[Peter's POV]
After quickly contacting the nearest police patrol, I gave them the location of the Enforcers.
Then, I launched myself into a long flight across the city.
I needed to clear my head.
I can't believe I was really ready to throw that criminal off the roof.
Landing on a tall building, I perched on the edge.
Then, that memory with Uncle Ben… I don't understand.
There are two forces inside me that are fighting again.
One is the voice of the idealized hero, telling me that killing is wrong. The other is a dark, realistic one that tells me that the only way to make criminals really fear me is to kill them.
I need to give this some serious thought.
After all, even among Spider-Man's enemies, there are those I wouldn't hesitate to send to the grave myself.
If Morlun ever comes for me, I'd kill him without a second thought.
I need to decide how to handle ordinary criminals who might become my enemies. Hanging upside down, I stare at my reflection in the glass of the building below.
Do I want to make the suit a symbol?
"Hello, darling. Lovely evening, isn't it?"
My thoughts are interrupted by a captivating feminine voice.
"Black Cat."
I said, turning to face the thief dangling gracefully on a cable, dressed in a skin-tight, almost latex suit.
"I saw you hanging out thirty stories above the ground and thought I'd drop by to say hi."
"Listen, I wanted to apologize."
"Apologize?"
"During our first meeting, I made a very inappropriate comment. And even though you attacked me first, I still want to apologize."
"That's very sweet of you, Spidey. I may have overreacted too. You know, I'm not just some crazy thief obsessed with shiny things. You could call it... a tribute. Don't ask. I bet someone like you knows what it means to honor someone's memory."
"You have no idea."
We sat silently on the rooftop for a few minutes before Black Cat suddenly jumped to her feet.
"Alright, this night is way too nice to mope. How about a little rooftop run? A chance to get to know each other better. What do you say, handsome?"
"Lead the way."
Smiling, she leaped onto the neighboring building. I followed right behind her.
Once again, we're racing across the rooftops of New York under the light of the moon.
"So, red and blue, checkered pattern all over, giant bug eyes, and a spider logo, huh?"
Black Cat asked mid-jump, "You come up with that design yourself?"
"I'll admit, it's not the most original choice—maybe a bit flashy—but yeah, it's my personal creation. Besides..."
I spun off a flagpole with a flourish, "I look pretty damn stylish in it."
"I can't argue with that, handsome, but black would suit you better."
"Who knows what I'll be wearing tomorrow?"
"Big fan of switching outfits?"
"This one's definitely staying in my top three favorites."
"Your choice."
Black Cat shrugged nonchalantly.
"And your costume?"
"I've always loved cats. Moreover, a lot of the elements are a tribute to someone I followed in the footsteps of."
"So, you're a... philosophical successor?"
"Bingo. There was this thief way back in the mid-20th century, and everyone called him the Black Cat. He was untouchable, a master of his craft, a true legend."
She paused, her tone almost wistful.
"What happened to him?"
She shook her head slightly as if dispelling a lingering thought.
"His last heist. He stole diamonds worth hundreds of millions and vanished at the peak of his fame."
"A beautiful story."
I say thoughtfully.
"But I thought you weren't a fan of thievery?"
"I was raised by a man who earned his living honestly, stayed fair no matter how tough things got, and never complained. His example shaped me more than anything else."
"It's all from our childhood, doesn't it?"
Black Cat mused.
"Exactly. Still, I can acknowledge talent. And that Cat of yours? Clearly a master of his craft."
Judging by her subtle smile, my compliment about her father's skills struck a chord.
"So, it turns out Spidey isn't as much of a moralist as he likes to pretend?"
She teased me.
"So it turns out you're not the devil you make yourself out to be?"
I replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Darling, for you, I can be a very bad girl."
Black Cat purred seductively, as always.
"Maybe another time…"
I trailed off.
"Something happened?"
She asked, her tone immediately shifting to something more serious.
"The night's been… tough."
I admit.
"If you need to talk, I'm here."
She said, placing her hand on my shoulder reassuringly.
Since gaining my powers and coming to this world, I haven't been able to talk to anyone from the heart for almost a year now.
It was hard to accept that everything around me was truly real and shake off the skepticism toward people who seemed like fiction.
"You see, I'm at a crossroads, Cat. Six months ago, I had my first real heroic adventure. I was chasing down the leaders of criminal organizations, thinking I'd take down the whole criminal underworld. Naturally, it turned out to be a trap, and what started as a simple fight turned into a massacre. However, there were casualties because of me. I barely made it out, got shot a few times."
It seems like I've really fallen into a depression because she approached and took my hand.
"But you know what the worst part is? Since then, I've been consumed with rage, torn apart by what to do next, whether or not to take the lives of my enemies.
"You're afraid of your choice, right? Because you've already made up your mind?"
"Maybe I need a second opinion."
"I'm not a saint, Spider-Man."
Black Cat hugged herself, "There have been some very unpleasant things in my life. In those... situations, I could have killed my abusers."
She turned toward me, tossing her platinum hair, "I'm a thief, but not a killer. I'll agree, some truly deserve death, but not everyone could live with that choice."
Unexpectedly, She opened up to me in a new way. I thought she would be... more adamant about this issue.
"Thanks for listening. I needed someone to talk to."
"I was glad to talk too. You know."
She approached the edge of the roof, "This place has a great view. How about making this building our spot?"
"Our spot?"
I might have blushed slightly under my mask.
"You never know, maybe you'll want to talk again or just take an evening run before bed,"
She tried to sound casual.
"I'd gladly add it to my patrol route."
"Then maybe another lap?"
"Let's go!"
To be continued...