The Long Road Home

Chapter 34:

            I watch Mr.Stark from above as the wizard screams. "Alright Peter you got this, it's not the first time you have had to prove yourself. Come on now deep breaths."I say to hype myself up. Just then Mr.Stark blows a giant hole in the side of the ship, allowing things to be sucked out into the darkness of space. "Here goes nothing."I say as I pull down my mask and shoot a web at the Wizard.

The hole tries to suck us out but I grab this weird pointy beam in attempts to save us but of course it breaks. We are just about to be sucked through with these long spider legs spring out of nowhere and catch us. "Yes!"I cheer. "Wait what are those?" Quickly brushing off the question and some how manage to pull the two of us back inside. I am able to stick the landing but unfortunately the wizard doesn't.

He actually hits the ground really hard which seems to get a smirk out of Mr.Stark. I drop to the ground as I see his cape thing making its way over to it's owner. Wow I never thought I would see that in a million years. "Hey we haven't officially met." It just stops, looks at me at least I think, and leaves. "Cool."I shrug. "Let's turn this ship around."says the wizard once he gets to his feet.

"Yeah, now he wants to run."says Stark. "I want to protect the stone."he rebuttals. "And I want you to thank me now, go ahead I'm listening."

Why would the wizard thank Mr.Stark? It was my plan that saved him, not Starks. "For what, nearly blasting me into space?" "Who just saved your magical ass?! Me." I mean I did too but okay. "I really don't know how you fit your head in that helmet." "You should of ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you, you refused." "Unlike everyone else in you life I don't work for you."

Damn that got Mr.Stark's attention, he turned on his heel looking like he was going to choke the wizard. "And do that fact we are on a flying donut in space millions of miles for earth with no back up." "I'm back up."I finally interject. "No you're not you're a stowaway. The adults are talking." Rude. "I'm confused about the relationship between you two, what is he your ward?"

"No, I'm peter by the way."I say as I extend for my hand for him to take. "Dr.Strange." "Oh we're using our made up names, um I'm Spider-Man then." He just gives me this confused look and turns back to Mr.Stark. "This ship is self-correcting it's course. Things on autopilot."says Mr.Stark. "Can we control it, fly us home?" The silence between us all is just thick and heavy until Strange grabs Mr.Stark's attention again. "Can you get us home?"he repeats. "Yeah I heard you...its just I'm thinking I'm not so sure we should." I stand there in silence, partly do to shock and partly because I have stopped listening.

This small feeing of disappointment begins to consume me as I think about not going home. I mean part of me really wanted to go home to be with Riley and May, but the other part of me knows I need to stay and fight. I can't just leave them behind...can I? Suddenly Stark begins to approach me, forcing me to break my train of thought. "Kid, you're an Avenger now."he says as he uses his arm like a sword to knight me. Every thought and feeling I was having before vanishes and gets replaced with thrill and excitement. Hell I'm so excited that I can't seem to stop smiling.

"Have you told Riley that you're not coming home right away?"he asks me. That question makes my smile fade as my mind goes back to her. She must be really worried right now. "No I haven't told her yet, in all honesty I don't know how I'm going to tell her. It's going to destroy her." "She needs to know kid. It's not fair and I know that but if something happens to you then she's left there not knowing that you're not coming back." What he doesn't know is she can feel my pain, if I die then she will feel it and possibly die herself. "Now go on and tell her."

I give a simple nod and try to get a hold of her. "Hey, you there?"I ask softly, part of me hoping she doesn't say anything or is too busy to speak. "Yeah I'm here." "There is something I need to tell you." I hear her give a gentle sigh before she responds with "good or Bad?" "Both." She just remains silent as she waits for me to tell her. With a deep breath I say "Well Mr.Stark has officially made me an Avenger." "That's great Peter! Now what's the bad news?" "Well we are umm sort of not coming back home, at least not right away."I rush to say the last part.

There is just silence.

"Riley?" "What do you mean you're not coming back home right away?"she snaps as she chokes back her true feelings. "They decided that it would be best to bring the fight to Thanos on his turf." "So you are telling me that you guys are going into this totally blind?!""And you're not?!"I snap back. "At least we might have a chance here, we might have the upper hand here on Earth."

I'm about to respond when the ship suddenly starts to viciously sway, throwing me off my balance slightly. "Hey what's going on?"I ask as I collect myself. "I think we're here."answers Strange. "I don't think this rig has a self-park function."says Stark. "Peter what's going on?" I don't the chance to answer her before Mr.Stark calls me over, "get your hand inside the steering gimbal."he demands. I don't hesitate and do as I'm told, snuggly placing my hand inside. "Peter what is happening?" Fear is starting to lace her voice.

Again I'm not given the chance to respond to her and try to comfort her because the ship crashes and breaks in half. Strange uses his wizardry and places this orange shield around us, in attempts to protect all of us. Unfortunately it's not enough. Our broken half of the ship crashes to the ground sending us in different directions. Small moans and groans escape me as I get up. As soon I fully stand and place all my weight directly on this loose bit of ship, it breaks from beneath me. Thankfully I'm quick enough to shoot a web up to the ceiling and save myself.

"Peter please talk to me."Riley sniffles. My heart breaks when I hear the fear and sadness in her voice. "I'm fine baby, the ship crashed but we are okay, I'm okay." I hear her release this huge sigh of relief. Suddenly I hear these sounds come from beyond the ship making my hair stand on end. Something isn't right, I need to warn the others. "I'm gonna go for now babe." "What?" "Something is coming and I need to be ready. Don't worry I'll be okay." "Please be safe and kick ass." With that I repeal down to the others.

"Let me just say if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something and I eat one of you, I'm sorry." Mr.Stark just gives me this annoyed eye roll and Strange just stairs at me. "I do not want another single pop culture reference out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?"says Stark. "I'm trying to say something is coming."