[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/oQJAsoY.png?1[/img][/center]

I'm so engrossed in my own thoughts that my Spider Sense doesn't register her approach.

Tombstone managed to touch on all the insecurities I've been feeling in the past few months in a matter of minutes. The situation with the cops has been weighing on Dad and I privately, and neither of us know what to do about it, and Tombstone just straight calls me out on it right away. I know there are problems, and not just ones relating to me. Mayor-elect Cassidy seems to have brought the worst out of them though, and I'm sure I'm not the one paying the real price of that. There are people much more vulnerable to that kind of thing.

And if those people see me as the source of their problems rather than the one that could help save them instead? That's not gonna fly with what I'm going for. I need to find a way to make sure the citizens of New York see me as a friend, not a foe.

So yea, I'm all up in my own head.

I don't see her coming.

My webline is severed from above, sending me tumbling towards the rooftops below. Luckily I've had this happen to me way more times than I would like to admit, so I merely right myself in the air, land in a roll on a nearby roof, and try to locate where the strike came from. I curse myself for allowing Tombstone to get in my head so deeply that my Spider Sense could barely get through. It's something I've noticed recently. If I'm stressed or too buried into my own thoughts, the warning won't be loud enough for me to hear. It's more of a shout from down a long hallway than the siren it usually is.

When she appears, however, I'm ready. She lands on the roof behind me, and doesn't take any time trying to close the gap. She swipes at me twice with clawed gloves, barely breezing by my mask as she does. She's quick, like Delilah from the Enforcers. Possibly the quickest non-metahuman I've come up against, assuming of course she has no powers.

[color=662d91]"Well, well, well Spider,"[/color] she smiles seductively. [color=662d91]"Finally get to chat girl to girl. I've been waiting for this."[/color]

An all black tactical getup not wholly different from mine covers her shapely form. Looks like it's a carbon fiber weave like my suit,
except she has some kind of utility belt handing on her hips and the aforementioned clawed gloves. Her long, flowing white hair falls over
half her face, obscuring the high-tech domino mask that covers her eyes.

She sure is outfitted to the nines. I'll give her that.

[color=ec008c][b]"Sure, whatever,"[/b][/color] I grumble. [color=ec008c][b]"I really don't have time for this. Tell me where your boss is and I can go take care of him."[/b][/color]

She pouts, [color=662d91]"Oh, but that would ruin all of out fun."[/color]

[color=ec008c][b]"Oh great,"[/b][/color] I roll my eyes at her. [color=ec008c][b]"You want to do the cutesypie femme fatale thing with me. Terrific."[/b][/color]

[color=662d91]"Not quite."[/color]

Before I can react, a whip unfurls from her hip and wraps around my wrist, and I curse myself yet again for getting into my own head. She
tries to yank me towards her, but I'm stronger than she is. I pull back, knocking her off balance.

At least that's what I think I do. Instead of stumbling towards me, she rolls and attempts to sweep my legs from below me. I spring backwards onto my hands, putting some space between the two of us.

[color=662d91]"Nice moves,"[/color] she smiles mischievously. [color=662d91]"Now let's see if you can keep up."[/color]

Without warning, she darts away from me and leaps off the roof. I watch as she swings down the street with the whip.

[color=ec008c][b]"Hey!"[/b][/color] I yell after her as I give chase. [color=ec008c][b]"That's my gimmick!"[/b][/color]

I catch up to her quickly. She can't move as fast as I can, that much is for sure.  Rather than let me catch her, however, she drops to a
rooftop, and snags my ankle with the whip as she does. I come down hard on the tar roof, landing with a thud.

[color=ec008c][b]"Ugh,"[/b][/color] I groan, rolling out of the way of her trying to kick me in the face, [color=ec008c][b]"that was rude."[/b][/color]

[color=662d91]"Honestly,"[/color] she swipes at me again with the claws, barely missing once again, [color=662d91]"I don't see what's so special about you. The way he goes on and on about your abilities, I would have thought you'd be more of a fighter."[/color]

[color=ec008c][b]"You haven't given me a chance to show you what I got yet."[/b][/color]

Kicking myself off the rooftop, I close the gap between us quickly. She slashes at me, and I duck under her arm, wrenching it over my shoulder and tossing her with a judo like throw. As she flips in the air, she brings one of her hands around and manages to scratch through my mask, leaving four shallow scratches across my cheek. The surprise of the quick, burning pain causes me to recoil a bit as the Cat lands with a thump a few feet away on the roof. It's followed bu the sting of the freezing December air.

I approach with purpose towards her, but she slinks up and plants a kiss where she just scratched me. I feel the heat coming off of her, and an odd passion behind it.

The shock throws me completely off guard yet again, and I push her off and retreat away, [color=ec008c][b]"What the hell is wrong with you, you weirdo?"[/b][/color]

She licks her lips and smiles, shaking a piece of plant in her hand, [color=662d91]"We were under the mistletoe, Spider. You don't want to ignore Christmas tradition, do you?"[/color]

[color=ec008c][b]"Okay,"[/b][/color] I growl, [color=ec008c][b]"time to finish this. And then we're gonna go take out your boss's poison factory."[/b][/color]

[color=662d91]"I don't think so Spider. Not tonight."[/color]

As I rush her, she throws something to the ground, and it explodes into a thick fog. I cough and choke as the smoke clears, and I find myself all along on the rooftop.

[color=ec008c][b]"Of course,"[/b][/color] I grumble. "Of course she has ninja vanish smoke bombs. What else would happen to me. Christmas freakin' miracle."

[center]**********[/center]

The smell of cookies wafts through the house as I hip check the oven door closed while using me hands to lick the batter off the mixing paddles. Chocolate chip cookies are about the only thing that can cheer me up after getting talked down to by a gang leader as well as losing the right hand woman of the notorious drug kingpin infecting my city. No one is going to tell me other wise.

Which is why I shoot Peter a nasty look as he gives me side eye, [color=ec008c]"Don't look at me like that. It's Christmas and I got my face messed up by a dominatrix furry last night. I deserve a sugar high."[/color]

[color=0054a6]"Hey I didn't say anything,"[/color] he puts his hand up in defense.

[color=ec008c]"And if you want this relationship to continue, it'll stay that way,"[/color] I wave a paddle at him, splattering the two of us with batter. The two of us cackle with laughter. I lick a glob off his cheek and scrunch my nose at him, [color=ec008c]"Seriously. Christmas is the best. When else do I get to eat a diet composed mostly of baked sugar."[/color]

[color=0054a6]"It probably helps when you have a super human metabolism,"[/color] he wipes his face. [color=0054a6]"The rest of us have to run."[/color]

[color=ec008c]"Peter,"[/color] I look sideways at him, [color=ec008c]"I've seen you run. It's not your strength, babe."[/color]

[color=0054a6]"Probably why I couldn't make the soccer team,"[/color] he muses.

[color=ec008c]"Oh sweetheart there are so many more reasons than that,"[/color] I stick my tongue out at him. 

[color=0054a6]"Hey, I saw your cheerleading tryout,"[/color] his eyebrows raise my way.

[color=ec008c]"Peter Parker that is not fair,"[/color] I scowl jokingly. [color=ec008c]"MJ made me do that."[/color]

[color=0054a6]"Yea but you still did it,"[/color] he shrugs. [color=0054a6]"Anyway, mind if I take the ripped mask. I have some upgrades I've been considering, and I figure today would be a good day to get them done. No one will be at Oscorp today."[/color]

[color=ec008c]"Sure, take it,"[/color] I toss it to him. [color=ec008c]"I gotta go on patrol tonight thought. There's no way I'm letting them get away that easy."[/color]

[center]**********[/center]

On the night before Christmas Eve, I'm out on patrol before a concert with MJ and the band. At least I'm supposed to have a concert with MJ. She hasn't gotten any better, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't considering quitting the band. But I love music and the other girls a bit too much to leave them hanging.

I land on a building that overlooks the crossing from Queens to the Bronx. I don't love the idea of going back in so quickly, but I have to take care of this.

[color=8dc73f]"You let her get away,"[/color] a gruff, even keeled voice says from behind me. I turn to find a man standing like a statue, his arms crossed over his bare chest, covered only by a flowing white shirt and what look like karate pants. His red hair flows in the winter wind, and smoke pours out of his nose and through the beard that adorns his face. He doesn't look angry at me, per say. It's more of a look of disappointment. Everyone else has already been disappointed in me the past few days, so what's one more stranger to judge me like my father. I definitely can never get enough of that.

[color=ec008c][b]"Yea, well, only for now,"[/b][/color] I respond to him. [color=ec008c][b]"I know where their base is. I'll get there, take her out, and stop her boss. Deliver the city a big early Christmas present."[/b][/color]

[color=8dc73f]"Yes, you may know where she is. What she is, however, is more disciplined, skilled, and focused than you are,"[/color] the man responds matter-of-factly. [color=8dc73f]"She'll get away again, because you let your emotion overpower your will. And if you can't even beat her, what chance do you stand against her master?"[/color]

I cock my head to the side at this guy, [color=ec008c][b]"Who the hell are you, and why do you think you can tell me how to do my job?"[/b][/color]

Oh my god that sounded exactly like my father. What have I become?

A small glimmer of amusement crosses his face before he regains his composure, [color=8dc73f]"I'm someone who knows an unfocused warrior when I see one. I know when someone will lose a fight before the first punch is thrown. And you stand no chance against the Octopus and his disciples in your current, frazzled state."[/color]

[color=ec008c][b]"Frazzled?"[/b][/color] I clench my fists. 

[color=8dc73f]"See,"[/color] he motions at me. [color=8dc73f]"All emotion. No focus. You couldn't land a hit on me if you tried."[/color]

[color=ec008c][b]"That a challenge?"[/b][/color]

[color=8dc73f]"If you take it to be,"[/color] he shrugs.

I come in at him hard and fast. I don't want to hurt him, as it's clear he's just here to bug me, not to really fight. But he gets out of the way of every strike I through his way. No. "Gets out of the way" is a terrible way to describe it. He moves like water around my arms and legs, the same calm look on his face. We dance around the rooftop, him made of stone and me getting angrier and angrier at my inability to land a hit.

[color=8dc73f]"You see,"[/color] he says, almost mockingly, [color=8dc73f]"your emotion blinds you. It steals your resolve."[/color]

[color=ec008c][b]"Would. You. Shut. Up,"[/b][/color] I growl at him loudly. But after another half-hearted punch, I stop, [color=ec008c][b]"Okay, you made your point. But I'm still a little confused as to why you're even making it. Why do you care about the Cat? Why do you care about me not being able to take down the Octopus."[/b][/color]

[color=8dc73f]"My interest in the one you call the Cat is...complicated,"[/color] his eyes narrow and he looks into the distance as he says this. [color=8dc73f]"As for your other question, I care because I fight for the same reasons you do. You have great powers. You have a great desire to do the right thing with those powers. But the world is more dangerous than it seems, young one. Without the proper training, it may overtake you."[/color]

[color=ec008c][b]"What the hell are you-"[/b][/color]

I'm interrupted by my Spider Sense, and I snag an incoming projectile out of the air. I look down to find a business card emblazoned with a red dragon and an address in Chinatown.

Looking back up, I find myself alone on a rooftop yet again.

[color=ec008c][b]"Yea...that tracks."[/b][/color]