The Masks we Hide Behind || Peter Parker [1]

thirty-nine: we did it

The next afternoon, just as I arrive home from school, I receive a notification on my local news app.

Avalanche spotted off of Queens Boulevard, be warned and...

I don't bother to read any more of the alert, I know that Avalanche is back again and where he is. I sprint into my room and change into my suit as quickly as possible, practically tearing my window open and flying through it. I bring myself to the corner of the roof next to my apartment building, my fingers flying across my phone screen as I text Lucas and my mother.

My mind races. This is it. This is the end, I need to take him down.

The city can't take anymore of this - Avalanche has gone far too long, tearing up streets and killing innocent people. It's gone on far too long, and I'm genuinely mad at myself for waiting so long to officially take him down.

I soar across the streets, leaping off of every surface, diving and gaining speed, doing whatever I can to get there as quickly as possible. When I finally arrive, the first face I see is the Spider-Man's.

"I just got here. Figured you'd show up." The Spider-Man pants, out of breath.

"I'm ready for this to be over." I mutter, perched right next to him on the rooftop.

"You and me both," he responds.

"Let's just go at it. We're taking him down today, alright? This needs to be over, for good."

"How are we really going to bring him down? He almost killed us last time." The Spider-Man asks, sounding urgent. I inhale a deep breath.

"Yeah, well, that was last time." I mutter before taking a step off of the roof and descending down into the street, landing silently on my toes. Lance smashes his fists into a car, shattering every glass surface and sending the car alarm blaring. Civilians are sent scrambling and there are distant screams, but mostly, by now, the street is empty.

"Lance Alvers!" I shout, cupping my hands around my mouth. The man stands up straight and turns around. I can almost feel his sly grin, and the way his laugh thunders and echoes throughout the street makes me want to vomit.

"Took you long enough." He drawls out, taking a step forward.

"This is it, jackass!" The Spider-Man's voice whirls around me before he lands on his toes, standing beside me. "Any last words?"

"Very clever!" Lance mocks. I roll my eyes, ready for it all to be over. As soon as he makes his first move, which happens to be a stupid one, I launch myself under his legs. He lunges for the Spider-Man, and as I'm sliding on the pavement, I release webs onto the top of his helmet and yank the webs with me as I go, sending his face flying straight to the ground. His legs kick out from beneath him as he crashes into the pavement, and in result, kicks the Spider-Man in his stomach and sends him flying back.

Without even thinking, I tear his helmet off with a web and whirl it around a few times, spinning in circles as it gains speed. I plant both of my feet firmly onto the ground before attempting to slam it into Lance's head, but he reaches up to block it with his hands. He slams the helmet down onto the pavement, and the metal crumbles beneath his hands. I bring myself to the side of the wall and peer down, debating silently in my head.

Out of seemingly nowhere, the Spider-Man comes flying down with his toes pointed and aimed for Lance's head. I quickly launch webs for the man's wrists, trying to pin him down so the Spider-Man will make it. I swing around the street, aiming web after web.

He rips his fists up and lunges forward, grabbing the Spider-Man by his ankles and thrashing him onto the pavement. The boy lets out a scream.