The night was green, the sounds of sirens filling the city. Specks of darkness slipped through the clouds of gaseous green as they warped and shifted in the air, various helicopters still flying overhead.

  In the distance black and grey smoke still billowed out into the sky, casting everything. Only a few orange hues remained visible throughout the city now, the last of them fading quickly. Ty wiped at his face with an already soot covered rag, sniffing as he struggled for breath, trails of soot-stained sweat dripping off his face.

  Today reminded him of the news he’d seen about the BRC explosion. The Chinatown explosions too. Back when he’d still been in school. He remembered seeing it on the news, the broken bodies and buildings, the helplessness he’d felt in it all. Of knowing, really knowing, that heroes wouldn’t always be there to save people. It’d been what made him join eventually. Maybe out of some semblance of duty to his city, or some strange pride he’d held. To respecting of his own self-image to devote himself to anything else.

  And so, he’d worked. Helped make people’s lives better. Found friends and earned a smidgeon of respect most only reserved for superheroes. He’d felt that optimism return. That hope that the world was just as safe as he’d always thought before everything. Sure, there had been small events, small slips ups, places where the fa?ade came down. Certain wrecks he’d had to clear, images he’d seen on the news, buildings he’d rescued from, seen rebuilt and then torn down again by more chaos.

  But today was different. It wasn’t localised. Not just one building, or one district. It was everywhere. The entire city frown into chaos. And not just from the fires. A day like this wasn’t one for criminals to pass up on. He’d seen more police cars here today than in the last year, most headed for Chinatown. But that wasn’t his job to focus on. His job was to fight fires, and rescue those trapped in their wrecks.

  Even as the sky darkened, and the light of day burned into night. Even when he was slowly losing hope. He sighed, wiping at his face again, before glancing to the tarp that covered the bodies of far too many. A sight he’d seen more than once today. One he’d probably see a lot more of in the coming hours.

  He looked away, to the dust on the asphalt, grinding the heel of his boot into it as he clenched his teeth. Ty hadn’t been a fire fighter for long, but he suspected he wouldn’t be this busy for a long time.

  Still, there was some hope. Seeing the old heroes of his squad return without question, watching as volunteers and civilians worked with them to save as many lives as possible, as men and women who’d lost everything fought to help families that remained reunite. Seeing the way people came together on days like this, it reminded him of what humanity could be. Even when darkness took the world, there was still good.

  “There always is” he repeated to himself, a mantra. “There always is.”

  A chorus of shouts suddenly echoed out from the crowd gathered off to the side. He looked to them then followed their gazes to the sky. The spider-men and woman swung overhead, towards the last of the orange hues of fire. Cheers echoed out from the crowd as they swung overhead, people shouting praise relentless at the heroes. He smiled to himself, before clapping himself. Seeing the heroes up close was cool too.

  “Tyrone! What you sitting for?! They need us on fifth! Move your ass!”

  “Right! Sorry boss!” he shouted, leaping up. He jogged forward, sparing a glance to the sky, feeling his smile return. Tonight was a going to be a long night. But there’d be nights to come still. And that was reason enough to continue on.

  -

  Wind whipped through my hair as I struggled against. The goblin carried me over his shoulder, my body still tied up in the chains, and the collar still firmly placed around my neck.

  “You don’t have to do this!” I cried, desperate. He ignored me continuing on across the sky as the glider left a trail behind us. With a growing panic, I struggled, feebly pulling at my chains as we curved upwards through the sky, from the Staten island docks toward mainland New York. We soared over the Hortz-bruig weaving between the lights of various helicopters as I kicked desperately at the metal of the goblin’s suit.

  “Just- stop!” I cried, voice drowned out by the wind. He continued on, over the broken and burned buildings of Manhattan, far too many sirens echoing through the city as white smoke rose into the air, coloured by the great cloud of glowing green above.

  I looked to it, my mind racing as I tried desperately to figure out a way to beat this. To break free and win like we always did.

  But nothing was coming to me. No great plan, not even an instinct or gut feeling to follow. Negative thoughts flooded me as hundreds of memories of my brother played through my mind. I couldn’t let him get to him. I couldn’t let him break my family or Lucas’. I had to something. Anything.

  “Stop!” I cried, as we neared the Brooklyn bridge. “Just stop!”

  I pushed against him hard, with a sudden burst of strength. He cursed out, the glider tilting hard as we rocked back and forth, soaring high above the river.

  “Don’t move” he roared, slamming a fist into my face.

  I fell limp for a moment, my breaths haggard and my thoughts grew quiet with despair. A single thought carried through as I lay against his shoulder, quiet. Not one that came in words, but feeling. A raw and potent agony, coloured by defeat.

  I’d never felt so far from something I wanted before. It was enough to make me give up.

  But even as the defeat swept me, hundreds of memories. Of people I’d saved. The praise of the public. The villains I’d beaten. The moment I’d put on the suit, just to stop a couple bullies. The moment when I’d saved that family from a house fire. And clearest the moment I’d taken on the symbiote and saved Spider-Man’s life.

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  That’d been the best day of my life. Despite the pain, and the fear it’d made me, me. It was the day I’d become more.

  I couldn’t let it be ruined by this. Couldn’t let today be the end of all the good I did. I had to fight. Even if there wasn’t a way to win, I had to fight. That’s what heroes did. That’s what I was.

  I kicked out at the goblin in a desperate frenzy, throwing my body back and forth as I cried out, more in desperation than anything else.

  “Stop” he roared.

  “Fuck you!” I cried, slamming my head into his helmet. He pulled away from the force of the blow, and I threw myself toward him.

  For a moment I felt weightless, then the glider tipped, flipping as we were thrown down towards a rooftop. We crashed hard against the gravel, a flailing mess of limbs and metal before I crashed against concrete, breathing hard. I lay on the floor, breathing heavily as blood and bile rose up in my throat. But the rooftop was silent.

  “I did it” I mumbled, laughing in disbelief. “I didn’t think that would work. Holy shit I-”

  A hand grabbed me by the neck.

  “You idiot!” he cried, hefting me into he air. “Stop messing everything up!”

  He threw me hard and I crashed against a concrete, gasping. Breath escaped me for a moment as I lay on the floor before I rolled over. Weighed down by my chains I struggled about in a heap my back aflame with pain.

  “Idiots! Everyone’s always getting in my way” he muttered to himself. I cursed, as he called the glider back over, then started towards me.

  “You don’t have to do this” I muttered. He cackled before kicking me back against the concrete, stars flying across my vision.

  “This is the only thing I have to do” he said, curt.

  “Why?” I mumbled, still reeling from the pain.

  “What?”

  “Why’re you even doing this?” I muttered, my breaths slow. “I don’t understand. I don’t understand any of it”

  “Why? Isn’t it obvious?! I have to destroy everything my father ever built so I can show them me! My stuff! Then they won’t ignore me! They’ll look to me and they’ll listen like I’m not some fucking shmuck! I’ll build a company a hundred times better than Oscorp!”

  My eyes widened as I looked to him. Of course. It all made sense. The bombing, the spiel being recognised, everything. But why was this happening now. Was it Harry? Had he somehow gone mad after waking up.

  “You… you don’t have to do this Harry” I muttered.

  He slammed a fist into my stomach, dropping me again. I coughed hard, blood splattering onto the floor.

  “Don’t you dare say that name!”

  I lay on the floor, breathless, before he picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder. He leapt back into the glider.

  It was over. There wasn’t any way to beat him. I didn’t win this. I didn’t warn anyone. I didn’t get saved. Everything, the last year had been for nothing. He was going to break my family, he was going to break Lucas’ and ruin everything.

  Tears fell down my face as we drew closer to a row of apartment buildings.

  There had to be a way to come out of this. Had to.

  There is one

  “No” I muttered.

  “Shut up” goblin said, elbowing me.

  The sky gives us energy. If you give everything to me, we can break these pathetic chains. We can win.

  I… can you really stop him?

  Yes.

  I hesitated a moment, a rush of contrasting thoughts and feelings pleading for reason and revenge.

  He said he could beat him. Said he could really win. I didn’t have a reason to trust him, but I knew his strength firsthand. I could remember it. These chains would be nothing for him. Nothing.

  Yeah. He could break free of the chains, then I could wrestle back control. I’d done it before. I could do it again. I could stop all this. Take responsibility for messing everything up. Be the hero.

  Do you even really believe that?

  I pushed the thought aside turning my awareness inward as all rational thought screamed at me. I had to keep fighting. Now. Always.

  If you stop him, if you stop him and stop this, I’ll let you have my body. Just… just don’t hurt my friends. Don’t hurt anyone.

  Is that a yes?

  Yes. Please just stop this. Stop him. Please.

  The change was instant, a sudden and sharp pain and then oblivion. The darkness engulfed him, complete and absolute in its entirety.

  With a certainty I fell back into the void.

  -

  Lucas swung done into the street, clutching the last person in his arms before setting them down on a gurney. He stepped back and looked to the building, watching as Jess swung down, followed by Peter.

  “Building clear?” he said stepping forward.

  Peter flashed him a thumbs up, continuing on to an ambulance with the child he carried in his arms. Lucas let out a sigh of relief before looking back to the building as the grey-white smoke wafted into the sky, slowly beginning to thin.

  He glanced to Jess who sat on the floor, clutching her arm as Miles looked her over.

  “You two ok?”

  “Yeah, but I think J- Spider Woman’s arm’s getting bad. I don’t know. It looks pretty bad.”

  “I’m fine” Jess muttered.

  “Just rest for now, alright?” Lucas said. Jess nodded as Miles looked between the two of us. Lucas stepped back, searching the crowd of first responders for anyone who needed help. His eyes came to a stop on the crowd of civilians beyond them, waiting at the cordon with bated breath and fear in their eyes, all looking for their loved ones.

  He turned away, a sudden guilt rising in his chest as he frowned hard.

  I really need to call home, he thought. Let them know I’m ok.

  “Thanks you guys” a fire-fighter said, patting him on the back as he walked past. Lucas glanced to him and nodded, the praise bittersweet.

  He stared out at the chaos of his surroundings then looked over to .

  “You guys ok?” Peter said, making his way over

  “J- Spider Woman’s arm is hurt” Miles said.

  “I’m fine” she muttered curtly.

  “Alright. Well, there’s not much left to do and you guys look exhausted. Go home I’ll head off, start trying to track our friend.”

  “I’m coming with” Jess said.

  “Me too” Miles added.

  “No way, your parents are probably worried sick. Go home.” Lucas said.

  Miles paused, then nodded reluctantly.

  “And-”

  “Save it. I’m coming” Jess said.

  “Alright” Peter sighed.

  “I should probably come too, right?” Lucas mumbled.

  “Rest” Peter said. “It’s alright to go home.”

  “You sure?” he muttered, wiping sweat off his chin.

  “You’ve done more than enough today” Peter replied, patting him on the shoulder. “You’re the reason we even still have a city to care about.”

  Lucas glanced to the green of the sky, then nodded looking to the floor.

  “And here” Peter said. “Replacement phone in case we need you.”

  “Go it” Lucas said taking the phone.

  “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, guys.”

  And with that he leapt into the air, quickly swinging away before stopping atop a roof. He paused, and looked back at the city behind him, then up to the sky again. He’d call, rescue a few more people, then he could go home. Quickly he dialled his sister’s number. She picked up after only a few moments.

  “Hey. Sorry I lef-”

  “L-lucas?” his sister mumbled.

  He froze eyes wide. His sister sounded beyond scared.

  “B-big Sis?”

  “L-Lucas he’s- you need to come” she said desperate. “Please Lucas. He knows who we are you need to-”

  A familiar roar echoed in the background, one that seemed to shake the air drowning out his sister’s scream. His blood ran cold as he stood suddenly, the concrete cracking under the weight of his trembling hand.

  “Erica?! Sis?! SIS?!”

  “Please Lucas. Please” she mumbled through tears, as a familiar cackle echoed over the phone. He was gone before he could even hear the rest of her pleas, leaping through the air with a furious panic.

  The memories flashed through his mind as a primal fear carried up from his stomach, a rush of forgotten emotions suddenly so present he felt almost as if they’d never left.

  Please, he thought. Please, not like this.