𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐊

16. 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱'𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

     PETER WAS TRAPPED UNDER THE RUBBLE OF THE BUILDING. Barely conscious, the hero could feel something heavy sitting on his back, leaving him wedged between the object on him and the cement wall. Dust fell onto his head as he felt himself slowly waking up, but Peter felt disoriented from his surroundings; the boy began to panic. It took Peter a few seconds to register what was happening, but fear started to settle in when he couldn't move.

     Trying to lift the object off his back, he realized he couldn't because it was too heavy.

     Peter whimpers when he fails to free himself, feeling too weak to help himself. At that moment, the boy was no longer Spider-Man--he was Peter Parker, a fifteen-year-old boy who aspired to be like any other superhero. He was at the weakest point of his superhero career, never had Peter faced someone as big as the Vulture, but he believed he could stop him; however, Peter slowly realized that he might be over his head. Struggling underneath the weight, Peter cries once the pressure was growing immensely unbearable and having trouble breathing.

     Peter heaves as whimpers continued to slip past his lips; he reaches forward and yanks his mask off his head, huffing. He felt claustrophobic in the tight space, hating how he was limited to his movements. With the dust drizzling overhead, Peter was forced to inhale it, nearly choking. Nevertheless, Peter successfully pulled his mask off, gasping in relief as he lets it slip from his fingertips as it lands in the small puddle.

     "Okay, ready?" Peter talks himself up, preparing himself to get free. Grunting, the boy began pushing himself up with his arms, trying to build enough strength, but Peter couldn't. When Peter fails, he cries out desperately. "Hello?" Huffing, he sniffles. "Hello! Please. Hey, hey. I'm--I'm down here!"

     Just above the rubble, Eszter was trying her best to crawl over the giant boulders in her dress and shoes, but it proved to be difficult. She was panicking at the thought of Peter somewhere beneath the pile of rocks. Eszter knew he never got out, and she wished he did, but the enhanced knows that Peter must be trapped under everything. Now, Eszter needs to find her friend fast and bring him to safety.

     Eszter pushes her hair behind her ear, pushing rocks out of the way as she attempts to dig her way through. "Peter?" She calls out, hoping he can hear her. While Eszter's effort to break through fails, the enhanced was trying to pick up a rock, but it was too heavy. "Peter!"

     All she needed to hear was Peter's voice, a reassurance that he's alive and is somewhat fine. Eszter didn't notice the Vulture flying up to the sign ahead, focused on looking for Peter. Her friend is somewhere deep under the rubble when he heard Eszter's voice, and a feeling of relief washes over him, but his anxiety continues.

     "I'm down here! I'm stuck! I can't move. I can't . . ." Peter loses his breath, his tense muscles loosen until he's hanging loosely, forcing himself to calm down.

     Luckily, Eszter heard him but barely. She didn't believe her ears, but Eszter swore she heard Peter's voice. He was near the middle of the debris, but his voice was muffled.

     "I'm coming, Peter."

     Carefully crawling over the rocks, Eszter covers her nose from the strong smoke, but the enhanced's body shakes from the harsh coughs. Still, Eszter continues forward but cries out when her foot slipped on the edge of a rock, falling into a small crack between the rocks. The enhanced gasps at the feeling of her ankle twisting from the fall, lodging her shoe and nearly getting stuck.

     Wiggling her foot loose, Eszter grips her leg and pulls herself free. Hearing Peter's cries, the enhanced continues forward and searches forward, but she stops upon finding a small opening. However, when Eszter searches for Peter, she couldn't find him.