DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR

ANY OF THE MARVEL CHARACTERS. I DO OWN THE

TIGRESS CHARACTER. SO DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT

EMAILING ME FIRST jadedkatrina@yahoo.com.

THANK YOU AND ENJOY THE STORY

SPIDER-MAN: THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER

"Hey Kit, wait up," a young male shouted running after a beautiful woman.

"I can't right now. I'm late for my flight," Katerina 'Kit' Ryan said while hurrying down the steps of the Admissions Building.

Kit Ryan is a 5'10" beauty, getting all her looks from her Irish born mother. She has deep red hair that reaches the middle of her back. She is an athletically built woman with startling grayish, violet eyes. You can tell that she was not quite normal, holding many secrets behind her dancing eyes. Her facial features are accentuated by the dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

"Kit slow down! We need to go over you schedule for next weed," the man yelled out of breath.

"Adam call me on my cell later," Kit said, not even out of breath, "I really can't miss my flight. The admissions meeting ran longer than expected."

"All right then. Have a good flight. I will call you later," Adam said stopping to catch his breath, "Don't forget to get photos."

Kit hailed a cab near the edge of the campus telling him to go to O'Hare Airport.

'Just my luck, rush hour,' Kit thought to herself, 'Too bad I can't fly there myself. Now that be something wouldn't it.'

Kit sat back smiling to herself. The cab driver glanced in his mirror looking at the strangest red haired beauty sitting in the back seat of his cab. He wondered what she was thinking about. The cabbie thought he recognized her, but was not certain from where. She was definitely not someone who you would easily forget. He continued the driver to O'Hare Airport in silence not knowing what to say to this woman. When they finally arrived she paid him leaving a generous tip before leaving the cab. He waved good-bye knowing that her face would be transfixed in his mind for the rest of his life. Kit turned from the cab walking towards the airport terminal carrying only her purse and her carryon bag containing her laptop and conference notes. She walked up to the registry. She continued walking when the agent waved her through. She walked up to the security check point. They scanned her bags telling her to have a good day. She smiled knowing she could of enthralled both men without another glance, but she didn't. Kit went to the terminal knowing she had just made it before the plane took off. She handed the attendant her ticket before continuing through the gate. She sat in her seat in the first class section, setting up her laptop. She tried to concentrate, but she was suddenly extremely tired. She leaned back in the seat closing her eyes.

'Mother? Father?' she called out, 'Where are you?'

'Kitty,' her mother called her, 'My sweet, sweet Kitty. Come to me.'

'Mommy, where are you? It's too dark,' she said walking towards her mothers voice.

'Kitty-y-y' her mother's voice said fading into the darkness.

Kit continued to walk towards her voice when suddenly she was sitting on the floor of her room.

'You are worthless Misha, you and that freak of a daughter,' her father screamed at her mother.

'Frank…' her mother started, but was cut off when he slapped her.

'Shut up!,' he yelled again slapping her mother.

Her father hauled her mother into her room by her hair. Kit saw the blood running from her nose and the black eyed that swelled the eye shut. He threw her down next to her daughter.

'Father stop it,' Kit said in a calm monotone.

'Stop what little freak,' he said mocking her tone of voice, 'What can a little freak like you do about this?'

'Frank leave her alone, she is just a child,' her mother pleaded in a weak voice.

Kit's father started to laugh. Suddenly he was lying on the floor shocked, staring at his daughter. He felt his chest noticing that it was bleeding from five deep gashes. He looked once more at his daughter, seeing her features distorted into feline looks. Kit ran from the house noticing her change as well, frightened.

'That's right freak. Run, run away. Don't ever come back,' her father yelled to her back.

Kit woke up with a start on the plane. She looked around shaking the already fading dream from her aching head.

'Why was I cursed with this ability. I haven't seen my parents since that night,' she thought to herself, 'My mother wrote me in secret telling me that Frank, my father, treated her better. He was scared I would come back to finish what I started.'

Kit felt the plane start its decent toward New York City. She put away her laptop waiting for the plane to land. Once it stopped she left the plane heading into the terminal area. She saw her mother's old friend May Parker.

"Katherina!" she said motioning for her to come.

"Mrs. Parker, how are you?" Kit said walking towards her.

"I'm fine, please call me Aunt May," May Parker said, "Peter!"

May Parker waved at her nephew Peter as he held two suitcases that Kit recognized as her own. He walked towards the two women avoiding people easily.

"Ah, I see that you have found my suitcases," Kit said, "Please I can take them now."

"It's alright I've got them," Peter said with a shrug.

"Okay," Kit said.

"Now that everyone is here we can go now. I am sure Mary Jane is becoming impatient waiting on us," May said leading the way.

"Mary Jane?" Kit asked recognizing the name from somewhere in her forgotten past.

"Yeah, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, my wife," Peter said.

"Oh," was all Kit said.

They stepped outside into the crisp fall weather. Kit glanced around hoping that no one she knew was here, yet. They walked over to the awaiting SUV. Peter put her bags into the back while May and Kit got in. peter got into the front passengers side before Mary Jane pulled away.

"May, how's my mother?" Kit asked.

"She's great. She wished she could of came herself, but she was called into work at the hospital," May said.

"The hospital?" Kit asked confused.

"She was able to go back to school and finish up her doctorate in medicine. She is now one of the most successful trauma physicians at General," May explained.

"What about my father?" Kit asked again.

"He was arrested and sentenced about ten years ago," May said, "Your mother missed you terribly when you left and then you disappeared for all those years. She thought you had died. Then your letter came under you great-grandfather's name. She was excited."

"I am really sorry, but I knew my father would never forgive me for what happened almost fifteen years ago. I was scared to write her," Kit said calmly.

"She will be happy to see you, I know it," May said.

Soon they were pulling into May Parker's driveway. Mary Jane (M J) parked the SUV before getting out. Peter took out Kit's bags from the back setting them on the ground. Kit gathered them up following May next door to her old house. She walked in glancing around, taking in every sight. She turned to thank May, but she had already left. Kit walked up to her room seeing it exactly how she left it years ago. She left her suit cases on the floor before walking to her mother's room. She looked around the room. She touched the trinket boxes on the dresser remembering as a child how she would stare at them for hours. She walked over to her mother's vanity thinking of a day long ago forgotten. A day when her father loved both Kit and her mother. She remembers her mother smiling and laughing as she brushes her long, glissening hair. Kit walked to the bed, sitting on it. She took off her shoes and curled up on the bed laying on the pillows taking in her mothers sweet lavender soap she's used since she was a small child. Kit started to cry as her memories, good and bad, came flooding to her. She closed her eyes to sleep.