"Peter, why do you have a blow torch next to you?" Mary-Jane said.
"Looking at a blood sample I took from one of those kids from that bus attack. I've looked at this for several days now, even had Connors look at it. After seeing that one movie, I'm a little cautious."
Mary-Jane chuckled, "What? Something in the blood?"
Peter stood up from his chair, "Yeah, actually. Take a look."
Mary-Jane looked through the microscope.
"...What, am I looking at?"
Through the scope, she could see the cells of the blood and the red crimson threads speeding through them, wriggling yet pointed as though all of them were living splinters.
Peter tossed up a hand, "...We don't know. But, looking at it -"
"...A symbiote." She looked up, "You said Cletus had taken that red symbiote, right?"
"Yeah... and that's what's so concerning. With Venom, it was a literal invasion. But this? What else can he do with the red symbiote? If Venom... I know what a symbiote can do, MJ."
"In a way, me too. But, its not like he can use it to go inside the internet."
Peter chuckled, "Wonder if he'll go insane that way."
Mary-Jane saw the joke and chuckled as well, "More than he already is? Either way, from what my viewers are sending me there aren't anymore cases of aggression. But more kids are disappearing."
"Widow's on overtime..."
"And it gets a little worse - I recently got an anonymous tip of Oscorp testing these new suits they're calling Slayer suits. I, uh... think we know why."
Peter sighed, "...Talking isn't going to get me outta this one. Especially since Norman thought I was going save Harry. That was the one thing Harry complained about his father."
"How's he doing, by the way? Any change?"
Peter closed his eyes, "...No. In fact, he's showing signs of getting worse."
"Oh, Pete." Mary-Jane hugged him, "He have you thought about giving him that white symbiote you have in you?"
Peter shook his head, "Its a part of me. Can't take it out. Besides, before, Connors said that he and Venom are completely bonded. It almost bonded with me, that's why I still had traces of it left in me before Li gave up his powers."
"...He can't live without it," Mary-Jane said, "Even though its like a cancer in itself."
"I've been trying to deal with the possibility of losing him. But just thinking of it hurts. I still feel like I haven't really gotten over May's passing."
"You're doing just fine, Pete."
"...Yeah. That's why I'm scared for Miles, he'd lost his dad, but, what happens if he loses his mom? Nothing keeps you on the ground better than your family and loved ones, what'll he do?"
"He'll have us. But, maybe this is something you should talk to him about."
Peter saw the time, "Yeah. But, I've got somewhere to be."
"Cindy? You said you felt this strange connection to her, right?"
"Yeah, brother-sister kind of way. She's going through something... I don't know what, but she needs help, MJ."
"Hmm..." Peter saw Mary-Jane formulating something in her mind, "Maybe have Miles try to introduce us? So you don't need to go to her as Spider man?"
"I'll talk with Miles about it."
Out went Peter, and into the sky came Spider man.
Cindy didn't go to school today, told her Dad she had a bad nightmare,
And she was spending her time in her hideout in the abandoned water tower.
Her mother had put her to sleep and held her in her arms as she did. It had been so long since the last time they had ever had an intimate moment like that. Being so close, the emotions that were in turmoil within her Cindy felt, too.
"...No more monsters, huh?" Cindy thought aloud.
She sat in silence for a long while, staring absently at the floor of the water tower.
Just what was it that made the Calling reach her again so soon?
Hadn't she done enough to appease it for a few more days?
If her mother was delayed a moment longer, she -
"...I'm about to combust..." She mumbled, hugging her knees and hiding her face between them, too tired for tears.
She didn't want to think about what would have happened if her mother didn't arrive on time.
But she did, the images slipping passed her guard and telling her the possibilities, the undeniable truth that she was a danger to everyone.
She looked around the webs that insulated the inside of the water tower again, her eyes became glassy and her lip quivered, her emotions finding another reservoir to draw more water from.
Then her body jumped, her head perking up - Peter was approaching.
She forced herself to move, not wanting him to find out that she had powers like him. Out of the water tower, she leapt down and sat down against the base of its foundation. She pulled a book out of her bag to make it look like she was reading something just as Peter landed on the water tower.
Cindy looked up and put on a small smile, "Spider man!"
Peter waved, "Hey, Cindy. Was in the neighborhood. What you reading?"
Cindy held up her book.
"The Mahab... oh god..."
Cindy chuckled, "Its Indian."
"Its mythology stuff, right? It any good? Yay, nay, eh?"
Cindy shrugged, "Not sure. I have other stuff, but this one I've can't get myself to get through. Been reading it on and off."
"Other stuff, as in other myth literature? Like, the Illiad, the Odyssey?"
"The Tain, Gilgamesh, Gawain, Paradise Lost was kinda hard to get through but I got it, Song of Roland, Jerusalem Delivered, Journey to the West, Heike, got the Gita, too, but I can't get myself to finish that either."
"Mythology geek, huh? Got a favorite?"
"Mmm... Monkey King - uh, Sun Wukong."
"Huh, think I know I could take him?"
"PFFT! Hell no, not even in your dreams!"
"That strong, huh? If he's that strong, then who were the people who beat him?"
"Buddha, and that's it."
Peter recoiled his head.
Cindy chuckled, "Yeah. There's a reason why his powers have get taken down a notch in media."
"You see yourself in a mythology career? What got you into it?"
Cindy became silent for a moment, "After my mom... passed. I wanted to go away from the country, but we couldn't afford it and we had no reason to. So I got into media from other countries. Seeing things on Wukong got me to get Journey to the West. Then it just snowballed from there."
"But nothing from America? Not even me?"
Cindy chuckled, "You're the only hero that I like."
"Aw... But not the other Spider man?"
"He's alright."
"Now that I think about it, its a school day today. Didn't know you had it in you to skip school."
"Its... Its not like that. I get awful nightmares sometimes, and, uh... Well, they're bad enough that I... How do I say this... Whenever that happens, I just need the world to be like one room, if that makes sense. Closed off. Nothing happening to me or outside the room."
"A moment to breathe."
"Exactly. Well, a long moment."
"Wanna share some of them? Get 'em off your chest?"
"Uh..." Cindy contemplated, then thought about how all of them were otherworldly and far-fetched that maybe with dream logic Peter wouldn't get suspicious, "...I, uh, recently had a dream where I turned into a monster... and ate my Dad before I ate my mom."
Peter stared at Cindy in stunned silence for a moment, "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It just a dream" Cindy said, forcing a smile, "Its not like it will actually happen. After all, my mom's gone."
Peter jumped down and landed near Cindy, "Still. Are all of your dreams vivid and graphic as that?"
"Not all of them." Cindy contemplated for a moment, wondering if this could be an opportunity to let out some of the crushing pressure inside of her from withholding from everyone, "Sometimes I dream being like you - running over rooftops, climbing up walls - well, sometimes running up those walls, swinging through builds at night. What's that like, by the way?"
Peter chuckled, "Wanna try and find out?"
Cindy blinked, "Wait." She set her book down and stood up, "You mean?"
"Yeah." Peter couched down and thumbed over his shoulders, "Just a few swings around the block, nothing fancy and nothing dangerous. I'll even put on seat belts for you."
"Seat belts..." Cindy said, her voice full of doubt.
"I've done this for ten years now, don't worry. Well, too much, if you can't help it."
Cindy pursed her lip, not wanting to do this. But this could be the first real interaction she could have with Peter after so long. Feelings swelled inside of her.
"Alright. Just don't hold me like a bride, okay?"
Peter chuckled, "I won't not unless you ask."
Cindy sighed - she lost against her feelings, becoming self-indulgent in her old desire to be with the person who obligated her wishes.
Carefully climbing onto his back, she couldn't help but notice how bigger he has become - an obvious truth made much more tangible by touch. Once her legs were in place, Peter webbed them to his torso. He did the same thing with her arms once she got them into a comfortable position.
"There we go." Peter said, standing up, "This is Spider man, now that you're strapped in thanks for taking Spidy Airlines. We'll be taking off -"
Thwip!
"Now."
Cindy grunted, doing her utmost to suppress the yelp that she stalled in her throat on a matter of pride. With everything that she has done, she was not going to cry out like a little girl just because she was with Peter.
Regardless, she had made him chuckle with the strained grunt she had made.
In the air, she looked down and clutched harder -
In using her webs, she had rarely used them to swing from building.
Peter looked over his shoulder for a moment, "How you doing back there?"
"Fine." Cindy said, hoping she hadn't said it too fast.
She could feel Peter grinning underneath his mask, "Well, how about we go a little faster?"
"Huh?! But you sa-AAAHHH!"
Cindy didn't like the wind rushing through her hair, sending tingles down her spine and even going out towards to her limbs, making her fingers and toes curl.
"You liar! You said we weren't going to go fast!" She blurted out, knowing full well this wasn't the fastest he could go - his speed and Mile's were always debated online, particularly in the videos that always captured their speed.
Peter laughed, "I only said that we weren't going to do anything dangerous. This isn't even the fastest I can go. Not unless you want real speed?"
"No, please!"
Peter laughed again and focused on swinging.
Despite the wind rushing through her hair,
Despite wishing she could feel her feet on the ground,
Despite the embarrassment,
A smile pulled her lips -
Nostalgia gushed inside of her.
Yes, it was almost like this when they had first met.
It was her sixth birthday.
It was the first time she had went against her parents' wishes,
And through that, she had run into Peter -
Then...
Her smile widened.
After a while of swinging around the city, Peter swung them both back to the water tower. Using this strength, Peter carefully tore apart the webs that kept Cindy to him.
The moment Cindy removed herself, Peter turned to her, "So, how did it feel to swing like Spider man?"
Cindy shrugged, holding up her hands, "Bad RP, not enough swinging, no immersion."
"Pfft. Okay..."
Cindy paused - could this be the moment? Could she say it right her and now? Come clean and tell Peter the truth?
"Y'know..." She blurted, "Being with you like this, Spider man. It, uh... it reminds me of a guy I once knew."
"Oh, a boyfriend, maybe?"
Cindy chuckled, "No. We had only met for a day, but I really liked him after that one day. I'd been thinking about him every now and then. He did what you did today, put a smile on my face when I was feeling down."
"Sounds like a nice guy. What's his name?"
Here it was - would Peter know?
Did he have the same connection, for the lack of a better word, as she did? After all, why would Spider man go out of his way for a random girl like her?
"Peter Parker."
She felt Peter freeze, astonishment like spontaneous combustion. The lenses of his mask widened slightly.
"Its," Cindy said, "Actually kinda of funny, looking back at how we met. He wanted to go somewhere in the, uh, Oscorp building and I ran into him while looking around on my own."
Cindy chuckled, "I demanded he... Oh my god... I demanded he be my horse. For once, I wanted to feel like a Princess so that's what I told him. He was really, really patient, now that I think about it. He really wanted to go where he needed to be, but, after telling him some things about my life then he decided to stick around. He even told me some of the things he had to deal with. Mom dying, moving around - I thought about him, a lot. The big brother I didn't have."
Cindy paused, letting Peter sink all of that in.
"Last time I heard about him, he had gotten that picture of Spider man for the Daily Bugle. After that - nothing. I just hope that he's doing okay."
Cindy looked at Peter in the eye.
She felt confusion,
Then doubt,
Then realization.
"Yeah. I know him - well, knew him." Peter said, "After he left the Daily Bugle, we didn't really see each other. Getting pictures of me was the only reason he got hired there, from what I hear. Last time I saw him, he was doing fine."
Peter was avoiding the subject, or rather going around it if he didn't put the pieces together - Cindy didn't feel that he was. No doubt he was taken aback by dropping his name like that.
That was fine.
Thinking it now, perhaps getting Peter to remember her was a bad idea, After all, it had been ten years since they last met. She had undergone so much change as much as he had. Perhaps him helping her was just wish-fulfillment.
Peter's head then shifted suddenly, "Oh! Its that time already?! Sorry, Cindy. I gotta run."
Cindy forced herself to smile, "Its okay. I understand. Take care!"
"You, too. Cya!"
Cindy watched Peter swing away into the city. Saddened by not only that he didn't put two and two together, but also because she attempted to be selfish by wanting to put herself into his life. After everything she wanted a big brother to talk to, not just her father.
She stared a moment longer, before turning away,
And froze -
Her eyes widened. She could feeling something. Something in the distance, behind the bones of the concrete jungle.
Two,
Four,
Nine!
No, eighteen people!
They were hiding out of sight, waiting.
There was frustration,
Then, excitement.
She turned to look at the way Peter went.
"...Peter."