"A toy?" said Peter. "You went through all this trouble for a toy?"

Felicia, who had stopped struggling at this point, just said, "It's not just any toy, okay? My father gave that to me. It was a present. It was the first thing he ever stole, because he wanted to get me a birthday present he knew I'd love."

Peter picked up the cat and looked at Felicia curiously. "So your father wanted you to have this?"

"Times were tough, and he couldn't afford a present," Felicia explained. "He stole that from some collector who was about to throw it away. I-I-" Felicia looked down as she tried to continue that sentence, and Peter could actually see moistness rising in his mask's eyeholes.

"I wanted it... as a reminder of him. He's run off to who-knows-where, but... I just wanted to hold on to a piece of him. I just wanted it so I could keep him close to me."

Peter looked the cat over suspiciously, before asking, "If it was just a toy, then why did Fisk want it?"

"Well, it was a super-rare toy," Felicia explained. "Neither my dad nor the collector he stole it from realized it, but it's from a line of toys that ended up getting destroyed in a factory explosion. They were based on this ancient TV show. Since these toys are now so rare, they're worth big bucks to the right people."

Looking from the toy to Felicia, Peter was stunned to see her looking down, sadness hiding behind her new mask's eyeholes. It was unbelievable. The great Felicia Hardy, the infamous Black Cat, was showing weakness in front of him? All along, she just wanted something to remember her father by.

"How come you didn't just tell me about this in the first place?" said Peter, now walking over to her to look her in the eyes. "I mean, Fisk didn't strike me as the kind of guy who plays with dolls but-"

"I knew you'd never trust me," said Felicia. "Not after... you know. And... I can't say I blame you."

Peter was stunned, but Felicia continued. "I really am sorry, Petey. For everything. For lying to you, for emotionally manipulating you, for abandoning you to Hammerhead, and for stealing your body. But you gotta know, I didn't do that to try to frame you. I just needed your powers to make it work. I did take the time to make sure no one saw Spider-Man stealing something. All I wanted was the toy. And as soon as it was over, I was going to give you your body, and you could go right back to being the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."

Peter was silent for the longest time, before he said, "Why'd you do it, Felicia?"

"What?"

"Lie to me, leave me to Hammerhead," said Peter. "You know, everything I did that day, I did it because I cared about you. Once I heard you had a son who was in danger, my only instinct was to help you. Because you mattered to me, Felicia. I couldn't let something like that happen to you. But then... you were just using me. And then you just abandon me to Hammerhead. Do you have any idea how much that hurt, Felicia? It felt like you just rammed a knife through my heart."

Felicia looked down again, as Peter continued. "Even if you saved me later, how could I know that it wasn't for some personal reason again? Like you weren't just saving me to get ready to use me again? I can't even trust you anymore, Felicia. I'm-"

"-absolutely right," Felicia suddenly interrupted. Peter looked at her surprised again, but she continued. "I don't deserve to be trusted by you anymore, Peter. You're right. I'm a lousy, vain, incredibly selfish person. I used you, and I didn't even care. And that wasn't right. I was no better than Hammerhead. But... if you want the truth, a part of me felt guilty, so ashamed, I had to go back to you. That's when I saved you. I thought maybe that would make us even... but it didn't. Because I did so many things wrong, doing one thing right can't make up for it."

She then looked Peter in the eyes, and said, "You know, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't moved when I saw you work so hard to come to my rescue. Like I somehow had a knight in shining armor. And look how I stupidly threw it all away. I won't ask you to forgive me or trust me ever again, Petey. And I don't blame you. Because I know I don't deserve it. But... I just have to say right now... I do care about you. Because you're a far better person than I'll ever be."

Peter was stunned. As Felicia looked him in the eyes, he suddenly decided to pull his own mask off of her. Once he did, he saw himself, looking at him with big, brown eyes, but behind them, he couldn't see anything malicious. No ill intent, no dishonesty, just sincerity and regret. He knew Felicia was sincere this time, because he knew the look in his own eyes.

"Felicia, I...I..." he stuttered.

"Say, uh, why don't you call your friends right now?" said Felicia. "That Strange guy'll switch us back, and I'll go to prison where I belong."

Peter looked at her, and then at the cat toy, before he took a deep breath and said, "You don't have to go to prison."

"What?"

"Do you promise that you didn't frame me?" said Peter.

"Yes, I promise!"

"Then once Strange gets here, you can take the toy and go. This time."

Felicia was stunned, before tears actually pouring out of her- or rather, Peter's- face. "That was all I needed to hear."

"Huh?"

"Eaque non mittam te ad identitatem, ut tollet mea. Et calceamenta in nobis ambulabunt in se, et se in via. Auferam corpori accipiesque meae!" Felicia suddenly chanted. Peter felt a familiar rising sensation come over him, and he felt lighter than air as he came crashing back down to earth. When he opened his eyes...

... he saw Felicia standing in front of him, as coy as ever.

"Felicia, did... did you-" Peter stopped upon hearing his voice. It was his voice again! He looked himself over, and was overjoyed to see his own body again, even if it was stuck to the pavement by webbing. He looked up at see Felicia suddenly pull out her mirror again and show him his reflection, and he saw good old Peter Parker in the mirror.

"I did memorize the spell, you know," said Felicia. "Could've done that at any time. Oh, here, you might need this." Carefully, she put his mask back on.

"Wait, d-did you just-" Peter started before they suddenly heard someone coming their way. Peter looked over to see more Fisk thugs rush into the alleyway.

"We figured you might find the trapdoor!" said a thug, as they broke out their guns. "Time to finish this!"

Peter looked over to see that Felicia was suddenly gone. Unbelievable! She tricked him yet again! How could she!? Peter's blood boiled for a brief moment, before it ran cold upon seeing the thugs walking up to him.

Fortunately, one thug was suddenly struck down by an attack from behind. The tugs turned, but they saw no one. Then another tug got kicked down, and another, before Peter saw Felicia in front of him, slashing through the webbing before facing the thugs and holding out the toy cat.

"Hey, I got what you guys came for!" she said, causing all thugs to look at her. "You want it? Come and get!"

Discretely, she looked back at Peter and said, "And that's your cue to scram!" She ran up a nearby building with help from the fire escape, and the tugs quickly tried to run after her.

As Peter stood up again, he suddenly heard more noise behind him. He turned to see Mary-Jane, Miles, and Strange running up to him. Miles quickly grabbed Peter's costume and said, "Enough already, Hardy! Where's Peter!?"

"What? N-no, guys, I am Peter!"

"Felicia, we're already on your game!" said Mary-Jane. "Now where is Peter!?"

"I am Peter," said Peter, "because Felicia just switched us back herself! After all, I still know about the birthmark, MJ! And your sock monkey, Miles, like I just told you about earlier!"

Mary-Jane and Miles gasped, before Strange decided to yank out Peter's spirit yet again to examine him.

"Ack! I really wish you'd stop doing that!" said Peter.

Strange quickly brought their spirits back, and said, "Yep, it's Peter, alright."

"Wait, then Felicia just switched you two back herself?" said Miles. "Why?"

"It's a long story," said Peter. "But I need some help right now! Felicia is in trouble! Fisk's goons are after her!"

Felicia was running along the rooftops, trying to stay ahead of the goons. Unfortunately, one of them got a lucky shot in, and caused her to stumble over, and crash into a chimney. She tried to stand up, a little dazed, but all the thugs had her surrounded.

"Your nine lives are up, kitty!" said a thug.

"Oh, gee, aren't you original?" said Felicia.

Suddenly, all the thugs were lifted into the air, before they were all smacked together and tossed aside, unconscious. Felicia was confused until she saw Dr. Strange flying up to her, Peter, Miles, and Mary-Jane right behind him.

"Ah! Uh, Mr.- no- Dr. Strange! I can-" Felicia stuttered.

"It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you," said Strange. He pulled out the scroll and said, "The scroll is returned, so that's all that matters. Just one little thing."

He suddenly flew up to Felicia, placed a hand on her forehead, and spoke an incantation. Felicia felt weird for a second before she blinked and Strange said, "Sorry, I couldn't let you use that spell ever again." Felicia placed a hand to her forehead, and as she thought, she was suddenly unable to remember the words for the body-switching spell. "Just don't ever come near the Sanctum Santorum again, got it?"

"Uh, okay," she stuttered. "Wait, did-did you guys really come here to help me?"

"Don't get used to it," said Miles.

"You can go now, Felicia," said Peter. "We'll be watching you, don't worry, but tonight, you can go and keep you dad's gift."

Felicia looked at Peter surprised, before a small smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, Peter. And... I really am sorry, for everything."

"Yeah, let me be clear," said Mary-Jane, marching up to Felicia, "you ever hurt Peter again, you answer to me! Got it!"

Felicia was stunned, but smiled and said, "You're tough. That's good. Promise you'll take care of Peter for me, okay?" and with that, Felicia ran off into the night.

"This was the weirdest night ever," Miles said.

"At least you didn't have to be a girl for the night!" said Peter. "Ugh, I'm glad we switched back when we did. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if I had to go to the bathroom."

Strange cringed before saying, "Okay, I'll be taking my leave now if you don't mind. But not a word about anything the three of you have seen tonight, got it?"

"Done," Peter, Mary-Jane, and Miles chorused. And with that, the Sorcerer Supreme took his leave.

The next day, Peter and Mary-Jane were having dinner together at their favorite restaurant, the events of the previous night still fresh in their minds.

"Sooooo, how did being a girl treat you?" said Mary-Jane.

"I don't want to talk about it," said Peter.

"Hey, maybe now you and I can go shopping together, and now, you'll finally like what I buy for you," Mary-Jane said smugly.

Peter raised an eyebrow at her and said, "Hey, maybe someday a supervillain will switch bodies with you and then you can see what being a boy is like. What do you think?"

Mary-Jane just stifled a chuckle as Miles suddenly walked in, a newspaper in his hand.

"Hey, guys, you should see this! It's all about the little heist last night."

"Oh, boy, I bet JJ had a field day with this," said Peter.

"Maybe not. Look!" Miles pointed at the newspaper once he set it down.

Peter and Mary-Jane looked it over, and read that the security cameras did not catch any glimpse of a thief. The people who were interviewed said they saw Spider-Man, but that he was protecting the museum from the Black Cat. Finally, the police agreed that the Black Cat had been the mastermind behind the heist, as eyewitnesses saw they saw her running off from the museum that night.

"I don't believe it!" said Mary-Jane. "She took the blame for everything?"

"I thought she was craftier than that," said Miles.

As Peter read the article, a tiny smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, and this is her best spun lie yet. And I think I ought to thank her for it."

THE END