𝙄𝙣 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙔𝙤𝙧𝙠...

The Nerd & The Recluse

Once she made it to the lab, she noticed the metal door was locked. Michelle's quick brain tried punching in as many codes in the high-tech padlock as she could until she remembered one her father told her, and suddenly it opened. But she had been too late, there was already fire and destruction inside. Yet from the smoke and ruble, she saw her dad emerge supporting a limping man at his side. She rushed to help the man as her father turned back around mumbling something about an important case.

When Michelle's dad came back again, Michelle reached her arm out to help him. Although the ceiling above had cracked. She yelled for him to hurry and he told her to save herself. Then, the whole ceiling came crashing down, piling on top and trapping the man. Michelle wanted to run and save him, but a quick pain in her neck stopped all her senses. She had been bitten by a radioactive spider—a brown recluse, to be in fact—an experiment that escaped from the destroyed lab.

Her vision was blurry, but the last thing she could see was her father's body burning in the rapid flames.

Using all her strength, she saved the briefcase her father had went back for and made it out of the lab down to the main floor before passing out completely. Fortunately, Michelle had been rescued right on time, but all that remained of her father was his ashes.

She shook her head, focusing her mind back to where the danger was located. Finally arriving, Michelle saw what the cause was: a burning building—ironically enough. Lots of the occupants had already safely evacuated thanks to the fire department, but there still seemed to be desperate cries for help. She got down to the swarm of people and accidentally bumped into someone.

"It's recluse!" Suddenly the crowd had turned their attention to her. Out of the mass, a familiar pair hurried over to her. "Recluse, please. You have to save my nephew," the brunette woman, who looked no older than fifty, pleaded. Her male partner looked just as distraught. The hero nodded her head, already making her way into the building.

She knew that woman from somewhere. May Parker and her husband beside her, Ben Parker, looked worried. Now Michelle knew there was no time to lose as she realized just who was trapped in the building: Peter Parker. Midtown High's professional wallflower, and her long time crush—though she'd never admit it.

With help from R.E.N.O.L, her built in A.I., Michelle found where Peter was at and raced to his aide as quick as she could. She saw him crouched and hardly making it through all the smoke. But he could make out the hero's figure and tried his best to make it to her. Michelle held out her hand as if asking him to trust her, and with no hesitation, Peter grabbed hold.

Next thing you know, Michelle pulls him to the nearest window and swings him out of there. The crowd could be heard cheering as he clung tightly to her.

oOo

The next day, all people could talk about at school was Peter's near brush experience with death and Michelle—well, Recluse' amazing rescue yet again. Michelle couldn't stop the slight smile that spread on her lips and the pang of pride that bubbled. She was glad she saved Peter from suffering the same fate as her father. And she was also relieved that no matter how many nasty things people would say about her, Michelle would still be a hero in the eyes of the people of Queens.

She couldn't stop the smile from turning to a smirk as she turned down the corridor to hear Peter Parker himself talk excitedly about her alter ego to his best friend, Ned Leeds. Although the person beside her rolled their eyes almost immediately, hearing him as well.

Despite what Michelle says, and what others believe, she wasn't a complete recluse. Through the course of all seventeen years of her life, Michelle had made one friend. Betty Brant was almost the exact opposite of her. She was outgoing and knew exactly what she wanted in life, where as Michelle didn't really like as much attention and wasn't sure what lied ahead. Which is why, in the most unexpected ways, they were the best possible friends.