Disclaimer: The following will be a AU on how events will go since beyond the spider-verse will be coming out early next year. Note that some things will be only speculation for what is to happen while other things might just be new things to work in the contexts of the story. Spider-Man and all other spidermen characters are all owned Song and Marvel.
Note: For some variants of these characters, I would be using other names to not confuse people. ( Earth 42- Gwen/ Gweny) (Earth 42- Miles/ Miles G.—Prowler)
Anyways be sure to leave a Vote and Comment.
Chapter 3- Not so friendly talk.
Oh boy did he have a field day explaining things on the way back. While they had decided to take the bus ride back to wherever the hell Peter B. and the others had stayed, Miles knew it was only right to tell Gweny about everything. It's not like he had a choice. For starters, he wasn't exactly going to sit with anyone else considering the fact that he was still upset with most of them. Especially his Gwen.
From the events of him traveling to Pavitr universe to meeting Miguel and the rest of the spider society, Miles decided to tell her everything. Well, partly everything. Aside from the fact that I have an evil doppelgänger and that she was meant to die if there was a Spider-Man in this dimension, yeah I pretty much told her enough.
What followed next was Gweny closing her eyes shut while she pinched her noise as her and Miles sat in complete silence after Miles had told her everything.
Deciding to break the silence, Gweny decides to recap everything that Miles had told her. " Okay, let me get this straight. You came to my dimension on accident after being chased by some control freak that wants to let your dad die because of some algorithm. And if he doesn't, it might destroy the multiverse?"
" You pretty much got the gist of it" Miles explained, he wants nothing more than to help her understand his situation.
" Jesus Miles, this is a lot to take in" Gweny sits back against her seat as she rubs her forehead in frustration.
" Which part, the fact that I'm technically a fugitive or the fact that I created the most powerful villain in the multiverse just by throwing a bagel at him" Miles joked, Technically if you were to tell anyone this, it would be a lot to take in.
" Well for starters, how about we address the multiple elephants in room"
Miles and Gweny lift up from their seats to see the rest of the spider gang, who were casually chatting with one another. Ham was having a conversation with Noir while Hobi and Pavitr seemed to be messy around with each other. Peter B. was having the time of his life with Mayday as he acted like all dads did when it came to their baby. The only people that seemed to be civil were Margo and Peni who despite looking like a completely different person from when Miles last saw her, it seemed that Margo had managed to make her smile, even if it slightly.
And then there was Gwen. His Gwen.
His heart ache at the sight of her. She sat at the way back with Peni and Margo, though from the looks of it, she wasn't really talking with anyone. In fact, she looked pretty lonely sitting there, even with Margo and Peni by her side.
It was when her eyes met his did the feeling worsen. The memories of what happened between them during the chase replayed in the back of his mind as he turns away, unable to meet her gaze. She notices this as she turns away looking back at the window.
" Okay well if your not gonna answer me then could you at least tell me what's up with you and the other me?"
Taken back, Miles looks over to see Gweny looking at him. She had watched the whole thing.
Miles narrowed his eyes as he sat back down " I don't know what your talking about"
" Hey, don't change the subject. If there's anyone that deserves answers, it's me." Gweny told him, her voice becoming stern as she looked at her counterpart " It all makes sense now how you knew my name when we first met. When you mistaken me for another friend, I thought you were referring to some random blonde chick. I didn't think it would be another sexy version of me from another dimension!"
From her creative and cool looking suit to her badass hairstyle that proved her dominance, Gweny could only admire her spider counterpart " I mean just look at her...she looks so...badass!"
" Yeah...she is." Miles whispered, his smile soften until he frowns " At least, I thought she was "
Gweny looks over to him to see him looking down in the dumps, the same way he was on the ride to Alchemax. Her expression soften as she sat back down next to him.
" Something tells me there's a lot to unravel there, especially between you two." She concluded, she knew when someone was hurting just by their looks " I know it's not my business and I trust me, I won't force you to tell me either. But like I told you earlier, if you need someone to talk too, I'm here."
Miles turns over to her before shutting his eyes shut as he slouched on his seat, he lets out a sigh before opening them again.
" She lied to me. The other you. When she stopped by my dimension, it wasn't to come see me. In fact, she wasn't even suppose to see me at all. She was on a mission the whole time and didn't bother to tell me. And to top of all off, she was just going to leave! She was gonna leave and act like nothing ever happened!" Miles was on full rant mode, he was itching to talk to someone about this. " But you wanna know the worst part. It turns out. She could've visited me the entire time! But she decided not to! You wanna know why, because I'm a anomaly! A mistake in the multiverse that was never suppose to happen!"
Miles tightens his fists, his voice trembles as he stumbles in his next words.
" Why didn't she tell me..."
Gweny processed everything that Miles had told her. Seeing how torn up he was, she finally understood why he mistrusted people so much, especially her. Her heart ache seeing how hurt was by all this. If it was her were under those circumstances, she would feel almost the exact same way. Even if she admired her alter self, she knew that what she did wasn't right.
Then again, there was always more to the story. If there was thing she picked up at school, when there's an effect, there's a cause. How could she judge a situation if she didn't know both sides of the story. It was bias to have a saying in something like this.
Even so, she knew she had to provide some form a comfort for him " I'm sorry to hear that. I know I may not be her but...I think she knows she screwed up"
Taking her time, she knew she had to ask him more.
" Do you know why she did it?"
Miles Scoffed as he turned his gaze toward the window of the bus " Does it matter?"
" It matters more than you think. Not that I'm defending her actions, but. If I were you, I would like to know her side of the story before jumping the gun."
" Why Should I? She had ever opportunity to tell me about everything but she didn't. So why should I bother listening to her now!"
" Because whether you want to admit it or not, knowing her side of the story may open your eyes to why she did the things she did. You can't always judge a book by its cover Miles. Your gonna have to talk to her eventually."
Miles groans in annoyance, she had a point even if he didn't want to admit it.
Gweny sighs as she speaks in a calm yet soft voice. " I'm not saying you have to trust her again, but believe me when I say this. Don't waste this chance finally get answers, especially with the life you live now. You may never know when you'll miss that chance after their gone."
Miles eyes softens, he realizes what she might be referring to. He was present when he had learned what had happened to her father.
" I'm sorry about your dad"
Gweny frowns " Its okay, really."
" Do you...wanna talk about it?"
She remains quiet, Miles gives her a moment to collect herself " All my life I was told that my father died in the line of duty. And all my life, I thought that was the way he went out. Or so I thought. I never imagined that there was more to the story. I never thought I would be standing in the same room with the man that... killed him"
Despite learning the tragedy of her fathers demise, Miles saw the determined look on her face
" Miles, I can't thank you enough for letting me come to to Alcehmax. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten what I needed. But I've gotta make this guy pay for what he did! I'm not gonna let this get away with what he took from my family!"
" I've gotta make King Pin pay, you have to let me make him pay!"
He knew this had become personal for her. When his Uncle Arron was killed by kingpin, Miles wanted nothing more then to make him pay for what he did. Seeing this version of Gwen going through the same thing he did, it gave him some sense of nostalgia.
" Whatever you want me to do to help, I will listen to you all the way! But you have to let me come with you!"
" Who said I was stopping you?"
" Oh come on, just because I'm a downgrade version of your best friend in the back- wait a minute, what?"
" Gwen, if anyone knows what your going through right now, it's me. I was in the exact same shoes you were in about a year ago. I know what's it's like to lose someone close to you. If this is what you want, I'm not gonna stop you." Miles explained, Gweny rubs her arm awkwardly before shying away.
" Wait, your really letting me come along this time? I thought I was gonna have to do more convincing like last time."
" What? We're you gonna cry if I didn't?" Miles laughed, Gweny felt her face heat up.
" In your dreams Spider Boy!"
****
Gwen narrowed her eyes watching the scene in front of her unfold. Was it strange that she was staring at her other variant and Miles? For all she knew, she just met her other variant. There was so much she wanted to know about this version of herself. But seeing how Miles and her were having some issues that were being left unresolved, she thought it would be best to to give him some space with someone he could talk to that didn't betray him. So why did it bother her so much seeing her counterfeit getting comfortable with him.
Amongst the chatter, Peter B. Stood up from his seat before making his way toward the front. His eyes catch Hobi and Pavitr talking which stops him.
" Hey Hobi, mind holding my baby for a second. Thanks!" Peter B. hands Mayday to Hobi who rolls his eyes once he sees Pavitr laughing at his dismay.
Peter B. scouted his way through the crowded bus of their team as he drew closer to where Miles sat. Taking notice of this, Gweny stops their conversation by tapping Miles on the shoulder. Confused, Miles sees her point her finger as he turns to see Peter B standing before him.
" Peter?"
" Hey Miles" Peter B. turns his head over to Gweny "Mind giving us a minute in private?"
Miles gave Gweny one look as she nodded. With a heavy sigh, Miles begrudgingly agrees as Gweny nods at Peter B.
" Sure thing" Peter B. gives her a slight smile as Gweny leaves her seat before sitting elsewhere leaving them alone.
Peter B. sits on the other side of the seat of Miles as they sit in silence.
Miles had mixed emotions about his old mentor after learning the truth about who he was. Like with Gwen, Miles was upset that he kept so much from him. It made it more upsetting knowing that just like Gwen, he too could've visited him anytime but decided not too. With all that said, he should've been as upset as he was with Gwen.
But he wasn't.
On his way to Alchemax, Miles was able to process a few things that had happened. Some of those were the actions of his old mentor. Applying logic and reasoning, Miles knew that unlike Gwen, Peter B. had a lot of things going on for him, from what he knew of course . For starters, he knew the mistakes Peter had made back at his dimension when they had met. So much in fact that he had encouraged him to fix them.
But seeing how he left things off with his MJ, he knew he needed to repair things first. For what he knew, he was able to fix his relationship with his old flame. But the trials it took to get to where he was to have Mayday while balancing back his relationship, he knew it must've been tough. How could he visit him during the early months after the collider incident.
But seeing how he recruited to the spider society, the last few months was no excuse.
Seeing him side with Miguel and watching him getting locked hurt him more than he wouldn't want to admit. But unlike Gwen, Peter didn't seem aggressive or aided anyone during the chase. He had actually tried reasoning him and actually admitted that he was the reason he had mayday.
Despite the tense atmosphere and all the hurtful things that had happened, his heart softened hearing what Peter had told him. Maybe it was why in that moment, he lowered his guard and told him how he felt.
" I wanted to be with you guys so bad, but this thing isn't all I thought it was"
Peter could've stopped him at any moment, they both knew that. But instead of choosing violence, Peter had chosen to reach out to him. It was only when Miguel had tracked his location did Miles think that Peter had used that moment to capture him. But seeing how he was here now to help, talking to him now that they were on the same side was the next big step.
" I just wanna start this off by saying that I didn't know Miguel could track my location. If I had know-"
" Would it have made a difference?" Miles asked, raising one of his eyebrows.
" No, not really" Peter B. shakes his head " Miles, there's no words to describe how sorry I am. For everything. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have become the man standing before you now. Which is why I came to try to make things right with you"
Miles listened carefully to Peter B. Who shifted nervously in his seat.
" You never answered my question earlier back at Alchemax. Peter, as much as I believe you and the others are trying to make things right with me, there had to be a reason why you suddenly decided to go against Miguel. Mind telling me why?" Miles asked
Peter B. Expression softened as he looked at Miles " After what happened back at HQ, I went back home to put Mayday asleep. Once I did, I started to reflect on things. After some time, I realised that Miguel and you had valid arguments on your approaches. As much as I hate to admit it, our trauma shapes us into who we are. Take it from me kid, would I really be the same man before you if it wasn't for Uncle Ben"
Miles shrugged as he locked eyes at Peter " So what? Are we really just gonna let these people die because some algorithm decides they want us to learn some valuable lesson? Is that what Spider-Man is now? A hero that is meant to suffer throughout the multiverse?"
Peter sighs, his tone suddenly shifts into a serious one "Remember what I told you when you asked me when you'll know when your Spider-Man?"
Miles is suddenly taken back. " Why this question all of a sudden?"
Peter just gives him a serious look as Miles sighs "Alright, Fine. You told me that I wouldn't"
" And remember what you told me back at the collider. when I asked you how'd I know I wouldn't mess things up again, what did you tell me before sending me back"
" I told you what you told me. You wouldn't know because...because..."
It suddenly clicks.
" It's a leap of faith" Miles mutters, how could he forget? He could've sworn he even had a jacket labelled " Leap of faith" written on it.
" Exactly. Miles, I was so afraid to go back because I was scared to repeat the same mistakes as before. I was scared because what chance would I have to fix things with MJ after I had hurt her so many times because of my mistakes. That fear is what kept me from realising the importance of who Spider-Man was. Before anything else, Spider-Man always tries. It's that same reason that helped you become Spider-Man. And it's what helped me gain the courage to fix my mistakes."
Peter takes a good look at Miles, his smile presenting itself as he spoke once more.
"Miles, I want you to know how grateful I am when you showed up into my life. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have rekindled things with MJ and had Mayday. No matter how this ends, you're everything I ever thought you would be and more. You're a better Spider-Man then any of us. Hell, your a better MAN than I think I could ever be. I know it'll take time for you to trust me again, but I promise to you that I'm stuck by you till the end. No matter what."
"Everywhere you go , you are an anomaly, You are the original anamoly , the spider that bit you was from another dimension, that spider was never meant to bite you , you were never supposed to be spiderman!"
Miles stares at him, a flood of emotions wash in as he holds back whatever tears that build up. It was faint but he felt a sparkle of hope that he once had lost after the betrayal earlier.
" Miles I-"
Peter B. suddenly felt his arms wrapping around him as Miles hugged him tightly.
" Give a minute..." Miles muttered in his chest. " T-Thank you...I...really needed to here that."
Initially shocked, Peter B. let's his arms wrap around Miles as he hugs him back.
" Take your time, I'm not going anywhere"
Time had come to a standstill as their embrace lasted for what felt like forever. It was only when they separated did Peter see Miles wipe the leftover tear stains as he smiled.
" So we're cool?" Peter asked, Miles just stares at him before showing him a smug look.
" I'll think about it"
" That's better then nothing I guess." Peter grimaces, before Miles could even react, he felt himself being pulled down as Peter wrapped his arm around his shoulder before pulling out his phone. " But since we got that out the way, I was dying to show you the rest of Mayday's photos!"
" Wait. Peter I-"
It was too late.
Peter had already begun scrolling through his phone with pictures of Mayday in them " This is her mad face. This is her smug face. Oh! And this is my favorite of the bunch. Her Peter Parker face!"
Miles awkwardly smiled while Peter B. continued to show her pictures of Mayday. Needless to say, he did not enjoy any second of it.
While Miles was stuck dealing with Peter, Gweny on the other hand was giving the opportunity to know everyone else. Even being forced to keep an awkward smile, a part of him did feel relived seeing her talking with Pav and Hobie, the ultimate duo who were more than happy to talk with this version of Gwen.
Meanwhile, Gwen sat in silence, only ever focusing on her counterpart from afar. She noticed how happy her friends were around her. She seemed to be the complete opposite of what she was expecting. So far, she seemed like a pretty cool person, a variant of herself that could stand out amongst the rest.
Although glad this version of her seemed to be happy, she couldn't help but feel inferior to her. Seeing how close and chummy she was with Miles earlier to even making her Hobie and Pav laugh at joke she made just now.
In Gwen's eyes, her counterpart was perfect. Maybe...she's better off being Miles' best friend.
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, her lips quivered before she stared back at the window, only allowing a tear to fall down her right cheek.
She knew she couldn't just give up hope. After all, Peter did say to take the leap of faith and try to work things out with him.
But in the end of the day, she was willing to try to regain the trust of her best friend. The only question that worried her now was if he would be willing to give her that chance.
At that moment, she finally understood why taking a leap of Faith wasn't as easy as it seems.
****
Otto sits on the sun deck, his stare is hard and intense as he closes his eyes and takes in the air through his nostrils before sighing.
" Otto, you have to shut it down!"
" Please dear! You have to stop!"
" It will stabilize, it's under control!!"
" What are you doing! No!!"
" GEORGE! ROSALIE! NOO!!!!"
Otto's eyes snap open as hears a noise that draws closer to him the second. Looking up, he sees Goblin in his glider as leaps down in front of him. He was not alone as Electro suddenly appears in a flash while Rhino jumped into the air before landing on the sun deck.
" Just what the hell were those things?!" Electro asked
" Don't ask me, I'm just as lost as you!" Rhino reassured him causing Electro to glare at him.
" I don't care who they were. I told you to bring the girl to me unharmed!" Octavius scolded them.
" Oh yeah. Where were you when we were getting out asses handed to us by those spider freaks? That's right! You were here, sitting here like a bitch cause your brains is all your good for!" Electro retorted back, Otto glared at him as both men were at a stand still.
" Enough. How could we go against one another like a time like this."
The others turn to see Goblin who stared out to the wood, his sinister smile never faltering in the slightest.
" Norman?"
Goblin turns back to his colleagues as he spoke calmly " Otto my friend, it seems that the offspring of that friend of yours had multiple allies. Some of which were quite...entertaining. Atlas, with our combined power...we would be no match. Which why we should make preparations. Like you said old friend, with the power of the multiverse with palm of our hands , there isn't nothing we could achieve."
Goblin approach's Otto before placing his hand on his shoulder. " You've said it yourself. We've come too far. Would you really want this girl along with his spider freaks to stop us?"
Otto stays silent as he Goblin words had cut deep into the mad scientist. Ever since the incident, it took everything he had to get to where he is now. He had made a promise to himself that with this machine, he would undo the damages that he committed all those years ago. Stopping now would mean that everything he did, every sacrifice he given, it all would've been for nothing.
" No" Otto mutters as he stares at his friend along with his other colleagues.
" Then there should be no problem then. Now come along, we have work to do" Goblin tells him as he walks back inside, his sinister smile never fading as he did.
****
Scanning the area, Prowler did a scan of the area as he followed the footprints on the dirt below him.
" He couldn't have gone far" He told himself out loud, it was clear that he was annoyed by this chase of cat and mouse. The fact that he had to make his way here without the prowling eyes of the other super villains was difficult enough. Searching through the snow, his suit was able to find something laying on the ground as he kneeled down too inspect the object.
Lifting the object with his claw, his suit examined what had laid before him as his eyes widen at what he saw. From what he examined, what he had picked up was a photo was seemed dirty and raggedy. Although the photo was damaged, he was still able to make out the people in it.
From the photo itself, two people were shown. One of being his doppelgänger who looked reluctant to take the photo. Even with his counterpart, it was the other individual in the photo that caught his attention. That other individual was no other then a young girl who looked around his age, smiling innocently in the photo. It was obvious that she was the one who initiated the idea of taking a picture.
But it wasn't the picture itself that had taken him off guard. It was the girl in the photo that did. Her blonde hair, her blue eyes, and her gap tooth. All features that he had seen before on a previous encounter.
It was the girl he saved the previous night.
" It's you..." Prowler muttered to himself in disbelief. His confusion had soon turn to annoyance as he gritted his teeth " Didn't I tell her to stay out of this?"
Setting aside the photo, Prowler checked his wrist of his suit which showed a map that had a red dot constantly moving forward.
" Whatever you planning to do, you better hope no one gets killed because of you. Doppelgänger"
****
Miles eyes shoot open as he sits up slowly to observe his surroundings. Not long after the bus trip back, Peter B. and the others had shown the place they stayed while looking for him. Needless to say, it wasn't some fancy 5 star establishment but rather a abandoned apartment that was left unattended.
Not that he was complaining though, it was better than staying at some rooftop in the condition the city was in. Regardless, the room that he was given for the time being didn't exactly have the softest bed.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he was taken aback hearing the sound his door opening as he turned to see who it was.
To his dismay, it was Gwen. His Gwen.
Not wasting another second, Miles decided to be the one to speak first " Can I help you?"
Gwen knew by the sound his voice that he was still upset, but knew she had to tell him the news. " Peni and Margo wanted me to tell you that their working on making the encryption key. Said it'll take around a few hours."
Miles shrugged " The sooner the better. Once we stop this collider, we'll have a few hours to prepare for The Spot."
After a long period of silence, Gwen decided to speak once again much to his dismay.
" C-Could we talk?" Gwen requested, she flinched once she saw him groan in annoyance.
" What is there to talk about, you said it yourself that you should've never come to see me."
" Miles, I...I didn't mean to-"
" Didn't mean to what Gwen. You didn't mean to lie about my face! You didn't mean to chase me down along with Miguel to stop from saving my dad! You didn't mean to hurt me?! Is that it?!"
Saying Miles wasn't yelling at this point was like saying the sun wasn't hot. He wasn't gonna bother keeping his composure any longer.
" If you just gave me enough time to explain-"
" EXPLAIN WHAT?!! Explain how all the lies and half truths are justifiable because you thought you knew what was best for me! Oh wait a minute, that's right! You were never suppose to see me! Because I'm a mistake right? A burden to everyone in the multiverse! Is that why you decided not to see me, because you were to scared to be around the original anomaly!"
" That's not true!" She yelled back, her voice trembling the more the conversation went on.
" And why should I believe you now? After everything you put me through! How could I believe a word you say now!" Miles was now livid as he continued to rant " Do you know how much it hurt to see that you didn't believe in me! That you thought i wasn't capable enough to do both until I had to fight my way through that spider cult!. And for what Gwen?!
She muttered, her eyes avoiding his gaze. " I just wanted to protect you"
" PROTECT ME?!!" Miles shouted, " I already told you Gwen! I'm not a kid anymore! You have to stop treating me like one! Okay! I'm NOT YOUR PETER PARKER!!"
Gwen's eyes widen after hearing the name of her deceased best friend. Hearing his name come into the argument had broken whatever strength she had left. Just like what happened back at the spider society, tears started to form in her eyes as she struggled to face him.
" I...I" Gwen struggled to find the words to say as Miles glared at her.
" You what Gwen? You thought by doing all this that I wouldn't end up like him? Like If you pushed me away, you wouldn't have to worry about me! Well did you ever consider the fact that by doing this to " protect" me, you would have lost me in the process!!"
Gwen remained silent as she lets a tears that formed earlier slowly make their way down her face.
" No! You didn't! Because you were to scared to face your own mistakes! Well guess what, this mistake just had enough of you!"
Miles prepares to leave as he walks past the distraught Gwen. Before he leaves, he looks back at Gwen who remained still as decided to say something. He prepared to do the one thing that he wanted to do ever since she had hurt him.
He wanted to her to feel the same pain he felt. And by doing what he was about to do, he knew it would hurt.
Little did he know, it would be a decision he would regret for years to come.
" It's like you said Gwen, in every other universe Gwen Stacy falls for Spider-Man. And in every other universe, it doesn't end well. I didn't believe you at first, but now that I saw who you really are, maybe I was better off without you in my life. And I'm sure your friend Peter was better off without someone like you."
And just like that, Miles had left the room leaving her in the room alone. She remains frozen as she feels her heart shattering into a million pieces. The room had become silent as his footsteps started to fade away from view.
Now she was alone, she crumbled to her knees before she sobbed. A cry that would be compared to one of anguish and sorrow. She didn't have any strength left to stop herself as she had let all her emotions pour out as she just continued to sob uncontrollably.
But why should her heart ache after what he had told her. After all, she deserved this didn't she?
****
" Do we really have go there to grab food?" Pavitr asked, disgusted by their suggestion.
" Of course we do, they got like the best burgers anyone could ask for!" Peter B. Reassured him,
" That doesn't mean it's good mate" Hobi told him.
" He's got a point. Last time I checked, that place had a C ranking. I wouldn't be surprised if that place closed down in this dimension" Peni added, obviously disgusted that Peter was really suggesting that place.
" Come on guys, trust me. It'll be worth it! I promise!" Peter B. reassured them.
Miles steps in the room clearly not in the mood as Peter B. spots him.
" Miles back me up here, you wanna convince them that the burger joint you took me to would be the best place to pick up food from"
Miles simply shrugged as he obvious sounded uninterested " I'm fine with whatever"
" I'll take it! Come on guys, even Miles agrees with me. So how about it" Peter B. exclaimed.
Hobi and Pavi gave each other one last glance before sighing. It's not they had many options.
" Fine, but they better not say chai tea when I ask them for tea!" Pavitr warned him cashing Peter to roll his eyes.
" I guess it's settle then. Peni, you and Margo work on that encryption key while me and the boys get some dinner for all of us." Peter B. reassured Peni who continued to look at him skeptically.
" And what about Mayday?"
" She's fine, Noir and Ham are taking care of her" Peter B. explained.
From the living room, Noir could be seen stuck on the wall as he made no attempt to escape from the web he was stuck in. Ham on the other hand was having the time of his life trying to chase down Mayday who was swinging from place to place.
" Dang it Peter, did you really have to give her a web shooter!" Ham yelled out from the living room.
Peni raised an eyebrow as Peter B. laughed at his cry for a help.
" See, they got it!" Peter B. Reassured her once more before turning to the guys. " Now let's get dinner. We don't have a second to lose"
" At least this will give me time to clear my head" Miles thought, after his small confrontation with Gwen, he needed time to get away from her.
The scowl on his face as he left with Peter did not go unnoticed as Hobie had already came to the conclusion on what had happened. Regardless, if he was right or wrong, he knew had to have a little chat with Miles, whether he wanted to or not.
****
After her failed encounter with Miles, Gwen had locked herself in her dorm. She couldn't remember much, after all the tears and whimpering, it was hard for her to keep track of how much time had passed. She hadn't even full grasp that night had fell as she just laid there, her cries subduing into small hiccups.
Miles words had wandered in her head. She replayed his words ever minute she could when she thought of him.
" It's like you said Gwen, in every other universe Gwen Stacy falls for Spider-Man. And in every other universe, it doesn't end well. I didn't believe you at first, but now that I saw who you really are, maybe I was better off without you in my life. And I'm sure your friend Peter was better off without someone like you."
Maybe he was right. If it weren't for her, maybe her friend Peter would've been better off without her. After all, she was the one that had to put him down after he had turned himself into the lizard. But seeing how in his last moments, she hated how she didn't have the courage to tell him who she was. She hated seeing how little he thought he meant to her and everyone close to him. She hated that despite everything that happened after his death, she knew that there was only one person to blame for his death. Herself.
And if that wasn't worse enough, she had repeated those same mistakes again. Seeing how upset and angry Miles was at her had broke her heart. But why should it matter, she had broken his first right? Because Gwen Stacy doesn't deserve a happy ending. She didn't deserve a happy ending, not after what she did.
She hated that even now she felt herself being ready to unleash another round of tears and sorrow. That was until she heard knocking on her door.
Startled, Gwen immediately wiped the leftover tears she had prior as she used whatever strength she had to keep her voice steady.
" I'm not in the mood Hobie, just leave me alone" She yelled thinking he was out the door.
Despite her best efforts, she heard the door knob turning as the door began to open. Irritated, she prepared to give him a glare that could rival Miles look of anger. To her surprised, it wasn't Hobi on the other side of the door. It wasn't anyone she was expecting either.
On the other side of the cracked open door was no other than her doppelgänger.
" It's you..." Gwen muttered under her breathe, Gweny awkwardly smiles as she makes her way inside.
" Hey...other me."
" W-what are you doing here?" Gwen asked, curious to know why her supposed counterpart would want to see her.
" Are you kidding, who wouldn't want to talk to their super badass counterfeit the first chance they get." Gweny openly remarked. Although Gwen hadn't seen her in action, seeing Miles in action had already given her glimpses of their capabilities.
" Okayyy..." Gwen awkwardly replied, not knowing either to take the compliment from...well, her other self or not.
" So like, how's the superhero life like for you. Does you feel cool when you swing in the air? Or do we feel badass whenever you kick ass!" Gweny started asking all sorts of questions.
Taken back, Gwen was almost got words as her counterfeit kept asking her all sorts of questions. Questions that she didn't have the time or effort to answer, especially in the state she was in.
" Listen...Gwen, or other or me. I would love to answer your questions but right now I'm not feeling it. If you mind...I think I would like to be alone" She told her politely.
Gweny expression soften as she saw the look on her eyes. She wasn't as smart as her other peers, but she wasn't a complete idiot. By what Miles had told her, she knew that she was probably regretting some of things she did. But seeing the pain in her eyes as she spoke, it became clear to her that as of right now, she probably needed a friend to talk too.
Gathering up the courage, Gweny hoped that her counterpart wouldn't snap at her like Miles did awhile back "Oh...okay. Is everything...okay?"
Gwen turned to face her with an annoyed expression, seems like she was just as stubborn as she was.
" I'm fine. There's nothing to talk about." She replied, not wanting the conversation to continue further.
" Miles said the same thing when I asked him. Seems like your both of you are equally as stubborn" Gweny joked, her smug expression changed once she earned a glare from her superhero counterpart " Sorry."
Preparing for what was to come, Gweny decided to ask the most obvious question that would either help ease her alter self or leave her 10 feet underground.
"If this about what happened between you and Miles, I'm sure you two could talk it out. Miles told me everything that happened and quite frankly, I think if you were to tell him the truth, he would come to a better understanding of things."
Despite her optimistic and calm tone, her suggestion had earned her nothing. Instead of snapping like Miles did, she was surprised to find her reaction. To put it quite frankly, it was more terrifying that she could imagine. The look Gwen had gave her had sent shiver down her spine as she knew she had probably set herself up for whatever what about to happen.
" Understanding?! UNDERSTANDING?!!! Oh he sure understood alright. He understood that I'm the reason this happened. That it's my fault! That I'm not worth the time or effort to even be with after I lied to him about everything because I was afraid to lose him!!" Gwen gritted her teeth as her gaze had left her counterpart frozen in fear. It was only made worse when she had actually stood up from her bed as she began to approaching.
" I-I'm sure that's not true. Miles is just hurting that's all, I'm sure things will be okay once you two sit down with each other and-" Gweny felt herself stumbling back before she made contact against the door behind her. She flinched when her counterpart used both hands to pin her against the door.
" YOU. DON'T. KNOW.THAT!" Gwen sneered, " You know why? Because unlike me, you didn't betray the person you cared for most because you thought you were doing the right thing. You weren't there when I saw the way he looked at me before he was sent here! You weren't there in his room when he told me that he was better off without me in his life! So excuse me if you think that being here now to talk about how much he adores you is gonna make me feel any better!"
" I-I wasn't-"
" You weren't what other me? Cause I'm dying to know what kinda snarky remark that you have that's gonna make me feel better. Cause it's certainly not gonna fix anything. Cause you know why?"
Gweny terrified expression soften once she saw her rage quickly die down as she was beginning to look more distraught as her rant went on.
" Because in the end of the day...I deserve this! I deserve to be hated by him. I hurt him to the point of no return, I don't deserve his forgiveness, much less to be his friend. Because if it weren't for me, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!!!"
Gweny tries to say say something, but what else could she say that would help someone thus distraught and broken.
Feeling her throat burn in intensity, Gwen wants to swallow but her body prevents her from doing so. " It's all on me and I'm...I'm" Tears begin to our down her face as she struggles to say her next words. " I'm so tired. Of everything. Even myself."
She finally gave in. Her tears had now resurfaced as her hands pulled away from the door as she wrapped her arms in a way to comfort herself. " It hurts." She barely breathes. " It hurts so much."
She wants this to stop, she wants her heart calm down and rationalize things. She had caused all this by lying and now karma was coming back to bite her. What's worse is that she had directed her anger and frustration on her counterpart who was now probably afraid her. What was wrong with me.
She didn't know what she expected. A yell or even a slap from her counterpart would've been an appropriate reaction after what she did. Invading someone's personal space, pinning them against the wall while ranting about things that weren't even her problem. Clenching her eyes, she prepared for the worse. After all, she knew she deserved it.
Except, the worse never came.
Instead of feeling a cold slap across her face, she felt herself being pulled into her counterpart chest. If she were to guess, she would say that she was hugging her.
"Hey.It's okay" She whispered, caressing her back " I know it hurts."
Initially shocked, Gwen felt the tears continue to drip down her face as she let out a sob. She didn't know what else she could do as she allowed her alter self to comfort her. Seconds pass before she finally had the strength the hug her back as she began to pour her heart out. Gweny did the best she could to comfort her as she whispered the most nicest things she could think of. Although scared at first, It seemed that Gwen didn't let her go in the slightest. After all, the only person that could comfort her was herself.
" Whenever your ready, tell me your side of things" Gweny muttered as she continued to comfort her.
****
" This food is an anomaly!"
" Oh Please, without it, you'll be starving to death spider tea!"
Miles watched as Peter B. and Pavitr argue on the way back as he remained silent throughout the entire conversation. It wasn't like he was gonna get himself involved in it either. Not when he had other things on his mind.
Thinking back, he knew his confrontation with Gwen didn't exactly end well. After all, he was still pretty much upset with her the most out of everyone. Unlike Peter, Gwen had lied to him about so much that it resulted in him getting hurt. But seeing how she tried to explain herself earlier before he gave her the cold shoulder, regret soon washed in his mind. Especially after leaving her with such hurtful words.
" It's like you said Gwen, in every other universe Gwen Stacy falls for Spider-Man. And in every other universe, it doesn't end well. I didn't believe you at first, but now that I saw who you really are, maybe I was better off without you in my life. And I'm sure your friend Peter was better off without someone like you."
Look, I know that last part wasn't necessary but could you blame me from being this hurt by what she did? Miles knew that last comment had caused a great deal of damage to her before he left. It felt petty but he had wanted to hurt her just as much as she did him at that moment ever since this whole mess started. But seeing how he involved her Peter and telling her that he would've been better off without her, it cracked something in him. Shame and disappointment for himself.
What she did was wrong, no matter under any circumstances. But did that make what he did any better? No, it didn't. He knew that by hurting her the same way she did him wasn't right. By doing what he did, he was proving what Miguel had told him hours earlier.
" You're just a kid, who has no idea what he's doing!!"
He told Gwen and the others that he wasn't some kid that they needed to take care of. But here he was acting like a kid with his emotions. I'm really pathetic, am I?
" You good Mate?"
Miles snapped out of his thoughts as he turned his head slightly to see Hobie walking next to him. While Peter B. and Pavitr argued ahead of them, Hobi had decided to walk beside Miles to avoid getting involved. It seemed that by asking him how he was feeling, Miles knew that the gig was up.
" Yeah. Why'd you ask?"
" The look on your face tells me otherwise. This about you and Gwendy?" Hobie asked casually, Miles shrugged as he grimaced. Back at the spider society, Hobi was the only one who decided to help him other than Margo. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have been able to escape. And for that, he was entirely grateful to him.
On the other hand, he knew that he and Gwen were close seeing that she stayed at his place for who knows how long. Seeing how he went on missions with Gwen while he was stuck at his dimension because he was some anomaly that everyone was afraid of, it didn't sit right with him. For some unknown reason.
" Yeah. She tried talking to me. It didn't end well" Miles explained, he cringed thinking how he would react if he told him about what he told her before he left. " But I wouldn't worry about. After all, she has you to talk to now."
Hobie raises an eyebrow " Really? Is that what 'ou think?"
" Well Yeah. Since she went on so many missions with you. Aren't you you like her best friend or something" Miles rolls his eyes as he explained " If she needs someone to talk now, it's you"
Hobie watches him carefully as he sees Miles no longer looking at him. Instead, he seems him with the same sour look on is face. Even with that look on his face, he could only smile in amusement. Seems like he and Gwendy have more things in common then they think.
" Listen Peter Pan, as much as I love Gwen, nothin' happened between us like 'our thinkin',"
" I wasn't thinking that" Miles rolled his eyes, the tone of voice pretty much gave away that it was. " Besides, why are we even talking about this?"
" Ain't it obvious.? 'our upset with 'er"
" OF COURSE! Hobie, did you know what she did! She-"
" Betrayed 'ou? Side with Miguel? Lie to 'ou?" Hobi listed " News flash Peter Pan, everyone's gotta their own opinion about 'something. Can't blame 'er for being scared"
" So what? I'm suppose to just excuse everything she did because she was scared? Is that it?"
" Not at all Mate, just telling ya that she did what she thought was right. That time she was away from 'ou, Miguel had influenced 'er into thinking that 'is cause was the right one."
" And so what? She decided to believe him thinking that there was no other way! Why would she do that?!" Miles yelled.
" Maybe it's because she learned about 'er canon event." Hobie explained, Miles mind froze as he recalled what Gwen had told him at the clock tower.
"W-What do you mean by that?" Miles asked him.
" Mate, do you ever wonder why you barely see any other variant of Gwen when you visited the spider society. Why the only ones you've seen are those of my drummer and her 42 variant?"
Miles is left confused "N-No, why?"
" Easy. There the only variants of her that are still alive."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Huh?"
" Was I not clear enough? I said-"
" I heard you the first time, that's why I said "huh"." Miles spoke with a hint of anger in his tone. " What I'm left wondering is what the fuck you mean by that!"
Hobie stares at him with a mixture of hesitation and seriousness. Although it was not his place to tell him this Information, what else could he do to convince him to talk to his drummer again.
" Listen mate, it's not my place to go around talking about this stuff. If you want to full details, you're gonna have to ask her yourself."
Miles curses in his head being left on suspense as he stares at him for moment, choosing his next words carefully.
" Oh come on! What's with everyone keeping secrets from me! I'm not a kid and you got to stop treating me like one!"
" If you want to stop getting treated like a kid, then stop acting like one."Hobie snapped at him, his voice low yet intimidating Miles enough to be taken back with a soft expression.
" I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"
" Look, Miles. I get you want answers, but you can't go around demanding to know things, especially something as dark and heavy as this." Hobie explained calmly, trying not start an argument. " I know 'ou and Gwen are on thin ice in your relationship, but 'ou got to understand things from
her side. It may not look like it, but she went through things to when she was away from you. Only when 'ou know the full story can you decide what you feel about the matter."
Miles stays silent for a moment, the look on guilt
" Even if I got the answers I wanted, it wouldn't changed what happened. She hurt me...and I hurt her." Miles sadly remarks
" And so what? 'ou think relationships are perfect or something? Well they aren't Mate. Especially with the life we Spider-Man live now. 'ou said you wanted 'er to stop treating 'ou like a kid, right? Well then, do the responsible thing a kid with grudges wouldn't do and talk to 'er. Would it fix things? Probably not. But at least you'll finally get answers."
And with that, Hobie continued on his way as he joined the others up front leaving Miles lost in his own thoughts. After everything that's happen, Gweny and Hobi had told him the exact same thing. But instead of listening to them, he acted immature and held grudge that was justified yet didn't get him the peace he wanted. He had let his anger and frustration hey the better of him and he regretted that. Just like Gweny had told him, there was always two sides of the story. You can't judge a book by its cover right?
Like what Hobie had previously mentioned earlier, it wouldn't fix what was done, but at least it would give him the answers he needed.
And just like that, Miles had made up his mind.
****
After all was said and done, Gweny had finally managed to calm her super hero alter-self down. Gwen wiped away the last of her tears as Gweny rubbed her back in comfort.
" Feeling better?" Gweny asks, Gwen nods slowly as she turns to her.
" Yeah." She muttered softly " Sorry for lashing out like that. I was way out of line and-"
" Hey, it's okay. I get it, you got a lot going through your head. I shouldn't have forced myself into your situation like that." Gweny apologized, Gwen stared at her before sighing.
She then began to tell her everything. From what she did to him, to what she kept from him. Everything. All the while her counterpart listened to her.
"I lied to him," She said when she'd finally finished her tale. "How could I do that to him? How could I hurt him like that. Maybe he's right, maybe he's better off without me in his life."
Gwen looks down in shame as she adds " Maybe Peter was better off without me in his life"
" That's not true. Look, Miles told me everything and to quite frankly what you did was wrong. But you had your reasons and I know a part of you wanted to keep him safe. To be honest, I think your a lot like mom"
Gwen eyes widen. Her Mom. She hadn't even thought about her. She barely remembered her when she was growing up. Most of her life her father had been the one taking care of her. She had only seen her mother through old photos that her dad had of her. Hearing that she was alive and well in this dimension surprised her.
" Mom?" Gwen mutters
" Yeah. Mom. You know, the woman who raised us. I would have guessed you had her while growing up."
Shaking her head, Gwen slowly informs " N-No, I didn't. It was dad that raised me"
" Oh..." It was Gweny turn to be left speechless. Just like with her counterpart, she hadn't known what her other parent was like. Especially since he was killed from the explosion when she was an infant.
Silence soon followed as both girls contemplated on what they had told each other. Gweny turns to her counterpart with curiosity as she asks her " H-How is dad like?"
Gwen stops to think for a moment, choosing her words as she looks at her. " He...He tries his best. Growing up a single father, he raised me the best he could. Sure, their were times where he messed up. But in the end of the day, I know he always wanted what's best for me. Even if he was overly protective of me at times"
Gweny shakes her head in amusement. She could never picture the goofy two shoes she'd seen in those photos being overly protective of their own daughter.
" So...how's mom like?" Gwen turns her head as she decides to ask her. It was now Gweny turn to answer her.
" She...gets on my ass a lot." Gweny explained, her eye twitching as she recalled all the moments her mom. " There's not a day where she wants me to be like the other kids. Y'know, going out with friends and living my life as a teenager should."
Gwen chuckled seeing her face " Funny, dad wanted the same thing for me. But ever since I became a hero, i didn't think I would have time for that"
" Really? I thought someone as cool and badass would have all sorts of friends. I mean, your literally the better version of me!" Gweny told her.
" Not really. After I lost someone close to me, I didn't really open up to people. That was until...Miles came along." Gwen explained, she suddenly lowers her voice as she speaks shyly.
" To be honest. I was a bit uncomfortable at first seeing how close you were to him. I know we aren't exactly looking eye to eye anymore but...he's still one of the first friends I made. My best friend if I'm being honest. But seeing you with him, I thought he found a better replacement. I guess I was just being silly."
Gweny was taken back from what she told her. She made her super hero counterpart uncomfortable? How was that possible? All she did was hang around Miles and-
Oh. My. God
Gweny eyes widen, it all started to make sense to her. To further add to this revelation, she examined her counterpart as she noticed hints that proved what she thought. From the shy tone from the small yet noticeable blush on her cheeks. It became all to clear to her.
Seeing how distraught she was after hurting Miles to even pouring her heart out as she confessed how she screwed up. She didn't view Miles as any ordinary friend. She was actually in-
*Knock* *Knock*
Gweny snapped out of her thoughts as both her and Gwen turned to see the door ahead of them.
" I'll get it" Gweny explained to her counterpart as she walked over to the door.
Turning the handle, Gweny opened the door slightly as she peaked her head out to see—Miles?!
" Hehe, mind if we talk for a second" He awkwardly whispered.
Gweny turns back to her counterpart as she tilts her head " Who is it?" Gweny laughs awkwardly before she suddenly pulled out the door before it closes itself leaving Gwen starring in shock " Umm...okay?"
****
" What the hell Morales!"
Miles flinches at her tone as he smiles awkwardly " Sorry, just came back with the others. I was gonna ask if you guys wanted your share" He shows her the bag of food which disgusts her.
" I think I'll take my chances starving. Besides, why are even here?" Gweny asked, Miles rubs the back of his neck awkwardly as he muttered.
" I...I think I'm ready to talk to her this time" He explained, flinching from the look Gweny gave him soon after.
" Really now? Cause last time I checked, people who want to talk about their issues don't mention dead friends saying they were better off without them" She informed him, crossing her arms as she shakes her head in disappointment.
" She...told you?"
" Let's just say when I wanted to get to know her better, she was a total wreck. Seriously Miles, I know what she did was messed up and you have every right to be angry, but mentioning a dead friend she cared about saying he would've been better off without her!" She scolded him, she was clearly upset that he had done the complete opposite from what she told him to do back at the bus " Why on earth did you think that was okay to say something like that?!"
Miles looks down in shame seeing her point. If someone told him about his uncle Arron like that, he would've had almost a similar reaction as she would " I know. It was wrong. I was just upset and..."
Speaking from the heart, he decides to be honest with himself as he spoke his next words carefully.
" I guess I wanted to hurt her the way she hurt me"
Avoiding eye contact, Miles knew that by doing what he did, he had made things worse. Instead of working through his issues with Gwen, he decided to selfish hurt her instead of getting the answers he desperately wanted in the first place. He let his anger and temper get the better of him.
Gweny stares at him for a moment before sighing.
" Look, I can't really judge you for the way you acted. Even if it was wrong, it's normal for us to let our emotions take over from time to time. But how do I know that you aren't gonna go in there and make things worse for her? How can I trust you to go in there and actually talk to her this time?"
Miles stops and thinks for a moment. Ever since he had met this version of Gwen, he hadn't told her anything due to his trust being broken by the ones he loved. But by doing this, he had kept her away from things she needed to know.
He was keeping so much from her and yet he neither had the courage or strength to tell her that. In a way, he had become fearful after his confrontation with Miguel.
Maybe I'm not so different from Gwen after all.
" I don't know." Miles mutters before having the courage to look at her " But I do know is that I won't make the same mistakes as before. It's like you said, I gotta know her side of the story before jumping the gun, right?"
Taking a single deep breath, Gweny looked at him with a serious expression. " Don't screw this up then, alright? "
" No promises Gweny!" Miles joked, his grin changing once he saw Gweny glaring at him.
" Got it "
She walks past Miles leaving him face to face against the door as he takes a moment to collect himself.
God. Please give me strength I need to do this.