Believer

17. Story

Peter turned around to see the Avengers, his family, with the slack faces and black eyes. The blood rose around him and he could barely see through tears. No, he wouldn't let them die.

"You're a failure. How do you expect to save us?"

No, he couldn't watch anymore people die for him, because of him. He would find a way to-

"Peter."

The voice he'd nearly forgotten rang through his head and made his breath stop. The blood around him stopped at his waist now, but more pooled in his palms as his tears turned red.

There, in front of him, stood the face he'd nearly forgotten. The prescence he'd nearly forgotten. The life.

"Uncle Ben." Peter sobbed, staring at the man helplessly. He didn't have black hole eyes or a slack face, he wasn't covered in blood, he was the same sadly smiling man that Peter remembered.

The man who taught him about responsibility and how it was more important than anything else.

"You can never forfeit your responsibilities. You must embrace them." Was one of the things he would say. Peter didn't know at the time why Ben taught him so strictly about responsibility.

Now he did.

"You were my responsibility." Ben told Peter, who swallowed with the taste of thick red blood stuck in his throat. "I didn't know how to convey to you how much I loved you, or how I would never, ever leave you. I hoped you'd come to the conclusion yourself."

Peter remembered these words. He remembered the letter. It was different hearing them come from the wise man who had eyes too old for his age.

"You were so scared those first few weeks," Ben recounted fondly, "May and I didn't know how we could make you feel loved. I did all I could."

Peter let himself shake with sobs now, the world shifting in and out of focus as red tears added to the blood pooling around him. Ben was like a shining light in the dense blood as he walked towards the crying teenager.

Peter knew by now it was all in his head, but he didn't know how to escape. And now, seeing Ben again even with all the ghosts behind him, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

"I'm so proud of you." His large hand cupped Peter's bloodstained cheek and a smile crinkled his eyes. "I miss you. I miss you so much. I'm so sorry." Peter hiccuped, his voice small and caught in his throat.

Ben smiled sadly and kissed Peter's forehead, before he began to fade. "U-Uncle Ben, no!" Peter screamed, grasping as the translucent figure. "Goodbye, Peter."

"No!!!"

"You failed him too. He lied. How could he be proud of you?"

Peter was screaming, but he couldn't hear it. His hands were in his hair, desperate to feel, to get out and the blood felt so real, and he needed to get out. He sunk to his knees, the blood coming up to his neck as he gasped for air. Did he really deserve to make it out of there alive?

The faces loomed above him with hollow eyes and unforgiving frowns. Tony was there, so was Steve and Natasha. He'd killed them all. It was his fault, all his fault.

"Peter..."

No! "Get away from me!" He sobbed into the air, though it was more blood than air. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Peter, wake up!"

Woah, sorry to drop that heavy angst on ya there, did anyone cry? Cause to be honest, I cried while writing that...

although in my defense I just listened to a bunch of hamilton music so I'm super emotional.

hey so do any of you, my fantabulificent readers, know of the fandoms Miraculous Ladybug, the 100, Voltron, or Sherlock?

I mean, I'm sure most of you have definitely heard of them, but I'm thinking of doing a fanfic for either MLB or the 100 and I'm wondering what you guys think?

I mean, let's face it I'm gonna post on anyways, but I like feedback sooo

Also, no set date in mind, just a plot bunny I had.

~ Meow