Peni Parker had changed. Gwen had noticed this from the moment they reunited in the lobby. Even though the anime girl had been happy to see her again, she had seemed quieter. Sadder. Whenever Gwen had tried to talk to her about it, Peni had just made her excuses and left. It was as if she had been a flaming arrow that had been put out.
But it was the team's fights that scared her.
Peni was more aggressive. Reckless. Less careful with both herself and the bad guys. After each mission, she was summoned to Miguel's for something or other. Gwen always assumed it was about her actions on the battlefield. Whenever she tried to bring it up, Peni told her she didn't want to talk about it, and Gwen decided that Miguel and her had talked about it.
It was only after she formed her band that things really became a problem.
…
Universe 5NF00D, Oscorp labs…
Gwen loved Pizza. What New Yorker didn't? Unless it had octopus on it. Or attacking her, for that matter.
"Kneel before the incredible Doctor Octopus-toppings!" roared the sentient Pizza, scuttling on eight cheesestring legs, firing tomatoes at them all through a cannon made of a giant pasta tube. The spiders evaded the attacks and the tomatoes splattered against the metal walls and began to sizzle.
"Ugh! Whoever thought putting Octopus on pizza is a monster." groaned Gwen.
"I know, right?" remarked Pete, pulling a face "Bad enough there's Pineapple, but this? With pasta as well? Nasty!"
"Imbeciles!" snarled the Pizza-person, scuttling over to a door and opening it into a laboratory with a tubish tank in the middle.
"C'mon, Dock! Just hand over whoever's the anomaly and we'll go!" Miles told him "If it's you you'll probably just betray one another anyway!" he ran after him, before Peter grabbed his shoulder.
"Kid, don't!" he warned, eyes like saucers as he stared at the tube. In it was a weird black goop, floating in the water.
"Behold, Venom!" cried Dock Ock-T "With this, I shall-"
BLAM!
Doc Ock-Topp didn't get the chance to say another word as SP/DR slammed into him, sending him flying into the wall. Before he could blink, the mech was above him, its titanic arm raised…
But it didn't strike.
Angry shouts in Japanese came from inside SP/DR, and frantic boops responded. None of the gang knew what they were saying, but they got the general idea.
Once they webbed up Doc Ock-Topp, they took him home. But not before taking a final look at where Peni had landed.
She and SP/DR had left a dent in the wall.
…
When they had gotten back to base (A.K.A. Peter B. and Mary Jane's flat) the first thing on everyone's lips was Peni's actions. Noir took a deep breath "Kid." he said "What happened back there?"
Peni was sitting at a desk, facing the others with a thunderous look on her face "Me and SP/DR had a little communication problem. That's it."
"Over what?" asked B.
Peni threw him a look "Does that really matter?"
"Easy, Pen!" Miles told her "No-one's mad at you here. We just want to know so it doesn't happen again."
Peni sighed "We couldn't agree on how hard to hit him. That's it."
Gwen's brow furrowed "Pen?"
"Yeah?"
The drummer's words were slow and careful "How hard did you want to hit him?"
Peni's face turned into a thunderstorm. Then calmed into a mild breeze as she slumped in her chair, defeated "Pretty hard. SP stopped me from hurting him too bad."
As Peter B. whipped up some hot chocolate, Pavitr tenderly asked "Do you want to talk about it?"
Peni slipped her hands into her jacket pockets, her face adopting a frustrated scowl "I just-" she sighed "I'm-" she pulled her face down with her hands "I'm so- UGH!"
"Livid?" Hobie (who had been standing in the corner saying nothing until now) suggested.
She nodded, rubbing her wrist "Not at you guys." she sighed "More… at myself." suddenly, she let out a sharp hiss, wincing.
Noir noticed something that Gwen didn't "Peni… can we see your arm a moment, sweetie?"
She pulled away. Then she rolled up her sleeve with utmost tenderness.
Everyone gasped. Across Peni's arm were an array of cuts, some half-healed, the rest fresh as a peeled banana. Between them, what looked like hundreds of scars rested, their job done.
"How long have you been doing this?" asked Noir, gently examining the cuts with veiled horror.
"Ten months."
"Ten-" Noir took a deep breath. "Sweetie… what happened to you?"
Peni simply hugged her legs and said nothing.
B. took a deep breath "Kid… you don't have to say anything about what happened. Just… keep in mind you can when you're ready. Just… please promise you won't do this anymore."
Gwen took out her drumsticks "Playing the drums helps me." she offered "Wanna give it a try?"
"Drawing helps me!" suggested Miles."
"I drink eggnog!"
"Noir, No."
For the first time in a long time, Peni gave a smile. A real, pure, joyful smile as her eyes welled up "Thanks guys."
(Anyone want a crackfic of Spidervserse?)