Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners: Marvel, Respawn Entertainment, etc.

No matter how badly you feel your year is going, remember that it could always be worse. After all, you could also be a Jets fan. If you are a Jets fan, then laugh at the Cowboys.

Guest: It appears you have run face first into the rule that prevents you from posting links on this site. I'm not opposed to posting this story somewhere else, just leave another review with the website, but with some creative use of spacing and without '. com' at the end and I should be able to read it. I am not just telling you to do this to inflate my review numbers.

As for the chapter today, in contrast to the real world, this is supposed to be a feel good chapter. I didn't plan it like this, but that's the way it turned out. I figured I would try to do a romance chapter and just get the romantic subplots for both couples over and done with in one fell swoop. If you don't give a crap about that kind of thing, then skip this chapter. And yes, because one of those couples involves Felicia Hardy, There will be explicit sexual content at the end of this chapter, so if that's not your thing, stop reading when they get to the hotel room.

And a feel good chapter should have a feel good title, and so I went with a country track from the Josh Abbot band. Not a group I would typically listen to but the track fits what I was going for in this chapter so well I couldn't not use it. I would like to use more proper country songs, and not the typical 'pop' country that is typically classified as the 'Nashville' scene, but either the older stuff or what's commonly referred to as the 'Red Dirt' country scene since it originates from Oklahoma and just south of the Red River in my home state of Texas. Josh Abbot Band falls into that latter category, though there are others that I like more and will try to use at some point. Expect a lot of random choices over the next couple chapters before I finally run out of patience and just get tired of looking for other stuff and go back to the usual rock and roll and heavy metal hits.


Power Without Question – Chapter 72: The Luckiest

I'm lucky that I come from where I come from

And I'm lucky I got friends that got my back

I'm lucky God made Friday nights with cold beer

And that I've had all the good times that I've had

I'm lucky King George still makes country records

And I'm lucky for the miles on my boots

I can't believe the life that I've been given

Yeah I'm lucky and I know it's true

But I feel the luckiest to be loved by you


Matthew wasn't telling her something, of that Felicia was sure. Sure, to most anyone else it would seem like the Pilot was his usual self, besides the fact that he was restless since there hadn't been any action since Octavius' capture, but the Thief could tell he was hiding something. It wasn't much since he had been busy with smaller stuff the past few weeks, but there was a knowing smirk here, a gleam in his eye there, and an unusual evasiveness when she called him on it. Still, it was enough to pique her curiosity and lay an ambush for him, he was due to return to his warehouse after helping Spider with his project, they were supposed to meet later, but Felicia decided to speed up that timeline.

As she heard the garage door open, the heiress posed, facing the door and crossing her legs before making sure that one of the shoulder straps of her midriff baring tank top was already off her shoulder in the way that her Cowboy liked so much. With the lights dimmed, she was almost invisible as she heard the Shelby Mustang turn off before the door from the garage open to reveal Cooper in casual dress, but it was what he was carrying that caught her eye when he flipped the light on, a bag for carrying a suit. When her eyes reached his face, she saw him staring at her in shock for a second before quickly recomposing himself, "hey Cat," he greeted, his usual easygoing drawl a bit forced to her ear as he tried to play it cool by going through his normal routine, removing his watch and car keys, "this is a nice surprise. But I thought we were supposed to meet at six, so…what are you doing here?"

Felicia gave a fake pout, walking her fingers along the armrest of the sofa, "and here I was thinking you would be a bit happier to see me handsome," she began before pushing herself up and standing. Sauntering towards him as he turned to face her, "but really, I was curious about what's been happening with you Cowboy," Felicia said, being a bit more serious, "we haven't been spending much time together, have we?"

She carefully watched Matt's reaction, and he gave an apologetic grimace, "I guess we haven't," he said sadly, "now that BT's back I've been busy restocking everything, plus helping Pete out with his project just meant there haven't been enough hours in the day." Felicia knew he was telling the truth, however, there was the quirk in his lips and a smile in his cold steel blues. "But I think I know how to make it up to you darlin, you up for it?"

"Maybe…" answered Felicia cryptically, the platinum blonde vixen smirked and ran her hand down his muscled arm and along the bag in his hand, "does it involve you in this?" asked the Thief as she bit her lip. It was no secret she loved seeing the broad shouldered Matthew fill out a formal suit, even if it was a rare sight since he would pull out every trick in the book to avoid having to wear one.

Looking up at him, she could see him giving her a cocky grin, "maybe," he answered as Felicia rolled her eyes in response. "Now that I've got your attention," began the Texan with the usual amount of cockiness as he looked her over one more time, his grin only widening, "and since you definitely have mine, I might as well tell you. I was going to surprise you with it tonight, but what the hell. C'mon." Placing his suit over the back of the couch, Cooper led her downstairs as he explained, "I tried not to show it but it seems I wasn't as subtle as I thought," began the Pilot as the couple emerged from the stairwell and into the armor, "so in case you decided to snoop around I enlisted the help of a friend." Felicia opened her mouth to deny it, but Matt beat her to the punch, "before you say anything, I will remind you that I'm not Pete, I'm not so naïve as to think you'll stop just because I ask. Why do think I don't bother to lock my office anymore?"

Felicia opened her mouth to apologize, but quickly screwed it shut before she could speak, since when did she apologize to anyone? Instead, her face took an innocent expression, "don't worry about it darlin, I know you're more of a beg for forgiveness than ask for permission kind of gal," he drawled.

Felicia's expression turned from innocent to smoldering in a heartbeat, "you just like when I get on my knees to beg for forgiveness, don't you stud?" she asked seductively. But Matt just shrugged, despite the upturning corners of his mouth, and said nothing. The pair moved through the armory, any gaps in the shelves there may have been after the breakout from Rikers were gone, and the ever-observant Black Cat noted there were more heavy weapons present than she remembered.

When they reached the far side of the room, Matt turned to the Titan, "hey buddy, open up will ya?"

BT's singular eye spun as it focused in on the Texan, "Major Cooper, are you under duress? This action is contrary to your previous orders," noted the Vanguard as it's gaze shifted towards Felicia.

Matt chuckled lightly, "just a change of plans BT. I was going to get around to this eventually," he assured, "this is just a shortcut is all."

The machine did not look convinced, "should I play the recordings of the last time we took a shortcut Pilot?" asked the Titan in his flat monotone, but Felicia could have sworn that there was mirth in the mechanical tones.

She didn't know exactly what BT-7274 was referring to, but it seemed to be something that held weight as Cooper ran his hand through his hair, "yeah…" he began nervously, "I remember that." Matt turned back to Felicia and took a breath before turning back to the Vanguard, "this isn't anything like that BT, trust me." With its eye spinning, the Titan seemed to ponder the Pilot's words before there was a heavy mechanical sound as the hatch opened with a pneumatic hiss and hydraulic groan, revealing the cockpit as the Titan came down to one knee. Matt athletically vaulted up and clambered onto the hatch before sticking his head inside the cockpit and pulling out an envelope hidden under the seat. Hopping back down, Cooper offered a slightly nervous smile as he opened the envelope, "I was trying to surprise you, but I called in a few favors and managed to set up a quiet night out. No heists or gunfights, just dinner, a show, and the two of us. What do you say Felicia, are you free Friday?"

Looking down at Matt's hands, Felicia could see that the envelope had contained two tickets to a showing of 'Phantom of the Opera' and a slip for a dinner reservation at one of her favorite restaurants that same night. "How…how'd you get these?" she asked in shock, with all of the chaos in the city it was nearly impossible to get a hold of any of these.

Cooper simply gave her a knowing smile, "like I said," he began, "called in a few favors." Felicia raised an eyebrow at that, those must have been some serious favors, and he had used them on this. Looking up from the tickets, she saw him begin to look a little worried, "please say yes, I may or may not have already booked the hotel suite for the whole weekend."

Felicia scrutinized his face but saw that he was actually a bit nervous as he awaited her answer. The smile that appeared on the heiress' face was genuine, but she couldn't fully suppress her propensity for a bit of mischief. "The whole weekend? That's bold, even for you cowboy, to think you can last a whole weekend with me." Before the Pilot could respond, Felicia raised herself up on the balls of her feet, pressing her chest to his as she gave him a full kiss, "I'm looking forward to it."


Sliding his goggles up, Peter looked down at the freshly soldered circuitry that belonged in the partially disassembled suit of armor behind him. The Lab was starting to feel like it used to, work was constantly in need of doing on a challenging project, Peter was constantly learning new things about the suit he had been tasked to work on. Even still, the presence of Otto was sorely missed, his seemingly boundless optimism and extensive knowledge were conspicuously absent as Peter set his tools aside. Crouching back down, the young scientist replaced the part, hooking up the wires into and out of it when he heard the door open and stuck his head out. "Hey Matt," greeted the Queens native as the Texan strolled in, "you look to be in a good mood."

Cooper grinned happily as he shucked off his leather SRS jacket, "you could say that," he began as the Pilot made his way over to his area where he was working on modifying the weapons they were going to use to integrate them into the armor. "Just a heads up, I won't be able to help you this Friday or the weekend, got plans with Felicia."

Peter raised an eyebrow, "don't sweat it Coop, you've been a big help as it is," assured the owner of the newly renamed 'Parker Industries.' Indeed, the Marauder had been crucial in rigging the suits new weapon systems since the Queens Native had no clue how guns functioned other than that bullets came out the open end. Not that Peter hadn't been busy going over pretty much every other system in the suit and marveling at the engineering involved in it. But even as Peter went back to get started on the next part he asked, "so, if you don't mind me asking, what're you two doing?"

Peter hadn't forgotten about the couple's shenanigans or Felicia's string of thefts that had completely stopped after he found and returned all of her loot. "Nothing much, just a quiet night out. We'll sit down for an early dinner and then catch a late show," he said easily. "I figured after the last couple months we could use a bit of peace."

The two chuckled ironically at that, "this was your idea, right?" asked Peter, getting a nod in reply, "really? I didn't think that sort of thing was your style." Even if Matthew had a ton of money, he didn't usually prefer the usual high-class lifestyle, he wasn't a socialite, he was a Pilot. Cooper preferred a more hands on approach and had practical taste, in his mind, form followed function.

"Like I said, I figured we needed a break. That, and she really pulled my ass out of the fire after what happened at the RAFT, so I figured I owe her that much at least," he said honestly. "I'm almost looking forward to it, not the part where I have to pretend to be a stuck-up pompous ass, the part where it's just me and her. I don't need all the excitement that comes with being the Marauder and Black Cat to enjoy her company."

Peter looked at his friend and narrowed an eye, "you tell her that?" he asked, and the silence he got back was deafening. "I know I'm not exactly in a position to give a lot of advice, but I think you should let her know how you feel." Looking over at the Texan, Peter could see that he was listening, and his brow was furrowed as he considered the Webslinger's words, "listen Matt, I know that you know Felicia better, but I have known her for longer. And in all the years I've known her, she has always found new ways to surprise me."

It was true, Peter had never quite figured out how the Black Cat ticked, but the way she acted around Matt was not how she had acted when they were together. He understood his friend's anxiety, Matt didn't want to screw things up. Hell, Peter tripped over himself all the time when it came to Mary Jane, but the words his Aunt had told him about honesty were playing in his head. Finally, Cooper nodded, "you're right," he agreed, "no guts, no glory. Thanks for the pep talk Pete," Parker beamed at the praise as Cooper's grin turned shark like, "but you ain't getting off scot free. How are things going with you and MJ? You still talking?" he asked. Peter instantly clammed up, "it's going that well huh?" asked the Major dryly.

"I…uh, we're still talking, well, texting rather," he answered. Peter didn't need to look at Cooper's expression to know how stupid that sounded, "I saw her…last week I think, she helped me with getting May's house ready to sell. She mentioned she was up for a promotion at the Bugle," he recalled. He was happy for her, she had gone above and beyond with her pieces, and was garnering a well-deserved reputation as a capable and fearless field reporter.

But looking back at the Marauder, who was shaking his head, Peter grimaced at what he knew was coming. Instead of starting to berate him however, Matt worked his jaw and asked, "how are you feeling Peter, really?" There was a tense moment of silence as the Webhead pondered the question, "you ready to move on? I mean you already got a new job," began Matt, gesturing to the suit, "and didn't you mention the other day that you were looking at a new place?"

The Scientist nodded, "yeah, that two-bedroom apartment over in Clinton."

"And I bet sooner rather than later you'll be suiting up again and getting, uh…" began Cooper before chuckling, "back into the swing of things." Peter may have outwardly rolled his eyes and groaned at the joke, but his freshly repaired Advanced Suit was actually in his office and he had begun to feel the 'itch' to put it on. But Cooper's response to Peter's face soon diverted his train of thought. "Don't give me that look, it's not like your quips are any better."

Parker guffawed at that, "what do you mean? My quips are much better, just by virtue of originality," he asserted firmly as he crossed his arms.

"Uh huh," returned Cooper as he gave the Webslinger a deadpan stare, "alright, then tell me, what was the last time someone called you a bug and your response was not to correct them and say that a spider is an arachnid?" Peter opened his mouth to respond but couldn't actually remember a time where he didn't do that. "I rest my case," said Cooper as the Webslinger glared at him, but was quickly waved off, "we're getting sidetracked here. Time to get back to my point…"

"Which was what?" asked Peter skeptically.

Matt gave him a deadpan look before continuing, "Peter, trust me when I say, as your friend, that you need to get laid." Peter blinked twice as the words registered before Cooper continued, "I'm serious dude, maybe not right away, but you gotta give MJ something to let her know you're still interested," he advised. "If you're ready, and it's starting to sound like you are, then go have dinner together, catch a movie, something."

Peter sighed, his friend was right, life was starting to return to normal and it would be good to get out of the lab. "That's a good idea Coop," agreed Pete as he pulled out his phone and began to tap away at the on-screen keyboard.


"Enough about moi," said Felicia as the platinum blonde leaned back in her chair and turned to Mary Jane, who was similarly situated as the two women were on the receiving end of a very nice, expensive, and high end pedicure, on Felicia's dime of course. Ms. Moneybags then turned towards the Bugle reporter and asked, "how about you Red?"

Mary Jane turned towards the heiress and shrugged, "I should find out about that promotion on Friday," began the redhead only for Felicia to roll her eyes as she let out a breath.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's all well and good," replied the platinum blonde, "unless there's any juicy office drama, I don't really care about that," she continued, "not that I don't want you to get it, you deserve it Red. I doubt any of the others being considered got shot at." With a dismissive flourish of her hand, the Thief ended that line of conversation, "I meant with you and Peter," she corrected, "you two ever hook up again?"

The redhead bit her lip, "not exactly," she replied, Aunt May passing had made it feel wrong to try and resume their relationship, "I've been giving him some space after what happened." It had been hard to watch Peter grieve for the woman who raised him for those first few days, and even helping him clean out her modest townhome had been more of her helping to keep him emotionally together while he did all of the literal heavy lifting. The man had been on the verge of tears as he boxed up her belongings and it broke her heart to see. "I can wait, but I don't want to drive him away, you know?" she asked, only to get a blank stare back. "I guess you wouldn't," MJ muttered with a shaker of her head, "it doesn't feel right to pressure him if he isn't ready."

"Why the worry?" asked Felicia as she looked down at freshly done nails approvingly before looking over the redhead, "Red, trust me that no man, not even Peter, for all his faults, would push someone like you away if you wanted to get closer. And if you push too far, he'll say as much, and after everything you two have been through it's not like he'd hold that against you," reasoned the heiress, and there was some truth to that. "As Matt would say, "sometimes you gotta take the bull by the horns sweetheart," quoted Felicia in an exaggerated southern accent that sounded wrong coming from the refined woman's mouth and caused Watson to bark out a short laugh, "just text him or something, see if he wants dinner."

Mary Jane let out a breath and pulled her phone, "you're right," she conceded, only for her phone to ding as a text arrived. The redhead raised an eyebrow as she opened it and saw the recipient, "huh, looks like he beat me to it." 'Hey MJ, are you free Friday evening? I can cook dinner' read the message.

The redheaded reporter's thumb were poised over the screen for a second as she pondered what to say in reply before she typed out 'I can do Friday but let's go out. The time you tried you tried to cook was interrupted by the IMC.' Nothing against his cooking, he actually wasn't that bad, if a bit unconventional, but she didn't want to put any pressure on him.

'Okay. Fair point' was the response from the Webhead before the three dots at the bottom of the screen bounced before the next part came up. 'How about Micks?' replied the first before adding, clearly nervous, 'is that alright?'

'Micks sounds great, Tiger' she assured quickly, 'I'll meet you after I get off work. Say 6:30 ish?'

The reply came quickly, 'sounds good. See you there.' With that quick exchange settled, the reporter put her phone back and turned to see an expectantly grinning Felicia in the chair next to her. "Well," began MJ, "you aren't the only one with a date Friday."

Felicia's grin widened smugly.


A small part of Matthew Cooper's brain was focused on making sure he thanked Fury for fulfilling the Pilot's request, but Cooper was mostly focused on committing the moment as it was to memory. Across from him, Felicia looked as gorgeous as he had ever seen her, the makeup she wore brought out those mischievous emerald eyes as she sat with the sun setting over her shoulder and poking through the New York Skyline, the light contrasting with her pale skin and elegant black dress. It clung to the woman's curves, leaving her shoulders bare even as the black sleeves covered her arms until they met her white gloves, and exposing just a hint of her fantastic cleavage. Seeing her like this only served to reinforce how he felt about her, that she truly was a one of a kind woman that he was as comfortable with enjoying a three course meal in a four star restaurant thirty stories up as he would be if they both were kitted out and jumped from the window down into a firefight.

But any thoughts of saying as much were quickly thrown aside in favor of simply enjoying the moment as the two chit chatted about anything that came to mind, bar the past two months. There were fitting in more than a few flirtatious remarks as they made their way through the food and wine, and even without seeing the bill Matt knew it was worth every penny. The night had been going splendidly so far, with Matt already checking into the hotel earlier in the afternoon and dropping off their bags before he had picked Felicia up for dinner, and even as he looked down at the empty desert plate he was happy that there was still so much of the night left.

Most of the conversation had been Felicia recounting about her past 'jobs' with quite a bit of fondness, describing each art piece she 'acquired' with a sincere passion and impressive amount of detail that always amazed Matthew. "So I ended up selling that piece," continued the Black Cat, "even after all the trouble I went through to get it, once I had it…it just wasn't as special as I thought." Felicia flashed a perfect smile, her white teeth standing out from her red lips, "not that I'm too broken up about that, it made me a pretty penny in the end."

"So it wasn't the painting you liked," surmised Matthew, "but the challenge of getting it?" he asked, but he wasn't surprised to see her head nod and the sun reflect off her gently waving hair. "Is that true of everything?"

The heiress tilted her head, deep in thought as she pondered the question, "no," she finally answered, "I still keep the ones that are really, truly special. The first piece I ever got on my own, one that my father gave me, a few others." Matthew nodded, listening intently as he finished off the last of his drink and she continued, "there is one that stands out now that I think about it. I…can't even remember how I got it actually," she admitted, "but it's that landscape in my study, the one with the city?" Cooper nodded; he knew the one she was talking about. It was a bizarre piece of art, done from an odd perspective, high above the ground but below the rooftops and with a blurring of the finer details. "After I got it, I managed to get in touch with the artist, she lived in the city, and I asked her about it. You'll never believe it, but it was titled The City in a Cat's eye," revealed Felicia, "she painted what the city must have looked like to the Black Cat as she swung through it."

Matthew shook his head in disbelief, but as he pictured the painting, he realized that it made sense, "she did a helluva job," he admitted with a small smile.

"She did," agreed Felicia, "and once I knew that, that it was something so unique and it felt like it belonged to me, that only I could truly appreciate everything about it…I couldn't even consider parting with it." As she said that, their eyes met and held each other.

Their gazes remained locked on one another long enough for their waitress to appear behind Matt, "will that be all for you two this evening?" she asked as Matt reluctantly pulled his gaze from Felicia and up to the calm expression of the waitress.

"I believe so," began the Texan as he turned to Felicia, who nodded in agreement, "just the check."

The waitress smiled, "that's already been taken care of Mr. Cooper," replied the blonde, "the Director wanted me to tell you and Ms. Hardy to enjoy the show." With one last smile, the woman walked off, leaving the couple to exchange looks.

"That sounds like a lovely suggestion," began Felicia as she demurely dabbed at the nonexistent crumbs on her face before setting the linen napkin down on the table, "are you ready to go handsome?" she asked with a flirtatious bat of her eyelashes.

Truthfully, Matthew could have stayed there for as long as the place was open, so it was with some reluctance that he nodded in agreement and replied, "I am if you are sweetheart." Standing and buttoning his suit jacket, Cooper offered her his arm, enjoying her soft touch as she hooked hers around and then looked up at him. "Shall we?"

Felicia gave him another of those dazzling smiles, "let's ride Cowboy."


Peter checked the time in the corner of his laptop as it continued to get closer to 6:30, his heel tapping on the ground anxiously as he looked around the restaurant and all the memories he had here. Micks was 'their' place, and they had come here even as far back as their time at Midtown, the casual atmosphere, friendly staff, and the best fries in the city gave the place a unique charm. The Webhead was already seated at the pairs usual table, firing off responses to a few emails to distract himself from Mary Jane's imminent arrival with progress updates to his contact at SHIELD, a hardassed woman named Carter, and yet more paperwork from his lawyer about the business side of things.

So he was thankful to hear the door open and reveal a head of distinct red hair, before he knew it, Peter was up on his feet to greet Mary Jane as she turned to give him a smile that lit up the room before she forced herself to be straight faced as she approached. "Hi," she greeted as she extended her hand, "Mary Jane Watson, Associate editor," she introduced, her expression slowly cracking until that energetic smile was back, spanning across her entire face.

Peter couldn't help but match her expression as he shook her hand, "congrats!" he told her excitedly, "I knew you could do it."

"Thank you," she said sincerely, breaking down into a small giggle as she finally released his hand and slid into the both opposite his laptop. "What about you?" she asked as he sat back down, closing his laptop and pushing it aside, "find a job yet?"

As Peter tried to figure out how to put his current employment, one of the staff came by, "I'll be right with you honey," she said as MJ helped herself to one of Peter's fries.

"Thanks," replied the associate editor before she turned back to Peter and gave him an expectant look, "so, did you?" she prompted.

"Yeah," admitted Peter slowly with an exaggerated bob of head, "I am now the owner and sole employee of my own company, and I got my first contract with SHIELD," he revealed carefully.

But Mary Jane's face lit up further still, "wow, look at you. And I thought I was moving up in the world," she said, but there wasn't a hint of jealousy in her voice. "Don't leave me hanging here, Pete, tell me more."

"Ah, well, I'm set up in the old lab under the name 'Parker Industries…" he began. But MJ cut him off as she started laughing and he narrowed his eyes, "don't laugh," he chided playfully, "but I couldn't come up with anything better when the lawyer asked me," he admitted, which only caused MJ's teasing grin to widen. Peter however, was okay with that, he missed seeing that smile, "I can't talk about what I'm doing though, at least at the moment," he quickly added.

The redhead gave him a mischievous look, "so how'd you land something like that?" she asked inquisitively.

"Well, my last project created a monster octopus that almost destroyed the city," he reminded dryly before shrugging his shoulders as he leaned back in the booth, "I guess somebody was impressed by that," he supposed quietly. It wasn't how he had hoped to make it as a scientist, but it was the hand he had been dealt.

"Yeah," agreed Mary Jane quietly before quickly perking up, "I mean, if they ever need something to stop a monster octopus, you're the man to call," she reminded with a forced smile.

Peter couldn't remain down on himself with MJ trying to pull him up and his own somber expression cracked, "I guess so," he agreed, "and Rhinos and Scorpions and…well, just monster animals in generally really."

The redhead burst out laughing at that, which made him happy to hear as his own confidence was bolstered and smile widened. A comfortable lull in the conversation followed as Mary Jane's favorite drink arrived, a Cherry Coke, with the staff here knowing that would be what she wanted without her having to even ask. After taking a sip of the fizzy beverage, the woman's eyes wandered to Peter's pack, "what's all that?" she asked.

"Oh, this?" replied the Wallcrawler as he patted the top of the backpack, "this is stuff for my other job," he explained. "I was working on it at the lab today," he explained as he looked down at the bag and the various gadgets he knew were inside, "still have a bit of work left to do on them so I was going to do it at Coop's place."

"Oh," said MJ as she paused and took a breath, "you know, you could always work on them at my place," she offered tentatively as one of her fingers nervously traced circles on the table, "I wouldn't mind the company." Peter stared at her dumbly and in stunned silence before MJ spoke up, "only if you want to…"

"No," exclaimed Peter quickly before shaking his head, "I mean yes! I mean," he began as his mouth struggled to keep up with his brain, "no I don't not want to, meaning I do want to, but…" he tried to explain as Mary Jane merely cocked her head and gave an amused smirk as Peter tried to sort out his response. "Only if you want to…"

Mary Jane's look was one of relief and happiness as she leaned in and said, "I never stopped wanting to."

"Me neither," admitted Peter as he leaned forward until their faces were inches apart and he could feel her breath on his cheeks as she closed her eyes and began to lean in closer, inciting the same actions from Peter until their lips met at the midpoint of the table, fitting together like they were meant to be that way.


To ward off the chill of the night air, Matthew pulled Felicia closer to him as the couple walked through the park, his own jacket was wrapped around his girlfriend, practically swamping her slimmer frame. Even after the Broadway show and arrival at the hotel, neither of them had wanted the night to come to an end, and so they had set off for a stroll under the full moon and clear sky. Despite being in 'The City that Never Sleeps,' it got quieter the further they walked from the road, and after the mass breakout, most people were afraid to be out after dark, meaning the park was practically devoid of life.

"I really enjoyed tonight Matthew," said Felicia smoothly as her arm snaked around his waist while the path they were on led them towards an ornate marble fountain that they stopped in front of before the heiress continued. "Hopefully I can persuade you to do it again in the future…"

"I'd like that darlin," he drawled easily as he turned and looked down at her, "to do this again," he added. "You don't need to do anything else to convince me babe, I'd be happy to take you pretty much anywhere and do just about anything," he told her truthfully.

Next to him, Matthew could feel her turn to press her breasts against his side as she purred happily, "and I'd let you do just about anything to me stud," she hummed seductively.

The Texan looked down at her elegant features, alluring red lips, and captivating green eyes, all arranged to give him a look that would inspire lust in any man, but that he knew was meant solely for him, and couldn't help but feel a small smile creep onto his face. Felicia's own expression softened and became slightly perplexed by his reaction. "Well then, there's something I want to do right here, right now," he said as he turned to square up to Felicia, taking each of her hands in his as she made to speak, "no, wait," he said firmly, "let me finish." Matthew's own expression was sincere in a way that matched his low, laid back drawl, and Felicia met his gaze for a second before nodding in understanding, "thanks darlin," he said before taking a deep breath and collecting his thoughts. "Okay, there's something I want to tell you," he began slowly and deliberately, forcing himself to keep his eyes locked on hers, "these last few months were hard, but now that we're on the other side of them I look back and wonder how I made it through. Made it through all the fighting, getting knocked on my ass a lot and getting up every single time." Pausing, Cooper wet his lips as he felt his throat begin to dry, but he pressed on regardless, "at any point, it would have been easy to give in, to die for the city or civilians, but I know that I don't want to die for something, I want to live for something, or rather someone," he said before taking another breath and squeezing her hands in his before he gazed once more into her deep green eyes and said "you."

Felicia's breath audibly hitched as she squeezed his hands while Matt began to rub hers with his thumbs as he continued, "Felicia, you do mean that much to me because I love you." Those last three words hanging in the air between them for what felt like an eternity with no response from Felicia as Matt swallowed hard and finished saying what he had wanted to for too long, "and not just some things like your ass, your brains, or you skills," he said with a shake of his head, "I love all of you. You may not be perfect, but there isn't a single thing about you I'd want to change."

Slowly, Felicia took a step forwards, moving a hand to Matthew's waist and raising the other to cup his cheek, caressing his face softly while his own rested on her hips. "You love me…" she began, almost as if she didn't believe it, but Matthew nodded with certainty, "as I am? You wouldn't change anything?"

Cooper shook his head, "not one," confirmed the Texan confidently as one of his hands trailed down her taut curves to cup her exquisite rear as he smiled, "especially this ass." They both shared a laugh as Felicia pulled herself close, resting her head on his chest as Matt wrapped one arm around her waist and brought the other up to lightly stroke her hair, which seemed to glow angelically in the silver moonlight, "I know this is a lot darlin," whispered Matt into her ear, "but you deserve to know."

He could feel Felicia nod against his chest before the heiress turned her head to look up at him, and Matt met her gaze, seeing the genuine joy in her smile as well as the small tear forming in her eye, "and you deserve to know something too Cowboy…no, Matthew," she corrected, "I know that you are a special man, or at least that you are to me." The woman's smile widened, "as soon as I knew you were the Marauder I knew I wanted you," she recalled, "and after that first time we went to bed I wanted to have you. And now that I've had you this close to me for this long, I've come to realize that I want to keep you. You aren't just another man or woman who catches my eye Matthew, you're my Cowboy. A gunslinging, whiskey drinking, Texas stud who I love." As soon as the words reached his ears, Matt was at a loss for words and reacted the only way his mind felt was adequate, bringing his lips down to meet hers, stealing her breath just like she had stolen his heart while he pulled her close and enjoyed the feeling of her every curve pressed against him. With their newly revealed feelings igniting their mutual passion for one another, their mouths opened to allow for each other's tongues to explore, the kiss dragging on and on until Matthew began to fear it might have been a dream.

But those thoughts were quickly dashed as both of them began to pull back slowly and reluctantly, looking each other in the eye in the moonlight night. The chill was gone now, replaced with a heat and electricity that filled the few inches between them after their feelings had come out and the weight of telling Felicia how he felt lifted from Matt's shoulders. The feeling so close to the woman he loved, and knowing she felt the same way, was indescribable, but he wanted to savor it for as long as it would last. "I love you Felicia," he whispered lowly.

The words felt warm on his tongue, which still tingled with the taste of her mouth and was only matched by the electric feeling in his ears as he heard her say "I love you too Matthew."


"Wow," breathed Matthew as he opened the door to the hotel suite, "would you look at this place," he said as the couple stepped inside the contemporarily styled three story tall space. The two nights they were staying here cost Fury more than the Pilot had spent on his Shelby Mustang, and people thought the Federal Government was a responsible arbiter of their tax dollars. He hadn't seen the room when he had dropped their bags off, so he was just as surprised by the abstract geometric chandelier that hung from the two-story ceiling of the living room as she was. "Where do you want to start? There's supposedly a bar and a patio on the first floor, a jacuzzi on the roof…"

"And I didn't bring a bikini," hummed Felicia as Matt turned around in time to see her shrug, "shame, I guess I'll just have to use it nude." She gave a smile that he matched as she closed the distance between them and walked her fingers up his chest, "but let's save that for later," purred the Thief, "right now all I want is you." With that, Felicia grabbed Matt's hand and led him up the staircase to the second-floor bedroom, opening the door and striding inside the spacious room that was centered around the king sized bed and had their bags neatly arranged in the corner. But Matthew was solely focused on the stunning woman standing in it though as she spun around in her evening gown, allowing him to view her from every angle before she faced him. "See something you like?" she asked as she smiled demurely.

The Texan shook his head, "I see someone I love," he corrected, causing Felicia to look away as a soft blush appeared on her cheeks. It was odd seeing that usually unending confidence falter, but it didn't deter Matt as he closed the gap and placed a hand on her face before looking her up and down, "and I fell in love with an astonishingly gorgeous woman."

Felicia's blush intensified as Matt pushed an errant strand of platinum blonde hair from her face before she looked up at him, "I love hearing you say that," admitted the heiress as her fingers deftly undid the buttons of his suit jacket and she pushed it off his shoulders. Matt tossed the jacket over a nearby chair while Felicia already was working on his shirt buttons while he did the collar and cuffs, "I want you to say it again."

"I'm in love with…" he began as his shirt came off and was quickly discarded before he finished, "the beautiful Felicia Hardy." As she took a few steps back, only now did Felicia's seductive air return while Matt hastily removed his ropers and socks and tossed them away. When he looked back up he watched her hand deliberately move to the zipper on her back and pull it down, her eyes fixed on him the whole time as she shimmied out of the dress until it was a puddle of fabric on the floor. Cooper absorbed the sight of Felicia standing before him, her flawless pale skin contrasting with the vibrant purple satin lingerie she wore. Her breasts were almost spilling out of the strapless bra and bounced beautifully as she took a step forwards and kicked off her heels, exposing the damp patch on her panties.

When he opened his mouth to say how beautiful she was again, he was cut off when her mouth was pressed against his and her tongue danced an intimate tango with his while his hands came up to undo her bra and hers undid his belt as she pulled him towards the bed. At the same time, he unlatched her bra and tossed it away to free her breasts, he felt his pants and boxers get pulled down as his rock hard cock swung free. It was long, thick, and capped with precum, as wildly erect as the diamond like nipples that stood proudly atop her full, perky tits. The next thing Matt felt were those tits pressed against his chest as she kissed him again, slowly guiding him on top of her as she sat down and the bed and slowly crawled back until her head was against the pillows and Matt pulled back to take her in. Her beautiful face, with high cheekbones and full lips, was framed by the silver hair splayed out on the pillow beneath her. "Tonight was all about you," began Matthew as he committed the scene before him to memory, "I want to make you feel as special as you are."

With that, he planted another kiss on her lips, light and chaste as his hands went to her shoulders,

holding her down as he pulled back and trailed his lips down her neck, lightly suckling on her feminine flesh and inhaling the alluring scent of her perfume as he trailed down to her right collarbone while her fingers ran though his hair and a breath moan escaped her lips. With deliberate slowness, Matt continued to work his way down, planting kisses on her creamy skin until he planted one on her left breast, flicking the erect nipple with his tongue before he switched to the other one, this time giving it a gentle squeeze with his teeth and drawing a gasp from the woman as he smiled. Going further still, he soon reached her stomach, flawless skin stretched tautly over the firm muscle beneath, her beauty hiding her power as he ran his tongue over her belly button as his hands arrived at her hips and his fingers hooked around the waistband of her last garment. Guiding her legs up, Felicia lifted her hips to allow Matt to smoothly remove her panties, lifting them up and off her legs before tossing them away.

Sliding his hands to the insides of her ankles, Matt slowly spread the pair of long, toned legs apart to reveal the womanhood between them before laying flat on his stomach and easing his head towards it.

As Felicia lay bare and exposed before him, he could see her cunt, freshly shaven and waxed just for him, and the hardened bead of her clitoris lay nestled snugly between a pair of pale and puffy pussy lips, begging for his attention. Instead of diving into the main course, Matt's lips went to the inside of Felicia's thighs fist, alternating kisses and licks between the pair of milky white legs, each one closer to her center than the last, hearing her breaths get shorter until he finally arrived and inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet aroma of her pussy that was dripping with desire. "Gorgeous," he whispered, just loud enough to hear as he wrapped his arms around her legs, the palms of his hands planted on the inside of her thighs to keep the spread wide so he wouldn't be rushed as he set to work. He started with a long, slow lick, from the base of her slit to the top as she shuddered and tried to lift her hips up in search of more friction, only for the Pilot's strong arms to hold them firmly planted against the bed, not letting her get any more than he gave her as he continued, taking the nub of her clit between his lips and tasting her arousal.

Meanwhile, Felicia fought to contain her moans, her hands running through Matt's hair and holding him in place as he relented and he felt her legs come to rest on either side of his head and press down on his shoulders, keeping him pressed against her pussy as he kept working. "Oooh, just like that," she cooed, only for Matt to release her clit and plant a kiss on each side of her pussy. "Please Matt, please come on and ahhhh!" she cried as Cooper's tongue snaked it's way inside her snatch, running along the pink folds inside as it explored the depths of her cunt, drawing out more cries the deeper it went while her calves pressed down on his back, her legs crossing at the ankles to wrap his torso in a loving embrace. Matt made it a game as he tried to coax out new keens from the woman he was pleasuring, pushing her closer and closer to the edge with each one as her delightful moans filled the room. "Oh yes, I'm about to cum!" she keened as Matt didn't so much push her over the edge as he shoved her off the cliff, going back to her clit and sucking hard as his hands came up and he pinched both of her nipples. The results were spectacular, Felicia's head pressed down into the pillow as she stared up at the ceiling, letting out a low moan as she arched her back, her erect nipples held high while her pussy spasmed, the grip on her legs tightening up and Matt lapped up her juices as she came, but despite his best efforts, when the waterfall stopped flowing his chin was covered in her cream.

When Matt finally pulled back from her and caught his breath, her met Felicia's eyes as she caught her breath and saw them darken with need as her hands clamped down on the sides of his head and pulled him in for a kiss as she desperately tasted herself on his chin, lips, and mouth, moaning as her tongue licked up any excess drop it could. When the kiss finally broke, she met his eyes and spoke in a low, needy tone, "take me Matthew, I'm all yours." Without needing further prompting, Matt reached down and guided his hardened rod into her moist folds, gently easing it further inside as he looked down into her eyes until he was fully sheathed.

He closed his eyes as he savored the sensation of her, he had been in this warm, wet, and tight pussy many times before, but this time it was the warm, wet, and tight pussy of the woman he loved, and that only made it feel that much better. It came with a sense of familiarity and belonging, like he was meant to be balls deep in this cunt. While Felicia grabbed onto his shoulders, digging her fingernails in to mark him as hers, her toned legs wrapped around him once again, this time around his waist on a tight hold that wouldn't let go anytime soon, one of Matt's hands came to her hip as the other rested on a breast, gently caressing the supple flesh as he slowly withdrew until only his head remained inside before he guided her hip up as his own came down while he squeezed her tit, the delicious moan that filled his ears as Felicia's fingers dug into his own scarred skin signaling her approval of this technique.

Their hips moved together without further prompting as they both savored the downstrokes as their hips connected before slowly separating only for the next meeting to be just that little bit more rapid, the slightest amount more urgent as Matt's mouth sought out her neck, feeling her pulse quicken through her skin and her snatch spasm around his cock. The mix of sensations made his own balls tighten as he grunted to hold off his own climax, preparing himself to make one last assault. Pulling out slowly, he suddenly pulled her hip up, impaling her on his erection as his mouth covered hers, swallowing up the moans that came from her as he repeated the motion. Burying himself as far as he could with one, then two, and finally a third mighty stroke, Matt felt the slick walls of Felicia's pussy clamp down on him in a vice grip as her whole body tensed up with her release while his manhood twitched with his, sending thick spurts of hot sticky cum into the deepest depths of her pussy while her legs kept him on place.

Slowly, and with some reluctance, Matt withdrew his softening manhood from her as she unwrapped her legs from his waist, and rolled onto bed alongside her as both of them basked in the afterglow atop the sweat soaked sheets in silence. Nothing needed to be said as they breathed deeply, with Matt reaching out to take Felicia's hand in his to give it a loving squeeze that was returned shortly after, their fingers as intertwined as their bodies were just a few minutes ago.

Finally, it was the silver haired vixen that broke the silence, "if this is what it feels like to be loved," she began before turning her head to look at the Texan, "then I should have fallen in love a lot sooner." Matt smiled before leaning in for a quick kiss that lasted just long enough to make him want more, and the wicked grin on Felicia's face told him she did too. "You know," began the heiress, "you aren't the only one in love Matthew," she reminded as she began to push herself up and brought her legs in under her, "and now I want to thank the man I love for such an incredible evening."

Giving him a wicked smile, Felicia crawled down the bed on all fours, giving him a wonderful view of her swaying ass and freshly fucked cunt until she settled town between his spread legs and faced him, nearly mirroring the position he had taken with her. Flashing him one last seductive look, the heiress lowered herself to plant a handful of kisses on his pelvis, allowing her face the just brush the side of his cock teasingly while she licked up any stray juices from his skin. Grunting, he felt his blood begin to flow towards his newly aroused cock, and part of Matt was tempted to lay back and simply enjoy the moment, but he instead kept his head up to watch the woman do her pleasurable work. He was soon rewarded with the sight of her tongue reaching out and touching the base of his cock before she ran it along its quickly hardening length, sending a jolt through his body before her head dropped lower. "Aw fuck!" growled Cooper as Felicia took half of his hefty sack into her mouth and lavished it with her tongue, saliva, and the heat of her heavenly hole.

His hands gripped the sheets of the bed tighter as she switched to his other ball and gave it the same treatment until both of his testicles were thoroughly lavished by her delightful ministrations. With a wet 'pop!' his ball fell from her mouth as Felicia smiled at the sight of his newly hardened manhood, standing tall and proud for her. With another long lick, she ascended his prick until she gave him one last devilish grin at the top before she opened her mouth and descended, taking inch after inch without difficulty or complaint. When he hit the back of her mouth, she still didn't stop, forcing his cockhead into the tight confines of her throat without the barest hint of gag reflex to slow her down. Finally, she reached the base of his shaft, the tip of her nose touching his pelvis as her lovely lips formed a vacuum tight seal at the base of his cock while her hands caressed his muscled pecs and abs while on his own hand gently stroked her hair. Looking down, he saw her bright green eyes staring up at him even as his cock was stuffed down her throat, "that feels so good baby," he complimented through clenched teeth.

The hum of approval she gave caused vibrations in his cock that sent electricity through his whole body before Felicia slowly began to lift her head, keeping her lips tightly locked around him until she released him completely. "I love to taste you," she said before she sucked on the head of his erection again, "even more than that? I love the taste of us," purred the Black Cat sultrily, "I can't get enough of it."

Felicia stared down at his wildly erect cock, licking her lips as she looked at him, "I need you Matt," she said lowly as she leaned down and kissed the base of his manhood before trialing a few more up his scarred and defined abs, "I need the feeling of us." Nodding his agreement, his prick continued to press into her taut stomach as she paid attention to his pecs, then his collarbone and neck, and finally nibbled on his ears as she settled her hips down against his. Only now did she look down at him eye to eye, smiling in a way he had never seen before as she reached back and took his cock in her hand while his own rested on her hips, holding her steady as she guided him in. The head of his cock nestled against her lower lips when she suddenly stopped and looked him in the eye, "I love you Matthew," she said before she lowered herself onto him. Her pussy, already stretched from their first round, easily accepted his manhood as deeply as she could take him until her puffy lips pressed against his skin and she clenched around him.

Closing her eyes, Felicia splayed a hand on his chest to hold herself up, arching her back to cause her breasts to hang tantalizingly above Matthew's face while the Texans hands went down to cup the firm cheeks of her bottom before doing a sit up to plant a series of kisses on her breasts and finally her erect nipples. At that, Felicia's whole body shudder like a motor starting up and she pushed Cooper down as she leaned back to give him a wonderful view of her shining breasts, coated in his saliva. Giving him a seductive smile, Felicia began to move her hips, rocking them back and forth, dragging her dripping went cunt across his pelvis before shoving it back until she was filled once more. She set the pace, rolling her hips in time with Matthew's own thrusts while he kneaded her ass and she squeezed her own breast, eliciting a delightful moan as the tempo increased, her tits shaking in time with the sounds of their bodies meeting.

Felicia was completely in control; Matt's hands weren't so much guiding as they were adding another dimension to her pleasure as her cunt began to seethe with a telltale heat that ignited a fire in Cooper's core. Biting her lip to contain her moans, Felicia finally succumbed to her needs and brought her hand off her breast to grab one of Matt's from her ass, using it to brace herself as she leaned forwards, hovering just inches above his face.

Unable to resist, she leaned in and connected their lips one last time and had her tongue sneak her way onto her lover's throat, the Pilot groaning in pleasure in response while the silver haired vixen moaned in pleasure herself, relishing on the sensation as their tongues danced on each other mouths as they engaged one last loving and tender make out session while the thief continued humping on his cock and how this one also kissed her womb, increasing her pleasure more and more. Finally satisfied with the exchange, she let go his almost disoriented lover to contemplate his dazed face, smirking on how he was in that state but also knowing by his throbbing member and her tightening pussy that there wasn't much time left.

"I'm about to cum," she moaned, "cum with me cowboy," she beckoned as her pussy squeezed him tighter, dragging him with her towards a mutual climax as her hips came forward and she leaned to his ear and whispered, "I love you."

When she said that, she brought her hips back as Matt thrust forwards, ramming his cock deep inside her as he succumbed to the pleasure she brought him, the moist walls of her womanhood tightening around his shaft in an effort to squeeze out all the cum he could feel rushing up its length. Moving quickly, Matt moved one hand to the base of her back while the other came to the back of her head, pulling her close to him as he sat up and buried his face between her breasts to lavish them with kisses as their lovemaking reached its crescendo. This climax was not nearly as explosive as the first, a moan in his ear preempted the tightening of Felicia's tunnel, her own juices flowing out in orgasm with Cooper merely grunting as rope after rope of his seed painted her inner pink walls white. Felicia threw her head back to keen lowly at the sensation of being filled with warm cum for the second time that night, her own hands pressing her breasts to his face as they rode out the orgasm her lips parted and her mouth opened to let out one last soft sound moan filled with love from the bottom of her heart, feeling satisfied from their love making like never before.

Finally withdrawing from her beautiful mounds, he looked up at Felicia, "I love you too," said Matt quietly as the aftershocks worked their way through their bodies, causing them to writhe against each other before those too passed.

Wrapping an arm tightly around her, Matthew pulled them under the mussed up bedspread, bringing the comforter up to leave only their heads exposed. Felicia head was still resting in the crook of his neck when she succumbed to sleep and he soft rhythmic breathing on Matt's face put the Pilot to sleep with the woman he loved still wrapped in his arms.


Cooper's Logbook – Heavy Weapons: M134D Minigun

Most people have a basic idea of what guns sound like, the staccato cracks of assault rifles, the baritone blasts of shotguns, the thunderous snaps of sniper rifles, and the 'rat a tat tat' chatter of machine guns. But this gun doesn't go 'rat a tat tat' like a normal machine gun, no, the minigun shrieks like a lead spitting banshee, and is far more fearsome.

The Minigun is derived from the General Electric M61A1 Vulcan used by the USAF and US Navy as the gun armament for jet fighters for decades like the F-105 Thunderchief, F-14 Tomcat, and F-22 Raptor. The Vulcan revived a concept dating by to the 1860s in the old 'Gatling Gun' invented by one Dr. Richard Gatling. On this weapon, a hand crank was used to spin barrels that would rotate about a central axis, picking up a new cartridge before rotating down to a firing position, then ejecting the spent case and picking up a new cartridge before repeating the process. When reviving this old gun, GE made an improvement that you might be able to figure out if you ponder the company's name.

No, they did not cage a caffeinated hamster to drive the barrels, they strapped an electric motor to it.

When the M61 was scaled down during the Vietnam War, the resulting M134 became known as the 'Minigun' despite it being a substantial bit of kit. Though the downsizing from 20mm cannon ammunition to 7.62mm rifle rounds brought with it all the advantages of the parent design: improved cooling that prevented you from melting barrels, the fact that the weapon never jams since any bad rounds are spit out like the good ones, and the 6,000 rounds per minute rate of fire that means you never even notice the misfires anyways. Yes, that is 100 rounds per second for any of you who might be mathematically impaired, and the only thing limiting you is how much ammunition you have on the belt.

It is this voracious appetite for bullets that makes any depiction of the weapon being man portable rather ridiculous. Most people could probably carry the gun with some effort, maybe even the power source, but enough ammo to fire the thing for more than a few seconds? Leave that to Terminators.

But for everything about unique about the minigun, there's still nothing that stands out quite like the sound it makes.


Closing Notes: If any of you want more romance like that later, tough shit, I'm not doing this again. This chapter was it's own unique and interesting challenge and I'm happy I did it once, but I'd rather write about everyone kicking ass and taking names with their usual back and forth banter than this 'serious' romance stuff I had everyone do this chapter, though Peter and MJ were guided by the post credit cutscene from the game of course, which helped considerably. Now, don't be worried that much will really change as far as character dynamics and interactions other than the fact that the two couples won't be dancing around the certain issues that were resolved this chapter, Peter and MJ getting back together and the nature of the feelings Matt and Felicia had for each other respectively. This chapter was focused on wrapping up those two romantic subplots and normal ish service is slated to resume next chapter.

As for that next chapter, it will probably be a bit delayed, possibly a week, and it, along with the next couple chapters, are going to be generally padding. I need to buy some time to plan out the DLC story arcs because they require much more tweaking than the main game and they require a bit more setup, so I will be mixing a lot of setup into those chapters to hint at and set up what is coming.

Lastly, and as always, feedback is appreciated, especially since this romance stuff is new to me and is well out of my comfort zone. Leave a review on anything in it.

When that next chapter comes it will be a Little Wild One.

Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.