Light & Shadow

Chapter 3

Hours later, I'm sitting on the bed of my hotel room, knees pressed against my chest and hair still wet from my shower. It took a lot of scrubbing to get rid of the canal water smell. I used it to help distract myself, but I came right back to where I started—worrying about Peter.

The news footage isn't talking about him, but I know the truth. Peter wouldn't have run from a fight. Especially not when he thought people were in danger. It's a small comfort knowing he had help. "The Man of Mystery" is how the media refers to him, and I have to agree. He is a mystery with a fishbowl for a helmet and vomit green smoke for powers.

I keep going back over the videos. Something isn't right. Between the water monster and new hero happening at the same time feels too coincidental. I sigh and run my finger through my hair in the hopes of untangling the short mess as I try to figure out what's bothering me so much. Maybe it's just my history and training making me paranoid.

Then again, Nat always told me to trust my gut, and right now, it's saying things aren't right. I toss my phone aside since the video won't show me anything I missed. The best I can do is keep an eye out for anything else.

The sensors in the hallway activate, and the feed is automatically displayed across my lenses. All the lights are off, but it doesn't stop me from seeing what caused the disruption in Peter and Ned's room across the hall. In the split second it takes for my brain to process everything, my blood turns to ice in my veins.

Why? Because Nick Fury is here.

I swear I'm gonna puke. Like straight out of a cheap horror movie kind of projectile vomit. The feeling only worsens when the other sensors trip as Peter and Ned walk down the hall. It takes everything in me to stay quiet and tucked away in my room.

All I can do is watch and listen. "What are you gonna do about your water monster?" Ned asks with a panicked look on his face.

"Nothing. It's dead." Peter shrugs with a hint of a smile. "Besides that Mysterio guy's all over it." His words only make my suspicions grow exponentially. "Look, I just wanna enjoy this trip and—and try to find Lia. We're heading to Paris next. I know a bunch of places she loves there, and she always used to say that the best place to hide is plain sight. So what's a better place than a city full of tourists?"

It takes me a second to process everything he said. Peter's looking for me? I thought he—the way he was looking at MJ. My head struggles to find a reasonable explanation. Maybe he really does like her, and he's just looking for me out of worry.

I'm brought back to my thoughts by a lapse in the conversation. Ned is lying on the couch, and I have a feeling he didn't fall asleep mid-sentence.

The theory is proven right when the low, commanding voice of Nick Fury echoes in my ears. "You're a very difficult person to contact, Spiderman."

"You're Nick Fury, and you just shot Ned."

"It's a mild tranquilizer. He'll be all right." I almost scoff at that. Mild doesn't put someone to sleep in two seconds flat. "So good to finally meet you. I saw you at the funeral. I didn't think that was a good time to exchange numbers."

"No, that would've been inappropriate."

"That's what I just said." Poor Peter, if he's not careful, Fury will eat him alive.

"The important thing is you're here. I would have liked to have your girlfriend here is as well, but circumstances won't exactly allow for it." Wait, does he know I'm here? If he did, why is he not over here arresting me or roping me in to whatever he needs Peter for? "I tried to bring you here. You avoided me, and now you're here. What a coincidence."