A/N: Ok here's chapter two, I felt like I did a crappy job with the first chapter so I wrote this one and I feel more confident about it. Thank you to Alex, Gina, MinaraCatseyeVenusAroura, and Robyn for your reviews you guys are awesome. This will have some fluff and yes don't worry I'll stop at this chapter so I can write more for A Spider and an angel fic, I promise. J
Disclaimer: As always I don't know marvel, or spider-man characters.*
Mary Jane groaned opening her eyes as the sunlight streamed in her room blinding her eyes. She was lying on top of her covers, sideways, as if she just plopped down on her bed and fell asleep. She wondered what time she got in as she looked at her alarm clock facing her. It now read around eight in the morning. She knew she got in late but she felt like she had slept for a week. She jumped off her bed and went to her drawers to get dressed. In less than 15 minutes she made herself presentable and ready to go to work. Riding in the elevator down she wondered to herself what had happened last night. The last thing she remembered was walking home from the audition and being rejected from that. Flashes of being pulled into an alleyway went through her mind. She shook them out of her head; it was just a bad dream and nothing more. Yet it had seemed so real. Not even a night ago she went to the movies and saw some thriller movie with Harry. That nightmare taught her not to go see them so late. Walking out onto the street Mary Jane swept her long red hair behind her shoulders. Steam rose up on the streets from the sewer vents while cars roared past on the streets trying to get to work. It was another one of those mornings, she could hear people arguing everywhere about everything from under the sun, as well as people rushing to work not caring who they ran into. She sighed to herself having thought that people had changed since the appearance of Spider-man, yet it didn't take too long for everyone to return to their old selves. Of course she couldn't stereotype everybody to be that way, but the people she was observing now really didn't seem to care about anyone else at that point.
"Move out of the way!" Someone yelled as they rushed past her on their bicycle. He hit her arm hard as he went by almost knocking her down. The man on the bike glanced back momentarily glaring at her from under his helmet. "I had told you to get out of the way!" He jerked his head back while he rode away. Gritting her teeth in anger Mary Jane rubbed her arm painfully. 'What a jerk!' She thought as she went back on her route to her job. Not only would Enrique be pissed about her being late but also now it would be harder for her to carry the hot plates when her arm would be aching. Shading her eyes she looked up at the skyscrapers around the city. It would bring a smile to her lips if she could see Spider-man swinging around the buildings on patrol, she hadn't seen in person in weeks and just seeing him on the news or in the papers didn't seem good enough for her. 'Ah well, can't waste precious moments wishing.' She turned the corner to the café with a sigh. Pulling back the door with a feeling of fear (of losing her job) she stepped inside.
* * * *
As he watched Mary Jane step inside the café, he felt his body relax. She may have been late to work but at least she came at all, which meant that she was all right. He spent the rest of the night looking for her everywhere but she wasn't anywhere in sight. Eventually he returned back to his apartment late and slept until it was time to check in at the Bugle and see if any of his morning classes were dismissed, which they were. Now watching Mary Jane walk in his feeling of being tired quickly faded as he saw her walk in looking refreshed.
"Sorry I'm late Enrique, I slept through my alarm. I'll work an extra shift today to make up for it if you'll let me." She said walking to the back trying to get on her boss' good side.
"Miss Watson, I should fire you where you stand. But I'm feeling generous today, you can work that extra shift today, but you only get one break, I'm taking your other one away." He glared as he was frying the hash browns. Mary Jane frowned holding her anger deep down, if she wanted to keep the job she'd have to do as he said.
"Yes Enrique, no problem." She said gritting her teeth. Turning away she pulled on her apron and got to work. "Jerk off." She muttered as low as she could before he left.
"Did you say something?!" Enrique snapped turning towards her with a greasy spatula. She faked a smile and shook her head no.
"Must have been the radio, I didn't say anything." She said innocently. Enrique grumbled in response and went back to frying the hash browns. Mary Jane giggled to herself as she went to the counter. She punched in her card and began her shift by taking orders from some of the patrons at the counter. She looked at one of the customers that sat at the counter hidden behind a newspaper. "Can I get you anything, sir?" She asked wanting to pull the newspaper away so she could speak to him face to face. Slowly the newspaper lowered and she found herself talking to her friend Peter. Her blue-green eyes widened in surprise. "H-hiya Pete. What are you doing here?" She asked surprised.
"My morning classes were canceled. So I thought I would have a cup of coffee, check in on you before I went to go snap some photos for the Bugle. I stopped by your place last night, late, like around one I think. You weren't home though. I came here and you weren't here either. I was worried." He said trying to sound casual. He felt a blush creep up on his cheeks and tried avoiding looking into her eyes. His own eyes would betray him probably if he kept looking. He was more than just worried last night. He was insanely worried about her. She giggled as he looked away and took his newspaper away from him.
"I was at an audition last night." She said softly her eyes flashing with anger as she remembered what they told her.
"At one in the morning? I don't think they hold auditions that late." He said skeptically. Mary Jane shrugged his skepticism off as she poured him a cup of coffee to look busy just in case Enrique came out from the kitchen.
"It was held around 12, I think. So many people went out for it though I didn't think I'd have a chance but I wanted to try. I left about 1, and I guess I just walked the streets for a few hours before I went home. I don't know, the rest is just really a blank from after I left the audition. They were really harsh to me Pete. I mean, I thought I was a decent actress but they were saying that I don't have a chance in hell," Her eyes reflected their anger and pain and it chilled Peter to watch her. "Maybe they're right, maybe I should just give up and find a real job instead of trying to do something I'll never achieve." She hunched her shoulders slightly. Peter shook his head in disbelief and grabbed her hands quickly.
"M.J. that is not the girl I've known since I was 6. The M.J. I know doesn't know the meaning of the word "give up" or "quit", she's always out there to achieve what she believes in and wants. Those people, they don't know a good thing when they see it. It seems to me they have no taste or talent when they see the true talent right in front of their faces. So don't give up, I know that if you keep at it that you'll finally get what you want." He said looking deeply into her eyes meaning every word. She smiled for real this time; Peter was always great in pep-talking her. He always supported her no matter what. She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead.
"Thanks Pete. You're the best, you know that?" Although acting was something she wanted, Peter Parker was another thing she was aiming in life to achieve, although she doubted now he had a crush on her anymore.
"H-hey..um M.J.?" He asked rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he looked down at the coffee stained counter in shyness. Mary Jane slowly looked over at him curiously wondering what made him so nervous all of a sudden.
"Yes, Peter?"
"I was wondering if you would l-like to g-go out for a movie tomorrow night." He said slowly as if trying to pronounce each word to perfection. The blush had spread along his entire face and even on his neck. He drummed his fingers on the counter as he waited for her to turn him down. He felt once again like the geeky teenager he had been during high school and Mary Jane was one of the most beautiful girls that were unattainable.
"But Tiger, I thought you said we were just friends?" She teased lowering her voice as she moved her mouth to his ear. He felt goose bumps rise along his arms as her breath tickled his ear.
"Uuh..it's just a movie M.J." He said laughing nervously. "And besides, it can be a "friends hanging out" type movie if you want." He said hurrying that last part.
"Relax, I'm not going to gobble you up Peter. I think I'm free tomorrow night, call me when I get home tonight and we can finalize it, ok?" The corners of her lips lifted slyly as she backed herself away. He felt like he was going to melt in his seat as he stared at her, she never seemed more beautiful than at the moment, was she…seducing him? The very idea made him almost laugh at himself. Why would she want to seduce someone like him, not only was he not worthy of her but if she wanted his attention she would have to do barely anything, seducing him would drive him over the edge having him realize that he definitely didn't deserve someone like her. She stroked his hand gently with a smile. "You act as if you've never been touched by a girl before." She teased as she let go of his hand. "Just bring yourself tomorrow night and no bringing your camera. It would be unfair if you started snapping pictures if Spider-man went around the corner or something on our date."
Peter stood up after having finished his coffee and smiled.
"No worries there, M.J. I'll make the day just about you." He said shooting her a smile.
"You better not Pete. It should be about us, not me." She said correcting him. He nodded and waved disappearing out the door. 'What are you doing Parker, you should be distancing yourself from her to keep her safe.' He thought. 'Well one date couldn't hurt, and I wouldn't want to hurt her by staying away, she needs a friend.'
He rounded a corner just in time to see the bank across the street being robbed. 'Ugh, do they ever give up?' He was gone in a flash to change into his spider-man costume.
* * *
Mary Jane was setting down a steaming plate for one of the customers when she heard shouting. She jerked her head up quickly as she looked around. No one seemed to notice, everyone was too busy in his or her conversations or food to notice it. She just wasn't sure where it was coming from and why she could hear it so well.
"Enrique I'll be right back!" She called before she dashed out of the café. People were standing around looking across the street at the bank, she could just tell from where she stood that a robbery was in place. She felt her stomach tighten as her legs moved carrying her across the street quickly. Why was she running to the scene? She should stay away and let the cops handle it but she couldn't stop herself. No one seemed to notice her, even when she jumped into the air and then…something weird happened. Her whole body became enveloped in a black costume or suit, from head to toe. She landed on the ground in a crouch. As she stood she gazed at her costumed hands then she moved them to her head and felt that she indeed covered from head to toe. People stared at her in both fear and awe.
"It's Spider-man!" Someone called pointing at her.
"Why does Spider-man look a little smaller than usual?" Another person asked.
She wasn't Spider-man, she thought and this couldn't be happening. The bank doors shot open with the robbers coming out, their guns aimed at the public.
"Get back! Get back!" They shouted. One of the thugs poised the gun at her. "It's Spider-man, shoot him!" He yelled. The guns went off in her direction and the only thing she heard in her mind was instinct: 'move'. She jumped out of the way moving quicker than the eye. Dodging each bullet first with a twist, then a handstand and a flip forward. They wouldn't have stopped unless she would stop them so she flipped forward and delivered a kick to the first one in the gut. He went down quicker than she thought holding his stomach. The other two however kept firing. Her suit yanked her right wrist out and fired thick webbing at the bank's wall web-zipping her over. She didn't have time to think as her legs kicked off its side and into the second man knocking him down. She twisted herself around in that instant as soon as she was standing and threw a punch at the remaining guy driving him back. She jumped onto her hands and drove her legs down at the man's midsection; wrapping her legs tightly she pushed herself back tossing the guy to the ground. He as well folded quickly to the ground in pain. Using her webbing she strung them up against the building different from the Spider-man tactic of cocooning them to the wall. The people surrounding her began to applaud her, yet they thought they were applauding spider-man. Mary Jane took a few steps back in shock, not believing what had just happened. She had just done that? Soon she heard the familiar whooshing sound coming back and the real Spider-man leapt onto the scene landing on the light post above her.
"What the—" She heard him mutter in confusion as he looked at her handiwork. The people began to mutter in confusion. There was the real spider-man, but this person in black? Who was he? Mary Jane looked up at Spider-man, frozen in place she didn't know what to do. Spider-man slowly lowered himself down on a web and stopped just in front of the black costumed Spider-man. "Who are you?" He asked not sure of to think this person was friend or foe. Just as she was ready to reply she felt her arm jerk up and her fist fly into his face. The punch impacted hard on him sending him a good 10 feet from her. Before she knew what she was doing she was running away down the street, then into the alleys to get away from the crowd.
Spider-man groaned in pain, he felt like a bulldozer had just hit him in the face. His spider-sense as well didn't go off, what was with that? Slowly he got to his feet feeling a little dizzy. That person packed one hell of a punch but who were they, how did they get their powers and why were they using the symbiote?
"Whoa, I think Spider-man just got his ass whooped." A teenager said leaving the scene. Spider-man looked at the crowd and leaped away on his webs. What was to come from all of this?
A/N: Ok that's the end of that chapter; let me know how you feel. I was much happier with this chapter than the beginning, heh hopefully my reviews will look better than the first -_-.