chapter 9

In the weeks following his encounter with Mary Jane, her words echoed in the back of Peter’s mind. Despite that, his appetite continued unabated. Maybe stronger. As his girth continued to expand, he noticed increased difficulty in everyday tasks. He wasn’t able to walk very far before growing winded. Getting up from a seat had become quite a challenge. Even getting dressed was becoming more difficult by the week.

Going back to the gym was way too difficult, he realized. He decided we could try to walk more often to try and maintain his mobility. He started walking in the evenings, after the sun had set, when there were fewer people on the city’s side streets. Fewer kids out then, fewer people to shout out insults or make fun of the big, slow, fat man.

It was on one of these walks that Peter happened to hear a store’s alarm go off just down the block.

“Probably a false alarm,” Peter said. “Better make sure no one needs help, though.” He sped up his waddle in the direction of the store.

By the time he got there, the alarm had stopped ringing. This seemed to confirm Peter’s suspicion that the alarm had been set off by accident. When he got closer to the shop, though, he could see that the front door had been smashed in, with broken glass littering the sidewalk.

Peter’s pulse quickened. For a long moment he was frozen – what should he do?

His long-dormant crime-fighting instincts took over. He reached into the satchel he carried with him, and pulled out one of his web shooters. He struggled to clasp it over his thickened wrist. It snapped closed, flesh bulging out around it. Then he pulled out his Spider-Man mask (the only part of the costume he could still fit). He pulled it on. His double-chin bulged out from under it. Taking a deep breath, he stepped carefully into the store.

“Hello? Anyone here? Everyone okay?” Peter called our as he peered around the store. He saw jewelery, and other items that looked like antiques. “Just your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, here to help. If we all leave now without taking anything, we can all just go home, nice and peaceful-like.”

A chuckle came from the shadows, and Peter peered into the dark to try to make out who it was. It sounded like a woman’s voice, he thought. A figure started to become visible as they approached, walking into the light from the storefront window. A tall figure’s silhouette started to form. A mane of lightly coloured hair started to become visible…

“Spider-Man, hmmm?”

Peter stepped back as the intruder drew closer. When she stepped into the light he failed to stifle a gasp – it was the Black Cat!

She continued until she bumped into Peter’s belly, which protruded far out in front of him. She towered several inches over him, particularly with her stiletto heels. She was as tall, lean, curvy and fit as he remembered. Her mouth wore a wicked grin.

“You look like Shamu the whale put on a Spider-Man mask,” she said, with a giggle, the reached forward. “Let’s see who you really are!”

Peter tried to block her grasp, but his thick, heavy arms were too slow. The mask was pulled off, and after a moment the Black Cat’s eyes grew wide in recognition. She took a step back.

“Peter...” she said, her voice just a whisper. “It really is you!”

“Um, hi Felicia,” Peter said. His cheeks grew red.

She poked his belly rather hard. “This really is… all you! It’s not a suit or anything!”

Peter tried to cover the spot on his belly that she had jabbed, but found his arms didn’t reach that far, which made him feel absolutely huge. “Um, yes. Unfortunately, this is… all me.”

Peter took a step back, while the Black Cat (aka Felicia Hardy) stood with her hands on her hips. Her eyes danced over Peter’s large form. Her expression of surprise had turned to one of amusement.

“I was worried that maybe the reason we hadn’t heard of Spider-Man in so long was that he had met a nasty end at the hands of one of his many enemies. It turns out he was just fine, but couldn’t seem to pull himself away from the buffet!” she said, and threw back her head and laughed.

“Come on now, Felicia, you don’t need to do this,” he said, his fingers fidgeting with one of his straining shirt buttons on the crest of his sloping stomach. “Why don’t we just leave this store, and we can forget this ever happened?”

Felicia’s grin widened and her eyes narrowed. She approached Peter, drawing so close that she pressed into his gut, forcing him to step back toward a wall. Peter stammered in response, unsure what to do, and unable to offer much resistance. He felt one of Felicia’s hands on his chest, squeezing the soft flesh of his moob. Her other hand patted a bag that was slung over her shoulder.

“I’ve already got what I came for, fat boy. You can try and take it, if you like.”

She placed her hand on Peter’s chest, and gave him a push, toppling him over. He landed on his back, and was just able to get a glimpse of Felicia walking slowly out of the store before she disappearing from his view, behind the huge mound of his belly. Peter instinctively attempted to leap to his feet… but his body didn’t move from the floor, it just kind of jiggled in place. Peter grunted as he tried to sit up, but quickly realized that the bulk of his massive stomach wouldn’t allow it. He struggled to roll over onto his side, get himself up onto his hands and knees, and heave his heavy body off the floor. By the time he was on his feet, breathing hard and sweating, he could see Felicia scale the wall of the building next door on a grappling hook.

Peter hurried out of the store as quickly as he could. By the time he was outside, he could see Felicia at the top of the building, looking down at him with hands on her hips. With a toss of her hair she vanished from view.

Peter reached out his arm and activated his web-shooter. A web shot out, sticking to the top of the building’s wall. Grasping the web line with both hands, Peter attempted to pull himself up.

“Oooof!” he cried, but his feet were still on the ground.

The web line held, but Peter could just couldn’t lift his great weight, his arms weren’t even nearly strong enough.

Determined to follow the Black Cat, Peter waddled over to the wall, and started to climb it. Using his incredible spider-powers, he managed to stick to the wall’s surface. After some struggling, he started to climb up, until his feet were perhaps eight inches above the ground – and then he tumbled off the wall, falling onto the pavement in a big, jiggling heap. His shirt rolled up, baring the flesh of his gigantic gut.

Peter lay there for a moment, his stomach rising and falling with each heavy breath. After a few moments he began to roll onto his side to get up. As he was shifting his bulk onto his side, he noticed something sparkling on the asphalt. He picked it up – a diamond bracelet.

Several minutes later, Peter had finally gotten himself into a standing position. He looked at the bracelet in his hand, and at the broken door to the store.

“I’d better take this with me, the police might be able to use it as evidence,” Peter said, placing the bracelet in a pocket.

He waddled toward home, nursing some bruises, in addition to his bruised ego.