What Tangled Webs We Weave

Chapter Twenty-Two

"It's over, Rogers-Starks," Andrei taunted.  "I've won.  You two -" he pointed at Steve and Tony, both of them held back - "will be dead in a minute, and you will have gotten what you deserve."

They were doomed.  The spare web shooters he had were gone, broken on the floor.  His dads weapons were off somewhere. The other Avengers were trapped in some other room.  Overall, they were doomed.

"Now, for the moment I've waited so long for."  Andrei motioned for the two of the men to pull out their guns, aiming it at their heads.  "Goodbye, Anthony and Steven."

"Three..."

Peter couldn't let this happen.

"Two..."

He wouldn't let this happen.

"One..."

"Kill me instead!"  Peter yelled as the men were about to shoot.  Everyone turned to look at him and he repeated himself, slower and quieter.  "Kill me instead.  I'm the one who has ultimately caused the most trouble for you, right?  And you want to break them, right?"

"Peter, stay quiet!"  Steve looked panicked, along with Tony.  "Don't say that!"

Andrei stood there in thought before a wide grin spread across his face.  "Yes. Why did I not think of this before?  You will do quite nicely."  He motioned for the men to put their guns down.

Andrei grabbed an old dagger out of his pocket - how lucky that he had brought it - and walked over to Peter, fiddling with it.

"Don't you dare touch him!"! Tony yelled, thrashing around, trying to break free of the men's arms to no avail.  "Kill us!  No, kill me!  Please!"

Andrei ignored them and knelt in front of Peter.  He glanced over at two of the men, nodded, then looked at Peter, his repulsive teeth showing in his grin.

"Wow, such beautiful teeth you have," Peter spat.  "Let me guess; the better to eat me with?"

He shook his head and stared at Peter before shoving the dagger in, right as two gunshots could be heard.

Peter let out a scream as he felt the dagger enter through the front and felt the two bullets go in through the back - one in the lower back, one near the chest.  Andrei took the dagger and twisted it deeper into Peter's chest.  He let out a yell and heard his dads call out.  As Andrei let go off the dagger, Peter fell flat on his face, only accomplishing pushing the dagger in deeper.  Smooth, Peter.  Smooth.

"Let them go," Peter heard Andrei say above him.  "You have permission to shoot if they try anything."

He heard footsteps rushing towards him and soon felt his Pops' strong arms turning him over to face them.  He saw their terrified faces and felt guilt.  Steve put Peter's head in his lap.

"Pete, why on earth did you do that?"  Tony was tearing up, still shooting glares at Andrei.

"I - I can't live in a world without you guys.  I've already lost too much.  You guys are more needed than I am.  You're Captain America and Ironman - Steve Rogers and Tony Stark.  The world needs you.  I need you."

Steve and Tony shared a small look.  "You'll be okay, Peter.  You'll be okay," Steve assured him.

Peter wanted to believe that, but he knew that wasn't going to happen.  With being stabbed, shot twice  and already beaten up as much as he had been, even with his quick healing, there was no way he was going to survive.

"I'm sorry.  I should have told you... I should have told you, but I was worried you wouldn't let me be Spider-Man anymore if you knew that some people knew my identity.  I couldn't let that happen.  And look where that got me..."

"You couldn't have known this would happen, Pete," Tony told him.  "It's.. It's not your fault."

"It's not yours either.  It's this numbskulls fault."  Peter tried to sit up and point at Andrei, but once he sat up, the pain grew even more.  He let out a gasp of pain and lied down again.

"Dad," Peter whined, looking up at Tony.  "It hurts."

Tony gulped.  He took Peter's hand.  "I know.  I know.  It-" he nearly choked on a sob.  "It will be over soon."

Peter nodded, tears in his eyes.  "Tell the others that I'm sorry."  Steve nodded, running a hand through Peter's hair.

"I can't live in a world without you guys," Peter repeated.  "I wouldn't be whole.  Spider-Man is less needed.  Peter is less needed."  Peter shook his head.  "I'm sure that press conference lady will be happy.  I just wish it didn't have to end this way."

Was this really how Peter was going to go?  After only being shot and stabbed?  He had survived fighting villains galore.  He had been in two comas.  He had fought a murder bot.  This was how he was going to go?

Then again...

He looked up at Steve and Tony's heartbroken faces.  If he was going to go this way, he was glad it was for his family.  He loved them with all of his heart.  He hated having to leaving them, but it wasn't like he had a choice. 

His vision began to blur in and out and he knew it was coming.  He squeezed his dad's hand and looked up at his Pops.

"I'm sorry.  I love you."

And with that, his hand went limp inside Tony's, Peter's chest stopped rising and falling, and his eyes ceased to blink.

Peter Rogers-Stark was gone.

Spider-Man was gone.

——————

"Peter, no.  Peter, please.  Don't do this to us.  Please."  Tony started to sob and dropped his head into Peter's chest.  This couldn't be happening.

"Oh, how terrible it is.  To lose a loved one, I mean.  To lose a child."  Andrei shook his head.  "It will grow numb.  The feeling will eventually disappear."

Tony's head shot up and he jumped to his feet.  "You.  You killed my son.  You are going to pay for this."  Steve was in too much shock to stop Tony as he rushed forward.

Before the men could pull out their guns to shoot Tony, Andrei raised a hand to stop them before stepping out of the way of Tony's charge like a matador with a bull. 

"How does it feel, Anthony?  Steven?  To lose something so precious to you?  How does it feel?  Doesn't it feel terrible?  Doesn't it feel like everything has been lost? Yes, now you're getting what you deserve."

"Why you sick, sick, son of a b-"

Tony was interrupted by the bang that came from the door.  Everyone turned as the door fell to the ground.  Officers ran in.  Many of them.  They had finally actually came.

Tony took Andrei's distractedness as a chance to kick the man where the sun don't shine.

"Well, look who finally decided to come!  Quickly, it's him!" So they actually had received his message. They just received it too late.

A group of officers rushed to Andrei, restraining him.  Andrei didn't even look upset.  If anything, he looked at peace with what he had done. 

As soon as the men and Andrei had been grabbed, Tony and Steve shared a sad, longing look, before Tony was whisked to another side of the room to talk with the authorities, leaving Steve with Peter.

He was gone.  Nothing was going to change that. 

As tears spilt down Steve's cheeks and landed on Peter's surprisingly calm looking face, the only thought going through Steve's mind was:

What just happened?