Spider-Man: The Great Teacher

An unexpected ally

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Streetlight shone through a grimy window of the old warehouse, the only light flickering from a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. Spider-man,still in his damaged Velocity suit, stood before an assembled group: Daredevil, a stoic figure in his crimson garb, Jessica Jones, her face a mask of world-weariness, Luke Cage, radiating quiet power, and Iron Fist, his golden glow a beacon in the gloom. Black Cat, perched nonchalantly on a crate, added a touch of feline elegance to the gritty scene.

"Alright, team," Spider-man began, his voice strained from the events of the day. "Here's the situation. Kingpin's goons are holding Haley's mom hostage at Metro General. The kid was just entangled with them because she wanted to earn some money for her treatment."

Haley, perched on a nearby stack of crates, bristled. "You should have let me burn! I wouldn't have let them hurt anyone!"

Spider-man held up a hand, his voice calm despite the anger simmering in Haley's eyes. "Easy there, Haley. We're going to get her back. But we need a plan."

Iron Fist stepped forward, his voice low. "Let Jessica and I handle the hospital. We can break her out discreetly."

Jessica scoffed. "Discretionary isn't exactly my strong suit, Fist. But I can handle some thugs."

Luke Cage cracked a grin. "Sounds like a plan. You two get the mom, we'll follow Spidey to Kingpin's new base. Find out what he's been up to."

Haley, however, darted towards Spider-man, apprehension etched on her face. "What about me? I can help!"

"Not this time, Haley." Spider-man knelt before her, his voice firm but gentle. "Kingpin's expecting either you or us."

Haley bit her lip, fists clenching and unclenching. "But how can I just sit here?"

Spider-man placed a hand on her shoulder, a reassuring squeeze. "You have a role to play, too. When Kingpin sees you're not with me, he'll think I lost track of you. It might buy us some time."

Haley looked unconvinced, but after a long moment, she nodded hesitantly. "Alright. But if anything happens to my mom..."

"We'll get her back, Haley. I promise."

Spider-man, his gaze flickering between them, shifted gears. "Now, the real challenge," he said, unfurling another map with a red circled location in the industrial district. "This is the address you mentioned, Haley. Kingpin's new base – where he's hiding the stolen SHIELD tech."

Haley, her face etched with a newfound determination, confirmed, "That's it. I saw one of Fisk's men mention it on a security feed back at the lab."

Black Cat, who had been watching the exchange with amusement, perched herself on the arm of Spider-man's chair, her leather suit whispering against his. "So, a daring reconnaissance mission, Spidey? Sounds like fun."

"Recon only, Cat," Spider-man emphasized, avoiding eye contact. He focused back on the map. "We need a visual confirmation before we jump in."

"Spoil sport," Black Cat teased, her voice brushing against his ear, sending a shiver down his spine he desperately tried to ignore.

Suddenly, Haley piped up, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Hey, Kingpin's goons are going to be wondering where I went, right?"

Spider-man and the Defenders exchanged wary glances.

"What are you thinking?" Black Cat purred, her amusement evident.

"I can handle it," Haley insisted, her voice gaining strength. "Let them think I lost Spider-man. It'll buy us some time."