Part 11 - We Could Burn it All Down

Chapter 183 - The World Mourns

Miles told Gwen everything he'd discovered on his mission. She seemed extremely curious about what had happened that kicked him out the building, but he had no more idea than her. She sighed.

"I guess we have to patrol on Saturday."

"Yeah."

"Great. Well, our marriage might be falling apart, but I'm sure Max would be happy we can still work together proffesionally."

"I thought it didn't matter to you?"

"It doesn't; I was just making an observation."

Saturday arrived far too slowly for Miles. He'd prefer to get things over with. He and Gwen headed out, swinging into the city centre of Stan Dovahhe where thousands were gathering round the temple. It had been rebuilt after Max tore it down five years earlier, and looked better than usual. There was a sombre mood all over the city, but that wasn't Miles and Gwen's priority. They had to find the Volente Guard agents and stop them going ahead with their plan.

"I'll take the temple grounds, you take the inside." Gwen instructed her husband.

"Whatever you say." He replied in a fed-up tone.

He swung over the tops of the crowds and stuck himself to a pillar overlooking the main chamber. For now, he saw nothing, but only time would tell.

Gwen couldn't see anything in terms of Volente Guard activity either from her vantage point on top of a tower overlooking the temple grounds. She did, however, have to stop a fight between some people in a queue for an ice cream truck.

The memorial service began without a hitch. However, as a prayer began, Miles' spidey sense went off. He looked over the crowd, searching frantically for whatever it was that had set it off. He saw nothing, but that wouldn't last long. As the prayer came to an end, someone shouted something, and it was followed by identical shouts from throughout the temple. What happened next, he wasn't entirely sure. All he knew was there was a series of bangs and he woke up on the floor some time later.

Gwen, however, saw what had happened. An explosion rocked the city centre sending people running, screaming, in all directions. In the stampede, she knew people would be trampled to death and saving them was her priority right now. If anyone was alive in the temple, Miles would be able to help them. She swung over the top of the crowd, firing a web and hauling someone back onto their feet as they started to fall. It was much the same story for the next few minutes until the area around the temple was practically cleared and the emergency serives arrived. In the horror, however, she spotted someone running away in the gold, red and dark grey colours of the Volente Guard. She dropped down in front of them, reading the letters 'VG' on their t-shirt. They reached for their pocket, but she had them pinned to the ground with a web in an instant. A group of police officers had them handcuffed and held on the ground seconds later. The spider turned her attention back to the temple itself.

Miles picked himself up, staggering a little and clutching his side. He almost certainly had a few cracked ribs, but he was lucky. All around him, people lay dead. A twisted sick feeling filled his stomach as he limped over the corpses towards the entrance. As he got closer, he found some people were still alive but critically injured. He tried to help one, but they screamed in agony with every move. Miles collapsed in the entrance to the temple where first responders were just arriving. He redirected them to the people unable to move, knowing he would likely be OK given enough time. For now, however, there was nothing more he could do but hope the Volente Guard had nothing else planned for today.

The next day, Gwen brought Miles a cup of hot chocolate on the couch in their apartment. She sat down next to him with a pained expression.

"Why?" She muttered.

"I don't know. But if they want to change Max's image they're doing that alright. Changing it for the worst."

"This isn't about Max, Miles."

"But it is. They're called the 'Volente Guard', not the 'Hermaeus Guard' or the 'Watcher Guard' or even the 'Anonymous Guard'. Without Max, they wouldn't have existed in the first place. Oh, and they blew up his temple on his day of mourning. I'd say it's about him, Gwen."

She buried her face in her hands.

"This is why people need to move on. It just makes them hurt then they do something…" The doorbell rang. "…something rash."

Gwen stood up, equipping her web shooters as she made her way over to the door to answer it. When she did, she found herself looking at a man in a business suit. For a second she was about to tell him to shove whatever he was selling up his butt, but noticed the security guards behind with their guns drawn and looking up and down the apartment block stairs warily. The man in the suit raised an ID badge with an emblem that denoted high rank in the Church of the High Elder Gods.

"Mrs Stacy-Morales, I am Reverend Chappingham. I need to speak with you and your husband, Mr Morales, urgently. It's best that we speak in private given recent events."

Gwen eyed the reverend up and down, but her spider sense didn't warn her of anything so she stepped aside to let him in.

"That's a lot of guns for someone with the title 'reverend'." She commented as two more guards, both armed with semi-automatic rifles, entered behind Chappingham.

"I'm sure you must understand the necessity."

"Well yes but…it doesn't matter. Take a seat. Do you want a drink?"

"Thank you, but no thank you. I must keep my visit brief so I don't attract any unwanted attention. Your husband has suffered enough already."

"I can hear you, you know." Miles replied from the couch.

"I know, Mr Morales. Mrs Stacy, please sit."

Gwen sat down next to Miles.

"As I'm sure you are aware by now, from my title and ID, I am a priest for the Church of the High Elder Gods, or CotHEG for short. We have reason to suspect a group known as the Volente Guard are responsible for yesterday's attack. Have you heard of them?"

"We've been looking into them for few days." Miles replied.

"Were you aware they had plans for yesterday?"

"Yes, but we didn't know what."

"And you did not think to inform the authorities?"

"In our defence, as spider people we usually have to do this stuff alone. The 'authorities' tend to have more sinister objectives under the pretty face." Gwen explained.

"I understand that, but it cannot be allowed again. Eight hundred people died yesterday, and that number continues to rise as more are claimed by injuries."

"We also didn't know what they were planning. If it was just a protest, getting in the way of democracy isn't really our thing." Said Miles.

"Even so, a report would have been helpful. I'm sure in your new jobs you will remember that."

"New jobs? We don't really have time for that being spider people." Gwen replied.

"You will continue being Spiderman and Spiderwoman, but you will no longer act under your own authority. You will answer to CotHEG, and that is not debateable."

"Will we be paid?" Miles asked.

"You've managed to get by as you are, so no you will not. All that will change is that you may be contacted about missions, and that if a CotHEG agent comes asking questions, you will answer them."

"Agents? I thought you guys were priests?" Asked Gwen.

"We are, but a Church has many enemies and we must protect ourselves."

"OK. I guess we accept."

"This wasn't a choice. Do not tell anybody of my visit, nor that you are working for CotHEG. This pager will act as a communication line between headquarters and you."

Chappingham placed the device on the table, stood up and let himself and his guards out without another word. Miles and Gwen looked at each other.

"I'm not even sure what just happened." Gwen said after a few moments of silence.

"We were given a job with no pay."

"I swear that's illegal."

"On Earth, maybe. No idea about here."

"Well, I guess there's nothing we can do about it."

Crossovers in this Chapter

None!