Work Text:
When the Parker brat knocked on his office’s door, Jonah did nothing to hide his irritation. “What is it?” he barked.
The kid entered the office, all shuffling feet and downcast eyes. Well, that wasn’t quite fair of Jonah, even he had to admit that. Parker had long since stopped being the wide-eyed teenager who’d first entered his office. Now, the photographer was a full-blown adult, though one who still had terrible dress sense. Really, a hoodie over a t-shirt? This was The Daily Bugle, not some university cafeteria! Have some respect!
“Sir, I have a story for you.”
Jonah looked down at the haphazard stack of papers crowding the closed lid of his laptop. Infernal machine. Bobby would never convince him those things were worth his time, no siree. “Can it top Urich’s hit piece on that Greydon Creek son-of-a-bitch?” Just saying the man’s name made Jonah want to spit. Anti-mutant bigotry, dolled up with a handsome face and aiming for the White House.
“I don’t think it’ll top Ben’s work,” Parker admitted. “But it is Spider related.”
Damnit. Jonah looked his employee in the eyes. The kid was smirking at him. Infuriating. Must’ve known that’d sink the hook in. “I’m listening,” he replied, grudgingly.
For some reason, the loudmouth brat actually had to take half a minute to sort out the story. That was odd. Usually Parker couldn’t wait to mouth off to Jonah. “Earlier today, I was at a clinic.”
“What, are you sick?” Jonah didn’t sound concerned, because he wasn’t. “Bugle still doesn’t have health insurance for freelancers, Parker.” He didn’t tell the kid that he’d find out what the price was quietly, for whatever it was, and cover it. Didn’t need the kid to think Jonah cared.
“No, it’s not... well, actually, I kind of am? But I have been for a long time?” Clearly struggling on how to say whatever had to be said, Parker settled on, “Mr. Jameson, I’m trans. I was there to start my hormone treatment.”
That did explain a few things. The young woman had been growing out her hair lately, and while her make-up had gotten subtle, even Jonah could tell when she’d first started experimenting. “You got a new name I should know about?”
“Penny, sir. Penny Parker. My pronouns are she/her.” There was surprise in her voice, for some reason.
“This something you’re keeping quiet, or should I let everyone know?”
Parker laughed. “Sir, I walked in here confident that once you know, everyone will. Do whatever you feel is best.”
As if Jonah needed to be told that. He harrumphed. The nerve of this kid. He’d have done what he felt was best anyway.
In this case, he’d be dictating a company-wide email informing people of the kid’s preferred name and pronouns, along with a harsh reminder of the Bugle’s policy on workplace discrimination. He pulled out a cigar just to chomp on the end, since he wasn’t allowed to smoke in his own damn building.
Will all the bullshit brewing in the city he called home, he was well aware that part of him actually wanted someone to cross the line. It’d be nice to have a good reason to scream his lungs out at someone who deserved it.
“Thanks for the update, but if you didn’t notice, this is a workday and you promised me a story. A story involving a Spider.”
Parker smiled, and Jonah had to privately admit it was good to see her give that familiar grin. Infuriating as well, but that was the way of things, wasn’t it? “Well, sir, I actually saw her there. Got a few pictures, and she let me quote her. Apparently, she prefers Spider-Gal now.”
“...you’ve got to be kidding me.” Jonah gnawed on the cigar so hard he was practically chewing and swallowing it. This wasn’t the sort of story he wanted to run about the webhead. Publishing a coming out for the menace would only generate sympathy, not the suspicion Jonah felt the vigilante needed. That is, except for those who would see the news as something that denigrated the wall-crawler.
It made Jonah sick to his stomach just thinking about it. If he published this story, the next time he made clear to the city what a public menace Spider-Gal was, he’d be lumped in with the bathroom-policing, genital-obsessed transphobes of the world.
Seeing that conflict on his face, Parker said, “If you don’t want to print the story, that’s fine. I’m sure there are a few papers in town that’d love to buy it instead.”
Jonah could see what she was doing, and he hated it. “God-damnit it Parker!” He slammed a fist down on his desk. “Fine! Usual rate plus an extra ten percent for the quotes.”
“Twenty-five percent.”
“Eighteen and that is my final offer.” It’s actually what Jonah had been prepared to pay as a minimum from the start, but unlike other women her age, Jonah could trust Parker to haggle with him.
They shook on it, and Parker was dismissed with a grunt.
“Spider-Gal... I’m sure I can think of something snappier than that.”