Petra was exhausted. She'd been swinging around as spiderman all night, and needed to get pictures into the Bugle in two hours if she wanted to be able to pay rent. She started organizing her day in her head as she got ready to be a civilian, stripping out of her spider suit, taking out the bundle from her crotch and removing the binder she'd worn all night. As she washed off sweat and blood in the shower, Petra allocated time in her day to various tasks. Pictures to the Bugle first, that'll take about an hour. Have to put on makeup first, fifteen minutes - better get out of the shower fast. As she pulled on a casual dress and flats Petra decided to give two hours of the day to suit repair and another two hours to the laundromat down the street, as both her uniforms and civilian clothes needed to be washed. As soon as she could she grabbed her camera and handbag and rushed out the door.
Almost 10 hours later, Petra was done. Exhausted by the previous night and the day, she slipped on boxers and a t-shirt and collapsed into bed, praying to whoever was out there that there would be no emergencies tonight. Clearly someone was listening. She didn't wake up until 3pm the next day. After shopping yesterday with her most recent paycheck, the fridge was relatively full and Petra could feed herself till she was full for once. Then it was back into the spiderman suit, so Peter could patrol the city. Occasionally she wondered if it was sexist she had Peter as the superhero and Petra the civilian, but it was logical for her life.
Suddenly all such musings halted as Rhino barreled down the avenue.
"Shit!" Peter swung toward the unsuspecting rampager just in time to web him away from terrified civilians. "Hey leatherskull, I thought you were behaving since I kicked your ass last time!"
The oh so shocking and brilliant reply was "Go screw yourself webhead."
Peter spent the rest of the battle mocking that elaborate comment as he bounced and flew around the pesky villain, eventually sticking Rhino to the concrete and webbing him over a good deal more than was perhaps necessary. Only after webbing about three blocks over did Peter realize he was bleeding. Profusely.
"Shit fucker hell. I've gotta get some help.." The hospital of course, was not an option, as appealing as the ambulances picking up Rhino victims were. Neither was home since no one was there, or Aunt May. The Avengers tower maybe? No way they'd unmask him in a heartbeat. But where else could he go.
… Nowhere. Well, nothing else to do now.
Peter slung a swathe of webbing over the now rather gaping cut in his side - Shit his side! Anyone to help him would see the binder for sure. Fuck now what! The avengers still, let them in on Petra's biggest secret? Shit if I don't go to them I'll bleed to death.
Alright. No choice. Avengers tower it is.
Peter reached the tower several minutes later and hit the doorbell. Hah. The avengers have a doorbell, that's so mundane. Again though, Peter's thoughts were interrupted.
"May I help you Spiderman?" an electronic voice. Weird.
"Uh yeah. I'm kind of injured and I don't know where else to go?" After a minute the voice spoke again.
"Mr. Stark says you may come in, please take the elevator to the fourteenth floor, Dr. Banner will be awaiting you down the left corridor."
"Thanks." Peter walked in as soon as the doors opened, and headed to the elevator across the apparent lobby, following the voices instructions. And indeed after wandering down a hall on the fourteenth floor, Dr. Banner himself was waiting in a doorway for him.
"Come in here Spiderman. I'll help you out, don't worry about your identity for now."
With those reassuring words, Peter promptly passed out.
When Peter woke up his first thought was of Aunt May. He hadn't talked to her in a few days and the Rhino incident had been right where she always shops. What if.. No. There's no way Aunt May could've been there and he hadn't noticed. Plus he would've gotten a call from the hospital. A call. Phone. Where's my phone? Peter went to check one of his suit pockets only to realize, one, he was extremely stiff from the injury and bandages now around his ribs and two, he was no longer in his spiderman costume. He- now looking much more like Petra, was in womens pyjamas. SHIT. Womens clothes, they knew Spiderman is a girl as a civilian now. Or do they? For all they know Petra could be Peter all the time, right? But that didn't matter, Petra was in the avengers tower with no secret identity and no phone to see if Aunt May was alright.
"Excuse me liars, I'd like to know why you took off my mask and where my fucking phone is."
"Rude little princess aren't you." A new voice. But familiar. Ah shit, Tony Stark was there. Well here goes nothing.
"Dr. Banner told me not to worry about my secret identity and I need my phone to see if someone is okay."
"First off don't cuss if Cap's around, he'll bite your head off. Second, you shouldn't worry about it. I'm just curious, I won't tell anyone outside the avengers. Third, here, this piece of trash has been ringing for hours."
"It's been ringing?!" As if to prove Stark's point, the phone started buzzing. He handed it to her and she immediately answered.
"Hello Aunt May?"
"No this is the hospital, we have Ms. May here after the Rhino incident. She is in critical condition and you are her only listed emergency contact."
Petra nearly screamed. She slammed her phone shut and glared at Stark through watery eyes.
"I need to get to the hospital. I'll pay you back however you want I don't care but I need to get there now." He nodded.
"I'll have happy and Bruce take you. We can't let you out on your own right now. I won't ask if everything's okay but, be careful kid. I have questions for you."