below the surface →︎ trans peter parker

five

its late one night. i'm walking down the street, just regular old peter, minding my own business. that is, before i hear something from not too far away. something... not right. i start to walk faster to get closer to the strange noises.

they grow louder the more i walk. i heard a thud, as if someone fell to the floor. i hear footsteps, multiple of them, people shuffling around on the concreate. then i start to hear the voices.

"please, i don't want any trouble. let me go, please." i hear a woman's voice.

"should've thought about that before you went and became a fucking tranny." a man said.

this isn't just a mugging or anything. this is a hate crime.

"please, i just wanna get home." she kept begging.

i didn't have my suit under my clothes. the one time i don't have my suit under my clothes. but i can't just leave this woman to get beat. i have to do something.

i think about calling the cops. they wouldn't get here in time.

i think about calling tony or another avenger. they'd just tell me we can't save everyone.

i knew i was gonna have to deal with it by myself. i started to run towards the voices, and eventually i found the bodies attached to the voices in an ally next to a club.

by the time i got there, one of the guys had already taken a swing. but before he could take another, i took over.

"hey! leave the woman alone." i yelled, walking down the ally.

"he's not a woman. go home kid, you don't need to see us mess up a freak like this."

he reached his arm up to throw another punch, but i grabbed his arm before he could finish.

"i said, go home-" he started, aiming for me now. he punched me in the face, knocking me to the ground, his two buddies walked around me.

"take care of the kid, boys. i'll deal with the tranny myself." he said.

i felt a kick in my ribs, then another and another. but then i regained my strength.

i grabbed one of the legs that was kicking me and yanked it, pulling the man to the ground. his head hit the ground so hard i could hear the smack. there was blood instantly.

as i went to get up, i saw the other guy start to attack me, but i managed to get him first. i rammed into his stomach, knocking us both to the ground.

i sat on top of him, throwing punches as i watched the blood increase from his face.

the supposed leader of the group, beating the woman, turned to look at me. while he wasn't paying attention, the woman smacked her head into his, knocking him over. she then punched him so hard it knocked him out cold.

i kept throwing punches at the guy, not realizing he also now laid unconscious. the woman walked over and put her hand on my shoulder.

"easy, kid, easy. calm down, relax." she said. i stopped throwing punches and breathed heavily.

"sorry." i said, standing up to greet the woman.

"why are you sorry? you saved me from what could've been a long-term trip to the hospital. you did good, but why? now you know what i am from the gross language that pig was spitting out."

my breathing started to become normal again.

"because i'd want someone to help me if i were ever in your position." i said to her.

"so you're also... ah, ok." she said, nodding.

"i heard what that dickhead was saying to you and i came to make sure everything was ok." i said.

"well, thanks kid. how did you manage to take down two big guys like them?" she asked.

fuck.

"gym class?" i said. she laughed.

"alright, whatever kid. at least you aren't like them. with your skills, you could be just like them. its good to see theres still some good things in the world." she said.

i truly didn't know what to say.

"thank you."

"thank you, kid. keep doing what you're doing" she said before walking away.

-

i got back to the facility to see tony and a few of the others sitting watching tv.

"jesus christ kid, where have you been?" tony said, rushing out of his chair to see me. "what happened to you? did you get in a fight?"

"there was, this, um... this woman was getting mugged. so i stepped in and helped her." i said.

he paused. he's probably gonna say that i 'can't save everyone' and i need to 'protect myself and my secret'. or that's what i thought.

"good job kid." he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. he patted my shoulder before walking back to the couch.

i walked back to my room and shut the door behind me. then i let out a deep breath.

i couldn't stop thinking about what she said.

with your skills, you could be just like them.

all i can wonder is- why would anyone be like them?

how much hatred do you have to go through life with to grow up to be so rude. maybe it was his parents, maybe he had a rough childhood and doesn't know right from wrong.

that still doesn't give him an excuse to hurt innocent people just for being who they are.

no one can help being who they are. trans people don't choose to be (and if they do, they aren't) trans. gay people don't choose to be gay. mentally ill people don't choose to be mentally ill. tall people don't choose to be tall. short people don't choose to be short.

see where i'm going with this?

you can't change who you are. you can't choose to be something your not. you either live as you truly are, or you live a lie.

i just wish more people understood that.