The Yellow Pages

Dr. Connors looked worse for wear as he stood before Peter, shoulders sagging and eyes flashing with the same strange discoloration Peter had come to recognize as the mark of Mr. Negative.

“What are you doing here?” He kept his tone even as he shifted subtly to the side, placing himself between the man before him and Kat. Peter registered distantly the feeling of her fist balling into the fabric of his jacket from behind.

“Just thought I would stop by for a quick chat. There are some things we must discuss,” Dr. Connors explained straightening up and peering around Peter’s shoulder, catching a glimpse of Kat. 

“You’re welcome to come inside, we have coffee and I could make you some lunch,” she offered, stepping out from behind her human shield. Peter’s head snapped in her direction unusually fast, eyes shining with a barely masked warning. Still, Kat wasn’t stupid, she could tell this man was dangerous from his reaction, so surely she had some form of plan. Right?

Peter sat across the small wooden table from a man who had, on several occasions, tried to kill him, hoping desperately to keep his calm. Kat toiled quietly in the background, not that he paid her much attention as he fixed Dr. Connors with glare. 

“I know you didn’t break out of prison to visit me for a quick chat, so spit it out. What do you want?” He couldn’t help the disdain that dripped from his voice as he spoke to the man who had killed Gwen’s father, who had caused someone he loved so much pain. 

“You always were smart,” Dr. Connors responded with what Peter could only identify as a hint of fondness in his tone. “I am here to help you.”

Peter sat up straighter at the strange claim and felt as, across the kitchen, Kat stilled in her movements.  “What?”

“It would seem, that Mr. Negative has a certain effect about him, one which allows him the curious ability to reverse one's feelings. Unfortunately for him, in my particular case, the result has been an increased fondness for you and a growing amount of disdain for my previous endeavors,” Dr. Connors explained.

“Again, I’m going to need some sort of elaboration,” Peter prompted.

“Well, in layman’s terms, the lizard thing hasn’t really been doing it for me,” he replied with a mocking edge to his words. Kat chocked back an awkward laugh from her place before the stove.

“So you came here to tell me that you don’t hate me anymore?” Peter cocked his head to the side, genuine confusion evident in his expression. 

“No, I came here because I don’t hate you anymore. I came here totell you that you need to leave,” he responded, emphasizing the last sentence. “See, Mr. Negative has been working for a while to track down you and your little girlfriend-”

“She’s not-” 

“Oh, we aren’t-” 

Both Peter and Kat scrambled to correct the man at the table, only to receive a single, rather unconvinced, ah, in response.

“He has managed to get a hold of your address. This address, and plans to show up tonight,” he finished, sitting back with a look of satisfaction. A glass fell to the ground, shattering on impact. Peter’s eyes quickly jerked away from their place on Dr. Connors’s face to Kat who stood completely still, feet surrounded by broken glass and water. She bent slowly to collect the pieces only to immediately cut her hand open.

“Kat- Just, let me,” he stood, moving to gently push her out of the kitchen.

“I- Peter, he has my address. My grandmother- What am I gonna do?” she whispered frantically as he led her towards the bathroom.

“It’s gonna be fine, okay? We’re gonna figure this out,” he soothed, before moving to return to the kitchen. Dr. Connors had begun to stand from his place at the small kitchen table as though prepared to leave. 

“Leaving so soon?” Peter asked, taking a seemingly lazy stance, leaned against the doorway.

“I’ve done what I came to do. I’d rather not impose any longer,” Dr. Connors claimed, beginning to edge closer to the place where Peter stood.

“Ah, but see, here’s the thing Doc. No offense to you at all, but I don’t exactly trust you enough to let you just walk out of here,” he said, straightening up to meet the other man’s eyes dead-on. Dr. Connors released a low growl and Peter watched as, with lightning speed, his adversary’s hand dipped into his pocket and fished out a syringe. 

“I’m warning you, Peter Parker, you would be better off getting out of my way,” he chastised.

“No can do Doc.”

The next few minutes seemed to happen in slow motion. Dr. Connors stuck himself with the syringe as Peter, only a moment too late moved forward to wrestle it from his grip. And then the world went eerily still as before his eyes green scales began to form on the man’s skin and Peter knew it was too late to stop what was already in motion. Taking up a fighting stance, he cast a wary glance around the kitchen, knowing Kat was going to kill him for the damage he was about to do. But before he could leap into action, the man before him fell to the ground with a brutal smack. Behind a half transformed Dr. Connors stood Kat, panting, a frying pan in hand.

“Oh my God.” The frying pan clattered to the ground as Kat brought a shaky hand to her mouth with the realization of what she had done. “Is he dead? Is there a dead man in my kitchen- In my grandmother’s kitchen? Oh my God-”

Before him, Kat sunk slowly to the ground, panicked hands reaching out to check for a pulse. Upon finding one, the girl sunk back in relief, before once more processing the unconscious man on her floor. 

“Peter, what are we gonna do?”

Her eyes shone with fear as she looked up at him, begging for an answer of any kind.

“This is fine. Everything is fine. We just need a plan,” he soothed, reaching around an unconscious Dr. Connors to pull Kat up and away from the potential threat. Whether the man before him was awake or not, the serum was already taking effect.

“For starters, we have to get out of this house.”

Two hours later, the pair had packed and loaded duffle bags into the back of Kat’s shitty 2005 Toyota Corolla. With Kat’s grandmother staying with a friend for the night under the guise of Peter and Kat wanting the house to themselves (a claim that could not have left the old woman sounding more thrilled), they had made plans to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the city.

“Do you think that will actually hold him?” Kat asked head cocked to the side as she observed Dr. Connors who Peter had wrapped like a fly and left out on the porch.

“Who knows. It doesn’t really matter though. The second we’re out of here, we’re calling the cops to come pick him up.” Kat only nodded as she slammed the trunk shut and began to move towards the front of the car. Just then, a low groan sent both heads shooting up in fear. From his place on the porch, entangled in layers of Peter’s web fluid, Dr. Connors began to move.

“Peter-”

“We need to go.”

“Is he-”

“We need to go now.”

Shooing Kat into the passenger’s seat, Peter slid across the hood of the car with ease before settling himself behind the wheel and slamming the door shut. Then he paused. One beat. Two.

“What are you waiting for?” Kat cried out, eyes glued on the very large, very angry lizard beginning to break through the webs keeping him on the porch. 

“I don’t know how to drive.” Kat’s eyes doubled in size.

“You don’t know how to drive? Aren’t you like thirty?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Jesus you look old. And you can’t drive?”

“I’m from Queens, I take the subway.”

“I’m from Queens! Besides, you’re twenty-six. Surely you’ve driven at least once.”

“I’m Spider-man, half the time I just web my way across the city!”

“Oh my God. Get out!” 

Within seconds the two had exited the vehicle, frantically moving to switch sides as, only a few feet away, Dr. Connors shed the last of the webs from his scales. As Kat reached to close her door, he took several large paces towards the car.

“How indestructible is this guy again?” 

“Pretty indestructible! Any particular reason we are still here?” Peter struggled to keep his voice calm as his eyes flitted back and forth between the lizard and the girl beside him. Suddenly, Kat slammed on the gas, launching the car forward and into the oncoming threat.

“You think that’ll buff out?” She laughed uneasily before throwing the car into reverse and swinging it out onto the street. Casting a quick glance at the rearview mirror, Peter watched as the very large lizard-man, now crumpled on the ground began to grow smaller in the distance and for the first time since that morning, he felt himself breathe easy.

“You don’t think I killed him, do you?” Kat’s hands were balled into fists, flexing nervously around the steering wheel and she refused to meet Peter’s eyes. 

“No. Concussed? Maybe. But he’s been through worse and survived, so I doubt he’s gone for good.” He watched her closely from the corner of his eye, easily catching the slight drop in her shoulders as she let go of the thought. 

“So how come you never learned how to drive?” she asked, shooting him a teasing smile. 

“I guess I never really had the time,” he shrugged. “Spider-man stuff, you know.”

Kat considered his words for a moment, seeming to accept the justification.

“How come you did? Learn how to drive I mean,” Peter asked in return. 

“My dad lived outside the city. The divorce was messy, so the second I could cart myself over there my mom refused to take me,” she shrugged as though explaining this sort of thing was second nature. 

“How often do you see him?” Peter asked, the conversation piquing his interest.

“Last time was six years ago, at Mom’s funeral.” She pursed her lips and her shoulders returned to their previous defensive position.

“I’m sorry,” Peter whispered.

“It’s fine, you were just asking,” she answered, but her eyes remained glued to the road.

“No, I’m sorry about her. About your mom. I’m sorry I couldn’t save her.”

“Peter-”

“I know I just apologized, and I want you to know you don’t have to forgive me- You don’t ever have to forgive me-”

“Peter-” 

“I just want you to know that I’m so sorry-”

“Peter.” He stopped finally, looking over to catch her gaze. 

“I don’t forgive you-” He felt his heart sink in his chest. “Because you have no reason to apologize.” His eyes shot back up to her face, scanning for some sort of sign of contempt. There was none.

“I was wrong.”

“What?”

“I’m only gonna say this one more time, because men already hear this far too often, but I was wrong.” She sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Kat-”

“Just say you accept my apology. Or don’t, I guess, but I misjudged you because of a situation I knew nothing about. That’s on me, not you.”

“I- Thank you.” And for a long time, the two sat in silence, and for the first time in days, there was nothing strained about it. It was just him and Kat and the feeling that maybe everything would be alright.

“Kat’s Magic Mix? What is this? Oh my God please tell me this isn’t some sort of high school car sex playlist.” Peter laughed to himself as he read the words Sharpied onto the front of the CD he’d fished out of her glove compartment. 

“Ew, no way. Give that to me.” Kat reached out to remove the disk from his grasp, but he easily evaded her, quickly inserting the CD and skipping through to the first track. A very mangled sound left the speakers and Peter’s hands jumped to his ears. 

“You just have to give it a second,” Kat called out over the unintelligible blaring before smacking the top of the radio rather hard. Within seconds, the first lyrics to “What Makes You Beautiful” could be heard throughout the car. 

“Is there some sort of tracklist I could look at?” Peter asked as Kat hummed along. 

“Check the back of the case,” she supplied.

“That's-”

“A lot of One Direction?” Kat guessed and Peter could help but laugh as he looked at the upcoming songs. “I hope you’re a fan because we’ve got a long ride ahead and it’s either this or the Mamma Mia soundtrack.”

“I guess I’ll take my chances with sixteen-year-old Kat’s taste in music.”