Been a while. Sorry for the wait, I hit legitimate writer's block. Even this comic-con chapter felt like a slog to go through and I'm really not satisfied with the outcome. Hopefully the next chapters will be better since I'll be picking up Gwen's plot and having her be more active.

This chapter itself is actually pretty boring in my own opinion. Because people voted to have no villain interrupts it's mostly just the different characters talking about their day to day.

Drowzee - Is anyone else just really scared of supers like Spider-Woman or She-Hulk?

Reply from Golden Boy - Wdym?

Reply from Drowzee - I mean think about it. We've all seen videos of what Spider-Woman or She-Hulk or Spinerette can do. Sure they're playing nice now but what happens when they decide they don't wanna play hero anymore?

Reply from Hyuman - They've got a point. We can't really trust that they'll just stay nice forever. Think about how much damage even just one of them can do. That shit's scary.

Reply from Bugsy 04 - Eh...personally I'm not that scared, especially not of Spider-Woman and She-Hulk. How many people have they killed? Last I checked they both try really hard to avoid killing people. And even though Spinerette uses guns she's still an Avenger.

Reply from Spiritwing - Yeah. If you want someone to be scared off then look at Punisher. Guy doesn't have powers but he's killed more people than some countries. Like didn't he destroy like three cartels just this year? That's gotta be hundreds or thousands of people at least.

Reply from Bugsy 04 - Spider-Man too. Guy's way weaker than Spider-Woman but I'd take a hundred of her over him any day of the week. Least I'm sure I won't get shot in the face.

Ever since Peter came back to New York he'd done his best to be more open to new things. A year ago he had to be dragged kicking and screaming out of his apartment, mostly by Gwen or Norah or Lana who thought it was depressing that he only ever went out to get shot at before crawling back with a trail of blood behind him. It wasn't like he didn't have an excuse. With Matt and Jack hanging over his head it wasn't exactly easy to feel cheery.

Now he was being dragged into a costume conclave and he couldn't help but wonder what he was getting into.

"Hey, you alright?" Gwen clapped him on the right shoulder. She and Cindy came back just a couple of days ago but they still chose to keep up with their plans. Cindy insisted on it, even, claiming that they really needed a break after their Avengers shindig got canned. She didn't even answer him properly when he asked for details. Apparently Captain Stars-and-Stripes wanted them to keep it in-house. Meaning no dirty vigilantes like him getting involved.

"Huh? Uh, yeah." He shook his head and did his best to give her a smile. It was just the two of them at Gwen's apartment right now. Cindy, Lana and Mary Jane were at their own (or Felicia's...) places and they all agreed to meet somewhere nearby. Less conspicuous than going all in as a group, though Peter would've thought that a costume gathering would've been the one place no one would look twice at a group dressed like circus rejects.

"Sure, I totally believe that." Gwen rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious. It's just..." He let out a soft breath and cracked his neck wearily. The day barely started and he already felt exhausted, "Guess I'm still in 'work mode'. I was checking up on leads for Lana and keeping an ear out for any sign of Bakuto and Gao till last night. Barely even remembered we were supposed to do this thing." He would've thought the last con they went to getting attacked would've put them off. Apparently not.

"Well you should turn it off. Seriously, how rare is it that we actually have a day off?" The question was rhetorical but he still thought about it. It wasn't like they 'worked' 24/7 or had hours clocked. Still, crime didn't exactly adhere to a schedule or care how tired you were. He'd lost count of how many times he was ready to finally call it a night when someone decided to ruin an innocent person's day in some dark, piss-soaked alley.

"...You have a point." He forced a smile. He did appreciate what Cindy wanted for them but it was hard to just 'turn it off', as Gwen put it. Too much scrambling around in his head for him to think about relaxing even for just a day. Rand and Moon Knight's assurances that they'll take care of anything that came up today didn't do much to put his mind at ease. If anything he just got more worried.

His...costume didn't help things any.

Peter held up the red and blue spandex with a deep frown. Cindy made it, and he didn't even want to know how she got his sizes exactly right with just a quick once-over. Apparently it was just something that came naturally to her after years of forming her silk to clothing.

"What are you waiting for?" Gwen asked just a little too eagerly. Peter looked back and grimaced when he saw she already fully dressed in her own costume. After over a year he was almost used to seeing her in a mask than without, but the disguise she wore now was enough to make him think twice. It was his costume, or at least a close copy of it. Instead of a jacket or trenchcoat she wore a dark vest over the long-sleeved gray shirt. Apart from that the mask looked far more sleek with none of the goggles or additions he usually had.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to wear that?" No, he wasn't trying to stall because he didn't like the idea of wearing spandex. What gave you that idea? "Just because you and the others like me doesn't change the fact that I'm still a wanted vigilante." No amount of secret, behind the scenes nudges could change that. Not unless he joined the Initiative and that didn't exactly appeal to him either.

"People are coming dressed as the Punisher. I'm sure it'll be cool if I go in dressed as the guy who saved the city from a demon."

"You know I only did that once, right? People have short memories, Gwen."

"And you're really bad at stalling. Come on, hurry up!" She pushed the spandex to his chest with a grin.

"Fine..." He sighed dramatically. Despite his complaining he didn't actually hate the outfit. It was obviously well-made and he didn't wanna spit on his best friend's face by saying it was bad. It was just a different scene than he was used to. Gwen could make it work, which he appreciated more than he wanted to admit, but he didn't have the gams to make it work like she did.

Peter went to the bathroom put on the red-and-blues as quickly as he could. It wasn't as tight as he thought it'd be but there wasn't much room to put anything in. No pockets and the fabric pressed against his body hard enough that trying to stuff a gun or a knife anywhere would've just left an awkward bulge. He'd pointed it out earlier to Gwen and she just shrugged him off.

"Pete, you're going to a con with two of the Avengers, the Initiative's top graduate and Scarlet Spider. I'm pretty sure we'll be good."

Which, alright, fair, but he still felt naked going without. It took him months to stop putting a pistol under his pillow and even then he'd only agreed to stuff it on the bedside cabinet instead. Powers or no you could never be too careful.

"...Alright, I'm ready."

He opened the door and tried not to feel like a piece of meat as Gwen blatantly ogled him, "...Eyes are up here, Gwen," he said with a slight smile. He hated to admit it but it was a bit of a confidence boost. Even if he didn't pay attention to looks all that much there were times he felt somewhat inadequate standing next to her.

"Huh? What was what? Sorry, wasn't paying attention." She wiped some imaginary drool off her face.

"Ah, come on! This is embarrassing enough as it is." He grabbed her shoulder and tugged her to the door.

"Fine, fine! But you're totally keeping that on tonight."

"In your dreams, Stacy."

"You know it."

The others were already there by the time they arrived. Per Cindy's suggestion they all came wearing masks or wigs; anything to keep their face hidden. Came with the territory when two of the people in your group were open superheroes.

"There you are!" Lana shouted impatiently. Her costume was...unique. A blue shirt, a red skirt and a matching pair of red boots. Her hair was hidden in a thick blonde wig and she even added a pair of smart glasses over the blue contact lenses covering her normally brown eyes. Apparently she was hero called AmazingGirl or something, "We've been here forever. What the hell were you two doing?"

"We were only here for 15 minutes, Lana." Cindy said. Among all of them her costume was definitely the most outlandish. A sleek black, green and silver suit covered her entire body. More than that, however, was what she did with her hair and eyes. She'd dyed the left half it white and styled it it stick up while her left eye had a blue contact a lighter shade from what Lana had.

Luna Snow, a Korean pop-star who gained powers during a terrorist attack and saved both her band and the crowd. He only knew her vaguely. Korea was just a quick stopover for him after he left Japan and the Hand's presence there was minimal.

"Could we leave now? It's so hot here..." Laura muttered. She wore the same costume he saw her last in, a nightmarish patch of yellow and pink with a hood added over the mask. No wonder she looked like she was baking.

"Yeah. I'm burning up over here." Summers put her hands on her knees. Unlike the others she wasn't dressed like some kind of hero, at least not one he recognized. She was covered head to toe in dark cloth with both a hood over her hair and a half-mask covering everything below her nose. A ninja, or at least that's what she said she was. Personally he thought it was morbid considering what they went through a year ago but she'd just grinned at him when he pointed that out.

He half expected her to come in wearing a Punisher get-up though he didn't say it out loud.

"It's your fault for wearing that." Mary clapped the journalist's left shoulder smugly. Unlike the others she just wore a Spider-Woman costume that looked near-identical to the one Gwen normally sported. When he asked before she just shrugged and said it'd be easier to blend in considering how many Spider-Woman clones would be running around. Sensible.

"Doesn't look like the line's moving anytime soon." Peter crossed his arms with a slight frown. Another reason he had his doubts about coming here. Hard to feel relaxed considering he barely had room to move his shoulders.

"It's all part of the experience! Come on, you can't say you've been to comic con if you don't do this." Cindy grinned. It was nice to see her happy, at least. San Fransokyo put her in a foul mood, "And trust me, it's bigger than it looks. It'll pass pretty quick."

She was right about that, at least. Twenty minutes of waiting later and they were inside in the...colorful interior, "Did Tony Stark fund this place or something?" Lana said next to him. The place reminded him of the pictures Gwen sent him of the Avengers' shindig. Not as fancy - there weren't any fancy holographics or anything like that - but still something that looked like it had a lot of money put into it.

"So where do you guys wanna go first? I've never been to one of these things so I'm flying blind," Mary said.

"I didn't really make a schedule. Figured we could just walk around and see what's the most fun," Cindy said.

"Whatever we do I have do something first," Summers said, "I promised Bossman Urich's nephew I'd take a pic of that actress playing Spider-Woman in the movie."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. Apparently they're doing a sneak peek of the sequel," Gwen hummed.

"Not interested." Peter waved a hand idly. He saw the movie with Gwen and Mary and he wasn't much a fan. Mostly it was funny just how wrong people's conceptions were of Spider-Woman. Some larger than life impossible figure instead of the all too human person she really was.

"Well I know where I'm going." Lana pointed to a door that led off to another room. Even without the sign the excited people holding comics in their hands was clear enough "I'll catch up with you all later. So if you'll excuse me..."

"Hold it." Peter grabbed the back of her collar before she could walk off, "I'm coming with you?"

"U-Uh, you really shouldn't." Peter's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "It's no big deal or anything. It's just gonna be me waiting in a bunch of big lines so it's gonna be a giant pain in the ass. Really, I'm better off going on my own."

"It's no problem. Come on, let's go."

He grabbed Lana's shoulder and dragged her away, completely ignoring her protests. Gwen looked after them, confused, and turned to Mary Jane, "The heck was that about?"

"Really, Gwencent? Remember her little confession about the 'special comics' she was collecting?" It took Gwen a second to remember before it all clicked, "Yeah. Tiger's probably going with her to make sure that she doesn't buy anything too...you know."

"Right..." Gwen rubbed the back of her masked head.

"I dunno what's happening here but I get the feeling I don't wanna know." Norah shook her head, "I'll head over to the sneak peek and get the pic. Meet up with you guys back here in an hour or two."

"I'm coming with," Mary Jane said, "See you three later. Don't blow up anything while I'm gone."

"Right, see ya." Gwen waved lightly then turned to Cindy and Laura. Cindy's kid coming along was a bit of a surprise but she wasn't exactly going to complain. She didn't have nearly enough time to spend with Gabbie cause of Laura's schedule so it was nice to have a family outing of sorts.

Speaking of...

She bent down slightly to become eye level with Laura, "Gabbie, is there anywhere you and Laura want to go?"

The pink blob extended from Laura's right shoulder with a small pop then draped itself across her neck. Gwen took a quick look around to make sure the coast was clear before letting Webster do the same. As long as they didn't do anything too weird they could easily pass off as costumes.

"We want to see the video games!" Gabbie said excitedly. If anyone asked they'd say she was an accessory with a speaker inside.

"Oh yeah, I heard that there was a lot of new stuff coming out." Cindy hummed, "Not really my cup of tea, though. More into vintage stuff. Old Nintendo games or 90's RPG's."

"Your age is showing there, Cin." Gwen hoped she'd look nearly that good once she was pushing 30. Still had no clue on how far the 'possible immortality' clause went, "But it's as good a place as any to start. Come on, let's get going before the lines fill up again."

Peter was often the last to admit when he was outmatched. Call it bravery or stupidity but the thought of throwing his hands up and saying he couldn't hack it always annoyed him in a way that he couldn't explain. Moon Knight theorized that it was a subconscious link to his old identity. Peter Parker was always bullied, always beaten, and now the thought of being the same way caused his head to itch like it caught fire.

All of this was a long-winded way of saying that he didn't give up easy, which showed how serious it was that his first thought after getting to Lana's venue of choice was to turn with his tail between his legs.

He'd seen nightmarish things ever since his second chance at life. Psychopaths that treated death like a punchline, demons that almost brought hell on earth, and fangirls who very publicly admitted what they'd do to him given half the chance. Still, it was nothing compared to the comics that lined the stalls Lana all too eagerly skimmed through.

With shaking hands, the vigilante-cum-exorcist took one of the 'fan comics' and carried it like it was a ticking bomb. The title was...it didn't matter. All that mattered was the picture plastered on the front, which was of him and who he could only assume was Matt in a...risque position. No, risque was giving it too much credit. It was downright pornographic. The only thing keeping it from fitting the literal description was the fact that their fictional counterpart's torn costumes still had enough cloth to cover their unmentionables.

Peter placed the filth back to its shelf and felt like he needed to take a shower. He was always vaguely aware of how some people viewed him and the others, but seeing it firsthand never stopped being uncomfortable.

"Hey, Pete, you alive?" Lana tapped his back. He slowly turned to look at her, his haunted expression obvious even through the skintight mask.

"...I hate you."

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to come with." She rolled her eyes and smirked, "Besides, the shit here's actually pretty tame. You should see some of the ones over on the net-"

"Alright, stop before I bash my head against the wall." He pinched the bridge of his nose. He wanted to have fun - for his friends' sake, if nothing else - but it was...hard. He wasn't like Gwen or Cindy. Fame wasn't something he just shrugged off. The fact that he had fans was something he would've preferred to have never dealt with if possible. Less complicated that way.

"Geez, what crawled up your ass?"

"Nothing. Just...buy your stuff. I won't even complain as long as you don't buy anything with Matt in it."

Lana raised a brow, "Does that mean-"

"Yes. Just hurry before I change my mind."

"You're the best." She smiled and hugged him before quickly going through the stalls for her next fix. He probably should've complained more about her buying what was essentially pornography of him and Castle but he didn't have the strength. It was hardly normal, sure, but he at least trusted her to know enough to differentiate between fiction and reality.

He rubbed the back of his neck and took a look at the stalls again. His experience with comic books was lacking but he recalled from his brother's memories that he was a fan of The Shadow. He and Ben always waited for the radio shows and the comic books were one of the few things he asked for.

Peter had to admit that, aside from the blatant pornography, the other comic books were...alright. He almost laughed when he saw one with Echo and Rand on the cover and even bought it. Knowing Rand he'd find it funny.

He bought a couple more before Lana came back with a practically bulging paper bag, "Looks like you're having fun." She grinned up at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Find your nighttime material yet?"

"Wha- I do not use it for that!" Her cheeks tinged red and she harrumphed, "And for your information, I actually didn't buy any Punished Spider stuff." She opened the bag and showed him some of the comics inside. Peter raised a brow at the contents. Most of it had Initiative heroes or actual fictional ones, "I promised Aracely and Gabe I'd get them some of the good stuff."

"How are those two, anyway?"

"Doing good. Gabe was all excited about getting to team up with you again and Aracely's...well, she's the same as always. Still worried she might get kidnapped but ever since Roxxon got his ass kicked it's been less of an issue."

Before he could respond footsteps drew closer and he turned to see a guy and a gal, probably 15 or 16, dressed as a black cat and a ladybug. Ugh, "Heya! Could we take a couple of pics?" The girl asked, excitedly raising the camera attached to her neck.

"Sure!" Lana answered for him. She grinned up at him again, "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"If you say so..."

They spent the next couple of minutes posing with the two cosplayers. It wasn't...terrible. Alright, she was right: it was sort of fun. With the red-and-blues no one knew who he was and that allowed a certain freedom his regular mask couldn't give him.

Even if he was going to burn this costume as soon as he had the chance.

"Nice costumes, by the way!" The guy said after they finished, "It's based on the Spider-Girl that dropped in her a few weeks ago, right?"

"Ah...yeah, sure." Close enough.

"Yeah, she was really cool! The red and blue totally popped!" The girl added, "Man, I wish she stayed around longer. Would've loved to ask her where she came from. But she just vanished. Poof, just like that!"

"Real shame, that." Peter forced a smile.

"Eh, we already have enough Spider heroes. Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, Spinerette, the actual Spider-Girl. We don't need another arachnid on the pile," Lana said.

They chatted for a few more minutes before the pair excitedly said their goodbyes, "That was...something," Peter muttered.

"Oh come on, lighten up! Would it kill you to have some fun?" Lana huffed.

"I am having fun."

"Coulda fooled me." She scoffed and looked down at the floor. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she spoke up again, "You know...it's been a while since we hung out just the two of us."

"Has it?"

"Yeah. We've both been so busy that we never really had the time, I guess." She chewed on her lower lip, "...I missed you."

"Hey, what's wrong?" He held her left shoulder worriedly.

"It's nothing. Just...thinking about things, you know?" She let out a soft breath, "Just hitting me how much time passed. I'll turn 18 in about a year and Cap said the invitation to join the Avengers is still open. Can you imagine it? Me, an Avenger?"

"Why not?"

"Just look at me, Pete. Do I look like I deserve to be in the big leagues?"

"Sure." He nodded, "Why wouldn't you be? You've dealt with just as much as they have and you didn't have any training or fancy gadgets. Fact that you're still standing here's proof of what you can do so why doubt yourself?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's just cause it hasn't hit me out." She sighed, "And what about you?'

"What about me?"

"Ever since your prison break it feels like you've been..." She waved a hand through the air in lieu of properly finishing. Peter didn't say anything, "Is it cause of Bullseye? Cause you already warned me-"

"That's not the point." He started walking and she rushed to catch up to him, "I already told you what he told me." That he'd come after the people he cared about just to hurt him. So their rematch would have the appropriate gravitas.

"Yeah, I know." She rubber her midsection, tracing the scar that remained, "And yeah, I'm still keeping an eye out to make sure the bald prick doesn't do a repeat. But what does that have do with us not hanging ou-" She stopped and narrowed her eyes, "Oh, gimme a fucking break. Lemme guess, you think that if you keep your distance Bullseye's gonna think twice? Is that it?"

"No! It's just..." What could he say? That he felt guilty? That he should've killed Bullseye back in that prison so there wouldn't be any more lingering doubts?

Before he could say any kind of answer Lana slapped him lightly then grabbed the back of his head, "Hey, look at me." She forced his head down so they could see eye-to-eye, "What happened back then wasn't your fault. It's those fuckers that brought that psycho Bullseye back from the dead and you're gonna deal with them, right?" He nodded slowly, "Then it's no big deal. I'll keep an eye out to make sure that I don't get laid up again so just do what you do best."

"Just promise me you're not gonna end up on the hospital again."

"Promise." She let go of him and stepped back with a wink, "Besides, without that fancy magic knife he stole from you I'm pretty sure I can take whatever he's dishing out. Next time that fucker pops his head up I'm gonna blow it off."

"Hm..." He needed to change the subject. Talking about Bullseye was the last thing he needed right now, "What about you? Doctor told you to take it easy but knowing you I doubt you actually listened." He sighed, a mix of fondness and exasperation.

"You know me so well." She smiled cheekily, "Yeah, I've been easing back to patrols. And Sue...actually, that's something I can use your advice on."

"What is it?"

"Her manager thinks she should capitalize on her new powers and start fighting doing some hero gigs. Nothing serious, just stopping some purse snatchers and doing a little community service here and there. They don't actually want her to get hurt. Just need something to prop her up. Since I'm an Initiative graduate they figured I could put her under the sponsorship program so won't technically be illegal."

"Not a good idea." What was with people thinking vigilante work was some kind of opportunity for online clicks?

"That's what I said but Sue's all for it." She clicked her tongue, "I know you haven't really talked to her but you should know she's a real worrywart. Thinks that maybe she can help me out and watch my back." She pursed her lips briefly, "Sue and the rest of them...I guess me being put in the hospital really got em worried."

"Are you surprised? They're your friends."

"I'm still trying to get used to it. Mom was pretty hands-off growing up and you weren't exactly the huggy type when we were living together." She shook her head, "Not that that's a bad thing! I'm used to taking care of my own shit. Still...what do you think? Sue really seems to wanna do this but if I put my foot down she'll accept it. But should I?"

"Do you think she can handle the kind of life we lead?"

"Fuck no, but like I said it's just little community service. And it won't just be me. Anya and MVP said they'd take care of her too so it's not like I'll be alone. Still...ah, I dunno, maybe I'm just being a worrywart. I was planning on setting up a training schedule for her, Aracely and Gabe so they can take care of themselves better. Aracely's getting interested in fighting crime too and it's just a giant clusterfuck. Feel like I'm babysitting three oversized kids." She laughed under her breath.

"...You've changed, huh?

"Huh?" She blinked up at him owlishly.

"Nevermind." He shook his head with a small smile.

"Right...whatever, weirdo." She bumped her left shoulder to his right and stopped at one of the stalls, "Ugh, of course this was going to be the most popular." She picked up another comic with him and Gwen on the cover, "Did you hear they're doing a new comic with Spider-Woman and Spider-Man? Guess they figured they might as well milk that too, huh?"

"Bet Gwen'll be happy." He picked up one with just Lana on the cover, "I'll check this out. Can't be any worse than anything else, right?"

"Don't jinx it, Pete."

"We need to talk."

Oof, that wasn't a good sign, "I'm listening." Norah hummed and took a picture of the actress on stage. Kirsten Stone, a popular pick considering her acting chops. Perfect to play the secret heiress Spider-Woman.

"I'm serious."

"I know you are." Norah put the camera down and turned to the masked redhead. It was kinda weird considering she looked just like Spider-Woman, "And I'm listening. What's up?"

"Those people who tried to kill you-"

"Which ones?"

"Norah!"

"Chill, MJ!" Norah laughed lightly and put down the half-scarf to expose her smile, "Look, I get you're worried, but nothing's happened since you and Frankie came to my rescue." Probably weren't expecting her to have a couple of vigilantes on speed dial, "And if it helps you sleep at night, I haven't gone back to my apartment. Been crashing on different safehouses and send all my work to Robbie via email. And I've got a pretty damn good VPN too."

"I have no idea how you're so whatever about this..." MJ muttered.

"Comes with the territory." Norah hummed, "Even back in college I already figured that if I actually dug up anything newsworthy there'd be assholes who wanted to put a stop to it. And not all of them would play nice." Granted she didn't expect them to be ninjas led by the freaking devil, but hey. Being threatened by the mob and anonymous voices over the phone was actually kind of a downgrade.

"How are you not freaking out more about this?"

"I just got used it, I guess." She shrugged, "If I wasn't willing to put my life at risk then I wouldn't have become a journalist in the first place." And she wouldn't have gotten so chummy with the Defenders. That was still the secret she'd take to her grave. Robbie and Bossman Urich had suspicions, of course, but they always kept quiet. Plausible deniability, she guessed. Her family didn't know at all and she was aiming to keep it that way.

"Maybe you should be more worried about the guys with guns coming after you?"

"What good will that do? Worry just makes you scared, and being scared makes you sloppy." It was something Frankie told her once. Always stuck to her for some reason, "Look, just cause I'm not freaking out doesn't mean I'm not being careful. I'm keeping a low profile and no one knows where I am. Heck the only reason I'm here is cause I'm damn sure you'd skewer anyone who looks at me funny." She gave the redhead a sideways smirk.

"I know, just...tell me as soon as you get a lead, 'kay? I'll be there in a flash."

"I get it, MJ. Trust me." She wrapped her right left arm around her best friend's shoulders and pulled her close, "And you should really worry about yourself too."

"What do you mean?"

Norah pulled out her phone and showed her a picture she grabbed off the net. MJ looked at the screen and cringed when she saw a somewhat blurry photo of her, Felicia and Murdock swinging past a building, "It's all over the net. Scarlet Spider teaming up with the Black Cat and the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. I'm trusting that you know what you're doing so I won't bug you over it. Just thought I should let you know it's making news."

"Of course it is." She sighed and rubbed her forehead through the white mask.

"So let's stop bugging, alright? We came here to have fun." She wrapped her arms around Mary Jane's and dragged her to the showing, "Come on, let's check out the new showing and see how fucked up they made Gwen."

The sneak preview was interesting. A team-up between Spider-Woman, Spider-Man and Hawkeye to stop a new Supervillain who could cause earthquakes. Oh and there was a love triangle in there too cause of course there was. Honestly she probably would've been more excited if she didn't see weirder shit every day. Hard to get excited over a hilariously inaccurate movie when you had Scarlet Spider sitting next to you.

Still, she didn't miss how MJ's mood didn't seem to get any better.

"Come on, MJ, cheer up!" They took a couple of photos with some really good cosplayers and beamed when they complimented her costume. Going non-hero was definitely the right choice, "Seriously, you're usually the life of the party! What's wrong?"

"Sorry. It's just..." MJ suddenly grabbed her hand, "Look, we need to go somewhere private."

She ended up dragging her to the bathroom. MJ made sure there was no one else there before she blocked the entrance with a mop, shoved her into an unoccupied stall and went in after her.

"Uh...if you're hoping for a quickie then I'm gonna have to disappoint you."

Mary Jane took off her mask, her expression grim, "No jokes." Norah raised a brow. This was new, "Alright, so...Crimson and I've been talking and we've been trying to come up with ideas to help with this whole 'people with guns' thing."

"MJ-"

"I know you can take care of yourself but that doesn't change the fact that a bullet's a bullet. You can't just shrug it off like me or Gwen." Well...point made. She was lucky enough so far that she'd never actually gotten a full hit. At worst she'd had some grazes, "So I was thinking of a way to make sure that you can at least take a few hits before running and we came up with something."

"Alright...?"

MJ's partner suddenly jutted out of her shoulder and looked at her with a toothy grin, "It was my idea, actually. She just wants to take credit."

"Uh-huh. Nice to see you again, Mr. Monster." Norah didn't actually talk to it much. MJ was pretty insistent that the less Crimson talked to anyone besides herself, the better, "So what's this super secret plan you both came up with?"

"Just hold out your hand and trust me."

Norah offered her right hand and Mary Jane held it tightly with her left. An awkward silence passed between the two and Norah was about to ask what the hell she was trying to do when she felt the tingle run up her forearm. Looking back down at the limb, she couldn't stop herself from gasping when she saw a clump of red, pulsating flesh jump from Mary Jane's hand to her own. The flesh shifted into veins that covered the length of the pale skin before sinking out of sight, leaving no trace they were ever there.

Mary Jane let go of her hand. Norah raised up the limb and twisted it around experimentally. It felt...actually, it didn't feel like anything. No more tingling, no feeling like she was bloated. If she didn't see it for herself she might've just dismissed it altogether.

"Uh...what the hell was that?" She looked at MJ with narrowed eyes.

"An insurance." Mary Jane raised her right hand and turned two fingers into claws, "Remember last year when you know who turned all those people into..." Into crazy, murderous zombies. Yeah, she remembered. Norah nodded, "Right. Well, me and Crimson were experimenting and trying to figure out how that worked. We figured out that we could...'loan' parts of us to other people. Not enough to make you like me, but it should give you some breathing room."

"She means that it will protect you. If a bullet or a knife or anything else were to try and harm you our little gift will act as a shield." Its grin somehow widened at that, "Don't be careless, however. It's only a small infusion and will only be good for a few hits before dissipating. You cannot generate the required biomass like Jane and I can."

"So you gave my a little bit of the red menace? Thanks...but you really should've told me first." Norah frowned and shook her right arm warily. As much as she trusted MJ she couldn't say the same about the monster.

MJ winced, "Yeah, sorry. Didn't know how to really explain it and I figured a demonstration was better."

"Ah, whatever." Norah smiled again. As weirded out as she was about the whole thing it came from a good place, "Let's just get out of here and meet up with the others before they really do think we snuck off to make out."

"Of course she'd go there first." Gwen crossed her arms and watched with a smile as Laura and Gabbie eagerly ran to the booth showing a preview of the upcoming Spider-Man game. Gwen didn't know how to feel about someone making a video game about Peter, especially considering there was apparently going to be a lot of guns in it, but she figured there was nothing she could do.

"She keeps asking me if she can come over and spend time with her Uncle Peter," Cindy said with a smile of her own, "She's really gotten more open ever since she bonded with Gabbie. Is that your kid's doing?"

"Perhaps," Webster said, "Chocolate was very eager to meet her family ever since she was born. I wouldn't be surprised if this interacted with Laura's own desire for family."

"So you think this bond's gonna be permanent?" Gwen asked. She had to admit she still had some reservations with Laura being Gabbie's partner, especially considering how they got bonded together, but so far it seems like the two made each other happy. And maybe it'd do some good having Gabbie bond to a kid instead of someone closer to Gwen's own age.

"Seems like it." Cindy nodded, "By the way, it's getting harder and harder to convince Laura to stay in school and not just play superhero whenever she wants. We're both gonna have to talk to her about that soon."

Laura came stomping back, the hood of her costume flying off in her excitement, "Have fun?" Gwen asked.

"Mhm! The game was really good." She grabbed both their hands, Cindy with her left and Gwen with her right, and swung both her arms happily. Gwen smiled back and laughed when Gabbie wrapped herself around her wrist and squeezed gently, "I wish we could spend more time like this."

"Yeah! Oooh, we can have a family vacation when summer vacation starts! Didn't Ms. Mary Jane have a cabin you went to last year? I remember seeing it in Parent's memories."

"Uh...how much did you exactly see?" Gwen asked. Not that she was too worried - symbiotes didn't exactly associate sex with anything considering they didn't need it - but she still didn't like the idea of her kid seeing her do the nasty.

"Don't worry, Gwen. I left before you and Peter did your business," Webster said.

"Could we stop talking about that while Laura's around? I still haven't given her The Talk."

"Yeah...good luck with that one, Cin."

They took Laura around to whatever looked good before meeting up with the others again. Seeing Peter carrying a paper bag full of comic books almost made her laugh, "What?" he asked defensively.

"I didn't say anything." Gwen held up both hands and shared a smile with Lana. She was so not gonna let him live this down.

"So what's the plan now?" Norah asked. For some reason she was rubbing her right wrist, "I'm all up for just wandering around but is there an actual itinerary here or something?"

"Not really. Kinda figured we just needed a day to relax so I didn't really make a schedule," Cindy said, "Oh, they did say there was gonna be a special event in a few hours. Not sure what it was since people are pretty tight-lipped about it but it should be cool." Her shoulders sagged, "Shame we'll only be here for today. Comic-Con lasts four days and we're tapping out on the first round."

"Can't exactly put off our work, right? No rest for the wicked," Peter said.

"Agreed." MJ laughed.

They spent the next few hours walking around. After the disaster of Avengers-Con a part of her expected a new supervill to try and blow the place up or for someone to spontaneously get new powers.

Which made it only more amazing when the hours ticked by and nothing happened.

They made their way to the special event venue just before the hour hit. Gwen had to admit she was curious. Ever since heroes became more widespread conclaves had to step up their game. You couldn't just have authors and artists coming in for a meet-and-greet.

She felt a sudden chill in the air. Gwen looked up and let out an impressed laugh at the wave of ice that came from the hole in the ceiling, "Is that...?" Cindy mumbled. Her question was answered when a figure practically glided through the ice and landed on the center of the large room with a graceful flip. Cindy's eyes turned as wide as saucers and covered her mouth with both hands to keep from shouting in excitement.

"Hey, everyone!" Luna Snow shouted through the mic. The crowd cheered in response and it was loud enough that Gwen wondered if the ice would shatter, "Sorry for dropping in so suddenly! First time in New York and I figured meeting the folks would be cool."

"Oh my god, oh my god! It's Luna Snow!" Cindy squealed. Yes, squealed. Gwen didn't even know Cindy could make that kind of sound.

"Yeah, I heard you the first time." Peter winced and shook his head, "Should've brought earplugs. I think I went deaf."

"Shit, shit, shit! I think she's looking this way!" Cindy grabbed poor Peter's shoulders and shook him, "Ah, I'm gonna die!"

"So am I if you keep this up!" He shoved her off walked away to let her fangirl in peace. Gwen laughed and, after wishing Cindy luck, followed after Peter. She'd meet up with the rest once the excitement died down.

She held his hand as soon as they were out the room, "Come on." She gently tugged him towards the nearby bench and they sat side-by-side. Peter breathed out softly and leaned closer to her, "Have fun?"

"Guess so..." She could see the smile even through his mask. Peter tangled his fingers tighter with hers rested his head against her right shoulder. Gwen smiled in turn and closed her eyes. Cindy was right, they really did need this.

This was hell.

Donald Roxxon writhed on the bed weakly and let out a soft growl. The sterile white walls of the ceiling stared back at him as they always did. How long had he been confined here, helpless and unable to move? He didn't know. Time lost meaning and he'd lost count of how many days passed. Day, night, day, night...there was no difference. Either way he was confined and with nothing but the nurse who changed his IV fluid for company.

"Ngh..." He struggled to move once more. Apart from some weak shaking on his cuffed wrists he might as well have been comatose, "Rrgh..." He wanted to scream, wanted to curse and rage Spider-Woman and Spider-Man both, but his voice refused to cooperate. She had betrayed him. She could've had anything, been with him instead of that thug, but instead she chose him.

He was going to kill them both once he recovered. He didn't care how long it'd take or how much he had to sacrifice, he wouldn't rest till he had his hands wrapped around the necks and watched the light fade from their eyes.

It was slow, but he knew that he was regaining his faculties. The police were all waiting at his door, all too eager to pounce for a confession as soon as he was capable of forming words. Pathetic. He'd play along and accept the best deal he could. All he had to do was bide his time until he had his chance. Even if the rest of the company had disavowed him, as one all too eager officer had told him, it didn't matter. He wasn't helpless. He was Donald Roxxon and he wouldn't let it end like that.

Hours passed in silence. Odd, the nurse should've been here already.

A light click came from the adjacent well. Had Donald been capable of movement he would've seen the camera that kept constant watch on him suddenly shut down.

A figure...appeared in by the side of his bed. Donald blinked languidly. Where had he come from? It took all his focus to take in his features. A red full body suit with a helmet that masked his face from view. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Ain't this a surprise?" The figure's voice was distorted. A voice-changer of some kind, "Boss told me that you were in some real shit but this is just sad?"

"Rrgh?"

"Right, you can't talk. Not yet at least. And see, that 'yet' is the problem." He sighed, "If you're expecting a rescue then this ain't it. Think of it more like...cleaning loose ends."

An assassin! "Mgh?! Hrghh!" He struggled, or at least he attempted to. Once more there was no sign of movement apart from the shaking of his wrists and the slight movement of his eyes.

"Wouldn't bother screaming if I were you. I already dealt with the guy watching the monitors and the coppers outside...well, let's just say they're taking a break." He pulled out a syringe from a pouch and raised it to the light. Donald tried to scream again, "Don't worry, this ain't gonna kill you. Just gotta make sure you don't squeal on the boss, you know? Loose lips sink ships and all that."

The figure stabbed the needle into the IV and emptied the syringe. Donald struggled and cursed, willing his hands to move and remove the wire attached to his wrist. This was not how he was going to end! He wasn't some mess to be cleaned up as a mere afterthought!

"Oof, looks like it's gonna kick in. Hope you don't mind me not staying to watch."

The man in red waved cheerily and shrunk out of sight. Donald screamed, somehow managing out a howl that engulfed the room. He was not going to die here! He was going to find them and kill them all! He was...

...

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Erica Pierce - OMG Luna Snow just showed up at Comic-Con! -embedded image-

reply from Scruffy Wolf - Holy crap! Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have skipped the first day!

reply from Minecraft Egg - But what's she doing here though? Is she doing a concert?

reply from L8Head - Doubt it since there wasn't anything on her site about it.

reply from Erica Pierce - Who cares?! Luna Snow's in New York! What if she starts fighting crime?! Ugh, I wanna see her team up with Spider-Woman so bad!

reply from Stormy - OMG yes!

Sorry for how not-fun this chapter was. Like I said it felt like a struggle to write so I'm hoping that it's alright. At the very least I was able to set up some plot points that'll be tackled in the future, most notably Mary Jane's tether to Norah and Roxxon being cleaned up and forcing Gwen to be more proactive in her investigations.

Next chapter will most likely be Gwen's POV and deal with her investigating the aftermath of what happened to Roxxon.

Questions:

1. Since people seem all-in for magic I'm curious what types of magic you guys wanna see. I wanna avoid anything too flashy or powerful since I'm trying to go for a more Utility Mage vibe.

2. I'm curious, since we had an arc of Gwen dealing with someone with an obsessive crush like Roxxon would you guys be interested in Noir dealing with something similar? Typhoid Mary and Jack sort of had the theme but the former was killed off by MJ and the latter was more obsessed with killing than infatuation like Roxxon was.

If not Noir then any of the other three protags could work. Might fit either Cindy or Mary Jane considering their characters.

Review Answers:

Master of Keys - Not the exact same monsters, no, but something similar could work.

Magic Magician - Thanks for reading :) And yeah, Peter and Matt's 'friendship' seems to be a favorite for a bunch of readers.

Dr. Sugarcakes - Peter/MJ was never gonna end on a happy note considering the context.

The Tailor - Hope you continue reading.