Work Text:
Being a superhero was one thing. Petra could handle one thing. Being Petra was two.
She wasn’t sure of that name yet, she didn’t want to change the initials up—despite the fuel it gave it used to give Flash—it allowed for the letters May used to give her in the first year of college to still be to her. But Petra… It was close to her old name, very close; maybe Piper? Peni? Penelope? Paisley? Either way, she needed to pick a name; again, Petra didn’t feel bad, just new—uncomfortable maybe?
She’ll stick with Petra for now
So Petra left her apartment, walked to the station, got on the train—she was out of webs (and would synthesize more when she got access to the lab at esu)—and got off the closest station to the Daily Bugle.
She brushed by her past coworkers (she was fired right now) and stopped at Betty’s desk.
She straightened, “Morning Pet— have you been growing out your hair?”
Slight panic, but nothing was wrong, so, “Yeah, I’ve um, I’ve always wanted to. I’m not sure it looks right yet.”
“Well I think it looks great, I’ll let triple J know you’re here,” She spoke, pressing down on the keypad.
A brief intercom call later and Petra was in the office of Jameson. He was on the phone, so she stood and looked around his room. It hadn’t changed much since she started this gig, wow seven years ago. There were framed articles of the “Web-Head” and other best selling articles, there's a new photo of John from the last time she stopped by the office, and a new intercom after Jameson bashed in the last one.
“Parker! Are you going to keep standing in la-la land or are you going to give me some pictures from last night’s Spider and Scorpion team-up at the bank?” He shouted as he tossed the corded phone onto his desk.
“I think they were fighting actually, Spidey was trying to stop him, like always.”
“That’s what they want you to think Parker! They probably couldn’t agree on the split, and being the crazy lunatics that there are, endangering innocent lives fighting over it!”
“I was— okay, well I have the pictures.”
He threw a finger towards the door, “Good, now get out of my office! Betty’ll pay you.”
“Actually Mr. Jameson, I’d like a word.”
“I’ll give you seventeen.”
“We did that already. I want to say that I-“
She froze.
Was she ready to tell him? He would be okay with it, she knew that much, but was she ready for Petra to be real? What if she was wrong? What if…
Jameson lowered his arm, moving the two onto his desk, leaning. “Well?”
“I am… I’m. I was hoping I could get my job back?”
She wasn’t ready.
—
After an afterschool lab visit, Spider-Woman was ready for today's patrol. She stood tall on a building edge, monitoring the streets below. A hike in her spider-sense alerted her of something to the side, but, what? She lowered herself, readying to move when needed, then she saw it; a kid was skateboarding down the sidewalk, a distracted driver hit the curve, she moved.
She dived down and fired a webline to the side, zipping and grabbing the kid. Her other hand shot three clusters of webbing into the car's tires, breaking its momentum right before it drove into the building. The two were safe, she could leave, maybe even before-
“Thank you Spider-Man!” Shouted the child she had saved.
“Spider-Man, I’m so sorry, I spilt my coffee and lost focus, I swear I didn’t mean to nearly hit him.” Begged the driver.
She felt her chest tighten, dammit why did that hurt so much? She went by that for seven years and now…
“It’s fine, just… try to stay out of the drivers ed videos next time.”
She fired a webline and pulled it towards herself, giving her speed for the second web’s elasticity to take effect, sending her forward.
She let herself soar down, firing when lower to the ground, momentum into a pendulum, she went flying into the air. She was okay, she thought. The city felt so peaceful from high up, in this moment of weightlessness in between every swing, people coming and going without any pain or suffering.
She fell towards the ground again, the blur of people and cars became very clear and very big. She fired again, the mechanical click followed by her web formula flying towards the sky, latching onto a crane; going up again, her brain continued. She needed to work on herself, a lot; She did not look at all how she wanted, but she couldn’t afford to get new clothes, or even start hrt or anything. Thank goodness hair is free, well until it needs to be cut. She also really needed to tell someone, May or MJ or even Black Cat or JJJ or someone.
Down and up in a similar fashion, shooting a line at the side of a building swinging her around its corner. How would they feel about that? MJ (who would probably be the most understanding) and her weren’t really talking right now, Black Cat she wasn’t sure of and May? even less. She also should really tell the FF and god dammit…
—
She made sure to take an alternative route to her apartment—given she was going straight there, anyone who saw her leave could follow her—and made it back later than expected. She peeled her mask off and allowed herself to relax. She poured a glass of water and looked around her dilapidated home; boxes were still all about from the move, the two rooms were definitely an upgrade from the half dorm but the landlord did a really poor job of getting it ready. She needed to spend a lot of time on it. Time she didn’t have. The only saving grace was the location, a three minute swing from both the university and the Daily Bugle, and ten from Mj and May. She was finally at the center of everything. That felt nice, she thought.
Had Petra Parker finally gotten her life together? Of course not! But it has been feeling better. A bit. And the Spider-Woman side of things have been pretty decent too; She hasn’t needed to patch her costume in almost a week!
An alert fired off on her phone and she hooked it in with a webline; damn, it was Wednesday already? She had dinner with the FF. She was starting not to enjoy those anymore, not only was it awkward to invite MJ every time, but it felt so weird now. She would have to talk about her and what's been going on and she couldn’t. Maybe she could cancel? No…
Maybe she could tell them tonight?
Maybe…
Ben would be cool with it at least, Johnny would be annoying but also probably supportive. Sue and Richards, maybe?
But what if they weren’t? What if she ruined everything again?
What if they hated her?
She hadn’t realized she was sitting on the floor, next to the boxes that were surrounding the kitchenette; She hadn’t realized which photo she was staring at until she had split the water on the floor in her attack of whatever this was.
She stared at Uncle Ben. The picture stared back. She tried to think of what he’d say right now.
These people are your family, Petra. They would love you no matter what.
Imagining him helped, it always did, but this time helped more.
Imagining his voice saying her name…
Petra picked herself up and dawned her mask (and bag), before jumping through the still open window.
—
A web pulled taught behind her back, another easing her forward. She released the two and dove briefly, then fired two forward and yanked. 10 minute swing about over. No turning back now. She caught onto a helicopter flying down the street, releasing, corner tethering, and going flying herself—she really should finish the web wings, they would be really fun—she struck a pose pulling tight on the next line, then climbed it to get a few feet above the ground. She zipped onto an edge and pushed hard back off, spinning clockwise in the air in a complete 360.
Spider-Woman soared through the streets, but it was time for Petra Parker to do the heavy lifting. She dropped into an alleyway below and changed into her clothes from earlier in the day—a blue flannel, white shirt, jeans. nothing fancy but it looked nice and covered the costume nicely—no backing out now, they all deserved to know, but May first.
Knock Knock Knock, Knock Knock Knock.
May opened the door, “Oh honey, I told you I can get to the train myself, but I’m glad to have you over. Come in, dear.” She held the screen door and moved to the side. Petra stepped inside.
“I know I know, but with all tne lizards in the subways,” Petra joked, “But I did want to talk to you about something.”
“Of course, sit down I’ll get some tea brewing and-“
“You don’t have to, it’ll be quick.”
“Well alright, I’m listening.”
“Thank you. So, the last few months, living on my own, I had a lot of time to think about who I am and who I wanted to be, and I figured that out, and I’m ready to share that with you—finally—I am,” She felt the air stiffen in her lungs, the words felt like poison in her head yet they were stuck there, dammit why could she-
“Take your time dear.”
“I, am a woman.”
She saw May’s look of surprise, she panicked, she had ruined it, but she saw May collect herself. She saw May’s eyes meet hers. She saw May’s smile form.
“That’s wonderful dear, did you have a name picked out?”
“Petra, my name is Petra.”
“Well Petra, get over her. I want to hug my niece.”
—
May sat down after lowering the tray of tea, “So, how long have you known?”
“Ablut six months, but you're the first person I told,” She shifted, “It was kind of weird actually, I asked myself if I was trans and at the time I said no but I kept thinking about it and I realized I was the whole time. And then I kind of freaked out, I was thinking about it and how I basically would—still actually—come out to almost the whole world…”
“Well I’m glad you finally figured it out, and I’m sure with time it won't be so bad, that Jameson has to have some morals.”
“Funny enough he and MJ are the two I’m most confident in being supportive. He really is a good guy, when y know, he isn't being a jerk.”
“Hmm, oh dear would you look at the time, we better get moving; are we picking up Mary Jane?”
“Yeah, um. We are. Do you think tonight would be a good time to tell her?”
“That’s up to you Petra.”
“I know I know…”
The two picked up their things and exited the house. Petra noticed the sunset as they moved towards the station. The blue sky with a red(ish) after glow.
One down, she thought, seven to go.
And then the rest of the super hero community.
And then all of New York City.
So like, nine million people?