Will opened his eyes and tried to sit up.

"Shh…" his wife hushed, pushing him back on the bed. He touched his chest where the Lizard had slashed him, and his fingers came back completely dry. Alex had worked her magic on his wound.

"You're always saving my ass," he said with a chuckle. The tightness around her mouth showed she wasn't amused. "You okay?"

Alex just glared at him. Will still wasn't used to her coal-black eyes. And the coldness in them, that was something entirely new. Who are you? he wanted to ask.

Instead of even acknowledging his question, Alex walked to the door and opened it. "Your father's awake," she said to Amanda.

"Dad!" Amanda called as she ran to his bedside. She threw her arms around him.

"Manda," he said, the nickname Paul had used for his sister slipping out of his mouth. He hugged her. Her light eyes were just as foreign as her mother's, but, he still recognized the girl standing before him.

"Mom, you did great, I don't even see a scar," she said. But Alex only stood in stoney silence. He couldn't help but see the hurt and concern in his daughter's eyes.

He clenched his fists. What was wrong? "Alex, your daughter is speaking to you."

Again, nothing. She crossed her arms sullenly across her chest, leaning against the wall.

"God damnit! Say something!" He shouted. Amanda jumped back.

Alex locked her eyes on his. "Your father failed to retrieve the serum," she began, never once shifting her gaze. "He failed. We failed. And our benefactor is not pleased."

"What's the big deal?" Amanda began. "Let's give dad the night to rest, and we can all go out together and get it tomorrow."

"You think we're getting another chance? We have failed at every mission. Every battle, we rush back here with nothing to show for it. He's losing patience. And time."

"You have no idea how annoying this is!" Amanda yelled. "You expect so much from us, but you tell us nothing! What is the big deal about the serum and our benefactor. God, now I know we're dealing with a guy."

"Show some respect," her mother glared. "After everything he's given us."

"She's right, Alex. I know you've buddied up to him," he resented the jealousy in his voice. "But you have no idea how frustrating it is to be kept in the dark. What was the serum for, and what's all this about him losing time?" His wife turned her gaze from him. "Alex, please. Talk to me. To us. I don't even know who you are anymore."

Alex sighed, and appeared lost in thought for a moment. Then, she walked over to the door and peaked outside. Satisfied, she walked to his bed, and getting close, she waved Amanda over.

"He's sick," she whispered. "Dying. I'm trying to heal him my powers, but… it's not working. I'm barely able to keep him alive."

"That's awful. Mom, we didn't know. Why the secrecy?" Amanda asked.

Alex wrung her hands, and her gaze shifted. "He's paranoid," she whispered. "The more people who know about his weakened state, the greater the risk someone can take advantage. That serum. He wanted it to see if it could heal him, regrow the cells that are being destroyed. Every mission he's sent us on, it has to do with him saving his own life."

"Who is he?" Will asked.

"I honestly don't know. He's a withered husk of a man. A skeleton barely covered by enough skin. All I know, is he's long been considered dead. But as to his name? No clue. I don't even think White knows."

And, speak of the devil, there was a quick rap on the door, and then it swung open without invitation or announcement. Mr. White's tall frame cast a long, gangly shadow into the room.

"Glass and Guardian. Due to the unfortunate lack of progress and performance, your services are no longer needed. Your belongings have been packed, and any and all propriety has been confiscated."

"What?" Will asked. "Give me another chance."

"Unfortunately, you have exceeded your chances."

"But I'll go with him this time!" Amanda said. "I should've gone before. We'll get that serum. Whatever you need."

"Please don't send us out! We gave up our home, our lives. We have no where else to go, and we're fugitives now!" Alex to stepped towards White. "Please. Don't kick us out."

"There is no 'us.' They leave. You stay. Now. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

Will watched Alex freeze, terrified by the idea of being separated from her family.

"You can't force us out White." Will said, "In case you forgot," he got up from the bed, and squared his shoulders, standing at his full height. "We're the ones with the power in this room."

White sighed. "The hard way it is then."

Spiderling landed on Normie's terrace and knocked on the grand French doors.

"Spiderling!" He smiled, opening the doors. He was dressed casually in jeans and a sweatshirt, but still he hugged his arms around his body. She could see his breath in the winter air.

"Hey Normie," she said, grateful she wore her winter costume. It was the same in terms of color and design as her regular one, but her back was fully covered. She had a blue scarf wrapped around her neck, and earmuffs over her ears, which she slid off.

"Have a seat," he said with a gleam in his eye, and then disappeared back inside. She sat and gazed out at the city. He had the most beautiful view of Manhattan. All of their dates were spent at his place. But this view never got old.

"Surprise!" Normie said, carrying out a tray filled with two silver domes, and two flute glasses filled with an amber liquid. He placed one dome in front of her and a glass. "Juice," he said with a wink. And she took a sip, needing the glucose and wanting to look classy.

"Thank you," she blushed.

He turned his own shade of scarlet as he whipped the silver dome up, revealing an ornate plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a side of chips. "Fancy," she quipped.

He shrugged. "It's the best I could do."

"It's perfect," she said, taking a bite, relishing in the sweet and salty. She glanced at her pump, and saw that her blood sugar was 83 and trending down from the webswinging. She decided to drink the juice first, to help her number go up, then she'd start on the sandwich. The fat from the peanut butter would slow the absorption of sugar in her blood, so it was best to use the juice to give her body a head start.

"How was class?" She asked.

"It was good. Little stressful, but cool."

Stressful? "You waited until the last minute to memorize your lines?"

"Yeah. I gotta stop doing that. MJ can tell every time." MJ. It was so weird he was in her mother's class, and weirder still that he had no idea who she was.

"Is that Silas guy still an ass?"

Normie groaned. "The worst. He walks around like he's on the brink of stardom, and to be honest, he isn't really that good."

Annie nodded. Her mother shared a similar opinion but was more gentle in the expressing of it. But she held out hope that he could be a decent actor. She said the same for all of her students.

"And the afterclass?" Annie asked. She knew those were Normie's favorite. He and her mom would sit in the cafe together after class, and she'd tell him about his father.

"It was really interesting. She talked a lot about him in college. He was studying science and business. And apparently they dated."

Annie nearly choked on her juice. Her mother had dated her boyfriend's father? That was…unexpected. And unnerving. Very unnerving.

"You okay?" Normie asked.

"Um, yeah. Just, surprised. What are the odds?"

"I know, right? But she said they didn't work well together like that. She said they were better as friends. Now she's happily married with a kid, so that worked out for her."

Annie couldn't help but hear the sadness in his voice.

"Apparently she was close to my mom too. MJ said they drifted apart after my dad died. But when I asked my mom about her, she got really annoyed, and told me to stay away from her."

Why would Liz Allan tell Normie to stay away from her mom? If anything, it should be the other way around. Annie recalled the time Liz gave her mom a psychotic symbiote. Well, she gave Spinneret a symbiote. So why in the world would Liz have any beef with MJ.

"What's your mom's deal?" Annie snapped.

Normie looked taken aback. "I don't know! Maybe they had a falling out or something. And my mom was going through a lot," he matched her tone.

"Sorry," she said, trying to cool off. She thought about reminding him that his mom had, in the past, toed the line between civilian and villain, but she knew that was the last thing Normie needed. And he wasn't wrong. Liz Allan, for all of her wealth and success, went through some tough times. "I'm sorry," she said again, more sincerely. "I just know you really like those meetings with your teacher. And she seems pretty cool. I didn't mean anything about your mom. She's great."

Normie shrugged. "Now I feel bad going there, but next week is our last class. So I don't have to feel bad for long. But I wonder what happened between them."

Me too, Annie wanted to say.

"How was your day?" Normie asked, switching topics. He took a hasty bite of his sandwich.

She shrugged. She had spent the morning on patrol with her dad, then when her mom's acting class ended, they went dress shopping for the school dance.

"Bad fight?" he asked.

"No, not at all."

"What happened?"

"Nothing, honestly. It was light on the crime fighting. I went dress shopping with my mom."

"Oh cool." He eyed her skeptically. "Was it fun?"

"It was," she said. They had made a day out of it. And the dress was really nice. She debated on whether or not she should tell him it was for the school dance. It would just be easier to say nothing, but she hated all of the built in lies that came with having a secret identity.

Annie took a breath. Then, "it was for my school dance," she said.

"Oh! That's really cool! But you don't look that excited."

"I wish I could take you."

"Oh. I see. It's fine," he said, his voice stinging.

"No it's not fine. I don't want to go."

"You got a dress didn't you?"

There was something sharp in his tone. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're saying you don't want to go, but you got a dress. You do want to go. And that's fine. I'm fine with that."

"You don't sound fine."

"Well I am. Don't worry, I'm used to it."

"Used to what?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Not being a part of your personal life."

Seriously? "You are a part of my personal life."

He laughed. Like actually laughed at her. "How can you say that? I don't know the color of your eyes. Hell, I don't even know your first name."

"Normie, just stop, you're not being fair."

"Fair? Says my girlfriend who can't tell me her name. Wow. You're right, I'm not fair." He threw his hands up and stormed to the edge of the terrace.

Annie stood up and marched over to him. "You know I can't tell you my identity. You knew that when we got together."

He just stood there, likely glowering at the city, his back to her. Which pissed her off.

"Look at me," she said poking his shoulder.

"Ow," he spun around to face her. "That hurt!"

"I barely touched you!"

"I'm pretty sure you left a bruise."

"Why are we fighting over this? It's ridiculous." Annie said, regretting ever telling him.

"Yeah, how ridiculous am I to be upset that girlfriend doesn't trust me with her own name."

"You know it's not about that."

"Okay, fine, your parents don't trust me."

"It's not that simple!"

"Then what is it?"

She thought about Gwen. Dead for only knowing her father. Dead at such a young age. Dead despite Spider-Man catching her as she fell. "You don't understand."

He laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. "I think you forget just how much I understand."

Her father couldn't save Gwen. Just as he couldn't save Harry. "Normie," she said, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry."

He was quiet. Then, "I don't feel very well, I'm going inside. And do whatever you want about the dance, I don't really care." And he stormed off back into the comforts of his home, slamming the doors behind him. The ruckus the doors made didn't match their delicate elegance.

Part of Annie wanted to follow him inside. And maybe she would've if not for the final slam. Instead she simmered in her hurt, guilt and anger, and, out of pure spite, ate both her sandwich and his.

She then looked over her shoulder at his home, hoping to see him back outside, but instead the lights flicked out, leaving her in darkness. Her eyes stinging, she leaped off of his terrace and swung through the city. She knew she should go home, but instead she zig-zagged her way through the concrete jungle, just searching for someone to cross her, ready for anything or anyone to distract her from what she was feeling.

Amanda opened her eyes only to see her father's face staring down at her in concern.

She rubbed her head as she sat up. The last thing she remembered was being in her parents' room at the compound their benefactor housed them in. Then Mr. White had come in, and told them she and her father had been let go.

The hard way it is. Those were White's words before he slipped on a gas mask and threw something that looked like a hand grenade into the room. Amanda remembered her mom jumping in front of her, but the grenade never exploded. Instead, it let out a gray cloud, and Amanda very quickly felt woozy. That was the last thing she could remember.

White must have quite literally have thrown them out. And then kept her mother hostage.

Amanda locked eyes with her father. He placed his and on the back of her head and pulled her close into a clumsy embrace.

"We'll get your mother back," he whispered hoarsely. "I promise you, we'll get her back."