Stories Focussed On Spider-Man

(USM) Blind Date

Summary: in an au where Spider-Man didn't immediately become a part of the Ultimates upon joining SHIELD, the press isn't a big fan of the flying organization. Time to do some pr boosters! Enjoy...

"Nick, I already told you," Spider-Man whined, "I don't have anyone to bring! No one knows I'm a vigilante or that I work here. Why do I have to bring a date anyways?"

Fury sighed and rubbed his temples. "Parker, a lot of people say that SHIELD agents don't have normal lives and have lost their connection to what makes them human. Seeing as we need public cooperation in the middle of a crisis, I've decided that having some superheroes bring dates to public events is a gesture that takes a step in the right direction."

"That doesn't fix my issue."

"Fine, I'll set you up with someone. Clear your schedule for this Saturday, you'll meet her then."

"Are... Are you setting me up on a blind date?"

"Wear that costume under a suit."

"Oh my gosh, you are!"

·

"You want me to what?" White Tiger asked incredulously, doing a double take. Was Fury cloned and replaced? That wasn't too far-fetched, was it?

Fury sighed. "Look, now that SHIELD is publicly known, we have to worry about appearances to keep civilians cooperating."

"It's a small price to pay compared to the negative possibilities," Coulson added.

"There's an agent who has to make a public appearance and I told him to bring a date," Fury explained. "But, he doesn't have a girlfriend and no one even knows about his SHIELD life."

"So, we're setting you up to meet him and pose as his date to the event. Plus, while he is attending under the pretense of being a SHIELD agent, he's also there to look into the company running the banquet: Oscorp," Coulson smiled. "I'm sure you'd enjoy the work."

Tiger sighed. "Do I at least get to know who the mystery agent is?"

"No, but wear your White Tiger uniform and dress nicely."

.

Spider-Man shifted nervously. He was in a part of the Helicarrier he didn't even know existed waiting for some woman to show up. He wasn't sure what to do when she got there. Should he compliment her looks? Ask her about her personal life? Run away like a dork?

He was leaning towards that last one.

"Wait, Spider-Man?" a female voice exclaimed. The webbed hero turned to take in a woman wearing a white mask with cat ears and solid green eyes. He could see her long black hair pulled back into a pony tail. She wore white dress over her suit that stuck to the feline theme and he could see retracted claws on her gloves.

"I-uh-yeah. Spider-Man. Me. I'm Spider-Man. You?" he stammered. He had to admit, she was in shape. Well, he wasn't expecting someone out of shape seeing as she was SHIELD, but he was still impressed.

"White Tiger," she answered with a small chuckle. What? She never thought she'd ever see the day where Spider-Man got flustered. He was some vigilante turned epic hero once he started training with SHIELD and he'd always had a confident aura about him. At least, in all the videos she'd seen he had. Not that she watched videos of him. That, uh, that would be weird.

She loomed around the training room they had been told to meet up in. There was a table and two folding chairs set up with whatever the SHIELD cafeteria cooked up that day on the table. "Yep, Fury knows just how to set up a date," she said sarcastically.

Spider-Man huffed. "I know, right! He told me to dress up all nice and then he sets this up? Major let down!" He paused for a moment. "If you want, we could head down to Queens and actually have a nice meal?"

"How do you plan on getting down there?" Tiger questioned.

"Spider-cycle?"

"I did hear you had a motorcycle," Tiger smiled after a moment. "Let's see it."

"I'm gonna call ahead then," Spider-Man grinned, fishing his phone out of his boot. "Hey, Mr. Jacques, is there room tonight for a table of two? Sweet, can you reserve that table for us? Spider-Man. Yeah, I'll be there in twenty. Thank you so much! Bye!"

"You know the owner?" Tiger questioned, intrigued.

"A few months ago, his place was threatened by this gang," he explained, leaving it there. It went without question that the hero had taken care of it. "Anyways, he serves some great French food."

"Does he have macaroons?" Tiger asked. "They don't serve them anywhere on the Helicarrier and I've been wanting to try one."

"What kind of French themed restaurant doesn't serve macaroons? His are the best, in New York, though. Like, ambrosia."

"Good, and we are so having a conversation about keeping your phone in your boot."

"I don't have any pockets! There are no pockets in my uniform-costume-thing!" he groaned throwing his hands up. "Believe it or not, the original design had pockets, but when SHIELD went ahead and upgraded everything, they left them out!"

She laughed. "Fair point. So, I've not gotten the opportunity to leave the base on something other than a jet or a plane. What's it like falling several thousand feet with heavy machinery that isn't meant to fly?"

"You're about to find out, Tiger," he smirked, opening a door and proudly brandishing his slightly battered bike. It wasn't necessarily shabby looking, it was just obvious that he had been in several supervillain fights with it.

"It doesn't look like it was built for two."

"It wasn't, I guess."

"I'll just have to hold on tight then," Tiger flirted, leading the way over. She let her date get situated before clambering on behind, fully intending to impress the well-known superhero with her bravery when it came to heights.

Yeah, that idea crashed and burned fairly quick.

As soon as they began their free-fall, Spider-Man let out a whoop of glee, and Tiger let out a whoop of the exact opposite of glee, also known as terror. She clutched him like he was a lifeline and mentally told herself that cat's had nine lives and she was wearing an amulet on her hip that gave her cat powers. It didn't worked.

At what seemed to be the last possible moment, webbing extended from the front and back of the cycle, securing them in place, but that didn't stop Tiger from wondering how much she would have to wiggle for them to fall off the makeshift tightrope.

She really hoped the restaurant wasn't on the other side of town, otherwise she might puke. The whole date had better not be like that.

A/N this one has been in my drafts for months. I might finish the date if you guys like it. On another note, I'm bored and generally uninspired because I haven't left my house since last Wednesday because qUaRaNtInE, but thanks to a splendiferous conversation with Lyssa0070 , I realized that I feel more motivation to finish something that I've dropped a small spoiler on, like the title. So, feel free to ask questions, which will (hopefully) improve my motivation to get things done.