Spider-Man: Home Sick

29 - We're with you 'till the end of the line

Peter's P.O.V

It was Anya's scream that shook me out of my daze. I had just been crouched there, watching as Zara risked her life for me.
I didn't see what happened, not really. I couldn't even comprehend what was happening. Zara... Dead... Because of me...
I assumed that Tidal Wave had stabbed her, but there was no blood. One second Zara was standing there, angry and defiant, and the next, as if by the pure will of Tidal Wave, she was dead on the floor.
Anya screamed, and screamed. She tried to run to Zara, clutching her med-kit, as if she had the power to bring her back to life. But she didn't. No one did.
Lucas held her back, wrapping her into a constricting hug, his head turned away from Zara's body.
Tidal Wave spat savagely on the floor, right next to her head, and that was it for Pippa. She roared in fury and charged forwards. A simple flick of Tidal Wave's hand, and Pippa went flying across the room.
None of this fully registered in my head, nothing really sank in except for the fact that Zara was dead and it was my fault. But her next words did. "This is getting ridiculous now. Either I kill you all, and then find Peter myself, or you tell me where he is and you get to live. It's really quite simple."
They all glared at her. Well, actually, only Lucas did. MJ was barely conscious, Zephyr wasn't much better, Pippa had only just scraped herself up off the floor, and Anya was still sobbing.
"Fine then." She shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world, as she pulled out a gun and pointed it at MJ's head "I'll kill you all then. Starting with her."
I finally managed to shake my body into action. I jumped into the room, front flipping so I landed on my feet right next to Tidal Wave "Looking for me?"
If she was shocked, she didn't show it.
"If I agree to come with you, will you let them go? Do you promise that you won't hurt them?"
"Of course." But her smile told me otherwise.
"Just... What do you want with me? Who are you working for? Is it J. Jonah Jameson?"
"Oh, he was merely a puppet. Had no idea of our true plan. All he wanted was a juicy story, and we handed it to him on a silver platter. As for getting him to clear the office for our meeting, only too easy with Beast around." She gestured to the huge green monster behind her.
"Why do you want me then?"
Tidal Wave hesitated, "I couldn't care less about you. But The Alpha, on the other hand? Well, let's just say she has some plans for you."
I glanced down to MJ, less than a metre away but impossibly out of my reach.
She raised her head slightly "Peter..." She croaked, "Don't..." Then she coughed, spraying flecks of blood across the perfectly white marble floor.
"Well then, Peter - " but whatever she was going to say, she didn't get the chance. I shot a web at her hand - the one that was holding the gun - which propelled her a few feet backwards, trapping her hand. Lauren and Beast just stared at her, dumbstruck, until she snapped at them "Well, help me, you idiots!"
I used their momentary distraction to run to MJ's side "MJ - MJ, are you okay?"
"F-fine." She groaned. She was obviously not.
"Why would you do something like that? What on earth was going through your head to make you think that crashing a jet into a skyscraper would be a good idea?!" My words were angry, but I was just so relieved, and I was crying, and laughing, and had no idea what I felt except that I knew I loved this crazy, brilliant girl to bits.
"It worked, didn't it? You got them out okay."
"Yes, but..." I glanced backwards at Tidal Wave, who was nearly free. "Can you stand?"
She tried, and almost immediately collapsed, and then tried again and managed to stay on her feet, refusing to accept my hand of help.
"Okay, MJ, when you first get the chance, run. All of you. Run. Just get the hell out of here."
"No."
"No?"
"No. I don't care what you say. I - I love you Peter. There's not...many people in this world that I'm close to, and I'm not going to lose you. So if it means we die, then so be it. But we got into this mess together, and we're going to leave it together."
"MJ, I - "
She smiled slightly, and cut me off "Am Spider-Man? I know Peter. But even Spider-Man needs his friends. Well, here we are." MJ gestured from her, to Lucas and Pippa and Zephyr and Anya. "And if you're too stubborn to admit you can't take this on alone, then," she shrugged "you're an idiot."
"But I - I can do this on my own."
"The thing is, you don't have to."
On a whim, without really realising what I was doing, I leaned forwards suddenly and kissed MJ. "I - I - " somehow, when it mattered most, I still couldn't get the words out.
"I know." And I knew that she did.
Lucas stepped forwards, clapping a hand on my shoulder "Tony - Peter," he corrected himself "We're with you 'till the end of the line."
I smiled, despite the imminent danger we were currently in.
I reached out and held MJ's hand, and Lucas held my other. Zephyr was on his feet - he didn't look like he was up for a fight, but he was probably going to anyway - and he held onto MJ's hand (though whether it was just to stop himself from collapsing, I'll never know.) Pippa took Lucas' hand, and Anya took Pippa's.
And there we stood, an unbreakable wall of friendship. And I'd only met them 2 days ago.
Tidal Wave was free now, and she grabbed her Trident, facing us with Lauren on one side, and Beast on the other. The smile placed on her face told me she wasn't worried about what was to come, but the look in her eyes told me a different story.
I looked at each of my friends.
"For Zara." Lucas said.
I nodded. And then we charged into battle.