"Hey!" Peter called out as he trotted up to find May, Harry and M.J.'s Aunt Anna in their spot in line.
"There you are!" Harry said. "We were starting to wonder whether you were going to make it!"
"Yeah, sorry about that," Peter replied. "The cab I took broke down, so I ended up just making a break for it about five blocks back." Technically, it was true that something broke down, the big difference being that it was a large crane at a construction site that was threatening to tear apart anything in the area. It had taken more work to get everything under control than he'd expected, but fortunately no one ended up hurt and he was still on time, so Peter considered it all a win.
"No wonder you look so tired," Anna spoke up. "That was probably a good hard run for you."
Peter nodded, uncertain of how to take that remark.
"I could stand to work on my cardio a little," he opted to say. Rolling with these things tended to be the wise choice in these situations.
"I'm just so excited, Anna," May interjected. "We're all here now, and we get to see Mary Jane's big Broadway debut!"
"This isn't a half bad turnout, either," Harry observed, glancing at the line of people in front of and behind them, "especially for a Monday night."
"M.J. will be happy about that," Peter added. "She was nervous the show wouldn't get a lot of viewership. Hopefully this will put her concerns to rest."
"Hopefully us all being here in the front row will help with that too," May said. "Especially you, Peter."
"I wouldn't sell yourself so short, May," Peter replied, his tone half teasing, half assuring.
"It is true though," Anna concurred with May. "She always tends to perform the best when you're watching."
"I'm just happy to support her," Peter said. The four continued in basic conversation until they got to the window, where they received their tickets that Mary Jane had reserved for them before finding their way to their seats. As they sat down Harry spoke up.
"Hey man, I almost forgot: how'd that big presentation of yours go today?"
"Oh, uh..." Peter was kicking himself internally as he realized he hadn't considered whether to tell Harry or May about not going through with his demonstration that morning.
"Well?" Harry questioned, an expectant look on his face.
"It didn't exactly go how I hoped," Peter managed to get out.
"What, like, they didn't approve it or something?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing in what appeared to be a mix of curiosity and concern.
"No, it's just that, well, things were kind of crazy this morning, so plans ended up changing," Peter explained, hoping that was sufficient.
"Man, you really are incredibly vague sometimes," Harry said as he turned in his seat to more properly face the stage.
"Sorry, it's just... I guess I'm just still a little frustrated by how the whole thing went down," Peter said.
"Don't worry, man, you'll figure it out," his best bud tried to reassure him. "You always do!"
"I don't know about ALWAYS, but hopefully you're right in this case," Peter said. He glanced around, seeing that people were still filing in. Leaning a little closer to his best friend, he spoke up again, albeit in a much softer tone.
"So, I'm guessing your dad was just working late tonight?"
"Yep; no rest for the rich and powerful," Harry replied. His fallen expression didn't go unnoticed by Peter, who started to try and reassure him.
"Don't worry man, there will be other..."
"Shh!" Anna said in a more hushed tone. "It's about to start!"
Peter needed no further warning, turning and devoting his attention solely to the soon-to-be-unveiled stage before him. His own heart began to race with excitement as he braced himself. He didn't just show up to these things to be a supportive boyfriend; Peter had consistently tended to find himself truly riveted by Mary Jane's performances. It was likely at least partially due to her always looking especially nice no matter what costume she was wearing, but he'd also consistently found multiple aspects of her performance to be very well done. Knowing that she was trying her hand at a style of role that was new and different for her only heightened his anticipation.
Finally, the curtain opened, and the lights were directed onto the stage, revealing two characters, a man and a woman. The setting appeared to be that of a police precinct, and Peter had to admit that the details of the set were very impressively realistic, at least to compare to the few times he'd been actually let into a real one... if one could put it that way.
"Blast it!" the man on stage cried out. "Susan, where is that intern you brought on yesterday!? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago!"
"I'm sure she'll be here soon, chief!" the woman replied, glancing around the room, appearing very nervous as she did so.
"I told you she was no good!" the man challenged. "She's just not detective material!"
"She'll be here, alright?" the woman insisted, her tone a little more forceful this time. There was a sound coming from the side of the stage, prompting both actors to glance in that direction.
"See, I told you!" the woman spoke up.
Out then came Mary Jane in a hurry, who was carrying a bunch of papers in a manilla envelope before tripping and falling in a way that Peter wasn't entirely sure was part of the act or not.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she apologized profusely as she gathered the papers before finally standing to her feet. It was then that Peter noticed how... different she looked. Her usually immaculate hair was a mess, her outfit looked as though it hadn't been folded properly before being put on, and she was wearing bigger, dorkier glasses than anything he'd ever seen or worn himself. He knew it was all just for her role, but the whole look still caught Peter off guard, because it was distinctly NOT M.J.
"Sarah, why were you so late!?" the chief bellowed.
"I-I was just h-having some trouble with my alarm this morning!" Mary Jane stammered, and already Peter was entranced by her performance.
"So, you were out partying then!" the man asserted.
"No!" M.J. insisted. "Honestly, I wasn't..."
"Young people these days," the man scoffed, turning away, "can't trust them to do anything, especially be on time! Alright, Susan, she's all yours. Let's see if she lasts the day."
M.J.'s head sank, and Peter swore that something about her performance almost seemed... familiar?
"Don't listen to the chief," the other woman replied, putting her hand on M.J.'s shoulder. "He'll come around."
"I just don't know why he's on my case so much?" M.J. questioned, frustration seeping into her tone. "He always talks down to me so much, as if I'm just some pity case he's only putting up with!"
"Nonsense!" the other woman replied. "Alright, come with me. I've got something to show you."
The two women then hurried along to the desk set up in the middle. Peter leaned forward, already on the edge of his seat.
He just couldn't wait to see what M.J.'s character, who he was beginning to wonder whether she was modeled after how he'd described his high school self to her, would do next.
"I'm telling you, man, Fisk is done!"
The man being spoken to simply shook his head dismissively, raising his glass and taking another sip of his drink.
"What?" the man at the table across from his questioned. "You think I'm crazy?"
The man set his glass down, letting out a breath.
"No, I think you're a naive rookie who hasn't seen enough to understand," the man finally spoke up, crossing his arms and leaning a little more against the table. "The trial is still a long way off, and there's plenty of time for Fisk to get off. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if things are right back to where they used to be by morning."
"I thought you said that the Kingpin, whoever he was, had connections everywhere, right?" the younger man in front of him questioned. "If that's true, how could he even get arrested in the first place?"
"Lucky break," the man replied, "that, or one of his enemies got something on him, and if that's the case, I feel sorry for the man, because when Fisk is done with him..."
A sudden commotion could then be heard, causing the man to pause. Noises that sounded like gunshots seemed to be coming from the other room that led into the entryway to the place; indeed, multiple shots went off in rapid succession before the sound of some things hitting a wall hard could be heard, possibly the guards. After that, there was mostly silence, the kind where one could hear the pin drop as the whole place seemed to freeze, its collective attention turned towards the entryway.
The sound of footsteps could then be heard faintly; they weren't heavy, but almost casual in nature. The man's mind began to sift through possibilities as to who might have been headed their way. Could it be Hammerhead making a return, or could it be that doctor with the four metal arms that came out of his backside? No, that guy tended to only keep freaks like him around, people with strange powers, abilities, and often looks. The sound of the footsteps grew closer and closer, before finally, out of the shadows, emerged a figure in green and purple, his body covered in a mixture of armor and cloth, a goblin-like mask covering his face.
"My my, what a rude greeting I received back there," the man shrieked to the room, his tone bizarrely gleeful, "especially when your new Kingpin has arrived!"
For another moment there was silence before nearly everyone in the room burst into laughter. The man didn't respond as such; instead, he simply stared at the one before him. He'd just made an outrageous claim, certainly, but something about the way he'd arrived, casual yet confident, had gotten his attention. Even now as the whole room mocked him, the costumed figure merely stood there patiently, as if he was waiting for something as he glanced around the room, briefly making eye contact with the man himself before moving past him. Then, one of the biggest guys in the room got up, strutting his way up to the Goblin, a look of disgust evident on his face.
"You know, I remember you," the man said, his large frame towering over the Goblin. "You think anyone of us here is going to take you seriously? Nah, you're still just a freak dressed in a Halloween costume!"
The Goblin simply chuckled, a wide smile breaking out across his face. It was freaky, almost unnatural how the mask seemed to both hide and be their intruder's real face, the guy's expressions showing clearly through it.
"Well then, my very bold friend," the Goblin finally spoke up, "if I really am such a nobody, I suppose a brainless brute like you should have no trouble dealing with the likes of me then, shouldn't you?"
The man observed as the large challenger's face tightened, his teeth baring almost like an animal when it was scared... or, more likely, enraged.
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S BRAINLESS!" the man yelled, and he proceeded to reel his arm back, collapsing his absurdly large hand into a fist before sending it lunging towards his opponent with everything that he had... only for the Goblin to barely reach out his hand, stopping the blow cold. The rage that had once been on the challenger's face was momentarily replaced by shock before contorting into a snarling anger again. The man then unleashed a series of punches that would likely grind the average man to a pulp with ease. The problem was, his opponent was clearly no ordinary man, blocking every attempt at his body seemingly without breaking a sweat, even feigning a mocking yawn at some point.
The man continued to watch from his seat at the table as the challenger simply refused to quit, striking and swinging aimlessly before, eventually, his opponent landed a sudden strike straight to the man's chest, sending him crashing against a column in the center of the room and collapsing onto the ground in a pitiful heap. The room was once again in silence as the Goblin simply smiled as the large man staggered to his feet, leaning against the wall for support.
"What do you want?" the man questioned.
"Oh, that's easy," the Goblin remarked. "I simply desire all of your sworn, immediate loyalty to me as your new leader!"
"Yeah, like that's ever going to happen," the man spoke up. "You think that we're just going to betray Fisk for you?"
"Oh?" the Goblin questioned before turning his attention to the rest of the room. "And what about the rest of you? Does this blundering, hard-headed fool speak for the rest of you as well? Do you not recognize opportunity when you see it before you!?"
Again, the room was quiet outside of a little chatter occasionally. The man glanced over at the rookie across the table, discovering the kid practically shaking in his boots.
"Oh well, I suppose it always was going to come to this," the Goblin spoke up. He then tapped a button on his left wrist; immediately, several drones flooded the room, each one coming over to a table, including to the one the man was at. Guns popped out, immediately taking their aim, causing the man and everyone else inside to raise their hands in surrender.
"We'll do it!" he cried out, though it was unlikely that the Goblin heard him specifically, as everyone in the room was saying some variation of the same thing, which prompted the Goblin to smile a wide, devilish smile.
"Now that's more like it."
Peter observed as M.J. graciously accepted yet more congratulatory remarks from her latest fans. She'd had at least ten in just the first few minutes since she'd emerged from her dressing room and into the afterparty, and he suspected there would likely be several more to come if the massive applause at the end of the show had been any indication.
"I can't believe how well this is turning out!" M.J. gleefully explained once her latest admirers were on their way out.
"I told you," Peter assured her. "You weren't just great, you absolutely OWNED that audience, M.J. You deserve every positive thing you're hearing."
"Thanks, Tiger," M.J. replied. "I was honestly nervous for when the critic reviews come out tomorrow, but now I'm actually kind of excited... mostly."
"Everyone is a critic, M.J," Peter said.
"Yes, but more people rely on their opinions then you would think," Mary Jane reasoned.
"That's just cause people don't know how to..."
Peter was interrupted by the feeling of his phone buzzing; he took it out, observing and reading the text sent to him.
"What is it?" M.J. asked. "Anything related to... you know..."
"No, thankfully nothing like that," Peter assured her. "It's just Robbie Robertson from the Bugle; he was asking if I could stop by around lunchtime for a party their throwing for Ned and Betty to celebrate their recent pregnancy announcement."
"Sounds like fun!" M.J. spoke up. "You think they'd mind if you brought a plus one? I should be able to make it before having to be in to get ready, and I'd be curious to meet a lot of these people that you've told me about before."
"You beat me to it," Peter replied. "I've been looking for an opportunity for you to meet everyone, but between the lab and the city, I've just really had a hard time finding the best time."
"Well, hopefully now that the Fisk's been arrested, things should lighten up at least a little for you, right?" M.J. reasoned.
Peter hesitated for a moment before responding.
"Hope so."
"You're doing it again, you know?" M.J. pointed out.
"I really need to work on my poker face," Peter quipped.
"What is it?" his girlfriend asked.
"I don't know, I guess I'm just thinking back to what DD said about how it almost seemed too easy and out of the blue, then I think about Norman... I actually tried to ask Harry about how his dad was doing earlier."
"What did he say?" M.J. questioned.
"Just that he was working late," Peter replied, "which isn't unusual, but still..."
Peter paused when he felt his girlfriend take his hand in her own; his eyes met hers.
"Peter, you know that it's okay to accept that sometimes good things are just allowed to happen too, right?"
Peter sighed.
"I guess; it's just hard for me not to wait for the other domino to fall."
"Maybe it will, maybe it won't," M.J. replied. "But how about, just for tonight, you allow yourself to accept that you're receiving some good things in life right now?"
Peter nodded.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "This is your big night, and here I am making things about me and my worries."
"Don't sweat it, Tiger," M.J. replied. "It's what I'm here for."
"Oh, that's it?" Peter teasingly questioned. "I thought it was to be the best Broadway actor ever, and maybe just happen to make me look at least a little better in the process by being with you."
His girlfriend chuckled lightly, giving him a playful bump with her shoulder against his own before turning to face her latest admirers. As he observed M.J. working her environment, Peter allowed himself to take in what she'd said. He knew there was merit to her words, but he still couldn't get the feeling out of his stomach that Matt's words would come to prove more prophetic than either of them had realized.
"Man," he thought to himself, "I should see a professional about this doomsday mindset one day."
Hope you're still enjoying it!
Continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10