Disclaimer: I do not own Spider-Man. I only own the OC George Edwards/The Bladewolf.
"Oh crap." George said to himself as he stood. Of all the ways this night could've gone fucked up... Spider-Man coming in was not one of the ways George imagined yet he should've.
This was just great.
Spider-Man took a good look at the Bladewolf. Guy was imposing for an assassin, dressed in armour that Peter wasn't sure of what make, perhaps titanium? Every bit of it looked combat tested and functional.
"Back off, Spider. We're on the same side." George said.
"Yeah, I don't go around killing people, so I doubt that." Spider-Man quipped. "I mean, dude, there's already a guy named Punisher who does that, so I doubt he'll appreciate you stealing his-" He noticed the Bladewolf was turning to leave when he shot a wedbline out. "Not so fast!"
The Bladewolf paused when the webline hit him before he whirled around, grabbed the web and yanked it hard enough to pull Spider-Man over and delivered a kick to his chest, sending Spider-Man crashing through a cubicle.
"Don't try that again." George said before looking at the webline. "Is this stuff coming out of you?"
"No! Why does everyone think that the first time?" Spider-Man groaned, both in pain from the kick to the chest and in exasperation for everyone thinking he had webs inside of him when he fired them for the first time at a thug who hasn't met him. Seriously, it was getting old!
"Stay down if you know what's good for you." George warned as he watched Spider-Man closely.
"Yeah... not happening!" Spider-Man shot two weblines at the wall behind the Bladewolf and launched himself at the armoured vigilante who ducked him, grabbed his ankle and slammed him into the ground. George brought a fist down, but Spider-Man moved out the way and landed a kick that only nudged George's head to the left. "Damn, what is that made of?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" George said before he punched Spider-Man in the chest, knocking him back but Spider-Man flipped back, jumped onto the ceiling then launched himself at George, taking him down but George rolled them over and drove his head into Spider-Man's, grabbed him by the neck with both hands and threw him through the wall of the office.
Spider-Man coughed a little as he got to his feet and he fired a webline at the Bladewolf and pulled himself back, planting both feet against the man's armor and could hear the wind get knocked out of him. He raised his webshooters and loosed off a burst of webs as the Bladewolf dove away behind the desk
Spider-Man jumped over to investigate but the Bladewolf tackled him off the desk out of nowhere and rained down punch after punch on the Wallcrawler. Bladewolf then stood, grabbed Spider-Man and threw him into an office chair, walked over and kicked it straight through an office window into another office room.
"Stay down. If I wanted it, you'd be dead already." Bladewolf told the arachnid-themed hero.
"Well... that's considerate and nice of you." Spider-Man quipped as he got to his feet, shaking off glass. His spidey sense went off and he looked up in time to be grabbed by the neck with both hands by the Bladewolf, choking him. "W-Was it... something... I said?"
"Oh just shut up." Bladewolf tossed him across the room, but Spider-Man managed to land on the ceiling and crawled, shooting web after web at the Bladewolf until he had him restrained.
"There. Now how about you cool off?" Spider-Man suggested. "That way i don't have to hurt you some more."
Bladewolf just growled before he pulled and pushed and managed to break free of the webbing, causing Spider-Man's white lenses to widen. The Bladewolf then ran and tackled Spider-Man through several cubicles before slamming him into the wall and drove his knee into Spider-Man's head, causing the Spider's vision to blur.
Peter groaned as he tried to shake the blurriness away. Maybe he should've come up with a better plan. When Peter finally got the blurry vision away, he stood and looked around before groaning.
The Bladewolf was gone.
"So, how did your date go with Felicia?" Peter couldn't help but ask teasingly to George. The two guys were hanging out at Peter's apartment after Peter called George over. Though he had his suspicions of George being the Bladewolf, he didn't want to confront him on it until he had solid evidence.
George let out an exhale as he leaned back in his chair with a can of soda in his hand. "She's a handful like you said... but she seems okay... in her own way."
Peter chuckled and nodded. "Felicia is a handful. Her mother is one of the big movers and shakers in the city, throwing her money and influence around and has been trying to groom Felicia to follow in her footsteps."
George grunted as he sipped his soda. "Before you ask, no, we didn't end up going back to her place and having sex, much as a part of me would've liked that on the first date. We merely made out in the car, she gave me her number then left. But seriously, her mother is one of those that likes to show off their money and richness? And she's trying to get Felicia to do the same? Hah! I can't imagine her doing anything like that."
Peter snorted. "Yeah, she's got an adventurous streak." He said, stopping himself short of letting something slip about one of her favourite night-time activities. Though that did remind him of his suspicions. "What happened after you got her number?"
"Well, she got a message on her phone and said she had to leave." George shrugged, making up the lie as he went along. "Wasn't any of my business so I didn't act like those pushy asshole types. Was going to give her a call today."
"You're interested in her, aren't you?" Peter asked with a smirk. Everyone was when they see Felicia. Perhaps it's the way she holds herself or just interacts with people that draws them in like a fly to a cat. George just shrugged in response. "She's…challenging, at least for me. Maybe you'll have better luck."
Peter was still sour he couldn't convince Felicia to go straight and give up her life as a thief. She had talent and potential she could be using to help people rather than steal from them. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, her interest in George will change her for the better.
"That'll probably take a while." George snorted. "She's like me, enjoys the thrill of an adventurous life. And I do so enjoy challenges, so she'll be the best one I've ever taken on."
"Oh boy..." Peter muttered, not sure what this could mean and he didn't know whether he was looking forward to what the future holds for George and Felicia... or dreading it.
"Okay, time to get to work." George said after coming back home from hanging out with Peter.
The previous night had been a quiet recon run, he hadn't even bothered taking a car, figuring he wouldn't need to disappear if he didn't get into any shootouts. The plan had gone off without a hitch, with a Longbow and Alternator, he took a look see and found a common thread.
All of the addresses were home to condemned buildings that served as gang hideouts. All seven of them. The Bladewolf had watched armed thugs come in and out, a good few trucks transporting weapons and ammunition had shown up too at a few of the locations. The buildings had been marked and noted, but not engaged, none of them fit the mold of a command center or something that would crush Cinderblock before it got underway.
As George started checking on his guns, his phone went off and he walked over, picking it up and answered. "Hello?"
"Hello George~" A familiar voice purred on the other end.
George couldn't help the smile that came onto his face. "Felicia, you missing me already?"
"Usually I'm the one playing hard to get, George." She chided playfully before her voice took on a seductive purr. "Don't you know it's not nice to leave a girl waiting for a second date?"
George snorted. "And here I figured you were only interested in the one time a couple of nights ago. But... if it's a second date you want, then I'll give you one. What would you like to do?"
There was another purr on the other end. "I was wondering if you would care to join me for lunch downtown? Maybe we could arrange for a third date? Perhaps with some of the old playmates?"
"I like the sound of that." Replied George instantly, quickly cutting through the layers. "Time and place?"
An hour later, George was exiting his Dodge Challenger SRT Demon outside the high rise, the restaurant was situated at the top. Dressed sharply in a black business suit, black shirt and black tie and everything, with a concealed Desert Eagle in a concealed holster.
He could feel the eyes watching him as he crossed the marble floor of the lobby and made his way to the elevator bank. As soon as the doors closed and granted him a small bit of privacy did he allow himself to relax. "What's there to worry about? You're just a lucky guy meeting a sexy lady for lunch." He reminded himself before it dawned on him. "When's the last time I ever went out on an actual date?"
To be honest, he had never tried the whole relationship thing. Back in high school he merely just screwed and got it over with, but he never wanted more than that. Even after leaving New York, he went for one night stands rather than looking for an actual relationship bit with Felicia... it was different.
He was attracted to Felicia Hardy.
Soon enough, the elevator came to a stop at this floor, and he stepped out, looking around before he spotted his date for the evening who was looking straight at him with that oh so familiar smirk on her face as she looked him up and down and approval flashed in her emerald-green eyes.
George was then led across the restaurant to Felicia's corner table, his dark brown eyes never lingering anywhere for too long. Felicia was also dressed nicely, that being a white blouse and a skirt that stopped above her knees. His strides were taken with unabashed confidence, though part of that may have come from the concealed handgun he had on his person. "Thank you." He said to the greeter as he took his seat and the greeter departed, allowing the assassin to turn his attention to the Black Cat. "Nice to see you again Miss Hardy."
She flashed her most charming smile in return. "Likewise, George." She said as she leaned forwards and watched his eyes glance down briefly, causing her to smirk with satisfaction. Beneath all the armor and attitude, he was still a man and as predictable as ever. "Glad to see you come on such short notice."
"Well, I'd have to be batting for the other team if I denied a second date with you." George chuckled before he picked up the menu and whistled. "Hmm, not bad prices. Seen far more expensive, but this is New York, everything is expensive." He looked at her. "Now, what is it you wanted to discuss with me?"
"A business before pleasure man, mmm?" Felicia leaned back and crossed her legs at the knee. "I've done a little digging, had to go really deep and even ask a couple of old friends of mine, but I've found something. Kingpin may be leaving, but two of his top lieutenants are staying to run Cinderblock."
"Who?" George instantly asked, the Bladewolf starting to come through.
"Ah, ah, ah." Felicia wiggled a finger at him with a coy smile. "You don't just get this information for free. You need to answer some questions first."
George let out a puff of air before he nodded. However, the conversation came to a halt by the arrival of the appetizer and wine Felicia had ordered earlier, though George asked for a glass of water, saying he was going to be busy and didn't want to be intoxicated.
Once the appetizer had left, George turned to Felicia. "Go ahead. Ask."
Felicia's expression became curious as she pondered which question to ask first. "Why?" she said finally, though all that drew was a raised eyebrow from the man across from her. "Why would you want to start fighting crime?"
George paused as he considered her question before he got his answer. "Because years ago, I failed a friend of mine who lost a member of his family, and I vowed to never let that happen again to anyone." He saw Felicia raise an eyebrow at that. "I'm not perfect, I'm not a good guy, never have been. I've killed people and... maybe I just want to help in my own way, regardless of how people view me as I don't care what people think of me. I do it for many reasons, the thrill, the excitement, and because I don't want people to go through the pain of losing loved ones, You're the same with your own activities. You do it for the thrill."
Felicia wasn't sure what to make of the admission, he seemed to be trying to understand her as much as she was trying to understand him. That was both exciting and dangerous. "You really don't get out much, do you?" she asked dryly, getting a small chuckle in response. "What's your story then?"
"Was born in Glasgow, Scotland." George said with a bit of his old Glaswegian accent coming through. "My early life wasn't... fun. Guess that's what you can call it when you have a drunk father and a mother who doesn't care. I learned from childhood how cruel and unfair the world is, and I took that lesson to heart, and it's saved my life several times."
"And there's been nobody special in your life?" Felicia asked curiously.
George gave her an amused look. "Why, you jealous Miss Hardy? Afraid someone's claimed this Wolf before you can?"
Felicia snorted and chuckled. "You wish."
One unsatisfying meal later, George descended the building and slipped away in his car. His mind was all over the place, though of all of the swirling thoughts, Felecia Hardy herself occupied a good number of them. Even in the business suit and pencil skirt the Thief was stunning to look at, and part of him was sure that whoever had coined the phrase 'sex on two legs' had done so after seeing Felicia Hardy. The other part of him said that, based on the part of her legs her skirt left exposed, they deserved to be included with the rest of her.
She was more than a pretty everything, she could fight, and she was the kind of smart that he couldn't comprehend, playing four-dimensional chess while he thought the game was checkers. She could not only see every piece on the board, even those who didn't know they were in the game, but she could dictate or predict where every piece would all be. Though for all of her ability to play mind games with everyone, the assassin thought she had fucking awful taste in restaurants. While the food may not have been worth the trip, the information Black Cat passed on to him had been.
Kingpin had two lieutenants who were about to hole up in well defended locations tonight. Felicia knew these locations for some reason and had passed along one to George.
Peter was busy mixing up a fresh batch of web fluid in his apartment while trying to put the ass kicking he had received at the hands of the Bladewolf out of his mind when he heard a strange humming noise. Looking up and around, the webhead realized that was his phone on vibrate somewhere in the mess of papers on his desk. After a few seconds of furiously tossing boxes and nick knacks around he heard a solid 'thump' on the floor as he turned and scooped up the phone, accepting the call without having a look at the Caller ID.
"Heya, what's up?" He said before adding "whoever this is." under his breath.
"Spider..." Answered a feminine voice with a seductive edge that he instantly recognized. "You sound winded, getting a workout in? Perhaps with that lovely redheaded friend of yours?"
Peter was almost taken aback before he remembered who he was dealing with while also failing to detect any trace of jealousy in the Cat Burglar's tone.
The Superhero still gulped as his mind raced with all of the questions, he had been meaning to ask the Thief. "Felicia?" He asked dumbly, still not sure what game she was playing. The only thing he was sure of was that Black Cat always was playing games.
But before he could follow up his...brilliant...opening, the quick witted woman cut him off. "What's wrong Spider? Cat got your tongue?" With a giggle at his expense. It was almost like old times, only the woman had seemingly replaced him with an armored vigilante. "Or were you really in the middle of something? If so, please continue, I won't mind listening while you finish." She continued without missing a beat.
"No...NO!" he said suddenly as he pushed select thoughts from his head and tried to calm down to get the woman to focus. "Listen, Felicia, what do you think you are doing with the Bladewolf? He's dangerous." Hissed the wallcrawler with deadly seriousness. "Too dangerous. Stay away from him, whatever he's up to can't be good. You don't need any of the attention he's been getting to rub off on you."
"Awww...nice to know you still care, Spider." Said the woman without a care in her answer, her flippant attitude not diminished in the slightest. "But don't worry, this kitty can handle herself. Though, since you brought him up, I did learn where the Bladewolf might be headed tonight...if you're interested. He's going after a Kingpin Lieutenant who's going to be in Hell's Kitchen tonight. Apparently, our old friend Mr. Fisk is up to no good, something the Bladewolf intends to rectify."
Peter's phone buzzed again as he pulled it away from his ear to see that Felicia had sent him an address in the southwest corner of the island. Quickly saving it, he pressed the phone back to his face as he noticed a beaker beginning to bubble dangerously and tilted his head to pin the phone to his shoulder as he added a neutralizing agent to stabilize the reaction. "Thanks Felicia, I got the address." He said sincerely before turning serious. "Though why are you sending this to me? What's in it for you?"
"Hmm...I guess you could say I'm curious...curious to see if you do any better than last night. Good luck Spider." She finished with a flirtatious flourish before the line clicked and went dead. Sighing, Peter tossed the phone aside before steeling himself and getting back to work.
He had a rematch to prepare for.
"Captain Watanabe." Answered Yuri on reflex as she pressed her phone to her ear. Still standing in the middle of the floor of her precinct.
"Good afternoon Captain~" Purred an unknown female voice.
Watanabe felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, the voice was disarming, too disarming. "Who is this?" She asked as she moved to the corner of the room for some semblance of privacy. "What do you want?"
"Wrong questions, captain." The voice chuckled. "The one you should ask is about the information I'm going to give you."
Yuri gave an exasperated sigh. "What is it you can give me?" she asked, gritting her teeth as every semblance of common sense she had was begging her to hang up.
There was a small laugh over the phone before she got her answer. "I know where the Bladewolf will be tonight, Captain. Midtown East, offices of Lawton insurance group." Yuri's jaw nearly hit the floor as she struggled for words. "Seems I have your attention, Captain. The Bladewolf will be going after a Lieutenant of the Kingpin who will be holing up there tonight."
Yuri pursed her lips as she processed those words, the target made sense, but it sounded too much like a trap. "And you're happy to just…tell us this? No strings attached?"
"I wouldn't exactly say that, Captain" Replied the woman coyly. "I've talked to the man and I doubt he'll go quietly. Good luck, you'll need it."
The line went dead. Watanabe let out a breath, with the mayor asking for daily updates and no other leads she didn't see many alternatives...
That's it for this chapter. Now, while this does seem like Black Cat's betraying George, do remember that she has pulled these stunts on Spider-Man in the comic history between them. She has strung Spider-Man along only to betray him, though she obviously comes to regret it due to her feelings for the Wallcrawler.