TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT & RAPE!

Her eyes slowly opening, the world around Gwen began to come into view. It took her eyesight some time to adjust, but eventually the haziness subsided, at least enough for her to take in what she was seeing. The ceiling was high above her; she turned her head slightly, managing to glance to the side enough to see a large living room with all kinds of fancy furnishings. Confused, she tried to sit up, but her muscles still ached. She managed to get her feet on the floor just as she heard the door to the room open.

"Gwen, are you okay?" came the voice of Dr. Warren.

"I... I think so," Gwen stammered, running her right hand at the back of her neck. "What happened?"

"I was walking by from dinner to catch my bus, when I saw you being attacked in the alley," the doctor explained. "You're lucky I found you."

"Thanks," she muttered, her foggy mind still trying to process all these details. "I thought for sure I saw... someone else... someone... superhuman..."

"Maybe so; if someone else was there, they were gone by the time I got there," the professor explained. "They injected you with a drug that I've never encountered before; honestly, I'm surprised you woke up as soon as you did."

"I just feel so... tired," she said. "Like, everything feels kind of sore."

"You better stay here overnight," the doctor insisted.

"No," Gwen replied, "I need to call my dad, and Peter. I was supposed to meet him; they both need to know I'm okay."

"I'm afraid that I must insist, Ms. Stacy," Dr. Warren replied. "We still don't know the full effects of that drug they gave you. It might be just a typical sedative, but I need to keep you here for now so that I can monitor you just in case anything changes."

"I need call them at least," Gwen insisted, "let them... let them know that I'm..."

Her words were coming out a bit more hazily now; Gwen could feel a second wave of exhaustion beginning to overtake her. She tried to force herself back up, but she staggered back, seemingly still too weak to do anything as the professor helped her back down to the couch.

"I will inform your father that I'm keeping you here," the man replied. "Just please rest right now, Gwen, and let me take care of the rest."

"Okay," Gwen replied, her tiredness almost fully taking over. "Thank you."

Her eyes started to flutter between closed and open, but she thought she could feel the professor take one of her hands in his own.

"It's going to be okay, Gwen," she heard him say as darkness once again overtook her. "You'll see."

Peter glanced around vividly, his head practically on a swivel as he came to the north side of campus. He entered the library, immediately heading to the table that he and Gwen usually occupied, only to find it empty. He then began to sweep the building, checking each floor in its entirety, from the study labs to the computer lab and the old school library itself. He even asked a couple of ladies that had just come from out of the restrooms if Gwen was in there, but not even they proved helpful. Frustrated, he walked out of the building, stopping just outside. He then took his phone out, dialing Mr. Stacy's number.

"Sir, it's Peter," he said after the man answered. "I've checked practically every inch of campus, but Gwen's not here."

"She's not at her mother's grave either," the man replied, his growing concern becoming more evident. "When I didn't find her there, I checked a couple of places nearby they used to frequent together, but she wasn't there either."

"There has to be somewhere that we're not thinking of," Peter insisted, "somewhere we must have missed."

"I think we're wasting our time doing things this way, son," Gwen's father replied. "I'm going to the station to report her missing and see if I can get a team to search for her. I know at least a few members on the force that I can convince to help me even though she hasn't been missing for twenty-four hours yet. You're welcome to join us if you wish."

"Thank you, sir," Peter replied, "but... I think I'm going to try something else. Let me know if you find anything or need any more help."

"Of course," the captain replied, "and don't worry, son, we're going to find her."

"Yeah," was all Peter could say in response once he hung up. From there, he hurriedly left campus, ducking into a dark alley nearby and changing into Spider-Man. He then made his way up to a high point in the city, taking out his phone. He was hoping that he could somehow use the local satellites to somehow pick up Gwen's location through her own cellular device. Part of him felt a little invasive in doing this, since it involved doing stuff that he technically shouldn't know how to do to a device of someone he trusted but given his inability to track her down through more conventional means, Peter didn't see another way to go about it.

"Come on, come on..."

Unfortunately, all he was met with was nothing. No satellites could pick up a signal, which was strange since Peter knew that Gwen's dad had had her install a "find-my-phone" app just in case of an emergency such as this. She was also very good about keeping her phone charged; Peter couldn't ever remember a time when she'd let her phone dip anything below about forty percent power. Granted, there was always a first time for everything, but still...

Lowering his phone, Peter remained in his squatted position as he considered his next move. He and Mr. Stacy had checked seemingly everywhere she might go, which honestly wasn't many places anyway. The fact that she wasn't at any of them combined with knowing she had in fact left to meet him but never showed up, as well as her not answering her phone, led him to conclude the only thing that seemed likely: something terrible had happened to Gwen. Perhaps she'd been kidnapped, attacked, or even...

Catching his mind spiraling, Peter shook his head as he fought to collect himself. Wherever she was, he had to believe that Gwen was alive. Still, things didn't look good, as that only left options like her being kidnapped or lying hurt in an alley somewhere. Even thinking of those options cause Peter's blood to begin to boil, his fists beginning to clench tighter.

Continuing down his path, another even more terrifying idea entered his mind: what if one of his enemies had found out that Peter was Spider-Man and had kidnapped Gwen to get to him? What if, even now, she was being held hostage somewhere by the likes of Doctor Octopus or the Green Goblin? Last he checked, nearly all of his major foes had been incarcerated, but then again, the security that these supposed "Super Max" prisons hadn't proven to be secure, so maybe he should...

Peter was interrupted from his thoughts by his phone ringing. Hoping it was the captain, Peter's heart sank a little when it was simply Aunt May. There was a part of him that was tempted to ignore her call and press on with his search for Gwen, but he knew that she would worry about him if he didn't, and he knew that he couldn't take any chances with where that could lead regarding his aunt's health. Hesitantly, he responded.

"Hey, Aunt May."

"Peter, are you alright?" the woman questioned. "I know you said that you would be out late, but are you planning on being home soon? It's getting really dark outside, and things can be dangerous at night in the city."

"Yeah, sorry Aunt May," he apologized, rubbing his head as he tried to come up with an answer. "It's just that, uh, the bus Gwen and I were on broke down, so we're trying to get a cab, but we can't seem to wave one down."

"Please hurry," May said. "The news has been talking about some crime wave that's been happening, and I don't want you or her to end up as a victim of this."

"Don't worry, Aunt May," Peter assured her. "I'll be home soon."

He then hung up before leaping off the building, letting himself fall before getting into just the right position to fire a web and swing off. Peter hated the thought of abandoning his search for Gwen even for a second, but for the sake of May's health, he knew that he needed to at least make sure that she saw him at home even for a little bit before she went to bed. Once that happened, he would sneak back out and resume his search.

As he made his way to his Queens home, he contemplated once more whether he should tell her about his girlfriend's disappearance. Peter had been reluctant to do so at first for a couple of reasons: first, there had always been the chance that she would just turn up pretty quickly and it would've all been moot anyway. The other option was that, if he had told her, he would still be out in the night looking for her, but she would know about it and potentially worry herself into a heart attack even worse. Still, if he didn't tell her but she found out through another means that he was still out, wouldn't that actually be the worse option?

Arriving back in Queens, Peter formulated a plan as he found a spot to change back into his civilian persona. He would go in, say goodnight to his aunt and see her off to bed, then go back out. If things didn't pan out that night, he would make a point to get home before May woke up; Peter's aunt usually woke up at 7:00 A.M. on the dime every single day, so as long as he was back in long enough beforehand, there wouldn't be a problem.

He hated feeling as though he had to skirt around May so much, but with Gwen's life potentially at stake right now, there was very little Peter wasn't willing to do for his girlfriend's sake.

Once more, Gwen's eyes opened. This time, the ceiling was much closer to her... or was that the top of a bed set? Tilting her head back and forth to her sides, Gwen discovered that she was indeed on a bed, and a fancy one at that. Had Dr. Warren moved her in the night?

She sat up, managing to do so with much less achiness this time than before, though she was still feeling the effects of whatever she'd been drugged with. She glanced a little bit further to find an alarm clock on a stand next to her, the time reading 6:10 A.M. Rubbing her forehead with her hand, Gwen decided that she needed to at least get up; if she was lucky, maybe she could find her professor and get one final check to make sure that she was good to go. She at least had a little peace in knowing that Dr. Warren had contacted her dad last night to inform him of the situation; hopefully he'd passed that knowledge onto Peter, so that he wasn't scouring the city looking for her.

Leaving the room, Gwen glanced right and left, eventually deciding to head down the left side of the hallway, thinking she smelled food of some kind. As she tried to track down its source, hoping it led to the professor, she looked around at all the paintings displayed on the wall. They were all images of various beasts in the wild, ranging from big cats and packs of wolves to predatory insects, such as Praying Mantises. Gwen had known the man to have an affinity for such things, but she'd never imagined it would be to this kind of extent. Also, this place, presumably the man's home, was enormous! The hallway Gwen was currently walking down seemed almost as if it would never end, with several rooms on all sides. Dr. Warren had been quite successful as a scientist, sure, but she would never have guessed it was to an extent like this.

The aroma growing stronger, Gwen continued to follow it until she eventually came to the room that seemed to be the source. Opening the door, she saw none other than her professor, the man finishing putting on the last pieces of a massive breakfast. Their eyes met as she let herself in.

"Oh, good, you're up!" the man said. "Please, have a seat, Gwen!"

A little confused by such a grand gesture, Gwen nevertheless entertained him, heading towards a chair near the end.

"Did you do all this for me?" she questioned.

"Well, I intend to enjoy some of this as well," he assured her, "but when it comes to your health and welfare, Ms. Stacy, I will accept no substitutes! I wanted to make sure you had regained all your strength."

"Well, this should certainly do it!" she assured him as she came to her chosen seat, the man pulling it out for her. She thanked him as she sat down, grabbing a napkin and folding it in her lap. Gwen glanced around at the meal before her, her mouth threatening to water as she observed the seemingly limitless options from which to choose.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Dr. Warren questioned as he sat down at his seat on the table's corner. Gwen then helped herself to some blueberry-stuffed pancakes, getting some additional cut-up fruit to put on the side. She hadn't realized it fully when she'd first awoken, but she was STARVING! Almost as soon as she took the first bite, Gwen then ravenously began going through her food, struggling to remember at least some of her table manners as her appetite won out.

"I'm guessing that you like it?" the professor inquired.

"Sorry," she said, suddenly realizing how crazy and likely very messy she probably looked as she took her napkin and wiped her mouth. "But yes, it's all delicious, thank you."

"Every bit of food I get comes from the finest places in the world," the man assured her. "I grow most of my own fruits and vegetables in my gardens outside. Perhaps I will get to show you sometime."

"Maybe so," Gwen said as she resumed eating, though this time in a more civilized manner. "It'll have to be another time though; I'm sure my dad and Peter are still really worried about me even with your call last night; also, thank you again for that, by the way."

"Of course," the man replied, "but there's no need to rush, is there?"

"I'd at least like them to see that I'm okay," she insisted.

"You know, if that boyfriend of yours really cared about you, he wouldn't have let you end up in this mess," Dr. Warren insisted as she stuffed his mouth with a large bite of pancake.

"Peter had important stuff to do," Gwen assured him. "We love each other, Dr. Warren, but our lives don't revolve around each other every second of every day."

"What is it that you see in that boy?" the doctor questioned.

"Professor," Gwen said, setting her utensils down as she fought to hold back the irritation that she was feeling from showing in her tone. "Why are you always so hard on him? Peter is a kind, caring person; yes, I know he's late to class and even misses sometimes, but he's a good man."

"A boy like that is beneath you, Gwen," the professor insisted. "You deserve someone who can give you the kind of life that you deserve, who will support you and push you to be your best in your field."

"Dr. Warren," Gwen said, her tone more pointed this time, "I appreciate everything that you have done for me; you risked your life to save mine, and I will forever be grateful to you for that. That said, Peter Parker is the love of my life; he's kind, caring, and he never thinks of himself, even when he should. Frankly, he's done nothing to deserve your constant berating and chastising, and I won't hear any more of it."

"Forgive me," the man replied, seemingly taking the message. "I simply have your best interests at heart. Here, let me show you."

Rising from his seat, the man then walked over to a spot on the counter, Gwen observing as he picked up a small box. He then came back over to her, offering it to her. Gwen took it, eyeing him curiously; she had no idea where this was all leading, but something in her was starting to feel uneasy. She grabbed the top section of the box, opening it to reveal a stunning diamond necklace like nothing she'd ever seen before. A large heart occupied the bottom, and there appeared to be something written on it.

Narrowing her eyes, Gwen observed the words:

"To Gwen, My Great Love."

OH NO.

Gwen looked back at her professor, alarms now beginning to go off in head as he squatted down to face her more evenly.

"I denied my true feelings for so long, but finally, I had to admit the truth: I love you, Gwen," the man said.

Gwen's heart raced, her mind spinning as she raced to process this bombshell her brain had just received. She couldn't even think straight; it was all too much.

"Professor..."

"I know, it's a big gesture," the man said, suddenly taking her hand in his own, which sent a cold shiver down Gwen's spine. "I know all of this is very sudden as well, but I assure you, if you just give me a chance..."

"Give you a chance!?" Gwen shouted, standing to her feet and pulling her hand away. "How could you even say that to me? Even if I wasn't with Peter, you're almost twice my age, and my TEACHER!? What in your mind even thinks this is okay!?"

"Please," the man said, "calm down, Ms. Stacy."

"I have to go," Gwen said, turning and racing towards the door. When she tried to open it, however, she found that it was locked. She struggled against it, but to no avail.

"What are you doing?" she questioned as she turned back to the doctor, her mind beginning to panic.

"Showing you that we can have a future together," the man replied.

Suddenly, the pieces finally began to come together in Gwen's mind.

"The men that took me... one of them said that someone else was... it was all a setup, wasn't it?" she questioned. "You set yourself up to look like my savior, when it was really all you this whole time!"

"When I saw you and Peter together yesterday, and when you turned down my internship because of him, I knew I had to save you from him, Gwen," the man explained, slowly coming towards her. "I had to show you that he could never give you the life that you deserve, but I can."

The man then tried to grab her arms, but she struggled violently against him.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

She then slapped him in the face, knocking him back just a little. The man touched his cheek with his hand, before turning back and looking at her, anger clearly lurking beneath the smile he was giving her.

"So, that's how it's going to be?" he questioned, a serious and sinister look on his face. "Well, maybe if you spend some time somewhere that will humble you, you'll see learn why it's best to accept my offer."

The man then snapped his fingers, and suddenly, a figure descended from above, grabbing Gwen by her arms. She struggled against him, a glance at the figure revealing that they were dressed the same as the one she'd seen the night before that had fought her attackers. Her efforts proved futile, however, the figure's grip on her only growing tighter as he opened the door, leading her out of the room.

"No! Let me go!" she screamed as she was led out of the room. The figure seemed to pay her no mind at all, instead simply forcing her to walk alongside him as they came to an elevator. They got inside, the figure pressing a button for what appeared to be some basement level. As soon as the doors opened, Gwen once more tried to break free, hoping she could catch the figure by surprise. Instead, she was simply dragged along for her efforts before being tossed in what seemed like some kind of jail cell or animal enclosure, the figure closing the door right as she lunged for it.

"Hey!" she screamed as the man walked away. "Let me out of here!" She screamed all the more, smacking the door until her fists hurt from hitting the metal, causing her to draw back in pain.

"It's no use."

Gwen spun around, seeing a figure mostly hidden in the shadows near the back corner of the cell.

"Just do what he says, please, for your own sake."

Something about the figure's voice sounded... familiar?

"I'd sooner be dead," she insisted.

"He won't let you get off that easy," the figure replied. "Just do what he says, please, or we might both get in trouble."

Gwen was just now realizing that the figure sounded scared, and she still couldn't get over the familiar nature of the voice. She walked slowly over to them, shadows still keeping their face hidden even as she drew near.

"Who are you?"

Not saying anything at first, the figure then moved out of the shadows, revealing that it was...

Gwen's eyes suddenly widened in shock; she couldn't believe the sight before her.

"I'm you, Gwen."

Hope you're still enjoying it!

Continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!

"Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness." Proverbs 14:22