fire inu: Not a bad idea, I'll see if I can fit that in.
Aaron: Yeah the Paige/Warren/Betsy thing will be interesting to see, and you're not the only one that thinks Rachael and Ben would make a good couple.
Winblades: Well actually it's an OC, one of things Ezekiel let lose. I have no idea whatever happened to Morbius but no Venom...yet.
Star Lin: You'll see at the end of this chapter who it was. And I do think MJ and Betsy will get along and I'm glad you liked Jubilee's reaction too.
Lady Suneidesis: look up her bio at Uncanny to know everything you need to know about Psylock. Venom may be in this later on, maybe after this new villain arch I got going.
Ldypebsaby: You'll find out a bit more about the new villain. It's an OC I created for this story. Yes Osborn will be back, and this time he'll have more 'appropriate' help then the Sinister Six.
The Uncanny R-Man: Yeah I never liked Piage/Warren, it boarders on consorting with a minor kind of feel to it. Sorry no plans for Doug, mainly because I never knew that character existed until I read your fics.
Thanks to: gaul1, qwerty
THE NEW TEACHERCHAPTER 36: GIRLS AND VILLIANS
Betsy wasn't sure about this. So far after a shopping trip to get some new clothing for herself she was nearly being dragged with some of the girls. They pilled on in the van that they were using, she wasn't sure if she was up to this, but she knew she couldn't get out of it. So far Rachel was next to her, Amara was driving, Dani in the driver's seat and a surprise to them all when Annie actually asked to come along with them. It was the first time but since she was part of the mansion they couldn't say no. Besides she had been at the mansion for months and they really didn't know much about her.
So they figured it was well past time for them to get to know their nurse, after all she did work hard with all the students and the others when they got back from missions. Rogue was busy looking after Remy since his eyes were still recovering from being healed by Josh, and Kitty and Piotr were having some time to catch up and Rahne was busy with going over a new lesson plan.
Betsy was sitting through this looking out the window trying to think on things, mainly Warren. She knew that she only went to that other relationship to make him chose her or his company...but he hadn't chosen her and only found out he did it because he thought she didn't love him anymore too late to change anything. Sure she liked the relationship she had been in...but there wasn't the love that she had with Warren.
While this was going on the others were gossiping about all the things going on at the moment. "How long do you think it will be until Jubilee let's go of Angelo's arm?" Dani asked with a smirk. "I mean she's nearly literally clung to him the entire time he got...well...back."
"I think it's sweet." Annie said, the first time she spoke up. "I know what it was like when I lost Carter's father when he was young." (1) She shifted in her seat thinking about the memory. "It's not easy losing someone you love, and I can see that they do love each other."
"I with her on this one." Rachel admitted. "It's so nice, I mean Jubilee was crushed about his death, she didn't show it much but I could always feel the pain she hid...it wasn't pretty. I'm just happy for the both of them."
They stopped outside the apartment that the Parker's had. "Well here we are, whose going up?"
"I will, come on Betsy you can meet Peter too if he's in before classes start Monday, since you spent all day at the mall." Rachael said to her.
"Hey I had to replace all my clothes, you'd think after all of the X-Men that died and came back we would have learned to keep all their personal effects incase they came back." She said. Most of her clothing was long gone, most of her personal items had been shipped to her brother and it would take a week until they were shipped back.
Meanwhile MJ was getting ready for the night out with the girls. They told her that they were bringing Betsy along this time around and Annie too. She didn't get to see much of Annie and she was looking forward to Betsy also.
She heard someone knocking on the door as she was finishing her lipstick. "Can somebody get that?" She called out.
Ben was reading the paper for a few good places to live and already marked off a few places to start looking tomorrow. When he heard the knock and MJ and since Peter was in the bathroom he'd figure he might as well open the door. The first thing he saw when he opened the door as a beautiful woman with short red hair and next to her...Besty? 'Oh right I forgot they MJ hangs out with these girls now.' He remembered. He also tried to guard his thoughts since he remembered that Betsy was supposed to be a telepath.
"Man Peter what did you do to your hair?" Rachel said trying not to laugh.
"Excuse me?" Ben asked her, then he remembered he dyed his hair blond instead of his natural brown and they hadn't met or heard of Peter's 'brother' yet. "Sorry you got me confused with someone else."
"Oh yeah I can see that." Rachel said smirking. She figured he was just joking around. Until Peter came into view and she saw him. "What the!?"
'Oh boy.' Peter groaned inward. "Hey Rachel, I guess I should introduce you two. This is my twin brother Ben."
"Hi." Ben said smiling at the look on Rachael's face. He had to admit she looked funny like that...and maybe a little cute too.
Rachel looked to Ben then to Peter, back to Ben and went to Peter finally. "YOU HAD A BROTHER AND DIDN'T TELL US?" She screamed out at him. "Man you think you know a person!" She threw up her hands. She saw MJ walking toward the noise clipping on her last earring. Rachel pointed at her as soon as she saw her. "And you! You didn't tell us?"
MJ was too shocked to respond at first. "Uh...it's kind of complicated."
"Well you can tell us on the way." She said grabbing MJ out the door. Betsy was left behind very confused, then she turned to Peter and Ben. "Uh...nice meeting you two, but I better go before they leave without me."
"No problem, I guess I might see you on Monday then." Peter said as Betsy left then looked to Ben and saw the look on his face. "Don't ask me what just happened I just live here." He told him as he closed the door.
LATERWhen they got to the bar the ladies sat down at a large round table as Rachel filled them in on Peter's brother. "You mean he looks exactly like Peter?" Magma asked the telepath. "Except he's blond?"
"Damn MJ, why didn't you ever mention this?" Dani asked.
MJ shrugged. "Well...it's complicated." She decided to go with the cover story, the whole identical twins separated at birth angle. She just added how Ben had moved out of the city and had lost his job and had crashed at their place until he found an apartment of his own.
"Really? What did he do?" Annie asked her. She had to admit this was even better then a soap opera.
"Uh..." She thought about it and remembered something she saw looking over his documents that had been provided for him. "A teacher actually." She mentally groaned. 'Not good, I just hope they don't ask-'
"Really?" Dani asked excited. "Is he looking for work cause trust me we could use all the teachers we can get a hold of with all the new students all the time and with the X-Men going off doing whatever all the time it hard to get a decent teaching schedule and have the teacher's actually there for classes."
'-Damn...they're going to kill me.' MJ finished her thought. "Uh...no actually." She had seen a teaching certificate alone with a few others. 'Why did I have to pick that one?' She groaned in her head.
"Well if you don't mind I would like to talk to him, I'd like to set up a meeting after I run it over with Scott and Emma." Dani said since she was the highest ranking teacher there at the moment.
"Well, uh, I'm not sure-"
"I say go for it!" Magma shouted out happily. "I mean it would be so cool to have a pair of brother's teaching there, one question...is he single?"
"What?!" Mary Jane asked shocked. She wasn't sure if it was because she was looking for a date or had been attracted to Peter.
"Not like that!" The blond mutant said realizing how that might have sounded. "I just mean it would give a few of the kids someone else to crush on that's not tied down."
Dani and Rachel burst out laughing. "Oh yeah I can just see that!" Dani said first. Even Annie was smiling at the joke. She too had heard all the gossip and knew several girls who had crushes on Peter. Betsy was feeling a little left out at the moment, MJ noticed this and decided this was the perfect time to change the subject.
"So you were a model too huh? I can't place you though."
Betsy was a little startled by the sudden question. "Well I looked differently back then. I'm only Asian now cause when my original body was gone my mind was placed in this one. But I did keep my hair purple like I did back then." She had a small smile remembering those carefree days.
MJ thought about it. 'Purple hair...that sounds familiar.' Then she remembered. "Oh wait I remember you know! I loved your work, in fact it was one of the reasons I wanted to go into modeling." MJ said happily. She remembered seeing this British model who had died her hair purple to stand out, and boy did she make it work for her.
Betsy smiled, it was nice to hear that her earlier days had an impact. "That's nice to hear...sometimes I miss the innocence of those days...but I like who I've become, I'm a lot stronger person now then I was back then."
"Being in the body of a kick ass ex-assassin does that." Rachel said smirking.
The night went on, and the girls got their drinks and started to let lose a little. They talked on about the latest fashions, filled in Betsy on MJ's new play that she had to see. They also talked a little more about Ben but Mary Jane tried to steer clear of it as best she could. MJ dished out a few secrets from her days on the soap opera days to Betsy and Annie that they hadn't hear of yet.
A few hours into it Betsy felt a little depressed and walked over to the bar as the girls were trying not to laugh at Magma who had dragged a very embarrassed Annie onto the karaoke set with her. Betsy just looked sadly into her beer. "You alright?" She turned to see MJ sitting down next to her. "Let me guess...Warren?"
Betsy snorted. "I take it you know about him, me and...Paige. God I can't believe those two are together, I mean okay she's eighteen and a legal adult but...honestly I just don't see it...I should never have let him go."
"We all make mistakes." MJ said sadly remembering her own with Peter.
"Please!" The purple hair mutant said angrily. "Like you ever left the man you loved!"
"Actually...I did." MJ said sternly, leaving Betsy's mouth hanging open. "We...we hit a rough spot in our marriage and...I left for LA for a few months...it was a mistake. But you see we talked and worked it out, we're back together again and stronger then ever. I can see you still love Warren, I think you need to talk to him ask him how he feels."
"But what if he doesn't love me?" She said quietly.
MJ bit her lower lip. "Well...then it wasn't meant to be...but at least you would know. It's a gamble, but is it one you need to do is what you have to ask yourself."
Betsy thought about it, she had avoided Warren so far but MJ was right...she needed to know if Warren still loved her. She gave a small sad smile while looking down at her drink then up to Mary Jane. "Thanks...sorry for lashin' out at you luv I'm just...well..." She shook her head trying to find the words to even describe what she was feeling, hell she didn't even know herself.
MJ smiled kindly at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, I figured this is all kind of stressful for you." She looked over her shoulder seeing the girls had gotten off the stage. "Hey you want to go and sing your troubles out?"
Betsy looked at her strangely. "You're loony are you?" Then she got a smile on her face. "I'd love to, you know I think I'm goin' to like hanging out with you luv."
OSCORP OFFICESNorman Osborn was looking out the large windows of his office into the dark landscape of the city at night. He'd been trying to think of a way to deal with Peter, but after that failure with the Sinister Six showed him a few things. First was that he had to make sure the X-Men weren't involved. He should have guessed they too would have gone after the kids, but he also had thought Peter wouldn't have said anything. Okay maybe it was three things. The last was forming a team with no clear leadership. That fool Octavius had spoiled everything trying to take the glory for himself.
What had he lost or suffered because of Parker? He had lost his own son dam it! He would make sure Parker paid for it in full with interests. But the question was how? How do you deal with him? He had to admit that he had a way of getting out of trouble just as fast as he got into trouble.
Then the light of the office seemed to dim. "Perhapssss you need asssssistance." A gravely voice that drawn out all the 's' sounds. Normal quickly turned around but he didn't see anyone.
"Show yourself!" He demanded looking into the darkness.
"In good time." Said the voice. "We have a common goal...the desssstruction of the sssspider...I can help you and I only assssk one thing in return."
"And what would that be?" Norman didn't know what was going on but wasn't sure whether to listen to this or just try and attack whoever had the audacity to come into his office like this.
"I want hissss blood, I need it."
"Need it for what?" Norman asked him a little intrigued at that.
The shadowy figured moved out of the shadows and Norman could see a gray tattered cloak. "To ssssurvive." It claimed and pulled back on the hood to see the 'face' if you could call it that. It looked like the black form of Peter's old black and white costume only the 'eyes' of it were real and blood red with a black slits that moved. There were also red veins running all over the head and Norman could see a mouth on it with a pair of mandibles on the sides.
"You may call me Sssshadow Sssspider...and I am in need of the Chossssen's blood in order to live. I can help you by giving you what you need. Three like minded people that share a hatred for the Sssspider...all I assssk is you let me have his blood."
"Can you guarantee victory?"
"I have no choice...I will ssssoon die without his blood so I have no choice but to have 'victory' as you say." Said the Shadow Spider.
Norman grinned. A person with nothing to lose and everything to gain, on the brink of dead was someone that didn't have the time or the luxury of lies. It also meant someone was motivated not to lose and would do anything in order to achieve their goals. "Tell me more." He said as he sat down in his chair crossing his arms. Maybe, just maybe the answer had just fallen into his lap.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 37: THE GATHERING
Remember the more reviews the more motivated I am to write this and other stories too.
(1) I'm just making this up since I don't know much about her background.