Chapter 006

Weeks passed since Gwen had been at Oscorp. The last time being the day of the record worthy fire that blazed throughout the lower region of the notorious building.

That happened to also be the last she had seen of Dr. Stone, minus the photos of him that appeared all over news stations for nearly a week after the accident. The night of that fire, the same day that his wife had died in the explosion, Dominic Stone went missing. After being ripped away from the ghastly scene, the ambulance rushed him to the ER. Possible problems with his respiratory system were at high risk of being fatal due to excessive inhalation of smoke and ash.

Just before heading out two days later, Gwen overheard a broadcast on the television speaking of the horrific events that took place earlier that week. The middle-aged anchor woman spoke monotonously before being cut off by a frantic journalist who looked as if a vein was going to pop out of his head if he didn't speak of the intriguing story he managed to successfully get a hold of.

Gwen would never forget the horrifyingly captivated look in the man's eyes as he spoke of the not-so-delightful news that her mentor was rumored to have gone missing.

"My sources have been anonymously informed that Dominic Stone, biochemist at the famously known Oscorp company, went missing around one o'clock in the morning last night from the Metropolitan Hospital Center. Police say that the wires and tubes he was connected to were found completely mutilated around the floor of his abandoned room.."

It was not even twenty-four hours later when Gwen also learned of a forced entry in the basement of the already acclaimed building. Apparently the man behind the burglary left the entire floor untouched, apart from one mysterious file that the company has been determined to keep under wraps. The confidential folder happened to be placed under the file name 'Special Projects', which of course, didn't seem suspicious at all.

The whole ordeal made Gwen feel anything except at ease. It wasn't enough that the entire building's worth of employees were unable to return to their work until further notice, but it seemed that God just had to add the peculiar events of a missing Stone and break-in at Oscorp to the situation. It was bad enough that Gwen was out of work until the floor of her lab was renovated; now she didn't know if she even had a job at all.

Now nearly three weeks later, Gwen was finally able to refrain from hitting the mute button whenever the channel 4 news began their evening segment. The buzz around New York about the now officially addressed as a missing person, Dominic Stone, finally settled down after what felt like months. Everything felt as if it was back to normal; minus the absence of her instructor that seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth. Gwen had to try her best to ignore the numerous rumors drifting throughout the building when she was finally able to head back to Oscorp to try and recover any of her and Dr. Stone's unpublished serum. Word travels fast, and sometimes in the process words get twisted and transfigured to meet the preferred level of insanity so that it's something interesting.

Gwen couldn't believe any of the stories that she overheard from her fellow colleagues, half of them were altogether ludicrous and she had no idea how anyone in their right mind would even listen to the nonsense. The rumors ranged anywhere from Dr. Stone becoming a science experiment in the basement of the facility to him going insane after the death of his beloved wife.

To add to the stress, there hadn't been any sign of Spider-man since he failed to rescue the secretary and wife of the missing biochemist. And Gwen had started to worry. The last person Peter hadn't been able to save was, well, her father and it was like he still hadn't stopped blaming himself for that either. Peter's a good guy, and the most frustratingly good guy that Gwen knows, and she wished that he hadn't been the one bitten by that damn radioactive spider.. but if there was anyone that could've been bitten she was glad it was him. Gwen had always admired his selflessness and dedication to the citizen's of New York, but she knew how unhealthy it was to put the responsibility of all 8.3 million living there on himself. But Peter was Peter, and that meant the loss of one weighed on his shoulders like an anchor - or maybe even ten anchors.

She imagined Peter sitting in his room feeling helpless after something he couldn't control from nearly four weeks ago as she traced her finger around the outer ring of the glass. Gwen sat fixated on the clinking ice cubes floating in the cup of water, deep in thought. Classes had only been over for about an hour and her lunch had already been entirely eaten with nothing left but crumbs from her turkey sandwich scattered on the plate. The chatter throughout the cafe sounded like nothing but muffled voices to Gwen as she continued doodling in the corner of her notebook. It was like hours passed by within the few minutes that she sat in that window seat, gazing at the business men walking home with briefcase in hand.

Until a hand rested on her shoulder, causing her to nearly fall out of her chair from the unexpected gesture.

The gentle spoken voice said her name in such a casual tone that it was easily recognized within the prompt conversations once he startled her. Gwen quickly looked over her shoulder, her wide eyes wandering up to meet the hazel ones of her close friend before letting out a sigh of relief. "Jesus Ethan, you gotta give a girl some warning!"

He threw his hands up in retreat as she began collecting her things and shoving them inside her bag, "Hey I wasn't the one staring out the window like Bella in New Moon." Ethan chuckled under his breath as Gwen gently smacked her elbow into his side. He instantly shut his mouth and combed his sandy locks to the side once he received a glare from the contentious little blonde.

"It's embarrassing that you've seen that movie," Gwen rolled her eyes after placing a few singles under her empty glass of water along with some change. She brushed her blonde curls behind her shoulder until they waterfalled down her back elegantly, just before slinging her bag onto her shoulder.

His toothy grin slowly faded as he followed her through the people piling inside the packed cafe until they finally reached the outdoors. He scratched the back of his head nervously as he kept pace with her, waiting until they were freed from the lot of people leaving work. The two walked in silence until Ethan cleared his throat, "So um, Gwen?"

She tilted her head up to look at him with her thin brows raised beneath her fringed bangs. Gwen tried to ignore the guilt she happened to feel whenever she looked at her close friend as she hummed a barely audible, "Hmm?"

"How are you?"

She immediately shifted her gaze down to the pavement and pushed the thoughts of a jealous Peter out of her mind. This seemed to be the question her friend asked nearly every time they've seen each other since the fire, and it happened to get more and more annoying each time he brought it up. Not that she didn't appreciate his concern, Gwen just didn't want to be reminded of how she was only mere minutes away from having the same fate as Mrs. Stone.

Gwen had just arrived to Oscorp as Dr. Stone was heating the vile of liquid that she and him had invented. The deep violet goo must have had a chemical reaction that went entirely in the opposite direction that they had planned, causing an explosion just as she entered the elevator that was heading to its usual floor. Once Gwen swiped her employee I.D. in front of the strip of black containing the laser to allow access, a sudden blast could be heard overhead. Before she knew it, the usual synthetic voice that consistently seemed to be chattering throughout the tower was now commanding every employee to evacuate the building. Red lights flashed throughout the halls and sirens blared. Almost every one of Gwen's colleagues rushed down the stairs dripping with water that rained down from the emergency sprinklers, making Gwen wince from the horrible memory.

Smoke began to drift its way down the halls aimlessly once Gwen came back to her senses and realized what was going on. Her previously smoothed out, low ponytail was now sticking up and falling out in places from the sudden humidity as she swiftly marched down the lengthy hall. Ethan turned around the same corner in his deep navy janitor's uniform, his eyes frantically gawking at the frenzy before him until they landed on a slender young woman who had been coughing vigorously into her arm. Somehow she managed to stay completely calm throughout the whole situation minus the fact that she could hardly breathe, earning her points for maturity in Ethan's mind.

Gwen refused to show any signs of fear as she followed closely behind the panicking employees. They desperately made their way down the long and steep flights of stairs with the deadly smoke on their tail. She had already made it on the eleventh floor by time the mistreated serum ruptured, making the eleven flights of stairs seem almost ten miles long with the endless jogging. Her hand gripped onto the cold steel of the railing with Ethan's resting on her back whilst the two made their way down the hundreds of steps.

The pair let out sighs of relief once they sprinted through the front doors of Oscorp, not stopping until they made their way across the street and onto the sidewalk that ran parallel to the burning building. It was like reality hit Gwen like a train when she looked up to see two more floors now being consumed by the flames.

Only minutes after everyone was evacuated, New York's favorite masked hero swung around from behind a building - causing a faint smile to appear on Gwen's lips. Relief washed over her as she watched as the Amazing Spider-man swung suspended from a web over the crowd forming outside Oscorp. She watched as he gracefully landed beside a familiar policeman that she must've met at one of her father's many gatherings.

The two were immediately engaged in a brief squabble that lasted until Spider-man's patience ran low which Gwen could tell by the way he was moving his hands whilst he spoke. She couldn't make out the words between the two through the chatter erupting from the mass amount of people, until one little word seemed to catch her attention; making her eyes wide with panic. The word slipped out of the man's mouth in something like a whisper. The fire had started on the twenty-first floor. The floor that Gwen and Dr. Stone had their lab. That was the floor that contained their precious discovery that the two worked for months to invent. Her eyes instantly snapped back up towards the blazing crimson above, watching as the superhero forced his way into the building.

The next few minutes were excruciatingly painful to endure. It was like every emotion that Gwen had been trying to keep bottled up had came back to bite her in the ass. Seeing Peter- er Spider-man, risk his life to save whoever was trapped in that fire made her completely forget about the possibility that she lost all her months work. The only thing that mattered to her was him, and if he was going to make it out in one piece. So as the crowd cheered and yelled for their beloved superhero, all Gwen could do was grip onto her lab coat like it was the last thing she'd ever hold. The piercing sense of terror that ran through her veins burned more than that fire could until she saw a flash of red and blue make its way down from the building, carrying a man in his arms.

Through all the commotion, Gwen could barely make out who Peter had brought from the building, and just before she could catch a glimpse of the mysterious man who had been rescued an explosion roared above. Everyone's eyes turned up to see the windows on the south side of the building all shattered, with nothing but bright flames filling the holes.

The sight was mesmerizing, in a totally not cool kind of way. Everyone's eyes seemed to be locked onto the horrifying scene overhead, ignoring the choked sobs from the man behind. The scene felt as if time stopped; everything seemed to be moving in slow motion once a familiar red and blue suit stopped only a few yards in front of her. Her eyes wandered through the rows of people before landing on the ones hiding behind the honeycomb shades. Nobody knew who was concealed within the spandex, or whose eyes lingered under the wide and silver lenses. But Gwen knew, and although she couldn't physically see them behind the mask, she knew she was staring into those bright, chocolate irises that she adored.

Gwen came back to her senses once she felt a sudden tug on her arm, "Gwen?" Ethan peered over at her face, with his bushy browns furrowed with concern behind the curtain of sandy hair.

"I'm fine," she mumbled under her breath before picking up her pace. Gwen kept her eyes locked on the concrete, making sure to avoid his gaze as she followed the cracks in the sidewalk. The guilt that she kept buried inside of her came rushing back so quickly that it nearly overwhelmed her. It was like the usual waves of her bad conscience were now crashing into her like tsunami tides.

Ethan decided not to dig deeper into the question after her sudden that's-so-raven moment in the middle of East 72nd street, and settled with the decision to change the subject. His attempt at making conversation had no effect on Gwen, and it nearly bored her to death as they neared Central Park. Gwen's attention was entirely focused on nothing except Peter, and the way his whole demeanor changed once his eyes rested on Ethan's hand the moment he tapped her shoulder the day of the fire.

Ethan's dull story about how he killed nearly twenty spiders while doing his night shift in the basement of Oscorp did nothing but make her want to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. It was like the only thing that consumed Gwen's thoughts was how she wished she could take back that day in the school's hallway. Remorse was the only thing she felt whenever Ethan came into view. The one thing she regretted was pretending that she and her close friend were a couple just to make an ex jealous. And not just any ex, the ex. Peter.

Especially when it was also completely out of character for Gwen Stacy.

Once Ethan began his painfully detailed explanation of how exactly he managed to squash those bugs, Gwen decided that if one more word were to come out of his mouth she would surely go mad. She was on the brink of insanity and without a moment to herself, she was sure she'd result to ripping her hair out from the frustration. Once the pair reached the outskirts of the wide-ranged park, Gwen swiftly turned on her heel to face her chatterbox of a friend.

He stumbled over his feet slightly from the sudden halt and flicked his hazel eyes to meet the blue before him. The startled look in his eyes made Gwen's face soften as a faint smile appeared on her lips, her long eyelashes creating shadows on her eyelids each time she blinked. "Hey, um, I've had a really long day.." Gwen's tongue tripped over her words as she began, bringing her hand up to rub her other arm chastely before she continued. "Do you think I could have some time alone?"

Ethan's jaw clenched slightly before relaxing once he saw the hopeful smile spread across Gwen's face. "Of course," he rubbed the nape of his neck apprehensively as he nodded, agreeing with her after thinking back to the way she reacted to the question he asked her only minutes before.

"Thanks, and also thanks again for meeting up with me at the cafe. I don't know how long I would've been sitting there if you hadn't shown up!" the laugh that came after her words was plain, but she hid her false appearance behind a grateful smile.

"Hey, no problem Gwendy. But you call me later, alright?" He pointed an index finger at her with his left eyebrow raised so drastically that it nearly disappeared behind his hairline. His white teeth shined so bright that his smile was almost blinding to look at.

Gwen couldn't help but genuinely smile at the use of her childhood nickname, bringing back memories of their days spent playing together in the school playground. She nodded along with him as she began to turn and waved over her shoulder after the two exchanged their farewells. Once Ethan turned around and Gwen was out of sight, relief washed over her and she patted herself on the back for being able to pull off the whole facade in such a nonchalant manner.

Gwen past numerous amounts of people as she strolled down the busy street with her bag pressed tightly against her hip each time she wandered through small crowds to cross a street. She searched the sidewalk for anywhere to settle before her eyes landed on a perfectly sculpted wooden bench resting beneath a tree. Making her way towards the seat awaiting only a few yards away, Gwen began to scramble through the contents of her bag. After squeezing through a group of chattering teens standing beside a lamp post, she was finally able to take a seat on the lone bench.

She sat her bag down beside her and continued to rummage through the contents in search of her cell. Her hand grabbed almost every item before finally latching onto her phone and pulling it out. Gwen turned the small, white object over and over in her hand as she pondered the idea of giving a call to a certain boy. After minutes of arguing with herself in her head, Gwen subconsciously pressed her finger against the number 1 on her phone. She tried not to pay attention to the irony of having your late boyfriend the first on speed-dial.

The phone began to ring once she pressed it to her ear, her hands sweating excessively from the anxiety. It felt like minutes passed between each ring, making her want to smack herself for calling him more and more after every second. She hadn't decided whether this rash decision was a bad one or not and didn't even have a chance to come to a conclusion before hearing the ringing come to a halt, with nothing but silence on the other end once somebody picked up the phone.

Thirty seconds passed before somebody spoke - or was it three? Gwen couldn't tell from the sudden lightheaded sensation that overwhelmed her once she heard his voice, making her nearly topple over.

"Uhm.. hello?"

His voice was shaky, which made Gwen feel a little bit better knowing that he was just as nervous as she was.. or she hoped. Her hand grasped the phone tightly, with the other gripping onto the edge of the bench for support. The reality that he was sitting on the other line, waiting for her to answer, sunk in and made her stomach uneasy.

Gwen ran her tongue along her chapped lips before bringing her other hand to grasp the phone as well as she greeted him, "Hey Peter."

She swore she could hear him falling out of his seat once she spoke. She wondered if he had deleted her number, or if he was just shocked that she was actually calling. For what had been only a few weeks of not speaking to each other, felt like years. Gwen had seen Peter at school, or should I say caught a glimpse. The two kept their distance and tried not to make any contact whatsoever, which was probably why Peter could barely talk after answering the phone.

"Gwen?" Peter shouted into the phone, making Gwen have to remove it from her ear a few inches. "W-what's up?" His voice wavered into an almost whisper. Gwen could imagine Peter scratching the back of his head or rubbing his wrist like he always did whenever he was nervous.

She couldn't help but laugh at his stuttering, earning her a soft chuckle from the other end of the line. "I was just wondering how you were," she mentally slapped herself for stalling and not just saying what she had called him for, but she couldn't help the way her hands shook or stomach flipped whenever she thought about that damn ruffled mess on top of Peter's head that felt a lot softer than it already looked.

"Really?" His tone was playful and Gwen knew that goofy Peter Parker smile was beaming just behind the other end of the call.

"Actually- no," she exhaled out of her nose heavily before continuing and started to drum her thumb against her thigh anxiously, "I wanted to know where our friendly neighborhood Spider-man had disappeared to. I'm sure Manhattan really misses their favorite superhero." Gwen let out an over exaggerated giggle to hide how skittish she was feeling. Hoping that her simple question wouldn't ruin the somewhat decent conversation that was going on between the two.

Peter huffed into the phone, causing static to faintly emit through the speaker. "Well I'm sure the city can cope without him," the last word echoed from the phone as Peter's usually lighthearted voice mumbled grimly and emphasized his statement.

A sigh escaped from Gwen's lips as she closed her eyes, not believing a word that he was saying. She shook her head and took a deep breath, "Peter if this is because the fire-"

"Gwen, don't."

She was a bit taken aback from the sudden harshness that was lined in his tone; the way his lively attitude was so easily changed into something so gruff was aghast. "It wasn't your fault you know," she breathed out.

Muffled sounds could be heard on the other end of the line, and Gwen knew Peter was probably shaking his head, "I'm not doing this right now."

"Then when are you?" she instantly cut in with her tone raising slightly, earning her glances from nearby pedestrians. "I know you Peter," she raised her eyebrows once she heard him huff out irritatingly and continued, "and I know that you're blaming yourself just like after my.. dad." Gwen gulped as she hesitated before letting the last word roll off her tongue.

Peter scoffed, "I am not, Gwen." She rolled her eyes knowingly, Gwen could see right through this act. She just wished that he could be honest with her, and that they didn't end up arguing only minutes into a conversation. It was exhausting, and so excruciatingly dreadful, to watch him put the weight of the world on his shoulders. If Gwen could do anything to take away the pain that came with the responsibility of being Spider-man she would do it, no matter the cost.

"Really, hm? So tell me, why isn't Spider-man out doing what he does best and pissing off the police?" A dry chuckle erupted from her phone at her comment before slowly dying out, causing a small smirk to curl on Gwen's lips.

Seconds past, nearly a minute of nothing but silence between the two, before Peter finally replied, "I could go out if I wanted to."

"I don't believe that," she taunted him doubtfully and tapped her finger against her phone. Her patience was beginning to run low with his denial at an all time high.

"Really? Watch me."

And with that, a faint click could be heard and then.. nothing. Gwen scoffed in disbelief that he would just hang up on her like that. Staring at the disconnected call on her phone, she furrowed her brows so tightly that they nearly smashed together. She instantly pressed the lock button and stashed it back into the front pocket of her jacket with an inaudible curse word being mumbled under her breath.

Gwen roughly threw her bag over her shoulder, groaning once a few strands of golden locks got caught beneath the strap once she stood up. After pulling her hair free of her bag's harness, she began marching down the street furiously. She looked as if she was going to bite someone's head off as she wedged her way through the jam-packed sidewalk. Not being able to focus on her path whilst her mind wondered about what Peter could have meant, Gwen bumped into and stumbled over passing pedestrians.

It wasn't like this was the first time Peter had removed himself from a conversation with her, and she knew she shouldn't have even been so surprised that he did. Just like that day in the hall, Gwen had said or done something that got in Peter's hair, so he stormed off like a child before having a chance to actually blow up on her. Although, she was grateful that he still cared enough not to take his anger out on her.

The wind began to pick up and it was sweeping the hem of Gwen's navy skirt up sightly, which only added to her frustration as she pressed her hand against the fabric to hold it down. A few inches of bare skin was exposed above the dark gray stockings that she wore under her knee-high boots; goosebumps chilling her body once the cold air breezed along her creamy skin. She turned to look up at the sky, her eyes squinting as they gazed at the bright pink and orange hues that shone from behind the towering skyscrapers.

Police cars sped past once the sun finally set over the horizon, with the blinding red and blue lights illuminating the streets. A chill ran up Gwen's spine at the blaring sirens that raced down the street, memories of riding in the back of her father's police car running through her mind. The noise bringing back the countless times of where she was caught holding hands with a boy or staying out too late; the momentous times that earned her a long car ride home from her overprotective dad.

Her minutes of reminiscing were quickly interrupted by clapping and cheers from people behind her. The applause made her raise an eyebrow as she tilted her head up, only to see a man clad in red and blue swinging overhead. Her eyes widened as she watched whilst Spider-man thrust himself from web to web, yelling out in joy with each transition.

"Peter?" Gwen's jaw dropped, in disbelief that Peter had actually come out in the suit just to get back at her. The sea of blue and white that usually filled her beautifully wide eyes were now barely recognizable as they narrowed into small slits; her scowl following each time the masked hero grasped onto a new crystalline cable.

A loud screech could be heard as the cop cars reared around the corner with Spider-man following closely behind. With the web-swinger on their tail, they all disappeared as they chased after a bulky man dressed head-to-toe in all black who sprinted through alleyways.

Gwen stood on her toes to look over the heads of the gawking pedestrians before grasping her hand around her bag tightly, and making her way through the crowd. Not caring who she shoved or stumbled into, Gwen picked up her pace and started jogging. Her powder blue coat flapped in the wind whilst rushing to make her way towards the commotion - thanking god for the 'no heel' boots as she sprinted through the intersection. The cold breeze felt like ice against her skin once it past through the thin fabric of her gray sweater and over its white collar.

Once making it around the corner, Gwen gawked at the numerous police cars that surrounded two men in the middle of the street; one had his gloved hand clutching the collar of the other, pulling him closer with his clenched fist raised in preparation for a right hook to the criminal's jaw.

She inched closer before coming to a halt once the fugitive's piercing glare shifted its way over to meet Gwen's. The corners of his lips curved up, until his bright yellow teeth showed, a sinister smile forming across his beefy face just before disappearing as Spider-man tightened his grip on the jacket's collar.

"Get on the ground and put your hands behind your head!"

The police men swiftly got out of their cars and crouched behind the doors for refuge, their 9mm service pistols threatening to shoot if Spider-man and the convict didn't follow orders. Their belts clinked as they shifted into position; the deep navy of their uniforms nearly invisible with the night acting as their camouflage.

A helicopter reared above whilst gusts of wind breezed down the alley from the speed of the propellers. The pair standing in the center of the circle were clearly visible with the headlights illuminating their features. The felon's dark attire could have been easily overlooked beside the radiant superhero dressed vividly in red and blue.

Spider-man released his grip on the criminal, who had lost his balance and stumbled to the concrete from the sudden release, and strutted towards one of the cars. The cocky persona of the famous superhero always surprised Gwen; when outside of the spandex Peter Parker was just the shy, lovable photographer who had always gotten written up for riding his skateboard around the school's halls. It was like as soon as he stepped into the suit, Peter was no longer the lanky and misunderstood boy that got picked on in school. This definitely showed when Spider-man plopped himself on the hood of a police car, making the men's harsh figures waver slightly.

"Hey boys! Long time no see, eh?" Peter crossed his legs arrogantly, resting his gloved hands on his knee before continuing. "I don't suppose you actually plan on arresting me.." he chuckled under his breath and jumped off the hood. He dauntlessly paid no attention to the multiple guns pointing in his direction, ready to fire at any moment, whilst making his way back towards the middle. "am I right? 'Cause I thought we were really starting to enjoy this cat and mouse game we got goin' on," the stunningly confident vigilante's sarcasm echoed through the street. A dazzling grin was surely planted on his face by the way his words rolled off his tongue in that joking manner that Gwen knew and loved.

There he was, the teenage boy that was always too self-conscious to say even two words to his high school crush less than a year ago, was standing in the middle of the street as the police men's prime target without showing any sign of fear.

"We don't have time for your humor, kid," one of the officers spoke up, emphasizing the last word with his scornful glower following Spider-man's movements as his sentence rolled off his tongue in a low hiss.

"Why does everybody keep calling kid?" Peter's voice raised slightly as he spoke, snapping his fingers sarcastically before beginning to make his way over towards the grim-looking police officer, "You know it's really degrading-" Before he had a chance to finish his sentence, shots were instantly fired from all around him.

Gwen watched in fear whilst bullets were fired all around; a fearful squeak erupted from her as she watched Spider-man move his body so swiftly that she could barely keep her eyes on him. "Hey, hey- HEY!" was all that could be heard through the gun's smoke as Peter dodged each bullet with ease, with Gwen cringing only yards away with each click of their triggers. Regret started building up in the pit of her stomach, and she felt that at any moment she was going to puke. She wished that she hadn't called Peter, if only she hadn't brought up the fire, if only she hadn't nagged him about ditching the suit, if only. It was her fault he was caught up in all of this, it was all her fault and fragile little Gwen Stacy knew she couldn't do anything about it.

As the shots finally calmed, Gwen watched in anticipation as the smoke slowly faded, revealing a crouched Spider-man sitting beside a terrified criminal cowering on the pavement. Within seconds of their visions being cleared, Peter angrily shot up and slowly marched over towards the one officer who had spoken up. He huffed out and fired a web, furiously tugging on it once it latched onto the pistol, "Really? You say nothing but maybe six or seven words to me before trying to kill me? Without any warning?"

The dark skinned man jolted up once the gun was ripped from his grip, and with his only protection taken from his bare hands, his whole demeanor began to tremble slightly. Flinching each time his gaze met the silver honeycombs on Spider-man's mask, the officer gulped deeply before speaking, "We have another warrant for your arrest.. for the murder of Police Captain George Stacy."

Gwen sucked in air at the sound of her deceased father's name which caught Peter's attention once her gasp echoed through the air. There was nothing but dead silence lingering; you could hear a pin drop in between everyone's hitched breaths. Gwen looked around, her wide eyes moving from each individual person. It seemed that even the frightened felon who was cowering on the ground beneath the shocked superhero didn't even see this coming.

"No! Stop!"

The police officer's turned their heads once Gwen shouted, each of them relaxing once they recognized the late Captain's daughter sprinting over towards them. She made her way towards the cop standing with his index finger only feet away from Spider-man's chest, with her bag slapping against her hip with each step. His furrowed brows and prominent jawline looked familiar as she rested beside him, recognizing the rigid face of her father's old friend, Officer Williams. Each man kept their eyes on her, minus the new Captain who refused to acknowledge her existence.

His gaze shifted over to the small girl beside him before rolling his eyes, "Get out of here Gwen."

"I know what happened that night with Conners," Gwen brushed her fringe from her eyes and inched closer towards him with determination laced in her words, "and I know that Spider-man only helped my father. He's innocent Officer, you have to believe me!"

"I never hurt Gwen's da- I mean, Captain Stacy. I honestly have no idea what you're talking ab-"

Officer Williams cut them both off before they could continue, his deep voice booming as he shouted, "Enough!" Gwen staggered back slightly, his sudden outburst startling her. He huffed out heavily with the condensation showing in his breath. "Gwendolyn, I don't believe your father would want you sticking up for this insect." Williams spat the last word and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, with spit spraying as he spoke.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Gwen shoved her forearms against him, which only earned her a piercing glare. She refused to let these men believe that her own father's death was an innocent man's fault. Gwen knew that Peter would never lay a hand on her father, sure they would get into heated disagreements whilst eating her mom's branzino, but he would never go as far as to harm him. It was bad enough that Peter blamed himself, now it was the whole police force pinning Captain Stacy's decease against him.

"Spider-man, I suggest you put your hands behind your head or we have permission to fire!"

"Spider-man!" Gwen shouted once Officer Williams wrapped his fingers roughly around her arm. Everyone paused once Peter turned his head and focused his eyes a her, a faint grin spread across his face once his eyes locked onto her mischievous smirk. She hesitated, taking in the silky spandex and cracked lenses whilst imagining what his ruffled face must've looked like beneath the mask, before mouthing for him to go. Peter immediately followed her orders and with a flick of his wrist, he took off.

Shots were fired as Spider-man swung towards a building, whilst Officer Williams tugged on Gwen. His grip tightened around her slim arm as he dragged her with him towards his police car, mumbling cuss words under his breath furiously once Spider-man disappeared behind a local boutique. "I'm taking you home. You shouldn't have been here," he scolded her and opened car's back door before shoving her inside.

Gwen landed on the seat with a thud before having her bag thrown in the back along with her. She ignored the rough behavior and dirty looks from the police men and clutched her chest. Peter was only seconds away from being arrested, meaning his identity, his everything would be revealed. Gwen couldn't help but scold herself for causing this in the first place, if she had just kept her mouth shut and ignored the curiosity from his absence none of this would've happened. Trying to catch her breath from the events only minutes before, Gwen kept her gaze locked on the corner where Spider-man successfully escaped.

Fumbling through the contents of her bag, Gwen searched for her cell, hoping that when she called Peter everything would be alright. She paid no attention to the snide comments that Williams made as he and the other policemen backed out of the alley, only keeping herself focused on whether or not Peter managed to escape the hundreds of bullets that were shot at him without a scratch.

The phone rang multiple times before going directly to voice mail. This happened repeatedly, with each attempt failing once the operator's emotionless tone came through her speaker, explaining that 212-555-2738 couldn't come to the phone at the moment and to leave a message Gwen should wait til after the beep. "Come on.. come on.." Gwen groaned as she smacked her phone when she was taken to Peter's voice mail once again.

Within minutes, Williams' car came to a stop just outside of Gwen's apartment complex, with a sigh of relief coming from somewhere in the backseat. It only took seconds for him to hop out and open the door for her to exit, with the grim look still planted firmly on his face. "I hope you know," his voice lowered as Gwen eagerly got out with her bag gripped securely in hand, "I expected that you out of all people would want to put the man who killed your father behind bars for good."

Her lips curled up in a disgusted snarl once his warm breath hit her ear. She brushed herself off and stepped onto the curb, before stopped to looked over her shoulder. "Curt Conners is already behind bars," and with that said, Gwen held her chin up high as she made her way into the building.

Once Officer Williams was out of sight, Gwen quickly pulled her phone out of her front pocket and dialed the same number again. "Peter please pick up.." she repeated to herself under her breath as she stepped into the elevator. Her silent prayers must have been ignored, because after about six rings, the call went to voice mail yet again. "Damn it!" Gwen mumbled as she stepped out into the hall once she reached her floor, with the phone still nudged in between her ear and shoulder whilst searching for her keys.

Only a few doors from her apartment, the beep echoed into her ear signaling for her to start her voice mail. "Hey Peter, it's Gwen and I'm really worried about you since the.. yanno. So it'd be really great if you picked up your phone for once in your life," Gwen laughed anxiously whilst jamming her key into the lock, "Just please call me back once you get this me-"

Her phone fell to the floor once she stepped in through the door. The bag slid down her arm and onto the carpet, but she paid no attention to it once her eyes caught a hold of the sight before her.

Sitting on the couch and chairs in her living room was her family chatting away happily. However, the usual four that were normally watching the news at this time of night, was now an odd five. Once the door slammed behind her, everyone turned to look up at their oldest sister and daughter with beaming smiles glued to their faces. Gwen's eyes flicked from each face before lingering on a familiar one that she hadn't seen in nearly a year.

Tears stung the back of her eyes once the mysterious man stood up to face her, with arms wide awaiting a long overdue hug. The dial tone rang from her phone resting beside her feet, as all five Stacy's watched her facial expressions in anticipation.

"Dad?"


Author's note: I am so unbelievably sorry that it took me so long to update, I've had a major case of writer's block ever since summer started. This chapter was especially hard for me to write for some reason, and as you can tell near the ending I sort of got a bit lazy. I'm going to try my best to start updating much quicker than it took for me to get this chapter out. I hope you enjoy my twist at the end, by the way. (winky-face)