CHAPTER 9: Seasons Come and Go
" We were walking side by side
Just a single step away
I wish I could recall
What made us laugh at all
How I miss the magic of those ordinary days
The whole world, it disappears,
When I close my eyes and hear
Words that turns the sky
An orange sunset
Only with the sound of your voice
I admit, when you're not here,
Everything feels so boring and grey,
But I'm scared to say that I'm lonely
'Cause I don't know if that's strange
All the things you've left behind,
I'll make sure they are kept in the light
And like stars, they'll never disappear, but shine at night…"
"You meet together for a drink at a tavern just outside a village," Peter Parker said beyond a large folder at the head of a meeting table in the Oscorp building. "A young elf girl approaches your table. She looks concerned and afraid. What do you do?"
Gwen and Harry sat on either side of Peter and looked thoughtful. "I take a long swig of my drink and pretend I don't see her," Gwen answered, taking a dramatic swig of her Pepsi.
"Way to get the quest line started, Stacy…" Harry rolled his eyes and turned to Peter. "I get up and help her sit down and offer her my water."
"Paladin loser," Gwen winked.
"Bard Bi-" Harry started to reply, but Peter cut them off.
"'Oh, brave adventures! My beloved has been thrown to another universe by an evil cult of Warlocks!' she exclaimed as she cried. 'Please, would you please, save him!'" Peter narrated.
"Sounds like a you problem," Gwen took a swig.
"Oh, come on…" Harry shook his head.
"Fine, fine, what's the reward?" Gwen leaned forward.
"'You must find a great magical armor as well as powerful weapons to seek and save him, and should you save him, you may name your reward,'" Peter continued, none of them noticing a small spider moving down a webline toward the role-players.
The spider landed on the table and started moving toward Peter, but before it could reach him, Gwen kicked her socked feet up on the table. The spider turned toward her and crawled up her leg. "Name your reward is my kind of language, I'm in," Gwen smiled before gasping and reaching down to scratch her thigh. "OUCH!"
"Gwen? What's wrong?" Peter asked in concern.
"Felt like something bit me," she said as she clawed at her thigh through her pants leg.
The game went on for about two more hours before Peter and Gwen left.
"You ok?" Peter asked in concern as he walked beside Gwen, who was sweating and looked clammy.
"Just not feeling good… nothing an ibuprofen and a long night's sleep won't cure." She smiled at her best friend. "Good game tonight by the way…"
"Thanks, but you don't have to keep trying to antagonize Harry, you know?" Peter asked, pushing his glasses on his nose.
"Just don't get why we have to include him," Gwen shrugged. "He's kind of a jerk…"
"Fair," Gwen nodded, and the pair came to a stop at Peter's home where he lived with his aunt and uncle. "Tell Aunt May and Uncle Ben hi for me, Pete," Gwen smiled.
"Sure thing; goodnight, Gwen," Peter's eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed when Gwen grabbed him in a hug.
"Night, Peter, talk to you at school tomorrow," Gwen broke the hug and continued her way home.
Peter didn't see Gwen much after that night, but a hooded vigilante started showing up shortly after.
Peter finally showed up at her apartment to see if she was ok. He was surprised when he was met with a hug.
"Gwen? Are you ok?" he asked in concern when she ushered him inside. "Have you been working out?" He asked, giving her a once over.
"Oh… maybe a little…" Gwen replied, "Are you hungry? Was about to heat me up a pizza."
"Where have you been? I've been worried about you," Peter asked.
"Sorry, I'm sorry," Gwen replied, "Just been dealing with some stuff… changes… all perfectly natural, normal everyday changes, you know," she said, then flashed a grin highlighting the gap in her teeth, "You know… puberty!" she said, suddenly blushing and cursing herself for saying that.
"Have you seen this?" Peter said, showing her the photos of the vigilante wearing black leggings, ballerina slippers and a white hoodie swinging by on what looked like a thread and sticking to walls. "How cool is this?"
"Isn't that the menace Dad has been complaining about?" Gwen asked.
"I don't believe she's a menace at all," Peter shook his head, zooming on one particular shot of her crouching on a gargoyle.
"Yeah, maybe she's… just an adrenaline junkie out to live a little, have some fun with the skills to do it," Gwen replied. "You know, YOLO, right?"
"Doesn't seem right either," Peter shook his head. "She's helped a lot of people, stopped some robberies, saved a few people from a burning building last week. She's a hero, whoever she is."
"Almost sounds like you've a crush on this Spider-Girl," Gwen smirked at her best friend.
"Spider-Woman I think fits better," Peter shook his head, "and I just think she's really cool."
"It'd be really nice to actually make a difference," Peter said softly as Gwen turned to put the pizza in the oven.
"You don't have to jump off buildings to make a difference, Peter," Gwen smiled, hearing him approach. She turned and gasped as the black suit began to overtake him. "Peter!"
"We only want to be special…" Venom hissed as he towered over her, "Like you, Gwen…" a massive, black fist lifted her by the throat.
Gwen's eyes flew open, and she tried to sit up, but a pair of hands gently held her down as she heard a soothing voice speaking Spanish. Her eyes darted around and finally focused on Rio who was stroking her face. "You're ok, Mija. You're ok. You're safe…"
"Peter…" Gwen choked out, "Where's Miles… Rio, I need to warn Miles…"
"But… friends call me Gwenith… It's… good to see you again, Miles…"
Miles stared at her for several moments before turning to Prowler. "Can… can I speak to you for a moment?" he said, grabbing his arm. "Right over here for a moment, please…" Miles nodded toward Gwenith and jerked Prowler to the corner.
"Come here, Francine! What the hell is wrong with you?" Miles asked his variant.
"What? And who's Francine?" Prowler shrugged in confusion.
"You don't have Ghostbusters over here? You know what, never mind. You do know who that is, right?" Miles pointed toward Gwenith, who at least had the decency to not look like she was eavesdropping. "You know that's a demon, right?"
"Succubus actually, if you wanted to be technical," Prowler replied. "I've dabbled in some demonology recently."
"Alright, Constantine. So, you know it's a… succubus, and she's in your bedroom?" Miles shook his head.
"Well, man, if you're gonna get with a devil, might as well go with the best option for that kinda thing, right?" Prowler smirked.
"You WOULD pick now to make sex jokes…" Miles pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know what she did! And she's still wearing her face at that," Miles threw an arm toward Gwenith.
"Well, in her defense, she lost the eyebrow piercing and grew her hair out," Prowler replied, and Miles gave him a disbelieving look.
"She basically raped me! She pretended to be Gwen while another devil tormented the actual Gwen," Miles exclaimed.
"She didn't have a choice anymore than you did. She was as stuck under that other demon's thumb as you and Gwen. And in the end, she chose to save you both. She didn't have to do that. She even sacrificed herself to save you!"
"Well, I wasn't actually in any danger," Gwenith spoke up. "Fire, demon, pretty much splashing water in a pool to… oh. Sorry. Back to ignoring your conversation."
"Might want to wait in the bedroom, babe," Prowler suggested, and Gwenith nodded and waved as she left. "Anyway, someone once told me that no matter how bad someone was, no matter how terrible a thing they did, everyone deserves a second chance. So, I'm giving her that second chance."
"Whoever gave you that advice was a dumbass," Miles shook his head, and Prowler crossed his arms.
"That would be you, dumbass," Prowler smirked. "Seriously, though, we've been good for each other. And she's good in a fight. And it sounds like that's what you've got on your hands."
Miles sighed and looked from Prowler to the bedroom door, and the red eye staring back at him. "Fine, let's get going." He relented and he could hear Gwenith cheer from the bedroom.
"Gwen Stacy, I know you can heal quickly, but you need to rest," Rio said as Gwen climbed out of bed wearing one of Miles' tee-shirts, and started looking around for her suit.
"I'm fine, Miles needs help. This… this is as much my fight as it's his. I … I can't… I have to be there, Rio," Gwen replied, "Where's my suit?"
"I had to cut it off you to patch you up, Mija," Rio replied with a look of defiance.
"Give me one good reason to let you go back out there?" Rio pressed.
"I don't know how but my Peter Parker is alive and wearing the Symbiote…" Gwen replied and Rio's eyes widened. "I couldn't save him before… I have another chance. I have to try…"
Gwen blinked when Rio walked up to her and began to size her up with her eyes. "Wha?"
"It might be tight in a few places… but it'll fit…" Rio turned quickly and entered Miles room, a moment later she returned carrying black fabric in her hands.
Gwen's eyes widened when she realized what she was handing her.
A portal opened on the rooftop of the apartment building in Chelsea, NY of Earth-65. Spider-Man, Prowler, and Devil Spider stepped out with Devil Spider leading the way into the building. "We have to check on Dad," Gwenith said, "If that thing went after Gwen, it likely went after him as well."
"Oh, not a fan of the remodel," she said as the three froze at the sight of the floors, ceiling and walls all covered in a web of black ooze.
"Is this what Hell looks like?" Prowler asked, glancing at his girlfriend as he took in the otherworldly sight.
"Wha… wait…" Gwenith put her hands on her hips. "You assume just because I'm a demon, I automatically know what Hell looks like? Very few of us remember, and I've never been. I expected better of you, Miles."
"She told you," Spider-Man said, stepping past Prowler.
They reached Gwen and her father's apartment door, and Spider-Man held up a hand to them. "It'll be expecting me. You two wait til I give a signal." Spider-Man walked into the apartment, which now resembled more of a hive than anything.
On the kitchen wall, he spotted three human-shaped cocoons. "Mr. Stacy is in one of these… who else…"
"Uncle Ben and Aunt May of course, Miles," a hissing voice spoke from the living room area. "We desire to protect them. So, we are holding them until our children are mature enough to take them as hosts. They will help us do the same with the Spider-Society as well."
Miles stepped in to see Venom seated as if waiting for him. "We are not evil, Miles. You should know this. We only want to help make the worlds better, to bring out the real you. That's all we did, as with our current match."
"We will make everyone better, everyone but Gwen," Venom hissed. "She is too controlling, too selfish. She deserves to pay for what she did to you and to me."
"Who are you?" Miles pulled off his mask. "You can't listen to the symbiote. It twists your thoughts. It uses you and betrays you. You have to fight back."
"No worse than Gwen, my Gwen, your Gwen," Venom chuckled. "She's the real parasite. She only takes, never gives, always with excuses on why. Then when she's done, she gets rid of you at best, kills you at worse. Mercy is a foreign concept since she got bit by that spider."
"Peter…" Miles' eyes widened in realization.
"Oh, you picked that up faster than we expected," Venom laughed, and its face peeled back to reveal the young face of Peter Parker of Earth-65. He reminded Miles instantly of Peter B. "I wanted to be special like Gwen, but she wasn't special at all. It was a mistake. I was meant to be bitten. The Symbiote has shown me that the Canon is real. I was supposed to be Spider-Man. I was supposed to be a hero, not her. She's a mistake, like you. So, now that we are one, I'll remove the anomalies and save the Spiderverse. Then, we will remake it in our image. We are Venom. We are the true and ultimate Spider-Man."
"Ok… I have no idea how you're alive, but you have to know Gwen never wanted to hurt you. The suit is messing with you, man. I don't want to fight you."
"That's too bad, because we definitely want to fight you…" Venom's face once again covered Peter's.
Outside, Prowler leaned against the wall, waiting for Miles to make a move. "Did he even tell you what the signal was going to be?" Gwenith asked.
A moment later, Miles flew through the wall, sending them both into the stairwell. "Think that was it." Prowler stood up and shot after them.
Prowler and Gwenith followed the two to the street and helped Miles up as Venom glared at them.
"This is all you brought with you to fight us?" Venom asked as Miles pulled on his mask. "Impressive trying to think outside the box, and we weren't expecting to see you back on your feet so quick, Gwen…"
Gwenith stepped forward, and the eyes of her mask began to glow. "Wrong Gwen." She leapt into the air and released a barrage of burning hellfire webs at Venom.
"Keep it up, it's weak against heat and fire," Miles yelled as he and Prowler shot forward. Prowler rolled forward and activated the built-in flamethrowers on his gauntlets as Gwenith began to drop nets of hellfire webs, and Miles with venom strikes. "Don't let up! We have to get it off him!"
None said a word when Venom reached up and caught one of Gwenith's burning weblines in his hand. With fire on and all around him, he smiled at Miles. "We've evolved, Miles," Venom said, showing the flames had no effect.
"Motherf-" Gwenith was effortlessly tossed into Miles and Prowler, sending all three rolling across the street.
Miles pulled himself up and glared up at Venom. It had to have shown Gwen who was its host now. It used Peter against her. The thought made his blood boil, and he began building up his venom strike. "Peter, if you can hear me… I'm going to get you back to Gwen. No matter what it costs, I'm going to save you."
"It appears to us, Miles, you're the one needing saved…" Venom laughed, and Miles launched his attack, sending a full-powered venom strike to his face.
The towering black monster rolled to the side as three fangs and dark blood hit the pavement beside it. Venom slowly turned back toward Miles hissing in rage.
Venom gasped as another venom strike hit him below his ribs then another across the jaw. The Symbiote had built up a resistance to Miles' electricity but that didn't mean that the strikes didn't hurt.
"We… are… going… to kill you…" Venom lashed out, And the two began to exchange punches in the middle of the street.
Miles gasped when he was shoved hard enough into a parked car to leave a dent. "You can't win… you're by yourself. What little help that you brought is already down," Venom towered over Miles. "Submit and we might let you live long enough to die with Gwen…"
Miles pulled himself back up. "I'm not done yet." His eyes widened behind his mask as the sound of portals echoed and hundreds of portals began to open around the street.
The entirety of the Spider-Society spilled into the street of Chelsea, before the final one opened and Gwen Stacy swung through the portal, wearing Miles' original black and red spray paint Spider-Man suit, and kicked both feet into Venom's face, sending him stumbling back.
"Touch him again, Peter," Gwen said, standing at Miles' side.
"Gwen, is that…"
"You're wearing the suit your mom and I made! Did it fit? I was so worried it would be too loose or too tight…"
"That's my old one, I mean…"
"I hope you don't mind I put a little bit of my colors in it, just…"
"That looks so much better on you than it did me…"
"I am so happy you're ok!" They finished in unison.
"Guys, giant monster suit thing?" Jessica interrupted and pointed toward Venom, who was glowering at the army of webslingers.
"Give it up, V-Man," the black-and white-clad Metro Spider-Man pointed a finger at the monster. "You are completely surrounded. You got nowhere to run."
Venom's long tongue escaped its mouth and wet its lips before it glanced toward Miles. He lifted his arm, and his wrist began to twist and twirl, forming the shape of a corrupted portal watch. "This is between us and Miles; we'll be with all of you shortly…" Venom said, releasing large tendrils from his other arm, grabbing Miles to him as he opened a portal and escaped.
Gwen tried to swing after him, but the corrupted portal closed before she could. Total silence fell as the group stood in surprise.
"My bad, everybody," Metro waved awkwardly, "he did have somewhere to run."
Gwen jaw worked several moments before she turned to the gathered Spiders. "Spread out and find them… Lyla, see if you can track them. Peter B. and Jess, you're with me." She finally pointed at Metro, "You… I've about had enough of you. Go help Lyla and Margo."
"Where are we going?" Peter B. asked as Gwen turned toward Oscorp Tower.
"To talk to the one who made this mess." She said as Prowler and Devil Spider joined them.
To Be Continued
