Stronger Than Ever

Ch. 22 |Lost love|

Peter felt his breathing start to speed up when he realised that the whole place was empty. He found Ned's bag. And a note for him.

'Your smart or have help. You can't save him SpiderMan. Maybe you should've thought about him before you started stalking me. Come find me if you want to surrender. I'll contact you soon. Come alone or the boy dies.'

He swung out the building and tried to get home. He soon found that swinging while having a panic attack isn't a good idea.

He stopped on the closest roof he could find and took off his mask. He sat down, staying away from the edge and focused on his surroundings.

On the sound of the birds, on the smell of the dinner someone was cooking nearby. On the clouds. The small stones on the roof that he was playing with.

That was something his dad had taught him when he first found out he got panic attacks. Focus on at least one thing for each sense.

He stood back up and put his mask on. He made his way back to the tower and through his window. He dropped the note on his desk and put Ned's bag on the floor next to his desk.

"You find anything out?"

"I found his bag and Scott wrote me a note," he said as he took his suit off.

He put his pyjamas on, picked up the note and sat back down next to Mj.

"He was in the second one. They've moved now though," he said handing Mj the note so she could read it.

Mj read over it before sighing. "I really hate this guy."

"Same. How's he gonna contact me?"

"Ned's bag."

"What?"

"He left you Ned's bag. Why?"

"He probably just didn't need it."

"Or he left something in it for you," Mj said as she stretched over and pulled the bag over to the two.

Peter watched as she opened it, it was mostly full of school books and homework. A couple books he was reading. And two phones.

The iPhone was Ned's they knew that, the flip phone wasn't.

Peter took the flip phone out her hand and turned it on.

"Do you even know how to work that?" Mj asked as she put all Ned's things back in his bag.

"Nope," he said as he began trying to work that out.

About five minutes Peter was still looking through the phone, there was nothing on it. Though the phone soon started ringing.

"He can't know your here," Peter whispered before answering the phone. "Hi?"

"Hey Peter. I see you found the phone. Does Ned know your going through his stuff?"

"Where is he?" His voice was hard and cold.

"It doesn't work that way princess. I tell you when and where. And you should be careful. You say the wrong thing, make the wrong move. I pull the trigger of the gun that's to your friends head."

"W..what do you want me to do?" The fear in his voice made Mj know that Scott just threatened Ned.

"Meet me at midnight. I'll text you the address at half eleven," he said before hanging up.

Peter shut the phone and put it down on the floor. He sighed. He needed to get to Ned, he couldn't let Ned get hurt.

"What happened? Is Ned okay?"

"I..I think so. He wants to meet at midnight he's gonna text me the address half an hour before."

"We've got to get the police."

"If he finds out. He'll kill Ned."

"What if he kills you instead because you didn't want backup?"

She's angry at you.

"I don't care," he said with no emotion in his voice. "I just want Ned to be safe."

"How do you think he's gonna feel if you die to save him? How much guilt he'll feel?"

Peter sighed. She's right.

"Okay. I'll go to the police get them to come too."

"Thank you."

"Do you want to stay here tonight? My dad probably won't care."

"Yeah, I wanna know it goes with Scott," she said with a small smile.

"Boss is back," Friday announced.

Peter and Mj began putting all the stuff about Ned and Scott away. Hiding it all in his closets along with Ned's bag. Mj put music on, on Peter's laptop as Peter got some homework out his bag.

There was soon a knock at the door, which Peter knew would happen. "Come in."

"Hey Pete and Mj. It's nice to meet you," Tony said after walking in the room.

"You too."

"Everyone wants pizza. What are you two wanting?"

"Can I get my usual but large?" Peter asked, causing Mj to smile.

"Yeah, your hungry then?"

"Starving."

"That'll be you healing."

Shit. He knows.

"Mj, what are you wanting?"

"Small cheese?"

"That's fine. Either of you want drinks?" He asked, Peter guessed Friday was taking note of what they wanted since his dad could never remember a dinner order.

But could remember how to build his first Ironman suit and his arc reactor in a cave. Peter always laughed at that logic.

"Can I get a coke?" Peter asked.

"Yeah me too," Mj added.

"Alright. I'll let you know when it's here," he said as he began heading to the door again.

"Dad," Peter said causing him to stop and look back. "Can Mj stay the night?"

"Yeah sure," he said giving the two a smile before closing the door behind him.

"Your dads cool."

"He can be."

•

The two soon went down for dinner. Which wasn't as awkward as Peter thought it would be. He knew Pepper didn't know he was gay either. He wasn't sure if she would say something or not.

Though she didn't seem to think anything about him and Mj. 

Through dinner there was a small conversation, nothing interesting though causing Peter to only speak then he was spoke to. And Mj done the same.

Once dinner was over Peter and Mj made their way back to Peter's room. He offered to bring her home to get stuff she might need but she didn't want to.

That made Peter curious but just offered her some clothes to sleep in instead.

"I'm gonna have a nap if that's alright?"

"Yeah that's fine. I'll do some homework."

"Thanks. Wake me up at eleven?" He asked as he set his alarm just incase.

Peter had already changed into his pyjamas so he just got into bed. The light didn't bother him like he thought it might.

For the first time in a long time. Peter fell asleep quickly.