Gonna watch Endgame with family again tomorrow so I thought I'd update this. Due to the votes I'll focus on Peter and Gwen first followed by Lana then Cindy and finally Mary Jane.
Another new thing I'm trying after replaying the PS4 Spidey game and reading the fanfic 'Right around 3 am' is adding twitter posts between the line breaks. It should allow me to show how the citizens react to the events that take place in the story and allow for some more controlled cringe comedy. Tell me if you guys think I should continue with it or remove the entire thing.
Side Note - I'm considering writing a Spider-Gwen and MCU Daredevil romance oneshot just for irony points. We'll see :)
ProducerJared: Spider-Woman and a group of criminals attempted to burn down a hospital and nearly killed an innocent child. Tune in to JustTheFacts to hear JJJAtHome's exclusive take on this tragedy.
Reply from InfinityMobius: JJJAtHome spouting BS again. Was at the hospital. Spider-Woman saved me from the guy actually trying to burn it down.
Reply from StuManGroup: Yep. Brother's a cop on the scene. They arrested the actual culprits and none of them are from Spider-Woman's group. More fear mongering.
Reply from MorganManfree: Anyone see the new hero with the group? The one in red with the long hair?
Reply from FreedomWillSetYouTrue: She's calling herself Scarlet Spider. She just made a tweeter account a couple of hours ago: ScarletSpider
Reply from MorganManfree: ...I think I'm in love.
Reply from FreedomWillSetYouTrue: Dude, pretty sure she cut one guy's legs off.
Reply from MorganManFree: I don't see the downside.
Sometimes Peter looked back and thought on how odd his life had become.
Not that he'd ever had a normal life to begin with. Waking up in that alley and finding out his entire life as he knew it wasn't real was...unpleasant. Still, even then he'd stuck to fighting what he knew. Mob bosses with overinflated egos (Hammerhead was still in the slammer despite his promises of revenge) and psychopaths like Frost or Jack. Violent, insane and murderous to be sure, but human all the same. Familiar.
Now he was killing Vampire cheerleaders and he couldn't help but think this was a step too far.
Peter ducked under the lunging brunette and grabbed her leg before slamming her to the ground. The entire group of schoolgirls were turned to the last woman. He almost felt guilty until he overheard them bragging to each other about some of the things they'd done. Blade made it clear that Vampirism wasn't mind control -at least not in most cases, and those exceptions weren't much better considering the person died and a parasite ran around their body like it was a meatsack.
It gave you the hunger, yes, but many other Vampires had chosen death or alternative means to stave off hurting others - blood packs, chewing on rats; he knew at least one Vampire doctor who hadn't killed any of his patients in decades. These ones just reveled in it like junkies on a high and their friends and family into personal slaves, running the school like it was their own personal kingdom.
Now they were facing the consequences.
He stabbed her in the back of the neck with the hellfire knife before shooting her right in the brainpan. Brutal, but quick and mostly painless, "Suki!" A tan girl screamed. Peter dodged her attempts to cut his neck open and sliced open her back. She stumbled onto her hands and knees and Peter followed with another shot, this one going through her eyes. She mumbled something unintelligible and crumpled next to her counterpart.
Behind him, Blade sliced through two more of the coven (Blade's words, not his). Peter dodged to avoid a lunge that came from his side and shot the redhead - one of them called her Heather - through where her heart should have been. She continued to lunge at him and managed to slam him to the ground before a fleeting touch near his neck burned her hand and sent her scrambling back.
Peter's hand raised and he smiled when he felt the weight of Martin's rosary. Even now he was looking out for him. The redhead continued to hiss in pain, her face warped and mangled with gray and leathery skin, until Blade stabbed her through the forehead without any fanfare, "Only the leader left," the Damphir muttered.
He didn't like hanging out with Blade much. He had no problems with the guy personally, on the contrary he really appreciated his professionalism, but something about the part-Vampire bothered Peter. Maybe it was the leather trenchcoat or maybe it was the magical katana. All seemed so over the top. Like he was trying as hard as he could to be one of those tough guys in the old movies Cin loved.
Peter lowered the hood of his leather jacket and put away the hellfire knife, "You go ahead." He took out a cigarette and lit it with a quick flick while Blade stalked towards the crawling blonde on the gym floor. Heather was her name, and apparently she'd been repeating high school for the past 100 years. He had no idea why; who'd want a repeat of this?
Blade stabbed her right in the heart and she screamed like a dying banshee. Peter turned away slightly and sucked harder on the cigarette when her skin turned as gray and rancid as the rest of her group. He hated Vampires. Worse than demons, all of them.
And suddenly, like the clicking of a camera, the people around them unfroze. Many screamed, though it wasn't for the coven (God that word sounded odd). In recent days they'd gone from subtle manipulation and puppetry to full on mind control. It was the main reason Blade had even be able to track them - if they just kept their head down he would've missed it entirely because, honestly, Vampire cheerleaders? Sounded off.
The principal, a portly, middle aged man that reminded him somewhat of Ben, immediately shook his hand, "Th-Thank you...! Both of you!" Blade waved off the thanks while Peter shook the hand awkwardly. Still wasn't used to this whole being thanked thing, but it'd been happening more recently. Killing people who weren't human tended to get a lot less judgement.
"It's fine..." He eyed the rest of the crowd, "You gonna be okay?"
"Y-Yes, now we will be."
Blade left the bodies intact; easier to explain that way. The principal thanked them again and Peter got back to Blade, "So...we done here?" Hopefully someone got rid of them before the stench hit.
"Yeah." Blade nodded, reticent as always, "I owe you."
"Whatever you say."
They opened the door to the street outside and they were immediately surrounded by a mix of curious high school students, teachers and, of course, police. He still didn't like the cops, and they didn't much like him, but so far they gave each other a wide berth. Most of em didn't cry for the kinds of scumbags he targeted and it didn't take them long to realize that there was a severe lack of vigilantes who could tackle Vampires and Demons and whatever else this madhouse pulled out of its hat.
So there was an unspoken agreement: he didn't step on their toes too much and they didn't haul him off to the bighouse like the scum he was. In exchange he dealt with whatever pile of insanity that they couldn't. Worked out so far.
The officer at the front looked past them and grimaced at the gray, rotting husks of the 'schoolgirls' behind them, "Ugh, I fucking hate this shit." Peter sympathized. He felt the same way, "Don't suppose one of you's gonna stay behind for a comment?"
Peter and Blade looked at one another and, right before the stoic Vampire hunter could walk away, Peter suddenly said, "You did say you owed me a favor." His eyes might've narrowed. Peter couldn't be sure; always covered in shades, "Go ahead. I gotta meet with Daimon and Ketch anyway. Consider the favor paid."
He left with a cheeky wave and pushed through the crowd, ignoring their questions and comments; a lot of which had nothing to do with the Vampires they'd just culled. Mostly it was requests for private interviews for such and such newspaper, asking about the rumors that had spread (no, he was pretty sure he wasn't secretly a Skrull) and a few choice comments about his relationship with Gwen.
He made sure to disappear as he turned the corner to make sure he couldn't be followed. Last thing he wanted was a crowd.
Peter made sure he was alone before shucking off his mask and replacing the jacket with a different one. He doubted anyone would recognize him at a glance a year later, but it was better safe than sorry. He pulled up the white cloth hood and put on a pair of (unneeded) glasses. Cindy had insisted on it and claimed that 'it was the perfect disguise' and that it was 'Clark Kent guaranteed'. He had no idea who Kent was, but apparently it had his guarantee.
He called Diamon's phone, "Hey, you ready?"
"Me and Daniel are already together at the rendezvous point."
"Alright, I'll meet you there."
He got on the bike (another loan from Moon Knight) and followed the GPS location. The almost mindless drive made him think back again. It was only a little over a year ago when he claimed (not untruthfully) that he hated partners and teammates. Too much baggage, too many ways it could end with them shooting him in the back, intentionally or otherwise. He just didn't see the point.
And now he couldn't go more than an hour or two before his phone was buzzing in his ear. Maybe another job offer from Wade (who refused to get that No Pants Friday wasn't a tempting offer) or a message from Gwen and Lana because they were bored. It was...odd. Not unpleasant, but still odd. Now if only he could stop Wilson from sending him those annoying selfies of his...
He parked the bike short distance away from the location and changed back to his outfit, stuffing the spare jacket into the bike's compartment. Technically speaking there was no point to it after the incident with Jack, but being back in New York brought out old habits along with the vain hope that the new stubble and hair would stop people from recognizing him.
The rendezvous point ended up being a small diner. Peter walked in mask and all and sat at the corner booth across from Daimon and Ketch, "Couldn't pick some place more private, Daimon?" Many of the other patrons were outright gaping and taking pictures, though a blessed few paid him no mind. Apparently they'd gotten used to insanity.
"We have other business to discuss." Daimon waited for him to finish ordering some pancakes and bacon before continuing, "Are you aware that there's a bounty on your head?"
"Which one?" The Hand still had a standing bounty left over from when he arrived in Japan, though it'd diminished heavily in price once Alexandria was out of the picture. He was sure there were a few other mob families that wanted his head, though. La Cosa Nostra held a grudge for a long time.
"Unknown. The client prefers to remain anonymous." He smirked and waved his cane around, "You don't seem worried."
"You do realize we're about to fight a den of demons, right?"
"Hmm, point." Daimon laughed softly, "Still, I worry even if you don't. The price was...substantial."
"30 million dollars," Ketch said. Peter whistled softly. He was almost flattered someone thought he was worth that much, though he was pretty sure Gwen and Lana wouldn't have agreed,. Yet another reason for him not to get an apartment under his own name, "Karen has been looking into it. She doesn't want you dead, at least not yet."
"How touching." He unbuckled the lower half of his mask and smiled at the waitress as shes set the food down. She actually gave him a friendly smile back, "Is that the reason why we're meeting at a public place?"
"Yes, I've heard the Silver Samurai's coming for you. Are you aware of him?"
"Only rumors. A guy dressed like a chromed up ronin's gonna get attention from anyone." Peter drank the black coffee and sighed in relief, "One of the best assassins in the world, according to the rumors?"
"Yes. Part of the new breed of hired killers." Yeah, it was an odd phenomenon. A few years ago a suit, a balaclava and a sniper rifle was the sign of a good assassin. Now you needed a rainbow colored costume and some piece of gear someone else couldn't just buy off the store. Didn't matter if it was gauntlets shooting electricity or a piece of rope less practical than a garrote.
In this case, Silver Samurai lived up to his name. Shiny silver armor and a sword he'd guzzied up so much that it could 'cut through anything'.
"Daimon wants to lure him out. Thinks that showing up in a public place for a bit is the right draw," Ketch said.
"What about the people here? I don't want them hurt."
"I wouldn't worry. I've placed enough protection around the diner. This place is more secure than Stark Tower." He chucked and leaned back on his seat, "That and it'll give us the chance to catch up. I've missed you, old friend."
"Yeah, you too." Peter smiled. He didn't think he'd end up making friends with the Son of Satan, but this was where he ended up, "I know I asked before, but are you sure you'll be alright. That cane's making me worry." He still remembered when he first met Daimon. Neatly pressed hair and a muscled physique hidden behind a six figure suit. Peter was sure he'd hate him.
"With you and Daniel by my side, I'm certain I'll be fine."
"Us being there didn't stop you from having to give up almost everything," Ketch muttered. Peter could tell he was guilty. Guy has a bit of a complex about being the weaker Rider in comparison to that Blaze guy.
"Well, we're not stopping the apocalypse this time. Lilith's coven-" again with that word, "-should prove easier to dispatch. After we deal with Peter's stalker issue, of course."
Peter was about to comment on his choice of words when he felt a tap on his shoulder. For a second he thought that the assassin had come earlier than he thought, then he turned to look and immediately disregarded that thought. Last he checked he'd never seen any 16 year old world class assassins. He'd seen a monkey, but not any teenagers.
There were three of them. A boy who looked 16, a girl who was a year or two younger and another boy who was probably 9 at the oldest. Kids, really. He wasn't the best with them.
"Something you needed?" he asked somewhat awkwardly.
"We were just wondering if we could a picture with you," the boy said shyly, "We're uh, we're all big fans."
"Uh...fans?" He knew the coppers turned a blind eye, but fans? Especially after he left for a year? He would've thought Gwen's pleas would've faded from memory by now.
"Yeah! You're Spider-Man! You beat that big demon thing in Times Square!" The little boy piped up. He still had no idea what S.H.I.E.L.D did with the body. A part of him expected to find it being experimented on in some lab underneath the city.
"Could we get an autograph too? I wanna show my friends!" The girl added last.
"Um..." He looked to Daimon and Ketch, who were of course no help. The former just leaned back in his seat and smirked at him while the latter focused on his heart attack sandwich and pretended nothing was happening, "Ah...okay, sure." He tried his best to smile. This was wrong. He didn't care if Gwen or Cindy had their fans, but him? If there was one thing he agreed with Jameson on it was that he wasn't someone anyone should look up to. He was a killer and a vigilante, not a Superhero like Gwen and the others.
He wrote down his 'autograph' on the offered piece of paper stiffly and made a limp pose when they crowded around him for a selfie. They all waved goodbye cheerily and as soon as they were far enough Peter looked away with red on his cheeks. That was...embarassing. He could only hope Gwen, Cindy, Lana and Mary didn't see it. He didn't need that right now.
Daimon chuckled, "Are you honestly surprised? Beating a demon does come with its perks."
"Shut it, Dami." He swallowed and tried to will away his (not) blush.
"Could always take Mephisto's deal. People tend to stay away from the flaming skulls."
"Not helping, Ketch."
They stayed and talk (and ate, cause Gwen had been really insistent he start eating normally) for half an hour more before Daimon agreed it was time to leave. The three of them made their way to the agreed on location. People took pictures, along with a really annoying guy running next to them with a selfie stick, but apart from that no one actually bothered to follow.
"Here." Daimon gestured to the entrance leading to a subway. It was covered in police tape, which Daimon immediately cut with the sharp end of his cain without a care, "Fake. Police tape makes it easier to draw people away."
"How are you so sure?"
"Because I saw them set it up earlier."
They made their way down. Peter made sure to keep an eye on Daimon as they descended. He said he could handle himself, but the way he looked now reminded Peter of his own condition after he...lost Bullseye. Hard to believe the man who'd once overpowered him in a grapple now needed a cane to walk.
"Get ready, Peter," Daimon said as they were on the bottom. The entire subway was abandoned, "We're about to have guests."
It wasn't what he expected. His spider-sense rang just before he heard an impact from above. Peter flipped to the side right before a figure clad in silver burst through the roof down towards him, "Silver Samurai, hm?" Why did he always get the freaks? He doubted his brother had to deal with this. Just regular, genocidal megalomaniacs with god complexes.
Daimon tapped his cane against the ground and smirked, "Pin him to the wall."
A black, shadowy thing leaked out of Daimon's body and, before the world's most out of place assassin could do anything, it lunged towards him. The chromed up ronin screamed a curse in Japanese and tried to slash through it. The blade cut through the amorphous blob (looking closer, it actually resembled a facsimile of a panther) almost harmlessly and impaled him against the wall with multiple jutting spikes.
Peter almost felt sorry for the guy when the silver was stained red. Just another thing he had to accept - sometimes the world's best assassins paled in comparison to the insanity of the supernatural.
"What do we do with him?" Daimon asked, still smirking.
"Let's leave him for the cops. Doubt they care about him trying to off me, but this guy's been on the international watch list for about a decade now." He'd killed at least one president, last he checked, "But first..."
Peter walked towards him and Daimon summoned the shadow back. Long John Silver almost fell to the ground in a heap before Peter grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall, "Alright, tough guy. Who hired you?" He glared down at him and spat a bloody wad of saliva on his mask. Peter sighed, "Fine, let's do this the hard way."
Peter unsheathed the Hellfire and stabbed it into his gut.
The bastard screamed and Peter twisted it around quickly before pulling the knife out, "That's the same kind of magic my friend's got. That wound? It's never gonna heal." Peter leaned in close to whisper, "That pain you're feeling now? It'll last for days. I know you think you're untouchable because you've killed a few innocent families, but you really wanna take this?"
The guy tried to bite his tongue, but eventually he caved. Everyone did; Hellfire was a bitch, "Roxxon...Roxxon corporation," he muttered, voice thick with accent. Peter's eyes narrowed. Roxxon? Well, he'd worked with Domino's group to expose some of their human experimentation operations during his time in Houston. Made sense, but why now? That was months ago.
Peter made sure the stab would heal before punching him in the face and webbing him to the wall. Cops could handle him, "...They heard his screaming." Ketch unfurled the chain from his wrist before his skull was engulfed in fire. Daimon smirked and summoned more of the shadows while Peter held the knife and a gun, one in each hand.
"Just like old times."
They came down both tunnels in a swarm. Pale, gangly things with sharp nails and even sharper teeth. Lilith's 'children', the spawn of the mother of all demons. He really didn't want the image of her pregnant in his head.
"I'll handle the left. You two deal with the right."
Ketch split the chains and shot them forward in a superheated barrage. The demons in front the swarm were perforated clear through with their buddies behind them following suit. Those in the back stepped over the corpses of the fallen to charge at the flaming skull.
"Ready?" Peter asked.
"As I'll ever be." Daimon chuckled.
Peter slashed the first one that lunged at him and shot at two more. Daimon kept his distance and summoned both the panther and what looked like a serpent, which immediately rushed to help him, "That's new." He jumped over the swipe of another and tossed a fire grenade into one of the larger clusters. Ironically enough, Lillith's spawn hated fire. Something about her being tied to the Vampires Blade loved to hunt.
One of them slipped past him to Daimon and Pete cursed. The frail look man just grinned before another creature, this time in a shape he couldn't even recognize, suddenly impaled it through the chest with a wide blade, "Back to hell." He smashed its face in with his cane and and turned to Peter, "Don't worry about me. Focus on your own."
"Point taken."
Peter tossed another grenade at a cluster and picked his shots while Ketch erected a barrier of hellfire over the tunnel entrance. Daimon snapped his fingers and summoned what looked like a bird, "Go fetch." Peter swore he heard the thing cackle before it charged towards two more of lilith's spawn and pierced through them like a bullet.
They didn't die.
"Apologies, Peter, but you'll have to do the killing for me. Part of the loopholes, you see." Daimon smiled.
Peter didn't bother asking and just stabbed the prone demons before they could get back up. They'd have time for explanations later, "Behind you." He pointed past Daimon to the spawn trying to slash at his back. The half-demon disappeared briefly before suddenly reappearing behind said demon and stabbed the cane through its chest.
"Return to the underworld." He kicked it towards Peter. He grabbed it, slammed it against the ground and stabbed till it faded into dust. One good thing about Lilith's children: no bodies left behind. Made clean-up really convenient.
Ketch burned one of the last remaining demons and grunted, "Blackout's coming." Peter shared a look with Daimon and he tightened his grip on the knife ever so slightly. He'd heard horror stories about the guy. There was nothing he wouldn't hurt if it meant harming you. Peter wasn't scared; Jack wasn't much different and this time they were ready.
The area was suddenly covered in darkness wit only Ketch's blue fire to serve as light. He heard a chuckling around him, "More flesh for the feast, Daniel?" The voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Reminded him of Mary's tagalong, "You were foolish to come here below. This where I am strongest."
"Hiding in the tunnels like a rat," Peter called out, "Big talk coming from the guy who sent his mommy's kids to do the fighting for him." Blackout was a lot of things, but more than anything he was an egotistical child. He couldn't take the idea of his ego being bruised, that's why he went after the innocent and the helpless. He was scared of fighting.
Time to push his buttons.
"I heard about you, you know? How you begged and cried whenever you were on the other end of the knife. What's this show all about, huh? Think we're like those kids whose beds you hide under? We ain't scared of the dark, 'Blackout', so just go on and run back to mommy. It's the only thing you're good for."
"...I will feast on you slow, Spider."
Behind him. Peter jumped back over him and slashed is back right before he disappeared into the darkness again, "Daimon, Ketch, you see him?"
"Afraid not."
"No."
"Great..." He could see in the dark, but that wasn't much useful here. Blackout disappeared into the Shadows the same way he himself did. Sight wouldn't work. Time to use his ears, "The fire stings, doesn't it?" He yelled, "Why don't you go find a pair of 5 year olds to scare? Oh wait, nevermind. That's a bit too much for you. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."
The footsteps and raspy breaths came closer.
"You know what? You're not even worth it. I dunno why Ketch bothered with you for so many years. If he wanted to waste his time there were other rats he could've stomped on."
To the right. Peter turned just as Blackout materialized in the darkness and webbed his face, "Now!" He slashed his chest and webbed his legs before Ketch wrapped the burning chain around his arms. Blackout screamed and fell on his knees, though it was muffled by the web on his face. Good thing he didn't need to breath; that way Peter didn't feel guilty clogging his throat.
"Taunting. An odd tactic. Did you pick that up from Spider-Woman?" Daimon smiled at him before kneeling down in front of the helpless lilin, "Hmm, we'll have to interrogate him to find any information. It would take days, at least. Why don't you leave it up to me and Daniel?"
"You sure?"
Ketch went back to normal and cracked his knuckles, "We're sure."
He said his goodbyes to them and sat down on the bench. He'd just helped capture a thousands years old demonspawn with the maturity of a 10 year old...what the hell was he doing with his life? He opened his phone and looked at the messages. One from Gwen saying she was over at Wasp's, another from Lana griping about how boring school was and a final one from Cindy asking his help with the Maggia crime families.
That last one drew his attention. He couldn't work with the cops openly, but it might've been nice - if that was the right word to use - to go back to human crime for a while. It was what he was best at.
He was about to stand before he a slow, mocking clap. He turned to the source with his gun raised and almost dropped it at the sight of the all too familiar figure, "Hey, kid. You look happy to see me." Bullseye leaned against the pillar and smirked down at him.
"How...?" Was this another dream? Or a delusion of some kind?"
"You seriously asking that? You've been back twice now. I'm actually behind ya." He stopped leaning against the pillar and walked close to him, "Let's just say a special someone plucked me out of the fiery pits and-"
Peter hugged him. It was odd. He was hardly the most affectionate person, especially not towards Bullseye, but seeing him again after the way they parted...he couldn't stop himself, "I'm sorry. I'm not gonna let you die again. I promise."
"Heh...I'm happy to see you too, kid."
He didn't hear the blare of his spider-sense till the knife was inches through his gut and the blood started pouring out, "Bullseye...?" He looked up at him in shock. Bullseye just smiled and drive the knife in deeper.
SpiderCat4Eva: -embedded image- I just met Spider-Man at a diner! Me and my brothers took a picture!
Reply from No1StrikerFan - So Spider-Man just happens to walk into a diner and you take a picture with him? Bullshit.
Reply from No1BombshellFan - It's legit, buncha people are posting it. Guess he really likes Mick's Diner? #superheroesareweird
Reply from thisisaname - How's he walking around after he killed a bunch of schoolgirls? It's disgusting.
Reply from No1BombshellFan - Dude, those schoolgirls were Vampires who mind controlled their entire school. Look it up.
Reply from thisisaname - Vampire schoolgirls? You believe that?
Reply from No1BombshellFan - Right, it's not like we dealt with weirder shit like an alien invasion- oh right #aliensarereal #andsoarevampires
Reply from ITSME: Who's the goth guy and the biker?
Reply from YOOOOO: Dunno, but goth guy's a real cutie! Think Spidey'd set me up?
"She's here, she's here!"
Gwen was barely out of the elevator before Hope practically tackled her back in, "Oof, Hope! It's good to see you too!" She hugged the shorter van Dyne with a laugh while behind her Kate held Helena protectively, "Be careful, though. We brought Helena with us."
Hope squealed and immediately started grabbing and cooing at the (thankfully freshly rested) infant. It was Gwen's idea to bring her along. Dad and Jess were out on a case/hospital visit and she didn't want the archer to get stir crazy alone in the house, "Oooh, she's so cute!" Hope started poking her cheeks. Helena held on to the pointer finger of her other hand, "And tiny!"
"That's what babies are like, kiddo." Kate stopped kneeling and started rocking Helena again. Kate had been surprisingly good with kids, which she'd attributed to 'having to take care of an adult sized one' for a couple of years. That and being named the official Godmother (Godfather still pending, though she had her own preference) probably sparked the protective instincts. Jess was really good too despite her claims to the contrary.
"Could I hold her? Please?" Hope looked up with a full on pout and puppy dog eyes.
"Later. We gotta go visit your mom first."
"About your baby, right? I overheard mommy talking about it."
"Yeah. Who would've thunk it, our innocent little Gwen getting a baby. When's the wedding?" Kate grinned.
Gwen rolled her eyes and almost gave her the middle finger before remembering that Hope was nearby, "Not that kind of baby and you know it." Webster had been fussing all morning about their new Webster Junior (name still pending). She'd taken to motherhood really quick, "Anyway, I'm hoping Wasp knows something about this. She's kinda the expert."
"I'm sure mommy can help you!" Hope piped up.
She met up with Wasp and, after exchanging pleasantries and leaving Kate, Helena and Hope in the other room, she stripped out of (read: told Webster to get rid of) her clothes so sh could change into the patient gown, "Stylish. Really love the minimalist look." She stepped into the containment module and stood stock still as Wasp did a deep tissue scan. The wonders of modern technology.
It took just five minutes and soon enough she was sitting on a gurney while Wasp took some blood samples, "I must admit when you called me screaming that you were pregnant this is hardly what I expected."
"I was not screaming..."
"Oh, I recorded it." Gwen's eyes widened as the older woman smirked and tapped her phone, "Janet! Jan, Jan, Jan! Holy shit, I'm fucking pregnant! Webster is pregnant! We're pregnant! I need help oh god help me help help me help-"
"Okay, okay! So I might have panicked a bit!" Just a tad. It wasn't every day your radioactive symbiote partner told you that you were pregnant! "And hey, blame Webster! She was the one who got knocked up!"
Webster jutted out of her shoulder and 'glared' at her, "I've said before that's not how it works."
"And yet you look guilty every time. Are you hiding something from me, little lady!"
"I am not!"
"Please stop arguing. It's bad for the baby." Wasp smirked. This time they both glared at her, 'Sorry, bad joke. Going back on topic, your symbiote is correct." She pulled down a screen and gestured to the scan results, "This baby is the result of what can best be equated to mitosis. Webster has split apart slowly but surely and this new offspring is the end result. There was no sexual reproduction."
"Wait, so do we know how it happened?"
"I can't be sure. Even now the inner workings of these symbiotes are an enigma, especially since there's only been two successful bonds." Three, but she didn't want to bring up Kasady at all, "It's quite possible that this is simply a normal part of a symbiote's development and lifespan. Do you recall anything else that might've caused this?" she asked Webster.
"Nothing. We've been doing the exact same patrol and hero work for months."
"That strengthens the lifespan hypothesis." Was nodded.
"Wait, wait. So does that mean this could happen again?" She was already freaking out about the first one! She didn't know if she could deal with a second!
"We can't be certain. As much as I hate the term, I think we'll have to use the wait and see approach." She sighed like the word actually pained her, "The good news is that we have confirmation that the baby itself is healthy...as much as it can be considering it's almost impossible to measure due to lacking things like a heartbeat. So long as you and Webster remain alive, it should be born with no complications."
"Yeah, about that...do we have any more details? Like am I gonna have to push a little blob out of my you know what or even a timeframe?"
"Timeframe is difficult to gauge since this is the first one of its kind. On the bright side observing this one should help any future birth scheduling." Why was she acting like a second one was guaranteed?! "As for the birthing process itself, you don't have to worry. Given the lack of stomach bloating, and indeed the lack of any change in your internal stomach lining, I think we can safely guarantee that any births will be akin to the mitosis. A quick split, if you will. 2 hours max, but likely far less than that."
"Great..." She really should've taken Peter with her. He was basically the dad...kinda...okay not really, but the thought was nice.
"I'm excited." Webster said needlessly.
"Yeah, well, you're using your new kid as an excuse to pig out so of course you are." She rubbed Webster's head and she purred like a cat.
"If you start to feel off at all, then don't hesitate to visit me. I'll prep facilities to ensure it's comfortable." Jan smiled and squeezed her left shoulder reassuringly, "But for now we should move on to anothr topic. I'd like to do another physical examination on you. It's been 6 months since our last one and I'd like to chart the progress of your symbiosis."
She grabbed the earphone, "Sure." She knew better than to argue. Besides, she was curious herself.
Gwen stepped into the platform and took a deep breath as she was shrunk down to a couple of inches in height, "Feel like Alice in Wonderland." She took off the gown and let Webster form a sports bra, shorts, socks and sneakers as the 'city' formed around her. It was one of the new tech that Jan and Stark were working on. Miniature hardlight constructs. Good for anything from wanting a model city or a training ground for a shrunken superhero.
She tapped the earphone and looked around. Looked just like Queens, "Hey, I'm here. What do you wanna test first?" She started stretching in front of the glass building facsimile as her reflection stared back at her. She-Hulk's workout sessions from before had definitely paid off. While she wasn't Ronda Rousey, her lean muscles were far more defined and she looked like someone who spent a healthy amount of time at the gym.
"Let's try your jumping capability. Try jumping straight up from a standing position as hard as you can."
"Got it." She took a deep breath, lowered herself into a crouch and jumped. She was almost tempted to reach out and shoot a line of webbing. Instead she landed on the roof of one of the 'buildings', "How'd I do?"
"50 foot from a standing position; 5 feet more than the last test. I'm sure that number can improve dependent on adrenaline levels as well." She heard a few taps and a car appeared from where she just was, " Next try running side by side with the car. No webs."
"Your wish is my command."
The next hour was spent following Wasp's every instruction: running alongside cars, how many people she could take on at once, seeing how far she could spread her trackers, measuring how much she could lift (that one she had to grow back for) etc etc. All the results were the same; all better than the last. She'd outpaced the car, could track someone halfway across the city and lift a crashing jumbo jet.
Soon enough she was back to normal size and sitting at the gurney again, "Your symbiosis is deepening at an astonishing rate. Sooner or later you and Webster will be incapable of separating."
"Uh...but she can still go and let me have my private time, right?"
"Yes, of course." She gave a long-suffering sigh, "I mean that, similar to Ms. Watson, separation in the way this dimension's Ms. Moon did so prior would be much more difficult. On the off chance that somehow does succeed both you and Webster would die due to the trauma of separation."
"Real comforting there, Jan."
"They did say till death do us part."
"Okay, we need to stop letting you watch late night Webflicks." The symbiote stuck her tongue out (rude!) and slithered back into her shoulder, "Alright, so do you know how much longer before this full symbiosis thing?"
"Hmm, I'd say a year or two. Ms. Watson's condition was unique since it attached directly to her bloodstream and the symbiote didn't care to make the symbiosis go at a steady rate. Speaking of, how is she?"
"She's...okay." Gwen looked down and swung her legs awkwardly, "Actually...I'm not sure. Physically she's fine, but...she's been sneaking out at night and I think that she's...killing people." Such an odd thing to say. Everyone she knew killed people. She'd personally seen Kate shoot arrows through H.Y.D.R.A goon eyeballs and she was holding her baby sister right now, "Is the symbiote affecting her mind?"
"It's quite possible, though I doubt full on possession is likely." She changed the screen to Mary Jane's results, "Her last tests show that the symbiosis has stabilized heavily compared to before. The symbiote can still speak into her mind and nudge her, but it's no more potent than the nudge you get when, say, looking at a piece of pizza you shouldn't eat or the temptation to ignore homework due the next day."
"So what are you saying? That MJ...wants to kill people?" Even the thought of it made her sick.
"I'm saying that if you wish to get to the bottom of this, then you need to talk to Ms. Watson yourself. Medical scans can only tell us so much and you know her better than anyone."
"I guess..." She'd been putting it off long enough.
"Speaking of our 'side projects', have you given any thought to Sam's suggestion?"
Oh yes, Captain America's brilliant pitch: expose her identity on her own terms. She'd tried to sell it so hard and mentioned all the benefits and how much trust it would engender, but all Gwen could think about was someone rolling up to her house trying to take revenge.
Not that others hadn't already tried and seen how badly it could go. You wouldn't think it looking at her, but Hope had gotten kidnapped a scant few months ago. She couldn't even remember why those bastards did it. Maybe they wanted Dyne particles, maybe they wanted to blackmail her into something- hell, maybe they just wanted to prove that they could.
Didn't matter much in the end when she and She-Hulk leveled their main hiding spot after getting Hope out. No one tried after that. Most superheroes didn't take it personally when you tried to off em - all part of the job, grim as that was - but once you start hitting their families the hammer of Thor (not literally, though they did consider asking for his help) would come down from on high to smite you. One impersonal hero was a whole lot less trouble than six pissed off ones.
"As foolish as it sounds at first glance, I can see her point. Among all the Avengers only you and Cindy are still keeping your identities secret and it's beginning to cast an air of suspicion. We have countermeasures to ensure our loved ones remain safe, and I can't argue that controlling your unmasking will allow us to negate most of the possible negative repurcussions."
Yeah, she still remembered Kate's confession of how her father and sister called her non-stop to yell at her after the fight with Evil Cindy got her outed. Apparently she'd been forced to spend weeks under lock and key while various people investigated her dad's company. And then there was Peter. God, she still fucking hated Jameson for the manhunt and that shitstorm at the hospital.
"It's just...I dunno, Jan. I've always kept the two parts of my life a secret, you know? How can I go to college and be Gwen Stacy when everyone knows I can jump 50 feet in the air and outrun a speeding car?" She sighed, "I like being normal sometimes. I like waking up at home, meeting my dad and Jess and playing with Helena. I tell the world who I am and that's all over." And she couldn't bear the thought of anyone hurting them to get to her. Sure, most bad guys were smart enough to know better after Hope, but not all bad guys are smart.
"I also see your point, especially after my own incident with Hope," she replied, "In the end I can see benefits and drawbacks to both options. While the anonymity does have its own appeal, it makes it harder to balance between the two. Also, perhaps it's simply the cynic in me, but I believe that we can't keep hiding forever. Similar to Ms. Bishop and Mr. Parker, eventually a slip will come."
"Yeah..." Gwen shook her head," Look, I'll think about it, okay? Just gimme some time." Or a lot. Maybe a decade or two, "So..." She looked around to make sure they were alone before leaning in closer to whisper, "That mole I told you about? Any luck?"
"No." She frowned, "All my employees that could even have remote access to the particles are people I've vetted personally and known for years. I don't like the idea of any of them being bought or coerced. I'm trying to find any possible leaks, but it's slow going. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Anyone leaves prison I just put em back." She didn't need all those free weekends with Peter anyway, "Update me, okay?"
"Of course."
She shifted back into her casual wear and smiled when she saw Hope and Kate sitting on the couch with the former gingerly holding onto a sleeping Helena, "Hey, how was the testing? Baby all good?"
"Yep." She smiled and picked up the sleeping infant from Hope's arms, "...Hey, Kate, could I ask you something." She looked at her curiously and nodded, "Alright, well...if you had a choice, would you have kept your secret identity or exposed it on your own terms?"
"Keep it, but that's just me." The purple clad archer shrugged, "Not that I'm scared of the whole reprisal thing - pretty sure my dad and sis have bigger enemies than I do. It's just...I dunno, helps keep me balanced, you know?"
"Yeah, I get that." Point made: never admit your secret identity, Kate said so!
Hope looked between them and spoke up, "When I become a hero I won't wear a mask!" she declared proudly. Gwen laughed under her breath and refrained from telling her that it wouldn't exactly be hard to figure out who the new female Wasp was.
"You're braver than I am hope." A tentacle jutted from her shoulder and ruffled the younger girl's hair. She shrieked and then giggled, which was way better than how MJ reacted. Speaking of... "Hey...I actually gotta go do something for a bit. Could you watch Helena?"
"Sure. Godmom Kate and Waspling are on the case!" She grinned, "Catch ya later."
HahaHoho: Got a feel on Spider-Woman's thighs when she saved me from falling off a bridge. Firm but pleasant. Needs to wear less, though. Show a little more skin, girl.
Reply from FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman - aaaand...blocked.
She said her goodbyes to the pair and called Mary Jane to a nearby cafe. The redhead had expressed some confusion considering that they'd just hung out a few hours prior but ultimately agreed. Gwen sat at the designated corner booth and took a deep breath. She'd talk to MJ about it now. No stalling, no covering her ears and pretending MJ would tell her on her own.
Mary Jane arrived after a few minutes, "Hey, Gwencent." Gwen handed her the strawberry shake, "Why'd you call? Miss me already?"
"We...We need to talk." Be firm, but gentle. Advice that was useful in a lot of contexts, "MJ...I know what you're doing."
"You mean the modeling gig? No shit, I told you about-"
"I know you're killing people."
To her credit, MJ didn't even attempt to deny it. The redhead bit her quivering lower lip and raised and lowered the straw of her drink in a rush. She looked ashamed, like Gwen had just aired out a dirty little secret for all to see, "...I know." She took a sip from her drink before shaking her head and pushing it away, "It wasn't like I've been keeping it a very good secret."
"Why are you doing it? Is it because of that symbiote?"
"Yes...and no. It's complicated." She let out a frustrated breath, "I made a deal with this thing. In exchange for cooperating and not trying to kill you anymore I agreed that I'd..."
"Kill people. Guilty people."
"Yeah..." She looked up to meet Gwen's eyes, "It'd be easy to blame this thing entirely, but I can't. I don't like being a serial killer-"
"That's not what you are."
"Let's be honest, Gwen." Now it was Gwen's turn to awkwardly sip her caramel frappe, "I don't feel proud of it, but these people...they're monsters and they got away with their crimes. How is it fair that they can rape and kill innocent people and they don't get punished? One guy drove his girlfriend to suicide after beating her and was targeting another. There was a woman who poisoned an entire family, even a baby, just because she wanted all their money. Should they have gotten away with it?"
"No, but-"
"I do feel guilty, Gwen. I've spent weeks not being able to sleep, but...I have helped people. There was a pimp who was selling 12 year olds..." Her hands clenched and Gwen made out a surge of red flesh across the skin, "I just...I don't want it to be all I am."
"Is that why you put on that costume?"
"Yeah..." She smiled bitterly, "Guess I thought for a second that I could be like you. I was being an idiot."
"You weren't." Gwen put both hands atop Mary Jane's right and squeezed it tightly, "I...I'm not gonna pretend I like this, but I've made my compromises." Peter came to mind immediately. He hadn't stopped killing people and she'd accepted that. Hell, she'd killed before. Those Skrulls and the Hydra goons at that nuclear base were self-defense, but a life taken was a life taken, "I just...I trust you, MJ. Anyone else in your position and they might've turned into a monster like Kasady. You can be a hero. You were last night."
"You seriously think that?"
"I do." Gwen nodded firmly, "Look, I can show that there are other ways. We can...wean you off." Even saying it out loud didn't help. Wean her off killing people? She hadn't succeeded with Peter either.
"Wean me off being a serial killer? Sure, cause that worked out so well last time." Her laugh was bitter, though far less so than before, "...But fine, we'll do it your way. Who better to teach me than Spider-Gwen herself?"
"Okay. Let's go."
"Wait, now?"
"No time like the present."
FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman: I'd like to introduce everyone to ScarletSpider. She's pretty new at the biz and I've taken her under my wing. She can do a lot of good for this city.
Reply from HohoHaha: Now we just need Spinerette in and it'll be a threesome. #spidersgonewild
Reply from FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman: Coulda swore I blocked you...
Reply from EPFrog: Wait, you're taking students now? Could I go with?
Reply from FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman: Nope, sorry. She's a special case.
Reply from NurplePerple: LOL, rejected. Better luck next time, frog dude.
Reply from StrikerNotBombshell: This is gonna end well...
Next chapter: Cindy dealing with more Spider-Cop shenanigans and Lana trying to have a normal day of school while looking up research on psychic Mexican girls with no records anywhere.
Apologies for the first segment being so...off. It's why I asked before if I should hold off on focusing so much on the supernatural aspects of Noir's segments. I'll try to focus on some more street crime level stuff, as indicated by Noir getting a text from Cindy about the Maggia. That's assuming he survives Bullseye stabbing him in the back, of course.
Oh, and Gwen's dealing with pregnancy news and the possibility of having to out her identity so she can keep functioning. Will she take it? Definitely not, but it won't stop Cap and She-Hulk from trying to convince her.
Questions:
1. What do you guys honestly think of Eugene? I've gotten both like and dislike for him and I'm wondering what the ultimate opinion on him is since I'm trying to decide whether to give him more focus segments.
2. I've been getting comments on it, but do you guys really want Noir to get a second power-up so he can webswing and wall-crawl? It seems like the power disparity between the leads is cropping up again and I thought that Noir having more varied stuff like the hellfire knife, gadgets and bike acted as a sufficient counter to Gwen being restricted to just webs and melee.
3. Alright, let's do this one last time. Three choices now for MJ: threesome with Peter and Gwen; pair off with Matt or Felicia; or just stay alone because she's not in the right place currently. If you have an opinion pick one and I'll count them up so we can get a final plan.
Review Answers:
Brave2000 - Frog-Man made the title.
Roxasdualwielder - Unlikely considering he seems to hate France.
Cha0s4ever - Poor Peter, trapped in the web of that older Spider-Woman :( As for MJ pairing? Didn't plan one for her. It was everyone else who suggested either a threesome or her pairing off with Matt.
AFlyingTomato - Who could Matt really interact with, though? Gwen refuses to talk to him, Lana as well, and Cindy finds him annoying and planned to kill him. He doesn't have much friends.
Hardlight - Haven't seen the movie, and please don't shill it to me. I'll check on my own time.
Jk41kiwi - Soon as I get some inspiration for it.
Guest ch13 - Sure. All Karen argued was that Bullseye could be removed from Hell. Killing him again would send him back down so the deal still applies.
In Brightest Day - In Blackest night- sorry. Anyway, Eugene's 'appeal' is that he's essentially an egotistical teenager like comics Kick-Ass. Like you said, you kinda feel pity for him before you remember his flaws and stop feeling sorry.
Raw Prodigy - Strange is too high level. Also, Noir doesn't have magical aptitude apart from chi, which anyone can learn. Notice that when fighting the Vamps and Demons he was very weapon based.
Batguy01 - Thanks for the suggestions :)
