Chapter 10: Growing Closer
Author's Note: Hooray! I'm at the two-thirds mark! Some big developments happen int his chapter too, so I hope you enjoy!
The City that Never Sleeps was what it was known as. He could see why.
Everywhere Carlos LaMuerto looked people were walking by, busily shuffling about and heading off to do something or another. All of them densely packed like sardines and walking along without any other clear aim or purpose. And the buildings too. Tall, massive things covered in so much glass. Grand, majestic, and from Carlos' standpoint just a bit ostentatious.
In all it was a pretty far cry from how he'd grown up. But then that had been a life of poverty and weakness. Now Carlos was strong. He had grown beyond his humble beginnings, so perhaps then it was only fitting that he have a stomping ground that was grander than what he had lived in previously.
Not that he had come to New York City for a change of scenery though. No, he had come here as a sort of precaution. His homeland was finally growing a backbone and efforts were being made to improve his native Mexico. Looking at much of the country one wouldn't have guessed that, but even so, a push was being made. And thus it paid to have a place Black Tarantula could retreat to if ever his homeland ceased to be a valid source of profit for his drug empire.
But then why New York specifically? There was a reason for that too. This was the place the latest champion of a bloodline that rivaled his own called home. This was the place where the Spider-Man resided. The natural rival of his own bloodline. A rival and with any luck, a worthy foe for his own power and fighting skills.
But then there's only one way to know for sure. Black Tarantula noted. The Spider-Man's skills pitted against my own. We shall see who emerges the victor.
-X-
He'd seen her.
There, in her costume with her green eyes still shining through her mask. Her white hair looking as immaculate and magnificent as ever and her face the same. He'd seen her when he thought he was going to die, doomed to become food for an astral predator. Hers had been the face he'd seen when he feared it was the end and he would be moving on to either his rewards or else infinite nothingness depending on whether or not there was an afterlife. Not Aunt May's face, not Gwen's face, not Uncle Ben's face, but her's. Felicia Hardy's. The Black Cat's. Two names for one woman.
But what did he take away from this? Ultimately there weren't too many different things he could take away from it. That hers had been the face he'd seen told him that he truly did care for her. More than cared for her, he loved her as she loved him. Perhaps not in the exact same way, but his love for her was there all the same. And any doubts he had as to how sincere or intense that love was were laid to rest by this fact. More and more he could not stop thinking about her. Thoughts of her sensual, ruthlessly arousing and sultry personality, the kindness she'd shown him when he desperately needed it, and how far she had come from her early days as a cat burglar all filled his mind on a regular basis. So too did images of her beautiful face and body both. Images that he found he would not force out of his head even if he could. He liked them. Loved them even. For after all, they were an extension of her.
Spider-Man also couldn't help but remember something Black Cat had said to him not long after learning he was with Mary Jane…
"Spider...just know that, if things don't work out between you and the redhead or whoever else, I…" Black Cat, who had now inched very close to him and was whispering in his ear, paused. Realizing what she was doing, she backed away a bit.
"Thanks Cat." Spider-Man had replied, adding before swinging off: "...you'll be the first to know."
And funny enough, things hadn't worked out between him and Mary Jane. But then by the time they hadn't it had been five years, and Peter had apparently forgotten about Felicia's lingering feelings for him. He had convinced himself that their former love had definitively become a thing of the past, never to be revisited. But then Black Cat kissed him after the crisis with Harry and the Hobgoblin and all of a sudden Peter was reminded of how her love for him had never come close to going away. And now he in turn had to decide where he stood with her.
This very same dilemma had been present a few nights ago as well, before the whole business with Shathra and Ezekiel. And thinking about that made Peter in turn think again about how, when it seemed as though Shathra was going to kill him, the person whom he thought of most was Felicia, and what would happen to her when he was gone.
"Admit it Spidey…" his inner thoughts goaded. "...you so have the hots for the Black Cat again."
He did admit it, at least to himself. Would he admit to her? Would he act on his feelings and take a chance with her again?
-X-
"Admit it Felica…" Black Cat's inner thoughts goaded. "You are so crushing on Spider-Man again. And Peter Parker this time."
It was true. She was. She had always loved him and always would, but ever since their kiss over six months ago Black Cat's feelings for Spider-Man had been reignited in full like an inferno, and returned her to a state similar to what it was when they were together.
Together. Those were the good years, when they fought side-by-side as partners in every sense of the word and Felicia didn't have a care in the world. To her every problem would just magically go away after a while and she and her Spider-Man would be together forever.
Some dream that had been.
"Why did I ever let this guy go?" she lamented. "Why was I so young and stupid when we first met? I'd give anything for us to have one more chance together…"
-X-
Carlos still remembered what life had been like before the tarantula.
His house was a painfully small one. The air hot, oppressive, and stinking at all times. The wails of his infant sibling and the bratty shrieks of his other siblings ringing in his ears along with the arguing of his parents. The pitiful sight of what little they had and how he was forced to confront this truth every day of his life.
Before the Tarantula, Carlos was a skinny, underweight, and completely non-physical child. His one older sibling mocked him for this, as did his father. "Little one" they called him on the good days. "Pathetic" on the bad ones. "An Embarrassment". "One of the girls". And other similarly demeaning labels.
He'd first encountered the tarantula during one of the days when he sought solitude. His chest burned and he heaved and gasped for air as he always did, only able to run for a short while before his complete lack of stamina caught up with him and he became so slow he could hardly walk, never mind run. Bruises clung to his skin from where he'd been struck by family and peers alike, and sweat covered every inch of his body courtesy of running in the hot sun of Mexico.
And there it was.
Nestled next to a rock was a large, black-furred tarantula that was the single biggest spider Carlos had ever seen. Common sense dictated that he stay away from it, but there was something about the tarantula that instead had an enthralling, enticing effect on Carlos. He moved closer to it. The Tarantula seemed to take notice, as it in turn began to move towards him.
To this day he was not entirely sure what had compelled him to reach out with his hand and let the Tarantula bite it. What force was behind the enthralling effect the Tarantula had on him. Was it simply because he had been a simpleton? Perhaps he had wanted to die and thought the Tarantula's poison could give him the escape from his miserable existence he sought. Or perhaps it was because even then he sensed the incredible power the Tarantula had to give him, all with a bite.
In any event, the end result was the same. It was not poison he got from that tarantula but power. He felt it the moment he woke up. Muscles were now there where they hadn't been. His arms and legs had gone from twigs to trunks, and his chest featured muscles almost as big as his head. And the change went beyond just that. The heat no longer bothered him quite as much, his skin having become toughened. When he started to walk, to move again, he found he could run just as well as he could before fatigue had taken him. In fact, he was running faster. Much faster. It took him only a few moments of basking in his new strength and speed to deduce that the Tarantula's bite had been the cause.
"The power…" he had mused. "Such power...power to be strong. Yes, strong. Never weak. Never will I allow myself to be weak again."
And such was the beginning of his transformation into Black Tarantula. And in all the years that followed, amidst all of the fighting, all of the deal making and alliance building, all of the drug trading, Carlos held true to his vow. Never again would he be weak. Never again...
-X-
She still remembered when they had first met. Well, not a first meeting really, but they had seen each-other. They'd locked eyes and his face had gone completely red. She smiled at the sight. They had both been small children back then. She hadn't yet become the Black Cat and he certainly had not gained any of the confidence and courage he would have later in life as Spider-Man.
-X-
He still remembered when they had first met. Not much of a first meeting. Just him walking by one day, a day so long ago it had been before his parents had left him as a small child. He had been walking idly by one day, until he saw her and stopped dead in his tracks. She had been the single prettiest girl he'd ever seen, with stark white hair and piercing green eyes. Not the sultry vixen she would become granted, but still pretty all the same.
"Mom, dad" he had said later that day. "I saw an angel. And she looked back at me."
-X-
As it was, Spider-Man wasn't surprised when Ezekiel made his presence known to him once again. Shathra may have been dealt with, but the old man had emphasized that were other predators out for Spider-Man's head. Not to mention that Ezekiel had also mentioned in their first meeting that he had taken a vested interest in him and had been watching him for over a decade.
"I see that you're doing well." Ezekiel noted matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, I'd say my not being a big helping of demon-spider-wasp food means I'm doing pretty good." Spider-Man said in a sardonic tone before sighing and continuing: "Let me guess: the other predators are here now?"
"One is yes. And in the case of this one I am not so well-equipped to help you, for I know of this particular one only by reputation. Lucky you though, I know somehow who can help you. Follow me."
The older man's words were ones that Spider-Man was not naturally inclined to take for being sincere, but in light of how his spider-sense was not going off and also how Ezekiel had saved his hide from Shathra, he still decided to trust the previous spider anyway.
As Ezekiel took off on his own web-lines Spider-Man followed him, as he did silently impressed by how spry the older man was. As he navigated New York on his webs with almost as much grace, speed, and fluidity as Spider-Man himself, it was clear that his old age was not too great a hindrance for him. In fact, he seemed to wear his 77 years much better than men who were half his age.
The two spider's swing went on for what seemed a long time, before at last Ezekiel took Spider-Man to a spire the web-head had seen before but had never previously paid any attention to. Entering through a window, Ezekiel led Spider-Man inside the building. As they made their way in, Spider-Man caught on to how this was Ezekiel's home.
"So…I take it you live here?"
"Yes. The whole tower is mine in fact."
"Wow. Are you secretly Tony Stark's grand-pappy or something?"
"My fortune is in no way connected to Tony Stark's." Ezekiel replied humorlessly. "Come. My other guest is expecting you."
"And...who is this 'guest' exactly?"
"No need to be skeptical Spider-Man." an old woman's voice rang in his head.
"Madame Web?" Spider-Man's eyes widened in surprise behind his mask. "You're in on this too?" Spider-Man didn't bother looking around for the old woman who had helped him a few times in the past, including once against the Juggernaut. He knew that she wasn't really there, rather she was communicating with him telepathically the way she had in the past.
"I am pleased to see that you were able to overcome Shathra. I feared that the Spider-Wasp would be powerful enough to kill you." Madame Web continued, her elderly voice ringing in Spider-Man's head as though it was his own inner thoughts. Not the funnest experience, but after a few times of doing it with both Madame Web and also the X-Men's colorful collection of telepaths, Spider-Man had learned to live with it.
"Hey come on MW, show a little bit more faith in the old Spider-Man...although I gotta admit, I was kind of worrying the same thing for a little while. But Ezekiel here came through in the end and saved my hide."
"You will not be able to rely on his assistance this time." Madame Web warned. "This new foe out for your blood is one that he has never encountered before and has no experience with."
Spider-Man nodded. "Yeah, he said as much to me already."
"Fortunately for you, I possess some knowledge on this foe. His name is Black Tarantula, and he is the latest representative of a bloodline that runs parallel to the Spider-Bloodline you and Ezekiel come from."
"So we're still pushing the whole 'I'm part of a Spider-Bloodline' stuff huh?" Spider-Man shook his head. "Alright fine. So this 'Black Tarantula' is part of a different bloodline?"
"Yes, the Tarantula blood-line. And he's come here to New York to challenge you."
"Wow, he came all the way to the Big Apple just to see little old me? I'm flattered."
"This is no joke." Madame Web cautioned sternly. "Black Tarantula is a formidable foe. He will be able to match you on all physical fronts, and is also cunning and resourceful as well."
"You seem to know an awful lot about this guy…"
"I told you, I know of this threat. I made it my business to know. Take my warnings to heart Spider-Man. Black Tarantula will not be a foe easily overcome, even with my help."
"And how do you plan to help me specifically? Or is all of this info on my latest boxing partner the help?"
"Part of it. But just as I know Black Tarantula's strengths, I can also educate you on his weaknesses."
"Which are?"
"For starters he is a more nocturnal creature. This means you can expect him at only a set period of time. He is also the head of his own criminal empire, and he must also devote time to managing his resources and assets. He will not be able to devote all of his time to you therefore, unlike Shathra, who would have pursued you until one of you died and did. Third, his criminal empire remains important to him. If you could somehow threaten it's continued safety and prosperity, he might choose to call off the hunt...or become even more determined to kill you. You will have to tread carefully with that last one."
"No kidding." Spider-Man said. "So just to run down what I know so far, I've got to face down some really badass criminal mastermind who's strong and fast enough to fight me to a stand-still." Spider-Man shook his head before muttering sarcastically: "Piece of cake."
"Remember what I've told you" Madame Web insisted before adding: "Use the city to your advantage as you did with Shathra. Black Tarantula is not native to New York and will be less familiar with it. Exploit that. Exploit any and every advantage that you can. And remember, if you could somehow get Black Tarantula's kingdom at your mercy, you could blackmail him into calling off the fight."
"I tend to not be big on blackmail, but in this case I may just make an exception. And I think I know someone who can help me with it too. Someone I've been meaning to talk to again in fact."
-X-
She still remembered the first time they had really met. She didn't know if he still did or not, but she remembered. It was not long after her first meeting with him that they finally got to talk to one another. Once again, his face was red and he was completely tongue-tied.
"Hi…" he'd finally managed to say awkwardly. "My name is Peter." No sooner had he sheepishly given his name did Felicia smile at him. "Hi. My name is Felicia."
-X-
He still remembered the first time they had really met. He was surprised that he still did, as it had been so long ago, and by the time he'd seen her again he hardly remembered her as that same girl from his home in Queens. But that white hair and those green eyes could not have belonged to anyone else, and as he had been searching through the memories of their past encounters and experiences with one another, this one amazingly came up as one of the oldest.
"That's a nice name." Peter had said after first learning Felicia's name, again awkwardness permeated his tone. His nervousness was so transparent he was grateful that no other children were around to watch, as they would have inevitably made fun of him for it.
"Thanks." Felicia had said pleasantly. "Peter's a nice name too."
A pause. Neither one seemed to know what to say next. But it was not surprising that Felicia was the one who broke the silence, Peter being as hopelessly tongue-tied as he was.
"Do you want to go to the park?" she asked off-handedly.
"The park?" Peter asked uncertain.
Felicia nodded. "The park. My daddy takes me most of the time, but I know how to get there and back. I can go by myself. You wanna come?"
"Well, uh...I should probably tell my parents…"
"Don't worry, I know the way. I can take you there and back without a problem."
"But my parents might get worried…"
"Alright, have it your way. I'll be playing in the trees if you do come."
And then Felicia ran off to the park. Peter was all set to go back to his parents, but something instead compelled him to chase after Felicia, even though he knew he would almost certainly get an earful from his parents later on. But he couldn't help it. He was drawn to Felicia, like metal to a magnet, only nowhere near as cold or lifeless as those two things. No, this was an attraction filled with emotions, even if Peter didn't fully comprehend the nature of his feelings at the time.
He went to the park, and she did indeed climb the trees, hanging upside-down from her legs on a large branch.
"You should come down!" Peter called out. "You'll hurt yourself!"
Felicia laughed, her laugh sounding so breezy and unconcerned, very different from the laughs of other children her age. "Oh don't worry. I always land on my feet. Daddy says I'm just like a cat."
-X-
Black Cat found her heart fluttering quite a bit when she saw Spider-Man standing outside of her penthouse waiting to be let in.
"Spider. I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. This a social visit or something more serious?"
"The latter." Spider-Man said bluntly and wearily. "I need help taking down someone's criminal empire or at least hurting it enough to threaten him."
Black Cat chuckled in response to this. "That's a pretty tall order. What's the occasion? Kingpin back to cause more trouble?"
Spider-Man shook his head. "Nope. New guy called 'Black Tarantula'. Think the missing link between me and Venom with a little bit of Kingpin thrown in for good measure. At least that's what I've been led to believe. Apparently he's come to New York looking to kick my ass, I kid you not."
"And...you want to hit him where it hurts?"
Spider-Man nodded. "Pretty much. From what I was told by some other friends who know the guy a bit better, he doesn't have too many weaknesses. But his caring about his empire's one of them. So if you and I can find some way to threaten it, I might be able to get him to back off."
"Well, taking down criminal empires tends to be a bit out of my jurisdiction."
"And stealing stuff for SHIELD isn't?"
"Hey, at least with that I'm doing what I've always done best and I get some really nice toys in the process. But this is something different. I don't know if I can do it…"
"Can't you get your new SHIELD pals to help you with this?"
"Well see, just like how this is a little too big for me, it's a lot too small for them. SHIELD tends to not spend much time going after street-level crooks."
"I seem to remember them cracking down pretty hard on the Maggia not too long ago."
"That's because those idiots were dealing with Hydra and AIM. So unless your new friend starts doing the same I doubt I could convince any of my new bosses to give a damn. Sorry Spider, but I think you and I may be on our own here."
"Terrific." Spider-Man said sarcastically before adding: "I don't suppose you could get Iron Fist or the other Marvel Knights to help us either?"
Black Cat shook her head. "Nope. Natasha's still recovering from the fight with Harry and that Green Goblin monster, Daredevil's dealing with the Hand last I checked, and Iron Fist just said he was 'busy'. I guess we could see if Moon Knight and White Tiger are available…"
Spider-Man shrugged. "Why not? I could use some help here if the guy's as bad as they say. But are you sure you can't do anything with the resources you have now?"
Black Cat sighed. "I'll try. But don't get your hopes up. If taking out the guy's criminal empire was that easy, someone else would have done it already."
"Point taken. But still. I've already gotten my clock cleaned a couple times these last few weeks, not to mention nearly been killed three times now. I could do without number four."
"Still not promising anything."
"Didn't expect you to. But still, every little bit counts. And now if you'll excuse me, I really must be going."
"To where?" Black Cat asked. Spider-Man turned back around to face her as he gave his answer: "My weekly training. And something tells me that when Black Tarantula does come after me, I'm going to need it." Spider-Man was about ready to swing off again when Black Cat called out to him: "Spider wait!"
Spider-Man stopped and turned back around to face her. "Yes?"
"I just wanted to tell you that I…" her words caught in her throat and Black Cat cursed herself for her inability to finish her sentence. "I…"
Spider-Man turned back around and pulled her close to him. She returned the embrace and the two of them just stood there for a moment.
"I love you." she whispered. "I always have, I always will."
"I know." he replied. "I've always known."
"Do you still love me?" Black Cat asked.
"I...I do. Yes, I do. I love you Felicia."
"Then be with me. Take me back and let me be with you forever."
"I don't know if I can do that Felicia."
"Why not?" she asked, her tone almost pleading, but still having some strength in it.
"I...it's complicated."
And then, Spider-Man let go of Black Cat, turned around, and swung off.
-X-
He still remembered the last time they'd met as children.
He was going to a Middle School close to home, while Felicia was instead going to something a bit more "high class". He hadn't been jealous. Only instead feeling something odd in both his chest and head as he realized that this might be the last time he and Felicia would see each-other.
"Will I...do you think we'll ever see each-other again?"
"I don't know Peter." Felicia admitted. "I mean, my school's pretty far away, so…"
"But you won't spend all your time there. You'll still live in Queens right?"
Felicia lowered her head. "Well, actually Peter I…" she sighed and trailed off before finally admitting: "Daddy thinks we might be moving."
"What?"
"Just so our home can be closer to my new school. Or so he says. Personally I think he has another reason, but I didn't push it. I'm sorry Peter, but I don't know if we'll ever see each-other again."
"Oh…" Peter felt as though his insides had crumbled away like a ruined castle. Seeing the despair all over his face, Felicia leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Peter thought he would faint the second her lips brushed up against his skin, but somehow he retained his composure.
"Just in case I never see you again." she said.
"T-thanks Felicia…"
Felicia smiled. "Of course. You take care of yourself Peter. No matter what happens, I'm sure you'll do great in school."
"Yeah…" Peter said. "...great in school…"
Peter and Felicia did not in fact see each-other again after that. Or at least, not again before meeting as their costumed aliases. Her family did indeed move, and she lost touch with Peter as a result. Felicia often thought about Peter, and to her surprise even found herself worrying about him, and how he was doing. In the time she'd gotten to know him she'd found him to be cute in his own way but also astonishingly, unrepentantly, and in her opinion downright comically, shy. So shy in fact that she had come to think of herself (perhaps with just a bit of hubris) as his only hope for self-confidence. She had always been the one to urge him to step outside of his comfort zone and do things that dared to be even just a little bit outside of it. And he always ended up enjoying himself, so long as Felicia was still there of course.
But he was also kind of a nerd. Felicia didn't mind, as she wasn't that shallow. But she knew other kids would not be as tolerant or accommodating. And without her…
Felicia always felt guilty thinking about that, feeling almost as though she'd abandoned him.
"But he'll be fine." Felicia had tried to assure herself, and also perhaps ease her guilty conscience. "He'll be fine without me. Just fine…"
-X-
Peter arrived at the dojo of the legendary Shang-Chi checking his watch to make sure he wasn't late. Not that Shang would be likely to get angry, but the martial arts master did stress punctuality of being just one of many different virtues that all men should strive to have. And it was also one that Peter had struggled with ever since he first got his spider powers.
Lucky him that Shang was a bit more privy to the exact reasons for his tardiness.
"I take it you were delayed?" Shang asked in a cordial tone as Peter entered his dojo in full, the place completely empty outside of Peter and Shang. The dojo was normally packed with men and women eager to learn martial arts from the self-styled "Master of Kung Fu", but for his more "personal" students, Shang reserved special times of day to training them and them alone. Peter was one such individual.
And so is Felicia. Peter thought, remembering how Shang-Chi had been one of Black Cat's martial arts teachers as well, and in particular had helped hone her incredible agility…
Peter blinked and shook his head. Again, she entered his thoughts. And now they drifted to how they shared more than just a martial arts teacher.
"You seem distant today. Don't tell me your lateness is because you've had your head in the clouds all day."
Peter shook his head. "No, no it's not that. Sorry Shang. I was just thinking of someone else…"
"Ah. So it's love then?" Shang-Chi chuckled and shook his head.
"What makes you think it's about someone I love?" Peter asked.
"Mindfulness my friend. I pride myself on having it in abundance. And thusly I can recognize the tell-tale signs of lovesickness anywhere. And you have them clear as a summer day."
Peter sighed. "Alright, you caught me. Yes, I'm thinking of someone I love. Used to be with. Might be getting back together with her but I'm...not sure."
"Afraid the relationship will fail again I take it?" Shang asked, again maintaining his cordial tone.
"Yeah, pretty much actually." Peter admitted, deciding there was no point in evading Shang's questions considering how he would not only be able to deduce the truth without Peter actually telling it to him, but it had also reached the point where Peter was done evading the issue. He wanted to admit it to someone other than himself. He was in love with Felicia Hardy and of course her black leather clad alter-ego. And at this point the fear of his love for her not being enough twice in a row was the only thing keeping him from going after her with all of the romantic love he still had left in him after a decade of disappointments, failures, and losses in that regard.
"Well as I am ignorant to the identity of your would-be lover I cannot say whether or not I think she is a good match for you. So instead I will simply wish you good luck in those pursuits. Now then. I believe it's time to start training."
Peter nodded and mere moments later he and Shang were already trading blows with one another. Nothing serious of course, as it was not a real fight. But that didn't mean either one was completely slumming it either. Especially since right before their sparring session began Shang had Peter inhale some fumes that dulled his Spider-Sense courtesy of a special compound Shang had made for that very purpose. "To help you rely more on your muscles and skill than your precognition" Shang had told him the first time he'd done it. By this point Peter had learned to deal with the temporary removal of one of his key powers, able to dodge and evade every attack Shang said his way without any assistance from his Spider-Sense.
Back and forth it went, Peter putting what Shang had already taught him to good use. His speed was such that he managed to land a few hits on his teacher, holding back significantly so as not to wind him with just those few blows. Shang of course replied in kind, all the while keeping Peter well on his toes, the two jumping about and circling around one another continuously. It was almost, Peter noted, akin to a dance, but with a decidedly different goal in mind than entertainment.
"Remember; your unorthodox ways are an asset in battle. Capitalize on them. Do not be rigid. Be flexible."
"Right." Peter said, ducking under another attack.
"Don't pay so much attention to my footing you neglect your own." Shang continued, nearly tripping Peter with a sweeping kick that he only barely avoided. With his spider-sense gone Peter had to operate solely on both observations and instinct.
"Always stay on your toes. Do not remain rigid. Speed is your other asset."
"I know that at least." Peter remarked bluntly as he dodged another series of blows from Shang. Peter sent one of his fists shooting forward but Shang caught the fist in his hand. Throwing Peter's arm to the side and began to counter-attack, and Peter back-stepped to avoid the blows.
"My Spider-Sense really would come in handy..."
"No. That is a crutch. A barrier keeping you from realizing your full potential."
"That "crutch" has saved my life more times than I can count. I can't just toss it to the wind. It's useful. Really."
Shang shook his head. "Very well. If you insist on maintaining your "Spider-Sense" then I shall help you to improve upon it. To expand it and make it so that it ceases to be shackles and instead become your greatest asset, allowing you to know your opponent's every move before even they do."
"Sounds good."
"But remember: your warning sense is no substitute for true skill and the potential you do have. That must be realized before you can turn your crutch into an asset. Do you understand?"
"I think so...I can improve my Spider-Sense but I first need to get better at fighting to do it?"
"Fighting is only a part of it. I will continue to train you and test you in every physical manner there is. And when I am done, your "Spider-Sense" will improve naturally on its own. It will have no other choice. The only alternative would be to renounce it completely, but as you have already made clear that you wish to keep it, we will instead allow it to improve and expand."
"Alright, when do we start that?"
"We can start right now if you so desire."
Peter seemed to consider for a moment before breaking off the attack and nodding. "Alright. I'm ready for whatever physical tests you have in store for me."
"Are you really? Well then, let's get started."
-X-
She still remembered when they'd first met as their alter-egos.
She had already been moonlighting as the Black Cat for a few months by that point. Mostly stealing from the richest of New York's citizens and mostly for fun. A lot of the loot she took went uncashed, mostly to avoid it being traced back to her. Some of it was though, and it ensured that the already well off Felicia Hardy only became more well off. She knew she was taking incredible risks, and in all honesty stupid ones at that. But she loved the thrill. Needed it in fact. Anything to get release after what she'd experienced and then being cheated out of revenge against her attacker. Whenever her conscience started acting up, Felicia would give the money made from her thefts to the poorer residents of the Big Apple, playing Robin Hood in essence.
"I steal from people who can afford it." she told herself. "What's a few hundred grand or even a few millions to these kinds of people? Anything I take from them won't be any skin off their backs."
But that night, that night was different. That night she was stealing for someone other than herself.
-X-
He still remembered when they'd first met as their alter-egos. It had been just a year after Gwen's death, and the scars were as fresh as they had ever been. He felt lost, often. When he did things he felt as though he had no control over his body. It felt almost as though his life had stopped being real, instead feeling more like a dream. Like he was watching himself. The numbness was the only way he could survive and function after losing Gwen. Every night he'd be haunted by the nightmares of her death, and how he feared that he himself had accidentally played a part in it. That was the worst part. That Gwen's blood was not on the Green Goblin's hands but on his own.
Whenever he did feel anything, it was rage. Pure, total, unceasing rage. It showed in his fighting style. It became harder and harder to reign himself in, and he feared that he would lose control altogether. By the time he'd met her, he seemed to have been getting better, but the darkness in his heart was still there, just waiting for someone, or something, to bring it out. Something that he would meet in the same place where he first met her.
It was still a crystal clear image in his head, the first time he'd seen her in her very first catsuit, her "classic" look in essence. It was the black leather that clung to her body as perfectly then as it did now, the one thing being that this catsuit had been given a finish so as to shine, something her later catsuits had abandoned, which made stealth easier. Of course in fairness her stealth and infiltration skills were so good that she could have been the White Cat and she still probably would have been just as good at her job.
Her first costume was low-cut, same as the later ones, exposing just enough of her cleavage to be enticing, to tease, to lure one in, without trying too hard or going all out. White fur lined this same area of the costume, and also circled around the white boots and gloves. A black mask covered the upper part of her face and nose, with only her green eyes showing through. The curves on her body demanded his attention, and her long, flowing white hair looked to his eyes as though it had come straight from an angel.
Simply put, she had been rivaled only by Gwen and Mary Jane as the single most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and even then there was something to her that the other two lacked. Where those two had been more down to earth, certainly much moreso than he was due to his particular secret life, this woman by contrast was more exotic, dangerous even. He could tell simply by looking at her. Of course his coming to this conclusion was helped quite a bit by how she was in the process of committing theft, which in turn had caused him to think: why the hell did she have to be a criminal?
-X-
Spider-Man had to admit, Shang's specialized physical training had been interesting to be sure. Being in a room so dark he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face for an extended period, having to dodge blowguns being fired at him from all directions at once, having to evade sneak-attacks by Shang every ten minutes. It was a taxing experience to be sure, and now that it was done Spider-Man was hoping to just get to relax.
Unfortunately for him, it was that night that Black Tarantula was going on the hunt for him.
Spider-Man's spider-sense started to go off again and he felt about ready to cry out in pain. It had been going off so much during Shang's efforts to improve it that he now had a splitting headache. The last thing he wanted was another tingle, and especially when this one packed quite a punch.
Spider-Man looked around but could see no sign of any danger. Not about to take chances, Spider-Man kept swinging, as he did hoping that if something did come his way his lost stamina came back soon. Truth be told his legs were a bit sore too from all of the dodging and evading he'd had to do.
If my training with you gets me killed tonight Shang, I swear my ghost is coming back to haunt you.
Again, Spider-Man looked around, but he saw nothing. His spider-sense continued to buzz though, his head feeling like someone had taken a battle-axe right to it's top. Finally deciding he needed a break, Spider-Man went to the top of a nearby building and let out a sigh as he silently hoped that whatever it was that was out for his head this time just showed itself already. At least then his headache would go away.
At least until whoever my latest foe is starts punching me in the face. Spider-Man thought sourly.
As it was, his Spider-Sense saw fit to buzz one last time, this time the most pronounced of all. Turning around, Spider-Man at last saw his opponent: a towering man easily over six feet in height and by his own estimations seven feet. He was clad in mostly black from head to toe, with the collar and cuffs of his leather jacket both white. The latter transitioned to white "squares" over the top his black gloves, which reminded Spider-Man of the gloves one of his black costumes had had. Really the man's appearance period reminded him of his black costumes, as well as Venom. Indeed, a white spider logo adorned the front of the man's otherwise all black mask. Spider-Man didn't need to look at him for too long before he realized…
"Black Tarantula."
The bigger man nodded. "Yes indeed. I am impressed. Either my fame precedes me, or you are more knowledgeable of the world beyond your New York than I gave you credit for."
"Neither. I was told about you by some friends of mine."
Black Tarantula sighed. "Eh. Well, at least you're honest I suppose."
"And that's gotta count for something right?" Spider-Man asked as he got back to his feet before asking: "So, Black Tarantula...where you from?"
Black Tarantula sighed. His foe was indulging in small talk of all things. Not a terribly professional thing for a supposed heroic champion to do.
"Mexico if you must know. Now then, I'd rather skip any formalities. Show me what you can do Spider-Man. I expect nothing but the best."
Next thing Spider-Man knew Black Tarantula was bearing down at him and punches were flying every which way. The fight started so fast it made Spider-Man's head spin as he tried and failed to keep up with his larger foe, and received several punches to the stomach and chest for his troubles. One punch managed to his him square in the head. Spider-Man found himself seeing stars and only barely moved out of the way of the next attack. Black Tarantula followed it up with more attacks, but by this point Spider-Man had adjusted to his foe's speed at least somewhat, and was able to dodge the attacks as they came, side-stepping, ducking, and leaping when needed.
Eventually, Spider-Man managed to find a small opening and exploited it, his arm flashing like lightning and impacting with Black Tarantula. After dodging again, Spider-Man struck out a second time, and once again he managed to land a hit. Now becoming more comfortable and familiar with his foe's speed and attack patterns, Spider-Man settled into a pattern of his own. He ducked and weaved out of Black Tarantula's furious blows as they came, and every so often let out a few quick strikes of his own.
It went on that way for what seemed a long time. Spider-Man caught on to the fact that much like Kaine, Black Tarantula's towering and muscular physique made him a big target if nothing else. With both that and Spider-Man's speed, the hero could hardly miss, but also like Kaine, none of Spider-Man's blows seemed sufficient to bring Black Tarantula to his knees.
Another punch shot forwards in a shadowy blur, and again Spider-Man found himself struggling to evade the blow. He tried to continue circling, letting out a punch or kick every so often as he did, but Black Tarantula showed he could turn just as quickly, easily keeping Spider-Man in sight. If anything, Spider-Man was having trouble keeping track of Black Tarantula's movements, not the other way around.
More strikes followed. Spider-Man found himself unable to both count them and stay on the evasive at the same time, something that did not hold true of most other people he fought. Even Shang-Chi hadn't gone this fast in his training sessions with Spider-Man, or for that matter many of Spider-Man's other foes.
Spider-Man threw a punch of his own, one Black Tarantula avoided easily. Spider-Man tried to mount an offensive, throwing punch after punch, kick after kick with all of the speed and precision he could muster, but Black Tarantula evaded almost half of the blows, and seemed to shrug off all of the others.
Guy's built like a solid brick wall. No, scratch that a steel wall. It's starting to hurt to just punch the guy. Moves as fast I do too. Not a great combination.
Spider-Man found himself being forced back again, ducking and weaving to avoid the attacks that he could, but it seemed that more often than not Black Tarantula's gloved fists were able to collide with brutal force. Spider-Man could almost feel his flesh ripple and his bones shake as Black Tarantula continued to pummel him, each hit only inspiring him to try harder and harder to avoid his foe's attacks. No easy feat.
More blows followed. This time Spider-Man managed to get lucky and spun away from the blows without incident. Black Tarantula kept up his pursuit, giving no quarter as he continued to move and fight with such speed that Spider-Man would have been genuinely impressed if he weren't on the receiving end.
Who am I kidding? The guy's even faster than I am…
Another punch came, and this time Spider-Man didn't dodge in time. As he was knocked backwards by the force of the blow, Spider-Man found himself thinking: "Stronger than me, faster than me, and probably can take more punishment than me. How the hell am I supposed to beat this guy?"
-X-
She still remembered their first "dance". This was not a dance done to music, or even really any kind of dance that most any normal couple did. No, this was a dance that was a bit more...'unique' to them.
She had had no trouble infiltrating the building. As a place that housed scientific research and experiments rather than gold and jewels the security measures were, in a word abysmal. Black Cat had bypassed the tripwire lasers without any hassle thanks to her goggle's infrared vision along with her grappling hook and zipline, and then used one of her hacking devices (one that had cost her most of what she had earned to get in the first place) to bypass the security codes and get to the prize that lay within the storage tank.
She had been all set to steal the moving black slime from it's containment tank and send it off to the rich (and crooked) scientists who wanted to study it themselves and exploit that which it had to offer. But then just as she was opening the containment tank he had shown up.
"Whoa there lady. No touching the exhibits. It's against store policy."
Black Cat chuckled at Spider-Man's witticism before turning to face him in full. "Well, well, well...if it isn't 'The Amazing Spider-Man'."
"The one and only." Spider-Man said as he closed the distance between himself and Black Cat. As he did though, he paused, stopping to take in her appearance now that he got to see it in detail. Black Cat remembered bursting into a wide smile. She'd been waiting for someone to take notice of her appearance the way he was. To see a man look upon her body with longing and want, rather than to be repulsed by it after what had been done to her. To feel desired rather than dirty, that was a prize in itself for her.
"Uh...um...look, lady whoever you are, I'd rather not hurt you…"
"Aw, that's so sweet of you really." Black Cat had purred in a voice that's sultry and almost mocking undertones betrayed the seeming innocence of her choice of words. Indeed, she followed it up with an attack that Spider-Man ducked to avoid.
"...but the Black Cat can take care of herself."
-X-
She hadn't managed to take down his criminal empire. Not even leave a single dent in it. But she had managed to get a general idea of where in New York City he was.
Making her way through the city via her grappling hook, Black Cat kept her emerald eyes peeled for any sign of Black Tarantula or Spider-Man. She wanted to be able to track the former but was hoping she ran into the latter instead, not liking her chances against Black Tarantula based on what Spider-Man had said about him, and also what Black Cat had managed to dig up on him herself.
She kept swinging through the city, looking this way and that. But everywhere she looked she saw no sign of either Spider-Man or Black Tarantula, and the more time went by without her seeing either of them, the more strongly Black Cat's heart pounded, the more her anxiousness grew. She looked about frantically, desperate to find any sign of either of them.
Finally though, as Black Cat continued to swing about looking for either Spider-Man or the man out for his head, she came upon in the distance what looked to be two figures fighting. Of course, they moved so quickly that her eyes struggled to keep up, but all this did was confirm in Black Cat's mind that it was the fight between the two superhumanly fast men that she was looking for. And it was then that Black Cat went closer to the scene of the fight, as she did realizing with horror that the red and blue blur was being forced back and more, and seemed to be slowing down.
No! Hang on Spider. I'm coming...
-X-
He still remembered their first fight. She'd made the first move, and even with his spider-sense he was still very nearly taken by surprise and tagged, so consumed was he by his overpowering attraction to her. Looking back on it, Spider-Man suspected that the reason why it had been so potent and why he'd been so helpless against it was because it had been so long since he'd allowed himself to feel this way about any woman. Just a few months without Gwen had seemed to be so much longer than that, and he'd felt dead inside for so long, that to see such an aggressively sultry woman up close...it had reawakened something inside him. That overpowering desire to feel again, even if it was just a fleeting, lustful attraction or else a brief flirtation, an exchange of banter. Even that would suffice to quench his thirst for feeling.
And it showed too. For the first time since Gwen's death he'd felt like Spider-Man again. Before, his sense of humor had evaporated, and he was strictly business and dead serious at all times in and out of costume. But now, in this one moment he was himself again. And he loved it.
"Easy there Catwoman. I'm not into foreplay."
"Black Cat had burst out laughing at that, her laugh so different from Gwen's and yet just as pleasant to hear. "It's 'Black Cat' wise guy. The best cat burglar you'll ever meet. Not to mention Black-belt in Judo and Karate and the Taskmaster's star pupil."
"You went to old skull-face's school for badass mercenaries to learn how to fight?" Spider-Man asked in a disbelieving (and also somewhat derisive) tone as he continued to effortlessly dodge all of Black Cat's attacks. "...then you must know some good moves."
Black Cat's crimson lips formed into a naughty, teasing smirk. "Oh, you have no idea."
It had been the most fun he'd had in a very long time. Even with him struggling as he did to keep himself from just completely undressing Black Cat with his eyes, Spider-Man was still able to dodge the attacks of his opponent with ease and thus was in no real danger from her, which in turn allowed him to be even more casual, laid-back, easygoing, and in this particular instance flirtatious than usual without fear of being punished for it. He also suspected that Black Cat was slumming it too, as she was also clearly enjoying their back and forth banter.
"So what's your interest in the alien slime from outer space? Somehow, you don't strike me as the kind of gal who just steals rare, unnamed alien lifeforms for fun."
"You're right, I'm more into stealing bright shiny things or alternatively a nice art piece or two. But this is my first, shall we say, 'mercenary' venture. Taskmaster would be so proud of me right now."
"Ah, so you're stealing it for someone else then? Boyfriend perhaps?"
Black Cat chuckled. "Not exactly. More some scientists who don't like to talk except through encrypted email that offered up quite a few zeros to steal that living ink puddle for them. Probably to do some weird experiments or something like that on it. I didn't really inquire too much into their reasons after I realized they didn't seem to like talking to me."
"Well, that's their loss."
Black Cat giggled, and the sound of it made Spider-Man's heart race and more than anything else threatened to unbalance him. "I gotta say Spider, with those powers of yours you're putting me and all my training with the Taskmaster to shame. Ordinarily I'd be hurt, but instead I'm kind of turned on. I like a man who can keep up."
"I think I'm more leaving you in the dust actually." Spider-Man teased. "Sure you don't want to call it quits?"
Black Cat laughed. "Nah, I'm good."
Now, by this point in time the fight should have been long over. Even granting Black Cat's ability to dodge his webbing when he shot it at her, his speed, strength, and agility were such that he could have easily overpowered her a dozen times over by this point. But he hadn't made any serious attacks against her, instead holding back quite a bit of his speed and strength for two reasons: the first was that he was enjoying their exchange far too much to want to end it, and the other reason was that he simply had no strong desire to hurt this woman the way he was willing to hurt most every other person he'd ever fought before or since. She was special.
Eventually though, he recognized that he needed to end it. They couldn't keep up their dance forever. He'd probably let it go on for too long as was. Thus, in a near-blur like motion that represented what he was really capable of as far as speed went, Spider-Man closed the distance between him and Black Cat, grabbed her, and forced her up against the wall.
"Sorry kitty, but playtime's over. I can't let you take that alien."
Black Cat's pretty face took on a pouty expression. "Didn't you like our dance?"
"I, well...I…."
He had paused. He realized that it would be nothing short of a complete and total lie if he had said no. So instead he nodded and added: "...but that doesn't mean that I can just let you walk away. You're still a criminal, and being a superhero, I kind of need to do what superheroes do to criminals."
Black Cat's red lips again formed into a smile. She brushed her body up against his, pressed her chest on his, and began to grind up against him in a rather aggressive manner. "And what do superheroes do to criminals exactly?" Black Cat asked, her tone mysterious and alluring, like a siren's song.
"Don't play dumb, you know exactly what we do."
"You're not really going to let them take me away are you?" Black Cat asked, again her face becoming a pouty one as she continued to brush her body up against his in a suggestive manner.
"I...I have to…" he had said it, but his words didn't have any conviction. He was stammering, and he felt light-headed, also feeling hot inside his costume all of a sudden. She smiled, and he felt his focus slip away even more. Soon, he had relaxed his grip on her enough that…
Black Cat pushed him backwards and shot out a grappling hook of hers at the window from which she had first entered the building. Zipping through the air on it before reaching the window, Black Cat blew Spider-Man a kiss before taking off, with Spider-Man in turn taking off right after her. As he did, he failed to notice that the symbiote that had been earlier freed from it's containment tank had by now latched onto him, integrating with his costume and mixing seamlessly into it.
And that in turn had begun both his first chase with Black Cat, and his first night with the symbiote.
-X-
By this point in time, Spider-Man was staggering, and panting as he felt bruises all over his body and his costume was pretty much drenched in sweat and sticking to his skin. It had finally reached the point where he wasn't sure just how much longer he could go.
At least the Spider-Sense headaches went away. Spider-Man thought.
Not that Black Tarantula had in any sense come out unscathed. Part of his leather jacket was now torn, and so was part of his mask. And though he continued to stand without staggering, he was hunching a bit, lowering himself as Spider-Man could hear his deep, heavy breaths, the bigger man panting from inside his mask same as Spider-Man.
"You fought well." Black Tarantula conceded. "When I saw how small you were I almost expected this to be an easy win. Evidently I was wrong."
"Yeah, you were." Spider-Man said, trying desperately to maintain his bravado even though he felt about ready to collapse. And especially so when Black Tarantula began drawing closer to him.
"...but unfortunately, I came here to claim a victory over my totemistic rival. And I do not intend to walk away empty-handed."
Black Tarantula continued to advance before suddenly whipping around and grabbing the arm of Black Cat before she could successfully slash at his back. She screamed and struggled fiercely to break free, but Black Tarantula's grip was like iron and he would not let go.
"Do not take it personally seniorita. Not many people can sneak up on me."
Black Cat continued to struggle, all the whole glaring angrily at Black Tarantula. "You stay the hell away from him!" she growled, in a tone that Spider-Man for one was left taken aback to hear her use.
"Ah, so the Gata has come to the defense of her man eh?" Black Cat snarled in response, her face taking on a hateful scowl that was completely uncharacteristic of her and scared a watching Spider-Man just as much as Black Tarantula himself did.
She tried to slash out with her other arm, but Black Tarantula's own flashed like a bolt of ebony colored lightning, grabbing Black Cat's other wrist and applying pressure. Black Cat clenched her teeth, refusing to cry out in pain even as it became extremely tempting to do so. Had she not been wearing her special catsuit, she suspected the pain (and damage) would be even greater than it was.
"You are strong little gatito, much stronger than I expected. Is it that you are more than human yourself? Or has technology simply enhanced you?"
"Go to hell!" Black Cat spat, contempt filling her normally easygoing (and where Spider-Man was involved sometimes flirtatious) tone.
"I grew up in a place close enough to it already." Black Tarantula said bluntly before hurling Black Cat over his head with the kind of effort one would hurl a softball. Black Cat went sailing through the air but through a mix of Olympic-level acrobatic skill and her specialized catsuit was able to recover and like her namesake land on her feet.
"I have no interest in striking women." Black Tarantula said simply. "My only business is with your arana."
"If you want him you'll have to kill me first."
"I admire your loyalty." Black Tarantula noted before turning to face Spider-Man: "Your gatito is fierce. Spiteful. Fiery. Sultry as well. I'd say you made a fine choice in mate."
"She's not my…" the last word of the sentence caught in Spider-Man's throat and he couldn't finish the sentence. As he saw Black Cat stand there, claws bared and ready to die for him against someone who she knew full well she didn't stand a chance against, Spider-Man realized just how deep her own love for him went. And he realized also how compelled he felt to repay that love with something just as strong.
"...leave her out of this." Spider-Man finished instead, rising back to his feet as he did, though it was painful to do. "Like you said, your business is with me. So keep it that way. Leave Black Cat out of this."
"But of course." the bigger man said in a civil tone that betrayed his complete willingness to murder his opposite number on the spot. But then he wasn't the first villain with a cordial tone that Spider-Man had fought. Doctor Octopus and Kraven the Hunter had both had a similar air of sophistication and affable nature, one that made them no less dangerous. And Black Tarantula for his part had proven to be just as adept at giving Spider-Man a sound thrashing, if not moreso.
But as Black Tarantula drew closer to finish the job, Black Cat called out to him: "Before you go any closer, you'll want to know something first. It's about your business here."
Black Tarantula turned around to face Black Cat. "What of my business?"
"I happen to be with SHIELD tough guy. And you want to know what that means? It means that I just decided that your criminal empire doesn't exist anymore. SHIELD strike-teams are busting up your operations and putting your men away right now. You just became a much poorer man."
Black Tarantula chuckled at this. "You bluff gatito. It does not take a veteran card player to tell. But I must say I am impressed by both your loyalty to your man and by his determination. And I am not an unfair man." he turned to face Spider-Man directly. "You did fight well, as I have already noted. I have proven myself your superior, and as such I claimed the victory I sought. I need not end your life just yet." And then, to a watching Spider-Man and Black Cat's enormous relief, Black Tarantula turned heel and walked off. "Consider this a turn of good fortune for you Spider-Man."
As Black Tarantula leaped right off the roof-top and onto a new one, before then running off across the roof-tops, Spider-Man breathed out a deep sigh of relief and at last fell to his knees. Black Cat ran to his side and embraced him.
"Are you alright?" Black Cat asked. "It looks like that bastard worked you over pretty good."
Spider-Man nodded. "He sure did. I'm really hoping I never have to run into him again."
"Come on. These crazy bad guys always come back for more."
"Don't remind me." Spider-Man said weakly.
"Hey, when he does come back, we'll be ready for him."
"We?"
"I saved your spider-butt tonight."
"You did try." Spider-Man noted. "Thanks."
Black Cat smiled. "Of course. I love you remember?"
"Yeah." Spider-Man admitted. "I remember. I remember that and so much more…"
-X-
He still remembered their first kiss. She did as well.
It had been in the aftermath of their first adventure together, with what had started as a chase turning into an impromptu team-up. Black Cat had been all set to slip away afterwards but Spider-Man had caught her and was pinning her against a wall.
"If you wanted to get this close handsome you only had to ask."
"No more games." Spider-Man said seriously. "I'm taking you in."
Black Cat's face fell. "I helped you didn't I? That's got to count for something."
"You're still a thief...and why did you help me anyway?"
"You really don't know?" Black Cat asked. When Spider-Man shook his head, Black Cat surged forwards and kissed Spider-Man even though his mask was in the way. Spider-Man's eyes widened behind his mask, and he was so taken aback that he let go of Black Cat. No sooner was she freed did Black Cat pounce on top of Spider-Man, yanking his mask up enough to expose his mouth and then smashing her lips into his, kissing him furiously before turning around and planning to run off before Spider-Man grabbed her wrist. She turned around and he pulled her back into his arms.
And then he kissed her.
-X-
Peter stood outside the door watching Shang-Chi train some of his students for a good couple minutes before at last Shang's lesson came to an end. As the students filed out, Peter walked into the dojo.
"You seem to have run into some excitement last night." Shang noted as Peter all but limped into the dojo.
"You can say that." Peter said. "And besides getting my ass kicked by a guy called Black Tarantula, I also ran into that ex-girlfriend who might not be an ex anymore that I mentioned yesterday."
"Ah. I had a feeling it was her. So you and Black Cat are seeking to get back together eh?"
"She wants to. A lot. And to be honest, I think I do too but…"
"You fear it will fail again." Shang noted. Peter nodded. "Yeah. I can't go through that again Shang. I don't want to go through all of the trouble of being with Felicia again if it just ends up the same as the last time."
Shang-Chi shook his head. "Peter, may I give you some advice? Not as a martial arts teacher but as a man?" Peter nodded, and Shang went on: "Recently I ran into an old lover of mine. Leiko Wu is her name. She was dealing with some, shall we say, 'occupational hazards'. I chose to intervene and help her. Now, we had been apart for a long time, but I held onto the hope that we could re-ignite that fire of love we'd once shared."
"And did you?"
Shang smiled and nodded. "Yes, we did. In fact, I am taking her to dinner tonight."
"I'm happy for you Shang." Peter admitted. "I'm glad you've got someone to love."
Shang-Chi nodded. "As am I. I have and always will love her. Letting her go was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Now let me ask you: do you love the Black Cat?"
Peter didn't need long to think about it. He found the answer came easily. "Yes..." he paused only to breath in deeply. "I do love her."
"Then take my advice: life is short. It does no good to sit on your hands and watch your chance with someone you love pass by. You should take advantage of the time you have left and spend it with her. That is a lesson I give you not as a teacher but as a friend and as a man."
Spider-Man couldn't help but smile beneath his mask. "Thanks Shang." then, adding: "You know...Daredevil told me something similar once. But I wasn't sure if I wanted to try and love again. But I'm ready now."
Shang smiled. "In that case Peter Parker, go forth, and claim the love that you seek."
-X-
With the advice of his friends still playing back in his head along with his most cherished memories with her, and newfound confidence and assurance afforded to him, Spider-Man made his way through New York with such speed and eagerness that not even his injuries seemed to slow him down anymore, or else he didn't notice any difference in his speed because he wasn't paying attention that either. He didn't even feel the pain of the many bruises Black Tarantula had given him.
He found her making her way through the city also, pleased as he did that catching up with her had not been difficult.
She turned with a start as he landed behind her and made his way towards her, pulling up part of his mask as he did.
"Spider, what are you-? Mmm…"
Spider-Man cut Black Cat off when he smashed his lips into hers and put all of the passion he could muster into one, single kiss. Black Cat moaned in contentment and pulled Spider-Man closer to her, the two breaking off the kiss for but a moment before resuming with just as much passion as before. And then they broke the kiss again and repeated again. Again and again they did it, standing there under the moonlight in each-other's arms. Spider-Man caressed the curves of Black Cat's body, a body which he saw as perfect in every conceivable way. Black Cat meanwhile trailed her fingers down his chest, the tips dancing across so as to tease, fluster, and with any luck sexually excite him. Judging from how he became more and more aggressive in his intimate gestures towards her, it seemed to be working.
Finally, Spider-Man unexpectedly broke off the kissing to scoop Black Cat up into his arms before then taking off on another web-line, this time with his other arm wrapped tightly around her and heading in the direction of Felicia's penthouse, a location he knew how to reach by heart due to having visited it so many times before.
When the two landed on the balcony, Black Cat wiggled herself loose of Spider-Man's arm, pulled up his mask, and kissed him again. Another intense exchange between their lips (and tongues) began, Black Cat going at Spider-Man with passion that exceeded his. She massaged his chest and moaned as she did, he in turn reversed the pin so that now he was on top of her, bringing a hand behind the back of her head and pulling it up so that it was closer to his own. Again they kissed one another, holding nothing back.
They rolled onto their sides, holding one another in their arms. Black Cat was panting now, and so was Spider-Man, his costume still somewhat sweaty from the physical exertion of his fight with Black Tarantula now became sweatier still. But he didn't mind. Holding Black Cat in his arms and running his hands down her body made it worth it. The feeling was also mutual. Sweat drenched Black Cat's forehead and the skin-tight leather catsuit was making her body warm as well. But she would have been in a desert if it meant getting to be this close to the man she loved.
They kissed yet again for a moment before Spider-Man broke off the kiss. "Wait…" he said, gasping for breath as he did.
"Wait?" Black Cat repeated, her voice confused but still arousing, and her green eyes taking on a look to match the tone in her voice, with a trace of fear in it as well. Seeing this, and realizing that she was afraid he was having second thoughts, Spider-Man quickly clarified: "It's not you. And I don't want to stop either. It's just...I think we should do this someplace...else. Someplace with a...bed."
Black Cat's red lips formed into a massive smile and she burst out laughing. "Alright then. After you."
"Better idea…" Spider-Man said before again scooping Black Cat into his arms in a bridal carry. Black Cat shrieked and giggled as he did this. Spider-Man then carried her into her bedroom. She locked the door behind them as he carried her to the bed and set her down. He was all set to get on top of her when she held up a hand and then brought it to his face, tugging at the mask he had pulled up.
"No more masks." She whispered as she reached for her own with her other hand. "Not tonight."
Spider-Man nodded. He reached for his own mask and without hesitation pulled it off in full and threw it to the ground. But that did not mean that Spider-Man was not here. He was still very much there, every bit as present as Peter Parker was, just as the Black Cat lingered as Felicia Hardy took off her mask and set it on the nearby nightstand. Both halves of both individuals were present there, there to both witness and to partake in what came next. It had not been their first time, not even close. But it had been their first time in many years, and in some respects it did feel almost like a first time. For the proceeding moment of intimacy, where they touched each-other in private regions, fondled one another and held each-other close, all brought back fond memories of a time years ago when they had first embraced one another and found happiness in each-other's arms. And now they were able to enjoy it again.
The costumes were shed as it continued, like a cocoon of protection from which something beautiful emerged. And when the fornication was done, the two collapsed on the bed still in each-other's embrace. Where in the past both would have had another one or two rounds at least, this time they were content with just that one time. And afterwards, with a sigh of cathartic relief and ecstasy, they snuggled up to one another, closed their eyes, and fell asleep.
Author's Note: And there you have it. With this chapter my world's Spider-Man and Black Cat are officially a couple. Now, before all of the Spidey/MJ shippers start hollering blasphemy or bloody murder, allow me to point out a few things below. If you're not at all offended by this ship, don't bother reading any of what comes next. If you're more on the fence or think I'm crazy, consider the following:
1. While my Marvel Universe does have some stories/events that happened in some capacity in mainstream continuity (such as the Juggernaut/Madame Web incident referenced in this same chapter), this is not 616. It is an alternate reality. And the entire point of alternate realities is to be...alternate. Different. Not exactly the same as in 616. Ergo, I can (and in my opinion should), do some things differently.
2. Mary Jane is not the only woman Spider-Man has ever loved. There have already been a few alternate realities showing him with Gwen instead of MJ (House of M and Spectacular Spider-Man), so why can't there be one where he's with Black Cat? For that matter, let's consider Superman. Generally speaking, Lois Lane is considered Superman's one true love, and in most versions of the Superman story she is exactly that. The Mary Jane to his Spider-Man if you will. And yet for all of that in several different continuities (including, I might add, the current New 52) Superman is with Wonder Woman. In Kingdom Come and Dark Knight Strikes Again she's his second wife and the mother of his child. Granted, the latter was an awful story, but the former wasn't. Nor was Red Son, another world where he and Wonder Woman were a couple. Besides Wonder Woman, there's been another Elseworlds story where he was with Big Barda. Seriously, Big Barda. If that can be considered acceptable, then surely one single, alternate reality where Spidey is with Black Cat (someone he's actually had feelings for in 616 rather than being someone who he has no romantic relationship with in mainstream continuity) are a couple is not wrong no? How about Batman? Yes, Catwoman tends to be considered his ideal partner (and to be fair she is) but this is not true with all continuities. The DCAU and Arkhamverse versions to me seemed to favor Talia, not Selina. In one Elseworlds story he's with neither of them in favor of some unknown paramour with whom he has a child. How about Iron Man? In the MCU he's with Pepper Pottes, in 616 she's with someone else and Tony's seen plenty of other women besides (not the least of which being Black Widow). So once again, I fail to see why if these other heroes can every so often be with someone other than their chief love interest, why can't Spider-Man? Why must he always, always be with Mary Jane?
3. Continuing from the above idea, there are supposed to be countless realities out there in the Marvel Multiverse, with so much variety and differences throughout them all. Out of all of those countless realities, why can't there be a single one where this couple is a thing? That to me doesn't make any sense at all, especially in light of the things I've said above and also how there have been alternate realities out there with differences that are even more drastic than what I'm doing here, like say the Marvel Magnaverse and the utterly bizarre Earth-X, which funny enough, shows an alternate world where we learn that Spider-Man's ideal fantasy is a world where he married Gwen, not MJ.
4. In response to the idea that "it would never work", or "the two aren't compatible", or something similar to those sentiments, I look at it like this: Black Cat and Mary Jane had the same problem, and one of them overcame it, the other didn't. The problem in question being as follows: Felicia loved Spider-Man, but not Peter Parker. Mary Jane loved Peter Parker, but didn't want Spider-Man in their lives. So really, the same problem of only loving one half of the guy but not the other. One of them eventually overcame this problem (MJ), the other only partially did, and by the time she did it was too late (Felicia). In my world, it's the same, only the one who overcomes her problem is different here. I fail to see how that's unreasonable or going against what was established between the characters. Mine is just a world where it was Felicia who learned to accept both men instead of Mary Jane. I mean it's not like Peter and Felicia don't have feelings for one another, because there are numerous stories out there to show that they plainly do. Peter has outright described Felicia as "the most fun he's had in and out of the costume", and Felicia at one point noted that she was not only in love with Spider-Man again, but also Peter Parker this time around. So this idea that they "don't go together" or are some kind of a bad match that doesn't make sense holds no weight with me.
5. One last thing that is not so much a justification for Peter/Felicia as a couple so much as it is deflecting another potential criticism before it hits: Peter and Felicia's having known each-other as children in my MU is a reference to how in 616 Felicia was actually born in Forest Hills Queens same as Peter Parker. So why not have it so that the two knew each-other as kids? They were both born in the same area after all.
And well, that's everything. I hope that my thoughts on the matter at least convinced some people that I know what I'm doing. I'd include my usual trivia, but I think that big honking set of justifications above is more than sufficient as far as Author's Notes go. So for now I will simply say keep reading to those who don't want to crucify me for pairing Spidey with someone other than MJ while I meanwhile rejoice over how my story is now two thirds done.