A/N: I do not own Legend of Korra or Spider-Man

XXXxxx Baxter Building Skyline: Earth 616 xxxXXX

An air of apprehension and dread washed over Peter as he traversed towards the Baxter Building. He was cautiously optimistic however. Reed Richards was one of the brightest minds on the planet, a few planets actually. If there was anyone who could help him with his wayward counterpart it was him. Reed's been MIA as of late. He had heard that he was exploring the cosmos with his family and only recently came home. And Peter thought a trip to the west coast was an impressive trek.

Peter gains altitude to access the roof entrance. He was always welcome through the front door but decided not to give the tabloids any ammunition. His landing was graceful and barley left a trace on the concrete. None the less, his spider-sense tripped as security bots filed in to his personal space from unseen channels in the building. He disregarded his base instinct to attack.

"Hey whoa, it's not my birthday is it?" He held his hands up in a mock surrender to the heavily armored automatons before him.

The robots weapons were armed and glowing with ambient blue energy. One approached Spider-Man. "/SIR THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTED UNDER NEW YORK AND UNITED STATES LAW. STATE YOUR PURPOSE OR VACATE THE PREMISSOUS IMIDETLY/" The machine addressed him in an intimidating monotone.

Spider-Man leans in to observe the sentry. "It's been a while H.E.R.B.I.E." He spoke to the metallic weapon platform still keeping his hands up. He hoped his voice recognition software was up to date. "Photonic barrier, ionic pulse cannon with secondary rail gun batteries, Reed's been busy."

H.E.R.B.I.E's IFF suite confirms Peter's identity and promptly shifts into a less intimidating form. "Please pardon the rudeness Spider-Man. The surveillance scanners picked you up and there were no appointments on file." His 'face' screen appeared with a sad look displayed. The other sentries disengaged themselves and returned to their stations.

"Seriously? I dialed the little number and everything, what gives?"

"Doctor Richards is wrapped up in one of several experiments at the moment, Mrs. Richards has her hands full with the children, and Mr. Grim and Mr. Storm are off doing other activities." H.E.R.B.I.E explained.

"Well my feelings are hurt. Whatever, Reed is here right?"

"Why yes he is!" H.E.R.B.I.E's face flashed a reassuring smile. "I'm sure he knew you were coming it probably just slipped his mind."

"Yeah that sounds about right."

"Come along I'll be happy to escort you to the laboratory."

The FF's caretaker led the wall crawler through the halls of the building. Spider-Man passed through several divisions dedicated to every scientific discipline imaginable. He saw everything from a state of the art botanical garden from a propulsion lab that would give Stark a run for his money. The two stepped through the main lab's sliding doors to see the man of the hour. Reed was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even notice his guest entering the spacious lab. He was effortlessly juggling several experiments across the room. His arms were weaving and reaching to every corner of the room picking up different tools and components. They didn't call him Mr. Fantastic for nothing.

Peter saw Reed at work in the past but it was still unnerving to see. He wondered if his wall crawling had the same effect on people.

"Ahem, Dr. Richards, your ten o'clock appointment-." H.E.R.B.I.E announced.

Reed didn't budge from his microscope. "Cancel it. I'm on the brink of a major breakthrough and I don't need any distraction right now."

"But Dr. Richards it's-"

Spider-Man waved his hand and stopped him. "Relax H.E.R.B' I can take it from here."

The machine shook his head and sighed. "If you insist Spider-Man." He took his word for it and exited the lab.

Peter approached Reed from behind making sure to avoid the elongated limbs sailing across the room. He didn't take any offense to the cold shoulder from Reed. He's been there, Reed was in the zone and the outside world was its natural predator. He casually stopped at his desk, rolled his mask up, and grabbed his hastily scribbled notes. He skimmed over them and got a rough idea of what Reed was trying to accomplish. "Nanomechanical oscillation with a cell membrane, ambitious."

"That's a gross simplification but yes." Reed continued to tamper with his microscopic machine. He was still too engrossed with his work to realize, or care, who was standing over him.

Peter turned to the observation screens. Lines of data and other diagrams gave him a better idea of what was going on. "Alright, the module's operational but you're having a hard time getting it to orbit in phase space. That sound about right?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"You try seizing the cell in a magnetic field?"

"It would interfere with the nanobot's guidance system. Burned out a few of them trying."

"Then reinforce them."

"Reinforcing the nanobot's would triple their size and ultimately dwarf the cell it's trying to orbit with thus defeating the purpose of the experiment entirely."

"Alright, coat it in an a mutually charged additive and have it cling on a molecular level."

"The membrane would dissolve and the cell would die."

Peter threw his hands up. "Pass it on to Dr. Pym and call it a day!"

"Can't do that either." Mr. Fantastic said flatly as he adjusted his instruments.

"Can't or won't?"

Reed sighed and finally pulled his head away from the electron microscope and regarded Peter. "Little bit of both actually. Sorry about that Peter, I got a little too wrapped up in this one."

"No kidding, I was afraid you forgot who I was back there. You know I called right?"

"I know but I thought you were stopping by next week." Reed looked incredulous.

"I called a week ago…"

"Oh…I've been…wow I really got sidetracked this time."

Peter laughed at his own expense. "Yeah the depression beard was a dead giveaway."

Reed didn't know what he was talking about until he rubbed his face. He leaned back in his chair defeated. "And that another afternoon turned week and a half. Sorry about that Peter."

"Eh, it's not a big deal. Why don't you want any help on this project?" Peter waved the apology. Honestly he'd be worried if Reed wasn't knee deep in some kind of scientific exploit.

"That's because I'm challenging myself. Micro biology isn't my strong suit and I wanted an engaging project after my extended sabbatical. I don't have a doubt Henry could wrapped this up in half the time but it's a lot more fun when I'm doing it." Reed clarified his intent.

Peter folded his arms and snickered. "Not your strong suit? You made a nanomachine malleable enough to compliment a microbe. You know it's okay to be a little braggadocios right."

"And end up like the Mad Thinker or Doom? No thank you. Besides liking the sound of your own voice is a prerequisite I never full filled." He stood up and removed his safety goggles. It was time to get to business. "Now remind me why you called again. Between the kids and a dozen or so projects on the back burner everything's a bit of a blur."

Peter jogged his memory and gives him the abridged version of his struggles with the tablet and Mysterio. He listed off his needs while Reed listened intently. "I figure all this is right up your alley. Can you help me out here?"

"Of course." He motioned Peter to follow towards the other end of the room. "I remember now, I hopped on your case as soon as you told me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I finished sooner than expected and moved on to my microbe procedure." He exclaimed as he pulled out a large polymer crate.

"Wow, didn't think you'd handle my thing first Reed." He placed both hands over his heart playfully showing affection. "I'm touched."

Reed chuckled. He couldn't help but see him as that same snot nosed kid who broke into the building all those years ago. "Peter your practically family, why wouldn't I."

Peter looked away embarrassed, he couldn't play off endearment this time. "Thanks…" He took a breath and collected himself. The feeling was nice but he had a job to do. "I'm assuming you got the basics of interdimensional travel in that box."

Mr. Fantastic shook his head and sighed as he opened the box. He had no idea. "There's nothing 'basic' about interdeminsional travel son. There's four-million and thirty-seven different variables to consider when dimension hopping. And that's just to make sure you make it through it all in one piece."

A switch in Peter's mind is went off. His capable mind was racing at Mr. Fantastic's words. He knew it was dangerous but now he had a better understanding of the scope of the situation. "That's one hell of a benchmark Reed. Hell the margin of error must be damn near zero."

".000043 percent to be exact." Reed corrected as he inspected the equipment from the crate. "It's like trying to thread a needle from here to Neptune."

Peter grumbled at the interjection and cursed his wild life.

"Chin up Pete, if Steven's handling the search then you've got the hard part covered. Magic's a…well magic after all. So what I focused on was helping you refine your search." He held up a scanning tool over Peter's head as he elaborated. "We can't have you ending up in the right dimension on the wrong planet."

"Yeah I would really appreciate that, what are you scanning?"

"Biometrics, blood work, circulatory mapping, and pulling up your DNA samples from the database." He told him as he focused on the devise. "Just surveying distinguishing characteristic of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man that's all."

"Oh right that makes sens-hold up a sec you got my DNA on file!? Since when?" Peter was skittish on outside parties having access to his genetic makeup. Miles Warren saw to that personally.

"Since I pulled that symbiote off you. Now please hold still, these readings have to be as accurate as possible for the process to work."

Peter fumed but followed his command. "Oh. Okay let me rephrase that. Should I be concerned that you have my DNA on file?"

"No, it's guarded by H.E.R.B.I.E., myself, and monitored by three quantum computers ready to purge the data if an outside party even think of obtaining it.

"That's…better?"

"Glad I could ease your mind Pete." He put the scanner down and reached back into the crate. "You don't have any skin issues do you?"

"No, just the usual 'stick'em pow- whoa!" Before he could finish Reed pulled at a spherical devise out and threw it at him. Before it could make contact it opened up and embraced Peter's chest. It continued to wrap around his torso and formed some kind of harness. Individual cells glowed a brilliant blue and flexed as itself around Peter's chest. "Come on don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry." He said absently. He was keyed into the task and didn't regard Peter. It was a bad habit of his. "This here is your life line Peter. It can track you from nebulous, provide life support in a vacuum or underwater, has limited shielding and it'll help you track down your counterpart once you've made contact with the other dimension." He relaxed his intellect and saw Peter as a person and not a component to his experiment. "It's should integrate to your HUD without any issues."

"That's amazing! How do you turn it off?"

Reed motioned and tapped his chest two times. Peter followed the gesture and the devise collapsed into the ball it came from.

"Okay but how did you know I had a HUD installed?"

Mr. Fantastic just stood there and flashed a smug grin.

Peter just sighed and answered his own question. "You know I forget who I'm talking to sometimes."

"Eh don't feel bad everybody does. It's a streamlined devise we've been using for years. You should know the DNA tracking won't be too accurate since it's based off your genetics and not his. He's similar but he isn't a clone after all." Reed finished.

"Reed, seriously, thank you for this." He eyes the devise resting on his hand. It felt a lot lighter then it should've been. "This thing must cost a fortune."

"It does but that doesn't matter." Reed took a good look at Peter. Damn kid went and grew up on him. "You've been there for us, heck everyone, more times than I can count. Well actually it's stored on the archives but that's beside the point. I'm just returning the favor that's all. Besides, the harness has built in failsafe's that'll turn it into a very expensive paperweight and it will disintegrate if someone tries to tamper with it. Now do you have any more questions for me?"

"No this is everything I could ask for." Peter pocketed the devise. "Thanks again Reed."

"A little advice before you head out Pete." Reed's face shifted into stone. "When you get to that other world, if there's another world, don't get too attached to the state of affairs over there. It's not your world and their problems aren't yours to solve. Get in, grab your friend, get out, and don't look back. Do you understand?"

Peter looked bewildered at Reed's advice. He hadn't expect such a thing from Mr. Fantastic. The man was an explorer and got his start throwing caution to the wind. "Huh, never thought I'd here you warning me about the unknown." He played off Reed's grim warning.

"I'm serious Peter. I know you. You got a big heart and a propensity of stepping in on pear shaped scenarios. Take it from someone's who's been there. I've seen everything from the Nazi's wining World War Two to the Skrull's taking over the Earth. Believe me, I wanted nothing more than to step in and change the situation." Reed explained.

"What stopped you?"

"My better judgment over my baser instincts. I could've intervened, had to do it a few times actually, but I don't know if it would be for the better or not. There's no way of knowing beforehand."

"So basically you don't want me to pull a Back to the Future 2 on some unsuspecting reality." Peter concluded.

"No…" Reed paused to recall the movie. In his defense it's been years since he's seen it. "Yes…that's the one with the train right?"

"That was part three." Peter corrected. It felt good to have something over the super genius.

"Oh right. Then in laymen's terms, you don't want to pull a Back to the Future 2 on a different dimension."

Peter sighed, Reed was right about him. He had a knack for sticking his nose where it didn't belong. His heroics would only get in the way in this situation. "I get it Reed. I don't like it but I'll take your word for it on this one."

"Good to know. You put my mind at ease." Reed admitted.

Peter walked towards the exit but turned around to address Reed before leaving. "Mind if I give you some advice Reed?"

Richard's chuckled. "Sure, I'm not above criticism."

"The beard is not working for you. I wasn't going to say anything but you're a friend and I had to." He waved and left the lab. "Thanks again Reed."

"Beard?" Reed touched his face and was in utter shock when he felt the hairs rub against his gloves. "Oh god. H.E.R.B.I.E, how long have I been working on project E-59?"

"Approximately two-hundred and fourteen hours Dr. Richards!" H.E.R.B.I.E. announced with his usual chipper tone.

"Uh crap…" Time had eluded the great Reed Richards once again. "H.E.R.B.I.E put a pin on E-59 and launch initiative 9!"

"Yes sir, but there is a slight deviation in the initiative."

"What is it?" He asked as he yanked his lab coat off and went to change into normal clothing.

"The Toy "R" Us LLC is no longer in operation sir. Shall I find an alternative establishment for young Valeria and Franklin?"
"I'll be dipped, sure the flower shop still up?"

"Yes sir and your reservation at Kirby's has been made."

"Great. Sue's going to kill me…"

XXXxxx Republic City: Rooftop Garden xxxXXX

The ambient racket of the city could be heard for miles. It was two A: M and engines still roared down the street while the trolleys where making their last stops. The noise pollution assaulted Peter's senses but none of it bothered him. His thoughts were too preoccupied with the fiasco at the tower tonight.

He was crawled up in a corner with his head resting in his palms, sulking and trying to figure out where he went wrong. How would he carry on now? Should he just cut all ties with Korra? No, it wouldn't work. Asami, Mako, and Bolin would start to ask questions and by extension Mr. Sato and Councilmen Tenzin. There's no doubt they would jump to the same conclusion as Korra did. Maybe he should just skip town?

He shook his head. That wouldn't work either. If he left without notice, Mr. Sato would probably file a missing person report and alert as many law enforcement agencies as he could. He had the net worth to pull it off, after all. Hell, he'd probably hire sifu Lei to spearhead the search. He'd have to worry about all that on top of traversing through a world he knew so little about, so that plan landed squarely on the cutting room floor.

Parker groaned and ruffled his hair. He was hemmed six ways to Sunday and he couldn't figure a way out of it to save his life. Peter Parker was trapped in Spider-Man's web.

He couldn't help but wonder what Mr. Urich would do in a situation like this. May and Ben wouldn't have been able to help. They lived simple lives for the most part and the circumstances were too extraordinary for them.

Peter wished he could talk to someone and remembered his occasional conversations with Gummo. His talks with the friendly vagrant were comforting but he wasn't about to chase him down and share his double life with him.

'Maybe Yue-' Peter quickly cast the thought aside. He may have acknowledged the spirit's existences, which was a herculean feat in and of itself, but outright calling out for guidance was a mental line he couldn't cross.

He shook his head and stood up. "Gift horses Parker."

He took a deep breath and tried to keep an open mind. At least no one was around to see this. "Oh great Moon spirit, I-oh boy- I beseech thee. I your loyal…whatever I am to you, call upon you to…to…Ugh!" Peter stopped himself and collapsed in the position he started in. A mix of shame and the absurdity of it all was too much to handle. "Look, I'm just going to level with you here. I got myself in a big mess, on top of the other messes, and I could use someone to talk to right about now."

He waited for a moment, then another. Nothing happened. There were no rips in space time or any bright amnions lights. Nothing. He slumped his head with a frustrated sigh. "Why do I even bother? This is pathetic."

"There's nothing 'pathetic' about asking for help Peter." A voice chimed in next to him.

Peter jerked his head up to see the spirit he was calling to. She sat beside him on the utility shed. The first time he saw Yue was one of the major shocks in his short life but now it was just a little jarring seeing her again. "Glad you could make it to the pity party Yue." He turned his eyes to the sky. "You didn't hear me earlier did you?"

"I, Yue, the great Moon spirit ensure thee that thou has heard nothing that would besmirch thy name!" She waved her arm like a proper Shakespearian actor.

"Cripes."

"No need to pout about it Peter. I thought it was really sweet." Yue tried to reassure him.

"You're making it worse." He mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Never mind." He brushed his shame under the rug. "So are you just watching me at all times or do you just know when I'm down in the dumps."

"It doesn't work like that Peter. I, how should I put it, dedicate a peace of myself around in case you needed help." Yue attempted to explain an ethereal concept to a corporeal being. "Don't worry, I'm not stalking you or anything. I just keep an ear out for you in case you call."

Yue might as well be talking in a different language. Her explanation didn't make any sense. He ignored the details and continued the conversation. "So you don't know why I called you then?"

"I have no idea. What's bothering you Peter?" She delved into the matter at hand.

"She found out." He struggled to get to the point. The whole incident still felt too surreal for him.

"Who found out what?"

"Korra…Avatar Korra found out I'm Spider-Man." He stopped beating around the bush and just let it out.

"Oh, is that all?"

"What do you mean 'is that all'?! This is a serious!"

Worry was written all over Peter's face. "I'm sorry Peter, but for the life of me I don't see a problem with the Avatar knowing your secret." Yue was empathetic to his blight but she wasn't going to lie him. "Maybe you could shed some more light on the situation."

Peter was visibly agitated by her stance but remained patient. Lashing out at the Moon spirit didn't end well for him the last time they met. He took a deep breath and elaborated. "Korra knowing the truth about me complicates my already complicated life. The mask takes some of the edge off me . I can maintain a somewhat normal life with the mask, but you know? I can't just go back to the way things were as 'Takuya' and there's no telling what Korra will do now. She could rat me out me to the entire world if she wanted to. 'Spider-Man' can only exist in the shadows. The facade only works if no one knows who's using it. Spider-Man can't do any good if he's dealing with a mountain of lawsuits or other legal violations." He stated his case as plainly as he could to her. "You see why her knowing is a problem now?"

Yue didn't take his words lightly. She digested his stance before responding. "You raise some good points, very logical. These are valid concerns. But I think the only one complicating things is you, not Korra." She didn't need to turn her head to see him scowling at her. "I'm only giving you my honest opinion Peter nothing more."

Peter bumped his head on the wall in a huff. "That's just what I need, more finger pointing."

"I'm not saying it's your fault Peter." Yue remarked. "Let me ask you a question. Why is it so bad that the Avatar knows your secret?"

"I just told you why."

She shook her head. "Let me rephrase it then. Why do you have a problem with Korra knowing you're Spider-Man?"

"Again, I already-"

"No you didn't!" It was Yue's turn to be frustrated. "You've given me talking points and hypotheticals of her knowing. How does this affect you on a personal level? Are you ashamed? Angry?"

Peter paused. He already knew the answer but it took him a while to get the words out. "I'm afraid." He let another pregnant pause pass before speaking again. "I can't involve her or anyone to my mess. You see as crazy as it is, I chose this life. Every punch I throw or catch is on me. I know what I'm capable of, mostly, and I can't say the same for Korra or anyone else really. I can't let someone else get hurt because they want to get involved with me. People only see costume or hear the stories and wind up getting enamored with it all. I won't lie to you, I get a little caught up in it all myself. Its fun swinging around town saving people and putting bad guys in there place. Its feels great hearing people praising you for what you did. You feel powerful." He chuckled at his own expense. "You know when I first came to this world I didn't think much about benders. I thought I would wrap up this Amon stuff in a half hour if I knew where he was held up. That type of arrogance almost got me killed, almost made me kill. I got lucky and managed to walk away from it all in one piece but I was just lucky. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to her." Peter looked up into the night sky contemplating his own words. It wasn't easy to say but it was the honest to god truth. "That answer your question Yue?"

"It does, feel any better getting that off your chest?"

"Not really. Feels like everything going to hell and everything I do is making it worse. Maybe I should just find the deepest darkest hole I can find and turn in until the cows come home." Peter openly sulked. Even with all this power at his disposal he still felt as useful as a broken car.

"That's not true." Yue placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look at me Peter, you're not broken and none of this is your fault. These are hard times you're facing and you're not going to overcome this beating yourself up."

The concern written on Yue's face hit harder than her words. "I know I just…I thought I had this whole thing under control but it's all just…"

"That's life Peter. One day everything's going well and the next it's complete chaos." She studied Peter's demeanor. He wasn't convinced. "You know I wasn't always like this."

"What, glowy?" He joked despite his crummy mood.

Yue couldn't help but giggle. "Sort of, I used to be human."

Peter's astonishment dwarfed his damaged morale. "Come again."

It was Yue's turn to reflect. She looked up to the moon she governed. Even while consoling this wayward hero she could feel its pressure on the world. She felt the waves assaulting mountain faces and shores across the globe. It was overwhelming at first, human beings simply lack the wherewithal to handle such a task. Thankfully the Ocean Spirit, Tui ,was there to help ease her into her role. "I was just as human as you Peter. I was a princess of the Northern Water Tribe. I had a life, dreams, even found the time to fall in love. I'll spare you the details, but one day I was needed. La, my predecessor, was killed and the world was on the brink of collapse. I wish I could describe it to you but words don't do it justice. Everything just felt wrong when he was gone. It just felt…less, again it's hard to explain."

Peter looked at Yue in a new light. He wasn't well versed in spiritual affairs but he couldn't fathom a human being changing into a spirit. He had thought the two where mutually exclusive. Then again he had a spiritual monkey on his back so some wires must've been crossed.

"I had some of La's essence in me since birth and I knew what I had to do. The tribe-the world needed me and I answered the call of duty. I took up his mantle and restored balance to the world." She looked off to the distance, her brief life flashed through her mind. In her most private moments, she wondered what could've been.

"That's horrible." Peter felt sorry for her. How could one face such a choice? Sacrifice everything you know and love to save the world. No one should have to face such a horrific ultimatum. He saw the spirit in a new light now.

"I don't think of it that way. My life didn't end it just changed." She turned back to Peter. "Life has moments like that and everyone comes across a fork in the road and I think your fast approaching yours. I don't regret my decision and you need to get to a point where you won't either. So the Avatar knows your secret, so what. Don't focus on the consequences. You're doing what you feel is right and that's all that matters."

Peter snickered at himself. "Yeah, I'm too stupid to go about it any other way. Why can't we have normal problems?"

"I don't know, I suppose we're just born lucky I guess." Yue replied.

He couldn't help but smile at her stab at dry humor. She'd go far in the Big Apple.

"Did someone finally cheer up?"

"No, pity party's just in intermission that's all."

Yue shook her head. She was dealing with a hard core contrarian. "I have to ask, you can't let Korra in or won't? Personally I mean."

Peter's head sunk towards the floor. "I don't know…"

"I hope I was able to help."

Peter turned to the Spirit and locked eyes. She was a beauty and a princess no less. A royal moon spirit found the time to descend from the heavens and try to help this lowly tramp. It was a comical notion that didn't go unnoticed. "You're ace is in my book doll. It felt good getting all this out in the air. Thank you."

"Glad to hear it." She smiled as her form gave way to a brilliant show of white particles that faded into the night sky. She left as quietly as she appeared.

Peter's spirits might have been lifted but he still looked onto her departure in total befuddlement. He appreciated the talk but she still betrayed every scientific notion he ever studied.

He regained his composure and stood up. There was a cheap mattress calling his name. "I'm never going to get used that."

XXXxxx Air Temple Island: Dining Hall xxxXXX

The early morning sun shined through the blinds. Air acolytes ate their breakfast while chatting amongst themselves. Tenzin looked onto his student with a concerned eye. His children bickered and teased one another while Pema tried to temper them. All in all it was a typical morning for the Air Bending master, but Korra was unusually quiet. She had just won the second round of the championship tournament and was getting a good hold of the airbending basics. Aside for Amon, she shouldn't be so dejected. He had learned a great deal about the young girl while having her under his wing and the incident at the monument told him that something was wrong.

"So Korra, you've got a big match ahead of you. I hope you're up to the task." Tenzin broke the ice as gently as possible.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, we're good." She answered without looking. Her eyes were focused on the bowl of porridge before her.

"I'll say!" Pemma added while restraining Mello. "I heard that last match with the-STOP IT!- with the Buzzard Wasps was a real nail biter."

"Sure was, didn't know I had it in me." Korra, despite her preoccupied mind, took a moment to gloat. It was well earned, she did get a team knockout on her own. "Wait, Tenzin, you caught the match? I thought you didn't like Pro-Bending."

Tenzin looked away in guilt. "I did. The White Lotus sentries where listening to the match and I managed to catch the end of it before I stopped them."

"Really? I heard a lot of shouting that night and one of them sounded pretty familiar." Pema teased her straight laced husband.

Tenzin's face went red at his wife's testimony. "I was simply disciplining them dear. This is the second time this has happened. There could've been an attack and we'd be defenseless!" He pleaded his case on deaf ears.

"Umm Hmm." Pema mockingly agreed with him and turned to Korra. "He 'disciplined' them for twenty minutes. Thought they'd never stop cheering." She whispered in her ear.

Korra giggled at Tenzin's expense. She wondered when he would just admit that Pro-Bending was growing on him.

Unbeknownst to the others, she wasn't sad but deep in thought. She had some time to digest what had happened between her and Takuya and wondered what had went wrong. She was worried about him. He looked defeated after their confrontation. She expected him to be defiant or dismissive but he was haggard. She knew he was Spider-Man but he was a far cry from the cocky, dry humored vigilante she remembered. What the heck happened to him?

"Anyway, is everything alright Korra? You look a little off, all things considered." Tenzin moved quickly by changing the subject and hiding his shame.

"It's no biggie Tenzin, just having some trouble with a few things that's all." Korra was honest but dismissive. She appreciated the helping hand he was trying to lend but it wasn't something he could assist her in. She had played her cards with Takuya and it was out of her hands.

"Like what?"

"You know…stuff." Korra deflected.

"Korra, I'm your mentor. It is my responsibility to look out for you and guide you on your journey in becoming a full-fledged Avatar." Tenzin dropped the pleasantries and got to the point. "Now I know I can be…pushy at times, but I feel that I have to step in to do right for you."

Korra sighed, he did have a point and was only trying to help. "Okay Tenzin. I'm a little nervous about our match with the Wolf Bats tomorrow. There's still a masked mad man who's on the loose, so there's that. Oh and I had this misunderstanding with Bolin and Mako that I really don't want to comment on. And to top it all off, I know every airbending form you showed me and I still can't airbend! So yeah, that about sums things up for me."

Tenzin was taken aback by Korra's bluntness. "Okay…Korra, the life of the Avatar is filled with challenges and someone of your unique status should seek a higher-"

"Tenzin, can we put a pin on the sage advice? I've got practice and I'm already running late." Korra cut him off, took a last bit of her breakfast, and threw her gym bag over her shoulder.

"Oh Korra, before you go tell me, how'd it go with that Takuya boy?" Pema butted in before her husband could speak.

Pemma's question halted her flight. She chose her words carefully. "It didn't work out."

"Oh, I'm sorry Korra, it wasn't too bad was it?"

"Nothing major happened, no feelings were hurt, and no boundaries were pushed. That's it." Korra stood up in a huff non-verbally telling everyone present to drop the subject. She turned and started to walk out of the room.

"I warned you." Pemma added not knowing the gravity of the situation.

"I know." She admitted under her breath.

XXXxxx Republic City: Marketplace xxxXXX

Citizens walked through the open air bazaar like any other day. The Equalist threat was in the back of everyone's mind but none of them let it dominate their thoughts. In the face of possible political upheaval, life kept going. Peter allowed himself the luxury of walking around and shopping like any other average Joe. His talk with Yue wasn't all that constructive but it was a definite morale boost. He wasn't the sorry sack he was a couple of days ago but he wasn't out of the woods yet. He dropped a line to Mr. Sato and told him he had caught a bad bug and couldn't make it to the finals. Truthfully, he wasn't ready to rub shoulders with Korra again after the snafu the other night. Asami would be bummed out but Hirisohi didn't seem too worked up about it over the phone. He was more concerned with his hush-hush project and so was he. He relegated himself running simple errands and finding trinkets that could fuel his innovative mind. Maybe he could find materials that would complement his web shooter prototypes. He hadn't put the finishing touches on it yet but he was close to a breakthrough. It even had room to fit in a launching platform for his spider tracers. He pondered triggering methods when a small tent caught his eye.

'Madam Camellia's traveling Fortune Telling' the sign read. The name needed work, but the humble establishment did peak Peter's interest. He still had reservations on spirituality but shrugged them aside and entered the small hut. He did have a deep dialoge with the Moon Spirit, after all.

There where small trinkets scattered around the fortuneteller's quaint lodgings. She had everything from skulls from a wide assortment of animals, to books from the old elemental empires. Gas lamps lined the tent in key locations which gave the room an ominous glow. There was just enough light to pick out an elderly old woman sitting before a crystal ball.

"Madame Camellia, I presume?" Peter remarked as he approached. Upon closer inspection, the woman aged gracefully. Her snow white hair was held back by oriental hair pins and, while wrinkled, still kept its shape. Her peach colored robe had pick flowers stitched all over it.

"Yes yes, come in and have a seat." Madame Camellia motioned him to come forward. "I've been expecting you young man."

"You don't say!" Peter snickered as he took a seat. "Oh this will be good."

"I see, you doubt my power, don't you?" The fortune teller snapped.

"No. Let's just say I'm cautiously optimistic." Peter eased her ire with carefully worded praise. "Can your power help such a cynical soul?" He exaggerated.

Of course it went over Madame Camellia's head; or she was just playing along to get a buck. "Of course young man. No need to worry. My work turns everyone into believers."

"Alright, where do we start?"

The fortuneteller sized Peter up and analyzed him. "Hmm, looks like I need to pull out the stops for you. I feel a lot of ethereal energy surrounding you."

Peter smirked. "No kidding."

"No, I'm not. And something seems off with your energy." She held her hands and came dangerously close to his personal space. "You're not from around here are you?"

Peter was stunned to hear that from the fortune teller but quickly regained his composure. Of course she would say that. This was Republic City and a large chunk of the population wasn't born here. That was an easy assumption to make. He took a breath and grinned. He had to give it to the old girl. Her sales pitch was spot on. "Yeah, I washed up here a couple of months ago."

"I know, I'm a fortuneteller." She barked and reached for something under the table. "Now don't interrupt, I have a lock on your ethereal energies and I don't want to lose it."

"Yes ma'am." He instinctually complied with her demands. She had a lot in common with May.

"Good." She placed a bowl full of bones around the crystal ball sitting in the center. "Now, pick a bone out of the bowl."

"Is there some kind of process I need to follow or should I look for-"

"Just pick a bone! It's that simple."

Peter obeyed and picked up a bone.

"Good, now just hold on to it for a moment." Madame Camellia instructed as she removed the crystal ball and revealed a small fire pit hidden in the table.

"Pretty sure the fire marshal wouldn't be too happy about that."

"Quiet! I need to focus." She snapped again and ignited the pocket fire pit. She sighed in relief. Whatever she was trying to accomplish she achieved it. "Now throw the bone into the pit."

"You want me to-"

"Yes!"

"Alright alright, don't get evil on me." Peter dropped the bone into the pit as instructed.

The pit didn't react at first. Then the flame started to die down. He didn't know what was going on as he watched the bone start to snuff out the flame entirely. There were a few embers dancing at the bottom but not much else. Peter was visibly disappointed. It seemed the show was all build up and no pay off.

Madame Camellia was another story. Her eyes went wide at the spectacle before her. She had never read such a fortune before and there was one rule of thumb with this ritual. The odder the reaction was, the worse the fortune became.

There was a long pause between the two. Shock held Camellia's tongue while bafflement held Peter's. He regretted wasting his valuable time but he would let the fortuneteller down easy.

"Technical difficulties?" Peter asked as he watched the blue embers flicker.

Before Camellia could say anything, the flame reignited in earnest. It returned to its original height and began to rage beyond the small fire pit. The fortuneteller was utterly speechless. She was scared she'd get thrown in jail for torching the whole market place down.

Peter just sat there mesmerized by the raging flame. He felt a twinge from his spider sense but he could tell he wasn't in danger. The fire even started to die down after a moment. The fire had a last breath and shot out in one final fireball upward. It burned bright and he could've sworn he saw a simple face on the fireball. It had no features to speak of and reminded him of a jack-o-lantern.

There was an uneasy silence in the tent until Peter started clapping. The two had very different perspectives on what they just saw but Peter got a kick out of it. "Wow, that really blew my wig lady! I thought you were giving the run around but you really pull out all the stops, don't you? So what's my 'fortune' say?"

Madame Camellia composed herself thanks in part to Peter's ignorance. "I've never seen anything like this. I'm afraid I can't give you an accurate reading so please keep that in mind." She was hesitant to deliver such bad news but powered forward. "I'm sorry, it doesn't look good. Your path is filled with pain and strife. I see that you are capable but for each tribulation you overcome, three more will take its place. Of course, nothing lasts forever and your troubles will come to a head. Everything goes to black after that."

Peter ruffled his hair and groaned. "Yeah, that sounds about right." His cynicism cautioned the blow considerably. "Thanks for the show Ms. Camellia." He got up and prepared to leave.

"WAIT! THER'S SOMETHING ELSE!" Camellia grabbed him by his shoulder.

"What!?" Her panic got a rise out of him.

"My fee. That will be two hundred and fifty yuans."

Peter looked at the small woman with a contemptuous glare. "Was robbery one of those tribulations you were talking about?"

"Hey! I provide a premium service that requires premium compensation. Now please, don't make this difficult."

He begrudgingly reached for his wallet and paid the little highway woman. He only had himself to blame. The two parted ways with Peter begrudgingly dropping the money on the table and wondered what possessed him to entertain that crackpot. He filed back into the crowd of the marketplace to resume his search when he noticed a stir in the crowd. The people murmured amongst themselves. A small pack of people gathered around an open stand listening to something on the radio. He couldn't quite hear the broadcast and brushed past the crowd to see what all the fuss was about. They all looked on in grim as he closed in. He got close enough hear why everyone was down in the dumps. The radio wasn't loud but the crowd was quiet. Peter's brows went knit when he heard his voice.

Amon's cadence was full of poise and charm as he delivered his ultimatum to the public. His voice had a growl that demanded respect but somehow seemed welcoming as well. The man had a flare that Peter couldn't deny. Thankfully, he didn't linger on the subject. He addressed all who were listening, gave his stance on Pro-Bending, and delivered his ultimatum: cancel the Pro-Bending championship or pay the price. It was so cut and dry that any yahoo wouldn't have a problem deciphering his message. The crowd dispersed and continued to talk amongst themselves. They voiced their concerns, as anyone would, and contemplated what the council would do in the face of the unmitigated threat to Republic City's favorite pastime. Peter was the outlier however. He just stood there without a peep. His mind was a million miles away and couldn't bother with the physical world at the moment. He knew this day would come one way or the other. This moment had played out in his head over and over again, but for it to actually happen was a different story. His fist were tight while his gaze was blank. His breathing was heavy and shallow. What was wrong with him?

"Hey!"

Peter moved at inhuman speeds to counteract the threat behind him. His world simplified and slowed down. He grabbed the extended arm and stopped it in its tracks. His iron grip almost broke the wrist before he snapped back to reality.

"AHH! LET GO OF ME YOU FREAK!" The concerned citizen cried out in pain.

Peter, appalled, did as he was told and released the poor man's wrist. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" He moved to help the man up but he scurried away in fear.

"Stay away from me!" He got to his feet and went into a full retreat by the apparent monster.

He had made a scene but the onlookers chalked it all up to the typical Republic City high jinks and went on about their business. Luckily for Peter, the city had that in common with New York. He took a few seconds to collect himself before hastily walking away from the scene. Out of sight out of mind after all. The news still made his heart pound with dread. His mind raced with how he should proceed with Amon's open threat. He caught a few muffled conversations about Amon's announcement. They debated whether they should go to the event and speculated what the council will do. The news traveled like wild fire and Peter had a front row seat to it all. He kept walking through the streets when something caught his eye. There was a small thrift store, or whatever passed for one since it was a hovel, and approached an item.

"Hello sir, you find something you like?" The salesmen inquired a possible customer/mark. He couldn't help but wring his hands at the possibility of income.

"You could say that." Peter didn't look at the salesman in the eye.

"Well you're in luck!" The salesmen asserted with a closed eye smile. "I just so happen to be having a sale at the moment. There is a twenty percent-"

"I'll take it." Peter interjected and grabbed his prize, sparring himself from the sub-par sales pitch.

The salesman had a whole routine planned out that went to waste. He made the sale but the young man before him robbed him of the 'chase'. "Oh…alright then."

Peter held up the black trench coat like a trophy. He couldn't explain it but the worn jacket spoke to him. Maybe it symbolized him returning to his roots. Whatever it was it felt comforting, familiar even.

He threw the long jacket over his shoulder and walked towards the trolley home. He had a lot to do and little time to do it.

XXXxxx White Falls: Make Shift Barracks xxxXXX

The Slayer's lodging was oddly quiet after Amon's declaration. One would think they would be gathering their gear and hunting the masked man down before he could make good on his promise. But the Slayers weren't amateurs and this wasn't their first call to arms. Chief Beifong had already rang them up and gave them a brief part of her plan and set up an impromptu meeting. She had to see the council first but she would stop by as soon as she was free. Now the team were on standby waiting for Beifong to show.

They were anxious, who wouldn't be? But they kept themselves busy. Some of them handle it better than others. Yumi meditated, badly, in the corner of the den. She couldn't help but fidget in irritation. The Sun Warrior just couldn't reach her center in these dire times. Quan didn't have this problem. He simply sat in the armchair with his arms folded and eyes closed. No one could read the stoic UF officer, which was normal for his team. Hanzo was at the table inspecting his replacement dao swords. He sharpened, cleaned, and searched for any imperfections in the swords metallurgy. He repeated the procedure a dozen or so times after hearing the broadcast. The swords passed his inspection each time but continued to run them through the gauntlet. The process had a soothing effect on him. Lou was sprawled across the couch reading a book while Chiko paced back and forth impatiently waiting for Beifong's arrival.

The UF officer mumbled battle strategies and motivational rhetoric from his boot camp days. He even went so far as to wear his battle uniform and had his equipment ready to go. Amon could knock on the door and he'd be ready to fight. This was his chance. He missed his opportunity with Spider-Man and wouldn't with Amon.

Yumi couldn't take the insistent muttering and footfalls. She took a deep breath to calm herself. This wasn't the time to chide her junior comrade so she tried being patient with him. "Chiko, I know you got some pre-mission jitters and all but do you have to do that now?"

"At least I'm doing something." He argued.

Yum's eyes closed in agitation but she refused to loose her cool. "Okay Chi', what should we be doing then? Maybe hunt down every Equalist cell and stop Amon's little scheme with next to no intel?"

"Why not?! We've tracked hard targets before. Come on, we're the best of the best for crying out loud!"

Yumi sighed and opened her eyes, her meditation was fruitless anyway. "Chi' we all feel the same way it's just…" She paused trying to put her feelings into words the anxious archer would understand.

"We aint hunt'en down a cluster of targets in a sprawling metropolis taking on a cell that may or may not be bogus in the span of six hours." Lou spoke up for Yumi.

"And you know that. You're just too wired up to admit it man." Hanzo added.

"What they said."

Quan didn't have anything to contribute to the conversation. He didn't interrupt them; they needed to get all this out in the air. He was however, quietly weaving a plan of action in his head.

There was a knock on the door and Chicko almost jumped at the door. He swung it open and found the woman that was on his mind. "Hey Chief, what took you so long? You take the scenic route or something?"

Beifong cocked a brow at the naked insubordination she just witnessed. "You know I'm on a first name basis with General Iroh, right?"

Chiko's eyes almost popped out of his head. "What I meant to say was thank you for coming at your earliest convenience. Please come in."

"That's what I thought." She walked in, making sure to shoulder check the out of line soldier.

She walked through the door with two men in tow. They were mustashioed gentlemen wearing large overcoats and were the polar opposites of one another. While one was fair skinned and tall, the other was a darker shade and short.

The UF team dropped what they were doing and gathered around a table and gave Beifong the floor. The short man pulled out a cylinder and rolled out a map of the city.

"Alright listen up, I'll assume you've all heard the broadcast by now and already know the grave situation we're all in so I'll skip to the basics. I've talked to the council into keeping the arena open provided that me and my men secure the area." Lin begun to lay out her agenda to the UF personnel.

"Securing the entire arena's going to be a tall order. No offence Chief, but are your people really up to the task?" Hanzo voiced his concerns. He wouldn't let titles or rank impede his insight

"None taken. We're watching the ports, air, and the arena floor tonight. My men are running a security sweep of the arena as we speak. I'll be joining them after I'm done here." She answered and motioned everyone's attention to the map. "Now here's where you come in. I've hired these PI's to supplement our ongoing investigation. We were able to narrow down a list of possible Equalist hideouts. I'll let the PI's explain." She finished and gave the mustache twins the floor.

The short one stepped forward. "Good morning everyone. My name's Gang and this is my partner Lu. As the Chief said, we've been doing some leg work for the force."

"There're a little short on man power and we're some of the best investigators in town. We may not have the resources, but I'd say we know these streets better than anyone. People talk, we listen, and we find the facts." Lu gave them a little background.

"Any who, we were able to narrow down our search to this quadrant." Gang pointed to the area circled. "We believe they're held up somewhere west side in the outskirts of town. There's been a lot of sightings and odd shipping routes around the area."

"Shipping routes?" Yumi repeated.

"Yeah. There's been noise complaints from the few residents out that way. It's a quiet little area and their not used to hearing semi-trucks and delivery vans rolling through or at least not enough for them to mind so much." Gang elaborated. "It's the strongest lead we could uncover in such short notice."

"My investigators and Tarrlok's taskforce uncovered some additional points of interests but we've determined that they were too small to launch any major offensive." Beifong took the reigns from Lu and Gang. "We'll be sending some squad cars out to those location but I doubt we'll find anything substantial out there."

"Where do we fit in in all of this?" Quaon spoke after patiently listening.

"I believe you're the one most qualified to answer that. I knew how to utilize you in Operation: Spider-Slayer, but I don't know how to do it in this situation. Officially, you are under my command, but as far as the United Forces are concerned you have full autonomy." Lin took a seat at the table and gave Quan the floor. "So the balls in your court Captain. How will you proceed?"

Quan folded his arms and looked onto the map and weighed his tactical options. "What's are contingency look like?"

"Most of my men will be at the arena, and the greener beat cops will be searching the points of interests. Captain Saikhan will be in charge of them. We'll be using the remaining spider-slayer officers in the rest of the slayer armor. Have to admit, we've dropped the ball in the investigation department. If we have just moved a bit faster."

"Don't beat yourself up Chief." Lu interjected. "You did the best you could do considering you're in the public sector."

"Yeah, hard to get things done with five council members deliberating with each other. I mean it's got to be hard to get on the same page with so many different perspectives, am I right?" Gang added.

"Regardless, that's all the manpower I can spare that isn't dedicated to the arena." Beifong didn't care or want the PI's opinions even if she shared them.

"How credible is the intel you two gathered." Quon's turned his icy glare at the private investigators.

The two were taken aback by the imposing man's stone eyes but quickly composed themselves. "Very…sir…"

"Yeah, there's no doubt about. There's major activity in the area. I'll stake my reputation on that." Gang spoke in a shaky but stern tone. He wondered where Beifong found this guy.

"I see. You two perform any recon in the area?"

"What? Heck no! We didn't waltz through those woods looking for trouble. We're PI man. We investigate, not intervene. That's what you guys are for, right?" Lu protested.

Quon's blank stare hid any resemblance of human emotion and the PI were afraid things were going to go south. "You're right, my apologies."

"Right…" Quan mumbled as he took another moment to collect his thoughts before addressing his team. "Here's where we fall in to the plan. Chicko, Hanzo, and I will be on search and destroy duty for the alleged stronghold. Lou, Yumi, you two will assist Chief Beifong at the arena tonight."

Hanzo and Chikco were fine with their roles. Chiko actually pumped his fist with excitement. Lou and Yumi on the other hand were confused with their CO's command.

"Cap' I don't mean to talk out of terms, but why are me and Lou going to the arena?" Yumi asked. "Shouldn't we all be going after the stronghold?"

"Alleged stronghold Yumi. Our intel's too flimsy for me to commit all of you on one objective so I'm covering my bases with you two going to the arena. You two can operate with shoe string accommodations, so you're the logical choice for the job. Hanzo and Chicko would have a hard time hiding swords and a bow from possible assailants." Quan calmly explained his decision.

"Oh…that makes sense then." Yumi relented the subject.

Lou didn't have a problem with the arrangement. He already knew what Quan was thinking. It would be an easy affair to keep a decent amount of water on him during the championship match and the cold weather would mean he could stash a lot of it under a large overcoat. And that wasn't even taking account of all the pool and drinks at his disposal. He had worked with the captain for years now but was still amazed by the man's superb tact. Quan had figured out a detailed plan in nothing but a short few moments with a shoe string amount of details.

"Works for me." Lou made sure to hide his amazement with an uncaring shrug.

"Good to hear." He turned to Beifong. "Lou and Yumi will ride along with you. They'll be under your command for the night." He listed off his mandates with the cadence of automaton and stumbled when remembered who he was talking to. "Is all that alright with you Chief?"

Beifong smirked at the slip up. She didn't let it get to her. His team was invaluable in Spider-Slayer and the man more than earned her respect. "It is, Quan." She pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled an address down. "The rest of you will rendezvous with Captain Saikhan here." She handed the slip to Quan just to be safe. "I assume you three will find your way to the sight without much trouble?"

"You assume correctly."

"Glad to hear it." She reached forward and shook hands with the captain. Lin turned to the three raid participants and wished them luck as she left for the arena with Yumi, Lin, and the PIs in tow.

The three of them piled into the civilian sedan and leaving Gang and Lu outside.

"Hey wait a minute!" Gang ran to the passenger side and knocked on the glass. "Chief Beifong, did you forget? Your our ride remember."

"Oh. Sorry about that. I didn't expect any extra company." She explained. "Sorry fellas, you're going to have to find alternative transportation."

"Bu-But our office is on the other end of town!" Lu protested.

"I'm sorry, but my hands are tied and I'm already running late. You'll just have to make due." She halfheartedly apologized for the inconvenience.

"Sorry guys but you know, black op privileges. Ow!" Yumi chided the private investigators.

Lou elbowed her in the ribs to stop her teasing. "Quiet! Professionals, remember?" He whispered.

Yumi rolled her eyes at the unspoken code of conduct. "Uhh fine." She whispered back.

Before Beifong could order her driver to leave Lu and Gang jumped at her window one more time.

"Chief wait!" Lu blurted.

"What now!?"

"It's about that thing we were discussing in your office. Do you remember?"

Beifong had a lot on her agenda, so it took her a moment to recall the conversation. "Oh right that. I'll consider it when the city's a bit more calme."

"That's great chief! And don't worry, you won't regret it." Lu said with glee.

Beifong didn't share the sentiment under the circumstances. She ordered the driver to the arena and left the PIs standing on the sidewalk.

"Think she'll let us on the force?" Gang asked. "I mean, I like the PI game and all but business is getting scarce."

"Believe me I know. I'm barley making ends meet man." Lu admitted. "And the ex-wife's all over my back. I'm amazed ol' blacky's keeping his color." He stroked his prized facial hair like a lost puppy.

XXXxxx Peter's Apartment: three hours before Championship xxxXXX

The air in the small apartment was unusually stale. The radiator rattled as it struggled to battle the winter air outside. Bits of ice drummed against the window and the water pipes whined with use. This was annoying but expected. Peter grew to appreciate his quarter's idiosyncrasies. It had an 'authentic' feel that he loved, but for the first time it was finally grating his nerves.

The looming sunset gave his room a haunting glow he couldn't quite ignore. He battled the churning in his gut with distractions. The radio was on and blared swing music in the room while Peter mended what he could from his damaged costume. A full restoration was possible but time consuming. He could've done it sooner but tried to ignore the costume. It reminded him of that night. He'd never admit it but he avoided the suit like a dirty secret. It took a surprising amount of time just to pull it out of his hiding spot. Now he sat on the edge of his bed mending what he could from the costume. The mask, trousers, and boots were relatively easy to fix. The vest would take more time while his undershirt was a tattered rag. He debated whether he should throw it out or burn it to destroy the evidence. He would have to make due with a simple black turtle neck and the new overcoat. He reached for the radio and changed it to the coverage of the championship match just in case things popped off early.

:/ Good evening folks, this is your lovable announcer Shiro Shinobi with the pre-match show. I'll be discussing the match with our contest winners before the big bout!/: Shiro really did have a voice for radio. It had almost made Peter forget that a masked madman threatened the whole thing.

He grabbed his needle and thread and started to sew up his mask. Aside from the tear in its mouth, the mask was remarkably unharmed from Beifong's gauntlet. It figures; it had been through the Great War after all.

:/-Now, I've been told that patrons shouldn't worry about any equalists disrupting the Arena tonight. Even if they tried, Amon would be hard pressed to get through all this security. Yowza! I've never seen so many cops in-/:

Peter paused hearing Amon's name. Any vestige of comfort the radio gave him was snuffed out. The weight of the situation returned on his shoulders. He didn't have any physical or verbal outburst. He only looked down on his mask blankly as a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind. It took him a moment to realize he just pricked his thumb and was bleeding on the mask. He dropped the mask on the floor and balled his trembling hand. He thought this would pass but his hand continued to shake. His free hand grabbed the fist as he looked blankly at the damaged mask.

"Get it together Pete." He tried to shake himself out of this small episode. "Come on, you can't go bursting at the seams. Not now…"

Peter took a deep breath and regained most of his senses. He cut the radio off, picked up his mask, and mended it in total silence.

XXXxxx Arena: Fire Ferrets Locker Room xxxXXX

The ambient chatter of the fans wreaked havoc on Korra's nerves. She sat on the bench suited up and ready to go but she couldn't quite shake off the anxiety of the upcoming match. Her heels danced over the floor. Her breath was consistent but deliberate. The breathing exercise her firebendng teacher taught her came in handy during this hectic night. Oddly enough, she wasn't worried about the Equalists at the moment. Her competitive spirit had temporally blocked out her other avatar problems. The only thing on her mind were the wolf bats and their savage performance on the Mongoose Lizards the other night. She wished she watched the actual match and not reconcile with Mako and Asami. Toza may have given them the abridged version of the match but seeing it was a different story. From what they were told, the Wolf Bats were relentless but surgical with their opponents. Upon further inspection, the team's matches throughout the tournament didn't last past the first round. It would seem that the pretty boy wasn't all talk back at the Narookk's.

"- so the food budgets going up after we win the tournament ri-" Bolin stopped when he saw Korra. "Oh, hey Korra."

"Hey Bo', Mako."

"Hmm. Surprised to see you out and about. Never thought you'd beat us out here." Mako shot a playful jab at her.

"Yeah well you know, guess being on edge gets me dressed quicker." Korra chuckled weakly.

"Aw come on Korra what's there to worry about." Bolin stepped in to comfort her. "We're the best team in the city. All we got to do is go out there and show them. So no biggie am I right."

Korra smiled. "You're right. I'm just a little jittery that's all."

"Well don't be!" Mako barked and got their attention. "Listen, we've had our differences, we've had our growing pains and I can honestly say that we're almost unstoppable. We didn't get here by accident and luck had nothing to do with it. No other team could've gotten this far under our circumstances. And we're right here right now. All we have to do now is go out there and show the world. Now let's get out there and win that cup!"

"Yeah!"

"All right, let's do it!" Bolin howled with Korra.

The Fire Ferrets captain had successfully rallied his troops and was ready for war. Mako didn't indulge himself like his brother and Korra. He had to be a stone cold figure head and back up his claims. The truth was he was too nervous to cheer with the others. None of that mattered. His team needed a pep talk and he gave them one. This would all pass when he stepped in the ring of course, it always did. But he never could quite shake the sickening feeling he got before matches. His speech did yield the desired effect for Korra at least. She had temporarily forgotten her troubles and focused at the matter at hand. She was about to have the match of her life and needed to be one-hundred percent invested into it.

XXXxxx Republic City: Classified location xxxXXX

It was dusty and stagnant in the unassuming building. All of its occupants were on edge but determined on their mission. The room was filled with Beifong's and Tarrlock's people. They prepped and chatted amongst themselves as they waited for sunset. The feeling between the two factions was tense. Tarlokk's taskforce members were a skilled bunch but they were still civilians. Beifong's men didn't like mixing it up with them. Being a member of law enforcement was more than training. Tarrlocks people were extensions of the man's ego in their eyes and got sizable paycheck for their troubles. Beifong's men were more than that. They swore an oath to protect their city. To them, the taskforce members just signed up for the glory. The council and Chief Beifong ordered the two groups to work together and they would do just that.

Hanzo and Chiko occupied their own corner of the building watching their backups shuffling around like awkward grade schoolers at their first dance was a little disconcerting.

"Real crack team we got here." Chiko sulked while effortlessly flipping his Yuyan dagger.

"Awe inspiring." Hanzo agreed. "We are truly dealing with the best this city has to offer. You know, you could pluck an eye out doing that."

Chiko smirked and threw the knife high with an impressive twist. Despite all that, its hilt still managed to land squarely in his hand. "I mean Beifong's guys are alright, I guess. It's just these taskforce dudes are real sketchy you know."

"I know. It's like those mercs we were dealing with around the Northern Air Temple. They don't have as much skin in the game."

"Right."

Quan stepped to the center of the room. "Alright everyone listen up! We'll be assaulting the Equalist base tonight and everyone in this room is a part of the vanguard. If we pull this off we'll be dealing a major blow to the Equalist's threat."

The police officers wordlessly acknowledged his words but the Task Force members were a mixed bag.

"With all due respect Prowler, you aint telling us anything we don't know already." A Taskforce member smugly voiced her opinion. "We've taken down Equalist hidey holds while you were all playing games with the Spider-Man."

Chiko tried to stand up and confront the woman but Hanzo stopped him. Quan didn't need any defending.

Quan hardly registered the woman's jab. "Okay then, I'm told our intel is good but it's accuracy isn't. We have a general location but we'll have to pinpoint the bases location on our own. To do that, we'll split our forces into three elements with Hanzo, Chiko and myself leading each of them. We'll move in diamond formation through the woods until one of the elements finds the hideout. That squad will sound off on the location and the others will converge on them, neutralizing any threat we come across."

A police officer raised his hand and waited to be called on. "Couldn't we just have an air ship run a sweep on the location? We could find the base without all the trouble."

"No can do. Most of the fleet's either committed to the arena or pulling regular patrols around the city." Quon explained. "Plus, we can't risk tipping them off before we can reach them."

"How are we going to be deployed?" A task force member asked. "I mean, what's our squad assignment?"

"We will, but it's not much of an assignment. I know the council has you all in an uncomfortable arrangement, and frankly I don't care. You all got the call of duty and you will play nice." Quon shot everyone in his gaze an unnerving face that demanded obedience. "You can and will tolerate each other for a night."

The taskforce members swallowed hard at the stoic man's declaration while the cops felt a little betrayed by his stance. Regardless, they got the message.

"Oh that reminds me. Me and Hanzo's team will have the flanks covered while Chiko's team will be taking point."

It took a moment for Chiko to realize a bombshell had just fell on his head. He was a proud man, but he never thought he was cut out for leadership. "Ahem…uh Qu-Prowler sir. Shouldn't you or Hanzo take point? I mean I'm good but-"

"You're a scout first and foremost and our best man for the job." Quon wisely cut him off. He was skilled but young. They were the leaders and couldn't afford to look weak in front of the others. "You can track a fly in a landfill, you've got nothing to worry about."

Hanzo chuckled and picked up what Quan was trying to do. "Ah never thought I'd see ol' glory 'coon' all flustered. Lighten up man, this is your time to shine, that's all."

Chicko took a breath and calmed himself. "Right, understood."

"Good, any more questions?"

"You got any idea of what the Equalist's troop strengths is looking like?"

"It's speculated to be around mid-thirties to high forties, give or take."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on, were going up against thirty plus guys? We can't match that!" A taskforce member protested. "And with us all split up like this, one team's going to waltz into them and be hopelessly outnumbered!"

None of the Slayers had a problem with this predicament, high risk profession and all, but they understood the civilian's point of view. The cops were shaken but handled the news a lot better than them.

"They won't be expecting company so we'll have the element of surprise on our side. The Equalists will be off balance from the initial assault while the other teams will deliver the finishing blow."

"A one-two punch, I like it." A metalbender said.

"We do this right, we come out on top and Amon's the one with eggs on his face." Quan stated. "So check your gear and get ready. We're taking the fight to Amon."

XXXxxx Pro-Bending Arena: Entrance xxxXXX

It was an unusually clear night in Republic City. The cities odd weather had been assaulting its citizens for weeks but now it felt like a mild fall night. It made the golden arena stand out like a crown jewel in an art exhibit. The architects knew what they were doing with the light placement. They gave the arena a pseudo aura that was only highlighted with its reflection over the water. Not even the small fleet of air ships and patrol boats could take away from this impressive piece of civil engineering. The airships spot lights locked with the arenas and the patron's barely registered them. In fact, the entire police presence went unnoticed. Amon was the last thing on their minds. They were the lucky few who got to see a championship match with their own eyes, and nothing could sully that. Their might've been a riot if the council did cancel the bout. To them, the police and the Amon's threat were immaterial. Peter wished he could be so carefree.

He stood atop a building across the bay, looking for a gap in the security. His searched for a half hour, from all available angles, and couldn't find an opening. There were holes in the airships search patterns but the patrol boats had them covered and vice versa. He searched feverishly with his binoculars with no results.

"Damnit." He pulled the binoculars away and took a small break to weigh his options. He could try to sneak in and out of costume, but people couldn't see 'Takuya' swinging around fighting Equalists. Heck, they could pull his name out of the registry and Beifong could launch a full scale man hunt when all the dust settled.

'I'm going to have sprout wings to get in at this rate. Or wait for Amon to pull the pin on this grenade.' The thought alone made him grimace. Jumping in when the deed was done just didn't sit right with him.

He raised his binoculars and doubled his efforts. "Come on, there's got to be something out there. His gaze crossed the crowd and his jaw dropped. He wasn't sure what he was looking at but it was his ticket in. He sighed and tossed the binoculars aside. It wasn't ideal but he'd take anything at this point. He stepped back, pulled his goggles down, and leaped from the roof towards the arena. He didn't understand what was walking to the gates, but it was his only chance of getting into the arena. It took some effort to evading the collective spot lights but he managed to get under the bridge and started to crawl. Thankfully, the path was out of the patrol boats search pattern. He had a good idea where his boon was located and got into position.

"Here goes…" Peter raised both his fists and slammed the bridge as hard as he could. He created a decent size crater in the reinforced concrete. It wasn't elegant but it got everyone's attention. The fans and security personal went instinctually towards the disturbance. As they looked towards the crash, everyone thought the Equalists had planted a bomb. The web head capitalized on this, released his hold of the bridge around in a wide arc and landed amongst the crowd.

When he landed he got a better look at his 'ticket' in and still had a hard time deciphering what he was seeing. He stood amongst his own kind in a sense. They were men and women that where dressed up like him. At least they attempted to. They wore dark clothing and homespun masks that were more or less close to the genuine article. He'd never been photographed, some people still thought he was just an urban legend, so their costumes were more or less their take on the wall crawler. Some wore cowls and others had homely ski masks. One of them even wore some kind of 'web' cape. They were both eye catching and a perfect cover. The group would allow him to hide in plain sight. Peter felt like he was exposed just standing out in the open. He spent too much time in the shadows. He stuffed his hands in the pockets trying his best to act as nonchalant as humanly possible.

"What was that?" One of them said.

"Heck if I know."

"Relax guys. It's an old bridge. It cracks and creeks. There's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, makes sense."

"Hey! Who are you supposed to be?" One of the spider pretenders noticed Spidey. He lifted his crude mask to get a better look at Peter. "Fei Long, that you?"

"No I'm…uh…Mushu. You know from the west end." Peter lied outright. He didn't even bother turning his head.

"Oh right. What do you think that was?" The costumed fan dismissed Peter's claim. He was bunched in with a lot of people he didn't know. He probably wouldn't remember any of their names.

"It's like what the other guy said: it's just shotty public works that all." Peter's back was as stiff as a board as he walked with the small crowd. He was sweating bullets under his mask. If anyone gave him a second look…It was better not to think about it.

The walk down the bridge was slow and agonizing. Peter thought that someone would discover him but no one paid him any mind. It took a few minutes for him to settle down and decided to inquire the group as to what they were doing.

"Hey umm…"

"Yun."

"Right, Yun. Why are you all doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"You know dressing up."

"Cosplaying?"

"Cos-what?"

"Dude cosplay. It's what we're doing right now. How do you not know this?"

"Oh sorry this is my first time you know."

"A newby huh." Yun laughed. "Yo Mian, this guy with you?"

"I don't know." Main said from behind.

"I met up with you guys earlier remember." Peter hoped they wouldn't explore the subject any deeper than that.

"Whatever."

They approached the main entrance. The Arena officials and police personnel were searching bags and patrons before they could go to their seats. Spider-Man had another hurtle to cross.

"So this isn't some Halloween thing?" He chatted with Yun to better blend in. "You all just dress up for the heck of it?" Peter kicked himself for mentioning the extradimensional holiday. He always lost a little nerve when he was gambling.

"What's 'Halloween?" A random voice asked.

"It's just a little local holiday back home, that's all."

"You got a wacky sounding holiday buddy." Yun noted. "Anyway, to answer your question we usually just do it for fun. But tonight we're here on business. We're protesting the unjust persecution of Spider-Man. The police had no right to do what they did to him and we want to let everyone know that we stand with him."

"And to tell Beifong to stuff it!" Mian cried out.

"Yeah, that too." Yun laughed.

Spider-Man was shocked to hear those words. He didn't have time to notice his growing fandom while dealing with the whirlwind that was his life. Worse yet, he wasn't sure if he should be flattered or concerned by his admirers.

"Huh. Hey, can I tag along with you guys for a bit longer?"

"Sure brother. I don't see why not"

They made it to the door and got the dirtiest stink eye from the police officers providing security. The cosplayers hooted and hollered at the metalbenders but they stayed professional throughout their tirade.

"YOU CANNOT SILENCE US YOU-"

"Pipe down kid!" The officers booming voice silenced all of the cosplayers. "Were not silencing anyone. You have a right to protest, which is beyond me, and enjoy the match. We just need to check you out before you can go to your seats. Just go the second floor of the lobby and follow the officer's orders up there. You do that and you're all set."

The cosplayers and Spider-Man stayed silent and shot them a stink eye of their own.

"Or you can enjoy the match outside." The officer made himself clear to the rambunctious youths before him.

They made their decision and wordlessly complied with the officer's terms. They climbed up the stairs to two police officers posted at an alternate entrance.

One of the officers stepped forward and issued commands. "Alright kids, I need to see your tickets and your faces and you're all good. Come on, I don't like it either. The sooner we get through this the sooner you don't have to see our ugly mugs."

"Did the other cosplayers have to go through this 'sir'?" Yun was being needlessly difficult.

"As a matter of fact they did. Now hurry up, I aint got all night."

The cosplayers did as they were told. They removed their masks and pulled out their tickets. The cop casually strolled across the line inspecting their tickets and casually eyeing their faces. They all checked out. The officers were fortunate. These weirdo's where more bark than bite. It seemed it would be a short inspection. He only had one more cosplayer to inspect.

"Come on kid, we're just waiting for you now."

The web head's got tight as the officer approached him. He should've known better than to think he would get through all this security without getting his hands dirty. It wouldn't be an all-out assault. The last thing he needed was every cop in the building on top of him.

"Kid! Mask and ticket, now!"

"Right, sorry." Spider-Man went to remove his mask and feigned a wardrobe malfunction. "Ah! Dang it, I think it's stuck!" He pulled and yanked but his mask wouldn't come off.

"For crying out loud. Seriously man!?"

His fellow cosplayers snickered at his expense.

"Amateur." Yun snickered under his breath.

"Uh! I'm real sorry Mr. Officer Sir. I worked really hard on this thing and…look can you help me out." Spider-Man pleaded. His acting was getting better.

The officer sighed and moved to help him. "Stand still. It won't come off if your flopping like a fish."

The officer's partner even had a few laughs for the web head. The sight was just too funny for him to maintain his stoic demeanor.

The officer moved to help him and got into striking distance. Both of Spider-Man's hands, his first two knuckles to be exact, made contact with the officers chin at the speed of light. The cop's brain didn't even have time to register that he had just been hit. Peter's training had paid off. He wouldn't have been able to dispatch the officer with such precision in the past. He aimed for the base of his unarmored jaw which knocked him out instantly.

The other officer looked on in horror as his partner hit the floor followed by a loud clank of his helmet. It was him, the Spider-Man in the flesh! Unlike his unconscious partner, he had enough time to know what was going on and to act. He was a low level beat cop and he knew it. He had barley passed Beifong's rigorous selection process. There wasn't a chance in hell of beating the monster that stood before him. He reached for his radio instead of engaging. It was a smart move. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. His torso and mouth where covered in webs in nothing flat.

Spider-Man yanked the officer towards him. He grabbed his uniform and hoisted him up like a small child.

The officer struggled with his restraints. He even tried to metalbend his cables to mount some kind of offensive but the webs had jammed his harness. None of that mattered. He continued to struggle. He twisted and turned. He tried to yell but that too was pointless. The cop was at Spidey's mercy and there was nothing he could do about it.

The wall crawler pulled him close. His soulless white lights met his panicked eyes. He shook his head in disappointment. He felt like a bully playing with his prey. Of course this wasn't the case but he felt crummy anyway. He wasn't proud of this but he had to get in.

"Sorry copper…" He brought his hand to his face. The cop resumed to struggle at his apparent demise. "Nothing personal." Spider-Man flicked the cops head. The cops head rocketed back and knocked him out.

:/ Sentinel 3 Sentinel 3. Come in over./: The officer's radio blared out. :/ Come on Ming pick up. I don't have to come down there do I?/:

"Crude…" Spider-Man snatched the radio off the unconscious officer's belt but hesitated answering. He turned to his adorning fans, who were beyond words. They looked at him like they just saw a ghost. He motioned them that they stay quiet and turned his attention back to the radio. Before he talked, he pulled his mask off his mouth and held his nose. "Copy… this is sentinel 3, this sector all clear. It's just a bunch of geeks in Spider-Man outfits. Nothing to worry about."

:/ You alright Ming, you sound weird./:

"Oh yeah, I caught a cold a few days ago. Chief's got me pulling double shifts and the weather caught up to me." The wall crawler winced at his flimsy cover. "You know how it is."

A long, agonizing pause followed. He didn't know if he had just blew his cover wide open or not.

:/ Tell me about it. Feels like I'm back on the clock as soon as my head hits the pillow. All the patrons are inside, go ahead and move to secondary watch./:

"Understood, moving to secondary watch." Spider-Man had let out a sigh of relief. It was a small victory and he allowed himself to indulge. He then crushed the radio and turned to his final obstacle to the arena. "Hey guys…ummm…that looked a lot worse than it was. These two are fine for the most part. The worst they'll get is a nasty headache when they wake up."

The cosplayer's were still too stunned to speak. They all openly gawked at their idol. The look on their faces shifted from horrified to absolutely ecstatic. Like everyone else in the city, save for a select few, they actually saw him. Not only did they snag the most sought after tickets in town but they also get to see Spider-Man and see him in action. They would remember this moment for the rest of their lives.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Yun cried out while the other tried to blitz him with questions and autograph requests. A few of the weird one's wanted him to web them.

"Keep your voice down!" Spider-Man ordered.

The Spider-fan's did as they were told but they were still jumping at the bit.

"Look, just go to your seats and pretend none of this happened." He started to walk away but Yun stopped him

"What's your plan?"

"I don't have time for this." Peter snapped.

"Come on Spider-Man, humor us."

The protestors where decent people through all this. They didn't alert any of the cops or hassled him too much. He owed them a snippet of his time. Plus the match didn't start for a while.

"I don't know, find a hidey hole and wait for Amon to make his move."

"If he makes his move."

"When." Peter corrected one of the protestors.

"That doesn't sound like a good plan. You heard the cops, they must have guys posted up in every nook and cranny in the building. It'll be hard, even for you." Yun opined.

"You got a better idea genius." Peter objected.

"How 'bout you just do what you did back at the bridge." Mein suggested. "Sit with us and hide in plain sight."

"We won't be an inconvenience you Mr. Spider-Man sir. We won't make it weird or anything we promise."

"I'm colluding with a bunch of people dressed up like me to take down a crazed lunatic, it's already weird." Spidey moped as he effortlessly lifted the unconscious police officers and showed them in a corner. He webbed them up just to be on the safe side.

"But it's a good plan right. Come on you got nothing to lose right. You're Spider-Man, you're invincible aren't you?"

"I wish…" He said under his breath. "Alright, what the hell. Let's do it. But when we're out there, I'm just another guy watching the match. Are we clear?" The cosplayers agreed with his terms and started to make their way to the stands. They still couldn't believe who they were standing with. They surrounded him like body guards as they walked. Just then a young girl embraced Peter's arm.

"What are you…"

"This looks less suspicious don't you think?"

"I guess, sure."

"Umm, I knew you had strong arms…" She whispered.

Unfortunately Peter caught wind of this and shot her an accusatory look.

"I'll be honest with you. This is a once and lifetime opportunity and I'm not going to waste it." She admitted.

Peter grumbled and went along with it. The night was only going to get stranger.

A/N:

WOOF…

I'm booth ashamed and understanding how late this update was. Sorry guys, my creative process is slower then all hell. I like to think the quality makes it all worth it. (Not too good in that department either.) I would like your input on this one as I've done things a little different here. I've skipped the rough draft phase. (If you see my deviant art post to my process, it's the phase where I physically write the chapter down and edit that.) My editor thinks it all right but I would like your input on it. It also saves me a ton of paper.

I made the choice to part the chapter out again since 1) the chapter was too big and I wanted to get something out to you guys sooner rather than later (been finding myself in that predicament a lot lately.) and 2) I'm back in school and I couldn't finish the whole thing before classes started.

The last chapters dealt with the fall out of the Street War arch and where finally moving on to the story's next phase. Things are probably at the half way mark after this and the next chapter and moving closer to the end of Book 1. Amon's moving on to the end game. The line between Peter Parker and Spider-Man is getting blurred. And it's only a matter of time before Amazing Spider-Man enters the fray. Things are heating up and I can't wait to show you where the story's going. You will though because you know, slow as hell.

As always thanks for your readership and patience.

:PS( Fell free to not be patient and tell me to hurry the hell up with the update. I'm a lazy guy so you might need to crack the whip every now and then.) Going to be knee deep in some Ghost Recon after midterms.

cyberlord4444: That's for me to know and you to find out but I don't think you'll be disappointed.

CRUDEN: Happy New Year (*2020's just around the corner*). They will. I foreshadowed it with the Mysterio scene.

FrivolousThoughts: Thanks man. I really try to nail down what Peter's going through and how all of the stuff going in the Avatar world is starting to take its toll on him. It drives me up a wall whenever I read a crossover and the main characters is 'A' okay being flung across space and time and fare from home. It's kind of tragic if you think about it.

The thought of MJ and Miles crowbarring themselves into my awesome Spider-Man game still grinds my gears a year later. MJ he saved your life on multiple occasions so show him some god damn respect and Miles you're nothing but a pallet swapped Peter Parker. Go away and don't come back until you have your own character traits.

616mcu: Yeah Pete's been put through the ringer as of late and he's starting to crack. He's a tough nut but he's not invincible. You could say a part of him continued his work as Spider-Man to help distracted himself from his situation. He is strained but he's not broken. He'd be curled up in a gutter if he was. He's just tired. For example, 616 Peter had time to grow and adapt to the Spider-Man identity while Noir hasn't had nearly as much time as his counterpart did. And even with 616's greater experience, it still brings him close to his breaking point. I interpret Noir's problems as growing pains instead of a mental breakdown. Korra projected a bit of herself in Noir and was disappointed to see that he was very human. That whole interaction foreshadowed her own challenges she'll face as the avatar. She was so proud of the title but never thought of the toll it would take on herself (Book 3's ending and Book 4's intro illustrated that beautifully.)

I'm really good at making throw away scenes like the date and making layering it up. It gives me a good frame work to work with. I actually did something similar with the first season of the show when I was laying the ground work for my story. Though the date scene did feel awkward at times. I even mentioned that Peter was a third wheel a few times.

Kolomte'49: I did enjoy writing those scenes. I think I'm more partial to the Peter/Quan conversation. Pete is good at hiding but Quan's got a better poker face then him. It was life and death for Peter and casual curiosity for Quan.

I'll admit that a few story elements can be disjointed at times. As you know there are long stints in between chapters and I few things get lost in translation. I do make notes to fact check the continuity at times but it's not full proof. It doesn't help things that I write chapters in multiple sittings. I actually forgot Quan's name since I was calling him Prowler for a while. The UF team have been working together for a while. Quan, Hanzo, and Lou have been together for some years while Chiko and Yumi came on later (Maybe a year of two). Peter was too wrapped up in his own crisis to notice that Korra suspected him. 'Street War' really threw him off his game. He had thought he threw Korra off his trail with their chat on air temple island but that wasn't the case. Again, he was too wrapped up with the Spider-god to notice Korra's antics.

Ani8900: I have. Venom was a pleasant surprise when I saw it. It was a simple but very enjoyable film. Loved the swat team scene more than the final fight. Spider-verse was alright. The animation was amazing but the story was…ah…wonky. Wasn't a fan of B. Parker or Kingpin (voice work was on point though). Now I hate Miles Morales with a passion of a thousand suns but I have to admit that this was the best incarnation I've seen of him.

Ani8900: I guess you could qualify HOF as an Isekai. It's ironic, I've never been a fan of those anime's. Yeah, I try my hardest to make everyone as human as possible.

I've been brainstorming some spirit world mechanics for book 2 but I haven't thought of the heaven/hell aspect of it. I always thought the spirit world localized that kind of thing. In one corner you have an Iroh's paradise/garden and another you got the face stealers layer around the corner. Good and evil aren't mutually exclusive as they are in western religion but localized. At least arm chair take on things. I like that 'Book of the Damned' Idea. I might play with it down the road.

Dante C. Emerys: Yes and no. I was thinking of a few marvel characters when I was making the slayers but none of them, except Prowler and Tinkerer, are direct copies. Prowler is a direct reference while Tinkerer was a homage to the one in the comics. I can't tell you who I have in mind since that would in tell some massive spoilers but I do have a short list for the future. Feel free to tell me yours.

Sato didn't take the plane designs from Peter's journal. He's been taking other things away from it like how he made the enhanced shock gloves. The biplanes been in development long before Peter showed up.

I never liked how they just axed the equalists at the end of Book 1. An organization that grew to that size in a relatively short time doesn't just go away. Trust me, the equalists won't be snuffed out after book 1. Their numbers would take a hit but they wouldn't just go away. Where on the same page on that matter.

Spider-verse didn't do much for me and I haven't taken too much away from the story. Now Far Home on the other hand…

KnightOfZaku: lol I'm the complete opposite. I love Quan and my other OCs. I did kind of make him an A hole in that chapter didn't I. Oh man come on Lin has her reasons, be nice XD.

Blackmoon915: I hate myself more for being so cripplingly slow so where good.

BentleyBoy97: Things will be interesting with Asami down the pipeline.

Mrsauce906: I'm not a big fan of the Zendya MJ. I mean I don't hate her but I don't like her. But hey you could interpret the pairing that way if you want.

i love you dritbag: You won't be disappointed. BTW what's all this 'airbender' talk about? Read my lips, no new airbender in my spider-man. You get an internet cookie if you get the reference.

Vumanchu: Well you gave me a lot to think about with the femme fetale. Can't have a noir Spider-Man without one can I.

TuxedoGreymon: 1. I've been playing with that idea actually. Like having a venom analog instead of having the genuine article. Like venom could be the Spider-gods dark essence or something like that. I would need to brain storm that a bit more but I could do something.

2. Well actually I [ERROR 404 FILE NOT FOUND SPOILER] and that's how Peter will gain ultra instinct and win the tournament of power. Seriously, I'm working out a few ideas but I don't want to spoil anything.

Hey I've used a few idea from the reviews. Don't be discouraged anything could happen.

Slenderbrine *Sigh*…yeah…

lihu00069:

- Your idea is interesting but I don't know if I'd use that yaoguai idea. Is that like Spirited Away spirits?

-I have the Spider-Gods back story all in my head and I think you'll love it. Theirs hints of what you were saying in it.

Mrsauce906: I already have that part outlined and I don't think you'll be disappointed. It shouldn't be too long I just need a free moment to type it up.

NightmareKnight1: Yeah some editorial bits are left here and there. I forget the names sometimes, mostly spelling, and I make a note of them for when I'm looking over it before uploading. I type like a freight train when I'm in the swing of things, pun intended, and I get so engrossed by the story that I slip up here and there. I'm trying to keep a better eye on that and I'm glad it wasn't too jarring.

Guest that needs a name: Yeah I just looked up Halloway and I could do what you asked. Got to pay respect to an old g. Always thought Jim Hammond was the first Marvel hero.

Afan: That's is entirely plausible. Pete will have some interactions with Beifong in the future so I could happen.

Mentalist777: I can't remember if that was intentional or not. I would need to dig up my old outline to be sure. It is a point of contention that will make for an interesting read down the line. I got this scene in my head with Beifong and Peter that will be interesting.

conquerorofheaven1: I adore those early chapters but they are a bit wonky. Autocorrect did a number on me in the beginning. I didn't change things because I wanted to mark my progress while writing the story. I did crack and get an editor after a while. It helped speed things along since I'm not doing my own editing.