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The air was sticky. Dust clung to Peter's throat. The silence after the fight was deafening. There was death everywhere.
Thousands of New York's citizens were buried under tons of debris. Destroyed buildings and skyscrapers became the places of their eternal rest.
Peter liked to think they were sleeping. If only not for the crimson blood pooling under the bodies, the illusion could last.
May...
He couldn't save her.
He was too late.
May had gone cold long before he found her. He wasn't there to comfort her in those last agonising moments.
The image will haunt him endlessly. The limbs bent wrong. The red massacre and the giant pole sticking out of her abdomen. But the worst were her eyes.
The eyes that had carried so much life and always sparked with love.
Now, they were unfocused, dull and unreflective.
The image had burned into Peter's mind. When he tried to close his eyelids, he only saw her. How he wouldn't hug her again, wouldn't eat her horrible cooking and wouldn't tell how he loved her ever again.
The only person who had cared for him, his only family and force holding him together was gone.
~~~~~~~
A pink mist was floating close to the ground. Peter could taste its metallic flavour when he walked through the detritus of a city that was once full of life. He didn't want to think about the origin of the strange phenomenon. His torn and dirty suit was scratching and irritating his skin. He could feel all of his injuries bleeding. The previously vibrant red and blue Spider-Man suit was nothing more than a ragged cloth. He was nothing more than a ragged shell of a once lively and bubbly superhero
He was slowly approaching the only building left standing.
No one had checked on him.
He had sent a message to Mr. Stark, but he didn’t even read it. It’s not like it was the first time anyways.
~~~~
Then a drone flew by. It was one of the Stark Industries' new products. Mr. Stark had even shown him the first blueprints.
Mr. Stark.
He tried to include Peter in some things. However, it didn't really work out. When they were doing something at his lab, like repairing their suits, it was always Peter who sparked up the conversation.
Once, the older genius promised him that they would go tinker in the lab in the afternoon and that Happy would pick him up. He did not pick him up. It turned out that Mr. Stark had gotten caught up in his work too much and did not even make an effort to inform Peter. Of course he tried to make it up for him and Peter knew he cared for him, but he never has been his priority.
“He wouldn’t even notice if I were gone”, Peter thought.
The millionaire thought that if he occasionally gave him tasks to do and new tech, it would make up for the sudden disappearances.
It did not.
Tony couldn't see how close Peter always was to crumbling. The constant media pressure and isolation from being Spider-Man, really made him balance constantly on the edge of mental breakdown.
Peter knew Mr. Stark wanted to protect him. That he was important to him, but it did not feel like this to Peter. Tony had his own family and friends, the avengers.
~~~
The avengers.
They always made him feel like he was never enough. The more he tried to impress them, the worse it went. But they cared for him, each in a different manner.
Natasha sometimes taught him how to fight.
Mr. Banner talked with him about science.
Thor liked to show off Mjolnir.
Captain America let him spar with him.
Bucky sometimes comforted him after a rough mission.
Clint was always impressed by Peter's stealth abilities and tried to convince the little Spider to join SHIELD with him and Nat.
However, he was only a colleague, someone they worked with and was a minor priority when it came to getting sure he was alive. A kid.
~~~
The building was getting closer. It was a tall skyscraper. The only one left. It reminded him of MJ and Ned. Their nightly stargazing and movie nights.
They had been getting more distant day by day since learning he was the local vigilante. The friendship had become an acquaintanceship.
He was all alone yet surrounded by people.
~~~
The front door was closed so he decided to climb it by the wall.
The scenery was eerily beautiful. The slowly setting sun was giving everything a golden shine.
Peter stopped for a while to take it all in. The weight of his whole life had suddenly caught up to him. Aging him twenty years in the span of twenty seconds.
He shook his head and continued on his way.
~~~
When he reached the top, the sun was almost out. The uncanny mist finally settled onto the broken pavement. Concealing the sleeping silhouettes down below.
A strange morbid serenity washed over him. He was no longer in pain. The injuries had faded into the background.
He stepped closer to the safety railing on the building's rooftop. One foot at the time.
The sun is gone now.
He knew how to finally stop the suffering. It was that simple.
Jump.
It would finally be the end. He could see everyone he had lost. A quiet epiphany washed over him.
He decided to take off his mask. A cold wind blew into his face.
"I'm sorry... I can't do it anymore..."
Tears wheeled up in the corners of his eyes.
"I really can't... It's too hard."
A sudden fright made him freeze. His heart rate spiked and his hands started trembling. He felt like a child. Death scared him.
He decided to turn his head up and admire the emerging stars. Just as May had taught him to.
"I guess this is how Spider-Man's story ends".
A faint smile tugged into the corners of his lips.
Then he turned around, back facing the edge. A sudden doubt crossed his mind, but he shook his head and closed his eyelids shut.
Peter outstretched his arms, tilted aback and let gravity do the rest.
~~~~~~
The fall had been peaceful.
It was just him and the air.
Some of his wounds had opened up, but Peter did not feel pain anymore. He didn’t feel anything. It was finally quiet.
He plummeted down, faster and faster, leaving a trail of red.
The ground was getting closer. Peter closed his eyes, bracing himself for the unavoidable.
For the upcoming impact.
He couldn't wait any more.
"Farewell you cruel world"
~~~~
The landing was brutal.
He felt his body meet the soil. The hard concrete crushing his bones. His head hitting the ground with a sickening crunch. He saw the velvet red seeping from beneath him. The pain was unbearable. He couldn't even move a muscle, so he just laid there, feeling the life drain out of him in a symphony of suffering.
"Even death can’t be painless when it c-comes to me, huh?"
It was the fault of his healing factor. It tormented his body and mind while trying to repair what was broken.
However, Peter was a wreck. There was too much that hat to be repaired.
He started crying, thick tears mixing with the blood on his face. The fright had come back. The only thing he wanted was to hug May again, smell her perfume. Everything hurt. Why did have to be him?
After what felt like ages, his body had finally given up. The pain started fading, forced out by the creeping darkness.
"Finally…"
Was the last thing Peter thought before surrendering to the sweet numbness. A single, final tear escaped his eye, slipping down his cheek.
A final breath left his lungs, releasing his shagged soul into the quiet oblivion.
And that's how the one and only Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man, could at long last join those who he had lost and rest in peace.
~~~~
At the tower, dust was slowly settling down on worn out weapons and armors. The deafening silence was interrupted by the purring of AC and the methodical beeping of medical setup.
The avengers weren't celebrating the victory. They won the war but lost the city. The number of victims was climbing up every second a drone had found a new body.
All of them were sitting in a spacious room. Looking helplessly through the huge windows at the ruin that was once New York.
They had failed everyone. The Earth's Mightiest Heroes weren't able to prevent the destruction.
~~~~
Steve was not present, just mindlessly and slowly bandaging Bucky's torso. But the other one didn't seem to notice it. He was instead staring at his metal arm, which still carried a faint red smear.
Thor, who was usually already chugging alcoholic beverages after a victory, just sat on an armchair, fidgeting with his hammer.
Clint had locked himself in a different room. Not able to get through seeing so many deaths in a single day. Even with his past it was too much.
Natasha, the Black Widow, someone who had escaped the Red Room, wasn't her usual self. Her faze was unfocused. Sudden flashbacks from her darkest times flashing before her eyes.
Doctor Banner, who was only present as the Hulk, hadn't seen the massacre himself, but it made his stomach turn. Just how many buildings had the Hulk smashed? He couldn't even think about it. A sudden nausea hit him hard.
The worst was Tony. A cold, stone hearted billionaire had seen the biggest building collapse. He was too late. Too late to prevent it. He tried to focus on repairing his helmet, which got a dent after being hit by some kind of weird alien grenade. However, he couldn't take his mind off the previous hours. His gaze lingered on everyone present. The deep eyebags, bruises and cuts made them look like shells. He knew he probably looked much worse and he felt that way
"You could have stopped it... It's your fault"
A quiet voice hummed into his ear.
To stop it Tony started to look for broken items to fix. It always helped him ease his mind. Find something broken, repair it, move to the next thing.
He made a list, Natasha's daggers, Cap's shield, the empty armchair in the corner...
The armchair where Peter always sat.
"Has anyone seen Peter? Or Spider-Man", Tony suddenly asked.
Everyone just shook their heads. A wave of worry washed over the millionaire.
"FRIDAY, where is Spider-Man, or Peter Parker? Locate him and give me his vitals", he blurted out. How could they forget about the kid? How could they rest at the tower when THEIR kid had gone off somewhere in this ruin?
~~~~
"Boss, I am unable to access Spider-Kid vitals, it appears the tracker has been destroyed. However, I am able to track his location. He is currently positioned next to a tall building on Park Avenue. He appears to not have moved for the past six hours. Do you want me to send a StarkDrone01 to the location?", AI gave a response. "Yes, make it quick", Tony said with a strained voice.
Friday pulled up a hologram of the destroyed ruin. The drone was avoiding massive pieces of rubble laying around. The whole team had gathered in front of it. Even Clint had emerged from his isolation. They wouldn't say it out loud but Peter became one of them. Their little ball of energy who always brought the spirits up. Only now they realised how unusually quiet the tower had been. There was no excited rambling nor sneakers squeaking in the hallway. It made everyone tense up.
~~~~
The drone had finally come close to the only tall building in the mentioned location. There was debris everywhere. Dust was slowly floating through the air. The sun was rising. A faint glow coming from the horizon. Its lazy glimmers crept higher and higher, finally landing on a splutter of crimson substance.
"What is that? Fri, tell me what is it...", Tony's voice faltered. A rising tide of panic waved over everyone present.
~~~~
"The red spot appears to be human blood. It also carries a faint trail of radiation. I would advise you to decontaminate before someone goes in contact with it. The DNA also matches the Spider-Kid signature.", Friday announced with a calculated tone.
Everyone froze. "He must have gotten a small injury."Steve's voice cut through the tension. "Yes for sure, I bet his healing factor already has taken care of it", Clint's wooden posture and remark gave them all a little peace of mind.
"Hold the drone Fri, I am going there. What if he is trapped underneath some concrete? The drone won't be able to help him. Get Mark 48 ready", Tony voica was stern and he was already heading towards the roof. "We are going with you, we can't leave the man of spiders alone!", Thor shouted. "All of thou,shall get moving!", little lightning bolts sparked around his hammer.
~~~~
They had never moved so fast. Tony's thrusters ripped through the air with massive roars.
He was carrying Clint. Nathasa, Steve, Bucky and Thor were close behind. Banner stayed at the tower in the med-bay. He had the whole medical wing prepared. Everyone decided it would be better that way. To have someone for help immediately.
~~~~
When the heroes arrived. The drone was floating around ominously. The methodical beeping resonated through the concrete graveyard.
They followed the trail of crimson specks. They were more and more frequent. The morning sun was irreverently shining, as if it didn't care.
The atmosphere turned from a buzzing readiness to a strained anticipation. It was too quiet. Everything was too still.
There amidst the rubble laid a strange dull red cloth. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the mask which Peter was wearing while being Spider-Man. It was dirtied with dust and blood. One of the lenses was missing and it was torn in many places.
When they recognised it, a cold dread flooded their veins. "H-he must have lost it", Tony's voice trembled. The cold hearted genius started studdering. It was almost funny, but none of them laughed. They all felt the same.
~~~
The drone suddenly beeped. They were getting closer. However, they were not walking anymore. The previous careful steps turned frantic and chaotic. They had started screaming Peter's name, but the only thing that answered was the deafening and suffocating silence.
The sun was now shining in almost all its glory.
~~~~~
Then they saw it, there in the playful light amidst the debris and rubble laid a small and broken figure. Merry sunbeams irreverently caressed its soft curls.
~~~
"No. It.. No, no, no, no! I-it can't be h-him!", Tony's voice turned into a high pitched screech. The arrogant genius was rushed to the silhouette. His mechanic's heart was pounding against his ribs. The rest were too stunned to move.
"It can't be Peter", everyone thought with horror.
When the billionaire got close he stopped right in his tracks. A wave of nausea hit him. It was sickening. Blood was pooling everywhere, staining everything in dull red.
His body looked wrong. Everything was bent in the wrong way. His expression looked like he was having a nightmare.
There were crimson handprints next to him Just as if he tried to grab onto something invisible.
"No.... Peter? Peter. Peter! PETER!", tears started forming in the corners of his eyes. He dropped to his knees next to the boy. The rest of the tim surrounded them creating an illusion of privacy.
"Come on kid, wake up. P-please w-wake up", he pleaded. The only thing that answered was the silence. Not even a nod or mutter from Peter.
Tony disassembled his suit and reached his hand to tap the boy lightly on his cheek. Then he froze. His eyes widened in shock.
He expected warmth. Instead Peter's skin was as cold as concrete on which he had been laying.
Only now he noticed how blue the kid seemed. His eyes were half open and dull.
There was no fresh blood coming from his injuries.
The billionaire's heart stopped. His hand jolted backwards in a matter of milliseconds. His breathing became ragged and shallow. Peter was dead. He had been for a long time.
"No...", was the only thing Tony had said before a sob racked his whole body.
Everyone bowed their heads in grief.
The sun was already high up in the sky.