How To Save a Life
September 14th - 2019
No matter if half a decade goes by, I still find myself in situations like these.
Spider-Man jumped on Wilson Fisk's back and webbed his face, blocking sight. He then snaked both arms tightly around Fisk's neck. "Stay still, Willy!"
They tangled in the darkness of his large and fancy living room. The only light source came from the open balcony where the moon could be seen facing Fisk's private tower in Manhattan.
Fisk struggled in Spider-Man's grip and tried to take off the webbing in his face. "Why are you helping her? Why can't you just leave me alone in my own house?!"
"Hey, I just got here!" Spider-Man swung his fist across the kingpin's cheek.
Situations where it's not just about me. There's someone else around... someone close to me.
Fisk shook his head as he pulled the webbing out of his face. He moved his arms above him and pulled Spider-Man out of his back and into his hands. "I'm tired of you two!" He held Spider-Man in the air and later buried the vigilante's back on his knee.
Spider-Man gasped in extreme pain and was allowed to roll down to the ground. He immediately moved his hand to his back. He struggled to get back on his feet and twitched on the floor.
Fisk approached him. "I'm not as weak as Harry Osborn. I'll end you for good!" He closed his fists and raised them in the air above Spider-Man.
I try to push them away, but some of them just won't leave. What else can I do?
Spider-Man spoke weakly, "... I-I'm ready for that."
… ready as I'll ever be…
Fisk was about to land the final blow. The shadow of his hands covered Spider-Man's lenses.
A feminine voice interjected, "Don't forget about me…!"
The woman in her black outfit with white accents spoke from behind Fisk. Her white-platinum blonde hair and blue eyes emerged from the shadow of the ceiling. Felicia Hardy quickly landed on Fisk's back and dug her pointy and retractable claws found in the fingertips of her gloves across his face.
She wasn't the first Felicia he had met.
Even if this person can take care of herself, I just can't… risk it.
Fisk quickly shoved the cat burglar off him and covered his bloodied and scarred face with his shaking hands. He looked over his shoulder and at her. His eyes were now filled with even more rage.
He narrowed them on her.
Felicia took a careful step back. "Oh, boy…"
Spider-Man was still recovering on the ground. He raised his hand at Black Cat. "... leave…"
I can't dare go through something like that again. I can't put someone in such a situation once again.
Fisk rushed towards Felicia and pressed his massive shoulder against her, slamming the burglar harshly against the wall while smashing the concrete behind her. Her black goggles were shattered in the impact.
Yet, here we are… and I'm scared to death.
Fisk pressed his large hand against her face and repeatedly pushed the back of her head against the wall. He shouted, "Just die…!"
Spider-Man stood on his knees and watched Fisk start taking the life out of Felicia. A type of scene that was well familiar to him. "No…!" He leaped forward and stopped right behind the crime lord. He punched Fisk harshly in the ribcage and heard the sound of bones cracking against his fist.
I just can't take any more chances.
Fisk jumped slightly to the right due to the blow in his side and accidentally let go of Black Cat. He was kicked in the side of his knee by Spider-Man and now stood on it.
Spider-Man looked down at Fisk and landed powerful punches to the latter's cheeks as they turned red and bloodied. Punch after punch landed on Wilson Fisk. He took the endless barrage of strikes until he could barely catch the sight of Spider-Man in front of him.
Black Cat slowly regained her senses while laying on her chest on the ground and raised her chin to look at Spider-Man. He wasn't stopping anytime soon. "S-Spider…!"
Spider-Man raised his knee against Fisk's chin, having him fall backward and to the ground. Spider-Man gasped heavily as he stared at Fisk. He made sure that the man was knocked out for the night.
He turned on his feet and approached Felicia. He helped her sit on the ground to gather her breath. "Are you okay?" He wiped the trace of blood from her lower lip with his thumb.
She nodded slowly. "I've been… better." She looked into his lenses and found her reflection on them. She smiled. "Hey, I saved you."
He turned her head slightly to the side and checked the small purple stain on her cheek. "Don't ever do something like that again."
"It's fine… I'm fine." He helped her stand on her feet. She added, "I've never seen you like this."
"Like what?"
"Concerned about me. You're spoiling me."
He scoffed, incredulously. "You're seeing things."
She let out a painful chuckle.
Spider-Man silenced for a moment. "We should go now. You… should go."
Black Cat sighed. "There he is… all serious once again."
"You're lucky I was in the area. I won't be around every time to save your ass."
"Rough? Well, I can do that too."
"Stop." Spider-Man moved an arm around her back to help her stay up.
Black Cat chuckled. "You know I just can't help. He seemed to have a lot of good stuff in here. We should take a look around while he's out."
"We won't. No more stealing for the night, Felicia." Spider-Man led her to the balcony. "We need to get you checked; you might have a concussion." He pressed her closer to him and swung them to the rooftop on the opposite side of the street.
"I can take care of myself, honey." She watched Spider-Man move his arms off her and approach the edge of the building as he checked on their surroundings. "I feel better already. We should go to my penthouse."
"There's a lot to do tonight." Spider-Man looked at the crowd, who seemed to be protesting something back in the streets.
"Like what?"
"Patrol."
She scoffed, approached him from behind, and snaked her arms around his torso. She whispered to him, "There's this champagne waiting for us."
He remained in silence.
Felicia sighed. She let go of him and brought her hand to the side of her head. She gasped lightly.
He turned on his feet and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
She leaned forward and rested her head under his chin. "I… I think so. I just felt… dizzy."
"If you won't get yourself checked, let me bring you to your penthouse. You can't go jumping around in this state."
"Of course… you played me. You were fine." Peter cleaned the tiny wound on the back of Felicia's head with some gauze. They were both sitting on the edge of her large and rounded bed. He faced her back while wearing nothing but the pants of his suit.
They had arrived in her penthouse half an hour ago and went to treat each other's injuries right away in the fancy bedroom. The penthouse was suitably private and spanned the entire 90th floor of the building.
Felicia winced in pain as his fingers gently brushed across the injury. She now only wore her black underwear. She smiled. "... you know I like to play."
"That seems to be getting you in trouble all the time." He made sure the bandage wouldn't fall off the back of her head. "I didn't know you were back."
"Did you miss me?"
"I certainly didn't miss fighting your battles." He fixed her hair, hiding the bandage. "You're okay now."
She turned around on the bed. "Thank you." She eyed the tiny stitch she had applied earlier on his right shoulder. She also spotted the claw marks on his chest. "Those won't ever get away, uh?"
Peter looked down at his toned chest. He nodded. "Yeah… the Lizard was something else." He focused back on Felicia.
"More than the Six?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "... I guess those guys were worse, yes."
She moved her finger over one of the said scars. "It suits you; I like them."
He smiled, "Don't change the subject now."
She sighed. "Well, I finished this… thing, earlier than expected."
He looked at her curvy figure for a brief moment. "Who was the poor guy?"
"A Russian mobster."
He raised an eyebrow. "Here?"
"Maybe."
"I didn't know those were still around."
She chuckled. "They certainly do. He was a tough one… but nothing my charm couldn't handle."
Peter silenced for a brief moment. "Right."
Felicia smiled. "Are you jealous?"
He scoffed and got up. "You wish."
She grinned. "Don't worry, I'm a professional. I save the best of me for you." She saw him pick the rest of his suit from the ground. "Where are you going this late?"
He looked at the balcony. "I need to do some patrolling again. You interrupted me."
"By yourself?"
"What? Do you want to help me?" She struggled to say something. He smiled. "I'm better on my own."
Felicia stood up and took the parts of the suit off his hands. "You almost broke your back. You're not going anywhere, Spider." She threw the pieces aside.
He sighed. "Felicia…"
She walked him back to the bed and made him sit down on its edge. "You're not bailing on me again. I've missed you… a lot." She sat on his lap and rested her hands on his shoulders. The strap of her bra fell on her right shoulder.
He moved his hands to her hips and looked up into her blue eyes. He teased, "You're a bad influence, you know?"
"You're still here."
He chuckled. "... I am."
She smiled and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips. "I am going to take a shower now, okay?"
He teased, "You need it."
"Oh, so do you!" She held his chin in her right hand. "... and then, we will have some champagne, and maybe we can order some sushi? Unless you have some other plate in mind?"
He ran his hands up in her toned back. "No, that will be great."
"Okay, do you want to join me in the shower?"
He shook his head. "You can go ahead. I'll order the food."
She exhaled deeply in disappointment. "There's a credit card on the counter."
"Is it even yours?"
She shrugged her shoulders.
He added, "... then I will pay for it."
"Fine. Suit yourself." Felicia moved off his lap. "Since you're this much of a prude, there's another bathroom here. You can shower there." She turned on her back and headed for the wardrobe, adding sway to her hips as she walked away from him.
Peter eyed her bottom briefly and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked to the side. "I will… yeah." He felt something soft brush against his leg. He looked down at the ground and found the black kitty beside his foot. "Who's this?"
Felicia picked a dark bathrobe from the wardrobe and turned on her shoulder. "That's Minnie, and she does like affection."
"You named your cat after a mouse?" He questioned while staring down at Minnie.
She stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door to it. "You have your quirks, and I have mine… Spider."
He caressed the top of Minnie's head. She purred in return. "Something new every day."
Peter stood up and headed for the hallway past the door to the bedroom he had been in. He could see the kitchen from the hallway. It was filled with top-of-the-line materials and home appliances, including a full suite of Gaggenau appliances and fancy cabinetry, plus an opal-white-marble island, counters, and backsplash.
"I won't even guess how you got this, Felicia." He said to himself.
Before entering the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks once he spotted what seemed to be a hidden door that was almost entirely closed on his left side. He almost missed it; it was way too similar to the wall.
Through the opening in the door, he caught a glimpse of documents above a table and a large map on the wall in front of it. He looked around and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Why am I feeling bad? Felicia has done worse… right?" He opened the door and entered what looked to be a panic room within the penthouse.
The room contained stands set against the walls with folders. Boxes could also be seen all over the room.
Peter approached the only desk in the room. Papers and more folders were set on top of it. He then eyed the map of Manhattan on the wall in front of him. There were a couple of red circles drawn in some areas on the island.
"What are you up to now…" He eventually picked a paper from the desk. It was from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, an inmate profile. It read Walter Hardy.
He narrowed his eyes on the paper. "... Hardy?" He spotted a picture from which he had taken the report on the table. It showed a prison cell covered in flames.
He looked at the map once again. More pictures were glued against it, photos of men in suits, some heavily tattooed, he had never seen before.
What do these people even mean to you, Felicia?
Now fresh out of the shower, Felicia and Peter were now sitting on the stools beside each other and next to the countertop set in the middle of the kitchen. They faced each other as they shared dinner, wearing nothing but a bathrobe over their bodies.
Felicia brought the chopsticks to her mouth and savored the sashimi delicately. She later said, "You know, you do look good in that bathrobe." She eyed what was exposed on his torso.
Peter struggled with his chopsticks. "Don't get used to it."
She watched him try to pick one uramaki with the stick. "Do you need help with that?"
"I… I can handle it."
"Have you ever eaten this before?"
He nodded, awkwardly moving the uramaki to his mouth. "... yes, once or twice." He focused on her piercing blue eyes.
She was surprised at his answer. "... do you even like it? We can order something else."
He chuckled. "I do, of course. It's just that I usually have to settle for the… well, not so expensive food. The Bugle doesn't pay much, and my rent won't pay itself.
She sighed. "I told you to use that cursed credit card…"
"At least you're self-conscious."
She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She set her chopsticks next to her plate on the table. "I'm full."
He smiled back and ate one of the last pieces of sushi. "... you know, you barely told me anything about you." He tried to get more information about her. The secret room he had encountered before lived freely in his thoughts.
She tilted her head to the side. "Do you want to know more… about me?"
"I mean, I… just know your name because you talk in your sleep."
Felicia shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you have only been this talky recently… and I don't know much about you either. We're even." She added,
He teased, "Weren't you all about Spider-Man, though?"
"I'm talking to him right now."
He smiled to himself and set the chopsticks to the side. "Of course."
"Isn't it fun as it is? Does it have to be more… complicated?" She asked sincerely.
"No… it's better this way."
Felicia moved off her seat and stopped in front of him and between his legs. "Are you upset with me…?" She placed her right hand on his thigh.
He looked straight into her eyes and rested his hand on her waist. "Don't worry, I'm not." He let out another smile and cupped her cheek with his right hand. "Maybe I should go now."
They touched their foreheads. She whispered, "I'd like for you to stay… with me."
She's looking at me differently. Something is… different about her tonight.
He closed his eyes. "Felicia… you… shouldn't be near me. I just… it's…"
She leaned to the side and planted another kiss near the corner of his lips. "I can handle it, Spider." She then slowly moved the bathrobe off his shoulders and slightly down his arms.
He met her eyes once again.
Why am I acting like this? This thing with her… it's becoming something else.
Felicia placed her right hand on his scarred chest. "... I want you… right now." She had her lips near his.
Should I surrender myself… to her? Now?
She questioned, "... will you be with me?"
This would be another note for my long list of mistakes.
Peter quickly pulled her closer to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her voluptuous body against his. He captured Felicia's lips in a deep and long kiss, her tongue went past his lips and began to explore his mouth, savoring his taste.
They parted, and Felicia moved slightly away from him. She undid the strap of the bathrobe on her waist and allowed it to slide down her body, revealing her toned and slim body along with her curves and rounded breasts.
She saw the lust in his eyes as he admired every bit of her.
Peter moved off the stool and approached Felicia. He snaked his left arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground, before pushing her onto the counter area and moving the dinner leftovers to the side with his free hand to give them more space.
Felicia gasped as she felt his hand grasp gently onto her breast. He squeezed tightly while his lips trailed down her neck. She moaned at his delicate touch. He pressed his lips to hers as his tongue pushed its way into her mouth, exploring her tongue, sucking on it. He could feel her melt in his arms.
He later moved his hands to her buttocks and lifted her off the table as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her through the hallway and towards the bedroom while nipping, licking, and sucking on certain places of her neck, forcing another slightly louder moan to break from her lips.
As the bathrobe fell off Peter's figure and into the ground, Felicia felt something poke at her sex. She looked down and noticed that he was still wearing his pair of boxers. She gently took fistfuls of his hair, moving him off her neck for a moment and forcing him to meet her eyes.
She questioned, "Why were you still wearing clothes under that bathrobe?"
He pushed her up firmly against one of the walls in the bedroom, pinning her body down with his and letting his hands roam everywhere. "I thought you liked to… play?"
She smiled and threw her head back against the wall after he moved his lips lower, peppering gentle kisses, gentle licks, and soft bites along her shoulders, collarbone, chest, and the valley between her breasts. She burned in anticipation. Eventually, he moved his lips to her nipple and finally began pleasuring her there.
Felicia let out another moan as she closed her eyes and instinctively pressed his head further towards her chest with both her hands. She reached for his bulge and began stroking him. As she kept her legs close and wrapped around him, Peter felt her warm arousal reach his pair of boxers and later his member as they kept on grinding against each other.
He planted another kiss in the valley between her breasts and whispered against the smooth skin of her chest, "... don't you want me to put on the mask again?"
She made him look at her once again. Their dilated eyes met each other in an intense look.
"... tell me your name."
He cupped her cheek with his left hand. "... my name… my name is Peter."
Felicia caressed the back of his head as they locked eyes on each other. She let out a smile that now revealed an entirely different woman below the façade Peter knew so well. She felt his hand move to her juicy heat and caress her there. She breathed heavy air into his mouth and later pressed her lips on hers, kissing him deeply and intoxicating. She moaned in contentment as she pushed them off the wall with her elbows.
Peter began walking backward and towards the bed behind them while fighting each other's tongues. His feet collided against the bed, and he immediately sat down on the edge of the mattress with Felicia in his lap. She rested her knees beside his hips and pushed his chest down against the bed with her right hand. He then dragged them further into the middle while Felicia straddled him.
Once they reached a comfortable position in the bed, Felicia moved her right hand and caressed his toned and scarred chest with her fingertips, drawing small circles on his skin. His left hand stroked Felicia's cheek tenderly, and he later moved a lock of her platinum hair over her ear. She leaned her head down towards his neck and took a light bite on it. She set a trail of kisses down to his chest as he rose his head from the bed and watched her surprisingly soft hand go down his six-pack as she moved her lips from his pectoral to his abdomen.
Her hand eventually reached his boxers and stopped above his erection. She gripped him firmly. "Let me take care of you now… Peter." She slowly pulled his boxers down as he dropped his head back to the bed.
Later into the rainy night, Peter found himself lying on his bareback on the left side of Felicia's bed. The sheets reached for his abdomen. He had been staring at the ceiling for about half an hour since they finished together.
Felicia was turned to the right and towards the direction of the balcony in the room. Her bare back was pointed at her companion. She seemed to be deep in her sleep.
Minnie rested in the spot near their feet.
Peter watched the very tiny spider move around in the ceiling. It was easier to see the spider whenever it moved to a spot covered by the natural light that came from the balcony.
We don't talk after. Not even about what truly made her pay a visit to Wilson Fisk. Not about our… thing.
He turned his head towards the woman next to him and eyed the back of her naked body. He spotted a couple of very tiny scars on her back. He then caressed one of them with the tip of his finger while being careful not to disturb her sleep.
She's stunning in every conceivable way. I don't know how and why, but sometimes she's in my thoughts. Getting this close to her, again, scares me… it makes me want to… talk.
He moved closer to Felicia and delicately twirled his fingers in a lock of her hair before smiling down at her. He'd enjoy just playing with her hair as she slept.
I shouldn't, but she eventually manages to get through me, to have her way… at least that's what I tell myself. The truth is, for a moment, she does make me feel better; she makes me feel… alive. I always find a way to seek more trouble, and this could never end well for both of us.
He nuzzled her hair and later brought his nose down to her neck, taking in her natural scent.
… but maybe I should allow myself to spend the rest of this one night with her.
He brought the sheets up to her shoulder and snaked his arm around her stomach, before pulling her closer to him. Their bodies were a perfect match.
Felicia moaned in contentment in her sleep.
… maybe I shouldn't feel guilty over this.
He sighed and closed his eyes, getting comfortable and resting his mind for as long as he could against Felicia's presence. It didn't take much time for him to reopen them and take another deep inhale. He raised his chest and kissed her bare shoulder before setting his feet on the cold ground.
… not tonight.
Peter petted Minnie and later took his suit from the ground and wore it over his body. He climbed into the balcony's rail and stood under the rain while looking over the city. He looked over his shoulder and took one last glance at Felicia.
Spider-Man then leaped into the air and swung away from the penthouse and into the rainy city. Back in the penthouse, Felicia had opened her eyes right after he vaulted his way off the balcony. With her head still on the pillow, she stared at the city and its buildings from the comfort of her bed, only to later bury her head in the pillow and sigh heavily.
September 15th - 2019
"Could you hand me some tomatoes, Miles?" Peter finished heating the saucepan inside the kitchen within F.E.A.S.T's building. He looked at the table of ingredients next to him in the sink.
In the wall near the entrance to the kitchen, an old TV currently set on mute could be found stuck high and against the wall.
"Sure thing," Miles Morales took the box of vegetables from the nearest stand and placed it over the sink. He took a couple of tomatoes in his hands and later set them near Peter.
"Thanks," Peter nodded with a quick smile and began to cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, before squeezing out the seeds and leaving them on the side. "I hope people like it."
"They will, and I'm glad to help." Miles took the leftovers off the table and moved them to the trash near the sink. He again approached Peter, "So, you know how to cook. Did you learn with May?"
"Well, there's that, yes… but once you leave your parent's home on your own, you have to figure out how to do some things by yourself." He looked at Miles and smiled, "I just can't live on pizza, right? It's not like I even have the money for it."
They shared a chuckle. Miles began, "Man… I don't think I will know what to do next when I have to move out."
Peter pressed the cut side of the tomato against the large holes of the box grater, grating the tomato flesh into a bowl Miles had set under his hands.
"You will figure it out. It's not that bad, I guess."
Miles crossed his arms. "Do you like… throw parties and stuff?"
Peter let out a tiny smile. "No, I don't have enough time nor money for that. Even if I did, I'm not sure I would be into it. Are you?"
"I've never been into one."
Peter added the tomato pulp into the low wide saucepan. "You're fifteen, right?" Miles nodded. "There will be opportunities for that."
"Honestly, maybe I would not be into them either."
Peter chuckled. "You say that now."
"I don't even know how to… talk to girls, neither does this friend of mine. I would be an embarrassment. I mean, that's what we do at parties, right?"
He added salt, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, basil, and bay leaf to the pan. "Well… kind of? We all start somewhere, Miles."
"Are you like… experienced?"
Peter chuckled again. He waited for the contents of the saucepan to start to boil. "Far from it. You're better off doing your own thing, Miles."
Miles sighed heavily.
Peter continued, "What you can learn from me… is wrapping this tomato sauce up while I go find the sausages. Here, take the spoon for now."
"Oh, boy. Okay." Miles stepped where Peter was and held the spoon in his right hand.
"I need you to stir and cook it until the whole thing is soft. You will know it."
Miles began to stir the contents of the oven rather awkwardly. He was afraid to mess up Peter's work. "Are you sure?"
"Of course." Peter walked away and headed for the door on the left side where the food deposit was found. He opened the door and looked around the small and currently dark room. "The sausages… they must be somewhere in here."
He felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his pants. He took it in his hand and opened the text from Jefferson Davis. The light from the screen made him narrow his eyes at the phone.
JD: Call me when you can. We might need your help tonight. It's big again.
Miles spoke back at the kitchen, "There's a switch for the light in there."
Peter frowned as he searched for the switch. "Let there be light." He flipped the switch on, and the room was now more apparent to his sight. "Ah, there it is."
He took half a dozen sausage sacks into his arms and stepped back to the kitchen after closing the door with his right foot. He set the bags close to the oven. "Here we go."
Mile smiled. "Nice, this will turn out great." He kept working on the spoon.
"I hope so, yeah." Peter began opening the plastic sacks. "By the way, how's your dad?"
"Oh, you know him?"
Peter stopped and cleared his throat. "Uh… I've heard about him. People talk about him here sometimes, he did bring some of them here."
"Oh, yeah! Right, of course." Miles chuckled. "He's… well, I think he's working on a big case right now, but he doesn't tell me much."
Peter smiled. "As it should be, I guess."
"Hey, you two!"
Peter and Miles both turned on their shoulders and looked at the entrance. They spotted May Parker and what seemed to be a six-year-old blonde girl accompanying her. May smiled at the pair.
"Hi, Aunt May." Peter greeted from his position. He then settled his eyes on the little girl. She looked back at him with her green eyes. His heart began to race slightly faster at sight.
He shook his head and saw May take further steps inside the kitchen.
"You've started before me. I'm glad you did that… everyone will have dinner earlier." She approached the duo and hugged Miles first, before finally reaching for her nephew. The girl stood still next to Miles.
Peter smiled. "Y-Yeah… I figured you needed a hand, lots of people to feed. You already take care of this whole place."
"Thank you, honey. It's much appreciated." May smiled back as they embraced each other. "How are you?"
"I'm alright, always. What about you?"
She sighed. "Busy… quite busy."
He teased, "You did want to stop being a nurse to help this place."
"Fair point."
They shared a laugh.
He looked at the girl. "Who's your… friend?"
May turned back to the child. "Oh, this is Alice." She placed a hand on the child's shoulder. "Alice, this is Peter, my nephew."
"Hi…" Alice greeted timidly.
Peter eventually nodded. "Hey…"
May smiled. "Alice and her mother have been staying with us since yesterday, they… were having trouble back home. So, they are here now."
"I see."
May looked at Miles. "Could you show her around, Miles?"
"Of course, ma'am." Miles lowered the fire intensity under the saucepan and left the spoon on the table. He smiled at Alice. "Hey, Alice. There's this room I think you'll like, lots of toy in it."
They left the kitchen and left the two Parkers alone.
May took her nephew's right hand on hers. "I've missed you. It's been a couple of weeks since you showed up."
"I'm… sorry, sometimes there's just… a lot going on." He added, "I've texted you, though."
"Did you? Well, I must have done something to my phone; maybe you could take a look at it now that you are here?"
"I will, of course." He teased, "It's that time of the month when I have to clear the junk in your phone."
"Right?" She grinned. "Oh, did you see what Jameson has been saying about Spider-Man?"
"I haven't, no. I will bring some photos to him tomorrow."
"Apparently, Spider-Man and this… Black Cat assaulted Wilson Fisk in his home?"
Peter chuckled. "Assaulted? Well, I never thought I would see the day when we are talking like this about Wilson Fisk of all people."
"I know, right?" She questioned, "What do you think of this… cat lady? I've never seen Spider-Man partnering up with someone before."
"Well… I don't know. I hope she doesn't… mean trouble to him?"
May rested her hands on her shoulders. "So do I, honey." She added, "You can be here more often too. You know you'll always be welcome here, right? People do like you."
"I… I know. I promise that I will show up more."
May smiled. "Oh, that reminds me… you almost got to meet Anna's niece today."
Peter frowned. "Who?"
"Anna, she was our neighbor for some years. Her niece has been helping us in the last couple of days."
"That's… good. But, what does that have to do with me, Aunt May?"
May grinned. "Well, she's a striking young woman… I'll tell you. She's also helping me with Alice; I think they've become friends."
"I'm not looking into… dating right now, if that's what you mean."
"Hey, I didn't say anything. I'm just saying that you two should have met; maybe you will." She added, "What's the harm in that?"
"There's no harm, May… it's just that…" He began opening the sacks and moving the sausages into the pan. "I don't see the point in doing that."
She won't understand…
"What are you… afraid of, Peter? I can't… help you unless you talk to me, honey."
Peter stopped. He looked over his shoulder and assumed a more serious tone and expression, "I'm afraid of nothing, May."
She stood still for a moment. "I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"
Peter cleared his throat, recomposing himself. "It's alright… I… yeah, it's okay."
May cut the distance between them and raised her chin to look him in the eyes. She moved her hand to the back of his head and made him lower it towards her. She planted a soft kiss on his forehead.
Peter closed his eyes at the touch. They later looked at each other once again.
She began, "I'm here… for you, always. Please don't cut me off from your life."
"... I won't."
May turned on her feet to leave and then narrowed her eyes at the TV behind her nephew. "Isn't that… Eugene?"
He looked over his shoulder and set his sight at the TV high on the wall near the entrance.
The newsman reported, "Nine more U.S. soldiers with battlefield injuries from fighting in Afghanistan arrived this afternoon for treatment at the Manhattan hospital, raising to 16 the number of recently war-wounded brought to post-surgery treatment so far."
A heavily bandaged Flash Thompson appeared in one of the images waving weakly to the cameras from his bed as he was moved off the military plane they were inside of.
Peter cleared his throat. "Jesus Christ… Flash." He looked at May. "I didn't know… we haven't talked in… so many years."
"Maybe you could… check on him once he's clear for visits. He might be needing a friendly face."
He looked away and sighed heavily. "I'll… see what I can do."
Spider-Man swung through the night in New York City and landed on the rooftop of a small building at the docs. He landed next to Jefferson Davis and analyzed the three-store warehouse on the other side of the street.
"What's the deal for tonight, captain?"
"We might have another weapons cache in our hands." Jefferson held a police radio in his right hand. He looked at the police trucks set outside the warehouse. "We'll be inside at any minute. There might be surprises inside."
"Do you think it's the same guys from last time?"
"Almost sure, there's an organizational pattern in each location."
Spider-Man glanced at the warehouse; it was pretty dark in the lot. "Do we have a name or… something?"
"Well, my best guess is that we could be dealing with the Maggia again."
"Maggia? Aren't those guys… very dangerous?"
"Depends on the family you are dealing with. They once controlled most of the loan-sharking, illegal gambling, and narcotics… there's even more." He added, "When we get to track one… something is going on."
"Damn…" Spider-Man sighed. He perched on the edge of the rooftop. "Do you think… there are Russians in it?"
Jefferson nodded. "Most likely."
"Maybe I should go first then."
Jefferson stopped hin. "It's better that you stay with me for now, just in case. Some officers still aren't… too thrilled with what you did last time."
"I did what had to be done."
"You trapped them in a room with your… webs, and you beat the hell out of the Tinkerer in his cell."
"... and I got the info we needed from him. I've disarmed those bombs." Spider-Man added, "Look, it is what is. We got the job done."
"It doesn't work like that, Spider-Man. We will talk things through; we will do it together. That's what I said we'll do when they questioned why I keep bringing you with us."
"I'll be here, but if they can't make it…" Spider-Man looked over his shoulder and at Jefferson. "… then I'll take this place myself."
"Something is going with you. We have to do this the right way."
Spider-Man sighed heavily. "Look… I can't take any risks, not anymore."
Jefferson silenced and allowed Spider-Man to speak further.
"I've put down a lot of people, I don't even know how many by now… but I know why they are all out of the streets. They are out so the people I care for, and all those people in this city… can be alive, so I can be alive for them. That's what I will do; that's what I will keep doing for as long as I can."
"Is this… about the–" Jefferson stopped when Spider-Man looked away. "Look, I think I understand what you are saying… I don't wear a mask, but I share your sentiment. Yet, I feel like there's this… thing in you that I have seen in officers that went through something bad in the field."
They stood in silence.
Jefferson's radio buzzed, "Alpha 3, moving to the rear park."
"Alpha 3, this is Bravo 7, heading through the main gates."
He gestured to the area. "They are moving in. We might find those stashes anytime now."
"Alpha 3, no signals of resistance."
Spider-Man rubbed his chin as he listened to the radio. "If anything else comes by, I'd like for you to keep me in the loop."
Jefferson nodded, "Sure thing, Spider-Man. Of course."
They watched the situation unfold from the top of their building. About twenty minutes went by.
"Alpha 3, we've located the stashes. Proceeding to secure the area."
Jefferson crossed his arms, "It seems we'll have a calm night. No signs of resistance at all."
Spider-Man eyed the warehouse, "Yeah… but usually that's not a good sign."
September 16th - 2019
In the quiet and chilly morning at Queen's Lutheran Cemetery, Peter climbed the small cliff that led to his destination, a familiar location. He wore a dark coat over his torso. He eventually approached the stone he had been heading to and stopped in front of it.
Gwendolyne Stacy - 1995 / 2014.
Always loving, always loved…
Peter inhaled deeply and later smiled at the stone. "Hey, Gwendy." He moved his hand to his face and closed his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's been a few days… I'm sorry for that."
He looked at the stone once again. "I brought you something, though." He crouched and moved his hand inside his coat pocket, before pulling a chocolate bar and setting it in the trimmed grass near the stone.
"It will help with your chocolate house." He didn't move his finger off the bar as he looked at her name. He dropped his chin, "This place… it's quiet… peaceful."
He moved his hand off the bar and to the top of the stone. "I'm so sorry for what happened to you…" His voice came out as throaty. "... and to your father, for everything your family has lost."
Peter cleared his throat as a single tear slid down his left eye. "Maybe if I tried harder, done things differently, listened more… maybe you would still be alive."
He raised his chin and focused on the clear sky above him. "It's been hard, it really has. What you wanted from me, from all of us… it hasn't been easy. I've been trying… but I feel like I'm on the verge of doing something bad more than anything else. Sometimes I see you… just like I did with your father."
He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, I was supposed to, but all of this… still is for you, everything." He looked at the ground. "It somewhat was right from the start. You called me Spider-Man, and you made the suit. Everything I do, it's for you. Nothing's going to change that."
Peter let out a tiny smile. "I've dreamt about you recently… we were slightly older, we had a… daughter, you were happy… happy, so happy. I never wanted to go back to a dream as much as I did with this one." He stroked the stone with his finger. "It was a nice dream… I hope it can be real in another life, somewhere."
He stood up and hid his hands in the pockets of the coat. "I love you. Be well."
Peter turned on his shoulder and began to walk away from his former lover's gravestone as the leaves in his path were blown away by the wind. He knew there was a lot to be done, a lot of people to deal with. The city needed him, and he needed the city as well. Otherwise, he wouldn't know what to do with the deep pain within him.
Peter Parker had to cling to hope once again. It's what the love of his life would have wanted for him.
A/N: Hi! Thank you for reaching the end of the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. This popped in my head, and I quickly put it down since I felt like writing another Spider-Man story, in this case, for Andrew Garfield's movies. It's the live-action version I feel most engaged in and also the one with the most potential, story-wise. Also, Spider-Man, the character, is like a drug, so addicting. I tell myself I won't get to write more about him, but here I am. I had written a short story, Perseverance, sometime after my long one ended, that was a particular story I wanted to tell, and now it's the same thing here. I found something I consider worth writing about, I didn't want to go back to writing similar stuff (concepts-wise) and I felt like doing my best to make this tale different from what was posted before here.
No Way Home indeed served as inspiration, but for now, the story is not directly tied to it. So, as I came up with the concepts and scenarios, the bulk of the story here began to take shape, and I'm really proud of what was done. A lot of thoughtful showers and deep thoughts before sleep took place before letting this out. The idea, from the get-go, was to follow up on the canonical events of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 while using the information given in NHW about Andrew's Peter. As said in the summary, this chapter/story is meant to portray how these characters would relate to one another after tragic events. Each one has a story to tell about themselves. We have a Peter Parker that still hasn't recovered from his lover's death, and maybe he could find tranquility in the people around him.
I chose to rate the story 'M' because it gives me more freedom to tackle some themes and scenes. Of course, the Felicia and Peter love scene required such a rating, but there's a reason I finished it before the climax because I didn't think that there was a reason to cover the whole act, story-wise, but maybe I could be wrong, let me know what you think. There could be more similar situations; we'll have to see. Also, it was a blast to write the scenes and dialogues for Felicia and Peter. I always wanted to see TASM3 with scenes about them. About Felicia, yes, there's another Felicia for this story, the one I consider the real. The reason is that while Felicity Jones is a great actress, I see someone else as a better option, and the story choices for the character in TASM2 were something I didn't want to have in this version of mine. I wanted to go completely fresh with no pre-established material regarding Felicia Hardy, and Peter never met the first Felicia in the canonical cut of the movie. Same thing with a possible redhead. Another aspect I won't focus on is the Sinister Six bit since I already covered that up in another story; this part will remain in the background.
Regarding what actors I think play X or Y (new) character, yes, I have them in my head, but I don't know if I should reveal my choices. I thought of allowing the cover of the story to provide a primary picture of their faces while allowing everyone to make their choices themselves. But sure, if requested, I can write the names down.
I don't know if there will be a chapter 2, it depends on many things, such as my free time, but the story right now can work as a standalone chapter, a point was made, and the seeds and foundations for more are already well established. Everyone's fate is settled, there's a full picture of the story written down in my notes. Their stories could intertwine more, for sure. If there's more, I wouldn't expect it to last more than five chapters; this wouldn't be a long story.
I think I got off the rails here, so again, thank you for reading. Take care!
* Story named after the song How to Save a Life by The Fray.