Peter came home and when Aunt May saw him she felt relieved.
“Peter, thank God you are finally home.” May hugged her nephew.
“Yeah, Aunt May. Sorry for running away like that.”
“It’s okay Peter.”
Both felt relief, but the grief quickly resurfaced. As Peter and May embraced, they collapsed to the floor in tears. Ace and the Watson family offered their comfort and support in their time of loss. The night was heavy with sorrow and anguish as everyone came together to console each other in the wake of Uncle Ben's passing.
…
A week later, Uncle Ben's funeral took place, drawing a large crowd of mourners. May and Peter were in attendance, joined by Ned, MJ, Gwen, Ace, and Izu. Additionally, friends of Aunt May and Uncle Ben paid their respects. The atmosphere was heavy with grief as everyone mourned his passing, with May especially feeling the weight of losing her husband. The priest led a heartfelt prayer before the coffin was lowered, and as a final tribute, everyone tossed flowers as the coffin was laid to rest.
[Ben Parker, Beloved Husband and Uncle]
Ace, Ned, Gwen, and MJ gathered around Peter to give their condolences.
“Peter… sorry for your loss,” said Ned.
“Peter if you need help. Just know we are here for you,” said MJ as she hugged Peter.
“Thank you, MJ, everyone. It is good to have you as friends.”
They left Peter to let him grieve for a moment but Peter stopped Gwen and Ace.
“Gwen, Ace can I talk to you two for a minute? ”
“Sure, what is it?” said Gwen
“I… I want to help people. Ever since I got these powers I thought I could do anything and Uncle Ben paid the price. I want to use these powers for something greater. Uncle Ben said ‘With Great Power comes Great Responsibility’. I want to live up to those words and never let down Uncle Ben again. Gwen, Ace, will you help me? I have seen the reality of this world and I might be in over my head on this.”
Gwen grabbed Peter’s hand to reassure him. “Don’t worry Peter. Of course, we will help you. You’re not in this alone. I also have learned my lesson recently. I nearly lost my dad so I could understand you. The world has gotten even more dangerous but I believe we can protect people just like what Kamen Rider does. We are in this together right Ace.”
Ace smiled as he witnessed their unwavering enthusiasm. Even in the depths of despair, these two would always rise to the occasion to do what's right. They truly are heroes. “Naturally I’ll support you two. My facilities are for you two to freely use. You two are going to need equipment to protect yourself out there. Not to mention maintenance. Besides, it is about time for Gwen to get a costume change from her ragged clothes.”
“Hey!”
Ace and Peter laughed at Gwen while she pouted, feeling outnumbered by her two friends.
“But now is not the time. Uncle Ben just died. We need to let ourselves grieve. And when you two are ready. Just come and find me at my mansion.”
Peter and Gwen nodded and went their separate ways to sort their own thoughts.
.
.
.
A week has passed, and Gwen and Peter are at Ace's mansion. They have sorted out their thoughts and are ready to move forward.
“I guess you two are ready,” asked Ace
Gwen and Peter nodded. “Then you will need equipment. More importantly, you’re going to need to design your own suits.”
“Our suits?” questioned Peter
“Of course, your suits are important. They say the clothes make the man. And your suits are part of the image you want to convey to the people. If your suit looks scary it will instead frighten people. The opposite effect we want to achieve.“
“I guess you do have a point,” said Gwen.
“Next would be your equipment. You two have your web-shooters but I’m sure we can make more gadgets. Like mini drones, trip mines, and maybe a utility belt. We have my equipment but I don’t really know how to make them. But I'm sure Peter can make them. He has created some gadgets before.”
“Way to put pressure on me, dude.” Peter said sarcastically
“Don’t worry, take your time. Your web-shooters would do just fine for the time being. Now! It is time to design your suits!”
Ace presented a table displaying holograms, allowing Peter and Gwen to interact with it and design their suits. Peter opted for a classic red and blue design, complete with a spider symbol on the chest and back, and expressive eyes. Similarly, Gwen followed her comic counterpart's design, choosing a black and white suit with a hood featuring a pink background with webs. Both suits were equipped with impact-absorbing materials on the hands and feet, along with an AR heads-up display system in the mask for analyzing surroundings and communication. Although the suits were secretly made of Hiden Metal without the retracting function, Gwen and Peter believed they were bullet-resistant and made of carbon fiber.
They finished their designs, leaving the fabricator to handle the rest. While waiting, Gwen talked about their adventures as Spider-Woman.
“So this giant rat just came out of nowhere and was basically controlling all the rats. We fought and I got a few good hits in and even threw him into a store. It was hilarious. Sadly he also got me but then Kamen Rider came to save the day again.”
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Gwen recounted the fight with Vermin, and Peter was mesmerized. Hearing about Gwen's experience filled Peter with excitement, as he looked forward to using his powers to help others, despite the potential dangers. He made a promise to himself to be a force for good and help those in need.
“Your story is interesting Gwen. But you talk about Kamen Rider a lot. Do you have a crush on him perhaps?” Peter smirks teasing Gwen. When Gwen told her story she exaggerated a lot when she told Brave’s feats. And Peter picked up on this.
“N-N-No! I’m just thankful to him for saving my dad! The doctors told us he was fine when I arrived at the hospital. What Kamen Rider gave him healed his injury but left a scar. He lost a lot of blood so they gave him a blood transfusion. So he is now all better. I just wished he took a break after what happened to him. But with Vermin still out there, he has been on the lookout ever since.”
“Huh, and I thought with him almost dying he would spend time with his family more,” said Ace
“Yeah… Peter, Ace I think we should find Vermin,” said Gwen
“What makes you say that?” Ace asked Gwen. He had an idea but he wanted her to say it.
“He is dangerous and is still out there. We don’t know how many victims there will be if we let him roam free for too long,” said Gwen with a bit of anger. She remembers how Vermin nearly killed her father and wants revenge.
“If what you said is true then I’m with you Gwen,” said Peter
“I don’t mind but you have to make a promise first,” said Ace
“What?” asked Gwen
“If you find him, do not engage with him alone. You may have powers and your new suits will protect you. But both of you are amateurs at fighting. Gwen, you have that can thing to call Kamen Rider right? Ask him for help. He has more experience than you. And with you three together I’m sure taking down Vermin will be easy.”
“I guess you’re right. Working with Kamen Rider will make it easier.” said Gwen
“So Gwen you promise? I know you have a grudge against Vermin but don’t rush in blindly. Your anger will only lead to you making mistakes.”
“Fine, I promise I won’t go after him alone.”
“Good, Oh, your suits are finished.”
“Finally!” said Peter and Gwen
They hurried to retrieve their suits and admired them before putting them on. Once they did, the suits fit them perfectly, like a glove.
“Oh man, these suits feel amazing. They're like a second skin,” said Peter jumping around and testing his suit.
“Yeah! So much better than my rags before.”
“So you do agree they were not good before.” said Ace showing a teasing smile at Gwen.
“Shut up!” Gwen shouted in embarrassment.
“Hahaha, okay I’ll stop. So Peter, what is your name going to be?”
“Huh? Well… I guess Spider-Man will do it.”
“Wow, how original.” deadpanned Gwen
“Says the person calling herself Spider-Woman!” Peter retorted
Gwen and Peter continued to bicker like siblings, but Ace intervened when the insults started to resemble those of kindergarteners.
“Okay, you two break it up. How about you two go for a swing around New York? It is the debut of Peter and your two suits. I say it is time to show New York, the new spider duo.
“That’s a great idea!” said Gwen and Peter at the same time.
Peter and Gwen left the mansion in a hurry. “We’ll be going ahead, Ace! See ya!” said Gwen as she swung off.
.
.
.
Peter and Gwen swung through the city as if it were their playground, performing tricks and stopping a few thieves along the way. Currently, they are racing to see who can reach the Empire State Building first.
“Come on you slowpoke! You better keep up! Or else you’re paying for lunch!” Gwen was ahead of Peter and taunting him
“Hey no fair! You have been doing this longer than me!” said Peter trying to keep up with Gwen
The people began to notice them and saw two individuals resembling spiders. They recognized Spider-Woman, but they were also puzzled by the presence of another person alongside her, sparking a discussion about the identity of the second figure.
Both arrived at the Empire State Building, and unsurprisingly, Gwen was the first.
“Woohoo! First one here.”
Peter arrived shortly after, a bit tired.
“You’re paying for lunch, Peter.”
“Come on Gwen, give me some slack. That was hardly fair.”
“Then you better start improving. I’m not holding your hand all the way.”
*WEE WOO, WEE WOO*
Peter and Gwen’s attention was caught by a fire truck passing by. There seems to be a situation
“Is there a fire nearby?” asked Peter
Gwen looked around and saw a building on fire. “Over there! That building is on fire. Let’s go! There might be people who need help.”
They both swung over to the location of the fire. Once they arrived, they saw fire trucks and police cars parked nearby. The firefighters were attempting to extinguish the fire, while the police were working to clear the area. Gwen and Peter landed in front of a firefighter to ask about the situation.
“Hello, we are here to help. What’s the situation?” asked Gwen
“Spider-Woman!? It is great that you’re here. Who is the one beside you?”
“My sidekick.” Gwen replied
“We’re Partners!” Peter quickly replied
The firefighter is confused but ignores it. “The fire is spreading to the upper floors. Many people are trapped but the stairway collapsed so we can’t get them out fast enough.”
“Please save my baby!” A woman ran over to Gwen and Peter in tears and begged for their help.
“My babies are up there, please save them!”
Peter could see this mother was very distressed and immediately took action. “Don’t worry ma’am. We will save them. Spider-Woman let’s go!”
Peter jumped into the fire to start rescuing people.
“Hey! Who put you in charge!” said Gwen following Peter
They were inside the building, and smoke was clouding their vision. Fortunately, their masks had filters and AR displays, allowing them to breathe and see through the smoke.
“Let’s split up so we can cover more ground.” said Peter
“Alright”
Gwen moved to higher floors to search for people who were trapped. She found a man who was having difficulty breathing, brought him outside, and handed him over to a firefighter.
“Take care of him.”
She jumped back in and found a woman trapped under debris.
“You okay? Any broken bones?” Gwen asked
“No… I can’t move… *cough**cough*”
“Don’t worry I’m going to get you out of here.”
Gwen lifted the debris with all her might, creating enough space for the woman to move. “Hurry get out!”
The woman crawled out, and Gwen helped clear the debris before carrying the woman to safety outside.
Meanwhile, Peter used his display to locate life signals. He found some trapped in the bathroom. Upon arriving, he found two children in the corner, crying.
“It’s okay, It’s okay I’m here to get you outta here.” said Peter reassuring the children
Peter carried them, intending to bring them out, but the floor collapsed, blocking his path. He searched for another way out, but his only choice seemed to be to jump.
“Hold on tight.” Peter said to the two children
Peter jumped and crashed through the window just in time for an explosion to happen behind him. The mother of the children saw her babies and hugged them in relief.
“Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you… who are you?” the mother asked
“The name is Spider-Man ma’am.”
The mother thanked him again before leaving to have her children checked out by the paramedics. Gwen went up beside Peter to tell him that everyone was okay.
“Everyone is okay. Let’s go.”
“Right…”
The two left the scene and Peter was spacing out still thinking about the mother.
“It feels good doesn’t it?” said Gwen, snapping Peter out of his thoughts.
“What?”
“It feels good, doesn’t it? Saving a life.”
“...Yeah, yeah it does.”