Chapter 2

The return to the past brought Spidey, the gang, and Dawn which they decided to live in Spidey's room at the Kadic school to their beds from this morning. The story between them that they are boyfriend and girlfriend, but one thing they hadn't done is making love. They were already wide awake from just a moment ago being in the virtual world. Their alarm clock was blaring the boy's favorite radio station. Spidey and Dawn lay on their backs, staring at the ceiling, waiting for one of the gang to turn off the alarm. Which they were still asleep.

"Pikachu." Spidey growled.

Pikachu woke up from his spot on Spidey's chest, shaking off the restless in his small body and got up and went to turn off the alarm, Spidey sit up in his bed, Dawn does the same. Spidey yawned, "aaaahh..." He scartched his back and got out of bed as he did some stretches to hear bones popping, neck popped, knuckles cracked, feet stretched as all of the tension left his body, only dress in a black tank top, black sweat pants, and white socks. Dawn does the same only dress in her pink and yellow stripes PJs. The gang of Spidey were on a third in the bed of the four style bedroom with a inroom bathroom. Spideys walks to the bathroom with a toothbrush and towel and pair of underwear. "Dawn listen I'll be out about few minutes until you can come in, okay." "All right, I just need to feed Riley, Krypto, and the animals along with the Digimon their lunch before feeding our Pokèmon. If I'm done earlier before you got out that shower I'm coming and brushing my hair." Dawn said as she got up from the bed.

Spidey shuts the door, Spidey strips off his clothes. He notices himself staring at the mirror. He took a good long look in the mirror. The reflection in the mirror was not the boy he was once was before he and his gang and Dawn came to this world about four years. He had grown taller by quite a bit, much to his satisfaction, quite tried of having been so short for so long. His dark brown hair, as always, resembled a patted down with a slick back, but was a bit longer than he used to keep it, thought he kept it trimmed to a summer buzzcut. He was not the long-hair type. His body had grown more muscular ever since he had being bitten by a super spider enableing him of spider powers, super strength of 1K(million) tons of strength, super speed about 200 mph; his arms were slightly bulkier, but were in no danger of being able to match that of a average bodybuilder. The left arm has a watch like gaunlet that stretched from his wrist to his lower forearm. It was green in color with neon tubes on each side of the device. On the top was a dial with a black background and green hour glass with twin grey push buttons on either side of the dial. It was the Ultimatrix, got from Ben 10 after he died. On his right wrist was his all silver watch, it is somewhat rectangular in shape and has a circle in the middle with green lines on the circle and has two red rectangles on it and has a button on it's side it was the wrist Spider Morpher holding a trillions of small black/red/blue nanobots of the Spider-Man Unlimited Suit. His legs had undergone a similar change, as excessive amounts of walking and working out had definitely put some muscles on them as well. His face had grown a bit, no longer that baby-faced round that it used to be. It was a bit longer now, and he had a stronger chin. His strong brown eyes remained as potent as ever, which hidden a powerful Bit Beast behind them, Dragoon, after Spidey accepted him as his guardian and as a home. Spidey flexed for a bit, the muscle tighten up, Spidey smiled with a relaxed face. His abs were rock solid about a six pack, litterally, well not rock solid but hard as a rock. "Well time to hit the shower." Spidey stopped flexing as he stepped into the shower, his spider sense telling him some is about to happen.

As Dawn got done feeding everyone, Reneamon lay back on her back on the bed, thinking about something. Dawn was now a young woman, she had changed quite a bit over the years after she was born and met Spidey at early childhood and become best of friends before one night she kidnapped by a crazy man who was saying he was in love with her, she was like MJ, except for now she started to developed powers, but they were Saints Row 4 powers, wear a wrist watch and having the same appearance as Spider-Man. Together they and their little gang become a quite superhero team, until they started dating through high school before they all came to this world. Her face, though more familiar, had changed somewhat. She still had a sweet and innocent looking visage, though her cheeks not quite as rounded as they had once been. Her nose, eyes, and lips, however, seemed to have been frozen in time, being just as vibrant and cute as all those years ago. Her eyes were just the same shade of deep blue, but seemed all the more striking now as Dawn was looking in the full length mirror in the room. Her hair was even fuller than it used to be. It hung down, ending just mid-way on her back. Various braids decorated the water-like tresses that framed her face and shoulders as she did her hair with the help of Beautifly. Her body howerver, was where most of the changes had taken place. Her form was still quite slender and petite, though she still stood taller than before, well not as taller as Spidey. Her slender daintly arms and legs were quite gorgeous and delicate as she started to pick out her outfit for the today. Spidey had rarely seen her without that pink scarf in her younger days, and could only thank her now for allowing that sumptuous neck to be exposed to him. Her bust had grown somewhat, but still retained a proportioned size to the rest of her small body. And though Spidey tried desperately to ignore it in classes, he once saw and could help but admire the cutt butt that he saw in profile to the rest of her slender form.

Spidey got out of the shower after drying off the whole entire body, as he puts on his underwear, got on some Axe spray dark tempation type, Degree V12 deodorant and put it on as he starts to brush his teeth.

Suddenly, the door on the bathroom knocked, "Spidey, it's Dawn, are you done in there." "Just a minute." Spidey said as he got done brushing his teeth.

Spidey got out of the bathroom as Dawn switch places with Dawn as she has her outfit in her arms, a white fluffy towel, and a tooth brush.

Spidey went to his closet and picks out his outfit and lay it on the bed as he got his Adidas Rydell Sling backpack right shoulder side sky blue and white sides and black. Unzipping it, he grabs his weapons which were the Star Saber, Murasama HF Blade, Bullwhip of Indiana Jones, Camo Bow and arrows, Tomahawk of Conner Kenway, Captain American's Shield, Blade's sword, two colt 1873 revolers with a grinding symbol of Sly Cooper symbol on the barrel, black handle and holsters on a brown belt with a WWE belt buckle, Jenji and the Laser Lamp, Solar Streak Express card with the Solar Cell Morpher ticket puncher, he puts them in there except for the Murasama Blade and the Shield. Still in his underwear, he zipped up his bag, getting out his second belt with a blue button holster-style pocket equipped with an white EZ customize Core System grip A-90 type with light blue clip on rubber grippers in his pocket not on the grip, 'G-BLADE' sticker on it, dragon stickers, red curved stickers at the bottom of the grip from Beyblade G-Revolution attached to an blue left spin shooter or launcher with the sticker on it, yellow dragon ripcord completely straight, a black arm band, blue and yellow Beyblade container containing Dragoon GT inside. Along with the Dragoon Winder Key white and the stickers were on it.

Spidey sighed and think about what his spider sense was telling him.

His thoughts were cut short when there was a frantic knocking on the door. Without giving the okay, the door was pushed open reveal a fluster Aelita, with bed head bubblegum pink hair, green grass eyes, her body was slender, her bust were perky and small, most likely no larger then an A cup, but her hips were curvy. Wearing her rumpled pajamas, which were a over sized pink t-shirt with a red letter A on the front and white socks. She let out a relieved sigh at seeing Spidey Parker and the gang.

Dawn just got out of the bathroom in her outfit, her white beanie with an pink Pokeball symbol on it, black tank top with a white undershirt front underneath the tank top with a bright pink skirt attached to it, white strap with a pink watch on her left wrist, bracelet on her right wrist has two silver balls on it, knee length black socks and bright pink go-go boots with a strap over her feet and a white color on the end of the straps. Getting out her yellow backpack from the closet when she notices Aelita.

"Jeremy isn't in his room, either or Ulrich and Odd," she began. "I was in Jeremy's room talking to him-or at least supposed to be- but I was midsentence and there wasn't anyone there!"

To steady her Spidey gripped her upper arm and spoke softly. "You right, my senses telling the same thing, but don't know sure though."

All three shared a confused gaze along with the gang, Aelita's more panicky.

"Wait," Dawn said suddenly. "Remember that time we thought we back to the past but we were trapped in that bubble thing?"

"The simulation bubble?"

"Yeah!" Spidey said excitedly, turning and beginning to put on his Nike socks, blue and orange with orange shoelaces PUMA shoes. Fainted blue jeans with a ripped hole on the right knee, Metal Solid Rising black t-shirt short sleeve, cobalt fingerless gloves with an hole in the back of the hands, MMA ELITE thermal hoodie black, zipped it up, put the arm band on his left arm, his backpack on his back, Murasama Blade strapped to the belt and turned on the stealth camo over it as Spidey got on the second belt, stowed away the ripcord in the jean holders, light blue rubber grippers into the back pocket, grabbing his signature Indiana Jones brown fedora hat from his closet. Lastly grabbing the two Digivices T-Power and original one types with the blue cards as Spidey strapped them into his pocket. Putting on his Sonic Underground guitar necklace, DX Army dogtags and NEMSIS sunglasses on his neck strapped by a string, then grabbing his Pokeballs (Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Buizel, Butterfree, Pidgeot, Lapras, Squirtle, Mewtwo, Dialga, Palkia, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Giratina, Rayquaza, Groudon, Kyogre, Jirachi, Manaphy, Ho-oh, Lugia, Victini, Meloetta, Mew, Latias, Latios, Zekrom, Reshiram, Darkrai, Cresselia, Staraptor, Onix, Zubat, Celebi, Lucario, Swellow, Sceptile, Donphan, Acreus, Entei, Sucicune, Raikou, Charizard, and Haunter) into his pouch on his belt, along with 10 more Poke balls and put them into the pouch, not caring that the girl was witnessing.

The young woman's cheeks flushed slightly and she adverted her gaze while saying, "But none of them were on Lyoko at the time. I'm about ninety-nine percent sure that's impossible to do."

"But you're saying there's a chance?"

She shrugged but was calming down because despite the unlikely idea, there had to be a reasonable explantion to this.

"Go get dressed and we'll go down to breakfast. If Yumi doesn't show up like she's supposed to, we'll assume she's with them. If they all show up together, cool, if they don't, we'll skip first period and head to Jeremy's room to look for the ting on on his computer," Dawn finished, pushing the princess out of the room.

She nodded and silently thanked them for their leadership. She always felt a little frazzled whenever Jeremy wasn't around.

Spidey and Dawn ignored their food and almost missed Aelita taking the spot next to him as he and Dawn and their little gang stared at the cafeteria doors that Yumi should have appeared out of three minutes ago.

"Yumi's not here," he growled, pushed his food away as they now felt the anxiety Aelita was feeling.

The princess nibbled on her toast, thinking of other possibilities as to where their friends are. It was physically impossible for them to just playing a joke, and she sincerely doubted XANA had found a way to teleport them into the supercomputer. Plus XANA usually didn't try the same trick again if it didn't work the first time.

After Aelita finished a small portion of her breakfast and she had convinced Spidey and Dawn to do the same, they made their way up to Jeremy's room. She sat at his computer chair while Spidey, Pikachu, Beautifly, Dojo, Drago, Skyress, Toothless in his small beagle puppy state and Dawn, Piplup leaned over their shoulders as if to make sense of the codes splayed across it while the Digimon were on the bed.

"What's going on? What's it say?" Reneamon demanded as she got up from the bed and stood by Spidey's right side.

"Hang on, it's searching," she replied patiently.

The computer quickly linked to the supercomputer and began to search every pixel of Lyoko for anything out of the ordinary. Since the last simulation bubbles, she worked on a program with Jeremy to detect irregularities like them, much like the super scan.

As the Lyoko warriors anxiously watched the screen for nearly ten minutes, and a big green plus sign showed up on the monitor, confusing Spidey and Dawn and their gang and depressing Aelita.

"They aren't on Lyoko," she whispered before Spidey could ask. "None of them are."

As their only idea and hope disappeared, the reality sunk in. Their friends were missing.

Aelita only hesitated a moment before typing in something else, and a folder with video flies popped up. She glued her eyes on the contents, determinedly searching them.

"Please Jeremy, please tell me you connected it to the supercomputer," she said to herself.

Blade Wolf, through his downcast mood, asked, "Connected what?"

She responded, "The supercomputer settings don't go back in time, so whatever happens on there, stays there. Meaning if the security cameras for the factory are connected to the supercomputer-"

"We have the recording of what happened at the factory!" Patamon continued as he hovered over them.

Aelita nodded. "And it might give us a clue as to where they are."

As she finished speaking, her mouse hovered over the video they were looking for. Hastily, they opened it.

It began with Jeremy on the phone with Yumi and Ulrich. He sat on the computer chair, with the elevator door in the background.

"Yumi? Ulrich!" he cried into his mircophone. "Are you two still there?!" He started mumbling incoherently to himself as he ended the dead call with Yumi and Ulrich.

There was obvious panic on his face as Jeremy desperately typed on the keyboard. For five minutes they watched the genius work, Spidey searching for some clue as to what happened to Yumi and Ulrich, when it happened. The elevator began to whirl, making the familiar noises of it being in use. The doors slid open, and all Lyoko warriors expected to see their oriental friend and her boyfriend.

To their utter dismay, it was the police officer they knew Yumi and Ulrich were fightning earlier. With the guns in his hands, they could only assume what happened. Spidey and Dawn didn't think they could watch anymore along with the gang. There wasn't some graphic scene to depict it but their imagination was vivid enough to come up with a scenario. Nonetheless their eyes didn't stray from the screen, praying there was an explanation.

Jeremy only halted his work to look over his screen, before sighing and continuing.

"What are you doing?" Aelita muttered, eyes already becoming glossy.

The genius' typing became faster and they watched the predator walk right up to him. With the muzzle of the gun right in front of the heart of their beloved friend, Spidey and everyone else felt like they were living in a nightmare.

"MOVE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Aelita's tears broke free and she predicated the outcome.

Jeremy turned and gave what looked like a cheeky smirk to the specter.

The gunshot rattled in the ears of the viewers. Aelita closed her eyes at the last second, while Spidey and Dawn and everyone else watched in horror as Jeremy slumped against his chair, lifeless. His heart was skipping beats. Death was always around the corner but it had never happened. Until now.

Just as the officer pushed Jeremy's dead body off the seat, the elevator begun to whirl again. They knew who it would be this time. Aelita went back and forth between using her hands to cover her eyes, muffling a sob, or whispering, 'no', over and over.

The officer took control of the chair and attempted to type but the computer kept denying him acess, most likely because of Jeremy. The elevator door opened to show Odd, as he took in the same scene the gang of Lyoko warriors saw. The specter let out a frustrated growl then noticed their last friend. The speed of the movement was amazing.

The gunshot went off before either Spidey or Dawn or Aelita or the gang could think about looking away.

They saw the bullet go straight into his throat. He made a choking noise as his back hit the elevator, and he slide to the floor. Odd blindly gripped his neck and made another gurgle noise before his eyes went out of focus and his body ceased movement moments later.

Their attention was miles away from the video now. The supercomputer screen showed the return to the past begin and the video went black.

Aelita was first one to slump. She slid down in the chair and her head lolled back slightly from passing out. Spidey and Dawn noticed but they felt like they were outside of their bodies as the gang slumped. He and Dawn sat himself on Jeremy's bed, trying to think about helping Aelita, but their own visions blurred and Spidey slumped onto the bed with Dawn on top of him.

Spidey heard voices. They were familiar, yet unrecognizable. He wanted them to stop, but at the same time the voices brought him comfort that he was still alive.

His sight was starting to return to him now, and he didn't like it. His head was propped up on a pillow as he lay in the nurse's office. The bed to his right held Aelita, who he first thought was asleep, but upon closer inspection, her eyes were wide open and staring at the white ceiling, tears endlessly streaming down her face. Her face was as pale as a sheet. Dawn was on the left side to another bed. Riley and the others were back in Spidey and Dawn's room, except for Pikachu who was laying by Aelita's side crying also.

Spidey tried to remember something-anything-that would explain this situation. When he focused, he realized he could make out what the voices outside the door were saying.

"Where did you find them?"

"They were in Belpois' room."

"What time was that?"

The second voice turned thoughtful. "About an hour ago I found them, so maybe four o'clock?"

"And Jeremy wasn't in there?"

"No. Just Parker, Berlitz, and Stones. It's really kind of strange."

"Do you know why they are in this condition?" That voice was sounding more distress by the second.

"No idea that's how I found them. Yolanda says they passed put from shock. Apparently their vitals are good."

"Hmm... thank you Jim. Let's get this over with."

The doorknob twisted and the speakers revealed to be Mr. Delmas and Jim. Yolanda came out of her office in the corner of the room at the sound of the door opening. The principal nodded to the nurse and looked toward the three patients.

Immediately they notices the young man and women were awake, and rushed up to Spidey, Dawn, and Aelita. Jim and Mr. Delmas went to Spidey's side of the bed while Yolanda worried over Aelita's tears.

"Mr. Parker, Ms. Berlitz, tell us what happened and where Mr. Stern, Mr. Della Robbia, Mr. Belpois, and Ms. Ishiyama is," the principal demanded.

Hearing those names, Spidey felt something snap inside himself. Yumi was gone. Odd was gone. Ulrich was gone. Jeremy was gone.

"Lower your tone," the nurse scolded.

"Same here." Dawn said, done crying and now feeling like Spidey.

"We need answers Yolanda," he said sharply. "Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama have been calling all day."

Spidey began to struggle as Dawn got up. He needed to get away with Dawn. Spidey wanted to escape and hide and die. Over Mr. Delmas' yells and Jim's grunts to hold him down, Spidey and Dawn heard Aelita begin to sob his name for Spidey. Her cries calmed him for a moment before his struggle became greater.

"Jim! Hold his legs!" called the principal. The gym teacher removed his hands from Spidey's shoulders to comply just long enough for him to make an escape.

The superhuman ripped himself away from the two men. He scrambled to the door with inhuman speed, flung it open, tear it in half, and booked it down the hallway followed by Dawn. They wanted away from their princess' cries for them. They wanted away from the loud voices. They wanted away from what they believed wasn't real. He and Dawn separated into different directions to flushed out with their angry.

Spidey's commotion startled Aelita out of her trance. Pikachu perked up but comforted Aelita as he snuggled into her a bit more. Suddenly the video played again in her head. She tried to stop it, censor some parts, but for what she didn't physically see, her brain filled in with gruesome scenes.

She felt the gentle hands of the nurse attempt to counsel her. Strangely, she didn't accept the comfort. Aelita felt responsible. She was the one who deactivated the towers. She was the one who didn't get there fast enough. She was the one who killed her friends.

The tears wouldn't stop. The sobs were painful and her lip kept quivering.

Mr. Delmas heaved a sigh as Spidey, and Dawn ran from the room. Neither of these teens was in fit condition to tell them the whereabouts of their friends, and the problem was that Mr. Delmas needed answers. The principal told Jim to turn in for the night, and if he saw Spidey or Dawn to send them his way, then sat in a waiting chair outside of the infirmary. Mr. Delmas listened to the girl's inside's cries.

Dawn found herself just outside of the school as she ran. Feeling to take her angry out on someone, she heard some screaming down a alley. So she went superhero as she activated her nanosuit and jumped up onto the roof.

Spider-Girl saw a young woman in heels, a skirt and a blouse with short dark hair maybe a year or so older then her with two men.

One was holding on to her while covering her mouth. The other was looking through her purse and took out some money and stuffed it all in his pocket and threw the purse aside. "Well it's not much...but maybe we can take something else." The man said with a curel grin and pulled out a switchblade and cut off a few of the top buttons on her blouse.

Dawn could see the fear in the woman's eyes and knew she had to do something.

This wasn't just a crime, it was a violation and it was something that Spidey hated of all the things he had seen and she hate it also.

"Hey!" Spider-Girl yelled as she jumped down to the ground.

"Back off." The man said as the woman cries in pleading to rescue.

"Let her go you bitch." Dawn said angrily, it was things like this was to derespect to women everywhere she despised most of all.

Grunting, "You asked for it bitch." The one who has a knife said walking to Dawn with a predatory grin. Dawn smiled wickly, but thinking this guy could intimidate her they were sadly mistaken. The man swung the knife at her head but Dawn's Caperioa of Spidey comes into play, Dawn does a flying hurricane move at the head as she flip him on his back, grabbing the knife and toss it away, the man got up again and swung a punch to Dawn's face but she easliy caught it and bend his hand back in the way doesn't look pretty as the man's wrist was broke.

Dawn heard the sickening snap and even the woman heard it as Dawn grabs his jacket and threw him head first into a dumpster.

The other one seeing this threw the woman to aside and she fell to the ground. She watched in surprise and fascination as she saw the other man charge towards Spider-Girl trying to save her. She was going to shout out a warning but she seemed to know it was coming and Dawn turns to face the man and grabs the running man with a Randy Orton style powerslam to the ground and Dawn grabs the KO and throw him into the dumpster, before grabbing a spray can and spray 'Look into the dumpster'.

Dawn saw both of the muggers were out cold, she walks up to the young woman. She reached down to her. "We better get out of here." She gently told her and she nodded and grabbed her purse and feld with her. It wasn't until they ran a few block until they slowed down. "Are you alright miss...uh sorry I don't know your name."

"Cathy." She told Spider-Girl. She felt her heart racing and suddenly the reality just sunk in. She never thought something like that would happen to her and then she realized what would have happened to her if she hadn't come to save her.

Dawn saw her suddenly stop and lean against the wall. "Hey are you alright Cathy?" She asked her worried. Forgetting all about the angry. She starting to cry and Dawn put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at her and suddenly hugged her.

"Thank you, oh god thank you." She whimpered to her. Dawn held her close. After she was over the shot she wiped her tears away. "I'm so sorry...I shouldn't have just done that."

"It's alright, after something like that I'm not surprised."

"Well I'm glad you came for me...I just realized I don't know your name." Cathy told her.

Dawn kindly smiled at her. "It's Spider-Girl."

"Do you want me to walk you home or something?"

"I-if you don't mind." She said. She was holding her blouse closed at the top, Dawn could easliy she was still scared. So she decided to make sure she got home safe. On the way there she tried to take her mind off of things and she didn't know it, Cathy was grateful for it. They got to the front she stopped next to her waiting outside of the picken fence.

"So do you live around here?" She asked her.

"No, nowhere."

She looked a little disappointed. "I'm sorry to hear that...this city...maybe even this world needs more people like you."

"Really?"

She smiled at Dawn. "Really, I know the world would be a better place." She hugged her again. "Thank you again. You saved me you didn't have to...but you did. You're a real hero in my books, I know that sounds cliche maybe even stupid...but's it true."

They said their goodbyes and Dawn super jumped out. Now to find Spidey, who know where at. Hoping to find her love and help him through what she knew would be a rough patch. Spidey helped her before, and she was determined to do the same for him.

Spidey found himself just barely inside the factory. He leaned his back against the rough metal of the pillar and slide down, trying to catch his breath. Desperate to keep his thoughts away from anything painful, he looked up at the nightly sky.

How long were Aelita, Dawn, and himself out? It had to be at least six in the evening. The moon was peeking over the factory as it rose, just staring at it made him feel a little calmer.

Then thoughts came from nowhere. Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremy. Over and over he saw their faces, their smiles, and felt rising guilt for every single time he let them down. Tiny moments that were mostly likely insignificant surfaced, one's that he had no idea how remembered, sent to destroy him mentally but with Dragoon, things are different.

Spidey was wiping at his eyes before he knew he was crying. He growled at himself. He didn't deserve to cry. His friends would never get to cry again! Not to mention smile, laugh, or hang out.

The stealth camo on the Murasama blade turn off and the ultimate hero unsheathed his blade and swung it to propel his body to swing around and slice the nearby tree he was once leaning on away from the factory.

The anger felt good.

Spidey planted his feet firmly into the ground and swung his blade again, and was just as satisied the second time. He switched back and forth between swunging his katana, making the tree shiver from the impacts. He didn't feel the pain, but the hot mark on the tree was comforting. Once he brought leg up to swing at the bark with lot of super strength and the blade stuck to it, but it was wasn't same feeling as being hands on was.

Spidey crused himself silently. If one of his gangs were there to protect them, one would be still be alive. Spidey sheathed his sword and just sort of went into the factory and found a locker room. He goes in and locked himself in there. Curling into a small ball, he was disappointed, against not with his powers, but with himself. Even with Dawn there, he managed to lose his friends. He was crushed. He couldn't even bear to look at himself in the mirror. After how badly XANA had killed his friends, Spidey didn't know if he would ever be able to see any of his friends again. He didn't know how he was going to look at Dawn either. He knew he didn't deserve to.

"I was going to save...for y'all."

A sharp knock on the locker room door in the factory shook him from his thoughts.

"Spidey!" a gentle female voice emanated from the door.

He couldn't bear to see her. To let her see him. He thought he knew what he was missing. He thought she was what he was missing. He was wrong. He still couldn't reach ultimate level of Hero.

"Spidey, please open the door. I know what you're feeling right now, and I want to help! Please!"

Such a wonderful voice,

he thought mournfully, I don't deserve to hear it. I failed her. I failed everyone...

"Spidey, listen to me please! I need to see you! Don't let this send you on another lonely trip down this road! I need you! I can't let you run away!"

Bless her voice,

he spoke in his mind. It was pleading, yet somehow, invigorationg. He was conflicted. These new feelings for Dawn were so powerful. The emotions that had surfaced their relationship, culminating in the events directly before this happened, kept pounding back and forth within the walls of his skull. The memories of the kiss with Dawn and the accompanying bliss clashed with the undeniable and snapshots of their friends now dead. They dueled with the inherent guilt from today that now joined forces with the old guilt that sent him on his superhero jounery in the first place. His mind was a beystadium, and he felt he was coming undone because of it.

He sat on the bench, his pounding head in his hands coming out of the ball, not even noticing the sound of the door unlocking. The sound of the door opening and closing quickly. Spidey remained in his position, motionless despite the new presence that entered the room. She drew closer to him, and for a moment, he nearly felt able to move. Her smell entered his nostrils and he almost breathed out in relief. But then he remembered that he didn't deserve her.

Dawn had changed back into her normal clothes, feeling the Spider-Man Unlimited Suit did not befit the situation. She needed to comfort him and offer him safe ground, free of what had just happened. The spider symbol would only remind him of that. She was nervous though. She knew that what she likely said in the next few minutes would determine his future: If he would continue his quest to be a ultimate hero, or if he decided that it wasn't worth it.

"Spidey, I know this is hard. But you'll get through it," she paused and put a gentle dainty hand on his shoulder. The tension in Spidey's body began to ebb slowly. She continued, "No, we will get through it."

The battle in Spidey's mind took a turn. His feelings of longing toward Dawn began to fight back, being that Dragoon and the other being Zeus, stronger than ever, seeming to almost take strength from both her words and her touch. Spidey's body, while slowly warming, did not stir.

"I know you think you broke a promise to me today. But you made the right choice. The noble one. You put your judgement above all else. And nothing, could make me love you more," Dawn spoke to Spidey gently. While her words were true, they only brought on the pain of realization for him. The hesitation; that part of him he now knew existed was evidence that he craved victory. That was part of him which nearly cost him his love. And that was why her words rung hollow in his ears. She saw his continued stillness, and continued to try and comfort him.

"Just remember Spidey, what you said to me. That you know, I'll always cheer and be there for you. No matter what," she moved her hand from one shoulder its opposite as she sat down beside him, holding him close, "And it's true. I'll never stop. Never. You are my hero, my saviour and my love."

Spidey's mind was on fire. He heard everything she said, but only one word seemed to resonate in his head. Love. The guilt was slowly fading, but it still lay there, enduring, tainting his consciousness. The rest of him, however, was slowly reacting to the presence of the blue haired beauty beside him. Dawn slowly removed his hands from his head, and turned it so that their eyes finally met.

That was it.

The battle was won.

The wonderful face of this gorgeous woman had entered his field of view and he couldn't help but melt. He face went from static to enamoured in less than a second. And even as he stared into the gorgeous blue eyes of this woman he didn't deserve, his own eyes, which he thought already drained, began to tear up once more. He couldn't explain it. This woman was divine. It was as though she was sent to save him and him alone. She, in return, saw his reaction and was utterly relieved and content. She put her hand to his cheek and he closed his eyes reflexively, not out of fear, but out of comfort. She wiped away his tears with the softest, most caring touch he swore he had ever felt. For the first time in what seemed like hours, Spidey moved of his own free will. It was a simple gesture. It was one of gratitude and understanding. He mimicked her hand by putting his to her opposing cheek. She too, closed her eyes. For minutes they sat there like that, simply feeling each other's emotions through the physical contact. All their guilt, passion, longing, dreams and love were passed back and forth. They knew one another completely. It was magic.

Slowly they both opened their eyes and gazed longingly into the portals to one another's souls. They both understood one another and just stood up together and kissed. It wasn't the passionate messy kiss like they had before. This one was soft, supple, and delicate. It was what they both needed right then. When it ended, they held each other's hands and finally one of them spoke.

"Let's go Spidey. I know somewhere peaceful. Somewhere away from all this."

He merely nodded, not making a sound. She took him by the hand and they left the locker room. He didn't care where she was taking him; only that she was going to be there when they arrived. They snuck away through a side exit of the factory to avoid the public. Neither of them wanted that at the moment. Dawn, with more force than usually befit the lithe young lady, pulled Spidey into the wooded area around the factory grounds. They strode through the trees quickly and quietly, Dawn seeming to know exactly where she going, while Spidey was pulled blindly along the way. It didn't matter though. He trusted her completely. She could lead him to the edge of a cliff and he would follow her now. Where she was leading him, however, was far better.

They began to climb a forested hill, the tallest on the land. It was a lengthy and exhausting ascent, but it was worth it. The couple emerged from the thicket onto a mound of grass at the very peak of the island, capped by a single tree. He could see the entirety of the landmass, and even mainland France in the distance. In the light of the moon and the stars, it was a vista that they knew they were likely never to see again. It was perfect.

It's not perfect,

he mentally corrected himself, turning to her. He saw her bathed in the moon's rays and she seemed to almost glimmer. Her blue hair swayed in the gentle breeze, and her blue eyes reflected the moon's gleam in a most magical way. Her perfect skin shone gently. It really was like she was an angel.

She's perfect.

He tried to speak but he just couldn't. His mouth opened, but no words came forth.

Dawn giggled at this, and put a finger to his lips to stop his attempts. She drew close, and at the last moment withdrew her finger, replacing it with her lips instead. The kiss was like before: delicate, soft and tender. But it grew from that this time. It deepened, becoming more passionate. More and more, it began to resemble their first kiss that day. The carnal, sexual passion took hold and they gripped one another tightly, not to crush her with his super strength.

His hand wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her to him. The feeling of having her entire body against him was wonderful. She did the same with her hands around his neck, making the kiss even deeper than before. It was in throes of this new deepness that his tongue probed forward, seeking her lips. She opened her mouth slightly, just enough to invite him. He took the invitation gladly, sliding it in slowly, as not to shock her. It explored her mouth cautiously, until at last it met hers. The duel began. They first touched, timidly touching and retreating from one another. Then they competed against one another, writhing, slipping, dodging, and pushing back and forth.

At last, Dawn's managed to sneak about and push his tongue past her lips and through his. Now she explored his mouth deeply. It moved about sensually; glad to know every bit of his wonderful mouth and meeting his tongue once again. While their tongues continued, their hands played a different sort of game. It was one of pure exploration. Spidey's hands traveled up and down Dawn's back, tickling her spine and causing her to moan involuntarily. He learned every inch of her supple skin with one hand while the other teased her hip. He grew bolder soon enough and cupped one cheek of her rear with his hand and she gasped, leading her to end the kiss sooner than she would have liked. Her hand continued to draw circles his lower chest. She loved how he felt. Though she hated that his foolish reasoning had led him to travel the road of a hero alone, she loved what it had done to his body.

They locked eyes again, having been opened after the kiss ended. They both looked into each other's souls with such longing it would have burned a hole through any other person had they stood between the two lovers. Dawn's hands moved to the hem of Spidey's shirt and hoodie. Normally he would've been startled by such an action, but not now. This was how it was meant to happen. This is what he had been waiting for his entire life. Forget being Spider-Man, forget being a Ultimate Hero. Forget saving the world against XANA. He never knew it until now, but he found the one thing he was looking for since the day he was born.

The love of his life.

She drew up the shirt and hoodie over his head and revealed his toned body. He worked out and traveled enough that he was fit. He didn't bulge with muscles, but she didn't want that. She wanted Spidey, as he was: The perfect man for her. She laid her hands on his chest, and the skin-to-skin contact felt electric. She exhaled as though she had been holding her breath her entire life, and now she could breathe again. Spidey, too, felt something kindling within him. She took the base of her black shirt and began to lift, albeit apprehensively. He stopped midway up, afraid that he was overstepping his bounds. She took his hands, held them gently, and looked at him. She motioned upwards with her hands and put her arms directly above her head in expectation. It was an expectation that Spidey would not disappoint. He pulled it up and beheld her nearly naked form. The more of her skin that was illuminated by the moonlight, the more he seemed to come alive.

She took his hands and placed them on her pink skirt. He was still extremely nervous, but she nodded to him. With both their sets of hands, they slid the skirt down from her wondrous hips until gravity did the rest. All that remained on her lower half was a pair of blue panties that matched her bra. She smiled at him and giggled nervously.

For the first time since they left the factory, Spidey uttered one word, "Dawn." His voice was hoarse, but full of feeling. Moved less by what he said, but rather how thick with emotion he had said it, she quickly pulled him to her. The contact of bare skin against bare skin was enough to send shivers into both of them. But Dawn overcame quickly, reconnecting in another deep kiss. Dawn resumed her mission to rid her love of his last remaining articles of clothing and she quickly accomplished her goal. She pulled down his pants which, accidentally or not, took his underwear with them. He became, momentarily, intensely self-conscious, but Dawn kissed the feelings of doubt and insecurity away. He relaxed again and embraced the kiss.

His hands began to move along her form again, until he found the clasp of her bra. He fumbled, but by some miracle, undid them; without even a reaction from Dawn they fell away. However, the contact of her breasts on his chest did elicit a reaction. She let out a long droning moan that seemed to set Spidey on fire. One of his hands, guided by nothing more than instinct, moved between them and cupped her left breast, while the other moved southward on her opposite side.

He had absolutely no experience in this field, but it seemed almost instinctual for him. He began to draw circles around her nipple with his finger that grew smaller and smaller. In response, Dawn hands went to work as well. One gripped one of his toned rear, while the other moved in a more devious direction. Just as Spidey began slide her panties down, her hand grasped the now erect shaft poking at her midsection. Spidey gasped, unable to comprehend the feeling of something so good. His task of lowering her panties was left half finished as he tried to steady his mind and body against the sensation now gripping him literally and figuratively.

She began to move her hands back and forth, drawing hitched sounds from Spidey, who desperately tried to remain in control of his faculties as he was driven blissfully mad. At last his hand regained its control as it moved back to the panties and finished the job it had started. They fell to the ground onto the earlier discarded skirt.

They both stepped back from one another to take each other in fully. Now both completely in the nude, they couldn't help but admire one another. Dawn's body was shapely and slender. Her small breasts complimented her perfectly, while her womanhood, while mostly hidden between her closed legs, seemed to beckon him forth, even from beneath that small patch of bluish hair. As she turned away in nervousness, Spidey also managed a glimpse of her rear. It was cute and round; perfectly shaped, and more pronounced than her clothes let on. It, too, added to her divine form.

She looked on his toned body as well. His chest and stomach were perfect, his legs and arms were strong with the Ultimatrix and Spider Morpher on them, and his shaft was all too eager to reach her. Spidey looked hungrily at her while Dawn reciprocated his stare, with her gaze darting between his eyes and his member repeatedly. But there was also love in their eyes, and their mutual reverence held them back from complete and utter animalistic behaviour.

They approached and embraced each other tenderly. And Spidey finally found words again, "Is this what you want?"

She gave him a small smile, her eyes glistening with adoration. She loved that, even after all this, he wanted to know what she wanted. He truly was selfless. She held him close, and kissed him on the lips softly; a memory of the first minutes they were up here. She replied quietly, and firmly, "I have never wanted something so badly in my life."

And hardening back to their meeting at their home back in their world only years prior, Spidey hugged her deeply. There was no sexuality behind it. There was no carnality. It was a hug of love and comforting relief. He said those same words as he done before.

"Thank... you... Dawn."

She almost began to tear up at the memory he was evoking. But that was not the end of what he had to say. He said three more words which nearly sent her to heaven right then and there.

"I love you."

That sent her beyond her emotional edge. Tears fell freely from her eyes and she withdrew her head from his shoulder and looked into his chocolate brown eyes. She could only say one thing. There was no choice in the matter. She was committed emotionally and physically.

"I love you too."

No more permissions needed to be asked. No more declarations. No more words of comfort. Both their bodies and hearts were laid bare before one another. It was a perfect understanding.

Spidey laid her back onto the strangely comforting grass on the crest of the hill. He kissed her, lightly at first. She deepened it and their urges took it from there. He eventually broke their kisses to strike at her throat with further pecks of affection, which she gladly accepted. She strained her neck back to give him more of it to love. He eventually moved from it as well and caressed her breasts. Dawn couldn't even fathom the feelings she was having. It was too intense. It grew more so when he finally moved his mouth to them. She truly broke down then, screaming out in pleasure. He alternated between the two with his mouth, while his hand continued on the other. With his free hand, he moved down towards her womanhood and began to encircle it with his fingers.

She gasped loudly, quickly beginning to run out of air from the heavy breathing and constant gasps and squeals. His hand brushed over her clit, and she convulsed, letting out a shrill yell of pleasure. Spidey paused momentarily, pulling his head back and looking at her with concern; he was afraid he had hurt her. She saw this and pulled him back into a deep kiss to alleviate any doubts. His hand returned to that little bundle of nerves and he copied his prior act, sending her careening towards the heavens in bliss once again. He continued to tease her entrance with his hand, and though he only did it for minutes, the sensations made it seem like hours. At last she decided it was time.

"Spidey!" she gasped, trying to form a sentence. She failed, "Spidey- now! Please, I'm ready!"

Spidey's patience had begun to run low then as well, as he eagerly complied. He took a moment to admire form of her womanhood. It truly was divine. It was so beautiful, that he felt almost guilty for what he was about to do, as though his actions would somehow despoil her. But he remembered that she wanted it. He placed himself at her entrance, touching it gently with his throbbing head. He went to kiss her once more. He knew she was virgin still. And that meant one thing. He was deathly concerned for her. He didn't wish to hurt her. She saw the worry in his eyes and she whispered in his ear, in the best sentence she could form, "I know, I'll be fine. Please."

They kissed once more, and then he slowly parted the petals of her flower with his manhood. He entered her slowly and surely. It was not long before he encountered the barrier they both feared. She braced herself and nodded to him. He pushed past it and she did her best to hold her scream in. She was only partly successful. She let out a gurgled half-scream which nearly caused Spidey's heart to stop dead cold in his chest. More of her tears joined the rest that had come before, and Spidey dared not move for fear of hurting her further. She clenched her eyes shut for nearly a full minute before opening them slowly. She opened them to see her one love looking at her with a concerned face. His look softened as she began to smile again. She felt better. In fact, she felt good now.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, and pulled him the rest of the way herself. Spidey was shocked, not only her action, but by the feeling. It was indescribable. She felt so good around him as her inner walls wrapped around him so completely that not even an inch of him was without her velvet touch. There was no way any other event in his life was going to compare. She nodded to him, and he began to move.

He was wrong. Being buried in her depths was great. But moving inside her was even better. Standards were shattered time and time again as they moved together, as one united form. They couldn't stop. They wouldn't stop. It was meant to be. It was ecstasy. It was love.

"Faster," Dawn managed to squeak. Spidey could only obey as he accelerated. One of his hands held him aloft just enough to allow him to keep him from crushing her, while the other caressed her form; all the way from her hips, to her breasts, to her cheeks. His every touch was fire on her skin. It was driving her insane. And that was nothing compared to how she felt in her core. His every push, every withdrawal, and every throb stoked a flame deep within her; and it was growing by the second. Her cries grew more rapid, and more pronounced. He tried to stifle his own moans and gasps, but failed miserably. The experience drove them to new heights of sensation for all senses: The smell of one another's lust, the fiery brush of their skin against one another, the taste of their tender lips meeting, the sounds of their frantic breathing and unchecked moans, and the sight of the pure love in each other eyes as they locked. This was paradise to them.

They knew they were close. They knew it was inevitable. All the signs were there. Spidey just wanted to let it happen, and take her with him, but he needed to make sure. He had to ask.

"I'm close..." Spidey managed to gasp, "Do you want me to..."

She interrupted, each sentence punctuated by a deep, laboured breath, "Please! I want it all! I need it all! Please! I love you so much!"

That was all he needed to hear. He wanted to return the words, but her own reply set his body alight. But she saw the sentiment in his eyes. As they continued, the lovers met in their most powerful kiss yet.

He quickened his pace to levels he thought were impossible. She was driven up the wall and her back arched up towards him in reflex, as though she were offering more of herself to him. He continued to thrust forth until they could only barely tell there was a world around them. It was only them. The ground was just a force keeping them aloft. The wind was nothing next to their movements. The light of the moon was just gleam on each other's skin.

She felt it: The inevitable release. It poured from her inner depths and soaked her throughout, allowing Spidey to go even faster, even as her body clamped down on his member. That was enough. He erupted inside her. Years of pent up passion were let loose in seconds within the woman he so desperately loved. It took forever for it to cease and every jet caused just a little bit more pleasure for the already overwhelmed lover beneath him. Even as their carnal desires subsided, replaced by the innocent need to simply hold one another, they refused to detach. She felt simply wonderfully filled by him, and he felt like the absence of her surrounding him would leave him unable to feel good ever again.

They simply lay beside one another, wrapped in each other's arms on the warm summer grasses. They never wanted to leave this place. They never wanted to return to a world beyond this hilltop. And they wouldn't, at least not for that night. The summer breeze caressed them, and they felt no need to cover themselves. They were utterly content as they lay there. No cold, no regret, no guilt, no loneliness. It was the perfect night and the perfect union. Under the stars they continued to embrace one another, as though no force on Earth or beyond could rip them apart.

Before they departed from one another into the realm of sleep, Spidey, gazing into her eyes, spoke a few last words to her, "I'll never leave you again. I'm so sorry that I did once. Never again."

In the haze before his dreams, he managed to catch her reply, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to help you fulfill your dream."

He himself was unsure if he managed to say it before he drifted away, but he certainly tried, "It already has been."

With that, Spidey fell asleep, with Dawn only seconds behind. She relished the last words of the now unconscious Spidey. She managed one last glimpse of her beloved before she fell into her own dreams as well.

Spidey awoke on the grass the next morning. He felt rejuvenated in the light of the new sunrise. Before he managed to open his eyes, snapshots of the most wonderful dream he ever had flashed before him. It was all so vivid, almost as though he could still feel her next to him.

His eyes slowly cracked open and his blurred vision slowly came into focus. His heart was unable to decide whether or not to race, somersault or simply stop out of shock and relief. Spidey's first sight of the new day was the gleaming face of a contentedly sleeping Dawn, with whom he was still physically entangled.

It wasn't a dream...

She slept peacefully, her face the image of serenity. He was eternally grateful and hoped every morning would be like this from then on. Dawn, his true love, a woman who never ceased to amaze him with her ability to turn his sorrows to joys, and her steadfast commitment to both their goals: She was his happiness.

He didn't need to be a hero anymore to achieve what he found with her. He thought it was the only way. But he was wrong. He had finally discovered his real goal, his real dream. To be with her.

It was enough that he needed a moment to himself. He gingerly untangled himself from the pristine, sleeping Dawn and moved across the hilltop towards the eastern side. He grabbed his pants and underwear as he went and put them back on, but didn't bother with his shirt, it having been tossed aside and fallen further down the path leading back to the grounds. He stared at the coming of the new day. Even his sometimes slow mind couldn't help but realize the symbolism at work. It really was the dawn of a new day, and the dawn of a new part of his life; a life with Dawn.

But that wouldn't be the only thing to change for him in his new life. He contemplated how he needed to think as a hero from that moment on. He thought he had overcome the selfish desire to win at any cost long ago, but it appeared that small part of it remained, buried deeply, but brought to the surface at a time of stress and desperation. He just kept staring at the ocean, reflecting the shimmering light of the newly risen sun, trying to understand how to do that. That was when he felt a small touch on his shoulder.

For a moment, he almost panicked, but remembered that there was only one person it could be. Dawn had redressed herself, though he only processed it peripherally because his gaze was locked on her glowing face. He looked up to see her smiling visage gleaming in the golden light of the newborn day, but only had to crane his neck momentarily as she decided to sit right next to him and enjoy the sunrise right there with him. They put their arms around one another and she rested her head on his broad shoulder.

"You look like you're thinking about something," she quietly observed.

"Yeah," Spidey acknowledged, in just as low a voice.

"Knew it. Your forehead is all wrinkled, like you're having trouble figuring it out," Dawn teased, tapping his opposite shoulder playfully.

"You read me like a book..." Spidey answered distantly, looking out over the lights of the city, his mind still turning over and over.

"Wanna share?"

Spidey was quiet for a moment, and then he turned his head to her as she withdrew hers from his shoulder. His eyes darted momentarily to the ground, then back to her lovely blue eyes. He sighed and explained, "You said something to me yesterday when you were trying to comfort me in the locker room. Do you remember?"

Dawn tried to remember. Between their passionate session the night before and the traumatic emotional exchange in the locker room beforehand, coupled with the vivid memories of that last battle, she had trouble pinpointing precise events. She came up with a vague answer, "I said quite a bit to try and reach you. Which part exactly?"

He drew in a breath and began to lay it out for her, "You told me that I put my Pokémon and friends above all else, and that nothing made you love me more," he paused, gathering himself, and returned his gaze to the France yonder, "I wish that were true, but for a moment during the event on Lyoko, it wasn't."

Dawn's face shifted uncomfortably, and she prodded Spidey, "What do you mean?"

Spidey returned his gaze to her, and admitted dejectedly, "When we saw that video if we went back in time to save them from XANA killing them, we continue to stop him from killing us ever again. Besides, if XANA trys to kill my Pokèmon, trust me he's gone."

Dawn was taken aback by this admission. She knew Spidey as nothing but a saint when it came to his Pokémon or his friends and to hear him admitting this sounded utterly bizarre. But this cleared up many things for her. She knew Spidey didn't take losses terribly well, but yesterday was the absolute worst she had seen him. She attributed it to the stakes of the event, and most of all, to the promise he made to her. She realized that those probably only compounded his already massive guilt. Her face softened at the thought of Spidey's remorse and she put a hand to his face, just like she had yesterday in the locker room. His eyes involuntarily closed at the touch and his face seemed to relax visibly.

"Spidey, it was nothing more than a mistake. We all make them from time to time. We can't be perfect," Dawn began, but Spidey interrupted.

"You're perfect!" he said his eyes snapped open and he held her tightly, "And you deserve better..."

This sudden outburst shocked Dawn as he embraced her, and she could feel tear drops on the back of her shirt. Her arms encircled him in kind, and she rubbed his back to bring him some form of comfort. She told him, tenderly, "It's not about what I deserve, it's about what I want. And I want you. I showed you that last night."

"But you didn't know that I-,"

She interrupted him this time, her gentle voice wafting to his ears like a gentle breeze, "I'm not perfect. I'm far from it. We all make mistakes. Pikachu will forgive you. And for me, there is nothing to forgive. You are still the kindest, most generous, most caring person I know; to both Pokémon and people. One mistake will not undo the lifetime of heroics and good deeds you have performed. One act of selfishness that lasted less than a second will not make you a terrible person."

She ended the hug and took his hand in both her hands, "We are both human, and I love you, flaws and all!"

Tears still fell from the face of dark brown-haired hero. His face was twitching with conflicting emotions until at last his face closed to hers and the shared a long, wonderful kiss. It was like the other ones they had both shared to comfort him in his guilt: clean, soft, tender, and almost chaste.

After he opened his eyes, he looked longingly into hers. They both wore small, reassuring smiles and then gave a small laugh. Spidey punctuated his by returning her words yet again, "I love you too."

He stood up, and pulled her up with him. He held her in his arms and looked towards the sun which now sat just a little higher on the horizon since he last saw it. Its shimmering wake on the waves glistened and he was struck by inspiration. He held Dawn closely, put the side of his head to hers and both gazed outwards to the ocean.

"I've figured it out," Spidey announced confidently.

"Huh?"

"I know how to keep it from happening ever again," Spidey spoke softly.

"The mistake?" she inquired.

"Yes."

"How?"

"Ever since I could even remember, the idea of becoming a Ultimate Hero has brought me unthinkable happiness. It was what kept me going. It was the ultimate goal, being so naive; I thought it was the only way to get that kind of happiness." Spidey explained, his voice growing distant.

"And?"

Spidey continued his explanation, his voice thick with emotion, "I've already found it. With you. I don't think I even realized it until last night, but you make me unbelievably happy. It's same feeling I envisioned having when I became a Ultimate Hero. But I'm not one."

Dawn's eyes grew wide and she looked at him, "No! Don't tell me you're giving up your dream for me!"

Spidey chuckled, "You are my dream, Dawn... but no, I'm not giving up."

Dawn's expression of panic passed, but was replaced by bewilderment, "I... don't understand."

"It's exactly what we talked about," Spidey revealed to her, turning his gaze back to her lovely face, "You said I care about my Pokémon like no one else. When I agreed to take each and every one of them with me on my journey, they had the expectation I would come through for them on my goal. It became their goal. It wasn't just about me becoming a master; each of them would become one too. Each the best of its kind, unmatched in the world by its kin. I made that promise every time I caught or persuaded one to come with me. And I keep my promises. It's not just about me. It never was."

Dawn was surprised again by Spidey's sense of honour, but more by this strange turn of logic he came up with. And yet, as she reviewed it in her mind, this was undoubtedly an 'Spidey' thing to do. She could see it in his eyes. It truly, wasn't for him anymore; it was for his friends and companions.

"If it's about them, then I won't be tempted to do something like that ever again. What would their victory be, if they weren't there to celebrate it," Spidey finished.

Dawn looked up to the taller man in wonder, keen on discovering how in eight years, that the boy she traveled with grew into this sagely, rugged man. Yet, she remembered, that when it came to morals and ideals, he had always been miles ahead of most people.

"Spidey, you have no idea how beautiful the words you have just said to me are. You just never stop amazing me," Dawn praised, put her head back on his as they resumed viewing the rising sun.

"And that is how I feel about you every day Dawn. Until yesterday, I was just too shy to say it."

They kissed again, a bit more passionately than the one a few minutes prior, but nothing too involved. When their lips parted, they walked hand in hand to gather the rest of their belongings. After fully redressing themselves, they strode down the hill in much more leisurely manner than how they had ascended. Spidey restrained himself from making a mad dash to the school.

"That would be great, thank you," Spidey agreed, trying to hide his somber feelings at not being able to at least be close to his two buddies. Dawn gripped his hand tightly to reassure him, and they shared a glance. This did not go unnoticed by a guy, whose smile returned on seeing to two clearly in love.

After checking on the skys, Dawn prompted Spidey, "She'll be ok, let's go so that she doesn't feel too under pressure by having us watch her all day."

Spidey nodded and they left, still linked at their hands just as they had when they entered. They walked out onto the promenade linking the school and the droms residences, now quite a bit less busy since the finals that had concluded the day before. The class had taken place immediately after, but they had missed it. But neither cared. They walked together through the grounds, simply for the sake of walking. It was a comfort to have her by his side. If this were years ago, he would have fled to try and be alone, and might've taken far longer to recover from such a devastating loss as he experienced. But she saved him. She held on tightly to him and helped alleviate the guilt. It was still there, a small blemish on his mind and in his heart, but it didn't consume him as it could have.

After the night prior, even with the events of that last event, he couldn't help but be grateful for the hand fate had played him. Hoping for Aelita to be all right, Spidey was quickly doing the same, and Dawn had found a way into his heart.

As they walked down the cobbled path towards the Kadic school, Spidey couldn't help but look at Dawn, glimmering in the morning sunlight, her effervescent blue hair flowing in the wind, her peach skin glowing, her deep oceanic eyes shimmering, her small but reassuring smile lighting his world; it was so hard to keep his eyes away from her.

I don't care what she says; she's human, but she's perfect. Dawn, my love... My Northern Light.

Then suddenly, the morning goes fast as it went night again.