I felt a little like Alice in Wonderland, laying on the concrete in a brand-new city. It was dark out- obviously night-time here, wherever I was. I don't think I was in Europe anymore; all of the buildings around me looked new- well newer than what I was used to in the UK. It's not clear why but I was getting New York vibes, if that makes any sense? I can't explain it; it just felt that way.

I literally had just enough time to glance around, come out of this post-shock daze I was in, and get to my feet to brush myself off when all of a sudden, the sound of two stomps came from behind me. I spun around immediately only to come face to face with this…. this… villain? He sure looked like a supervillain to me- not that I've seen one in while. He- I think it was a "he"- was tall, muscular, all-black, and had this terrifying face. Large pointy fangs which didn't fit in his mouth. His eyes were long and sliver with no pupils. Across his chest was also a silver featureless spider. His tongue was like a lizard's or snake's, being much longer than average. I couldn't tell if he was wearing a suit or this was what he actually looked like. This thing, whatever it was, locked eyes on me and took a step my way. I didn't even have time to scream.

Just as fast as this villain arrived, something flew through the air hitting him on the side of the head. If it all sounds very sudden, that's because it was. The object which struck the villain and effectively caused him to go tumbling sideways some feet away from me was a manhole cover. After a few deep breathes my head spun once again to see another spiderman standing on a surface quite near me. Though I had not seen it in ten years, I recognized it instantly. My eyes widened as my jaw dropped. "Miles….?" I heard myself utter. "Gwen?" He sounded equally as dumbstruck.

That happy little reunion didn't last long, however. The villain in question sat back up, glaring at us. It roared, exposing all his teeth and uncomfortably long tongue. It didn't take a genius to know where this was going. Miles's masked head turned back to me. "Let's go!" He shouted before shooting a web into the distance and taking off. I think he expected me to keep up with him, or at least follow him. But to my horror I watched him leave with the pit of my stomach falling.

Now I hadn't used my web spinners in well, ten years. Originally I had wanted to keep using my superpowers even if I wasn't fighting crime. But Daddy convinced me that it'd be easier to live a normal life as a normal girl if I just stopped exercising my extra abilities all together. And I had to admit he was right. It was a lot easier to convince myself that I was ordinary when I didn't use my powers. However right now I was starting to see a downside.

Not knowing what else to do, I began running in the direction Miles had disappeared to like crazy. My right hand extended out in front of my desperately. "M-Miles! Miles! I can't….! I can't use web silk!" The panic in my voice was made all the more evident by the slithering sound of the villain fast approaching behind me.

I guess Miles must have realized by soon very quick point that I was soaring up alongside him. Before I knew what was happening, and that twisted monster thing could get his hands on me, a spiderweb landed on my wrist. And just like that I found myself flying up into the air. Man! I'd forgotten how strong this stuff is. Despite him wearing a mask, I could practically feel Miles's horrified expression as he looked at me dangling there by the arm. "You can't use your powers?!" He sounded as shocked and alarmed as you can imagine.

There was literally no time for me to answer. The villain was catching up rapidly, also able to scale walls apparently. Miles didn't hesitate to pull the spiderweb off of me and snatch me by the arms. I was guided onto holding him from behind with both my arms wrapped around his neck. Then, mere seconds before the monster could reach us, Miles shot some more webs and swung us through the air.

My unconscious immediate reaction was to wince my eyes shut and tighten my grip around Miles's neck. He didn't say anything but I heard him glack a little. The villain was right behind us, leaping from the sides of building like a manic. Miles kept shooting webs in a frantic attempt to get us away from him. But no matter where he went, the monster was right behind.

There was this particularly tall building which stood out from the rest. It must have gave Miles an idea since before I knew it, he pulled my arms from around his neck. Using one arm he was able to then throw me high- very high- up into the air. Of course I screamed like a little girl, flaying my limbs everywhere. Meanwhile Miles swung himself to the building's rooftop just in time to catch me in both arms princess-style. I gawked up at him in sheer amazement. I say! Talk about good timing! And since when did he get so strong?

We looked at each other silently for a moment, but just a moment. Big surprise. Guess who was on our heals? Seriously, doesn't this guy ever run out of steam? Miles set me on my feet and positioned himself in between us. The villain roared at Miles again before the two charged each other. I had no clue if this was Miles's first encounter with the beast or not. Seeing as I was no help here, I slipped backwards trying to keep out of Miles's way. Or at least I was until this monster's giant hand claw came flying back at me. He wasn't even looking in my direction; his hand just snatched back to strike Miles. Instead it had the effect of making me titter on the edge of this stories-high building. I audibly gasped, springing both arms up at my sides.

The villain stopped at this for some reason and glanced over his shoulder to me. His mouth morphed into a toothy grin, as if he liked the predicament I was currently in. Then, with one last look at Miles, the villain pushed me off the side of the tower. Just like that. One motion and I was falling through the air like a rock. My shriek echoed all through New York I think.

Of course I was falling for long. Within moments Miles leapt off the rooftop, zooming down towards me. He used a spiderweb to close the distance between us, yanking me up to his grasp. He promptly wrapped one arm around me while using the other to shoot a web to another building. But this web was intersected by the villain, making it ripple.

Miles struggled to keep hold of me and he had me in such a way that I was unable to wrap my arms around his neck. He must have saw a better way because he released that web and there we were, falling mid-air again. All the while Miles kept his one arm wrapped around me, though much securer now. But when he spun yet another web, I found myself being hurled up like a handbag once more. Only this time it didn't go as according to plan.

Instead of Miles catching me, as he was ready to do, the villain caught up to us. He pushed Miles out of the way before he could get me. So I was falling for longer than anticipated; I only mean like five seconds but when you're free-falling through the air, five seconds is a hell of a long time.

Miles immediately gathered his barring from where he'd been shoved to, and the location must have given him another idea. In the span of less than a minute he shot his spider webs at the villain- not me. This must have gathered his attention considering he went charging to Miles in response. Then Miles flung another web- this one for me. It stuck to me just in time for Miles to miss the villain's dodge attack. Without hesitating, Miles yanked me towards him, catching me in both arms again. I was much more out of breath from screaming so much this time.

What happened next was surprising. While Miles was holding me the villain threw a bus at us- an actual bus. I have to give Miles credit here, he reacted without reservation. The bus went from flying in the air to landing harshly and rolling on the ground. For the last time that night, Miles threw me up high above him just long enough from him to crash kick the monster in the chest. The villain went soaring through the air and it soon made sense why he did this. Without me or the villain realizing it, Miles had been leading him towards an electrical grid. The villain was standing right in front of it when Miles kicked him, and while I doubt this actually killed him it was enough to keep him off our heels for a bit.

All of what I just described happened in the matter of seconds. The bus was still rolling on the ground and I was still flying through the air, and not in the right direction. I was about to land were the bus was swiftly rolling towards. But I didn't have to worry.

Miles used another web to catch my arm, pulling me into him. He had mere seconds to react before the bus reached us. Before I could blink I felt my back being pushed up against a brick wall. Miles protective shielded me, placing both arms at my sides and pressing the front of his body very near mine- only his back was exposed for any damage the bus may inflict.

There was no damage. The bus rolled passed us, missing him by mere inches, stopping when it reached the bottom of a big building some safe distance away. Miles checked before stepping away, effectively releasing me. We both took some much needed deep breathes trying to calm our nerves. My placed my hand over top my pounding heart and gazed at Miles. So, that's what being a damsel-in-distress is like? Why do other girls diss this? This was great! Well, in a "I might die at any minute" way, but still! What a rush!

Miles finally spun around to face me. He proceeded to take off his mask and I saw his face for the first time in ten years. I don't think I noticed how big my eyes got. Wow! Did Miles ever glow up! He was no longer this awkward teenage boy I met in high school- no, he was all man. And what a man! I know, I'm gushing and it's silly. But come on, I'm only human. That, and it was nice to see him again in general. It just helped that he was this buff hunk of man candy now.

This black Adonis looked just as astonished to see me after all this time. His eyes were also enlarged and his expression incredulous. His mouth hung open in disbelief. "Gwen? Gwen Stacy? I-Is that you?" I don't know why but the way he said this….. I see, he remembered me too huh? After all this time….. I smiled at him. I smiled….. "Hello, Miles."

Miles didn't react initially to this; his eyes just wandered out into space like he was trying to process everything. I waited patiently for him to say something- anything; I did just come into his universe again unexpectedly. He didn't make a sound for a minute or so, repeatedly shifting his stare on and off me. Eventually his mouth moved but it took another moment for any words to come out.

"Wha-…..? How…? Wha-….. What are you doing here?! How did you…..?! Did you cross through the multiverse again?!" I nodded, not really sure how verbally to reply to that. I mean, I did but I have no idea how. "Whoa! I haven't seen anyone from any dimension since…. since…. How long's it been?" He asked me. "Ten years," I could answer that. This only made the confusion in his face grow more pronounced. Realizing this was freaking him out- and understandably so- I softened my stance trying to appear as reassuring as possible. "It's been ten years, Miles." "Ten years….." He repeated before finally letting his eyes rest upon me again. He gave me a once over and for a second, I swore I could see that fifteen-year-old innocent boy again. "You're so beautiful…" He didn't say this; he breathed this. "T-Thank you," I shyly brushed some hair behind my right ear. I wanted to tell him that he looked hot too but thought that might weird.

"How did you get here?" He next inquired "I don't know. I was walking down a street back home and then, out of nowhere, this… portal showed up. It brought me here." "And you don't know where it came from?" My head shook. "No clue. I haven't visited any other dimension in years; yours was the last I ever went to," if that plays any part in all this. He nodded as if contemplating what I'd just said. I couldn't help but notice his eyes continuously drifting back to me nowhere where else they went. It made me want to smile but I stifled it.

"And you can't use your powers anymore? Did you lose them?" "No; well kinda. I haven't activated them since I started university. I don't know which dimension all the supervillains in mine went to, but when I returned home, they were all just…. gone." "Gone?" Miles's eyebrow raised up. "Yeah. My universe is pretty safe right now; none of the cities I've lived in have needed a superhero, so I thought….." I paused for a second to glance down at the palm of my hand. It seemed so clean and unused now- so different than what it used to be. "I thought that maybe I could have a normal life; one where I don't have to be a superhero, you know?" I peered back up at Miles, only to discover that his demeanour had changed. I was surprised to find him no longer smiling at me; instead he looked…. upset of all things. My fingers began to close in around my palm as I wondered if I said something triggering.

Miles frowned, turning his body away from me. "Go home." "What?" Obviously my eyes widened in shock. That's a tone I'd never heard from him before; a gruff, grizzled tone. He sounded like one of those guys in movies who have been to hell and back. Your traditional anti-hero. It made me instantly worried. But Miles pushed the matter forward.

"Go home. Go back to your own dimension." "Wha-….? What are you talking about, Miles? I just got here!" I said before I realized I any intention on staying. Miles, however, was having none of it. He gave me one of those looks- the ones characters give when they're sick of your nonsense. "You don't belong here, Gwen. Unlike your universe, mine isn't all sunshine and rainbows." "I-I never thought it was!" It was in his universe we fought King Pin after all. "You wouldn't last a day here without your powers, and some of us don't have the luxury of "normal lives". Just go back; it's safer for you there anyway. You understand?" "But Miles!" I began before he cut me off. He shook his head again, lifting up his hand in my direction. Then he gave me one last serious stare. "Go home, Gwen." and with that Miles began to walk away, leaving me there speechless.

My mouth hung agape, my arms trembled at my sides. What is… what is happening? Why had he rejected me so severely like that? Is he mad that I've neglected my powers? He just saved us from that villain; he protected me so hard. So then why…..? I don't understand. I don't get it…..

Before my mind could catch up to my body, my hand reached out for him. But everything around me began getting fuzzy again; a familiar kind of fuzzy. This multicoloured blackness started to surround me, enrapture me. My eyes shut for just an instance, and when they reopened, I was standing with my arm stretching out in front of me. Without knowing how or why, I was back on Princes Street in my own universe.