The Masks we Hide Behind || Peter Parker [1]

thirty-six: a new plan

There's something wrong, and I can't get it.

Why was everything gone?

Why did Lance install those cameras? He must have known we were coming.

When did he leave? Why the hell did he leave?

Duh! He probably knew I was coming back.

God, I'm stupid.

"Lucas!" I scream.

"What?!" I hear him scream back. We're screaming through the walls again, he's in his own room. I'm laying down on my bed, staring up at my ceiling. Yesterday, the Spider-Man and I had gone to the warehouse, and discovered everything was gone, Lance had left. I can't stop thinking about it.

"I need help!" I continue to scream.

"With what?!"

"Come in here!!"

Lucas soon appears at my doorway, and he glares at me.

"Shut the door and sit down," I say. "It's Spider-Woman stuff." I whisper.

"Oh," He says, and instantly his expression and mood flips right around. He shuts the door and plops himself into my roller chair.

I inhale a short breath. "Okay, so, yesterday, the Spider-Man and I went to Avalanche's warehouse-"

"You what?!" He exclaims, leaning forward in my chair.

"Yes, and-"

"Wait a minute, you say that like it's no big deal." Lucas leans forward as he speaks.

"Because it isn't a big deal." I say like it's obvious.

"But it is a big deal!" Lucas exclaims.

"Lucas, jus-"

"You never talk about the Spider-Man," he interrupts and begins to pace my room.

"Okay." I say, raising my eyebrows.

"What are you guys, partners?" He asks, raising his eyebrows as well.

"Actually, yes." I say, flopping onto my back and staring at my ceiling.

"WHAT?!" Lucas practically screams.

"Shhhh!!" I'm quick to hush him, scrambling up. "Mom's home!"

"You and the Spider-Man are partners?!" Lucas whisper shouts, his eyes wide and his arms crossed. He bends forward so his face is closer to mine.

"Yes, I told you that!" I whisper shout back.

"You are completely and utterly ridiculous, oh my god." Lucas mutters and pinches the bridge of his nose.

I roll my eyes. "I can say the same for you."

"I can't believe I'm just finding this out!" Lucas exclaims, throwing his arms into the air dramatically. They slap back to his sides.

I clear my throat. "Anyways, as I was saying," I mutter, flopping back down, my head landing into my pillows. "We went to Avalanche's warehouse. I've been there once before, and actually ran into him there, and the place was full of his stuff. So, I decided to go back with the Spider-Man, since we are partners. Well, stupid old me didn't stop to think things through, and when we got there everything was gone, and he's installed these cameras all over the place."

Lucas is silent and he's staring at the floor. I roll onto my side.

"Helloooo, Lucas?"

"What? Sorry. Just can't believe that my sister is partners with the Spider-Man." He mutters.

"Did you hear anything I just said?" I mutter.

"Only the part about you being stupid."

"I hate you."

He snorts. "No, you don't."

I roll my eyes and begin to tell him everything about the warehouse all over again.

"Wow. You really are stupid." He says once I finish.

"Oh my god, Lucas. Please, I just, I'm stuck. I don't know what to do." I murmur, rolling my eyes and rolling back onto my back.

"Alright, well, he installed those cameras, right? It probably has audio along with visual, obviously," He starts, plopping himself into my roller chair. "you could send him some sort of message through them."

"What if it's just visual? And no audio?" I ask, sitting upright on my bed.

"From the sound of how this guy is, he's probably got audio in there."

"Okay, well, we can't just assume, Lucas." I mutter and roll my eyes.

"Okay, fine." Lucas says and stands up from the chair. He kneels down and reaches his arms under my bed, grunting as he pulls something large out of under there.

"What are you doing?"

"This," He sighs, sitting back on his heels and motioning towards Lance's bag. "bring it with you next time you go to the warehouse. The cameras definitely have visual, so he'll be able to see the bag, and if it has audio, too, maybe you could threaten him or something."

"God. You make me feel like an idiot."

"Good."

"Shut up," I roll my eyes and reach to the side, grabbing a pillow and chucking it at him.

"Excuse me?" He asks with a grin, his eyebrows raised. Almost immediately, I regret throwing the pillow at him. He stands up with a pillow in hand and practically whips it right down on my head.

"Oww!" I whine, my face scrunched up as I turn back for another pillow. Lucas decides to repeatedly beat me with his pillow. It grows quiet, and the two of us calm down.

"Madelyn?" Lucas asks quietly.

"Yes, Lucas?"

"You know in the movies where the superheroes have those headset thingies on, and there's that person on the other line telling 'me what to do and stuff?" He stumbles over his words but gets the point across.

"The Guy in the Chair." I state.

"Yes. The Guy in the Chair." Lucas repeats. "Yeah, well, can I be yours?"

I snort. "No."

"Why?" He whines.

"No, that just sounds like a complete disaster waiting to happen." I say, standing up from my bed.

"Maaaads, c'mon." Lucas presses. He gets up and blocks my exit in the doorway.

"Lucas, move." I chuckle. He doesn't budge.

"Okay, I could literally break you in half if I wanted to, move." I threaten.

"Bet. You wouldn't." Lucas mutters, then slides to the side.

"Yeeeaaahhh, see." I chuckle as I shoulder past him.

"Hey Madelyn, guess what?" Lucas calls from behind me as I enter the living room, briefly making eye contact with my mother before turning around to look at Lucas, who's flipping me off with both hands.

"Lucas Lee!" Mom shouts, and I erupt into laughter as I collapse onto the couch next to her.

Author's Note

Heyyy, I'm not happy with this chapter, but it's an update, and I'm so sorry I'm late! I hope you all had wonderful times over the holidays and happy new year!! Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day <3