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She felt a sharp pain in her head as she dropped the magazine she was carrying, the world starting to blur and spin as she lost her balance and fell to the floor.
The fabric was rough against her skin when she awoke, her head still hurting and when she opened her eyes, she saw nothing.
"Ah, Ms Watson, you're awake, I'll go get the doctor," a concerned female voice said and Mary Jane heard the sharp clack of heels on tile. So, not at home then.
"What happened? Why can't I see?" She called after the woman, trying not to panic as the door shut firmly.
After what seemed like an age, she heard the door open again and a warm hand laid on her arm. "I'm Dr. William Moorehart. You gave us quite a scare, Mary Jane. How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts and I can't see. Where am I? What happened?"
"We are working on why you aren't able to see. There is no indication of damage to either your eyes or brain. About what happened, we were hoping you could help us with that. Wwhat was the last thing you remember?" He asked and leaned forward.
She shrugged her shoulders, "I was relaxing on set between make-up and shooting when the headache started."
Dr. Moorehart nodded, "What do you know about Peter Parker?"
She turned her head towards his voice and laughed, "Peter Parker? I haven't heard from him in years. What laboratory has he destroyed now?"
"He hasn't destroyed a laboratory, but he is suspected of being involved with an illegal vigilante group of superpowered beings and has repeatedly refused to cease and desist terrorizing the citizens of New York."
"Then why are you asking me about him?" She asked.
"Because both eyewitnesses and our tests show that you have a superpower, Ms Watson. And you haven't signed the Superhuman Registration Act."
"I don't have a superpower," she said. How could she and not remember? She was just plain old Mary Jane Watson, though there was nothing plain about being a high paid model and an equally high paid actress.
"Then how do you explain the dozen eyewitnesses who saw you fight H.A.M.M.E.R. agents with the illegal Avengers when they attempted to arrest Spider-Man?"
"I didn't fight against you and what does Peter Parker have to do with Spider-Man?"
"We have evidence that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. When did you last talk to Parker?
I don't have superpowers and I haven't talked to Parker in ages." She may have been friends with Parker in high school and briefly dated him in college, even making an ill-thought out attempt at marriage, but that was where their relationship had ended. Parker wasn't someone she had thought about in years, past seeing him at his Aunt May's wedding.
There was a long pause before the doctor spoke again, "There is a way we can help you. But you have to help us first."
Wishing she could see the expression on the doctor's face, she nodded, "How do I help you?"
She could hear the smile in his voice, "Mr. Osborn has sent a car to take you to his offices at Stark Tower. You will leave immediately."
"But my eyesight."
The doctor sighed, "There is nothing physically wrong with you Ms. Watson. THe blockage to your sight must be psychological in nature. Your memory loss regarding your powers leads me to fear that you have lost control of them. We must get you to Mr. Osborn's office as quickly as possible."
"Okay," she said softly as Moorehart squeezed her arm.
***
Mary Jane nodded her thanks to the doorman of Stark Tower as he held the door open for her and her escort. As he took her wet umbrella from her, her imagination filling in the details of the room she couldn't see. It felt odd to enter a building without being stopped for an autograph or photo-op, she thought as she was led to into the building.
A cultured woman's voice spoke to her escort, "Mr. Osborn is ready to see Ms. Watson. Follow me."
***
"Do you understand the risks?" Osborn asked.
Mary Jane nodded, as much as she disliked the plan, the consequences laid out by Osborn on what would happen if she didn't agree with the plan were worse, "I do."
"Good, I"m glad we could come to this understanding, Ms Watson," he said as he placed two tablets in the palm of her hand and handed her a glass of water.
***
The phone rang a third time before Spider-Man picked up, "Spider-Man? It's Mary Jane. The Fantastic Four gave me your number."
"Mary Jane?"
"I'm in trouble, I...I really need your help."
There was a long pause, "Where are you?"
"I'm still with the Fantastic Four," she replied.
There was another long pause, "I can't help you Mary Jane, I'm sorry."
"Please help me," she said softly, "I've talked to the Fantastic Four and they've promised to not turn you in."
Spider-Man sighed and said, "Go to the roof of the Baxter Building and be alone," and hung up.
***
She started when she felt Spider-Man's hand on her shoulder, "What's wrong?" He asked.
"I...I blacked out and when I woke up, I couldn't see or remember what happened. And I think someone is after me."
"Oh?"
"Even though I can't see, I have a feeling that someone followed me here. Richard said that no one is watching me right now, and I believe him. But I can't be sure that someone didn't follow me here."
"Do you have any idea of who may be following you?"
She nodded and handed Spider-Man a sheaf of letters, "A fan recently sent these to me. The police have been looking into it, but they haven't found anything yet."
"What do you need me to do?"
"Can you and your friends look through these letters and see if there is something that the police missed?"
"I'll see what I can do. I'll call the Fantastic Four with what I find."
***
Spider-Man landed on the roof with a soft thud, "Heres the thing, MJ. We did some checking and your story doesn't hold up."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"We found sources that state you went from the hospital to Stark Tower, spent over a half hour in Osborn's office and made a side trip to a bank vault before coming here. Why did you lie, Mary Jane?"
"I...I don't know. I don't remember going to see Osborn."
Spider-Man paused, "Is she telling the truth Wolverine?"
Mary Jane heard Wolverine sniff deeply before, "Yeah, she's telling the truth. She doesn't remember anything about seeing Osborn."
"Okay, we'll try to help you Mary Jane, but we can't take you with us. You're going to have to stay at the Fantastic Four's until now. They've given us some of the blood sample they took from you. Reed said if he did the tests, he'd have to report them to Osborn. We'll be in touch.
***
She woke to a hard shake of her shoulders and Reed telling her "Spider-Man has the test results."
The ride in the elevator to the roof was quiet and Mary Jane wished yet again that she could see the expression on Reed's face. The door opened quietly and with a rush of air. She placed a hand on Reed's arm and let him lead her to where she assumed Spider-Man was standing.
He didn't waste time with niceties, staying bluntly: "We found numerous chemical abnormalities in your blood. Reed is working on antidote to the chemicals, but in the meantime, he has something to give you that will hopefully help you remember what happened to you."
Reed pressed a bottle into her hand, "This is the truth serum."
She nodded, opened the bottle and drank it, suppressing a shudder. It tasted horrible, like old socks and rancid butter. Seconds after drinking it, her head felt lighter and her body was tingling.
"What happened just before you lost your sight?"
"I was in the green room, there was a vase of flowers and a small bottle of champagne."
"Did you drink the champagne?"
"Yes, I did."
She heard Reed sigh, "What happened after you lost your sight?"
"I woke up in a hospital room and I couldn't see. A man came in saying that I needed to visit Norman Osborn because I was a superpowered human that hadn't signed the Superhuman Registration Act. Dr. Moorehart said there was footage of me fighting with the illegal Avengers against H.A.M.M.E.R."
"What did Osborn tell you to do?"
"He gave me two pills to take. He said that the pills would block my superhuman abilities and erase the memory of our meeting from my mind."
"Did he threaten you if you didn't take the pills?"
She nodded, "Yes, he said that he had evidence that my memory had previously been altered. If I helped him, he would work to restore my memories."
"Did he threaten you with anything else?"
She shook her head, "No."
"Did you get it, Cap?" Spider-Man asked.
"Osborn is going down."
***
"Breaking News: a tape containing testimony from Mary Jane Watson has been distributed to local and national news outlets. The tape alleges that Norman Osborn used illegal drugs to blind and create amnesia in Ms. Watson to destroy the Avengers. The tape has not been verified, but if it is true, it will certainly spell the end for Osborn's control of H.A.M.M.E.R."
FINIS