Whumptober 2024

Friendly Fire - Day 17

used an alternative for this one because idk how to do shipwrecked

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Today had been a relatively typical day, balancing classes and web-slinging, but as Peter landed on a rooftop to catch his breath, his Spider-Sense tingled ominously. He sensed something was off and reached for his trusty phone to check any news alerts. Sure enough, a robbery was underway at a nearby art gallery—a blatant act of chaos that had attracted the attention of the city's police and citizens alike.

"Just another day," he muttered, grinning to himself. "Let's do this!"

With nimble accuracy, he flipped off the building and plunged toward the commotion. As he approached the gallery, he could see masked figures loading priceless pieces of art into a van—rich, vibrant canvases that were now victims of greed.

"No one steals the soul of this city!" he shouted as he landed gracefully on top of the van. The robbers jumped back, startled, giving Peter an opening to make his move.

"Alright, pals," he quipped, "how about you take a little break? Or do you want to face the music?"

Without a moment's hesitation, he shot a web at the nearest robber, incapacitating him with ease. But in the midst of his humorous banter and web-slinging, Peter couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The air was thick with tension, and he sensed an uncharacteristic synergy among the robbers, as if they knew exactly what they were doing.

That's when they struck back. One of the robbers, a tall figure with an intimidating physique, suddenly turned and hurled a heavy metal briefcase towards Peter. Caught off guard, Peter reacted instinctively and dodged, but in doing so, he accidentally let loose a wayward web shot. It soared past the robbers and hit an innocent bystander—an older gentleman holding a smartphone, who was recording the whole incident for social media.

"Oh no!" Peter gasped, watching as a thick web ensnared the man's arms, leaving him immobile in a web of his own making. The crowd gasped collectively, and a panicked murmur spread as people whipped out their phones to capture this unexpected twist.

"Hey! I— uh... Sorry about that!" Peter shouted, scrambling to undo the webbing. "Just a little misunderstanding!"

The gallery robbers seized the moment, launching a chaotic counterattack. Peter, momentarily distracted, barely dodged another flying object aimed at him, but this time it was one of their larger weapons—a considerable mistake he'd made by letting his guard down.

"Focus, Peter!" he chastised himself. "You're Spider-Man! You can't let a little friendly fire ruin the day!"

With renewed energy, he leaped back into the fray. He took down one robber, then another, but the two remaining were proving a serious challenge. They moved like a well-oiled machine, their coordination suggesting they were more than just simple criminals.

"Okay, time to take this up a notch," Peter said, shaking off the incident with the bystander. He focused his energy and sprang into action. He dashed towards them, performing acrobatic flips and using his webs with precision, trying to capture them into his sticky traps. However, amidst the chaos, Peter couldn't shake off the embarrassment. The old man was still struggling against the webbing, shouting indignantly, "I just wanted to see Spider-Man!"

As the situation spiraled out of control, Peter found himself in a bind. One of the robbers had taken out a gun, aiming straight at him with an urgency that knocked the wind out of Peter's aspirations of a smooth finish. He was about to web-swing out of the way when he suddenly felt a surge of guilt over the situation he had caused for the bystander.

"Okay, I've got to wrap this up quickly!" With superhuman agility, he launched several webs to disarm the gunman, but as he did, he accidentally knocked over a precariously stacked pile of art boxes, sending them tumbling toward the elderly man.

"NO!" he cried, leaping sideways just in time to catch the boxes, but they were heavy and he lost his grip. The moment stretched out like an eternity, and Peter gritted his teeth, willing the boxes to stay upright. He barely managed to redirect one, but a few items landed with resounding thuds around the old man.

The cacophony attracted the attention of the gallery owner, who screamed, "What have you done?!"

As if in a dream, Peter found himself standing in the wreckage, surrounded by bewildered faces. The guilty weight pressed hard on his shoulders like an anvil. The robbers had been caught—wrapped up in webs—but as the police arrived, Peter knew the stories would shift to him. The room echoed with murmurs of "Spider-Man's friendly fire" and "look what he's done."

Just as he began to slip into the shadows, he heard that same elderly man bellowing, "Spider-Man, you saved me! Thanks! But what were you trying to do with the webs? I live for this stuff!" He chuckled, dismissing the criticisms with a warm smile.

"Wait, really?" Peter turned, somewhat embarrassed but also grateful for the odd boost in confidence. "I—I'm really sorry about that. I don't usually web innocent people up."

The old man waved it off. "Accidents happen kid! You're doing your best. Just be careful next time."

Peter's face broke into a sheepish grin. "Thanks. I'll— I'll try not to misfire again."