𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 | parker²

x. a ticking time bomb

Tin Man
Good luck today, Ace
Not that you need it
Try not to make anyone cry

Webs
It worked! No more 'Training Wheels Protocol'
Suit Lady located the tracker and I'm on my way
Prepare to be disappointed: their secret lair is at a gas station
Four guys. They're in the middle of a heist
Uh... did you know that my suit has a mode called 'Instant Kill'?
Crap
I think I want my training wheels back
Vulture's here
I'm about to intercept the heist, wish me luck

She sat up in her bed when the message thread ended there. Anxiety twisted in her gut and she kicked off the covers, rushing to get ready.

When Aster emerged from her room with her Decathlon uniform on, she hurried down to the lobby. Searching the crowds for her team, Aster spotted Ned first, pushing through clusters of opposing teams to get to hers.

Catching the urgency on Aster's face, Ned met her in the middle. He leaned close to her and nervously whispered. "I have the core in my pocket. Peter never came back last night."

"What?"

"Okay, everyone!" A moderator called over the crowd. Her voice was projected by a microphone. "Please be sure all cell phones are turned off."

Security guards were going around and collecting phones, courtesy of the competition to ensure there was no cheating.

Aster had to find Mr. Harrington. Maybe if she told him she wasn't feeling good, he would let her skip the competition. Then, she could go look for Peter. In the meantime, she hurried to type out a text to Peter.

Aster
Hello? You alive?

"Aster," Mr. Harrington panted, running over to her. "You're in. Charles wasn't feeling well this morning. Said he had some sort of stomach bug."

Liz wore a guilty look on her face. "Candy bars," she mouthed behind Mr. Harrington's back.

"Uh," Aster let out, anxiously biting down on the inside of her cheek. Flash was staring daggers at her, hoping she would say no. The look on Liz's face made Aster feel guilty about turning down the opportunity. "Okay."

If Peter did need help, he was going to have to wait until after the competition. Aster tentatively handed her phone over and followed her team inside, feeling as if her stomach was in knots.

Soon enough, their team was onstage, rapidly scribbling through the quiz. Aster answered each question with ease, though she was slowed down by the thought of Peter's whereabouts in the back of her head.

And the fact that the core was now glowing in Ned's pocket.

Each of the students prepared themselves for the next portion of the competition with a deep breath, letting their hands hover over the buzzers. The team took turns answering questions, though they mainly bounced between Aster and Liz.

Eventually, it was just Midtown up against one other high school. "We have now entered sudden death," the moderator announced. "The next correct answer wins the championship."

Everyone wore matching nervous faces, with beads of sweat running down many of the students' faces. At this point, Aster couldn't even focus. She was too busy thinking about what she would tell Tony if Peter was dead somewhere. And May. What would she tell May?

Aster didn't even hear the final question being asked. She only heard a bell ring.

Turning to her left, she realized then that Michelle had hit the bell with a bored, impassive look on her face.