Disclaimer: Rubber duckies make me happy

Yay chapter 10! Double digits! And it's long! Yay! Okay, I know this chapter is kinda awkward at some parts, but I sorta like it. It's different. Idk, maybe I'm the only person who thinks it's awkward. I probably am, but oh well. I have trouble with characterization sometimes. I hope you like it. This is a terrible intro. Just read... :P

Chapter 10

"I'm sorry, but...I've gotta ask. Why are we still ignoring Peter?"

Tony strolled across the panels along the floor of Avengers tower, the triumphant feeling of the suit encasing his body occupying his thoughts. His usual armor was far too damaged to be used right now, so one of his many other suits would do for the time being. Satisfying whirs and clicks accompanied the assembly process, until finally he stood before his team fully dressed in his Iron Man armor. He released a weighty sigh.

"I talked to him this morning. Pete's got his own problems to deal with right now, outside of Hydra. The city needs him here, keeping crime off the streets, but we're needed out there. Trust me on this, guys."

Natasha furrowed her brow as Bruce attended to a gash on her arm. "We 'trusted you on this' last time, Stark. I don't understand why you think Spidey has to be excluded from this mission. I think we all can agree that having him with us would be optimal."

The rest of the team all nodded in unison, but Tony shook his head.

"No. He's not ready. Not yet, anyway."

Cap scratched at his face confusedly. "I don't get you, Stark. You're acting like you're responsible for Peter when you're not. Just because he's young doesn't mean he gets to have his decisions made for him. Peter can handle himself. Whether or not you believe that shouldn't dictate how involved he gets to be with the team—which, might I add, he was hand-picked by Fury to be on, just like the rest of us."

"Spider-Man has overcome all the crap that's been thrown his way," Bruce said simply. "I don't know what possessed you to think he can't handle Hydra. They're scattered and disorganized, Tony. Having Pete with the team would help us completely dismantle them faster and more efficiently."

"He's far more cunning and dependable than you are making him out to be," Thor added.

"And I'm pretty sure he's saved every one of our asses at least, like, three times," Clint snorted.

Tony's mask flipped upwards to reveal his face, which was scrunched with irritation. "Okay, well, whatever. It's not just that. We need someone to stay behind and hold down the fort while we're gone. Who knows what could happen while we're out? And I think that job best suits Peter in this scenario, don't you all agree?"

"You mean we need someone to stay behind to, what, babysit the tower?" Natasha scoffed. "And what are you even talking about? We only just got back from Atlanta; where are we going now?"

Stark and Rogers shared a look of uneasiness, masking the room in an uncomfortable silence. Then Steve combed his fingers through his hair, glancing off to the side.

"An alert has come out of northern California. Another attack from Hydra."

Natasha raised her eyebrows. "What? Already?"

"Supposedly they're targeting big name technology businesses," Tony explained, "most likely to get their hands on crap they can weaponize. They already tried to break into Stark Industries about a week ago. Since my security system stopped them so fast, I assumed whoever had done it wasn't that much of threat. But now with the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility breach two days ago and then this Pym Tech thing in California…"

"Damn," Banner stated rigidly, "this is getting out of hand."

"You're telling me," Steve sighed. "Now, not only is Hydra attacking places with their weapons and men, but also with beings that appear to be advanced biologically."

Clint glanced up. "Advanced? Like, what, with powers? Like you and Pete?"

Tony nodded uncertainly. "The only thing Fury mentioned was something about a dude who could run, in quote, 'hella fast'. So that's all we've got to work with so far." He swept his gaze across the room. "Which is why we gotta get our asses down there and figure out what's going on."

"We need to stop Hydra from hurting more people and from getting whatever they're after as fast as possible," Steve commanded. "From there it would be in our best interest to capture an assailant and make them tell us what Hydra's plan is, and how this supposed 'advanced being' was created. We all clear?"

Despite the obscurity of their mission, all eventually nodded in agreement. After speedily patching up the rest of their still-prevalent injuries, the Avengers suited up and began loading on to the massive Quinjet parked on the extended balcony of the tower. Captain America hung back after his speech, however, pulling Tony aside.

"I'm going to stay behind for a bit. I've got something I need to figure out."

Stark eyed him skeptically. "You've got something more important to do than leading your team against Hydra? You know, the psychotic, Nazi-worshipping sadist group who nearly destroyed everything during your era and got your ass frozen into a Capsicle for seventy years? Oh, this has to be good. What, have you got a date or something?"

"I'll be right behind you, I promise," he insisted. "Go on ahead with the others. I'll rendezvous with everyone in California as soon as possible."

Tony shot him a weird look at first, but eventually rolled his eyes and spun around. "Fine. Have it your way, Spangles. Just don't leave us hanging too long."

Once the rest of the the team was onboard, Iron Man stepped on to the loading platform, only to hear a merry jingle ring inside his helmet.

Incoming call from Peter Parker, sir, Jarvis informed him reservedly. Shall I answer it?

Stark stood stiffly on the deck, biting at the inside of his cheek. He stared off across the urban landscape, wondering where the kid may have run off to after their little squabble that morning. He knew he was being unfair to him right now, but he didn't care. Once they had sorted all this Hydra crap out themselves, perhaps he'd feel more comfortable with Peter joining them on stuff like this that sprung up in the future. For now, he thought it best to just let him deal with the small-scale trouble still plaguing New York.

Flipping his mask back over his face, Stark marched on to the jet, feeling the platform rise beneath his feet.

"No. Ignore it. And do the same with every other call he sends our way."

A figure was running across the tops of buildings.

Fueled by frustration and a terrible urge to turn someone's face inside out, he leapt off the roof and fired a web-line from his wrist.

Now let's see, New York. What have you got for me this evening? Robbers, thugs, a flying moose-man paid off to beat me up by some dude who's also the boss of a magical witch lady?

It shocked him how quickly he took notice of it—the difference in morale between a week ago and today. Some of the pedestrians he swung over that saw him in costume spat curses at him. An old woman in a taxi cab flipped him the bird before screeching away. He even heard a homeless man hurl insults at him that made him shiver in his spandex suit. He hadn't a clue how quickly his city could turn against him.

But he had sworn an oath to protect it. No amount of hatred from his people would keep him from defending them, even if his motives for doing so were a bit more selfish at the moment.

He dropped on top of a pinnacle thrusted from the crest of a museum, watching people file out of the doors beneath him in a sparse flow. It was closing time for the exhibition. He wished he could visit places like this more often to stimulate his nerdy side, which lately felt as though it was being a bit neglected. As the scanty crowds quickly dissipated, his gaze wove down the winding streets, scavenging for a crook to satisfy his desire for combat.

Spidey sense.

Fortunately this wasn't his 'oh my gosh run for your life you 'bout to die bro' spidey sense—the one that erupted inside his head to warn him of a bullet about to pierce his skull or a knife about to stick him in the gut. This was a spidey sense that pinged subtly in the back of his mind, warning him of a nearby threat and placing his senses on alert. Stirred to life, he flipped back on to the roof, landing in the center with his knees bent low. For a long while he sat there, waiting and listening.

Well, something's going on somewhere. Doesn't feel like a frequency from my spider tracers, so it must be close by. But what exactly is it, my dear Watson?

The clock struck nine. The museum had been closed for almost half an hour. Yet after scouring the roads surrounding the museum in vain, Peter stole back on to the roof frustratedly, when off to his left his sensitive ears suddenly caught wind of a small commotion. The careful tapping of a pick against stone, whispered exchanges between a handful of voices, a group of pounding heartbeats huddled together, the crumbling of dust and rubble. Slowly, Peter rose off his haunches and began creeping towards the sounds, his athletic form low against the pasty brick. Once he'd slipped across the long length of roof, he reached the drop off and carefully peeked over the edge.

A tiny hammered clattered against the pavement just as his gaze met the ground. A pile of debris sat beside it, along with a few other tools and nicknacks. He swore he also caught sight of a foot disappearing into the building, if only for an instant. He glanced left and right, finding the rest of the alleyway below empty, then snorted. Without a sound, he crawled down the wall and dropped on to pavement, stooping low with his fingers against the ground. He discerned the jagged hole freshly dug through the stone that yawned ominously into a dark void, and he almost laughed to himself.

A museum robbery, huh? Cliché beyond belief, but I'll take it. I was afraid I'd have to resort to punching a tree or something.

Dropping flat against the asphalt, Peter wiggled his way into the narrow passage, feeling his sides rub up against the crumbly mortar. Taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the inky darkness, Spider-Man began weaving through the pipes and wires strung thickly inside the wall, his lips hinting a small grin beneath his mask.

Come along, Watson. The game is afoot.

Silence. Cold, edgy silence. The room Peter emerged in was heavy with it.

It had taken him a little longer than expected to find the escape passage. He could've easily just kicked one out for himself, but that felt a bit rude. Destruction of public property and all that. The one he had eventually found already so conveniently carved out for his usage had, fortunately or unfortunately, led him into this creepy room. He was quick to move on to the next one.

Spider-Man stalked quietly through multiple corridors of the museum, examining the many curious exhibits flanking him on either side. Dinosaur bones, framed documents, canvases slathered with incomprehensible splotches of paint supposedly labelled as art. Seeing that he was just strolling casually through a locked up museum without being detected, he began wondering where the hell the night guard was. Then his foot bumped into something squishy, and he jumped back in surprise.

Question answered. A chubby man was collapsed facedown on the floor right in front of him, bound hand and foot and knocked out cold. On top of that, he was disarmed, gagged, and stripped down to nothing but his pink tidy-whiteys. Peter fought back a chuckle. Whoever had done this was either tapped into the same twisted brand of humor he boasted, or Deadpool.

Just then, the murmur of voices in the next room caught his ear, and he sprung up against the wall. Breathing steadily, he strained to hear what they were saying. They sounded gruff and excited.

"You got 'em all?"

"Yep. Can you imagine how much these jewels are worth? We're gonna be rich!"

With an exasperated sigh, Peter rolled his eyes. Amateurs.

"I was skeptical about working under this chick at first, but I think ain't none of us regretting it now."

"Agreed. Where'd she scamper off to, speaking of?"

"Right next door. Said she was looking for some fancy necklace or whatever."

"Well, we'd better get outta here quick before we trigger some alarm."

This time, Peter straight busted out laughing. He had no idea why, but he just couldn't help himself. These guys were such idiots. Knowing well he had blown his cover but not really caring all that much, he pushed himself off the wall and stood adjacent from the next room's entrance. He could hear that the men's breathing had suddenly intensified.

"Hey! What was that?"

"Who just laughed?"

"Was it that fat guard man? Did he wake up?"

Peter heard a gun cock in someone's hand. "Who's out there? Show yourself!"

Still giggling, Peter fired a web at the top of the entryway and flung himself into the room, causing the group of thugs to gasp fearfully. He landed gracefully before them, then rose upright and fanned his face with his hand.

"Whew, hey guys. Sorry about the impromptu entrance—I'm just not really myself this evening. Lots of drama going on. Trust me, you don't want to know."

All of their eyes instantly widened in shock. Newbie baddies were always Peter's favorite.

"S-Spider-Man?"

"What the hell?"

"Did he follow us in here?"

"S-someone! Call the boss before—"

Peter held up his hand sharply. "Look, I'm going to be honest with you guys. I'm really pissed and I need some asses to whoop to make me feel better. How 'bout—can we just skip the part with all the witty banter and the pleasantries and all that and just go straight to the ass whooping? I don't feel like thinking of quips to toss around that none of you idiots will even understand anyways. So is that cool with you guys?"

The burglars all exchanged looks of confusion and panic. Bags of jewels were scattered around their feet, and opened display cases dotted the wide the room. Peter wondered how these morons had managed to break into this place without setting off every alarm in the building.

"I'm going to take whatever all that was as a yes," Peter said smugly, curling his hands into fists. "Who'd like to go first?"

"Kill this bastard!" one of them suddenly screamed, firing his pistol at Spidey's skinny frame. Peter leapt out of the way with ease, watching the bullet zip through the doorway and fly into the wall on the other side of the museum with a thump.

"Oh, we have a winner!" Peter cheered, pressing down on his palm and sending a bio-cable shooting across the room. It latched on to the man's chest, and Spider-Man whipped him forwards with a snap of his wrist. The thug yelped in surprise, and Peter socked him right in the face, sending him flying sideways and crashing to the ground, out cold. In an instant, the room exploded with gunfire from every direction, and Spider-Man sprung hastily on to the ceiling.

"If you all don't mind, could I, like, vent all my issues while I beat your butts into pork rinds? I feel like if I could just let it all out, it would really help me deal with it, you know?" In a flash, he dropped himself on top of one of the thugs and ripped his gun from his fingers, chucking it into the wall and watching it splinter into pieces. "Okay, here it goes..."

Peter flung the man into the air and delivered a roundhouse kick to his face. "So first of all, my boss is a dick. Like, you think your boss is bad? Nah, bro. Don't even try to convince me yours is worse. Mine usually pays me less than minimum wage—which, might I add, is illegal—and treats me like his damn slave." The thug tried to scramble to his feet, but Spider-Man punched him right in the gut before he could stand, sending him sliding across the tile, moaning. "I mean, the one time he actually does give me good pay is when I completely humiliate myself in front of the entire city!"

A bullet suddenly zipped by his ear, and Peter was on the culprit in an instant. He leapt into the air and locked his legs around his head, using the man's own weight against him and sending him collapsing to the ground. As the burglar lied there gasping, Peter threw his hands up in the air. "And speaking of this city—I mean, wow. I make one little mistake on the job, and now they all suddenly hate me? I know I'm a masked vigilante and all and it's not like I'm expecting a parade with Spidey floats to go skipping down 6th Avenue, but I think all this spidery spite is a little uncalled for, don't you?"

As the thug being choked between his thighs went limp, another man suddenly came sprinting straight for him, knife in hand. He swung the blade down towards his back, but Peter threw up his arm and stopped the man's forward momentum with his wrist against that of the thug's. He shoved him aside and slammed his foot against his hand, causing him to cry out and drop the knife. Now standing over him, Spider-Man leaned down to leer directly into the burglar's fearful eyes.

"And don't even get me started on Tony."

With one pop in the jaw, it was lights out for thug number three. Only one more remained, and he spun around to face him, fists rigid at his sides.

"I don't know why he thinks he has a right to treat me like a child. I'm an Avenger. It's my duty to protect the world alongside the rest of my team, but for some stupid reason he wants to keep my ass in New York, away from Hydra, where it's 'safe'." He chuckled lividly. "Well, Mr. Stark, have I got a newsflash for you: in the past week, I've had to fend off three psychotic super villains and a freaky witch lady all by myself. On top of the street crime I already have to deal with, which I am doing a marvelous job of keeping at bay without anyone's help, despite the fact that it would be very appreciated." Peter fired a glob of webbing into the baddie's eyes, making him fling his gun away and claw frantically at his face. He began striding straight towards him, teeth gritted in his mouth. "You think I'm inexperienced? You think I can't take care of myself and millions of other people beyond that, even after everything I've already done?" Peter slugged him square in the eye, causing him to slam into the wall and slide to floor, unconscious in an instant. He sat there in the darkness, panting harshly.

"Well, to that, dear sir, I've got only one thing to say: Up. Yours."

The room was silent once again, except for the sound of all of the burglars' strangled breathing. Spider-Man stood in the middle of them, fury churning in his stomach. He didn't want to hate Tony and all the rest of his friends. They'd been through a lot together, and he wanted to trust that there was a greater reason behind all of this desertion, but he couldn't find any. They were ignoring him. They were lying to him. And he didn't understand why. Funny, he realized, how familiar he was with all this pain. His muscles were still coiled beneath his flesh.

Then, with a heavy sigh, Peter forced himself to relax. Eddie was right about the whole venting thing—it helped to belt it all out loud, even if he knew no one was really listening. He stared down at all the men collapsed around him and managed a small chuckle.

"Anyway, thanks for the therapy session, fellas. How should I pay you all for your courteousness? I know rattling up some of that common sense gone stagnant inside your brains was partial compensation, but do you accept emotional power-hugs as reimbursement as well? What about a peck on the cheek from your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? You don't even want to know how much one of those is going for on the Internet."

Footsteps from behind suddenly broke through his monologue, causing him to stiffen. Whoops. Missed one, he thought lightheartedly. Then he heard someone speak, and his spirits instantly flipped.

"Ooh. I'll take one of those, if you're offering."

Startled, Peter spun around. That voice. It was soft, teasing, and familiar. He didn't know how, though. It puzzled him, because he was usually really good with voices. His eyes fell upon the outline of a figure peeking from behind the doorway, making him grow uneasy.

"Uh, hello," he said somewhat awkwardly. "I...um...no, sorry. I was joking. Sarcasm, get it? It's supposed to be funny. Because, you know, I'd never actually kiss one of their ugly pig faces. Like, ew."

The mystery person giggled and stepped all the way into the room, placing her hands on her hips. Instantly, Peter felt his face grow hot. W-whoa. What the hell? Is this the "boss" those morons were talking about? Then he shook his head and glanced away, suddenly finding the grimy floor very interesting.

"Well, I'd hoped you wouldn't lump me into the same category as them. I expected you to be a little more gracious, considering how rude you were the last time we met."

She began to slowly stroll towards him, and Peter rubbed at the back of his neck, still refusing to raise his gaze as he tried to remember when he could've possibly met this girl.

"Before? We've met before? I dunno. I mean, I thought maybe—I don't know. Your voice and all. But I think I would've remembered someone who looked like—I mean, I've fought lots of baddies, but none that looked that—this is coming out wrong. W-what I'm trying to say is that—"

A gloved hand suddenly pressed against his lips, causing him to jump. "You don't remember me? Oh, now you're just being cruel." She slid her finger under his chin and lifted up his face, forcing him to look directly into her startlingly familiar eyes. A playful smile rolled along her ruby-red lips, and long, bleach-white hair flowed around her face. The raccoon-like black mask encircling her eyes matched the skin-tight black suit she was wearing, which highlighted every feature of her sculpted body. Peter tried to take a step back, when all of a sudden she leaned her face towards his. "Perhaps this will jog Spidey's memory."

Before he realized it, she was kissing him! Through his mask! He was so taken back by the strange embrace at first that he just sat there in shock. Then, gutted back to reality, Spider-Man pulled away, stumbled over his own feet, and fell flat on his butt with a yelp. The girl laughed out loud, and after a moment of absolute astonishment, Peter blinked up at her in disbelief.

"Y-you—you're that lady!" he cried, his face burning with embarrassment. "From the party! You tried to kiss me before!"

The girl cupped her cheek bashfully. "Aw, so you do remember. I told you back then that our paths would cross again soon, and now here we are." With her pointer and middle finger, she tapped herself on the lips, throwing him a wink. "And I suppose that counts as your repayment for all that impoliteness from before. That is, unless you wanted a little more than that. I do find it quite difficult to slip the tongue when that adorable little mask is covering your mouth, don't you—?"

Peter threw up his hands frantically. "N-no, no, no, no. Stop. I—I told you before, lady! I have a girlfriend! I'm not interested! In whatever it is you're trying to force upon me!"

She laughed lightly, running her fingers through her voluminous hair. "I'm not trying to force anything on you, swinger. You're the one who sat there and let me kiss you, after all. And don't you even try to convince me you didn't enjoy it." She eyed him fiercely. "Also, don't call me 'lady' like that. That's demoralizing to women. The name is Black Cat."

Swiping a hand across his lips, Peter gazed up at her curiously. "'Black Cat?'" he repeated. "What is that, a code name?"

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of me before," she purred. "I'm rather infamous among the criminalist community."

Recovering himself, Peter slowly crawled to his feet, relieved once again that his face wasn't visible to her enticing eyes. "W-wait—you're a criminal? As in, you're the one who orchestrated this little museum heist? As in, those were all of your goons I just beat up?"

Black Cat shrugged innocently. "Are you surprised? I told you I got rep, and these boys were willing to hit me up on a little late-night raid to turn a quick buck. I take after my father, I suppose. Cat burgling runs in the family." She toyed with the flashy diamond necklace that was dangling in front of her chest, watching it glisten and shimmer in the low light. "Although, unlike him, I've always been drawn more intimately to the things I steal. Especially the sparkly things."

Peter snorted. "You do realize who you're admitting all of this to, don't you? Spider-Man? The guy who runs around beating up thieves and throwing them all in prison?"

A seductive smile suddenly broke across her lips, and she pressed herself against him like puppy, making him flinch. "Oh, I know. I wasn't expecting my dear little Spidey to come popping in to spoil all the fun this evening, but I know you won't get me arrested—despite the fact that I am working for a man who's trying to kill you. You know I could never survive inside a cold, dark prison cell all by myself." Then she gazed up at him mischievously. "But if you want me to be your prisoner, Spider-Man, feel free to web me up any time."

Peter suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, making her blink in surprise. "Wait. You do what? You work for the guy who's trying to kill me too?"

Black Cat smiled vampishly. "You're a superhero. What villains these days aren't working with someone trying to kill you?"

"Please don't tell me this is the same guy who sent the freaks and the witch lady after me."

She wrinkled her brow. "Um, what? I don't know anything about that. I just steal stuff and give the dude money." She shrugged. "I'd keep it all for myself, but I got myself into a bad vice with his people last month. Luckily, instead of killing me on the spot, he told me how he's got men working in the prison my dad's being kept at. If I bring in enough dough, he promises he'll get him out for me. If I don't...well, that's a different story."

"What's the money being used for?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"How does he have men working for him inside of prisons?"

"I don't know."

Peter sighed defeatedly. "Well, what's his name?"

Black Cat bit her lip. "Can't tell you that."

"What? What?"

"Everyone who works under him knows it: you say his name, you lose everything."

"Are you freaking kidding me?"

She giggled softly, although the fear in her eyes betrayed her silky voice. "Sorry, spider. If the boss finds out I told you stuff about him, his men will kill my father. Then I'm next."

Huffing out a sigh of despair, Spider-Man palmed his face with both hands, groaning exasperatedly. "I can't believe this. This guy—this Big Man dude—he owns everything. And everyone. How the hell am I ever going to find him before he kills me and the rest of my team?"

Black Cat laid her hands against his chest. "Oh, don't be such a worry wart. I think you need to lighten up a little, Spidey."

Out of nowhere he felt her drag her sharp nails all the way down the length of his torso, sending a chill rocketing up his spine, and he scrambled away so fast his back bumped against the wall. His cheeks flushed with color, and he curled his fingers against the flat surface.

"Will you cut it out?" he hissed, remembering once again who he was speaking to. Eddie had been right (wow, again): other than Gwen, all women their age were evil. "I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on! Like who this big bad boss man is, what he plans to do to my city, and why you're constantly trying to feel me up! Let's just talk like normal people for two seconds."

"But how can we, when we're anything but?" she giggled. "And speaking of abnormality, who knew that the infamous little Avenger, the amazing Spider-Man, was ticklish?"

Peter's irritated grimace dropped into scowl. "Alright, that's it," he said, and fired a spurt of webbing from his wrist. The sticky substance splattered across Black Cat's foot, trapping her in place. "Since you're obviously not going to help me catch this guy, I think it's about time Miss Kitty paid up for her crimes."

Black Cat grinned cooly. "Oh, so that's how it's going to be? What a pity. And here I thought we'd be able to leave here without hashing it out like animals." She flexed her fingers in front of her face, and long, razor-sharp claws extended from the tips. With one clean swipe, she slashed through the webbing on her foot, then rolled to the side, body low and athletic. "But if Spidey's up for a little game of cat and mouse, I'm all for it."

Without warning, Black Cat spun around and sprinted out of the room, leaping over everything that got in her way with ease. "Catch me if you can, Spider-Man!"

Peter watched her scamper away, stunned still for a second, then quickly sobered up. Oh great, he thought miserably, rubbing at his sides that were still prickly with goosebumps as he rose off the wall. This is not how I planned for this evening to go. I hope none of this ends up on TV, or Gwen is going to kill me.

With a groan, Spider-Man took off after her, vaulting through the entryway and landing in the next room. He combed his eyes across the many elaborate displays, puzzled when he found them vacant, only to hear a sharp click sound to his right. Just as he glanced that way, a slim black figure pushed up the window and slithered through the narrow opening, flashing him a scandalous grin before vanishing from sight. He knew he had to follow her—she still had that stolen necklace and who knows what else from her historic plunder—but just before he went flying out the window, he remembered the thugs still napping in the other room. He wasn't sure if they had tripped an alarm yet, and he didn't have time to wait around to find out. After a short survey of the room, Peter ran to the opposing wall, slammed his heel against the fire alarm, then scrambled into the darkness after Black Cat, ears ringing with the whirl of the sirens.

Outside, Spider-Man leaned off the wall, scanning the jagged world around him attentively. His advanced eyesight allowed him to see rather clearly even in the dead of night, and within moments he caught sight of a curvy figure racing down the sidewalk. Buoying himself on a web-line, Peter leapt off the museum and swung after her.

"Come back!" he called from overhead. "Did you not hear my long, weighty speech about all the crap I'm already having to deal with? Chasing down pesky thieves is not exactly high on my priority list at the moment!"

"Then just let me go!" she laughed over her shoulder. "I'm sure the Avengers are all worried where their little Spidey pet has skipped off to. Although, if we're being honest, this is the most fun I've had in a long time!"

Snorting almost amusedly, Peter curled into a ball as his spun through the inky sky, then shot a bio-cable from his web-shooter as gravity dragged him downwards, catching his weight at the perfect moment so that his body swung just above the street. He was seconds from plucking her right off the pavement, when all of a sudden she sprung up and turned in the air. From the tiny utility belt encircling her waist, Black Cat grabbed in her fingers a small disk, which she flung right at Peter's face. Spider-Man yelped and threw his head back, hearing the weapon hiss just above his glossy eye lenses, followed by the sound of a cord being sliced. Too late did he realize that the noise had been his web-line being severed, and with a gasp he crashed on to the sidewalk, rolling and tumbling a long distance before skidding to a stop. Moaning, Peter slowly lifted off the ground, raising his eyes just in time to see Black Cat shoot some sort of grappling hook and leap into the air. Damn, she's good, he ventured to admit, rubbing at a cut on his arm as he hesitantly rose to his feet. In that moment, a flock of police cars darted by on his right, presumably heading towards the museum. As they blazed down the street, Peter realized how many people were around him, looking at him, glaring at him. Some of them were whispering, pointing, cursing. He could taste the animosity in the air like poison. Sweat beginning to gather on his forehead, Peter fired a web at a billboard and fled with haste from their hateful stares.

As he swung upwards, a silhouette dashing across a rooftop caught his eye, and with a boost off the sign, he flung himself towards it. Just before the figure could leap to the next building, Peter dropped right in front of her, causing her to gasp.

"Tah-dah!" Peter exclaimed, taking a defiant step towards her. "Spidey caught the cat. I played your stupid game, and you wasted my time. Thanks for the wonderful evening. Now give me the damn necklace already."

Recovering quickly, Black Cat's sultry smile instantly reformed. "You think I'm just going to give up?" she inquired, sidling backwards and assuming a defensive position. "That's just boring. I thought Spider-Man was more adventurous than that." In an instant, all of her cat-like claws unsheathed from her gloves, and she grinned mischievously. "You want it? Fight me for it. Let's see if Spidey holds true to all the spectacularity surrounding his name."

Ugh. He'd really hoped it wouldn't have to come to this. But he had a duty to defend the city from every kind of crook out there, even uncomfortably attractive ones that knew how to get inside his head. Steeling himself to the situation's awkwardness, Peter shrugged unconvincingly.

"Alrighty then. If that's how you want it."

"You take the first shot."

Spider-Man grimaced. Why was this so difficult for him? He'd beaten up all sorts of bad guys, but none had ever made him feel so freaking weird about it before. It normally went something like punch, kick, handcuff, repeat, no sweat about it. But now, looking his enemy up and down, he wasn't exactly sure where or how or what he was supposed to punch. She just stood before him, claws poised and ready, smiling that obnoxiously confident smile of hers. After debating how to go about this a moment longer, he made his decision and lunged forward, honed in on just grabbing the stupid necklace. Right before his fingers could snatch the shimmering jewel, however, a knee jammed into his elbow, making his arm lock up, followed by a set of claws raking across his shoulder. He veered back in surprise, and with a quick spin Black Cat kicked him in the gut, sending him stumbling backwards with a cough. Stunned, but also strangely impressed, Peter touched the cuts gingerly, flexed his arm a bit, then stared up with a smirk.

"Ow. Okay then. Yeah. I needed that." He locked eyes with hers fiercely. "Now it's my turn."

Darting towards her with inhuman speed, Spider-Man cocked back his fist and punched her in the stomach. Despite the fact that it wasn't quite as hard he would normally swing, he could see the surprise on her face as she flew back and rolled into a crouch, breathing hoarsely. He tried not to let it faze him. He sprung into the air and fired a glob of webbing at her eyes, flipping over her head with acrobatic expertise. She blocked the fluid with her hand, however, and flung another duo of disks at him. Peter arched his spine evasively, feeling them zip dangerously close to his flesh, then landed behind her. Pressing down on both palms, a pair of bio-cables zipped from his wrists straight at her back, but she leapt up just before they reached her and shot her grappling hook while turning through the air. The wickedly sharp end zoomed right between Peter's legs, sticking into the concrete just behind him, and Black Cat came zipping immediately after it. Yelping in surprise, Peter went tumbling backwards as Black Cat crashed directly into him, and after a lengthy stretch of rolling, he felt his shoulders slam firmly against the concrete.

"Pinned yah," a soft voice purred in his ear. Peter opened his eyes to find hers mere inches away. She was sprawled out on top of him with her hands on his shoulders, a sly smile coiled along her lips. Once again he felt his face flush, but tried his best to shake it off.

"Not quite," he said, and kicked her off while somersaulting backwards. She landed on her side with a grunt, and Peter couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, I thought cats always landed on their feet," he giggled, shaking his head in feigned disappointment. "Wow. Poser."

Slowly she managed to stand, still grinning smugly. "Funny, because I thought spiders had much more bite to them. Also, that's an old wive's tale. Ever watched Milo and Otis?"

Before Peter could answer, Black Cat bolted straight at him, claws gunning for his neck. Spider-Man dodged to the left and kicked his foot at her back, but she ducked and swung her leg at the back of his knee, causing it to buckle and nearly making him collapse to the concrete. He dropped on to his other leg just in time and blocked her fist from striking him in the face. Right as he did, she drove her left hand down, bringing Peter's arms with it, and used the opening to slice him across the cheek with the other, leaving deep red lines etched into his face. Spider-Man shoved her away and kicked her hard in the ribs, making her sputter and fall to the ground. Seeing the opportunity, he made a grab for the necklace again, hoping to snatch it while she was down. His fingers enclosed around the blue jewel—right as a swinging leg struck him directly in the nuts. Instantly, poor little Peter crumpled to the floor, unable to suppress a choked yelp of agony. Sliding from underneath him, Black Cat slowly rose to her feet, clutching her throbbing ribcage but grinning down at the moaning hero triumphantly.

"T-that...was...dirty," Peter groaned, rolling on to his side with his face against the concrete. "Uuuggh…"

"I've had to fight off men of all sorts for many years now," she explained smugly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Can't blame a girl for picking up a few dirty tricks along the way. Lucky for me, all men have one very specific weakness in common, which I've learned quite well how to exploit."

"Well, yippee for you," he grumbled with effort, attempting to rise off the gritty rooftop, when a foot pegged him in the side and someone dropped right on top of him. Now rolled on to his back, he felt a pair of hands shove his shoulders hard against the ground once again, and a slippery voice giggled above him softly.

"Pinned yah again," Black Cat laughed, her face dangerously close to his, and Peter turned away bashfully.

"Haha, very funny," he murmured, feeling his ears burn beneath his mask. "I think we're done here. Can we be done here?"

"Not quite," she purred sinisterly. He felt her fingers glide over his shoulders until they were lying on his neck, long claws resting against his spine. She began to lean towards him once again, obviously set on delivering yet another unwanted kiss, and Peter knew he was going to have to give her the whole for the love of crap, stop trying to freaking kiss me, I already have a girlfriend speech again. Before he had a chance to speak, however, Peter felt the world suddenly turn cold. The hands resting delicately against his throat began to suffocate the life out of him, and the deep blue sky above shifted to crimson red. Spider-Man gasped in shock, and when he blinked his eyes, Black Cat's ravishing face had transformed into a monster. Its eyes were wide and white, skin jet black and slimy, and mouth a fleshy mess of jagged teeth and blood-red gums. Inky sludge began to engulf his body, and the horrifying beast released a blood-curdling screech as the jaws slowly descended over his face. Instantly, Peter lost it, screaming like crazy as he shoved the creature off himself with all his might. He spun on to his stomach and scrambled away in terror, stopping himself just before he crawled right off the roof. Gasping for breath, Spider-Man lied there, quivering all over as beads of sweat bled through the thin material of his mask. He could barely conceive a rational thought as the frigid atmosphere faded away and the sky returned to its normal milky darkness.

Rising off the concrete, Black Cat spat a glob of blood on the roof and wiped at a cut on her lip. She grimaced as she finally found her footing, gripping her aching stomach, then spun around to face Spider-Man, her brow furrowed threateningly.

"Geez, swinger, what the hell was that for? If you really didn't want a kiss that badly, all you had to do was say so. No need to screech like a girl and slug me in the face. What's your problem?"

She noticed in that moment how he was sitting on his hands and knees, his dark silhouette fallen to the ground and his head hanging low. She could hear his strangled breathing; she was certain she couldn't have injured him that badly, and in a way his gasps sounded haunted. Examining his crumpled form studiously, she realized something didn't seem right. She licked a thick drop of blood from her lips, then crept over to the hero's side and knelt down beside him.

"Hey, spider? Are you alright?" She laid her hand on top of his back, which she found to be shivering harshly. "Come on, I didn't frazzle you that much, did I? It was just an affectionate little scuffle. Did all that kissing stir you into a tizzy or something?"

When he didn't retort with some wisecrack reply, she eyed his face concernedly and curled her fingers around his arm. "Seriously, Spider-Man—what's the matter with you?"

"Not this again," he suddenly hissed under his breath, balling his hands against the concrete. "These nightmares. This is the second time today. I don't know what's going on."

She blinked slowly. "Nightmares? While you're awake?"

Reclaiming a bit of composure, Peter sat back against the roof, kneading at his temples with his thumb and forefinger. "Y-yeah...sorta. I don't know. It's hard to explain." He shook his head and sighed heavily, refusing to lift his gaze. "Just...forget about it. I'm sorry I hit you like that. I think I'm just tired or something. It's nothing, really. "

She smiled sadly. "Doesn't seem like nothing, but I guess that's none of my business." Letting her hand slide off his arm, Black Cat rubbed at her aching ribs, staring out across the dazzling city beneath them. After a moment in thought, she released a defeated sigh, then smiled in spite of herself. Closing her eyes, she reached behind her head and unclipped the heavy necklace, then pulled it loose and dropped it into Peter's lap. He jumped with a start, then lifted it in front of his face, blinking in confusion.

"W-what? After all that, you were just going to give me—?

"Just shut up and take it back to the museum," she snapped, hopping to her feet. "Don't make this any more heartbreaking for me than it already is. But in return for my generosity, you have to let me go free for tonight."

Stunned by her sudden switch in demeanor, Peter managed a chuckle. "Does that mean from now on you're going to repent from your dastardly thieving ways?"

Black Cat burst out laughing. "Haha, that's a good one, swinger. Where would the fun in that be? And besides, I couldn't bear the idea of passing up the chance to play chase with my favorite little masked hero again soon. I know for a fact that you're already counting down the minutes."

With that, she bent down and pecked him on top of his head, then twirled around and began skipping to the opposite end of the rooftop. Spider-Man stood behind her, eyeing the shimmering jewel and snorting amusedly.

"What is this? Is the great Black Cat—the kingpin of kleptomania, the queen of all things mean—actually being nice? Hold the presses, New York! I do believe you've just tarnished your bad rep."

"If you value your fertility, I suggest you quit running your mouth," she said, still sauntering away. "It would be a shame if you and your girly friend back home could never have little spider babies together."

Attempting to repress the discomfort that last bit stirred in him, Peter placed his hands on his hips, his voice softening. "Seriously though, Cat: maybe you should switch over to the good side. I don't think you're as bad as you try to make yourself out to be. With your skills, you could really help a lot of people."

Black Cat stopped at the edge of the rooftop, her long hair rolling in the breeze and catching the silvery light of the moon. She sighed softly. "I don't know about that, chief. Stealing is in my DNA. Plus, if I don't get the boss enough money, he'll kill my father. So even if I wanted to, I couldn't. It's not an option for me." Then she glanced over her shoulder, grinning mischievously. "Besides, if there's anyone I want switching sides around here, it's you, darling. We'd make a great little tag team, you and I."

Peter stared back at her earnestly. "I'm sorry about what he's doing to you. You and your dad. Holding him hostage and forcing you to do his bidding. It's cruel." He rubbed at the phantom pains still ghosting across his neck as he spoke. "That's why I'm trying to stop this man. I have to make him pay for the people he's hurting, and stop him from hurting anyone else."

His words kindled a change in Black Cat's icy blue eyes—a look of surprise and curiosity. But she quickly turned away, facing the dark landscape ahead.

"You puzzle me, spider," she said to the open air, shaking her head as a grin broke along her lips. Unconsciously she patted at the small pouch on her hip, which jingled with the sound of other stolen jewels that (lucky for her) Spider-Man was unaware of. She shot her grappling hook at a rooftop closer to the ground, listening to it latch into the brittle surface. Just as she was about to leap off the building without another word, however, she stopped herself, then turned back to face the red and blue hero standing parallel to her across the roof. Her usually playful expression slowly melted away, and her face became cold and sad. With all the seriousness in the world, Black Cat raised her gaze to meet Peter's, eyes sharp with pain.

"I...I really hope you stop him too, Spider-Man."

Then she disappeared into the night.

See? What'd I tell yah? Awkward. Oh well, I thought it was mildly entertaining. And speaking of entertaining, I'm heading to Disney World (and Universal Studios lol) tomorrow! So yeah, nothing from me for the next week. I'll be too busy riding rides and eating fancy mickey mouse crap and taking pictures with everything that has Spider-Man's face on it. It's our last trip before reality and school happen D: but it shall be fun indeed. Until then, bye peeps :) review maybe? ;D