It was after a lot of overtime at work that Peter managed to get a full week off from the constant calls from Jameson, who practically treated him like a delinquent son that needed to be educated and guided in the professional field.
The school had nothing to complain about regarding a short vacation for Parker; the boy had practically mastered all classes and showed no difficulty in academic assignments.
And that was how Peter set off on a trip, heading south to Texas, specifically to the newly established city called "Starbase." Approved by 212 votes in favor, reflecting the support of the local community, especially company employees. The new city, which measures about 3.9 km², was founded by Elon Musk to serve as the official base of Space-X.
Peter embarked on this short journey away from his neighborhood, aiming to understand a risk that the government did not understand and that he knew very well what it was capable of.
- "Peter Parker may not have luck with this kind of task, but maybe Spider-Man will." - The young man thought as he traveled inside the tourist bus, pretending to be just another space enthusiast, which in reality, he truly was.
[ ... ]
- A quick look at our strange visitor can't do any harm. - Spider-Man secretly studied the containment area of the blot, his alibi was secured when he was seen boarding the tourist bus to leave, with several photos to prove any assumption someone might try to make by linking him to his arachnid alter ego. - And also at the visitor of our strange visitor… damn, just look at that. - Peter murmured as he saw this new figure, dressed in a dark and very sensual outfit over those wonderful curves.
Descending silently with a steel support attached to the ceiling, this new figure smiled with satisfaction as she used a can to spray a gas onto the ground around the glass containment that had a goo writhing inside, displaying several red points that connected and spread across the entire floor, which would certainly trigger the alarms of the entire city of Starbase.
Peter did not want to miss this opportunity, taking a few photos with his cellphone, even though he already knew there would be no way to sell them, since he did not want his name linked to the invasion of Space-X.
- "Perfect… I'm about to stop the robbery of the century, took photos of this beautiful and thieving kitty, and managed to see the blot…" - Spider-Man moved across the ceiling at a good distance, but still following the trail, where only the facility's cameras could capture how dangerous he was while operating as he tracked someone. - "It's Venom… you came from very far away, we can't let you make a mess for free like this."
Watching her easily open the containment with a sleek device, Peter caught her by surprise when she was about to guide the blot into an armored cylinder, a web shot sticking to her wrist, pulling her and tying her behind the waist.
- I never thought I'd be saving an ugly alien from a beautiful damsel. - Peter commented from the ceiling, descending upside down, showing little concern about the attempted theft.
- Wow! - She replied, propelling herself off the containment platform and spinning toward Spider-Man. - You finally came to meet me, Spidey.
- Easy there, kitty… - Peter said as he caught her in his arms, despite the woman's lack of modesty as she groped his triceps with her free hand. - I don't want to fight.
- My name is Black Cat. - She whispered in his ear. - And cats don't fight spiders… - She kicked him in a spin, sending Peter flying toward the containment cell, still connected by the web that kept him off the ground and away from the active lasers. - We finish them.
With a web shot toward his opponent, who had freed herself, Peter was impressed by her maneuver on the steel cable, guiding herself upward and then descending at high speed with a guillotine kick.
Peter propelled himself as soon as he noticed, immediately stopping her kick with one of his own, forcing both of them to spin in the air with their feet pressed together before separating.
She moved like a feline, skillfully dodging the webs, while responding sarcastically:
- Oh, darling, that's no way to treat a lady… - She said, kicking an empty glass aquarium, which shattered against the wall, triggering the alarm of the entire city as its fragments fell to the ground. - You're so dedicated, Spidey. Has anyone ever told you that's kind of cute, but annoying?
- I've dealt with thieves long enough to know how annoying they can be. - He replied, firing another web to try to immobilize her.
- Oh, but I'm not just any common thief, dear! - She answered provocatively as she spun through another of Spider's attacks, wiggling the fingers of her leading hand in a showy motion as the suit's silver claws retracted.
Peter picked up the pace, beginning to show signs of frustration as he dodged and performed acrobatics, trying to prevent those claws from hitting him.
- This isn't a game! That sample cannot fall into the wrong hands. - Peter allowed Cat to get close, and when she nearly struck him, Spider spun around the woman, firing webs that wrapped her entire body into a cocoon.
- Ah, love… this better not mess up my hair. - She shattered the webs as more claws went through the retraction process on her other hand. - Other than that, I really don't see any problem with getting covered in your web.
- "These claws… they're different." - Peter found it strange how they undid his web so easily.
- Relax, Cat. That comes off with ice and peanut butter. - Peter propelled himself with two jumps off different walls, using them to increase his speed, launching himself straight at his opponent.
When he caught her in midair, Peter spun a few times to prevent her from getting hurt by the abrupt impact, landing on top of her and pinning her to the ground.
Her strike came fast toward his mask. Precise and far too elegant on that wonderful body the woman insisted on rubbing against him at every contact.
- "Very strong too." - Peter thought as he raised his forearm at the last moment, deflecting just enough so the impact slid instead of stopping dead.
Both rolled across the ground, this time with Cat ending up on top.
- You're getting slow, Spidey. - She teased, sitting on him, not missing the chance to study what she was dealing with. - But you've got good equipment… want to get in on this job with me?
- I'm getting tired, Cat… it's already past my bedtime. - Peter laughed, easing the discomfort in his arm muscle that burned. Not from maximum effort or the impact of her strike, but the opposite.
- Please, I promise mommy Cat will take very good care of her Spidey… we can split the score. - She purred mischievously, and Peter thrust her upward with his hips before she could feel his body betraying him.
- Those words sound strange to me. - Peter asked as he jumped to the ceiling, sticking upside down, face to face with Cat.
Black Cat seemed to enjoy the way he wrapped his words and flirted back with her, unaware that Peter did it to calm himself and focus, because being close to this opponent who at no moment made his spider-sense tingle was like trying to hold a glass cup with thick oven mitts, calculating every micro adjustment so it wouldn't fall.
- A certain industry captain offered me an exorbitant amount of money to steal that thing. - Cat said as she turned toward the blot, only for Spider to leap in a spin that landed him in front of the containment cell, previously opened. - Said something about unlimited scientific potential.
- Are you sure it was an industry captain? - Peter didn't notice the blot becoming completely euphoric when he positioned himself so close, much less how it acted stealthily to jump onto his back when he blocked Cat's strike in yet another spin. - Are you sure it was a woman? Usually that's some military cadet trying to impress a hot girl.
- Oh, I don't deny that beauty was pretty damn attracted to my curves… but I'm already obsessed with my friendly neighborhood hero. - Cat smiled as she attacked Peter, and he practically stayed standing, using his best strategy to stop her blow and allow his spins to keep her from getting hurt.
"If I miss by a millimeter… I break her wrist." - Peter thought as he defended against her refined martial arts.
- You're so rough with me… always throwing me around like a rag doll. - Cat commented, following up with another kick.
Peter rotated his body, matching the force, letting the blow push him backward.
- "Match it… always match it." - He controlled himself in his thoughts, his opponent unaware that his eyes were closed. - "Never counter, she's not here as a threat to you."
His heart was beating far too fast, but it wasn't from adrenaline or excitement, even though this Cat was a hell of a temptation. It was a burning discomfort as his muscles tensed with every reaction he forced while holding back so he wouldn't hurt her.
- You're acting strange today. - Black Cat said, jumping backward, flexible like a real feline. - You usually play around more with your opponents.
- I get shy around hot women. - Peter cut himself off abruptly. - I mean, majestic.
- "And that's because playing around is easy when I don't have to measure every single Newton of force against someone who, at no point, has shown herself to be a threat to me." - Peter thought as he sighed deeply once more, taking advantage of how Black Cat wasted time turning around and sticking her ass out at him. - "Damn it, woman… why can't you be as Machiavellian as my villains."
She advanced in sequence. Two low strikes and one high.
He blocked them all, not stopping abruptly, not crushing her blows against him, just… absorbing and redirecting them so her strong strikes wouldn't collide with something more resistant.
Each defense was a living equation in his mind, as if he were fighting injured, focused on using the minimum possible pressure in his movements.
- "If I finish this, I win." - Peter thought as he noticed an opening he could have used to brutally punch her out of Space-X.
- "If I win, she loses." - Peter thought as he noticed an opening he could have used to fire an abrupt web from that distance at her wrists, but that would certainly shatter her forearm.
- "And if she loses… she gets hurt." - He kept spinning through his tense movements, forcing her closer and closer to the exit door.
Sweat ran down his temple, soaking the fabric of his mask.
All his restraint was making him sweat as if he were exerting massive effort in an extremely high-temperature environment.
It was uncomfortable even for him, down to the smell he was beginning to give off through the sweat, and for him, that was already too much.
- "No way I'm gonna stink around a hot woman." - Peter spun with a received blow, throwing her toward the ceiling from where she had come at the very beginning. - "Funny how lifting a car is easy. Hard is holding back against a person."
- Hey! - She said, stopping suddenly as her claws fixed into the wall, shocked, because for the first time in the fight she felt him use a force that left her breathless, as if she had suddenly been dragged by a bus. - You're shaking.
He noticed then, his clenched hands. Not from anger — he was enjoying her a lot so far — but he was exhausted.
- It's not you. - He replied, forcing lightness into his voice. - It's me, I'm kind of out of shape to keep up with your pace, Cat.
She attacked again, harder this time.
The impact ran through his body like electricity. He was thrown against the wall deliberately, because the moment he felt the kick hit him, he propelled himself backward.
- "Better I take the fall than she tear a tendon." - The wall cracked behind him, pinning the Spider inside a massive hole in the solid masonry of the containment area.
The blow had been delivered with monstrous force, something that made Cat narrow her eyes, because she knew that no matter how enhanced she was, she didn't have the strength for that — otherwise she herself would have broken through the fortress with brute force and invaded the place without worrying about tactics or Kravinoff technology.
Cat's eyes widened when Spider stepped out of the damaged area and slowly stood up, stretching his back as if taking that hit had been more of a relief than something negative.
Black Cat approached with feline steps as she noticed Spider rolling his shoulders with a relieved grunt.
- You know… behind that hero mask, there must be such a pretty little face… - She admitted, interested in what kind of face that muscular body hid. - But I fear too much contact might ruin the mystery.
Peter swallowed hard, but kept his posture:
- You know that's not happening. - Peter said casually. - Maybe in some universe where I didn't have a range of knowledge and experience, then maybe I could submit to something like that, but not today. The mud pie stays, and no one is stealing it — not even my favorite villain and number-one fan, Cat. - Peter lightly tapped her forehead. - But… you're good at this, I admit it.
- Not even a little piece for your number-one fan? - Cat remained neutral in the face of Parker's seriousness as he positioned himself like a guardian of that place.
- Then I'd have to give up my superhero discount card. - Peter smiled beneath the mask.
- I like us together. - She admitted.
- We just met, I'm not that kind of Spider. - Peter didn't notice, but his suit was changing, little by little and in a very neutral way.
- Oh, give me a chance… and I'll make you that kind of Spider. - She smiled conspiratorially. - I promise mommy Cat will be here to take care of her Spider when the whole population turns against you… because you can be sure, they will — they just need an excuse to start hunting you again.
- Now I'm getting embarrassed… I've never gotten past this stage. - Peter pretended shyness as he touched his mask, pretending to blush, barely noticing that all the white webs of his suit had been coated by a black blot, imperceptible to external eyes as the alien had just merged with the suit without altering its overall appearance.
- But what is this!? - Curtis Connors was the one who abruptly opened the entrance door, with several soldiers right behind him.
- Two is company… three is an eyewitness. - Black Cat took advantage of Spider's momentary distraction, jumping to the roof, retracting all her equipment and fleeing swiftly using her claws and her wonderful acrobatics. - Until next time, my adorable hero. - She blew a fake kiss before disappearing into the night.
- Doctor Connors. - Peter followed one of his old villains, recently in a state of rehabilitation.
- The life form! Where is it? - He searched frantically.
Black Cat… but how did she manage it? When did she get close? - Peter asked himself. - Contact Yuri Watanabe, I'm going after the thief. - Peter quickly left the containment area, leaping over the soldiers in pursuit of his villain.
- Ah, I can't believe this happened… right now, when my mind is finally sound. - Curtis muttered, returning to investigate the environment.
[ ... ]
The wind cut across Black Cat's face as she ran across the rooftops, leaping with the lightness that had always been her trademark, racing to cross every square mile of Elon Musk's city as fast as she could.
She landed on a ledge, rolling with elegance, then moved on walking normally as she changed outfits and removed her technological mask of physical alteration, revealing her blonde hair and presenting herself as Felicia Hardy, constantly wondering if what she had felt was really real.
- He could have broken my arm.
- He could have thrown me three buildings away.
- He could have ended it whenever he wanted… and still didn't.
Felicia bit her lip as she listed to herself everything she had felt during the fight.
- Idiot.
- Who does that?
- Who gets tired… just so they don't hurt someone else?
She shivered as she remembered the moment he chose to fall instead of reacting or defending himself — in a scenario where she would have certainly been the one feeling the full impact of her own strike.
- Damn it… - The teasing smile was still there, but inside, something had changed.
Felicia placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart racing.
- He treated me like someone who matters. - The wind carried the thought away, along with a soft, affectionate laugh. - You're a problem, Spidey…
And then came the part that irritated her the most — and made her rethink whether what truly mattered in his heroic figure was the mystery of his secret identity.
Because she liked it.
She liked noticing his exhaustion.
She liked knowing she demanded delicate control from his choices.
She liked being the reason he didn't unleash the monster — even knowing, after that last display of physical ability, that he absolutely could have.
The corner of her mouth lifted into a genuine smile.
- Catch me whenever you want, Spider… - She whispered playfully. - I'll keep following you everywhere.
And with that, we bring another chapter of Infinite Change to a close.
I hope you're enjoying it, and don't forget to leave a comment.
I was heavily inspired by Spider-Man's encounter with Black Cat in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series.
That animation is one of the best, so I wanted to leave a small tribute by honoring the incredible meeting between those two.
– Characters Presented –
Peter Parker:
https://pin.it/2uHDvp2BF
Felicia Hardy:
https://pin.it/1v9CA0swW
Spider- Man:
https://pin.it/u36g8Sn70
Black- Cat:
https://pin.it/2j7v9siWf
https://pin.it/eoFyKsztk
https://pin.it/2b8DfMHDn
Curtis Connors:
https://pin.it/4hFU7wFLw
Suit Adapting to the Stain (Web Lines, Not Full Black Suit):
https://pin.it/49ZTbkoDQ
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