Category: Angst(ish) with a happy/funny ending
I saw this idea while scrolling through Pinterest and decided to use it as a one-shot idea.
Enjoy!
3rd Person POV
"Mr. Stark! NOOOOOO!" Peter shouts as his mentor jumps in front of the approaching zombie.
"Run, Pete. Before they get you too." The genius says as the zombie grabs him, sinking its rotting jaws into the living flesh.
"I can't lose you too," The boy cries. The billionaire groans in pain as the infection starts to take effect.
"Don't worry...ugh...Pete. I'm always...AH...here. I LOVE YOU, KID!" The former superhero shouts as the infection takes over.
"NO!" Peter screams as he runs away from his former mentor, sobbing, as he loses another father figure.
"NO!" Peter shouts, waking up in a cold sweat.
"Shit shit shit shit," He mumbles to himself.
"I shouldn't be sleeping. Not with a fucking apocalypse outside." He says. He gently shakes MJ and Ned awake.
"Are you okay, Pete? You look upset." MJ asks once she sees her boyfriend's face. He shudders at the memory of the dream.
"Just a bad dream," He assures her. A knock at the door brings all three to attention.
Ned grabs the bat from beside the door, ready to knock the possible intruder out.
MJ stands ready to open the door.
And Peter has his web shooters at the ready, his last two cartridges loaded, ready to tie up the zombie and subdue it.
"One...two..." Peter whispers.
"Three." MJ rips the door open and Ned attacks. As soon as the person is down, Peter aims to web them up.
"WAIT!" The person shouts.
"Uncle Clint?" Peter asks, warily. The possible human on the floor doesn't seem to be zombified.
"I promise I'm not infected. Natasha said you guys were here. But we've gotta move." He says, staying on the floor.
"Why? This has been hidden from the zombies so far?" Ned asks.
"Yeah, Aunt Tasha and Uncle Steve are the only two that know where we are," Peter says.
"Yeah...well, they're both zombies now. Natasha, being the self-sacrificing ass she is, literally threw me out of the way. Steve was the one that attacked us." Clint says.
"We have to go. Zombies keep their most recent memories. If Natasha or Steve knew where we are, they'll be on their way here." MJ says. Clint nods.
"Yeah. I've got a bunker across town. Bruce is already there, working on a cure." Clint says.
"Got it. Let's go." Ned says. The three grab anything they need and follow the archer out into the apocalypse.
"Think you could swing us over, Pete? We're safer in the air." Clint asks. The Spiderling shakes his head.
"I only have two cartridges left. I'd rather not use them unless necessary." He explains.
"Alright. Be on your guard then. Let's just hope Bruce has made progress on the cure." Clint says.
Peter reaches out and grabs MJ's hand. She squeezes it and looks over at him.
"We'll be okay. Bruce is working on a cure. You'll be able to help him. With you two working together, it'll be done in no time." She says.
"I hope so, MJ. It's been a year and a half since this outbreak started. We've lost almost everyone." Peter says. Ned grabs Peter's other hand.
"But we haven't lost everyone. We're still here. Clint is here. Bruce is working on a cure right now too." Ned says. Peter smiles.
"If only Shuri wasn't gone. She'd have the cure finished by now." Peter says, remembering how his friend had been one of the first ones infected.
"Yeah, well now you can brag how you helped make the cure for the zombie apocalypse and saved her ass," MJ says.
The three laugh.
"Guys. We've got incoming. It's not good." Clint says. Natasha and Steve stand in front of the four. Clint loads an arrow.
Peter lets go of Ned and MJ and ready his web shooters. He walks up by Clint.
"Auntie Nat? Please don't do this." The boy says. The creature that used to be his Aunt stares at him with lifeless eyes.
"Peter...PETER LOOK OUT!" Ned screams. Peter is suddenly pushed aside and looks back to see zombie T'Challa grab Ned and bite him.
"NO! NED! NO!" Peter shouts. Clint has engaged zombies Natasha and Steve, trying to keep away from their mouths, while also trying to keep the zombies away from Peter, Ned, and MJ...now just Peter and MJ.
"GO! GET TO THE BUNKER!" Clint shouts as Steve starts to overpower him. Peter grabs MJ's hand and pulls her into the air, swinging away from the zombies. They reach an empty roof and crash down.
"He's...he's gone," Peter sobs. MJ wraps her arms around him. She looks around, seeing zombies everywhere. They need to go.
"He saved you, Peter. Let's get to that bunker so he didn't save you for nothing." She says. Peter nods. He grabs her waist and pulls them back into the air, his web fluid running dangerously low.
It finally runs out and they crash down to the ground.
"I think this was the bunker," Peter whispers, looking at the crushed building.
"I wonder what happened?" MJ says. A roar pierces the air a second later, answering their question.
"It was crushed to pieces by an angry zombie Hulk," Peter says, MJ nodding in agreement. She glances behind them, and says,
"Peter...we've got company." She tugs on Peter's sleeve, turning him around.
"Shit, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!" Peter shouts as he sees the zombies Clint, Natasha, Steve, and Ned running at them. He turns to MJ and pulls her in for one last hug, whispering,
"MJ, get in the remains of the building. See if Uncle Bruce left any part of the cure behind." MJ runs off into the building. He turns back to the approaching zombies and sees that they've been joined by zombie Tony.
He hears MJ scream and looks back.
"MJ!" He cries out as she's grabbed by zombie Hulk and bitten. He turns, deciding not to fight the five zombies, and runs into the building, or what's left of it, hoping to find a cure.
"Is it down to me?" He wonders aloud as he races through the halls.
"Am I all that's left?" He asks, starting to cry.
He finally finds the lab and searches frantically for anything, but finds nothing. He sinks to the ground in defeat as the doors open.
Zombie Ned walks in.
"Please, Ned. Please don't. You're my best friend. My guy in the chair. My...my" He trails off as the zombie gets closer. He tries to run, but he's cornered.
Zombie Ned is right in front of him now. Suddenly, Peter lunges forward and grabs his friend, and bites the rotten, decaying, flesh.
Zombie Ned freezes before collapsing.
Peter watches as, miraculously, the rotting flesh falls away as new, living skin grows. Ned sits up and rubs his head.
"What the fuck just happened?" He asks.
"Ned? Is it you? Like really you?" Peter asks.
"Who else would I be? MJ? Where is she?" He asks.
"Oh my god. It worked. No fucking way." Peter says.
"Worked? What worked? You found a cure?" Ned asks.
"Yeah. You could say that." Peter says, rubbing the back of his neck.
"That's awesome! How much of it do we have? How do we make more?" Ned asks.
"Well, it's weird. I bit you." Peter says.
"You what?"
"Yeah. You were a zombie. I bit you. You're back."
"Dude, how the fuck did you know that would work?" Ned asks, shocked.
"I didn't, dude, I just fucking panicked. You were about to bite me. And I got this crazy idea that maybe it works in reverse. I was about to die anyways. So I bit you. Now you're back." Peter says.
"So...what you're saying is. In order to save people, we have to..." Ned trails off.
"Bite them," Peter finishes.
"Well, I hope you're hungry. We've got a lot of people to bite." Ned says. Peter looks at him mortified.
"WHAT? We're not eating people, Ned. You just bite the zombies." He says.
"Right, right. Gotcha." Ned says, clearly relieved.
"Let's get to work, I guess," Ned says.
"Yeah," Peter agrees. No one moves. Both of them want to help the other people become human again...but neither wants to go around biting people.
"Well, I'd better be off. Unless we stick together?" Ned asks.
"Yeah. Together. I like that. Bite them before they bite you." Peter says.
The two walk out and come face-to-face with a sea of zombies.
Peter sees zombie Tony and races forward. He grabs his mentor, uttering a quick apology, and bites him.
"PETER!" Someone shouts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter sits up.
"Huh?" He asks, wiping his eyes. Tony sits in front of him, confusion...and pain...written all over his face as he rubs his arm.
"What was that for?" His mentor asks.
"What's going on? Why am I back in the tower? The tower was destroyed. I need to get back to Ned. I have to help him save everyone." Peter panics.
"Woah Woah Woah Woah. Slow down there, Pete. You fell asleep in the middle of that zombie movie Clint picked last night. You sounded like you were having a bad dream so I was trying to wake you up. I have to say, Pete, I've woken you up from nightmares many times before, but you don't normally bite. You usually squeeze the life out of me." Tony says.
"Yeah, I saved you. Now I have to go help save everyone else. We both do. We can't just sit here, Mr. Stark. We have to help." Peter states pointedly.
"Save who from what?" The genius asks.
"The zombie virus. You got infected, Mr. Stark. Almost everyone did. I found out that biting the zombies is the cure." Peter tells him. Tony sighs.
"CLINT! I TOLD YOU NOT TO CHOOSE A ZOMBIE MOVIE!" Tony yells.
"Uncle Clint is okay now? Who bit him?" Peter asks.
"Peter, it was a dream. There's no zombie virus. No one's infected." Tony says.
"Oh," Peter mutters. Then grows frustrated.
"Damn it! I thought I would be able to save Shuri for once instead of her always having the ideas." He complains.
"Don't worry, Pete. You'll find something. Besides, isn't being a superhero enough of a brag?" Tony asks.
"She just says 'I made the Black Panther tech. I'm better than a superhero, I'm the reason one exists.' Which I mean, yeah, is cool and all. But...I dunno." Peter trails off.
"Don't worry, Pete. You'll find something. And it'll be so much better than 'I ran around biting people to save them.' Much better." Tony says chuckling.
"Hey. It was a dream. Weird things happen in dreams." Peter says, crossing his arms. Clint pokes his head into the room.
"So, zombie apocalypse happens, bite the zombies. Gotcha, Pete." He says, teasing the boy.
Peter rolls his eyes.
"Whatever. It was a good idea." He grumbles.
Word Count: 1,713
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Love y'all! <3
Kari (pen name)