a spider in the wrong universe

the exchange

peter's p.o.v.:
the city is quiet tonight, but it does nothing to calm my nerves. i swing over empty rooftops, past darkened allies and glowing streetlights of a world so different from mine. the city is asleep but my mind screams with every second that passes.

i think of bakugou. of how angry he always is, but that it's really just a shield protecting the softer, real
him. i think of how he fights like the world owes him something. i think of how he stood up for me, listened to me, was there for me. i can't let him die. i won't let another person die because of me.

i land outside the league of villains' base.

this is stupid. suicidal even.
aizawa and hawks are planning a rescue mission right now. but i can't turn back, i can't let anymore people get hurt.

a voice greets me before i even touch the door.
"you came." it rasps. familiar and uncomfortable. shigaraki.

he opens the door, carefully with only four fingers. i step inside the dirty dim bar, the same one from before. i take off my mask and look at the others, scanning the room for bakugou.

toga grins at me like i'm a treat. twice mutters to himself. dabi leans against a wall, his firey blue eyes staring me down. and in the center of the room: bakugou.

he's bruised and beaten, but still alive. a breath of relieve escapes me instantly. he locks eyes with me immediately.

"you idiot." his voice grumbles

i smile weakly, "good to see you too."

shigaraki steps forward, "you got the stones?"

"right. about that, they aren't exactly physical. they're...within me." i explain, struggling to find words to explain how exactly cosmic magical energy works.

anger flashes onto shigaraki's face but as if he suddenly remembers something, it's quickly replaced by a creepy smile.

"well we'll just have to call in the boss earlier than we thought."

at those words my spidey-sense spikes but there's nothing to do about it. i've already made my decision.

"before you do anything, let bakugou go. i'm holding up my end of the deal. you have me and i have the stones."

shigaraki nods to toga and dabi and they begin to untie bakugou. they push him out of the chair and he scrambles to his feet.

"i'll kill you damn assholes!" he revs his quirk up, ready to explode, but i stop him.

"bakugou, you need to go. i'll be okay."

"parker i can't just leave you here with them-"

i interrupt, "yes you can. you need to. i can't let you get any more hurt because of me."

the villains stand wearily around us, waiting for any fight back. but bakugou reluctantly backs down.

"i-i'll get help. i'll do something parker." bakugou calls out as he backs up

i smile at him at tell him to go once again.

he leaves and i look back at the villains, preparing myself for their next play.

shigaraki's voice echos, "call in the boss, tell him we have a little gift."