章 224: Chapter 176: Across the Spider-Verse (1)
Gwen Stacy's Universe - A Cozy Garage Studio
The garage studio was alive with the sounds of rock music. Posters of famous bands covered the walls, and the air was thick with the smell of old leather and electric energy. Gwen Stacy, also known as Spider-Woman, was seated at her drum kit, surrounded by her bandmates. The band, named The Mary Janes, was rehearsing for an upcoming festival.
Gwen, her short blonde hair is messy, pounded on the drums with a fierce intensity. As the rhythm surged through her, she couldn't help but get lost in her thoughts. "Let's do things differently this time." she mused to herself.
Gwen's Voiceover: "His name is Miles Morales. He was bitten by a radioactive spider. And he's not the only one."
Gwen's sticks clashed against the cymbals, the sound echoing her internal turmoil. "He hasn't always had it easy. And he's not the only one."
Her thoughts raced as she played, the beats becoming more aggressive. "And he's not the only one. You think you know the rest. You don't."
The music reached a fever pitch, Gwen's anger fueling her drumming. "I thought I knew the rest, but I didn't. I didn't wanna hurt him. But I did. And he's not the only one."
Suddenly, a voice cut through the noise.
"Hey!" Mary Jane Watson, the band's leader, shouted.
Gwen kept drumming, seemingly oblivious.
"Yo, Def Leppard!" Glory Grant, an Afro teenager with a powerful voice, chimed in.
Gwen's drumming grew even more intense, almost as if she was trying to drown out her own thoughts.
"Gwen!" Mary Jane yelled again, frustration evident in her tone.
Gwen abruptly stopped, her face flushed with emotion. "Is the song over?" she asked, looking around at her bandmates.
Mary Jane stepped forward, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay?"
Glory, shaking her head, added, "You don't hang out, and you don't wanna talk."
Gwen, trying to deflect, said, "I didn't join a band so I could talk about feelings."
"I did." Betty Brant, the boyish teen with a hoodie, interjected quietly.
Gwen clenched her drumsticks. "I joined it so I could hit my feelings with sticks."
Glory persisted, "Yo, if you don't tell someone what's going on, you're gonna snap."
"I'm fine." Gwen insisted, her voice tinged with irritation.
Mary Jane crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "That's not how someone who's fine would say that."
Glory nodded in agreement. "They'd say, 'Great. Thanks. How are you?'"
Gwen's frustration boiled over. "I'm great. Thanks. Whoa!" She stood up abruptly, causing a small chaos in the garage as she wrecked some of the setup in her anger and then stormed out.
"How are you? Fine?" she muttered sarcastically as she walked away, leaving her friends behind.
Mary Jane, Betty, and Glory exchanged resigned looks.
"Gwen. Come on." Mary Jane called after her, but it was no use.
Betty sighed. "I don't get you, man."
Gwen's voice echoed faintly from outside, "You're right!"
The three remaining band members stood in the silent aftermath of Gwen's exit. The air felt heavy, the camaraderie they usually shared was strained.
Mary Jane shook her head. "Gwen's gone, and now we don't have a drummer."
Betty looked up, a determined glint in her eye. "I play drums."
The two friends turned to her, surprised but hopeful. The practice might have ended in chaos, but the band would find a way to keep going. They always did.
As Gwen kept walking through the bustling streets of New York, the city's chaotic energy mirrored her own internal turmoil. Her short blonde hair blew gently in the breeze, and the neon lights of the city reflected in her eyes.
Gwen's Voiceover: "I play drums. I always wanted to be in a band."
She navigated the crowded sidewalks, her thoughts a mix of memories and present frustrations. "Guess I just never found the right one."
Gwen approached the train station, the familiar hum of the city dimming as she descended the steps. The rhythmic clatter of an incoming train echoed through the tunnels, a sound that felt both comforting and isolating.
She saw the train approaching and quickly hopped on, finding a seat by the window. As the train rumbled forward, she gazed at the blurred cityscape outside, her reflection merging with the passing lights.
Gwen's Voiceover: "In this line of work, you always wind up a solo act."
Her mind drifted back in time, a series of vivid memories flashing before her eyes.
Gwen's Voiceover: "Before Miles... there was Peter."
She closed her eyes, allowing herself to be swept away by the past. Images of Peter Parker, her best friend, filled her mind. She remembered their late-night conversations, shared dreams, and the deep bond they had formed. But Peter had taken a dark path, one that led him to become the Lizard. The pain of losing him, and the guilt of being the one to end his life, was still fresh, a wound that hadn't fully healed.
...
Gwen's Flashback
Gwen sat at the dinner table with her best friend Peter Parker, Aunt May, and her father, George Stacy. The room was warm and inviting, filled with the comforting aroma of Aunt May's cooking and the soft hum of conversation. Gwen held Peter's camera in her hands, scrolling through the photos they had taken earlier that day.
The table was set with mismatched plates, a vase of fresh flowers in the center, and the remnants of a delicious meal scattered around. Peter's laughter echoed softly, a sound that always made Gwen smile.
Gwen wrinkled her nose at a picture of herself, her hair short and messy. "Oh, I look terrible here." she said, her tone light.
Peter, leaning over to get a better look, chuckled softly. "I think you look great. I don't know."
Gwen's fingers paused over a photo of her in her Spider-Woman suit, captured mid-swing across the city skyline. The image was slightly blurred, giving it a sense of motion and energy.
Feigning ignorance, Gwen looked at Peter and said, "Is this that dangerous menace?"
Peter, smiling, replied, "No, no, no. She seems like a good guy."
George Stacy, his face serious as he looked at the picture over Gwen's shoulder, said, "Why wear a mask if you've got nothing to hide?"
Gwen thought bitterly to herself, "You stupid old man, it's me, your daughter." But she kept her thoughts to herself, her expression neutral, masking the turmoil inside her.
Aunt May, sensing the tension, interjected gently, "All right, no politics at the dinner table."
Gwen, grateful for the change in subject, said, "Thank you, May."
Aunt May winked at her, and Gwen felt a pang of guilt. "They didn't really know me," she thought. She glanced at Peter, who was fiddling with his camera, and realized, "And I didn't really know him either."
....
Her mind drifted to a painful memory of Peter being bullied. Ned Leeds had caught a football and intentionally slammed Peter into a locker, causing his glasses to shatter. Peter knelt on the ground, trying to collect the broken pieces, his face flushed with embarrassment and pain.
Seeing this, Gwen had stepped in, her voice filled with anger. "Touch him again, Ned, or I'll beat you up."
Peter, embarrassed, said, "Gwen, it's okay."
Gwen took Peter's hand, helping him to his feet. "Pete, always be careful and let me know if that bastard messes with you again."
Peter looked at her, a mix of gratitude and sadness in his eyes. "Thanks, I'll make sure to tell you."
Gwen's voiceover: Until it was too late.
....
Another flashback surfaced, this one more painful. Gwen, as Spider-Woman, fought the Lizard in a fierce battle. The Lizard's monstrous form loomed over her, its scales glistening under the dim light of the streetlamps. The air was thick with the sounds of their struggle—roars, crashes, and the tearing of concrete.
Gwen swung from a web, dodging the Lizard's powerful strikes, trying to subdue the creature without causing too much harm. The Lizard wrecked havoc, and in the chaos, a wall crumbled, trapping him under the rubble. Gwen, heart pounding, saw the Lizard revert to his human form—it was Peter.
"Hey, Gwen." Peter said weakly, his voice a mere whisper.
"Peter? What? No. No, no, no." Gwen cried, frantically pulling the rocks away from him.
She lifted Peter gently, resting him on the ground, holding his hand tightly. "What did you do?"
Peter's trembling hand reached up, fingers brushing against Gwen's mask. "I just wanted to be special. Like you... Gwen."
"Gwen?" She repeated his name, tears streaming down her face unchecked.
"Don't worry." Peter's voice, though fading, carried a painful acceptance, as if he had come to terms with his fate.
"Who's Gwen?" Gwen's voice wavered, Gwen tried to pretend and then distance herself from the raw emotions threatening to engulf her.
"Everything's gonna be okay." Peter's words, a whispered reassurance, pierced through the turmoil of their final moments together.
"Don't." Gwen pleaded, her heart breaking with each passing second.
"Everything's gonna..." Peter's voice trailed off, his gaze fixed on her mask, his strength ebbing away.
"Don't go. No, no, no. Peter! Peter!!" Gwen's anguished cries filled the air, her world collapsing around her as she held Peter's lifeless body close, unable to comprehend the enormity of her loss.
She clutched him tightly, the weight of her actions crashing down on her. Gwen's sobs echoed through the night, the pain of losing her best friend and the guilt of being unable to save him overwhelming her.
Then, amidst her sorrow, George Stacy's voice pierced the night like a thunderclap, "Hey, hey! Hey!"
Gwen looked up, tears blurring her vision as she saw her father sprinting toward them, his expression a mix of confuse and determination.
Then seeing her father running towards them. Panic surged through her, and she quickly stood, turning to run.
"I said stay right there!!" George's voice rang out desperately, pleading for her to obey.
But it was too late. Gwen had already escaped, her heart pounding as she swung away into the night, her tears mixing with the cold wind.
George reached the scene, his eyes widening in horror as he saw Peter's lifeless body. He knelt beside the boy he had come to see as family, his hands trembling. "Spider-Woman, I swear, I will catch you!" he vowed, his voice filled with sorrow and determination.
.....
Back to the Present
Gwen sat in the train, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels a stark contrast to her tumultuous thoughts. The city blurred past the windows, a mosaic of colors and lights. She leaned her head against the window, watching the world go by, lost in her memories.
Gwen's Voiceover: "Actually there is someone I was jealous of—another Peter Parker..."
The train slowed to a stop, and Gwen stood, adjusting the strap of her backpack as she prepared to disembark. She moved through the bustling crowd, her thoughts still dwelling on the past.
Gwen's Voiceover: "Let me tell you why... I know this guy, Michael Wilson. He's another Spider-Man like me, and he's Miles' teacher. Michael told us he had another Spider-Man in his universe, and his name was Peter Parker... You see, I was jealous."
As Gwen walked out of the station, she noticed a group of kids laughing and running past her, their carefree joy momentarily lifting her spirits. She smiled a little, the corners of her mouth curving upwards, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She continued walking, her thoughts still heavy.
Gwen's Voiceover: "I was jealous that I didn't have someone like that—someone like Michael Wilson to guide me, to be with me, and to share my pain and my loneliness. That's why I'm jealous—two Spider-Men in another universe. I'm jealous."
She looked up at the sky, her expression thoughtful. The clouds drifted lazily, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside her. "After Peter died in my universe, I never really made another friend after that." Her mind drifted to Miles Morales, the one exception in her lonely life.
Gwen's Voiceover: "Except one. But he's not here."
She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping as she walked. The weight of her isolation pressed down on her, making each step feel heavier than the last.
Gwen's Voiceover: "And there's no way to get there."
The streets of New York felt emptier than usual, the bustling city life around her doing little to fill the void inside. She wandered aimlessly, her mind a whirlwind of memories and regrets. Each step echoed her longing for a connection, for someone who understood the burden she carried. The vibrant city around her seemed to blur, her thoughts consuming her as she walked through the crowd, unnoticed and alone.
Gwen's Final Voiceover: "And let me tell you all these stories on why I said I hurt Miles Morales."
To be continue
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