This Is Our Path

by LucasA

Their lives were never the same after the incident at the Clocktower. Together, they've found comfort in each other's hearts, and their bond remains strong despite the countless attempts to wipe everything they ever had. A tale of the most important stages in their life, from the moments of calamity and happiness, to the difficult moments of sadness and reflection.

73. Awake Before The Dawn

A/N: This took me quite a few weeks to finish, I know. Aside from my other duties, the chapter became slightly "meatier" as I began writing it. I also noticed it was more "complex" than I initially imagined, so I had to take my time. I'll admit I also went many chapters back to write them again, to edit them better, fix stuff. Naturally, this chapter turned out quite bigger in comparison to the previous ones, so at least there's that to those who enjoy it.

After reading this one through, there's probably two more proper chapters to come, so don't forget this in the end. The story is not over yet, there are things to happen. As for the ending, after five years, I want to do it the best I can to me, and all of you. After all, I'm also a reader.

As usual, I'll keep updating my bio regarding the next chapter until I publish it, that way you guys can keep track of where I'm at. I'll also answer any PMs, if you have doubts, suggestions or just wanna talk about stuff, I'll be there.

I hope you enjoy the chapter.

---

"Yes... this is Spider-Man talking, who would have thought. Why am I recording myself? Well, I'm still asking myself that, but... I guess I don't know what the future has in storage for me over the coming days so I have to make sure some truth and closure exists to those that might want it in the end. My wife would kill me before if she knew I'm doing this."

He chuckled to himself.

"... well, my mother and father were called Mary and Richard Parker, they passed away when I was very young and ever since I've lived with my Uncle and Aunt, Ben and May Parker, they also passed away at this point. Yeah… there's definitely a trend there, not quite a good one. I don't think I'll go in specifics, otherwise this recording would last many hours and surely someone would try to capitalize on it by making a movie from it."

He laughed again.

"... okay, it was a good joke." There was a pause in the recording as Peter gathered the amount of will necessary to continue. "... in case anyone hasn't figured it out already, my name… my real name, is Peter Benjamin Parker."

He took a deep inhale.

"... that's finally out in the room. I have… I have been Spider-man since I was seventeen, one might ask how? Or if I'm even human? I can say that yes, I am without a doubt human, but I rather keep the 'how' part to myself. Throughout my life I always aimed to do what's best to people, no matter how small or insignificant one particular course of action I took to the grand scale of things might be, after all, I'm just like any of you, the difference is that I'm from Queens, a decent neighborhood, filled with great hardworking people from everywhere in the world... a shout out to you guys."

His voice ceased again for a brief moment.

"... like I was saying, I really tried to give everything for this city, my sweat, blood and heart. That always had been my goal with every decision, even if that meant risking the lives of those around me. I may have been controversial at times, so I ask for forgiveness if that's the case. I aspire to be perfect, a symbol, but I constantly find myself struggling with that for many reasons. My only wish is for those who were helped by me in any way, those who found hope and the energy to always keep fighting, is to pass such hope along to anyone that is in need of it, you don't have to be Spider-Man to do that, you're already a hero for such person and to me as well, we should all aspire to do better for the one next to us, and we should always keep that mindset alive, no matter how rough it can get, no matter how dark our worst days might seem to be… to remind us of who we are… and if we were meant to be."

He smiled.

"What I'm trying to say to anyone that gets to hear this is that… live your life the best way you can, we're humans and time's short to us, fall in love, surround yourself only with people you can count on, one is enough, do good to everyone… be greater. Wherever you go... I'll be with you each one of you."

He silenced.

"... Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, signing off."

Peter slid his finger over the screen of his phone and the recording ceased. He found himself sat in the seat besides the table within the kitchen of his dear Aunt. He sighed heavily, focusing his sight at his phone.

He knew he lived by his word, he knew nothing could take every good experience he shared with those he cared.

He then gazed the room around him and recalling the many good memories he could find there. The best ones.

Peter could almost see his Aunt and Uncle looking at him from the entrance. He missed them a great deal.

The oldest Parker in the city smiled, kindly.

"Thank you, for everything."

---

May 28th - 2031

Eddie Brock finally put the cigarette out by repeatedly pressing its tip against the ashtray found in the ground besides the bed he was sat on. He then rested both his hands on top of his knees and looked at himself through the mirror found in the opposite end of the bedroom.

He could again see the dark veins popping out in the skin of his face and neck. His darkish shirt hid the rest of the markings in his chest and beyond. The symbiote had its claws deep stuck within his body.

He never blinked, instead he contemplated the road he took that eventually led to where he stood right now, and what he had to do in order to not stray away from it. Sometimes he wondered if the many decisions he took were even his.

His body might have been gone and the symbiote was the glue sticking it together, but keeping his own will intact for a bit tad longer was of his wish. There a few close individuals still relying their lives on him.

His entire life had been such way, in his youth he had to grow faster than others in order to try and take care of what was left of his family. That's what mattered, even if that meant giving up on people outside his blood.

You'll be a good man, Eddie.

The soft and calming voice of his mother echoed within his mind as he recalled an specific memory from a long time ago.

He could still smell the scent of the cotton candy she had bought for him when the two of them visited the small amusement park during the fourth of July, with countless fireworks filling the night above them.

And I know you will always look over your sister.

One of the fondest memories he still held close to his heart,

He wondered to himself if she would still say the same thing after everything he had done and what he was still yet to do. Despite everything, he couldn't bear the thought of letting her down, or his sister, not after how much they've endured over the years..

A single tear left his right eye and slid down his cheek as the same said eye remained open and distant. He was now one step away from getting everyone together again, but at what cost?

He asked himself such question, every single night, now more than ever. He couldn't remember the last day he felt any happiness or joy at all. It was always about doing what had to be done.

Was there even any other way? It didn't seem possible. He would have to finally make a decision and then live with it for the rest of his life, what was left of it.

He slowly rose from the bed and calmly approached the mirror, never taking his eyes off his reflection. He tilted his head to the side as he analyzed himself, before he spotted a figure that turned to be himself behind him.

"Eddie... it's time."

Alarmed, he turned on his shoulder to check what he originally had seen in the mirror but found nothing out of the ordinary in the end, his bed remained in the far end of the room.

He looked around, confused. "What do you mean?"

Nothing.

He frowned. "I don't understand. What do you mean?!"

"There's no time left to wait."

Eddie quickly turned back to the mirror and saw his own expression looking at him throughout the glass. "What do you want…?"

His reflection never answered, instead it only stared him back.

"I said... what do you want?!"

"Him… I… we…. want him."

Eddie didn't move a single muscle, his eyes dead locked at the mirror to his alternative persona. He watched the symbiote in his image slowly come out from his shirt and reach his neck, until its claws climbed their way to his face, only leaving his left eye uncovered for a brief moment until there was nothing left of Eddie Brock.

---

May 29th - 2031

Peter quickly opened his eyes in bed, staring the ceiling above him. He frowned in slight pain and moved a hand to the side of his head after he began feeling some headache. He whispered to himself, "What was that…?"

He brought his hand near his eyesight to check on the symbiote, but it was still hidden under the skin in his palm.

Peter sighed heavily and shook his head before looking to his side, facing the exposed back of his fastly asleep wife. The sheets stopped at her waist and near the curve of her rear. She looked incredibly beautiful, as usual.

Waking up with one Gwen Stacy Parker next to him was probably one of the most treasured moments of one certain Spider-Man. He approached her from behind and embraced the woman besides him, keeping her close to his chest, gathering her own natural heat while resting his free hand over her flat abdomen.

Gwen moaned at his touch and shifted slightly but remained soundly asleep for a few extra minutes.

Peter moved a lock of her golden hair behind her ear and planted a delicate kiss in the spot under it. He then felt her beginning to stir above him. He watched her rub the sleep from her eyes and stretched. His smile widened when Gwen peered up at him with her affectionate eyes.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, her voice still gravelly from sleep.

"Far better with you now."

Gwen sighed, lazily. She smiled. "I suppose touching my breasts would make you feel like that."

He kissed her cheek, "They always have been so nice. You're just so… so touchable… and gorgeous."

She beamed contently and teased further, "You shouldn't grope a lady's body in her royal sleep, bugboy."

He whispered near her ear, "How would the lady rather wake up then?"

Gwen closed her eyes and shivered due to the sensitivity he brought out of her by whispering near her ear. "Hmm… I never actually said I didn't enjoy it." She turned in her husband's embrace to face him and took the opportunity to kiss him.

What was supposed to be a sweet, chaste kiss to the lips was soon turning into something much more passionate. Feeling desire coursing through her veins, she began to grind her body against Peter's, making him groan in return. His hands were just now beginning to roam the smooth skin of her naked back when she reluctantly pulled away and lifted herself slightly off him, panting heavily.

Both of them struggled to get their breathing under control.

"Honey… as much as I would like nothing more than to spend the whole day in bed with you, there's still a lot to do." Gwen said apologetically. "I'll go shopping with Olive for more clothes to her and maybe our baby's."

Peter nodded resignedly.

"However," Gwen began, a teasing lilt in her voice. "I'll make it up to you later. Promise." She winked, moving a hand inside his boxers,

Peter sighed, heavily. "I won't forget that, Mrs Parker." He continued, "Can I ask you a question, though?"

She nodded. "Of course you can."

"What… what about me made you really fall in love?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow, surprised at first. She quickly recomposed herself and joked, "Well, what makes you even think I'm in love with you? Are you that sure I'm not with you only because of your body?"

He groped her ear from under the sheets. Gwen giggled. "We've made babies."

"That's on me for not being careful enough." She chuckled at his mock glare, before biting her lips. "Okay, I give up. As for what made me fall in love with you… I don't think I can narrow it down to a single thing, because sure, you always have been handsome and I have to be glad you didn't talk to many girls, but… the way you were with me, you always allowed me to be who I am, I didn't feel like I needed to pretend to be someone I wasn't when I began to be interested in you, you know? It felt natural, I was happy… you made me happy whenever we were together, by simply… stuttering like you used to. I guess that's why despite everything… we always manage to move on together,"

He stole a kiss from her. After a moment, they broke it off.

She licked her lips and asked delicately, "Why do you ask, honey?"

Peter smiled. "I just… I was curious, I guess. I just want you to be truly happy, that's it."

"And I am. Don't worry." She caressed the hair in the back of his neck, before planting another kiss in his lips. "You're great, daddy,"

He chuckled and kissed her back.

Minutes later, Gwen rolled off the bed and took the bathrobe from the chair near the desk in front of the window. "I'll take a shower, you should make us some coffee." She wore the bathrobe around her body, leaving a huge portion of her creamy cleavage exposed, her breasts were still covered despite his countless wishes for a trace of wind coming from the window to help him out with that.

She smiled once she realized what he was staring from bed. "Eye's up, mister."

Peter shook his head and finally looked at her, properly. "Of course, Gwen. I will." She winked, playfully.

He watched her go as she entered the bathroom, leaving the door of said room slightly open.

Now with a ponytail in her hair, Gwen's bathrobe dropped into the cold ground and the next thing she felt as she closed her eyes was the hot steam embracing her body while the warm water slid down her shoulders and further. She smiled to herself at the wonderful sensation she was going through.

There was only one thing to make it even better.

With her eyes still shut, she heard the door made of glass slid open and then footsteps some over the puddles in the ground. She was grabbed by the hips and then pinned against the wall as she wrapped her legs around the intruder's waist.

Gwen let out a soft moan as she felt a warm breath come against her lips. She opened her eyes filled with lust only a tiny bit. She placed her hands on his shoulders and whispered softly, "You couldn't wait… could you?"

She let another moan when she felt him grip her rear harder. He whispered back in her ear, "Do you want me to?"

"Just… do me already, Peter Parker."

---

Later in the day...

Fifth Avenue - Manhattan

"Why did we check the baby section of that store, though?" Olive asked, holding Gwen's hand as they strolled through the busy avenue of the city they lived in.

She smiled. "Why not, dear?"

Olive savoured her ice cream with her free hand. She added, "Well, I haven't seen any baby near us yet." She looked up and checked Gwen's blonde bangs, realizing how pretty they looked.

"You never know when one might appear, you gotta be ready for it!" Gwen teased.

"You're right, I guess." She nodded to herself. "Your hair's so pretty."

Gwen smiled and looked down at her. "You think so?"

"Yes." She eyed the fringes above her forehead. "Do you like it shorter or longer?"

"Depends of my current mood. I usually stay for the middle term."

"I think I want mine to be exactly like yours."

Gwen furrowed in confusion. "But why, Olive? Your hair is so beautiful and unique as it is."

She smiled, happily. "Thank you. The color of your hair is just so pretty and bright!"

"So is yours, just as pretty with that dark pigment. Everyone will be all over you in a few years." She teased again.

Olive blushed, slightly. "Did you have many boyfriends before?"

Gwen chuckled and shook her head. "Not really, my first proper boyfriend was Peter, until I married him."

"So you two have been together forever?"

"I guess one can say that, in a way." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Wow," Olive licked her ice cream again. She continued, "What if Liz has a boyfriend?"

"As long as she gets treated well by this person, and she's older, I don't see any problem with that."

She found herself curious. "... and what about a girlfriend?"

Gwen shrugged her shoulders. "Same thing, I'll be happy with whatever makes her happy." She added, "You just gotta keep that special someone that can do really well for you... and fight for it, even if things aren't initially that easy and simple to you. That's what matters."

"I would fight for you, Gwendy." She grinned.

"Awn, you sweetheart." Gwen caressed her cheek. "I would too."

They smiled at each other, only to have their attention gathered to something else the moment a couple of police cars drove past them in the avenue with their sirens blazing loudly. They took the first right and entered the side street.

Spider-Man quickly appeared in the horizon swinging towards them from behind.

"That's… a little weird, seeing him like that." Olive pointed out, finally taking her sight off the street and back at the woman besides her.

"That's kinda of how I've always felt, Olive." Gwen answered, still hearing the sirens from far away. She sighed. "I'm sure everything will be well with him, don't worry. I don't know how, but he always manages it."

They kept moving forward through the street, enjoying the special time they were sharing together again, unable to sense the presence that observed them from far above in the edge the building near them.

The dark and strong figure remained in silence, turning his head as they distanced themselves from him.

She was so close to him again.

He couldn't waste much more time now.

Venom shot a thick and dark web-line towards the building in front of him and kept his sight focused on the two women, following them from above.

---

Spider-Man leapt from rooftop to rooftop as he pursued the van back at the street. He didn't know who the criminal was, or what they had done, but the police were absolutely wasting no cars to get him.

They could soon turn their attention to him the moment he appeared in sight. After all, he was still a criminal in the eyes of many, even if that status seemed to be changing throughout the last weeks.

With a leap that showed nothing more than total efficiency and grace, he accurately landed on top of the white van that was being pursued, the many sirens behind them filled his ears.

Spider-Man teased, "Can you speed this up? I'm in a hurry, pal!"

Without a wasted motion, Spider-Man smashed his fist against the windscreen, shattering it and showering the occupants with broken glass. The driver suddenly pulled the breaks and he was throw inside and between the two front criminals.

He shook his head in pain and looked at them both, "Hi..?" The car began moving agan and they rushed towards him. He grabbed the hand of the criminal who was raising a gun at him and webbed his hand to the door before kicking him out of the car with his feet.

He watched him burst the side door open and slid down the asphalt. "Ouch… that will leave a scratch… more than one actually." He spoke as he turned his attention back to the driver who was left briefly stunned by what had just happened with his partner in crime.

"Excuse me," Spider-Man wrapped his own seatbelt and then pulled the man's off. The vigilante hit the brakes and waved cordially at the man. "See ya, friend!."

Before he could react, the expression of pure shock now stood in the thug's face. He was sent flying through the already open windscreen and into the air, managing to not become one with the asphalt after Spider-Man quickly webbed him against the building in the side of the street.

The car suddenly stopped with him inside and the police quickly surrounded the van. He pulled himself out of the van and perched temporarily on the roof. He leapt off the van and scrambled up the side of the skyscraper, crawling his way above until he was high enough to launch himself in a giant leap to the next skyscraper along.

Minutes later, Peter sat down in the edge of the building and sighed heavily. He brought his phone from his pants and picked his daughter's number from the contact list, bringing the phone close to his covered right ear.

He looked over the sight in front him, slowing down his heart after the chase he had been involved with.

It took a couple of seconds before Elizabeth picked the call.

"Hey, dad." She greeted.

"Hey, baby." He continued, "We haven't talked much today. How are you doing right now?"

"I'm okay, dad." She asked, "What about you?"

"I'm fine too. I just stopped a car chase, it went pretty well, considering everything."

"That's nice, I guess."

"Yeah… what are you up to, dear?"

"Um, nothing really."

"Your mom told me you'd visit that friend of yours, Miles? Can I pick you up later?"

"There's no need for that, dad. I think his father will drop me at home as he makes his way to the police station, it's on the way."

"Are you? Maybe we could get something tasty to eat after I pick you up."

"It's already, dad. You probably have more important things to take care of."

"Well… not as important as you, but okay, sweetheart." He didn't insist any further. A considerable pause took place in the call. He broke the silence, "You know you can… talk to me just about anything, right?"

"I know, daddy." She replied, reassuringly.

He nodded to himself, "... okay, Liz."

"Be careful, alright?"

"Funny how that should be me saying that to you."

"Just try, dad."

"I will, don't worry."

"I love you."

"... love you too, Liz."

The call was eventually ended. Peter raised his chin at the sight in front of him and rested the hand that held the phone over his lap for a moment. Times were definitely changing, everything and everyone around him were also changing, he wasn't sure he was truly ready for it.

After shaking his head, Spider-Man dove towards the air and swung to the nearest bakery in the block, which was coincidentally the one he often came by as Spider-Man to get some snacks and breads for his home.

He had a long lasting relationship with the owner so things were far easier whenever he couldn't take the suit off, and definitely quickier as well.

Later on, he could be found hanging upside down in the webline he held in his hand as he lowered himself towards the more isolated window in the back of the bakery store.

He knocked on the opaque window and waited for a couple of minutes until the window was finally lowered from inside.

"Spidey, long time no see, old pal."

"Mark," Spider-Man offered his fist and they bumped fists. "How's the business these days, man?"

"It's doing well, considering sometimes we get to see some former superhero surrounded by cops at every corner, at least not that often anymore."

"Well, let's hope luck can remain on our side now." He gestured towards the sack of bread set over the table in the kitchen. "What do you got for me?"

Mark looked at the sack over the counter and informed, "The usual, mini donuts, desserts, cheese, bread, sweet milk bread… the complete package."

Spider-Man nodded. "Gotta feed the family, you know?"

"Of course." He picked the sack in his hand. "Here, take it."

Spider-Man took the sack on his free hand. "How much do I owe you?"

"Not much, relax." He continued, "After you stopped those punks from robbing my me and my customers, it's the least I can do."

"Are you sure? I can come back with my wife's credit card, I have nothing with me now."

"It's alright. You can leave your wife's bank account in good peace." They chuckled.

A voice from within the bakery shouted, "Mark… can I get more sugar?!"

He looked at the hero, "Time for you to go now, pal."

"Thanks!" They greeted each other again before the webbing pulled him towards the roof.

Peter jumped over towards the rooftop and calmly landed on his feet. He approached the sack to his covered nose. "That smells… so good, damn." He closed his eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the sensation coming through the fabric above his nose.

He then turned over his shoulder to head towards the opposite direction since home was found in such direction, only to be caught off guard by a fellow Parker. He almost landed on his back. "Jesus Christ, Ezekiel! Couldn't you tell me you were already here?"

Ezekiel frowned. "I just got here, though."

"Did the Master of Mystical Arts from your world teach you how to be sneaky too?"

He shook his shoulder. "He did teach me how to boil an egg in the best way possible."

"And how is that then?"

"Well, you should place the eggs in a large saucepan… cover them with cool water by one inch, if I remember correctly. Then you should cover with a lid and bring water to a boil over high heat…"

"Go on…" Peter was actually interested.

"When the water has reached a boil, set the timer for the desired time. Boil for 6 - 7 minutes over medium-high heat for perfect hard-boiled eggs. That's it."

"Hmm… I'll later try this at home to see if you really are this eggman of sorts."

"You won't be disappointed, Pete." Ezekiel approached him. "I'm just here to check on you, can't be too careful with you nowadays. I just followed the sirens… figured you'd be around here."

"I'm good, but thank you for coming by."

"Anytime."

Peter walked towards the border and sat down, swinging his legs in the air. Ezekiel followed him after he gestured to join him. "You know what, Zeke, could you tell me how my children were… in your world?"

"Why do you ask that?"

Peter sighed. "I'm a curious guy."

"They were… not that different, actually." Ezekiel continued, "Many believe in the constant and variables theory, how that changes perception and different realities… but it's not really how that works, so in this case, they were the same person… in different situations and different years." Peter nodded to himself in understanding. "There's Aiden… you've seen a bit from him before, in his brief youth… he was quite… troublesome."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he had a knack for getting himself into fights, he mostly wandered on his own after you passed away, for a long time actually. He spent his time with the car you two pieced together by yourselves."

"I see… funny you say that, I mentioned before about us putting a car together."

"Reality is often scary, that's what I meant earlier." He continued, "The twins were quite close, they often disagreed with each other but at the end of the day they were covering each other's backs. David was far calmer in comparison."

"Did you two went along well?"

"Aiden… well, his attitude worsened a bit after you left us, he grew impatient with a lot of things… he spent more time with his hookups than with me, but I was there for him whenever he needed me, until… yeah." Ezekiel sighed, heavily.

"I know." Peter changed the subject. "I noticed you don't really talk about much Elizabeth, do you?"

Ezekiel hesitated. "She… she was a great woman, Peter. I can assure you of that, for awhile she became the boys' second mother, even if they weren't aware of such thing."

Peter chuckled briefly before his smile vanished to give space to a more serious expression. "I only hope I can give them a better future."

"Don't worry, Peter." Ezekiel spoke, reassuringly. "I'm with you, whatever it takes."

Peter patted him in the back, gently, as a form of thanking him. He stopped when he spotted something unusual in him. "Ezekiel, your nose… is bleeding."

Ezekiel frowned at him, surprised. He slid his index finger under his nose and saw the stain of blood over the skin of his finger.

Peter asked, "Are you okay?"

"It's… it's what I told you about before. I have been exposed to your world for far too long."

"What could happen if you stood longer?"

"I will cease to exist, Peter."

"What? Then what you're waiting for? You need to go back and gather your strength."

"I can't. I want to be here with you this time."

He insisted, "It's not worth losing your life over that."

"It is to me, Peter." Ezekiel continued, "I need to be sure everything will be different this time, that's what I need to do, no matter what it takes. I'll be at your side."

Peter sighed heavily, looking deeply at the Parker besides him despite never taking his mask off. "... then we better end this whole thing soon."

---

"Couldn't you like... think of somewhere else for us to meet?" Harry asked, frustrated.

Peter ate his hamburger. He spoke with the food inside his mouth, "What's wrong with this snack bar?

"I thought we would discuss such sensitive subject in a more private area."

"This is private enough." He sucked on his finger and glanced around. "No one's looking at us."

Harry sighed heavily. "You'll be the end of me."

"Eventually," He continued, "I followed a car chase that left my stomach as empty as it can get."

Harry noticed the suit under his shirt and jacket popping out of his shirt's collar. He nodded at it, "Careful or you might get busted."

Peter narrowed his eyes at Harry in confusion and took a moment to realize what he was talking about. He lowered his chin and finally got to see part of the suit appearing above his shirt. He adjusted it with his free hand and spoke, "You have no idea how uncomfortable this is."

"I kinda do, it's a skintight suit after all."

"What do you got for me then?"

Harry picked his laptop and placed it over the table. "Do you remember that backdoor I set up at the city's framework so that I can monitor what's going in the entirety of Manhattan for you?"

Peter nodded and kept chewing his hamburger. "My own personal low-budget oracle. I do, yes."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've found that someone else has been using this backdoor, probably that guy who spoke to you through that advertisement, that's how he had access to it."

"Makes sense. How do you think he found it?"

"I have no idea. I set this up many years ago when I briefly ran Oscorp, I wanted to gather data for a weather project of sorts, never managed to get that one going. Still, one would only know about this if such person really knew their way inside the building, and that's highly unlikely at this point."

"Something happened, Harry, and maybe this guy did." Peter suggested, dropping his half eaten hamburger over the plate.

"That's why I wanted to meet." Harry continued, "I followed his tracks, took me a few restless nights to be on his tail but I got something."

"What do you mean?"

"While I failed to gather any footage from his possible whereabouts the moment his trace stopped… I gathered some audio instead." Harry turned his laptop around and towards Peter, before playing the recording.

They both heard the many unnatural loud pitch shrieks coming from the recording. Peter frowned at the screen, before looking at his friend in the opposite direction of the table.

Harry asked, "Does that sound familiar to you?"

"It… it does." He continued, "Are you sure you do not know where this came from?"

"Not yet, Pete. Why?"

"Because what we've just heard might be the sound of a dozens of symbiotes, if not more. That can be… a real problem, Harry."

"Are you sure?"

"Almost. I've heard this before, when I took the symbiote out of my body… and some other recent occasions." Peter sighed and brought his hands to face. "That's so not good."

"What do we do then?"

"My wild guess is this guy who told me about Eddie's whereabouts is involved in this, they also seem to have a connection, he may be the root of all this after all. I'll… I'll have to rip him out root and stem."

Harry leaned slightly forward. "This doesn't have to be your problem, Peter. Let others handle it."

"It is my problem, my father helped to create this thing and I failed to make sure it never gets in contact with anyone else." Peter added, "Ezekiel also showed what happened in his life when a single symbiote got strong enough… the twins were… I can't let that happen again."

"Do you put that much trust on him? Are you certain what he showed you was real?"

"There's no reason not to, Harry. He always did the best for me, were not for him I would be stuck in a weird reality. We are even related, despite never living together before."

He rested his back against the couch once again, sighing briefly. "I see… I understand. It's just that… this eventually has to stop, I… need to stop."

"What do you mean, Harry?"

"I'm forever thankful for having another chance with you, Peter. You know that. You gave me a new life and purpose. I… I just think I need to move on right now, I fell… stuck on a loop this city, as if I won't go anywhere else."

"I thought you were happy being the store's manager?"

"I was, for a time. Thing is… there's a lot of baggage here, you know? I feel like I need to go outside again, find something different, breath… something else."

Peter eventually nodded at him. "I understand, Hare. You deserve that and more."

"Thank you for understanding. I thought you would get mad at me."

"I won't get mad at you pursuing your happiness, we all need to at some point, and stick with it."

Harry smiled, shortly.

Peter added, "I'm short of friends, though."

"You're really not, Peter. You even have your own Avengers now."

"Everyone there has their own motive to be there, it's not really a friendship thing. That's why I still need you here, Harry. You just gave me valuable information, you're important, I need you to stick around for a little while longer."

Harry looked at his friend. "One last time?"

Peter inhaled deeply. "Yeah… one last time."

Harry nodded, before picking a couple of papers from his bag and placing them over the table and besides his laptop. "There's this last thing too."

"What is it?"

"It's about Eddie Brock." He paused. "His story, it's there… and it's not too bright."

---

Elizabeth found herself sat over one of the building's large gargoyles, hugging her knees that were near her chest as she glanced over the city far away from the streets.

The wind pulled the many locks of her golden hair into the air and out of the hoodie she wore above her head. Everything was far calmer from her viewpoint. There was no comparison.

Maybe that's how dad feels.

She sighed, thinking of him. She felt guilty of hiding some things from her own parents, she didn't want to, but she knew her father and how he would react. It would be natural from his part.

Elizabeth knew what she was doing wasn't right.

Not completely... right.

Yet she didn't want anyone else she loved suffer. Could that be such an impossible thing to achieve? She wondered why there were so many roots of pain within the members of her family.

Was it because of her gifts? Were they more of a curse instead?

Elizabeth closed her eyes.

They might as well be a curse.

She blamed herself for putting Aunt May into the situation that led to her death, and for not helping her in time before the final shot. She could have reacted faster, like her father did with her mother, but she didn't.

Now they were minus one. Every day she feared losing another one again. She heard the many stories that took place before her birth, they weren't any good.

Maybe I can do better… for them.

She kept her eyes shut, concentrating harder than she ever did. She felt her weight disappear and her surroundings to slowly go dark, the city around her faded to black and suddenly she was nowhere for a brief second.

Elizabeth opened her eyes, seeing nothing but complete darkness around her, before finally her surroundings slowly began to take shape and form as she found herself sat in what seemed to be the living room of someone's house.

A very familiar room, actually.

She frowned, finally realizing where she was. She was inside Aunt Mary's house, but it wasn't exactly the same image she last had of the house.

Everything was far… older. She slid her hand over the floor and picked some dust in her fingers.

Some tiny webbings could seen in the ceiling, tiny spiders were near them.

Elizabeth looked around her shoulder, the window was surprisingly intact, no bullet mark, but still dusty. She noticed it was already night outside.

...weird.

Elizabeth carefully stood up. She noticed something in the rack, a TV was supposed to be on top of it. Instead, she took the family photo in her right hand.

She smiled at first, but her such reaction was quickly replaced by confusion once she spotted Ezekiel in the picture. He was close to Peter and her grandparents that passed away long before she was even born.

He wasn't supposed to be there, Ezekiel was never part his early life. There were three people she never heard of, a blonde woman that wasn't her mother between two men that were very similar.

Elizabeth lowered the portrait on top of the rack.

This... this is wrong.

She looked over her shoulder and analyzed her surroundings once again.

"This is not… home." She whispered to herself, taking a couple of steps towards the kitchen's entrance. Again, it seemed no one had been there for many years, the house was completely abandoned. "Where am I?"

Her thoughts were cut shot once she heard the sound of a door closing back at the living room. She quickly hid herself behind the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen instead of heading directly towards the presence.

She tried to slow down her breath as she heard the steps coming from the other side of the wall she had her back leaned against. The presence seemed to approach and inspect the rack she had just been near.

Please…

Elizabeth closed her eyes once the steps headed towards her direction.

Then everything ceased and she could hear the sound of her heart pumping rapidly in the darkness within the house. Fearing what could happen in the following seconds, Elizabeth decided to try and act first by running towards the window but she failed as a hand covered by a black substance popped through the wall in her side and grabbed her shoulder, violently pulling her straight through the wooden wall and back into the dusty ground of the living room.

She landed on her face and a few painful scratches appeared in the skin of her face, she groaned in pain and slowly turned around in the ground so that she could lie on her back and face her aggressor.

She panted heavily while her sight slowly cleared once again. A trail of blood dropped from the cut above her eyebrow and slid down her nose. "Who… are you?" She finally managed to take a look at the invader.

The symbiote covered the entirety of his body, leaving only a chunk of his brownish hair and brow right eye out. The big and fat spider could be seen over his chest. She recognized the appearance since Flash once wore the symbiote she had been hearing so much about lately.

Yet she could definitely tell it wasn't Flash inside such suit.

"You don't belong here." His rougher voice finally spoke.

Elizabeth groaned again, raising her head from the ground. "Who… are you?" She place her hand above her eyebrow to cover the cut.

He tilted his head to the side."You… I know you."

"W-What?"

The symbiote uncovered his head, stopping at his neck.

She frowned and slowly realized who she had been talking too. He was extremely similar to a person she was very familiar with, but older instead. He was also in the picture.

The short haircut narrowed the options in her head. "Aiden…? How?"

"Elizabeth…" He frowned as well.

"Is this… really you, Aiden? I… I-I don't know what's going on. Why did you…"

He opened his mouth but stopped briefly, as if he was somehow struggling with himself. He smiled, briefly. "There's no… Aiden here." He looked to the ground in confusion. "Venom killed him. I… killed him." He raised his eyes at her again.

"You were in the pictures… your name was in it." Elizabeth slowly stood back on her feet.

"He's gone. Your family here… is also gone."

"What?" She started to feel desperate.

"You were supposed to be as well." He took a step closer.

Elizabeth coughed and slowly walked backwards.

"You're not from here." He kept approaching her. She noticed that his eyes somehow started to become teary. "Yet... you are the only one left."

"What are you talking about?"

"It started with you… and now, it will end… with you, Elizabeth." The symbiote began to reach for his face again.

"Stop…"

"First your parents, then your brothers…"

"Stop it, Aiden." She pleaded, afraid of what he could to her. "You are my brother!"

He cleared his throat. "We will consume your gift… then… we'll end your father, your family and then… we'll wipe out… everyone."

"Stop…!" She shouted at him as Venom began to rush towards her.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and Venom quickly went past her as she suddenly felt the wind brush against her once again. She opened her eyes, breathing rapidly, noticing she was back at the gargoyle.

Elizabeth sat down, hugged herself and dropped her head in her knees as she absorbed everything that had just happened. She knew what she lived seconds ago wasn't a dream.

It was real. It could become… real.

---

"Hey," Gwen approached Peter from behind his seat, placing her hands over both his shoulders after placing a mug of coffee besides his hand in the desk in front of him.

He smiled at her touch while his eyes remained focused in the desk. "Hey… thank you."

Gwen leaned slightly forward. She asked delicately, "What are you doing with those pictures?"

He held a couple of polaroid pictures in his hand, having many others strayed over the table inside their bedroom. They were mostly family photos he had taken from his father's briefcase, he still kept it with him, there he also kept a lot of memories. "I felt like checking on these again."

Gwen smiled, glancing the ones in his hand. "They were so little."

Peter nodded in agreement. "That they were…"

He moved a picture to the side while another took its place. He saw one of the many wedding pictures he had asked May to take with his own camera. In the frame, he wore his tuxedo and held Gwen's back and her leg while she stretched herself to the side in his grip, clad in her wedding dress while holding the flowers in her hand that was raised to the air above them.

They looked extremely happy.

He continued, "... and we were younger."

"Oi, I'm still young." She teased with a happy smile.

Peter chuckled. "I remember that night as if it happened yesterday."

Gwen leaned down to plant a kiss on his cheek. She spoke near his ear, "Can we marry again, bugboy?"

"We could try, if they don't allow us to… then we can do our own little ceremony at some Macdonald's. What do you think?"

"It would be perfect." She kissed the side of his mouth, before going back to her former standing.

He smiled, switching photos once again. "Wow… that's our two weeks old baby-girl there."

"She always had your cheeks."

"Your eyes are there as well." He gasped. "She always has been so beautiful."

"Our little girl has been growing into a fine lady."

He sighed. "... yet she's so different now."

"She's changing."

He confessed, "I… I don't know how I feel about that. I miss us singing to some music during breakfast… and chasing her around after she robbed me of my things."

Gwen chuckled. "I know what you mean, honey."

"I feel like we aren't seeing each other that often, even if we're at home, you know? Especially now that… May passed away. She always has something to do." He inhaled deeply.

"She's still grieving, let her have some room, Pete." Gwen moved her hand against the side of his hair. "You can still take a moment to talk with her when you have the time."

"Maybe… that's the issue, not finding the time for you guys."

"We all do the best with what we have, you're no exception."

He nodded to himself. "I'm not sure I'm the best person right now with words, though. I can't even persuade my old friend to come to me."

"Give it a shot, I know she will appreciate it." Gwen kissed the top of his hair. "Drink your coffee now, I will read the correspondence while the twins watch TV."

"Alright, baby." He took her hand that was found near his chest and planted a soft kiss in it. "Thank you for the coffee."

Gwen smiled, before turning around and heading towards the door. "You will make up for it later tonight.

"Aye, aye, Mrs Parker." He called her before she fully left him alone to his thoughts, "Hey?'

She stopped, holding the knob in her hand. "What?"

He smirked, cheekly. "You know… if being sexy was a crime, you'd be a guilty as charged."

Gwen giggled and closed the door after leaving her husband alone in the room.

Peter sighed heavily, taking one last look at the pictures. He moved them to the side in the desk and grabbed a pen and a blank paper from the folders besides him. He glazed the paper with the pen in his hand, sighing heavily.

Maybe it's better to come up with something before talking to her. Gwen can approve it later.

He sighed again, lowering the pen over the paper.

"Liz…"

---

"I'm not sure we'll have enough for this entire family later on." Peter joked as he cut slices of tomatoes over the sink.

Gwen read the newspaper while eating a apple in her free hand. She waited for the water in the bowl above the oven to boil.

She wore a snug bathrobe over her recently showered body. "You only have yourself to blame, honey." She bit the apple and chewed its content.

He smiled. "If I remember correctly… you opened your-"

She looked over her shoulder and at him. "The kids are watching TV."

"What was that, mum?" Aiden asked from the couch, without taking his eyes off the screen.

"Nothing, dear. Daddy was just being silly, that's all."

Peter smiled and looked at his wife as they exchanged a funny look, He then made the mistake of not paying attention to what he actually was doing with his hands and dug the knife in the flesh of his finger. "Ouch!" He frowned his face in pain, focusing at the blood coming from his cut.

"What did you do? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, just a little scratch." He moved said finger under the water coming from the now open tap and then pressed the cut against his lips so that he could stop the bleeding.

"Hold on, I'll get some bandages." Gwen dropped the newspaper above the countertop and quickly headed towards the bathroom.

Peter took his hand away from his mouth. "Baby, I'm okay." She didn't hear him. He gasped slightly and observed the traces of blood pouring out of the opening. "If I didn't die until now... then this won't be thing that finally kills me."

"Stop complaining!" She shouted from the bathroom.

He chuckled again, but his smile vanished once he noticed the symbiote's stain in the middle of his palm wandering under his skin until the substance reached the cut in his finger. In matter of seconds, the bleeding stopped and there was only a very tiny scar in the side of his finger.

"What in the..."

Gwen entered the kitchen with a small box under her right arm and bandages in her left hand. "Come here so that I can clean it."

Peter took a moment to realize she had joined him once gain, instead he kept staring his finger.

She called again, "Peter? Are you okay?" She approached him from behind and took a peek inside the sink. "Did it heal already?"

"Hm? Oh… yeah, I think so…?" He finally answered her back.

"Was it always this quick?" She narrowed her eyes at him, confused.

"I'm not… sure." He finally met her. "Actually, Gwen… I need to tell you something."

She tilted her head to the side. "Oh… the last time you wanted to tell me something, you jumped off my rooftop."

He smiled. "It's not that drastic, I mean… maybe, I dunno?"

"Then tell me." She put the bandages to the side and sneaked her arms around his neck while he held her waistline.

"Well, thing is I-"

"Mom! I'm hungry!" Aiden shouted from the couch.

Dave followed his brother, "I am too!" Yet he wasn't besides his twin.

Gwen looked up to the ceiling and found her son on his knees against the surface of the ceiling, wearing his pajamas. His hair fell down slightly over his forehead. He smiled, aware of his mischievous move.

"You're not supposed to be over there, Dave. It can be dangerous." She took her hands off her husband and placed them at her waist as she tapped her feet in the ground.

Peter smiled and jumped slightly on his toes to take the child from the ceiling and on his arms, causing him to giggle uncontrollably due to the quick move. "Listen to your dear mom, pal. Otherwise I'll have to hear it later."

David was put back to the ground as he stood on his feet once again.

Gwen spoke, "You bet you will, they didn't get this from me after all." She gestured to the ceiling.

Peter chuckled again to himself and watched his son wander back to the couch after asking for even more food.

Gwen took his hand on hers and asked softly, "Can you tell me this super secret of yours later after we feed this horde of ours?"

He nodded with a smile. "Of course, priorities, right?"

She smiled kindly and gave him a peck in the lips. "I love you."

"I love you more." He cupped her cheek, admiring the features in her face for a second before he leaned in to capture her lips on his.

They parted and she left him so that she could check on the pasta being cooked in the oven.

"It's pretty much cooked. Maybe you can go ahead and call Liz for dinner while I set up the table?"

"Aye, aye, madam." Peter brought the tiny slices of tomatoes near Gwen so that she could drop them inside the pan. He smacked her gently in her rear and left for the main hall.

"Silly." Gwen followed his trail with her eyes, smiling contently. She caught him laughing silently as he made his way through the spiral stairwell.

Peter reached the second floor and let go of the handrail in the stairs, stopping at Elizabeth's door. He spun the knob open slowly opened it. "Liz? Time for dinner, dear." He fully opened her door and found her bedroom devoid of her presence,

Or was it, really?

He frowned once he caught a piece of soft tissue in the ground. He crouched and took it in hand, finding a red stain in the sheet and more in the floor, there was a small trail of tiny puddles of blood coming from the open window.

He noticed there was also a source of light coming from underneath the bathroom's door.

Something happened.

Peter rose and slowly approached the door of the bathroom, before sliding it open to the side and finding his daughter inside. "Liz…?"

"Dad!" Elizabeth had been originally looking at herself through the mirror while brushing a piece of sheet over what looked to be a small cut over her eyebrow, She quickly turned around to meet him once noticed the door was suddenly open.

"What is that, Liz?" He frowned, immediately. "What did you do?" He entered the bathroom and approached her so that he could take a closer look at the wound.

"I… I…"

Peter noticed he had stepped on something unusual in the ground, so he looked down at the material and had his mouth slightly open as he realized what may have happened. He leaned down and picked his spare Spider-Man mask from the ground and into his hand.

He looked up to her. "What is this? What have you been doing, Elizabeth?"

"It's nothing, dad." Elizabeth quickly strolled past him and headed inside her bedroom, stopping near the window as she crossed her arms after hiding a web-cartridge in her pockets so that he wasn't also aware of the swinging sessions she taking by herself.

"What do you mean it's nothing?" He took more sheets from the tiny box near the sink and followed her trail with his mask in his hand and the sheets in the other. "Have you been… out there getting yourself in danger? Who did that to you?"

He approached to clean her wound but she turned to the side. "I said I'm okay, dad."

"You're definitely not okay." Peter dropped the mask in the floor and rested his free hand over her shoulder as he gently turned her around. She looked up to him as her green eyes could be seen slightly teary. "I'll ask again, Liz, who did that to you?"

Elizabeth bursted, "Bad people, dad!" She continued, "Is that enough?" She walked past him again and stopped on the other side of the room.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to make sure they wouldn't hurt my family again and they thought differently."

"No one... is going to hurt us again."

She turned on her feet and towards him. A tear had left her right eye and slid down her cheek. "You said that before and then granny died!"

Peter silenced. "That wasn't… supposed to happen, Liz. I made a mistake, but that doesn't mean you should be going outside taking matters in your own hand, I don't want you to ever do that."

"But then who will, dad? You?"

"That's not how things work, Liz. It was never about vengeance." He continued, "You know what happened to our family, and you think putting yourself in danger would benefit anyone? Do you have any idea what we would have felt if something bad happened to you?"

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "... something bad already happened to me, dad, and then granny left us because of it." She dropped her chin.

"It's not your fault, Liz. It won't ever be." He picked his mask from the ground. "I don't want you to be doing this ever again."

"And I… I don't know if I can ever believe in what you again, dad."

"Liz…" He took a step forward but she quickly disappeared from sight and then fast footsteps could be heard coming from the stairwell.

Peter rushed outside the bedroom and entered the hallway, leaning himself against the balcony to watch her as she entered the first floor. "Liz!

He leapt over the balcony and landed on the ground.

Gwen caught them both in her sight from the kitchen. "What's going on? Elizabeth?" She saw her daughter open the balcony and step over railings, letting her weight push her down into the air. Gwen's heart sunk as she watched the whole thing, Peter immediately reached for the railings and before he jumped towards her, he noticed she had used her gift to disappear again midair.

"Where's she?" Gwen quickly joined him, desperate as tears began to leave her eyes. She was panicking. "What happened?!"

"She has been going after people that might hurt us, she got herself hurt while doing that. We... argued." He quickly continued, "There's no time to explain, Gwen. I need to go after her."

"Peter…"

He quickly brought her into his arms and hugged her, deeply. "I'll bring her back, honey. I promise."

---

Spider-Man swung around the city, looking for his daughter, doing the best he could with what he had. It was difficult, she could have gone anywhere. Gwen made some calls but not a single soul close to them had been in contact with her recently.

He cursed himself for allowing this to happen. Maybe he acted too rough with his daughter, or maybe he wasn't that much of a good parent after all. Everything he feared before they had their first child was now taking place in his life, they had his gifts and more, it wouldn't ever bee easy to try and control that.

Now he had to make up for it. It almost felt like his life was coming at full circle. Peter had seen and experienced many things in his life, many terrible things as Spider-Man as well, things that had nothing to do with super-powered individuals at all, stuff that took the sleep away from him when he returned back home after a long night of patrolling the streets, not many knew about such memories, but they were there, and now, potentially losing his own daughter's trust and even maybe life due to the world she was born into, terrified him the most, he couldn't bear such thought.

I couldn't save my parents, I couldn't save my Uncle… not even my Aunt, and I can't even save my own scared daughter from this world. What have I done?

Peter asked himself.

He took a quick tap to his palm, a small click took place alongside a slight shake on his wrist, finally a tug on his arm as the web anchored, he swung around the building and launched himself above them.

The world around him slowed down as he let go of the webline and dove in the air with open arms. He could see the majority of the city underneath him and even beyond.

Within the mask, he closed his eyes and calmed his breath.

Through his special sense, he once again felt somehow connected to her, like he first felt after she was born. He came back to his usual senses and found himself diving straight at the direction every muscle of his body told him to go.

It didn't take long to spot her slowly walking alone by herself at some rooftop.

Elizabeth had her hands inside the side pockets of her grey and purple hoodie. She caught movement behind her so she quickly looked over her shoulder and watched Spider-Man let go of the webbing in his hand.

"Dad?"

Peter rose after landing near his daughter. He took his mask off and held the material in his hand. "I've finally found you."

"I'm alright." She resumed with her stroll and approached the edge of the building. The sky above them turned darker with each minute that went by.

Peter approached her, carefully. "Please, Liz, don't do that thing of yours again. Just… take it easy with me."

"I… I can't do it all the time. It's hard to explain."

"Then let's just talk to each other, alright?

She nodded. "Okay…"

He sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry for… things being the way they are recently, I truly am. I wish I could have done things differently, but I didn't, Liz." He continued, "But you're my daughter, you're my biggest responsibility, and I won't ever give up on you… so please, I want you to never give up on me too."

She dropped her chin and closed her eyes.

Peter faced her back. "I'd trade my soul for you, Liz. There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for you alone… so please, come home, back to us. I miss you… we all do."

Elizabeth hugged herself. "I don't want you to get hurt too, dad."

"Then help take care of your old dad." Peter continued, "Well, I'm not that old, but still."

She chuckled, lightly. She looked over her shoulder to finally meet her father once again, only to find herself terrified after spotting what was coming from above and directly towards him.

"Dad watch out…!"

Peter quickly reacted by turning his head to the sky above him and after seeing the black projectile in shape of a spear coming at his direction, he performed a backward somersault and landed in front of his daughter, acting as some sort of barrier to protect her.

He rose his chin and before he could react, Venom appeared above him with another spear in his hands and impaled him right through the shoulder blade, his flesh was open and the spear went past him.

He immediately fell on his right knee for a moment and looked up to the man in front of him that still held the spear, inflicting a huge amount of pain on him. "Eddie… why...?"

Venom tightened his grip of the hands, the symbiote in his hand could be heard stretching itself.

Elizabeth found herself paralyzed due to the shock from seeing what had just happened with her father.

Peter gasped heavily as blood dripped from his mouth and the skin of his face flushed. He raised his knee from the ground and grabbed the spear with both his hands, slowly pulling it outside his body.

Venom's large and curvy white lenses expanded slightly in surprise.

Peter shouted in pain once he finally beat Venom with his strength and pulled the spear out of his shoulder, before harshly swinging it across his opponent's face. Venom backed off slightly and watched his former co-worker shoot a single web-line to the mask in the ground, before diving towards Elizabeth and grabbing her on his arms as he launched the two of them into the air and out of the building.

He rushed forward and dove after them.

In her father's arms, Elizabeth watched Venom surpass their speed and slowly close the distance between them. She held him back closely. Venom shot a thick web-line at them.

She warned, "Dad…!"

Now wearing his mask again, Spider-Man caught her warning and proceeded to fire his own web-line to the nearest building in order change their trajectory. After he felt the weight of their slow-down in his arms, he noticed he made a mistake by using the one that had just been pierced open. He failed to absorb the amount of strength being put against him and screamed in pain as he unintentionally let go of the webbing.

They headed together towards the building's windows and ultimately crashed inside, they got separated from each other in the abrupt landing as the both of them slid over the floor and collided against many desks.

Spider-Man's momentum was finally slowed down as he stopped on his back and near a desk. He groaned in pain and looked down to his shoulder.

Despite the darkness in the huge office, he could see the wound was bleeding fast.

He groaned again and carefully rose his chest from the ground. He realized his daughter wasn't near him, she couldn't been seen at all. "Eli… Elizabeth?" His weak voice called.

Spider-Man managed to stand on his feet as he leaned against the desk for support. "Liz…?!" He looked around, still panting, and found nothing initially. He glanced his injured shoulder and webbed the wound to help contain the bleeding for now.

"Elizabe-" The windows to his side were shattered as Venom quickly came through them with his feet extended towards him.

Spider-Man felt the kick in his chest and was sent flying backwards against many desks that were left in the ground after he previously destroyed them with his body. He landed on his back and felt the lack of oxygen in his lungs for a brief time.

He began to cough heavily as he tried to fill them once again. He looked to the side and found his daughter lying on her shoulder, unconsciously. She was filed with bruises all over the skin in her face.

"Liz…"

Before he could reach for her, Venom had already launched himself from the ground and now was found in the air above him, claws ready to get stuck on his flesh.

Spider-Man rose his wrist and fired single circular webbing in the shape of tiny "bomb" to Venom's chest that sent his incoming enemy flying in the opposite direction once the webbing exploded in his chest, shortly locking him to the ground once he landed away from him.

Now exposed to a brief window without being attacked, he rushed to his daughter and put his hands on her cheek. "Hey, Liz! She put a single hand against her jugular and noticed she was still well. "We have to go." He took her off the ground and on his arms.

She moaned and slowly opened her eyes. "Dad… where…"

A loud shriek was heard from where Venom was trapped against.

He saw the symbiote change around Eddie's body. The teeth had already popped out and that only meant more trouble.

Venom finally broke free and stood on his feet. His right arm quickly turned into the shape of an axe and the next thing he did was to swing his new weapon across the entirety of the room.

Spider-Man was caught off guard once he noticed the improved length of his former arm that was coming to their direction. Without the proper time to react, he simply dove to the side with Elizabeth on his arms, landing on his shoulder and immediately seeing an exit through the windows in front of him. Wasting not a single second, he got up and rushed towards his goal, only to feel a sharp blade across the spandex of his back and ultimately his skin.

He cried out in pain and tripped forward while making his way to the window, accidently letting go of his daughter who slid against the fragile window, cracking it. He turned on his back and pressed both his hands against Venom's face as the latter jumped on top of him with his massive teeth ready to bite a huge chunk out of the vigilante as salive landed over the lenses in his mask.

Spider-Man struggled and his hands trembled heavily. Venom grabbed him by the neck with a single hand and moved the other against Peter's, slowly taking away his leverage over him by pushing one the hero's hand out of his face and pressuring it against the ground. Venom let go of his neck and then the same hand turned into a small spear as he pierced his enemy's hand against the ground.

Peter cursed heavily and watched as blood poured out of his hand that was now stuck against the ground. He heard Elizabeth waking up and immediately buried his free hand inside Venom's mouth, and before he Venom could bite his arm off, he webbed his entire organism from within the symbiote's body.

The symbiote was left stunned and quickly got off Spider-Man. He began walking backwards and moving both his hands against his head as the figure stumbled against the pillars and desks.

Spider-Man turned to his side and grabbed the spear that was pierced against the hand that had him stuck to the ground. Despite the huge amount of pain he endured, he managed to take the projectile off him. He rose and briefly watched Venom slowly recompose itself from his earlier move.

He then turned on his feet and ran towards Elizabeth who already stood back in her own feet. He took her on his arms and moved his shoulder against the glass in order to break it as they dove back into the air.

---

"They are finally in bed, sleeping." Ezekiel entered the living room after walking down the stairwell.

Gwen walked back and forth with her phone in her hand. She stopped once she noticed Ezekiel had joined them.

Harry was found in the couch.

"It's the least I can do." He continued, "Have you made contact with him?"

Gwen shook her head in response. "Peter's not answering me."

"Maybe... maybe they're talking to each other? You said they argued, right?"

"Peter found her wounded, she had been heading out with his mask."

"That's a… um, familiar story." Harry interjected. They looked at him. "She got his temper, that's all I'm saying."

"Maybe, I don't know." Gwen focused in the balcony. "I just want them to be well again."

Harry spoke, "It's Peter we're talking about, if there's a man out there that would just about anything you can think of for the safety of his family, it's him."

"If only things were that simple, Harry." She sighed, before turning back to Ezekiel. "If only I was capable of doing half the things he or you can instead of being here and doing nothing."

"You're not doing… nothing, Gwen." Ezekiel frowned. "Peter is doing his part as a father and you as a mother. Just… be thankful you don't have to thrown punches around in order to settle things with something or someone."

Gwen exhaled deeply. She crossed her arms. "Yeah… maybe you are right, I'm not sure of anything right now."

Harry inquired, "Couldn't we call that super hidden group of yours to help, maybe?"

"I doubt they will want to leave the safety of their homes right now to help him with parenting issues."

Harry nodded to himself. "Good point, actually." He sighed. "I suppose there ain't anyone else left that would willingly help us considering his situation."

Ezekiel added, "Despite the recent change in public perception, he's still officially considered an outlaw. It's hard to to get some real assistance from anyone."

Harry cursed, "Damn."

Gwen remained with arms crossed. She gazed the floor, lost in her thoughts. "After what happened to May… I thought… I felt like we had to overcome our… issues, and remain stronger to ever, we all needed all the help we could offer to each other, it was tough, but.. now I feel like… will we ever have peace? I'm scared… I'm scared of losing every single dear thing we ever had."

---

Elizabeth hid her head against her father's chest and under his chin as he swung through the city with her in his arm. She felt the fabric in her shirt slightly wet due to the blood that poured out of his wounds and reached for his chest, where she was settled against.

He now had both his hand and shoulder compromised. She could only imagine the amount of pain he was going through while he carried her throughout the web-slinging.

Peter fired a web-line and they slowly stood in it as the momentum moved them forward.

"Dad… where are we going to?" She asked, gently.

He didn't reply.

She insisted, "Are you okay?

Once again, she didn't hear a single word from her father. She looked up to him and noticed he had his chin dropped.

The stretching cycle of the current web-line was almost done, he had to fire another.

"Dad, wake up… please!"

Peter shook his head and immediately noticed what he had to do. He renewed the webbing in his hand and moaned lowly due to the serious injuries all over his body.

"Sorry…" He whispered. His voice was far too weak. "We… we need… to…" He spotted a crane far above from its construction site down in the streets and decided to make an effort to reach it.

They accurately landed in the crane's bridge and Peter allowed his daughter to stand on her own.

He crouched and supported himself by his right knee. He moved his pierced hand against his injured shoulder, the webbing above the wound had already turned out redder than before.

He groaned. "We need to… get somewhere else that is safe. Can you… teleport us… elsewhere, Liz?"

Elizabeth kneeled in front of him and saw herself through the lenses in his mask. "I-I… I can't make it work right now, I-I don't know why!"

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's… okay." He looked up to her, moaning slightly. "Could you do me a favor and lift my mask for a second…?"

"... alright." Elizabeth slowly put her hands under his neck and delicately started to lift the fabric until his mouth was exposed.

"That's fine, Liz. Thank you." Peter added. "I'm probably… not looking that good under the mask anymore." He coughed and cleaned the blood from his lips with his hand.

"What can I do…?"

"You need to get to safety, Liz." He gasped again.

She argued, "You too."

Peter groaned as he again moved his injured hand to his shoulder. "You are my responsibility. I'll hold him back… you need to get far away from us, try to find Uncle Ezekiel, he'll take care of you for the time being."

"I don't want to stay away from you again." A tear left her right eye.

"Liz…" Peter looked up to her. "Listen to me-"

The crane was abruptly shaken and they almost lost their balance after Venom landed on his feet in the opposite end of the bridge, behind the oldest Parker there.

Peter grabbed Elizabeth by her arm and helped her maintain her balance, before moving her behind his legs as he turned on his shoulder to face Venom. He lowered his mask back to his neck and began, "Eddie… it's not… too late to stop this. What are you trying to accomplish here?"

Venom stood quiet in his position, watching the pair in front of him.

"I know the suit... it's clouding your judgment, Eddie. Let me… help you. Why are we doing this…? You were present when my d-daughter… was born, man." Spider-Man coughed blood from within his mask.

Again, he didn't speak a word.

"Eddie…" Peter dropped his chin, tired and hurt. "We'll…"

"I have to save her." Venom spoke and immediately rushed towards Spider-Man.

Peter quickly pushed Elizabeth off the bridge and into the air, firing a web-line to her chest before attaching the cable to the side of the structure as she yelled in shock while being suspended in the air.

He flipped over Venom in the air to avoid being crushed by his charge. He quickly turned on his back with his feet raised as he smashed Venom's ribs and sent him off the crane.

Venom shot some webbing to his chest during his fall and dragged of the crane Spider-Man with him, the latter fired his own white biocable back to the crane and held both their weights in his injured shoulder.

Elizabeth called him from above, also suspended in the air. He panted heavily. "Come on… Eddie! Don't make me..." He heard a yelp and looked up to his daughter, he noticed the webbing that held her was starting to slowly dissolve.

He only now realized he had been already using his reserve cartridge, a far more unreliable type due to the necessary commodity. The same thing had happened many years back when the Lizard caused havoc in the bridge.

"No…"

The web that held her in the crane finally shattered and he watched her slowly fall towards the ground.

The world around him slowed. He let go of the web-line in his hand and both him and Venom began to fall close to each other due to the webbing that kept them close.

Spider-Man took a few punches in the face but eventually managed to evade one of his claws by spinning around in the air, finding himself closer to Elizabeth and in front of Venom, before firing a biocable towards her she fell on her back. He didn't want to waste time fighting Venom, even if that meant taking some serious hits to his physique.

The webbing finally attached itself to her chest.

He felt Venom wrap his arms around his neck and put his claws above his mask, digging his pointy fingers at his flesh while clouding his view. Spider-Man pressed the tip of his finger above one of the pressures pads in his glove and the webbing started to retract back to him, bringing his daughter closer as the pavement appeared clearer with each second.

The three of them crashed into the street, Spider-Man landed on his back above some empty car, smashing its ceiling as he held Elizabeth in his chest. Venom crashed against the asphalt, forming a hole around his body after doing so.

Peter groaned heavily as every bone of his back felt like they were no more. He still had his arms tightly wrapped around his daughter. He whispered weakly, "...Liz?"

He felt her stir in response, she was clearly stunned. He looked to the side and watched Venom slowly recompose himself by moving his right hand out of the hole.

Peter dragged himself out of the car's ceiling and fell on his knees as he landed back to the ground, keeping Elizabeth in his chest. He panted heavily. "Are you alright?" He caressed the back of her hair, keeping her head against his chest.

Venom was almost on his feet once again.

She nodded, slowly, still traumatized.

He leaned his chin down so that his covered mouth would be near her ear and whispered something inaudible to Venom. The latter had fully recovered from his own landing and now walked towards them, his hand once again took shape of an axe.

Peter leaned against the car they crashed against with his daughter protected by his arms and looked to his side, seeing the shadow of Venom appear over his mask once the latter stopped besides them, staring at the pair and before raising his arm to execute the final blow.

The three suddenly vanished from the area after a blue flash took place in the space they shared, leaving nothing but the destruction they had caused minutes ago.

---

Venom now found himself surrounded by complete darkness. He kept spinning on his feet, but caught nothing in his senses. Everything was dead silent. The atmosphere around him seemed cold and dusty.

His hearing also failed to capture any source of sound.

"You really forced my hand, Eddie." Peter spoke from an unknown location. It was far too dark to spot him, wherever he was.

He continued, "I… I did not want to do this, but… I have no other option now."

Venom could smell the scent of blood in the air, and it wasn't his.

Traces of fire appeared in the corners between the walls and floor, forming many lines of fire near him. Due to the new source of lightning, it was revealed to him that he stood inside some train compartment. It looked more like a research lab, instead.

A mix of both.

"So I have to end this." Spider-Man appeared in front of him, outside the station, and quickly closed the main door of the compartment and webbed it before Venom could jump into the station and towards him.

The symbiote yelled at him once he realized what his opponent was about do. Peter turned the valve outside and besides the door completely to the side, fully raising the flames inside the lab.

It was his father's way of destroying his last relic if he ever had to, and now his son fulfilled such task, both his creations. With that, Peter began burning what was still left of his parents, everything, it would be no more.

It was rough, considering the circumstances.

Venom screeched louder and started to desperately ram his shoulder against the reinforced door.

Elizabeth could be seen hiding behind her father.

The station was shaken with each impact caused by the now terrified symbiote, dust fell from the ceiling and towards the two Parkers outside. The whole station felt it was about to collapse with each bump.

"Dad…?"

Peter coughed, holding his shoulder in his pierced hand. The safety of his daughter was the only thing keeping him up. He wasn't sure for how much longer such adrenaline would keep him on his feet.

He watched the symbiote's struggle. "It's going to be alright, honey."

Any minute now. He said to himself.

In a few minutes, the resistance by Venom was ended and he disappeared from within the station.

Peter let go of his daughter and took careful steps towards the door, hearing some whimpering from inside the station, before watching what was going on through the small window in the door.

Despite his strong physique, Eddie looked broken. His entire body was filled with scars, the side of his face was slightly charred, as if a explosion had taken place near that side of his body, and the worst of all, his right leg was now missing.

Eddie was sat against one of the walls with his knee near his chest, sweating heavily while the symbiote slowly left his body and spread itself in the ground near him. Fire was never a thing the organism enjoyed to be around, and Peter knew that very well.

"It's not my fault, Peter." He sounded desperate. "It's not my fault… it's not."

Peter cleared his throat. "What… are you talking about?"

"I'm not lying!" He cried. "Please… Peter, I didn't want to do it…"

"What… truly happened to you?" Everything began to make sense now. "Eddie…"

"I… I-I've done terrible things, I didn't' want to…!" He begged for Peter's understanding. "They forced me to, please let me go!"

"Who, Eddie? Who's they?"

Eddie sniffed. He raised his chin once again at the window. "They… the symbiote… and Quentin… please, Peter. I didn't want to." He anxiously pressed the palm of his hands together as if he was begging him to let him out.

"Quentin…? But… he's dead. The station crumbled over him." He continued, "Don't lie to me, Eddie. What have you done?"

"It's not my fault, Peter! It's not!" He dropped his head against the wall, still whimpering. "Please, believe me… help me, Peter."

Peter sighed. His friend was there, suffering and in need of help. That was pretty much clear to him. "I-I… I believe you, Eddie." He continued, "I do."

Eddie remained in his corner, crying over his situation.

"Stay there… don't get near the symbiote." Peter warned while he moved both his hands back to the valve, he began to move it around without taking his eyes off him. Eddie didn't move a single muscle. "It's going to be alright, just do as I say and everything-"

The symbiote itself suddenly jumped at the window, blocking his sight. He couldn't see Eddie anymore, the entire window was blacked out.

"Eddie…?!" He called. "Stay away from the-"

The door was burst open with Venom slamming his shoulder through it and violently crashing against Peter. Elizabeth jumped to the side and out of their way. She watched as Venom stood on top of her father while he repeatedly punched him in the face without holding anything back.

Venom held Peter's throat to press him against the ground and with his free hand he buried his sharp fingers deep in Peter's chest, gaining a loud cry in return. Half his mask was taken off his face due to the rapid strikes.

"Dad…" Elizabeth stood still, unsure of what do. She found a web-cartridge inside the pocket of her hoodie. She then remembered they were inflammable due to the story her father told about the one time he saved a boy in the Brooklyn Bridge.

It could be their only wait, she would have to react fast.

Elizabeth threw the cartridge inside the compartment and hurried past them to fully turn the valve open. Venom stopped and looked over his shoulder as he figured what she was trying to do.

Fire got to the cartridge, and before the whole was consumed by complete fire, Elizabeth hurried towards them and dove to the ground besides her father, taking his bloody hand on hers.

Venom looked back to them and realized they had again disappeared, the next thing he felt was the entire compartment behind him combusted and the flames heading out of the lab and towards his direction, filling the entire station with fire.

---

Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes. She cleared her throat and looked up to her right. She had been using her father's shoulder as a resting pillow for the past minutes after she got them out of the station and high at some building's rooftop. They could watch the majority of the city from their viewpoint.

She couldn't fully control her gift yet. At least she had managed to save them both from the fire.

They were now sat besides each other with their backs leaned against the wall, resting for a little while until they were found. It was of her desire to just bring them back home, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't.

Elizabeth felt exhausted, maybe it had something to do with that. She wondered.

Now maskless, Peter also had his back against the wall. Many cuts could be seen spread all over his face, his nose, lips, cheeks and more. The cuts were still open, but the bleeding had apparently ceased for the most part, yet the bloody traces coming down the openings of his wounds were still there.

His pierced shoulder was covered by what was left of his webbing which was now again completely colored by blood. She had taken bits off her jacket to cover the rest of his wounds, his hand were wrapped by a piece of cloth and she had moved extra pieces unearth his suit and against the perforations in his chest and back.

Her own hands were soaked in dry blood, her clothes were no different.

Elizabeth panicked after she noticed he had his dropped and his eyes closed. She whispered, "...dad?"

He didn't stir.

"Dad?" Elizabeth tugged his arm, repeatedly. "Wake up, dad!" Her eyes started to become wet once again but now throughout the end of the night, seconds away from finally allowing the dawn to take place.

She heard a moan coming from him and then her father rose his chin and leaned his head against the wall, before looking to his side and at her. "Hey…"

She almost didn't hear his voice.

"Dad, don't… don't sleep again." She took his hand on hers. "Not now."

He smiled weakly at her, breathing slowly. "How would I… be able to sleep with such a beautiful daughter... next to me?"

"Someone will get here soon." Elizabeth assured, more like she assured herself. "I'm sorry I can't… I can't get us out of here."

"It's okay… it's okay, you did enough, did more than I could ever do."

"What… what do you mean?"

He coughed, briefly. "You're strong… you're one of the strongest persons I've ever met. I… I have no doubts you'll be able to reach higher heights that I could not."

A tear left her right eye and slid down her cheek. "But you're Spider-Man… dad."

"You'll be more than that." He continued, "Just… you to remember to be wise with you gifts, you… need to learn from them and… do what's best for others with them... a-above all, listen to your mom."

"Why are you saying this to me? You can't leave me, dad!"

"... I won't." He sighed heavily, finally catching his breath. Weak beams of orange, crepuscular rays, began to come from the sun in the horizon, landing on his chest and above the spider emblem. "Come here… come watch the sunrise with me."

Elizabeth nodded and joined him, resting against his ribcage and moving her head against his chest, never letting go of his hand. She could hear his calm heartbeat in her ear, a relaxing sensation.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" He questioned, lowly.

"It… it really is."

He smiled. "You wouldn't know, but… the morning after you were born… I-I took you downstairs and we… watched the sunrise together for the very first time. I was… so happy."

"I didn't know…" She whispered. "Promise me you'll be with me… promise me we'll watch another one."

He sighed again, closing his eyes for a moment. "I… I promise."

"I love you."

He replied after few seconds, "... I... I love you too, Liz…"

Elizabeth closed her own eyes, only focusing in the sound of his heartbeat for as long as she could. His chest slowly moved as he breathed calmly, until he didn't anymore. She forced her eyes shut, tightening her grip on his hand as a way to never let go of him as the tears moved themselves out of the side of her eyes, leaving her whimpering alonebesides her father.