Dreams of Normalacy

[st_hotflashes]

Ned was excited. He could not believe that he and Peter got into the same university and had some of the same classes together! This was going to be the best and so far on campus neither of them had run into Flash, so he was sort of hoping Flash got into some other university other than MIT and neither of them would have to worry about the bully ever again. Of course, Ned sometimes thought about how if Flash wasn't there to bully them, who would take his place? Like Flash was some sort of Hydra creature and they were two nerdy versions of Hercules... well, Peter was definitely like Hercules. Ned just held the equipment or something.


"Dude, do you think the professor's going to be hard?" Ned slipped into a seat in the big lecture hall. They were early, but it felt safer than being late on your first day to theoretical physics class.

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[st_arkintern]

Peter only allows himself a second to watch as Liz runs off; if he hadn't been Spider-Man, he might have followed after her, but he is -- and he's got to find some place to put on the outfit.

And so he does. He scrambles behind a dumpster and strips down quicker than he can ever remember doing so in his life, puts on the suit, and shoots a spray of web-fluid at his backpack, sealing it to the dumpster.

And then without hesitation, he springs towards the danger. "Karen, how many people in the schoolbus?

"28, including the driver."

"Okay, we'll focus on them first."

Peter lands atop one of the cars trapped in the accident and surveys the damage; there's no place for him to pull the bus onto. Instead, he positions himself behind the bus, then sprays his web-fluid to either side of the vehicle, then pulls it up to steady it. It's heavy -- really heavy, and he's not sure how long he can hold it like this, let alone communicate to the people inside that they need to hurry up and get out.

And then he sees her. Liz.

"Hey--" And he almost slips up and calls her by name. "Uh, you!" Peter swallows. "Open the back exit and get everyone out as quickly as possible!"

[st_hotflashes]

Getting there felt like she was slow, but thankfully she had enough experience with life or death situations that she got there and didn't keel over from being out of breath. She was trying to comfort a woman who had a pretty bad head cut when she heard -- Spider-Man? She blinked, but that was the only hesitation because something felt weirdly familiar.

She hurried over to the bus and it took several big pulls to get the door open. There were a lot of young, scared kids inside and the bus driver was in a daze. "Come on, hurry." She helped some of the kids off, but there were definitely some kids who were too scared to move, not that Liz blamed them. Hanging off the side of a bridge was terrifying to an adult. She was able to coax a few more kids out, but there were four stragglers and the bus driver who apparently had something wrong with his seatbelt.

She glanced over to Spider-Man. "One sec." Somehow she trusted him, and not just because he was Spider-Man. It was a very strange feeling, but she didn't have time to dwell. Liz disappeared into the bus.

[st_arkintern]

Peter strains, his arms burning with pain from the weight of the bus. "Okay, but try to be quick!"

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She could feel the bus strain as she walked to the front and she instantly felt bad for Spider-Man. He might be a superhero, but it had to be hard to hold onto a bus this long and she knew her moving around wasn't helping. She held out her hands to the kids and ushered them up halfway before they left the rest of the way on their own accord. The bus driver was a different story. The belt was caught and he was panicking. She felt the bus move again and looked around.

Her eyes went to the side door and she reach over and opened it. Then she went to help the man. Thankfully there was enough slack that she pulled from the top and the man was able to wriggle out.

The bus dipped again. Liz eyed the back of the bus and then the man who was already limping. Her eyes went to the side door. It wouldn't be the best choice, but there was little guarantee they'd make it through the bus before it fell.

Liz and the bus driver disappeared out the side door and only a very small, precarious ledge. Maybe the man should have been holding onto her protectively, but it was the other way around as the clung to the ledge which probably looked comical if it wasn't for the imminent fall under them.

[st_arkintern]

Shit.

Peter's web-lines are already on the verge of snapping when Liz and the bus driver make their way out onto the ledge. He allows himself a single breath of relief before he shouts out:

"Everyone out?"

Then: "Are you guys okay?"

He clings to the lines for the time being, the groaning under its own weight.

[st_hotflashes]

"Fine!" She shouted so she could be heard. Technically, they could fall easily at any minute, but they were technically fine. From up above, she heard an explosion as the semi-truck caught on fire. Her lips pressed together for a moment, her eyes searching the area. A little ways away, it looked like they could probably climb up from the ledge.

"We're fine. Go help whatever that was!"

Liz coaxed the man to shuffle along the ledge and to metal fench that had big enough holds to be used almost like a ladder. She let the guy start climbing first and then she'd follow.

[st_arkintern]

Peter nods, then attempts to gently edge the bus off the side of the bridge. "Okay!" He's not entirely unworried, but he's gotten better over the years at gauging what problems require him most urgently. Liz and the bus driver are more okay than the people by the explosion, but they're definitely not out of the water.

The same can not be said for the bus; one line snaps, and despite Peter's best efforts, the second one does too, and the bus plummets down to the water with a crash. Peter can't be worried about that now; he has the semi to worry about.

The driver of the semi is stuck just as the bus driver had been before, but the growing flames are so hot that even Peter recoils at his approach. He pushes through and dislodges the door straight from its frame, the metal piercing-hot. The driver, obviously disoriented, leans on Peter he helps her down and they just manage to clear the area before another explosion sets the cab completely aflame.

[st_hotflashes]

The paramedics and the police final showed up after what seemed like forever. There wasn't enough to help everyone at once and Liz found herself kneeling by an old woman as she lay there with a broken leg. No one else seemed to know the woman so Liz had decided to stay until the woman got help.

"It's my first day of college, actually." The old woman smiled wearily, but she asked Liz if she liked it so far. Liz smiled back. "It's been .. really interesting."

The both laughed, though the woman winced. Liz leaned in a little. "Already met a cute boy."

[st_arkintern]

Peter is still dressed in his Spider-Man costume when he approaches. "Hey, are you guys all right?"

It had taken awhile for Peter to get everything under control. After emergency services showed up, things had gotten considerably easier.

It was not the first day of college that Peter Parker was counting on.

[st_hotflashes]

She felt herself flush, though she wasn't quite sure why. "Um, yeah. Yes. Just... keeping each other company until someone can help her." She smiled toward Spider-Man.

The old woman thanked Spider-Man and almost as if on cue - though perhaps paramedics had simply followed Spider-Man over, there were professionals taking over and Liz stepped away. It should have felt weird or awkward talking to Spider-Man, but somehow it didn't. "Um. Thanks. For, you know, helping everyone and stuff." Why did she feel nervous, though?

[st_arkintern]

Peter smiles from beneath the mask. "Yeah, well," he says, rubbing the back of his neck, just as he had in class. "It's kinda the job."

[st_hotflashes]

"I should, um -" It suddenly hit Liz and she closed her eyes, frowning, as if to say 'oh my God, my life is over.' Her eyes opened again and she looked up and down the bridge, but it was still chaotic. She exhaled and looked defeated.

"Go... get a new backpack and a new textbook and stuff." Because she had no idea where that went anymore. How was she going to swing about $90 for a textbook?

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah, yeah," Peter agrees, feeling awkward. "I should, uh, I should go. Thanks for your help earlier."

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Liz felt like an idiot, but she nodded. "You're welcome. Um." What did she say? She couldn't say 'see you later' though she felt like she should. Saying 'have a good day' felt weird as well. "Good luck."

She headed back towards the dorms as she kept a look out for her stuff. She had discarded it in a hurry because she knew it was a hazard, but now the reality of it was hitting her hard. She wasn't even sure she could afford a new textbook.

Liz eventually made it to Baker House, but she still hadn't found her backpack. She looked up at the dorm and sighed.

[st_arkintern]

Peter is sitting in the lounge when he hears the doors open and is relieved to see the person he's been waiting.

"Hey," Peter says, immediately clamoring to his feet. "I, uh, I found something for you."

He holds up Liz's backpack.

"You dropped it not too far from where I lost you."

[st_hotflashes]

Her eyes widened and she inhaled suddenly and before she really realized what she was doing, Liz walked up to Peter who was holding out the backpack and hugged him tightly. "You're a life saver." And she kissed him on the cheek.

[st_arkintern]

Peter's face grows warm at the kiss. "Hey, it's no problem, really. I'd probably go crazy if I just lost a $90 book."

[st_hotflashes]

When she pulled back, she was blushing. "Sorry." She took the bag with a sheepish expression. "Thank you. This is..." Liz exhaled, like the weight of the world was suddenly lifted from her shoulders. "I was really worried."

She looked at him then. "Are you okay, by the way? I mean, the accident." Liz knew it could freak people out.

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah, I mean, I didn't end up going near the accident or anything," he says. "I'm fine."

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She nodded a few times. "That's probably good. It was, um. Really intense." She paused and realized how strange that might sound. "I uh, I mean, I saw it from afar and that's what it seemed like. Would have been dangerous to go there." She nodded again as if to say 'I definitely didn't go up on that bridge at all'.

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah," Peter agrees, trying to fight back a grin. "Super dangerous." A beat, and then: "I'm sorry I couldn't walk you back here. Maybe some other time?"

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She blinked and felt a sudden burst of butterflies. "You... you'd like to walk me to the dorm sometime?"

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah, I mean... if you'd like me to."

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It wasn't even like the request was a big one. It wasn't a date. It was just a walk to the dorms that she could do on her own and yet - Liz pressed her lips together, smiling despite herself, and nodding. "I'd really like that. Um. A lot."

[st_arkintern]

"And maybe a -- maybe a date?"