Chapter 3: Be Careful What You Wish For

"What do you want from me…" She asked, ready to fight if she had to.

"Oh, it's what you'll want from me is going to be the question, my sweet Spider," he replied, "Please, allow me to introduce myself…" He said, making an exaggerated bow, "I'm a man of wealth and taste. And I've been around for a long, long year… pleased to meet you. I hope you guessed my name. But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game…"

Gwen crossed her arms and stared at the strange man standing before her.

"At least you know your classic music…" Gwen noted, not taking her eyes off the stranger.

"The Stones are multiversal…" he smiled and gave a little bow. "And as I said, I am one who has had many names throughout the years and the universes, And I offer you … a deal. Involving you receiving something you desire with your very soul."

"Forgive me for doubting you, creepy, red guy," Gwen said, turning her back and giving a wave, "I doubt you have anything I'd 'desire with my very soul…'," Gwen started to fire a webline when she heard her own voice.

"MILES!" she turned quickly in confusion and gasped when she saw Miles Morales on a nearby rooftop in his Spider-Man outfit sans his mask, she froze and could see herself swinging through the air, "CATCH ME!"

A giggling Miles lifted his arms as the other Gwen released her webline and flew toward him. He caught her and the spun her around in the air, both laughing and having carefree smiles on their faces.

"Love you, Gwen," Miles smiled as he pulled Gwen toward her, and kissed her.

"You sure about that?" the man asked the stunned Gwen as the two faded away.

"Are you the devil or something?" Gwen whispered, staring where Miles and the other her was moments ago.

"Only in a few religions," He smiled walking behind her.

"I know you dreamed of being in his arms last night," he said softly in her ear, "you could feel his chest rising and falling, you could hear his heart beat as you laid your head on his chest. Bubump bubump bubump," he shook his head sadly, "But sadly, you felt his last breath and his heart stop yesterday. Bleeding out in a fight… defending those he loves… not the first Spider-Man to fall that way, won't be the last. But always a tragedy."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "But this time… it doesn't have to be… He could have made it past O'Hara without an injury, defeating the spot without his life blood falling out on the ground. His father could still be saved. Miles Morales, Jeff Davis, and Spider-Woman could have a happily ever after! Roll credits! Post credit scene of little spider babies growing up with Mayday Parker! Doesn't it sound simply wonderful?"

"There's no do-overs in life," Gwen shook her head.

"Isn't there tho?" He smiled tightly while squinting at her. "I have the power, if you accept my deal."

"And exchange for what? My soul? I've seen the movies…" Gwen took a step away from the man.

"Please, hero souls are worthless to me," He waved, "You lot are all so ready to throw yourselves away for the greater good." He then gave her a knowing smirk "Most for the greater good though… Miles wasn't like that. Isn't that right, dear Spider? He was different. There was no greater good for him. He refused to sacrifice anyone. He would save his father and the multiverse… or die trying… and that's exactly what happened… so sad…"

"Stop talking about that…" she shook his head, "Stop talking about him…"

"Why? I mean, you did ignore him for a year and a half, didn't you? Why are you so tore up about him now? He seldom crossed your mind before…" He smiled brightly, "Especially at Hobie's…"

The reaction was instant.

Gwen grabbed him by the tie and lifted him in the air. "Oh, did I touch a nerve?"

"The biggest tragedy is you never got to make up for ANY of it," He continued. "While Miles was drawing pictures of you, missing you, wishing to see you…"

"Shut up."

"What were you doing? Galivanting with the other Spiders, to say nothing of the down times…" He pressed on as her fist trembled.

"I said, Shut. Up."

"Don't you remember those big pretty brown eyes… looking at you in pure betrayal… just before he ripped the webline! It was a beautifully tragic metaphor… he cut the cord from you… ending what connection he had to you…" He continued, grinning at her "Did you think a kiss before he went off to save his Papi would make everything right? Did you expect everything to go peachy?"

"SHUT UP!" She screamed, throwing him against the building. He simply got up laughing.

"Oh, you DID!" He chuckled, "Such naivety…"

"I'll just lay this out for you…" He said, pulling up a rolled piece of parchment. "I'll bring him back to life, as if he never died. His dad will be perfectly fine. Not even a Canon Event to worry about. Both will be perfectly fine and healthy. I'll put him in good standing with the Spider-Society, so Spider-Man and Spider-Woman can swing off to battle bad guys ever after…" He unrolled the parchment, "Hell, I'll even throw this one in for free. I'll put you in his Earth and give you such a wonderful relationship together. Sounds to me like everything you ever wanted. You dreamed of this, Gwen Stacy. All you have to do is put your name on this line…" He said holding it out to her.

"What's the catch…" Gwen glared at him, "I've read books and seen movies… these always have a catch…"

"I'm a scientist at heart… much like most of you Spider-Folk… also an artist at heart, like your dearest Miles," he replied, "I like to watch… I like to see what would happen. So the catch is you can't explain anything to Miles or his father. You can't tell them what happened to cause you to sign this. Every action has a ripple effect, I'd like to watch the ripples."

"You don't have to decide right now," he smiled, "Take the contract… sign if and when you're ready."

"And if I don't…" She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sure it'll be a beautiful funeral service," he smiled sympathetically, "I'm sure it'll be even more of a tragedy knowing the means to bring him back to life is in your hand…"

She looked through the contract and looked up and found herself alone. "That's not creepy at all…"

Gwen sat solemnly beside Rio and Jeff in the church. She couldn't look up. It would be real if she looked up. Her hands trembled in her lap. This just felt like a nightmare that she would wake up at any time.

She blinked when Rio reach over and gripped her hand comfortingly. "Stay strong, Mija…He'd want us to stay strong…"

Somehow, Gwen held it together through the service, and walked with the family as they carried Miles to his final resting place.

Her eyes widened and her trembling became worse when they saw where they laid him to rest. The two tombstones side-by-side. It wasn't the same person a part of her knew, but her heart couldn't handle what she was seeing. Two tombstones, with two names…

Peter Parker

Miles Morales

She felt like she couldn't breathe.

Her vision felt like she was staring down a tunnel and she felt like she could throw up. And she didn't care if the whole world saw it either.

All she could see was the names.

Peter Parker

Miles Morales

She stayed there through it all. A sobbing wreck. But she stayed.

It was like she had no control over her body at all. She could only watch as they lowered the casket, and placed dirt on top.

"Mija… it's time to go." Rio smiled sadly.

"I… I just need a little more time…" Gwen said, not taking her eyes off the headstone.

"Take all the time you need…" Rio nodded, giving her a big hug. "We'll wait up for you, I'll have some hot tea. And we can share those stories we spoke of. He… He wouldn't want tears. He would want smiles."

She watched his parents go before turning back to the tombstones.

"We never got to talk it out…" She dropped to her knees by the headstone. "I never got to say… I never… There was so much… I needed to … I had to… this isn't fair. Miguel said it would be me… HE SAID IT WOULD BE ME! That's why I never came back. That's why I never tried to contact you. At least until after the Canon Event time. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to leave you like… like you've left me. It should have been me. I deserve this. Not you. Never you… oh Miles, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"How am I supposed to keep going, Miles?" She whimpered, "I tried. I tried to move on before… I tried for over a year... I tried to forget how you made me feel. I tried so hard for your sake…" she shook her head, "Who am I kidding. I'm a coward. I ran away from Dad. I ran away from you. I did everything I could to protect myself. And you suffered for it. It should be you with your parents right now. It should be you swinging through this city. New York needs Spider-Man, Miles! It needs you! Why… Why…"

She felt her spider sense tingle and saw the contract parchment sat on the top of Miles' headstone. "New York… needs… Spider-Man… it needs… Miles…"

She pulled herself to her feet, her eyes focused on the parchment. Her spider-sense was going insane the closer she moved her hands toward it. It was screaming at her to throw it away. To get far away. But she fought against it. Pushed to it. New York needed Spider-Man. The World needs Spider-Man. His parents needed Miles. She needed him, too.

She wondered how she would sign it; she didn't have a pen. But then she noticed a small spike right next to the signature line. She curiously tapped it with her finger. It was painfully sharp. Maybe… she pushed her finger against it and gasped in pain as a perfect replica of her signature wrote itself on the line in blood.

The parchment began to glow brightly, brighter and brighter till it blinded her. Gwen suddenly found herself standing in the Davis/Morales apartment, wearing a mask that felt heavier than her usual one. "What happened? How did I…" She looked down to see she was wearing clawed gloves, and one of them was covered in blood.

She looked around and finally found a body at her feet. She gasped loudly when she realized who it was. Rio Morales with a claw shaped stab wound in her abdomen. "Rio?"

"MOM!" Her heart dropped when she turned to see Miles alive and well, climbing in the window. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MOTHER?!"

"Miles? Miles I…" she was webbed quickly and tossed her out the window. She tried to launch a web line to catch herself but it seemed whatever she was wearing wasn't equipped with any webshooters.

She hit the ground hard and it hit harder than she normally do for some reason. She managed to claw herself to her feet and she saw her reflection in a window. "What the…" She was dressed not in her Spider-Woman outfit, but a type of Prowler armor.

She heard Miles' voice screaming his mother's name and the sound of police sirens in the distance. She had to get out of there for now. Until she could figure out what was going on. Gwen turned and ran in the opposite direction, not really knowing where she was going to go.

A squad car pulled out directly in front of her, and she wondered why she didn't feel a hint of spider-sense, and her eyes widened when she saw Miles' father get out and pull a gun. "FREEZE!"

Gwen jumped over the car stumbling slightly but kept going running as hard as she could.

She thought she was in the clear before she was kicked in the back by someone. She rolled as best she could and turned to see Miles in full outfit and mask and he was furious.

"oh no…" Gwen whispered. "Miles, I…"

"How did you find out my name?" he growled walking toward her. "How did you find my mother? Why did you hurt her?!"

"I didn't, Miles, I swear…" she held up a hand subconsciously trying to reach out to him. Before she could make contact she was shoved back against the wall.

If things couldn't get weirder, she found herself face to face with Spider-Woman. She was staring into her own mask, under her own hood, and hearing her own voice.

"Try to touch him again…Prowler…" Spider Woman said, and whoever was wearing the Spider-Woman suit had Gwen's exact voice.

'Oh God' she thought as she saw her reflection in Spider-Woman's eyes, it finally sank in. Whatever the contract did… she wasn't Spider-Woman anymore…

She was the Prowler…