Then it begins to smoke

Chapter 3
“What?” I yell as I jump up, nearly knocking over the small hospital bed I was laying on. “My mother is de- “
“No, I wanted you to think I was dead, I thought I could- “she stops herself shaking her head. “All that matters now, Anna is that you’re home. With your mother. Isn’t that enough?” she asks. She can’t be my mother. It’s not possible. My mother, Edith Barton died when I was five. It’s impossible for her to have survived. They were blown up! KABOOM! I’ve seen the pictures of the site. There was nothing left.
“No. It’s not. Because if you are my mother, which you aren’t. Then why would you leave your children? Why did you abandon us? If you are my mother, well then that’s just one more reason for me to hate you.” She looks a bit sad, no disappointed.
“Clint was once my good little boy. My little solider son, but I see he was more like his father in the way he raised you. Well we’re just going to have to go about this the hard way.” She says as she gestures to someone behind me. I whirl around only to be caught in the arms of a masked guard, who takes me over to the table, (which I hadn’t noticed before) and ties me down. I try to fight it, I do. I try so hard. But in the end, I’m tired and also recovering from gunshot wounds. Or maybe the guard is just stronger. Either way, in the end he wins.
Peter’s Point of View
I can’t seem to think. My brain is incapable of performing and logical trains of thought. The only thing on my mind is Anna. Is she okay? That one question racing around in my mind again and again.
Will I be okay? Am I okay? I don’t know.
Clint won’t speak to me. I’ve cried so much within the last few hours, that I don’t think I have any water left in my body.
My head hurts, apparently I wasn’t knocked out; but rather shot in the head. Thanks to my Spider-Man abilities, well they’re the only reason I’m still alive. The fact that they shot me, scares me. If they used such great force on me, a seemingly innocent bystander, what would they do to Anna?
At first, I wasn’t sure what to do. What does one do, when one’s girlfriend has been kidnapped by god knows who? I have no idea. Nobody will say anything to me. I just get sympathizing looks. Brenda’s gone. Steve looks pissed, Bruce is hiding Tony is trying to find some way to trace her. I guess that’s how I find myself on Harry’s door. I need something old, and familiar. Someone who can understand.
I don’t even realize I’m here, until I’m ringing the ornate doorbell, then I hear it, the Star Wars theme song, blaring across the lawns. I can’t help but smile, Harry and I had changed the doorbell when we were ten, his dad had been so mad, but he’d never changed it back. I guess Harry hadn’t either.
“Can I, Peter?” he asks, as he opens the door. He looks older, I guess. It’s been a year. Or longer? I don’t know.
“Hey, Harry, I- “
“Come in. Please come in Peter, we’ve got so much to talk about.” He says,
The house is just as I remember it, extremely over-the-top. The couch that we used to sleep on when Norman was on business trips, is still there, the statue we always bumped into on accident, still had that ugly crack from when I threw a football into it.Harry gestures for me to sit down, and I do.
Now that I’m here I’m not sure what to say. So much time has passed between the two of us. So much has changed. Plus, we didn’t leave on the best terms.
“So, you’re still Spider-Man?” Harry asks, I forgot how to the point he could be.
“Yeah, I am.” I say, Harry nods
“I’m sorry, before, when my dad, I just wasn’t in the right place. What I asked you to do was wrong.” He says,
“I’m sorry too, I left you behind to deal with all of that on your own. Not exactly best-friend of the year award material.” I say.
“I’m guessing you came over for more than just some forgiveness though. Something else is bothering you. Are you and MJ- “
“MJ and I aren’t a thing anymore. Haven’t been one in a while. But you’re right, I came for something else. To be honest I don’t really know why I came here.”
“Is something wrong?” he asks; I laugh at that. Is something wrong? What isn’t wrong?
“So much, is happening right Harry. So much, and I have no idea what to do with any of it.”
“Well, tell me.” He says simply.
“I met this girl,” I start, Harry laughs
“Peter Parker: the lady wooer.” He teases, I laugh
“It wasn’t like that though. This girl, she was so crazy. And tough. And a bit weird, not to mention intimidating; and god she’s beautiful. Like seriously, wow.” Harry chuckles at this, “She’s so, different Harry. She’s amazing.”
“Well you should invite her over, I have to give her the “best-friend stamp of approval and all” that’s when my smile fades
“She can’t.” I whisper
“Why not? Are you- “
“They took her, Harry. I don’t know who, but they took her. What if I can’t get her back? What am I supposed to do?’ I ask, more to myself than to him.
“Tell me everything you can, maybe I can pour some Oscorp resources into it, see if I can- “
“I have Tony Stark.” I say, Harry looks at me,
“You have Tony Stark?” I nod
“Dude, that guy is a LEGEND. How did you meet- oh wait never mind?” He says, as he focuses on the task at hand.
“So, this girl,” he pauses I haven’t told him her name yet. “Anna,” “So, Anna was taken how long ago?” he asks, “A day.” I say. I hardly believe it’s been a day. I haven’t seen her in a day. Harry nods “Okay, do you have any idea who could have taken her? Any enemies of yours?” he asks,
“That’s the thing, I think that it might be one of her enemies.”
“Your girlfriend has enemies, what is she Red Hood?” he asks, rolling his eyes. Then they widen “Holy- your girlfriend is Red Hood!” he exclaims. “Way to go Peter!!” he says as he claps me on the back. God I missed having a best friend.

Notes