Starting Over

I think that it goes without saying that the only thing I own in regards to fictional writing is this story plot, and nothing else. Spiderman, and all of its characters are owned by Marvel, or Stan Lee, or whoever holds the power. As for the story itself, I wrote it simply because I feel that Spider-Man settled for Mary Jane, when he could've done so much better. So, enjoy.

New York, Manhattan specifically. If you've ever been there, the name alone makes you think of a giant bustling metropolis. A place where cars are constantly flying down the streets. A city where there are so many lights that it turns night into day. A city that watched a terrible tragedy happen years ago near the end of summer, that forever changed the country.

Most people spend days touring the city, and always looking up. They look up at the skyscrapers, and realize just how small they are in the world. Everyone else, the people who live there though, just try to go about their lives. They go to there nine to five job, head home, and get up to do it all over again. And a certain reporter was asking himself, 'why'?

Peter Parker was taking the long walk home from the local college where he was now working. It wasn't the high end, Ivy-League career he was looking for, but it was honest work, and it beat just selling photos of himself to the Daily Bugle. He looked up, it was evening, and while he had his preferred evening wear with him, he had chosen to walk home. The reason why was that it would take him substantially longer to get there. So that he wouldn't be smirking too much when he walked through the door.

For the past few weeks, he and the love of his life, Mary Jane, to but it lightly had been having 'problems'. It was always over the same thing, his 'after-work' activities. He had just come home, and was rather proud of himself. He had stopped to muggings, and an attempted rape. Sure, the rapist had gotten in a few good hits, and yeah, he was even able to slash him across the chest with a knife. But Spider-Man had won, and the guy was strung up from a street pole, while the woman ran home, screaming her thanks.

When he dragged himself through the window to their apartment, he moved quietly, so as not to not wake his sleeping love. He crept to the bathroom, and closed the door behind him. He pulled the shirt off, and examined the slash. He knew it would scar, but was thankful that he didn't have to get it stitched shut. That hurt like hell, and his stitches were almost never even.( Author's Note: This is true, I have stitched myself shut, and the scars are just ugly.) Grabbing the bottle of peroxide, he doused himself, hissing because of the sting, but glad that it was clean.

"Peter," he turned to see MJ standing there, with a look of utter terror on her face. He merely smiled, and placed the bottle back in the cabinet behind the mirror.

"I'm fine MJ, he just grazed me," he said, walking out of the room. He wandered to their bed and laid down closing his eyes, not even bothering to change out of the bottom half of his costume. He sensed her presence near the bed. And opened one eye to see her glaring at him, anger and fear in her eyes.

"Peter," she whispered. He noticed that she had sat down on the bed and took his hand in hers, and he dreaded at what was coming. "I want you to stop doing this." He groaned, pulling his hand from hers.

"MJ, we talked about this, I just can't stop-,"

"Why NOT!" She yelled, this caused his to lean back slightly. He knew that she was just worried for him, who wouldn't be. But the way she was acting, it was surprising to him. "I stay up all FUCKING night, worried that someone is going to find you dead in an alley, or worse. Someone, Doc Ock, the Kingpin, Venom, will be standing in the middle of Times Square with your head on a stick, cheering that you are DEAD!" He was angry now, how could she think he was so weak, that he could be brought down so easily. Peter had proven time and again that he would win, that he would only bend, and never break. He had even told her exactly why he did this every night.

"You think that I wanted this life?" Peter whispered back to her. "I never wanted this life!" He could feel his temper rising. "All I wanted was a normal life, to have a girlfriend, to go to college, and get married, get the little house with a picket fence. But NO WAY!" He was screaming now, and a small part of him was glad that she was now backing away, now on the defensive. A small part that was growing steadily larger. "I was given these gifts, and wasting them cost me my Uncle, the man who for all intents and purposes was my father. I made a promise to him that no one would ever have to suffer what happened to me, and I DAMN sure plan to keep it." He rose, walking back to the bathroom to retrieve his mask and upper suit.

"WHERE the HELL do you thing you're going!" She yelled, storming after him as he approached the window. He turned back to her, and let MJ feel the venom in his voice.

"To get some air." He leapt from the window, and fired a string of web-line, desperate to be anywhere but there. He could hear he yelling as he passed their neighboring building.

"WE'RE NOT FINISHED!"

When Peter had come home before sunrise, she was asleep, but he could feel her anger at him. For the next two weeks, they kept up the same argument, and each time it ended the same, with him walking, or in most cases, web slinging away. So he was surprised when he got her message on his desk phone.

'Peter, I know we've been fighting, but I want you to come home right after work, I think I know what we have to do. I love you, MJ.' "Thank God she's seen the light," he muttered. When he got to their building, he was almost taking the stairs three at a time. Peter was excited, they could now put all of this behind them. As he opened the door, he closed it with a smile on his face, and was surprised at what he saw.

Peter saw Mary Jane, sitting at their bed, with his old battered suit case. "What's going on MJ?" He asked, already dreading the answer. She stood up, taking the case in her hand and walked towards him.

"Peter, I can't do this anymore." She handed him the case. To Peter's credit, he didn't start to yell, or cry, he simply stood there, understanding what she was saying. Hell, you didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that she was dumping him and kicking him out of their apartment.

"So, this is it huh?" He said, digging out his key and throwing it onto the floor. "I guess you need the normal life right?" He turned and headed towards the door, surprised that he wasn't more upset. Inwardly, he smiled slightly. He always had a feeling that they were never going to last. He just never had the heart to give her up. He had been being selfish, lying to her, telling her he still loved her so that she wouldn't leave. But now that she wanted him gone, he was actually feeling better about himself.

"That's all you can say, 'so this is it'. I'm breaking up with YOU!" Peter turned towards her yell, and found he didn't have the energy to argue. He simply nodded, and continued towards the door.

"Mary Jane," he turned to look at her one last time. "I'm sorry, but I just don't care anymore." He watched as his words slowly, very slowly, sunk into the redhead. But sure enough, second the gears started turning, he could feel her rage beginning to flow. "I thought we could work through this, but I guess that a few weeks ago, that fight was the last. Good luck." He smirked then. "Stay out of trouble, the last thing I want is to save my ex from some super-criminal."

"You BAST-," he didn't let her finish as he closed the door. He walked calmly down the stairs of the apartment complex. When he reached the bottom, and exited the building he stood outside feeling free. Peter realized now that he had settled for the redhead, Mary Jane. Sure, she was nice, and beautiful, but that seemed to be all she was. She lacked substance, intelligence, and rarely challenged him. Just once when he would've come home, would it have killed her to ask, 'how did everything go tonight?'

"OW!" He found himself stirred from his revelry when something hard hit him in the back of his head. Looking down, he noticed what looked like a shattered coffee cup. His senses suddenly felt like they were on fire, and he stepped two feet to the left, narrowly avoiding a second. Peter looked up, and could just make out a fuming Mary Jane hanging out her window. Peter merely smiled and waved before walking away. "So long MJ."

Peter walked for what seemed like only a few minutes, when in reality, it had been for over an hour, when he spotted his building. It was a beat up apartment building in one of the older industrial districts of the city. Before he had gotten serious with MJ, he would stay here. People rarely looked up around here, and it was a nice place to stay when he had to lick his wounds.

As he climbed the side of the building, he entered through his window, and looked around. Granted, he hadn't been there in months, and it was dusty, but thankfully no one had broken in. He slightly regretted using his Bugle money to keep paying the rent, but was now immediately grateful that he had. It was just a studio style apartment with a large bed in the corner with a beaten dresser and table. A plain white bathroom/photography room off of the main room, and a countertop separating the kitchen from the bedroom/living room.

He smiled as he noticed his weight machines tucked in a corner next to the bed. After the first time he had beaten Venom, he had decided to bulk up. Using the equipment, he had managed to increase his strength and endurance. Sure, he was no where near what he was when he had the symbiote, but the work still gave him an edge. Besides, he got plenty of looks from people other than Mary Jane.

Peter walked over to the closet and after opening it, smiled. Inside was a suit somewhat like his red one, but in basic design only. The fabric was jet black, and heavier than his current one. He had managed to get a type of Kevlar weave to use as the fabric, and emphasized the web patterns with silver. The chest and the back were slightly bulkier, but that was due to the ceramic plates that sat there. With those, he thought, I might not have to worry so much when someone points a gun at me. He held the suit up to himself and figured that maybe tonight he would take it for a test drive. Maybe swing downtown and show them all that spidey is back in black.

Throwing the suit back into the closet, Peter walked over to the bed, and sitting down, reached over to grab the picture that sat on a beaten table. It was of his aunt, Mary Jane, and himself. All smiles without any cares. He slid the photo out of its frame, and carefully tore her picture out of it. When it was done, and back in its frame, again, Peter was surprised at himself. He had just broken up with the woman he loved, and then tolerated, and had been kicked out of his home. And all in one day. Any yet, he felt no sadness, only relief. "Maybe that's the point." He spoke to the room, not really expecting an answer. He reached for the phone, and dialed his aunt. He had to tell her what happened, and where she could now reach him. He knew that this was going to hurt her, but he really wasn't too worried. Aunt May was a sweet, strong woman, and the only thing she really cared about was that he was happy. If he explained it to her just right she would understand, hopefully. "Hello, Aunt May, its Peter…"

Three hours, and a bucket of tears from his aunt later, Peter was walking towards the Daily Bugle. He had also spent an hour of those three talking with the school. Peter had told them that he was sorry but he needed some time off, to go on sabbatical, and they believed him, asking him to consider coming back in the future. He might go back there one day, but right now he needed a change. As he entered the Bugle, everything about it came back, and he could even hear his boss screaming about something.

As he approached Jameson's office, he could smell the smoke from his cigars. Peter had yet to meet the man since the smoking ban went into effect, but wasn't surprised that when he opened the door a cloud of smoke drifted out. "Close the door Parker! You're letting my air out!" Peter quickly complied and turn to face his employer. Jameson was a decent man, whose life had been hard. Peppered hair, and a wiry body, he looked more like a bartender than the head of a newspaper. He motioned for Peter to sit as he lit another cigar. He looked around, and Peter could see that he had added more to his wall of, 'Spider-Man: Friend or Menace?' Peter couldn't really find the effort to hate the way the man felt about Spider-Man anymore. Not anymore.

When Peter hand run into him at a bar over six years ago. Jameson could barely sit on his stool, he was so drunk. What surprised Peter the most was that the man was crying. Peter had seen this same man treat any person who was remotely near him without an ounce of human dignity, but here he seemed to be the essence of humanity. "Peter," he slurred, drawing him under an arm. Jameson reached for his glass, and after draining it, signaled for another.

"Peter, I just want you to know that this is the only time I ever get drunk anymore, is this day." He lifted the glass to his lips, and missing, poured it over his shoes. Not phased, the man signaled for yet another.

"Mr. Jameson, I think you've had," Peter reached for the glass, but the old man moved his hand suddenly.

"I don't hate Spider-Man kid," he mumbled without warning. To say that Peter was shocked, would have been an understatement. "I hate what he represents. If he's so good, why hide his face?" He turned to Peter, and he could sense that his boss was holding something back.

"What's wrong Mr. Jameson?" His boss looked to his empty glass and set it down. Peter watched as the old man rubbed his face, and when he finished, Peter could see the tears in Jameson's eyes.

"It's the day I lost them Peter. Ya see kid, when I first got started…" Peter had listened to his boss tell how his first wife and child had been killed by a man in a mask. How they had died because he wanted to expose evil to the world, and how their deaths were on his hands because of a man wearing a mask. He explained how when he saw Spider-Man, all he could see was that man standing over his wife and child, pulling the trigger.

And that's why he doesn't like or trust Spider-Man. If he was as good as he claimed, and wanted to help people so badly, why not become a doctor, or a police officer, he had said. Then he said something that surprised Peter even more. "Parker," Peter smiled, it sounded like he was starting to sober up. "You remind me a lot of myself." Jameson dug in his pockets and pulled out a wad of wrinkled twenties, laying them on the bar. "If you ever want to go full time as a photographer, just say so." He pulled on his jacket, and stumbled to the door. Peter followed, and as he helped his employer into a taxi, he started to realize that even though Jameson was a bull-headed ass, he was also one of the best men he had ever had the chance to know.

Returning to the moment, Peter squinted through the cloudy haze to his employer. "Mr. Jameson?" He looked up from the papers on his desk, pulling the cigar from his mouth. "I was wondering if that full time photographer offer was still on the table?"

He watched as Jameson grew a smirk and stood up, dusting the ashes off of his slacks. "What's the matter kid, the school get tired of you?" He took another pull from his cigar and added to the cloud in the air.

"No sir, I left them, I needed a change. To start over." Peter let that statement hang in the air as his boss appraised him. He then laughed and stuck out his hand.

"Kid, ya got gumption. Start bringing me more pictures of Spider-Man. And that other one." He turned and sat back at his desk.

"What other one?" He watched as his employer gave him a look and started to speak slower, as if he was foreign.

"The. Other. One. Parker. The girl with the black body suit. Black Cat. She's been sighted around town." Peter felt the words hit, and locked up. Black Cat, Felicia, aww hell. "Parker, get your ass moving, I'm not paying you to sit around."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Jameson." Peter exited the cloud, and breathed the fresh air of the office. Black Cat in town. Things just got interesting.

He swung from one building to the other, immediately grateful for continuing to use the weight equipment before trying on the black suit. Sure, it was heavier, and made his shoulders sting slightly, but he was now breaking the suit in, and enjoying himself. The one bonus was that with the added weight, he was able to swing farther. As he landed on some random building, he took a moment to look around. As far as he could tell, Peter figured that he was deep in the Plaza District. He had never known Felicia to deny herself the finer things in life. If she was really back in town, then this would probably be the heart of her territory.

He sat down on the ledge, looking down at the cars and people running around, and Peter felt his mind drift back to when he first met the Black Cat. How she had pretty much mopped the floor with his ass, and then kissed him and ran off. He could still smell the perfume she wore, it was Amor Amor by Cacharel. In his defense, it wasn't because he was some creepy stalker. But the smell drove him insane, and he had to find out what it was. He even almost bought a bottle for MJ, but was worried me might call her someone else in bed, and lose her. Peter took a deep breath then, and thought he could smell her, but knew he was wrong, he was up on the roof, sadly by himself. He had to remind himself to stop thinking about the redhead. She was gone, and he surprised himself because he was happy. He could finally be himself, could stop denying what he was. He was Peter Parker, and he was Spider-Man.

He stood up at the ledge and was getting ready to move when he saw her. Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat. She was running along a rooftop across the street, and near as he could tell, she hadn't seen him. He could see the light from below and the moon gleaming off of the black leather outfit she wore. He couldn't tell from the distance he was at. But he was almost sure that she was wearing it tighter than normal. He also noticed that she had the suit opened along her chest more than she normally did, and that suited him just fine.

He surprised himself again that day; he was shamelessly staring at her, and feeling no guilt. Any other time, a certain redhead would enter his mind, but all he could think about was hearing her voice, and maybe catching a whiff of her scent. Dammit Peter, she's gone. He looked to her, as she decided which way to go. Go over and say hi, hell she might want to do more. That's when the idea crossed his mind. "Cat, you always did like to play games." He jumped from the building, and swung low, making sure that he was following her. Out of her line of vision. "Why don't I play one?"

Felicia stopped at after she had vaulted to the next building. She did enjoy these night runs. A part of her wished that she could just stop being Felicia and give herself over completely to Black Cat. She had been back in New York for two weeks after finishing school. According to her mother, she was now smart enough to take over the family business, and it was time for her to come home. But this wasn't home. Her home was with the wall-crawler. She missed their games. She missed being able to get into his head, and get to him. Make him want her the way she wanted him.

She could still remember when she first met him. She had just robbed a jewelry store for the King Pin, and there he was all blue and red and male. She didn't say anything, just went right at him. He was stronger than her, but all she had to do was give him some puppy dog eyes, and then he was on the ground, passed out.

She had knelt over him, and straddling his hips, waited for him to wake up. The second he had, she rolled the bottom of his mask up and kissed him. What surprised her more than anything, was that his arms wrapped around her. After they broke away, she purred and stretched out over him. "See ya around Spider," she whispered, before knocking him back into unconsciousness.

She remembered all the times they worked together, and how he always seemed to hold back, how he always seemed to have his girlfriend. She hissed then, and swiped at the surrounding brick wall with her claws. "That girl better realize just how lucky she is." She knew that he had wanted her, and yet he held back, he stayed with whoever she was. She was a good boyfriend.

She turned to leave when she felt a presence behind her. As Felicia turned, she saw nothing but the darkness. Again she turned to leave, when she found she couldn't.

Felicia looked down, and saw that her heels were now stuck to the roof. She leaned over, and saw that a sticky substance held her tight. "Spider?" She looked around, her heart racing, normally she needed to rob someone to get him to follow. Never had he sought her out, or taken the initiative when they met. It made her heart race. Using her claws, she managed to get one foot loose, and was working on the other when she heard a voice.

"Kitty get stuck?" She looked and saw him step out of the shadows. It was Spider-Man, and it wasn't. He was covered in black and silver. He even appeared to have bulked up even more than when she last saw him. She would have thought that it was someone else, but that voice, and the way he stood, told her that it was him.

"Yes I did," she bent over and resumed her work. She heard him walk around her and stop behind her. She could feel his presence and had to keep from shaking. When he didn't say anything, she finished freeing herself, and stood up, turning around to face him. "Did you see something you liked?" She tilted her head and smiled, placing her hands on her hips. He wanted to play games, she was more than willing.

"Maybe I did," he again started to circle her, and she could feel his eyes on her. What happened to him, she thought. He's never this much fun. He stopped in front of her, and she watched, wishing she could see what his eyes were doing. "How long have you been in town Cat?" He took a step towards her, and she stood her ground, letting him enter her personal space. He raised his hand and touched her cheek, and she shuddered.

Felicia took a step back, surprised. He was never this aggressive. Sure he would flirt and play, but now he was playing for keeps. This was new territory for her. "You're not scared of little old me are you?" She could hear a low laugh as he finished his sentence. She could almost see the smirk under his mask, and there was nothing she could do. She let him into her personal space again, and found herself blushing like she was back in middle school. He leaned in close to her, and she could feel his breath on her neck. "Amor Amor," he muttered.

She pulled back from him, and raised her eyes to his. "How did you know?" He tilted his head, as if he was trying to figure out how to answer her question. "How," she purred, walking towards him. Felicia smirked as he took a step back, and she felt like she was in control again, "did you know what I wear?" She kept pushing him until he was backed up against the edge. She watched as he raised himself up, until he was a full head taller than her. He seemed to gain his dominance then, and she could feel those eyes staring at her, like they wanted to nothing more than take her there on the roof.

"I sometimes enjoy the finer things in life," he whispered, leaning close to her ear. She could feel him breathing against her skin, causing her to shudder. "Such as the company of a beautiful woman," he leaned even closer to her, and she panicked as his arms encircled her waist. "Whose very scent drives me crazy. Who haunts my every thought, who makes me want to show her who I really am." Felicia had been working up a flirty comeback, but was unprepared as his mouth crashed down against hers.

Peter had finally realized that this woman, this Goddess is what his life had been missing. Sure, MJ, she had been safe, but Felicia, the Black Cat, she was life. She wanted him. He could feel it as she moaned into his mouth, and he clawed hands attacked his back. He had even impressed himself that he had removed his mask before she knew what had happened. Peter realized that he had taken a risk, she knew who Peter Parker was, but now she knew that he was also Spider-Man.

When they separated, Felicia needed a moment. The man she had wanted for years, who had always kept his distance from her, had just kissed her. Incredibly well. As she leaned against one of the rooftop air conditioners. She raised her face, and felt her jaw drop. Spider-Man, the Spider-Man, was Peter Parker. He stood where he was, and she could see his smile in the night. "Peter, you're Spider-Man!" He just laughed then, and moved towards her. When he reached her, he again wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close.

"Yeah I am, that a problem?" She pushed him away gently, and turned from him. Peter walked around her to look at her face. "Felicia, What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She looked at him, and he could see unshed tears in her eyes. "What's wrong is that you're with Mary Jane, Peter!" She started to openly cry then, and Peter felt his heart stop. He had never seen something so beautiful cry. It was destroying him. He tried to reach for her, but she stepped away. "I can't be the other woman Parker!" Peter shook his head, and grabbed her, spinning her into his arms. She continued to cry, and Peter held her against him. Even when she tried to pull away he held her, refusing to let go.

"Felicia," she looked up at him, and he wiped her tears away, smearing her eye liner in the process. "Mary Jane and I broke up today. She couldn't stand my life." He looked down at her, and he saw something change in her eyes. "And to tell you the truth, I don't think I really loved her the last few months we were together. I think you were right. We should give it a shot. I mean what I said before, you drive me craz-" Peter didn't get the chance to finish speaking because Felicia threw herself at him. Causing them to topple onto the roof.

When they finally separated, Felicia passed him his mask. As he secured it, Peter found her staring at him. "What's wrong?" She merely smiled, and with hips swaying, walked up to him.

"Nothing Spider, just appreciating how good you look in black." He shook his head and followed her to the edge. "Why did you go to black?"

"I needed to start over, and I guess I was listening to AC/DC when I thought of this," he said, gesturing to the suit. "Like they say, its good to be back in black." She laughed then, and he smiled under his mask. Enjoying hearing her happy.

"So where do we go from here?" She asked. Without answering, he pulled her close and dove off the roof. As they swung, Peter was rather satisfied. Its nice to carry a woman without her screaming in your ear. When they got to his apartment, Cat merely grinned, looking from the bed to the man beside her. "You're a bad boy spider."

"What are you going to do about it?" He asked. In response to his statement, Peter couldn't help but think that Felicia was gorgeous in her black cat suit. But she was incredible out of it.

Mary Jane left for the theatre the next day feeling good. She had finally gone out with her co-star, Eric, and he was such a gentleman. He had walked her to his car. Had opened the door for her, and had even paid when she insisted that the each pay half. It was nice to have a guy who didn't disappear every time he heard a police siren. When she got off the bus though, he attitude changed completely. On the billboard above the business was the Daily Bugle showing off its newest photos of Spider-Man. On it he was wearing black, which she instantly despised, but what made her angrier was that he was holding that woman, dress like a slut with a thing for cats close, kissing her through his mask. Below the two, red lettered blared, 'SPIDER-MAN: BACK IN BLACK." "Asshole," she muttered, walking into what had just become a real shitty day.

There you go. I might be willing to write more about these two, if I get at least one review.

Take it Easy

-N