Chapter 22: MJ's Father
Talon gave an awkward wave. "Hi there."
"Oh, for the love of—!" Spider-Man scrambled to cover his girlfriend.
Unceremoniously, Talon opened the window and climbed inside. "Peter. It's me, Talon."
"You—why are you in Mary's room at night?" Spider-Man demanded, a horrible suspicion dawning on him.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Peter. This has nothing to do with your girlfriend. I'm here for you," Talon explained.
"Why are you looking for me?" Spider-Man asked, his relief palpable.
"I saved both you and your girlfriend. It's time for you to repay that debt," Talon stated matter-of-factly.
"Fine. How?" Spider-Man said bluntly.
"I have an ability that allows me to extract genetic templates from others. I need your willing consent to do so. But don't worry, the process is completely harmless," Talon said.
"Why do you want my genes?" Spider-Man asked, his guard instantly back up. The idea of sharing his powers, of there being another like him, was unsettling.
"I need to get stronger. It's that simple," Talon replied.
"I—" Spider-Man began, but his girlfriend cut him off.
"Peter, just let him!" Mary Jane insisted. "If it weren't for him, you might not have ever seen me again! He saved us. We owe him."
Talon mentally commended Mary Jane for her quick thinking.
Persuaded, Spider-Man finally relented. "Fine," he said in frustration. "I'll do it."
A smile touched Talon's lips. He stepped to the bedside and held out his hand. "Just take my hand. Remember, you must be genuinely willing, or it won't work."
"Okay," Spider-Man replied weakly.
Click.
The door swung open.
"Mary! What's going on in here?"
Mary Jane's parents burst into the room and froze. The scene before them—their daughter in bed, Peter beside her, and a strange man standing over them—was incriminating.
"Oh, my God," her mother gasped, a hand flying to her mouth.
"Mary, how could you!" her father roared. "You're engaged! This... this is disgraceful!"
Mary Jane was speechless.
Spider-Man yanked his hand back and scrambled off the bed. "Mr. Jameson! Mrs. Jameson!" he stammered, his face burning with humiliation.
"I told you to stay away from her!" Mr. Jameson shouted. "Do my words mean nothing to you?"
"Sir, I—" Spider-Man faltered, utterly lost for words.
Talon, however, remained unflustered. He stepped forward calmly. "Mr. and Mrs. Jameson, my apologies for the intrusion. My name is Talon Reeve."
"And what are you doing here?" Mr. Jameson demanded, his eyes narrowed. He was a practical man, one who valued wealth above all else.
"I suppose you could call me a scientist," Talon mused. "Or a man in pursuit of power."
Mr. Jameson waved a dismissive hand. "Are you rich?"
Talon was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. "Yes. I have a private island, among other assets."
The man's demeanor transformed instantly. A wide, ingratiating smile spread across his face as he seized Talon's hand. "Talon! You must help me! My company is on the verge of collapse! I need a capital injection!"
"That's a minor issue. How much do you need?" Talon said magnanimously. With Optimus Prime manipulating the global markets, money was merely a number.
"One million dollars would see me through!"
"I'll give you one hundred million," Talon declared. "Build something lasting."
Mr. Jameson's hands trembled. He had never dreamed of such a sum.
Mrs. Jameson stared, her shock giving way to a new, appraising look directed at Talon.
Without another word, Talon spoke into his wrist comm. "Optimus Prime, transfer one hundred million dollars to Mr. Jameson's account."
"Complying, my Lord."
"A personal assistant!" Mr. Jameson marveled. "Such sophistication!"
"If you like it, I'll have one made for you," Talon offered generously. This display was all for Spider-Man's benefit, to smooth over the interrupted gene extraction.
"Wonderful! Simply wonderful!" Mr. Jameson beamed.
"The transfer is complete, my Lord," Optimus Prime confirmed.
A second later, Mr. Jameson's phone chimed. With shaking hands, he pulled it out and read the notification.
[Bank of America]
Account ending 27 credited $100,000,000. New balance: $100,009,156.**
He stared, breathless. It was more money than he had ever seen.
"John? Has it come through?" his wife asked anxiously.
He could only nod, his voice a whisper. "Yes... one hundred million."
"Our company is saved!" she cried with joy.
As Talon stood chatting amiably with her parents, Mary Jane felt a strange dissonance. She and Peter had been completely forgotten.
Mr. Jameson suddenly grabbed Talon's hand again, his eyes shining. "Son! You have my blessing!"
"And mine!" Mrs. Jameson echoed.
"Ah—" Talon was taken aback.
"Ah—" Mary Jane was stunned.
"Ah—" Spider-Man was horrified.
"Wait! Uncle, there's a mistake!" Spider-Man cried out, on the verge of tears. "I'm Mary Jane's boyfriend!"
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