Chapter Text
Both Michelle Jones and Midtown School of Science and Technology are, to the naked eye, as normal as normal can be. Sure, Michelle’s wicked smart and talented and sure, Midtown is a science school for nerds but at a glance they’re nothing more than what they say on the tin. What you wouldn’t expect however, is that Midtown has a bubbling criminal underground and Michelle Jones, as normal as she appears, is that criminal underground.
“Thank you so much, Michelle. I absolutely cannot thank you enough. Like, at all.” It’s some freshman, she’s forgotten their name. Really, it doesn’t matter. All they are, all they need to be, is a job and monetary figure in her notebook. They were an easy case. Chem essay and Spanish test, $40.
She doesn’t bother looking up from her book. “Your cash is thanks enough. Goodbye.” The freshman nods awkwardly before shuffling away. Thank god. Michelle knows she’s an open secret of the school, doesn’t mean she needs to be brought into public attention.
Ned, who’s sitting a few seats away, coughs. “That uh...another one of your jobs?”
She bores into him. “I don’t know, were they?”
Peter shifts uncomfortably. “We just...you’d never do anything illegal, right? As your...friends, we’re just worried.” Nine weeks later and she was still wondering what on Earth had possessed her to say that (though there was a part of her, buried deep, deep down, that was glad she had).
She sighed. “No, Peter. I have never and will never do anything illegal. Against school policy, maybe, but not illegal.” At least, nothing very illegal. Her eyes flicked up from her book. “And I trust you won’t snitch?”
They both shake their heads furiously. “No way.” scoffs Ned. “Face your wrath? No thanks. I saw what you did to Flash when he went all ‘Penis Parker’ on Peter the other day. I would never have guessed you were that adept in martial arts.”
Peter laughs. “Are we that surprised? MJ, you could tell me you were an undercover CIA agent and I would totally believe it.” He averts his eyes suddenly, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “And uh...thanks again. For telling off Flash. I appreciate it.”
She lets herself smile. Lately, Peter’s been making her do that. “All good, Parker. But if I hear you talk about this CIA business again I may or may not have to make you disappear.” He grins back, and dear God she hates how it makes her feel.
That’s been happening a lot, and it’s starting to worry her. She likes Parker. She likes him a lot. He’s nice, he’s smart, he’s a great friend. What she doesn’t like is how he makes her forget what she’s saying, or reconsider if her side job is entirely without moral reprehensibility, or how she now has exactly 27 drawings of him in her sketchbook (only 9 of which she can justify with even semi-reasonable explanations).
Peter’s about to open his mouth when Betty drops herself beside Ned. “I come here to warn you guys. Flash is totally mad right now, and we think Peter’s the reason.”
The alarm on Peter’s face was rather funny, and she makes a note to sketch that. Ned sighs. “What is it now?”
Betty pulls out the video app on her phone. “Well, we don’t entirely know for sure, but thanks to my exceptional journalistic skills we have a rough idea.” The video clip is a livestream from Flash’s youtube channel (to MJ’s knowledge it’s mainly pranks and other general douchery) where the aforementioned douche is calling out to Spider-Man, who’s currently helping a lost kid find his mom.
“Hey! Hey Spider-Man!” He yells, and though it’s almost imperceptible, MJ notices how the red-and-blue clad figure flinches. He helps the kid over to the distraught mother before jogging over to Flash.
“Uh...hey. You’re the kid whose car I commandeered, right?”
MJ can hear the excitement over being recognised coursing through Flash’s voice. “Uh-huh. It’s cool though, Dad’s car insurance covers vigilantes. Will you stay for a quick interview?”
Spider-Man nods, though if MJ had to guess, he looked a little uncomfortable. “Yeah, uh...sure.”
“What’s it like being the coolest, best superhero?” God, she can practically taste the ass-kissing.
Spider-Man scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. “Uh, I wouldn’t go that far. Iron Man’s pretty cool. And Captain America. Y’know, b-before he was a war criminal.”
“IMO, they’re overrated and way too old school. You’re the superhero for our generation! Next question, opinions on Black Widow? Hottest Avenger, definitely.”
MJ very much considers whether finding Flash and punching him in the face is worth the effort. Spider-Man winces. “Uh...she’s cool. I don’t know her but she seems cool. With the spy stuff.” He's pretty clearly looking for an out to this conversation. “I-uh...probably gotta head off soon…”
MJ can tell Flash is unsatisfied with this answer, but he’s clearly too enamoured with the superhero to really care. The camera flips to him and he smirks. “Don’t worry Spidey—last question. Do you know a Peter Parker?”
Ah, of course. MJ flicks her eyes towards Peter, who is watching with bated breath. Spider-Man freezes, and a few moments of silence descend. He turns his head, like he wants to just leave without answering. He finally sighs and moves his hand to his head as if to run his hands through his hair, only forgetting his mask at the last second. “Yeah, I know him. Look, dude, can you just leave him alone?” The camera’s only showing a portion of Flash’s face, but it’s enough to show how he’s reacted to this. The video ends, and Betty shoves her phone away.
Betty’s countenance tells MJ she didn't know Peter wasn't lying. Ned looks unsurprised though, more concerned than anything. Michelle keeps her face smooth. She was one of the few who had believed Peter; he wasn't the type to lie. She amends this since that's blatantly untrue, he's a massive liar (“Yeah Peter, I’m sure your dog died. The dog who’s died three times in the last seven months.”) but he's certainly not the type to lie for attention.
“He deleted it, like, almost immediately but Charles downloaded it before Flash could wipe it from everything. So uh...yeah, he’s pretty mad. I mean, I’d be humiliated if the kid I teased relentlessly was actually telling the truth about knowing your idol, and then said idol goes out and tells you to clear off.” She puts a hand on Peter’s shoulder, who’s currently decided that the ground is a very interesting place to look at. “It’ll be okay, Peter. Maybe finally Flash will, you know, chill the hell out.”
Peter coughs. “It’s uh...it’s fine, Betty. Thanks for telling me. I’ll stay out of his way.”
Betty smiles sympathetically before her watch beeps. “Agh, gotta go. We still on for tonight, Ned? Great.” She’s off as quick as she came, and the air is think with tension.
Ned clears his throat. “So uh...hmm.” He shoots a concerned look at Peter. “You’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. So. Betty, huh?” Peter smiled weakly, his deflection working exactly not at all. “Is that the real reason you cancelled on movie night?”
Ned turns a brilliant shade a red. “Peter, don’t change the subject.” MJ doesn’t miss how Peter’s eyes focus on her, and he and Ned have a silent back-and-forth.
After what feels like years, there’s a sigh of exasperation from Peter. “I’m gonna go hide from Flash. Have fun with Betty, Ned. See ya, MJ.” He’s gone without another word, and the sinking feeling in MJ’s chest makes her curse herself. She shouldn’t care about him. She doesn’t. Of course she doesn’t, she’s Michelle Jones.
Ned echoes Peter’s sigh. “Sorry about that. Um...I should go. Check on him. Y’know, make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”
MJ rolls her eyes. “Go ahead.” Ned runs off, and Michelle tries to fight off the disappointment. She doesn’t care. She doesn’t care.
She can’t get attached.
But she is attached, and she realises this as she sees Flash yelling something at Peter. She can’t make out what they’re saying but it’s obvious enough. Peter looks disinterested at most but Flash certainly isn’t and there’s a small crowd growing.
She moves to step forward, get a closer look and hear what Flash is saying, but Peter catches her and mouths a very distinct no from where he stands. He’s distracted though, just for a moment, and Flash shoves him against the lockers. That gets a gasp. Flash has never done anything physical to Peter. Verbal, absolutely, but he’s never thrown hands.
Peter doesn’t seem very phased though. If anything, it’s like he expected it. Michelle gets that feeling again. That ugly mess of concern and compassion and caring, and before she can stop herself she’s walking towards the fight. People step aside for her, of course they do. She’s an open secret, they all know what she can do, what she’s willing to do. She’s about to step in front of Peter and face Flash when some teacher walks around the corner and before you can say Penis Parker the kids have scattered and Flash is long gone.
She turns to Peter stiffly. Fuck, she hates this. She just wants to leave, forget him, forget all of this. “You okay?”
Peter nods. “Yeah, I’m fine. Flash...I think his pride is hurt. I don’t blame him.” He looks away.
She shoves her hands in her pockets. “‘Kay. I’m gonna go. I have some psych test answers to steal. See ya.” She turns to leave, before spinning back around with finger guns loaded. “By the way, AcaDec practice after school. Harrington’s on my ass about your attendance so if you’re not there I’ll be pissed.”
He’s not there and she’s pissed. Though, pissed is the wrong word. Annoyed apathy perhaps, but with a pinch of intense frustration. At herself mainly, but at that idiot Parker too.
Despite her side job, she doesn’t pry. Observes, sure, but never pries, unless it’s a case. She knows Parker’s got some shit. Dead parents, dead uncle, the whole shabang. What she does know is a) she doesn’t give a shit and b) she gives a lot of shits.
It’s all very contradictory. Fuck emotions.
“Okay, okay. I think we’ve got a real shot at Nationals this year. Cindy, read up some more on Latin, and on Econ. Sally, get through that reading list I sent you. Make sure you finish the French stuff, and not just Dumas and Hugo. Ned, I sent you the trig sheets. Abe, stop abusing the bell. Charles, brush up on the Napoleonic wars and on the Neolithic. Flash, keep outside drama outside of this group. You’ve been complaining and whining all lesson and it was annoying as shit.” Flash scowled and mumbled under his breath. Michelle sighed. He wasn’t worth it. “Okay, you can all go now.” They did as they were told, Ned apologising once again for Parker’s absence.
She hates how much she cares about Parker. How much she wants to find out what the fuck is up with him, how much she wants to help him if something’s wrong. Michelle Jones doesn’t help people. Michelle Jones is hired to do things for people, but she doesn’t help people and prying into Parker’s private life is definitely falling under that.
Parker is studying his AcaDec catch up in the library and Leeds is with Betty, so she sits alone with her notebook at lunch the next day, surveying the crowd. She’s still got a couple jobs to do. Hack into the security system and cut off the cameras in room E12 for the last period block so Jake Dorman and Ronda Kramer can have at it for an hour, steal back a pair of Yeezys for C.J. Vogel from Stanley Stackmeyer and then steal back the same pair of shoes for Stanley from C.J. She’s in the middle of planning how exactly she’s supposed to fulfill the last two requests when Flash storm over.
“Jones.” He growls, slamming his wallet on the cafeteria table. “Find out who Spider-Man is, and find out how Parker knows him. You have a month”
She thinks for a half-moment. That’s longer than she’s ever considered a deal. “500, Thompson, and I want a new camera.”