This update took a while. I'm so lazy :(

Current votes: 9 for scientific/magical/demonic gadgets, 7 for wallcrawling and webswinging and 5 for more mystical abilities/Spider Trigger. I'll keep the poll up for a few more days after this update then switch it out for the one asking which love interest MJ should have.

I'm considering writing the Moon Knight oneshot prequel once I finish the Mayday omake. We'll see.

Side note - I've been getting people who write their votes in comments. If you have a vote, please use the poll. It's on top of my profile and it's faster than typing a review.


Jameson: Now I've been getting some accusations that I'm a bigot. That the only reason I'm railing against the likes of Spider-Woman and her ilk are because I'm 'racist' against the Gifted.

Well I'm here to tell you that you're WRONG! It's not because they have powers, it's because they're MENACES! Think about madmen like the so-called Moon Knight or that mass murderer 'The Punisher', who sounds like a villain from one of those 'adult' cartoons you kids are into nowadays. They don't have powers, but they're just as dangerous to themselves and others around them.

Or what about a young woman by the name of Abigail Boylen, commonly known by the alias Cloud 9? She has powers - creating clouds to fly, according to her 'posts' - and she uses it to work a job in pizza delivery and courier work to help support herself and her family. Now THERE's someone who's doing good! Why can't everyone else follow her example and leave the crime fighting to the professionals?

Oh, we just got a caller. You're on with J. Jonah Jameson!

Caller: Yeah, hey. First off aren't the Avengers deputized and everything? Doesn't that make them professionals?

Jameson: Maybe for SOME of them. Captain America and Wasp are experienced heroes who've proven themselves, but the others? That 'entertainer' She-Hulk? The daughter of that billionaire running around with a bow and arrow? And the less said about Spider-Woman and Spinerette, the better!

Caller: Spinerette's working with the cops, though. And she helped save that kid who got kidnapped.

Jameson: And she did it in a way that so conveniently left her as the sole person to ensure this innocent child would be safe. Did she think the cops were incompetent or is she just so obsessed with glory that she's willing to put an innocent at risk? Frankly, madam, your not seeing this makes me question your mental faculties.

Caller: Good to know. Oh, and I'm Abigail Boylen, by the way. Good to know you really think I'm an idiot.

Jameson: ...Jared, cut the call! I said cut it!


Gwen swung down a short distance away from the homeless encampment and quickly shifted back into her casuals, making sure her face was different from regular old Gwen Stacy. Peter was here and he made it very clear he didn't want Spider-Woman making any unscheduled appearances.

The homeless here weren't much fans of her, according to Peter. Apparently being put up on billboards and making TV appearances caused them to resent her as one of the 'big people', just one of the ones on high looking down through their noses. Her rich heiress image from the comic didn't help. She couldn't help but feel sort of offended at the thought. Sure she wasn't a nun or anything, but the only reason she did those damn charity shows (apart from seeing those kids' smiles) was cause it got donations.

She didn't do it for fun, especially not with those big money types looking at her like a piece of meat on auction.

'Oh well, nothing you can do about it.' With a soft sigh the blonde walked across the makeshift village to where she knew Peter would be. A few of the milling bums gave her a few looks but made no move to actually stop her. It wasn't like she was the first 'outsider' to step foot in here. She made sure to stop and drop a Benjamin near an old woman's sleeping bag. Poor lady didn't even have a shack or a tent.

She stopped and smiled when she saw him. Peter was kneeling next to a group of people and handing out various amounts of corner store food and drinks. His head was covered in a thick hood so she could only see the lower half of his face, but it was clear from the smile that he was in good spirits. Better that none of them knew who he was, or so he said.

A short distance away she caught Norah and Murdock's mom - god, that still felt weird to think about - helping one of the older residents with a leg wound. Gwen stepped closer and overheard Norah, "Come on, Jenkins, deep breath! Just hold still for a second more so we can fix your leg." The blonde smiled and held on to the bearded man's shoulders while Murdock's mom grabbed his bent left leg and twisted it with a sickening crack.

The old man grunted and screamed out a string of curses. The nun continued to fix up his leg while Norah let go of his shoulder, picked up a bottle and handed it to him. Booze by the looks of it, "Heh, thanks..." Old man Jenkins took a quick sip of the alcohol.

"No prob. Just make sure to answer some questions when you're healed up." Norah grinned at him then finally took notice of her, "Oh, hey! Whatcha doing down here from atop your lofty tower?"

"Very funny, Norah." Gwen rolled her eyes and, before she could make her own well-thought out and supremely intelligent comeback, an all too familiar barking reached her ears and the (somehow still tiny) pug zipped around the corner and immediately started scratching at her ankles with a giant grin on his face.

'My better half returns.'

'We need to wean you off of those late night shows, little lady. They're a bad influence on you.'

'That's right. Blame Webflicks, not your great influence and our relationship that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Not even chocolate.'

'...It's scary that I have no idea if you're being sarcastic or not.'

'Good.'

Gwen walked around the corner out of sight and, when she was reasonably sure no one was looking, let Webster slink out so she could have her pow wow with pugface, "Don't let anyone see you," she whispered. Webster 'nodded' and Gwen stood up and walked to where Peter was sitting and talking with a man maybe a decade older than him, if that.

"Max, hey." He smiled up at her and she sat next to him. She had to admit she felt like a stranger here, but it wasn't too bad, "This is John. John, this is Max."

"Nice to meet you." She grinned at him and shook his hand. Max...well, it wasn't the worst fake name she could think of.

"This that girl you keep talkin' about, Ben?" The man asked with a grin of his own.

"Ooh, you talk about me? Do tell."

"It's nothing. Just...talk about the people in our lives." Peter coughed and looked to the older man pointedly, "Besides, we were talking business."

"Right, right..." John sighed.

"What's going on?" Gwen asked.

"You saw Jenkins over there." Peter gestured to the old man who was currently busy talking to Norah, "He didn't break his own leg. There's been a bunch of punks running around here. Apparently they get their jollies beating on the homeless. They broke Jenkins' leg when he tried to get them to stop."

Gwen's face knotted in disgust, "Assholes. But, shouldn't the police be handling this?"

"Girl, you ain't been around the Kitchen much, have you?" John laughed derisively, "Cops don't care about us. Even if Ms. Page got us rights to stay here - squattin' laws and all - they got more important things to do than play bodyguard to a buncha bums. That and the head honcho of these guys is some rich boy. Daddy gets him whatever he wants so even if we do call the cops it ain't gonna do nothin'."

"That's..." Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. So what if they were homeless? It didn't mean assholes had free rein to do whatever they wanted with them.

Peter got all the details and the two of them went elsewhere so they could talk alone, "I thought this place was supposed to get better after we killed that demon..." Peter muttered, "...I know I said I'd come have dinner at your house, but maybe you should go ahead?"

"What are you going to do to them?"

"Make sure they can't use that baseball bat they used to cripple Jenkins."

The implicit threat was enough for her. Gwen took a deep breath and put a hand on his shoulder, "Right, how about we do this another way?" He looked back at her and she held up both hands, "I'm not saying your way is wrong, okay? But let me try something first, a way so that the people here don't get fucked over by some rich kid's daddy with a vendetta." She held up the miniature camera and smiled wryly, "Sometimes there are some benefits to having to film everything."

"What, you think a public shaming's going to work?"

"For a lot of these guys? Yeah, it's basically suicide. And if it doesn't work then we can do it your way. I just want a chance to try and help. The last time I did it when you...took a break I ended up just making an ass of myself." It was a bitter reminder that being a friendly neighborhood hero didn't work out everywhere. The war with HYDRA they had came to mind.

"...Alright, but I'll stay close."

A few hours later and it was barely past sundown. Gwen crouched on a nearby rooftop and and narrowed her eyes as four guys strolled into the encampment like they owned it. She was tempted to swing down right then and there, but she knew she needed proof. Beating him up wouldn't help. He'd just come crying to mommy and daddy then who knew what'd happen to the people at the encampment. They needed to do this better.

"Hey, anybody home!" The ringleader couldn't have been younger than 30 but from what she heard from the others he acted maybe half of that. His designer leather jacket and gelled hair looked massively out of place even compared to his cronies, who looked far more dressed down, "Come on, I wanted to see how that old man was doin'! Brought flowers and everything!"

Gwen grit her teeth as old man Jenkins walked up to him with crutches. It was his idea to do this, "Ain't nothin' for you here. Get lost."

"Ooh, big talk comin' from a guy who can't even stand up straight." The cocky bastard actually kicked one of the crutches away and Jenkins fell on his side. Gwen recorded everything, "You listen to me, ya old fuck, ya don't talk shit to me. You know who I am, huh?! You want me to break your other leg?!" His cronies spread out and began to drag people from their tents and shacks.

That was enough. Gwen swung down behind them and said loudly, "Gentlemen! What's going on here?" she asked, face casual. All four of them turned around and leader's face turned white as a sheet when he saw her. Typical bully; didn't want to fight someone who could hit back. The people who got dragged from their homes used the shock as a chance to knock the cronies off and run out of sight.

"Shut...uh, nothin! Just..." Ringleader looked at old man Jenkins and knelt down, "Just helping this old man out."

He couldn't even be bothered to not look disgusted as he helped him up. The old bum gave the entitled bully a death glare and yanked his arm back so he could stand on his own. Gwen narrowed her eyes in a doubting look, "Really? Cause it looks to me that you were assaulting him and threatening to 'break his other leg'. And trying to do something bad to others here. You maybe wanna tell the truth or should I ask him instead?" She looked to old man Jenkins.

"He...He's been comin' here for weeks, attacking anyone cause he thinks he can get away with-"

"Fuck, they're just bums!" Ringleader screamed. She found it more than a little weird that his cronies didn't say anything or even try to slink away, "Look, it ain't a big fucking deal. Just turn around and walk away. Don't you have some cats to save or something?"

"So you want me to just turn around and pretend I didn't just see you assault this guy? That about right?" she asked back, voice dripping heavy with sarcasm, "Better idea. Why don't you come with me to the police station so you can explain to the police why you should be allowed to get away with assaulting innocent people."

For a second she thought the guy would be stupid enough to throw a punch. Instead he ran past her with his cronies right behind him, all of them splitting off into different directions. Gwen sighed and, without turning around shot two lines of webbing behind her and caught two of the cronies in the back before tugging them to the floor. The third and last cronie suddenly stopped and fell to the ground convulsing. Norah stepped out from behind a nearby shack and holstered her tazer gun with a grin.

Ringleader was almost out when Peter appeared in a wisp of smoke, grabbed him by the collar and headbutted him. A couple of teeth flew off, but she didn't feel too bad for him, "Nice one." Norah grinned and Gwen gave her the camera, "I'll make sure everyone knows exactly what Mr. Justin Hammer here was getting up to in his free time."

"Hammer's a big name in this place. Sure his daddy won't just buy the press off?" Peter asked.

"They can try, but Robbie's gotten threats from the Maggia before. A CEO isn't gonna be the breaking point." She pocketed the camera, "Besides, I'm pretty sure Tony Stark's going to be really invested in making sure this makes the news. His business rival covering up his son assaulting the homeless? It's Christmas come early for him."

"Right...well, I'll go check on Jenkins and the others then we can go."

Peter made sure all of them were alright and, after saying their goodbyes, they made the walk back the train station for Queens. Gwen held onto his right hand and squeezed it, "Remember, your promised to teach me how to cook." Her mom and the Parkers were leaving in a few hours back to France.

"How could I forget? I've been preparing my will ever since you asked me." She slapped the back of his head and pouted. She wasn't that bad; she only burned her toast (and her toaster...and the fridge) one time! "Come on, we gotta get started if you wanna surprise them."

An hour later Gwen, Peter and Webster were in her kitchen and locked the door to keep anyone else from interrupting. Peter suggested something simple - spaghetti, garlic bread and some French dessert she couldn't pronounce, "Pass me that bowl, Webs." Webster slithered under the far-off bowl, lifted it then waddled over to where she was mixing together the sauce. Even she couldn't mess this up.

Peter was close by and mixing the chocolate cream. Webster set the bowl down next to her then slithered over to him and peeked over the edge at the brown confection. She could smell it from here, "Hey, none of that." Peter lightly smacked the blob's head when she tried to dip down and lick.

"I'm hungry..."

"It'll taste better when we finish."

"But..."

Peter sighed and, without taking his hand off the bowl, pulled out a smaller bowl from another cabinet and set it down next to Webster, "Here are the leftovers."

"Thank you. I can see why Gwen loves you."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Gwen's lips curled up in a smile at the absurdity of the situation. Here they were - Spider-Man and Spider-Woman - preparing a meal for her family, which included her step-mom with super strength, her birth mom who came back from the dead and her dad, Ben and May who survived way too much the last year. All while her other partner took a chocolate bath like Miser McChicken.

And despite it all it felt normal and she was happy. She wouldn't have traded this for all the celebrity dinners and and cheering crowds in the world.

Soon enough they were all sitting on the living room and watching an episode of Catching Predators...featuring Spider-Woman. Yeah, she let Shulkie talk her into it a couple of months ago. She'd actually forgotten all about it - always more things to do - till her mom suddenly brought it up and even came with a freaking disc, cause apparently she still hadn't gotten the memo that everything was online now.

TV her dropped down from a web behind a guy, "Hey, what's up? Why don't you have a seat right over there?" She almost felt bad for the guy when he started begging about how he didn't want to go to jail. Then she had to read their messages, constant dick pics and found out that almost all of them had condoms, alcohol, a switchblade (that wasn't supposed to be there, he said) and, bizarrely, lemonade.

The less said about the guy who brought his own kid, the better...

Gwen leaned against Peter and smiled. Her mom was to Peter's left and she was holding onto Helena while the baby occasionally giggled and tapped at the older Stacy's face. Peter ocassionally glared down at the little Spider-Man tsum that Helena still refused to part with.

If she could frame one thing this would've been it. Just her and the people she loved having stupid fun without a care in the world.

The 45 minute mark had passed and TV her was interviewing a guy who claimed to be meeting a 70 year old when Peter excused himself and left for the backyard. Gwen followed after him with only a little hesitation and found him sitting on the porch with a cigarette between his lips. She really didn't like that habit of his.

"Hey...something wrong?" She sat to his right.

"Just thinking about the people in the encampment. Ever since Martin...died it's really only been sister Maggie who goes in to help them. Summers helps here and there, but still." He sighed, "Maybe I need to ask Page another favor."

"Just take it slow, Pete. There's no need to carry the world on your shoulders."

"That's rich coming from you." He laughed softly and tapped the end of the cigarette, just watching the ashes fall down to the wood, "...You've been telling me you want me to enroll in ESU. "

"Yeah...why, are you thinking about it?" She couldn't stop herself from sounding hopeful at that. He raised the cigarette to take another drag and she grabbed it out of his hand before crushing it in her fist. No distractions, "You were saying?"

"Try to be normal, you say..." He frowned, "...Look, if we really wanna do that then I can't just take classes. I mean, who'd pay for it?"

"I could-"

"No," he interrupted quickly, "It's something I've been thinking about for a while. You know how I paid for my old place." Taking from some of the criminals he stopped. She didn't hold it against him. She'd seen firsthand that he didn't splurge and the place itself was, pardon her for being judgy, and absolute craphole, "I've been getting asked recently what my plans are. If I'm just going to keep being Spider-Man forever."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that...maybe I should be Peter Parker too," he said slowly, "Or Ben Reilly or whatever name I come up with. Cindy's made a life for herself here so I'm thinking I should too." He let go of her hand and rubbed his stubbled jaw, "That means being more than just Spider-Man and waiting for the clock to tick down before I put on the mask again."

"So...you are going to ESU?"

"Maybe at some point. First things first, I need a job." He laughed wryly at that, "Mary's working at the theatre. Maybe I could ask her to recommend me...assumin' no one recognizes my ugly mug."

"You could always join the Initiative. Like Lana."

"Only reason that worked out for her is cause her waste of skin dad's the mayor. Killing that bastard in Times Square got me some leeway, but I don't wanna push it. Besides..." He smirked, "I was never really good at the Superhero gig."

"I disagree." She held his hand again, "You can still go to ESU. I don't mind paying your tuition."

"I mind."

She huffed out an annoyed breath. He was so stubborn, him and MJ both. She tugged him towards her and kissed him, ignoring the lingering taste of nicotine on his tongue. It took a while but she was finally getting used to the idea that he was here to stay. Sure things were still fucked in some ways - Murdock and his old ninja pals came to mind - but they could fix that.

Gwen barely deepened the kiss before she heard a crash back in the living room. She and Peter practically had to step over each other to get there first and when they both arrived she froze.

"Evening, Ms. Stacy." Murderdock turned his head slightly in her direction and smiled. Her dad and Jess looked furious while her mom kept back and held Helena tightly while Ben and May stood guard in front of her, "I came to pick up Peter for an excursion, I'm afraid I interrupted your get-together. My apologies."

"Matt..." Peter looked like he was about to shoot him right between the eyes. Gwen wouldn't have stopped him.

"You weren't picking up your phone, so I got worried." He looked to her mom and Helena with a smile, "I'm glad you're doing well, Helen. None the worse for wear from last year's events? And is that your namesake you're holding? I can't see her, but I assume she's adorable. All babies are apparently.."

Seeing him talk to her mom and Helena like he was an old friend was the last straw. Gwen saw red and, before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed Murdock with both hands; one on his collar and the other on his arm, "Don't talk to them!" She twisted him around by his right arm, breaking it again in the process, and dragged him to the backdoor before throwing him through it painfully.

Murderdock rolled across the ground and she was already on him, one foot stomping his neck even as his remaining good arm feebly gripped her ankle. It would've been so easy to press down just a little more and snap the bone entirely, "Gwen-" Peter put a hand on her arm and when she turned to look at him her eyes were inhumanly wide and white while veins ran along her neck up to her jaw. Her open snarl showed fanged teeth.

"...I think I upset her, Peter." Murderdock smiled through his bloody teeth.

'Calm down, Gwen. He's not a danger.'

Peter pulled her back before she could stomp his face, "I need him alive." He looked ill as he was saying it. Gwen let Peter pull her back and took a deep breath to calm herself. Her face went back to normal and she could only thank small fortunes that everyone else stayed inside. She didn't want them to see her like that, so out of control and ready to break her own code. Even if that bastard deserved it.

Murderdock stood up shakily and spat out a bloody wad of saliva, "Well, that was-" Peter punched him in the face. Hard. Somehow he managed to stay upright after stumbling back, though his right arm still hung uselessly. Good. He deserved it.

Footsteps came from behind. Gwen looked back and saw three more figures step over the broken (gonna have to pay for that...) door, two of which she recognized. Moon Knight and Iron Fist she knew, but the third one was a mystery to her. A woman in a dark, patchwork ninja costume with a katana held in her hand. Iron Fist stayed back to talk with her dad and Jess while the remaining two walked closer to them.

"Ms. Stacy." Moon Knight nodded. The ninja woman moved her shoulders a bit and didn't look at her. Rude.

"...Hope no one saw you walk up to my house," she muttered back bitterly. The last thing she needed was anyone making connections.

"We took precautions. It helps that this place is oddly barren at night." Moon Knight turned to Peter, "Come, we must deal with Sowande."

"Found him already?"

"Mercenaries being hired en masse tend to make waves." Murderdock rubbed his jaw and let out a soft breath, "It probably helps that you have a bounty on your head. Makes soldiers of fortune very eager to risk their lives."

"You have a what?!" She rounded to Peter and he stepped back at the loudness of her voice, "You have a bounty?! Since when?!"

"Damn it, knew I forgot something..." Peter muttered, looking way less worried than he should have been.

"You forgot?!"

"I've been dealing with a lot of things. Between the demons, Bullseye coming back and dealing with Page it honestly just slipped my mind. I wasn't hiding it from you." She narrowed her eyes at him and he held up both hands, "I didn't lie to you, I promise."

"Fuck..." She rubbed both her temples and shut her eyes, trying to calm herself, "Alright, fine. How big is it?" Probably wasn't much if it really slipped his mind.

"It's just-"

"30 million dollars." Both their heads snapped to Murderdock, Gwen's with utter shock while Peter sported a murderous glare, "That's only the current bounty, mind you. Given this we can assume it's someone with a personal grudge. The government didn't give that much of a bounty for Crossbones and he was Red Skull's main enforcer."

"30 million-" Webster moved Gwen's arm to cover her mouth so her scream could be muffled. Moon Knight just watched passively while Ninja Girl sighed and nudged her head, indicating she wanted to go, "30 million dollars?!" she said in a harsh whisper, "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"I only found out a week ago, and after that we dealt with Blackout and Bullseye stabbed me in the gut. Didn't seem immediate." He glared at Murderdock again. The blind bastard just shrugged without a care, "I don't see how it's much different. People already want my head, money or not. We live dangerous lives."

She sorely wanted to disagree, but she couldn't. She knew exactly what he meant. The same way her dad's badge was a symbol it was also a target. Every time she put on the mask she was just inviting people to shoot at her, "...I still don't like this." That didn't mean she was wrong to worry about her boyfriend a 30 million price tag on his head. She crossed her arms and looked to Moon Knight, "Where are you all going, anyway?"

"Sowande, one of the Fingers of the Hand. He uses mercenaries as his main source of manpower. I heard tells of a gathering taking place in Brooklyn and we plan to cut off the head of the snake while we have the chance."

"Then I'm coming with you-"

"No-"

"Fuck off," she countered immediately, surprising even Moon Knight, "I just found out my boyfriend has a price on his head and you want me to, what, sit on my ass do nothing. Did you forget I'm Spider-Woman?"

"No one doubts your abilities, Ms. Stacy. I daresay you're stronger than all of us here combined," Murderdock said. She didn't even bother to look at him, "However, we don't need overwhelming power. Make no mistake: we're planning an assassination. Sowande is too influential to leave alive, and we need to maintain a low profile during this. Having Spider-Woman goes against that."

"Says the guy running around dressed like a devil," she spat back.

"He does have a point," Peter muttered, "The last thing you need is to get tied into this mess. Wouldn't look very good for Spider-Woman or the Avengers." Gwen grit her teeth. Captain America warned her multiple times she was already pushing her luck just hanging out with Peter in the open despite him technically still being a wanted vigilante. The only reason she hadn't gotten into more trouble was because of the built-up goodwill.

"But..."

"There's something else I could use your help with. You heard the name Roxxon before?" She nodded slowly, "The first stooge that came after me said the one ponying up the dough for this is Roxxon corp. Must be someone high up on the chain if they can afford so much."

"You think I can do this?"

"You have a better chance than I do with that fancy Avengers card." Peter smiled wryly, "We'll deal with Sowande then we can deal with the bounty. Okay?"

"...I still don't like this." She looked pointedly at Murderdock who just continued to smile, "Make sure to call me when you finish, okay?"

"Promise."

She shared a quick embrace with him and then watched them all go. Poor Iron Fist went last, still apologizing to everyone inside for Murderdock's fucked up behavior. Gwen went inside and immediately went to her mom and Helena, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." The older Stacy's words were shaky, "I just...I didn't expect to ever see him again. I mean I saw the news, but..." She held Helena tighter. Her little sister had gone quiet and looked close to crying.

"Why's Peter working with that...monster?" May asked softly.

"It's...It's a long story." One she didn't want to share if she could. She sighed and turned to Jess, "Jess...I need your help with something."


HtForTic: So real talk, anyone notice that Spider-Woman got way stronger like a year ago? Like before it was just webswinging, wall crawling and the occasional car lifting. Now she can toss trains and make tentacles and shit.

lIshYTiOn: Yeah. She didn't say anything about it, but she definitely got a power up. Where do you guys think she got it?

ThatDoesn'tAddUpt: She said she got bit by a radioactive spider a year ago, right? Then again we know the whole 'me and Spinerette got bit at the same time' thing is bull cause Spinerette's from another dimension.

STRAtERGYNa: Not surprised they had to lie about some stuff. I mean, you never know who might be listening in. Imagine if every criminal knew what Spider-Woman's webbing was made out of and made counters to it?

PHERab0LE: So? Cops run around with open identities and standard issue gear, why can't she?

STRAtERGYNa: Cops don't have to deal with Supervillains, my dude. Remember the Carnage Killer and Jack-o-Lantern? It wasn't the cops that stopped them.

OpERnOuST: Off topic, but anyone else think Spider-Man might be from another dimension too? I know they said he was Peter Parker but he acted way different for a while there.

ThatDoesn'tAddUpt: Yeah, next you're gonna say Matt Murdock became a hero or something.

OpERnOuST: Just a thought.

HtForTic: So no clue why Spider-Woman's got tentacles now? Back to the drawing board, I guess...


She got the modeling gig.

MJ sat at the edge of the tall building and continued to look down at the letter. She read through the paper again to make sure she got it right, "Congratulations, Ms. Watson. You successfully passed the audition and..." And it went on and on, but the basic gist of it was clear: she was a model now and she could expect to get called in within the week for jobs.

It was an odd feeling. One part elated and the other with spiders in her stomach. She'd really only taken the gig because of the upfront cash deal and to give her dad some time, though lord only knew why she even cared about that guy. She always expected to find him either face down in an alley or in a jail cell.

'What's the big deal?' Crimson groused, 'You're already playing hero with Stacy and you have that band again. Do you need even more attention?'

'Shut it.' She pulled out an envelope from her 'pocket' and looked at the contents. A few thousand dollars, at least. The letter said it was a signing bonus. Personally she thought Kingsley was just a bit too loose with his cash, but she wasn't going to complain. That and the guy was one of those quirky people. The kind of people who'd be called weird if they didn't have money to burn.

Time to pay back her dad's debt.

She pressed her phone against her ear and called Mr. Southern Accent. He had an actual name, Fancy Dan or some crap, but she wasn't gonna call him that, "Hey there, sweetheart? Feelin' lonely?" She rolled her eyes. Despite his assurance that 'favors' weren't on the table he sure loved to make comments about his 'feelers'. It was too bad he made her skin crawl; he actually wasn't that bad looking.

"I've got the rest of that money. Where do you wanna meet?"

"That soon? Damn, you models make the big bucks, huh?"

"Just tell me where we're doing the exchange before I change my mind and let that piece of shit out to dry."

"Ooh, sounds like there are issues there." He whistled, "Well, don't matter to me none. Let's meet up in front of daddy dearest's place. Sure you wanna tell him the good news when we've finished our little transaction." Something about the way he said that last part rubbed her wrong. Brushing it off, Mary Jane put on her mask and swung over to the ratty neighborhood her dad lived.

She changed into a tanktop, jeans and sneakers and waited for the guy to show. It took about 10 minutes before he finally got there, purple suit and all, "Kept you waitin' long, darlin'?" She narrowed her eyes and practically shoved the envelope into his chest. A shame to see it all go, but she just wanted to finish this. She'd have to keep doing the theater gig for a while.

"There. We're finished."

She turned to walk away when he suddenly called out, "Oh, hold on a second, sweetheart." Ugh, what was with the nicknames? She turned around and watched him meticulously count the hundred dollar bills before frowning. Not a good sign, "This is a good stack ya got here, but I'm afraid it's not enough."

"What? No, I counted it! You have-"

"Enough for the initial debt. But ya see, ol Philly cheese steak there borrowed more a couple days ago." The words didn't take long to sink in and she was shocked silent. Mr. Southern Accent took it as cue to continue, "I know, I was surprised too! But since you started payin' off his debts his credit was good again and he was so sure he'd get a hot streak at this new place. He didn't, if you were curious."

"...How much does he owe you now?"

"Oh, about 10,000 dollars. That's after this payment, by the by. He did not a have good run."

To say Mary Jane was livid was an understatement. She'd agreed to bail him out and he just went back into it; just like she knew (should have known) he would. White-hot fury surged through her and she turned and stomped up to his apartment, ignoring Southern Accent calling out that he expected the next payment as soon as possible. She was pissed, both at him and herself. What did she expect to happen? Why did she think anything different?

'I told you we should have killed him.'

"Hey, open up!" She knocked on the door hard enough to crack the surface of the wood. It was a small miracle she hadn't broken it down entirely, "I said open up!" She screamed louder. No one bothered to look out and check on the noise. Place like this, it wasn't rare.

Nothing. Mary Jane grit her teeth and, losing all patience, kicked the door down straight off its hinges. She heard two screams and she wished she was surprised when she saw her dad and another prostitute on the bed. She could only thank small mercies that his pants were still on, "Out!" She jerked her thumb to the door. The older woman, whose skin showed the telltale sign of meth use, looked like she was tempted to argue before thinking better of it and scurrying out of the door.

"Mary Jane-"

She didn't let him finish. The irate redhead grabbed him by his jaw and smashed him against the wall, hand covering his mouth and keeping him from talking. Red flesh covered the skin of her hand and she felt the veins run up her neck, "You useless piece of shit!" she hissed, her grip around the lower of his face tightening, "I try to help you and you just waste it! Again!"

He tried to say something, but his words came out muffled and garbled. It was obvious by where his eyes looked that he saw Crimson seeping out.

"I dunno what I expected. Maybe I thought I'd give you another chance, or that I felt guilty for what I did." The tip of her fingers and pierced skin and blood dribbled down her hand, "I'm done. Enjoy that grave you dug yourself."

She let him drop to the ground. He fell on his ass and looked up at her, gaping and gasping. Mary Jane stared down at him coldly and turned around. Crimson whispered in her ear, urged her to rip his jaw off, but she ignored it. He was a dead man walking anyway.

Mary Jane was halfway to the exit when he finally managed to speak, "It was you..." She stopped and didn't turn around, "A year ago, that monster who tried to kill me...it was you."

He thought she'd feel guilty. Mary Jane thought she'd feel guilty too. Instead her mouth curled up in a sneer and she finally turned to look at him, "Yeah. And I almost wish I went through with it." The coldness in her words surprised even her, "You're a worthless waste of skin, 'dad', and I'm done bailing you out. Don't talk to me, mom or Gayle again or I'll come back and finish the job."

"I'll...I'll tell-"

"Who? The cops? The papers? Who'd believe you?" She laughed, soft and forced, "Do you know how many people talk about how they have powers or how they're related to someone special? You're a drunk 'author' who couldn't write a book to save his life. They'll just think you're another crazy asshole who drank too much. No, you aren't blackmailing me and I'm done listening to you."

"They'll kill me..." He looked so pathetic, face scrunched up and seconds from bawling. She almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

"Good luck with that."

Mr. Southern Accent was gone by the time she got down. She texted him that her dad could handle his own debts and to lose her number before changing back in the alley and swinging through the air again. She felt...good. She left her dad to die and she felt good. Was it wrong for her to feel that way?

'That was fun.'

'Don't start.'

'What? I'm being serious.' She rolled her eyes and landed on a nearby high building, 'It would've been better if you killed him, but this was fun too. I thought you'd just help him out again.'

'And why the hell would I do that?'

'It's what Stacy would have done.'

Her mouth twitched and she just barely held herself back from punching the ground in sudden frustration. Would Gwen have saved her piece of shit of a 'dad'? She hated the idea of people dying, but she never let supervills with sob stories go just cause they had a bad childhood.

And she never had to deal with a useless sack of shit of a dad. Captain Stacy was a lot of things, but he wasn't a bad father. She always envied her, Glory and Betty for that. All of them had great relationships with their dads. They didn't have to look back at memories like being taught how to ride bikes and think about how tainted those images had become later or wonder if he ever really cared or just pretended to.

Well, it wasn't her problem anymore.

'What do you say we get back to business?'

'If you mean killing then no, don't push your luck.' She hadn't talked to Norah in days. She was scared she'd be tempted to slide back into old habits when she inevitably asked about the people that slipped through the cracks.

'But why not?' The whine in its voice almost made her laugh.

'Because I don't want to.' Not yet, she didn't say, but they both knew it was implied.

Her argument was cut off when she saw a shadowy figure swinging between two low buildings. Gwen going on patrol? Either her or Cindy. Still better than spending the night alone, at least. The figure stopped on top of a small office building and Mary Jane swung down. If they were going on patrol then she could tag along. It'd help take her mind off of da- Philip.

The first thing that came to mind when she got a closer look was that it wasn't Gwen or Cindy. The Black Cat turned around when she landed and her lips curled in a smirk, "Scarlet Spider. I'd heard that you were out and about again." Mary Jane stood stock still and didn't say anything back, "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" She laughed at her own joke. Dweeb.

"Ah, shut up..." She rolled her eyes. Felicia had left along with the rest of the Defenders sans Lana a year ago. She only found out weeks later when there were sightings of her in France, back in her home. How she was running around so openly she had no idea, but she had to guess Felicia made a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D or something, "I heard from Cindy that you were back."

"Yes. Working with the police on lease."

A scream came from close by. Mary Jane looked across the street and frowned when she saw a little old lady getting her purse snatched by a pale young woman. Another druggie by the looks of her, "Oh for fuck's..." She swung over just as the junkie came out of the alley and clocked her right in the jaw. She fell like a sack and Mary Jane picked up the purse as the old lady came out of the alley panting.

"Th-Thank you..."

"No prob. Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"N-No, but my medication's inside. Asthma."

"O-Oh, here!" She handed the purse back in a rush. The old lady smiled gratefully and took a quick puff from the inhaler, "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need me to take you somewhere?"

"No, but thank you." The woman took a 20 out of her pocket, "Here, for your trouble."

"O-Oh, no. I didn't do it for that." She held up both hands and stepped back. This was so weird, "Just make sure you get home okay and we're even."

"Thank you, young lady. Little Vito'll be so excited when I tell him I met a superhero. He's a big fan."

'Hero...' She watched the woman go then swung up to the nearby building out of sight. Saving that old lady felt good, but it also reminded her of what she'd just done with her dad. Yeah he deserved it, and no she had no urge to go back and bail him out, but...

Felicia landed behind her, "So your little bout into heroism was genuine." Mary Jane turned and Felicia leaned against the wall near the fire escape, "Personally I still don't see the point."

"Says the popstar thief working for the police." Mary Jane smiled wryly.

"That's work...and a favor owed."

"Yeah...I heard about Murdock." The former(?) thief frowned, "Surprised you let him live."

"Karen Page offered a compelling deal. My father's worth more than revenge." Even Felicia had a great relationship with her dad. It felt like the universe was just making fun of her now, "Still, I guess I can't be too surprised. Spending so much time around Spider-Woman would likely convince anyone to suicidal charity."

Felicia didn't know about her killings. Would she even care, the cynical part of her (which was growing larger by the day) wondered. She definitely didn't hesitate to team up with Punisher or Bullseye when it meant getting the revenge she so desperately wanted. If she told her would she even react or just make some joke about how Gwen must not have known if they were still friends.

Joke would've been on her. Gwen knew and they were still friends.

Her bitter musings were cut off by the nearby bigscreens suddenly fizzing out. Both she and Felicia looked when they came back to life and a man with a wrinkly face and curly red hair appeared. He wore an all white suit with a green bowtie that looked hilariously out of place, "Hello, New York!" Mary Jane flinched. His voice sounded like a dying chimpanzee, "Arcade here with a special surprise for all of you!"

"What the fuck?" Mary Jane muttered.

"That's Arcade. He's an assassin...ostensibly. In truth he's more a madman who spends money to kill people for fun." Felicia scoffed, "He's a sick little man."

"I have a show for you all!" Arcade sang, "Now normally I'd keep this event for paying customers and participants, but my new client is paying so much that I decided, why not let everyone else in on the fun? After all, we've got some special, never before seen guests!"

The screen changed images and Mary Jane's insides turned cold. There was Peter, mask and costume and all, slumped against the wall with a beeping collar around his neck. Around him on the wall and on the floor were a few others - Murdock, Moon Knight, Iron Fist and a woman in a ninja outfit - all of them in full costume and equally unconscious. They all had collars on their necks too.

"That's..."

"It looks like Spider's gotten himself in trouble again." Mary Jane's phone rang, but she was still too frozen in shock to respond, "Something tells me Arcade won't be surviving the night when he wakes up."

Mary Jane ignored her and answered the call. They had to find that place. Now.


gyphypTA: Holy crap, did everyone see the broadcast just now?!

TrisTERmidara: Yeah. Is it legit?

FactChecker: Think so. That's Arcade. He's on the world's most wanted list. -embedded link-

SasukeUzumaki: They said he was the one who kidnapped a bunch of celebs in Vegas. Not surprised he's moving onto Superheroes.

Noobmaster69: Something tells me he bit off more than can chew. Ten bucks says Spider-Man shoots him through the mouth before the night's done.

TrisTERmidara: Nah. Twenty that Spider-Man and his entire team bite it. Arcade's never been caught for a reason.

ClintEdwards: Those are people. You guys are sick...

gyphypTA: Man, Spider-Woman's gonna be pissed when she finds out...


Woof, good thing I postponed the Gwen and Noir segment to this chapter. It ended up being 5000 words long and would've bloated the last chapter. The second segment was also supposed to focus on Noir and show how he got got captured, but I put in Mary Jane instead because Noir gets the majority, if the entire, next chapter for himself and his group. I'll just explain how they got there next update.

Speaking of, Noir and the Defenders vs Arcade's Murderworld! Probably shouldn't have ignored that 30 million bounty on your head. Oh well, at least now we get some action for Noir. He's been pretty lacking in it lately. That and a baddie that's despicable enough that we'll see a return of the much more anti-heroic Noir from V1.

And don't worry, this does tie into the main plot. Arcade's not a filler villain.

I know some people are annoyed that Gwen's segment was focused on Noir, but don't worry she gets plot focus when the pregnancy comes up and Noir gets involved in her side. Tit for tat.

Questions:

1. So...I wonder if I could ever write Gwen as being able to forgive Matt - or at least tolerate him - without it coming across as absolute BS. Since he's sticking around for a while and interacting with MJ I wonder if I should have him interact with Gwen more or she just pretends he doesn't exist to avoid breaking his jaw.

2. Is Noir specifically on too many teams? One reader commented on how weird it is that he's on so many groups like the V2 Defenders, the group with the other protagonists, his friendship with Daimon and Ketch etc etc.

3. Should the protags me more emotional and less in-control? Lana getting shotgunned in the face and experiencing no trauma stuck out as odd to a friend when he read through it.

Review Answers:

Eudera - What's wrong with the younger characters?

Roxasdualwielder - Threesome already got voted out.

Brave2000 - Thing is, broken 616 Daredevil is not the smug, assholish 65-Matt Murderdock. Even if you can pity him in segments when he attempts suicide you can't really deny he's a jerk who enjoys riling people up.

JTodd21 - Peter and Gwen aren't the only protagonists anymore, especially with Moon incarcerated and Murdock forced to heroism.

Raw Prodigy - Sin DT is too strong and alien looking. As for 65-Peter's death: Gwen believes she beat him to death but the bio indicates that it's less the beating and more his heart gave out due to the strain of the transformation. The beating likely helped, but it wasn't the only cause.

Cha0s4ever - You didn't consider the Lizard serum an asspull in V1? Cause I sure did and I wrote it.

Guest - The Miles relation is a spoiler, but his employer is just Scorpion. He's not freelance.

Guest and LEgenDarYPRincE (pretty sure you're the same guy) - Comics Noir couldn't webswing or wallcrawl in his miniseries, which I based this Noir off of.

Mack006 - Offscreen romance? I doubt it given the mentioned crushes. Also, you don't like this new Matt? Not enough of a jerk? :P As for how I write so fast: no life, being fast at typing, no life, knowing the story ahead of time and no life.

Jetiq - Threesome got voted out. Romance really only came here cause readers kept demanding it, both for Peter/Gwen and Orignoir/Shadowcat. Still, what's wrong with the romance specifically? Could always use advice. :)

As for people being in love with Noir: there's Gwen, Lana, Mary Jane and Matt. Mary Jane and especially Matt are harder to gauge since the former is equally attracted to Gwen while the latter is emotionally messed up and his view on love is equally twisted. That and Gwen has even more people attracted to her, via reputation if nothing else.