May 13th - 2031

"You run now, you freak!"

The young girl accidentally crashed into a pile of old boxes and empty bottles rolled across the ground. She found herself inside the alley she had just stormed in.

She looked back and saw a group of around five men trying to catch up to her.

They were trying to hurt her

"Come back!" They yelled, viciously.

She quickly got up in despair and tried to get back to her previous pace but as soon as she achieved that, a gate set at the middle of the alley stopped her from reaching the other side.

No, no…

As she turned on her shoulder in hope to find something that could help her, she felt a strong blow to the side of her head by some metallic object that made her crash into the ground of a cold night again.

"Haven't you heard? You can't be freely walking these streets if you're like the others, it's the law now, sweetie."

One of the assaulters grabbed her and placed her on her knees, before walking to the side so that the leader was the only one facing her.

"You let our target escape, we have your stupid bow, now we will turn you in and look that, we're going to be the good guys. Make some profit I hope."

"Screw you." She eyed one of his companions that carried the said purple bow.

He nodded and held the bow sideways in his hand to hit her in the cheek. He returned back to the circle afterwards.

She heard a 'click' and looked up only to find the man pointing a gun to her forehead.

"You should cooperate, I could still put a few holes in you, you're just a poor man's Hawkeye."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she couldn't let herself be handed over to the authorities, by any means.

But then a figure dropped quickly into the middle of the circle behind the gunmen who were immediately stunned.

She reacted faster than the leader by grabbing his hand and harshly shoving the cold gun towards his nose, before throwing it away and instantly punching the man in the mouth.

Spider-Man evaded the baseball bat by leaning under it and then pressed both fists against the first attacker's chest, leaving him gasping heavily without air for some minutes. He then kicked the second on his left also in the chest, opening his guard, and then punched him across the chin as he fell back.

A third came for the vigilante with a raised armed hand for a point blank shot, but Spider-Man wasn't having any of that as he grabbed the same hand and extended it past him while the other went under the thug's arm and broke it.

The girl took a single step towards the fight but stood still just watching him tangling with the group, severely damaging their joints in the way noticed by the painful grunts.

It was happening so fast.

Spider-Man still held onto the second gunmen and used him as protection as his other fellow companion had also found a gun but refrained himself from aiming until he had a clear sight.

Spider-Man quickly fired the gun held by the man he had in front of him at some other coming from his side, the bullet stopped at his foot and he was instantly out of the fight.

He then spun them around and managed to slid his hand across the only armed thug left, knocking him down, turning on his back and kicking the only capable henchmen left in the liver, before going back to the one he was previously holding, the man was trying to lazily reach him but Spider-Man was faster and pressed his head into the ground.

He rose and stood in the middle of the unconscious bodies, breathing roughly.

"There's one left." She spoke.

Spider-Man kicked the assaulter trying to get up in the face and calmly walked towards her.

"By doing these things by yourself, you will need a mask." He advised.

"I don't fear these sort of trash. I'm used to them."

"I know, but you should fear for the ones you love, they would be the target, not you."

She eventually nodded. He was right. She was talking to Spider-Man for Christ's sake.

Spider-Man jumped into someone's fire escape. "You take care of yourself, Kate Bishop."

She was taken by surprise and looked up, "How do you know my name?"

Spider-Man kept in silence for a few seconds. He replied without looking back, "I was an Avenger once. I know a lot." He jumped higher and higher.

… and you're still here since then. She thought to herself, looking down to the ground.

The sound of sticky webbing landing in the wall besides her caught her attention, and there it was, her own bow.

The fight could still go on.

"How do you feel?" Ezekiel asked, standing besides Spider-Man in the edge of the tall building they were standing on.

Peter held his mask with a single hand and observed the busy night of New York City. Some yellow stains could be seen on certain spots of his face. He was still healing by three days since those injuries happened.

Meanwhile, he met May at her house, but she didn't know of her wife and only daughter, but thankfully - his aunt was fine.

His twins were at the care of Helen. They missed their father so much, but he didn't have the time for them. Peter only wished he still had later when the dust settled after seeing their images from another life.

The wind brushed against his hair and messed it up.

He answered his question calmly, "My right leg hurts when I put too much weight in it, and my hand… I'm trying to ignore it, but it pains like hell."

"Venom got you badly there, you take some down time before anything else."

"There's still some life in my body. I did just fine now."

Ezekiel added carefully, "You were quite harsh back there."

"But not enough."

Ezekiel nodded to himself. "Are we… okay?" He questioned, gently.

Peter didn't answer right away. "I'm still taking my time to understand everything."

"I see…" He continued, "I know you're disappointed… with everything that happened these past days…"

Peter sighed heavily. He looked down to his mask, seeing his tired reflection through the lenses. "I have always tried my best, even when my body screamed for help, I always gave that one last blood for this cause…"

How I miss your wise words, Uncle… gosh…

Ezekiel took his eyes away from his brother of another life and back to the city's skylines.

"When I was young I had the habit of over-complicating decisions, so many of them… when the path was just, there, waiting for me, even if it had me disobeying a dead man's wish."

"You did the same back in my world, and you were happy as well. You two built a strong family."

"... it wasn't easy, I was haunted by that decision for so long, but eventually I stood by it." He closed his free fist. "... the decision here... is clear enough, I can see that, there's still people that need my help, in any way possible, against this system… and Venom, it's my duty." Peter paused, and slightly turned his chin down to Ezekiel's side. "You told me that."

"That monster should be treated carefully, Peter." He warned.

"I will, we all… will. Nobody's standing alone from now on, and nobody will deal with him… alone." Peter moved the mask down his head until it connected with the suit. "A beacon of light… that's what I can be."

"You think it will work?" Ezekiel asked, eyeing something in the horizon.

Spider-Man nodded. "The message will pass along. And I will find Gwen and my daughter, they have to be alright.."

While he recovered, Ezekiel was in the search for his wife and daughter, and he eventually found a lead, a man that helped with her disappearance, thanks to Matt Murdock and his knowledge of the underground criminal world, words travel fast, and his hearing wouldn't let anything past.

Despite their previous battle, Matt was willing to help Peter since he broke out the location of the compound where they were being locked inside to Steve Rogers, and thanks to that they were now free again, even if that cost Peter so much, his freedom.

He would probably help him regardless even if he hadn't done that. He was well aware of his reasons for picking his former side.

Spider-Man looked up and watched two buildings next to each other with a considerable space between them, and a huge network of webbing connecting them together as a pair of helicopters threw their spotlights at it.

I am here…

Hell's Kitchen

The room was poorly lit. As far as Gwen could see, there were curtains in her side, hiding an window where she could barely see some skyscrapers.

She had been here for about three exhausting days, and they keep coming back with more question, about Spider-Man, and even herself. Peter's public figure always had that connection with him.

She still had suspicious they wanted something else from her.

Gwen could not perceive much of anything as her eyesight adjusted itself to the low amount of light that came from a light bulb above her.

The only door in the opposite side of the room opened and the shadow of a man calmly stepped inside before closing it. He stood still, observing Gwen who wasn't able to recognize any facial features, just distortions.

"What do you want…?" She asked, well composed.

The figure didn't reply, but eventually sat down in the other end of the table, moving both hands over the furniture.

She could make up the black leather gloves stretching as he closed his fists.

He finally spoke without any emotion, "I am not one of them, Mrs Parker." His voice made Gwen's skin crawl, deeper than what she was used to hear, and cruel along with the small echo it produced.

It couldn't be natural.

He continued, "I just wanted to see you when there's still time for that, here, in this city." He paused. "Your reputation proceeds you, a woman of fiber…"

Gwen began feeling uneasy due to his presence. "Do you have my daughter?"

"... I'm afraid not." He answered, calmly. "I do not know of her."

"Then I have nothing to say to you."

"Are you sure?" She questioned.

"Aren't you curious of who I am, what do I want?"

She crossed her arms. "I just want to get out of here. You do not know of what can come to you while I stay here."

"Ah… yes, your associations… that's why you are here, I've heard." He paused. "But… Mrs Parker, I don't want to hurt you at all, understand that. If… I wanted to do something to you… I would barely have to touch you."

She shivered slightly again. She looked to her side and away from him.

He remained quiet, before slowly raising from his seat and taking precise steps towards Gwen as he slid his covered hand over the table until he was close enough.

Gwen felt his hands over her shoulders, he stood behind her chair. He leaned closer to her ear, "Nothing hurts more than losing one of your kind, and the realization that the blame… lies upon yourself.

Her heart began racing at his speech.

"... remind him of that."

Inside the interrogation room, the captive was secured to a chair that was bolted to the center of once was a butcher's room, filled with dark stains in the tilted white walls. There were many window that showed the dark outside.

Thick metal rings encircled his wrists and ankles, preventing any chance of movement, let alone escape. In all likelihood, Matt Murdock, who kept him in there after finding the abandoned building.

"Get me out of these restraints…" He spoke to no one, eyeing his surroundings. His room minus the ceiling was lighten by the lights in the bottom of the walls, he couldn't see anything through the windows.

Spider-Man slowly lowered himself from the ceiling by hanging upside down in a web-line. He stood above the table, watching the man closely.

"You were part of a hit. Gwen Stacy. I want names… addresses."

"So you two are close, eh? The boss was right." He replied, clearly unimpressed with Spider-Man's presence. "I ain't giving you shit, though."

Peter held the stretched the spandex in his hand that he held the web-line.

Spider-Man dropped into the ground and stood besides the table. He put a hand into the man's knee. "Who do you think you are, you little scumbag?"

"Tell me something, Spider-Man. How does it feel… to be the one being hunted now? To be… in the wrong side?" He challenged.

Spider-Man stood emotionless, he then began adding more pressure to his knee. "Where's Gwen Stacy?"

"You aren't no Punisher, big guy." He continued, "Actually, you are nothing, just a… ordinary criminal with some stupid rules. Time's change, eh?"

"I am, indeed, no Punisher… because I don't think he can lift a… car, like I do, neither stop a train as well." Spider-Man silenced. "Imagine… what I could do with some meat and bones…" He pressed even harder.

Both Matt and Ezekiel stood next to each other and watched them from outside the room, by one of the windows. They couldn't be seen, but Peter was aware.

"I'm sorry, but I know you wouldn't kill me. Like I said, too many rules."

Spider-Man grabbed him by the neck and violently released and shoved him off the table and into him. "Do you want to test your theory?!" He threw him into the ground, grabbed his foot and webbed it to the ceiling.

He was hanging upside by a single web-line that was attached to his right foot.

Peter noticed the rise of his heartbeat.

"S-Screw you…"

Spider-Man immediately punched him harshly in the gut. The man screamed as he absorbed the collosal pain.

Peter began, "You know… you can bleed to death without ever spilling one drop of blood… all on the inside."

He gasped, "You… you are a monster…"

Spider-Man crouched and leaned his face closer to his. "Trust me… I'm not being your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man anymore…" He grabbed him by the neck, gently this time. "Last time, where… is… Gwen Stacy."

It didn't last much longer.

Peter stepped outside the room as Ezekiel turned the lights on again. The a abandoned building was much clearer now, and the room in the middle the opposite.

"I know where she is." Peter stopped in front of Murdock who wore his usual costume. "Thank you, Matt. I know we weren't in the best terms last time we met, but… thank you."

"You made up for it. You and Steve have helped us all." Murdock replied.

Peter nodded. He looked at Ezekiel. "I'm going after her, there's no time. They wanted her as a way to reach me."

"Who's they?"

"I don't know, he's passed out." Peter suddenly held his hand in pain, trying to held a groan back.

"Take it easy now." Ezekiel advised.

"I have to get to her." Peter released his hand. "You keep an eye on Harry meanwhile, it's not safe out there." He was about to leave but Matt put a hand on his arm.

"Peter, you can count with me… on us. We need to stand together against these times, now more than ever."

"I know… and we will turn the tides, Matt, after I have my family safe again." Spider-Man continued, "... then we're fighting back."

"He's going to her now."

"Why aren't you helping him, Ezekiel?" Harry put Peter's Spider-Man ragged suit inside plastic bag as he fixed the apartment they rented away from the city after he got rescued.

Ezekiel stood by the window, watching the rain dropping against the glass. "He asked me to watch over you."

"I don't think I'm that important, unlike him." Harry put a glove inside the plastic that was above the bed.

"You are to him."

Harry reached for the mangled mask he picked from the counter and focused in the single lense that wasn't fully destroyed.

"... and that's something I still find difficult hard to grasp, after everything, you know?" He spotted the tiny dry stains of blood over the material.

"Peter always believes in the best of us, I think that's why he never gives up, he hopes to make a change in ours and everyone's lives." Ezekiel paused. "You were for him, in the beginning…"

Harry gently put the mask inside the plastic. "And it now feels like we're getting to the end, doesn't it?"

Ezekiel slightly turned his head to the side. "... it does, I just hope not many get hurt."

Harry understood what he meant with that. He knew about his life. "I see… this city now needs… a hero again, and Peter is the best we got. We should trust him, he's done the impossible before."

"I'm not too sure Venom of all things qualify as possible, Harry. He's a vicious killer. He almost wiped my family entirely, and he sure did with Peter's kind." Ezekiel sighed. "And I failed them before."

Harry closed the sack and placed it down over the floor. He sat in the bed. "… you know, when my father… literally impaled me, I thought for sure I was gone as I watched his bloodlust eyes so close to me…"

Ezekiel turned on his feet and watched Harry who was staring into his memories.

"... and maybe for a moment, I was gone indeed, next thing I remember my butler who recently passed away is waking me up in a bed, which means, somehow… of all people I am still alive, and eventually Peter found me and finally gave me purpose again." He made eye contact with Ezekiel. "And for as long as I am here, I am helping that stubborn Parker with anything I can, that's the least I can do. You're his brother, and he will need you too. We all have failed before."

Ezekiel was taken by his words. He was right, he had the chance to make sure Peter didn't perish again before his time runs out.

"You are more of his brother than I could ever be, Harry. Once all is done, you have to be there picking him up." He turned back to the window.

Harry nodded, he had the suspicion that Ezekiel meant something more with the last bit.

Ezekiel always acted differently before so that they never discovered his true self in order to not mess with Peter's head until he absolutely had to, his words, but he was much more talkative now.

Harry broke the silence, "Can I ask you something?"

"That's a question. But sure."

"You never told us what happened to, well… Elizabeth, back in your world."

Ezekiel sighed, standing motionless. He turned over his shoulder.

Spider-Man sat perched on top of the Chrysler Building. It was nighttime in New York and one of the heaviest rain the city had ever seen. Drops after drops of water pelted the vigilante. The falling water ricocheted off his body in miniature showers.

I can see it from here.

The figure stared at the city of New York below him. The night hid him, giving him an appearance of a shadow with two curvy white lenses, giving him the appearance of eeriness and sinister.

How he wished he was with his mom again, she would be there for him, keeping him strong so that he wouldn't fall as he felt the world against him.

I miss you, all of you...

A bright light shone red hot into the skies, illuminating the person for just a split-second. In the slipping grasps of the time, he was no longer strange nor terrible to behold.

He carried the long lost Parkers for many years now, but currently there wasn't anyone to share his current burden with, everything and everyone put too much weight on his shoulders.

The second ended and so did the light. Spider-Man returned back to a phantom in the night.

His experience of seeing them again just left him feeling a huge empty space from within, what could have been, but wasn't.

A terrible thunder soon followed the trail of the lightning. The sound was loud and reverberated inside Spider-Man's chest, yet he remained unmoved. He knew he was in no danger.

But he couldn't crumble, not now, the woman who marked his entire life for being his biggest friend, and lover, needed his help. It was his turn to keep her safe again, he couldn't think of a world without her, nor think of what would be of him.

He listened to the pitter-patter of the rain while surrounded by darkness. He closed his eyes and stood up, stretching his arms wide.

He let his body fall forwards into the city below.

Spider-Man fell and soon he was lateral, his front faced the gloomy and raining sky, while the spider insignia on his back greeted the streets far below it.

The rain drops were still tapping at his face. He felt them hit, their sound entered into his ears, but his eyes remained closed. His body started accelerating downwards and little by little, the drops stopped hitting.

He shot a web-line in the dark. He didn't hear it stick and the line remained lax in his hand. He didn't shoot another.

He kept falling and falling. Spider-Man now was able to hear the horns of the vehicles on the street. No matter what, this noise never stopped. Soon, he would hit the ground.

Just then, the line web in his hand went taut.

His trajectory curved. He started to swing in an arc. Another fast tingle, now stronger, scratched his head. He knew it meant he still was going to hit the ground.

Spider-Man pulled on the web-line. He felt the web tense under the weight and force of his body, but it was strong and held without breaking. The force of his pull was enough for him to rise a couple height up in a backward somersault.

Adjusting himself, Spider-Man let of the web-line go. It zipped away like stretched rubber. At the peak of his leap, he shot another and pulled, this time properly in his signature swinging style.

He had to go as fast as possible.

Through the car's wet window, Gwen could see the enormous network of webbing that connected the two skyscrapers together.

If she knew her husband very well, that was a message, to everyone needing it. He was still there, moving things forward.

She was so proud of him, she always had been.

Gwen, sat in the back of the car, looked to her side, a man she didn't know sat besides her, and held a gun over his lap.

And in the front of the car, there were two more individuals. They weren't speaking, not a single word. It was dead silence.

Gwen sighed deeply, anything could happen in a few seconds. She closed her eyes, picturing her loved ones together one more time.

She smiled to herself. She did it, she protected them for as long as she could, resisting with every fiber she had, days of interrogation and threats went by.

No one took anything from her these last days, she might have no super strength like her husband did, neither did she personally tackle the same dangers he did, but she kept them safe.

She heard a click from the gun next to her, and some chatting, but she wasn't focused on that.

Gwen lived her life the she could, planting good seeds for a world after she's long gone, she fought her own battles, kept the love of her life together, shared adventures with him, and from that, she was given three beautiful gifts.

Maybe she would have the time to see her father again, that would be nice. Grandad too. She thought to herself.

Her eyes stood closed.

I love you all…

The trigger was pulled. It was loud, and terrifying, but it happened so fast she didn't feel a single thing.

Everything remained dark. No pain. No nothing.

And then, another shot, followed by another.

Gwen opened her eyes, she looked to her side and the man had the gun pointed at the open window besides him.

They were desperate. She had no idea what was going on.

What she felt next, was a powerful force flying straight through the driver's door window and pushing the passenger to his side out of the car by his door that was burst open as they both flew away.

The car was shaken. The two left occupants minus her were terrified. She held into her window.

There he was, swinging after the car again.

Peter...

She felt hopeful again, but it was far from over.

Spider-Man released the web-line and dropped all his weight into the second escort firing bullets from behind them, his feet crashed over the car's engine and the vehicle was immediately flipped in the air, crashing upside down in the asphalt.

She looked to the back window.

He was running after them, with a tremendous speed. He fired two cables from each hand at buildings in front of them and was immediately pulled into the sky.

She lost his sight. Not for long, a weight landed over them. The man besides her began firing at the ceiling. Her heart was racing hard, she couldn't even stop him as the car moved too much.

Tiny holes now were seen above. They were crossing a bridge.

The shots ceased as he began reloading the weapon in a hurry, raising his window.

A red covered in spandex hand came through the same window and violently grabbed his face. He gasped in shock and horror.

Shards of glass fell into the seat and over Gwen's lap.

The man was entirely pushed out of the car through the hole and by the hand attached to his face.

The lonely driver went even faster. Spider-Man slid down the front window and over the engine. He was ready grab the driver by the neck with his incoming open hand.

Gwen noticed the driver leaving the wheel with one hand while pulling a machine pistol from his lap with his free hand.

Peter wouldn't have the time to react.

She picked a pointy shard from her lap, and stuck the object into his shoulder. He cried in pain and let loose of the wheel that flipped to the side.

The car quickly took a sharp turn to the right and down towards the river, Spider-Man was pushed off the car during the turn due to the inertia. He disappeared.

Gwen was also pushed back and against her seat, she saw the river coming closer and released a terrified gasp in shock.

The vehicle stopped in the air, but due to the force, Gwen went past both seats, besides the trapped in the seatbelt driver and through the front windowless view.

She couldn't feel anything more, her sight blacked out.

Spider-Man immediately used the car as impulsion and shot a web-line that attached to her wrist, the second from his free hand went back to the bridge.

He watched her hanging by his web-line, motionless. The rain soaked their figures.

He began slowly retracting the cable until he pulled her into his chest and wrapped his left arm around her waist.

Spider-Man lied her down in the wet ground of the bridge, holding her with an arm under her neck. Her serene expression filled with small puddles. The same happened to his lenses.

He breathed hard, people slowly began gathering meters around them after the dust settled.

"I got you. I came back for you."

Blue and red lights approached from the other end of the bridge, the sirens got closer.

"We can go home, honey."

Spider-Man lowered his masked head into her shoulder and hugged her closely. He missed her embrace so much. She had to be fine, she had to.

"I missed you so much…" He whispered, brushing the side of his covered cheek against hers.

He felt a delicate hand sliding over his cage rib. Peter looked up to her face. Gwen opened her lips just by a tiny inch, letting the air in, as her sight slowly opened and revealed her emerald eyes.

Her hand moved up to his cheek. "I've… I've missed you... too."

They touched heads, hearing the sirens getting closer and closer, but nothing mattered, they were reunited again, like it's supposed to be.