GLISTENING DIAMONDS.
016. ❛ stubborn doors. ❜

PETER LAID IN A meticulously crafted spiderweb hammock suspended between two imposing containers. He had taken the time to create a matching one for Diana, but she declined and continued exploring the area.

"Hey, suit lady," Peter pondered aloud, his brow furrowing. "I kinda feel bad calling you 'suit lady,' you know? I think I should probably give you a name... Like Diana. No, no, no. God, that's- that's weird." He crossed his arms, deep in thought, contemplating a suitable moniker. He then hooked a web to a container and swung out of the hammock lazily, lowering himself to the ground.

"What about Karen?" he suggested, his voice resonating with uncertainty as if seeking validation from the suit's AI.

"You can call me Karen if you would like." responded the AI, offering a gentle approval to Peter's suggestion.

PETER NOW FELT THE need for a change of scenery and decided to indulge in some reading. However, being the adventurous soul that he was, he opted for an unconventional reading position. He was hanging upside down from a web, defying gravity.

"Hey, Karen," Peter called out, addressing his trusty A.I. companion. "What else can this suit do?" As he spoke, a sense of anticipation tingled in his voice, eager to discover something new and extraordinary.

In response to his inquiry, the sleek suit sprang into action. Its remarkable design unfolded, revealing a set of wings gracefully expanding from under Peter's arms. The sudden transformation took him by surprise, leaving him momentarily breathless with awe.

"Whoa," Peter gasped, his eyes widening in sheer wonder. The wings extended and shimmered, glistening in the ambient light.

PETER NOW FOUND HIMSELF standing before a towering wall, his senses tingling as his gaze fell upon the intricate web pattern stretching across it. His iconic Spider-Man suit shimmered with a vibrant display of the arachnid emblem, projecting a symbol of responsibility and power onto the wall's surface. With a determined expression, he meticulously assessed his array of web-shooting options, his mind racing with strategic possibilities.

Meanwhile, Diana had returned to their area, her presence bringing a welcome touch of familiarity and warmth to the otherwise cold and desolate building. Nestled comfortably on a web-made hammock, delicately crafted by Peter himself, she immersed herself in the pages of a book she had discovered within Peter's bag. The air carried a subtle chill, but Peter had offered his decathlon jacket to keep her warm, which was now draped gently around her shoulders.

"Maybe we should run that refresher course," Peter suggested and continued to experiment with his web configurations. Time slipped away, dissolving into a blur of anticipation and curiosity. Each web option he tested brought him closer to perfecting his craft, enhancing his abilities as the masked hero swinging through the city's skyscrapers.

PETER WAS NOW LAYING on his back on one of the containers, staring up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. Diana had fallen asleep not too long ago, so Peter was bored.

"Should I tell Diana that I like her?" Peter pondered aloud; his voice tinged with both hope and uncertainty. He shook his head, a conflicted expression crossing his face. "No, I can't do that. Not after finding out who she really is."

"Diana, as in Diana Black? The Black Cat that Captain Rogers recruited?"

Peter's face brightened, a small smile breaking through underneath his mask. "Yeah," he replied dreamily. "She's... she's the best. She's awesome. She, uh, she goes to my school. I see her every day. But Karen, she's literally everything and more. Her blonde hair, her gorgeous eyes, especially when she smiles... Oh my god, her smile! It's so pretty; it could make my heart skip a beat in less than a second."

Lost in his admiration, Peter continued to gush about Diana, momentarily forgetting their argument and speaking with genuine enthusiasm. "The way she effortlessly looks absolutely beautiful, the sound of her laugh... Every time I hear it, it's like music to my ears. I would do anything for that girl, anything. And, uh- yeah, I just... I really want to tell her, but it's kind of weird, you know? We literally fight so much about the littlest things, and she seems like a good person, but I'm not so sure."

"What's weird about that?"

Peter sighed, his voice tinged with vulnerability. "I mean... What if she doesn't like me like that? What if I'm just not good enough? And, I mean, she can probably do so much better than me... I asked her to homecoming, but I just got so mad in the crate, and I hope I didn't screw everything up."

"Well, if I were her, I would like you all the same. Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts fight over the littlest things, too, so it's okay to fight."

Peter's gratitude shone through in his tone. "Thanks, Karen. It's really nice to have somebody to talk to." He sat up, a sense of urgency taking hold. "Hey, how long have we been here anyway?"

"37 minutes."

"What?! Thirty-seven minutes?!" Peter exclaimed, his sudden outburst causing Diana to stir from her position nearby.

Startled, Diana jolted up and lost her balance, tumbling off the hammock. She quickly redirected her gaze towards Peter, her concern evident. "Was ist passiert?! What happened?! Are you alright?!"

Realizing the disruption he had caused, Peter raised his hands in surrender. "Nothing, nothing. Sorry for disturbing you. You could go back to sleep."

Diana shook her head slowly, stretching out her limbs. She then turned to Peter, her voice gentle as she attempted to diffuse the tension in the air. "Hey, um, I'm sorry, Pete. I'm sorry that I'm not who you thought I was, and for everything else, I'm just... sorry."

Peter's expression softened beneath the mask as he nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I know. It's okay. I'm sorry too, I guess." With a sigh, he turned and began to walk away, now talking to Karen. "That's insane. I can't take this anymore. I need to... I need to get out of here."

PETER'S GAZE SWEPT ACROSS the warehouse, his mind racing for a solution to their predicament. "There's gotta be something we can use to get out of here," he muttered under his breath. With a sense of urgency, he knelt down beside Vulture's worn bag, its contents begging to be explored.

Carefully, Peter extracted a peculiar wheel-shaped piece of metal, "Nope." Disappointed but undeterred, he set it down beside an intriguing Ultron head, marveling at its intricate design. "Woah, that's awesome," he whispered to himself, his fingers tracing the smooth surface before he placed it beside the discarded wheel. As he delved deeper into the bag, his eyes caught sight of a mesmerizing purple glowing object. "Hey, it's like the glowy thingy," he remarked, his voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and recognition.

"That glowy thing is an explosive Chitauri energy core."

Diana emerged from a nearby crate, clutching a dazzling jewel in her hand. The sudden realization struck her, widening her eyes as she glanced at Peter. "Explosive?! Like 'boom' explosive?!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with concern and disbelief.

Peter's face paled as he grasped the gravity of the situation. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, woah! You mean we've been carrying around a bomb?"

"It would require radiation to transform it into an explosive state."

"Oh my god, Mj! She's with Ned! We've gotta tell Ned! He has the glowy thingy, doesn't he?" Diana asked frantically, walking towards the boy.

Panic gripped Peter as he frantically searched for his phone, hoping to inform Ned about the danger they were unknowingly facing. His heart sank when he realized there was no reception. "No, no, no," he muttered in frustration.

Just as the weight of their predicament seemed unbearable, Peter's attention shifted to Diana, a mix of suspicion and curiosity etched on his face. "Wait a minute," he paused, locking eyes with her, "how do you know about the glowy thing?"

Diana raised an eyebrow at the boy, "Really?"

A wave of realization washed over Peter, connecting the dots in his mind. "Have you been spying on us?" he said, his voice a mix of astonishment and accusation. His gaze then darted toward the jewel Diana held. "And- wait, where did you get that?" he pointed, a note of caution in his voice.

Diana nonchalantly gestured toward one of the open crates. "Found it in there. Why?"

Peter let out a frustrated groan, quickly snatching the jewel from her hand and placing it elsewhere, out of her reach. "Now is not the time to be stealing something, Ana."

"Ugh, you're no fun." Diana rolled her eyes and made a move to retrieve the item once more, but Peter gently pushed her out of the crate, shaking his head in disapproval.

Determined to find a way out, he swung across the room, his agile form soaring towards the sealed doors. "Hey! Please! Please, somebody, let us out! Hey!" he called out desperately. "Karen, you have to help me override that time lock!"

"Hey! That's not going to work, dumbass!" Diana yelled to him as she started walking in his direction yet again, shaking her head at the boy.

PETER DANGLED PRECARIOUSLY upside down from the ceiling, his lithe frame suspended next to the time lock, his gaze intently fixed on the intricate panel. With nimble fingers, he reached out and began inputting a series of numbers, his determination palpable.

Clutching a notepad and pen in his other hand, Peter addressed his AI. "Okay, Karen, lower the voltage and run it," he instructed, his voice tinged with a mix of excitement and urgency.

"Trial unsuccessful."

Undeterred, Peter's resolve remained unyielding. He sighed, crossing out the unsuccessful sequence on his notepad. "Okay, we're just gonna have to try every sequence," he muttered to himself, determination etched on his face.

Meanwhile, Diana feverishly rummaged through a random crate, her eyes scanning the array of weapons at her disposal. She slowly began to use each one of the doors, attempting to pry open the stubbornly sealed door manually.

Unbeknownst to the duo, the bustling world outside their enclosed space carried on, blissfully ignorant of their predicament. Back at the hotel, the vibrant energy of students preparing for the highly anticipated Academic Decathlon and Soccer match filled the air.