He patrolled every night, hoping Black Cat would show up. He felt frustrated—he hadn't seen her or her men in any heists. He didn't want to go looking for her and risk alerting her.
— "What are you doing here?" he asked without turning around.
— "I'm patrolling the city," she admitted.
— "I thought Avengers were too busy for that," he glanced sideways at her.
— "Not anymore," she said curtly. "I'm not an Avenger anymore."
Spider-Woman huffed and crossed her arms but eventually let out a sigh. She understood the Captain's reaction.
— "I'm serious," she whispered. "I resigned from the Avengers. You were right." She lowered her head.
The Captain sighed and patted her on the back as a sign of support.
— "Sometimes it takes us a while to open our eyes," he replied. "And sometimes we crash into reality the worst way possible," he added coldly.
Spider-Woman stepped slightly away and hugged herself.
— "That's how you felt, huh?" she looked at him. "When Peter died..."
— "Yeah," he looked away. "It was a shock I never imagined I'd go through, but in the end, it made me realize I was doing everything wrong."
Spider-Woman said nothing. She took off her mask and grabbed the Captain's shoulders, forcing him to look at her. She could tell Spider-Man's—Peter's—death had affected him deeply.
— "Are you okay?" she asked.
— "You need to know something," he bit his lower lip. "It's about Peter. About what it means to be Spider-Man."
She knew Peter considered Captain America—Steve Rogers—a friend, even if they hadn't talked much due to their missions while Peter was still alive.
— "I don't get you."
— "Did Peter ever tell you about the Totems?" she asked nervously.
— "No..."
— "Well," she cleared her throat, "see, the Totems are—"
The sound of an alarm blared in the distance, cutting the conversation short.
— "Sounds like a robbery," he looked at her. "Coming with me?"
She smiled and pulled her mask back on.
— "No time to waste," she smiled. "I'll have to explain the Totems after this," she thought.
She was impressed to see the Captain pull out a grappling gun and shoot it quickly.
— "I like your new tricks," she teased.
— "Had to move fast somehow," he replied, stepping to the edge of the building. "See you there." He jumped.
She smiled nostalgically watching him go. It reminded her of Peter.
— "Peter would be proud of you," she murmured.
Without another word, she jumped after the Captain.
She landed beside him and frowned at the sight of Black Cat's men. Crossing her arms, she let out a small huff.
— "What are we gonna do?" she asked.
— "You take care of her men," he ordered. "I'll handle Black Cat."
— "What? No! I want to fight Black Cat. We have unfinished business," she growled.
— "Girl, do as I say," he replied in a rough voice. "Once you're done with her men, come find me."
The alarm had stopped, and from the rooftop, she watched a few vehicles leaving. A smile formed on her face, seeing things were going smoothly—until she saw her.
— "Captain..."
— "Cat..."
— "You're a little late," she said arrogantly.
— "Look again," he replied.
She turned to see Spider-Woman following the vehicles. Clenching her fists, she turned back to the Captain, who stood firm.
— "I have allies too."
— "I liked you better when you were an Avenger," she growled.
— "When the cat's away, the mice come out to play," he stated. "That's what you do, Felicia."
She froze. Her brows furrowed, and her body began to tremble slightly.
— "W-what... what did you call me?" she asked.
— "Felicia. That's your name," he smiled. "I have to thank Betsy. She really knows how to make a plan work."
— "Thank Betsy..." she repeated.
"She's a mutant, don't you read the news? She showed up with the X-Men and even Spider-Man."
She remembered what her mother had said at the party. Gritting her teeth, she realized Elizabeth Braddock was behind the Captain knowing her identity.
— "Of course, she's a mutant," she said angrily. "Must have mind-reading powers or something," she growled.
— "Exactly. She's a telepath. The plan worked," he crossed his arms.
— "Plan," she repeated. "So it was all a lie..."
— "Exactly."
— "You damn dog!" she shouted.
She lunged at him swiftly, furious and frustrated by the revelation. Her eyes began to fill with tears—something the Captain didn't fail to notice.
Blows were exchanged, both blocking each other's attacks.
The Captain backed away slightly, never taking his eyes off her.
— "Guess I hit a nerve," he said.
— "Tsk..."
He threw his shield, which she barely dodged. When it returned, she realized he had launched himself at her, landing a kick to her abdomen and grabbing her by the neck, dragging her to the building's edge.
— "Sorry it had to end like this," he squeezed tighter, "but you left me no choice."
— "Ngk..."
She raised her hands, trying to push his away from her neck.
Spider-Woman landed on the rooftop, eyes wide at the sight.
— "Cap! What the hell are you doing?" she asked, rushing over.
The Captain glanced at her over his shoulder.
— "My job."
— "You're going to kill her!" she pointed out.
— "No, I'm going to knock her out," he explained.
She placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to face her. Black Cat took advantage of the distraction, pulling out a smoke bomb and escaping quickly. As the cloud dispersed, the Captain looked at Spider-Woman.
— "What's going through that head of yours?" he crossed his arms.
— "Mine? No, yours!" she snapped. "You were choking her off the edge of the building!"
— "I wasn't going to kill her, just make her pass out," he explained. "You let her get away."
— "Sure looked like the opposite."
— "Those are my methods," he growled. "If you don't like them, go back to the Avengers." He turned his back.
Black Cat collapsed in an alley, holding her neck. It ached, and she was struggling to breathe. She tried to calm herself.
— "Damn it," she growled.
Everything was getting worse, and the fact that her identity was exposed made it even harder. If they didn't catch her as Black Cat, they'd come after her as Felicia Hardy.
The Captain removed his helmet and set it aside. Sitting down, he sighed, remembering the mess caused by Jessica.
— "Guess I'm better off working alone," he thought.
— "Captain, we've got a problem," the AI said. "There's been a breakout at Ravencroft." It showed images. "Subject known as Electro."
— "There's always something every five minutes," he whispered. "I don't know how Peter handled all this," he sighed. "Thanks for the heads-up, Karen." He got up. "I'm on my way."
— "Should I call for backup?"
— "Might be useful, but..." he remembered what happened with Jessica. "Can't let him escape," he thought. "No, don't call anyone. I'll handle it myself."
...........
Two years later
The world had changed—so had he. He'd been forced to open his eyes the hard way. He returned to New York, which made him feel strange.
A week after his return, he resumed his activities. What he least expected was that his ex had become the queen of crime. But he knew her—and he definitely had to deal with her.
The man collapsed and looked up at him, terrified.
— "W-what do you want from me?" he asked, trembling.
— "I want you to deliver a message to your boss," he crouched down. "Will you do that for me?"
With some hesitation, the man nodded. Red Hood patted his cheek.
— "Good boy," he whispered. "Tell her this: she needs to shut down the organization, stop the heists. Because if she doesn't... I will." He pointed. "And it'll be worse. She's already seen what I'm capable of."
The man looked at the lifeless bodies of his comrades, then at the masked man.
— "Y-yes... I'll tell her..."
Red Hood stood and helped the man to his feet. His spider-sense flared, and he turned quickly.
— "Who are you?" he asked coldly.
— "Leave," he ordered.
The man ran off—and then he saw the Captain.
— "Good to see you, Captain," he said. "Never thought I'd see you as a vigilante."
— "I'll ask once more," the Captain crossed his arms. "Who are you?"
— "Who am I?" he repeated. "I'm Red Hood."