≈Everything's all set.≈

Upon hearing those words, Peni reached out to Gwen on the bed beside her. "Help me up."

After Gwen complied, she watched the little girl walk to her robot hanging outside the window and reaching in to take out a laptop. "Whatcha doing?" she wondered.

Peni answered as she placed the laptop on the desk and booted it up. "I just heard back from Bitsy. She told me all the bits and pieces I left in the bag are in place. I'm gonna try and see if we can establish a connection to the equipment now."

Gwen got up and stood beside her with interest. She then chuckled in wonder at the monitor displaying tons of camera footage all around the place, showing hallways, vents and even the outside. "Yes!" Peni cheered, high-fiving Gwen and sending a thanks to Bitsy, "Alright, let's check the sensors now."

The monitor quickly changed to a view of a 3D cuboid, supposedly representing the Alchemax building. In different places, several circles appeared and expanded until they were offscreen, briefly exposing many bright dots along the way. Gwen was in awe. "That's so cool. Is that sonar?"

"Nope," she explained gladly, "Sonar can only be used in water. The sensors we're using detect heartbeat and respiration. They then communicate with each other to pinpoint the location of the signals, and that's how we know where the people are in the 3D space."

"That's so cool. So, it'll detect us too then?"

"Yep, I can locate you guys this way." With excitement, she grabbed Gwen's hand and led her out the room. "Let's go tell the others."

It didn't take long for Peni to round up everyone else in the living room and make her announcement. "I got word from Bitsy, and she's placed all the equipment around Alchemax. I've been able to connect to them and they're working as expected. So, we can now do the decoy part."

Benjamin approved of the news. "Alright, the sooner we send out some people, the better. I think we've been dilly-dallying long enough. Don't want them to figure out we still have their data."

That was when May shared her idea. "Then I suggest we begin tomorrow. Peter, Gwen, I think you two should go first early morning when things are still calm."

Peter shrugged and Gwen nodded, both feeling reluctant. Peni on the other hand, wasn't entirely on board. "Why'd you pick them?" She couldn't care less about the man going. It was Gwen whom she'd rather have stay.

"Well, they've been there before and know their way around. They faced Liv head-on and defeated her, and they avoided the scientists and their guns. So, it's safer to send out our more familiar and experienced people to make sure this plan goes well."

"But Miles has been there too, so he's also familiar and experienced. Why's he not going?"

"Because he's still a recruit. We don't know how much harder getting in and out will be this time, so he's staying for the sake of his safety."

"I'll be guiding them this time, so if anything, getting in and out will be easier."

May sighed at how stubborn the girl was being. "Look. We don't even know if this plan will work, so we have to play it safe. Think of it this way: would you want your prototypes to be tested by people who have no idea what they're doing?"

As much as she didn't want to admit, May had a point: that wouldn't be safe. So, she answered in defeat. "…No."

"I'm glad we're on the same page. Speaking of playing it safe, I think we should send out one more person, just in case they need the help."

Benjamin stepped up. "Alright, I'll be tagging along with you guys. I might be without my gun for now, but I doubt I need it anyway. Maybe I can just snag one from one of those scientists and use it to shoot Kingpin's face off."

"That's nice of you to offer, but if you're tagging along just so you can avenge Peni, then maybe it's best you stay behind and not get the others in trouble."

"I know. That last part was supposed to sound like a joke. I'll just stick with Peter and Gwen and make sure they're alright. I'll save the shooting for another time."

Gwen noticed the look of discontent on Peni's face and felt for her. Just a few minutes ago, the smaller girl was thrilled to share the news of the plan's development. Now she looks like she wished she kept it to herself.

May disbanded the meeting. "I guess that settles it. Peter, Gwen, and Benjamin will be the first to go early morning. The trip to Alchemax won't be short, so I suggest sleeping soon and leaving at around five in the morning. That way, you should be able to get there when the place opens. If all goes well, you guys should be able to make it back by noon. Peni, may I have a word with you—in private?"

Peni figured it had something to do with her showing objection earlier. She hoped she wasn't in trouble. "I'll be upstairs," Gwen told her before leaving with everyone else.

It was just Peni and May in the living room. As nice as May is, she can be intimidating, and right now, Peni feels like she's been called to the head principal's office. But relief came over the girl when she saw May smiling. "Well, aren't you sweet?"

"…Huh?" She would be more confused, but she already had an idea where the woman was going with this.

"I figured you wanted Gwen to stay here with you."

Peni blushed as her suspicions were correct. But she didn't deny it. Why would she? She just nodded.

"Well, I'm sure you can live half a day without her. Though you two have been inseparable, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and believe it's easier said than done."

"…Can I at least go with them? I don't even have to sneak in with them. I can just be in my robot, hiding somewhere close to the building and using my laptop there to guide them. It's not different to using it at home."

"It is, dear. The difference is the danger you'd be in, and until you heal up, your safety is the group's top priority. We have to play it safe, and that means you staying home. And what if you do get caught hiding? With the way your waist is right now, I don't think it can handle you moving around in that robot."

"I guess."

May's expression softened to a maternal smile. "I'm sure Gwen doesn't want to leave you either. You two can get back together again when she comes back. Go on upstairs now. She might be getting lonely."

While she was advised to sleep early, Gwen didn't do so. She preferred to just play games with Peni on her console. They were casually free-roaming in one of Peni's favourite games, yet the smaller girl didn't seem too invested, like there was something troubling her mind. Peni was confused as to why the game was suddenly paused, until she felt her companion lean against her. "You alright?" Gwen asked.

Peni looked at her for a moment before looking down, her face feeling heated. "…I would've liked you to stay."

"…I kinda figured that from how you didn't seem cool with me and Peter going," Gwen responded with a smile. Did she want to go herself? Not really. Maybe her recent laziness played a role in that, but Peni has been her source of company, comfort, and happiness. And having to be away from her was the hardest part. She wrapped an arm around her. "I wanna stay too. But May had a point. I know the place better, so it's safer if I go with the others."

"I guess," Peni agreed before muttering the rest, "but I was hoping you'd never go to Alchemax at all."

"Well maybe we can make it a one-time thing. I can try to talk the others into not having me come along next time."

"That would be great."

"I noticed you didn't want Benjamin to go either."

"I thought you being away was bad enough, but he decides to go too? Why do both of my favourite people have to be away at the same time?"

"Well, at least my favourite person will be safe at home. That's the most important thing to me."

Peni felt warm and wanted her to know it was mutual. "I want you safe too."

"I'm not worried. We have you looking over us like a guardian angel. Like you said earlier: it'll be easier than last time since you're guiding us. And if we do get caught, don't worry. I kicked Liv's ass before. I could do it again."

Peni giggled. Kicking that doctor's ass sounded like something that could be done by someone as cool as Gwen. "I wish I was there to see that."

"Well, maybe tomorrow, if you… pretend to accidentally lead us right to her, I can show you."

She laughed again. "Nope. I'm planning on keeping her away. I'd rather see it in person anyway."

"Cool. I'll keep a note of that for next time we meet those guys and they deserve another beating."

Thinking of encountering those guys again gave Peni flashbacks to encountering… him. It got her tense just dwelling on it, causing her to slightly curl up. "No… I don't wanna see that guy again…"

"…Kingpin?"

Peni curled up more and eventually nodded. Gwen doesn't blame the girl fearing the man who almost killed her. She was honestly scared of him too. If he was heartless enough to shoot a girl who openly surrendered in front of him, then who knows where he will draw the line?

"Hey, look at me," Gwen said. Peni slowly turned to face her, and they found themselves looking into each other's eyes for a moment. Caressing her best friend's shoulder, Gwen told her, "I won't let him do anything to you ever again. I swear." She doesn't remember the last time she felt this committed about a promise, but she knows she'll do everything to protect her.

To Gwen's pleasure, Peni relaxed as she uncurled and leaned on her, even smiling again. "Thanks. …God, it was so scary."

"I know. I was scared too."

Even if Peni didn't see the sad look on her best friend's face, she would've believed her. She remembered Gwen crying because she thought Peni would die. If that really happened, Gwen would've been broken again, and would've reverted to her "I don't do friends" phase. Or worse…

No, Peni thought to herself, I'm never letting that happen again. She pulled Gwen's head so it could rest on her own head. "You don't have to worry about losing me. I'll be safe at home, and I'll be the one to protect you while you're at Alchemax."

"Thanks," Gwen said with a smile, gently pulling the girl into a hug that effectively removed all fear from each other, leaving them content and relaxed. They then resumed their game while still in their cuddled position, and Peni was now noticeably having a better time with the game than earlier.

At some point, an idea came to Gwen. Placing the controller down, she started browsing the app store on her phone. "So, Alchemax is a while away like May said, which means we'll probably be taking the coach bus again. I was thinking we sign up to some video chatting app so we can keep in touch."

Peni perked up. "That would be great!"

Gwen showed her a suitable app. "We can try this. I'm guessing you'll find a way to get it on your console."

"Mm-hmm, I can sideload it from your phone, no problem."

Peni found it convenient that Gwen's phone was the kind that was based on open-source software, because as she connected it to her console through a cable, getting the app was as easy as a copy and paste. They went ahead and signed up to the service on their devices, and thanks to the app using the contact list, they were already a click or tap away from calling each other.

One click later, Gwen's phone was ringing with Peni's name on it. After answering the call, she was gracefully met with Peni grinning on her phone screen. "Cute," she commented with a smile.

Peni blushed but her smile returned quickly. "So are you."

Gwen started picking her nose in front of the camera. "How about now?"

"More than ever," she giggled, "Hey, Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep looking at your screen." Peni rotated her console towards Gwen so the latter could see herself on her phone. "…I'm with stupid." She laughed after finding herself in Gwen's headlock.

"Very funny. Maybe stupid over here should wipe her finger all over your face even though it's been up her nose," Gwen threatened light-heartedly, hovering her finger in front of Peni's eyes.

"No! Please!" she squealed in laughter, "I take it back! You're not stupid!"

"Come on, you're gonna have to try harder than that."

Peni paused her begging in favour of smirking. "I do? So, you're admitting it takes effort to show you're not stupid?"

"…You know, my finger is really itching to mark its territory on your face. I think it wants to start with your mouth. Lemme know how it tastes, okay?"

The squealing made its comeback. "No! Please! Fine! Gwen Stacy's web DIY lifehacks are useful for belts for big pants! Even I didn't think of them first!"

The door opened, prompting both girls to look at Peter and Benjamin standing at the door. The annoyed look on Peter's face was enough for them to know they were way too noisy, but Benjamin on the other hand was giving them his rare wholehearted smile. Miles appeared from behind them, chuckling at the sight. "What is going on here? Why've you got Peni in a headlock?"

"We're just playing around."

Peni reached her hand out towards the boy. "Help me, Miles!"

"Don't. She called me stupid."

"Please! She's got her booger on her finger and I don't want it!"

Gwen finally let go, feeling embarrassed. "Why'd you have to tell them that?"

Peni responded by sticking her tongue out at her. That turned out to be a bad idea, as Gwen took the opportunity to wipe her finger on the exposed tongue. She watched Peni dry-heaving before reassuring her, "Don't worry, that was my clean finger."

"…Oh. I hate you!" Peni said, playfully shoving Gwen away and giggling.

"Are you guys done?" Peter asked in amusement, "We're trying to sleep."

Gwen wiped the finger that's been in her nose and gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry. My fault."

"No, I was the one being loud," Peni said, trying to take the blame.

The man just sighed. "It doesn't matter. I wouldn't mind the noise if we didn't have to get up early to go to Alchemax. Speaking of, Gwen, you should be sleeping too."

Gwen sighed. "I know."

Peter turned to face the desk, where there was a piece of blanket covering some stuff beneath, as well as a laptop next to it. "You're gonna do surveillance on the laptop?"

"Yep," Peni said.

"Can we check out how it looks?"

"Sure."

The girl proudly presented them the footage of the various rooms and areas, as well as the heartbeat sensor diagram. The guys were just as impressed as Gwen was when she first saw it. "You've really outdone yourself, kid," Benjamin commented and gave the little girl a shoulder pat, earning a big smile from her.

"Not bad," Peter said, feeling like owing her some appreciation too. He guessed Peni really did do a lot of work behind closed doors like May said. Her way of doing things didn't turn out to be just "cute and convenient" like he thought.

Miles's curiosity led him to trying to uncover the secret behind the blanket. "What's this?"

"Leave it!" Peni cried, quickly gripping the blanket and keeping it in place. She saw the surprised faces and gave them a smile. "Sorry. It's a secret for now."

"Oh. No pressure. I'm sure it'll be cool."

"Thanks."

Peter was the first to take his leave. "Alright, well I'll see you girls tomorrow. Night."

Benjamin was next. "I guess I'll be going to sleep now too. Goodnight, girls. Sleep well." The girls said their goodnight to the men too.

"Night." Miles was about to head out too. But he was stopped by Peni's hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at her in confusion.

The girl waited until Benjamin was out of eavesdropping proximity before finally revealing what was hiding in the blanket: an unassembled, work-in-progress revolver that's still lacking its outer shell. "Benjamin's old one broke," she whispered, "I don't want him to see it until I give it to him. Keeping it a surprise, you know?"

"Wow… Crap, I almost blew it then."

"It's fine. You didn't know."

"Well, I knew it would be cool. Anyway, night, guys."

The girls wished him a goodnight and they were both alone again at last. Peni turned to Gwen and sighed. "I guess if you're gonna go early morning, then we should probably sleep now."

"You too?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little tired. What about you?"

"A bit. Let's call it a night then." They both laid down beside each other on the bed, and Gwen placed her hand between them. Peni didn't hesitate to take the hand and hold it. "Night, Peni."

"Night, Gwen."

At some point during the night, Gwen groaned as her phone rang softly. Using her free hand to check the screen, it was the alarm. She had to leave really soon. But she forgot about that as soon she saw Peni stirring and looking back at her. She smiled at her. "Morning."

Peni yawned back and smiled sleepily. Gwen took in just how adorable she looked after her awakening, with her hair being messier than her usual style. She wondered just how messy that hair of hers could really get… "Morning," Peni groaned, "Is that your alarm?"

"Yup."

Peni's smile was gone. "Oh. So, you're leaving now?"

"Yeah, soon," she replied with a sigh before trying to mentally wake herself up. Raising her head, she looked at the curtain to see no light seeping through at all. In fact, the room's lighting looked the same as when they went to sleep. "God, it's not even daytime yet?"

"Really?" Peni noticed the girl struggling to keep her eyes open, as well as the bags under them. "Gwen, you look tired. You sure you can go?"

"Hmm, yeah. I'll get more sleep in the bus anyway," she reassured before sluggishly grabbing her change of clothes and leaving the room. "I'm gonna have a shower."

"Okay."

Peni tried sleeping some more. Though soon after, Benjamin had opened the door. "Morning. Sorry for disturbing you."

The girl gave him a wholesome smile. "Morning. I was already awake."

Peter also entered. "Hey. Is that Gwen in the shower?"

"Mm-hmm. …Hey, Benjamin? Why are you going as well? It sucks having you and Gwen away at the same time, you know?"

Benjamin approached and stopped by her side of the bed. "Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead."

He proceeded to sit in silence before speaking. "I'm sorry to leave you alone like this, and I'm sorry she has to go too. But I know you and the others will be safe and sound at home. I'm going because I wanna make sure Gwen and Peter are safe too."

Peni didn't argue with that. Sure, she knows Gwen can take care of herself, but it's still comforting that the girl has somebody to protect her if she needs the help. Peni held out her hand to Benjamin and it was shortly held onto by him. "Okay. Take care of each other. And Gwen's still tired, so make sure she gets some sleep on the bus."

"Sure."

"Guess she was too busy having fun with you last night, huh?" asked Peter.

"Hehe, yeah," she said with a grin.

"It was nice knowing you two were happy," Benjamin said to her.

"She makes me happy."

Speaking of, Gwen returned, sporting her hoodie and sweatpants, and carrying her backpack containing her Spider-suit and gear. That shower woke her up quite a bit, but it didn't do much to cover the bags under her eyes. "Morning, guys."

The men returned the greeting, with Peter adding, "Looks like we're ready to go now."

"Alright." Gwen walked over to Peni on the bed and gave her a sad smile. "I guess I'll see you later."

Peni frowned at the smile and held her arms out. "Help me sit up." As she was helped up by Gwen, she hugged the taller girl tightly. "See ya. Can't wait for you to come back."

Gwen held her close. "Me too." Neither had broken the hug, and it lasted too long for its purpose. The hug that expressed good wishes eventually turned into a hug that expressed desire, making it even harder for the girl to get out of the hug. Not that they'd want to. What they really wanted was to just stay together.

≈…Gwen…≈

≈…Peni…≈

And that was when the girls' spider senses tingled. They immediately broke the hug and stared at each other, and judging from the surprised look on the other's face, they knew they both felt it. But for the first time ever, this tingling felt different. It was in no way threatening like all the previous tingles that implied imminent danger. This tingle felt more like a feeling. A feeling of want, coming from… the other person.

Peter noticed the abrupt breaking of the hug and the silent staring. "You guys alright? Did you get an electric shock or something?"

Another moment of silence passed before Gwen first spoke up. "It's—It's not that. Look, don't freak out or anything, but… my sense tingled."

"Mine too," Peni confirmed.

Despite what Gwen said, Benjamin got tense. "…Are you sure this is nothing to freak out about?"

Peter started to get relaxed. "I guess she's right. It's been a while now and nothing bad's happened."

Gwen tried to explain it. "Yeah. But this one felt different. It felt like… I got a feeling from Peni; like she was calling me."

Peni's eyes widened. "…To me, it felt like it was you calling me."

Both girls didn't exactly know what to make of this. What exactly caused their sense to tingle? Benjamin also put some thought into it before smiling. "Well, it sounds like it's nothing you should worry about."

Both girls turned to him, followed by Gwen's question. "Why?"

"I kinda have an idea myself about what it is. But I'll explain it when we get back, because it might be a bit to take in. It's nothing bad, mind you. But for now, we should get going."

"…Okay. If you say so."

"If you feel it again until then, don't dwell on it too much. Just let me know."

"Sure."

"I can tell you really wanna stay though. Don't feel pressured, you really can stay if you want. Peter and I can take it from here, no hard feelings."

"Thanks. But I have to go. Can't risk you guys in danger."

Peni agreed. "Yeah. You guys need somebody to kick Liv's ass again for you."

That had Peter chuckling. "Is that what you told her, Gwen?"

Gwen smirked. "It's true, isn't it?"

Peni held her arms out to Benjamin and found herself in his own arms. "Stay safe, okay?"

"We've got Gwen with us, and you'll watch over us through the computer, so I ain't worried. See you soon, pumpkin," he said, squeezing her gently while Gwen grinned at the pet name. The man laid the tired girl back down on the bed. "You look tired as well. Make sure you get rest too in the meantime."

She yawned. "I will."

Gwen placed Peni's phone and console on the bed in front of the girl. "We'll call you when we're close to the place. If you need anything, don't be afraid to call the others."

"Hmm. By the way, go look inside my robot, under the seat. Help yourself and take what you want."

"Okay." Opening the window and looking under the robot's seat, she saw a pile of candy, and was met with a pleasant surprise. "Cool. …There's so many of them cherry flavoured."

"Just the way you like them," commented Peni with a grin.

The thoughtful gesture brought a smile to Gwen's face, making her remember the night they first met: they shared candy together on May's backyard, and she remembered telling Peni she liked cherry flavour. She took a handful of the candy and stuffed them in her bag, most of them being cherry and cola flavoured. She turned and gave Peni a happier smile, flashing the gap in her teeth. Peni thought that smile really suited the girl. "Thanks," Gwen said, "That's sweet."

"You're welcome. I hope it helps give you energy. You guys want some too?"

Peter took a few pieces for himself. "Yeah, I could use the energy."

Benjamin shrugged. "I suppose I'll try a piece or two from Gwen's pile, if she doesn't mind."

"I don't mind," the taller girl confirmed.

"Thanks. Well, I guess we really better get going now. We are burning daylight."

"What daylight?" Peni huffed, "It's not even sunrise yet."

"Well, the sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back and enjoy more of that daylight when it comes."

That made sense to her. "Oh, okay. Bye, guys. Good luck!" She waved with a smile, being met with the same farewell from the others.

Once the door was shut, the room was silent. And the bed suddenly felt colder. Peni realised getting back to sleep was going to be harder than she thought.

As the trio were about to leave the home, they were surprised to see Miles waiting for them at the door. "Hey, guys."

Benjamin raised a brow. "Miles? You're not coming with us, are you?"

"Nah. Just wanted to see you guys and wish you luck," he explained with a shrug before looking at the girl, "You look tired. Didn't sleep enough?"

Gwen wiped at her eyes in hopes of getting rid of some of the eye. It did nothing. "Yeah. I'll just sleep more on the bus."

"Alright. You handled it well last time so I ain't too worried. I'll see you guys later."

It took a few minutes of web-swinging through the forest, but the trio eventually found their bus stop and waited for the next bus towards Alchemax.

The sun finally started to rise, bringing an orange hue of light everywhere and inside the bus. The vehicle only housed a couple of people at this (very) early hour, and the loudest source of noise was small talk between Peter and Benjamin. All in all, it was pretty quiet.

And yet, Gwen couldn't sleep. Sure, the seats weren't nearly as comfortable as the bed she was just in, so that's a factor, but she knows that isn't the main issue. Alternatively, in hopes of getting more comfortable, she leaned on Benjamin who was sitting to her left. "Mind if I rest like this?"

"Not at all."

"Thanks." She closed her eyes. It helped, but despite the added comfort, she still struggled to doze off. She knew she was missing someone.

"What's wrong?" the man asked, noticing Gwen still awake and looking discontent.

She blushed. "Ugh… Um… Is it weird that I'm missing Peni already? I'm kinda having trouble sleeping without her."

Interestingly, the man empathised with her. "Aww. No, it ain't weird. You know, I've been through a similar problem, struggling to sleep without my wife. I always used to sleep with her. But when I ended up in this dimension, I struggled to sleep well without her. I was lacking her presence; her comfort; her warmth. I'd love to see her again… But don't you worry. Soon enough, you'll find yourself with Peni in no time."

Gwen was able to relate. Peni's presence, comfort and warmth helped Gwen sleep great through the nights. In fact, she'd say they were the best sleeps she's ever had. She couldn't wait to get back. "Thanks. …I'm sorry you're missing your wife."

"I appreciate it. Thankfully, I've managed to sleep better recently. But I can still relate with how you're struggling right now. I can imagine you sleeping much better with Peni. You two snuggling up and sleeping on the bench yesterday was a real lovely sight."

She blushed again but smiled. "Was it you who took that photo?"

"Ah, guilty as charged." He then saw her taking out her smartphone and letting him admire the photo again. "Oh, I see you got yourself a copy?"

"Yeah. I love it—and the other photo with Miles and Peter goofing around us." She swiped to the respective photo, letting the men look and chuckle.

"Alright, you should really try to get some sleep now. Peni was worried about you not getting enough rest, you know?"

Gwen put her phone away and went back to leaning against the man. "Alright, I'll try."

Since her best friend's departure, Peni had trouble trying to go back to sleep. She too had gotten so used to sleeping with Gwen that the girl ended up being essential to her getting sleep.

Whilst she continued trying to sleep anyway, the door opened. She had wishful thinking that it was Gwen who had changed her mind and came back to stay with her. Peni would welcome her with open arms, literally. But it was just Miles at the door. He tried to be quiet about his entrance, but that stopped when he saw her looking at him. "Uh, hey. Sorry for waking you."

She sank her head into her pillow and mumbled. "Hey, Miles. It's alright, I haven't slept."

"Just thought I'd check in on you."

"Oh. Uh, I'm having trouble sleeping."

Miles walked around to get a better look at her. "How come?"

Peni was going to answer, but then blushed at what she was about to say. Would he understand she needs her companion? "…Gwen's not here," she finally answered, and the response she got was chuckling from the boy. "It's not funny!" she said, throwing a pillow at his face. Any more laughter from him and she'll swing her robot's arm at him next.

Luckily for Miles, he gets to live as his chuckling stopped soon enough, although he maintained his grin. "I'm not laughing cuz it's funny. I think it's sweet. You really miss her, huh?"

"Yeah… She and I slept together every night ever since we met. It felt really nice, and I got used to it. But not having her here now makes me feel lonely."

A frown appeared on his face. "Sorry to hear that. …Hey, you know how she used to be like a… depressed loner?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, I noticed she's actually happy after you met, and since then, I've never seen her alone, or even wanting to be alone. I'm sure she misses you too."

A smile grew on her face. "Thanks. I guess that makes me feel a bit better. And thanks for checking in on me."

"What are Spider-Friends for?"

The nickname made her smile wider. "Spider-Friends. I like that."

"How's your waist doing, by the way?"

"Oh, good. There's actually progress. You saw how I could barely get up from the bench yesterday. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to."

"That's good. …You know, when I was at May's other place looking for you guys, I saw a… lot of blood on the sidewalk. Was that yours?"

"Hmm, most likely. Everyone took a beating, but I didn't see any of them really bleeding. I guess I was the only one."

"How did it feel?"

Peni sighed as she thought back on it. "Well… it was like my waist was poked hard, from the inside and outside, at every angle. And then for a while, it felt like my insides were constantly pinched and it burned."

"Damn. Gwen was there, right?" His question was answered with a nod from her. "How did she react?" Peni thought back on it in silence. Gwen's reaction was… heartbreaking. Seeing her tear up; worried sick; on the verge of going back to how she used to be and vowing to be alone for the rest of her life. If Peni wasn't already crying back then from the pain and fear of dying, then Gwen's despair would've made her tear up anyway. She hoped the girl would never have to go through that again. Her thoughts were distracted by the boy talking again, suggesting she took too long. "You know, if you're uncomfortable, you don't have to answer."

"It's fine. You weren't there, you deserve to know. I was just thinking about it. …She was crying. She was scared she'd lose me. I was worried she'd break down and go back to being that depressed loner. But… I guess she'd still have you guys."

"I guess, but she'd probably have second thoughts about wanting to get any closer to the rest of us, if you really did… you know."

"Yeah, I guess… Anyway, she was scared. But I comforted her. I told her not to worry anymore cuz I'm still alive and I'll get better. It helped, but she was still a bit anxious during the first few days here. I don't blame her. I lost a lot of blood, so I got weak and then I got the cold. I was tired almost all the time. I didn't have an appetite. …But I still ate. Gwen and Aunt May took care of me, and I had a lot of rest, so I'm much better now." She finished with a smile. "She's not worried anymore. She knows I'm recovering."

The boy smiled back. "Yeah, we're all really glad for that. So, what's it like having Gwen around? Never saw you two apart till now."

"Oh, I always appreciate her company. She's so cool, fun, and nice. And she's so comforting and helps me go through stuff. She's the best. I can't wait for her to come back." There were other bits she left out at the moment, like how Gwen is cuddly and makes her sleep great. And how she's cute. And so hot. But there was something she could tell him. "Hey, Miles. Wanna know something that happened this morning?"

"What?"

"Well… it happened when the others were about to leave. I gave Gwen a hug. It was a bit long though, but I couldn't help it. I was thinking about how badly I wanted her to stay. And then, my spider sense tingled. So did Gwen's. It felt so different. It wasn't like I was being told to look out. I sensed Gwen wanting me."

"Wow. Kinda sounds like that one time our senses tingled when we all met for the first time, and that's how we knew we were all Spider-People."

"Maybe. But Benjamin apparently has an idea about why it happened, so I'm waiting till he gets back."

"Fair enough."

Peni ended up thinking about her companion again, and it led to her eyeing the phone on the bed in front of her. "How long ago did they leave?"

"Uh, I'd say about twenty minutes? They should be on the bus by now." He sees the girl picking up the phone. "You gonna call them?"

"Not yet. I wanna know what it's like to text on this thing."

"Oh, I used to have one of those, and let me tell you: smartphone keyboards are a blessing."

"You're telling me." After a few seconds of trying to compose a message, she was already frustrated. "Ugh, this thing doesn't even have T9."

"T9?"

"It's predictive texting. Basically, instead of pressing a button multiple times for a certain letter, you just press the button once for each letter of the word, and the dumbphone guesses what word you're typing. It would've been a huge timesaver! But I'm gonna torture myself a little cuz I still wanna experience this."

"…Hmm?" Gwen opened her eyes to the vibration and sound of an incoming text on her phone. Probably some marketing text or some junk like that. She was met with a pleasant surprise when she read the message on the lock screen.

Peni: hey gwen. u doing ok?

She thought Peni was sleeping, and wondered if something happened.

Gwen: Hey Peni. Yeah I'm OK. I'm still on the bus. Tried sleeping. I thought you were sleeping. You OK?

Peni's blood ran cold as she realised she disturbed Gwen's sleep. She typed back as quickly as she could, which still took a while using the limited keypad. Gwen found herself waiting for the response for a while and she started wondering if Peni had gone back to sleep. That was until she finally got a response and read it right away.

Peni: omg im so sry 4 wakin u! :(

Gwen: No, it's OK! I didn't sleep yet. So what's up?

"…Screw this," Peni said, giving up with the dumbphone and switching to her console.

"See?" Miles asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, I think I've experienced it enough for good." Holding the console from each side, she slid out half a keypad from each side for a comfortable texting experience.

Peni: Was texting from the dumbphone just to see how it feels but I gave up ヽ（≧□≦）ノ Switched to the console. Anyway, can we do a vid chat? (*/ω＼*)

Gwen: Lol typing on that phone is a nightmare, don't punish yourself. And yes! Calling you right now

Peni excitedly waited until her console started ringing, and she instantly picked up. At last, she was graced with the sight of Gwen on her screen, and she was already elated. "Gwen!"

The other girl beamed with just as much energy. "Hey, Peni. What's up?"

"Ugh, I'm tired but I can't really sleep. What about you?"

"Same. Why can't you sleep?"

"…Can you first tell me why you can't sleep?"

"Hmm… I'll tell you—if you tell me why you can't sleep."

Peni groaned, though Gwen seemed amusement. In their defence, both girls were quite embarrassed to admit the reason for their sleeping struggles, especially when it sounds like desire. But Peni, albeit flushed and shy, eventually answered in a murmur. "Cuz… you're not here."

Hearing that made Gwen feel warm and happy. "Aww, Peni…"

"Now will you tell me your reason?!" the smaller girl demanded with a very rosy face.

Gwen grinned at the smaller girl's cuteness and was happy to answer. "Sure. To be honest, same here. Couldn't sleep without you either. …I miss you."

Peni's face got even redder, but this time out of joy. She beamed and wasn't as embarrassed anymore. "I miss you too! I feel so lonely when you're away, and this bed feels so cold and empty now."

"At least you're in a bed. I'm trying to sleep here on this chair, and it's uncomfortable as hell."

"Hehe, I guess, but we're both still having trouble. The bed's just not comfortable without you."

"Seriously, stop. You're gonna make me come back for real."

"I missed the part where that's my problem." Peni said before she started talking in a teasing and tempting tone. "The bed's soft and fluffy, and there's a thick blanket you can wrap yourself in. And of course, I'll be in it~."

"Maybe I should just hang up so I don't feel tempted anymore."

"No, don't! I'll stop!" she did a 180 and begged, making Gwen laugh. "Where are the others?"

"Sitting next to me." She turned the phone towards Benjamin and Peter.

"Hi, guys!"

Peter greeted back. "Hey, kid."

"How're you holding up?" asked Benjamin, "I heard you're missing Gwen."

"I am," she said with a rosy smile, "Can't wait for you guys to get back."

"Neither can we. Hope you're not feeling too lonely in the meantime."

"Well, I'm not on my own." She rotated the console to face the boy in the room so that he was in view, "Miles is here."

"Yo," the boy said with a wave.

The people on the other side of the call greeted him back before Peni rotated the console to show herself again. "He just stopped by to check on me, and we talked for a bit."

"Cool," Gwen commented as she showed herself on camera again, "What were you talking about?"

"Oh, just what it was like when I got shot, you know?"

Gwen widened her eyes and tried to hide from the few other passengers even though they couldn't see her in the first place. The men beside her also looked alarmed. They hoped nobody had heard that, otherwise that would bring them unwanted attention and trouble. Peni covered her mouth, realising now she had just said that out loud. "I think we're good," Gwen whispered after a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry!"

"Don't worry about it. So, uh, yeah. What happened back there. That was tough for you."

"It was tough for you too. You felt awful, but I was there to stop you worrying too much. And you've been feeling better now that I'm actually getting better."

A smile grew on Gwen's face. Peni really was getting better. The girl's energy was noticeably returning as promised by May. "Yeah. Thanks for not letting me worry too much."

"Anytime. …Hey, Gwen?"

"Hmm?"

"You really can't sleep? I'm kinda worried."

"It's fine. I've felt worse while facing tougher shit and made it out just fine. Besides, I still got your candy to help wake me up. What about you?"

"Well, you're not really here… but I can see you and talk to you, so… maybe if we keep the call on and try sleeping like this, we can sleep better?"

"Oh, I didn't think of that. Sure, let's try that."

"You've got enough battery, right?"

"It's at 96%, I think it'll last."

"Great." Peni smiled and set up the console to stand in front of her on the bed. It also gave a better view of herself laying. She thought of holding Gwen's hand, but then she realised the girl wasn't even here. It's just for now, she told herself.

Seeing as the girl was preparing to sleep again, Miles excused himself out of the bedroom. "I'll leave you alone now. Call me when they're at Alchemax. I wanna see them breaking in."

"I will. See ya, Miles."

While the other girl already had her console propped independently, Gwen didn't know how to keep the phone in front of her without holding onto it. But then she then had an idea. Digging into her backpack, she took out her web slinger and used it to stick her phone to the chair in front of her.

"Wow, Gwen Stacy at it again with her web DIY lifehacks," praised Peni.

"Yep. See, I'm not stupid," she said with a smile before leaning on Benjamin and then asking a favour from the men beside her. "Could you leave the call on and not hang up if both of us are sleeping?"

"Sure," Benjamin answered, followed by a nod from Peter.

"Thanks." She turned back to Peni. "Lemme know when you wake up, okay?"

"Okay. You do the same for me."

"Sure."

Peni yawned. "Night, Gwen."

Gwen was amused at how she treats the sunrise as if it was still nighttime. "Night, Peni."

While their eyes were closed during the majority of the first few minutes, they spent the other majority of the time looking at each other, sometimes smiling at one another. They'd imagine being in front of each other on the bed, holding hands, although the handholding soon changed to them holding each other's body close instead. Eventually, their eyes managed to close and stay closed. They might not be next to each other, but at least for now, they're able to see and talk to one another, and be there for each other. And that alone provided enough comfort for them to eventually fall asleep in front of the camera.