Darkness fell over the city. Lights shined from windows as the natural light of the sun was swallowed up by the horizon. The sunset had been beautiful, lasting ages. The star hadn’t gone without a fight but now nighttime prevailed. On the busy streets cars drove through as firelights. But they were nothing more than a glint in the masked eye of the man that sat on the rooftops watching them. Car horns blared from below as a car pulled out at the wrong time and almost caused an accident. The man started forwards for a second but then the car stopped and was let out. The man sat back into his crouch and sank back into thought.

Police sirens sounded and the man’s head turned slightly. He concentrated on the sound and a vision of a bank robbery formed in his head. But the guys were amateur; they had no hope of escaping New York’s finest. He ignored the tingling in the back of his skull and once more focused on the bottom of the building he was sat on. Suddenly it occurred to him that it would be far easier to see the awning-covered doors from the building across the road than upon the same roof. He stood up, stretching his tired muscles and letting out a silent yawn as he took a few steps backwards… and then ran full pelt at the side of the roof. At the last second he pushed off the edge with his front foot and launched forwards at the opposite site. As he flew forwards he did a neat spinning dive. Landing perfectly he rolled on the roof and sat in crouch facing the edge of the building.

“Nice” sounded a voice from behind. He twisted quickly and faced the darkness behind him. He stared into the black and saw a slim silhouette that strutted towards him. He smiled under his mask and turned back to face the road below.
“Thanks” he answered. He felt hands on his shoulders and then Black Cat was crouching next to him. She looked down at the busy traffic below and for a second He almost saw a doubt in her emerald green eyes. But then her black shiny lips curled into a smile and she turned to him. He looked at her, taking in the black painted-on mask and long white hair that flew around her in the wind. He glanced for a second at her costume and found that it was the same as always. Black, skin-tight leather; stopping at the chest in a V-neck that ran to the bottom of her cleavage. The leather covered her except for where the white fur marked her suits limits at the neck, where her gloves separated from the sleeves and where her boots ended on her legs. Her clawed fingers scratched at the stone and little prints were left.
“How have you been Webhead? Haven’t seen you in a while,” she asked playfully. He smiled as he looked back down at the building opposite.
“Hello Black Cat. I’ve been alright. How are you?” he answered. Black cat looked at him for a little bit in silence.
“I’m alright,” she answered “What are you sitting here for?” He looked at her for a moment, and then again focused on the door. Black Cat stood and stretched.

“Watching,” he said simply. Behind his back Black Cat raised an eyebrow.
“Well…yeah... I can see that,” she said “I meant what are you watching for?” he smiled.
“A girl” he said. He looked out the corner of his eye and saw her lips slowly curl into a smile.
“Your not still stalking that girl are you?” she said playfully “She must be one lucky woman to have a superhero stalker” he smiled again. Black Cat had always been able to cheer him up.
“Nah, she doesn’t really…know me” he said quietly. Black Cat smiled behind him and crouched next to him, resting her gloved hands on his shoulders.
“Because you don’t let her. Do you?” she asked, just as quietly. He turned to face her.
“She wouldn’t like it, to know me… who I really am” he said. Black Cat squeezed his shoulders softly.
“She would, I know she would…” she said comfortingly, “I would.” He looked at her silently. She smiled slightly but then the silent took it from her face. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
“No, it’s fine” he cut in quickly, the last thing he wanted was to lose her friendship. “It’s just that… I don’t know, it just wouldn’t work between us… I don’t think” he went silent again and Black Cat smiled.
“It’s ok, she’s a very lucky girl, whoever she actually is” she said sweetly. He smiled at her and then realized she couldn’t see it. “By the way” she said standing up. “She just left.” He spun around and looked down into the lights, they blurred slightly after the dark but he could clearly see the red hair amongst the crowd.

“Thanks” he said, turning back to Black Cat, but she was gone. He shook his head and jumped off the roof towards the traffic below.

Mary-Jane walked along the road. Her heels clicking noisily on the shiny stone pavements. She jogged to the road and hailed down a taxi that was passing and it slowed to a stop. She smiled as she got in the back and asked for Broadway. As the taxi pulled away she looked in the front wing mirror at a glance and for a second it filled with red and blue. And then suddenly Spider-Man swung past and vanished into the bright city lights.