Kraven the Hunter had just crashed through the window of the laboratory. He stumbled a bit but then regained his bearings.

Felicia was instantly in fighting position. Finally, there was something that she could do to help protect Spider-man. She was sick of just standing around and watching. "I thought I told you to leave New York!"

"My fight is not with you!" Kraven replied.

"Why are you doing this?" Felicia demanded as she prepared to strike. She threw a punch at Kraven, which he deflected. She then attempted a drop kick. Kraven tried to dodge it but she caught him in the shoulder. Felicia noted that his reactions seemed somewhat slower than before. She wondered if he was injured and she tried to calculate how she could use this to her advantage.

"I cannot leave New York until I know that your Spider is dead. I must know who is the ultimate warrior; and only one of us can live to claim that title." Kraven then struck back at Felicia.

"I let you live!" Felicia panted as she dodged his fist.

"That was a mistake. You should have killed me when you had the chance. I won't stop until either the Spider or I am dead. Only one of us can survive."

"What kind of sick game is that," Felicia spat back at him. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Doctor Connors and Debra moving in front of Spider-man, prepared to defend him if Kraven came near.

"It is the game I live for: the ultimate hunt."

"You poisoned him. That's not really a fair fight."

Kraven did not reply, instead he was preoccupied by Felicia's attack. But Kraven was able to turn her advance to his advantage. As she lunged forward, he grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. He had her arm twisted behind her back, and then he gabbed a knife from his belt and put it to her throat. "Kitty, I've had enough of your meddling."

"You coward!" Felicia said as she felt the knife bear harder into her throat. "If you wanted a fair fight you wouldn't have poisoned him."

"It is a fair fight. Spider-man and I have fought many times, but always it ends in stalemate. Someone like you or your pitiful police always have the nerve to interfere. So I found a way to see who was stronger once and for all. When I poisoned the Spider, I also injected myself. I won't take the antidote until I am sure he is dead. And he'll have to kill me before I will give it to him," Kraven replied.

The knife was clenched even closer to her throat so that Felicia could barely utter, "You said there was no antidote."

"I lied." Kraven then turned his attention toward Debra and Doctor Connors. "If you don't get out of the way I will to cut this pretty creature's throat."

"How do we know you gave the same amount of poison to Spider-man! He's nearly dead and you, you seem fine. That's not fair." Debra shouted back at him.

"I don't care if you think it's fair. I know that I gave each of us the same amount of poison. All that matters is that I know it's fair. I can't help it if I spent years in the jungle, being bitten by venomous snakes. It has made me stronger, and only the strong survive. Now move or I will kill the Kitty!"

"No! I won't let youhurt him!" Debra screamed back.

But then she felt someone push her aside. It was Peter. He looked terrible but he was standing on his own and he then pushed himself in front of Debra and Doctor Connors. His effort was feeble, but both Doctor Connors and Debra were so caught off guard that he was able to position himself in front of them.

"Leave them out of this. This is between me and you, Kraven!" Peter declared, feigning strength.

"No, you don't have to do this!" Felicia tried to tell Peter. But just as she spoke these words, Kraven tossed her aside, ramming her into a nearby shelf that came crashing down on top of her and rendered her unconscious.

"Peter, don't!" Debra tried to stop him but before she could think to pull him back, Peter lunged toward Kraven. Oddly enough, as soon as Peter started moving his agility and strength appeared to partly come back to him. It was as if his instincts kicked in and took over his weakened body.

Debra watched as the two men brawled, not knowing what to do. They did not appear to be great fighters she knew them to be. Instead it looked more like a drunken bar fight, both men stumbling and uncoordinated. But then, Kraven delivered a punch that sent Peter flying across the room.

Debra gasped in horror. She looked to Doctor Connors, but he was helping the Black Cat to her feet. Debra ran over to them and said, "We've got to do something."

"We're going to need her help." Doc Connors answered as he tried to shake Felicia awake. "Debra, I have a tranquilizer in the laboratory refrigerator. Go get it and also bring me a syringe."

Debra obeyed. She furiously searched the labeled vials for the tranquilizer. Meanwhile, Felicia had finally come to. Once she realized that Spider-man was taking on Kraven she tried to rush to his aid. Doctor Connors held her back, "Look, I've got a plan."

Debra brought the vial of tranquilizer and the syringe to Doctor Connors. "It's not much," Doc Connors said as he filled the needle full of the tranquilizer, "but it should knock him out at least temporarily."

"Let me do it!" Felicia replied impatiently.

"Hold on. We've probably only got one chance. If he sees you coming toward him he might be able to knock away the needle," Doctor Connors explained. "That's why Debra and I are going to distract him and you'll have to come from behind."

Debra nodded. "Ok, let's do this."

To be continued…