67% Sure - A Marvel AU

A New Life

New York, Queens.
It's a rough borough, but hey, it's home...
not.

"Eat up, you're gonna need it for today, champ."
    I stare down dismally into my bowl of fruit loops.
    "I'm not hungry," I say, pushing it away.
    "Fine, but you'll regret it," says mom, taking it off the table with a warning look. I fall back in my chair and let out a tired huff, watching the clock tick away on the pasty white wall. It's not pretty, like the daisies and violets we used to have on our hand-painted wallpaper back home. I gulp. Something tugs at my heartstrings.
    "You should get to school, honey, Midtown Tech is quite strict," my mom calls from the kitchen, tap running fast. "Alright!" I shout back, my stomach sinking. Midtown Tech. The words seem like a bitter-sweet poison on my tongue. Like mouldy, middle-aged fries dipped in acid. I sigh and rise to my feet. Today is gonna be a long day.
-
I examine myself in the vertical mirror. I don't look that bad, I think. I know I'm lying to myself, but a vote of confidence always helps. After trying hopelessly to de-frizz my hair, I'd had to give up and settle for a messy ponytail.
Your outfit:

Simple, but cool enough not to look like a total dork. I make my way downstairs and rip my bag off the hook. After a quick check-over of everything I've got, I open the front door. "Are you going sweetie?" mom asks, still washing up from our curry last night. "Yep, I'll see you later!" I call, stepping outside and slamming the door shut.
-
A bunch of kids are already waiting at the bus stop when I arrive, and suddenly I get a pang of nerves. OK, Michelle, keep it cool. Easier said than done, I soon learn. Everybody's either chatting with each-other or scrolling on their phones, so I decide to stand a bit to the side, observing the scene. A big, fat Asian guy wearing a sickly bright Hawaiian shirt is talking animatedly with a plain, blond girl, who doesn't seem to be that amused. Then there's a Guatemalan-looking guy, who's taking goofy selfies with what appears to be his mate. They look friendly enough, I'm sure I'll find one friend out of the latter. A bus pulls up with a screech and the doors hiss open. One by one, people file on. I follow suit.
    I take a seat right at the back; I'm not too keen on the thought of thirty pairs of curious eyes goggling at me the entire time. I take out my phone and see a new text from mom:

Hey! You didn't let me say good luck on your first day of school! Xx

I chuckle quietly, and tuck it back in my pocket. It's a standing joke for me to leave her on red, because I know she hates it. (#Relatable) I put some earbuds in and shut my eyes, the bus swaying me back and forth, back and forth. I yawn, hoping to get some extra sleep on the way. But I hear this really annoying, loud guy in the background and it's pissing me off, so I yank them out and look around the bus.
Nobody is being loud.
In fact, there's nobody in the bus at all.
My head darts this way and that, as my heart beats faster. What happened to everyone? Where did they go? Was there a mass-kidnapping, or what? I exhale shakily and my ears prick up.
There's a small sound coming from somewhere.
I listen intently, narrowing my eyes.
It's coming from my headphones.
I quickly push them back into my ears and hear the voice.
A voice that makes my whole form turn to ice.

"Michelle, it's me, Jared. You probably don't know why I'm calling you, but you need to listen to to me. Whatever you find out, I had a good reason for it. Trust me. Dad loves you."

A long, drawn-out beep as he hangs up. I can barely breathe. Suddenly, thin air grasps my shoulders and starts shaking me forcefully, with an echoing voice saying repeatedly;

"Wake up! Wake up! We're here!"
I awake with a jolt. I'm sticky with sweat and slumped in my seat. I swallow hard and squeeze my eyes tight shut.
Now I'm hungry.
They snap open and, feeling very vulnerable, I look up at the face above mine.
It blinks. Once. Twice. Then it speaks. "Hey, you fell asleep. You're in a bit of a state. Are you OK?" I nod weakly, before any words can come out of my mouth. She looks relieved, straightening up. "I-is everyone gone?" I say, clutching the arm-rests to suppress my jittering hands. "No, we legit just arrived," she laughs.
She leans down and grabs my arms without a moment of hesitation, pulling me to my feet. I stagger a little, but manage to steady myself. "Whew, that was...rough," I say, shaking out my legs. "OI! Are you two gonna get out or are you setting up camp?!" the bus-driver shouts, leaning over his seat with an impatient look. "Sorry, we'll go now. C'mon-what's your name?" the girl asks, as we step off the bus. I'm about to tell her, when I stop. This isn't a great idea, is it? I mean, sure, she's only a student like me, but what if she gets the wrong impression? "I-I'm..." I knit my brows together, struggling to think.
Then it hits me.
"MJ. I'm MJ."
-
SO! That's it for the first chapter, apologies for all the time-skips. The next one will (hopefully) be longer and more detailed.
Easter Egg Breakdown:
1. How this chapter opens is almost parallel to how Homecoming opens.
2. Your sneakers are almost the exact same pair of Jordan 1s Miles Morales wears in Into The Spider-Verse.
3. A very faint one, but your varsity jacket is a nod towards Zapped, the 2014 Disney Channel original starring Zendaya, who also plays Michelle.
4. The symbol on your t-shirt is a black dahlia, which is a key plot point in FFH. Spoiler alert!
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave a comment or vote! (Subtle self-promotion there oUo). Bye!
- Marvel. 🦸‍♂️