Spider-Man: New Home (18+)

Chapter 40: Rubble

The Teen Titans arrived at the ruins of the Jump City Maximum Security Prison. Peter swung in soon after the T-Car encased in his all red spider armor. Immediately, he noticed that there was no sign of gunfire or laser fire. The rubble wasn't scorched and no smoke rose from the ruins.
Peter immediately activated his suits AI and zoomed in at the scene. "Welcome, Peter. You have two thousand, nine hundred eighty seven web shooter combinations available."
"Hey, ROTH " Peter said back as the Titans exited the car. "What do you think could've caused this kind of destruction?"
Immediately, the AI highlighted several large boulders lying amongst the rubble on his HUD. "The damage appears to be a combination of large stone projectiles." Then it highlighted several massive cracks in the ground underneath. "As well as a large crack in the Earth's surface. It appears to be unnatural."
"Thanks, ROTH." Peter nodded. "That's all I needed." He replied before deactivating the AI and jumping down to meet the other Titans.
"What you got for me?" Robin asked as they all walked into the rubble
"Terra was here." Peter replied with a nod, nothing Beastboy's grimace at the news. "The walls were taken down by massive boulders. She also opened up a crack beneath the foundations."
"Good work." Robin nodded, before glancing back at the others. "Everybody split up and watch your step."
They all went their separate ways and began sifting through the rubble searching for any clues on where to find the former Titan. Peter was in the middle of lifting a massive metal wall away, when Beastboy made his way over to him.
"You're wrong about Terra, you know." The green Titan grumbled as Peter set the wall down gently on the ground.
Peter glanced over his shoulder as he noticed his team mate standing there by him with his arms folded looking very upset.
Peter simply gave a shrug at that and gestured to the destruction. "Can you think of anybody else that can do this?"
"You KNOW what I mean!" Beastboy snapped. "You SAW! She saved your life!"
"I know." Peter replied with a sigh. "But the fact of the matter is she's working with Slade... And Slade wants us dead."
Beastboy looked away after that with noticeable frustration. Peter could see the conflict within his teammate between wanting to believe in Terra and being told not to trust her by everybody around him.
"Do you really wanna wait around for her to finish the job FOR him?" Peter finally asked.
Beastboy sighed at that. "I guess you're right... I just wish I could talk to her... I just..."
Peter understood from his expression what Beastboy wanted to say. "You love her."
The green Titan simply nodded with his head hung after that and let out a sigh, before looking back to Peter. "What if it was Raven?"
Peter simply scoffed at that. "She wouldn't work with a guy like Slade."
"What if she did?!" Beastboy snapped. "What if it was HER we were expected to fight? What would you do?"
Peters eyes widened at that with surprise, but couldn't think of what to say.
"What would you do?!" Beastboy repeated in frustration, but Peter was at a loss for words.
Even though Raven wasn't the type to be manipulated like Terra was, the possibility was still there. Ever lingering over their heads, tormenting the half demon girl every day with the threat of the end of the world due to her very existence. Peter didn't know what he would do. He had no answers.
"I don't know." Peter replied with an exasperated sigh.
Beastboy nodded, his jaw clenched in frustration. "That's what I thought." After that he walked away, leaving Peter alone with his thoughts.
His mind raced at Beastboy's question for a moment. Although it was something both he and Raven had considered before, the words still struck him to his core. As much as he wanted to say he would do the right thing no matter what, he would've been lying to himself if he did, however. If he was in Beastboy's shoes, he would be acting the same way.
"Hey." Came Raven's voice from behind him.
Peter looked back to her with a smile under his mask. "Oh... Hey."
"Everything okay?" She asked flatly, gesturing to Beastboy who searched through the rubble on the other side of the complex.
Peter glanced to the green Titan, then back to Raven with a sigh. "He's just real broken up about all this."
"I can see that." She replied. "He's been unusually quiet... I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining."
Peter chuckled at that, before taking her by the hand and staring into her deep pools of purple. He took in her beauty as he often did, his mind racing with thoughts of them together. Every happy memory, that would one day potentially be just that. He couldn't stand the thought of someone so wonderful, who made him feel so full of life and happiness, being taken from him. Someone who was more capable of taking care of herself than even he way. Spider-Man wasn't a danger to this loved one, just her destiny. He had to do whatever it took to protect her from that destiny. Whatever it took.
"Do you think there's any chance we could turn this around for them?" He asked. "Him and Terra, I mean."
Raven blinked at that and stared off for a moment in thought, before letting out a sigh. "I don't think so... I didn't trust her from the beginning. Then I tried to let her in and we all got burned just like I said."
Peter nodded at that. "Yeah, I know... I just feel like there's more to this than we know. There's gotta be." Raven shot in a look of disbelief. "She saved my life. Slade could've ended me, but she convinced him to spare us both."
Raven looked off at that, deep in thought. Her eyebrows still furrowed in frustration. "Terra still betrayed us all."
"I know." Peter sighed and shook his head. "I just thought if there was a chance to save our friend, we should at least try, right?"
"Peter." She sighed in response. "I know you're just trying to do the right thing... But Terra was never our friend. You need to treat this like any other mission." She closed the distance and placed her hand on his armored cheek and they both stared longingly into each other's eyes for a moment. "I don't wanna see you get hurt."
Peter smiled under his mask and took her hand in his, his thumb gently caressing her soft skin. He knew the danger he was putting himself in. However, this wasn't just about saving a friend. It was also about proving to himself that he could bring someone back from darkness. Beastboy's words struck a nerve in Peter and now there was only one thing on his mind. He had to see this through.
"I know." Peter nodded, before something behind Raven caught his eye.
Lying amongst the rubble a few feet away was yet another massive boulder, however appeared different from the others. This stone was almost orange in color with many layers visible along the sides. Peter immediately recognized it as sedimentary rock from the desert, which directly contrasted with the grey stones and asphalt used to level most of the prison.
"Wait a minute." He mumbled to himself, brushing past his girlfriend with his eyes fixed on the stone. She followed directly behind him as he stood over the rock inspecting it.
"What is it?" She asked.
"This stone..." He said, carefully studying a set of boot prints embedded into the top of the massive boulder. "It didn't come from here in the city. This came from the desert." He pointed to the boot prints. "Look." Raven leaned in and inspected it with him. "Too small to be Slade's."
"Terra." Raven grimaced with fierce determination.
Peter turned and looked over to where the others were searching and cupped his hand to his mouth. "Yo, Cyborg!" He waved as his team mates all looked their way. "Over here, I found something!"
The other Titans all made their way over to the boulder and stared at the boot prints with a gasp.
"That's gotta be her!" Beastboy pointed, perking up a bit more.
"This had to come from the desert." Peter said pointing at the layers of rock along the sides. "Look at the color and the pattern."
"Aw yeah, there's no doubt about that!" Cyborg nodded with excitement as he opened his wrist computer.
"Now the only question is where in the desert it came from?" Robin replied curiously.
"Way ahead of you." Cyborg replied with a smirk as he scrolled through screen after screen. Then after a few seconds he pumped his fists into the air. "Booyah!" The others gathered closely to the robotic Titan, looking over his shoulder at the screen which showed an image of a large factory sitting near the edge of a cliff in the desert. "There's an old metal foundary in the mountains just outside the city. Place has been abandoned for years."
"Sounds like a secret lair to me." Peter bobbed his head.
"Look!" Beastboy pointed at the cliffson the screen. "The same kind of rocks."
"Are you the sure that this is the true place?" Starfire asked. "Are there not other places they could be?"
"It's the closest one to the city." Cyborg replied with a shrug. "So it's a start."
"Good work, team." Robin replied. "Let go fuel up and we'll get ready to go as soon as possible."
The others nodded and returned to the car. Peter immediately webbed the nearest building and swung away with Raven flying close by him. It took a few moments to realize she was following him this time around, but he was happy to see it.
"Oh hey!" He chimed at her. "Were you trying to race?"
Raven gave the slightest of smirks at that and shook her head. "Not exactly... Just figured you could use someone watching your back... Just in case."
Peter smiled at her show of concern and nodded as he swung between the buildings. "Well I'm flattered." He chuckled, noting her adorable blushing at his comment. "You're sweet."
Raven let out a slight smile at that as Peter maintained his eye contact. Then she noticed he wasn't paying attention, so she replied. "Building!"
Peter, immediately webbed the edge of the roof above him and pulled himself upward, before pushing off with his hands and flipping himself high over the buildings with a continuous front flip, before continuing seamlessly with his swinging.
"I dedicate that move to you!" He called with a sarcastic grin under his mask.
"Thanks." She replied with a flat sarcasm, still smiling slightly in amusement.
They soon arrived back at the tower and landed on the front lawn just as the T-Car was pulling up. Raven let out a sigh and stretched out for a moment. Peter allowed himself to stare for a moment, grinning with satisfaction at the sight of her figure under her cloak.
"What?" She asked without looking.
Peter gave her a devilish smirk as he tapped the button on his web shooters and removed his nanobot suit, leaving him in regular clothes.
"I just like looking at you." He shrugged, grinning at the sight of her modest blushing.
"Hush." She rolled her eyes.
"I wish I could." He shrugged with a sarcastic tone. "I'm afraid I've become to obsessed to stop."
"Yeah. I know." She replied with a roll of the eyes as they beat the others to the front doors. "So what'll it take for you to hush?"
Peter shrugged and gave her another devilish smirk. "Ten minutes."
"I had a feeling you'd say that." She nodded with a roll of the eyes and took him by the hand up the stairs. "But you're gonna wish you didn't."
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that." He winked back at her.
"Where you guys going?!" Beastboy called to them from the bottom of the stairs as the others headed toward the living room.
"Tea!" They both called out in unison.