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The city was practically abandoned. All of the civilians were evacuated. Steve admitted that all the destruction of cities made him feel bad, but he knew it wasn't necessarily his or the other Avengers' fault. For example, take their current situation. They were all facing a giant mutant moth. They didn't create it; Oscorp did. They didn't send it to the city; Oscorp did. They would be given the blame in the end, but Steve knew he needed to focus on the big, hairy problem on their hands. They needed to take it out first.
Tony was trying his best to survey the area and plan to take down this beast. While their current city was empty, the moth seemed to be getting closer to busy cities, cities full of civilians and possible casualties. The nearest would be New York City, and Tony briefly thought about Peter. He wasn't on this mission with them because he wasn't a full-fledged Avenger. Tony thought about how ironic it would be to have Spider-Man vs a giant moth. All well, it was too late now. He would have to settle with their current members on the battlefield: him, Steve, Natasha, and Clint. Thor was off in Asgard and Bruce was with SHIELD. Tony was flying in the sky while the others were down on the street. Their situation was not good.
The giant moth fluttered its wings and caused a powerful gust of wind. The Avengers braced themselves and tried to hold their ground. Clint grunted into his comms, "This is impossible! We can't even touch it! And why would Oscorp even make this thing!?"
The hustle and bustle from a nearby SHIELD base were in full swing. Bruce was with them. He responded through his comms, "I'm not sure. The agents here said that we need to be extra careful with it."
Tony responded as he regained his composure in the sky, "What? They don't want this thing alive, do they?"
Bruce shook his head, not that the others could see him, "No. They’ve tried to take it down before. It seems to have some sort of power to sing, or whatever the closest thing a moth can do. Whatever it is, it makes you want to help it."
Natasha asked while running towards the monster, her spider bites armed and ready, "Like mind control?"
Bruce said, "They don't know. Some parasites are known to persuade their prey. That may have something to do with it."
Clint interrupted, "Guys! I don't care why it can affect you. How do you avoid it?"
Bruce nodded again, "Right. Uh, just don't hear it. That's why you have two earbuds for comms instead of one. It's supposed to cancel everything with white noise."
Tony asked, "Has this worked before?"
Bruce chuckled nervously, "Uh, no."
Clint huffed, "I'll just turn off my hearing aid."
Tony scoffed, "No one likes a show-off."
The moth caused another gust of wind.
The Avengers wished they had a plan.
PETER'S POV
Peter was sitting on his spring-filled couch and watching TV. He had homework scattered on his brown coffee table, but he figured it wasn't due until next week, so it would be okay if he was a little distracted.
May was on another shift at work and was planning to go to the store afterward, so Peter was home alone and would be for a while. He had to admit that the show he was watching was kind of boring. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do. He was only 15, so he couldn't drive anywhere. His Spider-Man suit was currently "unwearable" because someone vomited on his feet the day before. The man was very nervous after being saved, so Peter couldn't exactly blame him. Still, it stank, and Peter couldn't wash it yet because they were out of laundry detergent until May got back. He was stuck at home, so he might as well suffer through the boring TV show.
He grunted and grabbed the nearby remote. He flipped through a couple of channels. A soap opera where someone was possibly pregnant, a sassy judge, a cooking show that was making something with two shots of vodka, an infomercial about vacuums, a show about four life-long friends who compete to embarrass each other, a game show with a wheel, it was all kind of boring. Peter thought about watching that best-friends-embarrassing-each-other show, but that was when he flipped it to the news.
Peter instantly dropped the remote. He scooted closer to the edge of his seat. It was the local news, so color him surprised when he saw the Avengers. The news reporter spoke into her microphone, "In breaking news, the Avengers are against one of their strangest foes yet: a giant moth. It is several stories tall and has caused the complete evacuation of nearby cities. It appears to be heading straight towards us here in New York City. Hopefully, the Avengers will be able to stop this beast." The camera cut to the moth in question, and Peter's stomach growled.
He quickly put his hand over his stomach, trying to suppress its wants. If Peter cursed, he would have then. He had been trying to push through his wants as a spider. He never considered them as "needs" because he never necessarily needed them; it was just was a very strong, an almost primal, urge. He had only followed through with them a few times. Peter had discovered that to do so, he had to change himself. If he put in enough energy, he could cause his body to go through changes. They were temporary, of course, but they made him weak after every use. He was grateful that it was never long-lasting; after all, he was already weird enough with his biological webbings, which many thought were somehow man-made and fake.
But that giant moth. Peter licked his lip. He thought, ' Could you imagine how big of a web you'd need to catch that? Can you imagine how it tastes?’
Just the very thought of the moth made his retractable fangs threaten to show. That was one of his mutations, one he hid very well from others, including Mr. Tony Stark.
He watched the others in the struggle. They seemed to be losing. They couldn't keep their footing. The power of the moth's wings was also destroying many windows and street lamps which made now glass-covered ground dangerous to step on. He looked at the moth again and made up his mind. Stinky shoes or not, they needed Spider-Man.
AVENGERS'S POV
A helicopter flew nearby the fighting, and a news crew was recording them. Tony scoffed; he hated news stations. They always got in the way. Not to mention they always made strawman versions of people, like himself. They could say whatever they wanted, and thousands would believe them. He couldn’t express how much he hated them.
Luckily for Tony, they didn’t get to stick around for long. The wind caused by the moth grew too powerful for the helicopter, and they had to retreat. He sighed in contentment as he thought of how he didn’t have to worry about the press for now.
Tony smirked as he blasted at it. He charged his hand slightly before he shot it. It hit one of the wings. It didn’t seem to do much to his dismay, but the moth certainly didn’t appreciate it. It wailed and an ear-piercing wail. Every remaining glass throughout the city shattered. The Avengers covered their ears. Clint briefly wondered if he could turn his hear-aids off.
Tony lowered himself back to the group. He said, ‘Okay, no blasting the big bug. Any other ideas?”
Clint shrugged, who was next to Natasha as the Avengers except Tony and Bruce stood in a semicircle in the middle of the street, “Maybe one of my exploding arrows will do the trick?”
Nat commented, “I can try landing a bullet, but I don’t know how effective it’ll be.”
Steve sighed, “Great. Now what?”
From behind them, a red-and-blue-clad figure jumped down from a nearby lampost and cracked the asphalt.
They quickly turned with weapons at the ready. Spider-Man lifted his arms in surrender "Hey!"
They lowered their defenses. Steve said, "Spider-Man? This isn't your usual area."
Peter shrugged and looked about nonchalantly, "Eh, I saw you guys on the news. Not my fault you're getting your butts kicked."
Steve signed, "Fine. We need a plan. This thing isn't going down easily."
Peter laughed, "Oh! I already set something up. Sooooo, when this is done, what are you gonna do with it? Put it in some sort of government facility? Can I at least have a leg?"
Natasha asked, "Already set something up?"
Clint asked immediately after, "You want it? Why?"
Peter shrugged again, "Yes and yes. Why? I mean, have you seen it?"
Peter looked back at the moth. He smiled under his mask at it. It looked delicious. He mumbled, "I bet it's salty. No. It's a moth. It's probably bitter."
Steve with his enhanced hearing heard him, make a face. Peter took notice, "Hey! Don't knock it till you try it, old man!"
Natasha asked, "What did you do?"
Before he could answer, the moth flew forward in the air. The Avengers plus Spider-Man braced themselves as it moved. Peter took a peek through his arms and saw that it was about fly between two large skyscrapers. He beamed, "Yes! It's falling right for it!"
The others look towards the moth. Tony asked, "What is it, kid?"
Peter replied, "Just watch."
The moth screeched as it stopped midair. Except it wasn't moving his wings. It was stuck on something.
Peter grinned, "I made a web."
Bruce called into the comms, "Bad move! Muting now!"
The Avengers watched in horror as the moth thrashed and the world became silent.
They turned to Spider-Man, and he was staring at it.
PETER'S POV
Peter had just captured the moth in his web. He figured it would make it impossible to fight back, so he made the web as soon as he had arrived. However, he was not prepared for the loud screeching. He was already having a hard time. Not only did his shoes smell bad, but he had also made a giant web. His super hearing was certainly not helpful as he was sure he have a headache later. However, as his trap worked and the moth started flailing, Peter prepared for the worst migraine of his left.
But it never came.
Instead of a loud cry, the moth started humming. It was a soft melody and, dare he say, beautiful. He had never heard it before, yet it felt nostalgic. And hungry. He could feel his fangs retract and crowd his mouth. It tasted salty, meaning he was already dripping venom. Luckily, it wouldn't harm him. He couldn't tear his eyes away. His two eyes had become increasingly blurry. 'Great,' he thought, 'I can see with more than two eyes in the mask.'
He felt pressure on his sides and right below his armpits. This was just not his day.
AVENGER'S POV
They didn't know what to do. Since the moth had some sort of mind control, would he turn on them? They didn't like to admit it, but Spider-Man could be very dangerous if he wanted to.
Sound returned to them. Bruce said in the comms, "It stopped."
Steve shook his head to compose himself. He hesitantly called out, "Peter, are you with us?"
The teen, instead of responding, reached to his face and pulled off his mask. Brown hair tumbled down his head. His eyes were closed, and his mouth was pulled into to closed-mouth smile.
Clint asked, "Hey kid, are you okay?"
Peter slowed moved his head to the side and cracked his neck. He said in a deep and unnatural voice, "So that's how we're doing this, huh?"
He opened his eyes, revealing five pairs of black eyes, two where they normally would be and three more across his forehead. He slowly moved his head to the other side and cracked his neck again. He smiled a more sinister smile, one that bore his teeth. The group could now see his fangs.
Clint turned to Tony, "What's happening?"
Tony shrugged, "How should I know?"
Clint flusteredly flailing his arms, "What'd you mean!? He's your intern!"
Natasha took a cautious step towards the boy, "Peter, you still with us?"
Peter's fang-filled smile somehow widened if that were possible. He brought his neck right-side-up as it slowly popped to its descent. He said, "Two can play that game."
He confused everyone and started to creepily sing.
Spider Dance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NojLXHOgbMo&t=62s)
2, 4, 6, 8,
I think it's time for a date
I've got a craving and I think you're my taste
So won't you come out and play?
Darling, it's your lucky day
His spandex ripped on his sides as two more sets of arms emerged from them. Tony cursed under his breath.
Why so blue, dear?
Why the expression of fear?
Not into falling for those crocodile tears
So you've got nowhere to flee
Now your soul belongs to me
Peter began to walk jerkily towards the moth. It continued to struggle against the web, but it was completely silent.
You've been invited to my Spider Dance
Spider Dance
Spider Dance...
So move along with me and clap your hands
clap your hands
clap your hands...
I'm gonna trap you in my Spider Dance
Spider Dance
Spider Dance...
You know a heart like yours can't stand a chance
In this dizzying, twisted dark romance
Peter used his super strength and jumped high into the air. He landed on his web, and crawled across it, much like a spider would, to his prey.
Paralyzed, fear is in your eyes
But your cries will go unheard even if you try
Struggling is futile so get tangled up in me
Cause to survive I think you're gonna have to pay a little fee
He started a string of webbing from his wrists and started to crawl over the moth. That was when the Avengers realized that he was wrapping it into a silk cocoon.
Get caught in my Spider Dance
Spider Dance
Spider Dance...
You know a heart like yours can't stand a chance
Got your marionette strings in my hands
The moth could barely move as he had wrapped half of it.
Some might call it greed
But I think it's a need
I could let you be
But it won't come for free
He crawled to the neck of the moth.
Get caught in my Spider Dance
Spider Dance
Spider Dance...
You know a heart like yours can't stand a chance
Got your marionette strings in my hands
The Avengers cringed at the crunch. Peter latched onto the moth. He sank his fangs into the beast, and burning clear-blue liquid entered its body. It cried out in pain but, it slowly quieted until it laid still, dead. Its insides were completely liquid.
PETER'S POV
Peter wanted nothing more but to let his instincts completely take over and devour it.
However, he didn't want to freak them out. Instead of slurping all of it like he wanted to, though admittedly he probably couldn't because it was the size of an actual building, he took only one gulp before detaching himself. He descended easily off of the web with more strands of webbing and softly landed back on the pavement. He scrunched his face as he grimaced. His fangs and arms retracted back into his body, leaving holes in his uniform. He covered his face with his hand and groaned in pain as his temporary eyelids covered the extra eyes before they sealed. His eyes faded back to their normal brown doe eyes. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when it was over. He was back to normal.
He heard footsteps quickly approaching him. He tried to regain his composure as he tried not to panic. He thought, 'Great! This is great! Perfect. What if they tell SHIELD?'
The group finally reached him. Tony had his helmet flipped up. He asked angrily, "What was that!?"
Peter panicked, "I promise I'm not dangerous!"
Tony lowered his voice and lifted his hand in surrender, "Yeesh kid. I believe you!"
The kid babbled on, "Please sir Mr. Stark! I know this is probably a shock but I promise I don't do this often. It's like a twice a year kinda thing! I-I don't know why I did it this time but I promise it wasn't on purpose. Please, SHIELD might arrest me or send me to the raft, or if MAY found out then I'll be sent away, and I didn't wanna freak you out, and oh please Mr. Stark don't freak out! The moth did some weird singing thing and I just had to do it too. Like I was supposed to or something! Please Mr. Stark don't tell SHIELD or May and please don't freak out-"
Tony stepped forward and grabbed Peter's arms by the elbows. He said, "Calm down Peter!"
Peter stopped his rambling, "Sorry."
Tony sighed, "Look kid, I get it. It's not your fault. Some weird spidery thing, right? Yeah, it's weird. So what? But, uh, about SHIELD.."
Fear crossed Peter's face. Tony said, "They've been watching us this whole time. They... kinda saw your little incident. But don't worry! Uh, they told us through the comms that they'll keep it safe, but they want to know if you know anything about OSCORP?"
Peter asked, "If I tell them, will they not bother me with the spider thingy?"
Tony paused for a second while he got something in his comms before he said, "They just told me yes."
Peter nodded, "Alright. The original spider that bit me, well it was from OSCORP."
Clint furrow his brows, "What?"
Peter said, "Yeah. Uh, my school went on a field trip to OSCORP when I was fourteen, and I got separated from the group. They had these spiders they were testing on, and it got out. It bit me, and it died. Now I'm," he gestured to himself, "Like this."
Tony nodded. He said, "Bruce is watching us from SHIELD headquarters. He said the giant moth was made by OSCORP. They're experimenting on more bugs," he playfully punched Peter's arm, "So if you see some other kid with weird bug powers, you better tell us. Okay?"
Peter smiled, "Okay."
Tony grinned, "Great, he threw his arm around Peter, "Let's go home. Oh, and next time, tell us before you go all spider on us, yeah?"
Peter nodded as Tony led him away and the others started toward the Quinjet, "Can do, Mr.Stark!"