Again for people reading both this and Two Spiders - I will update that eventually, but it's gonna be slower since I'm not so used to writing lighthearted stuff. So please be patient and asking me if I abandoned that fic. I didn't, I just have a hard time updating at the moment. Maybe watching Marvel Rising: Battle of the Bands will give me ideas.

And yes I heard about the Spider-Man MCU debacle. I have some thoughts on it but I don't really mind all that much. So far I'm just taking a wait-and-see approach.

Also, I've gotten some reviews indicating that MJ has more screentime than the rest of the protagonists. I have to disagree. I'd say she's about on par with Peter and Gwen and above Cindy and Lana; though even in the case of Cindy it's debatable. Still, I'll take it into consideration.

So without further ado, here's the break-up chapter.


DragonKiller75: Any M&M fans, what do you guys think are the actual alignments of the heroes?

Reply from DragonDeesNuts: Isn't there an alignment list on the third page?

Reply from DragonKiller75: Yeah but that just lists all the Avengers as Lawful Good, which I doubt they really are. I mean I'd say Spider-Woman's defo Neutral Good considering her stint as a vigilante and her relationship with Spider-Man.

Reply from Sug_Madic: Hmm, I'd say Hawkeye and Striker counts as Chaotic Good then. Way too many times arguing with the cops about proper procedure. Spider-Man is either Neutral or Chaotic Good.

Reply from Phil-McCrackin: Nah, I'd say he and any other Defenders are Neutral at best. Maybe not Striker though since she got out.

Reply from IceWallowCome: I think really only Captain America, Wasp and She-Hulk count as Lawful Good. Spider-Woman and Spinerette are friends with a vigilante while Hawkeye is off doing her own thing most of the time.

Reply from Come_Stayin: I think this is pointless. Real people can't just be defined by arbitrary alignments on a point. I mean Spider-Woman helped stopped us from being nuked. Does that mean if she kills less people than she saved she never changes alignment cause it balances out?

Reply from DragonDeesNuts: I dunno man, I didn't make the topic.

Reply from thisisausername: Okay off topic but the WTF is with these usernames?

Reply from P3N15: Dunno what you're talking about.


"Ladies and gentleman. We're gathered here today for a very important reason."

Gwen looked at all the gathered people in the room. Most of them had expression of utter boredom apart from MJ (who still looked confused on the whole thing) and Peter (who honestly just looked tired of the whole thing). Lana and Cindy were on their phones, texting and calling someone respectively, while Norah typed on her laptop without even a cursory glance upwards.

Rude.

"Helloooo." She clapped her hands loudly. They finally looked up from their tech. Jess probably would've rolled her eyes and made a comment about millenials cause she was an old woman in a 30 something body, "Everybody paying attention?"

"To what? All you said was, and I quote, 'get your asses over here I need your help to play black widow," Cindy said dryly, "And as someone who knows the actual Black Widow, I gotta tell ya I'm not liking your chances. Not unless you decide catsuits and pistols are your thing."

"I think she means she needs to seduce someone," Lana said, "I think her chances of that are even worse than her going superspy. No offense, Pete, but you ain't exactly the hardest to get to spread your legs open. You're kind of a slut."

Peter rolled his eyes and and almost gave her the middle finger. Almost. He was always too polite for stuff like that, in Gwen's opinion, "I still think this plan's moronic. If this Roxxon guy's the one who put the bounty on my head then just gimme and address and a few hours to get a vibranium bullet from one of Castle's safehouses. Won't take more than a day tops."

"You know Frank doesn't like you borrowing his stuff without asking." Norah hummed.

"I'd ask but I don't know his number. Funnily enough the man with a four digit body count doesn't like to advertise," Peter said.

"Okay, enough," Gwen said quickly. She still didn't like talking about that prick, "I told you last night, Peter, it's not just about the bounty. He's got people caught in experiments-" Cindy's mouth curled into a frown at that, "-and I need him to tell me where that is. He can't tell us anything if he's dead." And, you know, it was wrong to just assassinate people. There were were always...almost always other options.

"Fine, gimme a week and I'll get him talking."

"We're not torturing him either, Peter." Gwen sighed and rubbed her temples.

"I dunno, is trying to seduce the guy really a better option?" MJ asked.

"I don't like it either, but it's a better shot than hooking up his balls to a car battery."

"You know doing that isn't actually very conductive?" Cindy said, pun fully intended cause she was a weirdo like that, "The pain and shock would make them too delirious. Emotional blackmail is really where it's at. People can train to ignore their fingernails being ripped out but when you tell them you know where their kid or their girlfriend or their money is they cave. Or you can go for the fear response. Widow taught me a trick where you cut your own finger and bleed into the guy's face while talking about how disappointed you are. It makes em think 'if she's doing that to herself what the hell is she gonna do to me?'"

A heavy silence settled over the room,"...Have I ever told you how much you scare me?" Gwen asked, only half joking. She knew the other Spider's past was twisted, and the training from S.H.I.E.L.D and her 'care' under her evil twin didn't help, but it still disturbed her sometimes how quickly she could go from making horrible puns and griping about video games to discussing the right ways to break a man down to his basest nature, to use her words.

"Just twice a couple days ago. I find your lack of fear disturbing." Was that a reference to something? "Being serious for a bit, if we're really going with the black widow route why don't you let me handle it? No offense Gwen but I gotta agree with Lana. You don't seem like you're gonna be good at this kind of thing."

"That's the thing: I don't have to be." The older Spider raised a brow and silently urged her to continue, "I met with Cap's not-really-a-friend and he said that he...ugh, he has an 'admiration' for Spider-Woman." Even just saying it out loud made her sick. The thought of that asshole making kissy faces at her posters almost made her retch, "And I spent time with him yesterday to test the waters. Yeah...it was bad."

"How bad?" Lana asked.

Gwen gave the younger Super a dead serious look, "Frog-Man."

"Ah." Her mouth parted slightly in understanding and she nodded, "You have my sympathies."

"Thank you." Gwen nodded back, equally taciturn.

"...Okay, I feel like I'm missing something. Who's Frog-Man and why are we using him as a unit of measurement?" MJ asked.

"Let's just say this guy wasn't exactly subtle. He's been asking to team up for weeks new and me never answering didn't stop him. He even used the SOS function three times. I fell for each one cause I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. Turns out he strung up some muggers and thought it'd impress me and show how 'heroic and humble' he was for doing it without asking for even a thank you."

"O...kay? That doesn't sound so-"

"And he spent last night's team-up 'subtly' telling me how much better he'd be as a boyfriend compared to Peter. Why would I choose someone so crude and thuggish and violent and bla bla and he was so much better cause he has a company and he has more powers and yak yak yak. And the second I didn't stand up for Peter he took it as a cue to start calling him a fucking Supervillain who deserves nothing but the chair. If It wasn't for Webster I would've banged my head against the wall."

"This guy sounds like a bag of charm." Peter sneered, "I still think my way's a good idea."

"Even on the chance we get the location from him your way he's already got the cash in some kind of slush account. We can't be sure that killing him - which again I don't want to do if we can help it - will stop new people from taking the bounty."

"Then let em come. That Arcade bastard was just a fluke. We'll be ready next time."

"How about no and please don't dare people to kill you?" Gwen snarked.

"I gotta agree with Gwen," Cindy said, "The last thing we need in New York is a carnival of costumed killers running around gunning for you. Next thing you know they'll be putting innocent people in danger to try and lure you out. I know you'd fall for that."

"...Point." Peter pursed his lips.

"Look, this'll work. I already have a team-up planned with him tomorrow and I tweeted that the two of us 'broke up' last night. Speaking of, how's it going?" she asked Norah.

"Looking good so far," the other blonde said, "Lot of assholes going on and on about how they 'knew this was gonna happen'. Most of em are shitting on Ben, but there's a pretty good chunk that aren't fans of you. A lot of it is calling you an 'uptight bad word' and that he's better off without you 'dragging him down'. And those are are some of the more polite ones. You don't wanna see the ones accusing you of being racist...somehow."

"Eh." Gwen shrugged. She'd given up on the idea of ever pleasing everyone. There were still people who unironically followed Jameson or thought Cap was in on H.Y.D.R.A and just faked Red Skull's death. That wasn't even getting to the Superhero Truthers who argued up and down that Superheroes were just paid actors and that everything from evil Cindy to the Skrull invasion was a government experiment of some kind.

Nevermind the fact that alien spaceships came down on Manhattan and how they couldn't explain just how the government was able to make said alien spaceships if it really was some kind of cover-up.

"Let's get down to business, alright? I promised Aracely I'd take her out," Lana said, "Why'd you call us all over here, Spider-Gwen?"

"Well..." Gwen looked down and frowned. Saying it out loud was just embarrassing, "You were kinda right that I don't really know how to, uh, seduce a guy. So I was kinda hoping you, Cindy and MJ could help me out with it."

"...Should I comment on how sad it is that you're asking someone 4 years younger than you for advice on that or do we just let it hang?" Lana asked flatly.

"Hey if you don't wanna be here then fuck off. This is embarrassing enough as it is," Gwen said, cheeks an annoying shade of red. Yes, she knew exactly how embarrassing this all was, but she didn't have a choice. It was either this or ripping out fingernails.

"Wait, this doesn't make any sense," MJ said, "You've been on dates before, Gwencent. I've seen you flirting with guys too."

"Yeah, but that was when I was Gwen Stacy! If I wanted to chat a guy up I'd go to a club or invite him to one of our concerts or something. I can't do that as Spider-Woman cause fuck if I'm gonna give that asshole a hint of who I am."

"So you need to put on a persona. Seduce him as the Amazing Spider-Woman?" Cindy asked. Gwen nodded, "Hm...makes things a bit more complicated, but it should be possible. You've read your own comic books so play into that."

"You mean that billionaire heiress crock?" Peter scoffed, "Gwen's about as much of that as I'm a priest. No offense, Gwen."

"None taken, honey. You'll just pay for that later." She winked.

"Ugh, could you save that shit for when we're not here?" Lana rolled her eyes, "Cin's right though. If this guy's anything like Tony Stark or Justin Hammer then he's a prick who thinks money buys everything and makes up for their tiny dicks. Having a billionaire model on his arm with superpowers is probably making him hard right now." That wasn't a pleasant image.

"Preferably it would be best if we got a dossier on him. Then we can tweak your persona to his preferences." Cindy put a hand on her chin, "Actually that can come later. I suggest buttering him up slowly. Just slip a few secrets here and there and when I think of a strategy you he'll think it's cause his 'charm' is working on you. That'll make him cocky, and that's when you can start prying secrets."

MJ spoke next, "Uh...I'm not a superspy or anything, but aren't we forgetting something really important here? Gwen's a freaking Superhero! If this guy is really kidnapping people and doing human experiments Nazi style then he's not just going to go confessing to Gwen. More likely he's going to just pretend to be a superhero and the second she starts prying he'll know something's up."

"Please. Pricks like this guy are too confident to think like that." Lana snorted, "What seems more likely, he thinks Spider-Gwen here is some kind of spy or that his dick is so huge and amazing that she'll give up everything to munch on that sausage?"

"Could we please stop talking about dicks and pricks and sausages? I'm trying to focus here." Norah said, still not looking up from her computer. That was the reason she brought her here. Norah knew about manipulating social media more than any of them and if they wanted to sell how legit this thing was then they needed to be sure there wasn't any room for doubt for people to think this was just a temporary split.

"Sorry, Nor." Lana rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Mary does have a point, but it's a risk we'll have to take," Cindy said, "Despite everything no one really knows who the true Spider-Woman is. If you let slip that you feel resentful of being a hero and that you aren't as 'pure' as everyone thinks you are then you can reel him in. Here's one - those two years where you kept being a hero even after you got branded a criminal? Just make some comments about everyone being ungrateful and that the only reason you kept it up was because you wanted to prove them wrong. Makes you look less like a saint."

"I still think this is gonna blow up in our faces..." Mary Jane muttered.

"If Gwen's method doesn't work then we'll go with Pete's." Gwen was about to protest when Cindy cut her off, "This guy is kidnapping people, Gwen. Dozens of families have lost parents and kids because of him. If you can't get this information or he's too slow to give it then we're not going to wait till he takes more victims just because we want the soft gloves. Clear?"

"...Clear." Gwen breathed out deeply.

"Good. Now, here's the big question: are you willing to sleep with this guy?"

The resounding silence was so deep you could hear a pin drop. Norah stopped typing and looked between Gwen and Cindy while everyone else just waited for the blonde's reply. Gwen bit her lower lip and answered shakily, "Um, wh-what?"

"Are you willing to sleep with him?" Cindy repeat, either unaware or uncaring of the way everyone stared at her, "It's not a hard question, Gwen. Yes or no?"

"Um...what?" She said again.

Cindy sighed and crossed one leg over the other in a clear sign of impatience, "Gwen, you are planning to seduce this guy. Now maybe I'm wrong since I haven't read his dossier yet, but generally type A personalities like CEO's don't settle for just kisses; if you even planned to go that far." Her eyes narrowed at the other Spider's last words. The way she said it was a mix of condescending and exasperated.

"What the hell's your damage, Cin?"

"My 'damage' is that you tell me this guy's probably responsible for the case I've spent the better part of a couple of months investigating and failing to stop but your only plan has so many holes I could drive a Death Star through it." Cindy stared up at her steely, "I'm willing to help you here, Gwen, but you can't half-ass this thing and expect touching his arm will get him to confess his secrets. Are you willing to do what it takes, yes or no? Because if not let's cut the knot and go with Pete's idea."

"I..." She looked towards Peter and found him stubbornly looking at the floor with an unreadable expression, though occasional flashes of frustration peeked through. It wasn't like she hadn't acknowledged the possibility of it, but a part of her had just assumed (hoped) that it wouldn't go that far. She wasn't a spy like Cindy and the thought of giving that shiny slimeball anything was...

"Let's just forget about this and-"

"Yes," Gwen said, cutting off Peter's statement, "Just thinking about it wants to make me hurl, but...we need to be sure that the people he's taken can be found."

"How are you so sure this is going to work?" Peter asked. She could tell he didn't want to think about 'what she had to do' anymore than she did.

"I'm not, but how are you so sure tying him to a chair will work any better?" she asked back, "This guy's probably the only chance we'll have to make sure the price on your head's gone and we can get these people out. If he dies you'll have a price on your head for God knows how long and these people are fucked."

"If it was just the bounty then maybe an interrogation would work, but what if we kidnap him and strap him to a chair?" Cindy asked, "You don't think the guys he has working for him won't realize something's up and move? Or just scrub the whole thing down, witnesses included? Guys who perform illegal experiments always have contingencies. It's standard M.O."

"Uh, am I missing something or is all of this completely fucking pointless?" Lana said, "This guy isn't personally kidnapping people, right? So let's just go after the rest of these assholes and make em tell us where they're putting people."

"I already tried to interrogate that Pyro guy," Cindy grimaced, "Said the same thing over and over: just got his info from a dead drop and they were planning to drop off Aracely to another one for pick-up. No names and the location he gave was just an abandoned parking garage. We checked over there and didn't see anything so that trail's cold."

"What about any scientists? They're the ones doing these experiments," Peter asked.

"Unless you're psychic I don't see how that's an option," Cindy put a hand on her chin, "Actually we don't even need an exact location from this guy. If Gwen can get him to spill some names then we can start our search there."

"If you get any names I can help with that." Norah raised her right hand briefly before quickly going back to her typing.

"Huh, maybe Gwen doesn't have to sleep with this guy. Just get him drunk enough and he might spill," MJ said.

"Might be a bit hard. He mentioned yesterday he found it harder to get drunk because of his new powers." Meanwhile she got smashed after three cans of beer. Some people just had all the luck.

"We'll shelve it for now but keep it on hand," Cindy said, "Okay, so first things first you're gonna need to learn how to read tics. I can help with that. Mary Jane and Lana would probably be better if you wanna learn how to..."

The rest of the day was spent with Gwen learning more about flirting than she ever wanted to do with. When to touch, when not to touch, the little gestures to make a guy think she was putty in his hands. Everything. She had to admit some of it was intriguing, but for the most part she found herself almost falling asleep. What the hell was the difference between a half turn look and a full turn look? Apparently it changed everything, if you could trust MJ.

That night she and Peter were in bed together and she couldn't sleep. Gwen looked up at the ceiling while Peter slept next to her, her head swirling with all the advice from today's lesson. Tomorrow was the day they'd 'officially' break up. It wouldn't change anything - they could still spent time outside of their masks - but it still made her feel like she had a weight on her chest.

Webster being quiet didn't help matters. Ever since yesterday she hadn't said anything, which Wasp said was expected considering their condition but ut still unnerved her. Gwen was so used to her chiming in, to her partner always being there, that the solitude suddenly felt suffocating even with Peter at her side.

"...You okay, Gwen?" She didn't jump at the sudden voice anymore. She'd gotten used to it.

"Yeah, it's just..." She shifted to her side so she could face him, "All this is kinda going over my head, you know? With Evil Cindy or Red Skull or whatever you could just punch em and let the law sort it out. This...hiding and pretending that I'm in love with this guy because we need the information he has...it's not something I'm used to. And if I fuck up it's your and everyone else's head on the line."

"You don't have to worry about me-"

"Stop saying that." She closed her eyes and balled her hands shakily, "I know the stuff we do everyday is dangerous, but that doesn't mean I have to like you having a price on your head. Trust me, living with dad means I know what it's like to have someone you love with a dangerous life, but that doesn't mean I'd take it lying down if some wannabe kingpin put a price on his head either."

"Yeah..." There silence between them for almost a minute, "I know it must've been difficult seeing that bastard's 'game'-"

"It's not just that." She shook her head and sat up, the blanket falling to her lap to expose her bare chest, "We live dangerous lives. We get shot at by idiots with guns and Supervillains crawl out of whatever hole they come from to 'spell our doom'. Fine. But you...I mean, do I even have to say anything about you hanging out with Murderdock? Or your friend Bullseye coming back from the freaking dead?"

"I didn't exactly want either of those to happen, Gwen..." He sat up too and sighed, "I know this isn't ideal. I wouldn't be spending time with Matt if it wasn't for Bullseye-"

"Why do you keep calling him that?" She asked suddenly, "He's not your friend."

"I didn't say he was."

"Why so friendly with the nickname? What happened to 'Murdock'?"

"His name doesn't matter." She looked to the left slightly and caught the hint of fatigue in his expression, "I could call him a blind bastard, it doesn't change what he is or where he's going." Yeah, straight down to hell. She would've found it more satisfying if the that smug asshole wasn't so damn happy about it. Apparently the idea of getting pitchforks up his ass was funny to him, "You don't have to worry about Matt and Bullseye. I'll deal with them both."

"Mmm." He didn't answer the name thing but didn't bother to say anything. She trusted him.

"...Are you sure about this, Gwen?" he asked softly.

"Fuck no," She laughed, soft and bitter, "Honestly it makes my skin crawl. But...making sure he doesn't have a price on your head and that he's not kidnapping any more people, I think it's worth it. Are you...angry?" It was a stupid question. She was fake breaking up with him to try and play black widow and, if things got really desperate, she might have had to sleep with the guy. Nothing about this would lead him to say anything but yes.

"No." He took a slow breath, "The thought of that bastard putting a hand on you makes my blood boil, but I trust you. It's just..." He grit his teeth, "I just wish I could do something."

"We can't risk those people, Peter. The only way this is going to work is if he doesn't realize we're onto him." Stupid villains with their stupid backup plans. Even Red Skull had his heart wired to a bunch of nuclear salvos, though thankfully Wasp and Cindy managed to disable it. Least Evil Cindy was straightforward.

"The second you you can't take it any more I want you to run, alright? We'll find some other way to help those people and get rid of the price on my head. Promise me."

"I promise."

Gwen kissed him again and pushed him down to the bed, "Again?" She hummed and stuck both his hands above his head with a quick burst of webbing. Super agility and webbing meant experimentation was pretty much inevitable. She kissed him again then flipped up to the wall, taking the blanket with her to expose him completely. She was going to pretend tomorrow wasn't happening.


Aholiconic: So this whole break up thing between Spider-Woman and Spider-Man. Anyone else think it's BS?

Reply from Ardenex: I dunno man. They've had their arguments before.

Reply from Axionsu: Yeah but it's still hard to believe considering all the kissy faces they make. My guess is it's just a quick argument then they'll just patch it up quickly. Nothing to be bothered with.

Reply from Number1SpiderManFan: I hope it's legit. Save some for the rest of us, Spider-Woman!

Reply from EPFrog: Well...it's not like every relationship lasts. I guess it makes sense that they broke up at some point.

No1SpiderWomanFan: Not gonna hear me complaining.

Reply from BriefingThin: Lol I love how SpiderWomans fanboys and fangirls think just cause she's broken up that now they have a chance. Yes because clearly you being nothing special and still living in your mom's basement isn't the reason a Superhero wouldnt give you the time of day. Its all SpiderMans fault. SMH at this stupidity.

Reply from CooledSlash: Dude no need to be a dick. Also, respect the hyphen!


"Are you ready?" Norah's voice chimed in her ear.

"Yeah..." Gwen swung down to the nearby apartment building rooftop and started pacing. The plan was for her and Peter to fake a breakup and for Norah to oh so conveniently record them midway into their fight - the final nail to the proverbial coffin. The other blonde was doing a story (something about building ventilation standards) not too far away and it would give her an alibi if people asked where she got the video.

"You alright?" Norah asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." That was only the first in the big pile of bullshit she'd have to spew today. God, she really missed Webster right now, "Just make sure get this rolling. We only have one shot at this.

Lana had taught her everything she needed to know to stage a convincing break up, "First things first go for the balls and don't stop squeezing till there's nothing but mush. You want this guy to think things are over between you and Pete so go for the cheapshots." And then a bunch of other stuff that Gwen honestly didn't want to recall cause it involved various euphemisms for castration. That girl was something else.

"Heads up, Ben's on the way."

Peter stopped his bike and zipped up to the rooftop. Gwen took a deep breath and got into character, "You're late..." She crossed her arm and tapped her foot like every impatient ex ever.

"I was busy helping someone. Not sure you remember what that's like from that fancy tower of yours." She winced at the blunt insult. Peter had preemptively apologized beforehand for anything he said and she knew it wasn't his. Norah had dug up the biggest criticisms people had - some legit, most not - and handed them a list to read. He had his and she had her own.

Case in point.

"Helping? Is that what you call it? I thought you were just beating up thugs in the gutters like you always did." She tried her best to make it sound like she was sneering under her mask. Mostly she sounded like she had a stomach ache, "God, a few weeks into the city and you're right back to where you started. I thought a year away would change things for you."

"And I thought you selling out to the Avengers changed you. Turns out I was right." 'Selling out'? She almost broke character then and there to tell him off. That sounded way too unnatural, "Why are you even still here? Come to lord over the people below and grace them with the presence of the oh-so great Spider-Woman?"

The script Norah gave them was basic. Peter would accuse her of being egotistical and up her own ass and she'd accuse him of just being in it to hurt people. According to her this was the most common debate their 'fans' had about them.

"Least I'm helping people. When was the last time you got through a day without killing someone?" She sighed, so loud and dramatic that it was a miracle no one else came up to check, "Look, I wanted to be friends after we broke up but if you're just gonna act like this-"

"Friends? With you?" He clicked his tongue, "Yeah, like I really need another noose around my neck. You were bad enough before, I don't even wanna think about how annoying you'll be now that you're pent-up." Wow...rude. She knew Norah told them to add their own personal flair but still.

"Oh please, you act like you were doing me any favors. Practically had to do everything myself." They were going a bit off-script now. Both Norah and Cindy said it'd be a good idea and that it'd make the argument look more organic, "And do you have any idea how frustrating it is to talk to you? Every time it feels like I'm talking to a wall. Would it kill you to show any emotion besides angsty brooding once in a while?"

"That's rich coming from the woman who won't shut up about how great she is. How's it feel to have Stars and Stripes pulling your strings? Feel better now that you don't have to see what you cause?"

"No, I am not going to get shit on by the guy who ran around with the fucking Punisher and killed a demon mostly by accident!" That was actually somewhat painful to say. Even if he wasn't proud of it his team-ups with Punisher and Bullseye were still a sore spot for her; and, according to Norah's findings, some vocal chunks of New York, "God, do you have any idea how annoying you sound? You're so...so..." She paused. Shit, she forgot her next argument.

"Gwen, you're slipping here. Hurry up." Norah chimed in.

Seeing her hesitation, Peter quickly tried to bail her out, "You trying to spare my feelings or what?" He scoffed, "Why don't you skip to the part where we stop pretending you wanted to be friends? Here, lemme start."

And then he punched her in the face. It wasn't hard...or maybe it was; hard to tell nowadays considering her state. Still, it did the trick. Gwen feigned a slight stumble and then punched him back, making sure to lighten the blow. Peter let himself fall on his back and raised his right hand to his face with a hiss. No blood. Not like last time.

"Guess that makes it clear." He stood up shakily, "You stay the hell away from he, 'hero', and I'll do the same."

"Hey, we're not done here!" She grabbed his wrist and he nodded by just the smallest amount before his fist lashed out and hit her square in the jaw. This was the second part of their plan - make it clear that the break-up wasn't amicable in the least. It'd make Peter's life harder, but it would also help sell the idea to Roxxon that there was no love lost between them.

Peter twisted, kicked her in the chest then disappeared in a wisp of smoke. Gwen made a show of punching the air and trying to web the space around her before letting out a frustrated scream, "Alright, I think we're good." Norah said, "Nice touch on the scream there."

Gwen internally sighed with relief and swung away. Now she just had to wait. Cindy suggested they let Roxxon and the public stew for a couple of days, let them make their own theories so the effects of the break-up would fester. After that Roxxon would come running and she'd be the shoulder for him to cry on. It was so cliche she almost wanted to throw up.

The rest of the day was spent in patrol with her playing the role of the jilted ex. She didn't make any jokes, refused to answer questions when paparazzi (parasites) badgered her and looked for all the world like she hated and Spider-Man had ended any chance of reconciliation.

The sun was long down by the time she stopped to take a breath. Gwen swung up to the top of a high building, only half paying attention to her phone for her daily internet check. Apparently someone had the bright idea to start a PleasePayMe run so he could be a Superhero (only 5 dollars raised so far), but apart from that and the usual gossip about her new relationship troubles there was nothing much to draw her attention.

She was almost tempted to call Peter before a pain in her stomach made her double over in pain. Her phone clattered to the ground and she desperately peeled back the mask just in time to avoid throwing up inside it.

'Gwen.'

'Webster? What's going on?' And where the hell had she been?

'I...believe we are about to give birth. I suggest we go to Wasp. Now.'


AllNaturalSyntheticFakeOriginal: -embedded link- Norah Winters from the Front Line just posted up a video on the news blog. Looks like it's legit: Spider-Woman and Spider-Man aren't friends anymore.

Reply from KingdomHeartsIsDARKNESSSSS: Understatement there dude. Damn, they're throwing punches now. Must've been one nasty breakup.

Reply from Kingoftherealm: Damn. There goes my Two Spiders domestic fluff fic :/

Reply from SilverLongPhal: I'm not surprised. Batwoman and Catman type romances never really go anywhere. She deserves someone better.

Reply from ArrowstrikesTrue: As a SpiderHawk shipper this pleases me.

Reply from Deadllyforceisbestforce: Meh, I always thought that Spider-Man and Spinerrete would've made a better couple. They always got along whenever they were caught on cam.

Reply from ASaneMan: I still think dating other Supers is too stressful. They should date civilians, go with someone who can give them something outside the mask.

Reply from Aguyplayinggames: ASaneMan yeah you and about a million of her fans/volunteers. What is with people being so obsessed about celebrity's love lives? Don't you have your own to worry about?

Reply from AllNaturalSyntheticFakeOriginal: Helps with the monotony of our meaningless existences. Anyway looks like the shipping war has begun. I wonder what JJJatHome has to say about this.


Back here again.

Peter's face was puckered in a grimace as he walked through the floor of Sattana's nightclub, which was becoming a far more familiar sight than he wanted it to be. Satanna told them all about her plans after they stopped the demons planning to interrupted the Covenant, but back then he'd paid it no mind. Even after she sent him an invitation before he got back to New York he just ignored it. Unlike Ketch and Daimon he saw no need to keep in contact with her.

Now he was walking down here with the devil's new favorite meal tow.

He turned his head to the side to eye Matt. The kingpin-turned-vigilante walked through the club confidently, slipping past the dancing half-breeds and humming a tune under his breath. Both angels and demons eyed him; as something curious to be pitied or disgusted by with the former and like he was the main event dish for the latter. Matt had commented beforehand that his soul was enticing to the damned.

Case in point.

"Back off." He grabbed the hand of the half-breed woman that almost grabbed the redhead's back. She turned to him with a hiss, crimson eyes flaring, "That doesn't scare me." He shoved her off, "Wait till he ain't breathing before you start snacking."

"Not very friendly of you, Peter." Matt hummed in amusement. Peter ignored him and looked around him. More of the half-breeds surrounded them, looking at Matt with pure hunger in their eyes. The more sinful the soul the more delicious the taste - and Matt's soul was dripping with sin, "Hmm, this seems rather familiar." He pulled out the blade from his walking stick while Peter unsheathed his knife. He didn't need Hellfire to kill.

He was about to strike the closest one when a voice rang out, confident and smooth, "Well now, what's all this?"

Mephisto.

The half-breeds shrunk away as the trenchcoated man strode towards them. Peter's grip on the knife tightened briefly before he put it back on its sheath. Fighting against Mephisto wasn't something you did. If he wanted you dead you were dead.

"Mephistopheles. So nice to see you again." Matt grinned.

"And you as well, though technically this is our first meeting. Not unless you count me meeting your owner while you screamed and begged for release." Mephisto's smile only emphasized the unbridled glee in his next words, "Though I expect we'll get to know each other very well soon enough, especially with the way you carry yourself. I'd come up here myself to collect you."

"Is that why you're here...?" Peter asked warily.

"Oh no, I'm just here to relax. Running damnation is a stressful job, you know?" He laughed under his breath and looked Peter straight in the eyes. This time he was afraid, "By the way, I heard your relationship troubles with Spider-Woman. You have my sympathies."

"...Thanks."

"I do hope you're able to work through it. Your kids would've made - will make? - things just a tad more interesting." Peter pursed his lips and didn't say anything. He was baiting him, that's what it was, "Yes, your eldest will follow in her mother's footsteps while the youngest takes a page out of daddy dearest's book. The Ghost Spider and the new Winter Soldier."

"What are you-"

"I'm kidding." He held up both hands and chuckled.

Peter knew better than to push his luck. Hands clenched, he turned and walked to Satanna's office, shoving past the half-breeds still frozen in fear and awe. He wasn't going back here again after this.

"Oh Peter, so nice to-"

"What do you want?" Matt came up behind him and closed the door.

"My my, someone's in a bad mood." Satanna raised a brow and smiled teasingly at him, "Bad breakup?"

"Tell me what you want or I'm leaving right now."

"Touchy! You know I know a succubus brothel that'll-" Peter turned to leave. He didn't get more than two steps before Satanna suddenly appeared in front of him, "Alright, not a good time for jokes, but I do think you're being a bit too ungrateful considering the information I'm offering."

"What, you got something on Roxxon?"'

"Roxxon? Now why would I search anything about him?" She waved a pale hand through the air, "No matter. I'm referring to the one who lured you to a trap."

Sowande.

"I thought you only cared about Bakuto?"

"I do, but your friend Steven came and made a deal. A favor for a favor, you could say. A shame he's so attached to that Moon deity, I would've gladly taken his soul." Peter looked away with a sneer. Damn demons treating souls like coins, "Point is he did me a favor and now I know where he's going to be."

"Where?"

"A building by the name of Midland Circle. Word on the grapevine is that he'll be there for a new investment of some kind." She handed him a photo and he couldn't stop himself from growling. Lizards, "Yes, it seems like he managed to get his hands on that little project of yours. Don't you just hate it when the things you don't clean up come back to haunt you?"

"This complicates things slightly," Matt murmured, "If I'm guessing right Sowande's using his mercenaries as guinea pigs. Or guinea lizards in this case."

"All I know is what I've gathered. The rest is up to you boys." Satanna shrugged without a care.

"A favor for a favor, you said. I need some information."

"On Roxxon?"

"Yeah. Apparently he's got a secret lab somewhere. He's kidnapping people who got hit with that damn mist and our only lead doesn't exactly inspire confidence."

"Hmm...I'll see what I can find." She waved him away, "Now, weren't you threatening to storm out?"

"Surprised you're not offering to deal for Matt's soul," Peter said, only half joking.

"Tempting, but Mephisto's called dibs. Apparently he's very interested in making sure he ends up down there."

"How flattering." Matt laughed, "Come then Peter, we should leave before we outstay our welcome."

A few minutes later Peter was sitting at the edge of a building with his face half covered by his mask and a cigarette between his lips. The others were coming and then they could pay back that white suited bastard for leading them to that trap.

"They're on the way." Matt sat beside him covered head to toe in his new Daredevil gear. Peter ignore him and took a long breath of the cigarette, "Hm...a penny for your thoughts?"

Peter didn't say anything.

"Stony silence, hm? It's like the first days of our friendship." Peter almost shoved him off the roof, "Still, I'd like to thank you for your aid earlier."

"I need you alive till my deal with Page pans out."

"Ah yes, your deal to save Mr. Crest from damnation. The deal you still wish to uphold even after what he's doing now." Peter took another drag, "I wonder if your resolve will continue as the days pass. After all, the 'I'm possessed' excuse can only justify so much."

"He's not like you."

"Oh I know. He didn't have a choice." Matt made a deal to bring his mother back. A part of Peter sympathized with that, but another, larger part didn't - couldn't - care. Not after what he did to them, "...Moon Knight and Iron Fist are here."

Peter looked back slightly to see the white and yellow clad figures but made no move to stand. There was still Echo left, "Well now, don't you two look cozy." Lockley grinned and took up Matt's right side while Rand reluctantly sat to Peter's left, "I know you broke up with your girl but damn you move on quick."

"Don't think I'm afraid of breaking your jaw, 'Jake'."

"Hey now, let's not fight..." Danny raised up a hand weakly. It was ironic. He heard enough about that glowing fist of his to know he could smear them all against the walls but the way he acted you wouldn't realize that. He was just like Gwen that way, "Spider-Man just had a break up and-"

"Damn it, could everyone stop bringing that up?" He growled in annoyance. Why the hell was everyone prying into his damn love life? It wasn't exactly a romance for the ages, "None of us are friends here so could we stop pretending this is normal?"

"Not friends? Odd, I heard the bonds made in battle forge the strongest of chains," Grant said.

"Get that out of a book, Grant?" Peter scoffed.

"He kinda does have a point. We do have to learn how to work together if we want to beat the Hand," Danny said, "Stick's warriors are...cold. That's one of the reasons they're losing against the Hand. They're acting like the Hand - treating each other as expendable to the war - but they don't have the numbers to justify it. The five of us working together can do better but only if we know we have each other's backs."

Peter couldn't tell if he pitied Rand's misplaced idealism or he wanted to push him off the building too.

"And besides, we're so similar in a lot of ways." Matt grinned. Peter looked at him flatly then blew smoke in his face, "Well now, there's no need to be rude about it." The redhead coughed and waved away the smoke, "The truth hurts, Peter, but it's always good to confront it. Like our twisted relationships."

"What the hell are you talking about now?"

"You with Miss. Stacy and me with Karen." He hummed and looked ahead, "Miss. Stacy covers it up with honeyed words, but how often has she disregarded what you wanted? The same way Karen won't just let me cut my throat to save us all the trouble Miss. Stacy will do anything to keep you alive to assuage her sense of guilt and because it's 'for your own good'. You do remember begging for her to leave you to your death a year ago, right?"

"After you cut out my eyes and killed Bullseye..."

"It was still your choice and she took that away from you. And of course let's not get into her oveprotectiveness after Arcade's distraction. We both wear their collars, Peter. The only difference is mine is literal."

"...I suggest you stop talking before I decide the deal's not worth it."

"It is rather astounding how unhealthy your relationships are," Steven said, "It's hard to believe that Marc, of all people, is the one who's in a tentatively healthy relationship. Even Daniel had an ill-fated tryst with Teresa two years prior."

"H-Hey!" Danny protested weakly.

"You have my sympathies, Rand," Peter muttered, "And last I checked you weren't much better, Grant. How's Wasp deal with her not-husband having three people crammed into his skull?"

"Four if you count Khonshu." Grant smirked, "It's going about as well as could be expected. She has some hesitation, of course, and Hope is of course rather reluctant to have a father after almost a decade of absence. We're taking it slow."

"And now we're wasting time." Peter sighed and stood up, "Echo's late and I'm tired of waiting. I'm going on ahead, she can catch up."

Matt watched them all leave and waited till all of them were out of sight before pulling out Peter's phone, "You really should be more careful, Peter." It didn't take long for the phone to ring and he answered without a word. That would be Ms. Baumgartner.

"Pete, Pete!? Pete, I- fuck! I need your help! They took Aracely! These...These fuckers with a cloak and fucking light knives just came and took her! I need your help! I need-"

He cut the call and shut the phone off. Wouldn't do for Peter to be distracted, after all. He felt somewhat guilty going back to his old habits, but this time it was Karen pulling the strings. They needed to focus, after all. The last thing they needed was two of their heaviest hitters leaving when Ms. Baumgartner was more than capable of rescuing her friend.

Besides, someone else would come to her rescue.

"You heard that, hm?" He tossed the phone to Echo and she snatched it out the air deftly, "If you wish to leave and aid Ms. Baumgartner then I won't stop you. I know you have a special interest in her friend. The four of us can handle Sowande."

She jumped off the building without another word. Matt chuckled and swung to catch up with the others. Her behavior was hardly surprising. Family always came first, after all.


EagleEye: -embedded image- Snagged a pic of Spider-Man and the Defenders (except Ninja Lady) hanging out on a rooftop. It's kinda blurry, but I did my best.

Reply from GrinderFanatic: Lol looks like they're trying to cheer him up after his breakup. #fourbrosonaroof

Reply from AThreesomeis: Anyone else think it's sad that Spider-Woman was sulking alone all day while Spider-Man has buddies to cheer him up?

Reply from Shamelessandlovingit: It's lonely at the top. Anyway, on to the important bit: look at their bods! Those are goals right there!

Reply from Tehehe: Yeah, as much as I like the Avengers they're seriously lacking in man meat. I've seen some of the videos of the Defenders. If it wasn't for the brutal maiming I could watch them ALL day long :P

Reply from AThreesomeis: Dude we don't even know what they look like! Except for Spider-Man and he wasn't much a looker.

Reply from Tehehe: Last time we saw Spidey's face the Jack-o-Lantern fucked him up. You try looking good like that. Anyway, with bods like that who cares how they look like? I'd want em to keep the mask on anyways.

Reply from Shamelessandlovingit: Big agreement there. Ninja lady is so lucky...


I was gonna show Aracely's kidnapping this chapter but I ran out of space. I'll show it in the next one. So we've got a three way split of plots right now - Gwen giving birth to her symbiote baby, da bois taking down Sowande, and Lana (plus Echo) dealing with Aracely being kidnapped by Cloak and Dagger. Which means more fight scenes. Why do I do this to myself?

Questions:

1. Do you guys want more segments with the 4 male Defenders awkwardly hanging out or just leave it to this? Some readers are complaining about Peter not having any male friends.

2. Curious, but do you guys think that Peter and Gwen are healthy for one another or do you at least partly agree with Matt that it's imbalanced? I'd argue he's making false equivalency since Gwen's not nearly as controlling as Karen.

3. Are there any V1 characters you guys want to come back and/or get focus on again? I've gotten some comments for Teresa, though I'm aware a large chunk of the readers hate her for her behavior.

Review Answers:

Spidergwen - Have to disagree. Peter and Gwen get equal at worst screentime to MJ. If anyone's shafted for screentime it's Lana.

Titan616 - Most people don't really think about the afterlife since they focus on the here and now. Unless you're a hardcore religious person the afterlife is something stored at the back of your mind so Dan wouldn't care. As for MJ, Matt does comment on her morality and soul later on during their interactions.

And yes, Gwen gets drunk. She gets drunk very easily in fact. The others can hold their booze better.

The Red Ghost22 - Yeah, Peter and Gwen can be unhealthy for one another, but that's what you guys wanted and I'm sticking to it. Also, Peter/Lana wouldn't work for the same reason as Peter/Cindy - the older one considers the younger one like a little brother/sister.

Guest - Maybe. Still gathering ideas.

swilliamsxn - ?

Noisy-Cricket - Yeah I know what you mean, if you know what I mean. Anyway, baby's coming :) As for the MCU deal, like I said above I'm waiting and seeing.

Crieger - Cockblock how? Only Gwen's dating someone. The rest of em are free.