Chapter Text
Peter groaned as he lifted his head off of his desk, the light filtering through the window in front of him hitting his face. He yawned softly, rubbing his eyes and pulling stray post-it notes off of his cheek.
In front of him five new alerts were blaring on his screen, albeit quietly - notifying him of more crime in the area. He fumbled in his haste to get up, almost tripping on the clothes on the floor around him.
“Evie” Peter croaked out, “Why didn’t you wake me? I need to be on top of this” he muttered pulling on his spandex suit whilst wrinkling his nose at the smell. He missed the suit Mr. Stark had made for him desperately but even the AI wasn’t immune to Strange’s stupid spell.
Peter eyed the numerous blood stains on his suit from the night before and cursed under his breath.
“Peter, according to my scans of your bodily well being, you have only slept for four hours in the past two days. You are nearing your breaking point.” Evie hummed back to him a bit sternly.
Peter shook his head at the response, “I told you to wake me at the occurrence of any alert, my sleeping in could have gotten people killed Evie!” Peter winced slightly at his tone as he pulled his mask on and opened up the window.
Evie trilled in the background her response short and now in his ears, “My apologies, Peter.” He huffed in response and jumped out of the window after seeing no civilians milling about. Wind whipped around him as he picked up speed with his swings.
The only thing that he could do to make a difference now was to fight crime, Peter Parker meant nothing to the world now he thought bitterly. Only Spider-Man had value in existing. He swung from building to building, the New York landscape rushing under him as he followed Evie’s directions.
Landing near an apartment complex on Wall Street, Peter saw three thugs making their way into a bank dressed in all black with ski masks. He rolled his eyes at the familiar sight.
He swung down to the street blocking the side entrance to the bank landing in a crouch in front of them.
“Come on guys, a robbery in broad daylight? Isn’t that more stupid than usual for you?” he quipped tilting his head to the right at their startled expressions.
The thug in the center, Peter deemed him Thug #1, cursed colorfully before turning to his right and saying, “I fucking told you Spidey would show up, but nooo, no one listens to me. I don’t even know why I put up with you dipshits.” He bit out before raising his gun.
Spider-Man nodded along crossing his arms, not blinking at the gun pointed at his chest. “See I sympathise with you, having no one listen to your feelings takes a toll on you huh buddy?” he said before webbing up the muzzles of the shotguns.
The thugs grunted before Spider-Man tied them up further to the side of the building as he continued.
“I mean, I’m not in school anymore but man, those stupid group projects when no one listened to you used to piss me off” he finished with his hands on his hips.
Thug #1 just groaned in response and shook his head, accepting defeat as Spider-Man shot back up into the New York skyline.
Peter landed on a nearby building, slightly unsteady on his feet (probably from being sleep deprived) as he adjusted his web shooters. He replaced his right hand canister since it had slipped his mind the day prior, the mechanism making a small ‘click’ as he finished up.
Suddenly Peter’s head shot up, his Spider-Sense tingling strongly insisting an imminent danger nearby. Peter surveyed his surroundings, finding nothing out of place on the rooftop surrounding him when Evie’s voice chirped in his ear.
“Peter there are high levels of radiation surrounding you, and they are rising at a steady rate.” Peter whipped his head around looking for a source before his eyes caught on a small blip of energy near the corner of the rooftop.
DANGER NO. AWAY. NEW. DANGER
Peter’s curiosity outweighing his screaming Spider-Sense pushed him to go closer to the source of radiation, as he got closer the blip grew. It cackled with green energy spreading into a small portal. Peter hesitated and began to step back.
FASTER, RUN. NOW TOO LAT-
Before Peter could register what had happened the portal began drawing him in forcefully. He grunted and tried to use his stickiness to stay adhered to the building.
“What the fuck is happening?!” Peter screamed as he fought against the steady pull of green energy, but Evie seemed unable to respond.
His wrist twisted unnaturally as a piece of metal hit it while being drawn into the portal. Peter yelped in pain and let go and screamed as he was dragged into the neon green abyss in front of him.
~~~~
Peter had never felt more nauseous than he did in that moment, and that was saying something.
Sophomore year Peter had forgotten Aunt May’s sandwich in his locker for the entirety of the year until they had to clean out on the last day. (He had to put on a mask just to approach the sandwich without gagging while MJ and Ned watched from a more appropriate distance).
But right now he felt like heaving all of his insides on the asphalt as the bright green dissipated from around him leaving him in a dark alleyway.
Peter groaned, lying on his back and blinking quickly due to the light drizzle above him. Strange. It was most definitely not raining last time he checked.
Coughing heavily and holding an arm around his stomach Peter leaned against a wall to get up. “Evie please tell me I’ve collapsed due to my lack of sleep that you were chiding me on.” trying to keep himself steady through humor.
Peter waited for a response, but received static. “Evie?” he tried again, a bit of desperation leaking into his voice now. He tapped his comms to pull up his HUD but to no avail, the visuals in front of him flashed red before completely giving out. Leaving only the dreary sound of rainfall in his ears.
He shifted slightly against the wall removing his arm from his chest to check on his sprained wrist by moving it slightly. He hissed in pain quietly as he took in his surroundings, his Spider-Sense keeping him on edge with a low constant hum.
Blood. Guns. Lost?
Peter pulled off his mask and winced immediately at the stark contrast in smell. The air was heavily polluted with smoke and gunpowder. The lingering smell of blood and trash also flooded his senses. He was used to pollution, he was from Queens, but this back alleyway took it to a different level.
Pushing himself to fully stand after examining his wrist, Peter scaled the building next to him, following the fire escape staircase so he had a failsafe if his wrist gave out. His lungs burned as he pulled himself up, his left shoulder taking on the brunt of his weight.
Panting, Peter made it to the top and looked out at the skyline. His heart sank. There was no Empire State Building, no Stark Tower, no honking yellow taxi cabs.
The architecture around him looked sort of gothic? Peter thinks that was the word MJ would have used whilst she was reminding him about some sort of capitalist propaganda. His heart ached at the thought of her and Ned.
Shaking his head to clear it (and to stop the tears from falling) Peter took a deep breath. Okay definitely not in New York now that’s for sure…then where was he?
He needed to know where he was so he could make it back home and figure out what that stupid green portal was. It wasn’t Strange’s magic that's for sure.
Groaning like an old man Peter made it back to the dirty alleyway and started off on his journey of getting the fuck out of this rainy gothic hellhole. He was too old for this shit.
~~~~
This sucks Peter thought to himself angrily as he started walking the streets of this polluted massacre of a city.
He had taken off his suit in the alleyway and was now left in shorts and an athletic t-shirt, a combo which most definitely did not suit the weather surrounding him.
On top of that his Spider-Sense would not shut up, and it was putting him on edge, more so than usual.
The people around him gave him nasty looks which wasn’t uncommon in the slightest to a New Yorker, but the fact that all of them had guns was pretty concerning to say the least. Especially when his Spider-Senses agreed that a 12 year old boy was also carrying.
Sooo not legal. He thought as said boy glared at him nastily.
Peter had been walking for roughly 20 minutes, having chosen a direction at random since Evie still wasn’t responding when he came up on a store.
The front of the stores displayed a multitude of TVs all of them set to a news channel called: The Gotham News Network (GNN).
Intrigued, Peter stepped closer watching as the female reporter continued her statement.
“Unfortunately there has yet again been another breakout from Arkham, those at large include Ivy, Bane, Firefly, Harley and-” the reporter paused but quickly resumed “the Joker.” Her voice seemed slightly shaken, before she pushed on with her professionalism.
Peter frowned slightly, The Joker?
Who the hell names themselves that? Was this Arkham so poorly guarded that this many “villains” escaped? Surely they’re just street level thugs Peter wondered to himself, thoroughly confused.
His expression must have been clear since the man near him looked towards him with pity, mistaking the cause for his confusion.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure the Bats will get all of ‘em in sooner or later eh? Just make sure to lay low.” The man said harshly, but not unkindly.
Peter turned now fully looking at his face, taking in his glasses and red hair speckled with white and short beard.
Protective. Worried. Trust.
Peter noted the change in his sense and let out an inaudible sigh of relief, at the lack of constant buzzing.
The man’s eyebrows ticked up and his expression. “You alright kid?” the man looked him up and down with concern now, as if now noticing his attire. He began to reach inside his pocket.
Peter, fully mistrusting of anyone right now, no matter what his senses said, put his hands up quickly. “Yup! I’m perfectly fine sir. I’ll just be going now…” He trailed off awkwardly as he started to take a few steps back.
The man stopped him by taking a step forward, “Son, I’m not gonna hurt you, do ya need some money?” he questioned as he pulled out a twenty dollar bill.
Peter’s eyes widened. “Oh no sir! I’m fine thank you, I couldn’t accept that.” He grit out very well knowing that he could one hundred percent need cash soon.
The man simply rolled his eyes and shoved the money in his hand, while he pulled out a notepad and pen - jotting something down.
He ripped off the paper and handed it to Peter, who now had a very bewildered look on his face as he took it.
“It’s my number and the address to the Gotham Public Library, my daughter works there and I’m sure she could use the extra help.” The man heavily hinted at the implication of the last line as he looked at Peter.
“Uhm, thank you so much sir! I’ll just be going now…” Peter repeated his earlier sentiment and ducked his head walking away quickly before this man pulled out the gun Peter knew he had.
What is up with all the firearms?
As he turned the corner he heard a soft sigh from behind him and the lighting of a cigarette.
~~~~
The Gotham Public Library looked like a fortress for someone who had it out for sunshine.
Peter was shivering heavily by the time he set eyes on it, stupid spider bite and no thermoregulation abilities he cursed as he began walking up the steps.
The doors pushed open with a very concerning creak, one that Peter didn’t mind as much when the warm air hit him. He sighed contently, wiping the rain off of his face along with his unruly hair, grimacing slightly when the movement upset his wrist.
The library was large, consisting of two floors, with a staircase on his left side and an elevator to the right.
The inside still kept the depressing gloom that Peter had noted prior with charcoal walls and dark mahogany book shelves that housed the many books. Little gargoyles took up posts in the corners of the ceilings, unsettling Peter.
He hesitantly made his way to the middle of the library where desks with computers sat in neat rows. “Thank god!” Peter muttered to himself as he sat himself at the first available seat. His Spider-Sense had finally taken a backseat in here which he was eternally grateful for.
Peter moved the mouse around, bringing the seemingly ancient screen alive and hacked past the normal login page with concerning ease.
Ned would have freaked at the lack of firewalls he thought with a small smile.
Okay, now straight to business, Peter. Where the fuck am I?
A Google search informed him that Gotham was a city in New Jersey. I guess that isn’t the worst place to be all things considered.
I wonder what all those random villains were about. Maybe the Avengers are already on it? Yelena was always on top of things he thought.
After a few more searches though Peter’s anxiety was rising:
Avengers: NO RESULTS
Black Widow: NO RESULTS
Iron Man: NO RESULTS
Spider Man: NO RESULTS
Tony Stark: NO RESULTS
Peter’s hands began to shake as the red “NO RESULTS” page faced him for what felt like the hundredth time. He tried to settle his breathing with slower breaths and keep a straight head.
Okay, so something was fucked up no way Tony Stark doesn’t exist here, he existed even before the Avengers formed.
Peter sucked in another shaky breath before his Spider-Sense alerted him to approaching figures.
Quiet. Red. Black. New?
Peter turned around to see two girls behind him. One was in a wheelchair and had beautiful red hair cascading behind her and sharp glasses that showed off her green eyes.
Another girl was a few steps in front of her, with a short bob of black hair and open surprised brown eyes looking at him.
The woman in the wheelchair recovered first out of the three of them waving with a small smile. “Hey there! I’m Barbra, a librarian here” she gestured to the black haired girl, “and this is Cassandra - a friend of mine.”
Barbra kept a smile on her face while Cassandra waved at Peter in a sort of hesitant way.
Peter felt confused as to why they came over to say hi to him specifically but waved nonetheless. His Spider-Sense seemed confused as well with the two girls in front of him.
“Oh uh hey, I’m Peter. Am I in your way or something? Because I can totally move no problem.” He said starting to close the tab in front of him and getting up.
The girl closer to him, Cassandra, he reminded himself quickly looked him up and down as though reading him like an open book.
Peter shrank slightly under her graze and he noticed as her eyes made it down to his right wrist and lingered there for a second, as if seeing his injury. She can’t see it Peter calm down, you haven’t made it obvious.
Before Peter could fully stand up however Barbra smiled again, a warm smile that achingly reminded him of May. “Not at all Peter, you’re perfectly fine where you are” she said smoothly - calming his slight nerves.
Peter nodded hesitantly and sat back down pushing a few stray curls away from his eyes.
“Actually my dad mentioned someone coming in here that was interested in a librarian position? And I was wondering if that was you?” Barbra pushed, her eyes lit up as if in early hope of Peter’s acceptance.
He blinked, taking in Barbra’s appearance once more and comparing it to the man he met. “Oh! I definitely see the family resemblance” Peter said absentmindedly, but continued on quickly as a flush worked its way up his neck.
“But I couldn’t accept that from you Ms. Barbra, it would be way too much. Your father already helped me out.” He finished. (Sort of lamely in his opinion - and placed his hand behind his neck).
She sighed softly, but nodded as if expecting his response and pulled out a hoodie from a small basket on the side of her wheelchair, which Peter guessed was used for sorting books.
Barbra held out the hoodie to him, “I’ve had this laying around in the lost and found for quite awhile now and I wouldn’t want you to get drenched on your way out.” She smiled once again.
Peter’s eyes widened once again, and was on the brink of refusing when a shiver wracked his body, and he accepted the hoodie from her outstretched hands.
“Thank you so much Ms. Barbra, that's so kind of you.” Peter said as he tugged it on hiding a grimace as he pulled it over his right hand. Any day now healing powers he thought in annoyance.
Cassandra met his eyes suddenly and signed, ‘Wrist. Hurt.’ Peter blinked, taken aback at how quickly she had noticed his injury.
She’s probably just very perceptive or something, I need to work on my poker face.
“Oh this old thing?” Peter forced a chuckle out. “It's fine I just tripped over my neighbor's dog a few days ago and clumsy me. I’m just trying to get home to Queens, I took the wrong bus I think.” He mentally facepalmed.
Who trips over a dog? Should have gone with the stairs. Way to keep it simple Parker.
Barbra and Cassandra exchanged a brief silent look that flew over Peter’s head.
“Queens?” Barbra asked softly. “Like New York?”
“Yup, and I just needed a pit stop to know the sights to check out around here before leaving, you know? Gotta hit all those Gotham hot spots” Peter huffed out quickly, this time actually getting up and shutting down the computer. God, I need to take some social interaction classes or some shit. My people skills are rusty.
“Uh huh, and what might some of those spots be?” Barbra questioned with light humor in her tone.
“Oh you know…”Shit shit shit, wrack your brains Peter. He thought quickly of the news reporter and the villains that escaped. Villains always had fans, right? God knows that dumbass Mysterio did. Peter continued, “Arkham Asylum seems pretty cool, maybe see the Joker?” he said offhandedly.
Tension. Unease. Anger. No Trust.
Peter felt the hairs on his neck prickle up at the tension in the room, his Spider-Sense no longer resting at the back of his mind.
Barbra stiffens at his words, “the Joker isn’t someone to joke about Peter. And Arkham isn’t a tourist attraction. If you see the Joker you turn the other way.” She finished firmly.
Her smile was replaced with a reprimanding look that May used to give him multiple times after his many life ending endeavors as Spider-Man.
Peter nodded quickly, wanting to escape the now brewing lecture and tension in the library. “I apologize I didn’t realize. I won't go seeking out the two Ms. Barbra.” He rushed, slipping by her and Cassandra making a beeline for the exit.
He couldn’t tell if Barbra or Cassandra had said anything after as the door creaked behind him and the pounding of rain took over his senses.
~~~~