Work Text:
It was a stupid request – just to go to the corner of the street, enter the store and get a bottle of milk. Nothing more than that. And Michelle knew Aunt Anna deserved her help after taking her in. She really did. She didn’t have to help her niece. She didn’t have to look deeper into Michelle’s life with her own sister and abusing husband, but she did and she saw Michelle needed a better place to stay, so she moved her all the way to Queens. And now all she wanted was a single bottle of milk, and yet Michelle found herself wishing she had never left Aunt Anna’s house in the first place.
She grew up in a neighborhood where people knew of her father, mostly. They looked at him and then at her, made the connection, and left her alone. Because nobody wanted to mess with her dad. Michelle figured that was good and kept her mouth shut to keep them all away. They didn’t need to know that her father wouldn’t lift a finger to save her. It was better, letting them keep living in a lie. That way she felt safe.
But she was away from the place where she grew up. She was in a borough where nobody knew her and she was just another one from the crowd. Another bystander. Another girl on her way to buy some milk. Another person people could corner into a dark alley between two buildings and away from watchful eyes in order to get some extra money.
And she had no idea how to protect herself.
There were five of them. With their knives and sickening grins, they made Michelle want to hurl. She didn’t know if it was because they were just really ugly or something or because the fear made her stomach twist and turn. Maybe both options were correct. It didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that Michelle had her back against the wall of one building and one guy was standing dangerously close to her, with his devilish grin and outstretched hand holding a knife in front of her chest.
“The money, girl.” Someone barked at her and Michelle’s hands shook as she started looking for the wallet she shoved into her backpack before leaving the house. She felt their eyes watching her every move, calculating. They were clearly idiots, but most people were careful when stealing and threatening people, seeing as they didn’t want to get caught. “What’s taking so long? Are you calling for help?”
The next moment she was on the ground, her backpack torn out of her hands and the guy closest kneeling before her, his knife aimed at her but his face looking at two of his friends who started looking through the contents of her bag. She felt both angry and humiliated when they pulled out books, throwing them around the alley with snickers and groans. Yeah, she was a nerd. So what? She looked around. They were all busy looking at the backpack and waiting to find the money. Her phone was in the pocket of her jeans, though, so maybe she would be able to take it out, carefully, and really call someone. Maybe Aunt Anna. The police? Although she knew no one would get there in time.
As if reading her mind, the two other guys, the one who weren’t really doing anything but look menacing, looked over to her and one of them glared at her, as if sensing what she was going to do. Yeah, maybe not calling anyone after all is a good idea. Just let them take whatever and then run back home to Anna who would fuss all over her in that way her parents never would have done. Because Anna actually seemed to care.
And then there were footsteps approaching them all and the three guys not busy with the bag looked up and towards the entrance of the alley. When Michelle did too, her heart soaring with hope, she felt a pang of disappointment. It was just some other guy. A kid, around her age, with his own backpack on his shoulders and the widest, most earnest eyes Michelle’s ever seen in her life.
He stopped right in front of them all, looking like he just ran down the whole street to get there. His eyes darted from the guys looking through her bag to the two standing up and holding their knives up at him, ready to attack. And eventually they landed on Michelle, on the ground and with her back still against the building, with a knife in front of her chest.
“Huh.” The boy said, his voice stammering a bit as if he was nervous. Of course he was nervous. There were five weaponized guys in front of him, threatening Michelle. And he just walked in on that. Poor choice on his side, really. “Really?” He kept on talking, seemingly to himself. “As if I don’t get into enough trouble as it is.”
The guys looked at each other before the two standing took a menacing step towards the boy. “Turn back around and walk away, kid.” They said. “You didn’t see anything.”
Brow raising, the kid looked at the knives and Michelle’s books on the ground. “Umm… pretty sure I’m seeing something.” He sighed and his eyes landed on one of the books. “Human Bondage? I think this book is a little out of your league. Maybe start with something simple, instead?”
Next to Michelle, the guy sneered loudly. “Ugh, just make him shut up already. What’s going on with finding that wallet, William?”
“I told you not to call me that!” A guy, probably William, tossed aside another book. “Oof, there are, like, a thousand books in here, what the hell.”
Michelle’s eyes snapped to the boy when the two standing guys ran at him with their knives. She thought that was it for him, but instead of getting stabbed, the kid jumped up, way too high to be possible, and his legs landed on the backs of the older guys. He used them as leverage before pushing himself forward, his body sending the two of them down to the ground. Their knives clattered out of their hands. The kid wasted no time before picking them up. When he looked at the remaining three men he smiled innocently.
“Alright,” He flipped the knives in his hands twice. “I’m more into cat-fights, so… weapons out of the way.” He threw the knives up for the third time and instead of coming back down they kept on going up until they landed on top of one of the rooftops. The three guys gaped at him but the kid just looked at them. “Okay, who’s next?”
“Oh, to hell with that.” The ones away from Michelle left her bag and went after the boy, one of them complaining. “First Spider-man and now this one? What is it with all the freaks lately?”
The boy nodded and dodged the knives they slashed at him. “Yeah, I know, right?” He caught one of their hands when it came forward and stopped it, seemingly without any trouble. Then he slipped the knife out of his hand and shoved him backward hard enough for the guy to hit the wall behind him and collapse down, to the ground. Michelle blinked once and when she opened her eyes the second, or third, guy was on the ground too, his hands around his middle and his face scrunched up in pain. The boy threw both knives he got from them away too and then turned to face the guy still holding a weapon to Michelle’s chest. “Come on, man, just step away and let her go.”
Instead of listening, of course, the guy pressed the knife against her neck, pressing enough to make her squirm but nothing more. Her heart beat loudly in her chest and she felt like maybe that would be it. That’s how she would die. In a dark alley with an ugly man pressing his dirty knife to her throat just to make a point. Just to… to what? He wanted money. Why did they take so long finding that stupid wallet??
“Woah, woah, woah!” The kid held his hands up high, showing the guy he was surrendering. “Let’s not do anything rush, alright? What did she ever do to you?” His head turned around for a moment as he looked at the street. So close and yet so far away. Then he focused on Michelle and her might-be killer with his big, doe eyes. He took a step closer. “Just put the knife down.”
Not taking any orders, the guy’s hand trembled against her. “Stay right there, kid! I swear, I’m gonna cut right through – “
He didn’t even finish the sentence. The kid moved faster than Michelle knew was humanly possible. He pointed his wrist at the guy and pressed two fingers against his palm before a white string came towards the knife, yanking it out of the guy’s grip and away from Michelle. She took a relieved breath at the same time the guy found himself on his feet and trying to run away. He didn’t get very far before more white strings followed him, sticking to his legs and pinning him to the ground. Michelle watched for a moment as he tried to fight the substance before giving up and turning to face the boy, his eyes full of hatred.
“You send me to jail and I’ll tell everyone who you are, Spider-man.” He spit out. “Just some pathetic twelve-year-old baby.”
Michelle’s mind was racing. Spider-man. Of course. The white thing… the fact he just took out five guys with weapons… the chit-chat. She’s seen videos of him wearing a lame costume. She just couldn’t believe he showed up just like that, in front of her, without the mask on.
Instead of answering the guy, the kid – Spider-man – fired a web at his mouth, effectively shutting him up. He webbed up the rest of the gang, making sure they won’t escape, before walking up to Michelle, his hands picking up the books these guys threw around. Luckily, he didn’t use his webs to get them. She would have been really annoyed otherwise. After he grabbed her bag he walked up to her and held out his hand.
Not hesitating for a moment, Michelle used his help to get onto her feet and took her backpack, hanging it from her shoulders again while trying even her breaths. She was okay. She was safe. This guy came to her rescue. She was safe. “T-thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” The boy smiled and then took out his phone. “Just gonna… call the cops.” His fingers were fidgeting with the small device. Its screen was broken. Spider-man looked nervous, Michelle realized. And it wasn’t because he had to face some great criminal. It was just because he was exposed to six people.
So she tried to smile reassuringly, even though she was Michele Jones and smiles didn’t come that easily for her. “I won’t tell.” She promised. He gave her a thankful look in return. “Not that I have anyone to tell. I just moved here. Don’t have any friends.”
He seemed hesitant for a moment before smiling awkwardly. “My name’s Peter.” He said quietly so as not to let the others hear him. “I’ve lived here my whole life and I still only have, like, one friend. But… yeah. Welcome to Queens. I bet that’s not the way you wanted to get to know the area, huh?”
“Not really, no.” The smile wasn’t that hard to put on her face now. “Michelle.” Then she rubbed her hands across her face. “I was just supposed to get milk. I didn’t expect it to take this long.” Then she frowned and took her phone out. Her hand gripped the wallet that was there too. “Oh… oops.”
“Here.” He tossed his phone over to her, the police’s number already there. All she needed to do was press call. “I’ll go get the milk. You call the police.” When she scrunched up her nose he laughed. “I know the owner of the store. Besides, what are friends for?” And he winked and disappeared around the corner of the alley.
By the time he came back the police was already there, taking the guys in, their wrists handcuffed. One of them pointed at Peter when the boy came running towards them, huffing as if out of breath. “Here! That’s him! That’s this Spider-man dude!”
The looks the police gave Peter were disbelieving at best. Especially when Peter stopped next to Michelle, almost tripping down by accident. He handed her the bag of milk with an apologetic smile. “This is heavier than it looks.” He admitted, although Michelle noticed the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Oh, he was making up a whole show.
And the police bought it. They rolled their eyes and shoved the rest of the gang into the back seats of their vehicles. “Yeah, and I’m Iron-man. You alright, kids?”
Michelle and Peter nodded and then the cops were gone and they were left alone in the entrance to the alley. Peter looked at her with questioning eyes and Michelle explained how those guys harassed the two of them before Spider-man swooped in and helped them both. In return he told her that his sixth sense – she didn’t even ask – led him there without any warning. And apparently, he didn’t have his suit with him so he decided to try and help without it. He looked like he felt lucky she didn’t give him in.
“You know, if you want, I can actually sew you a better suit.” She offered. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the way he treated her like they were already best friends. Or the smile he seemed to always have on his face. He just… he deserved her help if she could offer it, he just did.
His face lit up at the offer and he held out his phone for her again. “Here, put your number in.” And after she did and handed the phone back he furrowed his brows at the name she put for her. “MJ? What’s that mean?”
“Michelle Jones. It’s what my friends call me.”
She could swear his grin could light up the whole city.