Spider-Man: Unmasked

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Peter woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around and saw on his alarm clock that it was ten minutes shy of five in the morning. He groaned and sat up, running a hand through his hair. He needed some fresh air. He took a few deep, shaky breaths before standing up and walking over to his desk. He scribbled down a note that read:

Not dead, kidnapped, or running away. Just going on an early morning swing. I need to clear my head. Be back before 7 (a.m, hopefully)

-Pete

Peter went to his closet, where his Spider-Man suit hung between shirts and sweaters. He pulled it out and slid it on, distracted. Maybe, if he was lucky, his dads would still be asleep when he got back.

Once he had the suit on, he opened the window, the ground far below. He climbed into the window and shot a web at a nearby building before swinging that way.

It felt great to just swing around the city, not having to worry about Ultron or Carnage waiting around the corner. He could hear the cars below, the city already up and about.

After a while, he stopped at a coffee shop to get - who would have guessed - a cup of coffee. The barista started fangirling when Peter walked in. Or, rather, when Spider-Man walked in.

As Peter ordered his drink, he realized he didn't bring any money. He apologized and was about to leave when the barista quickly assured him it was on the house. If he took a picture with her and signed a cup for her, that is.

Seemed fair enough to Peter. He signed the cup and took a picture with her. After she had stopped squealing, she gave him his coffee. He thanked her and began walking out.

As he opened the door, he noticed someone staring at him. He glanced back at the person, who was sitting at a table in the corner by herself. He realized with a start that it was MJ.

She had a book in her hand but seemed to be ignoring it at the moment. She noticed him looking back at her and waved. Peter gave a half-wave back, blushing faintly under his mask. He cleared his throat and then left.

He held his coffee tightly in hand, being careful not to spill. One-handed, he climbed up the wall of the shop. As he reached the roof, he sat on the ledge, his coffee miraculously unspilled. He smiled softly and took a sip, immediately warmed up.

He looked up at the darkened sky, it getting lighter and lighter. He set his coffee down and gently closed his eyes as he thought back to what had woken him up.

He had been back in Sokovia. He was suitless and hanging from a bridge by a web. He called for help until his throat was hoarse, but no one came. His grip eventually gave out and he let go, falling thousands of feet into the freezing water below with a smack.

He was submerged. He'd try to swim up, but he couldn't rise. He couldn't move or breathe or do anything. It was terrible. All the while, he heard the screams of his family, echoing in his mind. He felt absolutely helpless.

Eventually, he gave up and stopped struggling. He felt two pairs of hands grabbing his legs. He looked down and saw Pietro on one leg, bullet holes and all. On the other leg, was the civilian that Peter had lost, a betrayed look on her face. He let them drag him down into the water as he went limp.

He was snapped out of his flashback by a faint voice below calling, "Hey! Spider-Man!"

Peter opened his eyes and looked down. He saw MJ, looking up at him from the ground. She had a coffee in her hand and a book under her arm.

"Yes, MJ- er, ma'am?" Peter stuttered, doing his best to change his voice as he brought the mask back down fully over his face, instead of revealing his mouth so he could drink his coffee.