As soon as his feet were on the ground, Peter released the web he'd swung in on and darted across the street. Though he skidded to a halt as soon as he realized that everything was as it should have been; herds of people moving like a stampede over the crossing, classic yellow cabs stopping to either pick up or drop off passengers, and no sign of trouble anywhere. In quiet suspicion, his eyes glided over every inch of the surrounding area until they fell upon a lone figure up the top of one of the many skyscrapers. Peter shrugged. They could have been a worker with a job to do up there, but most construction men didn't go anywhere too risky without a team.

"Please don't let this be a trap." He muttered to himself, and launched a web at the side of the building.

It took barely a few minutes for him to reach the top, but when he did, he found himself alone and couldn't help but wonder if he'd imagined it in the midst of his desperation. He was about head back down when something else caught his eye. Taped onto a junctional box was yet another note. He didn't need to guess that it was no coincidence as he reached out and snatched it from where it was taped.

Peter,

Ha! I knew you'd fall for it. You're so desperate at this point that you'd go as far to jump when I say. This was nothing more than a test, and you passed.

For the fun to truly begin, head to the park in which you fought your best friend.

Signed,

Your biggest hater.

Scrunching up the note and tossing it down, Peter launched a web and swung himself over to the next rooftop, repeating the process until he was directly across the street from the abandoned fairground where he and Gwen had fought Harry a little over a year ago. Though all he could think about was the time he had already wasted by chasing the first dead end. If this was yet another, he wouldn't chance following a third but he also would be without the needed time to find a solution. With that in mind, he swung one last time, past the boarded up entryway and into the park. He took small, deliberately quiet steps forward as he scanned the area from left to right, trying to find something- anything- that would give him a clue.

"Well, well… look what the cat dragged in."

A cold shiver ran down his spine and he felt his whole body tense as he turned around slowly. Peter recognised the voice before he'd seen their face, but seeing them again after all the time that had passed sent waves of deja vu coursing through him.

"But you-"

"It's been a while, Peter. I have been waiting for this day ever since that night."

Peter took an involuntary step back. "Why here? You have no power here."

"Do I not?"

"Take a look around." He said, gesturing to the deserted area that surrounded them. "No lights, no live wires… nothing to draw from, Max."

"You seem so sure of that." Max gleamed.

Peter didn't take his eyes off Max as the latter paced slowly over to the entrance where he'd swung in from. It was only then that he noticed a little grey box with a switch, and his breath caught in his throat as he watched Max flip it. All at once the fairground burst into life with thousands of coloured lights and typical ride music to accompany them.

"Max…" He called, no longer able to see past the brightness of the lights. "Max, please… You don't have to go through with this… Eddie isn't a good person but you- you're different. I know you… you were my friend."

"It's too late for that, Peter." Max hissed. "You say those words but you don't mean them… nobody knows me. I have no friends. Only an enemy; you."

"That's where you're wrong… Not all humans are monsters, Max. We have our own lives and we sometimes forget things, but we don't have bad intentions."

"Intentions are not the problem. Ignorance. That's the problem. Everyone is ignorant. You are no exception."

Peter opened his mouth, but realized in that instant that his words were having no effect on Max. He could preach all day, but he couldn't deny that there was some truth to what the latter was saying, and the daylight was already beginning to give way to a thick dusky twilight. Any other time, he'd have had the patience to try and get through to him. But for now, he needed to deal with the situation and move on as briskly as possible. Max started edging towards him, and for each step forward he took, Peter took one back.

"We don't have to do this… just tell me where Eddie is and in return, I will help you once I have solved my problem."

"You can't help me!" Max yelled. "It's too late. You had your chance, but you didn't take it."

"Max-"

"Don't Max me! The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"This isn't-"

"I'm not doing you any favours. I have no reason to. Eddie filled me in on everything and all I have to say is good riddance. I hope you fail to save them, the way everyone failed me. I hope you get to feel the pain of loneliness the way I was forced to feel it-"

"I'm not asking for favours!" Peter cut in. "I can help you, and I will… but I need to see this through first. Whatever Eddie has told you, he's lying."

"Oh really?" Max growled. "So… You're not here only to chase down the antidote needed to save your wife and unborn child then? And you didn't, metaphorically speaking, slam the door in his face when he tried to hand it to you? And you didn't destroy your best friend in this very place?"

Peter stopped moving back as Max advanced towards him. "Yes, that is exactly why I'm here, and yes I did turn him away at first because of everything he's done, but I didn't kill Harry. What happened to him, he caused when he made his choice."

"You fail to mention that you're the one who took his choice away. You had the chance to save him…"

"No. It wasn't like that. Eddie knows nothing. I am responsible for my own choices, but I am not at fault for his reaction to those choices."

"And me?" He quizzed. "Where was my choice when they sent me back to that floor on my birthday? Where was my choice when I slipped and fell through the railing into a tank full of electric eels?"

"You are not Harry, Max. I said that he had a choice. I never said that you did, and what happened to you was tragic, and the way they dealt with it was wrong… but that doesn't give you the right to treat people with the same disrespect."

"I've heard enough!"

Peter's eyes widened as Max placed his hand on some of the closest lights and watched as, one by one, they dimmed and then exploded, sending glass tinkering to the ground. He swerved quickly, dodging an attempted hit, and with a puddle inches away from the heels of his feet, he back flipped over it and narrowly avoided getting shocked. As the murky water rippled from the impact, and Max started glowing with electricity, an idea came to him. All he had to do was find a bigger source of water. But from where he stood, it was impossible to see. Deciding that it would be easier to locate water from higher ground, he slammed his finger down on the button and activated his web shooter. Before Max could take another swing, he sprung up to the top of the roller-coaster tracks and looked out into the near distance. Less than a mile away, he could see the glimmer of water around the city harbour, and in the opposite direction he could see bright yellow lights illuminating a body of water in a backyard also less than a mile away. Neither of them would work. The water around the harbour was too deep, his aim was to stop Max, not to kill him, and the pool water was surrounded by lights that would give him a fighting chance.

"You can't hide from me, Peter."

His fingers drummed impatiently against his thighs as he looked on in search of an alternative, all too aware of the time that was slipping away. Eventually his gaze fell upon the ground keeper's shed not too far from the park's exit, and hung on a hook protruding from the side of the shabby, worn down square of a building was a hosepipe.

"Want me?" He called back. "Then come and get me."

Peter leapt from the tracks before Max could move. At the top of his jump, he launched a web and sprung himself over to shed in only one swing. Just like he had counted on, Max charged towards him at full speed and as he drew closer, Peter readied the hose. He waited a few seconds more and when his old foe levitated in the air less than a foot away, he squeezed the trigger. Water rushed through the pipe and squirted out through the several tiny pin-sized holes at the end, showering Max like rainfall. Peter winced as the latter dropped to the ground in a fit of convulsions and the glowing blue fizzled out as he short-circuited. But he kept the hose aimed at him, wanting to be ready should he launch a surprise attack. He hesitated briefly, and sprayed Max one last time to ensure he stayed down, then dropped the makeshift weapon and launched himself into the air using another web.

Gwen raised a hand to shield her eyes from the dazzling sunlight that streaked across the room through the partially open blinds. She had tried twice already since Peter had left to get her head down and fall asleep, but it just wasn't happening. The trouble was that being awake was boring when confined to a hospital bed in a painfully dull room. With a heavy sigh, she forced herself to sit up a little, feeling both her legs and lower back starting to go numb from being laid down for so long. Semi-consciously, her hand glided over her stomach, and she thought about the current situation as well as what was to come, her mind began to drift elsewhere. Back to days long passed and moments that, in a place like this, she couldn't help but long for. An involuntary smile graced her lips as fond memories of her father came back to her, and all of the daddy-daughter dates they'd shared while she was growing up. She quickly pushed the thoughts away, knowing that she would only upset herself if she dived too deep into the memories. As if something somewhere was listening to her, a knock on the door pulled her away from the depths of her thoughts.

She could barely contain her excitement when, less than a second later, the door opened and May walked in, followed by Simon. Her respect for the woman ran deep, but the truth was that she'd have been happy if it were just the nurse that had come to do her rounds. Any company she could get was welcomed warmly at that point. Gwen shook her head, trying to wrap her head around the unexpected visit.

"Good grief, it's a wonder anyone is able to cope in here with how dull they keep these rooms." May commented.

Gwen couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, you have no idea, it's so boring."

"You ought to bring it up to them."

"I'll keep it in mind." She said in a joking manner. "Anyway, what brings you here? Is everything okay?"

May's cheeks flushed pink as she ushered Simon into a chair next to the bed, then sat down herself. "Yes, everything is fine and dandy. There's no need to worry yourself, dear, it'll do you no good."

"That's a relief." She agreed, and flashed a haphazard smile.

"Actually, we're here because your brother has something that he wants to give you." May explained. "Simon…"

Gwen's eyes drifted to her younger brother and a stab of guilt pricked at her as she realized just how unfair everything had been on him. Since they'd found him, she'd barely had the time to help him settle in and talk to him, what with all that was going on with Eddie, and the pregnancy on top of it all, but she knew that more of an effort needed to be made. It would be easier once she was back on her feet, but that wouldn't stop her from trying while she had the chance.

"It's not much, I made it at school and May suggested bringing it to you here." Simon started, and instead of rambling on, offered out a folded piece of paper.

Gwen bit down on her lower lip as she took it from him and unfolded it. Her heart both sank and lightened all at once. On the paper was a picture drawn in coloured crayons, portraying a bright summer's day with a stick-figure family consisting of a blonde woman, a man with brown hair, a boy with blonde hair and a baby in a stroller. In the blue of the sky were four more stick figures, this time a woman with brown hair and a man with dark blonde hair, and two boys on either side of them. She didn't need to ask to know who each was meant to be.

"Do you like it?" He questioned with wide eyes and a hopeful smile. "The assignment was to draw a picture of what we love."

Drawing in a deep breath, Gwen fought back the tears and plastered on a smile despite the ache that it brought to her heart. She licked at her dry lips, and folded the paper again.

"I do. That was really nice and thoughtful, Simon… Mom and dad would be proud of you."

"You think so?"

"I know so." She nodded.

"Hey bud, would you mind giving us a moment?" May cut in. "I'll be right with you, then we can go for ice cream."

"Mint chocolate ice cream?" He beamed.

"Yes. Mint chocolate." She promised.

"Okay." Simon agreed, and left the room quietly without a fuss.

May waited until the door had clicked shut before turning back to Gwen with a more serious expression.

"What's up?"

"Nothing." May answered truthfully. "But are you okay?"

"Me?" Gwen asked, eyes wide with surprise. "I'm okay, why do you ask?"

"Peter may be my nephew, but I do care about you like my own too." She said with a smile. "And Simon is no longer in the room, you don't have to put on that brave face now."

A small silence fell between them as Gwen pondered her response. The smile on her face dropped a little, but didn't completely fade. "I appreciate the concern, but I think I'm okay. This room might drive me a little stir crazy, and there are definitely things that worry me… sometimes it does get to me, but I have too much going on to even take notice."

"Alright, if you're sure then that's all that matters." May nodded. "Though don't hesitate to call me if you need to, and my door is always open."

"Thank you." Gwen hummed. "I mean it. I think I speak for Peter too, when I say we'd be lost without you… and I don't think I could have coped with recent events if not for you."

"Of course. Peter has a good heart, but sometimes he can be quite oblivious to these things, especially when he's caught up in whatever is going on with him. But he does love you, and I know that when it counts, he will be there."

"I don't doubt him one bit."

"I'll stop by tomorrow morning with some bits to help pass the time in this place, but for now, I'd better go and get Simon his ice cream."

Not much more was said between the two of them as May got up and prepared to leave. Once she'd disappeared out into the corridor, Gwen laid back down and shifted onto her side in an attempt to get more comfortable. As her eyes grew heavy, she unfolded Simon's drawing again and gazed upon it as her head sank into the pillow, finally feeling sleepy.

Mid-swing, Peter's phone rang. Startled by the noise, he missed his landing point, sending him plummeting several feet through the air. His fall was broken first by a fire escape platform which his weight broke right through, and then a large dumpster, before he finally hit the ground. He couldn't tell how long he remained there as his entire body reeling from the shock, but the ringing of his phone faded to white noise in that time before it eventually cut off. It was only when he pushed himself up, that he felt the impact of the fall. Every breath was tainted with pain, and his suit was torn at the arm, revealing a lengthy scrape that extended from his wrist to his elbow. With a nasty metallic taste filling his mouth, he whipped off his mask and glanced at his reflection in the blacked-out window of a nearby car. Blood had spilled from his nose, mixing with the blood seeping from his split upper-lip. He drew in a deep breath to deal with the pain, and fished in his pocket for his phone. No caller ID flashed across the screen and as he was about to put it back, it rang again. This time, he answered straight away.

"Who is this?"

"Hello, Peter… That was fun watching you dance with our mutual blue friend."

"Eddie." He sighed. "Should have known."

"I'll admit, I expected Max to cave in but I'm impressed at his resilience."

"Cut the chit chat!" Peter snapped. "Where's the antidote?"

"It's right here." Eddie said nonchalantly. "Come and get it."

"Where are you?"

"All in good time, Peter. You still have five other levels to pass before you even get near me."

"Eddie, I swear to God…" Peter raised his voice. "If she dies, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Eddie gleamed down the phone. "Hunt me down and kill me? Yeah… somehow I doubt you'd be able without her."

"I'm not playing around!"

"Neither am I." He chuckled. "I gave you a chance to just take it from my hands and you turned me away, so if she dies that's on you."

Peter clenched his phone in his hand as Eddie's laughter echoed through the speaker. He grit his teeth to keep himself from saying something that would only result in more hardship, and waited for the latter to pull himself together.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. It's quite tragic really… but I mean this sincerely; I hope you lose her and the baby. Seeing their blood spilled on your hands will be… hmm… satisfying."

"Where do I have to go?" Peter demanded.

"Graveyard. You have five minutes."