LOUD MOUTH → PETER PARKER ✓

WHAT IF...?

What If...Callie Adams got a second chance?

As ways to die go, this one is particularly suckish. Callie couldn't stop thinking about how, of all the ways to die, getting murdered by your childhood best friend who stole a magic serum to turn himself into a mutant goblin was probably one of the worst. It would also probably the first time in all of history that that had happened, so hey! There's a bright side! She'd die and make history! Who wouldn't want that?

The serum was running through her veins, she could feel it. It burned like that one time she tried her mother's whiskey (big mistake), like lava was running through her body rather than blood. The antidote was clenched in her fist. She couldn't get to it. Harry would rip it out of her hands and then she'd really be dead.

She was barely awake as Harry's hovercraft began to move upwards, circling the clock tower as Peter desperately tried to reach them by web. He didn't know exactly what he'd do once he caught them―all he could think about was getting Callie back down on the ground. How he'd do that, he had no clue. But shooting webs was better than standing there like an idiot.

"This isn't you, Harry!" he yelled. "Harry, put her down!"

He was listening. Callie could see it. This was her chance. "Harry―"

"Harry is dead!" he screamed into her face. Okay, he's getting a bit theatrical with this whole villain arc thing.

Peter continued from the ground, "Harry, this is between you and me! You wanna fight? Fight me! Let her go!"

Harry considered his words, glancing down at Peter. Then, he looked back at Callie. Malice filled his eyes. "Okay."

He let her go. He let go and suddenly Callie was in free fall towards―the ground, the tower? She had no idea where she was going. The city blew by her in a dark blur, her hair whipping wildly across her face. This is it, she thought. Bye-bye Yale, bye-bye mom, bye-bye Lily, bye-bye tenth season of Criminal Minds. Ouch. The last one hurt.

She closed her eyes, waiting for herself to smash though the glass ceiling, but a pair of arms wrapped around her, and the impact came without pain. The antidote was still clenched in her fist. A moment later, she was inside the great clock tower with Peter's arms wrapped around her.

"That's gonna leave a mark." she groaned. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?" he asked immediately.

"I asked first, dipshit."

Surprised, he almost smiled. And then something clattered to the ground beside them and exploded. Harry really was out to ruin their plans, wasn't he? White hot fire jetted into the air, singeing Callie's skin. She smelled burnt hair. Gross.

The ground underneath them gave way, and Peter reached for Callie's hand―well, fist. He reached her wrist, looking at her closed fist in confusion. "The antidote." she said hurriedly. "I still have a chance."

She couldn't describe the relief that flooded Peter's eyes as she spoke. He nodded. "I've got you!" he assured. "I'm gonna set you down right there. Stay there, okay?"

He let her down onto the gear below and she began to turn with it. Her eyes were fixed upwards as Peter leaped onto the hovercraft with Harry, desperately trying to knock him off. This is the world's weirdest fight, she thought blankly. For a moment they struggled against each other before she saw Harry fall to the balcony above her. There was a moment of calm before the hovercraft, which was now flying unmanned and uncontrolled throughout the clock tower, turned in a downward spiral headed straight towards the gear she was standing on. She had no choice just to jump away as it smashed through the gear. The floor fell out from under her and the floor of the clock tower came nearer.