Survivor

19. Humble

"From humble beginnings come great things."

Spiderman dropped into the abandoned warehouse to find exactly what he'd been expecting - MJ lipping of her captors.

"Honestly, you think tying me up will do anything? You must be the dumbest..." Peter rolled his eyes. Couldn't she at least not provoke them? That would make his job a lot easier. "... just you wait! Any minute Spiderman will be here and he'll kick you both to next month!" She finished confidently and Peter paused as he was about to drop from the ceiling.

How did she know he was going to show up? "You're bluffing!" Scoffed one of the two thugs and Peter could only hope it was a bluff. He decided not to let it be discussed any further and dropped from his hiding place. "A bluff, you say?" He commented sarcastically, only to be met with two guns.

The bigger guy fired mindlessly, easy to dodge. However, the smaller guy was clever. He grinned and fired at Peter as if it were a sure fire hit.

And it was, for one reason only; if Peter moved, the bullet would hit MJ. Peter yelped in pain as the three ounce chunk of metal embedded itself in his side, sending him stumbling backwards.

"No!" MJ shrieked, fighting her bonds from where she was tied to a chair. Funny, just the day before she had tried to give him a concussion with a pipe but now... Peter didn't have time to dwell on it. He only had so much time before he passed out from blood loss and pain, so he had to make good use of it.

Without hesitation, he webbed the small guy to one of the warehouse's storage crates. The big guy, however, came in for a fist fight - which Peter really wasn't up for.

MJ watched in panic as the fight unfolded. Spiderman had been shot. Finally, MJ stood slightly and came down with all her weight on the chair, feeling the pain from the fall as it collapsed beneath her. She managed to cut the duct tape - yup, they used tape of all things - with a splintered piece of wood and jumped to her feet. By that time, Spidey was losing the battle between him and chubby.

It was MJ's turn to run to the rescue.

Running forward, MJ cracked the leg of her chair over Chubby's head before delivering him a sharp right hook. "Down for the count!" She cheered as Spidey webbed them up. "That makes two of us..." Spiderman remarked before collapsing to the ground.

oOo

Peter blinked awake slowly with a groan. He didn't know how long he'd been out, but it only took him a few minutes to notice the ceiling he was staring at was that of the same warehouse he had passed out in.

The warehouse where he saved MJ.

Oh no.

Immediately, Peter shot into a sitting position. "Holy...! Take it easy there!" MJ's voice greeted him at the side, where he had startled her out of a book. Looking at his torso, Peter found blood soaked bandages around a tear in his suit and freshly healed wound. Good thing his healing factor was sped up, he could've bled out from a wound like this.

"You were shot in the stomach, why don't you just take it easy..." she told him, hand on his chest. Peter then realized something crucial: His mask was on. MJ had left his mask on. He felt a huge swell of gratitude toward his naturally nosey friend when the fact sunk in.

"Um, hello?" She snapped in front of his face and Peter cleared his throat. "Uh, th-thanks for your concern, but I'm fine, really. I have a healing factor and, you know, superpowers so..." Peter pushed her away gently. "Thank you so, so much for not leaving me - and respecting my identity." He continued, gesturing to his mask.

"Yeah, well, sorry I tried to hit you with a pipe the other day, turns out I need you more than I thought." She explained quickly, with little emotion in her voice. "So, if you're good, I'm going to go." She explained, picking up her backpack. "My friend might kill me for missing the last half of school, but pretty sure I have a good excuse." She remarked absently, and Peter cursed himself.

School was over.

Ned was going to kill him, dead.

"Oh, thanks for saving me, I guess." She called, before exiting the warehouse.

Making sure the thugs were still webbed up, Spidey called the police. The next person he called was Ned.

"Heeey..."

"PETER!" Ned screamed so loud Peter had to move the phone away from his ear. He was sitting on top of a building, mask now off. Tentatively, he brought the cell back to his face. "Hi Ned, sorry I missed school..."

"I thought you and MJ died!"

"No, I saved her, although I did get shot."

"You got SHOT?!?! Where are you, are you hurt? How much blood have you lost?" Ned rattled in a panic and Peter quickly swooped in to correct him. "No, no I'm fine now. It healed, thankfully the bullet went straight through." He hoped. "MJ sat with me until I woke up..."

"She knows its you?!"

"NO! She sat with Spiderman, and didn't take his mask off! I was really surprised!"

"Excuse me, I have to sit down." Ned said shakily, and Peter chuckled at his friend. "I'll see you at school tomorrow Ned, promise."

"Actually, you won't." Ned laughed. "Tomorrow is the weekend, dummy." He finished and Peter couldn't help but laugh at his own inability to keep track of the time.

"Well, see you at school monday then." Peter corrected. "I have to go, bye!" He told his friend. He hung up and stood warily.

Looking down at the healed wound in his torso, he couldn't help being worried. He had passed out before he had time to check if the bullet passed through or was still in him, which would be very bad. There was only one place he knew he could go that would help him.

oOo

MJ walked back home deep in thought, and still shaken by her encounter with Spiderman. He had taken a bullet for her, and then been out cold for two hours. At the end he thanked her for not taking off his mask, which MJ found entirely laughable.

She didn't need to take off his mask; she already knew who was beneath it.

And that was what terrified her.

Duh
duh
duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh

MJ knows?!?!? Is anyone really surprised? She's smart, nosey and is one of Peter's best friends. I figured she would figure it out.

And, anyone guess whats in store for next chapter? Heh heh, guess you'll have to wait an see!

Also, I'm running low on fitting inspirational quotes for the beginning of my chapters (I know, its pathetic) so if you know of any feel free to comment of message me! I'll even give you credit!

~Meow