Spider-Man: Home Sick

5 - Ambushed

Peter's P.O.V

I swung through the streets, everywhere people turned to look at me. Eventually I stopped in an empty alleyway somewhere near the Williamsburg bridge and changed out of my suit into some scrumpled regular clothes that would guarantee I went by ignored no matter how much my face was shown on the Daily Bugle. I couldn't bring myself to leave behind the suit - it was one of the only things I owned that reminded me of Tony - but I couldn't wear it without being spotted everywhere I went so I stuffed it in the bottom of my bag. Out of my pocket, I had pulled the black dahlia necklace MJ had given to me just before I left so I'd have a reason to return to give it back to her. After a second of deliberation, I clipped the necklace around my neck, and it rested on my chest as a constant reminder of MJ's face when she'd realised I was leaving.
I had barely finished changing when 2 guys came into the alleyway. One was squat with platinum blonde hair, the other was taller with red hair, but both of them sported the same snake tattoo on their neck and the same mean look in their eyes.
The blonde guy smirked in a raspy voice "Hey Cade, look at this loser's clothes. Probably doesn't even have anything valuable on him."
"Oh, I dunno Mikey." The redhead, Cade, said "I reckon he's got some cash in that backpack of his."
I scanned both of them and realised that they had positioned themselves so that I couldn't leave the alley without a fight "Look, I - I don't want any trouble."
"Oh, you won't get any. As long as you give us that bag."
"I - I really don't have anything valuable on me." I tried desperately to avoid a fight. I didn't want to hurt these guys and if it did end in a fight my enhanced strength would reveal me as Spider-Man.
Cade pulled out a hunting knife and I involuntarily stepped backwards "No one has to get hurt." He smiled maliciously.
The blonde guy, Mikey, lunged forwards at my backpack that was hanging off my shoulder but I blocked him with my arm and then punched him in the gut. I didn't think I had punched him that hard, but he flew across the alley, hitting the wall and falling to the floor.

While I was staring in horror at how far I'd thrown Mikey, Cade gave a gutteral cry and stabbed me in the side with his knife.
I cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor, my backpack falling out of my hands.
"**** you, jerk" Cade snarled, kicking me in the gut and slinging my backpack over his shoulder.
I tried to stand up, managing to get to my knees before Cade grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the wall "Stay down." He spat at me, then he saw the black dahlia necklace "Oh, what's this? Thought you didn't have anything valuable on you."
"No, don't - " I tried to protest but it was too late. He ripped the necklace off me and stuffed it into his pocket "You got a problem, take it back." He threw me to the floor and kicked me in the face. Before I could react, he raised his foot to kick me again when a voice from the other end of the alley yelled "Hey!"
Cade immediately stopped and backed away.
"What did we talk about?" A figure shrouded in shadows spoke with such a commanding voice that I was tempted to respond.
"I - I just - " Cade stammered.
"My turf. My rules." The figure stepped into the light and I saw she was a girl maybe 17, very slight and pale, with strawberry blonde hair tied in a ponytail. It seemed a bit ridiculous, this 20-something man being scared of a teenage girl, but from the look in her eyes, I couldn't blame him.
"Get out of here." She ordered "Now."
Cade stumbled away, pulling the now conscious Mikey with him.
The second they were gone, the girl ran up to me and hurriedly asked "Are you okay?"
"They - they took - "
"Shh." She silenced me "Whatever it is, it doesn't matter."
"But - " I didn't really care about my backpack, or even my suit. I just needed to get back the necklace.
She studied my wounds "You've lost a lot of blood. We've gotta get you some help."
I shook my head as much as I could without spraying blood everywhere "I can't - get noticed - "
"Don't worry. No hospital. If you don't want to be seen, then you won't. Not as long as you're with me. But I have some friends who can help." She looked up and studied my face, but if she recognised me from the news she didn't let on "What's your name, kid?"
Her calling me kid was a bit weird as she was the same age and smaller than me, but I didn't want to argue with the person offering to help me.
I hesitated and she just smiled knowingly "Running from something, eh? Well you can be whoever you want to be here. You can pick a new name. All that matters to us is who you are now, not whoever you were before."
I thought for a second "Just call me Tony."
She smiled and held out a hand to help me up "Welcome aboard, Tony. My name's Pippa." I paused for a second and then accepted her hand.