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Petra Parker was familiar with the feeling of free falling. When she had first started out, web-slinging had been about avoiding that feeling. Zipping around and jumping from building to building, not letting herself be taken by gravity. But now, gravity was her friend (for the most part). She used it to her advantage and she almost imagined herself both in a pendulum and projectile motion.
Swinging through New York was one big physics assignment repeated ten-thousand times. Choosing a point, she would become a pendulum with her webs, follow through with that motion, and turn her potential energy into kinetic energy as she was shot out as a projectile. Even rollercoasters had become boring compared to the feeling of being in midair, watching everyone in the city like busy ants before starting to be weighed by gravity and having to prepare another pendulum.
However, the situation she was currently in was not that. Rhino had been stomping through a shopping center and it was currently crumbling. Not only that, but Scorpion had decided to tag along and make matters worse. A punch from Rhino and a stab from Scorpion's poison had her free falling, but she had to get up, because that's what she always did. It's who she was.
With the little strength she had left, she reached into her belt and got her Scorpion antidote.
"God, I hope this helps," she weakly said as she injected it. It coursed through her veins and she felt some of her strength come back.
"That'll do for now."
She shot out a web to the crumbling building and zipped inside. Surveying her surroundings, she found that most of the people had fled, but she could see a couple stragglers that were stuck underneath rubble. She got to work. Three folks at a time, Spider-ma'am (title pending) got them to safety and in the vicinity of the first responders. Most people cooperated, one lady was…stubborn.
"Can't another superhero help?"
"No, ma'am, they're busy, and we're not in Hell's Kitchen so Daredevil can't really help."
"Can the other spider-man help?"
"He's busy making sure that Rhino and Scorpion don't hurt other folks."
She saw Miles in the background effortlessly dodging and weaving the sinister two's attacks.
"Okay…fine."
"Fine?"
"Yeah…y'know, I liked you better before…" She stopped herself.
"Before what?" Petra asked while she was helping her with removing the rubble.
"Before changing."
"Before transitioning, ya mean?"
"Yeah, whatever you people call it. I miss "Spider-man", y'know?" The lady said, getting out of the rubble.
Petra had to remember her customer service voice. The voice of someone that despite being shouted at and berated, would be upbeat and willing to help.
"Okay ma'am, hang tight!" She said as she grabbed the lady and carefully swung her towards the ambulances that had gotten to the scene.
"Thanks, Spider-man!" A medical responder shouted. Petra did not have the time or the patience to correct him. She just got back into the swing of things as she always did.
Miles was starting to struggle as both of the villains were cornering him. Spider-ma'am swung in and kicked Scorpion square in the jaw.
"Is everyone else safe?" Spider-man asked.
"Yep! Got everybody out, you can do it if you need."
"Alrighty, can you web 'em up real quick?"
"No problemo!"
"What is Spider-people talking about?" Rhino asked, sounding annoyed.
"Aw, don't worry about it, big fella!"
She wrapped both Scorpion and Rhino in her webs.
"Just enjoy the show and then you'll get a little nap!" She said, backing up to let Miles do his thing.
Petra watched as Miles charged up, yellow and blue lightning surrounding him. She was proud of the kid, he had learned a lot even without her help. New York would be safe with him. Maybe she could retire, just work on being with MJ and maybe finally finish her thesis. God,she had to do all the paperwork to change the name on her degree- wait, she needed to focus. Attention returning to the situation at hand, she found that Miles had already shocked the villains and was looking at her.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Oh? Yeah! I'm okay, just got distracted. Great job by the way!"
"Thanks, but you sure you're okay?" Miles insisted.
Petra knew that he had his own set of issues, and she didn't want to add new ones.
"Yeah, I'm good. Again, just got a little distracted."
Before he could try and demand an honest answer, she swung away. She needed to get home for movie night with MJ. It was only a couple of blocks away, so with a couple of thwips she was back in her apartment. Her alarm went off and she quickly silenced it. Time for her weekly dose. Multitasking was the name of the game, so she grabbed the dose, quickly stabbed it into her thigh, and kept changing into a comfortable dress.
Dress? Check! Purse? Check! Make-up? Shit!
She took her mask off, not realizing she hadn't removed it yet, and in the mirror she…felt like her. Not like a bag of muscles and bones that took some sort of shape, but she looked in the mirror and she saw herself. Her imperfect, flawed self, but herself nonetheless.
Taking her makeup supplies out of the mirror cabinet, she felt queasy. Her stomach was doing a revolution.
Oh God am I pregnant? WaitI can't get pregnant!
The revolution turned into proper riots as she aimed her head for the toilet and spewed. Thankfully, it went inside, but she felt like absolute garbage. No, no, no! She couldn't cancel the date! They had planned it for weeks! She couldn't let a little Scorpion venom ruin this! But the adrenaline in her system had run out and the antidote would certainly help the venom not kill her, but would not make it go away any quicker.
She crawled to her couch and dialed MJ on her cracked screen phone.
"Hey, tiger! You comin' over?" Her sweet voice said.
"Hi MJ, I…I'm sorry, I can't make it…"
"Oh, what happened?"
"Scorpion venom…"
"Ugh, I hate him."
"I hate him too, sweetie, I-I know you can't reschedule the tickets, but do you mind coming over to watch a movie here? The thing I got is not contagious so we can cuddle, if you want."
"Aw, you're sweet. I'm a little sad we can't go to the movies, but yeah, I can come over."
"Thanks, MJ, you're the best."
Hanging up, Petra slouched to the kitchen and made herself some chicken soup.
"Ah, Parker, I see you're playing another role outside the spandex,eh?"
"Shut up, Gobbie."
The Green Goblin cackled, looking at her with his evil smile.
"You really hide under layers of costumes and make-up, don't you, Parker?"
"I really need you to shut up, you're not even real."
"Then why are you answering like I am? Which one is it, Petra? Real? Or fake?" He kept on laughing.
"I just need to ride this side effect off," she told herself.
"Side effect? Like your tits getting larger? Ha! Oh, Parker, you make me laugh!"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"
"But I joke, I joke, I'm glad you've got something to cover up all your mistakes, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, let's see: Gwen Stacy, taken by gravity, Uncle Ben, filled with lead, and your most recent victim: Aunt May, taken by disease."
"I don't wanna hear it."
"Of course you don't wanna hear it, Parker, because you know it's your fault."
"It's not my fault, things happened, I can't save everyone even though I try to do so."
"Oh poor Petra Parker, super-powered but can't do anything to save her loved ones. Is that what you tell yourself at night? Is that the excuses you bring up? And for what? To keep working a job that no one even knows you do? A job that ruins your life and relationships? A job that you risk your life for every day? A job in which everyone won't even recognize you as a woman?"
"Protecting folks is not a job, it's a responsibility. Fate gave me these powers, and I have to pay it forward."
"And by paying it forward you get a wonderful spit to the face from every citizen in New York and the entire world!"
"I don't want to hear it! You're just a figment of my imagination!"
"A figment that can always come back," he cackled, going into another laughing fit.
"Petra? Petra!" the voice of an angel cried.
Petra opened her eyes and realized she had passed out on the floor, as a worried MJ was trying to do CPR.
"Ow…" She managed to say. "Thank you."
"Oh, thank god you're okay," MJ said, hugging her tightly, "that venom did a number on you, huh?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
Petra got up with the help of her girlfriend. They both lay on the couch, Petra's head on MJ's lap.
"MJ, do you want me to quit?"
"What?" MJ looked at her, confused.
"Do you want me to quit being Spider-ma'am?"
"So…de-transitioning?" MJ asked, even more confused.
"No, I mean, do you want me to quit being a superhero? It's just… I've been doing this for a long time, and it's taken more than it's given. It's ruined job opportunities, relationships, trips, and even ruined my health-both mental and physical. And I thought I was the only one who could do it. But then Miles came along, and I was glad for someone else to help out. Someone to share the burden with. And when I was briefly gone Miles did an incredible job keeping the city safe! For a second I thought: 'What if I can stop? What if I can rest? What if I can spend more time with the folks I love and let the younger heroes protect the city?' "
Petra turned to her partner and continued, "So…should I quit? Should I actually leave the mantle? We could go on more dates! And not have them constantly cancelled! We could do so much! So I ask you, do you want me to stop, for us?"
MJ gave pause. Petra awaited with bated breath.
"Do you want to quit?"
"I…" Petra considered.
"I don't think you want to quit."
"I…you're not wrong, but how did you know?"
"Because I know you, Petra. I know that you don't want people to get hurt, you want to help as many people as you can, and despite everything you get back up. You always fight for what is right despite it not being easy. And yes, there's other people that can do it, but you still want to help. Despite everything, you're still that young kid wanting to make a difference in the world. And I love that about you. I wouldn't want to stop you from being you. I'm here to support you no matter what comes our way."
Petra's eyes filled with tears as she suddenly hugged her girlfriend.
"What did I do to deserve you? First I told you I was spidey, and you still loved me. Then I told you I was trans, and you still loved me and supported me. And then you know that I want to continue with this whole superhero-ing thing and you're still supporting me."
"'Cause I know that you'd do the same for me."
They hugged each other for a little bit before MJ said "So, about that movie?"
"Yeah! Let's watch something, your choice."
And thus they spent the rest of the night in each other's arms, watching Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera.