Far from the population and the urban, there was a hidden location with an unknown area in the shadows of New York. There were men working non-stop, moving and transporting merchandise and weapons that were something that had been seen in battle years before. Remains and mechanical leftovers.
But their leader seemed not to be well. The wound on his shoulder was small but deep and he didn't stop bleeding until after a long time of attention.
"What the hell was that thing? Boss? Whatever it was, the fanged thing damaged the wings and the sensors.
"It wasn't a thing, idiot. It was a flesh and blood human."
Nikolas was like a brittle glass that now could break at any moment without knowing that he was on a radar of people who would be hot on his heels after his little show the night before. But he only cared about living a normal life as Peter had advised.
"It can't happen again, not in the position you're in now."
"So I was thinking maybe you guys need a guy on the chair. We could put together a team, and I'd be the mediator." Ned commented holding Peter's knees. "You know what? We can be the spider trinity!"
"Ned, we don't need ...."
Peter paused noticing that on the other side of the gym Nikolas was trying to climb a rope, Flash stopped next to him pretending to be friendly when his intentions were to humiliate him as he told him to "watch and learn" while he climbed first. Not before mockingly telling him that maybe he should try something else. Nikolas turned to the stands to take a drink of water as he clenched his fists.
"Well maybe...---but none of the arachnid trinity!"
"Someone here has a crush on Spider-Man. How sad, imagine he's like 30 years old under all that suit." Said one of them.
His hearing was sharp enough to hear the conversation in the stands; Liz was sitting in the middle. Apparently Nikolas realized that Peter had also heard since he looked at Ned as if he couldn't believe it, his eyebrows slightly raised and that smile, the same smile he had every time he talked about her.
"He helps people by saving their lives every day while he risks his, I wouldn't care what he looks like."
"PETER KNOWS SPIDERMAN."
Nikolas nearly choked on his water when Ned's screaming voice attacked his senses. Everything became quiet and uncomfortable. The looks on Peter and Ned.
Nikolas walked over as the bell rang and everyone started to leave. Peter didn't seem too happy with what Ned had done until apparently something had convinced him.
"You're not going to do it, are you?"
"Dude, I have a chance." Peter looked at him.
"She likes Spiderman, not Peter Parker. You shouldn't do it, don't go."
"That's rude coming from you." Peter muttered. "Also, maybe you could make some friends! Let's make tonight our night, shall we?"
"I don't need more friends! I already have two, Peter and Ned. He wants me to go to that party and I don't want him to go."
"And why don't you want him to go?" Tony answered on the other side of the line, celebrations and cars could be heard behind his voice.
"Because he'll do something very stupid!"
"I'll let Happy know you're going so don't worry about time, I want you to...---I don't know Nikolas! I was young once and went to a lot of parties and did stupid things, i still do, why don't you do the same? Well in your case uhhhh try not to do the losing control thing and definitely don't do stupid things"
And Tony hung up the phone.
They were in front of the luxurious house as soon as night fell. Happy wasn't convinced at all, Nikolas didn't know what things they had talked about but Happy ended up letting him go. Ned kept adjusting his hat.
His ears were stunned when they entered the house, DJ Flash controlling the music at full volume until he saw Peter in the crowd, actually them together it meant turning down the music to change it into humiliating jokes towards them and the Ned's hat. Among those jokes was "Where is the spiderman?"
Nikolas noticed that there was a indignant look on Peter's face, He began to walk towards the back of the house but before he came out Nikolas took his arm, forcing him to turn.
"You don't have to." Nikolas whispered. "Ignore him, just like you told me, but don't-put-on-the suit."
"Nick, go back to the party, I'll be right behind you in a few minutes." Peter replied pleading with his eyebrows. "Trust me.
"I will, okay?"
Nikolas let go of his arm, with a grimace he returned to the party room and after pouring himself a soda-drink in one of the glasses he saw Ned looking at his cell phone waiting for Peter's make his grand entry. He sat in one of the armchairs, but someone else came to sit beside him.
"Nikolas right? I've seen you with the others. I don't think we've met." Liz greeted nodding at him and then pointing towards the crowd. "Have you seen Peter? I saw him arrive but now I just don't see him.
"He'll be here in a few minutes." He responds quickly hearing Peter's voice tell him those words as he saw Ned look towards his phone worried.
The sound of a glass breaking made her get up and say goodbye, Nikolas did the same and walked towards Ned leaving his soda on the snack table.
"Where is he? He should be here, he just changed on the roof. Just few minutes."
"He doesn't answer my calls." Ned said, pressing Peter's contact again for the sixth time. "What if something happened to him?
"I'll go find him, a few minutes have passed. Peter is not here. When the appointed time passes, it means a threat, Ned."
By the time Nikolas stepped onto the road his eyes were already dark, his nostrils searching for any trace of the arachnid. He looked down at his hands and squeezed hard enough that there were tiny red dots that spilled out short drops of blood.
It was a business of illegal weapons. Peter watched everything from the bridge until his cell phone rang alerting the men who now pointed a gun at his client accusing him of sabotage.
Ned's seventh call revealed the position he was in. The man slammed the rear doors of the van shut and climbed into the driver's seat with his partner stepping on the accelerator causing the tire to make a scraping sound on the dirt.
Peter followed them from the air while dodging the bullet intent that emitted a purple beam each time it left the gun. Not after it brushed against his ankle and left a burn. Peter groaned in pain throwing two webs that were attached to a lamppost and another in the van, stopping the tires for a moment at the same time that his feet slipped on the pavement of the street due to the force exerted.
"COME ON! JUST SHOOT HIM!" The driver yelled and the rear doors of the van opened.
"Alright, let's get this over with. Do not move." he said as he pointed at Peter who was still holding on to the spider web.
Just before the magnetic bullet went towards Peter, a loud and deep scream in an echo caused him to lower the weapon and turn around. The streets were alone, just the sound of tires screeching.
"Nikolas." Peter whispered under the mask.
(25/12/22)