When Penny wakes up, it's to the smell of bacon.
Her stomach grumbles instantly, which just makes her groan. She's used to constantly being hungry, but that doesn't mean it isn't annoying.
She gets up and walks into the living room, not bothering to change out of her pajamas. The living room is empty, so she calls out. "Hey! Where is everyone?"
MJ comes through a doorway and ushers Penny to the kitchen, where Ned is holding May and Marcus is at the stove, making both pancakes and bacon.
"Hi, Marcus," Penny says timidly. She's met Marcus before, of course, but only a handful of times, and now he's offering to shelter her and her daughter, and he doesn't even know what he's taking on yet.
He turns around and smiles at her. "Hey, Penny. Sleep well?"
"Yeah, great, I feel a lot better. I'll feel even better with some food and a shower, but the shower can wait until after I explain." She reaches out to the plate of finished bacon and steals a piece, munching immediately and smiling innocently when Marcus glares at her.
"I'd appreciate that. Do you wanna explain over breakfast? Or after?"
Penny thinks a moment. "After. It's a long, hard story and I don't want to tell it on an empty stomach, even if it's in the process of being filled."
Marcus chuckles. "Fair enough. Sit down, then. I met May, Ned told us the story behind her name. She's beautiful. I was wondering though, where'd the red hair come from?"
Penny laughs. "My mom," she explains. "She was Scottish - her maiden name is Fitzpatrick. She had really bright, really curly red hair. I dunno where the blue eyes are from, though," she confesses, frowning slightly at her daughter. "Maybe my dad? I can't remember if his eyes were blue or green. Or…" she trails off.
"Her father," MJ says bluntly. "He has blue eyes, I remember them pretty clearly."
There's a long, awkward pause.
"Right then!" Marcus exclaims, breaking the tension. "Who's ready for breakfast?"
All three teenagers cheer like little kids. It's nice to act a little silly sometimes.
—
Breakfast doesn't take long. It's been a long night for all three of them, and with Penny's metabolism, she ends up eating nearly half of what's served. MJ, Ned and Marcus stare in horrified fascination. She smiles guiltily. "It's part of the explanation, promise," she says.
Once everyone's fed, they move to the living room, and Penny finally takes back May, deciding she'll need the comfort her daughter brings her while telling this story. Once they're settled, Penny takes a deep breath and begins.
"It started a year ago. Ned, do you remember that field trip to Oscorp at the end of the year?" Ned nods. "Well, see, it's possible that I might have gone snooping through the stuff in storage. And I may have found evidence my father knew and worked with Norman Osborn, and I wanted to find out more, so when I disappeared? I was snooping more. I'm sorry!"
MJ rolls her eyes. "Only you, Penny," she says, but it's fond, so Penny takes it as a win.
"Well, there were these spiders. And one may have escaped. And it may have bitten me. Slightly."
They're gaping now.
"Andmaybeitwasradioactivetoo?"
MJ shakes her head. "You… were bitten by a radioactive spider? At Oscorp? Two months before it fell?"
"About that…"
"Don't tell me. Don't tell me you were part of Oscorp's downfall."
"They were doing human experimentation! I found out about it because I wanted to find out more about the spider that bit me, and I found all these files, for test subjects, and they died. I have no idea how I survived. I think I almost didn't. I got home, and suddenly I got really sick. May and Ben were super worried, but we were behind that month, so I convinced them not to take me to the ER. May did her best, but I guess my fever reached 103 at one point. It was… super terrifying. But then, after a week, I woke up and… I was fine. I was better than fine. I didn't have asthma anymore, and I didn't need my glasses, and I was strong, and I could hear so well… and I have this other thing, it's super weird, I'm kind of - sticky? Like I can make myself stick to anything. And walk on walls. And the ceiling. And climb really well. And I'm weirdly flexible now? Like, I thought I was flexible before, but… Plus I can heal like, super fast. Like a cut will be gone in a day, no scar or anything. Anyway, it does have downsides. Like my metabolism. It's super high, so I have to eat a lot, and if I don't, my powers get weaker. And I can't thermoregulate, so the winter was really hard, especially after… well. Anyway, the senses can be overwhelming too. But it's still… pretty cool, I guess."
"You," Ned says shakily, "you have… superpowers? Like real, honest-to-god, genuine superpowers? Like a superhero? Like Captain America?"
"I mean," Penny says. "I'm not really a superhero. I don't exactly save people. And I stole a lot, the past few months. Only what I needed, but still. And my powers are definitely different that Steve Rogers, but I guess you could compare them."
Ned is hyperventilating. MJ ends up having to talk him through a breathing exercise. While that's happening, Marcus turns back to Penny. "Okay, go on. You got bitten by a… radioactive spider (words I never thought I'd say)" he mumbles to himself "and got superpowers. What does that mean for the pregnancy? And May?"
"Well," Penny says. "I know she has some of my powers. She's stronger than a newborn should be. And my pregnancy was twice as fast, that's why May's already here. Let me tell you, hiding a supernatural pregnancy is really hard! I had to change cities at one point and pretend to be more pregnant than I actually was so the due date would make sense! And…" she glances at May. "I mean, I can't be sure yet, it's only been two days, but I think her aging is still twice as fast. I just hope it slows down eventually - I'd like to send her to school someday. But until she can control and hide her powers, that won't be possible anyway."
With Ned finally calm, MJ interjects. "Can we go back a little? You got bit by a spider at Oscorp, and you woke up with superpowers, and you went to find out more, and discovered that they were killing people, and you managed to whistleblow them?"
Penny shrugs. "Yeah, pretty much. Honestly, I was mostly just trying to distract myself from Ben."
MJ shakes her head. "You are… a very interesting person, Penelope Parker."
"Thanks, I think?"
"Okay, so I want to make sure I've gotten this right. You got bit, by a radioactive spider, at Oscorp while trying to find information on your father. You went back for more information on your abilities, discovered human experimentation, and managed to report them such that Oscorp doesn't exist anymore, and this was while you were grieving for your uncle. Your aunt then passed away, you went to foster care, got pregnant, ran away, gave birth in half the time it should have taken, and now you're here. Have I gotten all that correct?" Marcus sounds slightly hysterical. Penny can't blame him. He's 25, he's not cut out for this shit, clearly.
"I understand if you don't want to harbor me," Penny says quietly. "I know it's dangerous."
"Wait, how is it dangerous?" Ned asks.
"I mean… I can't be found by CPS, Ned. If they find me, I'll either get sent back to Skip and possibly get separated from May, or I'll have to prove May is his daughter but the government will need a DNA test for that, and if they discover there's a baby with superpowers who knows what they'll do to get their hands on her? Plus, I don't believe for a second that HYDRA isn't still infiltrating out government. I don't trust the government, but at least they might treat May with humanity. HYDRA… did you see the leaked filed on the Winter Soldier or the Red Room? I don't want May anywhere near that! Which means we both have to stay hidden, for who knows how long, which makes you not just sheltering a teen mom but harboring a possible fugitive!" Penny is panting slightly by the end of her rant.
"That… would be really bad," Ned says quietly.
"We need to change your appearance," MJ says matter-of-factly. "Hair die and cut should help, but I still want to try to get my hands on some colored contacts too. Ned, wanna go to the drugstore with me and pick out a color? Penny, do you wanna go darker or lighter?"
Penny pauses. "I think, that maybe darker might be better? We're trying to keep me from standing out, and light hair or bright hair would make me stand out more. Plus I don't wanna bleach my hair, if I'm being honest," she says. "Also I vote dark brown for the contacts. Not as dark as my mom, but closer."
"Then we have a plan," Marcus says. "MJ, Ned, you guys run to CVS or something, Penny and I will stay here and finish setting up the crib. Ned, I will have to send you home tonight, but you can call your parents and ask to stay for dinner."
"Sounds good, Marcus," Ned says, which tells Penny just how much time Ned has actually been spending with MJ. He used to call Marcus "Mr. Jones". Penny found it hilarious. MJ was just exasperated.
After MJ and Ned leave, Penny turns to Marcus. "I… I really appreciate everything you're doing for me. I can give you some money I saved up, but I don't have much…"
"Don't worry about it. You know about our dad. If spending his inheritance on a teen mom with superpowers would make him roll in his grave, that's a good enough reason for me. Plus, my mom would kill me if I didn't help as much as I can," Marcus promises. "I want to help you, Penny. You and May. Will you let me?"
"Yes," Penny whispers.