Arc Six. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-One. Back To School

Peter looked over the mess that had been left outside the warehouse. A tow truck had taken away the smashed car, but pieces of it still littered the street. He could see the torn fence, the two handprints in the asphalt, and the scrapes and holes dug by Liv using the harness.

While Shield had offered to pay for the damages, citing the Military would eventually pay, it was the normal agency bureaucracy, and it would be done. Eventually.

Walking through the hole he saw the warehouse was at least in one piece, Liv had been gracious enough to fight elsewhere and as he opened the door, Gwen barreled into him.

"Oh thank god you're okay," she muttered as she kissed him over his face.

"I got the news at work and stayed hidden. Shield turned up but security and Pepper took care of them. Felicia is fine, and MJ is, uh, actually I don't know where MJ is." Peter held her close as she talked, not wanting to let go,

"So, still an agent but they got Liv and Wanda, you guys are fine, but uh, I need a new name. Venom has to disappear," Peter said dejectedly.

"That's it? Just a new name?" and Gwen sigh in relief, "I mean, just a name right, it's not like Venom is your symbiotes name or anything," but seeing the look on Peter's face she frowned. "Sorry, sorry, guess it is a big deal yeah," and he nodded.

"It's who I am Gwen, like asking you to call yourself I dunno Doris or something stupid." and Gwen snorted, "yeah, see."

"But you can pick something cool, like uh Dark Man or uh, Captain Awesome,"

Peter pushed Gwen away and stared at her. "I am not calling myself Captain Awesome," and she laughed and kissed him,

"Stick with the black, maybe add a few embellishments and pick something easy, like Darkness, or Twilight."

Peter took a step back, thought for a moment and as his symbskin enveloped him he dyed it a deep blue colour, adding the wingsuit from his fight with Iron Man. Lifting his arms a few times to make sure it didn't interfere with his reach and swinging out, "Dusk, Twilight's a bit pretentious."

Gwen huffed, "I was hoping you'd go with Monkey again, it was cute thinking about those little ears," and Peter laughed and shook his head.

"Never again," but Gwen snorted and laughed harder.

Gwen ran a hand over his shoulder. "You doing okay though?" and he nodded,

"It could have been a lot worse, I haven't been using the harness or the stone, I thought you know, I wouldn't need them but Liv." Peter sighed and leaned back against the warehouse door, "Liv being attacked and Shield taking them both, I thought with fixing my powers it's enough but it isn't is it?" and Gwen shrugged.

"Is it ever though? What if the next thing is stronger, and you want more? and then another thing, when do you stop? When you can't touch us without hurting us? When you're in control of everything?" and Peter stared at the ground, rubbing a scuff with his shoe.

"No. I just want everyone to be safe," and Gwen laughed.

"Liv kicked the crap out of two hulks, and sure, Wanda helped but still, don't count us all out, Pete. We can take care of ourselves, and when we can't, we have a family. We're not china dolls. What was it you said to Felicia? holes to cum in, well, we're not glass either. If we get hurt, we get hurt. Life's like that." and she pulled him back in for another hug, "So stop fucking moaning about losing your name and go kick ass at Shield academy, okay?" and taking his head in her hands kissed him on the lips. Peter smiled and nodded

"Okay."

Gwen leaned in and kissed his neck, "not that some of mind when you treat us like that though," and as her hands moved over Peter, she proved that while she wasn't made of glass, she definitely had several holes she enjoyed him cumming in.

As Gwen and Peter enjoyed their alone time in the warehouse, ignoring the mess, MJ was attending a lesson of her own.

She had received a phone call from someone she hadn't seen in years and as she made her way to the imposingly large private school, she took a deep breath and wondered if this was a good idea.

As she buzzed the gate, it swung and someone she'd never thought she'd see again ran down the driveway and pulled her into a hug,

"Mary!" and excited redhead squealed. Jean Grey, tall, slim, and very attractive, MJ thought, "good to see you," and Jean grabbed onto her and they walked arm in arm up the driveway.

Unable to stop her, MJ relaxed into the unfamiliar familiarity of her embrace,

"Uh, it's MJ now Jean, but uh, what's with the phone call? I mean, it's been a few years right?"

"Peter," was all she said but MJ swore,

fuck, it's a trap, and as she thought that Jean stopped and taking her by the shoulders shook her head,

"no, it's not. Damn uh, I can read minds too. So, dammit, it's uh, you know, your what did he call you, Enhanced? So yeah, I can, well, we can explain, now, yes, now, damn," Jean fumbled through her explanation, she knew MJ was like Peter but had no clue to what degree.

"I," and Jean's shoulders slumped, "I had to move away as my powers were becoming a problem, but now you're the same we can hang out again, isn't that great?" she said with a huge smile.

MJ, however, took a step back, "what? Is that why I'm here? So you can find out what my powers are?"

Jean stepped back as well, a look of horror on her face. "What no? I want to hang out, with you, and uh Peter again, I know but," and she looked down, "a few mutant kids got attacked. The lucky ones have powers we can hide but some, a lot aren't like us MJ and people hate us. I, I was worried you would hate me, and with Scott blowing up the school, well, we had to move."

"Wait, Scott blew up the school?" and Jean nodded, and held out a hand,

"I can uh, I can let you remember. If you'd like?" and MJ frowned, she did remember, a faulty gas line in the science block had ignited and blown a hole in a row of school lockers, and she narrowed her eyes.

"You have someone who can read minds don't you?" and Jean rubbed an arm and nodded,

"It's one of my powers," she looked guiltily at MJ, "but I never used them on you, honest Mar-, MJ. The professor covered it up to keep Scott safe, but, I can show you what really happened." and MJ took her hand, and nodded.

MJ was walking past the boys as they argued. She wished Flash would just calm down for one minute as he poked Scott in the chest, shouting something about losing a match cause his glasses broke.

As Jean and Gwen stood to one side she was tempted to go over to them when Flash batted Scott across the face and his glasses flew off. A bright red beam erupted and split the school lockers in two, molten steel dripping down as they erupted in flames.

Kids screamed and everyone dived for cover as Scott closed his eyes and she watched Jean touch the side of her head and everyone, including her, froze. The fires went out and the rubble was moved away from any student. Scott's glasses floated up and he reached out and grabbed them.

MJ took a breath as the memory came back to her, and shaking her head she glared at Jean. "How many more?" and Jean shrugged. "How many more memories did you take?" MJ asked again, more forcefully this time, and Jean stepped back and raised her hands,

"None, none I swear, only that, too many and you risk brain damage, oh uh, do you remember Laura?" and M.J scowled as she shook her head.

Jean cursed, "then one more, do you want to see?" and M.J nodded, still angry.

MJ watched the replay of the drug bust, of saving Laura and then the bald professor taking her away. "And you expect me to come and meet his guy? No wonder Peter was angry, you're lucky he didn't beat the crap out of him," and Jean frowned.

"Sorry MJ, really. The professor saves so many, we didn't know, and you know, Venom isn't the nicest guy,"

"So that's your excuse. Peter beats up muggers and gets framed for a murder and with your mind powers, you don't bother to find out the truth? You just brand him a criminal and that's the end of it. No," and MJ backed off, shaking her head. "This was a mistake, Jean. Glad you're okay, glad things are great but no,'' and MJ turned to leave, walking back down the driveway.

"MJ please," and Jean put a hand on her shoulder, using her powers to hold onto the stronger MJ. MJ spun and grabbed Jean by the wrist and Muse stirred,

"We do not take kindly to being attacked Jean, let go or we will hurt you."

"MJ please, that's why you're here, I want to know the truth, not what J.J spouts, the actual truth." and MJ laughed,

"The truth?" and she shrugged, "your professor doesn't care about the truth Jean, or why do we not have our memories back? Why are Gwen and Felicia and Liv still in the dark about Laura? You picked who you thought was the weakest, the one you had a link too and you lured her here, and the stupid bitch fell for it."

"What? No," and Jean shook her head, "I wanted to see you again, and you aren't meeting the professor for that reason, I wanted to see you and meet my friends, to show you that we're not the bad guys. We just, you know, messed up." and MJ shook her head,

"Sorry Jean, I can't. We have to be safe, we have so much that could go wrong and if they get one of us they get us all. You should have visited, explained to the group, not just me," as MJ continued to walk away Jean chased after her,

"Fine, then let's go, you live in a fancy building right, so show me, and I'll talk to Peter and the rest, wait, Gwen lives there too?" And MJ nodded, Jean batted her arm, "look at you living it up with your besties," but MJ frowned.

Scott and Flash had never seen eye to eye, and it wasn't until Peter left that Flash made his feelings about him known. Jean always seemed to be just like her, hanging in the background while the two fought with their macho bullshit. Just like me, she thought, and she sighed. "Come on, we can get a cab from here" and as MJ dialled, Jean followed behind her, smiling and skipping.

The cab ride back was quiet, Jean looking apprehensive about being out on her own,

"It's not a prison break you know," and Jean looked nervously at MJ.

"It's just been a while, since," and she shrank back in her seat. The thing was MJ did know, that small panic at the unfamiliar, and she wondered if Jean was more like her than she let on.

Paying the cab fare, as Jean didn't bring money, MJ frowned as she saw the mess around the warehouse and the hole torn in the fence. "Uh, Jean, maybe wait a minute," but Jean shook her head,

"If something bad happened then no, I want to help," and the pair cautiously approached the warehouse.

MJ could hear grunting and swearing coming from within, and fearing the worst, slid her key in and pushed the door open, ready to fight if need be.

MJ and Jean stared as a sweaty Gwen lay on the coffee table, Peter holding both her legs as he buried himself into her over and over again. As he noticed the pair he pulled back, springing proudly into full view.

"What the hell Pete?" Gwen complained as he slid from her," Gwen lent back, her head viewing the pair upside down, watching as Jean turned bright red. "oh uh, Hi MJ."