Rowan's head was spinning erratically, a nightmare plaguing her concussion induced thoughts. She was squirming, her face scrunched up in a look of distress as her brain tried to force her from this terror.
Rowan sat in the back of a random car, seated next to Peter as they traveled to somewhere the girl had no clue where. They were dressed eloquently, the Stark clad in a body-hugging navy blue dress that flowed down her slender legs until it reached the carpeted floor of the car. Peter was also dressed dashingly, a black and white tux replacing his usual flannel-jean combo.
The boy had his fingers enlaced with hers, his bright smile matching her own as he carefully brushed a strand of curled chestnut brown behind her ear. And without second guessing, the duo leaned in, their similar browns closing as they anticipate what was to come. Rowan could feel the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter against her gut, causing a wave of excitement to bubble up inside. She had waited so long for this.
And then it was as if someone had snatched that opportunity away from her, ripping happiness from her chest and replacing it with fear. A metal claw wrapped around her neck, her eyes shooting open at the contact, and instead of the handsome face of her lover, she was met with the glowing orbs of Vulture; his robotic face contorted to a look of pure evil. Then, without a second glance, he plunges his talons into her neck.
Rowan shot up instantly, her eyes ablaze with magenta as her senses seem to dial up to eleven. Her chest heaving, her breathing erratic as she tries to calm herself down from the dream.
"Row? Hey, hey, what's the matter?" In an instant, Peter was by her side, his hands cradling her face and craning her neck to check for any potential injuries.
She latches onto his arms, her purple eyes wide in panic as she couldn't understand why her body was shaking so violently. Why couldn't she get under control?
"P-Peter?"
"Yes, baby, I'm here. You're okay. Everything's okay. You're safe." Peter knew to keep as calm as possible during these situations, having to deal with panic attacks himself, the boy has taught himself to help cope himself and others with these scary times. "Deep breaths, in.. and out-" She obeys, steadying her breathing to a point where she's only taking in big gulps of oxygen, "there you go, Row. I'm right here. No one is going to hurt you."
Rowan, as if her body begged her for more comfort, leans in until her forehead rests on Peters, this little moment of intimacy the only thing she needed to fully calm down and get a grip. She closes her eyes momentarily, savoring the consolation, before opening them once again, the dark brown color returning to normal.
Peter's hands remain on her cheeks, tilting her head back so he could get a full view of his girl, "you okay?"
She nods, "I'm sorry. I don't usually have nightmares that often. I guess my brain was repaying me for bruising it."
"Hey." He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger just a little, "there's no need to apologize. But, I want to know what the dream was about, though."
Then, as if Peter had burned her, she jumps up, shrugging her shoulders, "I can't remember-"
Lies.
"Probably something stupid like the Chupacabra or something. Hey, how long have we been in here?"
"Rowan?"
"Have you tried to figure a way out of here?" She floats over to the storage doors, banging her fists against it loudly.
"Row, please-" Peter webs over to her, gripping her wrist to prevent herself from breaking it, "don't hurt yourself even more."
"Fine-" she shakes his off his grip, running over to the circuit board, "we need to find a way to short out the circuit somehow. Ask Karen. She'll know."
"She is losing it. We need to get her out of here and to a doctor as soon as possible." Karen states.
"Hey, please sit down. You have a concussion." Peter begs, watching on concernedly as she tries to punch in every access code to get the door open.
"I'm fine." She deadpans, shooting him a a pointed glare, "now are you going to help me figure a way out or not, Spidey?"
The duo had spent hours trying to override the system, heavy bags clinging to Rowan's under eyes as she and Peter yawn for the hundredth time that hour.
"This is useless." The girl murmurs, sitting down with a sigh, "can't we just call it a day?"
"No-" Peter starts, "I have a decathlon to go to and I don't want to miss it. It's important."
"Is it really, though? Pete, you have a concussion, too. You should be resting and not wasting your time on something that isn't going to work-"
"Initiating trial 247."
The massive warehouse doors open, their groaning hinges mocking the girl as her full lips part in astonishment. Peter turns towards the girl, his arm outstretched, "before I tell you 'I told you so', let's go. We have a decathlon to catch." Rowan rolls her eyes, allowing the boy to wrap his arm around her waist and swing them on top of an oncoming truck, laying low as they pass by an armed guard.
"Karen, you have to get me to Decathlon as fast as possible." Peter tells his suit lady.
"Sure thing. Just tell me where it is."
"Right across the street from the Washington Monument."
Peter, panicked, calls Ned, but when it doesn't go through, he curses, "Ned, call me back! The glowy thing is a bomb!"
"What?!" Rowan cries over the loud wheels grinding against the pavement, "What glowy thing?"
"That weapon we were trying to defuse!" He shouts, "it's a carbon bomb!"
"When were you planning on telling me this?!" She shouts, her voice quivering.
"You were still asleep when I figured it out.. I swear I was going to tell you.. I was just waiting for a good time.."
"My ass-" she scoffs, rolling her eyes, "where is the dammed thing?"
"Uh.. with Ned?" Peter replies sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck as he looks away from her burning gaze.
"You're kidding me right?" When her crush doesn't answer her, his throat clearing as his movements fidgety, she groans, slapping her forehead, "oh my god, Peter! All those people, your friends, are in danger because of your simple thinking!"
"I know, I know!" He cries, releasing a stressed breath, "I'll fix this, I promise. You just need to.. trust me."
"There's a vehicle approaching on your right."
The boy outstretches his arm, his masked eyes focusing on the girl's wary complexion as she stares down at his limb hesitantly. Her powers surge, pinpricking each nerve in her body in a tickling warning. Was it warning or her powers working her heart's duty and reminding her that she had fallen hard for this boy, she didn't know. Her mind screams out in protest, telling her that this was all one big warning and they'd end up either seriously injured or dead, but her heart spoke differently; its melody one of pure bliss, pure happiness.. her happiness when she was around him. And Rowan couldn't resist.
"I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Rowan-" he reassures, "you mean everything to me.. and-and I'd die before I let anyone or anything hurt you."
-
The Midtown High students are walking towards the Washington Monument, victorious smiles on their faces and winning metals hanging from their necks in representation of the hard work put in to winning their decathlon.
"We won!"
"You guys, I am so proud of you." Liz beams.
"Told you we didn't need Peter." Flash murmurs nastily.
"Flash, you didn't answer a single question." Ned adds, rolling his eyes.
Meanwhile, Peter swings on top of a bus, his arms wrapped securely around Rowan's waist as they finally settle down on the vehicle. Peter holds his phone up to his ear after dialing Ned for the tenth time and much to his relief, his best friend picks up.
"Oh, Ned, you're alive!"
The tanned boy is at the Washington monument, in line for security check, "Peter, are you okay? Did you and Rowan elope or something?"
"What? No. Ned, Ned, where's the glowy thing, the glowy thing?" Spider-Man rushes out, his voice shaking, panicked.
"Don't worry, it's safe. It's in my backpack." His best friend replies, placing his bag on the security belt.
"No, Ned, listen! No, no, Ned, the glowy thing is dangerous." Peter shouts.
"For fucks sake, give me the phone!" Rowan, growing tired of Peter's shaky banter, snatching his cell phone and holds it to her ear, "hello? Ned?"
"Rowan! Hey! How are you?" Ned exclaims happily.
"Shut up and listen, you ding-bat. That purple glowing thing you have? Yeah, it's a fucking plasma bomb. You need to get rid of it.. now!" But, Rowan's words didn't seem to go through as there was a shuffling noise after no reply. Then, a familiar head-aching voice that only seemed to make her concussed brain throb even further, speaks, "Peter, is that you?"
"Oh for the love of god." The brunette groans, shoving the phone back into her partner's hands, "it's for you."
"Who is it?" He whispers.
"Take a wild guess." She grumbles, obviously annoyed.
"Peter?"
"Oh, hey, Liz." The boy responds, the usual jump in his heart only mild compared to what it used to be at the sound of her voice. He turns to Rowan, the device to his chest, as he says, "let's go. We got to move. Now."
Nodding, Rowan follows his lead as the duo jump down from the bus using their respective powers. They stumble for a bit, catching their balance before taking off in a sprint.
"Please put Ned back on the phone." Peter tries to put a word in edgewise but Liz ignores him and talks on.
"You freak! You are so lucky we won. You know, I want to be mad, but I'm more worried. Like, what is going on with you? Where's Imperium?"
Now at the Lincoln Memorial, their legs pumping harshly and their chests heaving as if coming up for gulps of air after a swim, the duo run furiously towards the Washington Monument.
"Liz, I have to talk to Ned. It's really important!" The boy shouts, "Liz, there's something in Ned's backpack! It's really dangerous. Don't let it go through an X-ray."
But, with security reprimanding her for having not put the cell phone on the belt, she places it with Ned's stuff. The chunky boy walks through the scanner, oblivious, and moves to collect his backpack. The X-ray scanner screen buzzes.
"Liz? Liz! Damn it." Peter curses, shoving the phone back in his suit as he turns around to make sure his girl was alright. "You okay, Rowan?"
"Peachy keen." She lies, her head pulsating and her ribcage screaming in protest with every step she took. Her body was on fire, the tingles exploding and taking over every inch of her being; it weighs her down, tangling her legs, making her trip every so often. It was almost as if they were trying to anchor her down, begging her to stop running before she got hurt. But, hell, she's an Avenger for crying out loud. Giving up because of some pain was unheard of in her book.
So, not daring to speak in fear of a pained groan escaping instead, she remains quiet and pushes herself even further, her speed miraculous as the duo approach the Monument in record time.
Inside, the students are all riding up the elevator with a tour guide who is explaining the various boring facts about the monument. Unsuspectingly, the core in Ned's backpack begins to glow dangerously.
"The Washington Monument is 555 feet, 5 and 1/8 inches tall. Notice how the marble and granite are cut around the stone." The guide explains.
Then, the energy core erupts with shining light, breaking class and cracking the top of the monument.
"Pete, did you hear that?" Rowan breaths, her doe brows wide with fear.
"No, no, no, no, no, no. Karen, what's going on up there?" Peter asks shakily.
"The Chitauri core has detonated and caused severe structural damage to the elevator."
The spider suit provides Peter a view inside the monument, and it is shown that several people are gathered inside the elevator.
"Oh, fuck." Rowan curses, a wave of nausea exploding in her stomach, causing her to momentarily lose her balance and take a knee.
"Row, Row-" Peter hoists her up gently, holding her against him, "you gotta stay here. Please. It's too dangerous.."
"Shut up and move, Spidey-" she pushes him away, "there's friends we got to save." And without a second glance, she takes off in a panicked sprint, magenta mist shooting out of her palms as she carried herself up the side of the monument.
"God, you'll be the death of me." He murmurs to himself before he follows suit, clinging to the side of the place and climbing up swiftly.
The duo had gotten significantly high up, so high to the point where they looked like ants from the people below.
"Estimating 10 minutes before catastrophic failure." Karen states.
It's gotten to the point where Peter was panting and Rowan began to grow dizzy, her mind a haze and her body sweating as she continues to exert all her energy.
"The safety systems are completely failing."
"The occupants are in imminent mortal danger."
"I'm going as fast as I can!" He cries to his suit, glancing up at a sluggish Rowan who continues to travel up wordlessly, "Rowan, we gotta hurry!"
Peter uses his webs, starting to climb in order to get to his destination faster before his friends could plummet to their death. Passing his crush, he scoops her and places her on his back, the girl silently thanking him as she slumps against his muscular shoulders.
"You now have 125 seconds until catastrophic failure."
"What? Why?" He cries, beginning to pick up the pace.
"Unexpected motion has caused the deterioration to escalate."
The spider suit shows the elevator. The park rangers rescuing the students are making the space move, the good samaritans unaware of the external damage they're causing.
"How do I get in there?" Rowan asks, a little more energized due to the much needed rest Peter brought her aching limbs.
"Activating reconnaissance drone."
The emblem on Peter's suit detaches, and the spider-shaped robot flies up over the monument.
"Whoa, has that been there the whole time? That's awesome." The boy chuckles.
"Locating optimal entry point." The drone finds a window, "Proceed to southwest window."
"Southwest window, Row." Peter explains as the girl musters up all the strength she has left in her tired body before following orders, flying towards the location.
The duo continue up and make their way to the peak of the monument. Pausing, Rowan peering down fearfully as the crowd begins to grow increasingly large until it appeared they were surrounded by tiny insects, gasps; she clutches the cracked stone with one hand and Peter's arm with the other.
"Okay. Oh, my god. Okay." Rowan breaths, sucking in deep, panicky breaths as her unusual fear of heights set in.
"Holy shit." The boy curses, his own fears taking over as he enlaces his fingers with the girl's shaking ones.
"Okay, okay. It's fine. I'm fine. Peter if you don't move in five seconds so we can get to that window, I will personally through you off of this ledge myself." The girl threatens through gritted teeth, her knees wobbling.
Peter, with wide eyes, slowly inches towards the window, shoving away stray seagulls that sat perched for a midday nap until they finally stood in front of the tall glass. The duo were about to break open the glass to save the distressed teens before a police chopper, guns aimed and ready to shoot down the intruders, as a voice boomed out, "This is D.C. Metro police. Identify yourselves."
"My friends are in there! My friends are in there! Stop!" Peter cries, trying to flag off the chopper.
"Return to the ground immediately."
Through the unbroken window, the duo watch as the students continue to struggle, the elevator hanging off its hinges with his friends still trapped helplessly. Rowan curses, closing her eyes and turning to him, "Peter, listen to me- I'm going to distract them-"
Before she could finish her suicidal sentence, the boy shakes his head furiously, "no, no, no. Absolutely not. Are you out of your mind?"
"No." Her lips upturn in a subtle smile, her hand finding his masked face gently, "just a little crazy for a boy who would never feel the same." Her lips find his clothed cheek, her forehead momentarily resting on his as his hands find her face lovingly, tilting her jaw until their gazes met in a sparking connection. "Go, Pete, I'll be right behind you."
"Rowan, I'm so in-"
"Go!"
And with that, she shoos him away, leaving that lingering sentence to be a addressed later.
A/N
The continuation of this dialogue will continue next chapter.