A long, breathless moment passed before Felicia finally lifted her head. She looked thoroughly pleased with herself, like a desert traveler who, after days of thirst, had just taken a deep, satisfying drink from a cool spring. She breathed out softly, a faint trail of crimson lipstick smudged on her lips, and shifted her weight, settling back lightly onto Ben's abdomen.
From his pinned position, Ben looked up, his view partially obscured by the curtain of her silver hair. "Did you enjoy your goodnight kiss?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
He truly couldn't believe it. The transformation into the Black Cat had made Felicia impossibly bold, turning her into a nocturnal predator who had just brazenly assaulted him in his own bed. It was simply too much! Ben mentally registered his severe condemnation of her actions. However, to play his part in her elaborate game, he had to feign helplessness, which meant he couldn't simply use his strength to push her off.
And so, he was forced to let his body betray his feigned indifference.
Felicia felt the evidence of his reaction pressing against her from behind. A flicker of caution tempered her boldness; perhaps her life was in danger after all. She didn't dare push her luck too far, though she couldn't resist a deliberate, subtle slide backward, applying a gentle pressure that made him tense beneath her.
Realizing he couldn't remain entirely passive, Ben decided to remind her of her supposed mission. "So, you broke into a stranger's bedroom in the middle of the night just for a kiss?"
"You can call me Black Cat, little brother," Felicia purred, her voice dropping into a husky, mature tone that was entirely new. In reality, she was a few months younger than Ben, but she had long fantasized about what it would be like to be the teasing older sister. The serum had sculpted her, adding a few centimeters to her height and lending her a confident, queenly aura that made the role feel intoxicatingly real. She loved this feeling of power, of pressing Ben down and having him at her mercy.
"Alright, Black Cat," Ben replied, putting a slight emphasis on the name. "If you needed to talk, don't you think letting me up would be more conducive to a conversation?"
"What, you don't like the view from down there?" she teased, her fingers lightly brushing against his cheek. "I thought you were enjoying yourself."
She knew she was walking a fine line. If she pushed him too far and made him genuinely angry, she would be the one to suffer the consequences. The thought of that was still a little intimidating. So, with a reluctant sigh, Felicia released his hands. In a single, fluid motion worthy of an Olympic gymnast, she flipped off him and landed gracefully on the edge of the bed, crossing her long legs.
"I'm looking for Prime."
Ben feigned ignorance. "And what does your search for a vigilante have to do with me, Ben Parker?"
Felicia rolled her eyes dramatically. Right. Of course. You're just Ben Parker. How could you possibly be the city's most dangerous new hero? She desperately wanted to call his bluff, to say, I know your secret. But she wanted him to be the one to tell her. She was convinced that if she could make Ben fall in love with this new, mysterious version of herself, he would eventually confess everything on his own.
She stood and walked to the window, reaching out to slide it open before propping one foot on the sill. The tight black suit hugged her frame, outlining the long, athletic curve of her leg in a way that was designed to command attention.
"Just tell him," she said, her voice once again a seductive purr, "that I'll be waiting for him on the roof of the Empire State Building tomorrow night."
Determined to maintain the mystery, she blew him one last, theatrical kiss, then vaulted through the window and vanished into the darkness.
In reality, Felicia didn't go far at all.
She slumped against the wall in the shadows of Ben's backyard, her entire body trembling. As the adrenaline faded, and the confident, regal posture of the Black Cat melted away, leaving a petite, flustered teenage girl in its place. She covered her face with her hands, feeling her cheeks burn with a mortifying heat.
The shyness she hadn't felt for a second during the act now crashed over her in a tidal wave.
"Oh my god… I kissed him for, like, five minutes… and I sat on him…" she whispered to herself, feeling lightheaded. "How could I have been so bold?"
She took several deep, shuddering breaths, trying to calm the frantic hammering of her heart. But even through the haze of embarrassment, she couldn't suppress a spark of satisfaction. She was quite proud of her performance. As the Black Cat, she had been sexy, confident, and powerful—so much so that she was a little jealous of her own alter ego.
She pumped a fist in the air, then paused, a confused frown creasing her brow. "But wait… if Ben falls for the Black Cat, is he cheating on me with… me?" She pondered this for a second before shrugging it off. "Forget it. It's all me, anyway. It just proves that no matter what I become, he'll still fall for me."
Having successfully brainwashed herself with this flawless logic, she crept away into the night.
The next morning, Ben emerged from his room with a theatrical yawn. He hadn't slept particularly wellStill, he had more than enough energy to get through the day. After a quick breakfast, he slung his backpack over his shoulder.
"Going to school!" he called out.
Mary Jane was already waiting for him by the front gate, and beside her, looking elegant in a white sundress, was Felicia. Normally, the three of them met up at school, but today, Felicia was buzzing with anticipation. She absolutely had to see Ben's reaction after last night.
"Good morning, Ben," Mary Jane greeted him with her usual bright smile.
"Morning, MJ. Morning, Felicia," Ben replied, his tone perfectly normal.
Felicia stared at his face, analyzing his expression frame by frame, searching for any hint of recognition, any flicker of memory. She found nothing. He walked over with his usual casual gait, as if a mysterious, silver-haired cat hadn't assaulted him in his sleep.
Was I not memorable enough? she thought in a panic. But I was so… forward!
The memory of her own boldness sent a fresh wave of heat rushing to her cheeks, turning them the color of a ripe tomato.
"Felicia? Are you okay?" Mary Jane asked, noticing her friend's sudden distress.
"No! Nothing! I'm fine!" Felicia squeaked, shaking her head frantically. "Let's go to school!"
She turned and marched away, her pace so brisk it was almost a run, leaving a confused Mary Jane in her wake. The entire walk to school, Felicia kept glancing at Ben from the corner of her eye, her previous night's confidence replaced by a shy, uncertain demeanor. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.
Ben, of course, knew exactly what she was thinking. The little wildcat thought she was the one playing a game, but in reality, she was the one who had walked right into his trap.
Mary Jane looked from one to the other, her brow furrowed in suspicion. "Are you two hiding something from me?"
That night, Felicia crouched on the windswept roof of the Empire State Building, feeling a deep sense of frustration. She had been so confident in her performance, so sure she had made an unforgettable impression. But after his complete non-reaction that morning, her certainty had evaporated.
"What if he doesn't come?" she muttered to the gargoyles, the wind whipping her silver hair around her face. She felt a familiar knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach, the same nervous feeling she'd had the very first time she asked Ben on a date.
But her personality was different now. She wasn't that girl anymore.
She stood up, planting her fists on her hips and staring out at the glittering city below. "If he dares to stand me up," she declared to the night sky, "I will hunt him down, give him a sound thrashing, and make him hold my thigh and beg for forgiveness!"
Just then, a calm, amused voice spoke from the shadows directly behind her.
"And whose thigh, little kitty, were you planning on having someone beg for?"
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