A week later
The Watcher watched over the sad memorial for Tina McGee.
"Life. A precious gift. Something so powerful, yet it's the most fragile thing in the world. When you're brought into the world, you never think of when will be the last day. Most people go around without ever thinking of it. Every life matters to someone. Sometimes without you even realizing them having an effect on you."
What would you do if you woke up and you knew that the next time you closed your eyes, you would never reopen them?
Peter, Caitlin, Cisco, Harrison, Tess, Sharon, Johnny, Jennifer, Sue even came in with Franklin and Valeria for support. To the funeral of Doctor Tina McGee.
Ben was also there, but he was hiding underneath several layers of clothes and standing a small distance away from the reception.
Peter looked down at the casket holding the body of his once boss and said his final farewell to the amazing woman.
"I'm sorry, Tina." Peter apologizes for not getting there in time. "This is my fault."
"None of this is your fault, Peter." Sue whispered as she took his hand. "It's Reed's."
Peter heard her words and took them to heart. "You're right. It is his fault. And he needs to pay."
After her casket was buried, Peter stayed where he was and stood over the tombstone, no idea what he can do. Everyone went back to the labs to see if they could maybe find something to lead back to Reed.
"I'm sorry." A female voice called and Peter looked back to see a unfamiliar woman. "She was an amazing woman."
"Yeah. She was." Peter said with a sigh.
She then walked over and pulled a card out of her bag before approaching Peter. "I'm Dr. McGee's lawyer. When the timing is right, we need to discuss the will she left."
Peter looked to her and picked the card from her hand. "I'll let you know when I have time."
"Thank you, I'm sorry for your loss." She apologized and walked off leaving Peter alone.
The others were back at Star labs, all except Sue, Peter, and the kids who stayed home for the day.
"You think he'll be okay?" Johnny asked Cisco as the two sat on the couch.
"Yeah, Peter's a strong guy." Cisco scoffed, a little unsure of his statement.
"I hope so." Johnny said with a sigh.
"Hey." Caitlin greeted them as she walked in with Bette close behind. "We're heading out, seems the city's quiet. Wanna come with or just hang around?"
"Sure." Cisco guessed. "Hey, you think we should take Medusa and Crystal out somewhere?"
"I think some fresh air would do them some good." Caitlin supposed.
Back at Peter's home, he was looking down at a glass in his hands, Sue took the kids out for a while and he needed something to do. That's when his computer went off and the site Jennifer found about the woman writing about them appeared and saw her name was Iris West.
Now might be a good time as any to talk with her. He easily recognized her from his visits to Jitters, the coffee shop they all frequent, and went to see her after closing.
"Sorry. We're closed." Iris apologized when there was a knock.
Peter then dropped from the ceiling, shocking Iris as he landed on the table and didn't even flinch or break it. "Iris West. I've seen you've been writing about us."
Iris walked over and was shocked to be the first to get a good look at Peter's new suit. "Nice change of costume."
"Thanks. Gift from a friend." Peter shrugged as he dropped off the table.
"One of your...super friends?" Iris asked.
Peter then looked around and saw there were cameras. "Can't talk here. Meet me on the roof." He then shot a web and pulled himself to the ceiling and Iris quickly ran to the roof to follow.
Once she reached the roof and looked around to find Peter, she missed how he was hanging off of the edge on the higher point of the roof.
"I need you to stop writing about me and my team." Peter asked of her, as Iris turned to face him.
"So they're a part of your team?" Iris asked, getting some much information as possible from him. Sadly, she doesn't know this is Peter's first time with s reporter. "How many of you are there?"
"Not enough for the crime in this city." Peter stated as he got up.
"I have so many questions. Who are your team members?" Iris asked as Peter did a backflip and landed on his feet.
"I can't say." Peter stated.
"Well, who are they?" Iris wondered. "I already met your Human Lightman."
"We call him Human Torch, that's all you're getting." Peter warned her.
"Well, where have they been hiding?" Iris asked as Peter just stood there, not answering.
"You're a terrible interview." Iris sighed.
"There's more to this than you can possibly fathom." Peter stated. "Just trust me. The world will be better off if the few people know about us as possible. I need you to stop."
"Can you?" Iris asked him. "Running towards the danger, saving lives. Sacrificing who knows how much for people you don't know."
"I don't do this for the glory. Never have. Neither do they. They want to remain a secret." Peter stated to her before looking down. "We lost people to this fight. There's a war, going on in the dark where you can't see. Because if you shine a light on it, you'll reveal monsters that will keep everyone up at night. Tell me, is learning there are more heroes in this city worth it?"
Iris was shocked to hear this and it not making the head news.
"Someone close to me died because of this war. I'm not having a good time, and I'm trying to warn you. Keep yourself safe. Otherwise, you might be the next who's hunted down. And if we weren't there to save someone close to us, how do you think we'll be able to save you?"
That's when they stated to hear sirens going off in the instance.
"Think about what I said." Peter stated as he ran and leaped off the building, swinging towers the sirens.
There was a police chase with several police cars chasing a yellow Humvee with Yuri and Joe creating a blockade at the end of the road.
"What kind of an idiot trying to escape steals a yellow Humvee?" Yuri questions.
"What kind of an idiot buys a yellow Humvee?" Joe asked her.
The car comes speeding downtime street when a kid started crossing the street.
"Son, out of the way!" Joe cried out.
The kid looked to see the car coming too late to get out of the way when Peter came swinging down and tackled the kid, shielding him from getting crushed.
"You good?" Peter asked the kid who nodded in assurance. "Good."
He then quick got back on his feet and leaped into the air, getting back to the chase as the man driving revved through the police blockade. Peter landed on the roof of the car and punched his way through the roof of the car and ripped the steering wheel out of his hands before driving them into a wall.
Peter flipped off the car before it could reach the wall and crossed his arms. "Get out of the vehicle and put your hands in the air."
"If you say so." He said before doing exactly that, but then something unexpected happened. Black ooze started to surround him and incase him inside of a giant suit that seemed all too familiar.
"Oh, god."
"Oh, yes. Spider. It's us." The suit stated, shocking Peter at the familiarity of who it is.
"Venom." Peter snarled and got into a fighting stance.
"Did you miss us, Spider?" Venom asked as he raised his fist and went to smash Peter, but he easily dodged it and leaped in with a swing and a kick.
"Nope, but it seems you've only started to miss me." Peter stated as he went in for another attack, but it ended with him getting backhanded and tossed into the side of the car. "Right. Venom can hide from my Spider-Senses. Should've remembered that."
Venom then went in for another punch when Peter got himself free and backflipped away from him.
"So who did you manage to snag up this time?" Peter asked as he tried to back further when Venom swung and his arm turned into tentacles that wrapped Peter up and brought him closer.
"Someone better suited to our gifts. And this is our revenge for you rejecting us!" Venom stated as he took Peter's head and slammed him into the ground. "We are poison to both Spider-Man and Peter Parker! We are Venom!"
Peter then leaped off the ground and kicked Venom in the face before shooting a strand of webbing at his face, blinding him that gave Peter the opportunity to shoot two strands and yank him a little before he tore free from the webbing.
Venom then went and shot his own webbing to Peter, yanking him back at him, before delivering a gigantic punch at the face, sending Peter flying again, this time into the fence. Luckily Cisco updated this suit so that it could take the damage.
Peter leaped and used the fence to spin and crouched on top of it before shooting two webs to his sides before yanking himself down and using his strength to kick Venom with both his feet.
Once he landed on the ground, he punched Venom, who immediately punched him back, sending Peter toppling backwards. He then took the advantage and kicked Peter, sending into the brick wall before shooting hundreds of strands of webbing to keep Peter stuck to the wall.
"Destroying you now will be almost too easy. We would wish to relish in this moment. But he wants you out of the way before you become a bigger problem." Venom stated as he leaped on the wall and crawled down towards him. "After all, we'll have numerous opportunities with all your loved ones. After all, we know who you are."
"Wow. Looks like I got here just in time." A new female voice called, getting their attention as they looked and saw a new girl wearing a new suit that was all red, except for the chest and stomach that was yellow with a black outline, same as her gloves and boots, not to mention the yellow triangle on her mask that covered her eyes, which had white visors. But what really got their attention, other than the long flowing black hair, was the fact she appeared to have...wings.
"Is she with you?" Venom asked Peter.
"I was thinking she was with you." Peter confessed.
"Sorta." The girl shrugged.
She then backflipped before landing on the ground and closed her fist as Venom went in for a strike at her, snarling his tongue and all to his soon to be victim. But what neither of them saw coming was the power that she had when her fist started to glow and sparks of electricity came off of it when she swung and punched Venom, which actually hurt him in the process, and sent him flying away.
"That'll hold him off. Don't know for how long, though." She said before she ran over and did the same process, but just placing her hands against the webbing and it began getting scorched.
"Who...who are you?" Peter asked, feeling a little light headed from the fight.
"My name's Jessica Drew. I'm here to help. And I need your help with something later." Jessica said as she got him free and Peter went limp.
Sighing, Jessica saw she had no other choice but to carry him, luckily she already knew about their base in STAR Labs.