Work Text:
The knife hurts like hell going in. A choked scream escapes Peter’s throat, his windpipe crushed by Kraven’s grip on his neck. He can tell almost immediately that something’s wrong, the pain like a burning fire in his chest, his muscles going limp despite the droning scream of DANGER in his mind. Harry screams; a furious, terrifying noise.
Kraven smiles down at Peter, leans in close. “Not as venomous as they say.” And with that amazing line that in any other situation Peter would appreciate, Kraven throws him out of the enclosure. For the brief moment he’s in the air, Peter screams at his body to do something, anything . Shoot a web, twist, land correctly, aim for a bush, anything to make his meeting with the ground less painful.
His body doesn’t move. He falls.
White, red hot pain arching through his chest. A scream bursting out that leaves his throat ragged and aching. Desperate, shallow breaths. A pulse of danger danger DANGER that beats in time with his heart. Blackness gathers in the corners of his vision. Dimly, in the back of his mind, he notices quick footsteps heading his way, but all he can manage is a twitch of his fingers.
MJ’s face appears in his limited sight, her eyes wide and panicked, her mouth stuck in a frown. The urge hits him to ask what’s wrong, what happened, how can he help, before he realizes; he’s what’s wrong.
Peter wants to ask what happened to Connors, where’s Kraven, where’s Harry , but all that escapes him is a nonsensical slur of words that MJ quickly shushes.
“Come on, I’m going to get you out of here.” Her voice shakes like she’s struggling not to cry, or scream. She helps him to his feet and it takes every bit of his dwindling strength to stay upright, even with her support.
Harry throws Kraven in front of them. His best friend a maelstrom of rage and hate and grief. A swirl of black and they’re gone. Peter can barely pay attention, only focusing on taking a step, and then another, and then another.
MJ makes a joke, something to break the tension, and he knows Spider-man should respond, should say something equally jokey back, but all he can manage is a strained: “I don’t- am I breathing?” Because it suddenly occurs to him that he can’t tell and that feels like something he should know. MJ doesn’t respond.
They walk, step by step by step, the fight now above, Harry screaming and Kraven taunting. Then there’s a crash and a crumble, then MJ’s screaming, then he’s on the ground, writhing in pain, desperate whimpers unheard over the sounds of the battle.
It’s then, shaking and trembling on the ground, covered in mud, a broken knife sticking out of his abdomen, that Peter realizes he’s going to die. It feels like it should be some sort of major revelation, something that comes with fear and panic and an urgent thought of “not yet not yet not yet”. But all he feels is numb, is tired, is that he wants the pain to stop and soon it will, is a strange sense of relief . He can’t help but wonder if this was how May felt, when the end came for her.
He has regrets, of course he does. He regrets that he won’t get to help Miles grow into the hero Peter knows he can be, regrets that he won’t get to spend more time with Harry, regrets that the Spider-Pals were so short-lived, regrets that he’ll never get to move in with MJ, regrets that Peter Parker will have lived and died without a major accomplishment to his name.
But they’ll move on, they’ll be alright without him. He knows they will.
MJ helps him back up. He wants to tell her it’s alright, that he knows what’s coming, that he’s not scared. But her voice shakes as she reassures him and there’s a tremor in her hands and he decides, for once, to stay quiet. He can’t see anymore, the world a blur of colors that his brain refuses to process. He apologizes for not being there, for being busy, because he needs her to know that he wanted to be there just as much as she did, that he regretted every time he swung away to fight a crook instead of listening to her bitch about her job or ramble about a new book or just exist with her.
Peter needs her to know that he loves her.
MJ tells him to shut up and he knows she feels it just as much as he does. How she’s supporting more and more of his weight. How his movements are becoming slower, clumsier. How his feet are starting to drag. His head lolls onto her shoulder, each breath of air becoming a struggle.
And Peter
lets go.
MJ is talking to him, screaming, begging, but he doesn’t listen. All Peter can focus on is the next breath of air. And then the next. And the next.
Harry is there now too. Talking, rambling, desperate, scared. Knowing, just as much as MJ does, that the end is coming.
A small, traitorous piece of himself murmurs that he should just give up. That he’s just dragging out the inevitable end. Spider-Man tells him to keep going. To fight and fight and fight until his lungs give in.
Peter fights. He breathes. And breathes. And breathes. And then he stops.
And then there’s nothing.
No pain, no fear, no rain, no screams.
No Peter Parker.
No Spider-Man.
For one endless moment, he is nothing.
And then there’s something.
A murmur, a whisper, a promise .
You will not die today .
Warm blackness wraps around him, drags his thoughts back into existence, forces air into his lungs.
Spider-Man wakes up.
He jolts back into the world, confused, because last he checked he was lying on the ground struggling to breathe, convinced of his inevitable death. But now he’s…not dead? Peter’s pretty sure he’s not dead. Unless this is the afterlife, in which case he wants a refund.
MJ and Harry look just as startled and confused as he feels and- woah hold on wait a second. Why is Harry just in his underclothes?? And that’s when Peter notices the suit.
It fits him like a glove, molded to his body, a large white spider displayed on the chest piece. Peter gets approximately one second to wonder how the actual fuck Harry’s suit ended up on him before his Spider-Sense screams WARNING. More hunters, of course, because god forbid they get an actual moment to process what just happened.
He tells MJ and Harry to get out of here because he’s fine now and goes to make sure the Hunters don’t try to follow them and- oh- OH. This feels GOOD .
He smiles under the mask, a sharp and vicious thing. The suit responds to his every impulse and god it’s beautiful. Black tentacles stopping hunters in their tracks, slamming them into the ground. Normally during fights, he’s careful about every attack. Careful that he doesn’t break someone’s jaw with a punch, careful that he doesn’t do more damage than needed. But now he just lets go and it feels so NICE. Peter barely holds back the urge to laugh.
Something’s wrong . Spider-Man whispers, in the back of his mind. Something’s wrong . But the whispers are drowned out by beautiful, twisting black .
Something deep in his chest urges him to keep going. Keep attacking, keep fighting, see how far he can go until they BREAK. A warm feeling grows in his gut at every punch that connects, at every gasp of pain, at every snarl that gurgles deep in his throat.
Peter blinks. Every single hunter is down, groaning in pain. He has no idea how much time has passed, only able to remember the feeling of moving and the glee of breaking .
That's…concerning, right? He can still feel the warmth in his gut, though dwindling, and the realization that he took happiness out of others’ pain makes him feel-
Makes him-
He-
Peter blinks. What…had he been thinking about? The thought is gone, out of reach, and-
I should go check on Harry and MJ .
Oh, right! Harry and MJ. They must be so worried. Although they have no reason to be . He needs to make sure they're alright, that Harry’s alright.
Spider-Man swings off, leaving the destruction of the fight behind.
------
Peter’s heading to Little Odessa when it hits him. He’s on a call with Harry and MJ and MJ asks him to please try not to get stabbed this time. And Peter laughs it off the way Spider-Man should, with a quip and a reassurance that he’s fine, but then his swings falter. He quickly zips to a building top so he doesn’t fall, ends the call.
Peter died.
Not almost. He died.
He’s had plenty of close calls in the past, far too many to count. But this wasn’t a close call this was- was-
Suddenly he’s having trouble breathing, the mask feeling constricting, suffocating. The suit appears to notice and before he knows it the mask is off, his face exposed to the open air.
Peter takes a moment. Breathes in. Breathes out.
You’re ok . Spider-Man mutters. You’re ok . Like he’s a frazzled citizen who got too close to the fight for comfort.
He takes the knife blade out, turns it around in his hand. Not so much as a speck of blood. No sign that this thing had taken his life just mere minutes ago. He has a sudden urge to see the wound, to make sure it’s healed. The suit moves away from the spot and he moves the tattered remains of his suit to see- a scar. Deceptively small, like it was just a piece of shrapnel or a lucky bullet.
Interestingly enough, the sight of the scar calms him. Proof that it happened. Proof that it’s over.
The suit covers the spot again. Peter looks back out at the city.
You survived . Spider-Man says. You survived and now it’s time to keep going. To keep fighting.
It’s not going to happen again .
The thought seems to come out of nowhere and Peter frowns at it. In the back of his mind, Spider-Man frowns too. It probably will happen again. Not his death , hopefully not at least, but another close call. Another brush with the reaper. It just comes with the job, comes with being Spider-Man.
Not anymore . Not with this suit .
You’re more than a suit. Spider-Man quietly says. Too quietly. Unheard by anything but the black .
Peter hums. The suit did help quite a bit against the hunters. There’s no way that fight would have gone as quickly, as easily, without it. But the suit isn’t a permanent thing. The second he can, he’s giving it back to Harry. Harry needs it far more than Peter needs it to help with Spider-Man.
Does he?
He scoffs at himself, standing as the mask slips back on. Of course Harry needs it more! Peter will be fine, he’s enhanced and has eleven years of experience under his belt. Besides, Peter would rather die again than destroy his best friend’s chances of living a full life.
Would you?
He hesitates, remembering the pain, the feeling of slipping away, the nothingness -
Peter shakes his head. He’s fine. He’s FINE. He just needs to keep moving. He shoots a web and starts his swing back up.
As he swings away, he swears he can feel the suit tightening around him.
------
Dr. Connors’ house is a mess . Torn-up walls, papers scattered everywhere, destroyed furniture. Peter manages to keep his temper under control, to focus purely on finding Connors.
Until he sees the basement lab.
Until he sees the video.
His hands are shaking, his breathes coming out in uneven, angry huffs.
Kraven did this to Connors, put him and his family through hell. And he doesn’t even CARE. All of this is just for another crossed-off name on his list, just for another stupid hunt .
You need to keep a cool head . Spider-Man reminds him. The priority isn’t the hunters, the priority is finding Connors.
He’s going to find Connors even if he has to tear Kraven to shreds to do it .
NO-
Peter’s head jerks up at the sound of cars pulling up outside.
“Keep your heads up, the beast could be anywhere.” He hears someone bark.
Hunters. Perfect .
He bursts out of the basement, black suit slipping on. “ You have no idea. ” He says, a growl rising in his throat. The hunters raise their guns, the mechanical dogs prepare to attack. Peter smiles.
------
Peter feels like screaming. Connors is right there , running into the sewers, Peter could just chase him down and cure him. But then a piece of the ship he and Miles had just destroyed goes flying towards the boardwalk, because of course it does. For a second he considers going after Connors anyway, let Miles deal with protecting the citizens.
You have a responsibility to help.
With a frustrated huff, Peter goes to help the bystanders. He grabs a man and swings him to safety, letting him go right as they land which causes the man to stumble and almost fall over. Miles gives him a look at this, clear even through the mask, which just makes Peter angrier. Who does Miles think he is, to criticize how Peter does his job. Who’s the mentor here? Who’s been Spider-Man longer?
If it hadn’t been for Miles, I would have got Connors. He got in my way, was distracted and inefficient. And now Connors is who knows where and I’m back at square one.
That’s not true- The black snaps at Spider-Man, all fangs and snarls. He goes unheard once again.
Peter looks out at the harbor. Miles crouches down next to him.
“He got away from us.” He grumbles.
“It’s good, Pete,” Miles says, clearly trying to cheer him up. “I saved the tracker!”
Peter snatches it from the younger spider, looking it over in his hand.
See? If it wasn’t for Miles, you’d have no idea where Connors is.
If it wasn’t for Miles , we wouldn’t be in this situation in the FIRST PLACE.
Miles moves, preparing to web swing away “Let’s go man, before he gets too far-”
Peters grabs Miles’ wrist, like a beartrap snatching up its prey . “No, he’s mine .”
Don’t grab him like that.
Miles blinks at him, startled. Peter lets go of his wrist. “Are- are you sure? He’s got big teeth.”
Peter smiles at him from under the mask, sharp and vicious and animalistic. “So do I.”
He swings away. According to the tracker, Connors is in the west side sewers, so Peter starts after him. He needs to be quick, Harry only has so much time left. MJ calls and he picks up with a tap on his glove.
“Hey, any luck at Connor’s house?”
“No- but tracking him right now.”
“...What’s wrong?” She asks, sounding concerned.
Peter blinks, confused. “Nothing.”
“Meaning something.” He almost growls in frustration.
Why does she always think something’s wrong with me ?
“Miles was off his game- we almost had Lizard!”
MJ sighs. “I’m sure he was just trying to help.” And for some reason that just gets under Peter’s skin even more.
“Sometimes it’s easier just to do things myself.” He snaps.
“Hey- that’s not fair Pete! We’re a team.” And now she sounds annoyed and god is it too much to ask that she stops with this fucking argument.
“We just really need Connors. For Harry.” He doesn’t apologize. He has nothing to apologize for.
“...Fine. Let me know when you find him.” She hangs up. Peter just barely stops himself from screaming in frustration. MJ can be so annoying sometimes. Yes, sometimes it’s better if he does things by himself because guess what?? One of them has enhanced abilities and one of them DOESN’T! But any time he so much as suggests that maybe she shouldn’t do something, she takes it as a personal attack!
One day she’s going to get badly hurt, and then she’ll wish she listened to me.
Peter pauses. That’s- Yeah MJ can be really annoying sometimes, but he doesn’t actually want her to get hurt… does he ? There’s a sinking, horrible feeling in his stomach. Letting MJ get hurt just to prove a point that’s- that-- Peter feels like he’s going to be sick. He-
Suddenly, the web he’s swinging from snaps. He yelps but quickly shoots out another, catching himself and getting back into the swing of things (ha!). Once he steadies himself he- he- what had he been thinking about?
He knows there was something, that anxious feeling is still heavy in his stomach. It’s like a word on the tip of his tongue; it’s there but just barely out of reach. He frowns and-
I need to focus on finding Connors .
Right, he can’t just be swinging around aimlessly, he has a goal. But he still-
If I don’t find Connors, Harry is going to die. And it’s going to be my fault.
For a second, Peter can’t breathe. That’s-
You need to hurry, you can’t let Harry suffer for your mistakes.
He quickly speeds up. Harry’s been having a hard enough time, the last thing he needs right now is for Peter to add to it. He reaches the sewers and jumps inside.
----
“You mean- I’m wearing an ALIEN?!” Peter stares at Dr. Connors, dumbfounded. An ALIEN??
“We- we call it a symbiote. It bonds at the sub-cellular level with its host…You said Harry gave it to you?”
“I- well- not exactly- I was hurt and-”
“-and it chose you.” Connors finishes, a horrified look dawning on his face.
The doctor starts talking about how dangerous the symbiote is, that they need to destroy it, but Peter’s only half paying attention. He’s still stuck on the fact that he’s wearing an ALIEN. Is- is it sentient?? Can it read his mind?! Oh god, what if it’s been manipulating his thoughts and emotions this whole time? How much of what he’s done has actually been HIM? Peter feels like he’s going to vomit. He needs to get this thing off and is it even safe for Harry to use and-
He said it chose me .
But-
It makes me stronger, makes me faster, makes me BETTER. Why would I ever want to get rid of it?
Something’s wrong. Spider-Man whispers, ignored and unheard.
I would have died if it wasn’t for the symbiote. Harry would have LET me die, the symbiote is what decided to save me.
Something’s wrong.
I’m nothing without the symbiote. Spider-Man is nothing without the symbiote. Its not going to hurt me, its never hurt me. It makes me better. Dr. Connors is just JEALOUS.
SOMETHING’S WRONG!
He doesn’t want us to be together. We can’t let him destroy us.
Peter makes his decision. They leave together.
------
Peter notices two things when he wakes up the next morning.
- Holy shit that was the best sleep he’s ever had in his life. He actually feels…rested for once?? What a novel concept.
- He is for some reason NOT at May’s house, and instead at a…random bench on the sidewalk? Ok, that probably should have been the first thing he noticed, but in his defense that was a really nice sleep.
He takes a moment to puzzle out how exactly his body moved halfway across the city without him waking up. Maybe MJ knows? He could call her and ask-
He-
What-
What had he been thinking about? Peter frowns and shakes his head. Whatever, must not have been important. He leaves the crowd so he can change into his suit and goes through his messages. He has…a lot of missed calls. A bunch from MJ, a few from Gankee and Rio, and one from Harry. He opens Harry’s message first.
“Pete? I…really need that suit back. Dad’s working on a new ‘cure’ but…I don’t know. Bring it back. Please.”
He hums and starts heading over to Oscorp, but a nagging thought won’t leave his mind. Does Harry really need the symbiote? Norman’s a pretty smart guy and Peter’s sure he’ll be able to put together a new solution in time.
“The suit makes me a better Spider-Man, and everyone’s better off when I’m at my best. Right?” Peter ponders out loud.
Spider-Man is silent.
------
Peter’s friends are assholes. He steams as he swings down to Rio’s office.
First of all, how dare MJ post that article. “Is Spider-Man doing more harm than good?” Of course THAT’S going to be her subject. Throwing Peter under the bus just so she can get on Jonah’s good graces. And coming from the person who never shuts up about how they’re a “team” and how they need to “work together”. And the nerve to tell him that she always wrote the truth, like she wasn’t lying to his face ! Spider-Man is the reason no one died during the Lizard’s scroll through the city, Spider-Man is the reason that Connors got cured at all, Spider-Man is the reason that they have so much as a chance at-
At-
He needed to cure Connors so-
He needed-
He-
Peter huffs and continues swinging, undeterred by the lost train of thought. And Harry , talk about ungrateful! Like Peter hasn’t been working his ass off trying to help him, like Peter didn’t drop everything, didn’t die , just so he could-
So he could-
Why did he-
Why-
Peter groans in frustration. And now Miles has gone missing! Because of course he has, because god forbid people stop having problems for two seconds! And yeah he knows, “It’s your responsibility to help”, but sometimes he really wishes people could deal with their own fucking issues. After this he might consider grounding Miles, it feels like the “new spider” is causing more problems than he fixes.
And wow does Peter hate that people call Miles that; the new Spider-Man. Like Peter’s the old one, to be thrown out and replaced by the newer, fancier model. Like Miles is better than him. Peter laughs, the sound sharp and cruel, lacking any humor. Did Miles ever prove them wrong. Getting himself captured and making a huge mess of things, getting caught up in his little revenge plot.
The “new Spider-Man”, what a joke.
He gets a notification for an incoming call and zips to a nearby building. Gankee and Rio, apparently Martin Li has been spotted by F.E.A.S.T. Peter’s eyes narrow and he jumps off, starting a new swing. Time to end this.
------
The hunters outside the mansion fall quickly and easily. A snarl builds in his throat as he attacks, vicious and unending, brutal and enraged. Many of them are left with broken bones and injuries that won’t ever completely heal. Peter doesn’t care, they deserve it and they’re just lucky he didn’t outright kill them. He’s finding Miles, even if he has to tear everyone in his way to shreds.
Peter bursts into the area, making sure to close up the exit behind him. He takes a few cautious steps towards the center, body tensed, eyes searching for any sign of the hunter or Miles. He doesn’t see or hear anything but- DANGER.
Peter quickly dodges the axe thrown at his back, landing right in the middle, and before he can react a cage has fallen over him. Shit.
Kraven enters, a large, almost animalistic smile on his face. “I have been assured that that material is unbreakable. But I believe anything can be broken.”
Normally, Peter would take a moment to analyze the cage. To search for joints or points of weakness that he could exploit. But Kraven is RIGHT THERE and the second Peter sees him he can’t think of ANYTHING but tearing him limb from limb, of wrapping his tentacles around his throat and watching that STUPID SMUG GRIN fall right off his face. So Peter slams himself into the glass, again and again and again, because SOMETHING has to give eventually, because Kraven is RIGHT in front of him and coming closer and it infuriates Peter that he can’t DO ANYTHING.
Kraven puts his hand on the glass as Peter takes a breath, right over where his tentacles are sticking to his side of the cage. His small frame shakes with each breath he takes, a growl rising in his throat, as he stares dead-eyed at Kraven.
Kraven studies him for a moment. “You still hold back…” The hunter steps away from the cage, Peter watching his every move. “Perhaps you require, motivation .” He whistles and a light overhead flicks on and- and- it’s Miles .
Miles in a cage, Miles knocked out and on the ground, MILES with visible tears in his suit and dried blood and- no No NO NO NO . Peter is NOT letting Kraven make Miles into another hunt, to let Miles become another crossed-off name on the list. He REFUSES to go back to Rio and tell her that he failed to protect her son, REFUSES to go back to Gankee and inform him that his best friend is dead because of Peter, REFUSES to add another name to the list of people who have fallen and died because of Peter’s incompetence. HE IS NOT LETTING THIS HAPPEN. Peter throws himself at the cage once again, throws everything he has into it, pushes and pushes and pushes until something inside him snaps .
Peter screams, and the cage explodes.
The second he’s free he throws himself at Kraven. The hunter is clever, with plenty of tricks and gadgets up his sleeves. He’s fast and strong and skilled. But Peter is just as fast, just as clever, and he’s FURIOUS. Normally anger works against him, but here it fuels him. Makes him faster, makes him stronger, makes him into the beast Kraven seems to love so much.
Kraven attacks and Peter counters. Kraven throws smoke in his face and Peter zips to him and slams him into the ground. Kraven tries to put distance between them and Peter uses his tentacles to pick him up and throw him into the wall. Kraven jumps overhead and attacks with his spear and Peter parries and punches him in the face. Every hit Peter takes just makes him angrier, just gives him more fuel. Kraven isn’t walking away from this, Peter isn’t going to let him.
He prepares for another attack and- he’s pressing his hands against his ears screaming screaming screaming because there’s a RINGING and all he can think is he want it to STOP he needs it to STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP- and Peter’s in another location and he has no idea how he got here but the ringing is still GOING and Kraven is speaking but Peter can’t hear him over the RINGING and it HURTS SO MUCH IT WON’T STOP IT HAS TO STOP-
Peter barely regains the presence of mind to web up the bell so it can’t ring and- relief . Overwhelming relief for about two seconds before Kraven attacks him again. And a new dance begins. Kraven’s attacks are more erratic, harder to predict and counter. He keeps disappearing and reappearing where Peter least expects him. It’s FRUSTRATING, but not dangerous. Peter’s still better, still faster, and Kraven’s tricks can only delay the inevitable for so long.
Kraven slams him up against a tree, hands pressing against his skull and in danger of crushing it. Before Peter can even think about it, the symbiote attacks. Rising up, wrapping itself against Kraven and picking him up as well.
Stop. Spider-Man says, but no one listens.
A tentacle wraps around Kraven’s throat, squeezing squeezing squeezing. The hunter struggles but there’s nothing he can do.
He’s defeated. Stop.
The tentacle flexes and suddenly Peter’s crushing his windpipe. He wants to do more, wants to tear his head right off his body, wants to cut open his chest and rip out his organs.
PETER STOP.
And then Miles is there, screaming at him to stop and- KRAVEN BITES HIM AND PETER IS GOING TO TEAR HIM LIMB FROM LIMB- and then Peter’s being shocked, and Kraven is gone . Peter comes back to himself as he’s leaning across a tree, shaking. Miles is behind him, saying something, but Peter can’t focus on that. All he can focus on is that Kraven’s GONE. Peter needs to kill him needs to make sure that he can’t hurt anyone else because otherwise Kraven’s going to-
Kraven’s going to-
Going- going to-
It’s Miles’ fault. Kraven is gone and it’s Miles’ fault. Miles steps back, warry, and Peter attacks.
“You almost killed him, man! What are you doing ?!” Miles yells, dodging and zapping him in retaliation.
“ You’re in the way, Miles! ALWAYS IN THE WAY. ” Peter snarls. He jumps overhead to slam the spider into the ground and- RINGING RINGING RINGING HE FORGOT ABOUT THE FUCKING BELL AND IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS SO MUCH- Miles is attacking him and his Spider-Sense is screaming DANGER DANGER DANGER but he can’t focus can’t dodge can’t counter can only scream because it’s so LOUD WHY IS IT SO LOUD-
He shouldn’t be attacking Miles why is he attacking Miles. Miles is his friend he doesn’t want to be attacking Miles he needs to stop something’s wrong something’s wrong something’s-
Peter webs up the bell and continues his assault. “I could have fixed everything!”
Miles dodges and venom punches him into the wall. “How? By strangling him?! That’s NOT what we do!”
“Don’t try to mentor ME!” Peter screams, charging him and barely missing. “You’re the one running away from your problems! YOU’RE the one hell-bent on revenge! ”
“Revenge?!” Miles parries his attack and kicks him in the chest, sending him flying. “All I want was to protect my family! Protect YOU!”
“ You’re not better than me!” Peter cries and he HATES the way it comes out, so desperate and weak and- why is he being so mean why is he attacking why why why why- and he web zips to Miles and slams him into the ground .
“I’m not saying that!” Miles electrifies his body, throwing Peter up into the air and slapping him back down.
Peter rolls away and looks up just as Miles charges a punch across the arena. He grabs the spider, hurling him into the ground. “I need this suit, it makes me a better Spider-Man.” His eyes narrow. “You just want it for yourself!” He slams Miles into the ground again .
The smaller spider manages to grab a piece of the suit. “All I WANT is to save you!”
“I’M THE HERO. I DON’T GET SAVED. ” He screams and then Miles is flipping him over and venom strikes him. He hits the ground with a grunt and quickly gets back on his feet.
“Why are you doing this?!” Miles webs his face and kicks him in the chest. Peter tears the webbing off with a snarl. “I MADE YOU. You owe me!”
Peter punches and Miles dodges, knocking him to the ground and web throwing him away. “I know you don’t mean that!”
Peter rolls and THE BELL THE BELL THE STUPID FUCKING BELL IT’S RINGING AND IT HURT HURTS HURTS- “All I wanted was to save everyone!” He screams over the RINGING RINGING RINGING. “MJ, May…Now the city thinks I’M the problem.” Miles shocks him and Peter can’t do ANYTHING can’t move can’t dodge can’t think IT HURTS SO MUCH. “YOU THINK I’M THE PROBLEM. But I’m not anymore!” He webs the bell and charges Miles but misses. “I’M THE SOLUTION!”
Peter shoots a tentacle toward Miles but the spider jumps over it, venom striking him to the ground. Miles pins him down, hand around his throat.
“ I can’t let this go. I’m finally everything everyone needs me to be!”
“Yeah?! You don’t even answer my calls anymore, man!”
Peter tries to attack him but Miles dodges and throws him into the air. The spider jumps after him and venom strikes him AGAIN, once again pinning him.
“And what about MJ?! You could’ve killed her!” Peter throws a punch and Miles catches it like it’s nothing. “I know you’re hurting Pete, but you’re better than this!”
Peter slumps, giving in for just a moment. “I know. I know, but…” NO. Peter screams and the symbiote strikes out, pushing Miles back. Peter lunges.
“People in my life- they keep dying!” Attack, dodge, counter, fail fail fail WHY WON’T HE STOP DODGING. “I blamed myself for that! They needed a hero and…if I’d thought some suit could save them, maybe I’d be in your shoes now!”
Miles shocks him again and You’re more than just a suit. no NO NO SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!
“But THIS kind of power is the reason they’re gone! Not you, not me!”
“SHUT UP.” Peter screams but Miles won’t stop MOVING and Peter can’t hit him and it’s so loud he can’t fight it it’s everywhere it’s overwhelming he can’t think past it but he’s hurting Miles NO THIS NEEDS TO STOP HE CAN’T LET THIS HAPPEN. HE NEEDS THIS HE NEEDS THIS HE NEEDS THIS.
Everything hurts and Miles is too fast, is FASTER, and he keeps getting shocked and there’s SO MUCH. And THE BELL THE BELL THE BELL. He writhes on the ground screaming because Miles is ON the bell and he’s PUNCHING it and the RINGING HURTS SO MUCH. IT WON’T STOP AND HE CAN’T THINK IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS.
“Pete, come on man!”
IT RINGS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN IT WON’T STOP.
“Just- just focus on me.”
IT HURTS- Miles? IT HURTS SO MUCH - Miles!
“Come on! You’re stronger than this! You hear me?”
Peter sits up- NO NO NO YOU NEED CAN’T DO THIS WE KEPT YOU ALIVE WE HELPED YOU WE BROUGHT YOU BACK - and begins to tear the suit away.
------
Peter is…tired. He’s tired. He’s sitting on a building, away from the arena, staring at nothing. His body hurts, his voice has been destroyed, and he’s tired. He’s aware he should feel more than just tired, he should feel horrified, ashamed, many other things. But right now, all of those emotions have been tucked away where he can’t feel them.
His brain is desperately trying to convince him that this is a dream, all some horrible, awful dream. That in a moment he’s going to wake up and Harry and MJ and Miles will all be fine and Kraven won’t be anywhere near New York and- and-
Miles lands behind him. “Pete?”
Peter doesn’t want to look at him, because if he looks at Miles this means all of this is real. That he actually did and said those things, that he actually- he almost- Peter takes a deep breath, and looks over at Miles.
The younger Spider-Man’s mask is off and he’s staring at Peter with a level of concern Peter knows for a fact he doesn’t deserve. Miles’ face is bruised and his suit is badly torn. Some of that is from Kraven but Peter can see fresh blood and he knows- he knows- he did this. He did this.
“Miles, I’m sorry.” He whispers and he feels tears running down his face and no no no he doesn’t deserve to cry. He shouldn’t be crying. But he can’t stop.
Miles looks alarmed and then he’s rushing forward and hugging Peter. “It’s ok, man. I’m alright, you’re alright, everyone’s alright.”
Peter buries his face in Miles’ shoulder and takes a shaky breath. “Thank you. For everything.”
“It’s what Spider-Men do.”
Peter pushes Miles away, looking him right in the eyes. “Spider-Man didn’t save me back there. Miles Morales did.”
Miles’ face scrunches up a bit, like he might start crying too. He hugs Peter again. “I missed you Pete.”
Peter huffs out a humorless laugh. “I missed you too.”