pairing: kate bishop x parker!reader
summary: you always knew being a superhero came with a long list of dangers but it turns out you weren't quite ready to deal with someone else suffering for your mistakes.
warnings: major character death; heavy mentions of blood + injuries + grief; a huge serving of angst with a side of hurt/comfort, a dash of humor, and a sprinkle of plot; weird descriptions of fight scenes
wordcount: 3.2k
a/n: i probably should have rewatched no way home for this but shhh. any inconsistencies are just part of this other timeline because i said so and the MCU timeline is incredibly messy anyway. i very clearly got way too attached and wrote way too much but whoops, hope you enjoy <3 [also yes, may is R's mom in this but somewhere along the way, i resorted to just calling her 'may' instead 'mom' because I didn't want it to get too repetitive]
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Nobody ever said being an Avenger was easy. Especially now that most members are either dead, retired, off-world, or just simply unreachable. Nobody wanted to address the fact that the safety of planet Earth now rests solely in the hands of a bunch of college students and a Russian ex-assassin.
Of course, there's still Dr. Strange and his merry band of sorcerers, including Wong, but it seems the only thing that man can successfully protect is his massive ego. It's harsh, sure, but that doesn't make it any less true.
Although, maybe you're just bitter that Stephen's soft spot for your cousin ultimately got you tangled in a mess you had no business being in.
A crack in the multiverse is bad enough but it being caused by one of Stephen's failed spells is even worse.
And of course, Peter's seniority when it comes to being part of a superpowered team means when he calls, you answer. There's also the fact that he's family and your mom would absolutely lecture you if you ignored him...again.
You really wanted to sit this one out but there was no way your girlfriend was going to let you. You tried all the tricks you knew to convince her but ultimately, her and Yelena ended up dragging you out of your apartment to help Peter fix his multiversal disaster.
"So, your plan to defeat these villains is to...not defeat them?" You question. "In what universe does that make sense?"
"Don't be a jerk, y/n/n," Kate mumbles.
You playfully roll your eyes at the archer's words, biting back a comment about how rare it is to see her actually attempting to focus on forming a plan. She's gotten a lot better at not rushing into situations but old habits die hard.
"Actually, it's May's plan," Peter says. "I know it's unconventional but I think it could work. We're the good guys, right?"
Yelena shoots you a look but you just shrug in response. Fighting with him will only lead to more problems that you're not sure you're qualified to solve. Actually, none of you are qualified for any of this.
Webs, arrows, and strong punches are not going to get you out of this one.
You swallow down your hesitation and give Peter a small nod. "Right. What do you need us to do?"
Step 1, according to your annoying Spider-Cousin, is to pick up a few materials for him while he takes the misplaced villains to Happy's condo. You don't love the idea of being an errand-girl but you already agreed to help and there's no way Kate will let you take your words back.
Her loyalty is as admirable as it is annoying. But at least you get to spend time driving around New York with your two favorite people. And by driving you really mean sitting in the back with Kate while Yelena complains about how much harder it is to drive a car than a motorcycle.
Step 1 takes about an hour to complete and it's not until you're all heading to Happy's place that your girlfriend decides to question you and your lack of trust in Peter's plan.
"Since when are you so cynical?" She asks, her arm loosely wrapped around your waist.
"Me?" The question catches you off-guard and you turn your face away from the car window to look at her instead. "I'm not the one shooting arrows through people's limbs."
"It's not like I'm killing people."
"Neither am I," you reply with a shrug. "I'm just saying to send them back to their universe."
"So they can die," she says, her tone making her statement sound more like a question than anything else.
"Well...yeah."
It sounds brutal when said out loud but it's the logical choice. Keeping them in your universe isn't an option and there's no telling what kind of damage Peter's plan will have on those other timelines.
"And you don't think that's cruel?"
"Should I?" You look away from Kate's eyes before you get distracted from the conversation at hand due to the puppy-dog look they've been carrying the past few minutes. "Yelena, you wanna help me out here?"
"You're gonna get the heartless Russian assassin to help you prove your point?" She asks with a chuckle.
"Ex-assasin," the blonde corrects her. "And I am not heartless. But y/n is right. What is that stupid saying? Something about a circus?"
"Not my circus, not my monkeys."
"Exactly."
"Okay, so if you're so against this plan why did you agree to it?" Kate finally asks the million-dollar question.
The answer is a lot more complicated than one would think and you're not in the mood to explain why the plan being your mom's idea means so much to you. So, you take a page out of the archer's book and reply with a stupid joke instead. "You think May would have been fine with me letting Peter run around on his own?"
Yelena's reply is just as witty as yours. "I am only here because someone has to babysit you while y/n babysits Spider-Boy."
"You guys are jerks." There's notes of humor in her voice that she tries to wipe away with an overdramatic pout.
You chuckle and lean in to kiss her, ignoring Yelena's complaints about how annoyingly in love you two are. The moment is a welcome respite among a chaotic and difficult situation.
A situation that only gets worse with every minute that goes by.
The three of you finally arrive at Happy's condo and are led inside by your overly chipper cousin. You try to ignore the way the hairs on the back of your neck stand up at the mere sight of the supervillains scattered all around the living room.
You're probably just being paranoid. That's what you tell yourself until Peter lets it slip that he's not the only person watching over the time-scattered villains.
You grab a hold of his arm and lead him away from Kate and Yelena, more for his sake than yours if you're being honest. "What do you mean my mom is here? Why the hell would you bring her into this mess?
"I didn't do anything!" He responds. "She wanted to help. You know how she is."
If you had a nickel every time he used that excuse you'd be as rich as your girlfriend.
"This is different, Pete! It's not just her bringing us snacks while we fix our web shooters, this is serious."
"Which is exactly why she should be here. We need all the help we can get to do this. You have no problem with Kate being here, why is May different?"
It takes you a second to be able to reply, your brain not fully computing his audacity to make such a flippant comparison. "Because she's not a superhero, you dimwit! She's the only family I have left, I am not letting her get hurt because you convinced her to help us."
"First of all, ouch. Second of all, relax. She can take care of herself."
All you can really do is groan since it's obvious no amount of arguing will get him to change his mind and help you convince May to go home. There's also the fact that she probably wouldn't listen to you even if you managed to get Peter on your side.
"Fine. Just tell me what to do so we can wrap up this shitshow."
You ignore his very obvious sigh of relief and focus on lending the helping hand you promised earlier. Help that makes you ignore your growing unease and leaves you unprepared for the violent turn things take.
You're not even sure how it happens.
One second you and Kate are arguing about how Sandman's powers even work while Yelena and May help administer Dr. Ock's cure and the next you're watching Green Goblin turn the rest of the misplaced villains against all of you.
Your one and only thought is on getting your mom out of here unscathed but it quickly becomes clear you won't be able to just swing her to safety. There's no plan, or even time to think things through, there's only a tense atmosphere and an inkling that things won't go well no matter what you do.
Green Goblin's taunts ring in your ears right as Electro blasts Dr. Ock out the window. Kate shoots you a look you can't ignore and you hold on to the silent promise that she'll be okay without you.
You dive out the window without a second thought, barely managing to shed your hoodie and reveal the Spider Suit hidden beneath your clothes. (Peter can keep all his fancy little upgrades, nothing beats the classic suit in your opinion)
You manage to help Dr. Ock before he slams into the ground with equal parts teamwork and a staggering amount of webs.
He assures you he's fine once you manage to get onto a nearby roof, not so subtly doing his best to get rid of a few webs that are stuck to his clothes. You shoot him an apologetic smile before jumping off the roof and swinging back to the now blacked out building.
You ignore the swarm of cop cars and news vans that litter the front of the building and impulsively divide to crash through a window into the lobby, figuring it'll be faster to find May and your team this way.
You jump onto your feet after your literal crash landing only to find Kate and Peter in the middle of fighting Green Goblin. A part of you screams to run and find your mom but then Osborn kicks Kate's bow out of her hand and your body reacts faster than your mind can even comprehend.
"Hey, asshole!" You shoot a web at his leg and yank him backward. "Get your hands off of her."
He stumbles but doesn't fall the way you anticipated. Instead, he turns to look at you, that chilling smirk still plastered on his face. "What is it with you Parkers and your savior complex?"
Your first instinct is to run at him but you catch the archer's look as she runs to help a badly injured Peter. If it's a distraction she needs, that's exactly what you'll provide.
"It's part of our charming personality." You shrug and shoot at him again, managing to pull his focus toward the barrage of webs you send his way.
You expect to keep him occupied until Peter and Kate catch their breath but instead, May rushes out of the stairway, a bleeding Yelena trailing behind her, and she injects the so-called cure into the back of Osborn's neck.
The cure doesn't work. All it does is send the Green Goblin into a fit of rage.
You urge May to run in between Osborn's taunts directed mainly at you and Peter. She doesn't listen and you're too distracted to notice the deadly glider that hovers just outside the window.
By the time Kate warns you it's too late.
The blast it creates when it crashes in sends you flying onto the ground. All the air gets knocked out of your lungs from the impact but you don't get time to lay there and recover.
You somehow manage to get back onto your feet right as Osborn sends a bomb flying your way. You just barely manage to web it and throw it to the side before it goes off, sending bits of debris raining down onto all of you.
There's the distinct sound of Kate's boots running toward you and Yelena's Russian curse words and a part of you that tells you to go check on May. There's no chance in hell that you're letting Green Goblin get away though so you swallow down your pain from aching joints and bleeding cuts and run after him.
You arrive outside just in time to watch him throw another bomb that you're too slow to stop.
The explosion throws you back onto the ground and you groan as you land on a piece of glass. You're breathless and bleeding and it's only then that the guilt crashes into you at once.
This time, your attempt to stand is far less balanced and you stumble onto a familiar frame. "Hey, hey, easy. There's no rush, babe."
You happily accept Kate's embrace, the familiarity of her comforting touch soothing some of your pain. "You okay?"
"Yeah, nothing some band-aids and a nap won't fix."
Hearing the usual humor in her tone brings you back to reality...which brings your mind back to your mom and the way you so recklessly rushed outside without knowing if she was injured. "How about Peter and May? They okay?"
Your girlfriend's silence never means anything good and in this context, it makes your heart drop to your stomach in an instant. You're about to question her again when Yelena's voice stops you.
"We need to get out of here before the cops arrive...again."
You push your injured body away from Kate's, searching for the answer you don't want to hear. "Kate..."
"I'm sorry." She avoids your eyes as she responds. "Peter tried but it was already too late. She's gone, y/n."
You don't hear anything she says after that.
It's strange the way the world slows to a stop around you while your overwhelmed brain tries to process the Earth-shattering information. Strange how a second ago everything seemed to make sense and now you're left gasping for breath, reaching for answers you know don't matter.
The how, the why, the what. None of that matters.
May is dead.
And there's nothing you could have done to stop it despite the powers, and the gadgets, and the hours of training.
You didn't even get to say goodbye before she-
"y/n, it's not your fault."
"Listen to Kate Bishop, she's finally right for once."
"Hey!"
Their attempt to comfort you turns into chaotic bickering but you don't pay attention to their words. You can't think about anything except the gaping hole in your chest that had once been full of May's knowing looks and thoughtful words.
Kate's right.
It's not your fault. Or May's. Or even Peter's. There's only one man to blame for this.
And you're sure as hell going to make him regret his choice to mess with your family.
"y/n." Kate's voice manages to cut through the hate-filled fog that's starting to cover your mind. "y/n, don't."
You don't listen to her words, you don't even take in the way she so easily knows what you're thinking, you just do what you've always done: keep moving.
You successfully escape your girlfriend's embrace and start running. You're not sure where you're going or how you're going to find him but the plan will come later. Right now, you just need to do something before the grief consumes you.
Kate yells after you but there's no way she'll be able to chase after you. Especially once you start swinging from building to building.
The hours pass by in between blurs of rain, tears, and the occasional wall you end up crashing into. Your phone blows up with missed calls and countless texts but you don't care. The entire world could crash and burn without you for all you care. The light within your own world has already been extinguished.
Your search ends up leading you right to the Statue of Liberty where you're not at all surprised to find a chaotic battle going on. Maybe you should have checked your phone to get caught up with the plan but that doesn't matter.
What does matter is that you've finally found what you've been looking for. And your mind is dead-set on your objective.
You ignore the rest of the fights going on, including the look of pain and relief on Kate's face once she sees you swing past her, and hone in on Peter.
You're still bleeding and there's a sharp pain in your leg you can't ignore but your injuries don't matter. All that matters is avenging May.
You land next to Peter without a word, the venom in your eyes saying more than your voice could. You're both fighting for the same thing but you have no doubt he's still pulling his punches.
Something you have no intention of doing.
"Well, well, well, look who decided to join the fun," Green Goblin taunts. "Too tired of running after your dead parents?"
"Shut your mouth," you reply as you step toward him. "You don't know what you're talking about."
That only makes him laugh. "Trust me, pain makes you stronger. You'll see, all I have to do is take away your pretty little girlfriend next and you'll understand."
There's no hesitation left in your body once you hear those words.
You lunge forward, tackling Osborn to the ground. That stupid smirk doesn't leave his face even while you rain down punches on him.
"Come on! Is that all you can do? What's the point of two Spider-Idiots if one is too weak to fight?"
You know he's only taunting you. Trying to push your buttons and get you to break. Too bad that's exactly what you want to do.
Every time he pushes you back, you kick him back twice as hard. You stumble and get punched in the face enough times to make your ears ring but you don't dare stop.
You don't even think.
You just punch and punch and punch until Osborn's on the ground, his witty mouth finally silent.
Seeing him like this only serves to remind you of what you've lost, of the pain that's taken hold of your every thought and move. You lift your hand to shoot a web at his forgotten glider when a voice stops you dead in your tracks.
"y/n?"
The mere sound of your name coming out of Kate's mouth in that desperate tone is enough to make your breath catch in your throat. You already know what she's going to say so you speak up first. "I have to."
"No, you don't. You've done enough, okay? You can walk away."
You look down at your hands, at the bloody mess you've left behind, and the tears start falling before you can stop them.
The hand that pulls you up doesn't belong to the archer but it's full of an understanding only Yelena could be capable of. "Go on, Spider-Boy and I got this."
You nod, too numb and overwhelmed to fully accept the weight of what you've done. Of what you almost did.
"Kate?" You call out as you finally turn around to face her.
"I'm right here." She greets you with the same soft look and warm smile you fell in love with, nothing but compassion in her gaze.
You all but collapse into her waiting arms, your shoulders slumped as you finally give in to the all-consuming grief that lingers in every breath you take.
The sounds of the chaos around you fades into nothingness.
All you can hear is Kate's soft reassurances and the steady beat of her heart. You don't need anything else than that right now. Despite how strong the urge for revenge had been.
You just need your girlfriend...and a long nap.
Peter watches the scene with a small, albeit sad, smile on his face. There's a weight on his chest that even fixing his mistakes won't take away.
But at least he knows you won't be alone. The spell will make you and everyone else he loves forget about him but at least you'll still have Kate.
It'll be hard but he has no doubt you'll be able to rebuild and find the light inside of yourself that May always believed was there. Flickering underneath all the pain of your past.
Now you and Kate can shine together.
Without him and the chaos he unnecessarily brought into your life.