Flash knew they where in trouble now. He glared at the others in the lecture hall. And then asked gently "Parker, come down from there.” Immediately the tall brunette complied Flash knew he could handle himself. But still was relieved when he held the brunette in his arms once safely on the ground again.
The brunette mumbled completely out of it "where am I Flash?" Meanwhile Flash just calmly strokes his hair with one hand the other has shield on speed dial. "It's ok Pete, love you" he was stalling. But he really didn't want Peter panicking right now. When something is clearly wrong with him.
He heard the sleepily and slurred "love you too". As he led his lover over to a chair and Peter slumped in it dozing off again. "Conners? This is Flash Thompson, something's wrong with Pete. He just jumped about I’d say 20 feet in the air.
Give or take the high ceiling in the lecture hall acted really confused. Like he's not even sure where he is."
He talked and just held his boyfriend's hand. "He was fine earlier, a little warm though and I thought. He may be getting a fever so after the lecture. I was going to make him go back to the apartment and rest. But he started getting sleepy really sleepy. And than this happened when someone's sneezing. Startled him when they dropped their text books near him."
"Ok, give us about 30 minutes. Pete will kill me if I don't fill out attendance slips for us." He knew it was stupid to mention that last part. But it was the little things he's come to adore and love about Peter.
And it helped distract him from his growing worry over what could be wrong with Peter. Even now they use Flash and Parker or Pete as there pet names. It had become so common place that anything else felt unnatural.
They had started dating or as Pete said 'entered a relationship.’ (Since dating sounded cheap) back in high school when Peter had stood up for Flash. There had been a fight and Flash had been on the ropes. If Pete hadn't intervened he could have had worse than just a couple broken ribs and a concussion.
Of course Flash had panicked when the brunette stepped in between him and his attacker. He had started to genuinely care about Pete. And didn't want to see him hurt and especially not against someone that admittedly easily had him beat. By the grace of whatever higher power.
Pete had escaped alive but not without being wounded by a gun shot. That luckily missed any vital organs. It turns out the attacker had brought the weapon to school. And was attempting to make the 6'o clock news.
Honestly we had been lucky that day but it didn't feel that way at the time as I tried desperately to stop the bleeding a day later he woke up and I was so relieved. Than we started hanging out more after I confessed and he had been awake to hear, than i kissed him and the rest is history.
With that done we made it to the Treskellion building they admitted him right away to the medical wing. And I was stuck in the waiting room luckily being Pete's lover. Meant I had atleast some clearance. So they didn't stick me in some closed off area down on the lowest floor.
Finally after what seemed like hours which it probably was Conners. Stepped out of the medical bay I knew that look. And waited for him to talk first. "It looks like an infection maybe a poison of some kind. Where going to dispatch some operatives. To search the area around his last battle. He's stable for now but until we know what kind it is. We can't risk putting any drugs. In him that could react badly to it."
I nodded trying to process it all "can I see him?" I knew if they where following standard procedure. Like in a normal hospital I wouldn't want to see. Whatever they where using to possibly drain excess. Fluids or how many machines they had him hooked up to.
He nodded and stepped to one side I had to steel myself a bit than entered. This part hasn't gotten any easier seeing Pete hurt and laying in a hospital bed. But it wasn't as bad as it could be I recognized the iv tube, heart monitor, oxygen tubes.
Thankfully Conners knows Pete's aversion to the oxygen mask. So they used the nose tubes. Quickly I looked for a chair pulled it up next to the bed and just held his hand. I was right about the fever and to give me something. To do I guess Conners set up a damp wash cloth. The Treskellion is outfitted with something that blocks any outside cell signals for security reasons.
Pete had explained on my first visit we live in Virginia. Now and go to the state university. It was weird at first but we quickly adjusted this was our life now. Our life as adults more or less and our life together no distractions from the team.
Now Pete takes orders directly from the source and as much as I worry. I know I can't stop Pete from doing the hero thing. He would probably go stir crazy without it. I squeeze his hand gently and hope with everything I have that Pete will be ok. And relieved that they apparently. Caught it in time before it could do any serious damage. Still he worried and needed something to keep his mind occupied. So he wouldn't start annoying Conners or SHIELD.
Meanwhile the Avengers were starting to get word of what happened. Tony had become friends with Peter and as soon as he heard. 'Webs' was poisoned he made his way down to DC as fast as he could. Steve was already on site with Romanoff trying to figure out how it happened.
Bruce was brought in and was already running tests on the blood samples. The Avengers were rallying around Peter. They didn't want to see the kid. Hurt after all he helped them out when they needed him. They knew Flash was probably just about out of his mind. With worry so Stark had a SHIELD agent bring him a secure. Stark pad to atleast give him something to do so he didn't worry himself into a spiral.
They also didn't want him seeing how bad the situation really is. As far as they knew Flash thinks it was caught in time and Peter. Is in the clear as soon as they can find out what type of poison it is. Noone was looking forward to telling him the truth just yet.
At the very least they can rule out the fact that he’s not mutating. Which is a comfort considering the villains this kid runs into are half mad scientists. Stuff that’s given Steve nightmares for months. And he was a genetic experiment aka the super soldier program.
“We also have to account for the possibility that the thing that gave him his powers. Is destabilizing and breaking down.” Clint threw out there something that’s not his usual arrow. In his hand a picture of spidey’s team from high school. Right around his first team up with Cap.
It’d been a group photo.. Jesus Christ they’d all been so young. Practically kids still he remembered the first time. He realized how much the kid was holding back. How much control and understanding he had over the phrase his uncle taught him. Had he wanted to.. he could’ve easily knocked Steve on his ass. But he chose to dumb down his power to match his teams.
They all gathered around to look at it before Tony tacked it to the board. “To remind us who we’re fighting to save. But if we can’t.. we have to be ready to let him go. Everyone take an oath right here right now. If we can’t save him we let him go no side deals no serums. Pete wouldn’t want that.”
They all agreed though none of them liked the finality of it. Something caused the destabilization that wasn’t bullshit. But the fact of the matter is.. he’s destabilizing. “Go ahead and call Aunt May and his old team.. they should be here in case this is it.” Tony told her and Nat nodded to go do it but Steve stopped her.
“I’ll do it.. don’t tell Flash until we’re absolutely sure nothing else can be done.” This was some of the hardest phone calls he’s ever had to make. Right up there when he had to call Mrs. Barnes.
Steve sat in the hallway trying to keep a handle on his emotions. No one wants to hear their nephew and teammate is dying. And neither side took it well as he’d expected. There’s only so many times you can hear an old woman cry. Before it gets to you on a soul crushing level.
Nat came down the hall a sympathetic look on her face. “I know Stevie.. the teams just came back they didn’t find anything. Whatever he was hit with.. someone didn’t want us to find any trace. There’s a couple places we can check.. OsCorp.. Green Goblin’s place.”
Steve nodded “yeah.. I know.. we’ll take a two man team and hit them all at once.” She asked with that same sympathetic look. “What if we can’t get back in time? Tony guesstimates we have seventy two hours. And says that’s being very generous given what he’s seeing on the slides.” Steve hardened his look “then we’ll be glad everyone is here to say goodbye to him.”
And despite all the fucking efforts it’s like the entire universe was stacked against them. No trace.. no leads no nothing their teams all hit dead ends. With the labs and hide outs either being destroyed or just abandoned.
Finally Tony called it when he couldn’t bring himself to. They needed to all be there when Peter took his last breath. And they were though telling Flash also wasn’t easy. By the time they’d realized what was going on. He’d destabilized too much to be able to save him probably even with an antidote.
Flash couldn’t believe his ears when they told him. They made it seem like he’d be fine.. he thought he would be ok. Flash looked at his boyfriend who’d already faded enough. That he’d been put on life support “so there’s nothing you can do?” He asked solemnly all of there plans for the future. Now up in smoke Tony sighed “I’m sorry but he wouldn’t want it. You and I both know he wouldn’t want it.”
Flash looked over at Peter again even though he knows it’s true. “I don’t want my last memory with Pete to be of me angry.” He gently caressed the side of the man’s face as his mind tried to tell him he’s only sleeping. Grief and denial are a helluva thing when it’s all happening so damn fast.
Tony called them all in one at a time “it’s time” his team.. Flash and Aunt May were all in. When they took him off four supper and he took his last breath. Even knowing it was coming it still broke Flash to hear it. Aunt May and Harry saying his name as if he’d open his eyes. And say ‘April fools’ then start cracking jokes but he didn’t.
Flash hugged Aunt May as she cried then they started making funeral arrangements.
They all walked up and over the hill each in nice suits. With his former team holding aunt May’s hand as they walked. Each step felt like one step closer to the realization that he’s really gone. Flash was comforted by MJ and Harry it’s like the team formed a semi circle around them.
Had Flash known the last words he’d say to a conscious Pete would be ‘love you.’ He would’ve put more meaning behind it. He couldn’t even be mad at them for not telling him. They’d done all they could.. they cared about him as much as he did.
Flash nearly lost it when during the procession they passed by the high school. And everyone had taken a knee in a ripple effect as the hearse went by. An old tradition dating back to football and between heroes. When one falls on the battlefield.
There had been the start of the procession through the Treskellion. Poor Rogers took it even harder than he is and Flash suspected. It has to do with Bucky he sees someone else that he’d failed to protect.
It also didn’t help Flash’s sanity when they played the Zombie cover by Boris Harizanov. As they drove by his childhood home Pete loved the song when people would juxtapose it into a tribute video for him. They all stood around the casket on its platform.
Having been offered a state funeral and it didn’t feel right. Spidey had always been an outcast but beloved by those who knew him.
Tony, Steve, Clint and Bruce had gone back over to them after setting it down.
The priest started talking and as the casket was being lowered in. On god.. Flash saw an ethereal high school aged Peter. His mom and dad and his uncle Ben all standing together. Finally.. the family he’d been searching for reunited again.