I do not own Legend of Korra or Spider-Man

XXXxxx Ryker's Island: Earth 616 xxxXXX

The notorious corrections facility wasn't a place for the faint of heart. Ask any inmate that occupied its walls. A stint in Ryker's meant hard time. The prison held the worst criminals the east coast had to offer, including powered criminals. It stood before The Raft and The Vault were even on the drawing board. The guards knew this and wore that fact like a badge of honor. It was a thankless job so they took whatever they could from the position. The job did have one major perk though. Every guard, clerk, and driver all had a good story under their belt. Go in a bar and mention that you did a detail for Electro or Kingpin and bam; you were the life of the party. That perk gave the prison employees friends, girlfriends, boyfriends. Hell, they even started a few families. This wasn't the case for the guards assigned to Quentin Beck. He wasn't giving them much to talk about.

The poor bastards marching to his cell were named Eli and Kirk. Kirk was younger and fought to get the beck detail. He thought a big time special effects guy turned super villain would be one of Ryker's more interesting 'guests'. Unfortunately this was not the case.

The guards were deep in the psyche ward now. Eli held the food tray while Kirk backed him up. To the normal Joe blow, two guards weren't necessary for such a trivial task. But on the island, it was better to walk on the side of caution. That thinking saved a lot of officers from an early dirt nap.

The guards didn't speak for a while. There was only the muffled screaming and banging was the only sound between the two.

"How'd I end up with this detail again Eli?" Kirk couldn't take the silence and finally spoke up.

Eli sighed. "You know we've had this conversation already right?"

"Yeah, I know. I just need to hear it one more time." Kirk pressed the issue. "I'm sharing a roof with freaking super criminals and I'm bored out of my mind. How the hell does that happen?"

"I don't know Kirk, sounds like heaven to me." Eli admitted while pulling out the cell keys. "Borings good man, it means you get to go home in one piece. Trust me kid, nobody wants to be here when things get exciting."

"Yeah, yeah I know." This wasn't the first time Kirk heard the warning. The old man was on duty when Doc Ock's arms busted through the prison's reinforced walls. The city paid a fortune in renovations. "I just thought it would be more interesting, especially with this guy. Stunt guy turns into a bank robber or whatever. The guy was a Hollywood big shot. Someone with a rap sheet like that shouldn't be some mumbling lunatic."

Eli chuckled at his partner's expense. "Someone's cracked a book."

"Real funny…" Kirk cut himself off when they reached Beck's cell.

The two got their game faces on and moved to do their job.

Eli gave his partner a once over before unlocking the cell. "Unclip your sidearm and nightstick." He whispered.

"Isn't that against protocol?" Kirk whispered back.

"You know my last partner followed protocol right up until he got his throat ripped out." Eli said with a stone face.

Kirk gulped, he didn't know if the old man was taking him for a ride or not. Regardless, he didn't take any chances. He didn't want to end up on the memorial wall.

Eli found the right key and turned the complex set of locks. "Get set…"

Kirk complied and his features turned to stone. He was thankful that the cells were sound proofed.

Eli swung the thick door open while Kirk stood at the ready. Their little ritual wasn't necessary. Mr. Beck didn't move around too much these days. He wasn't completely invalid however. Beck went to sleep when he got tired and relieved himself, thank god, when he had to. The only reason he wasn't in general population was because his mind was fixated on one something he lost. Whenever the prison shrink tried to evaluate him he simply resumed his hypnotic chant.

"Food up Beck." Eli stepped into the cell and placed the tray at the foot of his bed.

Kirk stood in the door way. His large build and stern, cold, look would dissuade any attempts at escape. Again his efforts were wasted. Beck didn't even turn his gaze towards the two men. He only stared at the floor in a corner of the cell, mumbling to himself. The thin bed spread was wrapped around his shoulders is an attempt to garnish some comfort.

"It was mine…it was all mine…" Quentin continued his ramble unbeknownst to the guards. "Bu-but I lost it how did I…All that power…how did I fail…how could I fail…"

"Is everything alright Beck? Are you comfortable?" Eli tried to reach out to the disturbed convict. They said Spider-Man dropped him off a while back. His crimes weren't significant by Ryker's standards, some B and E in a history museum and assault for the night guards. He was only held with his other crimes and outstanding warrants. This wasn't his first prison stint and his illegal trip to the museum was basically shoplifting on steroids. So what could cause a harden criminal to suffer a complete mental breakdown? Who knows? Maybe his latest crime was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Eli didn't get a response. 'Son of a bitch is nuttier then a payday.' He thought. Dr. Kafka had her work cut out for her. "All right Beck, just keep talking to yourself then." Eli shrugged and signaled Kirk of their departure. "You got another appointment on the seventeenth so don't give any trouble when we get the stray jacket out." Eli tapped his partner's shoulder and the two stepped out of the cell.

"Don't be a stranger Hollywood." Kirk sneered and shut the cell.

Eli waited until the door was locked down before addressing Kirk. "Don't be a stranger Hollywood?" He repeated.

"Yeah it sounded better in my head." Kirk didn't even try to defend his remark.

"Maybe we need to hook you up in one of the suits here." Eli chided.

"Ha Ha."

Beck's rambling continued without interruptions. "The power was mine…"

His mind flashed back to the pocket dimension. His memory was patchy at best but he knew what he had lost. That feeling could never be forgotten. The power the tablet granted him was like nothing he ever encountered. His gaze spread through multiple realities. Imaginary constructs materialized from nothing. Nothing could stop him. And yet, something did; someone. His fist clenched and jaw pressed at the thought. For the first time in months, Mysterio felt angry.

He thought harder. Who took what he was rightfully his. Four shadows came to mind. They stood over him, mocking him, laughing at him.

"Spider-Man…" He hissed his tormentor's name. He didn't remember how but four men each going by Spider-Man stole his destiny. "It was mine…and they took it from me…" His whispers were drenched in loathing.

"Do you want it back…?" A voice finally answered him.

Beck jumped at the apparent intruder. His head darted around the cell, desperately searching for the second party. The shock had brought out more of his old self. He suspected the voice came from a hidden speaker in the walls. Was it in his head? No, the sound bounced off the walls. He had used this trick several times in the past. "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

"Settle down Quentin, or do you want them to start using the Thorazine again?"

Beck stops questioning the phenomenon and follows its advice. "Who are you?"

"That's no important right now."

The illusionist gritted his teeth. This could just be a trick from an old rival messing with his head. It was impossible to decipher the man's actual voice, if it was a man. "Have it your way no-name. You said you could return what was mine, how."

"Nothing in this world is free Beck." The voice informed him in with heavy condescension.

"Name your price!" Mysterio said undeterred. He would give anything to fill the void in his soul.

"Laying it on a little thick aren't we Beck, should've stayed in show business." The disembodied voice spoke as if it was in a bar room exchange.

"TELL ME!" Beck was losing his patience. If there's was any chance at retaining his god like powers he would take it.

The voice didn't appreciate the outburst but he let it slide. "Fine, you'll get your power back if you follow my instructions to the letter. If you deviate from my orders, even a little, then were done. Got it?"

Beck gritted his teeth at the distorted voice. If he wanted to get his power back then he would be on this things beck and call. He didn't have a choice. This thing was holding his ticket to god hood. "Alright, what's your first order?" He hissed.

"Don't worry Beck, we'll start things nice and slow for you. I want you to show me your commitment. You see I'm working on something big and it starts with you getting out of the psyche ward." The voice issued his first demand clearly. "Stop talking to yourself, eat your three meals, and convince the shrink that you are of sound mind and body. Put those acting skills to good use."

Beck didn't hesitate with his with his words. "Consider it done."

"That's good to hear Quentin. We'll be in touch…"

The fallen 'god' couldn't explain it but he felt the presence leave the room. Beck doubled over and took deep breaths. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Even in a state of shock, Beck smiled ear-to-ear. The exchange terrified him to the bone but invigorated him as well. He trembled with a mix of fear and anticipation. He hadn't felt like this since his early days in Hollywood.

His gaze moved from the concrete to the tray of lukewarm food. Salisbury steak, (if you could call the dark brown cardboard that) green beans, and instant mac and cheese. The kitchen was so kind was so kind to give him desert, two no name vanilla wafers. He sneered at the slop they passed off as food. For the first time in months, he unwrapped the plastic utensils and started eating. When he finished he slid the tray in the designated slot in the door.

Beck climbed on his cot smiling and stroking his beard. "I should shave."

XXxxxx Daily Bugle: Earth 616 xxxXXX

The news office was a blur of productivity. It felt like a thousand conversations were going on all at once. The phones rang off the hook with possible stories and tips on possible stories. The day was just starting but it was halfway over in Peter's case. He yawned and didn't bother covering his mouth. The cup of coffee he bought on the way was almost gone and didn't give him an ounce of extra energy. That's what he got for putting his trust in the vending machine at the lobby.

His 'better half' has been having some dull nights. A few car jacking's, some petty thefts, just to name a few. All of this would've frightened Peter when he was fifteen but now, after years of experience, it literally felt like a walk in the park. He wasn't getting enough sleep and his wayward counterpart was to blame. There wasn't a monkey slowly turned into a four-hundred pound gorilla. 'Noir' got dragged into his mess and fought like hell to make it right and got displaced for all his trouble. Peter wasn't at fault but that fact didn't ease the rotten feeling in his gut.

He pinched his nasal bridge and pushed those feelings aside. 'Get it together man. That's Spider-Man's problem not Peter Parker's'

With that assertion he walked and weaved through busy reporters and office clerks without spilling a drop of the cheap coffee. The trek to JJ's office was a smooth one.

"Oh, hey Pete." Betty Brant was too busy going through her inbox to notice Peter.

"Morning…" He greeted her and finished the bad coffee.

"Rough night?"

"Boring night." Peter corrected and pulled out portfolio from his bag. "But I got the photos no problem. How's grouchy doing?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE FILE'S CORRUPTED!?" Jameson's voice soared over the ambient noise in the office. It didn't startle a soul. You couldn't work here if you couldn't take one of JJ's tirades.

"Believe it or not, he's in one of his better moods today." Betty flashed a sly smile. "Hasn't mentioned the 'S' man all day."

Peter found the strength to raise his anvil weighted brow. "No fooling." He knew the significance of old J. Jonah not steamrolling his editorial whipping boy. JJ was downright peachy today.

He whistled at the rare occasion. "Only see that twice out of the year, three tops."

"Ain't that the truth. The planets must be aligned or something." She agreed. "So how'd the story turn out? Did Stark fall off the wagon?"

Peter opened the portfolio and pulled out a few stills. "Unfortunately it's a bust." He pointed to one of the pictures of the aforementioned billionaire. "That there is Clarence DeVito of Statin Island. He's a man with similar traits to the iron mogul and Mr. DeVito got the bright idea to dress up like him to pick up chicks at the bars."

Betty barriers her face in her hands and gowned. "Jonah's not going to like that. When he's not happy nobody's happy. I knew I should've gone into cosmetology. But no, I had to run into journalism. Because journalism a noble profession helmed by great thinkers and dishes out hard hitting truth's."

"720 or 108-SPEAK ENGLISH DAMNIT!" JJ howled again. That happens when you try to explain pixel count to a print dinosaur.

"Peter, give it to me straight. Have I made poor life choices?" Betty sulked.

Peter chuckled at the unwarranted dread. She was worrying over nothing. "Cheer up Betty. I got something that'll calm the beast." He pulled out more photos. "Got some pictures of a mural in Central Park."

Betty sighed at the good news. "That's nice and all Pete but JJ's not much of an art fan."

"Oh I don't know, I think he'll like a painting from Steven Rogers."

Betty's eyes shot open. "What."

"The Sentinel of Liberty, Winghead, Captain America, he painted that."

The secretary's face lit up like a Christmas tree. She grabbed the picture for a closer look. "How exclusive is this?"

Peter grinned and thanked his lucky stars that he was a part-time Avenger. Then again who wasn't these days. "Paint was still wet when I took it."

Betty sighed with relief. "I love you Peter Parker."

"…Romantically?"

"Purely platonic Pete." Betty lightheartedly chided.

"Shot down with alliteration, that's a first." He put the pictures back in his bag and went back to business. "I'll hand these off to JJ and he'll be a puppy dog for the rest of the week."

"Thanks Pete, seriously."

"It's no big deal. The man's fired me fourteen times I can handle him."

As soon as JJ saw Peter he hung up the phone and regarded him for a spit second before assaulting his ear drums for the umpteenth time. "Parker, get in here! You got my pictures!?" He said with his usual gravelly tone. His earlier phone call was already out of his mind.

"Yeah but the stories a bust." Peter saw JJ's forehead start to contort and quickly cutoff another rant. "But I did get a juicy exclusive to make up for it."

JJ took a puff of his cigar. "Uh-huh, I'll believe it when I see it. Bring 'em here!" He motioned for Peter to present his proof.

"Sure thing Mr. Jameson." Peter pulled out the photos and placed them on his desk. "You know you're not allowed to smoke in here right?"

"My office my rules" JJ sifted through the pictures in an instant and openly sneered. "You come in here with a dud and you give me some street art. What the hell am I paying you for!?"

Peter sighed. "You didn't let me finish JJ. Captain America painted that mural."

The editor and chief scuffed and challenged Peter's claims. "Captain America huh?"

"Yeah, he throws a shield then you have to yield, Captain America." Peter stood unnerved. JJ's stink eye lost its effect years ago.

"It looks like anyone could've painted that Parker." He placed his cigar back in his lips and reclined in his chair.

Peter thought it was strange that he wouldn't believe him until it hit him. "Oh, that's right I must've forgot." He exclaimed as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out one last photo from his back pocket. He handed the final picture to Jameson.

Jameson's eyes almost popped out of his skull. Steven Rogers stood next to his work with that million dollar smile of his and a reassuring thumbs up. "Well I'll be damned." He set his cigar on his ash tray and regarded Peter. "You should've lead with this Parker." His tone was still harsh but it softened a bit.

"Yeah I got a little excited and forgot about it, my bad." He lied. Peter liked jerking his chain every now and then. It was some light hearted payback for bad mouthing his alter ego.

"How the hell did you come across this kid?"

"Well after I learned that the Stark story was no good, I took a stroll through Central Park. I thought I could get some pictures of Spider-Man or whatever. Then I see this jacked guy painting at night. I was just as surprised as you when I realized who it was." Peter was only telling half of the story. After finding the fake Ironman, he threw on his long johns and asked Cap for a favor. Cap agreed and he got the story. It wasn't a problem for him. It's been ages and Steven got the 'itch'.

JJ couldn't contain his glee and starts to laugh. "Now you see this." He tapped on the pile of pictures. "These are the type of stories this city needs. Guys a living legend and what does he do with his free time? He contributes a piece of art to his home town. The man's a class act."

"Yeah, he even offered to walk me home when I was done." Peter bit his tongue. His fib sounded a little too sappy for even his tastes.

The lie only egged on JJ's fan fair. "That's what I'm talking about Parker. I bet he did it with a smile too. He's nothing like that Spider-Man…" He mood shifted after he mentioned the menace.

'Here we go.' Peter sighed. He'd get another ear full about how he swings around saving people for attention and glory.

"Steven Roger's a veteran. He doesn't hide behind a mask. You'd never find that level of transparency with the bug man. And another thing…"

'Spider-Man.' An elderly voice rang through Peter's head.

Peter turned his head and clutched his forehead, of all the times to pull this.

"Parker you paying attention, I'm trying to educate here!" JJ barked.

Peter turned back to the grouchy newspaper man and smiled. "I'm all ears' Mr. Jameson."

Peter clinched his jaw shut and cursed his family's 'lucky' streak.

'My apologies Peter, is this a bad time?'

Peter focused on his inner voice. He had a bad habit of talking out loud whenever Web contacted him like this. He was walking on a tightrope without a net. Peter couldn't afford to make that blunder in front of JJ. 'There's a good time to have an old lady yapping in you skull. Whatever you've got to say do it fast.'

'I wanted to let you know that Dr. Strange has news of your counterpart.' Web reported.

The elderly woman's message hit him like a trident missile. His world stood still for a moment. This could be it. He could put this matter behind him and save his other self. His face was etched with steely determination.

"The hell's wrong with you Parker!? You aren't on drugs are you!?" JJ snapped Peter back to reality.

"It's nothing boss." He grabbed his phone and acted like something was on the screen. "I just remembered that I got an appointment with a possible lead. I have to get going or I'll miss it."

JJ doesn't raise a fuss at being cut off. He's actually impressed with his initiative. "Alright, get out there and get me some pictures." He grabbed his cigar and turned to his desktop.

"On it boss." He grabbed his things and starts a brisk walk out of the corner office. Parker would've sprinted out of the Bugle if he could.

"Parker, hold on!" JJ called out.

Peter grimaced and cursed the editor in his head. He took a deep breath and turned. "What's up Jonah?"

JJ held up the portfolio like a trophy. "Good work…" He didn't yell and the accolade seemed genuine. Betty was right, old Jameson was having a good day.

It was surprising. Peter may have heard praise from JJ twice since he started working for him. He knew his temperament so he didn't thank him for the praise. Peter simply left with a sheepish grin written on his face despite Web's message. He couldn't help it.

Peter opted to use the stairs instead of the elevator. He didn't want people thinking he was a mental case. "M-dub, you still there?"

'Yes Peter. Are you free to talk to the yapping old lady now?' She chided.

"Not really. There's not a whole lot of personal space this close to time square." He said as he placed his web shooters on his wrists. "I'll just swing by your place and we'll pick things up from there." Peter proposed.

"Very well, I'll let Steven know about our arrangement in the meantime."

Peter made his way to the exit and swung the door open. "It's a date."

XXXxxx Republic City: Sato Estate xxxXXX

The skies were grey and the weather was nasty. It was a rain and sleet kind of morning. Even during these conditions the Sato estate stood like an ivory tower looking down on the muck that Mother Nature produced. Peter wondered if this was incidental or by design. He figured it was the latter on Hiroshi's part.

"Why the hell do you let Asami boss you around like this?" He asked himself as he searched for a way passed the front gate. The guard booth was vacant and he never came to the compound on his own. Right now he was trying to find a way to page them. Of course he could've cleared the gate in a single jump but he didn't want to be rude.

He tried to get a closer look at the gate trying to find some kind of doorbell. "When a pretty girl asks you to do something you don't always have to say yes every time." He tapped around the bars. "Now here you are freezing your keister off because Parkers always keeps their promises."

His spider sense tripped and alerted him of someone's presence.

"Hey, this is private property buddy! State your business or vacate." The uniformed security guard stated.

Peter rearranged his scarf and glasses all while shivering. "I'm here to see Ms. Sato."

The guard cocked an eyebrow at Peter's claims. "You Takuya?"

"Yes sir."

The security guard sighed. His entire demeanor changed. "You got some ID?"

"Right here." He pulled his wallet out of his coat pocket. "This good?" He presented his company ID badge.

The guard gave it a once over. "All right young man, Ms. Sato's in the main building. She's expecting you so she should grab you before you get lost."

"Thanks. By the way where were you? I didn't see anyone when I got here." Peter wanted to attach a reason for his hypothermia. "I thought Mr. Sato sent everyone home."

"Nature called and I answered, didn't think I'd be so long." He said without a shred of shame. "Hold on I'll buzz you in. And if you do get lost just come back here and I'll escort you."

"I'll manage thanks." He hoped his sarcasm reached the lackluster guard.

The guard flipped the switch and the heavy gate opened. Peter's trip through the sprawling courtyard made him feel like royalty. The estate had world class lawn work that was even apparent through the snow. His feet didn't encounter a single misshapen tile. He wondered if the Sato estate was bigger than the Buckingham Palace. Not bad for a street urchin from the burrows. It took longer than expected but he found his way to the main house, or was it a mansion? He found himself facing some large double doors to the main house and went inside. The warm air was all the welcome he needed. This was the first time in a mansion. "Nice and roomy." He thought out loud.

"It can be cozy too." Asami's voice echoed through the walls.

Peter looked up and saw his host on one of the balconies. "It's alright I guess but it plays second fiddle to my humble abode."

Asami ignored Peter's odd choice of words and wondered what a fiddle was. It must've been some kind of slang from his hometown. "I'll bet. You got all those furry little roommates and everything."

"Hey, me and Hong go way back, took the same boat here and everything." He looked on as Asami made it to his level. "Now Lee's the bad apple. Guy moves in and thinks he owns the place. Did you know he's trying to move his whole family in too?"

"Lee's got some nerve. Maybe I should…" She shook her head and laughed. "Sorry Takuya I can't keep this up." She caught her breath and moved on. "Glad you showed up."

"Wouldn't miss it." He lied. Honestly he needed the distraction, especially from that night. "What wouldn't I miss again? I don't remember you telling me anything about it."

"Come on, I'll show you." Asami ordered with a knowing smile.

"Lead the way." He instructed as he thought what the heiress had in store for him. Peter hoped it wasn't some extravagant gift like a car. He wouldn't know what to do with it. The thing would get stolen the second he parked it on the curb.

A thought came to Asami as they walked. "Oh by the way, the team's uniforms are ready and I'm dropping them off today. So now you get the chance to see the arena. Isn't that great!"

"Wow that's great…" Peter begrudgingly smiled. He forgot all about their little agreement at the track. The last thing he wanted was to be around Korra. Their last chit-chat was suspicious to say the least. She would definitely try to pry more information out of him. The Avatar was persistent like that. He'd rather see her when all this craziness blows over. "Took them long enough, what happened. Did the tailor get lost in your front lawn?"

She chuckled at the joke. "No, I wish it was that simple. They contractor I hired kept getting the stitching all wrong and the label wasn't right. If it wasn't one thing it was another."

"Why go through all the trouble? The Fire Ferrets had uniforms before the sponsorship right. Couldn't you just slap on a company logo on those and call it a day?"

"It's not about convenience Takuya. The Fire Ferrets are representing the company my father built from nothing, my family's legacy. A second rate uniform isn't going to cut it." Asami words were direct and free of any doubt. Her tone wasn't angry so much as focused.

"Oh, I get it." Peter had similar feelings about his 'uniform'. "So was that the big surprise you called me up for? If it is then you could've just rang me up."

"No that was just the cherry on top." Asami flashed another smile his way. "Don't worry you're not here for nothing."

"Great. Going to tell me what it is?" Peter couldn't mask his personal foible. He never liked being in the dark.

"Nooo, I'm going to show you." Asami twisted the knife so to speak.

Peter groaned. He wasn't a fan of surprises.

"That's enough about me. What's going on with you? Hope you haven't had any more late night strolls." Asami asked like a concerned parent.

Peter laughed nervously. He had trouble putting words to what transpired that night. It did involve a ghost girl in white. "Well…ummm…"

XXXxxx Non-descript Republic City Roof: The Other Night xxxXXX

Peter didn't know what was happening at the moment. So he tried collecting the raw details to fill in the blanks. It was the middle of the night, he was outside on a roof, it was snowing lightly, the winds picked up, and a floating young girl with white hair was requesting an audience with him. Is mind was slowly returning after the initial shock. She was saying something about a warning and that he was in grave danger? Her mouth was moving again. What was she saying?

"…Are you listening Peter?" The young ghost asked.

As she spoke Peter's world started to turn again. His lips quivered and contorted. To the ghost surprise he started laughing. The off duty vigilante was either giving into his madness or the sight was so comical that he couldn't help but laugh. This had to be the 'voices' doing. "Really, is this the best you could do?" Another fit of laugher erupted. "If you're trying to freak me out then you have to do better than some glowy dame in a night gown."

The spirit was left dumb founded. Yue knew he would be confused but this was unexpected. She was royalty in life and highly respected in the next. No one ever talked to her like that. She maintained her elegant poise and tried to convey her message again. She was here to help not impose. "Young man this isn't a laughing matter. You're in grave danger and you must hear what I have to say."

"Young Man, what are you twelve?" He mocked and continued to laugh. "The only thing I'm in danger of is taking this stunt too seriously." He walked past the moon spirit like a raving homeless man. In Peter's mind this was just his personal demon trying to play mind games again. It wouldn't work. Not this time. He moved his scarf over his face and prepared to exit

The pure unabashed disrespect left her speechless. She is the spirit of the moon. The tides moved to her will and only La has a say in the matter. And even with her status she had to suffer such insolence. When she was growing up she was educated on the spirits vital role to the world and harbored a deep seeded respect towards them. Getting an audience with them was rare and a tremendous honor bestowed to a select few from the mortal coil. Peter Parker just tossed this occasion aside like an old newspaper.

'What kind of world did he come from!?' She wondered. Iroh had given her some details on him and was told how stubborn he was to the ways of spirituality. But this was just absurd.

Peter made it to the ledge and faced the spirit again. "I may not know what you are but you're not going to beat me. And your little voodoo mind magic isn't going to work on me again. Read me. I'm going to find you and toss you out like the trash you are." He finished his declaration with a deep scowl. The sheer disdain was hidden by his make shift mask. "Night!" And with that he dove into the concrete jungle.

Yue was speechless at the naked disrespect she had just witnessed. Peter's insults may not have been directed at her but she still felt their sting.

"UNBELEIVABLE!" She couldn't hold her anger back. The outburst betrayed her spiritual status. The former princess hasn't lashed out like that since she was still flesh and blood. It was almost impressive. This lapse of conduct didn't last long. Within seconds she regained her composure with a deep breath save for an ugly frown. This wasn't over. She had a mission and she would get it done weather Peter liked it or not.

"I tried to be nice…"

XXXxxx Present xxxXXX

"…Takuya, anybody home?" Asami asked.

"Huh…" Peter's mind was a million miles away. "Oh right. Nothing special happened. I…uh…I just fell asleep reading a book."

"Humph, sounds boring." She admitted. Honestly she was just happy he wasn't putting himself in harm's way.

"Wish it was." Peter thought out loud. He got a quizzing look from Asami and moved quickly to cover his tracks. "The book I mean! It was a good book!"

"No kidding. What was it about?"

"It involved a miserly old man who was visited by three spirits." Peter wondered why he picked 'A Christmas Carol' to bail him out, must have been a Freudian slip. He never thought he would ever feel for old Ebenezer in this life time. "Real page turner all right."

Asami reached some double doors with the words 'Rec Room' on the sign above. "Sure sounds like it. Make sure to lend it to me when you're finished." She said as she swung the doors open to reveal a fully furnished room filled with exercise equipment. There were shelves with padded head gear and gloves, a small fighting ring and there was enough room to do anything.

Peter stepped inside what felt like a padded floor and took a closer look. There were heavy bags, gymnast ropes, and practice dummies. His eyes winded as he reached the logical conclusion to what Asami's surprise was. 'Ah hell…'

The two worked their way deeper in the rec-room and saw a lean muscular man sitting on his knees. He was facing the large broad window set that lined one of the walls. The snow caked lawn was visible.

The guy seemed normal enough. Upon closer inspection, he was an older gentlemen with graying black hair. Peter guessed he was between five-eleven to six-one, fare from imposing. There was something about him that told Peter not to count on his visual perceptions. He didn't know if it was his perfect stillness despite the two teens approaching him form the rear or the vicious skull tattoo that covered his back. The body art dripped with malice. It sported an evil grin and an unholy light shining from one of its eye sockets. He even caught a few scars scattered around his torso.

Asami smiled and presented the man like he was forged from one of her father's assembly lines. "Takuya this is Kung-Lei, my first and best martial arts teacher. And now he's yours!"

"My what now?" Peter gave her a strange look. "I don't remember agreeing to any strenuous activities Asami."

Peter's protests steam from the very real prospect of killing an average man with his vast strength, especially one that was clearly past his physical prime. He also had doubts that he could learn anything useful from his teachings.

"Wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, Surprise." Asami was ecstatic. "Relax Takuya. Just give him a chance you'll love it."

The master took a breath and rose to his feet. "You talk about me like I'm a new Satomobile." He turned and revealed his hard stone like face to the two. Despite his hard features his face was surprisingly plain. His amber eyes suggested a Fire Nation heritage. Asami's master also sported an impressive scar that was in line with his jaw line. It would seem that he someone pulled a switch blade on him in the past. "How's that little saying of yours go again, 'Easier to ask forgiveness than permission'? Looks like this young man's another one of your victims." He turned his gaze to Peter and bowed his head. "Pleased to meet you by the way."

Peter paused then mimicked his gesture. "Likewise."

"Seriously master, 'victim', laying it on a little think aren't you." Asami stood up for her antics.

Kung-Lie simply shrugged. "Eh maybe." He admitted and as his eyes shifted to daggers. His hands moved like lightning bolts aimed at Asami's flawless face.

It all happened so fast. Peter wouldn't be able to follow if he didn't have his powers. His spider-sense triggered faster than he did. His instincts drove him to ball up his fists, take a step back, and defend the heirs. Thankfully it wasn't needed and the surprises didn't stop there. Asami didn't flinch when her master flashed his palm forward. She simply ducked and weaved past the master's attack. The only thing Kung-Lei hit was a spill of black hair. Asami moved to counter but he blocked her fist. The two traded blows a few more times before Kung-Lei backed off. The two combatants stared each other down.

Lei's cold ceremonious demeanor melted away with a smile. He held his hands up to surrender to his former student. "Alright, alright I give." He said with hearty laughter.

Peter never saw this side of Asami. When she told him about her martial arts training he had always thought she had gotten some glorified self-defense lessons from an overpaid instructor. Guess her tutelage went a lot further than learning a few holds.

Asami accepted his 'surrender' and dropped out of her stance. "You really need to stop with your little 'pop quizzes' sensei. You're going to bite off more than you can chew someday." She teased her old master. She knew he was only messing around.

"Maybe. But hey, it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission you know." Kung-Lei dropped his hands and mocked her. "I was worried you got rusty. Glade to see you haven't gotten slow on me."

"Can't say the same about you." She paused to straighten out her shirt. "I always train when I have free time."

"Dang it, where are my manners?" Lei turned his attention to the perplexed looking boy. "I forgot all about you Takuya. Sorry if our little game startled you. I haven't seen my student in a while."

"So you greet her like that!?" Peter wasn't sure what he just witnessed. Girls didn't move like that back home, especially one's that come from money.

Kung-Lei didn't pay the outburst any mind. "It's kind of a little inside ritual between the two of us. Now Takuya, Asami here tells me you had a run-in with some muggers."

Peter winced as his cover story came back to bite him. "Oh that. That was nothing. I just ran into some rotten luck. It could happen to anyone." He glossed over that horrific night like he just stubbed his toe.

"I agree. That could've happened to anyone. But few people have the tools to defend themselves." The master lost his easy going tone and shifted it to a serious one. There was no a hostility or pleasantries in his voice.

"Takuya can you come here for a second." Asami asked.

Peter followed her request and steeped to her immediate area.

Asami pressed her shoulder with Peter's and started whispering "I know what you're thinking and I'm asking you to give Master Lei a chance."

"Asami I know you're only trying to help and all but I don't need some judo master teaching me how to beat people up." Peter voiced his stance.

"If I wanted to do that I would've grabbed some meat head out of a two bit dojo on the south side. Kung-Lei is so much more than that. He doesn't just teach you a few moves he…It's hard to explain alright." Asami struggled to make her case.

Her efforts didn't go unnoticed though. Peter could tell she wasn't just propping the man up on a pedestal. His gut told him so. "You're not doing a good job at selling him Ms. Sato."

She sighed. "I noticed. Look Takuya I know what you're going through."

"Really?"

"I do. You're trying to brush aside the attack like it never happened and trust me that's not how you deal with it. Kung-Lei teaches piece of mind through martial arts. It worked for me after my mother's death and I thought he could do the same for you. You can learn a lot from him Tak' so please just give him a chance." Asami spoke from the heart. "If you still don't like it after then you don't have to see him again." She proposed.

Her bait and switch scheme wasn't appreciated but her argument was. Peter suspected that Asami knew he'd be hesitant to go along with her wishes. Either way she was only trying to help and he's been through a lot worse than enduring through a crack pots lecture. "…Fine"

"Great!" She cried out loud. "I've brought a change of clothes you can use. There in the wash room over there. I think I got your size right." Asami whole outlook shifted. She practically glowed when he accepted her 'gift'.

"You going to stick around and watch my humiliation?" Peter sulked. Did he fall for Asami's charm again?

"No can do. The seamstress is coming by with the uniforms and I need to inspect them personally. So have fun with Master Lei for a while and I'll be back to check on you, alright."

Peter rubbed the back of his skull. It was a nervous habit of his. "Yeah, okay sure."

Asami walked towards her master and hugged him. "Go easy on him Lei." She said in his ear.

"I don't do easy kid. You know that."

"Try."

"Alright." He smiled and Asami moved on to the task at hand.

Kung-Lei turned towards Peter and sized him up. His gaze wasn't cold but analytic. The boy's posture, the way he carried himself, the placement on his feet. Every detail that would clue him in on what kind of student Parker would be.

Peter maintained his poker face as the master looked on. There was an uneasy silence between the two parties until he broke it. "Just you and me now huh."

"Looks that way."

"So you going to show me some holds, run me through a regiment?" Peter quipped.

Kung-Lei just smirked at Peter. "No, you're a little green for that. Just get changed and I'll show you."

Without a word Peter made his way to the bathroom. 'Great, now I'm stuck with a judo bum for a few hours. You really need to learn how to say NO Parker.'

It only took a few minutes for Peter to slip on some appropriate attire. Asami had prepared an assortment of clothing for him. There was everything from form fitting athletic clothes to a traditional karate gi. The amount of effort Asami put towards this almost made him feel special. When he returned to the rec-room he was wearing a simple pair of baggy white high waters and a gray long sleeve shirt. The black belt he wore was purely for show. He stepped back on the mats with traditional black shoes.

Kung-Lei sat cross legged on the cushioned floor. He had since slipped on a shirt while he waited for Peter. "Alright, let's get the ball rolling." He held out his hand to the space in front of him. "Please sit."

Peter did as he was told and sat in front of the master. His seating position was a casual one. He rested one arm on his knee and the other supported his back. The gesture annoyed Lei but he was dealing with a novice.

"Is this the part where I learn how to sit on my butt." Peter yanked his chain.

The master wasn't fazed at all. Talk was cheap to a man of action. None the less he was a good listener. The average joe wouldn't know it but he'd already learned a great deal about Peter. The young man clearly had a problem with authority. "I know you'd rather be anywhere else right now but please be patient."

Peter minded his manners for now and let him continue. "Sorry, go ahead."

Lei made another mental note. Peter was rebellious but he wasn't a delinquent. Perhaps he was lashing out at something or someone. "Martial arts, in my humble opinion, isn't about running constant drills and copying different moves. If it's broken down to its purest form it's about understanding one's self.

Peter sat there with a confused look written on his face. The master's words parked memories of an old boxing gym back in Queens. He would stop and watch the fighters train on his way to and from school. It's what sparked his love for the sport. He remembered how the aspiring champions would pound a heavy bag for hours. The speed bags would move like a machine gun bolts. The trainers ran their fighters through harsh regiments and repeat punching combinations hundreds of times. They then moved on to practicing said combinations in sparing sessions. In Peter's mind martial arts simply consisted of physical conditioning, watching, and imitating different moves. This seldom happened to Peter but the Master's perception stumped him. He didn't voice his views and opted to let the man continue.

Kung-Lei saw Peter's confusion. This was expected, his view wasn't a popular one. On the plus side Peter kept his mouth shut. He was listening, time to take the next step. "Tell me Takuya, what is the best way to defeat an opponent?"

Peter cocked a brow. "That a rhetorical question?"

"No, there's no wrong answer at this point. I just want to know a little more about you that's all." Lei stated his intentions with an easy going demeanor. It didn't suit his hard features.

Peter had a small laugh at the masters conflicting looks. "You sound like a grade school counselor Mr. Lei. You might have missed your calling as a shrink."

Kung-Lei let a few chuckles out as well. "You might be right. But let's not lose focus, please answer the question."

Peter didn't take long to deliberate on his answer. Lei couldn't have known but he spoke from experience. "You move on your enemy hard and fast, without hesitation. You get on them so fast that they don't have time to think and you can't be a stationary target either. Stay mobile and keep up the pressure. The second you stop moving is the second you turn into a fat target." Peter's eyes were blank as his mind recalled past battles. That mindset pulled him through the Goblin Gang and Amon to a lesser extent. Right or wrong, this was his way. But recent, painful, lessons taught him that it was far from foolproof. Peter may be stubborn but he knew something had to change. He just didn't think the man before him was the one to help him do it. His eyes shot open when he realized what had just come out of his mouth. That was Spider-Man talking not Peter Parker. He cleared his throat and adjusted his large framed glasses in a bid to maintain his duel life. A meek smoke screen was thrown to hide the hard boiled vigilante. He completed the illusion with nervous laughter. "At least, that's the way I think it's done sir…"

The master was impressed with Peter's interpretation. In theory, it would be very effective in certain scenarios but there were some fatal flaws that would render his tactics inefficient. "Hmm, that's awfully pragmatic of you Takuya. I never would have guessed that would come out of a teenager's mouth."

Peter shifted his seating position and ruffled his hair. It was the perfect imitation of embarrassment. "Well you did say there were no wrong answers right? I just said whatever popped in my head you know."

"No, you weren't wrong per say it just…" Lei searched for the proper words. "With your methods you'd put unnecessary strain on yourself and would be hard pressed to win the day." He rubbed his stubble for a moment before speaking again. "Let me change gears here. How do you put an elephant mandrill in a closet?"

The master's odd question snapped Peter back to his normal self. His eye rose to attention. Again he rolled with Kung-Lei ways and answered. "You'd get an elephant mandrill in a closet by creating a door wide enough for it to fit through. And that's if the closet is big enough to fit the thing." Peter only recognized the elephant part of the chimera Lei asked about.

"Wrong!" The master comically yelled out.

Again Peter was astonished by the supposed answer. "That's nuts, an animal that size wouldn't fit in such a small space! You got better luck getting hit by lightning then finding a closet big enough to accommodate something with so much mass." He had hoped this animal resembled the elephants of his world.

Lei couldn't help but chuckle at his trial period student. According to Asami, the young man was gifted in science. His elk often fell for his little mind game. Peter was getting more agitated much to his enjoyment. He had his fun. Now it was time to stop jerking him around. "You over analyzed the question Takuya. Want to hear the right answer?"

Peter said nothing and let his annoyed face answer for him.

"Great. You put an elephant mandrill in a closet by opening the door and putting it in." Lei flashed a knowing smile. He hoped the lesson had resonated with Peter.

"What?"

'Guess not.' He sighed. "Takuya it's an old trick question I like to use. It lets me know what kind of student I'm working with you see."

"Why ask a question no one could answer? Again it's impossible for a simple closet could hold something that size." Peter stood by his answer.

"Really? What about a picture of an elephant mandrill?" With Lei's second curve ball Peter fell silent. Good, he was starting to understand. "Maybe I was talking about a toy elephant mandrill."

His face shifted to a more serious nature. The joke was over. "Takuya, life's an unpredictable mess. Good people get worked over and bad people get fortunes. Fighting follows the same principle. Your strategy, the 'hard and fast' method, doesn't work because this world is unpredictable. And while we're being honest, it doesn't suit your thought process either. If you were in a fight you'd be thinking about throwing a perfect punch, blocking with textbook technique, and making sure you have enough clearance to dodge any counter attacks. The only thing you should worry about is throwing a punch, blocking, and getting the heck out of the way when some mean looking yahoo tries to feed you your teeth.

Peter opened his mouth but words didn't come out. There was no retort, no fiery argument. He couldn't even think of a bad joke to ease the tension. All he could do was bow his head over his face, moving his glasses out of place. There was no reason behind this action.

Kung-Lei saw this and could relate. "Don't beat yourself up Takuya. You're young and people at your age always think they have everything figured out. Truth is nobody ever does, including me. We all reach a point when we realize how little we actually know."

Peter didn't move an inch. Lei had it all wrong. He wasn't being hard on himself at all. The martial artist lecture sparked memories of that peculiar night. An image of the white haired specter played in his head over and over. That was definitely a night he would never forget.

"Huh…you can say that again."

XXXxxx Republic City: Roshi's Dumpling shop xxxXXX

A cloud of steam billowed from the quaint little dine and dash restaurant. It was similar to an industrial smoke stack without the harmful chemicals. The only byproduct here was the sweet smell of meat, dough, and love. The hum of the blue and green neon sign outside could be heard a mile away. It was a hair nosier then the chatter of the other patrons but not the satomobiles outside. Roshi should invest in thicker walls.

"Order up!" A man waving a paper boat on his head shouted. He waved a large white bag over head and looked for its owner.

"Right here!" Peter shouted and held up his meal ticket. He approached the counter and handed off the ticket. "About time, I'm wasting away here."

The cook didn't bother hiding his surprise. "Hey kid, where's the rest of you!?"

"Just me Jeeves." Peter confirmed as he pulled out his wallet.

"Kid there's four servings of dumplings in here."

"No fooling" He handed over the money and grabbed the large bag. "I'm having a feast tonight."

"Whatever, try not to choke man." The clerk waived Peter away and grabbed the next ticket.

"Whatever you say wise guy." He waved the rudeness and walked out the door. He's lucky no one's dropped a dime on him yet. That joint had to have been breaking some fire codes with that many people. The exchange was quickly forgotten and Peter reached in the bag for some food. He had planned on waiting until after he got home but he had to put some meat in his mouth. The Air Acolytes had offered him some food but leafy green salad and an assortment of fruits wouldn't put a dent in his appetite.

Peter grabbed a dumpling and was surprised by its size. Damn thing was the size of a fist, and he had ordered a dozen. The cashier might have had a point after all. "Might have gone a little overboard with the order." He admitted while looking into the edible soft ball he was holding. "Eh what the hell." He took a big bite of the fresh dumpling.

The sensation he was feeling was hard to explain. His mouth watered with savory juices and season ground meat. The dough had the texture of chewing gum at first but quickly melted in his mouth. He didn't know where the meat came from and he didn't care either. It could've originated from the finest Angus or the lowest rat. It wouldn't make a lick of difference in his book. Nothing could dissuade the absolute bliss he was feeling. It was so powerful that he had no choice but to stop his trot through the streets. This moment simply compelled him to savor the unyielding flavor. But sadly all good things must come to an end. Peter was slammed back to the bitter cold streets of Republic City.

Peter swallowed and exhaled. "Good god that was amazing." He declared.

It would seem that his order wasn't big enough. Maybe his hunger for the dumplings would never be satisfied.

Peter ended the love affair and continued his commute back home. "So these are dumplings huh?" He grabbed another one and scarfed it down. Now he knew why Bolin liked them so much. The crazy earthbender wanted some after the Triple Threat/Equalist fiasco. If it had been him, he would've told everyone to buzz off and get the delicious meat balls.

His eyes shifted with his mind. It was time to get back to business. He grabbed another dumpling and took a bite, taking his time this time. Of all the thought that were swimming in his head, there was one that stood above the rest. What was his next move? No answer came. He swallowed and took a breath. 'One problem at a time Parker, break it down and analyze.' He thought as he crossed an intersection.

He didn't dwell on personal matter now and instead focused on Amon. So far the Equalist's head psycho has been awfully quiet as of late. There hasn't been another rally or a pirated radio broadcast in a while. It could only mean he was busy laying the ground work for something big. His actions didn't steam from cold feet. It wasn't long too long ago when he had Korra dead to rights at the monument. The cult even managed to catch him off guard a few times. Peter couldn't bring himself to admit defeat at Amon's hands.

He shoved another dumpling in his mouth in anger. At the end of the day this was all conjecture and it was getting him nowhere. The only discernable course of action was to wait and see what he would do next. Peter would jump on a more proactive option but here wasn't one in sight. It wasn't all bad though. Now he had plenty of time to tend to his own house. This led him right where he started. Should he still be Spider-Man? Can he be Spider-Man?

He blanked out his mind with a sigh. 'You know what, just for one night, forget everything.' He advised himself as he crossed several rows of alley ways. 'Forget Amon, forget the voice and its little games, forget Korra…'

Unbeknownst to Peter, the snow started shifting a trail and followed him through the night. With a wake so small it disturbed no one. The apparent snake hastened its pace and pecked out of the snow. Its form was semi lucent tendril that started to close in on Peter.

'…Just crash in your apartment and stuff your face. Let all this be a problem for tomor…' His train of thought was interrupted by an all too familiar buzz in his head. Before he could react something had snaked around his ankle and tossed him away into a back street. The unknown attack may have caught him off guard, not a small feat, but he wasn't off balance. He shifted his weight, dropped his bag, and landed on his feet. His glassed flew off his face at an unknown point. It didn't really matter. They were just for show anyway.

Fear washed over him as he faced his attacker. It wasn't human. The tendrils on its back swayed gently on its own accord. It was pitch black with dull white spots scattered across its body. The faint glow the beast gave off was the stuff of nightmares. It looked like a lizard and rested most of its weight on its fists. Stumpy claws were found on all six fingers. Peter found it odd that such a ferocious creature lacked fangs. The blue glow that resonated from its eyes and mouth clashed with the rest of its dull mass. The creature reminded Peter of the creatures Mysterio used in his pocket dimension. Is this what this creature was, a discarded monster following its fallen master's will? How long has it been here? Was it hunting him this whole time? The questions kept coming as the monster stood there examining him.

Peter didn't waver at the lizard. His knees didn't shake and his eyes were fixated on the hostile beast. It didn't show but this thing scared him to the bone. He swallowed and prepared for whatever came next.

Neither of the combatants moved for what seemed like an eternity. A light blizzard was rolling over the city anew. The snowflakes free fall was painfully slow. Peter's breathing picked up. He didn't know if he should fight or run. Gunslingers must have felt like this right before high noon. The monster was faring better than him. It didn't move an inch and seemed to be waiting for something.

"Spirits don't exist huh?" The lizard face contorted and growled. "I'll make a believer out of you."

The shock of the moment started to show on Peter face. The monster took a single step following its boast. He took a few steps back and felt something crunch under his shoe. No doubt his take out. It would appear that destiny has thrown him a small bone and he wasn't about to waste it. Peter kicked the doggy back at the advancing lizard. The bag landed square on its face and Peter moved with impunity. Peter used the distraction to the fullest. His superhuman abilities were on full display. It was a shame there was no one to see it. Peter sprinted with impressive speed and found himself in striking range in milliseconds. The lizard creature was still whipping food and show out of its face when the first blow connected. Peter held nothing back, only a fool would in this situation. The sound of his fist colliding with its midsection echoed through the night sky. He was fortunate that so many satomobile drowned out the noise. There would be no curious bystanders to worry about. The monster's form buckled and warped with every blow. Peter's bandages ripped and came undone around his arms. He shifted his stance and put every ounce of strength he could muster behind a devastating uppercut to the lizard's jaw. His final punch was loud enough to cause some pedestrians to wonder where the noise had come from before ignoring it entirely.

The lizard fell off its feet and crashed on his back. It seemed that Peter's primitive assault was successful. His breathing was heavy and fatigue stated to creep up on him. Guess he wasn't back to full strength yet.

"Did…that…do it?" He asked between breaths.

The vigilante got his answer when the creature started to stir. His heart started to pound as the reality of the situation became clear. The creature swayed and practically slithered back to its feet. There was a fist size indention in the lizards dislodged jaw. Peter stood in horror as he watched as the dent filled in and its jaw reset itself.

"Actually felt that one." The lizard admitted. It almost sounded amused.

The creature made it painfully obvious that Peter couldn't beat it. Not directly anyway. There was only one option left on the table. He jumped high and webbed the monster to everything in reach. The lizard roared and fought to free itself from its web shackles. Peter didn't waste any time and made a hasty retreat. He effortlessly scaled the walls and ran through the rooftops. He didn't look back but he knew the glowing beast was already hot on his heels.

The semi-luminescent monster tore through his webs like rubber bands. Its body morphed and slithered up the walls with stunning speed.

Peter ran and leaped through every obstacle the roof tops could throw at him. There was no room to web swing away. That family 'luck' of his would be the death of him. Even at his break neck speed Peter felt the monster was breathing down on him. He knew his limits and was faster than any Olympic sprinter. It wasn't a gloat to massage his damaged ego, that was fact. Not that it mattered. The lizard wasn't having a problem to keeping pace with him. Its body flowed past chimneys and laundry posts like they weren't even there. The lizard didn't disturb a single brick during the chase. It defied the laws of physics and nature. How could something with so much mass not cave in on the building? He took a chance and turned his head. The lizard's luminescent skin made it seem like a ray of light was chasing him through the night.

Peter desperately searched for a way out of this mess. He needed a solution fast. So far the creature was only keeping pace with him and he suspected this was intentional. It would seem the hunter liked to air out its quarry. This needed to end before the lizard changed its mind. His vision shifted and the world went grey. His scarlet eyes darted left and right desperately searching for more favorable terrain. A shopping plaza that was under construction came to view. Heavy objects, derelict machinery, and plenty of cover, he couldn't ask for a better spot to work his magic.

Peter took a breath, 'Now or never!'. He fell from one of the ledges and shot a web line to an industrial barrel. He pulled hard and yanked it towards a concrete mixer. The collision created a makeshift smoke screen that enveloped Peter's form.

The lizard didn't let up and dove in the cloud after him. Its landing wasn't nearly as graceful. The beast jumped down a few stories and cracked the ground. It waited for the smokescreen to clear and searched for any sign of Peter. The creature growled when it couldn't find any trace of him. It continued its search to no avail. Parker was too smooth to be detected. He made sure not to leave any clues to his location. Both parties found themselves in a game of cat and mouse.

Peter hid behind a pile of girders and calculated his next move. Judging from its speed, out running it was out of the question. In order to get away from it he would need to pull of some serious maneuvers that his surroundings wouldn't oblige. A direct assault would be pointless. If his first attempt was any indicator, going toe-to-toe with this thing would end in disaster. It was a repeat of his final battle with The Goblin. The fragment had turned him into a dull green behemoth that was virtually invincible. Osborne laughed at Peter's full power and begged gloated him to hit harder. If it wasn't for that gaping wound on the transformed mobster's back he'd be six feet under in a pine box.

'Damn it. You have to have a weakness you son of a bitch!' He gritted his teeth.

The lizard started to close in on his hiding spot. Peter dug into the snow, grabbed a good sized rock, and chucked it. The monstrous lizard rushed to investigate the disturbance and Peter took the chance to jump to silently leap to a new spot. He clung behind a support beam.

Peter cursed his rotten luck. He couldn't stay hidden for much longer and they both knew it. There were two ways this could end. His heart pounded like a drum and his muscles were aching. But his eyes were focused and deadly serious. He might be scared but he wasn't a coward. His only option was to go for broke and pray for a miracle.

Time slowed down when the moment of truth was approaching. 'You survived worse…' was his last thought before leaping to action. He sprinted across the incomplete surface and grabbed an oversized wrench from one of the work benches. Honestly he didn't know what he grabbed but it was hard and even he felt its weight. His tormentor turned its head ever so slightly before a rapidly descending scientific prodigy wielding a cast iron club. His war cry echoed through the town. The off duty web-slinger didn't know what this thing was or what it wanted. Frankly he didn't care anymore. The black and white monstrosity was about to find out what it's like to face a cornered animal.

"Peter wai-" The monster tried to speak before an iron tool was smacked across its head. "I wa-" He swung again. It head twisted and caved from Peter's feral assault.

In the back of his mind, Peter wondered why the beast wasn't retaliating. He pushed past the thought and continued pummeling the monster. Mercy was in short supply for the time being. Was he winning or losing? It was hard to say. Everything was turning into an obscure blur. His arms burned with lactic acid that he hasn't felt in a while. How many times did he swing that wrench? Ten times, a hundred, it was hard to say. Was the lizard trying to say something? The voice wasn't trying to control him. His hands were firmly on the helm now.

The lizards head swayed from one of the many blows to its head. The beast had hoped the web-head would tucker himself out. It would seem that the wall crawler had vast stamina reserves. It had enough and this charade needed to end.

"ENOUGH!"The lizard howled as Peter struck it again. Its head rapidly morphed into hands and trapped Peter by the wrists. Its restraints didn't take the fight out of him. Peter kneed kicked and cursed the monster. "I SAID ENOUGH!" Its assertion had a powerful, haunting, echo behind it. It proceeded to extend two of its tendrils and restrained his restless legs.

Before Peter knew it, he was suspended in the air. He continued to resist and break attempted to break his shackles. "LET GO OF ME YOU STINKE N-"

"Calm down Peter!" A girl called out.

Peter eyes slowly opened his eyes at the familiar sounding girl. He squinted, the bright light made it hard to see. His eyes were very sensitive to light at their current state. His eyes returned to their original shade and color returned to his world. He saw the supposed spirit from earlier emerge. The monster that was chasing him peeled away revealing to spirit from earlier. Peter didn't say a word. None came to mind.

Yue made sure Peter was calm before releasing him. The 'tendrils' were actually her spiritual essence and they melted off Peter's extremities. She lost her poise and sighed heavily. "I think that's enough excitement for one night."

Peter was speechless at first. Who wouldn't be? He had a lot to say but the words simply eluded him. One minute he was on his way home then an abominable lizard monster chased him through the city streets. Then said monster turned out to be the alleged spirit from before. His mind was still reeling from tonight's events. He wondered if this was another dream. "What the hell is going on…"

The moon spirit regained her composure and addressed Peter plainly. "You were the victim of nasty practical joke."

"That lizard thing was you." Peter pointed.

"Correct."

"And you were the one who was chasing me through town."

"Yes."

"And you're saying all of that was just a prank?"

She looked away like a guilty plaintiff. "Yes on all accounts."

Peter stood dumbfounded for a while. How did he go from thinking he was in imminent danger to falling for a spirits sick sense of humor? "You could've killed me!"

"Kill you?" She repeated with a mocking smile. "Stop being dramatic Peter, I hardly touched you."

"You snuck up behind me and threw me in an alley!" He protested without acknowledging the fact that he couldn't put a scratch on her.

"And that's all that happened. I let you hit me around a bit, you web me up, and I chased you around for a while." Yue recited her actions. "In fact you were the only one attacking Peter."

"If that's the case why didn't cut the act sooner huh, what stopped you!?" Peter was still too mortified to settle down. It didn't help that he was still feeling the rush from earlier.

Yue crossed her arms and looked down on him. "I got a little carried away. And if you must know, I stopped the act because you looked scared." She explained. Truth was she took Peter's comments a little too personally.

Peter's face turned red at her explanation. "I wasn't scared…" He defended his wounded pride. His anger was subsided now.

"There's no shame in being frightened Peter." She regained her stately bearings and moved closer. "For all intents and purposes a 'lizard monster' came out of nowhere and started chasing you. You reacted to a threat in your own way. But that's not important right now. Everything you just went through felt real didn't it."

"No…" Peter took a few steps back. "It…this is all…" This wraith was challenging his beliefs and he was losing. His mind desperately searched for an explanation but couldn't find one.

"In your head, right?" Yue sighed and inched closer. Evan after all the ruckus, he still clung to his ignorance. "Peter there are things…beings out there that cannot be explained with conventional methods. Just because you can't see or hear us doesn't mean that spirits don't exist."

Peter backed up to a wall and was rendered speechless. What could he do? Yue already proved that he was no match for her, and that was her version of messing around.

Yue stopped her advance and leaned closer, inches away from his face. "Like it or not you're a part of our world Peter, you, me, the Avatar, and that voice in your head. Were all connected. And word to the wise child, you're not going to overcome your demon by denying its nature or yours."

The spirit before him spoke the truth. Denying an illness wouldn't make it go way. Peter still couldn't find the nerve to speak. Who would blame him? It's not every day that your world view gets turned on its head. He wasn't sure of it but the spirit was reaching for something. This wasn't good. He didn't know what she had in store for him but he shut his eyes in fearful anticipation. Was she tying to punish him for his insolence?

Yue didn't have any cruel and unusual punishment for Peter. She simply placed his glasses where they belonged, much to his surprise. He looked at her quizzingly. "You dropped them back at the alley, thought you'd want them back."

"Thanks." Peter spoke finally spoke up. His demeanor had shifted since the danger had lifted. He spoke to her as an individual.

Yue smiled "You're welcome." She said while observing Peter. "Interesting."

"What is it?" Peter asked. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing it's just the glasses. You look better without them." Yue casually commented about his facial features.

Peter's cheeks went red. Guess the moon spirit liked throwing curve balls at people. "Let's agree to disagree."

Yue smiled, it was good that they were on the same page. Her time was up. "Suit yourself…"

With that her task was complete. The night was colorful but it had to end. She couldn't wait to tell Iroh about it over tea. Unprovoked winds blew through the construction site and Yue's form disintegrated along with it. It was as if she was never there to begin with.

Peter stood still for a while. He wasn't sure if the ghostly princess was truly gone. He wasn't sure if it was safe to drop his guard. He waited a few more minutes before collapsing on his butt. There was a mix of relief and residual shock washing over him. The whole thing must have been an elaborate trick. The acolytes must've slipped something in his water. But he knew what really happened tonight. As impossible as it is, a spirit came from god knows what and taught him a lesson he would never forget. Peter chuckled at his predicament. This was the first time he wished he was in another one of his crazy dreams. But every bit of it was real and nothing he could say would change that.

XXXxxx Back to reality xxxXXX

Lei snapped his fingers trying to break Peter out of his trance. "Takuya, the lesson isn't over yet."

"Huh!?" Peter readjusted his frames and regarded the martial artist. "Sorry sir, I zoned out back there."

"You have deep conversations with yourself don't you." Lei speculated.

"I wouldn't put it that way, just got a lot on my mind is all."

"Ah, like the Spider-Man right."

Peter did a double take at the mention of his alias. "Why'd you bring up that nut-job?"

Lee shrugged. "No reason really. Amon, The Equalist, Prowler. We're going through turbulent times Takuya, can't blame you for an occupied mind." With that explanation he smacked his knees and jumped to his feet. "All right, we have worked with our minds and now we move to the body."

"What, right know?" Aren't you moving a little too fast?"

"None senses Takuya. Martial arts aren't something you can just talk about. Now come on, on your feet young man!" Kung-Lei instructed.

Peter grumbled as he got up. This would be challenging. Whatever Lei had in store for him, he had to move and react like someone who's never been in a fight in his life. That means that he would have to fight like his old self. That meant being Uncoordinated, sloppy, and nervous. He hasn't been any of these things in what felt like a lifetime ago. It was easier to hide his double life with his words than with physicality. Peter was sailing in uncharted waters now. "So what did you have in mind Mr. Lei?"

"I'm glad you asked young man. We are going to have a very light sparring match. You will fight in your ways and I will try to counter." Kung-Lei explained his lesson plan.

"So what are the ground rules for our little match?"

"For you there is none. You man move in any way you see fit, within reason of course." Lei gripped his belt and pacing in front of him. "You're objective is to use your tactics to put my back to the ground. Of course you should avoid using any underhanded techniques on me. That's mean no eye gauging, groin hits, stuff like that."

"Thought you said anything goes for me?"

"It does. It was more of a suggestion really. I've been fighting for a very long time Takuya. But even with all that experience I can't help but get angry with 'low blows'. I can't help but take that personally. And when I get angry..." Lei didn't go any further than that. Asami asked him to take it easy with the boy after all. He shouldn't try to scare him off. "Never mind, you may begin whenever you're ready." He finished and straightened his back. His feet were planted and his arms rested on his sides.

Peter removed his glasses and set them aside. He squeezed his fist until something popped. He took a deep breath and began to circle Kung-Lei. It was the calm before the storm. No matter how many dustups Peter had, he could never shack the feeling in his gut. His stance always turned and buckled whenever the thought of battle entered his mind. Somethings just never changed.

He stopped at Lei's side and threw the sloppiest right hook in his life. It was so big and flashy that anyone could've seen it coming. Honestly, he threw better punches before the spider bite him.

Lei easily side stepped Peter clumsy swing and spun around. He was behind him and in prime position to unleash his vast arsenal of techniques. He showed merciful and elected to use a simple sweep kick to end the bout as quickly as possible. Peter would see the error of his ways then the learning could really begin.

The martial artists dodged his attack as expected. Peter was a little impressed with the old man's movements. Kung-Lei was spry for his age. Oddly enough, pretending to be an uncoordinated nerd was harder than one would think. He had to put all his weight behind his fist and was completely off balance. It was a mistake he would never make in an actual battle. A strong wind could drop him at his current state. It was all going according to plan until a familiar vibration rang through his skull. Ones actions could be dictated but instincts were another matter entirely. Without thought, Peter picked up his leg and narrowly escaped Lei's kick. It didn't matter, he tripped over his own weight. Peter was still able to save face and promptly landed on his butt. He took deep breaths and acted surprised to sell the illusion.

"Interesting, you lack skill but your reflexes are sharp. Why is that I wonder?" Lei took the time to openly speculate. He wondered if he should take this sparing match a little more seriously. Maybe he wasn't dealing with a complete armature after all.

"Oh you know…been in a few…school dust ups." Peter said, pretending to sound winded. He inwardly cursed his abilities. It's hard to hide the fact that you could move faster than a cheetah. He got back on his feet and returned to his pitiful stance. "So is the lesson over?"

Lei said nothing. He smirked and charged Peter with breakneck speed. It was as if an Olympic sprinter possessed the middle martial arts instructor. He was in striking range in the blink of an eye.

Peter's eyes went wide at Lei's burst of speed. His spider sense told him what was coming but his mind had a hard time processing. He impulsively threw a jab to keep Lei at bay. It all happened so fast that he wasn't sure if it was a serious punch or not.

Lei jerked to the side and dodged the jab. He was so focused on the match that he completely ignored the light wind trailing behind Peter's hasty blow. Mr. Sato should get the ventilation checked out. Once again he twisted his body and got behind him. This time he moved in to grapple with the teen. He trapped Peter's arm and weaved his hand to the back of his scalp. He wasn't done. Lei kicked his leg from under him and shoved his face to the floor. He pressed his face harder and torqued his shoulder causing him to yelp in pain. Peter struggled for a moment but quickly stopped. If he wasn't carful he would break his own shoulder.

"Takuya." Lei said softly.

Peter didn't answer to his assumed name. Most of his face was buried in the padded floor.

"I'm going to be frank with you son." Despite the awkward position, Lei spoke as if he was talking to an old friend over tea. "Any barroom brawler could've done what you just tried to pull. Running in any conflict without thought will get you killed. A true fighter, not those meatheads who learned a few moves, thinks ten steps head of their enemies. Do you understand?"

Peter held his tongue as the master twisted his verbal knife. 'Who the hell does this guy think he is!?' He thought as he gritted his teeth. 'You never got shot at! You never faced monsters and mob bosses! What the hell do you know!?' The whole experience wasn't fair. He was effectively fighting with both hands tied behind his back and this has-been has the nerve to gloat. Maybe he should use a small amount of his strength. He wouldn't go overboard, just enough to knock this hack off his high horse. He used his free hand to push up and promptly regretted it. The moment he shifted his position pain erupted through a quarter of his body. It was as if his arm was getting torn out of socket.

"You can't break this hold Takuya. Not without dislocating your shoulder anyway." Lei informed him in his still calm tone. "I wouldn't move if I were you."

Peter's blood came to a boil. His anger was primal. The whole resurface some painful memories from his youth. It reminded him of the time 'Kong' McFarlane had body slammed him during recess. The boy's mass pinned him down and Peter's cries for help were ignored. When his aunt and uncle went to the headmaster and he dismissed it as harmless horseplay. The administrator told them, 'boys will be boys' and brushed it under the rug. Peter made a mental note to pay the headmaster a visit and introduce him to the back of his hand. If he ever got home that is. Despite the pain, Peter turned his head slightly and looked at his teacher turned tormentor with one eye. "Get off…" His eyes were misty but his stare was murderous.

Lei was taken aback by the young man's stink eye. He did as he was told and released him. "My apologies Takuya, I got a little carried away." He admitted while offering a helping hand.

Peter ignored the urge to slap the hand away and got up on his own. "No kidding…"

Lee didn't mind the cold shoulder and continued his lecture. "I meant everything I said Peter. If you can take anything from this experience it's that no one should be the victim if they have the means to defend themselves, including you. I hope you learned something today."

"Yeah, don't let a pretty girl talk you into being a practice dummy to a has-been." Peter scolded.

Lei only sighed. "I wasn't trying to bully you kid. I just wanted to show you the error of your ways." He explained his motives.

"Sure you did…" Peter dismissed his claims.

"Takuya it's a beautiful day!" Asami strode back into the rec room riding a ray of sunshine. "I just saw the uniforms and they're perfect!" Asami cried out. She had to fight the urge to jump for joy.

"That's great." Peter agreed. His spirits had lifted a few inches. "Glad they finally got it right."

"You and me booth Tak', so how's the lesson go?"

"Thankfully it's over." He glossed over the painful foot notes and walked off. "I'm going to get out of these clothes."

"Um okay, you still up to delivering them to the team with me?" She inquired while noting Peter's shifting face.

"Yeah sure, just give me a sec." Peter didn't bother turning around. He just had to get out of the room.

"Alright, take your time." She saw him leave the rec-room and rubbing his shoulder. She waited for Peter to leave before shooting an accusing eye at Kung-Lei. "You used the viper hold on him didn't you."

Lei had hopped his old protégé wouldn't notice. He should've known better, she always had a keen eye for those types of things. "Possibly."

"Ugh! This is why you don't get any students anymore." She chided her old master.

"Who cares, contractor gigs pay better anyway." Lei shot back.

"So you're okay with spending the rest of your days protecting v. ? I loved it when you were training me."

"You can thank your father for that." He turned to face Asami and continued. "And I don't remember you 'loving' what I had to teach you kid."

"It was a rough time for me and after mom died-"

"Yeah I remember." Lei interjected her train of thought. He didn't want to bring up any painful memories. "But we worked through it didn't we."

"We did didn't we." Asami sighed. "I wanted that for Takuya…" Asami got to the root of her grievance.

"Don't sweat it Asami. It'll either happen or it won't. You gave it your best shot." Lei reassured.

"I guess you're right. Thanks for coming by to try Master Lei." She held out her hands and bowed. It was a gesture that he seared in her mind.

Kung-Lei returned the sentiment and bowed back. "Any time Asami."

Peter peeked his head through the rec-room door. He made a point not to look at Kung-Lei.

"Yeah, let's go." She started to step out of the room and waved goodbye to her master.

A few moments pasted and neither of them said a word. Every few seconds, Asami had some passing glances at Peter. He was a hard to read at the moment. His face was plan and business like. It was as if he was just going through the motions with her. Like he was just trying to humor her wishes and move on. Was this a chore for him?

"Sorry about the surprise Takuya. I just want to let you know play a practical joke on you or anything. I just thought that learning some self-defense techniques would ease your mind out there." Asami didn't beat around the bush and dove straight to the point.

"I know what you were trying to do and I appreciate it. It's your master that I have a problem with. He was way out of line. Where does a judo master get off picking a fight with a novice? It's like he gets his kicks testing his moves on rookies or something." Peter voiced his opinion.

"Tak' that's just the kind of guy he is. Lei's a hands-on instructor and his teaching is rough sure but he wasn't trying to beat you up for kicks." Asami stuck up for her old mentor. Peter had the wrong idea about him. "Did you know I wanted dad to fire him after my first training session?"

Peter's intrigue was pecked. "What happened?"

"Dad refused. He wanted to keep me safe and Lei was one of the best martial artists in the world. Dad pulled some strings and convinced him to train a traumatized little girl. Dad wouldn't settle for second best, not for something so important. I was all he had left. He had always thought that our wealth and status would protect us until one night it didn't. So when I went to him that day he sat me down and told me something I will never forget. He said, 'Honey, we have a lot of choices in this world but there's only two that really matters. You know what they are?'…"

Peter was enthralled by the heiress's tale and wouldn't dare interrupt.

"Evolve or Die."

Asami couldn't have known it but her words had struck a chord in Peter. His life was a complicated mess at the moment. He was living a world of spirits and monsters and wasn't sure what his role was in this conundrum. The solution to his problem was summed up in three words. Now was the time to forget his personal grievances and focus on the big picture. If he was going to come out of this dilemma victorious there was only one option to take.

"Uh-huh. Asami could you excuse me for a minute, I think I left something back in the rec-room."

"Alright, you know the way?"

"Yeah, I'll only be down for a minute."

Lei had changed into his street clothes and bundled up for the cold climate. He was in the middle of packing his things when he heard the door swing open. "You leave something Asam-Oh." He was surprised to see a determined looking Peter standing before him. Something had lit a fire under him. "Did you forget something Takuya, or did you have a few parting words for me?"

"No, I just wanted to ask you about that hold you used earlier."

"For the last time Takuya I wasn't trying to-"

"Think you can teach it to me." Peter interrupted.

Kung Lei didn't know where the change of heart came from. I didn't matter. For the first time in years someone wanted to follow his tutelage. An invigorated grin was drawn all over his face. This might be the start of a beautiful friendship.

XXXxxx Pro-Bending Arena: Training Gym xxxXXX

Grunting and shouting rang through the wide open gym. The area may have seemed dated to onlookers but this room had spawned champions through blood, sweat, and tears. This sport wasn't for the faint of heart. It was the cause of countless injuries with the select few being career ending. This was the toll every contender had to take for a chance at the top. The Fire Ferrets were no exception. They were rough around the edges but they had more heart than any other team on the championship bracket. Toza saw this and wanted the world to see it too. The hard boiled retired pro-bender would see to that. He was worried about losing Hasook at the tail end of the preliminaries but Korra picked up his slack with relative ease. Truth be told she was above and beyond her predecessor and she was only using a forth of her bending. She went from a clumsy rookie to a fine tuned pro-bender in no time at all. Of course, Toza would never admit that. He had a hunch that she let complements go to her head.

The bending brothers didn't lag behind Korra's growth. There wasn't much else he could teach them but their teamwork improved dramatically. There was no yelling between the benders. It wasn't necessary anymore. Mako was the captain and the others followed with little to no protest.

Toza knew the Ferrets were championship material. The opinion wasn't hyperbole either. The old champion witnessed their growth first hand and was proud of this up and coming team. He reserved most of his pride for Mako and Bolin. It felt like yesterday when they were running jobs for Zolt.

"Mako, stay mobile dang it! You move like that in a duel and you'll get your lights knocked out!" Toza yelled.

The team moved on from general move sets to mock duels. Toza took full advantage of Korra's abilities to bend all of the elements. He had fashioned a makeshift circle with some spare earth disks scattered strategically.

"What are you talking about old man!? I'm faster than I've ever been!" Mako protested while he bobbed and weaved through Korra's fire jabs. It was a testament to his proficiency for the sport.

Toza rubbed his balding head in anger. "Your feet are planted like tree for crying out loud! Loosen up your stance already!"

"Heh, Mako and 'loosen up' don't go to together." Bolin whispered as he worked on Pabu's routine for the tournament.

"Don't get too comfortable Bolin, you're up next." The trainer informed.

"Oh alright no biggie." Bolin waved the news off.

"You're going against me Bo."

Bolin's face lost color. "Wait what?"

"You heard me!"

Unbeknownst to the others, Korra weaved through Mako's defenses and rocked him out the circle fashioned on the floor.

"What I tell you. Stop trying to block. Focus on evading and catching your opponent off guard." Toza barked.

"Yeah, yeah." Mako shoved his helmet off and caught his breath.

Korra did the same. She was too tired to gloat. Her victory felt hollow anyway. She wouldn't be able to use her firebending in the finals. "Hey old man, how exactly am I going to benefit from this training? Because it sort of feels like I'm wasting my time here."

"Wasting your time, nonsense. You're preparing your team mates for a potential duel. Those things can be the difference between winning and losing a match.!" Toza harshly explained.

"What about me? I could be in a duel too." Korra protested.

"Oh don't worry about that girly. I only got to teach you one move and you'll be unstoppable. Trust me." Touza grinned at the Avatar.

Korra wasn't convinced and it was written all over her face. Luckily for Toza, she didn't have the energy to argue. "Girly?" She repeated under her breath.

"Hey Toza, let's call it a day. I have to go over a few things to go over and we need to unwind before the tournament." Mako stated his intentions.

"Yeah let's unwind." Bolin was quick to back his brother up. The thought of sparing with Toza was all the motivation he needed.

Toza pondered it while rubbing his aching neck. "Yeah that sounds good. I'm going to lie down and read my paper." He left the gym with a towel thrown over his shoulder.

"Okay come on, team huddle time!" Mako ordered.

The group linked arms and was primed for a pep talk. Mako turned and saw Bolin ogling Korra while Korra stared at the ground. Something was on her mind. He didn't raise a fuss about it but Korra has been quieter than usual. "Everything alright Korra?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little jittery that's all." She covered her true feelings. Truth is her mind was still on the bombshell she stumbled upon a few days ago.

"Alright, the first match of the tournament is coming up. I know the three of us haven't been a team for very long but even so, the Fire Ferrets have never been this good. Are we ready!?"

"We're ready!" Both Korra and Bolin declared.

"Not quite." A familiar voice called out.

The three benders turned and saw Asami and Peter carting in tailor-made face protectors and uniforms. Seeing Peter got Korra full attention. What was he doing here? Her whole day just changed.

"You'll need these." Asami held up one of the uniforms like a trophy.

"Hey Asami." Mako called out.

"How's it going sweetie?"

"It's great now that you're here."

"Aw did you miss me that much?"

Peter ignored the lovers and looked around the gym. It looked more like a gymnast room than an actual fighting gym. He welcomed the distraction. It was the only thing that kept his gaze away from Korra. She would have questions and he wasn't sure he could give her any answers.

"Hey Takuya, how's it going?" Mako spared some of his attention towards the acquaintance.

"Oh you know, boring yet oddly productive." Peter responded.

Mako inspected one of the uniforms and smiled. "These are great sweetie."

"I know, only the best for you Mako." Asami said with gooey affection.

The couple exchanged a few more words before doing that bizarre nose kiss. Korra and Bolin felt like hurling at the sight. It had left a bad taste in Peter mouth as well. The uniforms were amazing and all but Korra was transfixed on Peter. The prodigy didn't take the odd kiss well either and openly groaned at the display. Peter started talking to Mako for a moment but the words were inaudible to her. The Avatar was sizing him up and comparing him to Spider-Man physical features. She determined that the two were about the same height but that could be said about anyone. Maybe she was wrong. Poindexter didn't carry himself like a super powered avenger. Heck he didn't look like he could throw a decent punch. She shook her head and purged the doubts out of her head. 'No, he's Spider-Man he has to be. All I have to do is prove it somehow.' Her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"…So you're sure you don't need a ride Takuya? I can drop you off and make the reservation if I hurry." Asami presented a counter offer to Peter's. With all the commotion today she mixed up the restaurant reservation time with another appointment. She was only human.

"No you go. I'll just catch a trolley home. Don't let me ruin your date." Peter assured the two.

"Okay, just don't go on anymore of those midnight strolls. No one is an expert after one lesson Tak." Asami agreed.

Peter had told her that he retroactively accepted to follow Kung-Lei's tutelage. She was estactic at first and was talking his ear off in the car ride to the arena. She went on and on how he wouldn't regret his decision and he would love learning from the man. Peter took her word for it but the fanfare didn't sway his opinion. It wasn't like his was being considered either. He didn't want to follow Kung-Lei he needed to. "Its broad daylight Asami, I'll be fine I promise. Now get out of here already."

The lovers thanked him for his sacrifice and left for their lunch date. He waved goodbye and was already planning his escape. He couldn't just walk out, that would bite him in the butt later. He decided to spare a few passing glances and gradually make his exit. He did look around and admired the different equipment. They were all purposefully built for different bending disciplines. It was impressive how this world adapted different applications around elemental bending.

"So Korra, here we are. You and me, hey where did you go- oh your trying to uhmm okay okay. I'll just…yeah." Bolin trailed away disappointed. Korra attention was on Peter and he had missed his opportunity to ask her out. What was with that girl?

As Peter turned to see the water tanks he felt a presence towards his back. He turned his head and flinched when he saw Korra hovering on the border of his personal space. "Ah!"

"Hey Takuya, how's it going!" Korra greeted him in earnest. She had a lot to learn when it comes to masking her intensions. It was hard to believe that this was her version of subtlety.

"…Hi Korra." Peter meekly greeted the Avatar. "How's the training going?"

"It's great everything's great! So what brings you to the arena? Casing the place out or something?" Korra winced at her own words. She needed to dial it back a few notches. 'Keep it cool Korra, don't give yourself away.'

Peter smiled and scratched his cheek. It was a tell that he was nervous. "Why would I do that?"

"Oh forget that I'm just a little tired is all." Korra saved face.

"Well it's a little dumb but I just always wanted to see the place. Did you know I haven't been to a single match since I came to the city?" Peter ignored her odd choice of words.

"You don't say." This was good. An opportunity had just fell on her lap. "How 'bout I give you a tour." Korra wrestled her excitement down and sounded normal again. "I can show you the ring if you want."

Peter's brow perked up at that. "No fooling, you can do that?"

"Not sure, but if anyone asks I'll just let them know who I am." Korra grinned. She could prove her suspicions that Spider-Man and Takuya were one in the same.

Peter didn't suspect any foul play. "Sounds like a plan Korra, lead the way."

The two walked off leaving poor Bolin alone with Pabu. The disrespect left him mumbling curses at the poor fire ferret.

As the two teens walked through the hall ways, Korra couldn't help but examine Peter. It's no wonder he kept his secret for so long. Who would suspect someone like this? He was so unassuming and plain. Peter could blend into any crowed and now one would peg him as a masked crime fighter. She wanted to be upfront with him and make him admit that he was spidy but she knew that would be disastrous. Idle chit chat would have to do for now.

"So Takuya how's work?" Korra asked.

"Eh, not doing a whole lot really. I swing by the labs every now and then and that's about it."

"Sounds boring, bet you wished you had a little more excitement in your days." Korra took a pot shot at the alleged hero.

"I don't know, I liking the peace and quiet I've been getting lately." Peter lied through his teeth. His life has been a nonstop roller-coaster as of late. "Quiet can be fun too."

Korra giggled at that. "Yeah right, you should try meditating with Tenzin one day. I've had more fun watching paint dry."

"You've watched paint dry?" Peter quipped.

"Don't be a smart aleck Poindexter." Korra shot back.

The two made it to the player's box and the ring was in sight. Peter knew the ring was big but hearing about it and seeing in person was a different story. The two tone hexagon was smaller than a baseball diamond but larger than a basketball court. It was lined with safety ropes on four of the six sides. The ring was also sectioned off on six quarters, must have been those territories they were talking about. An ornament sky celling overlooked the entire play area. He and Korra made their way to the ring's bridge. Korra had reached for one of the controls and the bridge started to extend towards them.

"You sure you won't get in trouble for this?" Peter asked, he wanted to see the place but didn't want to ruin her chance at the tittle for it. "I appreciate the tour and all but it's not worth getting kicked out of the tournament."

"Don't worry about it Poindexter. The officials don't get all official until tomorrow." Korra waved her hand mockingly. "Lead the way Takuya."

Peter complied and walked across the bridge. He looked over to the side and saw the giant pool underneath. "They really should but some guardrails on this thing."

"What's the matter Takuya can't swim?"

"No actually. So please don't trip me over alright."

"You got it."

The two reached the arena and it was a sight to behold. Peter circled around and got a good view of the stands. It was impressive. There wasn't a bad seat in the house. Every patron had a good vantage of the action. He wished the same could be said about Yankee Stadium.

"So what do you think Takuya, pretty cool right?" Korra said with a knowing smile. Things were going according to plan.

"It's the bee's knees. I should've caught a match sooner. Tell me, you've been in the thick of it right. What's a match like?"

Korra took a moment to find the right words. "It's intense but familiar."

"Familiar?"

"Yeah, do you remember when I told you about my bending tests?"

"Sort of, you were telling me about an injury from your earthbending teacher right." Peter recalled.

"That right. You see I had a master for each bending element and they all had a final examination to prove that I mastered the element. It's something Aang set up with the White Lotus. Anyway, it's usually a four man duel that the master would observe and he would determine if I mastered the element or not."

Peter was impressed with the Avatar's training regimen. He had thought a red carpet was rolled out wherever she went. Guess everything wasn't handed to the princess. "So was the duel a two-on-two match?"

"Three-on-one." Korra corrected. "I'm no stranger to bending duels and Probending feels similar. But you see there are rules and I have to work with two others as a single unit. Then there's the fact that every element, except air, are getting thrown at me. So being in a probending match is feels familiar but it's more intense. You get it?"

"Wow that sounds brutal, the training I mean, a three on one sounds crazy. Would your masters give you extra credit if you did it blindfolded?" Peter made light of Korra's trials. In the back of his mind, he had thought they were a walk in the park compared to his ordeals. With him it was usually ten to fifty on one. He didn't take a head count but it felt like Osborne had sicced a hundred of his goons at him in their final battle.

"Yeah, but I love every second of it." Korra smiled at the thought. "There's nothing like it Tak. Pushing yourself to your limits, accomplishing things you never thought you could. I live for stuff like that you know. Guess that's why I loved Probending so much. I get to do all that and show the world what I'm made of. I wonder if Spidey's like that." Korra's gaze shot towards Peter. It was time to get to business. "Say poindexter, how do you think Spider-Man ticks?"

Peter concealed his surprise with a shrug. How did this conversation go from Probending to Spider-Man? "You tell me Korra, you actually met the guy. You should know more about him than me."

Korra hid her eagerness with a smile. "True but you're the fan. Plus you said all that stuff about him when I told you what Baifong's dirty tricks. I kind of want to hear your two yuans."

Peter sighed. "All right if you put it that way, I don't think Spider-Man likes to challenge himself like you Korra. When he out there doing whatever he does, he's all business. But hey what do I know."

Korra had a mischievous grin on her face. "A lot apparently."

"Come again?"

"The web heads just like that, all business. He drops a bad joke here and there but you got him down to a tee Takuya." She folded her arms. "Paint me impressed poindexter."

Peter turned his gaze to the floor. He may have tripped up but he was still in the clear. This was all just harmless small talk. "Don't be, that's just the word around town."

"Right right." She nodded her head in false agreement. His denial only reinforced her suspicions. "Hey Tak, let me show you what a Probending match is like."

"That sounds like great Korra but you know I'm not a bender right." Peter tried to deter her plans.

"Relax Takuya, were not going to have an actual match. I just want you how probending work is all. And I think I'd do a better job showing than telling." Korra stepped to the blue side of the ring and went into her stance. "Come on it'll be fun."

Peter waited a moment and weighed his options. He considered refusing but Korra was stubborn. She wasn't the type to back down from anything. "Fine." Peter walked over to the red corner and faced Korra. They were both in the first zone and stood a few feet apart from each other.

Korra smiled again. Her plan was going smoothly. "Alright so a team of three stands in the first zone and waits for the bell to ring. As soon as it does each bender tries to bush each other to zone two and three. The best outcome is pushing the other player out of bounds and into the pool below." She bent some water from the ring. "Let's say you're a water bender from another team. Come on Takuya waterbend."

Peter uncharacteristically held out a fist. He felt pretty dumb and was thankful that no one else was in the arena "Waterbend how…" He threw a slow punch and imagined the water moving according to his will.

Korra acted like she was knocked back to zone two. "Right so I'm knocked back to zone two and I can only move in this zone and zone three. Now you can only move in one of the zones. You only advance if the entire team is pushed into zone two. So you can't move forward even though you pushed me back." She still had the water on hand and started to punch a few of them Peter's way. They were slow and not even close to her best.

"Hey!" Peter yelled.

"Calm down Tak. I'm only trying to show you what it's like." She pulled some more water from the floor and continued. "Now just because I'm stuck in these two zones doesn't mean I can't attack. It's my job to regain territory for my team or knock your team mates out of bounds to win the round." Korra explained and steeled her herself for what came next. It was now or never. She had shot a few more water balls at Peter, much to his dismay.

"Watch it Korra!" Peter yelled warned her. That last water jet got a little too close for comfort.

Korra didn't respond this time. She was too focused on her next water shot. Korra took a deep breath and threw the water away. The attack was semiserious this time and the water came at Peter like a jet. Korra was effectively a waterbending master and she knew her attack would do no harm, especially for Spider-Man. The water lacked force but it was still a masterful stroke. Peter Parker could've dodge the watery jab but it wouldn't be a problem for the wall crawler.

As the water traveled across the ring Peter's spider-sense begged him to evade. It didn't take much, just turn your head to the side and he'd be saved from wet humiliation. Every one of his nerves stood on end as the water closed in. His heightened reflexes weren't helping things. He had enough time to count the ripples in the teardrop projectile. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. Peter knew what came next.

Korra watched in horror as her waterbending knocked her friend flat on his back and shaking like a fish. The poor guy was soaking wet. Peter tried to get back on his feet but slipped and fell on the puddle under his shoes. "Takuya!" Korra dropped the water and ran to his aid. She might have taken this a little too far. Her efforts to reveal Peter was cast aside at the drop of the hat. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

Peter rose up and had a coughing fit. Korra's attack may have knocked the wind out of him, but he's taken fare worse. "I'm fine Korra. Heh, should've brought a bathing suit." He joked and grabbed his glasses. "You're packing a wallop there Avatar."

"I'm really sorry Takuya I wasn't trying to hurt you I just-"

"Got carried away, I've been getting a lot of that lately." Peter said as he rose to his feet.

This was good, Peter hadn't suspected anything. It seemed that some of Peter's talents were rubbing off on her. "Yeah…It was an accident."

"Don't worry about it." He said while flicking his soaked sleeves. "You wouldn't happen to have some spare clothes lying around would you?"

"No need." She took a step forward and went into her bending form. "Try to stand still." With a few waves of her hand, Korra separated the water from Peter's clothes. He was completely dry in moments.

Peter inspected himself. He was bone dry. "Thanks Korra, you're a life saver." He didn't bring up the fact that she caused this fiasco. It didn't matter if it meant that Korra would let up on her shenanigans. That girl was in dire need of a delicate touch.

"Don't thank me it was my fault." She covered her tracks and played the guilty party well. Her plan failed miserably and she was no closer to proving that Peter and Spider-Man were one in the same. This would be harder than she thought. "So you want to finish the tour or-"

"Sure." Peter interjected with a car salesmen's smile. He had to take one on the chin but his secret was safe. Korra was acting weird but it was probably just her being on edge. She was about to participate in the biggest sporting event in the world after all. "Lead the way Korra."

She obliged Peter's wishes and led him away to another section of the arena. As soon as Korra's back was turned to him her face went deadly serious. If she was going to reveal his secret she would have to change tactics. Peter wouldn't slip up and reveal himself so easily. It would seem that he's had a lot of practice doing just that. She didn't even question why she wanted to unmask Spidey in the first place. If she was asked, she would say that she would gain a valuable ally that she could call upon at a moment's notice. Maybe it was deeper than that. Either way, she had to get this tiger-monkey off her back one way or another. She just had to know.

XXXxxx Earth 616: Cassandra Webb Residence xxxXXX

This penthouse has seen better days. It was well kept and furnished but something about it just felt off. Peter chalked it up to its age and left it at that. It wouldn't hurt to open up some shades. Maybe a few plants would liven up the place. Peter finally pegged why the place was so unsettling. It felt like a funeral parlor.

Peter walked over to one of the blinds and reached for the string.

"Please leave the shades down Peter." Madame Web requested.

"Come on Webb your place is creepy. Let the sunshine in." Peter proposed. He was still in his street clothes; there wasn't a need to change. "Please, I can feel the life coming out me. Your place is so depressing that it's literally killing."

"You won't be here long Peter. As soon as Dr. Strange delivers his message you can go on your marry way and enjoy your own apartment. Tell me, do those little men with the trench coats full of counterfeit watches work all year or are they work on a seasonal basis." Madam Web shifted in her life support chair.

"Was that supposed to be funny?" Peter retorted.

"Not at all, it's actually quite sad." Web said with a smile.

"Oh, ha ha." Peter didn't take the exchange seriously. He only did it to pass the time. "What's taking him so long?"

"Steven Strange is a very busy man Peter. Just give him time. He'll be here any minute now."

'Speak of the devil...' Dr. Strange's astral form materialized before the two. 'Sorry for being late, something came up.'

"What happened, Cthulhu come knocking?" Peter jested at the sorcerer supreme.

'Don't joke about that…' The transparent Strange frowned at Peter.

"Oh, umm sorry."

Madame Web was the one that got them back on task. "Steven, could you please tell him what you told me."

'Right, I wanted to let you know that I'm I have found a lead on your wayward friend.' Dr. Strange informed.

"You found him!" Peter couldn't contain himself. He's been waiting to hear about 'noir's' location for what felt like forever. "Where is he?"

Dr. Strange wasn't angry at Peter. He has waited a long time to here this after all. 'You didn't let me finish Spider-Man. I haven't pinpointed his exact location but I am on his trail. I can also tell you that he is still alive but I don't know what kind of shape he's in.'

Peter grinned ear to ear. He's been waiting a long time to hear this. "I knew he wasn't dead. How long before you find him Doc?"

'A few days, maybe some weeks, it's too soon to say. Though I will find him that I can assure you.'

Peter didn't hide his glee. He pumped his fist like the Mets had just won the World Series. Unfortunately, only one miracle would grace Peter's ears today. "Do you know anything about his location? Please tell me it's not a lava planet."

'Spider-Man, I just told you everything I know. Now if you excuse me I have to get back to work.' Strange didn't have much time for useless chit chat and he needed to get back on his post. He was so busy defending the realm from gods and monsters that he could only spare a peace of his conciseness to this get together. He had already agreed to turn off his vision to mind Peter's secret identity. It was a toothless gesture. If he wanted to know Spider-Man's government name he could do it with little effort.

"Thanks Doc. Hey when you find him-"

'You'll be the first to know Spider-Man.' The ghost strange up two fingers. 'Scouts Honor.'

Just like that, Dr. Strange vanished without a trace. He was off fighting creatures that would drive a normal man insane.

"Yes! Oh this is a great day M Dub." Peter openly celebrated.

"It is isn't it?" Even Madame Webb was smiling at Dr. Strange's findings.

"Oh I could kiss you, you old bird."

"Please don't."

"Your loss."

"So, Peter, what will you do now?" Madame Web wondered.

"Well my calendar just blew up. I honestly don't know where to start." He contemplated a course of action and snapped when one came to him. "I know, I'll start at the Baxter Building. I'll get some help from Reed then I need to make a call." Peter grimaced at that. "A long, painful, phone call."

"Why does a phone call vex you Peter? Is it something I can help you with?"

"No it… it's complicated." He moved his mask over his face and prepared to jump off the balcony. "I need to call my sub."

"Oh well, I wish you luck with your 'sub' Peter."

"Thanks." He walked over to the balcony but instead of jumping out he leaped over to Webb's harness and stole a kiss on the cheek. "IknowitsweirdbutIdon'tcare BYE!" Peter said as he jumped into the city.

Madame Web held her cheek questioning what just happened. She was numb at first but ultimately found herself smiling. "Damn kid…"

A/N:

Another long waiting period another update. This one was monstrous to produce but it's done. So, Peter knows that spirits exist, Korra's trying to prove that he's spider-man, he going to get some martial arts training under his belt, a new player is making his/her move, and Amazing is one step closer to bringing him home. Got to say got a lot of stuff done with this update. It took longer than expected on the publishing phase since I had to put my dog down and lay my grandfather to rest and that was all three days apart. I'm not broken up about it but I was pretty bummed out for a few days but that's life. On to answering some reviews.

PS: I changed my style a bit in the last scene. Instead of writing it out on paper I typed from my outline. So I was basically shooting from the hip on that one. I just want to you all to pay attention to it and tell me what you think. I was thinking of forgoing the rough draft phase to try to speed up updates. Thanks in advance, I'm really looking forward to all of your inputs.

Partyman 108- Marry Christmas

Guest( who needs to remember to give him/herself a name)- I actually got your review as I was watching Guardians vol.2 in the theater. Don't have anything to say to it, it just left me with a good feeling.

shinymetal- Yeah I'm working on that. But look on the bright side, your grandkids will be reading instead of watching cartoons beams to their brains.

coldblue- I love gundam and all but I'd rather read about it then write it if you catch my drift.

The story ideas weren't anything solid to be honest. I still have a desire to branch out to different series but HOF is still very much on the forefront of everything. Those concepts were just a few things I played in my head during work and just wanted some input on them. Was it gold was it crap, I just wanted to hear what you guys thought. And thank you for your input.

I actually like writing Tarrlock. He's one of those bad guys is genially trying to do well but they can't do it legitimately. They will always cut corners to get what they want.

You're going to get a good picture of how the public feels about Spider-Man during the tournament

Questions answered:

-His dreams aren't affected by others. It's all coming from him.

-Maybe in the future but it's not likely.

-No on the ironman armor but a definite maybe with the whiplash type of villain. His contributions with this world's technology will come back to bite him later.

-Not necessarily. Peter is still Peter but after the bite he has become much more. His role isn't assigned like Korra. He does whatever he wants. He can help a spirit or tell it to f&^k off. Also Peter will eventually pack his bags and do a little globetrotting on his own.

-Yes, it actually happened in this chapter.

-Screw the spoilers, Kho will appear in the story. I liked the character when I first saw him and really felt that Legend of Korra was a little bit worse without him. I still have to figure out his role in the story but I intend to use him that's for sure.

Thanks for the suggestions by the way. Hope I answered all your questions.

White Lantern Oath 009- All good idea but where getting way ahead of ourselves. This part's path is already set but I'll definitely give those ideas a second look when the time comes.

Ani8900- I'm way too stubborn to quite. It's just the way god made me.

The Lst Mamm0th- *Wink, wink, nudge* Enjoy the show buddy.

yo- No guns. At least not for a while anyway. I think their involvement would seriously change the story's dynamic and I'm not sure if it's for the better. So no pistols for now.

tigeradventure89- Those are all good ideas and all but I don't really have any of that stuff planned for the story. And I have to admit that some of those suggestions are way too huge in scale for little old Spider-Man. Just a side not, I try my hardest not to inject politics into the story. Joking or not it would cut my audience in half and frankly I want as many people to enjoy it as humanly possible. I remember reading a mass effect story back during the 2012 election and the author posted a politically charged 'update' telling his readers how to vote. I stopped reading the story after that and it was a damn good one two. I don't know I just don't think this is the place for that kind of talk. We all need a break from this world and I'm happy to help with that.

I mean no disrespect towards you but I just thought it was a good time to make that statement. Thanks for your readership and I hope that little declaration didn't rub you the wrong way.

mentalist777- Funny story about fighting techniques. I was doing some research on the subject and came across a youtuber named Godzillarex and he was talking about all the same stuff you were. Anyway he's a huge help with that.

The Spider spirit isn't blocking anyone. But something has a hand in Peter's exile. NO to stingers, it's been done way better and I think it's a little played out now. And Peter's identity will be kept a secret if Peter has anything to say about it. As for explaining how Spider-Man and Peter are always around team avatar, it will be addressed. I won't just lampshade that coincidence. And good luck with that story of yours. Just remember to let me know when you release it.

Dimensional Wanderer- Glad you liked the dialog with Ben. I almost scrapped the whole dream sequence. It didn't sound good in my head but I'm glad I left it in. I had the same idea with Korra trying to reveal Peter's secret identity. She very stubborn but nowhere near an idiot. I'm going to have a lot of fun with writing those encounters.

tigerdancer21- Alright let's do this.

*Ruler of Reality-OAA won't be in this story and this world is its own.

*Satire Protest- Going to be a lot of that. Just wait until the tournament starts.

*Spider God- I like where your heads at with the spider god. I already have a general picture for him but you've got some cool ideas here. I can't say anything about his form, don't want to spoil anything. The spiders gender is up in the air really. I the spider god's motive down already but again I can't say anything about it.

*Spider Buster Armor- Maybe with Varick but a definet no for Hiroshi. Mr. Sato is full equalist fanatic and every action he's taken is for the cause not Spider-Man. Again, it's still too early to say. My mind might change in the future.

*Epic Transformation- NO. It sounds cool but NO.

*Naming OC- LOL maybe I should.

*Battle of the Gods-NO

*Captain Lin- Hell no, Lin doesn't do costumes.

*For the Sake of Science- Tune in next time for part 2 or hands of fate. Again good idea but too soon to say anything.

*Fight or Mercy- I've always played with the idea in my head. I don't think a hero should kill on most occasions. But if a hero encounters a mass murder like joker or most of batman's rogues gallery that hero should bite the moral bullet and off the SOB. I don't really have something like that planned for Peter but I would like to explore his limits on mercy.

*Parkers Closet- If I could place every costume every in that closet of his I would. But that wouldn't make sense and for me it has to make sense. Every costume needs a reason to be there. If I had a choice, he'd be wearing the Spider armor mk2, the first scarlet spider costume, and the secret war costume. But alas that wouldn't make sense. I could use Mako to help Peter keep his secret identity but that's for a later date.

*The Struggle of a Hero- I don't like perfect characters. I don't like writing perfect characters, and you don't have to worry about that. Rest assured, Peter always going to have a monkey wrench thrown at his plans and such. By the way, I like that Earth Queen elite guard idea.

*Make it Funny- I'm trying god!

*Feels Feels Feels- There isn't enough?

*Master and Apprentice- No. I can see Peter having a relationship with Jinora but not in that fashion.

Whew that was long. Hope I cleared things up for you and feel free to drop long winded reviews. They are my favorite. Take care bud.

Dante C. Emerys- Yeah there's going to be some hijinks with Korra and Peter as you just read. And Madame Web can't detect Noir because something doesn't want him found or…someone…dum dum DUM

Hyper Peter- Thanks, I like bridging the original series with the spinoff.

Bael92- No kingpin sorry.

LL- That was a lapse of judgment on Peter's part, it was a long day and well you know the rest.

maxe03- Pretty sure the bender who tried would explode.

That Geeky Guy- Ezekiel isn't in this story and I can't say that I used the ultimate spierman comic for the turn off your mind thing. I was influenced by it though. I was really thinking about his first encounter with the kingpin and how he was tossed out the window by the enforcers. (It was early in the run and in the second volume of the trade.) Good eye dude.

Kai Orihomunon- Yeah I don't like stories like that either. I came across a few of those when I was looking for another story to read and it's a sad to see.