Just Kids | Peter Parker

33 | Crash-Landing

PETER

_

"She's not coming back," May whispered, leaning against the doorpost, "you need to go to work eventually, Peter."

I blinked, my hand grazing against the side of the video camera. I usually never entered back into her room, but today I felt like I had to. It's been exactly a year since the day she first came to live with us, and it hurt to know she was somewhere out there without me.

After she escaped from the tower, no one knew where she went. It was like she disappeared from New York altogether.

"Mr. Stark told me I should take my time today," I mumbled, setting the camera down, "just for an hour or so."

May shook her head, "if she wanted to be found, she would have come back."

"Or maybe she's just waiting for us to find her," I sighed, "because everyone let her down in the past, and she doesn't want it to happen again."

"Peter, this isn't healthy."

"I know."

Before she could open her mouth again, I held up my hand to cut her off. I felt bad for doing it, but as much as I loved May, I didn't want anyone telling me to give up on [y/n]. I wasn't going to, not until I saw her again.

"Just let me have a few minutes alone," I mumbled, "please."

May nodded her head, shutting the door quietly behind her as she left. I turned my head back to the room around me, taking it all in as if I was going back into the past.

Everything was just as she left it, from the tiny scribbles on her notebook, to the placement of her desk chair. I didn't want to ruin anything for her in case she came back. Because she had to come back.

I just hoped it would be for me.

Hanging my head into my lap, I let the silent room surround me completely. There were so many questions I wanted to ask her, like 'did you even like me back?', or 'did I do something wrong?'.

But that wasn't the worst part of it.

When she was gone, I felt the same feeling I felt when I watched my uncle die. The feeling of losing someone you....love. And as soon as I realized it, it was too freaking late.

INCOMING CALL FROM MR. STARK!

Letting out a puff of pent up air, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and answered the call.

"Hey, Mr. Stark," I said into the speaker, "what's up?"

His voice came echoing from the other side, "I know I told you you could take some time off, but there's a problem."

"I hate to do this to you, but I don't think I'm up for more tech-work today."

"This isn't tech-work."

"Then can Cap or Bucky do whatever it is?"

"They're too far out of the city," Mr. Stark said quickly, "there's not much time, and I need as much help as I can get."

I really didn't want to do whatever it was. I already dropped out of Midtown to take a full time job at SI, and all I was told to do was monitor the workshop, make alterations to upcoming projects, and go out on various assignments. I felt like none of it had a purpose after a while.

"I'll pass," I said, "I really need this day off."

"There's an asteroid plummeting towards New York City at 29,637 miles per hour."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"If you don't suit up, not only will you not get your day off, you won't get any days at all."

How could my life get any worse?

"I'm on my way," I said, hanging up the call.

As I quickly slipped into my suit, I clambered out my window and was met with the view of a falling star. A white streak was plastered into the sky, led by the orange glow of the asteroid.

I had never seen anything like it.

Swinging across the city, I kept my focus out of the sky and onto the path to the lake. I saw civilians running in fear below me, all screaming and recording everything they saw.

"So what's the plan?" I said, letting go of my web and landing in front of Iron Man, "shoot it out of the sky?"

Tony, who was already dressed in full gear, shook his head, "that's a no-can do, kid."

"Let me guess, the size of the asteroid is too big, that any rupture to the sides will split into several parts."

"Exactly right," he said, "so you're going to make a net out of your webs, and I'm going to slow it down."

"Sounds like a plan."

As Tony shot into the sky with his repulsers, I began to do my part of the job. Shooting webs across the river, I began to swing back and forth, and back and forth, until a giant, white blanket covered the water.

Landing back onto the ground, I turned my head up to see Tony pushing the asteroid's weight in the other directions. Funny, it didn't look much like an asteroid.

Making a few more laps for good measure, I watched as Tony gently crashed down into the net, the falling rock sticking to the mesh.

Thank god the world didn't end.

Collapsing onto a near by bench, I tried my best to catch my breath while Tony scanned the astroid with his suit. I just wanted to sleep the day away.

"Uhh..." I heard Mr. Stark called out, "Kid, I think you need to see this."

"It's just a rock!" I yelled back, "I don't care about it!"

"You will when you see it."

Furrowing my brow, I hopped onto my feet, and swung my way to the fallen object. As I neared it, I realized Mr. Stark was right. That definitely was something I needed to see.

"What is it?" I mumbled, coming to a stop.

It was a yellow egg of some sort, but the outside shell was clearly metal. Orange inscriptions decorated the sides, but I didn't recognize the language. It looked other-worldly.

"From what I've been able to see," Tony said, "it looks like an escape pod."

"From a spaceship?"

"Exactly," he nodded, "so there should be an opening somewhere."

I watched as he poked around the pod, running his metal fingertips alongside the edge. Suddenly he found a tiny hole, pressing down on it sharply.

Like some sci-fi film, the doors slowly slid open, a truckload of smoke seeping into our faces.

"What the hell?" I said, coughing at the musty air.

Waving it all away, the smoke dissipated, and I finally was able to see clearly. There was someone inside of the pod, unconscious, but still breathing. But It wasn't an alien.

It was her.