Spider-Man: A New Spiral

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***

Peter and Mary's flat.

Spider-Man.

"Yeah, after that conversation, he did the right thing," Peter recalled angrily.

Parker was having tea with the ladies of the Watson family when the door swung open and Philip burst into the living room with a bouquet of wild roses. He hadn't even changed his trousers. He was on his knees begging for forgiveness and after saying he didn't deserve his family, he left for the hotel vowing to send divorce papers and leave them alone forever.

To say everyone was shocked is an understatement.

At first I was glad that everything was going to work out as planned, except that after the divorce proceedings were finalised, Watson went into hiding rather than surrendering to the police. Yes, he was sacked from the university after his disappearance, but he remained at large. Which is why Grace and her now husband moved closer to us. She's still afraid he's waiting for the right time to come back.

For his own good, I hope he escaped to Canada and hunkered down in the far north.

Whatever hatred and desire to kill I might feel for the man, he is Mary's father and if I did what I promised him, she would not forgive. She might understand and even accept it, but she wouldn't forgive.

- Tiger?

I was pulled from my unpleasant musings by the girl's cheerful voice.

- Em?

- Cheer up, eat your breakfast," the redhead kissed me on the cheek and began to put food on my plate, "I'll calm Gail down and everything will be fine. Besides, when I still have Timmy to babysit.

- You're a great aunt," I grinned, visibly calmer.

- And I'll be a great mother," Carrot-top said proudly, taking a sip of coffee.

That innocent comment made me freeze, as I remembered the details of last night's sex.

- Honey," I begin gently, "are you on the pill?

Mary looked at me perplexed, and then understanding lit up in her emerald eyes.

- Of course I do, Tiger," the redhead said with a slight smirk, "Why, does the prospect of fatherhood scare you?

- Are you laughing? I would be happy, - I rub the back of my head, - just not now.

- Okay, relax, Spider, I'm not pregnant, - the girl continues the exchange of barbs, chewing the omelette.

- I'm relaxed," I reply slightly offended, "so you're going to your sister's for a few days?

- That's right," the redhead confirms.

- I see, - I nod affirmatively, - by the way, Fey is coming back soon from Europe, you invited her to stay with us, do you think she will agree?

Mary suddenly stops.

Flashback.

February 2012.

The Italian Sign Café.

Mary Jane Watson.

I still don't understand how Peter talked me into this?

I lean back in my chair and stare out the window.

It was snowing in New York City for the first time in a long time. Millions of snowflakes swirled in the wind, and it was freezing cold. The weather forecasters had promised it wouldn't last a fortnight. But Mary savoured every minute of it. She loved the cold.

Suddenly the redhead thought of Peter.

I wondered if Tiger was getting cold in his spandex. Though he had said something about having solved that problem.

Turning her head, the girl looked around the room where she was taken: spacious enough, but cosy at the same time, dim light, floor lined with bog-coloured wood, several dozens of tables at a sufficient distance from each other, with soft sofas instead of chairs near the wall.

Not the most expensive place, but not cheap either. It's pretty average.

- Sorry I'm late.

Mary flinched when the girl sat down across from her.

She'd been so preoccupied that she'd missed the girl she'd come here to meet.

What can I say? Felicia Hardy was beautiful and looked quite powerful. It looked like she'd come to the meeting after a meeting or something work-related. This was indicated by her slightly tired appearance and her clothes: a cream leather jacket, the same skirt, a rather severe blouse and slip-on shoes.

When Mary Googled everything about the girl named, Felicia Hardy, she learnt that she was the daughter of Lydia Hardy, a famous businesswoman from Europe. They have several large trust funds and a small private pharmaceutical company. Felicia is twenty-four years old, has a degree in economics and is basically, as the reporters state, beginning to learn from her mother the basics of running their family business.

Also, as Peter said, this blonde likes to wear a latex suit, run around on rooftops and steal.

- It's not latex," Felicia suddenly said, leafing through the menu.

- Excuse me? - The green-eyed girl asked in surprise.

- I'm sure that anyone who learns my secret, the first thing to think about the suit, so I say, it's mostly made of special leather materials, not latex, - it seems that the girl was fundamentally important, - it even has special elements in the form of fur.

- Have you thought about cat ears? - The redhead suddenly said, "I'm sorry...

But Felicia laughed merrily.

- How come I didn't realise it myself? - After laughing, the blonde asked a rhetorical question.

Once again there was silence, but not so heavy, some kind of contact was established.

- Why this place? - MJ asked.

- Um, well our 'mutual friend' told me that you don't really want to meet at a particularly expensive place. And I'm not allowed to go to a regular pizza place. Reputation. So this cafe became a neutral zone," Hardy explained.

A waiter came to the table.

Mary was a little nervous, because she had not even opened the menu, plunged into thought.

Fey, however, noticed it.

- Me and my friend your Friday dish, two Caesar salads, two coffees, and for dessert tiramisu and, - the blonde raised her eyes at the girl, grinning at something, - honeydew.

The waiter wrote down the order and left.

- A friend? - MJ raised an eyebrow questioningly.

- Would you rather I said me and my beautiful stranger? - Cat quipped.

Against her will, the redhead's cheeks flushed slightly.

- And before they bring the order, I suggest we get acquainted properly, Felicia Hardy, - the blonde extended her hand to the interlocutor.

- Mary Jane Watson," the redhead held out her hand, "but my friends call me MJ.

The girls shook hands.

- It's so... strange," Hardy said, resuming the conversation again.

- Anything in particular or the situation in general? - The green-eyed girl shared her mood.

- The fact that we're basically meeting because of someone who isn't even around.

- Yes," Watson nodded.

- What's he like? - Felicia asked, "I mean, without a costume?

- Do you want to play twenty questions and find out what he looks like? - Mary asked tensely.

- No, no, - the blonde hurriedly corrected herself, - I'm wondering if he behaves differently in a suit and in normal life. I just have to," Fey pointed to her clothes.

Having received an explanation of the reason for the questioning, Mary calmed down a little.

- Well, he doesn't jump on rooftops in a shirt and jeans," the redhead smiles slightly, "but he makes the same amount of silly jokes.

- Do you think his jokes are stupid too? - The blonde perks up at the thought that she's found a like-minded friend.

- They're cute at times, but most of the time....

- You know," Fey rolls her eyes like MJ, "we stopped a crime once, he tied up the bandits with his web and you know what he said?

- "Looks like you guys are in trouble?" - Mary prayed he'd come up with something better.

- Yeah, that's exactly what he said! - The girls slapped their faces with their palms in sync and then laughed.

- Still, it's more of a cute thing.

- Maybe," Felicia replied. - Can I be honest?

Mary nodded.

- 'I didn't expect you to be so...ordinary.

- Believe me, Mary Jane Watson is full of surprises," the redhead said a little harshly.

- I didn't mean to offend," Fey's voice was beginning to growl, "ordinary in a good way.

- Maybe a real one would be better? - Mary replied with a little stiletto.

Now it was Fey's turn to take offence.

- 'Believe me, Black Cat is the real me,' Hardy replied a little sadly.

The waiter brought the dishes.

The girls began to eat in complete silence.

- I'm sorry, - after some silence Mary said, - I didn't mean to be rude either, or rather after the words "usual" I did, but now I'm ashamed. It's just that Spider told me what happened between you recently, that you were 'acting a little inadequate' and I might be a little biased.

- He said "inappropriate"? - Felicia said, surprised but not angry.

- Frankly, I'm a little scared to find out what happened between you two," MJ said a little sadly.

- He didn't cheat on you," Hardy replied, obeying some instinct, "though not many guys could resist it.

- Did you seduce him?

- Honestly? Yes. I'm ashamed now, though I shouldn't have done it then.

- What was it? - The girl's nature played tricks on her again.

- Did you hear that curiosity ruined the Cat? - The blonde asked defiantly.

- 'Then it's a good thing I'm not a kitten for a long time,' the green-eyed girl replied with the same confidence.

- Did he say I was hurt?

- Yes.

- He caught me coming out of the shower. In just a towel.

Fey watched MJ's reaction intently.

- 'Next,' the redhead said nonchalantly.

- He got horny, and I tried to take advantage of it.

- And Spider?

- He said he had a girlfriend and wouldn't cheat on her," Fey said with a somewhat sad smile.

Only after her words the redhead relaxed and allowed herself to smile.

- But you didn't stop there, did you? - Mary suddenly decided to continue the discussion.

- That's right, - Felicia said without a bit of shame, leaning back in her chair.

- And what did you do?

- I played the only trump card possible in that situation.

- Which was?

- I said I was bisexual and offered to call you to arrange a threesome.

Fey watched with great joy as real shock began to spread across MJ's face.

- You were bluffing, weren't you? - The redhead asked, coughing slightly.

Suddenly Mary felt her foot rubbing against her thigh under the table.

- What do you think? - Hardy asked with a predatory smile.

- I think that's enough for today, don't you? - replied the blushing Watson.

- I agree, - Fey calmly moved away, - waiter, the bill.

Having paid, the girls began to pack.

- Do you suggest that the next meeting be arranged through him again?

- The next one? - Mary asked again.

- Was it that bad? - Fey was slightly offended.

- No, no! Just unexpected.

- So?

In response, Mary simply pulled a pen out of her bag and wrote her number on Felicia's palm, to the blonde's shocked look.

- 'We're big girls, we can handle ourselves, call me, beautiful.

Leaving the last word to herself the redhead walked away.

***

The next time the girls agreed to go shopping.

MJ and Fey had a good time and decided to do it again sometime.

Two weeks later they decided to meet in a park.

The girls walked around and got to know each other better.

Within two months they were meeting at best a couple of times a week. Texting much more often.

Through the albeit erratic but frequent communication Fey and MJ grew closer and after three months they considered themselves friends.

Until one day later.

The shopping trip was repeated, but Felicia made the mistake of talking about her long ago kiss with Spider. Mary heard the explanation that Hardy was the initiator and did not run away in hysterics, but stopped picking up the phone after the meeting.

This went on for three weeks.

***

Felicia Hardy's apartment.

Black Cat.

Felicia stepped out of the shower. It had been a long and exhausting day at work. Approaching her couch, the girl tiredly plumped on a piece of furniture.

Suddenly, the blonde's eyes caught on the phone. Taking it in her hands, Hardy opened the list of recent messages.

Going to the most recent correspondence, the girl sighed.

MJ had read everything, but hadn't responded.

The stubborn redhead.

Fey had had a busy teenage life, status-adjusted. Her mum had put her in the best public school in England. She tried to be first in her studies, though she didn't always succeed, but she was undoubtedly the best at sports: basketball, running and, of course, gymnastics.

She had friends, but only in part and parcel, she did not build especially close relationships. Not in her nature. Guys, too. Before him. Before Ryan.

A slight shiver brought Fey out of her memories.

"No." The girl thought formidably. The past is in the past.

Now she has a future. And it becomes connected with two definite people: the guy who is her partner, friend and secret love (though she does not hide it) and the girl who, from many candidates of different social groups, for the first time in many years, could become Felicia's real friend.

Miss Watson had a certain charm, a specific character trait, disposing to a green-eyed girl, Mary was cheerful direct and bright, but behind the image of a party girl she was real, kind, loyal and compassionate.

Maybe that's why Spider trusted her with his identity.

Yes, the psychology courses that Felicia had taken had clearly not been in vain.

The blonde tossed her hair back and resolutely began texting.

"Hey Mary, how about coming over to my place tonight?"

The message was read, but no reply came for half an hour.

"Come on ginger, are you still mad?"

Same situation.

Then Cat decided to use her natural cunning.

"Well, please forgive me, Carrot-top."

The girl sent a photo of a bottle of Chardonnay in the background of her hotel menu.

"Come to my place with a sleepover and we'll order everything on this list and I think we'll open more than one bottle of wine, *winking cat emoji*."

There was no reply for a long time, and then....

"Is it Chardonnay?"

"It is."

"I can come over closer to tonight."

"Throwing down the address."

Felicia tossed the phone away and smiled contentedly.

It was time for her to get ready.

*

Later that evening.

Fey watched as the waiter brought several dishes that both the blonde herself and her friend loved.

After giving the tip, the girl closed the door behind the employee. Going to the mirror, she chose rather simple home clothes, a white jumper and light blue jeans. At home she preferred to go barefoot.

Ten minutes later, during which Hardy sat on her phone and selected music, there was a knock at the door.

Fey jumped off the sofa and went to open the door.

Mary was waiting for her on the doorstep.

She was dressed in a green coat, a black knee-length skirt and tights, with low-heeled boots on her feet.

- Hi," the blonde said a little stiffly.

- Hi," the redhead replied with great gusto, "can I come in?

- Sure," Hardy let her friend into the room.

Watson came in and took off her cape, leaving her in a tank top.

- If I'd known you could be enticed by wine, I would have invited you in a long time ago.

Fey decided to start with a joke.

- I've been wanting to make up for a long time," Mary sighed, but smiled at the attempt at a joke.

- Then," the blonde came over and opened the wine, pouring it into glasses, one of which she handed to the redhead, "to reconciliation!

- To reconciliation," the girls clinked their glasses together.

The evening was very peaceful. The wine contributed to it. At first, the ladies awkwardly discussed things that had happened to them during the quarrel, then moved on to the cause of the last conflict. Once again they aggravated the situation, threatening to grow into a new quarrel, but another glass of wine extinguished the fire.

The friends laughed. The friends cried. And they laughed again. The stories became more and more personal, and the girls were rapidly getting tipsy.

- And that's how Spider and I stopped that guy in the Scorpion costume," Felicia finished the story, uncorking another bottle of wine.

- It was fun," the redhead said a little sadly.

- Are you all right? - Felicia asked, handing MJ a glass of wine.

- Yeah, it's just that," Mary accepted the glass, "I remembered how my sister and I used to sit around and talk about things.

- Oh, I see, her name's Gail, isn't it?

- Oh, yeah.

- You said you were close to the family, but you didn't go into the reasons for the move, did something happen? - wine and a love of psychology made Fey ask a less than ethical question.

Normally a sober MJ would have joked away, but a tipsy MJ wanted to talk about what was going on.

Who better than another girl to understand her situation completely?

- I've only told him before," Felicia didn't need to explain who "he" was. - Spidey listened, but I don't think he could really understand.

Felicia took Mary's hand.

- What happened?

- My family was very ordinary and my childhood was carefree, but when my father got a job at the university, everything changed. He became violent and angry. Turned into a tyrant and eventually-" Mary closed her eyes.

Fey remained silent without interrupting.

- In the end, he raped Gail," Watson continued quietly.

Hardy, on the other hand, paled.

- It changed everything, and I ran away like a coward, abandoned my mum and sister because I was afraid the same thing would happen to me - tears sprang from MJ's eyes.

- You shouldn't be ashamed," Felicia said quietly, sinking back into the memories she was trying her best to suppress.

- Yes, I do! - The redhead jumped up. - I should have stayed, should have done something! - Mary Jane shouted fiercely.

Powerlessness was her greatest shame.

- No!" now it was Felicia's turn to jump up, "if you had stayed, he might have done it to you! - Hardy clutched at Watson's shoulders," No one should have to go through something like that, no one you hear!

The fury with which the blonde had spoken those words had sobered MJ, but what happened next made Mary more than a little frightened.

Letting go of her friend's shoulders, Felicia collapsed onto the couch and cradled her face in her palms, crying bitterly.

For a second the redhead was confused, she had never seen Cat, usually feisty and strong so broken, but then she lightning fast sat down next to her and hugged the blonde.

- Fey, I'm sorry I upset you, I didn't mean to, don't cry please! - Watson said, stroking her sobbing friend on the top of her head.

- It's nothing to do with you," Hardy replied through her sobs.

Mary just continued to stroke the blonde's head without breaking the embrace.

Eventually the sobs stopped.

- Thank you," Felicia said quietly, pulling herself out of MJ's embrace.

- Fey, what's wrong? - Mary took Hardy's palms in her hands," You can trust me.

The blue-eyed girl looked straight into the sparkling green eyes and saw only warmth and concern in them.

- I haven't told anyone about this," Fey whispered.

MJ waited quietly.

Gathering her thoughts, Hardy sighed.

"It's time to face the ghosts of the past.

- It happened in college," Felicia began, "my life was very busy, studying, sports, and college parties. At one of them I...I met Ryan Days.

Felicia flinched slightly, and Mary intertwined their hands more tightly in response. Hardy continued.

- 'We started dating, he was nice and funny, we discussed music, we studied for exams together,' Fey sighed, 'I thought he was the one.

Hardy was silent again for a while.

- That day we were in my dorm room kissing on the bed, he started to go further than usual, I thought I was ready, but at the end I was scared. I confessed to him that I was a virgin and asked him to wait. But he didn't back down. He just got angry and said he'd waited too long already. I was weaker then and I couldn't stop him. I fought back, I kicked, but I couldn't stop him.

- Oh God, Fey....

Mary tried to support the girl, but the words stuck in her throat as her friend looked into her eyes.

Righteous anger blazed in the blue pools.

- I didn't leave my room for weeks, wore baggy clothes, didn't talk to anyone, withdrew into myself. One day, on my way back from class, I saw an ad with the number of a support line for victims of sexual violence and realised that what happened to me happens to thousands of others. And it breaks almost everyone. That's when I decided I wasn't going to let it break me. Gymnastics and basketball were replaced by strength training and kickboxing. From that day on, I wasn't weak," Hardy said, turning away from the windows.

After hearing Cat's story, MJ couldn't help but admire her resilience.

The blonde turned and looked at Watson.

Mary looked into her eyes again, pain and anger still burning in them, but together they radiated confidence.

Strength.

Then the redhead's gaze flickered to Felicia's lips, and the green-haired girl gave in to a momentary impulse she didn't fully realise.

MJ drew closer to her friend's face and nestled her mouth into a kiss.

Fey's lips were soft and her skin velvety.

Hardy was dumbfounded, but after a second she actively deepened the kiss, gently pressing the redhead against the couch, taking the position on top.

Not expecting such an ardent response, the green-eyed woman broke the kiss.

Excitement in the blonde's eyes was replaced by consternation.

- I'm sorry," Fey hurried to get up from Fey's lap, "I shouldn't have...

- It's okay," MJ was the one who'd initiated it, and to blame it on Hardy was wrong, to say the least, "I think I should go.

The redhead stood up and headed for the door, but the blonde, out of her stupor, called out to her.

- Wait, Mary! Where are you going in your condition? Stay in my room and I'll sleep on the sofa.

The girl thought of refusing, but Fey looked at her with such remorse and fear that the redhead couldn't refuse.

- All right," MJ said quietly, and Watson closed the door behind her, disappearing into the Cat's bedroom.

Hardy, on the other hand, sat down on the couch, grabbing her hair.

She had no idea what to do now.

*

The next morning.

My head was killing me.

Fucking hangover.

It was with these thoughts that the representative of the Hardy Foundation went to the kitchen with two purposes: to make coffee and to drink medicine.

Having done the latter, the blonde moved on to the former.

As the kettle boiled she heard the sound of the door opening.

- Good morning," MJ said, holding her head.

Memories of last night's conversations and kisses came rushing back to Felicia.

- Morning," Cat replied crumply, "do you want coffee?

- Yeah," the redhead nodded and then groaned, "my head hurts.

- I understand," the heroine found the strength to laugh, "here, have a drink.

The girl handed the green-eyed girl coffee and medicine.

For a while the friends were silent.

"Are they friends?" A thought flashed through the blonde's mind.

- Listen Mary... - Hardy tried to start a conversation.

- I remember what happened yesterday," Watson reached out and squeezed Felicia's hand, "and I don't regret it.

- Good," the blonde replied frantically.

- Actually, I was going to ask..." the redhead hesitated.

- Yes?

- You said that after what happened you took up hand-to-hand combat so that you wouldn't be weak?

- That's right," Fey folded her arms under her chest, "what's your point?

- Teach me," the redhead asked confidently, "I want to stop being weak.

The blonde's eyes warmed.

- So, will you teach me? - a little modestly asked repeatedly Watson.

- 'Of course,' Felicia replied with a smile.

End of the Flashback.