𝐖𝐞𝐛 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬

40 | Abandoned

"Peter!" Y/N screamed, kneeling on the floor of the quinjet as it started to take off, stretching her arm out of the hatch door for Spider-Man who was running towards the plane.

A swarm of Chitauri aliens sprinted closely behind him as he went to jump and take Y/N's hand, his web shooters malfunctioning and his body exhausted from fighting. Tony wrapped his arm around his daughters waist as the plane started levitating, pulling her back from the edge to safety. A Chitauri arm grabbed Peter's leg midair and pulled him down to the ground before he could take the girls hand, their finger tips merely brushing against each other's as he fell.

The hatch door of the plane began to close as Y/N watched Peter's body slowly disappear with the immense amount of Chitauri crowding around him. His screams filled the air mixed with the deafening sounds of jet engines, yet he was all she could hear. She leapt towards the opening, screaming for Peter as Tony held her back, her legs kicking frantically in the air as the door completely shut, leaving Peter Parker behind to die. It was too dangerous to stay.

________

The suburb was desolate.
Abandoned.
Crumbled.
It looked like a dystopian world with not a living soul in sight. Peter walked cautiously through the street, looking at the plethora of houses with cracks in their walls and their windows smashed. The government had evacuated the city to other towns, telling them to stay indoors and away from dense population. His brows were furrowed as he frantically looked in every direction, trying to find a sign of life. Anyone at all.

A small cat jumped from behind a fallen trash can, meowing gently as it ran over to him. Peter leant down and put his hand out, his fingers pale and shaking from the cold. He smiled softly, asking the cat if he knew where any humans were, or any being for that fact. The cat rubbed its head against his hand and weaved itself through his legs, Peter sighing to himself for talking to the animal as if it could respond.

It was cold even for New York, the sunlight barely making its way through the thick, dark cloud coverage that surrounded the Earth. His suit usually kept him warm but due to it malfunctioning, the chill of the wind made him shiver from his exposed face. He was limping, his leg badly aching and a deep slash in his upper thigh.

The boy called out for Tony, followed by Y/N's name and several other heroes - all to receive zero response. The suburbs of New York were always quieter than the city, that was a given but the dead silence was eerie paired with the thick fog and subtle whistling wind. He tried to ask for Karen, his AI built into his suit; no response. His suit was inactive.

Nobody was around, no Avengers, no Tony, no Y/N. Peter was alone, completely abandoned in this living hell he had always called home; New York. He remembered missing Y/N's hand on the plane, the Chitauri swarm attacking him on the ground. He remembered kicking and fighting frantically, the deep slash on his thigh happening during the attack before blacking out. Then he woke up in a suburban backyard faced down on the grass. A complete period of time now missing from his memory.

He sat on the porch of a destroyed house, the front patio roof collapsed and hanging above him from its rafters. The wooden deck was uneven from the earthquake like movement through the earth. He pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he tried not to cry. Peter knew he couldn't give up, screwing his face up and taking deep breaths. His vision became blurry as his eyes filled with tears, the cat hopping up the stairs to smooch itself against his shin.

At this stage Peter was convinced he was the last person alive, not gaining any responses from his distress signals nor seeing any form of life around him whatsoever. He wiped his eyes and looked down at the animal, it reminding him of the nice cat at Delmars. That local store was probably destroyed too by this stage, most of New York was evacuated and rampaged by swarms of Chitauri beings.

He let his head fall to rest on his knees, crying to himself as he began to realise nobody was left, it was just him alone to fend for himself and try to find a way to save the world.

A light hand rested on his shoulder, causing Peter's head to snap up and see eye to eye with Loki, God of Mischief - the cause of the worlds impending doom.

Peter stuck his arm out in preparation to use his now broken web shooters against him, realising Loki's eyes were red and swollen, like he too had been weeping.

Loki stood still in front of him, his arm slowly reaching forward to offer Peter a hand to help him stand. His face was solemn, emotionless almost as he stared into the boys eyes.

"You're injured, take my hand," he said quietly, looking down at the bleeding gash across Peter's leg. His suit was torn, dirtied and malfunctioning, Loki could see that obviously.

"I-I can't trust you, you caused all of this," Peter stuttered, completely bewildered at the fact he was standing in front of him with nobody around, offering him his hand.

"I was banished from my planet after I had planned this current world domination. But I decided against it last minute and they didn't believe me when I said I wanted to stop them... The Chitauri are now sentient, they're controlling themselves without a hive mind," Loki said, his usual dominance faded and broken, his voice becoming frail.

Peter contemplated killing him anyway, but Loki was the only person he had left. He was the only person who could keep him alive. He extended his hand, gripping Loki's and pulled himself up to his feet.

"I saved your life yesterday when the Avengers abandoned you. I brought you back to a nearby house and when I woke up you had disappeared. I followed the blood trail," Loki continued, glancing down at the boys wound them pointing to the drips of blood on the porch.

"Thankyou," Peter muttered, not fully trusting the man and knowing he was someone who often manipulated those around him to follow him. Peter needed help right now, yet he wouldn't be fooled so easily as to join the man instantly.

"I am Loki," the tall man said grinning at Peter, knowing that the boy knew who he was already.

"Oh we're using our made up names? I'm Spider-Man. But just call me Peter.. What's your real name?" He asked.

"Loki."

"No, like your real name." Peter sighed.

"Loki."

"Fine, keep your identity hidden... I don't care."

"Stay back witch!" Loki said abruptly, flicking his sceptre towards the cat as it meowed at him. Peter jumped in front of the long staff, telling him it was just a common household cat that had been following him, and asked Loki to spare its life.

"Fine. You can bring the cat with us," he sighed. "But I am not taking any responsibility for it, this nuisance is yours," Loki continued, walking through the dilapidated path yard of the yard they were in. He waited at the road, looking at Peter impatiently as the boy limped to him.

"How come you look so clean and still wearing your weird space gown?" Peter asked, Loki standing there regally, brushing his hair back with his hand, not a strand out of place albeit the Chitauri attacks.

"It is not a gown, it's a cape. At least I am not drawing attention to my undersized genitalia in a brightly coloured swimsuit," Loki said bluntly staring ahead as they walked at a slow pace for Peter.

"One, the suit makes everything look small. Two, was that a dick jab? Nice dude, Thor never said funny things like that," Peter chuckled, hobbling next to the villain down the street.

"You worked with my brother didn't you, oh my apologies. You must have been bored listening to him drone on all the time about doing good by every human, ant or grain of sand," Loki huffed, Peter smiling at the man he had always thought to be evil, yet was making him laugh.

"W-where are we going?" Peter asked, realising he was following Loki aimlessly and growing tired as his injuries took their toll on him.

"I have a bunker, where I had originally tried to assemble the Chitauri. I wanted to warn my brother of their attack when I was too late, that's where I saw them leave you behind."