Woof, barely any reviews last time. Hopefully this one does better. End of the Morbius arc and a little look back on Cindy.


Alby einst: Why does everyone think there are more female heroes than male ones?

Reply from BattleUp Saber: Not sure. Figured it was just random chance. Like how 99% of people end up getting cancer when they're irradiated by the last 1% gets superpowers.

Reply from SupaNintendoGirl: Yep. Figured it was just luck of the draw and it happened to be women. There are male superheroes running around too, you know.

Reply from Alby einst: Yeah but they're so rare. Look at the Hospital Incident. The only guy there was Spider-Man. Everyone else was a woman.

Reply from luke ketchum: Does it really matter? Heroes are heroes dude. When someone's saving me from getting stabbed I'm not really paying attention to what they're packing down there.


We received the diagnosis today. ALS. 2-8 years before I perish and all the while my body will continue to decay. I don't know what to do. The scientist in me wants to analyze, to look at the problem objectively and figure out a solution. But the other, human part understands that there's no point to it. ALS has existed for centuries even before its official diagnosis and even with all the advancements in the 21st century a cure, or even halting progression, is impossible.

I'm scared. All through my life I considered multiple ways to die - old age, sickness, cancer, a mistake in an experiment, but ALS was something I never considered. It seemed so rare, rarer than the chances of being gunned down in the street by some desperate addict looking for their next fix. Now it's here, and I still hope every day that when I wake up it'll all be just a dream.

...

The diagnosis has been hard on Martine, perhaps even moreso than it was for me. Our courtship was hardly orthodox. An out and about society girl from the esteemed Bancroft family with a scientist who can barely stand the sun on his skin. And now she has to live knowing that I am wasting away. That the man that was to be her husband is going to be nothing more than a useless, fleshy puppet she'll have to care for. Assuming she doesn't leave me outright. A part of me wishes she does. No one deserves to watch the one they love fade away.

...

I tripped and hit my head today. It was painful, but nothing compared to seeing the look in Martine's eyes. So helpless and so angry with herself for not being able to do anything. For all those weeks she'd hoped that perhaps it was a misdiagnosis, that by some miracle she'd wake up the next day and find out I wasn't slowly decaying away. I hate to see her like this.

...

I left Martine. It pains me inside, more than this disease ravaging me, but it was the best for both of us. I am dying. There is nothing I can do about that. What sense would there be to make her suffer alongside me?

I will continue to teach. My condition is not yet so terrible that I am incapable of imparting knowledge. The headmaster of ESU has been informed of my condition and we have made arrangements for me to continue teaching even after I deteriorate. If I am to do something worthwhile with my remaining time it shall be teaching the next generation.

...

I am a fool. A complete and utter fool. I had resigned myself to death. Accepted it. I have no family, no offspring to carry my lineage nor have I made an impact to be remembered. Once I pass the world will move on as if I had never been present.

Intellectually I have always been aware of death. Many scramble for immortality, or at least to be remembered like those who have made their mark on history. Einstein, Da Vinci, Mother Teresa, Gengis Khan, Stalin...humans of every stripe and birth have long since passed and yet they are remembered. I never held an interest in it. Life is fleeting and that ties into its value.

And yet now I find myself having second thoughts. Martine called me today, pleading to come back together so that we may spend what time I have left together. I couldn't answer her. I convinced myself that keeping my distance was for her benefit and yet I know that is a lie. I am a coward. I would rather die alone than admit that I am scared of losing her.

I will research my condition and attempt to find a way to lengthen my stay in this world. For Martine.

...

My condition is getting worse. I lost my grip on a test tube earlier and I struggle to eat without suffocating. Even this journal entry has to be done via voice recognition - one of the few things I haven't lost yet.

The research is futile, I understand that, and yet I continue to do so. Hope is a scary thing. It drives me to search for a cure despite the cruel truth of its impossibility. A part of me simply wishes to end it all, to pass away from this world on my own terms. A foolish thought. Given my condition now I doubt I would be capable of wrapping the noose around my neck or pulling a trigger.

I can feel death's grip closing in but I refuse to pass just yet. I will continue.

"Wow..." Gwen muttered. Next to her Peter closed the laptop and slid it away without a word. Norah sent them the hacked journal earlier and they'd spend the next couple of hours scouring through the entries back at their apartment for any clue on where the scientist turned Vampire would be.

Instead all she got was a heavy feeling in her chest. When she first saw the torn labcoat and the bodies she was all too ready to write him off as another mad scientist who turned himself into a monster. But he wasn't. He was a desperate man who didn't want to die, just like Peter wasn't just the Lizard monster the city wanted to think he was to make themselves feel better.

"Good intentions gone wrong." Peter leaned back on the seat while Gwen tightened her grip on his shoulders from where she stood behind him. His voice was soft. Sympathetic? "I can relate."

"That happened years ago, Peter..."

"Doesn't change that it happened. And for less understandable reasons." He stood and opened his phone, "We didn't get a location here but we did get a name. Martine Bancroft. Shouldn't be too hard to- got it." He handed her his phone. Martine Bancroft's tweeter profile. The woman was young - maybe late 20's or early 30's at most - with long blond hair, a red dress and matching parasol that just screamed upper class.

Her address was on there too, "People are way too open nowadays." Even she wasn't as bad as that. Then again her dad always told her the value of rotating passwords and giving out fake addresses.

"Makes it easier for us, at least." He took the phone back and eyed the laptop, "...If you wanna back out now just say the word."

"Why would I do that?" she asked back defensively.

"Because you're too nice, Gwen." He crossed his arms, "I know you feel sorry for him, but whatever his reasons for doing it it's clear he's feral now. If you can't treat him like you do any of the other 'Supervillains' then you're only going to get hurt."

"I'll be fine. I've...dealt with it before."

They both flinched. Even now after everything that night at prom was still a black mark. Neither of them blamed the other but it didn't change what happened. She killed him. Cap's explanations about how he was dead the second he used the serum didn't make her feel any better. She was the one who beat him even after he begged and tried to run. Because as far as she was concerned he was just a monster.

Webster peeked out of her shoulder and slithered between them, "It might not be my place to say anything, but from what I gathered from your memories neither of you are at fault. Gwen was scared and Peter was bullied and lashed out. It was a tragedy on both sides."

"Doesn't mean no one's to blame. You can understand something's tragic without pretending everyone's blameless," Peter said, "It's my fault what happened back then and Morbius was the one who chose to use that drug. Just because neither of them intended to become monsters doesn't mean it's suddenly good. Good intentions have cost thousands throughout history."

"This is getting pretty heavy." Gwen forced a smile.

"Apologies. I shouldn't have butted in." Webster's snake-like head drooped downwards.

"It's not your fault. That I'm sure of." Peter rubbed the top of her head lightly and sat back down, "We might have to split up. You saw what happened back there. Whatever kind of Vampire the professor turned himself into he's fast and strong enough to ignore a magazine of bullets to his gut. We can't fight him like that."

"I agree. While he didn't leave any lasting injuries I wasn't capable of stopping him from taking our blood. Sorry."

"It's no big. I wasn't expecting to get my blood sucked either." She paused, "...Actually, it might be a bit late to ask but I'm not like...gonna turn into a Vampire or something, am I? Cause I'm fine with the whole human Spider thing."'

"Shouldn't be. Vampires aren't made with science if they're technically a virus. There are two kinds of Vampires - the turned and the corpses. If a Vampire feeds on someone and kills them they can turn them into a Vampire. At that point a spirit inhabits the body and pretends to be the person. It's not really them."

"So like Xander the Vampire Hunter. Good to know."

"Second one is if a Vampire shares their blood with someone. If a normal person drinks then they turn into a Vampire spirit intact, but this is pretty rare. Vampires aren't exactly keen on giving blood." He scoffed, "Then you've got half-breeds like Blade. He's a special case, though. That and I think you'll be fine either way. Blade mentioned before that you and Walters should be good since the radiation in your blood will kill the virus if it tries to infect you."

"Never thought I'd be so grateful to be a walking hotspot." Did come in handy sometimes. Like when she, Shulkie and Cindy could help people evacuate after that nuclear power plant blew up in Japan.

"It's clear Morbius isn't a normal Vampire and the answer is in his notes. If he made himself that way then there's a way to reverse it."

"So I go check on his ex and you make the suppressant?" Made sense, and she was better at talking with people than he was, but she still wasn't keen on splitting up.

"I can leave a tracker on him if you both wish. It might put your mind at ease." Webster said.

"Fine with-"

"No," Gwen said, cutting Peter off, "I'm just being paranoid over nothing. I'll go talk to Professor Morbius' ex and text if I get anything." She had to trust him. She spent a year apart from him, for God's sake. She could deal with him and Mary Jane having their own lives without her hovering over them, "How are you going to get the chemicals, though? I don't even have a chemistry set."

"One of Moon Knight's safehouses has one." Of course it did. He was the crazy moon guy, after all, "Good luck with Bancroft."

They shared a quick kiss and went their separate ways. Bancroft's place was pretty far off on a ritzy part of Midtown - 30 minutes even with webswinging, though she did break to stop a couple of muggings and an attempted kidnapping, "I thought crime would lessen more with the Initiative program," Webster said idly, "Is there some truth in the arguments that heroes attract the very crime they stop?"

"No way. We don't need criminals and supervillains to be heroes."

They made it to Martine's place just a little after 6 pm. Gwen landed on the four floor balcony railing and waved at the teenage girl gawking at the next balcony over, "Hey there, don't mind me." She flipped to the floor and knocked on the sliding glass door, "Ms. Martine? Could we talk?" No response, "It's about someone you know. Dr. Michael Morbius. It's really important."

Still nothing. Gwen grabbed the side of the door and furrowed her brows when it opened. Okay, that wasn't weird. Most people didn't lock their balconies, right? "Ms. Martine?" She stepped inside and hoped that she wouldn't get charged for trespassing, "Ms. Martine? I know I'm being really pushy here but I really need to talk to you about Dr. Morbius. He's put himself and other people in danger."

Nothing. This was getting weird. Was she out? "Front door's unlocked..." she muttered. Alright, even she locked her doors when she went out. Webster jutted out of her shoulder and sniffed the air, "Something wrong, Webs?"

"It's faint but I caught the scent of blood in the bathroom."

"Maybe she's on her period?" Not something she usually had to deal with nowadays thanks to Webster. Still, it was worth investigating.

She opened the door and winced at what she saw on the other side. Broken glass, red on the floor and bloody handprints. It looked way too familiar, "I guess Professor Morbius was here..." She knelt down and looked closer at the handprints. One was big and elongated while the other was smaller. A woman's, "Shit, he must've taken her." Now they had no lead and she was in danger. Assuming he didn't eat her or something.

"There must be a way to track her."

"I'm not a detective like Peter. I can't just magic up some weird clues that'll let me track her down."

"Think of something he cannot."

"Easier said than done, Webs." She walked back to the living room and looked around, "Hmm..." She opened the door to her bedroom. Bed was made and there was a phone charger nearby. An empty phone charger, "...Wait a minute." It was a longshot, but...

She went for the laptop she spied on the living room table earlier and opened it, "No password. Yes!" It'd save her from having to contact Norah. She logged in and searched the program list for a find-my-phone app, "Come on, come on..." She tapped at the table impatiently and cheered when a screen popped up. It wasn't definite - for all she knew Martine just dropped her phone somewhere or left it at the shop for repairs - but it was the best clue they had.

She sent Peter a quick message and made her way there. This time the place wasn't too far of, though it was a bit out of the way in some kind of private property. Bright side it was less likely she'd just dropped it on the street.

Gwen hopped off the top of the train and, after making sure no one was looking, shifted into a ponytailed blonde. Couldn't be too careful. She sent a selfie to Peter to make sure he'd recognize her and just waited for the next few hours. She wasn't scared, but she had her doubts.

Professor Morbius killed people. Peter guessed that whatever kind of Vampire he turned into he took everything a person had instead of just their blood. It was...creepy to think about. No bodies left behind, it was like you weren't even there. More practically it'd be difficult to pin him for anything since no bodies meant no proof. Even if she was an Avenger she couldn't just accuse him with a 'he said she said'.

That's assuming he'd be stable enough to be tried. If he was as rabid as he was earlier then he'd be considering to be too dangerous to be out in public. And what if Peter's supppressant worked? Could they really just condemn him to dying of ALS again? That was too cruel. As much as she hated killing people it seemed more merciful to end it quickly than condemning him to that.

"Having doubts?"

Gwen jumped slightly and glared at Peter behind her. She really thought he'd stop doing that by now, "...Did you make it?"

"Should be. I went back and got some of the chemicals from Malus' place and created a counter-agent. It worked fine on the tests, but I didn't exactly have time for an extended trial period. I'm not gonna lie, there's as much a risk of it doing nothing as there is just melting him."

"Fuck..." Gwen rubbed the back of her head and sighed, "What's the other option we have? Just beat the crap out of him and drag him off the Raft?"

"Seems like it." His face hardened, "I looked through his journal again while I was doing the experiment. He had his doubts on the whole thing and...I think he'd rather die than continue living as some kind of parasite. I think that's why he went to Malus' place. Some part of him was trying to get more supplies so he could reverse what happened to him. But I think the monster disagreed."

"Split personality?"

"I'm just guessing. For all I know Morbius really is just that rabid and there's nothing left."

"But if we cure him then won't he just-"

"I know." They looked at each other in a brief silence, "I'm not a fan either, but...what else can we do? Sometimes there's just no winning."

"What about your chi thing? Wouldn't that work?"

"Best I can heal are bruises. Rand and Teresa might able to do it but they could barely sap out poison last I checked. A neurodegenerative disease is beyond them. Best they could do is giving him an extension."

"...This sucks."

"Not everyone can get a happy ending. Come on, let's finish this."

The place the app led them reminded her of every haunted house when she was a kid. A big mansion that looked like it belonged to Bruce Wayne. She half expected Owls to pop up everywhere, "Fancy place..." She breathed out softly. Their feet crunched gravel and leaves as they walked up the abandoned path. Even at a quick look it was clear the place hadn't been lived in for a while.

They hopped the iron gate and Peter stopped, "Spider-sense is ringing."

"Mine's not." She really needed to get a refund on this thing.

"It's...more danger in general. Nothing specific. He's here." He pulled out a syringe from his pocket and handed it to her as she shifted to her costume, "I only had enough to make two doses. Make sure not to waste it. Won't get another shot."

"Got it." She put it in her 'pocket' and followed behind him as he opened the front door. Gwen clicked the lightswitch and got nothing, "Great, in the dark again. Should've brought a flashlight." She sighed. She was way more used to fighting out in the open and the sunlight. The whole skulking in the dark thing was more Peter and MJ's thing.

'Apologies. I can't see in the dark.'

'Stop apologizing for everything. It's weird.'

'Sorry. It might be post-pregnancy issues. I want to spend time with Chocolate again.'

'Laura's going out with Cindy to the zoo tomorrow. We can hang out with her after. Now come on, focus.'

They heard soft moans from behind one of the double doors, " I've got your back," Gwen said. Peter opened the door slowly and stepped inside with his gun raised. Even through the darkness she saw her, "Oh God." Gwen stepped past him and knelt down in front of the tied and gagged woman. Martine Bancroft, no doubt about it. Her dress had flecks of blood and she was unconscious but apart from that she looked pretty healthy all things considered.

"I can't see too well, Spider-Man. Is she..."

"Nothing wrong apart from a cut on her wrist. It's not fatal," he replied, "Let's get her out of here first. Then we can deal with Morb-"

Spider-sense.

Gwen flipped back and barely avoided the dark blur that jumped from overhead. She'd barely managed to right herself before she heard the figure hiss and jump towards her again arms raised. Gwen ducked and he passed overhead, "Too close!" She scrambled for her spare phone and quickly dropped it to the ground once she activated the flashlight app. She couldn't fight like this.

As the light flooded the room she finally got a good look at him. Pale, leathery skin, bright red eyes and fangs that could've bitten her face off if she didn't have her powers. The turned professor hissed at her and looked like he was going to charge before Peter shot at him, "Over here, ugly!" he shouted. Professor Morbius hissed and, like a blur, charged towards Peter.

He dodged the next three bullets and grabbed for Peter's neck. Peter dodged to the right, the claws almost grazing flesh, and fired his last bullet into the Vampire's side.

It hit. Professor Morbius screamed, an inhuman growl that reminded her of one of Moon's victims. Peter swung to the air and ran along the ceiling as Professor Morbius chased after him. Gwen grabbed the dazed woman and dragged her out of the room. Gwen set her down and pulled the gag away,

"What's-"

"No time to explain." She cut through the rope and set her on her feet, "You need to run and call the police. Okay? It's not safe here now." A crash came from behind her and she winced. Not good, "Hurry."

"But-"

"Go!" She shoved her to the front door and swung back to the room. Professor Morbius had Peter pinned to the floor, mouth wide and trying to chomp his face off while Peter struggled to hold him back with both hands.

Swallowing down her sympathy Gwen webbed his back before he could attack Peter again and pulled as hard as she could, "Professor Morbius, stop!" She grabbed the syringe from her 'pocket' and brought it down on his left shoulder.

He grabbed her wrist with his right hand while the left gripped her neck. Gwen winced as the clawed fingers cut through even Webster's skin and began to draw blood.

She was about to shove him away when Peter appeared behind him in a wisp of smoke and, before the professor turned around, stabbed him in the side of the neck with his syringe.

Another growl, louder and even more inhuman than the last, and she felt his grip weaken. Gwen pulled her wrist away and did the same, stabbing and emptying the syringe into his shoulder.

Professor Morbius stumbled away and gripped the nearby wall to keep himself upright. Peter reloaded his gun and aimed it at his back before Gwen gently grabbed his wrist, "Don't..." Her spider-sense wasn't ringing anymore and she got the feeling it was right this time. She picked up her spare phone and drew closer to the former professor.

Slowly but surely Professor Morbius turned back to normal. His skin turned to a healthy (if still pale) tone and his elongated fingers and fangs retracted back to a normal size. He fell to the floor with his back against the wall and when he looked up at them his red eyes had turned blue.

"...Professor Morbius?" She asked softly.

"Y-Yes..." She felt she got punched when she heard his voice. It was...weak, "F-F-Forgive me for n-not shaking your hand. I'm afriad my c-c-condition makes it d-diffult..."

"...How much do you remember?" Peter asked bluntly.

"Spider-Man!" She hissed.

"F-Fragments. But enough." He looked down at the ground, "I a-apologize for my actions. I k-know that's not e-e-enough but-"

"Don't worry about it." Peter breathed out softly, "I'm sorry for what happened to you and what we brought you back to."

Gwen bit her lip. What was she supposed to do now? Professor Morbius was cured now but he still killed people. Would she just drag him to the Raft so he could live the rest of his days in prison? It was too cruel. He wasn't a monster. He just wanted to cure himself so he could spend what he had left with the person he loved. Could she really condemn him after everything she gave up for Peter?

The door behind them slowly opened and soft footsteps came into the room, "Michael?" Martine whispered. Both Spiders stepped aside and said nothing as she stepped past them and knelt in front of her ex-fiance, "Are you...there now?"

"M-Martine...I-I-I'm sorry for-"

"Don't." She closed her eyes and hugged him tightly, "Just...Just don't."

"I...p-put you in d-d-danger."

"I said don't."

She and Peter looked at one another and walked out without another word. There was nothing they could do here. The only thing she could do was call Wasp and check to see if the serum was permanently out of his system or he'd need to continue taking suppressants.

Peter took out a cigarette and lit it once they were outside, "...I don't know if I could make that choice," he muttered. Gwen stopped and looked at him worriedly, "Turn myself into a monster or slowly die not being able to do anything about it." He took a slow drag and let out the smoke above them, "I'd take a bullet to the head over that. Least that would be quick."

"Stop talking like that..."

"Sorry." They looked back at the mansion. This must've been where they lived, Gwen thought numbly. And now it was nothing more than a ghost house, "...Do you think he should be arrested? For all those people he killed?"

"Should I?" he asked back. Gwen didn't answer, "I can't answer that, Gwen. Sorry."

"It's fine."

His phone suddenly rang. She saw Teresa's name on the screen and he turned away to talk to her alone while she made her own call to Wasp. She did her best to explain it as professionally as she could. She didn't wanna look weak in front of her.

Peter cut his call shortly before hers, "...I've got a meeting."

"With who?"

"Murakami...apparently he wants to talk face to face."


Leap Frog: Why are most heroes so covered up?

Reply from Mrah: Uh...what?

Reply from Leap Frog: Most heroes are covered head to toe. Look at Spider-Woman, Moon Knight, Spider-Man, Spinerette, Captain America, Scarlet Spider...why are they all covered up? You can barely see their mouth or hair. I don't get it.

Reply from Jamie Renell: In Cap's case that stuff is body armor so she has to wear it. Pretty sure it's the same for Spider-Man and Moon Knight. Wasp needs a helmet to use the Dyne particles.

Reply from TMC TFT: What about the other heroes then? The only one who's showing any skin is She-Hulk. Why can't the other Spider heroes besides Spider-Man show a bit more skin? It won't kill them or anything.

Reply from Kakoro: Maybe...they just don't want to? Not everyone wants to expose skin. Might as well ask why most people aren't nudists.

Reply from Leap Frog: Big difference from showing a little more skin to being full on nude. Spider-Woman and Scarlet Spider have amazing legs. I wouldn't complain if they showed off a little.

Reply from StrikerNotBombshell: I think you need to rephrase your question to 'why am I so fucking thirsty?'.


"Masters, keep your freaking head down!"

Cindy shot a line of webbing at the asshole's back with one hand and pulled him down while shooting at the Maggia goons with the other. They got another tip about the Maggia's smuggling ring and Masters decided he didn't wanna let the 'freak' get all the action. She didn't bother arguing. If he wanted to get himself killed it was no skin off her nose.

Or so she said. Sadly she had just enough innocence (read: stupidity) to actually watch his back and make sure he didn't get a laser blast to the face.

A fiery red laser blast whizzed right past where his head just was, "Stop going Rambo, you asshole!" she shouted. The tip won out but there were more men than they thought. What was supposed to be half a dozen guys at most ended up easily two dozen, all of them packing Symkarian heat. They already called for backup but until they showed up it was just the two of them.

"I can take care of myself, Moon!"

"You clearly can't!" She shot a barrage of ICER rounds to a goon trying to fly overhead with a jetpack, "Just keep your head down and try not to get your ass shot! I don't need Captain Watanabe yelling at me!"

She took down another couple before she broke cover and swung over to where they were the most tightly clustered. It was risky but they were less likely to fire if they risked hitting each other.

Three more were pinned by a barrage of webbing and then she got up close and personal with the rest. The body armor made them resistant to bullets but they were surprised enough that they couldn't put on any full suits.

She took down over a dozen of them without a scratch before the last three goons realized it was a lost cause and ran for it. Cindy snagged two of them by the back and pulled back harshly, sending them both slamming against the ground with a painful thud. The last one looked back and she smirked, "Going somewhere?" She zipped over to him, wrapped her legs around his head and slammed him to the ground with a hurricanrana.

Just like Black Widow taught her.

Her spin-sense blared just before she heard the gunshot. She looked back and saw a goon she missed (guy wasn't even wearing one of the Symkaria suits) fall to the ground and drop the laser gun in his hands. Behind him Masters lowered his gun and smirked at her, "Didn't see him, Moon?"

"Must've missed him." She knelt down and looked over his injuries. Shot in the back clean through his right shoulder. S.H.I.E.L.D training told her that even shots in 'non-vital' areas could kill despite what the movies told you, "Let's hope you don't die before we get to talk." She covered his shoulder with webs to stop the bleeding then webbed him to the floor. More they kept alive the more info they could get.

"A little thank you would be nice," Masters added with a cocky smile.

'Thank you for getting the one guy who didn't even put on armor,' she thought sarcastically. She shook her head. Much as she hated to admit it he did help her out, "Thanks." She stood up again and walked past him to the truck. Jetpacks, laser guns, body armor...same as before. The Maggia were really stepping up.

It might've been egotistical to say but they were damn lucky she was the one who took this tip. What if it'd been Jean, Ben or any of the other officers? She wasn't even sure if regular guns could penetrate the armor. The goons were so surprised that they only managed to get their torsos covered.

The sounds of sirens reached her ears. Cavalry arrived late as always, "We need to make sure the Maggia don't get any more of these." She sighed. She shouldn't have made that deal with Scorpion last year. S.H.I.E.L.D always told her about the greater good. Choose a lesser evil here so a greater evil there can be stopped. Bullshit. It just meant bastards got away by throwing their fellow scumbags under the bus.

"Gotta say, Moon, you handled yourself pretty well over there."

"A compliment, Masters? I'm so honored." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I think we did a pretty good job here." She raised a brow and said nothing. 'We'? She wasn't against sharing credit but the way he said it practically screamed 'by we I mean me', "Whadda say we get a drink after and let DeWolff handle all the paperwork?"

'Are you serious?' She turned aroundand, yep, he was looking at her ass before she faced him. Great, so he wasn't just a bigot, he was a hypocritical one too. Just what she needed, "Yeah...I think I'd rather swallow bleach." The smug prick actually looked surprised at that. Seriously? "Besides I gotta turn in early anyway. Have to spend time with people I actually like."

She gave Jean and the rest of the cops the tl;dr and went back home. Technically she wasn't even supposed to be on duty tonight but the tip came at the last second. Either way it meant she could skip the paperwork till next week. Cindy took a hot shower once she got back and practically collapsed on her bed-

Only to immediately feel like someone dropped an anvil on her.

"Bwah!" She sat up and reached for the gun under her pillow before she saw Laura's beaming face, "L-Laura...?" She rubbed her eyes and noted with just a little regret that it was bright out. Morning already? Barely felt like she slept any.

"Yep! Time to wake up!" She tugged on Laura's right hand while Gabbie slithered out and wrapped around her left, "The zoo! We're going to the zoo!" She cheered. It was Scott's idea. After she told him a (sfw) version of Laura's past he thought the best idea to try and normalize her was to take her on outings besides just ice cream. The zoo, live shows...anything a kid would enjoy. She agreed.

Laura loved it.

"I'm up, I'm up...!" She tugged her hands back and yawned, "Just lemme get some coffee. Okay, kiddo? You don't want me passing out in the middle."

"I already made coffee. Hurry up and drink."

"I am! Keep your undies on!" She half-laughed, half-groaned as she drank the way too sweet caffeine Laura prepared for her. A quick shower and a change of clothes later and they met up with Scott and Cassie at the zoo entrance. It was pretty hot out, hot enough that she was regretting the jacket she wore over her tanktop, but she sucked it up and kept the hood raised.

She didn't regret exposing her identity on her own terms but it did make free time a tad more complicated. Even though she wasn't as popular as Gwen - a lot of fans calling her a literal or a metaphorical clone of Gwen - she was still part of the Avengers. That meant there were still people who asked for autographs and that was the last thing she needed right now.

"Sorry we're late," Cindy said.

"No problem, we just got here too." Scott smiled and nudged his head, "Let's get inside. Where do you two wanna head up first?"

""The seals!"" Laura and Cassie said simultaneously.

"You heard em." Cindy laughed under her breath and bumped her shoulder against Scott, "Come on, let's get outta the sun. The heat's killing me."

They went to the seals first like the kids wanted and Cindy felt older than her 29 years as she excitedly gushed and took pictures of Laura being led up on stage and walked through petting the extremely squishy seal, "Laura! Look over here, sweetie!" Laura looked at her with a bright smile and threw up a peace sign with her free hand. Cindy snapped at least six photos of that.

Next to her, Scott laughed, "What?" she asked somewhat defensively.

"Nothing. Just...you really look like a mom when you do that."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

The next few hours were spent walking through the zoo doing whatever the kids wanted. It was...familiar. She remembered when Albert was still a hyperactive three year old. She put him on his shoulder and went with him to check on the elephants and giraffes. Those were always his favorite. Before she went to the bunker one of the last places she went was the zoo with her whole family.

...She needed to stop thinking about it.

They ended up at a corner diner booth right around lunch time. Cindy finally let the hood down and shucked off her jacket, "Finally, some freaking air-conditioning." She sighed in relief and tried not to feel too self-conscious at the scars on her exposed arms and shoulders. Most of the time she kept them covered up but Scott didn't seem like the type to judge.

Though he did say she should've used a baseball cap if she wanted to hide better. Dork.

"You kids having fun?" Scott asked.

"Yep!" Cassie beamed. Cindy and Laura sat at one side while Scott and Cassie were at the other, "The animals are really cool...except for when the elephant pooped. That was gross."

"Smelled even worse for me." Laura wrinkled her nose.

"You gotta deal with it, kiddo. Thought you'd be used to it considering your two doggos." Laura was very meticuluous about cleaning up after them. Shadowcat made it clear that if there was any dog droppings around she'd kicked the puppies out, no exceptions.

They had a large meal filled with a lot of talking in-between. Again, it was nice. Even nowadays she tended to eat alone at her desk. Too much cases piled up, too much paperwork to do. It wasn't exactly easy to find time to go out with friends for brunch.

"Oh my God, this is really good. You should try this." She grabbed some of the pasta and offered it up to Scott. For some reason Cassie giggled at that, "Seriously, you gotta taste it. It's like a party in your tongue."

"A party in my tongue? Alright, now I know you were on ice for ten years."

"Shut up." She shoved her fork into his mouth, "I gotta take some home. Remind me before we leave, okay?"

"Heh. Sure."

Laura waited till Cassie went to the bathroom before she suddenly asked, "Are you two dating?"

Scott practically choked on his french toast while Cindy just rolled her eyes, "L-Laura, come on!" Scott forced a laugh. Was that a flattered laugh or a creeped out one? She hoped it was the former. Less embarassing that way.

Laura shrugged, "You two get along and aren't dating anyone else. If you two date then you will get married then that means me and Cassie will be sisters."

"We really gotta do something about how greedy you are for siblings," Cindy muttered.

"It is not just for me. Mom, you like him, right?"

Cindy just rolled her eyes again, smiled and focused back on her party pasta. Just barely she saw Scott give her a look. He was...definitely intrigued. Hm.

They finished up their meals and a waitress greeted them with a smile, "I hope you all liked it." She was young, probably a teenager. Probably explained how the smile hadn't been beaten out of her yet.

"Definitely. I'll be coming back around later for that pasta," Cindy said.

"Good to heart. Oh, and we're doing a little thing with families. You guys want a photo? It's free."

"Oh, we're not-"

"That'll be great, thanks." Cindy said, cutting Scott. The waitress walked away with a slight skip and Cindy looked to Scott, "Better we don't draw attention here. Let's just pretend to be the big happy family." Wasn't like the real explanation was any better. Two single parents who were just friends both taking their kids to the zoo. Oh, and one of them was a superhero.

"Hey, i-if you say so." He grinned like a dork.

They finished up the rest of their trip till it was closing time. Cindy stretched her arms above her head and groaned softly. The sun was down so she'd finally taken off her jacket and exposed her face. If anyone recognized her now it wouldn't matter.

"This was nice," Cindy said softly. She and Scott were walking side by side while Cassie and Laura were chatting happily ahead of them.

"Yeah. Thanks for this. It's been a while since I managed to take Cassie out with friends." He put his hands in his pockets and looked down slightly, "Most of the other parents don't like me hanging around their kids. You know they think cause I burgled someone I'm...another kind of criminal."

"Of course." Cindy snorted. She got being overprotective but that was just dumb.

"So...are you free next weekend? I was hoping we could go somewhere. J-Just the two of us. You know, not with the kids. Not that there's anything wrong if you wanna go out as a group again-"

"Mr. Lang, are you asking me out on a date?" She gave him a teasing smile and his face went slightly red. Cute.

"Just two friends hanging out, you know? I mean it doesn't have to have to awkward or anything. It'll be just like that time we hung out last time."

"So...just a friends thing? Shame, thought it'd be a real date." She pouted.

"W-Wait, really? But...you're a big time Avenger. Why would you wanna go out with a washed up burg-"

She made sure the two kids were looking away before she leaned forward and kissed him. It was quick, barely a second, and she pulled back just as fast. She almost laughed at the bug-eyed look he had, "Do me a favor, Scott: don't think too much, okay? I'm not Spinerette the big time Avenger. I'm Cindy, and I happen to think you're a hell of a lot better than most of the other people I've tried dating. So I'm gonna ask. You wanna go out on a date next weekend?"

"Uh...y-yeah! Definitely!"

"Good. I'll see you then." She clapped his shoulder to get him walking again and ignored Laura's knowing look.


Baka Rex: I wonder how superheroes find dates.

Reply from Novice Creeps: Pretty sure they just date other Superheroes?

Reply from supafreakpatomus: That seems a bit unfair, doesn't it? So if you wanna chance to date superhero X you gotta be a hero too? Seems pretty priveleged if you ask me :/

Reply from Lizi Pearl: No, it's fair. People date people they're close to. Many lawyers date other lawyers. Many teachers date other teachers. Are you saying if someone from another country wanted to date you you'd hop on a plane just so you'd get to know them? If not then shut up.

Reply from Novice Creeps: New idea: dating app made especially for Superheroes! You'd make a fortune :P


Done. The Morbius bit ended up darker than I intended so I put in the Cindy and Scott date/family outing to try and lighten the mood. It was pretty short but hopefully people thought they worked together as a couple/co-parents. I still gotta put in some segments for Silver, though. It'll be a weird world where the rebel prince has nothing to offer compared to the single dad.

The original end of the Morbius arc was even darker since both Morbius and Martine killed themselves after Noir and Gwen left. I left it more ambiguous if still bitter.

Next chapter will be the Noir and Murakami meeting (with Gwen watching over) and either a Mary Jane or Lana segment. Depends on what you guys want. We're also going to be dealing with the Fingers more directly now so hopefully each side's baddies start getting taken out soon.