Days after the blackout, Peter entered the Daily Bugle. Ever since Ned Leeds was revealed to be none other than The Crime Master he was keeping his head down so to speak. It was embarrassing for him, knowing Ned was right under his nose all this time committing crimes. Jameson was also somewhat more explosive if you got on his bad side as of late and on top of that it was determined Spider-Man had some role in the crimes. Wasn't great all around and he declined all the pictures Peter took of Spidey helping people out.
"He's a menace! And needs to be stopped!" He shouted out in the office.
Peter wasn't sure of the context, as he wasn't paying attention at that moment but he saw him speaking to Eddie Brock.
"JJ, boss, I'm sorry it's been hard finding the dirt you're looking for on Spider-Man either he's extremely careful or-" He stopped himself.
"Or what Brock? Not a villain hellbent on destroying this city along with all his growing list of accompanists!? And raising my blood pressure, explanitilly!" Jameson shouted looking as his face was going to burst into flames. "He accused you of being The Crime Master! This isn't a smart guy! It's a glory seeker at best and at worst a wolf in sheep's clothing who's trying his best to fool the city for this end game!"
"His endgame boss?" Eddie asked.
"Certainly he's got one! A criminal like that, a true scum! He's got himself a grand scheme of immeasurable proportions! I've entrusted you with discovering the truth and I know you'd be able to find it!" He kept shouting.
Eddie nodded. "Thank you JJ, I'll keep looking until I find something." He said and walked off again.
Peter stopped listening and noticed Robbie Robertson coming towards him looking like he wanted to speak. He didn't know him the best, but he was a nice guy.
"Hey, Peter, how are you doing?" He asked curiously.
"Fine, disappointed JJ didn't take my pictures. I worked hard on them." He replied.
Robbie put out his hand. "Could I take a look at them?"
"Sure Mr. Robertson. Of course you can." Peter said back and handed them over.
Robbie looked at them. "Huh, they're quite impressive Peter! I know you're tight on money sometimes, so I'd be happy to find a use for these pictures. I'll give you an advance. You know, my son is probably in a similar place as you are now. Can't help but think about him. Kids like you need all the support you can, you're the next generation after all!" He said very kindly.
"Thanks Mr. Robertson. I hope those pictures will find a use. I don't think Spider-Man is deserving of being called a villain." Peter said, trying to act non suspicious.
He smiled at him. "I agree, we need more people like him. Ignore JJ, he's got a thing for people whose motives and identity are unknown." He looked over at him. "I should go make sure his blood pressure doesn't go overboard, see you later Peter." He walked over to speak to JJ who always seemed slightly more relaxed as he could be considering who it was after all.
Later on, Peter left feeling better about things getting some money to bring home to Aunt May for the next day. Bills kept on piling up. Interrupting that train of thought was his spider-sense seeing a truck that people wouldn't find suspicious, but he did sense danger coming from it. So he quickly suited up and started to follow along.
It reached its destination and some thugs got out.
Okay, time to come up with a plan of action. Clearly these guys are up to no good, maybe I should figure out that- Interrupting his thoughts a mysterious woman dressed in all white leaped down starting to fight the thugs knocking them all around pretty savage beating them all up pretty quickly and then grabbed one seeming to interrogate them while quite angry.
Spider-Man leaped down, not sure of what to think of them. "Hey, who the heck are you meant to be? I'm Spider-Man and you?" He asked.
"My name is White Tiger, I've heard of you before." She replied, knocking out the thug she was holding onto aggressively.
"Oh? I hope it was all great things, I really hope we're not going to fight. You're not a super villain right? I can't say I've heard of you before, sorry. Actually, wait, no I've heard the name before. Though they looked different from you."
She looked at him and knocked the thug out. "I'm a hero, don't worry yourself and my brother was the original White Tiger, I've taken on the mantle to honor his memory. It's what he would've wanted from me." She responded simply.
"I'm sorry, did something happen to him?" Spider-Man questioned sensing she wasn't exactly doing well, it reminded him somewhat of himself after the death of Uncle Ben.
"He was murdered, I've lost a lot. Anyways, you're probably wondering who these people are and why I'm here right?" She said switching subjects.
Spidey nodded seeing he was indeed right about that and knew he'd be having to tread carefully with White Tiger.
"They're shipping weapons and drugs. I'm looking to destroy them before it gets into anybody's hands. These people have the scent of criminals and the ones I've been haunting down. I think they've been coming in since the lack of any crime bosses taking charge. Besides Tombstone and Hammerhead making plays, so I heard." She explained looking at Spider-Man looking more friendly now.
"Great my old friends, do you think they're behind these guys? The whole operation? Seems like something Hammerhead would do, always seemed more like an old school kinda guy." He then questioned and wondered allowed.
"No, someone else, somebody named Gideon Mace I suspect. My brother used to fight him with Luke Cage and Iron Fist. He's a real piece of work, very punchable. I've been searching for him, he escaped prison after that whole blackout mess." She expressed, looking like she was upset.
"Ah yes, I've met Luke Cage before and heard of Iron Fist. Small world, urr city I guess." He joked again, which got a smile from White Tiger, he thought. It was a little hard to tell with her mask. "Well, you seem pretty trustworth. How about we work together on this and take down these guys? Wouldn't hurt working together, I'd be happy to help you out." Peter offered.
White Tiger seemed to think about it for a moment. "Yes, I'd love to have a team up with you, it seems like you're a trustworthy person yourself, Spider-Man." She said, shaking his hand kindly.
"Did that guy tell you anything?" Spider-Man then asked interested in what she learned so far.
"Gave me a location for a warehouse, that was about it. I've got a pretty good feeling he wasn't lying to me." She said with a smirk.
"Okay, you're not a violent person are you? No offense, just want to understand who I'm working with here. I'm not a killer and never would be." He spoke genuinely and seriously.
She looked down for a moment and then back at him. "No, I wouldn't kill these people. A killer isn't who I want to be either. I want to help people and leave a mark on the world. A positive one. Like my brother, he was brave and kind, he always wanted to help others before himself. He was selfless." She admitted.
"Same here, let's go find ourselves some more bad guys." Peter said, looking at her and nodding believing her answer.
Together they left, going to hunt.
Soon the two heroes arrived at the warehouse location they were given by the thugs from before. Crates were being loaded onto drugs, one of them clearly had drugs and guns inside of it before the lid was placed on top.
"Looks like we're in the right place." Peter said, obviously.
"Indeed, I've picked up their scents again. Smells awful by the way." She remarked playfully.
He chuckled slightly. "Good thing super smell isn't one of my specialties, jezz I hope you never have to go near a dumb, or smell someone smoking! Ugh, that sounds like true pain!" He remarked back.
"Definitely not ideal, no. Fortunately I can control it, so I haven't fainted from any smells thankfully. As of yet." She joked back.
"Very funny, should we introduce these badies to our fists?" Spider-Man then asked.
She nodded. "Fists. And claws." She revealed some claws.
"Oh, what mighty big claws you have." Spider-Man replied.
They leaped down into the warehouse looking for a fight.
The goons immediately started opening fire on them, Spider-Man leaped out of the way of the incoming fire shooting out webs at them. While he did White Tiger was more bold then himself, rushing out into the shootout avoiding all the bullets amazingly easily taking them all down throwing one even across the room.
"Wow, you're good!" He exclaimed and realized she was being a bit more violent when starting to question one, something seemed off. Spidey reached for her arm pulling her off as she had a very tight grip on one's throat. "Hey, what happened to not wanting to be violent? What was that?"
"I'm sorry, it was my avatar taking over. It brings out the worst in me." She explained.
"Blue monkey or an airbender? Or maybe a third option?" He replied jokingly, dating his joke heavily.
She shook her head. "It's serious, the tiger took over. It wants to make them suffer, it's trying hard to make me cross a line."
Peter looked surprised. "Oh, well now I feel bad for that comment. Does that tiger give you power?"
"Yes, the totem I wear and got from my brother, it's a side effect of it. It's a burden I have to carry and try to keep it under control. My family has had it for a very long time and nobody else could handle it. The tiger wouldn't appreciate someone else taking the power, it would destroy them." She explained to him.
"Sounds very serious, I didn't realize how much you must be going though, mostly because we just met. Sorry again, not the time for jokes. I like joking." He replied.
"It's alright Spider-Man, I like jokes too. It's a wild situation and I feel significantly better joking about the tiger, though they despise it and are currently upset." White Tiger said and looked at something. "I've got Mace's scent. We can find him easily."
"Okay, sounds good." Peter said skeptical now thinking he should keep an eye on her until they catch the guy, he now had the sense there was something else going on.
They departed again and Peter informed the police to go pick up the now defeated and tied up bad guys.
Shortly, White Tiger led them to their target Gideon Mace who was hanging out at a club which seemed safe enough, he soon exited with some guards jumping into an expensive looking car.
"Attack the wheels, we'll make it crash." She said looking at Spider-Man who agreed on the plan, together they did as such with webbing one side and White Tiger used her claws to slice them off hoping onto the car. "It's over Mace!" She shouted.
"No, no, not you again!" He replied back furiously and tried hitting her with his hand, which happened to be a literal mace.
"What! His hand is literally a mace? So many jokes I could've made! I mean seriously, how do you do anything with it!" Peter exclaimed, laughing out loud.
"Leave me alone! I won't go back to jail!" He grabbed a large gun and started trying to shoot at them both.
White Tiger slashed it away and her demeanor changed. "You won't be escaping this alive Mace!" She shouted, grabbing his throat and easily smacked back the guards in the car with him.
"Wait! Don't do this!" Spider-Man pleaded with her and she smacked him back, which did trigger his spider-sense and they crashed into a wall.
She looked as if a moment of clarity hit her. "Spider-Man, I'm sorry it was the tiger, seeing him brings out all my anger. My hate for him. All the times he fought my brother."
"And killed." Mace corrected with a nasty smirk.
Her body seemed enraged. "You did it, you killed him?"
"Yeah, who'd you think did it? Did you believe he died heroic?" He asked. "Please! I hunted him down with my boys and finished him off!"
White Tiger slashed his face. "You will die for what you've done!" She roared out and seemed to turn into a tiger grabbing him.
This escalated quickly. Peter thought, getting up. "White Tiger! Listen to me, I don't know you or your brother, but you told me you wanted to be a hero and not be a murderer! I believe you and I know it's the tiger's desires, the rage. This isn't who you are or want to be!" He pleaded.
It didn't appear to work as the tiger was about to kill Mace. So Spider-Man webbed onto it pulling it back. "I don't want to fight you! I really don't want to fight a tiger spirit, or whatever you are!" He continued trying to get through to the hero inside.
The tiger leaped at Spider-Man who moved out of the way trying to keep away, as it was a large tiger with claws and teeth. Very threatening and he ran away from it shooting webs at it hoping to slow it down, but it wasn't stopping.
"Please! White Tiger you have to get a hold of yourself! You're a good person and you don't want any of this to happen! I'm sure of that and I believe in you!"
"No, I want my revenge. My brother's murderer won't escape me again. I won't let him kill anyone else!" She shouted, sounding like she was trying to fight the tiger.
Spider-Man looked around and lured her to the rooftop where nobody could see, he pulled off his mask in one last ditch effort to bring her out of this state. "Listen to me, I don't know your name, but I still trust you and I'm putting everything on the line for you revealing myself now. My name is Peter Parker. My uncle was murdered, I had a chance of killing the guy who pulled the trigger, who took him from me. It was my fault he died, I had let him go earlier and it came back to haunt me. I knew my uncle would be ashamed of me if I had gone through with killing him and I wouldn't have forgiven myself either. I let him go and remembered my uncle's words to me that always stuck with me. With Great Power there must also come great responsibility. You have great power and you can control it! So control yourself, or I'll have to take you down." Spider-Man said looking at her and it appeared his words got through to her.
She turned back to normal sighing. "Yes, I have control. You're right. I'm the one in control, not the tiger." White Tiger pulled off her mask. "My name is Ava Ayala. I'm pretty new to this superhero stuff. To control the darkness and the tiger within me. Thank you Spider-Man, or Peter? For helping me."
"Peter's fine, well unless anyone is around." He replied.
"Same with me. Thank you for not giving up on me, I don't understand why you risked so much for someone you hardly know." She responded.
He shrugged. "It's what a hero does and it isn't officially one of my powers, but I sensed you were a good person at heart Ava."
She smiled at him and both put back on their masks. "Let's go get Mace and do this the right way."
They went down, finding him trying to limp away. Spider-Man webbed his legs making him fall onto his face.
"It's over Mace, you're going back to jail." White Tiger said calmly.
He looked furious by this turn of events. "No, no, I refuse to go back! Take your revenge, come on! I'll come for the rest of your family, mark my-" Spider-Man webbed his mouth shut and waved his finger at him.
"Do yourself a favor and shut up." Spider-Man said to him and turned back to White Tiger. "It's over, he'll be staying in jail. I have a chum in the police force , I'll get him to raise the security on him." He offered.
White Tiger looked back at the killer of her brother. "Thank you, Spider-Man. Yeah, it's finally over. Let's leave him for the police. I'm done with him. I think I'm finally ready to move on now. At least to try the best I can." They left as the police arrived to bring Mace back to prison.
Watching him get escorted away was satisfying for White Tiger, as she sighed from relief. "No idea how everything would've gone today, if you hadn't showed up. I think I might've killed him, let the tiger take me over."
Spider-Man shook his head. "I believe you would've thought it and spared him. There is a kind person inside of you who'd fight it."
She looked unsure and sighed. "Without your assistance I would've killed him, at the very least you made certain I made the right call. I'm positive that you snapped me out of going through with it and now made me realize I keep fighting my tiger inside of me, I'm the one in control and I won't let it win. You've helped me a lot today, I hope we'll get to meet again, can't say I know any other superheroes who know my identity, okay that's not true Luke Cage and Jessica Jones know me, besides that I can't think of anyone." She admitted.
"Well, you are my first. Superhero, that is, I have a special friend who knows." He responded with a smile.
"Maybe we could hang out someday out of costume?" She suggested being unsure.
Peter smiled back at her. "I'd love to someday Ava. I'm happy to have met you!"
"Me too, Peter." She replied back kindly with a warm smile.
"I hope to see you soon White Tiger! Though today would suck, instead I made a new friend. An awesome one! An amazing friend!" Spider-Man said, preparing to leave and checked his web shooters making certain it wasn't empty, that'd be an unfortunate way of ending their team up.
"Same to you, Spider-Man! You're a great person yourself. A hero, one the city is much better off having swinging around." She smiled.
They waved to each other and left heading back into the city going on a potrel to keep the city safe once again.
As Spider-Man swung away he called MJ feeling pretty cheerful from how the situation had ended up.
"Hey Peter, what's up?" She asked.
"I think I've made a new friend today, a superhero one! Do I have a story for you!" He exclaimed happily, swinging off feeling good to have a new ally.
Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoyed Spidey teaming up with White Tiger, I don't know her that well unfortunately in the comics, she hasn't had even 100 apprentices as of yet I have tried to "totally legally" read a bunch of her appearances. I like her a lot and my introduction sadly was in Ultimate Spider-Man, lol. I don't remember much of that show where Spidey was voiced by, redacted. I remember her being my favorite even over Spider-Man and one of the episodes I somewhat remember was the inspiration somewhat for this story. Hopefully it was better, that show's bar was quite low. That show was weird.
Speaking of which I also started rewatching Spectacular Spider-Man with my partner (months ago now lol) which I'm loving a lot showing them Spider-Man stuff. And it brings back my heartbreak of no season 3.
Moving on, next up finally will be the Hobgoblin making his grand return. It's been building up to this point for a while now and I'm excited to pay off a lot. I've got a lot more to say, but I'll save it for later of course, as it's relevent to the following events, which I hope shall be exciting and worth the wait.
Thank you for sharing more of your ideas. I was very excited to read them. I don't think I have much to say, (damn writer block) but thank you for sharing all of it. Also feel free to share your ideas with anyone else or use them if I never end up writing the story, just wanted to say that.
#1. That's understandable why you'd change it to the Savage Six with the villains being cross-species versions.
#2. I see why you'd choose them, sure I'll use them and the knockout punch thing.
#3. That's a clever idea using that character as a cross species Vulture nice.
#4. I can see why you wanted to go with the different version and not the one from the video game, it'd make more sense a fraud hunter would want to go under the experiment to become a cross-species. That game Kraven hunted them down so he'd definitely not want to be like them.
#5. I can see why you'd change it so he'd make both symbiotes makes it a lot easier to follow then the more complex turn of events. I also like the reason why you made Richard make them being part of the reason he left Oscorp.
#6. It makes sense he'd be initially angry about it, but come around to forgiving Conners, I would be happy having them patching things up.
#7. Alrighty I'd be sure to do that I see why that would happen and it'd make their rematch more threatening.
#8. All that explanation makes sense, thank you for clarifying further.
#9. That all makes sense and is interesting that he'd be unaware of the fact May and Helen are friendly with each other.
#10. I like that it shows those consequences, it makes sense that'd happen and how she'd not see that happening is understandable. It makes sense too why she'd be blaming Peter for her death by association. I can see why she'd jump to that.
#11. I can see why he'd be affected the most by all of that, along with why he'd sink even lower being younger than the rest of them. That's understandable he'd have issues with mental health considering everything and would be a good consequence for her actions. That's sad, but it's interesting that'd be happening.
#12. That's an understandable reason why she'd return and be using a disguise like that to hide her real identity.
#13. That's a good choice having Simon being kidnapped and makes sense considering everything why she'd jump to that conclusion. It's sad, but good stuff that he'd be trying to tell her the truth while she just can't seem to accept it. It's also great this would make the two finally see each other again after so long.
#14. I'm sure that'd be a pretty interesting part to write with the two meeting with Peter being unaware it's Gwen at the time and Gwen using that voice during their interaction. I wonder if Peter would requinse her voice during this or later on.
#15. Those sound like good choices, I'll try listening to some of them.
#1. I wonder how that would've all worked out, didn't realize the Sinister Six movie would be two parts wonder what it would've been like having a two part movie of that existing interesting to think about.
#2. That makes sense the first spin off there, but the second being a follow up to the venom one would be strange possible?
#3. Sounds like there was a lot of story intended to tell.
The other thing I want to talk about is more details in case you ultimately decide to write more ASM stories after the Spider-Gwen story:
#1. That makes sense and interesting parallel, I guess this universe wouldn't be having a Doc Ock.
#2. Sounds like a good beginning for her journey (That would make a lot of sense) and encountering that guy, along with the connection to her father. I also like the idea of the Kingpin connection, gives me memories of the 90's cartoon.
#3. I'd like the idea of that a lot, going in a similar direction to the video game and having the Spider-Slayers coming along.
#4. I never realized they confirmed that. I know nothing about him as well or that his brother was The Finisher. I wonder if it'd have been confirmed in the movies or if Peter would've ever gotten to confront him.
I like the idea of using this post credit scene to retcon the plans of that, I much more prefer it on paper with the villains being cross species. It's a lot more interesting and fits well with the movie's direction. I love it a lot. It'd be the consistent loss of their villains starting with the Rhino which makes them go into this new direction. I love the final post credits scene you described there. It sounds fantastic with setting up the future of the stories to come. You clearly put a whole lot of thought into it. I can picture the entire scene playing out perfectly. Great job as always.
I apologize for taking longer this time, my writing has unfortunately hit a block again frustratingly. I don't know when Batwoman will be finished, I'm really hoping for some time this year. I also am sorry for keeping my responses smaller too, I just really wanted to get this done and fight my block. Hopefully I'll be able to give you an update on my progress with writing Spider-Gwen next year and be back fully on track again with writing and starting Batwoman season 3.