The next day, Spider-Man visited Felicia by crawling through the window. She was sleeping in bed. There was no doubt that everyone now knew that she was the Black Cat now that she no longer had her mask on. He landed on the floor and walked up to her bed. His landing on the floor awoken her. She had stitches across her right eyebrow. Her nose was bandaged up and there were black and blue bruisers all over her face. "Hi, Spidey?" She said hoarsely.
"Hello, Felicia." He replied. Since she could not see his face, she could not tell that he had a mixed look on his face. She would know instantly what he was thinking and feeling by the look on his face, but he could not take off his mask here in the public. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," she replied with her usual smile. For the first time that Peter could remember, her smile turned to a serious look. "I guess you know my little secret by now."
"About your 'powers'?" She did not look up at him. She didn't know what to say. "You lied to me, Felicia. All this time, you have been relying on technology for your powers."
"I'm sorry, Spider-Man. I know it was wrong."
"Wrong? You almost died out there! That is one hell of a mistake!"
"I just didn't think you would understand."
"You're right, I don't understand." Peter began to let out his frustration. "I don't understand risking your own life just to try to become a hero. Felicia, I did not become Spider-Man because I want to. Even now, I even contemplate quitting. I became Spider-Man against my will. It was fate when that radioactive spider bit me on my hand. That cliché, ' a hero is born not made' is true. You can not be who you are not, without putting yourself in line. Like I once was taught, 'with great power comes great responsibility."
"You're right, Spider-Man. The truth is that after I heard what you were doing here in America, I too wanted to make my life count for something. I was tired of the life of a cat burglar, and wanted to give back what I stolen and repay the hurt that I inflicted." Felicia looked sadly up at Spider-Man. "When I get better, I promise I will be more careful and…"
Spider-Man looked down at his feet. "No Felicia. There will not be a next time. I am not willing to let you go out with me and put your life in jeopardy. Dr. Octopus is one of the most dangerous foes this city has ever seen. It's too dangerous for you, without super powers." Spider-Man turned and walked towards the window. "I'm sorry Felicia, but as of this minute, our partnership has ended. I am terminating our partnership for your sake. If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you. I'm sorry Felicia. I hope you will go back and live a simple, average life that I would so much would like to have for myself."
With that, Spider-Man jumped out of the window and swung off. Felicia closed her eyes as tears began to streak down her bruised face.
* * * *
Peter was walking through the streets of New York City to clear the clutter in his mind. He had just terminated Felicia as his partner. Now, what was he going to do about himself as Spider-Man. One thing he knew, Dr. Octavius aka Dr, Octopus had to be stopped. How he was going to do that, he did not know. The truth of the matter was that he did not think he would be able to defeat him. He had a terrible feeling that fate was going to be against him, and he would not survive Dr. Octopus, but in the slim chance he did, then what? Was being
Spider-Man worth the pain and suffering that he was placing on himself and on Mary Jane?
The things that Felicia had told him began to flow through his mind. What if he told Mary Jane who he was? Would she understand? Would it release some of the pressure that was building up in him?
"Peter?" A woman said who was half way to passing him. He had not been paying attention to his surroundings, but when he looked up he saw Mary Jane smiling up at him. It was the beautiful smile that always warmed his heart, and made him feel sure of himself. It was her face, that always lit the darkest times of his soul. Seeing her did eat away some of the pressure he was feeling, but not all of it. He only hoped that he was able to hide the rest of it.
"Oh, hi MJ!"
"It's been awhile since we've seen each other. Why is that?"
Peter shrugged. "I don't know." He could not think of a reasonable explanation to give.
"Are you okay, Peter?" She tilted her head in concern. "You are very quiet and seem to be off in the distance."
"I don't know, I guess I just feel like my whole life is going down hill. My future with Dr. Octavius has been lost; Our college has been attacked."
"There's more, isn't there. You're holding something back."
Peter shook his head. "I am just unsure about my life right now. I can't go into the details right now. I'm fighting personal demons. It's nothing I won't be able to handle. I'll be okay."
Mary Jane didn't believe him. Everything Felicia had told her wad true and more. Peter looked horrible. He had bags under his eyes, his hair was not neatly kept like usual. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Peter, I'm concerned. You don't look well."
"I haven't been sleeping well, it's nothing. I'll work through this, trust me MJ, but thank you for asking. You mean the world to me, and just knowing that you're here and care really means the world to me."
Peter smiled, and even gently grabbed each shoulder, leaned forward and pecked her on the side of the face. He looked back down at his feet and continued his way home.
She placed a hand on the spot he kissed her. That was the first time he had shown her affection of any sort. She enjoyed the kiss thoroughly, but she knew that he was hiding something from her. He had never seen him so unfocused in her life. She had never seen him keep to himself so much. He was always the first to cheer someone up and make small talk. Something was wrong, and it scared her that it was destroying him, quickly.
"Hello, Felicia." He replied. Since she could not see his face, she could not tell that he had a mixed look on his face. She would know instantly what he was thinking and feeling by the look on his face, but he could not take off his mask here in the public. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," she replied with her usual smile. For the first time that Peter could remember, her smile turned to a serious look. "I guess you know my little secret by now."
"About your 'powers'?" She did not look up at him. She didn't know what to say. "You lied to me, Felicia. All this time, you have been relying on technology for your powers."
"I'm sorry, Spider-Man. I know it was wrong."
"Wrong? You almost died out there! That is one hell of a mistake!"
"I just didn't think you would understand."
"You're right, I don't understand." Peter began to let out his frustration. "I don't understand risking your own life just to try to become a hero. Felicia, I did not become Spider-Man because I want to. Even now, I even contemplate quitting. I became Spider-Man against my will. It was fate when that radioactive spider bit me on my hand. That cliché, ' a hero is born not made' is true. You can not be who you are not, without putting yourself in line. Like I once was taught, 'with great power comes great responsibility."
"You're right, Spider-Man. The truth is that after I heard what you were doing here in America, I too wanted to make my life count for something. I was tired of the life of a cat burglar, and wanted to give back what I stolen and repay the hurt that I inflicted." Felicia looked sadly up at Spider-Man. "When I get better, I promise I will be more careful and…"
Spider-Man looked down at his feet. "No Felicia. There will not be a next time. I am not willing to let you go out with me and put your life in jeopardy. Dr. Octopus is one of the most dangerous foes this city has ever seen. It's too dangerous for you, without super powers." Spider-Man turned and walked towards the window. "I'm sorry Felicia, but as of this minute, our partnership has ended. I am terminating our partnership for your sake. If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you. I'm sorry Felicia. I hope you will go back and live a simple, average life that I would so much would like to have for myself."
With that, Spider-Man jumped out of the window and swung off. Felicia closed her eyes as tears began to streak down her bruised face.
* * * *
Peter was walking through the streets of New York City to clear the clutter in his mind. He had just terminated Felicia as his partner. Now, what was he going to do about himself as Spider-Man. One thing he knew, Dr. Octavius aka Dr, Octopus had to be stopped. How he was going to do that, he did not know. The truth of the matter was that he did not think he would be able to defeat him. He had a terrible feeling that fate was going to be against him, and he would not survive Dr. Octopus, but in the slim chance he did, then what? Was being
Spider-Man worth the pain and suffering that he was placing on himself and on Mary Jane?
The things that Felicia had told him began to flow through his mind. What if he told Mary Jane who he was? Would she understand? Would it release some of the pressure that was building up in him?
"Peter?" A woman said who was half way to passing him. He had not been paying attention to his surroundings, but when he looked up he saw Mary Jane smiling up at him. It was the beautiful smile that always warmed his heart, and made him feel sure of himself. It was her face, that always lit the darkest times of his soul. Seeing her did eat away some of the pressure he was feeling, but not all of it. He only hoped that he was able to hide the rest of it.
"Oh, hi MJ!"
"It's been awhile since we've seen each other. Why is that?"
Peter shrugged. "I don't know." He could not think of a reasonable explanation to give.
"Are you okay, Peter?" She tilted her head in concern. "You are very quiet and seem to be off in the distance."
"I don't know, I guess I just feel like my whole life is going down hill. My future with Dr. Octavius has been lost; Our college has been attacked."
"There's more, isn't there. You're holding something back."
Peter shook his head. "I am just unsure about my life right now. I can't go into the details right now. I'm fighting personal demons. It's nothing I won't be able to handle. I'll be okay."
Mary Jane didn't believe him. Everything Felicia had told her wad true and more. Peter looked horrible. He had bags under his eyes, his hair was not neatly kept like usual. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Peter, I'm concerned. You don't look well."
"I haven't been sleeping well, it's nothing. I'll work through this, trust me MJ, but thank you for asking. You mean the world to me, and just knowing that you're here and care really means the world to me."
Peter smiled, and even gently grabbed each shoulder, leaned forward and pecked her on the side of the face. He looked back down at his feet and continued his way home.
She placed a hand on the spot he kissed her. That was the first time he had shown her affection of any sort. She enjoyed the kiss thoroughly, but she knew that he was hiding something from her. He had never seen him so unfocused in her life. She had never seen him keep to himself so much. He was always the first to cheer someone up and make small talk. Something was wrong, and it scared her that it was destroying him, quickly.