Stories Focussed On Spider-Man

And They Were NEIGHBORS PART 7!!!

Spider-Woman glanced around suspiciously once she finished patching up her friend. "Okay, say Kraven's setting off out senses. What then?"

Spider-Man shrugged dismissively. "We run."

"What do you mean?" Spider-Woman glared. "We can't just let him hurt people!"

"He won't. He really just wants me dead. The best course of action is to make sure that we're fighting on our terms and not his, and two major injuries definitely aren't my terms."

"Really? You're that important?"

"Hey!"

"Why? What'd you do to tick him off?"

Spider-Man huffed childishly. "He literally just hunts things. Now he's hunting me. It's his schtick."

"He should get a better schtick."

"Tell that to him!" Spider-Man glanced at the nearby rooftops. "I say we bail before he has the chance to start anything."

"Running from a fight," Spider-Woman chuckled. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"Have you tangled with Kraven before? No? Save the judgement and help me back to the Tower."

T~T

"How'd it go?" Clint asked as Spider-Woman gave Spider-Man a hand through the living room window.

"I got shot," Spider-Man said offhandedly, moving to kitchen for a snack.

"No civilians hurt though," Spider-Woman added, racing ahead of him to pop some popcorn. "You wanna watch that Batman movie, idiot?"

"Sure."

"Go sit down and turn it on. I've got the snacks. What do you want to drink?"

Spider-Man nodded appreciatively, slowly making his way to the couch. "We have Pepsi?"

"Ye."

"Dope."

"I'm sorry," Clint frowned, "why aren't you heading to the medbay?"

"Already taken care of," Spider-Man explained. "Ponytail's already worked her magic, now I've just gotta wait ok my healing factor. It's gonna be a bit slower though because of that spear."

"Speaking of," Spider-Woman hollered, "you should have woken me up last night for that. I don't like the thought of you fixing it up by yourself."

"Yeah, okay, Mom."

"Boo. Be nice to me."

"You love me".

"Ugh, barely."

"So," Clint said again, sitting on the far side of the couch, "you're not patrolling tonight?"

"Nah."

"Then you can stay for dinner," Clint smiled.

Steve walked into the living room, on his way to make an afternoon smoothie. "Hey guys! What are you going to watch?"

"Batman."

"Steve, guess what," Clint asked.

"Hm?"

"Spidey's staying for dinner tonight!" Clint beamed as Steve turned on the smoothie machine. "Who's turn is it to cook?"

"I thought y'all just ordered takeout?" Spider-Man wondered.

"Only on weekends and sometimes on Fridays," Clint supplied. "We like having home-cooked meals when we can."

Steve walked back into the living room. "I think it's Natasha's night. I've got tomorrow."

"Huh," Spider-Man said in thought. "Ned would freak out if he knew I'll be eating your cooking."

"Ned's a friend, I assume?" Steve asked, taking the loveseat.

"My only civilian friend, yep."

"No family?"

"All dead."

Steve and Clint shared a look. "I thought you had a girlfriend?"

Spider-Woman came and sat down next to Spider-Man, placing the popcorn between them and passing over a can of Pepsi. Spider-Man took a swig before he spoke. "She cheated. We broke up."

The two older males shared another look. "When was this?"

"It's been a second, I guess. She was cheating with Spider-Woman's ex." He spoke about the whole thing offhandedly, like he hadn't been betrayed by one of the few people he trusted. Hey, he thought bitterly, at least I didn't tell her I'm Spider-Man. That's another bullet I'm glad to have dodged.

"Is that why you threw yourself into the Kraven investigation so hard?" Clint asked softly. He took a breath. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Spider-Man waved him off. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, it stung, y'know? I thought we really had something together, but I guess she didn't think so. I don't know. It is what it is. I really shouldn't even be surprised by this crap anymore. I'm a bit flaky because of Spider-Man, but it wasn't coming up as much with her though, so I guess I thought we had a chance. I don't know. From her perspective, I'd probably break up with me too. I'm basically a perpetual mess, which I doubt people appreciate, but, like, at least I'm aware of it. Anyway, it's really not a big deal anymore." He lifted the remote to press play, but Spider-Woman snatched it.

"Don't talk about yourself like that," she frowned. "You're a great friend, and the chaos that surrounds you isn't your fault for the most part."

"You're biased," Spider-Man laughed. "Besides, I told you not to worry about it. Just play the movie."

"You're not listening to me." She glanced at the others for support. "I'm not the best with feelings, I know, but you're literally one of my favorite people, so I can't have you being all down on yourself, okay?"

"Look-"

"If I said the same things about Brad and me, what would you be saying?"

"That's different!"

"We were literally put in the same situation, idiot."

"But we're different people, okay? You're amazing! I'm the kid that learned all the different styles of wedgie-ing the hard way. You track down and tear apart gangs. I carelessly blow up web fluid. You're extraordinary, Spider-Woman." He gave her a soft smile. "I'm pretty average and boring once the mask is off, and that's fine by me."

"So, what I'm hearing," Clint interpreted, "is that you've developed an ultra-negative view of yourself as a result of being bullied for many years. Correct me if I'm wrong. But, I'm not."

"My parents died on a plane leaving me, and my uncle was shot because I'd ran away. My aunt died as a result of injuries from one of my fights. I'd say the proof is in the pudding. Now just play the stupid movie."

"Spider-Man-"

"The movie, Ponytail. Hit the darn button."

Spider-Woman shook her head dejectedly and pressed play.