The time was here. It felt like I’d just had the longest weekend of my life, but at least I felt prepared. The costume sat in the bottom of my bag, wrapped in an obscene amount of towels and other stuff, just in case someone decided to rummage through my bag. I’d run through everything in my head. I knew when, and where I’d change, what I’d say and the general details of what to do if things went slightly south. Everything would be good. It would all be fine. I definitely wasn’t absolutely shitting myself.
I clenched my hands into fists, trying to still my shaking. Why was I so nervous? I mean even if I’d gotten lucky last time, I’d been fine. This time I wouldn’t even have to deal with any crime. My hands still trembled. Geez. I hadn’t been nervous the entire school day, so why now? I let out a sigh. I needed Micah to give me another pep talk or something. I kicked the lockers lightly as I stared at the ground. I had the mask. I’d be fine.
With a small swivel, I turned to begin making my way towards the exits. I paused at my locker, staring out further down the corridor. Thomas walked alone, an uncharacteristic smile on his face. A surge of pride, relief, and happiness flooded through me. I hadn’t seen him with James or the others all day. I thought something bad had happened but no, whatever I’d done on Friday had actually worked. I’d never seen him so happy in my entire life.
I watched him for a while before he disappeared from sight. Among the crowd of other students, then I looked down at my hands, the shaking suddenly gone. It was time to do this.
-
I set my bag down and finished pulling on the last glove. I’d be in and out. Faster than greased lightning. I took in a deep breath then clapped my hands together. Showtime.
I rushed out into the street and ran about two blocks away from my stuff before coming to a stop near an intersection. People turned to me, whispering amongst themselves as my heart hammered in my chest.
“Does anyone want a picture?” I shouted. A few people looked to each other excited, whilst others looked at me confused. I’d expected some people to doubt this. Of course they didn’t expect Spider-Man to run around on foot taking photos with the public. I engaged my web-shooters then fired a small blast of web at the wall. That caught everyone’s attention. Impressionists couldn’t do that.
People rushed forwards, clamouring around me as I took photos with everyone. This was working exactly as planned. Well the crowd had grown a little faster than I’d expected and my heart was beating so hard I could feel it in my feet, but besides that things were good. No one suspected a thing. It was time to move on to the next stage.
“Can you take a video for me?” I said, turning to a random person.
“Sure!”
They pulled out their phone and turned it to me, filming. Alright, this was it.
“Meet. Garbage. Alley” I said, pointing to myself before flashing Spider-Man’s signature thumbs up. The person stared at me confused.
“Is that it?”
“Yep” I said. “Can you post that on all platforms? It’s important”
They nodded slowly. Perfect. Even if they didn’t someone else probably would. Now I just had to ho-
“Spider-Man!” someone shouted from across the street. I glanced behind me, heart in my mouth. There wasn’t some kind of crime happening was there? The person pointed off into the distance up into the sky. I couldn’t see from behind the building, I took a few steps around the corner and stared up at the sky.
A cloud of black smoke rose high into the air as sirens echoed in the distance. Shit. Holy shit.
I stood frozen as I stared at the fire, feeling all the surrounding eyes turn to me. The sound of my heart thumping loudly echoed through my ears, undercut by the low rumble of my blood. I was stuck, frozen in position as I stared at the rising black smoke and distant glow of orange flames. No. This wasn’t happening. No way I was this unlucky.
“Spider-Man! Hurry!” the person across the road shouted. Their voice shook me out of my trance, and I instantly became aware of people whispering around me.
“What’s he doing?”
“Is he just going to stand there?”
“He’s acting kind of weird isn’t he?”
I looked around slowly, the reality of the situation setting in. My heart beat faster now, but for a different reason.
“Spider-Man!” the woman across the road shouted again. More people spoke up now their faces turn from curiosity to confusion, and some even annoyance, the crowds voices growing louder.
I shut off the sound of their voices, turning my focus inwards. I was a fucking idiot. Of course something like this would happen. I should’ve just put some kind of code online in private instead of this stupidity. Spider-Man probably wasn’t even watching. I mean… shit! What could I do about a fire? I was far away and the smoke cloud looked huge, how in the world could I rescue people from that. What if the fire had spread completely throughout the building? How would I even rescue anybody? Shit. Shit! This was insane. I was just a regular dude. I was just as scared of fire as the next guy!
“Spider-Man!” the woman’s voice rang out through my head.
And just like that I was rushing forwards. Sprinting through the streets towards the smoke, as sirens echoed in the distance. My breath felt hot under the mask, my chest tight. My legs were heavy, and my head spun. Every step sent shockwaves through my mind as it reeled, pumping fear through my body, trying to get me to pull away from the danger. I pushed the thoughts and fear back. I didn’t need think. I just needed to act. People were counting on me. If I thought about what I was doing, what I was running into, I’d stop. I couldn’t let that happen.
So, I ran. I ran as fast as I could nearing the rising pillar of smoke.
As I turned onto the street with the fire, people called out to me, crying out with relief. I ignored them rushing forwards to the front of the building. The entire left side was up burning in green flames, as smoke billowed from the building upwards, and out through the right side. A crowd gathered nearby split apart as I neared, all staring at me with hope. I came to a stop near the entrance, the flames burning with an incredible intensity. Shit.
“Is anyone inside!?” I shouted, spinning to face the crowd. They all shouted at me, their voices meddling together in an incomprehensible mishmash. From their expressions alone I could tell this was bad.
Shit.
“One at a time” I said, raising a hand. They went silent glancing at each other before a woman stepped forward, her face tear stricken.
“There was some kind of explosion. When I woke up I- I thought they’d left me. But they’re still inside. They’re still inside” she said, hands trembling.
“Who?”
“My daughter and husband!” she said, bursting into tears.
“What floor?”
“The top one. T-the left side” she said pointing up. ”Please save them. Please!”
Shit. Holy shit.
I shook my head, clenching my fists. Focus. I couldn’t panic. Not here. There was a way to get up. I could use the fire escape. Everything was ok.
“Anyone else?” I cried out.
“My son”
“My grandma”
“My-”
Everyone else started at shouting me again. Crap. There wasn’t any time.
“I-I’ll come back!” I shouted, sprinting off towards the fire-escape. I rushed onto it, rushing up the steps as quickly as I could. I’d go to the top, find the husband and daughter then check the other floors on my way down. The people were probably just unconscious or stuck somewhere. It’d all be ok. I would find them and this nightmare would end quickly. It’d all be over soon.
I climbed upwards, higher and higher as smoke began to buffet me from all the open windows. Finally I reached the top floor, my entire body trembling as I covered my mouth with my arm. Despite the lenses my eyes began watering from the smoke that poured out the window.
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“H-hello!?” I shouted, No answer. Ok. This was still ok. They were probably somewhere close inside. I’d be in and out. In and out.
I charged inside, instantly coughing as smoke surrounded me. Shit, I could barely breathe. I could barely see either. I rushed forwards and slammed into something falling to the floor. Shit. I scrambled up, before instantly regretting it, crouching low again.
There was more visibility here, but I could still barely see anything. Crap. What was I supposed to do? Just move around until I found something? Shit. Shit! I pushed forwards, feeling out with my hands. They hit something. That sounded like wood. Felt like it too. A door? I moved my hand about feeling at it. It was a door. An open door.
I crawled through the opening and felt a blast of heat to the face from off to my left. This part of the smoke, had flickers of green off to my left. Shit. Just how close was the fire? I covered my face, then heard someone cough faintly. It was coming from off to my right.
“Hello?!” I shouted.
“…help… help” a voice rasped back. I crawled towards the voice and felt my hand hit something. A leg. It didn’t move. Oh shit.
“H-hello?!” I shouted again, coughing this time.
“help…” the voice mumbled. A wave of heat washed over me and I hesitated but steeled myself, feeling around as I crawled forwards. My hand met something that moved. Instinctively, I pulled back.
“…no …help…” the voice said, tearful this time.
As my heart beat rapidly in my chest I moved forwards, getting a better sight of what was before me. A little girl with a wet towel covering her face lay trapped under an unmoving man. The husband and daughter.
As she turned to me, her eyes lit up.
“...spider-man?” she mumbled, before coughing violently. My heart dropped and I held her hand tightly, she grasped back weakly.
“I’ll get you out of here. I promise”
I felt around, and then pushed the father off her. She coughed violently and sat up, holding my arm tighter. I pulled her close as I felt around for the father’s neck. He was still breathing. Barely, but he was. Crap, how did I get him out? Another wave of heat blasted me and the girl stumbled. No time. I’d have to drag him.
“Stay close to me and stay low” I said to little girl as I pulled her father closer, putting my arms under his armpits. She clutched my arm tightly and nodded. Then I awkwardly began shuffling backwards through the smoke, making sure the girl held me. My back slammed into something but I carried on, praying I could find the window. And then my back hit wood, and I glanced behind me to see smoke with natural light just beyond. Thank god. The sirens sounded a lot closer now.
I dragged the father until I reached the window, then felt around for the little girl. Shit. She wasn’t there. I dropped the father and crawled back through the doorway feeling out with my hand. I felt her arm again, but this time she didn’t move. I pulled her close, and quickly scrambled back towards the fire escape, my heart thumping loudly in my chest. She was ok. She had to be.
I hopped out the window and looked her over for injuries before checking her pulse. She was still alive; she’d just passed out. Thank god.
I clambered back inside and awkwardly pulled the father out onto the fire escape.
I took a few seconds, still breathing heavily, before coughing slightly. This mask was amazing. It must’ve been filtering the smoke. If I hadn’t had this I would’ve passed out already. I looked down to the street and then back at the two. They couldn’t make there own way down like this and I couldn’t just leave them on the fire escape. There was too much smoke. I’d have to take them all the way down. Crap. I could just call out for people in each window I passed on my way down. I probably should’ve done that on the way up. Didn’t matter now.
I lifted the girl onto my shoulder, then awkwardly held the dad by his armpits with one arm, before I began descending. The Dad’s feet were probably going to be fractured by the time I got to the bottom, but I had more pressing things to worry about. When I reached the bottom a small crowd had formed waiting with the mother. I lowered the daughter on the end of a web first, and then the father.
I lay there for a few seconds, breathing heavily as stars flew across my vision. Now I had to do it all over again. Crap. I rolled over, turning to the crowd again.
“Who else is up there?” I cried out.
“My grandma!”
“My son!”
“What floors?”
“The fifth floor!”
“Fourth floor!”
I got up and rushed up the fire escape again, the metal rattling beneath my feet. My body felt even slower now. But I pushed through it, climbing to the fifth floor. When I reached the fifth floor an old lady stood behind the window, covering over her mouth as she struggled to move.
Perfect. I helped her out of the window and onto the fire escape, as she coughed violently, her entire body shaking. A cry echoed out from underneath us, off to the right. I looked down. A little boy cried by the window, coughing violently.
Great, I could take them both down an-
A deafening boom shook the entire building from above and a burst of fire exploded from the top two floors. The debris blasted across the street, and the top of the fire escape was ripped off the brick. The entire structure creaked leaning, as it began to pull away from the wall. The grandma stumbled backwards then fell as the fire escape tipped over, breaking away from the wall and falling.
I jumped reaching out and grabbing the window ledge before firing a web at the falling grandma. It caught her, pulling her free from the wreck as it crashed to the ground in a heap, along with all the debris.
I hung from the window by a few fingers, breathless, as I held on for dear life. My arm shook as the old woman dangled from the web, fear written across her face. I turned back to the ledge crying out in desperation as I failed to adjust my grip, my fingers slipping. The flames was closer now, replacing the smoke. The heat only a few feet away nipped at my fingers, goading me into letting go. I grit my teeth, clamping my eyes shut.
I looked to the old woman, and then to the boy in the window crying his eyes out.
Shit. Shit!
Why the hell had I done this? I wasn’t a superhero! I wasn’t even good enough to be a normal person. I’d put these people’s lives at risk because of my own stupidity, some stupid plan that wouldn't have even worked. I'd killed these people. I'd doomed them to death. I pressed my head against the brick trying not to cry, panic rising in my chest. Suddenly a memory flashed through my mind. One of my dad trying to teach me to swim. I felt a calm pass through me.
Don’t panic. Not now. Later. I could panic after. Once I’d fixed this.
With a roar, I gripped the ledge tighter. Then I let go of the web. I flicked my wrist with an incredible speed and fired another web at the old lady, catching her again. This time I let the web extend even further before doubling tapping and grabbing a hold of it. My hand burned as the web rushed through my fingers but I held it. The old lady cried out before slowing and coming to a stop a couple metres above the street. My arm shook violently as I held her.
“Somebody catch her!” I shouted. The crowd rushed forwards, climbing over the fire escape, and standing underneath her. I let her go and she fell to the crowd with a shout. Some stumbled and fell, but they caught her. She was ok.
Instantly I turned my focus to the boy, as he cried violently. One floor. One floor and one apartment off to the side. I could do this. I could do this This was just like climbing. Just like climbing.
I steeled myself, grabbing onto the window ledge with two hands before swinging my body side to side. I built up momentum and then, with a final deep breath I flung myself to the side.
The air roared through my ears as my body became weightless and time seemed to slow down. Instantly I knew, I wouldn’t make it. I was going to be just short. Fear gripped me and I flailed reaching out for the wall of the building, only succeeding in pushing myself away.
Shit. I was going to die.
My eyes met the boys as I began to fall past. I saw the fear in his eyes clearer than day. For a moment, just a moment, in the light of the green fire he looked like Ryo. With a burst of desperation I reached out towards the wall and fired another web, cutting it off quickly and grabbing a tight hold. As my weight came down upon my arms, I cried out but held firm. The web carried me, and I swung around slightly before slamming against the wall. I grit my teeth, ignoring the pain.
I looked up. I was only a few feet below the window. Planting my feet against the wall, I began to climb, my entire body shaking with adrenaline. The web ended slightly below the window edge, but with a final push I leapt up and grabbed a hold of it. I held tightly, pulling myself up as heat from the flames washed over me, and I fell inside the building breathing heavily. The boy rushed into my arms clutching me tightly, and I held him tightly back.
I lifted him up as he clutched me and stood glancing outside. I didn’t have a good way down. Shit. Did I lower him whilst I stayed here? That seemed like the safest option. Suddenly the building shook and the sound of shouts echoed out from below. For a second, I felt the heat intensify, along with an intense foreboding. Shit. No time. I ran and jumped from the building. Twisting through the air I fired a web at the wall as I fell with the boy.
Then fire erupted from the window; sending a spray of bricks dust and debris in an explosion, and the web was blown off the side of the building. I fell through the air surrounded by smoke and debris, a hundred different thoughts flying through my head.
I guess this was it.
I clutched the boy tightly, pulling him to my chest as I turned my back to the ground. Even if I died, he didn’t have to. Sorry Dad, Ryo, Mama.
Suddenly something slammed into me, and I flinched, clutching the boy tighter. But instead of unimaginable pain, wind rushed through my ears and I then nothing. I was still, suspended in the air as someone held me. I opened my eyes to see that I was just above the floor, the little boy still in my arms. I brought my feet down and stumbled, my knees weak as I tried to stand, then turned to look behind me. I blinked staring at a figure that wore a balaclava and street clothes. They looked back at me expectantly, both of us standing in silence as the smoke began to clear. A metahuman? It didn’t matter, they’d just saved my life.
“Thank y-”
“Look, it’s Spider-Man! He survived!” someone shouted behind us.
And suddenly I was surrounded by a crowd, the balaclava superhero pushed to the back.
The mother of the boy rushed forwards, taking him in her arms as she cried, hugging him tightly. I looked around, spotting the grandma surrounded by family, and a bunch of people tending to the now awake father and little girl as the mother cried holding them both.
Everybody around me cheered, clapping as they celebrated my success. Oh. I’d actually done it. I fell to one knee, my legs going weak, and the crowd’s cheers slowed as they rushed to ask me if I was ok.
“I-I’m fine” I replied. My mind was spinning, and I felt sick. I needed to get out of here.
Everyone turned as a fire truck turned onto the street its sirens blaring and I took my chance to slip away, jogging through the streets as I searched for the alley with my stuff. Wait, I was going in the wrong direction. I turned around, but stumbled, falling into some random alley. I pulled myself up trying to get up before falling again. I crawled further into the alley, hiding behind a dumpster before resting my back against a wall. I pulled off the mask breathing heavily, unable to catch my breath. I wiped at my eyes before coughing, then hung my head tired. I sat there for a few minutes silent, listening to the sounds of traffic around me. I lifted up the mask, staring at it, then down at the costume. I’d actually intentionally saved people. From a huge fire no less. I hung my head back, closing my eyes. This was kind of incredible.
“Wait, you’re not Peter” a voice said. My eyes flew open, and I scrambled up, looking around.
“Up here silly” a voice said. I looked up, seeing a girl sitting against the wall eating from a box of donuts.
“T-this is a costume” I stuttered, panicking. She arched an eyebrow.
“I know it’s a costume. I made it.. Well…” she waved her hand dismissively then dropped down, landing next to me. Wait, I recognised the clothes. She was the metahuman who saved me. Wait she’d been climbing the wall just now, was she…
“Are you… Spider-Man?” I asked.
“I- that’s kind of tricky. Technically no, but also kind of. I think?” she said. “Donut?”
“Wait, what do you mean yes and no? What’s even happening? Who's Peter? Who are you?”
“The more important question is, who the hell are you?”