Valen: A Collector's Item

Lightning Bug

"I've got five minutes. Go." Tony Stark's voice was impatient as he picked up the phone. Peter could only imagine him checking his watch as he started the conversation.

Peter, practically running to his apartment, spoke fast. "Ned, Valen, and I went to Nitro's daughter's house and-"

"Did you say Valen?"

Peter paused. He looked behind him for the girl even though he was no longer in the parking garage. "She was on the trip, yes."

"Is she still with you?"

"No?"

"Is that a question or answer?"

Peter squinted his eyes not wanting to answer. "Answer?"

Tony sighed. "Do you know where she went?"

"No. But she's coming back!" The words tumbled over each other as he rushed to get them out.

He didn't respond for the longest minute of Peter's life. "Four minutes."

"Right. She doesn't know much about him other than a prison he was locked up in, which would be a good idea to visit to see how they kept him contained considering he escaped you."

Peter immediately regretted his words so he continued, hoping for no rebuke. "Why I'm calling is because a man named Dr. Strange told us there's two other people after Valen as well as an unknown amount of non ... human people."

He wasn't explaining this right.

Tony took a deep breath seemingly trying to keep cool. "Who is this Dr. Strange?"

Peter ran up the stairs, whispering as he passed people. "He appeared out of nowhere in a flaming circle. He said he keeps track of threats to earth and that Valen is attracting too many of them that she might become a threat herself."

Peter could feel the imaginary heat coming from Tony through the phone. "Who are the other two people after Valen?"

"Someone named Mandarin and Magneto. Have you heard of them?" Peter unlocked his door with one hand and quickly stepped in.

"One of them. So not only are two suspects after Valen but also aliens?" Tony asked the question sarcastically.

"Yes."

"If you're being serious-"

"I am! That's why I'm calling you. I'd never prank you, Mr. Tony, sir." Peter cleared his throat nervously knowing he was losing him, but he sighed and calmed his words knowing the next few were the most important. "We need the team."

Tony hung up. Peter looked at his phone perplexed hearing the three beeps. But he still put the phone back to his ear and asked hello.

Peter slid down the door until he hit the floor. His legs sprawled in front of him as the two backpacks he was carrying flopped beside him.

"That could've gone worse." He looked around the silent apartment curiously. "May?"

No answer. He checked his messages but there wasn't anything there either except one from MJ. He clicked on her name to read:

Haven't heard from you much this weekend.
Tell me when you're back. Hope Comic Con was fun.

Peter sighed at the thought of lying to his girlfriend. He debated on what to send her. He went back and forth typing and then deleting everything he wrote. He finally gave up and decided he'd respond later, so instead he threw his clothes in the laundry.

His body felt like a weight standing up and grabbing the two bags. He had too much on his mind to want to deal with mundane life even though he knew he had a paper due the next day.