#spider-dan

Then he snapped out of his scared stupor and leaped into action, springing off the roof and slinging across the city on a webline. God, he'd been an idiot. He'd been so focused on the ground-level attack from Hill's robots that he'd completely ignored the bigger prize: the party of scientists all meeting to watch Moez Tech unveil their latest AI model. Of course, that would be Hill's ultimate target. Dan knew that, and still he'd let himself get distracted.

Saving civilians isn't a distraction, he reminded himself as he swung around a skyscraper, closer to the hotel. It's your job.

Still, that didn't mean that Hill hadn't planned it, knowing it would draw Dan away. He'd left those at the party vulnerable to attack. Including Herbert.

Dan landed nimbly against the glass panels along the outside of the building and quickly climbed his way to the top. He sucked in a deep breath of fresh air before crawling over the lip of shattered glass, into the fray. He blinked through the smoke stinging his eyes even through his mask, squinting at seas of screaming people all rushing about in a panic. Dan jumped, sticking to the wall and scaling the edge of the room until he reached the ceiling.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yelled loud enough for all to hear, "Everyone! You need to evacuate! Head over to the fire escape here!"

The sight of a costumed superhero had the effect of making people notice you, and for once Dan was glad for it. The shell-shocked scientists immediately began swarming for the exit Dan was perched over, tripping over themselves in their fancy gowns and tuxedos. Dan watched them all as they filtered through the smashed door, keeping an eye out for any sign of Hill or Herbert. But he didn't see either of them.

You know where Herbert is, he told himself, and it's not heading for safety.

Dan sighed, knowing he was right, and dropped from the roof once most of the people had run through the exit. He ventured towards the center of the function room, stepping over falling tables, scattered trays of hors d'ouveires, and chunks of fallen plaster. He coughed against the smoke, blinking away tears, searching in the darkness.

"West!" he called out. "Are you there?"

"Over here!" came the reply and Dan's heart nearly burst from relief.

He clambered his way towards the voice and found Herbert emerging from behind a display of curtains the guys from Moez Tech must've set up for the grand unveiling of their new technology. He was wearing a neat black suit and tie, free from his usual white lab coat. The expensive fabric was torn in places, his hair was in disarray, and soot and grit coated his skin. Dan instinctively reached out a hand to steady Herbert, and for once Herbert didn't pull away from him. He clutched Dan's arm, dragging in ragged, dry breaths.

"It's gone," he panted, then coughed a lungful of smoke into his fist. "They took it. The AI. Hill has it. You have to go after him."

"We have to get you outta here first," Dan insisted, steering Herbert towards the gaping hole in the side of the building. The smoke was pouring out of the freshly made exit, and he hoped Herbert would be able to breathe easier there.

Herbert just shook his head, his glasses slipping down his nose with the motion. A crack fanned out across one of the lenses. "Every second you spend wasting your time here, he gets further and further away. You need to go now."

"And you need to shut up and let me help you," Dan fired back.

Herbert let out an exasperated groan and tore himself away from Dan. "I don't need your-"

Another explosion rocked the foundation of the building, the shockwaves shaking the floor. Dan latched onto the ground on reflex, keeping upright. Herbert was thrown off his balance, arms pinwheeling as he tried to stay on his feet. He reached for where a wall typically would have been, but his hand passed through open air. His wide eyes met Dan's for a fraction of a second, then he was falling. He fell clean over the lip of the building, disappearing from view.

"Herbert!" Dan shouted, fear gripping his heart in a cold fist.

He jumped after him without thinking, diving out of the smoke and into the open air. Herbert plummeted towards the ground, arms and legs flailing uselessly. Dan squinted against the winds buffeting his face and focused only on Herbert. They were approaching the ground fast, the asphalt below rushing up to meet them.

Dan aimed his arms out and shot two webs at the same time. One caught Herbert on the chest, the other sticking to a nearby building. Gritting his teeth, Dan yanked Herbert up, changing his trajectory from spearing head-first towards the ground to arcing up in the air. He floated weightlessly for a second before the other webline went taught in Dan's hand and he swung around, snatching Herbert out of the air.

Herbert scrabbled to grasp his shoulders as Dan swung them away to safety. Dan felt Herbert's shallow breaths puffing against his cheek through his mask. He tightened his hold on Herbert's waist, determined to keep him close. This was the closest they'd ever been, their body heat seeping through the thin spandex of Dan's costume and the torn cotton of Herbert's suit.

Dan set them down on the roof of an apartment complex. Even after their feet hit the ground, Dan kept his arm locked around Herbert. He hugged him close, letting out the ragged breath he'd been holding in since Herbert had fallen through that gap in the wall. He felt Herbert's heart hammering against his chest and squeezed him harder.

"I've got you," Dan said in a hushed voice, stroking Herbert's hair. "You're okay. You're okay."

He didn't know if he was trying to reassure Herbert or himself.

"Funnel Web," Herbert whispered, hands coming up to flatten against Dan's chest. He gently pushed him until Dan eased back and they could look at each other. Herbert stared at him, face bare and smeared with soot. He'd lost his glasses somewhere in the fall, his big hazel eyes blinking up at Dan. "You...You need to go. Hill's getting away."

Dan didn't want to go chasing after Hill. He wanted to stay there with Herbert and make sure he was okay. He probably needed to go to a hospital with all the smoke he'd inhaled. He could have burns on the walls of his lungs, not to mention the symptoms his shock and adrenaline were probably masking.

Herbert must've been able to read his concern even through his mask. He smoothed a hand up to stroke Dan's cheek in a surprisingly gentle gesture from him.

"I'll be fine," he said, then one corner of his mouth quirked up into a wry smile. "Or have you forgotten I'm a doctor?"

Dan swallowed against the dryness in his throat. "I haven't forgotten."

"Then go," Herbert ordered, stepping back out of the ring of Dan's arms. "Do your job, hero."

Dan's nerves steeled at Herbert's words. He was right. Dan had a job to do. None of the people Hill had hurt or put in danger would be helped by Dan standing idly by. He paced to the edge of the building and glanced over his shoulder. Herbert stayed where he was, watching him intently.

"I'll see you soon," Dan promised.

Herbert smirked in response. "Of course you will. Who else would help you with your hare-brained schemes?"

"Little early to try blowing yourself up, isn't it?" Dan quipped, squinting at the various machines Herbert used for God-knew-what. "Even by your standards."

Herbert huffed, patting down his shoulders and frazzled hair, puffs of smoke wafting off of him in the process. "Some of us have been hard at work. We don't get to spend our time galivanting around the city, rescuing cats from trees."

Dan rolled his eyes, knowing Herbert couldn't see it from beneath his mask. "Yeah, that's totally what I've been up to. Now, have you made the antidote or what?"

"I said I would, didn't I?" Herbert replied, though all ire instantly vanished from his face. He looked excited as he scampered over to his work bench, fiddling with the beakers until he came away with a vial of bright red liquid. It seemed to glow, casting a pale pink light across his face and reflecting in the lenses of his glasses. "This should do the trick. If you drink this, it ought to negate Hill's mind control powers long enough to give you a shot at taking him down."

"How long?" Dan pressed, taking the vial and turning it over in his hands.

"I can't say for certain," Herbert said. "There's not exactly a way for me to test it without Hill's cooperation, but I'd estimate about ten minutes."

Dan hummed, considering this. Even without his powers, it would be difficult to get close enough to Hill for it to matter. The man was flanked by his cybernetic bodyguards round the clock. Dan would still have to fight his way through them to get at Hill, but ten minutes with his mind intact was better odds than going in completely vulnerable.

"Thanks," Dan said, pocketing the vial.

Herbert gave him a thin smile. "Don't mention it. Any losses Hill takes will be well worth it."

"I don't know how you can stand it," Dan confessed. "Being around him, knowing he could take your will away, just like that."

He snapped his fingers between them but Herbert appeared unconcerned.

"He doesn't see a need to use them on me," Herbert said. "So long as he doesn't see me as a threat, I'm in the clear." His eyes twinkled as he swept his gaze along the length of Dan's black and green suit, lingering on the spider insignia stamped over his chest. "And so are you."

Dan crossed his arms, leaning back to smile at the other man. "Yeah, well, I can't have my only in at Hilltop getting compromised. So, keep your nose clean, okay, Doc?"

Herbert pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes at Dan as though trying to determine if he was being had or not. Eventually he gave a short nod.

"I'll do my best. Now, get out there and pulverize my boss, will you? He should almost be at the project site by now."

Dan saluted him, then backed up towards the window. He undid the latch and hopped up to crouch on the windowsill, the outside wind brushing his toes. He glanced over his shoulder to see Herbert keenly watching him, and felt the urge to do something truly outrageous, like blow him a kiss. Instead, he merely waved good-bye then dove out the window.

He fell, plummeting towards the ground long enough to let him catch his breath, before he shot a line of webbing at the corner of the hotel and swung away. As he raced across the city, the vial secured snuggly in his pocket, he couldn't stop thinking about Herbert's eyes burning with intensity as he watched him.