Peter was nervous. It was his first college party. It took him 20 minutes to decide on black jeans and white t shirt with black converse. Ned was coming along with him. They sat on the subway on the way to the address.
Josie Ray had invited him during bio lab. Peter had caught his sleeve on fire as she asked.
"Peter, you're on fire," she said. He giggled slightly. "No dude. Your shirt is on fire." He yelped and pat it out. Peter was brick red for the rest of class. So she asked him again to go to the party in between class because let's be honest, he probably forgot the question with the fire. This time he gasped yes and then smashed his fingers in a door.
Peter looked at a tall man flipping on the pole in a poodle skirt. Like most New Yorkers he wasn't impressed by show time. But his phone screen was partially smashed and Ned was reading from his history book. All he could think of was Josie Ray.
The way she sucked on the pen cap as she wait during class experiments. The way her burgundy hair would slip from her bun into her eyes as she bent close to her paper. Her clean soap and lavender smell. A small black tattoo Peter once saw peeking out on her hip as she bent for a stretch. Peter had never met someone like her.
Ned said something in Peter's ear but he wasn't listening. Ned poked Peter who jumped from his thoughts.
"What?! What? Sorry I was..." Peter trailed off.
"Daydreaming. That might be something you need to look at though," Ned nodded at a punk at the end of the train harassing a small woman. Peter sat up straighter. He would jump in but he didn't have his suit on and it was a full train.
"Get bent, you fuck," a muscular man in a low hoodie said to the punk. The punk looked the other man up and down before bowing up to him. The punk was taller but thinner. Peter tensed and handed Ned his backpack in case he had to jump in.
"What did you say, freak?" The punk said. The other man sighed visibly.
"Leave her alone or I'll be forced to kick your ass and I'm not in the mood, man."
The punk went to punch the other man but the other man ducked it easily. The other guy then threw a jab at the punk's jaw and he went down to the ground unconscious. Peter quickly looked at Ned before looking bad at the back of the muscular dude's hoodie covered head. The woman gave him a small smile and quickly exited at the next stop.
Peter quit watching so closely but kept the unconscious punk and the one punch man in sight. Ned looked at Peter with wide eyes and mouthed 'what just happened?' Peter mouthed back 'I know. Close one.'
The hoodied muscular man walked in front of Peter and Peter finally saw his face. The man had horrible burns or scar of some kind on every surface. Peter quickly looked away to not stare. The train stopped and the man got off.
"Oh my gosh. Who was that?" Ned asked the second the train stopped. "He took that guy down in a second."
"I don't know. Probably some kind of ex military or something," Peter shrugged. He was honestly relieved that he wasn't having to fight someone. The punk began to stir around the time Peter and Ned got off at their stop.
"Maybe he was an assasin. Do you think they'll have alcohol?" Ned asked as they walked up the stairs of a building.
"I don't know. Just be careful," Peter said looking at the address on he phone. "4th floor, apt. 419. Old building so no elevator though. Are you ready to walk?"
"I love to walk. Stairs. I won't be sweaty at the top at all," Ned said already glistening, probably from nerves. Peter smiled and started up the stairs. As they past a window on the second floor landing a flash light blinded the pair.
"What was that?" Peter asked leaning on the window sill. Ned looked down at the ground.
"There! That guy," he pointed. Peter looked as the man smashed a car door with some kind of fist. It looked similar to one of the Vulture's tech. He probably had sold stuff before Peter caught him.
The alarm sounded on the car. A woman stepped out of a brownstone and down to street level to look at the car. She shrieked at the sight. It was probably her car. The man turned towards her. Peter grabbed his suit out of his backpack and quickly pulled his shirt and jeans off and pulled on the suit. He ran down the stairs and out the building.
"Hey Mr. Criminal! I don't think you should be smashing cars. Not nice, illegal and all," Peter said distracting the man from the woman. She ran back in the house.
The man turned towards Peter and his fist began to glow blue. Peter barely jumped out of the way as a ray of blue crumpled the front in of another car behind Peter. "Woah, man. Really?"
Peter's eyes widened at the thought of being struck by that thing. He shot his web at the man but only caught one hand. The man turned towards Peter's new position to shoot at him again. Peter quickly shot webs and swung himself to the top of a street lamp.
Peter shot another web at the man and finally caught both hands. He shot again and yanked the weapon from his hands. Peter then webbed the man to the street lamp and called the police. He wrote a note and posted it on the man's chest.
Peter ran to the alley and grabbed his phone to call Ned. "Hey man, where is my backpack and clothes?"
"I have them on the stairs. Do you want me to meet you somewhere?" Ned said excitedly. He had watched the short but exiting fight from the window. His hands had tried to crush the ledge as he watched.
"Just say there and I'll come to you," Peter said. He glanced out to make sure no one was watching and darted to the building. Ned stood at the second floor landing with the backpack in hand. Peter quickly jumped out of the suit and shoved it in his bag. He pulled on his pants as a pair of young men came thundering down the stairs. They stared at the pair but continued onwards.
"That was close," Ned said. Peter threw the shirt over his head.
"Too close. Lets get to that party."