Day 3 - Ambushed
A/N: It turns out Needles didn't appreciate Marty's newfound maturity. Set a few days after Part III.
Marty sipped his Pepsi idly as he walked, gazing back at the neon signage above the cinemas. The crisp October wind gently brushed his tie askew, and he stopped to reposition it, taking in the sounds of distant sirens and muffled rock music. Damn, it still feels good to be back.
He and Jennifer hardly ever went out on 'fancy' dates - they both much preferred a simple Burger King run or quiet picnic in the park - but he had been so desperate to get re-accustomed with his time period that he'd offered to sponsor a date night at a classier establishment, complete with a late night at the movies.
To his surprise, Jennifer had been enthusiastic at the idea. "We can use it as our anniversary date as well! Saves you having to get dressed up twice." She'd joked, kissing Marty playfully.
Marty was glad she had remembered. He felt guilty at having forgotten, but in his defence, he'd had a lot of other things to process this week.
He took the last swig of his drink as he approached the driver's door of the truck, tucking the empty bottle under his arm as he fumbled with the keys. Can't believe I left the damn tickets in here, I'm such a dumbass-
An explosion of pain rattled through his jaw and skull. Stars danced in his vision as a breathless cry of pain left his lips, his body protesting as it slammed into the side of his truck. His keys and the glass bottle slipped from his grasp and tumbled onto the asphalt, the shards being noisily crunched underfoot.
Marty barely had a chance to process what the hell had happened when a second blow caught him off guard, his body crumpling in on itself. He tried to wrap his arms protectively over his stomach, only for someone to grab his wrists. "What th-mmph!"
"Shut up, McFly!" His attacker growled, gripping his mouth so tightly that he could feel the fingernails digging into his face.
Marty's stomach dropped. Oh, for God's sake, not Needles again! He fought against the hands restraining him, desperately trying to free his face to scream. "Hhmph!"
"Quit it, McFly, nobody's gonna hear ya out here," Needles taunted. "Even your girl isn't around to bat for you this time."
Marty suddenly felt a sense of claustrophobia come over him. The hands clutching at his body had become too much - they were obstructing his vision, his breathing, they were clawing all over him he was suffocating he was gonna die-
"Hmmph!" He threw his body to the side in an attempt to dislodge Needles's grip, disappointed to find it did nothing but earn him a knee to the stomach. The breath was was once again evicted from his lungs, his display of defiance quickly fading as the adrenaline in his body failed him. If I could just bite his hand-
"It's a real shame you didn't race me, McFly," Needles hissed down his ear. "Hittin' that Rolls Royce would've been way less painful compared to what I'm gonna to do to a chicken like you."
Marty's face paled as he found himself being swung around, his back slamming awkwardly into the side of his truck. He barely had time to react before Needles had once again gripped his wrists and clamp his mouth shut, staring at him with a look he could only describe as deranged. The nauseating smell of alcohol wafting into his nose did nothing to ease his nerves, as did the look of Needles's half-glazed eyes. Maybe he has finally lost his shit. Where's the rest of his possé? And is that blood on his face?!
He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified.
"Here's what's gonna happen now, screwball," Needles spoke sharply. "I'm gonna take those keys of yours. We're gonna go for a long ride, and you're not gonna give me any trouble about it. And then I'm gonna make sure you-"
"Marty!"
Jennifer! "Mmmhmm!" Marty squirmed furiously under Needles's hand, yet the iron-clad grip around his mouth remained firm. Run, Jennifer!
"Argh, shit!" Needles's tough demeanour instantly vanished. He decided to abandon his monologue, repositioning his hands in an attempt to force Marty into the truck. "Where are the keys, dickhead?"
"HEY, DIPSHIT!" Jennifer's screams were growing closer. "Leave him alone!"
No, Jennifer! He'll hurt you! Marty forced his feet up against the doors of the truck in an attempt to stop Needles from dragging him any further, cringing at the sound of scratched paint. If I could just get a punch in-
"Oh yeah?" A sickening high-pitched laugh erupted from Needles, who laughed down at his captive. "You gonna let yourself get saved by a girl, McFly? What a fu-"
Needles found himself unable to finish his sentence, as he was too busy reacting to the sudden burst of pain in his nether regions."GAHHHH! MY BALLS!"
Marty aimed his gaze as high over Needles's shoulder as he could, just in time to see Jennifer produce a second kick to the groin with her heels. He couldn't help but smirk under the hand gagging him. Damn, she's good…
As his captor screamed pathetically his grip on Marty disappeared, with Marty finding the ground rushing towards him quicker than he would like. Jennifer's arms suddenly came into his line of view, gasping as she helped to haul him to his feet. He gave her a thankful look, massaging his sore jaw delicately. "…Thanks, Jen."
"No problem, McFly," Jennifer smiled proudly, though her concern quickly became evident once she noticed the knuckle-shaped bruise forming along his jawline. "Oh, Marty, your poor cheek-"
"I know, Jen," Marty said quietly. Don't remind me; it hurts enough. For some reason, he found he couldn't tear his glare away from the pathetic form of Needles, curled up in the fetal position as he whimpered. "You're an asshole, Needles. I hope you always remember that."
Needles sluggishly raised his head to hiss at him, clearly struggling to speak through the pain. "…Go to hell, McFly!"
Deciding he'd had enough of being manhandled for one night, Marty retrieved his keys from the asphalt and took Jennifer's hand in his own. "Let's go, Jen. The 'chicken' can clean up its own shit."
Jennifer said nothing as they crossed through the carpark, waiting until she was sure they were out of Needles's earshot. Once they'd rounded the corner and were in sight of the movie theatre, she wrapped her arms eagerly around Marty and gave him a loving kiss. "Are you sure you're alright, Marty?"
"Positive, Jen," Marty whispered, returning the embrace. "J-Just a bit embarrassed, that's all."
"Oh, Marty, please don't be," Jennifer tapped him playfully on the nose as she spoke. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, mister. I'm the only witness, remember?"
Marty's smile faded as he nuzzled into her hair. "…All I-I could see was Biff…a-and his group, h-how they tossed me around-"
Jennifer delicately placed a finger to his lips. "I know, honey. But you're okay, and that's what matters right now."
She waited until he nodded before removing her finger. "…I-I'm glad you found me before, uh, before it got serious-"
"Serious?" Jennifer's brow rose in alarm. "What did he want?"
Marty gazed back in the direction of the car park, the unsettled feeling in his stomach returning. Although he had a fairly solid idea of what Needles had planned, he didn't want to frighten Jennifer anymore than she already had been. "…I don't think I want to know, Jen."
While she decided not to pry further, she gave him a troubled expression. "You are gonna go to the police about it, right?"
"Of course! I'm not gonna let that asshole think jumping me like that is okay," Marty took Jennifer's hand in his own and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Maybe I wanna enjoy our date first."
It took a few moments before Jennifer relented. "…Alright then, mister. As long as you promise-"
"Yeah, mom, I will," Marty laughed quietly, planting another kiss on Jennifer's forehead as she giggled. The warmth of her skin on his lips was electric, and he suddenly felt energised, running his fingernail down the side of her face. "Shall we continue?"
Jennifer gave him a flirty quirk of the eyebrows. "I'm all yours, Mister McFly."
"The tickets are still in the car, though."
