Okay!
This chapter has a couple different plots, then we get into my own take on the Insomniac game plot!
Hope everyone loves it!
I own nothing from Spider-Man, or Marvel
Chapter 17: Life Goes On
MJ laid on the couch in the living room/dining room/kitchen wearing a light gray shirt with a tiger head on it, and the words "Easy Tiger" from top-to-bottom, and a pair of black short-shorts, slowly bouncing Anya up and down as she held her.
Peter was currently in class. The two of them had decided to alternate who stayed home with Anya while the other attended their classes. Today was MJ's turn, so tomorrow would be Peter's.
Anya giggled as her mother played with her, causing MJ to smile back as she nuzzled her nose against hers and kissed her forehead.
"I'm still so young, but you're the best thing I've ever done," she said. "You and Peter are my everything, cariño." (Spanish for "sweetheart")
"Ma..." Anya cooed.
MJ gasped and sat up, "Did you just say...?!"
"Ma!" Anya piped up again.
"You just said "Ma"...!" MJ whispered as tears started to form in her eyes. "Your first word~!"
"Ma!" Anya spoke again, causing MJ to let out an excited gasp. She gave her daughter several kisses on the head, then the front door opened.
"Hello you two!" Desirée greeted them.
"Mom, Anya just said her first word!" MJ cried happily.
"What?" Desirée asked in surprised. "W-well, what'd she say?!"
Anya touched her mother's face, "Ma~!"
"AH!" Desirée gasped. "Oh, my goodness!"
"I know!" MJ exclaimed.
She gave Anya more butterfly kisses on her cheek, making her giggle.
"So, what brings you here, Mom?"
"First, let me see your left hand," she responded.
"Uh...okay," MJ said as she held out her left hand.
Desirée held it to get a closer look at the ring Peter had given her,
"Oh, he got you pearl, from your birth month~!"
"...Oh, yeah..." MJ looked down, blushing, but smiling.
Desirée smiled, but then she sniffled before she quickly wiped her eyes.
"Mom?"
"Sorry, and I know it'll be a couple years," Desirée started. "But my baby's getting married!"
Then she pulled out a wedding dress catalog, "Which is why I brought this."
MJ gasped in surprise, covering her mouth with one hand.
She blushed even more, "Well...I guess it couldn't hurt to look through it."
Desirée smiled before she and MJ sat down to take a look.
"Just so you know, I don't want anything too fancy," The young mother stated.
"Oh, I'm aware," Desirée said as she looked through the pages.
"If it's okay, I might want something non-traditional," MJ suggested.
"Oh, like what?" Desirée asked.
MJ adjusted Anya in her arms and grabbed her phone,
"Back in high school, Liz showed me this dress online that she thought would suit me. And...I admit; I liked it."
She showed images of the dress to her mother; it was a black Norma Kamali Women's Halter Wrap Straight Gown.
"I know, black isn't the right color for a wedding, but..."
"I think it suits you," Desirée said, smiling.
Anya reached her hand down toward the pictures, cooing in interest.
"Oh?" MJ cooed. "You like the dress, too~?"
"Looks like she's got her mama's brains!" Desirée said.
"Thank God," MJ commented. "Peter's smart too, but sometimes he doesn't think things through."
Both of them laughed at that.
"Now, it'll be a while," The older woman started. "But have you thought about the guest list? More specifically, the "special" guests?"
By special guests, she meant any of the super heroes that Peter was friends with.
"Yes, actually," MJ answered. "If anyone asks why some of the Avengers are attending; we can say Peter knows them from his internship with Stark."
Desirée nodded, "Okay, that works."
When Peter got home later, MJ told him about Anya saying her first word.
"What?!" Peter asked in surprise. "Aw, and I missed it!"
"Ma!" Anya cooed, seeming to know that her father wanted to hear it.
Peter gasped as he carefully picked her up. "Look at you! Saying your first word!"
MJ smiled, "Mom also showed me some dresses."
"Oh, did you pick one, yet?" asked Peter.
"Well, technically, Anya picked one," MJ replied.
"Aw, did you help mommy pick her wedding dress?" he cooed to his daughter.
Anya giggled happily in response, causing Peter to laugh as he kissed her on the cheek. This was a sight MJ would never get tired of; Peter holding their daughter. It reminded her that when he wasn't being Spider-Man, he was just regular Peter Parker, the love of her life and father of her child.
~The Next Day~
"Michelle, you're back!" Lexi hugged MJ, seeing her back on campus.
"Yeah, sorry," she told her friend. "Had a lot to deal with."
"Oh, yeah," Lexi muttered. "Maddy and Kat said you were having a baby."
MJ smiled, got out her phone and showed Lexi a picture of her holding Anya.
"Oh, my god, MJ, she is so CUTE!" Lexi exclaimed.
"I know! All that struggle and pain was definitely worth it!"
"What's her name?" asked Lexi.
"Anya," MJ replied.
"So cute."
"Thank you," MJ said. "So, anything new going on with you?"
Lexi sighed, "Cassie turned on us..."
"What does that mean?" MJ asked.
"During one of Maddy's breaks with Nate; Cassie hooked up with him..."
"Oh fuck," MJ muttered.
Cassie sleeping with her best friend's abusive ex was...beyond fucked up!
"Is she here, right now?" MJ asked.
"No, but be careful," Lexi warned her. "Her abandonment issues from our dad, and the slut-shaming she suffered, combined with her hooking up with Nate has turned her into a sadistic bitch who derives pleasure from hurting the ones closest to her."
"Oh, I get it," MJ sighed. "Just like MY dad with his "Misery loves company" bullshit."
"Yeah, so if she finds out that you have a stable relationship, AND a baby, but she doesn't..."
"Oh, believe me...I know," MJ said before she sighed. "This is going to majorly SUCK."
MJ was very aware of how dangerous Nate Jacobs was. He suffered from toxic masculinity, brought on by his dad being bisexual, but mostly into dudes. When things didn't go his way, or his sexual preferences were questioned; Nate got extremely angry and violent. Maddy knew first hand of how violent he could be.
Well, if Cassie tried anything; MJ wasn't gonna take it lying down.
Lexi then noticed her ring...
"...Wait," Lexi said as she gently grabbed her hand and lifted it up for her to see. "Is this what I think it is, MJ?!"
"...Maybe," MJ smirked, causing Lexi to cover her mouth as she tried to keep herself from screaming in delight.
"Shut up!" Lexi cried.
"He asked me a few days ago," MJ said. "I couldn't possibly say "no"."
Lexi squealed as she hugged her. "Please tell me I'm invited!"
"Yes, but it's gonna be a while," MJ chuckled. "Peter and I wanna finish college first."
"Understandable," said Lexi. "Still, though!"
They headed to class after that. After it was over, MJ found a mostly secluded spot to FaceTime Peter and find out how things were going at home.
"Hey Em!"
"Hey Pete! How're things?"
"Oh, they're fine," he assured her. "In fact..."
The view from phone showed him going to Anya's room, and showed that she was sleeping.
"Aw, little baby, baby~!" MJ cooed in a cutesy voice. (1)
"It was not easy to get her to go to sleep, I will say that," Peter added.
"Is that your baby?!" An excited whisper came next to MJ, revealing Maddy and Kat.
"Yes it is," MJ answered. "Her name's Anya."
"So cute," Kat gushed a bit. "And you must be Peter."
"Hi! Kat and Maddy, right?"
"That's right," Maddy answered.
"MJ's told me about you."
"Oh, so our reputation precedes us!" Kat joked.
"Just the middle school stuff," Peter remarked. "I'm gonna let you ladies chat. Love you, MJ!"
"Love you too," MJ replied, then the call ended.
"Was that really Peter, the guy you used to call a nerd?" asked Kat.
"He still is," MJ said. "But he has such a big heart."
"You didn't mention he was so good-looking," Maddy playfully scolded.
"He's off-limits," MJ said with a smirk.
"Oh, I can tell," Maddy giggled.
"Hey, Lexi told me about what Cassie did..." MJ started.
Maddy looked down, while Kat cringed a bit.
"Yeah..." The former sighed. "I guess I'm...still in shock...funny, huh? I just keep thinking this is all one big sick joke that Nate planned. But...no...she did this. She hurt me..."
Maddy hugged her arms, tightly, "I keep thinking back to all those times...I vented to her...cried to her...confided in her...just for her to hurt me like this...I expected this from Nate...but not her."
MJ nodded in understanding, "I should've told you that getting together with Nate was a bad idea; I could tell how toxic is. I just didn't say anything cause it wasn't my place to tell you who you can or can't date."
"Yeah, well...lesson learned," said Maddy with a sad smile.
MJ gave her hug, silently letting Maddy know that she was there for her. Maddy gently hugged her back, then went on to say that she demanded an explanation from Cassie about her betrayal. But all she did was hide in her bathroom and didn't even respond. Proving that Cassie was a dirty coward; not having the guts to face Maddy and own up to what she did.
Maddy even said that she would've never betrayed Cassie this way.
The second MJ walked through the door of her and Peter's home...
"Ma!" Anya called out to her.
"Hi, baby!" MJ said as she walked up to her and picked her up.
Anya giggled and tried to lean up to her, like...
"Oh, you wanna give mommy a kiss~?"
She then planted a light, loving kiss on Anya's cheek, causing her to squeal. MJ then shifted her so Anya could plant a sloppy, baby kiss on her cheek.
"Aww, thank you, sweetie," MJ said as she held Anya up a little higher to keep her from slipping out of her arms. "Where's daddy?"
Speak of the devil, Peter emerged from their bedroom, looking like he just had a nap.
"Hey," he said after clearing his throat to get rid of his sleepy voice.
"Hey Pete," MJ replied before kissing him. "How was our angel?"
"Just like you said, an angel," Peter replied.
She chuckled and kissed Anya's head,
"Hey, Lexi me gave this pamphlet for a play that she wrote..."
Peter took a look; the picture was a row of high school-lockers with yellow spray-painted lettering that said "Our Life".
"What's it about?" he asked.
"A group of friends that grow up together, but then grow apart as they get older," she answered. "Honestly, I think it's about her, Cassie, Maddy, Kat and I." (2)
Peter hummed in curiosity, then checked the pamphlet again, "This weekend, huh?"
"Yeah, what do you think?" MJ asked. "Wanna go see it with me?"
Peter shrugged, "Sure."
~The following weekend~
The play was held at Midtown High School, so it kinda felt good for Peter and MJ to revisit their old "stomping" grounds. May was taking care of Anya for the day.
Peter got to meet Maddy and Kat face-to-face, and they got along. But Cassie showed up as well, holding hands with Nate. The buxom blonde had a look of slight surprise that Michelle, of all people, now had a boyfriend. MJ didn't say anything to her; just gave her a disapproving stare.
Lexi actually played the lead role in her play, Grace. Her group of friends included her sister, Hallie, Hallie's best friend, Marta, Marta's best friend, Luna, and Grace's best friend, Rue. It didn't take long for MJ, Maddy, Kat and Cassie to realize that this play was about them; the characters may've had different names, but it was obvious who was who. Marta was Maddy, Luna was Kat, Hallie was Cassie, and Rue was MJ.
The people playing them looked pretty similar, they could be considered body-doubles.
"Is this about you growing up?" Peter whispered.
"Yeah," MJ whispered back.
The opening scene showed Grace/Lexi comforting Rue/Michelle after her Dad hit her for the first time. Seeing this almost made MJ cry, but Peter held her hand.
"Thanks," she whispered as she wiped her eyes. Peter kissed her cheek in response.
The show went on to when Hallie/Cassie hit puberty. Lexi and Cassie's mom, Suze got a kick out of the stage-version of herself played by Ethan, Kat's ex-boyfriend. Hallie had become the hottest girl in school, and Grace imagined becoming the same, but...it didn't happen. Still, she eventually got used to it, as she didn't want to be the kind of girl remembered just for her body, and all the problems that came with it.
Then, a talk Grace had with Rue that made her feel comfortable with not being one of the cool kids. They talked and laughed for hours that evening. MJ remembered it well; it was before her dad's abuse started, and before Lexi's dad left.
Then, Marta/Maddy stayed at Grace and Hallie's house for a while when her parents started fighting a lot, which eventually led to them splitting up. Hallie even comforted Marta when she cried. Throughout those scenes, Maddy thought how those memories were all tainted now after Cassie betrayed her.
Then the play showed Marta's relationship with Jake/Nate, also played by Ethan.
But the biggest part of the play was a large scale, highly choreographed, gold-lamé wrapped and intentionally homoerotic number in which Jake lip-synced to Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero" while gyrating with the rest of the semi-clad members of the dramatized football team.
MJ glanced at Nate throughout the song, and his fists were clenched tightly. However, the scene was huge hit with the audience; MJ even cheered "WHOO!"
Maddy cheered, "Lexi, you're a fuckin' G!"
Once the song was over, Nate angrily stormed out and Cassie followed him. The audience applauded into a standing ovation!
"That was awesome!" Peter said.
"Definitely," MJ agreed.
~In the hallway~
Cassie followed Nate, trying to console him.
"Why the fuck are they laughing?" he questioned. "That shit is so fucking homophobic."
"Babe, I'm so sorry," Cassie apologized. "I had no idea Lexi-"
"She's your fucking sister!" he yelled at her. Plus, every time she put her hand on him; he shrugged it off.
"No, I-"
"You know what, pack your shit, and get the fuck out of my house," Nate told her. "I'm fucking done."
With those words; Cassie knew her relationship with Nate was over. After everyone found out about her affair with him, and her mom and sister didn't take her side when she poorly tried to justify her actions; she left home to live with Nate. Even worse, she showed in public that she was dating Nate, like she was rubbing it in Maddy's face; which she was.
But now that was over, and Cassie felt like she lost not only her metaphorical position of power, but also the "perfect life" she felt she had and deserved. And she was pissed. She went back to the auditorium doors, dragon-breathing with a rather psychotic look on her face.
As the cheering was beginning to die down, MJ saw Cassie and muttered, "Oh shit..."
"What?" Peter asked, a little worried.
"A lot of shit is about to hit the fan," she responded.
Before he could ask her to elaborate; Cassie marched in. Her loud footsteps drew everyone's attention. Suze saw the look on her daughter's face, and whispered "Oh God".
Cassie came down the center aisle, looking like she was planning to do something cruel, and got right up on stage, just as the next scene began. God bless the guy running the follow spot, because he lit Cassie from the very first moment she crashed the action.
She mockingly slow clapped, "Lexi, you really outdid yourself. *laugh* I mean-where did she find these knockoffs?"
The audience made a collective sound like they didn't think that was a nice thing to say. MJ pursed her lips, knowing this was gonna be a spectacle.
"Should we do something?" Peter whispered.
"Not yet."
"I had no idea that my sister had this in her," Cassie continued. "Good job, right? Isn't she brave? She's up here unpacking all of her trauma."
Suze signaled her to "Knock it off" but she continued...
"I had no idea how hard your life was, Lexi. Can we give a round of applause for how hard Lexi's life is?" She mockingly clapped again, but some people clapped sincerely, cheering. "Come on, guys. I know they hack the heads off of women in Afghanistan or wherever."
"That's racist!" Some random girl called out, but Cassie ignored her.
"God, it is nothing compared to living in my shadow," she scoffed.
Some random guy asked, "Yo, is this like a part of the play?"
Cassie went and brought Lexi out, who was whispering/begging her to stop.
"I should stop? Me?" Cassie questioned angrily. "I'm not the one putting on a play to humiliate and embarrass you!"
"I didn't do that," Lexi whispered.
"Oh really?! Then what is this!"
"God," MJ muttered, holding her forehead. "She's insane."
Suze got up on stage, "Hi everyone. I'm Suze, I'm the girl's mom in real life. Played by Ethan- where is he?"
Ethan came out, everyone applauded him and Suze hugged him, praising his performance. Then she tried to get Cassie off the stage, but she refused to be stopped.
"I deserve this, right?"
"Oh God, please, Mom," Lexi begged Suze to do something.
"I deserve this right?" Cassie repeated. "Because I've actually lived a life?"
"Mom?"
"I'm the one who takes risks. I'm the one who falls in love? I'm the one that gets hurt, no you, Lexi!"
The crowd murmured.
"You have never even fucking lived! That's why you're able to stand up here and judge all of us!"
Lexi looked like she was about to cry.
"You're just a fucking bystander," Cassie insulted her, then Suze took her arm, but she smacked her hand away. "Mom, stop!"
The audience booed her for her insult, but she just laughed and said that if this makes her a villain; so fucking be it. She then asked Lexi if she/her character steals Jake/Nate from Marta/Maddy, but Lexi said that's not in the play.
"It is now!" Maddy called out.
"Wait, Hallie steals Marta's boyfriend?" Another random girl asked.
"I don't know how times I have to say this," Cassie retorted. "They were not fucking together."
"You seriously think that matters?" MJ called out. "A real friend doesn't fuck their best friend's ex!"
The audience gasped at the revelation.
"Shut up Michelle!" Cassie shouted. "You're no fucking different from Lexi!"
"Hey, if I were you, I'd watch your mouth!" Peter yelled as he got up.
"Oh, her nobody boyfriend speaks!" Cassie remarked.
MJ stood up next, "Hey, you talk shit to my man and I'll break ya, bitch! You hear me?!"
Cassie just flipped her off, but MJ knew how to retaliate...
"Hey Maddy? Did Hallie eventually tell Marta that she was fucking Jake?"
Maddy scoffed, "As a matter a fact, no! She did it behind her fucking back!"
The same random girl from before asked, "No...why?"
"Because Hallie is a two-faced cunt," Maddy answered, causing the audience to exclaim in astonishment.
"I'm not a cunt! You're the cunt!" Cassie shouted at her.
"You're the fucking cunt, bitch!"
"You're the fucking cunt!"
The audience was actually enjoying this back-and-forth, while Suze was still trying to get Cassie to stop, but she kept pathetically acting like she was the victim. Lexi slipped away, then Hallie's actress appeared on a merry-go-round horse, acting out this moment at a carnival when Cassie was drunk and she had an immodest orgasm in public.
Cassie screamed "NO!" and attacked her! She pulled the girl off the horse onto the stage floor and started choking her, exclaiming "I'll fucking kill you!"
Finally, Maddy had enough,
"Oh, this bitch needs to be put down."
She got out of her seat and ran onto the stage, taking off her shoes so she could run easier. Kat ran after her, trying to stop her, while her other friend, Barbara told Maddy to beat Cassie's ass. When Maddy came after her, Cassie started to run, but Maddy managed to slap her!
"Oh fuck," MJ cursed, but she was also enjoying it.
And so was the audience; a lot of them got out their phones to record what was happening. Cassie kept trying to run away, but Maddy didn't stop going after her. The chase went out into the hallway, where Maddy slammed Cassie against a wall! Kat kept trying to stop her, but BB kept cheering Maddy on!
Back on stage, Suze tried to diffuse the whole thing by saying it was part of the show.
After a few minutes of nothing happening, MJ started chanting "Lexi! Lexi! Lexi!"
This got the audience chanting as well.
Lexi eventually came out, "Um, as you may have noticed, we're experiencing some technical difficulties. (This made the audience laugh) Um, but seriously, we're gonna need a few minutes. Um... I just wanna tank you all for being here. I didn't know any of that was gonna happen, uh... a little bit ago, I was talking to a friend about this play, and I asked him... "What if I upset people?" And he said to me, "Sometimes, people need to get their feelings hurt." Um...so, even though he couldn't be here with us tonight, this one's for you."
The audience cheered and applauded as she went backstage.
A few minutes later, the play continued, showing how Hallie/Cassie and Grace/Lexi's father left them, and what happened with Rue/MJ's. The play eventually finished, and everyone gave a standing ovation! Smiling at her success, Lexi took a bow.
As everyone left the auditorium, MJ and Peter headed off to find Lexi.
"Lexi?" Peter called out.
"Hey guys!" she came out of the dressing room, where MJ hugged her.
"That was great!"
"Thanks," Lexi said as she hugged her back.
The three of them then took a stroll through the hallways; ones that the young couple was very familiar with.
"Back on the old stomping grounds, huh?" MJ quipped.
Peter agreed, then decided to wait at the school entrance so the two girls could keep talking.
"I think your play made me think about my dad for the first time in a long time," MJ confessed. "Everything he put me through. Put my mom through... and Caleb..."
"You ever think about him?" Lexi asked.
"He'd pass through my head for a second, but then I'd dismiss it," MJ answered. "I never wanted to think about him again, because of how much he hurt me; I just wanted to forget. But seeing your play made me realize; I shouldn't forget, I should accept that it happened. I hated him for so long...but, I'm starting to let that go." She wiped her eyes. "I'm still angry at him, and I think I always will be. But...I still love him, because for a long time, he was my father. ...I just wanted to let you know your play helped me realize that, and it really meant a lot to me."
Lexi smiled before she pulled MJ into a side-hug. She hugged her back.
"Do you think about your dad often?"
"Yeah," Lexi answered.
"When mine turned the bad corner; I still had so much to learn from him," MJ stated. "But I learned not to get close to people from my mom, after she started struggling. She was afraid of getting hurt, and so was I."
"But you got through it," Lexi reminded. "You got more friends, you got Peter; who's one of the sweetest guys I've ever met." MJ chuckled at that. "He gave you a beautiful baby girl, and after college; you'll be Mrs. Parker!"
MJ smiled warmly. "Yeah...it's great."
But then, her spider-sense went off! Which was weird...
Until...
"ARE YOU FUCKING SHITTING ME?!" A female voice shrieked from around the corner, until Cassie came into view! Her hair was messy, she had some scrapes on her arms, knees and face, and a bit of blood on her upper lip from her nose. She looked even more unhinged than she did when she interrupted the play!
"Nate broke up with me because of that fucking homophobic shit in your play, Lexi!" Cassie yelled. "I was giving you what you deserve, and then Maddy comes up and attacks me! And now, I find out that Michelle Jones-fucking-Watson not only has a boyfriend, but they plan to get married, AND they have a baby?!"
Maddy, Kat and BB saw what was happening and started to make their way over.
Cassie started seething even more, "You two, and Maddy...RUINED MY PERFECT LIFE! If I don't get to have one-!"
Knowing where she was going with her delusional ranting; MJ grabbed her by her throat, lifted her up and slammed her back-first against the lockers! With her superstrength, she lifted her easily, glaring into her eyes, menacingly.
At that moment, Cassie went from vengeful to outright terrified.
"...Don't...you...FUCKING...dare," MJ hissed. "I actually felt sorry for you for all the bad things that happened to you, but that sympathy went out the fucking window after I found out about your affair with Nate. Why would you even hook up with him? He's a toxic, dangerous, and mentally unstable person; and you've known that for years! Not to mention that he's one of the people who slut-shamed you. Did you really think you'd have some happily ever after bullshit with Nate Jacobs? Wedding bells, white picket fence, making babies and all that? Reality check; your version of love isn't the real thing. It's just a drug you use to get over your abandonment issues with your dad. Your sister, on the other hand, doesn't need such a crutch!"
Lexi, Maddy, Kat and BB all watched jaw-dropped as MJ picked Cassie apart.
"But you know something, Cassie, why in the fuck would I try to understand you?" MJ asked rhetorically. "Because as far as you know, everything is just fucking perfect in Cassie Land! It's the perfect world where Cassie gets everything she could ever want, even if it means she's blind to the toxicity that is Nate Jacobs!"
She then brought the blonde's face inches away from hers,
"I'm warning you, Cassie Howard. If you try to ruin my life just like you think your is. If you come near Peter, or my daughter; I'll fucking kill you."
With her threat issued, MJ dropped Cassie to the floor. Maddy, Kat and BB eyed the mixed girl like "Damn, I didn't think she had it in her". MJ turned to leave, followed by the others, leaving Cassie a frightened mess.
"Were you serious about that threat?" BB asked MJ.
"Dead serious."
The girls eventually exited the school from the front entrance, where they found Peter...who was on the phone.
"Oh shit...! Is he okay? ...Oh... Yeah, I'll tell her... Thanks Ned."
He hung up and turned to the group of girls,
"Em, you're friend...Fezco..."
MJ and Lexi both looked worried, but the latter actually grabbed Peter by his shoulders.
"What happened? Is there a reason he didn't come?!"
MJ gently pulled her away so her boyfriend could speak.
"One of his pals was working with the police; he was wiring a wire. Some kid that was with Fezco, Ashtray-"
"Fezco's foster brother," MJ said who he was.
Peter nodded, then continued, "Well, he noticed the wire and stabbed the guy in the neck, then the police raided Fezco's house. He wanted to resolve things peacefully, but Ash started shooting at them. ...He was killed in the shootout, and Fez got shot. They took him to the hospital, but...he didn't make it..."
"...No..." Lexi whispered. (3)
MJ pulled her into a hug, trying hard to keep herself from breaking down. Fezco was like a big brother to her; despite being a drug dealer, he was a decent guy.
As for Lexi; Fezco was the friend she talked to about her play, worried that it'd hurt people's feelings. But as she said; he said, "Sometimes people need to get their feelings hurt". She'd really hoped he'd be there for it, but he never came...and now she knew why...
And to make it worse; she really liked him...
"I'm so sorry, Lexi," MJ whispered.
Lexi broke down, crying into her shoulder.
"I can't believe it...!" she sobbed.
After comforting Lexi for a minute, she left with Maddy, Kat and BB.
"Are you okay?" Peter asked, now that he and MJ were alone.
"...Not really," she replied.
He pulled her into a hug, telling her to let it out. MJ still had some trouble crying in front of other people; the only ones that had seen her do it were Peter, Lexi, Desirée and May. As soon Peter brought her into his arms, that's when the tears started to fall...even though she was trying so hard to keep them in. Before long, she buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed. He didn't say anything; just silently offered her the comfort she needed.
They stayed like that for at least 10 minutes, and MJ eventually managed to calm down. She was still quite heartbroken, though.
"...How could this even happen?" MJ asked.
Peter didn't want to say anything about trouble eventually finding Fezco, since he was a drug dealer. So, he wanted to do something that may cheer her up...
He web-swung them to the top of a building, saying that being up high sometimes can help clear your head. MJ was very skeptical; especially since she hadn't been web-swinging since the first time...which she vowed to NEVER do again.
But now that she had powers, it felt less frightening, for some reason.
"So what, we just sit up here and watch the city-life pass below us?" she questioned him.
He chuckled as he brought out his phone, and started playing a "Another Dimension" by Pop Money...
"You would pick that," MJ said with a grin.
"It fits the moment," he countered.
MJ sighed happily as she leaned against his shoulder. He leaned against her as well.
"Hey, you weren't as scared this time when we were web-swinging," he mentioned.
"Yeah," she responded. "I don't know...maybe cause I have powers now... Maybe you can...show me how to web-swing."
He looked at her like she'd grown two heads, "You wanna learn how to web-swing?"
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't, nerd," MJ said.
Peter smirked, "Okay, pop quiz! If a pendulum is 40 meters long and attached at forty-five degree angle, how far will the pendulum fall at it's lowest point?"
MJ looked at him with a curious expression; why was he asking her a physics question?
But, after taking a few seconds to think, "11.72 meters, but why does that matter?"
"It matters a lot if you're the pendulum," Peter answered.
"What?" MJ was now more confused...until it suddenly clicked. "OH! Wait, so you actually do these equations in your head as you swing through the city?!"
Peter shrugged, "I have to, and so will you if you wanna get good at it."
"Where was this in math class?" MJ asked.
"Well, it's not like there's a school for superhero training," Peter countered. "Unless it's My Hero Academia."
MJ snorted at that, "And no offense, but I'm not looking to be a superhero, but I may help from time-to-time. Just like how Pepper helped in the fight against Thanos and his army."
Peter smiled at that.
~The following week~
MJ returned after another day of her going to classes while Peter stayed home with Anya. But...MJ was very upset about something. So much so that she was muttering to herself.
"Umm...MJ?" Peter called out.
She jumped a bit from him calling to her, "Oh, I'm sorry, Peter. I'm just really frustrated, right now."
He came over to her, holding Anya, "I can see that. What's wrong?"
"I just found out today that Columbia University has been investing it's students tuition dollars into private prisons," MJ explained. "We all know that there's a disproportionate amount of black and brown people that are locked up, right? So it's easy to make money off our backs while we're in there performing cheap labor. And the fact is, the more of us that are in there; the more money they make. It's like modern-day slavery."
"Wait, are you kidding me?" he asked in disgust.
"No Peter, I'm not," she responded. "And these companies that are investing in these private prisons are also funding the school security on campus."
"Ma?" Anya cooed to her mother, like she was worried about her being upset.
"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," She said as she kissed her forehead. "It's not like you understand. You're almost 1."
Peter handed Anya to her, "Has anyone tried anything, like, filed a petition or something?"
"Yes, but it obviously didn't do anything."
"Oh... Okay, uh...why don't we make some fliers and you spread them around campus? That should make more people aware of it."
"Do you really think that'll work, Peter?" MJ asked.
"Won't know until you try," he responded. "Or, do something more extreme…"
"Yeah, good point," MJ agreed. "Let's just hope it gets enough attention...the right kind."
Two days later, MJ, Ned, Lexi, Betty, Ava, Maddy, and Harry were posting fliers around campus. The flier said "Your "Columbia University Logo" Tuition IMPRISONS black and brown bodies". The other students definitely noticed them, seeing as they put up so many.
Just after MJ put up one more, two security guards approached her.
"Ma'am, we're gonna need you to remove these fliers, immediately," One of them told her.
MJ's eyebrows furrowed, "Why?"
"We're just gonna need you to remove them."
MJ resisted the urge to roll her eyes, since that wasn't a valid reason,
"Why my fliers? What about the others? The Environmental Club, the DJ Club."
"Ma'am, they're not littering most of the campus," The other guard countered.
"Okay, but there's no rule that says I can't put them up," MJ retorted. "And as a student here, I have a right to do so."
"Okay, show us your student ID," One of the guards demanded.
MJ scoffed, "I just told you that I go to school here and I'm putting these up about the tuition that I pay. You think I'm some random person that gives a damn about where Columbia University's money goes? Put two-and-two together."
Some passing students saw the commotion and stopped to watch. Even some of MJ's friends came over.
"MJ, what's going on?" Ned asked.
"These two officers told me to take the fliers down and didn't give a valid reason," she responded.
Betty scoffed, got out her phone and hit 'record'.
"Put you phone away, ma'am," One of the guards told her.
"No, I will not," she retorted.
"Her tuition dollars pay for your salary, so she's technically your boss," MJ pointed out. "So, you can't really tell her what to do."
"Look, I don't know anything about your tuition dollars," One of the guards said. "All I know is that the chairman called and asked that you remove the offending material, or you will be removed from campus."
MJ got a little mad at that, "It's not offensive, it's the truth! And I'm not taking it down, so you'll have to arrest me."
"Fine," One of the guards pulled out some handcuffs and made her turn around!
"MJ!" Ned cried.
Other students had their phones out, and were murmuring indistinctly.
"You guys here that?" MJ announced to everyone as she was taken away. "They're arresting me for letting you know that your tuition dollars pay for their salary, and not only that, but private prisons that incarcerate people of color!"
Betty ended the video, then posted it on Twitter; "Michelle Jones protesting Columbia University's investment in private prisons. Stay strong MJ!" The Tweet spread like wildfire; over 310 comments, over 2.4K retweets, and over 3.8K likes! Thankfully, MJ was only held by campus security for a few hours. But, her fliers and her arrest video definitely made more students aware of the issue, and she wanted to press further.
So, she talked to Maddy. She was majoring in fashion and mentioned to MJ that sometimes fashion was used for a purpose, even political; like the Suffragettes and Black Panthers (Not the protector of Wakanda). Their choices in fashion unified them, and Maddy thought that's what MJ needed.
And she couldn't agree more.
A few days later, MJ, Peter, Ned, Harry, Betty, Ava, Kate, Lexi, Maddy, Kat, Randy, and a large number of students were gathered outside the administration office. They all sat crossed-legged, wearing orange prison jumpsuits with "STUDENT" written in black lettering on the back.
MJ spoke into a megaphone, "Attention Columbia University administration and board of directors. We, the students of Columbia, demand to have a say in your investment of our tuition dollars in the private prison system. A system that profits off the mass incarceration of people of color. So we will sit here in silence until you allow us to have an open dialogue and give us a seat at the table."
She sat down between Ned and Peter, who both smiled at her. Hours later, it was nighttime and everyone had reconvened at a nearby restaurant that students were known to frequent. Everyone cheered and applauded as MJ stood on one of the tables.
"I wanna thank all of you for your support. It's actually because of all of you that we now have an invitation to the next board meeting!"
"WHOO!" Lexi cheered and clapped her hands.
~A year and a half later~
Things had changed a lot since we left our young heroes.
Captain George Stacy had been promoted to Commissioner, and Yuri had been promoted to Captain! With their new positions; the cops that trusted Spider-Man were able to work with him better without repercussions.
Peter showed MJ how to web-swing; starting small and working her way up. Of course, she made sure to wear some kind of mask during training, but they still got media attention. "Another spider hero?!" "Does Spider-Man have a protege?!" were a couple of the posts, but they got even crazier when a few people identified the person Spider-Man was training as a female.
One day at home...
"Wait, this one's good," MJ commented as she looked through her phone, while she and Peter were laying on the couch, with one year old Anya asleep in her mother's lap.
"Some suggest that Spider-Man's powers include the male spider's ability to 'hypnotize' females," she read, laughter in her voice. "Which he used to seduce this woman."
"Oh, come on, stop," Peter begged, also laughing at the absurdity. "Stop."
"Yes, my Spider-Lord," she mocked, smiling playfully.
Anya giggled, not really understanding what was going on, but just smiling because her parents were smiling.
MJ's training had come along nicely; it took her a while to get used to the rush of winds, though.
Peter started working more with Dr. Octavius in prosthetics, and the man was so grateful for his help. He considered Peter a genius!
Some things weren't so great, though, like Norman Osborn becoming the new mayor of the city shortly after MJ's protest. And...one of Peter and MJ's dogs died; Tessa. (4)
It was quite a tragedy, but at least she went peacefully.
Harry and Betty also learned that Peter was Spider-Man, and supported him wholeheartedly, promising to keep it on the down-low. Working as the city's Friendly Neighborhood hero had been calm for the most part; a couple tussles with Rhino, Scorpion, Vulture and the new Mysterio when they each broke out of prison. But other than that, nothing major...
Until, Betty had an encounter with some guys in strange wooden masks that used weapons laced with...dark energy? Thankfully, she was saved by Daredevil and Iron Fist; a master of kung-fu with a super strong punch.
Betty really showed she had what it took to be a reporter.
Now, present time...
Betty arrived at Peter & MJ's apartment, "Hey guys!"
They both hugged her, glad that she was safe.
"Sorry I wasn't there," Peter apologized.
"What happened?" MJ asked.
"I went to an auction house that Silvio Manfredi is known for frequenting-" Betty started.
"Silvermane?" Peter questioned. "Betty...!"
"I know, I know...but I found some kind of file about something called "Devil's Breath"."
"Wait, how did you find that out?" MJ asked.
"I managed to grab one of their masks," said Betty.
She took it out of her bag and showed them.
"That's...ominous," Peter commented.
MJ took it, "Were they all wearing masks like this?"
"All of them were in different designs, but yeah," Betty answered.
"I'll ask Martin Li about it when I'm at work, tomorrow," MJ said.
"Martin Li? Why?" Betty questioned.
"He has a degree in Art History," Peter answered. "And this mask looks...Chinese, I think...?"
"Possibly," MJ agreed.
~The next day, F.E.A.S.T. Center~
Before MJ got into spending time with the kids, she stopped by Martin Li's office.
"MJ! What can I do for you?" he asked.
"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Li," she apologized.
"Not at all."
"I have a friend, Betty, she's working to be a reporter. She's doing a story on art imports, for a project. Anyway, she found this piece and wanted and expert opinion, and I know you have a degree-"
"And this might be the first time I actually get to use it," Martin stated with humor. "Let's see what you have."
MJ nodded before she presented the mask to Martin.
"Interesting," he said as he took it. "Where'd she find it...?"
"She didn't say," she responded. "Why, what is it?"
"A replica of an antique Chinese opera mask," Martin answered. "I haven't seen one in years." He turned the mask over to look inside of it, revealing a symbol of some kind. "This symbol here roughly translates to "Demon"."
That gave MJ cause for concern, "Demon...?"
"My father read me ghost stories with that mask and symbol in it when I was young," Martin explained. "Scared the hell out of me."
He handed the mask back to her, "Listen MJ, that mask, it...it could be connected to dangerous people. Betty might want to find a new story."
"Do you think she's in trouble?" MJ asked.
"I don't know," Martin answered. "Why take the risk?"
MJ left Martin's office, then called Peter.
"Hey, so what did Mr. Li say?" he asked.
"The symbol inside the mask means "Demon"," she told him. "It...really spooked him. I've never seen him like that."
"Really?" Peter asked.
"I think he had a...flashback or something. His childhood was pretty traumatic."
"Well, we can relate, somewhat."
"Yeah..."
"So, "Demon Gang"?" Peter stated as a question. "Is that what we're calling these guys?"
"Until someone comes up with something better," MJ responded with her usual snark.
Peter snickered at that. "Funny."
He then got a notification of an incoming call, from Captain Watanabe.
"Gotta go, Yuri's calling. Love you."
"Love you too, loser."
~With Peter~
He answered his phone as he suited up, "Hey Yuri, what's up?"
"Shocker is robbing a bank on East Thirty-First," she told him.
"But I just caught him last week!" he protested.
"You did, but one of the guards just walked up to his cell and released him, then gave him his suit back," she said.
"Of course he's working with someone," Peter sighed. "What'd you get out of the guard?"
"Wish I could ask him," Yuri began, "But he's dead. Whoever made him release Shocker didn't want any loose ends."
"Damn," Peter cursed as he swung toward the bank.
"Looking at the security footage, the guard was in some kind of trance," Yuri said. "And it might have been the lighting, but it looked like his eyes were glowing."
"Creepy," Peter commented. "I'll see what I can get out of Shocker once I get to the bank."
He got another call a couple minutes later, and MJ came on the line.
"Hey, Peter, I've been looking into the Demons," she said. "Sounds like they've established a power base in the vacuum left by Fisk."
"We already had Silvermane to deal with, now this?" he questioned. "I'm starting to think that Spider-Man DOES make everything worse."
"Hey, what've I told you about that kind of talk?" she scolded him. "Is something bothering you?"
Peter sighed, "Norman pulled the funding for Octavius' lab."
MJ scoffed, "That greedy bastard...he just doesn't want the competition! ...Well, maybe you could talk to Pepper about getting Dr. Octavius a place at the Stark building here in the city."
Peter gasped as he landed on a rooftop just overlooking the bank, and police had the place surrounded,
"That WOULD give us more advanced equipment to work with...! Why didn't I think of that?!"
MJ chuckled, "That's part of why I'm here."
"Okay, let me take care of Shocker at the bank and I'll be home."
"Go get 'em loser. I love you."
"I love you too."
After hanging up, he went into the building. He saw Shocker exiting the vault with two duffle bags full of cash. He had upgraded his suit again, now looking like a full-body battle suit instead of just something thrown together. His buddy, Phineas Mason, had obviously improved his toys.
"You know, I never knew your name was Herman," Spidey called as he appeared.
"Come on, again?!" Shocker lamented.
"Hey, I wouldn't be coming after you if you didn't keep pulling this crap."
Spidey web-zip kicked Shocker into the vault, then pulled it closed.
"Looks like we're stuck in here for a while. Wanna play twenty questions?" Shocker threw a punch, which he dodged. "No? How about we thumb-wrestle?" He dodged another punch. "Okay. Face-punch it is!"
He socked Shocker in the face, only to wince and shake his hand from the pain of hitting his mask, but in his moment of distraction, BAM!
Shocker punched him into the vault door, knocking it off it's hinges! As it slid across the floor, Spidey Webbed up to the half-globe hanging display on the ceiling.
"Jeez, first busses and cars, now the door of a vault! You love punching me through things, don't ya?"
"A'ight bug-boy," Shocker said, punching his gauntlets together. "Let's throw down!"
He fired some blasts at the hero, who jumped around to avoid being hit, then web-zipped over to him, only to get knocked away by a barrier of shockwaves!
"AGH!" Peter cried out in pain.
He then grabbed some fallen debris with his webs and threw them at Shocker! This temporarily disabled his barrier, allowing Peter to get a few hits in before kicking him away!
"Why are you doing this Herman?" he asked.
"Cause if I don't, they'll kill me!" Shocker responded as he got up, then fired another blast!
Peter gasped before he swung out of the way, clinging to one of the pillars, but Shocker sent another blast at him, forcing him to jump off, but he managed to grab a piece of rubble with his webs and hurl it at him!
"Comin' your way!" he shouted as it struck Shocker again, disabling his barrier once more, and that's when Peter went in for another rush of melee attacks!
After drop-kicking him to the ground, he moved away, "Just come clean! I can help you!"
"Ya really wanna help me?" Shocker questioned. "Then just let me have the money!"
"Sorry, not gonna happen!" Peter responded as he swung away before Shocker jumped at him, creating a large shockwave that left him winded. Peter threw some more debris at him, then used a web-slingshot to zip over to tackle him! Shocker rolled back to his feet, but the web-head was on his back, so he knocked him away with his barrier!
After Peter recovered, "If you tell me who you're working for, I can help cut you a deal."
"They were very clear; if I talk, I'm dead!" Shocker responded as he kept firing blasts.
"I've never known you to be afraid of people, Herman," Peter commented.
"I ain't even sure these guys ARE people," Shocker said. "Could be anything under those masks..."
"Wait, "masks"?!" Peter thought he might be talking about the "Demon Gang". "What do these mask guys want with the money?"
"Don't know, don't care!" Shocker fired a blast at Peter when he stuck to one of support columns on the ceiling, which he dodged, but then he noticed the half-globe was gonna fall. This gave him idea... He dodged another blast and webbed Shocker's feet to the floor, making him unable to move. He then kept jumping to the support columns and dodged whenever Shocker tried to blast him! This caused the half-globe to fall! Shocker managed to avoid getting completely crushed by it, but he was still trapped under it!
"Sorry Herman, but you brought this on yourself," Peter apologized. "Literally."
He told the cops that Shocker was subdued as he left the building.
Yuri came over to him, "Good work."
"Thanks," Peter said. "Remember those guys in masks that robbed that auction house? Well, that's who Shocker was working for."
Yuri groaned, "Great."
"Any more reports on guys like that?"
"I'll get back to you on that," she answered, then he jumped onto a street lamp. "Hey, how big of a mess did you make in there?"
"You probably don't wanna know," Peter said sheepishly, then swung away.
MJ just finished making dinner when Peter arrived.
"Hey, Peter," MJ greeted as she went up to kiss him on the cheek.
He gave her quick kiss on the lips in response, catching a whiff of her sweet scent; coconut with a hint of vanilla.
"So, anything interesting happen with Shocker?" she asked.
"He was working for the Demon Gang," he answered. "He actually talked like he was scared of them."
MJ hummed with interest, then they started eating. Peter asked where Anya was, and MJ said that she just put her to bed.
Just as Peter was gonna call Pepper about giving Dr. Octavius a job, he got a call from Yuri. He grimaced, since he just got home...but what if it was important? He looked at MJ, as if asking for permission. She snorted a bit and signaled that it was okay.
"So, I've been looking into these...Demons," Yuri said. "They've been very busy tonight-hitting a lot of places owned by Silvermane."
"Damn," he cursed. "Any properties that haven't been hit yet?"
"Let me see... Patrol reported a bunch of activity at one of his shipyards in Portside."
"I'll check it out."
"Let me send an officer to meet you there. His name's Jefferson Davis-that's his beat. He's a good cop, been interested in organized crime for years. If anyone knows what's going at that shipyard, it's him."
After hanging up, Peter grabbed his suit.
"So what's up?" MJ asked.
"Gotta check out a shipyard owned by Silvermane," he said. "I'm gonna meet a cop named Jefferson Davis there."
MJ's face lit up at the name, "No way!"
"You know him?"
"He's Miles' dad!"
"Oh...cool! I'll try not to take too long."
MJ gave him a quick peck on the lips, "Be careful."
Now back in costume, Peter went to the shipyard and subdued all the thugs guarding the area. A police car showed up a minute later, and a tall black man in his early forties exited it.
He spotted Spider-Man perched on a railing for a walkway,
"You know we can't have vigilantes trespassing or doing illegal searches..."
"Yeah, I know..." Peter replied.
"Which is why I brought a warrant," Jeff held said warrant up. "So what do you say we do some perfectly legal searching?"
"I like the sound of that," Peter replied as he dropped down from his web and landed perfectly on his feet. "What's your name?"
"Officer Davis," They shook hands. "Call me Jeff. And you are?"
"Uh..."
Jeff chuckled, "Just messing with you. My son's a big fan."
"So, does that warrant cover breaking down doors?" Peter asked.
"Not without a lot of extra paperwork," Jeff answered.
"Okay, I'll find another way in."
He web-zipped up to the roof and got in through a vent, landing in the rafters.
"I feel like I'm in a horror movie..." Peter muttered. "Hello? Any fishermen with a grudge and a hook for a hand?"
He made his way over to the front door.
"Okay, I'm here."
"See a junction box powering the door?" Jeff asked.
Peter saw it, "Yeah."
"If we can overload it, that should force the door open."
"I've got some electric webs, it should work."
One shot from the electric webs, and the junction box was soon overridden as all three lights turned green and the doors creaked open.
"Electric web for the win!" Peter exclaimed.
Jeff walked in, with his shoulder flashlight on, "Gadget man, huh? You remind me of my son. Started taking apart the TV when he was five. Now he's unlocking his friend's phones."
"Sounds like he could teach me a thing or two," Peter chuckled.
Jeff took a quick look around, "Okay, nothing illegal in plain sight."
"Doesn't mean it's not hidden," Peter stated, and Jeff nodded in agreement. "What should we keep an eye out for?"
Jeff walked over to one of the crates, "This yard's been here a long time. Bootleggers used to use it back in the day."
"Gotcha. Those guys loved their hidden rooms."
Jeff knocked on one of the crates, "Check it out; sound hollow to you?"
He checked more and found a hidden panel. Peter juiced up another junction box, and Jeff pulled a hidden door open that was in the crate.
"Thanks," he said. "No way I could have unlocked this by myself."
"Hey, I doubt I would have found it without you," Peter said as he stood beside him and looked inside the crate.
There were some metal shelves and a safe, but nothing in them. However, the way they were hastily positioned suggested that whatever was in the crate was removed in a hurry.
"Hm, nada."
"Where there's one secret room, could be more," Jeff said. "Notice the floor?"
"Aha," Peter got what he was implying. "They can hide the doors, but not the scrapes they leave."
"Keep an eye out for more of 'em," Jeff told him.
Peter maneuvered around the area till he found another door scrape, on the second floor. He brought Jeff up with an old elevator.
"Second floor, rusted machine parts, big honkin' rats," Peter quipped, which Jeff chuckled at. "Careful, the bridge is out."
"I got this one," he assured the web-head, then he actually made the jump across the broken bridge!
"Limber!" Peter praised the officer.
"We're not all donut eaters."
Peter chuckled, "Fair enough."
Jeff found another panel on the crate that had scrapes near it, and Peter fired up the junction box for it.
Once again, though, they found nothing.
"I'm starting to wonder if this is Silvermane's way of messing with me," Peter commented.
"But look at the walls," Jeff pointed out. "They kept guns here. They wouldn't've moved 'em through the front door. Gotta be a passageway we're missing."
"That panel on the wall might control access to another area," Peter added. He looked around for a second junction box, found it and powered it up. This revealed a hidden entrance in the floor.
"You were right Jeff - trap door."
"Outstanding!" Jeff exclaimed before he tried to lift up the door. "Urrgh... mind helping me out? This thing's heavy."
Peter flipped over to him and they lifted it up, revealing a hidden staircase leading down.
"Well, that isn't spooky at all," Peter stated sarcastically.
"Probably an old bootlegger's tunnel," Jeff said as they went down the steps.
"And it looks like no one's cleaned it since Al Capone," Peter commented.
Jeff crawled under some old wood, while Peter crawled along the wall to pull any debris out of the officer's way. Then they felt rumbling!
"What was that?" Peter asked.
"Subway maybe," Jeff answered, until another rumble was felt a few seconds later.
"Okay, that definitely wasn't the subway," Peter said.
"No," Jeff agreed. "Sounded like explosives."
They then heard voices down the tunnel!
"And that sounds like Demons!" Peter added.
"The vault! Hurry!" Jeff exclaimed. They came out of the tunnel and ran down the rest of the hallway till they reached the vault! But...the place was already ransacked! Empty weapon crates were scattered around, the protective glass of some gun racks were smashed, and all the non-lethal weapons were left behind.
"Dammit!" Peter cursed. "Demon's are already gone. How'd they beat us here?"
"Must be a back door; see if you can find it," Jeff responded. "This is one hell of an armory, or was."
It didn't take Peter long to find the door, "Over here; they blew the locks to get in."
As he opened the door...that's when he spotted them loading crates into a truck.
"Shh!" Peter shushed while motioning Jeff to get down. "Demons...!"
One of the Demons checked inside one of the crates, revealing a rocket launcher.
"Stay here," Peter told Jeff.
"Hell no," The older man replied. "It'll take both of us to stop 'em..." He then grabbed some flash-grenades. "And some of these."
The trucks started drive away, but Peter swung after them, with Jeff not far behind him! Peter grabbed the back of the trucks with his webs, and his strength combined with his adhesiveness stopped them from going anywhere!
"Freeze!" Jeff yelled, holding up a taser. "Stop the trucks! You're all under arrest!"
One of the trucks opened, and one of the Demons, who was wielding a glowing sword, cut the webline!
"Shāle tāmen!" The Demon commanded. (Chinese: Kill them!)
Some of other trucks opened and more then a few Demons came out. The other trucks drove away.
Peter shot some electric webs at the Demons, Jeff got one with his taser, then Peter tossed one of their grenades back at them! One of the Demon's swung at him with a sickle, but he dodged and kicked him into some stacked steel pipes! Some more Demons showed up, but Peter and Jeff took care of them with excellent teamwork! The Demons that weren't knocked out got into the last truck! Jeff tased one of them and pinned him!
"You okay?" Peter asked.
"Go, I'll catch up!" Jeff told him.
Peter swung after the fleeing truck!
"If I lose two trucks full of gunmen in one day, it's time to hang up the webs!" Peter muttered as he kept swinging.
Every time he got really close to catching it, a rocket was fired at him, forcing him to dodge it! The truck crashed through almost anything in it's way, the driver determined to lose the pursuing web-head!
As the chase went by Madison Square Garden, Jeff called,
"Spider-Man - a few Demon stragglers at the yard; I'm held up. How're you looking?"
"Not much better," Peter answered. "These guys are all over the road; they'll kill someone if I don't stop them."
"Doing my best to catch up, but you might be on your own," Jeff said.
"Stay safe, Jeff - don't do anything crazy."
The chase continued for a couple more blocks before Peter finally web-zipped onto the truck!
He pulled the two Demons out of the back and webbed them to some of the buildings they passed! He hopped to the front and yanked the gun out of the driver's hand, then he swerved to try and shake the hero off! The swerve led the truck into the driving path of a fuel truck!
"OH, SHIT!" the driver cried as he tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late: the trucks collided, and Peter was sent flying!
He grabbed the fuel truck with his webs and tried to stop it, but most of it went off the road onto the subway track! Good news; the driver had managed to jump out to safety. Bad news; a train was coming while the truck was blocking the track!
"Ugh, now the 3 decides to run on time," Peter groaned before he managed to pull the truck up before the train hit it! As he pulled it back onto the road, the Demon in the truck drove right at him! But then a police car came in out of nowhere and crashed into the truck, stopping it! The Demon limped out of the truck and aimed his gun at Peter, but Jeff came out of the police car and punched him, knocking him out!
Peter pulled the fuel truck all the way back onto the road, then went to Jeff. He helped him to his feet, then noticed the small crowd of people gathered around with their phones. He gestured to Jeff like he was the hero, which; technically he was. He DID just save his life.
A few minutes later, more police had shown up and Jeff was about to be taken to the hospital. Betty snuck around to get an exclusive with him.
As she snuck by the firetruck, Peter perched on it,
"Excuse me, miss, are you supposed to be here?"
"More than you," Betty retorted. "After the auction house, Robbie put me on the city beat. Which means I get to focus on real stories like this..."
Joseph "Robbie" Robertson was Betty's mentor/boss for her internship to being a reporter, and Randy's father. Robbie had sadly worked with J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle before it went under. The two men had known each other for years, but a rift started to grow between them when Spider-Man first appeared. Robbie knew for sure that he was a hero, but Jameson vehemently refused to believe it.
Robbie knew that Jameson's vendetta against the web-head would ruin the Bugle, and it did. Still, Robbie stayed close to Jameson, as a friend, but he wanted to build an honest news outlet. It was still rather young, but it was doing well; the Daily Globe.
"Just be careful," Peter told her. "Ned would freak if anything happened to you."
Betty nodded, then approached Jeff,
"Officer Davis? Betty Brant, Daily Globe intern."
Jeff waved her off, "No comment."
"Hey, I don't blame you," said Betty, "But these guys are gonna tell their story, with or without you, and they thrive on controversy."
Jeff gave a look of understanding as the EMTs loaded him in the ambulance,
"So what's your angle?"
"I don't have one," Betty answered. "I just listen."
Jeff nodded, "Okay. Hop in."
She did, then the EMTs closed the doors.
"She's good," Peter muttered.
Peter came home to the sound of Anya fussing, but not necessarily crying. MJ was trying to sooth her, but to no avail.
"Here, can you take her for me?" MJ asked as she handed the fussy baby to her fiancé.
"Just a sec," Peter got his suit off, then took her. And surprisingly, she quieted down.
"Oh, thank goodness...!" MJ whispered.
"Maybe she just missed me," Peter said, shrugging.
MJ chuckled a bit.
"Funny," she said. "So...how were things?"
Peter sighed, "That shipyard had a hidden armory, and the Demons took most of the weapons. Thankfully, Jeff and I managed to save some of them, and then Jeff saved me."
"Wait; Jeff saved you?" MJ questioned.
"Yeah, isn't that crazy?" Peter asked.
Their phones dinged for a news alert. MJ checked, and it was from the Daily Globe, written by Betty.
"HERO COP JEFFERSON DAVIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW"
"Betty got an interview?"
"She's good," Peter stated. "And she's the kind of reporter you want to talk to; the kind that will listen."
"And she's learning from a good man like Robbie," MJ added.
Peter heard soft breathing from his shoulder, and saw that Anya had fallen asleep.
"Aww..." he cooed, softly.
MJ rolled her eyes, "So she did want daddy."
"Come on, she loves us both," he assured her, before giving her a kiss.
"Oh, I called Pepper and told her about Dr. Octavius," she mentioned. "Said she'd offer him a place at the Stark building here in the city."
Peter silently gasped and kissed her again, with more passion,
"You're incredible, you know that?"
MJ smiled and shrugged, "I've heard it a few times."
1. This is based off of a story on Instagram I watched over and over of Zendaya FaceTiming her baby niece when she was asleep~! It was so fucking cute~!
2. This play was in the last two episodes of Euphoria Season 2.
3. This is my way of writing Fezco out of the story. The shootout happened in Euphoria, but he didn't die. In here, he does... cause the actor who played Fezco died. So...
4. Since Tom Holland's dog died...
Let me assure everyone that's gonna ask; Aunt May will NOT die in this! In the game, her death was a high stakes choice; save the city or save her. But since we've already prevented May from dying since we didn't do "No Way Home"; no reason to have her die during this.
There's also a different twist with Harry, but all I'm gonna say for now is that he's not sick.
Anyway, hope you guys liked this!
Read and review, please!