TWO DAYS. Two days of pondering. Pondering thoughts of grief, guilt, and dismay.

Y/N hadn't talked to anyone in the last couple of days. Not even to Harry, who was his roommate and had seen him every day since returning from his trip.

The same went for MJ. Although she returned from the track meet the day before, Y/N hadn't visited or called to see how she was doing.

He just kept to himself for the last 48-plus hours. Whether that was in his room alone, walking by himself through town, or swinging across the city. Y/N just wanted to keep himself preoccupied and not think about what he had lost.

Y/N was in the process of accepting what happened to Indira. He was close to moving on. But...he had just been given the revelation of what else he had taken away from him...

His child.

Now, the journey of acceptance, the steps he took to get over his guilt and the death of his girlfriend, all of that...it went down the drain. The structure crumbled. Those steps reset.

He tried to deny it all. Maybe the coroners got it wrong? Her mother probably heard mistakenly. There was even the question that crossed Y/N's mind of whether it was even possible for him to have a kid. Would his powers even allow that? If not, then it had to be untrue. Then it'd make it all better...right?

In reality, those were dumb questions. But that is what it came to. Y/N would rather believe he was infertile and debunk what he was told...than know that Indira died while pregnant. Again, he had fallen back to the first stage...

Denial.

• • •

THE CAFE WAS busy as usual. Randy and Harry were at their usual spot having a chat. The former told his friend about an acting opportunity he was presented with recently.

"Really? That's dope, bro." Harry said.

"Yeah. I was called back." Randy replied. "I think this could be my big break, man. If I get it."

"Not if...when," Harry emphasized and patted his shoulder. "Shit, imagine that. Maybe next, you can get cast into a show as big as Stranger Things or...Game of Thrones."

Randy chuckled. Soon, MJ came into the cafe...but she wasn't alone. The two young men remembered MJ telling them she would bring over a friend of hers from the tennis team.

"Hey, guys." MJ greeted with a smile.

"MJ." Randy greeted her back and stood up from his seat. "Who's this?"

She introduced the man beside her, who beamed at the two boys.

"This is Paul." MJ answered as she gestured to him.

He held out his hand. "Paul Rabin."

Randy shook it. "Randy. Randy Robertson."

Harry also shook the man's hand and smiled. "Osborn. Harry Osborn."

"Osborn?" Paul arched a brow as he let go. "You Norman's kid? NYC's Public Advocate?"

"Huh. Not many people know he holds that position."

"Well, my...uh...dad and I voted for him in the election earlier this year. We like his plans...his structure. We think he'd make a great mayor if he were to run."

Harry chuckled. "If only he were here to hear all that. He might've taken you to dinner or something."

Paul laughed as well. "Hey, I'd have taken it."

The young man looked back at Randy. He waved his finger a bit as he pointed.

"Robertson...weren't you in that movie...uhhh...The Grey Life...?"

"Yeah!" He replied. "It's my first film."

"First film, and you were the lead?" Paul chuckled. "You got something brewing for sure, man."

"Luckily, the producer saw my talent and brought me in before...well...some magic ninja chick cut his head off."

Paul raised a brow as he didn't get what he was referring to. Randy continued.

"But hey, I'm going to be in this next film with Hunter Todd. It's called The Evil That Men Do."

"Hunter Todd? Dude, that's awesome. He's like a superstar right now."

"Well, now he's beside the next superstar." Harry added as he put his arm around Randy.

They laughed. MJ decided to move on from the topic.

"Where's Y/N?" She asked.

Harry shrugged. "I didn't see him at school today. He's...probably still in his room."

"What's up with him?" Randy asked.

"I don't know. He's just been distant lately. Maybe something happened during his trip with his family friend or something."

"He took a trip?" MJ questioned.

"Yeah. While you went to your tennis meet. Didn't he tell you?"

MJ pondered. Suddenly, someone came into the cafe...and it was none other than Y/N. Randy and Harry looked over and beamed at the sight.

"Oh, bro! Y/N!" Randy called out.

The young man had a jacket on, jeans, and a beanie over his head. He didn't smile back or anything and just had a stoic look.

"Hey." He greeted them.

MJ turned to him and feigned a smile. "Hey."

"Y/N, this is Paul." Randy introduced. "A friend of MJ's,"

He looked at him as the man held out his hand. "Paul Rabin. Nice to meet you."

Out of respect, Y/N shook his hand. "Y/N L/N."

Paul seemed to react to the name. "L/N?"

"Uh...yeah."

Suddenly, he felt a buzzing in the back of his head and a faint ringing. It was his spider sense, and he gazed around the room.

"You related to Michael L/N?" Paul asked.

Weirdly, nothing in the room seemed to be a threat. Y/N thought he was going crazy. Maybe his current state of mind and grief was messing with his senses.

"Yeah...yeah," Y/N answered. "He was my dad."

Paul sympathized with him.

"The man was great. I'm actually majoring in journalism and used some of his articles and reporting as inspiration. The impact he made at the Bulletin was immense, him and Ben Urich."

Y/N just nodded. Paul kept staring at him.

"It's tragic...having someone taken from you like that."

Again, no response. There was a beat before Y/N decided to move on and talk with the person he came to see.

"Uh, MJ? Can...I speak with you in private?"

MJ turned to her friends before looking back at him. She nodded.

"Sure."

The two stepped aside and walked to the other side of the room, leaving Randy and Harry with Paul. As the two other boys looked at each other...Paul just kept staring at Y/N, pondering.

Meanwhile, Y/N was with MJ. He took his hands out of his pockets and rubbed his face. MJ decided to speak.

"Look, about the calls...I'm sorry—"

"I—I gotta tell you something." He quickly interjected.

"What?" She asked.

He took a moment to respond. His mind was racing, and he wanted to get what he knew out of his chest. MJ was one of the few people he could really confide in with his turmoil.

"I—I found out Indira was....pregnant. She was pregnant when she died."

MJ stood still. There was no look of shock or confusion...only sadness.

"How—How do you know?"

"Her mom told me two days ago. That's...that's why I've been so distant." Y/N replied and let out a sigh. He started to get emotional. "It's just—just a lot. I already was accepting that I lost her, and now I've been told I lost not just her but someone else!"

Y/N looked down. MJ reached out and grabbed his hands in an attempt to comfort him. He continued.

"I loved her, MJ." He admitted.

MJ nodded. "I loved her too."

"She had my kid...I didn't want to believe it, but she did. Kingsley took that all away from me."

There was a moment of silence. MJ looked down somberly at his hands.

"I'm sorry, Y/N..." She began. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Y/N slowly looked up from their hands to her face. His eyes were teary, but his saddened expression was replaced with confusion.

"What?" He asked.

MJ started getting emotional, too. She sniffled and looked up at him.

"I—I knew. Indira told me that day—"

"MJ..."

"She told me she took a few tests in the morning—"

"No."

"She was going to tell you later that day during your date. But then..."

Y/N was shocked. He stepped back and let go of her hands. MJ wiped her eyes and took in a breath.

"When she died...I didn't know how to tell you. I wasn't sure how you were going to take it. There were times when I wanted to but couldn't. Then I saw you getting better. I saw you becoming you again and thought letting you move on would be best. I didn't want you to harbor anymore of that pain."

Y/N just stood there, stunned. He took in her words and couldn't believe she kept that secret with her all this time. He felt like he was betrayed. At that moment, it was like a dark cloud settled over him.

"I don't..." He muttered. "I can't believe this."

"Y/N—"

"You were just going to take that with you. Take it to your grave. If it weren't for Isabella, I wouldn't have known."

"Listen—"

"No, you listen!"

He raised his voice a bit, startling her. The man continued.

"You...you never said anything. It's like you've been lying to me. Why? How could you?"

"I told you. I didn't want to see you hurt anymore."

He scoffed. MJ didn't like his display of attitude and glared.

"You know it better than anyone. Keeping secrets. Wanting to move on. Keeping people safe."

"Don't turn this back on me. This is different."

'How is it—?"

"Because what I keep close to my chest is what keeps you from being thrown off a damn bridge! From being killed! From being taken from me!"

MJ took in a breath and stood quiet. There was a beat before Y/N spoke again.

"Sometimes I think it was a mistake writing that letter. And there are times where I think...it would've been better if you didn't show up at the door the day of Randy's party."

Hearing those words hurt MJ. Y/N shook his head and sighed, reeling from having said it. But those were his thoughts at the moment. He would've rather MJ be out there with him believing she was okay than have her close with the fear of her getting hurt.

He had told her before that if something were to happen to her in the same vain as Indira, he would likely end it all.

"I know you don't mean that..." MJ finally replied lowly.

Y/N breathed through his nose and looked down, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Everything just felt so dark...so grey. He felt a bit defeated.

"There's a lot of things we don't know for sure." He replied, then walked away.

The young man walked out of the cafe, leaving MJ alone by the corner of the room. She sniffled and wiped tears from her cheek, feeling guilty about the secret she kept from him.

"Like...what do I do?" Y/N asked, his eyes still directed at the animal before him.

"Just keep reaching out, and it will eat out of your hand." She told him.

"Oh...okay."

Y/N did as told. He held out his hand, and the deer slowly stepped up. It began to eat the food out of his hand.

"Heh." The young man chuckled.

"See? What were you so nervous about?"

Y/N smirked and looked at the young woman beside him. Indira kept smiling as she looked at the deer.

"Don't know. I just...wasn't sure what the deer was going to do. Hey, they're cute but could be deadly. I could've gotten seriously hurt."

"Says the guy who fights an eight-foot Rhino on occasion." She jested.

The two chuckled. Y/N stepped back as Indira took some food and gave it to the deer. Y/N smiled at the sight and decided to record the moment with his smartphone.

She laughed as the deer tried to kiss her. It brought a chuckle out of Y/N, who continued recording.

Soon, the deer trotted away. The couple stood there and watched it leave deeper into the wildlife sanctuary they were in.

"Go on, Buck." Y/N waved. "Live on with that full belly."

Indira smiled as she hugged her boyfriend's arm, leaning against it. Y/N looked over and rubbed the top of her head.

"Having fun?" She asked. "I know you probably wanted to go to the game today. We could still try."

Y/N lightly chuckled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. He was perfectly fine with the date Indira managed to set up at the reserve. He would stay for hours with her if he could.

"Of course I am." He smiled. "No doubt about it."

Moments later, a doe came up to them. Then, both laughed as Y/N stepped back with his phone in hand.

"Let me take another pic." He said.

He walked a few feet back and turned back around to take a photo, but upon aiming his phone...he saw something else on the screen.

It was Roderick Kingsley, in his Hobgoblin attire, who had Indira by the throat and dangling her a couple of feet from the ground. He grinned at the young man as the girl writhed in his grasp.

"We are who we choose to be, Y/N! And you chose wrong!"

Y/N shouted. "NO!"

With quickness, the Hobgoblin snapped Indira's neck.

Y/N woke up in a cold sweat, panting and darting his eyes around the dimly lit bedroom.

He sat up and leaned against the headboard, continuing to control his breathing. Once again, he had a nightmare.

The young man hadn't had any in a while, but he started getting them again. It signified the return of the guilt and grief he felt from what happened with Indira. Not only that, but he also was still reeling from the death of Captain Stacy, who he put on himself.

Those feelings made things hard months ago before he took a break from being Spider-Man. He didn't want them to affect his ability to be a hero. He didn't want things to be so grey as it made him bitter. He didn't want that incident to happen again. A part of Y/N believed it'd only be a matter of time until it did.

Y/N let out a sigh and buried his face in his hands. He wasn't sure what to do anymore.

THE WOMAN ON the other end of the call was frantic. Felicia held the phone to her ear as she paced around the living room.

"Calm down, Meg...I can't understand you."

"It's Tricia, babe. She's gone. I haven't seen her!"

"Since when? Has she called at all?"

"No! No, she hasn't!"

"Calm down..." She replied. "Maybe she just met somebody. I mean, it's Tricia we're talking about."

"Still! This isn't like her! At least not to me. She would've checked in with me by now. You—You need to go find her."

"What?"

"As you know who."

Felicia scoffed. Her friend, Meg, was one of the few people who knew who she moonlighted as. She walked out of the room and into her bedroom.

"Come on, Meg. I don't...I don't do that. I haven't—"

"How can you just ignore this? You're her friend! We're all friends! We've known each other since high school! W—We're like sisters!"

"That's not fair..."

"Felicia! Come on, you have—"

"All right, all right!" She relented. "I'll look into it."

Meg sighed. "Thanks, hun'..."

"But knowing Tricia...she'll turn up in no time. I'll call you if I see or hear anything. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you so much."

"And listen, don't worry, all right? I'm sure she's okay. Bye-bye."

"Bye."

Felicia ended the call and put the phone down on the dresser. She sighed, rubbing her face before entering the bathroom.

She undressed and turned on the water, feeling it getting hotter. The naked young woman looked at her reflection in the mirror, thinking about her friend and wondered if she really was okay. She hoped so. Nevertheless, she was going to start investigating tomorrow.

Felicia entered the shower and let the water hit her, closing her eyes and sighing. As she thought about her upcoming mission, she thought about another thing...

She wondered if maybe...she would somehow run into Y/N.

• • •

THE HERO SWUNG through the city. He was currently on a quest to solve a case involving a Midtown student who died from a heroin overdose.

Y/N found it strange. He could've marked it up as a simple first-time user, big-time loser situation, but the autopsy found no evidence that the kid ever took drugs. There was no sign that he shot up, snorted, or smoked anything.

No track marks, No blistering of the lips. No deviated septum. Weird.

Y/N called in sick and took the day to himself to learn more about it. He ended up tailing a gaggle of drug pushers in his neck of the woods the night the student had bought it. It took him to Midtown, where he saw the group standing by an intersection.

Suddenly, his spider-sense blared. A drug dealer who had split from the group and was on the other side of the street spotted him and shot in his direction. Y/N dodged the bullets and leaped off the streetlight.

"All right, boys—you show me yours, and I'll show you mine!" Y/N called out, webbing their guns to their hands.

"Damn it!" One guy exclaimed.

"It's all you. man!"

The one with the firearm still free held it up. "I'm on it—"

He was immediately kicked in the face and knocked down by Spider-Man.

"No, I'm on you! Get it?"

Spider-Man then moved on to the remaining dealers whose guns weren't operable. He launched himself at one and kicked him across the jaw, knocking him down. He dashed to another, sweeping his legs and landing a clean hit to his face while he was down.

Y/N got up, and when he did, his senses alerted him of one remaining drug pusher. The man fired his gun, and Y/N dodged...but the stray shot ended up hitting a pedestrian nearby.

"Argh!" The man yelped as he fell and held his arm.

Y/N looked back at the injured man. His wife and daughter were frantic and knelt beside him.

"Oh, my God! Honey!"

"Daddy!"

The dealer immediately ran off. Some more people went up to help the injured man. Y/N turned around and stared at the fleeing criminal, glaring.

He kept running but stood no chance as the swinging Spider-Man picked him up and took him into the air. He yelled as the hero swung while holding him by the collar.

They reached a rooftop where Y/N tossed him. He rolled across the ground but quickly got up. Spider-Man landed a few yards before him and began walking up to the man.

"You stay away from me, man!"

The hero got closer, and the criminal reacted by trying to land a punch. Y/N countered by catching his fist and spraining it. The man shouted in pain.

"Argh!"

Y/N then kicked him against the roof vent and webbed him to it. Spider-Man got face to face with the criminal and spoke sternly.

"Listen to me and listen clearly. A kid, about sixteen, named Donald Philips, went to Midtown. He OD'ed on 'Ron."

"S—So...?"

"I'm thinking it was maybe you who sold it to him."

"And I'm thinking maybe you should suck my—!"

Y/N quickly grabbed his jaw forcefully, shutting him up. He applied a bit more pressure.

"You don't want to piss me off right now, buddy, not after you shot that father down there. Let me tell you this: no matter what happens now, if I find out he somehow didn't make it, if I find out you created a widow, I'm coming for you again. And it's not going to be pretty."

The man's groans were muffled beneath his hand. Y/N continued.

"So...right now...you tell me a name. Anything. Anything about the drugs you push and who you sell it to. About Donald Philips."

The man was still silent. Y/N quickly started to apply pressure to his jaw. A few more seconds and he would've broken it, but the man fortunately caved about a second in.

"Mmmph! Okay!" He panted as Y/N let go. "I'll tell you! I'll tell you whatever you want!"

"Then start talking," Y/N said. "Donald Philips—you sell him the smack or what?"

"I—I didn't give it to him, but I took him to the guy who probably did."

"And that guy is?"

"Some movie-star type. He used to score from us until we introduced him to Mister Brownstone."

"Who's Mister Brownstone?" Y/N asked.

"He's our supplier. Don't ask me where to find him because I don't know. I never went on any pick-ups."

"What about the actor? Gimme a name."

"I swear I never heard'a him, all right? But I did see him on the cover of a magazine the other day."

"Yeah, that'll narrow it down..." Y/N replied sarcastically.

"Uh...he's into boys. Teenagers. I know that. That's why I took the OD kid over the actor guy's loft in SoHo. I thought...bringing him some fresh meat would make the guy want to buy from us again. But that's the last time I saw the kid—honest."

Y/N brought his gaze from the floor to the man. He could not believe what he just heard. It got him angry.

"The kid...the one you took to the loft...did he want to be taken there?"

The man began to stammer.

"I mean...he didn't know...he might've...ya know, if he..." He paused before looking to the side. "No."

Y/N clenched his fists. The knowledge that the man was willing to bring an underage boy to the house of a known Weinstein-type made his blood boil. As he pondered, there were loud pounds at the door of the roof escape.

"Open this door! This is the police!"

Y/N gazed at the door before looking back at the man. He stepped toward him, his fists still clenched. The drug dealer just stared back and writhed within the webbing.

"Wha—? What are you...? Dude, please! I'm sorry!"

Y/N raised his fists, and the man shouted again.

"I'm sorry!"

Spider-Man hit the roof vent and impacted the spot right by his head, creating a deep dent. The man opened his eyes and panted as he looked at the hole he made.

"Be grateful the cops are here for you, or else that would've been your face." Y/N said sternly.

He breathed out. "Yeah...I get it...I—"

His face was quickly webbed, covering his mouth and nose. Y/N spoke to the dealer.

"If you're lucky, the police will get that door open pretty soon and clear the webbing out of your breathing passages."

The criminal couldn't breathe and was harshly muffled beneath the webbing. Y/N stepped away and went toward the ledge as he continued.

"If you're not...then you'll know how the kid felt."

Y/N jumped off and swung away. Fortunately for the criminal, the police broke through moments later and apprehended the man.

Later that night, Spider-Man was perched on a flagpole. He had a magazine in hand and was looking through it.

"Who the hell actually reads this crap every week?"

The first two magazines he looked through had Austin Butler and Denzel Washington on the cover, respectively. The one who had now had a new face: Hunter Todd.

Y/N read the article about him. There was no word about his teenage boy fetish, obviously, but he did find out he was recently linked to supermodel Tricia Lane.

Suddenly, there was some commotion below at the drive-up of the restaurant where Y/N was perched. Y/N looked over and was surprised to see that it was none other than Hunter Todd, who was getting into his car with a woman.

"You've got to be kidding," Y/N muttered. "It couldn't be this easy."

As the car drove off, Spider-Man leaped off the flagpole and followed.

Later, Spider-Man was hidden in the shadows and stuck to the wall by the man's luxurious loft window.

"Shit, I should get into the movie business." Y/N jested as he peeked inside. "This place is bigger than Harry's."

The woman inside, sitting on the sofa, called out to Hunter, who was on the phone.

"Come on, Hunter. It's time to pay up."

"Hold on a minute. I'm calling him now."

Y/N listened in to the call as he hid.

"Mister Brownstone? It's Hunter. We're in the loft, ready to dose."

The man was calling for a drop-off. Perfect. All the young man had to do was sit and wait for the supplier to show up.

"All right, superstar..." Y/N peeked inside again. "I got all night—"

Suddenly, his spider sense tingled. Y/N arched a brow and looked back but couldn't react fast enough as a black-clad figure swung into him.

They both crashed through the window, causing the two celebrities in the loft to yell in panic. Y/N groaned on the floor amidst the glass and debris and looked to his right. He saw the person who alerted his senses and was also on the ground.

Black Cat.

"Oh, my god...is that Spider-Man?" The woman asked.

Hunter shouted. "What the hell is going on here?!"

Y/N sat up and grunted, holding his side.

"I'd say a busted rib...maybe a dislocated knee."

Felicia rubbed her head and sat up as well, speaking.

"I'm looking...I'm looking for Tricia Lane."

Hunter reached weirdly. "T...Tricia Lane?"

Spider-Man got up and ended up helping Felicia to her feet. He spoke to Hunter as he did and noticed his stammer.

"Yeah, T...Tricia Lane." He mocked and turned to Felicia. "Tricia Lane?"

"Yes, Tricia Lane." She replied. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to ask actor-man if he knows anything about a kid named Donald Phillips."

"Oh, my God..." Hunter mumbled.

"I'd call that a big yes." Felicia remarked.

"Me too." Spider-Man stepped up to Hunter and grabbed him by the collar. "Start talking, Harvey."

"It wasn't me, man! It was him! He gave her too much! He.."

As the man panicked, he suddenly started to cough. He began to choke and coughed again, where he expelled blood. Black Cat was perplexed.

"What are you doing to him?!" She exclaimed.

"I—I'm not doing anything!" Y/N snapped back. "I was just..."

Y/N ushered him to the sofa and laid him down. Hunter kept convulsing and moaning.

"What?!" Y/N was confused. "How?!"

"From heroin, dumbass!" Felicia replied.

"But they didn't do any heroin since they got home! I was watching the whole damn—"

Felicia turned to the woman and shouted. "Do you have any adrenaline shots in the house?!"

"I—I don't know! I never..."

Suddenly, the woman coughed as well. She held her stomach and groaned painfully.

"Argh...!"

Felicia's eyes widened, and she went to grab the unbalanced woman.

"Shit! It's happening to her, too!"

"What the hell's going on here?!" Y/N asked.

Suddenly, they heard a voice.

"I think I might be able to shed some light on the subject for you."

Y/N looked around. "Where's that coming from?"

Felicia pointed at the phone on the floor. "The phone."

Y/N ran over and picked it up. "Who is this?! What's happening here?!"

"Both Mister Todd and Miss Cunningham are experiencing massive overdoses. They'll be dead within moments."

Y/N spoke to Felicia. "We've gotta get them to the hospital!"

"There's no point to that, sir. I'm giving them large enough doses to insure they won't be able to impart any more information to you."

"Giving them how?!" Y/N shouted into the phone. "Who is this, damn it?!"

There was a beat before the man replied.

"I'm Mister Brownstone."

A click was heard, and the call ended.

Meanwhile, an event was being held at Carnegie Hall. Francis Klum jogged backstage toward his older brother, who had just finished calling somebody.

"Garrison?" He asked. "You asked for me?"

"Scratch Hunter Todd as a client." He told him as he put his cell phone away.

Portrayed by Misha Collins

"Aw, man." Francis sighed. "He was gonna give me producer credit on the new film."

"Heh, you and your movie aspirations, Francis." Garrison chuckled. "When are you ever gonna move on?"

"Hey, I studied tech and special effects for a good five years. I wanna put it to use somehow."

"Then actually go out there and do something." The older brother fixed his tie. "In the meantime, see that all evidence of our association with Hunter Todd is trashed. Go through the party data bank and erase him from any of the RSVP lists."

Francis nodded. Garrison turned around.

"It sounds like we may have a few of the tights-set looking into Tricia Lane's disappearance."

"We've got costumes sniffing around?" Francis asked. "Christ, who are you all of a sudden? Wilson Fisk?"

"Considering I'm not 800 pounds and blind in one eye, no."

"Which costume is it?"

"Spider-Man, from the sound of it."

Garrison walked toward the curtain. He could hear the host introducing him and talking about his accolades and contributions to the city.

"Spider-Man?!" Francis reacted. "Between Tricia Lane, Hunter Todd, and the friction you've had with the Ortegas, it's getting a little out of hand."

Garrison just shrugged and was about to leave and go on stage, but his brother went up and grabbed his arm.

"Are we sure this is smart? Being too out there might mess with our deal with Arsenic Candy. You sure we're not getting just a little too high-profile?"

The wealthy socialite chuckled. He had it handled.

"In this day and age? Really, Francis...what is high-profile anymore?"

Francis let go of Garrison and the older man got on stage, where the audience immediately applauded and sounded off at the man's arrival. The host announced.

"Ladies and gentleman, Garrison Klum!"

The EMTs brought the bodies of Hunter Todd and his date out of the loft and into the ambulances. Nearby on a rooftop, Y/N watched with a stern look underneath his mask.

Beside him stood Felicia. She looked on as well but wasn't as stern. She had an amused look, more so because she could tell Y/N's mood. He turned to her and stared, where she could feel his gaze.

Cat turned to him too and smirked. Y/N just had three words in mind: bad luck incarnate.

"What?" She asked.

He only had one thing to say to her...

"Do you have any adrenaline shots in the house?!" He mocked. "Since when are you the big overdose expert?"

"What expert?" She crossed her arms in a way that pushed up her breasts purposely. "Like I never saw Pulp Fiction?"

"Pulp-what now?"

"Good god, Y/N. You can't spend your entire life fighting Shocker and the Rhino. Sometimes you've gotta take a day off and just watch some movies. Hell, I'll even let you have my Netflix subscription."

"Yeah, like you're the queen of Netflix and Chill."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means one of us here...and I'm not naming names...but one of us walked out on the other a while ago when things seemed to be blossoming."

She scoffed. "You know why."

"Please, entertain me again."

"Question is, do I want to?"

Y/N snickered and shook his head, looking back out at the street. Felicia continued.

"And what? You didn't bother trying to call back, either? Was my number etched into that suit you decided to hang up for the last six months?"

Y/N didn't answer. The platinum blonde scoffed.

"Not even a thanks. No...Hey, Felicia, you sure saved my ass that one time when Scorpion, Tombstone, Silvermane, and Hobgoblin crashed that opera house. Or...You know, it was so sweet backing me up when I found a lead on Hammerhead. Or...Gee, thanks for being there for me at a time of desperate emotional need. All I ever get outta you is...Oh, woe is me! What will I do now? Is it all my fault? Boo-frickin-hoo!"

Y/N just stared at her and listened. The Black Cat turned around.

"Man, I just wish...I just...Ooh! You really can tick me off sometimes!"

Spider-Man, perched on the rooftop ledge, looked to the side before turning to her again.

"Hey, Felicia." He began. "You sure saved my ass that one time when Scorpion, Tombstone, Silvermane, and Hobgoblin crashed that opera house. And, you know, it was so sweet backing me up when I found a lead on Hammerhead. And thanks for being there for me at a time of desperate emotional need."

Felicia crossed her arms again and looked at Y/N. He reached out and touched her shoulder.

"And the way you drop-kicked me through that window across the street? Man—that rocked."

"Eat it, Y/N." She replied.

"I'm sorry I came down on you. It's...been a rough few months. My bad." He apologized. "Friends?"

After a beat, she smiled and pounced on him, enveloping him in a hug that flushed their bodies together.

"You really know how to piss me off, you know that~?" She remarked seductively.

"It's part of my charm. Just ask the people I go up against." He replied. "Welcome back, Party-Hardy."

They broke apart. Y/N rested his hands on his waist and looked at the skyline.

"Now—what was Hunter Todd's connection to Tricia Lane? And are we talking about the Tricia Lane?"

"You know Tricia?" Felicia asked.

"I had to interview her for a Bugle article some time ago." He replied. "I heard that she's been missing the last few days, so I came to look for her. The magazines linked her to Hunter Todd, so I traced him back here. Was she on the 'Ron?"

Felicia arched a brow as she tied her hair up with a band.

"The 'Ron?" She asked.

"I can talk street."

"No, she wasn't on the 'Ron. At least, not that I know of. But she has been running with that young actor crowd for the last month or so, and they're not exactly known for their temperance. Especially that Hunter Todd."

"But I didn't see either him or his date cooking or shooting up before he they OD'ed."

"Maybe this Mister Brownstone gave them a hot dose with a delayed reaction before you started tailing them?"

"I don't think so. They were calling about a drop-off when you...you know...got involved."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"The thing that doesn't add up is that Brownstone said he was giving them doses—not gave." Y/N sighed. "Damn it...none of this makes sense."

"Says the guy who can walk on walls." She remarked, looking at a building ahead. "I guess we'd better start tracking down this Mister Brownstone..."

She held out her wrist and shot a grappling hook. Before she could leap off, Spider-Man grabbed her other arm.

"Wait, wait, wait—how're we supposed to do that without any leads? Shouldn't we come up with some kind of plan first?"

"Man, oh man...I forgot what a Cautious Cathy you are." Felicia said. "People are dying out there 'cause of this guy, Y/N—Maybe even one of my friends! I wanna find him and nail him to the wall!"

"We will, we will." He replied calmly. "But it wouldn't hurt to come up with a game plan, would it?"

Felicia thought about it for a moment. She moved some of her platinum blonde hair from her face.

"No. I guess it wouldn't. What say we go back to my place. We can brainstorm over a big plate of chocolate-covered strawberries."

"Uh...I don't know if that's a good idea..." He droned.

She chuckled and held onto the grappling line she shot out earlier. Felicia looked back.

"Who am I, the Black Tramp? I get it. We're not crossing that boundary again if you don't want to."

"It's not that. I just—"

"Stay or come. It's your call. But I'm going!"

Black Cat leaped off the rooftop and started swinging away. Y/N looked on.

"But..."

As Felicia swung, all she thought about was Y/N. She hoped he'd follow and not leave her on this solo mission.

"Please be following me...Please be following me...Please be following me..."

Y/N, on the other hand, was really debating on what to do. He mumbled.

"Great power comes great responsibility. Great power comes great responsibility. Great power..."

As he watched her gain distance, he relented.

"Ah, the hell with it."

Y/N leaped off the rooftop and imitated a swing, following the Black Cat. Felicia looked and saw him, a content smirk forming on her face.

They swung side by side through Times Square. Y/N even tried to make it a sort of race and gained momentum, zipping by her.

"Pardon me, ma'am! 'Scuse me!"

"Hey!"

Felicia dropped down and continued swinging. Y/N watched her, and it distracted him a bit.

She was just so dang gorgeous...and smart...and funny. Should he even be thinking that way? What would Randy think? Well, that ship honestly sailed those months ago when they both...

"Aha!" Felicia exclaimed after getting onto the hero's back as he swung. "Hello!"

"Ugh!" Y/N grunted. "Have you put on a few pounds?"

She hit the back of his head. It wasn't much of a hit but a tap.

"Jerk!"

"Two words...Hello Fresh."

Felicia ended up maneuvering so that she was now hanging onto him from his chest. She was flush against him and looked directly at his masked face.

"Is this any better?"

"Spider sense tingling..."

"Is that what we're calling it now~?" She asked.

"Take my hand..." He said as he held the web.

She reached for it. "This one?"

"Uh-huh."

As she did, Y/N quickly wrapped the webline to her hand. He let go, and the web pulled her up like a bungee cord.

"Huhn! Ahh!" She exclaimed.

Y/N laughed and shouted as he fell.

"Sucker!"

Felicia let go of the line and initiated a swing with her grappling line. She yelled.

"Chicken!"

Y/N laughed and made some distance. "See you at the crib!"

As they were swinging, there was an explosion down the road in Carnegie Hall. Y/N took notice and sang.

"Said the Spider-Man to the Kitty Cat...do you see what I see?"

"They still remodeling Carnegie Hall?" She asked.

"At 11 o'clock at night? What do you think?" He replied. "You coming?"

She smirked. "Should I make some sort of sexy double-entendre or just say yes?"

"Felicia..."

"Oh, lighten up."

Meanwhile, the patrons at the event clamored. Cops who were there guarding the place aimed their guns at the intruder.

"Freeze!"

"Hands in the air!"

The man before them was Luke Carlyle, who now sported a different-looking high-tech suit. It seemed more advanced than the one who wore it when he was part of Pterodax.

Now, he went by the Mad Bomber.

"The city's finest and their toys," Luke spoke through his helmet. "Let me demonstrate some of mine!"

He tossed some grenades that stuck to the floor near the cops. They immediately dove out of the way as they beeped and exploded.

One officer shot at Carlyle, but their bullets couldn't penetrate his armor. He took out his gun, which shot a pellet that blew up the wall they were near.

"I'm only here for one man!" He shouted. "Garrison Klum!"

The wealthy socialite, who was hiding behind a column, heard his name. He turned to Francis, who hid with him.

"You think this could be the Ortega Cartel?" Francis asked.

"Has to be." Garrison replied.

"Can you pump and dump him?"

"I used up the nearest batch on Hunter—"

Suddenly, the man was grabbed by the throat. Luke had found him and now had the man at his mercy.

"I've come for you, Klum." Luke retracted his visor and chuckled. "Hey, that rhymed."

Suddenly, the man was kicked and launched a few feet away, freeing Klum. He was attacked by Black Cat, who stood over him.

"I prefer haikus." She quipped.

Luke groaned and looked up at the young woman. He scoffed.

"Well, I'll be...if it isn't another super-bitch."

"If I only had a nickel every time someone called me that." She remarked.

Mad Bomber took out his gun and fired at her, now changing his ammunition to a sort of laser. Felicia used her acrobatic prowess to evade the shots, leaping away with flips.

"Little help?" She called out.

The man's gun was immediately webbed up. Luke looked up and saw Spider-Man dangling upside down from a web.

"You!" He spat.

"Hi." He greeted. "I like the new look, Carlyle. Where are your other homies? They ditched you at the Halo convention?"

Carlyle used his free hand to shoot an explosive out of his wrist. Spider-Man leaped out of the way as it impacted the ceiling. He landed on the man's back.

"Oof!"

"Hello!" Y/N beamed.

Luke grimaced. "Thanks."

"For?"

"Making this shit easy."

Luke activated a shock component on his suit that electrocuted Spider-Man. He then threw him into the wall.

"Ugh!"

Black Cat ran at Mad Bomber. The man tried to shoot, but she jumped over him and evaded his shots. He landed on his back, too, but before he could shock her, she found an exposed wiring in his armor and ripped it with her claws.

"Argh!" He shouted. "I'm gonna tear your heart out!"

Felicia chuckled. "Spoken like my last five boyfriends."

She quickly brought out a line from her wrist and tied it around his chest. Felicia jumped off and ran toward the balcony as she held the rope.

Luke was confused and tried to undo the knot but couldn't. "What—?"

Felicia leaped off the building and free-fell. The line pulled Carlyle, dragging him toward the balcony until he hit the railing hard. The impact broke the pack on his hip and deactivated his suit.

"Ugh..." Luke groaned.

As he opened his eyes, he saw Spider-Man running toward him. He hopped onto Luke's head and used him to propel himself further.

"Agh!"

"Pardon me, Luke...but believe this is my cue!"

Spider-Man dove off the balcony and toward the falling Felicia. He shot a web at her, which she grabbed, and Y/N made sure to use the flagpole he passed as a sort of pulley to bring her up as they fell.

"Hold on, Cat!"

Pedestrians below looked up in shock. Before she can hit the ground, Felicia was pulled up. She was soon level with Spider-Man, where they hung from the flagpole and were now a couple of feet across each other.

"You all right?" He asked with genuine concern.

Immediately, Black Cat lunged at him, practically straddling him as she kissed him through his mask. She hummed as she did, and Y/N's surprised gasp was muffled.

Below, the citizens applauded and cheered for the hero.

"Woo-hoo!"

"Go get it, Spider-Man!"

"The roof! The roof! The roof is on fire!"

"Whip'em out! Whip'em out!"

Y/N let out another muffle. Felicia opened her eyes and parted.

"Um...sorry." She apologized.

"No, it's...uh...it's just..." Y/N cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, no one's ever tried to French me through the mask before."

Later, the cops were at the scene of the crime. They detained Caryle and were speaking to the Klums. Spider-Man and Black Cat looked over the armor the authorities would soon take as well.

"Damn, this is some high-grade stuff," Y/N remarked. "Jetpack Joyride upped his game since the last time I locked his ass up."

"It was kinda weak. How did his main power source just break like that?" She asked.

"Well, it really couldn't handle all that weight you put on it when you dove off—"

"Y'know—these fat jokes aren't funny. Are you trying to make me bulimic?"

"Hey, it's not bad fat. It's really good fat." He quickly gestured at her chest and then downward. "You know—"

Suddenly, a voice called out to them. It was Garrison Klum who walked up to them with his brother.

"Ah! My little life-savers!" He put his arms around them both. "Who needs the Avengers when this city's got its one true hero—Spider-Man! The prodigal son!"

His grip was a little tight on Y/N. "Uh...you're hurting me..."

"And look!" He continued. "He's teamed up with Catwoman!"

"It's Black Cat." She corrected.

"Whatever." He parted and shook hands with Spider-Man. "Garrison Klum at your service. But then, of course, you probably already knew that. The name, not the service part."

"Uh...yeah," Y/N replied. "Listen, Mister Klum, any idea why Luke Carlyle was after you?"

The man chuckled, his arm now around Felicia again and leaning against her.

"Kid, when you got as much money as I do, there's always a would-be kidnapper looking to make a quick buck. It's the price you pay for being successful."

Felicia had a glare and whispered at Y/N. "He's leaning on my boob..."

Y/N whispered back. "Easy, Tigress."

He took her arm and moved her away. He was now in between Klum and Felicia.

"Perhaps being a bit less high profile might help?" He told the man.

"And let the terrorists win?" He scoffed. "There's no point to that, sir."

Y/N arched a brow at his statement. He had heard the phrase before, and the voice was familiar. The man continued.

"New York's finest want me to answer a few questions. So I've gotta go. Thanks again for the assist."

"The assist?" Felicia reacted.

"If you ever need anything, you know where my building is. Keep fighting the good fight!"

The middle-aged man walked off with his brother. The two costumed folk looked on.

"And I thought Trump was oily. That guy's a true asshole." She remarked.

"I think he may be worse than that." Spider-Man replied.

"What do you mean?"

Y/N kept looking at Garrison as he left the room. He hummed.

"Well, call me crazy...but I think that's Mister Brownstone."