Chapter Six – Fighting and Flirting

I sipped the cheap corner store hot chocolate, surveying the Life Foundation compound from my perch, still smiling at the look on the cashier's face as Spider-Man bought the drink. He's probably right the moment telling the few people who used the twenty-four hour off-license at two in the morning about the encounter.

I pulled out my phone from one of the small pockets in my suit near the boots (the same place I kept my spare webbing cartridges) and checked for any messages: zero. I let out a sigh in frustration. After the events with the Black Cat a few nights ago I had paid a return visit to Steven, the professor she had shook down for information, and gave him Spidey's phone number. My cell was a dual-SIM phone, so I decided a while back to use that to my full advantage and give Spider-Man some digits. I'd told him to let me know if she returned, and he said he'd ask some of the night security at the Foundation to send him a text if there were any break-ins, something he'd then forward to me.

The cheap cup was lifted to my lips again and I felt the vaguely chocolatey water fill my mouth; I swallowed and finished the cup. I pulled my mask back over my face and lay back. My mind rested once again on Silvermane. I had been wrestling with the idea that I had gone too hard on him, that his death was my fault. I tossed the idea in my head. On the one hand it had been due to my injuries that he died. On the other hand I didn't kill him, the injuries did. After all if I wanted to kill him I could've. If I was really desperate I could have just left him up in his room – had I not took him down to the paramedics chances are he would have died a lot sooner. The memory of Gwen filled my head once again, reminding me why I was doing this. Like I'd said before when I had secretly defended myself to Betty, I was protecting people. Guys like Silvermane were criminals, responsible for drug pushing, murder, extortion, and who knows what else. Every one of them off the streets was another person saved.

My phone beeped, snatching me from my train of thought. I smiled under my mask as I read the message:

Unusual computer access in the west offices – cams show its cat – Steve.

I flipped myself up and dived off the building, flicking a web from my wrist to swing my way towards the facility. It was a relatively squat building for New York, only being about five stories high. I could see guards patrolling the outside areas, a few of them with dogs, all of them with rifles. Breaking in through the offices was a smart move Cat; most of the security would be focused around the labs. What was she doing on a computer though? I spied a window left open about two stories up, obviously the place she had entered by. I cast down a few strands of webbing and used it to catapult me onto the wall of the Foundation silently. Pushing my body flat against the window I made my way to the open window and slipped inside.

Looking around I could see the room I was in was empty. It was some sort of meeting room, a large rectangular table in the centre and a podium with a screen for a projector behind it at the far end of the room. In front of me the door was open, so I headed that way, jumping up to the ceiling. I crawled quietly though the corridors until I found the body of a security guard – he was still alive, just unconscious. I was close. Staying still and focusing I could hear tapping not too far away. Making my way to the noise I entered a room full of computers and desks. A blue light cast eerie shadows across the walls; the figure standing at the computer was my target.

As I approached, I took note of the room and the doors. I wasn't going to let her get away again. Cat was stood typing, her clawed fingers rapidly tapping away at the keyboard. I tried to get closer to the monitor to see what she was looking at. Her memory stick was plugged into the USB slot, the same as the other night, and she once again looked to be downloading files onto it. I could see the bar slowly moving; it was almost full. I dropped silently to the floor.

"Fancy seeing you here." I announced. Cat spun around, her gold goggles flashing in the light of the computer momentarily as she turned to face me.

"Spider." She replied, in an almost friendly tone. She reached up to her bandana which covered her lower face and pulled it down, revealing a pair of black lips. "What a coincidence."

"You know you shouldn't be here." I looked at the screen behind her – the bar was almost full.

"And you should?"

"That's a fair point." I flicked my wrist out and Cat twisted to avoid the web, but it wasn't heading for her. It connected to the memory stick which had just finished downloading the contents of whatever she was after, and pulled it into my hand. Immediately Cat turned back to me, claws flashing in an instant. Were it not for my spidey-sense I'd have needed to go home to do some sewing on my outfit. I ducked the swipe and grabbed Cat's wrist, using her momentum and the twist of my body to fling her away behind me. She landed on her feet – I considered making a comment but didn't want to give her the credit.

"What are you after?" I asked her, turning quickly to see the files on the computer. They were legal documents, court files, letters, all seemingly concerning Carlton Drake's son Ryan.

"What does it matter to you?" She hissed, running at me.

My spidey-sense went off and I readied myself for her next attack, but then heard a bang from behind me as an ear-splitting noise filled the air. She had planted some sort of noise-maker at the computer, obviously anticipating my appearance, and it was damn painful to my overdeveloped sense of hearing. I spun to disable the device and felt her slash at my hand. Instinctively me hand opened to push away, and the memory stick fell into her grasp. She then kicked me in the groin for good measure.

"We'll have to do this again sometime Spider." She called as she sprinted out the door opposite to the one I entered through. I swallowed the pain I felt and located the speaker she had set, smashing it into the desk. From the door she went through I could hear shouts – security was onto us. With not a moment to lose I launched myself at the direction Cat had vanished through and out into the hallway, just in time to see the elevator doors slide shut. Looking the other way I could see three armed guards, each of whom raised their rifles in my direction. I swiftly shot three strands of webbing, yanking their guns away and followed it up with a burst of web from my other shooter which bonded them all together. I ran down the hallway, prying the elevator doors open. Cat was heading down, and she wasn't the only one who always landed on her feet.

I dropped onto the roof of the elevator and kicked my way through the access hatch. Cat had already left the elevator – I could see her running across what seemed to be a laboratory. There were class canisters along the walls holding various liquids, but there was no time to sightsee – I shot a string of web which pulled her feet from under her. I pulled towards me and she slid along the floor in my direction, but managed to slice herself free and kick back up onto her feet, trying to kick me in the chest with a rising knee. I dodged it and returned with a strike which narrowly missed her head. She caught me off guard, clawing my stomach and ripping my suit open, exposing my bare stomach underneath. I was playing too nice. The next swipe she threw at me I grabbed and twisted her arm behind her back. She stamped her heel onto my toes and I swore, releasing her.

"I thought you liked it rough." Cat teased.

"Only when I'm on top." I replied quickly, jumping to the ceiling and shooting my webs at the Cat, lifting her off her feet. Before I could encase her in the webbing she had again cut herself free and dived over a desk toward a large piece of scientific equipment, again with the similar dark liquid in the tubes inside it. I kicked off the ceiling and vaulted towards her as she threw what looked like a small grenade at a pipe on the wall. It exploded with a small bang, bursting the pipe open. I flipped towards Cat who ducked underneath me.

"Looks like you need a new outfit, think I've got one in mind for you." Cat said, pointing at the claw marks across my stomach. "There's worse sights to see than your body though."

Before I could react she tossed another of her small bombs in the same direction as the first. I was confused by this, caught off guard by her flirting and unsure why she would throw another of her small breaching grenades at the same place.

Then I smelt the gas which had been leaking from the pipe. Before I could move the room exploded and I felt myself slammed into the glass tube which had been in the machine – it shattered and I felt the dark viscous liquid spill across me. The last thing I felt before my head slammed into the metal was something grabbing me, wrapping itself around my body, then my vision faded.

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I breathed deeply, suddenly coming to consciousness. I looked around – I was outside in the small area of forest which the Life Foundation building encroached upon. Cat must have dragged me out of the building. I could hear sirens of the fire brigade off in the distance – they must be putting out the fire. I lifted my hand to my head, feeling the bump at the back of my skull from the explosion beginning to form, and tried to get my memory in order.

That's when I noticed my hand was black.

I ripped my mask off and looked at it – the whole head was no longer the red it had been but was now black. Whatever liquid had been spilt over me in that lab must have had the side effect of dying my suit its new darker colour. I couldn't even see the lines of webbing which I had detailed onto it anymore. I cursed myself out for letting Cat get away and touched my abdominals gently, feeling for the scratches she had left. They were already beginning to heal. I'd have to fix the suit later. Not wanting to hang around I headed quickly back to the dorm room Harry and I shared. Slipping inside I saw his bed empty – he had gone out to a club and obviously was spending the night in someone else's bed tonight. I took a quick look at myself in the mirror at the now black costume. Wasn't half bad if I was honest.

Needed some adjustments but definitely was a nice look. I took the suit off and laid it on my bed. Whatever liquid it was that coated me did a pretty good job of dying the entire thing. I must have been covered in it – hopefully it wasn't radioactive; I didn't want any more shit messing with my body.

Reaching into my Uncle Ben's suitcase I pulled out a sketchbook and my sewing kit and began drawing some ideas. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey from Harry's shelf and took a long drink from it. If there was anything I'd learnt from being Spider-Man it was that alcohol was a great way to take your mind off of pain. As I sketched and drew I drank and drank, until eventually I slipped into a deep sleep.

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"I gave you the option, Peter." The Goblin laughed on his glider, Gwen suspended in his right hand and pumpkin bomb in his left. His visor was lifted, showing Norman's face underneath. He had taken her earlier that day whilst she and I had been walking back to her place after our Valentines meal.

"She has nothing to do with this Norman." I shouted back, yet unable to move. My mask was on the ground nearby.

"Oh contraire Petey, she has everything to do with this." He chuckled back. He allowed the rope to slip slightly through his hand, and Gwen screamed – Goblin gripped it tightly again and the rope went taunt once more around her wrists.

"Why!"

"Because you care about her." Goblin let the rope go and Gwen plummeted. I dived after her, just as I saw the pumpkin bomb fly past me and explode, propelling me into the wall and Gwen into the floor. I heard the smack as she hit the ground, and saw blood begin to pool around her lifeless body. Goblin's laughs grew louder and loud.

"Peter!"

I woke up to Harry shaking me awake. I looked around the room – daylight was peaking through the blinds. My costume was nowhere to be seen; I must have put it away before I got too drunk. I couldn't be sure, the last proper thing I remembered was the explosion at the Life Foundation.

"You all good man?" Harry asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I think so. Nightmares."

"Let me know if you need to talk." He patted me on the shoulder and headed back to his bed, getting back under the sheets. I rolled over, banishing the memories of Gwen to the back of my mind.

Song Recommendation: Love It If We Made It - Rina Sawayama