Some people seem to be confused about Lana's segment. When I said look at Fetch from Infamous: First Light I didn't mean that I literally gave Lana Neon powers. I meant that it's a good basis for what her capabilities are. She's still got her old powerset, it's just far more refined now that she's had a proper terrigenesis. She uses energy and explosive blasts, not Neon.

A few people also mentioned Flash Venom. I feel like I should remind people that Flash is not a war veteran in this dimension and is just a friendly jock type. Also going out with Glory, so going with MJ is a no-go. I'm also not planning to have anymore dimensional drop-ins so getting the 616 version is a no go.

Anyway, the threesome option lost; mostly on the basis that a bunch of people are flat out against it, which counts as a negative vote. The current winner is MJ with either Felicia or Matt. This should be fun.

Also, buffing Noir has won the vote by a narrow margin...but there's a catch. People can't seem to agree whether they want wall-crawling/webswinging, more demonic gadgets or, and this is a weird one, a freaking devil trigger. Guess different people want different power-ups.

Side Note - Big thanks to Nerdman3000 for the new cover :D Really flattering to have someone make a cover for free.


Truther: Anyone else notice that most of the heroes we have are female? The big names like Spider-Woman, She-Hulk, Captain America, Wasp- heck, just all the Avengers really. Anyone else find that weird?

Whyyyyyyy: Not really? I mean half the world is female, so 50/50 shot. Nothing odd about it.

HINdsIGHtLad: Pfft, that's what sheeple like Whyyyyyyy want you to think. We all know it's a fucking conspiracy. Pretty soon us guys are gonna

Doorgal: Dude, you've literally been banned twice because you've been making sexist comments and ranting about the 'feminist super conspiracy'. Take a fucking chill pill and quiet acting like all women are out to get you.

HINdsIGHtLad: Wasn't talking to you, *&&^ *

Doorgal: Lol they still put a profanity filter on you? Bitch.

Truther: Not saying I agree with HINdsIGHtLad but it is pretty weird. Why don't we ever see any male Avengers?

Whyyyyyyy: What about the Initiative? I see a lot of guys over there.

HINdsIGHtLad: Yeah, and how many of em have powers? Yeah, that's what I thought. Those *&$&* femoids are giving themselves all the powers and leaving men with nothing. Selfish %&^*

Spinerette: Yes, HINdsIGHtLad, me and Cap - who has no powers, by the way - are planning right now to overthrow men because we have nothing better to do like saving the world or fighting crime.

HINdsIGHtLad: I &* &** knew it!

FiendlyNeighborhoodSpiderwoman: Why are you feeding the troll, Spinerette?

Spinerette: Cause he's the one who tried to leave multiple mail bombs in Avengers mansion, one of which detonated early and hurt a lot of people. And he forgot to mask his IP, so he's being paid a visit to by our friends the police. They should be outside his door now.

HINdsIGHtLad: &$*& you!

Spinerette: Bye. Hope you like Rykers :)

Truther: This took an unexpected turn...


Patrolling with Gwen was...interesting. Up until now whenever MJ had put on a costume she did it in the dark of night in some kind of grotty bathroom or a dirty back alley. It wasn't glamorous and it wasn't fun - she did it because she had to, or at least that was what she kept telling herself. Even the costume was lame, something a woman with no budget and not a lot of time on her hands would come up with.

Now she was swinging through the air in the sun side by side with Gwen. The white-clad Spider flipped in a wide arc and did a helix roll, "Come on, Scarlet! Catch up!" She teased loudly. Mary Jane smiled and did a pose of her own before swinging again.

'This is torture.'

'Let me have this.' She spun on a flagpole then swung slow till she could trace her hands across the asphalt. Everyone on the sidewalk turned to look at her as she passed and she felt an all too familiar fluttering in her chest. It was like she was back on stage again with the crowd cheering as she sang. Oh God how she missed it. The music, the attention, the lights and sounds...

Maybe being a Superhero would be just as good.

'Don't kid yourself.' And the high was gone, 'You think you can be like her? You'll never have what she has. The adoration, the accomplishments, her boy toy, and especially her love.' It made a disgusted noise at that, 'Why not just accept what you are? You're a killer, a powerful one who enjoys what she does. No amount of fancy costumes and saving kittens from trees can change that.'

'Except I saved people last night,' she thought back stonily, 'I don't care if you think I can't do this. I'm not gonna stop trying and you can just suck it up because I'm the one with the hands on the controls.'

'Don't get cocky, 'MJ'.'

She ignored its growling (whining) and followed Gwen up to the top of a large building, "Race you to the top!" Gwen shouted down at her as she landed on the side and began to run up the wall. MJ grinned and ran up after her. This was crazy. Just a year ago even the thought of being like Gwen - swinging through the air, rushing by boggled eyed crowds and running up walls - was impossible; just jealous daydreams of what it would've been like if she'd been the one to get bitten at that science fair.

And now here she was, racing Gwen up a freaking building.

Gwen made it up first, as expected. Mary Jane sat by her on the edge and just looked at the city. She'd never gotten a view like this before. For the most part she kept low on the streets and tried not to draw attention to herself. Mary Jane took a deep breath and let the cold New York air whip her 'hair' around, "Hmm..." She lowered her mask. She doubted anyone could see them from up here.

Up here, with all the people down there as small as ants, she almost forgot about the feeling of blood on her hands.

"You seem like you're having fun." Gwen leaned back slightly.

"Yeah, it's...it's been a while, actually." She looked down at her open palms and the tips turned to claws, "...You know what I've been doing, Gwen. It's...It hasn't been easy, living with this thing in my head."

"I know. I'm sorry, I should've-"

"You couldn't have done anything." MJ sighed, "Seriously, Gwen, you need to stop blaming yourself for everything. You might have superpowers, but you're not God. Sometimes things just fuck up and we have to deal with it."

'Is that all I am to you? A 'fuck up'?'

'Don't act like you're offended. You lost that privilege after the fifth night whining about how your mass murderer buddy would've let you eat that guy.'

'He was having a heart attack and he was dead on the spot! He was practically being served to us!'

'...You're gross.'

'And you're too picky'.

"Yeah, I know, it's just...Kasady was my responsibility. If I'd been more thorough..." Crimson growled and the skin on her forearms shook. Gwen gave her a worried look, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Crimson whines, but we deal with each other. Have been for a year now."

'A year and we've bonded less than Cletus and I had.' She couldn't help but notice it didn't say 'my Cletus', 'You resist less, but still resist nonetheless. Why? The boytoy already told you I wasn't lying. Or do you perhaps still hope that somehow we can be separated?'

'No, but one year of tug of war isn't going to be forgotten just because of it. And don't call him that.'

'Why? It's what you want him to be. I've seen into your mind, Little Red. You want him naked and helpless beneath you, his face flushed with embarrassment and want for you. You'll smile as you drag a clawed finger down his chest while Stacy watches and begs to join-

'Shut up, shut up, shut up! For someone who hates it so much you're a real fucking pervo!' She grit her teeth and tried her best to ignore the deep red blush on her cheeks and the way her heart rate rose.

Unfortunately, Gwen noticed, "MJ, are you okay?" She put a hand on her shoulder and MJ really didn't want it there right now.

"I-I'm fine! Just...having an argument with Crimson. Happens a lot." Technically not a lie, even if Crimson was sing-songing at the back of her head right now. Little turd, "Can we just...do the patrol thing? Is there anything special we do or what?"

"Huh? Oh, no, nothing much. I got a special crime scanner app. You know, from all those crime towers?" Yeah, she'd heard her prof mention about how much of a breach in privacy it was. Mary Jane had to agree, though apparently the statistics of crime decrease panned out so up they stayed. Which reminded her, she had a paper on Safety vs Liberty due in a couple of days...

As if on cue, Gwen's phone beeped, "Mugging. 8 on 1."

"Wait, what? How the fuck does that work? Do they split the 50 bucks and lip gloss 8 ways?"

"Some crims figured that if they were gonna crime it up in the Initiative's head state they might as well come prepared. Really, if they put in this much work on an actual job I'm pretty sure they wouldn't need to do crime, but whatever. Let's go." Mary Jane put on her mask again and jumped down after Gwen.

Many hours later and MJ felt better than she had in days. Fighting crime like a Superhero was different to her nightly excursions. Out there in the daylight with people watching the urge to lop off people's heads or pull their guts out through either ends was...well, it wasn't gone, but it was easier to ignore. Surprising how a bunch of watching eyes really took it out of you.

They even ran into a Supervillain. Granted it was just a guy in a bear costume calling himself Grizzly, but he could toss cars and was kinda bulletproof so she counted it. The sun had come down by the time Gwen decided to call it quits.

"That was productive." Gwen stretched her arms above her head and groaned softly. Mary Jane tried not to look at how tightly the suit clung to her toned body, "Wanna head back?"

"Uh...no, I'll keep looking around." Mary Jane's eyes narrowed slightly, "I-I'm not going to do anything like that, if that's what you're thinking. I just don't wanna head back yet."

"Well...okay, but make sure to call me if you need anything."

They shared a quick embrace before going their separate ways. Mary Jane sat at the edge of the building and watched Gwen swing past a building out of sight, 'You need to move on from her.' Mary Jane pretended not to hear it, 'She'll never feel the same way you do about her. Better to steal the boytoy from her.'

'Oh would you shut it?'

Sighing, Mary Jane stood and swung around aimlessly. It was nighttime now; her element. This was when the dregs came out.

Speaking of...

Two men, one of them holding a knife and the other holding a pistol, knocked someone off a roof into an alley below and screamed something in Russian, 'Don't kill anyone.' She swung down and kicked knife guy's arm, breaking it painfully. He screamed and Mary Jane smashed his head against the edge of the short barrier while his buddy scrambled back. Mary Jane webbed his shoulder, the barbed tip digging into the skin painfully, and tugged. The headbutt broke his nose and left his entire face cover in blood.

'Gotta check on that guy.' She flipped down and winced at the scent of blood mixed with garbage. Poor bastard fell into the dumpster, "Hey, you breathing?" She peeked over the edge of the bin and her eyes widened.

Matt Murdock. She couldn't see his face underneath that devil mask, but she'd heard Gwen rant about 'the fucker dressed like a devil' enough times to make an educated guess, "What the hell...?" She looked around the area, like she was afraid someone would jump out and tell her she'd been punk'd. Instead it was nothing but complete silence and the smell of bloody garbage.

She was tempted to leave him right then and there. He never did anything to her personally, but solidarity for Peter and Gwen was more than enough reason. He'd made both their lives miserable- hell, he killed Peter. Maybe he hadn't been the one to pull the trigger but those were his men and they were working under his orders.

But was that really his fault? Peter said he'd been possessed by some kind of devil and the world was crazy enough that she honestly believed it. Did being possessed meant you get cut some slack?

Her internal debate was interrupted by a soft, pained groan. Mary Jane stumbled back as Murdock pulled himself over the edge of the bin and landed on the ground face first with a dull smack, "Damn it..." He stunk. He groped the surface of the dumpster and used it to pull himself himself up to a shaky stand. Judging by the way he was leaning on on his left leg it wasn't hard to tell he was still reeling.

Mary Jane almost swung out of there, but then of course she had to open her damn mouth, "You smell."

His mouth split in an amused smirk and he gave her an upwards, sideways glance, "And a hearty hello to you too, Ms. Watson." Her eyes widened underneath her mask and he laughed softly, "I've known who you are for a while now. Don't worry, your secret's safe with. Wouldn't do to make Peter and Ms. Stacy any more cross with me than they already are. My body wouldn't be able to take it."

"Right...what did I just swing into here?" she asked back warily.

"Russian mob. Human traffickers." He stood and adjusted his right elbow with a sickening crack, "There's been a rash of kidnappings lately with Gifted as the target. They took a child earlier and left the father bleeding on the sidewalk."

Mary Jane immediately felt sick to her stomach. Kidnapping and human trafficking was bad enough, but a child on top of that? "You were trying to save him?"

"Yes, but I suppose I overestimated my state of health." He looked up, "Two faint heartbeats above...thank you for leaving them alive. I need to interrogate them. They're my only shot at tracking the rest of the group. Have a safe evening."

"H-Hey wait a second!" She stood in front of him, "You can't just tell me a little kid got kidnapped and expect me to leave it! I'm coming with you."

"That's hardly necessary-"

"I wasn't asking."

His smirk widened and he laughed again, "I see you've picked up some things from Spider-Woman. Very well then, Ms. Watson, let's be partners."

"We're not partners. I'm doing this for that kid...and it's Scarlet Spider."

"Oh? My apologies then."

Five minutes later and she was standing back and watching the Devil of Hell's Kitchen drive a knife down someone's face, 'We should get in on that,' Crimson groused. Mary Jane ignored it, 'Come on, don't tell me you're scared of hurting them! You broke their bones earlier and they're part of the deserving!'

Thankfully she didn't have to argue before the mobster squealed. Murdock put the blood knife away and left him knocked out and bound next to his unconscious buddy, "Good news and bad news. Good news is it's not far from here. Bad news is they've reinforced their men ever since Striker and her friend disrupted the operation down at the docks. It won't be easy to get to the child."

"That's what I'm here for." She raised her right hand and sharpened her fingers.

"Indeed. I would've been, to quote you youngsters, 'up shit's creek' without your aid." She rolled her eyes. Guy probably wasn't even 40 so he could screw off with that 'I'm old and seen it all' bs, "Let's split up then. According to our unconscious friend here the bulk of their men will be converged on the lower floor. I'll sneak into the top and take care of the few sentries stationed there while you deal with the rest."

"Sure you can handle it, garbage man?"

"If I can't then you'll be right behind me."

The trip to the building was mercifully quiet and by the time she was on the front door she'd braced herself for what she was about to do. It wasn't her first time doing something like this, but she had to remind herself again not to kill anyone. These bastards hadn't escaped the law before like the rest of her targets and they'd already called the cops on the two goons they left back there. These bastards deserved a jail cell.

She kicked the door down and was immediately met with a barrage of gunfire. She made a wall of symbiotic mass and the bullets stuck harmlessly to the surface. She knew it was wrong, but a part of her still couldn't help but relish at how more powerful she was than them. They might as well have been throwing spitballs from those pistols of theirs for how effective it was.

Fighting them was easy. Mary Jane grabbed the closest goon and used him him as a bludgeon against a group of clustered gunmen. They screamed and cursed in Russian and kept firing. Mary Jane grabbed a table and threw it at another before jumping to the farthest one and smashing his head against the ground. She wouldn't kill them, but that didn't mean she had to be a soft touch.

A few minutes later about 20 men were left in varying states of pain and she was making her way up the stairs. Murdock was either taking the kid already or he was dead, 'We didn't kill a single person.' Crimson groused again, 'You're getting soft.'

'They get one shot to be in prison and take it like men.'

'And if they don't?'

'There's a reason I made that DB subscription...and not just cause Norah asked me to.'

Mary Jane opened the door just in time to see Murdock punch a guy to the wall and trip over one of the unconscious bodies to the other. The redhead raised a brow and looked over the hallway. Eight unconscious men, some of them with pistols and shotguns. Considering the state she found him in she couldn't help but be impressed. Slightly. Just a tad.

Murdock walked out of the room, shaky and slow, and made his way to the to the door at the end of the hallway. Mary Jane followed behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Maybe I should handle this? You aren't exactly an angel right now."

"Devil jokes are cliche, Scarlet Spider." And then, before she could say anything else, he pulled off his cracked and damaged mask and handed it to her before opening the door.

The room made her insides churn with disgust. It was small with no hint of light to seep into the room and the child was curled up scared in a corner. He was definitely someone who'd been hit by the Mist. His skin was light blue and his eyes were wide and black with no hint of of a white sclera. His clothes damaged and had traces of blood, likely from struggling.

Murdock knelt in front of the boy and he shrunk back, "Hi. I know you're scared, but I'm here to help. Okay?" The eyes shifted from him to Mary Jane and she lowered her mask too and smiled reassuringly, "You don't have to be scared anymore."

"O...Okay."

He nodded and Murdock picked him up with his good arm. Mary Jane put her mask back on and tossed Matt his so he could do the same, "What do we do now?" Mary Jane whispered.

"We'll take him to his father then they can testify. Karen will make sure they get the time they deserve."

Before she knew it the police and ambulances were there. She and Murdock stood on the roof opposite the building and looked down as the father, still banked up but standing tall, hugged his son tightly with tears in his eyes. They couldn't stay. Technically they were still vigilantes with none of the fancy Avengers or Initiative perks. Better

"Well, this was a productive evening." Murdock hummed, "But I'm afraid I've pushed myself to my limit. It'll take...days of rest at the very least before I'll be lucid enough to put on the mask again."

"...Why did you do it?"

"Hm?"

"All this. You aren't seriously going to tell me it was out of the good of your heart, are you?"

"If I did would you believe me?" She didn't reply, "Does it really matter when it comes down to it? Human traffickers are going to prison and a child had a heartwarming reunion with his father. Seems like a victory to me."

"...I don't trust you."

"I didn't say you should. Healthy distrust is the pinnacle of many a cautious individual." He stood and took a deep breath, "But I really must go before I collapse right here. See you around, Scarlet Spider." Murdock clapped her shoulder and left. She didn't bother to turn around and just continued to look down below.


JasonVoorhes13: Just got saved by Spider-Woman and Scarlet Spider!

BirdWatcherzyx: Wait, didn't you get kidnapped and stuffed in the back of a trunk?!

JasonVoorhes13: Still worth it!

NoobMaster69: Lucky! Wish I could get saved by two smoking hot heroes...

PeterGriffon: Didn't you get saved by Spider-Man at that amusement park a year go?

NoobMaster69: Yeah, but he ain't hot...

No1SManFan: Speak for yourself. Have you seen that butt?! Those pants can't hide perfection! :3

FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman: Please stop perving on my boyfriend. And I hope you're okay, JasonVoorhes13. Next time avoid fake lottery scams, please.

No1SMManFan: Spider-Woman, please convince him to wear spandex! Then I can die happy!

FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman: Just gonna ignore that too...


Seeing Gobby again was weird. The last time they'd seen each other was months ago before he went back to Oscorp fully and finally decided that the vigilante gig wasn't for him. Personally she still thought he got off just a little too easy considering the crap he pulled, but the fact that the infected were cured softened the blow. Sure, it didn't erase the people the Lizards killed or Doc Connors murdering his wife and losing his child, but it was...something.

There hadn't been any last goodbyes or anything. Gobby said he was going back to Oscorp, she said 'sure' and that was the end of that. She did keep tabs on him for a while to make sure he actually was doing that. Last she checked he was working on the science division, trying to help the environment by figuring out how to dispose plastic or lower the smoke pollution output of cars. A noble pursuit, all things considered.

"Ah, Cind- uh, I mean-"

"No need for that, Mr. Osborn. I just revealed my identity before we got here." She would've thought the lack of a scarf made that obvious, "Me and Officer De Wolfe are here to take you and Ms. Brock's statement on the robbery?"

"Oh, yes." The woman, a young blonde with glasses and a business suit, stood up and shook their hands. They'd chosen to meet at one of the empty Osborn Offices rooms while forensics scanned through the stuff they found at the lab, "We hope you can help us. Some of the stolen materials were very valuable and crucial to our research."

"That's what we're here for, ma'am." De Wolfe nodded and took out a notepad. At least one other person wasn't stuck to those Upad thing, "Please tell us everything you can recall about the incident."

"Well, me and Harry were working out late on one of our projects when this...bird thing crashed through the wall." Elsa shuddered, "It was...quite a shock."

"Did either of you get a look at the attacker's face?" Cindy asked.

"N-No, I was knocked into the ground when it happened," Elsa said.

"I did, but...I'm not sure how to describe it,," Harry said. De Wolfe turned her attention to him, "The guy was old. Not as old as Adrian Toomes, but definitely up there in years. Brown hair, brown eyes and wrinkled skin. It was his mouth that got my attention. He had these...they looked like fleshy mandibles on the sides of his lower lip."

"Mandibles? Think he got hit with the Terrigen?" De Wolfe asked Cindy.

"Maybe, but eyewitness reports said he still had the harness so I'm not counting on him being pure powers." Cindy crossed her arms, "Did you get a good look at his tech? Anything that might come to mind?"

"N-Nothing much. It was kind of blurry and I couldn't make out anything specific on it aside from the color. Red and black," Elsa said. Cindy had to resist the urge to make a joke on said color scheme, "I have to assume given the explosion that he carried handheld explosives."

"Fornesics did find some metal that might have been casing. Still trying to determine that," De Wolfe said, "Could you tell us what he stole specifically? It could be useful in tracking him down."

"The lab equipment was the most valuable part. I made a list earlier. Here." He handed the sheet to Cindy and she scanned through it quickly, "Apart from that he took some acid we were tweaking so it can melt down plastics in the ocean and then disperse harmlessly. In the current state it's in right now it's still dangerous and potent."

"Great, we've got a bird man running around with acid." Cindy rubbed her forehead and sighed, "How much did he take?"

"About five gallons, but in its raw state even a few ounces is dangerous."

"Double great..."

They asked a few more questions - likely suspects and the like - before Elsa and Jean left to go get some coffee, leaving her alone with Gobby. Cindy sat on the nearby chair and looked through her notes. So far everything pointed to it being a hired job. Maybe Vulture guy would sell it on the black market? She could contact Felicia and have her run through her contacts to see if they knew anything.

"It's...good to see you again."

"You...you too." Wasn't the whole truth, but wasn't a lie either. She felt...neutral about him, "Good to see you're doing something worthwhile with your time."

"Yeah, it's been...odd going into science. Last time I did it was with Pete." And with her evil twin when she infected those innocent people, but she didn't say that out loud. Why ruin the moment? "I still can't believe you're working with the cops."

"Pays the bills." She shrugged.

"I thought you got paid by Tony Stark-"

"It was a joke, Gobby." He stopped flinching at the nickname now, "So, is there anything you wanna add to your testimony?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if you and Ms. Elsa there did something you don't want the cops to know."

"How could you- no, I don't have anything to add. I know you still have your doubts, but I'm trying to make up for what I did; and that includes no breaking the law. Everything we had, including the acid, was bought through legal means. I just...I want to make up for what I did."

"Fine. I believe you." She shrugged, "What's the story with the blonde?"

"Elsa? She's worked with Oscorp straight out of college. A young up and comer by the looks of her." He wrung his hands without noticing. A tell.

"So...you two sleeping together?"

"Cindy!"

"What? Just a question." She rolled her eyes. She thought Gobby, of all people, wouldn't be a prude considering they already saw each other naked, "It's good that you're getting into a relationship. Our mutual friend's worried about you."

"She shouldn't be. She has enough on her plate, especially with him back in town." Yeah, she was pretty sure Pete still hated him, "And if you must know, yes, me and Elsa are dating. I'm...I'm worried about her. She's been shaken up ever since this entire thing."

"Not surprised. Not every day a Birdman comes in and steals your acid."

A pair of footsteps came up to the door and, surprise surprise, it wasn't either Jean or Elsa, "Harry, Ms. Moon." Norman Osborn went inside smoothly and closed the door behind him.

"Dad." Gobby nodded somewhat stiffly. He didn't hate his dad anymore - it took some real cojones to claim that while working for the dude's company - but that didn't mean he liked him. Cindy just tried not to get in the middle of it, "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in. I'd heard through the grapevine that Ms. Moon was the one interviewing you." He stuck his hand out, "Pleasure to see you again."

"You too, Mr. Osborn." Cindy smiled back, less stiff than his son. She actually liked the elder Osborn, mostly cause he didn't hold her spying on him for S.H.I.E.L.D against her. Apparently he considered her pushing Gobby to give up his bs crusade to be more than enough payment, which was nice of him, "We won't be here long. I'm just waiting for Jean to come back then we'll see about getting this break-in finished."

"Oh yes, this copycat of Adrian. I didn't think anyone would imitate his madness."

"Adrian...you knew the Vulture?"

"Oh, yes. He worked in this company for decades...I have no idea what pushed him to such a state." According to Pete he was just like the former Peter Parker - someone who saw all the shiny people in costumes and decided to break bad (sounded like a cool idea for a show, actually), "Well, if you need any aid then please don't hesitate to ask. Harry and I both owe you a personal debt, after all."

"You don't owe me anything. I did spy on you, after all." She and Harry shared a wry smile and she shrugged.

"Yes, well, S.H.I.E.L.D is now defunct - officially - so many of those contracts technically no longer apply." He coughed politely, "Speaking of, have you thought about my previous offer?"

Oh yeah, his suggestion that she work as Oscorp's sponsored hero. Technically She-Hulk worked for the EEW - Entertainment and Engagement Wrestling, cause of course it was - and Wasp represented Dyne Corp, so it wasn't actually against the rules. She heard that Donald Roxxon was representing his own company officially in a week and Tony Stark was also considering it. She'd put in her suggestion for Iron Man, but he refused. Apparently he found the name 'kinda basic'. Pfft.

"Oh, that's still a thing? I was kinda assuming that you only said that cause you wanted me to stop spying on you."

"Well, yes, but the offer is still applicable. I won't lie: the positive publicity you would bring is worth more than any price."

"Even if I asked for a bajillion dollars?" she asked back with a teasing smile, "Look, it's a real tempting offer, but I am kinda helping the police right now. Don't really have time to start being a mascot."

"You wouldn't have to quit your current career course. I'm perfectly fine with the occasional appearance at your convenience. As I said, the association is more than worth it."

"Well...I'll think about it, okay? Just lemme solve this case first."

Hours later and she and Jean were at a bar along with a few other police officers (even Masters, much to her dismay). Jean had invited her out and commented that getting to go out and get sauced with other officers was one of the new benefits of the open identity. Cindy just shrugged and went along with it. She wasn't going to say no to drinking with company. It got tiring drinking corner store beer all by her lonesome.

"So lemme get this straight. You're from another dimension?" Wilson asked. The officers were real interested about that

"Yeah." She shrugged and drank her tequila mix. Bit stronger than what she was used to, but hey, "I think I know your kid, actually. Her name's Liz, right?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Just a guess." She smirked, "Anyway, I was classmates with a Liz Allan. Blonde girl, super popular, hung out with the jocks." She was also classmates with Peter Parker and Jessica Cambel nee Jones, a.k.a Coma Girl. Odd how some of the ages fluctuated.

"You sure that's my girl? She was a goth for all of high school."

"Alternate dimensions. What can ya do?" She shrugged lightly.

"Anyone else here you know?" Ben Grimm asked.

"Funny you should ask that, Mr. Baby Blues." God those eyes were amazing. Such a shame Alicia Masters was blind in this universe too, "Back home you, Benjamin Jacob Grimm, are a superhero."

That got her a wave of guffaws, "Oh you're shittin' me! Benjy was a superhero?"

"Yep. The Ever-lovin' blue eyed Thing. You, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Reed Richards went on a rocket and got bathed in cosmic rays and got superpowers." That got her some disbelieving snorts, "Hey, it's true! I couldn't make this crap up if I tried! You were part of the Fantastic 4, saving the world in snappy blue jumpsuits. I even had one of your plushies at my bunker."

"Wait, bunker? What, did your place have a nuclear apocalypse?" The question was asked by Detective Walter Bolt. Young, light red hair and someone who definitely hit the gym. Definitely someone she wanted to know better.

"No, that's...that's a bit of a long story." She swirled her tequila and took a deep breath. Her therapist did say talking about it helped, "So when I got my powers things weren't the greatest. I was shooting webs everywhere and I almost had to drop out of school...then I got put into a bunker for 10 years."

She told them everything. Ezekiel, the training her put her through, the bunker...everything but her family's death. She didn't care what Dr. Margolis said, some things were better kept to herself and the people she was closest to. The mood at the counter had gotten far more somber and she immediately felt bad for dragging everyone down.

Then Masters opened his big mouth again.

"Come on, you honestly believe this shit?" He scoffed. He was amazingly lucid considering how much he drank, "Alternate dimensions? Grimm's a superhero? Ten years in a fucking fallout shelter? She's pulling shit outta her ass!"

"You'd know, wouldn't you? You've been staring at it all night." De Wolfe snorted.

And just like that the light atmosphere returned. She almost wanted to thank the jerk for fixing things. Almost, "Aww, I'm flattered, Masters, but I'm not into racist dicks." She blew him a kiss and then, before she could save herself the embarrassment, smacked her butt. Jean and Walter laughed loudly while Master's face turned red and he muttered something unintelligible into his drink. Five bucks 'Freak' was used at least twice.

The rest of the time was spent with far more lighthearted stories and soon enough she was being helped back to her place by Detective Bolt. He'd drunk remarkably less than everyone else and Cindy was only mildly intoxicated despite the the multiple tequila shots. Spider powers and all.

He helped her to her apartment and dropped her at her couch, "Nice place." He whistled, impressed. She was too busy looking at that very form-fitting shirt of his, "Guess being an Avenger pays, huh?"

"Sometimes." She leaned back and smiled up at him lopsidedly.

"Well, I should probably get back..." He looked down at her flush, sweaty neck and blushed. Cute, "Uh...I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Or...you could stay." She traced her fingers up his hand to his wrist, "Bed's big enough for two."

"I...I wouldn't wanna take advantage."

"Trust me, I am not nearly drunk enough for you to take advantage. If I was I would've been going for Masters." She faked a gagging sound at that while Walter smiled slightly, "Unless you don't find me attractive? Is it the scars?" she asked, just the right amount of coy innocent. Those seduction lessons from Agent Romanoff came in useful now and then.

"N-No, I do find you attractive! And you look beautiful, scars or no." Wow, the guy was sweet. Natural charmer he was, "It's just...I wanna be sure that you're sure and-" She kissed him, sloppy and deep, and he returned the gesture. Jackpot.

Hours later and she woke up with only a mild hangover. Cindy sat up and stretched her arms above her head. Walter slept peacefully net her and she let out a satisfied hum. Way better than a grindr hook up. Rubbing her eyes, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and picked up the first thing she could - his shirt - and draped it over herself as she went out into the kitchen.

She was only mildly surprised to find Shadowcat sitting at the table and helping herself to some leftover pizza, "Hey there, Kitty, make yourself at home," Cindy snarked. She picked up some aspirin and drank it quickly, "Don't suppose you're here to tell me you're planning to be the sister Laura needs?"

"Hardly. Munchkin's already attached to ya, so you can forget about her letting go anytime soon." Shadowcat snorted, "Actually ran into a friend a' yours in Madripoor and apparently he wanted to meet. Something about his friends being kidnapped."

"Which friend?"

She didn't get any sort of warning before a plume of bluish smoke appeared in front of her and the smell of sulfur wafted up her nostrils. Cindy coughed and the smoke was quickly dispelled with a blue, fuzzy figure stood in his place.

Kurt Wagner smiled somewhat awkwardly and raised a hand in greeting, "Good evening, fräulein. I need your help."


BestCopInNYC: Just had a drink with Spinerette and the rest of the squad. She's got a lot of stories. Apparently she came from another dimension?

PonyHead: Haha, I knew it! Pay up you losers!

FactChannelIntern: Think she'd be willing to do an interview? If I get one my boss is gonna flip!

AlsoTheBestCopInNYC: Some of the things she told us was trippy...and sad. Could you imagine losing ten years of your life stuck in one room?

MatrixRebooted: Doesn't seem so bad. I didn't leave my room for 7 years. Who cares when you have internet?

AlsoTheBestCopInNYC: She didn't have internet.

MatrixRebooted: Oh...she has my deepest condolences.

BestCopInNYC: Walter went with her. Ten bucks says he got lucky.

GGlol500: Wait, isn't she gay?

BestCopInNYC: Sure, if you count her practically undressing Walter as gay. Walter's a dude, by the way.

GGlol500: Doh. That pride parade's gonna be awkward...


Peter punched Bullseye in the face. Hard.

The bald psychopath stumbled back the same time Peter did. He looked down at the knife in his gut and pulled it out with a light hiss. Hellfire...Bullseye took his knife, "Damn it..." He focused on making the bleeding stop while Bullseye laughed and wiped his bloody nose. If he was bothered by his now-broken nose he didn't show it, "What the hell did you do...?"

"I stabbed you. Thought that'd be obvious, kid." Bullseye grinned smarmily and shrugged without a care. It was the same way he looked after getting one too many drinks, "Nice knfie, by the way. Very pointy."

He tossed more blades at him. Peter ran and hid behind the closest pillar, trying to ignore the pain in his mid-section. He couldn't fight like this, "What the hell happened to you?" He unsheathed is pistol and shut his eyes briefly. Could he really shoot Bullseye?

"You just said it twice: Hell. Lemme tell ya, it's a real bitch down there!" Peter ran to the other pillar and fired two warning shots at Bullseye's feet, "Aww, holding back? That ain't the kid I remember." Peter hid behind another pillar just as more knives almost hit his back, "If you're curious, the Hand brought me back. You know, those ninjas we spent the past year killin'?"

"They brought you back..." White-hot burning rage engulfed his insides. He was going to bury every single one of them.

"Yup! New and improved!"

A knife bounced from the floor and his spider-sense just barely managed to warn him. Peter side-stepped and the knife skidded past his thigh, drawing blood, "Come on, kid!" Bullseye charged towards him and Peter dodged his frenzied slashes before covering him in a net of webbing.

"Really, that's the best ya can do?" He tore through the webs easily, "Should probably tell ya I ain't really alive. It's kind of a funny in-between thing that's a work in progress, so those fancy web of yours ain't gonna do any good. Ya wanna put me down you're gonna have to work for it."

Another barrage of knives. Peter side-stepped the blades and raised his hand to his bleeding cheek. Damn Hellfire was making him slow, "I don't want to hurt you." Bullseye charged towards him and punched Peter right after throwing another couple of knives. The hit landed on the Hellfire wound and Peter fell to the floor on his knees, "...Last chance, Bullseye. Please."

"Aww, how sweet." Bullseye tugged his mask off and pulled grabbed Peter's hair to make him face up, "Well, if you don't wanna fight maybe I should go visit that girlfriend of yours? Nah, she's too strong. How about little old Lana? I'm sure she'll bleed real pretty.

Peter punched Bullseye in the gut and disappeared, "Ohh, hidin' again?" He thew another knife close to where he was. Peter appeared in front of him and punched him in his broken nose before disappearing again, "You're still holdin' back! Come on, where's the killer I fell in love with! Stab that knife into me! Blow my brains out! You know you want to!"

A gunshot rang out. Bullseye fell to his knees and blood pooled out of his left kneecap, "There he is." He looked up and grinned a bloodstained smile as Peter reappeared with a pistol aimed at his forehead, "Oh, this is perfect. This was how it should've ended the first time! Better than that bastard Murdock being the one to do me in."

"Speaking of, here's one thing I'm curious about: why is he still alive?" His grip on the pistol became shaky, "I definitely remember that bastard havin' us dead to rights and you beggin' for my life. I didn't hear any promises of revenge, but that was implied. So now you're, what, buddy buddy with him? He's my replacement, huh? You got shit taste, kid."

He should've pulled the trigger right then and there. Bullseye tossed something to the floor and a bright flash engulfed the entirety of the subway. Peter shook his head and by the time his vision had cleared again Bullseye was gone damn it, "Damn it..." He punched the ground and growl. Blood trail led to the tracks, but he wasn't in any state to go after him.

...He needed to talk to Page.

It took hours to find her. Page wasn't an easy person to talk to when she didn't summon you first. Peter entered the library, one hand nursing his still searing wound, and walked slowly towards the table. Page sat alone, her legs crossed and a cup of tea in her hand. He wanted to smack it to the floor and scream in her face, but that would've ended with him in two pieces on the floor.

Page looked up and smiled when she saw him. He stopped in his tracks. It wasn't the cold, calculating one she always sported. This one was soft and unsure. Sincere, "Oh, Peter...I wasn't expecting you." She set her cup of tea down and gestured to the other seat opposite her, which he took after some reluctance, "Ruth's expecting a visitor later, but we can chat till she comes back. I rarely get a chance to talk alone."

"You're...Karen Page? The real one?"

"Guilty as charged." She held up both hands in mock surrender and laughed softly, "I'm sorry if I'm being kinda weird. It's been a while since I didn't have Ruth with me."

"You're...different than I imagined." He almost forgot about Bullseye. Almost.

"Ooh, and what did you think of me, Spider-Man?" Her smile was wider now, mischievous almost. It looked odd on her...and yet bizarrely fitting in a way, "Did you think I was some conniving puppetmaster like Ruth was?"

"Honestly...yes."

"Yeah, well, I don't blame you. She's very...in control." That was one word for it, sure, "I know it doesn't mean much, but I'd like to apologize for the way she treated you. Ruth means well, she's just...she's lived millenias without really talking to people. Ruth's an angel of judgement. She only sees people at their worst so her bond with people is...strained. I'm her first human host in God only knows how long."

"...How did you get together with her?"

"Desperation, mostly. Love too. Me and Matt were together for a few years in college and I thought he was a good man underneath. Cliche, I know, but I was young." Her smile faltered, "When Ruth offered me a deal I took it. Of course that was before I realized she came with all those rules. Ugh, angels and demons; they both screw you with the fine print."

"So why are you still together? The Beast is dead and Matt's...alive." He tried to ignore Bullseye's biting question.

"Because she's doing good, and...I think she needs me." She smiled sadly, "Ruth is a good person; she just doesn't understand the people she's supposed to protect. I'm helping her with that. I'm sure I'll be long dead before I can make any milestones, but even an inch is good enough for me."

"You're fine living your life like this?"

"She doesn't keep me prisoner in my own body, if that's what you think. When we're together...Ruth changes me, but I also change her. The Ruth I know wouldn't have made homeless shelters and she wouldn't have hesitated to kill anyone she considers guilty. Besides, we all make sacrifices. You and Gwen give so much of yourselves for this city."

"That's different."

"I don't think so." She paused and said her next words slowly, "I know you have good reason to hate Matt, but I do still think he has goodness in him. Please take care of him for me."

She leaned forward and squeezed his hand with a reassuring smile. Peter was about to respond before her grip suddenly slackened and she picked up her cup of tea again, "Page." She wasn't Karen anymore. The blonde took a sup of her tea, "...You knew about Bullseye."

"Yes." Flat and measured. Karen really was gone, "I assume by your state you fought him."

"You could say that." He grit his teeth, "That deal you gave me-"

"Still applies," she interrupted coldly, "I told you beforehand that I could pluck his soul from his well deserved damnation. If you kill him now then he will enter purgatory. It will not save him from damnation completely, but it will give him a chance to alter his fate."

"You could've told me he was alive."

"Irrelevant. His soul is in a state of flux right now, so he's not the friend you know. If you wish to be sentimental about this then let Matthew face him for you. I'm sure he'll be more than willing to finish what he started."

"...I dunno what Karen sees in you."

Her eyes narrowed by just the smallest amount, "I see things objectively. That man has cost the lives of hundreds of innocents in his hubris. He deserved his damnation and my offer to rescind his well-earned fate is more than generous." She set her cup down, "Now, if there's nothing else you wish to talk about please leave. I have a meeting with an old friend and I doubt you wish to meet her."

Peter stood and just barely held back his scowl. Growling at her wouldn't do any good. He was halfway across the length of the library when she called out, "I suggest you rest for the next few days. That wound requires healing."

He made his way back to Gwen's place. She was already digging into a pizza with the symbiote nibbling on some chocolate nearby, "Hey, Pete, how's it-" Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the dried blood on his shirt and she immediately rushed towards him. She led him to the couch slowly and set him down before sitting next to him, "What happened?"

He was almost tempted to keep it to himself and just warn Lana. It was his problem, not hers, "It's..."

She cupped his cheek with her right hand and made him face her, "Talk to me."

He did. Peter told her everything. She just listened patiently and held him close when his voice became shaky at the end. It was only now that it finally sunk in. Bullseye, the man who'd given up everything for him and died in agony, was back as nothing more than a weapon for the Hand. He was angry, but more than that he was sad. He didn't deserve this.

"I'm sorry." Gwen hugged him tightly. He closed his eyes and returned the gesture, ignoring the pain in his gut, "I wish I could do more."

"Being here's enough..."

"If I run into him I'll take him down. I can't help him, but we can stop him from hurting you or anyone else."

"Yeah..." He suddenly realized how exhausted he was. Peter closed his eyes and let Gwen's warmth lull him into a comfortable sleep. Maybe he'd get lucky and this would all be just a bad dream.


HardSoftHitter: So real talk, what do you think Spider-Woman sees in Spider-Man? You'd think she'd go after someone like Hawkeye or something instead of the vigilante killer.

GrayHatHackerDude: Yo so we're all just gonna forget that Spider-Woman was a vigilante for a while there? Not surprised she goes for another vigilante.

HardSoftHitter: Yeah, but she never killed anyone 'cept that Carnage Killer fucker. Spider-Man's a killer, plain and simple.

JCJensen: So are the rest of the Avengers. Main difference is they've got government backing, and considering what we found out about SHIELD I'm not convinced they're much better.

HardSoftHitter: So you like a vigilante running around deciding who lives and dies?

JCJensen: No, but every person he ended up killing had a rap sheet a mile wide and he killed fucking demon in Times Square. I think he gets some more leeway than the guy who was running around killing homeless people.

Braidmaniac: Holy shit, a guy's actually doing that?! I thought that was a joke!

JCJensen: Was doing that. Spider-Man ran into him earlier and broke his arms. Again, leeway.

EPFrog: Kinda agree with HardSoftHitter. I think she'd be better with someone else.

No1SMManFan: Agreed, leave some of that man meat for the rest of us. I bet he's little spoon :3

SpiderWomanMadeMeDoThis: First time I log on and this is the first thing I see. Already regretting this tweeter thing...


Before anyone starts panicking: MJ and Matt interacting doesn't mean they're endgame pairing. I was going to have them interact regardless due to them both struggling with morality and having been possessed by monsters, which should allow them some juicy interactions. Also helps that Matt didn't spend all of V1 trolling MJ so she's less likely to be snippy and impatient with him.

I'm kinda wondering if people are gonna ship Matt/Karen more now that we saw a glimpse of what the real Karen Page is like. Probably not considering Karuth is still the main entity in control but you never know.

Questions:

1. Big question: I'm considering making a prequel oneshot with Moon Knight as the lead during his fight against Murdock. It'd have a very Gotham vibe and I can show off some different characters like a young and active George Stacy, 10 year old Peter and Gwen, 13 year old Felicia Hardy, Evil Cindy when she still worked for SHIELD, a much more egotistical and fashionista Wasp, Wilson Fisk during his height as the Kingpin, and an evil, pre-possession Matt.

Would you guys be interested in this? I am but I'd like to hear you guys' thoughts.

2. What do you guys think of Peter and Cindy's current personalities? I'm not planning to change them, but I wonder if you guys like Noir being (relatively) nicer and more open. Ditto Cindy being less childish and turning into an older, more cynical and even sometimes seductive character. This is pretty different from how people know them in canon.

Cindy especially since a friend commented that she seemed more like Felicia given her recent behavior.

3. Does anyone think Gwen's relationship with Peter makes her a tad hypocritical given that she's a straight laced hero dating an anti-hero? It reminds me of some readers criticizing Spidey for webbing up purse snatchers but letting Felicia run free with at most a slight reprimand.

Review Answers:

DigitalEmperor001 - That's kinda like masturbation, dude.

Raw Prodigy - Noir isn't meant to be a god any more than regular Spidey is.

Tomkatan - Insecure isn't the word I'd use. This is a fanfic, after all, and I've been open from the start about reader input.

Brave2000 - Phobos seems too overpowered for a street setting. Luke Cage is topping the list currently.

Guest 1 - Hope you enjoyed Cindy's segment this chapter.

Guest 2 - Shipping is a weird thing. I'm not really surprised by people shipping it, just the amount of people doing so.

Angry naptime - MJ's living situation has nothing to do with the possible threesome. They meet each other frequently regardless.

Noisy-Cricket - Lana doesn't literally have Neon powers. She's an Inhuman, not a Conduit. She doesn't need to recharge. Also, ethereal spider arms just seem a tad too edgy and needless considering the Hellfire knife.

Titan616 - By V2 cardoard prison is ceasing to be a thing and all the Avengers enjoy support from Starktech and Dynecorp, which means keeping loved ones safe is far less of a hassle. Also, I wonder if you still consider it creepy after seeing Karen here.

Guest ch15 - Maybe 65-Thanos was a good guy and he died when he used the Infinity Gauntlet to double all the resources in the universe? :)

Yo. 789 - Too late for Noir/Lana. She's firmly stuck in the little sister role.

Toleto Jim - Luke Cage is definitely a shoe in.

A Flying Tomato - Noir is already very similar to Kaine. Except for size cause this Noir's a midget.

Poke-em-with-the-pointy-end - Thanks for the compliment :) As for personal experience...mind sharing or is it too personal?

Chillmango - Uh...I don't read Skullduggery Pleasant and any similarities to Noir and Lana are coincidence.