ALIAS ? Peter Parker?

10. Only The Dead Rest

"Come on." Smoke curls into my lungs, the blinding heat sweltering in the air. Hoodie raised as a poor shield against the raging house fire, the bottom floor was already cleared out. Fire trucks wailing down the street, I yank a semi-conscious woman to one of the propped up ladders outside.

The cool air touches my skin, clearing my lungs and eyes. Muscles aching under the weight of a black-haired woman, I help her to rungs, but she stops, mumbling under her breath. I straining my ears to hear her. "Al... Alicia... alic..."

"You have to get down, now." Something in the building burst, causing her to jump up and alert. 

"My daughter... I can't leave without my daughter." Clawing back up the ladder, she throws her body back at me.

"I'll get her." Arms wrapped around her torso, I push her back down. Repeating the phrase, knowing she wouldn't be calm until her daughter was back in her arms. But, like hell if she was going to die, too. With that thought, I throw her down the railing, forcing her to cling on to the rungs while another person helps drag her down.

Taking in a gulp of somewhat clean air, I head back inside, screaming Alicia's name. No calls are returned as the building begins dropping in on its self.

A thick wooden beam drops. I brace myself for impact, arms shielded to my face, accepting my crushed form. It never drops. A goopy string holds it, dangling over my head. "Spider-Man?"

"Voltage!" A body crashes into me while the wooden piece smashes into the floor. His let's go of my waist, bring a hand up to his face as he coughs out, "you've got to get out of here, didn't you hear? The building's coming down."

I push him away, moving deeper into the house, the front of my hoodie pulled up against my face. "There's still a little girl in here."

"Maybe she got out-Holy shit!" Fire blares out one of the windows. Following down the hallway, we keep our heads low. "Where is she?"

"I'll get her. Get out."

"I'm not leaving you here." He insists.

I turn to the stubborn Peter Parker, ready to push him out the building myself. "You're an idiot then."

"Help!" A small voice cries out.

"Hey, hey, we're on our way." Peter shouts back and I follow his blurry smoky figure, woozy and tripping, I knock into him as he approaches the room."I'll get her."

I can't argue as I hold on to a not yet burnt wall. Not a minute later, he returns, holding his arm. "What happened?"

"She threw a remote at me. Won't let me go near her." He explains. She's scared.

"Move," I command, pushing into the room. Once I'm in, it takes a second to see the small fight in the corner of the room.

Before I can approach her, she cries harder, moving into a tighter fetal position. "Monsters."

The masks. I look around for Spider-Man, then yank it off. "Hey, hey. Look, it's just me. " her tears lessen, and she begins unfolding. "Alicia, my name's Voltage. It's not safe. We need to get out. Take my hand." Now moving quickly, she grabs my hand and hides her face into my stomach. I pull my mask back on.

"Come on, guys, we don't have a lot of time." Spider-Man urges as we get out of the room. Practically dragging me with Alicia attached, he pushes us through the house. Tears streaming down my face, lungs filling with smoke, I cling to his hand and Alicia. He stops, putting me in his arms as I carry Alicia. "Hold on tight."

The floor falls from my feet. At first, I think we're falling, but then I realize we're flying. The movement thrust my lunch to my throat. Had Alicia's head not been pressed up under my chin, I would have let it out. I squeeze on to her, scared she'll fall.

Our feet touch the ground, sending us tumbling for stabilization. Unfortunately, Alicia uses me as her stabilization sending me crashing into a brick wall. My skin catches on it, but I don't feel it as I suppress the urge to throw up. But things don't last long, coughing and crying out smoke, I'm thankful my mask isn't like Spider-Man's. Once I finish, I mutter, "Fuck."

"You guys alright?" He asks between coughs.

"You okay?" Ignoring him, I drop to my knees in front of Alicia. "Do you see your mom?"

"Alicia!" A blur of a woman pushes past me, pulling her into a big hug. "My baby girl." Tears and sweet sentiments spill out of both of them; I take it as my cue to leave.

"New suit?" Spider-Man, I mean Peter Parker, questions as we walk away from the fire while police show up.

"Yeah." I wipe what I can from my face. My tongue sticks to my teeth, uneasy in my skin. "How's the hand?"

"Good, all healed." Exposing a white line on his palm, I can see his smile through his mask. Silence plays out between us, wavering between peaceful and awkward. "We should do this again- I mean not like fire thing, but like the saving people thing together."

"As long as you're not a dumb-ass."

"Hang on, I'm not the one who went headlong into a fire." He reasons, walking backward. I roll my eyes. "And I totally saved your life, thank you very much."

"Alright, alright. Thank you, oh great one." Sarcasm tinging my words, I wave him off, cheeks burning red at my idiocy. 

"You're welcome." He exaggeratingly accepts, earning another eye roll. "You staying out longer?"

"Yeah-" For a few moments, I forgot who he was, then I remember all at once. I pull away from him, arms wrapping around my stomach. "Actually, I'm kinda tired," I yawn. "I'm going to head home."

"Oh, okay," He nods, "See you later, then?"

"Yeah," I lie, knowing it was in my best interest to ignore him and Peter. "See you later."

A/N   If anyone has any story recommendations, please share, I'm hella bored.