─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The panic I felt as the bird man took us higher was immense. My shoulders ached from his talons and my ankles were bent in a weird way from Peter hanging off them. I felt like I was being stretched apart.
We were rising higher and higher, the wind rushing past us as I continue to scream. All I could see was lights zooming by and the two green orbs of the bird man as he glared down at us.
I could hardly breathe or react to anything as it was all happening so fast.
Until I heard a light beeping sound over the wind and my screams. Suddenly, a loud woosh came from below and Peter wasn't clinging to my feet anymore.
I watched in horror as he got tangled in his parachute and before I knew it, the talons on my shoulders came loose and I was also falling, screaming louder than I ever had. I held my arms out to bubble but was stopped when I collided with Peter in his chute, both of us trapped in the flailing fabric of the parachute as we continue to fall.
Everything is nightmare fuel, my claustrophobia, my exhaustion...
FALLING FROM THE FUCKING HEAVENS WITH NO MEANS OF SAVING MYSELF.
My screams were cut short when water suddenly engulfed us.
We landed in a river.
And now, we were both struggling within the fabric, unable to free ourselves and swim up.
But even if I did manage to get free...
I didn't know how to swim.
Water immediately floods into my mouth and I start to struggle harder, feeling the burn in my chest and lungs as my movements grow erratic, flailing my arms around in the water as we sink deeper into the river.
I wasn't thinking straight anymore.
I couldn't even focus on Peter struggling with me.
I was panicking.
Drowning.
Dying.
And like always, the first thing I looked for was my dad. Even if he was all the way in India.
As water filled my lungs, all I wanted was to feel his hand in mine. To be pulled out of the dark depths and into his arms again. I was scared.
And I wanted my dad to save me.
My vision started to go dark from both being so deep into the water and my inability to breathe.
Until I slowly stopped breathing and started seeing black.
● ◉ ◎ ◈ ◎ ◉ ●
Everything hurt.
Not like when I get exhausted from using my powers.
My lungs, my limbs, my head as I recovered from coughing up so much water earlier.
My dad did end up saving me... Technically. As I knew this was just the suit since he was still all the way in India.
Peter was sitting next to me on the jungle gym, wringing the water out of his mask as he retold our experience to my dad.
"And then he just, like, swooped down like a monster and he picked Neoma up and I grabbed her feet and he took us up like a thousand feet and I fell! And he dropped Neoma!"
I kept my gaze on my lap, already waiting for my dad's reprimanding for sneaking out after promising not to.
"How'd you find us? Did you put a tracker in my suit or something?" Peter asked the Iron Man suit that was hovering in front of us.
"Uh, I... Put everything in your suit." The suit shrugged. "Including this heater."
Suddenly both our suits emit steam, drying us both off instantly.
"Whoa!" Peter sighed, shivering a little "That's better, thanks."
"What were you thinking?" The suit asked.
"The guy with the wings is obviously the source of the weapons. I gotta take him down." Peter immediately started defending himself.
"Take him down now, huh?" He mocked. "Steady, Crockett, there are people who handle this sort of thing and I'm not talking about Neoma.
I rolled my eyes at that.
"The Avengers?" Peter cut in.
"No, no, no. This is a little below their pay grade."
"Anyway!" Peter waved him off. "Mr Stark, you didn't have to come all the way out here. I had that. I was fine."
I?
I furrowed my eyebrows at his sudden exclusivity.
The audacity as I helped him a lot tonight.
"Oh, I'm not..." The suit's face plate opened up to reveal that it was empty. "Here."
"Thank God, this place has WiFi. Or you would be toast right now. And thank Ganesh while you're at it."
I take a deep breath, watching water drip down from my hair and onto my lap, waiting while we listen to my dad take a sip of a drink.
"Look. Forget the flying vulture guy, please."
"Why?" Peter whined.
"Why? Because I said so!" My dad yelled, making me sink in my spot, familiar with his dad tone.
There's a pause. "Sorry, I'm talking to a teenager." He said, most likely talking to whoever he was with on the other end of the call.
"Stay close to the ground." He said, continuing to talk to us. "Build up your game helping little people, like that lady that bought you the churro?"
Peter sighed and looked down at his lap as well.
"Can't you just be a friendly..." He paused to take a sip again. "Neighbourhood Spider-Man?"
"But, I'm ready for more than that now!" Peter argued.
"No, you're not." The suit's face plate closed again to show us its serious face.
"That's not what you thought when I took on Captain America!"
"Trust me, kid. If Cap wanted to lay you out, he would've." That seemed to shut Peter up a little... At least for now.
"Listen to me. If you come across these weapons again, call Happy." My dad ordered.
Suddenly, we hear the sound of an engine revving from the suit.
"Are you driving?" Peter asked.
"You know, it's never too early to start thinking about college. I got some pull at MIT."
"N-no, I- I don't need to go to college, Mr Stark! I-"
"And speaking of college." The suit turned to me, cutting Peter off.
"I thought you said you were serious about MIT?" He asked.
"I am! But-"
"No, I don't wanna hear it. Anything I say to you goes into one ear and out the other. Why do I have to listen to you?" He snapped.
"I can do both!"
"Stop. No, stop! Enough. If I see you neglecting your studies for something as stupidly life-threatening as this again, I'm confiscating your suit."
I snapped my head up towards him. "But, Dad, it's not fair, I'm fully capable of-"
"Go home, Y/N. I'm not gonna tell you twice. End call."
"Wait!"
Mr Stark is no longer connected.
With that, the suit flew off, leaving us alone.
"But, Dad!" I called out but the suit was already too far away. "Dad! Fucking- Ugh!" I groan, gripping the roots of my hair.
"Dad?"
My heart almost stopped, turning to meet Peter's wide eyes.
I stare at Peter in horror as he stares back at me in shock.
I hesitantly drop my gaze to my lap, feeling my heart race again.
"You're Y/N Stark?" Peter breathes out.
I nod, looking at my lap for a little longer before looking back up at Peter. "Yeah."
I bite my lower lip, thinking about my next move.
"Yeah, Peter." I repeat in almost a whisper.
I reach up quickly and grab the edge of my visor, taking it off and showing him my real face.
Despite my messy soaked hair and red eyes from the water, he still recognized me easily.
"Michelle Scott..."
"Makes sense now, doesn't it?" I chuckle quietly.
"Wh... Why?" He asked, still in shock, his voice quiet and breathy.
"He told me to keep an eye on you. Update him and stuff." I shrug.
"S-so this-...?" He stammered.
"Oh, no, I did this on my own. I... I really do want to help you because... You're kinda my only friend." I drop my gaze again.
"Neoma- I mean, Michelle- Uh- Y/N..." He stumbles over his words, pausing to clear his throat. "Y/N..."
"Yeah. Y/N." I mumble and then suck in a sharp breath. "I have to go home."
Peter looked at me with wide eyes. "Wait, now? I'm still- I'm still trying to process this- You and I have been talking on the phone every day. You ask me every day what I do but you knew. You already knew what I did every day because you were there as Michelle Scott. Why- why even ask?"
"Because I like talking to you..." I answer quietly, looking up at him with a small pout. "I enjoy it a lot. It's honestly the highlight of my day... And because I wasn't actually allowed to talk to you at school." I shrug.
Peter pursed his lips, glancing down at my lap where my fingers were fiddling with each other. He reached out and hesitantly put his hand over one of mine, stoping me from fiddling with my fingers.
"We're friends. Talk to me at school, Y/N. I mean you've already broken a lot of rules tonight. Why not one more?"
I feel my heart start to beat faster and louder in my chest at the feeling of his gloved hand on top of mine, trying to keep my breathing steady. "I..."
I was starting to feel the intoxication again, my stomach going bubbly and my head spinning.
"I have to go." I say, gently moving his hand off and jumping off the jungle gym.
"Y/N-"
"Goodnight, Peter." I put my visor on again, looking at him from over my shoulder before launching myself away with a bubble.
As I zoom through the air, I feel myself start to panic, realising I just told Peter my true identity. I just ruined the mission.
But then again...
Now I can talk to Peter face to face without any aliases.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───