(A/N) In case anyone's wondering, I'd like to make it clear Ashley Moon is the result of a post-Crisis timeline.
The team was all standing outside on a sunny day as they were standing over the coffin holding the body of May Parker. They all stood there as they held onto their significant others. May was an amazing woman who was always there for all of them. They were all sorry to see her go.
Peter stepped away and walked over to the stone and saw the motto engraved on it.
'When you help someone, you help everyone'
"May Parker...was the strongest woman that I've ever met." Peter tried to start as he couldn't believe, even after this long, that she was gone. "She suffered the loss of Richard Parker, Mary Parker, my parents. Then when Ben Parker, my uncle, died I was dropped on her. She took me in when I had nowhere to go. We helped each other...she raised me into the hero I've become. If it weren't for her, I don't know what road I would have gone down. She...she always brought out the best in people. Always showing them the error of their ways and teaching us to grow. She was always the strongest hero of us all, despite being the only one without powers." Peter didn't even know what he could say that any of them didn't know. "She will be missed by us, by everyone who knew her, and many others."
Everyone knew May from all of their encounters and get-togethers. BBQs, birthdays, just anything, she would always listen and help people with their problems. They were all heartbroken when they heard her death on the news that day.
She was a member of their family. A friend to them all. And even to a few of them, she was a mother in many ways. Someone who listens and offers solutions.
Peter was the last one behind as everyone else left him to mourn and returns home.
What none of them realized was that Aster was there. He stood far enough away that he didn't set off any of their senses, but close enough to hear everything. He was sorry to see his great-aunt May die. To see her dead. Before anyone could notice him, he snuck away and disappeared into the city.
Back home, April was sulking on the outside of Tina's bedroom window as she would normally do when Tina found her.
"Hey." Tina greeted her clone/sister. "You okay?"
"I'm hurt," April confessed. "I can't believe I didn't see it coming."
"I know what you mean," Tina said as she stared out into the sky. "Dad's been...distant recently, and that's...that's not something we need right now." She looked out her doorway and saw Aster's room door still closes and BB-8 looking in sadness. "This family is falling apart."
"And growing," April commented, looking over to the sleeping bag Tina's been using for a bed as they're trying to figure out how to function with the two of them. "But look on the bright side. McCulloch was taken down."
When April confessed her origins to the team after the battle, they realized they could use this to finally take down McCulloch Technologies as they discovered the parts used to create Otto's Living Brain 2.0 came from there as well. They were able to link everything to do with it, all except for the Syndicate, to him.
Downstairs, Caitlin was with her parents and talking about her worry for Peter, whilst Frost was just trying to keep her mind off her son who's out there on his own.
"I'm so sorry, Peter," Kara said as she held her husband, he always saw May as having his aunt back and was happy to have gotten to know her. But seeing her die again reminded him of his old scars. "I know how she meant to you."
"I don't know how Peter's doing," Peter-38 muttered as Alex approached them. "Hey, Alex."
"Hey," Alex said as she held the two of them. "Saw the fight from National City. I'm sorry to see how it ended."
"They really held themselves out there." Peter agreed, feeling Anjelica and the others did well to fight off a team of supervillains and save the city at the same time.
Alex then looked around and see they had a moment alone. "Hey, listen, have you guys heard from the Dream Team or J'onn?"
"No." The two of them replied.
"I was worried about that." Alex sighed and looked around again. "Because I haven't seen them seeing you left."
"What do you mean?" Kara asked.
"J'onn is missing, and the entire team, as well as their gear. Morgan's shield, Gwen's suit, the only person I saw Ra's the Surfer still healing."
"You need us back in National City?" Kara asked.
"It would be a huge help," Alex admitted.
Peter sighed and knew the family needed to leave, and also saw the party was slowly approaching the end. The Defenders have left a few hours ago, the Legends were still around the room, and the kids were all keeping themselves close to one another. Kate was gonna stick around for a while longer and needed to wait for her plane to get her back to Gotham.
"Okay, I'll get Angel," Peter told his family.
Peter just kept staring down at the grave and still couldn't take in the idea she was gone. He stood there for hours. When the cops questioned what happened, he could have told them the full truth; he knew who was really to blame.
But he knew if he told the cops, it was Black Cat who did it, they'd have her arrested. As far as they knew, the younger members of their teams were defeating the Syndicate and, in the process, the Hobgoblin came down and tried to kill them with an explosion.
That kept them off Black Cat's back as their target is Hobgoblin, who Peter's doppelgänger promised to do all he could to take him down. Fighting this must be the true Hobgoblin who tried to get him to kill his best friend all those years ago.
He even told his family about what she said. Black Cat was his daughter. He told them what she told him and got mixed reactions.
Tommy was disgusted as he thought that she was flirting with him the first time they met. Which she might've been, she didn't know they were related at the time.
Tina was furious to hear her father had cheated on her mother, but after hearing the story understood it wasn't entirely his fault. She understood the OG Black Cat cornered him at a bad time at a bad place and took advantage of the opportunity.
Caitlin understood they weren't together at the time, and she left him in a dark place and it was understandable why he did what he did.
Frost...she found it hilarious. The fact he was into a girl who, when wearing a costume, had white hair, but in reality, she had darker hair. Saw the similarities between his relationship with them and his relationship with Black Cat funny. Then she promised the next time she saw Felicia; she would send an icicle down her stomach.
As the hours passed, he remembered the promise he made to her before her death. Black Cat. He kept the police off her back for this reason.
He wanted to talk to her himself. But first, he needed to figure out who she is.
Peter looked down and saw the currier he picked up before STAR Labs exploded, it had enough left for one charge. After they rummaged through the rubble, the team got all they could out of the debris and saw they couldn't rebuild her.
Barry decided it was time to let the place go and sold it back to the city.
Who knows what'll happen to STAR Labs now?
It's always been there for them. Their place. Their home. Their sanctuary.
Speaking of homes, Peter and Caitlin have also started looking into bigger houses for their expanding family. But before they decide on where to move, they want to see where things go with Black Cat. And they want to try and see how long until Aster comes home and agrees.
But to find her, he needed to find the mother. Reaching down into his suit, he revealed his Spider-Man suit underneath and used the currier to open a breach to New York. Walking through, he looked around and saw the dark city and pulled up the last known locally of Felicia Hardy.
Frankie was back downstairs and holding a respirator to help her with her breathing. Taking on all that smoke closed her lungs a little. The doctor said it wasn't anything permanent, but it was enough she would need it for a few weeks.
Miles walked up to her and looked sorry for her. "Hey."
Frankie removed the machine and smoked. "Thanks for saving me. Never really got to thank you properly for that."
"Nothing I know you wouldn't have done for me." Miles was confident enough to say.
Frankie smiled and sighed. "You ever wonder what happened? Between us all that time ago?"
"We drifted off to different paths." Miles reminded her what she said when they broke it off.
"Yeah, and now look at us," Frankie commented and sighed. "Right back where we were." She then reached over and grabbed his hand. "Maybe...maybe we can restart ourselves. Start from the beginning."
Miles smiled at the thought and was more than happy to do so. "I'd like that."
Tommy sat on the windowsill, holding himself in the area he was shot in. Even when he can heal, it still hurts to be shot. He looked out the window and wondered how Aster is doing out there.
"Hey." Tula got his attention. "You okay?"
"All things considered physically." Tommy shrugged it off. "Emotionally? It feels like I'm in more pain than ever before."
"I'm sorry," Tula said and walked over to sit with him. "I wish I could help."
"Just by being here, you're helping," Tommy promises with a smile.
"That was brave. What you did back there. Taking that bullet for your brother." Tula informed him.
"I did what any family member would've done for their family," Tommy stated.
"Not all members," Tula informed him. "I know plenty who would've allowed the bullet to hit him. And I'm talking about the best soldiers in Atlantis."
"Oh, now you're just flattering me." Tommy joked with a fake blush.
"It's not flattery if it's the truth," Tula said and started to lean closer, as did Tommy.
The two just leaned closer towards one another, neither of them knowing who was controlling the outcome.
The two of them suddenly locked lips and the two just kissed. They stayed like that until someone clearing their throat caused them to separate.
They looked and saw it was Armando with a proud smile on his face, next to him was Dawn who had a grin on her face.
"About damn time," Dawn told the two.
"I'm proud of you, boy," Armando said with a grin.
The two of them just rolled their eyes and smiled at one another, realizing that was their first kiss, and were happy with it.
Felicia Hardy was going about her normal day, didn't expect anything to make this day stand out. Standing out of the balcony of her home, she started to feel something was indeed different.
"Felicia," Peter called out, getting her attention when she looked and saw him sitting on the higher balcony, looking down at her. "We need to talk."
"Hey, Spider." Felicia greeted with a grin and laid back on the balcony to keep her face facing him. "What, did the wife finally dump you?"
"No. Everything's fine in that department," Peter stated, wanting to see if she's going to give him any answers that'll make any type of sense to him. "But we need to talk."
"If this is about the new Black Cat, I had nothing to do with that," Felicia stated and rolled her eyes. "You know I gave up the suit."
"Trust me, I know. I gave it to the museum when I found it on my doorstep," Peter stated, feeling he should've kept the suit maybe none of this would've happened.
But to be fair, that's keeping his ex's suit in the same home that he was currently living in with his girlfriend. That wasn't the best thing if she discovered it.
"Shame," Felicia said, not bothered. "Guess this new girl went with authentic."
"Yeah, I met her. And had a nice talk with her." Peter stated as he finally got to the bedrock of this statement. "And that's what I'm here to talk about."
Felicia started to become worried and reached for something under the balcony railing. "Why is that?"
"She said she's our daughter," Peter stated.
Felicia then became seriously afraid as she took out what the device was and tossed it at Peter, making him catch it on impulse. Seeing it's an EMP, he tried to toss it, but it exploded in his face. The smoke and electrical circuit caused him to lose track of Felicia, but luckily not his senses.
Quickly leaping up the balconies and making his way down to the ground, he spotted Felicia trying to run away.
"Shorting out my web-shooters with an EMP." Peter sighed as he quickly raced after her. "Still got some of your old gadgets, huh?"
"What can I say? Girl's gotta protect herself." Felicia stated as they started to run through the construction zone.
"Come on, will you stop running and talk to me?" Peter pleaded, just wanting some straight answers from her for once.
"You should know that never ends well for either of us," Felicia stated as she kept running, sliding underneath a parked truck as Peter parkoured over it.
"Please, I just need to know!" Peter pleaded as he chased her. "Is she..."
"She shouldn't be your problem!" Felicia stated as she made her way down to a subway. "I made sure she would have a better life."
"Yeah, one where she hunts us down?" Peter asked as he ran and followed her down into the subway. "Destroyed my family?"
There was a train that was just departing, allowing Felicia to catch a ride and the back of it, even without the suit she has a tight grip and climbed on the back.
Peter sighed as his suit finally reset and let him use his web-shooters and started to web zip after her.
"Still with me?" Felicia asked in surprise as she watched Peter chasing her through the tunnel.
"I can do this all day." Peter declared as he kept following the train.
"Stubborn little spider." Felicia sighed, knowing that she can't outrun him forever.
Peter then leaped at an opening and ended up running on the side of a train. Seeing she needs to take a break; Felicia made a final attempt to leap and escape. But that was futile as Peter leaped and webbed her foot, slamming her to the building.
Felicia started to slip and start to fall off the side without her suit and claws. Peter however was there to help and immediately came in to catch her before she could fall.
"Now can we talk like actual human beings?" Peter pleaded with her.
"This feels pretty human to me," Felicia stated as Peter then dragged her back up.
"Talk," Peter demanded of her, shooting one of her legs with webbing before she could even think of escaping. "And I'll let you go."
Felicia sighed and saw he was pretty serious about this. "It's...a long story."
"I've come this far. I've got time." Peter promised. "Start at the beginning. When?"
"After your girlfriend dumped you," Felicia confirmed his suspicions.
It had been a few weeks and Peter was waiting for the papers to go through for him to legally adopt Frankie to be over and done with. He was just doing his normal patrol on his own, with Barry trapped in the Speedforce, him having no reason to go back to STAR Labs quite yet with Catilin gone on her own, he was alone. The statement was driving him crazy, as he still has friends there, but it just hurts to be there without Cait around. This whole year, he had been pushed over the edge and beyond. Stabbed by Savitar, breaking up with Caitlin, trapped and shot during Music Meister, dealing with aliens, it's been one thing after another.
"Hey there, stranger." Someone said, getting Peter's attention as he saw it was Black Cat. "Been a while since we've had a moment alone." She then walked over to him and caressed his face with a claw down his cheek. "So... you starting to swing solo again? Or are you still a part of that team of yours?"
"That's a lot of questions coming from you," Peter stated, pushing her hand away.
"I'm just...curious," Felicia stated with a shrug when she recognized his tone. "Oh no, did your girlfriend break up with you?"
Peter sighed and looked away, not wanting to talk about it. "Don't..."
"How long has it been?" Felicia wondered as she pulled him closer. "Since we've been together?"
"Not long enough," Peter stated as he started to walk away.
"Really? You're gonna walk away?" Felicia asked as Peter stopped. "If your girl thinks she could do better than Spider-Man then she doesn't deserve you."
"It's me who doesn't deserve her," Peter stated with a sigh.
Felicia then walked over and placed her claw against his chest, cutting a few loose threads on his suit. "I would beg to differ." She then leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "You deserve better."
"What are you doing, Cat?" Peter asked, feeling emotionally vulnerable.
"You tell me," Felicia stated as she walked over and pulled up his mask. "One night. You won't regret it." She then pushed him against the door for the roof and pushed him down. "In case you're bad at reading body language...I consent." She said as she dropped into his lap with a huge smile.
Peter couldn't take it anymore and finally just gave in.
"Let's hope and pray you could remember the rest," Felicia said after the two returned to her apartment and she poured a glass of wine for herself. "I was so sore afterward I could barely walk straight."
"Yeah, not my best moment." Peter sighed as he even took off his suit and mask, no point keeping it on with her. "I should have known something was up with you when you gave up the suit a while later."
"Figured it wasn't the best thing for the kid," Felicia said as she dropped on her couch and swung the glass around. "Knew I couldn't stay in that suit with that bump coming in and figured it was time to go straight. Got a job out here that didn't involve breaking or entering." Felicia stated as she took a drink.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Peter asked, walking over to her. "And how did she end up in an orphanage?"
Felicia looked up at him like he should've known the answers to that. "We both knew it wasn't gonna last. I just gave up the Black Cat persona." She then looked a little upset at Peter. "Didn't exactly expect you to throw it in a museum."
"It's not like you and I both knew I couldn't have kept that promise." Felicia shrugged as she walked over to him. "I was gonna tell you. But..."
On the night the Samurai robot was supposed to reveal itself to the world, Peter and Caitlin were resting in the apartment.
As they were sitting together, Felicia leaped down after learning the news that she was indeed pregnant.
When she looked down at them, however, she saw she couldn't walk in and ruin their lives. Peter was broken because he lost Caitlin. If she discovered their "affair" just after getting back together would break them up. Looking down at the test, she knew he wouldn't choose her over the love of his life.
This was her mistake. She needed to do something about it. For the sake of the child and herself.
"So that's why you didn't tell me?" Peter asked in shock.
"What was I supposed to say?" Felicia asked him as she got up and dropped her glass on the table. "Hey, one night stand knocked me up, and I saw you got back together with your girl, but what do you say we try separate parenting?"
"You should have told me!" Peter stated, wishing he had known about Ashley.
"What was I supposed to say?!" Felicia asked as she marched over to him. "You got the girl, and I knew you would have taken responsibility. I decided to give it a chance, but...turns out I suck as a parent."
"And you didn't think to at least give me the chance to get to know her?" Peter asked her. "To know I had a daughter?"
"She wasn't supposed to be our problem anymore," Felicia stated as she walked back off the balcony and looked out. "Let's face it, Spider. We both knew she'd be better off in an orphanage than with the two of us as parents. The cat burglar and the superhero as parents teach her two different things on what's right or wrong."
Peter sighed and knew he should have had the choice but couldn't exactly disagree with her. But now she's become their problem to the point that she's breaking out criminals, starting a Syndicate, and having the mutant genetic that Felicia had a long time ago.
"Her name?" Peter asked her.
Felicia sighed and knew Peter needed to take responsibility now. After all these years, he is still the same want-to-do-good hero she met. "Ashley Moon. Central City Orphanage is a good place to start looking."
Peter nodded then saw he needed to go back to Central City, find her, and explain everything to her. Walking away, quickly changing into his suit to get home, he opens a portal using the currier. The breach opened up for him, and Peter walked through and was back in Central City.
Felicia was sorry for what she did but knew she made the right call. She would have been a terrible mother, but Peter will be an amazing father for her.
Mila Kunis as Felicia Hardy