Chapter Text
A young man walks through the offices of the Daily Bulge, desperately trying to avoid bumping into the other reporters and editors. Finally, he reaches the office of the Head Editor.
"Chief! I'm so sorry I'm late, but I got the pictures!" The man says frantically.
"Calm down Max, don't have stroke." Mr. Parker responds calmly.
"R-Right, sorry Ben. Anyways, the pictures."
Max sets down four photographs, all taken at night. Three of them show a barely visible figure who seemed to, swing, from building to building. With the final photo showing the image of this figure shooting webs at a pair of thugs.
"Huh. Who is this guy, a new X-Men?" Ben asks.
"Already checked with them, he's not on the force."
"Great, now we've got a new vigilante."
"I dunno, that new guy from a few months ago seemed okay. The Iron-guy?"
"Iron Man, but fair point. Alright, put this on the front page. Title it: Vigilantes on the Rise. Helpful or Harmful?"
"Yes sir." Max started walking away, before stopping.
"Yes Max?"
"Sir, I'm just worried. If all these vigilantes keep popping up, do you think they'll make Mutant Registration public?"
Ben sighed.
"Maybe, maybe not. That's for the public and the judges to decide. Our job is to keep everyone informed, and hope everyone keeps a clear head. That will be all Max."
Max nods and leaves. Ben stares down at the remaining photos.
A team of fire fighters rush out of a burning building, carrying a young boy coughing. They pass the child to a pair of paramedics. His mother rushes over to them.
"Daniel! Is he-?"
"He's okay. Just needs some fresh air."
The mother cries and hugs her son.
After the fire is finally put out, the paramedics sit down and wipe the sweat off their brows.
"Alright, just 8 more hours till shift change." Flash says exhausted.
"Well, mine's over. Betty should be here in a minute." MJ says as she unfurls her red hair.
"Gonna go hit the hay?"
"Nah, my old school friends are having a party."
"Seriously? How do you always have so much energy?"
"You've got your super powers, I've got mine." MJ smirks.
There must have been over a hundred people at the party. All drinking, and some dancing throughout the mansion. Eddie really outdid himself this time. MJ stood there, talking to a few of her old roommates. In the corner of her eye, she spotted someone.
He was tall and fit, with slightly curly hair, but he looked a bit lost. He was standing in the corner of the room, trying to avoid eye contact. MJ smiled and got an idea. She excused herself and walked over to the stranger. His eyes bulged when they met hers, and he blushed a little.
"Hey handsome. Wanna dance?"
"Uh- well... I don't really, know how-" He stammered
"Come on, I'll teach you." MJ said as she pulled him by the hand.
"Oh, okay!" He said excitedly.
MJ showed him how to dance. He wasn't very good, but he seemed to be having fun. She was as well.
"I'm MJ, what's your name?" She shouts to be heard over the music.
"Oh, Peter! Nice to meet you!" He shouts back.
"Nice to meet you too! You a friend of Eddie?"
"He's my boss. I'm the janitor at his lab, and invited me to come over."
"Nice, you like working there?"
"Yeah, get to listen to some music while I work. Helps block out the science jargon I don't understand."
MJ laughs.
"How about you? You know Eddie?" He asks.
"Yeah, he's an old college friend. We shared a few classes before he switched majors."
"What'd you study?"
"Medicine, I'm a first responder."
"That's amazing!"
MJ smiled, and they both ran out of things to talk about. So they just kept dancing. Eventually, the party died down, and Peter walked her home.
"Uh, thanks by the way. For, asking me to dance. I had fun." Peter says a little shyly.
"I had fun too."
MJ pulls out her keys, and started playing with them. Peter, finally got the hint.
"Would you, like to go out sometime?"
MJ smiled, then gave Peter a kiss on the cheek.
"Meet at my place, 4pm tomorrow. Don't be late."
She went up to her apartment, leaving Peter awe struck. It was a little over midnight, so MJ crawled into bed, and fell asleep. Eventually, she woke up and heard a noise coming from outside. A sort of soft, thwip sound.
Rolling out of bed, she peered out her window. Then, she spotted a figure swinging from the rooftops.
"What the-" She began before a shape dashed in front of her window.
She yelped and jumped back in shock. Looking back out, she saw the figure was wearing some sort of armor. With wings flapping quickly behind its back, allowing the user to fly. The person, or thing, caught up to the web slinger and grabbed him. Then, he swung him around, and tossed him backwards. Right in the direction of...
"Oh sh-" MJ ducked as the web slinger was thrown right through her window, glass shattering and landing all over.
The web slinger slammed into MJ's bedroom wall, and fell to the ground. MJ leapt off the bed, and hid behind her large dresser. The web slinger groaned, and rose to his feet. The man in the suit landed on MJ's window seal, then walked into her bedroom.
MJ got a good look at the man's suit. He looked like some sort of mechanical Beetle. Then, he lifted his arm and a type of a gun emerged, and pointed at Spidey's head.
Time seemed to slow for MJ.
Come on MJ, move!
She calmed herself, then she activated her Mutant ability, Jackpot. In her head, she imaged a slot machine being cranked and images rushing past. Finally, three images resolved. A heart, a joker card, and a dumbbell. Her temporary superpower was.... being as heavy as a boulder.
Well, might as well make the most of it.
Before Beetle could fire, MJ tackled him to the ground. Beetle tries to get up, but is just barley able to lift her.
"Big mistake lady." Beetle says as he presses his gun against MJ's head.