Hang In There// P.P.

Chapter 23: The Elevator.

The sun was rising over Washington D.C. We were entering the Decathlon venue.

"Please be sure all cell phones are turned off." The Moderator ordered.

Ned handed his phone in to the security as did I.

" Thank you."

At the Decathlon, we were scribbling. I looked down to see the purple energy core glowing in Ned's pocket.

" We have now entered sudden death." The Moderator announced as we all waited in anticipation.

The students prepared themselves, trying to be calm and places their hands on their buzzers. Flash took a deep breath, clearly nervous.

"The next correct answer wins the championship."

Michelle hit the answer bell with a bored, impassive look.

"Midtown Tech?"

"Zero." she answered.

"That is correct. Midtown takes the championship!"

I hugged Michelle and she smiled. More Midtown students piled in for a group hug. We were walking towards the Washington Monument.

"We won!"

"You guys, I am so proud of you." Liz praised.

"Told you we didn't need Peter." Flash scoffed.

"Flash, you didn't answer a single question, so shut it."

He glared at me as I saw Michelle standing alone with a book.

"Taking it all in, Michelle?"

"Oh, yeah, I just... um, I don't really want to celebrate something that was built by slaves."

"Oh, I'm sure the Washington Monument wasn't built by-"

Mr. Harrington looked up at the monument. A park ranger wobbled his hand as a confirmation to Michelle's words. Mr. Harrington pursed his lips and walks away. Ned's phone rang as we entered the building about to get a security check.

" Peter, are you okay?"

I looked at Ned immediately.

" Don't worry, it's safe. It's in my backpack."

Ned put his backpack down on the conveyor belt for an X-ray security scan.

"You missed the Decathlon. I covered for you."

"We're at the Washington Monument now. You gotta-"

I grabbed the phone from Ned.

"Peter, what the hell is going on? "

"Sof, the glowy thingy in Ned's backpack! It's really dangerous! Don't let it go through an X-ray."

I watched as Ned's bag went through the X-ray machine. Ned walked through the scanner, oblivious, and moved to collect his backpack. The X-ray scanner screen buzzed.

"Too late."

"Damn it!"

Ned put on his bag. The students entering an elevator.

" Hey, Mr. Harrington, can I be the one to tell Peter he's expelled?" Flash asked.

The elevator was steadily climbing upwards. The core in Ned's backpack began to glow.

"The Washington Monument is 555 feet, 5 and 1/8 inches tall. Notice how the marble and granite are cut around the stone." The guide started.

The energy core erupted with light, breaking glass, and the tip of the monument cracked. In the elevator, Ned dropped his backpack. The small space filled with smoke.

" Oh, my god. Look at the ceiling." Charles exclaimed.

A glowing, red crack cut across the elevator ceiling.

"Just stay calm, everyone." I oredered.

"Oh, we are all going to die here."

Everyone started to panic inside the elevator:

"We're freakin' screwed."

"Okay guys, I know that was scary, but our safety systems are working." The Tour Guide tried to reassure us.

The tour guide droned on in order to calm us.

"We're very safe in here."

Park rangers opened the doors to the elevator shaft. The tour guide opened a hatch in the ceiling of the car, and looked out. Cindy was pulled out of the elevator.

"Let's go. Give me your hand." The ranger ordered.

Abe peered down the long elevator shaft as Mr. Harrington asked who was next. Liz grabbed Mr. Harrington's shoulder, preparing to climb up.

" Me, it's my turn!"

Flash shoved Liz to get out first, and didn't give up the trophy.

" Flash, seriously? What are you doing?" Ned questioned.

"Come on."

"Don't worry about the trophy." Cindy exclaimed.

Flash climbed through the hatch in the ceiling of the elevator, and the car shook.

"Take my trophy!" Flash barked.

The car shook again under Flash's feet. A window shattered into pieces as Spider-Man swung in, and the roof of the elevator was ripped off. The elevator started to fall. Peter slid in toward the elevator shaft. Peter shot a strand of web onto the falling elevator, then braced his feet against the doors to the shaft. Ned, Mr. Harrington and I were jostled in the elevator as it is stopped. The doors broke loose, and Peter fell after the plummeting elevator. It caught on a beam and Peter fell in through the ceiling on his back. The impact broke off a wheel and the car started to drop again. Peter shot a web through the hole in the ceiling, stopping the elevator's descent. Hanging upside down with his feet braced against the ceiling of the elevator, Peter grabbed on to the strand of web, and tried to make his voice sound different as he helped us calm down.

"Yes! Yes!" Ned celebrated.

Ned swung his fist in joy and relief, making the whole elevator wobble.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, big guy, quit moving around."

"Sorry, sir. So sorry."

With his web attached to the ceiling high above, Peter slowly pulled the elevator up the shaft. They reached an upper floor. Mr. Harrington and Ned were helped out of the elevator.

"Come on, Sof."

The metal elevator ceiling started to bend under Peter's feet as I looked at him.

"Go, go, go. Everybody out! Move it, people. Move it, move it!"

I reached out, but before I could hold Mr. Harrington's outstretched hand, the ceiling snapped. I hear Ned scream my name as I fell. I felt a web wrap around my wrist causing me to come to a stop and dangle mid air.

" You're okay. You're okay."

Peter pulled me up by the web, then took my hand.

"Okay."

His web started to snap as he helped me to safety.

"Come on up. Come on, you guys, stay back. Come on in. Come on in." Mr. Harrington panicked.

"So, uh, is everyone okay?" Spider-Man asked.

I nodded.

Peter and I held a look. The web snapped, and Peter dropped. The students, the teacher, and the park rangers looked down the elevator shaft going after Peter as he fell.

"Thank you."

Flash peered down the shaft.

"Are you really friends with Peter Parker?"

I hit his arm at his comment, giving him a look. We were lucky. If it weren't for Spider-Man, we'd all be dead.