|Towards the Endgame|

•Chapter 126• Bug Boy

When Peter came back inside, Friday complained about the wet trail he was dragging into the building with him. Peter sighed and apologized. He might have stood out in the rain a little too long. Peter was trying his best to figure out who that woman he saw was. Who could she be? He didn't recognize her voice, and her hair was certainly something he would notice if he saw her on the streets. Her suit reminded him of his own, but black and white instead of red and blue. Clearly, she had some kind of abilities. Who jumps off a building like that? She certainly has some kind of love for drama. And she disappeared without a trace. Not even a single hair stayed behind. Peter was confused. Who is she, where did she come from, and what does she want from him? The woman called him 'bug boy'. Peter's gut was telling him that there was something strange about all of this. She showed up first near the Vulture's secret location. That had to mean something, right? Either she worked for or with the Vulture, or Peter might have found a kindred spirit in her. Could it be that she followed him for that? What if they both want to take down the Vulture? What could Toomes have done to her? Was Peter not the only victim of his terrors? Whatever her motive is, this is scary. This woman followed him all the way over here, to Y/n's facility, and that is a problem. What if she does work for the Vulture, and Y/n had been there all alone? This woman could have powers like Peter. Y/n wouldn't have been able to defend herself. Harley could have been here all by himself, too. Peter needs to figure out who she is and what she wants soon.

He kicked off his shoes and went straight to the lab, where he left Harley. His curls were soaking wet and showing, with drops falling off the tips. Some drops even went down the back of his neck, causing Peter to shiver unintentionally. "Had a nice shower?" Harley grinned when Peter walked in. Peter rolled his eyes. "Any luck so far?" He asked him. Harley leaned back in his chair. "Well, I'm pretty sure they took the one thing they weren't supposed to take. It's got all the data stored on it in case something happens with the systems or if someone manages to hack into it. Y/n wanted to have an extra backup. That guy must've had an expert with him. He managed to do it without leaving a trace or breaking anything." Peter cursed and tilted his head back. That's just what they needed. "We need to get it back, don't we?" He questioned, "Shit. If I had just gone inside, I could have stopped them. They're probably already trying to decode it right now to get in." Harley turned his chair to look at him. "There is a three percent chance they get in. The other ninety-seven percent is against them on this. Anyone who gets in deserves it. Even Y/n would praise him for that." It is almost impossible to get in. "So, should we try to get it back?" Peter asked him. "Yes. But you are not going on your own." Harley replied sternly. Tony gave him specific orders to make sure Peter didn't run off by himself and put himself in danger again. Peter kept his mouth shut. Now was not the time to go against Harley or Tony's wishes. Perhaps if he could contact that woman, she would be willing to help them. If she didn't work for the Vulture.

"I have a question for you, Parker," Harley said and locked his gaze with Peter's. "Why do you hate this man so much? Like... I get it, when you were fifteen, he was bugging you all the time. But now that he's back. Why are you so focused on this guy? It's like he is all you can think about." It was almost obsessive behavior. Even if Harley and Peter haven't always been on the same page, Harley is worried about Peter and how he's handling all of this with Toomes. "That's not true." Peter denied. "Dude, you are obsessed with catching this guy." Harley pointed out to him. He didn't mean to be mean or rude. He saw how Peter's jaw clenched. "He got out of jail, and he is still a bad guy, Harley. That's why." Peter snapped at him without raising his voice. He wanted to, though. "If neither you nor Y/n went crazy over the fact that he was out of prison, then a lot of these problems could've been prevented. Starting with you and Liz. What was up with that?" Harley pointed out to him. He saw all of that up close, he saw how Y/n was during the time when Peter was getting Liz's attention again, a little too much for Y/n's liking. Yes, she caused a scene, but Peter went out with the girl. They both pushed themselves back into the spiral. "Keener, I really don't need you to tell me how to handle things in my personal life," Peter replied. What did Harley even know? "You really thought she was just gonna be a friend? Dude..." Harley couldn't believe Peter really thought that. Perhaps he didn't, perhaps Peter knew something else was up. He still went along with it, which later upset Toomes. That was his daughter after all. "Nothing happened. And I am obsessed with this Vulture guy because he's never going to leave me alone. I'm the one who got him locked up, of course, he's angry. He wants to get back at me. I get it, and I'll have to accept that I'll be a target. And Y/n is too. I'm trying my best to lock this guy up again because he clearly didn't learn anything or change." Peter tried to defend himself, but it wasn't working.