Super Human? •PETER PARKER 2•

Chapter 16

I find myself listening for any sign of Spider-Man and Black Cat. I just want to find out if she has put two and two together. I run a little further down the sidewalk and look at my fully charged phone. I'd been out here for 20 minutes and can't hear or see anything resembling a crime. "Where are they?" I ask myself. I listen more and just hear sounds of the city. I sigh and lean on a wall. What am I doing? I roll my eyes and start walking back to my apartment. "Get it together Stella," I say to myself. "It doesn't matter. You don't like him," I say as I walk into campus. As I walk I still find myself zoning out to city sounds. I'm still listening for Peter, like a dummy. "Stop it," i whisper to myself putting in one of my AirPods.

"New dance move there, I like it," I hear Felicia say. I stop and perk up looking around but not seeing any sign of her.

"Thought I'd take a different lesson since you've been gone," Peter says sounding a little out of breath.

"I've been doing research," Felicia says. I can feel her smile. I start running anywhere to try and find them anywhere so I can see what's going on.

"You know, I've kind of missed these dances. Gives me some work to do," Spider-Man says.

"Am I just a job to you?" Black Cat asks sounding flirty. I hear gravel being moved as if someone is walking on it or laying on it. I jump up on a roof and look around. Any sign of red would be helpful, unless he changed his suit again.

"I'm not sure yet," Spider-Man replies. "Could you be more?" He asks sounding normal and cool. I jump to another roof top further away from my apartment, actually closer to Peter's, and spot a little spot of white blonde across the way. I move closer and see Black Cat is on top of Spider-Man pinning him down. She very close to his masked face. She gets up and steps back away from him as he gets up. He rubs his wrist and steps closer to her.

"Do you want me to be more?" Black Cat asks. She's not using her normal flirty tone that she normally has with guys. She's calm and cool and the register of her voice is lower. Actually sounds deeper like she's not putting on a performance.

"I can't trust you," Spider-Man says lightly. "I want to, but you know I can't." She nods looking down at his hand which is still rubbing his wrist.

"Did I hurt you?" She asks. Looks down and shakes his head.

"I'll be alright," he says. She looks back up at where his eyes should be and breathes. I move a little closer hiding behind an air conditioning system. Spider-Man perks up and looks around.

"What's wrong?" Black Cat asks.

"Someone's here," Spider-Man says. I widen my eyes and look down and my feet which did make a lot of noise in the gravel. Black Cat gets a nervous look on her face.

"Who?" She asks starting to step away from Spider-Man ready to run. Spider-Man shrugs. He looks around again and I cover my mouth to avoid my breathing being any louder. He knows I follow them, but would he want her to know?

"I think I'm just paranoid," Spider-Man says.

"I'm not willing to risk that, I can't be seen with you," she says starting to jump but he quickly grabs her knocking her to the ground and pinning her down.

"We aren't done," he says.

"Get off of me!" She hisses at him.

"No! Not until we finish."

"You know it's interesting Spider right after I told you about that woman in Queens she went MIA. The people at the shelter said she was going on vacation but nobody knew where," Black Cat explains. Spider-Man's grip seems to loosen on her arm. "Don't you think that's interesting? The minute I give you the slightest bit of insight you take it and have the woman leave the city?" She adds.

"Why are you telling me this?" Spider-Man asks sounding angry.

"Because you've now made it obvious to Fisk that she did mean something to you." Spider-Man let's go of Black Cat and steps back from her as she flips her way up to her feet.

"Maybe this woman just left on her own accord," Spider-Man says.

"Or someone told her she might be in danger and snuck her away somewhere?" Black Cat crossed her arms and steps closer to Spider-Man. I can feel how nervous Peter is. Like he's blown his cover. "Don't worry, Fisk isn't looking for her," Black Cat adds.

"It was a pawn?" Spider-Man questions. "You set me up," he says grabbing her arm again.

"I'm telling you Spider if I was setting you up I'd be better and hiding my tracks. I'm telling you this to help the trust," she says tipping her arm back away from him.

"I just told you-

"Why'd you kiss me if you didn't trust me?" She asks. She gets really close to him pinning him up against the door to the inside of the building. Spider-Man is silent for a moment and he shrugs.

"I don't know," he says lightly. "I think I want to trust you," he adds. She looks down at where his lips would be and back up at him. "I just don't know how." He lifts part of his mask and kisses her. She kisses back and I turn away. Feels weird that Felicia is able to kiss Peter as Spider-Man but not as Peter. Maybe I'm getting played. I turn back and see she's gone and he's pulled his mask back down.

"Where'd she go?" I ask myself. Spider-Man looks around and I cover my mouth again. He walks around a bit and shakes his head.

"She was supposed to stay in," he thinks and then swings away. I bite my lip as I watch him go. He must know I was listening and watching, but it's unclear why he didn't say anything.