Light & Shadow

Chapter 9

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Peter asks as he looks up to the sky bridge where he left Beck. "It's a big risk, you know, and he's already shot."

"I need to." I reply and grip his hand. "I need him to know what he did and who he did it to. He'll spend the rest of his life paying for it, and I want to look him in the eyes as he realizes he lost more than he knew."

I focus on the shadows under our feet and push us into the air where a familiar SHIELD agent watches over a few agents putting handcuffs on Beck. "Give her a minute." He tells them, and they disperse.

"Well, well, well. It looks like the elusive Phantom emerged to help catch me." He grins wickedly. "I've heard some people are looking for you. They're even offering a pretty penny for information."

"Too bad you won't be able to collect then, huh?" I question and retract the lower part of my mask. "You know, I've been thinking about all the ways to make you pay for what you did."

"So you must be the special girl Peter was telling me about."

"That's part of it." I crouch down to his level and grin. "Let's just say I have lots of personal reasons to wanna see you hurt."

"Oh really, why's that?"

"I'd rather make you feel the damage you've done. You stole my family's story, hurt someone I love, and tried to taint the memory of Tony Stark."

"Tony Stark was a weak, pathetic man who hid behind his suits and money."

I use the shadows in his body to squeeze his heart at that comment. "No, he really wasn't. He wasn't perfect, but he cared about people. He was caring, smart, and encouraging. I'm not saying he was perfect, but he's an infinitely better man than you could ever dream of being."

"Oh yeah?" Beck questions with gritted teeth, and I feel Peter step forward to protect me. "How would you know anything about him?"

"You don't have to do this." Peter whispers as he puts a hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay." I turn from him and lean closer, "I know because I'm his daughter." Realization dawns on Beck's face, twisted in the painful realization that he lost a prime chance. I increase the pressure against his heart. "You should thought twice before you went after my Dad's good name—before you went after Peter."

Peter's hand finds mine, and he holds them together to get me to release the pressure in Beck's chest. Once it does, he begins gasping and sputtering for breath, a trail of dribble running down his chin. I stare at him, venom lacing my voice as I calmly tell him. "Remember, Quentin. I know who you are and where you're going. So next time you even think about finishing your little vendetta, I'll finish what I just started."

I stand to my feet and offer Beck one last devilish smile as we leave. Except, the moment we're far enough away, all my energy dissipates. There's nothing left after the rage and bitterness that's been overtaking me, and I wonder if I would feel better to have put Beck down for good.

It fades into static as Peter wraps his arms around me and lets me cry. I hold him impossibly close and just let myself feel everything that's been bottled up for so long. All the while, Peter just calms me down as he himself starts to break down.

"I'm so sorry." I cry against him. "None of this should have happened to you."

"It shouldn't have happened at all, but it did." Peter tells me, and I just relish in being back in his arms.

We stay like that for a long moment. Neither of us are willing to break away for fear of losing the other entirely all over again. It's only right now that I come to the realization—and decision—that if Peter were to ask me to come back with him again, I'd agree.