2145/Crossing Paths

Crossing Paths
Date of Scene:	17 June 2020
Location:	High over midtown Manhattan, NY
Synopsis:	Spider-Man has a Black Cat cross his path (again)...hilarity ensues.
Cast of Characters:	Felicia Hardy, Peter Parker

---

Felicia Hardy has posed:
A clear, starry night. Or it would be, if Manhattan wasn't blazing so brightly below as to make the sky a sheet of inky blackness.

Landing on a rooftop ledge, Felicia looks around, checks her suit's built-in chronometer, and sighs with a pout. "Nothing." Crouching down, hands between feet, she peeks over the side of the building she's on.

"Couldn't someone just...blow something up? Something easy?" As inky black as the starless sky above, Black Cat's suit shifts, tilts, and she leans forward, rump rising behind her like an actual cat about to pounce at something far below. But there's nothing to target and nothing to chase, so she just waits, with growing irritation.

Peter Parker has posed:
Tonight, it's Patrol Route Six. He has these routes down to the point where he is able to check out the most areas in the least amount of time, which comes in handy. Tonight, though, there isn't much street crime going on, which is a stroke of luck. It lets him think about a lot of things. The new heroine, Ms. Marvel. Energetic, conscientious. There should be more like that.
And then there's Red Sonja. When she's not heisting his quippery, she is becoming a serious force to be reckoned with. Even though she grumps about not being able to cleave muggers in half.
Not going to be too long before she may be able to do just fine without him. That is both a relief and a downer.

Anyway, swing just between these two tall buildings, and then head out towards Brooklyn way. See if maybe he can pick up some sliders at the White Castle before heading home...

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Black Cat had gotten bored and was eyeing a lady wearing a feather boa. And a mink coat. Are those diamonds? Ooo... Watching, watching, watching. Shifting. Lifting...

And then the spider goes by and she gasps. Not wasting even a fraction of a second thinking about it, over the edge she goes. Firing a line, tucking in just as the line goes taut, she sails through the night, a look of joy on her face. She's just a moment behind him.

The only indication that anything might be wrong is the occasional *Tink!* *Tink!* of her grapple lines finding purchase in stone.

Peter Parker has posed:
Nothing...nothing...dang. Not even a bodega robbery (not that he'd wish a robbery or any other crime on ANYONE, let's not get stupid...) and that will probably mean no pictures for...

And then he runs into a bit of bad luck. Imagine that.
His next webline impacts on a corner of masonry that has been there since the 1880's and probably should have used a better mix of cement. The corner suddenly shears loose, and the swing's arc suddenly resembles a set of thrown car keys.

Spidey is suddenly aware of the penthouse pool suddenly rushing to meet him and he thinks, *Wow, am I glad these are waterproo-*

SPLOOSH!

Felicia Hardy has posed:
The girl in the black suit has to fight really hard not to giggle when the masked crimefighter suddenly goes parabolic. Landing with a silent, graceful tumble upon the rooftop, she wanders over with a lazy pendulum sway of her hips, looking so smug she may well have eaten a canary on the way. Out of her belt she withdraws a tiny silvery camera, crouches down near the edge of the pool where the Spider-Man is most likely to emerge from, and waits with her camera at the ready.

As soon as he surfaces, she's going to say, "Say cheese!" click, and flash.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man's masked head broke the surface, hands moving over the surface of the mask to push the water off of it. The dip was refreshing, but chilled him to the bone for a few moments.

Then he heard the click and blinked at the flash, before he saw her.

Jeezus Marimba, it's the Black Cat. It had been awhile since he'd seen her last, but boy HOWDY is she tough to forget.

And she just took a picture of him shoulder-deep in water.

"Uhm...hi, Cat."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Black Cat tsks, shaking her head slowly, with her silvery white hair shimmering. "The Spider-Man, rooftop menace." She waggles the camera, "Or maybe, 'Local Neighborhood Spider-Man Takes Dip While Robbing Apartments.'" She leans down a little further, one hand on the poolside cement and the other holding the camera loosely between her knees.

It's obvious bait, and she smiles a smile that says she knows he knows it's a trap and she's still going to set it for him.

Peter Parker has posed:
Good news, someone DID get a pic of him. Bad news, it was one Spider-Fail.com would pay money for.
He pushes himself out of the pool, dripping wet, the suit gleaming with moisture. "I...don't suppose you're going to just give that camera to me just for the asking..."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Visibly pouting when he doesn't even *try* to take it, she sloooowly gets to her feet with a lazy, languid *stretch*.

And a purr. But mostly stretching.

"Nope." She twirls the tiny camera by its short lanyard. Her hips cock aside, and she plants a hand on one, watching him with a pleased smile. She tosses the camera once, just a little into the air. "Going to offer anything else?" She lifts her eyebrows, looking even more amused. "I hear Jameson will pay handsomely for evidence of the thieving Spider up to no good."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey sighed. Welp, let's try Plan B.

"Well, I could try..."

SPLUTZ!
Wait. That SHOULD have been THWIPP!
Spider-Man looked to the webshooter as a blob of half-hardened webbing perched at the business end of the web-shooter. Maybe something in the water had gunked it.

He looked back to the Black Cat, smiling a little sheepishly. "Maybe if I asked REALLY nicely?"

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Leaning away a bit with a sort of wince at the...'splutz'...she gives him a *look* with a raised eyebrow. Or at least a canting of her mask. But then he makes another offer and she says, "Oh?" with a tilt and duck of her head. "Like...how really nicely?"

Wandering toward him a couple very, *very* slow steps, her hips shift back and forth once, twice, and then she asks, "And...aren't you cold?" She tilts her head aside. "I could...go get you a towel." She flashes him an impish little smile, nodding back toward the penthouse behind them.

Peter Parker has posed:
"Uhm, I'm okay. It's June, after all, I just..." Spider-Man futzes with the blocked web-shooter, glancing from it to her.
She's...getting closer.
"I'm good...I'm warming up. I suppose I could have used the dip, anyway, just..." Hoo boy. MJ was his girlfriend, but the Cat was...intimidating.
"Uhm...I would REALLY appreciate it if you gave me the camera. I'll just delete the picture, and I will give it back, I promise."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"Buuuutt~..." she complains, "I could get a lot of money for this." Feigning the pout this time as she leans forward, hands (and camera) going behind her back, she frowns up at him, with her plunging cleavage pressed forward. She leans her head aside, showing off her moonlight hair as she asks innocently, "What's in it for me?"

Behind her, her hips shift very slowly the other way, but her blue eyes remain locked on his. If he looks, she'll know it.

Peter Parker has posed:
God, is he ever glad for the mask now, because she can't see him blushing up a storm behind the mask. But his body language is all I'm-Not-Sure-I-Can-Handle-This.

"Uhm...how about the next time I catch you stealing something, I'll let you go if you give up the loot?" Dammit, there was the tiniest squeak in his voice.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"Deal!" She straightens up, taking that last step right up to him. She was going to make him squirm a lot more, but that's honestly a pretty sweet deal. That doesn't mean she has to make it easy for him, however.

She's just standing there, staring up at his mask's big white eyes. But she's about a millimeter from making contact with his chest, and her hands are still clasped behind her, holding the camera between them. At the small of her back. Just above the curves.

The girl with hair like moonlight smiles.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks relieved, but says quietly, "Sooo...would you please give me the camera?"

He doesn't back down, but he is trying very hard not to make contact with her. He couldn't even call what she had raw sex appeal. It was refined and polished to a mirror shine.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"Oh, well..." she starts, frowning a bit and ducking her head a little, which makes her hair cascade down around the sides of her neck and around her breasts, framing them with white fluff down the center and silver hair along the outsides. "That wasn't part of the deal. Are we still negotiating? What do I get for handing it over?"

She frowns in a sympathetic, helpless way, like she's *so sorry* for the innocent misunderstanding.

Peter Parker has posed:
Say something disarming. Make sure you don't give her an opening. Don't say anything too provocative...

"Well, what do you want for it?"

Yeah, like that...wait...STUPID MOUTH!

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"Your mask."

She shifts around a little, holding up a hand at her side. The other remains just below the small of her back, now closing into a very light fist behind her.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man shook his head. Enough people knew who he was already, and the last person who needed to know was an internationally-infamous burglar.

Okay, Doc Ock would be the one he wanted last to know, but...

"I'm currently using this one, and my only spare is at the cleaners. I'll give you the spare...but I have to keep the one I'm wearing..."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Black Cat smiles like someone who just put her opponent in Check. "I thought we were negotiating, Mister Spider..." And she's been chasing him for days...

She steps forward one more time. Her fur-lined breasts gently crush into his chest, and she continues, quietly. "How about just half your mask?"

Peter Parker has posed:
DANGER! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!

"Like...what? How do I give you half my mask? I'm not sure I..."

He pauses, his mind kicking into gear even with the testosterone poisoning. "Like...lifting my mask halfway? Is that what you meant?"

Please let that be what she meant.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"Mhmm..." She nods, oh so innocently. "Yup. Just for about, oh, ten seconds." Behind her, she carefully clicks through a couple settings on her camera, purely from memory. "That's not too much to ask, is it?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Okay...okay...he could manage that. The harmonizer in the collar would still deepen his voice, and he could manage it. Okay.

"All right..." He sighed, then reached up to lift the mask slowly, taking care to lift it just above his nose and no farther. He had one hand on the top of the mask in case she decided to yank it off.

No mandibles or tusks, or weird bristles. Nothing spider-y. He is Caucasian, and he does take care of his teeth, though, but apart from that, there's nothing noteworthy about the lower part of his face.

He could be anyone.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Wow, that actually worked.

"Perfect," she reassures him with an amused smile. Scrunched up, that mask is probably blocking his vision, too. Unlike with the rooftop ledge earlier, this time she actually does hesitate. Just for a moment. This could explode into violence if he realizes what she's planning. Or something else, but...

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First things first.

And all of a sudden, she's got a hand on his chest, she's leaning up, and she kisses him. Right on the lips. A really passionate one, too, if she gets the chance. Chest to chest, a foot lifted behind her, it's picture perfect...

And her other hand comes around to try to snap a perfect, million dollar selfie.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is too shocked. Even with what the Cat was playing at, he never DREAMED she would actually KISS...

Then the Spider-Sense tickled the nape of his neck, and he saw the camera rise up. He lifted the other hand, prayed it had dried out enough...

THWIPP!
Oh, thank God.
The camera lens was suddenly blocked by a blot of webbing at the end of a webline, and he pulled back from the kiss (*he did not kiss back, he did NOT KISS BACK*) and yanked the camera from her gloved hand.

"I think there's been enough candids taken tonight," he said quickly, pulling the mask down with the other hand, but not too fast for her to see his burning cheeks.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Black Cat slumps, but she's smiling. "Damn, so close." Her arms fold under her chest and she lifts her eyebrows, causing her mask to shift upwards with a sheepish, apologetic grin. "Well, at least I still got something nice out of it." She offers a little, cheeky smile, "Still friends?"

She offers him a hand. Like she's expecting an honest-to-god handshake on it. She still looks terribly amused, too.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man holds up a finger as he checks the camera, erasing the picture and any duplicates before handing the camera back to the Black Cat. Because he isn't the thief.

After he hands the camera, he regards her for a moment, then gingerly shakes her hand. "No claws, please...the suit doesn't have any holes in it yet."

The operative word is YET.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Just the one picture. Totally worth it. It bought her a wealth of information.

She takes his hand with a warm, friendly, neighborly smile. Oh yeah, she's getting him zeroed in. Bit by bit. "Well, I should probably get going before the police arrive." She gives an amused, sidelong glance toward the penthouse behind her. "You might want to grab the security camera hard drives before you go, since they probably captured everything that just happened."

She turns away and starts to saunter away from him. If she had a matching tail, it would wag. "Unless...you hired a thief to go get them for you." She glances back over her shoulder at him with a sultry, seductive smile, flashing him a tiny wink.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man BLINKED. "Uhh...yeah. I think I'll...have a little chat with the cops."

There goes his night. Proving he didn't break in, explaining the mishap, asking them to KINDLY make sure the owner didn't post the footage to YouTube...yep, that would take a few hours.

But he couldn't indulge her willingness to commit a crime on his behalf.

"IIII...think I'll manage it..." he says, realizing he has to wait right here before he can go anywhere...

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Aw, the puppy dog effect. She stops, watching him with a faint, sympathetic smile. "Aw, come on. Just this once."

Assuming he doesn't answer immediately, she turns about and trots back over to him with a few bounces. "In and out. It'll take me four minutes tops."

Then, if he still doesn't answer immediately, she'll clasp her hands behind her, tilt forward, and offer with a nod, "On the house. Just this one time."

She winks. "For a friend."

Peter Parker has posed:
With great power comes great responsibility...
With great power comes great responsibility...

"I'llll be fine, Cat. Meyer's Law. Usually, the most difficult choice is the right choice..."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Sauntering a little closer, around to his side this time, she adds, "...This penthouse didn't come cheap, Mr. Spider. Whoever owns it is going to look through the feed as soon as they receive the police report." She leans to the side a little to look at him from around his side, "They're going to guffaw exactly once, post it immediately for auction, and then share it to their friends once it's sold."

She sidles up a little closer. "And you won't be praised. You won't be forgiven. Let me do you this favor. No one will ever know."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks at her. "Cat...*I* will know. And that's enough. So, get going, before we give them even MORE incentive to keep the footage. Go on. I'll be okay."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"...Really?"

She turns sharply away when she says it. She sounded a little hurt. Staring at the penthouse, she half asks him, half asks herself, "But why?" She doesn't wait for an answer, however. A grapple line launches from her wrist, *tinks* into the cement frame of a neighboring building and she's yanked away. The grapple releases, and she drops from view into Midtown below.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man sighs as he watches her swing away. One of the main disconnects between him and her, he guessed.

He walked over to one of the two cameras, idly wondering why two. One hidden one could cover the whole patio. I mean even if Blue Skies Security could afford...

Spidey stopped. <Search for Blue Skies Security.>
The Internet popped up on his HUD, but a security company didn't come up. What DID come up, however...

Spidey froze. "...no..."
He walked up to the camera, spotted the data cable going into the wall, and squeezed it..

It was hollow.
Spider-Man got faked out by fake cameras. Built for show and nothing else.

Spider-Man looked at the camera for a few moments more, then walked over to the pool, shoved his head under the water, and YELLED for five long seconds under the water.