Flower Child (Peter Parker, MCU)

All Too Real

June - Florence and the Machine

***trigger warning: scenes of intense emotional distress, mentions of blood and violence

The street corner was surprisingly dark for a Saturday night. Peter figured the only thing bringing much foot traffic must have been the restaurant Macendale was hiding under. He nearly emerged from the alley to cross the street when Doctor Strange grabbed his shoulder and asked him to wait.

"I just want to warn you before we go in," Strange explained. Peter narrowed his eyes in confusion, and waited for him to continue. "The demons of N'astirh... there's just no telling what to expect."

"So, expect the unexpected? That's what you're telling me?"

"Yeah, it didn't come out the way I meant to." Doctor Strange scratched his temple. "I mean it with Lila, too. There's no telling what he did — she could be just as unpredictable as Macendale. Your job is to get her out of there as fast as possible."

"All while keeping the Hobgoblin off of his hoverboard," Peter reiterated.

A beat of awkward silence, then, "Yep."

"Good... pep talk," Peter mumbled to himself before turning and facing the building across the street. "Karen, can you scan the building for people?"

"On it." She responded. It took less than a minute before she came back with an answer. "Two heat signatures detected, unable to pinpoint their exact location."

"What do you mean, you can't pinpoint it?" Peter asked.

"I'm not sure, they're moving around at a faster rate than normal. Similar to theories of teleportation."

Peter let that sink in, not sure how to take it. "Um — cool. Thanks, Karen."

She fell silent, and the night grew darker as the pair approached the seemingly empty building. Peter's senses buzzed around his head, bouncing off the outer walls and off the door he opened. His senses nearly drowned him until he finally focused his thoughts on Lila. Lila, who was here, just out of reach.

The restaurant had a 1950's-style theme, with red booths and checkered flooring. A jukebox stood underneath one of the front windows, nearly disappearing in the shadows that captured each corner of the building, including the kitchen. Peter couldn't explain why, but it felt like the shadows were watching his every move. He rested his fingers on his web shooters, and prepared to strike first. Behind him, the faint glow of Doctor Strange's magic alerted him to the fact that he wasn't the only one ready for a fight.

A faint whimper came to the left, and both Peter and Strange whirled around, poised to strike. Instead of finding a demon, they found Delilah Landry furiously shaking her head with her hands over her ears. Immediately, Strange and Peter lowered their arms, and Peter found himself stepping forward.

"Lila-"

"No." Her tone took him aback. It was hoarse and hollow, unlike anything he'd ever heard come out of her mouth. Peter also noticed she was crying, tears running silently down her face. "No, it's not — it's n-not r-real."

His heart twisted, confused by what she meant. "Lila, it's me. I-I'm here to get you."

"Spider-Man," Strange warned him quietly, but Peter paid him no mind. All he could focus on was the trembling girl in front of him, and take in the bruises on her neck as well as the burn on her wrist shaped like a handprint.