Unlikely Alliance (Spider-Man Fanfic)

P1: Chapter 7

Peter: (New York; April 28, 20- -, afternoon)

I looked back again, my eyes going over the various faces behind me, trying to see if one was familiar.

"Peter, relax." MJ murmured so only my enhanced hearing could pick it up.

I sighed. turning back around. I took my hands out of the pockets of my blue hoodie. I wrapped an arm around MJ and hugged her close. My chin rested on her brilliant red hair. She was the only family I had left. I couldn't lose her.

"Hey, everything's fine." MJ smiled up at me. "No one's there."

"How do you know, MJ?" I asked, worry in my voice. "Ben's found me before. And looked what happened. We change our identities, had gravestones with our names on them."

It was true, the grave of Peter Parker stood by all those he lost. I haven't gone to see May, Uncle Ben, or my parents since the day we put my tomb in the ground. It was too... eerie. I could've gone seen Gwen but that seemed too eye catching. The only family she had had moved to England. No one would visit her grave but... me.

"Hey, we're fine. He just got lucky." MJ assured.

I scoffed. "Yeah, luck would explain how he found me in a coma sleeping under a different name. Luck would have it that he decided to bomb the room when you, Flash, and Sha were in it. Luck-"

"-would have it that Sha saw it. Luck would have it that Flash was able to get all of us out of the room and get the bomb out of the hospital. Luck would have it that Sha and Flash had connections that-"

"Okay, okay." I chuckled, squeezing her shoulder. "I get it. I'm grateful. I'm grateful."

"Just saying, Peter. We don't have to worry. If we play our cards right, Ben will never find us. Honestly, he helped us clean up our tracks better. He'll never get to us."

I sighed, hoping she was right. But my thoughts started to spiral and I frowned. I never wanted MJ near Ben ever again. But I couldn't keep back. Once I started training and was back in shape, I would start hunting him. He wasn't going to win. Ok, it's been 2 years, he's won. But I was coming back and claiming my title.

"I hope Sha won't be mad that we're early. I know she likes to prepare the meal in her time. Though I wanted to help her- even if she's desperate to keep her recipes a secret. I've been craving her chicken pot pie casserole. I can't figure out has she does it. She-"

Looking down at MJ rant, I just quietly listened, making sure to keep my eyes on her. I knew what she was doing. We've basically been cooped up in May's house, pretending no one lived in it for the longest time to lay low and make sure Ben thought we were dead. In that time, we've gotten to know each other's quirks. MJ knew when I was brooding. She knew what it looked like when I was thinking about Ben. Which was almost constantly. Could you blame me? The guy tried to kill me.

So, any time she saw my "brooding face" (she says I make a face, I don't buy it) she tries to distract me. It usually doesn't work, I just get annoyed. But I tried to make an effort this time.

And it was actually working. She kept listing different combinations she tried and I made a memory game out of it. Trying to list the first combination after she said it. Then when she introduced a second one, I'd try to list both of them in order. I was on the fifth one, it was getting confusing cause she changed only one or two things but would say the recipe in a different order when... I felt it.

My spider sense flared. I looked around for the person trailing us. I positioned my face into a serious but concerned look. Though in the back of my head I was cheering. I hadn't felt my sixth sense for so long. I almost thought...