𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐨

thirtytwo.

"Not going to lie, this whole Spider-slut persona is kind of a fucking vibe on you," MJ said biting into her churro as we walked through the familiar streets of Queens.

"Why am I a slut now? I've slept with him once. You're the one who screwed Ned and didn't fucking tell me!" I huffed, pinching a bit of her churro off and tossing it in the air to catch in my mouth.

"We can be sluts together then. Fuck it, we're living our best lives and getting dick. I'm not complaining. I can call myself a slut but if anyone else does I'll fucking fight them," she laughed.

Honestly, I missed hanging out with MJ. We hadn't spent time together in a while because our schedules had been clashing. Whilst I was saving New York, avoiding getting caught by the hundreds of NYPD cops patrolling the streets and maintaining my secret identity, I spent a lot of my spare time asleep during the middle of the day at home or at the Stark house avoiding May and Ben as my various injuries would heal.

MJ on the other hand, was busy applying to multiple jobs, interviewing for multiple jobs, volunteering at multiple shelters, updating her blog multiple times and fucking Ned. She was busier than I was. Man, I think she's the real superhero here, not me.

"You know Ned was like, the biggest dork in high school. He glowed up so much when he started college and then when he became friends with Flash and Peter he became like, super popular," I explained to MJ.

"He's still a dork now though. Just like, a secret one."

"Same with Peter! You know he's stopped putting all these products in his hair and he's got like, naturally curly hair... It's so cute," I sighed in content.

"You're whipped. You are so totally whipped," MJ scoffed, pulling the last bit of churro from the paper sleeve between her teeth and throwing the now scrunched up paper in the trash.

"Well... Liz texted him the other morning with a nude photo and called him Daddy... He swears he hasn't talked to her in weeks but I'm still a bit hesitant that he's not just being a fuck boy still."

"I'll chat to Ned on the down low and see what's happening between him and Liz. But even when Peter was a total douche bag I thought he ignored Liz anyway," MJ laughed.

We wandered down the streets running a few errands both of us had organised; which included eating snacks and shopping in thrift stores. MJ, for the record, was exceptionally good at thrift shopping. I mean, she always found something. Whenever I looked through the racks, there'd be something wrong; wrong size, a bad stain, poor quality.

Today for example, MJ found a pair of straight leg Levi jeans that fit her perfectly. It was like a magic power she had. We stopped abruptly out the front of an electronic store when MJ spotted footage of me on the screens in the front window.

"You're black now?" MJ asked me as we walked inside the store to be able to hear what was happening on the news. She was referring to the new Spider-Man suit I was wearing in the video, an all black suit Tony had designed for me instead of the classic red.

"Uh yeah, Tony made me a stealth suit," I said quietly, now watching the news broadcast with laser focus.

"It's obviously not good at being stealthy," she chuckled, trying to make the situation light hearted as Mayor Fisk made a public statement to the broader New York City.

It felt like the city around me was controlled by a remote and put on pause. Everything was blocked out, I couldn't hear anything but my pounding heartbeat as I heard Mayor Fisk issue an update to Spider-Woman's arrest warrant.

"I have released consent for the New York Police Department to brandish weapons in the vicinity of this masked vigilante and they will be urged to shoot on sight. Spider-Woman has not ceased to operate despite for our calls to turn herself in, so drastic measures must be made. If you see this menace, please call your local precinct with the location," Fisk stated.

I almost collapsed from the numbness in my body, hearing that every cop in the city was now allowed to fire bullets at me if they even saw me in my suit. This, this is the end of Spider-Woman.

"I also call for the Avengers to disassociate themselves entirely from this so called hero. If we see any of our beloved heroes working alongside the spider-woman, we will be quick to issue a federal arrest, no matter who they are," Fisk said before saying he will not be answering further questions.

I looked at MJ speechless, holding my phone in my hand anxiously waiting for a call from Tony. Or Peter. Or Pepper. Or anyone. I just needed someone to tell me that I was going to be okay.

"Come on, let's head home a-and we can figure this all out. Tony always has a plan right?" MJ said hopefully, grabbing my arm and steering me out of the store.

I could barely think straight, my breathing was erratic and the tears in my eyes fell down onto my cheeks as we pushed past crowds on their phones murdering about the news broadcast. It was already the talk of the town; everyone either loved or hated Spider-Woman.

"I love your backpack!" MJ said excitedly, which pulled me out of my daze. Turning my attention to a young girl holding her mothers hand, I saw her Spider-Woman backpack and plastic web shooter on her wrist; a kids toy that must be in stores.

"Bella here wants to be just like Spider-Woman when she grows up. Hopefully our prick of a mayor lets our city have its real heroes and not take all the credit. You okay sweetie?" her mother asked me as she noticed me crying. I nodded politely before they continued walking down the sidewalk.

"See? There's still hope, these people need you," MJ whispered. And she wasn't wrong. The city was divided, divided between wanting Spider-Woman behind bars and wanting a saviour for our cities corrupt crime.

It was interesting seeing that Wilson Fisk had contributed as much crime to this city as the crimes he had apparently stopped. Every political meeting he had, he boasted about how he was cleaning up this city, although he had to destroy it in order to build it up again. He was turning New York City into an empire only he could control; and Spider-Woman was getting in the way of that.

"I can't be responsible for people being hurt because of me Michelle... That little girl is eventually going to see her hero getting shot by cops, can you imagine what that would do to her head? I can't let that happen. If Fisk wants me dead, then so be it. The rest of The Avengers can deal with it," I sighed, turning around to watch the child walk away.