A/N: MJ is furious in this one. In Redhead in the Rain (my other Spider-Man fic) she missed Peter, and he missed her. In this fic, Mary Jane is mad because it seems like Peter deliberately threw in the towel about being a superhero.

No, not just yet for the flashback… See? I love cliffies, heh heh heh. Now that I've left you hanging with two somewhat unimportant workers of the Daily Bugle, I'll traverse forward, onto the story of a beautiful redhead and an intellectual alter ego… I wrote a story about them once and got three reviews. Yay! Anyway, so onto it. (grins crazily)

--------------------------------

Mary Jane Watson was annoyed.

And that was saying something – sure, she may have been a beautiful redhead who got annoyed as any other famous (cough) theater actress would, but, unlike some, her thoughts had nothing to do with fame and fortune. Rather, they involved one man – one man who had changed New York City for good, had corrupted the very fabric of time and became the Big Apple's biggest saviour. One man who was also known as Peter Parker.

No, correct that, MJ thought as she furiously scanned the tall skyscrapers of the industrial area, one man, minus the alter ego. She knew - yes, she knew - because of the phone call. Unbeknowst to Peter, she'd listened to his recorded message and actually believed it. He fit Spider-Man's bill - same build, height; everything seemed to work out perfectly. This known, she was angry at him.

For almost eight hours now, Peter hadn't showed his face once among the mass of steel, chrome and plate-glass New York was made of. No, it definitely wasn't an accident – how could it be? No, he had done it on purpose.

Not of spite, though – Mary Jane knew it. He was above giving up from spiteful reasons. There was more to it than that, but what could it be? She'd omitted hatred and spite from her list; those were some of the least possible factors. Let's see… Mary Jane thoughtfully glanced above, towards the pale blue sky and the cream-coloured clouds scudding across it.

It could have been criminals, too. They could have kidnapped him, found out he was really Peter Parker - the local nerd who always failed to be on time for his college classes - and were currently holding him…where? In an abandoned building did the trick; possibly as a hostage. They'd have to be smart, then, to best Spider-Man at his own game of smarts and bravery.

But I would've known, anyway. Aunt May would have told me. Peter's kind and caring aunt had known MJ since they had met on that faithful day long ago… So, yes, she definitely would have known…or would she have?

Peter – and Mary Jane knew this – called his aunt enough so that she would know if he had gone missing. No…that didn't make sense. If he'd been captured (if he had been captured) it would have been, say, early this morning, maybe last night. In other words, it was too early to know for sure. She didn't omit this new theory from her list, but held it for later. Only time would tell for this one.

Her problem more than just a simple dilemma, but rather a fight between life and death for several New Yorkers, MJ had a single thought on her mind as her questions lay unanswered: Peter, where are you?

--------------------------------

Robbie had known Betty since the days of highschool, when he had been a senior and she a freshman. He could remember it oh-so-well…

Joseph "Robbie" Robertson stared at the newcomer.

At fourteen-going-on-fifteen, Elizabeth Brant (more known as Betty) was only a freshman in the wide world of Big Apple highschool - a little fish in a big pond, as his mother would say. And yet, she always seemed to be happily bouncing around the wide halls of the plain, iron-gray building that marked the beginning of the artistic side of New York; the school itself was literally scrubbed white under layers of spray paint. He had glimpsed Betty pondering the murals with her friend Belita Martinez, better known as Bunny. He had watched in fascination as she and Bunny had traced their palms over one particular large mural depicting a young cleric healing the wounded on a worn-torn battlefield, had listened as the two began to chatter excitedly about the mural they would one day paint, to show who they were and what they stood for.

And so came the day when he actually met her.

It was just like in one of those romantic black and white movies from the fifties. Robbie was hurrying over to a social studies class; being the punctual, sensible, on-time kind of person that he was, he shuffled along, his eyes focused on the plain beige backdrop of the hallway ahead of him. She, also, was hurrying for her next subject – she was a bright and intelligent student, that Betty Brant, though quick-witted and somewhat impatient.

Before he knew it, Robbie had made contact with her figure and she went skidding to a halt on the grime-covered gray tiles . Being the unluckier and clumsier of the two, he, however, went crashing to the floor, followed by his thick blue social studies binder. At once, he looked up and saw Betty staring down at him. All of a sudden, his vision misted, he went tumbling into oblivion, and her figure blurred. Everything blurred, but he felt funny. Different. It wasn't a bad feeling, kind of like when he had gone on his first date. Only this was so much more extreme.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" Betty cried as her hand snaked toward his to help him up.

"I…I-I'm fine," Robbie stuttered unsteadily, grabbing onto her arm and levering himself to his feet. That was better, but he still felt a little wobbly. And…And he could feel his face flushing. In front of a younger girl. He was blushing. What Robbie failed to notice was that she was, too, and the result: he went toppling to his knees. How ironic.

--------------------------------

Yes, indeed, Betty could remember the day…

Betty had glanced Robbie in and out of the hallways since her arrival to the school in September. He was always doing something: hurrying to a class or after-school club, tutoring the younger teens, heading to a student council meeting. She and her friend Bunny Martinez had indeed seen him often, though she had really thought about it.

So, this day, as she helped him clamber to his feet, it was a strange feeling, to be assaulted like this. It felt like her first date with another boy – a tall, brown-haired specimen named Lyle – only this, this was different. Betty had never had a crush before, but she suspected that it must be like this – they overwhelming emotion and confused feelings.

She was allowing Robbie to be helped to his feet, and noticed his cheeks, which were normally not that dark, had gone ebony-coloured. She felt her own cheeks reddening – those feelings again; it must have been...whatever it was. As she helped him up, Betty was inclined to cry out, almost insensibly, in apology. Not the wisest move, but one thing was for sure – Robbie knew he was blushing. He didn't know she was, though. So, she contented with herself by groaning quietly.

When he finally went his way and the dark on their cheeks finally dissipated, Betty was left staring at his receding figure. She realised she liked him… What in the world would she tell Bunny?

--------------------------------

Of course, the good thing was, Bunny, after being told about it by her friend, had kept the story, as did Robbie's friend Ross Mitchell. Not the wisest thing to do for either of them, but, then again, love is a strange thing…

They soon got over it in the lunchroom that fateful afternoon of July 2006, but what about Spider-Man?

--------------------------------

"What's with the webslinger?"

JJJ's jaw was moving rapidly up and down rhythmically as he chewed the thick wad of mint-flavoured Excel. Actually, he was trying to break his habit of smoking his cigars; apparently, Robbie wasn't the only one who had found it distracting. Now, not for the first time, he was standing and facing the wide glass window that twisted and twirled all around the twenty-second floor of the Daily Bugle headquarters. He was, of course, looking for Spider-Man; everyone was these days.

It was now Thursday, exactly seventy-two hours and thirty-six minutes since the friendly neighbourhood superhero had disappeared. Everyone was on edge – it was amazing how the disappearance of one single man had everyone unnerved and seemingly walking on eggs every day.

"I want you and Betty to search him out." Jonah suddenly whirled on Robbie, who shrunk back in veritable terror. "Find out his identity. Zoom in on the facts. When every piece clicks into place, corner him, do-"

But he was cut off by Robbie, who almost squeaked in surprise, "Corner him? What do you mean, corner him?"

"I know what you're thinking, and that's not what I meant." Jonah's jaw went repeatedly up and down as he chewed the small white square of mint-flavoured Excel – he should have actually been chewing Nicorette, now that you mention it – as he replied, calmly in comparison to his employee. "Just track him down and pester him to tell you two why in the world he isn't doing it." His short speech finished, JJJ leaned over to spit his gum into a garbage can, placed neatly on the floor beside his desk.

It, of course, meant donning that NYC-famous red and blue superhero suit, of picking up the ropes from where he had abandoned them three crimeful (cool word!) days ago. Jonah had waited the minimum amount of time before springing the challenge on Robbie, and now the chase was on.

"Right on it, sir," he muttered after JJJ's receding figure. "Find out why Spider-Man has suddenly given up. Got it."