Chapter 22

Howdy everybody, hope you're all having a great September even though it might mean back to education for some of my readers, keep working hard everybody you can do it!

This was quite a difficult chapter to write so please bear with me and if you have any complaints don't hesitate to leave some constructive criticism. I mean this, some of you may not be happy with how this chapter resolves some things but it's important to the plot so if there's something that bothers you, please bring it up constructively and I will see what I can do to explain or heck, fix something if I think you're on to something :)

In regards to the emergency update, I think it's pretty obvious which scene is the most impactful of this chapter and which i had to rewrite but i'll state it at the end to clean up any confusion. Once again, I am so sorry everyone but as I was re-reading it before I posted it it just wasn't conveying the right feelings and message heck even now i'm not entirely sure so fingers crossed sure I fixed it!

Now then, shall we move onto the reviews?

Spectacular Webhead 11: Thank you for the review! Hmmm wish I could say more than just keep reading and the answers will eventually be unveiled.

Frosty Wolf: Great to see you again, thank you very much for the review! My plans for Ned are tentative at best but they are slowly unfolding yet honestly I have no idea where they will end up at this point. In regards to your last bit, all I can is that it was an important set-up chapter ;)

Lukesterlord: Wonderful to hear from you again, thank you very much for the review! Ah don't worry about taking awhile to review, you're not obligated to but what matters is getting the chapters to you on when they're posted so fingers crossed Gmail works this time!

Ngl reading this made feel alot more confident about how I was tackling the Peter Gwen situation from Florida so I hope this chapter continues to do it justice even though i know it's gonna get some raised eyebrows but I do have a plan for it.

Touché lol. Well thank you very much, gives me hope for my own novels when i go to get them published.

I've only come across one Harry Potter/ Fleur Delacour one like this which is where i got the idea for the POV structure, think it got deleted years ago though sadly. There is approximately 4 arcs left till that point not including the one we've just started so nearly 5, it averages out to about 23 chapters not including this one. Sorry if you were hoping for sooner but it's gonna happen at a pivotal time that I really can't rush to :(

"Spectacular" = Speech

'Spectacular' = Thoughts

"What is a 'Hero' though?" = Speach with a quote

*BANG* = Important Noise?

-Flashback- = Flashback setting

"I love you" = Written words

{4:00am} = Important Time/ Date

Disclaimer: Spider-man, Marvel and related IP belong to their respective owners. The author of this story owns jack-shit and holds no fantasy that they ever will.

It was Saturday morning, the week of Peter's return to New York and all across the city events were unfolding that would change the lives of those involved forever, from the police teams starting to make their way into the sewers after last nights discovery about Cletus Kasady to the car speeding down a road in Midtown, seemingly unconcerned about the safety of anyone else on the road.

"Bastard head for the bridge, we gotta get this fucker outta the city!" A woman with a pink buzzcut said to the burly bald man who was driving the car recklessly, both of them ignoring the banging that was unmistakeably coming from the trunk of their car.

"I'm fucking trying bitch!" The bald bastard shouted back as he swerved to avoid hitting an old lady who'd been crossing the road, although was it just him or did she get out of the way really fast at the end there...

*THUD*

A stone dropped into both of the two kidnappers stomachs at the extra large thud that didn't sound from the trunk of the car but the roof instead...both had an idea what that meant and the pink haired passenger was the first to shake herself free of the feeling, cocking her pistol as soon as she could get it free from her waist .

"Wow you could hurt someone with that you know?" A certain cheeky voice could be heard from the red masked face that was hanging upside down outside the open window on the passenger side door.

"Spider-man!/ Spider-man!" The two kidnappers shouted, the pink haired woman pulling her gun up to shoot only for it to be yanked out of her hand by a web before she could react and before she knew it, Spider-man had her webbed up and yanked out of the car.

"LET ME DOWN!" The pink buzzcut haired woman shouted at the pedestrians below whilst a police officer made her way up to the cocoon that was dangling from the lamp post as the car continued driving off, Spider-man still attached and a police cruiser doing its best to follow.

"Seatbelts people, they keep you in the car and save lives, have you ever heard of them?" Spider-man chided cheekily but seriously, his head still hanging upside down from the passenger side window, enraging the burly driver who swerved sharply left to right trying to shake Spider-man from the roof as he ignored the road infront of him.

Sadly, this innattention to the road is a disastrous defecit in the skill of the afformentioned driver who is speedily approaching a very busy intersection.

'I need to slam on the brakes, and fast!' Spider-man thought in a panic as he saw the massive amount of cars driving through the approaching intersection.

In one fluid motion Spider-man jumped down infront of the hood of the car, his back to it whilst also shooting two lines of his high tensil webs at buildings behind them as he'd jumped down that he was now gripping as if someones life depended on it...because it did.

With his feet digging into the concrete just a little from the speed the car was going Spider-man heard the wheels screeching, the smell of burnt tires wafting up through the mask into Peters nose.
Meanwhile, inside the car once Spider-man jumped infront of it, the car gave a sudden jolt at the reduction in speed causing the last kidnapper to slam his head off the steering wheel, dazing him before he was suddenly punched in the face by the airbag.

Slowing the car to a crawl just before the intersection and with the driver out of it after whacking his head twice, Spider-man let out a sigh of relief before he walked over to the drivers side door, ripping it open to web the burly bald man to his seat gently.

Now that the kidnappers had been dealt with, it was time to check on the person banging on the inside of the cars boot.

"Ugh, finally! Those bastards grabbed me as I was heading to the bookies... Blackie Gaxton's gonna have my head." A nondescript young man with a black eye said as he gingerly made his way out of the trunk of the car now that Spider-man had ripped it off, setting him free.

'Gaxton again huh, what does he have to do with this?' Spider-man thought to himself as he nodded at Lieutenant officer DeWolff and her partner, Sergeant officer Carter who began to secure the scene including talking to the victim, DeWolff once again raising her gun at him before he swung off, narrowly avoiding being arrested himself.

"I'll get you one day Spider-man..." DeWolff swore venomously as she glared at where Spider-man had dissappeared before she was dragged from her thoughts by her partner.

"Come on Jean! The captain needs us ready in the next hour at the latest!"

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{1:10pm}

Felicia sighed as she checked her phone for the umpteenth time in the past 10 minutes, the date reading August 7th, as she sat in the back of the Silver Spoon drinking her quickly cooling coffee at a slow and measured pace as she waited for a certain photographer who was trying her patience a tad, she used to leave dates for less.

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'Oh god, Felicia is gonna kill me' A panicked Peter thought as he ran out of the alleyway near the Silver Spoon he'd landed in a minute ago as Spider-man, cursing his phone for dieing at the most innoportune of times.

Pushing open the door to the local hotspot coffee shop, aka the Silver Spoon, Peter scanned the tables with baited breath to see if he was lucky enough to have Felicia still waiting for him, he'd seen the time on a news billboard he swung past and knew he was late...like usual.

Just when he was about to give up, he spotted someone in the back of the shop looking at him with beautiful white hair, dressed in expensive white trousers with a tight black sleevless top under a brown leather jacket who he immedietely rushed towards, apology after apology on his lip.

"Felicia I am so sorry, there was a delay on the subway and as I went to email you, my phone died. I hurried here as fast as I could-" '-after saving that kidnapping victim' Peter said apologetically to the nonplussed looking beauty before him as he finished his sentence in his thoughts.

Closing her green eyes to think about what Peter had said, Felicia paused before opening her right eye to look at him as he stood there antsy.

"You're lucky you made a good first impression." Felicia replied as a small smirk found its way onto her face causing Peter to breathe a sigh of relief once he saw her gesture to the seat across from her, sitting down in it and plugging his phone into the nearby wall socket to charge.

"Pretty sure according to you and between the two of us, it was you making the good first impression or did you not refer to yourself as the smoking hot babe from Cocoa beach?" Peter shot back with a cheeky grin that got a laugh from Felicia.

"Starting to redeem the second impression already Peter, not bad!" Felicia said as she got her small bit of laughter under control before smiling at him as she crossed her arms below her breasts. "Why, if you offered to replace my now cold coffee i'd nearly swear this was supposed to be fashionably late."

"R-right that's what I was going for!" Peter said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he took the out Felicia blatantly presented him with, before deciding to take her order so he could go do exactly that.

"Cappuccino please, with extra...milk" Felicia said slightly seductively, adjusting her crossed arms and emphasising her bountiful chest that was strained against her black top from her actions as she spoke causing Peter to blush up a storm and turn to head for the counter, completely missing the dark grin that briefly found itself on her face.

Getting the coffee for Felicia and one for himself quickly, Peter soon found himself carrying the two hot beverages back to the table Felicia was sat at in the back, his phone seemingly in the same position it was before he left.

"Thanks Handsome." Felicia said, appreciative of the cappuccino as she took a sip of it with a pleased smile whilst Peter blushed from the compliment, taking a sip of his own coffee to gather himself.

"So what have you been up to since I saw you last Peter, anything exciting?" Felicia asked as she put her drink down whilst she fished for information, a certain gleam in her eye.

What followed was a slightly abridged re-telling of the rest of Peter's holiday as he went over the dive into the oceans depths, the day at Universal, his trip to the Kennedy space center and visit with the Connors among other tibits.
Naturally he kept somethings to himself like the Gwen and Harry incident plus the whole situation with the Lizard/Marko but the rest he did give the general gist of which lead to quite the engaged conversation between the two.

"Universal Studios Florida was good but of the Orlando resort, Islands of Adventure in particular was more enjoyable personally, especially the rides set in the huge Jurassic park area!" Peter argued his point of view whilst an teasingly incredulous Felicia raised her own point.

"Universal studios has the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, more importantly, Weasley Wizarding Wheezes! Did you get one of the house robes? They're so silky...makes for an excellent dressing gown, you know?" Felicia countered with her own opinion, sighing gently at the thought of how soft the robes are before finishing her sentence with a wink at Peter which made him blush.

"What house even are you that gives you the confidence the tease like that, Gryffindor?" Peter replied blushing as his mind began conjuring up images of Felicia in a Gryffindor robe...just a Gryffindor robe.

"Ha! As if i'd be caught wearing the robes of those rash idiots! I'll have you know, I have finer tastes, as all Slytherin's naturally do." Felicia rebuked cheekily which not only altered the colours of the robes in Peters fantasy but confirmed that the house of ambition is where she apparently belonged.

"Hardy har har, just don't go joining any Dark Lords." Peter laughed sarcastically with a smile on his face, his fantasy fading as the opportunity for banter once again presented itself even if only briefly.

"Wish I'd gotten one of the robes though if they're as good as you mentioned knowing how brutal Autumn and Winter can be in NYC." Peter continued, phantom cold shivers running down his back at the thought of the upcoming seasons and what they'd be like if he didn't get the heating fixed.

"Ugh I know what you mean, the chill can just seep into your bones if you can't find a way to warm up in this city." Felicia said as she took another sip of her cappuccino, before looking up at Peter curiously. "So when you're not on holiday and are stuck in Manhatten how do you find yourself killing time?"

"...-" ' Don't say crime fighting, don't say crime fighting.' "..-Hanging with friends, going to school, studying and as you are aware from our initial misunderstanding, I work for Jolly Jonah over at the Daily Buggle, mainly just taking pictures of Spider-man for him." Peter thought to himself as a little mantra before he got the words out of his mouth, saying them a bit awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

This seemed to be the magic words for Felicia however not that Peter noticed as she smiled a chesire grin that was only alight upon her face for but a brief second when Peter looked away embarrassed that his job could be sumarised so succinctly.

"Yes I do remember that, quite the happy little misunderstanding given our current situation, but you don't seem keen about working there, why is that? What's it like working there, taking pictures of Spiderm-" Felicia began with a gentle and teasing voice before her voice turned empathetic until she was interrupted by the sound of Peters phone that was still charging, now ringing.

*BRINGGG BRINGGG*

"Hello, this is Pete-" Peter said as he answered the phone only to interrupted by a loud voice on the other end yelling down the phone.

"PARKER! I want you in my office 5 minutes ago, and I mean that on the double or your fired!" The angry voice of John Jonah Jamesson could be heard blaring from the other end of the line, deafening Peter slightly whose eyes went wide.

"Y-yes sir! On the way!" Peter said as he hung up the phone after listening to another one of Jonahs infamous rants, knowing it was best not to test his Parker luck, he turned to Felicia who'd been watching silently. "So sorry Felicia but i've gotta run, that was Jonah and he sounded extra jolly today, catch you again some other time?"

Peter didn't wait to hear Felicia's answer, he saw a quick nod and a smile which was good enough for him as he bolted out the door and made his way towards the Daily Buggle.

'Is it worth the risk of swinging there?' Peter thought to himself as he discreetly checked his web shooters once out of view from the Silver Spoon. 'Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me, there's barely 1% left, that might get me halfway if i'm lucky but then i'd be defenceless...public transport it is.'

Rushing down to the subway through one of the many entrances scattered throughout the city, Peter found himself rushing through the turnstyles after scanning his travel card in a desperate attempt to make the next train lest Jamesson make do with his threat.

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"I-i'm here!" Peter panted as he ran out of the Buggles office elevator, running over to Betty's desk, said young woman nervously switching her gaze from the computer infront of her to the small group gathered in Jamesson's office until she heard Peter and sighed in slight relief.

"Finally Peter, he rang you 20 minutes ago! Get in there quick, it's about the travel exposé!" Bettey chided before giving Peter a much appreciated heads up as he made his way into the lions den.

"PARKER! You're late! What took you so long, and you'd better have a good excuse or else it's coming out of your paycheck!" Jonah ranted the second he saw Peter slip into the room, the other two occupants of the room following his gaze.

"E-eh sorry sir, i-it was just that the subway line was having delays due to maintenance and I didn't find out till I was already there and by that time it would've taken me longer to-" Peter flinched and started rambling as he expressed with his hands what he was saying whilst his eyes took in the forms of a knowing Robbie and Ned...well Ned looked dead on his feet, dark purple bags under his eyes that threatened to close every few seconds.

"Ah so that's what happened, Rand got stuck by the same problem this morning going to meet up with young Kenneth Kong. Honestly Jonah it's an easy mishap, let him off the hook." Robbie spoke up on behalf of Peter much to his surprise, he'd forgotten how fair Robbie usually was, meanwhile Jonah turned fuming eyes over to Robbie, ignoring how Ned seemed even in his half-conscious state to be making himself as small as possible.

"Fine but he better have a blasted good input!" Jonah conceeded to his best employee and friend before he turned to lean against his desk, lighting a cigar as he did so. "Show him what we got so far."

"Here you go Peter, this is an advance copy and we wanted to get your input before we printed more. Ned here is after finishing the travel exposé just this morning, why he was the first one in here today!" Robbie said as he handed over a copy of a magazine to be printed by the Daily Buggle whilst he spoke, either ignoring or not hearing the quiet whisper Peter heard coming Ned saying he never left.

"Yes, yes, Ned finally did something right, maybe he can keep his job afterall! But enough about him, PARKER, take a look at the magazine, especially the cover, you gurantee that consent form is real?" Jamesson said both flippantly and scathingly in tone. before it turned accusatory towards the end whilst addressing Peter.

Looking at the magazine he was handed Peter immedietely noticed the picture on the cover, especially since he'd just ran off on said beauty to make this meeting.
The photo in question was the one he'd snapped of Felicia surfing out of the barrel of the wave, the perfect shot he'd been searching for that day was being represented in his opinion rather tastefully, it would certainly be sure to grab anyone passing by's attention.

"I promise, infact, I could email her a picture of it right now to get her opinion?" Peter proposed as he quickly skimmed through the rest of the travel exposé, seeing his photos from Universal Studios Orlando, Cocoa Beach and such throughout it detailing why it's ideal to travel down to Florida, particularly Orlando.

"If you're still nervous Jonah then that might be for the best, cover all our bases so to speak" Robbie advised as Jonah took a nervous looking drag from his cigar, completely ignoring Ned who seemed to be asleep on his feet, whilst Peter noticed a few more shots of Felicia in the magazine.

"Alright here's the plan, Parker you email her a picture of the cover and the few shots used throughout the magazine to get her opinion so she doesn't try sue our asses, lawyer fees are expensive! So glad I thought of it!" Jamesson delegated before he began bragging about his plan...that he stole from Peter, another day at the Buggle.

Peter just sighed quietly, turning his eyes away from his bosses and the exhausted Ned, before taking the afformentioned pictures to show Felicia and clicking send. 'I hope she likes these, really don't need more enemies in this city...'

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*BUZZ*

A blackclawed hand reached into a pouch on a dark as night bodysuit that accentuated the wearers curvaceous body, the only spot of colour coming from tufts of white fur on the forearms and around the neck of a woman with equally snow white hair, her face disguised by a dark domino mask that emphasised her green eyes and rose lips.
Pulling her hand out of the pouch, the infamous thief, Blackcat, saw that she had one new message on her phone, taking a quick glance over the side of the building where she was sitting discreetly, Blackcat nodded to herself before going back to her phone.

"Let's see, what could have you messaging me so soon after hurrying off...eh Peter?" Blackcat the notorious thief and on-again, off-again ally of Spider-man whispered to herself as opened her phone to see the email Peter had just sent her, it containing pictures of how her photos were going to be used in the travel exposé.

"Positive light indeed." Felicia remarked as she looked at the rather tasteful photos of herself that whilst showcasing her beauty, also highlighted her surfing talent.

'Given the situation, I can't really complain but I gotta say Peter really does have a talent with a camera.' Blackcat thought to herself as she turned her gaze across the road to the building which had caught her attention, particularly the large office near the front of the triangle shaped building where a certain meeting was being held.

Sending a reply email that those images were great, Blackcat watched as one of the office's occupants hands moved to their phone as a certain well known web-head photographer then went back to talking with his collegues, all the while back where Blackcat had been watching there wasn't a trace of her.

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The sounds of running feet could be heard all around the table that sat under the hastily constructed marquis tent in the alleyway across the road from the orphanage that luckily avoided being burnt to the ground last night, the street cordoned off around it by the police.

Standing at the head of this table and looking down intently at the map of New York City's sewer system was Lieutenant Officer DeWolff, a stressed look on her face as she bit her mocha coloured lips.

'How do I direct them away from the smuggling routes Kingpin uses, if any of them get discovered looking for Cletus then Kingpin will kill me!' Officer DeWolff thought to herself panicked as she tried to figure out the best way to direct the fellow officers who were bustling around her waiting for her orders.

"Lieutenant DeWolff, is the Mid-Town team ready to proceed?" Came the voice of Police Captain George Stacy over a walkie talkie that was standing on the table as well, something that DeWolff quickly picked up.

"Y-yes Captain Stacy! My team will proceed into the sewer whenever you're ready." DeWolff assured her boss...atleast her public one.

"Excellent, Sergeant Carter is in place with his team in Hells Kitchen if you need immediate backup. Other than that, everyone is in place, set your clocks for 14:00 hundred hours and be prepared to move on my mark." Captain Stacy said over the walkie talkie as DeWolff set the timer on her phone for the designated time.

The officers waited anxiously for the call to action which would send them into the sewers below where they'd be at the mercy of whatever called them home...of course every New Yorker knew the tale of flushed alligators in the sewers but now they were being told it was potentially also home to a psychopathic serial killer among who knows what else...yeah, to protect and serve all right.

When the clock struck 14:00pm, the call from Captain Stacy went out which was then repeated by Lieutenant DeWolff to her gathered officers, the group of 9 gathering their wits and making their way over to now open manhole, before using it and the the ladder attached to enter the sewers.

As the last of her men and women went down into what could only amount to hell with the dangers down there, Lieutenant Officer DeWolff couldn't help but get a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong...

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Down in the sewers, Lieutenant DeWolffs team slowly made their way along the concrete path alongside the filthy waterways beside it that contained the sewage. The group of nine had three flashlights focused on the front and back of the group as they walked alongside one on each side with one free roaming flashlight to back up whoever they saw fit, it was a workable formation that helped the team move through the sewer tunnel with as much light as possible.

"So what are the chances he's still down here?" The 9th officer spoke up as they decided to back up the officer on the left looking at the sewage currently.

"Who knows Jason, if he's smart he'd have left but if he feels comfortable down here? Well then we're probably gonna have to flush him out." A blonde officer named Janet called back from the front of the formation.

"Wonderful." A squirrely looking officer said to his partner at the back, a buff Officer with her brown hair in a braid whilst the third officer at the back kept his light trained on the shadows moving, seeing nothing but the occassional rat.

The group of nine made their way deeper into the Mid-Town sewer system until they eventually wound up in a large junction with four different tunnels, not including the one they just entered from, that led even deeper into the rodent infested hellhole.

Janet, the blonde officer from earlier, radioed back in to Lieutenant DeWolff about their current position and the approaching situation in the different tunnels being presented to them.

It took maybe 30 seconds but eventually Lieutenant DeWolffs voice came back over the walkie talkie in Janets hand and the answer it provided didn't leave any of the gathered group of 9 with much hope.

"Well Gang, I guess it's time to split up and look for clues?" Jason said as he tried to bring some levity to the situation that the group of 9 found themselves in, although his attempt did drag groans out of half the intended audience.

"It was a fucking joke guys, no need to sacrifice me! Fucking hell why do I have to guard the exit ALONE in case anyone needs help?" Jason cursed to himself, alone, one hand on his pistol, the other on his torch that was darting around the 5 different tunnels he could be charged at from, whilst the rest of his group had split off into duos to explore the 4 new tunnels further.

Down the furthest tunnel to the left, the squirrely looking officer and his buff, brown haired and braided partner marched ever deeper into the abyss that threatened to swallow them whole, their only source of light being the torches in their hands.

"Why the hell are we even down here, Tricorp are paying double our salary for their new security jobs and heck Vicky it's not like we don't have the experience?" Squirrely said as he lived up to his nicknames namesake by flicking his light as fast as his eyes darted around the darkness.

"Squirrely i'm with you buddy, what the heck are we doing risking our hides in this filth for people who don't care for us, fuck we might aswell get better pay." Vicky, the buff officer with the braided hair replied offhandedly as she squinted her eyes at something in the distance. "Hey there's something back there?"

Vicky's light shined off what appeared to be a metal door embedded in the wall up ahead at a the top of a T junction in the sewer pipe they were following up.
Unbeknownst to them however was the silently shaking and frantic eyed form of the very serial killer they were hunting, hiding around the corner with a sharp blade clutched in a white knuckle grip, listening...and waiting.

"What do you think that is Vicky?" Squirrely asked confused as he finally kept his light steady and tracked on the metal door whilst the duo of officers approached bewildered.

"I have no idea..." Vicky said as the two of them obliviously walked past the opening of the T junction, neither having the foresight to look left or right, so preoccupied with the metal door before them.

Pulling the metal door open with her left hand whilst her right held her gun that was trained forward, Squirrely's own gun trained similarly behind her whilst his other held the torch , Vicky nearly fired a shot on reflex at the sight before them.

Infront of them was the empty grinning visage of the Green Goblin hanging from a coatrack directly facing the door at the back of the small room, a room that also seemed to contain a map of New York with notations and pins, a desk, a crate of pumpkin bombs and pumpkin blades alongside a few cabinets filled with who knows what.

"Holy shit Vicky, we hit the motherload! Tricorp is paying big bucks for any info about the Goblin and this, this is enough to be set for a loooonnngg time." Squirrely whisper screamed, completely oblivious to his surroundings as he put his gun down, his attention completely taken by the small room just like his companion as they both looked in at the room from outside in the sewer pipe, Vicky partially inside the room but neither looking behind them.

"This is amazing Squirrely, heck maybe i'll even take you up on that date offer, how about a holiday in Hawaii, eh Squirrely?...Squirrely?" Vicky proposed offhandedly, only to briefly pause before repeating herself when there was no immediate positive response, he'd been asking for that date for months now so why was he being so quiet...

Turning around Vicky saw something that would haunt her for the rest of her life, the sight of Cletus Kasady shoving a knife through the neck of her secret crush as the madman glared at her with throbbing veiny eyes.

"O-OFFICER DEWITT REQUESTING BACK UP!" Vicky shouted into her walkie talkie, one hand reaching up to activate it as a tear ran down her cheek at the lose of Squirrely, yet in the time it took her to send out her distress call...Cletus wasn't idle.

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"O-OFFICER DEWITT REQUESTING BACK UP!" Came the voice of Vicky over the walkie talkie sat ontop of Lieutenant DeWolffs map of the Mid-Town Sewer system, causing her no small degree of alarm as she rushed to grab it and reply back.

"Officer Dewitt where are you!?" Lieutenant Officer DeWolff requested immedietely, but upon getting only silence as a response, cursed loudly before radioing in again to the other members of the team.

"All units are to re-group and provide immediate support to officers Dewitt and Johnson!"

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"Already on-route Lieutenant!" Jason replied back into his walkie talkie as he continued running further down the sewer pipe that Vicky and Squirrely had gone down 20 minutes ago.

"We've just made it to the main junction and are on route aswell!" Came the voice of Janet from the walkie talkie as Jason began to hear footsteps running, though it was hard to tell if it was solely from behind him where Janet and another collegue would be or if it was from infront of him as well so he didn't let his guard down.

Eventually Jason began to draw near to what appeared to be a T junction in the sewer pipes but as he got closer his blood ran cold at the sight of that very red fluid spreading out from the crumbled over forms of Vicky and Squirrely next to a partially closed metal door.

Resisting the urge to simply rush over to them, Jason, carefully approached the T-junction, looking left and right with his torch in one hand and gun in the other and upon seeing that the coast was clear made his way over to bodies...or what was left of them.

Despite them only being dead for a possibilty of maybe 6 minutes, Vickys looked gorged upon by an animal yet the deep slash wound to her neck and defensive wounds on what was left of her arms alongside the stab wound to Squirrelys neck gave Jason a good idea of what had happened.

"Sweet lord I fucking hate my life." Jason cursed quietly to himself as he realised Cletus Kasady was likely what did this to his collegues, and there was a door right infront of him that he had his gun trained on...he was praying to every god, real and fictional that he was spared.

The sound of tearing flesh dragged all rational thought from Jasons mind and his flashlight down to where the sound came from so suddenly only to see... a large rotting rat eat a chunk of Squirrelys arm before looking at him with pitch black eyes.

"AHHHHH!" Jason screamed as pitch black fluid erupted from the rat and shot towards his face, covering it completely before it slowly melted into his skin leaving no trace that the fluid was ever there, just a dead rat and an unconscious Jason.

"Jason... Jason, you okay?" Janet asked said man as she did her best to wake him upon finding him next to the bodies of her coworkers and friends, especially after hearing him scream.

"...Yeah Janet, just, upon seeing them..." Jason said as he glanced over at the bodies of Squirrely and Vicky who were surrounded by the other 5 members of their team as they tried to process what the hell had happened and went to inspect the room the Green Goblin was using as a stache.

"Rooms Clear but you guys might want to see this...I think we gotta let the boss know what these two stumbled upon before they died because this just got a bit more complicated." One of the officers said as he picked up the sleeve of the Green Goblin suit only for it to shoot a bolt of energy that nearly pierced his foot.

As everyone got up to inspect what their fellow officer meant ,because what could possibly make this situation more complicated, no one noticed Jason slowly slink off into the darkness.

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"So Ms. Stacy, lovely weather we're having, can I come in? No, no, no that won't work! Ms. Stacy, why I was just in the neighbourhood and thought you could use some company...No, not that neither, god damnit why does this have to be so difficult!" Spider-man fretted to himself as he swung through the dark, street-light and star illuminated Manhattan skyline with a sole destination in mind, no matter how much he'd been trying to avoid it.

Landing on a lampost opposite the Stacy residence Spider-man let out a deep sigh he didn't he even realise he'd been holding, his nerves frayed as he debated what to do and how to do it.

Taking a look at the well-sized townhouse, equipped with it's own medium sized backgarden, Spider-man had a look for any indication that Captain Stacy or Harry were present at the moment, afterall either one would make the point of this wellness check kinda redundant and might make Gwen clam up.

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Gwen sighed to herself as she scrolled through photos of the recent holiday as she added them to her folders for archiving on her computer, the source of the sigh being the picture she had gotten outside Weasley Wizarding Wheezes with Harry who had looked more interested in looking down her top that day than actually enjoying the atmosphere of the park.

She'd tried to enjoy it but the thoughts from being caught by Spider-man the night before had weighed heavily on her the whole day, and then worse, Peter had ran off! 'Although, maybe that was for the better, the guilt was eating me alive...' Gwen thought to herself sadly as she moved another photo, thoughts beginning to swirl especially as she came upon one of the few photos she had of her and Peter from the trip.
It was a simple photo but it was one of the two with big smiles on their faces, their hair drying inside the cabin of the boat after diving and the caption, "My Hero" Written on the image.

"And we only got this picture because Harry finally left me for 5 mintues to go talk to Hobbie about something 'urgent', probably about where that dumb gun came from in the wreck!" Gwen ranted about the behaviour of her boyfriend until she realised she was ranting about her boyfriend leaving her alone so she could take pictures with her secret affair partner and guilt once again came rushing back but this time for a similar but different reason.

God why did this have to be so difficult, she wasn't meant to have feelings for both her closest guy friends! But Harry had been there when Peter ditched her for Liz, and hell he'd actually made her feel wanted for a change! But Peter...

Peter had always been so kind to her, he was someone she felt comfortable around, someone she would privately admit she found very attractive and was someone that she could trust, yet whenever she thought of breaking up with Harry to be with him she found herself...stuck.

Harry still hadn't fully healed from his dad's death and Gwen was terrified to be the straw that broke the camels back that sent him off doing something stupid like go back on the green or heaven forbid something worse... and there were some pro's to the relationship alongside the factor of their friendship all of which ultimately made the idea of breaking things off a very tough thing but that left Peter suffering and damnit, what should she do!?

'Oh mom, what would you say to me if you were still here?' Gwen thought to herself privately as she gazed forlornly at a photo of her mother Helen Stacy playing with a young Gwen in the garden.

*Tap, Tap*

The sudden sound of a tapping at her window dragged Gwen from her thoughts as she looked to her left towards the noise, only to spot Spider-man waving at her from the window before pointing in her direction in an arch.

'...Does he mean the backgarden?' Gwen thought to herself as she watched him climb up and and out of view before she made to follow, grabbing a coat for warmth given the fact that it was already August and that she was in her pyjamas it just seemed like the best option.

Putting her shoes on at the back door, Gwen walked out into her small back garden although it was rather large for New York City, the crisp air brushing her hair back and tickling her nose as she gazed around for any sight of Spider-man.

Her garden was just a decently sized patch of grass, big enough for the swingset, the tree behind it and enough room for some flower beds. Her dad used to say it was one of the few perks of being Police Captain that her mom actually appreciated as it gave them a space to create so many memories with her...

Wiping away a stray tear as she walked onto the grass Gwen still couldn't see Spider-man...that is atleast, until she looked up.

Sitting on the edge of her roof with his legs dangling as he looked up at the stars was the infamous wall-crawler himself. Seemingly sensing that someone was watching him, Spider-man glanced down and locked eyes with Gwen who was standing there on the grass beneath the stars, gazing up at him with a searching look.

"Hey./Hey." They both called out to each other at the same time with something that whilst simple, conveyed a hundred words.

A silence seemed to stretch on for eternity following their acknowledgement of each other, a nauseous feeling began welling up inside Gwen as it felt like a ball of lead was forming in the pit of her stomach, she had an idea what this was about.

"Soooo...what's up?" Gwen asked lamely and immedietly regrets asking as she could've sworn she saw Spider-man wince however impeccable it was.

"Well I got home after finishing my super-secret-spidey business down in Florida, and then I got to thinking about what else happened in Florida like the Lizard, my interactions with Sandman...and that night I interrupted something between you and ." Spider-man recalled before finishing carefully, waiting to see for any adverse reaction mentioning that night might bring up.

"Yeah...that was a memorable, if not embarrassing night huh?" Gwen said awkwardly as she looked down at her feet that were gently kicking the ground below her, the ball of lead doubling in her stomach

"Mhmm, you could say that." Spider-man said as he nodded his head slightly, expression unreadable. "But well, I wouldn't exactly be the friendly neighbourhood Spider-man if I just ignored how eager you were to get out of there and, I guess there's no easy way of saying it, but I find myself having to ask...did you consent to it Gwen?"

Spider-mans words were like a sledgehammer that hit her in the gut and stole the air from her lungs as the part of her that was Harry's girlfriend warred with the part of her that had feelings for Peter until she finally managed to come up with an answer...no matter how reluctant she was to acknowledge it.

"...Yes, I did although I felt awful afterwards..." Gwen replied honestly, a look of shame adopting her expression whilst Peter fought back the pain her admission caused under the mask of Spider-man.

"Do you mind me asking how come you felt that way?" Spider-man said tentatively as he broached the sensitive topic.

"Because only the person I love should be touching me like that, yet I let Harry do it because he's my boyfriend and that stupid deal!... yet I enjoyed it, it felt nice, how does that make any sense!?" Gwen began ranting as she threw her arms up in the air before wrapping them around herself tightly at the end, her voice lost sounding as she finished her rant.

Spider-man looked as lost as Gwen sounded, his brain admittedly only focusing on parts of the her rant like the fact that she enjoyed it...Peter felt his heart clench painfully chest beneath the suit as a tear formed in his eye. 'God that hurt to hear...'

Taking a deep and, admittedly, shaky breath, Spider-man finally began to pick up on what else she said. 'Wait what deal? Is she being blackmailed!?'

"I-I'm sorry Gwen but could you please elaborate a bit, what deal? Are you okay?" Spider-man asked gently causing Gwen to scowl before sighing as she went over to the swingset and took a seat, looking back up at Spider-man sitting on her rooftop before she began her tale.

"So here's how that night went down properly-..."

-Flashback-

"Crazy day today huh?" Harry said awkwardly keeping a water bottle for himself and passing one over to Gwen as he approached from the elevator he'd just stepped out of towards her whilst she was sat in the atrium of Loews Royal Pacific Resort in a seating area off to the side.

"Understatement much, my life flashed before my eyes! Heck I was just lucky Peter spotted what was wrong fast enough otherwise i'd have been a goner." Gwen replied as she clutched the bottle in her hand, still a bit shaken up from the events of today whilst Harry adopted a pained smile at the the praise for his supposed 'Best-Friend'

"Yes, Peter really was...the 'Hero' of the hour wasn't he?" Harry said as he twisted the bottle cap off his water with a click before begrudginly taking a sip.

Gwen didn't respond, recognising the bait for an arguement for what it was, simply twisting the bottle cap of her wattle bottle as it opened silently before she went to take a sip, Harry watching on trying to gauge her reaction and figure out what to say.

"...So on the brighter side, you looked stunning in that white bikini today, no-one else looked even half as sexy." Harry said as he watched Gwen's cheeks begin to flush unnaturally fast before an errant thought made her click her tongue.

"Yeah right, did you see the super model Peter walked up with? Her breasts were huge! Like I can compare to someone like that..." Gwen finished sadly as she looked down at herself, her own well endowed chest paling in comparison to Felicia's, not to mention the bits of fat she knew were on her stomach and thighs plus a whole host of other things Gwen knew to be wrong or 'unappealing' with her body, her self-doubt winning over rational thought although she did notice she was beginning to feel a bit hot.

"Honestly Gwen, even including her, you were the sexiest girl on the beach, someone would have to be blind to not see that." Harry said as he put an arm around Gwen shoulders and pulled her into his side, whilst her cheeks continued to flush even redder. "And personally, your breasts beat hers by a mile, yours are the perfect size and shape..."

Now both of them were flushed in the face, Gwen deciding to try cool down by taking another drink from the water bottle only for it to do nothing to alleviate the heat spreading through her as she placed the bottle on the table infront of them.

"Gwen?" Harry called huskily causing said blonde to look up, slightly panting as she saw Harry moving closer to her for a kiss, a kiss she was about to reciprocate until she paused an inch away before backing up.

"Wait, can we do this somewhere more private? I don't want someone we know walking in on us..." Gwen asked, her cheeks still flushed as she tried to control her breathing.

Harry simply nodded as the two stood up and with a quick glance around, started making their way towards the resorts courtyard where they quickly claimed a dark corner, Harry holding her by the waist whilst Gwen had her arms wrapped around his neck as their lips met in the middle.

The two were kissing gently but it soon became quite heavy as they held each other close, the only real sound in the dark courtyard being the quiet sound of smacking hungry lips...that were soon accompanied by wandering hands.

Using his thumbs Harry gently pushed the sides of Gwens top up near her waistband so that he was holding her bare flesh, his hands ever so slightly under her top before the right hand tried to go a bit higher only for Gwens hand to push it back down gently.

The duo continued their make-out session until once again, the right hand tried to venture higher up her body only to be denied by a firmer hand except this time Harry was a bit more persistant as the two struggled briefly.

"...Why are you resisting? You said I could touch you more starting this trip if i left Peter alone about Spider-man!" Harry said in an impatient and slightly angry tone as he broke off from the kiss, wondering why his girlfriend refused to let him touch her.

" I only said it because you were being so hard on him and saying i didn't care about you!" Gwen still flush in the face quietly but indignantly whispered in response to Harry, who scoffed at her words seemingly taking great offense to her care for Peter whilst still believing she didn't care for him, almost certainly due to the conversation he overheard that she was none the wiser about.

"Well if you did care you'd let me touch your chest!" Harry whispered harshly as he let his emotions get the better of him, a feeling of inadequecy welling up inside him as he thought that if he were Peter she would have no problem letting him touch her.

"...f-fine" Gwen replied, her feelings of guilt and unease clouded by a sense of desire that had been building since Harry started to compliment her, the two moving closer to each other once again as they resumed their make-out session.

Gwen felt Harry's hand touch her skin as it made it's way to her breast, it left numb tingles that whilst pleasant, were... cold. Something that was made all the more obvious when his hand roughly grabbed her breast making her wince a bit internally.

"What the fuck are you doing here murderer?" Gwen heard Harry say as he removed his hand from her breast that was now aching quite a bit. Given the vitrol in Harry's voice she had an idea of who was behind her but she really, really hoped she was wrong and was it just her or was it really warm?.

"H-huh, S-Spider-man?" Gwen said as she turned around, shocked that it actually was the famous New York Vigilante and embarrassed that someone she trusts, ' and maybe has a tiny crush on' , saw her like that.

"M-Ms. Stacy, i-It's a surprise to run into you here, is everything okay?" Spider-man stuttered oh my god he must be mortified, Gwen felt mortified too, her cheeks and body were so warm, oh she was so embarrassed and the sight of Spider-man was making her think of Peter which was making her guilty and gah!

"...Y-yeah everything's okay, i'll see you tomorrow Harry." Gwen said embarrassed as she walked off back towards the lobby of the hotel in a hurry, the blush still present on her face as she panted a bit.

'I need a cold shower, and on the double.'

-Flashback ends-

"...-and that's what happened, Harry did kinda guilt me into it a bit but we had already made the deal and ultimately I did consent before he touched me so...yeah." Gwen finished rather drained from reliving the embarrassing night as her shoulders slumped.

'The deal was partially because of me?' Spider-man thought to himself in personal horror as his mind went over what he'd just heard from her tale of the night in question.

"S-so the deal in question was started in a sense as a way to protect Parker...?" Spider-man questioned delicately.

"Yes...I wanted to convince Harry that I wasn't lying to him about my feelings so he wouldn't do anything stupid whilst at the same time protecting Peter aswell." Gwen admitted with a sigh that soon turned into a brief scornful laugh. "Of course, I only realised what I'd said when I'd proposed the deal after the words were out of my mouth and by then it was too late to take them back, he'd accepted and started planning the class trip down to Florida in celebration, hence the good mood so I decided to just roll with my plan."

The silence that stretched between the two seemed to go on for an eternity following that series of admissions, both having trouble finding anything more to say, Gwen drained as she lightly pushed herself on the swing whilst Spider-man just grit his teeth, breathing sharply but quietly through his nose as tears found their way leaking out of his eyes beneath the mask.

Finally, the sight of Gwen was just a bit too much to bear tonight and so Spider-man let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding before he stood up on the roof of the Stacy townhouse.

"Well I guess I got my answer didn't I, thank you for sharing so much with me tonight Gw- Ms. Stacy, it was really appreciated and i hope talking to me has brought you some form of relief about that night...If you ever need help, you need only ask, I promise you that." Spider-man finished before he made to swing off only for a call to to halt him in his tracks.

"Wait! What should I do if I'm promised to one but love another?" Gwen asked Spider-man the question her heart so desperately desired the answer for as she looked up at him silhoutted by the moon and stars on her roof.

"...I can't answer that." Spider-man said as he realised the power he held over Gwen right now, he could easily say follow your heart and go for the one you love which he assumes meant himself but his Uncle Ben's voice rang out in his head 'With great power, comes great responsibility.' so Spider-man left his answer at that before swinging off into the night, leaving Gwen sitting there lost and confused.

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It was a couple of days later, August 10th to be precise, that Peter was called back in to the Buggle to pick up his cheque from Betty for the travel exposé, and what a cheque it was! 400 Dollars richer Peter immedietly put that money in the heating fund, including the 100 from Ned, he was now half way there already which was a damn good start if he had anything to say about it.

Waving goodbye to Betty and Ned, who looked to focusing intently on his latest article, Peter made his way out of the Buggle and back down to the busy New York streets below where he began heading for home. Aunt May had wanted him to come home after he was done at the Buggle and it gave him the perfect excuse to ignore the messages from Gwen, Harry and MJ he hadn't even bothered looking at.

After his talk with Gwen he didn't know how to feel, angry that Harry had partially guilted her? Hurt that she had consented to letting Harry touch her anyway? Devastated that she was trying to protect everyone in the only way she felt she could?

Peter spent the rest of the journey home ruminating on his thoughts as he got to his front door, pulling out his set of keys from his pocket, blearily he unlocked the door and walked into the unexpectedly dark hallway and front room.

"Aunt May?" Peter called out warily, spider-sense on full alert only for it to not go off as the lights were turned on alongside the noisy sound of party poppers.

"Surprise!/ Surprise!/ Surprise!/ Surprise." The voices of Aunt May, MJ, Gwen and Harry called out to Peter, Gwen and MJ both holding party poppers as they stood underneath a banner that read "Happy 17th Birthday!".

"W-what the, it's my birthday?" Peter said stupidly as his brain completely blanked on the date, whilst the rest of the room either laughed or groaned.

"Oh dear, leave it to Peter to forget his own birthday." Aunt May said as she brought one hand up to rest on her face. "Now I know we're tight for money at the moment but I bumped into Gwen and MJ at the park and they suggested a small get together, so the credit really belongs to them dear.

"T-thanks you two, would've slipped my mind completely if not for you two." Peter said a tad awkwardly as he tried to find the words to say when he still kinda wanted to be alone for a bit while he sorted out his thoughts.

"No problem Tiger, you know we got your back." MJ said with a wink as she leaned against the armrest of the sofa, dressed in her usual casual clothes whilst Gwen stood the other side of her near Harry.

What followed next was something even more surprising than getting a birthday party, getting gifts! Aunt May explained that they couldn't aford one at the moment and that she'd make it up to him at Christmas whilst MJ got him a brand new mens grooming kit from her top of the line modelling agency, Gwen got him new thermals remembering how much he'd been complaining about the cold last winter and Harry...Harry had a surprise.

"Well Pete when Gwen told me about the plans for today sh-we, started brainstorming activity ideas and I thought why not give you something to keep you inside on those cold days, i have too many of them to count so what's one less anyway." Harry finished as he passed over a box to Peter which was skeptically unwrapped after the backhanded delivery.

"It's one of my old one's so i'm afraid it's not brand new but it still works." Harry said as Peter looked at the Nintendo Switch infront of him, flabbergasted that such an expensive gift was just being given to him so flippantly.

"Oh Harry that's so kind of you, you're such a wonderful friend to Peter!" Aunt May said cheerily as she clapped her hands together before standing up and making to head into the kitchen. "I need to go check on something but do continue to have fun everyone."

Awkward silence stretched out amongst the friends until it was finally broken by MJ and her impeccable timing.

"So shall we set that thing up, I assume there's a game with it Harry?" MJ asked curiously as she looked over Peter's shoulder.

"Yeah, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe." Was Harry's simple reply as he sat down in a chair near Gwen.

The set up took about 20 minutes to figure out for the first time on the new tv system until finally everything was hooked up right and everyone was about to start racing when the doorbell rang causing Peter to get up off the couch to see who was there.

"Flash? Aunt May called you too?" Peter said in slight but pleasant surprise, only to see afformentioned blondes confused look.

"Huh called me about what Parker? My mom wanted me to check something about one of your Aunt's recipes for her and who better to ask than the woman who wrote the book." Was Flash's confused response, watching as Peter sheepishly told him it was nothing before telling him to follow him to the kitchen where his Aunt was.

Flash was checking his phone as he walked in, presumably going over the question he was to ask so he didn't see the the banner in the living room or the other three sitting there watching the duo step through the house.

Aunt May was just closing the oven when they walked in but was happy to answer the question Flash's mother sent him over with, apparently she was trying to make a banoffee and was wondering why regular milk wouldn't work aswell as condensed milk.

"You know Flash...today's my birthday, surprised right? I was to. But anyway, Gwen, Harry, MJ and I are in the living room playing Mario Kart if you wanted to join us? We're thinking of grabbing pizza later too and Aunt May's baking a cake." Peter said as he invited Flash to his 17th birthday, an invitation said blonde seemed to be considering until a voice from the living room cemented his decision.

"You coming or what Flash, afraid you'll see your precious Yoshii in last place?" MJ's voice called out teasingly causing Flash's eyes to go wide as he huffed.

"Oh you are so on Watson! Me and Yoshii will crush you and Toad!" Flash shot back as he made his way inside, Peter following behind with a smile, glad for the distraction away from the couple in the other room.

This was how the group spent the next few hours, racing and through the two sets of maps, available since they were using Harry's old account on the Switch which had purchased it, switching between the 5 who was playing until eventually stomachs began to rumble.

The group ordered three large pizzas, 3 sides of wedges and a garlic bread, courtesy of Harry apparently he'd said offhandedly with a smirk whilst racing into first on the second lap ahead of Flash whilst MJ was the odd one out for this race sitting near the window on food watch.

*BANG!*

"Wow what was that!?" Gwen asked MJ concernedly, watching as she'd stepped back rather fast from the curtain after looking through as discreetly as she could.

"A-Ahem, just an angry driver slamming his door before driving off but it wasn't the delivery guy, since said food is AWOL currently though i'm gonna go run to the bathroom though." MJ said as she sauntered off to the bathroom as fast as was socially acceptable, and away from the window where the driver was.

Whilst MJ was in the bathroom, maybe or maybe not having a slight panic attack about who she saw, the other four were finishing their race when the food arrived which they had set out by the time MJ had calmed herself down and returned to the rest, no-one any the wiser to her previous state.

Peter chatted with sparsely with the guests as they ate, mainly replying rather than seeking out conversation as he watched Gwen and Harry interact as subtly as he could, feeling inadequate, something he was sure Flash picked up on if the amount of times he tried to bring him into conversation with him and MJ was any hint. Peter wasn't sure how much it helped...but he appreciated it.

The party rung to a close with the singing of "Happy Birthday!" to Peter for his 17th year on this plane of existance, Aunt May presenting him with a delicious chocolate fudge cake. After everyone got a slice of cake and a few embarrassing stories were shared, likely as revenge for Peter revealing the origin of Flash's nickname at his 17th, it was time for the guests to leave.

Flash left first, saying goodbye with a pat on the back to Peter and wishing him a Happy Birthday. Harry and Gwen left next, hand in hand as they left for his limo which was waiting by the curb, wishing Peter a Happy Birthday aswell before they too departed. Until finally, MJ was the last one to leave, subtly checking up and down the road before she fully stepped out and turned around to face Peter.

"Happy Birthday Tiger." MJ said gently as she gave him a hug and a quick peck on the cheek, before turning back around to head for home and to check on Aunt Anna.

Peter just stood there, even more confused than he was earlier today before sighing and heading back inside, he didn't get girls and he doubted he was about to have an epiphany tonight.

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Meanwhile across the city and across the road from the Ravencroft Institute, something was moving in the shadows of the alleyway...

One black loafer stepped into view followed by another under a flickering light from a back alley light, illuminating the rest of the figure dressed in a rather filthy New York City Policemen's uniform.

Particularly...Jason, who'd been missing for days after an encounter with Cletus Kasady in the sewers and was presumbed dead...but those souless black eyes seemed to look upon the psychiatric institute with clear joy to anyone who could see them.

Well that's it folks! Chapter 22 is finally done and dusted. This was quite the big chapter so I hope it's an enjoyable one!

So in regards to the scene that was completely re-written, it was everything regarding the Gwen and Spider-man interaction so all the Gwen POV stuff, insight, flashback, talks etc, it's like 3,066 words so I'm very glad that I did re-do it as there evidently was more to be said.

Gonna leave it at that everyone, hope you all have a great time preparing for the upcoming Spooky season! :D

See you soon,
Lovecraftian Shaggy