chapter thirty-three!
the vulture

PETER FELT his hands shaking.

He forgot how to talk; like his throat had become nothing more than a parched desert. The Vulture━Liz's father━must've taken his sudden horror as nerves, for what boy wasn't nervous to meet his girlfriend's father? Peter was thankful for it, because soon, a smile returned to the Vulture's face, plastering upon his leathery skin to say, "You must be Peter."

He doesn't know I know, Peter's rationality told him. Keep it cool. But his chest screamed with pain, he felt his limbs and his skin light up━he could hear everything. He could hear the flies, the rustle of insects against the leaves of the garden, sirens from blocks away━was that a girl cheering all the way from Brooklyn? Peter's senses were alight, and he felt overwhelmed. His vision narrowed, his breath hitched, his heart pounded, like he was hit with some sensory overload that made him want to shout and jump.

He swallowed hard. "Y━yeah," he managed, the corsage container starting to crink and fold with his strength. Peter forced himself to stop and to hold back.

The Vulture looked him up and down, rather amused at his state. "I'm Liz's dad," he held out his hand, "put it there."

Peter's hand shot out without him telling to, grasping Liz's father's hand in a vice of a grip, not comprehending his strength at the moment. The Vulture's eyes widened in a moments surprise. Then, he grinned, impressed, "Hell of a grip!" He nodded inside, "Come on in!" not letting go of his hand, Peter was dragged into Liz's home. There was a moth that followed, wings feathering towards the bright light. Peter flinched when he heard the tap of the bug against the bulb as loud as a gunshot.

The Vulture let go to close the door, and Peter stood there, as pale as a ghost and as rigid as a board. He's never been so aware of someone standing beside him before━as if waiting for any movement that would mean danger.

He forced his feet to move down the hallway. The house looked different when it wasn't a party━still nice, still homely despite the large glass windows and expensive furniture, but Peter could barely pay any attention to the photos of Liz hugging her father, or the wedding pictures, or little baby Liz with her mouth covered in blue icing and chocolate cake.

Liz's father marched past him towards the kitchen. Peter followed carefully, even the touch of the wood under his feet making him want to jump and stick to the ceiling.

"Hi, Peter!"

Peter gasped, spinning around and holding up the corsage as if to throw. When he realised it was Liz's mom, he froze and slowly lowered his arm. Liz's mother chuckled at him, brushing past with a, "Well, you look very handsome," before walking up to her husband behind the kitchen counter.

To see him give her a side-hug as she neared was absurd. Peter could never imagine the man he had seen in that horrific bird suit be a real man, in a real home, with a wife and a kind, sweet daughter. He couldn't━and yet, here he stood.

"Did you get his name right?" whispered Liz's mother to her husband.

The Vulture frowned, "Freddy?" he guessed horribly on purpose.

"Peter!" Liz's mother laughed, giving him a nudge and shooting Peter a knowing smile to say, don't worry. She walked up to him, squeezing his shoulder, "I'm going to get Liz."

Peter watched her go, begging that she'd stay. But it wasn't long until he was left alone in the kitchen with the man who tried to kill him. He doesn't know━but what if he did? What if he found out? Peter felt bare and vulnerable, and without his suit. He was standing alone on a battlefield with no sword or armour.

He felt like a spider frozen on the wall, staring back at someone with a shoe about to squash him. The Vulture stopped drying the dishes to frown at Peter. He pointed the cloth at him, "You all right, Pete?" he picked up a large meat knife and brought the cloth over the blunt edge. Peter eyed it, his legs shaking, ready to bolt.

He stood his ground. If he ran, that was it, his cover would be blown. "Y━yeah."

"'Cause you look," he pulled it away from the cloth and gestured towards him. The sharp point glinted under the kitchen light. Peter involuntarily stepped back, "pale." He quirked a brow and set the blade into the knife block. "You want something to drink? Like a bourbon, or a scotch or something like that...?"

Peter shook his head, his mouth feeling like paper, "I━I'm not old enough to drink."

The Vulture smirked at him. He winked, "The right answer."

He doesn't know I know. He doesn't know. He doesn't know━

Liz's father saw something over his shoulder, and his eyes widened. "Oh, my, god. Wow! Wow, wow, wow!"

Peter swivelled around. This should've been different. His breath should've been taken away, but all Peter could focus on was the exits, the sound of his shoes on the hardwood floors and the spider spinning a web in the corner behind the television. And the breathing, the heartbeat, the very heartbeat of the Vulture behind him. "You look beautiful," he told his daughter.

Liz smiled shyly, playing with the frills of her beautiful pink skater dress. She walked beside her mother, meeting Peter's gaze briefly and going rosy to her cheeks. Liz flattened her skirt. "Dad..." she drawled, "Don't embarass me ..."

Her father gestured to Peter and then back at her, "Doesn't she, Pete?"

She did. And Peter wished━god, did he wish this was different. But all thoughts wouldn't stray from the great big DANGER! sign plastered right above Mr. Toomes's head. "Y━yeah," his voice was breathless out of fear. He could feel himself growing hot in his suit. "You━you look really good."

Liz hadn't been expecting that answer. Her brows furrowed and she pursed her lips, coming to an unsure stance beside him. She waited for Peter to meet her gaze, but he kept his stare onto her father. His shoulders hunched slightly when he pulled out a fork to dry, and stayed like that until he was sure it was in the drawer.

"Once again," said the Vulture, nodding to Pete, "the right answer!"

Liz arched a brow. She set her jaw. She glanced down at the box in his hands and prompted, "Is that a corsage?"

Peter flung it out for her to take, not moving his gaze at all.

Liz Toomes grabbed the pastic, not sure whether to be concerned or annoyed. "Right, thanks," she muttered.

"Well, hey," Mr. Toomes set aside the dishcloth and clapped his hands together, "I'm your chauffeur, so, uh, let's get this show on the road."

Liz's mother, who had been having a glass of water, made a quick sound of disagreement. She sculled the rest of her water and shook her head. Mr. Toomes frowned at the glass she passed over that he had just cleaned and dried. As soon as she swallowed, she let out, "Whoa, whoa, no, no, no, no! Let's take some pictures, babe. Oh! Right here!" she found her phone on the bench, and Peter couldn't have a second to say no, stuck there as she held it up. "Okay, come on, you guys!" she teased, motioning for Peter to shuffle closer to Liz.

He didn't move and Liz rolled her eyes. She stepped in close, leaning down and towards him as she smiled.

"Smile!" grinned Liz's mother.

Peter awkwardly bared his teeth.

"There we go!"

He didn't know whether she took more. He fixed his gaze back onto the Vulture, wondering whether he could hear how fast his heart was racing like Peter could. He could hear Liz's breathing, he could feel the draft coming from down the hall━he knew exactly which room had a window open, because he could hear all of the noises of the suburbs like there were speakers in this very room.

"S━sir," he blurted out without realising, "you don't have to drive us━"

"Nah! Nah!" Mr. Toomes waved his hand as Liz rushed over to check the photos her mother took. "It's not a big deal." He grabbed his coat. "I'm going out of town, it's right on my way."

"He's always coming and going," said his wife. She smiled at Liz, "Have fun!" she whispered. She then glanced at Peter and added, "He's cute."

"Mom!" objected Liz. "Shhh!"

If you only knew why, Peter thought.

"This is the last time," said Mr. Toomes, grabbing a second coat and throwing it over his shoulders. "I promise."

Peter's brow quirked, staring at the Vulture as those words made something in him spike. Last time? What last time? What was his plan━?

Doesn't matter, he reminded himself. You don't have the suit.

Mr. Toomes kissed his wife goodbye before gesturing for Peter and Liz to follow. "Come on, Pedro!" He grabbed his keys.

Mrs. Toomes rolled her eyes, "Bye Peter, have fun."

"Yeah," managed Peter, walking slowly and stiffly towards the door. "I━I will ..."

The Vulture opened the door, and Peter hunched as he passed him and followed Liz outside, not seeing the suspicious frown upon his face.

*ೃ༄

SO FAR Peter was surviving the car trip. There was little conversation. Liz tried to talk to him, probably to try and make him feel more at ease, and Peter felt bad to always cut off the conversations quickly and curtly before getting back to staring off her father in the driver's seat. Time didn't seem to exist━the drive of twenty minutes now seemed to have felt like hours and they weren't even close to the school yet.

Until Mr. Toomes started to speak, and that was when Peter's act started to fall.

"What're you gonna do, Pete?"

Peter jumped in his seat, eyes wide. "W━what?"

"When you graduate, what're you gonna do?"

"U━uh ..." Peter stammered. "Oh━I━uh━I don't know."

Liz rolled her eyes from behind her phone, "Don't grill him, Dad."

Mr. Toomes shrugged, "Just sayin'. All you guys that go to that school, you pretty much have your life planned out, right?"

Peter had to come up with some answer. He needed to keep his cover. The first thing he could think of, with Mr. Toomes's eyes on him through the mirror was, "Uh━NYU."

Liz's father's brows rose, impressed, "NYU, kid? Good on you."

Peter cursed to himself. He should've said M.I.T; he's an engineering kid, he goes to school and has electives all in engineering. But he freaked out and the only college he could think of was the one Nina always spoke about. "I━I mean, I'm just still figuring it out. I━I'm only a Sophmore..."

Liz glanced at him, confused, "What?" she asked him and he pursed his lips. He screwed up. He remembered telling Liz about M.I.T once, too━he'd never think she'd remember, but he really underestimated her. "No, Dad," she leaned forward to tell her father: "Peter has an internship with Tony Stark, so," she sounded very proud of him. Peter felt a flush of guilt, "he basically has a future at M.I.T sorted out. I think he doesn't have to worry."

She sat back, giving Peter a smile to say, you're welcome. He replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Really?" Mr. Toomes was surprised. His attention focused right onto Peter. Dammit. "Stark?" Liz hummed, back to scrolling through her Instagram. Peter glimpsed her tap Felicia's story, showing her, Michelle Jones and Nina in the back of Mr. Hart's car. "Huh ... what do you do?"

Peter set his jaw, glowering out of the window as he realised he'd have to explain how things changed. "Actually, I━" he swallowed his bile, "━I don't ... intern with him anymore ..."

Liz immediately glanced up from messaging Felicia: you guys look amazing! on her private messages, shocked with her brows rising in sympathy. "What?"

Peter met her gaze, his leg bouncing. "Y━yeah," he forced. "I━um━" he tried to think of an excuse on the spot that didn't sound suspicious, "━it got boring."

She frowned at him, incredulous, "It was boring? You got to hang out with Spider-Man."

Dammit, Liz! He took a sharp breath though his nose, gaze shooting back to her father who glanced at him through the mirror again. "Really?" he let out. "Spider-Man? Wow ..." he paused for a horrifying moment. Peter clasped his hands so tight his finger joints became stiff. "What ... what's he like?"

Peter swallowed, feeling sick. "Y━yeah," he managed in a high voice, "he's━he's nice. N━nice man ... solid dude ..."

The Vulture hummed, his curiosity growing. He gave Peter a final stare through the mirror before focusing back onto the road.

"Hey, look," Liz leaned across and against his shoulder, smiling to show him a video of a puppy, "so cute!"

He forced a chuckle out of his lips, "Aw." Liz grinned, happy and sat back, continuing to scroll. As soon as she did, the smile dropped of Peter's face.

"I've seen you around, right?" said the Vulture. Peter's attention jetted over, breath hitched in the back of his throat. "By━I━I mean, somewhere, we've ..." Peter's heart━if it was even possible━started to race even faster, "━have we ever?" He quickly shook his head, trying hard to not seem desperate. He can't recognise him. He can't. "'Cause even the voice sounds..."

"Um," Liz thought about it, not looking up. She didn't see the tension grow between her date and her father, "he does Academic Decathlon with me."

Mr. Toomes frowned, "Oh," like this wasn't what he was thinking. Peter could feel the sweat dripping from his brow now.

"And he was at my party."

"Ah ... okay."

"It was a great party," Peter tried to hide how much his voice trembled. "Really great ... yeah, beautiful house ... lots of ... windows ..."

Liz smiled at him, mischevious as if she knew what he was doing. He glanced at her, "What do you mean? You were there for like two seconds."

Peter stared at her, at loss for words. "I━uh━that━that's was━I was there longer than two seconds."

She arched a brow, "You disappeared," she told him.

"N━No," he lied, seeing the way Liz's father eyed him through the rearview mirror. "No, I did not disappear."

She grew miffed, "Yes, you did," she argued. "You disappeared, like you always do. Like you did in D.C, too."

They stopped at a red light. Peter watched Liz scoff and turn to her phone, shaking her head and trying to move on. He took a quivering breath, feeling as though the car was getting smaller and smaller.

Mr. Toomes sighed. There was a change to his voice; he sounded like he was almost speaking through gravel, eyeing Peter as they waited. "It's terrible what happened down there in D.C., though, were you scared?"

Peter's mouth grew dry again. He nodded.

"I bet you were real glad when your old pal Spider-Man showed up in the elevator, though?"

He felt a lump grow in his throat. Peter was stuck. He had nowhere to go. He glanced at Liz, wondering how he'd get her out of here━she couldn't know the truth, it would destroy her. They were at the red light, they could go━he could do something? But with what? He didn't have his web slingers, or his suit, he'd risk his identity worse than right now. That would be it. He couldn't let that happen. He had to keep this up. He needed to keep this secret up. But it was unwravelling; he could feel it falling apart.

And he was terrified.

"I━I━" his voice broke off. Peter clenched his hands. "Y━yeah, well I━I━I actually didn't go up. I━I saw it all from the ground." He hated the way the Vulture stared at him through that mirror. He felt like he was looking into the very eyes of the bird he was named after━scavenging for meat, for parts, for answers; pits of a dark, soulless animal who'd do anything to survive ... and it told Peter he had no fear in doing whatever it took to get him out of the picture. "V━very lucky that he was there that day."

There was a tense moment of silence━terrifying silence. And then the Vulture smiled. A cruel, cold smile that sent chills up Peter's neck. The light turned green, and it reflected off his face in a goulish, monstrous glow. "Good ol' Spider-Man..."

Cars honked. People shouted. Mr. Toomes was yet to continue through the green. Liz frowned, wondering what was happening. When she saw, she said in a careful, slow voice, "Uh ... Dad? The light."

Her father fixed the gear and pushed onwards, leaving Peter in a breathless terror. He counted down the seconds that they went down the road; every corner, every switch of the lane, watching for the moment that the Vulture realised. That he'd have to get them out of here.

But sure enough, they arrived at the school, and turned into the gates towards the lit complex. Students milled around, waiting for friends or heading straight inside towards the growing crowd in the gymnasium. Peter has never been so relieved to see school.

They stopped right outside the steps. The car halted, and Peter felt locked in.

"Here we are," said the Vulture cheerfully. "End of the line."

Liz sent him a smile as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Thanks, Dad."

Peter went to leave with her, desperate to get out, but his luck wasn't in his favour. As soon as he moved, Mr. Toomes spoke up with a quick, "You head in there, Gumdrop━" Liz glanced back, confused, "━I'm gonna give Peter the━uh━" he shrugged, playing it off as a joke ... Peter didn't hear it as some joke. This was it. He was screwed. He could feel it, hear it like a buzz in his ear. Telling him: this is not right, "━the Dad Talk."

Liz noticed the pale look to his face. She pursed her lips and reached out to squeeze his hand, all forgiven, "Don't let him intimidate you." She leaned around to kiss her father on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you, Gumdrop."

"Have a safe flight," Liz stepped out of the car. She closed the door. And Peter Parker was alone with the Vulture.

Absolutely alone.

As soon as his daughter left, the air switched. Peter could feel it drop into something cold and sinister. He watched Mr. Toomes reach forward and out from his dashboard, he pulled out a glistening hand-gun.

His heart shuddered. His eyes widened. He eyed the barrel that was set against the back of the passenger chair, aimed right at him.

He knew he had been found out.

The Vulture turned to face him, that dark look back in his eye, "Does she know?"

Peter found himself slipping his hand into his pocket where his phone sat. He didn't know whether he'd be able to speak, but he did. "Know what?" he said in a low voice.

The Vulture nodded slightly, "So she doesn't. Good. Close to the vest, I admire that."

Peter scowled, slowly and carefully pulling out his phone. He set his jaw, hoping he looked braver than he felt.

"I got a few secrets of my own," went on Mr. Toomes. "Of all the reasons I didn't want my daughter to date━" he made a face, scoffing in sick amusement. Peter did not move his glower, setting his phone onto th eleather seats beside him. "Peter. Nothing is more important than family━you saved my daughter's life and I can never forget something like that so I'm gonna give you one chance. Are you ready?"

Peter just kept his jaw set. It hid his trembling breath.

The Vulture took this as his answer. He tightened the grip on his gun. He subtly nodded to the school, "You walk through those doors, you forget any of this happened, and don't you ever━ever━interfere with my business again. 'Cause if you do ..." He leaned foward slightly. Peter couldn't stop the sharp breath he took through his nose at the movement. The Vulture's eyes glinted at the sight, satisfied.

He dropped his voice into a deadly, terrifying whisper, "I'll kill you," he told Peter Parker, "and everybody you love..."

There was some laughter outside. He recognised it, and he should have never let his gaze wander. He should have kept it right onto the Vulture, but he made the mistake of finding her, laughing as she joined her friends at the school doors in a beautiful dress of orange, unbeknowest to the danger he had just put her in by letting his heart react to the Vulture's threat.

The Vulture noticed, and a cruel grin grew onto his cruel face, "I'll kill her, and I'll kill you dead." Peter tensed, eyes flaring up with livid fury amongst his petrified tears. "That's what I'll do to protect my family, Pete, you understand?"

Peter hung his head, hating how a tear fell down his cheek. He gave a numb nod.

"Hey," The Vulture sneered. Peter glanced up, dreading what else he'd might say with everything he had. "I just saved your life. You know what you say?"

Peter forced back his tears. His legs felt numb. He met his gaze and croaked out a weak: "Thank you."

Mr. Toomes nodded, "You're welcome. Now, you go on in there, you show my daughter a good time, okay? Just not too good." He smiled. Peter did not feel like that was a kind smile whatever. He felt like he was meat to be picked at━scavenged, ripped to pieces, left there to rot.

The conversation was over. The threat was placed. Peter pursed his lips. He took a final, sharp breath. He scowled through the window.

He had already made a decision, he knew that.

He opened the door, bending forward. As he did, he gently dropped his phone quietly onto the carpet car floor. He stepped outside, the night quiet and muffled for the first time this entire night. Peter closed the door behind him, something filling up inside him. Everyone's laughter, everyone's chatter, the music inside the school, it was like he was hearing it from underwater.

Peter clenched and unclenched his hands, watching the Vulture drive away━driving away to cause trouble. To let others get the chance to hurt others━to hurt his friends, their friends, their family. Queens, New York ... in that sleek green car. Peter crossed the street and stepped up onto the stairs. Each step felt heavy. He went over the Vulture's words.

I'll kill you, and everyone you love ...

He felt defeated. But not in the way he was sure Mr. Toomes wanted him too. Peter hit a realisation━a heavy realisation that made his shoulders drop down with something bigger than pain, or sadness, or grief over his life.

It was responsibility.

Peter walked into the school. He slowly drifted down the hallway and towards the gym where inside through the glass doors, he saw the Homecoming Dance in full motion. He saw students dancing, eating, chatting at tables and laughing ... a normal life. A happy life. A life without pain, without understanding━without knowing the danger of their home. The little guys. The neighbourhood.

Can't you just be a friendly neigh-bourhood Spider-Man?

Peter saw his friends. Ned spotted him first in his hat. He smiled and waved, causing the others to glance over. Michelle Jones smiled and went to wave him, only to flip him off. And then Nina glanced over. She tilted her head and waved, giving him a sweet, accepting smile.

I'll kill her, and I'll kill you dead.

If he turned away right now, let this pass, the Vulture would promise her safety. But he made a mistake. He never should have threatened her in the first place. He didn't realise the truth: that no matter what, there are others like him, and they'll hurt the people Peter cares about. And that's why Peter couldn't walk through those doors like a normal kid. He couldn't go in there, and laugh, and dance with Liz. He couldn't walk away. Because he was the only person who could help and protect his friends. He was the only one who could stop the Vulture. He had to.

Suit or not, Peter Parker had to protect those he cared about, because if he didn't, then he'd lose them.

He was Spider-Man. And right now, he was the exact web-slinger his friends, his neighbourhood, even New York needed.

That was his choice. And he made it without a second thought.

Peter set his jaw. He accepted his fate. He was never going to be a normal school kid. And it was his fate to bear.

He pulled open the door and stepped into the gym. Music played, and he shuffled through the crowd, seeing Liz standing there in her pink dress, not even realising what he was about to do. And in reality, that was what he was upset most about.

She saw him and smiled. Walking up, Liz let out a gentle, "Hey ..." she saw the look on his face and slouched, all-knowing, "What did he say to you?" when he didn't say anything, the amused smile fell from her lips. Her brows furrowed, a bit startled, "Peter? Are you okay?"

Peter took a deep breath. "I got to go." He told her, sure. He saw the way her face dropped, hurt. "I━I'm sorry," Peter promised Liz, "you don't deserve this."

And like that, Spider-Man took off for the door. He sprinted past the students, past Flash, past Ned, past Nina━and her gaze followed him, her eyes widening as she understood.

Nina made a decision, too. Without glancing at the others, completely ignoring their questions, Nina Hart broke off into a fast run after him.

*ೃ༄

a/n: double post!!!!!!!!! we're getting rly close to the end of the first part omg!!!!

i'm so hyped like--so much planned hehehe.

i have no memes for this chapter lol, it was all some serious suspense drama. but i promise i'll have a bunch when i do put them in. we'll have a meme spectacular ... hopefully, that sounds like a lot of pressure.