Disclaimer: Marvel, Fate/Stay Night and all related characters, concepts etc. are property of their respective owners, I own nothing, etc.

Chapter 1

The Spider and the Seal

Peter Parker's life didn't allow much time for fun. When he wasn't focusing on his studies as a junior at Empire State University, or his job as a photographer at the Daily Bugle, he was out patrolling New York as the amazing Spider-Man, looking for crime to fight and lives to save. Every day he risked his life fighting against the most dangerous villains the city had to offer - Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, Venom, and the Kingpin, to name a few of his many, many enemies. Even if he didn't think about it consciously that often, deep down Peter realized that every new day could be his last. He could be slain in battle with a supervillain, crushed under a collapsing building - even a well placed bullet from an average mugger would be enough to do him in. Living to see the next morning was never a sure thing when you live the life of a superhero.

Of course, Peter never let that danger stop him from fighting the good fight. After all, had the power to help people in extraordinary ways, ways that most people could only ever dream of - and with that power came the weight of a great responsibility. It was a weight Peter had learned to carry, and carry gladly. That being said, his duties as a hero never stopped being a source of immeasurable stress for the young crime-fighter. Throw in the fact that he had to juggle his heroism with school and work, and Peter Parker rarely ever had any time to catch his breath.

However, there were some things in Peter's life that never failed to be a source of relief and release for him. Web-swinging was one of those things.

In the five years that Peter had been active as Spider-Man, never once had he come anywhere close to getting tired of web-swinging. The adrenaline rush that came from flying through the Manhattan skyline, feeling the wind brush against him as he catapulted from building to building like a human bullet - it was an experience unlike anything else in the world. Peter had swung through the city hundreds, maybe thousands of times since he first built his trusted web-shooters, yet he relished the experience with new joy every time.

Web-swinging was a sensory overload of the absolute best kind. No matter how fast Peter soared through the city, he always managed to take in the world around him, to observe and savor every last detail - every cloud in the sky, every ray of the sun, every bird chirping, every car horn honking, every last person going about their everyday life, leading an existence just as complex and full as Peter's own - if not quite as exciting.

Well, it may be an exaggeration to say that Peter took in every detail as he hurtled through the Big Apple. Even with his enhanced senses, including his enigmatic Spider-Sense - an ability which even the young web-slinger did not fully understand - it would absurd to say that Peter observed every single face in the crowd as he swung over the busy Manhattan streets. But all the same, Peter always made sure to appreciate his surroundings as he swung about the city, for they served as a constant reminder of his mission.

Every car, every building, every man, woman, and child on the crowded streets below - they were what he fought to protect. Everything and everyone that made up the city of New York were Peter's responsibility. New York was known as the city that never sleeps, and Peter understood why - it was constantly moving, ever bustling, full of activity, energy - full of life. Witnessing that life, that energy in action - it filled Peter with energy in turn. It inspired him, motivated him to fight ever harder to protect the city he loved.

Today, however, Peter wasn't planning on doing any fighting. At least, not for a while. The friendly neighborhood wall-crawler had other plans.

Spider-Man let go of his web-line at the height of his ascent, landing on the surface of a rooftop with a graceful flip, taking his signature three-point crouching stance as he hit the ground. He stood up and carefully surveyed his surroundings, making sure that nobody was around to spy on him, before removing his mask to reveal the boyish, innocent-looking face of Peter Parker, as well as an unkempt shock of brown hair.

Peter reached behind his back, and pulled out the makeshift web-backpack he prepared before he went out for his swing. He tore open the bag and pulled out the civilian clothes packed inside, discarding the shredded webbing on the roof. There was a pair of well-worn blue jeans, a dark gray t-shirt, and a navy blue hoodie, which Peter put on over his costume. The good thing about having a skintight costume - it was easy to wear under street clothes. Peter removed the gloves of his Spider-Man costume, hiding them in the pockets of his jeans. He looked down at his now-bare right hand, and examined the curious design that decorated it.

The mark was shaped like a four-point star, intersected by an 'X' shape and encircled by a crescent. Peter had no idea where the mark came from - it simply appeared on his hand overnight. At first he thought it might be some kind of scar or wound, received in a battle with some villain, but upon closer inspection, it was more like a tattoo in nature. Peter had tried washing it off that morning, to no avail. Clearly this was no ordinary marking. He certainly intended to get to the bottom of its origin, but that would have to wait for a bit. He had a prior engagement to worry about first.

After replacing his red and blue gloves for a pair of plain winter ones, Peter removed the boots from his costume, wincing as his bare feet were exposed to the cold February air. He hurried to don the socks and tennis shoes he packed in the web-bag. Finally, Peter completed his ensemble by wrapping a dark red scarf around his neck.

When Peter had finishing changing into his civilian attire, he looked over the edge of the roof to make sure there was nobody in the alley below, then leapt down to the ground below once he saw that the coast was clear. Sticking the landing, he walked out of the alley and joined the crowd occupying the Manhattan sidewalk. Peter thought about how mundane he must have looked to the people around him - an ordinary student, just another face in the crowd. He couldn't help but give a cheeky smile at the idea.

Peter walked another block or two on the way to his destination. Using the sidewalk was hardly as thrilling a way to travel as web-swinging, but it had its own charms, in Peter's eyes at least - he liked being among the everyday people.

Peter soon came to his destination: the Coffee Bean, an establishment frequently visited by Peter and his friends from school - Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson (well, Peter mostly considered him a friend) … and the person Peter was meeting there today.

Peter walked through the door of the coffee shop, and found the girl he was looking for sitting alone at a small table by the window. Her golden hair, covered by a black headband, seemed to glow under the sunlight shining in from the window. She wore a trench coat and light blue scarf over a black sweater, as well as a navy blue skirt, black thigh high socks and leather boots. The young woman looked Peter's way, and her face lit up when she saw him. A bright, warm smile shone across her face, and Peter couldn't help but grin back when he saw it.

There were some parts of Peter's life that never failed to lift his spirits, no matter what life threw his way. Web-swinging was one. Gwen Stacy was another.

Peter strode over to his girlfriend's table, still wearing his sunny, almost goofy-looking smile. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hey yourself," Gwen replied. "You're actually on time for once. Slow day for crime, huh?"

Peter chuckled softly. The shop wasn't crowded, and there wasn't anybody near them, so there wasn't much risk of the conversation exposing his secret identity. "Bad guys don't wanna get out in the cold, I guess. But you know you shouldn't say things like that, right? You've already jinxed us. Pretty soon there's gonna be some supervillain crashing through that window."

Gwen gave an exaggerated shrug. "My bad, my bad. I take full responsibility for when that happens."

Peter raised and eyebrow and gave a wry smirk. "Hey, responsibility's my thing, remember?"

"It can be my thing too!" Gwen protested, barely able to stop herself from cracking up with laugher. "I'm a responsible person. You don't have a monopoly on the concept of responsibility!"

The two youths laughed at the absurdity of their faux-debate. Peter looked down at the table and saw a drink topped with whipped cream sitting in front of him. "I see you've already ordered for me."

"I took the liberty," Gwen affirmed confidently, sounding almost proud of herself. "Got your favorite. Caramel Frappe."

"Nice!" Peter exclaimed with delight, giving a small fist pump. "You continue to find new ways to be the best girlfriend ever."

"You know, they serve real coffee here too," Gwen snarked as Peter sipped from his drink.

"I can't help it," Peter responded as he lifted his mouth from the straw, his expression returning to a cocky smirk. "I have a weakness for sweet stuff. Must be why I fell in love with you."

Gwen practically snorted with laughter. "Shut up! That was the worst line ever!"

"You're laughing, aren't you?" Peter countered, resting his hands behind his head in a carefree manner as he lay back in his chair.

"It was an involuntary reaction!" Gwen objected, desperately struggling not to smile. "That was terrible! You are terrible, Peter Parker!"

"Guilty as charged," Peter said with a shrug. "The court finds Peter Benjamin Parker guilty of the crime of telling terrible jokes! He is hereby sentenced to one million years of obeying his amazing girlfriend, Gwen Stacy's every whim, no matter how ridiculous!"

"Ah, so nothing's changed then," Gwen remarked.

"Exactly!" declared Peter. The duo chuckled, then a brief silence fell as they both drank from their coffee.

"Man, it's been a while since we've had a real date like this," Peter stated. "I've always been busy with work, school, or… y'know. Other stuff."

Gwen smiled sincerely at Peter. "I don't mind. You're out there helping people, and that's what's most important. Like you said, responsibility is kinda your thing. I'm glad that you always put protecting people before anything else - even if it means we don't get to spend as much time together."

Peter's heart practically skipped a beat. What did I ever do to deserve her? he thought to himself. He looked Gwen in the eyes, giving her a sheepish smile. "Thanks," Peter said, his tone soft and genuine. "It means the world to me that you see it that way."

"Hey, a hero's gotta do what a hero's gotta do, right?" Gwen continued. "I'd be a pretty crappy girlfriend if I didn't respect that. And don't get me wrong, I respect the hell out of what you do! I mean, who even knows how many lives you've saved? It's admirable, the whole hero thing. Attractive, even." She punctuated the last bit with a coquettish smirk. "Must be why I fell in love with you."

Peter blushed a bit at Gwen's flirtation, but tried to play it cool. He cleared his throat nervously, before making his retort. "Hey, ladies love a man in uniform, don't they? I guess colorful spandex costumes fall into that category."

Gwen chuckled in response. "Plus, it doesn't hurt that you're a huge dork. In a cute way, of course, not in a loser way. Adorkable, one might call you."

Peter's face turned even redder in embarrassment. "I am NOT a dork!" he shouted in protest.

Gwen couldn't help but howl with laughter at his reaction. "That is literally the dorkiest thing you could have done in this moment!" she proclaimed in between bouts of mad cackling. "You are so cute when you get flustered like that!"

"Sh-shut up!" Peter had turned beet red by now. "I am not cute! I'm trying to project an air of respectability here, not cuteness!"

"Oh yeah, real respectable, the guy in the brightly colored spandex." Gwen's words were absolutely dripping with sarcasm.

"Look, I'm trying to inspire people, okay? A hero's supposed to be a beacon of hope and courage…" Peter's tone became dramatic and serious as he waxed philosophical on heroism. "Not… whatever you just called me!"

"Adorkable," Gwen smugly repeated.

"Please never use that word again!" Peter begged frantically. "It is an unforgivable mockery of the English language, and I will have none of it!"

"Whatever… goofball," Gwen chuckled.

Goofball's better than dork, I suppose, thought Peter.

Another silence fell for a few moments. The two enjoyed their beverages, before Peter spoke up once again.

"So… anything new with you? Besides school, obviously."

"Actually… yeah," came Gwen's reply. "I've been talking to MJ. We're thinking about starting the band back up again."

The band Gwen referred to was one she and Mary Jane Watson were in back when they went to the same high school - a punk rock group known simply as the Mary Janes. They eventually broke up over "creative differences," but Gwen and MJ had thankfully reconciled since then. Both of them had moved onto further pursuits, however - Gwen left behind her punk image and drum set in order to focus on her studies, hoping to pursue a career in science. Mary Jane, meanwhile, retained her passion for performing, but shifted her aim to acting instead.

"Whoa, really? That's great!" Peter exclaimed, beaming with excitement. "Uh… that is great, right?"

"I think so?" Gwen answered, not sounding any more certain than Peter. "I mean, I still love music, obviously. I've always dreamed of being a musician, that much hasn't changed… but I dunno how practical it'd be. Like, I still need to focus on school first and foremost, right? Dad keeps telling me I need to get good grades, find a good career, that kinda thing. And he's right, I need to make a good future for myself. I owe him that much, right? After everything he's done for me…" Gwen drifted off. Her previously unshakeable confidence had faded, becoming visibly troubled by doubt.

"So, if I wanna do the band thing right this time," she continued, "I'll need to devote a lot of time and effort to it. And I don't know if I can manage that and focus on school the way I need to."

Peter reached over to Gwen's hand, and tenderly grasped it in his own. Even on this cold day, her hand was warm to the touch.

"Hey," Peter said, looking deep into Gwen's radiant blue eyes. "If anyone can do it, it's you. I somehow manage to juggle being a college student, a photographer, and a superhero. And let's face it, you're way smarter than I am. You'll have no problem!"

Gwen's eyes darted away from Peter as she chuckled nervously. "I am not smarter than you."

"You are too," Peter insisted.

"Am not! Of the two people sitting at this table, I'm not the one who invented web fluid."

"You could have if you wanted to. Admit it, Gwen, you're a genius."

For a moment, Gwen gave a small, earnest smile, which quickly transformed into a proud smirk. "Yeah, you're right. I am pretty great, aren't I?"

The young couple shared another laugh, before Gwen continued. "Still though… even if I do keep the two balanced, how relevant is the band thing gonna end up being in my life? Like, my end goal is to get a job working at Oscorp, or Stark or something-"

"You mean a job running them, right?" Peter half-jokingly interjected.

Gwen chuckled softly, more flattered by the compliment than she let on. "My point is, if I already know I'm focusing on science, would I just be wasting my time with the band?"

Peter stroked his chin, pondering the question for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "Do you want to do it?" His words were succinct, matter-of-fact.

"Huh?" Gwen was bewildered by the question.

"Restarting the band. Do you want to do it?" Peter repeated. "Don't tell me what you think you should do. Tell me what you want to do."

Gwen considered the question for a few moments, then responded. "Yeah. Yeah I do." She smiled warmly, as if a great burden had just been lifted off her shoulders.

"Then it's not a waste of time," Peter stated, kindness in his voice. "Simple as that. And hey, maybe this band thing'll go somewhere after all! Maybe you're gonna be the world's first genius billionaire rock star scientist."

Gwen burst out laughing, before settling back into her earnest smile from before. "Thanks, Peter. Seriously. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Peter nonchalantly leaned back in his chair again, grinning cheerfully. "Hey, don't mention it. Helping folks is what I do, remember?"

"So, anything new with you?" Gwen asked. "Any new adventures I should know about?"

"Actually… there is something I wanted to show you." Peter's voice became serious all of a sudden.

Peter slowly pulled off his right glove, and showed Gwen the mysterious markings on his hand.

"Whoa, nice ink. You didn't tell me you were getting a tattoo!"

"I wasn't," Peter replied solemnly. "It just showed up overnight. It's not a tattoo, it's not a scar or anything, I just woke up and boom, there it is."

"Creepy…" Gwen commented, wincing anxiously. "You think it might be magic or something?"

"I'm leaning in that direction," Peter agreed. "Actually, after we're done here I was planning on swinging by Doctor Strange's place and asking him about it."

"Doctor Strange?" Gwen repeated curiously. "The wizard guy? You know him? Oh, what am I saying, of course you do. All you hero types know each other."

Peter smiled, recalling his past team-ups with the Doctor. There was the battle with Blackheart, their fight with the Hood's gang, the time they stopped Hammerhead from stealing an ancient Lemurian tablet…

"Pretty much," Peter admitted. "The Doc lives on Bleecker Street. Nice place. Kinda creepy, but it's got its charm."

Gwen raised an eyebrow, giving Peter a look of incredulity. "Doctor Strange, master of the mystic arts, lives in Greenwich Village?"

"Gwen, I got superpowers from a radioactive spider bite. I once met a talking raccoon with laser guns who hangs out with an Ent. Nothing should surprise you at this point."

"Fair enough," Gwen conceded.

Suddenly, Peter felt a sharp tingling sensation in the back of his skull. He clutched his head, letting out a moan of pain.

"Peter! Are you alright?" Gwen asked urgently, her concern apparent in her tone.

"I'm okay… just my Spider-Sense. Something must be going on nearby…"

A loud booming noice echoed in the distance. Peter and Gwen heard the sound of people screaming. Soon, a crowd of people came running in terror outside the window.

"I'm guessing that has something to do with it," Gwen said, dryly pointing out the obvious. She looked at Peter, her expression turning serious. "You should go."

"Right." Peter got up from his seat, setting his coffee down. "Sorry our date got ruined… again," he apologized sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, just go!" Gwen urged. "And don't worry about paying me back for the coffee. Least I can do for my favorite hero."

"Thanks, babe." Peter leaned down and gave Gwen a peck on the lips. "You're the best."

"And don't you ever forget it," Gwen quipped, her eyes narrowing as her lips formed a mischievous smirk. "My adorkable little man."

"Alright, now I'm really done here!" Peter cried jokingly as he hurried towards the door.

"Love you!" Gwen called out as Peter left to go save the day once more.

"Love you too!" Peter called back, as he walked out the door. He looked around, surveying his surroundings, and determined which direction the people were fleeing from.

Naturally, that was the direction he started running towards.