Panic stabs me like a cold knife and my hand shoots out to grab her arm.

"Where. The. Hell. Is. Peter." I ask and she sighs.

"Look, they wanted him alive. The apartment...they were waiting at the apartment." Before she's even done speaking, I'm sprinting out of the facility. My jacket left behind me and my tie along with it. I straddle my bike and Destiny appears out of the shadows in front of me.

"Out of the way or you're dead!" I shout and rev the bike.

"Stop! They're after you too! If you go, you're dead!" She tells me, gold eyes bright and glowing in the moonlight.

"Fine! As long as I get to Peter! Move, or you're flat." Slowly, I start moving and she moves to the side, then I'm off like a comet.

The minute I get to the apartment I'm up and storming through the door.

It's wrecked. Shards of glass from the windows littering the scratched floorboards, stuffing from the couch thrown every which way, and most importantly; no Peter. Despite this, I fly through the rest of the apartment to check for him but find nothing. My search stops at the broken window next to the fire escape and ever so gently I reach out to snag a wisp of grey fabric clinging to a shard of glass.

Looks like part of his sweatshirt. Holding it up to my nose reveals the familiar smell of our laundry detergent and the just Peter smell of cinnamon. Usually from churros. The panic in me reaches a crescendo and I scream, scream like a banshee so whoever took him knows they're going to die. Feeling a creeping up my spine, I spin on my heel to find Destiny in the doorway.

"Explain shortly and concisely or I'll stain my nice floor with the tattered remains of your body." I promise and she looks at me with wide, fear-stricken eyes. "Come on! You're not under anyone's control, I'd see it in your eyes. What did you do and why the hell did you do it?"

"I didn't want to!" She combats and roughly wipes a tear off her cheek. "Spider-Man has been stopping a lot of organized crime lately and the people behind the missions wanted him out of the picture."

"The mob?" I scoff. "You're working for the mob, Des?" Her amber eyes smolder with heat and regret.

"Yes."

"Fucking hell." I breathe and nearly pull my hair out. God, this is my fault. I fucking told her. I told her he was Spider-man.

"You don't know what it's like out there, Grant." She tells me, her voice small and softer than before. I look up at her as she speaks. "No food, no place to stay, it was winter when I was thrown out of the foster home. I nearly froze to death every night, nearly starved every week; I had no one. Until he came along. He offered me food. Clothes. A warm bed. I started doing small things for him. Runs. Driving the car. I had to. I had to survive." Her voice is pleading but my eyes are hard as I look at her.

"When he found out what I could do he gave me more, trusted me more. When he told me to find out who you both were and find out where you stayed, I didn't think anything of it. But...you cared. You care so fucking much and so I thought maybe Peter would be enough. I wanted to...protect you." She breathes and I slam a frustrated fist into the counter, well, through the counter.

"There's no protecting me if Peter isn't safe! I'd rather you'd have given them me than Peter!" I yell, then simmer down when she flinches. I walk over and grab her arms firmly, but not enough to hurt. My mind frantically spins as I think of the various speeches I've gotten from the people in my life before just winging it. My eyes burn into her gold ones.

"Look, I understand. I understand more than you think the feeling of owing people because they showed basic human decency when you were previously shown none. I get it. But you've got to understand me too. People like this are only manipulating you and showing you a shitty replica of kindness because they want you to do what they want. You owe them nothing. Love, real love? That's me and Peter. That's sacrifice and blood and joy and all the other shit because the person is worth it." Tears prick my eyes as I think of that stupid boy and his crime fighting while I just sat on the sidelines. I grit my teeth and focus back on Des.

"Right now, right now is one of those stupid moments in life that they talk about in graduation speeches and history books." I tell her wide amber eyes, willing her to believe me and listen. "Choose whether you're going to take a knee on this one and continue serving douchebags that don't and have never given a shit about you or come with me and save the innocent that you put in danger. Pick now." I release her and walk to the fire escape as she makes her choice. The little rag still in my hand, I raise it to my nose, then tuck it into my pocket to search for the scent. Catching it on the breeze, I step outside. A hand on my arm makes me pause and turn back.

"You'll travel faster with me." She says and after considering the firm set of her mouth, I nod once.

"I've got his scent. The street below." She nods and we step to the side in the shadows, then emerge on the ground. Deep breaths lead me and suddenly we're popping in and out of the shadows all along the street. We travel at least ten miles in two minutes and we only pause when Des breathes in sharply.

"I know where he is." She drags me into the shadows and we reappear outside a tall apartment building next to the river. Seems normal except I can smell Peter strongly here.

"Where would they take him?" I ask and just after asking I hear a scream that couldn't be anyone other than Peter. My feet are running before I've even consciously made the decision to move.

"Wait!" Des hisses behind me but there's absolutely no stopping me. As an orangutan I'm scaling the building and nearing the top in seconds, but a hand shoots out of a broken window and sucks me inside. "There are other gifted on the roof! You can't just burst in like a ram." Des scolds me, looking like a miniature candle in the dark room, her orange dress still shining. I shift into myself and shake her off.

"That's Peter up there. You may have had a shit life but you don't know a fucking thing about torture. Hands off." My voice is a low growl as my eyes burn into her. Des does nothing as I swing out as myself and continue climbing. Once my fingers grasp the edge of the roof, I don't wait, I heave myself up and survey the area. Three people other than Peter. Two women on either side of Peter, both with long dreads like waterfalls down their backs, and one man standing with his back to me in front of the chair Pete's sitting in. I stand and heat ripples off my body from anger and the urge to change. To protect.

"You know, last time I met someone who tortured people they got locked up in a cage. Honestly, I think it was a little too good for them." I say and the two women look up at me while the man doesn't turn. His shoulders rise and fall with a heavy sigh, then he turns around. White, green eyes, dark hair, scar on the left side of his chin.

"Grant Redhallow. God, it's been a long time. How's the sister?" He asks smoothly, eyes scanning me with a surprising hunger that reminds me a little too much of people in my past.

"Family's fine. Mind releasing the member just there?" I incline my head behind him and he glances back as if he'd forgotten Peter's there. He sidesteps and my fists clench when I see Pete's condition. Bleeding at his temple, ripped lip, a cut clearly from the silver ring on one woman's right hand across his cheekbone, and finally two broken fingers. Who knows about the internal damage.

"Grant...don't..." He pants, obviously in pain and it hurts me to see him hurt.

"This one? Eh, soon. Not quite done."

"Sorry, you seem to think I was asking. I'm demanding." I correct myself and take a few steps forward only to be met chest to chest with the woman on the left. Seems they're twins. Almost silver blue eyes meet mine and I look skeptically up at Mr. Asshole. "Do I look like I'm kidding?" I ask and he smiles a little.

"Grant. Leave. Gift...gifted." Peter tells me and I shake my head at him. No way in hell I'm leaving. This pleases Mr. douchebag.

"I'm sure you're quite serious. Just want to tell you a few things first. You see, I've been watching you. I know you won't kill her-" My hands reach up and frame her head, then jerk sharply to the side. The snap is loud in my ears, but I don't blink as I stare him down and release her to fall to the ground. Her body crumples onto the concrete and Mr. Asshole is silent, eyes slightly wider than before as he looks at me.

"I want Peter free. Now. I don't care if I have to rip your heart out through your, probably bleached, asshole." I walk forward and the man cowers towards the twin, then they're gone. Disappeared into thin air. Ears alert for any other noise, I lean down and feel the pulse of the girl on the ground. Steady.

"G, how...how could you..."

"Pete, I didn't kill her. She's fine. I faked the snap." I assure him and straighten my broken finger as it heals before untying him, making the smallest of whimpers when I see the raw skin from the chains. Once he's free I hold him up in the chair with a gentle hand on his shoulder and another on his face while I look him over for more injuries. "Are you okay?" Even like this, he chuckles.

"Not really." Pete jokes. A grim smile takes over my mouth and I plant a kiss on his head.

"Good enough to joke means not deadly. So, this is the bad part. I'm going to have to pick you up and it's going to hurt like a son of a bitch." I warn and he takes a painful breath in preparation. "Alright." As gingerly as I possibly can, I slip my arm under his knees and behind his back before lifting him up and keeping him tight to my chest.

"Do you..." He coughs a little and blood splatters on my white shirt. "do you think we have to tell Mr. Stark about this?"

"Christ." I breathe, my smile pained and incredulous. "Yes. Yes, we've got to tell Tony. You've got to get your priorities straight." His uninjured hand pats my shoulder.

"Seems like you should too. This is...very hero-like of you." He tells me as I look over the side of the roof to try and figure a way down from here.

I shake my head at him, "Does that make you my damsel in distress?" Peter coughs/laughs at my comment and I turn back only to find Des standing in the middle of the roof staring at the woman on the ground. Deciding to be pissed later, I walk over to her.

"You've got to take her," I nod to the woman on the ground, "with us. Can you transport that many people?" Destiny's eyes are trained on the woman at our feet and I prod her dark amber arm with my foot. "She's just unconscious. Can you take us all?" I ask again and she nods tentatively. A hand grabs the hand of the woman on the ground and she puts an offensive hand on my cheek before we're gone. It feels like blinking. Disorienting because when you open your eyes, you're in a different place, but it's as quick and simple as that.

We appear back at the facility in her room and I breathe a sigh of relief. "Pick her up, drag her, I don't give a shit, and follow me." I start walking towards the built-in hospital and put Peter gently down on the first bed I come to. My first call is to Helen and she's thankfully already here for the party. Once she's tending to Pete, I make the dreaded call to Tony. I decide to Facetime so I can see his facial expressions.

Unfortunately, my number is an emergency number that always goes through no matter what setting his phone is on. He picks up on the first ring. "Swear I said not to cause trouble and if you're calling me now that means you must be in some. Grant? What's going on?" His teasing smile vanishes when he sees my expression. "Is that blood?" He asks in a higher octave and I follow his gaze to just over my left pec.

"Yes, yes it's blood. I'm uninjured okay?"

"Where are you?" He asks and I can see the background behind him get blurry as he starts moving.

"In the hospital at the facility."

"I'm there, dumbass. Stay where you are." Then he hangs up on me and I sigh. Des followed me with Dreads, so I scoop up her unconscious body and put her in a bed as well.

"Grant. Should I-"

"You're going to stay right there and explain just why the fuck you betrayed this team that welcomed you with open arms." I tell her sternly and she quiets. "And I'm going to explain why this is my fucking fault." I breathe and watch Helen work on Peter, my hand skimming over his hair as his heavy-lidded eyes look at me worriedly.

"Not...not your fault, G." He murmurs and I sigh.

"For once, stay quiet and rest. Helen's taking good care of you and Tony will be here any second to-"

"What the fucking hell is going on?" Tony enters and scans the room with worried eyes, then his eyes land on Peter. "Jesus, Peter." He whispers and he's instantly beside me and Pete.

"He's going to be fine, Mr. Stark. I'll have him fixed in no time." Helen assures him and I nod to her gratefully. Tony takes Peter's good hand in his and I quickly slip a chair behind him before he falls backwards.

"And you're not hurt?" He turns to me and pats a hand down my shirt. Smiling a bit, I catch his hand.

"I'm fine-"

"Good, so I can just be pissed. What the hell did you all do?" He asks and looks over at Des trying to shrink into herself. "Who's the random lady?" He asks and I quickly fold the metal arms of the bed around the woman's wrists so she won't be able to get away.

"It's on me, T. Des and I were talking and I told her who Pete was. She...reported it back to people she knew from the streets and they got to him. Banged him up pretty good before we got there. Dreads was there and I was hopeful she'd give us more info on what the hell is going on." Tony absorbs this slowly and I'm seventy percent sure Peter passes out in the middle. Honestly, that's probably a good thing.

"Okay, okay. We're going to go through this step by step. Young lady, sit your ass down because you're stuck in this too." Tony curls a finger at Destiny and we both sit on the floor like this is damn story time. I'm sure not to touch her. We go through the whole thing step by step, including playing Peter's voicemail to me out loud. Tony's hair is messy from continuous messing and the only thing keeping me sane is my hand steady on Peter's wrist to feel his pulse.

"And you didn't get anything from this guy? A name?"

I shake my head. "Description only. And he had weird scars on his chin. Like...an animal." Something familiar about him too. Tony nods, sighing.

"We'll see what we can find out from comatose over there. In the morning. For now, you two get to bed." Tony turns suddenly awake eyes to Des. "Know that it's only exhaustion and Grant taking some blame away from you that's keeping me from putting you away, Destiny. Just trusting you to sleep in your room tonight makes me nervous, but you got my boys back here. Go to bed." He waves her away and she shoots an apologetic look at me before disappearing. Light brown eyes meet my brown and green ones as we both stand. Heavy hands land on my shoulders before he reaches up and fluffs my hair. "You should go to bed too, bud." He tells me, but I make no move to leave.

"I'm not leaving him. And I know you aren't either, so don't bother arguing about it." I say and walk around the woman to another bed. Helen's knocked her out with a drip, so we'll wait until morning for that one. Carefully, I roll the bed over and meet Tony's eyes again with raised eyebrows. Sighing, he nods and waves at me. Grinning, I switch places with him so I'm closest to Peter before rolling over a bed for him too.

"God, I've got to make these bigger." He mumbles and a small chuckle works its way out of my lips.

"Not really meant for long-term use, T." I remind him and he hums. My eyes float back over to Pete and I grimace. "Look...I'm sorry about this. Everything-"

"No, it's not your fault." Tony interrupts and I turn my head to face him as he stares at the ceiling. He reaches over with a hand and pats my chest over my heart. "I mean, you could've called me, asshole, but other than that I think you did pretty okay." He tells me and I sigh.

"Shouldn't have told her."

"Yeah, well. If I got into this kind of trouble every time I told a girl something I shouldn't have I would probably be dead." He jokes and I still shake my head. Tony scoots away so he can look at my face. "She played you, Grant. Happens to a lot of people. Has happened to quite a few people on this team, in fact, so don't beat yourself up about it." Reluctantly, I nod and he pats my chest again with at least a little relief on his face. My eyes shut as I reach out and take Peter's hand in mine.

"Maybe this is why I can't be a hero, T."

"Hm?" He questions drowsily. One hand holding Peter's, the other on top of Tony's on my chest, my heart is simultaneously full and afraid.

"I've got so damn much to lose."

*A/N*
That last line is one of my favorites. :) What are we thinking everyone?? And don't worry, things haven't even started to get dark yet. ;) What do we think of Destiny? I love hearing your thoughts!

Keep reading lovelies!