Spider-Man: Love Across Dimensions

Escalating Threat

"So..." Peter muttered awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking off to the side. "Looks like we got paired together..."

"Yeah...looks like we did..." Cindy said, averting her gaze as she felt the awkward tension growing between them. They were both clinging to the side of the Empire State Building, gazing out at the sprawling New York City skyline in front of them. But, even though they were several feet apart, Cindy could still feel her pheromones subtly working on both of them. "Let's uh...let's have a good patrol."

"Sure, let's get out there." Peter said as he released a light sigh, feeling himself being drawn toward Cindy. "Okay, Parker, complete mental fortitude! Resist those pheromones and keep it in your damn pants!"

"Peter. Cindy. Do you copy?"

"We hear you loud and clear, Natasha..." Peter said, pulling his mask down as Black Widow's voice rang into his ear. "What have you got for us?"

"I've picked up police reports that Vulture is attacking a lab near your position. They've got some pretty valuable tech he might be trying to steal. All the other patrols are currently busy dealing with other threats. So, I need you two to handle this one."

"You think this may have something to do with Kingpin?" Cindy asked as she pulled up her facemask and glanced over at Peter. "He could be trying to steal parts they need."

"I'd be surprised if this wasn't related to Kingpin." Peter said, crossing his arms as his feet still kept him attached to the building. "Fisk is planning something big, so he's probably trying to get every criminal he can onto his payroll."

"That...that sounds like a big problem." Cindy said in an uneasy tone as her brow furrowed slightly, rubbing the back of her head. "How exactly are we supposed to stop him? He could have an army."

"For the record, I've gone up against some seriously insane odds and somehow came out on top." Peter said, watching as Natasha relayed information to the HUD in his mask. "So, I actually like our odds."

"Don't worry, Cindy. I'm pulling some strings to try and get us more support. So, don't count us out just yet. "

"Wow, you both sound so confident." Cindy said with a chuckle before she released a light sigh. "I wish I could be confident like that."

"You're still new to this whole hero thing, Cindy. Your confidence will increase as you get more experience. So, don't beat yourself up." Peter said, leaping away from the side of the building and firing off a line of webbing as the pair began to swing toward Vulture's position. "You should have seen me when I first started out. I. Was. Terrible. I'm lucky more people didn't get hurt with how often I screwed up."

"He's right, Cindy. I've some YouTube videos of his early work and...woof. It wasn't good. Trust me, you're doing stellar compared to this goober. "

"Okay! Okay! Give me a break!" Peter exclaimed as he springboarded off a water tower to launch himself forward. "When did this turn into a Parker roast session!?"

"I'm sorry, Peter. But, I must concur with Ms. Romanov. I've analyzed footage from the beginning of your career and it was...less than optimal."

"Oh, come on, not you too Karen..." Peter groaned, running his hand down his masked face. "I'm being attacked from every angle here." After performing a rapid loop-de-loop off a street light to gain a boost of speed, Peter looked back at Cindy and noticed that she was managing to keep pace with him fairly well. "Hey, Cindy, could I maybe get a compliment? I feel like I'm getting bullied by these two."