Bab 178: Chapter 178: Daily Bugle
[Third Person's PoV]
Peter and Gwen were walking toward their internship when a fire truck sped past them with its sirens blaring.
Both of them sighed, shoulders slumping.
"We're going to be late, aren't we?" Gwen asked.
"I'll call ahead and let them know…" Peter said, taking out his phone. They both ran after the fire truck, ducking into an alley, where they threw their bags against the wall and webbed them up before tapping their watches.
Between two buildings, both Spider-Man and Ghost-Spider leaped into the air, swinging away, with Spider-Man holding his phone to his ear.
"Peter? Is something the matter?" Reed Richards asked.
"Yeah, umm, we're going to be a few minutes late… You know, New York traffic."
"Ah, don't worry, take your time. Thanks for letting me know," Reed said before hanging up.
Spider-Man turned to Ghost-Spider and gave her a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, he doesn't suspect a thing!"
...
Meanwhile, MJ walked into an alley, tossing her backpack high into the air before tapping her watch and jumping after it.
When Scarlet-Spider appeared mid-air, she webbed her backpack to her and began swinging toward her internship, stopping to handle a few petty crimes along the way. She dove into another dark alley, landing in a roll and tapping her watch, transforming back into MJ as she ran toward the Daily Bugle.
"Hey, Betty!" MJ greeted as she passed by, heading to Jameson's office.
"Hello to you too, Ms. Watson," Betty replied, shaking her head with a smile.
Inside the office, MJ found Jameson alone, writing something down.
"Ah, if it isn't my favorite photographer. I got the pictures you sent to Betty yesterday of those green monsters in Harlem. Good work. Even on your days off, you're working. You'll go far, young lass."
"Uh-huh… So listen, I had this idea. Why don't we open an online page for the Daily Bugle?"
"Why the hell would I do that?" Jameson asked, giving MJ a strange look.
"So we can double the profit, obviously."
Jameson narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "I'm listening… but that's only because I like you. So make it worth my while."
"No offense, but it's mostly older folks who read the newspaper. The Daily Bugle is all about spreading the word, right? But kids my age? They get all their info online. Nobody reads the paper anymore."
"Spreading the word is fine, but how does that make us money?" Jameson scoffed, unconvinced.
"Two things," MJ said, raising two fingers. "Viewership and advertisements."
"With ads, the companies would pay us based on the number of people who see them. Say the rate is $0.01 per view. If a million people visit our online page, that's $10,000 in ad revenue. Even if only 100,000 people see it, that's still $1,000—on top of whatever we make from selling physical copies."
Jameson removed the cigar from his mouth and leaned further back in his chair. "You're a smart kid… So what do you want? You didn't tell me this out of the kindness of your heart."
"I want two things: to run the online side of the Bugle, and a 50/50 split."
"And why would I agree to that!?" Jameson said, snuffing out his cigar angrily.
"Because it was my idea," MJ rolled her eyes. "I'll set up the site—well, not me, but I know someone who can get it up and running today."
Jameson interlocked his fingers. "And what's stopping me from stealing your idea and making it my own? It's a brilliant idea. There's no way a high school girl came up with it."
MJ smiled and ran her hand over her watch. "Gee, I wonder how the media would react to the owner of a major media company taking advantage of his high school intern…"
"I never touched you!" Jameson yelled, slamming his desk in anger.
"I didn't mean that kind of advantage, you sick perv!" MJ retorted.
"Oh…" Jameson blinked, sitting back down, confused.
MJ pushed her watch forward. "I meant I'm recording this conversation. So if you steal my idea, I can just post it online. A scandal like that wouldn't be good for business. I'd hate to see such a fine establishment crumble."
"Are you threatening and blackmailing me?" Jameson asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Pfft, me? Never. I'm just protecting myself from a scary corporate man."
"Can you stop wording things so weirdly?"
"Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way. Look, it's just insurance for my interests. As a businessman, I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from."
Jameson narrowed his eyes. "You know, I meant it when I said you're smart… The problem is, you're too smart. That's going to get you into trouble someday."
"So, do we have a deal?"
"I can't make you the owner of the website, but I can make you a reporter for them. As for the cut: 80/20."
"50/50."
Jameson grumbled, "75/25."
"50/50."
"70/30."
"50/50."
"Do not test my goodwill," Jameson said, narrowing his eyes.
MJ just smiled and mouthed the words, "50/50."
"55/45 is the highest I'm going to go."
"Deal!"
Jameson froze, eyeing her suspiciously. "Being a reporter and getting 55/45 was your original goal all along, wasn't it?"
MJ smiled and shrugged. "I'm too inexperienced and young to properly manage the website. My dream was always to be a reporter. I'm just starting small so I can build experience. If you want to give me a raise in the future, well, I'm not going to turn it down." She shrugged again.
"So, I've been played, huh?" Jameson asked with an unpleasant expression.
"I get underestimated because of my age and gender, so I just use that to my advantage. You're not to blame," MJ said with a smile and a gesture that read: What can I say?
Jameson scoffed and shooed her away. "Go to Betty and get your money for yesterday's photos. The contract will be ready for you when that website's up."
MJ made an OK sign with her hand. "You should have the contract ready for tomorrow. I've had someone working on the site for a while now, and they said it'll be done by then."
Jameson stared at her for a bit. "Just get out of my office."
"Okie dokie!" MJ saluted as she skipped toward the exit.
Jameson scoffed, turning his back to her, but a proud smirk grew across his face as he stared out the window.
As MJ stepped out of the office and closed the door behind her, she began to dance. "Jackpot, baby!" she said, swinging her arms and pumping her fist while shifting her legs.
Snap! "Hahaha, someone looks happy."
MJ froze, hearing the sound of a camera shutter. Her eyes popped open, and she saw Eddie laughing with a camera in hand, looking amused.
MJ didn't care, though. She wasn't camera-shy and held up two peace signs like gang signs with duck lips. "Guess who just got a promotion!"
Eddie froze. "Are you serious?"
"I wouldn't be celebrating if I wasn't," MJ replied as she happily walked toward Betty, who handed her an envelope.
Eddie scoffed. "Since you're getting paid more, you can take me out to lunch."
"Ha! The best I can do for you is a hotdog from the corner stand," she said, snapping her fingers and waving her envelope as she walked away.
"Better than nothing, I guess…" Eddie smiled before heading inside.
...
Felix and Felicia soon arrived at the hideout, where Aria gave them access. Felix scoffed, looking around with a smile. "So, this is what the old hideout was like? When they said an abandoned subway station, they weren't kidding."
"Does this hideout not exist in the future or something?" Felicia asked.
"It does, but it was remodeled before I was born and passed down to my first born older brother," Felix replied with a smile.
"Question: among all of Peter's kids, where do you fit in?" Felicia asked.
"I'm the youngest," Felix said, scratching his cheek.
"Eh? Really?"
As they entered the hideout, they found Bruce and Betty about to head out.
Felix tilted his head in confusion. "Uncle Bruce? Aunt Betty?"
"What?" Betty asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Uncle?" Bruce asked, looking at Felix weirdly and tilting his head.
"Ah, right…" Felix muttered in realization.
"Sorry about him; he's from the future, so don't worry," Felicia sighed.
"WHAT!?" they both shouted as Felix awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
"The fu—"
"Yes."
"As in the fu—"
"Yes…" Felicia sighed. She then turned to Felix. "Do you call everyone uncle and aunt?"
Felix looked up and sighed. "It's not my fault. Blame my overly friendly father who makes friends with literally anyone he meets. I have so many aunts and uncles, I couldn't count them even if we used all our fingers and toes."
Bruce and Betty were still reeling from the fact that Felix was from the future. Bruce glanced between Felicia and Felix. "I can see the resemblance, but they could just be related…" he muttered.
"And who's your father?" Bruce asked curiously.
"Take a wild guess," Felix sighed.
"Peter's, huh… I can kinda see it. Holy…, you might really be from the future. That's insane," Bruce said, amazed
"How far into the future are you from?" Betty asked curiously, clearly excited to be meeting someone from the future.
"2035"
"Oh wow! I would be an old man by that time…" Bruce said, "I'm 66 years old from where you're from"
"Isn't your presence here affecting the future?" Bruce stopped and asked with concern.
Felix sighed, "That's what I'm about to find out,"
"And how are you going to do that?" Felicia asked curiously.
Felix sighed once more, "I'm going to call my dad… from the time where I'm from… I might not look like it, but I'm worried if I may have damaged the future with the words I'm saying"
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Status Power Mingguan
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