chapter thirty-two
mess with the cat
( you get the claws )

    "OKAY, SO!" Peter glanced to his side as Nina and MJ joined up with them. He and Ned were walking through the halls back to the front of the school as the last bell sounded, by passing students cleaning out lockers, chatting about what they'll do for their Summer: holiday houses, trips, beaches, movie hangouts━or better yet, the trip to Europe. Everyone going was mostly excited for that. Especially Peter. A break from crime fighting? Yes please. A break from all of the cameras? Yes. A break from school work? Well, sort of ... its a school trip, so ... Able to get the best backdrop to tell the girl he likes he still really likes her? Who wouldn't want to hear that at the top of the Eiffel Tower?

    A break from seeing Mr. Stark's face everywhere?

    ... Peter had a feeling he needed that the most.

    Even as he looked to the side, there he was, staring back at him in a bad drawing from a student in red and yellow marker. Peter felt his throat close up. Memories flashed back to that day━so dark with ash and fire that it seemed like night. The Avengers Compound destroyed around them ... One second Peter was on Titan, and the next, surrounded by a war five years later, expected to catch up and fight for his life ... and watch Mr. Stark die.

    He wasn't just a mentor, he wasn't just some idol Peter admired since he was a kid. He wasn't just the man that told him: Good job, kid, back at the science expo in Queens all those years ago. He didn't know how to explain what Mr. Stark was, and now it was too late, because he was gone. He was gone, and Peter barely had the chance to catch up, to ask what he did in the past five years, to see him as a father, to properly say goodbye and to thank him. For everything.

    And it still hurt. It still hurt like a fresh wound to Peter Parker's chest.

    And he'll never forget how Mr. Stark looked: burnt and barely conscious, unable to say a word ... just stare, only just stare.

    Peter had to look away. He had to.

    "Peter?"

    He realised he lost track of what Nina had been saying. Turning to her at the sound of his name, he saw a face gentle with concern. She followed them all at a slow pace on her skateboard, only just having gotten it back from the principal's office. She didn't have Felicia around to steal it back for her anymore. "You okay?" she asked him.

    He forced a smile on his face, nodding, "Yeah, yeah, just thinking about the trip, you know. What were you saying?"

    She pursed her lips, not believing him, but said no more. Instead, she nudged MJ beside her, "I was saying," said Nina, "that we're having a sleepover━" Michelle turned her nose up at the word, "━before we head to the airport tomorrow, together." She sent Peter a pointed look that MJ couldn't see, telling him: no turning up tonight.

    MJ frowned at the tone of her voice, "You're weird," she told her.

    Ned stared at her, incredulous, "A━and you're not?"

    "I'm not weird," she stated, "I'm just very observant."

    MJ was the only one out of the group of them that didn't know Peter's secret. And while they hated keeping it from her, it wasn't exactly something Peter wanted to tell. Ned and Nina both figured it out, and the idea of MJ figuring it out, too, sort of scared him. She had a look on her face, constantly, of suspicion: whenever Peter left to go to the 'bathroom', or whenever he called Nina saying he was late to school after being caught up in 'traffic'. She was always watching like a hawk, like she knew something wasn't right━that they weren't telling her something, and it was stressful especially for Nina, who had to keep reassuring her that there wasn't. Peter knew she wanted MJ to know, but didn't say a word about it in respect for him. That didn't mean she didn't hate the idea of MJ being left out of things just because they were Spider-Man related.

    But as the year passed, MJ was getting more and more suspicious. She started to ask questions, started to call Peter when he wasn't showing up, started to demand his whereabouts during Decathlon meetings and brought up topics such as: "J. Jonah Jameson says Spider-Man is the reason behind the shooting in Harlem between rival gangs," before looking Peter straight in the eye, as if examining his answer for lies and faults.

    They passed Flash cleaning out the literal trash in his locker. He threw a piece of banana skin at Peter that bounced off his jacket.

    "So," MJ spoke up, hands in her pockets after shooting Flash a glare, "what are you dumbasses up to this afternoon."

    "She means," corrected Nina. Michelle rolled her eyes, "that we were wondering whether you guys want to come over, too? Then we can all go to the airport together."

    Peter wanted to. He really wanted to, especially at the hopeful look on Nina's face and the eager nod from Ned. But he had to shake his head. He knew Nina understood, but he could tell it still disappointed her. "I can't," he said, regrettably. "I have some errands to run━I have to get mini toothpaste━" he listed them off on his fingers, "━pick up my passport, and then ... uh ..." he tried to think of an excuse in front of MJ, " ... pack ...?"

    He winced at how unsure he sounded.

    MJ arched a brow, but then shrugged and muttered, "Whatever. You're missing out, losers."

    "Hey," Ned stared at her, offended, "I━I can still come. I'll come. I'll bring some Lego━"

    "You bring that new Lego set you got one more time," MJ cut him off, "and I'll throw it and you out Nina's window."

    Peter chuckled at the look on his best friends face. He checked the time on his phone. "Ah, I better go or I'll miss the train ..." He skipped forward a little, "I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow."

*ೃ༄

     PETER'S TO DO list consisted of a few things. First, he had to pick up his passport. He didn't expect to be stuck behind the longest line he's seen, though. With only one window open, the waiting line stretched all the way to the entrance. Not too hard for him to fix, though. Was it legal? He wasn't exactly too sure, he just sent his miniature spider drone on a mission to sneak behind the nearest closed window, slipping in under and behind to trigger the lock. Ned and Nina both had names for the mini spider. Whether it be Baby Spidey, Spidey Junior, or Mr. Scuttle McMister, he did his job. The CLOSED window blared a green light for OPEN, and Peter rushed to the lady eating her afternoon tea behind it with a bright grin and a, "Peter Parker here to pick up a passport please."

     Next, Peter was on his way to Mr. Delmar's Sandwich Shop. He didn't waste his time on the subway, quickly donning his suit to swing up onto the roof and leap back off into the streets at a running start, flipping over with a cheer into the Queens afternoon. The Deli and Grill was fresh and new after its destruction five years ago━almost unrecognisable. But Mr. Delmar stayed the same, and so did his cat, sleeping on top of the warm pie and sausage display case. Peter grabbed the next few things on his list there: a miniature toothbrush and paste, a toasted sandwich (of course), and one of the key parts of his plan: a dual headphone adapter. 

     "Are you planning a trip?" Mr. Delmar asked him as he took a swift bite from his sandwich, passing over a ten dollar bill for the adapter, toothbrush and paste. He added some trickles of change.

     "Uh," Peter swallowed his food, "Europe, yeah."

     "Oh!" Mr. Delmar perked up, taking his money. "Can I come?"

     Peter grinned at him, amused, "It's a science trip," his money was replaced with a bag of his things. "History of science, Tesla, DaVinci and all that."

     Mr. Delmar's smile fell away. He sent him a blank stare, "I'm good."

     Peter chuckled. He waved the bag as a thank you, "I'll bring back pictures! Gracias! Tell your daughter I said hello!" he got out of the shop before Mr. Delmar could demand more money for his last comment.

      After that, he was off to the pawn shop. Holding his box of limited edition action figures, Peter ran across the street just in between passing cars, ignoring their blaring horns and angry shouts. He got sent a photo on his way down two blocks from MJ, a Snapchat to their group in order to complain about Ned bringing his new Lego set despite her earlier threats. Ned then replied with a, Peter knows it's awesome. To which Nina added a Bitmoji of them all hugging a large heart to say, can we all just love each other?! MJ replied: No. 

      Peter was halfway to the pawn shop where he was distracted by a mugger trying to take an old lady's purse in one of the back alleyways. He sighed, ducking down an alleyway of his own to quickly switch into his suit, hide his action figures behind the dumpster with his school bag and zip back out as Spider-Man to help. He stopped the bad guy easily, but man that woman's handbag hurt. She seemed to think Spider-Man wanted to steal her bag as well, going on about how J. Jonah Jameson was right and how Spider-Man was a menace and whatnot━the usual. 

     He passed back into the alleyway to get changed, and in his rush, kicked something over. It took him by surprise. It was something so out of place. Pulling back on his jacket over his He He He━laughing gas tee-shirt, Peter frowned at the small, black kitten toy at his foot. It was about the size of one of his action figures, pristine and made of metal (he noticed as he picked it up). He turned it in his fingers, curious to watch it glint in the sun. His frown deepened. He turned it again, and the glint caught something that made his stomach jolt━a camera lens. A miniature camera lens. 

       Peter made a face. Who would put a camera in a miniature cat decorative? 

      He glanced down to where it would have been sat, hidden in the corner of the dumpster. Crouching, he set it back, and peered towards the view of the camera. It settled on a small jewellery shop across the road. Peter's brow arched at the sight of a policeman chatting with the jeweller behind the counter━the inside of it was strangely bare for a jewellers. 

      He held up the cat again, and something uneasy settled in his stomach again.

      Worry about it later, he told himself. You need this trip Peter. Let's just enjoy this trip. 

      Either way, he pocketed the strange cat camera, grabbed his box of action figures, and continued on his way. 

      Thankfully, the pawn shop was still open after school was finished (and a few Spider-Man related stops along the way. Peter almost walked in with his mask still on his face, and he had to quickly duck back away to stuff it into his book bag. 

     Stepping in, the pawn shop had that old, dusty smell that itched at Peter's nose. He awkwardly walked up to the counter, peering at stage statues, violins and guitars on the walls, old lamps and jewellery, even a drum set tucked away in the corner that was probably older than him. 

     With a shy smile, he pushed the box of his action figures over. "Hi, I would like to trade these for money, please."

     The man behind the counter sighed and fixed his glasses. He picked up one of Peter's action figures. "Uh━" said Peter as he did, "━they're, uh, special edition, so ..."

      He turned the figure upside down to peer at the sticker and etching on the bottom. Peter watched his eyes widen a little in surprise. He peered back at him through his glasses perched on the brim of his long nose. "You sure about this?"

     Peter nodded. He glanced down at his Star Wars action figures. Part of him wanted to go through them again and pick out the ones he wanted, perhaps take them all━no, he told himself. I need the money to get Nina the necklace. "Y━yeah," he said, nodding again. "I wanna━" he chuckled, "━buy a girl I like something really nice."

     The owner of the pawn shop's brows jumped up high with a short scoff. Peter twisted his hands on his backpack straps nervously. "Huh," let out the man, "well, I hope she's worth it."

      She is, answered Peter to himself, already imagining the look on Nina's face when he gave her the necklace. She really is.   

      He glanced down briefly back at his box of figures as they were taken away, before he noticed one stuck amongst the centre. His heart jolted, "Uh━uh━actually, c━can I keep the Lobot?" He took back the   figure, clutching it tight. He might manage to let go of Lando Calrissian, but never Lobot. "Yeah ... I'll keep that one ..."

     And finally, Peter had reached the last thing on his list left on his last day in New York for the next few weeks. Peter rushed off to a dark alleyway where no one could see him throw his bag off and web it to the concrete under the fire escape. He pulled out the nano tech Stark left him, and as he pressed it against his heart, he felt it grow heavy with the iron that wrapped him up━expanding over his chest, down to his legs and up his neck and over his face. The suit felt heavier than usual, but boy was it a splendour:

     Peter jumped up onto the wall and ran straight up, breaving heavily through his nose. He felt the wind begin to rush past him as he jumped too and fro from fire escape to fire escape. Even in the dark alleyway, the lights gleamed a brilliant copper against his suit, like he was a street light himself; a beacon of help. 

     Reaching the top, he extended a web that latched onto the apartment complex ledge and flipped up and over onto the roof. Peter Parker landed as the Iron Spider, legs crouched and fingers spread onto the concrete in a magnificent suit of pure nano tech iron━plated amour that glimmered and gleamed brilliant blues, red and golds.

     He took off at a run, heading straight for the edge. The evening spread across him as Spider-Man launched off, diving straight down the swing past at a low swoop, waving at the cheers of bystanders he passed. "GOOD EVENING, QUEENS!" he called out as he did, forcing out a cheer that vibrated through a suit that seemed to weigh heavier on his chest; just its touch reminded him of Mr. Stark, and it hurt.  

     But he tried to ignore it. He tried to push it away. For tonight was his last night for a little while, and New York needed Spider-Man. 

    He wasn't expecting, a few seconds later, Karen to speak up in his ear and say: "Call from Nina triple-heart-emoji incoming."

     "I really gotta change that," Peter muttered to himself behind the suit as he took a swift turn into the next block, doing a few tricks as he did. Though, he knew at this point, he won't. "Yeah, put her through, Karen."

      As soon as the phone dialled in, Peter answered cheekily, "Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man, how may I help you, ma'am?"

      "You're dumb," said Nina and Peter grinned under the mask. The heavy feeling in his chest immediately seeming to lift just as the sound of her voice. "I called because I got a notification on your Instagram."

      Nina was the only one Peter gave the password to Spider-Man's Instagram that he used to only use to take photos he grabbed at massive heights swinging through New York, quietly missing photography club. Now, she had managed to turn it into a platform for people to send distress calls, send information and interact with him. She placed up polls for fans to pick their favourite villain takedowns, posted pictures of J. Jonah Jameson with clown emojis stuck on his face after he'd belittle Spider-Man on his latest podcast or promoted positive response whenever Peter took down somebody, stopped a robbery or saved those from a high-speed car chase. She also managed any messages he received━especially, recently, trying to grab information on gang meetings and covers for underground running from inside scoopers. Right now, together, the group of them: Peter, Nina and Ned had managed to almost crack down on the rumours of Wilson Fisk's empire. Before the Blip, the philanthropist had New York under his huge fist with money donations, promises of construction to house the large homeless population at low prices━but there wasn't something right. He was getting far too much money out of construction sites on bad land, bad neighbourhoods and cheap housing. Until Nina somehow (Peter doesn't want to know how she did it) overhead a whisper of underground weapons and drug sales. Then, they were all Blipped away, as was Fisk, and during five years, his empire fell away. Now, he was trying to regain it all, and Peter and his friends were trying to unravel it. 

     Peter climbed up his web to get higher above the street, spinning his body into the next dive. "Is it from━?"

     "The snitch, yes," said Nina, her voice low. She echoed, like she had gone to hide in the bathroom to talk to him. "He gave a place and a time. It's a meeting between Tombstone and Fisk, neither of the big boys are there, but some pretty menacing gang members trying to intimidate the other."

      "Where am I heading?"

      "China Town."

      Peter made a noise in the back of his throat, but turned himself around to head towards the island across the East River. "I gotta get back to F.E.A.S.T for Aunt May's check. I can't be late for that."

     "You'll be fine," Nina assured him, "you still got two hours. You can beat these guys by then, yeah?"

      She tried to sound confident, but Peter heard a waver in her voice. She was worried. She always was worried. So, Peter landed on top of a water tower and told her, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Who doesn't love a good ol' roughhouse before dinner?" He bit back a grin as he shifted his position, ready to make her laugh as he cleared his throat and said in a very low, gruff voice that seriously hurt his throat (but he didn't care). "Just the average day for━"

      Knowing immediately where he was going, Nina quickly cut him off, "Oh, no, don't even━"

      "Spider-Cop," said Peter Parker, grinning at the small chuckle he caught on her end. "Long years, gruelling long fights ... the things he's seen ... but he always comes back because he knows ... it's the right thing to do."

      "Well," she grumbled through a smile he could hear. It made him smile. "Spider-Cop better be well and alive to get on the plane to Europe tomorrow."

      "Spider-Cop promises to Miss Nina Hart," breathed Spider-Man as he leapt off towards the lights of China Town. "Though he cannot promise himself that the events of tonight will end well for anyone━"

     "Are you narrating yourself?"

     "What?" Peter's voice was high in his ears as he laughed, playing dumb. "No!" He then dropped his voice low again in his throat. "Nina Hart never truly understood the means of Spider-Cop, and the things he did for the city of New York━"

      "You're an idiot."

      Peter chuckled, his voice back to normal. Nina always seemed to make him smile and laugh, even when he thought it was impossible. His heart thundered as he swung through alleyways and past apartment complexes, on his way towards the Williamsburg Bridge. He wondered whether he should go for it, right now. Screw the entire plan, just tell her how he felt. He wanted to tell her she made him laugh, and that she made everything simpler, and that despite everything that has happened, since she figured out the truth about who he was ... it made it all feel normal. 

     He opened his mouth, trying to find the courage to even breath a small flirt, when there was a knock on the bathroom door Nina hid in over the phone, and he heard her gasp.

     "Yeah?" she called to the knocking.

      "What's taking you so long?" Peter heard a muffled MJ. "Your dad made hot chocolate for us like we're five and yours is going cold. Get out of there, loser. And your little brother won't leave me alone. Which is ... okay, he's surprisingly very cute. Though, why did your parents name him Ian? That's an old person's name."

      "You're old lady!" also echoed a small boy's voice who only knew a few words very well: that phrase was one of them. That and calling Peter a fart donkey before laughing at him and running off. Peter believed 'Old Lady' was almost a compliment from Ian Hart in comparison. 

      "I'll be out in a second!" Nina called, then whispered. "I'll text you the address. Stay safe, Tiger."

     And then she was gone, and Peter lost his chance. 

    While he complained, it didn't take long for Peter to reach the address Nina sent him over message. He swung through the growing night that seemed more like day than it did when the sun as out, blinding the eyes with colourful lights and lanterns spread out across the streets squeezed into China Town. The restaurant was lit, but there was nothing to show that there were any clients inside seated to eat. When he arrived, he crawled down the side of the building to the window to peer inside and check his surroundings. 

     He counted some men hovering around a table, he could se heads through the open windows into the kitchen and a pair by the fish tank━all of them either seemed to work there, or matched the descriptions the snitch had described. Peter saw the snitch amongst them, as well, and he wasn't making it easy for himself to stay hidden by the way he anxiously glanced towards the doors and all the windows━any exit that could get him out of there, or any place Spider-Man might just enter. 

      Peter wondered whether he expected him to walk right through the front door.

      None of the gang members noticed Spider-Man had walked right into the restaurant. Peter checked the imaginary watch on his wrist, feeling the fabric of the carpet under his metal suit-shoes and gazing up at the chandelier lights that hovered above. He made his way up to the front desk, empty as if he was waiting to be seated. He quickly checked his web cartages and readied a splitter web before cheekily tapping the bell on the desk. 

     Immediately, all eyes turned onto him, surprised. 

     Spider-Man waved, "Hey, am I too late for my reservation?" 

     The gang members all stared at him blankly for a moment, before one of them cried, "It's Spider-Man!"

      "We've been made!" another cried.

     "It's all of us against him!" said a large man. He raised his fists. "Let's rush him!"

      They all charged him. Peter held his hands up in surrender. "Wow! That is not what I expected. Y'all want extra tips, or something? It's all right! I got enough for all of you━!" Waiting until the last minute, he leapt up to the ceiling, spinning over the first set of gang members running to him while others rushed to grab weapons. Peter flung out a hand, initiating the splitter web that struck the faces of the two closest men. "Ha! Gotcha nose!"

     He pulled as he landed on a table, and watched them topple into the group of men that had followed. Most of them toppled like bowling pins. "Score!" cheered Peter. 

      One readied a handgun. Peter quickly dodged the bullet, hearing it crack! in his ear. "Now, that is not good customer service! Come on, guys! Let's make this quick, I have places to be!"

       And like that, he jumped off the table and somersaulted onto the next, narrowly missing open fire of multiple machine guns. The next few moments were a blur. Any bullets that hit him only ricocheted, hitting he walls and unlucky gang thugs. Spider-Man dodged most, he dodged skyrocketing plates, knives and anything else these guys could get their hands on. He went from table to chair, chair to lounge, swung around on the chandelier, taking out a few with a swing kick in circles before he twisted his body up and over not a soar, landing a drop kick onto the large brute of a thug to his left. He webbed a few, sprawled-limbs, to the walls or hung them off the ceiling like huge hanging lights, making constant quips as he did (you know, the usual). 

     "Uh oh!" he said as he used one man's shoulders as a spring board, pushing him forwards. He smacked into his friends chest and both of them crashed into the nearby lovers table. "That's gotta hurt. My apologies." 

     Peter smothered the barrel of another gun with his web, tugging it towards him before throwing it back. It hit the jaw of its owner, a waiter with a very suspicious moustache that belonged in a 1960s comic. "Think fast! Oh! Too slow! Hey, have you guys met the Enforcers? I think you'd all get along very well!"

      With the help of the Iron Spider's arms, Peter jumped up and spun around. He webbed this thug and webbed that one, taking most by surprise before they could even land a finger on him. The arms were a mighty stance; long twists of metal into the symbolic legs of a spider with sharp, penetrating ends that could stab onto almost anything to help Peter climb along walls and up support posts, but most importantly, knock aside any gang member that tried to even get close. 

     "How's Tombstone going these days anyway?" Peter asked as he strung up two thugs with simultaneous web explosions. "Has he got some colour to his cheeks? I don't know about you, but he's looking a little pale and grey recently. Almost like a tombstone━oh, wait━!"

      Shooting out a final web bomb, Peter landed, sitting on the centre artwork piece, a marble wave as all of the remaining men behind him were flung up to hang with the rest. He dusted off his hands, only to hear the click of a gun safety.

      Seconds later, feet pounding from the back kitchen into the main room and Peter gasped at the gunfire that rained. It hit him in his chest, his shoulders, his cheek, his legs━he cried out, shaking his body with a trembling, "Oh, no!"

      As the round of bullets finished, he dropped off the back of the artwork. There was silence as the bouncer thought he had won━he had finally finished Spider-Man!

     Peter poked his head back up, grinning in victory, "Ha! Just kidding. It's bulletproof."

      Extending out two webs, Peter Parker finished the night off with a launch to the bouncer's chest, knocking him out with a swift crash to the wall. 

      "Ground pepper?" he picked up a lonesome pepper stick from the ground, gesturing it out to the groaning, dazed group of gang members dangling around. Surprisingly, none seem able to answer. "Anyone?"

*ೃ༄

     "YEAH, SO, he's the liaison from one gang, he's the liaison from the other. He's pretty much just a runner, and then they are the respectful big-boys ready to start a fight, and that's the snitch."

      "Hey," frowned the dude Nina found. He was stuck to the support beam with a heck of web fluid around his chest. 

      Peter winced as he pointed each person out to the police standing around him. He probably shouldn't have said that. "I'm sorry," said Peter, shrugging sheepishly. He glanced at the others watching from their hanging web cocoons, "He's not━I mean━" Peter quickly turned to the policeman, Bristow beside him, "━you should probably put him in his own cell," he added under his breath. Bristow agreed with him. 

      "So," spoke up Kennedy, a fellow cop writing down Peter's report of the fight, "you keeping the fancy suit?"

     "Uh..."

     "You gonna be the next Iron Man, now?"

     Peter stammered for a second, frozen as Bristow's words hit his ears. He tried to hide it, hide how suddenly, his hands began to shake against his sides. He crossed his arms. Spider-Man doesn't get shaky. He quickly came up with a good retort, "Well, I don't have the time, I'm too busy doing your jobs."

     The collective murmurs of rebuttal made Peter chuckle, thankful his stumble had passed and now it was all fun and jokes. He held up his hands, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Though, seriously, Spider-Cop, think about it." He brushed past them, leaving the rest of this to the law. "Look, guys, you're gonna have to do your job for the next couple of weeks, okay? Because I━" he stopped by the doors, tapping his iron plated chest, "━am going on vacation."

     Bristow rolled his eyes, "Yeah, but can I still get that selfie?"

     Peter barked a laugh, opening the door into the night, "Next time, Bristy, next time!"

     The cold hit him slightly as the summer evening breathed through the cracks of his suit. Peter stepped out into the night, stretching his shoulders. Twisting his wrists, he struck a web to the top of the building and flung up, landing on the edge and stepping off the ledge onto the concrete. He walked across it back towards the direction of Queens, checking the time in the system of his suit, hoping he wasn't too late for May's celebration. 

     Pepper Potts, the recent widow of Tony Stark, had produced a generous check for Peter's aunt and all the work she had done after the Blip━when everyone returned; giving the homeless a place to live while they figured out their lives: what has changed, where they could grab jobs, a house, money, all the while giving them all the support they needed. F.E.A.S.T. had boomed with popularity, taking New York by storm, expanding far out of Queens and onto the main island with many shelters in old school gyms, theatres and community centres. 

     Peter wanted to be there as she received it, but also had promised Spider-Man to show for the support and answer questions to the media ... which he wasn't sure how he'll handle. He knew the questions they were going to ask. The questions they always were asking recently. Who will be the next Iron Man? Who are the new Avengers? Who was going to save New York? And they suddenly expected him, the neighbourhood superhero, to lead it all? It terrified Peter more than he liked to admit. 

      He stood there for a few moments, on the rooftop of the restaurant, peering out at Queens over the river. That was his neighbourhood, how could he leave it? How could he expand far out━to Brooklyn, to Long Island and all the way Upstate? Expected to protect it all? He couldn't. He could never be the man Tony Stark was. 

      There was a sudden strange feeling to Peter's senses. He jolted, his hair growing on end━but far too late. Before Peter Parker could realise it, something rammed into his side. 

      He went stumbling, turning, rolling across the concrete. He yelled in alarm, trying to grasp whatever had hit him. He heard a heartbeat, heard the breath of someone else, but before he managed to grab them, they were gone, skidding along the concrete in a flash of black and white. 

      Spider-Man coughed, surprised at the sudden attack. He looked up as the perpetrator perched a few paces away, eyes narrowed behind a sharp pointed black mask, like a cat with a taste for murder. 

       Peter's lenses widened with his eyes as he took in the sight.

      It was a girl━about his age, with pristine white hair pulled off her sharp face of feline features hidden behind a clear eye-mask shaped with a dark black outline. She was beautiful━stunning even, in the way that made Peter Parker nervous and his heart jolt in a sudden change of beat. Her lips were bright red, her eyes framed in a cat-wing eyeliner and dark purple eyeshadow. Her suit was tight, framing her body perfectly with the curves of an ideal picture in a magazine, snug in black with white stripes and white gauntlets. The ankles of her boots were covered in synthetic white fur, matching the colour of her hair exactly. 

      She slowly stood up, glowering down at him. Then, she said in a dangerous purr that made Peter's stomach twist. "Well, hello there, Spider."

     But that wasn't the worst thing; the craziest thing.

     The craziest thing was: Peter knew her.

      Under that mask, and that hair, that made her almost unrecognisable, was the jawline, the eyes, the smirk of a teenager he believed shouldn't be a teenager anymore. And yet, here she stood, having barely aged a year. 

      Felicia Hardy. 

      It took everything in him not to breath her name━out of shock, amazement, horror? He wasn't too sure. In fact, Peter didn't even know whether he could speak, everything he wanted to say stuck in the back of his throat as he took Felicia in. What was she wearing? Why was she dressed like that━what was she doing here? His age? Everyone believed she had survived the Blip!

     Peter's heart had begun to hammer, unsure on what to do. He managed to push himself onto his feet, and Felicia peered at him with a curious, mischievous tilt of her head, as if she was examining the way his legs bent in the suit. It made him blush behind the mask. 

     "They're not wrong," she said in that taunting purr, "you're not that bad looking in a suit."

     He pushed through the lump in his throat, fixing his stance to force out a weak, "W━who are you? What?"

      "Oh," Felicia Hardy prowled up to him, circling him as if he was some rat stuck in her gaze, "I wouldn't worry about that. But I suppose if I can call you Spider, you can call me Black Cat. What a pleasure to finally meet you." She sounded as if that was far from the case. "But here's the thing, Spider, you have something I want. Not many people steal from me, so, you can imagine," she brushed past him, and Peter hated how he was so stiff, "I want it back." Something extended out of the tips of her suit gloves━claws. "You wanna give it to me? Or are you gonna play hard to get? Not that I mind." 

      She grinned a perfect, sly grin, and Peter knew that his Aunt May was gonna have to wait. 

*ೃ༄

     a/n: I have a love-hate relationship with this chapter.

     I think I start loving it when black cat comes ... hhehehe 

     THE QUEEN FELICIA HERSELF HAS RETURNED!!!!!!!!!!! 

     (limited editing lbh I got too excited).