Hey guys, this is a story following the events of Across the Spider-verse. I don't own any character. Enjoy this first chapter of a long story in the making!
Immediately after Across the Spider-Verse
"I always wanted to be in a band. Guess I just never found the right one. In this line of workâ you always wind up a solo act. Before Miles, there was Peter. But they didn't really know me. And I didn't really know him eitherâ until it was too lateâ I never really made another friend after that. Except one. But he's not here. And there's no way to get there."
"I never found the right band to join."
"So, I started my own."
"With a few old friends."
"You want in?"
"No thank you,"
"What?" Gwen was stunned.
"No, thank you."
"I need your help," Gwen had honestly not expected a no.
"I can't Gwen," Dusk-spider shifted awkwardly, "I can't leave my universe."
"You have never tried, you never had a way, but you can come with me," Gwen held up her new watch, a gift from Hobie.
"I can't, you know what happened the last time I left my universe. I can't repeat that."
"That wasn't your fault," Gwen protested but was startled when Dusk-spider snapped.
"Don't lie to me Gwen!" he yelled, "Don't tell me it wasn't my fault. We both know it was." Gwen couldn't believe her ears. She had never seen Dusk-spider yell before, or even get upset, he was usually calm and softspoken, almost shy. His sudden anger infuriated her.
"I'm not lying, you're being ridiculous! Scared to leave your universe because you are afraid of what happened! Grow up!"
"I can't leave Gwen."
"Fine," Gwen snapped with as much venom as she could, "Stay alone. That's what you want, isn't it? You know you'll always be alone!" With a quick press to her watch, a collage portal opened on the street behind her. She didn't look back as she disappeared from Dusk's home universe.
Dusk-spider watched the portal disappear. Gwen was hurt, that much was obvious. He knew she wasn't truly mad at him, and he wished he could help. He had always wanted to meet Miles, but he couldn't leave. It wouldn't be right. Her words echoed in his mind, he was always alone.
Gwen shot through the space between universes, the fight replaying over and over in her mind. She had only known Dusk-spider for about three months, but he had been a helpful companion. She fought back tears as a portal appeared before her, and she landed in Earth-138.
"She's back," Peter B. clapped. The rest of the gang was spread out in Hobie's flat. Peter B. stood with Mayday, looking over Hobie and Margo who were fiddling with a computer.
"Where's the new guy?" Pavitr said, dropping from the ceiling.
"He chose to stay behind," Gwen replied perhaps a little to controlled.
"So, he isn't coming?" Peni questioned. She sat on Hobie's couch with Noir and Ham.
"No, he isn't," Gwen said curtly, earning her a questioning look of concern from Hobie.
"Why not?" Peni continued, "What did he say?"
"It don't matter," Hobie interrupted. Gwen was grateful, he was the only other one who had met Dusk-spider before. "Margo?"
"Huh?" Margo spun in her chair to join the conversation. "O right, well I think I know where Miles is."
"Where?" Gwen asked, forgetting about her troubled encounter for the moment.
"Well after he wasn't in his home dimension," Margo began. "I started to question what could have happened. The go-home machine--"
"Terrible name," Hobie interrupted.
"The go-home machine," Margo continued with a glare, "Was designed to read a person's DNA and send them to that dimension, which of course should be their own."
"But that didn't happen," Peter B. commented.
"I know!" Margo snapped.
"Let the girl finish," Noir said.
"Obviously something went wrong with Miles," Margo continued. "At first I thought it must have been an issue with the way he activated the machine, but that didn't make any sense because you can't set any destination you want. So then I thought maybe there was a malfunction in the machine."
"Just get to the point Margo," Peter B. said exasperated.
"I am! Basically, there wasn't any issue with the machine, it just read the wrong DNA."
"The wrong DNA?" Gwen asked.
"How did it get different DNA?" Peni questioned at the same time.
"The spider," Margo pronounced proudly.
"The spider," Peter B. said sarcastically, and Gwen couldn't help but smile.
"Yes, the spider!" Margo looked around, but everyone except Hobie seemed confused. "Look, the spider that bit Miles was from another dimension. It had different DNA that merged with Miles'."
"So, the machine read the DNA of the spider--" Noir interrupted.
"And sent him to the universe the spider was from!" Gwen finished.
"Exactly!" Margo beamed. Gwen was relieved, they had a lead. It had only been a few hours since she had got the team together, and things were already looking up.
"Earth-42, the world with no Spiderman," something about the way Peter B. said it, made Gwen uneasy, but now wasn't the time to worry.
"Ok, we head to Earth-42. We split up and search everywhere he could possibly be," saying it made it sound easy, but Gwen knew nothing was ever easy. She watched her whole team assemble. Peter B. holding Mayday, Noir and Peni, Pav and Hobie, Margo and Ham. With the press of a button, the collage-like portal opened. She couldn't stand the feeling of letting Miles down again.
note: that is chapter one, I'm excited for where this is going to go. I have so many plans and ideas for the story. Dusk-spider is my own original character, and I am excited to finally put him on the page. Next chapter we reunite with Miles and the Prowler!!