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"So you're gonna go meet with weird karate guy?" Pete's eyebrows raise at me. I know he doesn't think it's a good idea. Hell, I don't know if I think it's a good idea or not. But after what happened Christmas night, I don't have much of a choice.

"You think it's a bad idea, huh?" I chuckle nervously. 

"I mean...I don't think it's a great one," he shrugs. "Seems like a ready made trap. I mean he knew where to find you. He knew who you had fought the night before. He knew she got away. And then he gives you his card and tells you to come find him? Seems really shady, if I'm being honest."

"You're not telling me anything I don't already know," I admit. "But this city is becoming more dangerous. That's a fact. We've been lucky up until this point with staying ahead of the Goblins. The other night, I was lucky to come out with just the cuts I did. If the Goblins had managed to get backup there in time, or if I made one mistake, I may not be here right now. Not to mention having to fight Shocker after that. I can't keep skating by on luck."

"Shocker" is what the media has dubbed the bank robber Herman Schultz. They took the name of the gang he led and slapped it onto him, not realizing how kind of embarrassing calling a villain "The Shocker" is. Not that I feel bad for him, of course. I mean, come on. He's a criminal. But "The Shocker"? I mean...read the room, guys.

"Are you coming to Harry's New Years party?" he asks sheepishly, changing the subject since he clearly sees I've already made up my mind regarding the dragon guy. Not that the topic he decided to change to is one I want to talk about either. 

MJ and I still haven't really talked since our fight. Christmas Eve made things worse, mostly. Pete says she's been livid ever since, and not a moment's gone by when she isn't railing about me. Pete says now he can't even hang out with her, it's gotten so bad. But he says one thing's for sure, she's hurt. And she knows I am. But our pride is getting in the way of fixing things.

"I don't know," I shrug. "I want to. But I also don't want to ruin the time for everyone else. Plus I really wasn't invited."

"I mean they gave me a plus one," he winces, realizing how it sounds. "They want you to come."

"Yea, that definitely makes me feel very wanted. Thanks, Pete."

"I mean, if you don't want to come, don't," he sounds defeated, and I feel like I'm probably be way too harsh about all of this. "But you two are going to have to make up eventually. And there's no way Harry is gonna be any less of a douche until the two of you are on the same page. And I don't want any of this to get any worse. But if we keep going on like this it will."

He's right. Of course he is.

"Okay. I'll be there. Well, as long as the weird karate guy doesn't take me out or something."

"That's not funny."

"I mean, it's a little funny."

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I keep my suit's hood up around my head as I huddle against the biting cold outside of the Chinatown building that I've been directed to. It's nothing special from the outside. Just a normal, brick building with a faded out sign swinging in the window above the entrance. Emblazoned on the sign is the same red dragon on the business card he had given me the other night, now smeared with the dirt of years hanging in the New York air.

"So if you need help, I'll be out here in the car," Dad says from his car, parked in a lot across the street. He insisted on coming, so I couldn't say no. I know he has my best interest at heart. I'm not sure how he can help if this is just a big trap, but it still makes me feel good that he's here.

"Sounds good, Dad," I smile under the mask. "But I actually have a good feeling about this."

That feeling dissipates slightly as I swing over to the building and find the window closest to me slides open without a problem. The inside of the place is light softly, but is warm, and only some of the stuff is covered in dust. It's clear that the building is seldom used. But still, it's heated. So someone is here. But so far, I don't see any signs of an ambush, so at least I've got that going for me.

I head down a hallway, passing locked doors as I do. From downstairs, I can hear someone moving around. Guess my guy doesn't have a security system, because he doesn't seem to be panicking. I can hear him enter a room, and then stop. 

Following the hallway to the steps, I follow them down, finding an old waiting room on the first floor. A single door leads to what I assume is the room he's waiting in. I approach it carefully, and push it open, waiting for my Spider Sense to go off at any moment.

Luckily, it doesn't.

On the other side of the door, I find a modest dojo, like something out of a kung fu movie. The soft, padded floor squishes lightly under my feet. The light is scares here, all of it coming from a single, ornate lantern hanging from the ceiling. The dim lighting is accented by the dark wood walls.

In the middle of the floor, sitting cross legged and meditating, is the guy from the other night. He barely seems to register my entrance. I can watch as his bare chest, scarred from past battle I assume, rises and falls rhythmically. His face, aged not only by time, sits serenely in place. He radiates experience, if nothing else.

"So you came," he says almost imperceptibly, almost causing me to jump in surprise. "I was beginning to wonder if you would."

"Yea, well," I rub my shoulder where the Goblin managed to hit me with the blades, "I guess I've realized how dangerous the city is getting. Some new neighbors are in town, and they're not very friendly."

"Not to mention your cat problem," he adds in. "Still haven't caught her, huh?"

I roll my eyes, "No. How do you know her?"

He looks up at me, smiles, and stands, "That's a story for another time. First I need to know if you're truly here to train, or if you're only here to make sure I'm not trying to kill you."

"I'm gonna be honest," I sigh, "it's a little from column A, and a little from column B."

"Well if I wanted you dead, you would be," he shrugs. "I saw you fight Felicia. She could have taken you if she wanted to."

"Oh really," I snarl. "Wait, you were watching me!?"

He sighs, "Yes. I was here looking for her. I had no idea what she had gotten wrapped up in. I watched because I was curious. We've all heard the stories. I wanted to see what the Spider-Woman could do on her own."

"Yea, that's not creepy at all," I shoot back at him.

"Maybe it is," he admits. "But I saw you have potential. If you can control your emotions, you could be a legend."

"Yea," I nod. "You gave me the Obi Wan talk on the roof. But why should I trust you? Training isn't a one time thing. We're going to be working together a lot. I need to know you have my back. I need to know why you have any interest in me."

"Because you have a heart, Spider-Woman. For too long I've trained people and watched them fall to their worst instincts. You've seen what's happening in this world. You've been in this fight," he waves, presenting a picture that's not there, but one that I can see in my mind. "You realize that the world is in danger. You're someone that can do something about it, and I can tell you're one that won't turn away when the going gets tough. I want to train you because I see what you can become, Spider-Woman. Do we have a deal?"

I consider what he says. It's almost exactly what I wanted to hear. It's what's been going through my thoughts whenever I consider training. I'm not prepared for everything that's come my way. If this is what it takes, I guess it's what I have to do.

"I'm in. When do we start?"

"We already have," he smiles. "My name is Richard Dragon. I have trained many before. I may train many after. But as long as you're training under me, you may call me sensei. Now, prepare yourself."

He charges at me, and I realize that I am definitely not going to get a lot of homework done when school starts back up.