Chapter 35: Spider-Man vs Black Widow (Part 2)
Spider-Man twisted his body, narrowly dodging Natasha's electric dart, then fired a strand of webbing that bound her hands together.
"How old are you, anyway?" he asked with open curiosity. "Early twenties? Thirties? You look pretty young."
"It's extremely rude to ask a woman her age."
"Right, my mistake. A woman's age is classified information. That's what every woman tells me."
"And who else told you that?"
"Plenty of people. My aunt, my friends. They all say the same thing…"
"Sounds like you still haven't learned your lesson. You're still asking women about their age."
"I know," Spider-Man admitted. "I'm just… forgetful. I've gotten into trouble for it a lot."
"For example?"
"For example, I once almost ruined—wait. Hold on. Are you trying to get me to talk?"
"Took you long enough."
"Hmm… That just means I've got plenty of room to improve."
"So what are you going to do with me? Kill me?"
"No, definitely not," Spider-Man answered firmly. "I don't kill people. And you're not a bad person. You're a good one. The worst thing you've done is breaking into an innocent civilian's apartment today."
"Me? A good person?" Natasha laughed outright. "That might be the funniest thing I've heard in my entire life."
Spider-Man clearly had no idea what the name Black Widow truly meant. Natasha had never considered herself a good person, and she doubted anyone else in the world did either.
"You sound very young," Natasha observed. "Almost like a teenager. Are you even an adult?"
"Of course," Spider-Man replied, deliberately lowering his voice. "In fact, I'm already in my thirties."
"Really?"
"Nope."
"You really are just a kid," Natasha concluded.
"Having a youthful spirit is a good thing. All right, enough small talk. I should escort you out before Peter Parker comes back and gets the scare of his life."
"I don't think so. I'd say we still have plenty to talk about."
The moment her words fell, elite S.H.I.E.L.D. agents flooded the area, sealing off the entire apartment building.
They were heavily armed and impeccably trained.
Spider-Man peered down the window and saw the agents gathering below.
"Wow," he muttered to himself, recognizing several familiar faces. "A lot of old friends down there."
He turned back to Natasha. "So that conversation earlier was just you buying time?"
"You could put it that way," Natasha replied calmly.
"I'll make sure to remember this lesson. Wouldn't want to make the same mistake again."
"Didn't you just say you never learn your lessons?"
"Who knows what the future holds?" Spider-Man shrugged.
"Spider-Man, I'm guessing you haven't run into a situation like this before."
"Actually, I've been surrounded more times than I can count. It's just that getting out of it is never easy."
"Oh? Then how about this?"
Twin daggers slid into Natasha's hands. With a sharp flick, the blades sliced cleanly through the webbing, freeing her instantly.
The moment she regained her freedom, Natasha launched a whipping kick straight at Spider-Man.
"You had knives the whole time?" Spider-Man exclaimed as he dodged backward. "So you were acting earlier?"
"Super spy," Natasha replied curtly. "Remember?"
"If you ever took up acting, you'd be a global superstar."
"Less talking during a fight, kid."
Natasha's assault came like a sudden storm, relentless and precise. Every strike was designed for close-quarters lethality, targeting joints, the throat, and the temples without hesitation.
"Wait, we're fighting already?" Spider-Man protested as he retreated. "I thought we could talk a bit more. I still have so much I haven't shared with you…"
Relying on his spider-sense and superhuman reflexes, he blocked and evaded in rapid succession. Dull impacts echoed through the cramped room. His raw strength far exceeded Natasha's, but he dared not unleash it fully. One mistake could seriously injure her. That restraint left him constantly on the back foot.
A feint slipped past his guard, and Natasha's knife-hand snapped toward his neck with lethal precision.
Spider-Man sprang straight up to the ceiling.
Without missing a beat, Natasha grabbed a chair and hurled it at him.
"Hey, don't break the furniture!" Spider-Man called out. He snagged the chair with a web line and gently set it back on the floor. "It's not payday yet. I can't afford to reimburse Peter Parker."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will cover the damages," Natasha replied flatly.
A launcher on her wrist spat out an electric shock projectile.
Spider-Man twisted aside just in time, the bolt sizzling past him.
"How many mysterious little gadgets do you have on you?"
"You'll find out."
She flicked her wrist, sending a throwing knife flying.
Spider-Man dropped from the ceiling, the blade whistling past him before burying itself deep in the plaster above.
"Let's… maybe not."
Natasha gave him no chance to breathe. She closed in instantly, arms locking around his neck in a textbook chokehold, iron-tight and efficient.
At the critical moment, Spider-Man suddenly snapped his head backward.
Thud.
A sharp pain exploded across Natasha's forehead. Her grip loosened for just a fraction of a second.
Spider-Man seized the opening and hurled her away.
"We really don't need to be fighting," he insisted. "You're a good person. So am I. Why are we doing this?"
"Good question."
Natasha lunged forward with a straight punch aimed at his face.
Spider-Man dropped into a crouch, then drove his foot into her abdomen.
He used finesse rather than force. The push sent her flying back with minimal damage.
Natasha staggered and crashed into the desk behind her. A harsh screech filled the room as the desk legs buckled and the whole thing collapsed.
They faced each other across the overturned furniture.
Natasha rubbed her abdomen and straightened up, her expression unreadable.
Spider-Man rose as well, dusting himself off. Aside from a bit of grime on his suit, he was unhurt.
"See? We don't have to keep this up. There are better ways to resolve things. How about we sit down at a café and grab some coffee?"
"Adaptability: acceptable. Strength control: acceptable. Mental resilience: acceptable," Natasha murmured into her earpiece. "Aside from being overly talkative, Spider-Man shows strong potential as a hero."
"I think being talkative is a good thing. Wait. You were testing me just now?"
"Test concluded, Director Fury," Natasha reported calmly.
"Hold on. So all of that was just a test?" Spider-Man groaned. "Great. I got played again."
"I'm a super spy," Natasha reminded him. "You still have a lot to learn, Spider-Man."
"You mentioned Fury just now," Spider-Man said, suddenly alert. "He's here?"
"Not only is he here," Natasha replied, pointing toward the door, "he's standing right outside."