Arc Three. Chapter Sixty-Three. Professional Opinion

"So, now that we're all here I have some good news and some bad news." Gwen stood in front of a whiteboard she had set up, holding a marker with one hand, "good news first."

"Well, first, We've been testing the pheromone cream and well, we've got orders coming out of the wazoo,"

Peter sat up straight "uh what?"

"Thanks to Felicia and her contacts we've got orders for at least 50 tins a week to some of the more unsubtle brothels in Hell's Kitchen. Costs work out at a dollar to make, a dollar to package and we sell for 20 dollars, each tin lasts 10 applications and I heard that the brothels charge 5 bucks for its use, so profit for us is 18 dollars a tin, or 900 a shipment, and we're currently doing four shipments a week."

Peter raised an eyebrow "Are you fine making that much?"

"Sure, it's mainly adding in the pheromone to already bought cream, then pouring it into tins. It's not hard, takes an hour or so to do, and then a day to harden, um, not to sound arrogant or anything but uh, it's not rocket science, it's lunch break stuff". Gwen said and Felicia leaned over

"My big brain," and kissed her on the cheek.

"But um, the bad news,"

"The pheromone you produce that's making us all so much money, well, uh, we produce one too, MJ mentioned it one time and I checked. So um, Pete, we give off a smell that makes you want us."

That did bring pause to the group, Peter several times mentioned their "perfume" and after a few stares, they realised that they were making him just as aroused as they were around him.

It was the last time they had a conversation like this that brought a lull in the conversation. Peter had gone strange for a few days but now it was reversed.

"So was that all?" Peter asked as he shrugged "Because I really don't care if you all give off a smell that makes me want you. You're missing the" Peter pointed at Felicia, "super hot ninja," then at MJ, "super hot model," and then Gwen "super hot nerd," and finally lastly Liv, "super hot scientist." Where pheromone or not I would want to have sex with you all. The last thing I can complain about is our sex lives. Anything else?"

"Yeah, how come I'm a nerd but Liv's a scientist?" Gwen asked accusingly. Liv on the other hand looked down at her cup, making it harder for Peter to see the look of shock on her face at his description of her.

"Well, maybe because Liv's got more PhDs than either of us combined and is way smarter than you or I combined, no offence to us. I mean, come on. I half expect to wake up one day, Liv to have finished the CLS and be swinging around the warehouse in a fully operational harness. Gwen, I love you but really, compared to Liv we've both got porridge in our hair." and while the others looked confused Gwen snorted.

"Uh, personal joke, we'll explain later, but there is one thing. Um, I lost my job," Gwen admitted. Once Oscorp was hit by the investigations after Norman's episode they cleaned house. Any low-level employees were fired, Gwen included.

Felicia came over and sat on the floor next to Gwen and hugged her legs, "it's fine, we just scored the cream money, so don't stress over it. It is just a blip and with your college work you were needing to cut down on hours anyway." Gwen rubbed the top of her head and smiled, but it was still an upset. Oscorp still had weight in the world and even if an interviewer looked deeper it was still a black mark, even if Gwen had done nothing wrong.

Trying to lighten the mood MJ, piped up. "Uh, I've got a commercial, a real one" and everyone broke out in smiles with a round of congratulations, even Liv who had no idea what was going on was happy. But she shook her head, "but uh, it's in swimwear, nothing bad, it's a skin cancer commercial." and she glanced over at Peter.

He shrugged. "MJ, I can't really complain about being jealous when," and he motioned around the table

"No Pete this is different, think about it," Gwen said,

Peter closed his eyes and imagined MJ in swimwear, her nipples poking through the thin material and the neat lines of her pussy tight against the wet material

"Not in that way you fucking perv," Felicia said breaking him from his imagination "if everyone else saw her like that."

He shrugged "So? You think that guys, hell girls too, don't imagine their favourite stars naked? That sites with celebrity boobs or movie clips of sex scenes don't exist? Hell yeah, some scumbag steps over the line and I'll fucking tear their spine out but it's MJ's career. If MJ wants to cartwheel naked down 5th avenue for a shoot then I'm not going to stop her like she doesn't stop me from going out and smashing faces. Especially after I jump beds and she doesn't say a word, so no if I get jealous that's my stupid shit to deal with, not hers, so it's fine."

MJ was all smiles and came over to hug him, "it's fine, the outfits not too revealing, I made sure," she whispered in his ear and he kissed her cheek.

"Well, I've got some news as well, I got a few of the girls together, the uh ones we liberated from some of those shitholes, and they agreed, I started our own little gang, the Black Cats. got a badge and everything. It's just information sharing right now, but once I get things rolling we should be in a better position to patrol and make more money. Oh and Liv, one last thing. I know you're staying here but you might want to check your bank's and stuff cause after I checked, while you're wanted for questioning you're not actually under arrest. The warrants just mark you as a person of interest and Osborn put a lot of stuff in your name, like patents and other things. A lot of stuff." Felicia explained.

Liv frowned, "I have no idea dear, Norman used me for dirty work and hush-hush stuff but never said anything."

"Anyone else?" Peter asked.

Liv looked hesitant to speak but after pulling a few faces finally spoke up, "Actually, may I say something Ms Hardy?" and Fel looked over at Liv and shrugged.

"I had nothing to do with your father, I know what the report says but it wasn't me. Harry had him detained after catching him in the Archive and I have no idea what he did with him, I'm sorry I can't be more helpful."

Felicia gripped Gwen's leg and took a deep breath, "I know that a lot of what's in those files is junk Liv, and I know that none of us are completely innocent."

"Uh I am," MJ piped up and Felicia rolled her eyes,

"Some of us aren't completely innocent, but, can you help at least, can you give me anything to help find him, even if it's just something to bury, anything?" and Liv nodded

"Come speak to me later dear, I'll do what I can,'' and Felicia relaxed, hugging Gwen's leg again.

"Now," Peter said, "anything else?

Everyone shook their head, "Great, then party, we stopped an evildoer, no offence Liv, got an awesome robot suit, no offence Liv, and MJ and Felicia got work, so yeah, party? Pizza? Booze?"

It was decided after MJ finished work Peter would head out and get a selection of pizza for them all while Gwen and Felicia raided her brewery for beers for the girls and cider for him and Liv, baring her from hard liquor. She had been bad enough after a few beers and he wasn't keen on letting her get too drunk. That didn't stop her from doing so anyway and then sloppily demanded that Peter take care of her and she ended up snoring drunkenly in Peter's bed.

After moving some smaller stuff it was decided that Liv would move next door to Peter. He was in most days and was in a better position to help look after Liv, who while adjusting fine still had some things she needed help with. With his enhanced strength and agility it had only taken a day for him to make some decent ramps in and out of his own place. He had been in the process of renovating it for Felicia but she just shrugged, she was living with Gwen now anyway and the notion of her own place now seemed strange.

Peter cut and ramped a door between the two places as well as the entrance in and out of everyone's homes. No one minded making an adjustment for Liv, even making sure the top decks had ramps, even if she needed someone to push her up the steep slopes as she was still weak from being in the harness for so long.

Once the modifications were finished the final touch was adding in some furniture. It was easy enough, even if a little embarrassing for the small group.

"So, now I know what you did with all my stuff." Liv said as she watched them rearrange it back into the new home for her "way to kick someone when they were down huh?" she winked at Peter who rolled his eyes.

"We could give you back to Norman you know, there is still time." Peter stuck out his tongue at her but the sudden look of panic that shot across her face reminded him that while a few jokes were funny, that one wasn't.

Felicia, putting down a table batted Peter on the arm, hard enough it stung "nice one jackass, why don't you offer to take her dancing next?"

"Oh you mean, like being insensitive to remind her about her legs, nice one Felly," and Felicia stared at him.

"What the fuck did you just call me?" She stared at him, scowling

"Felly, rhymes with, uh something," and as she growled at him and as she swung at him he dodged and made booping noises as he poked her in the stomach.

In the doorway Liv sat in her chair, quietly shaking her head and wondering how on Earth these two managed to foil her plan, Gwen, she thought, it was definitely Gwen.

She hadn't been shy about asking if Peter minded helping her in the shower or toilet, and as he was in all day he didn't mind either. The pair over the past week had become strangely close, understandable as it couldn't be helped. Once the furniture was in and arranged to her liking, Felicia skulked off, muttering under her breath and Liv stared at her new home. It was warm, easy to move about in and most importantly, hers.

It was when he produced a newly fitted wheelchair, one more comfortable than the contraption he had hurriedly welded together that she finally broke down.

She felt herself tearing up, "damn you" she whispered, "damn damn", she wiped the drips out from under her glasses, "no wonder everyone here loves you when you do something like this. Something so wonderful, idiot, stupid, moron, stop it, this. This is amazing and I don't deserve it, Peter."

She sobbed, remembering all the things she had done to not just him but countless nameless people, Osborns commands reducing them to nothing but specimens to be used and discarded.

Peter lifted Liv up and held her in his arms, sitting down and cradling her close to himself as she quietly cried. Maybe she was right, maybe he was too hard on himself and he needed to accept that this was what he actually deserved. To be surrounded by people who cared about him, who'd call him stupid when he was and not as an insult, call him out on his crap when he did something wrong but not to punish but to teach.

He deserved this. He deserved this and more. As her lips found his, he was surprised but found himself kissing her back and the pair sat, gently touching and exploring each other in the comfort of Liv's new home.