Chapter 2 - Busted (Out)
Much had happened in the past two days for Peter Parker. A funeral was held for Norman Osborn, Peter got wasted and kidnapped by the daughter of a planet eater, Peter had sex with and apparently impregnated said daughter of said planet eater, Peter learned that Norman had staged his death, that Harry was emotionally blackmailing Gwen, and that he could get a major power boost from sex that was still running high two days later. Add that to the fact that the Daily Bugle had a field day with the large web banner Spider-Man put up in a major intersection, which, for all they knew at the time, was essentially spitting on the grave of the freshly deceased, and you're more or less up to speed.
'Just another average week in the life of your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.' Spider-Man thought to himself as he zipped from one webline to another on his way to school. 'And it's only been two days since the so-called funeral. I'm so glad Aunt May agreed to let me take yesterday off, I really needed to blow off some steam after that stunt Goblin pulled. And speaking of blowing off steam.' His thoughts trailed off as he spotted a mugger yank a passerby into an ally.
"Just give me yer money lady, and ain't no one gonna get hurt!" The thug growled as he held the woman at knife point. However, the aggression of the thug quickly turned to confusion when he noticed how angry the woman looked. "What're you lookin at so funny like?" He demanded.
"She's probably just laughing internally at your horrible grammar, not to mention your poor timing." Spidey quipped as he hung upside-down behind the thug, quickly gaining his attention and fear. "I mean, setting aside your obvious need for elocution lessons, could you have picked a worse time of day to mug someone? It's bright and early my friend, and most thugs don't stay out past 5 AM, but I digress." He shrugged as he flipped to the ground and cracked his knuckles. "Now then, are we gonna do this the easy way, or the hard way?"
The thug gave pause, looking first at the knife in his hand, then at the snarling woman he was trying to rob, then back at Spider-Man. Thinking quickly, he dropped his knife and took out a phone. "Hello, 911? I'd like to turn myself in." He said meekly as Spider-Man and the woman he was trying to rob both blinked at him in surprise.
"...Can he do that?" The woman asked Spider-Man in confusion.
"I don't know, but I'm feeling an odd mix of disappointment and pride." Spider-Man admitted before shrugging it off. "Oh well, I'm in a good mood and kinda pressed for time right now, so I'll allow it." He remarked casually before lifting the thug by his shirt and placing him against the wall. "I'm still gonna have to web you up so you don't get any ideas of scramming before the cops come."
"No problem, I get it." The thug nodded gracefully as Spidey webbed him to the wall. "Not gonna lie, this is actually kinda exciting. I mean, I know I'm going to jail for a few months, or maybe just getting a fine, but hey, at least I'm meeting Spider-Man."
"There you go, look on the positive side." Spider-Man remarked enthusiastically before bounding up the walls. "Stay in school and don't do drugs!" He waved back as he zipped off on another webline. 'Oh man, could today possibly get any better? First I wake up to see front page news in the Bugle slandering me-which is totally gonna backfire on J. Jonah Jerkface as soon as he Mr. Stacy goes public with the e-mail of Galacta's blog I sent him-then I stop a mugger without even throwing a punch, and now,' He grinned as he backflipped into an ally just a block away from school, where he quickly slipped on his casual clothes over his costume and removed his mask before anyone could see. 'I'm actually getting to school before the first bell! For once, not even my ole' Parker Luck is gonna ruin things for me.' He thought enthusiastically as he rushed off on foot, before promptly slowing down and losing all enthusiasm when he spotted Harry pacing furiously in front of the fountain where Gwen was sitting, doing her best to look interested and sympathetic, and failing miserably.
"Of course I could be wrong, and am." Peter sighed as he steeled himself for what he was about to do and walked up to where his friends were. 'I hate to do this to you Harry, I really do, especially given our history. But one of you is gonna be hurt whether or not I do anything, and when you take away any personal interest I may have in this, exposing two jerks for what they really are is a much better option than letting an innocent girl be guilted into dating one of those jerks. I just wish I didn't have to lose one friend to save another.' As he got close enough to hear what Harry was going on about, the weight on his shoulders over what he was about to do significantly lessened.
"-And after all he's done to ruin my life, my family, he has the nerve to... to... I don't even know how to describe what Spider-Man did yesterday!" Harry ranted about perceived slights against him, his memory especially selective today. "Oh, hey there Peter." He remarked nonchalantly as he noticed the civilian face of the man who had earned his highly undeserved and hypocritical ire.
"Hey Harry, hey Gwen." Peter greeted the two morosely. "Gwen, do you think I could talk with you for a minute? Preferably alone?" He asked the blonde pleadingly, casting a slightly bitter aside glance to Harry.
"Of course." Gwen nodded somberly. "You don't mind, do you Harry?" She turned to the junior sociopath meekly.
"Sure thing Gwen, just don't take too long." Harry cast a none too subtle glare at Peter before walking off, as if daring him to try anything.
"...I can tell what this is about." Gwen sighed despondently once she was sure that Harry was out of earshot.
"No, I seriously doubt that you can." Peter scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Now Gwen, before I say or show you anything else, I've gotta say something that I've wanted to tell you for a while now, because if I don't say it now the something else will come up, and I might not have the nerve to say it later."
"What are you talking about, Peter?" Gwen blinked in confusion, the blonde starting to have doubts about why Peter wanted to be alone.
Glancing all around to make sure no one-especially not Harry-was listening or could overhear, Peter surprised Gwen with a sudden hug. Just when she thought things couldn't get any stranger, she heard a whisper in her ear. "I'm Spider-Man." Peter said as quietly as possible before pulling away, but it may as well have been a sudden explosion in Gwen's ear for how shocking it was.
For several long seconds, Gwen and Peter were both frozen in shock. Gwen because she couldn't believe what Peter had told her, and Peter because he couldn't believe he'd managed to tell her without anything getting in the way. As Gwen struggled to try and brush his words off as a joke, she just found herself thinking more and more about just how much sense the idea made. The frequent disappearances, the flakiness, the times he survived sudden super villain attacks and and didn't show up again until after Spider-Man went to town, Spider-Man frequently showing up in her life somehow, the fact that he was the only guy to ever manage to get photos of Spider-Man, despite never showing any interest in or aptitude for photography previously.
In hindsight, that last one really should have tipped her off long ago.
Before she could voice any of her many follow-up questions however, she was shaken from her thoughts when Harry was suddenly thrown-or if his sudden black eye was any indication, punched-into the fountain.
"What the heck?!" Peter voiced in surprise for both of them as the looked up to see Flash stomping over to the pitifully retreating form of Harry.
"C-c'mon Flash, I thought we'd moved past this?" Harry pleaded as Peter instinctively stood between the football star and his victim. "I know I played juiced, but I'm clean now, and I thought you weren't like this anymore anyway."
"Step aside, Parker." Flash warned evenly, completely ignoring Harry's pleas for help. "Believe it or not, I'm actually doing this to help you out." As Flash spoke, a small crowd of onlookers began to gather, one of which, Peter noted tiredly, was a very familiar girl in a white blouse, blue jeans, and purple tinted sunglasses. "If you knew what this dirtbag almost got away with doing-"
"I take it you got an e-mail from someone who goes by the screenname Gali-Girl?" Peter asked reluctantly, getting a befuddled stare from Flash for an answer. "That's what I thought." He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a Rhino-sized migraine coming on.
"How did you know about that?" Flash asked in confusion. "And more importantly, if you know then why are you defending this creep?"
Just as Peter was about to flounder for some kind of excuse, he heard a voice. 'Don't react, but I'm talking to you via telepathy.' Galacta's voice spoke in his head, startling him for a half a second before he managed to regain his cool. 'Before you can ask why I'm cutting in right now, just know that I know you-probably even better than you know yourself-and I know just what a horrible liar you are, which is something we're gonna have to work on later. Since we're pressed for time right now though, I'm gonna cut you some slack and coach you through it just this once. Just repeat everything I say, exactly as I say it. Understand? Here we go!'
"She's a new student," Peter spoke like he was doing a poor job of reading from a script, which he kinda was. "Transferred in a couple months ago, and started up a Spider-Man blog. She tailed me a few times to try and find out how I get so many pictures of Spider-Man for the Bugle. I managed to catch her in the act yesterday, and I was gonna call the cops, but then she showed me the video she obviously sent to you, and I decided against it. As for why I'm defending Harry..." He hesitated, not wanting to say what Galacta was telling him, but unable to come up with anything more solid than just 'This isn't right'. "...I guess it was just a kneejerk reaction." He relented under the pressure the young planet eater was putting on him.
"What video are you guys talking about?" Gwen asked the geek and jock in concern. "Peter, what did Harry do?" She may not have known or meant it, but the fact that she was so quick to subtly accuse Harry of something she didn't even know about spoke volumes about just how wrong this situation was, how far their once strong friendship had fallen, and how much conflict and turmoil was coursing through both her own and Peter's minds right now.
"...I don't suppose you have the video on your phone, or maybe wifi?" Peter asked Flash weakly. "I can't really find the words to..."
"Yeah, I got it, Parker." Flash replied, the sheer volume of sympathy in his voice surprising everyone as he pulled out his phone and handed it to Gwen. "Quick warning though, watching that is probably gonna hurt more than the shiner I just gave Osborn."
As Harry visibly freaked out over the black eye he hadn't noticed until now, Gwen silently freak out over what she was seeing on the tiny phone screen. When the video was finished, Peter did the only thing he could think of, wrapping his arms around Gwen as she cried-and making sure Flash got his phone back-as they both felt a powerful sense of anger and sadness.
"Gwen? Gwen what's wrong!?" Harry panicked as he tried to pry Peter away from her, only to meet with frustration as the young super hero easily kept him at arm's length. "Pete, move aside would ya? That's my girlfriend you're holding." He grunted in frustration.
"Not anymore, Harry." Gwen glared at him with a heart wrenching mixture of sadness and fury. "Not after what you've done. In fact, after today... I'm not even sure I want to be friends with you anymore!" She bit out sorrowfully, eliciting nothing but confusion and a bit of anger in Harry, rather than sadness and hurt like any decent human being would feel.
"What's going on?!" Harry demanded angrily as Peter helped Gwen up and they both walked away. He tried to follow, but Flash, along with several members of the football team who had been given the lowdown, were huddled up in an angry wall of muscle. "Gwen! What did I do? What did Peter say?! Gwen!"
"Stop it Harry!" Peter called back tersely. "Just... stop it, okay? After how you deliberately played the sympathy card on Gwen to keep her from leaving you after your dad faked his death... I don't think either of us can ever forgive you for that." While Harry was left reeling from the combination of how Peter somehow knew that he was manipulating Gwen, and the accusation that his father, the one person who's approval meant the most to him, would stage his death without even telling him, Peter just let out a sigh as Gwen held him even closer. "But even if we can't bring ourselves to forgive you, we don't want to waste the energy it would take to hate you, so this is goodbye, Harry. For what it's worth though, I'll never stop hoping that someday you'll turn it around." With that, Peter and Gwen left, leaving Harry alone with several very angry football players.
"So what's the game plan, Flash?" One of the nicest jocks asked their captain. "A guy like Osborn deserves something special, don't you think?"
"...Nothing." Flash answered after a long silence, shocking his teammates, many of whom were willing to take a little detention, or even suspension from the team to hammer a much needed lesson into someone who would manipulate the feelings of a former friend for their own selfish gain. "He may be a total scumbag, but Parker was right; hating him just isn't worth the effort. Besides, Osborn never could take a hit, juice or no juice." With his bit said, Flash walked away, and everyone else soon followed suit, leaving Harry alone with nothing but his pain and anger.
As Flash was walking away, his girlfriend Sha Shan cut him off and abruptly kissed him. "Woah, what was that for?" He grinned happily.
"For being such a great guy." Sha Shan smiled brightly as she wrapped her arm around his. "Though maybe next time you could try standing up for the little guy without throwing any punches?" She teased him playfully.
"I'll do my best, but no promises." Flash agreed playfully. "I'm only human, after all."
As Peter and Gwen walked through the halls of the school in silence, trying to pull themselves together after that crazy though necessary incident, they were jumped from behind and pulled into an empty stairwell by Gali.
"Awesome job out there, Petey!" Gali congratulated her lover enthusiastically as she pulled both him and Gwen into a surprise group hug. "You really showed Goblin Jr. what for! And that whole 'you're not worth hating' thing was totally awesome! I don't think Ghandi could have put it better himself."
"Peter, who is this?" Gwen asked as she tried to get her pulse back down to normal.
Glaring at the cosmic being for her lack of tact, Peter reluctantly began the introductions. "Gwen, this is Gali, the girl who I was talking about back at the fountain. Gali, I'm pretty sure you're already familiar with Gwen."
"A pleasure to meet a future sister." Gali introduced herself as she enthusiastically shook a confused Gwen's hand. "So, did Webs here tell you the big news yet?"
"Webs?" Gwen parroted in confusion before she came to her senses. "Oh, you mean the Spider-Man thing? How does she know that?" She asked Peter worriedly.
"I've been keeping an eye on Peter for a while now, remember?" Gali reminded her. "And besides, even if I hadn't done that, it's totally obvious in retrospect. I mean, when the Rhino of all people is able to figure out that going after the only guy to ever get pictures of Spider-Man will inevitably lead him to Spider-Man, then you know you need to do a better job of hiding your secret identity. Not to mention there was a front page article in the Bugle speculating Peter was Spider-Man a few months ago."
"Thank you for those painful reminders." Peter sighed tiredly, all those close calls with his secret identity feeling so much closer now than before. "Look, no offense, but is there a reason for you being here?"
"C'mon, don't you remember what we talked about the morning after the fake funeral?" Gali goaded Peter playfully. "I'm just making sure you follow through on our big plans. Isn't that right, Liz?" She turned her attention to behind the stairwell, causing Peter and Gwen to turn in a panic as a sadly smiling Liz Allen stepped out from behind the stairs.
"Liz!" Peter panicked as he desperately looked around in every nook and cranny to make sure no one else was eavesdropping, mercifully finding nothing and no one else. "What are you doing here?"
"Peter, Gali already explained everything to me." Liz gave a bittersweet sigh. "Well, at least as much as she explained to you, anyway... and maybe even a little bit more."
"Liz, I am so sorry." Peter hastily apologized. "Look, that was all her idea. I swear I had nothing to do with it, and if you just give me a second to explain everything to-mmph!" He was abruptly cut off by a passionate-if brief-kiss from Liz, drawing Gwen's shocked ire and Gali's enthusiastic approval.
"Gali has a point, your excuses were always terrible." Liz smiled at a shell-shocked Peter. Turning to Gwen, she added. "I take it by your reaction that Peter didn't explain the big news yet?"
"I... thought the big news was about him being Spider-Man." Gwen uttered mutely as she tried to figure out what the heck was going on here. "But now I'm thinking that there might be something else going on."
"Smart girl." Gali grinned as she nudged Peter and Gwen together. "You really picked a winner with this one, and honestly, you're one of my favorite future sisters."
"Again with this sister thing." Gwen remarked suspiciously as she turned to Peter for answers. "Do you care to explain what's going on, Peter?"
"I'd really rather not, but I can tell when I'm backed into a corner." Peter surrendered. "Gwen, please don't freak out or jump to conclusions before I have a chance to fully explain, but Gali has this crazy idea in her head-which I do not support in any way," He glanced at the young planet eater, who coyly waved hello. "That I should... start having... a very... open... relationship." He barely managed to explain before his throat locked itself shut from the stress.
"I... see." Gwen acknowledged evenly, doing her utmost to keep in mind that this was Gali's idea and not Peter's. "And... what are your thoughts on this?" She asked him.
"Personally?" Liz cut in, knowing, but not caring that the query was directed at Peter and not her. "I think Peter is a great guy. Flaky, but a great guy. I mean, he's Spider-Man. Constantly risking life, limb, and his social life, all because he feels guilty about how his uncle was killed by a robber he let slip to spite some crooked fight promoter who cheated him out of some much needed and well deserved money. Not to mention that I still really, really like him, and really, really don't wanna let him go, but he really, really wants to be with you. If I could still be with him this way, then I think... given some time and practice... I'd actually be okay with this."
"This was my idea from the beginning, and I'm gonna fight for it as long as I can." Gali shrugged nonchalantly before her eyes softened at Gwen. "But you know, ultimately, this all comes down to you and Peter. If you say no, he'll fight tooth and nail to keep it that way, but if you say yes, then everybody wins."
"She's right you know." Peter told Gwen sincerely. "About your opinion meaning the most to me on this that is. I don't want to do anything to hurt you, Gwen. Lord knows I've already hurt enough people as it is. There are some very threatening reasons I can't make this decision on my own, but just know that I love and support you, no matter what you decide."
"This... this is all just too much." Gwen sighed as she massaged her temples. "Yesterday, my biggest concern was trying to deal with Harry needing comfort, which in hindsight was a little too overacting. Today, I find out that one of my best friends is a manipulative monster, and another is a super hero."
"And I'm the super hero in this equation, right?" Peter tried to provide a bit of levity to this incredibly awkward situation, which Gwen appreciated if her reluctant smile was anything to go by.
"Yes Peter, you're the super hero." Gwen chuckled softly. "Still, Liz has a point. If we do this, and that's a big 'if'," She said sternly. "It would take a lot of work to get it all down. Have any of you even given any thought-"
"Yes." Gali cut her off. "And before you ask any follow-up questions, just know that I've spent over half a century planning all of this, so I'm pretty sure I have all of my bases covered."
The casual admittance of the expanse of time she's spent planning this shocked and amazed Gwen. "How old are you?" She asked in awe as she began contemplating whether or not to call the men in white coats to take either Gali or herself to the Happy Hotel.
"Gwen, you should never ask a woman over 25 her age." Liz sighed as she held the swaying girl steady. "Don't worry too much though, I had a very similar reaction myself when she first came to me, and I imagine things were much the same for Petey?" She questioned her ex-soon to be current-boyfriend.
"Let's just say the answers she gave me when I started asking too many questions were more shocking than my last fight with Electro." Peter winced.
Her patience finally at an end, Gwen surrendered to the madness around her. "I'll give it a trial run for a few weeks." She relented with a bittersweet smile. "I owe you all at least that much for saving me from a horrible relationship with Harry." Throwing caution to the wind, she wrapped her arms around Peter and kissed him deeply, too happy to finally be with the guy she really wanted to pay any attention to Gali and Liz covering Peter's face and neck with kisses.
Unknown to our budding harem however, after being beaten, humiliated, and publicly dumped, Harry had called his limo to pick him up. As the soggy sore loser ditched school, he quickly began plotting his revenge.
"They think they can make a fool of me?!" Harry hissed as he typed frantically at his laptop. "They think they can drag my dad's name through the mud?! Well they've got another thing coming! Spider-Man, Peter, Gwen, that Gali-Girl, they're all gonna pay!"
Now Harry may not be the smartest or strongest wannabe villain by any stretch of the imagination, but he was by far one of the most unstable and self-obsessed, and if there was one thing he had going for him that most wannabes don't, it was a rich father that he knew how to steal useful stuff from. Case and point, the hacking software he nicked from his labs to get early access at his inheritance, and the fact that he knew about almost all of his father's secret accounts.
"Now let's see here," Harry remarked as he cross referenced 'Spider-Man' and 'Criminals' on Google, getting a few hundred different names for results. "Eenie Meenie Miny Moe, which goons will make bail with my dad's dough?"
After School
"Woohoo! Yeah-ha!" Spider-Man whooped as he swung around the New York skyline. 'I cannot believe just how well things are going for me today! Gwen and I are finally an item! And I'm also dating Liz and Gali, and they're all totally okay with this, at least for now, which is a little weird, and a little awesome, but I can live with that. Not to mention that it's only a matter of time before that slimeball Osborn is forced to crawl out of whatever rock he's hiding under. Granted, Harry ditching school and totally hating my guts is a major downside, but considering how bad my usual luck runs, this is actually like winning the lottery for me.'
*Spider-Sense!*-Someone's cutting your web!
"And of course it couldn't last." Spidey sighed dejectedly as he instinctively flipped onto a wall and catapulted himself to the roof, the knife that was thrown at his web getting caught in the sticky line it would have cut if it were still held taught by his weight. "A knife thrower, really? I've fought lions and rhinos and, well, not bears, but at the rate I'm going, it's really only a matter of-"
*Spider-Sense!*-Duck!
"Hey!" Spider-Man protested as he bent backwards to avoid another projectile knife, easily tracking its trajectory to find the source. "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt a hero mid-quip?" He lectured as he ran towards the water tank his now fleeing attacker had hidden behind.
"Oof! Hey-what the?! Spiderrrr!"
"That voice! Oh no." Spider-Man sighed sadly as his run slowed to a slouching walk. 'Why did it have to be her? Why? Just when things were going so well.' He thought to himself as he arrived to see Black Cat stuck in a web on the floor. "Hey there Cat, what brings you here?" He asked morosely.
"None of your business!" Black Cat growled as she tried to unstick herself, only to get even more stuck. "How did you set this trap here? You didn't even know I was here until a moment ago!"
"When you threw your second knife I noticed where it came from." Spider-Man explained to her as he tried to help her out, only to dodge a sloppy right hook in the process. "So, while I was dodging Matrix-style, I fired a web on one side of the water tank, and chased you around the other. Not the best gamble in hindsight, seeing as you could have easily jumped to another roof, but I was actually kinda hoping you were just some thug who was good at throwing knives and not much else." 'Guess this is what I get for thinking this was my lucky day.' He thought, the fact that he couldn't bring himself to quip a sign of just how much he hated this situation. "What are you doing here anyway, Cat? I know we didn't exactly part of good terms last time but-" He stopped as the Itsy Bitsy Spider began playing. "Excuse me for a sec, I gotta take this." He apologized sheepishly as he answered his phone. "Talk to me."
"Peter, it's George." His new girlfriends' father whispered in a hurried tone. "I don't have to explain the details or answer questions, but I need your help. I just got a call from my wife saying that Gwen has been kidnapped!"
"What?!" Spider-Man panicked, completely forgetting about everything else as he began contemplating how best to throttle the party responsible. "What happened?! Where is she?! Who took her?!"
"Calm down Peter, I'm getting to that." Mr. Stacy silenced his questioning. "Look, I don't have time to beat around the bush, so I'll come right out and say it. I know you're Spider-Man. Don't ask me how, I'm a police officer, and damn good at what I do, let's leave it at that. I also know that you're the only person I know who can take down that crazy Kraven The Hunter who took her."
"Kraven?!" Spider-Man hissed, subconsciously filing away George's knowledge of his secret identity for later. "How did he get out of jail? I thought he was locked up tight."
"Someone, I don't know who, placed bail for him, but that's not even the strangest part." The good cop answered. "Whoever did it also placed bail for Walter Hardy, the man who killed your uncle."
"They did what?!" Spider-Man shouted in outrage as he turned to Black Cat, her presence and sudden attack against him starting to make sense. "What would anyone want with those two monsters?!"
"I have a suspicion, but nothing definite. What I do know is that whoever bailed them out only picked up Kraven from prison, Walter was picked up shortly after they left by his daughter Felicia Hardy. I'm looking up an address right now. I know I'm asking a lot, especially considering what he did to your family, but do you think you could go there and try and get some answers from them?"
"Don't need to." Spider-Man remarked crossly as he walked over to Black Cat and roughly pulled her upright before slamming her against the water tank. "I've already got his daughter right here, and she's going to tell me everything, or else." With that, the wall-crawler hung up and used both hands to hold Felicia steady. "Alright Cat, we both know your old man is out on the streets where he doesn't belong, and the same guy who bailed him out also bailed out Kraven The Hunter. So unless you want me to throw you off the side of this building right now and see if cats really do always land on their feet, you're gonna tell me everything you know!"
Ordinarily, Felicia would have called his bluff and called him some colorful terms for indirectly threatening the freedom of her father, but something about his tone and how serious even his lenses looked told her that there was at least a 50/50 chance he might actually follow through on that threat. Fortunately for her, she was spared from making the call.
"That's enough, Spider-Man." Walter Hardy called out as he arrived via roof access stairs. "Your beef is with me, leave my daughter out of this."
"Dad! What are you doing here?! I told you to stay at home!" Felicia panicked as Spider-Man abruptly dropped her and ran over to her father with fury in his stride. "You leave my father alone, you wall-crawling freak!" She shouted as she lunged at Spider-Man, who sensed it coming and jumped, aiming his landing so that he was able to slam an unresistant Walter to the stairwell, leaving a furious Felicia to only watch in fear at what this new, more brutal Spider-Man might do to her father.
"You know something about the guy who bailed out you and Kraven!" Spider-Man hissed through his teeth. "Talk! Where are they?! What do they want with me?!"
To his credit, Walter didn't let his physical pain show as he responded. "Before I say anything on that subject, I'd just like to let you know just how sorry I am for killing your uncle." He remarked with great emotional pain and sympathy, shocking both Peter and Felicia.
"Your... His what?" Felicia could only gape in shock before the reality of her recent words and actions towards Spider-Man gained new context. "Oh God! What have I done?" She whispered as she began to cry in remorse.
"You know, you're the second person today to figure out who I am." Peter seethed. "So if you think you can intimidate me-"
"Not at all, Peter." Walted assured him. "Truth be told, I figured it out when Felicia tried to break me out of jail a few weeks back. I know your reputation, how all the thugs and super criminals you put in jail say the worst thing about you is how you never stop making terrible jokes, no matter how bad things get. And yet you had nothing but harsh words for me. Add that together with that rumor of Spider-Man and Peter Parker being the same person, and well... even if the Bugle publicly debunked it, people who know you well enough could piece it together."
"You know nothing about me, so don't act like you do!" Spider-Man slammed him against the wall. "Now talk! Where are Kraven and his employer?! What's their endgame?!"
"Spider-Man!" Felicia pushed the hero away from her half-choking father desperately. "Peter, please. I get it now, you have every reason to hate my father, but please, don't hurt him anymore than he's already hurting everyday!"
Seeing the desperate tears in Felicia's eyes, Peter realized that in his anger he had gone too far just now, even more than the man who killed his uncle deserved. "Thanks Felicia, I needed that." Peter sighed as his eyes and tone softened to those of the lovable jester she remembered. "But I also need answers." He continued as he crouched down to eye level with Walter. "Who bailed you out, and what did they want with you and Kraven?" He asked again, his tone still firm but much less aggressive.
"I'm not sure." Walter answered remorsefully. "All I know is that I was bailed out to make Peter Parker angry, and a few words I overheard about how Kraven was bailed out to track down Spider-Man and kidnap some girl."
"So they don't know who I am." Spider-Man hummed thoughtfully. "But why go after both of my identities then, and what about Gwen? This doesn't make any sense."
"There's one other thing I managed to catch." Walter added hopefully. "Kraven said that he knew who you bought your powers from. Some scientist named Warren."
"Bought?" Spidey blinked his lenses in confusion. "I'm a teenager, how could I possibly afford super powers?"
"I suspected as much." Walter chuckled darkly. "With the way he was talking, it seems like he bought his, and I would not want to be this Dr. Warren fella when Kraven finds out he was lied to." He grunted slightly as he got up. "Well, that's all I know. It may not mean much from me, but I hope you stop them before it's too late. Also, it may make you angry to hear this, but I'd like you to do me a favor before this all inevitably falls apart and I go back to jail."
"I am not doing you any favors." Spider-Man glared at Walter.
"It's not really for me, it's for my daughter." Walter assured Spider-Man. "Don't hold my actions against her. I made my choices, and she has nothing to do with that. Besides, I know she's sweet on you, and I know you'll treat her right." He grinned playfully.
"Dad!" Black Cat blushed hotly.
"I know she isn't you." Spider-Man declared sternly. "She will never be you. I'd sooner die than let that happen."
"That's more than I have a right to ask for." Walter remarked contentedly. "Don't worry about me, I'll be sure to hand myself over to the police and explain as much as I can, omitting certain details of course." He gave a knowing nod to Spider-Man as he left down the stairs.
Sniffing sadly as she watched her father leave her forever for the third time, Felicia turned to Spider-Man with renewed-if shaky-fire in her eyes. "So... are we going to catch this Kraven creep, or what?"
"You're actually going to help me?" Spider-Man remarked in surprise. "You're not still furious about the fact that your dad is going to rot in jail forever?"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still angry." Felicia remarked crossly. "But it's mostly at myself now. I've done wrong by you Spider, and now I've gotta start making things right. So, any idea where this Dr. Warren guy is?"
"I have two leads." Spider-Man remarked. "But it would probably take too long to check both."
"Then maybe I can help." Another new voice cut in as a woman with red hair and a mask in a predominately yellow jumpsuit flew up to them. If that wasn't shocking enough for the two heroes, the woman also looked like she was on fire. "The name's Firestar, and I think I may be able to narrow your search down a bit." She grinned as she pulled out a cellphone.
Meanwhile - The Former Lab of The Conners
"Please, I'm begging you!" A heavily beaten, bloodied, and bruised man with several missing teeth in a lab coat pleaded desperately as he struggled in futility against his restraints. "I already told you that Spider-Man didn't tell me his identity when he bought his powers from me. I don't know anything!"
"Harry, please! This isn't you!" Gwen tried to reason with the increasingly angry and frustrated teen, struggling as she was restrained by Kraven. "I know you've made a lot of mistakes, but if you keep this up then it'll be too late for you to fix things!"
"I am fixing things, Gwen!" Harry growled in frustration. "As soon as this tight lipped cheapskate tells me what I want to know, then I can get my revenge on Spider-Man, and everything can go back to the way it used to be. Now talk already!" He demanded as he slammed the sharp end of a claw hammer into the back of Dr. Warren's hand, eliciting a sharp yowl of pain from the crooked scientist.
"Please, let me go." Gwen pleaded with Kraven desperately. "Why are you helping him with this? Aren't you just some super hunter?"
"Kraven is the greatest hunter in the world!" The giant cat man boasted proudly. "But he is also a man of honor. If I have a debt to pay, I will do what I must to repay it, even if it is distasteful." He glanced at the unhinged teen in silent disapproval as he beat more teeth out of the evil scientist.
"Oh really? So then if I pay you a quarter will you get me a gumball?" Spider-Man quipped as he jumped down from the skylight, his eyes scanning the room and spotting Gwen and, much to his displeasure, Harry. "I was really hoping you weren't gonna be involved in this, Harry." He frowned sadly at how quickly his former friend was spiraling out of control.
"Spider-Man! Get him Kraven!" Harry demanded hotly.
"With pleasure!" Kraven grinned as he tossed Gwen aside and lunged forward, sending her crashing into a wall of glass cases.
"Oh, I know you did not just hurt a lady!" Black Cat cut in as she dropped from the skylight and landed a spinning ax kick on Kraven's head, backflipping into a crouching position as the hunter was seeing stars.
"What?!" Harry seethed furiously as he grabbed Dr. Warren by the lapels of his coat. "Is she another one of your customers?! Talk!"
"I don't even know who she is!" The doctor sobbed pitifully.
"Oh, while we're on the subject, I'd just like to clear something up." Spider-Man chimed in before slamming a roundhouse kick into Kraven's chin sending him staggering back towards Harry. "I got my powers in a lab accident, the keyword here being 'accident'. I didn't pay for my powers, I'm on a shoestring budget for crying out loud!"
"You dare lie to Kraven?" Kraven growled at the increasingly terrified scientist. "No one deceives Kraven and lives to tell about it!" With a savage roar, Kraven used his claws to slash the throat of the deceitful Dr. Warren, leaving him to slowly choke to death on his own blood as he turned his attention back to Spider-Man and Black Cat.
"Whoa! Dude, time out!" Spider-Man protested as he and Black Cat somersaulted over over a charging Kraven and landed dual kicks to his butt on their way down. "I know he was a lying con artist who sells superpowers to criminals, but that was just uncalled for. I thought you were supposed to be sporting about what you hunt, or something like that."
"Kraven is only a sporting hunter for sporting prey." Kraven growled as he lifted a desk over his head menacingly. "I have no patience for-GAAAAHHH!" He was cut short as a surge of fire blasted into his back, causing him to collapse in pain, the desk falling on his head and knocking the already woozy cat man out immediately afterwards.
"I'm sorry, was I supposed to wait for a signal, or something?" Firestar remarked sheepishly as she somewhat clumsily flew down from the ceiling. "I'm still kinda new to this hero thing, so when I saw a chance I just took it."
"Not at all, I'd give you a nine out of ten." Spider-Man remarked. "I especially like how you timed it just so to make the desk fall on his head. Little tip though," He gestured to Dr. Warren, who was now in his final death throes. "In the future, try to step in before there are any casualties, okay?"
"But he was a mad scientist." Firestar pointed out innocently. "Doesn't that mean we don't have to care what happens to him?"
"Try not to think like that, okay?" Black Cat scolded her gently. "A life is a life, and every life is important to someone out there."
"And I cannot tell you how glad I am that you've finally learned that." Spider-Man remarked in exhilaration. "Now if you don't mind, there's still the matter of-"
*Spider-Sense!*-Behind you!
"Aaaahhh!" Gwen screamed as Harry came barreling in clumsily on a glider he stole from his dad's lab and snatched her up. "Let got of me, you creep!"
"Gwen!" Spider-Man gritted his teeth as he, Black Cat, and Firestar glared at the haphazardly balanced young Osborn, who was currently holding Gwen tightly. "Let her go right now, Harry! You've done a lot of bad things, but it's still not too late for you. Just put her down, and we can talk this out." He tried to placate the unstable teen, his compassion winning over his common sense once again.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Harry replied tersely as he adjusted himself to make sure he had a good grip on his hostage. "Talk me down, clear my head, maybe try and make me forget how you slandered my father?!"
"You mean that web sign he put up downtown?" Black Cat shot back. "From what I understand, your father brought that on himself."
"You mean like how your dad brought his life sentence on himself?!" Harry countered viciously, eliciting a pained wince from the cat burglar. "That's right, I know all about what a daddy's girl you are. I should know, after all, I'm the one who bailed him out. You should be thanking me right now, yet here you are, working side by side with the reason he got locked up in the first place, and..." He paused as he blinked a few times at Firestar. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before, miss..?" He gestured cordially.
"The name's Firestar." The fire slinger answered. "I'll be sure to brand it on your face so you won't forget, you mood swinging slimeball!"
"Stop calling me names!" Harry stomped his foot angrily.
*Spider-Sense!*-The glider is unbalanced!
Acting on instinct, Gwen stomped on Harry's foot and flipped them both off the glider, sending the glider spiraling out of control as Gwen angled herself and Harry so that he'd cushion her fall when she landed shoulder first on his stomach, knocking him out from the pain.
"Gwen!" Spider-Man panicked as he rushed over to his girlfriend and slowly helped her to her feet, pausing for only a second to make sure Harry was out cold. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you? How many fingers am I holding up? What's the capital Illinois?"
"In order," Gwen couldn't help a slight chuckle as she brushed his concerns off. "I'm fine, he didn't hurt me, Three, and Springfield."
"Okay, you're good." Spider-Man breathed a sigh of relief, before he remembered he had company. "Oh right. Gwen, this is Black Cat and Firestar. Firestar and Black Cat, this is Gwen Stacy."
"Thanks for the save." Gwen remarked as she shook Black Cat's hand, before getting a surprise hug from Firestar. "Okay, I see you're a very friendly hero." Gwen laughed awkwardly as she returned the hug for a moment before it got awkward and she pulled apart from her. "By the way Pe-err, Spider-Man," She quickly corrected herself. "There's something I need to talk with you about-"
"Before any of that, there's a huge elephant in the room I need to address!" Firestar announced. "Black Cat, real name Felicia Hardy, on behalf of Petey here, I'd like to officially welcome you to the Spectacular Spider-Harem!" She declared dramatically as she wrapped Felicia, Gwen, and Peter in a big group hug, leaving them very much confused.
"What the-how does she know who you are?" Gwen asked Spider-Man worriedly.
"And did she just say harem?" Felicia glared accusingly at Spider-Man.
"I'd actually really like to know the answers to both of those questions too." Spider-Man remarked, utterly baffled by this turn of events.
"Maybe this will refresh your memory." Firestar smirked as she pulled up his mask just enough to kiss him deeply.
When she backed away, Peter's eyes widened in shock and recognition. "Liz?! Is that you?"
"Absolutely, Petey!" Liz/Firestar grinned as her hair faded from a vivid red to the usual brunette. "What do you think? I make a pretty good redhead, huh?"
"What the-? How the-? What the-?" Peter stammered in confusion. "I thought your brother was the fire slinger in the family, no offense." He immediately apologized, not wanting to dredge up any painful memories for her.
"None taken." Liz remarked as her hair switched back to red. "As it turns out, my brother's powers weren't created by the experiments he subjected himself to, they were already in his DNA from birth, and mine too. The experiments just gave Goblin an on-off switch for his, whereas Gali explained the whole thing to me, helped me get the hang of my powers, and is even helping my brother regain control over his as we speak."
"That's... great Liz," Gwen noted hesitantly. "But... how could you have been born with powers, let alone not know about them until now?"
"I think I've heard about this before." Felicia added curiously. "You're a Mutant, aren't you? A subspecies of human born with a unique genetic sequence that grants super powers." Noticing the baffled stares she was getting from Peter and Gwen, she shrugged. "What? I'm not just a cat burglar with super model good looks, you know. I'll have you know that I happen to be very well informed as well."
"The genetic sequence you're thinking of is actually called the X-Gene." Liz lectured. "And technically, not everyone who has it has abilities you could really call super powers. Some might just have odd quirks that may actually get in the way of daily living, like invisible skin, or purple hair that grows slightly faster than normal."
"Not that this hasn't been very informative," Gwen interjected. "But we're getting a little off-topic here."
"She's right, you know." Gali remarked as she suddenly appeared out of thin air behind Gwen, startling her and everyone else who was still conscious. "There are still a few loose hanging threads. Like Felicia not knowing about the Spider-Harem Plan, or Gwen being confused about her own powers."
"Okay, I know I didn't hear anything wrong this time." Felicia glared at Spider-Man. "Explain. Now."
"...Gwen has powers?" Peter whispered in astonishment, barely even hearing Felicia. "Since when?!"
"Since she crashed into that tank over there and I sped up her metabolism a bit to circulate the spider venom through her body." Gali shrugged nonchalantly. "By the way, here's your costume." She smiled brightly as she handed Gwen a black and white costume resembling Spider-Man's suit, with small portions of the standard red webbed pattern on her underarms and in the lining of the added white hood.
"...You... you knew this would happen, didn't you?!" Gwen turned to Gali in shock and anger. "You knew, and you didn't do anything?!"
"I didn't know." Gali adamantly defended herself, before mischievously adding. "But I was kinda hoping."
"Listen, whoever you are," Felicia stormed over to Gali. "I don't know who you are, or what your game is, but unless you have some power to spontaneously generate stylish clothes out of thin air, your defense doesn't have a leg to stand on. Also, this is the last time I'm going to ask nicely. What is this Spider-Harem Plan of yours?!"
"Felicia, provoking her may not be the best idea." Spider-Man cautioned her, though he went ignored.
"For your information, not only can I generate clothes out of thin air, but there's so much more I can do than that. For instance," Gali grinned as she pointed index finger at Felicia, causing her breasts and hips to each grow about three sizes larger, while adding a noticeable v-neck to her spandex. "Much better. Now you're looking like a real femme fatale."
"How did you do this to me?!" Felicia panicked, even as she made a mental note to get a better look in a mirror later.
"And could you possibly do it again?" Firestar asked hopefully.
"Maybe some other time." Gali shrugged as she pointed her finger at Gwen, instantly changing her into her new costume. "For now though, it's time for Spider-Girl to make her first public appearance." She grinned as she pulled out a camera.
"Spider-Girl?" Gwen protested. "How come Peter gets to be Spider-Man, but I get stuck with Spider-Girl? Shouldn't I be Spider-Woman?"
"Really? That's what you're complaining about?" Peter slapped his face in exasperation. "What about the fact that you apparently have Spider Powers now? By the way, we still haven't seen any proof that you actually-" He trailed off as Gwen promptly demonstrated a backflip to the ceiling, where her feet firmly stuck. "...Okay, I'm convinced now."
"Getting used to powers isn't exactly hard." Gwen/Spider-Girl shrugged. "Especially when you have a boyfriend who already explained how he first got used to the same powers."
"Lucky." Liz sighed as she shared a glance with Peter. "I wish we could bond like that." She shrugged before kissing Peter on the cheek and flying over next to Spider-Girl.
Felicia glanced quizzically at Gali. "...Let me guess, you're in on this too?" She questioned, already half aware of the answer.
"Who do you think got this started?" Gali grinned as her clothes faded away in a purple light, quickly being replaced by a female version of the most feared outfit in the universe, much to Felicia's shock. "Now are you gonna get in there, or do I have to tickle you until you do?"
Staring at Gali in shock, Felicia panned her view from her, to Firestar, who didn't look at all surprised, to Spider-Girl, who looked as surprised as Felicia felt, to Spider-Man, who could only shake his head in exasperation. After a brief moment to contemplate her life thus far, and where it looked to be headed, she struggled and failed to suppress a chuckle. "You know what? Life is too short to worry about the small things. Count me in." Flipping through the air so that she landed right in Spider-Man's arms bridal style, she grabbed his face and kissed him deeply and passionately, leaving him struggling for air as he tried to stay upright. By the time they parted, Peter's face was as red as his mask. "Piece of advice, Spider, next time someone kisses ya, remember to put your mask back on." She teased him.
"Noted." Spidey remarked as he made a point of emphasizing pulling his mask back down, in an effort to hide his embarrassment at forgetting to put it back on after Liz took it off. "You can get down now."
"No thanks." Black Cat purred as she nuzzled him cheek to cheek. "I'm fine right where I am."
"I was afraid you might say something like that." Spider-Man sighed as he stood together with Firestar and Spider-Girl.
"Alright everyone!" Gali grinned as she adjusted her camera. "This is for both my blog, and the Bugle, so smile real big and say 'Planet Eater'!"
"Planet Eater!" The four heroes in the frame couldn't help but chuckle as the flash went off.
Meanwhile - An Undisclosed Location
"Worthless!" A red skinned woman grunted as she slammed the young brunette woman Spider-Man had saved from a mugger earlier that day into a brick wall, adding to the many cuts and bruises she already had. "I gave you an exact time to be back here by, and you're late!"
"By two minutes!" The girl growled as she pulled herself up, her wounds curiously already starting to heal. "I got sidetracked by Spider-Man."
"Spider-Man!" The red skinned woman panicked, lunging at the girl and slamming her against the wall, her hands firmly around her neck. "He didn't follow you, did he? Because if I find out he did-!"
"He didn't even know who I was!" The girl gasped for air as a metal blade suddenly extended from her foot, which she tried to stab into the other woman, only for it to uselessly trail sparks across her undoubtedly hard skin. "He just thought I was a victim of some random mugging."
Searching the girl for any deception, the red skinned woman apparently found none, and dropped her to the floor, leaving her to gasp for air to fill her lungs. "Good, you at least managed to do something right! Next time though, don't let some random street punk get the drop on you!" She punctuated her statement with a swift kick to the girls' stomach, leaving her in a coughing fit. "However, since this little stroke of fortune works in our favor, I'll let it slide, just this once."
"Go to Hell, bitch!" The brunette growled as she spat blood at her tormentor, getting a solid kick to the face for her trouble.
"Watch your tongue, you miserable mutt!" The bitch hissed. "I was showing mercy because you running into Spider-Man will make it easy for you to track his scent. Don't let my gifts go to waste again!"
"My next target*cough*is Spider-Man?" The girl inferred from the words of the red skinned bitch.
"That's right." The red skinned woman grinned sadistically. "Our newest contractor has recently suffered massive setbacks in his agenda due to the wall-crawler, not that his activities are of any concern to you. He wants you to find Spider-Man and make an example out of him. This goes without saying, but make certain that no one sees you and lives. You'll hand the corpse to us, we'll make an example of it. Do you understand, X-23?"
"I understand perfectly... Kimura!" The young feral X-23 growled viciously.