[A whine almost cuts through his throat when Peter pulls away, curling in on himself more under the pile of blankets. It's too cold, it's way way too cold. Is this more bullshit testing training or whatever Reyes is wanting to do to them?
He can't stop thinking about when are they going to just put him on a table and cut him open and be done with it.]
God, you'd think she'd give us a rest-
[And then the door opens, and the smell comes through immediately. Leo's eyes widen and he grabs the edge of the blanket to pull over his face.]
[Peter is coughing, dragging the hem of his shirt over his nose and mouth as he tries to figure out just what that even was. Peter's heart is racing and he is trying to quell the panic prickling under his skin.]
Something- is out there!
[The wooden door shakes as whatever Peter saw hits the wooden frame hard enough to rattle it down to the hardware. Peter is quick to brace himself against it.]
I- I don't even know its- [He's coughing harder, ducking his head briefly as he tries to just get himself back together.] Its not a mutant or- one of us- its-
[The smoke just makes him feel like he has asthma again, and he can't catch his breath.
The built in viewing window on the door starts to rattle open, like something is trying to look in at them.]
[He's trying to keep the sheet he grabbed up to his face, but Peter needs it more. He shifts so all the weight is on his good leg, shoving his shoulder against the door with a cough and presses the sheet to Peter's face hoping that helps a little more than trying to keep the hem of his shirt up. It's gotta be, it's-
Oh god he can feel something trying to look at them.
[Peter tries to grab at the metal grate that makes up the viewing window trying to stop it. He can't stop it completely, which isn't a great sign.
Both of them can see out now into the dark hall. The figure is hunched, smoke pluming from a wound in its body. It looks human but... not. It is hard to even look at without wanting to look away.
He shakes his head at Leo pressing the sheet against his face.]
Okay, I- I can pull us up- out of the way. Up, and out when it tries to get in?
[Leo thinks about the logistics of that for a few seconds - if he piggybacks on, Peter will have his hands and feet free to move them around, Leo just has to not let go.
Nodnodnod.]
Yeah. Yeah, good plan, just-
[Takes that sheet and rips a couple long strips, tying one around his face and the other around Peter's so they can get better breaths, then nods.]
[Peter jerks the metal grate closed after some struggle, managing to keep more smoke from getting in as he presses his back against the door.] Thank you- good, good idea.
[Keeps himself braced against the door. He won't move until he's sure Leo is actually secure.] Get on my back, okay?
[Peter coughs a little, trying to get it out of his system. He shakes it off as Leo settles against his back.]
Ready. [He wishes he had his web fluid, he wishes he was prepared. Guilt gnaws at his chest as he scrambles up the door and onto the ceiling.
The door doesn't last very long without his support, the wood shakes violently before it gives with an incredibly loud crash below them. Peter flattens himself as much as he can against the ceiling.
Smoke fills the room as whatever it is just... crawls forward on its hands. It looks humanoid to some degree, but the heavy smoke and the odd protrusions coming off of its body make it hard to even tell.
Peter waits until it crawled into the room, clawing at the bed angrily before he crawls towards the edge of the doorway, pulling them through and onto the hallway walls.
The thing inside the room begins weeping, desperately. Peter is unnerved, but not completely present enough to realize it sounds like him.]
[Peter may not be, but Leo is. It's... It's wrong. It's unsettling and wrong how much it sounds like Peter. He hasn't heard Peter cry much or often at all since they met, but he's heard the strain and stress in his voice enough to connect that.
What the hell is even happening?
He clings to Peter's back, burying his face into his shoulder trying to breathe. Don't talk don't cough don't make any noise don't draw attention.]
[Peter's focused on climbing, just getting them up to the ceiling as quickly as he can. Leo's weight barely registers in Peter's mind as he keeps moving.
Whatever that thing is, it's destroying the room they were in. Its wailing is almost deafening.
Then he actually hears some of what it's saying and his stomach twists itself into knots.]
"Ben, please... please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"
[Peter's breath hitches slightly as he keeps moving. He shakes slightly, but keeps moving.]
[Leo's touch does a fair job of keeping Peter in the moment. He breathes out a shaky wounded sound. He wants to acknowledge Leo, but he's afraid to say anything.
The thing lurches out of the room, dragging itself self along. It seems to be trying to trail after them.]
"I know, I know you didn't want me, I'm sorry-"
[Hearing his own words echoed back at him feels vile, but the weight of Leo hanging off of his back and the cold texture of the ceiling is grounding.]
[It's heartbreaking, is what it is. But hearing it in Peter's voice while also spewing out that smoke and making those sounds, moving like that is horrifying. There's something else here, there has to be something making this happen. Reyes had said this was training for them, so this has to be her doing somehow. She knew about them already and proved as much.
He keeps his voice as low as possible, hoping it won't be heard above the creatures wailing-] Don't listen, don't listen to it, it's not you-
[Peter sucks in a short shaky breath, biting the inside of his cheek. He's trying to keep his breathing even. The guilt weighing him down just makes the teenager feel sick to his stomach.
First he got Ben killed, now he's going to get Leo killed at this rate.]
[Leo shakes his head against Peter's shoulder, clinging tighter. Ghosts and shit are not real, they aren't but if Peter starts asking questions, it's bound to get that thing's attention on them and he swears he'll figure out how Reyes is doing this.
He tugs at the front of Peter's shirt, urging him to keep moving.]
[Peter nearly apologizes before snapping his mouth shut. He nods as obviously as he could as he keeps moving forward. He pulls them along towards the infirmary with reinforced doors. Reyes had changed it after Peter broke the lock more than once.
But its a little too late, the ghost, monster- thing seems to understand they are above it. Its slow movement speeds up as it wails.
[Peter keeps moving, trying to get some distance from the thing still following them.
Then it starts speaking in Leo's voice. A perfect replica, with an undercurrent of guilt and pain that Peter has never heard from the other teenager. It makes his heart ache for Leo. If this thing tapped into his grief about Ben, it was doing the same for Leo.
He speaks quietly, but firmly. ]
Don't listen to it. Everything is going to be okay. It's not your fault.
[Peter can feel it, feel Leo trembling on his back and clinging tighter. The voice that sounds just like him is wailing as it follows them still, trying to find them.]
It was my fault, I flushed her. I broke the teapot. I made them lie.
[All true. All things he did, all things his brothers kind of hate him for. Leo buries his face into the back of Peter's neck, tired and freezing and feeling his body temperature still dropping making him sluggish and slow.]
Even if it was, it's- it's not something to feel bad about. To hate yourself over forever. [It is foolish to argue with whatever this thing is that is broadcasting how they are feeling, but Peter has to.
His voice is fierce and protective. Peter wants to do more, wants to hold Leo and comfort his friend, but they have to keep moving.
He can hear that thing shuffling around under them, wailing and crying.
A flash of relief rolls over him as he finds an old vent system built in the ceiling. He digs his fingers into the old metal. He yanks it off a little more carelessly than he should.
He angles himself so he can let Leo go up first. He gestures at the opening wordlessly, trying to communicate what he's thinking.
He loves Leo, and he wants to help him. The warmth of the feeling is a balm against the heavy guilt weighing him down.
Peter doesn't notice the smoke lessening below them. He's focused on staying still so Leo can do what he wants to.]
[His nerves are on fire, every single sense he has frantic and searching for an exit, anything to get them out-
But Peter found it. He clutches tight when Peter wrenches the cover off. It doesn't take much to get the idea across, soon as he's able to, Leo starts scrambling up into the vent. It's a tight fit with his shell, but he's making it work.
Once he's up in, he holds his arms out for Peter to help get him inside. Trying to ignore the wailing of both his and Peter's voices down below, even if the smoke is getting better... Somehow?]
[Peter doesn't hesitate to follow Leo into the vents. Ignoring the twinge of claustrophobia that hits him as they slide into there for safety. He forces himself to take two large deep breaths, just focusing on Leo. The feeling of Leo's arms around him.
Peter's attention is still locked onto Leo. Love and desperation to keep him safe outweighs the guilt that had been pulling at him.
The vent is tight for both of them, but Peter just tries to stay close to Leo.
The crying below weakens, lessening. Just sniffling and whispering of their voices together. Whatever that thing is, its lurching around, dragging itself against a wall. It leaves a wet black smear against the off white wall. Black smudged hand prints left in its wake as it tries to climb up after them and can't.]
Is... is the smoke less now? [Peter's voice is less of a frantic whisper now, but still quiet.]
[Leo's been scared before. But he's never felt scared and hopeless. No weapons and without his weapons he can't use his mystic powers, he's cut off completely from his family with no way to contact or get out, he has no other way to fight back, he's only fourteen and he's trapped with his best friend that he never wants to see hurt or scared like this ever and wants to protect, that's normal right, that's such a normal feeling to have, to want to keep your best friend that you love seeing smile and the way his dimple picks up to offset his curls and okay he has to stop thinking about that, it's not the time because Peter is asking him something.
Smoke? He's been trying to avoid breathing if he can help it but he shifts the half inch he can move to look and...]
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He can't stop thinking about when are they going to just put him on a table and cut him open and be done with it.]
God, you'd think she'd give us a rest-
[And then the door opens, and the smell comes through immediately. Leo's eyes widen and he grabs the edge of the blanket to pull over his face.]
Peter!
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Something- is out there!
[The wooden door shakes as whatever Peter saw hits the wooden frame hard enough to rattle it down to the hardware. Peter is quick to brace himself against it.]
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And it's smoking, whatever it is?
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[The smoke just makes him feel like he has asthma again, and he can't catch his breath.
The built in viewing window on the door starts to rattle open, like something is trying to look in at them.]
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Oh god he can feel something trying to look at them.
This isn't gonna hold- We have to move.
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Both of them can see out now into the dark hall. The figure is hunched, smoke pluming from a wound in its body. It looks human but... not. It is hard to even look at without wanting to look away.
He shakes his head at Leo pressing the sheet against his face.]
Okay, I- I can pull us up- out of the way. Up, and out when it tries to get in?
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Nodnodnod.]
Yeah. Yeah, good plan, just-
[Takes that sheet and rips a couple long strips, tying one around his face and the other around Peter's so they can get better breaths, then nods.]
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[Keeps himself braced against the door. He won't move until he's sure Leo is actually secure.] Get on my back, okay?
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Then nods.]
Okay... [Nodding again before carefully starting to move to Peter's back.] Okay - whenever you're ready.
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Ready. [He wishes he had his web fluid, he wishes he was prepared. Guilt gnaws at his chest as he scrambles up the door and onto the ceiling.
The door doesn't last very long without his support, the wood shakes violently before it gives with an incredibly loud crash below them. Peter flattens himself as much as he can against the ceiling.
Smoke fills the room as whatever it is just... crawls forward on its hands. It looks humanoid to some degree, but the heavy smoke and the odd protrusions coming off of its body make it hard to even tell.
Peter waits until it crawled into the room, clawing at the bed angrily before he crawls towards the edge of the doorway, pulling them through and onto the hallway walls.
The thing inside the room begins weeping, desperately. Peter is unnerved, but not completely present enough to realize it sounds like him.]
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What the hell is even happening?
He clings to Peter's back, burying his face into his shoulder trying to breathe. Don't talk don't cough don't make any noise don't draw attention.]
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Whatever that thing is, it's destroying the room they were in. Its wailing is almost deafening.
Then he actually hears some of what it's saying and his stomach twists itself into knots.]
"Ben, please... please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"
[Peter's breath hitches slightly as he keeps moving. He shakes slightly, but keeps moving.]
"Please don't go, please-"
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But he hears it too. He feels Peter shaking under his hands, and he gently squeezes Peter's shoulders. It's fine, it's fine it's fine.
Don't listen to it.]
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The thing lurches out of the room, dragging itself self along. It seems to be trying to trail after them.]
"I know, I know you didn't want me, I'm sorry-"
[Hearing his own words echoed back at him feels vile, but the weight of Leo hanging off of his back and the cold texture of the ceiling is grounding.]
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He keeps his voice as low as possible, hoping it won't be heard above the creatures wailing-] Don't listen, don't listen to it, it's not you-
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First he got Ben killed, now he's going to get Leo killed at this rate.]
What is this-?
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He tugs at the front of Peter's shirt, urging him to keep moving.]
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But its a little too late, the ghost, monster- thing seems to understand they are above it. Its slow movement speeds up as it wails.
Now it sounds like Leo.]
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I should have listened. I should have listened and we wouldn't have messed up.
[Leo's blood runs cold hearing it, not sure what... exactly it's referring to. There are so many moments.]
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Then it starts speaking in Leo's voice. A perfect replica, with an undercurrent of guilt and pain that Peter has never heard from the other teenager. It makes his heart ache for Leo. If this thing tapped into his grief about Ben, it was doing the same for Leo.
He speaks quietly, but firmly. ]
Don't listen to it. Everything is going to be okay. It's not your fault.
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It was my fault, I flushed her. I broke the teapot. I made them lie.
[All true. All things he did, all things his brothers kind of hate him for. Leo buries his face into the back of Peter's neck, tired and freezing and feeling his body temperature still dropping making him sluggish and slow.]
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His voice is fierce and protective. Peter wants to do more, wants to hold Leo and comfort his friend, but they have to keep moving.
He can hear that thing shuffling around under them, wailing and crying.
A flash of relief rolls over him as he finds an old vent system built in the ceiling. He digs his fingers into the old metal. He yanks it off a little more carelessly than he should.
He angles himself so he can let Leo go up first. He gestures at the opening wordlessly, trying to communicate what he's thinking.
He loves Leo, and he wants to help him. The warmth of the feeling is a balm against the heavy guilt weighing him down.
Peter doesn't notice the smoke lessening below them. He's focused on staying still so Leo can do what he wants to.]
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But Peter found it. He clutches tight when Peter wrenches the cover off. It doesn't take much to get the idea across, soon as he's able to, Leo starts scrambling up into the vent. It's a tight fit with his shell, but he's making it work.
Once he's up in, he holds his arms out for Peter to help get him inside. Trying to ignore the wailing of both his and Peter's voices down below, even if the smoke is getting better... Somehow?]
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Peter's attention is still locked onto Leo. Love and desperation to keep him safe outweighs the guilt that had been pulling at him.
The vent is tight for both of them, but Peter just tries to stay close to Leo.
The crying below weakens, lessening. Just sniffling and whispering of their voices together. Whatever that thing is, its lurching around, dragging itself against a wall. It leaves a wet black smear against the off white wall. Black smudged hand prints left in its wake as it tries to climb up after them and can't.]
Is... is the smoke less now? [Peter's voice is less of a frantic whisper now, but still quiet.]
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Smoke? He's been trying to avoid breathing if he can help it but he shifts the half inch he can move to look and...]
...I think it is. A little bit.
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enjoy peter acting without thinking part #8932
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