[IC] Spider-Man: Childhood Friends (Jones Sparrow and EasilyAmused)

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter held Lexi's hand as they traveled downstairs. He had one worry down, but he wasn't sure if he was more nervous about this one or not. A lawyer in his house could mean many things, and hoped it wasn't the worst case scenario of people finding out who he is, and being tried for being a public menace, especially after the suit incident... And it didn't help to see Aunt May's look and saying his name in such a way. Peter looked at the man named Matt Murdock, sitting down next to his Aunt, taking her hand as well.

He then began to speak, and his emotions changing. Fear, relief, confustion... Anger. His body was shaking with emotion, tears in his eyes. The last time he saw this possible murderer was a while ago in an alley way. Peter couldn't handle seeing him then, and now that this Matt Murdock was saying that this car thief... Ben's murderer, was caught. Aunt May was in tears, looking at Peter. He knew that she has been waiting for this day for a very long time. It was time for this man to get justice.

When asked if he was up to the challenge, Peter leaned forward. "I'm ready to give the man who killed my Uncle the justice he deserves." Peter said quietly. He tried his best not to break down.

[EasilyAmused]

Lexi kept her hand in Peter’s and placed her other hand on top of theirs holding it together. Her eyes locked on Matt as he talked, eyes slowly expanding with each word that left his mouth. And when Peter finally spoke she let out a soft sigh.

“Good, just what I’d expect from a man dating my God-Daughter.” Matt said with a sound of reassurance in his voice. He tapped his cane against the ground. “The details of the case are loose at this point but we have a court date here at the end of December, December 30th at 2pm. He’s gotten off, somehow, every time he’s been brought into court and I think it’s because of the people he knows. But no one’s going to scare me away from this case but I can’t have you getting intimidated by people. I don’t know who’s out there or who will have the knowledge of the case but if his friends are high up and have influence, they might try to scare you into not speaking up. I don’t want you to turn over on me. Are we clear Mister Parker?” Though his voice was soft because of the situation, it was always filled with a sense of authority. He needed Peter to know that he couldn’t skip out on things, that he needed to make a dedication to this court date.

“When it comes to it Mister Parker, it will be hard on you. But Lexi loves you, that much is obvious; and so does your lovely Aunt here, so you’ll have the support you’ll need relationship wise and you and I will have to make some time so you can study some proper law lingo. It’s important for you to know that when it comes to law, if you speak some lingo you’ll go a long way in court. If this guy is…” He sighed, his head hanging slightly, “smart…” The word didn’t come out right and it was obvious that Matt was not liking the term, “enough to talk his way out of other situations and with the help from his lawyers, we need to play the game right.” His attention moved back to Peter as he raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you ready to learn the parts of playing the game of law?”

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter listened to Matt talk, and although he felt a lot of emotions, fear was not one of them anymore. He knew after being Spider-Man for so long, and getting picked on for standing up to kids at school... He was not intimidated, or pressured in to doing things he didn't want to do. "I have dealt with a lot of stuff similar to that, Mister Murdock. I have no problem with going through with this." Peter said.

"Peter--" Aunt May began. "This man isn't going to get away again, Aunt May." Peter interrupted, his voice was assertive put gentle in a way, his eyes a bit cold. Could you blame him? He dreamed of the day that Uncle Ben's murderer was brought to justice. He felt the burden was his to bare, to finish. His uncle died because Peter ran off, didn't do the right thing, and now he had to live with that. When Matt talked about his loved ones, his grip tightened on Lexi and Aunt May's hand. he was right. He had little people in his life that meant a lot to him personally, but the people that did were the greatest he could ever imagine. He knew Lexi and his Aunt was there for him, and it was the other way around too.

"I'm a quick learner. And I heard lawyers make more money than my intended career path anyway." Peter said with a small smile. He had a small little idea that popped in his head. Peter may not be able to do much to the man's connections, but Spider-Man could easily hunt down the criminals and organizations that could protect this killer... But the question was was if Lexi would approve of this?

[EasilyAmused]

Feeling his hand clench around hers made her feel like something was going through his mind. Her blue gaze moved up to him, watching her beloved Peter closely in an attempt to read his mind but it didn’t work. Moving her attention back to Matt she listened to what he had to say then looked back at Peter. “Don’t talk like that. You working in the science field will be the best thing to ever happen to the world. But maybe knowing a bit about law wouldn’t hurt.”

“Please Peter, don’t think I’m encouraging you to get into law because I’m not. I don’t want my Lexi to be dealing with another set of lawyers in her life. She argues with her dad enough as is. Don’t encourage that.” Matt said jokingly before she pointed in her direction. “Is she giving me a dirty look? I feel like she is.” The small chuckle from Aunt May confirmed it and Matt rose to his feet. “Well then Mister Parker. I will see you the Roger’s office Monday morning, everyone needs a weekend don’t you think? Come on Lexi, I don’t want to take a cab in New York, god knows where they’ll take me.”

Lexi leaned over giving Peter a small kiss before standing up and giving Aunt May a hug. Leaning down she gave Peter a hug, not wanting to make him get up and kissed him once more before the two left. On their way to the car she texted Peter ‘See you tonight’ Meaning they’d be meeting up sometime soon.

After taking Matt to the house and everyone had gone asleep, Lexi climbed into her suit and left her room to meet up with the better Spider-Man at their favorite meeting place. It would be nice to see him back in his red and blue instead of the black and as she waited for his arrival, she looked forward to seeing Spider-Man as his true self again.

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter and Aunt May were in silence for a little while, taking in what they've heard. They had a chance to bring the killer to justice. Aunt May gave Peter a small smile before going upstairs to her room, probably to let out a lot of steam after Peter becoming a rebel, and thinking of Ben again... It was a lot to take in. Not only for her, but for Peter as well. He had another method of coping with stuff though. He spent the day cleaning his room (throwing away every black article of clothing he owned), Making sure his camera still worked, and making sure his suit still fit (The ONLY good thing about Venom taking him over was that he gained a bit more muscle, and you can now see them a bit through his suit. That was a morale booster Peter needed at this time).

The night rolled in, and Peter was ready to go back to his regular Spider-Man self.

Lexi was already at their meetup spot. Spider-Man decided to make his reappearance one to remember. He repelled down on a string of web upside down right behind Lexi. "Feels good to be back in the land of the living." He announced, tilting his head a bit. "I finally feel awake."

[EasilyAmused]

It was hard to believe they had just gone through everything that disgusting black ooze had caused and somehow, in some way, they came out alright. Her hurt cheek was nothing compared to the look of pure pain on Peter’s face when he realized what he had done. And worse off, she shows up to his house with a lawyer of all things. Sure… she probably should have thought that one through a little better or she could have sent him into a complete heart attack thinking he was going to get sued but that wasn’t the case. Way to look out for him Lexi, you idiot… she lectured herself in her mind before placing her hands on her hips and overlooking the city. It was so peaceful but, soon, it was going to get a new awakening; the realization that Spider-Man was back!

She could sense a presence behind her but it wasn’t threatening. Black Cat slowly turned around to see Spider-Man hanging upside down, her mouth piece was up and she showed her full lips and white teeth with her installed and sharpened canine teeth that she always wore. “Good to hear.” She said softly, reaching up and gently rolling down his mask so she could kiss him on the lips. It was nice to see that she could take off his mask if needed; when he was in the black suite there was never a reason to and, come to think of it, she never saw him actually take off the mask; it would always just sort of be, well gone.

Removing her lips from his she pulled the mask back up and gave him a smirk. “No more sleeping on the job Spidey.” She said with a purr to her voice as she stepped back from him and placed a foot on the rooftop’s edge. “So where do we begin?”

[Jones Sparrow]

It was nice-- No, Really really nice, to be kissed again. If he had a choice, he would be spending this time trying to make it up for her... But unfortunately, he was not only just a teenage guy. He was also a super hero that the city was very on edge with. He needed to get his status changed from "vigilante" to "loved hero" again... He remembered the last time he was a vigilante. No free hot dogs, people screamed whenever he appeared, the police were constantly trying to shoot at him... Yeah, not fun.

"We begin..." Spider-Man let go of the web, and while falling in mid air tilted sideways to land on his feet. "By correcting my mistakes." He said simply. "And that involves helping old women cross the street, helping sell some girl scout cookies... saving some beached whale off the coast of California." He stood at the side of the building as well, hands on his hips, then looking over at her with a shrug. "Those things can be hard to do on a Friday night. So I was thinking that I get back in to the photography business. Take a few photos of the original red and blue spidey fighting crime with little injuries to the criminals, and then sell them to the Daily Bugle. I get some cash from some very rare Spider-Man pictures, and they show the good side of Spider-Man again. And tomorrow is a Saturday, so we can spend all day patrolling the city, which means a lot more light hearted situations, like saving a cat from a tree, or stopping a purse robber..."

He hesitate for a second before giving the second part. "And then I want to get rid of the guys who will protect my Uncle's killer from going to jail." He said softly. "I don't know how long that's going to take, and I have only small leads right now, but I'm going to do this. I'm not letting him get away again." There was a pause for a second before he looked at her once again. "So, I got my trusty camera in my backpack, lets start Peter Parker's "Spider-Man messed up but he's actually a really cool guy and you should love him again" Gallery."

He leaned back until he fell off the side of the building, and after a few seconds of free falling, he shot out a web, shooting through the city. It felt good to be back to his old self!

[EasilyAmused]

Listening to his beginning, Black Cat nodded, overlooking the city and agreeing to what he had to say. “Sounds like a plan Spidey.” She said with a closed like smile upon her face before turning to look at him. “Everyone makes mistakes. But correcting them is not what everyone does. Don’t worry my dear, we’ll get this all straightened out. I believe in you and I trust you.” Upon his explanation of the second thing he wanted to do, she bit down on her lower lip in thought.

“That could be harder than you think, but I’m sure between your smarts and my pestering skills, we’ll figure something out. I’m sure we can start small and work our way up. I don’t know who’d be protecting the guy and why he’s gotten away with these styles of things more than once but it will be the last time.” She said with a nod before lowering the flap over her lips. “The gallery filling shall begin, I hope you brought an card.” She said with a giggle as she followed him off the building.

Throughout the night they worked together and made sure there was a good mix of photos of Spider-Man by himself and with Black Cat, to show that they were still a team and that Black Cat still trusted Spider-Man. Little crimes fluttered the streets and it was something new for the duo. But the surprise on everyone’s face to see Spider-Man back in his red and blue seemed to invite a lot of questioning looks. Children instantly accepted at the truth Spider-Man had returned; their expression showing that they had never lost faith but their parents seemed a bit skeptical still.

Hesitancy was expected by the city and that’s what Spider-Man received. But even the criminals seemed more afraid of him than before; this is something that Lexi wasn’t sure if she should be happy or worried about. They surrendered a lot quickly at Spider-Man’s presence and the ending of all the things that were happening at night did very fast. Soon they were sitting on the empire state building, Black Cat requesting two hot dogs and two sodas before returning to their meeting spot and giving Spider-Man his, it was just easier than scaring the poor hot dog stand man who hadn’t seen that Spider-Man was back to his normal self.

“Get any good photos?” Lexi asked as she pulled off the mask to eat more comfortably.

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter Parker hadn't taken any photos of Spider-Man in a long time. He had no reason to... But now that he was now considered a criminal himself, he had to set the record straight. Throughout the night Peter did his best to bring out his cheesiest jokes, he didn't give any of the criminals (serious) injuries, and they even escorted a few drunk citizens home, and they really enjoyed Peter's jokes... Hey, it was a Friday night. you gotta keep everyone safe!

Cat Woman was now the hot dog getter. They were still getting used to her as also being a crime fighter, but they would easily trust the newer person in the suit than the terrifying older one that appeared to snap. He couldn't blame them. So while she went to get food, Peter was going through the photos. Some were too blury, some were too dark, but the majority of them, he could definitely use. He only hoped that the owner of the Bugle, Jameson, would be more kind a pay him a bit more for very rare clear photos of the masked vigilantes. He could go to other newspaper companies to get these published, but the Bugle really had it out for Spider-Man from day one. If the Bugle gave him the good word, then people would have to start believing that Spider-Man was not a criminal... Easier said than done.

He looked up for a second to see Lexi return, then he went back to his camera. "Yeah, a few fit the qualifications to be in the infamous Peter Parker Gallery." He said, still going through them. But he couldn't help but think about his Uncle's killer. He knew that he was trying to give Spider-Man his good name again, but he was willing to do whatever it takes to put this guy behind bars. With Lexi's help or not.

"The real challenge will be to get J.J. to post these with a header that doesn't involve "Spider-Man being a menace!"" Peter jokingly shook his fist, doing his best old grizzled voice. Man, there was a lot to do tomorrow...

-----

The door knocked on the early Saturday morning of the Thompson's house. It was a much older house that didn't look too friendly, and as Peter stood in front of the door, he could hear dogs barking, an older man yelling something, and Flash's voice yelling back. But the door opened to reveal a pretty woman, giving a smile to Peter. "Uh- Hello. I was wondering if Flash was home?" Peter asked politely. "You one of Flash's friends?" She asked. "Haven't seen you around before, then again Flash doesn't bring his friends over here much... Flash! You have a visitor!" She screamed, walking away from the door. He now heard the older man yelling. "You better not run off boy! We ain't done with this talk!"

"Fine!"

Flash came to the door, with a black eye, an arm sling, and a very surprised look on his face. "What do you want?" He asked. Peter swallowed, and looked at him. "I... Just wanted to apologize... for everything." Peter said quietly before looking down. There was a lot of silence between the two, before Flash finally spoke up. "I lost my old man. When I was really little." Flash said, also looking away, but Peter looked up at him. "He was hit by a drunk driver coming back home from work. Didn't make it through surgery... It's tough. Losing people you love."

Peter felt uncomfortable. Flash never talked to him like this. Why was he doing it now? When he should be threatening his life, and on the verge of strangling him? "It pushes people a bit too far with their actions." Peter finally said. And Flash gave a nervous nod. "Its easy to pick on kids who feel the same way. You know just what to say to make yourself feel better, but hurt them. I wasn't hitting on Lexi, Parker. That's not my style. And now that I know you pack a punch, I ain't gonna even go for her when you do run out of money to keep her." Flash gave a small smirk. He was obviously joking in the only way how: by making fun of Peter. And strangely enough, Peter felt more comfortable with this.

It all made sense to him now why Flash always picked on him. He had what looked like an abusive step dad, and he idolized Spider-Man because he stops people from dying unexpectedly like his own father... and Peter's Uncle. Huh. They had something in common. "So.. We cool?" Peter asked, and Flash gave a grin. "yeah, we're cool... But don't you dare say a word about this, or I'll beat the snot out of you, you hear my Parker?"

"yeah, Thompson. Loud and Clear."

-----

The Daily Bugle was packed with journalists and paper workers running through. The Bugle was the best source of true news (besides Spider-Man, Jameson really didn't like masked vigilantes). Peter made his way to the receptionist desk next to the door that read "J.J Jameson" She looked up and gave Peter a warm smile. "Hey! Paul, right?"

"Peter, actually... Parker." He said with a small smile, holding out an envelope. "I have some more pictures of Spider-man, and Catwoman for Mr. Jameson..." He began, but was cut off. "Go right in, he would love to see those!" Peter gave a small "thanks" before making his way to the door, and knocking on it.

"Betty, that better be you with my coffee--" The man was cut off when he realized who it was that walked in. J. Jonah Jameson sat behind his desk, cigar in one hand, and a few photos in the other. With him was the editor-in-chief, Joe Robertson They both stared at Peter for a second before Jameson went "Who are you?"

"I'm Peter Parker--"

"Parker... Parker... oh yeah, you gave us those pictures of Spider-Man a few months ago!" He exclaimed, sitting up. "Yessir, but--"

"Good! Let me see them! Maybe we can find one of him beating up a puppy!"

"I don't think he's causing trouble anymore... he seems to be helping out a lot more, and back in his original suit..." Peter trailed off as both Robertson and Jameson looked at the photos. "These are really good, Peter." Robertson said, looking up with a smile. Jameson was still looking through them. "Not bad... But they aren't what we're looking for." He tossed them back at Peter, who was a bit shocked by it, but he wasn't going to argue with the guy. He took the pictures and started walking for the door.

"Wait."

Peter stopped and turned around to see Jameson holding out his hand again. "Give them to me." He stated. Peter handed them back, and once again he glanced at them. "How much you want for them?" He asked. Peter hesitated, and before he could speak, Jameson did yet again. "100 for the bunch." He said, puffing out smoke from his cigar. "That's--"

"Too cheap, I know. How about 200. No, too much. I'll go 150, but that's it." Jameson was having a conversation with himself, and Robertson just rolled his eyes. "I'll.. I accept!" Peter said with a smile. Jameson looked over at Robertson and motioned him to pay him. He sighed and walked towards Peter. "Follow me, Mister Parker." He said as they exited the room. The two went past the huge amount of people running around. "Bye, Peter!" the receptionist said as Peter and Joe walked by them. "I see you met Betty. She seems to have a liking for you." Joe said, and Peter opened his mouth to say he already had a girlfriend but was cut off. "I'm just messing with you, Pete." The two went to a desk in the corner of the room, obviously his workspace. He started to pull out a check, and as he was writing it he looked up at Peter. "Say, how do you get so lucky with these Pictures? You seem to be the only kid who can get clear photos of the Web Head, and now Cat Woman."

"I.. er. Just follow the crime, and sometimes he just poses for them..." Peter managed to say, caught off guard by the question. Joe nodded. "I see... How would you like a job here? As our Vigilante photographer? We'll pay you a lot more, and I'm sure I can talk to JJ about making these headlines a bit more friendly towards him. I agree with you that he isn't that bad of a guy." Robertson said with a smile. Peter was at a loss for words. "I would love to work here...! I could really use one." With Aunt May taking a break from working since Uncle Ben dying, and Peter not getting paid for being a super hero...

"Alright, Mister Parker. Consider yourself hired. Whenever you have some pictures of Spider-Man or Catwoman, just come on over, and give them to us."

"Sounds good.. Thank you Mister Robertson!"

As Peter walked out of the Daily Bugle office with a smile on his face, He thought this day would be a tough one, but its turning out better than expected! Now all that was left to do was surprise Lexi with a little date...

---------

"WHO IS THE MASTERMIND?" The Daily Bugle Article read. Wilson Fisk smiled to himself, reading all the possible leads they had on the man who was running the organized crimes in New York. He was very surprised to see that they concluded it was one person or group ordering everyone around. But they would never figure out who it is. Wilson Fisk was a very huge man, mostly pure muscle. His head was bald, and he wore a very expensive white suit with a purple shirt underneath. Many people didn't know his real name. A lot of people heard of Kingpin though in the crime business. No one dared muttered the name. As he began the article on Spider-Man, a man walked in to the room. "Everything is good to go, Mister Fisk. All we have to do is find the best opportunity to strike."

"Excellent. Mister Jameson will never know what hit him. But everyone will have theories on who it is..." Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, smiled and leaning back. The city will be his to control.

[EasilyAmused]

If there was one person that Lexi Rogers always had faith in, it was Peter Parker. When she first met Peter, he refused to talk to her due to the amount of shyness he had. But unlike the world, she kept at it. Spending countless times in class and at recess when they were young attempting to get him to talk to her. It did take Harry befriending him first before he’d actually start to hold a conversation with her. It was a few words were and there at first. It took a while for Peter to start talking to her first, and it was hard to believe that she was sitting on the empire state building, eating a hot dog with Peter Parker, the amazing man who saved her life, is a super-hero saving the city and is now her boyfriend.

She remembered the first time Peter shared his past with her. She found herself as a young girl banging on Peter’s door heart broke and crying. Harry told her not to worry about it and to get over it but she couldn’t, she was heart-broken by her first crush. Peter opened the door looking confused to see a crying Lexi. After about an hour of crying on his shoulder he spoke kindly to her, telling her everything would be okay; brought her some water and took her down to the park. They spent hours at the park that day sitting on the swings swinging back and forth and talking. Peter finally warmed up to her to share with her his background. He was Lexi’s first experience with someone who wasn’t as well off as she was. But in that same sense, she found more love and family within the three people there then with her family. But over time, Lexi’s parents learned to slow down so they could spend time with their daughter.

They didn’t stop Aunt May and Uncle Ben from having Lexi over consistently and inviting her to do things with the family and in exchange, Peter got a lot to do things with her family as well. The best thing for Lexi was win she accidently called them Aunt and Uncle and in apologizing they told her she didn’t need to. If she wanted to call them her Aunt and Uncle as well, she was welcome to. That really meant a lot to her; as she expected, her parents didn’t give Peter that same option but he never expressed that it bothered him. From then on, she had found another family that proudly called her part of their own.

Another family member that she loved dearly was her ‘uncle’ Matt. It was never a mystery that he would be her legal guardian if something happened to her parents and she was okay with this. Matt had a good sense of humor, especially for being blind. His favorite joke was to ask if it was dark in a room and the reaction from some people would be worth it, and even he would chuckle at his own jokes from time to time.

“So Lexi…” He said, in that questioning father tone he sometimes gave her as he sat at the kitchen table listening to Lexi make something for lunch while her parents were out doing things. “Tell me about Peter.”

“You already know about Peter.”

“Well tell me something I don’t know.”

To that Lexi smirked, knowing full well that Matt couldn’t see it but that didn’t stop her from doing it. “There’s a lot about him that you wouldn’t know Uncle Matt. Probably the biggest thing you wouldn’t know about him is that, even though the situation happened; he’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met…” The cough from the table made her laugh, “Yes, even more than you.”

“Hey…” He said sticking his hands out, ‘I’m a nice guy.”

“I never said you weren’t nice, I just said you weren’t the nicest.”

“Fine, fair enough.” Matt said dropping his arms to his side with a sigh. “So tell me about this Spider-Man.” With that Lexi was off in her fan girl style; but Matt was listening more to her actions then her words. Her heart picked up speed, skipping beats every time she mentioned the word ‘Spider-Man’ or references of him, he or his. She didn’t vocalize much about Black Cat but spoke enough about Spider-Man to prove that she was, in fact, a fan. But was she a fan or was there a personal connection. “Interesting…” He said softly listening to her as she spoke. Upon him speaking like that, her voice dropped slightly and he could hear it. “Have you changed the type of clothing you wear?” He asked randomly.

A confused look moved across Lexi’s face as she looked over her shoulder. “No… why?”

“Sorry for talking about your personal belongings.” He said with laugh holding up his hands. “Didn’t mean to talk about your personal whatevers but it just smells like you have a different fabric you’ve been wearing since the last time I saw you…”

“I am a foot taller.” She said with a grin and a laugh, “A girl has to change the type of clothes she wears when she grows taller.”

“Whatever you say,” Matt said shaking his head. But something about Spider-Man troubled him, her reaction said more than just a fan-girl crush and the intense heart-rate said that he meant more to her than the average person. “So tell me Lexi; if you had to choose between Spider-Man or Peter, who would you p…”

“Peter.” She said quickly and without hesitation. “That’s probably the easiest question you have asked anyone.”

Her heart-rate didn’t change, so it was obvious that she was telling the truth. A good hour was spent grilling her about Peter which she answered all the questions. He listened closely to all of her reactions to his statements and her responses. She loved Peter, there was no doubt about that, but her reaction to the Peter questions matches the same with Spider-Man… hmm….

Buzz Buzz… Lexi’s phone buzzed and she pulled out it to see a text from Peter telling her that she needed to come over to right away, it’s very important. Speaking kindly to Matt she excused herself claiming that Peter need to some over to his place. Matt just rolled his eyes and waved his hand giving her the okay to go before she hurried out of the house.

It didn’t too long before Lexi was knocking on Peter’s door.

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter came home earlier that afternoon, and he immediately heard Aunt May's voice call out for him. "Peter? Is that you?" She said in the kitchen. Peter walked in and gave her a hug, lifting her off the ground as he did, as she gave a surprised laugh. "Why are you so happy?" She said with a smile as he let her down. Peter held out the check he received from the Bugle. "I know it isn't much... but its to help with the bills..." Peter started.

"Peter--"

"They gave me a job as their photographer! And he said that my pay will be bigger than this." Peter had a grin. Aunt May had tears in her eyes. "You are so much like your Uncle... You even smile like him." She said softly, looking down at the bill, and then giving it back to him. "You keep it. And don't you dare try to slip money in while I'm paying the bills. We have enough money to get by for a little while longer. And when we don't, I'll go back to working at the hospital, alright? So you keep your money, and keep being a teenager while you still can. Being an adult is a lot of responsibility, you know." She said with a warm smile, and Peter gave a nod. "Oh, and I apologized to Flash today."

"Good, now you just need to get those grades up!"

"Yeah, but first, I gotta make things right with Lex!"

----

Alright, Parker. You out did yourself this time. You aren't known as being the hunky romantic type of guy... But Lexi seems pretty happy. And this little date you set up isn't that bad either. Peter once again had full control of the house. Aunt May went on another girls night, so their date wouldn't be interrupted. Peter simply wore long sleeve plaid shirt, some jeans.. and once again his hair was a mess. The lights were dimmed, the kitchen table was set up with a white cloth, a rose on the center (cliche, right?), and two plates, but on one of them was a framed picture of Peter and Lexi with a snowy Central Park in the background.

The doorbell rang, and Peter quickly went to the door. He opened it to reveal his girlfriend, and he gave a smile. "Hey... So, come on in." He said, moving out of the doorway. The lights were dimmed inside the house to give it more of a dramatic look. "So the important thing I needed to tell you was... Well, I've been the worst person to be around ever lately, and I thought it'd make it up to you." He led her to the kitchen to where everything was set up, and Peter ran a nervous hand through his hair. "So with my limited cooking skills, I made us our favorite's as kids... Grilled Cheese with a side of french fries, and for the lady, tater tots." He said in a fake french accent, looking over at her with a smile. "And not only do we have this excellent cuisine, I have some cookie dough in the fridge, sundae making equipment, and a nice couch and a collection of Uncle Ben's favorite movies..." He looked over at her and gave a shrug. "I know this doesn't even begin to say how sorry I am... But tonight, there's no spandex, blue and red, or black. I'm not Spider-Man. Just Peter Parker, and I owe you a lot to prove that you're the only girl I want."

[EasilyAmused]

Lexi rocked gently back and forth on her heels as she waited for Peter to open the door. It was still chilly outside, snow falling and Christmas was poking its head around the corner. A smile moved across her face as she saw a few of the neighborhood kids playing on the streets throwing snowballs at each other and wearing Spider-Man jackets. Peter truly was a hero in the eyes of the city, though people were still skeptical, the children never seemed to lost faith in him. He was a hero to many, and a hero to her. But it wasn’t just Spider-Man that was her hero; it truly was Peter Parker.

Hurried footsteps echoed towards the door and the raven haired girl turned her attention quickly to the door as the handle jiggled. A smile moved across her full lips at the sight of her boyfriend, though stepping into the house she wasn’t quite sure where this was going. Her gaze moved around, no greeting from Aunt May, the lights were dimmed and the place seemed to have a dramatic feel. When he began she didn’t really want to look at him; oh god, was this the break up meeting?! But when he began to explain exactly what was so important, her body relaxed and she turned to face him with a tender closed lipped smile.

Following him into the kitchen she found a rather unexpected (but kind of needed) surprise awaiting her. Walking to the plate with the framed photo she had asked for, she picked it up with both hands. Her thumb gently ran along the frame of the picture as she examined their smiling faces. From the time the picture was taken until now, they had been through a lot and yet here they were, standing with each other surrounded by the smell of grill cheese and French fries/tater tots with a dimmed romantic light and the cheesy rose in the middle of the table. For all that was said and done, this was something they needed; something they needed together and not in their Super-Hero personas.

“We’ve been through a lot…” She began softly, almost talking to the picture more than she was talking to Peter. “Traditional relationships don’t involve fighting crime and free-falling off a thirty story building for giggles.” A small laugh left her as she placed the picture gently down next to her plate and turned to Peter. “I don’t need blue and red spandex, I don’t need super-speed or web shooters.” She stepped to him, “I don’t need a crime fighting hero, I just need my best friend and my boyfriend.” Slipping her arms around his neck, she leaned gently against him, “Peter Parker is not a part of Spider-Man. Spider-Man is a part of Peter Parker. Give or take that part; it’s not who I fell in love with. I fell in love with Peter Parker and even if Spider-Man goes away; it’s not going to stop me from loving you.”

She rested her head gently on his shoulder, her fingers dancing along his back as she faced his neck. “We’ll get passed this; it’s just a relationship bump that all couples face. It’s just… as we are far from a ‘normal’ couple; our problems are just a bit different. But…” She pulled her head off of his shoulder, looking up at him with her bright blue eyes. “We will get through it and be stronger than ever.” Leaning up, she gave him a gentle loving kiss before pulling back, sniffing the air. “I think the fries and tater tots are done. I probably should let you go so they don’t burn…” She said with a laugh as she slid herself out of Peter’s arms and pulled out her chair at the table. This should be a good night.

[Jones Sparrow]

The thought of losing Lexi was a constant one lately. He knew that the hard part was over, and that he was very slowly starting to getting things back together again, he didn't know if Lexi was going to forgive him for every single things he's done to her... There could be the argument that it wasn't him for doing all of those things... But he knew that Venom fed off of his selfish thoughts that he had stored long ago. He wanted to be popular, he wanted to be strong, he wanted to be loved, and not treated like a weirdo. But Venom took those thoughts and manipulated them. It took Peter's thoughts that he knew he didn't want, and made them a sick reality. And Peter was powerless... But he overcame it. With the help of Lexi, and Uncle Ben.

And now, standing here with his beautiful girlfriend, he knew that he wasn't invincible, but she made him feel very close to it. He knew that they were fine now, and he would do everything in his power to make sure nothing hurts her. Not even him. He kissed her gently, and when she pulled back, he gave a "Ah crap!" before rushing over to the stove, opening it and reaching for the tray before pulling his hand back in pain, holding back a scream. Note to self: wear an oven mitt when touching hot trays were in the stove! "Oh, I got some pretty big news..." Peter began, searching for an oven mitt as he talked. "The Daily Bugle hired me." He looked over at her with a grin before taking the tray out.

"I'm an official photographer." He started to pile plates with fries, tots, and grilled cheeses. Looking at this sorry display, he wondered why Lexi didn't run out of the house wondering why she was dating this guy. He brought the plates over to the table, putting one in front of Lexi, and the other across from her as he took his seat. He didn't want to tell her that he was specifically in charge of taking pictures of Spider-Man and Black Cat. This night wasn't about their alter egos. "They're gonna pay me good, too. I can finally buy that pony I always wanted." Peter said with a smile and wink, obviously joking. He took a bite of his sandwich. "How'd your day go? Is your uncle settling in? I don't think he likes me that much. I think he can tell I'm not a hunky football quarterback even with no eyesight."

[EasilyAmused]

The “ah crap” was a classic Peter response and she couldn’t help but grin as he stumbled away from her trying to get to the stove in time. Her attention turned back to the little table where he had set up the dinner date for the two of them. Her fingers danced along the picture frame once again, they had come so far, gone through so much and watched each other grow; it was only time before they fell into each other’s arms and never wanted to let go. Though, unlike most teenagers, they dealt with a lot more then high school drama. But being an average person was completely overrated.

She was about to sit down in the seat before she looked over at Peter when he said he had big news. It stopped her in mid sit when he said that the Bugle had hired him. “What? Really?!” She responded in an excited shot as he brought the plates over and the two of them took their seats. “That’s amazing Peter!” She said with excitement in her voice, “Just remember, ponies take a lot to look after.” A giggle left her as she started into the food.

Upon hearing the question of how her day was and about her uncle she couldn’t help but laugh. “He has an ability to tell a lot about a person without actually seeing them. So yeah, he knows you’re not a football playing quarterback but he did make it very clear that you really like me.” Her blue gaze shot to him with a small wink. “Though he did grill me with questions, how we met, what we typically do together and things of that nature. I’m sure hearing you got a job would be a nice addition to the ‘why is this guy dating my niece’ list that he seems to be making.” Giving a small shrug she threw a tater tot into her mouth, chewed and swallowed before looking back at him. “Aside from that and getting Uncle Matt settled into the house there wasn’t much excitement going on with me today. Tell me how the story of the Daily Bugle came about!”

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter gave a shy smile and looked down at his food as he praised his work on getting a job at the Bugle. He was glad she was proud of him. He didn't like to gloat about his achievements. I mean, he doesn't going all over school going "yeah, you know that Spider-Man guy? The dude who fights crime and fought the Lizard, Venom, and the Green Goblin? well, He's me!" Peter gave a laugh when she mentioned that ponies were a handful, and he started to eat. He listened to her talking about her "Uncle", and how he was asking a lot of questions about him specifically. He never really had much interest in him over the years of Lexi and his friendship, but then again this was the first time they've talked to each other when Lexi was dating Peter.

"I mean if he really doesn't approve of me, the job card would be alright... But if we really want to shock and awe him, we can say we are a super hero couple." Peter said casually, as if he was all about it. Of course they wouldn't tell him, or anyone their secret. He was sure that Aunt May would kill him for not telling her and putting Lexi's and his life in danger, and Lexi's parents would most likely follow suit and try to strangle him.

"Well I already sent pictures to the Bugle for a little extra cash to pay for expenses." Again he didn't want to bring up Spider-Man, but he sold his Spidey pictures to get cash to repair his Spidey suits. "But this time they really liked my work--Well, Mr. Jameson looked like he didn't care--He's the boss by the way, but the editor really liked my pictures, so he offered me a job, as well as a check." He grinned, taking another bite of his food. "I was expecting just a little cash for 'em, but now I'm an official photographer! My name will be on the Bugle! Not the best source of news... but hey, its a start!" Peter said with another smile. He reached over across the table and grabbed Lexi's free hand. "Not only did you help me out with this, but Uncle Ben did too. He did teach me photography, and it is his camera after all.." He owed a lot to Uncle Ben, even when he passed he's still effecting his life in positive ways.

---

"I'll ask you again. What do you know about Kingpin?"

"Fuck you man--I I don't know nothin'!"

WHACK!

"Aaaah!!!"

"I know you're lying. I also know you're a diabetic, you're last drink was thirty minutes ago, you have your grandfather's pocketwatch in your breast pocket, and if you lie to my one more time, I will break a limb."

"Alright, alright! All i know is that he's-He's got it out for the Bugle! We've been spending weeks setting up for a-a-a- I don't know man! Some sort of hit! Near the Bugle! He doesn't like how they're promoting his name! That's all i know man!"

A few moments of silence, and finally the voice spoke. "I believe you."

Daredevil left the thug knocked out and cuffed to a lamp post. He listened all over the Hell's Kitchen, a part of Manhattan that was the poorest and deadliest. Matt Murdock grew up here. He used to be afraid of this place, but not anymore. Like Catwoman and Spider-Man, he tried to keep this city safe. The biggest threat to the city after the Venom incident was a man known as Kingpin, a criminal mastermind that very quietly climbed his way through the criminal system, and is planning something big. He was from Hell's Kitchen too, but no one knows his name... But Matt had a hunch. He also knew that someone was going to get killed at the Daily Bugle. If Matt was a gambling man, he would put his money on the boss, James Johah Jameson. He had to stop it. He didn't know when it will happen, but it wasn't tonight.

He'll warn the boss, and maybe if he ran across Spider-Man, he will let him know too.

[EasilyAmused]

Upon Peter saying they should tell Matt that they were a superhero couple she gave him a look of ‘You’re kidding’ Only to see him give her that traditionally cheeky Peter Parker look and she rolled her eyes dramatically as she took a bite of the grill cheese sandwich. He was so adorable in his cheeky cheesy sort of ways. It was always an inside joke now of who they should tell or not tell. Simply because they knew they wouldn’t speak a word to anyone about it but when they were along they’d joke about it. Then again Lexi could probably walk up to Matt fully dressed and as long as she didn’t have her mouth guard over her face, he probably wouldn’t know who she was.

“It’s a start!” She repeated feeling just as excited for him as he was. He needed a break, he needed something good to happen to him and it was about time life cut Peter Parker a little bit of slack. The raven haired girl fae his hand a small squeeze as he talked about Uncle Ben; with Matt’s presence known throughout the house and specifically for why he was here, it was going to be more of a continuous topic. While Aunt May might have trouble talking about it, Peter had to be strong to make it through; and that’s why Lexi wouldn’t leave his side.

----

“TAG!” Blackcat said with a giggle as she flicked a whip at Spider-Man, giving him a gentle tap on the rear before running off and jumping. Really it was the simple things of a superhero power couple that made life fun. Like dropping from a ten story building and nearly landing face first before throwing yourself off into a different direction, playing ‘who can knock out the most men in less than a minute’ with a group of unsuspecting thugs or playing tag through the busy streets and high rises of downtown New York City. You know; typical couple stuff.

The laughter and games lasted for a good half an hour before something caused Blackcat to jerk in a direction. Between her new found strength of hearing and them being close to Hell’s Kitchen area (an area they typically didn’t not visit), her feet skid to a halt on a roof top near the entrance to what was typically known as ‘Hell’s Kitchen’. It wasn’t until she felt the presence of Spider-Man before she spoke, explaining her sudden stop and stillness. “I heard some form of commotion. More like… another…” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Were they not the only ones running around fighting for justice? Was there a reason that Hell’s Kitchen’s crimes never made it on the news?

Her head turned to look over at her masked vigilante, her hero, her boyfriend; “Should we check out it?”

[Jones Sparrow]

Ever since Lexi started to join in on crime fighting, Peter made it clear to stay away from Hell's Kitchen. Even before Lexi became Catwoman, he would hear of a crime going off, and to only get there with no sign of the crime. There was actually a few times where he was ambushed by a fake call. So as much as he hated the idea of staying away from the place that was in a lot of trouble, he did. For not only his safety, but Lexi's as well. Lexi insisted that they patrolled tonight though, and Peter wasn't going to deny his girlfriend a request! So as they did, there was no harm in having a little fun!

That was until she came to a halt on top of a rooftop, near Hell's Kitchen. He landed next to her, looking in the direction she was. His hearing was far better than Peter's so when she turned to him with concern, he thought about his options. After a moment of silence, Peter nodded. "You know what they say: If you're looking for some heat, step in to Hell's Kitchen." Peter said behind his mask. "Or... Something like that." Spider-Man dove off the rooftop, catching himself with a shot of web, and swinging towards the area Lexi heard the noise. It took them a bit to figure out where to go (Peter insisted that he went first, and that Lexi stayed close), but with Lexi's direction of where she heard the noise, they eventually came across a rooftop.

"I think we found the commotion..." Peter said as he pointed over to an unconscious man under a lightpost. The two went to investigate. Peter knelt down next to the guy, giving a sharp inhale. "yikes. Poor guy has a nasty bruise on his forehead..." Peter said quietly, standing up and looking around. Before he could say anything else, his Spider-Senses went off. He was sure Lexi heard the incident as well as Peter's attention went to the rooftop.

Without hesitation Peter climbed up the wall quickly, getting on top of the rooftop to see an odd sight. A man dressed in what Peter thought was red armor was running across the rooftop. "Yo! Hey!" Peter called out towards him. This was the first time he's heard anything out of Hell's Kitchen in a while! He fired a shot of web at the man's legs to try and stop him, but the mystery figure simply sidestepped gracefully from the string of web, and Peter was rather shocked. But it was enough to slow the guy down.

The mysterious man turned his head towards Peter, and Lexi who made her way up, and Peter ran for him. Surprisingly the man didn't try to run. Instead he sidestepped again, forcing Spider-Man to tuck and roll, looking over at the man. Spider-Man shot off balls of web at the figure, he pulled out what looked like nun-chucks, and swiped away the web. Peter swung a fist at the man at that point, and the man pushed the hand away with the weapons as if it was nothing. Peter swung again and again with incredible speed and agility, dodging swiping attacks from the man until the two both were at a standpoint, where the man grabbed Peter's wrist and flipped him horizontally away towards Lexi.

Peter caught himself, landing crouched on his feet and one hand, a very curious look on his masked face. "Spider-Man, I presume." The man finally said, putting his weapons away with a hint of a smile. "And Catwoman, of course." He also added, nodding towards Lexi. "And.... Devil-Man, I presume...? No, you'd never call yourself something that stupid... Red death, the Tornado..." Peter began.

"People here call me Dare-Devil." The red masked figure said calmly. "But I was actually hoping I'd run in to you two. I have some information that might be interesting to you."

[EasilyAmused]

The rumors behind the person protecting Hell’s Kitchen wasn’t uncommon, in fact it was before Spider-Man even came about that the rumors of a hero patrolling Hell’s Kitchen would reach the other sections of New York City. This was, of course thing new for the raven haired girl to hear. She loved the idea of super heroes and never truly through she’d end up becoming one but hey, such is life right?

BlackCat finally made it to the top of the roof only to have Spider-Man nearly thrown at her with an unexpected force. She sprung out of the way as Spider-Man caught himself and the two stared at the figure in front of them. Apparently BlackCat made the connection a lot quicker than Spider-Man. A gasp left her as Spider-Man narrowed down who was standing in front of them. “Dare-Devil…” She said in shock as she stared down the man on the rooftop. “Come on Spidey, you’ve heard the stories of Dare-Devi.”

The air filled with a familiar scent and Dare-Devil’s head turned up slightly and his nostril’s flared as he took in a certain smell. Was that… Lexi? His head tilted as his ears took in the sound of her voice. This, was Lexi, Lexi Rogers? And the other smell was that…Peter Parker? Something was seriously wrong and Dare-Devil’s mouth dropped slightly into a frown. This isn’t what he was expecting..

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter's head tilted towards Lexi as she obviously knew who this guy was. Of course he's heard the stories of the "Devil of Hell's Kitchen" but he never really saw the guy, and whenever he showed up in Hell's Kitchen, there was nothing to be found. He looked back at the man who was now frowning slightly, and Spider-Man stood up. "I heard the stories but thought he was like the boogey man. I've been swinging around this city for a while now, so has Black Cat. Why show your face to us now?" He asked the man in red.

"Because I haven't had any need for your help until now." Dare Devil said, and Spider-Man put his hands to his chest. "That kinda stung. I'm used to being rejected, but never by a fellow crime fighter." Spidey said jokingly, but it being a bit true. Not anymore, of course! He was happily in a relationship! Dare Devil simply smiled. "Its nothing personal. I've heard of your guys' accomplishments. You've saved this city in more ways then one countless times. But I kept to this part of New York for many reasons. One of the main reasons is because I've been keeping a certain man at bay in this area."

"Something tells me that this is when you go..."

"But--"

"Yep, called it." Peter added quickly.

"But he has gotten out of hand. Have you two ever heard of the name 'Kingpin' during your patrols?" He asked. Peter tried to think back, but he couldn't recall ever really hearing that name. Peter shook his head slightly. "I'm not surprised. He has kept himself under the rug for a very long time, but every criminal organization, ever master robbery, every organized crime is run by him. Hence the name. He's one of the richest, most powerful, most evil men I've heard of. I spend my time trying to track him down. He is planning something very big. Something that will make him controller of this City in more ways than just crime."

As Peter listened, the more he was a bit frustrated; mostly at himself. He was supposed to be the protector of this city, and yet there was news about this mystery man he's never heard of and while Peter thought he was making a difference, in all honestly he wasn't. "Who is he? Where is he?" Peter asked. Dare Devil shook his head. "I don't know. Like I said, very few people even know the Title of Kingpin. But I do know his next big attack. I'm sure you're familiar with the Daily Bugle. They love to lash out at our kind of people." He gave another smirk. "He plans on assassinating the Chief, Jonah Jamenson, tomorrow night."

At this time Peter's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't a fan of the guy, but he did JUST give Peter a job! And if there was a reason why this Kingpin guy was going after him, he had to assume that it wouldn't be good in the long run. "I'm going to need some help in stopping that from happening. You two know the city more than I do, you've seen much more of this place. I know you just met me, and I just made a very big claim, but I am not setting you up. This is about the city. We need to stop Kingpin before he gets to a point where he's untouchable."

The man made a convincing point. He just met the guy, he didn't know if he was an enemy (a dude dressed up as the devil isn't really a friendly sight), and he really was making a large claim. "We'll see what we can do..." Peter hesitated for a minute. "We can also go in and survey the area. I know a guy-- This photographer. He works for the Bugle. He can tell me the layout of the building, and exits. Once he tells me, I'll tell you." Spider-Man said with a nod.

Dare Devil, also known as Matt Murdock, gave a small smirk and nodded. "Sounds interesting... But I have to tell you, Kingpin is not like any foe you've faced. He's dangerous, smart, precise. Piss him off, and he WILL come after you... If you want to back away I can find others--"

"Oh like who? Iron Man? This is our city, you told us your speech, and I'm all for solving this mystery with this new gang of heroes! All we need now is a talking dog." Spider-Man said. He knew he didn't really speak for Lexi, but he was sure she had the same mindset, and it was a lost cause trying to convince her to not help. She was just as stubborn as Peter.

Dare Devil gave a hesitant nod and sighed. "I had a feeling that would be your answer..." He pulled out a usb device from his belt, tossing it towards Lexi. "That's everything I know of this guy. More proof for you guys. We'll meet up here an hour before Jamenson leaves the Bugle."

Tomorrow Peter would take Lexi to visit the Daily Bugle after school, and as they drop more pictures off and Peter shows his girlfriend around, they would be trying to find anything out of the ordinary. It will be an interesting day.

[EasilyAmused]

Dare Devil was supposed to be a legend, a myth in Hell’s Kitchen in order to keep the criminal activity at bay. Even when Blackcat came alive, she was told by Spider-Man that nothing really happened in Hell’s Kitchen, outside of popular belief and even when he ventured in there, nothing was serious. It was hard to believe that rumors were true and something, well someone, was protecting Hell’s Kitchen of all places.

Though he didn’t quite fit the stories that were laid out for him. He was supposed to be eight feet tall with the strength of an elephant and the grace of a butterfly. The hearing of a cat and the excellent eyesight of a hawk. And yet; here he was, in the flesh and none of those things. It just shows that stories really can design something to be what they truly aren’t meant to be. Her head jerked back slightly at the mention of Kingpin; well that was a new name. Certainly not something that got around a lot and yet, seems to fit the guy that Dare Devil was talking about. It was not uncommon that villains went by alas names as well but this one seemed to be a name given to him by the people who worked under him.

Her head turned to look over at Spider-Man, of course she’d follow his lead, he was their ‘leader’ after all but his agreement to help fit her personal choice in the matter and she gave an approving nod. Her attention moved back to Dare Devil and she snatched the usb device from the air with a grace only she could produce. “Okay.” She said softly to Dare Devil.

Spider-Man and Blackcat left Hell’s Kitchen and arrived at the Empire State Building before Lexi pulled off her mask to get some fresh air. Her blue gaze stared in the direction of Hell’s Kitchen before she turned them to Spider-Man and spoke. “Do you think this is a good idea? If this ‘Kingpin’ guys is as big of a problem as Dare Devil makes him out to be it could be problematic.” Reaching into the storage compartment on her belt she pulled out the usb drive and looked down. “I think it’s important that we don’t attack him but attack the people working under him. Slowly remove the support bricks and things will fall.” With that she looked back up at her beloved boyfriend. “So meet at my place then to tour your new job, some lunch, study the drive then meet up with Dare Devil?” She asked with a smile to him flashing her bright white teeth. They needed some form of plan and this seemed like a start… well some start at least.