The Hummels drove through the suburbs, making their way back into New York City in their SUV. They were both quiet and somber, letting the sound of the radio fill the car. Their suits were laid out neatly on the back seat, and their polished shoes set on the floor in case some dirt from the cemetery still lingered.

Kurt fiddled with the puffy vest his dad packed him. Normally, he would have been more than okay to stay in his nice suit like he had when he wore it to weddings. But when his dad offered him the extra clothes that afternoon, Kurt changed immediately. He never wanted to wear that suit again. His eyes prickled at the reminder, and he rubbed his eyes, trying to catch some of the tears that were breaking through.

Burt reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it in a firm but gently grip.

“Don’t worry, kid,” said Burt with a sad smile. “We’re almost there. Ready to be home?”

Burt wasn’t surprised when Kurt just gave a small nod. His eight year old son hadn’t spoken since his mother died in the hospital last week. He tried his best to bring him into conversations, partially because he wanted his son to talk to him about how he was feeling and partially because Burt missed being able to talk to someone. He lost his best friend and wife, but he promised himself to never lose his son.

They quietly drove onto the bridge heading into the city. Neither thought anything of it as they were caught in the usual traffic. When they reached the middle of the bridge, the traffic was deadlocked. “Here Comes The Sun” started playing on the radio. Kurt’s lips twitched into a small smile and leaned over to turn the volume up. He glanced at his father and got a smile in return. He reached for his father’s hand again.

The moment he touched Burt’s hand, a deep roar sounded. Kurt jumped and grabbed his dad’s hand, squeezing it with all his might. He felt that sound rumble through him, filling him with terror.

“What the hell was that?” Burt twisted, looking around to find the source of the noise, but he could see nothing through the sea of cars. The other people in the cars around them seemed just as confused. Then there was a woman’s scream and the sound of crunching metal in front of them. Kurt sank further into his seat, but his dad strained his neck to try and see what was going on. More screams joined the first, and suddenly dozens of people were running past their car.

Kurt clutched his father’s hand tightly, and his eyes grew wider in terror. He jumped as a car was tossed up from the bridge, tumbling over the side toward the water. He thought he saw a green tail whip just above the cars. His throat suddenly felt dry.

Kurt felt his dad pull out of his grip, and he grabbed at the air for a minute, wanting that small comfort back.

“Kurt, stay right there. I’m coming around to get you. Don’t move.” Burt spoke urgently but calmly, trying not to alarm his son. He unbuckled his seatbelt and fumbled to open the car door while people rushed past. It was like a stampede, and Burt was caught up by the crowd and pushed down the row of cars.

“My son!” Burt yelled, trying to push his way back to the car. “Move! I need to get my son!”

Kurt looked around frantically for his dad, but the man was nowhere in sight. The roaring grew louder, and Kurt could see the shape of the green monster causing the havoc on the bridge. His eyes started watering as he saw the green creature toss and crunch car after car, all the while coming closer to him.

Kurt jerked his head as the door behind the driver’s seat swung open. He almost cried out in relief to see his dad in the doorway.

Burt stretched out his hand to his son, trying not to be pushed by the crowd again. “Kurt, quickly,” he tried to hide the panic in his voice as he called to Kurt. “Crawl back here. We gotta go. Now!”

Kurt’s small hands unfastened the seatbelt. There was a loud roar again, and Kurt moved to look.

“No, Kurt!” Burt shouted. “Look at me! Hurry!” Kurt quickly turned to face his father and scrambled across the center console. He was about to grab his father’s hand when the car jerked backwards, slamming the open door against Burt’s arm with a sickening crunch.

Kurt fell into the backseat. He looked through the windshield to see the creature in full view. It was large and lizard-like with a flat face and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Kurt’s mouth dropped in terror as the cold reptilian eyes looked straight at him. He swore he could see a harsh smile creep across the creature’s face.

The monster reached out and shoved the car back again. Kurt tumbled in the seat as the car skidded and collided with the car behind it. On impact, the open door slammed shut. Kurt toppled onto the floor, hitting his shoulder painfully. He pulled himself off the floor, peeking out the window to his left.

His father was being held back by two men who were trying to coax him to safety. His arm was bleeding, and he was struggling desperately to break out of their grip, shouting Kurt’s name. Kurt had never seen his dad’s face like that, so desperate and scared.

Kurt looked out the windshield again to see the monster still there, crawling toward him. He quickly climbed into a seat and buckled up, childishly hoping that it would protect him. The creature stopped at the front of the car. It gripped the sides of the vehicle, creating a horrible sound as its claws dug into the metal.

There was a moment of silence as they waited to see what the creature would do. Burt stopped struggling, too scared for his son to even move. Kurt clutched the seatbelt and trembled as he waited for the creature to make its move.

The monster bellowed and threw the car over the side of the bridge. Kurt felt everything slow down, feeling almost weightless and heavy at the same time. He could hear his father’s scream fade as he fell. His stomach tensed, and he could barely breathe. And with all this fear and terror, he was almost reassured by the fact that he would soon be with his mother. He would get to see her face and know everything would be okay.

The fall suddenly stopped, and Kurt jerked painfully against the seatbelt. He seemed to be hanging; the entire car suspended in the air. He could see the water looking menacing through the windshield ahead of him. He looked around and felt panic rush through him again. There was nothing he could do. He was stuck.

“Somebody help me!” Kurt recognized his dad’s voice calling out. ”My kid is trapped!”

The car lurched as something landed on the back of the hanging vehicle. Kurt turned around to see a blue and red creature tearing off the back window. Knowing it was over for him, Kurt started screaming, struggling in vain with the seatbelt so he could get away.

“Okay, okay, woah woah woah.” The creature took off a mask to reveal a teenage boy. “I’m just a normal guy.“ Kurt’s scream caught in his throat at the sight. Kurt blinked, waiting for the older boy to change back into a monster. When he didn’t, Kurt looked him more closely. He was good looking—enough to make Kurt blush a bit—but more than that…the boy looked strangely familiar. Kurt swore he had seen those kind brown eyes and the messy brown hair somewhere before.

“Come on. Your dad is waiting for you.” The guy reached his hand out, but Kurt flinched away for it, still too scared of the situation.

The guy crawled through the back window and sat on the back of the seat. “Don’t be scared, kid. What’s your name?”

“K-kurt.” His voice was raspy from disuse.

The guy smiled, and Kurt couldn’t help but smile back. “Hey there, Kurt. I’m Spider-Man.”

Kurt’s mouth fell open. He had heard about Spider-Man. Some of the other boys at school played Spider-Man at recess, and he even heard his dad argued with their neighbor who had said Spider-Man was a criminal.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Spider-Man said hurriedly, looking a little embarrassed at Kurt’s obvious recognition of his name. “You gonna help me get you outta here?” He waited for Kurt to nod and then said, “Now do exactly as I say.”

Following Spider-Man’s instructions, Kurt pushed his feet against the driver’s seat, supporting himself while Spider-Man quickly undid his seatbelt. He grabbed the hero’s hand and moved so one foot was on the back of each front seat. Spider-Man gave him a reassuring smile as he began to pull him up.

There was a loud pop, and suddenly the car was engulfed in flames. Kurt could feel the air getting warmer, and it was harder to breathe. Spider-Man quickly looked around assessing the situation. However, before he could do anything, the web holding the car snapped, burned away by the fire.

They were falling toward the water again. Kurt ripped his hand out of Spider-Man’s and grabbed the seats to keep from falling. Spider-Man shot a web out of the back of the car in order to secure the car. The web attached, but Spider-Man was pulled out as the car continued to fall. He quickly caught the car by the bumper with one hand while the other held on tightly to the web.

The abrupt stop knocked Kurt from his grip on the seats, making him fall back and landing hard against the dashboard. The air was knocked out of him, and he stayed there momentarily, trying to suck in the hot air around him. Kurt looked up to see Spider-Man trying to hang onto the car.

“Grab the mask,” Spider-Man called out in a strained voice.

Kurt looked over and picked up the mask that was hanging off the passenger headrest. He looked up at the hero expectantly.

“Put it on,” he said. “The mask. It’s gonna make you strong.”

Kurt looked down at the mask. He could be strong? He was never strong. All of the boys at school picked on him about how weak he was, too scrawny, too girly.

He looked up at Spider-Man. He wasn’t what Kurt thought of as a strong guy. He was a bit lanky and thin, but he was strong.

His mind flashed back to the last time he saw his mother in the hospital. How she pale she was and how weak she looked. Kurt hated to see her like that. When she closed her eyes for the last time, he and Burt sat there as the medical staff rushed to save her. She was gone. Kurt looked at his dad whose face was just as red and wet as his own. His dad pulled him into his lap, holding him too tightly but he didn’t mind in that moment. His dad was muttering things into Kurt’s shoulder that he couldn’t really understand because they were both crying so hard. But he could make out one phrase as his dad repeated it over and over again. “She was so strong.”

He was broken out of his memory, as the heat around him grew more intense. Determined, Kurt looked down at the mask. He slipped it on his head.

“There you go. That’s it,” the hero said encouragingly.

Kurt found it odd to be wearing the mask. It was too big and too warm, and he had to adjust it awkwardly just to see out of it. However, he was surprised at how much easier it was to breathe with it on. Most importantly, he did feel stronger. For that moment, the mask made him feel like he was Spider-Man.

“Okay, now climb.”

And Kurt did. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he climbed over the rows of seats carefully. He tried to ignore how the car kept creaking ominously, to ignore that it was so hot that it almost hurt, and tried desperately to ignore how fast his heart was beating. He just concentrated on the mask, believing that it made him stronger.

“Do me a favor. A little faster. Okay, bud?” The superhero’s voice was strained, and Kurt could see the exertion on his face.

Kurt picked up the pace, pulling himself into the trunk.

“Keep coming.”

He climbed to the back window. Kurt reached out his hand to grab onto Spider-man’s wrist, and then he was falling again. He saw the hero’s panicked face getting further and further away as he dropped.

Suddenly Spider-Man shot out a web at Kurt’s chest, and Kurt was tugged out of the car. As he hit the cold air, he instinctually grabbed the web, holding on with all he had. They hung their suspended for a moment, just breathing, as the car crash into the water below. Kurt didn’t chance looking down, instead looking up at the hero.

Spider-Man looked a little shocked at the whole ordeal, but after a moment, he breathed out a short laugh and looked at Kurt. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Kurt rolled his eyes behind the mask and began carefully climbing the web. Spider-Man raised his eyebrows in surprise. Kurt pulled himself up with the help of the sticky web and the adrenaline that was coursing through his small body. Luckily, as the climbing was getting too much for him and the awareness of his injured shoulder was coming back to him, Spider-Man was close enough to grab Kurt and bring him to his chest.

Kurt grabbed ahold of the man, wrapping his arms around his neck. Spider-Man held onto the child, letting him breathe heavily again his shoulder. He asked with a smile, “Tired?”

Kurt nodded weakly. His body hurt all over, and he just didn’t have enough energy to do anything else.

The superhero chuckled and gave Kurt a little shake to get his attention. Kurt lifted his head a little.

“You have guts, kid. If I need a sidekick, I know who to come to.” Kurt’s head whipped around to look at Spider-Man’s face in awe. “Alright, I need you to do me a favor.” Kurt nodded eagerly, still thrilled by the comment. “Okay, I need you to put my mask back on me. There are other people in danger, and I need to go help them.”

Kurt listened carefully and heard screaming and the sound of sirens above him. He nodded quickly, taking off the mask. He lifted the mask and tugged it onto the hero’s head.

“Thanks. I felt a bit naked without it.” He laughed again. Then he looked very seriously at Kurt. “I need one last favor. Don’t tell anyone that you saw my face. It’s just our secret.”

Kurt smiled and let out a breathy “I promise.” And he meant it.

The serious look slid off Spider-Man’s face and was replaced by a playful one instead. “Hold on tight, Kurt.”

The boy grabbed onto the superhero’s neck and wrapped his little legs tight around his stomach. He clutched tighter as Spider-Man slowly let go of him.

“Now let’s go put your feet on solid ground.”

That was all the warning Kurt had before he was flying. Well, swinging really, but to him it felt like flying. He had the small swooping in his stomach that he got from falling, but this time it was exhilarating. He looked over Spider-Man’s shoulder, his eyes darting to look at everything as they moved through the air. Everything moved so quickly by them, and Kurt couldn’t help but laugh, simply because he couldn’t think of any other way to express himself.

When they finally swung onto the bridge railing, Kurt felt disappointed that the trip was over so soon.

“Kurt! Kurt!”

Kurt turned in the hero’s arms to see his dad moving through the abandoned cars and rumble to get to them. His heart leapt at the sight. He never thought he would see is dad again.

“Daddy!” Kurt called out.

Hearing his son’s voice, Burt ran toward them even faster. When he reached them, Spider-Man gently handed off Kurt to his father, placing him in the man’s uninjured arm. The father and son hugged each other, desperately clinging and ignoring their own injuries.

Burt turned to the hero and said, “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”

Spider-Man nodded. “ I think I do, Mr. Hummel.”

Burt’s smile faded slightly. He furrowed his brow, looking confused, and asked, “Who are you?”

There was a roar further down the bridge, drawing their attention back to the situation. Spider-Man quickly shot a web onto a high beam, before turning back to the family.

“A friend.”

Then he was gone, swinging in the air away from them and toward the monster.

The two stayed there, watching the hero go, before turning back to each other. Burt adjusted his son so that he was resting a little further up on his hip. He touched Kurt’s face gently, as if he couldn’t believe he was there. Burt shook his head and said, “I thought I lost you, kiddo.” He leaned his forehead against his son’s. “I am never going to let anyone hurt you again. It’s just us, you know? And I am gonna take care of you.”

“I’m okay, dad,” Kurt said, trying to reassure his father. “ We got pretty lucky that Spider-Man was here.”

Burt let out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess. Wait until you tell the kids at school that you got saved by him.”

Kurt smiled widely at the thought, giving his dad another hug. He pulled back, looking at his father’s injured arm seriously.

“We need to get you to the hospital.”

Burt snorted. “You know it’s my job to take care of you. Not the other way around.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and settled his head against his father’s shoulder, suddenly extremely tired. “Fine. You can take me to the doctor, and if the doctor just so happens to fix you, that’s fine.”

Burt laughed and began walking with his son through the rumble. Kurt started to drift off when he heard his dad say quietly to himself, “Thank you so much, Spider-Man.”