1700/A Wild MJ Appears!

A Wild MJ Appears!
Date of Scene:	16 May 2020
Location:	Basement - 20 Ingram Street - Queens
Synopsis:	Mary Jane Watson visits the Parker house, Red Sonja reveals herself, and Peter Parker hits the jackpot.
Cast of Characters:	Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker

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Mary Jane Watson has posed:
The past few days have been a bit of a roller coaster for Mary Jane Watson. Mainly because her entire world flipped and turned upside down. And well, there's only one person she could really go to about something like that.

Which is why she's standing on the front porch of the Parker residence, knowing Aunt May and Aunt Anna are out on a shopping trip. Admittedly, that might be something that MJ put Anna up to, so that she'd have some time to talk privately with Peter. Since...

Well, there's a //lot// to unpack. Which is what's racing through her head as she knocks on the door. Rather loudly, as she's still not quite sure of her own strength. On the bright side, she didn't make a dent in the door!

Peter Parker has posed:
Maybe if...okay. we could make it three layers. Inner layer for heating/cooling, middle layer for the computer, Kevlar weave for the outer layer. It could work. Something thinner for the joints, maybe just make those two layers to protect the circuitry.

Peter was working out the layout of the modular sections of the suit. He had to make sure it would be easy to replace sections as opposed to making ten or twelve suits, make sure the sections could be replaced fairly easily without making the suit prone to loss of cohesion...

The door knock triggered a sensor that caused the TV from Harry's hovel to come on, displaying who was on the front porch.

Peter turned and saw...

Ohmigosh.
He swallowed, aware his throat was suddenly dry.

Mary Jane Watson...the One That Got Away.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. Why was she here?
He tapped the intercom button, and said, "Hang on...I'll be right up."

A minute later, the door opened.
In some ways, he looked different. The Coke-bottle glasses were gone. The formal sweaters, the slacks, the button-down shirts. He wore a baggy t-shirt that proclaimed to all and sundry that Peter SURVIVED SHARKNADO, baggy jeans, and tennis shoes.

And then he smiled that apologetic hangdog lopsided smile.

"...Hi, MJ."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane smiles at Peter, "Hey, Peter. Um... can I come in? We need to talk. Well, not so much we need to talk but I need to talk and you... I know you can listen. Though if you want to talk too I'd like that a lot. I mean..." She coughs, a hint of a blush touching her cheeks.

"It's... been a really weird couple of days. And I didn't know who else would understand." She's actually wearing a Spidey themed T-shirt, white with the red and black mask logo on there, along with jeans and white sneakers. And she's carrying a rather long looking duffel bag over her back.

Wait? Has she been working out? She looks a bit more... buff, than she used to.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinks. "Uhm...yeah, sure, it's okay. Do you mind if we head ddown to the lab? I'm working on a couple of things, and...and I've spruced it up a little, too."

He looked at the t-shirt, stifling a sigh. Merchandising. He's liked enough for MERCHANDISING. He wondered if he should bring it up with Mr. Stark.

He blinked, realized MJ was looking at him woolgathering, and he opened the door wide. "C'mon in! Uhm...Aunt May made her classic apple pie recipe again, and I could make some Arnold Palmers..."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ nods at Peter, "That... that sounds great. Thanks." She grins a little, feeling still a bit uneasy maybe but... well, Peter is Peter, and thank God that he always will be. She does, however, blush a little excessively at the shirt, "Sorry, was just the first thing I had to throw on, um... like I said, it's been a bit weird lately."

With that, she steps into the house, looking around, "Wow, looks like I remember it. And yeah, talking in your lab sounds perfect. With Arnold Palmers and apple pie." She has a warmth in her smile, along with a hint of the nervousness she's had, "Just like old times."

Peter Parker has posed:
Just like old times.

Out in the backyard when they were kids, him knowing all the constellations (natch), pointing them out to her.
Hiding out in the treehouse when they were ten.
Walking to Forest Hills Elementary, figuring out how to sneak in without Carl King seeing him and taking his lunch money.
Smiling apologetically as he showed up smelling of garbage at the movie theatre.

Should auld acquaintance...

"Uhm, head on down. You know the way. Stairs near the rear. Never got the creak out of the sixth step, but changed a few other things. I'll get the snacks and drinks."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane steps down the stairs lightly, pausing at the telltale squeak on the stair. She shakes her head a little as she remembers those times before, looking around the basement lab with a curious expression. A soft whistle as, well, she doesn't know what half of this stuff does, but she knows it's impressive. And Peter put his heart and soul into it.

Like he puts into everything.

Which, of course, is when the voice echoes in MJ's head, 'So, this is the man that will help? He's not much of a warrior to mine eyes!'

Mary Jane mutters under her breath, "Quit it! Peter's more of a warrior than anyone else I know! He'll be able to help! I know he can!"

Whether or not Peter hears that, well, that's up for debate... but MJ isn't exactly focused on that as she's having a literal inner dialogue at the moment.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter comes down a minute later. He is carrying two tall glasses, filled with ice and a mix of iced tea and lemonade. A drink Palmer liked so much, he gave it its name.

He is also carrying two wide paper plates, each with a wedge of Aunt May's lattice apple pie - granny apples from Australia, her special sugar/honey glaze with that little extra secret ingredient even Peter doesn't know, the caramelized sugar on the flaky crust. The smell doesn't so much identify the dessert as announce its presence. A fork sits on each plate next to the pie.

Peter places the plates and drinks on the wide drafting table, with the skill of a seasoned waiter...even though the closest he's gotten to working for a restaurant was delivering pizza.
He straightens, then looks at her for a moment. "Wow...have you been going to the gym?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane chuckles, "Um, not... exactly? But it's why I'm here. Well, one of the reasons." She catches her breath, then places her duffel bag on an empty space on the drafting table. "So, I need to come clean about... about a lot of things Peter."

She then unzips the bag, revealing a very antique looking greatsword. Still in a scabbard, but it looks like a definite relic, and probably worth more than what Peter makes in a decade.

And yes, that's with the NEW job.

She pauses, and looks over at Peter, "So, um, like I said, there's a lot to explain. About me. And well, you. Er, us. I mean..." She blushes again, "Blast, this isn't how I expected this to go in my head."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter just looks at the sword. For a moment, Stupid Mouth sounds off about MJ joining a D&D LARP.
And then the THIS IS MJ Reflex (yes, it has a name) stifles that nonsense PDQ. So for a moment, he just looks at it, then up to MJ. She looks like someone about to...
...well, like Gwen telling him about how she's from an alternate universe.

Peter takes a sip, then says, "MJ...take a breath. Inhale. Exhale...then start. Start at the beginning, or hit the high point. Just start with one thing, and build from there."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane smiles and can't help but laugh a little bit. Peter being Peter, it's why she came over here, right? "So, um... yeah." She takes a seat, picking up her drink and sipping carefully, the drink relaxing her a bit as she looks over at Peter. "I owe you... well, I owe you a lot of explanations. And not just for the sword, but I'll get to that. Um, but the beginning?"

She pauses, then looks at Peter, "You think we broke up because of the fact you were always late, or missing, or just a no-show. But... that's not the reason at all. I... I was scared, Peter."

She pauses, then looks at Peter, her expression serious, "Because you're Spider-Man." And she meets his gaze, eyes seeming to /know/ that secret. But how???

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinks. For a moment, his mind tries to process all the factors. MJ. MJ showing up. MJ talking about secrets. MJ...saying he's Spider-Man.

He doesn't have to fake looking startled, but he falls back on the old defense mechanism.

"...MJ, you can't be serious. Me? Spider-Man? C'mon, MJ. Spidey...well, it's just impossible."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane sighs, giving Peter that 'oh please' look, "Look, the day your Uncle Ben... when he died. I saw you go into your house that night... and Spider-Man came out right after. So it's either you or Aunt May, and I don't think she can handle the webslinging." She gives Peter a wry look at that.

"So... yeah, I stopped seeing you because I was afraid. Afraid of what might happen to you. To us. I just couldn't get it out of my head."

A pause, then another drink is taken as she says, "I mean, you started dating Supergirl, so I figured you were happy and everything since, well, I clearly can't leap tall buildings in a single bound and then... well, I found this." She gestures to the sword.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter opens his mouth...then closes it again. She saw him. SHE SAW HIM.

And suddenly...a lot of things make sense. That sad smile he thought was pity for him...that strange look when she gave him that once-over on the last time he was supposed to be there. She was seeing if he was bleeding after what the Vulture had done.

Holy Toledo. HOLY TOLEDO SHE KNEW ALL THE TIME.

And then she mentions Supergirl and he just...drops into the chair behind him. He looks at her...and then grabs the glass and drinks it. Not all of it, but most of it.

"I...I..." He realizes HE is the one that's stymied now. Doctor, medicate myself. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. And say what you have to, just one thing.

"I...she and I broke up because she was worried about my safety, too. I just...holy cow, she did the same thing, only the roles were reversed. GAH. I have to be the STUPIDEST smart guy in New York..."

Focus, Petesky. MJ is the one that needs help right now. But with what? A sword?

"Okay...where did you find it? It looks like something Wonder Woman would wear at her hip. Definitely not a prop..."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane smiles at Peter, "The sword, right... well..." She grins, "So, you missed it, but one of the do-nothing things seniors did in bonehead history class was take a tour of the Natural History museum." She shrugs, it is what it is, after all, and she knows she's not in Peter's league as far as pure smarts go.

"So, while we were in there, I saw this sword in something called the Hyborean Collection. I didn't even know what that was, but I just had the urge to... pick up the sword. And then..."

She pauses, and mutters, "Yes, I'm /getting/ to it, alright?" Then she blushes, realizing she said that out loud, "Sorry, I have, well, apparently I have a distant ancestor who was also one of the fiercest warriors of Cimmeria living in my head? And I know all sorts of things about fighting and I /swear/ I can bench press this lab table without sweating and..." She pauses, then takes another drink, finishing the glass off as she smiles, "She also has some rather questionable fashion choices."

A pause, and then MJ looks to the side, "Yeah, well, they make JOKES about chainmail bikinis in this timeline, so you couldn't wear something that actually offered protection?!?" Apparently there's a bit of a conversation going on in MJ's head.

Peter Parker has posed:
The kneejerk reaction is that she is crazy. Crazy as a loon. Nuttier than trail mix.
People just don't talk to themselves in their head.

For most people, that would be the go-to reaction. But Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man (respect the Hyphen) is not most people.
Two nights ago, he talked to a teenage girl with some sort of alien symbiote that had bonded to her. It had its own voice, its own imperative.

MJ doesn't act like someone hearing voices. She is having a conversation that might as well be through a Bluetooth earbud. It is that natural.

There is something else, too...

"MJ...remember when you and I watched the Indiana Jones movies when we were 12 and I wanted to be an archaeologist?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane looks back to Peter, "Throw me the idol, I throw you the whip!" She smiles, "Of course I do, Peter." She pauses, giving him a curious look.

Mary Jane says, "Well, um... is it wrong if I say that I'm sorry you and Supergirl broke up... but, I'm not /that/ sorry?" She looks at Peter with a bit of a wry smile, her eyes dancing a bit as she meets his gaze.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blushed slightly. "Uhm..."

How do you tell the girl you first fell for that you thought that door was closed forever?

"Uhm...sorry. I did spend a year learning ancient history, anthropology. On my own, of course. Hyboria...that was sometime around...10,000 BC, or thereabouts. Some called it the Hyborian Age. There's a reference in Genesis to 'heroes of old, men of renown.' Cimmeria...uhmm, Stygia..."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane smiles, "Really! That's exactly what she's been talking about. Though she says that I'm... well, a distant descendant or something. Which, well, that'd be pretty distant I guess. It's how I attuned myself to the sword, though I don't need it for the powers. Which, um, is nice since I really don't want to hack and slash my way through New York..."

She pauses, and rolls her eyes a bit, speaking again to the voice in her head clearly, "Yes, Sonja, there's rules about that sort of thing. If any demons show up, then I'll let you cut loose. Literally. Until then, my way or the highway." She pauses, then nods to herself, looking back to Peter.

"So, um, yeah, you were the one saying that with great power comes great responsibility. And I couldn't think of anyone that I'd trust more with this than you. Because... well..." Her eyes meet his again, and she smiles, "I'm not afraid, Peter. Not anymore."

Peter Parker has posed:
Oh, man.
Hey, focus! She's dealing with something SERIOUS and she needs your help!

Peter got up, looking thoughtful. "Okay...okay..." He stops, then looks to MJ. "Okay, MJ. I'm like that alien guy from DS9. I believe in coincidences, but I don't TRUST them. If something like this happened to you...then there is a REASON for it. Maybe something's going to happen, maybe soon. This kind of reaction...this means it is reacting to something that may ALREADY be going on..."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ nods, and looks about to say something, but then suddenly, her stance changes, as she looks more... calculating, more cunning, and more fierce. Her voice drops a bit in timbre and pitch, as she looks over at Peter, "Aye, Boy-Spider, the sorcerer Kulan Gath, he is one that tried to master time and space. If I'm here, then he's here too, and that's one worm that definitely needs killing." She grins, a rather feral look for her that seems completely at odds with what Peter normally associates with MJ...

And then she shakes her head, "Hey, STOP that! You are not the boss of me!" Mary Jane takes a deep, shuddering breath, "Yeah, okay... apparently thinking about this Kulan Gath guy got her /really/ riled up."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter had drawn back from MJ when she had...shifted?
The Spider-Sense had switched on when that Other had been there. Which added credibility to MJ's story.

Jeez Louise, he can't imagine what this could be doing to her, having someone else IN HER HEAD.

"Okay. All right. So...we need to have a plan."
It's Peter...but it's not Peter. This is a pro-active Peter, someone who isn't going to run, someone who looks at the unknown and unexpected and meets it face-to-face, head on.

And it makes sense. Spider-Man is simply Peter, a Peter who has the power to DO something and chooses to do it.
If nothing else, because he had learned what the consequences of NOT doing soemthing were. Spider-Man is Peter Parker, Action Scientist.

"MJ...we need to know more about Sonja. The source material on Hyboria is notoriously sketchy, but we can learn more about her, and about the...the other guy. Symbology, practices, past plans. That sort of thing." He gives MJ a sympathetic look. "I...I don't know what it's like for you to have someone else in your mind. But I do know what it's like to be hit with something you have to adapt to suddenly. Right now, we can..."

He paused. "...We need to get you some sort of gear. If the Sword Broad with the Broadsword finds herself on the wrong end of a game of bullet billiards, it's going to end bad for BOTH of you." He frowns. "You need armor...and a weapon. One that works for you NOW."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane looks over at Peter, and smiles, "Actually, I've been working on the weapon thing... picked up a pair of police batons, which, well, definitely seem to do good work as she knows how to use them. But yeah, the armor would definitely be nice. Chainmail bikinis are... not something I would choose, personally."

She looks at Peter with a grateful expression, "I knew that it was the right call coming here... thank you Peter." She mmms a bit, and considers, "Definitely need to have something concealing my face, too, whatever we pick. I can't let my identity get out..." She pauses, and then flashes a warm smile over at Peter, "Peter, thank you. For everything. I mean... after what I did... you don't owe me anything."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter shakes his head. "MJ...how could I turn you away? We've been friends for as long as I remember. Even with how things ended...I have been...and will always be...your friend..."

He smirks. He can't help it. He HAD to slip a science-fiction reference in this conversation SOMEHOW.

Peter takes a deep breath. "When she...REALLY comes out...is there some sort of physical change? Maybe in stature, or in your...her facial features? Or is she just...you, only scarier?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane rolls her eyes /so/ hard at Peter, "Augh! How did I know you were going to do that!" She then grins, unable to keep herself from laughing as she looks over at him, then she grows a bit more serious. "I look about the same... just her... my, demeanor is different. I don't think there's a physical change. I mean, my strength and condiitoning has improved insanely since she popped into my life, literally."

She steps over towards Peter and smiles, "Here, seriously, feel this?" She then flexes her bicep, and... well, it isn't necessarily Amazing Spider-Man levels, but she can definitely do some /work/.

Totally isn't an excuse for Peter to touch her arm, either. Honest. Well, mostly it isn't.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter does touch her arm. "VERY substantial." He nods appreciatively, smiling thoughtfully. "Okay. I guess this is the part where I tell you why I think I can help you."

He looked into that face, noting it is a little firmer, less girlish, more womanly. She looks a little older than he is. It has to be the physique.

"Well...I don't know if you knew...but I got a job. Working for Stark Industries, in a department called IronWorks. It's...well, it makes this lab look like a Fisher Price version. It's also a paying job. We're talking...80k yearly."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ whistles, "Wow, that's great Peter!" She pauses, "Wait, so does he know that you... um, you know? Since well, he is Iron Man and all that." She smiles, "Seriously, I'm proud of you."

And with that, unless Peter balks at the idea, she gives him a fierce and pretty strong hug. She has been working out, and while she looks a little more experienced, she's not /that/ different than she used to be.

Well, aside from the muscles. And having a second personality in her head. And knowing all sorts of fighting tech... you know what, she is pretty different, but not in ways that matter.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter is pulled into the hug. She is stronger, firmer, and...okay, she's more than a little ripped. But in all the ways that matter, it hasn't changed at all.
Peter hugs Mary Jane back, his hands warm against MJ's upper back. He doesn't try to do any flexing, but then again, why would he?

"I...plan to tell him. He has a right to know why I will show up late. Because you know the Parker Luck all too well. This is a great job, and I don't want to ruin it."

He drew back slightly to look at her. "I doubt I will be able to get you a set of powered armor...but I'll work on SOMETHING. You might have to expect some form of costume, after all." He chuckles suddenly. "I...never knew you knew."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane smiles and doesn't let all the way go of Peter just yet, looking at him, "Yeah, um... I never knew how to say it. I wish I wasn't such a chicken about it. Maybe I could have helped you more."

She then continues, "Peter..." Her eyes meet his, and she grins a little shyly, "Um... so, is it too forward for me to ask if you're seeing anyone?"

Peter Parker has posed:
There is that startled look again. "Me? I...uh...well, no. After Supergirl, I decided to keep a low profile. People lost interest, because of course they did. There is the occasional joke, but no...I haven't even gone out on a date. And meeting other superheroines is NOT dating, no matter what the Internet says."

He smiles a little sheepishly. "Don't worry about what happened in the past. I never begrudged you anything. I gave you your space because...if you were really interested in me, you'd come back. I wasn't going to guilt you or go all InCel on you, that's for sure."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ laughs softly, "So..." She pauses, and leans forward, resting her head against Peter's, "I'm back." She grins very slightly, "And you've always been there for me, Peter. When it matters. And frankly, if they aren't interested it's their loss. And my gain." A bit of an impish gleam in her eyes at that.

Peter Parker has posed:
Hooo. Leeee. COW. Is she...is she really asking?
He can't be THAT lucky.
...Can he?

Peter gulps. He is almost afraid to ask, but he has to. No half-measures, no 'kinda-not-reallys,' no confusion.

"Mary Jane Watson...are you saying you...want to be my girlfriend again?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ smiles, "Peter Parker... you just hit the jackpot." With that, barring any last minute protest, she leans in a bit, intending to give him a pretty firm kiss to seal the deal, as it were.

Sonja might be egging her on a bit, but this definitely feels like it's all her idea. Or at least, Sonja's down with the notion of her descendant finally overcoming that last fear.