Gwen landed on the fire escape of her walk up. The sun had set and darkness had overtaken the city. The orange fires from the attack still lit up the skyline. She leaned heavily on the wall as she moved to pull her window open but realized it was already open. She stumbled inside and leaned on the wall. She lifted her fists up to deal with whomever had broken into the apartment. She sighed with relief and her mask sunk into her armor. Adam was sitting on her bed looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Gwen? Are you alright?

He rushed over to her catching her in his arms as she collapsed. Her suit sunk into her bracers and the extent of the injury she'd caused herself became apparent. He helped her to her bed then rushed out of her room and came rushing back with the first aid kit her mother had always kept stocked and handy. He scrambled to apply pressure to the wound which she had managed to tear open to be almost four inches long. He was panicking. Gwen touched his hand which was trembling.

"I need to call an ambulance."

Gwen shook her head she was blinking slowly. Adam applying pressure to the wound was making it all the more agonizing.

"I'll be fine. I just need sleep. Just.. need a bit of sleep."

When Gwen woke up next Martha was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs beside the bed reading one of Gwen's many manga. Gwen shifted and immediately regrated it. She touched her side. It was still tender. She looked at Martha.

"How long have I been out?"

Martha finished her page and closed the book.

"Approximately fourteen hours. We have been informed we should not go to the office today."

Gwen nodded and rubbed her face.

"I wasn't planning on it. Where's Adam?"

Martha motioned to the living room.

"He is sleeping on your couch. He demanded that I stay with you. I did not see the value in it as you were already well on your way to healing when he went to sleep. Jonathan explained it would make him feel better, so I stayed. Are you hungry?"

Gwen nodded.

"I'm starving."

Martha put the book down on Gwen's nightstand.

"I will reheat a pizza for you. According to the information I found on you in SHIELD's secure files, your metabolism is accelerated, especially when healing from traumatic injury, was my assessment correct?"

Gwen held her side and scooched up.

"Yes."

Martha stood up.

"Do you need assistance to get to the bathroom?"

Gwen shook her head and gingerly moved her legs off the side of the bed. She realized she was still feeling weak.

"I could probably use a hand getting up."

Martha offered her hand and pulled Gwen up. Gwen shuffled her way to the one bathroom her apartment possessed. It took her several tries to get herself standing from the toilet. She washed her hands and by the time she'd gotten back out to the apartment proper the pizza was steaming on the table. She sat down, still in her underwear which were still covered in blood. Adam shifted in his sleep and settled down again. Gwen looked at him. She was about to ask Martha how he was doing but realized she may as well ask her microwave the same question it would have the same amount of useful insight.

"It may interest you to know that according to the news, you are a hero. Except the Daily Bugle. They are accusing you of somehow causing all of this. I do not believe it is a reliable news source."

Gwen chuckle-snorted.

"Tell that to my cousin Peter."

Martha didn't catch the nuance in the statement.

"I will do so, what is his contact information?"

Gwen shook her head and finished her bite of pizza.

"I was just… never mind. Anything else new?"

Martha glanced at her wrist.

"Oh, one of your old phones has received several texts. The first asked if you had videos ready, the next several were asking if you were okay. The last one I did not understand. OMG you're dead, aren't you? I believe whoever is on the other end of the text messages may have had the wrong number."

Gwen smiled.

"It's just Flash. My ex-boyfriend he's the official Spider-Woman YouTube channel. He was just asking for videos of the fight. Probably saw reports I was hurt. I'll text him back."

Gwen moved to stand up. Martha held out her hand.

"Please, I will get your phone for you. Eat."

Martha returned with Gwen's phone. Gwen paused between slices to wipe her hands on the sides of her underwear and text Flash back. Hello Eugene, I'm alive, just recovering. I will get you video as soon as I can. He answered quickly: Oh, thank God! The news was saying you weren't with the Avengers when they took that Loki guy into custody! Gwen put the phone down. That was enough of Flash for the time being. Martha watched Gwen eat, finally she asked a question.

"I understand that it is not common for ex-girlfriends to associate with ex-boyfriends, especially during adolescent years. If you are providing him with videos, he is profiting from them. Why would you help someone who you dislike?"

Gwen decided to eat another slice of pizza to give her time to come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Well, first off, as much as he's a revolting jerk who dumped me on my birthday and had sex with my most hated enemy… at school, I can trust him to post them. Second, because he is my ex, no one will suspect I'm helping him. I don't really have a platform to argue against the accusations the Daily Bugle throws at me. By releasing my videos, I can provide another narrative."

Martha nodded.

"So, it is not an emotional decision, but a rational one to reduce the chances the public will learn your secret identity. I see."

Gwen returned Martha's nod. She finished the pizza and stood up with some effort. She paused.

"So, does the suit record video?"

Martha stood up and pointed at Gwen's wrist. Gwen opened the holo-display. Martha wordlessly guided her through pulling the data.

"If you want to edit out certain things, I am sure your AI can assist you in doing so quickly."

Gwen pondered doing just that but then she realized she didn't write the AI so she didn't trust the AI. She was sort of a control freak in certain contexts.

"I'll think about it."

She shuffled to her computer and started going through the video feed. Mostly focusing on fights. Definitely cutting anything out that exposed her identity. By the time she was finishing up Adam had joined her and was sitting on her bed. Gwen had smiled at him to acknowledge his presence but kept working.

"So… you give these to your ex-boyfriend?"

Gwen nodded as she dragged the prepared videos over to a thumb drive. The video was in native 8k. She'd reduced it down to fit on the storage she had access to. In other words, non-twenty-forties tech.

"I thought you hated his guts."

She shook her head.

"No, I hate Loki's guts. Flash is… an idiot. Is this a problem?"

Adam rubbed her shoulders gently. Gwen made an mmm sound.

"That feels good. You would not believe how sore your muscles get after battling a horde of alien invaders."

Adam smiled and kissed the back of her neck which made Gwen squirm.

"Nah, I've seen him. He is an idiot if he dumped you. I mean you helped save the fricking world!"

Gwen closed her eyes and just soaked up the gentle massage.

"Independence Day got it so wrong. You don't hit them with a computer virus, you hit their command ship with a big nuke. And come on Loki, you had the perfect opportunity! Hit us on July fourth. Like it's a sequel. He really should have hired a publicist."

Adam chuckled.

"So uh, heard you picked up Thor's hammer and smacked him with it, is that true?"

Gwen smiled at the memory of Loki's shocked face when she hit him on the side of the head with it. She found the original video and played it for him. Adam looked down at her.

"Hey, remind me not to piss you off enough you want to punch me, huh?"

Gwen spun her chair around and pulled him in for a kiss.

"So… you don't like it rough?"

Adam blushed as their lips met. He stood up.

"So, my mom is getting out of the city, she wants me to come with her. I don't want to go."

Gwen shook her head.

"Hey, I'm fine."

She lifted the long T-shirt she'd put on and pulled the dressing off. It looked pretty nasty still, but it was already well on the way to healing.

"See? I'd appreciate you replacing the dressing though. Let's not risk pissing your parents off, you can't exactly say Gwen was hurt in the battle for New York. I'll be better by tomorrow morning."

Adam nodded. Gwen pulled her shirt off and laid down on the bed. Adam was enjoying the view.

"This is torture. Getting to see you half-naked. Put some clothes on!"

They both laughed, which caused Gwen to wince. She was still in a lot of pain.

"Please don't make me laugh."

Adam tore open two gaze packs and placed them on the injury which was much smaller than it had been. He was very deliberate with taping it down. He was very gentle. He finished and smiled at Gwen.

"You want me to get that drive to your ex for you?"

Gwen was about to decline the offer but then realized it was better for her if he did. She'd either have to go as Spider-Woman which would have to wait at least a day or tell him to come pick it up. Or send Martha, she pictured Flash hitting on the poor girl. A tiny part of her also wanted to make Flash jealous. She knew he still had feelings for her. She nodded.

"Sure. Just tell him Spider-Woman asked me to drop it off and that I want nothing to do with him. So, I asked you to do it."

Adam helped Gwen get her shirt back on and gave her a kiss.

"I'll be back in town as soon as my parents let me."

Gwen held his hand and waved.

"I'd see you out but honestly, I don't think I have the energy to get back up yet."

Adam waved to her. She heard him say good-bye to Martha. Gwen reached over to her nightstand and grabbed the remote for her TV. She pondered watching the news then shook her head and instead picked up her PS5 controller and started playing her latest guilty pleasure, Warframe. She decided she'd rather pretend to be a space-ninja than an injured superheroine. Martha joined her half an hour later and seemed quite happy to watch Gwen play.

Gwen wasn't quite sure she was one hundred percent comfortable with Martha actually sleeping in her bed with her for the long hall, it was a queen size, but Gwen liked to sprawl out. She woke up before Martha. Her injury was fully healed today, and she felt great. The question was what to do with herself. Peter had made it clear he felt she was unwelcome at the hospital. She was on paid leave pending Stark Towers being reopened. She had no school. The city was still in a quasi-shut down state while the Federal government figured out what to do with the thousands of alien guns and explosives laying around. The area around Stark Towers was locked down by the actual military, not the national guard.

She looked at the spotless kitchen. Decided she didn't want to cook, or microwave anything so she picked up her phone and put in a delivery order. It wasn't cheap. She was starving. She was almost done eating when she got a text from Tony he was asking her to call. She called him. He answered.

"Hey Gwen."

He sounded exhausted.

"What's up boss?"

"First off, is Spider-Woman in one piece?"

Gwen smirked.

"As far as I know. She delivered some videos yesterday."

Tony paused briefly and spoke to someone. He continued.

"Martha is doing fine?"

"Yep, she's still asleep."

"I really appreciate you taking her in. House will be ready before your father gets home. So, I am not sure how to approach this, Fury was going to send someone to grab you, but Steve stepped in. Look, you can say no, you don't have to do everything SHIELD asks."

Gwen was really curious at this point. Tony wasn't one to beat around the bush often.

"Tony, just get it over with. I'm a big girl."

She heard him sigh.

"Loki, the guy who basically invaded New York wants to speak to you. He's promised to give SHIELD info on the staff he had. Fury is getting pressure from leadership to pull you in and get that information."

Gwen couldn't act like she knew too much about Loki, but she knew he had an angle. He seemed like the kind of guy who always had an angle.

"I saw her raw video of him. He's up to something."

Tony sighed again.

"I know. It is up to you. I cannot guarantee SHIELD won't come after you directly."

Gwen knew she was going to say yes, if for no other reason than to see the arrogant bastard in chains.

"I'll do it. But only if I can come back to work, I'm going crazy here."

"I'll tell Fury you'll do it if you can get an ID to get you past the barriers. I'm sure he'll send someone. Thank you."

Gwen hung up. She quickly wrote a letter and pulled on some clothes. She purposefully went with the most casual outfit she could put together on short notice and tied her hair up. By the time she'd finished she had a text message with a set of GPS coordinates. It was an empty parking lot. Shortly after she arrived a Quinjet landed. Natasha met her at the top of the ramp. She offered her hand. Gwen took and shook it. She had to remember not to act too familiar. Hawkeye was in the pilot's seat.

"So, you're the girl in the chair for Spider-Woman."

Gwen nodded. Natasha moved into the Quinjet and motioned to a bench.

"Strap in."

They lifted off. Natasha glanced back at Gwen.

"How is she doing?"

"She's fine. All healed up. She just needed to sleep it off. And lots of food."

Clint gave a thumbs up at the news. They flew out over the ocean and landed on a helipad on what looked like an oil tanker. Clint and Natasha led Gwen down into the bowels of the ship. She passed several very secure looking cells. All of them empty. Finally, they arrived in front of the one and only occupied cell Gwen had observed. Loki was sitting on a very uncomfortable looking bed. He stood up and smiled at Hawkeye. Clint narrowed his eyes at him. Natasha touched his arm. Gwen looked at the pair.

"I'll be fine. I know who I'm dealing with."

Gwen put her hands in the pockets of her pink hoodie. Loki spoke.

"Yes, leave us. What I have to say is for her ears alone."

Clint clenched his fists. Natasha made a motion with her eyes and head. Clint put his hand on Gwen's shoulder and whispered to her.

"You call for help if you feel at all threatened. Even if it's because he sneezed."

Gwen nodded. She realized he probably saw a lot of his teenage daughter in her. Natasha and Clint walked off. Loki waved his hands. Gwen found herself on a breezy balcony surrounded by finery. She knew she wasn't in any danger. Her spider sense would scream at her if she was. She crossed her arms.

"You do love your illusions don't you. What do you want? I'm getting tired of SHIELD dragging me places to talk to criminals."

Loki smirked.

"Oh, this happens to you often?"

Gwen shrugged.

"More often than I'm comfortable with. Get on with it. I have a root canal I'm late for."

He walked around her looking her up and down.

"They have no idea how old you are. From what I know of humans few would risk a child in battle."

Gwen blinked innocently at him.

"Of course, they know how old I am, they tracked me down to talk to you. I've no clue how you know who I am though."

He laughed.

"Come now, you cannot deceive me. You are the one they call Spider-Woman. It takes more than a mask and a fake deep voice to fool a master of illusion. I was playing tricks like that when you humans were still pulling yourselves out of the mud. But you aren't human anymore, are you?"

Gwen raised a blond eyebrow.

"If you're so sure why not tell SHIELD about your revelation?"

He waved his hand dismissively.

"I know what it is to pretend. I am no more an Asgardian than you are a human. We have much in common you and I. I learned much of you after our first encounter in Germany and my subsequent escape. Know thy enemy as they say. Your father wishes to imprison you as much as mine does me."

He smirked.

"Have no fear, the mortals are watching us having a conversation about the staff and the mind stone. This is for you and I alone."

Gwen figured either her secret was out because they'd put two and two together just from Loki's words, or he was telling the truth about this being for them alone.

"We are nothing alike. You had a temper tantrum and invaded a planet. I run around in a costume saving people."

She wanted to beat the smirk off his face.

"You want to be adored, exalted. That is why you post the videos, yes?"

Gwen rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm just trying not to be crucified by J. Jonah Jameson and the police. Why are we even having this conversation? You are a what, thousand-year-old god, and I'm a fifteen-year-old girl we are nothing alike. I won't free you. There is nothing you can offer me."

Loki smiled.

"We are having this conversation because I willed it."

Gwen gave an exasperated sigh.

"You were flexing your muscles? You and your brother have a lot in common."

Loki snorted derisively.

"I have nothing in common with that brutish oaf save that we both love our mother. No, I wanted to look you in the eyes without the mask. I made every calculation perfectly. Played the Avengers against each other. Castrated SHIELD… My victory was assured."

"Then you're bad at math. There was no way you were going to win. Sure, you might have managed to get someone to nuke New York, but what then? You'd be ruler of a kingdom of ash? Humans don't lay down easily. Especially Americans we're egotistical to a fault."

Loki looked down at her.

"You have no idea what you've unleashed. Defeating the Chitauri and destroying their mothership, you've promoted humanity to the galactic stage. Beings of great power will take notice. And you, lifting Mjolnir. Odin will take note. You may have won the battle, but the war is far from over. You will regret my defeat."

He smiled. Gwen rolled her eyes.

"And now you're gloating. Is there a point you're trying to get too?"

He leaned close.

"My point is, Gwen Stacy, when humanity has reaped what was sown with my defeat. Seek me out, kneel before me and I will save you. You will make a worthy queen."

Gwen tried not to gag at the thought of being his Queen. Part of her was worried there was some truth to his words. She decided to err on the side of not antagonizing him in case they did meet again under different circumstances. She was fairly sure he'd kick her ass one on one.

"If that day ever comes, it better be a hell of a crown."

Loki laughed.

"Here I was expecting derision. Disgust… We will meet again, Gwen Stacy. I assure you of that."

The illusion faded and he was back in his cell, and she was on the other side of the armored plexiglass. She called out.

"I think we're done here."

Natasha returned. Gwen looked at her.

"Did you get everything you needed?"

Natasha nodded. Gwen held up her hand and wiggled her fingers at Loki.

"Toodles, Loki Odinson. See you never."

He smiled that annoying, frustrating yet ultimately gorgeous smile of his. Natasha escorted Gwen out of the detention level and back to the Quinjet. Clint was already in the pilot's seat. Natasha smiled at Gwen as they got set to launch.

"You handled yourself well. Director Fury is pretty impressed with you. Not so impressed with how easily Tony Stark used one of your modified bots to download most of SHIELD's data. You could have a bright future in SHIELD."

Gwen shook her head.

"No thanks. My aspirations are, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saleswoman of the year, thirty years running."

Clint laughed and shook his head.

"You remind me of my daughter. She's a brat too. Stark asked us to drop you off at Stark towers. Are you okay with that?"

Gwen nodded.