Everyone is sitting on the bleachers in the gym, waiting for the teacher to press Play on a neighbourhood safety video. Peter is, as usual, missing.

"Ned." says MJ, "is Peter ok? You know, everything ok at home?"

"He's fine," says Ned, without looking up from his new phone.

MJ squirms. She has no idea whether she wants the Suit to step in and not care, or if she wants it to get lost and never bother her again. "It's just, you know, there's been such a lot of weird stuff lately. And…"

And although it is tedious to watch a school-mandated video about staying safe on the streets, for once the school has called it correctly - there has been more trouble in the neighbourhood lately than for years. Not so much the aliens, gods, and monsters-type trouble, just common or garden crime. The media is calling it 'a wave of disgruntled youth.' MJ calls it Do not mess with me buddy I have Mace.

Ned's nose is close to his phone. "He's fine man."

"I looked up bakeries," she says. "There's no bakery, or coffee shop, or sandwich shop anywhere near Queens that has a giant muffin-shaped sign."

Ned goes still.

"What's going on?" she hisses. "Tell me. I'm not going to snitch on you. I just want to know."

"Know what?" says Peter, sauntering up. Ned scoots along the bench. Peter sits down between Ned and MJ.

He takes a bottle of water from his backpack and swigs from it. "Hey MJ."

For a guy with a baby face and a low embarrassment threshold, he can be a pretty cool liar. MJ looks narrowly at him. He continues to stare ahead as if compelled by the teacher fiddling with the TV.

"Hey," she says darkly. He's not bleeding. He's not dishevelled. He's not covered in trash, or mysterious purple liquid after rescuing the admin staff from the flood. But there's something.

Peter turns his eyes slowly towards her. "What are you doing?"

She doesn't reply. Yes. A bruise. On the side of his jaw. Small, but a distinct fresh mark, angry red with the start of a blue and yellow halo. And there, on the back of his right hand. Another one. They weren't there yesterday.

Jesus. He really isn't OK. "Did you get in a fight?" she says although frankly anything seems more likely.

"What. No!" He scoffs at this. Puts the water bottle away. "Why would you. Oh that. That's nothing."

She doesn't believe him.

The video starts. When you see a crime being committed it can be tempting to get involved. But citizens need to step back, call 911 and let the experts handle things...

The screen shows an elderly white woman being robbed of her handbag by masked attackers. She shrieks and bashes them ineffectually with her umbrella.

Concerned passers-by step forward to help, but the screen says NO! Stop! Call 911 and stay safe.

MJ slides her gaze sideways. Peter is watching the video with a stiff expression. A frozen, carefully neutral expression.

She has a wild thought. Is he leading some kind of double life? A-grade student by day, petty criminal by night?

It can't be.

After the video, the students swarm down to the floor of the gym. MJ is developing a headache, and the noise of several hundred kids suddenly released from TV purgatory is not helping.

"Hey." Peter's beside her in the crowd. He touches her arm. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

"I'm not worried about you," she lies reflexively.

He steps closer and mutters, "Look, I appreciate it. But I'm ok."

"Great."

"Great." They stop and stare at each other in a deadlock of secrets and lies. Kids flow around them, chattering.

Peter says in a normal tone, "Is it Math next or Spanish?"

"Neither," says Ned, joining them "The principal wants to see us. It's about …" his eyes dart towards MJ. " ...what happened the other night. You know, check on our well-being."

"Check we didn't tell the reporters anything stupid," says MJ. She groans. "This is why we had to watch this video, isn't it. Because we didn't wait for a guy in a cape to show up."

"Literally none of the Avengers have capes," says Ned. "You're thinking of that guy who dropped in from the other dimension. You know."

Peter says "What-"

"You know," says Ned. "The millionaire guy. Like Iron Man but wears more black." MJ and Peter are staring at him. To be fair, there are a lot of heroes around these days, even after being decimated by the war. Ned waves his hands. "You know the guy! Suit full of tech. The one who thinks he's a bat."

"Oh... Him."

Will all students of the academic decathlon team please report to the Principal's office immediately, sneers the tannoy. That's Michelle Jones, Ned Leeds, Peter Parker -

"Great," says Peter.

MJ gives the tannoy a sour look. "Can't help noticing, heroes never stick around for this part."

They endure the principal, and MJ heads for home. It's a relief to have a ton of homework; to have chores; to have a week's worth of weird conspiracy events to pick out on her US map. It's a relief, because the Suit is currently under-performing and she cannot, cannot handle so many conflicting thoughts.

She stays up late to try to become tired enough to sleep, but of course, that doesn't work.