Veins and Wires // Peter Parker

Death and Ditching

"This is the worst!" MJ groaned next to me as we stood in the elevator waiting to meet up with the rest of our group to go to the four-hour opera. Well, they were going to the opera, I was ditching to fight a giant lava monster.

We were forced to wear our emergency formal outfits for the event which made MJ more grumpy than usual. Her hair was still in its usual ponytail but instead of her casual shirt and ripped jeans she wore a rather pretty floral dress with her clunky ankle boots.

Even after the charity banquet, I so stubbornly refused to buy a formal dress and opted for one of my work outfits. I wore my hair in two buns and decided on packing and wearing a pair of black pants, my favorite pair of black heels, and a cream-colored button-up with a dark blue jacket that perfectly hid the corrupted vein-like lines beginning to grow up my neck.

I've been getting sicker and sicker. In the back of my mind, I know this is stupid to go fight in a battle that I'm not prepared for or strong enough to do. But you only live once right?

Well, twice in my case.

"Honestly. This is going to be mind-numbing," I agreed, sighing dramatically. Finally, the elevator doors slid open revealing our class huddled together looking dead inside on the other side of the room.

My eyes scanned the group of teenagers and realized no other girl wore pants. Cue illogical anxiety and self-consciousness.

That was until I saw Peter and all my thoughts instantly turned to mush.

He wore a basic suit, a white button-up, black slacks, and a jacket that was buttoned at the middle. His hair was slicked back but not in the stupid way he did it back in freshman year with an obscene amount of grease but in a way where he actually knew what he was doing with the hair gel.

Warning: Systems overheating. Please cool down.

I sucked in a breath as we locked eyes with each other and his ears instantly turned pink.

"You look...beautiful," Peter breathed out, staring at me before blinking out of his daze making me laugh quietly.

"You look beautiful too," I replied, smiling and eyed his slightly wrinkled suit. "Shame we don't get to stay. I could get really used to you in a suit, especially one that doesn't hide your face," I whispered quietly and winked as I adjusted his jacket before following our class out the door being lead by Mr. Harrison through the bustling street.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Peter whispered as we followed our teacher through the crowds and looked down at me with concern. "You've been getting...sicker," he finished making me touch my chest where my corrupted system is, the thing that was slowly killing me.

"I'll be fine. And if it all goes to shit I have you to protect me," I reassured, giving him a confident smile and his face softened at the gesture.

"I bet now you're all happy I had you pack a nice outfit," Mr. Harrison pointed out proudly as we all slumped through the bustling streets to our hell- I mean Opera house.

"Yeah, because we'd much rather go to a four-hour opera instead of the biggest party in the world," Flash complained bitterly.

"Again, don't look at me," Mr. Dell repeated in defense.

"Parker, Stark, do you copy? Comm check, one, two," Hills voice rang through the comm installed in my ear.

"Got it," I muttered in confirmation and Peter did the same, trying not to be heard by our classmates.

"Ok, here we are. Beat the rush," Mr. Harrison announced as we finally entered the large auditorium that was nearly empty except for a handful of elderly couples slowly making it towards their seats. The place would be quite impressive if there were only more people filled in the seats and more lively like it was intended.