Annie crouched in the shadows of the roof top, her blue and black costume fading into the darkness around her.

Her father did the same; sitting so still, he almost disappeared. But in moments of movement, the light of the nighttime city would catch his lenses, illuminating them in an eery glow.

A soft, airy sound broke the heavy silence between them. Annie saw the Black Cat land on the roof top with a graceful flare, her movements so quiet, they would've gone undetected if not for her spider powers.

Her eyes locked on Annie. "Hey there, Little Spider," she began. "How're you holding up?"

Annie fought back the tears, the efforts rendering her silent. Felicia could see her emotion, and embraced her.

"Cat," her dad said, stalking out of the shadows. "What do you have?"

Felicia sighed. "I have a location."

"That's great," Annie said.

"What else?" Her dad asked skeptically.

"I think it's a trap."

"Does that matter?" Annie asked, ready to spring into action. "If we know we are walking into a trap, we'll be ready for whatever they throw at us."

"It's not that simple, Spiderling. Cat, why do you think it is a trap?"

"The guys talking at the bar were talking pretty freely, and it seemed like it was for my ears only. I don't know, it just felt so staged."

Her dad nodded. "Did you recognize the guys?"

"No, probably just some hired hands to drop the info."

"Spiderling, what do you think?"

Annie's eyes widened beneath her mask. Normally, her parents did the planning, and she would follow their lead.

"I think us knowing its a trap will give us an advantage."

"You're short one person," Cat said, crossing her arms. "Where's Spinneret?"

"She's having a hard time coping." Her father's tone was gentle.

Annie knew all of them were struggling, but her mother could barely get out of bed. It was heartbreaking. She hoped her mom would be able to join them again as Spinneret; she missed her.

Cat nodded. "Well, if you need any backup, let me know."

"It'll probably blow your cover, but thank you."

Black Cat maintained the careful balance of villainy for show, and helped the superhero community out by feeding them bits of intel.

"I'm serious, let me know if you need some back up. There've been other rumors going around," she said. "And I think they're connected to whatever is going on with Triple Threat."

"What's that?" Her dad asked.

"I think one of your bad guys is back from the dead, pulling the strings as they say."

Her dad nodded. "Who?"

"I don't know. The gossip is it's someone you, well…" she trailed off.

Annie had a feeling she was going to say killed. Her dad stiffened. He always taught her to have compassion and respect for the sanctity of life, no matter what. But she also knew there were instances where he had to break his own code, especially when it came to protecting her and her mom.

She thought back to her last fight with Glass. The rage and hatred coursing through her; Annie clenched her fists to stop her hands from shaking. Despite Glass's horrific actions, Annie was ashamed at how close she had come to taking the girl's life. She could only imagine what her father must've gone through to be pushed over that edge.

Annie put a hand on her dad's shoulder.

"So," Cat sighed. "The stakes are pretty high. You're likely walking into a trap set by people evil enough to kill a teen at a family event. A trap likely organized on someone hellbent on making you pay. If I were you, I'd sit this one out, maybe have someone else handle it when things cool off."

Her dad gave her a look. "We all know you wouldn't do that."

She shrugged. "I don't have a wife and kid."

"We need to do this," Annie said, thinking of Normie and the way his smile lit up his eyes. Her heart ached. "Not for vengeance. Not for payback. For justice. For mom, for Liz. It's our responsibility."

Her dad looked at her, and squared his shoulders in pride. He nodded. "Agreed. Cat, tell us what you know."

Mary Jane pulled the blanket over her head. Gayle had left for work, leaving at an ungodly hour to restock the shelves and set up for the new store campaign, and Peter and Annie had left to find Triple Threat.

MJ felt like a horrible mother and wife for staying back, but what did it matter? What good would she do? She couldn't protect Normie, her godson, so what made her think she could protect her family? The guilt though, watching them leave without her, was paralyzing, making it harder for her to get out of bed. Peter and Annie agreed to wear trackers for her sake. So MJ huddled under the covers, her eyes glued to her phone tracking their location.

Then the doorbell rang, the sharp sound drilling a hole into her skull. It was easy to ignore it. But after a few moments, it rang again and again, and then there was a pounding on the door.

MJ dragged a pillow and folded it over her ears, which muffled the pounding, but not the incessant ringing. Groaning, she got out of bed, and made her way to the window and recognized the woman at the door.

Her anger gone, MJ rushed down the stairs in her mismatched pajamas, looking like a bedraggled mess. She threw open the door.

"Liz!" She said, her voice catching as she took in a gaunt version of her friend. While Liz looked like she hadn't slept in years, she still looked impressive in her expensive suit. The dark sky behind her was beginning to glow with the soft pinks heralding the upcoming sunrise.

MJ and Liz sat down on the couch.

"Liz, I'm so, so sorry."

Liz took in a sharp breath, then nodded curtly.

The silence between them was heavy, weighed down by all that went undiscussed from Harry, to her knowing their identities, and now, Normie.

"I'm moving," Liz began. MJ nodded, Peter had told her. "I don't know when, but it's probably soon."

"How do you feel about that?" MJ asked, clumsily looking to fill the silence.

"You're the first person to ask that since, well…" she took a deep breath. "I haven't had much say in anything over the past few weeks."

MJ nodded, shocked that so much and so little time had passed.

Liz continued. "One of the movers gave me a look, and I knew he wasn't just some hired hand. Mark and Flash are so ready to help, it was easy to distract them. I met with the mover. He was a man named White. And he… I should've come by sooner, it's just that time moves so strangely now, what feels like a few moments ends up being hours. Days."

MJ had an idea of what she was talking about. Part of her wanted to share that, to help her not feel so alone, but MJ knew her grief was likely nothing compared to what Liz was feeling. So instead, she held the silence.

"Mr. White asked me for my symbiotes. Said they will be used to avenge my son. He was banking on me just giving in, no questions asked. But he had no idea who he was dealing with."

MJ felt herself smile ever so slightly, for she caught the slightest glimmer of Liz's old light.

"So I asked what that meant, for him to avenge my son. And he reminded me that Spider-Man can't anticipate attacks from some of the symbiotes. And I asked why his vengeance was focused on Spider-Man. White looked me in the eye and said that Spider-Man had let my son die."

Her words were a dagger in her heart. MJ forced herself to maintain her composure.

"But I know that's not true," her friend said, her blue eyes red with tears. "I know you and your family didn't let my son…" she took a breath, "I know you couldn't save him. There's a difference, and I told White that. But still he went on how the difference didn't matter. I asked him about the wicked bitch that actually murdered him. And all of a sudden, his tone changed. 'Give me the symbiotes,' he said and promised me his employer would use the creatures to avenge my boy. But he was lying. I could tell."

MJ nodded, thinking of Peter and Annie going off to find Triple Threat, and Felicia's words about a trap.

"Well, here." Liz pulled out a small USB device from her pocket. "It's the security footage from my building of White, incase it could be helpful."

"Thank you Liz," MJ took the device.

"And I know there was all of that… messiness with the symbiote before," Liz began. "But if you'd like one, or Peter or Annie, just let me know."

MJ remembered the power the symbiote gave her, so great she would black out; be in one place one minute, and then somewhere else all together. The symbiote fed on her rage, her pain, her insecurities. Using it now, she would be unstoppable. Triple Threat would pay in the most gruesome of ways, but Normie would still be gone.

"Thank you Liz, but I'm going to decline."

Liz nodded. "You'll get them right? You'll find Triple Threat, and bring them to justice?"

MJ sat up straighter, and looked her friend in the eyes. "Yes, we will. And we'll look out for you, alright?"

"I'm moving, remember? To some undisclosed location."

"Well, when you can, let us know how you are."

Liz nodded.

MJ looked down at her hands. "You want me to swing you home? Annie told me Normie loved it when she would swing him throughout the city."

"Okay," she said, her voice cracking. "Yes, that sounds nice."

MJ gave her friend's hand a squeeze. "Give me a minute to get my costume on." She rushed up the stairs. Suiting up, she knew what she had to do after dropping off Liz off. She had to join her family.

Annie and her dad had been swinging for what felt like forever.

"Almost there," he said, as if reading her mind. "How're your sugar levels?"

"Okay." They were finally starting to settle down. Annie's grief didn't just rob her of her appetite, it stole the taste from food and the joy from movement. And without a steady stream of nutrition, her basal rate tanked her numbers, causing last minute and hasty corrections which caused them to skyrocket, leaving her feeling constantly sick. She knew she couldn't do that, she had to push through the numbness and move forward.

Part of her felt like she was cheating her grief; but she didn't have a choice. After talking to her dad about it, he told her Normie would want nothing else.

The buildings thinned out, signaling they were leaving the city and getting closer to their destination. It wasn't long before they arrived at the abandoned church Felicia had described. And in the faint hints of dawn, they walked right in.

Annie and her dad stared up into the cavernous ceiling, the darkness making it feel like it extended up and up, with no end in sight. Her Spider-Sense reacted to the space, sending signals of danger up and down her spine. This was definitely a trap.

There was a ghostly whisper echoing above. Then, something shifted in the darkness.

"Down!" her dad yelled. She couldn't see the shards of glass flying towards them, but she could hear them, the sound magnified by the sheer number of pieces hurling towards them. It sounded like a chorus of screaming ghosts.

Then a roar sounded and she could see glass glinting in the light from someone's jet pack. The daggers continued to rain down on them. She was able to dodge most, but a few bit into her skin, the pain rocketing her back to that fateful day at the carnival.

"Dad," she called, wanting to make sure he was okay. But before he could answer she felt a searing pain in her head, and saw an image of herself trapped in Guardian's magenta dome, pounding on the edges, calling for her father.

No. She wasn't going to let Triple Threat take her dad too. Struggling to see, she tried to twist and turn, dodging the glass.

"Let's do this the easy way," Shadow said. Annie couldn't see her, but she would recognize Glass's voice and this was not it. "Spider-Man, come with us, and we'll your daughter go. You wouldn't want another accident on your hands."

Annie seriously hoped she wasn't referring to Normie's murder as an accident. She had yelled and screamed her warnings to Glass and Guardian, but they didn't listen. Normie's death, whether it was intended or not, was no accident.

"Leave my dad alone you bitch!" Annie yelled.

"Whoa! Spiderling. Language!" Her dad said, which brought some relief.

"Am I wrong?" She snarked.

"Didn't say you were. Look lady," he grunted, likely dodging Glass's attack. "What the hell is it that you want? Why am I so special to you?"

"You're nothing to me, but everything to him!"

"Him meaning Guardian? Your husband, right?"

"No, you moron!"

"Ooh, another man, scandalous!"

Annie smiled. The more her dad made Shadow talk, the easier it was to hone in on where she was. But Shadow didn't seem to be the biggest threat at this point. Just as long as she didn't get within arms length that is. Guardian and Glass were the ones that needed to be taken out first.

Annie stopped struggling to see and focused on the sounds of the translucent daggers raining on them. Glass was aerial, but she was trying to get an idea of where specifically, while trying to identify the perimeters of her attack.

Annie decided to goad the girl into talking to get a more solid in on her location. "I don't know what you want with my family, but you and your murderer of a daughter belong in jail. And if you think either of us are going to back down, you haven't been paying enough attention. We're heroes. We don't back down."

"It was accident. I never meant to hurt anyone."

Bingo. Position locked. With that reference point, it was easier to judge the perimeter of the glass being fired and it was easier to pick up on the direction of Glass's movements. She shifted and turned her way to a spot were the shards were less concentrated.

"That's bullshit. I told you again and again my friends were trapped. I gave you the chance to stop and do the right thing. But you didn't. You're a monster."

There was a pained gasp, and the rain of glass seemed to lighten.

"Don't you talk to her like that!" Guardian. "You have no idea what it is we're trying to do."

"Then tell us!" Her dad yelled. "Just tell us and be done with it!"

Annie fired a web, but she could tell by how quickly it caught a solid surface that she was trapped in Guardian's cage. She wasn't going to make it to Glass. And a sense of dread ripped through her. Was this her vision coming true?

The darkness continued to lift as the soft hues of dawn pierced the stain glass windows. Annie could see she was trapped. But unlike her vision, her father was trapped too, which brought her a sense of relief.

In the dim light, she saw Glass hovering in the top right corner of the church. Her muscular frame haloed by the pastel rays of dawn spilling through the large, ornate window. Then a shadow crashed through the arched structure and careened into Glass, knocking her out of the air. Annie recognized the white and scarlet blur.

Her mother stood to her full height and punched Glass in the face, knocking her back down on her butt.

"That's for Normie," Spinneret seethed.

Annie smiled. Her family was whole again.

"Red, look out!" Her dad cried as Guardian shot out a burst of energy towards her mother.

Annie for a moment, had hoped that Guardian sending out another energy burst would cause the trap he had over herself and her father to fail. But it didn't. The dome held strong. And now, her mother was trapped in one of her own.

Guardian pulled his fingers into a fist, and the trapped around her and her father shrunk, forcing them closer. With his other hand, he did the same, and the dome around her mother synched tightly around her as the dome disappeared. Her mom was now bound by ropes of coiled magenta. But she showed no fear, instead she glared at Glass, straining against her bonds.

"Get up Glass," Guardian said. Shadow stared cooly ahead, her eyes on her daughter. "This is what's going to happen. Spider-Man. You will give yourself freely over to us. If not, you and your daughter will watch as Glass skewers Spinneret."

"No!" Annie yelled, pounding on the dome.

Glass took off her helmet, fear in her eyes. "Dad, wait, I can't…"

"You can and you will." Shadowed took off her own helmet and glared at her daughter.

"I'm not a killer!"

"Amanda! That is enough, you will do what your father said. For your brother. It's the only way."

Amanda's light eyes welled with tears. Then, forcing them back down, she turned towards Spinneret.

"You don't have to do this," Annie's mom said, her tone softening.

Annie's blood ran cold. Amanda had killed before, what would stop her from doing it again? Annie looked to her dad. He nodded to her and Annie sighed in relief. He had a plan. Everything was going to be okay.

"I'll do what you need."

Her heart dropped. "Dad, no!"

"Spider-Man, there's another way!" Her mother called. Then to Amanda, "I can see you don't want to do this. Don't let them force you!"

"I have to do this. If I have to kill you, I will. I'll have my brother back. And then we can bring you and Normie back to."

"You can't bring the dead back to life," her dad said.

"Spider-Man, step out of the dome. Guardian will allow it," Shadow said.

"Dad, wait…"

"I have to do this. They are desperate, and we can't loose your mom. Follow my lead," he whispered.

She nodded, hoping he had something up his sleeve, a way to save her mom and himself.

Spider-Man stepped through the dome. Shadow walked towards him and put his hand on his chest, and gave a gentle push.

Her dad stepped backwards, his shoulders slumped forward as if exhausted. His shadow stood before him, small nicks of red glowing on the limbs. Shadow activated a scanner in the palm of her hand, and scanned the shadow. Satisfied, she pushed it back into her father. Now whole, he stood up straighter.

"That's it?" he asked.

"No." She placed her hand to ear. "Mr. White? Specimen has been secured. Bring him in."

"I'm sorry about your son," Spider-Man said. He reached out to Shadow, but she flinched away from his touch. He pulled his hand back. "I can't even imagine that pain. But you can't bring him back."

"We can't. But he can."

And then a strange figure stumbled into the darkened church. In the dim lights of dawn, Annie saw the figure was incredibly frail, and was being supported by a mechanical device. A mechanical device with four long tentacles.

"Octavius," her father said.

"Hello Spider-Man," Dr. Octopus wheezed. "Surprised to see me?"

"Yeah. Jesus, Ock, what happened to you?"

The skeletal man coughed, and if it weren't for the support of his mechanical arms, he would have toppled over from the effort. "I survived your vicious attack. Fought to get my strength back, but, alas, I fell ill." He coughed again.

"Here," Shadow said, reaching towards him.

"No, you foolish woman!" One of the arms flared out, causing her to step back. "As my body failed, my mind stayed as sharp as ever." His smile was a gummy rictus. "And for this plan to work, my body has to be on death's door."

"Otto, I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, you dolt! But you will, you soon will. White! Bring the helmets."

"Spider-Man, don't! Please!" Annie's mom called.

"It's okay Spinneret" he said as White placed a helmet on his head, and then one on Otto.

Annie stared at the broken man. Dr. Octopus had been one of her father's most formidable foes. Killing Captain Stacy, nearly killing Black Cat, were just a few of his haunting schemes. Annie had thought he had met his end when he attacked her elementary school, a moment she new tormented her father.

But now he stood, stooped and frail, but a shadow of his former self.

"What's the plan Otto? And I know your smart, but how in the hell are you going to resurrect the dead?"

Once the helmets were strapped into place, White hit a button, and they whirred to life. Both men flinched at the sound.

"My mind knows no limits but those my body poses. The world needs my intellect, Spider-Man. The world needs me immortal. But my body, well, I'm on borrowed time." He coughed, furthering his point. He wiped the bloody spittle off his lip.

"The lovely Shadow did what she could to slow the disease down. But after every healing, the disease came back, destroying me from the inside out. But you, Spider-Man. You're young, strong, and while you're certainly not my equal, you've proven yourself a worthy foe. These helmets will switch our minds, placing mine in your body, leaving yours to rot in mine!"

"You evil bastard!" Her mother yelled. Even Amanda looked horrified, but her parents, Shadow and Guardian stood in cold silence.

"Dad!" Annie screamed, pounding on the dome, trying to break free.

"It's already begun," Otto grunted. "Our minds melding together, the new coming in and pushing out the old!"

Her father dropped to his knee, gripping at his head. "You stay away from them! You stay away from my family! You hear me?"

"Fine! They're of no use to me anyway!"

"How is this going to bring him back?" Amanda cried.

"I've begun my research on life and death. Even sent the Hobgoblin after Osborn's studies on clones. All I need is more time. And I will become the master of life and death! Immortality. Mine!"

"Oh my God! This all could be for nothing!"

"Shut up Amanda!" Shadow yelled. "We will take every risk for our family!"

"Family," her father grunted. "Otto. Do you even know what it takes to be a hero?"

"What was it your Uncle said? It's about power and responsibility!" Otto grunted, her father's memories tangling with his own.

"Yes. But there's so much more to it."

"No," Annie cried, trying to break free. She couldn't image a world without her father. And to have this monster taking his likeness on top of his life? Annie pounded harder and harder.

"Being a hero is about sacrifice. Love. And hope. Hope that no matter what happens, tomorrow will be a little brighter. It's about doing your best, even when the world shows you the worst. Because it will." He grimaced in pain. "Spinneret, Spiderling. You're my hope, and I love you both so much."

"Dad! No, please, stop this! Please, I'm going to help you!" Annie sobbed as her mother strained against her bonds.

"I'm sorry," Amanda whispered. "I never wanted to be a villain. I'm so sorry Paul." And then she pivoted and sent a wave of glass towards Dr. Octopus. They sliced through his thin body with ease, and he immediately crumpled to the floor.

In his shock, Guardian let the dome down and Shadow rushed to Octavius. But she was too late. Annie watched her father kneel down by his fallen foe and gently close his eyes.

"What have you done!" Shadowed screamed at Amanda. "You've ruined it. We'll never get him back." She stormed towards her daughter and raised her hand to strike the girl. But Annie rushed over, and caught Shadow's wrist.

She locked eyes with the grieving mother before her. She thought of Liz. Of her own parents and the loss they have experienced.

"It's over," Annie said, letting the woman go. She stood in front of Amanda.

"I'm sorry," her dad said again. "Your son was loved so fiercely. I can see that in you. He wouldn't want to see this, to see you all lose yourselves in your pain."

Shadow screamed and tried to strike Spider-Man. Spinneret webbed her in place, then turned to Guardian and did the same to him. He barely put up a fight.

They didn't web Amanda up. She cooperated with them and the authorities when they arrived; she even confessed to the murder of Normie. Justice was served. But he was still gone.

Her father watched solemnly as Otto's body was removed.

"You okay?" Her mom asked, sitting next to him.

"I've got a splitting headache, but yeah, I'm okay."

"Was it working? The mind swap?" she asked.

Her dad nodded. "There was a moment where our memories collided, two minds in one body. It's amazing how similar we were. And there was something there, for all of his bravado. His rage, his arrogance. If given the chance, I think he could've been hero."

"That chance lies in all of us, doesn't it," her mother mused.

"It does."

Annie rested her head on her father's shoulder thinking about the compassion he had shown Octavius at the end. She hoped she'd be able to do the same for Glass; Amanda. She genuinely wished the girl would get the help she needed. She didn't think she could forgive her though.

Her eyes were heavy with tears and exhaustion. Annie had no idea what the future would hold or how she'd even navigate it without Normie. But there was one thing she knew for certain. She would never lose hope.