This is a breather chapter. I wanted to give people a chance to pitch in their votes for the next story segments and I wanted to write the characters interacting in a much more lighthearted setting since apparently you guys really like that. I was actually gonna skip this part but a few reviewers really wanted the confession scene written. I added a Matt segment to bolster the word count and here we are.

Anyway, current vote number:

Noir - 13

Gwen - 11

Mary Jane - 5

Lana - 11

Cindy - 9

Man, poor MJ got left in the freaking dust :( I thought people liked her Scarlet Spider segments? It was the main reason she became a protagonist on her own right rather than being a side-character for Gwen. Still, currently Noir is leading followed by either Gwen or Lana. If you haven't voted yet for which order you want to see then please do so :)

Side Note - I also read the preview for Ghost Spider 8 and...wow, MJ's a bitch in it. In the previous volume she was one of the most supportive of Gwen after finding out her identity and we see that finding out about Gwen's double life changed her for the better. Now she's suddenly turned around and accusing Gwen of being an attention whore who can't stand not being front and center and griping jealously that if she had powers things would be different.

Are they trying to turn her into Earth-65 Venom ala Eddie Brock? Cause this sudden about face from her previous character development and behavior is a major turn off.


"Alright, Mary Jane, your turn."

Gwen took a long gulp of her beer and grinned at the redhead. Cindy had just finished regaling them about her one night of passion with Thor. Apparently it was pretty easy: just make sure you could hold your drink, laugh at his jokes and tell him how big and hard his hammer was. Gwen still wasn't sure whether Cindy meant that last part literally or not.

"Well...I dunno." Mary Jane licked her lips, "I'm not like you guys, you know? I'm pretty new to the whole Superhero thing." Except for when she wasn't. Gwen still hadn't talked to her about it, but the new costume and MJ clarifying that she was in the Superhero business was a good sign. Maybe one day they could talk about the things they got up to when the other wasn't looking.

"Come on, there has to be something." Lana leaned back and rolled her eyes. They'd transferred from the kitchen table back to the living room so the teenager was sprawled across a beanbag. Mary Jane sat on the chair next to her while she, Cindy and Peter were on the couch, "Doesn't even have to be from this year. Secrets don't stop being embarrassing cause of the timestamp."

"Uh...I don't have any embarassing secrets?"

"Uh...you're not a very good liar, MJ?" Gwen snarked, "Seriously, we're all friends here. What happens in Cindy's apartment stays in Cindy's apartment." Same way her and Peter doing it by the shore never got out of the lakehouse.

"Fine, fine! Ugh, you're the worst, Gwencent." Gwen threw her a smug, self-satisfied smile, "Okay, um...okay, uh, there was a time I stalked a guy. Does that count?"

"Stalking? Absolutely." Cindy leaned forward with a smile, "I mean, not unless it was a criminal you were tailing back to his lair. Cause if it is we should just move on now."

"No, no. It was...It was back when I was 16." Gwen listened raptly while Peter just looked confused, as if the idea of stalking someone for anything other than investigation was alien to him. Such a poor, innocent boy he was, "There was this guy, a senior. I think you remember him, Gwen? Name of Ryan, wore the leather jacket and played a lot of pool?"

"Oh, yeah! Dirty Ryan!" So aptly named cause...actually, she didn't know why. She kinda just assumed it was cause he didn't bathe, but the amount of girls he he made out with kinda disproved that. Either that or everyone just had really low standards, "Wait, seriously? Dirty Ryan? I thought you had better taste than that, MJ." She shook her head and made sure to add just the right amount of annoying judgement in her tone.

"Oh, screw you! I was young and he said he loved me!" She crossed her arms and huffed, "He cornered me after practice. Gotta give the guy credit, he knew his stuff. Talked about my favorite bands, complimented my music; if he put that much effort into studying he probably would've beaten Sajani to Valedictorian." And Pete if he hadn't- no, bad thoughts! "So anyway we got to chatting and...well, I was hooked."

"So you fell for the bad boy with the jacket. Everyone has that." Lana snorted, "Get to the juicy part, Watson. When did you make the stalker shrine?"

"I didn't...make a stalker shrine!" MJ shouted back, her face red, "I just...after we started kinda-dating it was pretty good. We made out, had dates, talked about music...it was good. I even got a ride on his motorcycle." Gwen snorted. What was with everyone and motorcycles? Web-swinging was all the rage these days, "But after that...he started ghosting me. No contact on headbook, never picked up my calls, ignored me on the hallway. It was like we were strangers."

"I'm gonna take a guess that he was cheating on you?" Peter asked bluntly. Gwen elbowed his side lightly, "What? It makes the most sense."

"That's what I thought too, so I started I started to...follow him. I don't mean I started taking locks of his hair or anything. I mean I looked through his headbook friends list, asked his buddies what he got up to...and maybe I followed him outside of school and he didn't know I was there." Gwen raised a brow, "Hey, I know I should've just went up to the guy and demanded to know what the eff was going on, but I was young and dumb-"

"And full of cum. Yes, we've established this," Lana interrupted, "So what happened? Was he cheating on you or did you find out he was gay?"

"The second one, actually." Well...that didn't go the way she thought it would, "Yeah, so I followed him and caught him making out with one of his guy friends. I...may or may not have blown up at the guy asking what the fuck was going on. Then he told me he didn't want to admit he was gay cause of his family and that he tried going out with girls to see if he could just stop liking dudes and...really, it was just one giant mess. I felt like such a bitch afterwards even though he totally started it."

"So you ended up being the fake love interest in a coming out story." Cindy laughed under her breath, "That's not really embarrassing, though. I mean, you did think the guy was cheating on you. Come on, give us more!"

"Well...I also told my mom before I found out that he was the one and that I was so sure we'd be together forever." Lana's mouth parted open slightly, "And I may or may not have realized days afterwards that I forgot to change my relationship status after he came out to his parents and friends. That got me a lot of confused phone calls..."

"...I am so sorry." Gwen looked away in shame.

"Screw you, Gwen! I wasn't the one who didn't realize two of her best friends were in love with her!" Gwen stuttered while Peter turned red next to her, "I mean seriously, how did you miss that? Osborn was practically making air traffic signals!'

"H-Hey, we're talking about your embarrassing secrets! We'll get to me later!" She grabbed Peter's hand and squeezed it to try and calm herself. Webster was 'sleeping' right now; checking in on their baby after the hospital fight earlier.

"Guess it's my turn, right?" Lana started, "For me...mmh, it's kinda hard. I'm generally pretty awesome." Peter snorted and Lana glared at him halfheartedly, "Oh right, there was a time I told someone I loved them and I got the 'but you're like a sister' to me response. Would that work?"

"I'm pretty sure we all know who you're talking about." Cindy rolled her eyes. Gwen squeezed Peter's hand a bit tighter. She wasn't jealous, she was just...reasonably worried that a 17 year old girl who got the good end of puberty - seriously, that chest was ridiculous - was still holding a torch for her boyfriend. Very reasonable. Yes, "Come on, you don't have anything? Like Gwen said there's no point in being shy here."

"Thing is I don't really have any secrets. Thanks to William I can't keep anything hidden if I wanted to." She scoffed, "Sure, I have some things he won't show, but those aren't really 'embarrassing'. More like he won't tell people how much of a shitty dad he was or that he didn't say shit when me and the rest of the 'Defenders' were being hunted down by the cops."

"So you really don't have anything?" Gwen asked.

"Not unless you count my stash of-" She suddenly stopped pressed her lips into a thin line. Everyone just stared at her, "My stash of porn, which every teenage girl has and is totally a sign of healthy growth."

"What kind of porn?" Cindy's eyes narrowed. Must've been that detective sense she was honing.

"Just...you know, the normal kind. The kind every teenage girl has when she wants to sleep better at night." Her eyes flickered to Peter, "And should we really be talking about this? I mean Pete's right there and he is a guy."

"Right, this after you kept asking me for dirty details? Nuh-uh," Mary Jane said, "Come on, spill. There's a reason you're keeping it hidden!"

"It's nothing! It's just...you know, manga and doujins and stuff. Weird Japanese shit Gayle gave me."

"Wait, Gayle gave you? That means..." Mary Jane's mouth curled in a sudden predatory grin and she looked to Peter. Gwen did not like that look, "Oh...I think I know what it was."

"How do you- whatever, don't say anything! I'll-I'll think of something else! Just gimme a minute!" She grabbed her hair with both hands and shut her eyes, trying to rack her brain. Cindy yawned exaggeratedly and tapped her imaginary wristwatch, "Alright, alright, alright. Um...there was the time I- no, I ended up killing that guy." Gwen was more than a little disturbed on how quickly Lana brushed that off, "Okay, how about-"

"She's reading gay Spider-Man porn." MJ interrupted casually. Lana gave the redhead a look of utter hate while Peter just sighed in obvious disappointment at his sister, "You surprised? Ever since Gwencent let it slip Tiger was 18 people didn't miss how how all of his teammates were older than him. Way too easy." Everyone gave her a look and she just shrugged, "Hey, my sister makes fanfics. I pick up some stuff."

"...I'm not angry, Lana. I'm just disappointed." He said flatly. Lana flinched like she'd been hit, "...Can you at least tell me it wasn't Castle?"

"...I'm sorry." Lana looked down in utter shame. Gwen just felt ticked off. What was with people thinking there was something between Peter and that asshole? He was old enough to be his dad! His daughter was just a few years younger than Peter, for fuck's sake! "If it helps, I'm mostly reading them cause they're the best written. The Moon Knight stuff is just trash."

"Could we please stop talking about gay porn involving my boyfriend? Thanks." Gwen sighed.

"I dunno about you guys, but I'm having fun." Cindy smiled smarmily.

"Screw you, Cin! You sleeping with Thor was much better than this!" Lana shouted, her entire face red from both embarassment and anger, "Rrgh, whatever! Your turn, Spider-Gwen! Just tell us so we can complete the circlejerk!"

"Nice choice of words there." Gwen let go of Peter's hand and leaned forward, making a show of deep thought. Both Lana and Mary Jane tapped their feet impatiently, "Well, there was this one kid who was maybe 15. He gave me a rose and asked to me to marry him-"

"Fuck off with that shit. That was embarrassing for him, not you." Lana scoffed, "Come on, you have to be at least as embarrassed as me and Jane."

"Yeah, I gotta agree with exploder gal," Mary Jane added, "We aired out our dirty secrets, so you gotta do the same!"

"Alright, fine! But remember: none of it leaves this room!" She looked at each of them in turn and took a deep breath, "Now, most of you know that Webster has a preference for treats of the chocolate variety." Translation: she was a total pig, "So a couple of months ago I was chasing this dude calling himself Looter through a chocolate factory. Total coincidence, he just thought that the guy who owned it had Willy Wonka money."

"Oh, Willy Wonka's a dimensional constant but Harry Potter isn't? Wow." Cindy snorted.

"Anyway, we had a chase, as villains and heroes are wont to do, and during the middle of it I managed to knock Looter out and he managed to kick me into a vat of chocolate. Easy peasy, right? I just web myself up and pretend that didn't happen."

"...I'm getting a bad feeling about this story," Peter muttered next to her.

"Well, it turns out that said vat contained some new flavor that Webster really liked...and by really liked, I mean she fucking jumped out of me and started licking that stuff up like she was dying. So there I was, fucking naked with only a hairband, swimming in a vat of chocolate and screaming for Webster to come back for 5 minutes - and since the whole factory was evacuated and Looter was knocked out it was just me and her. I got chocolate in parts of me I didn't even know I had..."

"...Please tell me the owner got rid of that batch." Lana looked very much disgusted.

"You kidding me? Pretty sure Gwencent has fans who'd eat that up. Literally. Owner could make a killing selling chocolate 'Spider-Woman took a bath in'."

"Ugh, MJ, gross!" Gwen screamed.

"What? I'm just telling it like it is. You know how popular you are." MJ waved her right hand dismissively, "Seriously, I've seen people post vids of them kissing your posters. Not sure why they posted that, but it's up there."

"I'm more curious on why you were naked. Do you just not wear underwear anymore?" Cindy asked.

"I did, but Webster changes into- you know what, not the point! Point is I got an unwanted facial and I cut Webster off from chocolate for two weeks afterwards till she could control herself. Thank God Looter was still knocked out when I went to pick him up. Pretty sure I was dripping chocolate all the way back to the apartment..." She look a long shower after that and Webster still whined she was 'wasting' it.

...In hindsight, that should've made it obvious that something was up with her - Webster wouldn't have left her so open in public like that normally. Granted, how was she supposed to know her symbiote got pregnant?

"Well, I think we just found your weakness. We shall ensure it never falls into the wrong hands." Mary Jane stretched her arms above her head and grabbed another can of beer, "Alright, now it's just Tiger. Come on then, regale us with your embarrassing tales."

"Don't suppose I could just tell you about the time I got out of a Hand prison?" Gwen rolled her eyes. Why did he always bring that up? Did he think it'd actually help knowing he was in some fucked up S&M dungeon? "Right...um, I'm not good at this kind of thing. It just has to be embarrassing, right? Hmm...well, there was a time I had to kiss Wade Wilson so we wouldn't die."

Gwen spat out of her beer, which got a roar of laughter from MJ, while Lana suddenly looked very interested. Cindy raised a brow and crossed her arms as Gwen frantically wiped her mouth, "Hmm, I'll allow it. Continue."

"It was...half a year ago, I think? I was working with Wilson's group - the 'Mercs for Money' - cause we had a mutual goal. This businessman had ties to a human trafficking ring and was being bankrolled by the Hand. Wilson was hired to free the people he was selling and I thought it was a good enough goal. Offered my help free of charge and the only thing I asked was that he give me some time to talk with that worthless sack of garbage for information. He agreed."

"And...And how does this lead to you making out with this guy?" Gwen asked slowly.

"We didn't make out. Me and Wilson snuck into the back through the storage room while the rest of his team did clean up and one of the guards almost walked in on us. We could've fought our way out, but that would've made it harder to get to the guy. I was about to grab him and go invisible when the guy just pins me to the wall and...well, you know."

"Ah, trying to look like an innocent couple trying to get handsy in the back rooms." Cindy nodded, "Did it work?"

"Yeah, actually. Wilson's a pretty good actor when he puts his mind to it. He goes on and on about how we really didn't know and that he got a lot of drinking done and there were some tears in there too. Helps that he looks like a peeled avocado, so people usually feel bad for him. Guard told us to go back, Wilson knocked him out when his back was turned and we continued what we were doing."

"The makeout?" Mary Jane grinned wolfishly.

"No, the sneaking in." Peter gave her a flat look, "We freed the people he was gonna sell, found the guy, I got what I needed and Wilson put a bullet in his head. He gave me his business card after that, said that if I wanted it I could join his group. Wasn't exactly tempted." He gave Gwen a sideways glance and smiled. Her chest warmed and it had nothing to do with Webster.

"I think we're missing the important question: was there tongue?" Gwen did not like the way Lana asked that question.

"...Yes, there was." Warm feeling was gone, "In my defense, I made it clear that if Wilson ever did anything like that again I'd shove those katanas of his up his rear end. Healing fast doesn't mean it don't hurt."

"Sure, sure. We're all very certain your mercenary tryst will never be repeated," Cindy said, "Well, that's it. I know more about you guys than I did an hour ago...and I'm kinda wishing I didn't."

"Sorry we don't all get to sleep with Lightning Gods, Cin." Peter snarked.

Gwen was about to add something before her phone beeped. She fished it out of her pocket and grinned when she read the screen, "Oooh, new Jameson podcast." Everyone around her immediately groaned.

"You seriously listen that garbage?" Cindy asked.

"He's funny. Sometimes. Mostly when he's not accusing me of being a mass murderer." She-Hulk suggested they took him to court for libel and slander, but Gwen had held off on it. She was quite happy in the knowledge that he'd been forced to resign in disgrace and that the only people who listened to his podcast were either other close-minded bigots or people looking to see an old man's impotent rage.

That and she didn't want to bother with the court appearances. She had better things to do with her time.

"Hold on to your hats, folks, because I am about to tell you something you will not believe: I feel sorry for Spider-Man." All of them shared a look of disbelief sans Peter who looked just about done with the entire thing, "Yes, you heard that right folks, I feel pity for him. Now he's still a terrible person, don't get me wrong, but even terrible people have rights."

"Where's he going with this shit?" Lana asked.

"For you see, as terrible as he is, Spider-Man is also a victim. A victim of that menace known as Spider-Woman!"

"And there it is." Mary Jane rolled her eyes.

"Now I feel no pity for Peter Parker's actions. He turned himself into a monster and he got what he deserved." Gwen's grip on the beer can tightened. Maybe this was a bad idea, "However, that didn't give Spider-Woman the right to play judge, jury and executioner! If Peter Parker was to face his crimes it should've been under fair court and not at the hands of a vigilante!"

"Can we just turn this off? It's not fun," Cindy said. Gwen nodded and was about to do just that when Jameson continued on.

"But here's something a few of you are unaware of: Spider-Woman is a PERVERT!" Gwen spat out her beer for the second time that night and the phone fell to the floor. Peter rubbed her back as she coughed while Cindy handed her the tissues, "Now I don't know how some of you are unaware of it, but just look at the facts, people! She runs around town in that frankly bizarre outfit of hers and is encouraging easily influenced children and teenagers into following her example! Tell me, do you like the idea of your children running around in spandex? Cause I most certainly do not!"

"It is a pretty tight outfit," Mary Jane hummed. Gwen just glared at her.

"Not to mention that depraved relationship she has with her fellow vigilante! How old was Peter Parker when he was murdered? 15? 16? Whatever his age may be it certainly hasn't stopped Spider-Woman from swinging on in and robbing that cradle!" Peter looked distinctly uncomfortable and muttered something under his breath, "As terrible as Spider-Man is, even he doesn't deserve to be taken advantage of by this perverse older woman, who almost certainly lied about her age and is very likely old enough to be his mother!"

"I am not!" Gwen shouted through the tissues.

"Worried parents, I urge you: keep an eye on your children, because we can't be sure that this deviant jezebel won't swing into town looking for new victims once she gets tired of her current-"

Peter cut it off. An awkward silence settled over the group only to be broken by the sudden snicker that came from Lana, "Pfft...you know I could help you get a new costume if you want, grandma-" Gwen threw a pillow at her. Lana ducked the thrown projectile and stuck her tongue out, "Hey, it was just a suggestion, old lady! You should see how much of a good reception Jane's getting."

"Wait, really?" Mary Jane asked, both surprised and eager.

"Yep. Check out tweeter and blendr; people won't shut the fuck up about how awesome your costume is. Guess hoods are granny wear bow." Yes, Gwen did just give a teenage girl the middle finger. In her defense said teenager immediately gave her double middle fingers back, "Seriously though, that Jameson prick needs a boot up his ass. Fucking hate old bastards who think they know better just cause they've got saggier ballsacks than everyone else."

"Could we please tone down the cursing a bit?" Cindy huffed. Lana waved a hand at her casually, but it did the job. The awkward atmosphere was gone and it didn't take long for them to drift to another topic. Gwen smiled and leaned against Peter as Cindy started talking about her first day being assigned to the aptly dubbed Freak Beat. She really hoped they could do this for a while longer.


Matt awoke to a world on fire.

He sat up on the bed with a gasp and bit his tongue to keep from screaming. The cuts on his neck and chest burned and his right arm was pressed against his chest via a tight sling. He tried to move it experimentally and hissed. No, trying to heal that now wouldn't work. He'd need at least a few days rest to even try it. Ms. Stacy had made his life far more difficult than she likely even knew.

Oh well, it was within her rights. He deserved far worse.

He swung his bare feet over the edge of the bed and tried to stand. He managed to stay upright for only couple of seconds before the accumulated injuries forced him back down, "Haha..." His mouth parted into an open sneer. Pain. How long had it been since he'd felt it again? The first time he remembered was when he'd woken up in that Chaste compound all those months ago. His hands had been bound by chains and Stick had worked his magic.

He'd seen Stick's methods before, but to be on the other end of it was certainly an experience. He'd been cooperative, at least as best he could, but his memory was faded when he first awoke. Perhaps if they'd simply waited he would've recovered, but Stick didn't have time for that. The cuts and bruises, the taste of blood on his tongue. Stick knew how to make him hurt, and with pain came clarity. It was effective to be sure.

Stick and Karen, the stick (pun intended) and the carrot. Stick was there to probe his mind even if it killed him while Karen was there to nudge him to cooperation and ensure that he would never die no matter what the old man did.

Matt panted and pressed his back against the wall to the right of the bed. Bullseye clearly hadn't lost his penchant for brutality. He wondered briefly how Peter would've reacted if he knew. Despite his own admitted lack of inhibitions, Matt couldn't help but not want him to know. To know that the man who'd given up everything for him out of love, deranged and selfish as it may have been, had been turned into the monster Peter prevented him from being.

He truly was getting soft. Hopefully no one knew; he had a reputation to uphold.

The door at the other side of the room. His senses were still foggy, likely due to just coming up from the effects of drugs, but he recognized those soft footsteps and heartbeat anywhere, "Sister Maggie." He looked up and gave the nun a shark like smile. She had a tray in her hands with two cups filled with green tea. His favorite, "Come to check on your wayward lamb?"

"You shouldn't be awake." She sighed and set the tray by the bedside before pulling out a syringe from the nearby medical kit, "The painkillers must have worn off. Here, take these and-"

He grabbed her hand with his single free one and pried the syringe from her grasp, "You know how I feel about narcotics." Painkillers, tranquilizers- anything that muddled his senses he'd never take. He wouldn't even take novacaine for that dentist appointment he had a couple of months ago.

"The pain-"

"I'll handle it."

He tossed the syringe against the far wall hard enough to shatter it. Maggie sighed and sat on a nearby chair, "Always a stubborn one, you were." She picked up both cups and handed one to him. Matt took it and sniffed it warily, "Honestly? I wouldn't drug your drink. Don't you trust me?"

"Is that a trick question?" He took a small sip of the drink and hummed. It tasted heavenly, pun not intended.

"Why would it be?"

"Given our circumstances I would've thought the answer to that would be obvious." She and Helen Stacy both had survived the Beast's final death. He had no idea why, but he had a feeling that Karen had something to do with it either as another form of leverage or, far less likely, out of the goodness of her heart. The latter would've been far more probable if not for Ruth's presence.

Maggie sighed once more and set down her cup, "You do know I still care for you, right?"

"Oh? Last I checked I wasn't a blind little boy anymore." At first he'd resented her for blinding him, even if it had been an accident. She saved him from taking the brunt of the chemicals and yet had scarred him irreversibly all the same. Of course that had changed to hatred and resentment for his father later on. Maggie might have accidentally blinded him, but Jack had intentionally chosen to die out of pride.

"Matthew..."

"We can't go back to what we once were, Maggie. You can't be my mother, and I can't be your little boy." The only reason he trusted her to help him was because she was bound to Karen the same way he was, "You and Helen Stacy could bond over that, I think. Both mothers who lost the chance to see their children grow up. Except I imagine the former Mrs. Stacy is far more proud of what her child grew into than you are."

"It's not too late. God forgives-"

"God is merciful? God gives second chances?" He laughed bitterly, "No, not to me. My soul is damned, and you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way." Maggie flinched like he struck her. In some ways he did, "I'm many things, but I'm not a coward. When the time comes for me I'll hold my head up high and greet the inferno with a smile. We all deserve to die with some amount of grace, hm?" He finished off his tea and stood, "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Do you plan to leave?"

"Not in my current state, no." He was naked save his underwear and a pair of loose pants. Even in Hell's Kitchen he'd draw attention. He grabbed his cane and used it to help keep balance, "I'll be out of your hair tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

"I understand. Please take care, my boy."

"I can't make promises I won't keep, Margaret."

He opened the door to the main room and and leaned against the doorframe to balance himself. A fair distance away, the Black Sky raised her head slightly from her kneeling position. Not looking at him exactly, but enough to act if needed. Whether that act would be to help him or up slit his throat he still had no idea.

Matt limped (Bullseye was very thorough) past her and she followed. He got halfway through the length of the room before the pain became too much again and he was forced to sit on one of the pews. She just stood and watched him, "Why did you help us?" She didn't respond and her heartbeat didn't waver in any way. It was to be expected. The Black Sky were almost inhuman after their transformations. They were more walking weapons than people.

Which made this one's decision to betray them...odd.

"Are you under orders? Can't be from Murakami; spying and subterfuge is beneath him." No movement at all, "Perhaps it came from Gao or Bakuto? Sowande wouldn't have swayed you. He relies too much on mercenaries and vices for that."

She finally did respond to that...by tilting her head ever so slightly. If he were anyone else he would've shouted in frustration, but right then he just laughed softly, "Or perhaps you think Peter can free you as he did me?" He grabbed the edge of the pew and pulled himself up, "He was the spearhead to ending the Beast's reign. Perhaps you believe he can perform another miracle and give you back what you lost?"

They were close now, Matt towering over her with a smile. She looked up at him without a word. Even if he had proper sight her expression would've been hidden by that mask of hers. Without her costume she would've looked almost harmless, a little woman with the waifish figure of a dancer. But just like Ms. Stacy, her appearance belied the blood on her hands.

She stepped back and he struck with his cane. She didn't even bother unsheathing her sword and simply blocked the pathetic blow with the sheath. She let out a soft sigh and pushed him back. It wasn't strong by any means, but in his weakened state it was enough to make him fall back to the pew. She stared at him for a few more seconds before turning on her heel and walking out.

Matt didn't worry. She'd be around when they needed her.

"You make such odd friends, Peter." There was a sudden vibration from his pocket. An audio message from Karen; she was coming to visit. Sighing, he tapped one of the other apps and listened to that delusional old man Jameson's rambling. Even when he was possessed by the Beast he found the man insufferable - self-righteousness tended to do that to demons - and even after being freed he found the man an annoying blowhard in love with the sound of his own voice.

Still, he was useful for keeping track of news concerning the Spiders, biased as it may have been.

"You won't believe this folks, but these menaces have reached an all time low: burning down a hospital! Yes you heard that right! These criminals have finally shown their true colors and decided burning down the helpless who can't even defend themselves is their next sick kick! I have here with me a family who almost fell victim to these menaces! Speak!"

Matt furrowed his brows. A burning hospital? Odd, most criminals were motivated by profit. Burning the sick didn't follow that.

"Yes, Mr Jameson." A woman's voice, "Well, actually we should probably clarify. I got separated from my son in the confusion and he did nearly get hurt, but it wasn't because of Spider-Woman or the other heroes. In fact, she was the one who saved-"

"Ah, ah, ah! Ma'am, I understand this is a difficult time for you, but I do need you to remember clearly, because obviously you're confused. Spider-Woman was attacking your boy and-"

"You're wrong!"

"Oh, really?" Jameson's voice oozed condescension, "And who are you supposed to be?"

"M-My name's Jason, and I'm 7." Did Jameson not realize he'd been interrupted by a child or did he just not care? "There was a big bad guy there and he was going to grab me! Spider-Woman knocked him away and saved me! That's what happened!"

"Ma'am, you need to learn how to control your child because clearly he's also confused and misremembering things. I'm sure what really happened is that these two were working together and they had a disagreement over something completely unrelated. That it left you unharmed is just complete coincidence!"

"...Spider-Woman was right. You are a loser."

"What?! Listen here, young man-"

"Fuck you, grampa!"

He chuckled lowly and picked himself back up, turning the audio off as he did. It appeared Peter and Ms. Stacy were just fine. Turning back to where he came, he went once more to the back room. Maggie was gone, likely either on a walk or to buy more medicine he wouldn't take. He limped to the nearby dresser and picked up the bottle of painkillers. He was almost tempted to take at least a couple.

The bottle flew and impacted with a nearby mirror hard enough to shatter it. He'd rack up quite a bill at the rate he was going. He trudged towards the broken shards littering the ground and knelt down slowly. He never really understood the purpose of it. Only he and Peter had ever stayed in this room and both of them had been blind when they had done so. A mirror was pointless.

The cane dropped and he picked up a particularly large shard with his now-free hand. He gripped it tightly, mouth twitching as it cut through his palm. It hadn't worked before, but... "Always a chance." He took a deep breath and raised the tip of the glass to the right side of his neck, his hand shaking all the while. Even now a part of him feared the act itself, even if everything else welcomed it.

The glass had barely touched skin before the tattoo on his neck burned. Matt screamed and the glass fell against the wooden floor with a dull clatter. He couldn't reach out for it again. Matt fell on his side and curled in on himself, unable to do anything but bite his tongue to keep himself from screaming more. Even now he still couldn't discard his pride.

The clicking of heels brought him out of his pained haze. Matt growled and looked up at Karen's- no, Ruth's blurry form. It didn't matter if she wore Karen's face, she wasn't her, "I think you'll be happy to know that Ms. Hardy has officially agreed to shelve her vendetta for you." It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't discern whether she was mocking him or not. It was well within her right for her to want him to suffer, but if she did then she was never open about it.

"Oh?" he asked back mockingly.

"Yes. It was surprisingly simple. Now we only have to worry about Mr. Castle." Then no one else useful would come back seeking vengeance. Matt grit his teeth and she hummed, "You're upset about something."

"...Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why won't you just let me die?" His voice came out on slow, desperate rasp. It was pathetic, "I gave you everything! Information on the Hand, everything I knew...you have other pawns. You don't need me, so why..."

Karen...Ruth...whoever they really were. They knelt on the ground and put his head on their lap. A comforting gesture, but if comfort was what she intended then she'd failed, "You know why." Her voice was so soft, so reassuring. He wanted to trust it, but he couldn't. Her hand ruffled through his hair like a lover would and her next words felt more damning than anything else.

"Because she loves you."


Cindy woke up feeling better than she had in weeks, which was odd considering she had a monster of a hangover.

The senior Spider sat up with a yawn and was almost yanked back down by the grip on her left arm. Yawning again, she rubbed her eyes with her free hand and looked back only to smile at the sight that greeted her. The entire group - even Aracely, somehow - all bunched up together as they slept. Lana was the one holding on to her arm in a surprisingly tight grip while Aracely in turn hugged the teenager's back like she was a giant teddy bear.

Peter, Gwen and Mary Jane took up her right. The youngest spider (still kinda hard to believe given how he acted) was using Gwen's stomach as a pillow and she hugged him close by protectively. Mary Jane was the same, lying against Gwen's left shoulder with her legs tangled up against the blonde's. They actually looked peaceful, which was a sad rarity nowadays.

Prying herself from the pile, she grabbed for her (thankfully still charged) phone and took a quick picture. First because it was adorable, and second because it'd be good for embarrassment material later.

She grabbed some aspirin and water and Peter woke up just when it started to kick in, "Hey..." He waved off the offered meds, "I'm good. One good thing about this chi nonsense is that hangovers are easy to fix." Odd, considering chi was also the reason he could even get drunk in the first place. Another reason she didn't wanna deal with mystical BS, "Time is it?"

"Half hour past 6." They really should've have played that game of never have I ever. On the bright (blackmail) side she found out that Gwen did in fact experiment with tentacles on her free time. Apparently she 'understood the appeal, but wasn't really into it'. good news for Peter, "Hey, I'm gonna cook something for the snorlaxes over there. Could you help me out?"

"Sure. Just tell me where you want me."

15 minutes later and they were side by side cooking a big and hearty breakfast. She could already hear the others being roused by the smell of ham and eggs, "Pass me the seasoning." She gave the bottle to Peter and flipped the flapjacks through the air before catching them with a slight spin. No one ever said you couldn't make cooking fun. Peter smiled at her and she bowed, "Nice one."

"Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week."

"Ha..." He looked down at his own sizzling food and asked softly, "Hey...could I ask you something personal?"

"Shoot."

"Do you ever...you ever think about going back? To your own dimension, I mean." She almost dropped the flapjack, "I got the chance to see 'home' and make the choice, but you...I know the spooks offered and you said no."

"Because there's nothing left for me back there." Her smile was somber, "It's like I said before, Pete. My parents are gone, and I'm pretty sure my boyfriend's engaged with kids now." He always was a long term thinker. He wanted two kids, a boy and a girl, before they were 30. She'd agreed with him on the condition that they were stable enough for it, "But here...yeah, it's a pain in the ass, but my friends are here. You, my evil twin's family...it's a life. Not the best, but it's there."

"Well...I'm glad I'm not the only stranger here."

She smiled and bumped her shoulder against his. Guy was a dork sometimes, "...Hey, totally platonic question, but do you think I'm hot? Or someone you'd take home to mom and dad?"

"Uh...what?"

"Well, I just told you about my ex-boyfriend." She rolled her eyes, "You've heard all about my disastrous love life last night and I'm wondering if it's cause I'm doing something wrong. I mean, it can't always be the guy's fault. 1% of the time it has to be me."

"Never underestimate stupidity, Cin." Oh, she definitely didn't. She still remembered old wolfbeard, as she so 'affectionately' dubbed him. It didn't get much lower than a dude who had special snowflake syndrome as his superpower and thought that he turned into a werewolf at night because...something about his ancestry? She'd almost fallen for it - hey, the world they lived in it honestly wouldn't have been that shocking - if not for the fact that his 'mad rampage' included rolling around on a parking lot in his undies while screaming about how tortured he was.

Sad part? Wasn't even her worst date. That one went to when she tried going out with Korg.

"Yeah, I guess..." She flipped over the last flapjack and shut off the stove, "It's just that...after over a dozen failed dates in a row I'm starting to think something's wrong with me."

"You're aces in my book, Cin."

"Thanks, Pete."

Everyone was awake by the time they were setting the table. Gwen yawned and the baby snake thing jutted out of shoulder, mimicking her. Gwen rubbed its head and it crooned. She had to admit, that was cute, "Morning, sleepyheads," Cindy greeted.

Everyone greeted her back with varying degrees of enthusiasm and they sat around her oddly spacious table, "So, what were you two talking about?" Gwen asked tiredly. Mary Jane and Lana still looked half asleep while Aracely kept hugging Lana without even paying attention to the food.

"Oh, I asked Peter if he thought I looked hot."

Gwen didn't say anything for a few seconds before suddenly looking her up and down, "I'd say so. I mean, you're pushing 30 and still look like you should be getting ID'd. Lotta guys are into that." Cindy refrained from mentioning she definitely still was getting ID'd whenever she bought beer, "You can be pretty strict, though. Kinda turns people off."

"I'm not strict. Everyone around me is just dumb."

"I agree with Gwencent." Mary Jane said sleepily, "Definite 9/10 at the least. I'd take you out if you want."

"...How many times do I have to tell people I'm straight before it finally sticks?"

"Wait, you're straight?" Lana asked, "Cause I coulda sworn I saw some grindr posts about you being a gay icon. Might wanna fix that."

Cindy covered her face with both hands and groaned. She wasn't really active in the social media scene like Gwen, She-Hulk and the rest were. She had accounts, but the last time she'd made posts were months ago. She just didn't see the point, though maybe that was the old woman in her talking. She also didn't see the point of carrying those Upads everywhere when a pen and some paper would work.

Across from her, Gwen's phone suddenly beeped and she tapped it without even looking at the screen. J. Jonah Jameson's voice suddenly filled the air.

"The internet's rife with discussions after a picture of Spider-Man and Spinerette working together surfaced, and apparently there are hordes of young people cheering them on!" Gwen dropped her spoon in shock, "They're called 'shippers'. No, that has nothing with boats, it's short for 'relationship'. As in, they really want Spider-Man and Spinerette to be together...romantically...or they really don't."

"Ha!" Mary Jane laughed.

"And on the other side you have people who think he 'belongs' to that menace Spider-Woman. And these 'sides' have quite intense arguments over it. 'Shipping wars', I believe is the term. You know in my day, we didn't have time for 'shipping' or 'shipping wars'. You know why? CAUSE WE HAD JOBS!"

"I actually agree with the guy." Cindy groaned.

"So here's J. Jonah Jameson's public service announcement for our youth: you're into shipping? JOIN THE NAVY!"

Silence again. Gwen cut the podcast off and clicked a link that popped up. The picture in question was from the fight last night when she and Peter had been back to back before they agreed to switch baddies. The uploader's name was GPool, "...It is a pretty good picture. Very shippy." Cindy glared at Mary Jane while Gwen looked between Cindy and Peter warily.

"...Why did you ask Peter if he thought you were hot?" Gwen asked through narrowed eyes.

"Seriously?" Cindy asked back incredulously. Lana snorted into her plate, "Calm your rolls, Gwen. Trust me, Pete's not my type. Unlike certain other Spiders at the table, I don't go after teenagers."

"...Screw you." Gwen actually looked like she was going to laugh, but she held it in at the last second. Least she was smiling about it now.

"I think we've established that I'm not into tacos, but thanks." The younger Spider gave her the middle finger.

"I mean I'm not really surprised. You two are a pretty popular couple." Mary Jane said lightly, "The way Cindy talks about you in interviews it's clear you're friends and a lot of people really want Gwen to be a free agent, so pairing you two off is the easiest bet." Everyone just looked at her and she shrugged, "Hey, Gayle ships you two. It's cause she wants Gwencent, but still."

"Yeah, she won't shut up about it," Lana added.

"So what's everyone's plans for today?" Cindy asked, mostly so they'd stop talking about her and Peter together. Gross. He was like...her little brother or something. He was actually younger than the Albert of this dimension.

"Back to school," Lana said. Aracely had finally let go of her and started devouring her food, "Aracely's staying here, right?"

"For a few days, at least." They'd need to find another place for her before Daisy came for her next check-in. She definitely didn't want to explain the psychic, flying teenage girl. Maybe she could stash her at Shadowcat's place?

"I gotta go check on Matt, make sure he didn't bleed out," Peter muttered. Gwen and Lana frowned the second they heard the former Kingpin's name, "After that I'll probably meet up with Blade. Rather nip this Vampire thing in the bud before it gets worse." Vampires? How weird. Whatever happened to just dealing with mutates and aliens?

"I'll go back home to check on Helena then me and Webster'll drop in with Wasp to figure out what's up with our baby," Gwen said.

"...Wait, you're pregnant?" Lana gave Gwen a raised brow.

"Technically Webster is, but she says it both of ours. Long story."

"Guess I'll go check on my dad too and see if I got the modeling gig," Mary Jane said last.

"I didn't know you were seeing your dad again," Gwen said idly.

"It's...pretty new." She smiled slightly. It was obviously forced, "We have each other's numbers anyway, so if anything comes up we'll call."

"Right." Cindy smiled. Hopefully this'd make things easier.


So the protags are having a fun slumber party while Matt's...not feeling so good, Ms. Page. Again I found his segment to be a real treat since I've never written a reformed villain who was the bad guy in the last story. Again I find myself wondering if the audience sympathizes with him or thinks everything he's going through it just karma for all the shit he pulled.

Questions:

1. Quick one before we write Cindy's next segment. Since I added the Cindy and Laura relationship, do you guys think I should swap out Black Cat for Shadowcat as Cindy's partner? Trading cats, essentially. If we do so then I'll also shift Black Cat to MJ, though this means losing the burgeoning odd friendship buddy cop routine Cindy and Felicia would have had.

2. So...now that we've seen damaged Matt and his really unhealthy relationship with Karen, are people still for a Matt/MJ pairing or is he too damaged goods even for her?

3. What do you guys think of Mary Jane's relationship with Carnage? Okay? Boring? Anything that can be improved?

Review Answers:

Roxasdualwielder - Male, based on the MCU version. Also, Cindy's straight, so fem Thor wouldn't make sense with her brag.

Brave2000 - Bullseye's like the secret spice. You don't use him too much or he ruins the dish.

Noisy-Cricket - Gabriel and Eugene were there because they were with Aracely and Cindy let them rest before telling them to leave. As for Aracely, it's clear her powers are evolving - in Secret Warriors she can use fireballs. Her using mind control is a failsafe. Also makes sense - in canon she is the reincarnation of an Aztec war god. She's extremely powerful, she just can't control it.

Guest - Maybe, but I'm not much an X-Men fan and the sentinels being government sponsored killbots bugs me.

NeverendingZero - People really want Laura to be the host. That and it has to be someone Gwen feasibly interacts with, so less so Flash and DEFINITELY not Carl King.

Titan616 - Votes are up above. Guess we'll see if we stick with it or some other votes tip the favor.

Cha0s4ever - I based Tombstone on his mob enforcer comics counterpart, though I did like the PS4 version as well. Nero's also unlikely to get a Devil Trigger. Lady and DMC 5 Nero (till the end) did just fine without one, after all. And I gave you what you want - confessions scene and 3 Just the Facts segments. Enjoy.

And yes, he showered with Gwen (though maybe not Venom). Cindy wanted to save water.