Spider-Man: Black and Blue (AU) Chapter 27: Shameful Behavior

[Third Person POV]


“Seriously?” Damon asked in exasperation, tilting his head slightly as he spoke. His voice carried a mix of irritation and curiosity, “Don’t you have some connections—people who could get you information about him faster than the average person?”


Anastasia sighed softly, rubbing her temples, “I do,” she admitted, her tone measured. “But it takes time. Learning anything regarding Max isn’t as simple as pulling a file out of a cabinet. The way they were handling him, I don’t doubt everything about him is wrapped in layers of security and locked behind walls most people could never get through. Everything will be guarded, monitored, buried beneath protocol.”


Her eyes softened as she studied him, curiosity glimmering in their depths. “You seem awfully concerned for Max,” she said carefully, her head tilting just slightly. “Did you… know him?”


“Nope.” Damon answered with disarming casualness. He gave a small shrug that made his wound twinge in protest. He wanted to lean back in the chair, but even the thought of doing so made his muscles tense. “Just met him yesterday for the first time.”


Anastasia blinked, her brows furrowing. “What? Then why are you so concerned about whatever happens to him?” she asked, her voice laced with honest confusion. “You stopped a criminal, sent him away to prison, saved the day. People probably already see you as some kind of hero. Isn’t that enough?”


Damon scratched the side of his cheek beneath the mask, “I don’t know, honestly. I know this might sound weird, but…” He paused, “From where I stood, it didn’t feel like I was fighting a villain. It felt like I was fighting at someone who needed saving… Saving from themselves. So, yeah, I just hope he’s getting the treatment he deserves.”


Anastasia stared at him blankly, her gaze sharp but not unkind. Damon shifted slightly, looking away, a little flustered by the intensity of her stare. Then, suddenly, she broke into laughter. “Hahaha, you are seriously unbelievable,” she said between breaths, shaking her head. “But… I think I understand what you mean.” Her voice softened again, more thoughtful this time. “I’ve known Max for a while. He was a good engineer, worked on a few projects here and there. It’s… really a shame what happened to him. We can only hope he manages to find his way back.”


Her eyes drifted over him, taking in the odd image before her: Spider-Man sitting there not in his full uniform, but just his mask and gloves paired with a plain white hoodie. “But enough about Max,” she said with a decisive tone. “There isn’t much we can do for him now. How are you doing? You didn’t look all that well last night.”


Damon leaned forward slightly, his shoulders slouching as he answered, “Recovering… slowly. But you know what would make it better?”


“I’m not giving you a kiss,” she deadpanned instantly, her expression perfectly straight.


He chuckled, shaking his head with exaggerated disbelief. “I was going to say a nice, restful sleep, but if that’s where your mind went…” Damon shrugged his shoulders in mock innocence.


Anastasia rolled her eyes, “Oh, please. Who are you trying to fool?”


Beneath the mask, Damon smirked, the corner of his lips quirking upwards. “I don't really like talking about me, how about you?” he countered smoothly. “How are you doing?”


She leaned back in her office chair, letting out a small sigh. “I’m… relatively fine. But last night gave my daughter quite a scare. She is grateful to you, believe it or not. Not to mention, it’s definitely going to affect business sooner rather than later.”


Damon’s head snapped up, his tone laced with surprise. “Wait, back up. You have a daughter?” He swung his legs off the chair and perched himself onto her desk with sudden energy. Tilting his head playfully, he added, “Is she as beautiful as her mother?”


Anastasia scoffed, her lips twitching in annoyance as she rolled her eyes again. “You seriously need to leave. I think you’ve overstayed your welcome.”


“Aw, come on, don’t be like that,” Damon teased, leaning in just enough to push the boundary between irritating and charming. “I was joking. It’s obvious the original will always be better than the copy.” His voice carried that familiar flirtatious lilt as he grinned beneath the mask,


“I think your battle with Max left you brain damaged. You seriously cannot help yourself, can you?” Anastasia said, shaking her head with that mixture of exasperation and reluctant amusement. Her arms folded across her chest as though she were trying to shield herself from his relentless energy. “Not to mention, I’m out of the dating game. I’m over forty, and I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t get tangled up with masked men.”


“Bullshit you’re over forty!” he blurted, his voice echoing in disbelief. “Nope. I refuse to believe that for even a second!”


For the first time since their conversation began, Anastasia’s lips curved into a smirk, her eyes narrowing playfully as she tilted her head to the side. “Is it that hard to believe?”


“Hard to believe?” Damon scoffed, leaning forward as though trying to get a better look at her. “You know damn well you look good for your age. Don’t try to act like it’s natural to look like that—” He waved his hand vaguely at her figure, his tone halfway between admiration and irritation. “Shameful behavior, that’s what it is.”


Anastasia let out a soft chuckle, clearly pleased with herself and entirely unbothered by his dramatic reaction. Her smirk deepened, her expression saying she knew exactly the effect she had on him. “The only person showing shameful behavior here is you,” she countered smoothly. “Although you try to hide it under that mask, you’re clearly young. Your attitude gives you away—impulsive, restless. I’d say early to mid-twenties, at most. I’m too old for this, I'm too old for you.”


Damon didn’t bother correcting her guess. Instead, he reached out, his voice dropping into a deliberately smoother, more sensual tone. “The older the wine,” he said, drawing out the words with teasing reverence as he kissed the back of her hand “the richer the taste~”


She didn’t give him the satisfaction of lingering in the moment. Anastasia smacked him lightly on the head before he could press further, her glare tempered by the faintest smile tugging at her lips. Damon only laughed.


“Alright, now you seriously need to leave, you brat,” she said, pushing him away with mock sternness.


“Aww, so soon?” Damon’s voice carried disappointment as he tilted his head like a scolded child.


Anastasia rolled her eyes, though her lips betrayed her with the slightest twitch upward. She placed a hand against his masked forehead and nudged him back. “I told you already, I only had a little time to chat. I have a meeting in ten minutes to discuss the PR damages this whole ordeal caused for my company.” She stood gracefully from her chair, her presence shifting back into the poised businesswoman he knew she was.


“And just when we were starting to get to know each other too,” Damon sighed theatrically. He slid off her desk, landing lightly on his feet. With a disappointed shake of his head, he began making his way toward the window where he had first entered. “What a bummer.”


Anastasia watched him for a moment, her lips pressed into a thoughtful line before she called out, “Wait.”


He stopped with one leg halfway out the window, glancing back curiously.


“What if another incident like this happens and I need Spider-Man’s assistance?” Her voice was cool and practical, though her eyes betrayed the faintest trace of genuine concern. “How would I contact you?”


Damon paused, then pointed upward with dramatic flair. “Simple. All you need to do is shine a light into the sky with a Spider symbol and I’d come running.”


Anastasia blinked once. Then twice. Slowly, her expression flattened into a deadpan look. “Isn’t there a better way to contact you?”


He chuckled, wagging a gloved finger at her. “Why? So you can use it to track me down? Sorry, Gorgeous, I like you—but I don’t know you well enough to give away personal details like that.” He leaned casually against the frame of the window, his voice shifting back into that suggestive drawl. “But we could fix that over dinner, perhaps? Get to know each other properly.”


Her eyes narrowed, her face utterly unimpressed. “I’ll shine the light.”


Damon gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as though struck by an arrow. “Ugh, your words wound me!” He staggered backward in mock agony before flipping out of the window in one smooth motion.


The sharp thwip-thwip-thwip of web echoed into the air, followed by his voice carrying through the open window. “See you later, beautiful! Don’t be a stranger!”


Anastasia lingered by the window for a moment, watching the figure swing away into the city skyline. She sighed softly, shaking her head, though this time a faint smile ghosted across her lips. Closing the window with a quiet click, she straightened her jacket and turned, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she left her office to face the responsibilities waiting for her.