Spider-Gwen: Beginnings (Part 1 of Series)

"Gwen! Gwen!"

Gwen heard her father calling her. She found it hard to motivate herself to answer him. She looked at her reflection in her desk mirror. Her mother always said she was beautiful, but she had a hard time seeing it. She tugged on her blonde ponytail and stared into her light blue eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She always hated black clothes. She looked down at her black dress and tugged on the hem absently.

"Gwen?"

Her father's voice was close. He was just on the other side of her door. He knocked gently. The doorknob creaked as it turned. She saw him peeking in at her through the crack as he opened the door.

"Gwen, its time."

Her father was a large man. He shared her hair and eyes. He was wearing a black suit. She could see the lines of concern on his face. He sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"It's time, hon."

Gwen wiped her tears away and looked up at her father.

"I don't want it to be dad."

He squeezed her shoulder firmly.

"I know. I miss her too. It is time to say goodbye."

Gwen shook her head and began to sob. She buried her face in her father's chest. He held her awkwardly. She mumbled.

"This will make it real. I keep expecting her to walk in my room and tell me my dress isn't long enough."

He rocked her gently.

"Hon, it's time."

Gwen nodded and pulled away from her father. She walked to her vanity. She reached for a tissue, then she saw a picture stuck in the corner of the mirror. More tears rolled down her cheeks. Her father walked to the vanity and pulled the picture from its place. He looked at it and smiled.

"You both look so happy here. Coney Island, right? Tenth birthday?"

Gwen nodded and wiped her tears away with the tissue. She sniffled a few times then blew her nose. He rubbed her back before slipping the picture back into its place. He looked down at her.

"She used to say that you were the best thing she'd ever done. Gwen, now its time for us to say goodbye to her."

Gwen nodded. He motioned towards the door and Gwen walked out of it. She wanted to say goodbye, but she didn't want to deal with everyone saying how sorry they were. Like they had something to do with it. Like they understood. How could they? Worst would be Peter. He would understand. He would know exactly how she was feeling.

The ride to the church was a quiet one. Gwen and her father were lost in their own thoughts. St Patrick's Cathedral was crowded. The New York Police had shown up in force to support one of their own. Peter was already here. He fixed his glasses when he noticed Gwen. He rushed to her and hugged her tightly. When they parted. She saw the look in his hazel eyes. All the hurt he had put away. It had come back. She squeezed his hand. He didn't say anything. They rarely had to speak to convey feelings. The pair had been mistaken for boyfriend and girlfriend more than once. They were more like brother and sister. She whispered softly.

"I'm sorry Peter."

He smiled sadly and shook his head, he whispered back.

"You were there for me. I'm here for you. G."

The pair sat between their great Aunt May, and Gwen's father. Peter held her hand firmly as the priest took his place at the front of the cathedral. Gwen missed most of the service. Her eyes focused on what remained of her mother. Her mother's smiling face flashed into her mind's eye. She looked up at her father. His eyes were focused on the priest. Her parents were Irish Catholics. They'd been married here. She looked back at the closed casket. Now her father was saying goodbye here.

Gwen had been spared the details of what happened to her mother. She just knew that it was murder. Whatever happened to her mother, it was awful enough she'd not been allowed to see her after she died. The police had frozen out the reporters. Her father engendered loyalty amongst his peers. In this case the blue line was a blue wall. Whoever had done it would have a target on their back the size of New York City. Everyone thought she would be angry. She was ambivalent. She was a fourteen-year-old girl. What was she supposed to do that the NYPD wouldn't do? All she knew was that her mother was gone, and she would never see her warm smile again. She would not have her there when she was married. When she had children. She was just empty.

Her father was a good man, a just man, but he was a hard man. When she needed a champion, it was him. When she needed comfort, it had always been her mother. Even now his hugs were awkward, unpracticed. He had left the parenting to her mother. He hadn't cried once that Gwen had seen since her mother had died. Even now his face was a mask of stoicism.

The priest finished. Everyone filed out. The graveside service was a quiet affair. The police who had come to the church had given the family some privacy as the coffin was lowered into the ground. Peter was there. Of course, he was. He was always there when she needed him.

The wake was as Irish as anyone would imagine. It was at her grandfather's pub. Peter and Gwen were there. Not exactly legal. Who was going to raid a pub for minors when the majority of a precinct was there drinking? Her father was drunk. Drunker than she'd ever seen him. Her father, his closest friends, and her grandfather had started singing a drunken version of Rocky Road to Dublin. Her mother used to love it when they did that. She would laugh so hard tears would seep out of the corners of her eyes. Gwen would laugh too. Today it just made her miss her mother's laughter. It became too much and she pushed her way through the gathered mourners, behind the bar and out the back door. It wasn't a panic attack, but it sure felt like one.

Gwen crossed her arms and cuddled herself. She leaned on the worn brick wall of her grandfather's pub. She let her tears fall free. She was so lost in her grief that she didn't notice someone approaching in the dark alley. She looked up when she smelt cigarette smoke. Gwen saw the orange glow of the cigarette's dwindling tip before she saw the man emerge from the shadows. He was old. Everyone who wasn't a teenager looked old to her. He was wearing a white wifebeater tank top. Tattoos ran up his pale arms. She saw Russian words. His face was hardened. His head was shaved. He focused his brown eyes on her.

"Gwen Stacy."

Gwen had been ambivalent about his presence until he used her name. She became laser focused. She looked around. She started to feel panic rise when she realized he was between her and the door to the bar. He pulled out a knife and spun it in his palm.

"Too bad your father won't listen to reason. I think I'll need to send him another message."

Gwen moved to run and tripped over a fallen trashcan denting it.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you enjoy it first."

He was almost on top of her. Then she heard two large crashes. She looked back and saw the man had dropped his knife and had blood running down his forehead. Peter was standing behind him with a twisted trashcan lid. Peter shouted.

"Leave her alone!"

The man was staggered. Gwen didn't hesitate. She grabbed the knife and stabbed him in the foot. The man howled in pain. Gwen and Peter's eyes met. They didn't need to say anything. Peter kicked the man behind one of his knees which made him fall to one knee, then the pair ran towards opposite ends of the alleyway. They met in front of the pub and rushed inside. Gwen pushed her way to her father's partner. She grabbed her arm.

"Erica!"

Erica smiled as she turned towards Gwen. The smile vanished when she saw the look in Gwen's eyes. The pub was so loud they were having trouble communicating. Gwen pointed to the back door. Erica pushed her way through the crowded pub. With the exception of a few stray drops of blood on the dirty pavement of the alley there was no trace of the man. Gwen looked around.

"He was right here. He pulled a knife!"

Erica wrapped her fingers around Gwen's upper arms. Gwen was about to have an emotional meltdown. Erica saw it coming.

"Gwen, focus please. Who was here?"

"He had tattoos. He knew my name. Said if dad wouldn't listen, he'd have to send another message. He had a knife!"

Erica went pale. She looked down at Gwen.

"How did you get away?"

"Peter hit him with that trashcan lid and then I stabbed him in the foot. We ran."

Erica pulled Gwen close and hugged her tightly.

"Gwen, Peter. You cannot tell your father this happened. Swear to me."

Gwen pushed her away.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Promise. Promise on your mother's grave."

Gwen stammered.

"I… I… don't understand."

"You don't need to. Just don't tell anyone this happened."

"Who was he?"

Erica looked down either side of the alley.

"Just, let it go. Gwen. Please."

"Did he kill my mother?"

Erica bit her lower lip.

"Just let it go kid. Please. You need to forget this happened."

Gwen had never seen Erica frightened of anything, or anyone. She sighed and responded.

"Okay."

Peter nodded. Erica pointed towards the door.

"Good, good, go inside and get yourself cleaned up a bit. I'll take care of this."

Gwen did what she was told. Peter was waiting for her outside of the lady's room. He had his hands in his pockets.

"Gwen, you okay?"

Gwen shrugged. Peter pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on and followed her. The din of the crowded pub was dulled here. He continued speaking.

"What was that all about?"

Gwen shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. You heard Erica, we should just forget it happened."

Peter shook his head.

"Forget it happened? He threatened you. He had a knife."

Gwen stopped and shoved Peter into one of the worn wooden walls.

"She was scared! So just drop it, Peter!"

She pushed off of him and stormed out of the hallway. Peter watched her go and slid his hands into his pants pockets, then followed her. Gwen leaned on the bar and her grandfather smiled at her.

"What can I get for you Wendy?"

She sighed.

"Can I have what dad is having?"

Her grandfather chuckled and slid a drink across the bar towards her.

"In about six years sure, but for now how about a coke?"

Gwen sighed and took a long pull through her straw. She made her way back across the pub. Peter was looking at his phone. She collapsed beside him. He glanced at her then went back to his phone. She nudged him with her shoulder.

"Sorry."

Peter took a few moments to respond.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry I shoved you."

Peter shrugged, then sighed and put his phone away. Gwen was happy for the distraction and pounced.

"He hasn't texted you back yet, has he?"

Peter nodded. She continued.

"He will. Maybe he's just being respectful."

"I guess. Where's Flash?"

Gwen poked some of the ice in her glass with her straw.

"I asked if he was going to leave you alone if he came. He said no. So, I told him to go slam his own head with his locker door."

Peter blinked at her.

"You did? He's like… the guy every girl wants to date."

Gwen flicked her glass.

"Let them. If he won't support me at a time like this… I don't need him."

Peter shook his head.

"He'll do something big, and you'll forgive him. Like you always do."

Gwen sighed.

"He picks on you. He knows we're friends and he keeps doing it. I can't keep ignoring it."

Peter put his hand on her forearm.

"I can take it. You two really care about each other. I don't want to get in your way."

The old jukebox started playing a song the pair were intimately familiar with because it was one of Gwen's mother's favorites. It was Chumbawamba, Amnesia. Peter smiled at Gwen and tugged her arm. She gave brief resistance before he dragged her to dance with the crowd. The pub wasn't designed for it, but the tables and chairs had been pushed aside and stacked, leaving the booths for people to sit in. Gwen sang along with it as the pair bounced with the beat. The wake drew to a close soon after. Gwen and Erica ended up having to help her father into a cab, and up to the apartment. As Gwen was about to close the door Erica grabbed her wrist.

"Remember. Forget the thing in the alley."

Gwen nodded absently and Erica released her wrist.

*****
Writers Notes:

My concept here is simple. What if Spiderman was the first superhero in the MCU? What if instead of Spiderman it was Gwen Stacy from Earth 65? That's kind of where I leapt off from. I've been mulling this idea over since I watched Into the Spiderverse and read the first Gwen Stacy comic from the Spiderverse in the comic series. (Still reading it right now, thank you Marvel Unlimited!). Some of the stories will directly hit on the MCU and Spider-Gwen will be directly involved in it, or some will happen in the background while she deals with other things more spider-type related.

So far I've planned out:

Spider-Gwen: Beginnings (Iron Man 1) - Completed

Spider-Gwen vs Iron Man (Iron Man 1) - Completed

Spider-Gwen and the Avengers (Iron Man 2/The Avengers) - Completed

Spider-Gwen: Rise of Gwenom (Thor: Dark World) - Posted 5/?, Still writing, 13/? + one post credits scene.

Spider-Gwen vs the Green Goblin (Avengers: Age of Ultron) - 2 chapters written, one post credits scene

Spider-Gwen: Man-Spider's Lament (Iron Man 3/Captain America: Winter Soldier) - planning

Spider-Gwen: Enter the Sinister Six (Takes place concurrently with Events of Civil War) - planning

Spider-Gwen: Thanos's Rise - still conceptualizing

Spider-Gwen: End game - still conceptualizing

Offshoots:

Novastorm and the Multiverse (mulling ideas) (DCU x Vampire fic x Spider-Gwen/MCU)

Spider-Gwen vs the Corporate Hell Dimension (The Boys(Amazon) x Spider-Gwen/MCU) - 12/? Posted, 17/? Writing complete - Editing required. (AO3)