Had to do this chapter in a day so I'm not sure of the quality.
Anyway, I took down the poll since it seems like Felicia and Matt are about equal on votes now. So I guess I'll just write a love triangle where Mary Jane has to choose. That should be...fun.
On a side note, some of the twitter segments in this chapter are done by Nerdman3000, the guy who made the MJ Extra chapter in Two Spiders on a Web. I'll italicize those segments to separate them from mine. Anything not italicized are my own segments or ones I edited.
Saturnboy9001: You know, Spinerette has talked a bit about a few of the differences between our universe and hers, but I wonder how different pop culture in our universe is from hers.
Reply from EpicNPCMan: Dunno. Got to imagine superhero films at the very least are different in her world. I mean didn't she once say that the Fantastic Four and Tony Stark were superheroes, Captain America was Steve Rogers, and that her world's Spider-Man was more like the Spider-Woman of our world?
Reply from HealingIvy: I still can't tell what's weirder: Tony Stark being a super hero, or Captain America being a white dude.
Reply from GhostofMary: Definitely the later IMO.
Reply from Spinerette: You know, I could probably write a book about how different pop culture in this universe and mine old one are. I still accidentally make slip ups and reference stuff from my world that is called something different here or doesn't exist.
Reply from Saturnboy9001: That's actually kind of fascinating. I'd totally pay to read that book BTW.
Reply from EpicNPCMan: Any chance you could give us an example though of something different?
Reply from Spinerette: Of the top of my head is what you guys call Trek Wars. In my universe, Star Wars is this big space opera movie franchise while Star Trek is a totally separate unrelated but popular Sci-Fi TV show. In this universe though, they've somehow both been merged into one thing.
Reply from EpicNPCMan: Huh. You know, not going to lie, Star Wars and Star Trek are both actually much better names than Trek Wars.
Reply from HealingIvy: Is there anything that you found to be the same?
Reply from Spinerette: Funny enough, Shakespeare is probably the one thing I've found that's completely identical in this world to my own.
Reply from ScarletSpidey1Fan: You read Shakespeare?
Reply from Spinerette: ... I went through a weird phase in High School.
"So how's the Spider-Cop life treating you?"
Cindy ignored Daisy's question and continued her attacks on the punching bag in front of her while the former S.H.I.E.L.D agent paced behind it. The Freak Beat was chronically underfunded but at least they had a gym and a shooting range. Apparently the people upstairs figured that the guys fighting Supervills and costumed baddies deserved somewhere to train and blow off some steam.
"Yo, asked you a question."
"I heard you."
She flipped and hit the bag with a scorpion kick. Daisy caught it before it hit the wall and whistled, "Someone's been working on their moves. Don't remember teaching you that."
"I try." Spider powers helped, though she liked to think at least some of it was from her own hard work. Ezekiel trained her for three years to be his own personal hunter (which she was pretty sure was just a fancy way of saying assassin) and, while she tried her best to suppress said training (because damn if she was going to use anything he taught her), her training with S.H.I.E.L.D had a bad habit of forcing back the muscle memory.
"So my question."
"What do you want me to say?" Daisy shoved the bag back to her and Cindy hit it with a spinning elbow, "Most days it's paperwork and being dumped cases no one wants cause the guy just happened to be wearing a domino mask." No, she still didn't go after Bodega Bandit and his gang of Banditos. She still had standards and she wasn't going to give that guy exactly what he wanted.
"I'm surprised. Thought you'd enjoy a little downtime after H.Y.D.R.A and those Skrulls."
"This isn't exactly a vacation, Des." She punched the bag straight on and winced when her fist went straight through the cloth. Oops, "Damn it..." She unhooked the leaking bag and replaced it with another from the nearby stack. A few of the other training officers stared at her, but she paid them no mind. She was used to being stared at. Even after she made friends with the rest of the beat some of them still felt wary about being so close to someone who could crush their heads like grapes.
"Ever miss working in S.H.I.E.L.D?"
Cindy snorted, "Hell no." She continued to her workout while Daisy held the bag in place. She was surprised to find the other brunette at her desk that morning but apparently she'd been assigned as a temporary assistant considering the attack on the Symkarian embassy. S.H.I.E.L.D might have been officially decommissioned, but that didn't mean they were gone. They still kept up with recent events and a (tentatively) allied nation's embassy being bombed by what was supposed to be gangsters made them stand at attention.
"So tell me one thing: why am I dealing with this?" She kicked the bag and Daisy pressed her lips together as she barely held it in place, "Gangsters assaulting an embassy is odd, I'll give you that, but my jurisdiction's powered or costumed crime, not organized." Not that she was really complaining, mind you. Bad guys were bad guys whether they were wearing dumb costumes or three piece suits.
"You're asking me? All I was told was to head over here and make sure you got headway on this."
She was about to respond before she felt a slap on her tush, "Hey, Moon, you got something on-"
Cindy spun around and wrapped her right arm around the offender's neck in a chokehold, "Masters. Just when I thought this day would actually be good." She sneered and tightened the hold. Not enough to hurt him, but enough that he'd feel the pressure, "You gonna tell me why you slapped my butt or do I have to choke harder?"
"Oh please, like you're actually offended. I've seen your dating profile." Despite his precarious position the smug bastard actually managed to snort.
"Yeah? Doesn't mean I don't have standards, and racist cops are on the top of my 'do not want' list." Right behind entitled nice guys and people who kept insisting she had to be gay cause of some stupid rumor. She loosened her grip enough for him to stumble back, gasping and grabbing at his throat, "You touch me like that again and I'll break your nose. We clear?"
"Jesus, you're high strung. Ain't like it's the first time a guy got his hands on you." Cindy raised a brow and, without warning, grabbed between his legs and squeezed before quickly letting go. The guy's wide eyed look almost made her burst into laughter, "H-Hey, what the fu-"
"What? Ain't like it's the first time a woman put their hands on you," she said, mockingly shifting her voice into a faux baritone, "Or maybe it is, in which case I am so sorry. Now seriously, leave me alone 'less you want your jewels bursting." She turned him around and slapped his tush hard before pushing him away.
Behind her, Daisy whistled, "Think you went a bit overboard there."
"Seriously? The guy just went up and slapped me in the butt. He's lucky I didn't actually squeeze that hard."
"Still, you are the only one here with superpowers. Maybe try being careful?"
"Just cause I have powers doesn't mean I won't hit back if someone hits first." Cindy scoffed. She never really bought into that 'we're stronger and thus we must be better' speech. People were people, superpowers or not. If you acted like a jerk then you don't get to complain when someone hits back, "Besides, he's been a pain in the rear since day one."
"Honestly I think he just has a crush on you."
"Yeah, sure. Totally in love." Cindy snorted again and continued her workout. So far Jean's plan to ingratiate her to the rest of the force was going well. Sure there were a few assholes like Masters or Blake, but considering the former was a prick and the latter was a corrupt prick she didn't really care all that much. That and she was blackmailing Blake to spill info on his side boss.
There was a tap on her shoulder, "Swear to God, Masters-" She turned around with a fist raised and froze when she saw that the person behind her was not, in fact, Masters. The first thing she noticed was the shocking head of silver hair quickly followed by the silver outfit. The man in front of her was tall, easily standing a head over Cindy herself, and the suit didn't do much to hide the muscles underneath.
"I'm sorry, I think you've mistaken me for someone else." His voice was smooth and accented with something she couldn't place. Sounded vaguely Russian.
"Yeah...sorry." She awkwardly put her hand down and stepped back, "You looking for somebody?"
"You."
"Ah...well, I'm not really open for a date right now," she snarked back. Though she had to admit he was good looking. Clean cut face, chiseled jaw and a regal hairstyle that stuck out from all the sweat soaked sad sacks (herself included) in the gym. His narrow eyes looked her up and down - appraising her - and he crossed his arms.
Daisy stepped up next to her and elbowed her in the side, "Uh, Cin, that's Silver Sablivona. You know, Prince Silver Sablivona?"
"Huh...didn't think the name'd be so literal." She wasn't as impressed as she thought she'd be. Then again she'd met with the King of Asgard and touched his hammer so that was about to be expected, "Real sorry about the attack on the embassy. I wish I could've done more." She hated that she always seemed to arrive too late. It'd been a while since she got there before there were any casualties.
"Yes, well, we move on." He smiled. It was stiff and more than a little strained, "I understand that you are on the case?"
"Yeah, though I still don't exactly get why."
"I believe I can answer that, but I'd like to ask a favor first." Cindy raised a brow and silently urged him to continue, "Fight me."
"...What?"
"A sparring match, I mean. If you're to be leading the investigation then I'd like to see firsthand that you're capable, which means no holding back."
"No offense, but I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Afraid of hurting me?"
"No, more afraid of getting arrested for assaulting the prince of a country." She rolled her eyes. Wouldn't have been the first time, "Look, you can count on me and the rest of the force. We know what we're doing."
"I'd still feel more comfortable knowing exactly who's leading the case. I promise that this is a personal matter and won't involve any authorities."
"You're not gonna let this go, are you?" She sighed and cracked her neck, "Fine, don't say I didn't warn you."
They took up positions on opposite sides of the large sparring mat. Cindy pulled her hair into a ponytail while prince charming strapped on some sparring gloves. Most of the other officers stopped what they were doing to sit on the bleachers and watch. Off to the side Jean mouthed something to herself and facepalmed while Masters watched eagerly from the bleachers. Cindy responded with a rude gesture.
"Last chance. You wanna back off?" Cindy asked.
"Your move."
"Fine then."
She shot forward and aimed a punch straight for his jaw. To her surprise he easily side-stepped the blow and grabbed her outstretched wrist, "Nice one." She smirked and quickly wrenched her arm from his grip before pulling back slightly. Prince charming smirked back in turn and put his hands up, just baiting her. She shook her head and made a 'come and get me' gesture.
Cindy blocked his punch and kneed his side. The blow impacted briefly and he grabbed her leg before it could fall, "Hands off." She jumped, twisted and kicked him right at the side of the head with her other foot. Prince charming fell to the ground and quickly rolled back to put some distance between them while Jean and a few others whistled and clapped.
"Ready to give up?" Cindy asked.
"You're still holding back."
"You know people usually say that when they're winning, right?"
He laughed under his breath and tossed something at her feet. She was so surprised by the sudden usage of of what she'd realize soon was a flashbang that she didn't close her eyes. The bright light forced her eyes shut and she stumbled back only to get two hits to the gut and a kick to her jaw that forced her on her back.
"...Flashbangs? Seriously?" She glared up at him halfheartedly through the spots in her vision. To his credit prince charming actually did look apologetic, which was more than could be said for Masters and a couple of others who looked like Christmas came early.
He crouched down in front of her, "I did say no holding back."
"Yeah." She raised her left leg and hit him square in the back of the neck. Cindy scrambled on his back and put him in a chokehold, "Alright, so tell me. Why exactly am I working this case, Prince Sablinova?"
"Call me Silver. And as for why, I needed to make sure the people who attacked us are caught."
"So you're saying you're the reason why."
"You could say that." He pulled his head back and hit her square in the chin. It probably hurt him more than it hurt her, but it was enough for her grip to loosen which he used as a chance to flip them over and grab her right arm in a grapple, "I asked the mayor of this city to make sure that these men are a priority. He assured me that he would ensure that we would face justice."
"So we're the mayor's insurance. Great." She grabbed his arm and twisted it in turn. There was a slight crack and Cindy spun and kicked him in the chest, forcing him back to the mat. Daisy winced and looked like she was about to step in when Cindy spoke again, "Look, I'll tell you right now that if you're expecting a miracle then you're going to be disappointed. My detective skills are pretty mediocre." Pete was still the best of them on that front, which still made no sense to her. Neither he or the original Spider-Man had any detective training.
"I heard about how you saved that little boy who was kidnapped. I don't think you give yourself enough credit."
And then he pulled out two guns and aimed straight at her. She moved automatically, shooting two lines of webbing to each of his wrists. Her spin-sense was way too late to warn her when he suddenly pulled, spun and kicked her face hard enough to push her to the ground.
Alright, fine, if that was how he wanted to play it.
Cindy flipped back into a crouched position and narrowed her eyes. She forced herself to forget that this was just supposed to be a sparring match and fought like she was out in the field. Prince charming blocked the first two blows but the third crushed through his meager defense and hit him square in the chest. Cindy continued her assault and managed to kick him in the face at least three more times before he grabbed her arm and flipped her over.
She rolled back into a standing position and kicked away one of the guns pointed at her, "ICER rounds, huh?" Well, at least he wasn't pointing real bullets in her face.
"This is a sparring match, and I'd rather not kill the one leading the investigation."
"It's cute you think that." She webbed his wrist again and again he pulled her in for a spinning kick. This time she blocked the attack and used her other hand to web his foot. His eyes just barely widened when she yanked, making him crash to the mat with a painful thud. She grabbed the gun from his limp hand and pointed it straight at his forehead, "We done here?"
He held up his hands in surrender and laughed, "I believe we are."
"Good. Hope you're satisfied." She offered him the gun back which he took and used to pull himself up. He picked up the other, discarded gun while Cindy looked at her wristwatch (shut up, she still thought using phones to tell time was weird), "Shit, I gotta go."
"Another one of these 'supervillain' attacks?"
"Worse: Parent Teacher conference."
Thirty minutes later and she was sitting in the way too hot waiting room for her turn with the teacher. Thankfully it wasn't because Laura was in trouble this time. It was just the usual meet and greet where teachers pretended to smile and told you exactly where your kids (and she was just gonna ignore how she'd practically adopted Laura despite her already having a dad) messed up and how to make their jobs easier.
Okay, so she was bitter. Sue her, Mrs. Kowalski from third grade had it in for her.
As expected, at least a few of the parents wouldn't stop staring at her. Some of them whispered, wondering what she was doing here, while others (mostly the ones who looked under 30) just came up and asked for selfies and autographs. Cindy said yes, mostly because she didn't want to make a scene. Awkward enough she was here cause Shadowcat just so happened to take a job that'd keep her out of the city for a day.
She planned for that. Damn her.
"God, what's taking so long?" She took a sip of her (lukewarm, cause God hated her) water and glared hatefully at the door leading to the teacher's office. The waiting room was just parents. Apparently kids had to wait somewhere else after last year's spaghetti incident. No, she had no idea what that meant. Apparently some things were just a bit too horrific to tell.
She was about to scream out something incoherently when someone asked next to her, "First time?" She looked to the side at the man who asked the question. Compared to most of the other parents he looked grungy. Dark, messy hair and a stubble that looked half shaved paired with a shirt and jeans combo that had a couple of holes in it. His sneakers were worn and caked in dried mud just to complete the ensemble.
"That obvious?" Cindy asked back with a wry smile.
"Kinda. I've been here a lot, seen everything from the nervous hopefuls to the people who just wanna get it over with.
"Yeah, well, I'm pretty new to the whole 'being a parent' thing. Kinda got roped into it." Cause lord knew Shadowcat wasn't gonna be any good at it. She much preferred being the older sister...who slept with the dad. Ugh. This family tree was hosed, and that wasn't even getting into Laura's joking(?) suggestion she marry Spider-Man.
"Sounds like there's a story there."
"Not one I wanna tell to strangers."
"Let's change that. Name's Scott." He raised a (surprisingly clean) hand towards her.
"Cindy." She shook his hand briefly before leaning back on her chair, arms crossed, "So, how many kids you got here?"
"Just the one. Cassie." He smiled in the way only proud parents could be; same way Ben did when talking about his little girls, "You?"
"Same. Laura."
"So I know this might be a bit awkward to ask, but is she really your...you know..."
"Would it change anything if she wasn't?" She raised a brow.
"No, just curious. Didn't think any of you Avengers types had kids except for Wasp."
"We don't air out everything to the public, you know." She adjusted her legs and bit back a yawn. Someone knowing who she was and talking normally was oddly refreshing, "Laura's my kid as far as I'm concerned. Doesn't matter where she came from."
"Hey, no need to get defensive. I know what you mean."
"Hmm." She looked up at the ceiling and asked, "So...any reason people are staring at you?"
"Aren't they just staring at you, Miss Famous Avenger?"
"No, I know when I'm being gawked at. This is different." She gestured to the parents who kept their distance, "You're sitting off in the corner, didn't talk to anyone but me and no one's making eye contact. What's the deal?"
"Yeah..." He scratched at the back of his head, "I...kinda have a record."
"...Wasn't touching kids, right?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"What? No, no! Just..." He sighed, "I did a burglary a few years back. Spent some time behind bars for it and now I'm out. One of the parents here heard about it and spread it around so as far as the people here care I might as well have touched kids."
"A robbery, huh?"
"Well, technically I didn't rob anyone. Robbery involves threat. I hate violence. I burgled them. I'm a cat burglar."
"You sound like a lawyer." Cindy snorted, "Well, you don't have to worry about me judging you." Especially since her 'partner' was the Black Cat, "I'm surprised they let you in here. Most parents with criminal records are persona non grata in places like this."
"They needed a parent and I'm the only one who counts." He shrugged, trying just a bit too hard to be casual, "And you're one to talk. I think you gave the receptionist a heart attack when you strolled in here."
"Not my fault..." Cindy mumbled. She really didn't want to make a big deal about her relationship with Laura. Shadowcat was weird about it. She didn't want to hide how they were related but she was adamant that Laura stayed 'normal' at least till she was 18. Give her the choice I never had, to use her words. So far she hadn't said anything about Laura's new partnership.
The teacher called Laura's name over the intercom, "Looks like you're up," Scott said.
"Yeah. Wish me luck."
It went...well. No more fights and no complaints apart from some worries about Laura's math grades. Laura pouted and said that math wasn't going to be useful for her future job as a superhero, but apart from that it was all good. The two of them kept true to their word and Gabbie, as Gwen's kid was being called now, kept a low profile in school and didn't help her cheat in her tests.
Of course that didn't stop the teacher from giving her the side eye the entire time. She expected it. This place was a normal high school - the most exciting thing that happened in the past decade was that still mysterious spaghetti incident. And now they had a little girl with claws and (unknown to them) a symbiote with an Avenger who acted as her mom.
She said her goodbyes to the teacher and passed Scott and his daughter on the way out, "Your turn up next?" she asked with a wry smile. The little girl excitedly started talking with Laura about something.
"Yeah. You guys?"
"We're heading out to get some ice cream."
"Oh, well, here." He rummaged through his pocket and handed her a card, "There's a Baskin-Robbins on the Supermall a few blocks down. Give em this card and tell em Scott sent you and they'll give you a discount. I'm kind of a big deal over there."
"I'm so honored." Cindy laughed under her breath and accepted it, "Thanks. Maybe I'll see you around."
First she had to spend some quality time with Laura then investigate a bunch of gangsters dabbling into international terrorism. What a day.
PlasmaBiteMikeyM: You ever wonder how weird life must be like for Gwen Stacy?
Reply from AsianBae4: Who?
Reply from PlasmaBiteMikeyM: You know, Gwen Stacy. Peter Parker's old high school best friend from before he turned himself into the Lizard?
Reply from Starcream519: No offense, but why do you think her life must be weird?
Reply from PlasmaBiteMikeyM: Well think about it from her perspective. Your best friend in high school turned into a giant lizard, died, then got brought back to life with the memories of another version of himself from another universe who's a Spider themed vigilante and where it's still the 1930s or 40s. Furthermore, there are whole forums and websites in the web who for years have dedicated themselves to speculating and theorizing that your actually Spider-Woman, AND to top it all off, there are tons of fanfiction written online about you either dating Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, or in a love triangle with both.
Reply from Starcream519: Ok, yeah, that is kind of weird. Especially since she's generally not really super famous or anything.
Reply from FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman: Wait … there's fanfiction of me dating Gwen Stacy?
Reply from MJJackpot: Lol
Gwen loved being a superhero. Saving people in need, putting the bad guys in prison (which were more effective by the day, despite Peter's comments) and wearing a kickass costume on top of it. Even when she was a kid she wanted to follow in her dad's footsteps despite his comments that he 'didn't want her to spend her life chasing criminals'. Cause apparently it was only cool when he did it. Whatever, she was a Superhero - a bonafide Avenger - now and she loved it.
But there were times she really hated it.
It wasn't the villains that tried to make her 'rue her day', it wasn't the public that hated her for two years and now expected to be able to dictate what she could and couldn't do. It wasn't even the occasional feeling of futility she had that no matter how many criminals she put away there'd always be someone else to take their place.
No, it was seeing people at their worst. Her mom always taught her to see the best in people, to look past first impressions and think positive like she did with dad, but it was getting harder by the day. How was she supposed to feel optimistic when she couldn't go more than a couple of blocks without some punk with a switchblade trying to mug someone in some dark alley? And that's if she was lucky. Some of the others crimes she'd stopped almost made her want to stop pulling her punches.
Sure, there were people who did it because they had no choice. Some of them just wanted to feed their families or they had a lifesaving surgery they needed. So many sob stories so little time. For the most part she tried to help them. Naive, maybe, but not every purse snatcher needed a punch to the face.
And then there were people like this.
She-Hulk roped her into another guest show appearing on Catching Predators. She'd been tempted to say no first before she told her that she managed to get, on contract, a guarantee from the agency that 95% of all profits made would go to various charities helping children deal with sexual abuse.
Because as much as she preferred being out there on the streets she knew She-Hulk was right: it wouldn't be enough. She promised MJ and Peter that she'd change New York and to do that she needed to do more than just go on neighborhood patrols. She needed to help the victims live their lives and find ways to give opportunities to those who could've avoided a life of crime if they were just given a chance.
And if it meant parading around like a show host then she'd do it.
"Hey, what's up? Why don't you have a seat right over there?"
Criminals came in all shapes and sizes - young people who were just getting started on life to the ones who looked like they needed to be in a retirement home ASAP. This wasn't any different. Just today she'd met everyone from aspiring college students to old guys in their twilight years looking for another, cheap thrill. From doctors to janitors, she wasn't surprised at what she saw anymore.
"Wh-What are you doing here?"
But she still couldn't stop herself from feeling pissed off at the police officer who walked in through the door. She wasn't an idiot. She knew corrupt cops existed, her dad had enough complaints about them to last a lifetime, but that didn't mean she wasn't angry whenever she ran into them. The badge was a promise, a vow to serve and protect, and to break that made her sick. It spat in the face of her dad and everyone like him.
"Think I should be asking you that question," she snarked back, barely keeping the anger out of her tone as she hung upside down from a string of web, "Doing a routine inspection, officer?"
He was an older man - 49 according to what they told her - with his dark hair and mustache already growing gray. From what she gathered he was a multiple decade veteran on the force. And he was throwing it all away for this.
After that it was the same as everyone else. Denying that he planned to do anything, claiming that it was all a big misunderstanding. Gwen rode through the roller coaster of denial and justifications in the same bored manner as the rest. He had a family, he had a career, did she know how much he'd lose if this came out? Bla bla bla. She would've felt sympathetic to his cries and pleas if she wasn't so disgusted.
"You can't do this to me! Do you have any idea what they'll do to me in prison?! I won't survive a week!"
"Don't be so dramatic. I'm sure they'll have a nice cell in solitary for you to spend your stay in," she said, not even bothering to hide the distaste in her tone, "You know what they say, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Even 5 year olds know that."
"This isn't right!" he screamed suddenly, "I'm an officer of the law! You're just some half-cocked vigilante who-"
"Isn't trying to sleep with kids," she cut him off impatiently, "This isn't an argument, Coleman. Everyone knows you sent your chicken pics to someone you thought was 12. Enjoy your stay in the bighouse."
She webbed his mouth shut followed by binding his hands together before he could argue more. She was exhausted, but she kept reminding herself this was for a good cause. One day of staring at gross messages and dick pics meant kids who got proper therapy and medication for their trauma. She'd take it.
A few hours later and she'd finally finished. Gwen ignored all the thank yous and congratulations of the staff and headed to the back room to cool off, "A fine performance out there." She held back a huge grimace and forced a smile on her face (didn't matter if no one could see under the mask, Cindy made it clear it was crucial) when she turned to Roxxon. Roxxon who definitely wasn't supposed to be here, "I think you'd make a fine star."
"Heh, thanks." She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, "How'd you know I'd be here?"
"I have my ways." Meaning he was stalking her. Great, like she didn't have enough nightmares already, "I wished to talk with you."
"What about?"
"Your latest 'team-up' with Spider-Man a few days prior." Roxxon said his name the same way anyone else would say dog turds. Gwen bit her tongue to keep from saying something she'd regret, "I was under the assumption that you two had...separated."
"We are," she said, doing her best to keep her voice neutral, "Like I told Boomerang I came because he was putting those people in danger. As much as I hate Spider-Man I'm not going to let that stop me from doing my job."
"I see. So if he were in danger by himself you would not come to his aid?" Oh, and how gleeful he looked at that. Gwen was torn between punching him in the jaw or chucking him out of the building entirely. It'd be one thing if he was just a supervill who wanted to get rid of an obstacle; that way it wouldn't have been personal. But no, he did all this because of some crazy crush he had on her. Every time someone tried to gun for Peter and put other people in danger a part of her blamed herself.
"Hell no." Gwen snorted. She hoped it sounded genuine, "Can you keep a secret?"
"Of course." Gwen internally rolled her eyes. His eagerness creeped her the hell out.
"Cap wants me to keep an eye on him. As much of a pain ass he can be she thinks he can be useful. Apparently stopping a demon gets you some leeway."
"You do not agree?"
"No. So he stops a big ugly tick, woo hoo. If I wasn't busy dealing with Moon I could've done that. Hell, I'm sure you could've done it with less drama."
"You flatter me, Spider-Woman, but I do think you have a tad too much faith in me." Ah, false modesty. Her favorite.
"Really if someone got rid of him it'd make my life way easier. That way I wouldn't have to pull babysitting duty." Yes, she was being stupidly blunt, but at this point it was obvious the guy was so blinded wanting to see under the spandex that he wouldn't catch on, "I just wish he'd keep this bounty shit to himself. I'm sick of him putting everyone else in danger because he can't handle his own issues."
"Quite so." He nodded, "To change the subject, I'm attending a get together in a few days time. Would it trouble you to attend?"
"Of course not. Just give me a time and place." Now for the next part of her bid. She pulled a (spare) phone out of her pocket and made a show of opening the screen, "You said you could keep a secret, so I'm going to trust you with something else. Gimme your phone and I'll put in my contacts. This is for my personal phone so whatever you do do not show it to anyone else, okay?"
"Of course. You can trust me." The fact that he could say that with a smile on her face made her sick.
Gwen quickly said her goodbyes before she could vomit out her lunch and swung back to her house in Queens. She was supposed to meet with Jess, Kate and her dad to see if they could dig up anything on the 'gentleman's club' - which, appropriately enough, was called exactly that - that could help her. Or maybe get her out of going in entirely. She could always hope.
She'd shifted back into her casuals and walked the rest of the way home. It didn't take her long to spot Jess arguing with someone near the front porch, "Do you have any idea how many rules you've violated since you moved in here?" The woman, an older redhead with plastic looking smile and an even more plastic looking face, asked.
"About as many pieces your face is gonna be in if you don't back off," Jessica asked.
"Woah, woah! Let's calm it down a notch!" Gwen pulled Jessica back before she could do something she'd regret, "What's going on here?"
"Ah, Ms. Stacy. Nothing, we're simply discussing-"
"She's trying to find an excuse to kick me out. Again." Jessica's expression made it clear she was clearly done with this shit, "Cause she doesn't like a freak like me walking around in her perfect neighborhood."
"Wrong. I was simply telling you that you need to follow the rules that everyone else obeys."
"You've been on me since I picked up the back of George's car so I could grab the keys I dropped. What, is there some rule in that little guidebook of yours against lifting cars?" She sneered, "Listen, you old bitch, you're not the first power tripping hag I've had to deal with. You don't like me? Tough shit, I don't like you either. Now get out of here before I call the cops for trespassing."
The woman glared but said nothing as she walked back to her house. Jessica cursed under her breath while Gwen clapped her on the shoulder comfortingly, "You okay?"
"Yeah, just...she pisses the hell out of me. If it's not her getting weird about me being a freak it's her making stupid comments about me and George cause he's 'so much older than me'," she said the last part in a mocking falsetto, "This is the reason why I didn't want to move in here. Least back at my place everyone minded their own damn business."
"...Your floorboards were literally coming apart."
"And no one peeked." She finally smiled and nudged her head to the door, "Come on, Kate and George are inside."
Kate and her dad were sat around the living room table with Helena lying down on her crib. Webster immediately plopped out of her and slithered over to the lying baby, who immediately laughed and play wrestled with her, "Hey guys, sorry I'm late." She sat down between Kate and her dad.
"Have fun busting internet perverts?" Kate asked with a grin.
"Oh yeah, had the time of my life." Gwen rolled her eyes and looked at the scattered papers, "You guys dig up anything on the GC?"
"Not much." Jess sat across from her, "Had a couple of cases in the past there. Place is your typical dive, and they even got their liquor license up to date. Trust me that's something you're never gonna see."
"No crimes in the area either," her dad said, "I asked a favor from an old friend to look up some case files. Some gangsters are known to frequent the establishment but we don't have any actual proof that the place itself is connected to any illegal activities."
"Except for some of the strippers pulling double duty as sex workers, you mean," Kate added, "Did my own investigating. Apparently there's a room in the back for some of the VIP clients. Private dances, supposedly, but it doesn't take a genius to figure that's innuendo. The guy you and MJ are investigating, one Frankie Bianchi, is one of those VIPs. So...yeah."
An awkward silence hung in the air. She'd told them a few days ago what she and MJ were going to do and they didn't take it well. Jessica suggested just dangling Frankie off the nearest building till he caved while Kate actually offered to take her place to spare her dignity; apparently she forgot that she was as well-known as Cindy was at this point and there was no chance in hell it'd work.
And her dad? Hoo boy he looked like his head was gonna burst.
"Are you sure there's no other way?" Her dad asked for the nth time that weak, "I could ask for more case files, see if we can make something stick."
"Cindy doesn't want to just haul this guy in. He needs to think he's in control and the best way we can do that is...well, this." Her dad still looked skeptical. Gwen sighed, "I don't like it either, dad, but I owe Cindy a lot and it's either this or letting MJ go it alone. And I really don't wanna let her in there by herself." Mostly for both her and the criminals' sakes.
"I shall try my best to make this experience less embarassing for the both of us," Webster said from the crib.
"Yeah, thanks Webs..."
She walked to the kitchen and called MJ, "Hey, I'm heading over to the club. You ready?"
"Uh, yeah, I'll be there in a bit."
"Is something wrong?" Gwen's brows furrowed worriedly.
"It's nothing, just..." She let out a slow breath, "I'm kind of on a date right now and it's not going well. Trying to salvage it."
"You're dating again?" Gwen found herself smiling. As torn as she was about MJ's new views on everything one thing she was glad about was how better off MJ was. It'd only been a few days and already she felt like she was seeing the old MJ again.
"Yeah, don't make a big deal out of it." She laughed under her breath, "Oh, don't forget we've got band practice this Friday."
"Says the girl whose been late the past six times while I've been on time?" Gwen asked back with a smirk. Oh how the tables had turned.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later, Gwencent."
Gwen said her goodbyes to the rest and swung to the address Cindy texted her. She landed on a nearby rooftop and, after making sure no one was looking, shifted into her 'uniform' and changed her face before jumping down to the alley that led to the back entrance, 'I've changed your voice as well, Gwen. You are unrecognizable.'
'God, I hope so.' She knocked on the door and the door slit opened to a narrowed pair of eyes, "H-Hey, the name's Traci. I'm the new girl?" She smiled, which she was sure looked fake as all hell. Thankfully no one came to this kind of place to look at your smile, "C-Could you let me in? It's kinda cold out here."
The slit closed with a loud smack before the bouncer opened it slowly. He looked down at her with an unreadable gaze, "...You know there are changing rooms inside, right?" he asked, the very voice of someone who'd seen too much shit to care.
"W-Well, I missed laundry day." Gwen laughed. It sounded like she was choking, "So...can I come in."
Bouncer guy shook his head and stepped aside without a word. Gwen scurried- strode confidently inside and kept her head held up high. Already she smelled the unmistakable mix of alcohol, body oil and other...fluids that permeated the air. The superhero suppressed a shudder and thanked small mercies that her powers made walking in the heels manageable, even if they were torture devices made by the patriarchy.
It didn't take long for her name to be called.
"Alright guys we've got a new face joining us tonight. Give it up for Traci."
Gwen took a deep breath and stepped through the curtains. It was now or never.
GeeksRUs: I just realized something weird... If where that other Spider-Man comes from, WW2 just started, does that mean there's a universe where Hitler is still alive?
Reply from DynamiteJim336: Wasn't that kind of always assumed?
Reply from GeeksRUs: I guess? It's just weird to think that there's someplace out there where that short mustached murder is still breathing.
Reply from DynamiteJim336: Okay and? No offense, but what exactly do you think we are supposed to do about it?
Reply from GeeksRUs: I mean, we could always call the Avengers to go over there and kick Hitler and the Nazi's ass?
Reply from FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman: Look, as much as I'm all for the idea of saving millions of innocent people and punching Hitler in the face it's not possible right now. 1 portal tech is risky and we could end up trapped in a zombie dimension or something and 2 even with all of the Avengers it'd take months to stop something as big as WW2. I don't like the idea of leaving this place for months after what happened with H.Y.D.R.A and the Skrulls.
Reply from Yuki Tash: That and it opens up a whole 'nother can of worms. Like if we can send the Avengers to do that what's stopping us from sending them over to North Korea to take those guys down?
Reply from DynamiteJim336: The Avengers aren't part of the army, remember?
Reply from Argonian Ale: Well why aren't they? Seriously have you seen some of the videos of them fighting? Apart from Hawkeye every Avenger is a One Man Army.
Reply from the salt lord: Screw the Avengers, just look at this vid of Spider-Man - embedded video- Dude just took out an entire platoon of insurgents and a tank with a one rifle and a grenade. Some of the Gifted would make soldiers a joke.
Reply from Argonian Ale: Holy shit, was that when he went to South Africa? Damn!
Reply from FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderWoman: I've got comments like this before and I'll say it again: I am not joining the military of any kind. I know Cap and many other people did and all the power to them but that's not what I want to do with my life. Stopping the bad guys and protecting people here is what I love. And honestly I just don't want to get into politics. Hero work is simple and I like it that way.
Peter remembered those first days after his identity had been revealed. Having to slink between alleys because every paparazzi in the city wanted a pic of his face, getting attacked by the police because Jameson needed someone to rant about. Back then he'd all but given up. He was ready to leave everyone behind because he didn't know what else he could do.
But then Gwen made her plea and people...tolerated him. Some of them actually accepted him, but that creeped him out more than the silent judgement. Asking for his autograph, asking to take pictures with him. Back then he expected an attack from every corner.
Now that people knew he was a kid again it was ten times worse.
"Get him! He's just a fucking kid!"
Peter smashed the Lantern's head against the ground and dodged the next barrage of gunfire. Some people thought that just cause he was smaller now it meant he suddenly wasn't dangerous. Nevermind that they saw him take down that crazy brat Kaboom or the fact that he nearly killed that Hobgoblin bastard - who, incidentally, Gwen didn't believe was the Hobgoblin she was after. Apparently he had a habit of using body doubles.
He cloaked and tackled the Lantern with the machine gun before punching him in the throat. Moon Knight told him about the facility. Another Lantern meeting ground. This time the chuckleheads were actually planning to break Jack out of prison. He wasn't worried. Any of them got near that high tech Alcatraz and they'd get shot if they were lucky. If they weren't lucky they'd end up an inch tall.
Didn't mean he'd let them try, though.
He flipped and kicked another Lantern straight up the jaw and webbed him to the wall. The sooner he dealt with Gao the sooner these clowns stopped getting their guns. Idiots with firearms were still dangerous, from stupidity if nothing else.
"F-Fuck this, I ain't gettin' taken down by Spider-Kid!"
This was the second thought. For most criminals being taken down by one of the freak heroes and vigilantes was nothing special. Hell, some of em took it as a point of pride. That Bodega Bandit mook though Gwen taking 5 minutes off to drop him at his dumpster gave him street cred and at least a few people thought surviving a fight with him, win or lose, was something to be proud of.
Of course, no one thought the same now that he was a kid. Now it was a mark of shame.
Peter sighed in frustration and chased after the the last, fleeing Lantern. He knew a lot of criminals were scared of him - and he didn't do anything to discourage that fear - but there something degrading about them running because they thought they deserved a beatdown by someone better. Like he wasn't good enough to send them behinds to the slammer so they had to find someone more respectable.
The Lantern stopped at the end of the hall in front of a large window. Peter grit his teeth and tackled him through the glass. The green-suited coward screamed and flailed till Peter attached one end of a webline to his legs and the other to a nearby light post, leaving him to hang upside down with his head inches from the asphalt.
Peter rolled as he landed and ignored the slight pain from the impact. Shallow, nothing a quick nap wouldn't fix, "That's the last of them..." He stood back up and winced at the gawking pedestrians, some of whom were already taking pictures. Never understood the obsession with saving images here. Everyone and their grandma did it and thought they were the only ones.
"Y-You can't stop us!" The hanging Lantern screamed, trying to salvage what little dignity he had left, "The Jack-o-Lantern gang'll set this city on fire! You'll-"
Peter webbed his mouth shut and frowned at the sound of sirens in the air. He called the cops earlier to pick up the trash but he didn't think they'd arrive so soon. Time to make an exit.
Before he could disappear into smoke again a couple of women who looked to be in their 30's walked up to him, "Could we take a picture? Like, without the mask?" the blonde woman to his left asked.
"...What?" He stared up at them blankly.
"A souvenir picture, except without the mask," The one to his right, a short haired brunette, said, "Come on, people already saw your face a few days ago! What's the harm?"
He was so tempted to tell them off and disappear before he remembered his promise to Gwen. He told her he'd play nice - within reason - to any of his...fans. He didn't like it, but life would be easier if he only had to watch out for criminals and didn't have to worry about people calling the cops just cause they saw him walking down the street. That and maybe the boys in blue would cut him some slack, especially now that he and Gwen were 'broken up'.
And it'd make life easier for her when they got back together. He knew the effect he had on her reputation and, much as he hated to admit it, a few pictures were worth mitigating that damage.
He took off his mask and the two women excitedly took their pictures, "Oh, you're so cute!" The blonde ruffled his hair affectionately while Peter internally cringed. This was his life now.
Of course, a few pictures was enough to open the floodgates. As soon as the women were far enough the entire crowd homed in around him asking for pictures or signatures and the like. Peter played along even as his patience slowly wore thin. Gwen was going to owe him for this.
There were even a couple of parents who let their kids stand next to him take pictures. At least that one made him laugh since the second girl, who couldn't have been older than 9, stomped her feet and cried that she preferred Moon Knight.
This place really was a Madhouse.
Eventually his patience did eventually run out and he snuck away before another threesome could ask him to make a pose. He waited till he was at a far enough alley before he pressed his back against the wall and let himself slide down. He'd just stopped a group of psycho wannabes from trying to break out their leader and yet he felt more exhausted taking pictures afterwards.
"Bad day?"
Peter's lips curled up in a wry smile and he looked up to his right at the new arrival, "Teresa." She didn't look much different from when he saw her last.
His older sister smiled back and stood next to him with her back against the wall, her arms crossed, "What, that's all you have to say after we've finally seen each other after a whole year?"
"You're right, where are my manners. How was the civil war you tried to fix?"
"Mostly dealt with. There's a new monarch on the throne and he's making moves to turn Latveria into an elective monarchy. I'll give it a few years, see if I have to come back." She chuckled softly and offered him a hand. Peter took it and she pulled him into a soft embrace, "It's good to see you again, brother."
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but same." He tried to ignore how awkward the gesture was given their current height difference, "You been to see Lana?"
They separated, "Not yet. I figured I would help you with your current predicament before I went to her." She put her hands in her coat pockets and looked down at him, her smile suddenly somber, "Before we fix you could we go somewhere first?"
"...Sure."
She took him to the playground near Gwen's house. It was already nighttime so the streets were, as always, eerily empty. Teresa hummed softly and sat on one of the two swings while Peter took the other, "It feels odd, being back here in New York," she said eventually, "I was only ever supposed to stay here in order to help fight the Hand. I never expected to be back after the Beast was slain."
"Then why'd you leave your little apprentice behind. Anya, wasn't it?"
"I thought she deserved a chance to make her own choices, without the Spider Society hanging over her head. The others complained, of course, but I'm Madame Web. They can't force me to do anything."
"If you say so." He lightly gripped the chains on both sides of him, "So...what are your plans after this? Leaving New York again?"
"...I don't know."
"That's something I never thought I'd hear you say."
"Haha." She laughed flatly, "It's truth, though. You made another deal with The Pariah so you know it, don't you? Something's coming. Something that made your patron scared enough that it was willing to give just a little more to its hunter."
"Didn't seem scared to me..."
"Whatever is coming is the reason Cassandra passed her role onto me. I'll admit I didn't expect for it to come so soon. After this, assuming I survive...I don't what I'll do then. I'd spent so long fighting the Hand and preparing for my role that I never thought what would come after."
"So you don't know what you're supposed to do? My heart bleeds." He gave a single, soft laugh, "Isn't that what you wanted? A life where your choices aren't pre-destined like some kind of puppet on a string."
"...You're right. It's just the nerves talking." She dragged her booted feet across the ground and looked at him, "I wish I could see you."
"Where's this coming from?"
She suddenly stood behind him and, without any warning, pushed the swing. To anyone outside looking in it would've looked sweet - just family spending some time playing at the park. But there were no cheers or cries of laughter, just the twisting of the chains and the sounds of his shoes scraping dirt.
"We never got a chance to be a family." She held onto the chains, "After mom and dad died S.H.I.E.L.D essentially adopted me. I did try to visit for those first few years, but they kept denying me and eventually I stopped. I...really do wish I had a chance to see you grow up. Even now when you look like this I don't know what you look like. Sometimes it feels as if our patrons are playing a cruel joke."
Without a word Peter stood in front of her and placed both her hands on his face. She didn't say anything, just let her fingers trace across the length of his face. It was funny. Even now he didn't think of her as a sister. They'd lost too much time and the roles they planed to one another made feeling like a family impossible for him. This was the only thing he could do for her.
"...We should probably fix me," Peter mumbled eventually.
"Hm." She nodded and pulled her hands back, "I have to warn you first. This method we'll use to return you to normal, it has its drawbacks."
"Of course it does..." He sighed.
"Your gifts will be...dampened due to the transition. We'll need to loosen your bonds to the Pariah in order to return your body back to its previous state. I'm afraid this is the only method I know."
"Great. Just how 'dampened' are we talking here?"
"I suspect your gifts will be weakened if not wholly negated, at least for a time. Your sixth sense should remain, however. That can never be taken from you."
"So reassuring." He rolled his eyes, "Come on then, lets get this over with."
She led him back to Ben and May's house. Even now, a year after they left, the house was still empty. So far no one bothered to sell it and so here it remained, a permanent reminder of Jack's victory.
"This should give us some privacy." Teresa walked to the empty living room and traced her hand along the ground, "I'll prepare what we need for the ritual. Calm yourself and and be patient."
She cut her thumb and pointer finger with a knife and started tracing a symbol across the length of the wood. Peter watched silently, ignoring the pounding in his skull and the feel of a sudden weight on his head. She was drawing the symbol of Anansi.
Teresa cut both his palms, "Kneel in the center and keep your eyes closed no matter what." He did just that and closed his eyes as she drew something on his forehead. The pounding became painful and he heard loud, deafening laughter on both sides of him. Peter grit his teeth and stubbornly kept his eyelids shut as Teresa started chanting something he couldn't make out.
The next thing he knew he was on the ground with a splitting headache. Peter groaned softly and pulled himself up into a shaky stand, trying to ignore the blurriness in his vision, "Teresa..." His voice. It sounded different. Normal again. He looked to the closest mirror and laughed at his reflection. Back to normal.
...And he was naked.
"You should probably change into some clothes before anyone sees you." He turned back and found Teresa looking at him with a wry smirk. He almost covered himself before he remembered exactly who he was talking to, "Got you some spares. Change quick."
"Thanks..."
"By the way, Cindy called while you were out. Said she needed your help with an investigation. Something about people suddenly dying of drug overdose mid interrogation."
"Sure." He shook his head to wipe away the dizziness and finished changing. Time to get back to work.
ForFaith: Spider-Man I need to ask you an important question. Please respond.
SpiderWomanMadeMeDoThis has changed his name to DarkSpider
Reply from DarkSpider: What is it?
Reply from ForFaith: We've experienced some tragedy in our lives recently and I thought I'd ask. What was the afterlife like?
Reply from DarkSpider: Why would you ask me that?
Reply from ForFaith: My daughter just lost her favorite uncle and now she's grieving. I thought that maybe I could help her.
Reply from DarkSpider: By telling her what's on the other side? Listen, I'm the wrong person to ask this.
Reply from ForFaith: But you came back! Twice!
Reply from DarkSpider: I don't remember anything from the first time, especially considering how scrambled my head was, and the second time. The second time the guy who gave me my powers put me in some kind of loop. If you want me to tell you about Heaven then you're out of luck. Besides, I'm not even sure I'll ever get to see up top.
Reply from ForFaith: So..there's no chance he could come back?
Reply from DarkSpider: I'm not an expert, lady. Sorry. Good luck with your family and just cherish the time you have now. Never know when it could be taken from you.
This plot was mostly setup, but at least Noir's back to normal and Gwen's made some leeway into her Roxxon plot. And going off to dance at a strip club with MJ. Great.
As for Cindy, she now has to prospective love interests. One one side we have the rebel prince of Symkaria trying to free his country, Silver Sablinova. On the other the former burglar single dad working at Baskin Robbins, Scott Lang. Truly a difficult choice as both are equally appealing :P Not sure if Lana will have love interests or she'll be more focused on her friendships.
Really debating whether to shift to an M rating considering the upcoming film noir investigation plot with Noir and Cindy/MJ and Gwen's strip club segments. I mean I've done alright so far with a T rating but I wonder how far I can push it.
1. Just the one question, would you guys be interested in a prison segment? I'm considering writing one for Noir and the rest of the Defenders being sentenced to the Raft and having to survive for however long they need to before they can escape/the other heroes get them out. It'd be very Watchmen-esque, especially given the personalities in play.
Review Answers:
Medkid - Yeah...I think he's too obsessed with Gwen.
Henchman213 - Ehh, I think Cindy and Scott Lang would count if we were going for Ivy and Kite.
Yami666x - I'll say it once and I'll say it again: No, his powers are incompatible with symbiotes.
Brave2000 - Still don't know if DD is trapped in Earth-65 (done it before) or Gwen is stuck in 616.
titan616 - The twitter segments are getting harder to write for me. As for Gwen, yeah, she really needs to up her game. We see her trying a bit more in this chapter when she makes show appearances. While she dislikes it and finds it somewhat degrading the charity benefits means she can do more than just punching purse snatchers. Gwen takes a more active role later in inciting change.
Ruest - I think the best way to describe the difference between the two if is they were offered, say, Superman's powers. Gwen would accept on the basis that it would allow her to do more good on a global scale and achieve her goals of greater peace. By contrast Peter would reject it both because he's used to being on the streets and gutters and also he just doesn't trust himself with more power than he already has.
Looking at this scenario we can't really say Gwen seeking power is immoral or wrong and Peter can be seen as wasteful for preferring to stick to his gutter beatdowns due to sheer cynicism. I'd argue Gwen isn't more dangerous but rather she has more wide reaching goals compared to the anti-heroes who are just fine being street murderers for the rest of their lives.
Paul Garros - Gwen has the most POV's alongside Peter, so I dunno where that's coming from. Granted her struggle is less personal than Peter but it fits her character. She's a hero who stops villains; her main personal issues are with her loved ones, not the bad guys who want to take her out. Hobgoblin could change that, though.
