Chosen Path

End Of The Beginning

For many in New York, it must've felt like just another day in the city, though a large crowd of photographers and a range of members of the press thought otherwise. They, along with a large crowd of members of the public, stood outside the Riverside Church waiting to catch the first glimpse of the newly married couple about to exit from the church. They didn't have to wait long until the large doors opened up and stepping out was the astronaut John Jameson and his new wife, Mary Jane Jameson, to a chorus of cheers and applause from the crowd assembled. Though the wedding of the famous young astronaut who was also a national hero was going to attract a large crowd regardless, it was Mary Jane though that the masses had wanted to see.

Just two days ago, the redhead woman had been taken captive by Otto Octavius and had sent the city in a frenzy of guessing where he'd taken her, not to mention that John Jameson had been clearly distressed about this. Then on the night of her disappearance, she was found by the docks on the Hudson River, in which it was soon found out that Spider-Man had defeated Doc Ock and had rescued her from the clutches of the villainous scientist. For those following the news story, it was a great relief that she was back with her fiancée and at long last, she could have her happy ending after all the madness that had ensured. Truly a feel good story that the city needed

As the newly married couple left the church, behind them was J. Jonah Jameson, arm in arm with his wife, and was probably one of the more ecstatic characters there as it was hard to blame him considering how his son had nearly lost his love to the hands of Otto and, in to some extent, the cost of setting up this wedding. What was more surprising to many that even he had to make an exception of his grudge of Spider-Man by actually thanking him for rescuing Mary Jane, then again it being a wedding did help in briefly changing his views.

Meanwhile from a rooftop were Peter Parker and Felicia Hardy, aka Spider-Man and Black Cat, both without their respected masks, watching the scene before them. Peter had to smile as he could see Jonah Jameson getting quite emotional as he embraced Mary Jane as his new daughter-in-law. That said, Peter did feel a slight sense of melancholy as the bride there was the girl next door and his high school crush, now she was married and unlikely to return to New York after the wedding.

"Having doubts about your choice about not chasing after her?" Felicia joked.

"No, not at all," Peter replied shaking his head. "Just remembering the old days in High School...MJ was always trying to date the football jock or some big shot in school, even Harry at one point, never did I think she'd end up with Jonah's son of all people."

"Strange things happen, Peter" Felicia pointed out as she brushed a strand of her hair back. "But I have to say, you did the right thing it letting her go that night. Even had me welling up."

"Now you can see how dangerous the life of a hero can be," Peter replied, pointed out the last battle with Otto. "If we are to be together, they'll be risks involved and how I couldn't let Mary Jane get involved with that."

"But I'm willing to face them with you," Felicia interrupted him. "I know all the dangers and that, Shocker gave me a taste of that first time round, and that encounter with Otto only just hit the nail on the head that it won't be an easy life to go on."

The young brunette was startled by his girlfriend's serious words, she really had gone from a skilled cat burglar when he first met her in that art gallery to now a competent crime fighting partner for him. Peter then looked down again at the streets below them as the married couple tried to get through the mass of people and even though there seemed no danger to ruin the happy occasion, he and Felicia were there just in case...

"But I have one thing to say too," Peter admitted. "I want to thank you."

The blonde woman looked at him with a surprised expression. "Huh? Thank me?"

"Before I met you, things weren't going well for me," Peter explained. "Getting fired from various jobs, not being there for those close to me, always late for class, just terrible. Then you came into my life and thanks to you, I began to enjoy not only being Spider-Man again, but thanks to you I could start a new chapter in my life, just like MJ."

Felicia felt a bit bashful by Peter praising her, but kept her confident composure. "Well, you were always a broody and even sometimes whiny sort when I first got to know you, but I'm glad to see that you're no longer a grumpy stick in the mud and that you embraced the superhero life, though I still think you still need to loosen up just a little bit..."

Peter laughed at her little joke. "I can never win with you, can I?"

The former cat burglar then walked up to him with confidence as she placed her arms round his neck. "But it all seriousness, I have to thank you too. For one, giving me something positive to do and two, I get to be with the Spider-Man both inside and out. No disrespect to red down there, but...she missed out on the real prize being with you." 

She then pulled him forward for a passionate kiss in which Peter responded by wrapping his arms around her slim waist and giving into the kiss.

They may have been different and really the sort of girl that his Aunt May would probably think of as the last person she'd think her nephew would be with, though in truth, the old term of Yin-Yang was quite relevant with Peter and Felicia. Not only had they changed each other's ways for probably the better, they now had a strong future ahead of them of living the superhero life and protecting the city from whatever major threat would strike next.

They continued their passionate kiss on that rooftop until they heard the sirens of fire truck nearby and pulled away, looking into the direction where the sound was coming from. Peter looked back on his girlfriend, which Felicia only had a cheeky grin on her lips. "Showtime, baby."

He didn't need any more encouragement as he, along with Felicia, put their respected masks back on and began swinging off from that rooftop and over the crowd below. Everyone there looked up and to Spider-Man's amazement, they all cheered him as he went by. Considering the lukewarm reception he had been getting over the last few months as Spider-Man, there was no doubt that the saving of Mary Jane had finally become the moment when all of New York had accepted him as their hero. Well, almost, minus Jonah Jameson and the many criminals he'd rounded up during his time as the web slinger (Spider-Man swore he thought he heard Jonah cry out, "That menace is here to ruin my son's wedding day!")

Out of all those people cheering on the crime fighting pair as they swung over the crowd, one person looking up could only look up with some apprehension. Out of that entire crowd, Mary Jane was the only one who knew who they were and even though she had no idea of what married life had in store for her, she knew for certain that New York would always have Spider-Man and Black Cat to protect it from evil.

She entered the backseat of the wedding car with her new husband and looked through the back window to catch the last glimpses of the two heroes swinging their way across the New York Skyline as the car began to drive off. Then, without her husband hearing her, Mary Jane uttered a barely audible sentence aimed towards Spider-Man, no, Peter Parker.

"...Go get 'em, tiger."

The End

XXX

And so that's your lot! First i want to say thank you to all the people of reviewed, followed and favourite this story, you guys help me motivate to get this story to the finishing line, I really appreciate that. Of course, it isn't all over just yet as now we can get to talk about the sequel! As we are in the Raimiverse, it would seem that Spider-Man 3 is next, however this version will be quite different you'll be pleased to hear as they'll be no Venom (Sandman I'm still on the fence to include him) but that the villain will, and should've have only been, Harry/New Goblin. I think many of you will vouch for that thinking the same thing with the film. Still, I can see the sequel being so radically different to the film that other than the characters and one or two scenes, it wouldn't really be an adaption but more of my own take of how it should have been.

I do have a rough outline right now of the story, though I'm still working things out so any possible suggestions either in the reviews or a detailed PM to me would be a source of great help. But in the meantime, I'll leave you here with this completed story to read over again and until next time...see you for the sequel!