Spider-Man: Group Therapy
I'm back after nearly a year's hiatus dont worry about Amazing Brides I'll be back to it soon.
Peter had been wearing the black suit for a couple of weeks now. The Puma had ambushed him in his apartment and he barely had enough time to lock Mary Jane in the closet before battle ensued a battle that ended with him falling onto a bus and Puma leaving for the time being. He was halfway home on a rooftop when he started wondering about the costume it seemed to have many properties of a living organism the thoughts seemed to fade but the voice that changed the subject wasn't his own. Noticing the hero tried to rip it off of him but it quickly repaired itself firing a dozen lines at the corners of the rooftop tethering him.
"What are we doing?" he asked then caught his odd use of pronouns
Peter didn't know what was going on but he'd rather die than become a puppet he worked his muscles with a vigor he had only demonstrated on several occasions one by one the line snapped only to be replaced Peter could feel himself weakening losing weight as if he were being drained of blood it was a game of chicken which finally ended when the symbiote decided it couldn't fight anymore without killing its host.
"Don't!" the symbiote cried
"Why not you're clearly sentient but you kept you're presence a secret from me played with my mind made me distracted and forgetful why would I trust you with my body.
The symbiote withdrew its tendrils allowing him to collapse to the ground as he felt some of his strength slowly returning.
"We were scared we had never bonded to a human so much and you are such a perfect host we couldn't face that kind of rejection. Self preservation and the interest of our host has always been a bit of a dilemma for us but that only motivates us to get closer to our host. We're the last of our kind our species are parasites they drain their host of all their resources and when they die find a new one. We were a mutant of the 998th generation and we're exiled because we choose to share a more symbiotic relationship with our hosts taking only what was needed and enhancing the host abilities in turn. Galactus devoured our world afterwards. That sound we could never forget that sound."
"So you're a refugee the last of your kind in killing you I'd not only be killing a sentient creature but the last of an alien race and as I've seen you can enhance my powers even contributing some of your own." Spider-Man said as he stood up
"Yes! Will you accept our bond?"
"On a trial basis if you try grafting yourself I'll get Johnny Storm to flash fry you or ask Reed to use his sonic gun you're on a very short leash. Also don't make me use the word we especially around others I have enough problems without sounding like a lunatic."
Peter changed into his civilian attire and arrived at his apartment an hour later.
"Whew what a day my back is killing me, my arm feels worse! And my mind is filled with so many unanswered questions!" he thought
He started climbing the stairs.
"Why did the Puma attack me in the first place? Why didn't he finish me off when he had the chance? Hmm sounds like someone's inside wonder if Felicia's back-?"
Peter opened the door and MJ hugged him.
"Mary Jane-?" he said "Oh my gosh I forgot all about her!" he thought.
"Peter-! You're back! You're safe! All that crashing and shouting-! I thought I'd go out of my mind!"
Everything's all right MJ! Those sounds you heard were only, err, only…"
MJ broke off and walked away.
"You don't have to make up another one of your phony excuses, Peter! Not now-! I know the truth! The real truth!"
"What are you talking about?"
"I've known your secret for years! Up until today, I always thought I could cope with it if I ever had to experience it firsthand—but I can't! I can't! I just cannot cope with the fact that Peter Parker is secretly Spider-Man!"
MJ started walking towards the door.
"Mary Jane wait! Wait-! "We have to talk!"
She turned and he put his hands on her shoulders.
"What's the use Peter? You're only going to lie to me! And I really can't blame you! After all how could you ever confide in an airhead like Mary Jane Watson?!"
"Mary Jane please wait-!"
I care about you, Peter!" she said tears in her eyes "I really do but you come with so much baggage! You can't imagine how hard it is to accept the fact that one of my closest friends is constantly out risking his life! That's why I originally left New York! I just couldn't take it anymore!"
She heads for the door again.
"I had to get away from you… and Spider-Man!" she sobbed
Peter's Spider-Sense started to go off.
"Uh-Oh" he thought "As if I didn't have enough to worry about, I sense something outside my window! Has Puma returned?"
Black Cat jumped in through the window.
"Oh!" MJ let out
"What's happening lover?" Felicia said "I just stopped by to—Whoops"
"It's true. It's all true!"
"Oh no the Black Cat just blew my secret identity for sure!" Peter thought
"I…I guess I should be going!"
"No!"
"Of course she should go! She doesn't belong here!" Felicia snapped
Peter didn't know what to do.
"Mary Jane don't! Cat please!"
Felicia faced him and pointed at her perceived rival.
"Who is she? What's she doing here? Why don't you answer me?"
"Goodbye Peter!" MJ said
"Mary Jane!"
A strange sense of calm overcame Peter.
It's going to be alright WE can handle it. The symbiote said
Peter's costume formed on his skin the mask not covering his face however it's surface rippling powerfully.
"What's happening?" Mary Jane asked
"His costume is alive I think it's-" Felicia said interrupted as a tendril shot into and around her mouth
A second tendril grabbed MJ's leg.
"No we can't do this!" Peter exclaimed trying to rip his costume off even though he knew it had no foul intent and wasn't exactly clear on what it was doing anyway.
To round things off the symbiote fired several darts at the two before it retracted as they were engulfed into a single cocoon from within.
"What have you done!" Peter raced to the oily mess in the middle of his room
"We're welcome for getting us out of a tough situation." the symbiote said
Before he could grasp the cocoon a gloved hand punched through the top and two identical figures began to rise out.
"Chill Spider/Tiger I think you're really going to like what happens next." They said in an unbelievably sexy but dualistic voice.
They had long pink hair and green eyes that seemed both predatory and as if there was a lot going on behind them like a roiling storm had just abated yet oddly reassuring although this was probably largely informed by the symbiote Peter was wearing. Their faces were the primary difference between them they were both composites but of different features. Their height and bust were in between as well standing at a height of 5'9 with breast that were larger than MJ's impressive frame but not as distracting to passerby as Felicia's. They both sported a black outfit half costume half dress the only differences being that one had long sleeves and a white cat symbol and the other no sleeves and a red spider symbol that's pattern was more like Peter's old costume.
"What is going on? How… why did w… you do this?!" he demanded of the symbiote
"We acted on pure instinct an old response from my line though I can't deny it was informed by your desires and dilemmas. We empathize with our host so we shared your feelings for these two what's inside them is an extension of ourselves not a true spawn we only reproduce once and that is not for some time. We didn't realize that bonding with them would have the same effect on us as our bond on you we have the same loyalty to them and with their memories our feelings for you now… are more human." The symbiote explained in his mind
"Mary Jane, Felicia I'm so sorry I did this to you."
"Can you just relax for a moment we're fine never better actually." One said as she approached the other examined their new bodies and fired a web-line or two from her wrist from the look of satisfaction that appeared on the one that spokes face made Peter assume that they either one mind was using two bodies for different task or there was a strong telepathic link.
"I know what this thing can do you two are not thinking with your right minds."
The two shared a thoughtful look and their eyes changed matching those of one or the other as they mentally differentiated.
The one that was closer Red Spider Symbol who by her lack of cat symbol we can assume was Mary Jane moved to a few feet away from him calmly expressive.
"Yes your friend was quite… aggressive with our bodies" she remembered their panic as encased their legs, hips, chest and finally heads were fused into one another before fissioning into two. "After the mental bond was formed however it didn't do anything without our permission we came to some of own decisions although it was quite abrupt but what can you say can get some fast thinking done when all you're synapses are firing." She said
"To the brain time moves much much slower when you're in a dream state. Our minds were briefly merged and we witnessed all of each other's life experiences and some of yours. We learned a lot and decided each of us needed to get our act together if either one was to work long term with you. We'll share the details of our little chitchat later but we share a telepathic link our minds can manifest in either body we can read each others thoughts and see through the others eyes if they want us to the symbiote can also support a merged personality state. White Cat Symbol/Felicia explained reflecting back with a little more patience than he was used to and giving her former rival a knowing look.
"You said nature originally dictated you be a parasite you don't consume anything on your own so what are the long term consequences of bonding? What do you need to survive? He asked in his mind."
"We consume adrenaline and cancer cells so we are attracted to creatures that live exciting lives like yours or whose bodies are betraying them. We'll need to maintain the telepathic network and look after both of our survival but our race spends most of our time in a lower state semi-sentience it saves a lot of energy you and the others will have a lot more control over us if we're well looked after. We carry the abilities of our past host they both have your spider powers now along with Felicia's bad luck powers which with our help should now encompass good fortune as well. One last thing we also need a chemical that's in most creatures brains we've detected it in what you call chocolate so you should eat a healthy amount of it if you don't want either of us to crave grey matter."
Peter briefly shuddered at the thought of a person in a symbiote chasing someone talking about eating their brain."
The symbiote now permeates every cell of our bodies it can be separated but it's probably a lot harder than with you. The genetic material of both of us are stored as well as our memories and yours though we only saw a compressed form of it."
MJ continued with none of the dread he would have expected.
"It wanted us to know you more intimately but without confusing us or significantly altering our personalities. And we both have your powers"
Felicia adhering to the ceiling after a leap facing him her head a foot away from MJ tracing his chest a domino mask sprouting on her face by instinct before fading.
"Okay the symbiote and you two came to some sort of an agreement it still all sounds like a massive invasion of privacy to me. Cat you don't need to declare some draw to win me over we're already a couple MJ and I are just friends.
Felicia laughed"
"Just friends you know I think you might actually believe that lie. Be honest Spider we have our problems and they weren't going to disappear we went a long way but I'm not your pity project or convenience you can't just fix me."
"That's what we have each other for. You're still up for it right?"
Mary Jane asked the anti-heroine with mixed feelings
"I hate to admit it but from what I learned you have as much... maybe more right to him than I do Plain Jane."
Felicia answered dismounting
"In short we're both willing to share you in doing so we are sparing ourselves needless competition and we think it will make a shorter, smoother wait for a serviceable marriage."
MJ concluded
"Marriage but I thought?"
"Be honest we both know how much you wanted it since you were a teenager the wife, the kids a nice home in suburbia and I always dreamt we'd go to Niagara." Felicia stated overcome by some of the cute things she'd gleaned from Peter's mind and memories of some of her dreams of Spider-Man before they first met. She pointed at Mary Jane "This one is a bit flighty and has some issues but I don't think she'll break your heart again."
"You two aren't thinking that I…"
Peter said just as he started to accept the tremendous luck of the situation."
What can't handle both of us? We understand."
The two women changed form into their distinct identities besides their clothes that is Felicia sported a very sexy black dress which he remembered from an old date with Mary Jane and MJ in the Black Cat costume only this time it was a little lower cut than he remembered (though not nearly as wild or revealing as many of the variations to grace the pages of Marvel's magazines)"
So would you like to go on a normal date with Felicia Hardy or explore the city with New York's newest heroine the ever captivating Ms. Watson?"
"I…I…"
"Face it Spider/Tiger you just hit the Jackpot!"
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