The Spider and The Flame (Peter Parker)

Part 8- Nightmares

"Ashton!" I hear screaming from the other side of the couch. I'm curled into a ball, sitting as quietly as possible. I don't want this to happen again.

"Get out here you little shit!" A different voice growls, I register this voice as my mother's.

A loud bang echoes through the lab and I gasp, pulling my knees further into my chest. Silence rapidly falls in the air and I know I've been spotted. A hand reaches down and grabs the top of my hair and tugs, lifting me out from my hiding spot. The pain is severe and I can't help but scream. I look into the eyes of my father, my real father, and see nothing but a cruel and vicious man with malicious intent and an insidious agenda.

"Don't you want to be a superhero?" My father asks, smiling creepily with his eyes pulled wide open.

"No!" I scream, kicking at his chest. He drops me from his grip and I fall to the floor, hurting my elbow pretty badly.

"Don't you dare!" My mother yells and strikes me hard across the face, forcing my entire body back and into the floor. This is where I cry, harder than I've ever cried before. I hate this family, I hate my life. I'm only nine years old. I've been tortured and mutilated, and I don't even know for what purpose. Whatever these psychopaths that I have to call my parents are doing to me, it hasn't worked yet. This can't possibly be all that life has to offer?

"If you want the serum to work, you have to get a little hurt" My father smiles, turning away from me and sauntering towards a metal box, approximating my size.

The entire lab is filled with torture equipment that I've had the pleasure of using. Chains to string me up and beat me, a box to lock me up in and drown me, electric wires to zap me with, I've had it all.

This new box that my father unlocks is brand new. He gestures for me to come over and see, but I stay put, trying to keep a distance from whatever is in there.

My mother picks me up and shoves me towards my father, sending me staggering across the concrete floor and falling into his arms.

I peer into the box and see water, filled with ice. They intend to freeze me.

"N-no" I cry, trying to push my father back.

"Oh, yes" My father smiles, lifting my small body up from the ground and placing me in the box. The water is absolutely freezing, painful to the touch in fact. He shoves into a seated position, then into lying down. The water is just deep enough to cover my body but leave my face exposed to breathe, thank god for that. I begin to hysterically cry out, but no one can hear me. My father smiles over me and closes the lid of the box.

I scream and I cry and water fills my mouth as I do so. I kick and I push but it's not use. My fingers begin to feel numb, so I cross my arms over my chest. Soon enough I can no longer feel my toes, then my feet, then my legs. I cry until my tears run dry and I think, if I'm going to die here, please lord bring my parents with me. I close my eyes and begin to embrace death, with a single tear running from my eye.

"Ash! Ash wake up" I hear a soothing voice speak. My eyes shoot open and I find myself wrapped in Peter's arms. We are laid out on the couch, the tv has been turned off. I'm drenched in sweat and I'm panting.

"Are you okay?" Pete asks, pulling me closer to his chest.

"I-I'm sorry" I whimper, lifting myself off of him.

"Are you joking? Don't apologize" His eyebrows furrow in confusion. He grabs hold of my hand and squeezes tightly. "What happened?"

"Night terrors," I bite my lip, "I used to get them a lot"

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks, pulling me back into him. I feel bad that I'm sweaty and gross, but he doesn't seem to mind. I really appreciate that he's willing to be there for me in a time like this.

"N-" I start to say no, but something tells me otherwise. I don't know if it's the gleam in his brown eyes or the fact that he's still tightly holding my hand, but an overwhelming sense of trust protrudes my greater sense of judgement. "Y-Yeah, okay."

His eyes shoot open wide and a faint smile creeps onto his lips. He reaches for my face with his free hand a tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, "Say whatever you need to say"

"I-I was nine. That's when the incident happened. The tests had been going on for a while and I thought I was going to die. I hated my parents for what they did to me... What they've done to me." I cough, "I was hiding, hiding for my life, really. They found me. I tried to fight back but I couldn't, and then the box came. The newest test. They shoved me in that dark and freezing box and left me there until I mutated, until my eyes turned this bright red colour and I could burst into flames at any moment. I-I didn't know how to control it, Pete. I didn't know what I was doing. I-I didn't mean to do it. I prayed that he be killed if I was, but I didn't mean to kill him myself." I bring to cry while Peter sits quietly and listens, "He opened the box," I exhale slowly, trying to calm down, "when my eyes met his, that was the first time I ever felt it, the rage inside. The Flare, as I call it. I completely lost it and I flew out of the box and into the air, bursting into flames. My father looked so happy to see that my mutation worked, but I was definitely not happy. I let The Flare consume me and I blasted him with a fireball, turning him to Ash right in front of me. I-I killed him, Pete. I killed my own father and I don't even feel sorry about it."

Peter pulls me into a tight hug and I close my eyes, crying into his shoulder. He rubs my back and holds me close, whispering into my ear, "Shhh, it's okay, you're okay"

Pulling myself together, I wipe my tears from my cheeks and sit up, straddling Peter on the couch. Not in a sexual way, but in a way that I want to be close to him. I sit back on my heels and stare into his eyes, bringing a small and sad smile to my face.

"What they did to you... Was wrong. Very wrong. I'm so sorry that happened, Ash" Pete states, holding my hand and squeezing it again.

"Thank you... For listening and everything. I've never really told anyone that before" I smile, squeezing his hand back. A silence falls over us for a minute, then I yawn.

"You want to go to bed?" He asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

We walk together towards my room and come to the door. Pete opens it with his key and we both enter, walking over to my bed.

"You gonna be okay?" He asks as I tuck myself in. He begins to walk towards the door to leave.

"Pete?" I ask, forcing him to turn on his heels.

"Yeah?" He smiles.

"Can you... I don't know, stay? There's room... I mean you don't have to I just-" I begin to mumble.

"Of course." Peter closes the door to my room and comes back towards me. I shift over in my double bed and make room for him to lay down. The second he is laid out I turn over and pull him towards me, draping his arm over my waist. I can feel his breath on the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

"Spooning girl? Didn't picture you as one" He chuckles.

"Just cuddle me, Pete" I smile and sigh, closing my eyes and letting sleep take me again. With Peter here, those nightmares can't hurt me anymore.