Peter
No one moved a muscle or seemed to know what to do. There was no further knock as if the person behind the door just expected us to know what to do next. To me at least that made it obvious that it wasn’t law enforcement but I don’t know if I was willing to take that chance.
Aunt May was the first person to move towards the door with everyone else deciding their actions as well. MJ grabbed Ned and me, pulling us into the hallway where we could still look at the door while Happy stopped May before she got to the door. May gave him one of her signature glares when you’re trying to stop her from doing something and Happy let her continue with him following close behind. They both stopped at the door with MJ, Ned, and I holding our breath looking towards them as if we were kids on Disney Channel trying to spy on someone.
May looked through the peephole to the other side of the door just to immediately look back at Happy confused, as if she didn’t want to say anything in case they were listening. Happy seems to realize that May has never met Nick Fury and therefore wouldn’t know what he looked like so he takes her spot in front of the peephole. He takes a second and just looks down as if he’s both relieved and disappointed, meanwhile outside the noise was beginning to grow.
Happy nods at May as if to say yeah we should probably open the door and May nods back. Aunt May grips the door handle as if to open it but not before looking back at the three of us as if to say don’t move. Without a moment's hesitation, she swings the front door open, clearly using a large amount of built-up frustration. “Well well well, if it isn’t the exact person I wanted to see. You’ve got a lot to answer for.” I was almost shocked, I mean this is the (former?) director of S.H.I.E.L.D. who has probably killed people for less, but that could also be me watching way too many action spy movies.
Fury didn’t seem too bothered, as if he was expecting this kind of reaction, instead of saying anything he just walked into the apartment with Maria Hill following behind him. They both seemed to immediately make eye contact with me, which was one of the most intimidating experiences of my life up to this point. MJ seemed to follow their eyeline to me and immediately pulled me behind her, I don’t think I have ever been so grateful for her height. The only bad part was now I was paying attention to what was happening outside. It was not pretty, there was a disturbing combination of people shouting and people cheering.
The adults seemed to be having a conversation but Ned and MJ were also pulled into the action of what was happening outside. “Peter, we don’t want to know what’s going on out there, nothing good has come of it so far and it’s barely been an hour,” Ned said, noticing that I was starting to edge towards the window in the living room in order to look at the crowd that was growing by the minute.
“Ned’s right Peter, we don’t know what their reaction could be to seeing you, I know Spider-Man had a pretty good wrap in Queens before but this will change a lot.” MJ said, agreeing with Ned, “There will of course be people that will obviously think you’re innocent because of their interactions with you in the community and stopping Thanos. But the problem is the same can be said for people now turning against you-”
MJ is suddenly cut off but Ned quickly jumps in exclaiming “Yeah dude, have you seen the number of ‘Thanos was Right’ memorabilia? It’s insane, it’s almost like people have completely forgotten the loss and the heroes who fought for them.”
I wanted to respond back but then there was a loud noise breaking through the rest of the commotion that had been gathering from the combination of the crowd outside, the adults or really just May yelling at Fury and Ms. Hill with Happy just kind of standing there, and the three of us. Time seemed to slow down as the window shatters going everywhere including Ned’s shoulder, with holes appearing in the wall and ceiling as well as MJ’s leg. There was a pain in my ribs that I couldn’t describe but decided to ignore and just as soon as it slowed everything seemed to speed up again with the three of us going down. Ned and I went down fine but MJ hit her head on the coffee table, effectively knocking her out cold. I tried to crawl over to her while Ned seemed to be trying to tell me to stop but the world felt like it was shutting down.
Seeing Ned bleeding from his shoulder, luckily it looked non-fatal with it being nowhere near anything that could make it life-threatening, and then seeing MJ, the epitome of strength and confidence unconscious on the ground bleeding from her leg made me angry. It made me so angry that I almost missed the blood coming from my side, almost but in the moment it didn’t matter. I tried to get up but my strength seemed to be failing me but in that moment I see Fury and Ms. Hill radio something to someone I probably should have been paying attention to and then I see May and Happy running towards us.
“May, Happy don’t” I struggle out, trying to get them to stop their short journey over to the three of us. It doesn’t work and May comes over to me while Happy checks both MJ and Ned to make sure they’re still breathing before getting up as if to look at who shot.
“Hey Peter, look at me you’re ok, you’re ok.” She seems uncertain but almost as if she’s too scared to admit anything is wrong but everything is starting to fade. I think she sees it too because in a movement I will never forget she stands up looking toward Fury calling for medical when four more bangs are heard.
Just as the world is fading I see Happy and May fall to the floor with Fury and Ms. Hill, as well as back up finally come over and help before I see no more.