Michelle "MJ" Jones

I didn't want to admit it, but Cleary was getting underneath my skin.

The day after, I started to become hyperaware of my surroundings. On my way to school, I mentally took down every detail of anything that looked like it could be out of place. I was wary whenever I saw a black SUV. I got nervous whenever I felt like someone was travelling in the same direction I was for too long. Even when I was at school, I was discreetly eyeing every single student and faculty member that didn't look familiar to me. Was it silly of me to expect the U.S. Government to infiltrate the school to keep tabs on me? I didn't think so. I was already distrustful of the government before, but between my relationship with the X-Men and the whole (fake) Scorpion situation, I felt like the government would have infiltrated a nursery with a spy baby if I worked in such a place.

One would call me paranoid. But it's not paranoia if someone of something is really out to get you.

By the time school ended, I realized I needed to really talk to someone. Unfortunately, my options were limited, to say the least. I'd call Scott, but he was still out of the country. I don't know why, but I figured he was handling something important. I'd call Kitty, but the X-Men were off on an important mission. I'd talk to Colleen Wing, but I really, REALLY did not want her doing something that would put her on the DODC's radar. And if she was already on their radar, I didn't want her doing something that'd make her a priority. I even thought about going to Clea, but something told me that she had little to no regards for the laws of this country or world.

As much as I disliked Cleary, I didn't want him to end up as a goldfish in a fish tank or a rat in a cage.

After thinking it over, the best person I could think of to talk to was Yuri. I was a bit hesitant. On one hand, there was a certain level of trust there (which, by extension, made her one of the few cops I legitimately trusted), she herself had some disdain for the DODC, and she did work with unlicensed vigilantes plenty of times before. On the other hand, I didn't know if I was ready to tell her as much as I could. I wouldn't be exposing the identities of the X-Men. However, I knew I had to admit to her that I was dating Spider-Man if confided in her, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to open that can of worms.

But who else could I turn to?

Deciding to bite the bullet, I called up Yuri when I got home. After a couple of rings, she picked up.

"MJ… hi," she said. She sounded surprise.

"Did I call you a bad time?" I asked.

"No it's just… it's been a while since you called. Is everything okay?"

"…Sort of." I paused. "Can we have dinner tonight at your spot?"

"Which one?"

"The one you took me to a day after the 'incident'."

"…Okay. I'll pick you up from home."

An hour later, Yuri picked me up. We went to Harlem to eat at Genghis Connie's Too. Once we were there, we were guided to an isolated eating area in the back. After we got menus and placed our order for drinks, the waitress left, leaving Yuri and I alone. Yuri looked at me.

"So, what's on your mind?" she asked.

"…I'm being investigated by the DODC," I said.

Yuri's eyes went wide. She looked towards the door for a moment, then back at me. "Why are you being investigated?" She tilted her head. "Do you have powers?"

I shook my head. "No. And I hope I never do." I really didn't need the potential headaches that could come with. "It's a long story. And I can't exactly tell you everything."

"Then tell me what you can."

"Okay." I cleared my throat. "…I've been questioned by Agent Cleary at my home a few days ago. The reason why is because of the Friends of Humanity incident. There's camera footage of Spider-Man holding my hand when he took me to get first aid for my lip. Because of that, he believes that I know Spider-Man on an intimate level. I told him off. He then showed up at my workplace. Because of how easily I took the guy down, he figured there was more to me than just being a normal high school student."

Yuri tapped her fingers against the table for some moments. As she stared at me, I could see the gears turning in her head. I knew what question she was going to ask next.

"…Do you know Spider-Man on a personal level?" she asked.

"…Yes," I admitted.

"How personal? Do you know him to the point of knowing who he is when he's not wearing a mask?"

I swallowed. "I know him beyond that point. I'm… I'm dating him."

Yuri blinked a few times. The air all of a sudden felt chilly as she leaned forward. "…Please tell me he's not a grown-ass man." She said this in a grim tone.

I shook my head quickly. "No. He's my age."

Yuri let loose a breath of relief as she leaned back, and the temperature of the air went back to normal. "Good, because I would have been real pissed off to find out that our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was a pedophile. I mean, granted, I think you're legal now, if I'm remembering correctly, but you're still a teen, and adults who go out with teens creep me out. Anyway, do your parents know?"

"They don't. I mean, they've met him recently. But they didn't meet him as Spider-Man. My dad is not exactly a Spidey fan."

"Okay. But does Cleary know? I know he's suspicious, but does he know?"

"All he has is the security footage and the viral video."

"I see." Yuri nodded slowly. "It looks like Cleary needs a bigger fish to fry." She raised an eyebrow. "Is Spider-Man still in town? He's been quiet the last couple of days."

"He's been preoccupied… along with the rest of the X-Men," I informed.

"Okay, well, while they're gone, I'll see if I can give Cleary something else to focus his efforts on," Yuri declared.

"And how do we do that?"

Yuri scoffed. "'We?' We are not doing anything but eating tonight. I'll take care of everything else."

My eyes went wide. "But…"

"But nothing, MJ. I got resources and, for better or for worse, I have the unfortunate privileges that come with being a police officer. I'm not going to tell you to stop dating Spider-Man or cut ties with the X-Men, because it'd be hypocritical of me to do so, but I really need you to be even more careful from here on out. I know we're not blood and we don't talk as much as we used to, but I still feel responsible for you. So let me look out for you."

I pouted. "I'm not a little kid," I grumbled.

Yuri smirked. "That's what you said before you almost burned my apartment down when I taught you how to make pot stickers," she pointed out. I stuck my tongue out her, causing her to chuckle. Yup, I was really helping my case. "Seriously, MJ, I know you have a good head on your shoulders. But right now, the only thing I want you focused on is living your life. Okay?"

I looked at her for some seconds. I then nodded. "Okay."

"Good, now order all what you want. I'm paying."

Later on that night, when I was home, I was about to call it quits on studying when my phone rang. I looked down on it. I raised my eyebrows in surprise when I saw the name.

Erik Le Roux.

I looked over at the door of my room before I answered the call.

"Hello?" I said with confusion in my voice.

"Hey, it's me, Erik, Peter's uncle," Scott Summers greeted from the other line. He sounded a lot more cheery than usual. I wouldn't exactly call Scott a dour person. But he wasn't exactly what I'd call a ball of sunshine. "I was checking up on Peter, with him being out of the country and all, and he asked me to check up on you."

It took me a moment to realize that Scott was acting out of character on purpose. "How is Peter?"

"He's doing okay. He's actually going on to the last leg of his trip. So, how's my favorite nephew's girl doing?" He paused for a moment. "Don't tell Clayton and Roderick I said that."

I chuckled, remembering the aliases we used in Palm Springs. "I won't." I frowned. "I've been better." I paused. "I got talked to by the DODC. They think I have some personal relationship with Spider-Man." Of course, Scott knew that that was the truth. But I was playing along with the charade. "Yuri told me not to worry about it, though. Other than that, I've just been dealing with life."

"Are you still worried about the Aunty Clea situation?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I am." I leaned back in my seat. "I'm still going to go through with it when Peter gets back. But, I am not sure I'm ready for the aftermath."

It was at this point that Scott stopped being and Eric and started acting like… Scott. "It sounds like you'll need a professional to talk to."

I thought about it for all of one moment. "It sounds like you're right."

"If you want, I can give you the number of Dr. Jericho Drumm. You can make arrangements. I'll even have him bill me to cover your appointments."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you sure about that? I know I'm not exactly rich, but –"

"It's the least I can do," Scott interjected. "I never told you this, but I do feel a level of responsibility for the American Idiots. I guess this is me just trying to look out for you. And besides, given my line of work, there isn't much in the way of therapists I can be open with. And within that small percentage, he's the best, in my opinion."

Despite everything, I smiled. "I really appreciate it, Erik." I changed the subject from there. I was just too curious. "Hey, how come you're still out of the country?"

Erik didn't answer at first. After some moments, he spoke. "I can't go into much detail. I'm still trying to put pieces together. But I've been getting a sneaking suspicion that we'll have to deal with something from the past and I just want to be proactive about it." He chuckled. There was a shift back into his Erik persona as he spoke in that cheery tone he began the call with. "I'm no good at what I do if I didn't operate with some foresight."

"Okay. But don't forget about Tempo." Of course, I was talking about Joanna.

"Oh, I didn't. She made it perfectly clear that I'll have to make up for some quality time."

Me being me, I couldn't resist making a joke at his expense. "Just make sure we're not present when it happens."

"…We didn't know. That was one time."

I smirked mischievously. "And we're all traumatized because of it."

"…I know I can't see your face, but I can tell you're smirking, you little shit." I laughed. "Anyway, I have to get going. You be good, okay?"

"I will. Thanks again, Erik."

"Any time, MJ. Bye."

"Bye."

I ended the call. I leaned back in my seat, and stared off into nowhere for some seconds. I then sighed as I stood up. I was about to walk out of the room when my phone vibrated. I checked it to see that I got a text from an unknown number. A bit confused, I checked the message. That's when I saw a name – Dr. Jericho Drumm – and a phone number with New Orleans' area code – 504. After texting back my thanks, I placed the phone down and went about going to bed.

The next day, I was on the roof of Midtown. While I was sitting, I looked down at my phone, looking at Jericho's number. I wanted to call him right there and then, but I was hesitant. It was mostly because the lunch period was already halfway done. But my urge to call was a bit overwhelming.

While I was worried about how my relationship with Peter would be impacted by the merge, he wasn't the only part of my life I was worried about. There were quite a few months of my life that wasn't really Mirror MJ's life. It made me wonder how she felt about certain things. How did she feel about me wanting to go to Empire State instead of MIT? Did she still want to pursue Journalism? Did she still have an interest in Theatre? How did she feel about my current family situation? Did she still carry resentment towards my folks? I had so many questions. I had so many questions that I realized that I needed to make the phone call sooner rather than later.

So, I called up Jericho. After a couple of rings, he picked up.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Hi," I began. "Um, this is Dr. Jericho Drumm, correct?"

"It is. If I may ask, who am I speaking with?"

"It's Michelle. I don't know if you remember me, but I was among the people who came with Peter Parker to Little Haiti."

"…Right… Right… you are… you are Peter's girlfriend, correct?"

"I am."

"I didn't know you were in 'the trade'."

I quickly realized he was talking about being a vigilante. "I'm not, not really, anyway. Just… because of my friends, I sort of 'live' in that 'workspace'. And because of that, Erik Le Roux figured you'd be best to talk to and have sessions with at a later time about an issue."

Jericho hummed in acknowledgment. "So, what is the issue you want to talk about with me?"

I paused for a moment. "…Um, I don't want you to violate doctor-patient privilege but… I'm guessing Peter told you about a certain event that involved a certain doctor. Well, I was one of the people affected. For the last couple of weeks or so, I started to figure out certain things about myself due that event. I'm going to a colleague of that doctor for a 'procedure' of sorts. And when that 'procedure' is done… I have a huge feeling I'm going to need you." I paused once more. "Am I making sense to you?"

"Yes, you are. First of all, I'd like to give my condolences for the situation you're in. Second of all, I do believe I can help you. We can set up and have sessions over Zoom or Skype. Or, we can do it in person."

I was about to say that online would be best. From what I remember Peter telling me, Jericho was based in New Orleans. But then I remembered something. "…Would you be in New Orleans during Spring Break season?" I asked.

"…I need to double check my schedule, but off of the top of my head, my schedule is rather open. Were you planning on making a trip to see me in person?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure yet. May I let you know in a couple of days?"

"Yes, you may. In any case, I'll be here to help you, no matter how we meet. I'm guessing I'm charging Erik for this?"

"That's what he told me."

"Considering the size of his tabs and how good he is for it, I'll gladly do so. Well, I have an appointment to attend. You have a good rest of the day, Michelle."

"You too, Doctor. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

After that, the call ended. I looked out towards city. For some reason, it felt awfully quiet. I mean, there were still the usual sounds of traffic and whatnot. But there were no sirens. There were no heroes battling it out in the distance. There was no smoke from a fire or even a helicopter flying over. It should have been rather calming for me. Instead, it just gave me a rather ominous feeling in my gut.

I blew a breath out before I made my way towards the roof entry.