Video. Burner Phone: Spider-Man. | hhhEEELP

[madeupnames]

Hey, so, need a hand — shit — damn it —

[LANGUAGE.

Also sorry, there's a THUMP-TING noise, because he clips into a light post he did noooot see in the middle of swinging over the city.

The feed spins to life, a red, white, and black masked face in instant view for a moment before the video rolls and rolls — a cement roof underfoot, as the figure stumbles with a gasp of surprise before pretty much crash-landing. The screen is black, the unseen figure moans, and then, holding achy ribs (it was a light fall, no worries, but the way this hurts way more when it didn't before is a little unnerving), he reappears again. It's the local Spider-Man, and the feed doesn't seem to want to stop shivering as the wind whistles. He swallows. Or, um, tries to, but he seems to have some trouble with that.

It's late in the afternoon, the light fading from the sky, and he's breathless from the running (swinging, climbing, panicking) he'd just done.]

Sorry! [Swallow.] Sorry. I fell, but I'm good. I'm, I'm fantastic. Never better. Don't tell Tony Stark. [An A-OK sign is held up with his fingers, the mask blissfully blank and pleasant and voice tempered into something less panicked; cool, we're in hero mode.] Uh, I was out looking for — for these two, Billy and Teddy? They haven't been around, so I was worried they'd... And then Lanie, she's this kid from the park, her mom can't find her. And I owe her, like, five front of the line amusement park coins at this point — right, not the time. But I've been scouting because her mom is seriously freaking out, and...

There were — there was this younger lady was flagging me for help. Said she hurt their ankle while she was out running, so I swung over, but it was tooootally a trap. Like, full-on 'Mouse Trap, look out, don't go for the cheese' kind of trap . And when I went to pick the lady up and take her to the hospital — [He seems to choke on the word a little, swallowing again, straining against something at his throat.] She snapped this on me, and some of their buddies jumped out to grab me once they knew it was latched and working.

[With a nervous chuckle, he shows the metal collar around his neck, which he vainly tries to claw his fingers under.

It's doing something to me. I can't see and hear things like I used to, and my strength's freakin' gone, and nothing's dialed to 11 right now. Like, it just sapped the powers right out of me. And let me tell you, swinging around when you've got no endurance and no healing factor is really scary! Indiana Jones is nuts. [A breathless laugh, brushing the situation off as easy-breezy and not an issue.] They must've thought my webshooters were a part of my powers or something, because they were were surprised when I took off like a bat out of heck. A-anyway, I'm really sorry. I didn't... I should've went after them, but I'm... I'm having a hard time focusing... a little...

This thing is, like, so uncomfortably tight. I think the clasp works like handcuffs do. [Another uncomfortable laugh that may or may not be bordering on a panic attack, as he scrapes gloved fingers against the too-tight collar again.] I can't even get the mask off.

[A pause, and he looks toward where he had swung in from — as if he's considering going back to the park, torn between common sense and his job as both a hero and perimeter guard member. "Peter, your heart rate is unnaturally high," Karen the AI says helpfully in his ear. He's trying to breathe against the fabric of the mask. His vision is blurry.

... He needs his glasses. But he doesn't own glasses anymore.

A bit more defeatedly:]


... Can anyone get this thing off and, I don't know. Figure out how it works?










Please?

Comments

video; @falcon

[wingedman]

[Sam just pinches the bridge of his nose for a moment because he is having A Week. First everything with the damn canisters, and now Parker's in a mess, and Billy and Teddy are missing? Shit, he's going to have to figure out how to sit on Tony and Stephen at the same time.]

I don't think you can actually keep this from Stark if you post it on an open channel. Just sayin'.

[Since everything else seems to be well in hand.]

video; @falcon

[madeupnames]

I didn't think of it in the middle of my swinging dramatics, okay?

[He is just a little snappy, like a true teenager ought to be, but there's a layer of bubbling panic under it that floats to the surface a little. He scrubs his face with his hands and is unhappy to find nothing magically corrects itself.]

... Can you, like. Put a hand in front of his screen.

Make loud beatbox noises to drown out the audio?

[wingedman]

You know there's two of them, right?

[Although he admittedly doesn't know if Sad Tony is overprotective of Peter yes he is.

Sam's voice softens when he speaks again.]

Look, kid. Nobody expects you to do everything, okay? You don't have to apologize for not going after them when you're all fucked up. You got away, and that's what matters. Someone'll get that shit off of you and we can analyze it and use that to help the other people who have been kidnapped.

[madeupnames]

[Oh, right. Two of them.

Hilariously (stupidly), he's not worried they're gonna worry — he doesn't feel like he'd be someone the Starks would worry about. They're not super, super close, right? If anything, he might just be That Kid who Tony built a suit for, and has to keep an eye on for collateral damage.

He just doesn't want to annoy them, that's for sure.

Peter sucks in a little breath, glancing away from the screen with what is probably guilt — he really shouldn't have bolted like that. It was a fight or flight reaction that got tipped right into flight when he realized his powers were completely sapped. He was just anxious, fleeing Peter all over again. That nerd with the big glasses who avoided trouble and kept his nose down.

It was a mistake, he thinks, to have let that get to him.

But he is smart enough to also recognize if it were someone else, he would have told them it was smart to get out of there. His voice is a little quieter, strained, though the collar doesn't help with that.]

... I know. I just — people are going missing, and I had a chance to do something. I didn't think it through under pressure.

[wingedman]

Yeah, it's the whole damn hero complex, I get it.

[He's too young, Sam thinks, and if Tony weren't about to snap as it is, Sam would probably yell at him for bringing a fucking kid into everything. But it's not like anyone else around here thinks things through, so really, Peter fits right in with the rest of the Avengers.

But the thing is, Sam's seen stupid kids run into shit - kids only a few years older than Peter in Afghanistan, thinking they're doing the right thing, just following instincts instead of thinking things through. It makes Sam's stomach twist with worry, because, shit, the kid's not a super-soldier or a guy in a metal suit, he's just a teenager from Queens.]

Stark's really done a number on your head.

[madeupnames]

[He laughs, surprisingly jaded.]

Don't worry, plenty of other stuff's done a number, too.

[Like watching your uncle die because you didn't do a damn thing. And now people are gonna get kidnapped by these guys who tried to kidnap him, all because he didn't stop them? It's bogus, is what.]

... It's not like I wasn't already doing this when Mr. Stark came along, I mean.

He just found me, right time, right place.

[The suit really helps the gig. But he'd do it with or without the suit, no contest.]

[buildsomething]

How do you think I found him in the first place?

[It comes from somewhere behind Sam, because yeah. Guess who's listening. And Tony's clearly aiming for something dry, but there's a slight waver to his voice that doesn't quite get there.]

If you haven't already found someone to take care of it, swing by and I'll take a look.

[Is he going to do some engineering right there in his hospital bed? You bet.]

[madeupnames]

[His face is as red as the suit beneath it. So. That's something.]

M—Mr. Stark, no, no, you should be resting. [HAS HE REALLY BEEN JUST SITTING BEHIND YOU SAM HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THIS????] I'm totally fine, and I'll definitely get it handled, so like — don't even sweat it. You're so not doing lab work from bedrest, c'mon.

[buildsomething]

[He straightens up just enough to give him a look from over Sam's shoulder. You had better be fine, Peter.]

Fine. But let me take a look at it once it's off?

[madeupnames]

... I mean, that's not really resting...

[He's probably gonna bring it to you anyway. But like, he's just saying.]

[buildsomething]

Look, there's only so much sitting here and doing nothing that I can do.

[If anyone was going to understand that...

But something indefinable flicks through Tony's expression.]

You sure you're okay?

[madeupnames]

I mean, I ran into a lamp post, if that's what you're worried about.

But I've been — worse. [He does sound like he's on the verge of a panic attack, how homely and familiar that must be to Tony's ears.] This hero kid, Robin, he's gonna get it off. Hopefully. I sent him the coordinates.

[He laughs a little.]

... I think I figured out something to add to the suit, by the way?

A Prescription Glasses Option.

[Did I ever mention I was blind as a fucking bat before my powers?]

[buildsomething]

[That is not at all what Tony's worried about, and that tight sound in Peter's voice is not encouraging. But he can't exactly explain why he's so worried, not without making things worse.

When he replies, his voice is as calming as he can make it.]

We'll look into it. Just. Take some deep breaths, okay? I promise it helps.

[madeupnames]

[I can't, it's too tight, I can't get this thing off and I can't get the mask off and—

He takes in as best a breath he can, and smiles behind the mask anyway.]

Sure thing. Yeah, deep breaths. I'll be there in no time, okay? Collar off and ready for you. [He salutes a little, goofy as ever.] Won't let you down, captain, and all that motivational stuff. Uh.

... How's your day been?

[buildsomething]

[A for effort on the deflection, but you're talking to a master of it, Peter. Still, Tony's going to let him get away with it, because the other option is to probably have his own meltdown all over the poor kid.]

Nobody's tried to kidnap me today, so I guess I'm doing okay.

[God, it's just occurred to him that Peter could have just. Vanished. And Tony's going to need to take a few deep breaths of his own.]

[madeupnames]

[Just wait until he works up the courage to ask about Titan.

Because Mantis told him a little about being on another planet.

That can wait. For forever, yeah?]

Yeah, right? Scary. For them, I mean. I would have been a really annoying captive. They'd hear the A to Z basics of Star Wars for nine hours straight. I'd be handed right back with an apology letter. They'd completely change their creepy ways.

[Is this helping, is being a dweeb setting any concerns at ease?]

[wingedman]

[Sam makes some belated beatboxing noises for the sake of it, like he's pretending he's got Peter's back.]

Swing by anyway and I'll buy you a nice dinner in the hospital cafeteria. All the pudding you can eat, on me.

[And maybe he and Tony can keep the kid from sneaking out-

Okay, maybe Sam can try to keep Peter and Tony from sneaking out.

Hahahahahaha.]

[madeupnames]

I can't believe how delayed your beatboxing is.

[How can such a dumb sentence be spoken so miserably?

But...]

Pudding sounds pretty great, right about now.

[Of course, he doesn't foresee the shitshow of his powers returning, so as far as he's concerned, he'll definitely have the stomach for ten cups of pudding.]

[wingedman]

Hey, now, I don't beatbox for just anyone. You should appreciate it.

[Well...at least he can carefully eat one cup of pudding? Or maybe some applesauce? Or crackers?

SAM WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU PRECIOUS CHILD.]

[madeupnames]

You're right, you're right. My bad.

[Still a little shaky, but he's at least distracted.]

Was that your gig before hero duty? You should make it a career.

[Is he being a little shit, or genuine? You'll never know.]

[wingedman]

Yeah, I was a subway rapper before I just strapped on a pair of wings one day. Surprised you never saw me.

[So. Dry.]

[madeupnames]

... Dude, that's not even a joke in New York.

I can play a mean drumline, if you need back-up.

[wingedman]

Where the hell do you think I'm from, kid?

[Does anyone outside of New York make jokes like that?]

Just 'cause I don't spend all my time going "well, I'm just a kid from Brooklyn" doesn't mean I'm not from the city. Harlem, to be exact.

[madeupnames]

It almost sounds like you're making fun of Mr. Rogers a little there, if I didn't know any better.

[He does have a smile to his voice, though. Good distracting, Sam.]

Harlem's a great community, though. And the food is crazy good. Ever been to the Red Rooster?

[wingedman]

Would I ever make fun of Steve?

[So innocent. The answer is yes, absolutely, 24/7.]

Couple times, when I could get in. I oughta drag Steve there the next time we're in the city, get him to eat some proper collard greens. And ooh, their shrimp and grits. If I could get some good chorizo here, man.

[A, Sam loves talking about food, and B, Southern cuisine is his specialty. Good job, Peter.]