Mary Jane Watson woke up with a start.
She quickly took in her surroundings. She was in a weird cage, like one of those she saw in clubs in New York for dancers, not hanging suspended but sitting on the ground. The room was dark, but she could distinguish some things.
The main color that decorated the room was a dark shade of orange,covering everything: the walls, the bar and the stage her cage was sitting on, curtains included. The area itself looked familiar, it was a dance floor with light up panels colored red, blue and white. It was similar to those old timey dance clubs she loved frequenting in her hay days.
She didn't have any memory of how she'd gotten here, her last memory was of being checked in and shown her room by that girl,taking a shower and changing, but considering her past experiences she knew she had been kidnapped.
While slowly getting in a sitting position, still in her guest yukata,she made a mental check list of the usual suspects: 'It could be Osborn, that monster is always up to something to get back at the both of us, even if he doesn't know that Peter is Spider-man. Maybe Otto has gotten over anna maria's rejection... badly, and wants to try his creepiness again, just like when he had control over peter's body' she shuddered in disgust and rage at the memory.
She still berated herself for not realizing that something was wrong, back when Octopus was in the driving seat months prior, Peter had literally started talking like an arrogant college professor for crying out loud, it's like she had wool over her eyes.
' I really hope it isn't another stalker' she thought 'I'd rather it be a super villain, they are a lot less sneaky about capturing me, and the faster Peter knows the better it is'.
She didn't have any doubt, he always came, no matter what or where she was.
Taking another look around her, MJ finally notices another figure on the stage.
It was dark so it was a little hard to tell who it was. But it looked like a crouching woman in a long white dress. From her trembling shoulders, MJ could tell, that the figure was silently sobbing desperately. She didn't look bound, so MJ supposed she was either someone else who just got kidnapped... or the kidnapper.
Grasping the bars of her prison, Mary Jane shouted:" hey you" The figure stopped sobbing and slowly got up, turning to face her, her visage still shrouded in shadows. Her dress looked familiar but MJ didn't pay major attention to it, her eyes squeezing, trying to see the person's face while she stood unmoving.
"Who are you? What do you want?" She asked imperatively " My boss is off planet so good luck contacting him"she said smugly, not mentioning that her stark phone had a direct line to Tony's location even if a galaxy away.
The white garbed woman stood still for a couple more seconds, before slowly walking toward the cage, her steps echoing in the large room, until she was in front of the minimalistic cell.
Her face, finally in the light, caused a flash of surprise in MJ's eyes, quickly replaced by her fiery temper again.
"Umph, a freaking wannabe and a sloppy one at that"
Indeed, the woman looked just like her: her face, her cheecks, her lips, her mole and the shape of her nose were all identical. The only dead giveaway was her eyes. Instead of her stormy jade orbs, the wannabe eyes were a glowing, errily vibrant yellow.
She was still crying silently.
" So who are you ? " Mary jane asked again impatiently " the Chameleon? A Skrull ? Mystyque ?." " umph! " she huffed smugly" not like that's gonna help, Tony has enough security meausures to make fort knox blush. Especially after he almost became the skrull's quenn baby daddy"
That almost-parker patented humour didn't much faze her twin. She lowered her head,her long red hair covering her face, tears still falling.
" Please don't tell me you are a secret clone Ben made." Mary Jane continued "He tarnished his own good name enough. You are not gonna melt into water or something, righ..."
"SHUT UP, YOU WEAKLING" the kidnapper said raising her face, a look of fury marring it. The sudden reaction and her thunderous yellow eyes startled the caged woman into silence.
"YOU ARE SUCH A WEAKLING MJ, he was ours, we were happy, we had surpassed our fears, our doubts, for the first time in our life we knew what we wanted." She looked depressed again saying this.
She continued, a little more subdued " and it was being with him." She closed her eyes, regret and pain on her expression.
"If you had given him your strenght for just a single more moment, now you wouldn't be here, aimless and working for a selfish man-child who indirectly helped put both aunt May and aunt Anna in a HOSPITAL BED, thinking that you could have tricked THE DEVIL." She opened her eyes, her yellow pupils, looking at Mary Jane, even more furious and contemptful.
The imprisoned redhead was at a loss " What... what are you even talking about ? " her cager finally smiled " what else ? Who did you always run from and used the worst excuses to avoid in the past year ?"
Understanding dawned on MJ
"...Peter ?"
" yeah, I can't wait to hold him again as soon as YOU become the shadow and I get out of here. Since you can't keep your promise, I will" the yellow eyed maniac told her.
Anger stirred again in Mary Jane, despite her position " What promise are you even talking about?" she spat out, riled by the crazy accusation and the unnerving amount of things the faker knew about her and Peter.
The other-MJ chuckled evilly" Eh eh, you really don't remember, do you? So much for "no matter what happens". " she told her mockingly.
Looking thoughtful, she adds " Well I suppose I should just tell you, you might as well know why this is happening before you disappear. You see.."
But she was interrupted by the large double doors, on the opposite side of the room, opening loudly, a bright light filtering in.
Yu Narukami was a bit nervous.
They were back on the platform they usually accessed the rest of the TV world from, the tv screens around them were showing just static. They weren't wearing their glasses( no fog without Izanami ) but the place was back to its spooky antics.
"Sorry, guys" Rise said, she was using her persona Kuzeon, trying to locate the position of miss Watson. "I can clearly perceive someone's presence in here, but" her face twisted in concentration behind her Persona's visor before relaxing while letting out a sigh"I can't find her"
She recalled her persona, looking frustrated.
Yu and the others took some moments thinking,before the leader spoke " Hey, Rise what else do you know about this person? maybe if Teddie knows more, his nose could pick something up"
"Good thinking, Sensei" the bear, now back in his mascotte suit, perked up.
Rise gathered her knowledge for a moment before starting: "I never met her but... back when I was starting out as an Idol, my producer had me also train for acting in movies. My acting coach, seeing my looks , had me watch a lot of american movies also training a bit of my english here and there. They wanted me to absorb some western mannerism. That's how I recognized her, she wasn't in a lot of movies before she moved back to New York, leaving the acting scene a few months later, right around the time spider-man unmasked actually. But I really admired her, she lost herself in her every role but was almost always upbeat and outgoing during public events and interviews. I always had problems reaching out to people and make friends, but she made it look so easy that it made me want to be like her "
"Sounds like someone pretty self assured to me" Yukiko voiced her opinion.
" Well, yeah but... There was something a little off about her. You
see, at times, an idle moment during an interview or a photo taken by a gossip magazine, her mood lowered heavily and something similar to regret or pain flashed in her eyes. It was replaced by a smile and energy again really quickly but I always felt that something was gnawing at her from the inside. Uhm, I guess we were a little alike in that, uh" Rise finished, her own mood lowering.
Yu , putting an hand on Rise's shoulder to comfort her, asks Teddie " Will that be enough? " " Yeah, leave it to me Sensei." He got to the center of the small circle marking the platform, raising his small nose in the air while saying " Time to bear up!" And started sniffing.
Soon after " yeah, i can smell something in that direction" eyes closed in concentration, raising his arm towards a point in the distance. "wait i smell something els... UH" Teddie said, suddenly letting out a small yelp and raising his paws, covering his nose.
"What ? " asked Yosuke concerned. The blue bear, still covering his nose " bhere is anoder smell, unber bribe-chan's. Id's bad, id sbells like bhat bailed bhemistry ding, biou brought back brom school last beek, Bosuke" teddie answered still keeping his nostrils shut.
" Wait, you mean that sulfur thing? That's weird" "Bosuke" added
looking surprised, before Chie said " it wouldn't be the first weird thing to happen here, really."
" Yeah " Yu continued" Anyway lets go. The weather forecast said it's going to rain again tonight, so we better hurry before she gets overtaken by her shadow." He led everyone in the given direction and started walking.
They fell into a tense silence, the eerie blank scenery unnerving.
While walking to their destination, Yu kept checking on Rise who seemed generally fine despite her previously weird behavior.
He also tought back on what Margaret, the Velvet Room Attendant, had told him right before getting in the tv world. He had gone to the room for the final preparations to his Personas, but the woman had left him with a warning.
Sitting in front of him, in the velvet room , the golden eyed blue garbed woman was intently looking at two tarot cards sitting in front of her.
After a while the eterheal beauty spoke, curiosity showing on her usually composed face " How unexpected" she said holding a card in each hand " it seems that your newest journey will no longer involve a singular old calamity, dear guest, but " raising her arms, turning, showing both cards to Yu.
They were both of the Tower arcana.
" also a new one "
"However your involvement with this new calamity will be far more indirect but still depending on a choice of yours" she continued " the reading I made, involving this second tower card, was for the one you deeply care for in your heart. Coupled with the priestess card kissing the fools card,it means that she is gonna be faced with a secret regarding her origins which will start her on a small journey of her own to face this new calamity." She proceded, her golden eyes studying Yu 's surprised expression.
" Unfortunately you won't be able to help her on this journey of hers, but you will be instrumental in setting her on her path and both of you should be able to avoid the coming ruin, before being reunited."
She smiled ruefully before Yu left the velvet room with this new information heavy on his mind " I look forward to both of your progress, dear guest."
Yu exaled deeply, thinking about this. Before his determination came back to him. 'Whatever it is, we'll face it and do everything we can to come out on top ' smiling to his girlfriend again who answered with one of her own ' I'm not losing her '
They finally arrived, the sight of a rectangular orange brick building greeting them. Quickly locating the two main doors that acted as entrance the group prepared to enter Yu and Kanji taking one door each.
After some time, everyone was ready for whatever laid in front of them, and the two teenagers opened the doors togheter.
The room was illuminated quickly once the doors were opened and everybody who had seen the midnight channel instantly recognized the same room in front of them.
The difference from the broadcast being the people on the stage. Yu and his friends saw both of the identical women and quickly recognized ( obviously) the shadow.
The yellow eyed creature was regarding all of them initially with a snarl of complete anger that turned into an evil smirk, while the caged woman looked on the group of teenagers in surprise and confusion. "Who are you kids ?" She said worriedly " What are you doing here ? Find some help please, this faker may be dangerous ."
Naoto spoke first " Miss Watson please, try to calm down. My name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm a private investigator, me and my friends are here to help you." The Investigation Team at this point started circling the stage.
Shadow-MJ started getting restless, seeing how her guests had arrived.
"Finally" the shadow exclaimed with glee " welcome you guys! Is everyone ready to party ?"
Yu and Yosuke started to slowly get closer to the stage, near the side with the cage .
" Miss Watson, try to ignore her" he tried to warn her " we are getting you out of here "
The yellow eyed woman exclaimed then in a chiding tone " oooh , leaving so soon ? " she then rolled her right index finger in the air in a circle, the gesture soon followed by the entrance doors slamming shut " you are all gonna miss the big surprise."
" Because tonight I'm gonna reveal to everybody who Spider-man really is ! " she giggled madly.
Everybody was surprised at this while the captive gawked " how the heck could you know that ?" The shadow giggled again at her stupefied face " that stupid secret being revealed ripped us apart once , it's only fitting that it's going to bring him back to me now. His name is..."
The prisoner shouted interrupting her " Don't you dare tell anybody! I've kept that secret for so long, I don' t care that I'm no longer in his life, I won't allow anyone to bring him more grief. And again, HOW DO YOU KNOW ? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Getting more and more upset
The shadow, lookin even more deranged , had another fit of laughter " How ? Why wouldn't I know my husband's secret identity, silly. And as for who " her expression darkened " my name is Mary Jane Watson-Parker, wife of Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man!"
The room fell silent after the revelation, even if nobody present actually knew the person but still shocked by the craziness of the
statement . No one was more shocked than mary jane herself,though" what ... ? How ...? " she said " we never..."
"DID YOU?" the shadow said, wrathful again" did you, now ? Then how about that time he saved Doom in Denver and told you that we made him stronger ? How about that time that crazy russian hunter buried him alive for two weeks and he was able to survive only because he had promised us to always come back ? How about that time he gave us an out from his life, standing on top of the empire state building at sunset, and we told him he was stuck with us ? Were we married, then ? Think about it really carefully"
Mary Jane's guts clenched and iced over hearing this response . The faker knew things only she knew and she couldn' t be a telepath, MJ had been implanted with an anti telepathy chip by Tony when she took the Job. Paranoid? yes but she didn't dislike the fact that her mind was still her own. altough... there was something wrong about those memories , she hadn't thought of those moments in a while and now that she did, they felt... wrong, adding to her growing anxiety, like something was missing." You couldn't possibly be..."
"Me ? Ahahahahah" the shadow looked back, her stare piercing MJ" of course I'm you and Peter is MINE ! NOT GWEN'S, NOT FELICIA'S , AND ESPECIALLY NOT CARLIE'S OR BOBBI'S. HE IS MINE ! HE BELONGS TO ME!ME!" She shouted at the top of her lungs possesively, throwing a tantrum, startling everyone.
" No , I'm not some possesive bitter psycopath," the green eyed captive said , voice broken by shock" you are wrong. You ... "
"Don' t say it " yosuke tried to warn her.
"YOU ARE NOT ME !" Mary Jane shouted to herself.
Deep Silence fell in the room, broken first by a frustrated " why do I even still try ?"
Then a small chuckle coming from the redheaded bride slowly rose into a burstin , out loud, maniacal cakle while the formless Shadows around everybody took life and started enveloping her, her laughter turning deeper and even more distorted, casting the room in pitch black darkness.
Until the process was complete.
The small amount of natural glow returned to the room, the prisoner fainted and every persona user in the room readied their weapons facing the stage while the pace of the floor panels illumination got faster and faster casting the room in ominous shadows. The bride Shadow had disappeared and that area of the stage was empty.
" You won't get in my way" a deep, loud, distorted feminine voice echoed from above them, making everybody turn towards the high ceiling.
Suddenly a reddish blur struck the floor, cracking the pavement near teddie making the mascotte topple in surprise. It looked like a crooked spider leg, but it wasn't hairy or chitinous at all, it was mechanical made of rusted crimson steel,jagged in texture, oozing of a liquid as red as blood.
Then another struck the floor close to a different member of the Investigation Team. And another, and another and another. This until all 8 legs bent down; the body, lowering closer to the ground, the twisted creature finally showing itself.
Beyond the arachnid legs, the shadow had a metallic spider body with a bloated belly, same rusted stell color, but where the head should have been was instead a robotic female upper body, smooth in texture, with bluish skin, chained with her arms stuck to the chest and claw like hands with elongated fingers. The hair of a bloody red looked rough and unkempt, covered her visage and body, long enough to touch the ground but her face was still visible. Her porcellain mouth was open, gagged by dark red, almost black cloth, in a painful looking way. Closing the
hellish get up was a blindfold of the same tint, behind which two
lights of a sickly green color shined trough the material, where the
eyes should have been.
Kanji exclaimed surprised: "Holy ...! This thing is as big as
Namatame's shadow"
Only once it slowly moved its massive body, It finally spoke in its distorted way. " I am a Shadow ! The true SELF! " body twitching and convulsing " I will destroy these shackles of agony and reclaim what is rightfully mine. And I'll erase everything in my path,INCLUDING YOU BRATS!" It spat out wrathfully.
Yu readies his katana in front of him, moving to cover Rise, already scanning the opponent with Kuzeon.
" I don't think so "
AN: wow, i'm not super happy about this chapter but, still, i hope it's alright. Next chapter is going down, shadow versus team. MJ now faced her shadow and noticed something wrong with her memories and soon enough she'll find out why. Well, wish me good luck on writing action I hope it's gonna turn out good, it isn't something I ever did so it could be cool or it could be bad , see you next chapter.
RR