[peterfel] ride or die

[declaw]

It had to be ninjas. No weird otherworldly aliens. No crazy Nazi zombies.

[ They were such a headache. At least the other ones were what they were on the tin: ninjas were lurking in shadows, blending in for their own espionage. Felicia was pissed she abandoned her evening, where glitz and glamour of the New York Elite allowed her to move through the crowds while she tried to hunt down a sold painting her Father once owned. When she gets a text, it takes her a bit to stop and read it.

Her ex.

It's always her ex, and she would move the whole damn island to help him.

God, she needed to get a blind date. ]

Don't worry, I got you.

[ Peter makes it clear what's going on: Matt's favorite body part, the Hand, seems to have some operation in Brooklyn under the guise of a construction demolition. Blahblah, something about an ancient relic and unless Felicia can appraise it? The morally grey former thief isn't too concerned with the repercussions, right? ...That's what she keeps telling herself as she reads more of Peter's messages for her. No one knows the area like Felicia, no one knows infiltration like Felicia. There's reasons he reaches out – it's business, and she was a fool for always tying the personal side back to it.

Her cocktail dress was gone before the elevator reached the rooftop, replacing it for leather and fur easily and gave her the freedom to scale the rooftop like a cat out on the prowl. It wasn't a record to get to him – he wasn't on death's door or anything, so by the time she sees a crouched form on the building south of the construction, she had time to stop for her supplies.

A ceremonious toss slams her bag into the ground next to him and Felicia makes herself known in the most typical way possible – a damn crawl on the ledge down to him. ]

One day you'll send me a text asking me for a coffee date instead of getting my hands dirty with Daredevil business.

[ But.. that's the thing about Peter that Felicia grew to love – far past her own infatuation with a masked arachnid. He cares about his friends, would die for them, and this was no different. Bitterly, she wonders if he'd still go to this length for her? If she was an insecure 20-something again, she'd think not. But, there's fondness in her eyes and a small, cocky smirk. ]

Some things never change, though. What's going on, Spider?

Comments

[radioactivities]

[ Yeah, S.H.I.E.L.D. was one thing. The Avengers were another. But the free press? Never to be underestimated. Especially when it's the Big Apple's very own Daily Bugle on the hunt for more reasons to call Spider-Man a menace. What's the headline gonna be this time, Peter wonders? "SPIDER-MAN USES BAD DRAGON: HAVOC IN MANHATTAN." Importantly, no "k" instead of a "c" in "havoc." Can't have Spider-Man and X-Men slander mix. ]

Wallet's gonna regret this, but I don't care. I have a responsibility to this city, and a responsibility to Felicia.

[ Having hung up, Peter's just muttering to himself at this point. But Foom somehow caught that, and telepathically asks him what he just said. ]

Unrelated, Foom. Just some coffee stuff. Mostly.

[ And then Foom actually asks what is coffee. At least that's all that caught his attention. ]

You like spending a lot of time in some deep slumber, right? Then let's just say coffee's not for you!

[ Peter's got his eyes on the prize, still, swinging ever closer to the edge of the pier. But his commitment to making progress towards the rendezvous point means he isn't looking back over his shoulder. Because then he'd see that for all the rage Foom promised to rain down upon New York... he looks a little sad.

Are you sure you will not tell me? ]

Look Foom, we can have this conversation after you get your egg. And preferably when you're further out in the Atlantic Ocean.

[ The dragon is pleased. ]

Finally!

[ Indeed, one last swing and Peter lets go of the web at the apex of his momentum, backflipping as he descends to the side of the Spider-Mobile. After landing on his feet, he goes ahead and sprints to the end of the pier, though with his spider-endurance it feels more like a light jog. Foom, meanwhile, descends into the water just in front of the edge of the pier, where Felicia and the egg happen to be waiting.

Foom looms. With his feet on the floor of the river, he is only knee deep in it while standing upright. He crouches to not absolutely tower over Felicia, but creepily, he doesn't break eye contact the entire time. Eye contact with Felicia? Or--

No. The egg.

Placed beside you is something of mine, Foom says. Though directed at Felicia, Peter can somehow hear it as he's making his way to the edge.

When Peter finally reaches Felicia, it becomes quite easy to imagine his relief beneath the mask. He sighs, not from the sprint, but from the blissful understanding that New York just might live to get attacked by something else another day. ]

Cat-- thanks for holding on to that. I really really owe you.

[ So then he turns to beseech Foom, looking up at the colossal dragon as he stands on the edge of the pier. Peter had also reached down to pick up the egg, and now holds it high like its destiny is to rule Pride Rock. ]

Well, Foom? Take it! It's yours!

[ And so... Foom does. Foom reaches down with his inestimable hand to collect the egg between the tips of his thumb and index finger. Delicately, he lifts the egg away from Peter's hands, only to take it to eye level, carefully appraising the artifact. ]

Nothing but gel protein and a calcified embryo. That's my theory, Cat, but--

[ Foom just throws the thing into his scaly maw. Starts chewing. Choppers that have converged, even key Avengers personnel now waiting by the Spider-Mobile, are all present to bear witness alongside the Cat and the Spider.

The pleasure this brings to Foom releases a telepathic signal everyone in the vicinity can hear in their minds. The first sound is almost too loud in everybody's heads.

Aaaaah... aged to perfection since the twilight of the Qing dynasty, mystic preservatives cultivated by the finest artisans in K'un-Lun... this is everything I have ever wanted, and more.

THE FINEST CHOCOLATE! ]

[declaw]

[ Add talking to a dragon to her checklist of weird shit New York City has offered her. There's almost a flicker of a maternal instinct when she scoots slightly in front of the egg, as if making sure the speed of the approach didn't knock the thing into the pier. Then they'd both be in trouble. Peter had somehow managed to defuse a ticking timebomb of a dragon, a skill he can certainly add to his resume, but Felicia is still on guard. The whole picture wasn't so clear to her, but at least she knows how to drive the stupid Spider-Mobile now? ]

Take better care of it next time! It's been collecting dust for who knows how long!

[ She had to at least sass back, only Felicia would, but hey. At least the Foom was less fuming. The thief stands up as Peter takes the damn egg and offers it like Rafiki to the dragon. She's left watching things unravel – her mind already trying to parse if she'd need to zip away if this was all a ruse to get closer. Bad habits, etc.

What comes next has her feel uncomfortable. Too much attention – the rip of choppers through the sky, the sirens joining in from street-level patrols... the Avengers personnel wasn't appreciate either. Some people don't have the same appreciation Peter has for morally gray costumes, okay. The scene unfolds with not a reunion, with no happy ending – it was shattered ....... with something almost rage-inducing. Science can't beat culinary in this instance and she's left with a scrunched up face in disgust. ]

Oh... ew. You're kidding me!

[ She wasted her night for this?! For a midnight snack? She shoots a glare worth a million words to her Spider, good grief. ]

[radioactivities]

[ As Felicia fires her glare at Peter, she'll find him utterly beside himself in shock. Bewilderment. FRUSTRATION! What did he just see? The object that was of enough significance to Matt, to the Hand, and presumably the Chaste... was just a fancy snack Fin Fang Foom was saving for a rainy day!? All that worrying for the welfare of the city, all that Foom's inestimable stature threatened to destroy, all that fighting just to secure the egg in the first place-- for this? It's so absurd that Peter starts to chuckle. Cackle, even, with both hands on his forehead as his expression beneath the mask remains a mystery. But it's still obvious, isn't it? How does he really feel?

The laughter proves to be a mixture of mirth and relief. The fact this all amounted to a wild goose chase over something as trivial as chocolate is actually a good thing. But fortunately, it's not like Peter's lost it. He only laughs for a few seconds, enough to really absorb what he just witnessed, before falling to his knees. He's exhausted, stressed like he's had to take his SAT while juggling on a unicycle over hot coals. That, to him, represented the enormity of potential failure if Fin Fang Foom actually bothered to level the city. Something, it now seems, that the mere presence of ancient chocolate made a difference in averting.

It might be kind of pathetic, seeing Peter beside himself like this. Wouldn't be the first time Felicia's seen him come undone, though. Maybe Matt's been more embarrassing in general, but Peter's stomaching enough embarrassment for both himself and Felicia. ]

Cat, I want a coffee date, like... stat. For my sanity.

[ As he speaks, Fin Fang Foom doesn't even thank him. Doesn't even address the looming presence of the paparazzi, the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D.... no. They're all too small for him, now that he's had his snack. He simply turns around, Godzilla-like with his unreadable intentions, drifting away from the pier. He spreads his wings, flaps them a bit, and flies - flies until he's nothing but a featureless speck in the sky, taking the danger that came with him to a distance beyond sight. ]

I have literally never been more enthusiastic to treat someone.

Least of all myself.

[ He decides that's enough moping and gets back on his feet, turning to briefly regard Felicia before facing the entrance to the pier. There, he sees Daredevil. Wolverine, too. Other Avengers seem to have left already, but of all people, Logan wants to hear it all directly from Peter.

Peter, though, is dead set on not inviting either of them to coffee. He sighs deeply, perhaps more than he did at anything Foom had done today, at the possibility of having to interact with those guys. With his heightened senses, how can Daredevil stand to be beside Wolverine? ]

After we deal with those two... mind if we still use the Spider-Mobile?

[ He shrugs a tad sheepishly. ]

It's got a lot of mileage left.

[declaw]

[ Peter got roped into Matt's mess. Felicia got roped into Peter's mess from taking over Matt's mess. It was one big circle of chocolatey mess, apparently? It was enough to warrant a high-alert, enough to garner too much attention from costumes and badges alike. Felicia wanted to yell, to curse out a giant dragon without restraint. She's forward – raising her fist in the air and jaw dropping. Before Peter starts laughing. Starts losing it in the most subtle way possible. She gives him a concerned glance at first, knowing that her street cred wasn't the only thing being lost at the moment too. ]

Sounds like you need decaf.

[ And to go to sleep after this. Felicia closes the distance between them, even if they have a little bit of an audience by now and gives him one of those lingering gestures – a pat against his bicep to calm her own annoyances down. He had no clue... she had no clue... made sense that their luck combines was some Captain Planet-level misfortune.

She lets her nails drag down the texture of his costume's arm, indicating that it was fine. She got him in debt to her, so not all bad! And... heh, that necklace tucked away between the best cleavage New York had to offer? Don't forget that. They can address that later.

For now, they have the one final piece of their follow-up – until Peter mentions that damn mobile. She'd hate to admit it, but it had its charm at times. Maybe, someday, there will be a rare occurrence when bringing that baby out would yield him massive swag points. Not tonight, though. But – what the hell. ]

You just don't want the battery to go dead. [ Teasing, she'll be waiting by the mobile while he deals with the fallout. She walks backwards, her eyes on him and even after all this, she smirks that confident little grin of hers. Not the only thing with mileage, she wants to quip back to him but... that's pretty forward for the first coffee date. ] Hurry up, I need a cat nap after this too.