing a flip before landing in a crouch next to the line of firefighters.

"Is anyone in there?" Peter asked.

The fireman hesitated for a second before answering, "There are reports that there might still be three peopled trapped on the third floor."

Peter didn't hesitate before launching himself up the building and climbing up and in through the third floor window. Imedeiately his Spider sense started to scream.

Smoke was everywhere making it hard to breath. He coughed, some of the smoke making it past the filter in his mask, he would need to get that improved. Flames were licking up the walls and Peter could see through parts of the wall where the fire had burned through. The floor creaked and groaned. The black smoke hung heavy in the air making it hard to see. Peter crouched down and started crawling forward. He could feel heat coming from the floor and the hot air pressed in all around him. He was already covered in sweat and his eyes were watering.

"Hello" he called out. "RAAJA, scan for life signatures."

"It's difficult to tell with the heat from the fire but I think there's someone two apartments down. You need to hurry. I don't think the building's going to last much longer."

Peter pushed his way out of the apartment, maneuvering his way around a fallen beam that was in flames. He was in and stopped at the door to the apartment RAAJA was indicating.

He shoved it open but retracted his hand quickly with a hiss. "Be careful Peter, the building is hot."

"Really, I hadn't noticed." Peter hissed through gritted teeth, trying not to cough as he crept into the room.

"Well now you know." RAAJA replied her voice tinged with sarcasm.

"Hello," Peter called into the room. He heard coughing and quickly but carefully approached where the sound was coming from, avoiding the parts of the floor that seemed ready to fall. His Spider sense warning him if he was about to put his weight on floor board that was about to collapse. Up ahead against the far wall was a man and two children, maybe around five or six. He could barely see them through the smoke, but he could tell they had covered their mouths and the man was holding the two children protectively. "Hey, it's me, Spiderman, I'm going to get you out." He looked around and his eyes landed on a window. "We're going to have to go out the window."

"Take the kids first." The man, probably their father said. Peter nodded, silently picking up the two kids.

"Daddy!" The youngest cried, arms outstretched toward her father.

"It's okay." The man said, "I'll follow you."

The youngest kept crying but the boy who was maybe only a year older just clutched Peter tightly. Peter approached the window setting the boy down so that he could open it.

"I'm going to swing down so I need you to hold on to me very tightly, okay?"

The boy nodded squeezing Peter's neck uncomfortably tight, but he ignored it. He slowly maneuvered out the window before shooting a web at the building across the street. "Ready, on the count of three. One, two, three!" Peter swung down landing behind the line of firefighters. Paramedics rushed up and took the children from him and Peter turned to rush back into the building but then the ground shook and the air was filled with the sound of rumbling as the apartment building collapsed in on itself.

There was screaming and firefighters pushing people farther back but Peter stood frozen. The man. The father. The children were screaming. He had failed to save him. Spiderman had failed to save him. No, no, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening, not again. Not after everything else that had happened. Peter couldn't breathe. He had failed. He had failed. The man was dead. And it was all his fault. Allhisfaultallhisfaultallhisfaultallhisfaultallhisfaultallhisfaultallhisfaultallhisfault

"Peter!" RAAJA's voice screamed in his ear but he couldn't hear it. Couldn't hear anything except the screaming children. He couldn't see the firefighter asking if he was okay, could only see the father his eyes pleading to save the children, to save him. And Peter had failed. His breaths started to come rapidly, his body shaking. He had failed. A man was dead because of him. Two children were fatherless. Did they have a mother or were they orphans now? Peter had failed. He had failed. He was worthless. Worthlesworthlessworthlessworthlessworthlessworthlessworthlessworthlessworthless.

"PETER!" RAAJA's voice finally came through the ringing in his ears.

"It's my fault," Peter whispered, his breaths still too fast.

"Peter, you need to get out of here." RAAJA's voice said, calm but strained. Peter didn't think just moved. Swinging away from the apartment, away from the crowd, away from the children whose father Peter had failed to save. Away from the proof that Peter was a worthless failure who only hurt those he tried to save.

Thanks for reading

Till next time

Sayonara peoples