The Amazing Spider-Man of Young Justice (Season 1)

Misplaced

MJ stood in a long line at the bank, fidgeting slightly as she glanced around at the quiet crowd. Her Aunt Anna was beside her, thumbing through her purse while keeping an eye on the time. Despite the mundane errand, they were making the best of it.

"I swear, this line hasn't moved in forever!" MJ huffed, rolling her eyes playfully.

Her aunt chuckled, nudging her. "Patience, Mary Jane. You know, back in my day, we didn't have phones to distract us. We actually had to talk to each other during these waits."

MJ grinned. "And how ever did you survive, Aunt Anna?"

"Oh, we found ways," her aunt replied with a sly smile. "Like guessing what people do for a living just by looking at them."

MJ raised an eyebrow, playing along. "Okay, that lady over there," she pointed subtly to a woman near the front, dressed in business attire, "lawyer, definitely."

"Too easy," Aunt Anna replied. "How about that man over by the door?"

MJ looked, thinking for a second. "Construction worker?"

Anna tilted her head. "Mmm, maybe. I'd say he's retired military, though. Stands too straight for construction."

Before MJ could respond, the loud crash of shattering glass echoed through the bank. Both of them snapped their heads toward the source just as a man in a bulky, armored yellow and brown suit barged in through the broken window. 

Shocker.

"Everyone on the ground, now!" Shocker's gauntlet surged with electricity, the air vibrating from the power.

The room erupted into chaos as people screamed and scrambled for cover. MJ instinctively grabbed her aunt's arm, pulling her down behind a nearby row of chairs. Her heart pounded as she scanned the room, keeping her head low.

"Stay down, Aunt Anna," MJ whispered urgently, trying to keep calm. Her mind raced. Peter.

She discreetly pulled out her phone, quickly texting Peter under the cover of the seats. Peter, bank. Shocker.

She pressed send, praying he'd see it. He'd been ignoring her since they last spoke. MJ peeked over the seat just as Shocker fired a shockwave blast into the vault, sending debris raining around.

"Don't make this hard! Everyone stay still, and nobody gets hurt!" he shouted, marching toward the tellers, who were frozen in terror.

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Miles away, Peter was perched atop a high-rise, enjoying a rare moment of peace. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out, seeing MJ's name pop up on the screen. He groaned, wondering why she still was trying to get in contact with him.

But when he saw her text, his eyes narrowed.

"Shocker," he growled to himself, a dark edge to his voice.

Without hesitation, he slipped the phone back into his suit, anger simmering beneath his skin. The symbiote fed off his rising frustration, enhancing his already aggressive mood. He launched himself off the ledge, shooting a web to the next building, and swung towards the bank with blinding speed.

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Inside the bank, Shocker slammed his gauntlet down onto the counter, making the teller jump back in fear. "Faster!" he barked. "Or I'll start blowing holes in people's skulls!"

As Shocker continued to terrorize the bank, MJ's phone buzzed. Peter had seen her message. She didn't dare respond, keeping her head down, but she exhaled in relief. He's coming.