Peter rushed to the roof as fast as his arms and legs could carry him. The sense of urgency was growing as his adrenaline spiked. He arrived at the edge of the roof where he observed the damage. At first, he couldn't see anything, the smoke of the explosion was too thick and wide to make anything out. It slowly rose into the air dramatically, letting its image invoke a sense of fear into those that gazed upon it.

As the smoke cleared, Peter hastily jumped down from his ledge to look for any survivors. He cautiously walked forward through the street littered with debris and noticed someone standing up ahead of him. He started to jog toward them, but soon found himself falling to the ground. After realizing that he had tripped, he looked back to see what tripped him. He saw that he had fallen into a crater punched into the asphalt street that measured about a yard or two in diameter. This must be where the bomb was planted, he thought as regained his footing, and continued to the person that he was rushing to.

Peter came upon a middle-aged man that wore a torn-up jacket and sweat pants. His beard was all messy and his face was all bloody from the impact of the explosion. "Hey, you o.k." he asked the helpless man, to which the man just twitched his head in shock of what happened. Peter couldn't help but observe his eyes. He held a hand to one eye to brace some cut or burn, and the other eye was wide-open, almost like he was experiencing the whole event over again.

Peter looked back to see if there was a safe path for him to carry him through and saw a clearing near the community center wall. He faced forward to observe what other damage had been done. An electronics shop had received the most damage from the blast and was now a raging inferno within its walls. Next door, the front window of a children's daycare was shattered and the carpeting behind it was in flames. Being in the middle of the day, Peter knew that there would be people in each building, and it was up to him to get them out. He quickly shifted his attention to the bodies of other struggling survivors that were scattered around him and knew that he couldn't abandon them either. He huffed in frustration and lifted the gentleman in front of him to his feet and slung his arm around his shoulders to keep him up.

He carried the gentleman to the clearing he saw before, which was starting to fill up with people from inside the center that wanted to see what happened. As Peter and the gentleman were clear of the smoke, Mr. Jones came out and rushed to the two of them.

"Hey, we got you sir, come on" he said with a comforting voice, as he slung the gentleman's other arm over his shoulders. The man coughed heavily as the two Samaritans walked him to the steps of the center. Jones helped the man sit down while Spider-Man kept him from falling over. Michelle soon made her way out into the chaos and marveled at the sight of her father and Spider-Man helping an injured civilian.

"Thanks for the help" Spider-Man thanked, which earn a respectful nod from Mr. Jones. He checked the man for any major injuries before reengaging with the web-slinger.

"Can we do anything to help" he asked, feeling the urgency of the situation. Peter was thankful that  Michelle's father so willing to help others, even if it meant possibly getting hurt in the process.

"Yeah," he responded quickly, not wasting time for the tech shop to burn any further before someone died, "call 911 if no one has already, and clear any survivors out of the streets before things get worse."

He turned around to shoot a web at a nearby streetlight but was stopped by a final question from Mr. Jones. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going in" he anxiously said, as he propelled himself into the air toward the blaze, and the father and daughter watched as he swung himself through the blasted window and into the fire. Once the hero was out of sight, Michelle and her father rallied as many bystanders as possible to help them get the surviving bodies away from all the carnage.

Inside the tech store, Peter searched through the sea of flames for any sign of life as he called out. A mother and son called from ahead, and Spider-Man leaped into their direction. Upon gazing at the pair, the young boy seemed untouched by the blast, just a couple pieces of rubble and dust in his hair and covering parts of his shirt. His mother however, had a massive burn on her back side and a broken glass case was pinned upon her right arm. She was struggling to free her arm and the burn limited the amount of movement she could do.

Peter quickly lifted the case easily with his enhanced strength, and pieces of glass shifted and shattered as he inspected the injuries of the mother. His mind raced as the combination of the growing heat and the pressure of getting the pair out of distress fueled his thoughts. "Maim," Peter stressed to the mother, "I'm going to get you and your son out of here, but I'm gonna need you to stand." The woman painfully nodded, understanding the hero's intentions. She pressed her left hand against the warm floor but gave in to the pain surging through her crisped back.

In response, Peter quickly shoved his hands under the mother's arms and stood her up in front of him. "Hold on" he said to her before he slung her body over his shoulder, carrying her fireman style. He reached out for the boy's hand, "C'mon buddy," and the boy quickly rushed for the hero's outstretched hand and was soon carried like an infant in Spider-Man's free arm. With the pair secured in his arms, Peter rushed back to the door as fast his abilities could let him. He coughed as he pushed through the heavy smoke, dips of sweat dampened his mask from the extreme heat, and his arms and legs burning from the weight of the two victims in his arms.

Peter soon made it to the streets where Mr. Jones, Michelle, and a few others were expecting them. Oh, you guys rock, he gratefully thought. He never imagined that Michelle and her father would be so helpful in a tight situation.

"Here," he said to Mr. Jones who was the first to reach him. He hastily took the child out of Spider-Man's arms and into his own. Peter then lifted the mother off his shoulder and placed her feet gently on the ground. Her arms dangled lifelessly, and her breath was light and short. Michelle and the others came to the mother's aid and carried her away to the spot where the other injured survivors were vacated.

They set her and the child down and Michelle turned to join her father and Spider-Man. They were discussing how to go about saving others caught in the buildings, when she noticed a shadowy figure appear in the smoky doorway of the tech store. Her eyes widened at the sight of the figure cocking his arms back behind his head, as if he was about propel something in the direction of Spider-Man and her father. "Watch out!" she shouted, but by the time Peter had noticed her warning, he felt a tight noose around his throat that pulled him back. Within seconds, he was being dragged along the ground by a very thick wire into the burning building he had just escaped. He desperately tried to free himself of the choking wire, but the speed and angle at which he was being pulled made it no use.

Mr. Jones was about to go in after him but stopped at the distress calls from inside the burning daycare center. One voice was very mature among the chorale of high pitched screams of children. Believing Spider-Man could take care of himself, he bravely rushed into the daycare center without hesitation. Michelle could do nothing but watch her father disappear into the smoke. Her imaginations ran wild, thinking about whether or not he would make it out, or if it would be the last time she would ever see him.  

After going some ways into the burning shop, Peter sensed his speed start to decrease. Peter took the opportunity to grasp for air, even if it was for a small moment. Suddenly, an orange hooded figure in a yellow mask seemingly floated out from the billowing smoke. The figure chuckled, "Not so tough now, are ya webhead." As the newcomer spoke, other hooded figures appeared from the smoke, forming a circle around the web-slinging hero.

J-Mac in his orange hoodie circled around the hero upon a purple and orange hoverboard that he had claimed during their heist. Spider-Man looked at the punk's ride and couldn't help but laugh, "Nice ride dude," he choked on his joke, "just be careful. I've heard they catch fire."

Annoyed by the witty comment, J-Mac steered his hoverboard to bump into Spider-Man's head. He turned around and positioned the hoverboard in front of the top of his head. "You think you can just waltz right into our business and make us look like fools" J-Mac said, standing over him like he had just beaten him to a pulp.

"You don't need my help pal," Spider-Man quivered, "have you looked in a mirror lately."

In frustration, J-Mac pulls his right arm back to deliver a brutal punch to his adversary's face. Peter quickly musters enough freedom to shift his head to the side, dodging J-Mac's slamming fist, which collides with the hard ground. The hooded boy braces for his hurt hand, and Peter seizes the opportunity to shift the momentum of the situation. Gathering all his strength, he swings his legs back toward J-Mac to knock him off his feet and flips onto his feet.

The other gang members all start to attack the freed hero, but his speed and agility keep him out of harm's way. As he throws the lasts one away, he notices a pair of thugs raiding metal boxes filled with the latest phones, watches, and tablets. Lonnie was one of the pair, his black t-shirt and blue jeans made him stand out in the fluttering flames that surrounded everyone. He looked back to see the hero observing their actions. "Guys, I know everyone's gushing over the hottest tech available," Peter quipped behind the mask as he made his approach toward the two, "but this is pushing it." Lonnie smirked at his attempt at humor and did nothing to keep the web-head clueless of who he was. Peter reached out to grab him, but was thrusted back from a hard, heavy swing of Lonnie's arm.

Peter felt like he had been hit by a brick it was so hard. He tried to regain his footing, but the force of the swing made him slow. Lonnie came closer to the struggling hero, and kicked hard into his rib cage, sending him to the wall. Peter reached for his ribs, knowing for a fact that one of them would be broken, or bruised in the best case. He rolls to his side, hoping the pain would be relieved if he shifted his position, but then sees a masked J-Mac walking above him. Without warning, he lands several punches on our hero in the stomach and face. Every blow decreasing every ounce of energy Peter has and turning it into short groans of pain.

J-Mac ceased his assault, took the hero from underneath his arms and stood him against the side wall of the burning building. Peter had very little strength left, his head bobbed as J-Mac stood him up. The sharp pain in his ribs was still present and he could now taste the blood running from his nose and lips. The wall was hot, but he could have mistaken it for a bed while it supported him enough to feel relaxed. He tilted his head on the wall to rest, and hoped the worst was over. Peter didn't dare open his eyes, he thought it best to imagine being someplace peaceful. To forget the fiery pain in his abdomen, as well as the fiery imagery around him. It was soothing and it worked for him a bit, but a low male voice soon broke the dream in his head.

"Rest in pieces, Spider-Man" he hears the voice say, and Peter regrettably must look upon what is in front of him. J-Mac stood to his left unmasked and smirking a devilish smile, knowing that he and his pals have been successful. Then Peter saw Lonnie a couple yards in front of him, and based on his posture, Peter knew that it wasn't going to end well for him. "Oh shit" he mumbled to himself as Lonnie charged forward. His large strides getting longer with every step, the ground seemingly shaking as they did. Peter closed his eyes, preparing to take the hit, knowing quite well that the force may send him through the wall.

Lonnie turned his right shoulder toward the hero, and as hard as he could, smashed the two of them through the wall into the next-door daycare center. Peter felt like a freight train had just hit him, as the tall boy drove him to the ground as they collapsed. Lonnie stood quickly, knowing that either building would collapse at any moment. He joined J-Mac and the others near the back of the tech shop, where they exited through an alley entrance.

Peter laid out motionless, his ears rang loudly, and his body throbbed from the pain. He figured to himself that maybe this was it. This was the end of his life as Spider-Man. Here, lying helplessly among the rubble and ashes of a burning building, with a bloody face and possibly a broken rib. He didn't want to think this way, but all the pain and emotion overwhelmed him, and he gradually accepted this fate. Figuring he could rest, he turned his head for better support and he closes his eyes awaiting his fate.

His resting allows his hearing to recover, and the first thing he heard was the sound of a deep-voiced man calming a crying girl. The cries seemed like a dream in his head, as if it was a warning alarm of life to lose its way. Peter opened his eyes at the thought and was a bit undertaken by what he saw. In the far corner, a young blonde girl was being comforted by Mr. Jones, who had a burn and cut on his leg, preventing him to walk. The girl clung tightly to him, pleading to see her mother and wanting to go home. And in Mr. Jones eyes, there was this glimmer of determination, and regret. He was determined to get this girl back to her family but knew that it may come with some sacrifice. In Peter's eyes, he saw his life flash before him. Maybe remembering all the friends he had made at the center, the people he might of helped in rough times, but he mostly saw Michelle and that wonderful smile of hers that he might never see again. Peter couldn't hold back a tear from the thought, that a well-respected man like Jones would never get the chance to say goodbye to his daughter. The thought of Michelle in grief alone would have made Peter shed a tear. 

What am I doing? I can't give up now, not when... not when I know people can still suffer. He crunched himself up to sit, yelping a painful cry. That girl will see her family, and... I will not let Michelle lose her father... the same way I lost Uncle Ben.

Peter stumbled to get up, but eventually found the strength to stand. He made his way to Michelle's father and the little girl, and they quickly noticed the red and blue cladded hero approaching. Jones' eyes brightened at the sight of him, but quickly shifted back to his injured leg as Peter kneeled next to the pair.

"You're hurt" Jones addressed the hero, noticing that he was still holding his rib cage.

"We both are," Spider-Man replied in a concerned voice, "but its gonna take the both of us to get us outta here." Jones nodded his head, knowing that neither of them were going to get the girl out alone, plus he was eager to hug his daughter.

Peter then went to inspect Jones' injured leg, and figured it only needed to be braced. "This might hurt a little" he spoke as showed what he was going to do. Like some magic trick, webbing released from his wrists creating a tight wrapping around the hurt portion of the leg. Jones huffed slightly but assured to the hero that it helped a bit. Feeling a bit stronger, he handed the girl to Spider-Man, and Peter rested her on his left hip. When she formed onto Peter's body, he could feel some of the weight on his injured rib, but he let the pain pass by. This was no time to think about first aid.

Peter stood up with the girl in hand, extending his free hand to Jones on the ground. He took his hand firmly, and each pulled hard to get the broader man to his feet. Once standing, he wrapped his arm around Spider-Man's shoulders for support, and step-by-step, the two heroes limped their through the flames and smoke toward the peering light of the outside world.

With each step, they felt that they were so much further than they actually were, and the smoke being inhaled into their lungs didn't help either. Peter's brain was so clouded that he couldn't even see Jones to his immediate right, or even the little blonde girl in his arms. He felt like he was going to give into the fires influence when suddenly his senses went sharp, as if his entire body had fully awoken. With this feeling, he had the strange sense that something was about to collapse onto them. His instincts told him to look up, which he did. And the first thing he saw were a series of cracks rapidly forming on the ceiling above them.

"Oh God" he gasped, earning a look from Jones wondering what he said. Peter turned to him and quickly asked, "are you able to walk from here."

"Why, what's wrong" Jones answered nervously, his eyes squinting trying to understand the young hero and to keep the smoke from affecting his sight.

"The ceiling is going to collapse, can you make it out with her?" he repeated, trying to get him to answer quickly.

Jones took a quick glance at the door way and muttered, "I can try but what abou..."

"O.K.," Peter cut in, handing the girl into his arms and ordering the older man, "GO!!" Once she was secure, Peter leaped to a stable spot on the ceiling and shot a wide net of webbing toward the door, which covered Mr. Jones' path to the door. Jones had a heavy limp, but he gave every step his all, surging through the flames and embers like a fullback in football driving through the defensive line of the opposition. Peter was marveling at his perseverance when the ceiling finally gave way, crumpling and gathering in his webbing. A chain reaction followed above Jones, creating more weight for Peter to hold. It pulled him toward the ground, tightening the muscles in his abdomen and causing a cramp in his glutes. The pain in his ribs intensified with every second of keeping the net up, and to Peter, the broken rib could have easily have jabbed out of his skin due to his intense stretching of his skin and muscles.

Mr. Jones was only a few feet from the door and Peter was anxious to join him, but he then felt his spot crumbling under his feet, as he was crouching upside down. No! Not now, were so close, he thought, and he pulled every muscle cell he had into his grip. The intensity of the moment seemed to slow time down, and Peter watched as Jones' disappeared in the bright light of the sun, assuring Peter that he was safe. He sighed in relief, imagining Michelle running toward her father with a huge smile on her face and hugging him tightly, but it was cut short when the heavy debris in his webbing pulled him to the ground.

Charred pieces of wood and plaster fell upon the hero, and he couldn't help but rest in his position. He had sparred a young girl from a fiery death and given her a chance to live her life. What even better, his friend wouldn't have to go through losing a loved one, and he would be able to hold his daughter in his arms again. Peter felt that he deserved some form of rest, even if the conditions weren't particularly safe. He let his body loose itself, and it soon became apparent to Peter that he might just be left inside, either to suffocate from the smoke or to be rescued in the ashes and debris. Then he saw something.

A dark human silhouette came from behind the flames, pacing toward him as if he was the intended target. The figure extended one of their hands and said something to him. Peter couldn't make out what was said, he was half way near being passed out from all the energy he had exerted.From what he could make out, the figure was skinny and there were a few blonde strands of hair extending from their black hoodie. Peter was pulled to his feet and the two costumed individuals made their way toward the back door, where the figure had come from.

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A/N-  Talk about cutting it close. This took a LONG time to write, and I'm not quite sure if it's a completely good piece. But, I'll let you guys decide, and I thank you for reading Chapter 15.

I think this is the first chapter I've written that is completely action packed, and I dont know if I will do it again. My life is starting to catch up with me, and I'm running behind on my writing. Thank goodness for all those Far From Home set photos in Prague that motivated me to keep writing. (Your thoughts in the comments)

Again thanks for reading the chapter and I hope that you will give it a vote if you liked it. Comments are also highly appreciated, and I'm always open to suggestions and different perspectives.

Hopefully a new chapter next week, but until next time, BYE!!!