Ch: 47 [MJ]
Continuation of Ch: 45 [Power Pills]
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"What about you? I don't think I got your name," I said as I drove the car.
"Ah, sorry about that. I am Mary Jane Watson," She said with a smile.
"So, MJ... Can I call you MJ?" I asked.
"Yeah, I don't mind," she said.
"So, MJ, have we ever met before? I have this feeling, I saw you somewhere," I asked.
"Oh, I am an aspiring model and actress," She said, "I am a newbie in the industry, so you must have seen me in small tv ads."
"I see," I said and pondered for a moment, "Now I remember. The game deck ad, right?"
"Yes," She said and blushed, "That one. It's been a while, since it was aired. I am a bit embarrassed."
"No, no, don't be. You looked good," I said.
"It was a bad ad, actually. It's been two weeks, and I am not getting any jobs," MJ said, "The agent told me that I can't do that kind of work, that I am too green."
Even in the tough times, her smile doesn't fade, I thought. She really is a beautiful girl.
"Hey, hey, don't say that. You did well. It's just that the game deck was new to the market and they didn't sell very well due to the recent launch of the stream deck," I said, "So, the maker of the game deck took a massive financial blow and nearly went bankrupt. So, they merged with the makers of the stream deck and they pulled off all the ads."
"I didn't know that," she said, "So, no more advertisements means no money, no more money means no more job, no more job..."
"Is it that bad?" I couldn't help but ask seeing a tired look on her face.
"Yeah, it's bad. You see, I am attending acting school and that doesn't come cheap. I don't know what to do. It's not like I can work two jobs to pay for my studies. Then there is the rent, the utility bills, food, and other things."
I stopped the car and gave her a serious look, "So, why did that afro guy want to kill you? No offense, but you are a regular civilian with a struggling carrier and life, and the afro guy was an MGH taker. He came prepared. Isn't it weird that he attacked you? It's not my place to ask, but did you offend someone?"
"I have no idea why he attacked me," she said, "I am sure I didn't do anything wrong."
She tried to avoid my gaze. Her fingers were restless. I can see her throat moving, as she gulped. She is definitely hiding something. That afro guy knows about Peter and his connection with MJ. He might be one of her old classmates or a stalker or something. Anyway, the thing is he knows about her relationship with Peter Parker. Fucker must have come after learning about Peter's real identity as a Lizard from the recent news.
An old classmate with a grudge against MJ or Parker?
Or, did MJ really get into a mess?
There are countless possibilities. I ain't a detective, but I can't let those fuckers attack her again. If someone is really after her life, they won't sit still for long. I can't risk her life by leaving her like this. I have to do something. Time to get my charming silver tongue mode on.
"MJ," I called out, "Look at me."
She slowly turned her gaze towards me, and our eyes met.
"There is trouble written all over your face. If you don't want to talk, that's fine. I will respect that. But, if you do need my help, please tell me. Those guys were after your life. I stopped them for now, but what will you do if they come back again?"
"But I..." she started saying and then paused, "Okay, Brian, let's say I saw something I shouldn't have. I don't want to get into any trouble, as you already know my situation."
"And what is it that you saw that you shouldn't have seen?" I asked, "I might be able to help you. Trust me."
"It's my agent. He is luring young college girls with difficult financial situations to work for him. He feeds them drugs and slowly breaks them until they can't live without the drugs. Then he puts them up in strip joints, prostitution rackets, and then the darker stuff. Then, when they are of no use, he sells their organs on the black market," She explained.
Fuck! That's some fucked up shit.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"I overheard him when he was talking over his phone. The homeless girl he wanted to get his hands on escaped his grasp and all his men either ended up dead or in hospital beds from a building collapse at the docks. So, he found another group of criminals to do his dirty job again. His next target was supposed to be me, but after hearing that, I left the job and started attending acting school as an excused absence. I thought that was the end of it, but it was not. Then, you already know what happened at the alley," she explained.
Wait! Homeless girl, docks, and collapsed building! So, they are connected. MJ's agent paid them to get Julia and I messed up that plan. I thought the police would take care of this shit. Gwen and Peggy know about Julia and Sam's situation... Then how the fuck did the head behind the operation escape? And who the fuck is this agent? I need to pay this fucker a personal visit. If he has the power to escape Peggy's eyes, he must be a good player.
"Ok. That's messed up," I said, "Did you contact the police?" I know the police don't do shit, but still...
"Yeah," MJ replied, "You see, for a couple of days I had this feeling that someone was watching and stalking me. So, I went to the police today. I was just returning from there when I saw them throwing stones at that poor cat."
Ah! What a coincidence that someone tried to kill her just after she lodged a police complaint. Fucking dirty cops. Huh!? My eyes fell on the rear mirror. That old Chevy has been following us ever since we left. Interesting...
"What's the cop's name?" I asked.
"Officer Benjamin Smithson," MJ answered.
I turned around the car.
"Uum... Where are we going?" She asked, confused.
"Your house isn't safe anymore. And I can't leave you in danger. So, stay in my apartment, and don't worry, I won't invade your privacy. The building beside my apartment is also mine. I will stay there for the time being..."
"You don't need to go this far..." MJ tried to say.
"I do. I won't be able to forgive myself if something bad happens to you, because of my indecision. Also, the police is a lost cause. I will deal with them. And, more importantly, I need you to know that I am here for you," I said with a smile.
MJ gave me a weak smile and a nod.
On the way, I stopped at a clothing shop and bought some clothes for MJ. She was hesitant at first, but I managed to convince her. Then I drove her back to my apartment.
[8:00 pm]
I peeked out from the window to check the outside. And as I thought, that old Chevy is parked on the other lane and one of the two guys was smoking and the other one was pretending to fix the tire. Bunch of amateurs... There were still many people on the road, so, this isn't the best time to take action. Let's wait till midnight and see what they do.
I closed the blinds. MJ was sitting on the couch, browsing through my comic books.
I grabbed some chips and soda and sat beside her, "So, you like comics?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah," She replied, "I never had the time to read these books, but I used to collect them. You have a pretty good collection. Oh, let me take a look at that one..."
She grabbed the comic book that was in her hands and looked at the cover.
"Tess Gerritsen, right? She is my favorite comic author," She said.
"You are right," I said.
"You like science fiction?" She asked, "You know, I am a huge sci-fi fan. I just wish I could write some novels."
"I won't lie, but I am more into magic and fantasy. I mean, science fiction has some fantasy elements, even I like a few, but they are not my cup of tea," I said.
"Oh come on, science fiction is better than those generic fantasy. If it isn't fantasy, then it is just sci-fi, which is fantasy by another name. Science fiction is basically fantasy with a scientific and realistic setting." MJ argued.
"Hmmm, I can't see your point. Fantasy and science fiction are different, though similar, genres, so there can be some fantasy elements in science fiction. For example, in 'Star Trek' the crew members use teleportation and telekinesis." I argued.
"Wait, you like Star Trek?" She asked, surprised.
"I love Star Trek," I replied with a grin.
"If you like Star Trek, then you are definitely wrong about science fiction. Magic in fantasy is just a fictional tool to achieve a fantasy and sci-fi is based on the belief that the universe has scientific and logical reason to be the way it is." She started ranting, "If we lived in a world where magic didn't exist, and we found a way to fly, but there were no planes in existence, and we had no one who knew how to build a plane, and we built the first flying plane, then you will say that magic is real."
The worried look on her face has disappeared, and her eyes are bright and excited as she is ranting about the things that she likes.
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