It's a Spider Family. {Sequel to 'It's a Spider Thing'.}

{12} - as a little boy?

HEAVY RAIN DRENCHED PETER to the bone in seconds when he ran out into the busy city and took off down the street. His feet pounded against the pavement and sloshed in puddles that soaked the hems of his jeans and socks; he didn't know where he was going until he recognised that part of town. His mind registered it a beat after his sprint had abruptly stopped.

Queens. Specifically, May Parker's apartment building.

Blood was thumping in Peter's ears as he leaned into the wall behind him, across the street from the building that loomed in front of him. No one spared a glance at the teenage boy slowly sinking to the floor- everything was suddenly too loud. The rain became rapid gunfire in his ears as it hit the ground, cars turned into roaring thunder and the streetlamps dull light stung his eyes, making tears swim in his vision- his phone ringing cut through his hazy mind and sharpened senses.

For a moment, Peter fought with his jeans to get it out of his pocket. His hands shook while he switched the device off without checking the contact.

Anything to stop the horrible noise it sent ricocheting through his brain.

The world blurred at the edges as Peter stared up at the building again, ignoring the raindrops that kept getting caught on his eye lashes while he struggled to form a clear, coherent thought without his head throbbing. Peter's eyes dropped down to his hands when his head lolled forwards as if it was too heavy to keep up; he was only slightly aware that his fingers were still trembling. Distantly, he wondered whether it was from the impending sensory overload or the chilling cold that was sure to send him into hypothermia because of his lack of ability to thermoregulate.

Peter was frankly too tired to care.

A tingle ran down his spine, the hair on his arms rose. Peter frowned in mild confusion at the sensation and drew his knees to his chest while he blearily looked around for the source.

Despite the countless civilians racing past him as he sat on the dirty street of New York, Peter's eyes shifted to a lone being standing across the road who seemed unperturbed by the shoulder shoves and muffled complaints. Peter squinted his eyes so that he could look through the rain that was beginning to bounce off the pavement- he caught the glaringly obvious outline of a gun in their pocket and the wire of an earpiece running down their neck before they turned to walk away, finally noticing Peter's attention zeroed in on them. Though, before they disappeared in the foot traffic, they turned and spared a single, taunting glance back at the teenager- then they were gone, the place they had been standing was swallowed up by busy commuters.

If Peter had had a stronger grip on his reality in that moment, the sight of someone watching him so openly would have sent him running. Instead, he hardly had the energy to get back to his feet. He curled in tighter on himself and let the city wash over him, like waves relentlessly hitting a rock.

"Are you alright?" Came a soft voice.

The new sound cut through the building hum of activity in Peter's brain. He whirled around for the source and came face to face with a woman he had never seen before.

She wore a thick coat that went all the way down to her knees with a handbag hiked high up on her shoulder as she waited for a response, her face pinched in worry. "Can you hear me?" She crouched down so the light from the streetlamps spilled over her features- Peter blanched even further, his chest shuddered raggedly before he forced himself to calm down. His fingers dug into his knees, hard. "How long have you been out here? You're going to get sick." She persisted, her voice firm but still radiating warmth. "Do you have somewhere to go?" Her hands clasped Peter's own; they felt like fire when they touched his freezing skin. The woman moved him forwards into the light, concern growing steadily in her chest until she finally got a good luck at his features.