Two Spiders on a Web (MCU Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen Crossover)
- Thread starter Eratas123
- Start date
- Modern Crossover Superhero
General question: how far do you guys think I should take the romance scenes? In Looking Glass the leads very clearly have sex, but that fits the tone of the story and their characters. I wonder if I can pull off the same here or it'd be too much since, while Gwen is 20, Peter's a 17 year old cinnamon roll and people miht find it odd/creepy if he does anything r18.
Like I said, depends. If it's not worth it then it's not worth it.
Like I said, depends. If it's not worth it then it's not worth it.
- Location
- Arizona
....mmm, that's a tough one. I'm not sure how explicit you're talking about, but you may want to run any theoretical scene past a mod first. I know authors who've been burnt by the whole "talking about minors and sex" issue.
Just a heads up, in case you weren't aware. I do like the story that I'd hate to see you get burnt by a mod's reactionary decision.
Just a heads up, in case you weren't aware. I do like the story that I'd hate to see you get burnt by a mod's reactionary decision.
I don't mean writing actual sex scenes; I meant that whether the characters would do anything beyond kissing and talking about feelings given MCU's age and the tone of the story.
Fabula Amanti
I want a Grimoire, but I got books.
- Location
- Singapore
Depends on how you develop Gwen's end of the relationship I think. Honestly, can't see MCU Peter taking such a step on his own. And she is the more experienced one in relationships overall. And the time it takes for Peter to go home I guess.
Madou Sutegobana
Autocorrupt has been disabled.
- Location
- Twin Realms Mandala
I would prefer you keep posting here as well. Even if I don't post replies that often (because of time constraints), I do enjoy reading your story.
And while I do have trouble with SV's alerts not working as well as they should; There really isn't any comparable method for keeping track of ongoing stories on other sites (except SB).
As for sex/romance in the story, honestly I'm fine with you doing what you feel best as an author. (So long as you do keep within the rules. Which I trust you to do.)
And while I do have trouble with SV's alerts not working as well as they should; There really isn't any comparable method for keeping track of ongoing stories on other sites (except SB).
As for sex/romance in the story, honestly I'm fine with you doing what you feel best as an author. (So long as you do keep within the rules. Which I trust you to do.)
Hence why I'm asking if people would think these two characters specifically would go beyond making out.
I'd argue against her being more experienced. She's older, certainly, but we also have to remember that she never dated anyone either in canon. There's no indication she went out with anyone before or after Peter died and the one time Harry asked her out she was such a Harem protagonist about it:
Left on her own, she'd probably justify the kiss with MCU as just her being his friend...
I guess. Posting on SV is a bit difficult since diminish returns hits the hardest next to possibly ao3 when it comes to feedback and readers.
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
Honestly I'd say that it's entirely possible they have sex at some point but it's likely to be a big deal for both of them. I don't see either of them as the sort to take that step on the spur of the moment.
At the same time they're not the "wait for marriage" types either, because both of them know that superheroing is dangerous work.
Lots of physical contact seems likely though. Hugging, sitting with arms around each other, holding hands, etc. First relationships tend to be like that, especially when they're just starting.
I expect Karen to call Gwen on the phone so she can give the shovel talk.
I also do want to see one encounter with 616 Spidey just because he's likely to have an interesting perspective seeing teenage versions of himself and Gwen Stacy together.
I also want to see them run into Spiders-Man, because who wouldn't?
I wouldn't be at all surprised if Karen tries to create an identity under which Peter can go back to school, whether high school or college, given that he's not the sort to willingly take a gap year.
Also I want to see somebody tell MJ that there's one bright side of Gwen unwillingly sucking up all the band's publicity: they may be the only rock band ever where the majority of the people at the concerts are coming to see the drummer.
That said, given that Earth-65 seems to be going through its own "Explosive Growth in Superheroes/Villains" era, the band should get back to a more normal situation once Spider-Gwen is no longer the most exciting thing on the block.
At the same time they're not the "wait for marriage" types either, because both of them know that superheroing is dangerous work.
Lots of physical contact seems likely though. Hugging, sitting with arms around each other, holding hands, etc. First relationships tend to be like that, especially when they're just starting.
I expect Karen to call Gwen on the phone so she can give the shovel talk.
I also do want to see one encounter with 616 Spidey just because he's likely to have an interesting perspective seeing teenage versions of himself and Gwen Stacy together.
I also want to see them run into Spiders-Man, because who wouldn't?
I wouldn't be at all surprised if Karen tries to create an identity under which Peter can go back to school, whether high school or college, given that he's not the sort to willingly take a gap year.
Also I want to see somebody tell MJ that there's one bright side of Gwen unwillingly sucking up all the band's publicity: they may be the only rock band ever where the majority of the people at the concerts are coming to see the drummer.
That said, given that Earth-65 seems to be going through its own "Explosive Growth in Superheroes/Villains" era, the band should get back to a more normal situation once Spider-Gwen is no longer the most exciting thing on the block.
Hmm, maybe? I'm not sure how affectionate the two would be because, canonically speaking, neither of them have been in a relationship with anyone yet. Ghost Spider is setting up Gwen with Harry while Far From Home is going for a Peter/Michelle angle. I don't really want to wait months before updating, though.
The what talk? Also, not sure if Karen can call phones without Peter's say so.
He's likely already seen it. Hell, he's seen the Renew Your Vows couple who are together with a teenage daughter and interacted with Mayday. I really also wanna discourage 616 from appearing since the story kinda goes off focus whenever he appears.
Now him, I can definitely show. Spiders-Man is the hero we all need and deserve.
There's really no point to it since Peter doesn't plan to spend years in Earth-65. That and he has more to worry about like paying his part in the rent, working with Peni to exploit the glitch effect, Spider-Man shenanigans and possibly helping out Gwen in her upcoming Hero for Hire business.
A first for history
Being serious for a bit, while MJ is still a bit of an attention whore, her main gripe is that she wants the band to be well-known for their music. With Gwen's popularity the band could sound like a bunch of people farting into tubas and the people would still cheer, which really pisses her off since she worked hard to make the lyrics and tunes and no one cares at all so long as Gwen's there.Unlikely. Earth-65's main shtick is that heroes and villains are exceedingly rare, at least those that are actually Gifted. If you notice a lot of the heroes and villains that show up are tech based with Gwen being one of the very few exceptions who actually has powers. This is going to keep her on the spotlight for a while - she's one of the true uniques whereas tech based hero/villain would lead people to believe that it's not themselves but their tech that does the work.
This is even indicated in the Ghost Spider 4 preview where Gwen comments in narration that, in the eyes of the public, she'll always be special and be seen as the girl with the powers rather than just Gwen Stacy. It's why she starts up a Hero for Hire business in issue 6 - if she'll always be seen as Spider-Gwen she might as well get paid for it:
At least she's not getting cussed out for saving people. It's why she starts up a Hero for Hire business in issue 6 - if she'll always be seen as Spider-Gwen she might as well get paid for it:
Writer: Seanan McGuire
Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa
- Struggling to find her place as SPIDER-WOMAN in a city that seems to revere her and hate her in equal measure, GWEN STACY has taken matters into her own hands by becoming a hero for hire!
- That should make her first date with Harry Osborn a breeze, right? After all, how many people could REALLY need Spider-Woman's help, after all?
So...Gwen's made more appearances ever since her inception. This was the logical conclusion:
I gotta admit, though, her and Peter squabbling over a webshooter is pretty damn adorable. Since I'm leaning towards Gwen and MCU being a couple earlier, I'm also thinking about petty, couple like arguments the two can have. Nothing serious, but there has to be a squabble or two to show their relationship is normal.
I gotta admit, though, her and Peter squabbling over a webshooter is pretty damn adorable. Since I'm leaning towards Gwen and MCU being a couple earlier, I'm also thinking about petty, couple like arguments the two can have. Nothing serious, but there has to be a squabble or two to show their relationship is normal.
Chapter 12 - K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Quick surprise update The plot for this chapter, or at least the beginning, was pretty clear to me and I wanted to write something lighter. Hopefully you guys enjoy it.
Oh, and just a heads up: until Avengers Endgame comes out/clarifies how much the timeskip is supposed to be I'm going to hold off on advancing the 'go home and stop Thanos' part of the plot. This leaves us open for more romance and Earth-65 shenanigans, especially given the plot thread tackled in this chapter. Hopefully people are cool with it.
Side Note - A friend suggested I do a discord group discussing Spider fics or fanfics in general. Would you guys be interested? If so hit me up on a review or PM.
Chapter 12 - K-I-S-S-I-N-G
What the fuck did she just do?
Gwen stopped at the bottom of the stairs and pressed her forehead against the wall. You know exactly what you did, the traitorous part of her whispered. She kissed Peter. Well, he kissed her too, but she didn't stop him. She could have. She wasn't the one lying on the couch with a freshly bandaged wound. She could've pulled back and stood up, easy as that.
So why didn't she?
Sure, she liked the guy, but she liked a lot of people. She liked Glory, Betty MJ, Mayday, Billy, Ham, and even Noir (kinda) and she didn't kiss any of them except for that one time she was really drunk. And even then she definitely didn't make out with them. Sure, there wasn't any tongue and their spandex stayed firmly on, but that definitely wasn't a kiss she'd give to a friend.
"Shit..." She pulled herself off the wall and took a deep breath, "Pull it together, Gwen..." She slapped her face twice and walked out the door. Now wasn't the time to worry about...whatever the hell that was. Right now she just had to focus on the supplies they needed.
The sky was slightly overcast when she finally stepped outside, signalling the coming night. Gwen pulled up the hood of her shapeshifted jacket and did her best to keep a low profile. Like Shadowcat said her apartment wasn't exactly private knowledge anymore. Back in the raft she dreaded what she'd come back to: a dad who'd never wake up, a surrogate aunt and uncle who'd hate her for the rest of their lives, friends who'd pretend she was a stranger because they didn't want to be in danger.
But none of that happened. Her friends were there the second she was out and they picked up where they left off, her dad woke up and he was going through therapy, and Aunt May and Uncle Ben didn't hate her.
And then there was Peter.
She almost forgot to round the corner. Out of everything he was definitely the person she least expected. She'd gotten better at dealing with Peters, especially compared to just a year ago, but living with the guy for over a month at this point was something she couldn't have planned for. When she first saw him she thought it would've been a quick trip to the Web Warriors base and eventually they'd just nod at each other if they ever saw each other again at base.
It would've been way simpler if it was really like that.
The door to the corner store opened with a ding, "Hey, Mrs. Chen," she nodded to the cashier.
"Ah, Gwen. How's it going?"
"Eh, same old, same old." She shrugged with one shoulder and lowered her hood. Mrs. Chen didn't care about who she was, which she was really thankful for. It probably helped that she'd stumbled in here more than once at the ass crack of night looking meds, junk food or, and this was something she'd never tell her dad, some cheap beer. Hard to see Spider-Woman as some larger than life figure after that.
She picked up the stuff she needed automatically. Back when Betty and the others didn't know about her (non-paying) side job she spent entire nights just patching herself up in front of the bathroom mirror and hoping none of the other girls saw the bandages under her clothes. It was even more complicated when she came to practice with a black eye - cause fuck you very much, Gorrilla Man - and Glory spent the entire day mother henning over her.
Gwen's stomach suddenly grumbled. She looked down at her wallet and frowned, "...Crap." Not enough for even a bag of chips. Hell, she barely had enough to cover the bandages and the painkillers. Guess she'd just have to hope that the others could spot her some-
Spider-sense.
Gwen's head snapped to the entrance just when the thug stepped in. He looked stereotypical as all hell - big and muscly with a tank top and sleeveless vest to show off the tattoos in his arms. His face was mean and covered in a patchy beard with long hair and on the waistband of his jeans she saw the telltale dull glint of a pistol, 'Really? Now?' She just wanted to get home without any more gunshots and explosions.
"Please, I can't keep doing this." Mrs. Chen shook her head. She sounded more tired and familiar than scared, though Gwen still caught a hint of fear.
The thug ignored her and aimed his gun gangster style (seriously?) at her face, "You know the drill! Open the register and-"
And that was as far as he got before Gwen yanked the gun from his grip and webbed it to a nearby wall. He didn't even finish his customary 'what the fuck?!' by the time she webbed his face and pulled him to the ground, "Really, please, stay down. It'll be less embarassing for all of us." She webbed his torso and legs to keep him from wriggling around.
"Fhhhk yuuuu!" He screamed through the web.
"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes and stepped over him to the counter, "So what's the damage?" she asked as she set the basket down.
Mrs. Chen blinked owlishly, "Gwen, did you just...web him to the floor?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't worry, made sure he wasn't actually stuck. Just call the cops and they should pick him up." She picked up the crumpled bills from her Spider-Woman (Betty thought it was funny) wallet and placed them at the counter, "This should be enough, right?"
"Hm? Oh, um...just forget about it."
"What? But I need these-"
"That's not what I meant." Mrs. Chen laughed softly, "I mean just take them. It's the least I can do considering what you just did?"
"What? That was nothing." The gagged thug screamed, obviously annoyed that Gwen didn't even consider taking him down to be worth anything, "Seriously, it's cool. Actually, does this happen often?"
"He and a buddy of his used to come around here every week, but now they've been doing it every two days. I was at the end of my rope." She sighed.
"Have you called the police?"
"I tried, but they threatened me. Said that if I called they'd...well," she didn't finish. Gwen got the gist of it.
"Well...why didn't you tell me? I would've helped you." Granted that would've gone against the 'keep a low profile' plan she had, but at this point it was way too obvious that it was never going to work. It didn't matter if she stopped putting on spandex and went to school like a normal person. In the eyes of New York she was Spider-Gwen (she really need a publicist), and no matter what she did she'd always be Spider-Gwen.
"Well...I wouldn't know what to pay you with."
"What? Mrs. Chen, I don't do this for money!"
She blinked again, "You don't? Well, that explains why you can barely seem to afford anything." Gwen's cheeks heated up. She didn't have to say it like that, "Which brings it back to this. Please, I insist. You helped stop him and I don't want to be an ingrate. Actually, take something else if you need it. I heard your stomach rumbling all the way from the counter."
"Ugh, geez." She sighed, "Thanks, but I'm definitely following up on this guy. You said he had a friend, right? Think he'll come check in when his buddy doesn't come back?"
"I don't know, maybe."
"Guess I'm waiting then."
She'd finished her bag of (free!) chips by the time Thug 2 came in. Thankfully Mrs. Chen had locked herself into the back room so by the time he came in waving his gun around gangster style like his buddy webbing him down to the floor next to thug 1 took no time at all, "Alright, I got him!" she shouted to the older woman, "You sure these guys are the only two?"
Mrs. Chen stepped out, "Positive. Some of the other shopkeepers confirmed it. Thank you, Gwen."
"Hey, no prob. Just make sure to stay safe."
"Thanks. You know, you really should think about getting paid for this." First Shadowcat and now her? Did everyone think mercenaries were cool just cause Tony Stark had an army of them? "Oh, and take some corndogs if you want. Those chips aren't enough to fill a stomach and a Superhero needs to eat."
By the time she was on the way back to her apartment she was munching on a corndog with two spares for both Peter and Betty. Her stomach finally stopped grumbling and she smiled. She'd been getting thanked more and more recently. She knew she had supporters, but it was still a nice change of pace from the screams of fear or being labeled a freak of nature. The corndog definitely tasted all the better for it, even if she did feel kinda bad for not paying for it.
She opened the door to her apartment and her smile widened when she saw Betty and Peter chatting like nothing was wrong in the world. His chest was even covered so she didn't have to look at his weirdly defined abs.
...Not that she was looking or anything.
"I brought food!" she tossed both of the wrapped corndog at the pair and set the painkillers down at the table, "We gotta change your bandages in a few hours, but take a couple of these and you should be good."
"Yeah, thanks." Peter grinned and unwrapped the corndog before taking a generous bite. Gwen tried not to think about what else that mouth did about an hour ago.
"So why'd you take so long, G? Run into another supervillain looking to get some e-fame?"
"Nah. Well, not exactly." She sat down on the other seat, "So apparently Mrs. Chen was being harassed by these two dicks who extort her every couple of days. Stopped one guy and then had to wait like like 40 minutes for the other one to show up looking for where his buddy went. Got some free corndogs out of it, at least." She grinned.
"Woah, you actually got paid for the superhero gig? Nice!" Betty cheered.
"Mrs. Chen insisted. Tried to pay for the stuff, but she said she didn't want to be an ingrate." Didn't stop the rest of the city for two years, that bitter part of her said. She ignored it, "...Actually, she said I should really start charging for the Superhero thing, but really? I mean, what, am I just gonna go to every person I help out and start asking for 20's? I'd feel like a dick."
"Yeah, I mean, back home a couple of people tried to pay me after I helped them out. I didn't accept...well, except for that one old lady who bought me a churro. She really insisted," Peter said.
"So you got paid in churros and Gwen got corndogs. You guys need an accountant or something," Betty shook her head lightly, "But seriously, Gwen, getting paid for the hero thing? Not actually a bad idea."
"Betts, I am not going to ask the people I save for money!"
"It doesn't have to be like- look here." She set the corndog stick on the table next to the painkiller, "Pretend you're this stick and the painkiller's someone you saved after just swinging around, showing off your hot bod to the city."
"I do not show off my bod!"
"Tell me that when your tush stops trending on twitter." Betty waved a hand through the air, "Anyway, so you see Mr. Painkiller here being mugged in an alley and you go in to save him. You don't ask him for cash cause he didn't ask you to do that and you were just being a good samaritan and all. I mean, when you pull a Heimlich on someone at a restaurant you don't ask for cash, right?"
"Right..." Where was Betty going with this?
"See, but here's the thing. What if someone paid for a bodyguard to escort them down that alley or to be on stand by to make sure they don't choke on food? Then it's not unfair, right? You help out Mr. Painkiller and you get paid while doing it."
"So...you're asking me not to do anything till after they pay me? That's still really dickish."
"No! Ugh, I thought I was supposed to be the crazy one." Betty rolled her eyes, "I mean what if we put up Spider-Gwen on job offer? Like '300 dollars and she'll be your bodyguard for a couple of hours' or something? That's not unfair, is it? You can still do the hero thing on your free time so it's not like you're gonna stop being good, but if someone wants a guarantee you'll be in the area they have to pay for it. Would probably give em some peace of mind."
"...You're really well-prepared," Peter said.
"Watching Kim Possible and a business course actually works out really well," Betty said nonchalantly, "Anyway, what'd ya think?"
"I...I dunno, Betts" Gwen scratched her head and leaned back on the seat, "I mean it sounds great and all, but being a mercenary just feels..."
"Then don't call it a mercenary. Let's call it...Hero for Hire." Betty looked extraordinarily proud of herself at that, "This'll be simple. We can get someone to do the website and we don't even gotta advertise; you gotta be living under a rock to not know who Spider-Gwen is!" Spider-Woman, she thought in annoyance, "Betcha we start getting clicks the second we put it up."
"Aren't we forgetting something? I still have college to deal with. When am I gonna find the time for this?"
"Just drop out." Betty shrugged.
"Oh, sure, I can just do that! Will that be before or after I tell my dad and he has a freaking heart attack?"
"Then just take a year break or something," She shot back, "Seriously, Gwen, you're not gonna stop being Spider-Woman, so why not? You're really good at the Superhero thing and, let's face it, we could use the money. Rent isn't exactly cheap and Pete's Dollar Dog paycheck ain't helping much."
"I could make the website," Peter said, "I can help out on jobs too. Anything to help pitch in."
"Ugh...fine, make the website! I doubt anyone's gonna hire me for anything..."
Two days and fifty job offers later and Betty's grin looked like she just won the lottery, "Look, Gwen! Look~" she said in a sing-song voice, completely ignoring Gwen's grimace. She really didn't think this through, "Check these out! One guy's going on a New York tour and he wants protection for 150 bucks an hour. Ooh, and there's a neighborhood that pooled together their cash so you can do a neighborhood watch and see whose been stealing everyone's gnomes. Oh, and there's this visiting princess from Symkaria that-"
"Okay, Betts, slow down! One at a time!" Gwen pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. This really wasn't what she was hoping for right after school, "Alright, so walk me through it. Slowly."
She did. Betty pointed out all the job offers and with each one Gwen felt another weight added to her shoulders. Some of them were simple enough - she was pretty sure all the tourist ones were just people looking to take a few selfies - and Betty even managed to put in a disclaimer that Gwen could leave if there was something 'mad dangerous' happening close by and the person could even get a deductible refund, so it wasn't like she couldn't stop being hero.
But still, putting Gwen Stacy - no, Spider-Woman - up for sale like this just felt...wrong. Spider-Woman the criminal, Spider-Woman who spent a year in jail to take responsibility for her actions, and now she was being hired out for a whopping 150 dollars an hour minimum. What can I say? You're skilled and people want that, Betty said when she'd asked about it.
...Still, she definitely would've been lying if she said she wasn't tempted. A week of good work and she could get enough to pay the entire rent for months with spare change for some corndogs.
Peter stepped through the door in his Dollar Dog uniform, "Hey, Pete, check it out!" Betty grinned and showed him the laptop, "Gwen's New York's hottest commodity!"
"Oh, uh, cool!" Peter smiled back.
"You too, by the way!" She sat Peter down to her right with Gwen to her left, "See, the jobs are separated by which Spider they want. Most of em are cool with either, and some of em even want both, but there are others who just want one or the other. Here," She moved the mouse to the 'Spider Guy' tab, "This chick's looking for a bodyguard for her senior prom. Rich, too; 200 an hour and she's willing to pay for four. That's 800 bucks right there."
"Wait, what?" Gwen cut in, "A 'bodyguard for prom'? Seriously?"
"Alright, so she's obviously trolling for a date, but who cares?"
"Um, I care?" Peter looked at her in confusion, "I-I mean, we gotta have some dignity here! This is a job board, not a kissing booth!"
"Relax. If the client acts inappropriate then Pete can leave and just refund the money. Trust me, got a friend from Law class draft this up. Besides," She grinned that telltale Betty grin, "She looks pretty cute, right?"
Peter looked closer at the page and nodded, "Yeah, I guess she is." Gwen pursed her lips and ignored the irritation that welled up in her chest. She was definitely a looker. A redhead - cause of course it was a redhead - with a million dollar smile that looked way too practiced. Patsy Walker, her name said. It sounded vaguely familiar, "I mean...if it's just bodyguarding then I can do it, right? It pays way more than the Dollar Dog, that's for sure."
"I guess..." Gwen did her utter best to suppress the coming frown. His logic was sound, and it'd definitely solve the money problems faster if they both did the Hero for Hire gig, "Uh, what are these 'rules' your Law friend cooked up?"
"Pretty basic stuff: Any and all Spiders - that means you two - are only supposed to do the job you've been hired for; meaning if you're a bodyguard you're gonna be guarding bodies and nothing else. If they want you to dance around like a monkey to get full payment then you don't have to do it, but you can if you like the customer or wanna cheer them up or something. Dating the clients is also not allowed during the job itself, but whatever happens off the clock is up to you. So if you wanna go for some overtime then go for it."
"...Why do you sound like a pimp?" Gwen asked flatly.
"Cause you know I could pull of a cane, honey," Peter almost choked on nothing at Betty's salacious grin, "Anyway, most of these jobs ain't gonna last forever, so just pick which one you guys want and I'll set up the schedule."
"Wow, uh, thanks, Betty! What do we owe ya?" Peter asked.
"Huh? Oh, nah, I'm good. Actually, our term final's about starting up a small or mock business, so this actually works. Way better than trying to sell soap or something." She clicked another tab and an animated gif of both her and Peter swinging crossed the screen, "So, which ones do you guys wanna do? I gotta message back the clients."
"Um, well..." Peter looked at the jobs on the screen, "Well, the prom thing sounds good. It's just 4 hours and that'll give me time to do something else if we need anything."
Of course he'd pick that one. Gwen smiled and again ignored the annoying feeling that sprung up as she looked at her own job listing, "Rash of break-ins in the neighborhood. Group of families decided to pool together a fund to hire someone outside the box. 6 pm to 12 pm patrol." She nodded, "Sure, I can do neighborhood watch." 850 bucks for 6 hours. Technically it meant she was missing 50 bucks from minimum price, but she felt iffy enough about this that it really didn't matter.
"Alright, I'll go message these guys and tell em they got lucky."
Gwen and Peter looked at one another and he gave her an unsure smile, "So...guess we're Heroes for Hire now."
"Yeah. Let's see how long we last."
"Why did you pick this job, Peter?" Karen asked as soon as he put on the mask. Peter jumped up at the sudden voice and was immediately thankful that neither Gwen or Betty were in the room, "Peter? Your heart rate is elevated again-"
"Yeah, because you surprised me!" He shook his head and jumped out the window. Karen warned him before that it could make it obvious who he was under the mask, but he really didn't worry about that much anymore. Everyone knew who Gwen was and there weren't any records of him in this world outside of Gwen's old best friend, and why would you think that a guy came back from the dead to be Spider-Man?
"Karen, could you gimme a map to the address?"
"Of course, Peter." The see-through map appeared over his right eye. It was about a 7 minute swing, "You didn't answer the previous question. Why did you pick this job? Are you hoping to 'score' with this girl?"
"Wh-What? No!" This was what she found fun? Heckling him about his non-existent lovelife? "I just- the job seemed easy. I mean all I gotta do is stand there and probably take a few photos." He wasn't dumb. What teenage girl could pass up going to prom with a Superhero? That'd give her bragging rights for at least a year once she hit college.
"If you're certain. I had assumed you wouldn't want to cheat on Gwen now that you two are in a relationship.
"We're not in a relationship!" God, his cheeks were warm. He stopped at a rooftop to let his breathing calm, "I mean, we did kiss, but we didn't talk about it afterwards!" Not a single word at all; he was actually kinda hurt. Granted the whole Hero of Hire thing took a lot of their attention, but it wasn't normal to just kiss and not talk about it, right?
"Oh? Good. Then I suppose this doesn't count as cheating. I'm not disappointed anymore."
"You're telling me you were?!" He covered his eyes with both hands, "Ugh, just...we're not in a relationship. I dunno what we're in or out or anything." They were friends, he definitely knew that, but were they more than that? Did he want them to be? He had a crush on MJ - and still kinda did - but Gwen...well, he couldn't say she wasn't pretty and she was really cool in a different way than MJ was. MJ took the stage and wasn't afraid to have everyone's eyes on her while Gwen made being a Superhero look easy.
Peter sighed and sat on top of a nearby vent, "Is something wrong, Peter?" Karen asked kindly.
"It's just...I dunno, my head's all messed up. The only crush I've ever had was Liz and...that didn't end well." And now here he was going to another prom. That was one of the reasons he picked this job - he'd missed his to stop Mr. Toomes and he wanted to see one and feel normal again, even if he did have to go as Spider-Man to do it, "MJ thinks it can't work and Gwen...I dunno what she's thinking, so I don't even know why I'm worrying. I don't think either of them like me that way."
"You need more confidence, Peter. As you told me, Liz was happy to accept your invitation to prom and it wasn't your fault it ended badly. Whether it be Mary Jane or Gwen, I'm sure they'd be happy to be more than friends with you."
"Yeah, well, I doubt it, but thanks." He stepped off the vent and dusted off his costume, "We should probably go. I think I'm late."
Patsy Walker was waiting on her porch by the time he got there, "You're late." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot; the universal sign of disapproval, even if a person was wearing a dress that probably cost more than their entire apartment, "The prom'll start in 5 minutes! How are we supposed to get there on time?"
"Well..." He looked up the address of her school. It was close by, "...How do you feel about heights?"
Apparently she was cool with them, though maybe that was just the cheering screams talking. Peter made sure not to go too fast so he didn't mess up her dress and hair, "This is so awesome!" she shouted, "Way better than a limo!"
"Thanks!" He swung around the corner towards the school, "So where do I drop you off?"
"Front gate! I want everyone to see this!"
Yep, definitely in it just for bragging rights. He didn't mind. Peter landed them on the sidewalk a far distance away from the others and she stepped away with a smile, "So, uh, is there anyone I should watch out for?" Might as well pretend he was still going to be the bodyguard.
"Huh? Oh, uh, just...in general, you know. I mean we wouldn't want a Lizard rampaging through, right?" She laughed. He didn't. Gwen's fight with 'The Midtown High Lizard' was the worst thing she'd dealt with, the same way he felt when he saw Uncle Ben on that sidewalk. Hearing someone make fun felt like an insult to everything Gwen lived with.
"Right...well, I should leave you to it-"
She suddenly grabbed his arm, "Wait, where are you going?"
"To bodyguard? You told me to keep an eye out in general, so I'll take a quick swing around and keep an eye out. Don't worry, my spider-sense'll warn me if you're in danger."
"Ah, but-" She looked back at the crowd of people taking pictures and bit her lower lip, "Wouldn't it be better if you were close by? You know, so you're near if I ever get in trouble?"
"I guess?"
They were close to the entrance when she suddenly grabbed his arm with both hands and pulled him closer. Despite Peter's best efforts a blush crept up his cheeks. This was supposed to be what he would've done with Liz: walk through prom arm in arm, dance and have a good time. Even with the Spider-Man suit he suddenly felt like a 15 year old freshmen again.
His thoughts were interrupted by the music blasting through the auditorium speakers. Again he was reminded way too much of that night, except this time everyone was staring at them. Then again, he knew that coming in: imagine everyone wearing a suit or a dress and then a guy in red and blue spandex came walking in. If he was in their place he would've been gawking too.
Patsy steered them to a table with her friends and their dates; or at least that's what he assumed. Most of the students at the table looked at him with wide yes, "Holy shit, Pats, can't believe you actually did it!" A brunette girl said excitedly.
"Yeah, well, mom insisted. She said it'd be good publicity." She shrugged with her free shoulder.
"Publicity?" Peter whispered.
"Ah...I'll explain later." Her next smile looked forced, "Oh, sit down please."
"Sure..." Peter sat down on the offered seat uncomfortably and tried to ignore the fact that he definitely felt more like an awkward date than a bodyguard. He raised up the mask halfway to his fac and took a sip of the punch as he surveyed the area. He definitely couldn't see anything worth getting a bodyguard for, so he couldn't even pretend this was professional in any way.
"So you new in town?" A guy to his left asked.
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah." Peter nodded awkwardly, "I'm...not from here."
"Yeah, I figured." Patsy smiled, "Spider-Gwen's been around for like five years now. Kinda figured you were her brother or something."
"Ah, no, we're...friends." He tried to ignore Karen humming in his ear at that, "She helped me out of a jam and I'm trying to pay her back.
Two hours passed as the group of friends chatted with Peter occasionally chiming in. Patsy never missed a chance to put a hand on his shoulder or laugh at his jokes when she saw someone was looking, which made him more than a little suspicious. He figured that she was doing this for bragging rights, but this was way above that. Her previous comment on publicity just made it worse.
It was nearing 10 pm when the slow dance came on. All of the people and their dates left, leaving just him and Patsy at the table. The redhead her hair behind her right ear and smiled at him, "So, do you wanna dance?"
He didn't have to. Peter was suddenly reminded of Betty's reassurance that they only had to do the job they were paid for, "Er, sure!" He smiled and pulled his mask back over his face. Maybe it was cause he felt guilty for being paid hundreds of dollars to sit around and drink punch, or maybe it was cause Patsy had a really nice smile, but he agreed.
It couldn't hurt, right?
Patsy led him to the center of the auditorium and guides his hands to her shoulder and waist, "You know how to dance?"
"I know some steps." May taught him. She was so excited when he told her he got a date. He wondered how she was doing now, if was even still ali- "But, you'll probably to lead me. I'm a bit rusty."
"Come on, you sound like you're my age." She grinned and started the steps, "Don't tell me you didn't go to senior prom."
"Actually, no. My prom...well, something came up." He didn't give any more details. It was enough, "To be honest, one reason I accepted this was cause I wanted to look at something...normal, even for just a bit."
"Really? Thought it might've been cause you liked me." Her laugh reminded him of MJ.
"Well, that too." That...sounded much smoother in his head, "Speaking of, what do you mean earlier by publicity?"
"Oh, that," her mouth dipped down, "I'm an actress. Nothing big or anything, and I'm definitely not as big a name as you or Spider-Woman, but mom thought that-"
"If you showed up with Spider-Man that you might get a boost." Patsy nodded and actually looked guilty, "Um, well...I get it, I guess, but you could've just told me. Here I thought you just wanted to take a few pictures so you can brag in college about hiring a Superhero."
"Well, that too." She winked and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her grin returning, "Sorry for tricking you, but I really did want to meet Spider-Man. I was there when that Green Goblin guy was chucking bombs everywhere. You saved me."
"It wasn't just me. Gw- Spider-Woman was there too."
"Sure, but when that guy and his bots were chasing us you were the first one to come to the rescue."
"Yeah, but she was the one who stopped the bomb-"
"Just take the compliment, Spider Guy." She giggled. Peter found a lot of the tension in his chest drain away. The slow music and Karen choosing not to interrupt actually made it feel nice, "So..." Her fingers brushed against the side of his mask and pulled it up slowly till his mouth was exposed, "Could I see you again after this? Outside of a job?"
"Um...I dunno. Do you just want more publicity?"
"Nope, I'm thinking something more private.
She was going to kiss him, "She's going to kiss you, Peter," Karen 'helpfully' pitched in, "I won't judge you, but please consider the circumstances."
He pulled back. Patsy's eyes were wide and hurt when his hands suddenly released their grip, "I, uh, should probably check around the place. You know, do my my job."
"Oh...sure. Good idea."
The rest of the alotted time was spent standing awkwardly in the corner and humoring the occasional request for pictures while he watched Patsy's table. He didn't know her at all, he wasn't even sure what shows she'd been on, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling more than a little guilty. Maybe she really was just a fan, but still. He'd been there before with Mr. Stark, kinda. Not the kissing, but definitely trying to make an impression on someone he looked up to.
Their goodbye was painfully awkward. She paid him the money and said she was going out with her friends so he didn't have to look out for her anymore. Peter pocketed the money and tried not to feel too much like a jerk when he finally managed to swing away. It was close to midnight now and he was anything but needed something to take his mind off it.
His wish was granted when his phone suddenly rang and he saw Gwen's unmasked face on his lens, "Hey, Pete, you done?"
"Yeah, you?"
"Yup. Managed to catch the thieves early. Spider-sense helped." She grinned and he found himself grinning back, "I'm getting some pizza. You wanna join me?"
"Even gotta ask? Send me the address."
15 minutes later he and Gwen sat next to each other without masks on the edge of a high building with a pizza box between them, "To a job well done," Gwen laughed and tapped her slice of pizza against his. If there was one thing he never got tired of as Spider-Man, it was the view. New York at night from on high was definitely a gorgeous sight.
"So how was your first Hero for Hire job?"
"Pretty good, actually. There was one asshole who thought I was a freak and didn't want me there cause he figured the thefts were somehow my fault, but apart from that it was good."
"Who was stealing?"
"You won't believe this: it was their kids." She shook her head, "Yep, three teenagers. The head of the committee's daughter was the ringleader of their little gang. Thank God she was too busy listening to her headphones to pay attention to what her dad was saying or she would've just not stole tonight. I really didn't want to waste those people's money if they had to hire me again."
"So...what's gonna happen to em?"
"I dunno. My guess? My guess? A solid grounding and an apology. Doubt they'll be going to juvie even if they stole, like, thousands of dollars worth of stuff. Seriously, one laptop isn't even out here yet." She paused, "How was your gig?"'
"Oh, good. Made 800." He bit down into his pizza awkwardly.
"What, nothing else to say about your date?" Was it just his imagination or did she seem kinda annoyed? ...Nah, just his imagination.
"She was doing it for publicity." She raised a brow and urged him to continue, "Apparently she's an actress and her mom thought that if she showed up at prom with Spider-Man it'd be real good for her career."
"Wow, and I thought it'd be a while before we get those kinds of requests." She rolled her eyes and took another (annoyed?) bite of her pizza, "Anything else?"
He didn't know what possessed him to say what he said next.
"She tried to kiss me." Gwen paused, mouth open and and pizza halfway up, and just looked at him. It took him a while to realize that she was waiting for him to continue, "Uh, I didn't kiss her, though. She was...um, I backed off."
"Oh..." She set the pizza down on the box and looked ahead, her expression unreadable, "...Why didn't you? Was it cause of MJ?"
"I...I dunno." He set his own slice down and put the box away. He got the feeling neither of them were hungry now, "After my date with MJ she said that she was fine going out, but an actual relationship was off the table. She said that she tried the long distance thing with an old boyfriend?"
"Oh yeah, David. Yeah, he moved to L.A when we were 18. They actually lasted a few months, but after a while...I guess they just got distant." She shrugged, "If it wasn't MJ, why'd you back off? Was it-"
"Why are you acting like we didn't do anything?"
A long, awkward silence settled over the pair. Peter cringed and tried to ignore his heart racing against his chest. Maybe there was a better way to do it, but Gwen pretending like the kiss two nights ago didn't happened weighed in at the back of his mind. It would've been one thing if she said it didn't mean anything; at least then she would've acknowledged it happened.
Gwen sighed and looked down, "I just...didn't know how to bring it up. I mean, what was I gonna say? 'So Pete, about us making out after you got injured'." She laughed wryly, "It's just...I'm not good at this whole relationship thing. I never dated anyone, unless you count my long and sordid affair with corndogs. Being Spider-Woman just...it took all my focus. Who had time for a relationship with people calling me a murderer?"
"Well...they're not calling a you a murderer now."
"Yeah, now they're just trying to see when I'll fuck up next. I feel like the one sane Kardashian." She closed her eyes briefly and turned to face him again, "Just...I dunno, Pete. I've been worrying about so many things lately and you've got your whole dimensional thing to worry about so I-"
Peter leaned forward and kissed her. It was clumsy, he wasn't afraid to admit that. He was angled wrong and he was pretty sure he crushed the pizza box with how quickly he did it. Gwen's eyes widened at the sudden contact and for a single, fleeting second he thought that she would push him off the building.
Instead she closed her eyes and reciprocated the gesture. It was a bit more...more than before. There wasn't any tongue or anything like those crazy R18 movies Uncle Ben snuck him to when he was younger, but it was definitely different from the slight contact two nights prior. Now he felt the pressure of her lips against his, felt her right arm clumsily wrapped around his shoulders to pull him close.
Eventually they both pulled back to get some air, "...Wow," Gwen said softly, almost unheard despite how close they both were, "That...was not what I was expecting."
"Yeah, me too."
"Um...you kissed me. You don't get to pull that." She punched his shoulder and smiled. He smiled back, "But, I'm still not sure what this means, Pete. I mean, two kisses aren't what a relationship make. And between everything we're going through I'm...I'm just still not sure."
"Hey, I get it. I mean, I'm not...exactly sure what this is either, but I know it's something." God, he was messing this up, "But...I do think you're cool and-and hot and you make being a superhero look easy and-"
She clapped his shoulder to stop his rambling, "Yeah, Pete, I get it." She rolled her eyes good naturedly and looked forward, legs swinging idly, "Well...I do think you're pretty cool to, and you pull off the red and blues really well." A blush crept up his cheeks at that, "Maybe we could shelve it, at least for tonight? I need to get some advice to deal with our 'thing', but right now I really wanna get some good old fashioned heroing done."
"Whatever happened to keeping a low profile?" He asked with a smirk.
Gwen laughed and stood, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Cap's already preparing to ream me for the website. Might as well go all in." She looked down at him and winked just before the mask covered her face again, "Race you back to Queens!"
She turned and let herself fall backfirst, "Ah, hey!" He grabbed the pizza box with one hand (no sense in wasting it) and put on his mask with the other before jumping down after her, "Hey, wait up!"
She looked back and waved, "Catch me if you can, Spidey!"
Peter laughed, and for the first time in a while he didn't worry about what would come next.
This was definitely one of my lighter chapters. It feels kinda odd considering it's after Peter finds out Earth-19999 just got massively fucked, but this was never really meant to be a serious fic. I'm also still unsure of the leads being open to the idea of a relationship so quickly, but readers have made it clear they'd be all for it so why the heck not? Let's see if it blows up in our faces.
Questions:
1. How far do you guys think I should take the romance scenes? In Looking Glass the leads very clearly have sex, but that fits the tone of the story and their characters. I wonder if I can pull off the same here or it'd be too much since, while Gwen is 20, Peter's a 17 year old cinnamon roll and people might find it odd/creepy if he does anything r18.
Note I don't mean 'do I write sex scenes or not?', cause I'm not gonna, I mean if character-wise the two do more than kissing even if it's only referred to.
The plot for this chapter, or at least the beginning, was pretty clear to me and I wanted to write something lighter. Hopefully you guys enjoy it.Oh, and just a heads up: until Avengers Endgame comes out/clarifies how much the timeskip is supposed to be I'm going to hold off on advancing the 'go home and stop Thanos' part of the plot. This leaves us open for more romance and Earth-65 shenanigans, especially given the plot thread tackled in this chapter. Hopefully people are cool with it.
Side Note - A friend suggested I do a discord group discussing Spider fics or fanfics in general. Would you guys be interested? If so hit me up on a review or PM.
Chapter 12 - K-I-S-S-I-N-G
What the fuck did she just do?
Gwen stopped at the bottom of the stairs and pressed her forehead against the wall. You know exactly what you did, the traitorous part of her whispered. She kissed Peter. Well, he kissed her too, but she didn't stop him. She could have. She wasn't the one lying on the couch with a freshly bandaged wound. She could've pulled back and stood up, easy as that.
So why didn't she?
Sure, she liked the guy, but she liked a lot of people. She liked Glory, Betty MJ, Mayday, Billy, Ham, and even Noir (kinda) and she didn't kiss any of them except for that one time she was really drunk. And even then she definitely didn't make out with them. Sure, there wasn't any tongue and their spandex stayed firmly on, but that definitely wasn't a kiss she'd give to a friend.
"Shit..." She pulled herself off the wall and took a deep breath, "Pull it together, Gwen..." She slapped her face twice and walked out the door. Now wasn't the time to worry about...whatever the hell that was. Right now she just had to focus on the supplies they needed.
The sky was slightly overcast when she finally stepped outside, signalling the coming night. Gwen pulled up the hood of her shapeshifted jacket and did her best to keep a low profile. Like Shadowcat said her apartment wasn't exactly private knowledge anymore. Back in the raft she dreaded what she'd come back to: a dad who'd never wake up, a surrogate aunt and uncle who'd hate her for the rest of their lives, friends who'd pretend she was a stranger because they didn't want to be in danger.
But none of that happened. Her friends were there the second she was out and they picked up where they left off, her dad woke up and he was going through therapy, and Aunt May and Uncle Ben didn't hate her.
And then there was Peter.
She almost forgot to round the corner. Out of everything he was definitely the person she least expected. She'd gotten better at dealing with Peters, especially compared to just a year ago, but living with the guy for over a month at this point was something she couldn't have planned for. When she first saw him she thought it would've been a quick trip to the Web Warriors base and eventually they'd just nod at each other if they ever saw each other again at base.
It would've been way simpler if it was really like that.
The door to the corner store opened with a ding, "Hey, Mrs. Chen," she nodded to the cashier.
"Ah, Gwen. How's it going?"
"Eh, same old, same old." She shrugged with one shoulder and lowered her hood. Mrs. Chen didn't care about who she was, which she was really thankful for. It probably helped that she'd stumbled in here more than once at the ass crack of night looking meds, junk food or, and this was something she'd never tell her dad, some cheap beer. Hard to see Spider-Woman as some larger than life figure after that.
She picked up the stuff she needed automatically. Back when Betty and the others didn't know about her (non-paying) side job she spent entire nights just patching herself up in front of the bathroom mirror and hoping none of the other girls saw the bandages under her clothes. It was even more complicated when she came to practice with a black eye - cause fuck you very much, Gorrilla Man - and Glory spent the entire day mother henning over her.
Gwen's stomach suddenly grumbled. She looked down at her wallet and frowned, "...Crap." Not enough for even a bag of chips. Hell, she barely had enough to cover the bandages and the painkillers. Guess she'd just have to hope that the others could spot her some-
Spider-sense.
Gwen's head snapped to the entrance just when the thug stepped in. He looked stereotypical as all hell - big and muscly with a tank top and sleeveless vest to show off the tattoos in his arms. His face was mean and covered in a patchy beard with long hair and on the waistband of his jeans she saw the telltale dull glint of a pistol, 'Really? Now?' She just wanted to get home without any more gunshots and explosions.
"Please, I can't keep doing this." Mrs. Chen shook her head. She sounded more tired and familiar than scared, though Gwen still caught a hint of fear.
The thug ignored her and aimed his gun gangster style (seriously?) at her face, "You know the drill! Open the register and-"
And that was as far as he got before Gwen yanked the gun from his grip and webbed it to a nearby wall. He didn't even finish his customary 'what the fuck?!' by the time she webbed his face and pulled him to the ground, "Really, please, stay down. It'll be less embarassing for all of us." She webbed his torso and legs to keep him from wriggling around.
"Fhhhk yuuuu!" He screamed through the web.
"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes and stepped over him to the counter, "So what's the damage?" she asked as she set the basket down.
Mrs. Chen blinked owlishly, "Gwen, did you just...web him to the floor?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't worry, made sure he wasn't actually stuck. Just call the cops and they should pick him up." She picked up the crumpled bills from her Spider-Woman (Betty thought it was funny) wallet and placed them at the counter, "This should be enough, right?"
"Hm? Oh, um...just forget about it."
"What? But I need these-"
"That's not what I meant." Mrs. Chen laughed softly, "I mean just take them. It's the least I can do considering what you just did?"
"What? That was nothing." The gagged thug screamed, obviously annoyed that Gwen didn't even consider taking him down to be worth anything, "Seriously, it's cool. Actually, does this happen often?"
"He and a buddy of his used to come around here every week, but now they've been doing it every two days. I was at the end of my rope." She sighed.
"Have you called the police?"
"I tried, but they threatened me. Said that if I called they'd...well," she didn't finish. Gwen got the gist of it.
"Well...why didn't you tell me? I would've helped you." Granted that would've gone against the 'keep a low profile' plan she had, but at this point it was way too obvious that it was never going to work. It didn't matter if she stopped putting on spandex and went to school like a normal person. In the eyes of New York she was Spider-Gwen (she really need a publicist), and no matter what she did she'd always be Spider-Gwen.
"Well...I wouldn't know what to pay you with."
"What? Mrs. Chen, I don't do this for money!"
She blinked again, "You don't? Well, that explains why you can barely seem to afford anything." Gwen's cheeks heated up. She didn't have to say it like that, "Which brings it back to this. Please, I insist. You helped stop him and I don't want to be an ingrate. Actually, take something else if you need it. I heard your stomach rumbling all the way from the counter."
"Ugh, geez." She sighed, "Thanks, but I'm definitely following up on this guy. You said he had a friend, right? Think he'll come check in when his buddy doesn't come back?"
"I don't know, maybe."
"Guess I'm waiting then."
She'd finished her bag of (free!) chips by the time Thug 2 came in. Thankfully Mrs. Chen had locked herself into the back room so by the time he came in waving his gun around gangster style like his buddy webbing him down to the floor next to thug 1 took no time at all, "Alright, I got him!" she shouted to the older woman, "You sure these guys are the only two?"
Mrs. Chen stepped out, "Positive. Some of the other shopkeepers confirmed it. Thank you, Gwen."
"Hey, no prob. Just make sure to stay safe."
"Thanks. You know, you really should think about getting paid for this." First Shadowcat and now her? Did everyone think mercenaries were cool just cause Tony Stark had an army of them? "Oh, and take some corndogs if you want. Those chips aren't enough to fill a stomach and a Superhero needs to eat."
By the time she was on the way back to her apartment she was munching on a corndog with two spares for both Peter and Betty. Her stomach finally stopped grumbling and she smiled. She'd been getting thanked more and more recently. She knew she had supporters, but it was still a nice change of pace from the screams of fear or being labeled a freak of nature. The corndog definitely tasted all the better for it, even if she did feel kinda bad for not paying for it.
She opened the door to her apartment and her smile widened when she saw Betty and Peter chatting like nothing was wrong in the world. His chest was even covered so she didn't have to look at his weirdly defined abs.
...Not that she was looking or anything.
"I brought food!" she tossed both of the wrapped corndog at the pair and set the painkillers down at the table, "We gotta change your bandages in a few hours, but take a couple of these and you should be good."
"Yeah, thanks." Peter grinned and unwrapped the corndog before taking a generous bite. Gwen tried not to think about what else that mouth did about an hour ago.
"So why'd you take so long, G? Run into another supervillain looking to get some e-fame?"
"Nah. Well, not exactly." She sat down on the other seat, "So apparently Mrs. Chen was being harassed by these two dicks who extort her every couple of days. Stopped one guy and then had to wait like like 40 minutes for the other one to show up looking for where his buddy went. Got some free corndogs out of it, at least." She grinned.
"Woah, you actually got paid for the superhero gig? Nice!" Betty cheered.
"Mrs. Chen insisted. Tried to pay for the stuff, but she said she didn't want to be an ingrate." Didn't stop the rest of the city for two years, that bitter part of her said. She ignored it, "...Actually, she said I should really start charging for the Superhero thing, but really? I mean, what, am I just gonna go to every person I help out and start asking for 20's? I'd feel like a dick."
"Yeah, I mean, back home a couple of people tried to pay me after I helped them out. I didn't accept...well, except for that one old lady who bought me a churro. She really insisted," Peter said.
"So you got paid in churros and Gwen got corndogs. You guys need an accountant or something," Betty shook her head lightly, "But seriously, Gwen, getting paid for the hero thing? Not actually a bad idea."
"Betts, I am not going to ask the people I save for money!"
"It doesn't have to be like- look here." She set the corndog stick on the table next to the painkiller, "Pretend you're this stick and the painkiller's someone you saved after just swinging around, showing off your hot bod to the city."
"I do not show off my bod!"
"Tell me that when your tush stops trending on twitter." Betty waved a hand through the air, "Anyway, so you see Mr. Painkiller here being mugged in an alley and you go in to save him. You don't ask him for cash cause he didn't ask you to do that and you were just being a good samaritan and all. I mean, when you pull a Heimlich on someone at a restaurant you don't ask for cash, right?"
"Right..." Where was Betty going with this?
"See, but here's the thing. What if someone paid for a bodyguard to escort them down that alley or to be on stand by to make sure they don't choke on food? Then it's not unfair, right? You help out Mr. Painkiller and you get paid while doing it."
"So...you're asking me not to do anything till after they pay me? That's still really dickish."
"No! Ugh, I thought I was supposed to be the crazy one." Betty rolled her eyes, "I mean what if we put up Spider-Gwen on job offer? Like '300 dollars and she'll be your bodyguard for a couple of hours' or something? That's not unfair, is it? You can still do the hero thing on your free time so it's not like you're gonna stop being good, but if someone wants a guarantee you'll be in the area they have to pay for it. Would probably give em some peace of mind."
"...You're really well-prepared," Peter said.
"Watching Kim Possible and a business course actually works out really well," Betty said nonchalantly, "Anyway, what'd ya think?"
"I...I dunno, Betts" Gwen scratched her head and leaned back on the seat, "I mean it sounds great and all, but being a mercenary just feels..."
"Then don't call it a mercenary. Let's call it...Hero for Hire." Betty looked extraordinarily proud of herself at that, "This'll be simple. We can get someone to do the website and we don't even gotta advertise; you gotta be living under a rock to not know who Spider-Gwen is!" Spider-Woman, she thought in annoyance, "Betcha we start getting clicks the second we put it up."
"Aren't we forgetting something? I still have college to deal with. When am I gonna find the time for this?"
"Just drop out." Betty shrugged.
"Oh, sure, I can just do that! Will that be before or after I tell my dad and he has a freaking heart attack?"
"Then just take a year break or something," She shot back, "Seriously, Gwen, you're not gonna stop being Spider-Woman, so why not? You're really good at the Superhero thing and, let's face it, we could use the money. Rent isn't exactly cheap and Pete's Dollar Dog paycheck ain't helping much."
"I could make the website," Peter said, "I can help out on jobs too. Anything to help pitch in."
"Ugh...fine, make the website! I doubt anyone's gonna hire me for anything..."
Two days and fifty job offers later and Betty's grin looked like she just won the lottery, "Look, Gwen! Look~" she said in a sing-song voice, completely ignoring Gwen's grimace. She really didn't think this through, "Check these out! One guy's going on a New York tour and he wants protection for 150 bucks an hour. Ooh, and there's a neighborhood that pooled together their cash so you can do a neighborhood watch and see whose been stealing everyone's gnomes. Oh, and there's this visiting princess from Symkaria that-"
"Okay, Betts, slow down! One at a time!" Gwen pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. This really wasn't what she was hoping for right after school, "Alright, so walk me through it. Slowly."
She did. Betty pointed out all the job offers and with each one Gwen felt another weight added to her shoulders. Some of them were simple enough - she was pretty sure all the tourist ones were just people looking to take a few selfies - and Betty even managed to put in a disclaimer that Gwen could leave if there was something 'mad dangerous' happening close by and the person could even get a deductible refund, so it wasn't like she couldn't stop being hero.
But still, putting Gwen Stacy - no, Spider-Woman - up for sale like this just felt...wrong. Spider-Woman the criminal, Spider-Woman who spent a year in jail to take responsibility for her actions, and now she was being hired out for a whopping 150 dollars an hour minimum. What can I say? You're skilled and people want that, Betty said when she'd asked about it.
...Still, she definitely would've been lying if she said she wasn't tempted. A week of good work and she could get enough to pay the entire rent for months with spare change for some corndogs.
Peter stepped through the door in his Dollar Dog uniform, "Hey, Pete, check it out!" Betty grinned and showed him the laptop, "Gwen's New York's hottest commodity!"
"Oh, uh, cool!" Peter smiled back.
"You too, by the way!" She sat Peter down to her right with Gwen to her left, "See, the jobs are separated by which Spider they want. Most of em are cool with either, and some of em even want both, but there are others who just want one or the other. Here," She moved the mouse to the 'Spider Guy' tab, "This chick's looking for a bodyguard for her senior prom. Rich, too; 200 an hour and she's willing to pay for four. That's 800 bucks right there."
"Wait, what?" Gwen cut in, "A 'bodyguard for prom'? Seriously?"
"Alright, so she's obviously trolling for a date, but who cares?"
"Um, I care?" Peter looked at her in confusion, "I-I mean, we gotta have some dignity here! This is a job board, not a kissing booth!"
"Relax. If the client acts inappropriate then Pete can leave and just refund the money. Trust me, got a friend from Law class draft this up. Besides," She grinned that telltale Betty grin, "She looks pretty cute, right?"
Peter looked closer at the page and nodded, "Yeah, I guess she is." Gwen pursed her lips and ignored the irritation that welled up in her chest. She was definitely a looker. A redhead - cause of course it was a redhead - with a million dollar smile that looked way too practiced. Patsy Walker, her name said. It sounded vaguely familiar, "I mean...if it's just bodyguarding then I can do it, right? It pays way more than the Dollar Dog, that's for sure."
"I guess..." Gwen did her utter best to suppress the coming frown. His logic was sound, and it'd definitely solve the money problems faster if they both did the Hero for Hire gig, "Uh, what are these 'rules' your Law friend cooked up?"
"Pretty basic stuff: Any and all Spiders - that means you two - are only supposed to do the job you've been hired for; meaning if you're a bodyguard you're gonna be guarding bodies and nothing else. If they want you to dance around like a monkey to get full payment then you don't have to do it, but you can if you like the customer or wanna cheer them up or something. Dating the clients is also not allowed during the job itself, but whatever happens off the clock is up to you. So if you wanna go for some overtime then go for it."
"...Why do you sound like a pimp?" Gwen asked flatly.
"Cause you know I could pull of a cane, honey," Peter almost choked on nothing at Betty's salacious grin, "Anyway, most of these jobs ain't gonna last forever, so just pick which one you guys want and I'll set up the schedule."
"Wow, uh, thanks, Betty! What do we owe ya?" Peter asked.
"Huh? Oh, nah, I'm good. Actually, our term final's about starting up a small or mock business, so this actually works. Way better than trying to sell soap or something." She clicked another tab and an animated gif of both her and Peter swinging crossed the screen, "So, which ones do you guys wanna do? I gotta message back the clients."
"Um, well..." Peter looked at the jobs on the screen, "Well, the prom thing sounds good. It's just 4 hours and that'll give me time to do something else if we need anything."
Of course he'd pick that one. Gwen smiled and again ignored the annoying feeling that sprung up as she looked at her own job listing, "Rash of break-ins in the neighborhood. Group of families decided to pool together a fund to hire someone outside the box. 6 pm to 12 pm patrol." She nodded, "Sure, I can do neighborhood watch." 850 bucks for 6 hours. Technically it meant she was missing 50 bucks from minimum price, but she felt iffy enough about this that it really didn't matter.
"Alright, I'll go message these guys and tell em they got lucky."
Gwen and Peter looked at one another and he gave her an unsure smile, "So...guess we're Heroes for Hire now."
"Yeah. Let's see how long we last."
"Why did you pick this job, Peter?" Karen asked as soon as he put on the mask. Peter jumped up at the sudden voice and was immediately thankful that neither Gwen or Betty were in the room, "Peter? Your heart rate is elevated again-"
"Yeah, because you surprised me!" He shook his head and jumped out the window. Karen warned him before that it could make it obvious who he was under the mask, but he really didn't worry about that much anymore. Everyone knew who Gwen was and there weren't any records of him in this world outside of Gwen's old best friend, and why would you think that a guy came back from the dead to be Spider-Man?
"Karen, could you gimme a map to the address?"
"Of course, Peter." The see-through map appeared over his right eye. It was about a 7 minute swing, "You didn't answer the previous question. Why did you pick this job? Are you hoping to 'score' with this girl?"
"Wh-What? No!" This was what she found fun? Heckling him about his non-existent lovelife? "I just- the job seemed easy. I mean all I gotta do is stand there and probably take a few photos." He wasn't dumb. What teenage girl could pass up going to prom with a Superhero? That'd give her bragging rights for at least a year once she hit college.
"If you're certain. I had assumed you wouldn't want to cheat on Gwen now that you two are in a relationship.
"We're not in a relationship!" God, his cheeks were warm. He stopped at a rooftop to let his breathing calm, "I mean, we did kiss, but we didn't talk about it afterwards!" Not a single word at all; he was actually kinda hurt. Granted the whole Hero of Hire thing took a lot of their attention, but it wasn't normal to just kiss and not talk about it, right?
"Oh? Good. Then I suppose this doesn't count as cheating. I'm not disappointed anymore."
"You're telling me you were?!" He covered his eyes with both hands, "Ugh, just...we're not in a relationship. I dunno what we're in or out or anything." They were friends, he definitely knew that, but were they more than that? Did he want them to be? He had a crush on MJ - and still kinda did - but Gwen...well, he couldn't say she wasn't pretty and she was really cool in a different way than MJ was. MJ took the stage and wasn't afraid to have everyone's eyes on her while Gwen made being a Superhero look easy.
Peter sighed and sat on top of a nearby vent, "Is something wrong, Peter?" Karen asked kindly.
"It's just...I dunno, my head's all messed up. The only crush I've ever had was Liz and...that didn't end well." And now here he was going to another prom. That was one of the reasons he picked this job - he'd missed his to stop Mr. Toomes and he wanted to see one and feel normal again, even if he did have to go as Spider-Man to do it, "MJ thinks it can't work and Gwen...I dunno what she's thinking, so I don't even know why I'm worrying. I don't think either of them like me that way."
"You need more confidence, Peter. As you told me, Liz was happy to accept your invitation to prom and it wasn't your fault it ended badly. Whether it be Mary Jane or Gwen, I'm sure they'd be happy to be more than friends with you."
"Yeah, well, I doubt it, but thanks." He stepped off the vent and dusted off his costume, "We should probably go. I think I'm late."
Patsy Walker was waiting on her porch by the time he got there, "You're late." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot; the universal sign of disapproval, even if a person was wearing a dress that probably cost more than their entire apartment, "The prom'll start in 5 minutes! How are we supposed to get there on time?"
"Well..." He looked up the address of her school. It was close by, "...How do you feel about heights?"
Apparently she was cool with them, though maybe that was just the cheering screams talking. Peter made sure not to go too fast so he didn't mess up her dress and hair, "This is so awesome!" she shouted, "Way better than a limo!"
"Thanks!" He swung around the corner towards the school, "So where do I drop you off?"
"Front gate! I want everyone to see this!"
Yep, definitely in it just for bragging rights. He didn't mind. Peter landed them on the sidewalk a far distance away from the others and she stepped away with a smile, "So, uh, is there anyone I should watch out for?" Might as well pretend he was still going to be the bodyguard.
"Huh? Oh, uh, just...in general, you know. I mean we wouldn't want a Lizard rampaging through, right?" She laughed. He didn't. Gwen's fight with 'The Midtown High Lizard' was the worst thing she'd dealt with, the same way he felt when he saw Uncle Ben on that sidewalk. Hearing someone make fun felt like an insult to everything Gwen lived with.
"Right...well, I should leave you to it-"
She suddenly grabbed his arm, "Wait, where are you going?"
"To bodyguard? You told me to keep an eye out in general, so I'll take a quick swing around and keep an eye out. Don't worry, my spider-sense'll warn me if you're in danger."
"Ah, but-" She looked back at the crowd of people taking pictures and bit her lower lip, "Wouldn't it be better if you were close by? You know, so you're near if I ever get in trouble?"
"I guess?"
They were close to the entrance when she suddenly grabbed his arm with both hands and pulled him closer. Despite Peter's best efforts a blush crept up his cheeks. This was supposed to be what he would've done with Liz: walk through prom arm in arm, dance and have a good time. Even with the Spider-Man suit he suddenly felt like a 15 year old freshmen again.
His thoughts were interrupted by the music blasting through the auditorium speakers. Again he was reminded way too much of that night, except this time everyone was staring at them. Then again, he knew that coming in: imagine everyone wearing a suit or a dress and then a guy in red and blue spandex came walking in. If he was in their place he would've been gawking too.
Patsy steered them to a table with her friends and their dates; or at least that's what he assumed. Most of the students at the table looked at him with wide yes, "Holy shit, Pats, can't believe you actually did it!" A brunette girl said excitedly.
"Yeah, well, mom insisted. She said it'd be good publicity." She shrugged with her free shoulder.
"Publicity?" Peter whispered.
"Ah...I'll explain later." Her next smile looked forced, "Oh, sit down please."
"Sure..." Peter sat down on the offered seat uncomfortably and tried to ignore the fact that he definitely felt more like an awkward date than a bodyguard. He raised up the mask halfway to his fac and took a sip of the punch as he surveyed the area. He definitely couldn't see anything worth getting a bodyguard for, so he couldn't even pretend this was professional in any way.
"So you new in town?" A guy to his left asked.
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah." Peter nodded awkwardly, "I'm...not from here."
"Yeah, I figured." Patsy smiled, "Spider-Gwen's been around for like five years now. Kinda figured you were her brother or something."
"Ah, no, we're...friends." He tried to ignore Karen humming in his ear at that, "She helped me out of a jam and I'm trying to pay her back.
Two hours passed as the group of friends chatted with Peter occasionally chiming in. Patsy never missed a chance to put a hand on his shoulder or laugh at his jokes when she saw someone was looking, which made him more than a little suspicious. He figured that she was doing this for bragging rights, but this was way above that. Her previous comment on publicity just made it worse.
It was nearing 10 pm when the slow dance came on. All of the people and their dates left, leaving just him and Patsy at the table. The redhead her hair behind her right ear and smiled at him, "So, do you wanna dance?"
He didn't have to. Peter was suddenly reminded of Betty's reassurance that they only had to do the job they were paid for, "Er, sure!" He smiled and pulled his mask back over his face. Maybe it was cause he felt guilty for being paid hundreds of dollars to sit around and drink punch, or maybe it was cause Patsy had a really nice smile, but he agreed.
It couldn't hurt, right?
Patsy led him to the center of the auditorium and guides his hands to her shoulder and waist, "You know how to dance?"
"I know some steps." May taught him. She was so excited when he told her he got a date. He wondered how she was doing now, if was even still ali- "But, you'll probably to lead me. I'm a bit rusty."
"Come on, you sound like you're my age." She grinned and started the steps, "Don't tell me you didn't go to senior prom."
"Actually, no. My prom...well, something came up." He didn't give any more details. It was enough, "To be honest, one reason I accepted this was cause I wanted to look at something...normal, even for just a bit."
"Really? Thought it might've been cause you liked me." Her laugh reminded him of MJ.
"Well, that too." That...sounded much smoother in his head, "Speaking of, what do you mean earlier by publicity?"
"Oh, that," her mouth dipped down, "I'm an actress. Nothing big or anything, and I'm definitely not as big a name as you or Spider-Woman, but mom thought that-"
"If you showed up with Spider-Man that you might get a boost." Patsy nodded and actually looked guilty, "Um, well...I get it, I guess, but you could've just told me. Here I thought you just wanted to take a few pictures so you can brag in college about hiring a Superhero."
"Well, that too." She winked and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her grin returning, "Sorry for tricking you, but I really did want to meet Spider-Man. I was there when that Green Goblin guy was chucking bombs everywhere. You saved me."
"It wasn't just me. Gw- Spider-Woman was there too."
"Sure, but when that guy and his bots were chasing us you were the first one to come to the rescue."
"Yeah, but she was the one who stopped the bomb-"
"Just take the compliment, Spider Guy." She giggled. Peter found a lot of the tension in his chest drain away. The slow music and Karen choosing not to interrupt actually made it feel nice, "So..." Her fingers brushed against the side of his mask and pulled it up slowly till his mouth was exposed, "Could I see you again after this? Outside of a job?"
"Um...I dunno. Do you just want more publicity?"
"Nope, I'm thinking something more private.
She was going to kiss him, "She's going to kiss you, Peter," Karen 'helpfully' pitched in, "I won't judge you, but please consider the circumstances."
He pulled back. Patsy's eyes were wide and hurt when his hands suddenly released their grip, "I, uh, should probably check around the place. You know, do my my job."
"Oh...sure. Good idea."
The rest of the alotted time was spent standing awkwardly in the corner and humoring the occasional request for pictures while he watched Patsy's table. He didn't know her at all, he wasn't even sure what shows she'd been on, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling more than a little guilty. Maybe she really was just a fan, but still. He'd been there before with Mr. Stark, kinda. Not the kissing, but definitely trying to make an impression on someone he looked up to.
Their goodbye was painfully awkward. She paid him the money and said she was going out with her friends so he didn't have to look out for her anymore. Peter pocketed the money and tried not to feel too much like a jerk when he finally managed to swing away. It was close to midnight now and he was anything but needed something to take his mind off it.
His wish was granted when his phone suddenly rang and he saw Gwen's unmasked face on his lens, "Hey, Pete, you done?"
"Yeah, you?"
"Yup. Managed to catch the thieves early. Spider-sense helped." She grinned and he found himself grinning back, "I'm getting some pizza. You wanna join me?"
"Even gotta ask? Send me the address."
15 minutes later he and Gwen sat next to each other without masks on the edge of a high building with a pizza box between them, "To a job well done," Gwen laughed and tapped her slice of pizza against his. If there was one thing he never got tired of as Spider-Man, it was the view. New York at night from on high was definitely a gorgeous sight.
"So how was your first Hero for Hire job?"
"Pretty good, actually. There was one asshole who thought I was a freak and didn't want me there cause he figured the thefts were somehow my fault, but apart from that it was good."
"Who was stealing?"
"You won't believe this: it was their kids." She shook her head, "Yep, three teenagers. The head of the committee's daughter was the ringleader of their little gang. Thank God she was too busy listening to her headphones to pay attention to what her dad was saying or she would've just not stole tonight. I really didn't want to waste those people's money if they had to hire me again."
"So...what's gonna happen to em?"
"I dunno. My guess? My guess? A solid grounding and an apology. Doubt they'll be going to juvie even if they stole, like, thousands of dollars worth of stuff. Seriously, one laptop isn't even out here yet." She paused, "How was your gig?"'
"Oh, good. Made 800." He bit down into his pizza awkwardly.
"What, nothing else to say about your date?" Was it just his imagination or did she seem kinda annoyed? ...Nah, just his imagination.
"She was doing it for publicity." She raised a brow and urged him to continue, "Apparently she's an actress and her mom thought that if she showed up at prom with Spider-Man it'd be real good for her career."
"Wow, and I thought it'd be a while before we get those kinds of requests." She rolled her eyes and took another (annoyed?) bite of her pizza, "Anything else?"
He didn't know what possessed him to say what he said next.
"She tried to kiss me." Gwen paused, mouth open and and pizza halfway up, and just looked at him. It took him a while to realize that she was waiting for him to continue, "Uh, I didn't kiss her, though. She was...um, I backed off."
"Oh..." She set the pizza down on the box and looked ahead, her expression unreadable, "...Why didn't you? Was it cause of MJ?"
"I...I dunno." He set his own slice down and put the box away. He got the feeling neither of them were hungry now, "After my date with MJ she said that she was fine going out, but an actual relationship was off the table. She said that she tried the long distance thing with an old boyfriend?"
"Oh yeah, David. Yeah, he moved to L.A when we were 18. They actually lasted a few months, but after a while...I guess they just got distant." She shrugged, "If it wasn't MJ, why'd you back off? Was it-"
"Why are you acting like we didn't do anything?"
A long, awkward silence settled over the pair. Peter cringed and tried to ignore his heart racing against his chest. Maybe there was a better way to do it, but Gwen pretending like the kiss two nights ago didn't happened weighed in at the back of his mind. It would've been one thing if she said it didn't mean anything; at least then she would've acknowledged it happened.
Gwen sighed and looked down, "I just...didn't know how to bring it up. I mean, what was I gonna say? 'So Pete, about us making out after you got injured'." She laughed wryly, "It's just...I'm not good at this whole relationship thing. I never dated anyone, unless you count my long and sordid affair with corndogs. Being Spider-Woman just...it took all my focus. Who had time for a relationship with people calling me a murderer?"
"Well...they're not calling a you a murderer now."
"Yeah, now they're just trying to see when I'll fuck up next. I feel like the one sane Kardashian." She closed her eyes briefly and turned to face him again, "Just...I dunno, Pete. I've been worrying about so many things lately and you've got your whole dimensional thing to worry about so I-"
Peter leaned forward and kissed her. It was clumsy, he wasn't afraid to admit that. He was angled wrong and he was pretty sure he crushed the pizza box with how quickly he did it. Gwen's eyes widened at the sudden contact and for a single, fleeting second he thought that she would push him off the building.
Instead she closed her eyes and reciprocated the gesture. It was a bit more...more than before. There wasn't any tongue or anything like those crazy R18 movies Uncle Ben snuck him to when he was younger, but it was definitely different from the slight contact two nights prior. Now he felt the pressure of her lips against his, felt her right arm clumsily wrapped around his shoulders to pull him close.
Eventually they both pulled back to get some air, "...Wow," Gwen said softly, almost unheard despite how close they both were, "That...was not what I was expecting."
"Yeah, me too."
"Um...you kissed me. You don't get to pull that." She punched his shoulder and smiled. He smiled back, "But, I'm still not sure what this means, Pete. I mean, two kisses aren't what a relationship make. And between everything we're going through I'm...I'm just still not sure."
"Hey, I get it. I mean, I'm not...exactly sure what this is either, but I know it's something." God, he was messing this up, "But...I do think you're cool and-and hot and you make being a superhero look easy and-"
She clapped his shoulder to stop his rambling, "Yeah, Pete, I get it." She rolled her eyes good naturedly and looked forward, legs swinging idly, "Well...I do think you're pretty cool to, and you pull off the red and blues really well." A blush crept up his cheeks at that, "Maybe we could shelve it, at least for tonight? I need to get some advice to deal with our 'thing', but right now I really wanna get some good old fashioned heroing done."
"Whatever happened to keeping a low profile?" He asked with a smirk.
Gwen laughed and stood, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Cap's already preparing to ream me for the website. Might as well go all in." She looked down at him and winked just before the mask covered her face again, "Race you back to Queens!"
She turned and let herself fall backfirst, "Ah, hey!" He grabbed the pizza box with one hand (no sense in wasting it) and put on his mask with the other before jumping down after her, "Hey, wait up!"
She looked back and waved, "Catch me if you can, Spidey!"
Peter laughed, and for the first time in a while he didn't worry about what would come next.
This was definitely one of my lighter chapters. It feels kinda odd considering it's after Peter finds out Earth-19999 just got massively fucked, but this was never really meant to be a serious fic. I'm also still unsure of the leads being open to the idea of a relationship so quickly, but readers have made it clear they'd be all for it so why the heck not? Let's see if it blows up in our faces.
Questions:
1. How far do you guys think I should take the romance scenes? In Looking Glass the leads very clearly have sex, but that fits the tone of the story and their characters. I wonder if I can pull off the same here or it'd be too much since, while Gwen is 20, Peter's a 17 year old cinnamon roll and people might find it odd/creepy if he does anything r18.
Note I don't mean 'do I write sex scenes or not?', cause I'm not gonna, I mean if character-wise the two do more than kissing even if it's only referred to.
Read the latest Ghost Spider:
On a less spoilery note, some people comment that the author might be angling for an MJ/Gwen pairing despite the summary indicating she's going to date Harry. Normally I'd disagree, but the new song MJ made was pretty damn loaded:
Yeah...MJ's definitely gonna give people the wrong idea with Taylor Swift-esque songs like that Maybe I committed to the Gwen/MCU pairing too soon for this story. Or maybe the proposed love triangle a few chapters ago would've been a bit more reciprocal on all ends...[/QUOTE]
This is what the first issue re-introduction should have been. Right off the bat we get a quick re-introduction to the important people in Gwen's life and her new status quo: she's still with the band, she's scoring food from Harry, and she's living with her dad again now that he's out of the hospital. Honestly, they could've just started with this rather than going 4 issues tying into an event that new readers would have no fucking clue about.
I like the introductions we get to everyone - the band eats up Gwen's time (and MJ stresses her out), but she clearly enjoys it, she's closer than ever to her dad now that they're living together, and we get the seeds of her new relationship with Harry. My only issue is with Harry's introduction:
'Formerly the Lizard'? How about 'formerly the Green Goblin' or 'formerly tried to murder me for bullshit reasons' or 'formerly infected six innocent people and gave a psycho serum to a terrorist group'? Granted maybe they'll delve into that later, but what little we kinda see right now kinda indicates that the author's just putting all that shit under the rug and I'm not a fan. I fucking loved Normie Osborn in Spider-Girl because we clearly see his redemption process and how the story never lets us forget his past crimes, but also that he legitimately felt guilty and worked to make up for them. Harry just kinda shows up without so much as a slap on the wrist for anything he did.
Aside from that, Gwen - at the urging of her dad - decides to try and enroll in Community College. It doesn't work because she has a somewhat depressing/somewhat adorable response to being recognized:
The running cut makes her look like Kamala Despite the funny scene she does angst that a normal life is now impossible for her after everything, which is kinda depressing. Though, we also get the seed of the Hero for Hire plot since Gwen starts accepting that Community College is a bust and she might as well capitalize on her newfound fame:
The end of the issue shows one of the downsides of an open identity - now crims can target you if you piss them off since the bad guys Gwen stopped in her preview were mighty ticked she ruined their meticulously planned heist and complain to their boss...an Evil John Jameson:
Guess he wasn't Bodega Bandit after all Still, I'm really curious how Jonah plans to spin this in his favor. It'd be amazing if he tried to smear Gwen and claim that she beat up his innocent son and people finally call BS on it.
I like the introductions we get to everyone - the band eats up Gwen's time (and MJ stresses her out), but she clearly enjoys it, she's closer than ever to her dad now that they're living together, and we get the seeds of her new relationship with Harry. My only issue is with Harry's introduction:
'Formerly the Lizard'? How about 'formerly the Green Goblin' or 'formerly tried to murder me for bullshit reasons' or 'formerly infected six innocent people and gave a psycho serum to a terrorist group'? Granted maybe they'll delve into that later, but what little we kinda see right now kinda indicates that the author's just putting all that shit under the rug and I'm not a fan. I fucking loved Normie Osborn in Spider-Girl because we clearly see his redemption process and how the story never lets us forget his past crimes, but also that he legitimately felt guilty and worked to make up for them. Harry just kinda shows up without so much as a slap on the wrist for anything he did.
Aside from that, Gwen - at the urging of her dad - decides to try and enroll in Community College. It doesn't work because she has a somewhat depressing/somewhat adorable response to being recognized:
The running cut makes her look like Kamala
Despite the funny scene she does angst that a normal life is now impossible for her after everything, which is kinda depressing. Though, we also get the seed of the Hero for Hire plot since Gwen starts accepting that Community College is a bust and she might as well capitalize on her newfound fame:
The end of the issue shows one of the downsides of an open identity - now crims can target you if you piss them off since the bad guys Gwen stopped in her preview were mighty ticked she ruined their meticulously planned heist and complain to their boss...an Evil John Jameson:
Guess he wasn't Bodega Bandit after all
Still, I'm really curious how Jonah plans to spin this in his favor. It'd be amazing if he tried to smear Gwen and claim that she beat up his innocent son and people finally call BS on it.On a less spoilery note, some people comment that the author might be angling for an MJ/Gwen pairing despite the summary indicating she's going to date Harry. Normally I'd disagree, but the new song MJ made was pretty damn loaded:
Yeah...MJ's definitely gonna give people the wrong idea with Taylor Swift-esque songs like that
Maybe I committed to the Gwen/MCU pairing too soon for this story. Or maybe the proposed love triangle a few chapters ago would've been a bit more reciprocal on all ends...[/QUOTE]Not that she's singing this song in front of Gwen (the subject of said song) and Glory (her freaking girlfriend). Either she's really hoping that Gwen gets it or she's just blind and deaf to how this looks.
- Location
- Oslo
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, within that framework... Gwen is in unique position, where she can actually set up a Patreon(sic!) or something like that to pay her expenses to do superhero full-time without thinking, that she has to work her ass off in the boring office day job, while somebody's getting mugged or kidnapped, while giving extra to various charities, especially if fans would prove to be too grateful and numerous. Sometimes it is too hard to motivate people to do charity, but gratitude and adoration can go a long way.
One of the benefits is that Gwen doesn't have to sell herself in tiny pieces in order to be what her client would want to see. She does what she does, anyway. She's in control what she is and what she's going to do and what she'd prioritize.
The whole gig might get shot down by government lobbyists, super villains and angry journalists, but if it would work... it'll stick in some way.
Not saying she should. Just, that she could... and do some more good in the process. Public impact is often underappreciated part of being superhero.
One of the benefits is that Gwen doesn't have to sell herself in tiny pieces in order to be what her client would want to see. She does what she does, anyway. She's in control what she is and what she's going to do and what she'd prioritize.
The whole gig might get shot down by government lobbyists, super villains and angry journalists, but if it would work... it'll stick in some way.
Not saying she should. Just, that she could... and do some more good in the process. Public impact is often underappreciated part of being superhero.
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Thing is, the Spider-Gwen comic makes it clear that she frowns on the idea of being paid for hero work. She's fine with getting paid for finding someone's stolen purse cause that's a job like manning the cash register, but her hero work is something she considers a duty and she might find it skeevy to be paid for it. I mean, would you set up a patreon just so you could spend your day at the soup kitchen?
- Location
- Oslo
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Spend a day in soup kitchen. A day, meaning that it isn't your day to day job. But people who work for charities full time get paid, if that's their sole sourse of income. Police officers, fire fighters, doctors, nurses - consider their job as their duty, but we don't leave them on the streets, eating off of trash, just because their work is essential to other's survival.
She isn't just soup kitchen hero, not even a street level hero, but also one of the kind world-wide celebrity. She draws attention, whever she goes, for good and bad. It's not about getting money for working a soup kitchen, it's about all the people she draw into the soup kitchen to work there, as well.
All those contracts she got were a luxury, frivolous thing. Mrs. Cheng has been leached off of her money for gods know how long and was snubbed by the very people, who were supposed to protect her. She can't hire Gwen, while she entertains a rich business owners kids' stupidity or somebody frivolously asking for an escort duty.
I still kinda think, that "Superhero Requests" is kind of a good idea, but I don't think it should be paid by victims and customers. The entirety of New York can afford to make sure their superhero won't go out of rent and have a food on her plate. Crowd funding is just a good way of cutting a middleman of the government. And as I said, Gwen can live in whatever budget she deems necessary, some people are just that humble, and promote various charities with everything she doesn't feel entitled to.
That said... It all requires a level of business savvy (even if your business is "saving people") and probably a team working on it full-time in order to make it efficient... She mentioned publicist, but you can figure out there has to be somebody managing the web-site full time, community manager, PR manager, accountant, lawyer, you get the gist. It's something I can imagine older Gwen settling onto doing, in the future, given the political and economical climate would allow for that, but it may clash with her current anxieties and the very idea of super hero rom(com) adventure, so maybe not the best idea, story wise. As a genderal rule superhero don't get paid and it's a major trope, that doesn't get questioned a lot. So, you don't have to either.
But without getting into details, on a surface, "let's set up Pateron account and you keep your heroing" sounds way better, than "hero fo hire". And it's much easier to answer the question "Hey, what we gonna do with all these money?" with "Let's give it to charity" than "Where were you, when my husband was killed?" while she was entertaining somebody's unwarranted need for bodyguard or something, buying her time with a hefty sum... So, maybe neither idea should really be explored here in much detail.
And face it. Spider-Gwen's time doesn't cost 150 bucks per hour. Even as a celebrity she's worth way more. It goes without saying, that every life she saves, that nobody else could've is invaluable. What's important about hero work is that you can't easily put a price tag on it. And crowdunding efforts - don't.
P.S. What is interesting is that she doesn't have to come by the idea herself. Anybody could set up such a fund and send money on her legal address or bank account under her name without her knowing about it prior, if they feel like it.
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Woah, long response! Nice
I don't disagree, but remember we have to look into how Gwen perceives it. This is a woman who accidentally killed her best friend and she feels like she has to make up for it. In her view being paid for hero work likely feels like she's 'cheating' and that her Spider-Woman antics have to be sacred. She even notes in the chapter that she feels iffy selling Spider-Woman - the alleged murderer, former jailbird and current Superhero - for rent like a cheap party gimmick.
We do have to take into account the legality of it. Vigilantism is illegal, and so far Gwen (and Peter) get away with their antics because Cap likes Gwen and is giving her some breathing room and because they're purely reactive. If push came to shove they could argue they just happened to be swinging by (equivalent of driving a car), saw a situation and helped de-escelate it. OTOH, if they're literally getting paid for hero work then all sense of plausible deniability just goes right out the window and you bet your ass assholes like Jameson would clamp down hard on it.
Yes, there's a definite risk that they just get hired out to take selfies and dates (as Peter shows in this chapter), but as Betty points out they could just not take those jobs. Gwen's job had her be neighborhood watch and using her spider-sense to catch burglars. Was that frivolous and dumb? I doubt it. While there are requests that are going to be undeniably dumb, there are also those that are legit requests for help. Hell, even taking the frivolous job would work at times - imagine if a guy buys your time for an hour to do a blog post. That one hour is time you could easily give, especially since Gwen take a break from college and Peter's definitely quitting Dollar Dog.
Publicist? iirc the only mention of that is Betty mentioning they don't need one since you'd have to be living under a rock to not know who Spider-Gwen is and that she's worth the money. This is pretty slapdashed - Peter made the website and Betty, who's just a second year business student, is handling the financial side of things. They do have leeways - Betty mentions that Gwen can leave and refund the money in case a Supervill attacks, for example. Regardless, this was a spur of the moment idea based more on the fact that they need to pay rent. Can't be Spider-Woman when you're out on the streets.
Also, at this point I think Gwen has acknowledged that she can't be everywhere at once. The year in prison and all the bullshit she took from Murdock have made her more realistic - yes she doesn't want to be paid for her hero work when she does it, but she also acknowledges that she's just one person and she can't be everywhere at once. If a grieving wife blamed her for her husband dying then Gwen would feel bad, yes, but she'd also tell her that she's not freaking Supergirl and that she can't protect 8.6 million people on her own.
That's the thing - Gwen getting paid 150 an hour, which is basically the price of an executive level bodyguard, is cheap considering everything she brings to the table. However, it fits with her reluctance to even hire herself out and their justifaction that they just need rent and food money. Yes, it's far more likely that only the rich and well-off are able to afford her services, but she also doesn't spend the entire day just doing Hero for Hire work. It's clear by the end of this chapter that she and Peter spend their off time patrolling so it's not like she's become a sellout who won't work if you don't pony up.
Betty highlights the difference: if Gwen swings around and sees someone in trouble then she steps in and that's free cause she did that on her own. OTOH, if someone hired her because they think they're in danger then why would getting paid be wrong? A cop gets paid for going on his patrol beat, but he doesn't get paid if he stops a robbery off-duty.
That and I asked this question elsewhere: If she does make a Patreon crowdfunding account, what would her reason stated on the page be? She can't say 'pay me so I can be a vigilante' cause vigilantism is illegal and saying she's going to do it removes any amount of plausible deniability. What, do they just say 'pay me so I can 'stuff' that won't be mentioned?'[/QUOTE]
I don't disagree, but remember we have to look into how Gwen perceives it. This is a woman who accidentally killed her best friend and she feels like she has to make up for it. In her view being paid for hero work likely feels like she's 'cheating' and that her Spider-Woman antics have to be sacred. She even notes in the chapter that she feels iffy selling Spider-Woman - the alleged murderer, former jailbird and current Superhero - for rent like a cheap party gimmick.
We do have to take into account the legality of it. Vigilantism is illegal, and so far Gwen (and Peter) get away with their antics because Cap likes Gwen and is giving her some breathing room and because they're purely reactive. If push came to shove they could argue they just happened to be swinging by (equivalent of driving a car), saw a situation and helped de-escelate it. OTOH, if they're literally getting paid for hero work then all sense of plausible deniability just goes right out the window and you bet your ass assholes like Jameson would clamp down hard on it.
Yes, there's a definite risk that they just get hired out to take selfies and dates (as Peter shows in this chapter), but as Betty points out they could just not take those jobs. Gwen's job had her be neighborhood watch and using her spider-sense to catch burglars. Was that frivolous and dumb? I doubt it. While there are requests that are going to be undeniably dumb, there are also those that are legit requests for help. Hell, even taking the frivolous job would work at times - imagine if a guy buys your time for an hour to do a blog post. That one hour is time you could easily give, especially since Gwen take a break from college and Peter's definitely quitting Dollar Dog.
Publicist? iirc the only mention of that is Betty mentioning they don't need one since you'd have to be living under a rock to not know who Spider-Gwen is and that she's worth the money. This is pretty slapdashed - Peter made the website and Betty, who's just a second year business student, is handling the financial side of things. They do have leeways - Betty mentions that Gwen can leave and refund the money in case a Supervill attacks, for example. Regardless, this was a spur of the moment idea based more on the fact that they need to pay rent. Can't be Spider-Woman when you're out on the streets.
Also, at this point I think Gwen has acknowledged that she can't be everywhere at once. The year in prison and all the bullshit she took from Murdock have made her more realistic - yes she doesn't want to be paid for her hero work when she does it, but she also acknowledges that she's just one person and she can't be everywhere at once. If a grieving wife blamed her for her husband dying then Gwen would feel bad, yes, but she'd also tell her that she's not freaking Supergirl and that she can't protect 8.6 million people on her own.
That's the thing - Gwen getting paid 150 an hour, which is basically the price of an executive level bodyguard, is cheap considering everything she brings to the table. However, it fits with her reluctance to even hire herself out and their justifaction that they just need rent and food money. Yes, it's far more likely that only the rich and well-off are able to afford her services, but she also doesn't spend the entire day just doing Hero for Hire work. It's clear by the end of this chapter that she and Peter spend their off time patrolling so it's not like she's become a sellout who won't work if you don't pony up.
Betty highlights the difference: if Gwen swings around and sees someone in trouble then she steps in and that's free cause she did that on her own. OTOH, if someone hired her because they think they're in danger then why would getting paid be wrong? A cop gets paid for going on his patrol beat, but he doesn't get paid if he stops a robbery off-duty.
That and I asked this question elsewhere: If she does make a Patreon crowdfunding account, what would her reason stated on the page be? She can't say 'pay me so I can be a vigilante' cause vigilantism is illegal and saying she's going to do it removes any amount of plausible deniability. What, do they just say 'pay me so I can 'stuff' that won't be mentioned?'[/QUOTE]
- Location
- Oslo
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I am pretty sure, that setting up a Patreon in order to be allowed to write Fanfiction is pretty illegal as well. People write all kinds of things in there to make their ends meet. Pateron might sell Spider-Gven merch. Mugs, T-shorts, whatever. =) And if she doesn't benefit from it - somebody else probably will.
Considering, that her legal justification for vigilantism (I'm just doing my superpowered civic duty and happeneв to be around) is flimsy at best and the State of New-York does not swarm her with cops and lawsuits on daily basis for everything she did within the scope of this story alone (and they know both her name and address, for Frick's sake!), I think it's decent bet, that government closed their eyes on her antics. At least, for the moment. But what are the lines they don't want her to cross? Making a crowdfunding might not be one of them - on it's own. What she does with it, what kind of influence she'll be on others - this is the question.
And again. I can't see, how's "hero for hire" is any better, than alternatives. If that's the "hero work" that irks her in particular, she can straight limit paid work to entertainment and publicity stunts, doing a couple of high-paying gigs on the side, while resting from beating the living crap out of muggers and all the web-slinging.
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Yeah, hence why I don't do it. Still, you just said it yourself: Gwen's a celebrity big name. Most people probably don't care enough to sue fanfiction writers, but a big name Super who everyone in New York knows? Oof. Second they even catch a hint she was using patreon to specifically fund vigilantism they'd clamp down hard unless Cap steps in.
Also, Gwen's legal justification is this - she's swinging around, sees a crime, then stops the crime with as minimal force as possible to perform a citizen's arrest. Since Gwen tends to step in after or during a crime in progress, this fits with the doctrine. If an off-duty cop went to the store and it got robbed at gunpoint would he get in trouble for stopping it when there's reasonable proof that he and others were in danger? Doubtful. For them to brand Gwen of pre-planned vigilantism they'd have to prove without a doubt she was swinging around with the express intent of finding crime to stop. She could easily bullshit and say she's just doing the equivalent of taking a walk and just has really shitty luck, especially since webswinging is not against the law.
She could, but remember Gwen isn't very business savvy. It took Betty practically screaming it into her face this chapter for her to even considering getting paid jobs. Note that, in comparison to Peter, she did take a job that seemed reasonable - stopping burglars. The Hero for Hire business allows her an excuse to be pro-active. On patrol she's reactive, simply stopping crimes in progress. On the job she could get hired as a bodyguard to prevent someone from being kidnapped, which also has the bonus of being legal since her clients would of course vouch that they gave her permission.
- Location
- Oslo
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Do you think, that she won't get the same flak for "Hero for Hire"?
She takes money for the sole purpose of preventing and/or stopping crime.
I'm not an expert, but that might require some kind of business licence...
P.S. Selling mugs isn't illegal, btw. =) Anyway. As I have said, you don't need to explore trhis in great detail within the scope of this story, unless you want to. As I outlined earlier, this might be something Gwen Stacy can mature into, after finishing college and realizing what can and can't be done through vigilantism alone. Heck, she might realize, she might do more through other means, organizing people around her to achieve it, while still using her unique talents for the people.
She takes money for the sole purpose of preventing and/or stopping crime.
I'm not an expert, but that might require some kind of business licence...
P.S. Selling mugs isn't illegal, btw. =) Anyway. As I have said, you don't need to explore trhis in great detail within the scope of this story, unless you want to. As I outlined earlier, this might be something Gwen Stacy can mature into, after finishing college and realizing what can and can't be done through vigilantism alone. Heck, she might realize, she might do more through other means, organizing people around her to achieve it, while still using her unique talents for the people.
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Hero for Hire at least has an air of legitimacy around it, similar to a person who makes a website advertising for odd jobs. That and now that they have money Gwen could absolutely get a bodyguard license now, and a PI one once she hits 21. Note that so far Gwen's job requires no licensing since she worked as neighborhood watch. Peter's more skeevy, but technically he's an illegal alien anyway.
Regardless, I do jave fun discussing this since I asked in other threads what Gwen would be likely hired to do and no one answered. Since you have a better idea, coild you tll me what she would most likely be hired for outside of selfies and glorified tours?
Regardless, I do jave fun discussing this since I asked in other threads what Gwen would be likely hired to do and no one answered. Since you have a better idea, coild you tll me what she would most likely be hired for outside of selfies and glorified tours?
- Location
- Oslo
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Gwen Stacy, Private detective. Damn, Noir gonna be jealous! =)
Need to think about it. Give me some time. )
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Hardly, cause he's an investigative reporter:
He doesn't need no stinking license
Sure, I'll wait