Peter shrugged on a shirt, sighing half in annoyance half resignation at the pain in his side. he limped slowly over to his work desk, situated on the far wall beneath a large window overlooking the city.

The view was stunning, peaceful even, the hustle of the traffic below cut out from the picturesque slice of the city the window liked it high up, height meant safety

it was an idealistic view, a tiny rectangle cutting out all of the derelict more squat buildings down below, and closed down corner shops he knew where just outside his the streets as far as he could see, until he reached the richer more maintained streets.

however he allowed himself a small smile at the beauty of this view, even though he knew it wasn't real. He knew it wasn't, he knew from his job, it was called confirmation bias, using a few facts and statistics to support their view whilst ignoring all of the facts against this an unrealistic picture. It was stupid, it was like taking a photograph of a corner shop purposefully cutting out a homeless man sleeping in the doorway. It was a lie.

He fumbled for a few moments with his pen-drive, sticking out of his laptop like a permanent fixture. It was stiff, it kept sticking in the retrieved he walked unsteadily past his tv , using it as a support and to the bathroom, well FUCK, he thought eyeing himself with trepidation in the mirror, he really didn't look any better- large bruises where that thug had grabbed him marking his skin, they had turned an even deeper shade of purple than before- he would have to cover that.

He brushed his teeth solemnly, all the time frowning at his pitiful should have been more careful, ' but how did I know they knew where I lived?' Peter jibed at the unwanted thought, arguing with himself.

He felt like a ghost, his face still pale ever since the stabbing, his tummy rumbled and he looked down in surprise, eyebrows raising-oh.

He'd pick something up after dropping off his story, on his way to the coffee shop.

Peter didn't really have friends, he had acquaintances, the guy at his coffee shop who always gave him a large coffee instead of a regular with no extra pizza delivery boy who'd once caught a glimpse of one of his scars when he'd been wearing a tank by accident as he answered the door( he'd been forced to explain the scars to the enthralled younger boy, edited versions of the tales of course), the boy thought he was some sort of spy.

Peter had only told him about 'muggings' and 'robberies' but the boy had made up his own ideas, he had once brought him a whole pizza for free and they'd sat there on the bed eating it as there was only one chair in the room, peter awkwardly telling stories about his 'muggings'.

The girl at the checkout at wall-mart who never asked why he bought so many plain t shirts but he knew wanted to, giving him a student discount even though she knew full well he wasn't one. Or the lady at the front desk at work who was not much older than thirty but always seemed to him like such a motherly figure, slipping him cans of diet coke from beneath her desk ,to help get him through the day when he was working on an important story that needed to be done 'yesterday'.

Peter fumbled with the cabinet, finally finding a skin coloured bottle, and smeared some of the pasty liquid over the cuts on his face with shaking hands. That's better, he set it down on the counter and practised his smile in the mirror. It hurt his face, and looked unnatural even to his eyes. He practised for a while until finally it was somewhat convincing.

Peter headed out the door reaching up towards the coat stand and carefully wrapping a blue and grey scarf around his neck. He grabbed his satchel dropping his pen-drive and keys into it and headed outside.

Using the elevator for the first time since he first moved in, and realised with young legs it was quicker to take the stairs, peter stood in the elevator, holding on to the bar forlornly. The elevator shook and he winced, but thankfully kept going. The elevator was always undergoing repairs. Or stopping, peter just didn't think the stairs where an option right now.

The wind was ice when he stepped out of his apartment block,

Peter strolled down the street, moving slowly but with purpose amongst the tide of human traffic, sidestepping a homeless man sat in the gutter and feeling his heart clench. but knowing there was nothing he could do. Where was Tony Stark now? The man with all the answers. He was up in his tower 500 story's up with his expensive toys, ignoring those in the gutter.

At least peter tried, and made some difference, cleaning the streets of muggers and rapists and Thugs. While all the time the man with all the money. The one who could make a difference and really help the homeless sat in his tower doing God knows what. Peter looked up at the gleaming tower, a stark contrast to the grey neglected streets of this area of town. And frowned sadly.

Peter was getting closer to the centre of town. And the smell of Costa and Starbucks Coffee was meandering down the streets and into his nose. Delicious. Peter was in favour of anything that forced his exhausted body to behave, and coffee was a vice he was not about to give up anytime soon.

As the shops became more mainstream, dominated by big chains and greedy businesses peter knew he was almost there. As the large glass doors of his work came into view peter breathed a sigh of relief.

All at once a woman carrying a bag of groceries collided with him. He couldn't see her face as the large brown paper bag obscured it, but he could see she was wearing a red duffle coat and classic converse sneakers. Two oranges, a pack of grapes, and a tin of soup went flying. Time slowed, and his spidey senses kicked in. in the blink of an eye the lady's groceries were arranged neatly back in the bag, perhaps more neatly than before.

There was a muffled "thank you!" from the lady, before she disappeared in a flurry of outrageously coloured pink and purple scarf and matching bobble hat. Peter rarely got any thanks, but was sure this time it wasn't out of ignorance he had been forgotten. The lady looked like she needed all the help she could get.

Peter groaned grasping at his side, "way to go peter, aggravate the wound more!" Peter thought to himself. He sighed as the pain turned to a dull throb, and pushed through the double doors of his work place.

Peter waved at the receptionist, who smiled kindly at him before waving him over as if it was terribly urgent. She was a kind looking lady, with blonde hair pinned up into a fancy looking bun and she was wearing bright red lipstick and black mascara. There was a pashmina around her neck, otherwise detracting from the business like aura she exuded what with her turquoise suit jacket and fancy makeup.

"One for the road" she said, and winked, smiling impishly. There was a few clicking sounds of plastic being broken, and a diet coke was placed on top of the fancy mahogany desk she was sat at with a clonk. "Thanks shelby" smiled peter, this random act of kindness however frequent still catching him out every time.

"How's your daughter?" he asked politely. Shelby smiled, although the exuberance was somewhat muted and her mouth was stretched far too tight. "She's being looked after by the babysitter, her asthma is acting up again, but ya know, she's ok" Peter knew Shelby wanted to spend more time with her daughter, and it was especially hard for her to stay at work when she knew her daughter was ill, knowing she had to work to keep food on the table.

"I'm sorry about that" said peter sincerely, and Shelby smiled sadly but thankfully, looking at the clock and flinching. Blue eyes flickered finally landing on him "Anyway kid, you'd best be off, I know how the boss man gets when it's time for you to hand in your stories"

"Yeah, Don't I know all too well" peter agreed, grimacing.

" he must know how popular they are" added Shelby, with a sweet motherly smile that reminded him of aunt may. Peter felt something catch in his throat, and his chest grow heavy. He was rarely given compliments, and this was making him feel a little emotional. Thoughts of aunt may flashing through his mind like lightning but twice as painful. Times when Aunt May took to bigging him up on the days when he really didn't want to go into school and face the bullies. Times where she made him a special dinner just because he'd been "doing so well at school!".

Peter cleared his throat, ignoring the tightness there, "thanks Shelby, I owe you one" he said. With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Grasping the can with cold numb fingers crossing the floor, and getting in the elevator to his floor.

Shelby wondered not for the first time why the boy was so sad, and made a note to herself that she needed to buy more diet coke.

Peter slumped in the elevator, and all too soon he was on the right floor, the doors opening to a cacophony of voices and rustling of paper. Peter sidestepped a very harried looking woman juggling two cups of coffee and several sheets of paper that were wedged between them, she looked quite upset. Oh dear. Peter knew that meant the boss wasn't in such a good mood.

Peter navigated the zoo like scene slowly with care so's not to aggravate his wounds. But found himself slowing to almost a stop when he reached his boss' glass cubicle, JJ was grasping a wad of paper in his hand, making wild gestures and bellowing red faced at a young man he'd never seen before. He was holding a portfolio case and looked about he was about to bolt from fear.

Next moment JJ was slamming his coffee cup aside onto the floor with one fell sweep standing up and launching the crumpled up paper at the boys face. "GET OOOTTTA MY OFFIIIICEEE!" screamed his boss, red in the face and a vein pulsing on his forehead. The movement startled the boy and he bolted, nearly colliding with peter on his swift exit from the office "he's crazy!" he screamed. Face so pale and haggard. Peter sighed, he sure was.

Peter looked back into the office, JJ was looking right at him, face read and livid, he gestured aggressively with his whole arm for peter to entered. Peter had barely closed the door when his boss was addressing him. "Now kid" he said, fishing a long thick cigar out of his shirt pocket "three guesses what that was all about" peter racked his brain, but before he even had a chance to think his boss answered his own question " I was trying to replace you. Your head has been in the clouds lately!" peter grimaced, he had hoped JJ hadn't noticed, but deep down he had knew he'd almost missed deadlines on two occasions, and been late for work twice too. He was a fool if he thought his awful boss wouldn't notice.

"So i do some research, find a kid about your age, some talent, a viable replacement- or so i THOUGHT, but he turns out to even more incompetent than YOU, if even that's possible!"

Peter didn't say anything, he didn't have the energy to argue. This made JJ calm down a little mistaking it for obedience. He reached into his pocket for a lighter and lit his cigar, putting his feet up at his large imposing desk, a tall trail of smoke winding its way around the office. "Well kid lucky for you you're slightly less incompetent than the kid I interviewed for your job!"

He rocked back for a while, taking a few deep drags of the cigar, "WELL DON'T JUST STAND THERE! SHOW ME YOUR STORY!" peter scrambled with the laptop at his boss' desk, snatching the USB out of his pocket and inserting it into the port.

Twenty minutes later a very haggard peter was exiting the building with a tired but happy wave at Shelby, in search of coffee.

Peter followed the smell of coffee to his favourite coffee shop, entering with a crisp ring of the bell that hung just above the doorway. His favourite Barista was at the till, as soon as he looked up and saw peter his whole face lit up "well how are you hun? Haven't seen you in a while"

"I haven't been out in a while" admitted peter, walking over to his favourite spot in the place, a quiet corner with an arm chair, in perfect view of the subtitled flat screen tv that perched on the opposite wall. There weren't many people in at the moment, which meant the baristas probably didn't mind coming over, it was a small place anyway, so peter could easily call out his order without moving.

There was some shuffling, then the barista's head popped up over the counter once more, hands emerging too with cakes that were swiftly placed under the glass bowls arranged neatly along the counter.

"So honey, what would you like today?" he asked sweetly, brown curls bobbing to the left as his head tilted in inquiry.

"Oh…" said peter, still unused to the kindness of the barista, "a Chi Butter truffle late please" asked peter. Reluctantly taking his gaze away from the television. He found he couldn't look away, every minute there was someone he could be saving, but in his condition…

He couldn't, it was just impossible, he was way too weak, and he didn't have any sort of healing powers like Thor or Captain America. The truth of the matter was that He'd be no use to anybody dead.

Peter was startled out of his reverie by a clinking noise as the young barista placed his late on the table. It was in a filter jug, as usual, with the coffee cup separate. Peter smiled openly at the boy, wrapping numb fingers around the warm coffee jug "thank you" he said gratefully.

"Whenever you need to talk hun" said the barista, smiling a little tightly. Peter was always alone. The barista felt sorry for him, and wondered why such a friendly person never came in with a friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend? Anyone. It was just him. Always alone, Chris sighed- distracting himself by clearing away used coffee cups and wiping down tables. It was a lonely city. And spider man, the only hero he knew actually doing something about the city hadn't been spotted in days, he hoped he was ok. Ding! Went the doorbell, oh-another customer.

Peter was watching the news when the lady on the screen was interrupted we interrupt this broadcast to report a disturbance in central city-

The film cut to a disturbing image, a creature clad in red with knotted muscles moving much like a spider, attacking civilians.

- the avengers are currently developing an antidote, the creature is seemingly unstoppable, civilians are being evacuated and encouraged to stay inside their homes

Peter had heard enough, when it cut to a video of doctor banner from the avengers being interviewed.

We believe it is a symboyite, much like the one that transformed spider man a while ago, and it has once again gained a host.

Tv presenter-Dr Banner,do you like some of the other avengers are rumoured to believe, that it could be spider man again this time?

Banner became visibly uncomfortable, scratching one arm with the other and biting his lip.

There is evidence to support this, the creature must have a host, and moves in a similar way, we won't know until we gather some matter and complete some tests

The footage cut back to the lady again.

- well we don't know yet, but… am I hearing this correctly

The lady was fiddling with her ear piece.

The police are ordering for the incarceration of spider man, claiming that there is no way of knowing if he has … what is that word?... bonded with the monster symboyite.

Peter had heard enough. There was no way he was going to the avengers for help. If the only respect they had for him was to doubt him.

The police now wanted to incarcerate him, and the avengers where doing nothing as usual, peter had no choice...

He was going to fight the creature. He left his coffee untouched, and was gone in an instant, leaving Chris the barista sick with worry. What was wrong with peter? Was he ok?

The short answer was no, peter was not ok.

tbc