chapter six:
❛ lights out ❜

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After losing Spider-Man in the labyrinth of the city, Gwen Parker trudged home, feeling the weight of the day settle on her shoulders. She sighed as she pedaled her bike down the familiar streets, the rhythmic hum of the wheels on the pavement mingling with her thoughts. The sunset cast long shadows, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink.

When she finally arrived at her apartment building, she was relieved to be home. The building's worn facade greeted her with the usual sense of comfort and familiarity. Gwen dismounted her bike and made her way inside, the heavy door creaking as she pushed it open.

In the lobby, Mrs. Henderson was sitting in her usual spot by the front desk, a large, well-loved chair cushioning her elderly frame. Her beagle, Baxter, was sprawled at her feet, his age showing in the slow wag of his tail and the faint wheeze of his breathing.

"Hi, Mrs. Henderson," Gwen said, forcing a cheerful tone despite her exhaustion.

Mrs. Henderson looked up from her knitting, her face lighting up with a warm smile. "Oh, hello, Gwen! You're home later than usual. How was your day?"

Gwen shrugged off her jacket and gave Baxter a gentle pat on the head. "Busy. You know how it is."

Baxter, despite his age, seemed to perk up at Gwen's touch, offering a soft whine of appreciation. Gwen's face softened as she crouched down to give him a thorough scratch behind the ears.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, dear," Mrs. Henderson said, her voice full of the kind of warmth only an elderly neighbor could offer.

"Thanks, Mrs. Henderson," Gwen replied, standing up and giving Baxter one last pat. "I hope you and Baxter have a nice evening."

As Gwen walked toward the elevator, she could hear the low hum of conversation from nearby apartments, but her own mind was preoccupied. When the elevator doors slid open and closed behind her, she headed down the hall to her apartment.

But as soon as she reached the door, she was taken aback. Max was sitting on the floor outside their apartment, clutching his handheld game console. The screen was blank, and he looked both bored and a bit annoyed.

"Max? What are you doing out here?" Gwen asked, her concern evident in her voice as she knelt beside him.

Max looked up, his expression a mix of frustration and relief. "The power's out. It's been like this for a while. I tried calling Mom, but she's still at work."

Gwen sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. She glanced around, noting the darkness of the hallway. "Just us, huh?" she asked, trying to confirm if it was an isolated issue or something affecting the entire building.

Max nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yep. Just us. I thought I'd be stuck out here forever."

Gwen rubbed her forehead, thinking about their options. The power outage meant that their apartment would be dark and cold, and waiting for it to come back on didn't seem ideal. Max's hopeful look made up her mind.

"Alright," she said, standing up and offering her hand to Max. "Let's go to Mom's work. It's better than sitting in the dark."

Max's face brightened instantly. "Awesome! I was getting bored out here."

Gwen led the way down the stairs, her footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell. As they reached the ground floor, she glanced back at Max, who was trying to keep up with her brisk pace.

"I hope Mom won't mind us showing up unannounced," Gwen said, more to herself than to Max.

"No way," Max replied, his excitement evident. "She'll be happy to see us. Plus, it's not like she can say no to us staying at her work."

Gwen chuckled despite herself, her earlier frustration melting away. "Let's hope so."

They exited the building and headed toward their bikes, which were parked near the entrance. Gwen's bike, already well-worn from countless rides, felt comfortable beneath her as she swung her leg over it. Max did the same with his, and they pedaled off into the twilight, the city's lights beginning to twinkle on around them.

The ride to their mom's workplace was a long one, the streets gradually emptying as the evening grew darker. Gwen tried to push the day's stress aside as she focused on the rhythmic motion of her pedaling and the cool evening air against her face.

As Gwen and Max arrived at their mom Linda Stacy's workplace, they found themselves in front of a bustling diner. The neon sign flickered warmly in the dimming light, a comforting beacon in the encroaching darkness. Gwen led the way inside, her mind racing with worry. The aroma of fresh coffee and grilled food filled the air, mingling with the chatter of patrons.

However, when Gwen glanced around the diner, her heart sank. Her mom wasn't anywhere to be seen. The waitresses moved about efficiently, and the clatter of dishes added to the lively ambiance, but Linda Stacy was conspicuously absent.

"Max, why don't you sit down at that booth?" Gwen said, trying to keep her voice steady as she gestured towards a corner seat. Max nodded, sliding into the booth and pulling out his handheld game console to occupy himself.

Gwen walked up to the counter, where she spotted her boss, Mr. Johnson, a burly man with a gruff exterior and a perpetually furrowed brow. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm as she approached him.

"Hey, Mr. Johnson," she said, her voice tinged with concern. "I was just wondering if you've seen my mom today. She was supposed to be working the afternoon shift."

Mr. Johnson looked up from behind the counter, his face reflecting a mixture of confusion and frustration. "Oh, Gwen. You haven't heard? Linda didn't show up for work today or yesterday. Haven't seen her around."

Gwen's stomach twisted. "What do you mean she didn't show up? She hasn't called or anything?"

Mr. Johnson shrugged, clearly annoyed but not particularly surprised. "She didn't inform us about missing work. It's not like her. I just assumed she was having some personal issues."

Gwen's mind raced, piecing together the unsettling puzzle. "My brother thinks the power is out in our apartment building, but it's just our apartment that's affected. Could that be why she's been MIA?"

Mr. Johnson's expression darkened. "Honestly, Gwen, with her not showing up for work, it seems like she might be dealing with more than just a power outage. Also, it looks like she hasn't been paying the bills. We've been having trouble with the apartment's utilities."

Gwen's eyes widened in alarm. "What do you mean, 'trouble with the utilities'? Are you saying that we might be without power because she hasn't been paying for it?"

Mr. Johnson nodded. "Yeah, that's what it looks like. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

Feeling a surge of panic, Gwen's mind raced. She turned quickly, her gaze sweeping over the diner before she walked back towards Max. Her heart was pounding.

"Max, we need to go. You should head over to Mrs. Henderson's place and stay there for now," Gwen said, trying to keep her voice steady but failing to hide the tremor of urgency.

Max looked up from his game, his face a mask of confusion. "What? Why? Where's Mom? Is she coming soon?"

Gwen felt a pang of frustration as she struggled to find the right words. "I don't know, Max. I just don't know. But we can't stay here. You need to be somewhere safe for now. Just go to Mrs. Henderson's, okay? I'll figure this out."

Max's eyes filled with concern. "But why can't we wait for Mom? She'll be here soon, right?"

Gwen's frustration bubbled to the surface. "I don't know, Max! I don't know what's going on with Mom. I just need you to go to Mrs. Henderson's and stay there while I sort this out. Please, just go."

Max's face fell, and he slowly slid out of the booth, his shoulders slumped with the weight of the uncertainty. "Okay, Gwen. But you better tell me what's happening as soon as you can."

Gwen watched him leave, her heart heavy. She turned back to Mr. Johnson, her mind swirling with worry and the nagging fear of what might have happened to her mom. As Max exited the diner, Gwen took a deep breath and braced herself for the challenging task ahead—finding out where her mom was and dealing with the sudden chaos that had upended their lives.

Gwen's footsteps echoed with urgency as she walked briskly through the sterile halls of the police station. Her anxiety grew with each step, her heart racing as she approached the front desk. The officer on duty, a tired-looking man with a stubbly beard and dark circles under his eyes, glanced up from his paperwork.

"Excuse me," Gwen said, her voice trembling. "I need to report my mom missing."

The officer looked up, his expression skeptical. "Missing? How long has she been gone?"

Gwen took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "She was here last night. She made dinner, and I fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, she was gone."

The officer raised an eyebrow, showing a lack of sympathy. "You said it's been less than 48 hours. We can't start a missing person report until it's been at least 48 hours."

Gwen's face flushed with frustration. "But my mom doesn't just disappear like this! She's never done anything like this before!"

The officer's tone remained flat. "I understand, but there are protocols we have to follow. If she doesn't return by tomorrow, come back and we can file the report then."

Gwen's anger bubbled over. "This is ridiculous! You can't just sit around and do nothing. I need help now!"

The officer's response was nonchalant. "Sorry, but that's the procedure. If she's not back by tomorrow, come back."

Feeling her frustration peak, Gwen shouted, "This is bullshit!" before storming out of the station. The heavy door slammed behind her, and she stood on the sidewalk, her breaths coming out in sharp, frustrated puffs.

As Gwen tried to calm herself, she heard the familiar sound of web-shooters above her and looked up just in time to see Spider-Man swinging through the night sky. Her heart skipped a beat with both relief and trepidation.

"Peter!" she shouted, hoping for any form of recognition.

Spider-Man landed gracefully in front of her, his movements smooth and controlled. His suit shimmered under the streetlights, and Gwen noticed something odd—he had a distinct Brooklyn accent, which was different from what she remembered.

"Hey, Gwendolyn," Spider-Man greeted her, his voice unmistakably tinged with a Brooklyn lilt.

Gwen blinked in surprise, her brow furrowing. "Since when do you have a Brooklyn accent, Spider-Man?"

Spider-Man's eyes widened slightly before he masked his surprise with a casual shrug. "I always had a Brooklyn accent. Just didn't think it was worth mentioning."

Gwen's eyes narrowed skeptically. "That's bullshit. I've never heard you speak like that before."

Spider-Man chuckled softly, though there was an edge of nervousness in his demeanor. "Well, maybe you haven't been paying close enough attention."

Gwen sighed in exasperation. "Whatever you say. My mom's missing, and the police aren't doing anything."

Spider-Man's expression grew serious, and his eyes conveyed a genuine concern. "She's missing? Did you report it to the police?"

Gwen threw her hands up in frustration. "Yes, I did! They said they couldn't do anything until it's been 48 hours. They're useless."

Spider-Man's jaw tightened with determination. "Okay, I'll find her."

Gwen watched as Spider-Man prepared to swing away, her worry increasing. "Wait! That's all you're gonna say? You're just gonna leave?"

Spider-Man glanced back, his mask partially obscuring his face but his eyes reflecting a resolve. "I'll do my best. Don't worry, I'll be back with answers."

With that, Spider-Man leaped into the air, his web-shooters glittering as he soared into the night sky. Gwen stared after him, her mind still racing with anxiety and confusion. The promise of help from Spider-Man offered a flicker of hope, even if it was wrapped in a mystery.

As the sounds of the city resumed around her, Gwen felt a mix of frustration and reluctant optimism. She hoped that Spider-Man's promise would bring the answers she desperately needed, but for now, she was left alone with her growing worry and the unanswered questions about her mother's sudden disappearance.

ASH SPEAKS!

peter- i mean spider man helping gwen find her mom?? yesss

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)