Peter didn't know what to say, and it seemed for a long moment as if the forward momentum of time had frozen and that the earth had stopped spinning. Here Black Cat was, at his bedroom window, looking at him with wide eyes, and seemingly waiting for his useless brain to start firing off synapses again.

If she'd shown up a little later, even just a minute or two, she would have caught Spider-Man standing in his bedroom, not Peter, and then there would have been no doubt whether she knew his secret identity. But instead here she was, staring at Peter, who was very nearly naked, waiting and watching and…

"Peter!" She snapped.

And impatient, apparently.

"I know, this is unexpected." Black Cat continued, shifting and swinging her legs inside his room so she could sit on his sill. He took a few hasty steps backwards. "But is it true that you work for Oscorp?" She demanded.

"I- what? No… No, I don't work for Oscorp." He stammered.

"I have it on good information that you do. With Doctor Connell?"

"You mean Doctor Connors?"

"Sure. Whatever." She waved a clawed hand dismissively. "You work with him in an Oscorp laboratory, right?"

"It's… It's more like work-study, kind of. I don't get paid or anything." He explained, like it mattered. "I'm sorry, Cat- er, Black Cat… ma'am, but why you here? Not that I mind or anything, I'm just… confused."

Black Cat sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose, the mask around her eyes crinkling as she closed them for a moment. Something about seeing her like this, without a mask of his own, made her seem… different, more human. She looked tired.

"I was getting to that." She rasped a moment later. Then, looking at him, she continued. "I'm sorry, I'm sure this is a lot to take in – me, a superhero, being in your room and all that."

"Yeah…"

"But try to keep up, okay? We're going to have to move fast. Do you, or do you not, work at Oscorp? And have access to their labs?"

She stared at him, her jaw set and posture tense, but her eyes were soft, almost pleading. Even if he had wanted to lie to her, he couldn't. Black Cat was Spider-Man's friend and partner, his friend and partner, even if she seemingly didn't know it yet.

Thank God.

"Yes," Peter said. "I do, but-"

"Great!" She gasped. "And this Doctor Connors you work with, he's a good guy? He's trustworthy?"

"Yes, but-"

"And you can introduce me to him? You can take me to him tonight?"

"Yes, but… wait, tonight?" He balked. "I- I don't know. "

"Why not?"

"My badge that gives me access to Doctor Connors' lab is only programmed to work a few hours a day. It wouldn't get us inside."

"Badge or no badge, we have to get into Oscorp and see Doctor Connors tonight." She leaned forward and reached out to him, palm up. "Come on, we can hash out the details on the way."

He didn't move. His eyes were transfixed on her offered hand.

She wanted Peter Parker to go with her.

He didn't need his spider-sense to tell him this was a bad idea, but it was buzzing at the back of his neck anyways, making the hairs on his arms stand on end. If he was with her as Peter, then he sure as hell couldn't also show up as Spider-Man should the need arise. He couldn't exactly turn her down without a good reason though either.

Black Cat was waiting for him to say or do anything, and as she waited, her eyes drifted over him once more. She seemed to take his hesitancy as bashfulness.

"I mean, you have time to put on pants of course… if you want. You probably should." Her eyes lingered on his side. "What happened to your chest?"

"Huh? Oh!" He looked down, and was reminded of the huge and horrible bruise that ran up his ribs and side, the souvenir from their fight with Vermin. He lunged to grab the sweatshirt crumpled on his desk chair, and held it to his torso, covering himself. "I – uh, took a nasty fall down some stairs… when I was trying to catch a train. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Well… okay, if you say so." She chewed her lip, but said no more on the subject. "Get dressed and meet me out here."

Slick as oil, she swung her legs up and swept out of his room to crouch on the fire-escape outside his window. She turned away from him to look up at the night sky, and he stared at the back of her head. He tried master his racing heart, but it was useless. His fight or flight instincts had been activated and while his brain was working again, it was rebelling too - fired into overdrive and bouncing stupid thoughts around the inside of his skull that ran the gamut from 'fess up now and tell her you're Spider-Man' all the way to 'just lie down and pretend to go to sleep'.

It was much too late to play opossum though and Peter doubted Cat would leave him alone even if he did. She was on a mission, he could tell.

And whatever the reason was as for why she was there, his heart told him to believe it was good one.

Peter twisted and dove for the suitcase under his bed. Her back was still turned when he came up again, but he went out into the hall and changed regardless. First his suit, then the sweatshirt and jeans. A minute later, he was climbing out of his window to join her.

"Don't you need your glasses?" She asked when she saw him.

"Oh, right! I – uh, almost forgot." He stretched back through into his room so he could grab his eyeglasses from his nightstand. In all the excitement, in the strangeness of seeing Black Cat like this, he really had forgotten. Peter always wore his glasses, even if Spider-Man didn't need them.

It was after he jammed the thick frames up onto his nose that the thought occurred to him. "Wait… how do you know I wear glasses? Actually... how do you know me at all?"

"I needed a contact at Oscorp and you showed up under their public employment records. I did some research and figured you were just the guy I needed." She explained in a rush.

Peter was struck dumb. He supposed it was technically possible, but it such a massive coincidence – he wasn't sure if he bought it. There was simply no way Black Cat had chosen him out of the thousands of employees who frequented Oscorp Tower.

Her face was pointed away from him though and completely unreadable as she turned and leapt up to perch on the railing of the fire escape.

"So, am I right? Are you the guy for the job or not?"

"Um… I don't know. I- I want to help, but…. before we go any further, you have to tell me what this is all about." He petitioned desperately, curiosity burning under his skin. "Please?"

Black Cat stood straight on the railing and looked down at him. Silhouetted against the rising moon like this, she struck quite the heroic figure – tall and lean and strong, noble in every way…

Except for the fanny pack that was strung around her hips, that is.

Peter hadn't noticed she was wearing it until now. She unzipped it and produced a glass vial with a wide mouth, and he saw that the tube contained a collection of leaves and stems.

"Don't say anything about the bag. My costume doesn't have pockets." She held the jar for him to see. "This has what could possibly be a cure to what's been making everyone sick. You must have seen the news reports right? About how people are catching it left and right? How the hospitals can't keep up?" When he nodded, she continued. "It's not a normal disease, but I won't get into that now. What matters is that I need to get this plant into the hands of the person with the best chances of curing it and I hear that would be your friend Doctor Connors. Will you help me, Peter?"

This was all big news to him, the latest in a series of surprises that rocked him to his core. Somehow, while he was puking up his guts, fooling around at school, and fruitlessly searching the sewers for Vermin, Black Cat had been out there doing actual work, finding a real solution to all this.

And now here she was at his window.

Peter didn't have to think anymore.

"Of course." He said.

And this time, when she offered him her hand, he took it.

"Let's go." Black Cat stowed her glass vial away and then pulled him to her, winding her arm around his waist. "Hang on to me."

As Spider-Man, he had carried Black Cat countless times, while out on patrol or when chasing down one villain or another. It was almost a necessity given the mobility afforded by his web-shooters; if he didn't carry her, she would be left behind in the dust a lot of the time. It was never a big deal though and it was certainly never awkward. In fact, Cat usually took their proximity as an opportunity to crack some joke or say something flirty.

Now though, roles reversed, Peter found himself overthinking it.

"Like… this?" He wrapped his arms gingerly around her neck and, for the very first time, touched her with his bare fingers.

Her suit was smooth and seamless, almost like velvet in texture. He knew it was way more durable though, having seen her absorb many a scrape and blow before. The fur that swathed her collar was as white as her hair and softer than anything he'd ever felt. Peter had to resist the urge to run his fingers through it, and he was very glad did, because Black Cat was suddenly very stiff against him.

"Um... is this okay?" He asked.

"Y-yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

He shrugged, not sure what to say, and watched as she took a deep breath, pointedly looking anywhere but his face. She seemed to be steeling herself for something.

Peter was about to pull away, when she suddenly moved, crouching low and hooking her other arm underneath his knees. He let out a rather undignified yelp as she hoisted him fully into her arms, bridal style.

"Here, this will work." Cat grinned down at him, all traces of hesitancy gone. "You're heavier than you look, Peter."

Despite her words, she hefted him as if he were no lighter than a loaf of bread.

"Rude."

"Let me know if you start to feel nauseous. If you throw up on me I'll never forgive you."

"Just take things slow, please?" He hadn't gotten motion sickness in years, but something about his current position and the vantage point made him feel vulnerable. "And don't drop me."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She grinned.

And then Black Cat leapt from the fire-escape, sailing upwards to alight on a narrow ledge. Peter was barely jostled by the sudden acceleration, but he wrapped his arms tighter around her neck regardless. No sooner had they touched down then she was jumping again, taking them clear across the street to an opposite rooftop and sprinting across it.

Peter was caught between wanting to relish the experience of seeing the city from Black Cat's point of view and wanting to bury his face in her collar and wait for it all to be over. She couldn't fly over the streets on webs. Instead she moved with the rooftops, using their corners and curves, flowing with the arches and slopes, traversing the city like New York was the world's largest jungle gym, and to her it practically was.

She took them south, away from Midtown and towards the Oscorp tower, which loomed closer and closer, growing taller every second.

"Listen," Peter called over the wind. "I know you want to get in and see Doctor Connors, but I'm still not sure if I can get us in."

"I'll get us in." Cat countered, her breath warm on his forehead. "I just need you to get me to Connors."

I better give him a heads-up then. Peter thought. Or else we're liable to give him a heart-attack.

Keeping one arm looped around Black Cat's neck, he clawed and fished his cell phone from his pocket and swiped quickly at the screen. It wasn't easy formulating a text in Black Cat's arms – as graceful as she was, it was still an extremely bumpy ride – but Peter tried his best:

Peter Parker:
Hi doc. This may soumd crazy but I need u to trust me. OMW to Oscorp rn with black cat. Yes the hero, black cat. And she has sometjing could cure the disease ur researdhing. Can we meeet u in the lab

It wasn't up to his usual texting standards, not by far, but he hoped it was sufficiently coherent, and that Doctor Connors had his phone on hand.

They came to a stop on a rooftop parapet that sat in the shadow of Oscorp Tower. Peter's legs had fallen asleep and his bruised side throbbed painfully. He longed to stand up and stretch, but he bit back is complaints and Black Cat made no move to put him down just yet. He shoved his phone back into his pocket as she considered the tower in front of them thoughtfully.

"The entrance on the ground floor will have the most security and we don't want to deal with that. I don't think we can get to the roof either." She eyed the spire high above them, a black point that seemed determined to pierce the moon. "Not while I have you with me, at least. Spider-Man probably could…" She trailed off.

"Yeah… Yeah, maybe." He couldn't help himself. "Sooo where is he, by the way? I mean, usually you two are together right?"

"Mhmm." She agreed, her grip on him tightening ever so slightly as her eyes scanned the tower. "We just had to split up tonight. He's close by, working on another part of this plan. He and I will meet up later." She lied well, and before he could say anything else, she jutted her chin upwards. "What's that? The boxy thing up there."

Peter craned his neck to look. Oscorp tower rose in a steep, staggered design, with distinct tiers that stacked on top of one another. Where one tier fed into the next, harsh cuts were carved into the skyscraper and some of the open space was boxed in with heavy glass and filled with greenery. Peter explained to Black Cat that these were sky-high gardens, accessible from inside the building, miniature parks for the Oscorp staff to enjoy. He, Harry, and Doctor Connors had shared an early dinner in one a few weeks back when work in the lab had been slow.

"Very interesting…" Black Cat mused. "I think that's our in. Hang on tight."

And without further ado, she took a running leap and flung them both into open air.

A wild rush of fear overtook Peter then. Their trajectory was too low, the closest garden was probably a good fifteen yards above their head, and the smooth, impenetrable, glass shell of Oscorp tower was rushing at them like a speeding train.

At the last second, Black Cat took one arm off Peter, and brought her claw up to slam it into the wall, digging the toes of her boots in at the same time. The back of Peter's head bounced off the glass, but he barely felt the blow. He was too focused on the fact that he was suddenly hanging from Black Cat very preciously. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders tighter and pressed his face into her collar – the only way to stop his glasses from slipping off his nose.

There was a horrible screeeching noise as their momentum carried them downwards, leaving white scrapes in the glass, before they eventually slowed and stopped. The clung to the wall.

"You alight?" Black Cat asked, concern in her voice. "Peter?"

"Never better." He answered, voice muffled by her collar, and she laughed.

"You're a real trooper, huh?" Slowly, one limb at a time, she began to scale the tower. "I have to say, I'm really impressed by how well you're taking all of this."

"Oh, I'm sure it will hit me later." He peeked over her shoulder at the street far below. "I'll probably have a full-on breakdown in about twenty minutes or so."

"If you can make it past thirty minutes, I'll make it worth your while."

"Oh- uh, yeah? How so?"

"Whatever you want." She said, stopping their ascent a moment so she could look him in the eye. "Well, almost anything." She added, and then winked.

Actually winked.

Peter felt his face burn and turned to look down at the street again, feeling Black Cat's body rumble against his as she laughed at his expense. He couldn't believe that she was flirting at a time like this, with him of all people. It all but confirmed his suspension that she'd chat up anyone given the opportunity – that her playful act with Spider-Man was just that, a game.

It didn't bother him though, not really. Spider-Man cracked wise to cope with stress and, likewise, Black Cat had her own techniques.

It was just much, much easier to deal with when she couldn't she him blushing under his mask.

His phone buzzed in his pocket as they climbed, but he couldn't check it, not with both his arms around Black Cat. He just hoped that it was Doctor Connors and not with a text reply telling him to refrain from send him nonsense messages when he was so busy.

After what felt like an eternity, but was likely only a minute or two, they reached the elevated garden. Black Cat took him up and over, then finally set him down on his own two feet when they were atop the large glass cube. Down inside the insulated space, they could see massive planters with various trees, shrubbery, and several tables arranged in a half-circle around a decorative fountain. Putting something like this together, almost a hundred yards above the earth, was just the kind of obnoxious thing a corporation like Oscorp would do to make their workplace seem more modern.

There was a metal grate in the roof – the cover for an air filtration system - and Black Cat led him over to it by the arm.

She made short work of the fastening and screws, fiddling with deft hands, and a second later the grate swung open to reveal the dark interior of a ventilation shaft. She slipped inside like a ghost and found that only one other grate was all that separated them from the simulated park. Another second of work and she had that one open as well.

"Not bad." Peter remarked, peering into the vent behind her. "You've done this before, huh?"

"Something like this." Black Cat reached for him and pulled him inside after her.

Holding him to her chest once more, she dropped down and landed in the shallow fountain with a dull splash, then waded to the edge of the fountain to set him down.

They were both silent for a moment, listening and waiting, but no alarms blared, no security forces rushed in with weapons drawn. The garden was empty and silent, save for the soft sounds of the water in the as it circulated in the fountain dreamily.

"Okay, getting inside was the easy part." Black Cat shook water from the fur on her boots. "Now for the hard part – convincing Doctor Connors we're here to help. Can we get to his lab from here?"

Peter nodded and, remembering that he'd gotten a text message earlier, quickly checked his phone. To his utmost pleasure, he saw that Doctor Connors had indeed responded to his message.

Dr. Curt Connors:
Peter, barring any chance that you are drunk/high or that your text was a tasteless joke, and assuming you truly are in route with a superhero and a possible cure for this disease, then this is amazing news. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. You've earned that much. I will have the lab cleared in a few minutes. Meet me there.
- C

Peter couldn't help but smile.

"This part might be easier than you think." He said. "Follow me."

"Wait," Black Cat seized his wrist as he turned, stopping him in his tracks. "Peter, before we go any further, I need to make something clear."

"Okay." His heart hammered in his chest as he turned to look at her.

This is it.

He was a hundred percent certain that she was about to admit to knowing his identity, to admit that she'd just been playing dumb up to now, and that the jig was up.

Once again though, she surprised him.

"Oscorp doesn't have the best track record when it comes to…" Black Cat thought about for a suitable enough phrase. "Civil-responsibility."

"Yeah." Peter agreed. It was a bit of an understatement honestly.

Oscorp, the corporation, was huge, with fingers in nearly every industry, and almost more scandals and lawsuits than one could count. But Peter also knew it had good, smart people on the inside, Doctor Connors for one.

"I came to your apartment tonight because I think you're someone I can trust." Cat continued, her voice grave. "This jar have with me could be our best shot at finding a cure and I can't let it fall into the wrong hands." Her grip on his wrist tightened. "Peter, I need your help to make sure that doesn't happen."

Peter had never seen Black Cat like this. Her tone and her words were so sincere, almost pleading. Despite how far she'd brought him, she was still having doubts and he couldn't say he blamed her. If she made a mistake trusting him then she could be damning all of New York...

"I promise." He said, looking her straight in the eye. "We can trust Connors, coming here to see him was the right choice tonight. Because of you, everything is going to be okay."

She sucked in a small breath and Peter worried for a second that he'd said the wrong thing, maybe sounded a little too much like Spider-Man in that moment. With blood pounding in his ears, he waited for her to respond.

"Okay," She said, releasing her breath and his wrist. There were pink welts carved into his skin. "Let's go then."


True to his word, Doctor Connors had emptied his lab of everyone, save for himself, by the time Peter and Black Cat arrived.

Peter had assumed Doctor Connors had been hard at work ever since Oscorp's press conference that morning, when the corporation had announced their plan to develop a cure for Vermin's plague, and the sight of the doctor confirmed this. He looked exhausted, slumped in a wheeled throne next to a workbench and fully dressed in his familiar lab gear: a long coat, with one sleeve pinned closed over his arm stump and the other ending in a rubber glove.

At the sight of them though, Doctor Connors perked significantly, and quickly snapped a surgical mask over his mouth and nose.

"Peter! You're actually here." He stood and Peter made to shake his hand, but Connors shook his head, no. "It's good to see you, but we better keep the contact to a minimum with this virus going around. It's nasty stuff, completely debilitating. The infectious disease specialists we have on the team are completely flummoxed." He turned to Black Cat next. "So, I see Peter wasn't pulling my leg with his message, after all. It's really you – the Black Cat."

"In the flesh." She confirmed with a small, tense smile. She shifted on her feet behind Peter's shoulder, sharp eyes flicking around the room. "Are we really alone?"

"Yes, I promise." Connors assured her. "I've asked the lab team not to return until I call them and security is not allowed in here. I can also lock the doors with this." He produced a small remote from the pocket of his coat and showed them a series of buttons. With a press, the pneumatic locks on the doors hissed shut. "There, now there's no chance of us being disturbed."

Black Cat nodded, but remained on edge despite all Doctors Connors' promises. All the confidence and bravado she'd had while they were leaping across the city was missing and Peter had a strong urge to touch her, to grab her hand or her shoulder and reassure her himself, but he didn't. Again, that was type of thing he could have done as Spider-Man, but not now.

That said, he couldn't just stand by, not while Black Cat was apparently unsure how to proceed. She had chosen Peter Parker to come on this mission for a reason, after all.

"Thank you, Doctor Connors," He began. "I wasn't sure if you'd believe me or not, but it's true. Black Cat found something and she thinks you should have a look at it."

He turned to Cat and their eyes met. She regarded him evenly one last time, a final appraisal before there was no turning back. He gave her a small nod and the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease.

With sure fingers, she unzipped her fanny pack and produced her glass vial. Doctor Connors slipped on a pair of eyeglasses before taking it from her.

"Now what have we here…" He mused, holding the vial high to examine it in better light.

Black Cat explained the Yellow Claw to him, mentioning only vaguely that she had it on good sources that the herb was a potential cure to the rapidly spreading disease. When he asked how she had gotten her hands on it, she could only shrug noncommittally.

"Us superheroes have our ways." She said, although there was little humor in her tone. "So... can you use it?"

"Well, let's take a look. Peter, would you be so kind?" Connors held the jar to Peter, who opened it for him. With a set of forceps, Connors extracted a leaf of the Yellow Claw and arranged it on a slide under a microscope. "The cell structure is quite… unusual." He muttered as he examined it. "Come take a look, Peter. Tell me what you see."

Peter supposed he shouldn't be surprised, Connors never missed a teaching opportunity. He joined him at the microscope and peered into the eyepiece. Sure enough, under magnification the Yellow Claw didn't look like any plant cells Peter had ever seen.

"Weird." He breathed. "Are those centrioles?"

"Looks like it, in a plant that's obviously vascular, no less."

"Have you seen anything like this before?"

"Not like this, no." Connors turned to Black Cat, who had been watching the two of them blankly. "Where did you get this sample?" He her asked again.

In lieu of answering, she gave an exaggerated shrug and Peter bit back a smile. She fired back at Connors. "Can you use it or not?"

"Well, we will certainly try. As I mentioned earlier, the lab is stumped and we're getting pressure from all sides." Delicately, Doctor Connors lifted the microscope slide that held the Yellow Claw and rotated on his stool to face Peter. "Where do you think we should start?"

Peter couldn't help but laugh then, genuinely. The sudden sound actually startled Black Cat so much she jumped a few inches into the air. Connors, on the other hand, only smiled and continued to look at him, waiting.

It took Peter a few precious seconds to realize he was serious.

"Y- you're asking me?" He stuttered.

"Of course." Connors's smile widened. "You didn't expect me to do all the work on my own, did you? After you had me send all my staff away?"

"But I… I'm not- I'm just a-"

"A very talented young man." Connors finished. "You know this lab as well as my full-time staff, and you've learned so much in the time you've spent here with me – more than I can say for young Mr. Osborn, but that's beside the point."

"He's also the best in his class at Empire State." Black Cat added. All eyes abruptly fixed on her. "So I've heard, I mean."

"Well you heard correctly." Connors agreed, as Cat suddenly became quite interested in the claws on her left hand. He stood then and faced Peter fully. "So come on, lets not waste any more time. Will you lend me a couple of hands, Mr. Parker?"

No more could he have denied Doctor Connors than he could deny Black Cat. Peter took a deep breath before nodding.

"Yes, I'll help. Whatever you need me to do, I'm here."

Doctor Connors beamed at him, and it was such a powerful look of praise that Peter had to avert his eyes. It had a been a long time since anyone had looked at him like that.

Sure, he got kudos from teachers and May all the time, but somehow this felt different.

It had a fatherly kind of quality that made his heart ache.

"Back to my question then – where do you suppose we start?"

"Well…" Peter started to turn the problem over in his head. "To know if we can use it, we have to know what's in it... We should isolate the compounds."

"And we have a few methods for doing that, don't we?" Connors was already moving away and collecting equipment that they'd need.

Despite the situation at hand, Peter started to get excited. This was just what he'd needed after the past couple of days, a solid plan, with an order of operations and an expected result. As he joined Doctor Connors and pulled a mortar and pestle towards him, concerning thoughts of sickness and Vermin and even Black Cat, seemed to fade away.


It was like watching a couple of jazz musicians at work, except instead of trumpets and drums and bass, their instruments were Busen burners and centrifuges and some of the most bizarre, high-tech machinery Black Cat had ever seen.

She watched Peter insert a minute sample of Yellow Claw into a machine and consult a small screen that was attached. The thing could have been an easy-bake-oven for all Cat knew, but it was all chrome – and likely more expensive than anything (or likely everything) she owned.

Peter watched his experiment unfold on screen, brows furrowed behind a double layer of lab-goggles and eyeglasses. They were running trials, testing the effects of the Yellow Claw on specimens of Vermin's poison that Oscorp had obtained from a local hospital. It must not have worked out though, because he let out a small huff into his surgical mask and retrieved his sample from the machine.

He walked quickly to join Doctor Connors at another worktable, stumbling slightly over an untied shoelace as he went, and they consulted with one another. Peter had a question, a suggestion, and Doctor Connors responded with nod of his head and a series of instructions.

Black Cat had offered to help, but apparently Doctor Connors' appeal for additional hands didn't extend to her and she hadn't put up an argument. Deciding that the best she could do was stay out of their way, she found a clear spot on a far table and perched herself there, settling in to watch.

Every so often while he worked, Peter's eyes would turn and meet hers, but he always looked away fast, like he was worried she would snap at him.

She supposed she couldn't blame him for being skittish, considering how she'd dropped in on him earlier that night. She was very much out of place here too – an inky figure in a sterile lab that was otherwise all silver and white. It wasn't her intention to make Peter nervous though.

She just couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

Her classmate, nerdy, awkward Peter Parker, was an enigma. Obviously he'd been shocked when she'd shown up at his apartment, but convincing him to come with her hadn't been the battle she'd thought it would be. He'd trusted her, he'd listened to her. He hadn't been star-struck or terrified at the sight of her. He didn't even seem upset that she'd caught him in his underwear, which yeah, she should have considered as a possibility dropping in how she did.

What she hadn't considered though was that Peter would be cut – as in, absolutely shredded – six pack abs, the whole nine yards and then some.

Never would she have guessed he was one for hitting the gym and it made her wonder what else she didn't know about him.

Across the room, Peter shot her a quick glance. Their eyes met again and he turned away just as fast, nearly dropping the pair of test-tubes he was holding. Black Cat took pity on him and turned her attention to a large clock on the wall. Peter and Connors had been working for hours.

How long did America say it would take for Vermin to get his strength back?

Hours. She'd definitely said hours. Vermin could be poisoning the city's water supply right now and Black Cat was here, sitting on her laurels.

But could I fight him without Spider-Man?

It didn't seem like she had much of a choice.

Spider-Man didn't even know what Vermin was planning. Spider-Man was probably still sick, and probably couldn't lift a finger to help, even if he did know where Vermin was going to attack.

It hurt to think about him, to sit and hope that he was okay and wonder when she'd see him again, if she would see him again.

To save herself from the tumbling down that black hole again, a never-ending spiral of betrayal and worry and heartbreak – Vermin, Spider-Man, America Chavez, Wong – she went back to watching Peter Parker, who was also a mystery, but at least one that didn't make her want to scream and smash things and throw up.

The sight of Peter and Connors together, intently watching a monitor as a flurry of simulated trials played out in front them, reminded her why she was still there – the cure. If they found it, she'd feel a whole lot better about facing Vermin again with some of it on hand.

Black Cat watched Peter's face, the computer screen in front of him flashing lights, staining his cheeks and forehead blue, then red, blue, then red. Her first indication that he and Connors had made a breakthrough was when his face was suddenly flushed with green and his eyes widened behind his glasses.

"Mr. Hammond, I think we're back in business." He breathed.

"What?" Connors asked.

"Uh, nothing. It's a Jurassic Park quote." Peter turned and waved to Cat. "Come check this out!"

Leaping from her table, she moved quickly to join them. She peered over Peter's shoulder, where the screen displayed 'Neutralization Successful' in large, emerald letters.

"Did it work?" She pressed. "Did you find a cure?"

"One way to find out for certain." Connors said. "Peter, would you do the honors?"

Although he seemed to be vibrating with excitement, Peter's hands were steady as he retrieved their latest test sample from the machine. The Yellow Claw had gone through several transformations and now resembled a honey-colored, watery liquid, which had been siphoned into a specialized capsule for testing and transport. Peter took the container over to another piece of equipment, a towering microscope that was mounted on a heavy bench and Connors and Cat followed on his heels.

She had seen them using this microscope earlier to examine Vermin's virus and Peter had explained to her that it was his absolute favorite tool in Doctor Connors's shoppe, a kind of microscope that used particle beams instead of light.

In truth, she hadn't been listening very closely; too much was on her mind to give Peter's ravings on electrons her full attention.

Now though, she watched rapturously as Peter delivered the bioprocessed Yellow Claw into the chamber below the microscope and introduced it to an isolated sample of the virus. She held her breath as Peter surveyed the combination through the microscope's eyepiece for a long moment. Eventually, he pulled away and wordlessly motioned for Doctor Connors to look for himself.

"Great Scott." The doctor breathed as he surveyed the results for himself. "This is… quite interesting."

"Good interesting?" Cat asked.

Instead of answering straight away, Connors reached over and turned on a monitor that was connected to the microscope. The screen flickered to life and a black and white mosaic of blobs appeared, some angular and others round in shape. As they all watched, the pointed shapes seemed to unravel one by one, twisting apart amidst the sea of writhing globes.

"This is 'very good interesting'." Doctor Connors answered. "I've never seen anything like this frankly. Our compound is absolutely lethal to these virus particles."

He indicated the angular structures on screen, vanishing one after another, and Black Cat had to agree - it was a total bloodbath. She was entranced by the display, nearly overcome with the urge to step forward and bat at the screen, as see if she could help speed up virus's demise.

"Where on earth did you get this plant?" Connors pried yet again, for what must have been the tenth time. "It's like… it's like it's magic."

"Good guess, but I'm afraid the only magic here is you two." Cat shot Peter one of her winning grins, half expecting him to shy away again, but she was surprised when she didn't react. He wasn't even looking at her.

"What's the next step, Doc?" Peter's brow was furrowed, his jaw set, and for the first time, Black Cat was struck by how tall he was. "How do we get this cure to the people who need it?"

"Well, calling it a cure is a little reductive, and I'm afraid it's rather lengthy process. There's a lot of research to be done as well. We'll need to determine dosage and toxicity levels, run extensive clinic trials, get approval from the FDA…"

"Yeah, yeah, but is there anyway we can fast track all that?" Black Cat interrupted, forcing her eyes off Peter and to Connors. "I really need to use it tonight."

"I'm sorry, but those procedures are in place for a reason. It could take months-"

"We don't have months." She insisted. "I need to take at least some some it tonight to fight Vermin."

"You know where Vermin is?" Peter asked, tugging off his lab goggles.

"I have a lead on where he's going to be."

Might already be…

"Where?"

"It's a little hard to explain-"

"Black Cat," Peter reached out and took her by the wrist then. His grip wasn't tight in the slightest, but her arm burned all the same. Instinct told her to pull away, but he was looking at her with so much intensity in his dark eyes, she was momentarily stunned by his boldness. "Please tell me."

She told him. She supposed she owed him at least one honest answer tonight. Well, mostly honest. Peter let go of her as soon as she started talking, but she continued to feel his touch long after it was gone and she tried not to let the phantom tingles distract her from the matter at hand.

She explained what she knew of Vermin's target, about the large water valve chamber under Van Cortlandt Park. Both Connors and Peter listened intently as she talked and, as it turned out, Vermin's plan wasn't all that hard to explain because apparently Peter already knew what she was talking about.

"That valve chamber under Van Cortlandt takes water from the Catskill aqueduct..." He muttered, twisting the lab goggles in his hands so the plastic creaked. "That's like ninety percent of New York's water supply right there…"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah it is." The next time she saw an ad for a trivia competition, she'd call up Peter and see if they could win some cash.

Spider-Man could come too, if he wanted.

If he wasn't dead.

"If this cure can protect me or if it can stop Vermin, then I need it." Black Cat repeated, looking between them. "I'm taking it."

"Very well." Doctor Connors nodded. "I see the need is dire and who am I to argue with a superhero. We can prepare some of the cure for you to take. However, we need to keep some for ourselves so my team can synthesize more. It will take time before it's ready for public use too. However…" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There may be a way to light a fire under Norman's ass… give him some extra motivation to give us more lab resources and speed this process along"

"What's that?" Peter asked, while Black Cat looked around the wildly impressive lab and wondered just what else they could possibly need.

"A little competition. If Oscorp wasn't the only one making headway on a cure, the race to get one approved would be that much more pressing." Connors explained. "I have a former colleague who is working at Midtown Hospital, Dr. Sha Shan Nguyen. If some of this got into her hands… well, let's say it would benefit everyone."

"Everyone except your boss." Black Cat pointed out. "You'd do that to him?"

"I owe a lot to Mr. Osborn, but that doesn't mean I have to be a fan of his business practices." Doctor Connors set about preparing several vials of the cure.

"Dr. Nguyen is good, in all the ways." Peter added. "I mean, I haven't met her, but Doctor Connors makes her sound great. And if she and her team announce they've got a cure too, then Oscorp won't have a monopoly. They can't set the price for this however they want and control access to the cure. It's a really, really good idea."

He didn't have to reassure Black Cat, but she appreciated that he was trying.

She'd seen enough by now to know she'd made the right choice trusting Peter, and when Doctor Connors turned to her and presented a small, sealed vial of the amber liquid, she could have wept from sheer relief, from the knowledge that it had all somehow managed to come together.

"There isn't much, but we'll have just enough for Dr. Nguyen and ourselves." Connors said. "I'll have one of my techs get a sample to her tonight and then we'll get to work here. You should probably get going then, right?"

"Yes, you're right." Black Cat stowed her previous vial securely in her fanny pack. "Thank you, Dr. Connors. Peter was right, you're one of the good ones."

His face was still covered by his surgical mask, but Cat knew he was smiling.

"I appreciate that." He said warmly. "Best of luck, Black Cat. Tell Spider-Man I say 'hello' too, please."

"Yeah… I'll do that."

"If it's all the same to you, Doc." Peter was stripping the last of his protective gear. "I'd prefer if you didn't mention me in any of this. I was happy to help, but I'm not looking for any attention or anything."

Black Cat was surprised to hear this and evidently Connors was too.

"Peter, I couldn't have done this without you." He said. "And we've produced something truly amazing here. You deserve some recognition, don't you think?"

"It was all because of Black Cat and what she found." Peter countered. "Please, this is all I ask."

"If you insist.'' Connors made a strange gesture then, raising his arm as if to shake Peter's hand, then stopping himself mid-way as he thought better of it. He coughed into his fist awkwardly, then simply said. "See you soon, Peter."

It was time to go. Black Cat turned briskly to leave and Peter followed.

"I'm sorry to ask," He said quietly, as he hurried next to her. "But do you think you could… um, give me a lift? Just until we're outside? I'd like to avoid any awkward questions from the security downstairs."

"Oh, I dunno," She feigned thoughtfulness. "I suppose I could carry you again. Just don't expect it to be a regular thing, okay? I don't play taxi for just anyone."

"You know how to make a guy feel special." He huffed, and she laughed, deep and full, in a way she hadn't in so long she couldn't remember.

She was high off the sudden and powerful rush of hope, off the weight of the cure on her hip, and the way Peter looked at her – as if she had been the one toiling for the last few hours, as if she was the one who'd brought on this massive success, as if she was an old friend of his.

They left the lab together and when she took him in her arms once more, the familiar, powerful discomfort that came with touching, with being touched by others, wasn't nearly as intense. The went out the same way they came in, leaping from Oscorp together and this time, when she thought of Spider-Man, her heart didn't clench with fear.