5 for Option one, 4 for option two, and 8 for option three. Unless we have a turnaround we're gonna have another mostly-filler chapter. And possibly something like this if I feel like blatantly stealing- I mean, being inspired by:
While MCU is pretty scrawny (at least until he takes the shirt off), Noir and UK are definitely beefcakes so this scene would be at least slightly plausible, especially with shameless Jessica over there taking videos for later use/to post online. Meanwhile Mayday is again screaming into her hands since 3/4 of those people being recorded are her dad.
I haven't updated yet, sorry Statistics Comp Exam has me worried. Also, this just dropped:
Apparently they're re-using Gwen's fugitive arc for this, and judging by her comments I'm guessing it's about Lizard Parker. I do love her civilian design, though; very cute and unique to her. Kinda iffy on the other Mary Janes, though. Especially MJ losing her long hair and Betty just...looking nothing at all like her comic counterpart. Anyway, it shuld be really fun to use for this fic
First things first; I don't really feel confident with this chapter. I had the idea in my head but then it just...well, didn't materialize properly. I dunno. Next chapter will be better, I promise.
Anyway, Spider-Gwen's ended. Gwen's identity is outed and she's free to find her place in the world. Her friends suggest they go on a country tour and have Gwen helping city to city 'like a friendly ghost', which will likely tie in to the namechange. Hopefully Spider-Geddon doesn't fuck up her status quo too much. Really don't want to deal with more angst.
Also, MJ and Glory are in a relationship according to the author, so...yeah, I have an out if I want it. Speaking of the canon, I have a question down below concerning Gwen's status quo. Please answer it if you can
The Spidey game's coming out on September, so another thing to look forward to They're also giving some hints to Spiderizing Mary Jane, so here's hoping we get a playable Scarlet-MJ!
Chapter 6: Spiders' Day Out
It was odd, Gwen mused, how quickly they'd settled into a routine. Back when she'd moved in with Betty it took weeks for them to stop stepping on each other's feet, sometimes literally; especially considering her 'part time job'. Dealing with the band, being Spider-Woman, having to time her entrances just right to avoid Betty waking up to her roommate sneaking in through the window...all of it made her wish that maybe she should've just stayed in Queens with her dad. At least he was usually out on work.
With Peter it was different. The first couple of days were rough, true, but they'd settled into something resembling normalcy surprisingly quickly. Betty liked the guy and apparently he was used to sleeping on couches because of sleepovers with that 'Ned' guy. Heck, the place had gotten cleaner ever since he showed up, which was actually kind of weird. Mostly she didn't think about it, especially after another week passed from that disastrous concert.
...Although the AI did creep her the heck out. Any second now she expected it to start demanding they compute pi all day.
Gwen's phone buzzed next to her ear. Groaning, she tried to snuggle deeper into her pillow before the buzzing became too much, "Mmmgh..." She groped blindly and found her phone after a few seconds of searching, "Ughhh, who's this?" She asked slowly. Maybe it was a bad idea to keep clubbing till about 3 am, but they always said there was no rest for the wicked.
"Gwen?" Jess' voice came from the other end. Gwen groaned again and looked up at the bottom of the upper bunk bed, "We're here. Where you at?"
"What?" She looked at the clock and grimaced at the blinking red 11:00 am that greeted her. They were supposed to meet at Starkbucks 30 minutes ago, "Shit, sorry, late night." She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and brought a hand through her face, "Look, I'll be there, alright? Just had a late night..." Stupid Sinister Six interrupting the fun. Why were they even called that? There was only five of them!
"What's going on? Something happen?" Cindy's voice came from the background.
"Nothing, Gwen's just hungover," Jess replied.
"I am not!" Gwen sighed and stood. Betty was still fast asleep, Murderface draped across her stomach like the world's furriest blanket, "Just hold up a bit. I'll be there soon."
She cut the call and stepped out into the living room. Peter was asleep on the couch. Or at least she assumed he was; it was kind of hard to tell considering the mask was still on his face. Thankfully the paparazzi stopped bothering her for now cause she really didn't want rumors of a Spider love nest running around. Bad enough that she'd gone to prison.
"Shouldn't sleep with a mask on." She took the mask off his face and dumped it on the table. For all she knew that AI chick was trying to brainwash him in his sleep and the last thing she needed was another one of those.
"May, I'm fine, don't want meatloaf..." Gwen raised an eyebrow. The guy apparently had boring dreams. Shaking her head, she trudged to the table and got some cereal and milk. A quick snack to wash away the headache and then she could swing over. Wasn't like she had anything to hide anymore. She was pretty sure 'Spider-Gwen' was still a trending thing.
She was halfway through her bowl when Peter finally woke up, "Whooza?" He sat up looked around in a rush before he caught sight of her, "Gwen...?"
"That's my name, don't wear it out." She shrugged.
"Yeah, I'm here..." He looked down at the mask for a second, "...Just had a dream."
"Meatloaf?" she asked, a slight smile on her face.
"Yeah, I...thought I was back home." She was tempted to say something before he suddenly shook his head, "Ah, it's nothing, just homesick." He stood up and grabbed the mask. He was way too attached to the possibly homicidal artificial lifeform, "Hey, you going somewhere?"
"Meeting up with a couple of friends in the Starkbucks around the corner. Two Spiders from another dimension." Was it weird that that sentence was one of the least weirdest things she'd ever said? "I asked em for help on your deal. They have a Peter Parker who became Spider-Man back in their place too. Figured he might have some advice on this since he's apparently been through a lot of shit."
"Another Peter Parker? You mean like Noir and Ham?"
"God no, I think those two are unique." She rolled her eyes playfully, "He's kinda like you, I guess. More into the red and blue tighty whities."
She also didn't get along with him that much. She chalked that up to faults on both sides. He saw her as the girlfriend he couldn't save and after that clone bullshit those wounds were re-opened. She was the same at first, but dealing with Noir and Ham and Pavitr made it easier to move on. It helped that Spider-Peters were the default and Spider-Gwens were a lot rarer. She still hadn't seen another one of her that wasn't dead, even if some of them apparently went out like champs.
"Oh...cool." Peter rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Something up?"
"No, no, it's just...I'm still getting used to the idea that there's a lot of 'me' out there, you know? I mean all this multiverse stuff is just kinda over my head. Still can't believe Captain America here's a female Falcon and Mr. Stark's...well, I don't wanna say an asshole, but-"
"Eh, he's an asshole. According to Jess all that changes is the degree." From what she heard from Jess apparently her version dumped his friends into some kind of Superman Phantom Zone because they wouldn't sign a piece of paper. Cindy was lucky enough to miss it, all snug as a bug in that bunker of hers, "But come on, really? That can't just be what's bugging you. There's something else."
"That's...yeah." He looked down, lips pursed. She refrained from telling him it made him look constipated, "I just...I'm going through the news in my head. From when those Web Warriors guys tell me about my place, I mean. That Thanos guy said half of all life would just disappear and a part of me wants to know exactly what'd happen and the other half just wants to..."
"Put off the possible bad news?" Peter nodded, lips still pursed, "Look, I get that, but sometimes we gotta just face stuff head on, you know? I mean you don't wanna stay here forever, right? Cause Betty's angling to make this permanent and I think you should run before she starts getting the collar."
"A c-collar? You're kidding...right? Betty with a collar..." Why was he blushing?
"What, how do you think we got Murderface? He is not a cat you just buy, my fellow Spider." She finished off her cereal, "Anyway, I'm gonna take off. What about you? Any plans for today?"
"N-No, just gonna stay in. Wait for some news, I guess." His eyes darted to his mask. Gwen frowned. He didn't take being 'grounded' very well, but it was really needed. She was still on thin ice. Defending herself and other people was all well and good, but patrols and 'instigating conflicts' were off the table. The last thing the city wanted or needed was another Spider right after her.
"Betty should be free. You two can hang out." She stood up and placed the bowl on the sink. She'd wash it later, "See ya. Don't do anything I wouldn't do...or would do."
"Why does everyone tell me that?"
She grabbed a Spider-Woman sweatshirt, a pair of black shorts and sneakers and jumped out the window. It still felt somewhat wrong, swinging around without a mask on her head, but she'd gotten used to it. It wasn't like she needed it anymore, right?
The Starkbucks was close. Gwen swung low and landed in front of Jess and Cindy's table, the surface already filled with food and drinks. Jess raised an eyebrow quizzically at her entrance while Cindy practically jumped up in her seat, her eyes wide, "...Well, that's one way to make an entrance." Jess crossed her arms and nudged her head to the patrons shamelessly taking photos on their phones, "People are staring."
"So? Let em." Gwen scoffed and took one of the empty seats, "They're gonna look anyway. Nothing against the law about doing a 'run', right?"
"...Is this a bad time to confess I have anxiety issues? My therapist said so," Cindy piped up, sinking slightly into the folds of her custom jacket. Gwen wasn't ashamed to admit she was jealous the other Spider could make designer clothes on demand, "I know you said your secret identity was shot, but most people would try and keep a low profile. At least that's what I'd do."
"Why bother? Everyone knows who I am," Gwen replied, her voice a tad more bitter than she'd like. Yeah, everyone knew who Spider-Gwen was. No running or hiding, "'Sides, it's not problem for either of you two. Last I checked Jess is a guy here and your evil twinsie's a terrorist leader who doesn't have a fingerprint on any known database. I'm pretty sure we're safe."
"Yeah, well, being watched really kills my appetite." Cindy frowned.
"Hah, I need to get you and MJ talking. She'd bite your head off for that comment." Gwen grinned.
"Speaking of alternates," Jessica cut in, "We asked our Spider-Man about your...guest."
"Any luck?"
"Not particularly." She grabbed a croissant and bit into it, "He's been through other dimensions even before that Inheritor bullshit, but it was always a quick trip. Just a Sunday afternoon, he said. He doesn't remember much about being brought back after Thanos killed half of all life either, so that's a dead end. He would've come here himself but he's being accused of plagiarizing Doc Ock's works after the guy took over his body."
"Wait, what?"
"We call it the Superior Spider-Man phase. Don't worry about it." Jess waved a hand through the air, "Point is it's a dead end. We tried asking Dr. Strange too. No luck there either. All he told us is that the Infinity Stones are localized to the dimensions, which probably explains why the new guy's safe here."
"Yeah, we figured that already." Gwen sighed, "Damn it, I was really hoping for something here."
"So was I." Gwen jumped up in her seat and turned to face Mayday's smiling face. The other Spider wasn't wearing her costume, making do instead with button down shirt, a pair of dark capris and flats, "Bad time, Gwen?"
"No, just...didn't expect to see you here." She looked to Jess and Cindy and gestured lightly, "Guys, you remember Mayday, right?"
"Parker's kid, right?"
"The one and only...well, not really. Alternate dimensions and all. You get my point." She sat on the seat and grinned at the two, "Sorry for cutting in. I heard from Peter that Gwen went to meet up over here and I was curious."
"Hey, the more the merrier. Just hope you don't mind getting stared at." Jess gestured to the other customers again.
"Yeesh, I'm kinda glad camera phones still aren't a thing where I'm from." Mayday's eyes drifted to Cindy. For some reason the other Spider refused to look her straight on, instead leveling her gaze downwards at her coffee cake, "Uh...is there something on my face? Breath stink? I tried some Earth-001 meatballs."
"What? No, it's..." Cindy coughed, "I mean, when you caught me and Peter last time it was..."
Mayday blinked, her expression blank, before her eyes suddenly widened and she pointed a shaky finger at Cindy, "Wait, that was you?! Back in the bunker and the-"
"Okay, okay, I don't think anyone else needs to hear this!" Cindy shot back, cheeks flushed a dark shade of red. Gwen raised an eyebrow. First the costume and now whatever this was? Apparently Gwen wasn't the only Spider that had a shit go of her first year.
"Ohohoho, what's this now?" Jess asked, her smile predatory.
"Nothing! It was-"
"Nothing my butt! Both your pants were off! I've never been so scarred in my life!" Mayday cut in.
Jess whistled tauntingly while Gwen facepalmed, "It was a phase! Pheromones! Blame the spider that bit us!" Cindy defended desperately, "Look, we can all agree it was a stupid time, right? We were being hunted by weirdo Vampires and a giant mystical spider wanted me and Peter to screw like rabbits. We're cool now. I even got a date out of Johnny Storm out of it, so it wasn't a total loss."
"Ugh, Uncle Johnny too? Cripes..." Mayday cringed.
"...This is why I hate dealing with alternate kids. Someone's always a dad or an uncle." Cindy sighed.
"Feeling's mutual, Silk." Mayday sighed and turned to Jess, "Please don't tell me you dated my dad too."
"What, me and Spider-Man? Not a chance. My powers make him go ballistic half the time...though, he does have a cute butt-"
"Gah!"
"Alright, enough teasing the traumatized teenage girl," Gwen said, rolling her eyes with a slight smile on her face. Whenever a bunch of Spiders got together it was like something compelled them to make fun. Maybe whatever gave them their powers was just a troll, "Look, can we just eat? I only had some cereal and I really wanna relax after our last shitshow of a concert."
"What happened?" Cindy asked.
"That Mysterio asshole thought he could crash it and 'spell Spider-Gwen's doom'." She made air-quotes, "Ruined the entire thing and we had to refund everyone cause we only got through one song. Randy's trying to get us a new concert that's just low-key enough that we won't risk a repeat."
"The consequences of having an open identity. Thankfully I'm not one of the big names back home, so I don't have to deal with that," Jessica said, "Surprised you haven't gone crazy yet."
"It's nothing compared to prison," Gwen muttered, soft enough that none of them could hear. "That's not even the worst part. Cap got on my case cause Peter ended up going on patrol even after I told him it'd be a bad idea to draw attention to himself. I think she's sizing him up and wondering if she can recruit him to S.H.I.E.L.D." Cap already made the offer to her, though she was still on the fence after what she saw on the Raft.
"Speaking of your new housemate," Jess cut in, "How's he settling in? I could barely deal with being away from Jerry for a day. Can't imagine what it's like being here without being able to go back."
"It's not so bad with Murderdock in prison." If there was one thing she could be proud of, it was that, "Anyway, he's...alright. Nervous, obviously, but he's got a job and he's talking with that creepy AI of his to take his mind off this."
"Still living at your place, right?"
"...Yeah?" Gwen's eyes narrowed. She didn't like Jess' tone, "Nowhere else to go, like I said."
"Right, just checking."
"Uh, no, you're implying something. Out with it, Jess."
"Didn't want to say anything, but..." She leaned back on the chair, "Well, when a guy and a girl live in a place and they see each other at their best and worst..." Gwen raised a skeptical brow and Jess put up her hands, "Hey, I'm just saying. It happened with me and Roger. It has a habit of sneaking up on you, you know? One second he's just a pal and the next you're in the shower together."
"Could we please stop talking about the lovelives of my alternate dads?" Mayday pleaded, "God, it's bad enough that just about every alternate version we meet wants to get into my spandex. There's something wrong when Noir's one of the least creepy alternates."
"Yeah, Mayday has a point," Gwen said, "Peter's great, but I'm really not in the right place for anything right now." And even if she was she wasn't exactly brimming with options. Now that her face was plastered across all over New York people either ran screaming or they asked for her autograph. Finding a date who wasn't a creeper in the middle of that was like finding the hay in the needlestack.
She was sure her dad would be happy about her being forever single if...when he woke up.
"Speaking of. Forgot to ask earlier, Day. Any progress on the Earth-19999 thing?"
"Er...somewhat. I'll talk to Pete about it more after we finish an experiment."
"You come here alone?"
"Not really." She suddenly looked troubled, "I thought Pete could use some guy time so I 'persuaded' Noir and Ham to hang out with him for a bit."
"Wait, what?!" Gwen screamed, "Are you crazy?! You think leaving those two alone with him is a good idea?!"
"Hey, Billy said he'd catch up as soon as he got more data!" Mayday defended, "Besides, it's better than staying cooped up in your apartment all by himself. "
"Ugh, fine, but if he starts talking about 'them crazy dames' I'm blaming you." She grabbed one of the free shakes and sucked on the straw, losing herself in conversation with the others that lasted for the better part of an hour. She was getting worried over nothing. So what if Noir and Ham were with him? Things couldn't have gotten too bad, right?
As if on cue, a couple of police cars zipped past them, sirens blaring. They all looked at one another, "So...we gonna follow em?" Cindy asked, her drink already set down.
"I'm supposed to keep a low profile..." Gwen muttered.
"Nothing wrong with scoping it out from the rooftops," Jess said, "If the police handle it? Great. If not then we could pitch in. Nothing wrong with not letting people die, right?"
"I...guess." She really should've refused, but she had to admit she was antsy. That many cops usually meant trouble, "But we only pitch in if they can't handle it, alright? I'm still on thin ice."
"Don't gotta tell us twice, Gwen," Mayday unbuttoned her shirt and showed off the spandex underneath, "Come on, time's wasting!"
"Have you guys ever been on a date?"
Ham, Noir and UK looked up from their food and gave Peter a questioning look. The four of them were on the roof of an office building, high enough that they didn't risk getting caught even with their costumes. Gwen probably would've been mad about him being in the suit after what happened, but Karen wanted to see more of the outside and he didn't want to leave her alone with Betty after that collar joke(?) earlier.
He had to admit, it was...weird hanging out with them. Ham was him as a pig and apparently old enough to have a teenage daughter, despite how he acted. Noir, on the other hand, was just...creepy. The trenchcoat and guns reminded him of that Punisher guy who made the news a few months ago. All he was missing was the skull on his chest.
"What brought this on, lad?" UK asked, a smile on his face. He was the easiest to hang out with, mostly because he wasn't another version of him. Apparently Pavtir - Indian version of him - was busy with something else and couldn't come.
"Well, it's just..." Peter set his burger down. Was it right to ask them for advice? He couldn't exactly ask Gwen and Karen wasn't much help. He could've asked Betty, but he got the feeling she'd tease him non-stop if he said anything, "I just...I asked out Mary Jane - the one from this dimension - out on a date and I...don't actually know what to do."
The three of them looked at one another briefly before UK spoke up, "So am I correct that you want advice for the date with this Ms. Jane?"
"Uh...y-yeah, mostly." Peter rubbed the back of his head, "The last time I asked someone out it was to prom, and her dad ended up being a Supervillain so I had to ditch her. Never even got a dance..."
"Ah, the old dating your nemesis' daughter problem. I've been on a few of those myself." Ham said. Peter still found it weird that his suit looked more like a second skin than a costume. Even the mask had perfectly formed mouth holes, "Those can be a lot of fun. The make-ups are really explosive, let me tell ya. There was this one time Sandduck's daughter-"
"We don't need to hear your dating history, little orphan hammie." Noir muttered. His voice sounded way too gravelly, like someone who smoked ten packs a day. Noir turned to Peter, "Kid, what the hell are you even doing, getting involved? Shouldn't you be focusing on going back home?"
He was. Mayday came with an idea earlier: make a video message and then they'd go to his dimension to see if they could find May and Mr. Stark. He made the message and gave UK the USB a a while ago. Still, that meant he had to wait and he didn't like the idea of pacing in the apartment with nothing to do.
"W-Well I-"
"Ah, let the kid have some fun!" Ham cut in, "Not everyone has a stick up their butt, Noir. Actually, when was the last time you got some action?"
"...That's none of your business."
"That long, huh? No wonder you're so grouchy all the time." Noir glared, which the cartoon animal met with a carefree grin, "So, little Peter, give us the details! Mary Jane, huh? That's a keeper. Happily married to mine going 20 years strong now."
"I-It's not a big deal. It's just...I asked her out after their concert last week. We were supposed to go on a date a couple of days ago, but she was busy. We're gonna go next week instead and...well, I dunno what to do. I looked up some good food places around here, but I've never been on actual, you know, date-date before. I don't wanna screw this up..."
UK was the first to speak, "Hmm, well, I don't know much about this Mary Jane, but I can only give you advice I'd tell anyone: be a gentleman, never presume and always keep an attentive mind. There's nothing a lady dislikes more than when her companion for the night is focused on other things during an outing."
"Got that from your date with Lady Spider, did you?" Noir asked.
"Lady Spider? Perish the thought! Me and Ms. Reilly were out on patrol, nothing more."
"Right, that's what you call it." Ham snorted, "And I'm sure Anya wasn't playing the third wheel cause she didn't want you to take the masks off."
"Anya? She's my student. Our relationship is strictly professional."
"Sure, you keep telling yourself that." Ham chewed on his ham (cannibalism...) sandwich thoughtfully, "Man, what is it with your hairless apes? It's like someone has to blow an airhorn in your face to get you to understand."
"Not all of us can just wave our asses in front of people's faces, Pig." Noir rolled his eyes.
"Wait a minute, Reilly?" Peter asked, "You mean...is her name May?"
"Ah...well, yes," UK said.
"...You're going out with a version of my aunt." Peter put both hands on his eyes and groaned. It was bad enough when that waiter and Mr. Delmar asked after her, but now this? ...At least she was a Superhero in one world. That was something, "Back on topic, please. Do you guys have any advice? Besides the whole 'be a gentleman' thing, I mean. There's gotta be more to it than that, right?"
"Depends on what you're looking for. Is this just fun or are you looking for a long distance, cross-dimension relationship thing?" Ham asked, "Cause those are two different things. You just want some fun you take her to a good mudhole, get a few drinks, maybe go dancing. You want something bigger you're gonna have to start romancing her. Be the shoulder for her to cry on when she needs you and pick her up when she's down."
Wow...that actually sounded like good advice. Color Peter impressed.
"I still think this is a bad idea." Noir scoffed, "You're homeward bound, kid. Any kind of relationship with anyone here's gonna screw things up. I've seen other Spiders get tangled sideways cause they tried to make a go of it. Trust me, it never ends well."
"You're free to give advice, Noir, but ultimately it's his choice," UK said, "I'll admit my idea of courtship is...dated, so I can only repeat my advice from before. Be a gentleman and ensure that you never presume. A lady dislikes when a gentleman expects too much and vice-versa."
"Uh, thanks." Peter rubbed the back of his head. Did he want more with Mary Jane? He wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for them messing up(?) on Titan. Still, if Mayday and Ham were any indication then at least two versions of him ended up settled for life with redheads. She was pretty and confident and had a great singing voice...well, he liked Liz for a lot of the same reasons, so was it so bad?
"Hey, it's your funeral." Noir finished off the last of his soda.
"What about you, Noir? Ham has a wife and UK's going out with, um, Lady Spider." Who was most definitely not his aunt, if only for the sake of his sanity, "What about you? Any relationship?"
His grip on the styrofoam tightened and he let a strained breath, "...No."
"Oh, come on, we're all friends here!" Ham said, "You know about all of us, why not tell us?"
"...Fine, only cause you're not gonna shut up about it." He set the cup down, "There was...a woman. Felicia Hardy, but you probably know her as the Black Cat. She...invited me to her bed one night when I was younger. I was young and stupid, thought it meant she mighta liked me. Turns out she was just looking for a sucker to keep her bed warm that night." He sighed, "Held a torch for her for a while till I eventually moved on. Got together with Mary Jane."
"You got together with MJ too?" Peter asked. Was this the multiverse trying to tell him something? It seemed like it.
"Not for long, kid. She fought in the Spanish Civil War. She's got shell shock, or PTSD, you call it nowadays. Tried to talk to her about it, but she never wanted to. There was a...distance between us. Maybe it would've worked if I told her I was Spider-Man, but by the time I even thought about it we were already broken up. Wasn't surprised. You don't leave the war without scars."
"Oh..." Peter was almost tempted to reach out a hand, but the fear of his fingers being bitten off kept him from moving.
"Man, is there anything that's not depressing about you?" Ham asked, receiving a harsh glare from Noir in return.
"Sure, there was a time we caught a pig and roasted him over the campfire. Want me to tell you about that?" He asked back nastily.
"Was it a big pig? Cause piglets are too chunky-"
Ham's (disturbing) response was cut off by the sound of a crashing car below. Eyes wide, Peter ran to the edge of the roof and gasped at the sight below. Five people, all of them dressed in different costumes. He recognized them from the news reports. The Sinister Six...even though there were only five of them. Boomerang, Shocker, Overdrive, Beetle and Gorilla-Man. From what he heard from Gwen she'd tangled with them a few times.
Mostly he was curious on how they kept escaping prison. Must have had amazing lawyers.
Two police cars were overturned and the cops were knocked out on the ground. No injuries, at least from what he could see, "It appears they're robbing the armored truck," UK said beside him, "Should we introduce ourselves, gentlemen?"
"Gwen said I should keep my head down..." How many sacks of cash was that now? Still no police in sight, "...Well, she did say I could get involved if things got bad enough."
"Good enough for me!" Ham was the first to jump, landing on the back of the getaway driver, "Hey, come on, I don't wanna be the only one having fun!"
"Damn pig..."
Noir shook his head and jumped down after him, UK and Peter following soon after. Overdrive was out cold, which just left the other four. Noir rushed towards the weirdo gorilla while Ham tangled with the boomerang guy, which left UK to deal with Beetle and him with Shocker. Peter had to admit, the fight back at school really wasn't his best. Maybe he could do better this time.
"What the heck?!" Shocker dropped the sack of cash, "More Spiders?! I thought there was only one of you!"
"There's a lot of us." Peter shrugged, "So, what do you say you put your hands up and surrender?"
Shocker raised his hand and fired his gauntlets. Peter jumped over the sonic boom and winced at the ringing in his ears. It was like marching band all over again, "I'll take that as a no!" He landed on top of the armored car in a crouch.
"Peter, should I activate instant kill-"
"No!" Why did he know she'd say that? "Just activate grenade web!"
"Activating grenade web."
Peter jumped to the air again and lobbed the grenade onto Shocker. Poor guy barely had time to scream before he was covered head to toe in a cocoon of webbing that left only his face exposed, "You should've surrendered!"
"Go...to hell!"
His spider-sense tingled and he jumped to avoid the low blast that punched through the web. On the bright side it hit Boomerang. On the not so bright side so was Ham, "Hey, watch it!" Ham yelled. He didn't seem hurt, and from what little she saw nothing could hurt him. Boomerang guy's boomerangs just bounced off him like he was made of rubber.
"Sorry!" Peter ducked the next blast and lobbed another grenade web. From behind him UK flipped over Beetle and webbed up her wings. Unlike Ham his moves were precise and looked like someone who actually practiced. Mr. Stark always said he needed more of that.
"Stop playing around with him!" Noir screamed. He was doing good against Gorilla Guy. Well, good in the sense that he wasn't getting hit and Gorilla Guy was. Peter kinda felt bad, seeing the big guy's face bruise and bloody from Noir's every hit. Mayday warned him that the other Spider could be kinda brutal, but seeing it firsthand still made him cringe.
Shocker broke through the webbing again and fired another blast, "Not working! Activate taser web!"
"It won't work, Peter. Sensors show that the costume is padded and resistant to electric shocks," Karen said.
"Let's take the costume out then!" Peter always had doubts on hitting people in costume. Mr. Barnes and Giant-Man could take the hits, but most people couldn't. Better to be safe than sorry, right? A few extra bucks of web fluid was worth that.
That didn't mean he couldn't do something similar if he had to.
Peter webbed down Shocker's legs and landed in front of him. Before the Supervillain could raise his gauntlets to fire Peter grabbed handful of quilted cloth from his chest and pulled back.
The sound of tearing fabric reached his ears even through all the other noise. Shocker screamed and used both hands to cover his chest, probably more out of shock than any sense of decency, "Here, hold this for me!" He attached the end of the web to Shocker's chest and took a few steps back, "Taser web."
Shocker convulsed briefly and fell to the ground, right arm twitching. Peter detached the web and looked at the others. Ham was sitting on Boomerang's back without a care in the world while UK tied up Beetle and apologized for any unnecessary roughness. Off to the side Noir punched Gorilla Guy one last time and stood up, gloved hands covered in blood.
Well...that worked.
He looked around them. A few people were taking pictures now that the danger had passed, but his attention was drawn to the opposite rooftop. He recognized Gwen and Mayday's costumes easily enough, but the one with the black and white spandex and the other one in a red leather jacket holding a phone up shamelessly were strangers to him.
"...Nice of them to help us," Noir muttered sarcastically, rubbing his hands on his pants.
Overdrive suddenly got up and started running for his car. Noir clicked his tongue and aimed a gun for his back, "Alright, none of that!" Mayday webbed Noir's hand to his gun while Gwen kicked Overdrive in the back, sending him sprawling across the ground with a dull thud.
"...Cool, but ow." Overdrive groaned. Gwen webbed him down to the ground.
"Hey!" Ham waved happily, "How long were you guys watching?"
"Just a minute or two," the one in the red leather jacket said, "We thought about swinging in, but you guys looked like you had it handled. Figured it wouldn't do your masculinity any favors if we stole your thunder."
"That and Jess wanted to see if either UK or Noir would lose their shirts." The one with the red scarf rolled her eyes.
"I'll never get you dames..." Noir picked the web from his gun and glared at Mayday, who shrugged back at him without a hint of shame, "I think I've had enough of this place. Let's get outta here."
"Yeah, good idea," Gwen said, "As much as I don't like Jameson, if people take any more pictures of the Spider bonanza I think he's gonna have a heart attack."
They all went up to the roof and said their goodbyes. He half-expected Gwen to lecture him about keeping a low profile, but so far she hadn't said a word since they swung their way home- er, back to her apartment. Gwen jumped through the window first and Peter followed, watching as her suit peeled away and left her back in her casual wear. He definitely needed to get a better handle on the nanobots.
"Well, that was a thing." She ran a hand through her messy hair and collapsed on the couch, toeing off her shoes lazily, "So much for keeping a low profile, huh?"
"Sorry about that."
"Eh, I was in full costume, so I can't exactly throw stones." She shrugged lazily, "You like hanging out with the the guys?"
"I guess?" Well, maybe not Noir, but the other two were cool, "Um...I gotta tell you something." He sat down on one of the beanbags, "Alright, um, don't freak out, but...I asked Mary Jane out on a date."
Gwen looked at him blankly for a second before she said, "...And?"
"Huh?"
"You told me not to freak out, so I'm assuming there's more to this."
"Uh...no, just that."
"Then why the heck would I freak out? I'm her friend, not her mom." Gwen rolled her eyes, "So, I'm guessin' there's a reason you told me about this supposedly freak-out worthy news. Out with it."
"Well...I wanted some advice," He rubbed the back of his head, "I tried asking those three, but they were kinda...general, I guess? I mean you know Mary Jane best, right? You're one of her best friends. I figured if anyone would know something it'd be you."
"I don't think I know her as well as you think, but sure, I'll give it the old college try." Gwen sat up on the couch, "First we gotta get you some new clothes. I know from experience that spandex does nothing to someone who's friends with a formerly convicted Superhero."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And maybe a haircut. The good boy style's not exactly her favorite thing in the world."
Oh...this was gonna be a long day.
Like I said, not my best work. The next chapter - date with Mary Jane - will hopefully be better. If the date's short enough I might be able to combine it with the Gwen-coma dad visit.
Questions:
1. Given that Gwen's prison sentence was only a year long in canon, this really has me tempted to re-write and remove the Suicide Squad references from past chapters and just have Gwen serving her jail time. Removing this plotline means we don't get bogged down by extra, angsty shit and Gwen's just a more low-key open hero. Helps keep the lighter tone of the fic as well since my friend complained that the Suicide Squad plotline felt more like something for Looking Glass.
That and it would explain why Gwen was so adamant that MCU keep a low profile: she herself is trying for a less attention-grabby approach and now here this cinnamon roll comes doing the exact same crap that got her in trouble in the first place. Hmm, what do you guys think? Cause right now I'm leaning towards yes now that the canon has given the character an out and it'd make Gwen more cheery.
2. Any villain requests? So far I'm considering Jackal, if only for shenanigans and Gwen being squicked out by a guy old enough to be her dad crushing on her.
I can't find exact quote, but definitely two protagonists would be more interesting without sidelining. I know next to nothing about Spider-Gwen, but would love to learn more.
Also, while Karen's subtle teasing/helping is nice and all, there's also the fact, that she's the only sentient (sapient?) being from Peter's home universe and a valuable confidante to share his feeling with. Don't forget to bank on it.
Alright, heads up: I removed the Suicide Squad references and now Gwen's status quo is similar to that of her canon ending, that being she's just trying to keep a low profile and pitch in only when people can't handle the threats. She also mentions spending a year in jail. This should make her school segments interesting. Oh, and pic:
You gotta love how Eddie's Venom is super friendly while Gwen's is just a little growly chihuahua.
I can't find exact quote, but definitely two protagonists would be more interesting without sidelining. I know next to nothing about Spider-Gwen, but would love to learn more.
Also, while Karen's subtle teasing/helping is nice and all, there's also the fact, that she's the only sentient (sapient?) being from Peter's home universe and a valuable confidante to share his feeling with. Don't forget to bank on it.
Karen's status depends on how fast the characters can establish a communication pipeline between the dimensions. If it's faster then she won't be as important.
Karen's status depends on how fast the characters can establish a communication pipeline between the dimensions. If it's faster then she won't be as important.
You want to establish connection between this fic's continuity and Avengers: Infinity War p.2??? This is madness!!1
The consequences of that could be disastrous! The encounter could create a time paradox, the results of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum, and destroy our entire universe! Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to merely our own galaxy.
You want to establish connection between this fic's continuity and Avengers: Infinity War p.2??? This is madness!!1
The consequences of that could be disastrous! The encounter could create a time paradox, the results of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum, and destroy our entire universe! Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to merely our own galaxy.
Thanks, Doc Brown. Anyway, I doubt this fic will last that long. I'm just figuring whether May and Stark should be abke to talk to Peter somehow...assuming they're alive.
Thanks, Doc Brown. Anyway, I doubt this fic will last that long. I'm just figuring whether May and Stark should be abke to talk to Peter somehow...assuming they're alive.
Low-powered, slice-of-life, other-dimension setting with MCU Peter Parker and a bunch of other versions? Very specific niche, and it's working out quite well. ^_^
Low-powered, slice-of-life, other-dimension setting with MCU Peter Parker and a bunch of other versions? Very specific niche, and it's working out quite well. ^_^
Low powered? MCU Spidey is a juggernaut who can tank attacks from Thanos while Gwen is Gwenomized and is probably the strongest powered person in the city aside from the Wolverines.
Low powered? MCU Spidey is a juggernaut who can tank attacks from Thanos while Gwen is Gwenomized and is probably the strongest powered person in the city aside from the Wolverines.
Right Definitely helps to add to the protagonists being more unique in thier setting, especially Gwen. Gwen's college life segment showcases this more with her classmates and teachers being frankly unsure hiw to deal with her even though she's not even trying to draw attention to herself.
Even less, my dude. So far we have: Spider-Gwen, Captain America, male clone Falcon...and that's about it. Felicia just wants revenge against Murderdock, Punisher is an anti-hero douche whose family left him, Wolverine and Shadowcat (basically x-23 with the personality of a less monstrous Kimura) are mercenaries etc etc.
I made a post about this elsewhere:
More serious villains/anti-heroes/anti-villains:
Kraven The Hunter:
Matt Murderdock:
Frank Castle:
Felicia Hardy:
Kitty Pryde/Earth-65 X-23:
Wolverine:
65-Cindy Moon:
Serpent Society:
Titania:
Vulture:
There other characters like Jessie Drew (male Jessica Drew), Rhino, Lizard!Peter etc etc, but they're either inactive or dead. The Serpents Society chick's comments also imply that cardboard prison isn't a thing in this verse.
This is essentially a world in its fledgeling state, hence why Gwen stands out so much and why her jury was so scared of her: unlike 616, Earth-65 is so rare with its powers that Gwen really is an aberration in their eyes. Hell, look at the above list and count how many of them actually have powers. Even normally powered people are turned normal. She-Hulk, for example, is just a well-trained wrestler who paints herself green as a form of expression. In the context of her world, Gwen is one of the few truly unique characters.
This applies in relation to Gwen's enemies as well. Many of her antagonists actually don't give a fuck about her personally, but rather her powers. Castle derisively calls her a 'freak of nature'; Vulture became a villain out of jealousy that she got fame while he toiled away for nothing; 65-Peter turned into the Lizard to try and be special like her; and Murdock wants to break her down and 'prove' that powers are the root of all evil because he refuses to admit that he himself is a monster, meaning it must be the fault of the powers - radar vision - he got.
I've definitely seen that title before, but to be honest Spider-Man Noir didn't appeal much to me. So, I have a somewhat impolite question. Is there some kind of story summary or premise?
It seems like a rather long read.. and I'm not sure I want to go full on grimdark just yet.
I've definitely seen that title before, but to be honest Spider-Man Noir didn't appeal much to me. So, I have a somewhat impolite question. Is there some kind of story summary or premise?
It seems like a rather long read.. and I'm not sure I want to go full on grimdark just yet.
Same deal as here - Noir taken to Earth-65 and dealing with it. Main diff is that it's far more convoluted and the 'find a way back home' plot is put on the backburner for massive amounts of time. The main story deals with Noir and Gwen's strained relationship - Noir's anti-heroism and methods rubs Gwen wrong while Noir's annoyed with Gwen's insistence that her way is right and killing is always wrong. Him having Peter's face also complicates things since this Gwen never went through Spider-Verse, and neither did Noir, so she's kinda thinking/hoping he's really her Peter revived and this is her chance for a make-up on his death, which just fuels the strain.
Despite this the two do find ways to cooperate and make it work. Each side also has its own villains and side characters - Gwen gets more comic book villains like Scorpion and Hobgoblin and her side characters are ideal heroes like Captain America, Kate Bishop and She-Hulk. Noir gets darker villains like Muse and Jack-o-Lantern and his allies are people like Punisher, Moon Knight and a Dexter Morgane-esque Bullseye.
Two Spiders is fun in its own way, though Gwen ended up being kinda dark and cynical here due to it taking place after her comic run. Looking Glass Gwen is the lighter of the pair by comparison.
Just a heads up: I went back to the last chapters and removed all Suicide Squad references, so now Gwen's status quo is just about identical to what she had at the end of her comic run. This had the unfortunate side-effect of her being a tad more cynical since she spent a year in prison getting assaulted due to a biased jury.
OTOH it means we don't have to worry about any heavy SHIELD crap. I promise I'll try to lighten Gwen up in the future chapters. Marvel Rising is gonna be helpful since the relationship that Gwen had there with her dead best friend Kevin (aka Peter with ice powers) is easy to take inspiration from. Whether romantic or platonic, MCU and Gwen should have more fun in the future.
Chapter 7: You Hit the Jackpot!
"Alright, Peter, you can do this...!"
Peter gulped and adjusted the collar of the red sleeveless vest. Gwen suggested something proto-casual, whatever that meant, which left him with said vest, a long-sleeved black shirt, dark sneakers and a pair of torn skinny jeans that were way tighter than the Spider suit. Gwen said he 'had the muscles to pull it off', which he kinda doubted, but she was the expert on all things Mary Jane.
He slicked back his gelled (and freshly cut) hair. Gwen told him Mary Jane wasn't a flowers or chocolate type of girl, but he still felt kinda like a jerk going up to her apartment with nothing but his own sweaty palms.
"You can do this, Peter. You can do this. It's just an older girl..." Who he apparently married in at least two worlds and had a superpowered daughter with, "Oh crap..." He gulped down the last of his bottled water and tossed it into the nearby bin before knocking on the door.
Memories of prom night with Liz came rushing back. What if he screwed up again? What if her dad was that Shocker guy Gwen kept ragging about and he opened the door right then and there? No, wait, Mary Jane would've definitely said something about it considering Gwen was one of her best friends. Maybe he was worrying for nothing? Liz was the exception, not the rule. Not everyone-
Whatever platitude he was about to say died when Mary Jane opened the door, "Tiger? You're kinda early." She opened the door further and saw she was till wearing an oversized shirt and a pair of pants. Her hair was wet, "Just came out of the shower, actually. I thought we were meeting at the place in, like, an hour?"
"U-Uh, yeah, but I...don't really know this place." He could've asked Gwen, and he did, but she suggested he go over to MJ's instead. Glory was out and it'd give him an excuse to talk to her alone.
Mary Jane blinked owlishly before she frowned, "Oh, shit, sorry! I almost forgot about your whole...dimension thing." She laughed awkwardly. It was cuter than she probably thought it was, "Well, come in! I'll just change a bit then we can go." She stepped aside and let him in, "Uh...don't mind the mess. Glory was supposed to clean up but she's just such a slob."
"Yeah, I'm sure she is," Peter replied back jokingly.
"Alright, well." She grabbed a shirt and tossed it into the laundry bin, "I shouldn't be too long. Just watch some TV or browse the net or something. Password's murderface, no caps. Betty insisted."
"I'll just wait, thanks."
Peter sat on the couch and looked at the slightly ajar door. It was closed enough that he couldn't see anything, but he still felt...weird being here, just a room away from where a pretty redhead (and that was just cheating) was changing for their date. He'd never actually gone on a date before. Was it creepy for him to be here, even if MJ told him it was cool? Was it alright that MJ took the lead? Cause he didn't really know this place apart from the Dollar Dog and Baskin-Robbins and he was still kinda scared to go back there-
"Nice outfit."
Peter jumped up, "H-Huh?"
"Your outfit, it looks good. Nice to know you're not just a baggy shirts and track pants kind of guy." She was joking, but Peter couldn't stop himself from rubbing his head in embarrassment. He was never really the most fashionable guy and the lack of budget here didn't help. Most of the clothes he wore nowadays were Gwen's leftovers and hand-me downs from her dad.
"Yeah, I'm a surprising kind of guy." Peter winced. That was so not smooth, "S-So don't you have classes?" Gwen was on ESU right now, meaning he couldn't text for advice as much as he really wanted to. He knew he should've taken notes...
"Prof told us to take the afternoon off." He heard the sound of something being zipped up and before he could say anything else Mary Jane opened the door fully. Peter blinked. Her baggy shirt was replaced by a black and white tanktop that exposed the freckles on her shoulders. Her shorts were 'hot pink' and the leggings underneath hugged her legs tightly.
She looked way out of his league.
"I'm guessing by the slack jaw that I actually look halfway decent." His hands raised up to cover his most-definitely-not-open mouth, "I'm just teasing, Tiger." She grabbed a pair of black chucks and put them on quickly, "We got some time to kill before the concert starts. Wanna go get something to eat?
"Oh, I..." How could he say 'I'm trying to cut back cause Gwen paid for these clothes' without feeling like a massive tool? "I'm not hungry. I-If you wanna eat then I'll come, but-"
"You don't have to be shy about asking for a few greenbacks, you know. I do know you came from another dimension so I'm not gonna hold it against you."
"I-It's not that-"
"Totally that." She put an arm around his shoulders and led him out. He tried not to squirm. She was more upfront, less shy than the girls from Midtown. Betty and Ned practically had to psyche themselves up to hold hands, "I'm a band singer, I know what it's like to look like to have to ask a friend for some dosh. I'll spot you this one and don't you dare feel like you owe me!"
He stayed quiet until they got to the nearest burger place. He had to admit, he found it funny that Burger King was apparently a universal constant when the Nobel Peace Prize wasn't, "Your meal, milady." He set the tray down and felt a small rise in confidence when MJ laughed back. When he had the mask it was easy to joke, not so much when he was just plain ol' Peter Parker.
"Thank you, good sir. You've made this maiden blush giddy." She picked up the burger and took a small bite out of it. She waited till he was eating his own burger before she said, "So, how's it working in Hipster wonderland?"
"It's actually not that bad. Mr. Albie's kind of a grouch, but he's nice enough if you don't bring up Lizards of Spiders. The boss is also really nice. I mean, I he gave me an advance even though I've only been working there for a couple of weeks."
"Don't feel bad having to clean up pickle puke?'
"Eh, it's a living," Peter shrugged, "They don't ask questions and that's really good for me. Can't exactly put 'from another dimension, don't ask' on my resume."
"You know you could always be our roadie while you're here. Betts said you were good with tech and we're not exactly hungry for gigs now that Spider-Gwen's the rebel who stood up to an oppressive system. Plus, one guy in an all-girl band? You'll never get this chance again." She grinned mischievously. He quickly tried to stop his mind from going into dark, dark places.
"Um, maybe, but what about that Randy guy?"
"He's our manager. He makes the gigs, yeah, but guy can barely calibrate a stereo."
"Huh...well, I'll think about it." It would definitely be easier and make him feel less like a mooch, "So...what are you studying in college?"
"Music degree. Guess that's not a surprise." She shrugged one shoulder, "Speaking of, you're from some fancy gifted school, right?"
"Yeah, Midtown scholarship. Helps save on tuition." God only knew they needed it, especially after Uncle Ben... "Music, why the interest there? I mean I like it too, it's just-"
"Risky career path?" Peter nodded, "Yeah, so my mom and sis tell me. If they had their way I'd be on my way into advanced accounting by now. But it's..." She put her burger down, "Alright, I'm an attention whore. It's an admitted problem and Glory's helping me through it. I could chalk that up to me having a shitty dad or some deep seated childhood trauma, but honestly I just like being up on stage."
"So why a singer? Why not an actress or a model?"
"Not sure if you meant it, but I'll take the compliment." She winked, "With music it's...I dunno, I like it. I want people to look at me because of something I did. With acting you're saying lines someone else wrote and with modeling it's cause of the looks you got from good genes. With music those lyrics are mine, and when people cheer I know they're cheering because of something I made. Well, me and the rest of the band."
"I...I get it."
"You would." She reached across the table and squeezed his shoulder, "You and Gwen are the same, kinda. You don't get anything putting on the mask. Hell, Gwen got shit on for two years and spent a year in super Gitmo and you don't see her giving up. She'll say she's taking it low, but the second someone looks like they're gonna bruise she'll swing right in."
"Gwen mentioned prison before..."
"Yeah, she doesn't like talking about it and, contrary to how it may appear, I'm not a gossip. You want to talk to her about it you'll have to ask her." She looked at the clock, "Concert starts in about 20 minutes. We should probably book it. Don't suppose you could swing us over there?" she asked teasingly.
"What? Uh, I have my webshooters, but I didn't bring my costume-"
"I'm just joshing ya, Tiger. Come on, let's take the subway like a pair of plebs."
The concert was for someone named Dazzler. MJ didn't tell him much, said she wanted it to be a surprise, "Here." She handed him the weird glowstick and wrapped her right arm around his left. To keep from getting getting separated, she'd said. He wasn't complaining, "I know you're an expert on the bizarre, but I will not make fun of you if you freak out. Well, not too much."
"It's a concert, Mary Jane-"
"First of all, friends call me MJ." Friends? Was that a bad thing to say considering they were going on a date? "Second, this is not any ordinary concert, my dear padawan."
"Did you mean to say that while I'm basically holding a lightsaber?"
"Maybe."
They smushed themselves into the crowd. It wasn't front row, but it afforded them a generous view of the stage. The small, braggart part of himself wanted to web them a seat up top on the rafters. That would've been cool, right?
The crowd cheered when the lights finally dimmed and Dazzler came on stage. She looked like an odd mish-mash: a shiny silver outfit that looked like it belonged in a disco, blond hair with the tips dyed pink and bright blue facepaint across her eyes in the shape of stars. It looked weird. Then again maybe that was just him. He was always more into baseball than concerts.
At first he didn't see what the big deal was until the music's tempo picked up, and then the entire concert hall exploded with light, "Woah!" Peter raised one hand to cover his eyes and nearly dropped the glowstick. Mary Jane held his hand with her free one and cheered, "Wh-What's going on?!" He opened his eyes and was assaulted by another wave of lights. Blue, orange, yellow, purple and every color on the spectrum.
Oddly enough, it didn't really hurt his eyes like he expected it to.
"Dazzler at work!" Mary Jane screamed back, barely heard over the cheers of the crowd. She raised her glowstick and Peter watched as the colors changed to match the lights, "The world's first superpowered popstar!"
"Wait, she was powers?!"
"It's why no one's getting epileptic seizures!" She raised his hand up too, "Hah, you shoulda seen your face when the lights came on!"
"A little warning would've been nice!"
"Says the guy with the Spidey sense!" She started jumping up and down with the rest of the crowd. Peter awkwardly followed suit, "God, don't be so stiff! No one's looking at you! You don't have to be embarrassed!"
"I-I've never done this before!"
"Then we need to change that!"
Before he could shout something back Mary Jane tapped the two closest guys and gestured to him. Peter didn't know what she said - lip reading was something he never learned, despite Mr. Stark's suggestions - but he got the feeling it wasn't good.
A feeling that only worsened when both guys grinned and grabbed his arms while MJ put her hands on his back.
"H-Hey, what are you guys-"
"Popping the Dazzler cherry!" Mary Jane shouted.
Peter didn't get a chance to say anything before the three of them threw him up. It wasn't too high, so he didn't get a chance to shoot out some webs and totally break his cover. He fell back down quickly and the closest crowd of people immediately put up their hands to carry him.
"Crowd surf! Dazzler virgin over here!" Mary Jane shouted. He didn't know if anyone else heard her, but they seemed to get the gist quickly enough. Any attempts to get down were quickly ruined when the crowd passed him along with way too much ease. At the back of his mind he wondered just how often 'cherries were popped' that no one seemed at all surprised having to pass a teenager around like a basketball.
Of course, he would've been thinking more of that if he wasn't so focused on the lights.
At first he thought they were just random criss-crossing patterns with no rhyme or reason. Now he saw it, saw how they blended into one another in perfect tune with the song. Being here, lying on his back as the crowd moved him around, the music reaching at just the right pitch to make his heart beat loudly against his chest, it was... it was different from web-swinging. Now he didn't have to worry about keeping an eye out for crime or making an ass of himself cause someone might sell it to the Daily Bugle.
This was amazing.
He reached a hand out to try and touch a wisping stream of purple light. He didn't get far before another hand grabbed hold of his. He turned to the side and grinned when he caught MJ smirking at him before she was carried off in another direction by the crowd, untangling their all too brief contact. Apparently he'd started a trend. At least half a dozen people were being passed around by the crowd now.
The rest of the concert passed by in a multi-colored haze. By the time the last song died down and the lights faded Peter definitely felt a rising disappointment in his chest. How long was that? 2 hours? 3? It was too short!
He and Mary Jane stumbled out of the concert laughing and giggling. MJ's face was tinged red and her giggles were uncontrollable, "Oh God, I think...I shouldn't have accepted that girl's offer of drinks," she said with an exaggerated slur.
"Underage drinking, MJ? What would the other think?!" he said, faux scandalized.
"Ah, I have blackmail on all of them! If I'm going down I'm taking everybody with me!" She giggled again, "Besides, I saw you taking a drink first!"
"W-Well, she was really nice! And the spider-sense said it was cool."
"Yeah, that's why I took em. Figured if Mr. Spidey Boy thought it was safe I wasn't gonna get roofied."
She stopped and leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. Peter stopped too and looked at her half-lidded eyes, "Wh-What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"This is nice."
"What do you mean?"
"You not being an Awkward Andy." Peter refrained from telling her that someone calling people that had no room to judge, "Ever since you've been here you were kinda...stiff, ya know? Shy. Like you're worried about something. And I know that sounds like a shit thing to say considering you're trapped here and all, but I guess I've just never been a fan of angsting."
"I guess so..." He still didn't know what home was like. Was half of every life in the galaxy really dead or did Dr. Strange or Mr. Stark somehow turn things around and he'd come back to a victory?
"That and you've been treating me kinda weird. I figured you just had a crush on the pretty redhead, but the whole falling off the couch thing? Kinda obvious."
"Yeah..." Peter rubbed the back of his head, "I mean I do, uh, think you're pretty, but it's not just that. It's cause, um." He practically saw Gwen glaring at him. He still couldn't stop himself, "Uh...I-I found out that in, like, a couple of universes we ended up together and had a kid. I mean, in one of them I'm a pig and you're a crane, but that's still-"
"Woah, woah! Slow down, Tiger!" She laughed. Was that a good sign? "Start from the beginning?"
"W-Well, it's like I said. That team of Spiders that Gwen hangs out with? One of their members is Mayday Parker, and she's, uh, our daughter. Well, not really 'our' daughter, but...well, you know." She nodded and let him continue, "And then I found out Spider-Ham's married to Mary Jane too and Noir apparently went out with her too."
"And, what, you thought had to follow their lead?"
"What? No, no, no! I mean, when I first saw you I was surprised and because you were so pretty-"
"Flattery is good. This pleases me."
"-and then when I saw you up on stage it was...great. You're a great singer, you make that stage yours and you've got a mean swing with a guitar." They both laughed at that, "I just...I mean, you're-"
She kissed him on the cheek. Peter's eyes widened and he stepped back slightly in surprise. It shouldn't have been shocking. He'd been kissed there before. Granted it was by Aunt May and that old lady he'd helped across the street that one time on patrol, but it still counted!
"Y-You-"
"You're sweet, Tiger." She smiled and squeezed his shoulder softly, "And hey, if you wanna go out and have fun again then you know my number."
"Y-Yeah..." He gulped and looked down. Ask her, he internally screamed, "So...do you think I have a chance, MJ?"
"A chance?" She looked confused for a second and then her eyes suddenly widened, "O-Oh, you mean, like, an actual relationship? Boyfriend girlfriend?"
"I mean, yeah...do I not?"
"Oh, Tiger..." That...wasn't a good sign, "Peter, you're a sweet guy, and under normal circumstances I'd give it a shot, but...aren't you leaving? I mean you don't live in this universe. You're going back eventually and, no offense, but I tried the long distance thing with my last boyfriend. Didn't work out, and he just went to L.A. I don't think another dimension's gonna be better."
"Well, the Web Warriors have dimensional watches. It lets em go travel through dimensions whenever they want. So at worst it'd be like a 5 minute walk. 10 minutes tops."
"Yeah, maybe, but...I dunno." She sighed, "Sorry if I'm being a mega bitch, but I've been burned a few times already and I kinda just wanna take it easy, you know? Hang out here, maybe a couple of dates. Nothing serious."
"Oh...cool." He got that, he did. It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no either, "So...that's a maybe?"
"That's a maybe." They smiled at one another, "On a lighter note, I am just drunk enough to think that getting swung back home by Spider-Man is a good idea. What about you?"
"I still don't have a costume."
She looked around briefly and smiled when she saw the stall selling concert merchandise, "Wait here." She went there and came back in record time, carrying a pair of yellow goggles, a red handkerchief wide enough to wrap around his jaw and a pair of black, studded gloves, "Here." She dragged him to the nearby alley and put it on him quickly, "Hmm..." She pulled up the hood of his vest and grinned, "Perfect!"
"Really?" He looked down unsurely.
"Oh, don't be a spoilsport! Have some fun!"
"Alright, let's go!"
Swinging back with Mary Jane's arms wrapped around his neck was different. Most people he swung with were those he was saving from danger, so they always panicked and sreamed and treated him like a lifeline. Mary Jane cheered and whooped, sometimes even unwrapping one arm to wave at the people below taking pictures. He chalked that up at least partially to her being drunk.
They swung through the window of her apartment. Mary Jane let go of him and laughed, face red with excitement, "Man, I get why Gwen never bothered with a drivers license. That was great." She pulled back her hair and smiled at him, "Thanks, Tiger."
He lowered the handkerchief, "Yeah, don't mention-"
Spider-sense. Peter stopped and looked out the window. Police sirens. A lot of them.
"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly losing all trace of her mirth.
"Something's happening. A lot of police cars and spider-sense is going nuts." He looked out the window and watched the police cars before they were obscured by the buildings, "Should I go? Gwen said to keep a low profile, but-"
"Hey." Mary Jane clapped his arm and grinned, "Go get em, Tiger."
His uncertainty lasted for a few more seconds before he smiled, pulled up the handkerchief and swung out the window.
Back in school again.
Gwen sighed and tapped her pen as Professor Warren rattled on about genetics and sociological factors. It wasn't that the subject was boring, (okay, maybe kinda) it was more because the guy sounded like he couldn't be assed to really care. This was the Easy A course, and while that might've been a good thing for her it also meant that no one really had to pay attention.
Which left her classmates free to fucking stare at her.
She knew it'd happen ever since the Dean clarified that she was free to continue studying and catch up. She wasn't stupid. A year ago she was just Gwen Stacy, drummer for one hit wonders the Mary Janes. Now she was Spider-Woman, the lawfully innocent former vigilante who just happened to be the former police chief's daughter.
Oh, and she had powers too, which might've had something to do with it.
She caught a couple of girls whispering and pointing at her, which she did her best to ignore. Either they were gonna ask for an autograph or, as was more likely, they were worried about what 'that menace' was doing here. Jameson still rattled the saber sometimes, but less so now that she wasn't an active vigilante with a warrant. Now bullying her was about as exciting as saying Red Skull was evil. Nothing much to be gained from it.
She counted the ticks of the clock. Just five more minutes to freedom. She hoped Peter was having fun, at least. Those tickets were a bitch to get.
She heaved a sigh of relief when the prof cut the lecture. Best part about coast courses was that she didn't have to take any notes, "Hmm..." She opened her phone and frowned when she caught the message from Cap, 'We need to meet.' A year ago she would've been on cloud nine getting a essage from her. Now she jut mostly felt annoyed that certain people couldn't take no for an answer.
Gwen stood and nearly crashed into the two whispering girls from earlier, "Oh, sorry." She tried to slip past them.
"Oh, no prob!" The blonde - Jenny Slater, if the remembered correctly - suddenly moved to block her, "Um, I know this might be weird, but we just wanted to say thank you. You know, for being Spider-Gwen."
"Oh, uh...thanks." She should've been happy. Instead she just to wondered when the other shoe was going to drop.
"Yeah, you're like, a modern day Superhero." The other one, a short haired brunette, added. Gwen didn't know her name, "That jackass Jameson was wrong."
"I guess..."
"Big fans." Jenny said. Her smile was just a bit too wide to be sincere.
"Okay, thanks again. I, uh, got some homework to do and-"
"We were gonna go to a rally," Brunette said, "It's protesting against Jameson's administration. Did you know he spent millions of dollars funding the Anti-Spider task force?" Yes, she knew that. Her dad was the head of it for two years, "Millions of dollars that he could've spent on something better than attacking an innocent woman."
"You want me to attend a rally giving a middle finger to Jameson?"
"Yeah! I mean, we thought you'd be hooked!" Jenny said, "And the cops aren't gonna be so ballsy when they see Spider-Gwen there-"
Brunette elbowed her side, her expression marred in a quick scowl. Gwen sighed. There it was. They just wanted her there to be a Spider-Woman shaped barricade. Probably timed it perfectly with the Jameson rally. First she'd agree to that and then she'd be their muscle for whatever rally came in the future.
Or maybe she was just being paranoid and cynical. Either way she wasn't biting.
"I can't. I got a load of homework, like I said. But good luck with that."
She was almost out of the room before Professor Warren called her back, "Ms. Stacy, could I have a word?" She winced. Technically she had no proof that the guy wasn't just a coaster with tenure, but after that clone BS with Kaine she really didn't want to talk with Miles Warren more than she needed to. Only reason she took the class was cause her last professor wasn't offering this term.
"Yes, Professor Warren?"
"I've been informed of your...circumstances." Gwen resisted the urge to snort, "Classmates seem to pay you undue attention and I worry that it might impact your course studies."
"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you get bitten by a spider that gives you powers."
"Right..." He coughed, "Well, as I was saying I worry about your performance. If you wish then I can re-schedule and give you personal classes. It would make it easier to focus without worrying about the looks from your peers."
Trying to be nice or a creep? Gwen couldn't decide, "No thanks, sir. Even if I did take it I still have other classes and I get stared at just as much there, so there wouldn't be any point. Thanks for the offer, though."
"Oh...yes, of course, Ms. Stacy."
She turned away and shuddered at the disappointed look on his face. Right, first things first: transfer out of the class as soon ASAP. Maybe he wouldn't become a jackal themed supervillain, but he still gave her the creeps. Don't be so paranoid, Gwen, the annoying part of her chided, Different dimensions, different rules! Just look at Peter, Peter and Peter!
Gwen stepped out into the courtyard and facepalmed when she saw Captain America standing nearby in full costume, completely ignoring the people taking selfies next to her. She couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh or cringe at the two cups of Starkbucks coffee in her hands.
"You know, when I didn't text back I kinda assumed that made it clear that I didn't want to talk just yet, not that you were waiting out here in full costume."
"I had a mission. Didn't have time to get a change of fatigues." Cap offered her one of the cups. Gwen rolled her eyes and took it. Free coffee was free coffee
"And I'm sure that drawing a crowd and making it that much harder for me to pretend I didn't know you was just a happy coincidence." Gwen grinned back bitingly.
"Heh...your wit's gotten sharper."
"Yeah, funny what a year in prison and your dad getting beaten into a coma does to you." She started walking, Cap keeping pace with her easily. She could just swing away. Everyone already knew who she was and there wasn't a law against it as long as she didn't web up any non-consenting people, "Oh, and let's not forget getting assaulted daily by the prisoners looking for a punching bag while the guards just munched popcorn and watched. That was fun."
"Gwen-"
"How'd you even know I was here? Did you get my schedule?"
"Who do you think ensured you could still attend classes despite your year long...absence?" Gwen's grip on the styrofoam tightened.
"What do you want, Cap? A thank you? I already said I wasn't interested in your Suicide Squad." She hated this, being so angry all the time, but she couldn't stop herself. Both she and her dad lost a year of her life, and for what? Cause Jameson wanted a target, cause Murdock wanted her to prove he wasn't a monster. Now her dad was still out, everyone knew Peter was the Lizard and Uncle Ben hated her.
"Same offer as before. I want you to join S.H.I.E.L.D."
"So I can dump people in prison where the guards treat them like pals? Yeah, sounds great." She just barely stopped herself from sneering, "I thought you said lay low."
"I did, but clearly you aren't following my advice given yesterday's headline of a group of Spider people stopping the Sinister Six-
"Weird, considering there's only five of them."
"-from robbing an armored convoy," Cap continued, not rising to her bait, "Gwen, you're a good person, I wouldn't have tried to help you if I think believe that. You were gifted great powers and you chose to do good with them, to be a hero-"
"And the second I stick my head out people are gonna use it as an excuse to dump me back inside," Gwen said, "I want to help people, Cap, but it's like She-Hulk said - to them I'm not Gwen Stacy. I'm Spider-Gwen, the person who can cling to walls and lift trucks over my head like it's nothing. I'm not gonna risk it, not while my dad still needs me."
Cap let out a deep sigh, "I understand. If you change your mind, you know how to contact me. The same offer applies to Spider-Man as well."
"Don't count on it, Cap. He's not staying here for long."
She tossed the cup into the closest bin and jumped into a swing. One good thing about having an open identity; she didn't have to duck into alleys and nasty bathrooms to change into her costume.
She took the same route back to the hospital and rushed through the check-in. The receptionist, Annabelle, was a nice woman, probably one of the few who didn't care about who she was. To her Gwen was just a daughter visiting her dad.
Gwen tried to smile when she opened the door. Couldn't. No matter how many times she saw him it never got easier. Her dad was someone she always looked up to, figuratively and literally. Seeing him in a bed with a tube on his arm, attached to a machine that kept him from wasting away, it was difficult. It didn't belong to Captain George Stacy to be so weak.
"Hey, dad." She grabbed his right hand with both hands and sat on the chair. Dr. Strange said he was doing better and that he'd wake up 'relatively soon', but so far she wasn't noticing any changes. Her hold tightened and she let the Venom release more spiders over his skin. It wouldn't help, but it did make her feel better, "I've had a shitty day. What about you? Anything new?"
Nothing.
"Prof Warren was being kind of a creep," she continued. Dr. Strange also said talking helped in some cases. She wasn't sure if she believed it, "A couple of girls wanted me to be at a rally and Captain America was waiting for me with coffee. Oh, and Peter and MJ are going out on a date. Never thought those two would be an item. It's weird, isn't it?"
Still nothing.
"...When are you gonna wake up?" She let go of his hand and leaned back on the chair, "It's been a year, dad. I thought when I got out of prison you'd be there, giving me that disappointing shake of the head cause I didn't know what the hell I was doing. Then I'd say you weren't much better cause you gave yourself up to try and prove me innocent and then we'd go watch Dad Cops again because neither of us'll admit the other was right."
Gwen closed her eyes when he didn't stir. Of course, what was she expecting? This wasn't a comic book of a Disney film. Life didn't just throw out happy endings cause people deserved it.
She wanted to talk more, but her spider-sense suddenly came on at full blast, "Ah, what the...?" She walked to the window and narrowed her eyes at the fain sounds of sirens in the distance, "...Leave it, Gwen." Keep a low profile, don't stick her head out. Her hands gripped the windowframe tightly and she pushed herself back. Her dad was here and he needed her. He-
"Son of a bitch!" It was hard to see in the setting sun, but she definitely saw a figure webswinging through the air before disappearing around the corner of the farthest building. Peter, it had to be; Mayday and the others were too busy solving the dimension issue for a sudden visit.
Gwen opened the window and looked back at her dad one last time.
"Sorry, dad."
She let the Venom cover her completely and jumped out the window, not seeing her dad's right hand twitch.
Done. Like I said Gwen's segment ended up being pretty cynical due to the changes, but I promise I'll try to tweak that in the coming chapters. Anyway, the Mary Jane date probably ended up being pretty disappointing for people who wanted more fluff and comedy, but hopefully it sufficed and showed off enough of the interplay. Not sure if people buy the pairing as viable, though.
Next chapter will be the official debut of Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen working together (Mysterio doesn't count cause that was self-defense and Gwen did most of the work). That and MCU finally shows off his combat skills, proving that the cinnamon roll has a thick interior.
Question:
1. I wonder, if/when we delve into a relationship between MCU and Gwen, would you guys want it to be a quicker and fluffier piece or a slow burn kind of thing? I'm inexperienced with writing longer lasting romances like this so I'm open to suggestions.
2. Given that MCU has Karen, should Gwen follow suit and have her Venom be capable of speech or do we just stick to it occasionally growling and playing the overprotective chihuahua?
