New York — Parker House — MorningTwo weeks had passed since George Stacy’s death.
In his bedroom, Peter was sleeping particularly restlessly.
His body shifted slightly beneath the sheets, and his sweat-covered face reflected the violence of the nightmare haunting him.
In his mind, he found himself back at the scene of the tragedy.
Standing before him was George Stacy… or at least, what remained of him.
His body was torn apart, his face deformed and shattered by the fall.
Yet despite his condition, he slowly walked toward Peter.
— “Why, Peter?”
His voice seemed to come from another world, distorted by a deeply accusatory tone.
— “Why didn’t you listen to Yuri?!”
George took another step toward him.
— “Why did you rush in headfirst thinking you knew everything?!”
Peter backed away, terrified, unable to take his eyes off him.
Suddenly, the captain’s features twisted even further until his face became monstrous.
— “WHY DID YOU KILL ME?!”
Peter collapsed to his knees, unable to answer or even breathe properly.
The guilt that had been eating away at him for two weeks seemed to come alive around him, crushing him beneath its full weight.
— “IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!”
George’s voice now echoed from every direction, as if there were no escape from it.
— “DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOUR FAULT!”
Peter closed his eyes, but it changed nothing.
The screams continued to echo inside his head.
— “IF I’M DEAD… IT’S BECAUSE OF YOU!”
The pressure became unbearable.
Peter suddenly woke up, gasping for breath, nearly falling out of bed in his panic.
For several seconds, he remained sitting there without moving, completely disoriented, his body drenched in sweat and his heart pounding wildly.
Little by little, his breathing calmed, and he realized he was back in his bedroom, where the first rays of sunlight were already filtering through the curtains.
Without saying a word, Peter got up and headed to the bathroom.
The hot water from the shower wasn’t enough to completely wash away the images from his nightmare or the anxiety still twisting his stomach, but it at least allowed him to regain some semblance of calm.
Once washed and dressed, he put on a jacket, grabbed his bag and phone, then left the house.
After taking a bus toward downtown, Peter got off a few stops later and continued on foot toward the hospital where he was supposed to visit his aunt.
Around him, the streets of Manhattan were already bustling, even though the atmosphere was still marked by the events that had shaken the city over the past few weeks.
As he walked among the passersby, the shouts of a newspaper vendor suddenly caught his attention.
The man was waving several copies above his head to attract the crowd.
— “LISTEN UP! SPIDER-MAN IS NOW NEW YORK’S MOST WANTED CRIMINAL!”
Several passersby immediately turned toward him.
— “IF YOU SEE HIM, CONTACT THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY!”
The vendor held up one of the newspapers for everyone to see.
— “HE’S A PUBLIC THREAT! THIS COMES FROM A DIRECT ORDER FROM THE NEW POLICE CAPTAIN: YURI WATANABE!”
No sooner had he finished than a crowd began to form around him, everyone trying to get their hands on a copy.
Within moments, nearly all the newspapers had been snatched up.
Peter, meanwhile, had stopped a few meters away.
He remained silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on the scene, before slowly lowering his gaze.
Then, without saying a single word, he simply continued on his way toward the hospital.
When he arrived at the hospital, Peter immediately asked where his aunt was.
The receptionist told him she was in the rehabilitation department, and he headed there right away.
At the end of the hallway, he spotted May finishing her exercises.
When she noticed him, she gave him a small wave, which Peter returned with a faint smile.
A few minutes later, they left the hospital together.
May was sitting in a wheelchair that Peter gently pushed toward the bus stop.
Once they arrived, they waited side by side.
— “Peter?”
— “Yes, Aunt May?”
— “Do you know when Gwen is coming? We haven’t heard from her in a while.”
Peter kept his tone reassuring.
— “No… but she must be busy with Yuri and all the paperwork for her to come live with us. I know it takes time, but don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”
May gave him a tender smile.
— “What about you?” Peter continued.
“They told me a few things at the hospital… but not much. How are you feeling?”
May let out a small laugh.
— “Oh, you know… the doctors were really surprised. They thought I’d need another month, but apparently I have extraordinary recovery and willpower!”
She seemed genuinely amused by the situation.
— “Well… I still can’t do everything I used to, or work, but I can already go home with my beloved Peter. And that’s already a victory. I just have to be careful, and if there’s ever a problem, I just have to call them.”
A smile appeared on Peter’s face.
— “That doesn’t surprise me. You’re a Parker, after all. And probably the strongest one in the family.”
His expression then became a little more serious.
— “And don’t worry about the house or the money. I’ll handle it.”
May immediately turned her head toward him.
— “Absolutely not, Peter! I have money saved up.”
She then looked at him with that mixture of gentleness and authority Peter knew so well.
— “So you focus on your classes when they start again.”
— “No, Aunt May. I mean it. You’ve always taken care of me. It’s my turn now.”
May silently watched him for a few moments.
After everything he had been through recently, she understood that Peter needed to feel useful and to be able, in turn, to take care of her.
So she eventually gave in.
— “All right… fine.”
She raised a finger in front of him, however.
— “But I’ll keep paying for everything that needs to be paid for, and you’ll help me with the other tasks. And that’s not negotiable.”
Peter let out a resigned sigh.
— “All right… fine.”
They both burst out laughing, enjoying this small moment of lightness.
A few moments later, the bus finally arrived.
They got on, and after the ride, they got off at their usual stop, close to home.
Peter and May had barely arrived in front of their house when Peter pulled out his keys to open the door.
But before he could, the sound of an engine caught their attention.
They both turned around and saw a moving truck pulling up right in front of the house.
A few seconds later, the passenger door opened and Gwen Stacy stepped out, a faint smile on her lips.
— “Hey, you two.”
— “Hey, Gw—”
— “Gwen, sweetheart!”
Peter didn’t even have time to finish his sentence.
Clearly delighted to see her again, May immediately held out her arms.
Gwen walked over and leaned down to return her embrace, while Peter silently watched them for a few moments.
His attention then shifted to the truck parked behind her.
— “Are those your things in the truck?”
— “Yeah! Peter, can you help me unload them?”
— “Of course.”
He then turned to Gwen and gestured toward May with a slight nod of his head.
— “But you take Aunt May inside. I’ll handle the boxes with the mover.”
— “Okay, thanks.”
While Gwen pushed May’s wheelchair inside the house, Peter joined the mover to take care of the boxes.
There were about ten in total, which they carried one by one upstairs into Gwen’s new bedroom, located right next to Peter’s.
The room was spacious enough for her to settle in comfortably.
A bed was already placed against one of the walls, along with a small table that would serve as her desk.
Once the last box had been dropped off, Peter and the mover went back downstairs to join Gwen and May in the living room.
— “There you go, everything’s in place. Have a nice day.”
— “Thanks, you too.”
— “Thanks for your help!” Gwen added.
— “Thank you, and drive safely!” May added.
The mover gave them one last smile before returning to his truck and driving away.
Peter closed the door behind him, then turned to Gwen.
— “Well… all that’s left is to unpack your things.”
— “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. You’ve already helped me a lot.”
May immediately raised her hand enthusiastically, clearly determined to make the most of their first day all together.
— “How about we have a little movie marathon?”
— “Oh yeah, I’m in—”
— “I’ll pass… sorry.”
Gwen stopped and turned her head toward Peter.
He had answered calmly, but all the energy that usually animated him seemed to have disappeared.
He lowered his gaze slightly.
— “I’m a little… tired.”
A slight look of disappointment crossed May’s face, but it disappeared almost immediately when she noticed his condition.
She simply gave him an understanding smile.
— “Of course. Get some rest, sweetheart.”
— “Thanks, Aunt May.”
Once in his bedroom, Peter let himself fall backward onto his bed, making the mattress creak slightly beneath his weight.
He stayed like that for a few seconds before pulling out his phone and absentmindedly scrolling through social media.
Two weeks after George Stacy’s death, the subject was still everywhere.
Articles kept coming, along with videos, testimonies, and debates surrounding Spider-Man.
Some now considered him a criminal and seemed convinced of his guilt, while others continued to defend him.
But despite their disagreements, they were all asking the same question: where had Spider-Man gone?
Peter let out a long sigh and placed his phone beside him.
He remained lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling, until a few light knocks on his door interrupted his thoughts.
The door opened slightly.
— “Peter…?”
— “I didn’t say come in.”
— “Yeah, very funny.”
Gwen closed the door behind her, then walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress.
— “Are you okay?”
— “Yeah… you?”
— “Yeah…”
A heavy silence settled between them.
Neither of them seemed to truly believe the other’s answer, but for a few seconds, neither Peter nor Gwen could think of anything else to say.
Gwen eventually broke the silence.
— “You know… everyone in the city is wondering where you’ve been. They want to know if the spider is going to come swinging over New York again,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.
Peter looked away slightly.
— “And they’re also wondering if I’m going to kill someone else.”
— “Peter…”
He suddenly sat up and locked eyes with Gwen.
— “No, Gwen! It’s the truth! It’s my fault! Because of me, your father is…”
The words caught in his throat.
Unable to finish his sentence, Peter lowered his eyes, immediately overwhelmed by guilt again.
— “Sorry…”
Peter immediately lay back down and turned his back to Gwen, burying his face in his pillow as if trying to escape the conversation.
Gwen watched him silently for a few seconds.
She could clearly see that something deeper had been eating away at him since her father’s death, and she finally spoke in a calm voice.
— “Peter, be honest with me. Is all of this… because of Uncle Ben? Does my father’s death remind you of your uncle’s, and make you believe that once again, all of this is your fault?”
Peter didn’t answer.
Yet his fingers immediately tightened around the sheet, a subtle gesture that didn’t escape Gwen’s notice.
She instantly understood that she was right.
Without pushing him any further, she slowly moved closer and wrapped her arms around his body.
— “It’s not your fault, Peter. Not my father, and not your uncle. From the beginning, you’ve done things no one else would do. You’ve saved so many lives. So no matter what they say, it’s not the truth.”
She gently tightened her embrace around him.
— “And know that I’ll always be here for you. If my father were here, he’d probably yell at you to get back up and keep fighting. Like you’ve always done. Like Spider-Man does.”
Peter remained silent, but his hand reached for Gwen’s and held it tightly.
— “And if you think I blame you for his death… know that I don’t.”
She paused briefly before giving him a tender smile.
— “You’re my hero, Peter. And I love you.”
Gwen kissed his cheek, then gently ran a hand through his hair.
Little by little, Peter felt the tension inside him begin to ease.
The pain and guilt were still there, deeply rooted within him, but in Gwen’s arms, they suddenly felt a little less heavy to carry.
Peter turned around and wrapped his arms tightly around her in return.
Gwen returned his embrace without hesitation, simply staying by his side.
One week later, on the evening of December 24th, a warm atmosphere filled the Parker House.
Peter, Gwen, and Aunt May were sitting together on the living room couch, bundled beneath the same blanket while, beyond the windows, light snowflakes fell peacefully over the neighborhood.
All three of them had their eyes fixed on the television, where the final countdown to midnight had just begun.
A wide smile immediately appeared on May’s face.
— “Are you ready, kids?!”
— “Yeah!” Peter replied enthusiastically.
Gwen quickly nodded her head with joy.
The final numbers appeared on the screen, and all three of them began counting them down together.
— “Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Six… Five… Four… Three… Two… One… MERRY CHRISTMAS!”
Their faces immediately lit up as their laughter filled the living room.
For a few moments, despite everything they had been through over the past few weeks, the house finally regained a little lightness.
As things gradually calmed down, May turned her gaze toward Gwen.
Her smile remained, but her voice became softer.
— “Gwen, sweetheart… I’m so happy you’re with us this Christmas. These past few months have been terrible, and I want you to know that you’re part of the family. We love you.”
Peter immediately nodded beside her.
— “Yeah… we love you, Gwen.”
Touched by their words, Gwen felt her eyes well up.
Without trying to think of a response, she leaned toward them and wrapped them both in her arms.
A few tears appeared at the corners of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away before finding her smile again.
— “No crying on Christmas! Come on, presents! Peter, help me!”
All three of them got up and went to retrieve the six presents arranged beneath the tree.
As he made his way back toward the couch, his arms full of gifts, Peter couldn’t help but think back to the conversation he’d had with Gwen a week earlier.
Her words came clearly back to him.
— “And if you think I blame you for his death… know that I don’t. You’re my hero, Peter. And I love you.”
A sincere smile appeared on Peter’s face as he discreetly glanced toward her.
— “Thank you, Gwen. Thank you for everything. And know that we’ll always be there for you too. I’ll always be there for you.”
Later that night, Peter was lying in bed, unable to fall asleep.
He regularly turned from one side to the other as his mind replayed the recent events over and over again.
After all those weeks of chaos, guilt, and pain, that Christmas evening had given him a strange sense of peace that he’d almost forgotten.
And despite himself, his thoughts kept returning to Gwen.
A light knock on his door suddenly interrupted his train of thought.
— “Peter? Are you asleep?”
He immediately opened his eyes when he recognized her voice.
— “Gwen?”
Intrigued, he got up and went to open the door.
Gwen was standing right behind it, wearing a long T-shirt and sleep shorts.
But what immediately caught Peter’s attention was the large, carefully wrapped box she was holding in her arms.
— “So… can I come in?”
— “Oh, uh… yeah. Sorry.”
Peter stepped aside to let her in, then closed the door behind her before turning on the light.
— “Is everything okay? Why are you here this late?”
His gaze fell once again on the box she was holding.
— “And that… what’s that?”
A mysterious smile immediately appeared on Gwen’s face.
— “It’s for you!”
Peter blinked, completely lost.
— “Huh? But… you already gave me a present.”
He looked at the box curiously, trying to figure out what it could possibly contain.
— “Why give it to me now?”
— “Because… it’s a present for Peter Parker… but also for Spider-Man.”
It only took him a second to understand what she meant.
His eyes immediately widened.
— “No… wait, are you serious?”
— “Okay, just so you know: I made it with my style! I hope you like it!”
She held the box out to him, but Peter remained still for a moment, still too surprised to take it.
— “Is that… really what I think it is?”
— “Yes!”
— “Like… really?!”
— “Peter… open it.”
Both impatient and still in disbelief, Peter finally took the box and tore off the wrapping paper before lifting the lid.
Inside lay a brand-new suit.
He remained silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on it, before a huge smile appeared on his face.
— “So… what do you think?”
— “It’s… it’s amazing! Thanks, Gwen!”
Overwhelmed with emotion, he set the box down and immediately wrapped his arms around her.
But after a few seconds, a detail suddenly came back to him.
He pulled away slightly and stared at her with wide eyes.
— “Wait… is that why you wanted my measurements and my old suit? You were secretly making this for me?!”
— “Congratulations, Sherlock!”
Her amused smile immediately confirmed his suspicions.
Peter shook his head, still just as stunned by everything she had prepared behind his back.
— “I can’t believe it…! But how long have you been thinking about this?”
— “Since the day I saw you struggling to sew up your old suit. I figured that one day, it would be unusable. So I got a head start. Well, it was way more complicated than simple sewing, but…”
Gwen looked up at him.
Her smile softened, giving way to a gaze filled with tenderness.
Their eyes met and, for several long seconds, neither of them said a word.
Peter felt his heart begin to race as everything Gwen had done for him came back to mind, along with the hardships she had endured and those they had faced together.
He gently placed his hand over hers.
Gwen didn’t pull away.
Instead, they slowly moved closer to one another until their lips finally met.
They kissed softly, without rushing or hesitating, simply allowing the feelings they had for each other to speak for themselves.
They eventually lay down side by side on the bed, nestled against each other in a gentle, reassuring embrace.
After everything they had been through, their relationship had naturally taken another step forward.
There was no urgency and no need to do anything more.
Just two people deeply marked by the recent events, who were nevertheless continuing to move forward and rebuild themselves together.
In an almost simultaneous whisper, the same words left their lips.
— “I love you.”
At the beginning of January, Peter was sleeping soundly in his bedroom.
The past few weeks had been particularly exhausting and, for the first time in a long while, he was finally enjoying truly restorative sleep.
A peacefulness that, however, didn’t take long to be interrupted by a voice he knew well.
— “Peter! Wake up, quick!”
Peter groaned into his pillow, still half asleep.
— “Huh…? What? Why are you waking me up? I’m exhausted…”
— “Suit yourself. Sleep.”
Through his drowsiness, Peter heard Gwen calmly walking away from his bed.
— “Your loss if you miss the first day back. And don’t worry about Aunt May, I’ve already taken care of everything for her.”
The door closed behind her.
— “Yeah, yeah… whatever…”
Peter let himself fall back against his pillow as silence returned to the room.
He stayed like that for a few seconds, ready to drift back to sleep, until Gwen’s words finally sank in.
His eyes suddenly flew open.
— “…Wait.”
He shot upright.
— “THE FIRST DAY BACK?! THAT’S TODAY?!”
Peter sprang out of bed as if a bomb had just exploded beneath his mattress.
— “She left without me! I can’t believe it!”
He raced through the hallway and rushed into the bathroom.
From that point on, everything happened at an absurd pace: brushing his teeth, jumping into the shower, getting dressed… Peter got ready as quickly as he possibly could, without wasting a single second.
But when he realized what time it was, one thing became obvious: even if he hurried, there was no way he would make it to school on time by normal means.
— “No way I’m gonna be late! Not this time!”
His gaze then fell on a box sitting in his bedroom.
Gwen’s gift.
His new suit.
Peter stood motionless in front of it for a few seconds, as if cut off from the rest of the world.
At that moment, all the events he had been through since becoming Spider-Man suddenly came rushing back to him: the disasters, the fights, the injuries, the enemies he had faced… but above all, the losses he had suffered along the way.
Then, little by little, other memories began to mix with the previous ones.
Harry.
May.
Gwen.
All those people he had managed to protect, all those lives he had saved, and all those who were still here because of him.
Despite his mistakes, despite his failures and everything he had lost, his powers had also allowed him to save people.
Peter took a deep breath, then returned to the present moment.
He knew he had to make a choice.
Keep letting fear and guilt decide for him… or become the person he had chosen to be again.
His gaze remained fixed on the suit as a confident smile slowly appeared on his face.
This time, he didn’t hesitate anymore and grabbed the box.
A few minutes later, Peter had put on his new suit.
He fastened his web-shooters to his wrists, grabbed his bag, then jumped out the window.
Outside, light snowflakes continued to fall over New York as the morning light gently bathed the city.
Without waiting any longer, Peter took a running start and launched himself forward.
Above Manhattan, Spider-Man was already soaring through the sky in his brand-new suit.
The outfit, mainly red, featured a large blue spider with black outlines in the center of his chest, while the lower part of the suit was entirely black.
Blue stripes matching the logo also ran along his arms.
But the real new feature was beneath his armpits: red and blue web-wings that, once deployed, now allowed him to glide between the buildings.
Carried by his new web-wings, Spider-Man cut through the air at full speed above the streets of Manhattan.
Down below, his passage quickly attracted attention.
Several passersby looked up at the sky, and some even stopped when they recognized him.
— “Hey! Look! It’s Spider-Man! He’s back!”
— “But wait… his suit changed, didn’t it?”
— “He’s a danger to us! Are you idiots or what?! He’s a criminal!”
Spider-Man heard the reactions blending together behind him, but continued on his way without slowing down.
He now knew that he couldn’t control what others thought of him.
However, he could still decide what he would do with his powers.
That’s when movement in the streets caught his attention.
Several police cars were chasing a vehicle speeding through traffic, its driver dangerously swerving between other cars and pedestrians.
Peter watched the scene for a few moments.
His gaze hardened.
— “No matter what awaits me… I’ll keep helping people.”
He slightly folded his web-wings and immediately tipped forward.
His body plunged toward the streets as the sides of the buildings rushed past him at full speed.
In a perfectly controlled movement, he extended his arms and several webs shot from his web-shooters.
— “This is my power. My responsibility!”
Spider-Man accelerated even more, then disappeared between the skyscrapers of New York.
Oscorp — Norman Osborn’s Office — Day
At the top of one of Oscorp’s imposing glass towers, Norman Osborn was quietly working in his enormous office, his eyes fixed on his computer while his fingers calmly moved across the keyboard.
A knock at the door suddenly interrupted the silence that filled the room.
— “Come in.”
A man entered the office.
— “He’s here, sir.”
— “Good. Send him in.”
— “Understood.”
The man immediately left the room.
A few seconds later, the door opened again, this time revealing a man with white hair and a face marked by age.
Despite the particularly luxurious setting he had just entered, he wore an immaculate white lab coat, as if he had just stepped out of his laboratory.
Norman stood up to greet him, and the two men shook hands.
— “A white lab coat, huh?”
— “I’m a scientist. A real one. I never take it off. It’s part of me.”
A slight smile appeared on Norman’s face.
— “At least that proves you’re not an impostor.”
He invited him to sit down before returning to his place behind the desk.
Miles Warren took a few moments to look around the room, still intrigued by the reasons behind this mysterious invitation.
— “I have to admit, I’m perplexed. You paid me a fortune to come here immediately. So I’m listening: what do you want from me?”
— “I’ll get straight to the point.”
Norman entered a few commands on his computer before turning the screen toward his guest.
Several videos of Spider-Man appeared, filmed in different locations throughout New York and showing the vigilante in action.
— “You know him, I assume? You could say he’s… popular.”
Miles Warren simply nodded, still not understanding where Norman was going with this.
— “I want you to clone this man. I want an army of super-soldiers with the same powers as him.”
At those words, Warren suddenly rose from his seat, his face marked by shock.
— “How do you know about my experiments with…?!”
He immediately stopped himself.
Norman’s perfectly confident expression had just given him all the answer he needed.
A smile slowly appeared on Osborn’s face.
There was no longer any need for Warren to pretend.
After a few seconds of thought, the scientist sat back down.
The surprise had given way to an entirely different expression: that of a man now intrigued by the proposal… and above all, interested.
— “You’re insane. Maybe even more than I am.”
An unsettling smile appeared on his lips in turn.
— “But… I like it.”
Warren interlaced his fingers in front of him, visibly already imagining the possibilities such a project could offer him.
— “After all, it’s the madmen who push the limits of imagination. And since my goal is to create something unique through DNA and cloning… I suppose our objectives align.”
He leaned slightly toward Norman.
— “As long as you pay me and provide me with all the equipment I need… I’m at your service.”
Warren held out his hand.
Norman briefly lowered his eyes toward it before smiling in return.
— “Perfect. You’ll have everything you need.”
He firmly shook the scientist’s hand.
— “Then welcome… Professor Warren. I hope our collaboration will take us far. Very far.”
The two men maintained their handshake for a few moments, each wearing the same satisfied smile.
In the quiet of Oscorp’s office, a new agreement had just been made between Norman Osborn and Miles Warren, without anyone yet being able to imagine just how far their experiments would take them… or the consequences they would have for Spider-Man.
TO BE CONTINUED.