The mid-morning sun shone through the windows of a massive skyscraper's top office, where Wilson Fisk was going over some papers when one of his men walked in.

"Sir," he addressed. "This letter was dropped off for you."

"Who is it from? He demanded. "There's no return address. It was found in the mailroom."

Fisk took the letter and opened it up, finding a single folded note. He unfolded it, seeing that it read "end this or more to come". As he unfolded it completely, his demeanor hardened. Taped to the bottom was a piece of the upper corner of an all white painting.

"Get me Hammerhead," he demanded.

...

At Midtown High, Peter was held up in the computer lab, looking into the art theft Officer Mackie had mentioned. He was sure it was a longshot, but it was the only clue he had.

"Hopefully, these old case files will shed some light on-" Finally, something came up. "Ah, here we go. Apparently, it was part of a string of art heists happening about ten years ago, the sum total being roughly ten million dollars. The thefts were attributed to an infamous cat burglar known as 'The Cat'. Wonder if he has anything to do with Black Cat. Let's see what else I can find on him.

A few keystrokes later, and the answer came to him in another news article.

"Here we go. 'Capture and Trial of the Legendary Cat'. he was sentenced to twenty years in Rykers prison… but died trying to swim to shore. Damn. " he scrolled down further, finding a name for the famed thief. "Walter Hardesky… Hardesky?"

Yeah, it was pretty obvious what it could mean. That Felicia might have some connection to this Hardesky guy. It sounded a bit of a stretch, but it was still worth looking into.

Peter cleared his history and logged out of the computer. He then fished out his phone, which was an outdated flip phone. He texted Felicia, asking if they could meet up later today. As he walked out of the computer lab, he bumped into Flash, causing Peter to fall to the ground and drop his phone.

"Hey, watch where you're-" Flash began before noticing Peter's phone. "Hey, what's this?"

"Hey!" Peter let out as Flash picked it up.

"'Hey Felicia, wanna meet up after school'? You mean Felicia Hardy?"

"Give me that," Peter demanded, snatching the phone back.

"You cannot be serious? You and Hardy?"

"Yeah? So what?"

"So, there's no way a geek like you could get a hottie like her."

"Why not? Got Liz to go out with me, didn't I?"

That set Flash off, causing him to grab Peter by the shirt and throw him against a locker. Peter braced himself for the punch, but Flash stopped himself, seeing a teacher passing by.

"On second thought," Flash replied, letting go of Peter. "Maybe we can settle this another way."

"What did you have in mind?" Peter asked curiously.

"Got a game coming up next week. Why don't you and your 'girl' come by."

"And you think I'm just gonna show up alone, is that it?"

"Honestly? I'll bet you don't even show up at all."

Peter smirked in response.

"I'll take that bet. Loser has to dress as a cheerleader for Halloween."

"You're on!" Flash declared before heading off, brushing past Gwen as he did. "Watch it, geekette."

This caused her to drop the books she was carrying, much to her irritation. She knelt down to pick them up, prompting Peter to do the same.

"Need a hand?" he offered.

"Say, aren't you juvenile delinquent Peter Parker?" she remarked, picking up her books.

"Ok, that's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Hey, you're the one who said you wanted to be done with school," Gwen noted as she got back to her feet. "Frankly, I'm surprised you decided to show up today."

"So I missed one class. Big deal. I can afford cutting one time."

"And what happens when it's not one time?" Gwen asked as she walked off.

"Then I'll deal with that. Why do you care so much, anyway?"

"I care because-!" Gwen was on the verge of yelling, but quickly collected herself. "I care because I'm still your friend, Peter. And I get it, you've had a lot on your plate lately, but you can't let that be an excuse to just do whatever you want."

"So I just have to cater to everyone else's wants and desires for the rest of my life?"

"That's not what I meant. Wanting to have a life is fine, but not when it risks making you a high school dropout."

"Hey, I am so beyond high school right now," Peter remarked as he rounded a corner, right into the principal.

"Parker," he greeted.

"Principal Morrita. Uh, hi. I was just-"

"My office. Now."

Seconds later, Peter was in the principal's office, Peter sat nervously in his chair as Principal Morrita took his own seat.

"So, I hear you decided to play hooky yesterday," he remarked.

"Well, I-"

"Look, Peter, I know you've been going through a rough time lately. And as such, you probably feel the need to… act out in some way. It's understandable. However, you can't let that impede your education."

"So I've heard," Peter muttered.

"Your one of this school's best and brightest. I'd hate to see you throw that all-"

Just then, his phone started ringing.

"One moment," Principal Morrita insisted before answering the phone.

Peter leaned back as Principal Morrita turned away from him, still talking on the phone. As he did, Peter's phone buzzed. Seeing that Principal Morrita was still talking, Peter pulled out the phone, seeing a text from Felicia. It read "outside. Ready when you are". Peter looked at the text and smiled at the notion, before looking up at Principal Morrita still on the phone.

"Alright, thank you," Principal Morrita replied before hanging up. "Sorry about that, Peter-"

Principal Morrita's words died in his mouth when he saw Peter was gone.

"Oh for Pete's sake," he muttered.

Outside the school, Felicia was leaning against the side of the building, waiting for Peter. As she tapped her finger, she perked up, seeing a police car driving up. She tried to act natural as the car drove past, rounding the corner. As she shoved off the wall in relief, she looked up to see Peter coming out.

"Little early for dismissal, isn't it?" Felicia commented.

"Yeah, well, felt like taking a personal day," Peter remarked.

"Lucky me," Felicia remarked as the two walked off.

"So, what'd you have in mind today?"

Felicia smiled before taking his hand and pulling him towards the nearest subway.

"You'll see," she reassured.

As the two went off, the cop from earlier watched from his cruiser, revealing himself to be Officer Mackie.

At the Bar With No Name, Herman Shultz was polishing up a drink before lining up his shot at a pool table.

"Htitin the bottle a little hard today, ain't we?" a man with a thick black mustache commented while cleaning a glass at the counter.

"Just enjoying life, Blackie," Herman commented. "Got away from Spidey and the cops, and I plan to live it up."

He took the shot, sending the ball towards its target. Before it could connect though, a hand grabbed the ball and picked it up. Herman looked up to see Hammerhead tossing the ball to himself.

"Help you with something?"

"As a matter of fact. How'd you like a job?"

"Depends. Who's asking?"

"A guy who knows people… like the Kingpin."

"The Kingpin? What's the Kingpin want from me?"

"Just to pick up a certain package," Hammerhead answered, crushing the ball in his hand.

Meanwhile, Peter and Felicia got off the subway and made their way to Coney Island. Once there, the two set out for their day of fun. Their first stop was one of the roller coasters, throwing their hands in the air as they careened through loops and drops.

Later, the two rode a horror themed dark ride, with pop out cardboard monsters intended to scare them. Felicia faked getting scared as she huddled close to Peter. Peter took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her, making them both quite comfortable for the rest of the ride.

After that, the two spotted a water gun balloon pop game with several plushie prizes, including one of Iron Man. They started firing at their targets, each one hoping to reach their target. Finally, Felicia came out on top, popping her balloon. Peter looked on in disappointment as she claimed her prize. Feeling a little petty, Peter took his water gun and hit her in the face, much to her surprise. She looked over and saw him just looking away innocently, before deciding to blast him in the face in kind. The two shared a laugh at that before Peter pulled out a piece of cloth to dry off their faces. Once he was finished wiping the water off his, he looked down to realize what he pulled out was his Spider-Man mask. He quickly shoved it back into his pocket just as Felicia cleared her eyes, giving a nonchalant smile.

Later, the two were sitting on a park bench looking out at the beach.

"Gotta say," Felicia spoke up. "This is the most fun I've had in a while."

"Really? The way you've been talking, this would be old hat for you."

Felicia just shrugged, leaning back on the bench.

"Not really. Things have been… tense lately. Like the entire world is crashing down around me, and no matter how hard I try, I can't get ahead of it."

"Been there. More often than I ever care to admit. It's nice to step away from it all every now and then."

"It has its advantages. Especially when you're with someone who understands."

"What about your parents?"

"It's just my mom, and she's alright. But she has no idea what I'm going through."

"And your dad?"

Felicia paused for a moment.

"He… he died. A long time ago."

"I'm sorry. I know how hard it can be to lose a dad."

"Yeah it… it sucks. But it was a long time ago."

"What did he do? I mean, your family's pretty well off, so he must have been pretty important."

"He just… had a knack for finding valuable items. He was big in exotic imports and exports.

"Really? Did he work with someone named… Walter Hardesky?"

Felicia froze up upon hearing that.

"How do you know that name?"

"Uh… just some research for the Bugle. Why? What does it-"

"I-I have to go," she insisted, getting up and heading off.

"Felicia, I-"

Felicia fled from the pier, leaving Peter alone on the bench.

"Never thought I'd be on the other end of that."

It was pretty obvious at that point that something was going on with Felicia. And I was determined to get some answers.

At the Hardy house, Anastasia Hardy was trying to call Felicia yet again. She had lost track of how many failed calls had gone through, but she refused to stop trying.

"Felicia, it's me," she spoke into the machine. "Please call. I don't know what Fisk wants with you, but I just want to know you're alright. Please… just call me back."

Anastasia hung up the phone, tears building up in her eyes as she did. From outside the house, Spider-Man peered in the window, seeing her distraught state.

"Doesn't look like Felicia's been home lately," Spidey noted before climbing up the side of the house. "Maybe I can find a clue as to why."

He climbed up to the second floor, opening up a window that led into what appeared to be Felicia's room. He slowly made his way inside, looking around for anything of use. As he searched, his eyes stopped at a picture resting on the nightstand.

"Hello…" he let out, webbing the picture into his hand.

He looked it over, seeing who was clearly a younger Felicia and Anastasia, and a man whom he nearly recognized.

"Hey… that looks like… Mackie?"

Just then, his spider sense started going off, much to his confusion.

"Spider Sense? But what could-"

Just then, there was a loud explosion, causing the house to shake. Spider-Man looked out the window to see a familiar face blasting at the front door.

"Shocker? Here?"

Outside, Shocker blasted down the door of the house, taking out some of the surrounding wall as he did. Anastasia screamed in horror as he approached.

"Evening, Miss Hardy," he greeted.

"Wh- Who are you? What are you doing here?!"

"Just picking up something for my new boss. You."

Just then, two weblines hooked onto Shocker's gauntlets, causing Shocker to turn and see Spider-Man on the street.

"Watch it, Shocker! You forgot to wipe your feet on the mat!"

Spidey yanked hard, pulling Shocker out of the house and onto the ground.

"Trust me, web head," Shocker spoke, blasting at him. "The only thing I'm wiping the floor with is you!"

Spider-Man leapt out of the way of the blast, leaping to a nearby lamppost.

"Get out of here!" he yelled to Anastasia. "I'll hold him off!"

Anastasia didn't argue, making a break for it. Shocker turned and was about to fire, but Spider-Man leapt down and wrapped his arms around him.

"Come on, Shock! We didn't get to finish our-"

Suddenly, Shocker's entire body started vibrating, causing Spidey to shake violently before being knocked off. He dropped to the ground, quickly kicking Shocker's legs out from under him. He hit the ground before punching it with one of his gauntlets, sending a shockwave that knocked both Spidey and Anastasia back.

"Now then," Shocker spoke, getting back to his feet. "Where were we?"

Spider-Man shook his head before looking back up at Shocker, who was walking towards Anastasia. Thinking fast, he webbed his feet into place before shooting two more weblines so he could pull himself forward. He connected with Shockers back, knocking him to the ground before springing off and landing in front of him.

"What's your beef with Anastasia Hardy?" Spidey demanded.

"Business. And that's all you need to know!"

He tried blasting at him with one gauntlet, but he quickly backflipped out of the way, landing near Anastasia and picking her up.

"Time to go!" he declared, swinging off.

Anastasia quickly wrapped her arms around Spidey's neck, not about to argue with her rescuer. Shocker looked up in irritation before charging up his gauntlets and blasting them on the ground, this shot him into the air, allowing him to give chase to Spider-Man.

"Whoa!" Spidey let out. "Somebody's been making some upgrades!"

"Who is that man?!" Anastasia demanded. "Why is he after me?!"

"He's a D-list supervillain called the Shocker. As for why he wants you, I wish I knew."

Anastasia let out a breath, her tone going from scared to resigned.

"It's about my daughter, isn't it?"

Spider-Man paused for a bit before responding.

"I think so, yes."

"I was afraid something like this might happen. Ever since Wilson Fisk showed up at my home yesterday-"

"Wilson Fisk?"

"Someone… my husband dealt with... years ago. It ended badly, and- and Walter… Oh God, Felicia…"

"But why would this Fisk guy do all this over some-" Spider-Man cut himself off. "Wait a minute.

Ixnay, we don't use the F-word. Call him the Kingpin… now it all made sense. Unfortunately, I didn't really have the chance to celebrate my epiphany.

Just then, Shocker leapt up from behind and blasted Spider-Man in the back, causing him and Anastasia to hit the ground hard. The two rolled along the street as Shocker approached them. Before he could make a move though, a cop car rounded the corner, with Officer Mackie at the wheel. He hit the gas hard, charging right at Shocker. Shocker just smirked in response, blasting at the car full force and causing it to fly through the air. Thinking fast, Spider-Man sprang into action and leapt into the path of the falling car, catching it by the roof. Spider-Man buckled a little under the strain, but kept from dropping the vehicle. He quickly flipped it onto the ground before turning to confront Shocker again, only to find that he had gone.

"Damn," Spidey let out.

"No…" Mackie gasped, getting out of the car. "He took her…"

"Problem, Officer? Or should I say… Walter Hardesky?"

Mackie, or Walter apparently, glanced at Spidey, letting out a sigh.

"You found out faster than I anticipated. Granted, I'd hoped you wouldn't find out at all."

"Unfortunately for you, I'm pretty smart," Spidey remarked before flipping onto the car to gain some elevation on Walter. "Now stop me if I'm missing something. You stole that painting from Wilson Fisk, AKA, the Kingpin, and he got ticked about. You disappeared to spare your family, who changed their name to cut off ties from you, and now Fisk is using your daughter to steal for him in return for not spilling the truth to the world. Am I in the ballpark?"

Walter sighed in response.

"Please understand, I never wanted this life for my daughter. I left to try and spare them, faking my death in hopes that it would appease Fisk. When I learned she had begun to take up my old habits…"

"You sent me in the right direction hoping I could get her out."

"I've seen the way she looks at you. I couldn't interfere without putting my entire family at risk. But you, you could talk to her, and she would listen, and get out in time. Or so I thought."

"Yeah, safe bet Fisk is the one who hired Shocker. And if he went to the trouble of kidnapping your wife, he's gotta have some kind of endgame in mind. Meaning I gotta find Felicia before it's too late!"

Spider-Man shot a web and swung off, leaving Walter behind at the scene, praying for his family's safety.

Across town, Black Cat made her way across the rooftops towards The Bar With No Name, knowing that's where Hammerhead would be hanging out. Once she reached a rooftop across from the bar, she stopped, tightening her grip on the strap of her art tube before shooting a grappling line towards the building across the street. She swung across, landing in the alleyway behind the bar.

"Glad you could make it, kitten," Hammerhead's voice spoke, causing her to turn around and see him leaning next to the back door.

Black Cat just glared at him before taking out the art tube and pulling out the painting.

"Let's cut the crap, shall we?" she declared. "Fisk wants this stupid painting, and I want out of our deal. So, here's how it's gonna go, either Fisks ends things now, or his precious painting gets shredded."

Hammerhead chuckled in response.

"That's pretty gutsy, kid, I'll give you that. But you made one mistake."

"And what was that?"

"When messing with one man's turf, you always protect your own."

Just then, the back door was thrown open, causing Black Cat to look up and see Shocker walking out with Anastasia in hand. Black Cat's eyes went wide as Shocker tossed her to the ground.

"Mom…?"

"Felicia!" Anastasia cried out, trying to run towards her.

Shocker, however, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back, aiming a gauntlet at her head.

"Now, now," Shocker insisted. "Let's stay calm. No need to...lose our heads."

"You son of a-" Cat clenched her fist before tossing the painting to the ground. "Fine, take the painting. Just let her go."

"Sorry, kitten. It ain't that simple. You want mommy dearest back, you gotta do one last job."

Black Cat gritted her teeth in response.

"Fine… what do you want me to steal?"

"This time, the boss wants you to do something a little different. All you have to do… is kill Spider-Man."

Black Cat was shocked by the offer.

"What?! No, I… I-I can't. I'm a thief, but I'm not a killer."

"Look at it this way. Either Spidey dies, or momma Cat does. Take your pick."

Black Cat looks between Hammerhead and Anastasia, genuinely unsure of what to do. Finally though, her head dropped as her fist unclenched, prompting Hammerhead to smirk in response.

Later that day, Spider-Man swung over the city, searching everywhere he could for Black Cat.

I had a lot going through my mind at the time. My girlfriend turned out to be an expert cat burglar that was being blackmailed by a major crime lord to steal whatever whenever, and having her mother kidnapped by said crime lord for whatever ends he has in mind. I guess Gwen was right, Felicia would end up being nothing but trouble. The only thing harder than finding Cat would be the apology I would owe her later.

Spidey shot a webline and swung on it, leaping off and landing on the side of a building. He looked across the skyline, searching for any sign of his target.

"Come on Cat. where are you?"

As he looked around, he caught a patch of white hair on one of the roofs.

"Finally…" he let out before shooting a webline and swinging off.

On the roof, Black Cat stood near the edge of the roof, looking out across the city as Spider-Man landed behind her.

"You're a hard cat to find," he noted.

"Hey Spider," she replied, not even turning around.

"Was hoping we could talk," Spidey continued, walking over to her. "We've got a lot to discuss."

"Sorry…" she whispered, unsheathing her claws. "But I'm not in the mood to talk."

She then spun around, instantly clawing at Spider-Man. He backed away, her claws scratching against the front of his costume,

"Whoa! What's going on?"

She didn't say anything, only lunging forward and continuing to claw at him. He did his best to dodge and evade the attacks, even leaping over her to land behind.

"Cat, you have to stop."

She spun back around and darted towards him again. Spidey quickly dodged the claws before grabbing her wrists.

"Cat, please. You have to listen to me!"

She quickly kicked him in the stomach, causing him to keel over before she kicked him again. This knocked Spider-Man towards the edge of the roof. He shook his head in pain as Black Cat approached.

"Cat stop!"

"I can't…" she replied, closing her eyes as she prepared to strike.

"I know about your mom!"

That made Cat stop for a moment.

"...what?" she let out.

"I know Fisk's men took her. I tried to stop them, but…"

"Then you know why I have to do this. She's all I have left… you have no idea how much this means to me…"

Spider-Man saw the tears building up in her eyes. She turned away to try and recompose herself, leaving Spider-Man only one option to get through to her.

"I know exactly what it means, Felicia… especially needing someone to understand."

She perked up at that, turning around to see Spider-Man had taken off his mask, revealing his face. She stepped back in surprise, pulling off her wig and mask in response.

"Peter…"

"Yeah… pretty crazy, huh?" Peter remarked.

Felicia chuckled in response.

"Actually, it kinda explains a few things. So… what do we do now?"

"Well… Fisk's guys want me dead so they can release your mom, right?"

"Right. So?"

"So… why don't we give them what they want."

At the back room of The Bar With No Name, Anastasia sat tied to a chair with Hammerhead, Shocker, and a few goons watching over her. She looked up at them, glaring especially at Hammerhead.

"Relax lady," he told her. "Soon as your girl comes through for us, we'll be done with the both of ya."

"You can't possibly believe she'll go through with this, do you?"

"She will, to keep you alive."

Anastasia gritted her teeth as Hammerhead smirked. Just then, the door was thrown open, causing everyone to look up and see Black Cat walking in, dragging Spider-Man in by the wrist. She slung him into the room, much to their surprise.

"Felicia…" Anastasia let out.

"Not bad, kitten," Hammerhead commended. "Wasn't sure you had it in you."

"Ya don't leave a girl with a lot of options. Now, let my mom go!"

"Yeah, about that…"

Just then, the goons all aimed their guns at Cat and Anastasia, with Shocker even aiming his gauntlets at them.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Anastasia pleaded.

"It's called a doublecross, mom," Black Cat remarked, her voice deadpan. "It's what assholes like him do when they don't wanna follow through on a deal."

"Sorry to disappoint, kid," Hammerhead told her. "But in this town, ya don't mess with the big time."

The goons all aimed their weapons at the two of them, ready to fire. Suddenly, several webs shot out, snagging the goons' guns out of their hands. They all looked to see Spider-Man knelt down and tossing their guns aside.

"Surely you can't mean you," he remarked.

He then leapt forward right into Hammerhead, knocking him though the door. He quickly shot two web lines at two of the thugs, yanking them down as he pinned Hammerhead to the ground. Black Cat quickly kicked a third goon aside before kicking a fourth's feet out from under him, causing him to hit the ground hard. Shocker quickly saw this and aimed his gauntlets at Anastasia. Cat saw this and fired a grappling line at the back of the chair, yenking hard to pull it down so the blast wouldn't hit her.

"Sorry, mom!" she called out before avoiding another blast.

She weaved between the blasts before finally reaching Shocker, using her claws to slash at his suit. He let out a yelp of pain before punching her with a gauntlet, knocking her into the main bar area.

"Seems like someone needs a lesson in manners," Shocker remarked, walking out to her. "Lucky for you, Shocker's School of Pain is open for business."

He was about to fire, but a patch of webbing suddenly hit him in the face, causing him to pull it off and turn towards a perched Spider-Man on the counter.

"Come on, Shock. I can't believe you have any class, let alone a whole school's worth."

Shocker quickly blasted at him, prompting him to leap out of the way as the blast destroyed part of the bar. Blackie watched this and groaned in frustration.

"Montanna is not gonna be happy about this…"

Black Cat meanwhile got back up and ran towards Anastasia, instantly cutting her ropes.

"Are you alright?" she asked, helping her up.

"Yes, I- look out!"

Cat turned and saw Hammerhead running towards them head first. The two quickly dove out of the way as Hammerhead ran in, slamming his head against the wall to crater it. Furious, he pulled his head out of the wall and turned towards them. Cat stepped in front of her mom as she stared Hammerhead down.

"Should've just played along, kitten," he told her.

"Should've stayed away from my mom," she retorted.

Hammerhead charged at her again, prompting Cat to run forward and drop to the floor. She slid across it, knocking him off his feet and onto the ground.

"Mom! Out the back! Go!"

"What?! No, I won't-"

"She's right!" Spider-Man called back, dodging another one of Shockers blasts. "We can handle this! Just go!"

Anastasia paused for a moment, before finally taking off. Hammerhead saw this and tried to pursue. Black Cat saw this and leapt up onto the bar, using it to spring off and land on top of Hammerhead's head. It made a metal dinging sound as she leapt off. She knelt down and held her leg in pain. Hammerhead took advantage of this to punch her across the room.

"Cat!" Spider-Man let out, landing on the ground.

He tried to run over to her, but ended up getting hit by Shocker, launching him through the front window. He collided with the side of a car, groaning in pain as he slid to the ground. He shook his head as Shocker lined up another blast, prompting him to leap up and over the car, causing the blast to hit it instead. Spider-Man then shot two web lines at Shocker, prompting him to yank hard and pull him out. Shocker went flying through the window, crashing onto the ground.

"Well, that's one way to tell ya to hit the road," Spidey quipped.

Shocker hit the ground in fury before turning around to blast at him. Spider-Man shot a webline and swung out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Back inside, Hammerhead instantly charged towards Black Cat as she still laid on the ground. Thinking fast, Cat kicked both her legs out so they'd hit Hammerhead in the gut and vaulted them backwards, sending him crashing through the wall head first. He plowed through it, ending up in the back alley. Cat ran out and extended her claws, ready for the coming fight.

"How's that for big time?" she remarked.

"Cute," Hammerhead remarked, cracking his knuckles.

He quickly ran at her again, flinging his fists at her. She easily dodged and evaded them as she backflipped out of the way. She then slashed at his face, scratching his cheek as a result.

Back with Spider-Man, he continued dodging around the blasts Shocker was dealing out. Seeing a need to end this, he slung over to the ground behind Shocker. He shot a webline to a nearby fire hydrant before turning towards him.

"Hey Herman!" he called out, causing Shocker to turn towards him. "Have a drink!"

He yanked on the webline, pulling out part of the hydrant and allowing water to shoot out towards them. Spider-Man leapt out of the way just as the stream of water hit Shocker, knocking him back.

"You idiot!" he called out as his suit started sparking. "My suit's torn! Water's getting in! I'm gonna blow up!"

Shocker quickly took off the suit and made a break for it just as it exploded, launching him into the air. A web quickly snagged him as he hung upside down from a lamp post.

"Man, talk about wearing flashy clothes," Spidey remarked as he webbed him up. "Don't worry, I'll bet you look great in prison orange. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Spidey then slung a web and swung off, leaving Shocker beaten and humiliated.

Back with Black Cat, she continued duking it out against Hammerhead, staying ahead of his attacks. She then kicked him in the face, causing him to stumble back. He growled in response, quickly spinning around and punching her in the gut. This sent her colliding with a dumpster, denting it as she dropped to the ground.

"Time to say good night, sweetheart," Hammerhead remarked, pounding his fist.

Before he could make a move, a grappling line shot down and wrapped around his wrist, much to his confusion. Before he could react, the line went taut, pulling Hammerhead away from Black Cat and into the wall of the adjacent building. He shook his head in pain as he looked up and saw a man dressed in a black bodysuit with a set of goggles over his eyes.

"Bad move, pal," Hammerhead remarked, charging at him.

The man leapt out of the way as Hammerhead plowed into the wall, quickly throwing an explosive device at the top of the wall. It blew, causing chunks of the wall to rain down on top of Hammerhead, knocking him out. Black Cat rubbed her head in pain as she slowly got back up, seeing the man in black. He stared at her for a moment, much to her confusion, before firing a grappling line and zipping off.

"Hey!" she called out. "Wait!"

Before she could make a move, he was already gone, much to her disappointment. She didn't get a chance to lament long before Spider-Man arrived.

"Looks like you handled him," he noted.

"Wasn't me. I think… I think it was my father."

"Really?"

"It was his old suit. I'd know it anywhere, but… why did he leave?"

Spider-Man paused for a moment.

"I… wish I had an answer for you. I guess he feels keeping his distance is his way of keeping you safe."

"Yeah… I guess that makes sense," she admitted, still unsure.

"Felicia!" Anastasia called out.

The two looked over to see Anastasia running over to them, prompting Felicia to tear off her mask and wig in response.

"Mom!" she let out, hugging her tightly. "Mom, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Anastasia reassured. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"You two need to get out of the city," Spider-Man instructed. "Fisk will be looking for you."

"I know," Felicia lamented. "What about you?"

"I'm going to have some words with our dear Mr. Fisk."

"You can't," Anastasia insisted. "He'll kill you."

"Let him try," Spider-Man declared, swinging off.

I finally got Felicia's mindset, her reckless attitude was to escape from all the pain and hurt she had to endure… and sometimes inflict. Difference is, I have to live with it 24/7, no two ways about it. It sucked to have to admit to myself, but it did give me some resolve when I went to talk to Mr. Fisk.

At Fisk Tower, Fisk picked up a phone and dialed a number, waiting for a response. To his surprise, there was no answer.

"Hammerhead? Where is he?"

"Sorry," Spider-Man declared, swinging into the room. "He's a little laid up at the moment."

Two guards quickly drew their guns on Spider-Man, who quickly shot out two web lines at them, slinging them towards him so he could kick them up to the ceiling and web them up. Once they were trapped, Spider-Man leapt onto the desk, staring down Fisk.

"But I can take a message."

"I normally don't take uninvited guests," Fisk remarked, before turning to face him. "But I suppose we can make an exception, for the hero of the day. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Simple. Back off Felicia Hardy and her family."

"And… if I don't?"

"Then I start a little rumor that Wilson Fisk is really the Kingpin."

"My dear boy," Fisk replied, getting to his feet. "You have no idea who I am."

"Oh please," Spidey remarked, taking a fighting stance. "I've gone toe to toe with living lightning rods and robotic rhinos. A pudgy guy in a suit doesn't-"

Fisk suddenly backhanded Spider-Man, knocking him into a display case and wrecking the ancient armor inside. Spider-Man shook his head in pain as Fisk walked over to him. Spider-Man quickly leapt to his feet and threw a punch to his gut. It collided hard, causing Spider-Man to grab his hand in pain.

"Ow!" Spidey let out. "What the hell?!"

"Despite my obese appearance, only two percent of my body mass is fat," Fisk explained, grabbing him by the wrist and lifting him into the air. "What you see now is three hundred and eighty pounds of muscle."

Fisk then proceeded to punch him in the face repeatedly. After the third hit, Spider-Man quickly caught the fist before planting a foot on his chest, springing off. He backflipped away and landed on the ground as Fisk approached. Spider-Man tried punching him, but it was Fisk's time to grab his fist before punching him in kind. He collided with a pillar suddenly being pinned by one of Fisk's hands.

"I could squash you like the bug you are," Fisk threatened.

Spider-Man then eyed a mask sitting on a stand at the far side of the room. He shot a web out to it, yanking it towards Fisk. to his surprise, Fisk caught it, crushing it in his hand.

"But I won't. Instead, I'm going to educate you on the facts of life." Fisk then let go of Spider-Man, letting him drop to the ground. "The Kingpin, whoever he might be, has nothing to fear. No officers could arrest him, no laws could detain him, and despite their best efforts, no hero could thwart enough crime to damage his income."

"Then why bother with me?"

"Because of what you represent," Fisk replied, walking back to his desk. "You frighten criminals off the streets entirely. They think you're unstoppable. That is, unless you're fighting the likes of the Sandman or the Rhino. Then the Kingpin's army of petty criminals find themselves… beneath Spider-Man's notice."

"So, as long as I keep fighting crime, you're just gonna keep making bigger and badder baddies?" Spider-Man questioned, getting back on his feet.

"You learn fast."

"And you just don't care who gets hurt along the way?"

"In business, there are always trade offs," Fisk explained, taking his seat. "However, there is a way out. With Miss Hardy having terminated her position with me, I happen to have an opening in my organization."

"You wanna offer me a job? If you think I'm just gonna be one of your flunkies-"

"Oh you can still save the city like a good little hero," Fisk explained, taking out a briefcase and opening it, revealing it to be full of cash. "I'll even pay you."

Spider-Man looked down at the cash, honestly a little tempted, but still feeling there were strings attached.

"What's the catch?" he asked.

"No catch. Merely a promise that you look the other way on occasion. On any occasion of my choosing."

That caused Spider-Man to stop cold, narrowing his eyes straight at Kingpin.

"Now all things considered, that sounds quite fair, doesn't it?"

"Yeah… yeah it does… except for one thing." He took a fighting stance. "I don't look the other way. Let's finish this!"

Fisk just sighed as he put the case away.

"If you insist."

Before Spider-Man could make a move, the doors to the office were thrown open, allowing Officer Davis and two more cops to storm inside.

"Freeze!" he called out. "NYPD!"

"Ah, Officers, I'm glad you're here," Fisk greeted in a nonchalant tone. "It would appear that Spider-Man has infiltrated my office, assaulted my men, and made various threats on my person."

"What?!" Spider-Man let out. "No, you can't trust him! He's the bad guy, he's-"

"On the ground, Spider-Man!" Davis ordered. "Keep your hands where I can-"

"Oh, screw it!" he let out, webbing a nearby chair.

He whipped it at a nearby window, shattering it before slinging it back towards the cops. They quickly ducked under it as Spider-Man leapt out and swung away.

Months on the job, and I never had to run from the police before then. It sucked. I fought every battle Fisk set for me, but never came close to winning the war. The Hardy's seemed to make it clear it was a war I couldn't win, and I'd agree with them… except that Fisk made a big mistake. He let me know there was a war, and I was prepared to fight it anyway I could.

The next day, Peter was sitting in the Principal's office, hearing an earful from Principal Morrita about his behavior as of late. He just sat there, taking the brunt of it as he finally wrapped up.

"I hope you understand where I'm coming from," he spoke.

"I do," Peter replied. "And I'm willing to accept the consequences of my actions."

"Glad to hear. You're a good kid, Peter, and I only want you to succeed. Just try to stay out of trouble from now on."

"That you can count on."

The two shook hands before Peter got up and walked out. He didn't get far before Gwen walked up to him.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Oh, hey," he replied in surprise.

"So… you didn't get expelled, did you?"

"Oh, no. No. Just a little community service… and by that, I mean a week's detention."

"Could've been worse."

"Yeah… look, Gwen, I'm sorry about snapping at you before. You were just looking out for me and I totally brushed you off."

"I'm sorry too. I wasn't trying to tell you what to do or anything, I just... didn't want you to get into trouble."

"Which, thanks to me, happened anyway. Still friends?"

"You bet," Gwen replied, ribbing him as the two went off.

Meanwhile at Fisk Tower, Hammerhead walked into the room with the painting in hand.

"You have it?" Fisk asked.

"Yeah, boss, we got it," Hammerhead confirmed, placing the tube on the table. "Gotta wonder though. Lot of trouble to go through for a painting.

"That will be all, Hammerhead."

"What? I was just-"

"That will be all!"

Hammerhead held up his hands defensively before walking out, closing the doors behind him. Fisk meanwhile unscrewed the top of the tube and pulled out the painting. He walked over to a nearby wall and put the painting on it. Once it was secure, he stepped back and looked at it, seemingly lost in the endless sea of white.