Giselle pushes the manhole cover to one side. She looks around and slowly pokes her head out of the manhole. She gazes open-mouthed at the real world in front of her. It's nighttime in Time Square, its many billboards illuminating the busy streets.
A few of the New Yorkers stare at Giselle, still in her poofy wedding dress, as she stands half out of the manhole. But most of them just ended up moving on as they've seen many stranger things. Self-conscious, Giselle tries to climb out of it and falls over on her way out of it. She gets back up to see a truck driving towards her and shrieks as she runs out of the way.
A car nearly hits her, and a yellow cab crashes into that car. Giselle rushes through the busy traffic and tries her best to avoid getting hit by the incoming vehicles.
"Get out of the street!" One of the drivers tells her.
She runs to the curb, knocking over a sunglasses stall. She tried to find her footing whilst the owner came over to yell.
"Lady! Are you crazy? Now you have to pay for all of this." He told her in anger.
Giselle stumbled backward and tried to get away. "I'm sorry. Excuse me." She then started to be carried along the current of the crowd. "I was wondering if one of you kind people might direct me to the castle?"
Then she tipped as she felt someone underneath her dress and gasped at the sudden movement. And then a smaller man in a black suit escapes from under her petticoat. He seems to be agitated by the dress and its size of it.
"Hey, watch it, will you?" The man cried in anger.
Giselle then felt she recognized him and smiled in relief. "Grumpy!"
The smaller man looked at her in confusion and didn't know what to think of that remark. Looking over her dress didn't exactly help him with what to think.
"Jeez, lady. Are you for real?" He asks her before walking off.
"I think so." Giselle shrugged when Grumpy walked away. "Oh, wait! Wait! Where are you going?"
She then started to be pulled around as a crowd of people were making their way down into the subway.
"Please, if you could just point me to the castle? Where are you going? Please, if you could just point me to the castle? I'm supposed to be at the ball to wed my true love, Prince Ed... Oh! Edward! Edward? Oh! Edward!"
She's hustled into a subway. Later, Giselle emerges from Bowery Station, her full voluminous skirt filling the stairwell. The dark streets are seemingly deserted. Shivering, she looks around in nervousness and wonders what she's supposed to do now.
In the same world where Giselle was transported, there was someone currently in a battle for his life far away from where Giselle currently was. This hero was someone who has been doing this for a long time, and who has always put others before himself. He was currently fighting against a man wearing a giant mechanical scorpion suit specifically designed to fight and kill Spider-Man.
Peter's suit's design is based on athletic wear and compression clothing. The most prominent aspect of the suit that distinguishes it from other his other suits is the giant white spider symbol. While the suit retains the classic red and blue color scheme he's known for, it features a large white spider on the chest instead of the traditional black. The spider has long legs and ends at the thin blue piping of the suit. The shoes have also been modernized, now featuring a sneaker-style design instead of knee-high boots.
The man he was fighting was Mac Gargan, a man who was currently wearing the scorpion suit. He is sadistic and suave, having no qualms about torturing or killing his enemies. Most of his human appearance is hidden underneath his armored suit, with only his mouth being visible. The suit itself is primarily dark green with a black underskin, with vermilion optic lenses. The Scorpion suit has three fingers on each hand, two claws on each foot, and a long extensible tail that serves as Scorpion's main weapon.
The two of them were in another one of their many dozens of fights in the downtown streets where Peter was currently running up the side of a crane. Leaping from side to side of the bars, Mac tried his best to keep up and fight the hero.
"Mac, Mac, Mac, must we always do this?" Peter asked as he shot off a web to keep climbing the crane. "I mean, it's the same dance every time. I kick your backside, you go to prison, you break out of prison, and the cycle starts again, Don't you ever get tired of it? Why don't you try mixing it up once in a while? Maybe not escaping from prison?"
"You know what? You're right. How about I change it up this time by killing you?!" Mac asks as he went in to attack the hero.
"Well, that's another way of doing it." Peter guessed as he leaped and saw he had fallen into his trap.
Mac however didn't make the reach and didn't make it up to where he was. On his way down, Peter quickly shot down and webbed his tail, keeping it attacked to a web and placing it on the crane. If he were to use his poison to cut through it, it would end up dropping him and sending him falling. Giving him the insensitive to not do exactly that and keeping him around until the police come by.
"Hey! What the hell!?" Mac cried as he tried to free himself. "Let me down!"
"You don't wanna make me do that," Peter said as he came down and dangled next to him and poked Mac in the face. "Now, hang around until the police arrive." Then his watch went off and his eyes widened in horror. "Oh, god, I'm late again!"
Peter quickly had to run off and knew he needed to get somewhere quickly. He swung his way through the air and made his way over to his place of work.
Peter works at the Daily Bugle, somewhere he has been working for the last thirteen years. He did try to change the world with scientific research. But...that all changed with the departure of his wife.
Mary Jane Watson.
The girl next door.
The girl of his dreams. She died during a confrontation between the Sinister Six and Spider-Man. Even due to this, he continued to fight and fight back against enemies to keep the world safe.
For MJ.
For his daughter.
A few years ago, the two were blessed with a daughter. Mayday Parker. She has been the light that helped him through the darkest days since MJ died.
She was just coming along eight now, and Peter took RBI's job as a photographer back because he couldn't stay away for too long. Since his aunt's passing, help has been strict and far to come by.
This meant he needed to spend every hour Mayday was in school on his job, and sometimes even further along if needed. He couldn't just leave her alone, so he would have to ask one of his fellow workers at the Bugle he has made over the years.
That's not to say he hasn't been getting out there over the years as well. Mayday was two when MJ died, so she didn't remember much of her mother but Peter knew she needed a mother-like figure in her life, especially since May died. His aunt died peacefully, but it wasn't sudden.
He had recently gotten together with an old childhood colleague of his and they got together. Liz Allen. It wasn't exactly love at first glance this time around, but Mayday needed to have someone she could talk to and relate to.
Making his way over to the Daily Bugle, he swung his way around the building and landed on the building next to the Bugle.
Getting changed into his casual clothing, he made his way inside and ran to the floor. Once he made it to where he was heading, he found Betty Brant, Jameson's assistant, sitting behind her desk as she usually is.
"Betty." Peter sighed as he ran over to her. "Thanks."
"Not a problem," Betty said with a smile.
"She been okay?" Peter asks in worry.
"A delight as always," Betty promised with a smile. She gestured over to the seating area and got Peter to look over. "She's been waiting for you."
When he looked over, he saw his daughter sitting there with her hair curved over and up in a ponytail. When she sits there like that, even staring at an iPad, she reminded Peter so much of her mother.
Every time he sees her, he sees so much of Mary Jane inside of her that it hurts. She should have been here to see how her daughter has grown up. But that was taken away from them. The chance for them to grow old together and raise the girl they brought into the world. See just how much she was going to change the world.
That was another thing Peter was worried about when she was born. If she was going to inherit her father's powers. As of now, he has never seen any indications that she has abilities like him. But that was something he would deal with when the time came. As of now, she hasn't shown any sights of powers. And Peter would be more than thrilled to keep it that way.
"Thanks again," Peter tells Bette with a smile and she smiled back. He walked over and kneeled to his daughter, where she finally saw her father. "Hey, sweetie."
"Daddy!" Mayday was glad to see her father and embraced him in a hug. "Are we going home now?"
"Yeah, we are," Peter confirmed as he took the tablet and placed it in his bag before he takes her hand. "Come on."
And with that, the two members of the Parker family made their way outside. Mayday knows of her father's secret identity, as it would be something that would be impossible to live without her finding out eventually. And Peter wanted her ready emotionally if the day ever came she gained powers of her own.
But there was something else that he needed to talk with May about. Peter is considering taking the next step in the relationship with Liz and asking her to move in. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this step, but he knew Mayday needed a woman in her life with whom she can discuss things that she will soon grow to be uncomfortable sharing with him.
When they got into the cab; Peter knew that this was best to discuss and Keene how to break the news to her. Taking a small present he got with his recent check, he held it out for May open.
Mayday opened it and gasped when she saw it was something Peter knew she wanted. It was a science kit that she had her eyes on, as it seemed May also take Peter's love for science.
"I knew you've had your eyes on that for a while now," Peter tells her with a smile, caressing her hair. "And... I know I'm not really around anymore. I know. I'm trying my best, you know that."
"Yeah." Mayday sighed, saddened at the reminder as she misses the time she and her father used to get.
"I know," Peter said with a sad smile and caressed her cheek. "But I'm trying. With everything going on, it's hard to just spend time with the people that matter to me. One day, it'll all make sense. You know my responsibilities make it difficult to spend time, but I try my best." The two then sat in silence when his phone went off. "Who's that?" When he pulled out his phone, he sees that it was a call from Liz and he knew he needed to answer it. "Uh, hey. We're still on for tomorrow? Seven thirty. Perfect. See ya." He then hangs up and turned to May. "That was Liz. She's gonna take you to school tomorrow."
"Why?" Mayday wonders.
"Because she wants to spend some alone time with you," Peter explained why to his daughter. But then he knew that there was something else that he needed to discuss with her. "Honey...I'm gonna ask her to marry me."
Mayday was a little surprised by that and looked a little confused. "What?"
"Yeah, I mean, you like Liz, don't you?" Peter wonders. "We always got along when she came around. We have a lot of good times."
"Where's she going to live?" Mayday started to have a little bit of panic about the idea.
Peter smiled as he saw she was a little confused, figuring she would be. "She's gonna stay with us."
"Do I have to give up my bedroom?" Mayday asked in worry.
Peter chuckled as he couldn't help it from the innocent question. "Uh, no, no, I promise you don't have to give up your bedroom." He leaned over so he could pull her closer. "Come on, it's gonna be great. I promise. She isn't going to try and replace your mother."
"Stepmother." Mayday corrected her dad.
Peter rolled his eyes, seeing that his daughter picked up MJ's constant need to correct him when she could. "Right. But she's going to be a nice stepmom. I promise she won't lock you in a tower. She won't try and lock you in a bedroom. She's gonna take you to school tomorrow, and you and her, you're gonna have some fun girl time after school."
"Alright." Mayday decided to relax a little and rested in her comforting father's arms.
"That's my girl." Peter smiled as he rubbed his daughter's head before kissing her on the head.
Meanwhile back with Giselle, she was still walking the streets as the rain poured down on her head. Thanks to the unexpected subway trip she took, she had no idea where she was or how she was supposed to even get home thanks to it all. She just walked around in defeat and wondered what she was supposed to do.
Then a glistening of hope came in when she looked and saw an advertisement for a "Palace Casino". She didn't quite understand that it was a billboard and not really a castle, thinking she had finally made it back. Giselle just raced over and quickly used a car as a way of climbing up to reach it.
"Hello?" Giselle cried as she used the ladder attached to climb the rest of the way. "It's me, Giselle, from Andalasia." She then reached the top and made her way over to the door. "Hello!" She was starting to knock and hoping that someone would open up. "Is there anybody home? Hello, please open the door."
As luck would have it, she happened to be in the area that Peter and Mayday were taking on their way home. She was resting on the door of the taxi when her head started to feel funny. She had the sudden urge to sit up and look out the window, which she decided to just do, and looked outside where she then saw Giselle.
"It's very cold out here," Giselle said as Mayday rolled down the window.
"Daddy, is that a Princess on the billboard?" Mayday was a little confused about it.
Peter was going through his notes to try and get through some work and looked over. "Myst be some sort of new way of advertisement, some sort of mannequin."
"Hello?" Giselle asks as she still kept trying to answer the castle.
"I don't think so." Mayday was worried something was going to happen. More like her head kept feeling funny, almost like it was trying to alert her of something. "I think she's really there."
"No, she's not. I promise you." Peter assured her when Mayday opened the door and ran over to the billboard. Peter was confused about what she was doing and jumped after her. "Mayday! Stop."
Mayday however didn't listen as she ran over towards the Princess and stopped under the billboard. "Hey! Princess!"
"May!" Peter ran over to his daughter, stopping her as he held onto her. "Don't you do that again, understand?"
"Look!" Mayday gestured to the billboard.
And that's when Peter finally noticed that she definitely wasn't a mannequin with those frantic movements. Even if it was animatronic, there's no way they could get it to move that smoothly. Even Reed has glitches and frantic movements with his most advanced robots. And that was HERBIE.
"Is anybody in there?" Giselle keeps asking the door. "Do you know Edward?"
"Okay...stick back, sweetie," Peter tells Mayday, wondering how his daughter caught that and he didn't. He must be getting rusty in his old age and his senses aren't working as well. He walked his way over to stand under the billboard. "Excuse me, miss?"
That got Giselle's attention as she looked down and spotted Peter. "Oh, hello. I was wondering I'd maybe you...whoa!"
She stood a little too close to the ledge and started to lean backward where she was going to fall. Peter reacted as he ran underneath and tried to calculate where to stand to save her.
"Hang on!" Peter said as he was about to go help by climbing up.
Giselle however slipped and grabbed onto the end with her hands and slowly started to slip. Now he needed to rescue her as himself, with no powers, no suit, and hopefully, he didn't need his super strength. It's not exactly something he can just turn off, but still...
"Catch her, daddy!" Mayday cried in terror.
Peter than just decided to do just that as he saw Giselle slip off the railing. She wasn't exactly a problem to catch, but thanks to the dress, and a little to the rain puddles, they both lost their balance and slipped. Mayday ran over to the two of them to see if her dad and the lady were okay.
"Are you okay?" Mayday asked them.
"I'm okay, sweetie," Peter promised as he got to his feet, helping Giselle up. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," Giselle said as she started to pull herself back together.
"What were you doing up there?" Mayday wonders as she looked up at the billboard.
"Well, I was looking for some help," Giselle explains as she started to tear up a little. "You see, I've been wandering very far and long tonight, and I'm afraid nobody's been nice to me."
Peter scoffed and due to this, he took a wild guess that this was some country girl (not too far off) who has never been to the city before. "Yeah, well, welcome to New York."
He meant that in a sarcastic way, but it seemed Giselle took that in kind and smiled. "Thank you."
Peter was a little confused and looked to Mayday, who also had the same confused look on her face. Even she recognized her father was using sarcasm and were wondering how she didn't recognize that.
Peter how we just decided to shrug it off as just innocence. "Right, okay, so you sure you're okay?"
"Oh, yes," Giselle assured him, calming down herself.
"You have somebody for me to call?" Peter asks her.
Giselle seemed confused by his request, however. "Well, I don't think they'd hear you from here."
And that only confused Peter even further when they suddenly heard thunder and looked to see the rain coming in. Peter then started to get the impression there was definitely something off about this girl and she needed to get some help. And there was definitely no way he was going to leave her out here in the rain alone.
Taking her with them wasn't even a choice in his mind.